lark60

I haven’t been online in years and had my sleeve procedure in 2013. My weight has become a concern again. I am up to 181 and have been looking at the GOLO release supplement. Has anyone tried this post sleeve?

I have been keeping up with several groups on Keto diet and there is information on intermittent fasting to promote weight loss. I have tried this ( fasting 16 hours a day and consuming all meals within 8 hours) but with the limited quantity I can eat at one meal, I have found that I can’t get all the calories in an 8 hour period. I don’t get hungry (a good thing) and will eat till “full” but I would have to eat every hour to get 1200 calories in 8 hours. This frustrates me because I know from past experiences that I go into starvation mode when my calories drop under 1000. Has anyone else tried intermittent fasting post sleeve?

So I am 5 years post sleeve. I managed to get within 5 lbs of my goal and slowly slipped back into bad habits. When I went for my annual PCP appointment and saw the scales were reading 175, I almost cried. I hadn't been weighing myself over this past year due to my house flooding and all my stuff was in storage for 6 months. I realized that I had been wearing stretchy leggings and hadn't tried on a pair of jeans in a year (again everything was in storage and I bought a few comfy outfits to tide me over till the home repairs were complete) I went through my kitchen and pulled all processed foods, bread, flour, sugars, root veggies, fruits, cereals, pasta and rice. I gave these things away to my neighbors. I researched diets and weight gain after sleeve procedure. I have started following a modified Keto diet. I say modified because I try to keep my protein at 80 grams a day. So basically I have replaced carbs with healthy fats. My next step back on track was to come back to this site and read the different topics. It has been 2 weeks on my version of Keto and have lost 8 lbs! I still have problems eating enough calories and know my metabolism is slow so I eat what I can and spread a meal to be a 1/2 cup meal and 1/2 cup snack 2-3 hours later. I have found some great recipes online and have bought a few books about Keto diet. I have read up on resistant starches because I have not taken beans out of my diet. They are my source of Fiber and some protein. Since I only eat a couple tablespoon full of beans, I am testing the theory about resistant starches by eating the beans cold. Apparently when certain foods are cooked and then cooled, the carbs crystalize and become resistant to digestion (but are great food for gut flora). I bought a new scale (my old one was lost in the flood) and have started keeping track of what I eat. Coming back to this site and writing my story will help me keep on track to getting back to my goal weight.

Update: I hit 160 this morning!

Almost to my 6 year sleeve procedure. I have started back on this site to help me loose the 40 lbs that I have regained in this past very stressful year.

I have used sugar free mix in to flavor water and have worked up to adding one mix in 32 oz of water. That way the water is flavored but not over sweet. I also drink power aide zero diluted 50/50 with water. I don’t drink carbonated beverages because the bubbles take up space and I end up burping a lot. When drinking fluids, I can take in 5-7 swallows at a time and limit fluids with meals since I can only hold 1/2 cup at a meal (so I usually sip once or twice with a meal) As for amount every day, I get around 64 oz a day. I am coming on my 6th year post sleeve and I have never been able to get 100 oz a day.

I had brachioplasty and the 360 abdominalplasty with thigh and butt lift a month ago. I find that if I lay flat my stomach doesn't swell at the suture line. After sitting or walking for about 15 minutes, I feel like there is a bicycle tire inner tube filling under my skin. I cannot get into any of my pre surgery pants. I had been wearing a size 8 and post surgery I can only wear sweatpants. My arms are smaller and fit my shirts better but my lower abdomen is the issue. I hope this is just post op swelling that will resolve (probably because all the lymphatic channels were disrupted by the surgery) I was told the surgeon removed about 7 lbs total. When I weighed myself the next day my weight was up a pound from my pre op weight. Now I am a month out and my weight is down to 151.6 so 13 lbs! soooooo, why can't I get into any of my pants? Very frustrated.

I like to blend 1/4 c of sweet potato (cubed and microwaved till soft) with a Protein cream of chicken Soup mix to make a sweet potato bisque. It's yummy!

You could have an infection developing. Recommend calling your surgeon ASAP.

I recently had the 360 abdominoplasty and this consisted of the tummy tuck (10 inches of skin off the front), thigh lift (about 8 inches from the sides lifting the thighs some) and buttock lift (again about 8 inches). This lifted the thighs around the outside but more of the skin is removed from the abdominal area. I was expecting more of a lifting contour of my thighs but haven't seen much change (though I am 1 month post surgery) This did nothing for the saggy skin on the inner thighs.

I didn't add jerky back into my diet until I was 6 months post-op and then it was turkey jerky. Beef didn't sit well with me until about 9 months post-op. Also remember to CHEW it till it is mush before swallowing. Now that I am over 2 years out I can enjoy all sorts of Jerky for a snack.

I went to my 1 month follow up with the plastic surgeon and asked him several questions. He said the swelling is normal for the first few months because of all the skin that was removed (10 inches around the front and 8 inches around the back) so the lymphatic system has to grow new channels through the new area under the incision. This can also cause Water retention in the hips, thighs and calf area if I am on my feet too much. He also told me that at the 3 month follow up, if I am not happy with any areas, we can talk about "fine tuning" the areas with liposuction or trimming more skin (no extra charge for touch ups). That made me feel better about my concerns. I just need to be patient and take things easy for another month at least so the swelling will stay minimal. So sweat pants for another month before I try to get back into my jeans and dress pants.

I have a friend who is caring for a 725+ lb female and has tried to help her loose weight so she can get the bariatric surgery. Her "skinny" husband is the enabler and though my friend fixed her a proper portioned high Protein low carb meal, her hubby went and got her a larger second plate (said it was for him) and mixed her a double portion Protein shake for her "drink". I estimate that one meal was over 3000 calories by the time he finished "feeding" his wife. She is only 27 years old. I tried to talk to her and her husband about changing things so she can succeed with loosing the weight. I doubt she will meet this goal though since she and her husband "justify" her meals as necessary.

Triangle. Would love to perk up the top but still healing from removing the excess skin from the lower and/hip area. Still have a skinny waist but big hips and thighs.

So I had the arms and abs done 2 weeks ago. My arms are healing great. At the 1 week check up the surgeon pulled the drains and said I had an area on the back part of my 360 abdominal incision that had opened. He said it would need packing 2 times a day till it heals in. Today the wound area seems deeper than last week. Now it is 2 inches across the incision line and seems at least an inch deep. I have been doing the dressings as instructed and know the area can get bigger before it starts to heal, but am still bummed at the prospect of MONTHS of wound care. And the antibiotics are zapping my strength. Just needed to vent.

I had bradycardia at the time of the sleeve procedure (would set the alarms off all night when my heart rate dropped into the 30's) and 2 years post surgery I started having dizzy spells, light headed and nausea. My resting heart rate was in the 40's and would drop to 29 several times. I passed out twice. I do have a history of hashimotos thyroid (low thyroid) and am on the correct medication. I finally saw a cardiologist and had a "BIG" workup. Mechanically and plumbing wise my heart is fine. I passed out with the tilt table test (to check the "electrical system of the heart" so they put in a pacemaker. Now my resting heart rate won't go below 70 and I feel so much better.

When I first met with my bariatric surgeon I was interested in the RNY procedure. He did his consultation and recommended the sleeve procedure. He stated that the RNY is "fine" but has more complications and the sleeve is one incision across the stomach, without bothering to reroute the intestines. I did some research on the sleeve procedure (which until that time I had not heard of at all) and decided to have the recommended procedure. I was referred to this surgeon by my insurance (he was in-network at the time of the initial consult) but by the time the surgery was scheduled, his group was no longer in-network. I had to choose to stay with him (and pay the extra for an out of network provider) or start all over with another "in-network" provider. Since the same thing could happen (not under the control of a surgeon that belongs to a group with a lousy business office) I chose to stay with the surgeon. I loved his work but disagree with his business office slacking off on getting his contract renewed with my insurance carrier in time for my surgery.

Well I had my pre-op appointment with the "wonderful" pre pictures (I will get copies after the post surgery pictures) I am getting the bat wings lopped off and a 360 belt abdominoplasty on the 21st. I am excited to get rid of the extra skin. Hoping I will loose a few pounds with the surgery since my weight loss stopped a year ago. Before anyone asks: the surgery cost 15K. I paid cash. My plastic surgeon is Dr Todd Case MD in Tucson AZ and I have been very impressed with the care so far.

I requested "no belly button". I have had several surgeries through mine and it was so contracted down from scar tissue that I figured it would be the area of problems healing (go figure it is my bum instead). My kids call me "Eve" now!

I spent over 30 min filling out the survey (which is on more than weight loss surgery and plastics) and then the "passcode" to get entered for the gift card was invalid. LAME

Ok. Surgery went well. (good) Came home on 3 days of pain meds (bad) that I stretched to the 1 week follow up and was told to take acetaminophen (Right like that helped) DRAINS: SUCK when they are yanked out. The burn was for a few seconds and he did give me time to catch my breath between pulls but boy was that NOT what I expected. I have a small area of fat necrosis at the top of my tush incision so I have to pack it twice a day and extend the antibiotics for another 2 weeks. I about fainted on the floor while he was "extending" the infected area then packing it while I was standing. (granted I could not lay down or on my side so I just grabbed ahold of the edge of his counter and tried to keep breathing) He did stop to give me a break when I asked so my advise to anyone with this complication....Ask to rest as much as you need. I am posting pre and post op pictures. I am still swollen I am not to the final product (and the surgeon includes minor touch ups if needed in his fee) The funniest thing that has happened throughout all of this is that my sister and my friend (the RN who agreed to stay overnight) both had to help me undue the snaps on the compression garment for the first 5 days. I was partially embarrassed and then got to the point that it was too funny for words. The only other challenge I have had is getting out of my recliner without help. My sister says I am just the entertainment one needs when they have had a bad day. No one could watch me struggle out of the chair without using any stomach muscles and not laugh. I told her I was "happy to be the butt of her joke".

Well the anesthesiologist agreed to the private RN at my house. I asked my friend (who has OR recovery experience and is an RN) to stay overnight at my house and she agreed. My sister will also be with me for the first week post-op. My case is moved to be the first case of the day (another requirement of the anesthesiologist) so I will be leaving my house at 5 AM to get to the hospital by 6 AM. I am excited that, despite all the hassles, my journey to become a new (thinner) me is going to happen!

Several crafting hobbies (knitting, crochet, tatting, weaving, sewing, needle point, quilting) cooking (though now I try converting old recipes into high protein/low carb versions and small servings so I don't waste food) Reading books or listening to audio books. Also listening to music (I have eclectic tastes in both genre) I was a gardener when I lived in Missouri but here in Tucson I haven't been too successful (except for cactus) I have pets (a rabbit and 2 gerbils currently) and I have had dogs (big and little) and cats in the past. Been trying to get back into dating since I am no longer self conscious about my weight.

Update: I have had the pre-op appointment, paid for the procedures and been called by the outpatient surgery center. The date is next monday the 21st. TODAY I get a call from my plastic surgeons office that he cannot find an anesthesiology group that will take the case. I have cardiology clearance (I have a pace maker for bradycardia related to hypothyroid) but that doesn't seem good enough for the anesthesiologist so they insist I be hospitalized overnight after the procedure. I am fine with that (though it will cost me more) but the plastic surgeon doesn't feel he should have to admit me because he states the hospital staff "will ignore me since I am not sick". I suggested an alternative. I know several RN's that would be willing to come stay over night at my house (like home health but this would be one-on-one private RN care) So the plastic surgeon is going to see if this will satisfy the anesthesiologist. I don't care either way (home with a nurse or overnight at the hospital) I just don't want the surgery postponed or cancelled.

I just had my pre-op for arms and a 360 abdomen/butt lift. The surgeon said I would have 2 drains for the abdominal surgery. The drains will be in for 7-10 days depending on the quantity of drainage each day. The drains help keep down swelling and Fluid collection at the surgical site.