mae7365

You look fantastic.

When you get your old clothes out of storage that are 4 sizes smaller (12's vs. 18's), and they not only fit.......some are too big!

I can sympathize with your situation. I'm out of town unexpectedly and struggling to stay focused on my food/protein. It's easy to be disciplined when I'm home in my own environment where I know the pantry and refrigerator are stocked with what I need. I can't offer a lot of wisdom, but hope that knowing you're not alone can get you refocused.

I was 57 when I had WLS in November 2014. My primary care provider told me that WLS is more successful in older adults since we've lived with being overweight and know the hardships of yo yo dieting, most have comorbidities as a result of being overweight and we're more motivated to improve our health.

Goodwill retail stores ($5.99 per pair of jeans in north Florida) and I pulled out my sewing machine. I just keep taking in the back seam of my pants. Sometimes twice in a week. I have also invested in a couple pair of yoga pants. They are stretchy and don't fall down......plus they look pretty good 50 lbs thinner than when I had surgery in November 2014. I wear them with long sweaters. And I've bought a few pair in Walmart for less than $10. They will work for casual, probably not too well if you work.

1/2 size smaller and significantly narrower. All my old shoes slip off my feet now. I added gel insoles so I didn't have to throw them away.

Aetna did not cover the nutritionist counseling/education that was required by the program. I paid $200 also and was told that no insurances pays for that part.

Checked my Multivitamin bottle and No Iron or Zinc, the two things known to cause hair loss per the article posted by MrsSugarbabe. A quick trip to Walmart and Iron and Zinc have officially been added to my daily Vitamin regime. Now I'll just pray that hair growth exceeds hair loss for the next few months!!!!

My "OTHER" is BOREDOM!!!!! In the evening, when I'm watching TV and my husband is sleeping, I'm tempted. Most days I resist with a cup of tea or Protein bar.

@@MrsSugarbabe, Great article. Thank you for sharing.

I was 57 when I had WLS and definitely went with the VSG. I didn't want to deal with dietary supplements for the rest of my life which is what happens with Bypass. The sleeve leaves an intact digestive system so malabsorption isn't an issue. I take two OTC Multivitamins, two OTC B12 and one OTC Biotin per day. No major expense (I can get them at Walmart).

I had the sleeve Nov 2014 and I am so happy with the decision I made. I decided on gastric sleeve vs. bypass because gastric sleeve patients don't have the malabsorption issues associated with bypass and my surgeon won't even do lap bands anymore due to the high failure rate. My pre-op weight gain was directly related to my over-eating. But not eating too much at meals, rather eating 2-3 candy bars along with a bag of chips and three scoops of ice cream every night after my family went to bed. Call it binge eating, grazing whatever, it was my way of feeling comfort. Now, post-op, I have control of my head and what I put in my mouth. I haven't felt real "hunger" since surgery, so I eat to live. I still get the late night cravings to eat junk because I'm bored, but I usually just eat a Protein bar while watching TV after the family goes to bed. Plus, eating really sweet foods before bed gives me terrible acid reflux during the night and that is a constant reminder that junk food and boredom eating should not mix. I see many pre-op patients at my monthly support group. They are either waiting for surgical approval or just getting feedback from those of us who have had WLS. It's a great forum for face-to-face conversations about options. I doubt you'll find one person who says they are sorry they made the decision to have surgery. Benefits clearly out weigh any pre-surgery food passions.

I'm almost 15 weeks post op (Nov 2014 sleeve) and my hair is definitely falling out. Not in clumps, but so thin I feel like I'm washing my scalp vs. my hair. I don't see anything that looks like new hair growth, so I'm hoping it slows down at some point before I'm bald! I've switched to an oil based shampoo and I'm definitely taking all the Vitamins recommended to minimize hair loss. I have my fingers crossed, but I also knew it was a possible consequence of rapid weight loss.

Don't let others (including family) define you! I've learned over the years that family members love each other in different ways, but not always the way I want them too. I'd like to believe that it's their loss more so than mine. With three grown children and a husband of 36 years, I too have learned that I must be sure they know I love them, even when I can't support them. My husband routinely commented about my "fat a**", but that wasn't why I decided to have surgery. That decision was because I finally realized that I was worth it! My long term health was essential if I was ever to enjoy the grandchildren I hope to have one day! Don't let the past dictate your new beginning. It's all about you....no one else!!!!!!!

I never had to stop my medications pre-op. I resumed my meds when I got home the next day. I don't have RA but I do suffer from osteoarthritis. I've noticed my hips and knees don't hurt as often since I've lost weight. I had the gastric sleeve, I'm 14 weeks post op, have lost 49+ pounds and I feel great. The first 10 weeks were challenging with reflux, dehydration and vomiting. But that ended about 3 weeks ago and I now FEEL FANTASTIC. My medication now consist of 2 OTC Multivitamins, 2 OTC sub-lingual B12 pills and 1 OTC Biotin Vitamin plus my two omeprazole prescribed by my surgeon for post-op reflux. I'm off my cholesterol and high blood pressure medications and I turned in my bipap machine last month. LIFE IS GOOD!

When I was preparing my weight loss/diet journal for my insurance pre-op, I contacted WW for my past history data. The woman I spoke to said that they have many post-op WLS patients in their program. I would hope that they would be clued in to the diet of a WLS patient, but I know that I went to WW for the support system more than having someone tell me what to eat. That alone may be what you need from WW. Just a thought.

Could be acid reflux. That's just about the time when mine started with a vengeance, and I only experienced it at night when I was laying down. I think the horizontal position allowed the acid to flow into my esophagus and throat which caused the "heart burn" pain. But being so close after surgery, you may want to call your doctor's office to get their opinion.

I lost 31 pounds the 1st month post-op, 7 pounds the 2nd month and 7 pounds the 3rd month after surgery. Imagine all the stressful days in month 2, 3 and een now when I step on the scale and its the same, or God forbid it's 0.3 pounds heavier..... Your body has to adjust to this new life. I wish I had the strength to just weight myself once per week so I wasn't as scale crazy, but I somehow need that daily reminder in order to keep focused. Just eat correctly, hydrate sufficiently and keep moving. WLS works, but it's just like when we dieted in the past, when your body thinks it's "starving", it starts holding on until it adjusts to the new "normal".

Age is also a factor. The younger you are, the more elasticity in in your skin and that betters your chances of your skin shrinking as you loose weight. I'm 5'4, 58 yrs old and I've lost 48 lbs. I'm please with how well my skin as shrunk as the weight has come off. The only place I have a lot of excess skin in in my upper arms. But I've heard plastic surgery in your arms causes a large scar that you end up wanting to hide anyway...........

At my support group last month, they discussed NSAIDS like Advil. The general consensus was that 6 months - a year after surgery. That's not official, but the NUT who runs the meeting didn't disagree.

Special K Protein has 10 grams of protein in 3/4 cup serving. With 1/2 cup 1% milk, it's a 14 gram Breakfast or snack. I've also tried Cheerios Protein, but it's lower in protein than the Special K. I brought this up at my last bariatric support group and the nutritionist actually recommended it for post-op sleeve patients who suffer from gout and can't eat a lot of meat products.

I haven't noticed bald spots, but my very thin (but lots of it according to my stylist) has gotten very thin. I notice when I wash my hair, it's like I'm washing my scalp, not a lot of hair, and I have tons of hair on my bathroom counter each day....... I tried using some hair volumizing products just to give it more lift and I now have areas of my scalp that have crusty scabs......so no more hair products for me! I also have been religious about taking Vitamins and Biotin. I must admit to only getting 60-70 grams of Protein each day, but I don't think that's far off the mark. My husband says he can't notice a difference (Probably because i don't have bald spots) so I guess its not noticeable to anyone but me. Has anyone heard anything about whether or not Rogaine for Women would help?

Oh......and forget fruit - especially if it has any type of skin. Oranges, apples, grapes, strawberries.....my sleeve just doesn't like them.

I'm over 3 months post op and my sleeve still doesn't like salads, untoasted bread, eggs, tuna. I'm terrified to even try Pasta or rice since I hear those are the hardest to handle. I made tuna salad last night and had to stop eating after 3 spoonfuls. Made scrambled eggs for Breakfast and could only eat a few bites before my stomach said "no more". So I'm hooked on Pure Protein Meal Replacement bars (20 grams protein in 200 calories). My sleeve never gives me grief about Protein Bars.

Aetna called me about my surgery and had the date of my EGD listed as my date of surgery. So I'd wait until your office gives you a date. But getting a letter from your insurance definitely indicates approval so that's exciting!