playlikeworldchamps

I thought lap band at first but my PC doc said that she had patients with issues with that but bypass was successful (she didn't know about sleeve). I thought lap band because reversible because I had breast cancer and maybe I would need it out. but then I saw my oncologist and she also told me not to do lapband. so I did the sleeve. everyone is different. but I see so many doctors and I didn't want to have more visits for adjustments. that was a big driver for me. I also didn't want to have future surgeries and lab band usually have to come out at some point and get revised. like maybe 10 years my surgical office said. good luck whatever you choose. after all is said and done it's your choice and his you work it that will decide success. lapband may need a bit more work and maintenance but as seem on here many are successful.

had sleeve on a Wednesday. went home on Thursday. I went back to work Monday working from home for 5 days then back in office following Monday. I commute to NY 2 hours each way 2 days per week. I work at desk job. yes there was some pain at incision and fatigue but otherwise was fine.

If I get plastics this is my first choice. If nothing else the arms please. Everything else can be covered up. Even my 14 year old says I should get it done because I am working out so hard and my poor arms can't show it. Love that kid.

I follow 2 rules when I think I may lose control or start to gain: track sugar grams and try to keep added sugar grams less than 25g per day stop grazing. make sure at least 3 hours between eating. the first rule always make my weight come back in line. the second rule gets me back in control.

I only followed the applesauce rule for the first 6 months or so. now I am 15 months out and chew to a normal consistency. I still try to eat slow though or I will get very uncomfortable. I agree that having bigger chunks will keep the stomach busy longer. liquified stuff just slides through now.

How far out are you? I burped non stop the first month with even a sip of water. It gradually slowed down. Now burping is a sign to stop eating cause I'm full. Or it's a sign I am eating too fast. But in he first few months it was just business as usual. I was afraid I would be like that forever (as were my fining companions). Fortunately it was not the case!

My surgeons office did not prescribe a program. Just said eat Protein first. After 2 months I asked the nutritionist if I could go to 1300 cals a day and she said yes. Others at the same surgeon still stick to 800. So talk to your NUT if you want to but even in the same practice people will need to make the program work for them and customize it. I never got much guidance except eat protein first, and 5-6 meals a day. It was up to me to figure out the make up of those calories and how to lose at that calorie rate. It is true that the fastest weight loss is the first 6-12 months but the weight loss phase can be as long as we need it to be if we have patience. I have seen people who lose all their weight in 4-6 months and then struggle with maintenance because they did not have the time to adjust to new eating habits and they still need to use shakes and 800 cals a day to just maintain. Each surgeon is different and each surgeons patient is different and so people need to find what works for them. It's not an excuse to indulge, it is a way to understand your own metabolism and know what works and what doesn't so we can keep the weight off in the long run.

I am nearing maintenance now so I may be more lenient than the full on losing phase but you can friend me on myfitnesspal and see all my diary going back to my surgery in March 13 2013. For the first 9 months I did not exercise as much as I do now so I get to eat more now. But I've been at 1300 net calories since 2 months out. Now going up to 1400 as I see what works to maintain. My loses are so slow though it will take a while to see what is the right number. I snapped some screen shots from my diary below. My ID on MFP is kenmj11 As always your mileage may vary and your surgeon/nutritionist may have other ideas!

Congratulations on that 300 pound loss. May you never find those pounds again.

I have found it a lot easier to get back on track after a slip up than in ore surgery days. I also realized I needed to eat 1300 cals a day to lose weight. and that was 1-2 lbs a week. that would be impossible for me without the sleeve. in fact on WW and other "healthy" programs calories for someone my size were in the 1800 range. no wonder I could never lose for long and fall off the wagon so easily.

While this may be true I would like to know the sources used for those stats. They are not referenced. Also the grammar, spelling and sentence structure of that article was not very good. She would make a statement then support that statement with a sentence beginning in However which does not make sense Sorry to be picky. Her info may be true but not a well written article! Guess I had strict nuns back in school.

I went to 1300 cals a day at 8 weeks out. I lost most of my weight at that level. I am 5-10 so that helps. I also did not exercise more that a walk about 2-3 times a week. From 8 weeks to 6 months I averaged 2 lbs a week. At that point I averaged about a lb a week until 9 months. Then I added a lot of exercise and even personal training and lost about 0.8 a week for months 9-15. I am a believer that it is a good idea to get up to 1200 as soon as you can (and reduce sugar carbs as much as possible) so that you aren't stuck with a 800 cal a day diet for the long term. Sure less calories may make it come off faster but sometimes I wonder if it messes with the metabolism and also causes potential deficiencies. So go for 1200 healthy calories. You will still lose at that level and it is a lot easier than 800 if you can get 1200 in. Some people never can because they have so much restriction. I am gradually adding 50 cals more a day a week at a time as I ease into maintenance. I am still losing though at 1400 a day but I am exercising 4 times a week. Also if my sugar grams stay low (< 25g added sugar) I lose. This morning I was at my lowest weight in over 23 years 185.6. I can't believe it. I am under my goal of 187. So I am an example that you don't have to stay at 800 to lose or kill yourself exercising. But we are all different so see what works for you. And above all make whatever calories you consume quality calories. Protein first!

The ghrelin is reduced but not eliminated. Most people will not feel hunger at all for 1-2 months post surgery or even longer. But hunger will come back. However unlike losing significant weight without surgery the ghrelin won't increase back to higher than pre diet values. That's one of the main reasons people gain the weight back when doing a weight watchers type diet. Because the gherkin goes higher than it was before you dieted. Your body is fighting you to gain it back. With surgery ghrelin is much more stable and you have a fighting chance. You can go ogle ghrelin levels for the sleeve or bypass and find a lot of studies on this. Another stat is that without surgery if you are vigilant you have about a 3-5% chance to keep significant weight off. With surgery and if you are vigilant I believe you have a 80% chance to keep the weight off. I like those odds better. Also you use the honeymoon period to build the habits you will need for a lifetime. Sure I could eat every 30 minutes and gain my weight back. But i spent 8-9 months during the easier phase building good habits that are now embedded. I also learned what worked and what did not. Now I also exercise to get off the rest of my weight. This is a disease that needs constant vigilance. The difference is that now I have a fighting chance. I did not want to lose 100 lbs and gain it back again. The thought was just too depressing. When I had cancer I went all out and chose chemo and the most treatment I could. I wanted to do the same for this disease too. Obesity also kills. It just takes longer.

Your life will change and so much for the better! Yes the first months and year is the toughest. Restaurants are not so much "fun" during that time. You will mourn the ability to self medicate with vast quantities of food. But it will all be worth it... I am now at a weight I have not seen in 23 years before I had 4 children. I never dreamed to see his again. I am 15 months out and have enough room now to eat a petite filet mignon at a restaurant. I can drink a glass of wine. (Though not while eating it - couple sips maybe) I don't get the appetizers and Desserts anymore. I see others get that and though it's a treat for them it is really a waste of money and excess calories. I will have 1 stuffed mushroom or half slice of fresh bread as an appetizer (if it's worth it). I don't waste my stomach volume on crap food. My goto indulgence is a handful of almonds, dark chocolate m&ms. On weekends I will have some sangria some times. I went on a bike ride with my husband this weekend and kicked his butt though I still weigh 20 lbs more than him. He said it was his bike (I don't think so!) I don't go to sleep at night with the mantra "I gotta do something about this weight. I got to lose weight" buzzing in my head. I have time and energy to think about other goals, about volunteering, about being active, about shopping for new clothes! I walk by stores at malls and think wow I could actually shop there and fit in the clothes. I bought clothes at the gap and a size L was loose (and I still weigh in the 180s!). I don't have to settle for what is available in he plus section. I bought bathing suits this year without trepidation. Yes it's still a takini and has a skirt but I'm 48 and I even got a compliment from my husband. It's a size 12! I am a size 12. Yeah life has change dramatically. And this drama is awesome!

You look great! Are you tall. You look so in your pictures.

My surgeon never set a weight. He follows the50% of excess is a success. That was over 50 pounds ago for me as that would be 70 and I am down 128. I need to lose 13 more to be a normal BMI but I am tall so look pretty normal already. Plus I'm already less than 25% fat so don't really need to lose more at my age. The 13 more pounds is probably skin as I have tons of arms and leg skin. The belly is not as bad as those areas.

Keeping the faith in sleeve. Finally a comparison shot that's not a selfie

Latest update. I am 16 months out. I was 307 when I started my pre op diet a week before surgery. I am 5-10 and went from size 20/22w to a 12/14 size. Or 3x to L tops. From 49% body fat to 25%. From 44 BMI to 26.8. I consider myself at goal now. The number on scale doesn't matter. I just want to stay fit.

My husband was against it also at first. He said the old eat less move more mantra. But he started doing some research and then saw how much Rex Ryan lost with the band (my first option but I got sleeve instead) And then an article came out about obesity and breast cancer reoccurrence and he came on board (I had BC 4 years ago) There are also studies that say if you are morbidly obese you have only 3% chance of keeping weight off even if you so lose it the "natural" way. The surgery improves the odds dramatically. I did not want to go thru the work of losing 100 lbs to have it come back (again). I wanted a chance at a permanent solution. It is scientific fact that when you lose weight without surgery your body produces more ghrelin to make you even more hungry and get you fat again. WLS neutralizes that effect. That's a big advantage over diet and exercise alone. In any case with or without his backing, I was going ahead with the surgery. Now I am down almost 130lbs and he calls me skinny though I am far from that. He admitted to me that I was so right to do this. And having a husband admit a wife is right is rare indeed!

My surgeon did not forbid any kind of coffee. However it did not sit well with me for about 2-3 months post surgery. I was worried I'd never be able to have it again. Then about 3 months I was able to drink it again without burning in tummy and also enjoy the taste. Ever since then I drink about 2 cups a day with half and half in it. Sometimes more. I track the half and half calories and they are a lot but so worth it. I have a key rig and usually do one cup regular and one kcup decaf mixed together because I do tend to get palpitations if too much caffeine. So if coffee bothering you just give it some time and try again in a couple months.

Yup that's me too. I check nutrition before I eat anything unknown to decide if it's worth it. Today I went to Cheesecake Factory and got one of their Skinnylicious lunches. I could only eat a third anyway. But a third of 580 cals is better than a third of 1500. Once I didn't check at Applebee's and I ate half of a quesadilla burger at 1500 cals! Oops! Learned my lesson to check before ordering now. But then there is the conscious treat that I have with my eyes wide open and taking full responsibility and no guilt. This is the 10% when I am not perfect but I don't think I want to be either. I am accountable for my choices - track everything and enjoy every bite. It is so much easier to live like this.

Some of the best advice I got maybe from his forum or some other place I read up on WLS was that it was important to spend the honeymoon phase building your new habits so that by the time you can fit more food in those habits will be well entrenched and seem very natural. Some of those most difficult choices come early on when no matter if you make a bad choice you still lose weight. It is important to build up the "no pop tarts" habit in the honey moon 6 months or however long so that when you can eat a bit more or when you have reached goal and have more choice that you are in the habit to make the right choice 90% of the time. And not beat yourself up about the 10% because by that time you are in tune with your body and you know what you need to do to fit that "pop tart" or party or wine or other treat into your lifestyle.

I am 5-10 and started at 315 and am now 188 and wear a 12 pant and L top. I have a stretched out saggy tummy but it looks flat wearing clothes and does not hang over. Would love TT but that ain't happening since no money. I also had 4 large babies so that caused a lot of stretching not just the weight. My inner thighs are sagging as well as under my chin a bit. My boobs are now 36 L as I long. But my biggest pet peeve are my arms. I carried a lot of weight there and my batwings are enormous. I can cover the tummy and thighs even in the summer and look fine. And my chin not all that bad. But my arena just hang out there with short sleeve weather. I have built muscle but skin just lost it's elasticity (I am 48). If I could get one area done it would be arms. I have to wear a size 14 suit jacket to 12 pants just because my arms so big and would be tight in the arm pit area we all my skin. From your picture your arms look in pretty good shape. As I said the other areas can get saggy but it depends on how long you carried the weight an luck. At least other areas can be covered,

Laying down can be the worst thing. Sit up straight and it will work it's way thru system in time. It's not fun. I ate one meatball 3 weeks out and I was in a world of hurt. Hopefully by the time you read this you'll be feeling better.

I made a deal with myself from the beginning that I can eat anything guilt free long as I track it. Because of this deal I don't indulge all that much knowing that I can have whatever I want. I also have issue with dumping if I eat sugar/fat foods like ice cream. I am so in the habit of looking at sugar grams that is usually enough to dissuade me from too much indulgence. I have had cinnamon pop tarts 1 or 2 times in the last 15 months. They sure are yummy. I say if you crave it, have it and get it over with. Better that than eat 4 healthily things trying to avoid it and then have it anyway. Just track it. Another trick I have is taking bite or two of the "cheat" food and then making the rest inedible like pouring ketchup on a pop tart. Throwing in garbage not enough I may pull it out. And not every location has a handy garbage disposal. I was having a delicious baguette one day. But the whole thing had like 300 cals. I ate half then poured an leftover cup of tea on the rest before throwing it out at the office. I didn't want to take a chance that I'd dig it out from the garbage under my desk. And really half a baguette is extremely filling enough for sleevie.