MichiganChic

Yeah, I was an expert dieter and never heard the word stall before I came here. I made up my own definition based on what I thought people meant by it. I never asked my doctor because I'm pretty sure he wouldn't know. I know one thing, though. Weight loss is generally not steady and even. If you lose 4 pounds for 2 weeks, and then none, and then 4, you've lost roughly 12 pounds in a month. Even though one week didn't reflect a loss, the other weeks more than made up for it. The truth is that medical science has a long way to go about understanding obesity. (My doc did tell me that). I am and have always been a daily weigher. I always looked at trends over weeks and months, not days, and you know what? It was more steady than I thought.

@@BethinPA did you get the drain?

What would make her think you owe her any sort of explanation about your health or weight? I suppose if she really cared and felt close to you, then it might make sense to wonder why you chose not to say anything....but given the fact that you didn't feel like you could mention it, you obviously did not really think of her in that light, anyway. You felt like you couldn't trust her, which proved to be true.

Never had it once, at over 2 years post op

It's unique to the individual. The closer you get to goal, the slower is goes (in general, not for everyone). One thing that I did notice is that when I would hit a previous set point, or weight I had stayed at in the past, I would tend to hang there for a while before continuing to lose. The weight I'm at right is a set point for me, and I've been here a year. It's the weight my body always try to stay at when I was young. I could diet and exercise my way to the 140s, but I'd only stay there 5 minutes and slide right back up to the 160s, where I am now.

@@Alex Brecher you are magic. I woke up today and it's fixed. Thanks.

Only you know if it's right for you. You shouldn't do it unless you are at peace with it. And maybe you aren't. Before WLS, I used to wish that either I could just be happy fat and eat what I wanted, or that I could eat what I wanted and be thin, or that I wouldn't want to eat so I could be thin. Turns out that the sleeve put me pretty close to that third option. I understand what you mean about eating as your reason to travel. I used to be like that. I'm not anymore, and I feel free! I'm planning a vacation, and food never crossed my mind until reading your post. WLS has changed how I eat and how I think about food. I still enjoy food, go places for special food, but it is not at the center of all I do and think about. It's a pleasant sideline now, and I think it's in its proper place. I don't miss the way I used to be, but I sure do love the way I look, feel, and think now. So, no regrets here.

Just in the past couple of days I started getting notifications when I post. It's driving me nuts!

I think it depends on what you have, and how often. I got fat eating my home cooking - that was not fried or high in sugar. I never used frozen dinners for the first two years, but I'll tell you, I'm sick of eating the same things all the time, and I'm totally over cooking. The less time I spend thinking about and preparing food, the better. I use a lot of convenience foods these days, though most of it's pretty pure. Just this week I had a lean cuisine, and I ate the meat and left most of the Pasta. It was 18 grams of Protein and about 4 ounces of meat, so I am OK with that. I don't do it often, but like all things, I think it's ok in moderation.

The seroma drain I had was totally no big deal. It's like an angiocath with holes in it, and a suction drain attached. I wish it had worked for me, and I hope it does for you. I'm working half days in the office, and half days at home. I just can't miss work even though I could work remotely. I am a department director and there's lots going on, so I need to be there. So I've been taking my durable medical equipment, complete with (hidden and safely secured) bio hazardous waste and going to work! Yesterday I went to the doctor, and the tunnels are trying to wall off again! She had to open it back up. This is really getting old, but I do believe it will be OK in the end. I'm still not sad I did it. Anyway, if the Fluid stays in too long, that's when you get encapsulated and end up with more surgeries, like me. In the office, local only....and spotty numbing at best!! I'm really starting to feel like a warrior, lol. So yeah, get that drain and let that belly heal

Yep, it's a long surgery. Each day will get better!

I think this is different for everyone, but most people do have pain after this surgery. But, as my plastic surgeon says, pain never killed anyone, lol. I had a lower body lift which included an abdominoplasty (muscles) and auto fat flap in the back. I also had brachioplasty at the same time, so that was a lot of surgery.The first 24 hours were very rough, and the first two weeks were also pretty rough for me. I took lots of pain meds around the clock and had help from my family. I think if it were only abdominplasty, it wouldn't have been so difficult. Anyway, I went back to work remotely at 2.5 weeks, and was back in the office in under 4 weeks. Ideally, I would have been off 5-6 weeks, but I just can't be away from work that long. Even with all that, the misery was pretty short term for all the fabulous improvement! It was SO worth it.

Today is your day! Wishing you well, and a speedy recovery! I'm sure you are going to love your results - can't wait to see those before and afters!! Keep us posted.

I think this is a good time to consult a plastic surgeon. Only they can tell you what would get the best results. Another thing - you may or may not be able to lose all the weight you want. Once I got closer to goal, no more would come off. I saw a couple of plastic surgeons and even though I had more to lose, they both said I was a good candidate. And even though I'm technically overweight, my plastic surgeon said I didn't need to lose more. Since then, she has cut of 12 pounds in a variety of surgeries, and I still weigh the same. Anyway, it takes a while to get appointments, and you probably are going to want to see more than one, so it can't hurt to start now. You'll probably need some time to come to a decision, so it's likely going to be a few months start to surgery. Good luck - having plastics was the second best thing I ever did for myself, right after gastric sleeve. I

@@BethinPA I've been meaning to post or IM you. I saw on another thread you said you have a seroma, and so do I. ugh. I had a vertical thighplasty December 12, and I have one in my left inner knee. I've been going back and having it drained, had it cut out once, had a seroma drain placed, and last week had it cut open and packed. I now have a wound vac that should heal it....or at least that's what we hope. Seromas are a mild and somewhat expected complication from plastics. I've read that as many as 40% of tummy tucks will get one. Most of the time you can drain them once or twice, then your body is able to absorb the Fluid and you are good to go. Once in a while it goes to the other extreme, like mine, and they persist due to encapsulation. Mine was loculated, where it had many separate areas, so it was impossible to drain it all. I'm an RN and used to be a homecare nurse, so I've treated wounds worse than this, but I've got some pretty deep tunneling that's making me nervous. Go to realself.com and research it there. Lots of docs commented on other people who posed questions similar to yours. You can see the responses of board certified plastic surgeons, and most of them indicate it more of a nuisance than long term worry. Let me know how you are doing.

That is also the policy they employer bought. I have a similar insurance now, and I have to pay the first $2600 out of pocket before they ever start to cover anything - and that's for any and all medical coverage they do provide. I don't even think they cover WLS at all. When I had my sleeve, I worked at a different place, and the policy covered almost everything. If I didn't already have surgery, I'd be flying to Mexico for one of those $3900 gastric sleeves Alex is advertising, for sure!

OMG. That's the biggest waste of time and money I've heard about in a while. Sorry to hear that. So absurd.

Good for you! You'll be so glad you did! I went on a long weekend 3-4 hours from home 2 weeks post tummy tuck and brachioplasty. I was still feeling pretty rough, but did OK. At 4 weeks, that would have been an easier trip.

I think this is a normal and healthy fear. I agree with the sentiment of the other posters - it's a tool, you have to do the work, you feel differently about food in the beginning, and you will see. I also want to say that at over two years out, I STILL worry that it won't work for me. I live in fear every day that I won't be able to maintain my life and body. I LOVE being thin and every gift that comes with it. I now realize that it can all be gone in a hurry. It's all me now. I still have the sleeve, and it does offer some restriction, but if I let myself, I could eat enough over the course of the day to get back up to 300 pounds. I believe that I've learned enough during the time it took me to lose the weight NOT to let that happen, but I know that I have to stay vigilant. So, I say all this not to scare you, but to empower you. I am in charge of my weight, and you can be, too. The sleeve bought me a window of opportunity, and I successfully used it to get to a normal weight. So while I fear it could be easy to lose control, t's much easier to maintain that than it is to face losing a hundred pounds or more. I think I learned enough along the way to make the most of the gift of the sleeve. It's not some sort of magic - we have the power in this case.

Weight loss surgery is not a miracle. Think about what a body can physically do - realistically. Then you'll have your answer. When is the last time you lost even 2 or 3 pounds a week? However - feel free to boast. That's an awesome start!

My doc doesn't want his patients to have coffee for about 4-6 months. I told them up front I wouldn't comply with that rule, so they cleared me at 6 weeks. I had strict instructions to avoid my iron and calcium at the same time as coffee. Now I don't need calcium or iron, so I tend to drink 3-4 cups daily. Just finished one

@@tebowfan good luck! You are going to love it!

@CrazyCatLady Thanks for your comments. I have really had to shift my mind set. I really, really wanted to hit that normal BMI. I'm sorry you can't get anyone to confirm that you are not fat! It shouldn't matter to me what others say, but obviously it did. I still find myself thinking "10 more pounds" but it's really just fleeting thoughts now. Then I remember I'm good like I am. What a relief! I hope you can get there, too! I feel a little like Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz. I had the power to declare success all along! Your picture looks quite thin, and it sounds like you have some skin, so there's your miniscule overage on the BMI. I'd say you are a success!

Life is pretty normal. I just follow the rules. I do what I did to lose. I have to watch what I eat, and I track it on my fitness pal. I don't think I had a drink on new years eve, but only because I didn't go anywhere. I have an occasional drink, and it doesn't make me drunk like they say. If I go to a party, I'll allow myself to eat what there is. I don't stress about it too much. I loosen up a little on the weekends, and decrease calories through the week to accommodate that. I can eat what I think most people would see as a small normal portion. When there is an abundance of different foods, I'll have a bite or two of them all. I've learned a taste is good enough. I can eat all types of food, and nothing makes me sick. I still drink a Protein shake every day for breakfast, and have a small salad with chicken for lunch, and then protein for dinner with vegetables. I have to work hard not graze, but sometimes I do. I try to make sure it's protein when I do. I tend to eat more calories after work than I do all day. Maybe not the best plan in theory, but it's working for me. I think that's the message - figure out how to succeed, and then do that! Basically, I suspect it is no different for me than it is for my thin friends - I watch what I eat to maintain my weight. Good luck to you.

I use the Newgel+E, as recommended by my surgeon. She also said Mederma doesn't really work. I'm just not sure if this does either, guess time will tell.