PdxMan

Yeah, that was me, too. Thought I dodged a bullet until ... Thinned out pretty good, too, but it lasted about 3 months. I'm back to full, thick hair again. Just a little bump along the way. All good

Like Tracy says, I am incredibly happy that I had the surgery, but the first few weeks are hard, make no doubt about it ... and not for the reasons you might think ... For me, it was what I call the fundamental change in my relationship with food. I had to come to grips with the reality of not being able to go to a buffet and eat to excess. Going into the surgery, I knew things were going to change, but then there is the ACTUAL reality of it. I sometimes used food for comfort and now that was no longer an outlet. Bottom line is everything changed for me and there is some adjustment time needed. But, once I got through it, I began to enjoy my new relationship with food and feel relief that I no longer have to abuse food the way I used to and lead a healthier life.

Yes, you Sure you can. I take the jar to work and by the time lunch rolls around, it is thawed enough to pour into a bowl or on a plate, toss in the microwave and it's good to go. You can also just take the ring and lid off and microwave it in the jar as well. It is glass, so, no problem doing that, either.

Yup, I freeze it in 8 oz or 16 oz mason jars and take it for lunch. Makes life soooo easy.

You are in this serious ketosis until you get your carbs & calories back up. To what levels ... that is individual, for sure. There are a lot of pros and cons about ketosis and whether it is actually a good thing. You can still lose weight without being in the mouth-tastes-like-a-cats-behind mode. Not as fast, but there is also a school of thought that prolonged ketosis can cause liver/kidney damage, so ... I would rather have slow weight loss and not be on dialysis (sp?), but we all have our own goals and decisions, for sure.

Hello all sleevers and pre-sleevers alike. It took me awhile before changing my avatar to a picture of myself but I decided long ago that I would post before and after pictures after one year out. So, here they are. It has been one of the most incredible years of my life without a doubt. So much has changed, besides the weight. I truly hope that everyone finds their way on their own journey and keeps doing the right thing. How did I get to goal? I kept doing the right thing. I don't drink with meals unless I am calorie/carb loading for a race I eat my proteins first, then my veggies I exercise Sure, I cheat occasionally with a cookie or ice cream, but I do not go overboard. I take time between each bite and chew well. I stop eating AS SOON as I begin to have the *full* feeling. Also, I do not do the low carb thing. Just the opposite, to be honest. A month post-op, I has such little energy that I talked to my NUT who suggested I increase my carbs. It worked wonders for me. It spurred me into exercise and running. As I expended more energy, I increased my carbs. I did this with veggies. Carrots, beans ... the good kind, although I do have a fondness for crackers. (not so good) IMO ... low carb = low energy = low exercise = (s)low weight loss Increase the first, and you increase the rest Thanks to all who have shared their hope, strength and encouragement. MORE pictures in my Gallery

I also was sleeved by Umbach. Had a great experience and at a year out, my restriction is still great. I think he does a great job. Doing well?

I'm a year out. You find your *groove* after a few months. There are no foods that are off limits to me, I just eat them in far smaller quantities. If you are going to do this right, there is a fundamental change in your relationship with food. Make no mistake about that. Sure, you can sit down to that Taco Bell Burrito Supreme and force yourself to eat the whole thing ... with discomfort ... but then you really need to ask yourself, why am I doing this? Was I not full after 4 bites? Why do I feel I have to eat more? Getting to the heart of these issues can be disturbing and scary. We are what we are for many reasons. This whole journey is not solely about smaller portion sizes. At least, it isn't for me.

Calcium with Vitamin D (calcium bonds with D for better absorption) B12 sublingual probiotic multi-vitamin Amount varies as my blood tests are done. Mostly my B12. Started with 1 a week, but then went to every other day as my levels were too low. Now I do every three days as my levels were high ...

Salads were about 6 months out for me. Now I have them all the time. Just started adding kale for a real hardy salad. All good.

As far as dining with others, it gets better. As has been suggested on many threads here, as soon as my food arrives, I say that I ate a late breakfast/lunch and am really not that hungy. I immediately ask for a to-go container and put at least half of the portion in there. I eat what I am going to eat, very slowly and then pack the remaining away. Believe me ... nobody notices. We would love to think that everyone is staring at us and as soon as we get back to the office everyone goes off to the corner and whispers, "Did you see how much food he ate? Oh my gosh, I wonder what is wrong? He must have cancer or something ..." Well, I have a little secret for you. Nobody is talking behind your back about the portion you ate. It is all inside your head. It's not that big of a deal. Really. Don't make it into one.

I should have prefaced my post with disclosing that I am at goal. I didn't do this while in losing mode, but I did not exclude fruit. For me, the low carb route was not the way to go. IMO, our bodies need the carbs for energy so you can do all the activities you need to do to lose weight. Low carbs = Low energy = low exercise = (s)low weight loss. I never eat protein until I am full as I always want to have room for the veggies. I eat at least half of my portion, 1.5-2 oz first. I think that signals my stomach that, "Hey, we have some work to do here, so no opening of the pyloric valve!" Then, when I eat the veggies, they sit in my stomach with the Proteins digesting and give me that full feeling, which it does. Last night, 3 oz of rotisserie chicken with stewed tomatoes. Two bites chicken, two spoonfulls tomatoes (carrots/onions/peppers), two bites chicken. I'm done and full.

Yes, I agree with OTR. if you have never had any procedures and don't know how you respond, then plan for at least 2 weeks.

I think until you're at least a couple month out, any test would be irrelevant. Your body is going through so much change right now and levels will be different week to week. Hormones are stored in fat and will be released in waves affecting you in all sorts of ways. Your nutrional changes also affect every aspect of your body. I'm guessing right now, your body's last concern is being fertile. It is trying to figure out why it isn't getting it's usual 3,500 calorie a day allotment and what it is going to do now. Time to hit the reserves. Give it some time and get tested if you still feel the same way.

Surgery on Friday, back to work Wed, Thurs, Fri for 3/4 days. Full time the following Monday. Everyone is different, for sure, so, if you know your surgical history and recovery, I found it no different from my previous recovery times.

Size does not matter. We're talking millimeters, here. From what I remember from my research, you don't want too small because it can become all twisted around. The difference between the smallest and the largest would most likely equate to one additional bite of something, which, isn't going to have all that much impact on your overall weight loss. The secret to weight loss with the sleeve is sticking to the rules. Sleeve size is not going to change that. * Added comment * As far as long term, that depends on the individual. There are few long term studies on VSG. I know at 1 year out I still have excellent restriction. I had a size 36 bougie. But, I follow the rules pretty closely, too. I know the stretchy part of my stomach was removed, so my sleeve had pretty much stretched out to the largest it is going to. Yes, your sleeve is going to stretch, but the amount is inconsequential. Going from a 7 oz capacity to 9 oz. Something like that. If you stick to the rules (only cheating occassionally) there is no reason why you shouldn't be able to maintain your goal weight for decades. Push the limits, don't follow the rules, eat cr@p ... in other words, do all the things that got us to this point to begin with ... and your results will vary. The sleeve is a tool, not a solution.

1 year out and I can eat anything. Just smaller portions. I have a few sips of root beer occassionally. No problems. Belch just like I did before.

I get the chicken dogs at Trader Joes. Tastes just like CHICKEN!

Experience, for sure. That is what is going to determine your long term success, IMO. That surgeon is going to have experience sewing the stomach tight to the bougie (the guide put in your stomach during surgery) which will result in having good, long term restriction. If you get some green horn in there, I would be afraid they would not have the experience to get a nice, tight sleeve, and then where would you be ... 18 months down the line you will not have the restriction you need to stay on the program. Not good.

Oye! I don't think I would even try ... I had half a hot dog a couple days ago with the bun. Took me about 15 minutes and I was STUFFED. But again, I don't really even try to eat whole sandwich or hot dog.

This is most likely still CO2 trapped inside your chest cavity. When they perform the surgery, they inflate your chest cavity with CO2 to give them room to work. They try to squeeze it all out when done, but there is no way to get it all, and, of course, some people are going to have more than others. As you begin to mobilize, the air moves up into the shoulders and causes some pain, for sure. The remedy for this is moving. Walking, stairs, elliptical ... whatever. The only way to remove it is for it to absorb into your bloodstream. Higher bloodflow ... quicker removal. Every person has it to some degree and we all move to get past it.

Yes, I think it could hurt. The hulls from popcorn could easily get stuck in your staple line, get infected and you could potentially have a leak. This is one of the reasons why strawberries are on the do not eat list for 3 months. You just want the staple line to be completely healed over before introducing something like this. Does the risk outweigh the benefit?