Clementine Sky

You look beautiful and happy. Congratulations!

It's definitely possible. My skin isn't loose at all eight months out, and though I've exercised (riding my bike to work and back every day, and breaking a modest sweat to videos on Daily Burn) it hasn't been intense. I'm a professor and have actually been mistaken for a college student more often since having the surgery than beforehand. I've been much more mindful about staying properly hydrated, and that's contributed to my skin being healthier overall. I think losing slowly can help decrease the chance of loose skin. I've lost at the speed of a turtle on crutches, but have slowly reached each of the goals I set out for myself thus far. From what I understand, your age, genetics, how long you were obese, the total amount you lose, how often you exercise, and how rapidly you lose weight are all factors.

Have you ever tried pancake bites? They're great for when you're craving a bit of carbs but don't want to overdo. I like them plain, but the toppings she suggests won't rack up a lot of carbs. http://theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.com/2012/01/day-in-my-pouch_25.html

These syrups are a staple in my pantry. I use one every morning to flavor my coffee, and will also add a tiny bit to smoothies, Protein shakes, plain Greek or Bulgarian yogurt, and to ricotta cheese to create a dessert. I add the white chocolate syrup to peppermint tea. It's delicious. I prefer using just a small amount rather than the two tablespoon serving size so it will add flavor without being overpowering. The World According to Eggface uses these syrups in a lot of recipes, my favorite being the pancake bites. The flavors I've liked the best are S'mores, White Chocolate, Belgian Cookie, and Salted Caramel. I haven't been as impressed with the fruit flavored syrups. The Bed, Bath, and Beyond near my house carries World Market groceries, so I usually buy them there. They have the smaller bottles of caramel, vanilla, and hazelnut for $2.99 so you can experiment with them. If you're in the LA area Bay Cities has medium sized bottles for $3.99.

I bought the BirchBenders at Whole Foods a couple of months ago when it was on sale. I wasn't as fond of it for pancakes, but I enjoyed using it for pancake bites (using Eggface's recipe).

Everyone's experience is unique. I had anticipated being in significant pain immediately following the VSG and for a few weeks afterwards, and was surprised that it was relatively minor. I started my period during the surgery, and it was like the cramps were amplified tenfold that first day. The staff was excellent and gave me ample pain medications that dulled the discomfort. I'd also brought a heating pad with me, and it helped. I was up and walking relatively quickly, and was even told I needed to slow my pace. After being released from the hospital I felt well enough to go shopping. I had the surgery in Tijuana due to insurance not being willing to cover any of the expenses (my BMI was under 35), and live in Los Angeles a couple of hours away. We went sightseeing in San Diego and shopped at an outlet mall on the way back. The first couple of weeks I was more tired than normal, but I had very little pain. I did have some stomach issues at the one month mark when I slowly began eating solid foods again. I had to revert to liquids for a while. I did worry about dehydration. My doctor actually told me to have Gatorade since it had calories I needed and my stomach tolerated it well. It's not something to have as part of your everyday consumption, but while sick it helped me. I do think it's helpful to equip yourself with the knowledge that it is normal to have regrets post surgery I watched many YouTube videos by people who had the VSG and their experiences, read a book about the "sleeved life", and read through this forum and others. Repeatedly people said they had "buyer's remorse" in their first month. Over time as they healed and adapted the regrets faded and they were grateful for their decision. I've actually never had any regrets about having the VSG, but I think knowing that if I did I could persevere through them helped me.

That's fantastic! I think you'll be absolutely fine. I had the VSG in August of 2015 and went to Australia in December, then Peru in February without any problems. I enjoyed the trips more than ones in the past when I was literally and emotionally "weighed down". I brought individual Protein packs from the Vitamin Shoppe with me both times, and a Water filter bottle (though I ended up buying bottled water). I also brought some Protein Bars and Larabars. I always bring some stomach-settling OTC meds as well as sleep meds when I travel since tummy issues and insomnia due to the new time zone are common nuisances. I'd definitely make a point of seeing your doctor before the trip just to make sure all your blood work is fine, and to discuss any necessary medication or vaccines. A friend got Hep A in Thailand in college, and it was brutal. Fortunately I've never gotten that sick while traveling. Here's the list of recommended vaccines: http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/traveler/none/thailand I hope you go and have an amazing time.

The typo was oddly appropriate, ha. I felt "enslaved" by my weight prior to having the VSG, and weight loss has in many ways emancipated me physically and emotionally. Best wishes to you for a healthier, happier future free of what holds you back now.

I've had Pasta, rice, and bagels sporadically since having the VSG, but they aren't items I buy at the grocery store. I've mainly had them at dinner parties, in small quantities. I had half a bagel with Peanut Butter about three months out while staying in a hotel for a conference for the simplicity of it, and saw no impact on my weight loss. I'd never buy bagels to keep in the house, though. I don't think carb-heavy foods have to be avoided like the plague, but I definitely wouldn't incorporate them into your everyday or even your weekly diet. If you do have them, have some Protein as well.

If there's a Sprouts near you they have an unflavored whey isolate Protein powder that dissolves very well into both hot and cold liquids, and is odorless and tasteless. The drawback is that it doesn't have as much protein as other powders do, with just 9 grams. It only has 40 calories, zero fat, and zero carbs. The perk of it is that you can buy it by the weight and try it out before deciding to make a larger purchase. I started off with a bag that just cost $2.85. I've also liked GENEPRO. I'm a bit dubious about the claims, but I will say that I only had positive experiences with the product. It mixed into everything smoothly, and was undetectable. I don't know if it was a matter of causation or correlation but my hair loss really slowed down and I felt more energetic while using it. I just added it to my morning coffee (which my doctor approves of; I know some surgeons are against caffeine) rather than using it as a meal substitute, though. With both of the unflavored powders you can add them to something like Crystal Light. Gatorade Light is relatively low in calories and carbs and Protein Powder could be mixed into it, though I would only have that as a post-workout drink or something rather than a staple drink. I really liked the fruit flavored Isopure drinks before surgery, but was repulsed by them afterwards. Anything overly sweet wasn't palatable to me until about 5 months post surgery. They did remind me of Gatorade. I didn't care for Isopure or Unjury's unflavored protein powders, but many do like them. Syntrax has a lot of fruit-flavored protein powders. Vitamin Shoppe often has them available in sample packs, so you can try them out before committing to one of the big, pantry-space hogging containers. http://www.vitaminshoppe.com/b/syntrax/N-9bk#

I'm not 38 yet but I will say that in my 30s I've met some of the friends I cherish the most. My husband is 40 and has also made new friends. At our age I think it's common for professionals to be moving to new cities, and constructing their social lives there. Even people who've lived in the same city their whole lives can make new friends there. My grandmother lived to 92 and was still making friends. I've met a lot of my friends through the Junior League and Step Up, which are both volunteer organizations for women. This has some helpful ideas about how to make new friends: http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/finding-friendship-at-every-stage-of-your-life-175428 Before trying to make new friends, though, I'd try reaching out to the ones you already have. If they know about your surgery they might simply be giving you space to recuperate and waiting for you to signal to them that you're ready to get together again. I'd try texting them and inviting them to come over or to go out for a movie or something. You've had something major in your life, but they've had things going on in their lives too.

Thanks for sharing this useful tool. I definitely need to buy new bras! A 38D bra literally fell off of me last week. Fortunately it happened while I was at home and just walking across the house instead of at work where I'm a professor with hundreds of students in some of my seminars.

Thanks for the link in the OP. We have two bathroom scales, and I weigh a bit less on the one downstairs than on the one upstairs, haha. I put our bathroom scales on the highest shelves in the hallway closets, so I either need my husband or a ladder to take one down. My thoughts would orbit around the number on the scale when I weighed myself every morning. It was a mental distraction for me. I now just weigh myself once a week, which is enough to track my progress without triggering an obsession. I knew my insurance wasn't going to cover the VSG and I'd have to self-pay, so I did have more freedom with that than I think those who are dependent on the numbers lining up would. Best wishes to you @womanvsmirror

Lately I've been loving Siggi's yogurt for an afternoon snack or as a dessert. http://siggisdairy.com The vanilla flavor is lower in carbs and also my favorite in regards to taste. If I've had a small lunch I'll have a more substantial afternoon snack, such as a smoothie made with a Greek or Bulgarian yogurt that is high in Protein (over 20 grams a cup) with some frozen fruit that is relatively low in carbs, such as raspberries. I also enjoy: - Crispbread (IKEA's multigrain crispbread only has 45 calories, 1 gram of fat, and 7 grams of carbs). By itself it's not very appealing but it's wonderful as a base for all sorts of toppings. I'll put half a wedge of Laughing Cow cheese on it, some mozzarella, Trader Joe's tahini, hummus, cucumbers with a tiny bit of cream cheese and some salt and pepper, or a scrambled egg. It's very versatile. - coffee either with Fairlife milk and some SF Torani syrup or with a chocolate Protein Drink - Dark chocolate caramel wedges from Trader Joe's. (They're great for when I need just a bite of something sweet. One piece has 30 calories and 3.5 carbs) - Kefir (always the plain kind that is lower in sugar) - Sour patch Kids popsicle (more of an after workout snack) - Clementine - A spoonful of Pic's Peanut Butter, or have it with apple wedges. It's more expensive than other brands, but it's also more delicious to me, and it's just got 1 carb per serving) - Marinated mozzarella balls from Trader Joe's - Chia pudding

I've never watched the show, but I'm not surprised contestants on it would have significant weight gains after it finished. They were losing weight in a hermetic environment detached from the reality of their daily lives, and knowing that an audience was watching them. I think for weight loss to be sustainable it needs to be realistic. You need to weave the habits that will lead to you losing weight and being healthy into your actual life. My weight loss post surgery has been relatively slow, but I'm not depriving myself on a radical diet or dropping everything else in my life to focus on it exclusively. In the past my weight really yo-yo'd, so I'm more determined to lose weight sensibly and keep it off instead of rapidly dropping just to have it pile back on. Prior to having the VSG I did watch several YouTube videos, and one was from a former contestant on the show who gave her perspective about her experience, and some good advice about WLS. She'd also gained all of the weight she lost plus quite a bit more in the years after being on the show, before deciding to have the VSG. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=caB3iv_iSxo

I'm eight months out and the chart is in alignment with my weight loss thus far. At the six month mark I'd lost around 45 pounds from my weight on the day of surgery. I've lost weight slowly and not always steadily the past couple of months, but still feel confident I'll be able to lose at least 15 more pounds before my one year surgery anniversary. My BMI has gone from 31.9 to 24.3. I have PCOS and hypothyroidism and usually lose weight at the speed of a turtle on crutches, so I'm pleased with the progress. I think the chart is realistic.

My supportive husband and parents are the only ones besides the surgical team and my physicians who know I've had surgery, and I have no intention of disclosing it to anyone else. I'm a professor so I had the surgery over the summer before the autumn quarter began to avoid needing to take time off of work. Having the surgery is not a decision I regret at all or am embarrassed by; I'm simply a private person. I actually had the surgery primarily with the hope it will help with fertility, at the suggestion of my reproductive endocrinologist who has other patients my age (early 30s) and size (low 30s / size 14 at the time) who've conceived after having the VSG. I've tried to keep fertility issues private, but people perpetually ask about when we'll have children, and if they pick up that we've had difficulty will offer unsolicited advice or give undesired pity. I think the same people would also give unsolicited advice and suggestions if I'd told them about my surgery beforehand, or want to critique my choice if they found out afterwards. When they ask how I've lost weight I simply tell them it's been through tracking what I eat on MyFitnessPal, getting a bike and using it daily, and working out to Daily Burn exercise videos, which is the truth. I think everyone should feel at liberty to keep their surgery private or disclose to others as they wish.

Besides the surgery staff and my physicians, the only people who know I've had the VSG are my parents and my husband. I'm a professor and was fortunately able to schedule my surgery in August with enough time to recuperate from it before the autumn quarter began in September, so I did not need to request any time off of work. I was able to rejoin social activities within a couple of weeks. I've kept my surgery private because it's a sensitive private matter for me. My endocrinologist had suggested it last spring because several other patients my age and size who have PCOS and struggle with fertility have benefitted from it. People have complimented me on my weight loss, and if they ask me how I've achieved it I simply tell them it's through keeping track of what I eat on MyFitnessPal and exercising more, which is true.

coffee is one of the simple pleasures of life I enjoy every morning. I was advised to ease my way into drinking it and see how my body responded. I began drinking a cup with equal parts coffee and Fairlife milk, and then gradually altered the ratio to have more coffee and less milk. Rather than adding sugar to it I use Torani sugar free Syrup to sweeten it. You can find the syrups at World Market and some Bed, Bath, and Beyond locations, as well as on Amazon, and they can be used in several recipes as well. The blog "The World According to Eggface" has some terrific ones. Alternatively I'll mix a little chocolate Protein powder with milk (so it doesn't curdle in the hot coffee) and pour that in for flavor. I also have iced coffee when I'm teaching evening classes or otherwise in need of a boost, and will add milk and a tiny bit of their sugar free syrup. If you really prefer sugar, I think that would be fine so long as you used it sparingly. I would be sure to measure it because it can be easy to add too much.

I never order smoothies when I'm out and about like I used to because they're often low in Protein and high in sugar, but I have them at home all the time. Trader Joe's Greek yogurt and Fage have around 22 grams of protein per cup and make a good base for a smoothie. Siggi's is also low in carbs and high in protein. I add a cup of frozen berries or nectarines that have 20 carbs or less, fresh berries, or something like Del Monte's natural peach cups (sugar free is 12 carbs). I top it with a couple of tablespoons of Trader Joe's chia seeds for protein and fiber, and then some ice. I also enjoy smoothies I make using Fair Life milk and Trader Joe's frozen sweet potatoes (which are relatively low in carbs) with a little sugar free Torani pumpkin pie syrup or pumpkin pie spice. I'll sometimes make smoothies using protein powder, milk, Pic's Peanut Butter (delicious and 1 gram of carb) or PB2.

The concern about potential complications is definitely a valid one, and I took it into serious consideration. I actually could return to Mexico if there are any complications, and I got that assurance in writing in advance. Since I live in Los Angeles, it's just a couple of hours drive to Tijuana. I have been going to another Mexican city near the border at least once a month for the past five years to volunteer, so it's a really simple trip for me. My endocrinologist was the one who first suggested VSG to me because other women who've struggled with fertility due to PCOS have benefited from it. Several of her patients have gone to Tijuana and none have experienced complications. Neither have I in the 7 months since my surgery. I did first consult surgeons in SoCal, though, because it was still a worry. The local surgeons were willing to perform the surgery, but since my BMI was under 35 it was going to be virtually impossible to get my insurance (or any other insurance) to improve it. I was quoted $29,000 to $35,000 for self-pay through them. Though anyone can have complications, I was at a lower risk due to my age (early 30s) and lack of other health problems besides PCOS and mild obesity. You can purchase Medical Tourism insurance to cover complications. My surgeon offers it directly through his office. You can also purchase it independently. Obviously you need to research the reputation of the provider and carefully read through the fine print. http://www.prweb.com/releases/2015/09/prweb12936324.htm Edit to add: there are several threads on here about insurance for self-pay medical tourism that I read through last summer before my surgery. Here is one: http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/344567-medical-tourism-insurance-policy/ I'm not that knowledgable about the ins and outs of insurance, but I know an increasing number of Americans are going abroad for surgeries and treatments, and there's now a market for that coverage. A friend's father has been undergoing treatment for cancer In Mexico for the past year because even with quality insurance the costs became overwhelming. I know they have a special insurance policy because she's mentioned it, but of course I've never asked for details about it.

I felt I had more liberties and control over the surgery by paying for it myself. I didn't have to jump through months of hoops to get approval, and I didn't have to get tangled up in the red tape of insurance. I was able to schedule my surgery within the exact time frame that worked best for me. I didn't have to wait for months. I paid for the surgery up front, and then was done. No need to dread opening the mailbox and finding another bill. I had the surgery with Dr. Fernando Garcia in Tijuana, and the total cost including ground transportation and two nights at the Marriott was $4200. The medical facilities were actually much more modern and nicer than ones I've been to in LA, and I was well cared for. I paid a deposit up front and the balance by cashier's check after I had the blood work and EKG and was cleared for surgery. I've had follow up care through my local endocrinologist. It was a simple, straightforward, and effective process for me. The other significant benefit of self-pay through Mexico was the savings. Even if I could have gotten approved by my insurance, which was incredibly doubtful since my BMI was just under 35 and they don't consider my PCOS as a comorbidity, my out-of-pocket expenses would have come to around $5000. I live in Los Angeles, and the surgeons I consulted with charged between $29,000 and $35,000 for the VSG. They also required a plethora of tests, consultations, logs, and the like, and couldn't have booked me at a time that was convenient.

I was happy to discover a brand of Peanut Butter I'd loved when I lived in New Zealand at a local grocery store. It's called Pic's Really Good Peanut Butter and it's yummy and has decent nutritional stats. For a 1 tablespoon serving there's 88 calories, 7 grams of fat, 1 carb, 1 gram of Fiber, and 5 grams of Protein. The only ingredients are peanuts and salt. Since I'm trying to be mindful about my carbs, it's great that it has quite a bit less than other brands. The downside it is that it's definitely more expensive. I also like making fresh peanut butter at Whole Foods.

You look fantastic!

Focusing on the percentage of excess weight lost is definitely logical,.................and yet it didn't occur to me to do that instead of fixating on the number on the scale. Thanks for your post. I've lost 79% of my excess weight (as determined by my own original goal weight and BMI) from my highest weight at six months and two weeks out. I've set a new goal weight so I do still have a ways to go, but I'm making better progress than I thought. That's certainly a much more encouraging (and sensible) way to look at it than I had been. yes, that is a much more sensible way to look at it, except Math. :-) I couldn't figure it that way to save me life. I understand, haha. This is a handy percentage calculator: http://www.percentagecalculator.net/ Take your starting weight and then subtract your goal weight to determine your excess body weight. On the second row of the calculator, enter in the amount of weight you've lost thus far on the left, and then put in the amount of your excess body weight on the right. Hit calculate.