samuelsmom

I will be at 8 years in November. I never made it to goal but that was ok. Had over a 100lb loss. It started to creep slowly back on- about 10 pounds a year or so. I started to watch more last year and am back to the lowest post-surgical weight so I am very happy with that. I may try for another 25 pounds or so. I haven't decided yet :).

There is a great variability among folks. For me, more than 2 years out, I have never thrown up from eating past where I should. It's a good and bad thing. When I get tempted for another bite, it's hard to say no!

NEVER EVER EVER go to the Grocery store when you are 3 days in to your pre-op liquid diet. My preparation left a lot to be desired. I decided that starting my liquid phase 4 days early was a Great idea lol. They almost had to mop up the drool on aisle 9. I wasn't even obsessing over any of the wrong foods but those Rotisserie Chickens were calling my name laying there looking all Sexy. I am Thankful to say that I survived and left the Store felling like Conan The Barbarian all Rough, Tough and Victorious.

From the Daily Mail: The world's fattest woman has lost 66lbs in five days ahead of her lifesaving treatment. Eman Ahmed, 78 stone, was flown from her home in Egypt to India on a specially modified cargo plane to undergo a series of operations to help her lose weight. Her family posted a desperate plea online to Egyptian president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi asking for medical assistance. After hearing about her case, Dr Lakdawala agree to help her free of charge. She has since been placed on a strict 1,200-calorie diet and lost a stone a day in her first five days at the hospital. Doctors aim to reduce her weight by 450lbs this year so she can fit on the operating table.
Eman was reportedly born with elephantiasis - a parasitic infection which causes extreme swelling in a person's limbs and arms. She has been heavy all her life and by the time she was 11 she was too heavy to walk, and had to crawl to get around. She suffered a cerebral stroke as a child which left her bed-ridden and she piled on the pounds.
Last week, doctors said the 36-year-old would be fed only liquid supplements for the next 25 days to help her lose the 110lb (50kg) required before they can begin operating. if the initial treatment was successful then doctors could use surgery to bring Abd El Aty's weight down to under 220lb (100kg) in a couple of years' time.
This made me realise how lucky we are to have WLS avaliable to us and also made me really emotional about this ladies circumstances. Wishing her and the team the very best for the future. God bless them. Kate

My husband and I go out 1-2 times a week and I love it! I have part of my salad, vegetable, and sirloin steak. The rest gets wrapped up and I get another meal out of it. Yippee!

Do you ever have that moment of clarity where you step back and wonder "what the hell did I just do?". I had that moment and came to rant about it.
I had sleeve surgery on June 1st and since then:
- My clothes don't fit anymore. I went to wear my favorite shirt yesterday and it was TOO BIG!!!
- People keep telling me I'm looking great. The nerve of some people!
- I don't snore anymore. How am I supposed to annoy my wife while I'm asleep??
- I'm wearing size 38 pants now. I wore those in HIGH SCHOOL! I'm basically a high schooler now!!!
- My gentleman's sausage looks twice as big now. That's like twice as much to disappoint my wife!
- I don't sweat anymore. It is the middle of summer and I don't sweat even when I work out.
- My feet never hurt anymore. I used to have terrible foot pain and it is GONE!
I think I need to go sit in a quite place for a while and relax now.

Your surgeon is an ass. I can't believe he put that unrealistic goal on you. I started the same weight you did and I didn't lose 50 pounds until 5 months. You've lost over 30 pounds in not even 2 1/2 months out. That's averaging like 12 pounds a month! That's phenomenal.
Stop beating yourself up and keep up your Protein and fluids and make sure you're moving and trust the process.
Oh, and ignore your surgeon.

Clearly I need remediation. When I saw "soul-mates" I thought of
Peanut Butter and Jelly
Apple pie and Ice cream
and my personal favorite:
Premium vanilla ice cream and chocolate syrup!

@Shakti As you can see from all the posts this is a personal decision. For me, the idea of possibly having to have the band removed was enough to steer me towards the sleeve. Every surgery has risks and it gets more dangerous the older we get. Also, research is not supporting the band as a great long term option. None of that means that you personally will have a problem- but the risk is there.
Below I have pasted an abstract from a long term study. There are some other studies also linked there which you may find interesting. Good Luck on this journey!
Long-term results after laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding: a mean fourteen year follow-up study
E.O. Aarts, M.D., , K. Dogan, M.D., P. Koehestanie, M.D., Th.J. Aufenacker, M.D., Ph.D., I.M.C. Janssen, M.D., F.J. Berends, M.D., Ph.D. Department of Surgery, Rijnstate Hospital, Arnhem, The Netherlands. Received 30 May 2010, Accepted 3 March 2014, Available online 5 April 2014
Show more Show less doi:10.1016/j.soard.2014.03.019 Get rights and content
S1550728914001427Refers To Allen F. Browne Paired Editorial to SOARD-10-151 Surgery for Obesity and Related Diseases, Volume 10, Issue 4, July–August 2014, Page 640 PDF (47 K) Referred to by Allen F. Browne Paired Editorial to SOARD-10-151 Surgery for Obesity and Related Diseases, Volume 10, Issue 4, July–August 2014, Page 640 PDF (47 K) Abstract BackgroundFor over a decade, the laparoscopic adjustable gastric band (LAGB) was 1 of the most performed bariatric procedures in Europe. This study is a retrospective analysis with prospectively collected data of the experience in 1 specialized Dutch center with the adjustable gastric band over 14 years.
MethodsBetween 1995 and 2003, 201 patients underwent an LAGB for morbid obesity in our hospital. Data on preoperative clinical characteristic, postoperative outcome and weight loss patterns, and co-morbidities for up to 18 years are presented and evaluated using the Bariatric Analysis and Reporting Outcome System (BAROS).
ResultsAverage follow-up was 13.6 (±2.0) years (163 mo) and 99% of patients with complete follow-up. Two thirds of patients reached an excess weight loss (EWL)>50% at some point after LAGB placement. However, due to insufficient weight loss or complications in 53% of patients, the LAGB had to be removed or converted to a Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. Additionally, half of the remaining patients had disappointing results according to the BAROS score. In total, less than one quarter (22%) of patients had a functioning band with a good result after the follow-up period. Although initially the number of patients experiencing co-morbidities was reduced, most of them returned and a large number of patients developed new co-morbidities. Complications, other than weight regain, were numerous as 47% of patients experienced at least 1. In total, 204 reoperations were performed in 137 (68%) patients. Furthermore, patients who were lost to follow-up did almost twice as bad in terms of EWL compared to patients who had regular follow-up.
ConclusionMorbid obesity is a chronic disease that can be resolved with bariatric surgery. One of the treatment options is the LAGB, which in the short term shows good results in terms of EWL and co-morbidity reduction. In the long term, however, EWL and co-morbidity reduction are disappointing, and the LAGB does not seem to live up to expectations. Besides the decrease in EWL over time, the number of reoperations required is alarming. In total, less than a quarter of patients still had a functioning band after a mean 14 years of follow-up.

I love this thread! The things I do have really surprised me because I did this for health reasons only- I couldn't care less about fashion! However, it is so much fun to buy nicer clothing that fits and looks good that I am having great fun! Another thing I am enjoying is being able to enjoy walking without huffing and puffing!

I felt back to normal once I was on regular food. This seems to be very variable though
You can and should start walking immediately. I walked miles in the hospital (literally). Once I got home, my husband drove me to the mall everyday and we walked. For more intense workouts, you have to wait to get cleared by your surgeon and you have to see what your energy level is as you will be getting in a small amount of calories. I was cleared at 2 weeks, however, I have seen posts from others on this forum who have had to wait 4-6 weeks.
The incisions are pretty tiny- mine are fading nicely. So no, it doesn't look like you have been "sliced"
I have not had that said to me but I have thought about what I would say if it did. I think I would say something like "What an interesting theory, what evidence have you gathered to support your hypothesis?"
Good Luck to you!

Late posting also. Holding steady at 199...

Mean people suck, and I think that in general there is too much unnecessary roughness on these forums. Let's face it, massive weight loss after having your innards surgically adapted is a big freaking deal. Sometimes people post stuff that strikes me as complete madness and I remind myself that probably alot of us had some nuttiness during this journey. Some of that comes across as rigidness, judgement or more.
There is someone who hasn't posted in years, but who was so incredibly overdramatic about everything from preop on. She had complications and many times a day pelted her misery on these forums. I really felt empathy for her but also found that degree of extreme emotional spewing to be hard to take. Then ,she disappeared. Just gone. Like a year later she posts an update, life at goal, it was all worth it..yadda yardda...sounded great. I realized that was an example that we often get the worst and the best of people on these forums and miss out on the ordinary "in the middle". She probably wasn't the drama queen she seemed to be, she was just going through alot.
Anyway, don't read too much into people's replies. Sometimes they are hurried and terse and seem unfriendly but we all are going through a big deal.

Worked a long shift yesterday and stayed over to nail down a few things. It was my last workday prior to the surgery.
Made a quick pitstop in the restroom on the walk out. Glanced in the mirror while washing hands and it hit me.......this is the last time you'll be here at this weight. Everything is about to change.
It also registered that I was wearing a cotton polo work shirt with the company's logo. It was a 5XLT. I plan on returning to work wearing newer, smaller shirts as I'm guessing I'll be out 3-4 weeks due to related hernia repairs.
The old shirt went into the trash.
Awesome feeling.
I walked out of there feeling like I was heading towards a great place. Even had less limp, maybe even a bit of swagger in my step.
Old Sasquatch exited the job. Slim Shady will be returning.
Looking for the lean living ahead.

This is the one thing I am really concerned about. None yet and I am 3 months out. I do wash my hair less and I give myself a warm coconut oil treatment once a week (wet hair, pour on melted coconut oil, wait 20 minutes, and then shower and wash hair). I'm hoping I get lucky on this one!

All of the above and you can try eating with your non-dominant hand. It'll definitely slow you down unless you're ambidextrous. :-)

MrsKarenC2008,
I know exactly what you’re talking about! It makes me roll my eyes when someone with a perfect body eats something that would make me gain 2 lbs if I even looked at it! And then they have to talk about the trouble it’s going to get them in. Yeah, right.
But to be fair…most, if not all, of the thin people I know work really hard at it. At least, all the thin people I’m close enough to to be able to have some idea of what they do to stay thin. They go to the gym. They think about each bite they take, even if they don’t log it like most WLS do or count grams of Protein. They worry about the scale.
Yes, a lot of them had a “head start” on us – maybe they have better genes, or grew up with more nutritionally-oriented parents, or naturally loved to be active, but many of them work really hard at it. I understand their need to say they’re going to start a diet, or they feel guilty about eating some bad food. They’re only human, just like us.
Maybe if WLS had a little more empathy for naturally thin people, and naturally thin people were a little more understanding of our extra struggles…the world would be a nicer place. Until then…yeah…keep your donut breath out of my face!

I just have to get this off my chest ... omgosh ...
I have a co-worker who ... soaking wet .. probably weighs 90 lbs ...
She just came to me and said she was getting 2 donuts this morning and will start her diet next week ...
OH PLEASE !
I said ... Why next week ? Why stop now?
She said ... I just don't know how to be stern with myself ...
I said ... it's really simple ... you say no and walk away ... easy peasy.
She laughed and said ...Yea on Monday I will ....
First of all ... why diet? You're too skinny as it is ...
Second ... GET YOUR FREAKING DONUT BREATH AWAY FROM ME!
OMGOSH !

Where do you get the Core brand? Never heard of it.
I usually make my own with 8 oz. Fairlife milk and Dannon Light and Fit Greek yogurt (5oz tub) any flavor. For about 200 calories it replaces and meal and gives 20 gms of Protein. If I have some fresh berries in the house I will throw them in too.
I don't have a lot of Protein shakes now that I am a little further out, however, I do enjoy them for Breakfast and this one is quick and tastes good.

I love my body and don't want to change anything... Sags and all! And my husband seems content too. Lol!

You really need to make Protein a priority. If you are not getting enough protein your body will start breaking down muscle and when it runs out of muscles, it'll go for your organs next in a last ditch to keep you alive. Protein is super super I cannot say it enough SUPER important!! As for the other crap, just don't do that to yourself. It's an addiction, I get that, I'm an addict to sugar too, but please don't do this to yourself. You deserve better.

I am not sure what your standard is for a "full meal". At 21 months my limit is 2 ounces of Protein, like meat or 2 scrambled eggs and a few bites of vegetables. My policy is to not eat anything made in a factory. That stuff may be a constructed edible, but it is not fuel for your body. If this is a genuine post and not one of those jokers we get once in awhile, I agree that you should be contacting your bariatric team for support and information.
No one can strap you down and make you eat wholesome nutritious food. It's all on you to make your surgery work. If you are losing weight eating that way, my guess is that you are losing muscle and not fat. I hope you can get some effective help from your team. I wish you the best.

Sample a variety. Think about if RTD or powdered better fits into your lifestyle and pocketbook. I was using almond milk, but stopped since it was too low of a Protein payoff for the carbs it contains. I already had a nutra bullet because I drink Protein shakes pre-gym. That may not be an expense you want to make if you won't use it after the early post-op stages. Popular brands are Premier Protein, powders?utm_source=BariatricPal&utm_medium=Affiliate&utm_campaign=CommentLink" target="_ad" data-id="1" >unjury, GENEPRO, Isopure and Syntrax nectar. However there are a zillion other brands out there. Make sure you speak to your nutritionist about what they recommend. Mine wanted me to make sure that the one I chose either had whey or soy isolates since that is the most concentrated form of Protein. She said to make sure to not get concentrates. She also gave me guidelines as to nutrition levels per serving. I think it was at least 15 gms Proteins, and no more than 6 gms of sugar. I would have to double check my binder to be sure.
I found I needed some unflavored protein as the constant sweet of the drinks was too much for me after a week. Being able to have vegetable broth or non chunky Soup with a scoop of unflavored protein was a welcome break.
I also liked the Isopure teas because I needed something non milk based.
Save all receipts. Most stores will accept unused portions if you decide you do not like them.
Since people are sharing, here's my iced coffee/mock frap/mock coolata recipe.
I buy a med Dunkin Donuts coffee with cream. Cool then pour into ice cube trays.
1 scoop of CVS chocolate whey
¼ - ½ cup of FAGE 0% plain greek yogurt depending on taste
4 - 6 ice cubes (a traditional ice cube is ~ 1 ounce)
just enough Water to blend.
Throw the whole thing in the nutra bullet.
Based on 6 cubes and ½ cup of yogurt your totals are: 242 calories 14 carbs 4 fat 39 protein 111 sodium 7 sugar
If you want to cut calories and carbs try ¼ cup and 4 cubes.
I do this for pre-gym, drink half and drink the rest post workout for recovery. At 39 gms of protein I have now gotten in most of my protein before noon.

So last night I took my teenage daughter (14) to the movies. We were in the process of getting ready and she starts freaking out! She says " MOM!!! What the heck?!" I being in shock was like "What , what happened?!" She says "You're wearing my freaking underwear!!" I immediately flipped the tag over and sure enough they were hers! She bought the same ones as me only two sizes smaller. I, being thoroughly amused started doing the booty shaking victory dance. She however was not near as amused as I was. That's ok though because I got a new NSV AND I inherited a new pair of undies!! For some reason she insisted that I keep them! So when I say "funniest" what I really mean is funniest for me. Ha!! Winning!!!

There IS something more than the surgery simply reducing the size of the stomach. There are hormonal changes that help us lose weight rapidly. Doctors aren't 100% sure what causes it, but the surgery seems so reset our body's "weight set point". This explains why I've spent so many years dieting "the right way" and exercising to only lose a few pounds. Or after a month of dieting and exercising I eat one meal off plan and gain 5 pounds.
I was nervous surgery wouldn't work for me since I had PCOS and insulin resistance which made losing weight close to impossible. But it's come off relatively easy. I'm interested to know how the surgery resets the body's set point but it obviously has in my case since I was never successful losing.