Lisalu

I'm almost 48 years old and have lost 75 pounds. I have no loose skin in spite of having 2 babies and carrying around 75 extra pounds. Whether or not you have loose skin just depends of the luck of your gene pool. I got lucky here. I do think you are making the best decision with VSG. Lap bands have high (late) complication and failure rates. Bypass and duodenal switch often lead to nutrient deficiencies. No one can guarantee your success here (or anywhere), but you are likely to be more success ful with VSG than the band and are likely to have few long term health problems than you would with bypass.

Shannon, I don't know if you usually feel this bad about yourself , but if you do, it's probably depression. I've suffered from depression most of my life. I've done substantial therapy and taken meds. In my experience, therapy can help but meds are even more important. So if you are not getting the results you hope for with therapy, consider asking about medication. They could make everything just a bit more manageable. Best of luck.

SN..............Starting Wt........Current.......Goal.......Lbs to Goal LilMissDiva.....247..................247.............226................21 Mini-Me.........203..................133.............125................8 Chilo1..........216...................169.............154................15 Kgremmy.....225................221..............199.................22 (being sleeved 12/14/10) Juliarh.........303.6.................247.............225...............22 Sleeve 4 me 204..................177.............164...............13 lbs.-Goal for start of New Year merieri..........240..................206..............190...............16 DJackson........246...................246...............220..............26 Dansha...........220...................220.............195................25;) Stacy160.........258..................174...............148...............16 Lisalu..............210...................137...............130...............7

Ah, to be in my 20's again. You look great Miss Blackberry.

Oooh, you look handsome!

I set my goal at 135 because at 5'2" that is a normal BMI (24.7 I think). If I used the ideal weight formula given above, my goal would be 110. The idea of weighing 110 is a bit scary for me. I only weighed that little once and I was a teenager (who had dieted like crazy for 6 months). I don't think I could maintain such a low weight and I don't know if it would look good at my age (48). In my opinion, goal should be wherever you feel good and have minimal co-morbidities. Try this link for a BMI calculator: http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/bminojs.htm

What you are feeling is normal normal normal. It DOES get better. I had buyer's remorse a few days after surgery. I am now 4 months out and less than 5 lbs from goal. No buyer's remorse whatsoever. About leaks: I tend toward over-concern for my health (read: I'm a hypochondriac), so I was really scared of leaks. They happen but infrequently. Watch for the signs but try to relax. Statistics are on your side here. You are going to OK. BREATHE. Best of luck, chica. I think you made the right decision when you had the surgery.

OCD thug! Nice one big geek. I have 6 from VSG and 4 from a previous gall bladder surgery. Not bad. Maybe I'll take a pic and upload it.

Here is some data from Jossart and Cirangle's 5 year data Breakdown of %EWL by BMI  35-45 Kg/M2 – 82.2%  45-55 Kg/M2 – 73.4%  > 55 Kg/M2 – 52.1% This shows that the lower your BMI was to begin with, the more likely you were to lose a greater percentage of your excess weight. if you want to see the powerpoint, here is the link: http://www.ssat.com/video/2008/SSAT%2049th%20Annual%20Meeting(3)-Cirangle.htm

I think the stats say that people on the average lose about 65% of their excess weight. But being an average, there is bound to be a wide range of what people lose. I'm now 3.5 lbs from goal so I've lost about 95% of my excess weight. It only takes 1 person who loses no weight to give the two of us an average of 50% lost. (That was a bit convoluted, but I hope you see what I mean.) Also, if someone gets the sleeve with 200 lbs to lose, it's possible they might not lose the entire 200 lbs, so that messes with the averages as well. I'm praying that I can maintain this loss---that seems like the bigger battle to me.

I'd tell if asked. No she probably won't understand, but at least you will have told the truth.

It's not your fault your daughter is overweight. It didn't come from bad models but rather from her genes. The definitive research on this is by Stunkard (1986?) and shows BMI very consistent between identical twins even those seperated at birth. He estimated that obesity was 80% genetic. Adoption studies show that adopted children resemble their biological families in BMI, not their adoptive ones. You can still feel guilty about passing along the genes, but your bad eating habits probably had very little to do with it.

You are just too cute with those little legs. Sending fertile vibes your way.

Believe the doctor's scale; they're usually right.

Chicas, this is why I only weigh 1X a month. I know it's not for everyone, but I tell you, I've never had a stall. (Well actually, I probably have them but since stalls hardly ever last a month, I wouldn't know.) Basically, I follow my plan and let my body do what it wants. If I follow my plan I know I will lose weight. When I get to goal, I may weigh more often.

I'm a can-eat-everything person too. There are things that I don't like to eat now. Raw onions for instance. They were iffy before surgery--I liked them on a burger but I wouldn't eat one plain (some people do!). Now they just taste too strong. Seafood doesn't taste as good as it used to and neither does Thai food. Ice cream. Imagine not liking ice cream. It just doesn't tempt me anymore. Doritos and nutella still taste like heaven, unfortunately. I wanted to taste a dorito the other day, I ended up eating 5. Now I know I need to stay away from them. I tried a spoonful (tsp) of nutella--yummy. Haven't had it since---far too dangerous. I try to be careful with the simple carbs. Bread goes down just fine as does rice. I still avoid them. Most of my carbs come from milk (skim), fruit and chocolate (1 dove dark promise per day--tops).

Wow, that was a rotten thing to say. Totally outta line. I haven't gotten a single bad comment from waiters. Maybe I'm of the age that I remind them of their mothers. I expected a comment when I went to the chinese buffet and ordered ONE eggroll off the menu--but no, nothing. I always tip well because I was a waitress in college and I know it's hard work. It turns out that one of my friends gives me crap about what I do or do not eat. I will have to mention it to her.

Tiff, thanks for the link. I always take what I read on message boards with a grain of salt. Seeing scientific articles grounds me, so I always appreciate seeing them.

Weight regain is not the same as "gaining all the weight back." Many people will gain some weight back after RNY or VSG, but few will gain all or most of it back. There is also a large range of how much weight people regain. The stats I've seen for VSG are between 7-20% regain. I don't think all the factors behind regain are clear. Sometimes it's grazing or "eating around" the surgery. There are some reports of the intestine elongating after RNY or the stomach expanding. I personally haven't read of any studies that showed villi regrowth but they may be out there. Almost everyone is far better off weightwise with the surgery than without. Your chances of losing the weight w/o surgery and keeping it off are almost nil. I'm sure we all want to stay at goal weight, but even if we gain some back, we wll be far better off Healthwise than before.

Hi Everybody, I saw this article cited on google health news. The research showed that about 1 in 6 people were able to lose 10% of their body weight and keep it off for a year. The study included those who may have lost unintentionally and also those who may have had temporary weight gain (e.g., Freshman 15). The greatest % of loss was among 75-84 year olds, which isn't surprising as the elderly often lose weight unintentionally. Once agin, I'm sure I made the right decision. 10% of my body weight would have been a measly 21 lbs when I needed to lose 75. If you want to see the abstract, here's a link: Access : Long-term weight loss maintenance in the United States : International Journal of Obesity

Hi Everyone, I thought you all would want to see this. I pasted this from webmd. Weight Loss Surgery May Improve Memory Study Also Shows Weight Loss Surgery Does Not Have Negative Impact on Executive Function By Kathleen Doheny WebMD Health NewsReviewed by Laura J. Martin, MD Oct. 11, 2010 (San Diego) -- Bariatric or weight loss surgery may improve memory, according to new research, which also found no adverse effects on other cognitive skills such as attention or language. "Just three months after surgery, there was a significant improvement in memory function," says researcher Gladys Strain, PhD, director of research for laparoscopic and bariatric surgery at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York, who presented her findings at Obesity 2010, the annual meeting of the Obesity Society in San Diego. Obesity is linked with a host of health problems, including a higher risk of stroke and Alzheimer's disease, Strain says. Growing evidence also suggests that obesity is associated with problems in cognition. While bariatric surgery, such as gastric bypass, has been shown to be effective as an obesity treatment, its effects on cognition have not been well studied, she says. All major surgery, including bariatric procedures, includes some risk of cognitive problems, Strain says. Patients may worry about the effects anesthesia has on their thinking skills. Nutritional deficiencies after surgery may boost the risk of cognitive performance problems, she says. Some previous research by others found that bariatric patients who become Vitamin deficient can suffer memory loss and other cognitive problems. Bariatric Surgery and Cognition Strain compared 120 patients who had bariatric surgery as participants in the Longitudinal Assessment of Bariatric Surgery study, funded by the National Institutes of Health, with 60 obese patients who did not have the surgery. While the groups were similar in age, Strain says their body mass index (BMI) differed, with the non-surgery group having lower, or healthier, BMIs. Most surgery patients had gastric bypass, while a handful had the banding procedure. Both groups took a battery of computerized cognitive tests at the start of the study and then 12 weeks later, after the surgery had been done. Strain tested four skills: attention, executive function, memory, and language. Executive function refers to a set of abilities that regulate other abilities, such as being able to think abstractly. For attention, executive function, and language, "there were no changes during that three months," she says of the patients. But the surprise was the improvement in memory among the surgery patients, an improvement not found in the comparison group. Memory skills tested including learning, short-term recall, long-term recall, and recognition. "Postoperative changes may be associated with cognitive benefit," Strain says. A patient may or may not notice the memory improvement, she tells WebMD, as it may be modest. Exactly why the surgery improved memory isn't clear, she says. One possibility is the resolution of depression. "Bariatric patients have an increased incidence of depressive disorders and anxiety and sedentary lifestyles," she says. As they lose weight, that depression may lift, perhaps explaining the improvement in cognitive skills, she says. She says more research is needed to focus on the exact mechanisms. Ideally, she would like to test patients for longer intervals after surgery. 4 Top PicksWhat Are Your Diet Pitfalls? Teen Girls and Dieting: What You Should Know 11 Nutrition Tips for People With COPD Probiotic Foods: Should You Be Eating Them?

I had little trouble drinking after surgery. I was afraid that if drinking dindn't hurt that meant that I didn't have proper restriction and without proper restriction, I would fail, etc., etc. I think these fears are normal but unfounded. I am now 4 months out and 10 lbs from goal. Hang in there Fleur de lis, you're doing fine.

Glad to hear your surgery went well. I had a lot of midback pain after my surgery. It's hard to know if your pain is from surgery or that horrid pre-op accident. Get thee to a doctor, I say. I fell this week trying to learn to skateboard. I'm 47 so I thought I might get some back or neck pain from that. Nope. God, it's great to be 145 lbs. That fall would've hurt at 210. :-)

" For me grazing is out but maybe it's ok for you." I realize that this may have sounded snarky at worst or equivocal at best, but actually it was neither. Rules are great as guidelines, but as each of us is different, we will have to navigate our own way. My own nut's diet plan was too restrictive for me. I tried to negotiate some different alternatives with her, but I just got the party line. The problem was that her plan didn't make sense to me. I can't follow a diet plan that doesn't make sense for the rest of my life. So I researched a lot. Finally I went with the Cornell plan with a couple of tweaks. I did find that certain rules were repeated in plan after plan. One of these was no drinking during meals. I follow that one because there's pretty much consensus about that. Another common (but not universal) rule was no grazing. I took this one for myself because grazing has been a long-standing problem for me. I didn't graze through the beginning stages but it was hard. I drank a lot of Protein shakes. Tehericka, I hope you can take all of our advice, admonitions and experiences with a small grain of salt. Only you (and your nut) can decide on the right plan for you.