Sadlers1999

Had my six-month post op visit a little early with surgeon, NUT and mental health person. I weighed 243 on August 9, 2012. I was 222 on 12/17 and today I weighed 158. BMI went from 43 to 28. Some people may have posted bigger losses and some may have posted less weight loss since the 17th of December, but I am pretty happy with my progress so far. I do eat carbs. The surgeon and NUT don't really care that I eat (healthy) carbs, but they did want me to eat more protein....I think I have been hovering between 45g and 50g...instead of 60-70g. I guess that is it.

I see the VSG site on an app (vs. the computer), so I was wondering what your starting weight was? I think in spite of your crazy college/graduation/job seeking lifestyle, you must be still doing a great job. I still take all the vitamins, but I have a hard time getting in all the calcium citrate because my NUT told me to take it three times a day but not near "iron," so I usually get 4 in and sometimes the last two but not always. Most of my vitamins are from the company TwinLabs and the brand is called "Bariatric Support." I have my 6 month check up a few weeks early tomorrow and I will find out the results of my bloodwork then. I have a friend who had surgery a year before me and she was told to back off certain vitamins after the 6 month visit because she was getting enough nutrition from her food sources. So, we shall see. I am 5' 3 1/2" and was 242 last July. I lost 20 lbs by December when I had surgery, so I was 222 on day of surgery. I think I am about 162 now. (I weigh the most on my surgeon's scale, so again, we will see tomorrow.) My goal is 130 based on a body composition test that I had done with a "sports" doctor. Usually someone as short as me should weigh between 115-125, but the body comp test doesn't lie and the doctor said 130 would be "ideal." I haven't been that size since middle school, so hopefully I will get there. I don't lose as quickly as some. YOu gve yourself 10 lb goals each month, but I was looking at my fitbit stats for the past 3 months (since the last doctor's visit) and I haven't lost 10 lbs/month before now, so I imagine it will get harder (for me). I think I exercise a lot. (good) I am not a slave to an all protein diet. (bad? debatable?)

What is the five day pouch test? Is that what you do to "reset" the sleeve? Is it something we can google or have you found a thread on it on VSG forum?

Good luck! Keep us posted!

The Associated Press reported today that children born to women AFTER weight loss surgery are less likely to be fat themselves. They may have the same genes at the children born before surgery, but the theory is that they are "marinating" (literally...in utero) in a different set of circumstances. The study was done in Canada. I posted this because while I don't plan on having more kids, I know many women on this forum want to get pregnant and obesity prevents them from getting pregnant, etc. So, more good news!

I just had the regular newspaper. Thanks for finding a link. I thought it was really interesting.

I think the key thing that we all want is to MAINTAIN a lower weight. I could be happy in a size 12 if I never, ever get bigger than that again. However, if I could maintain a 6/8, that would be great, too. Not sure I need to be a size 4,2 or 0....Unless you are in a business that relies on looks, there is no advantage to those sizes. I think it would be really hard to maintain sizes like that (unless someone is "born that way")....

I think some people have done it. I haven't done it, but how could it hurt? Nothing ventured, nothing gained (or lost as the case may be....)

I am almost 6 months out and I can eat a little spice, but it doesn't feel the same as pre-sleeve. In other words, I feel the acidity and heat more than prior to surgery. It does get better though. Couldn't eat any kind of spice the first 3-4 months. re: location - I am in Parker and I have connected with another person in Parker. She had her surgery in FL and we have gone to a support group meeting at Sky Ridge in Lone Tree (right off of I25).

Height definitely matters! I hit 165 lbs (down from 242 last summer, 222 at surgery) today and that only puts me between 29-30 BMI. It is a victory, because technically, I am out of the obese category at last, but just barely. I have a VSG friend (someone I have met in person). She is only two inches taller than me, and weighs probably 20 lbs more than me, so we wear the same sizes. I think when it comes to the whole weight loss process is very, very individual and comparing our numbers to someone else's numbers is not that useful unless they are the same age, same height, etc. Surgeon said I should be 115-125 lbs, but I had a body comp test done by another doctor and he said I would be "perfect" at 130. Overweight people tend to have "denser" muscle/bone, so without a body comp test, BMI only gives us a rough idea of what is "ideal."

I'm still only at 50 lbs. post op and 70 lbs overall. The interesting thing is that even though I was slow to begin with and now hit a plateau/stall, in just the past week, a bunch of people have said that I am looking really good. I am 5' 3 1/2" and weigh around 170 (168 at gym, but probably 172 at the surgeon's office), so I am still in the obese category for BMI, but I am feeling great.

You look so much younger now compared with profile picture. Congrats!

"Food" for Thought- I am one of the slower weight-loss people. I recently was evaluated by a "sports" doctor to see if he could help me with my exercise program. He did a body composition test; a VO2 test; etc. He thinks that I have been exercising too hard (working out in the anaerobic zone instead of the aerobic zone) and told me to scale back a little in terms of my heart rate. I was working out with a heart rate of 160 and it needs to be 150...and yes, that can make a difference. He also said that my leg muscles need to be stronger. They are the largest muscles in our bodies and if we make them bigger, they will burn the most calories....In any case, many of you are dropping clothes sizes and not weight, but it could be very well that you are making more muscle mass while still losing the fat.

I've lost 67 lbs since last summer (when I started officially seeing doctor and taking classes) and I have lost 47 lbs since surgery on 12/17/12. I know I am a slow loser, but I still feel pretty good about the progress I am making. I have gone from size 22/24 to 16s (still in women's sizes vs. "regular").

You look so good in your after that you must be very, very, very close to goal! Good work!

We have a similar trajectory. Surgery day I was about 10 lbs lighter and I am about that now with our current weights. The only serious times that I stall are during my periods. Probably water retention.