It has been a long while since I have been on VST. I always thought I would stay involved and "pay it forward" but as time went by, life took over. I thought I would post my story for the newly sleeved and/or those considering the sleeve. I know reading others stories helped me when I was starting my WLS journey.

I had my VSG July 7. 2009 with Dr. Aceves. I haven't regretted it one bit! I am 5'4 and started at 201 lbs. I set my goal at 145 lbs and reached it in just 6 months. I changed my goal to 135 lbs & reached it a few months later and continued to lose. Today I am happily (and easily, might I add) maintaining around 120 lbs. I went from a size 18/20 to a 4/6! Now that I am nearly 2 years out, I can eat a little more than I could in the first 6 months but I am still very restricted (but isn't that the point of the surgery? ) I feel completely normal now....better than ever! The only complication I had was having to have my gallbladder removed about 6 months post op.

I can't believe that I am nearly 2 years out already! There are still times where my sleeve reminds me that she is still there. For example, if I eat too quickly or take too big of a bite I will still feel the discomfort. Instead of being annoyed with the discomfort I am thankful. VSG is what changed my life & with the discomfort, I realize my "banana tummy" is still doing her job to help me maintain my weight loss.

The one thing I did not expect from losing weight was how much I would begin to love shopping! PreOP I hated shopping. It was tedious & disappointing and I never left the store happy with myself. Now I am almost addicted to shopping for myself! I love trying on clothes & shoes and I love buying nice things for myself. Thankfully, I have a wonderful husband who likes to spoil me so he tries to buy me everything I want. He even surprises me with gifts!

Anway, that's my update. Life is good. My VSG is great. I would recommend VSG & Dr. Aceves to anyone considering WLS. It was the best decision I made!

TennJenn Congratulations on such fantastic results. I was wondering in your first 6 months of the journey do you remember having any stalls and if so how long did they last?

Thanks for sharing and congratulations on your success!!!

Can you tell me a bit about your skin 2 years out? Do you need surgery for that or have you considered it? With being at goal has all of you thinned out or are there still areas that the fat sits in now.

I'm about 9 months out have lost 114 lbs since surgery but also lost 200 lbs before that obviously i'm probably going to have to have a surgery for this at some point and was wondering. I know everyone is different but was wondering what your take is on this?

Thanks

Thanks for posting!!! It is great to hear from people farther out. I hope it is "easy" for me to maintain, but I have a feeling I will really have to work on it. I don't even know how easy it will be for me to get to goal! I hope you post some pics! I love seeing before and after pics!

TennJenn Congratulations on such fantastic results. I was wondering in your first 6 months of the journey do you remember having any stalls and if so how long did they last?

I was fortunate that I never experienced any true stalls. There were weeks where I only lost 1 lb or less, but I always showed a loss each week. I never had to go through the stress & disappointment of fighting a stall, thankfully!

Thanks for sharing and congratulations on your success!!!

Can you tell me a bit about your skin 2 years out? Do you need surgery for that or have you considered it? With being at goal has all of you thinned out or are there still areas that the fat sits in now.

I'm about 9 months out have lost 114 lbs since surgery but also lost 200 lbs before that obviously i'm probably going to have to have a surgery for this at some point and was wondering. I know everyone is different but was wondering what your take is on this?

Thanks

I feel that all of me has thinned out. As far as loose skin, my issues are my tummy and breasts. I feel that most of that is due to having 4 kids though. I would love to have a tummy tuck and breast lift but I don't feel it is necessary.

TennJenn - Like you, I reached goal quickly, just under five months for me. My surgeon's goal that is. I wanted a 5 lb "pad" and I reached that a month later. I will be ten months out on April 11th, I'm about 12 lbs under Dr. Davidson's goal. It has been disgustingly easy for me. Maintaining is the most difficult part. I could continue to lose weight if I wanted to. I have to work at getting all 1200 calories in each day to make sure I don't drop another lb. It is very strange. I love my sleeve, I being in control. I hope that a year from now I'll be just like you, nothing will have changed! I'm 51 yrs old....no real skin problems. Breasts are smaller and they could use a lift, but my tummy is flatter than it's every been....my arms aren't great, but they weren't before either. I'll probably never wear sleeveless. They are small though and not terrible. All in all, I am not unhappy and in clothes, I didn't look this good in jr. high or high school and like you said, shopping has never been this fun. I'm having a blast!

I was fortunate that I never experienced any true stalls. There were weeks where I only lost 1 lb or less, but I always showed a loss each week. I never had to go through the stress & disappointment of fighting a stall, thankfully!

I feel that all of me has thinned out. As far as loose skin, my issues are my tummy and breasts. I feel that most of that is due to having 4 kids though. I would love to have a tummy tuck and breast lift but I don't feel it is necessary.

I'm half of a sleeved couple here too! So happy to be doing this with my hubby. It's so nice to hear about your maintenance and that you still feel your restriction. Sometimes I worry that I eat so much more than I did several months ago... but I am pretty sure the amount has leveled off. I want to follow what you said... protein first, eat mostly the right stuff, but don't deprive myself. Sometimes my challenge is that "don't deprive myself" mentality leads to a lot of extras, too many extras. But I get sick with too much sugar at once too. Had a milkshake and thought I was gonna die, so that's off the list LOL.

Thanks for sharing and I do hope you post pics!

_{That's incredible. Congratulations!}

Congratulations TennJenn!

I wish it was as easy for me to maintain my weight loss. It must be because you are so much younger than me. I have to watch my weight very carefully because I gain a couple of lbs if I eat sugar or do any snacking. I also seem to gain every weekend when life I do more socializing. It's maddening!

Not sure it is related to age. I am 61 and had my surgery two years ago with Dr. Aceves in June. My goal was 145 and I stay around 140. I am not strict about what I eat and lately realized I was eating too many carbs and went back to drinking a Protein drink most days. I do still love sweets I just can't eat much. I can eat more than I could the first year but am still very restricted. I can only eat a half sandwich for example, or a container of Geek yogurt at one time. I think that working keeps me so busy that sometimes I forget to eat. The only thing I can no longer consume at all are milkshakes (which I love) every time I try to drink part of one I feel nauseous and once had dumping. So I don't try anymore. Ice cream does not bother me.

in response to the question about loose skin. I do have loose skin. My face looks fine but my upper arms and abdominal area especially are pretty yucky. Also because I am older my skin was not as elastic so i have more wrinkles all over my body now. If i had $30000 to throw away I would get plastic surgery but at this stage of life I am more interested in retirement. It does not interfere with me socially. I don't wear a 2 piece bathing suit and when I wear a sleeveless top I put a little sweater with short sleeves over it. If I was 30 I would do something about it but if I was 30 it probably would not be as bad, LOL. I just posted some before an after pics. I lost 90 lbs.

How unfair! I'm at least 25 lbs away from surgeon's goal, 50 from personal, and am almost 2 years out. The pounds come off me like I never had surgery, which is to say, begrudgingly one at a time and only with furious effort! Not f***ing fair. I'm still on protein shakes, don't eat anything like bread or pasta or starches, and exercise 5x a week. @#$^&*@!!!