MacMadame

First of all, I would want to know why your surgeon is recommending bypass. There are some good reasons to get it for some people. OTOH, some surgeons push one surgery type over another even if it's not right for you. So it really depends on what his logic is and if you think it applies to you. I would also look into all the surgeries. I have a sleeve and my surgeon thinks they will replace bypass eventually. The weight loss is just as good (if done right), the diabetes resolution is just as good, but it costs less (important for me as a self-pay) and is less risky.

I bet it's the standard statement most of these site have. I went clothes shopping yesterday and I skipped right over the mediums and into the smalls! Plus I'm almost out of the 10s in pants (and am in tops). I couldn't believe it. I seriously need to get rid of most of the clothes in my closet -- they are Ls and 14s!

Welcome to LapBandTalk! Does your program have access to a counselor post-op so you can work out your food feelings? That can be very important for success.

Welcome to LapBandTalk! Learning to chew well and slowly has been my biggest challenge.

Hi Ashley- I actually think it works better if you do some research so that when you go to the seminar, you can judge what the surgeon is saying and know if this is a good place to get banded. Also, I sent all the surgeons I was thinking of using a questionnaire so I wouldn't waste my time going to the seminars of the obvious non-candidates.

Welcome to LapBandTalk! I think online sites like this can be really helpful. I go to my local support group meetings, but they usually only happen once a month and I need more support than that!

No, you get a smaller butt! Seriously, as you lose weight, it's not that big of an issue. I had some problems in the beginning but the smaller I get, the less my seat hurts.

I ran today in the gym. It was raining and I didn't feel like doing the track interval program anyway. I ran almost the whole 5k! Then, for my second interval, I ran at 5.0! I am starting to think I will make it through my first tri in April...

I just experienced it today for the first time. After 3 months of running and graduating from the Couch-to-5K program. For some of us, it's a slow process. :blushing:

Has he been able to maintain his weight like that? That's one reason I don't have one. I wanted the least risky surgery that was still effective. I couldn't guarantee the band would be effective even if I did everything right, so I decided to take on a bit more risk to get something that had a much better chance of being effective. Actually my surgeon has found that his sleeve patients lose about as much as his RnY patients. Not having ghrelin is a powerful tool and we don't have to worry about our stoma opening up later on and losing our hunger control. We should always have restriction. Also, I found a study showing that diabetes resolution is as good with the sleeve as the band. I don't think anyone understands why this is, but it seems like not having ghrelin does change your metabolism in ways beyond just not feeling hungry all the time. :blushing: Same as for band (and most lap surgeries). I have 5 holes. 3 tiny ones, on medium and one bigger. It's easier when you don't have ghrelin. If I look at food and get triggered, I just look away and I forget about it. That never happened before. If the sleeve works for me, it won't be wasting time. It will be avoiding unnecessary risks for no benefit. Why take on the risks of the DS, if you don't need malabsorption to lose and maintain the weight? Plus, with my lifestyle and eating habits, I am definitely at risk of losing too much weight, if you throw in heavy-duty malabsorption. To me, eating "well" is eating low fat and about 1500 calories. If I had a DS, do you realize how little of that would be absorbed and how many issues I'd have due to not getting enough fat in my diet? I already deal with dry skin and I am absorbing pretty much all the fat I eat. re: Hacks. There are definitely some out there, but the bigger problem, I think, are the surgeons who really only know about RnY and try to apply that to the VSG patient. Many of them are making the sleeves too big and those people aren't going to get the kind of results that those of us with the smaller sleeves can get, because their stomach will end up stretching too much.

I have Aetna too and they cover band, bypass and DS.

I just got done watching some rentals. Gone in 60 Seconds -- better than I was expecting -- and Pursuit of Happyness -- which was about what I expected, which is to say a bit too earnest for me, but still engrossing.

Me too. Some of my best friends are gay...

Bring chapstick!!

My surgeon says 2-3 months before alcohol but that it's never really recommended because it does slow your weight loss. Some surgeons say longer or never, but I think they are not giving a medical answer but a value judgement. Plus, you'll be a lightweight, if you weren't already. So do the first drink in a controlled environment.

I heard Medicaid is starting to pay for VSG so it's good you are getting in before they do... what a weird system!

I started with Better'n'eggs but now it tastes funny to me and I use EggBeaters. But mostly I use real eggs. My cholesterol is very low and I rarely eat high fat foods so the eggs don't tip the scale too badly. I think with all these substitute products, you have to mix them up and try different ones because they all have weird tastes to them and it's just a matter of which weird taste you can stand. I am currently using Chike Protein powder. It's a bit pricy but tasty. I was using Syntrax nectar before and also Healthwise Protein drinks. But, again, they developed a weird after-taste to me. I may try the Syntrax again though.

That's great!

I've actually seen that on this board. Maybe not will YOU donate money but ... how can I get someone to "sponsor" me for a band? IOW, how can I convince someone to pay for my band for me.

That's why I said this "thin" liquid phase is a made-up term that covers a diet that is part way between clears and fulls. It doesn't include everything on fulls, but it definitely has some stuff in that aren't normally in clears. It's a hybrid.

I agree that if they really ate "whatever they wanted" and that what they wanted didn't change from what it was pre-op, that would be unhealthy. And I know some people like that. However, I think most of the people who do this do get in their minimum Protein requirements. So when they talk about "eating anything they want" what they are really saying is that they are going to eat more calories and more carbs and fats than I am, rather than that they are going to eat junk all day. For me, what I "want" has changed drastically since I had surgery. The low-carb diet had really dulled my appetite for carbs and eating low-fat makes you lose your taste for fat. I mostly want protein and veggies these days. So, in some ways, I eat "whatever I want" too. I just want to eat what my surgeon wants me to eat. :rose: Which is why I told Marshall that he has to be willing to change or the surgery won't work. If he convinces himself that these are the foods he likes and this is all he will eat, then he won't be open to the change in taste that can come to you when your ghrelin is gone and you are eating healthy.

That's a good point, green. But I do also think that *some* of them think that if they post a plea, that an angel will come out of the woodwork and magically gift them with a band. I call this "magic" thinking and some people have it. They don't seem to get the connection between their actions and the natural consequences that happen to them. Good things either happen to them or they don't. But my pet peeve is different. It's people who talk about "deserving" a band (or any WLS) as if there are people out there who are obese and don't deserve to have WLS. You wouldn't talk about who does and doesn't deserve insulin or chemotherapy or even antibiotics for a minor infections, so why is WLS any different? It shouldn't be IMO. If my doctor and I decide this is the medically appropriate treatment for me, then that should be the end of it.

There are definitely stores where you can try out bikes! Sears where I live sells them, for example, and sometimes you can find a store that sells nothing but exercise equipment -- though those tend to go out of business a lot. For a bad knee, you should stick to a lower level of resistance, but also you might want to check out an elliptical as they are lower-impact than the bike. Even though you don't pound with a bike, they can definitely work your knees, I have found. We have stores around here called "Play it again Sports" where you can pick up used equipment. I highly recommend getting exercise equipment like this used as most of the time the equipment has barely been used and costs significantly less than buying new.

I know some people who use them as a regular Protein shake and not as a diet program. For me, they don't have enough protein. Plus I haven't found a RTD shake yet that I can stand. I want to have closer to 30 g of protein per drink. But they really are low carb and the fats are on the high side, but that's okay for me because I don't consume a lot of fat and rarely go over my allotment.

I have a Protein drink in the mornings for breakfast most days. It always goes down, it gives me a good protein start to the day and it's low fat and low carb. But today I had protein pancakes and protein hot chocolate. Er, not at the same time, of course.