Bluesea71

I do agree age plays a big role. I was a competitive athlete growing up and our capability to grow muscle is reduced as we get older. I'm now a woman in her 40's. I'm lucky that I have a naturally athletic/hour glass body shape without even trying. I'm currently training to hike half dome. I take strenuous 10 mile plus hikes on the weekends and try to fast pace walk 5-10 miles per day minimum. My body is lean and defined but the muscle mass just isn't what it used to be. On one hand I'm thrilled because I used to hate my legs when I was younger because my calve and thigh muscles would become so big and bulky! I'm thinking with the hard training I'm doing, I need to increase my protein intake. That's where coming on these boards and reading all of the posts are helpful to remind me of what I SHOULD be doing! They warned us about a honeymoon period! I am a pretty clean eater and am dedicated to my health and this process. Still, it becomes more challenging when you are once again capable of eating whatever you want!

Keep it simple. You will wear the hospital gown while there. No way to change with the IV and pole attached. I wore the same clothes home I came to the hospital in and put on a fresh pair of undies. Pack some toiletries and makeup to freshen up and you're good to go. One thing I'd add is your phone, a charger and an extension cord. The only outlet in my hospital room was across the room. It came in handy! The first 24 hours I was miserable in the hospital (and was cursing everyone on BP for not warning me!) I slept most of the time and was happy to have my favorite pillow from home to snuggle up with. Good luck!

The previous posters did a great job explaining things so I won't repeat anything already said. I will just add my observations as someone a year out from surgery at goal. I wasn't always heavy, so have been my current weight of 150 pounds as an adult before. What I have noticed is my body composition is VERY different post WLS. I have a lot less muscle tone and definition than I did at this weight before. I believe this is a direct result of my body burning muscle as fuel during the weight loss process. Taking in adequate protein is the best way to prevent this from happening. I would be curious to hear feedback from others. Anyone else notice a loss in muscle mass?

154 today (4/20)

Hi ladies! It's so nice to hear from you! I go on these boards daily to keep me accountable and I admit, I was kinda bummed when our thread died! I'm doing great albeit the journey has changed as time has gone on! Remember how they warned us how the honeymoon period would end?!??? Luckily I got to goal (150.1) at some point, but I'm still pushing myself to do more. I'm learned to NOT focus on what the scale is reporting though! I'm training to hike half dome in a few months (scored permits!) and have been working out like a mad woman. I hiked 28 miles total last weekend in the sierras just to have the scale go UP four pounds! It's hard not to freak out at the numbers, but the muscles in my legs look awesome so I'm trying to ditch the scale for awhile and focus on what the tape measure reports. I invested in a fitbit. Best investment ever! Totally motivates me to walk everyday! Do you have one? If so, we can compete! Glad to hear you are doing well. I communicate with butterfly daily. I will send her a text and tell her to check in. Maybe the others are lurking and will give an update as well! Yeah us!!!!

All I can say is milk this time while it lasts. It's during this time that you have the opportunity to lose the majority of your weight. I just celebrated my one year anniversary (at goal!) and I can assure you that there will come a time when will be able to eat whatever you want again. Your tummy is still swollen and will be for awhile. Now the real challenge begins.... Because I can now eat and tolerate whatever I want! I wish for those days when it was tough to eat post surgery!

Thank you for your responses everyone. I have been researching and following the surgeons you have mentioned on realself.com for a few months now and will continue to do so. I think the specific questions and concerns I have revolve around complications and aftercare. A tummy tuck is the only plastics I see myself having done. Possibly a breast lift/augmentation too, but I have to admit, for some reason the idea of having breast implants in Mexico freaks me out. I wonder why that is?!? Are they the same manufacturers as the one used in the states? How is aftercare and complications handled when you go home? Jamie - you mentioned in another thread that you had complications. Did you received adequate care through your PCP? Are drains removed before you board the plane to go home? I'm naive to how much follow-up care would take place if I had surgery in the US in comparison. Do you send your surgeon in mexico pictures of your wounds so they can see how they are healing? Any insight would be much appreciated! Thanks in advance!

I'm going to chime in with my my clinical hat on and play the role of devil's advocate. Was there not a spark of truth to what boy toy #3 said? I'm yet to meet someone who had WLS who felt in control of their weight and body before surgery. Most of us were NOT smart about the choices we made pre-surgery. That's partly how we ended up where we did. Oftentimes when we have intense reactions to people, places and things, it's because a deep wound has been awoken in us. It rarely has little to do with the current thing going on, but the old fear or wound it has triggered inside of us. Instead of fearing it, embrace it as an opportunity to explore and learn more about yourself. The one thing I have learned over the past year post-surgery, is the actual surgery was the easy part. Learning to love and accept my new body has been a challenge I wasn't prepared for. Boy toy's comment DID offended you. The question is, what is preventing you from addressing this directly with him? Telling HIM how his comment made you feel? There is a possibility he didn't mean the comment in the way it came across. Give him a chance to clarify or apologize. We all view things through our own life filter. You would be surprised how often we misinterpret what others say to us on a daily basis. I think many people fear conflict. I embrace it. In a relationship, conflict can work two ways - it can either drive two people apart, or lead two people to a closer level of intimacy. It forces us to have tough conversations which intimately bring us closer to a greater level of understanding. Just remember, there is someone out there for each of us. That person will accept you for who you are. There will be no lying. No need to hide your scars. Until that person arrives. Never compromise. You also have to remember that conflict is inevitable in any relationship. It's just a matter of how you HANDLE the conflict. If your coping mechanism is to dump and run every time you are offended, you may find yourself single and alone! *BTW - Let's not downplay the complement boy toy gave you about your intelligence. I'm thinking he may expect such an intelligent woman to speak up as needed. Why is it we are so quick to focus on the negative? I think it's awesome he likes you for your BRAINS ????

I will chime in here as a woman who has had two children already before WLS. I have almost zero loose skin on my body post wls EXCEPT in the area of my stomach below my belly button. It is stretched out as a result of two pregnancies. I have Freddy Kruger stretch marks where the skin was stretched beyond repair. There is a reason why plastic surgeons don't recommend tummy tucks to patients who plan to have children. There is a chance you will stretch out the muscles that were tightened and the skin will be stretched. If you have an endless surplus of cash to get surgery now, go for it! Just know there is a pretty good chance you may have to have a revision later. As far as other procedures, you weren't very specific in your post what you were considering. It may be wise to seek the guidance of a plastic surgeon to address your concerns.

Tomorrow it is! Can you believe it's been a year? I'm very active on this website. I find it helps me keep accountability! Hoping everyone checks in tomorrow!

I am a licensed clinician but I wouldn't dare give medical advice over the Internet. My professional hat comes off when I'm on this forum. I would suggest you contact your medical provider and tell them your concerns. Your medication may need to be adjusted.

I'm coming back to this post to seek a little reassurance from my BP buddies again! I've been walking 15,000-20,000 + steps a day and feeling great! I returned from a weekend in Yosemite where I completed 26 miles in hikes over three days. I was amazed what my body could do. We hike these trails 3-5 times a year and this time we only stopped once for a lunch break each day. My body felt strong and I didn't feel sore until I came home Monday. The muscles in my legs appear lean and strong. The sleek definition of the muscles is reminding me of my younger years as a competitive athlete. So what's the issue? I left home Friday weighing 150.1. I came home Sunday weighing 155! I still weigh 155 on Tuesday. I know I always retain water after being in high altitude, but what a mind trip this all is! I'm throwing the darn scale out! I'm beginning to love the way my body is looking. It's taking on a toned athletic shape. I have to remind myself that I may weigh more if I'm building muscle mass. Sigh.

I get my quest bars at GNC or on Amazon online. Purchase the $20 GNC yearly membership and you get a significant discount. No tax or shipping if there is a store near you. Apple pie is my favorite. Have one every day for breakfast

Holy smokes Batman! My "normal" weight the last week has been 150.1 but after returning from a weekend in the high mountains hiking 25 plus miles, I'm weighing in at 156.1 this morning. I'm sure it's a combination of holding onto water and extreme exercise building gorgeous new muscle mass! Haha! Put 156.1 as my starting weight for the challenge and it will (hopefully) show an amazing loss next week! My goal weight will be 147.

Hello my lovely BP community. I'm nearing my 1 year WLS anniversary date this month. At 5'7", I was 241 pounds at my all time high and 226 the day of surgery. I weighed 150.5 this morning. My surgeon's goal for me was 160 and my personal goal was between 140-150 pounds. I would be okay staying where I am but am shooing for 145 at this point and building more muscle mass. So here are my questions - and please, can I kindly request that this post be focused on the questions I ask. I know posts about procedures in Mexico can sometime generate a heated discussion on Mexico vs. USA. The purpose of this post is to EDUCATE myself so I can make an informed decision. I have decided to wait until next summer 2016 to have any plastic surgery done. I will need the time to save up the money, but more importantly, I want to see how much my skin will adjust on its own. Luckily I have very little loose skin except on my abdomen and am considering a tummy tuck. I have read reviews from people on this site who have had surgery in Mexico and have had a wonderful experience. Many of these people I have grown to "know" over the past year on this site and value their options and know they have done their research. I'm hoping you can share what you know with me. Why did you choose the doctor you did? At this point, the cost is the only reason I would consider having surgery in Mexico. I simply am not in a financial place to pay for it right now otherwise. That factor alone is enough for husband's eyes to bug out. He's convinced I will get butchered. When I argue that there are top surgeon's in Mexico, he questions why they would chose to stay in a country and get paid very little when they could get paid 10 times as much in the states. I argue that it's very egocentric to assume that everyone wants to live and work in the United States... But then again we travel to Mexico frequently and the quality of life isn't exactly a cup of tea there. Regardless, I have a license to practice in the state I live in and know what a pain it would be if I even moved to a different state. It's even more complicated for professionals to practice in other countries. A medical license in Mexico wouldn't be honored here and visa versa. I am open to the idea of having surgery in Mexico. We travel there a lot on vacation but I have to admit I hear the word Tijuana and I get a tad freaked out. I went to college in Southern California and crossing the border on foot to party was common practice. I'm still haunted my the 3-4 year olds wandering the streets at 3am selling "chicklets" gum for money. the area was filled with bars and strip clubs. The area was not nice by any means. Now granted this was back in the early 90's. There could have been a lot of development by now and since this was right by the border, not the "best" part of town. Could you describe where these clinics are? I travel abroad a lot, consider myself street smart and love different cultures. I've never had something so vulnerable as surgery done before in another country. Anything you could share about your surgeon and experience would be helpful. I'm also anal about surgery scars looking nice. Anyone willing to post a pic of their TT scar? Thanks in advance!

Hetera - do a search and post your question in the forum specific to people who have had WLS in Mexico. You are more likely to get responses from people in the community who will actually be helpful vs. judgmental. Not saying the replies so far have been judgmental, more curious, but the responses are not addressing the questions the poster asked. It IS very hard to navigate this website in the beginning! I'm so used to navigating the app on my phone that the desktop website throws me for a loop! Good luck with your surgery planning and whatever you end up deciding!

I use the one on my fit bit app

I typically avoid the posts on this website where people are ranting at each other. I feel like handing out a virtual cupcake to everyone and saying, "can't we all just get along?" Seriously people, the awesome thing about an online forum is you get to pick and choose what you read and engage in. This is the main reason why I prefer this over attending the support groups at my local barriatric center. I can't control who attends those meetings and then I'm stuck with them for an entire hour. I sign on to Barriatric Pal daily. Why? Because I know staying connected is one of the best things I can do to insure I am successful in this journey. Time and time again I read posts from people who have strayed from the site, gone off track, gained weight and come back for support. I come on this website and read these posts daily. IT'S MY CHOICE. I will be a year out from surgery on April 16, 2014. Yes, sometimes it is annoying to read the same posts over and over again about stalls, hair loss, loose skin, food intake and Vitamins. Guess what? One short year ago I was the newbie starting on this journey anxious whether I would succeed or not. I was full of questions and eager to reach out to others as nobody in my "real" world had weight loss surgery. I work with a lot of people in 12 step recovery programs in my profession. Bill Wilson, one of the founders of AA, early on grew frustrated when he reached out to fellow alcoholics to help them, but often those men he tried to help went on to drink. He felt like giving up and one night his wife Lois, reminded him that HE was no longer going out and getting drunk. The act of giving back to others helped maintain his own sobriety. I remind myself of this. I choose to give back and help newbies on this site to help myself. I read your posts and it reminds me of information I learned long ago and "forgot". It helps me stay on track. If a post annoys me, I can choose to ignore it. I help you to help me. I'm going to eat a real cupcake now.

Oops. Forgot to check in yesterday! Today's weight is the same as yesterday - 150.5. 1/2 pound from my 149 goal weight! Oh well. 160 was my surgeon's goal weight for me and at this point I'm more focused on fitness and toning than what the scale is reporting. My body seems to like this weight and I wouldn't be surprised if I actually gain a little weight with the muscle I'm putting on. These challenges have been a huge part of my success from day one out of surgery so I will see you in the Memorial challenge in the next thread! ????

I have been a lifetime Kaiser member and I can tell you that member rates will increase to all of its members if procedures like these become common practice. I'm self employed and pay for my health insurance and already pay a small fortune for it. As much as I would like Kaiser to cover my tummy tuck, I know it would strictly be for cosmetic purposes and therefore don't think other kaiser members should front the bill for it. They told us in our Bariatric class that Kaiser will cover skin removal if it is significant and hangs over your private area or you have ongoing infections. I'm curious how bad this woman's skin is. I have had several surgeries during my lifetime and have never had an issue fighting Kaiser for any procedure I really needed.

I'm in! I will weigh in and provide my goal weight after the current Easter challenge ends. Thanks for taking over!

My hair started falling out month three and seemed to stop by month 8 or so. I will be a year out this month and any signs of thinning are completely gone now. I have always eaten plenty of protein and started taking biotin 2 months prior to surgery. There really isn't much you can do to prevent it. I purchased toppik spray on fibers on amazon and it did wonders to conceal my thinning hair. I actually still use a spray or two on my pale scalp to make my hair appear thicker. A small bottle goes a long way. Make sure to purchase the optional spray applicator.

Go to my profile and look up previous posts I've made/contributed on this subject for specifics. Overall I don't have a lot of loose skin. Zero on my arms. A little bit on my inner thighs. A lot on my abdomen. It doesn't look bad when I'm standing up, but bending over, I look like I could welp a litter! I can grab handfuls of skin starting just under my breastbone down to my pubic area. All of my stretch marks are below my belly button and are from two pregnancies. A tummy tuck is the only thing that will fix that if i eventually go down that route. Genetics plays a HUGE role as well as how long you were over weight and how much you were over weight. I have a naturally athletic hour-glass figure that works in my favor, so I'm hoping with a little toning and exercise, I will see some improvement. There are some red flags. For example, if you have pockets of fat that start right above your elbows, you will likely have bat wings. Just remember that it takes your skin 2-3 months to bounce back every time you lose weight. There are times my thighs would look horrific and a fews months later they would look fine. I took the photo below 3 weeks ago when I weighed 153 or so. I'm 5'7", 43 years old and was 245 at my heaviest. 226 the day of surgery. My goal is to get to 145ish although now I'm not so much focused on a number as what my body looks like. I am an active person but just started "exercising" (walking 10,000 plus steps a day) this month 11 months post-op. I haven't lifted weights at all. I swallowed my pride and originally posted this picture a few weeks ago because I know pre-op I remember having a lot of questions about loose skin. Even now, most people are covering themselves up in their after photos and it leaves me wondering what is lurking underneath. So here is my loose skin. Be kind. The reality is losing the weight is the easy part. The cluster-f*** of body-image issues that arise post-surgery is real and is something we all should be aware of and expect as part of the journey. I am a middle-aged woman who has had two children. I will never have the body of a 19 year-old. I'm learning to love the skin I'm in. Even if it is a tad loose in places! I'm healthy and I look smoking HOT in clothes! I'm working on the looking smoking hot naked part! ????

Awesome post kindle! I will be a year out from surgery on April 16th. My biggest regret over the past year is that I focused too much on what the scale reported versus how my body look or more importantly, downplayed the things my body now allows me to do that I couldn't do before! I didn't exercise much this past year because I noticed every time I did, my weight loss would slow down on the scale. I'm now paying the price as I think I've lost a lot of muscle mass the past year. I'm now focused on toning and that may just add some weight on the scale and I'm okay with that. My goal is to look good naked at this point! I agree that the endless posts about stalls on this site do become kind of annoying to read. They happen people!!! It's part of the process! I think all of us come in to this process with such a huge fear that we will fail like we have so many times before and then it becomes an obsession. The weight WILL come off! Just follow your doctor's plan. Heck, rebel a bit and the weight will still come off! So here are some of my NSV this week: 1) I continue to steal clothes out of my teenage daughter's closet daily (size 6/8) AND she has now started stealing my clothes. If anyone knows how picky teenagers are, this a huge compliment! 2) I wore my daughter's size 6 lululemon leggings to jog and considered NOT covering my a** for the first time ever because it looked kinda hot for a middle aged woman (lol, I crack myself up but I will post a picture below to prove I have no shame! ????) 3) I ran farther than I ever did before and actually enjoyed it!

Are you having a big wedding with a big dress, etc? One thing to consider is you will drop a significant amount of weight the first month. That will throw a huge curve ball into things as you will be dropping weight each week and your dress may not fit right and require significant expensive alterations The first month post-surgery is the hardest, as you are adjusting to a new lifestyle. Your calorie intake is restricted so your energy will be very low for awhile. You won't be able to eat your own wedding food or cake if your having a wedding reception a month out post surgery. I will be celebrating one year post surgery this month and am at goal. I have to be honest. I didn't always look my best those first 6 months post surgery. My hair got really thin and there's kind of this "look" I think a lot of WLS patients get. I can't really describe it, but I'm glad it somewhat goes away the further you get out from surgery! Personally, I would hold off on the wedding (if it isn't planned, of course) until you can rock your hot new body. You can thank me later when you have all of your photos to look at. If its too late for that (which I'm thinking it is unless you're planning a small courthouse affair) than wait until after your wedding to have surgery. Now a year out I can eat anything but for the first few months you will only be able to eat a few bites and be stuffed. I was one of the lucky ones and had Zero complications post surgery. You never know what your outcome will be. There are plenty of people who fight exhaustion, heartburn, throw up, have incision pain. You name it. If your incisions are still healing, you wouldn't be able to go into a pool/hot tub on your honeymoon. Just things to consider. Good luck with your decision!