VSGAnn2014

I asked more than 2 questions. And I was looking for help not sarcasm. Seriously, If u can't relate than keep scrolling. Wtf was ur point in responding? Uh ... I thought you were seriously asking if people had felt the same way you are. Didn't realize you were looking only for responses from those who felt the same as you. What would you like help with?

Lol ... I don't like waist trainers so I must be ugly, a self-hater, and ... I forgot the other thing. Oh, don't know how to do my hair or apply makeup. Bless your heart.

No and no.

Weigh every morning. Use My Fitness Pal. Walk or exercise at at least five days a week. Don't buy junk food and bring it home. See a therapist about any serious food or stress issues. Throw away all your big clothes. Develop and invest in hobbies, avocations, passions that feed your soul and burn calories. Stop postponing your life. Do it now. Eat nutritious food. Your body deserves it.

Hate to break it to you, kid, but I get to express my opinions here, too. Tough titty. P.S. In case you didn't understand my opinion, I think a waist trainer as a concept -- physically and culturally -- is a stupid idea. And it's really stupid for someone who's just had WLS to employ. IMHO, of course.

Read it and weep: Today I went to my favorite high-end consignment store and bought 6 pair of shoes in size 10. (Although I've lost 100 pounds, I haven't lost a millimeter in my shoe size!). NONE of them have been worn even once by the local Mrs. Gotbucks; the shoe soles are virgin! * Tod's leather navy moccasins ($425) * Beverly Feldman turquoise leather sandals ($120) * Skechers Relaxed Fit Memory Foam ($65) * Vaneli Attie Sport Shoe ($150) * Vaneli patent leopard sandals ($135) * INC International Concepts Rhinestone Canvas Espadrille ($99) And I got 'em all for $200 (including tax).

@@JamieLogical ... you rock. This is so, so impressive. Congratulations on all your hard work to prepare for this and on your big accomplishment. I'm so proud of you.

@@gowalking ... first, I'm sorry your dad is a perfect a*****e. And he really is. Second, I hope your fill is just what the doctor ordered. Third, you are such a pleasure to hang out with here at BP. You really are such a smart, lovely person. It's really nice to know you. Thanks for being here.

Let's see -- you've just cut out 85% of your stomach. You're losing weight. Your gastrointestinal system and other organs are basically shifting around inside you. Your lymph system and circulatory system and kidneys and excretory systems are working overtime to excrete all the waste products from rapid weight loss. And you want to wear a corset designed in the 1800s that pushes your ribs in toward your still-healing sleeve and compresses your body's lymphatic and circulatory systems, your heart and your lungs. What could possibly go wrong?

@@Heather I ... this is such a good post! Thank you. Ann

Dub, meet veggies. Veggies, this is Dub.

I HATE that show. I have always hated that show. I especially hate the trainers -- the verbal and psychological abuse they put participants through. Bottom line: I hate all reality shows. They're total and utter bullshit. P.S. I read that Ali Vincennt has joined Weight Watchers. She should be fine.

To the OP: After reading all your responses to everyone, I think, yeah -- you shouldn't have WLS. You're not even close to understanding or being able to make the changes necessary to be a successful WLS patient in the long-term. For some reason, even though you weigh 440 pounds and think that eating 50 buffalo wings means you have a "portion problem," you think you can negotiate the terms of what it will take to reach a normal weight and become healthy. Get a therapist. That's not an insult. It's sincere advice.

I think you misheard. OR ... the doctor is flat-out mistaken in what he said. Gastric bypass is the "gold standard" of all WLS procedures -- having been performed the longest and having had more research done about it than any other WLS. My understanding that half of all people who've had gastric bypasses are "successful" long-term -- defined as maintaining at least 50% of their excess weight lost long-term.

LOL! What'd you think was gonna happen Month One post-op -- the WLS fairy godmother (who looks just like Cher, btw) was gonna show up and poof you a size 4 ballgown that would fit you perfectly? I lost 10.4 pounds the first month post-op. I've lost 100 pounds altogether. I've maintained my weight loss for nearly a year and now weigh 135 pounds. Protip: It matters not a whit whether you lose 10 pounds a month or 30 pounds a month (btw, at your low starting BMI you were NEVER going to lose 30 pounds/month). The only thing that matters is that you lose all your excess weight and eventually learn how to maintain your new, healthy weight.

Great topic @@VDB . Thank you. I just calculated that you now weigh only 69% of what you weighed when you started out. And at your goal weight you'll weigh 57% of your original weight. That's exactly where I am now -- 57% of my original weight. I started out at 235 pounds nearly 2 years ago and have lost 100 pounds. I now weigh 135 pounds and have been at this weight for some time now. When we lose that much body mass a lot of things have to change. For instance, I don't have all that mass to throw against stuff I'm trying to heft (brush, tree limbs, tools, furniture, luggage, multiple bags of groceries, children and pets, etc.). So now I'm learning to use different techniques to lift things -- with my knees and back instead of just my shoulders and arms. I'm learning to approach physical tasks using different angles, learning "a more strategic touch" by investigating what else besides brute force will conquer the physical task at hand. Then there's the fact that your body's center of gravity is shifting all over the place as you lose weight. If you're not steady on your pins all the time, then welcome to the club. Only now, a year after reaching goal, am I beginning to get my proper land legs back. Then, of course, there's the fact that I look so much different -- to myself and to others. I wear size 4 jeans now, not size 18-20 jeans. I look so much younger than I did two years ago. I don't suffer from body dysmorphia in regard to my appearance. I think that having huge mirrors in our master bathroom on two sides of the room have helped in this regard. I'm reminded a lot of what I look like. Then there's the issue of how I move -- not lumbering from side to side, like all overweight women move to some extent, but in a straight line, feeling the freedom to swing my arms more since I walk so much faster than I used to. And then there's my new posture -- now I'm mindfully standing up straight, shoulders back, tits out, neck straight up (not forward), head up. This new way of presenting myself -- even if only to the mirror and to myself -- helps me inhabit my new body comfortably. Then there's the bit about how much slower my heart pumps and how much more deeply I breath and how much more fully I exhale. The old obesity conditions of not enough oxygen and too much carbon dioxide coursing through my body are no longer with me, and that means I now experience much less low-grade anxiety. Oh, and now my underwear and clothes aren't as tight as they were two years ago, which also helps me to breathe better and lowers my physical anxiety. So many changes we're going through! I've used yoga and stretching exercises to help me physically notice how much my body has changed. I call it "rolling around on the floor." I think you can pretty much make up your own exercises -- just find the parts that are tight or different or that you're proud of and see what you can do with those body parts now. And I strongly recommend meditation -- whatever kind(s) help you relax and be comfortable. Although perhaps you do all this stuff already. As others have said, I think time helps us adapt to our new bodies and new looks. But in the meantime, what a trip this is!

@@JupiterinVirgo ... OK, I'll bite. What, specifically, is this "outdated bariatric gospel" we should be scorning? What, specifically, do you think we should be doing instead?

I'm 70 -- was sleeved at age 68. Lost 100 pounds, maintaining now at 135. You may find post-op, like I did, that others eating in front of me no longer bothers me at all. As you probably know, the sleeve surgery removes the fundus (the stretchy part of the stomach) where the hunger hormone, ghrelin, is produced. The removal of this part of your stomach / ghrelin will make a big difference in your autonomic responses to food smells and tastes. Over time, your body may (or may not) figure out how to produce ghrelin in other parts of the body. Thus far, at 20 months post-op, my ghrelin production seems like it hasn't returned very much. That said, when I indulge in sugar too much I feel something that is NOT physical hunger -- but is something I could easily confuse with physical hunger. It's an almost manic, compulsive feeling that I want to eat more sugar. Consequently, when I don't eat much sugar I'm just fine. Yes, I do feel physical hunger when I've not eaten for 3-4 hours. But even those urges are not as strong as they were pre-op. I don't know how this will change in the coming years. Others here farther out than me -- those who've been sleeved 4-5 years ago -- say that eventually you just have the same response to food and hunger that "normal-weight people who've never been fat" have. They're making these assessments based on personal comparisons of their behavior with those of normal-sized friends and acquaintances. Good luck to you. It's only my opinion, but I think older folks have an easier time with WLS and its aftermath. We've been through a lot in life and, although life's stresses never end, we don't seem to be drawn into the drama llama weeds that some younger people struggle with.

Oh, yeah -- I heard that, too. T.S.A. flat-out told me to get a new driver's license. They also said my new hair style was a lot better than the old one. Everybody's a critic.

First, I second what others have said: Everyone's post-op sleeve experiences / capabilities are NOT identical. My own experiences include these: * I had a perfect surgery with no complications and recovered easily. * I've never thrown up post-op. Not once. * I did have gall bladder surgery a month post-WLS, but recovered fast and well from that, too. * I've lost 100 pounds and been maintaining well for nearly a year on 1700 - 1800 calories/day (and 90-100 grams of Protein a day). * I do NOT drink carbonated drinks -- I did so during one long road trip, and the resulting stomach acidity (not the soda's bubbles) made me sick as a dog for a week thereafter. So I don't do that anymore. * Sugar makes me crave more sugar -- so although I do indulge sometimes, I ration it carefully. * Yes, I do eat pizza -- about once a month. But only 1-2 small slices. * I now drink a 5-ounce glass of wine OR 1.5 ounces of scotch most nights (didn't have anything alcoholic for 6 months post-op). * I have tracked my food using My Fitness Pal since 2.5 months prior to WLS. I think it's the best tool you could use in addition to WLS to understand your relationship with food and to help you plan the most nutritious menus you could possibly eat. You should consider these things as well: * I wouldn't be where I am if I hadn't changed not only how much I eat, but WHAT I eat. I do not eat "normally." I eat healthy foods 90% of the time. I thought I knew a lot about nutrition pre-op, but I know so much more two years later! And I use that information daily to make much better food choices than I used to make. * I am not a binge eater -- but it sure sounds like you are. I recommend that you seek therapy with someone who deals with bariatric patients to help you overcome that eating disorder, because BED will put the weight back on you even with a sleeve. Want evidence of that? Keep reading here. The sleeve will NOT fix a binge-eating disorder. * If you and your wife in the past were BED codependency food addicts together, the strong potential to reignite that relationship is still there. I would suggest you both address these issues with a therapist as well. * The sleeve is only one of many tools (behaviors) you will probably need to be successful long-term. The speed with which you eat will have to be addressed. Your daily activity level and exercise are critical to long-term success. For many people drinking their calories is a huge barrier to success. * Two of the biggest negative behaviors of those for whom WLS doesn't result in weight loss / long-term maintenance are (1) grazing (nibbling on food all day long) and (2) eating "slider foods" (highly processed, high-carb foods) that don't stay in the stomach long and slide quickly down into the intestine. I could give you a long list of slider foods (cookies, chips, ice cream, crackers), but many slider foods can be purchased in fast-food restaurants. Good luck to you. You're doing the right thing -- learning more about the sleeve and your personal challenges. If you go the WLS route, don't expect the surgery to fix all your issues. It will not.

Thanks! And here's an article (see link below) to go along with the visual: http://amihungry.com/mindful-eating-resources/about-the-mindful-eating-cycle/

I think tracking food is a GREAT idea. I do it to educate myself about what I'm actually eating. Honestly, tracking is the greatest tool I've used post-op (besides the sleeve, of course) to lose all my weight and maintain my loss thus far. Again, going back and reviewing that information teaches me so much about what I'm doing and how (sometimes) my eating changed without my noticing what was happening.

@@helpless ... I don't have nearly enough information about your situation to offer you advice. But if I were in your shoes, here's the first thing I'd do: I'd change my nickname here from "helpless" to something that didn't constantly reinforce that I felt helpless. I'd change it to something like: "kick-butt-and-take-names" or "HellYeah" or "SkinnyBitch" or "Winner." As long as you feel helpless, you won't be able to help yourself. Because, ultimately, you CAN help yourself. Self-talk is pretty darned important in this war we're all in to win back and keep our health. So talk yourself UP!

That's a very unsatisfying answer from your surgeon, @@missblonde20 . I haven't heard of anyone who "cannot lose anything" after sleeve surgery. I do know people who lose a lot less than you'd expect or regain what they initially lost because they eat around the sleeve -- by which I mean they eat slider foods, they graze, they don't eat enough Protein, they drink a lot of liquid calories. All day and night long they just slowly eat and drink too much. In a word, they are uncompliant. It is not a mystery.

Thank you! Damn you!