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I’m almost 4 weeks post op. I was told over and over that I need to try and get my protein in from shakes. As I add more food I still need to use the shakes. The longer I do that the more weight I will loose and the less hungry I will be in trying to eat the wrong food. My program is slower than most. I added purées of cookie veggies on my at 2 1/2 weeks. The 4th week I can add more mushie food like cottage cheese. My dr said to enjoy the honeymoon as long as I can so that’s what I will do. It’s hard sometimes but I do better when I’ve had at least 2 shakes.

My highest weight was 330lbs day of surgery I was around 284lbs. I currently weigh 210lbs. I had my surgery March 27,2019. I am happy at my current weight (as in if I don’t loose more I’d be happy) but still going to try and get to 165lbs.

So I’m 2 months away from my one year mark. I’ve gotten down to 210lbs. So I’ve lost 120lbs total. We tried from 2015-2018 and got pregnant four times but they all resulted in miscarrage due to my weight and weight related health issues (high bp but mainly diabetes) and then had one chemical pregnancy. I didn’t realize why until I went to a professional and he told me I needed to loose weight to have a healthy/successful pregnancy. So I proceeded to have gastric bypass and ended up having the surgery March 27,2019 and here I am healthier and happier. Only thing I have wrong now is anxiety and a rapid heart rate (from being on high bp meds so long) which I’m on medicines so both are under control. Well we have been ttcing since October and still nothing. I was told fertility will raise after the surgery and I’m kinda starting to get disappointed. Did any of you ladies have troubles ttcing after surgery? I guess I’m so discouraged because we tried for so long in the past and now I can’t help but feel like we’re still going to have problems conceiving.

Im to damm thin - size 38 waist and my arms and legs are to thin - If i lose anymore going to look like i have cancer. I really do not have a clue been working on this for the last two days with my Nutrisionist and she wants me to stay on a slow weight loss also. The cross fit is working but getting lanky and disformed. I just bitched about the BMI last week - I agree makes on sense. For now going to loose a few but really get tightened up for my new Cuban Wifes! Be honest ladies you see the picture go thinner or what? This was 3 days ago taken

WOW i wish my stomach looked that good you are the inspiration of this surgery great job cant believe the skin on your stomach, mine looks like a wrinkle fest that needs ironed

I'm such an over planner too! I have a basket of things I've been adding to for post op. My plan for the hospital is to bring: Carmex Biotin Mouth Spray (I've seen a bunch of people post about dry mouth and this helping) Ear buds Phone/Charger Pillow Toothbrush/toothpaste Lotion Really loose athletic pants/t-shirt/zip up fleece to wear home Brush Dry Shampoo (yeah I'm vain!) And really that's it. I thought about my ipad and slippers, but I hear over and over about people not using their laptops of ipads, and frankly I can do anything on my phone that I can do on my ipad. Since I live a couple of hours from where I will be having surgery, the plan is for me to stay two nights.

Actually, I think I would categorize you in the column of the lucky few who's skin snapped back pretty well. After a 202 lbs loss, your skin is in amazing shape. Congrats, you look great!

Well holy hell Batman! How did I miss this thread?!!! Super califragilistic expialidocious CONGRATS to you! What amazing success and inspiration!!! Eat meat! Don't cheat! Errrraaaah! I love how forgiving your skin has been!!! I am gonna hypothesize it's the carnivore/protein only diet that's helped you get that body! I'm beyond happy for you. So glad you're now living your best life and seeing the world! Woot! Now stay and play with all of us!

Things I needed: chapstick Toothbrush/toothpaste Hair comb/brush and scrunchie clean underwear for the trip home Phone/charger For the most part, the hospital provided everything I truly needed. I never changed out of my hospital gown. It just seemed too much of a chore to get into my PJ's with the IV. I kept those non-skid socks on that they gave you and they were fine for trips to the bathroom or the walks in the hall. BTW: do you REALLY want your personal slippers collecting who knows what from the hospital floor? Actually, they sent me home with a whole care-package: supplements, vitamins, a nice insulated bag and a cute Bari-bear. I strategically arrived at the hospital wearing what I knew I'd go home in: comfortable bra, change of underwear, stretchy/comfy pants and a loose shirt. I didn't even "make-up" to go home. Just washed my face, brushed my teeth, combed my hair.

So Being post op almost 6 years they pump you full of air so that pain will be there for a few days, walking will help with it. When you have a reversal or a revision it hurts a bit more I felt bad for a week, my wife went through the same procedure and had a ton of pain in the first 48. If you are home and cannot control call the doctor and ask, what the issue can be, I had a kink in the sleeve and it hurt big time. It may hurt now but it is so worth it. 6 years post op I am still loosing and take your vitamins when you are able too, Anemia is a horrible side effect.

I do not at all understand the shelf life on implants. I mean, what are the reasons for explanation? So, it could be capsular contraction, rupture or implant illness. Capsular contraction rates are diminishing as the cause is now thought to be known (bacteria from skin surface inside the pocket) and surgeons are mitigating that risk (insertion site, new technology etc) Rupture if a big freaking deal, especially with silicone, so it's not like that will happen to most women (or else who would get implants). And implant illness is controversial in and of itself, and not common on a % basis. I feel like it's a CYA thing, so people aren't upset if they do have to explant. But most importantly I hope you ex has forever lost the privileged to ever see your boobs again.

Goodness for as much as you've lost I'd say your skin has done quite well! Lucky you!

Lol @ sharpei. Such an accurate description of the excess skin. I'm gonna start using that to describe myself. Hahaha

I decided to show the "skin issues" that i could care less about after losing 202 pounds. This honestly doesn't bother me one bit, it's reality. As you can see my giant gut is gone and your stomach wrinkles a bit, my ribs are showing (at 175 lbs or 79 kg in the second picture) but you can still see a little man boob left.... this is reality folks. When you are 377 pounds or 171 kg this is the best i can do. I just want to help others and have no shame in my new body. I literally have no worries, I'm proud of the hard work i've done and you should be too. No surgery needed as far as i'm concerned.

Has anyone here had gastric and had lupus? I have lupus and am hoping loosing this weight will help somewhat with the pain, but mostly, i want to know how you handle flare ups of lupus activity after WLS

@sillykitty I’m pretty sure usual protocol is to keep dry up to a point in healing , it won’t hurt to moisturize surrounding areas. But Personally I’d break doctors protocol for the right kind of moisture ... So with that i have to chime in with a suggestion- ever since I got this in a sample box from a online store I loved (that went out of business thanks to Walgreens) I love the stuff. Admittedly I don’t always remember to use it. Probably the sample was best quality. what is it? Tamanu oil. It’s good for wound healing and even woks very well for acne. I mainly used it at the time for acne. Tamanu oil contains moisturizing omega fatty acids and it's well known to promote new, healthy cell growth. According to dermatologist Dr. Shari Sperling, DO, tamanu oil has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, which provide wound-healing benefits for the skin. https://www.newdirectionsaromatics.com/blog/products/all-about-tamanu-oil.html

I'm going to start my bag when I go in for my pre-op on the 17th, I need to do something with my anxious self. I think I will wear my same outfit home, bring my vaseline for my lips (sensitive skin), aromatherapy lotion (bath & body works), thicker socks, hygiene basics, charger /phone, travel blanket and pillow (personal comfort) and I'm still bringing my battery operated candle (soothing). Now if I will actually use it, who knows. I just don't like noise or bright light, especially when I'm in pain. So, I can see me listening to meditation music and turning that darn candle on to soothe my pain or cussing at my cousin's when they ask me do I want my candle on, lol.... I'm generally pretty zen and meditative when I feel stress or pain coming, something I started when my mom passed in 2013 to help me cope.

So I was banded back in 2012. I was about 420 Pre-Op. At one point, I was down to 250, but my wife said my face looked too thin. Anyway, I had plastic surgery to remove loose skin and had a complication from it leading to a MRSA infection. While recovering from it, my Bariatric Doctor took all the fluid from my band to let me heal. Afterwards, we could never dial it in quite right again. Always either too tight or too loose. Since the skin removal, I've put back on about 100 lbs. Fastforward to a few months ago. I started having weird GI issues (Diarrhea every 13 days with severe nausea). I would get very strong dry heaves (nothing coming up because of the band). I go into the Hospital a few weeks ago and a CT says my band moved. Since the heaving, I cannot sleep through the night and vomit at 3 am even if I ate little to nothing. I had a Upper GI done and the doctor said there was a much larger pouch above my band than there should be and it drains slowly (even though my band is empty completely right now). I know something wasn't right since I lost 11 lbs with my band empty because of the "Involuntary Bulimia" I had. So now I am trying to decide what to do. I have read if a lap band slips once, it is more likely to slip again. When I was having trouble getting the lap band right again after the MRSA issue, I asked about conversion to a Gastric Sleeve. My doctor said I did so well with the band before the problems, he wanted to stay with the band. I'm debating if I should just ask him to fix the band or to remove it and convert to a GS instead. I am so tired of never eating bread or other foods because they block. I would love to be able to eat anything, just be full sooner because of the GS. Any one here have advice from being in a similar situation?

Checking in 24 days post op Random thoughts Overall I feel surprisingly good most of the time. Biggest issue is continued swelling and stiffness. That looks like it will continue for the time being. The more I move the less stiff I am. But of course once I'm stiff it is hard to be motivated to move. My left breast subtlety, but not so subtlety dropped and softened a bit overnight. But now I am getting sharp pain in the bottom of my breast. Apparently normal, but it takes my breath away sometimes. Went out for NYE and felt great, even did some dancing (just call me @mousecat88 🤣). It surprised me because I was busy working and relatively immobile most of the day. I was in some pretty major discomfort from stiffness getting ready that evening. Grossness alert. My crack ooziness is starting to not smell great, it smells sour. Apparently no cause for concern, but major yuck. I ordered some silver infused gauze that will hopefully help. I hope it does because it's expensive. I am taking Advil when my stiffness is at it's worse. I know this is a no no for most WLS programs. But long ago my GI ex and I discussed it. He thought since I have no issues with stomach acid, and never have, it would be fine on occasion. I was glad to see @ms.sss also drank on NYE, I was feeling pretty guilty. I actually drank lightly 3 days straight, and then moderately on NYE. I had planned to abstain because I figured my body was already going through a lot, but I failed. Good news is, seems to have had no negative consequences. My skin near my incisions is sooo dry! I'm flaking all over all my black clothes 🤣. I haven't moisturized because I don't want to get anything on my incisions. But maybe some coconut oil might be ok? Sleeping is challenging. I have a hard time staying comfortable, so I toss and turn. I have been taking Ambien on occasion and that helps. My scabs are starting to come off. I'm excited, I think once my incision flattens out they will be very straight and thin scars. Gives me hope I can eventually get an am lift, if I don't scar terribly from my LBL. My weight is down, despite the swelling. 2 days pre op 126.4 (this is low for me), 19 days post op 126.4, 20 days post op 125.2, 24 days post op 126.4

You won't need the PJs because they'll have you wired up to a heart monitor in the pocket of your hospital gown and it's hard to navigate to change into something else with that and your IV in your arm. Chapstick is a good idea. You shouldn't need a blanket. I also brought: chapstick, cell phone with charger, toothbrush, toothpaste and body lotion (your skin dehydrates after surgery).

I agree with you, If people invest in plastics they don't want to waste the money. They are more likely to maintain. I have an issue with ALL the statics on long term success rates. My surgeons office is a gold standard of excellence, They are required to follow patient five years and report to a national data base. Per my office, many patients stop showing up for yearly check ups after two years. The statistics reported are not accurate. This includes people with skin removal.

Pressed for time, and so much to catch up on! Apologies to anyone I missed @Sophie7713 Your joy absolutely shines through. I'm so glad you have found so much happiness in this new svelte and healthy you! @GreenTealael Sunshine is your color 😂 @BayougirlMrsS I used to be envious of your boobs, till I bought my own. Now I'm coveting your cheekbones! @Healthy_life2 Sooo glam! I agree, what excess skin?? @FluffyChix Way too late to the party, but I liked the floaty shirt. I think super fitted sleek bottoms would balance out the top. Can you wear heels? That would ramp up the sexy factor as well. PSA ... Macy's is having a flash shoe sale today, some incredible deals. And it's the last day for Nordstrom's semi annual sale (I may buy some completely unnecessary Hunter rain boots, they're a classic, right??)

Random comments ... @ms.sss I'm very surprised it has taken you so long to stand up straight. I wonder if the tt tightening is compounded by the breast list? I also find the more I move the less stiff I am. But once you're stiff it's hard to get moving ... a conundrum .... @mousecat88 My belly button is still a little scabby, but seems no deeper than previous. I wouldn't expect it to be really. It's my same belly button, in the same place, just with new skin around it. @rs Glad you're not being tortured by your previous compression gear. That made me cringe just thinking about it!

<! -- Begin Random Brain Dump --> So....there was a post on another thread that brought up the existence of studies that proposed that WLS patients who have plastic surgery to remove excess skin after massive weight loss are more likely to keep the weight off further down the road than those who didn't. I remember reading something to that effect a while back, so I did a little digging, and yep, there are studies that suggest this idea. Here is is just two that were on the first page of my search results: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/10/131001104541.htm https://www.soard.org/article/S1550-7289(15)00850-3/fulltext So as I often do, I went down the research rabbit hole. I wanted see what other theories were out there that isolate certain behaviours or circumstances that increase the likelihood of long term weight control after bariatric surgery. The regular stuff that we already know came up about the positive co-relation of the following with short & long term success in weight loss: daily weighing (of body, not food, LOL) logging/tracking food intake weight training to maintain or increase lean muscle mass the above-mentioned body contouring Then there was one that sort of resonated with me, for some reason. That the likelihood of long term success is related to the amount of (or lack of) sedentary activities a person participates in. Those who spend less time watching TV, sitting at a desk, or spend time on their devices are more likely than their sedentary counterparts to keep the weight off longer term. And that this was the bigger indicator of "success" than the 4 points made above. Since the PS, I have been pretty sedentary. I looked at my steps and I averaged less than 1000 steps a day the first 10 days post op. I felt ick and lazy and tired and really just didn't want to move (mind you, I was in recovery so there's that). Then I purposefully made the effort to walk around every couple of hours and felt better. Then I started going outside for longer and longer walks and started to feel normal. After yesterday's 2+ hours outside and this morning's 1 hour (with more to come throughout the day) I feel aaaalmost awesome. The more I moved, the more I wanted to move; and on the flip side of that I realized that the more I stayed still the more I didn't want to move. Funny cuz this is probably obvious to some/most of you, but it was like a light-bulb moment for me, duh. 🙄 So moral of the story: Keep moving, people. <! -- End Random Brain Dump -->

Healthy Life 2 - Simply gorgeous! Your gown is stunning... especially with your figure + porcelain skin. Love it. Hollywood will be calling shortly. You look like a movie star! More importantly, you are a STAR! ;]