Hi everyone ????

I'm a newbie (almost, I've posted a couple of times before but have been a lurker for quite a while) and thought I'd use this as a place to track my journey.

I'm pre op at the moment. I've been thinking about getting the sleeve on and off for the past few years. I'm in the uk so it's not that common to have wls, altho getting more so. A friend of mine got sleeved 4 years ago and at the time I thought she was crazy. However, another 4 years of trying to do it by myself and I've decided it's right for me.

I've been overweight my whole life. I was 'tubby' as a child but continued to get bigger as I reached teenage years. My life has been a series of failed diets. Some more successful than others, I've lost as much as 6 stone a few times, only to regain it. For the past 7 years I've been fluctuating between 280lbs and fighting to get down to 260lbs, at one point a few years ago I got to 248lbs but then crept back up.

Even when I'm not actively on a diet I'm constantly focussed on food, what I ought to be eating, feeling bad for what I am eating etc. If I get in the 'zone' on a diet I do really well...until something changes like I go on holiday or take a break for christmas, and then I just can't get back in the swing of it and gain it all back. It drives me crazy as when I am losing I always feel so good, physically and mentally. It's a well trodden path most people on here know all too well I'm sure.

My weight affects every part of my life. Most notably my self esteem and confidence but there is nothing I do that my weight doesn't blight in some way. I have a four year old daughter who is my world. She has some additional needs but that's not really relevant. I just want to be able to have fun with her and be here and able to support her as long as possible. Although I don't outwardly acknowledge it my weight affects my health. My knees hurt at times, my back too sometimes. I don't have diabetes etc but I'm sure it's only a matter of time if I don't change something. Generally getting about can be damn hard work at this weight and I'm always getting hot and sweaty. I have pcos and found it hard to conceive. I don't know if we will ever decide to have another child, but I know I won't ever choose to unless I lose weight.

So anyway, I have decided to take active control. I have my surgeon appt and pre op tests on 14 may. I am hoping for surgery on 28 may. I am self funding, I've not tried the nhs but just want to get on and do this. I'm scared of the surgery as I've never had a general anaesthetic. I did have a c section though and coped well with that. I'm scared of recovery and complications too, but I'm also excited to start this process and take control. Failure is not an option this time.

I'm currently on holiday in Florida: we come every April. For the first ever time I needed a seat belt extension on the aeroplane. I've also avoided some theme parks for fear of not fitting in the ride restraints, despite loving rollercoasters etc. all this has cemented my decision. Everytime I come on holiday I vow that it will be the last time I come away being so fat, and that as soon as I get home I will commit to changing things and loosing weight. I have at times fantasized about being able to unzip my 'fat suit'. Well this time, it's going to happen. I am realistic and as prepared as I believe I can be for a tough journey and lots of hard work, but with the right tool (my sleeve) I'm determined to take my fat suit off for good ????

That is just fantastic, very well done..I'm on 88 lb lost and I would be very happy to lose another 12. My surgery date was 16 th July 2015 so you are a bit ahead of me, I'm aiming for the 100 by then. If I get there I think I will probably try to maintain at that. My bmi is 29 and to get to 25 I need to get down to 10 stone 2 which is a bit low for me. Still I will see how I go. I have started c25k two weeks ago so hopefully that will help.

Glad you had a fab holiday !

Thanks Chris. And very well done to you too for being in the overweight bmi range...I can't wait to just be overweight lol! Got 3 more lbs until I'm there.

It's hard to know about a goal weight isn't it. I'd need to be 10 stone 9 to be at a bmi of 25, so that's another 31lbs from where I am now and I can't quite imagine that. My initial goal is 161lb and then I will reassess!

Great work on the c25k! I keep thinking about giving that a go but haven't actually done anything about it...now the weather is starting to improve I might try and get started!

Let me know if you do start the c25k. I'm thrilled to be able to do just the start of it. I never dreamed of this last year !

Well a year ago today I took what I felt was an incredibly brave decision to get a gastric sleeve. And I am so glad I did!

107lb down and so much happier, healthier, stronger and fitter!

Still more to lose but I'm confident I will keep going in the right direction :-)

Wow a year has passed! I bet you can't believe how you feel now ! Over 100 lb gone that's fantastic ! I'm still losing slow but steady and I have completed the C25k. I run Monday to Friday for 35 minutes and I am loving it. Even when I went on holiday I still ran. Going back to Cyprus on Thursday for 2 weeks and running gear is in the bag! I could not have imagined feeling like this a year ago and I am sure you are of the same opinion. Best thing in the world that I ever did, I would say so, only wish I had done it sooner.

All the very best to you

Well a year ago today I took what I felt was an incredibly brave decision to get a gastric sleeve. And I am so glad I did!

107lb down and so much happier, healthier, stronger and fitter!

Still more to lose but I'm confident I will keep going in the right direction :-)

What an amazing journey to read! I feel like we're similar. .thanks for posting your journey and congratulations on coming this far!!!

Well, another year passed, and another update from a Disney water park whilst on holiday in Florida!

It seems surreal that I started this thread two years ago, when life was very different indeed!

Since my last update I have undergone round one of plastics and had a back lift and thigh lift. That has made a huge difference to the holiday experience. I am for the first time in about 15 years wearing a normal swimsuit with out needing to wear shorts over to cover my awful thighs! I am also now able to wear normal bras as opposed to body suits thanks to my back lift...which makes life much cooler in the hot Florida sun! It also meant my husband took me underwear shopping in Victoria's Secret on my birthday which was really lovely [emoji7]

Having my sleeve really has been the best thing I have done for myself. And it really hasn't ruined my enjoyment of food. I'm still vigilant most of the time, but when I come on holiday I relax and eat what I want...my sleeve just puts a hard limit on how much I can eat and whilst that means I have a lot of left overs, I don't ever feel hard done by or regretful that I can't keep on eating forever!

We return home to the uk in a few days, and then two weeks later I will go in for round two of plastics, an arm lift. I'm less nervous this time and looking forward to getting it done. The final round, to get my tummy done, will have to wait as we are planning to try for a second baby later in the year, so no point in a tummy tuck before that!!

I hope everyone else is doing well and enjoying life! Happy Easter [emoji195][emoji214][emoji4]

Newbie here (surgery on 5/10) - wanted to respond to the title! My "theme song" for taking off the fat suit has been this great rendition of "Brand New Day" from The Wiz Live. They take off their dark suits at the beginning of the song, after they are freed from the wicked witch (and it's a great, high energy song to start the day dancing to :-))

Hi
I too am in the UK SW London. I had my sleeve done 10 days ago by Dr Mannur. To be honest I feel really good much better than anticipated. I was up walking about the evening of the op and out 2 days later. I am in liquids and it's fine just rather boring. Looking forward to some puréed food. Have started walking and purchased a pedometer to track my steps. I am a stats person like to compare stats so am logging everything my intake my steps weight measurements and am trying to keep a video diary so I can look back
So far I think it is a good thing.

Just wanted to say that I have been tracking steps and such as well. However, instead of buying extra stuff to do it with, I simply use an app on my phone. I use one called S Health. I also use Mysugr to keep track of my blood glucose levels. It beats having to lug around extra stuff. I do that naturally at the moment. >,>

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