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Welcome Emma. Congrats on your weight loss and the Baby! Youv'e done an awesome job.

I know this is a really stupid question but I had PCOS prior to having a complete hysterectomy in 2009. I am still a hairy beast, still get acne and my hair is still thinning. I am thinking that this should have resolved itself after my hysterectomy. I wonder if having the sleeve will help any of that. I also wonder if I will be a slow loser because of PCOS. Are you still PCOS if you no longer have your overies?

A memory from back in the old days that may help you....I used to go to Physician's weight loss and also LA weight loss (anyone surprised?). Anyway, they had these protein drinks that you mixed with water. They tasted like kool-aid, and were really good. Cranberry Grape was my favorite. Unfortunately, I don't have a box left that has the nutrition info, but I bet you could google it and find out how much is in it. I hope this helps!

As long as you're following the rules, you're doing fine! I'm not even a year out yet and have lost a significant amount of weight...especially considering they told me to expect only about a 40lb loss the first year. Enjoy it while it's falling off, the weightloss will slow down, I promise!

Colonosopy is a test not a weight loss technique. If you need the test that is a different story

Hey Cajun! I am getting the sleeve here in Nicaragua by Dr. Jorge Gutierrez and his team of 2 other surgeons. It's cheaper than the U.S. or Mexico. I believe he is a good doctor, I hope I'm right. I haven't been able to find anything online about him, but he has been doing weight loss surgery for years. He's did a couple of people from the states, but most of the people he works with or from Central or South America. He's going to give me some references I can call.

I agree with other posts that this is totally normal. I had almost a month of little or no weight loss and then I changed from working out in evening to morning, added more "real food" like fish and veggies, and began tracking EVERYTHING on MyNetDiary. Then yesterday, BOOM, lost 3lbs. I have lost 30lbs since surgery on July 11 but this surgery is definitely not the easy way out, I think more and work harder on myself since this surgery then any other program I have attempted. Stay strong and just shake up your routine, you have to outsmart your body! Good Luck!

To the OP question Yes the girly parts can be saggy. I guess it depends on how much fat you have in that area. I actually had mine "lifted" after a previous weight loss. Now I find that the girly parts now are more loose and flabby if you know what I mean, but it does seem like some of the fat is shrinking from this area. I still have some weight to lose so hopefully it will continue to improve. I do notice too that my fat is squishy, I think as the fat goes the skin is trying to shrink up to keep up but in the interim your fat is a little squishy, this too I hope will improve. I still will be going for a thigh/arm lift they have no hope at this point.

Yes, I do feel they are working for me and plan on using them throughout the weight loss. I refuse to have plastic surgery done once I reach my goal so the It Works products, along with exercise, will be the only things I have to help with this saggy process. My age and genetic makeup are not in my favor, plus the fact that I've been obese for more than half my life, let me know that I will not have a rock hard bod when all is said and done but I'm okay with that.

I had to cut metformin. When I went back to work full time I quit. It tore my stomach up SO bad. There was no way I was going to take that and work. It did really help me with my hair regrowth so I hated to do that. Now... post surgery.. with all the discomfort and gas pains and such... I can't fathom the idea of taking it, even sitting at home every day. Yikes, what a thought. Sent from my SM-N920V using the BariatricPal App

Ha! We are practically also in the same weight catagory as well!.... I went to Dr.Peter LePort's 'SMART DIMENSIONS' weight loss group and had my surgery at Orange Coast Memorial Hospital in Fountain Valley, CA. No regrets here! I noticed today that I am passing gas more than usual which I am guessing is the air that's trying to leave my body from the surgery....

Just keep on the path . I started last sept with the orientation- then 6 mo weight loss program - two people with the process out on leave finaly on track and I'm looking at a june or july date! Some of the people have been great some not so good- I loved the surgon and the after care you receive is one of the best! Just keep on top of things calls and emails not to the point of being obnocious just to keep things on track ! Best of luck:thumbup:

"I feel skinnyyyyyy, oh so skinnyyyyy....." So this happened. I'm back to my lowest post op weight today. Yay. This is big. I've been bouncing into and out of Onederland for SIX months. A month and a half ago I made some big changes to my food and behaviors. It resulted in the loss of ten pounds I gained back from my low weight last year up to that point. So today I'm back down to 193, back on track, and feeling great. Less than fifty pounds to goal. I started thinking I'd make a list of what's going right. When I can't figure out why things are slowing down or going in reverse, I'll pull out this list and see what I'm doing or not doing. Here goes. Feel free to add your own tips to this thread. Tracking food in MyFitnessPal. Weighing daily. Going to OA and CODA meetings. Therapy every two weeks. Planning food the day before and committing it to my OA sponsor. Staying under 1200 calories a day. No fried food. No carby Thai noodles. No movie crapcorn. Two fruit or p rotein shake s nacks a day. Measuring out nuts instead of guessing the portion. No alcohol. Healthy, boring, simple foods like eggs and cheese and yogurt and meatballs. Way fewer processed foods. Bye bye bread. Just because I drop it in the salad bowl doesn't make it salad. Log it. (See nuts, measured, above.) Journaling. Listening to weight loss and addiction recovery podcasts. Obeying my band. It says "enough"? I stop. I have found that this same fill level that I have been at since August suddenly is just right. Before these changes, I was contemplating another fill because I was able to eat too much. But even then I would get stuck on certain foods if not chewed thoroughly. I wisely took my NP's advice and cleaned up the food and drink before getting a ninth fill. I don't need it now. I'm at the sweet spot, the green zone, the holy grail of band land. It took about four weeks for me to stop daydreaming about the perfect meal and missing my fried foods. Today I crave veggies and simple meals. It's a miracle. But I can't stress enough how important the "head and heart" work is. I am working very, very hard on the emotional and spiritual recovery from my food addiction. Like every day. No kidding. So anyway, just wanted to share this joyful stuff and ask others to pile on. What's going right for you?

Slow and steady loss is probably much healthier, anyway - you're still well on your way. Dr. Fox mentioned at my first fill (and I had already found this out) ".. as far as alcohol, you ALWAYS have an empty stomach now". His nutritionist also mentioned that I would now be cheap date. How true.

I’ve noticed a lot of emphasis on post-op diets. Now don’t get me wrong. I am not a dietician and I am not telling anyone what they should and should not be eating. Instead I am offering my take on sleeve dieting. Would most agree that we did not become overweight simply because of the type of food we ate, but rather the amount of foods we ate? I was nearly 140lbs overweight when I had my surgery. My problem was quantity. When I ate out I would eat 3 or 4 of everything. Seriously, when I ate out I would eat 10 tacos at Taco Bell, or an entire large pizza from Pizza Hut, or two Whoppers at Burger King or two 12” Subway sandwiches. If my wife made steaks for dinner I would have 3 of them. I rarely ate breakfast during the work week, but on weekends I would stuff myself with pastries. I would also tend to eat and watch TV until bedtime. These are the things that got me, and I would suspect most people, into trouble. My new sleeve has changed all that. I physically CAN NOT eat foods in the same quantity as before. Thank the LORD! My meals are much, much smaller. This has required me to learn that breakfast and lunch are just as important as dinner. As I mentioned in an earlier thread, I have no foods that are off limits. I eat mostly the same kind of foods I enjoyed before surgery. I just have to be smarter about it. The proteins are eaten first in my meals, followed by other nutritionally dense foods. The carb rich stuff like breads is eaten last if my sleeve isn’t already full. This was my Easter holiday meals: For breakfast I had a protein shake. After church my wife wanted to stop at McDonalds on the way home. I didn’t want to overindulge so I opted for a kids “Happy Meal”. It was 4 chicken nuggets, a kid fry and sugar free lemonade. It was less than 300 calories and I still got 10 grams of protein out of this treat. For dinner I used a rotisserie on my grill and smoked a whole chicken for the holiday. I had a drumstick and a small portion of a breast, about a ¼ cup of mashed potatoes with some gravy, 3 tablespoons of steamed broccoli, and a freshly made wheat roll. The chicken was eaten first followed by the broccoli and potatoes. I only had a nibble off the roll because I was full. This was not my typical meal, but it was a holiday so I intended to enjoy myself while having dinner with my family. For desert I had a Cadbury egg. The point I’m trying to make is that moderation is the key. I had a few things yesterday that are not typical for me, but a reward for 30 days post-op and a holiday. This morning I am back to my regular routine. I had a single serving of oatmeal with honey for breakfast and a “Lean Cuisine” 290 calorie entrée for lunch. My wife is making tacos for dinner. I will likely have a taco and ¼ cup of Spanish rice with salsa. Don’t beat yourselves up by thinking you’ve “ruined” your diet because you ate something that perhaps is contrary to dieting guidelines. You can simply make up for it with a later meal. We are all eating less because of our wonderful new sleeves and hopefully we’re a lot more active than we used to be. These two things alone will encourage weight loss. Don’t get hung up on what you eat. Pay far more attention to how much you’re eating. Try to make the smartest food choices when choosing your main entrée. I’m down nearly 40lbs in the 30 days since my surgery and I eat what I want. Let the flaming begin.

Those are aggressive goals sweethot. Good luck to you!!!! I know sometimes it's easy as pie to lose 2-3 pounds a week. And then your body gets different ideas :eek: I wish you absolutely the best!! Please share your secret/plan to maintain that kind of weight loss!! wombat

It couldn't hurt to try keeping your calories between 800 and 900 a day for a week and see how that goes! I think my doctor recommends about this amount while you are in the active weight loss phase, and the amount increases slightly when you are in maintenance phase. I know it sounds like soooo few calories, but it really makes you super aware of just how many empty calories you are taking in. It would be so easy for me to meet my daily calorie intake with just snacking! Try to commit to the week challenge and see how you feel....you've come so far by getting banded, you just need to find the magic to re-start your weight loss fire. p.s. If you are looking for a calorie buddy, hit me up cause I could totally use the support too!

Hey Rachel. I'm doing my shopping today for surgery on Friday. I only have to stay one night though, so it won't be much. Here's what I'll be sure to take with me: Lightweight robe Slippers hair bands Brush Lip balm Isopure Zero Carb fruit Protein drink (if they let me drink it...) Deodorant Baby Wipes for freshening up in bed Travel shampoo, conditioner, toothbrush, toothpaste, and facial wash Socks Fresh underware / bra My Nook for reading Cell Phone Gas-X Strips (recommended by doctor) I think that's about it?

Just as an FYI, my doc told me that a complete loss of restriction OR total restriction is a possible sign of a slipped band. Severe reflux often accompanies this. I'm praying it is nothing. Hang in there.

Greetings everyone. I have had a long journey, I've been overweight and obese most of my life. I was 6ft1 and over 300lbs in my late teens and successfully dropped down into the 190's. Eventually I got older, got married and started working night shifts...here I am again! No health issues, but I want it to stay that way, the funny thing is, I look down and move around and still feel that I'm thin, opposite of most, pictures tell another story, haha! I joined a paid, doctor lead weight loss program in 2019 that went alright, I didn't lose much though and easily gained it back. One of the recommendations coming out of that was surgery. Where I live there is a long process for that (but it is funded). Most people only are covered for bypass though, including me. Long story short I decided to go with the Sleeve out of my own pocket. I can afford it and the bypass seemed a little too extreme to me, for my personal situation. My family had been aware of my journey and supportive until my surgery was actually booked recently after doing orientation, reading (and sharing) materials, etc. Now I have literally all my immediate family telling not to do it. My wife is upset as we have two young children and I'll be out of commission for a bit and she's extremely anxious after reading something saying 80% of people end up divorced after this, she feels she doesn't know enough too and that ones understandable. One family member told me I'm being selfish, I still don't understand that one. Another said I don't understand what I'm getting and I should get more info and see a therapist. I get that therapy brings value, but I'm always legitimately happy and in both my weight loss program and the intake for surgery the doctors said I didn't need to see a therapist (and they had them on staff). It was a little disorienting as I first stated I was looking into this a year ago and decided to go ahead with it in October to universal support. I told one colleague only and they said they didn't see why I would need that. I'm really, really, really glad I'm not on the fence about this, otherwise I might be deterred, but is it common? Have others dealt with the people around them getting the cold feet? It's funny, because I'm getting surgery, but now I find myself wondering how I can support everyone else about it April 19 is my surgery day and that's not going to change unless I'm told so by the medical practice.

A list of your meds and your insurance card if applicable be thinking of all the weight loss plans you have been on or have tried in the past trust me they will ask for it art some point also talk to any docotors you have seen for any reason and ask them to write you a letter supporting your decision to have surgery I got three letters and I got approved on the first request.

Haven't been banded yet... BUT have been doing research. I was pleased to see several Cookbooks specifically for post-weight loss surgery... Amazon.com: Eating Well After Weight Loss Surgery: Over 140 Delicious Low-Fat High-Protein recipes to Enjoy in the Weeks, Months and Years After Surgery (9781569244531): Patt Levine, Michele Bontmpo-Saray, William B. Inabnet, Meredith Urban-Skuros: B Eating Well AFter Weight Loss Surgery Amazon.com: Recipes for Life After Weight-Loss Surgery: Delicious Dishes for Nourishing the New You (Healthy Living Recipes For Life After Weight Loss Surgery Amazon.com: Before & After, Revised Edition: Living and Eating Well After Weight-Loss Surgery (9780061242854): Susan Maria Leach: books Before and After Living and eating well after Loss Surgery Amazon.com: The Everything Post Weight Loss Surgery Cookbook: All you need to meet and maintain your weight loss goals The EVERYTHING Post Weight Surgery Cookbook (Coming out soon) Amazon.com: Weight Loss Surgery Cookbook For Dummies (9780470640180): Brian K. Weight Loss Surgery Cookbook for Dummies (Coming out soon) Amazon.com: Cooking For Weight Loss Surgery Patients (9780925838148): Dick Stucki; "The Ultimate Gourmet", Bonneville Publishing, Bonneville Productions: Books Cooking for WLS Patients There are more... check ebay too for good prices... Hope this helps!

Some people are told it pushes the food through quicker and you become hungrier quicker and others are told it's because it takes up too much room in your tiny tummy and there is not much room left for the actual food, and therefore you get hungrier sooner. Either way, you will get hungrier sooner because of the dense Protein not staying in your stomach and you can eat more often than you should and possibly more calories than you should. So, yes, I believe this is a long term thing if you want to lose the weight and maintain the loss. When you chew the food so well before swallowing, you don't need a big gulp of drink to wash it down. I've been doing that and noticing the food actually tastes better when you take time to chew it and I'm not desperate for a drink to wash it down.