bhopeful

Thanks,

(I tried posting this in the plastic surgery section but it didn't give me permission so I am posting this question here, I hope that's OK) I have two questions: 1. I am looking for a good plastic surgeon in the Midwest. I am having a hard time finding someone who really specializes in plastic surgery after massive weight loss. I looked on real self.com but could only find regular plastic surgeons and not one to really specialize in huge body reconstruction. 2. I understand that the likelihood of getting plastic surgery covered by insurance is minimal. I know that the cost out-of-pocket will be expensive but what worries me even more is if there are complications, that would probably be very costly and insurance would probably not cover those complications right? I don't know what the incidence is of complications but I know that there is always a chance. Has anyone had problems with complications and self-pay?

After truly a lifetime of trying to lose weight I am finally so close to my goal weight. I have been fat my whole life, being over 300 pounds at my heaviest. I am now 51 years old and finally I am in a normal weight range. I am trying to decide what to make my actual goal weight and also what to do in terms of all of this massive skin. This is the first time I am really thinking about skin removal surgery so I'm sorry if these questions have been covered previously but there are just so, so many posts. I am hoping that some of you can give me your experiences and opinions. 1. How long were you at your goal weight before you had skin removal surgery? 2. Is there a suggested order for removal? I have to have everything done. Is it better to do a full body lift first and then breasts, arms, thighs ..... does it matter which order each section is done in? 3. I guess this is more of a personal preference or personal experience question but I will ask it anyway. I am about 140 pounds lower than my highest weight. I am struggling with the last 20 pounds, to lose them. It is difficult for me to estimate how much the actual skin weighs. For those of you that had the skin removal, did you think it was essential to get down to absolute goal weight or did you have the skin removal done at a weight you were just comfortable with? How much did you actually lose with having skin removal over your whole body? I know this is probably a strange question and maybe I am being impulsive and impatient. I really want all of this skin off but struggling with that last 20 pounds. It just sounds crazy actually now writing this so maybe I need to just persevere and get that last 20 pounds off! I will do more reading on these boards to find experiences of people with massive skin removal. But thank you for listening.

What kind of bras have you used once you have lost a lot of weight? I'm looking specifically for bras to use just around the house, comfortable and soft bras that are supportive, lift and separate . No wires and really comfortable.

Awesome info everyone ... THANKS !!!!!

I know there is a lot of discussion on these boards about Vitamins and supplements. However I have a specific question. A lot of Multivitamins have additives and extra chemicals and sweetners in the chewables and liquid. I am looking for multivitamins that are high quality, no added chemicals or additives and no added sweeteners. Have any of the resources or do any of you know about these kinds of multivitamins. I am specifically looking for liquid or chewables.

Anyone have ongoing fatigue ? I am 5.5 months postop. Have lost 40 pounds, slow loser. But my biggest problem is I am just so tired!!!!!! Wondering if anyone else feels fatigued and if you think that is because of eating very low calories?

Some good points. I was using Intramax liquid multivitamins which were very 'clean' in terms of ingredients but not only had multivitamins but also so many other additional supplements and I was having a bad reaction to something in that multivitamin liquid. (over 400 nutrients which is probably too much and something I was reacting to). And it was also ridiculously expensive. So I am looking for something that gives me the Vitamins and minerals I need in a healthy solution form.

Yes, Liquid or chewable because of the size of the regular tablets or capsules and how many need to be taken each day.

I am almost 6 months out from sleeve surgery and also sooo tired. Want to sleep al the time. lon Multivitamins. I might be eating too little but am losing slowly so scared to eat more. I am following this to see if anyone has any ideas...

It might be because I am eating too little but I'm scared to eat more because I don't want to put on and I am already really losing so very slowly. My surgeon said to eat only two tiny meals per day, and not to worry about how much Protein. It's very different from what I'm reading on these boards. I have been trying to exercise but seem to be so tired that it's hard to even get up and do what I need to do in the day let alone exercising. Anyway, thanks for the feedback.

Well, I finally did it. Phew! Roller-coaster of emotions.... !! I am two days post op having the sleeve. I was sent home with a drainage tube. How much drainage did you have? I am wondering because I seem to have a lot of drainage and the around the area where the tube goes into the body seems to be leaking a lot. I change the dressing before going to bed at about 7 p.m. and then now at 10 p.m. the entire gauze around the dressing is completely soaked. I know it's hard to to estimate or explain but I'm just wondering if any of you had a drain with active drainage that needed to be emptied about every 4 hours when you left the hospital. And also, how did you keep the area around the drain port entering the body clean and did you have a lot of leakage? Just wondering if this is normal and my doctors office is not open now. It is 10:30 p.m. at night. I would love to get some advice.

Anyone else losing slowly right from the beginning? I have lost 17.5lbs ... Had surgery 6 weeks ago. 14lbs of that was in first two weeks. So just 3.5 lbs in last month. Seems very slow to me for being less than two months out. I know we are all different. So just wondering for those of you who are slow losers.... How much did you have to lose, What were your weight loss numbers at each month after surgery and how long did it get take you to get to goal if you did get to goal? I have tried SOOOO many times to lose weight.... Don't want to have this be yet another try that doesn't work..... Just want to hear from people who lose slowly.... Do you eventually lose all the weight? I just want to believe that even though it's slow, it will actually happen eventually !!!!! Feeling discouraged....

Do any of you feel that when you eat dairy products, your weight-loss slows down? I am not talking about those of you who are obviously allergic to dairy or lactose intolerant. This question is for those of you who are able to tolerate dairy but maybe it slows down your weight loss? The reason I ask is because I love dairy products and I do not have any side effects and I don't feel bad with eating or drinking dairy products. But I have read that dairy products causes inflammation for some people and I am wondering if dairy products is making my weight loss extra slow. Anyway, just wondering what you all think of dairy products. There are some schools of thought out there that think dairy products are not good for anybody and I feel that dairy products are a good way of getting Protein and Calcium but just wondering if anyone thinks dairy is negative for weight-loss?

I miss coffee.... ! I am 5 weeks from surgery and would love to have a small cup of decaf coffee. How many of you are able to drink decaf coffee and do you think it is too soon after surgery to try decaf after a month or so? Is decaf coffee hard on the new stomach, because of the high acidity of the coffee even though there is no decaf? I assume if I had one or two small cups a day it shouldn't be too bad?

I am also one month out of surgery now. I lost 13 pounds in the first week and have lost nothing since then. I have been up and down a little bit.... The first week I lost and the last 3 weeks I have not lost anything. It has been frustrating and really unbelievable because I am eating so little but the information and the people on these boards have been keeping me sane!!!!!!! Really, every time I feel discouraged I get on these boards and read about the problems with stalls, fatigue etc. And then I realize I am just normal and the process is normal and I need to be patient. It's hard being patient but everyone on these boards are so helpful. Thank you to all of you that give of yourself and your time and information to help us new ones :-) the encouragement and information is so helpful. I don't think I would have done this surgery if it was not for all of your stories here. I think part of my frustration with stalling for three whole weeks, and I am only one month from having surgery, is that I just cannot wait to start using this weight that I have fought with for so many years.

I am considering the sleeve but I have a few questions... 1. I have Hashimoto's hypothyroid and low adrenal function, so slow metabolism, cold, sluggish, tired etc. Have any of you who have had Hashimoto's and had sleeve surgery been successful with weight loss? 2. I am on a super healthy, low calorie diet (for me, low calorie at the moment is around 1500-1700 calories otherwise I am hungry). I just cannot lose even with eating VERY healthy foods. Do you think the sleeve, with restriction to around 800 calories would make a difference even with very bad metabolism? I have always thought the sleeve and bypass were for people that overate excessively (SORRY if that's a bad judgment, but maybe I am ignorant). Anyway, wondering if cutting down from 1500 to 800 would make that much of a difference... any thoughts? I feel like I have such a slow metabolism!!! 3. Why is there a pre surgery diet to lose weight? Surely if we COULD lose then we would just do that? I can't even lose ONE LB and so am desperate... I can't imagine being able to lose weight prior to the surgery? Thanks for any help. I am nervous about surgery but can't seem to do anything else to lose... have LITERALLY tried EVERYTHING! 4. Anyone out there try EVERYTHING and then have the sleeve and that worked??? Thanks !!!

You guys are awesome !!!!! Really needed to hear those things today. THANKS !!!!!!!!!!!

I know some of you post very helpful information about stalls. And it has really helped me but at the moment I'm feeling somewhat desperate and worried!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! After over 30 years of trying to lose weight now that I have had surgery, I am 24 days post surgery and of those 24 days I have only gone down on the scale for six of those days in the beginning. I am so worried that this is not going to work or that I will not lose. I am following everything perfectly. I have read a lot about the three-week stall. My stall started on day 12 and has continued now until day 24. Mostly, when people lose weight they lose mostly in the beginning and then start tapering off. Is this really because of the surgery and how many of you have had such a long stall so early in the process? (I have tried to not get on the scale every day but I just can't keep away from it and it is really worrying having a two-week stall so early in the process. I am almost one months post surgery and have only lost 12 pounds eating tiny amounts of food every day. SORRY to bring up this subject again but for those of us going through it for the first time it is very daunting and depressing!!!

OK so even though I am 100lbs overweight, I have been an obsessively 'healthy' eater for years now. NO gluten, very few grains, no soy, no food with antibiotics or pesticides... So - just wondering if any of you are using Protein powders, drinks and supplements that are: gluten free soy free organic grass fed whey If you have tried any of these kinds, i want to know which ones you like. Thanks!

I am about 3 weeks post surgery. Struggling to get started on pureed foods, seems like only liquids go down. Anyway here is my question. I have a really bad chest cold with lots of coughing and congestion. I assume taking liquid Nyquil would be ok to help with the symptoms and help with sleeping. I would ask my surgeon's office but it is a Sunday and I don't want to call the on-call doctor for such a simple question. So thought I would ask you all :-)

So I am 3 weeks out from surgery and have read up enough on this site to realize that I am right in the middle of the dreaded "THREE WEEK STALL"!!!!! I am so thankful for all of you that have written about this because at least I know to expect it and to embrace it :-) But I am curious how long you have all stalled for? Currently I have been the same weight for one week. I hope it breaks soon and my weight starts going down. I know we are all different but I am just curious what the duration of the stalls have been you have experienced.

From Mercola.com. ...CoQ10 has actually been the subject of thousands of research studies, and in addition to the new finding above that coq10 may help reduce the risk of fatty liver in people with obesity, CoQ10 may also: Help you produce more energy for your cells Boost your heart health Act as an antioxidant to protect you from free radicals Help you reduce the signs of normal aging Help you maintain blood pressure levels within the normal range Provide a boost to your immune system Support your nervous system

K2. http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2015/10/05/benefits-vitamin-k2.aspx

I think fish oil and high omega-3s are essential for everyone. Also, vitamin K is essential, and I have read that everyone should be on vitamin d3, together with vitamin k2. Read up about vitamin K on dr. Mercola website- he has a lot of good information and research based information on vitamin K. He also talks about co q10 and the need for that as we age.