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I had a friend who had the gastric 3 1/2 years ago lost weight very fast, skin hanging dramatically, well the interesting thing is her "new" stomach has stretched out and her doctor is recommending the lap band on her new stomach. So she went through this major surgery 3 1/2 years ago and practically died and now they want to do the more sensible choice on her. Interesting!! Linda51

Ok, i am only 2.5 weeks out and i rarely feel full! This is scary to me! What the heck? I ate 2 oz of chicken and 2 oz of cheese for lunch today and maybe, kind of sorta felt full. Has anyone else experienced this? Does this mean im going to be eating too much in the very near future and not loose the weight after all this?

My boyfriend was denied care credit. anyone have any other resources, or information? He does not have insurance at this time due to being laid off. He needs help loosing weight to get into the police academy. Thanks

With the gastric bypass procedure, there are also other problems. For instance, "dumping syndrome" which is violent vomiting. It often comes after eating anything with sugar in it. My daughter had the gastric bypass surgery and I had lapband. She still, after 6 years, has dumping if she eats more than a bite or two of anything with sugar in it. Gastric bypass surgery is also "malabsorptive". Which means that because of the surgery you don't absorb all the nutrients that you need. So you have to take vitamins to make up for this. There is also that whole thing of bypassing part of your stomach and re-routing your intestines. It is a much longer period of recuperation. And of course, because of the faster weight loss, you have all of that loose skin to deal with. It is also non-reversible. So even though my daughter is one of the success stories, having lost "a whole person" and kept the weight off for 6 years and counting, I am very satisfied with my own decision to have lap band surgery instead. Even though I am fairly new along the way, I have lost 25 lbs in a month and a half, and still going strong. Just my humble opinion.. But you are very smart to investigate all of the angles before you make a final decision.

I did find a study for vit. B-12. They said it isn't well absorbed through today's patches, but they used some micro needles to put the tiniest of holes into the skin, and that allowed the B-12 to get absorbed. So unless they start using micro needles, patches aren't the best way to receive B-12.

Those last 4 lbs lost to reach the 100 lbs lost mark seemed like it took forever. It has been less than 7 months since my surgery and now I am only 16 lbs from my goal weight. It actually seems attainable now that I am that close. When I started this journey 100 LBS seemed like a dream but it is now history. Like I mentioned in my blog, I had increased my calorie intake for my strength training. It helped in my exercise and I continued to lose inches but it had slowed my weight loss. Since the weight loss was still my main priority until I reach my goal, I have decreased my calories and carbs back down to 900/80 a day and that got the scale moving again. I am going to increase my cardio, slow my strength training a bit and see how that goes for the last 16 lbs. For those of you reading the forums that have to lose 100 lbs or more, it can be done and you can do it. I used the sleeve as my tool, changed my diet and worked out like a mad man at the gym. The sleeve is not a magic wand, especially if you have this much weight to lose, the restriction has been the key for me. I look back over this 100lbs lost and I have no doubt I could of lost more in probably less time but I felt the strength training and muscle building was worth the trade off of the speed of the weight loss. I have very little lose skin after losing 100lbs and I think that has a lot to do with replacing it with muscle. Losing the 100lbs is a big deal for me but not as much as reaching my goal, that last 16 lbs is going to be a real motivator.

even if you aren't loosing weight that doesn't mean that you aren't shrinking.... especially if your exercising!

well everybody is different. I hit a stall at about 8 Weeks post op and lasted about 3 Weeks. then it picked up slowly, and now I'm 14 Weeks out. this week I lost 7 lbs. last week I lost 4 lbs. hopefully it continues. just remember that no two people loose exactly the same. it depends on your starting weight, and whether or not you are following the nutrition plan. Sweet

Having a small A/c company and going to repeat customers houses to do annual services and them meeting me at the door and looking past me and saying 'Where's the other half of you" Ahhhhhhh yes. Up on the roof and seeing my shadow from the sun and noticing that there is less of me.lol. Buying 36"waist pants in stead of 44" and they fit a little loose. Oh yes. Off all my meds. OK I better stop befor it gets too long. There are so many pluses it was well worth it. If you are just out of your surgery hang in there and be patient with your weight loss and don't get discouraged, everyone is different and you will find what works for you and what dosen't. I've been told all my life that a slow weight loss is better in the long run anyway.

Awwwwwwwwww Carol, my love, yes it's a phase. You've hit that stage where you're eating more, a sense of normalcy has set in, and you're just kind of living life. You're eating, and drinking, being active. My very first thought is just how many calories are you taking in? With your activity level, and you burning fat, building muscle, you very well could be hungry? Your body may need more fuel. I experienced something similar when John first came home. My stress level decreased, we started going out again, we started just kind of living. I found myself kind of snacking, and eating a few bites of this or that especially off his yummy plate. So, my dearest Carol, how many calories are you getting in? What are you eating? Are you tracking? Are ya mindlessly snacking (ya know those 4-5 pita chips always got me)? The one thing I did was throw myself into cooking, and finding new interesting, flavorful, and completely crazy recipes. I started cooking stuff I would have never even thought of attempting. Grant it, I'm no chef, but some of the stuff I started churning out was pretty fabulous. That was my distraction. I started tweeking recipes so they were a healthier, higher Protein meal for all of us. I think seeing the husband and kiddo gobble up the yumminess, and hearing all the "kudos" for a great meal made me feel better. I was able to eat what they were, and not feel guilty. I also started being social with the circle of women I met through the spouse's club and bowling. We started going out to lunch 2-3 times a week, and Breakfast on Fridays. Even though they all knew that I had surgery, and never talked about my tiny portions, I was pretty dead set on eating like they did. Sadly, it was pretty much impossible. So, I did get a little obsessive about eating out, and making it look like I was as "normal" as possible. That's kind of what led to the massive gallbladder attack. I thought after a fine dinner at the tapas restaurant that I would be brave and share a creme brulee dessert with one of the girls. Yeah, NOT a good idea, but I was hellbent on eating it. I ate 2oz, and I paid for it dearly within an hour. On top of all the rich, yummy tapas portions of lamb pizza, chicken satay with peanut ginger sauce, fried potato skins with ranch, lobster with a heavy marsala sauce, I was not going to pass up the fricken creme brulee. I kind of snapped out of it after the gallbladder surgery. I had to focus on keeping things low fat because anything full fat made me sick. I had to get back on track, and stop all the junk. Well, I did for a bit, and still try to make the best choices, but I'm grazing to maintain. For me, I had to redirect the thoughts of wanting to eat more, or have a little snack here and there. I didn't want to deprive myself, but I didn't want to stop losing. I refused to keep all of the Snacks out of the house because it wasn't my husband or son's decision to have WLS. It was mine, and it's my battle to win. I had to go with the healthy options. I stockpile "mommy's snacks", and no one eats my stuff. That's the only way I can keep myself in check. Grant it, I have my days, Carol, we all do. But, it does get better.

I get excited when I can do air squats and lunges without turning red. Also when my 34 jeans fit comfortably, almost loose.

Thanks everyone! I can definitely feel the running today but am going to follow the C25K instructions and do the one day on one day off routine. I do plan to continue to do my 45 mins of toning exercises in the pool every night as I am bond and determined to do everything I can to fight a good fight against saggy skin and bat wings! I would love to hear how others are doing with C25K - maybe we should keep this thread going to post our successes - and any "failures" though I don't like that word!

I am still pretty nervous about the whole thing in general. I am a nurse, so a little knowledge is a dangerous thing. Surgery always seemed like such a sell out for me, personally. My sister had gastric bypass and looks horrendous. Hair loss, skin sagging and generally unhealthy. On the flipside, my sister in law had the LB and looks phenomenal. I don't even know if my insurance will pay for this procedure, so that is another subject. The one thing that seems to bother me is the lump that you can feel just under the skin (the port?). My sister in law let me feel it, and I have to admit, it creeps me out a bit. I would be excited to put weight gain behind me once and for all. I am so frustrated with yo yo dieting, and all the strenuous psychological and physical work that I have put in over the years.

At discharge my surgeons explained to me what happened.....here is the whole story. On Wednesday night I got home from a late class. I was starving. So I decided to have a couple tablespoons of tuna. I usually never eat past 5....it was 9. Within a few minutes I threw it up and could tell instantly that it was a diffrent kind of "stuck vomiting". Then the intense pain started. The vomiting never stopped. Within a couple hours my husband took me to the emergency room because the vomit started showing up with blood. When I got the the local emergency room they did a complete unfill. They said that should do the trick sent me home after an IV with morophine. Couldn't sleep at all. By the next day I got scared cause the vomiting never stopped and the blood was getting heavier. Thursday morning felt even worse and decided to call my surgeon. He said it sounded as though something was not right with the band and that I should head back to the ER and then to him the next day. My surgeon is almost 4 hours away. So I called my family doctor and she sent me straight to the ER. Again after 3 x-rays and more morophine, everything looks great!! Maybe had a touch of a virus. Still continueing to vomit blood, they sent me home. That night the vomiting got worse and I couldn't straighten up. My husband and I headed up to my surgeons hospital. Within 10 minutes of my arrival.....after examining the x-ray. They placed my IV, gave me morophine, called my surgeon and had me preping for surgery. At discharge, he explained to me that sometimes people who are overweight have a lot of fat around their stomach and it gets into the banded area....there isn't anyway to go around it. As you drop the weight....fat goes away from all parts of your body. Number one.....got a loose band. There is no way to know that. They showed me the x-ray, the band had slipped almost all the way down my stomach and then from all the vomiting, my stomach folded over itself. NICE!!!. They could see it in the x-ray from the other hospital!!! So the surgery took a little longer, I am way more bruised, but am still banded. He made a new canal for it to sit in and said there was NO fat around it and the chance of it slipping again is less then 0.03%. Not unheard of, but chances are that it won't do it again. So back to square one.....Liquid diet for a week, then mushies for another then up to him for a fill under x-ray in a month. So that was it in a nutshell. He did write a nasty letter to the head of the hospital here where we live. My husband is planning on delivering it in person along with how he feels....:thumbup:. When I woke up from the general, I could instantly feel the diffrence and have required no additional pain meds since.....I love, love my surgeon and my band

We ALL felt all those mixed emotions at the start of our journeys,, too. ALL of them! The great thing in all of this is that FIRST STEP. It took me a year to decide to go for it. I took another 2 months to get my insurance company to ADMIT they would cover me (they tried so hard to keep it a secret from the employees where I work)! And, another 6 months (insurance requirements) before it was finally approved. When they wheeled my gurney into the Operating Room with the silly paper hat on my head, I felt ZERO fear, anxiety, trepidation... I made a fist in the air, and yelled out, "YES," as I pulled my fist down to my chest, as a celebratory cheer that broke everyone in the OR out in laughter. I was FINALLY in the room I worked SO HARD to get in! When we make the decision to alter our bodies and our way of nourishing ourselves for the rest of our lives, we usually make peace with it all by the time the Surgery Date arrives. Just make sure you do that. Once you are totally on board, DON'T second-guess yourself and never look back. That is a life in your past. Look forward to your new life! Ever dream about what you would do with all that money if you won the lottery? The sleeve is your health lottery! Start dreaming about what you would do if .... The bikini.... The skin toning.... The ENERGY! The complimentary smiles and comments from strangers. One by one, the medications go away! A new wardrobe... A new hairstyle.... SHOES!!! Being able to sit comfortably in an airline seat. The list goes on and on! Start DREAMING NOW, because everything you really want out of this can and will happen if you strengthen your resolve. You can do this! How do I know that? Look around you here. Everyone is doing it! If they can, WE CAN, TOO!

I do alot of walking and weight lifting. maybe over time it will get better. Im good either way. I didnt have this surgery to look "hot", I was 330 lbs and dying. as long as im healthy I will deal with saggy skin.

Hi All, I'm 5 weeks post sleeve and am using ScarGuard daily to try and fade & smooth out these 5 scars as soon as possible. I'm wondering what other people are using for their scars. Also, can you post how far you are out from surgery and how your scars are looking? FYI, I am a natural redhead and very fair-skinned. People with a fairer skin tone tend to wind up with less visible scars in the long run from what I understand.

Thought some of you might find this interesting... 5 Ways Vitamin D Could Save Your Life 'GMA' Medical Contributor Marie Savard Explains the Best Ways to Get Vitamin D By RAQUEL HECKER Aug. 3, 2009 — Vitamin D is known as the sunshine vitamin, and it has a lot of sunny benefits, but most Americans aren't getting them because they aren't getting enough of it. Between 50 percent and 75 percent of Americans get suboptimal levels of vitamin D, according to a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine. Now a committee at the Institute of Medicine is meeting to determine whether the recommended daily intake of vitamin D should be increased. ABC medical contributor Dr. Marie Savard came on "Good Morning America" today to offer five ways vitamin D can aid your health and tell you how to get more of it. Why People Are Vitamin D Deficient Nature gave us only one good source of vitamin D, and that is the sun. We are meant to absorb vitamin D from the sun through our skin. When we lived closer to the equator and worked outdoors, we were OK. But that is not the case today. And food is not a good source of vitamin D, not even fortified food. Five Ways Vitamin D Can Save Your Life Promotes Weight Loss - You need vitamin D to effectively lose weight. Your insulin works better, and vitamin D helps you lose belly fat. Diabetes is also related to low vitamin D levels. Reduces Risk of Death - Your overall mortality is reduced. Fewer Bone Fractures - Without vitamin D, Calcium can't be absorbed. But if you get enough vitamin D, it can help you avoid osteoporosis, bone fractures and falling, which is a cause of morbidity among the elderly. Reduces Risk of Heart Disease - Vitamin D improves blood flow by relaxing the blood vessels and lowering blood pressure. Helps Fight Cancer - Vitamin D improves the functioning of your immune system, and that helps fight cancer. Five Ways to Get Vitamin D 15 Minutes of Sun 3 Times Per Week - You can get 10-15 minutes of high-noon sun exposure in warmer climates a few times a week. In the South you can do this all year long; but in the North it will work only in the summer months. But this is unrealistic for those who already wear sunscreen all day, or have been warned to stay out of the sun by their doctors. Fatty Fish and Cod Liver Oil - If you are one of those people who have been warned to stay out of the sun, another good natural source of vitamin D is fatty fish. In food, vitamin D is naturally found in fatty fish like salmon and in cod liver oil. Fortified Dairy Products - You also can get vitamin D in fortified dairy products. But you need to be careful. There are only 100 units of vitamin D per cup, so kids and most adults would need at least four cups of dairy products per day. You could drink four glasses of milk a day, but most people choose not to. Multivitamin supplements - Most Multivitamins have a substantial amount of vitamin D. Vitamin D Supplements - I recommend 1000 to 2000 international units of vitamin D supplements every day. It's cheap, there are no side effects or down sides. Although D3 is considered more potent and longer lasting, both D2 and D3 are acceptable. Copyright © 2009 ABC News Internet Ventures

Fluids and hitting that protein goal. I have lost slowly also but at least we are loosing.

From the other side of the coin, I had a hard time adjusting to the new/different dynamic between me and one of my college friends when she lost over 100lbs. I was chunky but she was always very very heavy and I was used to that. It's terrible to say but she was one of my only friends I could go out with and be the 'skinnier' one. Now I kept this internal struggle in and didn't let her become aware of it as I knew it was caused by my own insecurities. I continued to applaud her hard work and she recently had skin surgery and is a body pump instructor. I am very happy for her and we are good friends to this day but it did take some time for me to adjust to the new her.

If its hot, you loose water, not retain it which is why people get dehydrated in hot and humid temps. It is normal to gain some, then drop even more in another week or two. I went from 193 to 190 to 194 to 193 to 188 back to 191 and this morning am 190 and have been stuck for weeks now!

I started loosing a bunch of hair about 5-6 months post-op. I went to the dermatologist, he assured me I wasn't going bald. He said the body goes into a kind of shock after rapid weight loss. The hairloss stopped about 3 months later. I didn't use biotin or anything else, just waited it out. Try not to worry!

I'm worried about loose skin as well. I was wondering if people wear shapewear? Does it become part of your daily wardrobe?

Well, as I discussed in my blog about my 6th 7th fill my doc said that he felt I was ready for tummy tuck. As you may recall I was shocked. At the time I was 307lbs. I am 293 2 weeks later and still what I feel is way to heavy for an adominoplasty. But I went to the consultation and my doc said that I'm an ideal candidate. He said I would be a bit happier with the results if I lost another 20 lbs of so but that either way I would be very happy. He is going to start the process of gathering all the paperwork for insurance approval which he beleives will cover it. My doc said that insurance covers panniculectomy and not abdominoplasty - he says he does not do just a panniculectomy he always does an abdominoplasty because its about the looks for him and he wouldn't do that to a patient. He will bill for a panniculectomy and do an abdominoplasty. He said the surgery should take out about 10 -15 lbs worth of skin and fat! Yay! I expressed to him my concern about scarring ( I keloid) - he said that he will put quite a bit of focus on making sure the skin heals properly and though he can not guarantee that it will not scar he will take great efforts including special cortizone tape and different creams that he feels will substantially control the scarring. So I'm a happy camper. He said we're gonna shoot for about 3-4 months from now because I have different business trips I need to take in April and May so we're gonna go for late May, early June! I hope late MAY! That will give me 3-4 months to lose about 20 lbs. In 3 months I hope to be able to lose closer to 30 or even 40. Every little bit helps. We'll get together and set the date in about a month! I'm excited and keep trying to imagine my body without this pannus! I need to start saving up now - the insurance won't cover the whole new wardrobe I'll need! :thumbup::rolleyes2:

Constant rash and odor from sweat in skin folds.