cinward2001

To the OP: Try getting into some weightlifting. It'll do wonders to firm and tone up. It doesn't necessarily "fix" the loose skin, but loose skin still looks better over toned muscles than no muscle. To AussieLady: I have 30-35 lbs to get back to my original goal weight. I was sleeved yesterday. Does that mean I'm a spoiled brat? I've worked my entire life (well, started at 14), never asked for a single handout, don't even excessively use our healthcare system *because* I've paid for this out of pocket. If anything, I think I'm being MORE responsible doing this now versus waiting until I'm 260+ lbs again. What I hear in your posts in this thread is a LOT of anger and unhappiness. I tend to think that that's not all due to your sleeve surgery but something you've brought "with" you. Maybe you thought the sleeve would fix everything for you...it doesn't. In fact, even losing ALL excess weight usually doesn't fix our problems...oftentimes, we've been using our weight to cover up those problems and when the weight comes off, you find that you have a new set of issues to deal with. My advice to you would be to take a long hard look at YOURSELF. Find what you want to change about yourself and your life and work toward those goals. Even if that starts with trying to have a more positive and proactive attitude. I'm sitting in the hospital, 1 day post-op. Just had a 2nd IV after the first one failed. Had my leak test earlier, almost passed out while standing there. Last night, I had pain severe enough to have me in tears...the nurse could have given me something stronger for pain (I found out from the doc today), but she didn't. I have a choice right now in how I view those things. Yes, they're relatively minor, so I can say "This will get better!" Or, I could be irritated and pissed off that I'm not feeling all that great..which really won't make me feel any better, you know? So instead, I try to stay relaxed and positive...knowing my attitude will impact my health, too.

Maybe you feel a little bit like an alcoholic taking that first social drink? It's a bad move for an alcoholic, but unfortunately, we really *can't* avoid eating for the rest of our lives. You won't backslide if you just keep following your NUT's instructions. And at some point, staying on liquids only will be the WRONG thing to do because you'll be more hungry. You need to eat solids eventually. So follow the guidelines, eat slowly, try one new thing at a time to see how you handle it. It'll be ok!

Ok, time for a reality check people! And I mean this with all kindness and support, but some of you need to put the disappointment and negativity in the closet and lock it away. Think of this...how many times in your life have your consistently lost even ONE pound/week without feeling like it was the hardest thing to do? And as soon as you let up just a little, that 1lb/week weight loss was right back!!! I know pre-op and post-op eating phases aren't easy, but the weight loss IS happening and faster than anything pre-WLS. So ENJOY! I'm only 1 day post-op, but I had the LapBand in 2006. With the band, it can take more than 6 weeks for ANY real loss because you have to wait for the first adjustment. Then it really is 1-2 lbs per week for most people. I lost 85 lb in 1 YEAR and was thrilled because it wasn't "that" hard to do, it was relatively consistent and it stayed off for over 5 years. Now that I have the sleeve, I plan on going home and following my NUT's instructions and staying OFF the scales. Because I know that if I follow the guidelines, eat right, and exercise (at least some), the weight WILL come off. And since the past 2 years I've consistently fought an UPHILL battle again with the scale numbers slowing creeping UP, any DOWN movement will be wonderful. So I understand the desire to get the weight off fast...but just LIVE YOUR LIFE, people! Just enjoying doing things you couldn't do at your highest weight, adventure, etc....as long as you're happy while you're losing weight, you're already a winner!

I go to the hospital at 7am in the morning! Little bit nervous, but for the most part, ready to see what life with the sleeve is like.

Are you waiting for approval or a date?

I only have to do one day of liquids prior to surgery. And since surgery is tomorrow, and I have my pre-ops today (they want those done while fasting), that will be today! I'm mostly looking forward to getting my band removed. The sleeve is sort of secondary to that. I'm still only 25lbs over my original gaol, so feel a bit conflicted about the sleeve. I know that, without it, my weight will increase drastically, but for me, it's more preventative. Although I AM looking forward to having a new goal weight.

You know, I think, somewhere in the back of my mind, I had hoped after having WLS that I'd be 18 again. Young, fit, smooth, tight skin, maybe even 2 or 3 inches taller and beautiful, too! Of course, I KNEW that wasn't going to happen, but it was really HARD to face the fact that 20+ years of obesity had caused problems that were just NOT going to go away...even WITH the weight loss. So yes, after losing 85 lbs, I had an even saggier belly (2 pregnancies and C-sections meant scars and some sag already), mild bat wings, and floppy thighs. Did I like it? Nope. HATED it. Then I had plastic surgery for the belly and the mostly non-existent boobs. That helped, but then, I was a size 10 in the belly and a size 12 in the butt. LOL Try getting pants to fit nicely that way! It's not easy! I wasn't even entirely happy with the BL/BA. What did I learn through all that? It's life. Living life as a skinnier person with some loose skin is infinitely better than life as an obese person. The loose skin is just something that I have to accept as part of the aging process and living most of my live so overweight. Don't let a "what might be" worry stop you from doing what you know you need to do. If the skin is an issue later on down the road, deal with it then...but staying overweight to avoid loose skin is NOT the answer.

It's not a no carb diet...there are carbs in a LOT of foods. You'll find carbs in vegetables, Protein, processed foods that are supposed to be mostly protein, etc. You don't have to be "strict"...just try cutting out the Pasta and rice for a while. Or even cut out ONE for a week to see what happens. You're looking for what works for YOU. What you can live with long-term while still working toward your goal weight.

Having a sleeve means you have to modify your "diet." Diet really just means what you eat day to day and how you eat. There isn't a "magical" WLS that lets you eat exactly what you want while still losing weight. It just doesn't happen, so you HAVE to be willing to make changes to what you eat. Just from what you've written, I'd advise that you cut out the rice and Pasta. Doesn't matter that it's brown...pasta and rice are still high in calories. Also, the juice after a meal is mostly empty calories, and as a liquid, is doing very little to help you feel full. And last, you might want to try waiting longer to drink after a meal. You won't know for sure, until you try it, if that's part of what's making you feel hungry so soon. Maybe tell yourself you'll make those changes for a week...see what happens on the scale. And one last suggestion...if you've been working out the same way for a while, change it. For example, if you do mostly cardio, switch to some weight lifting. If you do one type of class, try a different one. Our bodies get more efficient the longer we do something, so it begins to lose its effectiveness. Same for food. If you're eating the same things now that you did 6 months ago, you're SMALLER now...so you have to make some changes (like the pasta and juice) to continue to lose. Good luck! And DO focus on the great changes you've made so far!

LOL, msmoya, I've been feeling nervous all week! I'm 5/14 also...fly to MX on Sunday. This morning was the first time I started looking forward to it again...just a bit. But now that I'm more awake, I think nervousness is still winning over excitement.

Robyn, I feel a bit differently about the band. I would say that I was a "band success" story for 7 yrs. Got to my goal weight, kept almost all of the weight off. The weight I re-gained, initially, was completely my "choice"...letting too many sweets back into my diet, not exercising as much, etc. With the band, you have to be more diligent about getting fills, seeing your doctor, etc. and weight loss doesn't usually start until you reach a decent level of restriction, so it's not as quick, especially initially. BUT...in the last 6 months or so, I've started having some problems with the band. "Random" vomiting, as in, I haven't eaten anything to cause it and all of a sudden have a too tight band. I haven't been able to take the extra weight back off, I've started getting reflux at night, and even had a lung abscess that I think was due to the band (docs aren't sure). In a nut shell...the band has lost its effectiveness for me while beginning to cause problems. So instead of fighting with it, especially when I think the long-term problems will get WORSE, I'm removing it. But I don't, for a minute, regret getting it. I think it's taught me a lot about how to modify my eating habits and it's been pretty good to me for 7 yrs. I also though, no longer believe the band is a long-term solution to obesity.

Any time you want to. Same for eating brownies and ice cream, potato chips, any other junk. You can also stop exercising any time you want. Really, you can pick up any "bad" habit you might have given up for this surgery at any time you want. Does that sound preachy? It's NOT meant to be. It's just a fact. YOU choose. I could say "Listen to the advice of your doctor," but really, if you're looking for people to say "Well, I did it and I'm fine," you're looking for a reason/excuse to return to something you quit doing for FOUR months. So the real question, I think, is WHY? If it's GOOD for you, why'd you give it up for 4 months? You gave it up because it's NOT good for you, no matter how you try to rationalize it. Are you craving it? Perhaps, but do you really want to give in to that craving? I say this from a "been there, done that" place. When I was first banded, I lost 85 lbs. Gave up sweet tea and almost all sugars, junk, etc. But little by little, I brought those things BACK into my life. Now? I'm 25-30 lbs heavier and need the sleeve to try to get my weight back down. I honestly wish I'd never started with the bad habits... So that's my advice to you. You have FOUR months of not drinking useless calories...why not try to make it 5 months...or more?

Doable or no? I'm going to MX for band to sleeve revision. Since we have to stay several days post-op, I'm wanting to treat it a bit like a vacation...if possible! LOL I usually heal pretty quickly from surgeries...and gosh, I've had a few! 2 C-sections, gall bladder, LapBand, TT/BA, ablation, appendectomy. So I'm wondering how it might feel to be on my stomach for a massage. Right now, there's no way...the band is causing so many problems that I'd be throwing up if I stretched out on my stomach. But the band will be GONE...so I'm wondering about soreness, swelling, etc from the surgery itself. What do you think?

Bummer! Ok, I'd already thought about the facial, too, but unless they have a massage chair, I'll nix the full body massage.

I'll be having revision surgery with Dr. Rumbaut on Tuesday. He did my original LapBand surgery so I feel very comfortable with him. He is most definitely NOT the cheapest, but I'm not basing such an important decision on the lowest price. When I spoke to Dr. R (3 times now before deciding to do this...how many other surgeons talk to you personally?), he asked me if I had originally been successful with the band. Since I had, he thinks the sleeve will work well for me. If I hadn't, then he'd recommend RNY. It also depends on the type of overeater you are. For example, if you have trouble with sweets, then RNY might be best. But if volume is your problem, then the sleeve might be enough. I can't say for sure that Dr. R would do your revision all at once. A lot depends on your individual situation. The same with the RNY...if his professional opinion, based upon seeing thousands of patients, is that RNY is best for you, perhaps you should consider it. The main thing is to be open and honest about your situation, listen to what he has to say, then go from there... Good luck!

I choose to live my life without too many "what ifs." Instead, I try to look at my life NOW. For me, since I have the LapBand and it's started giving me some serious issues, having the sleeve is a NOW choice. Right NOW, I'm not sleeping well due to all the coughing and gurgling at night, right NOW, I don't know what I can eat or even if I can eat (sometimes even Water comes back up)...right NOW, I'm pretty miserable on a day to day basis. Also, right NOW, I feel too fat for my clothes and I'm not happy with my weight. Since the band has to come out, it makes a lot of sense to go ahead and convert to a sleeve. Sure, I can say What if I get stomach or colon cancer? What if I die during surgery? What if I have complications? But if I'm willing to play that game, it opens up all sorts of What Ifs? What if I drive my car and get in an accident? What if I gain more weight and have a heart attack? What if I develop diabetes, sleep apnea, high blood pressure? What if I stay overweight and develop knee problems? What if I continue to gain weight and stop doing the things I love to do? I'm not saying to make this decision lightly...but we already KNOW that obesity brings with it an entire truck load of health problems. Those are KNOWN risk factors and they kill people every day...probably every minute, every day. Could I die having surgery? Sure. Could there be complications later down the road? Sure. But again, I could die from a car accident later today. I could have the sleeve done, lose all the weight, and die from brain cancer in 2 yrs. We do NOT know what life has in store for us...so in my opinion, do what you need to do NOW to live a healthier, happier, fuller life because we honestly *can't* know what tomorrow brings.

LOL! I leave on Sunday for MX...I'm waiting until Friday to get a cashier's check for the surgery. OUCH. It'll put our savings account to zero...but then, I've been so miserable lately with my misbehaving LapBand that there's really no question that this needs to get done.

You can't compare weight losses from person to person! Well, you can, but it's not very helpful and can lead to frustration and depression. One person might be losing 5-10 lbs per week, but they have 150+ pounds to lose. You can't even really compare when you have the same weight loss goals as someone else. A 5'7" person with a 100 lbs loss is entirely different than someone 5'2" losing 100 lbs. Or you might be more of a "couch potato" type while someone else is a natural athlete. Or you're 20 yrs older/younger, have other health issues....see? It's just too complicated and variable! All you can do is look at what *you're* doing. You're right out of surgery and drinking your calories. But are you making GOOD choices for those calories? A milkshake is pureed , but skim milk with a scoop of Protein powder is much better for you. Are you trying to walk some every day? Drinking plenty of Water? It's not just about "letting" the sleeve work for you...you still need to do everything you can to help things along. And if the answer to all the above is YES!, then you just have to keep on doing it. If it's not, then find out where you can improve and start working on those changes.

Yes, there's a difference! You're smaller overall! Plus, check out what you're wearing...in the first pic, you're kind of "hiding" in your sweater. In the second pic, you're not! That shows some of the changes in YOU, not just your body!

I think that's very true! My youngest son is the heavier child. He's never had a flat belly. My oldest son tends to be lean and lanky, so if he ever starts to gain weight, an extra layer will feel very wrong to him. But with the youngest? It's normal for him...so even though he might wish for it, it's harder because he doesn't really KNOW what it feels like, and would, in fact, feel a bit "abnormal" for a while. I went from a size 26 to a 12. That felt really small! But at 175, I was still technically overweight...I just couldn't imagine weighing less or being smaller. But after 7 yrs of being smaller, I think my brain has finally caught up. It realizes now that although, yes, I'm not BIG any more, I can definitely stand to lose more. My new goal with the sleeve (surgery on the 14th) will be 155.

I don't believe that we should necessarily blast our personal business to the world, but I hate the "just tell them you're watching your calories and exercising more" idea. Here's why... When you've (anyone here!) struggled with your weight for years and years and you see someone *successfully* losing a lot of weight and keeping it off, do you ask them for advice? Maybe you think that they're doing something you haven't tried, because more than likely, YOU'VE tried the "eat less/exercise more" option, too...and it didn't work very well. If they've had WLS and just aren't willing to share that info, then you might even think that, somehow, you're doing it wrong (the eat less/exercise more idea) or just aren't strong enough or motivated enough. I struggled with my weight for 20+ years. When I finally had LapBand surgery and lost 85 lbs, I honestly don't think it would have been fair to OTHER overweight people to LIE about the major TOOL that was helping me. It'd be like telling someone you changed a tire with a lot of sweat and hard work...without mentioning the car jack and lug wrench. Obviously, everyone has to make their own choices in this, but my mama raised me to tell the truth...not just a partial truth or an "edited" version of it. So I say...either tell them nothing (say it's personal and you'd rather not talk about it) or tell them the truth.

I'm sure your wife will do fine! How does it feel to be struggling to NOT lose more weight? I honestly can't imagine. I can only remember once in my life when I was losing weight without really trying...and that was while having the flu, an appendectomy, and lung abscess all at the same time. I do realize it can be a serious thing but gosh...it seems like it'd be so easy (for me) to simply switch to some higher calorie foods vs always thinking about bulk vs calories.

Devichan, you'll figure it out as you go! When I was first banded, I picked a goal that felt like a dream...from 260 down to 175. I hadn't weighed 175 since I was 15 so it was definitely a "pipe dream" to get there. But in the first year, I hit 175...and then realized I needed time to adjust. It felt wonderful..and scary at the same time. I didn't know who this thinner person was in some ways. Didn't like having my butt hurt when I sat on benches, loved and didn't love the feeling of ribs. Didn't like my hip bones hurting when the stitching in my pants went across that area. That sort of thing. In other words, 175 felt thin enough! But after staying at that weight for about 5 yrs, it became my new "normal." Now, I've picked up about 25 lbs (which is why I'm revising to the sleeve) and this size feels almost as bad as 260 did! My new goal is around 150. It does take time for our self-image/brains to catch up with the physical changes.

I use a very basic whey Protein powder. I get it from Nutrition World, it's called "Simply Whey." I don't think it has any lactose in it? It's just the powder, so you can add it to Water, soy milk, whatever would work for you. I don't like the pre-made Protein drinks. Too many additives, artificial flavors, artificial sweetners (which make me go poop!), etc.

Oh, I know! I wasn't implying that the LapBand (or sleeve) stopped me from drinking tea. It was a bunch of factors, such as the huge commitment I'd made by having WLS. It was the fact that I wasn't hungry all the time or continually frustrated with trying to lose weight. It was that I'd eat my small portion of Protein and vegetables and feel SATISFIED. I just never really wanted it that much, which was an amazing feeling!