IveGotThePower

I have been reading about the hair and skin benefits of collagen in bone broth. Has anyone tried this to help with loose skin?

I was sleeved 15 months ago. No regrets at all. So very very glad I did it. My recommendation is that you set yourself up for success. The sleeve is just a tool. Make sure you understand that it is only one piece of the puzzle. I could eat my way back to my previous weight, no question. I see a nutritionist regularly who specializes in bariatric patients. This is important because bariatric patients have different needs. I went through several classes for 6 months prior to surgery per my insurance and I was glad I did. I read 3 books on weight loss surgery. One from a Dr., and two from the patient point of view. I spent a LOT of hours on this website reading other's experiences. I researched using credible websites like this one: https://asmbs.org/resources/estimate-of-bariatric-surgery-numbers I also attended weight loss surgery support groups and 3 different weight loss surgery seminars. I also had to do a psychiatric evaluation and get cardiac clearance. All required by my insurance. And you will be given rules to follow. Follow them. This will be very important to your success. 15 months out and I'm still learning and still finding my balance. Weight loss surgery is an awesome tool, but it is only a tool. You have to be fully committed to continued learning and following the rules for the long haul. Proteins first then veggies. If you don't cook, start learning. It will help keep your meal choices interesting and give you more choices. Eating out sometimes is doable, but you have more control if you make your own meals. Also, don't compare yourself to others, everyone is different. Keep reading and doing your research and the very best to you in your search for the best option for you.

Agreed. I will take loose skin over being the weight I used to be any day of the week. I'll take even more loose skin with more weight loss, but plastics may be in my future. Still deciding.

That is fantastic! I too have enjoyed many unexpected "side effects". Little things like how my body moves differently and with so much less effort. My Husband commented that I walk differently and I can feel that also. So worth it! Sent from my SM-N920V using BariatricPal mobile app

I was looking at these then decided to make my own pizza using ground chicken with egg and cheese. You will find several recipes out there for these. I LOVE the home made version and it is very easy. I also add seasonings to the chicken to give it more flavor. Actually going to make one in a few. Probably going to try freezing them. Less processed and less expensive.

I started loosing a few months after surgery and I think it started growing back at about 10 months post op because at 12 to 13 months I could see 2 to 3 inch long hairs growing in all over my head. It was not fun, but I knew it was a real possibility and a minor inconvenience compared to getting rid of the weight.

I am almost 15 months post op and 93 lbs down. I went through a program that included an amazing Nutritionist (NUT) who has been a fantastic source of information for me during my journey. I still see my Nut every 2 or 3 months and don't see that changing in the next few years. There is so much information out there that is conflicting and out dated that I love having one central point of contact to keep me focused and on the right track. Do you see a nutritionist? If so, do you find the meetings to be helpful? Just wondering how many people are using this method to continue learning on their journey.

Oh, yes, the addicting and delicious cheez-its and goldfish....Agreed. I try to stay away from the high carb, low nutrition, processed foods also. Although....late at night, I sometimes try to figure out how to make a low carb cheese-it substitute. Tried it once with almond flour and shredded cheese - making a dough. It didn't work out as well as I hoped. But there is always tomorrow....lol

Yes, I definitely get your point. My Nut specializes in bariatric patients and has told me that she had to adjust what she had been taught to the bariatric patients needs since they (we) are different. That is a good point. Not all Nuts are educated about our particular needs.

I am 15 months post op now and I went through a period of feeling deprived, but do not feel that way anymore. I see a nutritionist who has helped me to change my eating choices in ways that I truly enjoy. There are many ways you can enjoy foods in a healthy way. I just made bone broth for the first time today. Healthy and low calorie. I am getting into different tea flavors instead of water. I do tons of veggies in combination with proteins. Spinach, onion, sausage and cheese omlet with homemade chimichanga sauce. Chicken crust pizza with lots of veggies and cheese. A nice salad with a piece of marinated salmon and skinny girl dressing . Chicken with roasted or steamed veggies. Blue cheese burgers. Turkey meatballs with marinera sauce. We still have many delicious choices. I still enjoy food as much as I did before and I think it is more about finding our balance than stressing over the scale. Keep searching for your balance. A place where you are healthy and comfortable.

A new one the other day, " You don't look sickly at all". :-| Uh...thanks?

love quest bars. You can cut them into 6 pieces and bake them into cookie type thingies that are AWESOME with a small glass of fairlife milk.

I'm just thankful for what I have lost and for having a better quality of life. I may or may not have formed a teeny tiny shoe addiction, and there might be another pair or two in my not so distant future. And maybe another outfit or two to go along with them. I do my best with my diet without obsessing, enjoy life and shopping for clothes is so much fun now. I have a very busy life and walk with hubby and my 4 legged child when I can, but I keep it enjoyable. In a way, I think I celebrate every day. Why wait..life is short...enjoy every second.

Hi BigUtahMan, The keyto diet is something I was really messing around with a couple of months ago. I agree, it helped me with hunger as well. I bought books, keytone sticks, read articles and watched youtube videos to gain a better understanding. I asked my nut about it and she just said not to worry about whether or not I was in ketosis, just to continue eating protein first and focus on whole foods...all the things she had taught me over the past year plus. I was also reading conflicting information, which is pretty much the case with anything you look up on the internet these days. It was a little strict for me. It was hard for me to process that if I ate one apple (20g of carbs) that I was probably over my carb limit. My nut is a fan of the paleo diet and it seems to be less restrictive, so I'm currently learning more about paleo. I think Keto can be very beneficial, but very stict. At 14 months out I find myself still learning.

Kudos to you for taking action and reaching out. Wish I could give you advice, but you are further out and all I have is back to basics, which I'm sure you already know. Following this though.

I hear you and feel the same way. My weight loss basically stopped at 10 months. I don't count anything, but I do focus on protein and low carb veggies. I feel like it's a mind game at this point. How to strike a balance between being happy and comfortable with my diet and weight. Where will these two meet? And I agree that at this weight, although I am very grateful to have lost so much weight, I still feel like there is more I would like to loose. And my body composition is a little different than I thought it would be. Basically more abdominal fat that I thought I would have and bony in other areas. So, I'm not sure where I will go from here. Been struggling with that for a few months. Whatever I do, it has to be comfortably sustainable. The best to you in your journey.

Search for hair loss on this site. There are tons of posts. Make sure you are taking your vitamins. You can try biotin pills, liquid, shampoo, or other things that others have posted. For me, I lost hair I could not afford to loose until about month 10, which ironically is when the weight loss came to a screetching halt. I am 14 months out now and can see lots of 3 to 4 inch hairs growing back. My opinion is that the weight loss is so worth it. I know it sucks, but your hair will grow back. Be strong. It is temporary.

I'm reading a lot about us controlling our portions and calories and carbohydrates. And there is merit to those posts. However, about 3 weeks ago I met with my NUT. She told me I should not fear sugar. This was a bit of a shock because for the past 14 months I have been avoiding sugar like the plague. She said that my hormones have now changed, I might be surprised and the experts are now moving away from numbers. Away from counting carbs, calories and keeping track of weight. She said not to be focused on numbers. She also advocates mindful eating which is similar if not basically the same thing as I understand it. i also just read the new article in Time magazine last week that says the one thing they do know is that we all require individualized plans. The exact same diet will work for one person but not for another. There are so many variables to our weight that science doesn't even know why we gain and loose weight differently. Our gut microbes, hormones, genes, bile acids, how our body processes what we eat (different for different people) and eating habits are all factors. No one thing is responsible, they all work together. Scientists can't even tell us why weight loss surgery works. Anyway, I ate everything I wanted. ice cream, nachos, dessert every night, some bread, shared 2 coffee coolatta things, and more. I gained 5 lbs in 7 days and it came off plus .4 more lbs in 3 days of just eating my normal diet. I haven't counted anything really since surgery. Just focused on protein and veggies mostly. I seriously don't know how that worked so quickly. I expected to work for weeks or months to take it off. Guessing this is my set point now. Very difficult to loose more, but apparently not too hard to loose when I gain a few. I just know we don't know how weight loss works. And I think people are too hard on themselves when there are so many factors involved in weight loss and weight gain. I don't want to dissuade anyone from posting something that helped them regardless of whether it is within the guidelines of what someone else believes to be true or not. We have so much to learn.

Breakfast: Omlet w/turkey sausage and cheddar cheese Snack: Cucumber, onion and pepper salad w/Skinny Girl Honey Mustard dressing and Tuna Lunch: Piece of Bourbon Salmon with Greens and veggies - no dressing Snack: Quest Cookies and Cream Bar Dinner: Another omlet with veggies, turkey sausage and cheddar cheese

It's a mind game. This is normal for people who are used to seeing you at a larger size to think your face looks too thin. Someone who just met you will not see you that way. Sent from my SM-N920V using BariatricPal mobile app

Your doctor is an idiot.............wait did I say that out loud? My apologies, but not t your doctor, to you for having to listen to that. My 3 week stall was me eating 800 calories a day and not loosing one pound for 20 consecutive days. I weigh twice a day and have it documented. You will find a lot of people with a 3 week stall. Yes, it is true. Doctors are people and trust me when I say, I have dealt with my share of Dr idiots. My initial pcp Doctor that I had been seeing for about 15 years told me he would not recommend the surgery and that he knew that a lot of people have problems with it. So very glad I did my own research and found KNOWLEDGEABLE Doctors who actually knew their stuff and admitted to me that it is a struggle to get other doctors who are not in the field to understand what bariatric surgery is and what it does. We have to take responsibility for our own health and our own health care decisions. The best to you.

Don't freak out. Just focus on the rules. At 3 weeks out I did 800 calories for 20 days with 0 weight loss. That was an eye opener. But that is normal for a lot of us. I have had several stalls over 2 weeks. Maybe 3 or 4. This is a marathon, not a sprint. And we are all different. Maybe up your water, exercise or lower your carbs. Just focus on being the healthiest you that you can be. Sent from my SM-N920V using BariatricPal mobile app

Tomorrow is my 1 year sleevaversary. Thought I would share what I have experienced over the past year. Fair warning, this was a year in the making, so it's a little long.... I have lost 92 lbs and gone from size 22/24 to 12/14. My Plantar Fasciitis is gone and I can walk for miles. I can wear heels and cross my legs. Shoe size shrank by 1/2 size. I can sit indian style and move a lot better. The interior of my car seems a bit bigger and I just fit into the world better. I lost some hair and now have 3" strands growing back all over my head. I never vomited or had dumping or foamies. I eat very low carb and don't miss carbs one little bit. Truly. I have lots of low carb foods that I LOVE. And I enjoy cooking and eating. People: I have been open about my surgery. I am still saddened to hear so many people who believe negative inaccurate stories they hear about wls. One woman said it causes stomach cancer. It does NOT. The ignorance is real. I have found that most people have made up their minds and they don't want you to confuse them with facts. I do get support from people who know me. And that is what is important to me. I used to want to wear a T-shirt with a before after picture of me a few months ago as a walking billboard for wls, because I was and am so happy with my results, but now I am less apt to share my story because so many people still have a negative mindset when they hear wls, which is very sad because it helps so many people. I actually feel that some people treated me in a more negative way after I told them. Guess I gave them more credit than they deserved. I do think my social interactions are more frequent now. I think I do have more self confidence now, maybe it's because I feel like I look better. I have a turkey neck thing going on that I'm not happy about, and the skin on my upper thighs is a tad saggy. My stomach is a lot better than I thought it would be. Boobs shrank some, but still plenty there. My arms are floppy, and I don't like that, but even so, I love shopping and dressing now. I may be developing a Transference Addiction of shoe browsing/buying. I had to wear ugly "comfortable" shoes for a long time, so I can't tell you how much fun it is to have a few pair of cute shoes that don't hurt my feet. Thank goodness Hubby says I'm not out of control ....yet.... Clothes shopping: Tried to buy everything on sale. I still have some things that are 2X or 3X that I need to replace. The clothes buying can add up fast. It doesn't help that my Husband actually encourages shopping. Who does that? I think he knows just how much I enjoy it now, where I hated shopping before. Nothing.... nothing looked good before. Alcohol: I haven't tried any yet. Going on vacation in a few weeks and might try a little bit.... maybe. Never been a drinker. Exercise: Uh...well....I do have a gym membership. Does that count? We go a few times some weeks and not so much others. I'm a work in progress. The weight loss almost stopped at 10 months. I had to regroup and lower my carbs and up my fat intake to get it slowly moving again. Slowly, ever so slowly. I can eat more and the game is changing. You really get used to seeing that scale move every few days, and with every stall, I would think, maybe this is it. I pack my lunch every day, don't count anything and just focus on healthy low carb foods with a bit more fat. My diet is also a work in progress. Not sure where I will end up, but I am sure it will be low carb. My goal is not a size or a number. It is a healthy sustainable balance where I can get the most out of life. Thank you to everyone who made it the end of this rant. I am grateful to everyone who took the time to post their experiences to help those like me who were searching for a miracle, and finally found one.

Thank you Dawn:-) Yes, I will take jiggly over where I was any day. Sent from my SM-N920V using BariatricPal mobile app

Looking for actual valid scientific studies that show the correlation between high saturated fat and low saturated fat in long term heart health if anyone comes across any. The information I am finding so far is that high saturated fat has a small or no impact on heart disease (or at least none found yet), and higher unsaturated fat is proven to decrease heart disease. There is so much inaccurate information out there that I am trying to stick to proven studies. Been thinking about Mediterranean Keto, but that basically takes a proven heart healthy diet and removes a large portion (carbs), so how do we know if it would still yield the health benefits?