Roseib

I keep my carbs below 30 but the nutritionist and doctors say 100 Max and preferably under 60. I mentioned to my PCP I thought thst was high for carbs and he said 60 is really low! However I lose weight better at 30 or lower and feel I have a lot of energy and as much brain power as ever. Moreover of I eat proten first then veggies or sometimes fruit I don't have room for many carbs, veggies I like being low in them. Bread and nuts sit like a lump in my stomach so avoid them. I do eat patmeal for breakfast

Yes what jay said. Also Usually they just want to make sure you understand you have to make behavioral changes and that surgery is just a tool not magic bullet. They want to be sure you have realistic expectations for what surgery will do (e.g. won't bring world peace) and that you have plan for how to react to stressors without using food and so on. I have cyclical depressions and also anxiety. Freely admitted it but said I'm on medication abd doing well. Being depressed per se shouldn't prevent surgery. They just want to be sure its being treated because it could affect outcomes of surgery if untreated. Also established I had great support group of friends abd co-workers as single with very little family left and far away. I imagine the bariatric center pyschologist will focus more on these issues.

Yes what jay said. Also Usually they just want to make sure you understand you have to make behavioral changes and that surgery is just a tool not magic bullet. They want to be sure you have realistic expectations for what surgery will do (e.g. won't bring world peace) and that you have plan for how to react to stressors without using food and so on. I have cyclical depressions and also anxiety. Freely admitted it but said I'm on medication abd doing well. Being depressed per se shouldn't prevent surgery. They just want to be sure its being treated because it could affect outcomes of surgery if untreated.

Required 2 bariatric vitamins a day, 1500 calcium citrate in 3 500 mg doses, 1 b12 sublingual a week (I take one every other day though) and first labs showed me low in vitamin D so take 400 units of it a day.

Another vote for Pure Protein although I like only the chocolate peanut butter flavor and not the other flavors.. It has 18 carbs I think 2 carbs sugar with the 20 grams protein. It is dense as someone said, but I find it filling if I get stuck eating a protein bar as meal replacement. Someone mentioned Power Crunch. those taste really good to me -- like a cookie -- which is a bit of a problem for me. In addition, they only have 13-14 grams of protein, which is a little low. for my needs. On the other hand, only 10 grams of carbs, 5 of them sugar. Quest made me sick when I tried them, but that was a long time ago -- at 4 months or so. I could probably eat them now.

Yes like others my doctor wants us getting protein through food because it fills us up for longer periods of time. I do drink a healthy protein shake after I work out but that's it.

Yep my doctor says same. Will throw up if overeat thst much with sleeve he says. Won't really stretch. One can ultimately eat up to a cup of food at a time but I've read posts on here saying thst too depends on length (size) of sleeve not stretching. I wouldn't push it though due to feeling so bad if one overdoes it. I did thst once

Oh and rubyspring. It got so much better getting weight off my knees. I still need knee replacement but take less hydrocodone and am so much more mobile. Glad your recovery is going well. I have 3 herniated discs in lower back and haven't had any problems for months. knock on wood.

Hi. I had surgery 13 months ago at age 62. I hsve terrible osteoarthritis in my knees. For the first 11 months I used sit down exercise videos. I'm in education and started at a hospital related fitness center when school was out. I started in water aerobics but now mostly do land workouts. Even have a trainer! My experience has been great. Glad yours is going well!

I was told six weeks for working out but don't know about martial arts. Sounds pretty strenuous and potentially harmful for only four weeks out from major surgery. See what others say about that and more alternatives than walking. Bike riding? Swimming?

Will do. Good luck. There are a number of people on this board who had a band to sleeve revision and who are doing great. Yes some had complications but many did not. Put it in God's hands and assume you will be fine. Will be thinking of you and sending positive thoughts your way. It goes quickly once you get to hospital.

What everyone else said. I stopped beathing 42 times an hour and after I got adjusted to the CPAP -- doctor had me increase the amount of time I wore the mask and used the machine each night until I used it all night --- it was great to actually get a good night's sleep. I tried one mask and it felt light weight and I could breathe just fine, but it just leaked too much around the side, so 3 months later got a different mask -- one that has a kind of suction effect to stick to the face -- no leaking with this one. I've been through several now after years of using the CPAP. It should make a huge difference for you.

I had a lot of hair loss and had thin hair to begin with so definitely can see my scalp in spots. I opted NOT to do a wig b/c of the heat here in San Antonio this summer. It's stopped falling out but hasn't come back completely yet. My impression of readnig lots of posts on this issue is that usually only people with very thin hair to begin with show scalp. Most people seem to be able to hide it.

Re: pasta. I like quinoa pasta which you should be able to get at chain grocery. It's a whole grain but I like the taste of it the best. I don't use it anymore because I don't eat grains yet, but you might try it to see if you like it. Your children might not even notice the difference. Like others I sometimes use spaghetti squash as pasta. That could work for you even though might have to do the real thing for your children.

You look fantastic!

That's how I lost the entire time starting at month 2. Stall 3 weeks or more and then drop several pounds quickly. Repeat the next month. It was frustrating and weird, but I lost inches while stalling. Do be sure to measure as suggested. It's good for the morale to confirm the inches are coming off. I still lost a lot of weight year 1 stalls and all. I had so much to lose, I knew I wouldn't lose it all in one year.

Are you keeping track of your measurements? That's important to do because during stalls we are often losing inches, as you noticed with clothes fitting looser.

Adding more water takes care of it for me, especially when it's hot outside. I seem to need more water and although it sounds contra-intuitive, adding more water apparently helps me lose the excess fluids. I think you should talk to your doctor, though. I drink 88-100 oz of water but then I am a lot farther out than you.

Wow globetrotter, you've done fantastic! And so much of that weight loss was under difficult environmental circumstances! I'm impressed with how well you've done. Congratulations

For those of us starting at higher weights you typically stay in sizes longer at first than those with less to lose. I know how you feel. I thought I'd be in a 3X forever. Hsve gone through 2X much more quickly. It will happen.

Bariatric advantage chocolate or Caramel chews. I think they taste really good. I haven't tried the lozenges.

That's terrific! It will be months before I get there, but it's really encouraging to hear your story. You look great and healthy!

Just read the article on weight regain. interesting but the samples are very small -- 26 in one study and 41 in another. I believe one had 96 patients but that is still pretty small to generalize to the total population of vsg patients. Also mean EWL is just the arithmetic average. Some people would be lower and some would be higher than the percentage they present. In a small sample, one or two "deviant" people with huge weight gain could throw off the mean. Using a median (50% above it; 50% below it) might be more meaningful as a middle point. Hard to know without seeing the entire database. As one of the formerly super obese people they mention in the article, at least this is a sign to me to be really vigilant forever about what I put in my mouth. Water, healthy eating, and exercise is a way of life during and after weigh loss and I imagine a lot of people slow down on those, hence the weight gain.

My surgeon says that is when the most rapid weight loss occurs. It slows down after that on average. But we still keep losing after that of course. It seems to be a physical thing according to him. Not psychological. Will be interesting to hear what other doctors have said.

I had Dr Cavazos too. Isn't he great? You're doing great! Will you come to support group next week?