barrbdoll

Inches were definitely one thing that I wanted to track so I am glad that I created a log. When I would stall and the scale stopped I found that I would lose inches so it was very comforting!! It's never too late to start!!

I love the Almond/Coconut milk and I always have some in my fridge but have never mixed it with chocolate syrup!! YUMMM!!!

My sleeve surgery was my first surgery ever and honestly... it was a piece of cake!! I hardly had any pain... (imagine doing 100 crunches), NO gas, NO nausea, etc.... I was out laying by the pool the day after and out shopping the day after that! My surgeon also used a drain which does help with gas pains, etc... Well, so I have been told! The entire procedure only takes about an hour..... You will do great!

Bruising is normal and I had a good bit around where I was cut, etc... I wouldn't worry about it....

I eat oatmeal almost every morning for breakfast... Its a good carb!! There is just no way around NOT eating carbs.... You will still lose weight if you eat oatmeal, whole grains, etc..... It's not like you can never eat them again... It's the bad carbs that you should steer clear of... The white rices, potatoes, enriched pastas, etc.... that really have no nutritional value.... I don't even count carbs but that's just me... Personally, I didn't have this surgery to diet the rest of my life... Being that we fill up so easily all of us should be mindful of what we eat and make sure we are making healthy choices. If you are 4 weeks out then you should be able to eat oatmeal.. Of course it seems that every Doctor/Nutritionist has their own rules but do what you feel is best. Good Luck!

I can eat frozen yogurt and even ice cream... just not a lot of it.. Now bananas are another story.... I used to love them before but they will make me throw up now.... I had to throw out my strawberry banana protein mix as well.. I would get sick within minutes of drinking a shake.... Weird..

I am 3 1/2 months out and I can eat rice.... granted it's not much but a couple of bites and I am good.. I usually eat it when I indulge in sushi.. I fill up on 3 pieces of a roll versus 3 whole rolls!!! I love the fact that I can still enjoy my favorite foods in moderation! I also eat quinoa and bulgar.... Love my whole grains!!

crystal light gives me terrible heartburn..... i had to give it up!

My sleeve surgery was April 16th and I am down a total of 74lbs. I lost 17lbs pre-op. YAY!!

I feel the same way about my Doctor and it's only been 3 1/2 months since my surgery!! I feel amazing and am down 73 lbs!!!! Best decision I have ever made and best money I have ever spent!!!! Congrats to you!!!!

Gotcha!!! Well, good luck with everything and let me know if you have any other questions!! Keep in touch!!

Well the sleeve wasn't really available back then.. It started becoming a more popular option I would say 2-3 years ago and now the Plication procedure is available which you may want to research as well. I have had friends that have had the Buypass and my best friend has the Lap-Band. She spent about 15k to have it done here in the US and that was about 2 years ago. She has spent another 2 grand just in fills to maintain it.. ahhhhhh... no... NOT for me!! Plus, Dr. Ortiz actually performs a lot of revision surgeries where patients get their bands out and get a sleeve. Lori Wrights, one of his coordinators had that done. She had her revision surgery the same day as me. I researched the plication procedure and I didn't feel that it was the right fit for me.. but that was just me. It's a newer procedure and depending on the amount of weight you need to lose it may be a good fit for you.. Have you talked to one of his coordinators yet?? Either Carolyn or Lori??

I actually borrowed from my 401k... To me, this was for my health... my future... and I believe that having this surgery will add years to my life! I have saved so much money not going out to eat and spending $40.00 just on myself... Or going out for drinks and running up a tab of $75.00-$100.00. When I go to the grocery store I actually spend more on my dog's food/treats than I do on the food for myself!! LOL Now that is messed up!!! Other than being overweight I was healthy going in.... no meds for anything BUT I have a family history of diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, etc... and I knew that if I didn't lose a large amount of weight that I was going to be on meds within 5 years. I am 37 now and haven't even had children yet. At my highest weight I was 332lbs. I am 5'10 so I have always carried it well BUT..... regardless of how I felt, I had to get the weight off and I would try.. believe me! I would try weight watchers, Atkins, etc... and I would lose weight... maybe 30-35lbs but I had sooooo much more to lose and I just never saw the light at the end of the tunnel. I needed to do something drastic to get the weight off and keep it off and this surgery was exactly what my body needed! When I look at all the clothes in ALL of my closets I would just cringe.. I spent so much money trying to look good and trust me... I LOOKED GOOD!! But I looked good for being a woman who weighed 332 lbs!! I actually have sold some of my clothing and made well over a thousand dollars so far. That will help supplement my new wardrobe and as much as I loved shopping before.... WOW.... .I really like it now! I was a good size 24/26 at my heaviest.. I am now a size 18 and feel amazing!! I haven't been this size this high school and it feels incredible! I can't imagine how I am going to feel when I reach my goal weight..... But I am soooooo looking forward to it!!

Oh... and just a FYI... there are folks that frequent the forums that are paid by Mexican surgeons.... Obviously, you don't know me from Adam BUT.... I am a patient and have the pics to prove it! LOL And as much as I would like to be paid for my testimonials I'm not. I am just so happy with my decision and my entire experience that I want to help as many people as I can. This is not a decision that anyone should take lightly. Being mentally prepared is key to a successful surgery and recovery! You will NEVER be able to eat like you did in the past. You will more than likely be able to eat a lot of the same foods but you will be full so quick and will not be able to overeat. If you do, you will puke... Plain and simple... But the thing is.. you will not want to overeat so puking really shouldn't happen. The sleeve surgery removes the portion of your stomach that produces "ghrelin" so there are days where I actually have to remind myself eat because I am just not hungry. There are some foods that I just can't tolerate anymore but it's a good thing and you will relearn how to eat and how to nourish yourself with good foods!! And you will be satisfied!! There is gonna come a time where you are probably going to want a cookie, or a piece of cake or some ice cream... If anything.. just for sheer curiosity.. just to see what happens or see how if goes down... Having a cookie is okay.... Having some ice cream is okay... But you are not going to want to eat 7-8 Cookies like you do now or a huge ice cream sundae with chocolate syrup, nuts, whipped cream, etc.... LOL I don't even crave that crap anymore.... It's a great feeling because you will finally be IN CONTROL of your weight and let's face it.. That is the reason that we are even having the surgery to begin with right???!! I didn't have that control and now I do and it's so empowering!! My advice is to just research research RESEARCH!!! I did my due diligence and found a lot of dirt on the other surgeons.. There is one surgeon inparticular that practices Bariatric Surgery yet also opened a Mortuary!! Now that is scary!!!!

He isn't on any of the forums and honestly... he doesn't need the forums to get business.... I knew he was the surgeon for me YEARS ago... The timing just wasn't right for me..When the timing was right I made the call right away without hesitation and lemme tell you.. I wasn't nervous a single second!!! Clear up to when the Anesthesiologist said he was about to give me the best margarita of my life!! LOL I had hardly any pain (felt like doing 100 crunches), no gas and no nausea. Granted, everyone is different but this was the first surgery of my life and it was a piece of cake!! A lot of folks take the cheaper route but the thing is... Going to Mexico is going to save you THOUSANDS of dollars anyway... Why cut it even more by going to someone with less experience and herds you in like cattle. A lot of the MX surgeons perform 8-10 surgeries a day and have so called "associate surgeons" doing the majority of the work. At OCC you have your own room unless you are having your surgery with a friend or family member. The Marriott where you stay for recovery was very nice and I and my mother were comfortable and taken care of very well! There is a nice pool and it's conveniently located to shopping (Wal-Mart is right around the corner). If you have any other questions please feel free to message me.. I won't hesitate to give you my number or email address if you request.... All the best!!!

Absolutely... there is nothing that a hospital has that Dr. Ortiz doesn't have in his clinic.... He practices in an International Center of Excellence... An honor that Jerusalem hospital doesn't share..... check out his website.... www.obesitycontrolcenter.com If you or your family have questions please contact them..... Lori Wrights is one of his patient coordinators and she is out of Visalia, CA. She is a patient as well will even arrange a conference call with you, your family and Dr. Ortiz to address any concerns that you may have. The procedure takes about an hour... that's it!

My surgery was April 16th as well and while I see more in the sink I still have a good amount of hair.... I did recently get it chopped off and colored but I am hoping I don't see an increase... I also take a Hair supplement that has Biotin and I started taking it and my Vitamins before I had my surgery. I also use Nioxin about once or twice a week. The majority of folks have hair loss... some are just more severe than others... I hope it stops soon....

I also used Dr. Ortiz and went to OCC... His facility is state of the art and extremely clean and safe! I'm not sure how you feel but I come from a medical family and I knew that this procedure wasn't like an open heart surgery so having it done in an actual hospital wasn't a big deal to me. Plus, I preferred to be in an atmosphere with patients that were just like ME and not locals who could be at the hospital with God knows what kind of virus or illness... I was completely catered too and didn't feel nervous at all... Dr. Ortiz and the rest of his staff are compassionate, very knowledgeable and I couldn't have asked for a better experience. I had my surgery on April 16th and I have lost 72 lbs. He has given me a tool that has changed my life and it was the best decision I have ever made and the best money I have ever spent!! I highly recommend OCC and Dr. Ortiz!! Good Luck!

Congratulations!!!!! You look great!!

I got my hair chopped off today and had my best friend take some new pics of me!! I feel fantastic!!!! Having this surgerywas the absolute BEST decision I have ever made!!! I lost 17 lbs pre-op and 53 lbs since my surgery on April 16th. Who would of thought that 262 would feel and look so good??!! I am only half way to my goal!! WOHOO!!!!

I feel like I need clear up what I meant.... I didn't mean sabotage yourself physically.. Both of my parents are Doctors and I obviously understand that what you eat the night before will be out of your system by that morning..... I was referring to MY mental state and the fact that I had been so in "the zone" watching what I was eating, etc... I committed to losing a certain amount of weight before surgery and I wasn't about to gorge myself on tacos and margaritas only to pick up 2-3 lbs the day before surgery. But hey.. that's just ME! Maybe you didn't have to lose a certain amount of weight... who knows..... That's the beauty of the forums.... We each have a different viewpoint!!

The Spider method goes in through your belly button... I had my surgery in Mexico with Dr. Ortiz and I have 3 TINY incisions that are hardly noticeable..... he used surgi-glue and I was completely healed within about 8-9 days.

How much food are you able to eat at one setting?? and how often are you eating. Maybe share what your normally eat so we can compare?? I was sleeved April 16th and I am lucky to get 3/4 a cup a food down at one time.

I've heard about a certain Dr. in Mexico encouraging his patients to have a "last supper" the day before surgery... Personally, I don't get it either... BUT.... to each their own.. I went to Mexico as well and loved my surgeon.. Had an incredible experience and was so in "the zone" that I didn't want to sabotage myself by eating something that I have deprived myself of for a good month... I mean.. what's the point anyway????

Bananas will make me throw up now.........I used to love eating them before my sleeve but eating them now?? no bueno!!! I can't even use my strawberry banana protein mix anymore.. Oh.. and leftovers!! Anything more than a day old will make me sick. I have to eat fresh almost every day. I can eat pasta, rice, and even a lil bread on occasion.