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Alcohol is a Transfer Addiction !!
Creekimp13 replied to BigHarleyGuy1's topic in WLS Veteran's Forum
ANY addiction can be a transfer addiction after a bariatric surgery messes with your food addiction. About a year after surgery, I noticed I liked to go gambling more. (not an insane amount, but instead of going maybe once every three months or so and taking $50, I was going maybe twice a month and taking $100. One month, I went once a week) I'm thrifty, so I noticed the casino losses in my budget right away and said....oh, hells no, this has to stop. So, I quit gambling entirely. Dodged the bullet on that one, thank goodness. But....of course.... that void looked for another way to rear its head. I started buying way too much **** on Ebay and Amazon. Late night purchases. Ugh. When I identified that issue....I quit, and promptly started hitting thrift stores and buying too much crap. Just kept swapping out one source of instant gratification for another....kinda like food. Addiction is a real thing. And finding healthy ways to deal with that need for instant gratification (and the hidden **** that drives it) will always be something I deal with. Very often when I hear people talk about regain... they will beligerantly insist that they don't have problems with food addiction or disordered eating. And I always think....oye. This ain't gonna end well for you. Admitting you have a problem is the first step, imo. And I know that sounds cheesy...but it's true. You need to get your head around your blind spots and confront them. Understand the behavior so you can change the behavior. I'm 4.5 years out, maintaining my weight loss (very proud of this)....but more aware than ever before how food addiction has impacted my life and my habits. Also, more aware of what drives my addictive behaviors. Still workin on it, man it's hard! Parts get easier, parts get harder. Just gotta keep fighting the good fight:) -
I hear ya. I had VSG in 2018, didn't lose all I could have, lost 65 pounds, then gained back 30 during COVID. Just recently lost the 30 back, but I still need to get down 30 more pounds at least. The good news is that the surgery still is the tool that keeps me from eating too much food. It stops me when I'm full. I can still lose weight. I'm focusing on protein, very few carbs.
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Looking for some opinions on this...
I♡BypassedMyPhatAss♡ replied to SleeveToBypass2023's topic in General Weight Loss Surgery Discussions
It's really hard to say what will be the best choice for you until you get closer to goal weight or the weight you level out at. One thing to take into consideration is the diastasis recti muscle. That muscle is often separated due to pregnancies and or obesity. If that muscle is separated, it will be very noticeable once you lose weight and once the excess skin is removed. If you Google diastasis recti, you will see for yourself what it looks like. Then imagine removing all of the skin the way a panni does. That's what you'll be left with post panni (this is only if you have a separated diastasi recti) so it's all theoretical at this point. So with a panni only, it's possible to have a flatter lower abdomen, but a protruding area right down the midline. As far as lipo goes, I've never heard of lipo being added to a panniculectomy, because generally speaking, panni's aren't a sculpting type of plastic surgery. It only removes excess skin. Tummy tucks usually always include some lipo, even if it's only gentle feathering. Because tummy tucks also include muscle tightening, so it's a sculpting type of plastic surgery. So lipo is used to let's say, sculpt the flanks, etc for more shape and definition. My PS is one of the professors at the local university, so her fees aren't as pricey as a PS in private practice. She operates at the best hospital in my county and since she's a professor, she has a lot of residents coming and going during her surgeries because it's a teaching hosptial. So her fees are less. She did my fleur de lis but submitted to insurance for a panniculectomy and she didn't charge me anything further. You might find a surgeon willing to do the same. I would say keep researching and learn all you can now, but know that until you get closer to goal and consult with a PS it'll be difficult to say what direction you should go in. You might have an intact diastasis recti and a panni is the only thing you will need. You never know until you see where you land on the other side of weight loss. P.S... Real Self is a great site to research plastic surgery procedures. You can read patient stories and see pics, and see fees and reviews of the surgeons. I wish you the best on your journey! -
Revision Supervised Weight Loss Question
Daddyof4 replied to Juniper123's topic in Revision Weight Loss Surgery Forums (NEW!)
Hi Juniper, I was in about the same situation. I got my band in 2012 and started having significant reflux last summer. I had my band unfilled which helped the reflux but I packed on 40 pounds. I went to Inova Bariatrics and talked about revision to bypass; they said I had to go through the whole program again, which I did. I did not have the supervised diet part and I continued to gain weight until I went on the 2-week liquid diet just before surgery. I had the band removed and the bypass done March 21. I have Federal Blue Cross and they approved as soon as I met the requirements, including cardiac clearance, primary care physician clearance, etc. I don't quite get where your diet supervisor is coming from; I had comorbidities in addition to the high BMI - reflux was one of them (high bp was the other). I think your doctor is right that the reflux should be enough because reflux is one of the signatures of the band. I wish I had known that in 2012 - I would have done the bypass then instead. If you stay with that practice you might be stuck (pardon the lapband pun) doing as the diet supervisor commands. Different practices have different rules. I like my practice very much but they're in Fair Oaks and Woodbridge, likely a huge trip for you. Remember, even though the pre-op diet is very difficult the reward will be worth it. You can do this! -
I had a sleeve in 2017 and told my best work friend and parents. When I started losing weight so rapidly, people thought I was dying, like from cancer or something. And I had no idea until said work friend came to me and was like “this is getting out of hand, how have you not heard anything, say Something!” Ha. Now I’m doing a revision to bypass and I am shouting it to the world. I’m so excited! And definitely want no one to think I’m dying!
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First plateau at 9 months post op
Guest replied to Rey Rodriguez's topic in POST-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
I think you can lose as much weight as you choose to in principle - though it will be progressively more difficult. As ever, decreasing calories in, increasing calories out will do it. -
Looking for some opinions on this...
SleeveToBypass2023 posted a topic in General Weight Loss Surgery Discussions
Thinking about after I eventually hit my final weight loss weight and am stable. I was going back and forth about a panniculectomy once I'm able (mostly because my insurance will cover it) and while I know it won't tighten any muscles, I'm hoping it will be flatter and my clothes will fit better (I'll be having my surgery on May 3rd at age 43 and looking to hopefully have my surgery about a year and a half later). I've already had 2 kids, I'm a grandma of 1, and I'm not going to be wearing any bikinis or crop tops lol So I don't care so much about tummy tucks but I do want my excess skin removed and my stomach flatter. I hope it'll happen with the panniculectomy. HOWEVER, I've been seeing posts about people not having belly buttons and not being evenly shaped, and that had me concerned. So then I started thinking about having the panniculectomy (paid for by insurance) and then paying the difference for a tummy tuck and lipo as needed (or maybe just lipo to even everything out???). I'm confused about the best way to go that also won't cost a fortune. I know a panniculectomy is more expensive than a tummy tuck, so I'm thinking if I just maybe add lipo to it or even the tummy tuck and lipo, the cost shouldn't be too high, right? UGH. I know it's a ways out, but I need time to save (I'm the sole breadwinner in my family, so I'll need every bit of time to figure out what I'm doing and save for it). Thanks in advance for any help and input!!! -
Gall Bladder problems After VSG?
Arabesque replied to Crisscat's topic in Gastric Sleeve Surgery Forums
Gall bladder removal is not uncommon for anybody. Gall stones can form for a couple of reasons: high cholesterol, rapid & excessive weight loss, menopause, or high bilirubin levels. So it makes sense why many bariatric patients have their’s removed at some point. Some people can have gall stones for years that only rumble a bit so they don’t know they have them. They’re discovered because of the pre surgical tests so some people have their gall removed during their weight loss surgery. My stone was discovered during a scan to see why my liver function was off about 7 months after surgery. I’d have no symptoms but last June I really knew about it - very painful!!! So my gall was removed about two years after my sleeve surgery. Mine could have formed because of the weight loss, menopause or because I have high bilirubin levels. It was an easy surgery. My surgeon used the same incisions from my sleeve surgery & I was home the next day. I did have more muscular discomfort & gas pain though. My diet is generally lowish fat so I don’t have issues with that. But I have noticed every couple of weeks that I have a bout of diarrhoea (manifests more quickly than ordinary tummy upset attacks). My sister-in-law is the same. We think it’s a build up of digestive acids because the gall isn’t there to regulate it anymore. -
Sigh** definitely can relate to your post. You’ve gotten great advice so far. I too was in a stall that lasted a couple weeks. I’m 7 weeks post op: so mine was right on time lol I was the same weight for a week then I gained 3 lbs, then another 2, then back down again. This week in happy to report my first stall which I aptly named Olga.(great suggestion from a wonderful person on here to name stalls) it made it fun to give if a name. I made her my friend and I also understood that my body just maybe needed a break from losing. But I was also constipated. I took some milk of magnesium and that was quickly rectified. Good luck!
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First plateau at 9 months post op
Arabesque replied to Rey Rodriguez's topic in POST-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
You can depend upon the saying the closer to goal the slower the weight loss. My last two kgs were a b*tch to lose. So close yet so far. Don’t give up or think it’s over. You’ll likely get there in your body’s own time. -
Well, first off, good for you for coming here and asking for help. That’s the biggest step, acknowledging that you fell off track and need to make changes. Maybe switch your diet to two protein shakes each day and a healthy dinner. It would be a great kick start to your weight loss. Also, start tracking and listing everything that you eat on an app. It really makes you accountable. You can do this!
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Stalls are extremely common & a natural & expected part of the weight loss process. The first usually occurs around the third week (hence the name the three week stall) but it can occur before or after that mark. They can last 1-3 weeks. They have nothing to do with you possibly failing. Think of them as your body trying to play catch up & get used to all the changes. It’s the equivalent of your body closing the front door & pulling the covers over it’s head much like we feel like doing when life gets stressful for us. Oh & yes, I did say first stall. You may experience a couple as you’re losing. Don’t be too perturbed if you’re not meeting all your fluid & protein goals every single day expesically in the beginning. As long as you’re making a concentrated effort & are close you’re okay. It does get easier when you’re eating solid foods & able to eat a little more. If I have a day when I’m lower, I try to be a bit higher than I need the next day & I’m almost three years out. And the constipation may continue until you’re close to or in maintenance & eating a much broader diet & eating more. At the moment your consuming very little food so you don’t have a lot to excrete. Not going every day is to be expected. Add a fibre supplement like Benefibre that doesn’t swell in your tummy. Add some vegetables & whole or multi grains to your diet as soon as you’re able. And keep on top of the constipation to avoid compaction & discomfort (pain) when you finally go. I took a stool softener if I had three days without movement.
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Remember not every loses all the weight they expected to lose. The average weight loss after 5 years is about 65% of the total weight they had to lose to put them in a healthy weight range. And a hell of a lot of people have gained weight during the emotional turmoil of the last two years so don’t be too hard on yourself. Get out your old eating plans & information & go back to the basics. But trying to change a lot of things all at once is often doomed to fail as it can feel all to much to do. Make a single change & then in a couple of weeks make another & so on. Maybe to begin you could reassess & reduce as needed your portion sizes, ensure you’re getting in your 60g of protein a day, increase your vegetable consumption, ensure you get 2L of water in a day, swap out high calorie or less nutritious meals for better alternatives, or drop a snack, etc.. You can choose whichever one you think you can manage as you progress. Can you contact your dietician again? Did you have a therapist while you were losing? They could help you refocus your goals, offer advice & suggestions & look into your eating habits, etc. Have a look at Dr Matthew Weiner’s you tube channel & his book A Pound of Cure. He has some good tips on resetting your body’s set point (BMR) & making changes to your eating. (He does encourage a more plant based diet but you can make allowances around that to your own eating preferences.) All the best.
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BCBS Federal and Plastics (Panniculectomy)
SleeveToBypass2023 replied to ahillig's topic in Insurance & Financing
I haver BCBS of Illinois (not sure if they work the same, but my surgeon's office said they take all the BCBS and they all are basically the same depending on the plan the patient chose) and i reached out to my insurance about this and they said they do not cover anything that would fall under cosmetic procedures (no tummy tuck, no lipo, no tightening of the muscle walls, no body lifts, no nose jobs, nothing) but they WILL cover a panniculectomy but only if it's been deemed medically necessary and if weight has been stable for a minimum of 6-8 months. A panniculectomy is a surgical procedure to remove the pannus — excess skin and tissue from the lower abdomen. This excess skin is sometimes referred to as an “apron.” Unlike a tummy tuck, the panniculectomy does NOT tighten the abdominal muscles for a more cosmetic appearance, disqualifying it as a cosmetic procedure. However, removing the excess fat can make your abdominal area flatter, but not tighter (a tummy tuck would be needed for that). -
First plateau at 9 months post op
Rey Rodriguez posted a topic in POST-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
I’ve never really had a major plateau after my vsg other than a few days or so with no weight loss. I’m at 9 and half months post op and have noticed I haven’t lost any weight these past 3 weeks. I’m only a few pounds away from my goal and I’m wondering will I still lose weight or is this it? -
VSG surgery in hopes to cure PCOS and have children!
SleeveToBypass2023 replied to Cat0430's topic in Gastric Sleeve Surgery Forums
Hey hon! I also have PCOS. I had my son naturally but then had 10 losses before I was diagnosed with PCOS (even though I have all the classic signs and symptoms, not a lot of doctors knew about it). This was back in 2005. I went on birth control for a few months, then had to take Metformin and Clomid to get pregnant with my daughter. I had her in 2006 (my kids are 8 1/2 years apart because of the PCOS) and after I had her, I was never able to get pregnant again. My hormones are all over the place and I CANNOT lose weight and keep it off no matter what I do (I always have initial success but it never lasts). I was told that bariatric surgery is huge in helping PCOS patients get pregnant because weight loss is the #1 thing that helps. It *can* help with hormones, but not always. The weight loss is really the biggest factor for PCOS patients. But that can also make birth control pills (which regulate periods, add estrogen to low estrogen hormones) more effective, as well as fertility meds (Metformin and Clomid, Femara, etc) more effective. Also makes your body healthier for pregnancy (almost no diabetes or high blood pressure issues). So the surgery is definitely huge for helping PCOS patients have a baby. Good luck!!! -
19 days post VSG, finding it isolating and lonely
Crisscat replied to newme22's topic in Gastric Sleeve Surgery Forums
I have not had my surgery yet but its fast approaching, May 3rd. There is only 1 person who knows, my husband. I have older kids and younger kids (2 are still at home). Like others have said in their posts, I do not find it to be anyone's business that I have a sleeve. My kids I have not told because the older ones do not come around enough anyway to visit and Ill probably be on regular food by the time they do lol. My younger 2 children that are still at home (girl 17, boy 11) I have not told because my youngest son would be worried like crazy on surgery day. I do not want to cause any undue stress for him. As for my coworkers, no one knows from there either. I do believe most would be supportive because I had 3 coworkers who had gastric bypass. Two of which is on a fast track of gaining their weight back post surgery 4 yrs. At current I am still working from home and only go to the office 1 week a month. I was just there last week and one coworker said I looked like I have lost weight since she last saw me (Ive lost 17 lbs in the last few months) but I didnt think it was noticeable. Obviously we cannot dodge the looks and questions post surgery because we are losing weight, but at least I dont have to be judged or questioned why I would go down this road ahead of surgery. I kindof view it this way its my health, my decision. Once its done its done. My hubby is from (W Yorkshire) England and he left his family, friends and country because he loves me. He is very supportive of me. He doesnt necessarily agree with the surgical aspect of things but I know he will be there for me and will help me through the mood swings, the pain and he knows if I go down a dark path of thoughts to give me his hand and help me back to where I need to be (I hear some ppl become depressed post op) I have never experienced that but if I do he will be there to help me. He always has been. You will tell ppl in due time as you feel more comfortable (as will I perhaps) and I agree with what blackcatsandbaddecisions said If brought up we dont have to talk about it especially if its from a judgmental person/family member! -
Being constipated can make a difference on the scale if you're weighing yourself multiple times a week. The human body can have up to five pounds of excrement inside it at one time. I'm on day 16, and about half a week ago, I didn't lose anything for 2-3 days. Not to be unpleasant, but I had some major bathroom time on the third day and was three pounds lighter the next morning. Idk if you're eating any significant amount of salt (broth can have a lot if you've been having that) but if you are, that can easily cause a couple pounds of water retention too. Idk how many calories you're eating per day, but there's no way you're not going to be burning if it's the typical amount for this point in time. Try not to be despondent. If this issue does persist going forward, you might want to go in and get checked for fatty liver disease or a thyroid problem. Both can hinder weight loss.
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Me again! I am 23 days post-op. I lost 15 pounds the the first two weeks. I began my purée diet last week and since then I’ve stopped losing weight. I am dealing with horrible constipation and struggling to keep up with 64 oz of water. I’m worried that I haven’t lost any weight, in fact I gained 2 pounds. I’m starting to think this isn’t gonna work for me and I won’t lose any more weight. Has this happened to anyone?
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VSG surgery in hopes to cure PCOS and have children!
Cat0430 posted a topic in Gastric Sleeve Surgery Forums
Hello all, I am new to this forum but I think it is great to have something like this where we can communicate and get advice from one another! I had my VSG surgery on April 4th, 2022. So that means as of today I am 16 days post op. So far things are going alright. I am a little worried about my 2 incisions on my left side since the liquid bandage has come off and they are still open. They crust over, but any movement or showering makes them open back up. I think they are slowly healing(one of the incisions is the one where they pulled my stomach through), went to the doctor today and he said they were fine. But of course when I returned home the scabs had come off and it was back open! Any thoughts on this? Other than that it’s been fine. Going through a lot of emotions realizing I can’t eat like I used to and just realizing how much I relied on food was hard for me. But with the support of my husband and family I am doing better. My main reason for getting the sleeve is because I was diagnosed with PCOS. Me and my husband have been trying to conceive for about 2.5/ 3yrs now. I finally went to the doctor and was told I had PCOS about 2years ago. I went through the ringer with them putting me on birth control, hormones etc. until I found a blog that said none of that helped PCOS but those things were just a band aid solution. I tried losing weight and managed to lose 40lbs, which all came back within 2 months. And I started noticing how no matter what I did or what I ate the weight just kept coming. I went through a bout of depression about not being able to have kids, and that is when I decided to look into weight loss surgery. I heard that it can reverse PCOS symptoms and works almost 95% of the time. When I attended the seminar the doctors also said it worked a lot for people with PCOS. So I am excited to see where this journey takes me. I am doing this to be healthy but a big chunk of me really hopes I can get pregnant a year from now as well. I am only 23 (turning 24 on April 30th!) so I have a lot of life left to live and love to give lol and it’d be great if I could start a family. Any success stories?? Or anybody out there like me with PCOS?? Thanks for reading I know it’s long lol. [I am 5’7 and weighed 410lbs going into this. After the 2 week liquid diet I was down to 397lbs. After surgery I was 399lbs. As of today I am 373lbs. So that’s 37lbs from the beginning and 26lbs post surgery.] -
Oh I'm having the gastric sleeve surgery and I talk to people that have had the gastric sleeve and most of the ppl I've talk to, have gained half of the weight back and they say it's hard to keep it off. You have to be really really dedicated and work hard and stay away from sweets. Sent from my SM-G930U using BariatricPal mobile app
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19 days post VSG, finding it isolating and lonely
newme22 replied to newme22's topic in Gastric Sleeve Surgery Forums
Thank you all so much for your invaluable guidance and for sharing your experiences with me. I really appreciate it. Reading them gave me the courage to go for a walk and open up to a close friend about my surgery today - for want of a better phrase it feels like a weight has been lifted! I couldn’t have wished for a nicer and more supportive reaction and I felt a bit silly I’d built it up to be such a scary and big deal. She said she would have loved to have been there for me over the last few weeks too. In terms of speculation about surgery, anyone in my life would tell you that my weight has drastically yo-yoed over the years so I do feel that for those I don’t feel comfortable telling it would be entirely plausible to just keep things vague and say something like I’ve been “working hard at it and eating better”. All true! They’ll probably just think: “here we go again!”. Thanks again everyone :) -
Hello. I am a 50 yr old female. I had sleeve surgery in 2017. I never lost all of what they said I would even though I did everything exactly as they said. I got discouraged and I got lax about keeping up with how much protein I ate and calorie intake ect. We moved in 2020 and now in the past two years I have gained 50lbs. Just looking for helpful advice or suggestions to get back on track. Thanks.
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Feeling depressed/hopeless on liquid diet
IWant ToDelete MyProfile replied to Vivis's topic in PRE-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
Just because she’s able to lose weight eating healthy and exercising doesn’t mean she can keep it off. It’s the biggest reason why I’m getting WLS. I can lose 20-30 pounds (maybe more but never to an ideal weight or even below obese) but when it comes to keeping it off it’s almost impossible :-/ -
Considering surgery but don't know where to start
colebaby216 posted a topic in General Weight Loss Surgery Discussions
I'm 39 & a mom of 4 amazing boys (21, 17, 13, & 7) & I've been obese or morbidly ones since I was pregnant with my first son 21 years ago. I've tried Keto, Adkins, WW, etc etc & although I lose weight it never stays gone. As soon as I LOOK at a piece of bread, I gain a pound. I've long since cut out sugars & sodas. I like bread but I don't have to have it. I live in Northeast Louisiana & don't know where to begin. My doctor & I have tried medications, but she's anti- weight loss surgery, so talking to her get me no where. I've researched the different types of surgeries, but I don't know which would be best for me (probably because I'm not a doctor or nurse). I just know I'm tired of being 220+ pounds & I want to get down to 140-150 & there's no amount of dieting, exercise, or medication that gets me past 195. I know my insurance won't pay for it so I'll have to finance, which is fine, I just don't know where to start & I'm beginning to get depressed about the whole ideal. My boyfriend is amazing & tells me I don't need surgery but also understands my mental health & how this affects me. Can anyone help me?
