I've been seeing a lot of people who now have December surgery dates, just wanted to say HI, and give us a place to talk while we wait (and count down the days) for our surgeries.

My surgery is on December 9, 2011;

My doctor is Justin Braverman from the N.E.W. Program in Newport Beach, CA;

I start my pre-op liquid diet on November 25th;

And will be sleeved at Tri-city hospital in Hawaiian Gardens, CA.

What about everyone else?

I am 9 weeks out and have lost 32 lbs. Although I am losing inches I too am at a stall with the pounds, for a few weeks. I am going to try the boot camp diet the next couple days of Little Miss Diva's and cut out carbs and fruit for a couple days. December Sleevers Rock!

Lots of good company here.

I'm seven weeks out (Dec. 27) and I've been stalled for a couple of weeks (again) Have lost 29 pounds since surgery though and I'm darn glad about that, and the weight loss seems to go in fits and spurts. I'll be the same, the same, the same ad nauseum, then one morning I'll get up and be five pounds down. Go figure.

I think stepping up my exercise could have something to do with it. Plus, I'm having some issues with adding veggies and fruit back -- you don't want to know. But Proteins all seem to be good.

SleeveDreamer, cutting carbs (and fruit) might just shake things loose. Couldn't hurt.

I bought a sexy little top this week to wear for hubby. I would have never bought it at my high weight of 273, surgery weight of 256. But at 227, I'm starting to feel a little sexy again. It's getting there.

Go folks, go!!

CC

Just wanted to share with my fellow December sleevers that i have hit a major milestone - 50# which is 1/3 of the weight I want to lose to get me to my personal goal. ( I am including the 8# on my two week preop diet) I am thrilled and excited!!! I guess this sleeve thing might just work!

I know this is hard - I got really discouraged too when it seemed like my weight loss had slowed so much it practically stopped. Something strange happened though, just a few days before my weight loss picked up agai, i became aware that i had lost another pant size, it is like the body just needs to time to readust. Sometimes noticing the changes outside the scale can give you a boost.

I do think you are doing really well though - you have lost 28% of your excess, right? That is pretty good considering how far out you are. Your honeymoon period isn't over, I am sure this is a temporary lull. We tend to count pounds only, but my NUT advised we look at the percentage of excess weight lost or even percent of your body weight (like they do on biggest loser).

I was sleeved on December 28th and I have become very discouraged. I have been stalled for the last 4 weeks. I have lost 30 pounds since I was sleeved, which I know is great, but you get so used to the weight just falling off in the beginning. The first few weeks, I lost 1-2 pounds a day! Now, I lose nothing.

I have been trying to focus really hard on my Protein intake and Fluid intake. I was just released to start exercising at my 6 week follow up appointment last week. I had some complications, so they didnt release me to exercise until later in the game.

Is anyone else having this problem? Any suggestions on what I can do? I feel like my "honeymoon phase" is already over.

Hey everyone!! I was sleeved on 12/28. I started at 265. I got down to 255 on my own with diet and exercise. Preop I got down to 240 and I have lost 34lbs since surgery. 9 more pounds before I reach my first goal!!!

I am craving popcorn. I am scared because of all the calories.

If you have myfitnesspal.. Add me. We can encourage each other.

I am craving popcorn too, but I'm afraid it will get stuck. I was sleeved on December 14th and have lost 34 lbs. that came off so easy and I am scared I won't get to my goal. i only have 20-25 lbs. to go!

I was sleeved 12/12 and I have had the microwave smart pop (little lower calorie). Loved it and didn't have any problems.

I just joined a gym and with days getting longer been doing more physical activity overall. It feels good, I feel like I am regaining some muscle and the weight is coming off again. I have now lost 1/3 of the amount I want to lose.... 50# down, 100# more to go. It is a long road ahead of me, but I feel hopeful for the first time in ages that this might just happen!

Interesting about the popcorn. I was sleeved 12/14 too and I crave popcorn like crazy. I've been eating lots of it (relatively speaking) and I was never interested in eating it before my sleeve.

I was sleeved on 12/20. I've lost 45 lbs and have dropped 4-pant sizes. I started working out 3-weeks ago and try to go 3-4 times a week. The down side, I can only eat 2oz of protien per meal, but I supplement with a shake. The weekend I have a really hard time getting all my protien and fuilds in, and hopefully that will change.

Wow you are doing justgreat! i was sleeved on 12/14 and have lost 34 lbs. and in a stall, but still losinginches so I can't complain.

Hello December Sleevers - I had my surgery on 12/19 and as of today I have lost 50 lbs! (okay 10 of it was right before surgery - but 50 lbs nonetheless). I have given away all of my size 18W pants. I'm into 16's now (except for jeans, still an 18 but minus the W). I'm off the insulin - still on oral diabetes meds. Still snoring, so might sleep apnea might not be weight related (bummer). I have so much more energy. Not very interested in food (never thought I'd say that). I do not regret my decision to have surgery for 1 minute. Hope everyone is well.

Hey all, I was sleeved 12/12 and have lost 45 pounds since surgery. I feel like this is awful progress and have been really bummed lately about how slowly i'm losing considering how much I still weigh.

You can see in my sig my weight lost per month is going down and down, I only lost 7 pounds last month and only 8 the month before that. I just dont get how I can not be losing more so soon out after surgery, I understand that after a year weight loss slows but after 3 months and its already slowing this much?

I'm also not losing inches as i've been checking that. I get in more than enough Protein every day and really close to 64 if not 64 oz of Water ever day. I've tried switching from treadmill to elliptical to see if that would help but still nothing. Tried adding more veggies, nada.

Sooo frustrated. Glad to hear everyone else is having better success at least.

Hey all, I was sleeved 12/12 and have lost 45 pounds since surgery. I feel like this is awful progress and have been really bummed lately about how slowly i'm losing considering how much I still weigh.

You can see in my sig my weight lost per month is going down and down, I only lost 7 pounds last month and only 8 the month before that. I just dont get how I can not be losing more so soon out after surgery, I understand that after a year weight loss slows but after 3 months and its already slowing this much?

I'm also not losing inches as i've been checking that. I get in more than enough Protein every day and really close to 64 if not 64 oz of Water ever day. I've tried switching from treadmill to elliptical to see if that would help but still nothing. Tried adding more veggies, nada.

Sooo frustrated. Glad to hear everyone else is having better success at least.

You are doing great! You really want to lose slowly so as to not have alot of skin issues and you will keep the weight off. If you lose too fast, chances are higher that you gain some back. I was sleeved a couple weeks after you and we're close to the same weight and loss. Everyone loses at a different pace and I think with excercise, muscle mass weighs more than fat so that could be the reason for losing slower,,which is a good thing. I'm starting to track my calories/protein/fat/carbs..I know I'm not eating much..like today I ate 810 calories,,who wouldn't lose right?? But I went over in carbs..way over. I didn't realize this till I tracked today. I'm tracking at myfitnesspal.com I'm just learning how to use the site,,it does all the work. Good luck sweetie,,but you ARE doing great!

I was sleeved on 12/12 too! I think you are having good success - a couple of different things to think about....

Looks like you lost quite a bit pre-op. well, the body just can't keep up the crazy fast pace of weight loss forever, so it always slows down, no matter how little you eat.

If you look at it from a perspective of how much of your "excess" you are nearly half way to goal! I think that is just awesome! I think we are having pretty similiar results, except I only lost 8 pounds in my two week pre surgery diet - so it just seems like I am losing weight faster. The way I see it, we are both coming up on losing half of what we want to lose! How exciting is that not even 4 months out from surgery!?!

I meet with a nutritionalist and she tells me that when my weight loss slows down, there are a few tricks to try. I haven't hit this yet, but ideas like:

-confirming that you are keeping your calories at the level think you are (by tracking carefully)

-maybe you need to eat a little more to jump start the weight loss, so consider that

-if you can tolerate low carb, that should help. I have decided life is to short to feel like crap and that is how low carb eating makes me feel so I don't do it.

What was interesting is the last time we met she felt I was doing things too much by the book, weighing and measuring everything, recording everything rather then listening to my body. I decided to experiment and STOPPED recording all my food and crazy thing is my weight loss sped up! I don't know if it is because i am eating less or more, but i am trying to listen to my body, while following the "rules" and am pleased as can be that so far it works. I notice that now I eat 4X a day instead of what they recommended of 5X a day.

As far as activity - I am doing a couple of things. I do Water aerobics 1-2X a week plus eliptical another 2-3X a week and strength training 2Xa week. Some days I combine the strength and eliptical in one day. On top of that, I am trying to increase my OVERALL activity - so no sitting around after work... I just try to keep moving. I also have horses so do barn work, do yard work, walk the dogs etc. My theory is that it may only make small difference in terms of calories burned, but I am trying to rev up my metabolism by just overall moving more and sitting less.

Don't be discouraged, you really are doing well!

Hey all, I was sleeved 12/12 and have lost 45 pounds since surgery. I feel like this is awful progress and have been really bummed lately about how slowly i'm losing considering how much I still weigh.

You can see in my sig my weight lost per month is going down and down, I only lost 7 pounds last month and only 8 the month before that. I just dont get how I can not be losing more so soon out after surgery, I understand that after a year weight loss slows but after 3 months and its already slowing this much?

I'm also not losing inches as i've been checking that. I get in more than enough Protein every day and really close to 64 if not 64 oz of water ever day. I've tried switching from treadmill to elliptical to see if that would help but still nothing. Tried adding more veggies, nada.

Sooo frustrated. Glad to hear everyone else is having better success at least.

Dont worry everyone, you are doing great! I havent lost as much as i thought i would the first 4 months, but im okay with it coming off slow, so my skin can catch up, lol. I've lost 33 lbs, and stalled for a little over a month, but then all the sudden i lost 4 lbs again. So it will happen, I can see the loss, and I met my first goal which was to get to 235, yay! So keep up the good work December sleevers!