Jane_J

Hi all, Anyone else out there worried about wrinkles appearing as their faces deflate?! I am taking collagen each evening to try to help my skin reset itself but I wonered if anyone out there has any tips to help. I am also taking resveratrol every morning to maximize body repair. I suppose I should not expect to look like I did before I gained weight but a fair approximation in a dim light would be nice.:confused1:

Hi, I live in England and had the sleeve done on the 12th May 09. Although I am only a recent sleeve sister I am happy to help and try to answer questions from people in the UK. I did not uses the NHS though so I can't help with any questions on that.

Hi, It lasts until you have lost the weight from my experience. I went a bit mad. I am fine now. Thankfully my marriage survived. You have to keep your head as level as possible.

Hi Juney, inyteresting and thanks for sharing. Did you find a good alternative since? I am interested in a nip tuck in the face department but I'm really scared of being disfigured. If only the wonderful Dr Cierny did cosmetic surgery too. All the best, Jane

Hiding in shame is definitely part of it. When I was really obese i used to hide in the house. Now i feel I have let people like you all down by regaining, after having been praised in the past. It's mad i know! I would never judge anyone else like this, only myself.

Jack what a brilliant post, love the sandwich analogy, that's exactly how I have been feeling. My NY resolution was 'Yes to positivity' and I am trying really hard to change my way of thinking, bit like CBT. Jane x

Yes Feedyoureye, I agree. Onwards and upwards. I am off to look at the LBD thread, always makes me happy :-) Jane x

Hi Globie, you have a very adventurous life. Pilates sound perfect for LMD, also aquatic exercise might be good. How do you find the 5:2, I couldn't cope with it at all, happier on atkins. Seems like the old team is back on line. I have kept away becasue I didn't want to put a downer on anyone plus I felt ashamed having gone through all that to blow it stupdly. Glad i have such wonderful ladies who understand. Bless you all xxx. Jane

Its so nice to hear from you all again. It's sad though to hear about so many health issues. I have resurrected my supplement regime as of today just in case. I think I was left with a slightly larger stomach than the size the US and Mexican surgeons do, as I can eat a 6 oz filet steak and some veg in one go these days. So hopefully I only have to watch out for the B12 trap. Psychologically I think I believed that if I lost all the weight my life would suddenly become perfect and all my problems would disappear. What actually happened is that i lost the weight, became incredibly vain and introspective, had to confront that I'm in my mid 50s and that boat has sailed, and now i'm trying to find the real me. You would think by now I would have more self awareness and be able to see these things. The thing the sleeve does not help you govern is booze. I can drink quantities of it, no problem (apart from falling on my face of course), and Tony and i have had some massive sessions. I cannot join him in eating any more but iI can drink with him. Why God blessed (!) me with an addictive non moderate personality I don't know, is there an up side to it. To be able to be moderate in all things is an unobtainable dream to me. I post this hoping it might help others who are in a similar boat. I wish all my fellow sleevers (and any other types of surgery) well and especially those with health issues. Hang on in there and hopefully 2014 will be the year it all comes together. Jane

Hi LilMissDiva, Sorry to hear you are in the wars. I am nearly 5 years out and last year I began to put on weight because I took my eye of the ball and developed a taste for the booze. Now getting things under control, I wasn't putting gin on my cornflakes or anything, my husband and I just fell into the routine of drinking wine every evening. Apart from this glitch all is OK and I have 18lbs to lose to get back to where I was and regain my small jeans :-( All in all the operation is still a great success for me and I have stopped my supplements. After your post I will revisit this decision. All the best and hope you feel better soon. Jane

You need some meds for that Kim, it's really horrible feeling sick and being scared of hurting your poor little stomach by retching. See your doctor and when you do drink your fluids do it very very slowly. It'll all get better xx

I am jane_j on there.

Excess weight can be defined as if your waist measurement is greater than half your height, seems to be a new measure that is more accurate than BMI and also abdominal fat is the really bad type.

Hi, I am nearly 4 years out and I backslid and put on 15lbs so I am now actively dieting it off. I found that after the initial fast loss I had to track calories to keep on track and it went much slower. If I can re-lose after that time then you can too! Currently keeping to 800 net calories and exercising and losing around 1.5 to 2 lbs a week. It's not easy but it's doable with the smaller stomach.

I think when you get to solids it becomes far easier. Also taking PPIs helps as too much acid sometimes gets interpreted as hunger. As does thirst so drink plenty, you need water to burn the fat and clean the resulting toxins out anyway. Keep strong xxxx

Really glad you are doing well. That's a good loss, and it ain't easy is it! I am in heavy shedding mode at the moment so I feel your pain. After a while though you do slip into the groove and it gets easier, and when you see the results and you have to buy smaller clothes it's a great pick you up. xxx

I think it is good that your posts are seen. I think the medical profession should do a better job of weeding out unsuitable people for this op for their sakes. I just want to say though that for a motivated person who understands what they are doing WLS is a good option if all other avenues are exhausted. I am now 4 years out and from a BMI of 41.5 I achieved a normal BMI (sub 25) within 10 months and have maintained the normal range ever since.

Rebecca, Please just be kind to yourself. Take your understandable anger and focus it on working for you. Don't let it break you, fight back and stay firm to your goal of losing the weight and forging a new and better life for yourself. Thinking of you, Jane

I buy most of my clothes at charity shops or on eBay. It means I can experiment and have my own look and it's cheap. I get a buzz from the challenge of dressing well and groovily on a pittance.

Laura, I've had rum cocktail poured into my mouth by a near naked man on the bar counter in a gay bar in Panama. Well I think it was rum cocktail. What a great night that was :-)

A good mojito or 3 is nice. It depends on the occasion. After a good meal a cold dessert wine instead of a dessert is good. With the meal a complex rioja after a preprandial gin & slimline tonic. Down the pub a few pints of dry cider over the evening. I think us Brits are a boozy lot.

Right, I was gaining nothing for the 1st 2 years. I then developed bad habits of drinking too much and eating some bad choices. For me it was mostly alcohol, we like being sociable in the pub and beer and cider are packed with calories, and don't even mention the fact that a bottle or red wine has 630ish calories! So anyway, I then found I had managed to put on 15 lbs and I am now remedying it using fitnesspal and will power. The foods not so difficult but my husband is still drinking and it drives me mad! So for the past month I have not had a drop and I am losing at a rate of 3lbs every 2 weeks on average. I hope I have learnt my lesson, but I probably haven't.

Please do not be scared. Talk it through with your surgeon. I had around 65% of my stomach removed in my VSG, I think the Czech doctors are not so extreme as the USA ones on this. I can now eat a 6 oz steak and a few fries in one go, I am 3 years out. My BMI is currently 22.8 and has been in the normal range from about 6 months after the surgery. For me it has been a lifesaver. Good luck.

But you didn't do it on your own did you xring3? I spent years thinking that and failing. You are in the early days and when the sickness passes you may feel that control and a normal weight are worth the price of surgery.

Fiddleman, mostly the pub, dining out and parties. It involves bottles of good wine and thick heads the next day. It's not sustainable on a long term basis when one is in ones mid 50s