McButterpants

I was self-pay, too, so I traveled for my surgery. I found a local doctor to support me for my post-op visits. She treats me as if she performed the surgery for me - I pay for these visits out of my pocket. Are you able to get access to a local surgeon or follow ups with your doctor in Mexico? Eating off plan (your surgeon should have provided guidelines even if there isn't any follow up), is dangerous. You could hurt yourself. Your stomach is still healing - please treat it with care. You paid a lot of money for that tummy - don't waste this opportunity and risk your help for a few bites of food.

Decision day (08/21/13) and last week, about 7 months post-op. Down a total of 72 pounds from high weight. I was diagnosed with PCOS and metabolic syndrome late in life...43 years old. I lost a lot of time. I finally found a doctor that would listen to me and help me. My medical problems were eliminated almost immediately - I stopped my Metformin two weeks before surgery (doctor approved). My periods, which I used to have 3-4 times a year, are like clockwork and not as bad as before. My aches and pains are gone. My acne (ugh, acne at 43 years old sucks) is gone.

Carbs are a gateway drug for me. I try to stay away from bread, Pasta, sugars, etc. Logging your intake is a great start - get back to basics. When I find myself slipping, I incorporate a Protein shake mid-afternoon - this curbs my want/need for quick energy from sugars. Make good solid choices on your foods - low glycemic veggies are a good choice. Go back to measuring your food. No snacking - get all the snack foods out of the house. Personally, if I have tortilla chips in the house, I'm going to eat them...and a lot of them. Most importantly, be kind to yourself. That doesn't mean give yourself a pass...just don't beat yourself up. Come here and check in - accountability is important.

Yeah, I was one of those overachievers as well...started losing at 2 months and went thru seven months. Some days it was horrifying. My doc said, "Anything you lose due to surgery will grow back." I'm seeing lots and lots of new growth. It's making styling a challenge, but it's good to see - it gives me hope. Here's what I did...I stared using Nioxin shampoo. It has a drying effect on my scalp, so a couple of days a week, I used a moisturizing shampoo. I took Biotin and Folic Acid - approved by my doc. This is for regrowth more than losing. I also started using a product called Toppik - it works just like the videos on the website show. It seems expensive, but I'm still on my same bottle and have about 40% left. At the end of the day, the hair loss bothered me, but I would do it all over again!

If you look at it rationally, there is no way you gained 3 pounds. A pound of fat is approx 3500 calories - you aren't getting that in a week! Your body will hold on to Water for lots of reasons - if you're going to the gym, it could be that. Your muscles need water to recover. You would be holding on to it because a couple of days ago you had a little more Protein than usual - your body needs assistance from the water to process your protein. My weight fluctuates when I drink milk. My suggestion is to weight once per week at the most - go a couple of weeks if you can. This early out the scale is not your friend. Your body is still healing and trying to figure out what you did to it 7 weeks ago and wondering why the calories have stopped coming in. It's trying to figure things out just as you are. Rather than weigh, take your measurements and pictures of yourself. Those will help you when your stalled.

I was wondering where you've been! Sorry about your power being out. Here's to hoping you can get the drain removed! Sending much love and positive vibes your way!

@@hopeful one, I posted previously about how much hair I've lost...I will tell you, it's worth it. I would do this all over again, even with the hair loss. You may lose some, you may lose a lot, you may not lose any - it was a chance I was willing to take. I'm glad I did. Best of luck to you!

@@HalloweenBaby24, I could have stayed a little longer, but I was totally ready by noon. I had to pee before they would let me go. I was walking the halls because they took my bed and gave me a chair - the chair was uncomfortable and it felt good to walk. They won't let you go if you're not doing well... You're going to do great!

I try to eat something before I work out - maybe 1/2 a Protein bar (I'm 8 months out). This help fuel me during my work out. After a workout I usually have the other 1/2 of my Protein Bar or a shake. Need to make sure you fuel your body!

I had a couple of breakdowns during the pre-op diet. It was hard seeing the family eat "regular" food and there I was with a crummy Protein shake. Just keep your eye on the prize - this is a short term situation. In 6 months you'll look back at this and say, "It wasn't so bad." You are one step closer to changing your life. The next step won't be easy, either. You're going to have good days and bad days. There may be times you think to yourself, "What did I do to my body?!?!" I think that's normal. I'm almost 8 months post-op and have had some bad days. I've had many more good days, though. I'm healthier and happier today than I was a year ago. This is a life changer. Best of luck to you! Stay positive!

I agree with some of the statements above - be in the best physical shape you can before surgery. It will make recovery easier and you'll feel better faster.

I had a McDonalds experience just this weekend...we were at a baseball tournament in a small town on a Sunday afternoon. It was truly a one stoplight town and everything except for McDonalds was closed. I had a Protein bar with me, but I knew with a 2.5 hour trip home, I might need it for later. My husband and son had to eat, so we stopped at McDonalds. I ordered a chicken wrap with grilled chicken. I opened up the wrap and ate the chicken (there was probably 2-3 ounces), one slice of bacon, the tomato and cucumber. I had a bite of the wrap. I was satisfied. I didn't eat a fry, have a shake, or McCafe calorie-laden drink. This is a similar meal that I would have at a restaurant. I had the choice - I could have ordered a burger and fries, but I chose not to. I chose not to have a shake or a McFlurry - I was tempted, but I CHOSE not to. The sleeve does not make the choices for you - the sleeve will stop you from eating copious amounts of food.

@@finediva, Yes, I was on a two week pre-op diet - 2 Protein shakes and a lean and green meal (6 ounces of Protein and a green veggie).

@@hopeful one, They have different colors that you can purchase, no blending.

When the first doctor I talked to said, "You can expect to lose 60% of your excess weight" I asked how he came up with that number. He said, "Averages". My response was, "I am not giving this an average-type of effort." I went into this wanting to lose 106 pounds - 256 high weight down to 150 pounds. I'm at 183 and have only lost 7 pounds in the past 2.5 months. I'm discouraged because I've slowed down so much. I'm just shy of 8 months post op. I can tell you - although I won't be happy with my roughly 70% loss, if I don't lose another pound, my life is better today than it was a year ago. My size is smaller today than at the same weight years ago. I'm more active and a lot of my health problems are gone, my aches and pains are gone. The numbers are not as important to me right now - I'm working out a lot and doing my best to eat on program. Those are the things I can control. I can't control how my body decides it's going to lose the pounds.. The scale doesn't have the same hold on me as it did early on. I feel fantastic and i think I look pretty good, too! :-)

I don't think it's a coincidence that my husband has gained about 10 pounds since my surgery! My dog is heavier, too!

Welcome Jade! Feel free to post about fears, ask your questions, and continue to research. You will find a wealth of information here. You'll find nay sayers in your life - they may be family members, friends, even members of the medical community. Do your research and network here. You'll know when you're ready to commit. Best of luck to you!

Hi there. I think it's perfectly normal to feel that way...I did, for sure. I waffled back and forth many times between August, 2013 and my surgery date, November 14, 2013. Sometimes I thought, "Have you really tried hard enough?" "Can you lose the weight on your own?" "This is so drastic!" I'm now almost 8 months out and I realize, I wasn't going to be able to do it on my own. I tried multiple, multiple times. It's drastic, but I needed drastic! This was the best decision I could have made for me. I'm happy I wen thru with it. Only you can decide if you're ready - this is a life-changer. Do your research. Do some soul-searching. Continue to network with other sleevers. You'll know if it's right for you. Best of luck!

I had my surgery on an outpatient basis - in admitting at 6:00 am and in the car at 12:30 heading home. I think this is becoming more popular. My local doctor was horrified when I told her (I was self pay, so went to a surgeon in another state, then follow ups with local doc who also performs surgery). She keeps her patients in the hospital for 3 days. I'm not saying I wasn't nervous about the outpatient thing, I was. We scoped out which hospital is closest (5 minutes) and had the doc's personal cell number on hand, just in case of complications.

You're recovering from major surgery! You will get tired, but each day you will get stronger and feel better. Hang in there - keep working on getting in your Protein and your fluids. Be kind to yourself - if you need to nap or rest, do it. Also, if you are able to cleared, walk. Starting to get into shape will help with your energy as you heal.

Have you talked to your doctor about thrush?

My doc only allowed walking (non-treadmill) till 6 weeks. After that, no restrictions on activity. I walked a lot and did the elliptical at the gym as well as incorporated strength training.

Awesome sauce!!!!!!!

I started shedding in the 2nd month, got really bad 3rd month and finally started slowing down in the 7th month. Some days were horrifying in the shower! I started seeing regrowth around month 5 - so I was losing and regrowing at the same time. I have a lot of regrowth now and it's an awesome sight! My doc said, "anything you lose due to surgery will grow back." I was skeptical in the beginning because I was losing so much, but it appears to be the case.

As @@Kindle writes - everyone is different. I took 2 pain pills on days 3 and 4 after surgery and it was so I could sleep more than about pain management. I felt more discomfort than actual pain. The discomfort would subside when I walked. My pain level was less than recovering from my c-section.