IveGotThePower

I have read that bypass is better for controlling diabetes. I also read about the acid reflux after vsg, but I had it daily before surgery and haven't had it after surgery at all (11 months out). Hopefully that will not change. Guessing that maybe mine was related to trigger foods that I don't eat now.

It's not always easy to find people who understand the challenges you face after wls. I found the support group meetings to be very good in that regard. I hope you decide to give them a go.

That is very cool! Had to be a blast :-) Clothes fitting has been a blast for me also. In fact, my nsv victory this week would have to be going to a West Marine store with my hubby. Normally this store bores the heck out of me. I can literally feel the blood rushing out of my head and going into half unconscious mode and almost dueling on myself. It's that painful. However, hubby reminded me that I can hit the ladies clothes department and actually fit into their clothing now. A light went off in my brain and I did in fact find a few items for now and some potential items for our cruise in a few months. Yay!

11 months post op. I almost vomited on day 1 in the hospital, but it was a tiny burp...lol. Not once since that insignificant issue. The only nausea I experience is when I eat something heavy or dense within an hour or two before going to bed. If I am on my stomach. I may wake up, roll over and go back to sleep or I may take 1 tums if it's particularly bothersome. But that has been better with time. So glad I did it. Oh, and I love shrimp

OMG! I LOVE that idea. I love and have Fairlife milk and Fuzzy Navel from Syntrax and Chocolate Truffle from Syntrax. And popcycle trays, so will give this a try. I struggle with snacking at night when watching TV, and this sounds like a nice treat. Thanks for the tip :-)

Surgery was April last year. Down 90 lbs. Good luck you on Monday! Are you going through a program? Do you have a Nut? Support groups? Those things were very helpful for me.

Agreed, good habits have got me to this point. Always focusing on healthy food choices. Sorry, guys, tracking isn't for me right now. Been there, done that. For me, I do better by being mindful. But we all need to make our own choices and do what works for us. Wishing you all the very best.

Facial hair is still the same sadly. I had thinning hair before and as expected it got worse. But I do definitely see 2 inch hairs growing back now. And I'm hoping for a miracle of it growing back thicker. Yes I know this is a reach, but gotta dream :-) I just started Bioten a week ago. I figured it can't hurt.

I can say that starting 2 months after surgery my cycles became regular, and that has not bee the case ever. I was once or twice a year. So that is a big change. The acne didn't improve, so I saw a dermatologist in December and a prescription completely fixed that issue. Wish I had done that sooner too.

Thanks. Will have to take a look. I've been freezing ripe banana chunks then running them through the food processor. The consistency is just like ice cream to me, but doesn't melt as fast. I add nuts, or nut butter and some dark chocolate chunks. It doesn't refreeze well, it is hard not creamy after re freezing, but a fresh batch is great. I should try adding chocolate protein powder to it.....Maybe later today.

Great Job! What would you share as your keys to success with others going down the same road?

Great topic! I suspect you will get many different responses. Mine is that my goal is not a number, it is a healthy balance. Yes I keep track of the number on the scale as a visible way to gauge my progress towards a healthier weight. But even at 200 lbs, my body feels so different. when I rest my head on my hand I feel the bones in my face now. That feeling is so odd and a little creepy. I feel the bones in my fingers, wrist, shoulders and ribs. Maybe I'm just still mentally wrapping my head around this. But I also feel great and have a blast shopping. I already feel like I fit into the world better. Not saying I don't want to loose another 20-30 lbs because I would like that. And if I lost a little more than that then I'm not going to cry about it. But not everyone will go that low so I feel like I am just having realistic expectations. I just want to have a sustainable permanent healthy relationship with food. I look forward to other's comments.

Everyone is different. My professional nut has told me that it is fine for me to not track my food. She advocates learning your own internal queues and making educated choices. Tracking is a tool and sure you can use it if you need or want to, but I think sometimes you don't need or want to or it is more of a hindrance than a help. Find what works for you. Know that you have choices.

11 Months out and I caught myself. Down 90 lbs now. And 11 months ago, I was very skeptical that I could actually loose that much weight. I have been ecstatic with my progress but find my thoughts creeping towards dissatisfaction with the loose skin and the fact that I am a size 14 but maybe I should set a goal to be a size 6 or 8. I have had to stop myself and put things in perspective and realize how far I've come. It is a mind game now. A balancing act between being in a comfortable sustainable place where I have a healthy relationship with food and my body, and disregard external influences that are not in line with what is best for me. I did this for me. To be healthier and feel more comfortable in my life. I have accomplished those goals. You get used to the scale moving seemingly effortlessly in the beginning, and the stalls are hard to deal with. Slipping back into unhealthy food habits to try to force the scale to move come to mind. And it takes patience to wait out a stall and because sometimes I think my body is adjusting and it just needs me to give it time. I am 200 lbs now. But I feel the bones in my hands, my face, shoulders and ribs. My feet shrank a half size. All good things, but totally freaky to feel a body that feels so different. It is almost as though I am in someone else's body. I have said from the beginning that I will focus and do my very best. I don't know where I will stabilize with my weight and size but peace and balance have to be priorities no matter what. Plastics are certainly an option that I will consider. However, I want to focus on all the positive aspects of the changes my body and I have gone through and not rely on surgery as the source of my happiness. Thank you all for your posts. It has helped me so much to read others experiences, so I wanted to share mine.

Congratulations on making this life changing decision. I too would do it again in a heartbeat. I always recommend that anyone considering wls educate themselves thoroughly and be sure to see a nutritionist that is familiar with wls. ARM yourself with knowledge. Read books, read statistics, read as many personal experiences as you can. That includes the good and the bad. And do your best to find a good surgeon preferably with a program that helps you to succeed. The more you know, the better you will feel and the more successful you will be. 11 months out now and the game is changing. Weight loss is slowing and it is a mind game. WLS is NOT a fix, but it is a great tool. I could not have lost what I did without it, but I do have to work for it and will always have to work for it. Much success to you.

11 months out. I did loose hair for sure, and I don't feel like I could afford to, so it sucked. But I can see 2" strands growing back all over my head now. I didn't do any special shampoo or take any different pills until about a week ago, when I started 2 biotin gummies a day. So the hair was coming in already, but thought no harm in giving it a little boost. I am anxious to see how it fills in during the next year. Having to use powder to help fill in the gaps while it is so thin. Hang in there it will grow back.

I am with you guys. Every time I hit a stall, I wonder why and what can I do to keep it going. Lower carbs, increase exercise, change exercise, get more sleep, drink more water, eat more protein, track your intake. Pick some of these and see what works for you. I still can't figure it out either. And sometimes, I think it's just a waiting game. I wait and BAM! 5 lbs in one week. That was last week after a 3 week stall. Not my first 3 week stall either. On the bright side, I really do feel like even when my body isn't showing a loss on the scale, I am still loosing inches. Defies logic, but I'd swear it is happening. They also say the stall is the body's time to catch up with the weight loss, and that's how I try to look at it. Keep fighting the good fight and be patient grasshopper.

11 months out and I don't track foods. I do stay away from processed sugar and carbs and do full fat, mostly olive oil. While I recognize the benefits of tracking. The reasons that I don't are because I make up my own foods. A large bowl of mixed steamed veggies and a protein with seeds. Or a salad with a protein. I love veggies, just make sure I have protein too. and it is a pain and time consuming to weigh each item I put in the bowl and I know these are low calorie foods. I have tracked my food prior to surgery and was somewhat successful for a few months, until I regained all my weight then some. I would however like an app that allows me to add my homemade recipes and portion sizes so I can label my pre made frozen meals maybe once a week. That is on my list of things to do. I sort of take the approach that I'm not in a loosing phase that will convert to maintenance. It's more like I just focus on eating as healthy as I can without overeating and the rest will take care of itself. Practice, practice, practice.

Yep. 11 months out and still get cold. I use a heating pad on my lap at work sometimes and at home at night to warm up. Sometimes it's hard to just run into the grocery store if I don't have a sweater because it seems so cold in there. I think maybe it's getting better, but completely normal.

It will get better. Focus on what you can eat. There really are a lot of choices once you get past the first few weeks. Follow the instructions you were given and see a nutritionist who specializes in bariatric patients. Mine was a big help with suggestions. I really truly do love and enjoy food every bit as much as I did before surgery. Love to cook. Love to eat.

3 week stall lasted 20 days. Had another 3 week stall last month and two week stall at 8 months out. Every time I can't help but wonder if this is the most I will loose. It's a mind game. I just continue doing my best and switching things up a bit until the scale moves again.

This is the reason I only shared with my Husband who has always supported me. I shared with some family just before surgery. I knew I would put far more effort into learning and making this decision than anyone else would. There truly is so much negative, inaccurate information out there, that it's like trying to explain rocket science to a 2nd grader. Most people do not get it. My advice is to educate yourself. Really educate yourself. Read books, look at statistics for complications and success/failure rates, read other's experiences (good and bad) and spend time thinking about whether this is the right decision for you. Learn about your surgeon's experience doing the sleeve and what your responsibilities will be to ensure your success. And remember wls is NOT the answer. But it is a heck of a great tool. It is one piece of the puzzle. I could not, absolutely NOT have done this without surgery. I am thankful every day that I had it and would do it again in a heartbeat. The best to you in your journey

I am 11 months out and had 3 weeks of no change. I don't exercise as much as I would like unless shopping counts However, a week ago I switched up my diet by doing lots of steamed veggies bowls with seafood or turkey meatballs (that I made) roasted pumpkin seeds and cheese and added more Water, and I'm down 5 lbs in a week! Don't know if it is the change, less carbs, more water, but keep trying different things until you find what works for you.

I am just over 9 months out and have found a definite shift in my weight loss journey. The goal for the first 6-8 months was to get enough Protein and Water. Now those goals seem to be easily attainable, and my focus has had to also include watching calories. i am still loosing, but it is definitely at a slower rate and I do have to be even more mindful of how much I eat. Grazing is also challenging. Any tips/tricks you have learned to keep the calories down and stop grazing? i don't like to log foods and have been able to avoid it so far. My nut says my diet is good and as long as I keep loosing then not to worry about that. Just trying to stay ahead of the challenges. How did you deal with this shift?

For what it's worth I had terrible Gerd prior to the sleeve. I took prilosec and it was somewhat controlled. After surgery I took it for several weeks but not daily. My surgeon said to take it daily, but it worked for me if I took it every 2 or 3 days and I figured why over medicate if it isn't needed. Anywho, not sure if it is the fact that my diet is different or what, but I don't have Gerd or at least heartburn at all anymore. I do find that if I eat a trigger food or dense food before bed that I will sometimes wake up with nausea. I take a tums and go back to bed. No other issues. Hope your symptoms Improve after surgery. Sent from my SM-N920V using the BariatricPal App