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...I'm starting to get a little nervous. I took a lot of time and weighed all my options before finally deciding to undergo the sleeve. I know this is the right choice for me. I'm not worried about the surgery. This is more about how I will deal with how quickly I will (or won't) lose the weight, how obsessed I have always been with the scale (I weigh myself no fewer than three times a day), and whether I'll be satisfied with my progress. I have every reason to believe this is the very best thing for me. And I'm excited. I just hope I don't let my head interfere. I've been quietly reading the forums for several months now. Seems like a supportive group of people, I look forward to this journey...and will look her for wisdom along the way.

I'm still waiting for approval. I've tried so many diets, it's insane, but none have been long term successful. The Scarsdale Diet, Atkins, paleo, etc, and no luck. The only time I lost weight and kept it off (for a time, anyway), was when I was taking Adderall for my ADD. When I could no longer afford the psychiatrist visits, no more prescription and my weight went from about 235 up to 299 at its highest (I'm at 283 and holding right now). Anyhow, you shouldn't have to take drugs to lose weight. That's nothing that's going to last in the long run.

People that see you everyday or often my not notice the change but those that see you occasionally will but may not say anything for fear of offending you. You can share your accomplishments by mentioning your new pant size or that you have been losing weight and that would leave them open to compliment you. I've lost quite a few pounds pre sleeve and only one person mentioned that I looked like I'm losing weight. Everyone I live with haven't said a thing.

So I have had my band in since 2011, about 6 years. Nothing is wrong with it, I had an upper GI and all was fine. I have gained all but about 20 lbs of the weight back, and I never lost as much as I wanted to from the beginning. My doctor won't give me a fill as food gets stuck all the time and he says my band is at the correct restriction. He wants to do a revision to a sleeve, but I am worried about the long term complications of having over half of my stomach cut out. I haven't heard of anyone with the sleeve for 20-30-40 years or even longer. I am 37 so I would have to live with this for a long time. I made the wrong decision before and I don't want to make it again and end up on the operating table again in 5 years. Anyone out there who has had the sleeve for a long time, or anyone who had a band to sleeve revision longer than just a few months ago?

I'm 40. Thanks for saying I look young! I feel like 40 is old, but I don't feel old. I hope my sagging tightens up too... I really don't want to have surgery for it because people say it is really painful. I started working out as soon as the doctor released me for exercise. I do the Leslie Sansone Walk Away the Pounds workout videos. I started with the 1 mile walk and it was hard to finish...now I've worked my way up to 4 miles with jogging and weights included. I exercise 4 to 5 times a week. I really think the exercise sped up my weight loss a lot. I notice that if I take a break, the loss slows down. But, sometimes we all need a break! Congrats on your loss so far!

Great job! Look at you! You dropped your weight so fast, that your skin will need a bit of time to catch up. But girl you look awesome now! Be proud

I had my surgery on January 23, 2013. Since then, I've lost 119 pounds and I have 30 to go to reach my goal. I am 5 feet tall. My highest weight was 274. My weight now is 155. Before, I wore a size 24/26 jeans, now I'm in a 13/14. I used to wear size 3X shirts and now I wear Medium. Before, I was miserable. Now I feel great! I love my sleeve. I do have a lot of saggy skin though. I'm hoping it will tighten up at some point. I do exercise a lot so I hope that helps. You can't really see the saggy skin in this pic but if you look closely at my thighs you can see it a little. You can REALLY see it from the front. I don't like it at all, but maybe someday I can get it fixed if it doesn't tighten up. My boobs are very very sad. I'm wearing a good supportive bra in this pic...but my boobs are just...bad. I'm definitely getting them fixed if at all possible! Something that I think is interesting is that in the before pic, my thigh is 2 inches bigger than my waist is in the "now" pic! Seems so unreal!

Hello, I just had my first consult with the surgeon I've chosen to due my VSG surgery. He was very encouraging and staff were very kind. I'm still a little scared to have surgery again, but I'm 38 with a 10 year old daughter and I need to set a great example for her. I've been over weight most of my life, I lost 115 lbs when I was 20 yrs old due to a eating disorder, after years of therapy I now have a handle on food for the most part. My story became crazy when I found out while pregnant that I had Thyroid disease I refused to take any medication until my daughter was born it took me six years to get pregnant and I was not taking any chances. After her birth I weighed 315 lbs and my weight loss journey started all over again. After lossing 65lbs the only way I new how not eating I've been stuck between 250-265 for 10 years. So, surviving cancer and a complete hysteratomy I'm ready to take the journey that comes with weight loss surgery. Sorry for the long post I just wanted to provide a summary of where I've been.

I had a lapband 7 years ago and only lost 38 # before having more and more problems with it. Eventually I went back and forth between bulemia/vomiting and hardly any restriction, then it leaked and became unfillable and I regained the weight. after various other trials I consulted with my surgeon dr upadyhay in oakland ca. we are going to remove the lapband and do the gastric sleeve in around a month, the date is not yet set. scared, fat, tired, gastric reflux, hoping this will have a better result.thanks. open to comments and suggestions. love sara

I'm looking forward to being banded by Dr Gazareyli @ St Joe in Pontiac in January. I'm interested in meeting with a counselor who specializes in weight issues. I'm worried about being an emotional eater. I'm determined to do everything I can to work with my band! Thanks.

Hello! I'm new to the site. I've got my band on Dec. 29th. I'm still in minor pain and wonder if its normal. I've had 2 C-sections and my gall bladder removed just a couple months before getting banded. Since my surgery I've only losed 11 lbs, is that normal? Or should I've been able to lose more than that? I've just started to do my walking but I feel like I may be able over doing it since I feel like I should of lost more weight by now.

Vain or not, it is a legitimate concern. I was worried about it too. We are close in age and my face isn't as tight as it was when there was a bunch of fat but it doesn't look saggy either and I am not too far away from goal now so I don't see it getting too much worse (due to weight loss anyway :ohmy:). Overall I look MUCH, MUCH better without the weight.

Not sure any amount of lotion is gonna make our skin(s) bounce back at this point! I was a smoker too, quit almost 2 years ago..As far as my skin goes, both of my kids weighed OVER 9 pounds, beyond stretched.Oddly enough though, I have a tiny waist, and have always had..Not sure why.I can't buy pants without them bagging in the back.Also, depends on how much weight we have all put on too, it may be way to stretched out and age has alot to do with it too, and the most important factor is heritage..I have used face creams since my early 20's so I'm not too worried about that..But I am already looking into arm lifts..When I wave(which I rarely do) they keep right on waving,lol! They actually aren't as bad as they were but still got wings..If you or anybody finds this miracle lotion, please inform me too..LOL!

All the factors are unique for you. You're right, as an ex smoker, you've done damage to your skin but you may naturally have better skin than the next person. There's just nothing but time will tell how your skin is going to react to weight loss. One thing's for sure. Nothing you put on it will stop loose skin, but there's nothing but good to come of keeping your skin in great condition.

Hi Carmen, I hope that I can provide some inspiration. I am 13 months post op - my new life (RNY) began on June 25, 2013. When I began my journey in January, 2013, I weight 331 pounds - I am only 5'2". I am 49 years old and was not able to work out. I had high blood pressure and used a C-Pap for sleep apnea. I was moving toward diabetes, but was not there yet. My joints, however, were horrible. I could not walk for more than a few minutes at a time due to knee pain. I saw a chiropractor weekly to manage my knee and back pain. Today I am at my goal weight - 127 pounds - that's 205 pounds lost!. I have a NORMAL BMI. I have never in my life woke up in the morning without the thought of how am I going to lose weight today. It is so very strange to be on maintenance! My RNY has been a nothing short of a miracle. I have tons of energy. I belong to the YMCA where I do Zumba, TurboKick, and BodyPump classes. I use the treadmill and elliptical trainer. I have absolutely no joint pain at all. My family traveled to the Black Hills of South Dakota over the Independence Day Holiday and we climbed to the top of Harney's Peak - the highest elevation East of the Rocky Mountains. I AM LIVING MY LIFE!! I am no longer watching from the sidelines as my family has fun - I am right there with them. It has taken hard work, dedication, and determination. I won't say that it was easy - and I still struggle with my relationship with food. But living life in this body is SO much better that I am determined to NEVER go back to the prison my obese body was before. If I can do this, anybody can!! Reach out for support here. There are terrific people here that helped me when I needed it. We are here for you!! Carol

I haven't posted for awhile. My VSG was performed about 5 months ago. It has been a great 5 months. The surgery is continuing to change my life. For the first 3 months of that time the weight came off pretty fast. Things have slowed significantly the past two months. I'm still losing but it's taking more effort now. I think a big reason for the slow down is I have been busy at work and haven't been able to find the time to exercise regularly like I was before. That seems to be a big factor with or without surgery - becoming more active. This week I recommitted and exercised 5 times and the weight came off. I lost 3 more pounds and am now at my lowest yet - 70 lbs down. Last week I had to punch another hole in my belt. That's the third hole since I in-grew (the opposite of out-grew) this belt :tongue_smilie:. I have gone from a 48 to a 36 waist. 12 inches. Wow! I'm about ready to go back to Am-Vets and get some smaller clothes. We have a good one by our house that seems to have decent clothes and I have been trying to spend less on clothes until I get down to my ideal weight. My goal is to reach that by the end of the year. Then I will go for the good stuff. I guess that's what some of our tax refund is going for this year:biggrin0:. It's not just about the clothes, though. It's about the quality of life. I'm sleeping better. I'm still using a C-Pap machine, but I wake up in the morning and feel well rested. I've even been waking up earlier, without effort. I've been happier and more pleasant to be around. Just ask my wife. I am out there with my kids and have more energy to spend with them. I can do a whole day of yard work now (as opposed to 1 or 2 hours before I would die) without being exhausted or my back going out. Working out in the yard is now one of my favorite things to do. According to my doctor, getting healthy could increase my life expectency by 15 years! If those 15 years will be anything like the last couple of months have been, the VSG could very well be the best decision I have ever made (except for marrying my wife. She's a peach.) If you are considering having a VSG, do it!:thumbup: If you want to change your life and realize your full potential, do it!:thumbup: If you want to be there for your loved ones now and in the future, do it!:thumbup: I can only say good things about my experience. Reading all the successes and advice from this web site has been a real boost. Thank you all for your stories. Dan S VSG - 3/15/10 Highest Weight - 284 Current Weight - 214 Goal - 180 34 Pounds to go! Who knows, maybe I'll have to adjust my goal to 170.

Congrats on the weight loss and thank you for sharing. :tongue_smilie: Deb

Treadmill, elliptical and, bike I was cleared in the first week. Stuff like weights, jogging, zumba, or any kind of p90x type crap was after 6 weeks. But I am sure your dr is different than mine. I would call and ask Monday to see what he says.

I've lost 45 pounds so far. My goal is to lose 115. I am 40 years old. Before surgery, I didn't have any wrinkles or saggy skin -- not even around my eyes. I am about 9 weeks out from surgery. I now have wrinkles around my eye when I smile. This is especially right under my eyes and the outer edge. My eyes are in more than they used to be. My belly looks very wrinkly/saggy right now. Some of this is due to four pregnancies but is just more visible since I lost weight. I was surprised that my upper arms are already showing a little bit of bat wing. When I started, my arms were 14 inches around. I've lost about an inch and a half in each, so it isn't really that much. But there is flabby skin under there now, and I am hoping it doesn't get any worse. I started lifting weights including exercises that specifically target the back of my upper arms. I am also working on strengthening my core. As for my eyes, I can't do a lot about them. I'm not upset about it. I remember hearing when I was younger that wrinkles show that you had a life that gave you a reason to smile often. Before my surgery, I did sometimes wondered if I hadn't smiled enough although I have a life that should have merited it and now I have the wrinkles to prove it. I should say, I don't think the wrinkles make me look older. I think the weight I've lost in my face actually makes me look younger. Just today someone mentioned she couldn't believe I'm old enough to have a 17-year-old daughter. She thought I was in my late 20s or early 30s.

I'm having my surgery Sept. 9 so I'm in the thick of this "who to tell" 'what to tell". Very relevant for me. I've been vacillating for weeks about what to say. In the end I've chosen to be forward to be upfront with everyone except my 91 yo mother. She has some dementia issues and is having a very difficult time with fixating on my daughters health problems now (high risk pregnancy hospitalization). She has caused me so much stress with her multiple phone calls and questions that I just can't go down this road with her. I will tell her my weight loss is tied to my gall bladder surgery, she had her gall bladder out so she is accepting of that. The thing that really ticks me off about the entire thing is WHY do I have to ask myself these questions about who would be accepting and who would not. I'm so tired of my weight being the topic of conversation for people. I'm sure the haters will all whisper "she had to have surgery, she has no control"

I've always managed to get to, or close to, the 60gr my program recommends. To go over by that much is a first. I'm going to try to keep it up. Maybe it'll help me keep up my steady weight loss through the winter. I would love to see a single digit size by the time it gets warm again. :-)

I'm heading in for appointment number 1 today. I've got my binder all ready to go. They are going to think I'm a nut. It has the notes I took during my information session via webinar; a calendar for the several date options I would like to consider based on my teaching schedule (April, May, July); my documentation proof of 6 months of supervised diets as required by my insurance; copies of recent blood work and EKGs from my recent gallbladder surgery; pages of stuff I've found on this site and most importantly my list of questions for today. I've been thinking about WLS since 2004 when my then 60 year old mother had her bypass. I was heavy, but not heavy enough. I can remember joking with my PCP about being more than capable of gaining a few more pounds to qualify. But at the time I was working for United Airlines and our insurance policy specifically excluded all kinds of WLS. So I never actually thought I would be walking into a surgeon's office for this discussion. I retired from United and gained 35 pounds over the 10 years- neither of which I thought would happen. I'm a life long dieter. Diet pills in high school when I weighed 140lbs; Weight Watchers in college dropping from 160 to 140; Jenny Craig, many attempts at WW, South Beach, Atkins and most recently Ideal Protein. I even took Redux in the FenFen era. I have really good BCBS insurance now. Unfortunately I pay a fortune for it because my husband lost his job and we pay cobra. But since the payment is as big as the mortgage, I figured I should take advantage of it while I have it. The requirements for approval are surprisingly few- Be 18, have a BMI of 40 or 35 with co-morbid conditions; complete a psychological examination and participate in either a 6 month structured diet program or 2 three month consecutive programs. I'm 48. My BMI is 42. I did WW for 7 months in 2013 and Ideal Protein via my cardiologist for 9 weeks. I take BP medicine, a low dose aspirin, and a nitrate to reduce chest pains caused by a totally blocked small artery in my heart. So with the exception of the pysch eval- I'm already done with my requirements. It was a comment during a snow storm this winter that was really my light bulb moment. My 17 year old and husband headed out to sled one day and my daughter made a comment that broke my heart- She said "Mom, have you ever gone sledding with us? I can't remember even one time" OUCH! The truth hurts. I haven't done anything with my kids over the last 10 years and now they are all grown up. (17 & 20) I don't think my daughter ever understood because she was very heavy but never slowed down. I think she just thought I didn't want to do anything with them. Breaks my heart and I need to change that by being active with them moving forward. I want the 4 of us to do a Mud run kind of thing or ride the roller coasters at Cedar Point with them. (side note: my daughter stayed on WW and lost 65lbs in 2013 unlike the hubby and I who weigh more now) I have enjoyed lurking on these boards for the past view weeks and look forward to taking the plunge with all of you. Happy Friday!!! Amy

Well it's been 3 months since my surgery. A lot has changed obviously. The sleeve is a great tool, it's worked wonders for me so far. It's allowed me to make clear decisions about my health and diet choices. I'm working out around 4-5 times a week (30min weight lifting and 20min of cardio). I feel like my mental state is returning to normal. Those first few weeks of caloric deficit really alter your mental state. I've had some ups and downs. I lost my brother I was close to on December 5th. He had diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, etc. I was following his path in life. He was so proud of me for getting the surgery. He said I hope I can get it one day too. He died of a heart attack at the young age of 49. If I had not of had the surgery before they I would been in a completely different state now. I made it through the holidays. It was different not gorging on food,but honestly it felt so much better this way. I have clarity now I didn't have before. I enjoyed family more without focusing on food. Overall at work my mind is clearer and sharper. Just this week I returned to joking nature. I'm down about 70lbs. I would like to lose another 60. I start p90x next week and am looking forward to that. I tried to focus more on building muscle and not just losing weight. I feel so much better. See yall in 3 more months!

went to weight loss doctor today and gain 2 pounds. I watch everything I eat any help I would be appreciated.

My first two weeks, I lost and then gained half of it back when I started mushies/softs.. I talked to my Dr and he gave me a fill early. (Early as in my 2 wk appt)