Hey guys I saw a thread from 2011 that I wanted to continue. I love all of my vsgers but as we know african american women tend to carry weight differently. I would love to follow you ladies on your journey and for us all to support each other.

I was sleeved on September 5th so I'm a week out. I'm doing good so far and feeling better everyday. I stayed at the hospital 3 days mostly because they discovered my allergy to morphine while I was on the pump with a fever and my entire body on fire. But I'm home now and much better. I was just moved to the full liquids stage so I'm pretty happy considering that the liquids stage made me nauseous. I've lost 24 lbs since my surgery so any pain I have is over shadowed by my joy.

Looking forward to hearing from you ladies and seeing some progress pics!

Don't feed the trolls!

Hey all! Checking in. How's the weight loss going? I'm having a weird issue because I gain muscle so fast the scale has been playing tricks on me. My legs are becoming super define (win) but the scale has me at the exact same weight though my dress size has changed. ☹️

It's been about 14 months since surgery for me. I've lost 65lbs, and went from a size 26 to a 14.

How's everyone else doing?

*note I've been stalled since December.

Keep doing what you were doing in the beginning. The scale is a checking point if you are loving what you see don't let the scale mess with ur mind.

Sleeved Mid Nov and thus far its been 106 lbs loss... My short term goal is to loose at least another 30 lbs or so by mid July so my FB b-day picture can be as diff as night &day from last year... Long term? Yo, I can't think straight after 1-der-Land. I haven't seen 1-der-Land since Middle school & I'm dang near 40yrs old! Can't wait!

I'm one month out tommorow and have lost 27 pds, went through a three week stall but hopefully I break it soon! 9 more pds and I will too be in 1-Derlandd

5 hours ago, Afrikanaaa said:

Hey all! Checking in. How's the weight loss going? I'm having a weird issue because I gain muscle so fast the scale has been playing tricks on me. My legs are becoming super define (win) but the scale has me at the exact same weight though my dress size has changed. ☹️

It's been about 14 months since surgery for me. I've lost 65lbs, and went from a size 26 to a 14.

How's everyone else doing?

Don't use the scale as your only source of measuring. As you've said you have gone from a 26 to a 14 (12 inches btw) and you have more definition in your legs and soon the rest of your body. As long as you are feeling great and keep doing what you're doing you'll get to that goal, and be fit and healthy along the way.

I think keeping track of your body fat percentage and lean mass is the best marker of progress. Which is why I like DEXA scans so much.

I'm doing great. I have been struggling during Lent since I have up meat. Protein bars have made sick a few times. I am so excited for Easter! Back to all the meats. It has been a great learning experience and I have learned that the way I eat normally really works for me and I can never go Vegan or vegetarian like I had been considering. Too hard to eat right even with seafood included, no meat at all would be impossible. Oh well.

Culturally it is interesting to see how people react to me being so small now. I'm heavy in weight at 188 ish but I wear size 8s and 10, a 9 in juniors. So that is pretty small for a Black woman my age. My RNY associate has commented she would never want to be this small it isn't her ideal, lol, but when she first had surgery all she talked about was onederland then she got a man at 250 pounds and decided that was enough weight lost. Now she is back around 300 and borderline diabetic again. A good lesson about losing as much as you can for health and not just losing enough to meet a physical ideal. I liked being curvier, but I enjoy being healthy.

Just a few more pounds and I will have lost more than I weigh!

Happy to see there's a thread for African American VSGers, as I've got questions about hair loss and incision healing and scarring!!

7 minutes ago, GMen88 said:

Happy to see there's a thread for African American VSGers, as I've got questions about hair loss and incision healing and scarring!!

As a male, I experienced a lot of hair growth. Especially body hair growth, but that is more than likely due to the increased levels of testosterone release within my body's fat cells due to the rapid amount of weight loss I was going through. I heard that its quite different for women though than it is men when it comes to the hair question.

As for my incisions, they've healed up quite nicely. I had 4 incisions with my surgery and I can really only see too of them. They are way smaller than what they use to look like. But I think a lot of that was due to the increase amount of vitamins I've been taking along with a hair/skin/nail vitamin I was taking from Walmart of all places.

As a male, I experienced a lot of hair growth. Especially body hair growth, but that is more than likely due to the increased levels of testosterone release within my body's fat cells due to the rapid amount of weight loss I was going through. I heard that its quite different for women though than it is men when it comes to the hair question.

As for my incisions, they've healed up quite nicely. I had 4 incisions with my surgery and I can really only see too of them. They are way smaller than what they use to look like. But I think a lot of that was due to the increase amount of Vitamins I've been taking along with a hair/skin/nail Vitamin I was taking from Walmart of all places.

Thanks for that info!! I'll be two weeks post op tomorrow and while I'm a ways from completely healing, I was curious about how my incisions will heal. I have 5 and they are all pretty small besides the one in/above my belly button. There's still glue on my incisions but as soon as that falls off, I plan to use vitamin E oil on them. In terms of my hair, I'm natural and have ALOT of curly, thick hair. I'm pretty afraid of all of the talk I hear about losing hair but I'm hoping if I keep up with my water, protein and vitamins, I won't have to deal with that particular side effect. Thanks, again!

Thanks for the encouragement everyone! In it to win it. My goal clothing size is an 8/10 so I'm getting there. [emoji1491][emoji1431]

Will definitely look into the DEXA scan.

Thanks for that info!! I'll be two weeks post op tomorrow and while I'm a ways from completely healing, I was curious about how my incisions will heal. I have 5 and they are all pretty small besides the one in/above my belly button. There's still glue on my incisions but as soon as that falls off, I plan to use vitamin E oil on them. In terms of my hair, I'm natural and have ALOT of curly, thick hair. I'm pretty afraid of all of the talk I hear about losing hair but I'm hoping if I keep up with my water, protein and vitamins, I won't have to deal with that particular side effect. Thanks, again!

I have 5 incisions too, but at 14 months out only 3 are visible. My suggestion is to avoid getting sun on your scars and rub them for like 10 minutes a night to avoid Keloids. I don't typically keloid but my surgeon saw me a week post op and gave me that advice.

Also. I lost my edges around 4 months. The nape of my head slowly but surely thinned A LOT. And it was weird because at first I thought I was fine but then the front part of my head was super thin. I am really self-conscious about my hair so I wound up doing protective cornrows, putting a wig grip around my head and wearing wigs a while. Around the 10 month mark I started wearing my box braids / weaves again.

Love wig grip!

My hair thinned out for a long time. Now it's growing like fire. I have found I like wigs more than weave. Easier to be active with wigs you can just take them off, workout and put them back on

From my workout yesterday. Yesterday was cardio and back day with the weights. Those last 20lbs are very very stubborn as far as going away. My tracker says that 11lbs away from goal, but its more like 20 to 22lbs actually.

Edited April 18, 20179 yr by BigTink2LilTink