KathyM

Look at my tracker!! 45 pounds and I will be at goal!! 45 pounds!!! Do you have any idea how long it has been since I only had 45 pounds to lose??? I can't even remember that! I will get there in a few short months! I continue to feel blessed every day that I did this. Every pound that melts away will be a number on the scale that I won't ever see again. I can hardly wrap my mind around that. I can shop in any store, shopping is soooo hard lol. My brain has not caught up to my body, still scared to try those clothes on thinking that they won't fit.....but you know what? THEY DO! I have a whole new relationship with food, no more am I living to eat, now I am truly eating to live. I eat what I want and when I am full, I get up and walk away. How cool is that???? I am no longer ignored in stores, people smile and ask me what they can do for me - I am not invisible anymore. I get my hair done, my nails done, a massage...I take care of myself! I am learing to love myself again and it feels so amazing. For anyone contemplating this surgery, it is a scary thing. It is permanent, it's not like a diet where you lose the weight and then you go back to doing whatever you were doing. It's a forever change. And it is worth every butterfly in your tummy and every tear you will shed. It will give you your life back! Ok - whew! I will stop babbling on. :blah: I just want everyone who has ever struggled, ever failed, ever felt like they were worthless and weak to feel the same way that I do.

Noelle - I was sleeved by Dr. Almanza in July. As you can see from my ticker, I have lost over 100lbs so far. I would be happy to answer any questions you have or share my experience with you if you want. Just shoot me an email! Kathy

This is just what I need to break me out of this stall! I hope I'm not being too ambitious but I'm going to give it a try! SN..............Starting Wt........Current.......Goal.......Lbs to Goal Kathy..........................195..................................195...................170.......................25 (YIKES!)

Dana- Big hug!!!!! Don't sweat it, and don't beat yourself up over it! We are all human! Just start back on that preop diet again and you will be just fine. And yes it does get easier after surgery! Good luck - you will love your sleeve!!! Kathy

Oh yes baby! lol I think it was about 3 months out when I tried alcohol. I am a redneck from the midwest lol so I was raised on beer, however I would have to say it is probably the least tolerable after surgery - I think too much carbonation. But mixed drinks or other types of alcohol haven't given me any problems. I will say haha that I haven't been able to get drunk since surgery - I just can't drink enough at once for that to happen.

I think what you are going through is normal. I personally did experience some "grieving" for the old ways of eating after I was sleeved. BUT.......all of those feelings will take a back seat after you are sleeved and the weight just starts falling off of you! You will still be able to eat all of the same things you ate before, the difference will be that after the sleeve you will be satisfied with just a few bites and not the whole package. Hang in there, it is sooooo worth it!

It will get better once you start eating food again. The texture of the food helps to clean off the teeth and tongue, for now lots of water, teeth brushing and gum lol. I remember that furry tongue feel - it was awful. Congrats on your sleeve!!!!!

When I read all of these posts, it is clear how we are all still programmed to beat ourselves up over our food choices!!! We have all done fantastic and food will always be a part of our existence. We really need to try not to be so hard on ourselves, if you eat it and you liked it then just leave it at that and walk away . It definately takes the brain a while to catch up to the body, doesn't it?

I really dont get in too much of a panic when I eat out. I am NOT going to gain back all the weight I lost because I eat a taco. I don't do it all the time and before I would be eating 4 or 5 tacos plus slurping down a huge drink and probably a burrito. I plan to eat what I want, slider foods or no - just way less. And I don't know about for other people, but while the junk foods are a treat once in a while the actual mad cravings for them have pretty much gone away. I am no longer focused all day on what I am going to eat next, when meal time comes along, then I decide what I am want to eat and I have it. I love my sleeve, it is truly the best gift I could have ever given myself.

I can eat almost a whole taco, some days the whole one. my absolute favorite flavor there is the baja steak chalupa but I can't eat the whole thing. Its a real learning thing to get to the place that it's okay to walk away from food without cleaning your plate. Stcyt - I have the same thing with sweets, don't know why but it helps keep me away from them so I guess that is a good thing!

Everything went great. I was never unsupervised or traveled anywhere without an escort - even when I went shopping. They took really good care of me.

I had to go to Mexico because my insurance wouldn't pay and I couldn't afford to do it in the States.

Looking great!! I bet you both are feeling wonderful too!

Not even going to look at it, - I am completely happy and secure with my decision to do what I did.

6 months out, 100 lbs gone forever, finally into onderland which I haven't seen in YEARS. Regrets? That I wasted so many years in an unhealthy body. But no looking back - this summer I am going on a river trip, then this fall to ride in a hot air balloon in Sodona, on to the Grand Canyon and then up to Colorado for a zip line adventure - couldn't have even dreamed of doing these things 6 months ago!

The hairloss seems to be normal with this surgery - starts at about 4-5 months post op and lasts for about 2 or 3 months. Pain in the butt, but it's a small price to pay for the great weightloss. Can't offer anything as far as the missed period, if you are sure you aren't pregnant, and it doesn't straighten out by the next cycle I would call your doc and see what they suggest.

My first mushy/soft food was mashed potatoes from KFC and they were HEAVEN!!!! I could only eat a few bites of them but they tasted soooo good! Some of the other foods that I ate were: Refried Beans - yummy! Scrambled eggs - that has become a staple for me for Breakfast - excellent Protein Hard boiled egg - chop it up, add a little bit of fat free mayo and a bit of relish - egg salad Tuna salad chicken Salad Baked Fish Shrimp - great protein, low cal - I could only eat about 3 at first. I would buy them cooked, weigh them out in 2 oz portions and freeze them that way Cottage cheese String Cheese Potato Soup Hot dog - chop it up tiny - I craved it so much, no problems digesting it, just didn't taste as good as I remembered Deli sliced turkey with a bit of garden veggie cream cheese spread on it and rolled up - once I got a little further along, I wrapped it around a pickle slice Creamed Soups Yoplait Whips in the freezer - taste like ice cream - I actually did that while I was still on the full liquid stage - yummy! ummmm.....that's all I can think of right now, if I think of any more I will add them. Also - if you have had that funky coating on your tongue, it will get better once you start eating some food with texture Kathy Oh, and if you are interested in tracking what you are eating, go to livestrong.com and then go to the section called Myplate. You can enter what you eat and it will break down the protein, carbs, calories, fat, etc for you.

Hairloss is not uncommon at all with this surgery - BUT it is temporary! For me, and from what I have read from other's posts, it started about 4-5 months postop and lasts for about a month. It will get better! I remember freaking out at how much hair I was losing and it is quite a bit thinner than it was before, but it is definately worth it when I think about the whole picture - I am extremely happy with my weightloss and if putting up with thin hair is part of it, I will take it.

Went to Buffalo Wild Wings for a surprise birthday party for a coworker a few nights ago and I binged too! There was a sampler platter of appetizers and I ate a small onion ring, a mozzarella cheese stick and 2 chips with nacho stuff on it. And THEN.....I spent the rest of the evening working on a big ole glass of iced tea! I was so full that when the wings came, which I had decided I would take home with me, I couldn't even eat one! lol - I managed to moved them around on the table and they were eaten by others without anyone noticing that I didn't eat them. I felt a little guilty about what I had eaten, but when I was driving home I got to thinking about what the OLD me would have eaten - all of the onion rings, all of the mozzarella sticks and at least most of the nachos if not all of them and THEN I would have stuffed in the wings too! I know that was a poor choice as far as food goes on my part, but in a way it was also a small victory because I ate so little! Kathy

OOOOH Foxy Mama!!! Look at that waist!! You look so fabulous....and happy!!

4 insicions, one you have to look hard for to find and 1 IV. You can't argue with a surgeon who likes to be careful, don't worry about it too much. When you get your new life you won't care if you have 10 incisions I hope you get your cold out of the way!

I weigh every day, haven't been able to break myself of that habit yet. But it doesn't affect my mood at all, I agree with you - it didn't take me 6 months to put this weight on and it isn't going to all come off in 6 months either. I actually like to see my weight, I am at numbers I haven't been at in a very long time and it makes me happy.

AWESOME AWESOME AWESOME! Love em Chica!

Your post about going on "rides" got me thinking - I haven't been on carnival rides in YEARS because I have felt so fat and figured I wouldn't fit in the seats. I wonder if I will be able to stomach them now that I can fit lol. I think you look great and have done awesome! It is such a honeymoon when the weight just keeps dropping off at the beginning, and when it slows down it can get frustrating. I have 6 lbs to break 200 and my scale is stuck!!

I was sleeved in Tijuana in July by Dr. Almanza, I would also do it again.