former_vbg

Mustang Ali, I have just one question for you- just something for you to consider. Like most of us, we have battled weight most if not all of our lives. Do you think that maybe you are afraid of the natural changes that come with major weight loss? I don't know if you are married or seeing anyone, but I know myself that I tend to be more critical or suspicious of people when I get more attention whether its friends or boyfriends, etc, and it's hard to not feel like that "fat girl" who was always treated differently because their weight made other people uncomfortable. The logical part of my brain was like, "how stupid for me to feel that way", but the truth was, it takes some people a longggg time to get to know the "new" person they have become- not just physically but mentally. As I was reading your posts, I just wondering if deep down you were reaching a point where you were starting to see the shedding of the "old you" and bringing out the "new you" and what that would mean. As you know, most of us use food to "protect" us. I have a friend who is seriously overweight. She wasn't heavy all her life, but in the last 15 years or so she has gotten heavier every year. She lost her husband about 7 years ago and she says she doesn't want to remarry which is fine, but I can tell that she fears loosing weight because it may cause men to notice her and this is one way of keeping up that barrier. I may be way off base, if so I apologize. I just know I have gone through something similar in the past and thought I'd throw it out there for thought.

Just because the employer gets to tailor the insurance package given to the employees doesn't mean they have access to confidential medical files. One does not equal the other. It's simply stating what benefits you WILL or WILL NOT have access to in accordance with the plan they signed up for. It is a violation of HIPPA if your medical records are given out to anyone without your written authorization, short of a court order for legal reasons.

Since this is my 2nd time having WLS, I knew the hair loss would happen- but it is MUCH worse this time. My first surgery was 13 1/2 years ago, but I don't think age has much to do with it. I'm getting in LOTS of Protein, in fact its mostly protein and little else..... yes I know there should be balance. Anyhow, I HATE HATE HATE taking pills. I get the gag reflex really bad, doesn't matter how small they are.... But, like some have stated, I'm surprised I'm not bald already. I'm 4 1/2 months out from surgery. I've been researching foods that have Vitamins that help with hair loss. I haven't started this yet, just started researching this yesterday- but thought I would share. I came back to this site just to see what others were saying. I used to have such thick hair that it barely took 2x with a pony tail holder to hold a pony tail. Now its so thin, I can't even hardly get it to stay in no matter how many times I wrap the holder around the hair. Very depressing!! I've been doing the same thing as sasics is doing, with limiting the # of times per week I am washing/ styling my hair. Yes, it is kind of gross I guess. My hair is shoulder length and I tend to wear it straight normally, so I just use a flat Iron and then just do little things with clips to change it once in awhile. Ugh.... I want my thick hair back... http://www.hairlosstreatment-s.com/vitamin-and-hair-loss.html http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=nutrient&dbid=87#deficiencysymptoms

Pretty good week. Lost 4# this week!! 16# more to go. Surgery weight: 271 Starting Halloween weight: 195 Current weight: 191 Goal weight: 175

Ok, I missed my Halloween goal, but I did make good progress. Still going to set an aggressive goal for xmas. I need to step up the exercise which has been tough with the cold weather coming and such a hectic schedule, but going to try hard to step it up. Surgery weight: 271 Starting Halloween weight: 195 Current weight: 195 Goal weight: 175

Yeah, I was lucky. I was by myself when I went to have surgery and waited quite awhile in the area before you go in for surgery. Think they might have been a little behind and so it just gave me more time to think about the "what ifs" and one of the nurses noticed, said something and shortly after that the anisthesiologist came in and gave me my sleepy cocktail. I was so thankful. No idea how they moved me. All I remember is waking up in my room.

Tiffkins has posted some excellent things on this board that go into great detail about the issues with the different surgeries. I'm not trying to discourage you from speaking with someone, but there is ALOT of information out there that will help you. Some of the things that you will find with the issues over people who have had the gastric bypass is the failure rate is pretty high. The malabsorption changes pretty significantly after about 12 to 18 months which takes most people by surprise. So, if people are consuming say 2,000 or more calories per day but their body is only absorbing half that in the beginning and then eventually the body adapts and starts to absorb more calories which equals weight gain unless people adjust their eating habits. Also, one of the biggies that most people have issue with is the permanent state of being dependent on way more supplements because your body won't be able to absorb the nutrients like it could prior to surgery. Failure to stay compliant with that life long regimen of staying on supplements can lead to serious health consequences. This includes regular bloodwork (minimum annual) to ensure changes aren't necessary to the supplements your body needs. Also, NSAIDS will be a forever no-no. So, if the surgery does fail you, you are still stuck with the life long consequences of dependency on supplements the rest of your life. Are you prepared for that? It is your decision in the end- just be sure you have all the information you need before you move forward. One other suggestion. Go to www.obesityhelp.com as they have LOTS of threads for ALL the different types of surgeries including threads dedicated to people who have failed/ having problems succeeding with their surgery. The bulk and share of those posters are people who had the RnY and if you notice most of them are at least 12 to 18 months out. Several people can be successful but after about 18 to 24 months start having issues with weight regain.

Others can chime in on this as well, but I suspect you are going through what many of us have. They refer to it as "food funerals". Where it's a combination of eating all the "good" stuff you think you won't be able to eat once you have surgery and maybe some justification that you can eat whatever you want right now cuz your gonna have surgery and it will come off anyways. Not saying anyone will tell you it's recommended- but lots of us have gone through it. I did the same thing. I'm embarrassed to admit it, but I actually gained about 30# in a 4 mth period leading up to surgery. Partly because the original surgeon I was supposed to go with was found out to be engaged in insurance fraud 2 weeks before surgery and so I had to find a new surgeon. I didn't have to do the 6 mth supervised diet, so I got away with it. Do I wish I hadn't? Sure, but it is what it is. Just do your best to control it. Personally, the more I obsessed over what I couldn't eat prior to surgery, the worse it was. Good luck with your surgery!

Well, I was down at one point last week to 193, but I have been out of town- haven't been able to get to the gym. I was around lots of enticing food and am still at 195. Am back home now and back to the "regularly scheduled program". I won't make my goal of 185, but I set it pretty aggressive anyways. I still have lost 23# so far during this challenge so I'm fine with my progress. Going to start looking towards the next goal. Hope to be 170 or 175 by Christmas. SN..................... Starting Wt........Current.......Goal.......Lbs to Goal FormerVBG...........218lb................195lb.........185lb..........10lbs ======================================================================== What a great week! Had a stall last week. This week I dropped 7#- yeah!! AND.... I'm in onderland to boot!! 10# by Halloween is still pretty aggressive, but I have a hunch I will get close- gonna have a bunch of things going on next week that will have me doing a TON of walking. So we will see how it goes. SN..................... Starting Wt........Current.......Goal.......Lbs to Goal FormerVBG...........218lb................195lb.........185lb..........10lbs

meat of what can happen to patients in hospitals.” How to check your hospital To find find out how hospitals in your area compare to the national average, go to the website http://www.hospitalcompare.hhs.gov/, type in the city and state, click on the hospital name and then select the “Patient Safety Measures” tab at the left. Hospital Compare also gives patients the option of choosing several hospitals at once. The new data covers the period between October 2008 and June 2010. But the latest data is intensifying objections from the hospital industry and some academic researchers that Medicare is using dubious and unfair measurements in ways that will hurt some hospitals, particularly those with sicker patients. The data is based on billing claims that hospitals submit to the government, not clinical medical records. One concern held by hospitals and researchers is that hospitals categorize the same things differently when billing Medicare, skewing comparisons. Advertise | AdChoices “Medicare claims data is the thing a lot of people judge from, but it’s a large database and frankly I’ve always wondered if apples and oranges are being mixed,” said Dr. Gerald Healy, a senior fellow at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, a Massachusetts nonprofit, and past president of the American College of Surgeons. Hospital officials said their initial review of the new data has exacerbated their concerns that Medicare’s calculations do not fully take into account the fact that some hospitals do more surgeries or treat sicker patients. “We believe the data is fairly seriously flawed in the way it’s calculated,” said Nancy Foster, a vice president at the American Hospital Association. “When inaccurate data is out there, it both misleads the public and generates a lot of activity that is unproductive in the hospital.” Atul Grover, head of advocacy for the Association of American Medical Colleges that represents teaching hospitals, said some of Medicare’s measures also make teaching hospitals look worse. “If you’re not appropriately risk-adjusting on this, you’re already selecting a patient population that’s more likely to die,” he said. “That’s why they come to us, because other people are reluctant to operate on those complex cases.” Officials at the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, which designed many of the measures, referred questions to Medicare. Officials there were not immediately available to discuss the new measures. Dr. Patrick Romano, a professor at the University of California, Davis School of Medicine who helped the government design the measures, said the measures do take the sickness levels of patients into account, although not as thoroughly as Hospital Compare’s existing evaluations of readmissions and hospital-wide mortality rates. Still, he said the measures were a good addition to the overall view of how well hospitals are doing. “We’re trying to understand a large animal like an elephant or a whale,” he said. “To do that, we take pictures from a variety of perspectives, with different cameras and different techniques.” Hospital Compare was originally designed to be a helpful consumer tool, but to date it has not been widely used by patients choosing hospitals. Experts caution about drawing dire conclusions from the raw rates of hospitals, as some of the measures are complex and differences not statistically significant. For some of the measures, Hospital Compare categorizes most hospitals simply as “average,” “above” or “below” the national norm, which experts say is a better way for consumers to know whether a hospital is an outlier. Medicare last week announced 18 more measures it is considering for inclusion in the value-based purchasing program. Many of these measures look at how hospitals handle stroke patients and what steps they take to protect patients from blood clots. Others are intended to address two bacterial infections that can spread through hospitals: Clostridium difficile and Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

Congratulations! Isn't it great to be in onderland!??!?!?!!?!

Thank you so much for the kind words. The stalls do get frustrating but having lost 76# in basically 3 1/2 months would never have been a possibility before. I know the sleeve will help me once I get to goal, but I have yo-yo'd so many times in life I worry I will become complacent and begin the yo-yo again. Since I told so few people, most just assume I'm on another downward spin of the yo-yo and while they are happy to see me loose weight, it does help I don't have to explain too much "how" I'm doing it. :-) You are doing great also. It feels so good to see the scale start with a "1" - you are so close!

What a great week! Had a stall last week. This week I dropped 7#- yeah!! AND.... I'm in onderland to boot!! 10# by Halloween is still pretty aggressive, but I have a hunch I will get close- gonna have a bunch of things going on next week that will have me doing a TON of walking. So we will see how it goes. SN..................... Starting Wt........Current.......Goal.......Lbs to Goal FormerVBG...........218lb................195lb.........185lb..........10lbs

Like others have suggested, try to focus on your dense Proteins first, and then veggies, etc. I would bet that you will feel more restriction doing that. There is some controversy over people who watch their carbs verses not. Personally, I think it plays a HUGE factor in weight loss. The problem with calories is that just like carbs, not all carbs and calories are equal. There are the healthy carbs and healthy calories and vice versa. Many people on here have found their body is very carb sensitive. I can tell you I am one of those. I do not watch calories at all and instead watch the kind of carbs I am taking in. For example, if you ever compare salad dressing bottles- the "fat free" salad dressing is MUCH higher in sugar and carbs. Where the regular salad dressing (same flavors) is much lower in carbs and sugar. Also, someone else mentioned the work out routine. If you haven't, you may need to mix things up because your body may have become used to that level of activitiy and it may not have the same affect it once did- plus when we are heavier and working out it does take more work which equals greater calorie burn which also equals weight loss. You can do this, try to get in more Water, crystal lite, etc...

I'm so sorry to hear about the passing of your pet. I have 4 horses, 5 cats and 1 handicapped dog- so I know all too well the pain of loosing a pet. To me they are more than just pets, they become like children. I know they get more pampering than I do, but the love they give us unconditionally is just beyond anything I can put into words. I agree with you also about the sleeve being a saving grace during difficult times like this. I have already been tested during an extremely busy/ stressful couple of weeks about a month ago, although not anything like loosing a pet- but I fell "off the wagon" the sleeve kept me from doing too much damage and for that I am so thankful. Fortunately, once that stressful period passed I was able to get right back on track and continue with the weight loss journey. Hang in there and give yourself time to grieve.

Well, another stall week for me and no net loss. :-( But, I did expect it after a big loss last week. I've been gaining and loosing the same 2# all week. Just have to keep focused and it will come. I probably won't make my goal, but I'm just going to get as close as I can. I like to set the bar high, it does motivate me to try harder. SN..................... Starting Wt........Current.......Goal.......Lbs to Goal FormerVBG...........218lb................202lb.........185lb..........17lbs

I can't speak from personal experience since I am still on my weight loss journey, but I know others who have worked directly w/their surgeon's office submitting to their ins. company. The only draw back is multiple visits to establish that "history" most ins. companies want that you have tried other things to resolve the rash issues. You might also try working with a Dermatologist, but if you are required to be referred in your ins. plan that could present a challenge. If you can, try to find the surgeon you want to do your plastics, make an appt w/him or her and talk with them about it. I'm sure they could also guide you on this.

Congratulations! I know it gets harder the closer you get to goal. You can do it!

Just an observation in reading your post. Personally, I would have to wonder if you really consider these people your "true" friends. If have felt like you have been judged in the past just by who you are, that tells me they don't accept you for who you are. I think its really important that you try to surround yourself with people who will be nothing but supportive of you. I think that's why so many people choose not to tell anyone or if they do it's only a few chosen people. I told a few close friends and nobody has been judgmental, but one of them I actually ended the relationship with shortly after surgery. We were kind of drifting apart in the previous months unrelated to weight issues, but she made a really snarky comment to me in an email when I confided in her about a situation that was very embarrassing related to my weight. She came back with such an obtuse and uncaring comment. I simply responded to her "never mind" and we haven't spoken since. I have no time for people who want to be negative whether it's about me and my weightloss or life in general. I still encounter them, but I do my best to keep my personal distance from them. My suggestion to you is to try and surround yourself with as much positive as possible.

Posting a day earlier than normal, just excited to post my results for the week. I had major loss this week!!! Onderland here I come!!! 17# to go is still pretty aggressive, but going to get as close as I can. SN..................... Starting Wt........Current.......Goal.......Lbs to Goal FormerVBG...........218lb................202lb.........185lb..........17lbs

You can do it. Allow yourself to have this time to take a little "time out". Sounds like a combination of your weight loss stall and then getting sick has got you feeling down. Get to feeling better and go back to your class when you feel up to it. I also see that compared to most on here that you did not have much to loose to start with and I think most people with similar weight loss tend to loose a little slower. Have in there!

I know you said you are exercising 2 to 3x a week, but something you might consider is upping that another 1 to 2x a week if you can. But, what I have found for the exercise is cardio.... get that heart rate up, that will burn more calories which will equal weight loss. Stalls are normal too, so don't loose faith even when you are doing all the right things. One more thing and you may not want to hear this in terms of it being "another diet", but the reality is you are on a diet of sorts until you reach goal. If you are consuming 50 carbs per day, personally I think that is too much. I would suggest trying to keep your carb intake 25 or less per day. It's not as hard as it sounds, it just means more Protein.

I'm a little over 3 months and I'm pretty happy with my loss so far, but I know my honeymoon phase is over. The weight loss has dropped off quite a bit from the first 2 months, have had my share of stalls already. Last week I had to travel for work where I was in all day meetings where food was catered all day long, including mid day snacks- stuff full of bad carbs- yummy nonetheless. Yes, I made some poor choices, but thanks to my sleeve I couldn't each much of it. I did gain 2# from the trip, but as soon as I got home I dropped it plus another #1 over the next few days. I have also dropped another 2# in the past couple of days eating the same way I did before my business trip. Just curious if anyone else thinks that going "off plan" ever helps people break a stall? I'm not suggesting it be a regular thing, but sometimes I wonder if it helps give the metabolism a little shake. Anyone???

You are SOOOO definitely not the only person with challenges with sweets!!! I do not keep them in the house or I too will eat them. My biggest problem is if I am in situations where they are there for the taking. It could be stuff left in the break room or our administrators are FAMOUS for bringing in goodies. Our office is like a non-stop food gourmet. If we aren't having food catered in for various meetings, or people aren't cooking or bringing in food stuff left out for others. So far I have been fairly good about that stuff. I was hoping to stay away from processed sugar until I reached goal, but I blew that one last week. I guess it's not realistic to think I will never eat processed sugar again, and maybe if I can learn to eat it in moderation (thank you SLEEVE!!!), I should be ok. Hang in there. Don't beat yourself up if you slip up on some bad carbs- but the suggestion for Protein first and the other stuff you should be eating is a good idea. Then, if you have room left over, then have a small treat. I know sometimes we don't plan when the situations where being surrounded by bad carbs can't be pre-planned. Your doing great- keep it up!

I'm just a few days over 3 months out from surgery. I had no pre-op diet requirements and didn't do one either. I did the food funeral thing, so I'm not sure the pre-op diet has much affect on the changing of taste buds. I have had changes in tastes, but instead of stuff I used to like and now don't like or vice versa, I now tire of foods very quickly and get bored with stuff easily. That is VERY unlike me. I'm a single lady and quite honestly had eating habits like a guy bachelor. I would buy/ eat the same stuff over and over with never an issue. salad still is still a pretty regular mainstay in my diet, but I think because I can vary it up with what I put in it keeps me from getting too bored with it. I have always had a sweet tooth, and still do like sweets- but I don't find myself craving them unless i am surrounded by them like last week I had to travel for work, was in all day meetings and there was non-stop catering all day long with mid day Snacks of Cookies, pastries, you name it. Yes, I was bad- but I do find if I eat too much of the sweets it makes my stomach churn and I get diarrhea pretty quickly after that. I wish I could say that that experience will stop me from trying sweets again, but I know better. I am just going to try and keep things in moderation. I still have a lot of restriction which I am SOOOO thankful for!!! Thank you SLEEVE!!!!