WLS Veteran's Forum

Hi all, I had my sleeve surgery back in March, 2013. I got to goal within a year (lost almost 100 pounds) and maintained my goal weight within =/- 3 pounds for nearly a year and half (163 pounds, I'm 5'8"). During all of that time, I had worked with a personal trainer, got divorced, started dating and met a great new guy... we've been together about a year and half now. I'm 47 and wanted to start regulating my periods, so I went on Loestrin (low dose BC pill). Well, I've gained 25 pounds over the course of a year and my appetite has been out of control. Granted, I've gone back to some bad habits, but I do a 30-minute boot camp class 4-5 times per week. I figured …

Did it hurt? Yes, it is a surgery plain and simple there is physical recovery time. Just remember everyone has a different pain tolerance and based on any complications that may arise could affect this as well. Did you have any complications? Yes, I had a lot of internal swelling that wouldn't let me sip my liquids so I got very dehydrated and had to stay on an IV two extra days until the swelling went down. How much weight did you lose and how long did it take? I lost 131 lbs in 2 1/2 years. Did you have any stalls? Yes, I had quite a few week to two week long stalls, and I had one three month long stall. The thing to remember with a stall is you are losing inches be…

There are so many products out there that can assist you through your weight loss and maintenance phases. The problem is there are so many different brands and fads that is can be very over whelming. I have decided to create a list of my favorite products that I used or use: Gas Ex- For the first month after surgery I used these strips like candy! shakes I can still drink even 4 years out! unjury Protein Powder- Get the unflavored and make your own shakes, the flavored ones taste weird and you get sick of the same flavor. liquid phase you can sip on these and get a good source of concentrated protein. Iron Supplement- Not everyone will need t…

Since I am considered a "Weight loss or VSG Veteran" I have been asked many questions. All of which are valid and important to ask! I had many of the same questions myself. SO I figured I would create this post to explain a day in my life now, almost 4 years out. 5:00 a.m. -I wake up and take a b-12, one a day women's, and Iron supplement. 5:15 a.m.- I start my mornings off with an 8 ounce glass of Orange juice (trop-cal 50 with calcium). 6:30 a.m.- For Breakfast I drink a Premiere Protein shake (11 ounces) and a piece of fruit, usually an apple or banana. 9:00 a.m.- For my morning snack I eat some grapes/cheerios/mixed nuts etc 11:30 a.m.- For lunch I eat 4 ounces of …

So I'm having a new experience with my VSG results. For the first time ever, I'm actually feeling vain about my looks. Normally I don't particularly care about how I look. Compliments embarrass me, I don't wear the latest fashion, heck, I don't even wear makeup. I throw a hat on instead of brushing my hair a lot of days. I had surgery to get healthier, get out of pain, lower my blood pressure, etc. I never did it to fit into single digit sized jeans. I've always been proud of my accomplishment, but never vain. Until now. I'm going to Florida in a couple weeks. I used to live in St. Pete, like 20 years ago, and still have a lot of friends there. They've all only …

I have noticed lately that men open the door for me (or RUN out of their way to get the door for me).. Or just smile at me, or make small talk.. Even women seem to be nicer to be lately.. Just wondered if anyone else noticed going from pretty much invisible to a little more attention at a certain point of their weight loss..

Hi All, I'm almost 4 yrs post op and I swing within about 3-8 pounds above my goal for the last 3.5 years. In the last 6-12 months, I feel like my legs and back side have gained a tremendous amount of weight and are getting "bulky" again with fat and cellulite, however, my weight is consistent. I also simultaneously am (late 40s) having hormone issues while I flirt with menopause so lots of changes going on. New back, shoulder, neck and foot problems are kicking in too, so making exercise more challenging. Has anyone had this situation where their weight gets redistributed or they become "chunky" while the number on the scale is roughly the same? I'm trying to figu…

Hello all. I have been absent from this form for a few months - I needed a little break, I've been so busy with work (traveled 10 out of 13 weeks) and, well, life happens. So, I went to my 2 year follow up - a suspected gall bladder issue forced my hand. I was procrastinating going for my follow up because I've gained 17 pounds from my low weight. I was ashamed and didn't want to verbalize what I just wrote here. If I avoid saying it out loud, it's not as real. So I have been experiencing some discomfort when I eat and felt like I had to go in to get the gall bladder checked out. My doc is awesome - I knew this, but I was embarrassed. She made me feel comfortab…

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I'm 2 years out from my band to sleeve revision. I've lost 115 pounds. Yay!! But I have gained about 10 back (and I wasn't done losing). I feel like I've been on a sugar binge since before the holidays. I cannot seem to get back on track. i'm eating things I know I shouldn't, even when I'm buying the chocolate, Cookies, etc, I have a conversation in my head about why I shouldn't buy it but then I do it anyway. I've gotten so far away from the "rules" and cannot seem to get back on despite every intention to do so every day. Any help, ideas or kick in the ass would be welcome.

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The thrill is gone and its a fabulous place to be. Life goes on after the honeymoon. The NSV's , The shock from people around you and being driven by weight loss. Looking back I have to laugh. The high from the honeymoon was incredible..I even thought I had the answers to everything bariatric. The transformation is complete. Finding other adventures and things to overcome and conquer. I'm soooo over it!

A question for VSG Veterans... I'm 4 months out and 13 pounds away from goal. One of the things I've been enjoying is a local lounge that has a three slider appetizer and incredible Truffle Fries, which I split with my wife. In my past life, I would have steered clear of this and gone with a more protien oriented dish. Now, I get full after one slider and about 10 shoestring fries. I'm guessing this culinary junk delicacy is under 300 calories and reasonably balanced except for the fat. My question is, how long will I be full after one little slider and a dozen shoestring fries?

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After being an apple shape for a long time. I was surprised to find out I am a inverted triangle body type.

I had never gone to a spa until about one week before my sleeve surgery, a little over 2 1/2 years ago. My friend and I were on a girls weekend in Vegas and she wanted to treat me to a massage. I was absolutely against it. Embarrassed and ashamed of my body. She told me it would be one of the best pleasures I would ever know. "Besides," she said, "nobody knows you, they will never see you again." So, reluctantly, I agreed. When we first arrived and they took us into the back to change, they told me I could go full nude if I wanted to, but--at the most--I had to strip down to my underwear and bra. I think I turned beet red. As they gave us a tour of the facility and its…

I will be 20 months out in June and plan on getting full body lift. ( legs, bum, stomach, boobs and arms ) maybe neck not sure. I am only just starting my research now, has anyone had this much work done and if so what sort of time period. I don't like pain so I would love to have as much as possible done at the same time followed closely by anything that wasn't done the first time round because I'm scared if it hurts to much I won't get the rest done. Anyone had a similar experience?

Now that I'm getting close to my weight loss goal, I'm starting to realize that I need to think and strategize for the " maintenance" Phase of weight loss. What and how are my fellow VSG and RNY recipients doing or planning to do to keep focused on eating right and exercising after reaching your goal? Please share any tips, tricks or words of wisdom!

I went on a date on Friday night. We went to a blues club where people take dancing seriously! I wasn't sure what the dress code was - ha - since Seattle is a pretty casual place (frumpy some might say!) when it comes to dressing "norms". My date and I are not very good dancers, but we braved the dance floor along with all those spinning and dipping couples that have been doing this awhile and we had alot of fun even if we didn't have the best technique. I decided to dress how I thought I would like to look - not too concerned with what other might wear. I chose an above the knee black skirt (not a mini, but short) with flouncy ruffles. I wore a really cute patte…

I had my surgery in January. I am pretty much to goal. I will have my consultation for skin removal in a few months. So here's the thing. Maybe this sounds strange, maybe not. I get dizzy. I understand that part of it. However, in addition to that, whenever I pick something up, my puppy and gallon of milk, anything that weighs anything, my legs feel funny and I get warm from the waist down. I get weak and have to sit. I am doing well with my Vitamins. I could probably use a bit more Protein but is there something else i should be adding to my diet? Has this happened to anyone else or am I just a freak. lol....Thanks much vets....appreciate it.

Hi Vets, I checked with Alex and he gave me the go-ahead to collect information that would go into a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Section that is easy to find on the Website (actually he asked if I could help coordinate it when I asked if we could do it)! That may help alleviate some of the concerns I've seen lately about re-answering questions over and over and give a resource to those that need it. I believe it would be easier than searching the forum because it is hard to figure out an exact topic to search at times and as a newbie, searching may not be the first thought of how to find information. The vets have been answering (or at least viewing) the questi…

So, I'm 2+ years out and had what I suspect was a gallbladder episode a few nights ago. Woke up projectile vomiting 5 hours after a rich meal. (Rich in good fat, salmon, olive oil, etc) I palpated around and nothing hurt to the touch. Problem was over as quick as it started. Went back to bed felt okay the next day, (minor soreness probably to be expected). Went and got checked the next day at the PCP's office, (my surgeon moved and the bariatric program kind of fell apart so no support there) and the nurse practitioner was like, yeah, could be, but since it was the first episode probably don't need an ultrasound. Try cutting some fat out of your diet. Okay... So I've d…

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... This is my face. I'm not ready to stop losing!!! I feel like a kid who is getting her favorite toy taken away. I LOVE losing. It makes me feel good. It makes me feel safe and productive. If I'm going down, I'm not going up right? Right??? Sigh. My doctor told me today I'm the Ally Mcbeal of wls patients. That my weight is already 15 below ideal. That his tanita scale wants me to gain 10 pounds. That I have virtually no fat left at 19% body fat and I'm all muscle. He doesn't want me to lose any more weight. Not even a pound. Poooooooooo Felt like I was bargaining. "Cmoooooon just 3 more little pounds! Please, cmooooon!" Hahaha. I don't know i…

Just hoping someone can give me advice. I had my surgery 3 years ago. I lost my weight fairly quickly. I struggled with eating but thought that would settle down with time. Now I have a hiatus hernia and still struggle to eat. I cannot maintain a healthy weight and just feel weak. I have been back to my surgeon and had tests but he doesn't seem to be able to do anything for me. Feel like I am just slowly starving to death. Please, no nasty answers, I am desperate for help.

I will be 3 years out in December and I have definately gone up and down on my "compliance" with taking nutritional supplements, mostly because I hate pills. At times, if I eat Vitamin pills I don't feel like I can eat anything else and feel kinda icky. This spring, when I had unexplained weight loss I had a super detailed nutritional analysis done and got A+ results even though i had been slacking... It did get me motivated to get back on track so this is what I am doing now: -Daily eco-drink which is a packet you mix with Water. Has alot of Vitamins and electrolites - it is 20 bucks at costco for a 30 day supply. I judge as better quality than gummies and more impo…

If you were banded under TLBC (now Slimband) you might have heard that we are no longer getting the life long support system we signed up for. In fact, we now have to pay for any sort of support (fills, defills, access to a nutritionist) we might need, except for defills. Myself and several other (8) are looking for other TLBCer's who are upset by this situation. Please email me ASAP with your story, questions or concerns. Kat

I am 9 months post op.. I was wondering do any of you still chew gum?

Before surgery I bought a dress for my sons wedding. Size 24. I beat myself up over my weight. I was embarrassed. I went shopping for my birthday today. Brought me to tears. Here is my new sweater dress. I love the photos everyone has posted of styles they are wearing. I know this is a girly thing..Sorry men..... @@Babbs @Elode. Can I steal your style...I love the cute clothing you both find.

Just wondering whe has had the band the longest?

I've had a stricture most of the time I've had the sleeve which caused me to throw up almost any solid food I ate. I've only been able to eat solids for about a month, so I'm just getting to know my sleeve. I'm having trouble knowing when I've eaten enough to get full but not get sick. When I eat too much I get brutal nausea and I want to avoid this at all costs, but I also don't want to walk away from a good meal only to be hungry in 30 minutes. Are there any tips for recognizing fullness you could give me? Should I carry around a measuring cup? Getting full with the sleeve doesn't feel the same as getting full pre-sleeve.

How do you get a correct body fat percentage with loose skin. What works best for surgery patients Tape measure method? Several calculators online. Caliper method?

Okay, life has been pretty weird lately. Do you ever go through phases where everything you touch just turns to crap? Well... last few days have been like that. Not one single thing was disasterous, but it was like a series of unfortunate events - ha! Really kinda got me down for a bit there. Seriously This is a partial list of the crap that has happened to me in the last 1-2 days: -vacuum stopped sucking -internet started sucking - damn brand new router just restarted itself at random and with some frequency (I work from home and really need reliable internet!) -Vet called in wrong scrip for my ancient dog (end of life pallitive care) and I had to beg pharmasis…

Hey guys. So glad I found this forum. I'm entering goal weight and I'm afraid of slipping back into old eating patterns. I'm at a loss of how to eat now. For the last 6 months I've had a severe stricture which made my food choices very limited. It's opening up now and I've been able to eat more, and I need to make sure I set good habits. 1. Breakfast. I really struggle with this one. Can you give me some low carb, low fat ideas for breakfast? I've been eating bagels and Cereal which I feel is too high carb. 2. lunch. I hate smoothies- and I eat out a ton because of my job. Anyone have any great lunch ideas that will keep me satisfied until at least the afterno…

A week ago I was dead set on this surgery. Now I am having doubts. I have been reading a lot of patients discussing complications after a few years. I am chiefly concerned about having a hernia or bowel obstruction. Also I am concerned about having Iron deficiencies. I am wondering if this is an issue with how surgeries were performed five or more years ago and these problems have become less common? I am doing this to feel great not sicker. Should I back off? Would you change your mind and NOT have the surgery if you could? Meow many of you would stay the course?

Now that VST has been around awhile, there are a lot of us at goal who are learning to maintain. I would like to discuss maintenance. Is it easy for you? It is not easy for me. I fight it every day. I can eat so much more than I could when I first had surgery. I don't feel really full all the time the way I did a year ago. I used to be able to eat a meal and feel so full for hours that I had no desire to eat again until it was meal time again. I would say that Head hunger is more than 75% of hunger for me. I can eat a meal and thoughts of junk food enter my mind an hour later. I am so thankful that I do have this tool to help me maintain, but it will al…

Curiousity here. I have had reconstruction after bilateral mastectomies, with a lat flap on one side--that means fat was added to pad things. After my surgery, will I lose this fat padding like everywhere else, or does it behave differently?

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

How are yall doing can i hear from yall my sleeve twins ?

I know this question has been asked a million times, but I wanted to hear from fellow vets. Unfortunately for me, I can consume more than I wish I could. I still spot check my food quantity and weight, and count calories to ensure I'm on track. If I just "listened to my body" I'd be 300 pounds, I fear. I have let myself eat as much as I wanted a couple of times, and while I wasn't measuring it then, I was shocked that I could eat at least 1.5 cups. Typically, I stay between 1/2 and 1 cup. I can easily eat 5-6 ounces of lean Protein. My surgeon said that's pretty typical, and that some people develop an area of ballooning in a portion of their stomach. He said there is …

A year ago my surgeon found a lump on my thyroid, it was benign. Six months later it grew and others surfaced as well. Again, benign. About 3 months ago I gradually started to gain weight, my hair kept falling out, I was EXHAUSTED all the time despite working out and eating right and my skin was very dry. I was walking around in a fog. I finally took my booty to the endocrinologist like my surgeon recommended. The surgeon told me I probably had Hashis and that I would be put on meds and would start to lose again. Now there is also a chance I have PCOS (ovarian cysts) or endometriosis (which I do have a history of). I have been in excruciating pain. I feel like a lab rat! …

I've posted this thread in 2 other topics just to vent and hopefully help others not make my mistakes so if you see it more than once I'm sorry, getting this off my chest to more people just makes me feel better. Before you have gastric bypass they warn you of a few things. 1. You can gain the weight back 2. Alcoholism is a possible side effect after surgery 3. food that used to fill you up or make you sick won't do that as much after awhile 4. Smoking cigarettes causes ulcers post-op My mom always says no matter how much I'm warned - I've always had to learn every lesson the hard way. Gastric bypass was that way too. My story is just a warning for all you guys …

Hi everyone. Ok, so I had bypass 9 months ago and it's been the absolute best decision ever. I've lost 120# and have about 20 more to go. This has truly been a life saver! There is a morbidly obese man that works in my office complex. I see him every day huffing and puffing walking to and from the building. I so desperately want to strike up a conversation with him and tell him what I've done but I don't want to offend him. He's 500# + and I don't want to be rude, but I want him to know the amazing success I've had. When we are morbidly obese, we know were heavy, no one needs to remind us! But I wish someone would have encouraged me along the way. Which is what I want…

I hope Im not the only one, but I have searched the forums and cant see any topic on a resleeve...Am I the only one who is or has been resleeved, if not please let me know, im starting to feel alone and kinda like a freak!!

I just wanted to know from you vets how much food can you eat or are suppose to be eating after a year??? Any info from you guys or your meal plan for the day will be helpful.. Thanx much

I'm so sorry I accidentally posted this in the wrong place. I meant to ask veterans. Would a BMI of 35 affect your choice to get the bypass or sleeve? Is one better than the other for a lower BMI?

I've lost a LOT of weight so I went in to get professionally measured. They measured me at a 34B, but because of all the loose skin on the side of my breasts, I had to be put in a C cup. The D was way too big, but now I'm getting frontal quad-boob, unless I wear one of those cast-Iron granny bras that halfway through the day just make it look like I have one big lump at the front, or separate them so they look like 1950s missiles! Anyone else experience this issue? I've been taping my breasts recently to minimize the "jiggle" that causes it but I'd really love to know if its just me or if this is a common problem. I can't wait to have my breasts done!!

My coworkers are killing me. All day long all they talk about is weight loss, eating right and getting in shape. They're talking about it right now. They ask for my opinion and I mention low carbs and logging their food....but nooooooo, that's too much trouble. They say they just want to "watch their portions." Does that work? Who here hasn't tried that? I watched my portions for 40 years...watched them get bigger and bigger. All I can do is wish them the best.

I'm 18 weeks pregnant with the band and my obgyn says I'm gaining weight too fast. My band had 5 cc I'm currently down to 4 cc I'm afraid if there's too much fill my baby want get the proper nutrition.....please help

Hey guys! I've been perusing these forums more and more lately and I've noticed something disturbing: that anyone who's been banded for a while has had some complication or another- either a slipped band, an erosion, a flipped port, a leak etc... I bet this is just my imagination, but I'd love to hear from old bandsters who have NOT had any complications with their band Thanks!