WL WARRIOR

I've been maintaining at goal weight for the past four months at 1800-2000 calories a day. However, I've pretty much stopped keeping track this past month. As long as I get in my Protein and stick with healthy food choices, I pretty much stay at the same weight. I dread the day when my metabolism starts slowing down. My main form of exercise is one hour of walking a day. I've tried to do more intense forms of exercise, but never stick to it long term.

Aren't the makers of Formula 1 in St. Louis, Missouri?. I got a free taste of Formula 1 at Supplement Superstore in Jefferson City. They actually have a Cinnamon Toast Crunch Flavor. Which is both good and bad because Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cereal is one of those foods I overate in my morbidly obese days. Also, it is terribly expensive. Not sure if the price is really worth it. I may change my mind.

I'm from the Columbia area and had my surgery done through the University of Missouri Bariatric clinic. Anyone else near my area or go through the same clinic? It appears that they rarely do sleeves anymore. I've only heard of one other person.

It's been a whole year since I've had a period. Since I'm 38, I thought that is was menopause. My bariatricin told me a few weeks ago that it was not menopause. Basically, he thinks I don't have enough fat in my body to have a monthly cycle. This seems absurd since I was 200 pounds when it started to cease January 2015. I eat more than enough throughout the day, so it doesn't have anything to with starvation mode or over exercising. Anyhow, my bariatrican told me not to worry about it since it will return once my weight stabilizes for a long length of time. Well, I've been the same weight since late September, so I'm not sure if he is right. I guess I'll find out sometime in the future.

Have you considered the DS? The gastric sleeve was originally designed to be just the first half of the complete surgery. Since so many people did well with just the first half (sleeved stomach) there was no need to do the second half. I don't know much about the DS, but it might be something worth looking into.

A one a day bariatric Vitamin makes your post op vitamin regimen so much easier.

Yesterday I went to my one year follow up about three months late. It had been a year since I last been to my bariatric clinic (follow up appointments are required only at 3 weeks, 3 months, and one year post op) and things have changed there. There is a new bariatrician that looks about 20 years old that is brand new to bariatric surgery. I wasn't all that impressed. What really puzzled the heck out of me was why all the clinics promotional materials only advertise the band and bypass now. It seems like they don't do the sleeve anymore or promote it. I overheard the bariatrician speaking to the nurse like I was the first sleeve patient he had ever seen there. This all makes me a little nervous about the future of the sleeve procedure. I wish I knew the real reason why they don't do it much anymore. I hope it has nothing to do with safety.

http://news.yahoo.com/one-thing-no-one-tells-124907596.html When you lose over 100 pounds, there is a good chance you will see it in your face. I am 38 years old and have lost over 150 pounds. I do look older now and am trying to do what I can with retinoids and facial (chemical peels). Since I did lose my weight rather quickly, I am hoping that my deflated cheeks look a little better with time. I am mostly bothered with my parentheses lines, which were never there before. Plus, I tend to look a little more tired. Will this happen to everyone that loses a large amount of weight? No, probably not. It depends on age, how much weight lost, genetics, and how quickly you lost your weight. Anyone else notice this? Lucky you if you still look like you did when you were a teenager. I'm wanting to hear from those that have also experienced an aging face and what they are doing about it. This is only a minor setback. I would still have the surgery if I knew this was going to happen afterwards. At least my body feels 15 years younger.

Dehydration can cause nausea and headaches. I would try drinking more fluids and see if that helps.

I lost 15O lbs in 7.5 months after my surgery. My period stopped at 4 months post op during the end of January this year. It never returned. My recent blood work shows that my hormones are still quite screwed up even though my weight has stablized these past few months. I am 38 and will now never get pregnant again, which i was hoping could be possible with weight loss.

Don't have it at all? Not having any of that kind of food for the past year has reduced cravings. My sleeve is larger than the typical sleeve and there is no way I could be satisfied with a few tablespoons of mac and cheese. So I just choose to have none at all. It's probably a good time to ignite a love for vegetables. Try different seasonings or preparation in the hopes of changing your cravings into a healthy variety of food. It's best to keep noodles and carb rich food out of your kitchen so that you don't indulge when you have a craving.

I am a little over a year out and have recently learned something important about this process: the sleeve has helped my to lose 150 pounds in less than a year, but after that, its mostly up to me................ My hunger returned around the year mark and sometimes I'm surprised at my capacity. In order to maintain, I have to stick to three meals a day with two small Snacks. Eating every three hours or grazing does not work so well when your capacity has increased. Of course, I can't eat as much as I use to. I can't sit down and eat five rice crispy treats like before. Like others have mentioned, stay away from processed food. I actually try to stay away from almost all foods at the bottom of the food triangle. You can still follow the bariatric diet without undergoing surgery because it is very similar to the Atkins program. I don't know anyone who has lost over 100 pounds and kept it off for more than a year without surgery. This surgery has reset my metabolism and now I can maintain my goal weight by eating 1800-2000 daily calories. This changing of your "set point" is probably the best aspect of VSG.

Yes, it does cause hormonal issues. The severity of hormone fluctuations vary from person to person. My period stopped altogether back in January (3 months post op) and put me in menopause at age 38. I have difficulty differentiating between symptoms of a depression/mood disorder and symptoms of hormone fluctuations. It all feels the same to me.

I've talked to a few post op bariatric patients that have gained some or all their weight back. All of them confessed that despite having great restriction, their weight started to pile back on when they added in unhealthy Snacks and soda back in their diet. I don't think unhealthy snacks (Cookies, chips, soda) have any place in your diet during the weight loss phase. Its been shown that many processed snack foods contain chemicals that make them addictive. If you go completely without, then you don't have to deal with daily cravings. Once you hit maintenance, it all depends on what works for you. Personally, I'm striving to hit a 95-98 daily percentage of healthy eating (Protein first, low carbs, low sugar). The other 2-5% may be a few pieces of hard candy (tootsie roll pops) or some marshmallows because my blood sugar feels low. This seems to be working right now since I've stayed below goal the paste few months. If I find myself craving sugary snacks more often, then I will change it up.

How to prevent your stomach from stretching after surgery: https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=753&v=3_aahPETzH0