damanda

started 5'5 at 217 wearing 16-18 pants and XL/ XXl tops.

now 5'5 at 159 wearing 9/10 pants and LG/Med tops.

Goal - 5'5 130 wearing 5/6 pants and SM/MED tops

Did your Dr. pick it for you(or help you pick it) ? Did you just have one in mind? The BMI you were before kids? Something more interesting ?

I am exactly where you are, EXACTLY. I am not sure which is worse right now the almost stopped weight loss or the extreme Hair loss, but from reading the boards I do not think we are the first to go thru this and in time with some due diligence it will pass .

*1*- I can still(and do) drink/tolerate alcohol/wine like I use to before surgery.

*2*- I eat whatever I want, whenever I want (except bread and carbo drinks) I just do it in small portions.

*3*- I stopped taking all my Vitamins due to cost.

*4*-I almost never work out.

*5* I feel guilty not telling my overweight adult daughters about my surgery.

I will be 43 in 5 weeks ( excited for my birthday). I am married (the hottie behind me in the picture) , 5 kids- 24- 22- 20- 16-14, all 100 % wonderful. Sleeved in Mexico 5 months ago. Down 52 pounds, about 35 more to goal.

Nike Free Run or Ascis (sp)

Thanks ! Good Good just back to life ya know . . .happy with my sleeve, I can see you are also . That is a lot of weight off in 5 months, can not believe it has already been 5 months, really amazing.

You look awesome ! Great job !

Horrible pain, and I am not even skinny yet! I hope my little booty does adjust as we go along because I have a desk job also and right now i have a big pillow sitting on my office chair. It is so sad the butt & boobs are the first to go.

It is more of a thinning, I used to have very thick hair. I just buy my Biotin at Target 1000 mg that I take daily plus I noticed a smaller dose included in my multi Vitamin. No side effects from anything. I take a multi, Calcium, Omega 3, B12, milkthistle,prilosec and of course Biotin everyday. I also had my surgery in MX. You will be fine. Good Luck

Is it enough to notice bald Patches? Or is it a less focused Hair loss and just thinning? I think I could handle the thinning, but not the patches!! That's completely true, everyone keeps saying that it isn't a permanent thing. If you don't mind me asking, what form do you take biotin in? Are there any odd side effects from it?! Can't wait to be shedding the clothing sizes either. Happy losing

Is it enough to notice bald Patches? Or is it a less focused hair loss and just thinning? I think I could handle the thinning, but not the patches!! That's completely true, everyone keeps saying that it isn't a permanent thing. If you don't mind me asking, what form do you take biotin in? Are there any odd side effects from it?! Can't wait to be shedding the clothing sizes either. Happy losing

I loved/ love my hair also. I have used Biotin & silica to try to keep it and boost its growth. I am still losing my hair though. I have heard it passes ( the Hair loss ) after 7-9 months. So right now I just try to focus less on the hair and more on the clothing size I drop each month and wear a lot of ponytails.

Quite a huge difference in dosage. Does anyone have any idea on how much we really should be taking? Can you "overdose" so to speak?

Skinny, what dosage of silica do you take?

I am not sure, I take mine daily at the 1,000 mg so 7,000 a week not counting what is in my multi. Maybe if they take theirs (10,000) weekly the numbers get closer.

I have a Target brand 1,000 MG tablet I have taken since about three weeks out, plus there is a little in my multi Vitamin. Not sure if it working i am still losing my hair a bit, but maybe without the Biotin it would be worse so I keep taking it .

Thanks for all the advice & encouragement. I am going to do this even if those pleaser shoes look like my death

Looking for a new fun exercise, pole dancing class sounds fun but intimidating.

Any one tried this want to share how it was, also the website for the class in my town says poles have a 200 lb limit.

I was 189 at my last Monday weigh in which is under 200 but do not want to push the limits or my luck, anyone in my weight range or larger want to ease my worries that this will not end in me being YouTube famous ?

My favorite things I brought were Gas -X strips, Listerine strips, hair scrunchies, Berts bees, soft no wire sports bra, flip flops (any slip on shoe) face cleaning wipes, my smart phone, my visa card, a couple loose sun dresses (I went in August )a cross body purse /bag,basic toiletries.

Good question, if I need them I for sure would do them in Mexico instead of in the US, but who is on the best list for these types of surgery in Mexico and what are the prices?

A glass of wine, a bite of my kids burger, a piece of bacon.

http://www.chikenutrition.com/buy-chike-coffee.html

Good stuff, seriously!

Damanda,

Thank you for making a great point. I also got exactly out of my trip that I intended to get. A surgery with no complications

Most Excellent !

I used Dr. Kelly, and I did have a drain while at Florence Hospital, another patient that I spent a lot of time with while in Mexico was his patient at Mi hospital and had no drain. I did not feel a personal connection with the Dr, I did not have dinner with him or his wife, I am not having his name tattooed on my soon to be svelte arm. What i did get was back on my feet in one day, never even a hint of infection, no leaks, a sleeve that offers great restriction but not too much as I have never thrown up or gotten slimmies or anything like that. Bottom line is he is a good, dare I say great surgeon and that is what I was shopping for.

You hit the nail on the head-just paranoid that I went through this for just a portion of the weight loss. But hoping your right and things will keep moving.

BTW- you look really good, 42? More like 32!

Awwwww < blush>

Must be two similar named things, Fit Frappe is a coffee flavored Protein Powder

I am eying it up at Sam's Club every time I go pick up my Premium Protein Shakes and bars, before I spend the bucks let me hear your review if you have used / tried it .

Yes, Yes . . we are all very different in the way we lose weight. However with out sorting through every post ever made on VST I was wondering what are the most common times to stall through out the first year and do they last for different amounts of time. Example, if three weeks and 5 months are common stall points , does the three week stall only last one week where the 5 month stall last a month ?

Stalls seem to get everyone in such a feisty mood I thought if i just prepared for one in my head I could psych it out