iegal

COME JOIN US - bring a friend, spouse, significant other SoCal VSG support group is going on a hike this Saturday 8AM (Jan 5th) sharp in Claremont. Want more info? Contact Sleeve 4 me

Please send a message to Sleeve 4 me for details

Amazing...a new year awaits the new you. Congrats!

Great links above but here are some directly related to VSG. What you need to realize is that there is no one or single answer. That is why we discuss topics. Our surgeons are different in levels of experience, how they suture our tummies and what they feel we should do. Personally what worked for me was strictly limiting myself to no more than 30gm of carbs. Carbs were my downfall before surgery and I quickly learned that the more carbs I ate post op, the less weight I would lose. So, find your sweet spot. http://www.muhealth....Booklet VSG.pdf http://www.delmarvab...ical_sleeve.pdf http://sunrisehospit...nes-for-VSG.pdf Plus here is a link to my previous post with other guidelines. http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/53791-preop-postop-vsg-diet-plans-to-download/ Hugs - I love my sleeve and have no regrets.

Don't know if you are pregnant or if you are planning on getting pregnant. There is an entire thread dedicated to VSG ladies who are/want to become pregnant. http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/forum/46-pregnancy-with-gastric-sleeve-surgery-vsg/

Been there. Okay, yes you need to check with your surgeon or doctor but here are some things to check. Are you getting in 64oz of fluids? Or are you just flushing out electrolytes? Have you tried smart Water with no calories but added electrolytes or g2 gatorade. Hydration is critical to your health. Low hydration equals lower BP and causes dizziness. Are you taking your supplements? Taking them as needed and with food? How many carbs are you getting daily? I was a zealous nut over my carbs, never going over 30 a day until I hit goal. But, I was often weak and dizzy. Sometime I had to take a few bites of ice cream to up those carbs and get some sugar in the blood stream. Hope you figure it out soon. This is a learning journey, your experience is always unique but you are not alone.

Celebrate the haters, for the notice the difference in you. Do you think you look sick? Does your doctor think you look sick? What is your BMI? Don't let others derail your success. Rejoice - you are conquering obesity. Stick to the plan. Congratulations on your dedication and rocking your sleeve! Hugs - I love my sleeve and have no regrets.

My surgeon was not concerned with the amount of Protein I got in those first few weeks as it was impossible to get all in. A victorious day included getting in all my liquids to ensure I did not become dehydrated. So, do the best you can. Make sure you walk often and stay hydrated well. Hugs - it does get better each passing week.

1 for pain. 2 for gas in shoulders. Walk often and this helps with gas. Oh - I am a total baby, wussy, and avoid pain at all costs. VSG for me was outpatient surgery. Went home same night to sleep in my own bed thankfully. Only took pain meds once and that was to sleep on day 2 or 3 since I got my days/nights mixed up. No regrets, I love my sleeve. PS - now, everyone is different. One of my SoCal sleeve sisters woke up screaming according to her. She said she would do it again even knowing the discomfort level, which was managed by pain meds.

Decaf skinny vanilla latte, add one protein shot. No whip cream. Pros: 15 gm of protein without added protein shot. Cons: Lots of carbs (24gm) due to milk & depending on who makes drink the protein can be chunky

Fabulous darling!!! Thanks for sharing your great results. Nominate you as hero of the day. Hugs - I love my sleeve and have no regrets.

33bmi start - lost all my weight in 5 months - my goal in 6 months for a 22 bmi. How? I was a vigilante on the carbs. Yes, I agree, they are the devil. Read a post pre-op from another VST lady who kept her carbs to below 30gm a day until hitting goal. She went into ketosis and stayed there. Since I was a self pay for this surgery in the US (big $$$$$) no way was I going to fail again. So, cut out the crap. Be serious about this and as Nancy Reagan said...Just say NO until you hit goal. You will be thrilled with the results. The less sugar you eat the less your body craves it. Geez, I need to take my own advice, PS - now that I have let carbs and crud back into my diet, I have regained almost 10 lbs from my lowest. Still under surgeons goal but I struggle. My hunger is back....

How about being scared enough not to make a change? Or as previous mentioned, failing again? You might have to face some of the listed fears. Yes, I had an emotional breakdown in front of a buffet place about two months after surgery. I wanted to gorge and couldn't. Balled my eyes out mourning the feeling of stuffed to the gills. May I suggest each of you make a list of what you want from this surgery? Rather than list your fears, list your dreams. I want surgery because.... walk without my thighs rubbing together with an uncomfortable rash, forcing me to wear bike shorts under my skirts be active either in a gym or outside eat food without people staring at me like I have eaten their meal too be here for my family in 5 years, 10 year, 20 years people to see who I am on the inside and stop judging how I look on the outside. Accept my opinion at work, don't brush me off because I am fat Be an example to my children, if something is wrong...take action to correct it Believe in myself again Know I was not the failure I saw in the mirror Know there are risks to this surgery, but for me. I love my sleeve and have no regrets.

Everyone is different, but most people experience hair loss. Not total hair loss but some volume. Yes, I took the Biotin, took addl supplements, made sure i had enough Protein and loss my hair volume by about 40%. During that time I did not pull it back in a pony tail or wash it everyday since I seemed to pull it out when scrubbing. Hair everywhere in my house, clothes, & car. Yes, it all came back. Just a minor bump in the road of WL. So very worth it, in my humble opinion.

Be sure to keep us updated. Will be looking to see if you were able to recover in time (you should with 4 days to go unless you have a flu)

Not only dehydration but electrolytes too. Plain Water doesn't always work so some sugar free Gatorade or sugar free Power aide to make sure you aren't just flushing. Ah, all of the little details of losing weight.

Simply wonderful. Congratulations on your amazing achievement! Your pics make me smile!

Have you asked yourself why you didn't follow the rules set by your surgeon? Yes, preop diet is torture and difficult. But it was explained to me that if I couldn't make drastic changes prior to surgery how would I handle those changes after surgery? So, come clean with your doctor and do what you need to do. Don't beat yourself up. Tomorrow is a new day. VSG is worth all the trouble to get to goal. I love my sleeve and have no regrets.

I was at your exact same stats. 33 BMI with no heavy person complications like high BP, diabetes...yet. Your doctor is superb. I too was unwilling to go to Mexico as a self pay and shelled out big dollars. Worth every single penny. So for those of you who judge us with "low BMI", please understand that carrying around an extra 70 pounds was killing me/us slowly. The pressure on my knees and other joints, the inability to hike with my DH, the inactivity, the self hatred, all of the failures at every medical WL including support groups, buying special foods, and the like. All tried and failed. I could never keep off the weight. Ever. I wailed often loathing myself for not having the will power. So, can you lose 70lbs without WLS and keep it off forever? If yes, then do it. Then keep this up until you hit goal without WLS. We are all brothers and sisters struggling to lose the weight permanently. VSG is not an easy way out, but offers a permanent tool we can use to keep the weight off. We all understand surgeons are not perfect as iggychick outlined. VSG is a calculated risk. Sadly we are judged by our appearance. I was pretty before and am pretty at goal. Surgery was more about preventative health measures than cosmetic outcomes. But, I love the physical changes too. So - you do what is best for you. I love my sleeve and have no regrets. Hugs!

YOU CAN DO THIS. What ever it takes. You are strong and confident. Soon you are there. Congrats on the amazing commitment you are showing. Efforts will be rewarded.

Dear Getting me back; I love the smile on your face even more than your amazing pics. Hugs and cheers for you!!! Love my sleeve and have no regrets.

Welcome to VST board. A lot of wonderful people on this site to encourage and help you along. Confident with managing such a beautifully large family and a professional career that you will be able to handle the many changes ahead. Be sure to ask a lot of questions. Most of all enjoy the journey. I love my sleeve and have no regrets.

Welcome and congratulations on making a decision. I'm two years plus out and have no regrets, really. Read all you can, research to verify facts of what you read and understand that all surgeons have different approaches so you may find conflicting info. I made a notebook so I could pepper my surgeon and nutritionist with questions. Will look forward to reading about your journey. Best wishes!

Like Oregon Daisy, I am more than two years out from surgery. Take her advice, and don't keep goodies in the house. What i find is that now my calorie intake is so much lower that any extra calories stay on my hips. I am up a size from my lowest and almost 10 lbs. Went into a support group meeting at my surgeon's office this last week learning an amazing fact. If you only eat an extra 11 calories a day - that is a pound a year. So that means if I eat 100 extra calories over a day for a year, I'm up my 10 pounds. So I really need to cut that 100 calories a day for a year and I will lose my 10 pounds. While I have tried going to the gym for several months, the scale simply does not move. More difficult to lose weight now since my caloric intake is so low comparatively to the old me pre VSG. Hmm, take OD's suggestion and don't bring temptation into the home. Good advice. I love my sleeve and have no regrets.