Hey September Sleevers.... My surgery date was August 30th, so I'm almost right there with you guys!! How is everyone doing so far?? I'm two weeks post op today and I am really starting to feel good. share you surgery experiences, questions, and concerns here with your fellow September sleevers!!!

Wow great job I'm so jealous. I'm in my second stage and haven't lost just a whole lot of weight yet but I have noticed a diff of the way my clothes fit. Everything you mentioned are things in hoping I can do soon as well. Good luck and keep up the good work

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Well today I am 10 weeks from surgery 09/18/17 and 28 pounds down since surgery, 48 pounds overall. Love the energy I have. Realized last night I gotta kick my cardio up a notch or two. Enjoying strength training and seeing myself shrink. Bought a full length mirror for the first time in years and don’t get disgusted when I look in the mirror. I am going back to shakes for a bit to hopefully get out of the 200s this year. I’m in a size 13 pants from a size 19 and a size 18 top from a size 22. I’m eating between 800-1100 calories a day and do 3-4 hours of cardio a week and strength training 3 times a week. Food doesn’t control me anymore. Food is just fuel and sweets don’t even taste good. I am addicted to Envy apples now however. Eat a quarter to half an apple a day. Haven’t tried pasta or rice, but buns and fresh bread aren’t worth the discomfort. Love my new tool!

2 hours ago, The Reducer said:

Feeling pretty good. Pretty much able to eat any foods I attempt to eat. Some things sit better than others. Went out of town for Thanksgiving. Visited DC to spend the time NOT focused on cooking/eating. Instead opting to haul my fat (but shrinking) ass around by foot to see all the memorials and museums on the National Mall.

Had a lovely dinner at the Capital Grille steakhouse on Thanksgiving evening. Of course, I could only take a bite of my wife's appetizer (a bleu cheese wedge salad with porkbelly bacon) and could only eat a few ounces of the filet and lobster tail. Ate the leftovers slowly over the next few days. But happily, I came home another five pounds lighter!

Also, bought some souvenir t-shirts and sweatshirts in size XXL (down from a XXXXL) because I really needed new threads. All my clothes are way too big!

Things I welcome:

• Being able to fit in booths when I visit a restaurant - I had been unable to fit at all for years, needing a table instead.
• Fitting into smaller clothes and needing to go shopping
• Being able to walk very VERY far and stand for hours on end without feeling tired/pain in ankles, knees
• Being able to keep up on brisk walks with my very athletic wife
• Drinking a pint or two of Guiness (because it is nitrogenated, not carbonated) although only once in a while
• Having a much more sane relationship with food. I still feel cravings at times, but am physically unable to indulge them. The few times I tried, I thought I would vomit (almost did!)
• Eating very expensive foods I used to avoid due to price. A single Alaskan King Crab leg provides enough meat for two meals and its very cheap to buy a single leg (although the fishmonger looks at you sideways)
• Being able to reach every part of my body in the shower for a good solid washin'
• The extra room in our queen sized bed which used to be too small (arm hanging over the edge while I slept). Now there's plenty of extra room. Slept in a double bed on our trip and it was still roomy enough.
• Having much more fun in the sack, with a far smaller gut getting in the way of business (and the missus is diggin' that too)
• How the extra exercise increases "staying power" during the aforementioned boudoir activities
• How smooth and soft my skin feels - I think the sugar and wheat used to make my skin ruddy and bumpy
• Snoring is gone (although I still need the CPAP for now)
• Buying clothes in stores BESIDES DXL and Rochester Big & Tall

Things I miss:

• Being able to have a cocktail or two before sitting down to a nice meal
• Especially being able to enjoy fine wine with a nice meal
• Drinking seltzer and bubbllier beers like Pilseners and such. Also mixers with my booze (i am a straight up or shots guy now i guess)
• Being able to slake my thirst by gulping down Water. Now I have to sip it slowly and that doesn't destroy a thirst the way pounding water once did
• Baked/goods, crusty bread, croutons - basically crunchy things. I do take a little taste from time to time, but cannot revert to my former starchy insanity
• Eating lunch with co-workers

I also returned to live performance with my band and had been concerned that smaller stomach meant less vocal capacity. But my first gig after the surgery was 11/18 and the band and I blew DOORS!

It has been amazing noting the change. I have great energy and endurance that I missed for years. It is tough, but worth it. Keep on keepin on September sleevers! You got this!

This is awesome! Glad you are taking stock of all your successes, even the little ones..it will give you something to look back at if/when times get tough. I think you just inspired me to do the same!

Hi - just checking in! My surgery was 9/28 (two months tomorrow/9 weeks out on Thurs). I am down 36 lbs from surgery and 70 lbs total (had to do a 3 month physician supervised diet that I started in mid April). With the exception of needing to take Miralax or Ducolax to get things moving, I haven't had any complications or issues from surgery. Although I feel like making sure I get all my water and protein in is a full time job and I am really tired of yogurt with protein powder (I do not like shakes), this has been a really easy process ...so far. My calories are around 500-600 per day and I am eating about 3 oz of food per meal + 1 snack. On Thursday I am officially off my post op diet and will move to my lifetime eating plan and I am so excited to eat raw veggies (couldn't have them until I made it to week 9). I have been craving a salad, but will hold off on that due to all the horror stories I have heard around digesting lettuce. I go to the gym 4-5 days a week where I do 30-45 minutes of cardio and another 30 minutes of weight training. My energy and endurance are increasing. The only bummer is that prior to surgery I had knee pain (bone on bone) and lower back pain and with losing 70 lbs, none of that is better. My ortho said that weight loss will likely decrease the knee pain and perhaps delay knee replacement surgery, but so far, I still have pain- I just basically ignore it. I couldn't be happier with the way things are going so far!!!

Well today I am 10 weeks from surgery 09/18/17 and 28 pounds down since surgery, 48 pounds overall. Love the energy I have. Realized last night I gotta kick my cardio up a notch or two. Enjoying strength training and seeing myself shrink. Bought a full length mirror for the first time in years and don’t get disgusted when I look in the mirror. I am going back to shakes for a bit to hopefully get out of the 200s this year. I’m in a size 13 pants from a size 19 and a size 18 top from a size 22. I’m eating between 800-1100 calories a day and do 3-4 hours of cardio a week and strength training 3 times a week. Food doesn’t control me anymore. Food is just fuel and sweets don’t even taste good. I am addicted to Envy apples now however. Eat a quarter to half an apple a day. Haven’t tried pasta or rice, but buns and fresh bread aren’t worth the discomfort. Love my new tool!

I’m doing good! Not getting on a scale. I’m taking it one day at a time, enjoying my new journey. Rest is key, stress and anxiety holds weight on you. Allow the tool to work and just know as long as you are following the guidelines the weight Will fall off. Having a spiritual and physical support system is awesome as well!!! It truly helps. My surgery was 9/27/17 I’ve gone from a size 32 to 26 and it’s steadily falling off. I thank God for peace of mind that surpasses All understanding!!!

I'm doing OK. I had less to lose than many, as I was getting a revision (removing a lap band and getting the sleeve). In the 10 1/2 weeks since surgery on 9/13 . I've lost 25 since surgery and down 41 total (from the pre-surgery diet, that started in August). I'm eating between 600-800 calories, I walk daily (I have 2 dogs) and have added additional activities during the day. I'm moving into some size 12 jeans and that feels pretty good!

Congrats to all the success! How is everyone only eating only between 6 and 900 calories I'm way over that I feel restriction NOT EATING JUNK but portions feel like they are growing and I feel like 1300 calories is a ton

I am 5 days shy of 3 months post-op and I’m so proud of myself. I’m down 50ish lbs and have a ways to go, but I’m so proud of where I’ve gotten! The photos are of me at my highest weight on the left in December of ‘16 and the pic on the right is today!

Wow MollieVSGHopeful! You look fantastic, nice job!

My 3-month blood results were a drastic improvement from July. I have Type 2 Diabetes and my A1c dropped to 6.2. With my doctor 6.2 is considered a "well-managed diabetic". My cholesterol is still a bit high, but it's only been 6 months. I feel so much better.

As to weight loss, I've stalled a bit. Sampling my Christmas baking and other treats did not help, but I sort of think that my body likes this current weight. It's almost to the pound the same point at which I slowed down after having the lap band. I want to go lower, but am relaxing and enjoying the health benefits I already have. I don't want to be a "well-managed diabetic". I want to be NORMAL.

I've discovered cooking. My freezer is full of small containers of prepared, healthy food--food that suits my sleeved stomach. I've tried to explain to friends how nice it is to be able to leisurely plan and prepare meals. Before I was all about fast food, because I simply could not cook fast enough to suit the "starving" feeling of my endless appetite. I would also eat ALL that I prepared, and we all know that no matter how healthy the dish, ALL of it is NOT healthy. I think some of you might understand me better than those friends did.

Exercise is just not happening for me. I truly HATE to sweat, but given recent weather, I've also discovered that I also hate to freeze. Walking dates are scheduled with my best friend for Sunday's this month. We both hope that our endless chatting will provide the distraction each of us needs to prevent getting bored. I know that I walk longer, further and faster the few times my boyfriend joins me. He talks more then than at any other time and is quite entertaining.

All things considered, the sleeve has been good to me. Now I need to be good to me.

Happy New Year and New You to All!