weightnomore

I had a super long stall after the first few weeks--I only lost a lb. or two in eight weeks! It was horrible, but eventually my body adjusted to the shock and started to cooperate. That said, since you are self-sabotaging, maybe talking to a counselor will help--I believe these things come from self-hatred and low self esteem. You need to learn to believe the truth about yourself--that you are valuable and loveable and worthy of good health and a trim body.

That is too funny about the blind lady! I guess she can see what is really important!

You made a great choice. I hope all turns out as you wish. It is worth the struggle.

Putting a smile on my husband's face when he sees me. And he was not real supportive of me having the surgery at first.

Wowzers! Don't you just love when that happens!!!

Thank you all for your wonderful comments and encouragement. It really is worth the struggle for all of you who are beginning, or are in the midst of your journey. There are good things at the other end. Yes, Coops, those are size 12 jeans in the picture. And I just bought the darn things a month and a half ago.

Yesterday, December 7th was my one year surgiversary. It has been a great year and a rough year. A healthier year and a sicker year. An anxious year and a peaceful year. Contrasts, to say the least. I started at 207 lbs and a 36 BMI. From the beginning I had trouble following the Protein rules because everything made me gag--things like almond butter which I loved before and Protein shakes which I thought were pretty good before. So I did the best I could in finding protein sources, but fell way under the allotted amount. I also struggled with eating too fast--a lifelong habit. I had many occasions, especially in restaurants, when I was involved in conversation and would forget to slow down. food would get stuck, and I made more than my fair share of trips to the bathroom to "let it out". One time I was in a clothing store after eating and then drinking Water on top of it. The liquid started to come up on it's own and I ran to the bathroom, thanking God it was not in use by anyone else. At about six months out, it seemed to dawn on me that "Hey, I can only eat a small amount and it's okay. Just take your time with it and enjoy it." I had some unrelated female, back and thyroid health issues which often kept me from exercising. Because of these things and because I was so fed up with dieting rules and didn't try very hard, I lost slowly. Slowly compared to many on this forum, but according to my doctor, I'm on track or a little ahead of the game. My cholesterol is down from 275 to 216 and my sleep apnea is completely gone. I have had some problems with acid reflux. I had a very large hiatal hernia repair at the time of the surgery, and don't have good tone in the upper sphincter. I am still dealing with this to see if anything besides taking PPI's can help. My doctor suggests converting to the bypass, but I'd have to be in pretty bad shape to do that. I waited a long time for my insurance to cover the sleeve for a reason! I encourage anyone who is on the fence to take the plunge and do it while you are young. At age 55, the loose skin especially in the face is an issue. I don't care too much about what is covered by clothing. My brother says he knows some people who had the surgery and their faces looked drawn at first, but eventually filled out. I hope that is the case with me. The lack of hunger is a good thing and a bad thing. I'm getting used to it, and do have to often force myself to eat. Going out to restaurants is not as satisfying because if you're not hungry you don't get that great satisfied feeling from eating. Now I eat pretty much what I want, trying to choose healthy, natural foods and keeping mindful of my protein intake. I still have chips and chocolate on a regular basis, though. I have a rough time giving those up. The absolute BEST part is not always being unhappy with myself about my weight. All the diet books are gone (and I had a huge stack). I don't immediately go to the "how to lose weight" articles when I open a magazine. I eat what I like and enjoy it in small amounts. I take my time with it, eat slowly and when I'm done, I enjoy the conversation, rather that craving what I'm going to have for dessert. When I go out, I don't feel self-conscious and try to cover everything up. It's very freeing! I'm not sure where I am going to end up, but I have 12 lbs to go to reach my goal weight. I have already reached my goal size. Everything is different than when I was young. I used weigh 10 lbs less than I do now, but I was a size 14. I celebrated my anniversary by buying a pair of size 10 stretch black corduroy jeans! Down from an 18-20. Yeah!

Surgery 12/7/2010 and I have lost 58 lbs, 13 lbs to goal.

I did not do the two week pre-op because my MBI was 36 and the doctor didn't think I needed it. He said that he was a little surprised because my liver was somewhat enlarged. I did do a liquid diet for two days prior to the surgery.

Well I am 55 and post menopausal and I have been having some issues with wrinkles, especially in the neck area. I had a conversation with my brother the other day and he said he knows a number of people who had the surgery and when they first lost the weight, they looked somewhat drawn, but that after a while things seem to redistribute and their faces fill in again. That was encouraging!

Was it at a bar or a restaurant? I'm just curious about what they charged you for this. Juice can be expensive and usually no free refills.

Remember that the liquids are taking the place of the foods you used to eat. Even solid foods have lots of liquid in them. If you are not retaining the water in your tissues, then you should be fine. I would still call my doctor though and check with them if it is normal.

When I was in IHOP with a friend, we were talking to the waitress about my surgery and she said I can always order a 1/2 portion of anything. I had never heard of that before. I don't know if it is true at all restaurants (I'm sure not the fast food places). I usually just get a doggie bag or order an appetizer and then have a little off my husbands plate. But I may ask for this option sometime in the future and see what happens. Anyone who has worked in a restaurant ever heard of this?

I have to agree with you, Longer-life. As a mom I would probably say the same thing to my kids--just encourage them to be sure it is right. She didn't say, "Boy, are you a jerk. What the heck are you doing?" As far as telling people or not, I came to the conclusion a long time ago that everyone is going to have their opinion based on their own perspective. I understand that people have not researched the surgery like I have, because it is not something they are planning on doing. If someone is open, we can have a reasonable conversation and I can explain why I have made the choice I have. If not, they are entitled to their opinion, even it it is out of lack of knowledge. But it is my body, my life and my choice. The only opinions that matter to me are my family's as they are the ones who will be affected if something goes wrong.

Hi, I have been struggling with the same issues. At first so many things that I loved before (almond butter for one) made me want to gag. I had no taste for shakes, etc. It was as though all my senses were heightened but in a negative way, like when you have a fever and things just don't seem appealing. Now at 8 months out, we go to a restaurant and I am the last one to order because nothing looks appealing. I don't want to gag like I did before, but I sit there and think, 'Okay what will go down easiest, and what will be a smaller quantity so I don't waste it." I think I am going to start ordering soup or small salad, then just share whatever my husband orders. So it kind of stinks, but I feel so much better in my body. I have not lost all my weight yet, but I go out of the house in a well-fitting pair of jeans and no longer feel self conscious of my big butt. I am able to exercise more easily and I went clothing shopping, put on some size 12s and looked darn good in them. I read somewhere that people's appetites do sometimes come back. Ghrelin is produced in other parts of the body than the stomach, so maybe over time, production of the hormore will increase. One can only hope!