MacMadame

This is not true. There are patient-led support groups that aren't affiliated with any doctor and there are surgeons who will see patients from Mexico. Now, it is very important, if you have a band, to line up your aftercare before you go. You don't want to get a band and then find that no one in your area will do your fills. But there are plenty of people who go to Mexico for bands and do their follow-up locally to them. For the sleeve, your PCP can do your follow-up.

Well I went through labor for 40 hours with my second before I had my c-section. So I guess I got the worst of both worlds.

You'll get different answers. The big healing comes in the first 2 weeks and that's why most programs have you on liquids of some sort for at least two weeks. But after that, it varies and you'll get answers that range from one month to three. My answer is 6 weeks.

The online calculators don't work for me. They over-estimate the calories I burn. I had my RMR tested too and found out mine was 8% lower than average for my gender, height, weight and age. Of course, that was 40 pounds ago. When you are losing weight, your metabolism can be all over the place. I plan to get tested again when my weight stabilizes.

I have read that but I have a link to a study where they actually measured and said there was almost no reduction in ghrelin. I know a lot of people with bypass who are over a year out and I see that they have more issues with hunger than those who have a sleeve do at the same point. I think it's because the stoma gets bigger over time, but it could be the ghrelin. It also seems like some DSers have more hunger than those with sleeves. With the bigger sleeves, sometimes not all of the fundus gets transected so there is some left there producing ghrelin.

I'm so impressed you've done a HIM. I'm going to do one in the Fall and I'm a bit scared about it. I'm also impressed with your time ... I know people who run the 1/2 mary who take longer!

Ran on Sunday for a short time. It was too hot for more. Ran on Monday at the gym. Ran today at track. Too much running! Tomorrow I'm taking off and then Thurs. is my bike day. Haven't decided what I'll do on Friday.

I run 3 days a week so I have 1 or 2 days rest between. Well, so far I've run 4 days in a row this week but that's unusual. And I don't like it. You can do other things on your rest day though. I swim and bike on mine and take 1 or 2 days off for total rest.

It may technically still be your abdomen wall but it's down by your pubic area below your bikini line. It will not impact you if you have WLS or stomach cancer or anything else. I know this because my bariatric surgeon said so as I've had two c-sections and, now, a vertical sleeve gastrectomy. The c-sections did not impact the sleeve in any way. My prior gallbladder surgery, OTOH...

I was visiting my mom. We did go to the fitness center at the hotel but mostly we went shopping. :laugh: I got this awesome faux leather jacket and a very pretty and slightly sexy dress at Nordstrom's Rack.

Once your staple line heals, you have a normal stomach that is as strong as an unaltered stomach. So vomiting isn't any more dangerous than it was before.

Exactly. They really aren't worth it; there are better ways to ramp up your activity. I know people who are into hard-core exercising, train people a living, etc. and none of them use weights when they run or advise their clients to do so. It's just too easy to injury yourself for very little extra benefit. Basal Metabolic Rate. (Sometimes people say "Basic" instead of "Basal"). It's the number of calories you burn to keep your body alive... so what you'd burn if you did nothing all day but lay around in bed. Your RMR (Resting Metabolic Rate) is what you'd burn if you did nothing but sit all day. It's easier to measure and it's very close to BMR so some site and some trainers use it instead.

I'm pretty much at goal but don't eat a lot and am still losing. I need to make the transition from losing to maintenance pretty soon as my top half is getting kind of scrawny (Though my bottom half still has about 5 lb. of fat to lose.)

Order up lots of samples, but not worry about trying them until after surgery. You can get samples for anywhere from free to $4 a sample from: ChikeNutrition.com Syntrax nectar (don't know their web site) unjury.com Vitalady.com There maybe others as well.

IMO the sleeve has the best hunger control. Band hunger control depends on getting to the sweet spot. Not everyone does. RnY patients still have the part of the stomach that produces ghrelin and start to feel hungrier soon post-op and stronger on average.

They make you pay for a lost badge?! That sucks. Btw, I was away from my computer for most of Sunday and Monday. Anyone miss me? :crying:

Congratulations!

Me either. Plus you can set the scene so to speak. I start out by telling it from my POV -- I had surgery to remove the part of my stomach make ghrelin so now I don't have a ravenous appetite. I've lost weight before, but I could never keep it off because I was hungry all the time. Then I follow up with something like "It's awesome!" or "It's the best thing I've ever done." People would have to be horribly rude and pretty ballsy to follow that up with "it's the easy way out" and they don't. In fact, I've managed to make thin people who work pretty hard to stay thin jealous they can't get this surgery! :rolleyes2:

Don't do the hand weights. There is evidence that they don't do much and they can increase your risk of injury. But adding incline, adding time and adding speed are all good things. You can also do hills, if your treadmill has that sort of programming.

Heh. Me too. Plus I phrase things in a way that they can't really say the stupid stuff back. Plus, sometimes you have to set boundaries with family so they don't treat you worse than they'd treat a stranger on the street. I tell people I didn't have surgery to lose weight. I had it to keep it off. I've gone over 200 and lost back down to a reasonable amount several times, but it always comes back and I am too old to keep up that unhealthy pattern.

Actually, where they cut you is nowhere near your abdomen. The main risk is with future pregnancies... the vaginal wall gets weak. Plus the cut they do often results in you getting a noticeable panus, which sucks.

I'm so impressed! I swear I just lurch around for the first mile after I get off the bike. But then it gets better. You might want to try walking every other day to give your body a rest in between. That's what I do with running. Plus your muscles get stronger when you allow them to heal.

Today my tri club's workout was in my town. So I rode my bike to it. :rolleyes2: It was only 4 miles each way. But then I swam about 2200 yards (doing a "Cross-Fit swim workout with laps and push-ups interspersed) and ran for 20 min. I don't usually swim that much but it wasn't that hard. I think I need to come to do more laps when I do my swim workouts.

I want to pick both answers! I've had two c-sections. They weren't a big deal in a lot of ways, but my sleeve surgery was a walk in the park compared to them. It's definitely surgery and it's definitely healthier for the baby to have a vaginal birth.

Not really. There is a layer of water between you and the suit that helps keep you warm. The pee just mixes in with that and is largely gone pretty soon after.