Garyb_58

You are the MAN, great job.

Congrats, great job.

Hello and welcome to the VST. I was the same way, went looking for one type WLS ended up with a different one. Glad I did! As you have already learned from lurking on this site there is not much about VSG you cannot find out about here. Looking forward to reading about your journey. Good Luck, Gary B

Thanks to everyone who posted a comment or sent me a message, you guys and gals are really great. I will continue to update from time to time. Thanks, Gary B

RaiderRob, I wish you all the luck in the world with your weightloss. VSG was a God send in my case. Last December I made up my mind to have WLS and was looking for MX doctors for the Lapband since my insurance would not cover any type of WLS. That is when I started learning about VSG vs Lap Band, it did not take long for me to change my mind and as you see I am so happy I did. It has been amazing to see the weight come off like it has, that being said I needed to 147 to 148 pounds so I was not a lite weight and we all know the larger a person is the faster it comes off. VSG is a great tool and a tool I needed to help me get to my goal, but I still have to eat the right foods and make the right choices. Since I started trying to maintain I catch myself thinking I am eating to much of the wrong type foods, not portions because I still know when enough is enough, but carbs. But I guess not because I have been able to stay in the range I set for myself. My only regret about the VSG is I wish I could have had it done years ago. I know with VSG you will be able to make that thread and we will all be celebrating with you. Thanks, Gary B

Carol, did we make the right choice or what? VSG has been great for both of us and seeing you in September and in the picture of you at Sears, WOW just like I said when Larry and I were in the Keys, you don't look like you ever had a weight problem. It has really been a blessing for the both of us. Rich told me before we left he was really amazed and wanted to start working on getting some off. It is great that he has been able to lose that much without surgery, he really don't like the ideal of surgery. I agree, I to am proud of all of us. We would love to plan another trip to come see you guys again. Really had a blast! Thanks again for everything. I still cannot get over how pretty it is to dive in the ocean. I don't see how you have anymore weight to lose, your so small and active it would have gone if it was there to lose. My girls are still considering VSG after the first of the year, but I found out Monday that my youngest daughter is going to have another baby so that will delay her having surgery. Lucky for me I get another Grandbaby. I will tell Larry you guys said hello, tell Rich and Richie we said hello. Hope you have a great week in the Keys. Gary B

Hello Everyone, I made it, today I reached my goal of 215 pounds (214.8 pounds actual weight). I have not been on in a while been busy living life. My son and I took a trip in September and went to see Carol (Keys Pirate) and her husband Rich down in the Florida Keys, we had a great time scuba diving in the Keys, thanks Carol and Rich for showing us around. Now it is hunting season in Arkansas so I have been busy chasing whitetail deer. I started trying to maintain my weight between 217 and 220 to make sure I could do that before I went down further to make sure I had that under control. I was able to so I came on down just to say I made it, family and friends are not wanting me to go anymore because they say I'm getting too small, WOW from too FAT to too SMALL, I can live with that. But I don't want to start looking sick so I am going to stay in the 215 to 220 range. Thanks to my Lord, Dr. Aceves and the posters on this site for all the help. Good Luck to everyone on your weightloss journey. Gary B.

Count me in, sleeved Jan 25, 2010 along with Keys Pirate. Nothing bad to sad about the staff or hosptial. Would go back again in a heartbeat and plan to help my two daughters go there for surgery.

You will be fine, you will be in good hands with Dr. Aceves and his staff. Our thought and prayers will be with you. Congrats on the date.

It is fun seeing the expression on their faces when they realize it is you and the weight is gone. I recently got back from vacation where I went to FL to visit Keys Pirate and her husband Rich. We had surgery the same day and she looks amazing too. She is within three or four pounds of reaching her goal weight too which will put her at 100 pounds lost. They ride bikes and do other exercising stuff. To see her now you would never know she had ever had a weight problem. The surgery is a great tool, the rest is up to us. I know you all will do fine. Gary

Thanks Dave, the sleeve has really been a life saver and changer for me. Just today I saw a person that I have not seen for awhile and she said if I had not spoken to her she would not have known who I was. The sleeve is a great tool to help a person lose weight. Gary

Keep up the great job Russ. Congrats.

Hello there, yes I have lost over a hundred pounds. I had VSG in Jan 2010 and have lost 143 pounds. Still like 4 pounds to get to my goal of 215 and it is taking a little longer to get there because I started working on slowing the weightloss down so I would not go too far past my goal weight. Good luck with you weightloss journey. Gary

Take a deep breath and get ready for a life changing event. I'm not talking about the way you eat, I'm talking about getting your life back. Best decision I ever made and wish I would have or could have done this twenty years ago. Good luck tomorrow and our thought and prayers will be with you.

Stacee, I had surgery in Jan 2010 and I have lost 142 pounds as of today. I started at 362 and currently weigh 220, so yes it is possible. I know guys lose faster than women but there are several ladies on this site that have lost that much over time. Welcome to the site and good luck on your journey.

That is great, I like that. Congrats on your weightloss.

Congrats on your surgery.

Our thoughts will be with you, good luck.

Congrats, great job.

Sorry to hear about your complications, hope you feel better soon.

Transportation Manager

Have eaten it a couple of times in small amounts with no problems at all.

I had it easy, no problems with surgery. The second day was the worst for me dealing with the gas pains and I did have to ask for a dose of meds due to feeling like I was going to get sick. They told me by the third day I would feel better and I did. The day of surgery they gave me something to help me relax and when it was my turn they wheeled me in. They started putting me to sleep and the next thing I knew I was waking up in the recovery room. Just remember to drink, drink, drink. I was on Clear liquids for 10 days, full liquids for 10 days, soft foods for 10 days and then started regular foods. The time actually went by very quick and the weight has fallen off. Good Luck with your surgery.

I started getting the hiccup signal too once I started eating regular food again. I agree the full feeling is different and you will need to learn what yours is, one or two bites is all it takes to make it very uncomfortable. I've had a couple of times where I pushed my limit and tried that one extra bite, its not worth it. Good Luck,