MichelleInCA

I have been shocked over and over again by what I personally did not know. I studied this for two years. did research and watched videos and asked questions on here and to my team. I did not know:
What to eat and when in detail.
64 oz. of Water..say what? I loved water..What I hate it now..Never heard of such a thing!
I did not know any nutritional retraining I would need.
I did not know that you can get a leak 18 months out.
I did not know that you can get reactive Hypoglycemia.
I did not know that when you gain muscle you get bigger.
I did not know that you could really die from WLS.
I did not know that people would treat you mean because you lost weight.
I did not know that people would tell me I took the easy way out.
I did not know that people can live without eating for 5.5 months...
I guess I did not know a lot. But then I live in one of the the poorest Provinces. Not to mention the most backwards Province in Canada when it comes to health.
I had no idea that most of the things that happened to me did.....I am shocked that more people are not aware of this life saving chance. And that more people die because they are not invested in the changing of lives....
I had no idea I would hate tuna after my surgery and I when it was I would be able to finally eat at all....I had to learn to eat again..Who does that!
I never knew that people sucked the chocolate off of peanut M n M's and thought they weren't cheating..They should have eaten the peanuts..you know! Or lick the cheese off Doritos and feel satisfied...Say what!
I know this is a little off the best but you know what I think: there are still people who think you can't get pregnant the first time you have sex.
For such a time of the information age. People are still eating boxed macaroni and cheese and thinking that it is good for you.
For now I will try to answer as many of those questions as I can and when and if I do tire out..I will back off and call it a day!
For now..nope!

I got the revision on April 30, and I'm very happy so far. Not only was my weight loss slow and small, the band gave me terrible acid reflux. I was up to 2 Prilosec a day and still having symptoms. The band kept me from eating perfectly healthy food like melon, while it let me eat as much as I wanted of things that weren't healthy, like ice cream. It didn't reinforce good behaviors. My surgeon unfilled my band last summer, which gave immediate relief but of course removed most of the restriction. I gained wait slowly in spite of working out, etc.
My surgeon stopped doing bands in 2011 due to the high rate of complication and disappointing weight loss. She said many patients would develop a tissue 'capsule' around their stomach under the band, that she would I guess cut through during revision surgery. She'd watch the stomach inflate like a sail with the capsule gone. And, she said that happened in my surgery too.
I will say I also had to go into the VSG surgery with a much better sense of how much my success would ride on my making the right choices and not 'cheating', for lack of a better word. With the band I expected it to keep me from eating too much of anything. On this second chance, I went in knowing it's about 50% behavioral, 50% help from the sleeve.
I have thrown up a couple of times but that was from eating raw veggies too fast. I'm learning how to handle the sleeve now. You do get full quickly and you feel more satisfied than with the band. It feels more natural.

I was SO excited this morning to weigh in and see that I passed my goal of 145 pounds. I am about 10.5 months post-op and down 133.6 pounds. I could still stand to lose a few more pounds, but I am super proud of myself for reaching my original goal in less than a year. I'm also super proud of my non-scale goals that I've accomplished like improving my health, training for a 1/2 marathon, and working on my emotional eating issues. I've done a lot of hard work this year, and I wouldn't trade the changes I've made for the world.
For those of you just starting on this journey, hang in there! It's so worth the effort!

My surgery was April 30th too, hello everyone! First day was rough, I was so out of it. Hated having to ask a nurse for help to pee every hour all night, so I really wanted out of there. Got out the next afternoon, and I've been feeling better each day. I'm off work still, but I'm really bored so I might go back tomorrow, which is silly I know. But having free time gives me more time to fantasize about all the foods I want to eat, lol. I'm so sick of Protein shakes, my word. I'm having 2 per day and Tomato Soup for lunch, which hasn't bothered me. But today I had a bite of smooth hummus mixed with low-fat sour cream, and wow, that was a mistake. Straight to the bathroom - so I guess I'm one who will have dumping syndrome. But that's okay, the more trouble I have eating the better for now.
I've lost 5 lbs since surgery and lost 7 in the 2 weeks before, so I'm happy with 12 lbs. Most of all I'm happy I don't have the starving feeling I used to get when I didn't eat much. It's far easier than before, and I had the band in before so this is definitely better for me so far.

Dumping is diarrhea. And it's awful
I ate a falafel and 2 tablespoons of hummus and 30 minutes later I has indigestion, hot flashes, intestinal cramping and liquid runs. The 2nd time I almost did not make it to the toilet.
It was bad.
Think stomach flu without the vomiting and once it's all out your done

I can so relate to your story! I've lost 29 lbs and just flew this weekend. Where before I could barely fasten the belt and only by pulling very hard, this time it fastened easily! And even better I felt I wasn't impinging on the person next to me like I did before. It's so very embarrassing not to 'fit' between the arm rests, so your thighs touch the next person's. I've even paid for upgrades to have bigger seats to avoid that. If you think the tray is hard to flatten in coach, try the ones in biz class that go across your lap at the height of the armrests. Yikes!!
Congrats!

So I had my 3 month check today and my Iron levels are low (boo) my Vitamin D is dangerously low (boo) but thanks to LabCorp I noticed they both have been for almost 3 years! Oddly enough those doctors never said anything to me and now I'm playing catch up.
On the Bright side I am down 66 lbs!!!!!! I'm so excited and so close to onederland, I can taste it! Lol. I just wanted to quickly share my excitement because unless u have been in our position it's difficult for people to understand the excitement of even a 2lb loss.
Have a great one everybody!

I'm finding that my stalls (I've had several and I'm only 9 weeks post-op!) are at weights that I held for a long time in the past. Eg if I was at a weight for 6-8 months in the past, that's the weight where my stall is happening on the way down. Is anyone else finding that?
I think I just broke through one that went on for 3 weeks. Geez, I sure hope so!

If you're having depression, perhaps you needs to see a psychiatrist, to be evaluated for medication? I can say getting on the right meds can really help, by reducing those very dark periods where you feel hopeless about your present and future. When you're feeling more hopeful, it will be easier to get back on a plan. JMO.

If you're having depression, perhaps you needs to see a psychiatrist, to be evaluated for medication? I can say getting on the right meds can really help, by reducing those very dark periods where you feel hopeless about your present and future. When you're feeling more hopeful, it will be easier to get back on a plan. JMO.

I agree, it's no one's business, and I sure didn't want that kind of scrutiny where people would be looking for weight loss or whatever. I told the boss and secretary I would be out on sick leave for a 'procedure', and that it was nothing serious, so they wouldn't worry. I told them 10 work days, but I felt well enough to go back after about 6. I just told them I was feeling up to working, and that was the end of it. I work in an environment where people know better than to ask, eg we have strong HR policies. If you work in a rumor mill, you might need to get more creative.
Only a couple of friends at work know about the surgery, and I'm happy about that so far. By the time they start noticing the weight loss, they'll have forgotten I was out for a week.

I accepted your request on MFP. Hopefully you can see my diaries, let me know if not. Great to have a pal on there, it will encourage me to log every day

I don't think bell peppers would count as part of a liquid diet. They want your digestive system to rest.
I don't believe you'll feel well enough to go out of town only 3 days after surgery. I was still tired and in some pain then, not in the mood to go on a road trip. You'll just be figuring out how to drink the thicker liquids too, at least I was.
It sounds like you're having a bit of a hard time facing the life changes that will come from this surgery. Maybe you can talk to a professional about your concerns, to make sure you're really ready?

You didn't just ask a simple question. You are saying people are lying because they don't want to tell everyone and how exhausting it must be to keep that lie up.
I get to define what I share with the world. No one else. And it certainly isn't a lie because I don't want to share very detail of my life. It's called PRIVACY, it's called PERSONAL BOUNDARIES.
You decided to share every detail of your life great for you. That doesn't mean it's wrong or a lie to be private

Are you taking Iron, too? My doc has me on 200% recommended daily dose/day to prevent Hair loss. Some (most?) Multivitamins don't have iron so you may need a separate supplement.

Are you taking Iron, too? My doc has me on 200% recommended daily dose/day to prevent Hair loss. Some (most?) Multivitamins don't have iron so you may need a separate supplement.

I don't think bell peppers would count as part of a liquid diet. They want your digestive system to rest.
I don't believe you'll feel well enough to go out of town only 3 days after surgery. I was still tired and in some pain then, not in the mood to go on a road trip. You'll just be figuring out how to drink the thicker liquids too, at least I was.
It sounds like you're having a bit of a hard time facing the life changes that will come from this surgery. Maybe you can talk to a professional about your concerns, to make sure you're really ready?

My nutritionist said to look for shakes with more than 10g of Protein, and less than 10g of carbs. Other than that they don't really care which ones. Hard part is finding one you like!

So I made an amazing discovery at the vegan (don't be scared!) supermarket in my neighborhood the other day: pumpkin seed Protein. It has all the essential amino acids to make it a complete protein (plus most of the non-essential ones as well). Per 100g it has 63g of protein, 6.7g of fat (but it's good fat, including the ever important omegas), and 10g of carbs (all 10 of which are fiber!). And the best part is, it doesn't really taste like protein! It just tastes kinda "green." It's nice, sort of smokey. I've been putting it everything savory: Soup, Salad Dressing, stir-fry, salsa, hummus, etc. I love it! It was a little expensive, but totally worth it. The company is called "Sun & Seed" (though other organic food companies may make something similar). They have a website, but it looks like it might be under construction (sunandseed.com). It seems like they're a UK company though, so I don't know how the availability of this specific brand would be in the US. All I can say is, I really, really recommend it, especially for vegans and anyone getting sick of the taste of other protein powders.< /p>

As a dietitian I often find myself instructing patients to lower their intake of carbohydrates, in fact I’ve said it so many times, and to so many patients, that at times I feel like a broken record.
Previous genetic studies into obesity have tended to focus on how genetic variations alter our appetites and food behaviours. However, a new study recently published in Nature Genetics piqued my interest as it suggests that there may in fact be a rather novel genetic link between metabolism and obesity.
The study authored by Dr. Mario Falchi from the School of Public Health at Imperial College London investigated the relationship between obesity and a gene called AMY1, the gene responsible for an enzyme present in our saliva known as salivary amylase, the enzyme first encountered by food when it enters the mouth that begins the process of starch digestion.
"We are now starting to develop a clearer picture of a combination of genetic factors affecting psychological and metabolic processes that contribute to people's chances of becoming obese. This should ultimately help us to find better ways of tackling obesity," Dr. Mario Falchi says.
The number of copies of a gene that a person carries can vary throughout their DNA, although people usually have two copies of each gene. Yet, Dr. Mario Falchi and his team found that the number of copies of this particular AMY1 gene can vary greatly between people.
The researchers examined the number of copies of AMY1 present in the DNA of more than 6,000 people from four different countries: the UK, France, Sweden and Singapore. And according to their results, it is those who have a lower number of AMY1 who are most likely to become obese. They determined that AMY1 was the gene that had the greatest influence on body weight and then counted the number of times the gene was repeated in each individual and how this affected their obesity risk.
The chance of being obese for people with less than four copies of the AMY1 gene was approximately eight times higher than in those with more than nine copies of this gene. The researchers estimated that with every additional copy of the salivary amylase gene there was approximately a 20 per cent decrease in the odds of becoming obese.
This new discovery highlights a strong link between metabolism and obesity and suggests that goes someway to proving that our bodies react differently to the same type and amount of food, leading to weight gain in some but not in others. How we deal with carbohydrates and hence, how much carbohydrate we should be consuming, must be adjusted for each individual. This research indicates genetics may play a role in obesity, and carbohydrate metabolism is very much involved.

Highest weight: 245 lbs
Surgery weight: 240 lbs
Goal weight: 140 lbs
Current weight: 129 lbs
Revised goal (from surgeon): 115 lbs by May next year
Height: 4' 11"
Age: 26
At 11 months post op, I've adapted well to my new "normal" life. I LOVE to workout: running, weights, yoga, workout classes. I've completely given up rice, bread, potatoes, and Pasta. I don't eat fried foods or candy. Basically, I eat real food- Protein, veggies, fruit, nuts, yogurt, cheese. I never feel deprived or left out- it's all about the mindset.
And I'm starting to love shopping instead of crying and dreading.
Here are my pics
I also added other photos & photos of food I eat (hopefully this helps someone) in my 11 month pic gallery.

My NUT wouldn't give a number either, but I'm at about 650 cals/day 1 week after surgery. That's less than half of what I ate before the pre-surgery diet. I'll be very happy if I can stay satisfied on < 800 until I'm done losing.
I think the low calories is to make sure your body stays in ketosis -- where you're really burning fat. My surgeon told me to think of this as a sprint, not a marathon. That I have 1 year to get most of my excess my weight off, and her experience is if you don't get most of it off in a year, you aren't ever going to. So she said just push through it and know it's not forever at this level. So far the sleeve is keeping me from being anywhere near as hungry as I would have been before. I feel a bit shaky but not hungry. I want to ride this as long as possible...

MichelleInCA, good luck, I'm sure you will do fine with the Sleeve, I wish it would have been available when I had the band done first time around. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to private message me.