Rootman

I didn't want the band because I didn't want a plastic gizmo floating around in my belly and there is a problem with erosion and slippage quite commonly too. I didn't want a bypass because of the malabsorbtion issues with it. The sleeve IS permanent and a common fear is that you will miss food so much and not be able to eat it because your stomach is so small. Well after healing and losing weight you hardly miss the food, in fact I enjoy the TASTE of food MUCH more and get PLENTY to eat. I am always satisfied. The sleeve WILL stretch just as your regular sized stomach did, but no where near the size of the old stomach, it's just impossible to fill it anywhere near the capacity that of the old stomach. As mentioned above, trust your surgeon if you feel he is qualified, it sounds like to me he is level headed and knows what works. Good luck no matter what you choose!

And sweet stuff is mostly icky sweet too, I barely touch the stuff. My tastes run more to the spicy and I like bitter stuff now, like dark chocolate bitter where before it was milk chocolate or nothing!

Yes, mine closed up and initially was dipped in too, eventually I lost the fat and it flattened out, I suspect your sis may have the same results.

I don't think I've picked up a salt shaker for the last 10 months, most food has enough salt already but I used to add more anyway, now everything tastes salty enough and it all tastes GREAT!

Yep, what the last two said. It's emanating from your throat and nasal passages, it's ketones being burnt from your body consuming fat rather than food and storing fat. Think of it like a car burning oil, till you drop down to a level where you are drawing more energy from food than fat and have burnt off enough of the fat you're stuck with it. It seemingly comes from everywhere and no one can usually smell it but you, so don't worry.

I went alone and met a guy who was having his VSG at he same time, we stuck together as buddies throughout the whole process, maybe you can find someone too. While you'll do fine alone it sure is nice to have someone to talk to and count on.

Isereno, while it certainly can't hurt there is just nothing we can do to "spot reduce". The body packs away fat as it's been genetically programmed to and these "problem spots" are the first to gain and the last to go. Even if you lose enough to get these areas down there might still be excess tissue there. Lipo or surgical removal is the only answer then. I'm down 165 pounds and look pretty thin but when I lie down the wife says I look like a flat tire, the excess skin and subdermal fat just kinda flows out to the bed and makes it look like I'm melting. Oh well, it beats being fat anyways.

about 10 months post op here, down 165 pounds and pretty much stalled. Had an initial goal of 180, stuck at 210 but LOOK like I'm below 200. I'm afraid I'll never lose more and beyond that, that I'll be able to keep it off. I do NOT want to be fat again, or even just overweight.

Talk it over with your doc and see what they say, perhaps they have an opinion on how to mitigate the effect - whatever the cause.

I brought this up in another thread: http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/15451-ghrelin-and-memory-learning/page__p__131016__hl__ghrelin__fromsearch__1#entry131016 . For me it seemed like a good 6 month before I got my head screwed on straight. The effects are anecdotal at best and nothing is really conclusive. I would think that such a massive change in your body chemistry by the reduction of ghrelin, change of diet, ketosis kicking in and the after effects of anesthetic the brain would surly be affected somehow. Being in such a stressful job this would certainly have an impact on you. I'd suggest you speak with your doctor about it. How much time are you planning on taking off?

Yep, seems like most everyone suffers either from constipation or the direct opposite - THE RUNS! Like TwoBoyaandAGirl above I use Mirilax, I take a half cap every day. While it is NOT natural it seems to be pretty inert and only helps. I've actually used it for years due to ongoing issues that just got worse post surgery. I would advise using the name brand, I tried a generic and it just did not work for me, I posted this on the site here and a few chimed in stating they had the same effects, the generic just didn't work.

Sorry, I tried this and failed REPEATEDLY, without something to PHYSICALLY restrict me I could NOT lose and maintain the loss. I do not have the will power and food is too cheap and easy to get. It is MY fault that I was fat, but there was just not enough willpower for me to overcome it. On reflection of this question I also had the thought the YES, that SHOULD be the answer for nearly EVERYTHING - but it's NOT. Some examples I thought of: AIDS should be GONE by now if people would restrain themselves and NOT have unprotected sex. They can't control themselves and the infection spreads. SMOKING should not an issue, after all people should just THINK that they are NOT addicted and stop smoking. Same as DRINKING, just ACT sober! We humans are a miserable lot, we just over do EVERYTHING and have the pay the price, in the case of over easting it's obesity with health issues and a limited life. I'd rather have the REAL surgery and KNOW it works.

This is a dicey question, like you I looked at the BMI chart an d it said I should weigh between 160 and 190. I'm currently at 210 and look lanky and feel very comfortable. For a month or so now I've lost at most 1 or 2 pounds a week. I consider my weight loss a success and am not going to ACTIVELY lose more weight. I will watch what I eat and monitor my weight and just see how it goes. Pick a HIGHER number and shoot for it. If you make it with no problem and still feel the need to lose more pounds then readjust your goal to a lower number. Setting it TOO low may just get your discouraged. With the sleeve it's easy but it can't do miracles and setting too low a goal that isn't reachable just won't work in so many ways.

Yep, definitely cheating as there is NO WAY you can lose - except weight that is

Sorry, but HOW can this even be possible? If the bubbles build up you burp just like anyone else. If this is the case then ANYTHING - including EATING stretches the sleeve and is bad for you. I am convinced that this is just another old wives tale - just like drinking through a strw will give you gas.

One common myth is that this is "gas pain", that is the gas is migrating up to (pick one) your back, shoulder, elbow, whatever. This is just not the case. Most of the gas that is injected into your belly (to pump it up and give the surgeon room to work) is expelled upon closure, it just passes right out the hole as they pull the final instruments. The rest that's left is adsorbed in a matter of hours. The pain IS caused by the gas but is actually caused by the gas ballooning and compression of the body cavity, the organs and the nerve bundles in the abdomen. The gas can irritate nerve pathways that can cause direct pain or what's known as "referred" or "phantom" pain. Analgesics have no real effect on this type of pain since it is for all intents and purposes not "real" and being generated by the firing of irritated nerves. Time is the only cure. Nearly everyone who has laproscopic surgery of this type has it. It will pass.

I think this is temporary, I had a lot of mucus too for a while and as I healed and ate a bit more it seems to have dissipated.

I drink several cans of diet Dr. Pepper a week and as you can see by the ticker below have lost 165 pounds already in less than 10 months. If you can handle the gas bubbles and it doesn't "activate" your sweet tooth where you are craving sweets then go ahead, just do so in moderation. I am sure slugging down diet drinks all day isn't good for you either, even though they have no calories they do have sodium and other stuff.

I am believing more and more to toss the BMI charts right out the window and settle on a weight that FEELS good to you. I am 6' tall and have lost 165 pounds at weigh in at 210 now, technically that's still 20 pounds overweight for a top weight of 190 for my height. Most people think I weigh about 180 already and can't believe me when I say I should lose another 20-30 pounds. I am wearing size 36 pants and they are baggy, size MEDIUM or large shirts depending on how they're cut. While I don't have rippling muscles I am more muscular now than at ANY point in my life. BP, blood sugar, cholesterol and all other blood tests are extraordinary. My doc says I'm one of the healthiest people he sees. I LOOK lanky even in my OWN eyes. My weight loss has dropped to about 1 pound a week max which tells me I am eating about the right amount of food and only have to add a few hundred more calories a day to stay at this weight. I may just get off this train a few stations early and call it home where I land. So toss the BMI numbers, pick a high one and make the goal and if you can easily loose more without turning into Skelator then go for it with a new goal. A few pounds "overweight"and turning in excellent health numbers and feeling and looking good are more important in my book now then making an arbitrary "goal".

My nose runs like a faucet after and DURING meals, it always has but seems to be WORSE since the sleeve. TMI ALERT: Extremely watery stuff, not snot per-se.

Yes, this too shall pass. It's not uncommon, my stomach was so noisy it was embarrassing, in bed if I laid just right it would make CONSTANT blurbs and bloops and bubbling sounds. It stopped after a while, I can't remember when. Yours should too.

As the others have stated, you're doing fine, in fact you're doing fantastic! Just my 2 cents: It never ceases to amaze me what a$$holes people can be - even parents! Ignore her.

Yep, I was a basket case for a good while too. I also had issues with testosterone levels and am taking supplemental shots, so I bounced between teary eyed, depressed and then rage. What a roller coaster ride!

YES, my tastes are definitely different. I was chatting with someone else who had a VSG and they noted the same thing, they said it was just like after they stopped smoking and food tasted SOOO much better, in fact that's when they gained most of their excess weight, they mentioned that about 3 or 4 months post-op they experienced the same thing, flavors just really POP now.

Welcome Mark, just jump right in and start to contribute and ask questions. We need more MEN around here!