smpgastric

UPDATE: I have gone thru 6 sessions of laser hair removal with a 'Duet (II) Light Sheer' (In Offce Hair Removal Machine). Best model available and got a great price going thru Groupon. LITERALLY no more hair growth on my upper lip and chin! I have learned that not all laser hair removal machines are created equal. (Never use an IPL for hair removal its painful and never works ESPECIALLY if you have pcos). Now that I'm done with laser hair removal going to start using my 4% hydroquinone cream for my remaining melasma. Will update in a few months!

Worry not! I had my surgery on Dec. 23 (2014) and spent the holiday recovering in a different city than my family with a few college friends checking in on me. I was SO scared and nervous. Now 10 months later and 80 pounds lighter it was the best decision I ever made. Be strong.. you've got this! You're going to do great!

Update: I purchased a 6 treatment Groupon laser hair removal package ($104) using a LightSheer Duet Diode laser and it worked like a charm! I am only on treatment 4 and I have seen a huge difference! If your going to go laser find a place with the Duet!

Congratulations! Enjoy the journey! Best desicion I've ever made. Sleeved 12/22/14 down 62 pounds:) I wish you much success!!!!!!!

I use cetaphil for my body and hyaluronic acid and a oil of olay moisturizer for my face. Hyaluronic acid holds 1000 times its weight in water (seriously locking in moisture.) 1) Wash face with a gental cleanser 2) pat dry (but not too much you will need your face to be damp) 3) Apply hyaluronic acid to lock in the moisture/water on your face. 4) Apply moisturizer 5) Apply sunscreen You can get hyaluronic acid on Amazon for $10-20. Some people buy a formula infused with vitamin c as well.

Get back to the basics! We have all been blessed with the opportunity to have surgery but remember that millions of people have lost 100+ 200+ 300+ pounds with no surgery at all! Weight loss is always doable! Is your diet sugar free? Low carb high protein? How much do you exercise every week? What is your water intake? Make a plan, work the plan. You can do it!!!!!

When it comes to laser hair removal not all lasers are created equally. An IPL will do very little for hair removal. LightSheer's Duet 800 nm diode laser is considered the best the industry has to offer.

I had problems loosing weight right up until the surgery (to shrink my liver). My dietitian put me on a 1000 calorie diet for 4 days. And then an all liquid diet for 2 weeks. Non fat milk and protein powder 3 times a day. In between only green tea, water, Powerade ZERO and a little coffee if I had to have some sweetener only stevia blend. I lost 17 lbs. (Of course check with your Dr. If this is OK for you first.) Hope this helps.

@loss78. Yes I do I had a sleeve done Dec 23 with Dr. Katkhouda and I've lost 50 lbs in 7 weeks. If you have any questions feel free to ask. Good luck with everything:)

If you have not found a surgeon and you are in so cal, I would suggest finding out if USC Keck takes your insurance. It is a world class facility and Dr. Katkhouda is one of the best in the country. His department knows everything about getting you approved. Check if you will be covered for the initial appointment and then schedule. There website and phone number are http://www.surgery.usc.edu/uppergi-general/bariatric.html and 323.442.6868. Hope this helps.

Thank you for your replies and encouragement.

I'm 7 weeks post op and every time I eat my stomach hurts. The food I prepare tastes great (following all Dr.s guidelines on what and how much to eat) its just a few minutes after the food reaches my stomach i experience pain. At this point I just avoid food as much as I can. I'm probably not getting enough protein but I just can't do it anymore. I don't enjoy any of the foods I used to love (the healthy ones). Has anyone experienced this and will it last forever?

I had surgery 5 weeks ago and my goal weight is 110lbs (I'm 5'3"). People are telling me that's way too thin. I'm reaching for this goal because my surgeon said I will definitely gain back some weight in about a year. So why not maintain 110 as long as possible then next year maybe I'm 120/125. As long as your labs and your doctor says your healthy I say keep going.

My boyfriend of 2 years broke up with me 4 months ago because he said i gained too much weight (His words your just too fat) and he was no longer attracted to me. I was sad at first but now I've healed and my surgery is 2 days away!!!. He tries to call me at least once a month but I ignore or text him please don't call unless its an absolute emergency. I am a bridesmaid in my besties wedding in July and he still has my bridesmaid dress at his apartment. Can't wait to call him out the blue 50 lbs down and ask oh can I meet you at a coffee shop to pick up my dress ! Oh and I haven't really thought about him in 2 months I've started an online business and I literally eat sleep and breath my business which has been great in distracting me from food during my all liquid diet. I am not obsessing over it or anything just wanted to share my story and thought it might be cute to see the look on his face. He has no idea I'm getting the surgery! Mentioned it once but didn't want to tell anyone until I was approved. Found out 2 days after we broke up! Any stories or advice? Thanks!

If you want to get an idea of how it will look first my suggestion is get an inexpensive wig and live with it a little at home or you can get a digital haircut. There are several websites that offer this one I like is http://www.instyle.com/instyle/makeover/ It allows you to choose styles and color. Whatever you decide will be the right desicion. Good luck and have fun:)

I have the same problem because of hormones I also have some melasma on my upper lip. I am 15 days post op so i havent noticed any real change yet. My dermatologist said the only real treatment for this is electrolysis and a prescription strength bleaching agent for the melasma (only to be used on that small area). The one I was prescribed was Glytone with 4% hydroquinone. I plan to start electrolysis in a couple of months but in the mean time I just shave. Some women frown upon this but it is the number one way women remove facial hair globally. Also if you do have melasma which many women do with hormonal imbalances, I learned a great makeup trick you buy a salmon or orange colored LIP PENCIL and apply it on the darkened area and smudge it in a little bit at first it will look like you have a bunch of orange on your face but your not done yet, THEN you put your concealer on. It works for me and many women on YouTube (where I learned). Hope this helps.

I found a Groupon for 25 MIC Lipotropic injections (1cc) Considering getting 2 a week for 12 weeks to aid in my weight loss. Has anyone had any success with these? Feedback is greatly appreciated.

Thanks I will keep this in mind. I'll see if there is an allergy test or 'patch test' I can do before moving ahead with the treatment. I appreciate your feedback.

I am going to a holistic center to get these done so they are all natural. Here are the ingredients: The formula used in the MIC Plus injections specially blends the following important ingredients: Methionine - The "M" in MIC Plus. This sulfur-containing amino acid helps to break down fat in the liver, lower cholesterol, and could aid in preventing fatigue. Inositol - The "I" in MIC. Inositol is a B-Vitamin and works to maintain healthy cell structures and nerve impulses. Lecithin is produced when inositol and choline are combined, which serves to protect the cardiovascular system and the liver. Choline - The "C" in MIC. In addition to helping transport fatty deposits out of the liver, choline can help maintain the nervous system and memory, and is considered an essential nutrient. Thiamine (B1) - This B vitamin helps to break down carbohydrates and converts them into energy.Riboflavin (B2) - Riboflavin plays a role in the process of metabolizing fat, Protein, and carbohydrates. Methylcobalamin (B12) - This form of B12 vitamin is essential for DNA replication, nervous system function, and blood formation. Ascorbic acid - This sugar acid is commonly known as Vitamin C and has antioxidant properties. Lidocaine - A frequently used anesthetic, lidocaine also helps prevent abnormal heart rhythms. L-Carnitine - L-Carnitine is another lipotropic amino acid used in our MIC Plus injections and it helps to transport fatty acids into cells to be metabolized. There are OTHER shots that 'liquify fat' I've heard can be dangerous because there is no research to show where this fat goes (while still in the body) after its 'liquefied' so I decided to stay away from those. But I was told the MIC Plus shots are the most powerful without chemicals.

I found a Groupon for $269 for 25 MIC Lipotropic injections (1cc) Considering getting 2 a week for 12 weeks to aid in my weight loss. Has any anyone had any success with these? Feedback is greatly appreciated.

Mine went great! I'm concerned that your not on a strict diet after surgery. It is pretty critical for proper healing and prevention of keeping your new stomach from stretching. My doctor is one of the best in the country. I would be happy to email you my instructions (from him) on what exactly to do after surgery. Of course I recommend clearing it with your doctor first but he has an excellent success rate with his aftercare/meal plan instructions. If you don't want to post your main email on the forum maybe just create a new free pop account @ gmail/yahoo/etc. JUST for weight loss advice. But in general (without the specifics) 0-3 days after surgery clear liquid diet 4-14 days full liquid diet 15 days-6 weeks soft and blended diet 6 weeks- 6months restricted solid foods 6months-life unrestricted diet (with recomendations of course) Always eat your Protein FIRST Don't drink 30minutes before or 30 after you eat. This allows you to keep food in your stomach longer ie making you feel fuller sooner. Drinking while you eat means flushing the food out your stomach so your brain tells you need to keep eating. Hope this helps! Feel free to contact at sleevesuccess@gmail.com

I am 12 days post op and I have been doing pretty well with walking for at least 30 minutes a day. As I loose weight I would like to become more and more active. I have a treadmill which helps but I would like to get motivated walk more even start running. I would also like to start a strength training routine. Choosing the type of work out will be different for many because the goal is to workout and (as much as possible) have fun while doing it. I created this post so we can share with each other exactly what (we) you say to yourself or what you do the moment you are tempted to talk yourself out of working out. What motivates you to get up and do it despite of... I appreciate anyone sharing it will greatly help me to hear your advice and I'm hoping it will help others as well. (BTW I got the Weslo Cadence G 5.9 for $287 Best selling treadmill on Amazon and 3 year warranty less than $50) Best purchase I've made in a LONG time.

Just sharing: For a while I've been studying EXACTLY what causes low self esteem and more importantly what causes HIGH self esteem. A REALLY good video which sums a lot of it up is on YouTube titled " Brian Tracy on how to develop self confidence and become successful (in fgexpress)". The lecture is based on science and REAL data. It helped me take inventory and realize that I have complete control over my self esteem despite a rough child hood and several failed relationships. I encourage anyone who's interested in this topic to give it a watch.

I am day 7 post op. Pain was pretty much gone 4 days ago. Almost back to normal. The first night in the hospital was a little rough but I simply asked the nurse for more pain meds and that took care of it. I have plenty of pain medication here at home but I often forget to take it because my stomach doesn't bother me. Just remember to follow your diet and take TINY sips. You'll do great!

Keep strong in your weight loss journey! His reaction will just be a small extra bonus:)