Tiffykins

Oh, I know how Mirena works, but some surgeons are way more conservative than others. Clots happen, they suck, and there's some stories on here about them showing up after patients are discharged. So, I agree that moving is extremely important. Just sharing information and experiences that have been shared on here and other forums. I don't do any birth control so it wasn't a concern for me.

There's a couple of topics on here that I was referring to with others experiences with Mirena, and other bc options. I think the main issue with hormonal BC is the concern for blood clots. You're already at a risk with surgery, and then add in the risk factor with hormonal BC increases that risk. Everyone's body responds differently post-op. I can, off the top of my head, count at a minimum of 6 women on obesityhelp that got an IUD (Mirena, and the other options) post-VSG and had issues losing weight. The other ladies have shared that even with the low-dose oral BC pills their hormones went crazy, and their weight stalled or stopped, or they struggled with the crazy mood swings.

Won't hurt you, but might cause constipation. The body might not assimilate all of the protein you drink. Amino acids are necessary for proper absorption and assimilation of protein for muscle building, but we're not drinking or eating huge amounts of protein for muscle mass building. We're doing it to protect our muscle mass during rapid weight loss, and assist in recovery after major surgery and to help get our bodies into ketosis for maximum body fat burning. Body builders use protein powders and supplements to build muscle mass and as recovery proteins after major workouts. My husband is a novice when it comes to bodybuilding, but we researched a lot of the different theories when it comes to protein absorption and assimilation. For his workouts, he is required to drink 2 protein drinks per day with 60-70gr of protein per shake/drink. That is on top of his food intake.

They were allowed and highly suggested for me. I added them to greek yogurt as well to cut the bitterness.

Only during the healing, and initial losing stage were certain foods and drinks prohibited. I had a 3 month wait on raw veggies, fruits, and nuts. Alcohol was also a 3 month wait, but my surgeon preferred that we wait until goal to start indulging in alcoholic beverages due to the empty calories. As for after hitting goal, I have zero food or drink restrictions. I have drank soda, which some surgeons say they are forever off the list of drinks, since being around 6 months out. I really do eat and drink anything I want or need. I live a life of moderation at this point, and have since being at goal. It's just works for me.

That's crazy ! ! ! But, I would ask how their follow-up care program is set up just so you can be prepared.

No rush chickee ! ! ! I'm so excited because Tricare in Texas falls into Tricare South and that means I can raise a little hell ha ha ha. I think they'll be able to get us on the fact that it's Tricare Remote and not regular Tricare.

Where is Lemoore, and what are the closest within 200 miles of you military bases, posts, or naval bases?? That will help me help you.

See if you can get into the John Hopkins program! ! ! I know of one military spouse (her husband is retired) that was able to switch to the John Hopkins Health plan through Tricare for Life and had her VSG performed at John Hopkins without an issue and paid the normal Standard fee rates.

Any of the hormonal birth control methods can either slow down, or halt weight loss completely post-op. I've seen it happen far too many times on here and on obesityhelp.com I've read 100s of stories of ladies going on hormonal BC and then stall out for weeks to months, and that goes for RNY, VSG or/and the band. During rapid weight loss, our bodies dump stored hormones from fat cells, our systems get all out of whack. Keep researching. I had the band, I won't bash it too much because it's not polite, but don't waste your time or money on it due to the rising complication and revision rates ! ! !

I'm currently 6 months pregnant, and doing just perfect in the pregnancy as is the baby. I posted a long 6 month update. Grant it, I'm 2 years out from VSG so it's way different than getting pregnant early out from any weight loss surgery. As for breastfeeding, there are a couple of breastfeeding momma's on obesityhelp and they've had RNY, but are several years out. They aren't malabsorbing their calories anymore so it's not that difficult for them to maintain a solid milk supply. It is recommended to pump to have at least a month supply so you can let your body recovery, but for 2-4 weeks you will only be taking in 600-1000 calories even with 2-3 shakes a day. It's just not possible to force foods, or liquids in post-op. You'll have to pump and dump for a couple of days immediately post-op if you do attempt to breastfeed immediately after surgery because of all the anesthesia and drugs given iv. Personally, if I were in your shoes, and had a desire to breastfeed my child, I would not risk nipple confusion, breast refusal after pumping and bottle feeding, or my supply running out because your body just can not keep up with the demands of a growing baby. Just like I refused to risk getting pregnant too early. I was released for TTC earlier than most because of extenuating circumstances, and I was already below goal, my labs were and had been consistently stellar, and rumors of my husband getting shipped to the sh*thole of Afghanistan again were looming over our heads. We tried for a solid 14 months, charting, temping, all that good crap, and I endured 2 chemical pregnancies in that time. So, I do not recommend rushing TTC without careful consideration of all possibilities. This is major surgery, and while the majority have uneventful recoveries, it is still recovery, and huge shock on your body.

I lost over 140lbs, and my lower back tattoo is now affectionately called by husband my "ass frown" because it is now droopy and the ends of it sag down because I lost all my butt and hips. So, it looks like a frown instead of straight line. As for the other 2, right shoulder, top of my back (right under my collar) both look fine.

The only jeans that I really dig are Old Navy Skinny Diva cut jeans. I have the same issue with a little belly fat, and that lower belly baby fat roll, but the Diva cut fit my funky body shape really well. The other option that I really love are the Gap "boyfriend" cut jeans, I actually might like them the most because they are the only size 0 I can wear LOL, but they fit, hold their color, and do not stretch out in the hiney like my Old Navy pairs stretch out over the course of the day. I know it's probably totally inappropriate for a 34 year old, mom to a 13 year old, and about to be a new mom to wear super skinny jeans, but I have tiny legs, and if I wear regular cut jeans, my thighs look like tree trunks, and I hate that.

Nate Newton (former Dallas Cowboy football player) and rapper Paul Wall have both admitted to having VSG. The only celebrity that I call major *BULLSH(T* on is Aretha Franklin. She might not have had "that" surgery (when she said she didn't have bypass), but she had some sort of surgery. I agree that if everyone, including celebrities, would stop being ashamed of their choice to have WLS, the stigmas and stereotypes would lessen. I just don't get hiding it, I'm not saying tell to every Tom, d**k and Harry, but when asked, tell the truth. Lying by omission is still lying. I also don't get the fear of "judgement" because we choose surgery. We were all judged being obese, and/or morbidly obese. I just don't get it. People judge people. I'd much rather be judged for making the choice to better my health, my life, and my future than being fat considered lazy, gluttonous and overall just a sloth because I choose to remain fat.

I think(and in my 2 years post-VSG) cravings are mental, and they operate on our stomachs, not our brains so in the beginning you might not have cravings because you won't be hungry, but the further out you get, you might find that you battle head hunger and craving since there is zero surgical options to cut off cravings. None of the surgeries stop the mental aspect of cravings. I can say that early out for about the first 6-12 months cravings were minimal because I had changed my eating habits, and behaviors with foods. Some days, food and eating was a chore because I did lose my appetite along with physical, but there are 1000s of sleeve patients that battle head hunger from the beginning so I wouldn't count on any of the surgery stopping mental cravings for foods that are the best option. For me, it was easy in the beginning because I was so focused on getting to goal, and getting in my Protein. However, at 2 years out, I can tell you cravings, and my appetite has returned. I still do not get physically hungry, never does my stomach growl, I can still go several hours without eating, and not feel physical hunger. But, I still have a fat girl's appetite, and especially now with the pregnancy, cravings are horrendous. I hate to be the "Debbie Downer", but if you research around here, you'll see that mental cravings do not go away with any weight loss surgery. There's plenty of sleeve patients that have posted about cravings, previous eating behaviors, and habits that aren't easily broken just because they have surgery. It's the same for any of the surgeries. If you peruse the RNY, DS, and Band forum on obesityhelp you'll see that mental cravings are the most difficult obstacle for a lot of us regardless of surgery type. As for your concern about "short" women, I'm only 5'2" and had zero issue losing weight or maintaining my loss (138lbs lost)with VSG alone. I would not entertain the idea of DS or RNY because of the malabsorption component. For me, I know myself, and my lifestyle best, and I could not remotely be compliant with the stringent vitamin/supplement requirement for either surgery, but especially DS. I can honestly tell you that I'd rather lug around an additional 20lbs than take 20-30 pills a day to keep my levels within normal ranges. That's just my take on malabsorptive procedures and what I wanted long term from a surgery choice. Best wishes in your research ! ! !

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh I'm getting new boobs HA. But, my husband doesn't care about boobs at all. They are totally for me. The stall will break, just keep doing what you're doing.

I can only share with you my experience. My husband hates me tiny. He hates it with everything in his being. Literally, he loves that I am gaining weight in the pregnancy. He jumped up and down when the scale showed a 15lb weight gain. He has always preferred "thick" girls, all of his exes were bigger girls, I was just the biggest he'd ever dated. He admits that my personality/character traits/behaviors have not changed with my weight, but he doesn't like me below 150lbs. Well, he just learned to deal with it because I got down to 125lbs and a size 2. He likes me best around a size 7/9. He has a preference, and I no longer fit into that preference. However, I told him that I had a preference of taller, dark-haired, hairy chested, older men, and then I met, fell in love and married his scrawny 6ft tall, 6 years my junior, 165lbs framed, blonde-haired, blue-eyed, bare chested offerings, and he needed to realize that he fell in love with me, not my size just as I had fallen in love with him, not his physical attributes. It's been a tough 2 years with me dropping weight, and sizes changing. The big, round, soft women he "knew" doesn't exist anymore, but he still loves me, still thinks I'm beautiful, and loves everything about me. Lots of communication has been the key to use navigating through the changes.

You're not going to stretch out your sleeve. My recommendation is to start snacking on more complex carbs, and Protein based foods. You can not cut carbs in pregnancy. It is not possible because being in ketosis will cause fetal brain damage and can lead to defects, and pre-term labor/stillbirths. So, DO not cut carbs, but get on a good eating plan. My instructions are to at 1700-1800 calories a day with 100gr of protein, a minimum of 100-200gr of carbs (can be any form of carbs, but preferably complex carbs), and 100oz of water/clear fluids per day. Depending on your early pregnancy weight (like around 6-8 weeks pregnancy weight), that will determine your caloric intake. For me at 131lbs, they put me on the above requirements. I am projected to gain 30-35 pounds in the pregnancy, and at 24.5 weeks pregnant, I've the 18-19lb gain already. My surgeon and ob's are both elated with my gain and due to my low body fat percentage, they are not concerned with my weight gain. Weight regain sucks. I hate it, but it's getting better for me mentally. As for getting things under control, you're just going to have to tweak your intake. Pack veggies and ranch dip for a snack, or cheese and whole wheat crackers. Start choosing healthier options. Don't forget just because we have lost weight doesn't make us any less of a risk for gestational diabetes and gaining too much weight too fast in the pregnancy can contribute to that issue. I'm going through testing at this point for gestational diabetes and it's not because I've gained too much, but it's because Tatum is weighing 8-10oz heavier than she should at this point. Good luck with the pregnancy, push fluids, take your Vitamins, and have your labs monitored carefully.

It's definitely not normal when the sleeve is performed properly, and the fundus is fully dissected with the proper measurements from the pylorus and esophagus. I've read about it a couple of times on obesityhelp.com and both cases were done by the same surgeon. These particular patients went to a different surgeon to look into options, and both ended up having to revise to RNY to get rid of the reflux, and because re-sleeving is heavily discouraged due to the existing staples and scar tissue.

There is a forum on obesityhelp.com called Sex before and after weight loss surgery that has touched on this topic. I've seen that it happens frequently when the husband loses weight and the wife doesn't. Typically, the cases I've seen for the women, is that they want their husbands to lose weight for health reasons and to be with them longer vs. not being attracted to them anymore. I personally, even at 270lbs, never found heavy/obese men attractive and didn't date heavy guys. I liked built, big framed men, but overall height/weight proportionate. Then I went off and married a man with a 16-17% body fat, 6ft tall, and whole whopping 165lbs. He met, fell in love and married me at 270lbs so I weighed 100lbs more than him. Luckily, he's been supportive even with the loss of my curves, boobs, and everything physically he knew of me when we met.

Y'all don't even wanna know what I eat in maintenance HA, and I'm able to maintain my weight loss without suffering mentally or physically from eating out. For all of the judgmental, finger-wagging replies, I am living proof that eating "off plan" and NOT dieting works wonderfully in maintenance. There is a vast difference in eating junk food daily, or over-indulging in hot fudge sundaes or choosing to have a grilled chicken breast wrap from McDonalds. I eat out on average 3-4 days a week. And, those on the forum who are on my Facebook can all confirm that information. I make the best choice 85% of the time, the other 15% I have half of a chili cheese coney with 6-8 cheesy tots from Sonic, or a fully loaded double cheeseburger minus the bun with EXTRA big mac sauce and pickles. Today, I'm going to Moe's for $6 burrito Monday. I'll skip the rice, get double pinto Beans, chicken, salsa, sour cream and guacamole. I might 3-4 bites of the tortilla, or have a few of the chips with salsa. By no means am I encouraging anyone to eat the bad stuff, but for me, my goals, my mental healthy, I can not and will not diet nor look at foods as BAD. There are foods that are nutrient dense, and others that are nutrient lacking. I choose the first option the majority of the time. This gives me the balance that I need to be successful not only at keeping my weight off, but to keep my mind healthy as well. I deprivation dieted myself up to 270lbs, and like I've said for over a year now, mashed potatoes and Pasta didn't make me fat. Eating 2-3 cups of those foods along with the main meat course, puls a fried appetizer, 2-3 glasses of sweet tea, and a dessert made me fat.

So many obese women dream of wearing the sexy, ultimate bras from Victoria Secrets, right? Well, I wore them when I was around 180-190lbs when I could wear the 38D dream angel bras so the major "want" to wear them wasn't there for me. But, I do love their panties, and ordered a bunch and scored 2 reward cards. I thought what the heck, let's go get measured, and buy a new sexy bra ! ! ! First off, the first girl wanted to measure me with my bra on, yeah that won't work huney. So, she calls her manager in, and I explained I'm wearing a super push up bra, with padding and I need to be measured without a bra on. I proceed to tell her that I've lost a lot of weight, and my breasts are nothing more than skin and breast tissue. As she's nodding, and saying "yeah right, you're boobs don't look bad". I take off my bra, and BAM, her eyes nearly bugged out of their damn sockets, it was quite hilarious to be honest. So, she proceeds to try to measure me, and is a bit confused because my nipples are not anywhere near where they "should" be. We get the measurement 32-34 B. I already knew that, and proceeded to try on 18 different bras, various sizes, and I literally tried on every bra type they make with the exception of the little t-shirt bras because those little straps of cotton aren't going to hold anything up. Not a single damn one of them fit properly, or were so uncomfortable that I couldn't imagine wearing them for more than 10 minutes. Least to say, I left feeling defeated, I think I kind of teared up a bit as I put on my $6.00 maidenform bra from Ross, and then I looked at myself in the mirror. I really looked at myself, and realized that I'm better off not dumping $48 on a bra. I had to Celebrate all of my success, and not let this one fitting room experience ruin me. I did want to buy a bra, more than anything I wanted to feel feminine and look lovely in a bra. It was emotional, and a little overwhelming, but I am not going allow it to really get me down. Thank goodness I love their body care products and panties ! ! ! I didn't buy anything, but plan on going back this next week to get some more panties and body sprays LOL. BUT, I did stop in at Old Navy and scored 2 sweaters and tanks in XS so I shouldn't be bitching, right?

I did Hip Hop abs with great results. I carried a lot of my weight in my abdomen, and found that HHA really helped tone, lift and shrink that stubborn belly fat. I also did stand up crunches. Squat (as low as you can) against a wall, make sure your back is supported, and "crunch" like you would if you were lying on the ground doing crunches. Essentially, rolling your pelvis up and your shoulders down to tighten those lower abdominal muscles. The HHA will give you cardio as well, and isolated core exercises. It's not annoying Hip Hop music, or vulgar. It's more Top 100 Pop songs.

I dealt with it for my entire losing stage, and even in maintenance, but during that time, it was isolated right around my ovulation week. As my weight loss slowed down, the moods leveled out. I would use caution when going on anti-depressants. I went on Wellbutrin last summer to quit smoking, and it made me batsh*t crazy, and I had manic episodes. My mood swings were horrific on it, and while it was horrible to deal with my mood swings before, the Wellbutrin made it 100 times worse. My surgeon made me wean off of it. He specifically told me that since I was not clinically depressed, had zero true depression issue, or chemical imbalance, anxiety issues then those type of drugs can actually make the mood swings worse.

I experienced the same thing, and it didn't really resolve until I could progress to more varied and solid diet when I could add in bookooz amounts of seasoning and spices. My appetite returned about 12-18 months, and things actually sounded good again. I still struggle with remembering to eat especially if I've crammed my schedule with major appointments. But, I don't get the physical trigger/signal to eat even to this day. Once I could add stuff to food, it really helped to make eating easier.