TexasT

Congrats on the size 8 - way to go! It feels so great, doesn't it? Now to your question of how to stop losing weight - well, just eat whatever you want, which is what I do. No low fat or diet foods in my house anymore. I drink sodas, alcohol, eat sweets, cheeses, chips, etc. and never gain a pound. Of course, I eat my "good foods" first and get my Protein in, but I don't make any type of effort anymore to watch calories or fat grams. I don't eat those high calorie items all day every day - I don't even WANT them but every now and then. Everyone is different, so I'm not advocating anyone "do as I do", I'm just telling it straight as to how I keep at goal weight. I guess it's been very easy for me - I don't even think about my weight anymore. I've even got a new favorite fast food - the McDonald's Angus Wrap. It's like getting to eat a burger, but no bun to deal with. You can hold the mayo and cheese if you want, add extra pickles and lettuce and get a nice tasting burger patty. I get them a couple of times a month and they curb that little nagging fast food demon we all have. It took me a year to get to this point, but I'm enjoying it now.

I was a revsion from lapband, but also self-pay. All I had to have was a cardiac clearance from a cardiologist, but my surgeon had already scheduled my surgery beforehand. It was basically as soon as I wanted. Only pre-op diet was a few days of liquids and nothing night before surgery.

I'm in Flower Mound, north of DFW airport. A year post-op and at goal - AMEN!

I've been dodging my surgeon's office's invites to their support group because they DO NOT want me there. I would have a hard time not dissing the band and telling anyone there with one that they have a ticking time bomb inside them. Bands are EVIL (in my opinion)!!!

I used the gorgeous and extremely experienced Dr. Wade Barker. I was self-pay so I went to Forest Park Med. Ctr. in Dallas. His staff is also great to work with. He has a monthly support group, but I don't go to it as I live an hour away.

I'm almost 50 and had the VSG a year ago.

I never had any complications from the band, unless you call not being able to eat a lot of healthy things because they would get stuck a complication. I also could never find the sweet spot, and I got real good at eating fattening slider foods to get around it if it felt too tight. I just hated food constantly getting stuck (and yes, I chewed like crazy), not being able to eat salads and fruits like grapes and oranges, and the feeling of the port bumping my ribcage. One of the most embarrassing things I dealt with was running out of a restaurant in downtown Santa Fe after a fancy meal and basically throwing up out in a dark alleyway. The bathroom was full and I didn't want to have to do it in front of people. Getting all that plastic out of my body was so freeing. Living with the sleeve is completely effortless. I love it and would recommend it to anyone not happy with their band. Fills, schmills - who needs them??? In Texas there are plenty of surgeons experienced in revisions. I was also self-pay, so I know this is not a decision to take lightly. Good luck!

I'm don't know that I really ever felt "insecure" regarding my weight after the VSG. Once I started losing weight so quickly, then got used to this new body, I didn't really worry that much about gaining it back. But now that I can eat more at a sitting, I know I need to be more mindful of what I'm eating and not push it. My body has always given itself a "set point" that it's comfortable at, and it's a major challenge to change it once it gets to that point. Now my body and I are BOTH happy at the weight it's chosen - which is a first in about 23 yrs!

This is the first I've seen of this thread or I would have posted earlier., I guess I may be the odd duck in the group because I've been at the same weight for about 6 months and I eat whatever I want. I don't count calories or carbs. I drink a coke once or twice a week. I eat cake, candy (a few bites of dark chocolate), chips, rice, full-fat cheeses, etc without even thinking about it. I love salads, but I eat regular dressing on them along with diced ham and cheese. I don't eat ice cream, fried foods or anything greasy (sausage, bacon, etc.) because I had my gall bladder removed with my VSG and those things nauseate me now. I don't eat bread with meals, but that's because I'm trying to make sure I get all my Protein in first. I will have 1/2 an English Muffin with honey or Peanut Butter as a snack sometimes though. And I usually have a Protein Bar laying around to take a few bites out of when I feel that tummy hunger between meals. I guess I would say I eat a well-balanced diet, but I don't stress about it. I went to Italy last May and walked a few miles daily to get in shape for the trip, but since then I've done virtually NO exercise . My muscle tone is terrible, so I know I need to work out to get it back. But right now I've got a broken rib with another month to heal, so I'll have to wait to get started back with the weights. At first I was afraid I'd get huge again if I ate regular food, but I guess at thispoint my body is happy where it is and is going to stay at this weight. Not to say that I don't watch the scale though. I fluxuate between 3 lbs. If it got more than that, then I'll cut down on carbs and see if that helps. But so far, I just eat what I want in small quantities and have stayed steady (knock wood).

I was on liquids for 3 wks post-op, so it seems really early to me for you to be on soft foods. I know all docs have different diets, but if you're having problems, I might suggest going back to liquids for awhile.

And my insurance company still won't pay a dime for any type of weight loss help - surgery or otherwise. STUPID!!

My butt is one of the first places I lost weight from, and the same goes for a lot of us ladies. My hubby would call me "baggy britches" until I bought all new clothes that fit better. I couldn't have Kim K's butt unless I had "cheek implants" - and that ain't gonna happen! I'll just have to try and get it back the old-fashioned way - lots of booty exercises...and maybe a pair of those "toning shoes" that are being advertised so much now.

It looks great Tiff. It fits your petite face and body and it really does look full and healthy. The color is super fun too!

You should feel very proud of yourself and all you've accomplished in the last year. Losing 100lbs is fantastic however you do it! And I agree with your husband - you've always been a beauty, but now I can see your confidence is starting to shine through and you're even more attractive. When I go back and look at my "before" pics, I don't even recognize that person anymore. You already look like a "new you". Congrats on all your success!

I had my band for almost 4 yrs and was able to have all the following done in one surgery: 1. band removed 2. gall bladder removed 3. adhesions removed 4. hiatal herna repaired 5. sleeve done The only complication I had, as I mentioned above in another post, was a post-op hematoma where my port had been. This is fairly common and for most people the blood just resorbs back into the body and it causes no problems. Other than the hernia, I didn't have any damage to my stomach, so was able to do this all at once. If you've had a lot of damage to your stomach tissue then most docs will want to do it in two surgeries from what I've read.

I can answer a couple of your questions. Yes, there should be a time when you'll be able to sleep all night without waking up. That was one of the miracle things that happened with me when I was on a C-PAP a few years ago. Also, yes, you should be able to be weaned off the machine once you lose weight. I was able to get off the machine when I got to around 170/lbs. That was a joyous time, as the mask is not exactly conducive to smooching, etc. in bed with the hubby - ha! It kept me alive -yes - but it's not the sexiest thing to wear to bed. I much prefer Victoria's Secret... Just go slow and steady with the weight loss, and with medical supervision someday you most likely can end your affair with Mr. CPAP. Good luck!

My situation was different as I was a revision from band to sleeve, but my revision cost was $5000. Plus I had my gall bladder removed at the same time, which my insurance paid for, so the OR and anesthesia costs were covered by insurance. Dr. Barker also did my lap band, and I did NOT have to have a sleep study or psych evaluation before it. I did have to have a cardaic clearance from a cardiologist though before both surgeries. I know you need to get an idea of the cost, but please don't base your decision solely on price. Dr. Barker is an excellent surgeon and VERY experienced with all types of weight loss surgeries. We're lucky in the Dallas area that we have quite a few experienced bariatric surgeons to choose from. There is no reason to go to someone that hasn't done hundreds or even thousands of procedures if you live in our area. Be very choosy and ask lots of questions when making your choice.

I have BCBS of Alabama and they don't cover any type of WLS. I was self-pay so I didn't have to do that procedure. Each BCBS group is different.

I also can't handle watching shows like that any more. "Man VS Food" is another one like that. When I see it I just think "how can his body hold all that food???". It's disgusting and I really see no point to it. What's the big deal with eating so much food that you almost make yourself get sick, and why do people want to watch someone do that to themselves?

If you really want to give your ego a boost and you've already lost most of your weight - go shop at Chico's! Their sizes go from a 0 - 3. I used to squeeze into their size 3 (16/18 in regular sizes), but am now in a size 1 top and .5 bottom. That gave me a kick just to say it - "yes, I'm wearing a size .5 pants right now!" - ha! Clothes sizes are so dependent on the brand that it's important not to get TOO hung up on them. As long as you feel good about how you look and are healthy that's the most important thing. But that said - the skirt I'm wearing in one of my new pic posts is a 6 - and I NEVER thought I'd be able to wear a 6 again in my life. I would have been happy at a size 10 after being so big in the past. So I'm really enjoying trying on new clothes now and exploring fashion again.

I had implants 30 yrs ago, the incisions are under my breasts in the breast fold. There was loss of sensation near the incision but not in the nipples. So I would think that if you don't have the type where they do the incision in the areola this won't be an issue.

I'm a year post-revision, and if I push on the area where the port used to be it's a bit tender. But I wouldn't say it hurts at all just on a daily, normal basis. When the doc puts IN the port, he sews it in there to stay. When we have it out, it can do a lot of damage to the tissues in that area of the abdomen and cause soreness for awhile. It does get better with time, so hang in there!

Dr. Barker in the Dallas area did both my WLS. He charged me $5000 for the revision (I was self-pay for this portion), but I also had my gall bladder removed which my insurance paid for. He is a VERY experienced surgeon and I highly recommend him.

I also used to use a C-PAP with severe apnea. I had the lapband first and was able to get off the C-PAP within a few months of losing weight with the band. So I have full confidence that you'll be able to wean off of it as you lose weight with your doc's assistance.

I don't really remember since I was asleep (ha!), but my hubby said the actual surgery took about an hour.