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Hi... congratulations !!! I didn't have to do a Pre-op diet and I came through the journey just fine. I lost 17 lbs my first week and there were no issues during the surgery. Tom, Toronto Banded July 6 06 Wt. Loss: 156 lbs

I have a 12cc band and im at 9cc's as well. I have never had a sliming incident or vomiting or anything and i can eat whatever i want. I just started weight watchers a week ago in hopes that it will move the weight loss process along since i havent lost nearly as much as other people around my surgery date have.. its a little discouraging, i know its a tool and not magic but i expected a little more out of it. i am going for my next fill next week which will probably bring me to 10ccs. good luck and hopefully the next fill does the trick!

Vitamins has own importance in our life so we should be eat healthier and energetic foods for get the vitamins because vitamins are the best source for keep strong the bones.Supplements foods are so good for keep fitness and weight loss of the body.....

I had my surgery in 2015. I am feeling wonderful. I am maintaining a 174 lb loss. And enjoying life!

Have any of you tried the hair skin nail Vitamins? I was more recently banded and have started noticing my hair shedding more than normal so in addition to the Protein and Biotin I've started taking the hair skin and nail vitamins and I'm hoping I can tell the difference shortly. Sunshine

we had surgery at the same time. i also lost my mother on 11-12-13. she had dementia but the one thing she remembered oddly is that i had wls. so when i visited she would always ask me how it was going. I just didn't count on how emotional wt. loss was going to be. Everything in our life effects us one way or another. i am finding strenghs i didn't know existed. especially when one of my eating triggers rears its ugly head. so stick in there you will do fine. healthy eating to you

This is great info! I currently can't have children but I'm hoping with some weight loss and other procedures I can have children! Best wishes to you and hope you get all your questions answered!

As I posted a couple of days ago I'm losing my hair, I'm 11 mos post op and take 3000 mcg's of Biotin, usually forget to take my multi, sorry but I do, I'm dificient in Vit D so I take 5000 units of that. My question is this: I've heard taking a pre-natal Vitamin is helpful, would this help with hair loss as well or what all does this vitamin have in it? I've never had kids and never have taken it so I don't know about prenatal Vitamins. Thx Donna

They say if your low of iron you will loose your hair. Prenatal vitamins are packed with iron!

So I have been living with the band for a week now and last night I was in tears. I feel so frustrated and discouraged! My surgeon was good at performing surgery but I don't feel like he prepared me at all for this. Almost anything I've learned about life with lap band has been through this website. Yes he shared the facts with me but that's about it. I keep hearing people say this is a tool to weight loss.. Well what's the point in having a tool that you don't know how to use properly. Everyone here says they were on clear liquids for a week post op, my doctor discharged me and said start stage 4. What's stage 4 you ask? Well I had go go search his website when I got home to find out. Maybe it's my fault maybe I should be asking more questions but sometimes it's so overwhelming idk what questions to ask. I just feel like he should know what questions need to be answered seeings this is what he does for a living. Maybe I'm over reacting but I feel so upset and how do I explain my feelings to him?

Congrats and WTG!! That is an awesome weight loss pre op. Welcome to the losers bench :-)

I'm 7 months post op, and have lost 98 pounds. I want so badly to hit that 100 pound mark, but I just cant seem to get there. I've been bouncing the same 2 pounds back and forth since early December. I know most of it was Christmas. I ate more than I should, and ate things I shouldn't have. But for the last 2 weeks I have really been back on track, and still nothing! I got down to 1 tenth away from my goal, then will gain a pound again. I went back to the basics, and started tracking all my food intake. I am staying between 900-1100 calories per day, drinking lots of Water, at least 80 grams of Protein per day, staying under my limits for carbs and sugar. I just don't know what I am doing wrong? I know my exercise specialist said this was to be expected at this stage, and it happens to everyone. He said you wont see a loss for awhile, but you are still losing inches. And it will cycle back and forth every month. He said to only worry if I don't see a loss for 2 months in a row. But I'm getting close to that 2 month mark, and still no loss. Any ideas on how to break a massive stall? Here's my food for the last 2 days, any advice? Breakfast: 2 envelopes sugar free hot cocoa 1 dannon light and fit greek yogurt Lunch: 1/2 cup raw carrots 1/4 cup raw snap peas 1/4 cup hummus Snack: Isopure Protein shake Dinner: 4 ritz crackers 2 tablespoons Peanut Butter 1/4 cup cottage cheese Totals: Calories: 927 Carbs 32 Fat 32 Protein 93 Sugar 30 Breakfast: Sugar free Cappuccino Tomato juice Dannon light and fit greek yogurt Snack: Isopure protein shake Lunch: Grilled shrimp greek olives and feta Dinner: Grilled Mahi Mahi cooked carrots and snow peas Calories: 959 Carbs 66 Fat 23 Protein 120 Sugar 40

So glad things went well.. Weight loss is awesome girl!!! The best is yet to come

Here's a fairly recent thread on hair loss. http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/91034-hair-loss/page__hl__%2Bhair+%2Bloss If you search hair loss in the search bar on the forum page you'll see many more. Most people experience it in varying degrees 2-3 months out.

Almost 8 yrs VSG and had severe GERD beforehand. It significantly decreased post op but I've remained on PPI medication the entire time. I was down to 1-2 total doses per week, however I had some regain over the last year and am up to THREE TIMES daily!! It's everything to do with how I carry my weight- all in my middle. While I was quite satisfied with the GERD being almost totally resolved initially, I'm fearful that even IF I lose the current regain it won't go away to the extend that it was in the past. I have been told by my bariatric team that a revision is likely the ONLY way to get the GERD to go away with 100% certainty. That sounds pretty good to me but I am quite fearful of surgery in general because I'm a nurse practitioner and we make terrible patients... I would love to know what the loss pattern was like for those who had the revision and can I plan to see awesome results? I mean, BESIDES the GERD clearing up? I am currently about 40 lbs about my ULTIMATE goal- I never reached that goal with my VSG, stopping about 12 lbs away from it...

Feel the same. I was sleeved 12/10 . On Dos I was 300 exactly. The scale has not moved since 12/23. I'm following everything to a T, and still nothing. I try to look at the big picture bc overall with my own plan prior to surgery, liquid preop and surgery I'm down 50lbs. But I still though the initial loss would be quicker. Positive thoughts!

liquid diet loss is mainly Water weight once you stop and eat food again, dont be surprise if you gain the best way to lose weight is eat your allotted amounts, lean Protein, veggies, fruit and exercise...and let the band work...

Hi all! My surgery date will either be the 20th or the 27th. I am hoping for the 27th since it will tie nicely into my paid holidays at work! I am so very excited. My only regret is that I didn't do this earlier. Until this past summer, I didn't know that my insurance had made the approval process so much easier. You have to have a certain BMI or a slightly lower BMI and 2 health issues like diabetes, pre-diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol etc. No pre-surgery dietician or nutritionist, although my surgeon required 2 appointments and I am glad he did! Another big shock was that my insurance now considers the skin removal as an included surgery since it was the result of the treatment for a disease (obesity). 18 months post op, as long as the weight loss has slowed and can show a steady weight for 3 months, the removal is covered. I have the required cardiologist and pulmonologist appointments for final surgical clearance next week and I do not expect to have an issue. I'm excited and so motivated. I look like my mom, who looks like my great grandmother. Hearty stock I say. My mother had bypass 14 years ago and is still keeping it off and super healthy. She was pre-diabetic, hypertensive, etc at the time and now at 70 she only lakes a multi-vitamin. Ok, well, nice to meet the rest of the December Sleevers!!!

BariatricPal Wishes You a Happy, Healthy Holiday Season!#subject#> body,div,dl,dt,dd,ul,ol,li,h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6,pre,form,fieldset,input,textarea,p,blockquote,th,td { margin:0; padding:0; } table { border-collapse:collapse; border-spacing:0; } fieldset,img { border:0; } address,caption,cite,code,dfn,th,var { font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; } caption,th { text-align:left; } h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6 { font-size:100%; font-weight:normal; } q:before,q:after { content:''; } abbr,acronym { border:0; } address{ display: inline; } html, body { background-color: #d8dde8; color: #5a5a5a; } body { font: normal 13px helvetica, arial, sans-serif; position: relative; } h3, strong { font-weight: bold; } em { font-style: italic; } img, .input_check, .input_radio { vertical-align: middle; } legend { display: none; } table { width: 100%; } td { padding: 3px; } a { color: #225985; text-decoration: none; } a:hover { color: #328586; } div.outer { margin: 0 auto; padding: 14px; } table.wrap { max-width: 800px; margin: 0 auto; } td.logo { background-color: #0f3854; padding: 8px; } td.content { background-color: #fff; font-size: 14px !important; color: black !important; line-height: 150% !important; padding: 8px; } ul { margin-left: 25px; } Dear BariatricPal Members, Season’s Greetings! If you’re one of the 2 billion people in the world who celebrate Christmas, Merry Christmas! Happy Kwanzaa if you’re about to celebrate it, and, if you celebrate Hanukah, we hope it has been a happy one. Whether or not you’re in the middle of a celebration, we hope this newsletter finds you well and enjoying the season with friends and family. Here’s what you’ll find. Healthy Tips for This Joyful Day Try a Christmas salad Recent Weight Loss Surgery? Make the Most of It Read through the newsletter, then go enjoy your family and friends. When you need a break, head on over to BariatricPal.com and join the conversations. Have a wonderful holiday, and thanks for sharing it with BariatricPal and the other members! Sincerely, Alex Healthy Tips for This Joyful Day Christmas is supposed to be a day of celebration and thankfulness, but it can be a day that leaves you feeling guilty and sick if you’re not careful. If you celebrate Christmas or if you are just enjoying a slower, quieter day, there can still be a lot of temptations. Don’t let this day end Christmas with you at a higher weight and with dumping syndrome or a needing to visit to your emergency surgeon. Here are some tips to help you get through the day feeling happy and proud. Depend on Hot drinks. Hot drinks are calming, and they take a long time to get through. They’re an ideal defense against high-calorie foods because you’re not allowed to drink while you eat after weight loss surgery. You may need to turn to a hot drink: When your children are opening presents and nibbling on Christmas Cookies in the morning, When your family curls on the couch to watch a movie and everyone else is hitting the popcorn. Before or after Christmas dinner when there are appetizers or Desserts all around. Make yourself a low-calorie cup of coffee, cinnamon or other flavor of tea, or diet hot cocoa. Use Water and, if you need it a little creamier, add some unsweetened almond milk. It has only 30 calories per cup. Add a half-cup to each of four cups of coffee or hot tea throughout the day, and you’ll be only 60 calories to the bad for the day. A packet of diet hot cocoa has 50 calories. Compare that to the hundreds of calories you’re saving by sipping instead of munching! Make a nice breakfast. You know the importance of breakfast, but how often do you really make a gourmet one and take the time to savor it? Probably not often enough! While your family’s chowing down on Christmas casserole and sticky buns, you can be enjoying a high-Protein treat like an egg white omelet with red and green bell peppers or green spinach or kale and red diced tomatoes. Top it with nonfat cheese and serve it with a strip of turkey bacon, and enjoy your 200-calorie breakfast! Just be careful – you may need to make extra if your family starts asking for some! Stay Busy What do you do after the presents are opened and you’re back from church? You’re doing well as long as you choose anything besides eating! But after the long run-up to Christmas and the excitement of the morning, it’s easy to come back home and mindlessly munch. Anything you do to stay busy and prevent the munchies can only be a good thing. Here are some ideas. Write thank-you notes. Serve meals at a soup kitchen. Act out a play or have a reading with your family. Ask your children if you can watch them play with their gifts. Get Moving What are your top excuses for not getting enough exercise? Too busy? Can’t get to the gym? Don’t want to leave your family? Today may be your lucky day – it’s possible that none of those are a problem! You’re not working, the gym’s closed, and if you feel guilty leaving your family to exercise, don’t. Include them in your workout! A simple walk with the family is a good start if the weather’s cooperative. If you don’t live in a snowy climate, you can also ask your kids if you can play basketball or whatever sport they’re currently into. (If you don’t have kids, you get to choose the sport!). If you live in a cold climate, you can make snow angels or have a snowball fight. No matter the weather, you can always stay inside and dance to Christmas carols. They’ll be gone for the year soon enough. Try a Christmas Salad Do you have a Christmas dinner planned at home or at friends’ or a family member’s house? Whether you’re a guest or the host, there’s sure to be a lot of food. The problem is, there may not be anything you’re supposed to eat. How do you make sure you can stick to your weight loss surgery diet and still enjoy the dinner? Take charge by bringing or serving a green salad with some protein. Make enough for everyone and serve it with the main course or ask your host to do so. Then, pile up your plate with salad and have only small bites of some of the other treats. These are some ingredients you might consider. Baby greens, Romaine lettuce, or spinach leaves. Grilled chicken or low-fat mozzarella. Cranberries, pomegranate seeds, or strawberry slices. Toasted pecan pieces or sliced almonds. Water chestnuts or diced pears or apples. Cranberry or raspberry vinaigrette. Recent Weight Loss Surgery? Make the Most of It The holidays are tough enough after weight loss surgery, but they can be even more challenging if your weight loss surgery was recent. You may still be following the post-surgery diet progression. You’ll go from liquids to pureed foods to semi-soft foods before you can eat regular solid foods again. Things may seem bleak since you can’t eat most of the treats and you may still be in pain or discomfort from surgery. Worse, you still have a lot of weight to lose. Why even bother trying? Because it’s worth it, that’s why! If you make it through the holidays on your weight loss surgery diet, you have a lot to gain! Healing well so you don’t have setbacks. Laying the foundation for rapid weight loss in the coming year. Proving yourself that you can do this. Keep reminding yourself why you’re doing this. You want to lose weight and be healthy. These holiday foods will all be around next year. Maybe you can have some then. This year, you’re doing what you can to start a new lifestyle. You don’t get this kind of opportunity often, so try to be excited about it. Think about how much you’ll weigh by this time next year. Remind yourself that by the time January 1 rolls around, you’ll be proud of yourself for sticking to your post-surgery diet. You’re doing a good thing for yourself! Recent weight loss surgery or not, BariatricPal wishes you a happy holiday. Be safe, and be healthy. Thanks for being part of BariatricPal.

I had a hysterectomy last year, but kept my ovaries since they were producing the right amount of hormones. I dont' know if you still have yours, but as mentioned I would get my hormone level checked. I know Gabapentin can be used for psych meds too and I personally know those can cause libido to drop. I don't know the side effects of the Gabapentin but with weight loss your system can absorb medicines different. My sex drive goes up and down, but my Dr's are messing with my psych meds. After I take them a while, it goes back up. And since we are talking intimate here, I have had issues with getting wet as well. I feel excited and if I touch myself or when my hubby touches me, it shocks me to know I don't have the wetness I thought I would. I am scheduled to see my ob/gyn on the 1st for my yearly, so now we've been discussing this, I will mention it to him

Don't compare your weight loss to others. Everyone is different. Sleeved on April 25, 2018 HW: 258 SW: 238 CW: 218 GW: 165

I've had some hair loss about 4 months after every surgery I have ever had! I think it has more to do with anesthesia. The good news is that it comes back. Of course I am careful to get in my protien and I take biotin too just in case.

Hehe.. Ok I brought lotion, hair ties, nook also! A comfy cami type sports bra that closes in the front cause I hate the girls swinging free when I'm walking and don't want to sleep in a full bra. The long front zippered sweater I wore over my hospital gown I also wore to and from the hospital with a pair of large yoga type pants.

First and foremost you need to tell him Everything you need and want to, doesn't matter if he wants to hear it or not, you NEED to tell him how you feel, stick with I statements. I feel this way when this. I feel this way when that. Keep them pointed at you, so he doesn't feel attacked and shut down before you can even get started. Do not be afraid to tell him that he's going to end up pushing you away. You said he's overweight too, odds are he's jealous of your progress, how you are (I'm sure) feeling MUCH better, more energy, more attention from others. He's more than likely upset that he feels he's being left behind. But all of that is on him not you. You are not and will never be responsible for anyone other than your own reactions. If he's upset, that's for him to figure out why, is he upset that you are losing weight? If so... that's not your problem or fault or responsibility to fix for him. My wife and I have been married for almost 22 years now. I've known my wife was bi for 23+ years. It wasn't until a good 5 years into our marriage that she finally "saw" it as well. I got fat... almost 400 ish (sitting at 190ish now) I knew that I wasn't providing her the things she needed to feel "complete" or "fulfilled" sexually. I handled the Male side of things ok, but I got a lot of "not now, I don't feel good" etc, I constantly felt like I was being pushed away. When we started opening our relationship up, we talked.... a lot. Who wanted what, why, what were the rules, boundaries, etc. We had long, very embarrassing discussions. But in the end, we both knew where we were and what was needed to keep each of us "happy" together. The idea wasn't to replace, it was to fill in. I could never be a woman, even with things being hidden by fat and having breasts... I'm not woman and never will be, so, in my mind, how can I be mad at her for wanting what I can't provide. So rules in hand we started to go out and meet people, together. I pushed her to go dance and be playful and to have fun. At first she was afraid I would be left out, and I knew I would be. And I was. But she had her time, I got some time too with a few but for the most part, it was all for her. Then I lost the weight. The wife was never really THAT big, she did hit 170-190 ish at one point, but that was because the whole house was eating like crap. I lost weight and so did she. We started working out together. We started getting more attention from others as well. My big issue is that, she reacts to me the way I would react when I was big. I was unhappy with myself, super self conscious, hated myself and lashed out a lot. She was reacting to the old me, not the new me. That spun some new deep convos, one we still work on. We met our current girlfriend back in October. At first she was really into the wife, but also interested in me, but as she was more gay than bi, it was the wife she was found of, but that slowly changed, our GF had some issues with past trauma from other GFs, so I because this shelter, and the roles that my wife and I dealth with for years, reversed. Now she's the one that feels left out or pushed aside, not that she is, just that, that's how she feels. So more and more long awkward open convos and things are so much better. I think the take away is, open up and talk. Drop your most uncomfortable information right in his lap and let him deal with it. Most men were brought up not to express ANY emotion or weakness. I've worked hard to push past that, I know that if I"m upset, I'm allowed to be upset. I cry, I get emotional, I get sad and pissed. I get needy and want to feel loved or want to feel desired. I know that a lot of my control issues come from lack of control and other things from my past, but, the 3 of us talk often. We sit down and discuss things. We have gotten to the point where one of us can request "private time" with the other and no one gets upset about it. It's been very VERY hard. All the body issues I face, control issues I face, jealousy, envy, etc. All gets sorted when talk. Not to say that you'll talk and it'll end up great for the 2 of you, but as some have pointed out above, sometimes we change and no longer fit with our spouse. And there really isn't anything wrong with that. Humans grown, change and evolve. You've made a drastic evolution. Why is he upset? Only he knows for sure. Good luck and congrats on the loss! You look like you feel MUCH better!