marfar7

"Also, one of the reasons that I am having this surgery is because I am starting a nurse practitioner program in January and I don't want to feel like a hypocrite when I advise my patients on making healthy lifestyle choices. I am really excited, but also increasingly nervous as my date looms on 11/25. " When I was in college, I majored in nutrition (to become an RD). I was the fattest 1 in my 50 person program. I felt like a hypocrite. I even decided against going into any type of weightloss-type major, choosing public nutrition cuz I figured no one would take the advice of a fat dietitian. I know exactly how u feel. I never did graduate (still have 4 classes left for my BS in nutrition) and never took any classes that have to do with weight. Believe it or not, the majority of classes that RD's take have nothing to do with weightloss.

If u look at a group of nurses, isn't it weird that most of them r overweight or obese? It's like a respiratory therapist that smokes. In my former life, I was a nurse (back injury now prevents it). I would say at least 75% of my co workers were overweight or obese. And many of them smoked too. Thats too bad that we as a group cannot figure out how to educate the general population how to be healthy...

Laura, ur not the only whiny 1 here.My recovery wasn't great either. Much worse than my lapband surgery 4 yrs ago. However, that being said, it was definitely worth it! U will get thru it (pain or no pain) and look back on it with a distant memory. I've heard it's like childbirth. U forget over time. Good luck to u!

Not sure. Never heard of that for "Here" meals. have heard of that for "to go" meals. We don't have a Golden Corral on the West Coast. We like to go there cuz hubby is a low carber and he can get his fill of meat and veggies...

Yeah! Wtg! Doesn't it feel good? I have 23 lbs to my 130 goal. My plan is to maintain until after the holidays and then get more serious about losing the last 23 lbs. I will enjoy myself thru the holidays. Im patient. Size 4 (im now an 8) can wait. Even if I never lost another pound, Im happy to not be 250 (bmi 41) anymore

My dr didn't restrict caffeine either. I waited about 2 wks howver, not cuz of the caffeine but cuz of the temp. I was so paranoid that too hot/cold liquids would cause a leak. I mustve been unbearable to live with the 1st 2 wks cuz I was so scared of getting a leak. I refused Jello cuz it was too solid for a full liquid diet. Silly me Couldn't live without my coffee.

McButterpants: wow. Outpatient? I enjoyed the IV Dilaudid as long as I could! I was in for 48 hrs. Had my catheter and IV fluids for 24 hrs then I could drink and take oral pain meds the 2nd 24 hrs. I was relieved to have the catheter in for the 1st day cuz I literally pee every 20 mins and getting up and down at that point was horrible. Good luck to u

I look like marshmallow being held up by 2 toothpicks. While I've gone from a size 22 to an 7/8 on the bottom, I've only gone from a 44DD to a 40D (not much of a drop) I have 22 lbs to my goal of 130. I wear a small to medium in pajama bottoms and an XL on top. I'm "that one" that came before u at Target and switched out the set in the dressing room. Leaving u with a small top and an xl bottom. Sorry I've begun wearing juniors jeans (size 7) cuz the butt isn't as baggy as womens jeans. I have NO butt anymore. And I'm scared that the 22 lbs I have left will continue to come off the legs/butt. And yes, I went to the cosmetic surgeon to talk about "work". I'd luv a tummy tuck, breast lift, and my backfat sucked out. There's no way I can afford it in this liftime... Whats a girl to do?

Not sure how people don't own a scale. I'm addicted to my scale. I weigh on it at least once a day (totally naked after going potty. Can't even get on after my shower cuz the Water in my wet hair might add a few ounces!) And my scale hasn't budged in a month. So I know that when I eventually do lose the last 23 lbs, I will be able to maintain fairly easily. Good luck! Wtg losing 55 lbs! Awesome!

Hate to break it to u but not everyone loses the hunger hormone. Some do. many don't. I got my hunger (true hunger, not acid like some day) on day 10. I'm hungry more often now than I was before, cuz I'm only able to eat a very small amt. I'm usually hungry again 2 hrs later. Ur gunna have to start eating more often than 2x a day otherwise ull literally starve. Just wanted to warn u that u may not lose the Ghrelin. About 25% of Ghrelin (the hunger hormone they cut outa ur stomach) is made in the pancreas. My dr said it's perfectly normal to be either hungry or not. I'm bummed I'm in the hungry category... Good luck!

What I wore and what I wished I had worn were 2 different things. I wore jeans tot eh hospital and home. I was 3 hrs away so I couldnt send hubby home for a change of clothes. I totally didn't even think of comfort. Luckily the jeans were a bit losse so I was ok I recommend sweats and a t tho...Good luck

I learned to eat fast in Army basic training over 15 yrs ago. If u didn't eat in 5 mins, u didn't eat. I brought that gem into my everyday life (not the running or pushups, but eating fast). I was banded for 4 yrs before my revision 4 mths ago and I blame my eating too fast for my band slipping. I never learned to slow down thus often vomiting my meal. After 3 yrs, my band had had it. You'd think I would've learned after that fiasco. I haven't. I still eat way too fast. My husband is even faster than me so when we eat with others, we're done before them and just look around the room Still working on the slow technique. I'm usually the first one done. But then again, I only eat about 6-8 bites!

Loved eating out before and after my sleeve (was also banded for almost 4 yrs prior to revision). I may get blasted for this but I eat whatever I want. Anything and everything. The only thing I've found is a no no is ice cream. Im a slow learner so I've tried it 5x and every single time I get stomach cramps. The last time I was begging God to get me thru it and Id never eat ice cream again. I still eat burgers Iabout 1/3 of an In and Out Burger), pizza (1/2 normal slice), tacos (3/4 of a Del Taco chicken taco), sandwiches (1/3 of a small Quiznos sub), and buffets (yes, I said it, a buffet). Thank God I can only eat a small amt of food (maybe 6-8 bites of any given meal) so I'm slowly losing. That was my goal of wls, to never diet again. Not eating certain foods seems like dieting to me. Every restaurant (even greasy spoons) has something on there u can eat. I just noticed that ur only 4 weeks out. That changes everything. Forget what I just said (not really, otherwise I would've edited it ) I was still on full liquids at 4 weeks. While I did eat out a few times during this time, it wasn't as easy as it is now (4 mths post). Any restaurant will blend a soup for u (Red Robins clam chowder is yummy thru a blender) and if ur really adventurous, u can ask for anything put thru the blender. They may not recommend pizza in the blender but if ur willing, why not? Like I said, I luv eating out. I eat out 4-7 times a week. Brunch is my fav meal out. Good luck to u

I ditto Gamegirl. Once u start eating solids, ull fill up much faster. I could've probly ate an endless supply of pudding/yogurt when I was on full liquids. And ur 1 of the lucky ones to not feel hunger. Mine started on day 10 and I've been hungry ever since (4 mths). It take some people up to a year before they feel hunger. Lucky ducks...

Absolutely! Luv eating out. And I do it often. I'm the odd-bird that eats everything (including bread, rice, Pasta, and potatoes) just really small amt. Last nite we took my FIL to a steakhouse for his bday. I ordered a 10oz prime rib. I ate maybe 4 bites, a few bites of my baked potato, couple bites of ranch Beans, and a few bites of my salad. Hubby ate the rest of my prime rib. First time in 4 yrs (since being banded. I'm now sleeved, however) I didn't have a to go box. I was bummed. I attempted to use my bariatric card at Hometown Buffet to get the kids prices. They refused it. I'm truly a waste of money at buffets. I fill my plate with all the stuff I like and take a bite of each thing. When I'm done, it doesn't even look like I ate anything! And I usually wrap up a couple Cookies and sneak them in my purse! Hey, I just paid $11 for .75cents worth of food! You can find healthy foods on every menu. Good luck!

Not sure about Medicaid but Medicare doesn't approve bariatric surgery beforehand. If u have a band complication and ur dr recommends a revision, they will cover it. The insurance coordinator in my drs office told me she has yet to see Medicare not pay for a necessary revision. Now if the revision is just cuz u didn't lose weight with the band and WANT a revision, they may not pay. My band slipped and Medicare covered 80% of my sleeve revision. I think Medicare is pretty standard in the US. Like I said, unsure about medicaid. Good luck!

After my band to sleeve revision 4 mths ago (I started out at 250 lbs 4 yrs ago but was only 174 when I had my revision), I was in the ER for a bad medication reaction (thought I had a leak). They did an xray to be 100% certain there was no leak. I heard the tech behind the window say to the other tech "They will do wls on anyone nowadays. She probly paid cash" Meaning I wasn't fat enuf for wls. Maybe I wasn't fat enuf for wls #1 (at 174 and a bmi of 28) not sure if any dr would have done the sleeve on me (even with cash) but it doesn't matter if ur below target weight for revision. I knew if I had my band taken out without a revision, I would've soon weighed 250 again. Oh and btw, my insurance paid for it, not cash. Actually made me feel kinda good. Like she was saying I was skinny or something!

I'm a big fan of TJ's candy (not so low carb, sorry). They sell a 1lb pkg of dark choc covered espresso Beans for $6, while Starbucks sells them by the oz for over $7.50 (and they're not as good). Also LUV the dark choc covered caramels. They have yummy frozen stuffed mushrooms that were always a hit at our Sat nite poker game. And their fresh guacamole is yummy too. I went for years without having a local TJ's until they finally opened 1 a couple yrs ago near my house. I was a regular. Before then, I had to hit up my moms local one when I was visiting her. She's a fan of $2 Buck Chuck (which is now $2.49, not sure what they call it anymore?) (Charles Shaw brand wine). I'm not a fan, however. I'd rather drink a jug of cheapo Carlo Rossi. Since moving to Ca from Or recently, I noticed out local TJ is much smaller than the newer one in Or. Maybe they're making the newer ones bigger? Their produce section in the Ca older 1 is about 1/2 the size.

I had my lapband in 2009. It took 4 mths and 3 fills to get to the elusive "sweet spot" (almost impossible to get back once its lost, btw). Lost most of my excess weight over the next 18 mths. However, I think most of my loss was due to the frequent vomiting that occurred with the band (normal with the band). I became a very proficient vomiter. And I prided myself on losing 104 lbs eating anything I wanted, just less of it. The frequent vomiting finally caught up with me. The severe nightime reflux was horrible. Suffered for 4 mths with it every single nite cuz I was scared my dr would unfill me. Finally I couldn't take it anymore and went in. I had a minor slip. After numerous unfills/fills/tweaks (and mind u my dr was 3 hrs each way and $170 each time I said hello) it couldn't be fixed. The frequent vomiting continued even totally unfilled. My slip became worse. I needed it taken out. I knew myself and that there was no way I could keep it off (and I gained 30 lbs in the year it was unfilled) without another tool. I looked into revision. Since I needed to lose 44 lbs I felt the bypass was a little extreme for me. But so was taking out 85% of my stomach. After much reswearch, I decided to get sleeved. My dr does all of his revisions all at once (many do seperate surgeries) so 4 mths ago I had it done. It took my dr an extra 30 mins to actually DIG my band outa my stomach. So glad I didn't wait any longer. While I've only lost 22 lbs (have another 22 to goal), im no longer vomiting daily. I enjoy everything in small quantities. I know I could speed up my weightloss by counting every calorie that goes into my mouth but that's the reason I had surgery in the 1st place. To stop dieiting. So I know ill eventually get to my 130 goal. Im a size 8 now and if I never lost 1 more lb, im happy. So glad to be rid of my band. Not sure what would've happened to my stomach if I had left it in there. If I were u, not only would I research the band more extensively but also research the high occurrance of band complications. My dr doesn't even like to do band anymore but will do them on those that insist. I've heard (not sure if its correct) that sleeves done on prebanded stomaches don't work as well as virgin sleeves. In my case it is what it is. Good luck with ur research and decision. If u have any questions, pm me...

So I've been reading a blog here and there and they remind me of an old journal I used to keep a long, long time ago. Kind of a map of the goings on in my life. Something I can look back on and see progress. So here goes my story: I've been fat all my life. I was a fat baby, a fat kid, a fat teen, a fat bride, and a larger than most (but actually an acceptable weight) soldier in the Army. I pretty much hovered around 198, never going over 200. Until my husband died at 46 (I was 40). In the 2 yrs afterwards, I went to 248. A bmi of 40.8. I moved 3,000 miles from the East Coast to the West Coast to "start over". I then had lapband surgery when it took my breath away to tie my shoes. It took 4 mths and 3 fills to get to my "sweet spot" and I then started losing. After 50 lbs and 10 mths later, I felt confident enuf to start dating. My mom encouraged me to go online, since the only friends I had in the new town were people from church and from my widows group (most over the age of 75). Had coffee with a few men who never even asked for my number. Dated 1 guy for 2 mths, he asked me to marry him at week 2 and put a ring on layaway. We were very serious. Even looking at house together. He then decided we were getting too serious and broke it off. Found out that he had been conversing with a woman in Iowa, he fell in love, and was bringing her to Oregon to get married. He used my ring that was on layaway. So tacky. Broke my heart. He was definitely a "chubby chaser" tho and I was getting too thin for him. I met Craig online. We were talking and he wanted to have coffee. It was midnight. So in the shower I went and met him for coffee at 2 am. That was 3 yrs ago. Married him almost 2 yrs ago. I got lucky for the 2nd time in my life, to marry the man of my dreams. He's so encouraging of my weightloss but never says anything if I've managed to gain a few lbs. He had recently lost 80 lbs before I met him using Atkins, so he knew about being obese. Last year, after vomiting frequently (think I lost the 104 lbs I lost on the bulimic diet) my band finally had had it and slipped. After numerous unfills/fills/tweaks, it was determined it wasn't gunna fix itself. I had my sleeve revision 4 mths ago. I've now lost 22 lbs with 22 to goal of 130 (I had gained 30 lbs during the year my band was slipped and unfilled, of course. Isn't that the way the band works?). While I'm bummed about my slow progress, someone mentioned to me recently that I've lost 50% of my excess weight in 4 months and how fantastic that was. So yeah me! I know I could speed up my weightloss by counting everything that goes into my mouth but thats why I had wls in the first place - so I'd never have to diet again. So I will take a 1-2 lbs a week loss getting to eat whatever I want (including bread, rice, pasta and potatoes) over eating only protein and veggies and counting every calorie that goes into my mouth. I got fat from eating too much. I no longer eat too much so I'm bound to lose weight. I can eat about as much as I could when my lapband was at it's premium, but without all the vomiting. Vomited once since being sleeve (my fault - ate too much). I still eat cookies (1 instead of 12), chips (5-6 instead of a bag), bread (1 pc vs 4), pasta (5-6 bites instead of a whole order), fried chicken (1/2 wing instead of 6 wings, and cheese nips (a small handful instead of the whole box) Ok, got that off my chest. Now, for the lectures on why eating whatever I want is counterproductive after wls....

Dang. I'd be starving if I ate as many calories as most of u. I don't regularly (daily) track my calories but the time I have, I tend to stay under 1100, but I KNOW I get more than 800 on a daily basis. Wow. So far out at 600 calories a day? I recommend when (and I say WHEN cuz everyone WILL stall at some point) that u try upping ur calories. Ur body can't live on less than 1000 calories a day for long and stay healthy. What u guys are talking about they call VERY LOW CALORIE DIETS - and I had wls so I'd quit dieting. But if it's working for u, by all means go for it. When all else fails, I guess u must starve urself to lose.

I'm 4 mths post op (band revision) and regularly eat burgers and fries (or I might say 4 bites of a burger and maybe 5 fries). It's the reason I had wls in the first place - so I'd never have to diet again. Think I may start watching what I put in my mouth now, however. Trying to get off the last 22 lbs and it's becoming very tedious. Are u staying away from these types of foods because ur eating healthier or becuz u can't physically eat them?

I had "noises" also, but with my lapband. Everytime I drank something, my esophagus would gurgle. After a few months and my band loosened a little, they went away. My husband missed it - it lulled him to sleep! Never had any noises with my sleeve, however. I'm sure it's normal otherwise people would be shocked, but no on is! I'm 4 mths out and never once had a noise.

Hey everyone, My revision was done all at once July 2013. I started at 174 and a bmi of 28 so I knew I'd lose slower than most but 22 lbs in 4 mths is getting ridiculous. Someone reminded me the other day that I've lost 50% of my excess weight (still need to lose 22 lbs to goal) in 4 mths and that was great. I know I shouldn't compare myself with others on here but some people are losing incredible amounts of weight. Are these just the VSG only people or are some of us revisionists in that category also? What was ur bmi at revision and how much have u lost? How far out r u? I've decided that it's nightime snacking thats my foe. Not to mention my nightly glass of red wine What is ur "secret" to an above-satisfactory revision?

I had a slip. Started out a small slip in 2012 so they tried to fix it with numerous unfills/fills/tweaks. Never fixed itself. After continuous vomiting even with an empty band, it becamse a big slip. in fact, it took my dr an extra 30 mins to dig my band outa my stomach. No, no problem with insurance approval (Medicare) since it was a band complication. I guess they understood that once my band was out (and it HAD to come out) I would gain it all back had I not received some type of wls to replace it. Tried for a year to fix it without a revision, gaining 30 lbs. Good luck to u!