DLCoggin

Wow. Congratulations doesn't even begin to cover it. Well done! You gotta be lovin the new you!!

Hey! Do you think you could please email me the list too? My email address is: Beckernc@alverno.edu Thank you!!!! Just emailed! I think twice! Lol

Just emailed!

On the way guys!

Just emailed!

@@weezieweeks I almost forgot - any time you click "@mention" or simply type @ followed by a member screen name (as I have done in this post), that person will receive an email notification that you have "mentioned" them in a post. That is a relatively new (and very cool) feature that Alex added a while back. Have a great day!

Good morning Ms. Louise. I have been logging in My Fitness Pal for two and a half years and I would be lost without it. Next to the surgery, I consider logging to the be the most powerful tool you can have in your arsenal. Countless studies have shown that folks who log lose more weight, lose faster and maintain their weight with more success than those who don't. After you enter in your information into MFP (age, gender, height, current weight, weight loss goal, etc.), it uses what I call a "one size fits all" formula to calculate your daily calorie goal. That goal is a starting point but you can and probably will want to adjust it based on how your weight responds. For example, let's say MFP suggests a calorie goal of 1600 calories a day. Try it for a week and see how your weight responds. If you meet your goal, for example lose 1/2 or 1 lb or whatever per week, stick with the 1600 calories for the next week and again see how your weight responds. If you don't meet your weekly weight loss goal, adjust your calorie goal down a little. Nice and easy, maybe reduce your goal by 100 - 200 calories. Try your new goal for a week and see how your weight responds. Keep experimenting until you find your number. The one that works for you. The reality is that there is no "one size fits all". But with a little experimenting, you can quickly determine exactly where you need to be to get the results you're looking for. Another key to logging is that it's very important to treat your daily calorie goal as an "average". Making a commitment to eat 1600 calories a day, every day, for the rest of your life is a formula for failure. It's unrealistic and unsustainable. And who would want to? Life is full of special occasions - holidays, parties, date nights, celebrations - the list goes on and on. So when, not if, you exceed your calorie goal for a day, you simply make a mental note to adjust your calorie goal down by 100 -200 calories for a day or two and you're right back on track with your "average". And don't forget that it works the other way around as well. If you fall below your calorie goal for a day or two (it does happen), your mental note becomes to increase you goal for the next day or so to get you back on track with your average. I've done it many, many times and it works like a charm! Logging makes you accountable to the most important person in the equation - you. Logging allows you to manage your weight instead of your weight managing you. It allows you to respond quickly and effectively to changes in your weight. It is astounding how your confidence soars when your see your weight respond to moderate changes. It's quick, easy and it doesn't cost you a dime. I hit my goal weight of 155 about fourteen months post-op. In the year and a half since that time, my weight has not been below 151 or above 156. This morning I was 153.2. Lol - as you can probably tell, I'm passionate about logging! If you decide to try it and have any questions, I'd be glad to share my thoughts and experiences with you. P.S. This forum is heavily monitored and there is zero tolerance for advertising spam. Note that the two previous posts have been hidden. Bariatric Pal is an amazing place with tons of caring folks who are anxious to share their experiences with others. You're in the right place and you're gonna love the new you!!

Hi Louise and welcome to the forum. Quick question for you, do you now and have you ever logged your food?

Tina I copied and pasted your email into Outlook and the server rejected the email address as undeliverable. I'd be glad to try again if you send me a corrected email address.

Just emailed!

I don't go out of my way to bring it up but I tell anyone who asks. I've been fortunate to not have received any negative feedback but it wouldn't make any difference. I suppose it's possible that could be one reason why no one has shared any negative thoughts with me but I think those folks, if any, would be very much in the minority. Most folks run the gamut from very supportive to curious about my experience to interested in all of the details. All are more than welcome to whatever information I can provide.

I had two and both were outpatient. The center was VERY efficient and the staff was excellent. No complaints whatsoever.

On the way!

I second My Fitness Pal but the most important thing is maintaining a food log, regardless of which one you use. After the surgery itself, a food log is the most powerful tool you can have in your arsenal. Countless studies have shown that folks who log lose more weight, lose it faster and maintain their weight better than those who don't. You're gonna love the new you!

Just emailed guys!

Just emailed!

Nicie your post reminds me of one not too long ago where the OP said that she was 80% sure about having the surgery and wondering how she could get to 100%. Bypass or sleeve are major surgeries. All surgeries have risks and bariatric surgeries are no exception. There simply are no guarantees. 100% implies absolute certainty. I believe that any goal you set has to meet two criteria - it must be realistic and it must be sustainable. Any goal that does not meet those two criteria should be abandoned in favor of one that does. Absolute certainty is neither realistic nor sustainable. When I was trying to make the surgery decision and subsequently the choice of which surgery to have, my goal became to do as much research as possible, learn everything I could about the potential benefits - and risks - of each option. That goal was both realistic and sustainable. The result of that effort was that I concluded that the odds were overwhelmingly in my favor of having a successful, literally life-changing outcome. And that is exactly what happened. Bariatric surgery is the most effective treatment known to medical science for the treatment of obesity and more than 30 comorbidities associated with obesity. By a huge margin. Once I had all of the facts, the decision was relatively easy. That is not to say that I wasn't frightened. There were times right up to the moment they wheeled me into the OR when it scared the bejesus out of me. But courage is not about never being frightened (unrealistic and unsustainable). Courage is about doing what you believe to be the right thing for you and your family, in spite of your fears. Today I'm a little over two and a half years post-op. Hypertension, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea and 130 pounds - gone. I hit 155 lbs about fourteen months post-op and my weight has been between 151 and 156 every since. This morning I was 152.4. I've had two complications. About six months post-op I developed an ulcer at the anastomosis that was confirmed with an endoscopy. My surgeon increased my Rx for Prevacid from one capsule a day to two. No other changes. No other treatment. Three months later a second endoscopy confirmed the ulcer was completely healed. The second complication - I'm one of about 15% of patients that experience reactive hypoglycemia aka "late stage" dumping. Definitely not comfortable but easily avoided by avoiding too much sugar or carbs. And when I make a bad choice and my blood sugar drops, I simply eat something with a little sugar, or simple carbs or just chew a glucose tablet. Without fail, the symptoms completely disappear in about 20 minutes. All in all, a very small price to pay for a life that, not that long ago, I thought would never be possible. Would I do it again? Without a moments hesitation. Am I the exception? You don't have to look any further than this forum to read countless stories similar to mine. When you have questions, there are tons of great folks here who are more than happy to offer the benefit of their experiences. Good luck in making your decision!

"No chance for complications typically associated with malabsorptive techniques, such as Dumping syndrome. - See more at: http://gastricsleevenow.com/gastric-sleeve-vs-gastric-bypass#sthash.5R7ZfFNI.dpuf " Not true. Some folks who have the sleeve experience dumping just like some folks who have the bypass experience dumping. And some folks who have either surgery never experience dumping. Dumping is more common with bypass than with sleeve but both can result in dumping. So of the four advantages attributed to the sleeve, two of them are completely false. There are a lot of very good sources of bariatric surgery information available on the net - this site is not one of them. You might find one or more of the following sites useful and there are many more. It pays to choose your sources carefully. http://www.hsph.harv...vention-source/ (Harvard School of Public Health) http://www.webmd.com/ http://www.medscape.com/today (Subsidiary of WebMD) http://asmbs.org/ (American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery) http://iom.edu/Repor...Prevention.aspx (Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Science) http://www.mayoclinic.com/ http://www.cdc.gov/ (Centers for Disease Control) http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ (The National Library of Medicine in conjunction with the National Institute of Health)

Ladies, I've been on Bariatric Pal for quite a long time. I've certainly read thousands, if not tens of thousands, of posts. Out of all of that material, I've never read anything quite like your story. This is an amazing learning experience and one that I'm sure will be repeated by others. Well done and thank you for sharing!

On the way guys!

You are too kind! Just emailed.

Great job Terry! It just keeps getting better and better! Congratulations!!

I find it amazing that a Kaiser dietician would make such a ridiculous statement. With a very short list of exceptions, I eat anything I want to eat. The success of the surgery is not about what you can or can't eat. I find it unforgivable for a healthcare "professional" to suggest otherwise. It's about what you choose to eat. Or not eat. Lifestyle changes. Apparently Bariatric Pal should be required reading for bariatric dieticians - for life!

Just emailed!

Lol - my stomach has been growling for two and a half years! I don't know what he's saying but he has a lot to say on the subject!