Chris Stilson-Elmer

I had a gastric bypass on April 8th. Total weight loss since starting the process.... 120lbs. That's fantastic, even if I do say so myself! Lol. But I'm going bald. I'm losing so much hair! I'm taking the bariatric multivits twice a day, bariatric Calcium wafers twice a day, B12 two a day & Biotin. I bought $40 Nioxin Shampoo & conditioner to help with thinning hair. Protein intake is great, usually 80 + a day. Have any of you found anything to help?

You look awesome!! Great job at all the success! I am 2 weeks post op. I have lost 9 lbs since the morning of my surgery. If you don't mind me asking how long after surgery did you start to really loose weight. I lost a bunch when the swelling started going down but now I am loosing very slowly. About a pound every 4 days. Just not sure what to expect.

Congrats :*)

AWESOME!!!!!

What an amazing result!! Super congrats to you!
What do you think led to such awesome results? What was your routine like (food and exercise)? I have just started this journey (2 weeks post-op today) and am looking for ways to maximize my results. Your success is something to be admired!

Holly S@#&*, you look great. Excellent work.

Hi Everyone!
It's been awhile since I posted. Living life happily as the skinny me. I've officially lost now 100lbs since my surgery on Feb 19. It's been less than 6 months. Just want to give some inspiration.
Height: 5'4"
Start weight: 230
Current weight: 130
(In high school I was 140!)
Shirt size: XXL
Current: S/M
Pant size: 16/18, XL (stretch or yoga pants)
Current: 7, S (stretch or yoga pants)
Bra size: 40DD
Current: 36 C
I'm very fortunate to not have a lot of loose skin. My stomach is the worse area but I keep that covered. I've had 4 kids so I don't expect that to be great.
My current pics aren't that good because my new house doesn't have a full length mirror and I was standing on my tip toes to try to get a pic.
It's crazy to be "skinny" now. I've looked in the mirror several times and still can't believe it's me. My husbands family didn't even realize it was me at a party this past weekend. I have pretty much 0 clothes that fit me because everything is too big , which is not a bad problem to have. I have so much more confidence now and I'm a lot happier now.

Thanks guys, you're absolutely right. I'm definitely going to dial it back - I don't want to borrow trouble.
Thank you for taking the time to offer your advice. It is appreciated!

One stuck episode at this juncture could cause the sutures holding your band in place to tear away. I agree, follow your surgeons advice. Every one is different and some people get away with cheating, but swelling can cause food to get stuck and make for some big problems.
You're probably OK but why take chances that could jeopardize your success?

re: "Am I screwing up? I am tracking everything in myfitnesspal and am continuing to lose weight. I am scared of messing up my band or the pouch though. What are your thoughts on how I should proceed?"
perhaps not an ominous mistake....still.....why would you disobey your surgeon, who had to learn a lot of funny words in med school.
I won't lecture or scold.
I think you should do as your surgeon tells you.

Hey guys! I'm new to the forum and this is my first post. I was banded on 7/31/14. I was instructed to do 4-7 days Clear liquids, 2nd week full liquids, and 3rd week puréed foods, and so on.
However, I was probably stupid and listened to a friend of mine who has had her band for 5 years or so (lost 140 and looks amazing) and she told me to eat carefully but go ahead and not be afraid to eat until my fill. What I've actually done is kind of in between the two. I couldn't stand the Clear Liquids or shakes anymore, so I've been eating mostly puréed foods (baby food, sugar free pudding, low cal tuna salad, etc) and making sure to drink enough Water and get enough Protein.< /p>
Am I screwing up? I am tracking everything in myfitnesspal and am continuing to lose weight. I am scared of messing up my band or the pouch though. What are your thoughts on how I should proceed?

"The 2014 Advanced Framework for a New Diagnosis of Obesity as a Chronic Disease" was very recently presented at the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) 23rd Annual Scientific and Clinical Congress in Las Vegas.
In a summary article published by Medscape Medical News on March 17th, the author states "The framework is the latest step in an ongoing process to develop new approaches to obesity, based on the American Medical Association's June 2013 designation of it as a chronic disease, which originated with a proposal from the AACE. The need for a new obesity definition was among the major ideas to emerge from a consensus conference on the subject, held in March 2014, which involved participants from healthcare, research, science, government, industry, insurers and advocacy, according to AACE President, Dr. Jeffrey Mechanick."
This is a powerful example of what @@Alex Brecher stated in his article - "An important benefit of classifying obesity as a disease is the increased awareness."
The AACE in conjunction with proposals from the American College of Cardiology, the American Heart Association and The Obesity Society is suggesting three classifications for obesity: Obesity Stage 0 (BMI 30 or greater with no obesity-related comorbidities), Obesity Stage 1 (BMI 25 or greater with one or more mild to moderate obesity-related comorbidities, and Obesity Stage 2 (BMI 25 or greater and one or more severe obesity-related comorbidities).
The recognition of obesity as a disease by the medical community does not mean that the stigma surrounding obesity is going to disappear. It does mean that many obstacles have been removed, and many doors opened, for researchers and physicians to formulate and pursue treatment options for the global epidemic of obesity. That is good news for the millions who suffer from this debilitating and life-threatening disease.
Full Article

Traditionally, society has treated obesity as a choice. If you have been struggling with obesity for years, you have undoubtedly come across many people who believe that they believe that you have consciously decided to become and remain overweight. They let you know, tactfully or less discreetly, that they have no sympathy for you. However, obesity is a disease that requires as much attention as any other medical condition.
% Of Obese Americans Keeps Growing Every Year
The CDC, Center for Disease Control, reports the state averages for the percentage of Americans who are obese by year:


The American Medical Association’s Designation of Obesity as a Disease
The American Medical Association (AMA) officially classified obesity as a disease in June of 2013, describing it as a “multi-metabolic and hormonal disease state.” It was already common knowledge that obesity leads to unhealthy metabolic and hormonal changes, so this new classification may seem at first glance like a question of semantics that is relevant only to academics and scientists. When you dig a little deeper, though, it seems as though this decision can actually have far-reaching effects in the nation’s fight against obesity and in your own life.
Why Obesity is a Disease
In addition to the AMA, the World Health Organization (WHO), food and Drug Administration (FDA), National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), and other respected organizations recognize obesity as a disease.
It impairs normal body functioning.
It has a set of characteristic signs and symptoms.
It decreases life expectancy.
It can lead to harmful conditions, such as type 2 diabetes and hypertension.
It can be a genetic disorder.

Benefits for Society of Recognizing Obesity as a Disease
An important benefit of classifying obesity as a disease is the increased awareness. An organization as respected as the AMA is calling the nation’s attention to the fact that obesity rates are alarmingly high and increasing. The AMA is also drawing attention to the wide-ranging set of causes of and treatments for obesity. Policymakers are more likely to support community public health approaches for fighting obesity. They might promote obesity education in schools and provide funding for obesity research. Weight loss drugs could receive more scrutiny and faster approval if they are seen as necessary to fight a disease rather than unnecessary products that encourage consumers to continue unhealthy, obesity-promoting behaviors.
How Your Health Care Might Improve
The benefits of having obesity seen as a disease can hit closer to home, too. Doctors are more likely to address obesity and work with you to fight it when obesity is considered a disease. They might pay you more respect as society moves away from the current model of finger-pointing when it comes to obesity.
Also, since obesity is a disease that can be treated, it is the role of health insurance companies to pave the way for you to seek treatment. Insurance companies are more likely to provide coverage for obesity treatments from lifestyle counseling to weight loss drugs to weight loss surgery. Until now, insurance companies have rarely supported reimbursement for diet counseling and psychotherapy as an obesity treatment, and only some plans provide coverage for weight loss surgery. Often, they only allow certain types of weight loss surgery, and have more stringent requirements.
The Psychological Benefits of a Label
Finally, there can be psychological benefits when obesity is recognized as a disease. The stigma around obesity, seen in the workplace, on the streets, and maybe even in your own family, may decrease now that there is official recognition. Like HIV/AIDS and depression have already become, obesity may eventually become an accepted condition that deserves compassion and requires medical attention and support rather than a condition to be ashamed of.
The designation is a validation of the struggles you currently face and may have faced for years or your entire life. It can be infuriating when others judge your obesity as a choice or lack of willpower. Worse, these descriptions can be discouraging, and prevent you from having the strength or even wanting to continue to fight obesity. An official diagnosis of obesity lets you know that you have a specific battle to fight, and the medical field is in your corner. This can give you confidence to make tough lifestyle changes or life-changing decisions such as weight loss surgery.
You Still Need to Treat It
What would you do if you were diagnosed with pneumonia? You would not just ignore it. You would discuss your treatment options with your doctor, and follow his or her recommendations. You would get chest x-rays, lab tests, and lung Fluid samples to help in determining the nature of your condition. You would aggressively treat it with antibiotics, other medications, hospitalization, and plenty of rest and fluids. High blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, and depression are just a few other conditions that you would not think twice about treating.
Similarly, a diagnosis of obesity is not a green light to ignore it, but research described in the New York Times suggests that this is exactly what is happening in some cases. In one study, individuals who were told that their obesity was a disease ended up choosing higher-calorie foods than individuals who were not told that they had a disease. That is, individuals who were told that they had a disease called obesity felt that they were victims of a condition beyond their control, and that there was no point in fighting it.
The point is that you need to address obesity, whether it is a disease or not. Not everyone will be able to use the same strategy to successfully lose weight and keep it off, but one or more approaches can work for you, whether they are specific dietary changes, exercise, weight loss surgery, or a combination of these.

Many of our weight loss surgery clients talk to us about ‘feeling full’. It is common for many clients who we meet prior to having surgery to speak about ‘feeling full on a smaller amount of food’ being one motivation to have surgery. Following surgery, those with a gastric band may often seek further adjustments of their band hoping it will help them feel ‘full’.


Feeling satisfied and feeling full after eating are not the same and it is important to understand the difference.
To eat until satisfied means to eat until you are no longer hungry. You feel you have definitely eaten something, but may not need to eat for a few hours. You could eat more.
Eating until full is like when prior to surgery, you dined out on a delicious three course meal, so tasty you could not bare to leave any on the plate. It may be the feeling after trying to make sure you got your value for money at a buffet, or the feeling after lunch on Christmas Day.
Eating until full after weight loss surgery can cause some discomfort, indicating you have eaten too much. Continuing to eat too much over a long period of time will compromise your weight loss and it can cause surgical complications.
Eating until satisfied will guide the amount of food you should be eating. Whilst serving sizes may have been recommended to you, everyone is different and you need to listen to your internal cues to judge how much is right for you to eat.
People who have dieted for many years may have lost touch with the signals they get when eating. It is important to re-learn how to listen to your body’s signals to judge how much to eat.
The following scale can be useful to help you understand your internal signals and when is the right time to eat and to stop eating. Keep this scale near where you eat. Before you start eating a meal, stop and rate how hungry or full you are. Once you are part way through your meal, pause and consider where you would be on the scale. Do you need to continue, even if you haven’t finished the plate? If you are still hungry, continue eating. Pause again later in the meal and repeat. If you do finish the plate, rate yourself again.
Try this at different meals; Breakfast, lunch and dinner. It may take some practice, but is an exercise well worth doing.
Your goal is to start to recognise the point where you reach a 6 – this is the goal.

1. Starving, ravenous. All you can think about is how hungry you are. This is a ‘danger time’ for overeating.
2. You may have a headache or feel weak or grumpy.
3. You feel like it’s time to eat.
4. Your hunger is just starting, but you could wait to eat. Your stomach is starting to feel empty.
5. Neutral. Not hungry, not full.
6. Satisfied or “just right”. You are no longer hungry, but probably will be in about three or four hours.
7. You had a few bites too many. You are a little uncomfortable.
8. Full. You definitely don’t need more food.
9. Your stomach feels stuffed, uncomfortably full.
10. Painful. So full you feel like you could vomit. For some more reading on this topic we highly recommend the work of Dr Rick Kausman and his book, If Not Dieting, Then What? Find out more here.
Let us know how you go finding your number 6 by joining the conversation on our Facebook page.

Hi!!So you will put a starting weight in Monday (or now if ud like) and a goal for Labor Day -then each Monday til Labor Day (or the day u remember) u put your weight that day-
that's it

Hi - I haven't participated in one of these yet, but excited to join in! I'll look out for the tips and such. I'm not sure how to play...

I found you! Hahah yeah!! Thanks for taking over!!!

Ok everyone. Here's the next challenge. Labor Day!

Bear with me as I adjust to taking over the challenges from Bea.
http://1drv.ms/1xo5e8r
Not sure if this link will work but lets try. I am also not terribly great with Xcel..but I know the basics.
First weigh in will be Monday July 7th. That will give us all a total of 9 weigh ins from start to finish, which will be Monday Sept 1st. It will be a long challenge, and will carry us threw the rest of summer and into start of fall.

I will post another with the pointers, rules etc for the other challenges. Same apply to this as all of the others.

Just make sure to adjust your goals to accommodate for the 2 months we will be in this one.

Any suggestions and help is greatly appreciated. I will like the posts as I enter them in, so that will not change.

Thank you for taking this over!! It is much appreciated!!!!!

I never counted calories and never plan to. Like Beaglelover, I had surgery so I wouldn't have to do all that diet stuff ever again. I just get in my Protein, Vitamins and Water and eat smart.
But you need to find what works best for you in the long run....I'm just not a tracker/counter kind of gal.

I am counting calories for now and learning how to eat healthy. I don't plan on doing it forever. I'm thinking once I hit goal, I'll try to start trusting my choices.

For me it's just a great way to understand my patterns and learn to make better choices. For example I've noticed that on days I eat a Protein Bar - like Quest or think thin - instead of a real food meal, I eat more calories that day than usual. I guess they don't fill me up as much. I still eat them sometimes when needed, but I now know that it's something I should avoid. And various other things. I don't stress about meeting a certain daily goal, but I like maintaining that awareness. I know how easy it is to slide into habits without realizing their impact...

I've continued to log and monitor my calories, carbs, Protein, and other nutritional info. At 7.5 months out my appetite has increased noticeably and I'd definitely eat more if I weren't counting.

I find I don't really know what I am doing if I don't log. It's good for me, but I know there are others who don't seem to rely on it like I do. I do think it helps you recognize patterns as you go through different stages of weight loss, so don't rule it out completely.

Heck no! Isn't that one of the benefits of having the surgery--- getting away from all that dieting shhhtuff! My NUT said, if you count anything, count Protein grams to make sure you're getting enough. I imagine, after you do that for a few months, you'd have it down & wouldn't even have to do that.
Congratulations on your continuing progress. It sounds like you're working hard.