feedyoureye

When I get it grown out a little more I will post a pic! My hair is finally getting thicker...two years later! It still has lots of short pieces sticking out here and there... but they are growing out, and I lose less hair when I wash... but still some...

I'm not sure I really eat a LOT of wheat, I do eat more gluten than most on some days. I eat whole grains, but keep the portions in control. I eat more crackers than bread... choose whole grain, and oatmeal many days of the week. I stay away from white potatoes most of the time, eat sweet corn now and then, I just write it all down in myfitnesspal... according to their measurements, I eat less carbs, more fiber,more fat than they would like,and way more protein. Eating more protein and less carbs does make weight loss(maintaining) easier, and I tip the scale that way to a degree, but not the same as some of you guys. I just don't think I could live that way long term, trying to find the middle ground and get a well rounded diet of vegetarian, whole organics as much as possible. Lots of raw veg and fruits, home grown and local when possible (Im getting salads out of my garden already) and trying to keep the crazy eating down to a minimum... processed sweets, deep fried stuff,extra salty snacks,artificial coloring and added sugars. I do eat some of this poison, but try to portion control it and just say no most of the time. I am not a model "sleever" by any means, but am just trying to find my way for the long run, just like you all. My body is more fit than it has been for years, weightlifting is starting to show... not buff or anything, but feeling stronger and a little bit more shaped up. Im going into my 60s feeling like I can still do physical stuff and enjoy it, dancing, gardening, just took up birdwatching and plan on some treks soon...I wear skinny jeans and just started wearing my hair blue in honor of all the "blue hairs" that have gone before me! (OK, Im a bit of a punk) Cheers ladies, have a nice weekend!

I started lifting weights,and notice a change in the shape of my body, no weight loss though. I need to measure soon...

As a vegetarian, South Beach is the best plan I ever tried. It is a modestly low carb plan that you can follow as a vegetarian. I still use some of the principles in the way I eat. No way of doing Atkins or Paleo as a veg. I did read about one guy that was a palio veg, but I think he did eat eggs. Spartan! One of my main sources of protein is wheat! I make seitan steaks and BBQ them in yummy sauces or make big roasts to slice for sandwitches or rollups, and the protein is almost as high as meat. I do not have any problems with eating wheat gluten that I can tell.

Thats what I figure too.

Thats a really interesting question!

72%! Im in good company then! I have gone into a "cut" phase, I cut my cals by 200 a day...still eat my exercise cals back. Its hard to make that 200 cut... at the end of the day my head says "where is my Peanut Butter and apple!?" its a journey for sure... I'm right there with you girl. Stay healthy!

I just read this article on weight gain after weight loss... 8 pages long, but really interesting. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/01/magazine/tara-parker-pope-fat-trap.html?pagewanted=1&_r=3&adxnnlx=1325167965-awQ/TLyuKlv21t2HqMl8kg

I just started lifting weights in the last month or so. I only do it twice a week for 15-20 minutes, but my weights are going up and I am enjoying it, so hope to keep it up! I think more muscle will be good for many reasons. Cheers, K

Many of my Docs patients had to lose 10% EW before surgery, I was at the lowest BMI allowable already and he said don't bother. Clear liquids day before only. Pre surgery diets are mostly to reduce the liver size to make surgery easier, and show you are serious! I did have to write down everything I ate for two weeks before.

I am so happy to hear you are having this kind of success at over 4 years out! I also exercise 4+ days a week, and log all my food. So far I have refused to eat less than 1200 cals a day, and I am a vegetarian=more carbs. I use fitbit to watch my output as well (for only the last month so far...love it!) according to my input=output I input 500 cals a day less than I output.I do eat my exercise cals back to stay at the -500 cals a day. No weight loss so far, but I am staying the same. I refuse to eat less. This might have to change, but Im taking it slow. Everyone is different! There are others on here that watch everything and stay the same out a couple of years.

You look good NannieG. I too have gained some, but have managed to stabilize and not keep gaining so that is good. I just posted something about gaining after the honeymoon period....I was researching the studies that show the percentage of Excess Weight Loss (EWL) averages...some up to 6 years after surgery. I posted this along with some other comments somewhere else, so apologies if any of you have read this before....here are my stats so far: 90 lbs goal (100% Excess weight loss) 85 lbs highest weight lost (94.4% EWL) 65 lbs current weight lost (72.22% EWL) In one study I found: The patients who received only a SG (n = 75) had %EWL of 53.6, 65.8 and 62.6 % after 6, 12 and 24 months, respectively. Revisional Procedures After SG Over the total observation period of 24 months, a second operation to induce weight loss was required in 25.0 % (25) of the patients to develop further weight loss or amelioration on comorbidities. Three patients underwent RYGBP and 22 patients DS. http://www.medscape....warticle/771803 here is info from another study… not new studies…. shows 53% EW kept off at 6 years... http://www.thinnerti...candidates.html 72% is not bad in this light, of course I would like to lose that 20, and I will keep trying... but no shame in 72%.

My pleasure Jilliemay!

PPI is proton pump inhibiter...acid blocker You might feel hungry now you are eating pureed? Anyway, when you can eat more solid Protein, that will help a lot. I would watch chugging water... even if you don't feel anything, your stomach had a bunch of nerves cut and you don't really know what is happening there just yet. At two years I can chug 5 mouth fulls, then have to wait for it to go down (which it does pretty quickly) Don't want to stress those staples! Congrats on the 20! Do you really think gaining .7 pounds in a day is a sign that this surgery wont work? Its hard to eat too much at this point... you have been losing 10 pounds a week girl! The body needs a break now and then, and eating salt, or gaining muscle will give you a little jump, so relax! This is a bumpy ride, need to settle in with some chill, and don't forget to enjoy!

A few more studies... knowledge is power! http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20622654 http://www.thinnertimes.com/weight-loss-surgery/vertical-sleeve-gastrectomy/vertical-sleeve-gastrectomy-candidates/print.html As with any bariatric procedure, long-term weight regain can occur and, in the case of SG, this could be managed effectively with re-intervention. Informed consent for SG used as a primary procedure should be consistent with consent provided for other bariatric procedures and should include the risk of long-term weight gain. http://asmbs.org/2012/06/sleeve-gastrectomy-as-a-bariatric-procedure-update/

Its a very common mistake early out to think that ones self and everyone else will feel the way you do right now forever. I remember early on I felt like you do. Studies show that after 5 years VSG has about the same weight loss as RNY... that would be between 50% to 70% excess weight kept off. Please do not think of a weight bounce or not getting all the way to goal as an out and out failure. This is a long haul lifestyle change... and keeping even 50% of the weight off over the long run is better than most do going on diets and yoyoing around. I still work to get to goal, at 2 years... I have had a "bounce" for several reasons I can see for myself including an injury. I have worked to adjust and not gain any more... but losing those gained pounds are still just a little beyond my reach at this point... I have not given up and I may have to tear down some hard seated beliefs to get there. Time will tell for all of us. In one study I found: The patients who received only a SG (n = 75) had %EWL of 53.6, 65.8 and 62.6 % after 6, 12 and 24 months, respectively. Revisional Procedures After SG Over the total observation period of 24 months, a second operation to induce weight loss was required in 25.0 % (25) of the patients to develop further weight loss or amelioration on comorbidities. Three patients underwent RYGBP and 22 patients DS. http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/771803 here is info from another study… not new studies…. shows 53% EW kept off at 6 years... http://www.thinnertimes.com/weight-loss-surgery/vertical-sleeve-gastrectomy/vertical-sleeve-gastrectomy-candidates.html by these % I am actually doing better than average, but still want to do 100% if possible as we all wish! Still looking for a newer study.... FYI: 90lbs goal (100% Excess weight loss) 85lbs highest weight lost (94.4% EWL) 65lbs current weight lost (72.22% EWL)

I had my surgery in the US at a teaching university med center. I'm sure there were a ton of pimple faced students there in front of all my naked glory! I had a surgical nurse come up to me while I was being prepared, and tell me she would make sure there were not any sales reps present! I was being used to teach robotic procedures... so naked, strapped to a vertical board, and being operated on by a robot! Now I would have liked to see that myself! I tried to get a CD of the procedure, but they wouldn't give me one....I had next to no problems, and it was a great staff.

http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/28952-gonna-get-to-goal-wanna-join-me/

That sounds fantastic!

many insurance companies accept 35 BMI for those with 2 co-morbidities... sleep apnea, high BP, high cholesterol...diabetes...

so glad to hear that coops!

8 months was also the time I started to feel more hunger coming back. Keep writing things down, eat more veggies to fill up, and some say that stomach acid can cause hunger... do you take a PPI?

What Space Dust said. The results the first months are a little deceiving for many. It really looks like you won't EVER want to eat much again, I know I couldn't stand sweets early on (now I like everything as much as ever). You can also learn to 'eat around' the sleeve... eat a little bit many times (grazing) eat too much of the wrong things, like ice cream, chips, crackers and some other things just seem to go on down the hatch without touching bottom (sliders). You have to remain vigilant, the tool will not say no to you in the same degree as at the beginning (except protein first does seem to continue to work pretty well for most)

Hurray!!! Best of luck Coops!

I know I have posted some of this else ware, but here goes. 25 months out from surgery. I lost most of the weight, within 5 pounds of my modest goal. I stalled out there for months and months, and really I was quite happy there. Then I screwed up my knee, stopped over 50% of my exercise and my dear mom in law and sis in law came visiting for 10 weeks. We did a lot of travel, including a stint in New Orleans at the Heritage fest of food and music,ate out LOTS, cooked LOTs and had happy hours every day with snacks. Just how I like it apparently. I gained 18 pounds without a how do you do. Easy Peasy. I attribute this to NOT WRITING IT ALL DOWN and less exercise. So, I came to my senses, started writing stuff down, keeping track around last November. I went on a 1200 cal plan... and did not lose anything for a month. I went to physical therepy and finally got back to the gym and dance class twice a week, as well as walking twice a week and added weights twice a week as well as more gardening. I decided eating 1200 a day was crazy, and I sure aqs hell was not going to eat LESS to try and lose the 18 pounds. I did some research, joined myfitnesspal, quit fitday, and started eating MORE. I am up to around 1800 a day, and not losing any weight, but not gaining any ether. I bought a fitbit, and am really trying to figure out how to move more. It also tracks your sleep, and I am looking at how much I sleep (not enough!) I still don't drink enough water, but do log what I drink. I am guess I am doing want I need to do to maintain where I am. I would like to lose those 18 pounds but short of eating less than 1200 I have not been able to do it yet. I just do not want to go there. I feel good, I recover quickly after exercise. I am sassy. I will be 60 in June and my life is pretty good. My journey is not over yet. I am getting to know my body better even 2 years after surgery. This is the plan I have been looking at: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/3817-eat-more-to-weigh-less it proposes I eat 1800 a day to lose weight very slowly until I reach my goal. We will see. I have been following it around 2 months and have not gained or lost. Even though I have not lost, it feels great to eat 1800 cals insted of 1200, I don't obsess about food nearly as much. I even have to make myself eat more some days.