ShannonK

Howdy! Today is 4 months.... down 81 pounds from highest and 66 from day of surgery! I am feeling great....wearing size 16 bottoms and either a large or XL top. I had to buy all new underwear - size 8 thank you (underwear sizes are in their own world, and an 8 is for sizes 14-16, but I am not gonna lie...loved seeing the size 8 on the package!!) I am still struggling to drink as much Water as I should.....I am trying!! chips go down WAY to easy...gotta watch that - love all things seafood. And then they ask you..."So, how much weight have you lost??" I have been very honest with everyone, told them about my surgery.... If I can help ONE person in their journey - then yay.... But I balk here.... Early on, spoutin' off 20 or 30 pounds was awesome.... I DOn't wangt to tell work associates or acquaintances I have lost the equivalent of a German Sheppard off my ass!! I Celebrate that with my girl friends, but co-workers are a different breed (pun intended). The bitchiness is not appreciated, nor do I want to see raised eyebrows as they look at how much further I still have to go and strain to do the mental math to see I was a 300 pounder at one time.... Gosh NO! ANyway - That's my monthly check in. Going strong....going to try and get some intentional work outs in..... Glad to be a success story..... Still have never been in pain or puked... Just get REALLY full REALLY easy - Pretty awesome huh? Oh - here's a pic of my Halloween outfit....I chose not to wear it out of the house....9-10-c.bmp

Looking good!!!

CONGRATS!!! I can't wait - 28 more pounds and I will join you in onder - land!!!

Howdy! School and 4H has kept me so busy - I have to try and remind myself to post here once in awhile! I am so glad to be posting on the "success Stories" forum.... Want to hear of a great NSV (nonscale victory!)? - kids went on a canoe and kayak event with 4H, my eldest didn't have a partner...so I did it! I climbed in both a canoe and kayak - and didn't drown us! I paddled and had a blast! I NEVER would have attempted that at 300 pounds!!! I am continuing to slowly lose weight - I still weigh every morning, and I really shouldn't. I know the long tern will be in a down direction!! I desperatly need to go clothes shopping - my panties are baggy ooops - sorry if TMI! I feel better overall, still struggle to drink what I should.....it's hard. Hope all is well with my other sleeve buddies!!

food is/was my drug! I know my Dr. won't operate on people with Bipolar/manic - or at least that is what I heard. Not sure 100%. I don't know any long term sleevers...but I know several bypass people that have put ALOT of their weight back on - so scary! Good luck! This is still the best thing I have ever done for myself!!

SO I am going to try and attach a recent pic of me here...and update my photo album. I can see a drastic change in my face - but of course, I see it every day and I have to look at older pics of myself to really notice..... Isn't it strange how our eyes take so much longer to catch up to our reality??

I am trying to post some differet pics......struggling. I can attach, but not embed in the post like I have seen others do. ACK! Technology! MAybe this will work.....

October 2nd......3 months since I hand my sleeve done. I do believe I am a poster child for this procedure, as I have yet to be in pain or puke one time since my procedure. I am utilizing my new stomach as a great tool to lose weight - and I believe I have been successful - I am over halfway to my goal. In fact, I am almost "worried" my goal is not low enough. I have caught flack on here for some of my meal choices - Oh No!! A Crispy taco!!! - but I am very proud of both the choices and portions I am eating. I was 307 at my heaviest, and 292 day of surgery. I was wearing a 3x top and tight sze 24 pants. Today I am rocking and XL top and 16 bottoms. It is working for me. I still struggle to get my liquids in.....40oz is about average, and I KNOW I need more than that. I need to quit putting off dealing with my knee so I can start exercising....I haven't done any yet. To anyone considering this surgery - research and research. Talk to those that have had it. Bad things CAN happen, however....Great things can happen too!! I will try and update soem recent pics soon.....

I will most likely need ANOTHER knee surgery - just putting it off. I am active though - I teach all day (rarely sit), we camp and I walk, my kids are in 4H and gymnastics, and I go, go, go...... I love to go walking - and I take my 5 year old (whoch is great for her!) - but her pace is not so good for me for a cardio work out. SO I guess what I am saying is, while I am not setting a time aside for some sweat dripping exercise, it sometimes just happens with my life......My knee feels a little better, but there was no miraculous cure. I am also fortunate for my height.....however, it hid SOME Of my fat well, and now I have to lose quite a bit to go down an actual size. Thanks for all the great comments - I hope I am encouraging to others. I love this site!

The two week safter my surgery were the worse part of the whole thing! I DREAMED about food! I watched the foodnetwork A LOT - and that actually seemed to help. It gets SOO much better - I promise! Tomorrow is my 3 month date for my surgery - and I am doing great! I eat well,I am losing, I feel great. However - the postop liquid diet is just something we have ALL had to endure - and while I have no tips other than to grin and bear it, know that it shall pass and life really begins again!

It is amazing how this surgery can really mess with your mind! One minute, I worry I am not losing fast enough. The next - I worry I am losing too fast! One week I can eat 4-6 oz at a meal no problem, then the next, 4 bites and I am full. I am rarely hungry, and still enjoy eating when I am. I have no pain - just very full feeling..... Can your tummy shrink even after surgery? What I am eating: Breakfast - a Fage yogurt or an egg and peice of bacon or a muscle milk lunch - a deerburger patty with cheese (4oz) or a tuna kit or piece of fish with a little broccoli dinner - just the Protein part and maybe a bite of veggies for whatever we are having for dinner. On the days I am hungry - I will eat baby bel cheese or string cheese in betwen my meals. I feel like I am doing well - except for liquids. I am way under what I should be drinking....happy if I get 40oz a day. I keep trying to work on it! No real exercise yet....knee still acting up. Lots of walking. San Antonio Zoo - 2 miles on our nature trail here in town, that kind of stuff. Losing some hair - I am lucky - have LOTS of it. Went and had some long layers put in. My hairdresser said anytime you are eating under 1200 calories, you will lose hair. Anyway - just a quick check in. This site has been a lifesaver for me, I hope it is helping others.... Oh - and went from a 3x and size 24 pants to an XL top and 16/18 bottoms in less than 3 months. Yay me....now why am I so scared???

Awesome for you!! I feel like you - my eyes haven't adjusted yet though! My friends dog me for wearing baggy clothes - but it's a weird thing going from a 3x shirt to an XL and 24 pants to 16-18. Congrats!

This may sound REALLY strange.....but I put a few more carbs into my diet, and the pounds started melting off again! I was eating 60g of Protein, a day, but very few carbs...and stalled at 253-255 for 10 days! I made some broccolo, rice, cheese casserole for a friend, and kept back a few servings for myself. 1/4 to 1/2 a cup with my turkey steaks, chicken or shrimp and voila! I was 248 this morning! Now - I used LOTS of broccoli - so I am betting about half of the above portion was actual rice..... Maybe we have to have more carbs to kickstart it back? Anyway - school year is going great. Very busy...... Good luck everyone!

Yummo!

I am just back from a day night date with my hubby!! We went to Fredricksburg, TX for some fun, relaxation, shopping and FOOD! I was really worried how this was going to go.... First day there - we went to Mamacita's for lunch. He ordered the crispy taco plate and been and cheese nachos. I ate one taco (shredded beef and cheese with hotsauce) and half of a nacho! It was wonderful, tasty and I was stuffed! He ate the rest plus 2 beers and several beautiful home made tortillas!! For dinner - we went to a great German restaruant - and he had the Schnitzel Kase, and I was dismayed to see very little I could eat. I settle on the Klopse meat balls (beef and pork) and of course it came with a huge pile of buttered noodles and saurkraut. The meat balls were in a caper dill sauce - and there were 2 about 3 oz each - so I plopped the other on his plate and set in. Big problem - the meat ball had a lot of bread filling in it. I ate about 3/4 of it - and could feel it EXPAND in my belly. Luckily, we did a lot of walking afterwards, and 30 min. after - I started back with my Water - so no pain! We slept in the next day, so hit town about 11. He had a hpme made burger plate - I had half an order of quiche Lorraine - yum! Dinner that night was another German place - he had schnitzel, I had an appetizer called German Rueben rolls. Basically, 2 egg rolls made with corned beef, swiss cheese and saurkraut - with thousand island dipping sause! I ate almost all of it - super good! We did buy some Amish cheese we snacked on in our B&B that night, and I feel like I really didn't miss out on the food end....and don't feel bad about myself. I know I probably didn't hit my 60g of Protein, but I will be back on track tomorrow and have fish and shrimp thawing in my sink! I was really worried about the "enjoying" food aspect after this surgery. I have to pay more attention, but do not feel deprived at all. I am so thankful!!!!

You can check out my signature below to see how I am doing...pretty good I think! I have not been able to start any exercise yet (I had PLANNED on walking daily as well as a free areobics class offered at my school) - but I have a very bad knee! I had hoped the weight loss would have helped improved this problem, but I was dancing in the sand at the beach in June, and reinjured an already bonky knee. I have already had surgery on it once - and it is very frustrating. I am going to go to the doctor this week - hope to get some relief! Anyway - at 2 months out, I pretty much CAN eat whatever I want, so there is definetly the need for making good choices. I am back at work now - (I am a teacher) - and the regular schedule is helpful. I try to get my prottein in, and limit my carbs! A typical day for me is a greek yogurt for Breakfast (15g protein), a tuna kit for lunch with only 3 of the crackers (19g protein), a string cheese for snack (4g protein), then Protein and veggie for dinner....I am loving Boarshead Bratwurst (18g protein) or Turrkey meatballs. I also LOVE shrimp and fish - so I have a lot of choices..... Going out is still a little of a challenge - my family went to a chinese buffet - and I ate some chicken and broccoli, a few spicy shrimp and one crab ragoon. ABout 4-5 oz total......I was stuffed! WAY different that what I used to eat! Had about 1/3 of an omelet at Ihop the other day - the spinach, mushroom cheese one - yummy! My friend ate the rest! I DO struggle to get liquids in - and I make myself drink at least ONE G2 gatorade each day - I think that helps. I take a sublingual b12 once a day and a Multivitamin.....I sometimes forget, but do good most of the time. I started this journey in tight 22/24 clothes - I am now in an 18. This weekend I cleaned out my closet - and it was amazing to try on some old favorites and have them HANG on me. New underwear are in my future! I have lost over 27 inches all around (neck, waist, thighs, arms) and am looking forward to more. This surgery can seem so sureal. I never imagined I would wear an 18 again. I did not think it would work for me. I am making good food choices and I am ot starving. I feel good (except for the dang knee) and am so glad I chose this for myself. Prior to the surgery, I would get on this forum and read everyone's experiences - so I wanted to make sure and add mine. I am not on here near as much as before due to work - but if anyone has any questions - I will answer them as I check back in. God Bless!

I love cooking shows! My husband calls it food porn Regardless, I get great ideas, then tweak them to be what I like. I will be the first to tell you I am NOT a foo foo cook (I love to watch it, but have you priced saffron threads??) Anyway - I don't even cook with raw onion or shallots - I use the ground up stuff from my spice cabinet....and no one has complained yet...and it simplifies my life.... So on with my latest and greatest! Preheat oven to 350 Spray your muffin tin - I have a 6 cup tin that works great for this - regular size muffins... In a bowl mix 1 small container ricotta (I used part skim) 1 small container cottage cheese (drain moisture off - I use paper towels, use a cheese cloth if you have one) half cup mozzerella half cup of the REAL shredded parmesan - not the white powder out of a can (see - I can be a food snob!) I package of minced spinach (I used the steam in a bag stuff from HEB, then SQUEEZED the heck out of it with paper towels!) 1 large egg yolk some onion salt garlic powder Mix well Spoon into muffin tin, top with some provolone (I love cheese! - can be mozzerella if you want) Bake for about 35 minutes - watch you cheese on top - no burning!! Let set for about 7 minutes and enjoy! I am almost a month out of surgery and eat almost a full muffin tin - but not quite - So yummy! I know someone smarter than me will plug it into your online doomahickie and tell me the Protein and calories...each portion is about 4 oz. I did have some mix left over.....my dog loved it too! Enjoy!

Sept 2nd will be two months - I am trucking along. I love it - love the way I feel and the lost pounds!!

I was so worried I would have horrible fatigue...I watched a friend have it, and I am sooo busy, I couldn't even imagine. I hope I am not jinxing myself.....but no fatigue at all ...... I am busier than ever, a new school year has started, 3 kids...I just keep going. I feel even better - Haven't puked ONCE!! (another huge worry!) So glad I did this - DOwn 50+ pounds since July 2nd - It is a good thing!

I was sleeved July 2nd - and I LOVE to read about what people are eating on e a regular day. I am horrible about counting calories....but my goal is 60g-70g of Protein a day! I also despise most Protein shakes, and only grab one if rushed or can't be avoided! So please share what you had today - I would love it!! Breakfast - one scrambled egg, slice of canadian bacon lunch - 3 oz crab cake (recipe has been posted in the recipe section) with tablespoon of guacamole dinner - 3 oz roasted chicken breast with Thai green sauce (blended pablano and jalapeno peppers) Lots of Water and 12 oz G2 grape gatorade! snack - one jalapeno string cheese I am loving this life!!!!