HoosierGirl

First - you have lost 82 lbs in less than a year....congratulations! My surgery was on 2/4/13 so about the same time as yours.

I have been exercising pretty consistently since May. But like you, the scale is "stuck" and has been for the last 6-8 weeks. It's fine, but sort of discouraging as I am so focused on getting to my personal weight goal. However, during this time my measurements have continued to go down! Even though the scale has stayed the same, I am still getting smaller. Have you compared your measurements lately? The scale may be the same, but maybe you are still losing inches?

A couple questions: have you had your thyroid checked? Are you able to stationary bike? (Years ago, that was part of my knee rehab).

If you aren't hungry and your diet isn't bad, I think the diet pill idea is "iffy" at best. My suggestion is to change something up. Add some type of exercise, etc. Or perhaps as CowgirlJane mentions, this is part of the natural evolution of a sleeve patient?

All I know is that I am in the same "stall" as you. Good luck my friend!

Welcome to the losers bench! Hope you are feeling well....and welcome to the sleeved side.

I'm back at the Marriott, I needed to stay 2 nights at the clinic rather than one. Long story but all is well and everything was handled quickly and professionally. I am recovering (from 2 surgeries) and on the loser's bench! Turns out I had a hiatal hernia and they went in after the fact to fix it. I had no idea I even had one.

Kindle - hate to hear about your worry...you are going to do fantastic! Sitting here smiling because I am not indulging in any holiday treats either as I am SO DAMN CLOSE to my personal goal....I have smelled all the Cookies, pizza, and Snacks over the past weeks but not indulged in anything since the start of December. As I sit here in my size 6 jeans, I am VERY happy to skip the junk and feel frigging awesome (and a bit proud at the same time). You should feel proud too...you are making awesome choices even though you have lost what you needed before surgery.

Like you, I LOVE eating. So, it is kind of a buzz kill when you can't chow down anymore. It really does suck sometimes. But, I will still have a beer from time to time. And I still have things I enjoy, but just can't eat as much. After surgery, you will find your new normal.

Hugs and well wishes as you prepare to leave for TJ...really looking forward to hearing about your travel/surgery experience. GOOD LUCK!

LoveMyWorld - just sent you an email...

LoveMyWorld - Glad to help! (This is what I would have typed to you in a PM, so apologies if anyone is offended, but these are my thoughts/opinions.) Choosing a surgeon in Mexico is HARD! There is a reason you are having sleepless nights -you are literally having most of your stomach removed in a foreign country...its kind of a big deal! Kudos to you for doing research.

Here is what I know...Dr. Aceves is a VERY good surgeon. What you mention about the days in the hospital and leak tests are very valid reasons to choose him. He is also very experienced and was on my personal short list of surgeons in Mexico. There were two reasons I personally didn't choose him 1) he was located in a part of Mexico that had a travel warning from the US State Department (unsure if that is still the case) 2) couldn't personally justify the cost difference. AmandaRaeLeo on this board used Dr. Aceves this year and is having great success with her sleeve. She would be a great resource to get information from. The other reason for choosing Dr. Oritz (besides what I have on my blog) was all the YouTube videos of him, his facility and staff. The information made me feel very comfortable and confident about where I was going and who would be taking care of me. When I finally got comfortable, my massive worry eased.....a bit!

With regard to surgeon claims of % weight loss....to me, those are meaningless. Since the patient is in control of what is eaten or exercised, the surgeon really has nothing to do with your personal percent of weight loss. The bottom line is that it's YOUR sleeve and YOUR choice what to put into it. If you don't follow the nutritional and exercise guidelines, the surgeon's patient's success rates are really meaningless. But, this is your choice and you need to choose criterion that are important to you. If this is a big deal to you, go with your gut. Ultimately, the % of weight loss is up to you. Personally, I have lost well over 100% of my excess weight and I believe it's due to my choices after surgery, not the surgeon's expertise.

In my research, both doctors use the same size bougie so the sleeve size is the same. The part of the stomach you are left with is not very stretchy, so there is not a great likelihood of stretching the sleeve, again, unless you don't follow the rules. Like you, I was and continue to be TERRIFIED of failing after weight loss surgery. So, I follow all the nutrition and exercise rules to be sure I am successful.. I try to do everything I didn't do when I was fat - track my food in MyFitnessPal, exercise 5 days a week, and weigh every day. These are my personal changes and they are working - so I am responsible for my success. Sounds like you are doing a very good job at making good lifestyle changes. The sleeve will help you continue those good choices. In the past 20 years, I have not been below 170 lbs. Right now I am 149. This surgery will help you achieve a healthy weight for you.

I will be 11 months out January 4. Dr. Ortiz set my goal weight at 155. I asked before surgery if I could go for 145. They said yes, with additional effort. The weight is coming off much more slowly now, but I know I will get to 145. Not sure if I will choose to stay there as I am getting a lot of comments that I look "too thin". (And it's a WONDERFUL problem to have!!! LOL). I definitely still have restriction. When I eat lean Protein, or really any protein, I am full and stay that way for hours. Over the past weeks of holiday treats, I have found that I can really eat the Christmas Cookies and other high carb junk with no feeling of restriction. So, I shouldn't be eating it! (And maybe why I am having such trouble with these last few pounds?! Silly me...)

As for how much I can currently eat - today, I had two scrambled eggs for Breakfast and was full. If I have 3-5 ounces of fish or chicken or pork roast, I am full. The other day I went to Hardees and had a low-carb thick burger and was able to eat about 3/4 - 7/8 of it and was very full. But carbs leave me no feeling of fullness and just slide through my sleeve. So I really need to be aware and avoid the junk!

In the paperwork Dr. Ortiz gives before surgery, he says to email his office a couple weeks after surgery to get the surgery report. I emailed him two weeks after and got the report via email. I faxed it to my Family Doctor so she could have a copy.

Overall, I don't think you could go wrong with Aceves or Ortiz. There are others who I feel very confident about in Tijuana too. Just keep doing your research and go with your gut. When you are sold on your surgeon, your worry will be less and you can focus on healing.

If you have not purchased it, Dr. Alvarez has an eBook called "The Gastric Sleeve". I think it cost $9.95 and is downloadable. It's been a very valuable resource for me all through this process. Everything he said in the book is right on the money. Would highly recommend it as I had more pre-surgery questions after reading it and felt like a more educated patient. Plus, a handy resource after surgery too.

Before surgery, I worried about failure, had crazy dreams, what if I failed, what if this money was wasted, blah blah blah. But really, I should have been thinking what if I am wildly successful and this is the best gift I ever gave myself? The bottom line is that this surgery will change your life in ways you can't imagine now. Keep doing your research and get really comfortable and confident about your surgeon. If you continue to feel crazy, reach out to me because I sure get it! I was there at this time last year!

Hugs and well wishes! Shelley

Ok, so I leave tomorrow and the extreme fear has set in! I feel confident that I picked the best possible surgeon, but still, I am so nervous!

HAF - you are leaving on the biggest adventure of your life! Nerves are to be expected! Haha!

You are in very capable hands...looking forward to hearing all the details. Safe travel and safe surgery!

GLOBETROTTER - I am SO WITH YOU....feel like I am killing myself and seeing no scale movement. I'm so laser focused on hitting my weight goal and the scale has just stopped moving. The only thing I know to do is add some new type exercise in the evening (I have chosen weight training and hired a personal trainer). My diet could use some work, so I am focusing on cleaner eating (challenging during the holidays).

I'm not about to stop doing what I am doing....my goal is too close at hand! Don't lose your focus/intensity. You might be days away from that scale moving again or looser clothes. Keep your head down and keep kicking ass. You've got this....

Day 11 Insanity: Today was a fit test, to gauge our progress since starting 2 weeks ago. On most things I showed a slight improvement, I stayed the same on plank jacks and actually regressed on high knee jumps lol. My weight loss has absolutely stopped, I haven't lost a pound since starting Insanity and no, my clothes aren't fitting any better either

It's December 16 - have completed 11 high intensity interval training sessions this month. (And SEVERAL long snow shoveling sessions!)

On track to hit my workout goal.....now the focus is on eating clean and adding some weights to achieve my weight goal!

In the past 5 days, I have logged equal amounts of exercise time and snow shoveling time! Sheesh!

Yeah - all the cool kids are going to be in TJ next week....really looking forward to hearing about your surgery/travel experiences!

I just booked my sleeve today for 12.19 and suddely I am freaking out! lol

HAF - congrats! Totally relate to your pre-op freak out! Made myself crazy with random thoughts, needless worry and bizarre dreams before surgery. Hit me up with your craziness - because I get it!

In all seriousness, the 19th will be here before you know it. Let me know if you have questions.

I was so satisfied with scrambled eggs for Breakfast and tuna at lunch. If the junk isn't around, then I can't eat it. (Maybe this is how my hubby has lost 30 lbs since my sleeve?? Ha!)

So if an alcoholic avoids alcohol, a druggie avoids drugs, former fatties must avoid Rice Krispie Treats!!! It's sure true for me!

Moderation and occasional indulgences are great and I do that - but having the temptation sitting on the counter while snowbound at home all weekend is a recipe for disaster!

I'm OVER the whole holiday treats thing.

Kids were off school Friday due to weather. Of course, this was my chance to make Christmas goodies. Made three different offerings...ginger snaps, M&M Cookies, and Rice Krispie treats.

You know what? I get ZERO restriction from any of these goodies. What a SHOCK!?

Ran them all down the garbage disposal last night.

If I bake like this again, it will be a small plate for our family and gift plates to all the neighbors. Don't need this crap sitting around calling my name.

Thank you for reading. Rant over.

This happened with my drain site...closed up and stopped draining about 24 hours after the ripped of my scab "incident".

B2B - when I was losing weight fast, my skin itched like mad! I would go to the bathroom at work so I could hide out and scratch like a dog with fleas. Not pretty, but oh it felt so great! Mentioned this to a friend and her first comment was that my skin was shrinking and thus, the itching. Very unscientific, but I think true for me. When my weight loss slowed, itching stopped. Maybe a possibility for you too?? I mean it was everywhere...neck, lower back, chest, under arms. And it wasn't a painful thing, just an itch that I HAD to scratch!

This is good stuff! The pictures with the body fat percentages were interesting. Right now I am very focused ion achieving my personal goal weight of 145. I am currently in a very comfortable size 8. Since I have been exercising a lot through this process, almost everything looks pretty good for a 42 year old gal. But, my lower abdomen is a train wreck! My breasts are largely gone. Before this surgery, I would have never entertained plastics. Now, I am planning to book a Tummy Tuck and breast augmentation as my reward for hitting goal! (Feel like humpty-dumpty getting all my goodies put back together again!) I feel healthy now - not skinny. Want my body to look as fantastic as I feel.

I am going with Dr. Ortiz at OCC. I googled the hell out of his name and went on no less than 4 weight loss forums, searching for any patient comments. Other than a couple lab band complaints (which all seemed like "normal" post-op things to me), I couldn't find anything but happy patients. I also verified his credentials with the American College of Surgeons, the American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery, and the Surgical Review Corporation. I spoke with and emailed Carolyn at OCC zillions of questions about his technique, number of procedures, complications, etc. After confirming Dr. Ortiz's qualifications, I moved on to check out the facility. Many people feel they want to go to a full service hospital rather than a surgical center. I specifically asked if I would need to be transferred to a local hospital in the event of any complications or emergency. I was told OCC is actually certified as a US hospital and has a fully equipped ICU to handle unforeseen emergencies. Besides Dr. Ortiz, they have two other surgeons (Dr. Martinez has done as many surgeries as Dr. Ortiz and they typically are a team on every VSG), a cardiopulmonary specialist, an anesthesiologist, two follow up docs, 4 RN's, a nutritionist, and a dietician. Bariatric surgery is all they do, and everyone appears to have a lot of experience. And by not being in a general hospital, there will be no possibility of cross-contamination or infections from "sick" patients. So in the end, I really decided to go with the OCC team, not necessarily just the surgeon. To me, that peace of mind is worth the extra $$$$. I'll let you know in 18 days if it was a good choice!

All that you mention are the same reasons I chose Dr Ortiz. Couldn't be more pleased with the experience there. Look forward to hearing about your experience!

Dr Ortiz at the OCC did my surgery and everything was top notch. There are several great surgeons in Mexico. I think Alverez, Aceves, and Pompa are very good surgeons too, but their prices are at or above Ortiz. I hear noting but good about Dr Illian and he has a lower fee - but cannot speak to his facility, etc. and am not sure what his package includes?

Wish you the best - the "what if" process of selecting a surgeon can make you crazy! Pick your top two or three and research like crazy. Talk to as many people as you can. Be 200% confident in your choice and know as much as possible before you go so you aren't surprised by anything. Good luck!

Healthbound - can't wait for you to join us on the sleeved side! Glad you made it safe and sound. Be sure to let us know how it goes tomorrow! Hugs!

Ah, crap. Really? So, it's possible I can't buy the Vitamins or shakes while there? I hadn't even considered this, I'll write and ask right now. Thank you!

There is a GNC near the hotel if you need it. When I was at the OCC in February the clinic didn't have any Enspira products either. If you don't have any shakes for the few days after surgery, you will be fine. Drinking Water, Gatorade G2, or Vitamin water was all I could muster for about a week after surgery!

GOAL: Complete 22 days of high intensity interval training in December.

Would also love to break through this stall! No better time of year to do it....

GOALS were:

1. Complete 1 mile fun run with kiddos - DONE! And it was GREAT! The kids (ages 5 and 8) completed the run with only moderate complaining! LOL! Maybe I will try a 5k next spring?! I KNOW I can do it!

2. One hour of exercise per day - well, less success here...but I DID exercise 19 out of 30 days this month for an average of 44 minutes per session.

Proud of both accomplishments and appreciated being able to participate in the challenge!

Didn't hit my goal of 145....but did get to 149.5! Haven't been in the 140s since college!

I think the technical term is "cohesive gel breast implants". They are also called Gummy bear implants or gummies because if you cut them, they remain intact - the gel doesn't leak out into your body - like how a gummy bear is squishy, but the inside doesn't leak out if cut. They feel lighter than saline and won't deflate if they develop a leak. The cost is a bit more than saline, but seem to have better longer term performance.

I have gotten quotes ranging from $6000 to $9500 in Mexico. My reward for reaching my personal goal weight is going to be to pay my deposit for a Mommy Makeover (tummy tuck and breast augmentation with Gummy implants). Only 6 pounds to go!

All the doctors quoted the same procedures and the range of cost were quite interesting. Same procedures in Hoosierland ranged from $15600-18300.

Got quotes from Sauceda, Cervantes, Calderon, Cardenas, and Pantoja. After reviewing Realself.com and communicating with the office staff, I have decided to use Dr. Pantoja.