catwoman7

I don't avoid or count carbs anymore - but I can't remember how long it's been. That said, there are some that don't sit that well with me so I don't eat much of them when I have them - like pasta, for example. It sits in my stomach like a brick, so when I do eat it, it's like half a cup. edited to add that I'm seven years out (almost)

I had surgery at age 55 after being overweight or obese for most of my life (and REALLY obese after age 30). I spent literally decades on pretty much every diet known to man. The most I'd ever lose was about 50 lbs (usually it was more like 10 or 20 lbs). Then inevitably, I'd gain it back. As I got into my 50s, at over 300 lbs, I was afraid I'd never live to see my 60th birthday unless I got that weight off. I, too, never had any medical issues with it - no diabetes, no heart issues - all vitals were within the normal range - but i knew all that was likely just around the corner - if not an early death - if I didn't do something about my weight. I went to several info sessions on weight loss surgery put on by different surgeons and clinics just to see what it was all about. This started about 10 years before I actually decided to have the surgery. The one where I made the decision to go through with it was one where the surgeon leading the seminar had a big chart that went over all the benefits (80% reduction in this health issue, 100% reduction in this other health issue, blah blah blah - he went through a whole litany of problems obese people typically have, and how much the surgery was likely to improve or eliminate them). So I decided then and there that the benefit was well worth the cost, and I was going to do it. I, too, was worried about the horror stories - but weighing almost 400 lbs was also a horror story - a horror story waiting to happen. Plus those horror stories are rare. As Arabesque said, people post about problems because they're looking for advice or support. Those of us who never had issues aren't likely to post about that (e.g., "I had surgery four years ago and never had any problems!!" (you occasionally do see a post like that - esp when we're trying to reassure people who are scared to do it, but overall, people are much more likely to post if they've had a problem, since again, they're looking for support)). Also, the surgical techniques have vastly improved over the years, and having weight loss surgery nowadays is quite safe - it's not like it was back in the 60s and 70s, when it really WAS a risky proposition. anyway, I'm part of the crowd who say their only regret is that they didn't have the surgery sooner. In retrospect, I don't know why I waited so long. Best decision I ever made!

I always have a box of sugar free fudgesicles and sugar free popsicles in my freezer for the occasional craving for something cold and sweet. another thing I do when that hits is take some low-cal vanilla Greek yogurt (such as Light & Fit, Carbmaster, or the one from Aldi's), stir in a couple teaspoons of unsweetened cocoa powder, and top with a couple tablespoons of light or sugar free Cool Whip and a few raspberries. A healthy, fairly low-cal sundae!

at 160 lbs, you were only six lbs overweight (I'm also 5'6", and our normal BMI range goes up to 154 lbs). I doubt you even looked that "curvy" at that weight! So I'm surprised anyone would have even said anything - sheesh! They must have liked rail-thin women! my mother was always very appearance conscious. And most of my childhood I was on the high end of my normal BMI or slightly overweight. The way she went on and on about it, you'd have thought I weighed 400 lbs. I honestly think her obsession with my weight was a big factor in my lifetime of yo-yo dieting. I look back at pictures of myself in high school and college, where my weight bounced around between 155 and 170. Yes - I was technically overweight, but I looked fine. Sheesh. so anyway, yep - heard it from my mother since practically the day I was born. And of course, once I was an adult and started gaining weight (it got really bad once I hit my 30s), I heard it from other people, too. Do they think I didn't know it? Again - sheesh.

a 10-20 lb rebound after you hit your lowest weight is VERY common. I think it's just your body settling in where it feels comfortable - your new "set point". Of course, you can always lose it again if you decrease your calorie intake, but if this is your body's new "set point", it'll be a challenge to get back down to where you want to be and stay there. Been through this myself. I gained 20 lbs after hitting bottom. The first 10 pounds I was OK with because I'd gotten a bit too gaunt-looking, but I'd love to get rid of the last 10 lbs. Unfortunately, I've been struggling this for the last three or four years. I'm almost to the point of throwing in the towel. My current weight is fine, according to my surgeon and PCP, but I don't know - I looked pretty darn good 10 lbs ago!!

some SSRI's cause weight gain, others don't. Paxil (paroxetine) is notorious for weight gain. I think Wellbutrin is one of the better ones in that dept - it doesn't cause many people to gain weight. Not sure about Zoloft - but ask your doctor or pharmacist. If it's one that causes a lot of people to gain weight, maybe your doctor can prescribe a different one. if you need the med, you need the med - but again, there are some that aren't as bad - or bad at all - when it comes to weight gain.

panni just removes excess skin and doesn't necessarily have the goal of making everything attractive or even natural. In fact, some people lose their belly buttons, from what i understand lower body lift does front and back plus mons lift. Lipo and muscle tightening are usually included. There is an attempt to make everything look natural This is what most people get. Fleur de lis is the lower body lift with the addition of a vertical incision going all the way up your front - up to right under the ribs. It's usually done if you have a lot of excess skin high up where it's hard to reach with a normal lower body lift. It's not very common, but it does really pull everything tight. I don't think I'd bother with a plain panni unless you have financial restrictions. The full lower body lift is going to look a lot better. If you have a ton of excess skin, esp up near your ribs, you may want the FDL cut added in as well. I was kind of borderline, but we decided to do the standard lower body lift first, and then if I felt like I still had too much excess skin, he'd add a FDL cut later. I ended up not bothering with it. I do still have a little excess skin up near my ribs, but no one can see it other than me, and it's honestly not that bad unless I bunch it up with my hands (which - when are you going to do that??). It pretty much came down to which would I rather live with - a little excess skin high on my torso, or a big scar going up my middle? Six of one, half dozen of the other, was my opinion. So I just kept what I had (a standard LBL (lower body lift)). The FDL cut would have been additional money, too, since it would have been done in a separate surgery.

the only things I was told to avoid were NSAIDs and extended release versions of meds (the latter isn't harmful - it's just that it doesn't stay in your stomach long enough to truly be "extended release", since our pyloric valve has been bypassed).

I think I've read that Medicaid (and Medicare, too) cover bariatric surgery.

as I recall, you're pretty far out from surgery, so you should be able to eat any type of grain.

I think most of us were prescribed ursodiol for the first few months to lessen the chance of gallbladder issues. my surgeon prescribed omeprazole for a year, but I had surgery back before the downside of PPIs were widely known. From what I can tell (by hanging out on bariatric forums), most surgeons just prescribe it for around 3-6 months post-surgery now.

It's been awhile for me, but I don't think I looked pregnant - I also didn't have any issues with infection. I did wear compression for awhile, though - maybe two or three months? Can't remember. But it's not a forever thing, fortunately!

are they doing any muscle tightening? That and the lipo can be a bit painful - but they'll send you home with something for that. I had the whole lower body lift, so it was more involved than what you're getting - so your experience may be different. I used a walker the first couple of days because I couldn't stand up straight - and I also used a wedge pillow for quite awhile. After the first couple of days it was really more uncomfortable than painful - but in the end it was totally worth it. I love the results and would do it again. I didn't do the thigh lift, btw - so I can't speak to that. I had a lower body lift, breast lift, arm lift, and face lift (in three separate surgeries). Lower body lift was the toughest of the three - but again, totally worth it.

just so you know, a 10- to 20 lb rebound from your lowest weight is VERY common in year 3. I think it's just your body settling in to a weight it feels comfortable at - your new "set point". Of course, you can still lose again if you cut enough calories - but it could be a bit of a struggle if you're fighting against where your body wants to be. I've been dealing with the same thing since year 3 (and here I am in year seven...). different things work for different people. I count calories, which my dietitian hates (she's into "intuitive eating"), but I'm obviously not cutting back enough or I'd be losing weight. It's tough... I know other vets who've done Weight Watchers, Keto, and/or intermittent fasting. Whatever works - some approaches are more effective than others, depending on the person. to respond to your questions (sort of, anyway...), I don't do low carb - but the vast majority of my carbs are the healthy kind (fruit, veggies, whole grains). I have to average around 100 grams of protein a day because I malabsorb it (we discovered this pretty soon after my surgery), and I do manage to get that in every day. Other than protein, it's really just calories for me. If I stay in the 1500-1700 range, I can maintain my weight - but I'd really love to lose 10-15 lbs (!!)

yes - very common to develop lactose intolerance after surgery. Sometimes it's temporary - sometimes it's not. Hopefully yours will be temporary!

from what I've heard about a lot of bariatric Facebook groups (other than those sponsored by weight loss surgery clinics, of course), it's probably just as well! I think forums like these are better, to be honest.

it probably depends on the person and where you carry your fat. I was apple-shaped, so I carried most of my fat in my gut. I probably lost it there at the same rate I lost it anywhere else, but because there was so much more of it there, maybe it wasn't as obvious? (it's been a few years so I honestly don't remember)

all I can say is that the last 20 lbs were a bear for me to lose. We're talking like two lbs a month, despite the fact I was really working at it. And after being down there for a few months, those 20 lbs came back on - and here I sit. I do know that it's very common to have a 10-20 lb rebound after one hits their lowest weight - but in my case, I also wonder if maybe where I am now is where my body really wants to be (my set point). That's not to say I couldn't lose it again, but that would involve dropping back on my calories, and having to fight to get down there again - and then continue to struggle to keep it there. of course, you could also just be in a long stall, too. Mine tended to last longer the closer I got to a normal BMI. Or...yes - it could be that you're building muscle. long story short - it's hard to tell. It really could be any of these things. That's a good idea to run it by your team next time you see them. In the mean time, just keep up with the good eating and exercise habits....sounds like you've done really well so far!

should be fine

a lot of people have issues with eggs when they're early out (and you're still early out!), so that might be the issue. If it only seems to be eggs that are making you sick, then lay off them for awhile and maybe try again in another month or so.

as long as you're sticking to your clinic's plan, it's just a stall. Most of us have our first major stall within the first 3-6 weeks after surgery - yours is a little later than that, but I'm sure that's what's going on. You'll likely hit several of these throughout your journey. It's annoying, but it's all part of weight loss (at least for many of us) when you hit these, just stay off your scale (maybe just weighing once a week) and make sure you're following your plan to a "T". They usually last about 1-3 weeks before breaking - and then you'll be on your way again.

like the above person, I ate hummus as well as for food not being appealing, a lot of us lose our sense of hunger - and our interest in food - for up to a year post-op (a lucky few lose it forever, and I wish I had been one of those, but alas - mine came roaring back at five months out). Take full advantage of that, because it'll never in your life be easier to lose weight than it will right now - and probably for the next few months - when you're never hungry and don't give a flip about food. It all comes back for most of us, so take advantage of it while you can! Things get a lot more challenging when hunger returns!

yes, they do. A lot of people have issues with various foods the first few weeks (and sometimes the first few months) post-op. Eggs, dairy, dry meats (like a dry chicken breast) are all common culprits. For most of us, we can eventually eat all of these again.

a lot of people seem to have trouble with eggs the first few weeks. If they're not "working" for you, wait and try them again later.

probably not. As someone else noted, the insurance company may need to know whether or not you have sleep apnea as that counts as a co-morbidity. Also, the anesthesiologist will probably need to know that as well so they can watch for it once you're under (and do whatever they do to deal with it while you're being operated on)