Hi everyone,

I was sleeved on the 15/10/12 by Dr Craig Taylor at the Mater Hospital, Sydney. I'm only a 'newbie' however now that I am settling into my new sleeved life I cannot believe how happy I am!!

The first month was a real struggle but I promise it will get better!! At about 6 weeks I'm out and about with friends again, getting too many compliments to manage and sitting at an 18kg (39 pound) weight loss so far. I've still got a long way to go as I want to lose another 30kg at least however I wanted to share a few things with you all....

Firstly I have given away ALL of my pants! I now have shirts that are so baggy that they are nearly a dress and all of my business jackets are able to be buttoned up!

For the first time in over 5 years I can walk into a NORMAL shop and try on clothes! I'm a comfortable 18 but have been finding the odd 16 dress that makes me feel oh so good :-D

I can't wait till a camping trip I have in January to see some friends that haven't seen me since I was 130kgs...would love to find some good swimwear to show off!

I just tried on my school formal dress and I can do the zipper up halfway - this dress didn't fit over my boobs last time I tried...

I feel so happy I could cry, this was a dream for me, something I thought was absolutely unobtainable I'd tried every diet and portion control I could think of and couldn't stick at it past a couple of months! This is truly my dream come true and worth every dollar and every ounce of pain, nausea and mcdonalds burger or french fry i will never eat again to have this feeling now!

Looking forward to the next six months...would love to hear your stories too or if newly sleeved ppl have any questions about initial stages!

i was sleeved 9/12/12 like mgsmith. i have lost 19lbs prior to surgery and 35lbs post surgery total of 54lbs. my NSV is my work uniform was way to big for me, my daughter gave me some cute jeans that at first i couldnt fit now i rock them. my feet are much smaller which means i can wear my smaller shoes. my face is way thin and younger looking i love it, and ppl tell me how good i look almost everyday.

i get down because i see ppl that had surgery around the same time as me and they have lost way more. but my nut said i am on target, they expect 30lbs lost in 3 months i did that in 2 months. i dont eat bad at all i eat all good healthy foods ive had maybe 1.5 cookie at work since surgery. i dont crave sweets anymore and when i do eat them it taste like sugar to me. i get all my protien through food my carbs are under 100grams a day, my only problem is i cant get enough calories in thats the hard part.

the down side is i go through periods of naseau for days and then i feel better after a few days. i can only eat 2 -3 bites of dense foods. soft foods i can get in with no problem (exp) cottege cheese yogarts, cheese chili. but whole meats like chicken i get really full.

some days i feel like im not going to lose all of the wieght but i guess thats a normal feeling, trying not to feel like im on a diet. trying to just be normal.

I get that feeling too sometimes - that I won't lose all the weight and that I haven't lost as much as others! I figure we're all different with different starting weights, body shapes, age and every sleeve is individual too!!

I struggle some days when I'm stalling and I just want to hit under 100kg!! (<220 pounds) I've got about 5kg to go and it seems like that scales refusing to budge atm!!

I'm starting to try to push positivity and say to myself to enjoy this size while I've got it, I mean we'll never be here again so y not enjoy this size as a goodbye before I shrink again lol - seriously it's only inevitable with how little I eat now!

My main issue atm is my hips actually, I have naturally shapely hips that I lost inside my fat that are now reemerging as the weight drops...I forgot that I always struggled to find pants to fit properly!! Actually the pants in the plus sized stores were heaps easier - probably co thy were elastic lol

These dreadful fitted pants for work are loose right up to my hips then struggling to button!! It's quite funny really as I have also lost my butt...baggy right around damn weird body lol

yea i am pear shaped and always had the lower body problem. i have this work skirt that i wear and its now loose around my waist but still tight on my hips. there is is site that cater to pear shape with jeans best fit i ever had no gap a the waist either i just cant think of the name right now.

Me to Bella...I have a very voluptious behind...i lose from the waist up always takes forever to come off my bottom half but thats ok, \going to do it this time. This is awesome, i was a 20 year smoker and have not had one craving since the surgery and i havent craved sweets either, I hope that last. Newgrandmother, I saw that you said you got around 100 carbs a day, that might be why your losing a little slower. I know our aim is between 30-40 a day but if you feel good then stick with it. I would rather lose a lil slower and feel good than cut carbs too low and have no energy. I look forward to alot less of us in the next few months. Good luck to the both of you.

kristi my nut said a little over 100 is safe for losing weight i dont get to 100 sometimes im under 80 it really depends on what i eat that day

well i think that sounds good...im going to watch calories the most and just keep an eye on carbs...im mainly just going to stay away from whites, sugar, bread etc. I do plan on having wheat crackers though, stone wheat but not alot. im glad to hear that thanks...one girl on here told a peop that she should try and have no carbs...i told her to talk to her nut and not listen to people on hee because i know you have to have some carbs fo energy

i dont eat the whites. i eat sprouted wheat bread and multi grain crackers if i use sugar i use cane juice