Search the Community

Wow that really is a big difference - looks fab! I think I would be too chicken to have it myself though - pain is to be avoided at all costs I'm sure you're thrilled with how you look having had those little nips and tucks - it's like the icing on the cake of weight loss My belly is getting really flabby now 70lbs into this but I'm a big fan of spanx and so far they're really doing the job. I have a holiday in July so will need to see how I feel in swimwear - I suspect a lot better than the last time I wore it, and I will be getting some with all the underwiring and pulling in power I possible can! (Any recommendations anyone?)

You have been busy @ms.sss. Never heard of this process at all but it’s great you’re so pleased with the result so far: you can really see a difference. Is it a permanent result like tattooing or do you have to have annual or similar touch ups like micro blading? It’s good to hear about treatments that actually work. So many end up being an expensive waste of money. Micro blading my thin & patchy brows 2 yrs ago was the best thing I ever did @XtinaDoesIt. It’s a bit grit your teeth painful too even with the numbing cream but unsure how it would compare to full tattooing. I also did brow laminating to tame my brows but that was a waste of money. It worked but my brows grow quickly & within a fortnight everything was crazy again & I’d trimmed off a lot of the laminated brows. Dying my brows is the same. By week three I’m using brow mascara to cover the grey hairs. I botoxed my chin before Christmas & was happy. Last month I decided to do my forehead as well. But it hasn’t lasted. It kicked in really quickly, like 3 days, & it was great. Between my brows is going strong but my forehead is much like it was. ☹️ Maybe I need the industrial strength stuff 😂. I’m way more conscious of how I look: general ageing & the loose skin on my face since my surgery. But not game enough to do facial plastic surgery yet either. Though last week when the young girl asked if the children’s pjs I was buying were for my grandchildren may be I should. Boy did she get an earful from me. Everything from gender stereotypes (not every woman has children), ageism, making generalisations, being presumptuous, etc. Also pointed out that I’m not that old that the children couldn’t be mine.

Thanks for that info! I'm going grey, so if my hair doesn't bounce back, I'm not sure if this would work, but it's a good option for those who aren't losing pigment. And yeah, head tattoos hurt like crazy. Known for being one of the worst places for pain, so you toughed it out like a champ. 💪

And we had no clue of your bias 😂 Complications for MGB and RYN may be similar since they both deal with bypass aspect. MGB may be more cuz of higher amount of bypass? As for reversible aspect, surgeons don't advise reversing any such procedure unless of course needed. Even with RYN, reversing is possible since your bypassed stomach is still within you. As for higher weight loss, I think it comes from the fact that more intestine is bypassed than RYN. But eventually they both do provide substantial weight loss overall.

You are right...while i was pregnant, i had fabulous thick flowy hair, nice skin and big boobs! LOL. Once I popped the Kid out, my hair left with her, ...then the boobs followed a few months after. So its actually a good idea to get the breast lift after the kids...kids do a number on them, man. --- No I haven't done eyebrow micro-blading, my eyebrows are still in pretty good shape. But i did do lip blushing, which is very similar...its like a combo of micro blading and tattooing. And that hurts too btw!, but not as bad as the scalp because my tech used a numbing cream. I was supposed to get a lash line tattoo, but i got freaked out watching a pal of mine get it, so now i'm rethinking, lol.

Thanks for sharing! I love how you own all your enhancements! I cant wait until I can get these breast done and then see whats next! Hair looks great! But I thought pregnancy is supposed to help your hair not hurt it! *pregnant mom to be speaking.* Have you done microblading? I have super thin eyebrows and am considering it but scared to do anything to my face I can't take back for 2 years.

Cool! I was already thinking of micro blading for the eyebrows and you answered my question about head hair.

Cool! I have thin hair, and I have found ways of disguising it, mostly. Enough to where I am satisfied.

LMFAO Noooooo! 🤣🤣🤣🤣 I would be dead with that kinda # 🤣 May be I worded it wrong lol. I meant I am down to 161.6, that's my current weight. You can see my #s in my profile. Heighest weight 234. Surgery weight 210. And at the end of 4 months 161.6. I had only lost about 7 pounds in the month of Feb and basically was on the slower side of weight loss hence 13 pounds last month has been pretty good for my pace.

Ok, I fully admit, I've become an addict of sorts to "appearance-enhancing" procedures since my first foray into plastics 2+ years ago (i got a tummy tuck, arm lift and breast lift back in Dec 2019) I am pretty confident i'm done with plastics (though ask me again in 10 years, as i may be of a different opinion, lol), but have had a whole bunch of non-surgery stuff done in the last little while: lash extensions, micro-needling, teeth whitening, botox (forhead and jaw), fillers (cheeks and laugh lines), and lib blushing (a natural looking-lip colour tattoo basically). Anyhoo...I digress...I actually wanted to share the latest thing I succumbed to: Scalp Micro Pigmentation (SMP). For those that are not familiar, its basically a process whereby a technician tattoos hundreds (thousands?) of tiny little dots all over your scalp to look like hair follicles, and give the appearance of hair density. The majority of SMP clients are men with already bald heads, as the results can be quite dramatic. But more and more women are getting it now, including me! HOWEVER. It EFFING hurts. I have tattoos on my butt and my forearm, and SMP hurts waaaaaaay more than those did. And, the sessions are LONG. 5-6 hours each (though I was told sessions are shorter for bald heads...when you have hair on your head already, esp long hair, it takes more time to manoeuvre around it). I cried for about 4 hours the first time, 12 minutes the second time, and no crying at all the last time. I guess I got used to it. So check out the before after video below. The vid on the left is me in all my scalp-showing glory. The vid on the right is me immediately after my second session (note that there are still large pigment dots and a few scab formations here). I had my third and final one last week and should be fully healed/final results in about a month. I am very pleased. Especially now that its all over! P.S. I also wanted to mention that my thinning hair was already an issue before WLS. Any hair that I lost after WLS came back eventually, and I reverted to my regular state of thin hair from pregnancy/childbirth. It's was all the Kid's fault. P.P.S. Btw, I tried to imbed this video smaller but couldn't figure it out! Sorry! basmp.mp4

And it's the end of month 4 for me 🥳 Last month was so much better in terms of weight loss and finding out the kinda schedule that works for consistency. I clocked in 13 pounds last month and I am down to 161.6 - Still a long way to go, but couldn't have been happier with what I have achieved so far. I hope everyone else is doing just as good or even better. 🤗

I dont think i did Brussel sprouts during weight loss phase (dont really know why…just didn’t get a chance I guess), but i do now. Either pan-fried or roasted in the oven, and always with bacon, and often with balsamic glaze drizzled on top and/or shaved Parmesan. I will say though that Brussel spouts are one of the few veggies that fill me up almost as quickly as dense protein (along with cabbage, beets and al dente cauliflower). yum, though.

Hi All! Its been a while since I posted anything or been active. I found out in November that I was pregnant. I was 8 months out of surgery when I got pregnant. My fiance and I had just gotten engaged a few months before and were planning our wedding. So it was definitely a surprise! I was really nervous about proceeding with the pregnancy. I just knew I would be ready in just one more year (I've been saying that for the last 5 years!) BUT I was pregnant now, 33, in a great relationship, with a stable income, healthier then Ive been in a while and all out of excuses not to start my family. So my journey began... I am currently 23 weeks pregnant! This is my first pregnancy so I have nothing to compare it with but this has been my experience in case any of you find yourself in my situation. Its hard to find doctors who understand how VSG affects my pregnancy. They understand that I need to be monitored more but don't really get the nuances. One example; I was given this HUGE jug to collect my urine over 24 hours. When I returned it, I was told that they need AT LEAST 4X more urine than I had collected. They were convinced I didn't collect all my urine. I told them that was everything I had to give! They told me to drink more water. Now this community knows how hard that task is. I still can not eat and drink at the same time. I also cant just drink a gallon of water in one go. It feels like a herculean task. I have tried 3 times and have still not filled this jug! I've learned that drinking tea increases my urine output so I have hope for my next attempt. I was really sick throughout my first and second trimester. I already had bad acid reflux before and after surgery and was taking omeprazole to relieve it. Turns out you can't take anything stronger than Tums while pregnant. So on top of the normal nausea, I felt the need to throw up to relieve my indigestion and heartburn. I started really hating food when everyone else kept trying to feed me more! I've been feeling better now though. I was allowed to take pepcid and it actually helps. Now, I have the desire to eat more but still cant eat more than a few bites of anything in one sitting. My food also takes forever to digest so I have to be really picky about what I eat. Fruits are my best friend! I kept my surgery a secret. My fiance and sister are the only ones I told about my VSG. So no one really gets why Im having a hard time eating more. They also keep wanting to see my belly but Im not sure how to explain my incisions. It feels too late to say anything now... so its awkward and more isolating than it could have been. But my family can be SUPER judgy so I think they would just find a way to make me feel bad about it and I don't need the added stress. I get to do more sonograms than your average mom to be. Because of my VSG and previous hypertension, I'm monitored more and have more doctor visits. I really don't mind! I love getting to see whats going on in there! So far so good... mostly. I keep expecting the docs to say my baby isn't growing or Im malnourished but that doesn't seem to be the case. Everything is progressing normally and baby looks good. They did mention that one of babys kidneys is not eliminating waste as it should. The other kidney is fine but they want to keep an eye on it. Of course we are worried but its actually pretty common and generally resolves itself. If it doesn't, there is a small procedure to fix it after birth (if necessary) so we are trying not to sweat it. I got Covid. I'm a teacher and as soon as the mask mandate was removed, I got COVID. Never mind that Ive been vaccinated, boosted and was still wearing my mask! Im actually recovering now. (SIDE NOTE: We seem to be having a second surge at my school. I wonder if any other teachers (or parents) have noticed that?) I was EXTREMELY sick the first week. I was lightheaded, coughing, full of mucus, achy and just couldn't get out of bed. I also couldn't take any medicines because of the pregnancy. My mom kept sending me home remedies but when I looked them up, there was always a warning for pregnant people. I just had to ride it out. Baby seems ok but I'll know more at my appointment next week. As far as my VSG goals... I was 195-200 lbs when I found out I was pregnant (SW:267) and had been stalled there for almost 2 months. I was getting a bit discouraged because my whole weight loss process had been so slow and felt harder for me than it seemed like it was for some people here. I also had a friend who had her VSG after me and had lost almost twice as much weight as I had so I knew it wasn't in my head. I started drinking again and sneaking in more cheat snacks. When I found out I was pregnant, I cut out all alcohol and was really strict about making sure the little food I ate was good for baby. I dropped 20-25 more pounds. Im currently 175 lbs. I havent really gained any weight. Part of me is happy about that and still trying to get to my goal of 155 while pregnant. But I know I have to put on weight for baby. It's really a mind f**k. Doctors say the baby is growing normally so there isn't much to worry about... yet. Technically I'm still overweight and they don't recommend as much weight gain for overweight moms. Im entering my third trimester now and am supposed to put on 1-2 lbs a week. We'll see how that goes. Im still trending downwards... If you made it to the end, thanks for reading through this entire post. I hope it helps. I hope to update you with only good news in the weeks to come! Last note, I'm having a girl! So exciting!!! My VSG has definitely complicated things but I think we made the right decision and I am really excited about entering this next chapter of my life healthier than I have been in years!

The only thing I remember from when my gallbladder was inflammed was pain and nausea. I had mine out three months after my lap band was placed. I'd been having attacks for years prior, but waited on surgery. Turns out it was porcelainized which is precancerous, so I'm grateful it's gone. My surgeon did it robotically and it was easier than weight loss surgery. No pain at all afterward. Recovery was a breeze for me. It was nice being able to eat without having abdominal pain again.

Hey! I'm happy to report that after getting on extra strength stool softeners and extra water, I'm going regular again. I never thought I'd be happy to go to the bathroom yet here I am.. Anyway, I'm terrified of gallbladder attacks and getting my galbladder removed. Supposedly its common after weight loss surgery. I noticed that my stool is very light colored, like yellowish pale which I hear is a sign of bile issues but I also eat a lot of dairy, yogurt for breakfast, cheese for snacks, protein drinks and so on. Is this the first sign of gallbladder issues or just my new weird diet? Anyone have experience with this post op from gastric bypass? Thanks! Sent from my SM-G975U using BariatricPal mobile app

So they are really on par with each other, since second one doesn’t include a breast lift. Btw this doesn’t include implants, I’m not interested in that and the surgeon actually said she recommends against it in cases like mine because they tend to shift, etc. Both recommended the same procedures. Both also said recovery would be a bit rough, but could return to a desk job in 2 weeks. Both also said I don’t have really any more fat to lose. Second surgeon showed me how he measured the arm skin and said it was basically just skin on skin at this point. Feels weird to have doctors saying that I’m done with weight loss, but I have to trust they know what they are saying. I’m still 165 and 23 bmi. So might have a reasonable amount of skin at the end of the day…. At this point leaning toward Dr Streu. She has a lot of experience and could do an additional procedure. I was fine not addressing a breast lift until I knew it was a possibility. She’s booking out until fall so would be a ways off but I’m strongly thinking about booking!

Ok! I’m back and I have costs for anyone interested! Dr. Streu, Portland. Super nice, took her time. I liked her and she says she has a lot of experience with things like this (175 plus weight loss). Recommended a fleurdelis, I have a lot of upper stomach skin. Can combine an arm lift, breast lift, and fdl tuck in one procedure. Would do a 23 hr stay at the surgery center. Drains are a must. Boo. Fdl cost: 11,179 Breast lift: 6270 Arms: 3987 Facility fees and anesthesia 2600 and 1541, plus 725 for overnight stay Some discounts for multiple procedures Total cost 24,470

I am 2 weeks post op. I lost 12 lbs the first week and only 1 pound the second week. Is this normal? Should I be losing more weight? I just want to make sure I'm doing everything right. Sent from my SM-S908U using BariatricPal mobile app

Thank you everyone for your honesty. I’m at a year and petrified of gaining back what I lost. Maintenance has always been harder for me than weight loss.

Hello! Congratulations on your fat loss. I'm 9 weeks out and a little hungry right now. That's ok. Nothing to worry about. If you're eating fewer calories than you're burning, which is almost certainly the cash, you're losing fat every second of the day. Don't worry about the scale - you want to lose fat, not weight, and the scale doesn't measure that.

After losing nearly 100 pounds and slowing down the weight loss I felt it was time to purchase a suit just in case the need arises where I need one. The Salesperson took me over to the "modern fit" area and tried on a jacket. He then took that off and brought me over to the "slim fit" area and tried on jackets there. The slim fit fit me perfectly. I went from a 52 Regular, Executive Fit to a 42 short, Slim fit. And the pants went from a 50 waist to a 36 waist. When I was checking out he saw I had purchased a suit about 18 months ago and asked who I bought those suits for since they were so large...it felt really good to answer him that I lost the weight but even better feeling to be in a slim fitting suit.

They are averages and unfortunately like the rny, band, vsg... Etc. stalls are common for all of us. It depends on so many factors, like some people are not committed and will live on slider foods and their are others who follow their plan, and some in between who are able to find a good balance. From my understanding, it is your starting weight from your most recent surgery that you go by for calculations (not your sleeve surgery). For me, since my revision to RNY (for gerd) in 8/21, it's been faster weight loss. I weigh less than at my lowest with the sleeve and am still losing despite hitting initial goal awhile ago. I find logging my calories, carbs and protein extremely helpful to look for patterns to adjust, to help awareness, especially during emotionally difficult times.

I kept all of my size 18-22 clothes (size 14 since December). Hasn’t been that long, but I don’t yet have confidence that I can maintain the weight loss. I feel I can continue the healthy habits I’ve adopted, but my body has seemed out of control for so many years that I don’t know that it will continue to “make nice” with my new habits. That I can control what I eat, my sleep, activity, etc., but not how my body will respond as far as weight. I guess time will tell. But I did keep all my smaller clothes from around 2004 and was glad to wear the classic ones again!!

Hey! So I'm still hanging in there. Weight loss is still very slow. I'm down 42lbs it's a daily war seems like but I figure some progress is better than none. Sent from my SM-A716U using BariatricPal mobile app

I had RNY revision from VSG for severe reflux in October 2020. Since my revision surgery, I've lost 65 pounds. I had only lost, and sustained a 30 pound loss after VSG. And I haven't had an episode of reflux since surgery. Best decision I ever made!