catwoman7

I agree with the others - exercise only accounts for about 10% of weight loss (although it's great for your health!). It seems to be more effective once you hit maintenance (research shows this - I'm currently taking a graduate level nutrition class on obesity and weight loss). most people are encouraged to get at least 150 minutes a week of exercise for health - more for weight loss/maintenance (up to 300-ish hours). Strength training 2x a week, cardio three or more times a week, so you're doing great there. But you also need to have a routine that you like and are likely to continue long term. Your routine sounds fine - but are you OK with it? You don't need to add to it unless you really want to - unless you want to add some variety to keep it interesting. For my cardio, I rotate walking, swimming, water aerobics, biking (when the weather cooperates), and cardio dancing (such as Zumba). I also do walking videos (youtube) a lot in the winter (like "Walk Away the Pounds"). I need the variety since I'm susceptible to "fitness burnout"...

you may or may not have much - as others have said, it varies a lot. I had a ton of it as an older woman who lost over 200 lbs, but it was really easy for me to hide it in clothes. No one knew it was there except for my doctor and my husband. I've since had it removed because it was driving me nuts (because *I* knew it was there - and I also got tired of my loose stomach skin slapping up against me while exercising), but it was invisible to the outside world.

I got the bypass rather than the sleeve, but my answer would be the same regardless. The first few weeks post-surgery can be rough and some people initially do have regrets, but once they get through that, almost no one has regrets other than they wish they'd have done it sooner. Having this surgery changed (and probably saved) my life. I'd do it again in a heartbeat. Best decision I've ever made!

yes! Gastric sleeve for years was phase 1 of the DS, back in the days when a lot of surgeons did the DS in two stages - first, they created a sleeved stomach, and then, several months later, they'd go back in and bypass most of the small intestine. However, enough people lost enough weight on stage 1 alone that they started offering it as a standalone surgery - and the VSG was born! long way of saying - of couse you can, since the sleeve is the first stage of the DS.

P.S. some surgeons prefer doing the sleeve because it's easier to do. If you decide you really want RNY, though - be persistent - or find a surgeon who'll do it (although you said you're OK with the sleeve now...)

I decided to have surgery during the summer of 2014, but I had to change insurance policies to one that covered it - and that wouldn't take effect until January 2015. The new company required a six- month supervised diet as part of its list of requirements for bariatric surgery, but they said I could do that before I switched over to them if I wanted, and it would still count - so I decided to at least do that much while I was waiting to be switched over. So I officially started up in the bariatric program as soon as my new insurance kicked in, in January 2015 (with my six-month diet already under my belt). I got through all the other requirements by late March, I think - and they said I could have surgery in late April/early May, but since I worked at a university, my supervisor wanted me to wait until the spring semester was over, so I had it June 3. So in other words, it was six months from the time I entered the program until I had my surgery - but I could have had it about four months after starting the program if it wasn't for work. But again, I'd already had my six-month supervised diet requirement finished before I started the program (not all insurance companies require the supervised diet, though...but many do)

low vitamin D is super common, and not just with WLS patients. A supplement should bring that back up. as far as bilirubin, sometimes liver enzymes are out of whack the first year or so after WLS because losing weight - esp as quickly as we do - is really hard on livers. I think my bilirubin was OK, but my AST and ALT levels were really high the first year. By the end of the second year, they were back to normal. Although your doctor may recommend you follow up just in case it's something else - but often that's all it is.

I can't speak for all insurance companies, but most seem to use the weight you were when you first entered the program.

sorry - I misunderstood what you were trying to say in your original post. Yes - you are correct - food will never go through the bottom 3/4 (or whatever) of your stomach again unless the surgery is reversed.

congrats! You've done very well! And you could still lose weight - albeit very slowly at this point. I continued losing until I was 20 months out. re: exercise, they say losing weight is 90% food-related, and only 10% exercise-related, so you may have lost a bit more, but probably not much. I know people who've almost never exercised and still lost a ton of weight after WLS. That said - exercise is great for your health and also helps you maintain your loss once you reach your goal - but as far as active losing, it only plays a small part.

I haven't heard that, but who knows? It might be true. I know bypassers are susceptible to vitamin deficiencies, though, because of the malabsorption. That's why it's critical for us to keep on top of our supplements - the consequences of slacking off are more severe for us than they are for sleevers. EDITED TO ADD: I'm not really sure about fasting in general, though. I know the malabsorption the first few months is super strong - you malasorb calories in addition to nutrients. Unfortunately, the malabsorption of calories seems to go away after a year or two - whereas the malabsorption of nutrients stays. I had a 20 lb regain in year 3 (which is unfortunately very common - usually 10-20 lbs), and I currently struggle to keep my weight where it is, so the part of fasting where you lose weight isn't true - or at least not for me. But maybe he meant for the first year or two? Or was referring specifically to nutrients ? Not sure.

it's pretty common for people to feel cold all the time after WLS! It evidently does something to your internal thermostat. For me it was temporary - the first few months - but for some people, it's a permanent "feature".

yep - the others are right - they're needed for digestion. And yes - bypass is technically reversible, although they don't do it unless you have serious issues that can't be resolve any other way.

yes - sounds like you're dehydrated re: constipation, unfortunately, that doesn't go away for some of us. Almost eight years out, and I'm still taking a capful of Miralax every day to keep on top of it.

I just take Centrum Senior (two a day), and add in a couple of supplements - D, B12, B-complex, iron. Cheaper that way, but then, bariatric-specific vitamins mean less pills to take. So ....convenience vs. cost - I could make a case for either.

ask your surgeon. I know titanium is used a lot in surgeries (screws, clips, staples) - I have some of all from my plastic surgeries. I don't know what kind of staples they use for WLS, but probably titanium there as well. Just ask - they may have some alternative for people who are allergic to it.

stalls are a normal part of weight loss. Most of us have our first one around the three week point (but it can happen at any time within the first six weeks or so). This is only your first among probably many. When you hit them, stay off the scale for a few days and make sure you're following your plan to a "T". If you do, the stall will eventually break and you'll be on your way again. Stalls typically last 1-3 weeks.

actually, with any kind of weight loss, surgery or not, regain is super common after you have a loss (I'm taking a nutrition course on obesity and weight loss right now at the university, and we've talked about this in class. Even among merely "overweight" people, even if they lose 10 or 20 lbs, a year later, give or take, the regain starts. Happens to most people, surgery or not). I think it's some of both - science and backsliding (starting to slack off a bit on the "rules", letting a few bad habits sneak back in - but also, your body always seems to want to go back to its set point (which in our case, should be much lower than it was before surgery). You can take the regain back off again, but it's programmed to go back to its set point, so if you want your weight lower than your (new) set point, it'll be challenge getting back there again and keeping it there. I've pretty much given up the ghost on it because even though I'd like to lose it again, I think my body is happy where its at, and I'm getting tired of the constant battle... (my weight where it is is fine- I'd just prefer to be about 10 lbs lighter)

it seems like most insurance companies go by what you weighed when you first started the program - not what you weigh the day of surgery - so you'll likely be fine.

as far as losing 7 lbs in two weeks, that's actually pretty normal. I know a lot of people think we should be losing 30+ lbs the first month, but that's thanks to shows like "My 600 lb Life". Keep in mind that the people on that show start out MUCH heavier than most of us, so that kind of loss would be very unusual in more "normal" WLS patients. Most of us seem to lose somewhere in the 15-25 lb range the first month - and given that you started out at a lower weight than a lot of us, I would expect you'll be somewhere on the lower end of that range by month's end. I lost 16 lbs the first month, and I started out MUCH heavier than you (and starting BMI is one of the factors that affects your rate of weight loss - or at least early on). As long as you follow your plan and your overall trend is downward, despite the occasionally fluctuation or stall, you're golden. In the end, your success will be due to how compliant you are to the plan - not how fast or slow the weight comes off.

it does create a new set point, but keep in mind that that set point may be a bit higher than you are now. Lots of us gain 10-20 lbs after hitting our lowest weight - usually in years 2 or 3 - before stabilizing. Of course, you can always lose that rebound (if you experience it - again, most do - although it's not inevitable), but if your new set point is where you ended up after the 10-20 lb rebound, then it will be a real challenge to get back down to your lowest weight - and keep it there. Hopefully, where you are now IS your new set point...if so, it shouldn't be too difficult to maintain as long as you monitor yourself.

if you're following your clinic's plan, then it's just a stall.

my current favorite are Fit Crunch bars.

I lost 16 lbs in month one and 12 lbs in month 2, so at seven weeks out you're ahead of where I was. I started out at 373 lbs and bottomed out at 138 lbs (I've since gained back c. 20 lbs). Took me almost two years to lose that original 235 lbs. So I wouldn't get too nervous yet if I were you... the two weeks with no loss - as long as you're following your clinic's program, it's just a stall. Probably the first of many. Just stick to your program and stay off your scale for a week or two. As long as you're compliant, the stall will break and you'll be on your way again. They typically last 1-3 weeks.

you've probably heard that weight loss is 90% diet and 10% exercise - so your best bet is to rein in your calorie intake. I agree with Sleeve_Me_Alone. Are you still tracking you food intake? That's a big one for me - I still log everything I eat at almost eight years out.