WLS Veteran's Forum

I got banded April 2013... I've lost 90lbs from a size 18/20 to a 12.... Lately I've noticed a feeling in my breastbone area... Not all the time just every once in a while and it will catch me off guard. Sometimes it's a pinch or like a inner thump/click... ? Best way I can describe it lol Is that normal? Or does anyone else experience that? I don't wanna run to a follow up and it be nothing... It hasn't caused any issues or anything but it has gotten my attention

How do you know you're a vet? You have at least one pic of yourself in one leg of your old pants! Here's mine. Let's see yours!

I went to my two year follow up on Thursday. My surgeon was pleased with my weight. we talked about maintenance and my obsession with food lately. I feel like all I think about is eating. He kindly referred me to the psychologist that works with his bariatric patients. I then went to speak with the nutritionist, who went over my blood work results. All my levels were normal if not slightly high. I have been taking two Multivitamins a day, so she suggested I cut down to one. I have not been taking Calcium so she advised me to start with that. My surgeon had advised I could switch to the tablet form of Vitamins, and i am so thankful. The reason I haven't been taking calciu…

Can anyone share anything that they feel helped with the excess skin issue? I know hydration and exercise are big things. But has anyone had any luck with products, scrubs, lotion, homeopathic, essential oils, brushing etc ? I'm 10 months out down 95 pounds which is hopefully the end. I'm not sure I want plastics. I am struggling with arm and leg skin.

Hello, I am about 10 years post roux en y and just bought a nutribullet rx. I am wondering if this is a good idea for me to use? Concerned about whether I can absorb the nutrients this way and also, if I should be eating more solid food like apples, etc. to get my stomach busy working and the whole metabolism jump started. Any advice? Anyone else using it? Thank you in advance....

Im having trouble losing this last 25 lbs and have been thinking of trying the 5:2 diet. I know many of you have been using this diet as a tool. ive searched the forum and didnt get any hits. isnt there a support group for this topic? I cant find it anymore. Questions: Are you currently on this diet? (or have you been?) What has your experience with it been like? Any links you can recommend? What do i need to know?

Hello, I am new to the forum. I am almost 4 years out, surgery was May 25, 2011. I was 311 lbs before the surgery and now down to 177 lbs, My lowest was 160 lbs. which I felt more comfortable at, but I would like to take off at least the 17 lbs or at least 10 lbs. I am still conscious of what I eat, but no matter what I seem to do, my weight is staying put. Can anyone advise me on what to do?

I'm a vet, I'm a vet....I'm a vet, vet, vet........ Well......in truth, I was already a vet. The military kind anyway. But now, I'm a Bariatric Pal vet and have reached my goal to boot. Soo, what'da we do in here guys......??? Measure each other's sleeves...or what.???? I've been hearin that "older and wiser" crap for years......there's gotta be more to BP's vet room than just that..... just kiddin.......I'm just rambling......It feels good to reach my goal and know that even with a long and tough struggle, I was able to make it. It should have a category of it's own.......and Vet sounds like a pretty good one. Glad to be her…

I have only lost 200 pounds with another 40lbs to go but I am having a panni on Wednesday... Any suggestions on how to get through this with as little drama as possible? They say to wear loose clothing and have lots of protein... How long was your recovery? I cant imagine staying out for 6 weeks I think I will be bored. Yes I say only 200 lbs because I am still over weight and I seem to be stuck. I plan to go back to basics TODAY. Also having an umbilical hernia repair as well... Anybody have any suggestions?

So, yesterday was my one year surgiversary! But, I have a question about food. Are we allowed fruit? Nobody ever talks about that. ARe they considered carbs? I don't know what to do with them. And tomatoes--are they a fruit or veggie (in the WLS perspective, I don't care what it really is, just how we consider it when choosing what to eat). I have been on a major stall and realized a lot of my food has tomatoes in it and wondered if that was the cause. Thanks in advance.

I'm just curious how often people REaLLY get their blood work/vitamin/mineral/etc testing done. I read somewhere it's supposed to get done every 6 months for the rest of our lives but I find that hard to believe that most people follow that. I'm not judging if you don't because honestly, I doubt I will either after a while due to cost, good consistent bw results, etc.but will probably do it once a year after a few initial times of good bw. I'm only four months out now and my 3 month bw was all great. I'm not quite sure when to get it done again though. Our bariatric Dr (er, former since we fired him) wouldn't do bw until 6 months post op so I had our family Dr run it a…

Am I overreacting? I am at a healthy BMI..... I'm approaching 8 months out. I was a jean size 5/6 at 140. I am working with a trainer. I have reduced cardio and concentrating on weight lifting. I am adding carb's. I get about 1000 calories in. I'm still bouncing around 140's . I'm now a jean size 1/2 and my husband say's my face is looking skeletal. I want to look healthy not sickly. I still freak out when the scale moves up. My head is messed up from being morbidly obese.......This situation is also messing with me.

Today is day one of my pre-op diet, my second pre-op diet. The first was in July 2013 before my surgery. I had my procedure on 8/9/13 and dropped eighty pounds over the course of a year or so. But I dug myself into a hole. It started around Halloween, or rather it started with Halloween candy which lasted until Christmas cookies. I've made a few attempts to dig myself out of this hole - adding TRX and kettle bell classes to my usual spin classes, but the hole just got deeper and the pounds just increased. I've been having these nightmares of getting back to where I started - morbidly obese at 280 pounds with painful knees and poor endurance and high blood pressure. I'm sc…

For all the veteran's who've had RNY Gastric Bypass I would like to ask you if you find yourself hungry at all once you adjusted to your new life? With the sleeve one of the side effects is lack of hunger because of the reduction in the Grehlin hormone, is it the same with the RNY? Thank you, S.

I find myself wondering if it's fine to use V-8 juice as your source of getting in all of your vegetables or is it a complete no-no? Would it be okay once in awhile, all the time, or never? If not V-8 juice then how about homemade vegetable juice? Just curious what everyone thinks about this topic and/or what your doctors have said about it. Thank You, S.

I figured I'd post this here as I'm sure other veterans can relate. I was banded in 2008 and over the next year lost 106 pounds from 326 to 220. I was looking and feeling better than I had in years. Then the wheels came off. same old story divorce, lost job etc. caused me to lose focus, become depressed and of course cheat my band. fast forward to the present. I gained all the weight back and then some and finally decided I needed to go back and see the doc. I told him the band wasn't working so we agreed to unfill and try and revise to the sleeve. My insurance denied the request which was both a blow and a blessing. I've decided to give the band another shot and get back…

I've got a question for the vets, did you find it was tougher to stay on plan or lose weight in the winter? I'm thinking I'm fighting evolution. I was losing pretty steady and the only stall I've hit was at three weeks, none since so it might just be a stall. With poor weather I can't get out for walks as often and I'm not very dedicated to exercise. What do you think, I'd appreciate your thoughts.

I was banded in 2006. On Tuesday I went for an unfill. I had been tight all of a sudden and experience acid reflux for about five days. The doctor does not think it is a slip and since Tuesday I've stuck with almost all liquids and muddies. My esophagus still feels a little sore today. Does the soreness stay around for a little while? Does it take a little while to heal? Or should I have felt better by now? The ball I felt on the back of my throat is much better and the reflux is much better. Again I just still feel a little burnt there. Anybody have any experience with this?

Hi I had my sleeve on May 31 2014 and every thing seems good minus not pooping reg or no urge to poo . But my question is has any one got queasy after eating this is new feeling before I could eat np now I feel like I just want to puke ? And I get that way if I drink a muscle milk also

I have gastric by pass 6 months ago. started at 287 now 211. things are good. the last few weeks my appetite has increased not my liking. My stomach is strange, more dirreha and lots of GAS! is this normal?

Just visited my clinic for a fill. I am 4 .5 years out and last two fills had to be removed. This visit, however, I was informed that my clinic in northern Minnesota no longer does lap bands!!!!!! Not one in 2013. Not one. They said that of all they have done in last 5+ years only a handful have been successful! They said that gastric reflux, which I have, has increased so much that people are having bands removed. Anyone else run into this?

Hello fellow veterans! I will be traveling the end of the month and staying in a hotel for 10 days. I'll be in workshops for 12 hours a day for 7 of those days! I really could use help with snack ideas that will travel well (light weight) for the hotel and for the long days. It will be a challenge to get to a store. RTD weigh a lot for travel. Otherwise, I'm not too fussy. Any frequent travelers who can advise me? All ideas would be greatly welcomed!

Happy to see others joyful. Rotten Year losing my husband suddenly in May. His birthday tomorrow... Mine next week. Not feeling it????????. Just want it to be 2015. Sorry to be a negative nancy ... I just want to hide til after the new year????????

Hello all, I'm wondering how you went about setting your goal weight. Starting out my goal was to lose 101 pounds since my surgeon was a jerk and told me I could only hope to lose 100 pounds at most. I was motivated to prove him wrong and I did! Now I've lost 198 pounds, I'm 5 years out, and I'm still losing. My "ideal weight" according to the BMI chart is 108 - 145 pounds. I do, however, have a lot of excess skin. If I were to get down to the bottom end of weight range and weighed 108 pounds but 20 of that is skin isn't that the same as weighing a very unhealthy 88 pounds? Did you take excess skin into account when setting your goal? If you had a pennilectomy how much sk…

So, I am hanging out right at my goal weight, which is higher than my lowest weight. I knew this was very likely to happen and so on the one hand, i am okay with it, but on the other hand, I feel fatigued by it. I know that I need to stabilize/re-lose a few pounds to keep that "cushion" between me and the 200s or 300s.... but I grow tired of it sometimes In the past, that seemed very do-able. Buckle down, go back to basics, do Protein first, do 5:2, change up exercise. For whatever reason, right now, while it seems possible I had one of those pity parties where I asked myself what is fair about me eating a pittance of food, spinning on my bike and yet still struggling…

Hello All: I was banded in March of 2011 and had great success, I lost 240lbs. Back in December of 2013 I started getting this weird feeling near my port, not pain, just a weird feeling. I didn't think much of it and thought maybe some scar tissue was forming. A few weeks went by and pain started to creep up on me and get worse each day. I went to see my primary care doctor who ordered an xray. I was told that I just had a backup in my intestines and needed to add some Fiber into my diet. I did as the doctor instructed and noticed a slight increase in my bowel movements however the pain was not getting any better. I was a little reluctant to see my lab band su…

I was told 11 years ago, that I would be better, having chronic fatigue, that having a gastric by-pass would make it better. It certainly does not. The hormone that is in your stomach, as with the duodenum, gets by-passed. So, you have a lot of episodes of shaking and hypo-glycemia. It DOES NOT make your chronic- fatigue better. In fact, it makes it worse!! I am proof positive. Please understand that I'm not saying a by-pass is bad, but if you have chronic fatigue it does NOT make it better. So be aware that you will have to eat. I have gained 35 pounds back. That's not good. I have to find some other way to help balance the hypo-glycemia that is a result of chronic fat…

Here is what might be a weird question? Has any one tried the ice sculpting fat removal over plastic surgery ? And did you have to pay out of pocket ? Did any one change insurances before they had the plastic surgery ?

I had surgery on Aug 26th of 2013. I went from 289 down to 173 by the end of Aug 2014. I have since been sabotaging myself, finding excuses and not doing what I am supposed to be doing. Since August I have put back on 18lbs. I weighed myself this morning and the # is now 190.8lbs. I am so mad at myself. I've been telling myself for a few weeks now that "today is the day I start back on track" and then I go back to my grazing ways and not utilizing my gym downstairs. As of this morning I am holding myself accountable!.. I am going back to my Protein shakes, logging in my food and exercise journals everyday on my fitness pall, I'll be picking up a new pedometer tod…

Ok .. I'm 7weeks post op from gastric bypass my Dr isn't really happy with my weight lose since I returned to work. I work 12hour night shifts on 2 to 3 days off 2 to 3days. I'm averaging 1.5 to 2 lbs a week. My problem so far is staying with a schedule. I'm trying to but it's hard just wonder if there's any one who's got any pointers that can help please.

Alex, FINALLY completing the course today! lol. Only taken me a year! Thanks again for the hookup! Also, where is the thread giving list of moderators etc and the threads addressed to them? I can't seem to locate on new version ????

I used to participate in a boot-camp mentality board for weight watchers folks. Obviously, I can't post there anymore, but miss the daily interaction and accountability. I'd like to start that here if there's anyone out there willing to participate. It's a new year with lots of new possibilities. I got off track over the holidays and could use a little tough love! I can get us started each morning and then we can post our eating strategy for the day and anything else we need to post to be held accountable. No excuses, no justification, and no whining...boot camp attitudes. We can Celebrate successes, share ideas, and hold one another accountable. I'd love to do it…

Got my first fill, .5 cc today after almost 2 years having the band. I wasnt really educated on the fills. The new doctor I went to today wasnt really interested in talking after he put my fill in. I know Im supposed to have two days liquids and 2 days soft before returning back to normal, but can I take my pills or do I have to dilute them in water.

I had a vertical sleeve gastrectomy on April 4, 2012. Im 5'4" and weighed in at 270 pounds. I currently weigh approximately 170 pounds, but I would really like to get down to 140 pounds. It seems that no matter what I do I just cant seem to get the rest of the weight off!

Hi, all! I'm wondering how many calories per meal (approximate) would be appropriate for maintenance? During the weight loss phase I wouldn't go over 150 calories per meal, and now that I'm trying to maintain I'm averaging about 300. Does that seem high? I eat 2-3 meals per day and 2 Snacks with snacks staying under 150 calories each. I'm also curious how many g of carbs everyone eats and can still maintain their weight. I was averaging about 40-50 during weight loss but I'm thinking about allowing up to 75 total per day. Keep in mind, I don't do any formal exercise, and being a graduate student I'm either hiking to class or on my butt reading/writing with not a lot …

I was banded with the old style band in 2004. I have had very few problems. Last month I developed that ball in the back of the throat feeling. I had some fluid removed. Better. For a few days. Had a swallow test. The band and my esophagus look fine. No slip. No dilation. Had the rest of the fluid taken out. Guess what? The ball is back. I don't see my Dr. for 2 weeks. Any advice? Ideas?

Banded in February 2010 and am struggling with weight loss. I now weigh 1 pound more than the day I had surgery. My question is does anyone know of a great online resource for getting back on track?

Hi, I'm 18 months post op and have very pleased with surgery results. Just recently though, in the last month, I am getting frequent stomach cramps, I have developed an intolerance to almonds and get severe cramping when I eat them (other nuts are fine). The cramping just seems to come and go and I haven't noticed a connection with what I'm eating (apart from the Almonds). I am also much more sensitive to eating rich foods (immediately nauseous). Has anyone else experienced this? I would love to hear your thoughts. TIA

I was banded in Aug. 2013. I am finally in my green zone, I think. I am still sliming sometimes. I was just wondering if this could be caused by drinking too soon after eating. Any thoughts?

I am fifty-four, single, and was banded in August 2013. I have finally maybe gotten to my green zone. I am a retired third grade teacher. I never dreamed I would have to retire so soon. I didn't want to stop at thirty years, but I had to because of my mental and physical health. I had gained so much weight (307 lbs.) and my job was so stressful even though my students were awesome. I was also dealing with precious parents who were in their late eighties. One was healthy and taking care of the unhealthy one with Alzheimer's . I was so depressed. I would not let anyone in my house because it was so embarrassing. I just didn't have the energy to do anything. I was diagnosed…

I have been struggling with my weight "forever". As a child I was compared with my younger sister who had an overactive thyroid (thus underweight) and I felt "fat" (in reality my thyroid was hypoactive at the time and never investigated). Then after getting married (I weighed 125 and still thought I was fat), having 4 children (gaining about 5 lbs after each child) and chose to end my marriage of 15 years (he had an affair and wanted me to "accept her") I ended up gaining 100 lbs the year after the divorce. After 20 years living on my own I had the surgery to prevent (and reverse) the health issues of obesity and start to care for myself. I had been watching my mot…

It's been a long time since I visited this site, but I've hit a spot in my life where I'm struggling and realizing I need to go back and find some support to help me through it. I currently live in the Middle East, in a small country called Qatar located on a peninsula next to Saudi Arabia. I am a researcher/instructor at the Texas A&M University campus and have been here since the middle of September. When I arrived here, I was weighing in the low-to-mid 170s every day. After only 3.5 months here, I just this morning crossed the 190 line, something I thought I'd NEVER do again. Food choices here are good, but my ability to make proper choices is hampered somewhat…

Hey everyone, I was banded in 2010 and have had great success. I lost about 155 pounds and then stalled for about TWO YEARS! I gained and lost the same 5 pounds for two darn years! I actually lost heart and started eating unhealthy for a while because I was so frustrated. I recently started a new job and between extra (good) stress and being diligent I've managed to break through the stall and have lost about 40 pounds in 8 months. I'm usually able to eat just fine and feel like I have good restriction and only get sick if I eat too fast or things I know my band doesn't like. Well for the last two months or so I've been experiencing things I'm not used to. Everything will…

I made it to my one year post-op. My surgery was 12/23/2013. I am officially a veteran!

I am 16 months out of surgery and down 100 pounds. That is great...I am happy about that. BUT I haven't lost any weight in over 6 months and between the holidays and recent knee surgery, I have actually put a few pounds on. I got on the scale today for the first time in a month and was very upset with myself at what I saw. I honestly am not sure where I am going with this post, guess I just needed to vent and maybe seeing it writing would help remotivate me even more. I know seeing the scale did. Thanks for letting me vent a moment.

I pulled out the jeans I went horseback riding in all summer and felt quite dismayed at their snugness - no stretch in the fabric and while they zipped, they were definately a bit too small for comfort. I have been back on track the last week, but I had 3 months of too much party, not enough exercise so had some regain from my lowest weight (which was 140). anyway, I was feeling a little negative and decided to check the size. Size 4/27. I decided to give myself a hug and be happy that I was stressing over my size 4s being too snug as opposed to being hopelessly too big for my size 24W!!! Well, actually, my biggest fat pants (from a few years before my sleeve) are 32W.…

I've just weighed myself and I've put on 12lbs in the past 4 weeks! Part of the reason will be that 4 weeks ago I had shoulder surgery and have been off work since, so a lot less active - the other reason ofcourse will be all the goodies that I have surrounded myself with thinking that I was too strong of mind to be tempted.. and I had a bit of the 'i'm thin and can eat anything' mentality.... oh how wrong I've been. Tomorrow I'm starting back on the Protein shakes - not sure at this moment if I will just have the Protein Shakes or if I should have some sort of meat product for a main meal.. either chicken or beef. Any thoughts or ideas out there? I take my Vitami…

I was banded in 2010. I went from 253 to 160. I had maintained my weightloss until about a year sgo when I had to have an emergency total hysterectomy. After that surgery I gained about ten lbs and then it kinda steadied outn over the last six months I have been dealing with some relationship issues and am now single again. I recently stepped on the scale to realize ive gained another 10 or so lbs. Realizing ive slipped back into some bad habbits because all that goes down when I am stressed are sliders. So, im teying to get back into eating right, like I should. I feel like im starting over again. I need some tips for getting back on track and for high protien foods tha…

Veteran's, you asked for it, and here it is. A forum for just you!

Started at 299 now 159 ..5'8