Melodica

I've been really bad. I've eaten pretty much anything and everything that I want. Some things go over better than others though. Just have to be careful and eat it slowly. I know I probably shouldn't be eating some of the things that I do, but I did not get this surgery to never have what I like again. I got it to help me with my portion control and to get me on the right track and that's what it's doing.

I weighed in this morning at 271.2lbs. That probably sounds like a lot to most, but I haven't weighed under 275 in about 15 years. That also means I've lost a total of 104lbs since this entire thing began and leaves me with about 72lbs until I hit 199, which at this point, is my ultimate goal. Anything after that will just be a bonus. What surprises me the most is that I'm still losing. I'm still not exercising like I should and I'm eating basically what I want. All the stuff they say we're not supposed to have, I eat. However, I've felt better since starting to do that and the sleeve keeps me from overdoing it most of the time. My weight loss is slow, but I think that's keeping me from having a lot of excess skin. Now if my hair would just stop falling out. I've been taking my Vitamins better and TRYING to get in more Protein (though I'm sure I'm still not at the 90-100g that they wanted me to have). I'll go for days without washing my hair because when I do, so much comes out. I read somewhere that this can happen for up to six months. I've been losing for a little over three - I dunno if I'll have any left after six!

Thanks for the info, mysleeve. I'm going to try to start doing that and see if it helps. I'm hoping switching Multivitamins will help as well. Definitely update us if you notice that is making a difference.

I haven't had hair loss as bad as that pic, but I'm definitely losing a lot. Thankfully I think I'm the only one who can tell. I haven't been washing my hair often either and only comb it one time a day. I've been taking the Biotin for about two weeks but haven't noticed a difference. Am I the only one ticked that it's only the hair on my head falling out and not my unwanted body hair? That stuff seems to be growing just fine and I couldn't pull it out if I tried. I was reading up on the hair loss though and someone suggested the Fall Fight shampoo/conditioner from Garnier. I ordered the shampoo and I'm going to try it. I feel like it can't hurt at this point. I'm sure mine is from Vitamin deficiency. I haven't been taking my Vitamins like I should - in part because of my thyroid issue. I have to take everything so spaced out that I always forget something. I've also been eating terribly (ie: eating whatever I want, be it ice cream, Pasta, rice, bread, soda - all those no-nos) but yet I've lost more weight since I started doing that than when I was eating right. I basically have what I want, but it's still in the tiny portions. I've lost at least 20lbs since I started doing that around three weeks ago. Go figure!

That's who I used as well. I had to travel from Alabama. I definitely wouldn't recommend such a long car ride the day after surgery! I am pleased with the results though.

Dr. Stowers performed my sleeve surgery and Dr. Wright performed my hiatal hernia surgery. They were both really nice guys with a good sense of humor. I didn't have any complications and the hospital staff was nice as well. Most of my communication has been with the girls in the office and they have all been friendly and helpful. As far as weight loss, I've dropped 64lbs in three months. Probably would be more if I'd get off my butt and exercise more! I'd definitely recommend him.

Mine was liquid only for a week. I could have Protein shakes, Water or sugar free water based liquids, broth, sugar free Jello and sugar free popsicles. I could also have one of the small cups of sugar free pudding per day. I cheated ONE time and had a can of chicken with some Frank's hot sauce. If it hadn't been pure protein, I would have felt pretty bad about it. I ended up losing 18lbs in that week.

I have a list of things that have been difficult for me. -The pre-op diet - This obviously isn't a post op issue, but it was one of the most difficult things I've had to do throughout this whole journey. -Drinking while eating - I still drink while I'm eating. I only take small sips and never drink much, but I can't have a meal without some sort of liquid. -Eating slowly and chewing thoroughly - Case in point, while writing this post, I was having a piece of chicken. I was really hungry and ate way too much of it at once and didn't chew well. I ended up heaving in the bathroom. You'd think I would learn, but when I get really hungry it's hard to control myself. -Exercising - I'm about 3.5 months out and I'm still tired all the time. Makes it very difficult to be motivated to exercise. -Taking Vitamins - I know I'm probably deficient in multiple vitamins because I always forget to take them. It's more of a pain to me because I also have to take a thyroid medication, which can't be taken with the Iron, Calcium or Multivitamin. -Getting in my Protein - I've been VERY bad about this. I probably average 60g of protein per day. My surgeon told me I need to be around 90-100g. I know I could supplement with the shakes, but they tend to give me stomach issues. -Finding foods to eat - I was never fond of cooking before surgery, which is one of the reasons I was fat. Fast food was so much easier. I've tried to get better about that since and made a few "WLS friendly" recipes. Haven't really cared for any of them. So probably the biggest challenge for me is finding healthy foods that I actually want to eat.

I always thought the idea with drinking Water while on a diet was to drink BEFORE you ate so you wouldn't feel as hungry when you began eating. That actually did work for me prior to surgery. The problem was that I hated straight water - still do unfortunately. In regards to drinking while eating.... I'm guilty. I don't drink nearly as much (I used to be the one that drank three sodas with my meal). Now it's just a few sips. That just wasn't something I could give up. Before I learned to gauge what I drink, it did come up a few times, but now I have a pretty good handle on where the limit is, so I don't have that issue.

I actually did this when I was on the pre-op liquid diet. I wanted a frickin taco sooo badly, so I ordered it, chewed it up and then spit it out. It definitely helped with my craving. After surgery I haven't done it. I figure if I really want something, having it in moderation on occasion is not a bad thing.

I'm right there with you, IdaliaMay. I didn't feel hunger the first few days after surgery, so I was thinking it worked for me... Then it came back. I take my Omeprazole religiously, so I know that it isn't acid. It's hunger. Feels just like it did before surgery. I'm on regular solid foods and I will say that eating Protein holds off the feeling longer, but it still comes back after a couple of hours. I've tried drinking more (though I can't drink straight Water because it makes me feel incredibly nauseous). I've also tried upping the dose of the Omeprazole - no dice. Still feel hungry. I have no clue why it seems to work on some people, but not on others. Really frickin annoying!

I'm feeling the same as all you guys are about the hair loss. For the first couple of months, I didn't notice any so I was hoping it wouldn't happen to me. Unfortunately around the end of month two, it started falling out (I'm about 3.5 months out). Now every time I comb it, a bunch comes out. I've gotten to where I try not to brush it or wash it very often, but I start a job outside my home next week that's going to put an end to that. Thankfully it's not coming out in clumps and I had a lot of hair, so it's not noticeable yet, but I'm beginning to get worried. I'm going to start taking Biotin and after reading some of your comments, I may start with Vitamin E and zinc. I really don't want to have to wear a wig.

That's one habit that I haven't been able to break. I don't do the waiting before and after and occasionally have a few sips with my meal. Thankfully I have learned where my breaking point is and don't vomit anymore because I overfilled myself.

I yo-yo between regret and happiness about it. I have lost a significant amount of weight and in ways I feel a huge improvement. However, I'm having A LOT of trouble adjusting to the new diet. The reason being is that I cannot find things that I want to eat, so a lot of the time I just don't eat. I've tried a lot of low carb or 'WLS friendly' recipes and haven't enjoyed one of them. To top that off, since I haven't been getting an adequate Protein intake, my hair is falling out. Thankfully I had a lot so it's not noticeable yet. I'm also tired all the time, probably because I don't eat enough. So yeah - be prepared for the diet change. Go ahead and start trying to find WLS friendly recipes and low carb Snacks that you enjoy eating. Also, try to get used to the Vitamin regiment. There are a lot that you have to take and some of them can't be taken together, so you have to plan well. In my case, I also take a thyroid medication that can't be taken with Iron, Calcium or a Multivitamin so I almost have to set an alarm to take Vitamins throughout the day. In regards to your marriage - it is VERY hard when you're around someone who can eat things that you can't. My husband tried to be considerate, but when I was on the pre-op liquid diet EVERYTHING he ate tortured me. Now he can have things like Pasta, rice and bread and I can't and it does cause some resentment. This surgery is YOUR choice though, so try to keep that in mind when you're seeing red because he's scarfing pizza or spaghetti (two things that I crave often, by the way). My husband and I have been married since October of last year and have been together for a total of about 2.5 years and we haven't had any real issues because of the surgery. He's happy for me and very supportive even though I know it's frustrating for him sometimes.

The surgeon denying is totally different than insurance denying. The surgeons will probably only deny if you don't get the necessary pre-op testing or if you have some sort of condition that would make surgery dangerous. I was a self pay and had no issues with the surgeon accepting me for surgery. And my insurance did pay some on the pre-op tests and paid for the EGD/hiatal hernia surgery. I paid $8200 for mine in Texas and insurance paid the hospital and doctors a whopping $16,435 (out of a billed $30,874). There are many doctors who offer a 'package deal.' The surgery and all associated hospital costs are a flat fee. Some even include the pre-op tests. I know there are some pretty cheap ones in Florida, Louisiana and Texas. Most seem to be right around 10k.

1) Height / weight starting our wls programs: 5' 8.5", 375 2) Weight day of surgery: 357 3) 14 week post op weight pounds lost/gained: I've lost a total of 79lbs, 61lbs since surgery. 4) Goal weight: Mini goal #1 was reached when I hit 299lbs. Mini goal #2 is 269lbs. Mini goal #3 is 239lbs. Milestone goal is 199lbs. Ultimate goal is 170lbs. I'm trying to place a lot of easily reachable goals so that I feel like I'm accomplishing something. 5) Your biggest success this week: Finally making it under 300lbs. It's been 4 years since I was under that weight. I did Weight Watchers back in 2010 and lost about 40lbs - got down to 279ish, so I'm looking forward to beating that. 6) Your biggest struggle this week: Still having tons of trouble finding things to eat. I eat things with too much fat and too many carbs, though I've found when I do that for a couple of days, that's when the weight seems to drop off - go figure. I'm obviously not getting enough Protein because my hair is falling out. Thankfully I had plenty to spare so it's not really noticeable yet, but it's annoying and worrisome. I also still can't push myself to exercise because I'm so tired. I also HATE summer and the heat, so that probably doesn't help either. Once it starts cooling off, I'll probably feel like getting out more.

I've been drinking soda occasionally since I was a month out (three months out now). I don't crave it like I used to, so I don't drink it very often though. It doesn't really bother my stomach that much. I just belch a lot after drinking it. I haven't noticed any stretching of my sleeve either. I can eat more now than I could in the beginning of course, but I'm still reduced to maybe five bites (less if I drink something with it - which is a habit I haven't been able to kick yet). I know a lot of people around here (and doctors) will say carbonation is the devil and you should stay far away from it, but the conflicting information makes me believe that there's not as much to it as they want you to think. Ultimately it's up to you whether you want to drink it. I'd just advise going really slowly. Small sips or you'll feel like you're foaming at the mouth!

I've lost 58lbs since surgery. Lost 76lbs since starting the pre-op diet. It's been rather frustrating because I've had multiple stalls and even some occasions where I GAINED weight. One week I'd gain 5lbs, the next I'd lose 10lbs. It's crazy. Even if eating things that are bad for me, I still don't see how I gained weight when I'm eating a small fraction of what I did before surgery. Also, this weight loss has come with almost NO exercise. I'm still incredibly tired, so I've been really bad and haven't been exercising. I'm guessing if I had, I probably would have lost at least 20-30 more pounds.

I actually didn't even go through insurance. I ended up going with self pay. Because I would have had to pay 20-30% anyway, it came out only a bit more and I didn't have to jump through all the hoops. I had the surgery in April and have lost 76lbs. Not adjusting incredibly well to the changes though. I can't seem to drink enough or stop drinking while eating and I'm still incredibly tired so I don't exercise much. I know if I did I probably would have lost more weight by now.

Anyone else have Blue Shield of CA (PPO)? If so, was the process easy? Did you get denied? I've already had a sleep study and have apnea so I'm on CPAP. I've gone to see a nutritionist and had the psych evaluation. I'm currently doing the 6 month physician supervised diet (visit #5 is this month). Question on that - has anyone gained weight while on that diet and been denied because of it? I'm following all the guidelines that my physician is giving me, but I'm gaining weight. Makes me rather nervous about an approval!

What would I change? I would take the money I spent on it, get a personal trainer, a shrink and a good nutritionist and not get surgery. One of the biggest regrets of my life. It might be great for some people, but it has NOT been for me.

1) Height / weight starting our wls programs: 5'8 1/2" - 375lbs 2) Weight day of surgery: 357lbs 3) 12 week post op weight pounds lost/gained: Lost a total of 52lbs since surgery, 70lbs total since I started the entire thing 4) Goal weight: Dream goal is 160, practical goal is 180, goal I will be happy meeting is 199 5) Your biggest success this week: None really. I've gained 2lbs instead of losing anything. 6) Your biggest struggle this week: I've been eating badly because my life is in shambles right now. All I want to do is eat carbs and there's still the frustration of trying to figure out things to eat. I hate cooking, I've always hated cooking and I really hate thinking about what I need to eat, what I can eat and what I can't eat what seems like ALL-THE-TIME. I also struggle with exercising. I'm always tired. I did Weight Watchers years ago (and did well, lost over 30lbs) and even tracking what I ate then wasn't as much of a pain in the ass as this is.

Thanks for all the advice guys! I'll definitely try your suggestions.

Thanks for the boost guys. The scales moved down another 4lbs, so that's about 7lbs this week so far. Not too bad. I'm looking forward to never seeing my weight starting with a '3' again. Only about 3 more lbs to go! Still frustrated about foods though. I hated cooking before surgery (which is part of the reason why I was fat - fast food is easy). The surgery didn't change my opinion of it either. It's so frickin difficult to come up with meals. And even more difficult to remember to eat something every few hours. I know I don't eat enough and I've been horribly neglectful about taking my Vitamins. I'm amazed that I'm still losing and still have hair. And welcome to the club, Matt! We could use a guy around here. I actually think it's interesting to see how people react to men having the surgery and how men lose the weight as opposed to women.

I feel kinda like I'm the Debbie Downer in this thread. I'm not really happy despite losing almost 70lbs thus far. And I don't really feel much better either. My back doesn't hurt anymore and I don't get reflux much (though that could be partially attributed to the medication) but I traded that for a dull pressure right between my breasts every time I swallow, stomach upset nearly every time I eat and more urinary burning because I still can't seem to drink enough sometimes. I'm also still incredibly irritated about what I can eat and trying to plan meals. Gotten to where I just don't eat rather than going through the frustration. My only change from last week is that I dropped a couple of pounds. Everything else is the same.