Madison

Congrats on deciding on the sleeve! DQ doesn't offer anything that's sugar-free, and most stores only have 1-2 items that have no added sugar (likely to still contain a ton of natural sugars).

Hi everyone! They should've mentioned that one of the side effects of WLS is having an overly active social life I can't believe how far I've come from just less than a year go. I have severe PCOS so I was afraid I would not lose as much as others, but so far I have dropped 140 lbs and am no longer in the "obese" bmi category! I'm shopping in regular stores and simply live a much happier, much more fulfilling life. I do deal with bouts of hormonal-related depression, but that seems to go away with exercise. This was the best decision I've made in my life. I went from a size 30-32 to a size 14-16. I don't even recognize my own reflection. It's so weird seeing myself look like how always imagined myself to be. I had zero complications and the only negative side effect I've experienced was severe hair loss. It's very sad and made me cry many times to be losing so much hair at a young age, but I luckily decided to keep it long and the weight loss results are so satisfying that it makes up for it. My blood pressure, cholesterol, and sugar levels are healthy. I've been very dedicated to following a serious nutrition/activity plan. I'm hoping to lose 20 more lbs for my 1 year post-op so that I will no longer be considered "overweight"!!! I'm so happy I did this and I'm thankful for the support of everyone I've met here. Please let me know if you have questions! I'm tempted to post pics but I'm overly shy :wub:

I was in the same boat pre-surgery! Severely overweight with very long thick hair--pretty much the only thing I loved about myself and received plenty of compliments about. It was one of the few things I took pride in. I'm 8 months post-op, and for the first time ever, able to shop in normal stores. I did lose a LOT of hair, but I kept it long so it still looks beautiful. It really thinned out but there aren't any bald spots and at least my body is physically attractive now (if that matters ) Now I'm much, MUCH slimmer with thinner (but still pretty) hair. My advice is to take great care of it, be positive, and learn to love your new self...trust me once you see those numbers go down on the scale and remember what your previously morbidly obese used to feel/look like...you'd trade all the hairs on your head to never go back there.

I thought I'd post on my success so far. I was terrified I was going to need skin removal surgery (one of my biggest fears pre-weight loss) but eight months out I'm confident that I won't be needing surgical intervention. I've lost 150 lbs so far, I still have a bit more to lose but I've noticed the only thing that truly helped flabbiness was extreme exercise (intense cardio/weightlifting). Oils/creams seemed to moisturize and improve the appearance, and light activity just helped with weight loss and not with toning. It was only after I started doing very intense workouts (with a nutrition regimen specifically for toning) that I noticed a huge change in my body's appearance. For a while I was afraid I'd have to have a bunch of skin removed all over, but now it seems the only issue I have left is a bit of tummy/arms which my trainer is confident can be reduced with more exercise. This has been my experience, so others might have different results...but I really think intense activity (yoga, weight-lifting, boxing, martial arts) will give you satisfying results. It may not be the perfect sculpted body we long for, but your body will appear so fit and healthy that no one really notices little patches of skin. Youth and elasticity definitely play a huge role, but you've got nothing to lose by giving it a shot. Good luck everyone

WELL! I ended up finding a shop I really liked on my first attempt! The employees were super laid-back, very kind and courteous. They helped me pick out a great bike with a comfy seat and changed the tires so they weren't so clunky. I was was surprised that the "normal" cheaper bikes could hold my weight/size. Ahem, now the only issue is that I still have trouble riding!! I must get back to practicing However it was a lot of fun just to be on it, and have my own bike again. Hopefully in a few months I will be able to whizz by on it! I wish everyone the best of luck in their own biking journey haha

wow I'm so happy (and relieved) to hear all of this positive feedback about biking! My mom was kind of being a jerk about it because of my size >.>" She's been making a lot of snide remarks after all the weight loss, so I kept getting discouraged from doing this. I think I just want to experience the freedom of biking that many of you described! I have 5 bike shops that I'm planning on visiting next week, hopefully I'll find a comfortable place that matches me with a suitable bike. I think a cruiser might be the best to start out with, thank you for all the great tips! I'm so excited for next week!

All I've been doing for activity is walking 30-60 mins at least 5 times a week. I wanted to take things to another level, but nothing seems to motivate/interest me. I have my own heavybag and love to box, but I get so winded down that it's not a very effective exercise at this point. I was recently motivated by a fellow sleever to try something new, something that my pre-sleeve self would've thought was CRAZY. I'm visiting a few bike shops to buy a bike, and teach myself how to ride again. I'm still very overweight, but to hell with it, I feel like having FUN with my exercise! I'm nervous but I'm also excited. I think it's going to be a hilarious and exhilarating experience. Has anyone had any experience/success with riding bicycles at a heavier weight? I know it's gonna be hard but I LOVE A CHALLENGE!

THAT'S SO FREAKING INCREDIBLE! I'm so happy for you, YOU DID IT!!!

that all sounds sooo good! I was in for the greatest surprise of my life at yesterday's 2-week post-op appointment: I discovered that my dr. actually allows certain mushies instead of a strictly full-liquid diet! I bought every type of refried Beans I could find and wrestled an old lady for the last tub of oikos greek yogurt >.>" I definitely can't watch food commercials, that might push me over the edge lol i was also surprised that my dr. also allows certain Protein chips/cereals so soon. did anyone else have that by their second week? haha chef neil I already prepared for the mini-cupcakes I'm going to make once I'm able to eat solids I understand the need to crunch something, I almost nibbled on one of my hamsters' chew sticks >.>'

haha it's so cute how you refer to him as sleevie, I think I'm going to name mine too So that whole "woeee is me!" overwhelming sense of self-pity after the surgery will go away once I start eating a bigger variety of meals? Because right now I feel so...sad! It's actually really funny, I'm just dramatically moping around because all I have to look forward to is my protein shakes. I need to find something else to entertain me haha

Wow this brought tears to my eyes. I promise you, you're not the only person dealing with these fears and decisions. I also found a therapist in 2009 and lost the same amount of weight by eating "normally." It was amazing, but I eventually fell off track given life's unpredictable circumstances. "I WANT THE SLEEVE SO BADLY BUT I AM SO SCARED OF FAILING WITH IT.I am scared of a leak,I am scared of the pain...I am just so anti surgery that it contradicts saying I want the sleeve but I really do. I am a big eater and a snacker and an emosional eater.I just dont know if I will even survive another failure...I will have to move somewhere where no one knows me...lol" I wish I could drag my sister on this forum, she'll swear to you that I said the exact same thing before and after I got my surgery done. It's barely been two weeks, and while I sometimes regret it, I feel it was the bravest and best choice I could have made for my life. I know it might be hard to see it this way, but you did not fail. You still didn't fail anything because you're still trying. The only time we truly fail is when we completely give up on ourselves and quit trying to make a change. You're still trying, you can't possibly fail if you haven't declared the battle over yet. This is going to be a long post, but I would like to fully address all of your concerns. What are the emotional/environmental factors that caused you to regain weight? No matter what weight loss option you choose, if you don't find a way to eliminate or healthily deal with these factors, then you will always be in a constant struggle. For me it was several things. I was morbidly overweight because I was severely abused until I was 18. I gained weight because it made me bigger than everyone and able to protect myself. If I ever felt threatened by someone when I was dieting, I would go home and gorge on foods (despite never realizing why!). Other than counseling, my remedy for this was to buy a heavy stand and promise myself that I would continue taking self defense courses when I was "small." I also ate to fill an emotional void from neglect and not having anyone in my life. I remedied this by finding other people like me, by taking care of animals, by volunteering, and by developing hobbies. I have many, many other obstacles I had to fight through, but these are just common examples of what others might go through. Think about all of the times you've gone off track with your healthy lifestyle, and how you felt and what may have caused it. Are there any similarities you see? You might need an outsider to spot these for you, as even I had NO idea that I was only over-eating after feeling threatened by strangers. I'm a worrier, I'm terrified of pain. I have constant anxiety and panic attacks. I hate surgery, and don't really trust doctors. I would never be able to forgive myself if something horrible went wrong during a surgery. I would feel so humiliated if I didn't succeed despite going through drastic measures. But I still did it. It was the scariest, biggest, and possibly the best decision I ever made in my life. In just three weeks I see huge changes that I have never experienced before, even after losing 80 pounds on my own I never felt this way. I read through all the risks and complications of VSG, and decided that the pain I was going through being overweight was a lot more dangerous than the 1-5% risk factors associated with this surgery. Yes, you will feel pain for the first week. But it will subside with medications, and it won't kill you. And it doesn't compare to the pain associated with being overweight and feeling like there's no hope. Don't rush into the decision, make sure you're 100% sure about making a complete lifestyle change. Please don't get a sleeve done within 2 days. It is an amazing surgery and probably the best thing that can happen to you, but it will be extremely hard and terrifying if you haven't spent at least a few weeks mentally preparing for it. I don't want to talk you into doing it, you have to decide this for yourself, but I am asking you to take the time to prepare before making any big decisions. As long as you're still trying, you haven't failed yet. All the people who have performed miraculous changes were nothing special, they came equipped with everything you have. You need to believe in your own strength and the amazing things your body is capable of. You will be extraordinarily successful, you just need to be carefully prepared and have a solid support system. Feel free to e-mail me with any questions, I hope this helps.

I had a similar pain for the first 6 days after my surgery but then it slowly went away. I can't remember what medicines I went home with from the hospital, but one of them really helped with that pain. My pain was caused by any drinking because my stomach was getting used to liquids, I don't think it was because it was too fast or too much. For the first few days, I got that pain no matter how slow/little I drank, I really think it could be just gas. It was exactly how you described it. I'm glad you decided to e-mail your doctor, I hope everyone realizes that they should call/e-mail their doctors/nurses whenever they want, it's your right as a patient. For some reason, I sensed that one of the PA's actually scared off some of my fellow local sleevers from calling. I call/e-mail for every little thing (only when I can't find an answer online! ), I know that I might be coming off as annoying but it's our health and it's part of their job to answer questions

haha I'm glad I'm not the only one! I think that no matter what, I'll always be a foodie...I just love extravagant meals and really want to start taking cooking seriously, so I can't wait until I can eat solid foods! I've actually never had any prior interest in cooking, but I think refraining from "normal" foods for so long really helps you to appreciate all their individual qualities. I did a 2-week pre-op diet and now I'm starting the second week of my post-op clear liquid diet (I can only have diet, non-caffienated fluids and the protein shakes they provided me). I suppose I'm getting restless because all the pain/nausea from last week is gone and I'm starting to feel more "normal." I never thought I'd be SO excited over the thought of yogurt and vegetable juice haha I'm also looking forward to cheese and refried beans we'll get there somedaayyyy

this is a really old post but I feel I have to respond! Two things that extremely helped some of my extreme weight loss buddies (and myself the first time I lost a bunch of weight...which I regained :3 ) is heavy weight-lifting/cardio and moisturizing with a blend of oils I made at home. For exercise, most of us completed the P90 dvd's (and a few other Beachbody DVD's). It's tiring but at the end you look so toned and pretty much all cellulite is eliminated/faded. One of my male friends (weighed 330 pounds, now around 180) got so BUFF...he has zero loose skin, except for a tiny patch under his belly. He no longer has mitties (male ti...you know >.>). I know I sound like a sleazy salesman but the oils really helped fade a lot of my scars and smooth out my skin. They didn't work miracles, and the scars/looseness weren't completely gone but this certainly helped a lot. For the oils I used a blend of Vitamin E oil, Cocoa Butter Oil, and (the most important) a lot of pure organic Emu Oil. I bought the first two oils at a grocery store and the Emu Oil online. Anyway it might not work for everyone, but I think it was amazing for both my skin and hair. It's a lot of hard work to constantly do the exercises and use the oils at least once a day, but you'll never get incredible results with minimal efforts. The sad truth is we'll always have loose skin (if we don't opt for surgery), but there are so many things we can do to make it look the absolute best it can be.

I'm 6 days post-op and thankfully had an amazing recovery. I was able to walk laps from the first day, and finally got all my water/protein/vitamins in today. ...but I've also been on this liquid diet for about 3 weeks now and I'm ready for a JAILBREAK! I feel like a teenager in heat, I can't stop thinking about fewdz. I'm seriously craving the weirdest things!! I can't have dinner with my family because I keep leering at their food. In their sweet attempt to support me, they're all eating healthily...but right now I want to rip the eggplant off my sister's plate and go scarf it down in a dark corner. I almost ravaged a tomato yesterday even though post-op you'd have to wrestle me down to get me to nibble veggies. I've had dreams (nightmares?) about...breaking into ice-cream stores and holding up the employees at gunpoint...for a hot fudge sundae. The only thing that gets me through is reading through the topics discussing all the yummy mushies I'll be having in three weeks O_O Even as I'm writing this, I'm facing my mom as she's cooking dinner. I feel like a creeper because I keep taking long sips of my Water and salivating over the sight of a hot pan. ...so does anyone else get a weird satisfaction from daydreaming about foods you'll eventually get to have? Sometimes just thinking about my future meals gets me into a giddy mood. I'll always be a lil fatty at heart I guess >.>"

hahaha thank you for letting me know about that, I've driven the nurses crazy over my worries

Thank you for your reassuring comments! I'm such a worrier I followed all of their rules 100% so I was pretty disappointed over making such a careless mistake. I just called of the RNs and she said it was fine as long as I don't do it again. My doctor said I can't do full liquids until two weeks after the surgery, especially milk since it might cause lactose intolerance. Luckily it doesn't seem to be giving me trouble, but I am overly paranoid about leaking.

Hello, i had my sleeve done five days ago and was doing very well with everything, however I just realized that a Protein drink I had this morning had some milk in it. I'm not supposed to have milk for two weeks after surgery, and when I found out I had it by mistake (I was tired and grabbed the wrong protein shake) I got extremely scared. Is it dangerous/should I call my PA about it? I don't feel any discomfort but I'm really worried that it could have caused damage. Thank you!

Hello! I've been lurking around these forums for months while I contemplated having my surgery done. I finally went through with it on June 6 with great success! I lost around 20 pounds on the pre-op diet and haven't weighed myself since the surgery, but I think I'm doing quite well. I've had a hard time getting in all of my recommended Protein -- I finally got all of my Water in today for the first time, but no luck with the protein. Anyone have any tips? How long does it usually take until you can physically drink all of your recommended protein/water? I would love to meet people who have had more experience with the surgery as mentors/buddies. I love to e-mail everyday, so if anyone is interested in adopting a sleeve newbie please send me a message! I also love reading about different peoples' experiences so if you have interesting stories/blogs you'd like to share please share a link! =) Thank you, Madison

I choose anonymity not because I fear judgment, but because I fear being pitied. I've always been afraid of showing any signs of weakness, especially since I grew up in an abusive household. I equated being small with being weak, and so I started to gorge on massive piles of food. I wanted to make myself as large as possible so that no one could hurt me. I was also emotionally neglected, so after a while, the action of binging was a stable source of comfort for me. Eventually the overeating led to morbid obesity. It created a thick shell for me to hide underneath. I lived my life like a zombie, never truly experiencing anything. I've sought help several times over years, never really finding anyone that could help. I've tried the weirdest weight loss techniques, from liquid diets to acupuncture. I never succeeded but I also never gave up, because I love to win. I don't believe in losing, and to me, the only way to fail is to quit. It was actually a school counselor that helped spark a the greatest change in my life. I told her about how my childhood severely affected the way I act today, preventing me from doing many things that other "normal" people could do. She replied with something so simple, but it felt like a slap in the face. "The past is in the past." It seems so stupid and obvious, but she was the first person to sense that I needed someone to carve that into my mind. The past is over, and none of the horrors of my childhood can actually physically hurt me. She told me that the only way I can ensure that the past does not seep its way into my future is to change my present actions. I decided to take more control of my life. I was afraid of being fully in control because I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to treat my body properly. I didn't want to fail miserably and have all the blame fall on me. I was so used to blaming my weight and childhood for things going wrong. If I took this weight loss journey into my own hands, then I might be severely disappointed. I knew I had to rely on a group of people, dietitians, physical therapists, surgeons, and behaviorists. But to me, opening up to people was more painful than the surgery. I'm not an overly social person, I have trouble trusting people even though I loyally love and appreciate everyone who manages to claw their way into my life. The older I got, the harder it became for me to live. It's hard being overweight in the entertainment industry. It's hard to volunteer and take care of animals while carrying such a heavy weight. Even college seemed difficult, it's hard to get support as an international student. I never had trouble learning and was always the student that got by with A's despite doing little work. I was constantly harassed and berated at my school, due to both my weight and ethnicity. Somewhere along the way, my body desperately pushed me towards the option of having surgery. It was in my mind after seeing several close friends lose a staggering amount of weight. I always tried hard to do it the natural way, but many conditions such as PCOS, PTSD, and addictions kept preventing me from achieving the results I deserved. I spent months with a personal trainer and didn't drop a single pound. The sneers I received at the gym constantly made me question why I even bothered. I'm not here for them. I'm not doing this for them. I'm doing this for myself, so that I can finally be free. I was dedicated and ready to change my life, and a very great opportunity opened up for me to have the vertical sleeve done. It's only been 4 days since I had the surgery but I already feel myself getting stronger than ever before. I have great hope for the future, and am learning to appreciate the present for what it is. I will be discussing my journey in its entirety so that anyone contemplating WLS can be fully prepared as to what to expect. In the next few entries I will be discussing how I successfully followed the 2 week pre-op diet without cheating, the exact process of surgery for my situation, and helpful tips on shaving/makeup in the hospital for women with PCOS. I appreciate any comments/suggestions and hope that my entries can help another person create a better future for themselves. Thank you for reading =)