catwoman7

we were allowed to give them up once we were able to get all of our protein needs met through food. By six months out, I suspect most people are off them. I still drink one a day at almost six years out, though. 1) For one thing, my protein requirements are much higher than those of an average WLS patient - 100+ grams for me. I CAN get up that high through food, but it takes thought and effort. By having a protein shake as my morning snack, I can pretty much guarantee I'll hit 100 grams by the end of the day. 2) for me, it's a vehicle for my daily shot of Miralax 3). I like them! I come up with all kinds of concoctions. I'll make fancy lattes out of them - or different kinds of shakes (I had a mint shake this morning - made with unsweetened almond milk, vanilla protein powder, peppermint extract, green food coloring, a little vanilla, and some ice - whirled around in the blender). I'll also make pumpkin shakes (with a scoop of canned pumpkin and some pumpkin pie spices), or add some kind of sugar free syrup to them. Or chocolate ones with a couple tablespoons of powdered peanut butter (like PB Fit). I made a couple of eggnog flavored ones for the holidays. I've been at this for awhile, though - and pick up or think up different ideas. You can always check something like pinterest for some ideas...

I didn't really have any pain at all to speak of. My husband took a week off to help, but he went back to work after three days. Honestly, even though I was grateful for his help - bringing me things, etc - I think I probably could have managed on my own even those first three days. It might be harder with your dog unless you have a fenced yard and can just let him/her out....or have a friend or neighbor walk him/her. Although there are a minority of people who do experience pain (although they'll send you home with meds for it), so I hate to say you'll have little to none, but that does seem to be the case for many of us.

don't miss mine at all (well, once I had plastic surgery to lift 'em up, that is - they look way smaller than before! (from before everything - before they deflated due to weight loss, from before I had WLS, and from before I became morbidly obese!)

sleeve and bypass are different. With sleeve, they remove about 80% of your stomach. With bypass, they put a line of staples across your stomach (but don't remove it), which separates it so food only goes into the top part, meaning you can't eat as much. Then they move your small intestine up to the top part of your stomach (where the food is). The bottom part of your stomach just sits in there, unused (well, it technically makes some hormones which drain into your small intestine further down the route that help with digestion, I believe - but for lay person purposes, the lower part of the stomach just sits there dormant). supposedly weight loss surgeries do reset metabolism. The US society that many bariatric surgeons belong to is called the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. Plus people with diabetes who get weight loss surgery often have their diabetes go into remission pretty quickly after surgery (especially with bypass - although this happens to a lot of sleevers, too), so that tells me that there's something other than weight loss that's going on to get it into remission so quickly. So yes - I think it does affect your metabolism as well (although admittedly, I'm not a doctor...) (however, you asked about metabolism changing after your lapband is removed - that I don't know) it took me 10 years to decide to have surgery, and in retrospect I should have done it years ago. One of the best decisions I've ever made! And no - no problems. It's been great!

sounds like you need some new friends. I'd have no problem dumping people like that. They are being horrible!!

if you don't already, have someone take photos of you from all four sides once a month (I had my husband do it on my surgery date - the 3rd of each month - until I hit maintenance). During those early months when you're not noticing much of a change (even though you're losing a ton of weight), you can see it in by comparing the pictures. Not always month-to-month, but I could definitely tell by comparing a picture to one that was taken three or four months earlier. and the other posters are right - when you're bigger, you don't blow through sizes as fast. Now that I'm in maintenance, gaining or losing 10 lbs puts me in a different size. It was 50 or more lbs when I started my journey...(as others said, probably due to wearing stretchier clothes back then...)

I've never had it. Supposedly about 30% of gastric bypass patients dump (some sleeve patients do, too, but the percentage is lower). It's usually caused by eating too much sugar, and for some people, too much fat. Unfortunately, I can eat either with no consequences (I saw "unfortunately" because that would definitely keep me from eating them!!)

not many surgeons will place lapbands anymore - too many people have had complications with them years after surgery and had to revise to sleeve or bypass. So I agree revising to something else is a better option for you.

10 is really low - and yes, a lot of surgeons will refer you for an infusion when it drops below about 20. A few will even recommend an infusion when it's below 50. Ferritin is one of the few levels that can be difficult to bring up when it's that low without an infusion, although some people have done it (I managed to bring mine up with oral supplements, but it was never as low as yours - I think it was around 30). when mine was low, they also had me increase my oral supplements. Then they retested two or three months later, and it was fine.

for me it was around three weeks, I think, before I could sleep on my side (I'm a side sleeper, too...)

LOL! I still have some of those, too!

almost everyone has their first major stall within the first month or so after surgery. It typically lasts 1-3 weeks. As long as you're sticking to your program, the stall will break and you'll be on your way again. You're likely to hit several of these stalls on your journey. Stay off the scale for a few days if you need to - but rest assured that as long as you're doing what you're supposed to be doing, the weight loss will start up again.

whey protein isolate is more easily absorbed by us than other types, so that's what's recommended, at least early out when you're not getting much protein from food. Once you're getting most if not all of your protein from food, other types of protein are OK (and a lot of people don't even continue with protein shakes once they're far enough out to get their protein needs met through food). Keep in mind that our altered digestive systems aren't the same anymore as a normal person's, so some things that might apply to most people won't necessarily apply to us.

yea - same over here in Wisconsin. I feel like I'm trapped in my house again. Really looking forward to spring...

those pants look very retro, too. I also wore those c. 1974. We called them "plazzo pants" (not sure about the spelling) I guess this conversation goes to show you - if you keep things long enough, they'll come back into style!] P.s. just googled the name of the pants - it's actually "palazzo"

I had this one that I bought in 1974 and LOVED. I don't know what happened to it. My mother hated it so she might have thrown it out (wouldn't be the first time - she was famous for throwing out things she didn't like when we were at school), but it could be in a box in my house somewhere, too. This gives me an incentive to start going through boxes - we have a few we haven't unpacked since we moved here 22 years ago!

oh yea - I've seen tops like that around. These are the types I remember (and was thinking of)

did you buy them recently? I don't think I've seen any in stores in ages. although I haven't been looking for them, so maybe I just haven't noticed.

you'll hit stalls every once in awhile throughout your journey. They're a normal part of weight loss. They usually last 1-3 weeks. Just stick to your plan, and they'll eventually break. And 39 lbs in 53 days sounds pretty normal. I think that's more than I lost the first 53 days.

halter tops? He must be a child of the 1970s! I didn't think people wore those anymore. Yea - he just sounds worried that other men will find you attractive or something. Which they might. But that doesn't mean you're going to dump him for them! I'd just keep reassuring him of that. halter tops - those are like miniskirts, short shorts, and bikinis. Those days are long gone for me (I'm in my 60s). Just because I COULD wear them, doesn't mean I WOULD. Or not outside of my house, anyway!

dumping isn't common with sleeve. It's more common with RNY, but supposedly only about 30% of RNY'ers dump. I never have and know several others who never have, either. And even if you're a "dumper", it can be prevented by limiting - or avoiding - sugar (some people dump on fat - so that can be limited as well - but we all should be limiting fat and sugar ANYWAY). nutritional deficiencies are rare as long as you keep on top of your vitamins.

I wouldn't think you could eat oatmeal during the pureed stage - although we may have been allowed Cream of Wheat (can't remember - it's been a few years for me - and I never did eat any Cream of Wheat then....). And the above poster is right - the flavored varieties may have sugar. If you're allowed to eat oatmeal, I'd go with the traditional and add your own flavorings.

mine was even worse. Two weeks of no food at all. I could have 4-5 protein shakes a day, plus no- or ultra-low calorie liquids. It was really tough - but it does get better by about day 3 or 4.

I'd stay away from FB groups - there are a lot of toxic ones out there, from what I hear. I've never bothered with them - there are much better sites for information, like this one. complications aren't all that common. And most people do NOT have revisions (some do because of severe GERD, but they're in the minority. The majority of VSG patients don't develop GERD, and for those who do, a lot of cases can be managed through medication. Leaks and stomach blockages are pretty rare. You're probably hearing about this because people who have complications are more likely to post about them than are people who've never had any. They're looking for support or advice. People who are two or five or ten years out who've never had any issues would have no reason to post about them.

at McDonald's I get Egg McMuffins - but I probably didn't do those until I was about a year out. (I really didn't eat bread until I was that far out) at Mexican places - the "innards" of tacos work. Or a fajita (but just the meat and veggies - and only a cup or so of them - or less depending on how far along you are) subs - you could just eat the "innards" of those, too. Chinese - order something with non-fried meat and veggies, only eat about a cup of it (or less - again depending on how far along you are), and of course, skip the rice at nicer restaurants, they often have shrimp cocktail as an appetizer - that works. Or soup or chili speaking of chili, a lot of WLS patients like Wendy's chili (I don't - but if you like it, that works). Panera Bread carries turkey chili in the winter, and it's pretty great