delta_girl

What is the disadvantage if a full arm lift other than the long scar? Thank you do much for posting the pics. That really shows that this is also major surgery. A friend just had a mid body lift after losing a great deal of weight four years ago after bypass. She is really struggling with recovery two weeks out due to pain.

On week 13 now, going into week 14 next week. I've had a fairly OK loss of 51 lbs since 2 weeks prior to surgery. I had a great Thanksgiving and Christmas when I ate pretty much anything and everything, though very small portions. I've had wine and cocktails, chocolate, salad, beef, raw fruit, ...pretty much anything and everything. My exercise habits have been sporadic At around 11 weeks I was up to 600-700 calories and now I'm back to 400-500. I have no desire whatsoever to eat most of the time. For example today. It is almost 4pm and I haven't eaten today. Just 2 cups of coffee with sugar free creamer. Yesterday I had just at 400 calories. I don't know if it is because of indulgence during the holidays or something else. I have no cravings for anything. Now I did do something since surgery which may or may not have had an impact. My surgeon asked me what happens when you are hungry? I didn't know what to answer. He said, "nothing." Also, in my planning binder he gave me it says to learn to go to bed hungry. There is nothing wrong with feeling hungry. It is normal and natural, but people who are obese don't accept it. So I practiced when I felt hunger pangs ...ignoring them and going about other activities. If it wasn't time to have a snack or meal, I denied the urge to eat. My NUT also told me that we tend to ignore the signals of our bodies and eat for reasons other than hunger and we should relearn to eat when our bodies tell us that it is time for food. So my body is telling me it isn't time for food. I am not interested right now. I am cooking a big crock pot of beef stew with fresh vegetables, so will maybe eat something later this evening. I suppose this is just another phase of the roller coaster after vsg?

I got special plates and serving utensils. I got BariWare which has premeasured partitions for ounces. I have a scale. At 3.5 months out I do not use a scale. I have never used my bariware and I do sometimes use my cute forks and spoons. But mostly I pay extremely close attention to my body and I try very hard to not ever feel full, just satisfied. Yes, sometimes I miss gorging on something delicious. I can now only maybe have 2-3 bites and now know that they had better count. So if I have a tasty treat that I know I want to enjoy, I have to plan for it and really savor it when I do get it. For example I bought a king cake for the season. It is very rich. I had a Muscle Milk light 100 calorie for Breakfast, 2 chopped brussel sprouts and 2oz of chicken for lunch, which allows me to have a few bites of a treat. I hope it doesn't make me sick!

Well....I am testing with pretty good wine, not crappy wine. And only reds, not white. And only drier reds. So that will figure in. I am using keytone strips to test my urine samples...before, during, and after. Also to be considered is that just because you are not in ketosis does NOT mean that you aren't losing weight. But I am not studying that. Just the impact of dry reds, typically cabs and merlots, on the results shown on keytone strips.

I dunnnooooo.......I tried them and the fat really wasn't fun for my sleeve. I am only speaking from what my surgeon said to me ..but he said that a fat can be "toxic" to our tummies. Too much really wreaks havoc. You may have a better tolerance for them than I do. I was wanting some crunch and salt and low carb, but pork rinds just weren't the answer. (And I think I only ate 3 of them..or close to that number).

That's not what this thread is speaking to.

I think it depends on the definition you are using for "excess weight." If you are using a BMI chart, then that would be anything above the healthy or ideal weight for your height on the chart. If you are using a number that was provided to you by your NUT or your surgeon, then it would be based on that number. If you are using your own number, then it maybe different from a BMI chart or what your surgeon or NUT says.

It's an analogy.

Not necessarily. If the topic was Mathematics, then those who are working on calculus or statistics have universes of things to learn and discuss about those areas, but I doubt that they would want to spend a lot of time and energy discussing subtraction and multiplication.

I had a Muscle Milk light chocolate for breakfast. Hadn't thought about putting it in the blender with ice. Good idea.

Someone ..I'm sorry I forget who said it...suggested we have a forum section for categories such as.. 3 months out 6 months out 1 year out 2+ years out Our needs and concerns, interests change as we progress.

AGAIN ..I WISH we had a member who was great with graphic design who could collaborate on a VSG Inforgraphic that went by a general timeline. With neat graphics and colors and arrows that showed you the path. For example in PART I - PRE-OP section -- Stage I - SELF EDUCATION - Research the surgical options using web resources, asking those who have had surgeries, books, etc. Develop a list of questions that you would like answered as you learn. Research which hospitals in your area offer surgical options. Read their web sites. Call and ask questions of them. Learn what insurance options they provide and what their costs are if you are self-pay. Stage II - INFORMATIONAL SEMINAR - Attend a seminar on bariatric surgery. It may not be at the hospital you want to use, but go to one anyway and learn as much as possible. You may want to attend several. During this stage try to attend a seminar at your hospital of choice and call or email them and ask if they will email or mail any documents to you so that you can look over them. Again, add to your list of unanswered questions. As you learn more you will also have more questions. Stage III - DECIDE ON A PROVIDER - blah blah ... insurance documents, tests, pre-op diet, scheduling surgery Stage IV - follow through with STAGE III. Be compliant with your program. Blah blah. PART II - SURGERY Stage I - What you need to know and have ready prior to surgery. What to expect. Variations in days off from work, travel for those going out of country, etc. etc. Stage II - Recovery Stage III - The first four weeks. What to expect. Common issues. PART THREE - NEW LIFESTYLE Various stages ..I'm getting tired of typing.... PART FOUR - Some kinda title here like, maybe ...THE FIRST SIX MONTHS Various stages ... Your hair is going to fall out. You are going to stall ...blah blah blah... PART FIVE - FROM NOW ON More stuff here PART SIX - YOU SCREWED UP Arrow goes back to earlier stage

Eat sashimi and edamame

Exactly why I am doing this study. People ask this question so many zillions of times a month. I am going to have data to share for the one zillion and one time someone asks when they can have alcohol and why can't they have beer, etc.

I'm conducting a personal study on wine and ketosis. 2 glasses will certainly throw you out of ketosis all the way to neutral and you don't just jump right back into ketosis.

THANK YOU!!!!! I think I love you. Really what you said...but that you said it. There are some things that you have mentioned that have been twanging on my very last nerve.

I just had an AHA moment...maybe. Please don't tar me and set me on fire. When the research that is shown in doctor's offices and that we read online that the expected results or success rate of vsg is approximately a 60% of excess weight, they are going by a BMI chart. I have wondered about that other 40%. What happened to that? Why isn't it 90%? or 100%? What prevents it from being even more successful? One reason might be some weight regain as the body stabalizes and new habits are learned. It does not sound unrealistic that there would be an adjustment period and that, yeah, maybe you can't be perfect with your diet forever and you may bounce up a bit after hitting your ideal healthy weight. BUT another reason for the statistical percentage may be due to the goal weights that set in the first place. If the percentage measure of success is being standardized using a BMI chart, then that is not reflected in these posts. Almost nobody here is going by what the BMI chart says. The goal weights most posters here are sharing places them in the mid or high end of overweight. I'm not saying that is bad or good and I'm not judging your choice. I have been wondering about statistics and this is one thing that can explain them. I've also been going by a BMI chart for my own idea weight. Its ok if you don't and I'm not saying you should. If you set your goal weight 20-30 lbs more than what the BMI chart indicates is ideal for you, you reach your goal and maintain it, then you are 100% successful!!! Not 60%.

Well....I dunno... I work a desk job all day and when I'm not at my desk I often have drive for hours and hours at a time to get to a remote location to work. I am also a doctoral student and am in class from 4-9:30 every Tuesday night and from 9-4 every other Saturday. Then I have to read 4-6 books per class. I'll be doing that for two more years. It had never occurred to me to think my job or continuing my education were making me fat. That may not exactly be what you are talking about in your post. But the choices that we make or don't make result in an outcome. Sometimes there are things that make choices more difficult, but planning and desire certainly help.

I was driving after 4 days. My doctor said I had NO restrictions

Celery, carrots, endive, apple, baked sweet potato "fries", pear slices

Do they even have any nutritional value at all?

I considered the band for about a year, then the plication for about 5 months or so. The week before surgery I decided on the sleeve and I am SO GLAD I did. The plication, when you really start reading about it, watching a video on it, thinking about it ...... is just a really bad idea in my opinion. So many things wrong with that. I am curious to see what the research will say about it in the next 5-10 years and if it will even still be a surgery option anymore.

But that isn't normal. It may have been what you allowed yourself to accept as your normal.

I should have posted this a long time ago when I was still drinking a lot of Protein powders, but it slipped my mind. I know that there was a thread around here somewhere on ratings of protein powders, but I often didn't share the same opinion, so here are some notes I made. I didn't try everything out there, so I missed out on tasting a lot of them. My surgeon asked me to be completely off of Protein drinks after 12 weeks, and I am for the most part. First, though, I do want to share that I always mixed my Protein powder with Water. Only once did I use milk instead of water. I also went to smoothie King a few times and their mix was not in my control so there may be some variables there that I am not aware of. Protein Supplement Ratings nectar Fuzzy Navel Sour taste that turned me off. Unfortunately I went by reviews from other tasters and bought a large container of it. Hated it. Nectar strawberry Kiwi in blender - great taste, dissolved well, slight foam 100 cals Nectar Crystal Sky in blender - light sky blue and sweet, pixie stick or kool aide taste, did not dissolve completely in blender 100 cals Gladiator vanilla (Smoothie King) no fruit or additives - chalky taste, pedestrian flavor, expensive for product 180 cals for small Gladiator Strawberry with fresh strawberries added, no additives - Wow! Intense strawberry milkshake type flavor. Very filling. I could not finish it in an hour. Gladiator chocolate no add ins Very rich chocolate malt flavor, which was delicious at first, but filled me up very quickly after consuming half. I threw the remainder away. Now I suspect it was the wrong powder and they may have substituted a higher calorie powder. It was just way too rich. Nectar Green Apple Ecstasy Strong, crisp apple like flavor with hints of tart and sweet. Delicious but does have a very slight after taste, though not enough to discourage trying again Nectar Vanilla Torte Rich vanilla flavor and smell with tiny flecks of vanilla just like you find in vanilla bean ice cream. A winner Nectar Oreo OMG good Excellent Oreo flavor, milky ice cream taste unjury Plain Powder I know a lot of people love Unjury, but I am not the hugest fan. It really doesn't have much of a taste or texture unless you mix too much ratio wise into whatever you are putting it in. 1/4 of a scoop in sugar free pudding was fantastic. A whole scoop in a small ready made cup of sugar free pudding was nauseating. Muscle Milk Regular Chocolate Ready Made Tastes fantastic but more calories than I wanted to consume at one time. I could not finish one. 230 calories Muscle Milk Light Chocolate or Vanilla I prefer the chocolate to vanilla personally. The first few are pretty good but there is a particular taste that is specific to this ready made that either you can live with or not. I still grab one of these from time to time for a quick boost. 100 calories EAS Avantage These are a lower calorie version of their ready made shake. They have a distinct soyness (is that a word?) to them. The strawberry and chocolate are not horrible. I like the vanilla least. They remind me of drinking oily, flavored water. 100 calories And my personal favorite? Isopure banana Cream Powder I like this one so much I can drink it from a shaker with just water and a bit of ice. It has a nice banana flavor. If you mix it with milk and you like banana flavor...oh wow! You are welcome to add your own critiques if you like.