catwoman7

all I can say is, I gained a *ton* of weight on it (like around 45 lbs) when I was on it about 20 years ago. I asked them if I was going to keep gaining, or if it would level off. She said "it depends". That's the minute I decided to go off it.

not food dreams, but I still smoke in my dreams even though I quit smoking over 20 years ago. I think some things are just part of your identity...

After battling my weight for 40+ years, I am extremely compliant and am bound and determined to make this "work" if it kills me. Not sure I would have had this conviction if I'd have had it done when I was young.

both are good surgeries. It's really a personal decision - there are pros and cons with either. Just do your research and also see if your surgeon recommends one over the other.

I have my husband take pictures every month on my surgery date. I can't tell the difference from one month to the next, but if I compare pictures now to pictures four months ago - or eight months ago - or a year ago - I can see a huge difference.

yes - some surgeons are now recommending that VSG patients avoid NSAIDs as well.

I had almost no pain

You're referring to the DS (sleeve was originally the first part of the DS). Although there are people who do sleeve-to-bypass revisions, too.

I have a 16 oz and a 20 oz. I almost never use the 16 oz. I use the 20 oz almost every day!

I was the same starting weight as you and did the bypass (I had GERD, and I also liked the fact there was more long term data on the bypass). I'm very happy with my decision. I've lost 185 lbs so far!

I tend to meet friends for coffee more now rather than lunch or dinner - but I still go to lunch or dinner with people occasionally. I just eat an appetizer or about 1/3 of an entree rather than a whole meal.

I had regular gastric bypass as well, so it may be different with the mini - but I think I was probably three months out before I could handle much in the way of meat (other than small pieces in soup or ground meat or soft meats like tuna)

dietitian vs nutritionist - you have to be registered to be a dietitian. I don't think the term "nutritionist" is regulated. Dietitians are nutritionists, but not all nutritionists are dietitians. Or at least that's how I always understood it.

I mix it into protein shakes as well.

we had surgery the same month (I was June 3), and I average around 1000 calories. 800 would be a really low day for me.

definitely not to old for this - there are lots of us on this forum who had WLS when we were over 50

my surgeon's office considered it a fluid

I've noticed they're now recommending that sleeve patients steer clear of NSAIDs, too, so it may not matter... I was really freaked out about this before I had bypass because I used to get terrible headaches and sometimes took ibuprofen several times a week. I also have a bad hip joint and took Aleve for it. The PA at my surgeon's office told me that *occasional* use of an NSAID would probably be OK if things got really bad (which I figured was maybe once a month or so - but he didn't specify). However, oddly, my headaches pretty much disappeared after surgery. I still get rare, minor ones - but Tylenol can...and does...take care of those. I got a cortisone injection in my hip the day before surgery so I wouldn't be bothered by hip pain, but as I lost weight, that started to hurt a lot less, too. Suffice it to say, I haven't taken any NSAIDs at all since my surgery a year ago. I was shocked - I thought I could never live without them!

I've never had problems with it at all

I had GERD, so I went with bypass. GERD is completely gone. I've had no "side effects" other than two strictures early out (which are an easy fix). I don't dump, either.

I have and I read up on this awhile ago. Evidently it's not all that uncommon. Some think it has to do with your body having to adjust to the massive loss of weight - it has to carry itself completely differently. Plus you lose in some areas faster than others - which could also be throwing things out of whack.

Multi - Centrum Silver or the generic equivalent B12 - Superior Source D - Superior Source B Complex - Integrative Therapeutics Calcium - a mix of Upcal D, Bariatric Advantage chews, and Walgreens calcium citrate tablets Iron - Vitanica Iron Extra

that seems like a lot to me. I think at that point I was only eating about 1/4 C per meal. I'd just ask your NUT.

June 2015 - so 11 months ago. I try to keep my calories at about 1000, but admittedly, some days it's a struggle....

@@esskay77 - here's what I typically have: breakfast: Greek yogurt with a few berries on top lunch: 1 C cottage cheese or another thing of Greek yogurt (yesterday I had a few fresh veggies with my cottage cheese) dinner - usually a cup of some kind of stir-fry (meat & veggies, no rice), but last night I had 2.5 oz steak with a small salad I always make a "double" Protein shake (as in two scoops) and sip on it throughout the day. I also drink *a ton* of fluids - mostly Water & Crystal Light I try not to snack, but I keep the following around at home and at work "just in case": small cans of tomato juice, instant miso Soup, Dannon Light & Fit yogurt (only 80 calories), sugar free fudgesicles, sugar free popsicles @@esskay77 - here's what I typically have: breakfast: Greek yogurt with a few berries on top lunch: 1 C cottage cheese or another thing of Greek yogurt (yesterday I had a few fresh veggies with my cottage cheese) dinner - usually a cup of some kind of stir-fry (meat & veggies, no rice), but last night I had 2.5 oz steak with a small salad I always make a "double" Protein Shake (as in two scoops) and sip on it throughout the day. I also drink *a ton* of fluids - mostly water & Crystal Light I try not to snack, but I keep the following around at home and at work "just in case": small cans of tomato juice, instant miso soup, Dannon Light & Fit yogurt (only 80 calories), sugar free fudgesicles, sugar free popsicles