MichiganChic

Great article, and so true. Great site, too. Thanks!

I meet or exceed it almost always. I'm barely missing it on days I don't get it all in.

I think you are right. He's close, but not quite. Sounds like an alarmist who is making things way overstated so people will land where they should be. I might mention it to the doc. Not every patient has the ability to recognize misinformation.

And to add to @@JamieLogical advice - don't let yourself get constipated. It's likely to happen because of the pain meds, and straining only adds to the misery. Those muscles will be sore!

It was painful for a few days, sore for quite a while, and swollen still. But the results are great, and I would do it again. The pain is very short term for a life with skin that fits. Aesthetics was a driver for having plastic surgery, but I also did it because I believe it will give me another advantage to keeping my weight off. (some studies have indicated that). I looked good in clothes, and while I didn't love the skin, it never bothered me like the fat did. I really wasn't prepared for how much better I feel and can move now - I didn't realize that I was physically uncomfortable with all that skin until it was gone!

I think that some people are never happy. I decided to pursue plastic surgery, and I'm glad I did. It was the right thing for me. If it's not for you, that's good, too. My guess is that people who are not happy with themselves will be that way, no matter what. I hated being fat, and I didn't love the loose skin, but I loved that compared to being fat. Now that the skin is gone, I can wear a bikini, so that's even better. However - I liked myself just fine even when I was fat - I just hated the fat. There's a big difference between the two.

@@Julie norton I also thought it was very painful. The first couple of days were the worst, but I was pretty sore a couple of weeks. Depending on what you do,4-6 weeks off work would be best. I went back remotely after 2 weeks, and back to the office at 3, but a few more would have been nice.

@@Band07 Wow, that's too bad! How much can you eat at once? I can eat more than I think I should be able to, too. I also get hungry, but I'm two years out, so I think it's normal. It looks like you have succeeded in losing a fair amount of weight, though. Did your sleeve help at all?

@@Band07 How do you know your sleeve is too big? Just curious as to your symptoms.

I just had a ton of plastics done, and I'm glad I did. My family wasn't in favor of it either, because of the misery and risk associated with it. I had to let them gradually come around to the idea. I have a different opinion - I think this decision DOES, in fact, impact our families. While I went ahead even though they would have preferred I didn't, I gave them time to adjust to the idea. I did what I could to calm their fears. The reality is that our families worry about us. Plastic surgery will impact families financially, the person who has it will have downtime and be unable to do their normal contribution, and will also require help. So I think it's a bit short sighted to think of it as a unilateral decision. Having said all that, if I hadn't been able to help my family see it was important to me, I would have still proceeded. It just worked out better if we were all in it together. It's just a slightly different approach, but considers other's opinions, too. And congratulations, you look great!

I love my fitbit. I don't have the scale, but might get it sometime. My daughter has both and really likes them. I've had the fitbit for about three years or more. I love tech stuff, too!

1. I've learned it's what you do day after day that makes the difference in weight loss. One bad choice won't ruin it for you, but a bad day or two can quickly result in undoing a lot of hard work. 2. I have to eat a lot less than I would have ever suspected in order to lose and maintain. 3. Even after 2 years, my new "lifestyle" isn't easy or something I do automatically. 4. The restriction and loss of hunger you get initially are not as strong further out. 5. You do adjust to eating less, and soon smaller portions feel more normal. 6. It gets harder over time. 7. Even though losing and maintaining is hard, being fat is harder. It's worth every bit of effort required.

I had the sleeve and take NSAIDS daily. Also my heartburn is resolved with weight loss

@@blashlee I have to say, I never had breasts that matched my body either. You'll see as you continue to lose weight how they will likely continue to deflate. I do really like mine now, better than ever! As I heard someone else on here say, why would anyone want real ones when these look so good!? They are not fully settled yet, and sometimes I think they might be slightly bigger than I really needed, but I'm not unhappy with them at all. Even being slightly large, they don't look fake or round, and they feel normal, too. Glad I did it!

Losing 10 pounds in a month is reasonable, but you might be able to lose more if decrease your intake. The size of your stomach has nothing to do with your food choices. I learned early on that just because I can eat more than the recommended half cup doesn't mean I should. The surgery will never control your choices, only you can do that. My advice is to learn what you should be eating at two weeks out, and do that, both in terms of quantity and types of foods. Learn about sliders. Don't graze. Don't drink with meals. Learn the rules and follow them. If you can't do that, I don't think removing more of your stomach will help. I think given what you say you are eating, there's no real way to know if the size of your sleeve is the problem, or even if there is a problem. It's not the removal of your stomach that results in weight loss, it's the decreased calorie intake that results in weight loss. We can all eat around our sleeves if we choose to.

Every day since surgery, I have weighed like it's my J.O.B. It's just me, but it helps keep me focused. I don't let the fluctuations drive me nuts. But to answer your question, only you know what you can handle. A lot of people will tell you just don't get on the scale, and others will say they do. I've seen studies that show people who weigh daily tend to be successful with weight loss. I log my weight daily on one spread sheet, and then on another tab I log once weekly. During weight loss, that's what I relied on to see if I was truly trending down. For most of us, the closer you get to goal, the slower the loss. Anyway, now that I'm in maintenance, I still weigh and log daily, but now I keep a monthly average of those daily weights. That's been pretty effective to give me a realistic picture of where I am, and what I use to determine if I need to make a change. All that logging isn't for everyone. I just happen to like data, and I think gives me information that's useful. One thing I don't ever do is get on the scale more than once a day, because that does not give me useful data.

@@proudgrammy enjoy your trip! Nothing better than grandkids and (hopefully) warmer weather.

So sorry to hear about your leak, but glad you are on the mend. I didn't have one, but there is a complications forum you might want to check out. Lots of stories there. Also, there are lots of people here who did have leaks and have good recovery stories. Wishing you a speedy recovery!

I lost a half to a full size, and whole lot of width. I'd take them back.

You are a wonderful success story. You look great, congratulations!

Funny how some docs are so opinionated about surgery, when they are clearly uninformed. They are probably basing their opinions on their experience with a few patients. My doc was a little like that, and would give me dumb, obvious, or useless advice about diet. I really like him, though, so I have just been "helping" him understand about gastric sleeve. I think he is slowly changing his opinion as he sees me continue to succeed. I know he had a couple of people with hypoglycemia, and a couple who gained their weight back. Just ignore her for now, and know that she does not know everything - even if she thinks and acts like she does

I don't know for sure, but I imagine it depends on the cycle of the hair follicle. If the cycle is 6 months, then I would think that you would be safe after 6 months.

@@CowgirlJane they just got the chicken skewers at my Costco. Great suggestion, thanks!

While iron deficiency can absolutely contribute to hair loss, it's not something you just want to take blindly. Too much iron is a bad thing. You might want to check with your doctor before adding more.

That made me chuckle. It reminded me that when I was really little, like 4 or 5, my great grandmother would always comment on my big legs, calling them "mill posts" or something. She was very southern, and so I didn't understand a lot of their expressions, but even now, I don't know what that is, and neither does my mom, but I knew it meant big, lol. Point is, I've always had huge legs, and that never changed, no matter what I weigh. I don't even plastic surgery can totally fix them.