BlackBerryJuice

Like Tiffykins, I've also been pretty lucky to date. I just had my one-year sleeveversary and in the last few months, I don't feel that my stomach capacity's increased. It did increase quite steadily for the first 6-8 months. Today, I can eat a McDonald's cheeseburger in one sitting, but I can't fathom finishing a Big Mac or a full 6" Subway sandwich, for example. I don't restrict myself too much, but I make an effort to eat healthy Snacks and avoid things like milk shakes, frappuccinos, etc. Basically, if I'm going to have a cheeseburger or an ice cream, it's going to be the only unhealthy thing I have all day. I don't count calories, either, which is awesome - I feel like for the first time in my life, I can eat intuitively and not gain weight. Here's what I've had today so far: Bfast: coffee with half-and-half/Splenda and half a whole grain English muffin with a slice of cheddar and a fried egg Snack: 1/2 pint blueberries Lunch: another coffee and a croissant sandwich with deli turkey, cheddar, lettuce, cucumber, tomato, and mustard Snack: 1/2 pint blueberries, 4 Godiva chocolates Dinner: a homemade bun with salmon filling and some fish Soup If I get hungry later, I'll just have another one of these salmon buns. I feel full on that amount of food and have lots of energy, and I don't feel deprived at all. I don't regain anything on that amount of food, either, even if I don't work out at all. One of the best things is that this quantity of food doesn't look strange, so I no longer feel self-conscious eating in public. If I feel hungry earlier than normal, I have a coffee or tea and it generally staves off the hunger for another hour or so.

I used to have the same problem and once my thighs stopped rubbing together sometime around size 8, the skin there faded to match the rest of my body in a matter of a few weeks. It will go away on its own before you know it!

I think it's an ok strategy if you have an event in a week or two, but otherwise, I think it's a little excessive - assuming you mean challenging workouts rather than simply walking or something else low impact. Good pointers above on making sure your morning and evening sessions are different, e.g. cardio in the AM and weights in the evening, or lifting weights for different body parts in the AM vs. PM. Make sure you don't overtrain - your body becomes stronger during rest periods, not workouts, so excessive working out is not necessarily the most efficient way to go about fitness.

I remember doing callanetics when I was a teenager, although I'm not sure whether it's the same tape (haha, tape - I'm dating myself here) as the one you linked. The one I did was quite similar to the exercises we do in ballet, so based on that, I'd say ballet classes may also help produce the same results (and you'll learn to pirouette while at it!). Just another option.

Thanks, everyone!

Haha, thanks! I'm pretty sure I'd be totally skeletal if I got down to 115, I'm too big-boned. I wouldn't say I'm tiny - I'm 5'5" and my measurements these days are 28" waist and 38" hips - but it sure does feel insane to have a 32 bra band!

No problem! Looks like you've done great yourself!

I'm up at 1 am, jet-lagged to bits, and then I realize - today's August 9th! It's officially my 1-year sleeversary! One year ago I was resting up at my hotel in Mexicali, getting ready for my VSG with Dr. Aceves. I had been perusing other people's profiles on this board, watching other people lose tens of pounds a month, and fantasizing over how nice it'd be to finally get into the 150s for the first time in my life. Little did I know that a mere 6 months later, I'd hit 140, and even see 130s on the scale (maintaining 130 proved to be more work than I was willing to do, haha). The best part is that not only did I lose weight - which has happened many times before, although not to the same extent - but that my weight has been stable for months! It's amazing to have dessert without guilt and let go of 6x/week cardio sessions. I still work out regularly, but 3 times a week is enough. I try to make the bulk of my food intake healthy, but generally I eat what I want - and yes, this may include lots of chocolate and the like. It's almost like my body WANTS to maintain my new, healthy weight. I just got back from one month of travel, where I hardly exercised save for walking and some bike riding and ate TONS of chocolates and fatty things my mom cooked, and guess how much weight I've gained? I'VE LOST A POUND!!! That's how great it is! And did I mention I've had no complaints or complications? The only downside has been mild occasional reflux - maybe once every two weeks, and most of the time I don't even take an antacid. I've been posting progress pix in my swimsuit since my VSG, you can see those if you want to check out my album, but today I decided to upload some candids. One, in the t-shirt and pants, is from a week before my surgery; the other, in the blue dress, is from a month ago. I went from 208 lbs to 139-140 and size 16-18/XL to size 6-8/S-M, and I even have some XS and size 4s in my closet! I haven't been posting as much as before due to travelling and being busy with school, but rest assured, I think of the folks on this board often! Good luck to those who are still on their journey and to those who are still thinking about having this surgery - GO FOR IT! If you have any questions, I'll make sure to check this thread and respond to them, although don't fret if it takes a few days.

Let us know how it compares to that website reading! I have an Omron bodyfat reader, it reads me at 21-22%, and the website put me at 25%. Unfortunately, there's no Bod Pod readily available where I live.

I have basically zero sex drive, but I am not sure if this began shortly before the surgery or only right after. But it was definitely right around my surgery time that I started having these problems.

I also get stared at all the time, but no one ever tries to talk to me, thankfully. I'm not very approachable outside of work situations (where I have to be), from what I've been told.

I recently traveled to the US and got fitted at Bloomingdale's. Turns out I'm a 32DD and not 34D as I thought. I tried on like 15 bras, and the two bras I ended up buying fit like a glove! One of them is a strapless bra that I can wear all day long without feeling uncomfortable and it provides great support - I thought the only way I could wear a strapless with my DDs would be if I got a full-on corset with boning. They weren't cheap, but holy, are they worth it! The crap from VS fades in comparison. From now on, I'm trusting my boobs to a professional.

Healthy: boil or grill them and add them to fresh spinach, sliced cucumbers, and avocado, with some salt and lemon as dressing. Less healthy: Stir-fry them in butter with lots of garlic and parsley along with other seafood (I usually buy a mix with clams and scallops), then add them to angel hair Pasta.

Has your hair started falling out? I had some hair loss around the 5-7 month mark, but that was only noticeable to me. I never had so much hair loss that I'd consider a hat or a wig, for sure. Yet other people go 1/2 bald. It seems that there's a lot of variation among individuals. Maybe you are just one of these people who don't lose much hair from stress.

Wow, it's crazy to go away for a month and then realize people are like half their size now! Well done!

Bfast: coffee with half-and-half/splenda, homemade maple oatmeal scone lunch #1: half a tuna/salmon sashimi with some rice, another coffee Lunch #2: other half of the sashimi Snack: banana dinner #1: 1/2 pint blueberries, blue corn chips with salsa, guac, and sour cream Dinner #2: planning on 4-6 grilled chicken wings and a vegetable salad with sour cream dressing

One of the best things for me - no longer having my thighs rub together! I always loved skirts and dresses, but summer was a nightmare and I was stuck wearing jeans or long shorts anytime I had to walk more than half a mile. Now I can walk 10 miles in a skirt and not blink an eye!

I haven't lost any friends over my surgery/weightloss, thankfully. One of my friends did stop working out with me after I invited her out for a cross-country run and completely dominated her. Not that I'm a great runner, but after shedding all that weight, I ended up returning to her like 10 times over our 30-min run, and now she won't answer any of my texts that suggest that we go work out together, haha. But I've lost friends over other things over the years....I had a ridiculous fallout with someone 2 years ago, your post reminded me of it because there was also stupid Facebook drama involved, what with her randomly deleting me and then posting crap about me on a mutual friend's wall. It was very much a one-way relationship and I'm kind of glad it's over, I didn't do anything wrong. I think she was bitter about where her life was going vs. mine. Some people just aren't worth your time, they only want you there while things aren't going well for you. Then the second you become more successful than them in one way or another, their true colors come out. I guess you guys had some good times together at some point, focus on that, but accept the fact that this friendship is done - and this is probably for the best.

I guess I'll join this thread, I've gotten down to as low as 136, but that actually required effort, which I just don't feel like expending, lol. I seem to maintain quite effortlessly in the 139-140 range. Whenever I go up to 141, I just add an extra workout session and cut out a dessert, and that extra pound comes right off. Whenever I get to 138, I feel ravenous and I regain that pound the second I have something delicious. I guess my body has finally settled at its ideal weight! I don't deny myself anything, just try not to eat treats more than once a day, and balance them with exercise. And I make a point of having 3-4 servings of fruits and vegetables/day. My stomach is definitely bigger now - I can eat a whole hot dog. However, I can also be content with half a protein bar for a few hours, or a handful of blueberries, and I still don't have any hardcore cravings or major hunger pangs. And I still eat way less than most - but no longer so little that it looks strange. Oh, and since we're talking bras - my new size is 32DD! I always assumed that size was for super-skinny chicks with giant implants, but I guess I was wrong!

Just an update, as I had my reunion earlier this month - the doucherino was not there. Also, I was the ONLY person who isn't in worse shape than they were back in college. Some people have packed on so much weight, I didn't even recognize them. I feel fortunate to have had the surgery.

Preparation H and diaper cream are not for fissure treatment. Fissures are deep inside the anus, you actually have to stick your finger in there to feel them (so cream meant for buttock rash definitely isn't meant for this area). It's literally a tear in the anus. Fiber is a good suggestion to make sure your stools are soft so that you don't traumatize the area further, but the gold standard is Diltiazem or Nitroglycerine cream - both relax the sphincter muscles so they stop spasming, which reduces the pain.

Quite the opposite here - I developed a taste for coffee post-surgery! And I started drinking beer, which I had always considered revolting!

I never had reflux before surgery. I do get it on occasion now, but I've also developed a coffee habit, so there's a chance that the coffee is playing a big role in that. I took Nexium for 3 months, as instructed by my doctor, but then I stopped. On rare occasions that I get very unpleasant reflux (maybe once a month), I just take an antacid and that takes care of that. I still have some Nexium left over, but I just don't see the need for it.

Well done!