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The first 20 I lost preop wasn't even noticeable to me. I was probably down 40-50 pounds before I started getting questions and comments. But I was also bundled up in winter clothes those first 3-4 months so once spring hit, it became VERY noticeable. And then I got a lot of "oh, have you been sick?!" And even a couple "do you have cancer?" Not a lot of boundaries here in rural Idaho.... Just the way I like it ????

Exactly! Glad you (and your hubby) have found your happy place!

Yowza! Who knows. But it's cheap and certainly won't hurt.

I'm a bit younger (48), but here's a rough breakdown of my weightloss..... 16 days preop . Lost 22 pounds 0-3 months postop. Lost 30 pounds 4-6 months postop. Lost 26 pounds 6-7/12 months. Lost 10 pounds 7 1/2-11 months lost 10-12 pounds and have stabilized. So other than on the preop, I've never averaged more than 10pounds/month. I welcomed the slower loss. Sounds like you are in the same ballpark. Just keep on plan. I felt very strongly about not severely restricting my calories from the get go. I didn't want my metabolism to slow down in order to accommodate "starvation mode". And upping my food intake is what usually busted my stalls. I'm not a daily tracker, but a few calories spot checks along the way had me at 1000 calories by 2-3 months, 1200 calories by 6 months and I'm maintaining around 1400-1600. But everyone is different. You got this! Just stick with it and find a formula that works for you. I live by Protein. Water. Vitamins. Balanced, healthy meals. Variety and Being active. This is a lifetime adventure and being healthier is worth at least as much as what the scale says.

Queen...you are my hero. I'm only 11 months out, but have maintained the same weight (10-12 pounds below goal!) for the last 3 months just eating like a normal person. I don't track, I don't count calories and I weigh once/week. I "spot checked" my calories a couple days about a month ago and was around 1400-1600 calories. Definitely something I can live with! So it's good to see I'm not alone and it is possible to maintain this style even years out. And congrats gamergirl....you look great!

Ditto. Stalls are normal and nothing you can do. Keep on plan and stay off the scale. My biggest stall breakers early on we're actually to eat more and drink more. Other than that, they just ended on their own. I probably even missed a few because i didn't weigh that often.

Visit the complications subforum on here for some first hand insight into treating leaks. I believe the overall statistic for sleeve complications is 1-2%. (This includes strictures, leaks and infections). Ask your surgeon how many he sees, what symptoms to look for and how to treat, etc. My surgeon claimed a 0.1% serious complication rate. GERD and food intolerances are more common "minor" complications. Unfortunately leaks can happen weeks or even months after surgery, despite passing initial leak tests (I was given 3). So I didn't relax and breath easy about it until I was nearly 6 months out. It was by far the motivating factor that kept me on the straight and narrow and following my postop restrictions to a T!

I was lactose intolerant right after surgery, too. I used Lactaid and soy milk (almond milk has almost no protein). The intolerance kind of went away after about 3-4 months and have I been back on regular dairy ever since. My surgeon explained that food intolerances often develop after VSG because the food we eat enters the intestines a little less broken down than if we had full size stomachs. The molecules are different and the intestines sometimes don't deal with the change very well.

Been thinking about you...wondered how you were doing because I knew your surgery was getting close. Luckily I haven't had another attack and my weight has stabilized, so I'm hoping things don't progress. Still waiting for some party dress pictures!

I always tried to find ways to sneak extra Protein into everything, even normally carby dishes. ...add vanilla Protein Powder to the egg batter of French toast ...add Garden of Life Raw Fit, an extra egg and unflavored powder to Bob's Red Mill whole grain pancake mix. Tastes even better than regular. I make a big batch, freeze em and have 30 second microwave protein pancakes anytime I Want! ....mix my whole grain Cereal (Kashi Golean or bran nuts) into Greek yogurt watered down with a little milk. ...use Premier Protein vanilla as my coffee creamer. Or even the chocolate when I'm in the mood for a mocha. ....muscle milk cake batter protein powder, milk and cottage cheese tastes like cheesecake! ....OJ and vanilla protein powder frozen makes a great dreamsicle It's crazy how many new things I've discovered that are so yummy, and still good for me.

If I remember right, I replaced a scoop of the bread crumbs with 1 scoop of Un jury unflavored. They still stayed together well. I used Old Bay in mine, too. I think I'll make some tomorrow and let you know. I mostly end up winging these things...

I ate these a lot in soft food stage. I actually added egg and unflavored protein powder in the mix as well, for even more protein.

Good for you. After all, this is YOUR journey and you may not fit into some nut's WLS textbook guidelines. I'm generally a big fan of following the rules, but I also think you should be able to take responsibility for doing what's best for you. Best of luck.

that is insane. There is NO WAY I could have gotten even close to my protein requirements without shakes. Even at 11 months out I have one everyday. And there's no way I could make it on only 3 meals/day. Personally, I didn't start pureed until almost 3 weeks out, and even at that point I was stuffed with 2 tablespoons. But I ate 2 tablespoons of whatever many times/day (plus protein shakes). I'm not one to tell anyone to go against their doctor's orders, but your nut is not very realistic. Her "rules" seem to be getting in the way of your proper nutrition. I'd say do whatever it takes to get in at least 60g protein, 64oz Water and your Vitamins. You cannot possibly overeat at this stage.

My uncle swears by coconut oil. It made his knee surgery scars nearly disappear even years after his surgery. I'm a good "healer", so my scars just faded on their own.

From the very beginning I've always just eaten when I get hungry...every 3 hours or so. I don't make a distinction between a meal and a snack. Just eat till satisfied, whether it's a couple bites or a small plate full. It's really as simple as making healthy choices, getting in all your protein, water and vitamins and staying away from simple carbs and trigger foods. But I guess if they didn't make it complicated, the nuts wouldn't have a job.

I'd like to apologize for sometimes posting on the Lapband threads. I stopped using the browser version of BP awhile ago because it kept making Safari freeze on my iPad. Unfortunately I haven't figured out how to view new content from sleeve and General WLS forums only on the iPad app. I just select Timeline and it brings up threads from ALL forums. And sometimes I reply without noticing which subforum I'm in. I'll try and pay better attention. In the meantime, good luck to ALL bariatric patients!

@@tfarr I wanted to take two weeks, but ended up only taking 7 days off...I'm part owner in a two-person mobile practice (just me and the vet), so if I don't work, we are essentially shut down. I had a 20 pound lifting restriction for 3 weeks, so we had to be careful what surgeries and large animal visits we scheduled. But I was back to full duties by the 3 week mark. I actually had to pull double lifting duty by 6 weeks out because my vet had a hysterectomy and she had an 8 pound lifting restriction!

I checked with the manufacturer, and they are currently doing clinical trials at 20 locations in the US. It is geared towards type2 diabetic patients with weightloss being a "side effect".

I was supposed to do 14 days and lose 12 pounds (5% of my body weight). But I was so excited to get on with the process that I started 2 days early and ended up losing 22 pounds instead.

Good luck! I told my sister about my surgery 1st because I wanted her to accompany me to Mexico. We both agreed to not tell my folks at first so not to worry them. But after talking about it we figured they'd be really mad at both of us for keeping it a secret. So I told them and after the initial shock, they were very supportive. I sent them all of my research about VSG as well as a link to several threads on this and other WLS forums to help ease their concerns. Then, between my mom and sister, they told my entire immediate and extended family. I got several texts and even cards from my nephews, niece, aunts and others wishing me luck. I hope all goes well, and remember, their initial response will likely be mixed with shock and maybe some negativity. But hopefully they will end up giving you all the support you need. After all...that's what family is for.

Man, all this jerky talk has been making my mouth water. Then I get a call this morning from the game processor that my elk is ready. Yeehaw! I'll be picking it up this afternoon and start working on my homemade elk jerky! In the meantime, I'll be having rare tenderloin for dinner. Mmmmm

My instructions were no drinking 5 minutes before and 45 minutes after. It's basically just so you don't flush the food out of your sleeve and get hungry sooner and eat too much. I stuck with it for probably 8 months, but don't really follow those "rules" at all anymore. I just drink whenever I want. I'm hungry every 3 hours whether I drink or not. The key is to eat healthy and not overeat.

And make sure you get your records from down there. OCC provided my preop bloodwork results, ECG printout, OR report and notes. Some places can even get you a DVD of your surgery and postop X-rays. I had a postop barium fluoroscopy instead of a radiograph, so there was no hard copy for me to have.

I had my surgery at Obesity Control Center in TJ. Excellent care, perfect, easy recovery. The surgeons and entire staff are top notch. My PCP has taken care of all of my followup bloodwork here in the states. Both he and my OB/Gyn have been supportive with my decision to have WLS in Mexico (thank goodness!). I ended up getting a clostridial infection 6 weeks postop from antibiotics for a tooth abscess, and my surgeon's office in Mexico consulted with my gastroenterologist and PCP to resolve the issue. They (Obesity Control Center) have a designated followup doctor on staff who is readily available via phone and email. It's been great peace of mind. Luckily I haven't needed any care from a bariatric specialist because the closest one is over 2 hours away.