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Ladies, I'm wondering if anyone knows anything that works to keep saggy baggy thighs in check? I'm at goal and plastics are more than a year away. I'm small enough that I'm comfortable wearing some shorter dresses and skirts but my thighs are a disaster! Regular hose don't seem to do much except at the waist and upper thigh. I have issues all the way down to my knees. I wonder if anyone has experience with sheer compression hose? Would they do the trick or would they cause an issue? Something like a body shaping short wouldn't work with most things I'm thinking about wearing. Any tips? ~Cheri

Are you diabetic? I know it sounds crazy but I was diagnosed as an insulin resistant diabetic and what you're describing sounds exactly like how I felt prior to my surgery, before my diabetes went away. I'm still insulin resistant, though, and if I eat a certain quantity of starchy carbs I will feel hungry within a short time after my meal - not just "feeling" hungry but actual stomach growling and a nagging feeling that I must eat. From what I've read, this is the insulin resistance at work. This is the ONLY time I ever feel actual hunger post op, so I have to stick to a diet that keeps this away. I use The Insulin-Resistance Diet by Cheryle Hart, and despite the fact that I was highly skeptical of food combining diets in the past, it seems to work for me. When you see your doc next month make sure your acid reducer is enough. You may be one of the unlucky few that needs a higher dose for a longer period of time. And snack ideas that fill me up between meals are pieces of Jerky, Protein bars (I can only eat 1/3 at a time), hardboiled eggs (I keep a bowl in the fridge at all times) and soy crisps. I figure if I'm going to snack, I should at least be getting some protein at the same time! You can also try making your Protein shakes thicker - I double up the protein in mine and blend them with ice if I need something more filling. Also, making your morning shake one with coffee (assuming you partake) will help control your appetite, too. Good luck. Please post if you discover something at the doctor to help this as I'm sure others would benefit. ~Cheri

Yes, if you didn't have much to lose that could be a huge part of the problem. I hit tough spots, or "happy weights" twice and hung there for weeks and weeks both times. Once I hit 190 and once I hit 160 it took forever to move past those points! My body was so happy at these weights that it didn't seem to matter what I did to jump start things it didn't work. And once I was within 20 pounds of goal it took another SIX months to get there. The less your body has to lose the more stubborn it gets about letting the weight go. I had two months during that time where I lost one or two pounds. I went weeks and weeks weighing the same thing only to have a big drop of 5 pounds out of the blue. Be patient and keep doing the right things. Track your calories and if you can, try to do the breathing test to get your metabolism tested. It's inexpensive and only takes a little time. I discovered that my basal metabolic rate is significantly lower than the average, so the 1200 calorie diet was destined for failure unless I coupled it with huge workouts several days a week. Good luck, and I hope you find a solution. I always recommend tracking your food if you aren't already, because sometimes we do slip into denial about what we're eating. ~Cheri

Yes, yes, yes!! I'm always dry in the winter but it's a billion times worse post op. Now, in all fairness I will admit that I'm in a rough climate so that could be contributing, too. If you think about the fact that my diet was full of fatty fried foods prior to surgery it's not much of a surprise. I exfoliate, use bath salts and lotion up like a pig after bathing. My hands are so bad I wear moisturizing gloves to sleep with a ton of lotion slathered on my hands. I have to use pumice scrubs and a foot file to keep my feet soft, too. It's a real issue, from head to toe! I think I read somewhere that taking Vitamin E or fish oil can help with this, so you might consider that as an option. I just deal with it as best I can with what I can find here. ~Cheri

It's totally normal! Just wait until you're on denser Proteins and you'll discover that you can only eat a few bites. I'm 18 months out and one egg scrambled with cheese or one hardboiled egg can still fill me up. I can only eat about 3 oz. of dense Protein (steak, roast, burger, etc.) and 4-5 oz. of chicken because chicken goes down easier. But if you give me something soft or pureed I can eat an entire cup. So don't fret, you'll be fine. If I ever start to think my capacity is drastically increased I just sit down to a steak dinner. The fact that I can only eat six or so bites wakes me up to the reality of the sleeve in a hurry! ~Cheri

OT, I know, but I, too, love popcorn! I had it around five months out and was fine but yes, I'd wait as long as possible. This is a trigger/slippery slope food for me, though, so if you love it as much as I do be careful! I LOVE popcorn but naturally I want that cherry coke with it so I can have that comforting movie experience I'm used to. The good news is that when I first started eating it I could only eat a few handfuls over the course of the entire movie, and maybe I could get in a few sips of soda, too. The bad news is that around one year out it became possible to eat large quantities of the stuff - in fact, I'd say that this is a total slider food for me and I could eat tons of it without feeling discomfort. Now when I stop it's because I've had enough, but I can/do eat about 2-3 cups of the stuff at a time. I just budget it in to my meal plan. The issue I have is when I stovetop pop it at home, because then I want some every night. I have to budget it out and only make some every other week - so yes, you'll most likely be fine with popcorn (but take it easy on the buttery oil they use at the theater as it can cause, erm, issues) and be able to enjoy it again. Just be conscious of it and don't let it get the best of you! And yes, it was totally weird to see movies without it but I had a diet soda and slowly sipped it and I was fine. My husband opted not to get any because I couldn't partake yet, though, so I may have felt differently if he'd had a big bag of popcorn right next to me. ~Cheri

Sounds great, thanks for sharing. I'll try it this week. I'll try it as written because I'm not nearly as strict about my carbs - besides, I barely eat half of one portion! FYI, I plugged it into myfitnesspal as written calling it a six serving recipe (it could be anywhere from 4-6 with 2 lbs. of chicken and I chose 6 due to my smaller portion size). Using the brand of ingredients I have floating around and without veggies it has 232 calories, 15 grams carbs, 4 grams fat and 30 grams of Protein. Add in some veggies and you'll have extra carbs but if you skip the rice this sounds like a good meal, even in the losing stage. ~Cheri

My cycle causes a gain of about three pounds every stinking month. For me, it's normal. So if you're expecting a monthly visitor, that hag could be the one to blame. I wouldn't fret about it unless you've made a serious change in diet or started a new medication. Maybe try to get as much Water in as possible and lower your sodium if you're concerned. But for me, at least, the journey has had lots of bumps, up and down, instead of a solid string of losses. And on the slower loss? Everyone is different. I consider myself a slower loser. I think my best month ever was my first month and I lost 18 pounds. I never got even remotely close to that figure again. I don't know if you're guilty of this but I think so many of us focus on the amazingly fast losers - the ones that hit goal in 9 months - and we all think we're going to have the same results. I definitely chose to willfully ignore the folks that had four month stalls and who had to fight tooth and nail for a four pound loss each month when I was preparing for my surgery. The good news is that it isn't a race, despite the fact that we're all desperate to reach goal. I hit goal after 17 months and it's fantastic to be here. I don't spend a single day being frustrated that it took me longer to get here than it took someone else! Don't fiddle with your diet too much right now. Your body is still in shock from a major surgery and a huge lifestyle change. You've lost a large amount of weight in a very short period of time. Give yourself a break and just keep following your guidelines. You're going to lose the weight - even if you have stops and starts or ups and downs along the way. ~Cheri

Hey, we ALL get frustrated, it's part of the process. Just keep it in perspective and you're going to do just fine. Unless you start out intentionally doing things to stretch your sleeve (and it'll only stretch so much even then) you're going to lose weight. Maybe not as fast as you like, granted, but it's going to come off. I wanted mine to be gone the day I opted for surgery. It took seventeen long and often frustrating months, but you know what? We don't get medals for getting to goal faster, and it's just as enjoyable to hit goal after one year as it is to hit it in nine months. I can't wait to see your success posts in six months. Because trust me, you're going to be successful. ~Cheri

Well, I'm in Central Asia. The women here are very finely boned and short, as you might imagine in a country that borders on China. Then there are Russian women, who, while taller, are incredibly skinny (though my opinion is that this is more a "fashion" than a genetic trait like the local women). So yes, believe it or not, I have to shop the Turkish plus-size stores to find clothing here! The first time I found out I couldn't just buy regular clothes I was CRUSHED but thankfully my stepdaughter reminded me that my pant size didn't change when I left the house and that the issue was a cultural one and not a deficiency on my part. It was so upsetting, though! I'm saving my money for the full body lift - I'm going whole hog, baby! I'm very seriously considering Dr. Siamak Agha (he's in California). I've been researching several surgeons for more than a year now and I love his eye and how he shapes the body. It's more than just removing skin, it's like he gives a woman back her curves and feminine shape. He's also very experienced with weight loss patients. In any case, whatever doctor I decide to use I'll be doing thighs, tummy and breasts for sure. I don't think I need help with my arms and I'm young enough that my neck isn't doing very badly. I suppose I'll have to get some photos posted. I did post one in my ball gown last November but I've hit goal since then and look a bit smaller. You're doing a great job, coops - keep plugging away. I know that sometimes you have to roll your eyes a bit at the posts griping about slow loss, don't you? I know I do...some folks just don't get that it's not the norm to hit goal in 9 months, do they? I know how frustrating it is, though - for all of us. We all want this weight gone the DAY we opt for surgery, and not a moment later. Take care, lady. I'll post something or other soon. ~Cheri

Woman, you look AMAZING! You've done a fabulous job and let me just say that I am green with envy that your curves are still there! My husband has done nothing but complain about my formerly soft spots going all bony and pointy. It's incredibly difficult for many of us to reconcile what we see in the mirror with what other people see. I'm just over 5'1" started at 242 pounds and I'm down to 135 pounds - I'm a size small/6 from just about any store. And I do not deny that I see an attractive woman when I look in the mirror, but I definitely do NOT see the "skinny" woman everyone else tells me they see. Until I see pictures, it's like my brain forgets that I'm not plus-sized anymore. I can't look at myself in relation to other women and know if they're bigger or smaller than me unless the difference is very pronounced. It's very disconcerting and it can be difficult to deal with - it's even harder to explain to the people around me! They simply do not understand the mental disconnect that happens when you drop a huge amount of weight. In any case, in that, you are definitely not alone. Congrats to you on your success thus far. I'm sure you will continue to do spectacularly well, and I'm sure your slideshow will be inspiration for newbies just starting to consider this fantastic, life-changing surgery. ~Cheri

Heck, after being sleeved and living on liquids for weeks on end it's no surprise your taste buds want flavor! I never really enjoyed spicy foods prior to surgery but I LOVE them now. I think part of it is that I still eat such small portions, and spicy or very flavorful foods feel satisfying and sort of replace the enjoyment of that overstuffed feeling I'd aim for after every meal. If I can't eat much, I want to make every bite wonderful, not bland and boring! ~Cheri

Yep, I agree with the above post. We were given Ativan to help us sleep/relax before surgery and for two days post op, so something like that shouldn't be an issue for you to take prior to flying. Best of luck! ~Cheri

I'm not disputing any of the advice you got here - all of it is good. But I'd also point out that these longer stalls do happen to a lot of us. My body hit happy weights at 190 and 160 and it took FOREVER to get past those two points. It was like my body was so happy that no matter what I did I couldn't lose weight. And the sad news? Once I was within 20 pounds of goal it took a whole SIX months to lose that last 20 pounds. Some months I only lost one pound the entire month, and some it flew off in short bursts of five at a time. Oh, and once I hit goal? I immediately bounced up three pounds and it took another three weeks of two Protein shakes a day to get them off again!! Sometimes, as much as we hate it, the best answer is to keep plugging away and wait it out. So my advice is to track that food again using a more traditional calorie counter, not the points system. Find what works for you without causing a gain. I discovered prior to surgery with metabolic testing that my basal metabolic rate is significantly lower than the average and that I need a lower calorie diet to lose weight. If you're eating the standard 1200 calorie diet now, it might be too much. Or even too little, based upon your exercise regimen. Make sure the issue isn't denial about what you're eating. That's my biggest culprit every time. I may only be able to eat one cookie at a time but I'll be darned if I don't get carried away sometimes and eat one at a time four times a day! Record every crumb you put in your mouth and if your intake isn't the issue it's likely that your body is at a happy spot. Persistence will pay off and eventually you'll be down to goal, even if it doesn't happen quickly. It took me 17 months to get to goal but man, life here is sweet. You'll be there if you keep trying. ~Cheri

C'mon now! Take a break and look at what you just wrote. Your body lost ten whole pounds in ONE week! Give yourself a break. Your poor body just underwent a major surgery, anesthesia, a tremendous diet change and a huge weight loss...all in the last twelve days! Do yourself a favor and put that scale away for a week. You just removed 85% of your stomach - I promise that you're going to lose weight. Don't beat yourself up or let yourself get worked up if it doesn't all fly off overnight. In six months you're going to be crowing about your huge loss and how close you are to goal, I promise! Best of luck. Life post op can be a long, hard journey. No sense getting worked up just out of the gate. ~Cheri

I find they're less sensitive but nothing like a total loss of sensation. Get in to your doc just to be sure there isn't an issue. I do occasionally have pain now because I have to wear support ALL day or they ache, the poor, sad, saggy things! Yep, check it out with your PCM because I'd rather waste a visit and feel foolish than let an issue develop. ~Cheri

My insurance (Tricare) is a royal PITA so I didn't even bother with them once they told me they'd only cover the bypass or band. I'm another one that self-paid and went to Mexico (all the way from Germany!) and used Dr. Aceves. I can't say enough good things about him and you'll only find rave reviews here and on the OH forums. He's fantastic, and I still hope to get my sister and mom back to him one day for their own sleeves. I think your plan is a good one - keep pushing with insurance until you hit a definite wall, and start thinking about the self-pay option. I had three doctors on my list of potentials, two were stateside and one was Dr. Aceves. I chose the best price for the best care and couldn't be happier. The good news about self-pay? You get to make your surgery date as soon as you have the money, instead of jumping through hoops for nine months! Best of luck! ~Cheri

Sounds less like dumping (which I feel is more related to sugar alcohols and fats than the surgery) and more like an issue with blood sugars. I was diabetic before sleeving and what you're describing sounds exactly like what my blood sugar would do if I consumed too many carbs, or if I ate a heavy carb meal after avoiding them for a long period of time. A lot of people experience dumping symptoms have an issue with a sensitivity to sugar alcohols (because so many of us jump into the low-carb lifestyle post op) or a reaction to eating fatty foods after avoiding them for a long period of time. I had these same symptoms prior to surgery after going on a strict diet, too. I also thought I was dumping post op but in reality, I had developed lactose intolerance and was being horribly affected by the huge amounts of dairy I was consuming post op to boost my Protein intake. If you're riding the super low carb train and then feeling sick after pizza or Pasta I'd say it's the huge boost to your sugars that's the problem. If you want to avoid that but still eat small amounts of carbs, I'd boost your daily intake a little so your body isn't in shock afterward. And if you don't want to eat those foods, then don't eat them. I still can't eat pasta without feeling incredibly sick - both from the stomach pain and the lightheadedness afterward. Other foods don't bother me the same way. I can eat one small chocolate chip cookie and not have the same issues caused by three bites of macaroni. Hope you figure it out and come up with a solution that keeps you happy AND feeling healthy. ~Cheri

Life after the sleeve is NOTHING life life prior to surgery. It took me about three to four months to get to the point where I could consistently get all my calories (800 a day), Protein and Water in - and that doesn't mean it wasn't a challenge even at that point! I am 18 months out from surgery. I still don't get "hungry" but I do get an empty feeling that tells me it's time to eat. I still don't eat much. I still don't really like to be around food. If I'm not feeling like I need to eat, the smell of it totally turns my stomach. I'm also the cook in my house and many nights I'll make a nice meal for the family and only eat a few nibbles at the dinner table. I don't mind cooking for them but I simply don't want to eat. I may not have the popular opinion but in my experience most of the people that talk about raging "hunger" this close to surgery are dealing with head hunger and cravings, a totally different monster. The only time I ever feel compelled to eat or snack is during my monthly cycle. I'm far enough out that I now realize this is completely driven by hormones and I'm to the point where I can ignore it or shut the monster up with some beef Jerky or a hard boiled egg! Your calories are low, but mine were, too. It used to take me half the day to finish a 16 oz. Protein shake, or two meals to eat two eggs. I'm a year and a half out and still can't eat more than one egg in a sitting! You can do little things to boost your calories if you're concerned. Try going with a higher calorie, higher carb protein shake (like the Syntha-6 ones) so your half-a-day shake packs more punch. I used to combine protein powders - I'd have a scoop of a high protein unflavored with a scoop of higher calorie Syntha-6 so I'd get my protein and some extra calories. As you keep working at this you'll find your capacity will increase. After you're totally healed, you might want to focus on some softer foods to boost your intake. For instance, until I developed lactose intolerance, I'd make breakfast a protein shake and eat a serving of cottage cheese, too. If I ate meat or an egg for that meal it's all I'd be able to eat, but by eating something softer, I could pair it with the shake and boost my nutritional and calorie counts. I also made sludge, something a bodybuilder friend of mine told me to try. I mixed a Tbs. of Peanut Butter (or Nutella or almond butter) with a scoop of chocolate Protein powder, then stirred in a tiny bit of water to make...well, sludge. It's packed with calories and protein but is very soft and goes down easily. If my counts were low at the end of the day I'd have this before bed and it really helped. I will not lie: eating got to be a hated chore. It was so hard to understand because eating used to be my favorite pastime! But every day I would get up in the morning and log my meal plan for the day and then force myself to consume those calories. It gets easier. Not for a long while, but it does get easier. I think most people that have this surgery never find their hunger again - at least not the way we experienced "hunger" as obese people. We have a healthier take-it-or-leave-it attitude towards food. Sometimes this makes meeting our nutritional guidelines a chore, but overall, we're very lucky. I have too many bypass friends still fighting that endless empty feeling and struggling to keep themselves slim. With the sleeve, this becomes almost effortless, provided you make the smart choices a habit. Good luck! ~Cheri

In the end you might wish you'd been more upfront but I understand your current desire for privacy on this issue. Besides, high school is hard enough without adding more fuel to the gossip machine - girls can be so nasty sometimes. Anyway, I had a laparoscopy to check for endometriosis in 2007 and the VSG is also a laparoscopic surgery. Now, don't get me wrong, I had several more scars from the VSG because of where they removed my stomach and put the drain, but for high school kids I'm sure they wouldn't know the difference. Mine was an exploratory surgery to see if there was an issue and yes, one was discovered/diagnosed. But if you've had female issues in the past, this is probably a good excuse. And to tell the truth without actually telling the truth you could always say you're having a laparoscopic surgery AND you've had female issues. People hear what they want to hear and will assume that you mean you had the surgery for the female issues. Good luck to you - I wish I'd had this done when I was a teenager! I think of all those years I spent hiding myself and being insecure and it makes me sad that I didn't do it sooner. ~Cheri

Yes, I was raised as part of the "clean plate club" and we were punished for not eating our food. And we didn't get normal portions - my family would pile the food on for the kids and be angry when we were unable to finish four times the normal amount of food! It certainly contributed to my teen/adult obesity. I've had to grow away from my growing up a bit and accept that nobody is going to punish me for not eating my food. It's okay to share food, to put it in a doggie bag for later, or even to throw it away if you absolutely cannot eat it. I had to learn that it's okay to have a plate with just a few bites of food on it and there's no need to overload a dinner plate with food I couldn't possibly eat. To prevent waste, I try to limit my portion at the beginning of the meal. If we're eating out, I usually order an appetizer and share with the table, or I share a meal with my husband and ask for an extra plate. At home, I grab a bread or dessert plate and only put what I think I can eat on the plate. It's okay to go back for more if I still have room but this almost never happens! For me, learning to stop eating was a bit easier because I got physically ill if I overate. That feeling gets old fast, so you learn to stop doing it, even when your brain is screaming that you need to finish your food. It's something you'll simply have to practice. Some people (my MIL who hasn't had surgery, for instance) do things like place a napkin over the whole plate so it's "gone" from her sight. My mom pours salt all over her food when she's done if she's not going to save it because it keeps her from going back for more. I simply remove my plate from the table as soon as I'm done eating, and if I'm up to it, I rejoin my family and chit chat while they finish their meals. Best of luck. I understand this issue all too well. It can be done away with, though. I admit that sometimes I still have trouble because we were raised not to even leave leftovers and to keep on eating until it's all gone. When it gets hard for me, I remind myself that by breaking this cycle I'm not teaching this very bad habit to my children. And it's totally off topic but my opinion is that for so many of our parents and family members that did this (for us it was my grandfather who pushed food) it's a control thing. It was a battle of wills and a total control game for my grandfather, who did it to my mom when she was young and then he did it to us as kids, too. And of course she didn't know any other way so she just repeated the process with us even when he wasn't around. It was just one of the many pieces of baggage I've had to shake off in this post-op journey! You'll feel better for overcoming this one. Practice makes perfect, so start by making smaller portions and then by being okay with not finishing if you have a few bites left on your plate. ~Cheri

Congrats! Time will fly, trust me, and before you know it you'll be recovering from surgery. Best of luck to you! ~Cheri

Thanks for the input so far - I'll look into the sheer compression hose but you're right they are expensive. I saw a pair last night ON SALE for over $100! Leggings are also a cute idea but I'll have to try several different combinations to make it work. Leggings make me think flats but short skirts/dresses make me want to wear heels. I'll have to play around a bit and figure out if I'm comfortable with the combination. Maybe going with the heeled boots will do it for me because they'll look like tights as you said. Ugh - it's so hard to get used to wearing these clothes, though! I'm 31 now and I feel like if I pair the short skirt AND the heeled boots I'll look like I'm trying too hard or something. I do squats and I've finally mustered the energy to work out daily but I'm not sure how much help I'm going to get. The problem areas are just skin, no fat. I gained so much weight and kept it on so long that I think it's pretty hopeless. Coops, my buddy! Life at goal is truly outstanding. I just want those plastics and can't do it until we're back in the states next year. I'm developing a shopping addiction I think, because it's finally fun to shop for clothes and I can't believe that I look good in almost everything I buy. Crazy! I cannot WAIT until you're here at goal with me. I see you're still slowly creeping along but just hang in there, woman - you'll make it here in time! I've said it before and it's totally true: it doesn't matter how long it takes you to get to goal because once you get there you'll be over the moon no matter what! Anyway, I was just asking for advice and I still hope to see more input. I'm overseas and packages take six weeks to get here so whatever I decide to do I have to shop for online and then wait for it to show up. It would be so much easier if I could just go to the store and try several things and see what works! But here in Bishkek, my size small/4-6 is PLUS SIZE if you can believe that, so shopping the local stores isn't a real option for me. Thanks for the input, ladies - hopefully this thread will help all of us plagued with the saggy baggy thighs. ~Cheri

I flew all the way from Germany to San Diego to have my surgery in Mexicali with Dr. Aceves. I had no problems whatsoever and I flew 13 hours. Get up and walk whenever you can, and exercise your legs during the flight if you can't get up. Don't cross your legs when you fly. Drink as much Water as you can. And remember to bring a few packets of crystal light or easy to mix Protein powder if your flight will be over a mealtime. I'm sure you won't have any issues, but discuss it with your surgeon if you have real concerns. Dr. Aceves and I decided that a second dose of Lovenox would be a good idea in my case, due to the extended flights and my concerns about DVT. I'm sure you'll be just fine! ~Cheri

I think too many of us focus on the fast losers when we're planning for surgery and then we assume that once we're sleeved the weight is going to just fly off. Not everyone is so lucky. My starting weight is close to your preop weight but you must be taller than my 5'1" and some change because my BMI was much higher at your current weight. I was a slow loser. Slower, I guess. There are a handful of people here that are even slower than I was. It took me 17 months to hit goal, to lose 107 pounds. You cannot compare yourself to everyone else. If you're doing the right things and still losing, the sleeve is working. You can try to adjust your food or exercise for a better result but I caution you against doing anything drastic that you won't be able to maintain. Part of why the sleeve is great is that it does away with the need for that diet mentality and helps you build positive habits you can maintain forever. Some folks cut the carbs down to 20 a day, something I consider extreme, but if they can live their lives that way and get great results then it works for them. My biggest piece of advice isn't one you'll like, but it's something you're going to have to get used to at some point or another. RELAX. That's it. Because this isn't a race. I promise you, 85% of your stomach just got removed from your body so you're going to lose weight. I see this over and over and over again on the boards - people just so frustrated and worked up because they expected to lose the weight faster, or people that get mad because they feel they didn't need the surgery if they were going to be slow losers. It took me 17 months to reach goal. It took me 17 YEARS to go from where I am now to my high weight. Am I any less pleased with my success because it took me longer to get here? Nope. I'm happy as can be. Track your food. Eat responsibly. Get your Protein in, drink your Water, start moving more. In six months you're going to be posting that you're nearly to goal. Give your body a chance to recover from the fact that it's lost 27 pounds and undergone a major surgery the last two months. And yes, even if you want to break the scale sometimes, and even if you don't lose for two weeks of the month (like me) you're going to lose this weight. So, RELAX. ~Cheri