southernrootslbc

I'm getting banded this Friday, and I'm kinda freaked out about the thought of all that skin just hanging around. I'd really rather not have PS; although, I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. What I'm wondering about is how successful exercise is in treating excess skin. I've done lots of research on it. Some people swear that if you exercise enough the skin will eventually shrink; while others say that you'd have to exercise enough to completely replace the fat with muscle in order for you not to have excess skin. I was wanting to hear it straight from people who've gone through it. I know that it depends on a lot of factors (age, genetics, etc.), but have you guys had any luck shrinking your skin through exercise? If so, how much and what kinds of exercise are you doing?

have you found a gummy vit that has Iron in it? i prefer the gummies, but i've had no luck finding ones with iron!

i was having those exact same issues. the shortness of breath was bad enough i called my surgeon. he said it was because we don't breathe as deeply during the surgery and recovery, so our lungs get gunk in them. i saw my regular doctor today about the fatigue. she ran my labs, and i was a bit anemic, but she said not badly enough to cause serious problems. i've been taking geritol tonic (an iron supplement), and that seems to be helping for me. however, it also sounds like you may be lacking nutrients altogether if you're still on mostly clear liquids after all this time! i'd put a call into your surgeon, if i were you. good luck!!

I'm being banded this Friday, and I keep imagining what it's going to feel like not being fat. I've been this way for 25 years. I have no clue how it feels to be a "normal-sized" adult. As I was learning my identity, forming my personality, etc, I was always the fat girl. I was wondering if that feeling ever goes away.

i was banded friday and started sleeping on my stomach monday night. it's a little sore, but it helped me at first to hold a pillow up to my abdomen as i was laying down. somehow the gravity of my gut being pulled down seemed to be the most painful part to me. if you still aren't able to get comfortable, you can always try putting a pillow under your knees when you're on your back. that really helps with back pain. i also had my head and neck elevated to where my body made a low "v" shape. that was the only way i could get comfy on my back.

i'm self-pay and was banded last friday. i chose the band over the sleeve, because i like that it's reversible, and i felt like it was the safest option. if i were in your shoes i'd do it. i just paid $16,000 for mine here, because my insurance (blue cross/blue shield) wouldn't cover it (and i had a bmi of 52!!). if i were you i'd do everything possible to ensure a good surgery... research your surgeon A LOT!! stick with the pre-op diet and start exercising now to get your heart and lungs strong. follow the instructions they give you to a tee! there are still complications that can pop up, but they're much less likely if you follow the rules. if i have any complications from the surgery, i'm also left to fend for myself, which is scary. insurance won't cover a dime of it if the problem is a complication from the surgery. so yes, definitely keep that in mind. however, to me, it was worth the risk. another thing to consider is that a lot of doctors in the states won't maintain a band they've not put in themselves. i'd think a lot of doctors would make an exception if you've moved there from another country. however, just to make sure, you may want to call some surgeons in the area you think you'll live and ask if they'll maintain your band when you move back. best of luck, whatever you decide!

it definitely looks more like a bruise now. it's bluer than red, so i've kind of relaxed. thank you guys so much for your feedback!

i'm day two post-op, and my wounds all look gross, of course, but my port wound is really red and itchy around it. it almost looks like a bruise. is this normal or is it getting infected? also, does anyone know how soon after surgery i can quit worrying about getting a blood clot? i'm exercising and all that jazz, but i still worry that i'll get a clot. what's the time frame those pop up? anyone? anyone?

i had to stay under 800 calories for mine. i didn't always do it, but i exercised like crazy to make up for it. my saving foods were turkey breast with happy cow low-fat garlic and herb cheese. i'd also make a huge spinach salad. i made my own vinaigrette using vinegar and Water instead of oil. then i'd put a little bit of fat-free feta cheese and just a few craisins (watch it, though... they're high in sugar). i'd get to eat a whole plate of food for about 100 calories. very satisfying and tasty. i also sauteed broccoli in a tiny amount of olive oil and a whole bunch of garlic. i'm not a big fan of veggies, but the garlic hid the taste. i could eat a large serving of it for next to no calories... and it's amazing how broccoli went from gross to delicious when i was STARVING!! i'd also drink a Protein shake for breakfast. my doctor suggested i do a protein shake for breakfast and lunch, but i simply couldn't do it. i was too hungry. i varied it a little and was still able to lose 13 pounds pre-op, and my surgery went great! best of luck to you. my experience is that the diet is SO much easier after the band. you just have to get there! best of luck to you!

Hi everyone, I'm so glad to have found you all. I'm lucky to have a good support network at home, but they've not been through it, so they have a very limited understanding of what i'm going through. I'm on day two of my pre-op diet (two-weeks of 800-calories/day). I don't feel that it's a realistic diet for me... not even for two weeks, so when I finished out yesterday at 1,300 calories (I know it's bad, but I was STARVING) I felt like I was failing before I had even started. I'm interested in hearing others' pre-op diet stories. Are you guys also struggling this hard? Are all the pre-op diets this strict? I have a high BMI (52) so I'm sure that has something to do with it, but jeez.... it seems to me that 1200 calories a day would do the trick!!

Yes, I can eat anything as long as I stay under 800 calories, but that basically breaks down to two Protein shakes and a Lean Cuisine for dinner. I'm very thankful that they didn't put me strictly on liquids. I wonder why some surgeons are stricter than others. I've been pretty bad on my diet. Eating very healthy, exercising, and steadily losing weight, but certainly not following their guidelines. Hopefully nothing horrible befalls me.

wow. i so can't relate to that. i love fluids. on the bright side, at least it won't be hard for you to give up liquid empty calories!

I'm also trying out different vitamins, because I'm being banded May 6th. I tried the Bariatric Advantage, and it did taste pretty bad, but it had nutrients I thought were probably more specifically for bariatric patients than Flintstones, such as Vitamin E, which is supposed to be good for skin (and hopefully somewhat help with the excess skin problem). I also take a gummy pre-natal vitamin, but I haven't found any gummy vitamins that include iron. As I recall, the Flintstone Vitamins had more iron in them that Bariatric Advantage, so I think I'll probably end up taking one Bariatric Advantage and one Flintstone Vitamin daily.

I couldn't find the link to the negative calorie foods. Could you post it here for me? I'd really appreciate it!!

Can you drink tea or Crystal Light instead of water? Good luck to you!

I hadn't seen that. I'll check it out, though. Thanks! The surgeon's nurse told me that I could eat all the celery I wanted, because it has negative calories. I asked her if I ate a whole plate of celery, could I then apply all the negative calories to my diet and eat a huge cheeseburger. She said, "no." :-/

Thank you all so much for your support, encouragement, and advice. I'm now on day seven of the pre-op diet. It's getting a lot easier, and I'M DOWN TEN POUNDS!!! WHOO-HOO!! That also means under 300 pounds and below 50 BMI. So my first goal has been met. I'm really hoping to be down another ten before surgery and lose another ten in the first couple of weeks after surgery. So that I'll be down to 280 one month after starting the pre-op diet. I know that seems like a lot, but I think I can do it. I feel so much better at that weight. As for my diet, I'm still going over the 800 calories, but eating super healthy. I'm having a shake for Breakfast. A couple of hours later I'm having a salad (with a little fat-free feta, a very few dried cranberries, and a home-made vinaigrette (I got the do-it-yourself kit and substituted Water for oil... practically no calories, but all the flavor!). Then a couple of hours later I'll snack on turkey breast with a little fat-free cheese (recently discovered the Laughing Cow brand... Pretty good and only 35 calories/serving). If I get hungry, I'll snack on some more turkey or an apple. Then I have a small, sensible dinner. And I'm exercising... Wii Fit, treadmill, hiking, and walking. I still crave sweets like crazy (been having PMS, so it's even worse) but I've mostly been able to avoid them. I'm sure it would be better if I stayed strictly to the 800 calories/day, but as long as I'm getting results, I'm not gonna be too hard on myself. I feel much healthier, and I'm glad that I no longer feel like I'm having a nervous breakdown!!! Best of luck to all of you!

I have a friend of a friend who used Dr. Baker and swears by him, too! So looks like you'll be in good hands, as well.

I'm in the same situation as you. I've been considering WLS for a decade. I went to a consult wednesday, and in a week and a half from now I have my surgery! YIKES!!! I also worry about the complications and think about how it's going to affect my life and how many things can go wrong, but then I think of all the inconveniences of being my size, so it's a trade-off. I'm not thrilled by the thought of how much more often I'll likely vomit or how annoying it's going to be to have to chew forever to swallow one tiny bite, but to me it'll be worth it to be able to climb a flight of stairs without being out of breath or even tying my shoes without being uncomfortable. You'll just have to decide for yourself if it's worth the trade-off for you. Best of luck!

good luck!!

hope you've had better luck! and best of luck to you on your surgery. let us know how it goes!