slikchik10

Ok, here's my opine, and it might seem harsh. 1) have you hit the 70% of the total amount you need to lose according to the Dr.? 2) are the people that are saying you look sickly heavier (or slightly overweight) themselves? 3) Are YOU at the goal that you invisioned for yourself when choosing this surgery?
See it really has nothing to do with others opinions about your journey in this process we call WLS. I just had my year check up w/the Dr. and my only long range goal was to have made the 70% weightloss mark by this checkup. Sure, I gave myself lots of mini goals along the way, but 70% was the biggie for me. And damn if I didn't achieve it!! Now, do my arms jiggle, sure. And I won't even get into what's happened to the "girls!" So, who cares, I sure don't. Instead of limiting yourself because of things others are saying, focus on what YOU want out of this experience. Weightloss IS going to slow down after (if not during) month 6 and beyond. Focus on YOU...the final results are really about what makes you a happy and healthier person at the end of the day.
So, if people are commenting about your looks....it's probably because they're having a hard time adjusting to the new you. But are you happy with how you look? If so...then don't worry over their comments. If not...start saving for plastics or work on toning what you can so you might improve things. .
Take care,
Annette

Ok, here's my opine, and it might seem harsh. 1) have you hit the 70% of the total amount you need to lose according to the Dr.? 2) are the people that are saying you look sickly heavier (or slightly overweight) themselves? 3) Are YOU at the goal that you invisioned for yourself when choosing this surgery?
See it really has nothing to do with others opinions about your journey in this process we call WLS. I just had my year check up w/the Dr. and my only long range goal was to have made the 70% weightloss mark by this checkup. Sure, I gave myself lots of mini goals along the way, but 70% was the biggie for me. And damn if I didn't achieve it!! Now, do my arms jiggle, sure. And I won't even get into what's happened to the "girls!" So, who cares, I sure don't. Instead of limiting yourself because of things others are saying, focus on what YOU want out of this experience. Weightloss IS going to slow down after (if not during) month 6 and beyond. Focus on YOU...the final results are really about what makes you a happy and healthier person at the end of the day.
So, if people are commenting about your looks....it's probably because they're having a hard time adjusting to the new you. But are you happy with how you look? If so...then don't worry over their comments. If not...start saving for plastics or work on toning what you can so you might improve things. .
Take care,
Annette

Ok, here's my opine, and it might seem harsh. 1) have you hit the 70% of the total amount you need to lose according to the Dr.? 2) are the people that are saying you look sickly heavier (or slightly overweight) themselves? 3) Are YOU at the goal that you invisioned for yourself when choosing this surgery?
See it really has nothing to do with others opinions about your journey in this process we call WLS. I just had my year check up w/the Dr. and my only long range goal was to have made the 70% weightloss mark by this checkup. Sure, I gave myself lots of mini goals along the way, but 70% was the biggie for me. And damn if I didn't achieve it!! Now, do my arms jiggle, sure. And I won't even get into what's happened to the "girls!" So, who cares, I sure don't. Instead of limiting yourself because of things others are saying, focus on what YOU want out of this experience. Weightloss IS going to slow down after (if not during) month 6 and beyond. Focus on YOU...the final results are really about what makes you a happy and healthier person at the end of the day.
So, if people are commenting about your looks....it's probably because they're having a hard time adjusting to the new you. But are you happy with how you look? If so...then don't worry over their comments. If not...start saving for plastics or work on toning what you can so you might improve things. .
Take care,
Annette

Ok, here's my opine, and it might seem harsh. 1) have you hit the 70% of the total amount you need to lose according to the Dr.? 2) are the people that are saying you look sickly heavier (or slightly overweight) themselves? 3) Are YOU at the goal that you invisioned for yourself when choosing this surgery?
See it really has nothing to do with others opinions about your journey in this process we call WLS. I just had my year check up w/the Dr. and my only long range goal was to have made the 70% weightloss mark by this checkup. Sure, I gave myself lots of mini goals along the way, but 70% was the biggie for me. And damn if I didn't achieve it!! Now, do my arms jiggle, sure. And I won't even get into what's happened to the "girls!" So, who cares, I sure don't. Instead of limiting yourself because of things others are saying, focus on what YOU want out of this experience. Weightloss IS going to slow down after (if not during) month 6 and beyond. Focus on YOU...the final results are really about what makes you a happy and healthier person at the end of the day.
So, if people are commenting about your looks....it's probably because they're having a hard time adjusting to the new you. But are you happy with how you look? If so...then don't worry over their comments. If not...start saving for plastics or work on toning what you can so you might improve things. .
Take care,
Annette

Ok, here's my opine, and it might seem harsh. 1) have you hit the 70% of the total amount you need to lose according to the Dr.? 2) are the people that are saying you look sickly heavier (or slightly overweight) themselves? 3) Are YOU at the goal that you invisioned for yourself when choosing this surgery?
See it really has nothing to do with others opinions about your journey in this process we call WLS. I just had my year check up w/the Dr. and my only long range goal was to have made the 70% weightloss mark by this checkup. Sure, I gave myself lots of mini goals along the way, but 70% was the biggie for me. And damn if I didn't achieve it!! Now, do my arms jiggle, sure. And I won't even get into what's happened to the "girls!" So, who cares, I sure don't. Instead of limiting yourself because of things others are saying, focus on what YOU want out of this experience. Weightloss IS going to slow down after (if not during) month 6 and beyond. Focus on YOU...the final results are really about what makes you a happy and healthier person at the end of the day.
So, if people are commenting about your looks....it's probably because they're having a hard time adjusting to the new you. But are you happy with how you look? If so...then don't worry over their comments. If not...start saving for plastics or work on toning what you can so you might improve things. .
Take care,
Annette

Ok, I'm jumping in with a few thoughts. First, I'm a revision from band to sleeve 5/20/13. I had my band for 6 yrs, suffering from band complications for 4 yrs. until I was able to get this revision (reason is a long story). Anyhoo, for me....the outcome I am having with my sleeve is what I had expected the band to do for me but did not. I have healed well, weight coming off slowly, but surely and eating items that used to stick in my band aren't a problem.
Now, all that said...I do look at this as a 2nd chance for me to be totally committed to a lifestyle change. I think that having the band prior to this allowed me to skip through the "food grieving" stage that happens after WLS. I have only experienced dumping as stomach cramping (and it has only happened 2x) and my sleeve helps me feel "full," which never truly happened w/ the band. And that feeling is difficult to explain, but seriously....full is full and lasts for a mighty long time. I am determined to make better eating choices but I am not giving up everything...just working on moderation. For example, I have love for dark chocolate and have been able to do a square about once a week. Well...recently a friend gave me a bag of dark chocolate salted caramels. I figured I would do a ball once in a while. WRONG! Those things are KRYPTONITE!!!! So, no caramels for me...no will power in relation to those. Making those type of decisions have been vital to my success.
So, the revision question....that's really up to you and how you want to live life. For me, as many say..."I'd do it all again." I love all the blessings it has brought to my life at this moment. I have not been this size/weight in 20+ yrs. My goal is to live a long, happy, healthy life.
Best of Luck

No, Revs stays. She is a refreshing breath of fresh air and a truly unique individual. This would be a poorer community if she left. If you don't like diversity on this site, perhaps you should take your own advice.

Revs, I was wondering when you write again and you didn't fail us....Please don't stop your rants. I think I have woman-crush on you.
I agree with some of the other posters here...I just kind of move along when the repeated questions are asked, "Which Protein shake is the best?" or the irrational "My hair is on fire, what should I do?" "My incision is bleeding and oozing a green colored liquid - is this normal?" "2nd day post-op and I'm up 5 pounds WTF?" "3 weeks post-op and stalled - has this happened to you?"
I agree with Revs on the point of putting forth effort to look thru some old posts - Yes, stalls happen at three weeks and if you spent any time on this site, you would see that everyone stalls at some point and the three week stall is real.
OK - I'm off now...I'm going to weigh myself for the 5th time today to see if I've lost anything.

Hey MR, just promise us that YOU won't stop posting. I kind of love you . . .

So, this is an appropriate topic for the rants section... I went through a phase of feeling exactly what you expressed and then I realized WHY people don't search. It isn't laziness it is because they don't recognize that what they are going through applies to pretty much EVERYONE! It is a very personal emotional experience and people want to get a very personal and specific reply - since according to them, in the emotional state at that moment, they feel that they are the first and only person to ever deal with such angst/issue/question and it must be answered directly to them.
I remember that when I was trying muster the courage to revise from the band to the sleeve. I was pretty beaten down - I mean i really felt like I had failed and was a hopeless case. It was alot of direct info from Tiffikyns in particular that helped me process and work through my feelings. I happen to know that she cut and pasted info but at the time, her replies to ME felt very personal... like i was the only failure who might take a chance on the sleeve... this crazy "new" thing I had never heard of. That was the first glimmer of "believing" that this might work.
So, I cope by not reading or responding to the repetitive topics. I figure there are less burned out people than me to answer them - excited to share their knowledge! For a long time, I made an effort to reply to nearly every band to sleeve forum post... but I don't even do that anymore as there are others who do.

I was so excited to read the title of your post. Stand-up comedy Revs...it is in your future!

Not everyone on this site have the intellect that you do my dear. Nor do they have the ability to put so elegantly your rants. Some people like myself are somewhat computer illiterate and I make exceptions for that....
I am not tired out of answering questions that I feel need to be addressed over and over again. I hope that maybe the way I reply might, just might be the right thing said to ease someones mind. Or answer questions. Most people today can wield a computer like a sword never miss anything and have all the ins and outs covered...I wish I were them, but I am not....
So I try to do what I can with the limits I have until one day I get brave and fit in some boring computer courses....hmmmmm...
You slay me Revs. Please don't ever change......Just reading your threads make me smile!

Well, I'm 11 mos. out from my revision surgery and I can say it has been totally worth it!!!! I'm 15lbs away from my personal goal and 23lbs from my 100% weight off (Dr. Goal). It's said that sleeves can lose 50-70%of total weight needed to lose and I'm already there. I truly think it's about following the plan and embracing the change. Yes, at times the weight coming off has been slow (especially since month 6) but I'm still dropping. I'm happy it's been slow because my skin has toned up better than this 46 y/o gal expected. :-) best of luck to us all!!!

Oh for Pete's sake....your NUT is a nut! I am approaching my yr. mark and have lost it all slow as molasses. Big frickin' deal! It's come off hasn't it? If you've truly embraced the change this surgery is, then you'll be fine in the long run. If you haven't, well...we all know what happens. Call them on the comment, they need to understand how to better communicate to us as bariatric patients.
When I had my lapband in 2006 the Dr. AND his staff (nut, assistants, etc.) had horrible communication skills with me and I probably should have called them on it, but being uncertain I didn't. Now, since my sleeve, the new Dr. And team are amazing. Chalk it up to your NUT needs to be schooled and do some schooling. . Best of luck.

This is a big point in clothes sizing. There are garments cut for curvier figures and the size says 6. If my sister in law tried that item on she would swim in it.
There are garments cut for slender figures and the size says 10 and it wouldn't make it past my left butt cheek.
The "ideal" size for me is not in the number but in the fit and the overall look and how I feel in a garment.
I'm a shorty but I am curvy always was, and always will be plus now even back in the day at 100 pounds I still needed clothes that fit an hour glass figure. Not always easy to find so you have to be willing to juggle "size" and taylor clothes to fit.

Glad you took some much needed time away! We all need it...I did the same thing for a while...after you guys vanished, things went a little too far south for me and it was then that I understood why you guys did it.
Now, I've got things into perspective and I keep in mind what LipstickLady has said recently to several people regarding posting in public forums.
That said, I still miss Laura. I really got the most out of her posts. I even went as far as to tell my therapist that I owed a good portion of my success to her and what she would post. I also took bits and pieces from LipstickLady, MadamRev., Gamergirl, and Butters.
The 5 of you guys really are the secret to my success. You've all shown me that the surgery will only get you so far..that you still have to work it, be vigilant at all times, relax when you need too, and be willing to ask for input when it's needed.

Well, I'm 11 mos. out from my revision surgery and I can say it has been totally worth it!!!! I'm 15lbs away from my personal goal and 23lbs from my 100% weight off (Dr. Goal). It's said that sleeves can lose 50-70%of total weight needed to lose and I'm already there. I truly think it's about following the plan and embracing the change. Yes, at times the weight coming off has been slow (especially since month 6) but I'm still dropping. I'm happy it's been slow because my skin has toned up better than this 46 y/o gal expected. :-) best of luck to us all!!!

Well, I'm 11 mos. out from my revision surgery and I can say it has been totally worth it!!!! I'm 15lbs away from my personal goal and 23lbs from my 100% weight off (Dr. Goal). It's said that sleeves can lose 50-70%of total weight needed to lose and I'm already there. I truly think it's about following the plan and embracing the change. Yes, at times the weight coming off has been slow (especially since month 6) but I'm still dropping. I'm happy it's been slow because my skin has toned up better than this 46 y/o gal expected. :-) best of luck to us all!!!

Well, I'm 11 mos. out from my revision surgery and I can say it has been totally worth it!!!! I'm 15lbs away from my personal goal and 23lbs from my 100% weight off (Dr. Goal). It's said that sleeves can lose 50-70%of total weight needed to lose and I'm already there. I truly think it's about following the plan and embracing the change. Yes, at times the weight coming off has been slow (especially since month 6) but I'm still dropping. I'm happy it's been slow because my skin has toned up better than this 46 y/o gal expected. :-) best of luck to us all!!!

Well, I'm 11 mos. out from my revision surgery and I can say it has been totally worth it!!!! I'm 15lbs away from my personal goal and 23lbs from my 100% weight off (Dr. Goal). It's said that sleeves can lose 50-70%of total weight needed to lose and I'm already there. I truly think it's about following the plan and embracing the change. Yes, at times the weight coming off has been slow (especially since month 6) but I'm still dropping. I'm happy it's been slow because my skin has toned up better than this 46 y/o gal expected. :-) best of luck to us all!!!

Hi CWJ, it's been a while . Thank you I'm hanging in there. Kinda like the last 10 lbs that are hanging on to me

I wish I would have known I looked so damn good thin....HA
Actually I wish I would have know just how much better I feel thin. I wish I would have known I love to do physical activities that I was unable to do before. I wish I would have known the energy that I would gain by losing the weight. Its unreal the amount of energy I have.

Here's my input (for what it's worth)... I had the band for 7 yrs and my revision is coming up on the 1yr. mark. I discovered (after the nerve healing time mentioned) that my interpretation of restriction was skewed by my experience with the band. With my band, what I thought was restriction was really food backed up into my esophagus instead. Now, I have a better understanding of how restriction is supposed to feel. Give yourself some time to focus on that feeling. Eat slowly, pause, and wait. The full feeling (at least for me) ended up in a different place compared to what I experienced with my band. Good luck!

Hey, chin up! I was stuck with my band for 6 yrs. before I had my revision. When I have the chance to talk about my whole journey with WLS, I do not consider myself a failure. I lost 60lbs w/the band and 2 yrs. into things had regained 30lbs w/all the problems the band gave me. I'm just happy I was able to keep the last 30 off... . My VSG surgery was in May 2013 and it has been a slow go this whole time. Although my profile says I've lost 90 lbs...I've only lost 60lbs since May & my sleeve. I certainly didn't lose half of my total in 6 mos...and at this point, when I'm close to goal, it's coming off wee bits at a time.
Now, all this about me aside, what I can tell you is your decisions regarding a revision should be all about you! I am proud to say that I did a second surgery because I know I need the help and the band stopped giving me help. I have been actively attending a local bariatric surgery support group for those times I feel like I'm failing at this. The online community is great, but having those in person relationships also helps. It's helped me stay focused on working the plan and my goals. Another thing I've done is set lots of mini goals for myself. I didn't do this with the band and I think doing it this time has helped me stay focused on success.
For instance...here's my crazy one from last summer. I have a large breed dog door in my kitchen. Coming home from vacay this last summer, a friend had to crawl in my house using the dog door because my house keys had been left with my neighbors and they weren't home. Well, I looked at that door and thought to myself..."I remember crawling through a hole that big when I went caving years ago, I bet I can do it again. I'm going to make that a goal!" And dang if I didn't do it!!!! I crawled through that door, even had my friend that did the first trip through this summer take my picutre! Took me about 2 mos. to get small enough to do it, but I did it. By setting little mini goals along the way I feel like I've really been successful with the process.
Well, I'll stop for now....yes, I'm a chatter box. Good luck!

Here's my input (for what it's worth)... I had the band for 7 yrs and my revision is coming up on the 1yr. mark. I discovered (after the nerve healing time mentioned) that my interpretation of restriction was skewed by my experience with the band. With my band, what I thought was restriction was really food backed up into my esophagus instead. Now, I have a better understanding of how restriction is supposed to feel. Give yourself some time to focus on that feeling. Eat slowly, pause, and wait. The full feeling (at least for me) ended up in a different place compared to what I experienced with my band. Good luck!