TES

I would ask your surgeon and/or dietitian....

I am so sorry about your sister. My sympathies. Best wishes in your journey.

Yes, doctors/surgeons would not do something that is in conflict with the Hippocratic Oath!

I agree with a lot of what you said, but a BMR is more than a mathematical calculation--it can vary even among people of the same weight, height and activity level. That is why you can get your BMR tested. Some people do simply burn more calories than others, all else being equal. Not sure if it could be to the degree to cause morbid obesity on a consistently calorie restricted diet, though. I think the thing is that people who have very efficient metabolism (ie, lower BMRs) and health issues that complicate the ability to lose weight (hypothyroid, insulin disorders, etc) often do severely calorie restrict and have trouble losing weight. But they/we were unable to do so consistently prior to VSG because it is not something that is sustainable if you are human. That is the difference with VSG--you may lose weight more slowly than many others, but you will do so consistently even with a bunch of health issues that would keep you from losing without the surgery. So although someone may feel like you are always calorie restricting pre-VSG and not losing weight or gaining, it is probably from going on and off the VLCD. That can lead to a pattern of your body wanting more calories than normal when off the very low calorie diet, too. VSG provides a tool for consistency....

omg I'm going to start calling this the "urban legend" thread....

ricotta cheese with some tomato sauce, grated cheese, and mushed up vegetarian "meat" balls (miniscule amounts of everything of course)! and refried beans with cheese. And pureed vegan bean soup. I forget which one I had first, but those were all within the first few days!

LOL

It's a forum--by posting at all, you are inviting feedback....

http://www.news-medical.net/news/20100119/Gastric-bypass-surgery-may-increase-life-expectancy-of-morbidly-obese-individuals.aspx According to the resulting model, an average 42-year-old woman with a BMI of 45 would gain an estimated additional three years of life expectancy as a result of undergoing bariatric surgery; a 44-year-old man with the same BMI would gain an estimated 2.6 additional years.

http://longevity.about.com/od/researchandmedicine/a/gastric_bypass.htm People who underwent gastric bypass surgery had a 40% reduction in the rate of death compared to their obese counterparts. More specifically, they had a 56% reduction in death from coronary artery disease, a 92% reduction in death from diabetes, and a 60% reduction in death from cancer.

My doctor has me taking the B12 sublingual every day. I took it before surgery, too, bc I'm a vegetarian. I think it's usually recommended every day? Your doctor can give you a shot if you don't want to give a shot yourself or take the vitamin.

WOW! Congrats, DeeDee Muffin! that is an amazing (and quick! lol) accomplishment! If you look at tickers, I think you will see that you are definitely above average with your rate of loss. And I do think it is smart not to compare ourselves with others!

If I ever feel as if I'm being lectured, I try to think of the person's intentions, and I would say the vast majority of the time here, people mean well and are trying to help. Even if an OP isn't open to feedback, sometimes people weigh in because they want to provide helpful information for others reading a thread (even people who don't post on the thread).

Wonderful!! Congratulations, Misty!

Yikes....

Good for you! Wishing you all the best.

It's been demonstrated in evidence-based studies that bariatric surgery changes the way that beta cells function and helps people who have insulin-based disorders such as diabetes or PCOS. Some people even have some resolution to their issues (like going off diabetes meds) while they are still in the hospital--which of course is too quick for weight loss to have caused this. This is an emerging field and research is still being done, but I find it very, very interesting. So hopefully the person who posted about her PCOS making it difficult to lose weight (which is also based on scientific studies) will see some biochemical and physiological changes that will help her lose weight.

I just saw some nice suits at TJ Maxx (I think up to size 24) yesterday. Some of them would have been good for pool exercise, with wide straps and higher backs and fronts. Unfortunately, I like to get suits with underwire and these were all soft cup. But they were around $25 for really good quality suits.

I'm not sure I understand--you've lost 15 lbs in 3 weeks, but you are worried you aren't losing weight? Do you mean bc 2 of that has been in the last 2 weeks and you feel that it should be quicker? It is very common in week 2 or week 3 for your weight loss to slow down a bit as your body adjusts. Just keep getting in at least 60-80 g of protein/day (or whatever your surgeon recommends) and and at least 60 to 80 oz of water a day. The scale will catch up! Try to weigh only once a week if you can...easier said than done. Hang in there--your progress with diabetes and 15 lbs in 3 weeks is GREAT! When was the last time you lost that much in that amount of time, knowing you would keep it off?

Right after you have surgery, your stomach is so swollen, the circumference is about the size of one of those sippy straws/stirrers that people put in coffee (not a regular straw that you would drink out of). So if you took a regular pill, it could get stuck, which would be very uncomfortable. That's why liquid and chewables are recommended for at least 6 weeks post-op.

I tried the HealthWise oatmeal and couldn't stand it. It went in the garbage, and the few times that I ate oatmeal or cream of wheat after that, I just used regular and added protein powder to it. I know everyone has different tastes though! I just felt a bit annoyed because it was kind of expensive (plus shipping etc.).

I buy mine at Land's End and I also have a Miracle Suit!

That's actually a lot faster than most people lose!

BCBS generally requires a 6-month supervised weight loss plan for everyone (including those with 50 BMI or above). I am not sure what you are calling a fast surgery date, but I think it's actually a good requirement. It gets you prepared for the surgery so you're not posting a month later on the "why I regret having VSG" thread....

yeah, the stat I've ready most is less than 5% of people keep weight off with lifestyle cx's alone...