Katcloudshepherd

I'm getting the "Venus freeze" on my arms. It actually uses heat, so I don't know where the "freeze" comes in. It's $200.00 per treatment. It uses radio waves and some type of magnetic energy to get the cells to release the fat. I had it done on my neck so I wouldn't have "turkey neck". No cutting. I'm hoping my skin will tighten with the fat loss. I had decent results with my neck so I'm hoping I can get similar results on my arms. Then I'm going to do my legs and then my stomach. It spreads out the financial pain over several months. By then I'll be over a year out and then and only then will I consider the more considerable expense and recovery time of plastic surgery. Blessings, Kathleen

Congratulations!!!! I'm so happy for you I can completely relate to what you're saying about it being tougher. It's not as easy as when I was a few months out. I have to work harder now and stick to what I should be eating. Blessings, Kathleen

iamblessed1225, Congratulations!!!! I am so happy for your success Kathleen

greeneyes#1, Congratulations on taking control of your health by having WLS and welcome to the web site. As has been stated on many posts on this site, I wouldn't buy a large quantity of Protein powders or liquids BEFORE surgery. My tastes changed radically after surgery and many others have said their tastes changed too. I bought a lot of protein powders in the ultra sweet chocolate variety and I regret it now because I DON'T like that taste any more. Find a low sugar Gateraide or Propel or other electrolyte enhancer that you like. After surgery, you need to concentrate on getting your Water in. I had PLENTY of fat reserves to live off of for weeks after surgery so I didn't need so much food. Depending upon your doctor or NUTs recommendations, you may need broth for the first week or weeks. Then AGAIN depending upon their recommendations, you'll graduate to either creamy Soups, soft foods or mushies. The soft foods and mushies stages include things such as very moist scrambled eggs, cottage cheese, yogurt and cottage cheese. They should provide a list of items and a time frame where you can consume them. I was provided with that. Take a piece of paper and write down questions you want to ask at your pre-op appointment. You might forget the questions in the excitement. If you take a pen and paper to the pre-op appointment, you can write down suggestions on what to eat and when to eat it. The exercise of writing things down also helps you to remember them. I found that I had to purchase some Isopure low sugar clear protein to drink when I was at the broth stage. I felt weak and it seemed to help. Keep in mind that your sleeve will be swollen after surgery and it won't be able to hold much at one time, so what ever you purchase--you won't need the massive quantities a person with a normal stomach would need. This means you also have to sip, sip, sip to get that all important water or other no sugar/no caffeine liquid in. I hope your surgery goes well and you have an easy recovery, Kathleen

You JUST had your surgery on August 26th. That was only LAST week. I was told your new sleeve takes at least a month to heal. Please be kind to yourself and give your body time to heal. Rest when you need to. I know turning off your mind is difficult at times. Close your eyes and picture yourself in a place where you feel totally relaxed and comfortable. Concentrate and keep your mind on being in that place, where ever that may be. Take a deep breath through your nose to completely fill your lungs, hold it for a few seconds and then blow it out through only your mouth. Do this several times. I find the concentrating on something else and breathing helps me to relax and help to put my brain in a "shut-down" mode, like a computer. I was told to take ANY Vitamin D in the morning as it could also interfere with your sleep. I take an herbal supplement to help me sleep. It has melatonin, chamomile and Valerian root. Hope your recovery progresses quickly and you feel better soon, Kathleen

I don't think I qualify as a veteran as I'm not even a year out from surgery. I couldn't agree more with what the previous posts said. I can eat anything I want--just in small amounts. Fried food seems to make me feel like poo-poo so I just try not to ever eat it. I fail sometimes and then when I feel crappy, the light bulb lights up . If I stick to my high Protein, low sugar and little to NO simple carbs, I'm fine and HAPPY . I no longer LIVE to eat but I eat what I need to to live a happy productive life. Blessings, Kathleen

When I clicked the link it asked for a password. I've been drinking Kombacha--tastes a little like vinegar but I don't mind the flavor. Since I started drinking 1/2 a bottle a day my constipation has been gone and I feel like my mood is better. Maybe that's psychosomatic--I don't know. Blessings, Kathleen

agirlnamedfrankie, Let me preface this by saying I wasn't cleared to take capsules until I was a month out. I know choking down the chewable Vitamins becomes onerous very quickly. I thought I was going to run out of time as well with taking the Iron 2 hours before calcium etc. You have to keep doing it and after while it becomes a habit and it becomes easier. It takes time and practice to develop a habit. I take two capsules of bariatric Multivitamins when I'm eating Breakfast. I take them right before I eat or with a ridiculously small sip of Water if I'm eating whole food. If I'm drinking a shake it's not a problem, I just swallow with the shake. I take my iron with water in the morning and then take calcium with lunch, dinner and in the evening. For a very short period of time, I was taking my iron with orange juice---BIG mistake. Upset my sleeve and orange juice is full of sugar so I shouldn't be drinking it anyway. Now I take it with only water or anything but acidic drinks. I take my PPI (omeprazole) at night when I go to bed. My stomach is usually empty and I take it with a herbal sleep aid. I take a pro-biotic with my lunch and dinner as well. I do my best to get enough sleep and that is one reason I take the herbal sleep aid. It has melatonin in it, Valerian root, chamomile and I don't remember the other herbs in it. Sleepy time tea has a good mix of herbal sleeping aides. Taking the Tumeric capsule that I take daily is also a little tricky. It is hard on the sleeve so I have to take it with food--again super small sip of water after eating. I take it for anti-inflammatory properties for my many joint problems. I take fish oil tablets for my joints with just liquids--they don't seem to bother my sleeve. I take a Biotin supplement, although I don't think it's doing much good, on an empty sleeve. Getting the 64 ounces minimum is my 1st goal every day. Second is getting Protein in and vitamins. Working in exercise during the week is something I have to think about every day as far as scheduling a minimum of 3 good sessions per week and trying to get 4 in--- 5 times a week is optimal. It will get easier with time and practice of good habits. Blessings, Kathleen

I'm not supposed to be snacking between meals per my doctors. I have used the low or no sugar Protein bars as something sweet if I get that craving--not very often but it does occasionally happen. Many Protein Bars are super sweet and have chocolate and Peanut Butter in them.

BaileyBariatrics, GREAT POST! Sugar is white poison. Your body has NO nutritional requirement for straight sugar. Your body converts simple carbs to sugar and that starts the vicious cycle of high blood sugars leading to more insulin being released by the pancreas to get your blood sugars into a normal range. This can turn into insulin resistance and its myriad of consequences. I avoid sugar because it has no benefit to my body. Thank goodness since the surgery my previous insatiable appetite for it has decreased. I'm so incredibly grateful for that. Blessings, Kathleen

fran2014, If you are only getting 10 ounces of Water a day you are extremely dehydrated. PLEASE increase your intake of water. There are serious health consequences to dehydration. I don't count calories. I count water, minimum 64 ounces. Protein grams, a minimum of 60 grams. I find I have to supplement my daily protein with Protein powder or bars. I use a brand I ordered on Amazon called GENEPRO. It has no flavor and dissolves in hot or cold liquids. I put it in my coffee that I sip throughout the morning. I don't pay attention to fat. Some doctors require that. I eat so few calories a day--fat isn't a big deal to me. I know fat has more calories BUT it keeps me fuller longer. I keep my carbs to an absolute minimum to zero if I can. I don't' digest carbs well, the more I eat--the more I want. I keep sugar to as close to zero as possible. Again, I don't digest sugar well and it wrecks havoc on my blood sugar level and causes that crash if I eat too much. I do my darnedest to get enough sleep at night. I think this is often overlooked as a requirement to be able to loose weight. I don't make good food choices when I'm tired. I take a bariatric Multivitamin, 1/2 of an Iron tablet, calcium supplements and other Vitamins and supplements for my joint problems. I wish you the best but please, please get your water in. Blessings, Kathleen

yummymummy32, It seems to be a human trait to always compare ourselves to others. This is one area where it is not fair to yourself to compare. Every body has different DNA from different parents. No two people are identical. Please do not perceive the following comments in a harsh tone. Would you have lost the 49 pounds in 7 months if you had not had the surgery? More importantly, would you have been able to sustain that 49 pound weight loss? That is the kicker. We all had the surgery to lose the weight and KEEP it off. Heck, I've probably lost a whole person in all the weight loss attempts I made before surgery but I never kept it off. I hope now to not only loose the weight but keep it off. This is a battle I have fought for decades. I'm sure I'll be fighting it a year out, two years out and on and on. However, the fight will be easier with this tool and the enemy will be much less strong. Blessings, Kathleen

jmosher, Everything depends on your insurance coverage. I have Humana federal employee PPO. I was 48 when I had the surgery and had no comorbidities like diabetes, high blood pressure or sleep apnea. However, my mother died from complications from diabetes, father died from congestive heart failure and I have severe joint problems. My upper back has a 60 degree kyphosis, I have a herniated and "slipped" discs in my low spine and my knees have osteoarthritis so bad--they need to be replaced. NOW for the fantastic news! The more weight I lost--the more my back and knees felt better If you told me when I had the surgery I could have this small amount of pain and not even rely on Tylenol everyday--I'd never have believed you. Before surgery, I was taking prescription strength Naproxin twice daily. I had to stop taking that a week before surgery and relied on Voltarin cream after surgery because I COULD NOT TAKE the Naproxin after surgery. Voltarin is a prescription topical cream that does the same thing Naproxin does without going through your stomach. Not inexpensive but worth every penny. I hope your insurance covers weight loss surgery and hope you find the relief I have found through mine. Blessings, Kathleen

NuLife4Coy, Sounds like you are doing well. It is great that you aren't retaining Water. If your surgeon gave you a lot of IV fluids during surgery like mine did that could explain it. I had two IVs of saline. If you keep up your Fluid intake you shouldn't have to worry about dehydration. My daily requirement is 64 ounces. I do my best to hit that 64 mark and even go over. What helps is my doctor allows me to count anything that is caffeine and sugar free towards the 64 ounces. EVERY doctor is different in that aspect though. Congratulations on that 13 pound loss! Blessings, Kathleen

Amanda-Lee My husband and neighbor, who is a good friend, were there the day of surgery and my cousin drove me home. I was not able to drive for a week after surgery. I was still on the pain medication and my cousin was driving me around in my vehicle. I was able to get back in the pool to exercise two weeks out and was back to work in three weeks. I work in an office so it isn't a physically demanding job. I hit a period a couple of months out where I tired easily and felt exhausted all the time. I don't know if it was a delayed reaction or what. That was my experience. I wish you well with your surgery and hope you have an easy recovery. Blessings, Kathleen

Welcome to this site and welcome to the bumpy road some travel to get here. I wish you the best with choosing a good surgeon. I went to a Center of Excellence and the staff are all trained to deal with bariatric patients. All they do is Weight Loss Surgery, (WLS). The first surgeon I saw was one who did other abdominal surgeries and was not exclusively a WLS surgeon. I didn't like the attitude of his staff right off the bat. I was told via telephone it would take at least 6 months to schedule the surgery. I found the Center of Excellence and from start to surgery it was a little over 3 months. That was due to my insurance and having spent money on trying to loose weight with prescription drugs BUT my point is--the staff was not trained in dealing exclusively with bariatric patients. Even if you have to spend more money, (if you can afford to) to find a surgeon you will be comfortable with--it will be worth it. Good luck, Kathleen

KimberlyBranco7, I've found that I can eat rice at over 6 months out BUT I choose to eat VERY little. I eat Protein first and foremost because that is what my body needs. The rice fills me up too quickly and I just don't want to use what little space my sleeve has only to be hungry in a very short period of time. Not lion roaring hunger like before the sleeve but that little twinge that says "hey, you need to eat something". I find if I watch the carbs, and that is all rice is--my weight loss is much better. Kathleen

You are looking' good there! I'm VERY happy you are feeling better. Congratulations and blessings, Kathleen

Congratulations on your surgery! My husband would be a super high risk patient, hoping to find a surgeon who would preform the sleeve on him. Blessings, Kathleen

LindafromFlorida Thank you for your response. We're going to visit some surgeons and see if there is one who would be willing to do the surgery. Like I told my husband, all they can do is say no and we won't know if we don't try. I'm so happy for you and your husband . Blessings, Kathleen

I titrated myself off of coffee SLOWLY. I drank 3/4 caffeinated for a week, then 1/2 caffeinated for a week and then 1/4 for a week until I was down to plain decaff. It WAS hard because I'm an avid coffee drinker. After I was 3 months out I was allowed caffeine again but every doctor is different. I was so glad I got off the caffeine BEFORE surgery because you don't need to be dealing with headaches or caffeine withdrawal AFTER surgery. Good luck with your surgery. I hope it goes well and you have an easy recovery, Kathleen

Thank you for the website!!! I just took a quick glance and it looks great!

I don't find an aftertaste with Stevia BUT everyone is different. Truvia is Stevia with a chemical stabilizer in it. Kathleen

Jessiegirl30, Congratulations! I'm so happy for you! I'm learning how to eat to live not live to eat. It's a process that everyone that has weight loss surgery must undergo to retain that successful weight loss. Wishing you continued progress and health, Kathleen

peewee40, ​The only thing that got me through until I lost enough weight was Voltarin cream. It's an NSAID that absorbs through your skin. Once I lost enough weight, the pain in my back and knees got to be bearable with tylenol. It is a prescription and not an inexpensive one but worth every dollar for the pain relief. I understand what you are dealing with, the tylenol didn't relieve the inflammation I had, Thankfully the Voltarin did. Let me preface this next statement with what I'm about to say is not advice from a medical professional. I now take several Vitamins and herbs that are anti-inflamatory. Tumeric is a spice that I take twice a day--(should be taken with food, NOT on an empty stomach), Ester C is a Vitamin C that is easier on your stomach and I find it helps my joints. I take a probiotic capsule twice a day to help my constipation and have recently started drinking a Kombacha drink to also aid my digestive health. It is a fermented drink and I have seen the tea but the refrigerated one has the beneficial live organisms and the shelf stable tea does not. I made the mistake of drinking a whole bottle, (there are 2 servings per bottle), and had diarrhea. Too many beneficial Probiotics can be a BAD thing. I drink 1/2 a bottle and voila--no constipation, I go like I should. Since I'm eating mostly Protein, constipation is a problem if I don't get all the Water and get some Fiber in. I think since surgery I'm so much more focused on eating what I should and using vitamins and supplements to help my digestion work as effectively as possible thus helping me to lose weight, absorb nutrients and feel better. Blessings, Kathleen