2bsmallagain

I think if your doctor says you should keep increasing that you should probably follow his advice, as long as you're not eating a super large amount. Maybe you need to eat small amounts more often? I can only get in about 2oz of soft food per serving right now, but my NUT wants me eating six small meals a day. It's hard to get in, but when I do, I feel much better.
There is a really awesome thread about stretching here: http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/48540-worried-about-stretching-is-it-easy-or-hard-to-do/page__hl__stretching
which kinda calmed some of my nerves - I was pretty worried about it too before reading that pretty much everyone is eating similar to me and that everyone is worried about it.
As far as your stall - just tough it out. I know it's so much easier said than done, but it happens to just about everyone. Measure! Maybe you are losing inches. If you are really that worried about it, switch some things up. Try new exercise, try new foods, up your Protein, down your carbs, up your Water, up or down your exercise, get more sleep. There are an incredible number of factors that influence our weight loss. In the end though the biggest factor is really just time for our body to adjust. It will start up again soon! =)

I am 45, 57 started at 250 now down to 180 and I have no, zero excess skin. I do however workout everyday and I lift wts so I have quite a bit of muscle mass. I wouldn't be afraid of the excess skin issue, it depends on your age, genetics (body type) and how long you have been fat/your skin has been stretched out. Good luck to you.

It would be nice if they could feel for one day how people few someone that is overweight. They have no clue how we have felt and been treated. What it is like to try and find cute clothes without looking or feeling sloppy. If their was only a true way to make them feel what we have felt it would be a blessing to humanity.

I am with the don't ask don't tell motto. I told one person in my family and got a very negative response so I am selective about who I tell. I also like hearing how good I look and having a positive response versus oh you had surgery response. Some people are either jealous that you had or say it is the easy way out. They are ignorant and have no idea how hard this decision is to make and live with. With that said I would not change my decision for anything. I am very happy with my loss and very happy with my life right now. Telling is very personal choice because everyone has family and friends with different a outlook on WLS. Good luck to everyone.

I have lost 59lbs in 12 weeks and have excess skin on my arms and inner thighs. I am also 40 years old though. It all depends on how much weight you need to lose and your age. I will definitely be having plastic surgery after I reach goal. I have seen some younger people not have a noticeable problem with excess skin. Everyone is different because of their skin elasticity so I would not worry about the skin just worry about losing the weight and being healthy. The skin will either bounce back or it won't. It is a problem that can be fixed. When you have rapid weight loss it does have an affect on your skin with everyone but some is just worse than others. Good luck. Working out does help some.

That is absolutely great!! Congrats!! I hope I have a similar story when I reach my year!

Before I had surgery, I was selective in who I told....I wasn't interested in hearing unsolicited advice....now being 2 months post op, I have the motto of if a person doesn't ask, then I will not tell....honestly its no ones business unless you want to the a spokesperson for WLS....
SO when people ask, I tell them I'm following a high protien diet and limiting my carbs, and its working....whether they choose to believe it or not, is not my concern, honestly I dont go around asking people about their weight losses or gains....
If a person doesnt come out and out right ask me, I dont tell...

I agree with not getting into a grazing habit. I feel it can cause possible weight gain in the future during the maintenance period. Having a schedule is key from what my doctor told me.

I just got back home late last night from Tj with Dr. Garcia and had a wonderful experience. I would have to echo everything Jeff said in his original post....it was like he was telling my story. The care, the greatness of the hotel and the bed. I literally felt like I was with family at the hospital. My husband was with me and knows a little spanish enough to communicate better than I could and more times than not he was giving the nurses English lessons and it was so funny to hear them and we would all laugh.....it was just a nice, peaceful trip.

It is totally normal. I am ten weeks out and everytime I eat it happens. I call it my alien talking because especially if I eat something new it will make all kinds of noises and gurgle sounds. Weird I know but I hope eventually it will go away.

I am scheduled for a sleeve with Dr Garcia in Tijuana on August 31, anyone close to that date?

BTW, for me it happened constantly when my sleeve was brand new, but over time seems more linked to time of day and what I eat.
Eating later in the day (which I don't do much because it's more uncomfortable) or eating very dense/tough foods (like jerky) seem to make it happen more.

It does take some adjusting.... ok a lot of adjusting. I am one who always drank a lot with my meals but I also ate a lot more at one time. I have forgotten and reached for my glass and taken a drink and it is not a pleasant experience. You will not want to do it after once or twice messing up. You are eating so little in one meal that you will not need to wash your food down. It just takes some practice and the best thing to do is not even have a drink near you while your eating. You will get used to it and now I stop drinking when I get hungry and wait for about 30-45 minutes then eat. After you eat you feel full so you know you cannot fit anything else in. At first it seemed like an eternity before I could drink but now its second nature. The whole thing is a process and a learning experience.

It does take some adjusting.... ok a lot of adjusting. I am one who always drank a lot with my meals but I also ate a lot more at one time. I have forgotten and reached for my glass and taken a drink and it is not a pleasant experience. You will not want to do it after once or twice messing up. You are eating so little in one meal that you will not need to wash your food down. It just takes some practice and the best thing to do is not even have a drink near you while your eating. You will get used to it and now I stop drinking when I get hungry and wait for about 30-45 minutes then eat. After you eat you feel full so you know you cannot fit anything else in. At first it seemed like an eternity before I could drink but now its second nature. The whole thing is a process and a learning experience.

The reason we're not supposed to drink before eating is to actually leave room in our tiny stomach's for the little bit of food we get to eat. The main reason for not drinkingwhile eating is to prevent from washing the food through the stomach and intestines too quickly and not allowing our bodies to absorb the needed nutrients.
Having said that i do have to admit that I do take a sip of Water every now and then while I'm eating. I cant help it. And I figure a few small sips shouldn't really hurt. It's not like I'm downing a whole glass of something and flushing the food through.

I'm actually not telling my six year old. I will tell him mommy has an owwie (how the heck do you spell that lol) in her tummy and the doctor has to fix it and that he has to be careful not to jump on mommy etc til it's all better. He's too young to understand and he's spent a couple of years in hospital so anything associated with hospital freaks him out. Will I tell him later in life? Maybe, but maybe not. This isn't his journey (IMO) it's entirely mine and unless he has weight issues as an adult I don't see it being necessary. Just my opinion of course. We all see things differently.
That said if he was a teen I'd definitely tell him. The only person outside of my mom and husband I am telling is his nanny because she lives with us and I will need her help after surgery more than usual. It would be hard to hide it from a close family member (someone in the house) and you might worry them with your odd behavior if you don't tell them. That said, given the autistic older child.....only YOU know what they can handle or would notice. My son has special needs as well and no one but those who are closest to them know where their mind is (I hope I said that in a way that makes sense to you!).
Best of luck on your journey!

Thanks everyone. I'm going to try the heating pad and ...... anything to stop the madness pain!!
Although its much better today than yesterday.
Thanks again guys. Im so glad I have you

Hi everyone, I just wanted to introduce myself. I'm 44 and am a mom to 3 kids, 3 dogs and 2 cats. I'm getting sleeved on August 22nd by Dr. Weiss in New York. I was origionally planning on getting banded but after talking with my surgeon, gastroenterologist and doing more research feel that I'm better suited to the sleeve. I'm counting down the days till surgery. I want to get healthier, make sure I stay healthy and keep up with my 3 year old. And did I mention I also can't wait to look hot...or at least semi hot.

Wow! Everyone is so helpful! It's making this decision very hard! I definitely want the best are possible- and I know everyone that travels there is looking for the same.

For me, the only choice was Dr Kelly. He and his team were amazing and went above and beyond. I did not have a typical run of the mill surgery. I had a 7 yr old band, old infection from port that ran my entire stomach with scar tissue. He removed the band, port, scar tissue and spent 4 times the time he usually does to make sure things were right. I had a total of 4 leak tests. Dr kelly has skills that I never have come across in oregon. His coordinator was there for me each step. He called my children after surgery to reassure them of my care. Do research, see what feels good to you and enjoy your change in your life. Only you know what is best for you.

I agree with cissiesue Dr. Kelly is a good surgeon. He was one of my choices also. I used Dr. Garcia and was totally happy with him. Either one would be a great choice. It is a personal preference and which ever one you choose it has to be who you feel at peace with. I felt good about both and am sure I would have had the same results with either one I chose. Good luck and you will be in good hands with whatever choice you make.

I would definitely 100% recommend Dr. Ramos Kelly. His reputation, qualifications, and affiliations, are everything you should look for in a surgeon. I like the personalized service that he gives, and that he runs a family business. I also like that he doesnt use a coordinator that gouges about 2k of your fee, just to set up your surgery. Dr K has a personal assistant, instead, and he is simply wonderful! I also like that Dr K personally oversees your post op care, and you're not placed in a recovery house, but a luxurious hotel! You will stay a minimum of 2 days in the hospital, and won't be released unless you are ready (you will be). Omar, and Cecey(Dr's wife) will be checking in on you, and Cecey will take care of your incisions, and bring you a care pkg of gatorade, juice, Jello etc. Dr K will come see you everyday, and answer any questions/concerns you may have. I could go on and on, but for a few hundred more, you will get a better quality surgeon, and aftercare program and they will come get you whenever your flight in, no extra cost for a hotel!

You're consuming too few calories. At 3 weeks, I was getting 600-800 a day. My surgeon says to aim for 800-1000 calories a day during the whole "losing phase" & I normally average between 750-950 most days now that I'm almost 9 weeks out. If you're getting too few calories, your body will hang on to everything it has & you won't lose much. Everyone is different & sometimes we have to do things to trick our bodies into continuing to lose.
As far as grazing goes, my surgeon says to only have 3 meals a day, no Snacks, & to only have Protein shakes or Water between meals. Every doctor is different though. Some say Snacks are fine, but you really don't want to get into the grazing habit.
At 3 weeks out, I was on full liquids & could easily get more calories by using cream of wheat or grits and creamy Soups. At that point, I didn't have to limit my meal times or not drink around a meal since everything was liquid. When I moved to puréeds, my surgeon said to stop drinking 30 minutes before & after a meal & to limit to only 1/2 cup of food for a meal. It really depends on what stage you're at though.

In something close to three years reading this board I have only ever seen two or three people come here to say they're lost less than fifty pounds. And in every case, there is a definite issue on the part of the sleever. After losing a good amount of weight it's easy to get complacent, but there is no reason even for those people to sit at a weight that makes them unhappy.
This surgery removes 85% of your stomach. You're on a liquid diet for weeks afterward (at least I was) and then you slowly transition into regular foods over the next several weeks. You have a seriously restricted stomach for an entire year, and even at two years out I cannot possibly eat anything even remotely close to my pre-surgery intake.
If you don't lose weight, you aren't trying hard enough. That's harsh, but true.
However, there is no guarantee about how FAST you'll lose the weight. So some people might drop more than 100 pounds in nine months and some (like me) take almost a year and a half to lose that much. But if you do the right things you cannot help but lose weight.
Good luck with your upcoming surgery,
~Cheri

Not asking your income, but to all you self pay folks, make sure you keep all receipts for gas, mileage, hotels, airfare, and procedure, meds etc... to file on your taxes for the year of your surgery. Well as long as your total medical expenses are 7% of your AGI or 10% of your gross if your surgery is next year.