CowgirlJane

Keep in mind if you have been really heavy that your bones and internal stuff weigh a little more. So, your goal weight might need to be a couple of pounds higher to account for that - don't drive yourself crazy with somebody else's numbers. It has taken me awhile to make peace with weighing in the "150s" but everyone around me tells me I am just right even though I am only 5'5".

Its going to be rough no matter how you slice it. Brace yourself, it won't be fun, but it is so worth it in the long run. See if your surgeon offers Protein parties to sample. your tastes will change after surgery, so don't over buy. My personal preference is for nectar Syntrax for the powder and Premier Protein chocolate for the premade. By the end of the liquid phase I hated anything like that but I eventually got over the trauma...

You are both right. I guess i was focused on women because this is the powder room (don't get me started on how i feel about the topic of not letting men post here!) but i suspect that for some men, this issue is even tougher. Women are always judged on looks first, but, since at least some fat is socially acceptable one women it seems like there is a range of tolerance at least. Men are judged on alot of other things (example: wealth) BUT every woman I have talked to strongly prefers men to be fit looking so the range of tolerance seems smaller. Anyway, it is a head trip no matter how you look at it. When I was going through the worst of the adjustment, one mantra I said to myself what that "others can say or do what they want but it is within my power to chose how to let it impact me". My meaning was i could choose to feel overwhelmed/threatened or I could choose to be flattered. I could choose to respond to being hit on, or I could choose to smile and say "no thank you". It was an amazingly empowering feeling to frame it that way. I have been warned that I need to be careful about the plastics too - suddenly having "more ideal breasts" could trigger this whole adjustment again, for example.

I think this whole topic is really important. When I was about 20, I lost round 65 pounds and got down to a trim weight - I was pursued to an extent it scared me and I didn't know how to deal with it. I am sure that was one factor that contributed to my needing to regain that weight and put my armor back on. I am 49 now; and am just shocked that men think I am attractive. Decades of being "invisible" in that way burns a track your brain and it is hard to understand. My maturity and age have helped alot though because I feel flattered, not overwhelmed. (well, also I am not hounded like i remember being at age 20). I was even surprised when I told someone I was seeing that i want to get plastics and his reaction was "does that mean you won't be jiggly anymore? no one likes skinny girls" I had to laugh - damn, what do you mean no one likes skinny girls? Why didn't someone tell me that before? Of course, it is all about degree - I am not a skinny girl, I am a normal girl with some jiggle - I wasn't attractive to anyone at 300# and i wasn't healthy. (His point was, normal is attractive, not that obesity was atttractive) Anyway,I digress. I do think that time helps women get their mind caught up to their bodies in this journey. It is an amazing transformation and the world DOES treat me differently. I believe that much of that is due to how I feel about myself - and the attitude I project. Much of it is also that I look healthy, I move like a fit person, i am not in pain - as a girlfriend told me "I just look like i am fun to spend time with" - and that is more then weight but weight is a part of that...

sarsar, I can share general info about Dr S since I am planning on heading there this fall. For people having multiple/bigger procedures you generally stay in the clinic 3 days and then go to the hotel where the doc and nurse visit daily. the TOTAL (including surgery and clinic days) is 12 days down there. I keep reading that people have little pain, and i don't know why.... A key thing to know is that his anestheisialogist uses twilight sedation whenever possible. That makes recovery so much easier according to people who have done long surgeries under general and the twilight. USA docs say twilight sedation is bad for long procedures, so I don't know what to think, but, I get sick as a dog with general anesthia so I view it as a plus. There is a facebook group for Dr Sauceda patients AND there is a dedicated forum on obesity help. Google both of those to find the links if you want to really learn about him.

Take a look at my before and after photos in my profile - I was the queen of the big gut! I will never have a small little waist, but in clothes, my tummy isn't too bad now that i am at goal. I am getting plastics because WHOA - I have extra skin in that tummy area. I don't know what results I personally will get, but, looking at other before and afters, it makes a hue difference.

I have been seeing someone who is very athletic - a mountain biker and bike racer. It sounds great, but the reality of it is that our fitness and athletic abilities are so far apart that I can't even join him on a recreational bike ride. I admittedly spent most of my life as more of a bookworm then an extreme athelete and even though I am trim now it doesn't make me suddenly "good" at sports. He doesn't care about that but, it does mean it is hard for us to spend much recreational time together The plusses are that he is very food conscious and isn't the least concerned with my weird sleever eating ways. In fact, he is the type that has to be reminded to eat ... and has to work to keep weight on. I know, a little part of all of us wants to slap that kinda person. That relationship does not have long term potential so I have an open mind as to future relationships. (The reasons have nothing to do with fitness/food/athletics but other aspects of lifestyle are not compatible) I met someone who is a really good match on all sorts of fronts, but the thing that concerns me is his lack of committment to fitness. He works out some, and does have outdoor active interests, he is not obese but he is the typical middle age could probably stand to lose 30-50#. He is very tall so he doesn't look fat by any stretch. He noted already that I am one that likes to MOVE. I suggest the walks, not going to a movie. He eats and drinks alot by my standards (well of course, I am a sleever). What is sorta floating around in the back of my mind is diving into a relationship with someone who has a less active lifestyle PLUS the tolerance for those few extra pounds may influence me in directions I don't want to go. Whether it works out with him or not, I have that feeling of wondering if it is a good idea simply stay away from forming close relationships with people who may not have as active as a lifestyle as I NEED to maintain my weight. I am curious if any others have experience with this and your thoughts?

So, those of you that read my posts in the vets forum know that getting a plastic surgery consult was traumatic, trust me the first time I even showed off bare upper arms to mr athelete jock guy, I felt like I might die...lol. Anyway, I have told him about my history and that i plan on having plastics etc. At first, he really couldn't get his mind around why I wanted plastic surgery (bless his heart) because he is sorta used to women who are not necessarly hard bodies. (I look fit enough, but not skinny in clothes - without clothes, very jiggly due to the skin). Anyway, he is super supportive of me and the ONLY reason I am open to other relationships is because he is not long term boyfriend material... you just have to trust me on that one. great guy, but, lacks stability and a few other key factors that become important over time. Anyway, I am listening carefully to what you are all are saying. The new man i met is NOT a glutton or gross over indulger, I don't mean that at all. And when someone is wooing you, it tends to be alot of wining and dining so I am not sure i yet have a truly accurate picture. I have liked being around someone who doesn't even care about food - like it is just fuel. Wow, that is refreshing. No bugging me about how little I eat, no concern about my low carb thing. The logical thing for me to do (but since when does that make a difference... hahahaha) is to just stay put where I am, get my plastics, recover, and reconsider my entire situation in 2014. I know that, but when the heart finds someone that seems so ideal in many ways, it is hard to sorta let that slip away I guess. still thinking...

Hi Belle, I would definately get it checked. Overall, I don't have serious digestive problems BUT, pre-sleeve i had a stomach of steel. Now, I am much more prone to diarea or other digestive upsets. I am quite sure it is related to the sleeve... but in isn't frequent, it is pretty much always tied to dairy or Protein drinks so i can manage it. It would disturb me alot if it were caused by veggies though because that is a mainstay of my maintenance diet - I personally would discuss it with my surgeon.

Oh lets be clear - I would never try to change someone, that has to come from within. for me the decision is whether to "risk" my own slide back to a less active lifestyle is all by chosing to spend alot of time around someone who eats alot more and moves alot less then I do. I am only 18 months post sleeve and very aware of how "vulnerable" I am to returning to old ways....

I think it is also helpful to remember that all of us - Butter lost 184, I lost 152 - experienced stalls somewhere along the way. In the big picture, it doesn't matter. The key is to keep following the program and seeing your results over time... it all adds up over time. Don't let the day to day bounce of the scale rule your emotions, or give you self doubts. the only "stalls" that worry me are weight loss slow downs and no losses for extended periods of time - that is when it is time to reconsider your "program". I went through that when I got down to about 195#. It had to do with some mental barriers and I think frankly I was a little afraid of becoming thinner. Well, I had a heart to heart with myself and then sought advice from a very good nutritionalist and got on track to get to my goal weight. I also changed up my workouts, but that is all for later. right now, sounds to me like what you are experiencing is a normal typical stall and you should just keep keepin' on!

What I am guessing is he wants to minimize your risk of losing your gallbladder. I am not a doctor, so that is just a guess. So, my personal experience is that the losses slow down all on their own just fine. I had so much weight to lose, that I was willing to risk the gallbladder (which is still fine and dandy by the way) and for me getting to goal was top priority. It is much easier to lose during the first 6months, then the next 6 months... and so on from there. My doc does alot of sleeves, my nutritionalist was an expert on sleevers and neither of them ever told me to slow down my weight loss. So, rather then just looking at pounds loss, I think you should look at % of your starting weight lost. Heavier people lose my pounds, but not necessarily a much higher precentage. It took me 14 months to lose 150#, but most of that was in the first 7 months.

When I was about 8 months out, my appetite returned and my weight loss slowed. The losing phase is not so much a veterans issue, but most of us have been through it. Here is what worked for me - going back to the basics -protein & veggies -water -no snacking -exercise -really low carbs - total, not net -eliminate Protein Bars and other food that i tended to "abuse" Eating that way helps curb hunger and definately keeps losses on track.

Interesting - My vit D and Iron were slightly high too! I don't take iron supplements so that was a puzzle. I realized that my premier protein is like taking another vitamin pill; but since i have become a "gummy" vitamin taker these days - I just cannot stomach the high quality vitamins, I am pleased as punch that everything is normal range (except above) and that all the other non vitamin indicators are awesome good. My personal opinion is that supplements are important for WLS patients BUT nothing replaces eating a good diet with lots of fresh veggies in addition to the protein sources.

We do all go through this. For me, it took a long time before I was ready to committ to the surgery. I think it was a year from my initial consult (to be revised from my failed band) until i finally had surgery. What finally pushed me is my insurance was changing to a plan that wouldn't cover the sleeve so I had it done in Dec 2011 - last minute before that happened! AT times, in hindsight I regretted waiting, like I could have started my normal weight life so much sooner, but, I also think that stressing and thinking and mind changing was also part of the journey I needed to go through. I needed to try EVERYTHING else one last time. By the time i was sleeved, I was so sure that i needed this surgery and i think that helped me get through some rough days. In the end though, this has been the best thing I have done for myself. I am one of the (majority) of people that love my sleeve and the control it helps me maintain over my weight!

I love having my blood test results. They are always "too good to be true" and is somehow reinforcement that I have transformed my health. It motivates me, it is a big pat on the back. Have you considered the possibility that your bloodwork is better then fine, but is freaking awesome?

I can top this. after losing 125# - I finally brought up to my (now ex) significant other,...."so have you noticed I look any different?". Seriously, my life partner never said a word of compliment or even indication he had noticed. I know it can feel awkward the way that people make compliments, but i try to remember how uncomfortable for them it can be too. Morbid obesity makes normal sized people uncomfortable; they don't know what to say, when to compliment or how it can be taken. People put foot in mouth all the time; just try to not take it personally. someone I know at work is a very large lady and I had thought she was losing weight... but just not sure since when you start out super size it takes awhile to see the weight loss. I finally said something (ie that she looked slimmer and was looking great) and turns out she had lost a lot by then. I am not sure how welcome my compliment was either, it was kinda strange feeling.

I am only 18 months out and have not noticed this. There is a study that shows a definate increase in this problem 3+ years post op. It was one of my worries... My experience with constant reflux with the band did teach me a few things... smaller portions and avoiding acidy foods both help. Don't eat close to bedtime (or lay down after eating). For me, the small portions are the key though.

Michelle, I have waffled about the thigh lift. Dr S thought I could do the "small" lift but local surgeons said I need the long incision which of course leaves a pretty bad scar. I was looking at your photos and noticed you got the "small" and wondering if you are feeling pretty good about it. My current plan is NO thigh lift, get everything else done and then think about it. If the small would do the job, well, I might change my mind. Here is a before picture, i think my thighs are alot worse then your started out though...

I think that the reality of it is that the change in muscle mass happens due to the lose/regain cycle but also other factors like getting older, being sedentary etc. It is also influenced by your basic metabolism/genetics. I believe (okay, I want to believe!) that I can influence this by lifestyle choices - staying active, eating alot of Protein and moderate carbs etc. and that I am not destined to regain. Even so, I will always always always be a person prone to regain, I have a metabolic disorder (obesity) and just like anybody else with a chronic condition I have to constantly manage it and stay on top of it or I will become overweight/obese again. I have a friend who is just a few years older then me and he is having a hell of a time keeping weight ON. He is really skinny and his genetics are such that he gets sick and he loses weight and fights for months to just regain like 5-10 pounds. It is hard sometimes for me to wrap my brain around it. He was always an athlete and used to intentionally change weights depending on the sport (thinner for track and field, gain weight for football season for example). As he has aged he is having a heck of a time doing the regain part just like most of us can't do the "lose it" very easily he is finding he can't do the "gain it" very easily anymore. It is quite a puzzle. I try to be sympathetic because it sucks to have to struggle to maintain a healthy weight... and while I am being supportive, I console myself with the knowledge that I will be fine should we face a famine.

How do they test this? I am curious... not sure i will ever do it since i don't count calories it probably isn't useful for me... just curious!

I know we all have different approaches to this journey, but i do best when I DON'T stress over food and calories. I pay attention, but i don't obsess. That is my old way and it didn't work... tried it for about 40 years. I am not only happier, I am alot skinnier because i am off the obsess... stress... overeat merry - go - around

You just don't know how bad life with the band is. Even people who have good weight loss success suffer. I know this to be true; I was banded for 10 years and talked to many many many bandsters over the years. Vomiting - if not daily then certainly frequently is common. Pain when eating certain foods is common. Being hungry, yet still in pain from food is common. It is a nightmare. I would fly to Mexico and have the sleeve done (ie if insurance didn't pay) before I would consider the lapband - even if it were free. I implore anyone reading this - DON'T GET THE LAPBAND

Okay, I am at about 155#, size medium which i am pretty happy with. I have pretty bad skin/cellulite pockets on my inner thighs and I want to see if losing just a few pounds doesn't reduce that before having plastics so I would like to drop around 5-8 pounds and get under 150 before November. I don't NEED to do this, but i want to. I don't want to lose more then that because I start looking older which i don't like either...haha I have been inspired by the 5/2 diet and roughly following it, using my favorite Protein drinks, Premier Protein as a key tool. Well, back when i was about 7-8 months out I was really burned out on Protein Drinks and i developed a "stomach cramping" reaction to the protein drinks so the NUT said to just not have any for 3 months (at the time I said hooray!). She was right, when I started drinking them again, no problems.... until now. Starting last week, I started getting that symptom again. The thing is, I find them very filling, they taste good, are handy and most importantly they are a protein bargain at 30G of protein in each - they just work well for me. I don't like the side effects but don't want to take 3 months off from drinking them since they are helping me toward my Nov goal. I also like the taste of the nectar Syntrax protein powders but for some reason they don't satiate my hunger like the premier does. So, does anybody have any ideas of why premier protein starts attacking me like this and what I can do about it?

unjury and Syntrax are both fine, but they don't "stick to my ribs" and keep me satiated. I am not sure WHY but premier Protein does that. I am a little worried about this acne business with the casein though - i haven't experienced that and don't want it either! Last few days I have been eating real food not Protein drinks. Trying the giving the system a rest while i consider what to do next.