FishingNurse

The first 3-4 days post-op will be rough. (but it is so worth it in the end) Trying to sleep in a hospital bed with an IV in your arm, and nurses waking you up all the time to check your vitals and give you heparin shots in your stomach is no fun! (and I am a nurse! he he) Once you get home and get to sleep in your own bed things start looking up! I was so worried about the skin too. My highest weight was 262, and I am at 192. My skin was looking a little scary about 1.5 months post op when I dropped like 35lbs right away. But now it looks completely normal and bounced right back, (I have 35 more pounds I want to lose) so I dont know how it will be then BUT so far so good. I am losing more slowly intentinally now so I maintain my muscle mass and metabolism, and don't lose all my hair, and keep my skin tight. I work out 5 days a week too and I am sure it is helping my skin! I am pretty sure you will LOVE how you look and feel after the surgery, Everything I had to go through so far has been so worth it! Good luck to you!

Congrats! You inspire me!!

I am nearly 4 months out and had just a little more hair loss than usual but I can't complain nobody can notice and my hair dresser said my hair feels just as thick.

I was a lucky girl and my insurance paid for surgery 100%! When I first joined this forum I was shocked that people went to Mexico for the surgery! That was just crazy! But now I have seen dozens of people on this forum being taken care of well and having great success after being sleeved in Mexico and my opinions have changed 100%. If I would have paid out of pocket for my surgery here, I would have paid $ 40,000 plus. If I didn't have insurance I would consider going to Mexico for sure! I know lots of people go to Mexico for dental work too!

My preop diet was 10 days, and I could only have Slim Fast shakes and carnation instant breakfast. I cried twice. I HATE SLIM FAST and carnation instant breakfast. I can not go near the stuff anymore, I have a major taste aversion. It was my birthday mid preop diet and I went out with friends and had 2 beers and buffalo wings! (bad idea yes, but I am being honest) other than that I followed the rules!

Welcome to onderland!!!! You will enjoy yourself here!! :-)

I totally agree with Susan! You are only human.

I don't do low carb. I do however make sure I eat at least 80 grams of protien a day!I feel like my weight loss has been fantastic and I eat 100 carbs or so a day. So it works for me!

I am so glad you are seeking help!! I have a little fear about regain too, because I have already let my friends and family see me go up and down with my weight so many times it would just be horrible If I had my stomach chopped out and STILL gained it back. Luckily I am feeling like I am in control right now, I eat more than your average sleever, (1500 cals a day) I worry about eating too few calories and ruining my metabolism, losing my hair, and losing all my healthy lean muscle mass. so eating 1500 a day I am still losing weight and feeling AMAZING. Good luck, I hope you take good care of yourself. Keep us posted.

Does anyone still attend meetings with the sleeve?

My sleeve loves EVERYTHING except flat bread from subway (hence the name!!!!!) I'm lucky girl

Since going back I have lost 14lbs also my roommate has lost 23. I love the online tracker. It really keeps me on track with what I eat. Also I know I'm going to be weighed every week so that's motivating too. Also I'm competitive with my roommate!! He's doing well!

Holy moly girl!!! Way to go!!! You look great

Looking great !!

At 3 months I could drink huge gulps (like at the gym) again. Oh how I missed that!

I'm so happy for you!!!!!

You will not need contrast with an endoscopy, they drug you up with versed and fentanyl and spray your throat with numbing stuff so you don't gag and run a little camera down to your stomach and search around. They can take samples or look for any problems while they are down there! It's painless and a breeze. Good luck !!

I have a grande skim Vanilla latte everyday And I drink it in about an hour. It's my treat totally!!!

you look amazing!!!! Thanks for the post, very inspiring~ Sorry to hear about your gall bladder :-(

I had my RMR (Resting Metabolic Rate) checked at Lifetime today! This test is conducted while laying down in a bed type chair, and you wear a sealed mask on your face for about 20 mins. The tests measures how much C02 you breathe out while completelty at rest, and other components. It measures how many calories you burn a day will completely at rest. I had mentioned before I had this test in 2008, and I weighed 255lbs, my RMR was 2500 calories a day. (it was helpful I lost 45lbs in 9 months after that) Today 3.5 months after VSG it is 1390! Not too shabby considering I had a month of starvation after VSG surgery and I am weighing 60lbs less. I am to eat no less than 1390 cals a day or I will lose my muscle instead of fat. (I have not lost more than 4lbs in the last month but I have been working with my trainer to rebuild my almost 16lbs of muscle I lost while only being able to consume 400 cals a day) I was advised my my trainer to eat about 1700 cals a day actually. (He also says it should be primarily protien and healthy fat, and veggies) Most people at 3.5 months out cannnot reach this goal but I can. My restriction is still good but I can eat 2 wholes eggs in 20mins. (pre-vsg I could eat 2 eggs, 3 slices of toast, a side of hashbrowns, a glass of OJ and 2 sauage links!) I am a firm believer in feeding your body and not starving it. I love my sleeve- It is built in self control. I am so excited about these results- I will be post pics soon- I look completely different.. My waist is 4 inches smaller then it was a month ago but I only have lost 4lbs-- Its from eating more and building back all the muscle I have lost!!!!!!!

it was just so hard for me at first to get more than 300 calories a day in the very first month. I could hardly drink 16oz of fluid in a day for the first few weeks let alone protien drinks! (I was VERY swollen post op) I totally technically starved for the fist month, not by choice! the first 55lbs came of with little to no effort, and now the last 30ish will be directly related to the good diet and keeping up with my workouts! and thats ok!! Have have never felt so good and looked so healthy!

once it happens you are doomed for about 45 mins! Stay close to a bathroom or garbage can! I have had it happen 5 times, and once I ate breakfast and went to a meeting and ended running out of the meeting with a slime ball coming up into my hand! It was horrifying! Sometimes it would be quick and I would toss up one slimer, but once I slimed up slime like 5 times. (Sorry if TMI) :drool5: Luckily you find out your triggers (like not chewing well enough for me, and I have to steer clear of Subway flat bread) and it happens less and less the further out you get.

wow!!! Congrats how exciting!!!