erp

Knock Knock ****
Where's Jimmy???? I need help pleeeease! :-)

Are you pushing this product? This is the second thread you've pushed it on. My Pink Wink, like other bleaching products, does not cure the cause for the darkness. It simply masks it.
Actually I'm not, I'm just trying to help everyone who's had the same thing because I know how horrible it is to go to the beach and have to be careful not to show the darkness of your inner thighs, and as long as it doesn't show it doesn't matter to me. I just want it gone when I'm at the beach or with my significant other. It's a recommendation, which I thought was the point of this forum..... To help each other.

Here are a couple of days... My goal is to eat around 900 calories and at least 80 grams of Protein. Nothing is really "off limits" except for trigger foods (Wheat thins, etc.) I have a little fridge under my desk at work and keep Atkins Protein shakes and Greek yogurt available. Plus I like Luna Protein Bars and Quest brownie Protein Bars. (The Quest ones are AWESOME after you microwave them for 10 seconds.)

Wow, it has been a long time since I spent any "real" time here at VST.
For those who may not know me, I'm almost 2.5 years post-op, with well over 100+ posts (so I think I'm ok to post here ) but I definitely count myself in the 'slow to lose' category. I initially lost 100lbs at just about the 18 month post-op mark, and then spent a good 9 months putting on about +15-20lbs by not tracking what I eat, grazing, and generally sort of letting my guard down.
I never quit exercising but in 2012 I took on a full-time job and that put a crimp in my exercise style which was basically workout every day. I went from working out every day to 2, maybe 3 times a week. So that helped also contribute to my gain.
Now I'm not working, but have decided to go back to school (already have my bachelor's but need updated skills) and I've learned the importance of not letting exercise slide. So even though school is a huge time sucker, I've been very true to my exercise pattern. I don't work out every day anymore, but 4-6 days a week is pretty normal for me.
Since Jan 1, 2013 I've now lost -9lbs so I am working off the regain. Then it will be time to get to goal (I never made goal initally.) Part of my absence was due to work, then school, but also for the a lot of the same reasons that many of the vets don't stay here. Another reason is my preferred browser is VERY slow to load this site as it is bogged down with so much advertising that it will literally time out. Alex is working on that, and I have other browsers that aren't so slow. I also have the phone app which does okay reading but I rarely find time to post, as the reading is usually a quick 5 minutes while waiting to pick up a kid from school, etc.
Anyway, just wanting to say hello and meet some of the newer vets... so GLAD to see a Vet's Forum around here! Also happy to see some old timers still here, like Coops, CLK, PDX, Lsereno, MsSkinniness, and Lissa, etc. Sorry if I'm leaving anyone out.
One of my goals is to be around more often!

Fiddleman, have you been to a chiropractor? I took trial and error for me to find a good one but mine was a life-saver. One of the reasons I had VSG was that all of my excess weight exacerbates that fact that my hips are slightly uneven. This plus sitting too much during the day at a desk made my low back constantly inflamed. Beside his manipulation to help adjust my hip, my Chiro is into icing the back to reduce the inflation and a homeopathic ointment call Trameel for body aches. Any or all may be worth a try. Good luck.

I have the plication and love it. You ask a question like this and you will get all kinds of responses. There are certainly pros and cons to both. The plication is newer but the sleeve was new at one point too. I would suggest talking
To surgeons and looking up
Medical research to help you decide. Hearing stories or rumors from people who don't have it or haven't gone through it does an injustice to a procedure that is here to help you get healthier and live a longer life. I could have had the sleeve (same price) but chose the plication for personal reasons. The sleeve has worked for many and I have met some fantastic friends on here that are successful with it. But... My mother had it done just over a year ago and almost died. This last year for her has been unreal and she is still not working. Anyway I've come across way more success stories about the sleeve than not, but my moms experience hit too close to home. Was I scared of choosing a newer procedure? Hell yes, but for me after my research and personal experience it was the right choice for me. I am low bmi sw 203 5'7, dec 3/12 and am down to 165 now. I am grateful for this wonderful tool. Do I feel hungry sometimes? Yes but not like I used to. And the amount I eat to feel full
Or satisfied has decreased immensely. It's like a miracle lol. No complications, I feel great. If you are worried about the ghrenalin horomone search it here and you will find that all sleevers have different experiences with feeling hungry. Some not at all, some all the time. You never know, that horomone might come in handy one day lol. Is it reversible? My surgeon says yes, but why would I want to reverse it lol? I just thought If something ever happens I could revise to a sleeve as opposed to rny. And that portion of my stomach that I kept might come in handy one day. You never know what we might need out organs for lol. Anyway I just wanted you to hear from someone that has it and is grateful for it. The plication board is a little slow but there are tons
On the lb site and a few on here that have it but don't voice it for fear of bashing it;) good luck with your decision! I'm sure you will be successful either way!

The first surgeon I went to was a big plication fan. I decided against it because I realized it wouldn't help with hunger. I get hungry but not like pre- op days. Plus I thought the possible complications with plication sounded worse- necrotic stomach, no thank you. I have been blessed with a relatively smooth recovery since my VSG.

I can eat anything I want just smaller portions and I dont have to worry or gain weight. I'm 2 years and 3 months out. Best thing I've ever done. I feel like I'm finally safe inside somebody else's wonderful body.

... I'm hangin' my head too. I have NEVER exercised, not really, since surgery. I decided early on.....I wanted to make life changes. I know ME, I know I am LAZY and I know I have the attention span of a four year old. I did NOT want to lose weight in part with exercise because I was gung ho.....lose it, get bored and quit, only to regain part of my weight. I reached goal in just under five months, * doctor's goal * and my goal, five lbs less, a month later. 1200 calories keeps me where I need to be, it's been easy and I'd do it again in a heartbeat. I make choices and not having 'real' hunger, it is much easier to make WISE choices most of the time. I weigh every single day and if I'm up 2 or 3 lbs (and yes, I swear, it CAN happen over night!!), I adjust and it comes right off. Some times it's Water, some times it is Pasta or Mexican food. Weight gain can happen so fast, but keeping track, keeps it easy. If I were to weigh once a week or once every two weeks....or YIKES, once a month...and were to be up 8 or 10 lbs, that would not be as easy to handle. I know how fast it can happen!!! Anyway....hardly any bread, seldom any at home, I nibble, some times more than I should, at restaurants. No chips, almost never. Sooooo, you are NOT alone. I too confess!!!

wow.. I was reading through the thread and have tears rolling down..
I.. turned 29 this January...
and have never...
really liked myself or let anyone like me.
been in a relationship since high school
shopped outside the plus size sections of a shop
owned a full size mirror (I hate looking at myself)
been not fat/obese since being a teenager
(this is really hard to admit) had sex! (i hate the way i look too much to let anyone near me)
been on a vacation wilingly..
believed that someone can be in love with me.. :wub:
and yes.. never been waxed
went zip lining.. i tried it last november.. but was turned down due to my weight
learnt to swim

But i do have one blessing.. my mother.. she actually went on the pre-op and the first few weeks of the post op diet with me to make me feel comfortable. I would not have made it through this surgery without her.

Hi Tammy,
Feb 20 was my VSG. Most days I get all of my Protein in. Water is more challenging, not b/c I can't drink it but b/c I never drank 64 oz a day before surgery. I have tolerated all the foods I've tried so far. Weight loss has been slow and steady and I eat 2-4 oz usually at meals. I have been working on eating slower, my challenge there is it has reduced my intake by about 150-200 cals. So my quandary is do I eat at my own pace and risk eating too fast or eat slow (2 min btwn bites) and get in around 500 cals vs. my previous average of 700 calories. I'd love to hear people's thoughts.

Betty, sorry you feel that way. I really haven't picked up on that tone here. I have read other posters questioning people's decision to get VSG at any weight with the idea that people need to know that this is a drastic surgery- to make sure people are ready for it. There are lots of "light weight" posters here and several subforums like 50 lbs to lose, etc specifically for low BMI. All posters provide invaluable insight regarding success and failure with VSG. Low BMIers like Iggychick come to mind, we all apperciate her willingness to talk openly about her experience. I was what my DH called a squeaker, I was under 40 bmi and stopped my last diet in order to qualify for ins. You haven't posted much since joining VST but hopefully by participating more you will find the support you are looking for. Please feel free to PM me any time with questions or whatever. Good luck in your journey.

Actually it is the opposite. Bypass patients can stretch their pouch. Initially there may be a difference in how quickly weight is lost with the sleeve vs. RnY. However the gap between percentage of excess weight lost between the two procedures is narrowing.

Actually it is the opposite. Bypass patients can stretch their pouch. Initially there may be a difference in how quickly weight is lost with the sleeve vs. RnY. However the gap between percentage of excess weight lost between the two procedures is narrowing.

Thanks, y'all! Testing showed my mom has a stomach ulcer, which is easily treated. We are so thankful it was not something worse. Another night in the hospital & she can go home tomorrow. Whew!!

My biggest fear was that this would not work for me and I still fear that. Even with major weight loss in the past, I have never been under 200 lbs as an adult. So I hold my breath as the lbs come off to see if my body is just going to stop soon. It is a big decision and like everyone I dieted and lost 10 or 15 lbs but I was starving and miserable. So far I've lost a fair amount of weight and while it hasn't been easy, I never lost this fast on ANY diet plus (head hung low) I am not exercising. I did hit bottom last summer and when I did, I made up my mind. Yes, I had doubts and fears and still do but I knew I had to make a major change if I wanted to see major results. Good luck in whatever you decide. Keep posting, we are here for you whatever you decide.

That is really good. I am post op but had very stressful event this weekend and found the same to be true for me as well. Even though I'm post-op, I can eat and we had chips in the house this weekend! LOL. Now I am trying to get back on track to find balance amid the stress. I think this journey, whether you are pre orpost op makes you do something that many of us haven't done in a long time, try to do better and tack care of ourselves. I hope you mom gets better soon.

That is really good. I am post op but had very stressful event this weekend and found the same to be true for me as well. Even though I'm post-op, I can eat and we had chips in the house this weekend! LOL. Now I am trying to get back on track to find balance amid the stress. I think this journey, whether you are pre orpost op makes you do something that many of us haven't done in a long time, try to do better and tack care of ourselves. I hope you mom gets better soon.

My mother was hospitalized last night for some internal bleeding. We don't know what's causing it & we are trying not to get freaked out. We're hoping for something like an ulcer, or anything that's easily managed. Anyway, I also happened to have my 3rd appt with the psychologist for my eval this morning. After being at the hospital til midnight & not sleeping much, I arrived for my appt late, flustered, and not very focused. I explained what was going on & she asked me several questions about how the evening had gone. I mentioned that I had not had a chance to eat last night, and therefore had taken time to make a good Breakfast this morning. She asked me if I had realized that, in the midst of stress, I had not turned to food for comfort or stress relief. I really had to think about that for a minute, but then I realized it was true. Even though I'm still pre-op, I have begun to change my eating habits already. In the middle of everything else, I felt really good about that & it helps to build my confidence as I get closer to surgery.

There is a wiseman that lurkes this site, his name is PDX man. In his immortal words "We are a dysfunctional family, but a family nontheless.
And from the immortal words of Don Cornelius "Love Peace and Soul"