3 Months on...

[Booklean 4]

Hi Everyone,

It is exactly 3 months today since my surgery, so I would like to give a summary of the main changes and improvements in my lifestyle now.

I started with a BMI of 35.44 weighing 213 lbs. I am 55 years old and was having huge problems with aches and pains in my lower limb joints. I need to wear orthotic inserts in my shoes and have stopped wearing high heels. The lack of mobility was contributing to my weight gain, and my weight gain was contributing to my lack of mobility. Both problems were getting worse.

Now, I have lost 37.4 lbs since surgery and have a BMI of 29.22. (I did not do a pre-op diet.)

I have noticed a marked improvement in my joints and overall agility and flexibility. I still need to wear flat shoes but can now feel comfortable in sandals without orthotics for short periods and also can wear a much greater range of footwear again. I have a wedding coming up in October and hope to be able to wear high heels for the day.

I am also sleeping much better recently.

I have dropped approx 1 size in clothing from a UK size 18 to a 16, and sometimes a 14 and lost 4 inches from my waist, which was and still is my real problem area.

I am enjoying this change in eating habits and newly acquired lifestyle and I am very pleased with my overall results.

Regards,

Booklean

[LittleSteve 4]

wow, and this is just the start!

[Dansha 16]

Great job Booklean!!! Keep it up.:thumbup1:

Deb

[BJean 16]

Sounds great Brooklean! Keep up the good work.

It's been about 3 months since my surgery and I couldn't be happier! I haven't had a stall, although I experienced a minor slow down since the initial period of dropping a lot right after surgery. But my weight loss has been pretty continual, like promised, which is around 2 lbs a week.

I now have reached the point where I have lost more than half of what I need to lose to reach my goal of 130. Knowing that I have less to lose than I've already lost is somehow very exciting to me. I've always had this huge amount to lose even after I've lost 30 lbs or so on any diet. I started out with the band at 220 lbs and now I'm in the 150s. I was so afraid I would never weigh less than 170 again which is basically the lowest I got with the band. So I can't tell you how happy I am with this surgical procedure! I only wish I hadn't wasted 3 years fighting with the band!

[Booklean 4]

Hi Everyone and thanks for your replies.

I am just back from a trip to Italy where I toured the cities of Pisa, Siena and florence on foot with great ease and enjoyment. These cities are best toured on foot but I was able to keep up with everyone else and enjoy the walking and standing around all day every day. I also enjoyed the food and still lost weight!

What a bonus!

[Tiffykins 672]

Great job, and congrats on all the improvements you're already seeing ! ! !

[BJean 16]

Booklean I went on a similar two-week trip the summer before last and I dreaded the cobblestones in all those ancient cities. I managed to keep up with my little group too and was so proud of that. Congratulations on having such a wonderful experience!

This summer I was able to do all that was required to fully enjoy Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons for two weeks. I even rode a horse 5 miles into the wilderness and negotiated the thick growth to learn how to fly fish and then 5 miles back on the horse to civilization. I also climbed a trail for 2 hours that was very rocky and steep to view a hidden waterfall, among other exciting activities like rafting, etc. All this from a woman who 4 years ago was told that I had no choice but to have both knees replaced. I didn't have THAT surgery - I first had the band and now the sleeve - and I'm far healthier and mobile because of it.

Keep up the good work! It's too bad we don't walk more here in the U.S. everyday like they do in Europe!

[BlackBerryJuice 349]

All this from a woman who 4 years ago was told that I had no choice but to have both knees replaced. I didn't have THAT surgery - I first had the band and now the sleeve - and I'm far healthier and mobile because of it.

Isn't it amazing!? Makes you wonder why so many people are still against WLS...the preventative value is amazing. I'm waiting for it to become more widespread in Canada. I'm very interested in obesity management, and once I finish med school and start my own practice, I definitely plan to encourage my obese patients to consider WLS - hopefully BEFORE they develop all these health problems!

[BJean 16]

Great plan. You must know from experience that the obesity issue is far more complicated than just calories in and calories out. There has to be some brain chemicals involved or hormones that get askew or something. People don't want to be obese and the fact that we'll allow our stomach to be cut out and intestines re-routed or a big instrument of restriction put over our stomach proves that.

I often think of it like anorexia. No one wants to die from starvation. They can't help themselves. And it isn't a matter of will power alone. It's the same (although in reverse) with many obese people.

It's complicated and there hasn't been enough research to determine exactly what happens when people either become out of control eaters or they find it impossible to eat to stay alive.

And people who have no eating disorder can't fathom that it is anything beyond the mind controlling one's bodily activities.

It sounds like my doctor is a lot like you. He knows someone needs to help people. Obesity is a national epidemic in the U.S. I lived in Canada (Montreal) for a couple of years in the 90's and there was a lot of discrimination against overweight people there at the time. Is that still true?