WLS Veteran's Forum

Has anyone had this happen. I am allmost 13 months post op and my hair has been comeing out. Much worst then it did early on .

How many of you vets still encounter the old binge behavior of pre sleeve? Here I am at 13 months post op and have been maintaining now for 6 months. Yet yesterday, the old binge behavior of eating senseless until discomfort hit me. I had gone on a hike yesterday and that may have triggered a need for carb inhalation combined with some stress from another part of life. And I did carb up before the hike with Protein infused steel cut oats and a couple energy squares. Hike was a joy. I was able to hike to the top without any fatigue. No soreness or out of breath. It felt like the end up a cross fit warm up. I ate about 12 energy squares which would be about 720 calori…

Just got back from 8 days of vacation and I'm down three lbs! I don't know what to say, I was expecting to be up. I must be grazing more than I think at home, because dinner was rarely as healthy as I would eat at home and I had drinks almost every day. I think eating the fatty food earlier in the day keeps me from eating after dinner. Of course, at a little less than 2.5 years out, I'm still in the newlywed stage. I hear it gets tougher between years 3 and 4. Lynda

At the Labor Day dinner yesterday, I got my first " do not lose any more weight" comment from a SIL grandmother. She means well enough and said it quite seriously in tone and facial exp<b></b>ression, but I do not really know her that well because we see each other about once a year. She has not seen me since I was morbidly obese. The rest of my relatives, especially my parents, are "happy" with my physique and do not comment in the way the SIL grandmother did. They all are very happy with my current physique. It was funny actually. My twin brother has been putting on some weight, but has always been lighter than I, by 100 lb, in that last 15 years or so…

This is so interesting too....... Post-Surgery Weight Regain: Hormonal and Metabolic Factors Posted: 13 Sep 2013 06:00 AM PDT In yesterday’s post, I discussed the importance of dietary factors in weight regain after bariatric surgery. In this post, I will discuss the role of hormonal and metabolic factors identified in our systematic review of post-surgical weight regain published in Obesity Surgery. It is now widely assumed that the efficacy of bariatric surgery is not solely dependent on causing a “restriction” or simply “malabsorbtion” of calories. Rather, there is now growing consensus that the key reason why bariatric surgery works is through its impact on g…

On August 28th. I will be a year post op. I haven't lost anything in 4 months!! I am 165 right now. I got down to 158 briefly but then gained weight and can't get the scale to move! I work out and lift 4 times a week and the other 3 days I work but am on my feet for 12 hours at work. I am getting in all my protein. I find eating meat still difficult. Steak and chicken make me sick a lot of the time. 2 pieces of turkey lunch meat with a little hummus in it fills be up, sometimes to the point of being uncomfortable. I find that since I had my gallbladder out I can't get any weight to come off! My year appointment with my doctor isn't until mid September. I am …

I found this is to be very interesting. Hope you guys enjoy it..... One of the key reasons why bariatric surgery is so much more effective for treating severe obesity than non-surgical approaches, is because of its profound effect on food intake. Thus, bariatric surgery significantly affects hunger and satiety and may even have important effects on “wanting” and “liking” of high-caloric foods. However, this effect on ingestive behaviour is neither “guaranteed” not are these effects consistent between individuals. As I tell my patients, “The surgeons operate on your gut, not your brain”. Thus, it can only be expected that a certain proportion of patients will strugg…

Tomorrow will be my 10th month post op. For the past six months I would say my weight loss has been steady - 8-10 pounds a month. With no real stalls. This past 2 weeks I lost 9 pounds. Which I'm loving - only 6 more pounds to goal. But I'm also concerned at how quickly I'm still losing at 10 months out and with a BMI of 24.1. I've been traveling for work this last two weeks and stress level is high - I'm sure I'm not getting in all my calories. But traveling is part of what I do. Has anyone lost too much? Or couldn't stop the weight loss at goal?

I am desperate to get to goal. I am 15 months post op and haven't lost anything since MAY!! I'm so frustrated. I've tried eveyrthing. I've gone back to basics, the 5 day pouch test, the 5.2 diet. I lose 5 pounds and it comes back on. I walk 4 times per week and I can't do much more because I have 8 bulging disc in my neck and back, also stenosis, and many other issues with my spine as well. I have been blessed to lose 126 pounds. I really want to get to 154 to be a normal weight. I never thought it would be this hard to lose this last bit. I'm so frustrated!!!!!! UGH! Should I just go on a liquid fast for 2 weeks? Should I eat 1200 calories a day or 1000 or what? …

I had my surgery on July 11th 2012. I lost a whole bunch of weight, not as much as I'd like, but enough to be comfortable with. Then I got complacent and I haven't lost any weight in months! I've been stuck at 230 forever! My eating habits are not the greatest but they aren't the worst either so I'm looking for advice on how I can get back in the groove of things. Did anyone else go through this? Do you have any advice on how to restart my weight loss again? Thanks!

I am 3 years out, I have recently been doing the 5:2 method to reestablish weight loss, I've had some regain in the past year due to trauma and stress. Has anyone out there been on "regular" calories (<1200 a day) and then decided to go back to severe low cal, or even go back to liquids/mushies? I don't mean a 5 day pouch test reset, but an actual return to post-op eating as a means to rejuvenate their weight loss? As I have examined my weight loss history I have discovered that, even though my exercise was diligent and my food tracking was faithful and my carbs remained low - as my calories increased, my weight loss slowed down to a crawl and then stopped altoget…

I just had my 6 month post op check up appointment with my surgeon on Monday. I am actually 7 months, but my appointment was late. My dr. was very excited about my weight loss and said I was doing "fantastic." He said I could expect to lose another 30 pounds and then start to level off. Losing another 30 pounds would put me at about 180lbs which is still heavy for a female at 5'6". I told him my goal weight was 140 pounds and he said that my goal was "very aggressive". Hew made it very clear that it was possible, but would take "other" things to reach my very aggressive goal. I am assuming the other things are eating healthy and exercising. I have read that slee…

Was poking around looking up how close I am to being just overweight rather than obese according to BMI charts (which as we know have some serious limitations in actually determining how healthy or what size someone actually is). Looks like I am 2 lbs away from that milestone - and I found this interesting link that a gal has on her Flickr page. http://www.flickr.com/photos/77367764@N00/sets/72157602199008819/

Howdy vets. As some of you know, I'm going back to school to get my degree. After being out of school 27 years, going back is like facing every worst nightmare I ever had. It's scary. But the belief in myself I have now after losing all my weight is making me realize all things are possible....even college algebra (gulp). My wife is a PHD and has worked in academics all her life...mostly in university settings and now for a medical school. She has 15 years of higher education compared to the 2 I'm about to undertake, so she has a good bit of experience to lend me. She told me last night that no matter how much information I may have forgotten since high school,…

Help, I an scared and need your thoughts. What are the stats or information of people being sleeved then becoming anorexic? I just don't like food and scared to eat, I feel if I eat I will get fat...starting to have panic attacks at the thought of eating. Went a few day with out even eating, cause I was not hungry then got very dizzy and weak....Feeling a little lost....I am 7months out....

I just made 6 months post-op (yay I am a veteran?). I don't really know what I am asking with this, but here I go. Lately, I have just been really disinterested in food. I open the fridge, look at it, and nothing seems to spark my interest. Don't get me wrong...I definitely get my calories in...on occasion I even get 1500 calories when I reach for a treat. I try to imagine eating it and nothing seems to want sound good or filling even. I started just reaching for my Quest bars and Protein shakes because they seem to be the only things that satisfy me and make me full. I am hungry. I don't really know what is going on with me or my body. I am hungry. I wan…

I am 13 months post op. I do exercise at least 30 minutes a day. I just keep loseing the same 3 pounds and then i will gain it back. I bought the shakeology and I was going to replace a meal with that. It has been a slow weight loss for me over the last year.

Edit: Thinking about this challenge some more, it should be opened to everyone. I originally thought about it being tackled only after weight loss because it would not seem good to have such a transformation challenge interfere with weight loss. However, now I think anyone should be able to do it even to help with weight loss, as long as you are able to physically and mentally rise to the challenge. I will let you define what this criteria means to you, but I would think it excludes those that are less then 2 months post op. I would probably not attempt it until 5 months post op, but that is just my opinion. ------------------------------------------------------------…

I was reading another forum last night and a woman just got back from a seminar with her bariatric doctors they told the people that the sleeve is great, but also said that after about the five year mark the restriction goes away and hunger is back all the way and most need to be re-sleeved!! Thoughts? So I've been thinking about it all day, and have done some poking about a bit and some reading.. http://www.medpagetoday.com/Endocrinology/Obesity/40490 And I found this an interesting statement coming from a doctor at a bariatric conference... “Doctors are constantly concerned with durability. The gastric sleeve gained instant popularity because it is quick a…

I did this climb after work on Tuesday. It is not considered a difficult hike, gaining 2200 elevation over about 2.5 miles (so around 5 miles round trip), but it was a pretty steady grind up. We had a picnic dinner at the top with it's 360 views, watched the sunset from those big boulders as it turned orange and red over over puget sound, enjoyed the fullmoon in a sky reflecting crazy colors from the sunset and then hiked back down in the dark (headlamps). Turns out, there is this whole amazing world out there for people who are fit enough to find it! My friend hasn't shared photos yet, so this is a stock photo of the lookout we climbed to. Only the last part was th…

Hey, I'm 13 months post op. I've reached goal. I'm feeling like maybe my insides are twisted. Had my gallbladder removed in Jan. pain moves around. Not to thrilled to call the Dr. Any ideas?

Hello I had my sleeve surgery Jan9, this year. Had gallbladder issues and it was removed Feb 1. I am still having sharp pain under ribs on right side, bouts of Nausea, diarrhea, and times I can not eat much at all. I am losing weight which is good. However, I am very light headed when I stand, and actually fainted yesterday. Anyone else having issues at 7 months out, or is something else going ON??? Help, I feel sick to my stomach and depressed..

I wanted to post in here to ask yall a few questions I have and see if u are the same. One thing I've noticed since surgery is my body. Its as if I was made to be big and not small. Reason saying. I wear xs underwear and size 2-4 pants. My torso I have to have med shirts and large sleep clothes like the lil matching tops. I have no boobs those babies deflated and look worse than a party balloon. Really I need a tuck but I'm petrified of surgery so when I wear my pants I have to put them on top of the pooch like under my naval bc if I didn't I'd look like a man sporting a beer gut lol. My feet went from size 8.5's to size 7's. My hair is finally all back in but I still b…

Wow! 3 years ago I made this terrific decision to have surgery and although it has been difficult at times and still can be I much prefer this lifestyle than the previous!!!!

I'm completely wigging out, I just logged my calories for yesterday (I don't have access to a computer in the evenings so I log first thing every morning) and it turns out I ate over 1600 calories! I am doing 5:2 and it was a feed day but I am absolutely flipping out, that is so much!!!!!!!!!! Too much!!!!!!!!!! And I've been ill so no, I didn't exercise yesterday nor will I today. At least today is a fast day, but 1600 calories, I feel like a sloppy fast food gobbling PIG.

So I went for my monthly today and I'm very happy because I have lost 5 more pounds. I have four more pounds to get to my goal of 150. I am very happy; however, I had to get a cc of solution taken out because my stoma was slightly sitting on my band. So now I'm gonna have to work twice as hard to maintain my current weight with some hope of trying to lose at least a pound or two. Ugh!!!!

Over the past week I've developed something new; my heart rate goes up while I'm eating. It's not every meal, and there doesn't seem to be a pattern based on what I'm eating. It's not painful, but it's disconcerting. It feels like a panic attack without the panic (I'm not sure how else to describe it). My hearts pounds for 10 - 15 minutes then slowly goes back to normal. Sometimes I feel slightly anxious because I don't know why it's doing that & I start to worry about it. I don't want to go running to my Dr. every time I have some small symptom, but I wondered if any of the vets have experienced this?

My program recommends an annual bone scan, because it's the only way to find out if your body is cannibalizing your bones for Calcium in your blood stream. Your calcium must be extremely low to show in a blood test, because your body will just leach it from your bones to make up for what you are not getting. I missed getting this done the first year somehow, so last month, I got my first bone density scan post-op. It's also my first one post-menopause, so not sure how much change is due to that and how much can be blamed on WLS. Last scan was in 2005. I am already walking 4 days a week, so plenty of weight bearing exercise. And I am taking the amount of Vitamin D and C…

The whole time I was losing, I never gave 2 thoughts to maintenance. I figured the body would find a happy weight and just stay there. Well, it kinda has. But my mind isn't coming along for the ride. Maintenance is hard for me because it's emotionally taxing. It's like there is this constant, permanent low grade stress that I can't shake. Losing weight was great. I was getting somewhere. Maintenance is like standing still.....and standing still is too close to backing up. Its disconcerting. In my old life, if I worried about my weight, I'd have that same low grade stress all the time, always worried about my health. But back then I was able to shroud mysel…

I've been struggling with staying on track for some time now, and I've regained more than I care to admit, so I'm reading everything I can get my hands on to try to help myself. Part of my problem is sugar issues - I consider myself an addict, and a small slip can send me spiraling into days (or weeks) of off-track eating and snacking. The rest of my problem is what feels like flagging motivation. I think back to those weeks, even pre-op, when I was SO DETERMINED. I had all the motivation in the world, and nothing could derail me. Making good choices felt easy (once I detoxed from sugar AND CARBS). I find myself wondering what happened to that person, and how to get…

1 year ago today I was wheeled into surgery, I was such a sad person, I was so unhealthy and had tried everything i could to lose weight. Today I'm 125 lbs lighter and over 96 inches of fat lost (that's 8 feet of fat!). Thank God I took this step! Sent from Gaye's iPad Mini using VST

My husband went out and spent 150dollars on video games. When I said that is bullshit, his response to me was u spent 150 dollars on clothes. Right away I got really defensive and started flipping out. I have lost 120lbs since last may and had no summer clothes. He apologized but I am still pissed off. It's like he diminished all my hard work. What an a*****e

We are going through a major software upgrade, global scale. anyway, I was up working most of the night. Talk about stress eating! I was not happy with myself and am so full! I need to get showered and get to the office but feel like I don't need to eat for a week. I am not usually (post sleeve anyway) such an emotional eater but this one got me. Stress combined with sleep deprivation - yuck. I guess it proves what the studies say about that....

I had my 18 month checkup and it went really well. My labs are great, my blood pressure is great, maintaining my weight so surgeon is very pleased that I have been able to effectively work that sleeve and am enjoying very good health. What I think is sorta funny on my labs is that I take way less Vit D then I used to - but instead of being deficient, I am now slightly higher then normal. I don't take Iron, but my iron levels are slightly above the "normal" range. We talked about a couple of things that I thought might have broader interest. I was a band to sleeve revision and some don't do very well. He felt that some of that has to do with the scar tissue and how it …

Before VSG, I generally did not take the effort needed on my dental appearance to keep a good mouth full of teeth. One praise as a post op is that I have really taken ownership of my dental care and I am finally returning from dental cleanings without having to also schedule a cavity, a crown a root Crown or an extraction. The last 3 are fairly big issues, but started to feel like the norm as an adult over the last 10 years. I brush with prescription every morning and floss with those tooth picks (those are a miracle for flossing haters like myself!). Every evening I use Total care mouthwash. You are supposed to wait 30-60 minutes after using prescription tooth past…

I know you guys have your own group but figured you guys would read posts here - I just watched Michael Mosley's PBS special Eat, Fast, and Live Longer and it was great. I know it is on a few times this week on my local PBS station. Taping his next show which is called the Truth About Exercise. Here is a link http://video.pbs.org/program/michael-mosley/

(Almost 15 months out) I'm almost at goal and it scares the heck out if me. We all know how to lose, but what about maintenance? In the past, I hit a goal on a fad diet, then immediately celebrate with food. A vicious cycle. Now with the band, I'm learning what works, and I'm so used to being in the losing phase. What changes? Did you need to bounce around until you found a truly happy weight that you could maintain? I've seen some posters say the lost TOO much and had to gain a little. Losing weight and understanding my fickle band has been my life for the last year. I cannot even imagine what would happen a goal. But I WILL get there and we'll see what happens! Any adv…

Oh how I wish I could have my post-op taste buds back. You know, the ones that make everything taste blah or even bad. My family and I went to the state fair in our area over the weekend. I had a little bites of a bunch of different foods. The difference between this year and last year is that the food actually tasted good this year. Last year I would take a bite of something sweet or fried at the fair and it was just gross so I didn't bother. This year quite the opposite, it was all so yummy. Why can't this surgery change our taste buds forever? I am still grateful for my sleeve. I was able to enjoy myself and eat like a thin person...a bite of this and that. BSL(be…

Idk if this makes me a veteran or not . But I noticed at this point I feel normal again and can eat like a pig !! I guess this is when all the diet has to kick in because lately I fell off the wagon !!! Anyone else feel like this ?? Just curious and I know for a fact water is my main prob ! I hate it ! I'm 141 lbs and don't want to get back into old habits and gain the weight back because I loooove food but its hard !!

Having an incredibly stressful day. On a 1-10 scale it's a 47. And I swear I'm smelling donuts. I don't want to eat them. I have no appetite today, but I'm smelling them everywhere. The aroma is so strong and seems so real. I hate this.

Q: I'm the queen of yo-yo dieting, and I'm afraid that I've ruined my metabolism because of all my ups and downs. Is there hope for me? A: According to a number of studies published in respected journals, your yo-yoing ways have not "ruined" your metabolism. However, all those ups and downs may have changed your body composition in a way that makes it harder for you to lose at each successive cycle. That's because when you drop weight, you lose both fat and muscle, but when you regain weight, you gain back proportionally more fat. That's unfortunate because, pound for pound, muscle burns more calories than fat. The best way to maintain your valuable muscle mass is to str…

I've had an upset stomach all day and finally got some relief when I vomited. I've had my band for over a year... and I know that vomiting is not something they really want us to do....so I wanted to ask you veterans if you think I should go back to liquids for a couple days... I am scheduled to see my ,"band" Dr on Wednesday. (Sorry to be so graphic ...but thought I could ask my friends)

For past couple weeks I have this throbbing pain under my left rib cage !! Today it's worse than ever . Does anyone have any clue on what this could be . I am most likely gonna have to go to drs :/

I am just looking for a little advice from someone about tightening up my stomach so that I do not have sagging skin. Do you have any exercises that have worked for you? Any help that you could give me would be greatly appreciated.

I find myself in an odd situation. I feel as though I always need to be doing something. I am not sure if it is that I have so much more energy than I ever had before or the psychological impact of realizing just how much of my life I spent inactive and on the couch, essentially wasting my life. By doing something I don’t necessarily mean always working out or exercising, though I have found myself going out for runs, just for something to do. I used to spend hours upon hours just watching TV and now, while I still have a few shows I like to watch, I really feel like I’m just wasting time if I’m sitting in front of the TV. Even going out to a movie I find to be more…

Hello, everyone! I had my sleeve on August 31, 2011, so I am about 2 months shy of 2 years. There have been lots of events in my life the last few months, that have added to my stress, and disrupted my eating routine, and I'd like to write a little about it. Primarily to get feedback if anyone has had a similar situation, and secondarily to put my thoughts out there into a world where people can relate. Since I had surgery, I have had lots of time to fall into a very well planned eating and drinking routine. As a student, I have had loads of time to find what works for me, and what doesn't. However, there were many events that took place in the month of May and Ju…

I am 13 months post op and have a little anxiety about getting the first anniversary blood results. Everything is going so well post op in terms of weight loss and fitness. I have taken a number of supplements along the way and have hiccups here and there with regards to body indications. I do not want to hear in results: "you have a liver problem"," you have a kidney problem," " your white blood cell count is too high'" etc. Ignorance is bliss? I don't want something for either my wife or I to worry about. I would rather just go on assuming everything is fine and if something comes up, i deal with it at that time. Need some vet advice.

In a few days I will have my 1 year surgiversary and feel like I never had surgery. I'm disappointed and feel like I didn't accomplish anything. I was 224 when I started this journey and down to 188. I teeter between 185-188. The sale or measuring tape won't move! I feel disgusted and try to keep working it but still have no results. Feeling so blah lately and quite frankly like I was cheated and disappointed I went though so much for so little. Sent from my iPad using VST

Okay, I am at about 155#, size medium which i am pretty happy with. I have pretty bad skin/cellulite pockets on my inner thighs and I want to see if losing just a few pounds doesn't reduce that before having plastics so I would like to drop around 5-8 pounds and get under 150 before November. I don't NEED to do this, but i want to. I don't want to lose more then that because I start looking older which i don't like either...haha I have been inspired by the 5/2 diet and roughly following it, using my favorite Protein drinks, Premier Protein as a key tool. Well, back when i was about 7-8 months out I was really burned out on Protein Drinks and i developed a "stomach …

Hello Sleever People! I had my surgery January 25, 2010 with Dr. Aceves in Mexico and have never once looked back. I was on this board pretty much 24/7 pre-op and for a long time post op and one of the things that I desperately wished for more of was feedback from people that were "long term" sleevers. We seem to be few and far between and I swore I would provide regular updates... fail!!! And I apologize to any of you that, like me, wish for more of the "big picture" - no pun intended! It's true that we simply get on with life after surgery and before we know it, life has been blowing by and suddenly it's been some fantastic years gone by - you'll see, trust me! So…