catwoman7

I was afraid of that at first, too (that they would think I could lose it all on my own and wouldn't need the surgery), but you can also look at it from another angle - that losing weight shows you're motivated and are able to stick to a program. At any rate, I lost 57 lbs pre-surgery, and they never said anything one way or the other. The surgery went through as planned...

the top of my normal BMI range is 154. I got down as low as 138 but now hover around 142-144. I'm still a 10 or a 12 (depending on manufacturer), but I have a pretty large frame. I'm pretty boney, too - all my ribs show. I'm always surprised when I hear about other women my weight who wear smaller sizes, but again, I think it depends on frame size.

Reflux after bypass is rare. It's common with the sleeve. I do have an ulcer, but they just treat it with a PPI (like prilosec) and something like Mylanta to coat the stomach. I believe when they appear, they're usually near the stoma (opening between stomach and small intestine)

I had GERD pre-surgery, and that was the major reason I went with the bypass. It often (but not always) cures it, while the sleeve often (but not always) makes it worse. i didn't want to take that risk. Mine was completely gone for the first two years after surgery. I do get indigestion occasionally now, but it's much milder than it was pre-surgery. A Tums or two will usually knock it out.

p.s. Just stick to your plan and your weight loss will start up again.

search this site for threads about the "three week stall". Happens to almost everyone.

sent you a PM

I'd read good things about him as well, but most of the reviews I saw were pretty old - so I'm glad you wrote this! I'll put him back on my list...

I followed mine to the letter as well. I didn't want any complications and I wanted to get rid of the weight once and for all.

he's on my short list. I live in southern Wisconsin, and I'm not sure anyway here specializes in patients who've had massive weight loss. I do think he might be on the pricey side - but I've only read good things about him.

It works for about 5% of the population. It never worked for me. I'd lose 50-60 lbs, hit a wall, and then it would gradually come back on. This happened dozens of times...

yes - stay off the scale for a few days. If you're following your plan, your stall will break.

not really a true vet either at a little over two years out, but I now watch my calories like a hawk. And I weigh and measure most things - and log *everything*.

just stick to your program and it will eventually break on its own. Stay off the scale for a few days if you have to. Mine lasted for two weeks! But it did eventually break, and I lost something like 6-8 lbs within a couple of days.

between the six-month supervised diet required by my insurance, and the two-week pre-op liquid diet required by my surgeon, I lost 57 lbs

I take it with my iron. Vitamin C is an acid, but it's never bothered me - although I didn't start taking iron (and with it, vitamin C) until I was about a month out, as I recall...

there was only one tablet I waited a couple of weeks on because of its size (can't remember which one it was, though). Everything else I started taking as soon as I got home from the hospital.

Folks - please search this site for posts on the three week stall. There are thousands of postings on it because almost everyone experiences it. Bariatric centers should be telling their patients about this so they don't freak out (ours does....). Just stick to your program and stay off the damn scale for a few days. The weight loss WILL start up again!

first, do a search on the the "three-week stall". Almost everyone has their first stall within the first month of surgery. Mine lasted through week 2 and week 3. During week 4, the scale finally started moving again - and I dropped 6-8 lbs within a couple of days. Just stick to your program and the weight loss will start again. secondly, I only lost 16 lbs the entire first month post-surgery. I know you read about people losing 30 lbs the first month, but they're the extreme. I've been on these boards a long time, and I'd say 15-25 lbs the first month is average. You've already lost 10, so you'll get there by the end of the first month.

actually, super morbidly obese - but close enough!

I was also told to focus just on protein (60-80 grams) and fluids. It seems like I was getting around 600-800 calories a day for the first several months, though... don't chase the full feeling. Just measure out your food and just eat that. Stop when you're done. "Full" doesn't feel the same after surgery, and usually by the time you realize you've overdone it, you've eaten too much and/or are in pain or get sick. I know it's hard to get used to, but.. also, I would stay away from breads, sugar, and fried food until you're in maintenance. Focus on protein, veggies, maybe a small serving of fruit, like a few berries. At over two years out, I still rarely eat breads, sugar, or fried things (in fact, fried stuff still doesn't sit well with me)

I think the number my surgeon had on his form was from the small frame range. It was like 130. I gasped when I saw it. He told me to just ignore it. I have a large frame, so even 140 is slightly too low for me.

my surgeon said my MetLife weight is *way* too low for me. I'm large framed and muscular. Even at 140 (slightly above the middle of my normal BMI range), every rib of mine shows. My fat percentage (according to DEXA scan) is 22% - OK, but I was told not to go much lower, or I'd just be eating up muscle). No way would my MetLife weight be a good weight for me. Especially since I'm an "older adult". So take MetLife with a grain of salt. Fine for some, not for others. UPDATE: well, sort of never mind - I see this MetLife table has ranges. So I'm at the higher end of my range. My surgeon's "ideal weight" on some form he gave me had some ridiculously low number on it, when I already feel like a bag of bones. He must have noticed my expression and told me to just ignore that - that it's from the 1950s MetLife tables which really didn't fit every situation, and that that number on the form was way too low for me. These ranges look a little better...

do a search on the "three week stall". Happens to almost everyone. Just stick to your program and stay off the scale if you have to. It *will* break.

it depends on the surgeon. Most plans do push protein, and lots of people drink protein shakes for the first few months after surgery (I still drink them at over two years out, but then, I like them....)