WL WARRIOR

I used Dr. De La Torre at Univ. of MO Columbia. I think you only have the option of using him or Dr. Scott. Both are good surgeons. Are you getting sleeve or bypass?

You mention that you have gotten off track. Just remember that the train has never left, its right beside you waiting for you to get back on. You obviously know how to be successful since you've lost over 100 pounds. Don't be a human trash can. Throw that sugary junk where it belongs--in the trash!

http://guidedoc.com/gastric-sleeve-vs-gastric-bypass-surgery This is a good article on the topic.

It's been a whole year since I've had a period. Since I'm 38, I thought that is was menopause. My bariatricin told me a few weeks ago that it was not menopause. Basically, he thinks I don't have enough fat in my body to have a monthly cycle. This seems absurd since I was 200 pounds when it started to cease January 2015. I eat more than enough throughout the day, so it doesn't have anything to with starvation mode or over exercising. Anyhow, my bariatrican told me not to worry about it since it will return once my weight stabilizes for a long length of time. Well, I've been the same weight since late September, so I'm not sure if he is right. I guess I'll find out sometime in the future.

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I binge watched many weight loss surgery and obesity related documentaries during the two weeks after surgery on the couch. I was home by myself and off work, so there wasn't much else to do. Anyway, I remember getting choked up during many episodes. Most shows or movies don't move me enough to make me cry, but this show did. It was probably the hormones or the strong sense of empathy. It's odd that I can watch the show now, 15 months later and not be as moved, or at least not to tears.

jane13, You are so right! It does go through different phases and usually a few days at a time. These past few nights have been terrible. It's so odd that when I do wake up at night, I don't feel groggy. I'm more awake than when its time to get up in the morning. My body just feels like its time to wake up. Do you have to pee when you wake up during the night? I always do, even if I don't drink after 6PM. I'm going to a specialist and keep you posted on what I find out.

You can watch full episodes from season 1 and 2 on Youtube. Just type in "600 pound life full episode" in the search bar. There are also full episodes from "Fat Doctor" and "My Big Fat Fabulous Life."

It is still possible to lose lots of weight with a larger sleeve. Like you, I never had trouble getting in my Water and Protein in from Day 1. My stomach can tolerate almost every kind of food and it hold lots of it. For example, I can eat a whole head of lettuce in 25 minutes. I can also eat about 5-6 ounces of dense protein. That's an extreme that doesn't happen very often, but you get the picture. Oddly, my bariatrician is fine with the quantity I eat. In all honesty, I can say that I've only ate to the point of moderate discomfort a few times. My bariatrician says that my sleeve will not stretch because it is working similar to a bladder. My daily caloric intake is around 1800. I still get in around 75 grams of protein everyday even though my diet is mostly plant based. I lost 150 pounds and got to my goal weight 8 months after surgery. Early on, I was griping a little about the large capacity of my sleeved stomach. However, I realized that it was still no where near my capacity BEFORE surgery. It feels like my stomach is about 40-50% of what it use to be. It's still a tool and I have to work with what I got. Another obstacle in my weight loss has been hypothyroidism. Thyroid conditions don't get better when you lose lots of weight. My thyroid continues to work in under drive and I've had to increase my synthroid twice since surgery. The key to my success has been changing the quality of what I eat. I worked extremely hard on changing my habits of eating and now in year 2 after surgery, its finally becoming second nature. I'm still working on my night time eating, so I'm far from perfect- if there is such a thing. Have you tried eliminating carbs completely from your diet? I know it is difficult to do, but that is what helped my lose rapidly in the first 6 months. Could you share what you typically eat in one day? "The Complete Beck Diet for Life" is a book that is a valuable resource. It helps to change the way you think about food and contains interactive exercises to help you practice, maintain, and master a new way of eating. I have a bookshelf full of self help books and this is the one book I re-read if I feel like I'm slipping up. You can actually get this book for only $1 at Dollar Tree. Otherwise, you can find a cheap copy on Amazon. Dr. Beck also has a website and other books that are additionally useful.

Have you considered the DS? The gastric sleeve was originally designed to be just the first half of the complete surgery. Since so many people did well with just the first half (sleeved stomach) there was no need to do the second half. I don't know much about the DS, but it might be something worth looking into.

Seroquel was actually the only thing that helped me sleep through the night. Unfortunately, it does cause weight gain. It made me crave carbs like crazy. I hate to start taking it again because it's quite a powerful drug. The same goes for Trazodone. I think I'll be weighing the benefits against the risks if I continue feeling like a walking zombie during the day. I have gotten a little better about what I choose to eat at night. It's usually cucumbers or lettuce with vinegar. It is possible for me to eat a whole head of lettuce throughout the night. When I confessed these habits at my OA meeting, everyone looked at me like I was crazy or needed professional help. If my weight is still stable, despite these habits, then why is it such a big deal? I do tend to eat less during the day when I eat at night. My recent labs were nearly perfect. I'm questioning the OA abstinence program because its just a big ball of guilt for me.

Just a little update............... NOTHING has really changed much with my ritualistic night time wakening. It's still very much uncontrollable and about three times a night at the same times. As for eating when I wake up at night, some weeks are better than others. The holidays were stressful for me and it sort of carried over to my night time eating. I ate almost a pound of grapes throughout the night (during the 3 times I woke up). This kind of eating doesn't go on during the day. It's quite a wonder that I can maintain my weight. My latest tests showed ketones in my urine. I'm not diabetic and quite far out from surgery to be in ketosis. After a little research, I discovered that ketosis can wake you up during the night. Anyone else heard of this?

A one a day bariatric Vitamin makes your post op vitamin regimen so much easier.

Doesn't Metaucil have quite a few carbs? I could be wrong. The benefit from it probably outweighs the extra carb intake. I've been having constipation the past few months despite eating lots of fibrous fruits and vegetables everyday. My bariatrician told me to TRIPLE dose the Miralax every morning. Yesterday was the first time I did this and it cleared me out pretty good. Although I'm not sure how safe a triple dose is daily. I'm going to get a second opinion. Also, Miralax isn't that cheap unless I can find a good generic.

I am halfway through the huge red/white container. I think that is the Target brand you mentioned. This is the first time I've purchased this kind of Protein powder and I only did so because I was already in target and didn't want to drive somewhere else just to buy my Protein Drink. The only aspect about it that I don't care for is that it is not whey protein isolate. Other than that, it does taste the same as Premier Protein chocolate. The low price is the best factor. However, you can get MuscleTech protein isolate at Wal-Mart for the same price and it tastes the same. I really prefer the protein powders with additional Vitamins and minerals (Isopure, Bariatric fusion, Syntrax Matrix) but the cost is not really worth it since I'm over 14 months post op.

It looks like our starting weight and height was about the same. I weighed 275 on my day of surgery, October 6, 2014. I got to a goal weight of 140 by the end of May. It really depends on your bone structure and body type if a body weight of anything lower than 130 is going to look healthy on you. I've seen other girls at my height look very healthy and vibrant at 120 pounds. Me, not so much. I've gotten as low as 123 and looked quite emaciated. Part of me thinks I want to take this weight loss thing as far as it can go because I'm bound to mess up in the future and gain some back. I picked a weight three months back to stabilize at. If I haven't eaten more than 1500 calories by 6 PM, I have to eat a carb-filled snack. It was a pack of graham crackers last night. This practice works to stabilize my weight, but it does make me feel quite guilty afterwards. This is all mental of course. Once my metabolism slows down, I won't be adding additional Snacks at night. I would also suggest adding healthier carbs than graham crackers. Plus, the wrong kind of carbs (like graham crackers) can increase hunger and cravings for junk food. It's quite hard to stop restricting, especially if you were a past binge eater or have an all or nothing mentality. I think it's more of a trial and error process that gets easier with time.

@@OutsideMatchInside, I do have a dermatologist, but there is no one on staff there that is qualified to do fillers or lasers. My insurance wouldn't cover it anyhow. It's still probably something I will look into once I hit 40.

Yesterday I went to my one year follow up about three months late. It had been a year since I last been to my bariatric clinic (follow up appointments are required only at 3 weeks, 3 months, and one year post op) and things have changed there. There is a new bariatrician that looks about 20 years old that is brand new to bariatric surgery. I wasn't all that impressed. What really puzzled the heck out of me was why all the clinics promotional materials only advertise the band and bypass now. It seems like they don't do the sleeve anymore or promote it. I overheard the bariatrician speaking to the nurse like I was the first sleeve patient he had ever seen there. This all makes me a little nervous about the future of the sleeve procedure. I wish I knew the real reason why they don't do it much anymore. I hope it has nothing to do with safety.

@@vsghealthymom, You mentioned that you are now down in your 120's and I think that is when I really noticed looking older. Once I got to around 125 (I'm usually 124-127), I noticed more of a sunken in look. Would gaining weight really help the problem? I think gaining even a few pounds at this point would very hard for me to do mentally. I'm going to wait it out and see if time helps the problem some.

I took 70 mg of Vyvanse every morning for 5 years. I would set my clock for 5 AM, take the medicine, and go back to sleep for an hour and a half. It takes the medicine at least an hour to start working. It got to the point to where I couldn't function in the morning without it. It was a love/hate relationship. I loved the fact that it kept me organized throughout the day. Then again, it was also an amphetamine I started to depend too much on. I've considered going back on it for a few months, but I probably won't. I've learned strategies to help me combat my ADD symptoms. It takes more work, but it can be done. There is a reason why you can't get these kind of meds in Canada. Long usage can eventually cause heart problems. Primarily for this reason, I will not let my son be put on ADHD meds. Yes, it would make him easier to deal with at times. Just like me, he has learned strategies and has accommodations in place at school. Vyvanse can cause terrible withdrawals if you don't wean off of it slowly. Once your tolerance builds on it, then the appetite suppressant effect of the medicine fades.

My first bariatrician visit was January 28, 2014 and my actual surgery wasn't until October 6, 2014. It took so long due to the requirements and hoops I had to jump through. Just the dental requirements took up the summer months. It really depends on your individual requirements, insurance, and bariatric program. Some people have sleep studies, stress tests, and weight loss requirements to complete before being considered before surgery and others do not.

I had a terrible sliming/vomiting episode with Kale at two months post op. Just be careful, it is very harsh on your stomach.

What determines how much weight you will lose after bariatric surgery? Dr. Matthew Weiner, author of A Pound of Cure, explains the surprising answer to this question. Dr. Matthew Weiner is an author and bariatric surgeon who offers both surgical and nonsurgical weight loss solutions. On the surgical side He performs gastric bypass, sleeve gastrectomy and gastric banding surgery through his practice located within the DMC Huron Valley Sinai Hospital. Through his surgical practice, Dr. Weiner made a ground breaking, nonsurgical, dietary discovery. In his book, A Pound of Cure, he shares his style of eating which mimics the changes that occur directly after undergoing bariatric surgery. For more information call his office at 248-413-2670. Or, log onto www.drmatthewweiner.com or www.facebook.com/APoundofCure He also has many YouTube videos that are very informational.

Really, I didn't have a goal weight. My bariatrician never mentioned or asked about how much weight I wanted to lose or even expect to lose. I was his first VSG patient and he was unsure. He just stated that his bypass patients lost 100 pounds within the first year. Additionally, I only weighed myself twice a month during the weight loss phase. I strictly followed the guidelines and ate close to zero carbs and sugar during the first six month post op. Dr. Weiner, a world renown bariatric surgeon, talks about working towards a "set point" during your weight loss phase. I wanted my set point to be around the same weight I was at during my young adult years, which was around 130 pounds. I'm quite certain that I've been at my set point for the past four months. I tend to stay at the same weight (125-129) even if my daily consumption or exercise fluctuates. This makes me think that my body is comfortable at this weight and now I don't feel like I'm constantly dieting.

I'm experiencing low levels of Iron despite adequate supplementation and continually eating foods high in iron. According to my PCP, it is an effect of my screwed up hormones. My hormones have been wacky since surgery and it is also effecting my red and white blood cell count. It still is not clear to me why this is occurring, but it has never occurred before surgery. I feel quite tired throughout most of the day. I did skip my one year follow up because my PCP seemed like an adequate replacement. However, I have finally realized that a second opinion would be important. My bariatric center does NOT let patients visit with the surgeon, period. I can't even e-mail the guy. So, I am going to try out the new bariatrician. This is the third new guy they have hired since my surgery. I am hoping he has a better opinion of what is going on.