Kindle

You're right, you shouldn't compare. But if it makes you feel any better, I had "only" lost 17 pounds at 3 months postop. Eventually I ended up losing all of my excess weight and have maintained 10 pounds below goal for over a year and a half. My starting BMI was 40, though, so our numbers can't be compared "apples to apples". But if you stick to the plan, get in all your Protein and fluids and stay away from white carbs you WILL be successful. In the meantime, give yourself a break and put the scale away for awhile.

This is from the 8889 form instructions for HSA qualified expenses..... So I guess you would have to talk to your doctor and/or accountant to find out if Vitamins are an officially prescribed medication. Since the HSA is through your work, is there an insurance administrator you have to go through for reimbursement? You may check with them what they require for proof of an eligible expense. I've never used my HSA to pay for my vitamins, but since I contribute to my own HSA, it doesn't really matter. I ultimately pay for them anyways.

It would be a little early for my comfort, but if your surgeon OKs it and your sleeve tolerates it then I don't see why not.

How far out are you? I was cleared for things like seeds and nuts by 3 months but I waited 6 before trying popcorn. Since I've been in maintenance it's been a regular snack.

Letting my dentist put me on clindamycin 4 weeks after VSG. I ended up with a C. diff infection. Risk factors for C. diff are taking a PPI, being in a health care facility, having abdominal surgery or gastrointestinal procedure and taking certain antibiotics. My VSG surgery covered the first 3 and the clindamycin tipped me over the edge. It is the number 1 antibiotic for resulting in C. diff. For me it ended up creating the "perfect storm"....."sh it storm" to be more precise Short term effects were 2 1/2 months of diarrhea and ultimately a fecal transplant. Long term, I will never take antibiotics again. It's even on my medical ID.

@@carolina07 BUT if the no tracking plan doesn't end up working for you, then by all means track! As you can see from all the posts, different plans work for different people. And you can change up your plan at any time. This WLS journey is yours and yours alone to succeed or fail at.

I am 27 months out and the biggest side effect is that I lost over 100% of my excess weight. And my blood pressure is normal. And I no longer take tramadol and ibuprofen every day for my foot, ankle, back and knee pain. Seriously, the only "negatives" are I can't do carbonation and I get a tummy ache if I drink too much coffee or alcohol or sugar. I do eat all these things, but if I consume large quantities for several days in a row (when I'm on vacation or over holidays) I will get a bit of gastritis. Nothing a few days of abstinence and Rolaids can't fix. I'm living a totally normal life like a regular thin person. Never one regret for one minute. I feel great and my PCP is thrilled with how healthy I am now, including all my bloodwork.

You are experiencing the famous 3 week stall. Do a search, there's probably 1,000 posts about it. Go to the link Inner Surfer Girl provided for a good explaination. Just keep doing what you're doing other than STAY OFF THE scale. Your weight will fluctuate thoughout this process and if you aren't prepared to accept that then you are better off not weighing at all. You don't need a scale to lose weight. You only need to follow the plan. I don't even own a scale and I lost over 100% of my excess weight.

For everyone who hasn't reached goal yet, are you still losing weight and do you feel good? Then you are eating the right amount. For those who are in maintenance, are you staying the same weight, not gaining or losing? Then you are eating the right amount. Dont get too caught up in the numbers

Hey, my C. diff infection with accompanying tales of poo emergencies and fecal transplant provided entertainment for dozens of folks. No reason my mental anguish shouldn't have the same comedic relief. You're right about the Buddhist thing.....Working on it. And just trying to rebalance things and find some of the joy that's gotta be in there somewhere. Speaking of comedy, I thought this was pretty funny. It's the kind of therapist I would probably be..... youtu.be/Ow0lr63y4Mw Edit... Ok, so BP will not let me attach the video or the direct link, but if you just copy and paste the address in your browser you should get there.

I didn't need any follow ups with my surgeon. I contacted his office a couple times with general questions the first few months, but never required an actual exam. He also has a nut available, free of charge, but I never bothered contacting her. My PCP did my bloodwork at 3 months, 6 months, 12 months and annually thereafter. I always get weighed and BP checked when I go in as well as at my annual OB/Gyn visits. Actually, she offered to do my bloodwork as well. I was self pay for surgery and I pay for all my own labs since insurance won't cover anything related to WLS. It's been worth every penny I've spent.

I have NEVER measured food or counted calories since having WLS. I've never even seen a food tracking app like MFP. I felt the same way as you. If I wanted to do all that tracking I would have saved my money and just stayed on weight watchers or some other fad diet. The only numbers I ever bothered with was getting 60-80g of protein and at least 64oz of Water. I can keep a running tally of those in my head. I've basically just been a mindful eater. Protein and veggies first. Moderate fruit and whole grains. "white carbs" in low, infrequent doses, and only after I reached goal. I read labels to help make good choices. I don't count carbs and calories but I am aware of them. I counted calories for a couple days when I was 3 months, 6 months and a year out just out of curiosity. But since passing goal and maintaining for over a year and a half I haven't bothered. I've never had a single clue what my carb or fat intake has been. So yes, it is possible to do it without all the tracking.

OMG! You look awesome. Congrats on all your success.

#3 on a day to day basis...no tracking, mindful of my protein and water intake, abstain from nothing but indulge in moderation. However, I tend to leap with both feet firm in the #2 camp over holidays and when on vacation. But afterwards my tummy usually hurts so bad from all the sugar and alcohol, I'm more than happy to return to the #3 camp.

I would have had no problems going home 6 hours postop, but I think I am the exception to the rule. I read so many other posts from people who can't stop vomitting, are in extreme pain, can't swallow, can't hold down liquids, etc. They stay in the hospital 2, sometimes 3 nights. What is Dr. Kim's contingiency plan if you are one of these patients? What is his pain management protocol? How does he ensure you won't have a unexpected bleed when you get home? What if you can't hold down liquids...will he readmit you for IV fluids or are you left to fend for yourself at the ER? If it's not a real hospital with an ICU, what kind of staff/equipment does he have in case of an anesthetic emergency or if you need a blood transfusion? I had my surgery at a Center of Excellence bariatric surgical center and I did spend one night, but these are the types of questions (and about 50 others) I asked since it wasn't a hospital.

Be thankful you are one of the lucky ones who shouldn't have problems meeting goals. It was a full time, tiresome, every waking moment job for me, but I was getting 64+oz, 60-80g Protein and 500-600 calories by Day 5. Welcome to the losers bench!

But, @reallyrosey , you ARE taking action. Whatever that action is, you are not just sitting back and letting things happen to you. I guess the terms "victim" and "not my fault" are what gets me fired up. They strike me as helpless, action-less descriptions of someone not willing to help themselves. Just a miscommunication of meanings.

Totally agree @VSGAnn2014. I'm not a fanatic about my health, but I am definitely more aware of the long term effects of what I choose to do to my body. It's no longer about instant gratification (which was actually my motto in my 20's and 30's). And yes, I've had nothing but poor role models for my WLS journey. Besides her, her husband, while much healthier, has gained back a lot of his weight. He's still way ahead of where he started, but still not what I would ultimately be OK with for myself. And he's very proud of the fact he "taught" his pouch to tolerate carbonation so he can still drink beer. Another friend who had lapband and initially inspired me to look at WLS has gained most of her weight back and she maintains a very unhealthy diet as well. Psychologically she may be the least successful. She actually gets an unfill before her mom visits so she can gorge on comfort food rather than deal with their relationship. Another friend with bypass never stopped smoking. Despite losing most of her excess weight she is still taking heart Meds and they are looking at putting her on supplemental oxygen. Lots of bad examples, but I learned from their mistakes even if they didn't. The ironic thing is I have suicidal thoughts every day. It's coming up on a bad time of year, my counselor is pulling double shifts and I actually surrendered my guns to a friend for now. But if I am going to live, I at least want to be healthy and feel good while I'm around. Crazy shit, huh?!

No, binge eating doesn't just hit after a few years. And yes, indulging in that behavior is our fault. Sure, there are biochemical components that perpetuate the behavior, just like smoking cigarettes, drinking alcohol or any other behavior that becomes obsessive like gambling, cleaning or shopping. But it IS a complex behavior that involves choices and active participation on our part to occur. Obesity is a mental illness and mental health professionals are needed to help us change our behaviors. No surgery will cure us and it's unfortunate that so many people try to shift the focus from the mental aspect to the physical and try to say it's "not my fault". It's not the size of our stomachs that made us fat, it's the behaviors.....including binge eating. With appropriate support and professional intervention, our behaviors can be changed. In the meantime, be accountable for your actions and stop being the victim of your choices.

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Question....did she lose weight? Sent from my SM-N920T using the BariatricPal App Yep. Down to a size 6/7. She doesn't eat much but when she does its all carbs and fat. Like if we go to a restaurant, I will pick all the Protein off the plate and she will eat all the bread and chips.....even the fried skin or breading I peel off. On horseback rides I take Protein Bars and she takes packets of cheese and crackers. She's a cookieholic. She drinks Coke. Mashed potatoes with pools of butter are a staple for her. But yes, thanks to her malabsorption and daily puking, she is a "successful" WLS patient. If she does gain weight she literally will stop eating for 4-5 days. Of course she's malnourished and one of the most unhealthy people I know. Has been hospitalized for various Vitamin deficiency issues and has a lot of muscle cramping from electrolyte imbalances. Her immune system sucks, has chronic MRSA and occasional fungal infections. Won't take her supplements because she forgets and won't eat healthy because she doesn't like the taste of anything that's healthy for her. So despite being thin, she will likely still die young.

I've still got the full wave, queen size hard sided waterbed I bought in college back in the 80's! Prior to that I slept in a twin hard side since I was in 6th grade. And living in the mountains of Idaho, I've got mine set at a toasty 90 degrees . Needless to say I freeze whenever I have to sleep in a regular bed. I lived in FL for awhile in the early 90's and my boyfriend at the time couldn't stand the heated mattress. So we turned the heater off on the bed and I had to put a thick comforter, like you describe, under the bottom sheet on my side of the bed. Hey, we could start our own waterbed lovers WLS support group!

I spent the first 3 nights in a hotel bed, but came home to my waterbed just fine. My stomach muscles were sore, like I'd done a zillion sit-ups, so there was a kind of rolling technique I had to use to get out of it. The ache wasn't bad enough to need pain Meds, just more of a weakness. ....nice to hear I'm not the only one who still sleeps on a waterbed. Actually sprung a leak two weeks ago and had to replace the mattress for the first time in like 10 years. NO ONE carries them so I had to order it online and paid the express shipping. The worst part is it took 5 days to get up to temperature!

If you are over 21 and you aren't driving, you can do a shot of whiskey whenever you want.

How much did you regain? What are you eating now? Calories? Carbs? Protein? Water? Vitamins? Have you gone back to all the original rules and food plan that worked in the first place? Excercising ? Tracking what you eat/drink? Give us some details so we can help with suggestions for changes that could help.