Tiffykins

We used a condom, spermicidal insert during my losing stage. Not only can hormonal bc be less effective, if you've had hormonal issues in the past, it can hinder or contribute to slow weight loss.

Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww YAY YAY so excited for you and your future! ! !

I didn't drop sizes until I had dropped about 50lbs (from what I can remember). Now once, I dropped about 80lbs, and got into regular sizes like the regular 18s and 16s without the W or Plus in the sizing, I dropped sizes quickly. I skipped right over 12s, went from 14s to 10s. Once I got to goal, I was wearing a 9/10, getting into maintenance, I only lost about 23lbs and I drop from those 9/10s to a size 2/3 some 4s depending on the cut of the jeans.

I had super trivial goals. 1) To see the bones in my feet 2) To shave my girly bits without worrying about shaving or nicking off important parts 3) To see that little triangle of light through my thighs 4) To weigh less than my husband ( I weighed 110lbs more than him at my heaviest) 5) To have one chin 6) To never walk into a Lane Bryant/Avenue/Plus size only store 7) To wear single digits 8) To wear regular pantyhose, ya know not control top 9) To wear calf high boots that were real leather without the stretchy elastic that plus size faux leather boots come with to accommodate huge calves 10) To wear non-stretch jeans comfortably 11) To get pregnant All my to-do's are done.

I could stick to it because I didn't have room for other stuff if I wanted to get my Protein via food sources only. I could not use shakes to increase protein intake so eating my prescribed 4 meals per day with a minimum of 15gr of protein was the only way I could get in the required protein amounts. There are plenty of sleeve patients that do not adhere to a low carb diet, and they lose just fine. It's up to you how you want to walk this journey. I know it's difficult to understand how the sleeve makes it easier until you've been there. I didn't believe all the hype of no physical hunger, and the losing that desire to eat. But, it did happen for me. Also, for me when I saw the results of low carbing it, I didn't want to waver from what was working. Also, in maintenance, I do not adhere to low carb diet at all and I eat all carbs even the "evil white ones" and had zero issues maintaining my weight loss eating rice, Pasta, bread, and drinking soda on a regular basis. I only did low carb for until I got to goal which was 6.5 months. The restriction of the sleeve especially early out really made it difficult for me to get in other foods so adhering to low carb wasn't an issue. I think I also had the mentality that VSG was my 2nd WLS, even though the band failed me terribly, I wasn't going to give myself any excuses or coddle myself into failing, or making excuses for going on the prescribed post-op dietary guideline.

I agree that it works for some people, and some people want to be able to eat a more varied diet. But for me, I literally didn't have room for carbs(even an apple) if I wanted to get in my Protein grams in 4 meals per day which is what was prescribed by my surgeon. As for carbs on labels, it's hard to screw up carbs on fresh or frozen (no preservatives, no salt, nothing added) on green Beans, broccoli, pinto/black beans(which I made from raw form) and romaine lettuce which is pretty much the veggies I ate through my losing stage. I even skipped using mayo/miracle whip and subbed in greek yogurt for a lot of my meals for chicken/tuna/egg salad, with a little mustard, or dry ranch dressing. I also relied on the glycemic index for veggies/fruits intake for counts. If it was over 55 points on the glycemic index, I never ate it in my losing stage. My goal was to lose as quick as possible. I won't deny that at all. For me, my goal was to hit goal, and worry about maintenance when I got there. I should add that because eating carbs even the "good ones" didn't work for me in the past. I was diligent with weight watchers, and my body fought to lose with eating little portions of "good foods". I did the points system and the "whole foods" program numerous times, and both had minimal results. I didn't see it as a diet, I never felt deprived so that could be why I was so stringent on my intake. I think people just have to find what works for them, and how they want to lose weight, change their relationship with food, and really change their habits. My losing stage taught me a lot about what I was able to tolerate, what I could eat without feeling deprived, and I learned tricks to make food more "sleeve-friendly" while not losing flavor. I live an extreme life of moderation in maintenance because it's what works for me. I drink soda, I eat bread, Pasta, rice, potatoes, all veggies, alcoholic beverages are weekly indulgences (before the pregnancy) so by no means do I live a life of dieting or monitoring all my intake like I did during my losing stage. For me moderation in maintenance is what works for me, also that moderation can easily get out of hand, and luckily, I can go back to "better choices" cutting carbs to an extent, and still lose weight. I should add that I had another driving force to losing quickly. My husband was deployed during my revision. After my complications, and a slow start with weight loss (I was fed 1800 calories a day for almost 2 weeks via a TPN bag/picc line so I didn't lose a ton of weight), a 2nd hospitalization that resulted in weight gain again, I had a goal to lose 60lbs before his return in 4 months from the day of my revision. Because I was so stringent on my intake, I had dropped about 80lbs by the time he came home and he walked right by me at the airport. So, there were some other driving forces to me losing quickly, getting healthy, and making a full recovery after extensive complications. I had to "get better" before he came home. He wasn't allowed to come home during my complications, he was in a shithole of Afghanistan, dealing with the the mental issues of deployment on top of his wife nearly dying due to complications, he was worried that I was going to be "sickly" and not myself. Sorry for the ramble, I just thought I should clarify some of my reasoning and what all went into my decision-making process during my losing stage.

This is just my non-medical, lay opinion on vitamins, and weight loss; our bodies thrive on all of the micro and macro nutrients and vitamins, certain bacterias, food preservatives and other toxins kill off what we put in our bodies so in my opinion taking the minimum recommended daily value of the essential vitamins/nutrients are essential to a healthy body. It really hit home when I got pregnant, and started reading on prenatal nutrition. I'm growing another human, why do I need extra stuff??? Because my body can't make enough, or take in enough of those vital nutrients via food alone. So, in my little mind, I think of my daily intake (apart from the pregnancy stuff) just what is necessary to survive, to be healthy, have a good energy level, and to feed my body everything it needs, I must supplement what I can not get from food.

Your surgeon/nut should give you a food plan with each stage of the diet listed with allowed/prohibited foods for XX amount of weeks. The list of Protein samples in the Protein Drink forum is a good place to order samples. I've also posted an enormous list of protein drink recipes that are helpful to some. You need whey protein for your primary protein intake during the healing period. Any thing that is non-caffeinated, non-carbonated and sugar free counts as a clear liquid. So, for that stage, broth, crystal light, sugar free popsicles and Jello all count as fluids as does sugar free gatorade/powerade. As for dietary guidelines, there's a few published out there for reference. http://www.laplose.com/Media/Forms/SleeveDietGuide.pdf http://www.cornellweightlosssurgery.org/pdf/dietary_guidelines_sleeve_gastrectomy.pdf I personally stuck with what was given to me, and it worked fabulously. Other plans were quite different than mine, and they worked for those patients as well. The key is to find what works for you. Also, I think it's key to remember(after the healing post-op diet), that during your losing stage that these are guidelines, and you are responsible for finding what works for your body. Personally, I can not lose weight not monitoring carbs, and low carb works best for me to get weight off even over 12-15 months out, low carb works great for me, but that's no guarantee it'll work for you, or the next patient. I also survived and thrived on no more than 800 calories a day for over 6 months others report they need more. I didn't, and I lost my weight just how I wanted to lose my weight.

I call total bullshit on that one. Alcohol can be irritating, it can be too harsh on the stomach depending on what you choose to drink and how far out from surgery you are. BUT I have never, ever heard of anyone getting a leak mystically, magically after drinking alcohol. Afer 6-8 weeks, scar tissue has healed over the staples, and the risk for a leak decrease significantly. NOW, if there was pinhole leak that went undetected by medical professionals, then the patient continued to eat/drink I could see how that could happen. Most leaks are detected within 2 weeks, if not sooner of the original surgery. I've been on WLS boards for nearly 4 years, and every type of WLS patient from band to RNY talk about drinking vodka/cranberry juice or other non-carbonated alcoholic beverages. The skinny girl margaritas are pretty phenomenal. I waited until I was over 6 months out only because I wasn't willing to take in the extra calories during my losing stage.

I posted some links that I"ve had bookmarked for awhile on how to get approval. BUT, if you do not meet the requirements, you will have an uphill battle. My highest recommendation is to get a letter of support from your PCP/PCM that has managed your care for that time, get a new surgeon because it's denied after your initial appeal, you will need a peer to peer review, and if your surgeon is NOT willing to do that for you, then I personally would not allow him to cut on me, and get paid for it. Here is a sample of a support letter for you PCP/PCM. To Whom It May Concern: This Letter is a formal request for approval for Bariatric Sleeve Gastrectomy, for my patient _____________D.O.B______. __________ is Xfeet and X inches tall and weighs XXXpounds. Her body mass index (BMI) isXX. She has been diagnosed with morbid obesity (CPT code: 278.01), since ____. She is having significant adverse symptoms as a result of her obesity. She is having difficulty standing and exercising due to the significant impact of the excess weight on her body. She has difficulty performing any daily activities and in participating with her friends and family in recreational activities. She has been diagnosed with ____________________. The effects of these conditions are severe, and can be life threatening. Co-morbidities have proven to be expensive to treat and sometimes incurable. Research has shown that weight loss is not only cost effective for the insurers, but for the patients as well. _________________ has made numerous weight loss attempts, including: South Beach Diet Weight Watchers Curves Transformations medical weight loss Michael Thurmond Certified nutritionist consultations Based on ____________�s medical history, it is highly recommended she undergo bariatric surgery. In my professional opinion, it is the only way to improve her health conditions and significantly improve her lifestyle. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact our office. Sincerely, MD

Here's the links, I've had bookmarked: http://www.obesityhelp.com/morbidobesity/information/wlsjourney/insurance+trouble.php http://verticalsleevetalk.com/insurance-financing/1496-my-appeal-draft-w-references.html#post14133 http://vsgappeal.blogspot.com/2009/06/appeal-letter.html http://verticalsleevetalk.com/pre-operation-vertical-sleeve-surgery-vsg-questions-answers/1751-unapproved-sleeve-ready-cry-2.html#post17480 http://thediaryofafatwoman.blogspot.com/2008/11/deny-deny-deny.html (The lady above got hers approved)

That would be incriminating evidence, and heaven forbid my husband try to get a higher level of security clearance and they find those pics.

For me, the fact that the sleeve removed my physical hunger really helped me focus on making the "right" choices when it comes to food. I was a low carber during my losing stage, and I lost quickly, got to goal fast, and then struggled getting into maintenance because all of the "mind training" of eating only Protein based foods, and low carb had formed a new mentality with food. Even to this day, at almost 2 years out, I make the best decision 85-90% of the time. Do I eat crap food? YEP, but I also know my limits, and the self-awareness you are exhibiting, I believe, will serve you well through this journey if you choose to take on surgery. It's not easy, but it's worth it. Recognizing, and accepting your food issues are half the battle, finding new coping mechanisms in my opinion is the next step. Then, having a solid support system, and medical support staff to help you through the struggles are other key elements to success. I firmly believe you have to make a conscious effort every day post-op to be successful. No half-assing it, no "I don't give a damn days" because then you're filled with those evil little feelings of failure and doubt. Commit to yourself, and the lifestyle changes necessary. It can be done, I'm living proof of it. I am a carb lover, junk food lover, and to this very day, I still have a "fat girl's" appetite. I just make a better choice because I refuse to fail. Lean on your support system, come here for support if you do not have local support. Find a good therapist, group that is familiar with bariatric patients and food demons.

In my social group, I'm the "afternoon cocktail girl". Seriously, moderation is key for me. There is no reason to not indulge in alcohol unless you are worried about transfer addiction issues. Plus, I didn't drink during my losing stage because our livers are working double time and throwing alcohol on top of everything else it's processing is pretty unfair to task my liver even more. I'm a party girl at heart. I love the bar/club scene, and refused to give it up just because I had my guts altered. Plus, dancing on tabletops is much safer at 130lbs than it is at 270lbs LOL ! ! !

Sorry, I'm being lazy so I'm just copy/pasting this reply from another post: 1. What is a daily meal like? This answer has changed based on how far out I am, and what my goals were. During losing, I ate Protein, protein, protein, protein and more protein. Pretty much atkins diet, no more than 30-40gr of carbs until I hit goal, and was getting into maintenance. At almost 2 years out, I eat fairly normal. Last night for dinner, my almost 13 yr old son, and I shared a fajita for one dinner at a local Mexican place. I ate 6 tortilla chips with salsa, 1 small flour tortilla with about 1Tbsp of refried Beans, a smear of sour cream, 3 strips of fajita steak meat, and about 6 jalapenos. I tear off the rounded part of the tortilla once I folded it over, and I was perfectly content with my intake. I can eat 1 slice of medium thin crust pizza with toppings and cheese. Rice, bread, Pasta are now all slider foods for me so I do watch that intake, but there are not any foods that I can not eat. Pork settles heavy in my sleeve so I don't eat it. I don't feel like I'm missing out on anything at all. Saturday night my husband and I went to a local steakhouse for dinner. I ordered a 6oz sirloin (teriyaki marinade and dipping sauce) a loaded sweet potato (marshmallows and caramel topping), and mac-n-cheese. I ate 1/4 of a dinner roll before my meal arrived. Proceeded to eat 1/2 of the steak with extra dipping sauce (food lube condiments makes meat easier to consume), half of the inside of the sweet potato, and 3 bites of mac-n-cheese. This meal experience lasted 1.5hours allowing me to eat a bit more without being "stuffed". 2. Is there anything you can't eat? Nopers 3. How much can you eat? It totally varies on the consistency of the food, the time I allow myself to eat. There are ways to cheat every weight loss surgery, and I know every single one of them. But, just because I know them doesn't mean I use them all the time. It's typically in social settings when I use those cheating skills. Grazing, eating super slow, stretching out my meal, sipping in between bites, allows me to eat a bit more, and not draw attention to myself. I attend A LOT of social functions, and no one ever questions my eating or lack thereof. 4. Can you drink diet soda? I've drank regular soda since being around 6.5-7 months out without issue. No change in my sleeve capacity, and without any effect on my weight. It's all about moderation for me. As for alcohol consumption, it's wasted calories and I didn't indulge until I was at goal. The first glass of wine hit me hard and fast. I was drunk, numb lips, tingly face, and then sobered up about 20-30 minutes later. I am a major social drinker (well before pregnancy), and I drink all types of mixed drinks and wine. Not a beer drinker, but I indulge when I can. The only time it had any effect on my weight was last holiday season. From Halloween to New Years, we partied a few times a month. I drank and ate without care, and I enjoyed every minute of it. Over those 3 months or so, I gained 7lbs. Went back to my normal eating, and drinking , dropped those 7lbs in a little over a week. My alcohol tolerance is just like it was pre-op.

FABULOUS ! ! ! I got a lecture by the Florida hwy patrol a couple of weeks ago because I haven't updated my driver's license picture and information. My DL still says 255lbs, and has my old picture. I'm not changing it until we close on the house, and get a new address.

I started with every day dosing, and through my losing stage my B12 levels were steady smack-dab in the middle of normal range. I hit 18 months post-op, and my B12 was on the super high normal end, and that's when we cut it back to every couple of days. I have my 2 year follow up with labs with my surgeon in June, and my labs were pulled for pregnancy at 12 weeks, and my B12 had dropped back down within normal ranges in 3 short months. So, I know that if I get super lax, I'll drop even lower on my B12 levels.

Doing great at almost 2 years post-VSG. Pregnant, thriving, loving life, not much to complain about. We live in the NW panhandle of Florida. It's been a whirlwind of 2 years, memories, victories, struggles, but I'd do it all again to live the life I have today.

I recommend tracking those 800 calories. If you're taking in processed carbs and sugars, your body is going to burn those instead of the fat stores. I never counted net carbs during my losing stage. A carb is a carb, your body is going to burn that glycogen regardless of the carb source. I also didn't have the time or energy to sit there and figure all of that crap out. I also read from a veteran sleevester that she had a really hard time trusting labels on Fiber counts, and I feel the same way. So, I never bothered with all of the good carb vs. bad carb mantra, a carb was a carb, if it crossed my lips, I counted it. Hell, I even counted the carbs in my multi Vitamin. Also, you're considered a "lightweight" I know we all hate those words, but unless you are 4'2" inches tall you probably only have 50-75lbs to lose, right? Have you been tested for insulin resistance, or do you have any other metabolic issues i.e. thryoid, or PCOS are 2 common issues that lead to slower weight loss. Have you started any type of hormonal birth control, or changed your bc since surgery? Are you on any other medications? Exercise is important, but I can tell you that I didn't exercise for 4 months, and was less than 20lbs from goal when I started. Your body might need more movement. I had a lot of weight to lose so I lost faster than some, but when we break down my % of weight loss over months it took me to maintain, I was just slightly ahead of the curve. How much weight do you have to lose from heaviest to goal? I would need to know your height because if you only have 50lbs to lose, you've lost nearly 50% of your EW(excess weight) which is actually on target for 4-6 months out. I recommend tracking your intake with Protein, calories, and carbs. Increase fluids, get some labs pulled to ensure you are not deficient anywhere, and ensure your metabolic panel is within normal ranges. Introduce some healthy fats to your diet such as avocados, Peanut Butter, cook with olive oil, cut carbs, use full fat dressings for salad, or the oil based dressings and push protein. If you're still using protein supplement drinks/bars for Meal Replacement, ditch them, and start getting your protein and calories from food sources.

I haven't read of any deaths from a leak per se, but I've read about other complications that led to extensive recoveries. One of the questions you should ask is "if there is a leak, what are your repair/treatment plans?" I had a leak, didn't die, but had horrific anesthesia complications that landed me with a grave prognosis, in ICU for several days, and an extensive recovery. My leak was not the normal "pinhole" leak, and was found on my final leak test right before discharge. My leak was directly related to the damage the band had done to my stomach. It was repaired immediately, but I did have other complications. There is a couple of patients on obesityhelp that have had extensive recoveries with other complications due to leaks not being found early, or went undetected and symptoms were brushed off. There is one patient that has been dealing with a leak for around 4 months, and is still battling the infections/abscesses.

I'm fairly sure most of y'all can relate so I thought I'd share this weird NSV. Today, we were running around the house, getting ready for my husband's orthodontic consult, we're also buying a house, and our home that we rent is on the market so the listing agent showed up unexpectedly without notice, just pissing me, and making my crazy, pregnant hormonal self all in a rage. Anyway, so in the craziness, I threw on some clothes, and forgot deodorant. You're thinking big deal, right? Well, the issue is we live in hot/muggy Florida. The thermometer in my truck said 90 degrees. I got in, started backing out of the driveway, and realized "Crap, no deodorant". My husband was like "great, stinky winky at the dentist". Best advantage to not being fat is I didn't sweat or get sweaty/icky in the underarm department ! ! ! Pre-op weight would have had me sweating profusely, and stinking to high heaven within 10 minutes. We were outside all afternoon, walking around, picking up pine cones in our yard, and not once did I sweat or get stinky ! ! !

It's not a stall unless you haven't lost any pounds or inches for a minimum of 14 days. Take your measurements as well. I've seen the dreaded stalls last up to 6 weeks for some, and then those same people report that they lost several pounds in one week. Just stay the course, push clear fluids, and protein. You'll break the stall, and know that about 95% of WLS patients (regardless of surgery type) experience stalls.

I had zero issues losing weight in certain increments such as 20lbs, 50lbs here and there, the issue was keeping it off. Plus, the constant hunger, deprivation dieting I did to lose that weight was just an endless cycle. For me, surgery was really my last straw to long term success, and keeping it off. I was tired of the ups and downs of real dieting. My commitment to the lifelong changes just wasn't going to happen without surgical intervention. I appreciated everyone's concern about the risk, but the risks of staying fat long term were more overwhelming that my worries with surgery. I think you'll do amazing, and just hold tight to the research you've gathered.

Congrats on your loss thus far ! ! ! I'm not a guy, but have 2 guy friends that had VSG about the same time I did. They both bought the Under Armor type short sleeved or tank/razor back shirts to wear for compression. You can find compression garments on amazon.com, but they both reported that the ones they tried were way to constrictive.

My gas post-op is no different than the gas I experienced pre-VSG. My stomach also never makes funky noises, and I don't really recall it making horrible, embarrassing noises either. It's been nearly 2 years so it's kind of hard to remember if my stomach made noises the first few weeks. I can tell you that any gas I experience now is directly related to the type of foods I eat. Broccoli is still a gassy food for me. If I carb load during a meal, I get gassy, but it's no more foul smelling than it was before VSG.