VSGAnn2014

Weight loss surgery can be a daunting experience under the best circumstances. That’s why this journey is more easily traveled with boon companions who lighten the load with a positive attitude, some self-deprecation, and a sense of humor. We have in common our WLS challenges, but we also have a lot of differences. So come in, pull up a chair and leave your self-righteousness outside. If someone on the board gets huffy because everyone doesn’t see things their way, don’t huff and puff and try to blow their house down. Instead, come over to this thread and crack a joke or post a cartoon. After all, there’s nothing healthier for us than a good belly laugh.

I'm only 19 months post-op. I've been in maintenance mode for almost a year now and can tolerate all foods. It's turned out to be true (for me, at least) that since my sleeve has healed and I've learned how to navigate maintenance there's nothing I used to love that is off the menu now. I eat 1700 - 2000 cals/day in the form of three meals and a couple of small snacks. So my food choices when I eat out are much more varied than when I was just a few months post-op. I drink (sloooowly!) a glass of wine when we eat out, but don't drink any water or non-caloric beverages. When eating out, I avoid (for capacity reasons) bulky veggies and (for low-nutrition reasons) breads and potatoes. Rarely, hubby and I share a dessert -- which means that when he orders dessert I have a couple of bites of his dessert. Some of the vets say that in the coming years capacity will increase. Others say it won't. So what that means to me is that I just have to remain mindful and be responsible for what and how much I put in my mouth for the rest of my life.

There are a lot of other more important things you need to do before you need to agonize about dating and finding a new husband. * Like getting out of bed. * Getting dressed. * Preparing and eating the foods you need to be eating post-op. * Leaving the house. * Finding another job. I'm completely serious. If you can focus on things that will actually make you healthier now (which is why you had WLS -- remember?), you'll start to feel better. Otherwise, you'll still be lying there in bed with that cat a month from now. Maybe even three months from now.

I appreciate that you're looking to change your lifestyle. And that's a good thing. But your doctor's comments that alcoholic spirits are less fattening than wine are some of the weirdest I've ever heard. Yes, “savoring” a small amount of wine vs. guzzling a whole bottle is a good idea – fewer calories. And yes, good wine is a better choice than cheap wine -- but not for nutritional reasons. But the idea that the minimal number of carbs / sugars in a 5-ounce pour of chardonnay will make you fat again is simply not true. Skim milk has more sugars and carb grams than chardonnay. You can check these facts on any online nutritional database. Some surgeons’ nutritional education seems astonishingly lacking. P.S. Also check out recipes for watermelon martinis. They contain not only sugar found in watermelon juice, but sugar from ingredients like granulated (white) sugar and (in some recipes) sugary liqueurs.

IMHO, you should "try for maintenance" when you are good and ready to do so. Others' perceptions that you are "too skinny" are grounded in their having seen you for years while you were overweight and obese. Your new look is making them uncomfortable. Make yourself comfortable! Please yourself.

I am on BP mostly via laptop. And even on laptop it's now (compared to how it was before "upgrades") slower, crashes, doesn't connect, doesn't post comments, posts multiple comments.

I wish I had had the prescience at a very young age to ask jokers like that: "How much do YOU weigh?"

I've read (but have not experienced this!) that some patients have revised from a sleeve to an RnY (gastric bypass) to reduce severe reflux problems. Perhaps others who know more about this or who've actually undergone this revision can chime in with more info.

This phenomenon -- weight loss due to life's stresses -- contributes to the idea that older WLS folks shouldn't try to become as lean as they once yearned to be when they were younger. Throw in the physical and emotional stresses of common life changes for most seniors -- retirement, moving to new surroundings (and sometimes new cities), caring for ill loved ones, deaths of our parents, spouses, other family members and friends, -- and you can see why a few extra pounds for seniors isn't a terrible thing. Note that "a few extra pounds" isn't 100 extra pounds. For more on life's stresses see https://paindoctor.com/top-10-stressful-life-events-holmes-rahe-stress-scale/

Just incredible. You look so healthy, strong and beautiful in that photo. You've changed your life.

Jeez! There's this thing about some relatives ... they think, despite their utter ignorance about WLS, that they have the right to make their relatives' decisions. And they are shocked, even pissed off, when you don't hand over to them the reins to your life. Ignore her ass.

What a great piece. Thanks, @@Inner Surfer Girl . The first time I remember *knowing* I was fat was in the fourth grade when we had to weigh publicly (in 1955), and the teacher announced our weights before writing them down. I weighed 100 pounds. I was the only girl who weighed that much. That was the first time I saw myself as *fat*. And that self-image did not end until last year (when I was 69 years old) and reached my weight goal (of 150) and have since last another 15 pounds, where my weight is now stable at 135. Jeez Louise!

In your shoes, I'd consider whether WLS is for me. All this "trouble" you feel like you're having to go through now, before you've had surgery, is no different than the "trouble" you'll have to go through post-op -- during both the weight-losing phases and the weight-maintenance phases. If you are laboring under the belief that you won't have to control not only how much you eat but what you eat to be successful with WLS, you are sadly mistaken. In your shoes, I'd consider whether WLS is for me. All this "trouble" you feel like you're having to go through now, before you've had surgery, is no different than the "trouble" you'll have to go through post-op -- during both the weight-losing phases and the weight-maintenance phases. If you are laboring under the belief that you won't have to control not only how much you eat but what you eat to be successful with WLS, you are sadly mistaken.

I'm with the others. My surgeon is the leader of a practice that's a Centre of Excellence certified by the American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS). And Protein shakes and protein powders (especially in the early months post-op) are recommended for all WLS patients as supplements to protein-rich food. Below is an excerpt from the ASMBS Web site describing acceptable sources of protein for patients post-op (including shakes and even bars). Based on this, I think your doctor is really uneducated about what's necessary. I would recommend you ignore his ill-considered advice and eat a helluva lot more protein than you're getting now. Nutrition (food and supplements) and Fluids Healthy lifestyle choices give the best results for health and Quality of Life after surgery. Protein-rich foods are important, with patients advised to take in 60-100g of protein daily, depending on their medical conditions, type of operation and activity level. The ASMBS warns patients to avoid excessive carbohydrate intake, such as starchy foods (breads, pastas, crackers, refined cereals) and sweetened foods (Cookies, cakes, candy, or other sweets). Limiting carbohydrates to 50 grams per day or less helps avoid rebound hunger problems which can lead to weight regain. Q: How should I get my protein? With shakes? Bars? What if I’m a vegetarian? A: There are many options even for those with special dietary needs or preferences. Your dietitian can provide additional information on protein sources. meats, eggs, dairy products, and Beans are common protein sources in everyday foods. Protein extracts made from soy, brown rice and whey are commonly sold in stores. Protein Shakes or bars may offer additional ways to meet your protein needs. You may find it helpful to calculate your daily protein intake to be sure you’re not falling short. As you are able to tolerate more regular foods, you get a higher portion of the requirement during regular meals and supplements become less necessary. Q: What happens if I don’t take in enough protein? A: The body needs additional protein during the period of rapid weight loss to maintain your muscle mass. Protein is also required for your metabolism to occur. If you don’t provide enough protein in your diet, the body will take its protein from your muscles and you can become frail. http://asmbs.org/patients/life-after-bariatric-surgery

If you really are that terrified ... don't have the surgery. Having WLS and making the necessary lifestyle changes to be successful long-term would require your full commitment and a lot of focus on your long-term health goals.

I have NEVER heard of any connection between hair loss (or lack thereof) and reaching some mythical "can't lose anymore weight" number. (I don't think there is such a number, by the way.) You can lose weight if you find the right combination of macronutrients, exercise, and whatever. Why not try eating more? FYI, the last two months before I reached my initial weight goal (150 pounds) I was averaging 1200 calories/day and 100 grams of Protein. Not saying that's your solution. But just letting you know others ate more than you're eating while losing weight. BTW, I don't know what "air steps" are. But I think the 10,000 steps a day target is a great one for everyone.

I was 68 when I was sleeved. I've now lost 100 pounds -- all my excess weight -- and am maintaining easily. I'm 70 years old now. It does not matter at all to me whether I should've had this surgery when I was 30 or 40 or 50 or 60 years old. Truth is, it wasn't available then. But in those years I also wasn't a good WLS candidate for lots of reasons. By that I mean that I didn't understand my own disease well enough to know that obesity is a disease coupled with misbehaviors -- but NOT a character flaw, as I had always assumed. Finally admitting to myself that my body and I were flawed in ways I'd never copped to allowed me to consider solutions I'd never allowed myself to explore. Once I learned about VSG it was a slam dunk decision and has been the only successful solution for my obesity I've ever implemented. The only thing that matters now is the present and the future. The past is long gone. It's full of some good things and some bad. But it's immutable. Onward and upward.

Peanut Butter is a trigger food for me. So I don't eat it. You'll find some foods that you *can* eat. But that you *shouldn't* eat. And you know what they are -- for you.

I hear you on that.

@@MIMISAN ... you've been on this board for a long time prior to surgery. I thought you'd have read about / known this already, but here's the deal: Your new sleeve -- swollen though it is -- doesn't resist any liquids. And soup is just another liquid. Wait 'til you eat some chicken. Ha! You'll discover restriction!

OK, I'll bite ... what is the / a "pistol diet"?

That's some of the worst pain I've yet endured. Yet the pain fades and the love remains.

You SERIOUSLY, SERIOUSLY, SERIOUSLY need to find a new primary physician. Her comments reflect the incredible depth of her prejudice against obese persons and her lack of understanding about the disease of obesity in general. Appalling!

And your ticker says you have now lost 206 pounds!!! That is so awesome. You rock.

Guys, your hair will come back. This happens to pretty much everyone. BTW, 9 months is just about when it stops falling out and starts growing back in again. Hang in there.