Robin628 Member

I'm 6 years out (will be 6 years in Dec 2021). I didn't lose a ton of weight with the sleeve, but I had a lap band prior that had to be removed due to erosion and regained all the weight over then next 4 years My doctor warned me that my metabolism was wrecked and I may not see the results I hoped for with VSG...and he was…

I just signed back into MFP for the first time in over a year and immediately came here looking for VSG old timers! I am 5'3" and at my highest was 225. I had the Lap Band in 2007, got down to 140 and then had the band removed due to erosion in 2012. Fast forward to 2015 and my weight had skyrocketed back up to 220. I had…

I think it all depends on what is causing your reflux or heartburn in the first place. Personally, VSG had no impact on my heartburn/reflux issues, which I have had for 10+ years but is controlled with omeprazole (Prilosec) daily. I asked my surgeon specifically about the risk of my heartburn/reflux getting worse with VSG…

Agreed! Good luck @featherweather89!

That happened to me all the time for the first 8 months or so and then it tapered off. Now it only happens if I overindulge or like Aztec4Life said, have a carb heavy meal

My employer had the same clause and I was unsuccessful on appeals. They put that clause in for a reason, they absolutely do not want pay for WLS and they don't have to. I ended up saving $ and taking out a loan to finance my VSG. I traveled and had my surgery in FL for $11K. It would have been $25K in my home state of CT.…

Actually the majority of employer healthcare plans stopped covering WLS with the inception of Obamacare (Obamacare made it possible for employers to pick and choose what they had to cover). I can't speak for Medicaid but most employers make a point of excluding it from their plans these days. It's why I had to self-pay. I…

I am so sorry to hear this but glad you are OK and on the mend. The good news is, the sleeve is a tool that you never lose! The first step is believing you can do this, and you 100% can. I had my sleeve in Dec 2015 and never hit goal, only lost about 50% of what I needed/wanted to lose. I've also experienced a little…

Lots of good advice here. The one thing I would add is that whatever plan of attack you choose, follow the plan and don't test your limits all the time. The first year post surgery is all about developing new healthy habits and retraining your body and mind. Your new stomach just makes those changes easier. Eventually you…

Actually that is exactly what they do claim. The package states the equivalent of 30g of protein based on absorption rates. They claim the smaller molecules of their protein has a 94% absorption rate vs. 31% of traditional whey protein. Of course whether this is true or not, who knows! All I know is Its easier for me to…

One thing to note is that this soon after surgery, anything or nothing special at all could be causing your gastrointestinal distress. You are going to be adding and eliminating foods all the time. You will find some things you ate before surgery without issue have now become no-way foods and then one day they are ok…

Nope. I've used it for over a year with no issue. Do you have any issues with dairy? Genepro Musclegen is whey isolate protein powder derived from milk. There is nothing else in it. However, unlike most everyone else who was constipated post surgery, I had diarrhea/soft stool for several weeks. So not everyone gets…

You can put just about anything in the blender! All sorts of soups, Chili, chicken pot pie filling (I picked out the potatoes), etc. My go-to in that stage was puréed tomato soup or split pea with unflavored protein powder mixed in. Mushy stage my favorite was mashed black beans topped with salsa, shredded cheese, dollop…

Unfortunately there is really nothing you can do about it, you'll either lose some hair or you won't as a result of the hormonal changes post surgery. However the good news is, it is not permanent and it will grow back. I noticed I started losing hair about 3 months out and started seeing regrowth about 6-9 months out (new…

I suggest looking up Dr. Garth Davis - he is a vegan bariatric surgeon who advocates vegan lifestyle post surgery. You may want to pick up his book Proteinholic as well. Research has found high protein diets can do more harm than good. Yes we need to eat a high protein diet to heal post-surgery but after those first 6…

Basically if you want a salad, have a salad! It's not going to hurt you as long as your dr has cleared you for eating raw veggies.

Interesting. I have no problem with salads - they are good for you too (as long as you don't drown them in dressing and cheese). I'm about 14 months out and I eat a big green salad 3-4 x week, usually for lunch. I include 2-3 oz of protein like chicken, turkey, tuna, salmon or shrimp and make sure to use nutritious greens…

oh and forgot to add - get yourself an unflavored protein! I had a hard time finding protein drinks I liked, everything was too sweet and fake tasting. Unflavored protein powder was my saving grace! Like @Jamieeldred I added it to everything - coffee, oatmeal, yogurt, soup. The only flavored protein I ended up liking…

Your surgeon's office should have given you a guideline with stages and examples of what you can eat at each stage. A lot of doctors use the same guidelines for all WLS patients so it is entirely possible your surgeon uses the same guidelines for both bypass and sleeve patients. When I got the lap band back in 2007, I was…

@tarotaces75 and @BumbleBee37 I posted this on a previous thread but I can't remember which one! You can trick MFP and close out your daily diary with under 1000 calories. At the of the day do a Quick Add of calories to get your day over 1000 and then complete your daily entry. For example if you are only at 900 calories…

Ketosis is a by-product of following an extremely low carb diet (keto diet, Atkins, etc.) and has nothing to do with WLS procedure per se. So unless you've cut out all complex carbs, fruit, and sugar you likely won't experience ketosis.

It is a common problem and doesn't necessarily go away even years out. I was not a much of a soda drinker before surgery, always water, but I also never drank enough overall and over a year later, I still do not drink enough. I avoid artificial sweeteners, my exception are some of the newer drinks (Bao fruit drinks and…

Wow, I'm not going to lie, I'm a bit jealous. I'm almost 14 months out and I struggle to keep below 1300. I am hungry all the time! By 4 months out I stalled if I ate less than 900 and needed to increase to 1100 in order to lose weight.

@Stephaniev51697 you are 3 years out and still only doing 900 calories? By choice or you physically can't eat more?

Anyone who loses significant amounts of weight rapidly is at high risk for gallstones regardless of the procedure. Studies have shown it's the rapid weight loss that increases the risk. Gallbladder removal after WLS became so common that some surgeons started removing gall bladders at the same time preventively. That's why…

I had band to VSG revision (band out in 2011 and sleeve in 2015) and to me, pain was about the same. Felt like I had been kicked in the stomach or had done 1000 sit-ups. Granted, different surgery but if your bypass is being done laparoscopically, I don't see why it would be more or less the same as your band.

Hi Aimz - I'm in the same boat. Had the Lap band from 2007-2011 and lost 80 pounds but had to have it removed due to erosion. By the time I healed insurance wouldn't cover a revision. I changed jobs and tried again, denied. I got depressed and slowly regained all the weight. Finally Dec 2015 I bit the bullet and self-paid…

Oh yea, all the time LOL. The difference is now when I do cheat it is a normal serving size (2 cookies not the whole bag), but I can still eat crap I know I am not supposed to and it does add up over time. But I am 13 months out from surgery. I remember for about the first 4-6 months too much of any high fat (deep fried…

Yes I've done it. I use it to 'reset' myself when I need reign things back in. It might just be mental but it helps me cut my carb cravings and eat mindfully again. I really think it depends on what your issues are. For me, it helps me get reacquainted with my hunger and full signals. Helps me cut out the crap and get back…

I have had two WLS surgeries (I had the Lap Band from 2007-2011 and then VSG in 2015) and I can tell you from my personal experience that exactly what @NicoleL874 said is true - you get what you put in. There is misconception out there (wishful thinking perhaps) that WLS is all you need, surgery will do all the work for…