crystalny

Actually, having a baby won't undo your Tummy Tuck. I think it would help if you did some research and found out for yourself? Youtube "baby after tummy tuck". In almost all of the cases, people who had tummy tucks before they had their children didn't get as big while they were pregnant, and most of their stomachs went right back to how it was before the pregnancy. Most of the women say that their tummy tuck wasn't affect AT ALL. And they show you pics/videos to prove it.

I am also in your situation. I had my sleeve last year at 22 years old. I lost over 150 lbs and am pretty much at goal/will be at goal in the next month or so. I am 23 years old now and I will be getting a tummy tuck and breast lift by the end of this year. I have been going through this question for some time now, whether to wait until I have kids (like everyone says) or to just do it now. I honestly feel like you should have your tummy tuck as soon as you are finished losing weight, if its what you want, regardless if you have had kids yet. The fact of the matter is that, most, if not all, of the people who are advising us to "wait until we have children" are much older than us, so quite frankly they would not understand. Being in your early twenties is quite different from being in your 30's, 40's, or even late 20's. We are still very young and our time is now! Theres no reason to wait to have children... who's to say you'll even have kids in the next 5 years, 10 years? And all that time you could have been enjoying your youth in a youthful body. This is what I tell myself anyway. And if worse comes to worst, just get another tummy tuck when that time comes. But honestly from the research I've been doing, women who have babies after tummy tucks come back better than women who had babies without tummy tucks. But research for yourself and good luck!

Where I work people haven't even started to notice... and I look NOTICEABLY slimmer and am down 90 pounds from 343 lbs. I am tall, so I think I already looked smaller than what I was. But I have dropped multiple sizes and am in straight sized coats. I think it may be because they see me often. Also, some people may just be shy about it and not want to mention it.

I have had pizza a few times. I am three months post-op. I think I had pizza for the first time maybe like 6 or 7 weeks post op. Luckily, my sleeve process was a breeze. I've never thrown up, it took me a couple days to recover, and I can eat anything I want.

I'm down 90 pounds in three months and I'm currently 254. I say eat what you want as long as you work it into your calorie budget and work out.

Date Sleeved: 8/16

Start Weight: 343

Weight Today: 259

What Do You Eat: eggs, chicken, apples, iced coffee. High Protein low carb. 400-600 cals/day

Work out: Cardio/weights 4 times a week

How hungry are you: moderate to high hunger.

How do you feel physically: Great

How do you feel emotionally: Greater

Glad you chose the sleeve: Yup

I was sleeved on 8/16 and am down 61 lbs (44 from surgery, the rest on 3 day liquid diet). I experienced a couple of slight stalls. What I did was cheat and have some carbs. The next day I dropped two pounds. This never fails me. It seems that when I have more carb calories it shocks my body and starts burning again.... or idk that is how I see it in my head.

I too am worried about loose skin and I am trying my best to prevent it. I have been working out doing cardio and weight training in every workout targeting all my problem areas.

I am 22 years old and I am really hoping that age is on my side. My skin has always been fairly tight and I haven't been one of those overweight people with jiggly legs and stuff, so I'm hoping that helps. Also, I have been drinking a lot of Water and moisturizing my skin. I will start exfoliating and dry brushing as well.

Good luck to us all!

I named mine Sleevie J, after Stevie J from the show "Love and Hip Hop".

I love my sleeve's name! lol

I had my surgery in Acuna, Mexico. After crossing the border the hospital is just a few blocks. My doctor had performed SURGERY on my cousin who also had no complications & has done very well. He knows of others tht used same doctor w no complications. Its a private hosp owned by some doctors. My doctors name was Dr. Luis Alberto Cruz Gandara, he went by Dr. cruz. There is a plastic surgeon that is a doctor in this hosp. (sry I cant think of his name) he said he ws very good.

If you're interest I can give you his number & you can tell him I recomended. Just let me know.

So did you fly into Mexico for the surgery or fly into California and drive over the border? I think I am the most nervous about flying to Mexico than anything else. I would rather fly to another state and then cross the border by car. Did they provide the transportation?

Thanks!

Just subscribing to this incase I need to come back to it. I got some really great tips from NDN and free spirit! I have heard of Dr. Cardenas. there is even a whole website dedicated to surgery abroad - i forget the name. But I heard Dr. Cardenas does AMAZING work and I have seen before and after pics. I am always just so weary of going abroad for surgery. I will definitely look into these two places. Thanks ladies!

In the beginning I couldn't gulp Water I could only sip. Now, at 17 days out, I can take 4 consecutive gulps of water, sometimes five, without a problem. I never had pain when I tried to gulp either, I would just have a lump of gas come up in my throat and I had to burp. It gets better!

Just wanted to pop in and say that you are amazing!! Great job!

I kind of have this problem too. I don't know when I'm full - like, I don't get a 'full' feeling. But I have been eating about 1/4 of a cup (2oz) of yogurt at a time with a few grapes or so. I haven't been feeling hunger since surgery so I guess it's harder to tell when you're satisfied. Baby steps.

I am about 17 days post op today. When I woke up I think I will rate my pain at a 7. That was the worst it ever was though. Let me tell you - that morphine pain pump is a miracle! Once they hooked me up, within about an hour I was feeling better and better. I got out of surgery around 7pm and once up to my room at 11pm, I was feeling much much better.

I got better each day after that, although I was sore in my incision sites. I could have gone back to work on Monday, and my surgery was on a Thursday.

I also had little to no gas pain, thankfully.

I am three days into my third week. Currently I eat soft foods. I usually have plain greek yogurt and add my own fruits, like strawberries or grapes. I also occasionally have tuna (made with plain greek yogurt). I used to have tuna with a couple of crackers but I decided to cut simple carbs totally out of my diet (as much as possible). I also have low fat sargento cheese sticks.

Tomorrow I plan on making my version of shepard's pie using ground 99% fat free turkey, low fat mexican cheese blend, and mashed cauli. Can't wait.

Hope this helps!

Girl, 110 pounds in 4.5 months is nothing short of incredible! Is this including a pre-op diet? I've set my goal for 100lbs in 8 months (not including my pre op) but my weight loss has been great so far at two weeks out that I want to maybe make it 6 months.

My new favorite drink is Water, surprisingly. Ice cold water. I am just over two weeks out and literally everything is too sweet for me that I have to dilute it tremendously so that it practically tastes like water.

I'm so sorry this is happening to you! I'll keep you in my prayers! xoxo

You're posting here against the band. You have never been banded' date=' and so far all you've done is post completely incorrect information and not a single shred of actual facts from your so-called "research".

Let me give you a small piece of advice, getting your "facts" from a previous post on an online forum is a recipe for disaster. Try getting your facts from actual factual sources.[/quote']

....which I have. If you read my previous posts, you would have read that I personally know three people who failed with the band. If I went with that evidence alone, I wouldn't have even considered the band, but I did because I know some people do extremely well. Like this girl named "whinsong" on YouTube, I have been following all of her videos extensively and she is the reason I decided I wanted the lapband in the first place, until I started comparing and contrasting what was right for me. But I won't be responding to you anymore, because I feel like you're taking this personally and I don't mean it personally at all.

Anecdotal evidence? I'm not speaking from anecdotal evidence. If you can cite reading personal stories on forums as "facts"' date=' surely I can simply give experiences of people I know in real life rather than strangers online.

I'm not entirely sure why you're posting here, to be honest. If you decided the band wasn't for you, wonderful, best wishes on your journey with the sleeve. But trying to convince people against the band, with a bunch of misinformation at that, is quite uncool. Just say'n.[/quote']

And "giving experiences of people you know in real life" is the meaning of anecdotal evidence.

Anecdotal evidence? I'm not speaking from anecdotal evidence. If you can cite reading personal stories on forums as "facts"' date=' surely I can simply give experiences of people I know in real life rather than strangers online.

I'm not entirely sure why you're posting here, to be honest. If you decided the band wasn't for you, wonderful, best wishes on your journey with the sleeve. But trying to convince people against the band, with a bunch of misinformation at that, is quite uncool. Just say'n.[/quote']

I would love for you to point out anything that I wrote as being a fact, because I didn't. What i have said is "according to my research." I would also love for you to show me where I am trying to "convince" people against the band. I am just sharing the information I've gathered, the same way I got a lot of information from a previous post I read on here. I don't know why people are taking this personally, this is not an attack.

No offense....and I'm happy that you have found a WLS that is right for you' date=' but then why are you "lurking" around a lap band support site.....don't you have one of your own? Those than come to this site seeking information about the LAPBAND not other surgeries.....and honestly, since you don't have one, I don't see where you can offer any advise. Those that have the lap band and have had issues, do a good job explaining the draw backs and are very honest as to why it didn't work for them, but it just seems strange to me that some feel the need to come to this site and express an opinion about something you don't have.....if they want information about another surgery I'm sure they can get that on another site where the members would be more educated in the sleeve or bypass than the ones on this site. It really makes me question your motives. It is everyones responsiblity to educated themselves. I'm sure I can find some that feel they rushed into having half their stomachs removed and have numerous issues.....BUT I know they are probably just the unfortunates that are listed in the satistics just like the satistics for the band. I LOVE my band...but I would never feel the need to bash the sleeve or bypass...(even though my 42 year old cousin died shortly after getting the sleeve....just saying) We each must make our own decisions.[/quote']

I thought I made my intentions clear in my first post, but I will say it again. I am posting here for the person that was me a few months ago rushing into surgery. I saw a post about the sleeve vs band on this forum and that is what made me look up information in the sleeve and what ultimately helped me make a better decision for myself. I'm not 'bashing' the band, and I'm sorry that you feel that way. And the last time I checked, not every poster on this forum has a lap band, some are in the stage where they are trying to find what surgery works for them.

Where I can offer advice is to share the information I have gathered, which I am really grateful that someone else did last month.

What I think people fail to realise with any weight loss surgery is that the effect lessens with time. Your body adapts. You can eat more. Your evangelistic enthusiasm wanes' date=' you gain a little weight. It happens with every surgery.

The major advantage of the band is that you can adjust it. And the physical tightening up really us a mental tightening up too. Suddenly you focus again and get on with things. Ask any bandster seven years out. Ive really had cause to appreciate that.

And mo doubt about it, if I had not been able to unfill my band during cancer treatment, i would have had to have had a PEG tube inserted, I got so skinny. Being able to unfill is a major advanage if you are unlucky enough to be struck by injury or disease.

Nonetheless, the constant upkeep is problematic for some, especially with the US health system. Insurance hassles, doctors being unwilling to treat other doctors' patuents, people getting andedin Mexico etc. The OPs points are considerations.

But few of us are so stupid as to not have considered these things. I would respectfullu suggest if the OP feels that way, go hang around the sleeve forum and keave us poor ignorant souls to wallow away in misery with our ineffective bands.

Spoken by omeone who lost 120lb, had kept it off for over five years and a has a bmi of 20, so what would I know really?[/quote']

Also, I would love to know if you have been banded for over 8 years without any problems or additional surgeries, because that is evidence that I cannot find anywhere, and if so, I have tons of questions,

Actually it's pretty common for people with both Gastric Bypass and the Sleeve to stretch their pouches and gain weight. In fact' date=' that's the reason Carnie Wilson is currently getting the Lap Band after already having Gastric Bypass. She stretched out her pouch and gained weight and is now getting the band in an effort to correct it. I know seven people that have had either Gastric Bypass or the Sleeve, and every one of them is gaining weight back within a couple years of surgery. Every one of them slowly began eating more and more and eventually stretched their pouches and now there's nothing they can do to correct it.

Again, to each their own, but I'd check your facts.[/quote']

Anecdotes don't hold much weight in my opinion because if I went by the anecdotal evidence that I have on the surgeries, I would never have even considered the lap band or bypass, WLS in general, because the three people I know that got the band and one with bypass all gained all of their weight back and more.

I have done substantial research, and what my research has showed me is that it is extremely unlikely to stretch the sleeve. It is way easier to stretch the pouch with the bypass, however. I will take your advice though and read up a little more on the sleeve.

What I think people fail to realise with any weight loss surgery is that the effect lessens with time. Your body adapts. You can eat more. Your evangelistic enthusiasm wanes' date=' you gain a little weight. It happens with every surgery.

The major advantage of the band is that you can adjust it. And the physical tightening up really us a mental tightening up too. Suddenly you focus again and get on with things. Ask any bandster seven years out. Ive really had cause to appreciate that.

And mo doubt about it, if I had not been able to unfill my band during cancer treatment, i would have had to have had a PEG tube inserted, I got so skinny. Being able to unfill is a major advanage if you are unlucky enough to be struck by injury or disease.

Nonetheless, the constant upkeep is problematic for some, especially with the US health system. Insurance hassles, doctors being unwilling to treat other doctors' patuents, people getting andedin Mexico etc. The OPs points are considerations.

But few of us are so stupid as to not have considered these things. I would respectfullu suggest if the OP feels that way, go hang around the sleeve forum and keave us poor ignorant souls to wallow away in misery with our ineffective bands.

Spoken by omeone who lost 120lb, had kept it off for over five years and a has a bmi of 20, so what would I know really?[/quote']

You are so right that the major advantage with the band is that you can adjust it and get as many "do overs" as you need.

I would also respectfully suggest that you hold the sarcasm because I feel like you are trying to say I am saying the band is ineffective, or that for some reason people who consider the band or have the band are stupid. I don't feel that way at all, and I'm sorry if you took it that way.

No doubt the band is a great tool and works, I think that's obvious because if it didn't work, people wouldn't be getting it. But I do feel like for me, the sleeve is a better choice for all the aforementioned reasons, and I just want to provide the information for someone who may be like me four months ago, rushing into a surgery before I really explore my options.

I also rushed into surgery without considering the other alternatives' date=' but if I would have I would have rather gone with the sleeve. My sister is now considering it and it sounds a lot better than the band. The only thing I wasn't to happy with is that it entails more "surgery" in the sense that you have to take 80% of your stomach out, but in the long end you end up loosing just as much as the Gastric bypass. While the lapband is great and I'm having no problems whatsoever I just would have opted for the sleeve because you don't have to keep returning to reach your "sweet spot."[/quote']

This is how I feel. I love the idea of the band and I would probably consider it if I didn't have t worry about moving to other countries and maybe not having insurance. I feel like although it's an amazing tool, there is just too much upkeep for me and I can't tell the future and what position I will be in then.