playlikeworldchamps

Loose skin better than full skin. I am out 7 years. At my lowest weight since surgery I was bothered by my saggy stomach, thighs and arms. But then I gained back 60 pounds and wished my skin was so loose again. I have lost 40 of that gain but it was triggered by a breast cancer recurrence. Now I have flat stomach, new fake breast from that stomach fat and skin and saggy arms again. I realize that I worried about that shit too much. Health is what matters. If you can afford the PS I will tell you that the tummy tuck I got with reconstruction was free but very painful and I have a high pain threshold. But it’s a temporary few weeks of pain.

Long story but i originally lost 140 lbs in about 2 years overall. Sleeve did 100 of it and lots of cardio etc did the rest. then gradually weight crept back, very slowly at first, grazing, life happened, stopped the extreme exercise, let carbs back in. So 3 months shy of my 5 year surgiversary I had gained 65 back. I knew I had to fix this or i’d be right back to 315 in no time. I used the concepts in “Never Binge Again” book (free on kindle) and also Jason Fungs 2016 Obesity Code starting on Jan 1, 2018. I am now down 22 lbs and know I can get the rest off. I never “fixed” my insulin problem. I ate too much protein. and so when the extreme exercise ended the weight crept back, the protein and “healthy carbs” encouraged the insulin and thus the cravings that the normal exercise couldn’t burn off. I am back on track. My sleeve is bigger now but still gets fuller than a regular stomach so it hurts if I eat too much. Reduced ghrelin only helped me for 3 months after surgery. I am thankful to the sleeve for the first 100 lbs but now it’s all on me and the right choices i make. I recommend those books if you need to get back on track or even if you are in the euphoric losing stages because eventually you will need to make the right choices without all the early benefits of the surgery.

that’s an old picture. need to get back to that profile pic!

Besides your nausea, If you are having a hard time drinking Water I just want you to know that is not uncommon for many people. It took me six or more months before I could comfortably drink water. I found out that water has high surface tension so for me it "stacks up" in my sleeve (or it did I am now 2 years out and drink water normally). But at your stage I felt like even water was getting stuck and could only drink tiny sips. Thankfully I experimented by mixing water with diet cranberry juice, diet ice tea like Snapple, or Gatorade and that would lower that surface tension and I could get my fluids in. Before doing that I was getting close to dehydration but this trick worked. So while it won't solve all the issues, some people just can't tolerate plain water for quite some time post op. Even my doctor who is very good didn't know this could happen. Fortunately I can now gulp water down again and getting water stuck is only a memory. I hope your difficulties will only be a bad memory for you too very soon!

My surgeon only uses 40. I lost over 135 lbs. recent studies show less complications with larger so my surgeon is conservative and uses larger. It really is not much larger either. Tiny difference. In the beginning a lot of restriction is from the swelling so the size of bougie hardly matters.

The bypass will give you malabsorption which means you don't absorb all your calories so it may help you more long term. And it has lots of data that it helps diabetes almost immediately. I lost 140 lbs with sleeve and will be 2 years in March. You can lose just as much but there is no magic bullet. You can gain back the weight with ANY WLS. The surgery is not on the brain, but your stomach. It is up to you to keep using whatever tool you decide on. For me there really is no After or Goal. I prefer to call myself "in maintenance" than "at goal" because the latter implies a finish line. There is no finish for people dealing with a chronic disease. Yes it gets a bit easier as new habits start to gel but like other chronic conditions there will always be monitoring. I am not obese on the BMI charts but I still have the disease of obesity just not the outward symptoms. It is up to me to manage it.

I don't mourn food anymore. Mostly because I can eat pretty much everything except super sweet things like ice cream or cheesecake. Only one bite cause it will make me feel yucky. I don't mind being kept in check this way. There were Christmases where I'd eat dozens of Cookies or chocolates and now I know to stop at 2 or pay the consequences. In the early months it was hard because two bites of any meal and I was done no matter how yummy it was. Now 21 months out my portions are what they should probably be if we all followed what is really a portion size. So what if no room for multiple courses or dessert. Not supposed to be eating all that volume even if no weight problem! Do I sigh because at restaurants I wish I could get surf and turf but know there is no way I could fit all of that? Yeah I do but only for a second. Then I pick either surf or turf, hold the potato, and bring any leftovers home to the delight of my daughter! It definitely takes time to come to grips with the new way of thinking but it will over time as you realize that just because you can't have something doesn't mean the end of the world. In fact at some point you can enjoy some treats on special occasions. And that's how it should be. Our bodies didn't evolve to eat 24x7 nor to indulge in high caloric treats just because they are yummy.

looking great!!!

Remember "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." -Eleanor Roosevelt Don't give that asswipe the power to upset you. You find someone who you can feel comfortable with. Find someone who will advocate for you. And alternatively many people on here have had great success in Mexico. Don't give up!

I like to eat the deviled part of the devil,ed egg! Yummy and can be very smooth if use a food processor blender.

That you so much for sharing your struggles. It sounds like you are slowly getting yourself actively involved in getting back on track. It is generous of you to share and which will help all of us know how weight gain can occur creeping back into our lives! Your post reinforces me to continue my plan to track everything even while in maintenance, to keep making exercise a priority, and to mindfully choose what goes in my mouth. I won't be perfect but I can be accountable. Again, thanks again and I wish you all the best in getting back to your goal weight. Sounds like your eyes are wide open now and you are headed in the right direction! You got this!

As someone recently accused of bashing the lapband and making blanket statements, (which in fact was not my intention I just didn't think the lapband should be used like it was a trial surgery) I found her statements to be a disservice and very judgemental. People need to do what is right for them and get their doctors advice. My doctor said I would probably need a lapband out in 5-10 years, other doctors may not say that. I didn't want to go back and forth for fills/unfills. I had enough doctor visits already between my BC and heart, thank you very much! Rosie is probably echoing what her doctor their practice/ experience has seen. Hopefully no one sane would use her for medical advice but would listen to their doctor. For a sleeved person she has done average as far as weight loss goes. I am happy for her but I don't understand the superiority complex (which I was also accused of!). To me it's like the android/apple wars on blogs though that is even more silly than a health decision. Everyone has their preference and reasons after talking to their doctors so why bash.

Wow. You look great! So glad this thread popped up! I just had my 18 month visit and as my surgeon said I am almost a "normal" weight at a BMI of 25.7. HW: 315 SW: 295 (3/13/13) CW: 179 I consider myself at goal. I am 5-10 so can carry a lot of weight. Though 173 is "normal " 25 BMI Hope you all are finding success. I am just working on this maintenance stuff now. It never really ends. Maintenance needs just as much work. No different that losing phase if I want to stay this way. Yes. A few more foods/calories but just as much vigilance. Some pics attached. I think you will be able to tell which are the before and which are after!

I got obsessed with food when on plans like weight watchers too. And I hated the idea that I had to track. But with the sleeve and the success it helps bring I can see that tracking is another tool to tell what works and what doesn't Even though I have to be mindful in my choices and log my food, the depressing obsessive feel of when I was on other plans is not there. I have been loggin for 560+ days now and it truly is just a natural part of my day. There are some very small percentage where I feel ugh got to track but that is few and far between. I know it keeps me in a size 10/12 pants so it's a small price to pay.

I love that rule! I keep getting asked "when will I stop working out and tracking food" they don't understand is is for life! My doctor doesn't give a goal. Once you lose 60% excess weight he considers you a success. He says that BMI under 30 has about the same risks as getting under 25 so once get to 29 not to obsess over getting to 24.9. For myself I had several goals. First to get under 200 but I set an overall goal of 187 for my height of 5-10. I figured that was 14 more than my college weight and accounted for extra skin and four pregnancies! And I wanted a Body Fat percent of 28% or less which is for women 40-49 years old. My BMI was 27.4 when I got to 25.8% body fat and I was still over 190. And body fat percentage recommendations are based on sex and age so is much better than BMI. People are supposed to have a bit more fat as they age to be prepared for illness and insulation. That said, I am now 180. I did get briefly into the 170s and mentally it would be nice to have a BMI of 24.9 and be 173 pounds. The problem is that I may lose some of that in muscle and I don't want to do that. So I don't obsess over it. I Just follow my program and if I lose a pound over 6 weeks so be it. 2 weeks ago I gained 8 pounds in less than 3 days from family parties and had to focus to take it off again.

take advantage of this time to lose weight. trust me in time you can eat a lot more! I am 18 months out and had a slice of pizza and 3 oz chicken parm for dinner tonight (I just did 20 mile spin class though). at only a month, the swelling hasn't even gone down completely yet! even if he could, your surgeon won't even try to "make it stretch" until you are much further out unless it's a stricture and it sound in your case you can eat just not a lot I had the same problem. I had to graze a bit in the beginning.

My brother called me good year as in good year blimp. I was a chubby kid and it made me chubbier. He would be horrified to know now how it really made me feel like it was enormous and ugly when I was young and that carried hated my youth. Even when a teenager and thin I thought of myself as a blimp.

People you have known for years but haven't seen in a while introduce themselves to you and ask who you are. Yup just happened two days ago and 2 months ago!

you just had surgery and are not eating much so it's normal to be tired. listen to your body and rest when you need to. you're doing great!

18 months before after photo. 16 months post surgery. Surgery weight was 295. I am 5 foot 10, 48 years young. I have been at this weight a few weeks now so I think it is safe to say I met my personal goal of 187. Currently 184.6 and 26.5 BMI and around 24% body fat. My starting BMI was 45 and I was almost 50% BF.

1. Why does it matter what other peoples goals are? 2. BMI is meant at a statistical measure over large populations and not meant to be an individual mandate. 3. My doctor told me that risk of death and medical issues drops dramatically at 29.9 so that the overweight category is great for someone who used to be morbidly obese. There really is no reason statistically to stress over getting under 25 according to him. 4. Using BMI focuses on the scale which is not an indicator of overall health. Rather use body fat percentage instead. My BMI is 26. Should I lose 35 pounds of muscle to make some BMI of 21 like you? Because my height is not going up and all BMI is is a ratio. 5. Body fat percentage should be a guideline for health not BMI. If those people with 30-40 more to lose have a BF that is in the recommended range for their height why should they lose more pounds of muscle/fat. 6. Some people choose a goal they know they can maintain rather than 1 where they will struggle,gain and feel like a failure. 7. Older people should carry more body fat than younger for insulation, and to protect bones and against any illness. (Body fat guidelines are by age) 8. I repeat number 1 above. What's it to you anyway? I offer my congratulations and am happy for you. But why does it matter to you what others "feel" is right for them.

I am in the tracking food camp. I use MFP and have a caloric goal however I do it more to make sure I am getting all the protein, limiting sugar carbs and finding trends. I do not obsess when I go over my calorie goal. I just dial it back a little the next day. Also the accountability helps when I think I really blew it and when I enter everything in it is not always as bad as I thought. I know my old habits would creep back over time if I stopped logging and so would the weight. I really don't mind tracking and it helps me make good choices. I look up food before I eat it many time especially if I am at a restaurant. It helps me make better choices. I hated logging when I was doing WW but now with the success the sleeve it seems a minor effort to ensure I maintain.

Lady in article sounds like extreme case. Reactive hypoglycemia is one of the forms of "dumping". More likely to happen with RNY but can happen in sleeve but not usually (I get it with sleeve if I eat too much sugary stuff but would never be so bad as to pass out. )

I am 17 months out and I don't mourn food at all. Mostly because at this stage I can have pretty much anything. But do I have everything. No I don't. Do I have as much as before. Nope. Can I get 3 courses at a restaurant. Nope. But can I have a slice of pizza. Yes did that Saturday. Can I have a cheeseburger. Yes just had half an angus burger I made at home on a slice of low carb bread. It was delish. Some days I can eat a whole one. Had a couple French fries too. The only thing I can't have is high sugar stuff like ice cream or cheese cake or other sweet things. Makes my stomach ache. A type of dumping for sleevers. I am glad I have it so I stay away from it. But can I have a cookie or brownie. Yes 1 only. So no, for me at this stage there is no need to mourn. Pretty much anything can be eaten. But do I choose to eat that junk. 95% of the time I do not. I fuel my body now and I want high quality fuel. Yes I do get stressed and I feel like I want to go binge but I physically cannot. I am so glad I cannot! So be patient. Life is pretty normal 17 months out for me. Still have to be a mindful eater but knowing I can have pretty much anything makes me choose the right thing most of the time and I am not tempted by the "forbidden" because for me nothing is forbidden, but I choose not to have it (95% of the time!)

You have a choice with your every behavior. It is in your control to succeed and make the choice that leads to success. With every bite you have a choice. With every food purchase you have a choice. Even after you buy it you have a choice whether to eat it. No one else makes that choice for you. The choice does not make you a bad, good, smart, or weak person. It is simply a choice. Guilt or regrets never got anyone anywhere. That is the past which can not change. Stay in the moment and do not worry about the future. The only thing to be concerned about is the choice you make right now and the future will take care of itself. Every success will build up and lead to more. A walk of a thousand miles or 20 lbs begins with a single step or more properly the choice to take that first step.