Bluesea71

It sounds like you could benefit from having a professional fitting. I prefer Nordstrom but Victoria's Secret will do it too. They say most of us are wearing the wrong size bra.

Can I change my goal weight to 149? It's currently set to 147. I'm training hard for an upcoming event and I don't think I am going to see any movement reflected on the scale. Any loss is likely to be replaced by muscle gain. I'm already around my goal weight but need these challenges to keep me on the straight and narrow. I also would love to get down to the 140's. I'm lucky if I lose 1-2 pounds a month at this point though!

Lol. What year did you get pregnant? Sizing has changed so much over the years! I discovered a few boxes of clothes in my attic of clothes from high school and clothes before I had kids (circa 1980's and 90's). I'm wearing a modern size 8. I can squeeze in some size 6 clothes. I cannot squeeze in many of the size 12 pants I have from high school!!!! Modern sizes now include 00 and 0 so everything seems to have gone up. Darn variety sizing! I also think the cut of things is to blame. Things were all high waisted in the 80's and 90's! My waist isn't as small as it once was before kids!

I do agree age plays a big role. I was a competitive athlete growing up and our capability to grow muscle is reduced as we get older. I'm now a woman in her 40's. I'm lucky that I have a naturally athletic/hour glass body shape without even trying. I'm currently training to hike half dome. I take strenuous 10 mile plus hikes on the weekends and try to fast pace walk 5-10 miles per day minimum. My body is lean and defined but the muscle mass just isn't what it used to be. On one hand I'm thrilled because I used to hate my legs when I was younger because my calve and thigh muscles would become so big and bulky! I'm thinking with the hard training I'm doing, I need to increase my protein intake. That's where coming on these boards and reading all of the posts are helpful to remind me of what I SHOULD be doing! They warned us about a honeymoon period! I am a pretty clean eater and am dedicated to my health and this process. Still, it becomes more challenging when you are once again capable of eating whatever you want!

Keep it simple. You will wear the hospital gown while there. No way to change with the IV and pole attached. I wore the same clothes home I came to the hospital in and put on a fresh pair of undies. Pack some toiletries and makeup to freshen up and you're good to go. One thing I'd add is your phone, a charger and an extension cord. The only outlet in my hospital room was across the room. It came in handy! The first 24 hours I was miserable in the hospital (and was cursing everyone on BP for not warning me!) I slept most of the time and was happy to have my favorite pillow from home to snuggle up with. Good luck!

The previous posters did a great job explaining things so I won't repeat anything already said. I will just add my observations as someone a year out from surgery at goal. I wasn't always heavy, so have been my current weight of 150 pounds as an adult before. What I have noticed is my body composition is VERY different post WLS. I have a lot less muscle tone and definition than I did at this weight before. I believe this is a direct result of my body burning muscle as fuel during the weight loss process. Taking in adequate protein is the best way to prevent this from happening. I would be curious to hear feedback from others. Anyone else notice a loss in muscle mass?

154 today (4/20)

Hi ladies! It's so nice to hear from you! I go on these boards daily to keep me accountable and I admit, I was kinda bummed when our thread died! I'm doing great albeit the journey has changed as time has gone on! Remember how they warned us how the honeymoon period would end?!??? Luckily I got to goal (150.1) at some point, but I'm still pushing myself to do more. I'm learned to NOT focus on what the scale is reporting though! I'm training to hike half dome in a few months (scored permits!) and have been working out like a mad woman. I hiked 28 miles total last weekend in the sierras just to have the scale go UP four pounds! It's hard not to freak out at the numbers, but the muscles in my legs look awesome so I'm trying to ditch the scale for awhile and focus on what the tape measure reports. I invested in a fitbit. Best investment ever! Totally motivates me to walk everyday! Do you have one? If so, we can compete! Glad to hear you are doing well. I communicate with butterfly daily. I will send her a text and tell her to check in. Maybe the others are lurking and will give an update as well! Yeah us!!!!

All I can say is milk this time while it lasts. It's during this time that you have the opportunity to lose the majority of your weight. I just celebrated my one year anniversary (at goal!) and I can assure you that there will come a time when will be able to eat whatever you want again. Your tummy is still swollen and will be for awhile. Now the real challenge begins.... Because I can now eat and tolerate whatever I want! I wish for those days when it was tough to eat post surgery!

Thank you for your responses everyone. I have been researching and following the surgeons you have mentioned on realself.com for a few months now and will continue to do so. I think the specific questions and concerns I have revolve around complications and aftercare. A tummy tuck is the only plastics I see myself having done. Possibly a breast lift/augmentation too, but I have to admit, for some reason the idea of having breast implants in Mexico freaks me out. I wonder why that is?!? Are they the same manufacturers as the one used in the states? How is aftercare and complications handled when you go home? Jamie - you mentioned in another thread that you had complications. Did you received adequate care through your PCP? Are drains removed before you board the plane to go home? I'm naive to how much follow-up care would take place if I had surgery in the US in comparison. Do you send your surgeon in mexico pictures of your wounds so they can see how they are healing? Any insight would be much appreciated! Thanks in advance!

I'm going to chime in with my my clinical hat on and play the role of devil's advocate. Was there not a spark of truth to what boy toy #3 said? I'm yet to meet someone who had WLS who felt in control of their weight and body before surgery. Most of us were NOT smart about the choices we made pre-surgery. That's partly how we ended up where we did. Oftentimes when we have intense reactions to people, places and things, it's because a deep wound has been awoken in us. It rarely has little to do with the current thing going on, but the old fear or wound it has triggered inside of us. Instead of fearing it, embrace it as an opportunity to explore and learn more about yourself. The one thing I have learned over the past year post-surgery, is the actual surgery was the easy part. Learning to love and accept my new body has been a challenge I wasn't prepared for. Boy toy's comment DID offended you. The question is, what is preventing you from addressing this directly with him? Telling HIM how his comment made you feel? There is a possibility he didn't mean the comment in the way it came across. Give him a chance to clarify or apologize. We all view things through our own life filter. You would be surprised how often we misinterpret what others say to us on a daily basis. I think many people fear conflict. I embrace it. In a relationship, conflict can work two ways - it can either drive two people apart, or lead two people to a closer level of intimacy. It forces us to have tough conversations which intimately bring us closer to a greater level of understanding. Just remember, there is someone out there for each of us. That person will accept you for who you are. There will be no lying. No need to hide your scars. Until that person arrives. Never compromise. You also have to remember that conflict is inevitable in any relationship. It's just a matter of how you HANDLE the conflict. If your coping mechanism is to dump and run every time you are offended, you may find yourself single and alone! *BTW - Let's not downplay the complement boy toy gave you about your intelligence. I'm thinking he may expect such an intelligent woman to speak up as needed. Why is it we are so quick to focus on the negative? I think it's awesome he likes you for your BRAINS ????

I will chime in here as a woman who has had two children already before WLS. I have almost zero loose skin on my body post wls EXCEPT in the area of my stomach below my belly button. It is stretched out as a result of two pregnancies. I have Freddy Kruger stretch marks where the skin was stretched beyond repair. There is a reason why plastic surgeons don't recommend tummy tucks to patients who plan to have children. There is a chance you will stretch out the muscles that were tightened and the skin will be stretched. If you have an endless surplus of cash to get surgery now, go for it! Just know there is a pretty good chance you may have to have a revision later. As far as other procedures, you weren't very specific in your post what you were considering. It may be wise to seek the guidance of a plastic surgeon to address your concerns.

I typically avoid the posts on this website where people are ranting at each other. I feel like handing out a virtual cupcake to everyone and saying, "can't we all just get along?" Seriously people, the awesome thing about an online forum is you get to pick and choose what you read and engage in. This is the main reason why I prefer this over attending the support groups at my local barriatric center. I can't control who attends those meetings and then I'm stuck with them for an entire hour. I sign on to Barriatric Pal daily. Why? Because I know staying connected is one of the best things I can do to insure I am successful in this journey. Time and time again I read posts from people who have strayed from the site, gone off track, gained weight and come back for support. I come on this website and read these posts daily. IT'S MY CHOICE. I will be a year out from surgery on April 16, 2014. Yes, sometimes it is annoying to read the same posts over and over again about stalls, hair loss, loose skin, food intake and Vitamins. Guess what? One short year ago I was the newbie starting on this journey anxious whether I would succeed or not. I was full of questions and eager to reach out to others as nobody in my "real" world had weight loss surgery. I work with a lot of people in 12 step recovery programs in my profession. Bill Wilson, one of the founders of AA, early on grew frustrated when he reached out to fellow alcoholics to help them, but often those men he tried to help went on to drink. He felt like giving up and one night his wife Lois, reminded him that HE was no longer going out and getting drunk. The act of giving back to others helped maintain his own sobriety. I remind myself of this. I choose to give back and help newbies on this site to help myself. I read your posts and it reminds me of information I learned long ago and "forgot". It helps me stay on track. If a post annoys me, I can choose to ignore it. I help you to help me. I'm going to eat a real cupcake now.

Tomorrow it is! Can you believe it's been a year? I'm very active on this website. I find it helps me keep accountability! Hoping everyone checks in tomorrow!

I am a licensed clinician but I wouldn't dare give medical advice over the Internet. My professional hat comes off when I'm on this forum. I would suggest you contact your medical provider and tell them your concerns. Your medication may need to be adjusted.

AS I type this post, I'm thinking about what kind of responses I'm hoping to get from the BP community. For me, accountability is everything. I'm open to hearing suggestions/feedback and also hoping to get some support from others to keep moving! I am 11 months out from gastric sleeve surgery and am still struggling to implement a consistent exercise routine. I wouldn't consider myself nonactive by any means. I have been hiking 6-12+ mile hikes since before surgery. Problem is there is NO consistency. I will go walking for 1-1.5 hours one day and then not walk or exercise for five days. I have really only "exercised" a handful of times since my surgery 11 months ago. I recently purchased a Fitbit last week and discovered that I am more active on a daily basis than I'm giving myself credit for. I typically walk 6,000 steps a day on what I would consider a "non-active" day. So I realized I'm possibly farther along in being active than others on here. SInce getting my fitbit a week ago, I have been walking a minimum of 10,000 steps a day/5 miles/20 stairs. (Why didn't I get one of these little buggers sooner?!?) I do feel I have payed the price by not prioritizing exercise since surgery. I wasn't always overweight, so I have a pretty good idea what my body "should" look like at a certain weight. At 5'7" tall, I reached my surgeon's goal of 160 several months ago. I am now down to 154 and would like to get to 140-145. I look in the mirror and my body composition is VERY different from it was when I used to weigh this amount. (Note: I weighed between 150-163 from ages 14 through 31.) I appear more "flabby." I keep wondering how this may have been different if I had exercised more during this process. I do have genetics on my side. I naturally have an athletic body type. I was a competitive athlete when I was a child/teen. Later on in my 20's and 30's I power walked every single day for an hour to keep my weight in check. Unfortunately exercise was one of things to go when my work/life balance got out of whack when I had children. Some history on me - I've never liked "formal" exercise. Gyms still scare me. Maybe it's the whole "I don't have 3 hours in my day to drive-workout-shower before work" excuse I have always used. Regardless, fast paced walking is an exercise I can do anywhere, doesn't require any equipment and (for now) most likely the exercise I will consistency stick with. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my new Fit bit as it is providing the accountability I need. SO what's the problem you may be asking? I have been gaining weight the last two weeks since implementing daily exercise. SInce surgery, I haven't had a problem with regain at all. Once I lose it, it rarely if ever fluctuates. SInce exercising I have GAINED 3 pounds. Intellectually, I "Get" what's going on. My body is adjusting to this new "curve" ball I've introduced. I may have to tweak my caloric intact. My body is also likely building muscle, which weighs more. Muscle burns more than fat, so long term having more muscle will make maintaining easier. I know intellectually I just need to keep plugging along and keep exercising! In a few short weeks I will experience a drop in weight, I will jump up and down and Celebrate. Right now, I need my BP pals to talk me off the ledge (Kidding, sort of ) Here's where I have to be honest though — and before I do, I want to say, DO NOT DO WHAT I DID. I noticed very early on after surgery that I would stall every time after I exercised. If I exercised, the scale wouldn't move. If I stopped exercising, the scale would move. There was so much focus on what the scale reported verses what my body looked like, that I stopped implementing a formal exercise routine all together. Old habits are hard to change and my old thinking right now is telling me to STOP exercising. Over the past year, there have been several times on the BP website I have read others talking about stalls and people commenting about how they exercised daily and wonder what their weight loss would be like if they didn't exercise. So many times I wanted to tell them to just stop exercising and they would lose weight! I wanted to type this.... yet I never did. You know why? Because I always knew exercise was key to long-term maintaince. I knew I may possibly be able to lose the weight without exercise, but it would be very difficult to maintain it without it. I also knew bodies with more muscle mass burn calories more easy. I knew I was screwed if I didn't eventually address this key issue that played a huge role in me neglecting this area of self-care. So here's what I need from my my BP buddies today. Encouragement that this 2-4 pound gain I have seen on the scale the past few weeks since implementing daily exercise is temporary and to hang in there. Seriously, I wish I could just stop obsessing over what that darn scale reports! I am in the home stretch here! I am less than 10 pounds away from my stretch goal of what I want to weigh. Problem is I want to look good NAKED. The only way that's going to happen is if I keep on moving!

I'm coming back to this post to seek a little reassurance from my BP buddies again! I've been walking 15,000-20,000 + steps a day and feeling great! I returned from a weekend in Yosemite where I completed 26 miles in hikes over three days. I was amazed what my body could do. We hike these trails 3-5 times a year and this time we only stopped once for a lunch break each day. My body felt strong and I didn't feel sore until I came home Monday. The muscles in my legs appear lean and strong. The sleek definition of the muscles is reminding me of my younger years as a competitive athlete. So what's the issue? I left home Friday weighing 150.1. I came home Sunday weighing 155! I still weigh 155 on Tuesday. I know I always retain water after being in high altitude, but what a mind trip this all is! I'm throwing the darn scale out! I'm beginning to love the way my body is looking. It's taking on a toned athletic shape. I have to remind myself that I may weigh more if I'm building muscle mass. Sigh.

I get my quest bars at GNC or on Amazon online. Purchase the $20 GNC yearly membership and you get a significant discount. No tax or shipping if there is a store near you. Apple pie is my favorite. Have one every day for breakfast

Holy smokes Batman! My "normal" weight the last week has been 150.1 but after returning from a weekend in the high mountains hiking 25 plus miles, I'm weighing in at 156.1 this morning. I'm sure it's a combination of holding onto water and extreme exercise building gorgeous new muscle mass! Haha! Put 156.1 as my starting weight for the challenge and it will (hopefully) show an amazing loss next week! My goal weight will be 147.

Hetera - do a search and post your question in the forum specific to people who have had WLS in Mexico. You are more likely to get responses from people in the community who will actually be helpful vs. judgmental. Not saying the replies so far have been judgmental, more curious, but the responses are not addressing the questions the poster asked. It IS very hard to navigate this website in the beginning! I'm so used to navigating the app on my phone that the desktop website throws me for a loop! Good luck with your surgery planning and whatever you end up deciding!

I use the one on my fit bit app

Oops. Forgot to check in yesterday! Today's weight is the same as yesterday - 150.5. 1/2 pound from my 149 goal weight! Oh well. 160 was my surgeon's goal weight for me and at this point I'm more focused on fitness and toning than what the scale is reporting. My body seems to like this weight and I wouldn't be surprised if I actually gain a little weight with the muscle I'm putting on. These challenges have been a huge part of my success from day one out of surgery so I will see you in the Memorial challenge in the next thread! ????

I have been a lifetime Kaiser member and I can tell you that member rates will increase to all of its members if procedures like these become common practice. I'm self employed and pay for my health insurance and already pay a small fortune for it. As much as I would like Kaiser to cover my tummy tuck, I know it would strictly be for cosmetic purposes and therefore don't think other kaiser members should front the bill for it. They told us in our Bariatric class that Kaiser will cover skin removal if it is significant and hangs over your private area or you have ongoing infections. I'm curious how bad this woman's skin is. I have had several surgeries during my lifetime and have never had an issue fighting Kaiser for any procedure I really needed.

I'm in! I will weigh in and provide my goal weight after the current Easter challenge ends. Thanks for taking over!

My hair started falling out month three and seemed to stop by month 8 or so. I will be a year out this month and any signs of thinning are completely gone now. I have always eaten plenty of protein and started taking biotin 2 months prior to surgery. There really isn't much you can do to prevent it. I purchased toppik spray on fibers on amazon and it did wonders to conceal my thinning hair. I actually still use a spray or two on my pale scalp to make my hair appear thicker. A small bottle goes a long way. Make sure to purchase the optional spray applicator.