joatsaint

Weight loss surgery before and after: Saying goodbye to 130lbs 10 months post-op. I usually avoided the camera pre-surgery, but I must have made this video sometime around Nov or Dec 2012, just before weight loss surgery. The vertical sleeve gastrectomy was the best decision I have ever made for myself. Don't get me wrong, it hasn't been a smooth ride every day, but I would do it over again in a heartbeat. If you like/dislike my videos, please thumb up or down, and leave a comment about how I could improve the content. Your input helps me become a better Youtuber. :-) Keep Pimpin' that Sleeve! Google Plus https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/102076899634252886094/102076899634252886094/posts/p/pub Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Frankensleeve-Vertical-Sleeve-Gastrectomy-VSG-Community/289332951205311 Twitter https://twitter.com/frankensleeve

You didn't say how far out you are post-op, but I think we all have had this problem in the 1st few months. I believe it's because our systems are used to handling a lot more food daily. And from personal experience with the Atkins diet, I know that a high Protein diet can make it tough to poop. It felt like I was passing jagged rocks. I had to resort to Milk of Magneia to get things moving until I started eating high Fiber foods like: green Beans, lentils, yellow squash and spaghetti squash. Up until about the 6 month mark, it was tough going simply because I was not able to eat much more than 1/2 cup of food per meal. Now a days, the majority of my meals are 1/2 meat and 1/2 beans/lentils and a few vegetables here and there.

I haven't found any desire to watch those shows post-op. I used to watch them religiously pre-op. I was always hoping for that miracle cure that would rid me of my fat. But I never really believed that WLS would really work for me. I had to get to a very low point in my life before I took the plunge and committed to WLS. I only wish I had this surgery in my 20's instead of my 40's.

I am in the middle of month 13 post-op. But I still remember my 1st trip to a restaurant post-op. I had a tablespoon of guacamole, 1 chicken fajita strip and a table spoon full of re fried beans. Ahhh, memories. I was so happy to be eating so little.

Awww, that's cute, little baby pancakes. How could you be so mean as to eat a baby pancake?

Something new I tried after a 2 month stall - interval training. I watched some Youtube videos about interval training. What I gathered is that interval training is giving maximum effort for a short period, rest and do it again. Interval training does not allow your body get used to the exercise, like it does with normal daily exercise. And you continue to burn fat for hours afterwards - as opposed to regular aerobic exercise. I have no proof that it works but I noticed that my weight started falling again once I started walking the stairs at work as fast as I could. Here's what I am experimenting with: I try to climb 5 floors of stairs at the fastest pace I can. One time a day. It is really exhausting and my legs feel rubbery afterwards. I can't climb all 5 floors without stopping for 10 breaths on the 3rd floor and 10 breaths on the 4th floor. When I can do it without stopping, I'll move to doing it 2 times a day. But if I didn't have stairs, I would use a jump rope or Zumba or Insanity Workout - 3 minutes going full out then stop. Wait 1 minute then do it again. The goal being a 30 minute workout. You might check out this article: http://www.mayoclinic.org/interval-training/art-20044588

--Anyone else worried about long term risk, since it's still fairly new? Like I wonder if in 40yrs from now (I'm early 30's) I have some other issue and this will affect it? This surgery has been around for a long time, it was part of the surgery process for gastric bypass on the morbidly obese. It was the 1st step to help them lose weight and get small enough to have the full bypass operation. My doc said that so many patients were successful at losing weight with this 1st phase that they didn't come back for bypass. So it has become it's own spin-off of WLS. It's only in the past few years that insurance has started recognizing VSG as a proven weight loss tool. My doc has been doing VSG for over 10 years and it's the only WLS he recommends. I don't have the experience to relate to all your questions, but I will share what I've gone through. --I know my diet will be mostly Protein and veggies and rarely room for carbs...does that mean no more carbs or fried food ever? Or ethnic food? (I'm asian so some food from my culture but I could focus on protein stuff first...for example, can I have curry?) I just hit month 13: At the 6 month mark, I was able to eat anything I wanted. Sugar, fried foods, candy, chips, cake, bread, Pasta. Prior to that, my stomach wasn't big enough to allow me to eat things that weren't nutrient dense - so I had to get the most nutrition for every bite of food. I could hold about 1/2 cup per meal. Surprisingly, it was the high carb processed foods that were the easiest to digest. I severely limited myself on those. After 6 months, my stomach seemed to "relax" a bit and I could hold more - about 1 cup of food per meal. So I allowed myself the occasional treat or fried chicken strip (just 1 though), usually on Sat night when I go out to eat. So you most likely will be able to eat anything you want eventually, but you may not want to - my tastes changed post-op and I don't like some of my old foods. I had to give away a case of chicken noodle Soup post-op - I can't stand it now. So don't stock up on any one thing pre-surgery in prep for your post-surgery life. --I know no soda or carbonated drinks anymore...was this hard to give up? I switched to Crystal Light years ago, so I didn't really have to give up sodas. But carbonated stuff isn't off limits forever. I wouldn't drink any for the 1st 6 months, but after that I did have the occasional sip of Sprite and I drink Mike's Hard Lemonade (it's carbonated) with no ill effects - just drink slowly. --Is the first week of just liquids extremely difficult? Thinking about it and it seems pretty hard to do only liquids for a whole week. It was very tough for me. I cheated and had some meat occasionally. But no carbs of any kind outside of what was in the shakes. --I'm a NYer...no more bagels ever? I can eat bagels and breads, but Frankensleeve tends to grumble (even after a year) if I eat flat breads or whole wheat bread. --I love ice Water and not drinking near meals sounds tricky...does it get easier? It does get easier and becomes a habit pretty quick. I had to retrain myself to take the smallest sip (just enough to wet my tongue) if I needed to drink during a meal. --How do you explain to others what you did? Did anyone make you feel badly? I never told anyone I didn't have to tell. They were all very supportive. No one ever asked me why I couldn't lose the weight on my own. If I do get that question, my answer will be - I'm a food addict and I needed the extra help that WLS gave me to lose the weight and get healthier. --What do you do when you're on vacation or near the holidays etc, just try your best to stick to plan? It was surprisingly easy to stay with my diet during the holidays. After all, Frankensleeve is still pretty small. So it limits how much I can eat of anything. I always eat my healthy stuff first and let myself have a bite or two of dessert - if there's room. I carefully monitor my weight and if it starts creeping up, I know to back off the junk. It is surprisingly easy to do. Whatever it was that caused me to eat and obsess over food pre-op is gone. My relationship with food is completely different. It might be the reduction of ghrelin (the hunger hormone) or it might be that I was forced to go cold-turkey from sugar and processed foods for 6 months. You just don't know how much differently you'll relate to food once you're on the other side.

Weight Loss Surgery Frequently Asked Questions: How has shaving changed after (VSG) weight loss surgery? Plus, how to make your razor blades last longer. A few years ago I was researching how to make razor blades last longer, after all, disposable razor blades are becoming really expensive - especially the 4 and 5 blade ones. I read an article that said most razor blades cause irritation not because they lose their edge, but because of dead skin cells and salts that dry on the blades between shaves. I make my blades last much longer by keeping them submerged in plain old tap water between shaves. If you like/dislike my videos, please thumb up or down, and leave a comment about how I could improve the content. Your input helps me become a better Youtuber. :-) Keep Pimpin' that Sleeve! Google Plus https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/102076899634252886094/102076899634252886094/posts/p/pub Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Frankensleeve-Vertical-Sleeve-Gastrectomy-VSG-Community/289332951205311 Twitter https://twitter.com/frankensleeve

My doc said I should expect to lose 75% of my excess weight. According to medical charts my ideal weight is 185 or so. But I would be happy in the 200 range. So do a Google search for body weight charts and figure out how much excess weight you have and multiply the excess by .75. That should give you an idea of how much you can expect to easily lose. You can continue to lose after that till you get to where you feel comfortable. Just a rough estimate, but if you've lost 33% of your excess weight and that equals 30lbs then 3 X 30lbs = 90lbs of excess weight. 90 X .75 = 67.5lbs 192 - 67.5 = 124.5lbs Does a goal weight of 124.5lbs sound reasonable?

That totally happened to me as well - right up to about 6 months. When a new food was tough to digest (grape skins, apple peel, pineapple, chicken breast, steak...) my stomach acted like a garbage disposal with rocks rolling around in it! :-) Lots of grumbling and gas bubbles moving around in there.

I've eaten Pasta several times - probably after the 4 month mark. I never had a desire for it after surgery. But my mom served it for lunch, so I had some. It turns out that pasta is a trigger food for me. I get hungrier the more I eat - until I'm at the bursting point. So I avoid or severely limit it now. http://www.bariatricpal.com/blog/9018/entry-31170-confession-time-the-spaghetti-monster-almost-got-me/

I ached on and off in my shoulder for the 1st week. Actually I just felt awful all over, but I can remember that soreness in my shoulder. I guess it came and went as the gas left my system.

I promise that you haven't broken your weight loss machine. :-) I at month 13 and have gone through a stall about once a month since my 3rd month post-op. I found that if I stick to my recommended eating program, the weight will continue to drop. I may stall for a week or 2 - I've just come off my longest stall (2 1/2 months Nov - Jan). I was stuck at 232 for the longest and over the holidays I let myself get up to 239. Now that I'm back on my old eating schedule, the weight is starting to fall again. I'm 232 again - 5lbs lost in 4 days. So it just goes to show that there isn't any point when I can't lose any more weight. Just keep doing what you know works for you and the weight will continue to fall.

After the 1st week post-op, I never had any nausea or problems keeping food down. That 1st week, everything made me sick and I was only tolerating a teaspoon or 2 of food every few hours. My 1st 6 months, I was very limited on the foods I could eat. I couldn't tolerate much of anything other than re-fried Beans and cream of mushroom Soup for that time. I see this topic posted a lot, so it must be pretty common and eventually lessens and goes away. Stay focused on getting your liquids in.

I agree with Bufflehead, Bring a comfy pillow - put a brightly colored case on it to make it easy to spot when your released. Loose clothes

I was back on a normal diet by 6 months post-op. That does not mean Frankensleeve would tolerate every food, but I was able to eat the majority of foods - chicken, steak, pork, salad, most fruit and vegetables. pineapple and chicken took the longest before Frankensleeve liked them again. I was still very restricted in the amounts of food I was able to eat, maybe a cup full at any meal. And I was still training myself to watch how much and how fast I was eating. It was very easy to take one-bite-too-many and get that "uh-oh" feeling.

I'm on month 13 and I can still remember my 1st week post-op. Just keep walking as much as you can, wear the abdominal binder if they gave you one, and focus on getting in enough liquids - then protein. It gets soooooo much better after the 1st week!

Frequently Asked Questions - What was the last straw the made you choose weight loss surgery? I was at my lowest point physically and mentally in July 2012. I knew that my health would continue to deteriorate and I'd only become more and more depressed if I didn't make a change. Some people claim that weight loss surgery is the easy way out, but I needed the extra help from WLS to dig myself out of the hole I was in. It's kinda funny that society ridicules you for being overweight and then ridicules you again if you don't lose the weight "the right way." If you like/dislike my videos, please thumb up or down, and leave a comment about how I could improve the content. Your input helps me become a better Youtuber. :-) Keep Pimpin' that Sleeve! Google Plus https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/102076899634252886094/102076899634252886094/posts/p/pub Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Frankensleeve-Vertical-Sleeve-Gastrectomy-VSG-Community/289332951205311 Twitter https://twitter.com/frankensleeve

Weight Loss Surgery Tips - Why it's good to be #2. I realized it's not always good to be the 1st in line for surgery. My WLS surgeon had 6 surgeries scheduled on the same day and began at 7am. I felt pretty good about being his 2nd patient for the day. It meant that he had time to get warmed up and in the zone for surgery. But he hadn't been working so long that he was getting fatigued. If you like/dislike my videos, please thumb up or down, and leave a comment about how I could improve the content. Your input helps me become a better Youtuber. :-) Keep Pimpin' that Sleeve! Google Plus https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/102076899634252886094/102076899634252886094/posts/p/pub Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Frankensleeve-Vertical-Sleeve-Gastrectomy-VSG-Community/289332951205311 Twitter https://twitter.com/frankensleeve

"Ok, what's up with that stuffed animal thingy" - that's Frankensleeve, I found him online. He's a plushie stomach, produced for a medical convention on stomach issues. I ran across a thread asking what people named their new stomachs and I chose Frankensleeve since mine is always making noises like, "roowwwwwwrrr" and is bothered by firey foods. :-) Then I ran across Frankensleeve online and had to have him.

This Frequently Asked Question addresses the need to take vitamins and calcium post-op weight loss surgery. How to pick'em and why you need'em. My surgeon wanted me on a multivitamin, calcium and B12 post-op. His office carries the Bariatric Advantage brand of vitamins, but said any good brand of multivitamins were suitable post-op. Just be sure to wait a few hours between taking a multi with Iron and calcium. Iron inhibits the absorption of calcium. If you like/dislike my videos, please thumb up or down, and leave a comment about how I could improve the content. Your input helps me become a better Youtuber. :-) Keep Pimpin' that Sleeve! Google Plus https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/102076899634252886094/102076899634252886094/posts/p/pub Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Frankensleeve-Vertical-Sleeve-Gastrectomy-VSG-Community/289332951205311 Twitter https://twitter.com/frankensleeve

I was back at work in 10 days, but I've read several posts about being back at work after only 3 or 4 days.

I tried it in the microwave today. Wrapped half in cling wrap and nuked it for 15 minutes. It came out pretty good, but I think I like it in the oven because it comes out a little crunchier. Yep, got it at my local grocery, they are pretty common. I've found them at both stores in my town and in Wal-Mart. And they are labelled Spaghetti Squash. I mistakenly bought a Butternut Squash - because I didn't read the sticker on it's side. Spaghetti Squash is like a small yellow watermelon, Butternut is tan and shaped like a bell.

I had low energy waaaayyy before surgery, so it wasn't much different after. But it was about 3 months before I got back to my normal level of low energy. Even at a year post-op, I still have low energy levels. I had always read the "I can't believe how much energy I have" weight loss stories, still waiting for mine to happen. I have to drink coffee and occasionally take caffeine pills to have what I consider "normal" energy levels.