marfar7

Very cute. I've lost almost 100 lbs and am at the same size 8 I've always been. What gives with that?

I looked on KLoves wedsite to see if I could find the link (they always have a link for all of their news stories) to the Wake Forest Universities link where this info orgininated from. Alas, I can't find the story. It was just yesterday, but I can't find it. I've seen this info many places (including peer reviewed studies). It's nothing new. If I find the exact info they gave out yesterday, I will send u the link.

I asked my dr the day before my revision what the chances were that I'd wake up in recovery without my sleeve. he said "Next to nil". He's done thousands of sleeves and has only a handful that were so damaged he had to do it in 2 steps. My bad had to be dug out of my stomach after being embedded into it and he still went ahead with the revision. I go to a Center of Excellence so had every confidence in my dr that he would never do anything to harm me. My dr staples my stomach but also plicates it (folds it over) to avoid leaks. Seems as tho very few surgeons do this extra step. And yes, they do the barium in everyone the day after surgery to verify you don't have a staple line leak. And no, I had no Fluid in my band at surgery. not because of the upcoming surgery but because my band had herniated about 2 mths prior and had to be totally unfilled. Hope that answers your questions! Good luck to you. So glad I had it done at once. only 1 recovery involved. And mine was tougher than my lapband, most likely due to the fact it took him an extra 30 mins in tugging and digging to get my band out.

Are you trying to tone your arms or get rid of saggy skin caused by weighloss? Cuz if it's the latter, it's virtually impossible. Saggy skin is 85% heredity and 15% luck. With a few %'s (yes, I know thats over 100%!!) due to age (younger ones have less saggy skin). no amount of exercise, special skin potions, or rate of weighloss matter. If your skin is gunna sag, it will sag no matter what you do. Now, if you're just wanting to tone your arms, I've heard from my trainer that the lower the weight and the more reps the more you'll tone instead of building muscle. The higher the weight with less reps you'll build more muscle. Hope that helps.

I'm disabled retired Army and the men I served with were all fit and could eat about 6,000 calories a day and never see a change in their scale. While there were a few of us overweight in my platoon, they were ALL women. They call the Army weightloss program "The Fat-Mans Programs", but it's truly for women. When I served I was nowhere near the weight thats required for wls. How are you staying in (in my day - retired in 2000) you got honorably discharged if your weight wasn't met, you weren't trying to lose and it went on for more than 1 year. I was chubby, but not at the weight required to even qualify for the program, but I saw many a female soldier booted out of the Army because of their inability to lose weight in the right timeframe. Just wondering how you're doing it? managing to stay in and serve? Oh, and no offense intended. Just wondering the facts....

I'm a month ahead of you (July 16th) and have only lost 17. I knew I'd lose slower (started at 174 - band to sleeve revision) but this is ridiculous. While I'm on track for Weight Watchers (about 2 1/2 lbs a week), I'm nowhere near wls losses. I'm going to start going back to the gym tomorrow to see if I can jumpstart my loss again that way. it'd be really hard to eat less. I'm amazed that somebody can live off such little food everyday! I only have 26 lbs to goal and I've heard the last 20 lbs were the hardest. I keep bouncing between 157-156-157 for the last 2 weeks. Wish it would go down just 1 lb and I'd feel a little better! I have lost 2 sizes since surgery so thats something I guess. can't wait to haul out all the winter clothes that fit me the winter of 2012 (gained 30 lbs after lapband slipped) but not last year. Already fitting into some jeans that previously fit but haven't fit in about 18 mths. Good luck. Slow and steady wins the race (or I've heard, anyway!)

It took about 12 days to be able to sleep on my side. I started out using a pillow to prop between the mattress and my tummy. That lasted about 5 days before I quit using it. I had a painful recovery, however, so it could be sooner for you. I've never been a tummy sleeper (boobs are too big!) but I always sleep on my sides, turning over like every hour as my hips start to hurt on 1 side. I call out "Turn Time" to hubby, as I don't like to sleep face to face with him (morning breath all nite!) so he has to turn with me. Yes, he luvs me lots and lots:)

So glad I don't have to suffer with periods anymore. I'm 46, on bcp's, and I think I'm heading into peri menopause. Can't tell with my hormones cuz I'm on bcp's. I have about a 1 day light period every 4-6 mths. No pain with it at all. I used to be regular 26 days, bleed for 6 days (heavily at times) and have severe cramps for 3-4 days. Thank God that time of my life is over. I don't envy u guys!

Amen. I couldn't keep that secret (not very good at keeping secrets as it is!). While I've never posted about it on FB (nor did I post anything about my lapband almost 4 yrs ago) I've told everyone I know. And if it comes up with a perfect stranger, I'm not ashamed to tell my story. I'm proud of my decision to get healthier and proud of my accomplishments. Guess I should brag about it on FB, but I haven't and won't. Good luck with keeping it to yourself!

There's also Torani sf coffee syrups. They're in the coffee aisle, but they're not just for coffee (hello, they have watermelon flavor, Yuck if it's going in my coffee). I put chocolate syrup in my Cappucino flavored Syntrax nectar and it tastes amazing. Like a chocolate cappucino. And they're clear, perfect for a clear liquid diet! You may have to order them online cuz it seems most stores don't carry much of a variety. One of my local stores (food 4 Less) carries about 50 flavors, about 25 of em being sf.

I 2nd this sentiment. I revised from a labband to a sleeve 7 weeks ago. I wouldn't recommend the band to anyone. #1: It has a very high complication rate. Almost 50% of people eventually have a complication ( I actually think it's much higher but those r the official stats) and with only 15% of ur stomach, u can't afford to lose anymore. It took my dr 30 extra minutes to dig my band out of my stomach, leaving damage. It's a good thing he took most of it out! #2: It's the least productive surgery. If you can't lose with the sleeve, what makes you think a lesser surgery will work better? #3: You're always chasing the elusive "sweet spot". It took me 4 mths to find it and many times to refind it in the 3 1/2 yrs I had it. It's like a heroin addict... #4: Not sure a dr would even recommend or do a band over sleeve. most drs are phasing the lapband out (I think it was a fad, like Phen-Fen in the 90's). Altho I've heard of band-over-bypass (Carnie Wilson comes to mind). If they do it with that, there's a possibility they'd do it with the sleeve. If I were you and the sleeve failed (I guess it happens to sleeves too. It happens to lots of lapbanders. I guess it never dawned on me that it wouldn't work. I mean they took out 85 of my stomach. How can it NOT work?) I would talk to my dr about the RNY. Seems like the logical next step. I didn't want the RNY cuz it seemed too drastic to lose 44 lbs. Not as if taking 85% of my stomach out isn't drastic, but not as drastic, IMHO. Good luck with ur decision. I loved my band while it was working. Then it wasn't. You have to be a 100% rule follower to have the lapband. If you can't follow every rule to the T, the bands not for you.

I feel ur pain. I don't get nauseous anymore (7 weeks out) but I'm hungry 90 minutes after eating. I'm sposed to be eating 3x a day now but I think I'd starve at that rate. I counted my calories from my 4-6 bites of food I can eat at 1 time + my Protein shake and it totals less than 450 cals a day. Not enuf in my opinion. So I'm eating 7-8 times a day. Still staying under 900 cals tho. No one can convince me that my hunger is acid. I had reflux with my lapband and it's not that. Plus I'm on 40mg of Prilosec 2x a day. Plus I KNOW what hunger feels like. Plus it goes away when I've eaten a few bites of food. Reflux doesn't, food makes it worse. I would definitely tell ur dr about ur nausea. That should be over by now. I only had 1 bout of nauses (besides after taking the leak test the day after surgery) once since being home. The day before I was to start soft foods. Thought for sure it would go until the next day also so I wouldn't be able to enjoy the upcoming feast I had planned (my 1 scrambled egg feast, that is!) but it was gone the next morning. I took a Zofran the day before. it didn't work cuz I realized I was dehydrated, thus the nausea. Dehydration is a vicious cycle: You're nauseous cuz you're not drinking but your not drinking cuz you're nauseous. Maybe your dehydrated? Good luck!

Thanks for all the input ladies (and gentlemen). I appreciate every single word. I've gone thru the carbs bashing since I've known him (almost 3 yrs) but he's taken it to a new level since I've been sleeved. The funny thing is is that once every 10-14 days, he'll have a "gorge" day and eat whatever he wants (pizza, a whole 1/2 gallon of ice cream - never seen anyone do this before but he really eats the whole thing - whatever he wants) and then goes back to counting every single carb that goes into his mouth. I did the Atkins induction for 4 weeks in Feb (after gaining 30 lbs following my lapband slip) and I was miserable. I would've killed my mom for a cookie. I didn't cheat once. The only thing sweet I ate was sf Jello. I was so happy to be thru the first 2 weeks and able to add almonds. It just doesn't seem normal to me. I used to count calories (which doesn't work for him cuz he definitely is a volume eater) so I know the calorie content in everything. It's why I got the lapband almost 4 yrs ago, so I wouldn't have to count anything ever again. And I did well with that plan, losing 104 lbs. Now that I've started over with the sleeve 30 lbs heavier, I've only lost 17 lbs in the last 7 weeks. I know it's gunna come off slower since I started at 174, but this is ridiculous. Maybe I will give counting carbs a try. But not with the Atkins induction diet. Thats too drastic for me. Southbeach is more my speed. At least they allow fruit and PB. I've got 26 lbs left to goal and what I'm doing isn't working (I've bounced between 156-158 for the last 2 weeks) and I've heard the last 20 are the hardest to lose. Great. Just great. Thanks for all ur input!

Not sure. Since I don't think I've actually been hit on since going from 248 to 156. At poker last week there was a new guy who sat next to me and I could feel him staring at me the whole night. He talked much also. Felt like he was "checking me out". Hubby was at a different table just watching. he feels men look at me all the time. Always asking me what so and so said. I don't feel men looking at me at all - but my hubby notices it so maybe it's true? Not sure how to deal with it since I've never had to deal with it...

I'm 5 '5" and started at 248 almost 4 yrs ago. Then I was lapbanded and lost 104 lbs (9 lbs to my 135 goal). Got married and had to wear a shawl with my sleevless dress cuz of my ugly backfat. Fast forward 2 yrs: Lapband slipped, gained 30 lbs back and was revised to the sleeve 7 weeks ago. Started at 174 and have lost 18 lbs so far (156). Dropped my goal weight to 130 this time cuz of that backfat. Like I'd lose the extra 5 lbs just from the rolls on my back So 130 is now my new goal. We'll see how I feel once I get there. My healthy weight is anywhere from 115-150. I think less than 125 would be too thin, however. At least for me. At 248, I was happy to be less than 150. Now I really can taste the 130. only 26 lbs left to go. I know they'll be the slowest 26 lbs yet!

Are you talking about the fruit flavored Isopure? Not sure how anyone drinks those things. Yucko. I think they taste like fruity rotten meat. Most Protein shakes that u mix with Water (not milk) will blend up thin (I use Syntrax nectar products, some with water, some with milk). The fruity ones are always mixed with water. They're both thin, in my opinion, but especially the fruity flavored ones mixed with water. Good luck!

I just take plain ole aspirin when I have a headache. I know I'm not sposed to take NSAIDs but nothing else works. A couple aspirin isn't gunna kill me.

Ok, I misunderstood. I thought she was asking what she needed pre op. I think that was from another post I read, actually. I stopped anything not necessary (like my Neurontin, for nerve pain. It's a horse sized pill) but continued my ppi, my pain pills (back injury), and bp pill. Oh and sleeping pill. Other pills I went about a month without and when I figured out I coudl take pills wiht no problems, I added back the other ones. Good luck!

The only pill I was told to stop pre op was my birth control pill a month before. To avoid blood clots. Everything else (including my Celexa, my antidepressant) I continued. I think drs want you to continue taking your normal meds, except for bcp's (if you take them). Just ask your team... Good luck with ur surgery!

I'm 46 and on bcp's. I was married from 21 - 40 and we tried to get pregnant that whole time, never used birth control once. My husband had make factor infertility + I think I had a little (as we did IVF and it didn't work either). My 1st husband died 6 yrs ago. Fast forward: I'm now remarried to a man with 2 grown kids. Now I'm on birth control cuz I figure God has a sense of humor. Now would be the time I'd get pregnant (46 and not really wanting any more kids). Had to stop my bcp's a month before surgery (to prevent blood clots) and I started retaking them about a week into it. We used condoms till I was on them for 4 weeks. My husband is really strict about using birth control. he wants no accidents. If it were up to me, I'd say what the heck...but alas I'm now waiting on my 27 yr old step son to create some grandbabies for me to play with...

Hey, I was born in Kileen (Ft Hood)! Small world...Haven't lived there since I was 2 (44 yrs ago) so it's not like I have any ties to Kileen. Just thought you'd like to know this fact!

I'm a band to sleeve revision so used to not drinking with meals. however, I COULDN"T physically drink with my band (even tho the thought is the same with the band. They say you wash food thru ur stomach faster with liquids) because the band made the food stick in my esophagus and it was like a cork. Anytime I'd drink with meals I ended up vomiting all the liquid back up. So after getting sleeved, I didn't understand why scientifically I couldn't drink with eating. With the band, there was something actually stopping my liquid from going down but there isn't with the sleeve. So, I gave it a try last week (I'm 7 weeks out). Drank about 4 gulps after eating. It was all I could do to keep from vomiting. I didn't because I'm terrified of a leak happening cuz of my vomiting, but I had to fight it for about 10 minutes. Not sure why I CAN'T drink with meals (other than the whole 'you'll-wash-the-food-thru-faster thing) since there's nothing preventing it from going thru, but I can't. The sleeve must be magic or something. So it's no drinking for me for about 20-30 minutes ( I can feel when the food is down enuf where I can drink. Learned to tell with my band) Good luck!

I'm also a band to sleeve revision (slipped band) and I'm 7 weeks out so eating regular foods now. I honestly eat about 7-8 times a day cuz after 4-6 bites, I can't eat anymore - but then I'm hungry 90 minutes later. My dr said I should be eating 3 meals by now but how can I live on less than 450 calories forever (and thats including my Protein shake)? I've added up my 4-6 bites x 3+ my Protein shake and it totally less than 450 calories. That can't be right that he wants me to eat so little. So I eat when I'm hungry, which is more often than with my band. I've been bouncing between the same 1 lb fr 2 weeks now. Maybe I'm eating too much? Plan on kicking my cardio up on Monday and hoping that helps cuz I can't eat much less. So I understand why 3 meals sounds so daunting. not sure someone can actually live by eating 5 bites 3x a day??? Good luck!

I have a Nook and buy my books from Barnesandnoble.com. My fav sleeve book has been "The Sleeved Life" by Pennie Nicola. It was only $3.99. Haven't read the book from Alex Brecher (the one on this site) yet but I really should. Think I've read everything there is to know about the sleeve. At this point everything I read is redundant. have about 6 sleeve books on my Nook. Luv my Nook. bring it with me everywhere, since it fits in my purse. Do you have a Kindle (amazon.com was the hint!). How do u like it?

I'm a band to sleeve revision (slipped lapband) and I luv my sleeve. No waiting for months on the elusive "sweet spot" to allow me to eat less.Came immediately. No daily vomiting (haven't vomited but once and it was my fault for eating too fast). I've lost 18 lbs in 7 weeks (slower than most cuz I started at 174. I knew it would come off slower) and eat about the same as I did when my lapband was optimal. But now I don't have to worry about a contraption failing inside of me. Good luck with ur decision. there's very few people who regret their decision (not counting right after surgery. The few 10 days I also had buyers remorse cuz my recovery was harder that I anticipated) but since then I'm glad I did it.