Proud2BMe

You have 2 options: 1. Throw in the towel and just give up. 2. Continue fighting for what you want. I saved up for almost a year to get my surgery, self-pay in Tijuana. So I don't sympathize one bit with people who chose option number 1 just because they were denied by their insurance.

Theoretically you can die from a blood clot at any time. The risk is higher for obese people. So not getting the surgery will actually increase your odds of dying from a blood clot. The overwhelming majority of blood clots happen after an injury of some form. For example, I had a friend die from a pulmonary embolism (blood clots in arteries of lungs) after spraining his ankle. Surgery is included as an "injury". Once formed, a blood lot can lie dormant in a vein for a long time before breaking free and traveling to cause damage.

I did one of those calculators that determined the amount of weight you could expect to lose from the sleeve. I was estimated to lose 119 lbs. To date, and less than a year after surgery, I have lost 165 lbs, exceeding it by 46 lbs. So my questions is how many of you have also exceeded your estimated weight loss from the sleeve? Also, what factors do you believe helped you to lose more weight? Myself, I believe my extra weight loss is due to the fact that I normally do not eat Breakfast or lunch. Instead, I drink a Protein shake and then eat a normal meal for supper.

Man, I can eat a ton of it! It always scares me because I can literally eat a huge bowl of salad and still have room to eat more. However, I'm reminded of my restriction when I try eating normal food. I guess it's because greens are mostly Water. At least it's a healthy slider food and not anywhere close to say eating crackers, chips, or other notorious high carb slider foods.

Thank you! So I got to lose 6 more lbs before I reach my "one-derland". Can't wait!

Some doctors don't. However, if your doctor does then you will be in good company. From my experience those that do the pre-op diet lose more weight and have an easier time with the surgery. You also would already be over your carb addiction so that's an added plus.

Silly question, but what is "one-derland"? I see this phrase all the time but have no idea what it means.

I chose sleeve and it was the right choice for me. More doctors are moving away from the gastric bypass as sleeve is safer, has less risk of complications, lower mortality rates, and produces nearly the same level of weight loss as gastric bypass but without the threat of malnutrition.

Eh. Pop Tarts don't bother me and especially since they discontinued my favorite flavors years back. I was addicted to the chocolate poptarts with the vanilla cream and the apple poptarts with white frosting. They replaced the chocolate ones with the Cookies and cream oreo ones and now they only make the unfrosted apple ones with cinnamon sprinkled on them (gross). I was such a pig back then. I would smother them with butter and eat like 4 or 5 in one sitting. No more!

http://www.obesitycoverage.com/weight-loss-surgeries/gastric-sleeve/gastric-sleeves-how-much-weight-will-i-lose

I agree. I think those calculators are just marketing tools. From what I can tell all you do is input your weight and it calculates the average weight lost based on the few studies that have been published. It is just a ballpark figure. What would worry me is that you credit your success to not eating breakfast. That is not a habit I would encourage for anyone who wants to lose weight and be healthy. It is great that you supplement with protein shakes, but learning how to eat healthy will benefit you more in the long run. My question is whether or not you are reaching your protein and Fluid target every day? That would have more influence over both your long and short-term success than skipping meals. I don't skip breakfast. I drink a Protein Shake for breakfast and lunch. The protein shakes has about 300 calories and 30 grams of protein. So I get a minimum of 60 grams of protein a day (actually more since I eat meat with my dinner meal). Fluid level is normal.

You can still have the burger, just minus the bun, condiments and fries. I eat them all the time. Congrats!

I had weeks of diarrhea followed by weeks of constipation. I had to take laxatives once a week for a few months to stay regular. Eventually your body will come back to normal. However, the BM's can be quite intense wen you are constipated and don't have one for a few weeks. They hurt like hell when they eventually happen. I remember being on the pot and pooping and throwing up at the same time as it felt like my entire digestive tract was cramping at the same time.

It will take time for you to adapt to your new size. For most of us, when we look into the mirror we still see our fat selves. So take it slow so your brain can adapt to the new you. You self confidence will improve but it may dip when you begin to notice excess skin. Ironically, you will likewise still feel insecure about your body even though you may lose a massive amount of weight. Just realize that there is surgery to remove excess skin and that you don't have to live with it for the rest of your life.

A friend told me I should do it. I was deeply offended because like most people I thought the surgery was for losers who didn't have any self control or will powers. However, I was smart enough to realize that the reason why the comment bothered me so much was because it was true. I began to research it and decided it was something I truly needed. Best decision I ever made. I also had the pleasure of recommending it to the exact same friend who told me I needed it. She needs it to and so she is just starting her journey.

The surgery is a breeze. You will be fine. As long as you are mentally prepared your journey should be a smooth one. See you on the other side!

Never had any gas pains. Sipping will last weeks to months. I think about 5 months out I could drink relatively normally.

You're too soon out from surgery. Give it time. Focus on Protein and Water at this point. Nobody loses weight every single day. Losing weight is like walking down the stairs. Sometimes we walk down far and fast and other times we pause on certain steps and walk slower.

I didn't have my first BM until about a week and a half after surgery. It's actually not a big deal because I was on a liquid diet. You may find that you will have diarrhea and/or constipation, or if you were like me you will have weeks of diarrhea followed by weeks of constipation. I actually had to take laxatives for several weeks. Eventually with time your system will balance out and be normal again.

Welcome and good luck! You will do fine. It's not that hard to follow the liquid diet. I had a 2 week pre-op diet but only the second week was liquid only. I had no problems with it. You probably won't as well. Just realize that every time you feel like eating that you drink something or eat broth, sugar free Jello or a sugar free popsicle. That's how I managed. Soon you will be with us on the other side!

Mine was the laparscopic method. I've heard that the single incision surgery is far more painful and takes longer to recover from. I've also heard the scar is bigger. My scars were tiny and are almost gone now.

Just had my first experience with a large woman who told me I wasn't choosing a healthy lifestyle because I had weight loss surgery and that I would regret it when all my hair falls out and after I have to be in and out of the hospital for malnutrition. Wow. I normally hear the standard "the easy way out" bit but this was different. I think this woman was part of the fat acceptance movement.

There's not a real answer to that question as every surgeon or hospital, not to mention insurance company, is different. Some hospitals and bariatric centers make you do various things that are not covered by any insurance. So for you to get an answer that is applicable for your situation you will need to contact your insurance company and inquire about bariatric surgery and then factor in where you are having the surgery done. If you go to a pre-surgery meeting or seminar then they normally tell you if they require things not covered by insurance.

Do you mean lose weight before your surgery is approved? If so, no. Usually that's only the case for people who are extremely heavy and the doctors usually require that for them to just make sure they are fully committed to this before proceeding. However, most doctors do require a pre-op diet to shrink the liver.

I've seen vegetarians succeed. However, I do know of a vegan who failed miserably because he refused to eat dairy or eggs. Of course he made excuses and blamed it on other things but in reality it was because he couldn't get enough Protein in and was eating too many carbs. As long as you can drink 2 whey Protein shakes a day that will give you almost all or all of your protein requirements for the day. Then you can just eat veggies the rest of the day.