Are there any Australian Sleevers out there, Would Love to hear from you.

Thanks everyone. I do feel great!! And yes Kelli- I seemed to hover just above the 100 kg mark for AGES and the. I dropped 2 kg in less than a week it's a nice feeling finally and just 5 kg to surgeons goal!!

Celebrating today- 75kg down in 8 months I am one happy sleever!

What a breath-taking achievement.You look beautiful.Hurray!

Just a general post to all the new sleevers: thanks so much to all of you (esp misty, michele and jimbo) for sharing your experiences.They are so interesting and really helpful.Keep it coming:)

Hi there Helen! Welcome and congrats on your super release.Where are you based?

I am in Toowoomba, Qld. Just outside of Brisbane (for those that don't know the area)

God I love my surgeon- texted her my comparison photo yesterday and she texted me back- excited and so supportive!! Can't wait to see her at the end of September for my 12 month check up!!

I figured out that I can make the optislim soups taste less disgusting. I posted the improved chicken one into the recipe sharing section. I will write up the tomato one today. I have been too scared to try the pumpkin at all yet. It's nice to have something that isn't sweet, but I think I would have better luck adding protein powder to homemade soups. But my dietitian wants me to use the optislim so I get all of the vitamins and nutrients. Oh well only 9 more days on full liquids!

I figured out that I can make the optislim soups taste less disgusting. I posted the improved chicken one into the recipe sharing section. I will write up the tomato one today. I have been too scared to try the pumpkin at all yet. It's nice to have something that isn't sweet' date=' but I think I would have better luck adding Protein powder to homemade soups. But my dietitian wants me to use the optislim so I get all of the Vitamins and nutrients. Oh well only 9 more days on full liquids![/quote']

I have bought some optislim soups to try today after the Optifast chicken Soup gave me nausea and an acid loose tummy (sorry if tmi ). The soup itself was ok at the time I ate it but crikey I was sick afterwards. I have made an appt with the dietician tomorrow to talk to him about whether I can use the optislim instead of the optifast before the surgery.Personally I would prefer to use my own soups as well misty! Thanks heaps for posting your recipes.

Hey Liss - I hope this doesn't make our friendship awkward, but you look totally hot!

Just had to put it out there

Deano

I added my modified my optislim tomato soup recipe to the Recipe Swap board.

I'm going to try blending my Protein shake powder into yogurt for dinner. Lets see how it goes.

Edit to add that it's really good! Would be even better with vanilla or banana I think!

Celebrating today- 75kg down in 8 months <img src='http://www.bariatricpal.com/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' /> I am one happy sleever!

great stuff Liss - you look amazing and unrecognisable from your former self - you look so much younger! Did you have to get your glasses adjusted - I have found that mine were falling off my head as my head and even my nose got much smaller!

Celebrating today- 75kg down in 8 months I am one happy sleever!

You look awesome!! Great job:)

I came out about my surgery to my friends and family today. I feel really good about it. This is what I wrote.

"I really dislike secrets. That's why I work for an open source company, and its also the reason for this post. I am typically a very open person, especially when my experience might help someone else.

You know how Angelina Jolie had a double mastectomy before she got breast cancer, as a preventive measure? Well, last week I had surgery for a similar reason. I had a weight loss surgery called the vertical sleeve gastrectomy (VSG). This is a different procedure from the lap band or the gastric bypass. The purpose of the surgery is to allow me to eat small enough portions to lose a significant amount of weight, while feeling much less hunger.

I wasn't originally going to disclose it beyond my very closest family, because there is a huge stigma about weight loss surgery. The stigma of weight loss surgery is almost as bad as being obese itself. But I think the stigma is wrong. I had the surgery to address my diabetes, which was extremely manageable before the surgery but is already in remission, only days afterward. I did it to prevent sleep apnea, arthritis, high blood pressure, and heart disease, none of which I have yet.

I also did it because being fat in this culture is very hard, emotionally and psychologically. People are cruel to fat people. I've been told by family members that I caused my diabetes, that I would never find love or marry as long as I was fat, and that I'd look so much prettier if I lost weight.

I probably won't talk much more about the weight loss surgery or the weight loss itself. While compliments are nice, compliments about weight loss make me feel very uncomfortable and feel extremely personal. The "losing phase" will probably last a year to 18 months, and then I will be in "maintenance" for the rest of my life, which will hopefully be long and healthy. I won't be crowing about how much weight I have lost. It's a personal issue and I have no idea why people think it is appropriate to ask.

But I want to do my part to end the stigma about weight loss surgery because diet and exercise alone don't work for 95% of people who are obese. If it has worked for you, I'm happy for you. If you've kept the weight off for several years, you are quite an outlier. Surgery works in almost every case.

Please don't send me your friend-of-a-friend anecdotes or other negative opinions. I am not a doctor and I will not give you medical advice. If you have a friend or loved one considering this route, please educate yourself so you can be supportive to them. If you want to know what I can and cannot eat now, that information is pretty easily available too.

It's not an easy decision and it is certainly not the easy way out. Thank you in advance for your support. "

I came out about my surgery to my friends and family today. I feel really good about it. This is what I wrote.

"I really dislike secrets. That's why I work for an open source company' date=' and its also the reason for this post. I am typically a very open person, especially when my experience might help someone else.

You know how Angelina Jolie had a double mastectomy before she got breast cancer, as a preventive measure? Well, last week I had surgery for a similar reason. I had a weight loss surgery called the vertical sleeve gastrectomy (VSG). This is a different procedure from the lap band or the gastric bypass. The purpose of the surgery is to allow me to eat small enough portions to lose a significant amount of weight, while feeling much less hunger.

I wasn't originally going to disclose it beyond my very closest family, because there is a huge stigma about weight loss surgery. The stigma of weight loss surgery is almost as bad as being obese itself. But I think the stigma is wrong. I had the surgery to address my diabetes, which was extremely manageable before the surgery but is already in remission, only days afterward. I did it to prevent sleep apnea, arthritis, high blood pressure, and heart disease, none of which I have yet.

I also did it because being fat in this culture is very hard, emotionally and psychologically. People are cruel to fat people. I've been told by family members that I caused my diabetes, that I would never find love or marry as long as I was fat, and that I'd look so much prettier if I lost weight.

I probably won't talk much more about the weight loss surgery or the weight loss itself. While compliments are nice, compliments about weight loss make me feel very uncomfortable and feel extremely personal. The "losing phase" will probably last a year to 18 months, and then I will be in "maintenance" for the rest of my life, which will hopefully be long and healthy. I won't be crowing about how much weight I have lost. It's a personal issue and I have no idea why people think it is appropriate to ask.

But I want to do my part to end the stigma about weight loss surgery because diet and exercise alone don't work for 95% of people who are obese. If it has worked for you, I'm happy for you. If you've kept the weight off for several years, you are quite an outlier. Surgery works in almost every case.

Please don't send me your friend-of-a-friend anecdotes or other negative opinions. I am not a doctor and I will not give you medical advice. If you have a friend or loved one considering this route, please educate yourself so you can be supportive to them. If you want to know what I can and cannot eat now, that information is pretty easily available too.

It's not an easy decision and it is certainly not the easy way out. Thank you in advance for your support. "[/quote']

Good for you Misty! You certainly came out!

Hi All,

It has been a few weeks. I have been dealing with some health issues (non sleeve related) and havent felt much like posting.

Tho I am happy to see that everyone is progressing well and we have some newbies to our happy lil thread.

It is so interesting to me to hear you newbies talk about post op stuff, it all feels like such a blur to me nowadays, so yes it does get easier.

I am now struggling to maintain my weight, my portions are quite large (well comparatively to you know the first 4 months). I can finish an Entree size meal and feel soooo stuffed. In a day where I am not being careful about what I am eatting, I still emotionally eat (just less) I can consume up to 2000 calories. I am aware now that my weight is sneaking back up towards no my upper limit cause of some issues, tho surprisingly it is easier to control when i am aware of it...kinda random.

Liss, I am soooo happy to hear of your 75kgs loss you really are doing amazingly well and look amazing. Such a huge milestone to Celebrate.....

Good for you Misty! You certainly came out!

Misty, I love it