Kindle

I would imagine it would vary from person to person. How much weight you lost, do you have a lot of loose skin or did it tighten up fairly well, what body part you are getting done, etc. I had 3 tattoos prior to VSG and 1 tattoo after. The after tattoo is under my collar bone and up over onto my shoulder so not a really "rubbery" body part in the first place. It looks great and the tattoo artist had no problems. Actually, I also had an addition put onto the one on my lower back which certainly lost a lot of underlying fat and is a little "looser", but that ink took just fine, too. It hurt worse than when I originally had it done on my fat back, though!

My mom is overweight/obese (not morbid obese) my dad is overweight, Both brothers normal my sister is underweight...has been her whole life. I was the biggest of my immediate family. My aunts on both sides of my family were all overweight/obese, uncles fairly normal or slightly overweight while most of my cousins, nieces and nephews are at a fairly normal weight range. Every single one of them supported my decision to have surgery and they are as happy as I am with my success. LOVE MY FAMILY!

I'm not sure I understand the question. Are you saying your plan doesn't call for Protein shakes but is it OK to drink them? I'm assuming your liquid diet includes other things besides Water. On my liquid stage (and all other stages for that matter) I drank as many Protein Shakes as needed to get in 60-80g of protein. And drank as much juice, tea, Gatorade, pedialyte, Vitamin water, Lifewater, broth and milk as needed to get in at least 64oz of fluids. (I couldn't tolerate plain water or artificial sweeteners, so besides the herbal teas nothing I drank was no/low calorie).

YUM! I'm buying eggplant the next time I go to the store! I'm 2 1/2 years out, but gotta admit some of my favorite foods are from the pureed stage.

@@Dub thanks for sharing. Just shows how individual every WLS journey is and how important it is to structure your plan in a way that works for you.

Unfortunately in the US the insurance companies like to decide what is or isn't medically necessary, not the doctors. So if they aren't requiring that you get it and your surgeon isn't requiring it, then don't worry about it. If your doctor feels it is medically necessary before going forward with surgery then his office should appeal the insurance company's denial. And if they still deny it then pay for it yourself. I've forked out thousands and thousands of dollars for medical procedures that were, indeed, necessary but insurance wouldn't cover. My doctor and I care about my well being even if insurance doesn't (which, BTW, is the LAST thing they care about) Sorry, rant over.

I've used Isopure, Unjury and Syntrax and they all tasted the same to me. As far as non-whey based protein, I thought egg and soy were OK but hemp was YUCK!

*Scrambled eggs with a bit of cottage cheese mixed in to make them super moist *Refried beans with melted cheese and green chili sauce *Hummus *Guacamole *Pureed tuna fish (yes, this was good with a dab of mustard) *Plain Greek yogurt flavored with protein powder and/or Torani syrups *Any kind of soup I could find that didn't contain rice or noodles....pureed with unflavored protein powder added *I also continued with my protein drinks thoughout all stages as they are an easy way to help meet protein and fluid goals.

That happened to me. I ran into a friend I've known for years, but probably only see 3-4 times/year. I was with another mutual friend and the two of them started chatting. She then stuck her hand out and introduced herself to me. I started laughing and told her who I was. She was shocked and a little embarrassed. She just grabbed me and gave me a big hug. Now when I run into her I always introduce myself

I took one week off from a physical, on my feet, lifting, squatting, bending all day job and I was fine. Tired when I got home but I would have been bored silly to stay at home. I was on full liquid diet for 3 weeks so just had to make sure I had plenty of protein smoothies and other fluids to drink in between appointments. Drinking real juice and adding fruit to my smoothies helped with my energy levels. Also had to limit my lifting to just 20 pounds for three weeks but was back to the usual 40-60 pounds after that.

I started feeling normal about 4 months postop.

60-80g protein, MINIMUM 64oz fluids and at least 10,000 steps/day were the only priorities I was ever given by my surgeons office. No calorie, fat or carb goals. Excellent plan as I lost over 100% of my excess weight and have maintained over 1 1/2 years,

I have never heard of anything so ignorant in my entire life. You should have left that part out if you wanted anyone to take anything you said seriously. Just makes you look like an idiot.

Before surgery I initially just told my sister (who was accompanying me to Mexico), my parents (cause my sister made me) and my work partner. I never told them it was a secret but I wasn't really sure who I wanted to share it with. Well those 4 people took care of it for me....within a couple weeks I was getting calls and texts from friends and family in 4 different states! I was a little perturbed at first, but turns out they did me a big favor. I received such good feedback and support that it made it easy to decide not to keep my surgery a dirty little secret. Being able to talk about it openly has been so much easier than trying to fudge my way through half truths when people ask how I lost so much weight. Sorry you've been turned into the latest gossip topic, but being from a small town myself, we both know there will be something juicier and more interesting to talk about soon enough and you'll be old news.

Syntax nectar.....peach, Cherry, lemonade, iced tea, Caribbean cooler, grape, vanilla, cappuccino, cookies and cream, chocolate truffle and probably others I can't remember. You can get individual packets to try at many health food stores and on Amazon.

The first time I stepped on the scale at 11 days postop I weighed exactly the same as surgery day. I didn't weigh again until 6 weeks out and I was 17 pounds down.

I went from a 44DD to a 36A/B. If I didn't need someplace to stuff all that extra skin I wouldn't need a bra at all. Wish I could donate it to a burn center....do they do that?

The complication rate for WLS is less than 2%.....hell, it's more dangerous to have your gall bladder removed! And I guarantee the risk of a life shortening obesity related health problem is WAY more than 2%. It's such a shame that so called professionals are so ignorant. Yes, this surgery will permanently change your life.....but for the better. I wouldn't trade my tiny tummy for anything. And you will be hard pressed to find more than a handful of people who regret their VSG, even the ones that have had complications.

At least you are going in the right direction. Just keep on plan and you will get there. Not sure what your starting weight was, but you are way ahead of where I was. I think I was right around 25 pounds down at 4 months out. I'm now 12 pounds below goal. Remember the rate at which you lose has nothing to do with the end result and long term success.

Whisky Just kidding....kind of. At least that's what I used to relieve stress preop. My therapist has taught me some great little tidbits to help with both stress and sleep. 1) SLEEP I often wake up in the middle of the night and can't get back to sleep. I typically turn on the TV and lay there like a zombie for 2, 3, even 4 hours until it's actually time to get up. Solution....restore rhythmic breathing pattern. Lay there with eyes closed, inhale while slowly counting to 4. Then exhale while slowly counting to 6. Repeat. After just a few of these I find myself dozing off and forget to count. If I briefly regain consciousness, I keep counting and breathing. In a very short period of time I'm back sound asleep until my alarm goes off. Yeah! 2) STRESSFUL EVENTS. When I find myself getting worked up over something someone said or did, or over an event I have no control over, my therapist explained how to use the "holocaust scale". On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being a minor annoyance and 10 being an unbearably horrible event like the holocaust, where exactly does my current issue fall? Take some time to put things into perspective and react accordingly.....i.e., don't give a 3 the attention and reaction of an 8. 3) STOP IT! I tend to have obsessive thoughts that cloud my mood, push me deeper into depression and leave me feeling very negative. When I find myself buried with one if these thoughts I am supposed to literally shout loudly "Stop It!" and/or physically jolt myself to put a punctuated end to that thought. Then make a conscious effort to think about positive things that make me happy.....picture being on a relaxing horseback ride, playing with my dog, skiing, lying on a beach, being with my family, whatever. But basically just STOP thinking the bad things and switch to thinking good things. The last one has been the hardest one so far. Head games take a lot if work!

I don't own a scale, either. When I was losing, I only weighed at the doctors office, I think I stepped on the scale 5 times in the first 3-4 months. If you are following the plan you will lose whether you weigh yourself or not. I had a hundred NSVs confirming it. I've actually found the scale more useful once I was in maintenance. I step on the scale at work a couple times/month, especially after a vacation or holiday or particularly carby weekend. This is fully clothed, after Breakfast and coffee, so it's not 100% "accurate", but it gives me a general trend and good enough for accountability. The non-scale method has worked for me for almost 2 1/2 years and I Guarantee I had a less stressful time in the beginning than 90% of the people on here that obsess over the numbers....I just wish I had a buck for every scale related complaint on here.

It's water weight. Don't worry about it. I gained 3 pounds at 6 weeks. Next time I weighed myself (a month later) I still weighed the same. But 6 months later I was 10 pounds below my goal weight. Stalls and even gains are normal throughout the process. Just stay on plan, meet protein and water goals everyday, take your vitamins and you'll be fine.

I thought (and still think) the Protein shakes were all too sweet, too. I ended up diluting everything. If it's a powder, I used 16-20 oz of milk or Water instead of the 8oz the directions called for. I mixed Premier chocolate RTD 1/2 and 1/2 with milk to make it much more palatable. The other option is to add unflavored Protein Powder to broths for a savory option. As for your stall, 3 months out seems a little early to be resorting back to liquids. Stalls this early are typically caused by not enough fluids, not enough protein, actually too few calories, or its just your body taking a break and it's totally normal. 60 pounds is a huge loss for just 3 months....your body definitely could use a break. Not to mention you are probably losing inches even if you aren't losing pounds. I lost absolutely nothing between weeks 6 and 10. In fact I actually gained 3 pounds. But I Dropped a whole pant size in those 4 weeks and finally started losing again as soon as I drastically INCREASED my calories and fluids. So Make sure you are getting AT LEAST 64oz fluids and 60-80g protein before you opt to starve your poor body even more. BTW, What's your calorie intake?

I am a strong believer in being your own advocate. And yes, choosing to have WLS was MY decision, not my doctor's. I actually didn't even tell him about it until a month postop. And after seeing my VSG recovery and results, my PCP now refers his patients who don't have insurance that covers WLS to the surgeon I used in Mexico. But my proactive participation in my own healthcare isn't just limited to WLS. I also researched and chose the neurosurgeon who did my cervical fusion after my PCP diagnosed the problem. My PCP called the surgeon he normally uses in order to discuss my case. Turns out the guy I chose was top of the field and is the specialist my PCP's surgeon uses for his harder cases. Fortunately my PCP fully respects and supports my independent medical decisions. He's perfectly happy to work as a team. And in turn, I totally respect and trust in his medical expertise. He's always provided outstanding care and is truly an amazing Doctor.

The advice being given is not judgemental....it's simply the honest truth. Sure, it's not what you or the OP wants to hear because it's not supporting and justifying going against surgeon's orders. But the advice IS being offered in the hopes of possibly saving a life (or at least an extended hospital stay). It's been less than a week and you are eating solids cause you are "over" shakes and cream soups?! Give me a break. i was on liquids for over a month and never once did the thought of eating off plan even cross my mind. My health and safety were far too important. I was committed to my choice and everything that goes along with WLS. Do you realize our stomachs are being held together with a very thin line of teeny tiny staples? Do you know what a piece of tuna fish or salmon could do to that fresh, raw incision if it gets stuck in the staple line? The postop diet instructions exist so that we can heal without complications. It's not a torture method handed out by surgeons just for fun. Yes, we have all been through it, so we do know what it feels like. But It's truly amazing to me how quickly some people are willing to start doing the wrong thing. Long term success depends on changing your eating habits....forever. Giving in to an urge after less than a week is not a good start.