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I am almost 2 years out from VSG. I lost 60 pounds in the first year but have stalled for most of the 2nd year. I regained 10 pounds and if I let myself, I can eat more than I thought I would be able to. When I went to my pain management doctor last month, I got to talking to her about my sleeve surgery and my weight loss. She told me nobody loses weight on the pain medication I am on and most people gain weight. When I talked to my sleeve doctor, he didn't say much and just shrugged it off. This is very frustrating because I cannot be without my Lyrica (I have fibromyalgia). Is anyone else on medications where weight gain is the primary side effect? How has that impacted your weight loss after VSG?

Welcome! You are losing at a normal rate as a 'lightweight' with a sleeve. I assume you've been sleeved since this is posted in the gastric sleeve forum. When's the last time you previously lost 15 pounds per month through the old-fashioned way of diet and exercise? I suspect the answer is "Never." You started at 200 pounds. Please realize you'll never be one of those people who loses 30+ pounds monthly like a house on fire because you weren't that morbidly obese to begin with. The bigger the person, the faster they tend to lose. Realistic expectations are important during your weight loss journey. You didn't exactly become 200 pounds overnight and it will not fall off overnight, either. In fact, expect the rate of weight loss to slow the hell down from this point forward. I started at 218 pounds and had lost 27.5 pounds at 2 months out, so you are actually losing at a faster rate than me. After the first 2 months I lost at an average rate of 3 to 6 pounds monthly. However, I'm pleased with the final result: I lost 100 pounds and have kept it off so far. Good luck to you.

Hello! I am new to this site. I just weaned my second and last child and really need to lose weight. I want to have energy for my kids and be healthy and around for a long time for them (two boys, ages 3 and 1). I am contemplating my options and am strongly considering gastric sleeve. My BMI is 35, but I have chronic hypertension and had gestational diabetes during both pregnancies so my risk for Type 2 is very high. My husband had the gastric sleeve procedure done nearly 2 years ago and he looks great and feels even better. He has tons of energy and said his only regret is that he didn’t do it sooner. He said he went through a mourning period knowing that he could no longer eat whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted and give in to indulgences, but that has passed for the most part. He just gets a little bummed out when going to corporate/vendor dinners and can only eat a few bites before getting full. I am posting this in the women’s forum because I know women and men have different viewpoints, respond to weight loss differently, and I suffer from a “PMS tapeworm” (I sometimes feel insatiable just prior to my period and eat eat eat) so I am curious to hear different experiences on how you ladies deal with hormonal cravings after WLS. I am not completely settled on the sleeve, but leaning heavily towards it. I am still considering a ketogenic diet (I did Lindora in the past and lost nearly 40 pounds in 8 weeks, but then put the weight back on plus some) or medication to help curb hunger (my friend with Type 2 is on some medication but I can’t remember the name). I have read through the forum to see what people ultimately decide on and why, so I would love any additional insight any of you ladies have on how you finally settled on WLS and what you may have done differently if you could do it again. Thanks so much!

For a few years I knew I needed wls. I did a ton of research and waffled between the band and rny. I weighed (no pun intended) the pros and cons of each and could not make a decision (or actually made a thousand decisions - a different one everyday). They both just seemed to meet my needs but in different ways. So, last night I attended an info seminar and the doc presented the info about the 2 best known surgeries and...ta da...the sleeve! OMG this is the surgery I've been looking for!!! Weight loss average close to the rny with no rerouteing of vital internal bits and safer with less of a chance of malnutrition. No dumping and good weight loss. What more could I ask for???? Thank you Jesus for a middle ground.

I was banded 5 days ago and have lost 7 lbs. since leaving the hospital, which I realize is from the liquid diet and not much appetite. I was just wondering how much of this weight loss will stick after I transition to mushies? Anyone's experience would be helpful.

Were you really sick for awhile too?? Our bodies are responding to alot of stress, and if you had a leak, that didn't help matters any. My nutritionist recommended the biotin vitamins but I had never seen any proof that they really worked( I am in the pharmaceutical field) I wonder if they work or is my body healing and getting better nutrition? My hair starting falling out about a month ago, I am also wondering when it will stop. All the more reason to fill up on protiens instead of any carbs! And I am taking the biotin just in case it does help!

I was told by my doctor's nutritionist, and a couple of other bariatric surgeons I consulted before making my final decision that hair loss is a product of slacking off on Vitamins and Protein. I remember I diet I went on in 2005-ish where I lost a LOT of weight (nearly 80 pounds) in about 4 months and I lost a lot of hair on that one but I know my calories and protein were all wrong. I was barely eating, not taking vitamins, and exercising like 3 hours (straight catabolic cardio) every.single.day. Once I got off of it, the hair came back quickly though.

For the past few days I've been all about questions. BIG ones - like how I intend to embrace lifestyle changes, how that will change my life outside of the weight loss (like the "hobby" of eating being gone), etc. Today continues along that theme, but different. My mind doesn't seem to be getting more answers as much as more questions. That's typical of me - it means I've gotten past the initial phase of researching, and arrived at the "I've decided I want this" phase, and I'm trying to prepare for the reality of life after the event/decision. Sort of like how an engaged person is thinking first about a date for the wedding, and maybe about where to honeymoon. Then it's about the budget and what they think they want the wedding to look like. But closer to the actual wedding, it's down to what the flowers on the tables look, what time your cab is coming to take you to the airport, and making sure you have the tickets in your pocket. The big stuff is long gone now - you're no longer concentrating on the big picture, but on the small details that make up the big picture. So here I am, no longer wondering about the insurance, the procedure, the day of surgery, etc. Now it's down to the rest - the stuff that happens afterward. What's food consumption supposed to look like short-term, after the surgery? And I going to be prescribed a diet that's all protein and no sugar? My cravings aren't just going to go away because my stomach's smaller. How will I need to change my menu planning, grocery shopping, cooking and consumption after the surgery? Does the diet change after a certain time period? If I couldn't do a high protein, low carb diet before, what makes me think I'll be able to magically do that after the surgery? I'll get full faster, yes. And I'll presumably lose weight from portion size reduction alone. I'm reading through peoples' stories and it's..... scary how many of them feel that their stomach isn't reduced in intake size. I realize that it's a trial and error process in putting saline into the band to tighten it / reduce the stomach size, etc. Will that greatly affect how satiated I feel? Does it take months and months to get to the right size for the saline? What's the rest of my real life look like after this surgery - the day-to-day of eating? Will I feel bereft without my old friend, food? I don't use it to comfort me - I use it because it calls to me. It's not going to stop calling to me, is it? I'm already looking for support groups in my area. I don't see any that appear to be active for years now. Will I feel all alone after this surgery, or like part of a community? Where others can help guide me on my path? I'm kinda lost right now. I realize that I can (and I will) ask my doctor all these questions.

It's been 11 months since I was sleeved. I have lost a total of 148 pounds since the pre op diet and although I am thrilled with the weight loss, I am not happy with my appearance. I have an appointment to see a plastic surgeon in November and am hoping someone can suggest questions I should ask him. I have so much excess skin, I'm pretty certain I will need a body lift. If anyone has been nthrough this and can suggest things I should be thinking about, I would appreciate any input and thanks:)

I’m not sure about percentages. I’ve taken biotin for years for my nails and have always heard it will help to prevent hair loss although the more I read the more I wonder. I just read this article https://www.obesityaction.org/community/article-library/weight-loss-surgery-nutrition-and-hair-loss/ My surgeon didn’t put me a multi with iron or an iron supplement but I’m going to talk to him at my next appointment about iron and zinc both

:frown:Hey a loss is a loss! Down 1.3 lbs this morning! Yeah! When you have taken off over 80 bs, the losses slow down some, well lets face it, I have lost a great percentage of my excess body fat, so you have to realize things will slow down, that is why on EVERY DIET there is the last 20 lbs or so is soooooo harrrrrd to lose!:mad: Working hard for the next 10 lbs, hope for it in two months! That is the plan anyway. Was going to walk today, but it is 100 degrees and the lake I walk around is exactly 1 mile and perfectly round, just beautiful, but the Newspaper reported Snakes :mad2:(Moccosins) a lot of them crawling there, so me and snakes don't mix, here I come treadmill. Still Walkin the LapBand Walk! Here's to us Bandsters.:tt1:

HI, I received my denial on Thursday. I have Cigna. The doc office ins lady tells me it was denied because at some pt in the last five year history my BMI was between 35 and 40, and not the constant 40 and above. The one time I was able to lose weight in my life of course happens to be within that five-year history. But guess what that loss didn't last! And I thought that was the purpose was to show how you have gained and lost and gained and lost :biggrin: Has anyone else been denied for this reason? And was able to be approved later? I'm working on my appeal letter now. I'll be including family history and going back much longer than five years. Any advice would be helpful?! Thanks, Kelly

Hi - I am new to LapBand Talk - My name is Sarah - I live in the Thumb Area of Michigan. I am 37 and a single mother to a wonderful 16-year-old daughter. I am hoping to lose 100 pounds (or maybe a little more!) with the Lap Band surgery. I have everything done and am awaiting my surgeon to review my psychological evaluation and then submit for insurance pre-approval - the bariatric center estimated that it might be a month or two before my surgery is scheduled. I'm super excited and can't wait to get this ball rolling. I have been overweight my entire life - looking back at old photos, I see that I began gaining weight in the 2nd grade; however, I did not become morbidly obese until my 20's. I have such a food addiction that I, too am scared that I will still fail even with the lap band. I have become very conscious of my eating habits and attempt to be more mobile over the past 5 months, but have done so with NO weight loss whatsoever. I have decreased the junk food intake, increased the Water intake, and make sure to eat a healthy Breakfast EVERY day; still NO weight loss. I also will start a "diet" all gung-ho, swearing to myself that this time is IT - I will lose this weight - and then 3-4 weeks later, I'm sick of it and I'm seeing/feeling no results and I quit. So many people know I am planning the lap band surgery. If I fail, I will die of embarrassment. At my psychological evaluation, the psychologist told me that he believes my morbid obesity is 100% attributed to severe psychological issues and that from my MMPI test results, it's obvious to him that I am unaware of what these issues are. He told me that if I do not do some "work" and figure out what they are, I will come to him in 3-5 years, severely depressed, most likely suicidal, and weighing 25 pounds more than I do now because I will fail even with the lap band. That was a hard pill to swallow. He confirmed my fear. It is VERY possible to fail at weight loss even after surgery. I don't want to be that person! The psychologist suggested that I read Dr. Phil's book "The Ultimate Weight Solution." I am also seeking a therapist (hopefully I can afford it!) to help me sort out these issues. I have also struggled with the decision between Lap Band surgery and the Roux en Y surgery. Has anyone else been indecisive? What was your deciding factor? Has anyone else had to contend with "psychological issues", etc.?

I totally agree with your approach. If he is anything like me, I would have been offended if someone that I don't know came up to me and started discussing weight loss options. If you don't know their state of mind at the current time it can make things worse. I had to be absolutely ready for that discussion to go well. For me it was my nephrologist who asked me what my thoughts were right after I was diagnosed with stage 3 kidney disease. I was completely ready and had wished some of my others doctors had recommended it. Now, I will say that I was peeved that my other doctors did not mention it because I had been sick with comorbities for years and I was in fact ready for a long long time. I like the suggestion of talking to him about other things and if he mentions that you look great, share your story. If he is interested, he will ask more. Good luck!

I eat no less than 1200 a day thats with or without exercise... even though i exercise 4-5 times a week.. initially after surgery I had the eating less is best mentality and i finally convinced myself to eat the reccomended 1200 a day rather than the 600- 800 calories i was eating...and i went from losing 2 pounds a week (eating less) to losing 4-6 pounds a week (eating 1200 calories a day. Sometimes i do things to trick my body.. like not exercise for two days in a row and have a cheat day occasionally (no sweets though) by upping my card intake for one day.. i really dont do it often enough.. maybe once a month. once a week is reccomended. I do alot of reading up on fitness and have had personal success with tricking my metabolism into more weight loss by using some of these techniques on occasion. I personally do it rarely because i love to exercise and thrive on it..and because i am very set on my 1200 calories and very persistent in sticking with that (no more and no less). anyway...ill stop rambling now lol

You both look great, you two make a good team. Congratulations on the super weight loss.

Hi, I want to know about hair loss, sagging skin. Your experience with the surgical center. How to look up support groups. Did you ever break your pre op diet and maybe have something you shouldn't have had? Tell me the pros/cons of life now compared to before. The success rate of this surgery (any credible sources-even yourself as an example is fine). That's about all i can think of right now. I'm going in on 4/11. Seattle, WA Dr. Landerholm.

For me it was sleeve all the way. Haven't had it yet but the dr of the program at kaiser read of tons of statics for the 3 wls and the band has a high rate of removal and a 2d sugery. It has low weight loss in comparison and high regain stats. Sweden is one of the 1 countries to start this procedure and they are now at a 90% removal rate! Also kaiser did more removals last yr then placements of the band. So for me I was like heck no!! Sent from my iPhone using VST

My date is a few weeks out. I originally had the Lap Band back in 2005 and went from 297lbs at surgery down to the 160's. My husband and I had been married for 4 years at that time and we had our first child who had just turned 10 months old. About 6 months after I had my band put in my husband had his put in. He lost 20 pounds to this day. At this time we are both banded. I'm consistantly in the 220's and he is over 350lbs. He has promised me if I am successful and happy with this surgery he will follow me again and have the sleeve done. We didn't have any problems with me being "successful" with the band and especially with him not being successful. We have since had another baby, so we have two kids under the age of 5 and intead of weight loss, we are much more concerned about the health we have and our ability to provide our babies with a happy and active childhood. He loved me fat, he loved me thin, he loves me fat again. I think if your connection is more than just physical and at a deep enough level then it will last. I'm not a person who goes out, I have my babies at home and I have the rest of my life to go "out" but my babies won't be babies forever. That's just my experience with the weight loss and our relationship. I wish you guys the best.

and keeps you from losing your hair.....eeek!

I think my eating was pretty much all over the place when looking into WLS. When I finally made the decision to move forward, I had the opposite experience. I started eating much better and in smaller quantities to prepare myself. I didn't want there to be such a shock to my system pre-op and post-op. I called it "practicing" - I wanted to start to really pay attention to whether or not I was actually hungry or full or whatever. I know several others who did something similar and they are having fantastic losses post-op and feel great!

I have not been on this sight in a long time. I just wanted to stop in and see how everyone is doing. I have done good with my weight loss, but honestly I thought It was going to be alot easier than what it has been. It has been a life changing journey, but one that I would do over again in a heart beat! Take Care, Carrie

Hey Bud, Don't get discouraged! You are less than two weeks post-op. I lost 10 lbs on my pre-surgery diet and gained back every ounce thanks to the intravenous fluids I had in the hospital. My husband said my tummy was the biggest he had ever seen it in the first days following surgery. You have had your entire abdomen traumatized, and your body is rushing resources to it to aid in healing. It no different from the swelling you have with a sprained ankle or busted lip. I don't know if you would do better with a scale or not. I personally know that I need one. I have done very well, but I don't lose every week, much less every day--even at the first. This is not a 50 yard dash, it is a marathon. And unless you are planning a vacation to Maui in a couple of weeks, there are no deadlines or "use by" dates for losing after surgery. You will get to eat real food before you know it. I remember being hungry while on the liquid stage and my Protein shakes were nauseating. I'm so glad to have that behind me. But I have been amazed that hunger is not really an issue for me. But, the caveat is that I didn't get to 280 lbs by eating because I was hungry. So even the lessening and hunger, while a great gift, does not solve all of my eating problems. Concentrate now on healing, resting, moving, drinking, and you will lose! But even better than the scale moving, you will begin to feel so much better. If you are like me, it takes a while for your clothes to show the loss because they were pretty tight to begin with. And those lumps and bumps didn't come on us overnight and they won't disappear overnight. I will pray for you and wish you well! You have taken the first big step in a long and wonderful journey, as have I.

A lot of times it takes people a while to get their weight loss going after surgery. Your body is freaked out and injured, plus you got pumped full of a ton of fluids in the hospital. Have patience, follow your plan, and the pounds will come off. Tip - don't be surprised if you start losing weight for about a week, and then pause again. It's completely normal to hit a minor plateau around the 3 - 4 week post surgery mark. Just keep pushing and the weight will come off.

Lori, thank you so much for posting your pictures. And congratulations on your exceptional weight loss. I love your Boobies-did you get implants, too, or just a lift?