teachren

You don't want to turn back...trust me! :-) You'll have some challenges but it's well worth it. Best of luck for surgery!

Thanks ladies for the reply and personal experiences! :-) I do figure the weight loss has a lot to do with it but maybe I'm going to go early. Ugh...I don't mind but sheesh...all the pms symptoms and they just keep hanging on. This is getting in the way of the last few pounds I want to will off my body! I better go see my…

Congrats on breaking your record! That is an awesome feeling for sure. Get ready to keep breaking it! :-)

Oh ya...Zumba is a pretty fun way to get back into exercise. I was doing that for a while back in the Fall. It's quite a good cardio workout. I tend to go to muscle and cardio mixed classes now as I am trying more to tone up than lose weight at this point. Just doing as much as I can to slow down the sagging skin...ya…

I just saw your greek yogurt question for Dan but thought I would chime in. To keep out the sugars you have to go with a yogurt that is plain and then flavour it yourself if you don't want the extra sugar. Oikos plain 0% if you're worried about fat or 2% (which is much better and what I use) doesn't have the added sugars.…

If you go hard right from the get go you can totally acheive the weight loss you want. It takes dedication but it is so doable. I honestly don't think that my journey has been "hard"...there have been moments where the weight doens't come off despite my compliance and exercise but then there are moments when you drop 5-7…

Yup..I still count carbs. I still try to stay under 40 g of carbs. That being said I have the odd day when I creep up (like Easter weekend!) and I don't sweat it. I find that around my cycle I totally crave more carbs and that is usually when I screw it up. I honestly still think that staying low carb is what has made this…

Welcome Latina, I saw your post this morning but didn't have time to respond. I figured someone may have posted by now that has experience with a vegan lifestyle but no such luck for you so I guess you are stuck with me! :-) I am not a vegan, but I do know a little of what that lifestyle requires and I certainly know a lot…

Welcome to the VSG board. :-) I am just about 1 year out (in 3 more weeks) so you're about 6 months ahead of me. I weigh myself every day to keep myself on track. I log my food on MFP and my exercise. I find it is the only way to keep myself motivated and committed to the last leg of my journey. I met my original goal of…

Congrats on being sleeved. I hope you manage to avoid the nausea. I didn't have any so I guess I was lucky. Advice? Well, get walking as early as you can to eliminate the gas from surgery is the best advice I got. Well...that and keep your water up. If you follow your surgeon's plan and give this thing a real shot right…

I swear by Syntrax Nectar. Vanilla Bean Torte is my favourite mixed with ice and unsweetened vanilla almond milk but I like Roadside Lemonade as welll. If you don't want to have sweetners you should try About Time brand of protein powders. They are sweetened with all natural Stevia. They don't taste as great as Syntrax but…

Hmm..I use Nectar Roadside Lemonade and don't find that it chunks at all. I put it in a glass with water from the tap and stir it with a spoon. Then I add the ice to chill it down. Perhaps the water from the dispenser is too cold? I do not like to shake them as I don't enjoy the foam. I find when I stir it I don't have any…

Losing_Sarah, With all due respect, I don't think anyone on this thread suggested Biotin would STOP hairloss thus I don't think anyone is spreading misinformation. Biotin helps with hair and nail strength. Many people take it that have not had WLS. If someone is seriously concerned about hairloss they will have likely…

My story is the same as most of the others posted. I take 5000 mcg of Biotin and have since the beginning. I use Organix Thick and Full Biotin and Collagen shampoo every day. I was totally a freak about keeping my protein over 70 but I couldn't avoid the large clumps in my hands every moring when I washed my hair or in my…

Wow..I see your need for the antioxidants totally. Sorry that you are having to deal with cancer but I really commend you for looking into every alternative for help. I agree with Dale that I would check into it with your bariatric surgeon. I'd make sure I had a great surgeon as best you can! :-) I would think the veggies…

You are losing it "on your own" when you undergo VSG. You are in control of what goes in your mouth, you are in control of how much water you drink, and you decide how much you move. The fact you have a smaller stomach makes the journey quicker than losing without the sleeve and increases your odds of remaining successful…

I would totally agree that juicing is not very VSG friendly. I rarely eat fruit now and I am 11 months out next week. When I do have fruit it is a small portion of low glycemic fruit such as raspberries, blueberries or strawberries. By small, early on meant adding a couple frozen pieces to a greek yogurt protein shake and…

Congratulations! You've had great success thus far and I'm certain will keep rolling along! Be proud of yourself :-)

I have never taken milk of magnesia but a lot of people on the OH VSG board talk about it. Many people take Colace as well. I personally haven't. You kinda have to find what works for you. I wish I was lucky and coffee did it like it used to but no luck. I suck back 2 coffees a day usually. Not huge ones...just a cup with…

Yup...it is my "new normal" :-) Not a fun one...but it happens nevertheless. Early on you are not eating much of anything so it makes sense that our notion of being regular changes. You can take a stool softner which is what I did early out. I used Senokot once or twice a week not every day. Check in your package from the…

For sure! I am not a cyclist (not yet anyway) but there is a guy on Obesity Help that goes by the nick Jujub. He is an avid cyclist and is doing some across america trek coming up. I would say he is clearly the poster child for VSG and cycling! :-) Plus he seems like a really cool guy. He is on the VSG board. If I were you…

Hey! Congrats on being sleeved and home...:-) Now just a little sage advice from someone who was in your spot almost 1 year ago don't worry about the 80 g of protein just yet. Work towards it...but don't sweat it. Your first priority should be to get in your fluids. Now..if you can do it with Unjury chicken soup or Isopure…

I agree this is a good discussion topic. I will chime in with Dale on this one (I don't know you but I do read a lot of your posts so I feel like I do! :-). If someone is specifically asking about their eating plan or exercise level in a group post or on their ticker, I think it is appropriate to give an honest answer. I…

Hey no worries @Harm...I didn't mean to sound snotty! :-) Sorry Sonja if I jacked your post! I didn't mean to. I just wanted to clarify that you can be successful without all the "hoopla" that seems to come with having insurance cover your procedure. My only point was that it comes down to the individual. You can have all…

Yes it's tricky! I did 3 weeks of it...and then another 3 after surgery but you can do it! I lived to tell and have lost 140 pounds. You can do it! Keep a positive attitude and you're going to radically change your life! Good luck tomorrow

I see my local doctor about things. If it is weight loss related and he can't answer it I email my surgeon in Mexico and he gets back to me ASAP. A doctor doesn't need to "see" you to read blood tests and what not. In terms of exercise? A doctor doesn't spend his time monitoring that...I am an adult and it's my drive and…

Yes...100 percent you need 2 or 3 shakes a day. You are just out from surgery. Get some protein shakes that you like and drink those all day. Unjury makes a chicken soup protein if you would like to have something warm. If you don't get your protein in your body will be a mess...and you will have difficulty reaching your…

Hey djsmom I'm in Ontario...right up on Lake Huron or apparently the "New Arctic" this year. We are buried in snow..and it is still coming today. Yes..nice to meet some other Canadians. Good luck on your upcoming surgery. Let me know if you have any questions. Renee

Dr. Alvarez for my VSG last May. I am also in Canada. I did qualify for RNY but wanted VSG and didn't have the co morbidities so they were basically telling me RNY. Plus...I had to jump through all the hoops and just got sick of it. Alvarez was worth every penny to me...honestly. He is the priciest in Mexico though. My…

Glad to hear you came through great! I would suggest looking around for some better protein shakes...there are a lot out there. For the first few months you'll need the shakes to get in a good amount of clean protein. I would look for ones that have 100% Whey Isolate...no blends. Just google them or search the previous…