IcanMakeit

I used to order from Netrition all the time when I was on the Atkins diet. But now that I count calories as well as carbs, I find that a lot of my favorite things are too expensive calorie-wise. As I get further into maintenance, I'll probably try them again for occasional treats, but now I'm too chicken.

I went to see my surgeon for a 3-month follow up of my breast reduction. I thought I was going to tell her that I wanted to delay the tummy tuck because I don't want to deal with the recovery or expense. But my mouth opened and "I want the surgery now" came out. I realize that me having another surgery is going to inconvenience my job and affect my husband, but I really want to be comfortable. The giant mound of loose skin on my belly just has to go. I know y'all can't give me permission, but do you think I jumped the gun? I'm only 10 months out from the VSG. Although I reached my surgeon's goal in December, I have continued to lose a little weight since then and am now below my own fantasy goal. They say your weight should be stable for a while before you have plastic surgery, but I'm impatient because I'm uncomfortable.

@@MoMo12onTheGo, After you are done with these sessions and have your insurance approval, make sure you inform your surgeon and the psychologist that referred you about this therapist's ignorance about bariatrics. Hopefully they won't continue to send bariatric patients to her.

@@Susan11803, I'm sorry to hear about Duke. It's great that you have two new pups, though. I hope you will all be happy together. Your house sounds like doggie Shangri La. Current weight: 119 (I've actually lost 1/2 lb., but I round up. I'm still on track to make my goal.)

Changing habits of a lifetime is hard work and no surgery will do all the work for you, but WLS is a gift that helps to make success obtainable. I worried that I would not succeed, and still am terrified that I will backslide in the coming years, but I am grateful for my surgery, especially because I now get great lab reports and my BMI is in the healthy range for the first time in so many years, I can hardly remember.

Congratulations! My kids are grown but I well remember the joy I felt when I learned I was expecting. Enjoy your new adventure.

Thanks for the encouragement. I am trepidatious but also looking forward to taking the next step in my transformation. I'm planning a road trip over a long weekend in August, will I be healed by then? Will I still be swollen?

I love your positive attitude. This post is so great, you should print it out and re-read it in the future if you hit a stall or have other setbacks.

My diabetes is completely in remission since my VSG. From what I hear, both VSG and RNY are great treatments for diabetes, with RNY having even better percentages than VSG. I was very sure I did not want RNY, so I'm glad that VSG is nearly as likely to result in remission as RNY. And for me, it worked.

I believe the answer is yes, hair loss can happen to anyone but it doesn't happen to everyone. Many people say that supplementing with biotin will help, but the actual consensus seems to be that biotin helps with regrowth, but if you are one of the unlucky ones whose hair is going to fall out with the weight loss, there's not a lot you can do to affect that. For me though, I had already lost a great deal of my hair before I had the surgery and continued to lose it after. But since I've been in the process of losing my hair over the past decade (thanks to genetics), I can't blame it on the VSG.

@@Kindle, You win the Internet today!

If you decide to continue with breastfeeding, make sure you pretty much transition him to toddler foods and the cup before the surgery, and plan to use the breastfeeding as bonding/snuggle time. At 13 months your son is probably getting a lot of his nutrition from food anyway, so the demand on your body might not be too extreme. However, directly after surgery, you probably will not be able to get enough fluids in to keep your milk production going. As your intake improves (usually about a month after surgery), your milk production might improve as well.

Whenever I touch my ribs or hip bones, or see my collar bones in a mirror, I get surprised. I had almost forgotten that I had bones, they were so hidden. It is taking me a while to get used to my new figure. When I was younger, I liked thinking of myself as voluptuous, but as I got older, I was just fat.

@@marfar7, Thank you so much for sharing your experience. Your openness about your weight regain has given me fair warning of where my own hard headedness can lead. I also use (sugar free) dark chocolate as a treat (and to alleviate constipation). I strictly limit it to 64 cals per day (2 pieces). So far, I haven't had a problem with it, but maybe I need to rethink my little treat. I could take a laxative or drink smooth move tea instead. Things can get out of control one small step at a time. I agree with @@proudgrammy, going back to the very beginning and progressing through the stages will help you get your head in the game and also give your weight loss a jumpstart that will lift your spirits. You know you can do this. You've done it before.

@@brown eyed gal: From the back of the package it seems that they do make them larger, but you are probably correct that they would only be available on line. Most stores don't bother carrying large sizes.

I had breast reduction surgery and now that I am 3 months out from that, I bought a couple of Genie bras as an experiment. They look ok under my clothes and are very comfortable. I was pleasantly surprised. They don't adjust or have cup sizes though, so finding the proper fit might be tricky.

This thread has really demonstrated how individual all of our food tolerances are. I'm amazed at the people who are still restricted in what they can tolerate more than six months out. I had a strong, accommodating stomach pre-op, and it still seems to be working well. The only reason I don't eat much fruit is that I try to keep my sugar consumption low and the lactose in my yogurt uses up too much of my sugar allowance. Otherwise I'd be chowing down on fruit on a daily basis. I really like it and my stomach has no problem with it. I wonder if our post-op intolerances are actually just our pre-op intolerances magnified. A lot of people claim that undiagnosed food intolerances are common. Maybe they are right.

I went through having an aversion to drinking Water as well. Even though my surgeon told me not to, I started counting the herbal tea I was drinking toward my 64 oz. of Fluid. Then I started increasing non-caloric beverages throughout the day. Drinking stopped being a chore when I wasn't limited to water. Now I'm back to enjoying water. Thankfully, my aversion was temporary. When you make a mistake, it is important to acknowledge it, but it is also important that you move on. Looking backward takes your focus away from your present and future. Regret and recrimination take up energy that should be put to positive use. Please forgive yourself for your mistakes and concentrate on not repeating them.

@@beachhippie217, I think your assumptions about surgery in Mexico are unfair. While I'm sure there are some unqualified surgeons and some surgical centers which do not provide proper care in Mexico, that is also true for the U.S. Many people on this site have found skilled and caring surgeons in Mexico. You have to do your due diligence no matter where you are having surgery.

I'm sorry you are so uncomfortable. While you are suffering now, try to remember that it is temporary. When you are feeling bad, visualize your goals. That really helped me. Another thing that helped was taking walks. Even though it was difficult at first, being outdoors in the fresh air and seeing something besides my bedroom really picked me up. Good luck with your recovery.

Welcome to the other side. I hope the nausea and discomfort pass quickly.

@@AuriP, have you remained at the same weight for 7 1/2 weeks? That does seem like an unusually long stall. In your shoes, I would confirm my food measurements, print out my food logs and then take that information to a nutritionist. Perhaps she/he will be able to give you some advice. It hasn't affected me, but some people find that artificial sweeteners slow their weight loss. Maybe you fall into that category?

@@tomi71, Was it Groundhog Day? Something is really going on with this site. Lots of people are having problems with multiple postings. I had an experience similar to yours in Ross. But it worked to my benefit. The XL jacket was mis-sized and had been placed on clearance. I got it for a steal!! Like you, I didn't care what size it said, I just liked the jacket (and the price).

I developed a rash a few weeks after my surgery. It just went away on its own after a couple of weeks. I never figured out what caused it, but I suspect it was a reaction to the surgical tape or glue. I hope yours is something simple like that. When you're feeling frustrated and hopeless, try to look on the positive side of your weight loss experience. You are taking affirmative steps to improve your health. You can feel proud of yourself for that.