MetroDetroitChic

This new wristband intrigues me... (Fitbit Force --- check out I http://www.engadget.com/2013/11/06/fitbit-force-review/ for more information) I like the idea that it can display the name of the person calling. In addition to all the fitness tracking information. Do you guys think you would like a wristband or find it cumbersome and prefer Fitbit One? Wondering which way to go at this point. Also, I am more of a biker than a walker or runner. (Okay, well hell, I am more of a couch potato, but we're working on that...lol) any idea how these gizmos work with biking? If at all? Thanks again!

I am almost 37 and have no kids... yet we badly want children. I talked to my doctor and she was adamant about waiting at least a year and a half. I objected. I told her that I had been thin before right after college and knew that my body was optimal and healthy at 155-160 lbs. My body kind of plateaued there no matter what I did. I am at 235-240 now and have three months til surgery still. I asked her for "an honest conversation" (about bypassing the 18 month no pregnancy rule) if I achieved goal weight. She agreed to a conversation where she would seriously consider it. I can ask for no more. So I hope to be able to reply to this thread next year with an answer to your question about exactly how long it took to get pregnant afterward. Until then, I will be busy hitting the gym and trying to achieve goal weight!

As I write this I am currently pretty confined to a bed due to a knee operation nine days ago. Was supposed to be a simple meniscus tear clean up... Wound up being a microfracture cartilage repair. No ability to put any weight on it for 4-6 weeks, and if I even sit up, it swells up like crazy, so even that is fairly impossible. I strongly advise anyone with serious knee issues to get super serious about weight loss and getting healthy. My advice: Get sleeved if you can first as it will make your knees a lot happier. ..you cannot imagine how hard crutches are at this weight!

Byjenna, Wow, I hope you are okay now. I hear kidney stone pan is absolutely the worst kind of pain there is. I am so sorry for you! Did the doc say it was because of the surgery or eating patterns... Or just a fluke? Thanks for your insight! I very much appreciate it!

There were others she quoted. The 2% stat stuck with me. When I looked it up to see if I remembered it right, this was the study date I found. Sorry if it doesn't work for you. Maybe it will work for some others though.

My doctor gave me a fabulous statistic, that for me, really puts things in perspective, and helps calm the nay-sayers: "Stunkard and McLaren-Hume's 1959 study of 100 obese individuals, which indicated that, 2 y after treatment, only 2% maintained a weight loss of 9.1 kg (20 lb) or more (1)" Source: http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/82/1/222S.full I personally have one hundred pounds to lose. If only 2% of dieting folks are successful with 20lbs, how successful do you think I would be at losing 100lbs??? Do those people think I am magically in the top 2% percentile of weight loss capability? Um yeah, probably not. One more statistic on why this will work -- from Wikipedia: "In general, the malabsorptive procedures lead to more weight loss than the restrictive procedures; ... A meta-analysis from University of California, Los Angeles, reports the following weight loss at 36 months:[5] Biliopancreatic diversion — 117 Lbs / 53 kg Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) — 90 Lbs / 41 kg Open — 95 Lbs/ 43 kg Laparoscopic — 84 Lbs / 38 kg Vertical banded gastroplasty — 71 Lbs / 32 kg The maximum weight loss occurs in the first 10 months after surgery. More recent studies have demonstrated that the medium (3–8 years) and long term (> 10 years) weight loss results for RYGB and LAGB become very similar.[23] However, the range of excess weight loss for LAGB patients (25% to 80%) is much broader than that of RYGB patients (50% to 70%). Data (beyond 5 years) for sleeve gastrectomy indicates weight loss statistics similar to RYGB." .. So there you have it. I'm not doing this because its easy. I am doing this because it will work. I am doing this because I don't want to putz around for the next decade trying to diet and winding up as a failure. I've already lost/gained 50+ lbs two times in my life. I want my life back and this is statistically the best option I have available to me. Tell them these statistics. Maybe that will click with them. -Beth

My husband and I are both having WLS in February next year. His mom is very... Well, she has definite opinions about things. To add to that, she had a member of her family die from WLS. (A long time ago, she had major eating issues and didn't follow post op directions). She will KILL us if we don't tell her. They live close and we see them often, they absolutely will find out. We are considering telling her the night before the surgery. Literally. She will be a nervous wreck. I even have visions of her in the hospital waiting room scolding me for "our decision to get surgery". Maybe I am overreacting. Maybe we should tell her early and have her attend the surgeons visit with us so she knows we have done our research?? I would love suggestions. Please. -Beth PS: We already told dad/FIL. He is supportive. He also agrees she will FLIP the @&$:/-! out and we should wait for as long as possible to tell her.

How do you not tell someone you see every week -sometimes a couple of times per week? And when they ask you if you would like a soda... even a diet soda, how do you dodge that? I think it's just too much dodging for me. I'm not going to tell my mom or my brother that both live far away. But those family members we see super often I feel like I will need to tell.

It is important that we be respectful, however if we had strictly heeded her advice we wouldn't be moving forward and doing all pre-op stuff we are doing. Just was looking for creative ways or advice to calm her down when telling her. Anyone else have experience with this?

My doctor gave me a fabulous statistic, that for me, really puts things in perspective, and helps calm the nay-sayers: "Stunkard and McLaren-Hume's 1959 study of 100 obese individuals, which indicated that, 2 y after treatment, only 2% maintained a weight loss of 9.1 kg (20 lb) or more (1). More recently, a New England Journal of Medicine editorial titled Losing Weight: An Ill-Fated New Year's Resolution (2) echoed the same pessimistic message." Source: http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/82/1/222S.full I have one hundred pounds to lose. If only 2% of dieting folks are successful with 20lbs, how successful do you think I would be at losing 100lbs??? Do those people think I am magically in the top 2% percentile of weight loss capability? Um yeah, probably not. One more statistic, from Wikipedia: "In general, the malabsorptive procedures lead to more weight loss than the restrictive procedures; however, they have a higher risk profile. A meta-analysis from University of California, Los Angeles, reports the following weight loss at 36 months:[5] Biliopancreatic diversion — 117 Lbs / 53 kg Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) — 90 Lbs / 41 kg Open — 95 Lbs/ 43 kg Laparoscopic — 84 Lbs / 38 kg Vertical banded gastroplasty — 71 Lbs / 32 kg The maximum weight loss occurs in the first 10 months after surgery. More recent studies have demonstrated that the medium (3–8 years) and long term (> 10 years) weight loss results for RYGB and LAGB become very similar.[23] However, the range of excess weight loss for LAGB patients (25% to 80%) is much broader than that of RYGB patients (50% to 70%). Data (beyond 5 years) for sleeve gastrectomy indicates weight loss statistics similar to RYGB." .. So there you have it. I'm not doing this because its easy. I am doing this because it will work. I am doing this because I don't want to putz around for the next decade trying to diet and winding up as a failure. I want my life back and this is statistically the best option I have available to me. -Beth

Hematologist said that SVTs "would require no different cause for action than the routine surgery prep that would be normally done for WLS". So, I have to assume that even with clotting issues, someone might not be declined, but would rather have a more aggressive anti-coagulant plan than someone with no risk. I am quite pleased. My main WLS center doctor made it sound like I was going to get denied for sure. She was nervous. At least that it one less hoop to jump through! Next the psych exam tomorrow. Then the stress test. Lol. ; )

I am (literally) sitting in a Hematologist's office as we speak. Purpose is to determine if I have blood clotting issues. I'll ask him what he thinks is grounds for WLS 'non-recommendation'. Have been advised my WLS surgeon will follow his recommendation. Will write back when I know more. (36 years old now. Had two SVTs at same time when I was 32, hence the reason I am here.) More to come!

Supposedly Jan or early Feb.

As a person who's had a minor (SVT) blood clot before, I need to be careful with my choice of birth control. Any advice other than the obvious condoms?

You look amazing. Very inspirational. Thank you for sharing. (From someone a little nervous about the surgery, this is a good reminder of why this will be such a life altering change for me.) Again, thank you for sharing!

You look incredible!

I'm gonna be honest... I was hoping you would say that. I am also using Krause via Beaumont Weight Loss Rochester. The docs estimate surgery will be in Feb. Nervous. Not terrified, but definitely nervous!

Q1: I am assuming we should stagger surgery. Not sure how long though. (We don't have kids) Can anyone provide advice? Q2: If we do stagger it, should be both go on an all liquid diet so we don't kill each other? Lol. (One eating broth, the other one eating normal food) Any other tips you could provide? Thank you!

I am 250lbs too (5' 7"). It believe this is as simple as a risk vs reward tradeoff... For me, and for others here, the rewards FAR outweigh the risks/negatives. For me, knees not hurting, no diabetes and the freedom to do so many things I cannot do now... that happiness far outweighs any food "happiness" I will be giving up.

Suggestion: plan out the meals for the week so that he can feel like he's not being set up to fail. Make sure he agrees. Then he can be comfortable that he has set up a plan to eat better. It works AWESOME for our household. (We even pre-make all the meals on Sunday for the week using Americas Test Kitchen Healthy Cookbook. They have "make ahead" recipes. It's great!) However, if after all the planning you decide to get a shake from a drive thru, then he needs to deal with that. You don't have the issue... he does. I don't get stressed when my brother brings over a six pack of beer that I know I can't touch. Jealous? Maybe. But not mad. Just part of the new lifestyle he needs to accept. My two cents...! I wish you luck!

Unfortunately, I think only you can know that. I can tell you that I have gained/lost 50+ lbs three times in my life, gaining it back every time. I am 36, about to be 37. My BMI is 40. I know that I have been unsuccessful losing weight without this tool. I am of the opinion that the only way for me to live the life I want to live is by going through this procedure. (And by want, I mean knees that don't hurt, fitting onto roller coaters, running after my nephews, going on hikes.) For me the vast majority is lifestyle... I will not lie, the idea of being a potential size six isn't bad either! I hope you find peace with a decision (either way) very soon!