Michelle D.
3 1/2 Years - Post VSG
Jan 12, 2011
Now that I am 3 1/2 + years post -op, I decided it is way past due for me to give an update about my weight, my health and my life.
So, my weight is up from my lowest weight and still I have some people (like my husband) telling me I am too thin. Guess what? People do not like being told they are too thin almost as much as they do not like being told they are too heavy! I have not belonged to a gym in over a year and I miss it tons. Working out at home just does not work for me. I definitely need the gym to push me to work hard. Hoping to join the gym again soon.
As for my overall health, I am doing good, except that my iron levels have fallen off to just about nothing. I hate taking stuff but have had to get serious about taking my iron and multi-vitamins. My Dr. says that within a few months, I should be able to get my iron up to normal.
I also started working again. I miss being home more and I really feel guilty about not being able to continue with all my volunteer work but I do love my job. I work just about full time at a very busy retail store and it is a physically demanding job with lots of social contact. The perfect place for me to work! I don't keep my WLS a secret at work. I still feel an obligation to share with people that WLS is a viable option for long term weight loss. It seems that each time I tell someone that I had WLS, they are shocked and don't want to believe it. Then they ask me lots of questions about the type of surgery, cost and how much weight I lost and how long it took me to lose it.
So, I continue to be glad I choose to have my VSG. I sometimes forget I used to be heavy at all. I would not change a thing!
I posted this on the VSG Forum and thought I would copy it here
Feb 09, 2009
Would you:
1. Belittle them and make them feel worse?
2. Tell them they are doomed to failure?
3. Point out everything they have said since day 1?
4. Call them crazy?
Or would you:
1. Encourage them to make the most of the choice they have made?
2. Give them helpful ideas or tools for success?
3. Encourage them to seek counseling and/or local support?
4. Provide them with a positive attitude and encouragement?
Let us please remember that this site should be first and foremost a safe place to come for SUPPORT. Support for Weight Loss Surgery and WLS Research as well as general life support. We do not all have to like each other but we should all be able to respect the struggle that has brought us to this place.
I'm not saying we should suger coat it when people are constantly whining and telling of ongoing bad choices they have made...I am saying maybe that is the thread we should let someone else answer. Or, we could choose to answer these threads in an informative way, rather than an accusatory way. It is difficult to know where emotionally, physically and mentally each poster is starting from and it would be a terrible thing to cause irreparable harm!
1 1/2 year + post VSG update
Jan 12, 2009
I don't have much new or exciting to write about that I have not already written before. However, I continue to believe that it is our reponsiblility to keep people updated about the aftermath of our wls decisions...good, bad and the other stuff.
The Good - I had an exceptionally easy surgery and surgical recovery. I feel I had one of the best VSG surgeons there is, including his staff. From the coordinator to the hospital cleaning people, I continue to have nothing negative to say about them!
I lost ALL my excess weight (and even more then I dreamed) quickly and easily. Due to the very restrictive nature of this surgey I was able to change my eating habits to get proteins first. I never dieted or counted or wrote down everything I ate! (I agree that this may be necessary for many people.) While actively losing weight, I found that moderation works better for me then deprivation, so if I really want something, I eat some of it to satisfy that craving.
I hit my goal of 150 pounds after 6 months and 1 week and continued to lose weight for a few more months. I have maintained around 133 pounds for many months. I have to add in many more healthy snacks to keep my weight from falling below 133 if I am doing my obsessive gym work outs...I cut out the added snacks when I back off my gym work-outs so that I do not put any weight back on. I will add more on exercise later!!
Now that I have been below my goal weight for quite a few months I have finally started to get used to being thin. It takes awhile to get your head around the new sizes, attention and energy that comes with the weight loss. Spouses, friends and even children can also have trouble getting used to the 'new you'...BE PATIENT! I buy more clothes then I ever did when I was a size 20+ but I spend less because I can shop anywhere and find clothes that fit AND are stylish. I'll share a quick sidenote: My 17 1/2 year old daughter received a cute Volcum sweatjacket for Christmas from my mother. It was slightly too small for her and the sleeves were too short for her long arms, so my mom gave it to me! Seriously, I fit into it and I get compliments everytime I wear it, though it makes me look like a teenager. lol
The Bad - I was extremely lucky that as I lost weight, my skin seemed to shrink back a satisfactory amount. I do have some excess skin in my lower abdomin and I have yet to decide if I will have a tummy tuck at a later date. I actually think considering I am 42 years old, have given birth to 3 children and lost almost 100 pounds after wls that I have very little to complain about so I don't know if this should go under good or bad. Now, the boobies are a different story...I always had small breasts and since losing weight they have gone on vacation...I may consider implants later on but for now I will just keep finding good padded bras!
Vitamins have been a challenge for me. I just never took any vitamins before and I sometimes forget to take them still. I don't know why this is a challenge for me, no matter where I keep them I seem to be able to look right past the bottles.
I wish, wish, wish I had of done this surgery years earlier.
The Other Stuff - I think the best and sometimes most overlooked part of our new post-wls life is EXERCISE. If I have said it once, I've said it a million times...I would rather be a firm and fit size 10 if necessary then a flabby and saggy size 4. Strong is beautiful! Yes, losing weight will improve our health and help us cure those co-morbidities but if we REALLY want to be healthy and live longer we have to find some way to work out. I encourage evryone to keep trying new things until you find the workout that works for you (and who knows, maybe you will even find something you can love the way I love lifting weights).
My VSG has done so much more for me then just help me lose weight. It has helped me learn to put myself first, at least part of the time. I now take the time to dress nicely, fix my hair and make-up EVERY DAY, go to the tanning booth occasionally, go to the gym and go to WLS support group monthly. These are things I do for me and only me..I have found that the benefit I get from these things actually helps me give more quality time to my family and friends! The better I feel, the more positive stuff I have to give!
One of my favorite things is to share my journey with others. I have very little time to spend on OH but I am always willing to answer questions or give support. Personal message me if you want to talk. I will update my blog as time goes on. Good luck to each and every one of you in your journey!
Why the VSG and I are a good fit.
Dec 01, 2008
To begin with, I went into my WLS with the full understanding that it was ME and not my surgery that would ultimately make or break the success of my weight loss. I understood that I had a long time relationship with food and comfort that would have to be changed…a smaller tummy alone could not help me to make better choices. I did this knowing that, while my family was as supportive as they could be, it was not their job to make these changes for me. I did this without the benefit of a NUT or a shrink. I took stock of my personality and what would work best for me regarding food and my new improved small tummy. I decided that a diet or plan would not be the best approach for me. So, armed with this information, I set out to change my food/eating habits while not depriving myself of foods I wanted.
Early on, I was lucky to get anything in, as surgery had somehow changed my smell and taste so that I hated, actually hated food! I struggled to find things that did not gross me out. I slowly added foods, until I had a variety, with soups of all kinds being my lifesaver. I was in no pain and I was able to eat, I just had to relearn my foods all over. Looking back, I think part of this was because I had consumed so many carbs (crackers, breads, etc) pre-op that giving them up with surgery just sent me out of whack mentally and physically.
As I progressed with my weight loss, I ate more and more ‘normal’. My ability to make good food choices quickly became second nature. Why was this not possible for me without WLS…I had too much hunger/ghrelin and I had too much space. I am an intelligent woman, so once I had such a limited space for fuel/food, I knew that I must make better choices or I would have no nutrition to fuel my body. I found myself going to get a snack because I needed one and looking at my favorite cheese-its and thinking “yep those would be good but I need fuel” so I would choose to have a string cheese instead. And this is how it still works for me 17 months after my VSG. Each time I eat, I make a choice.
Now, here is where I may lose some people. I also recognized early on that deprivation does not work well for me. I am a stubborn person…try telling me I cannot do something and you better believe I am going to try to do it! So, I incorporated the concept of moderation into my eating style right away. I wanted coffee soon after surgery and decided I would go ahead and drink it…I hated splenda and decided to drink my coffee with real sugar. I still lost weight. And to this day, if I really want something, I have it. I do eat chips and salsa, just not all the time and not if I need fuel. I do have ice cream with my family on dollar scoop night and I enjoy it more then words can express!!
I have been in maintainance for many months now and I think people who watch me eat can not tell or even guess that I have had WLS. I eat what other people eat, though sometimes with changes. The changes are because I want to make them, not because my VSG tummy requires me to make them. Sometimes I choose to eat my burger with no bun, or to open my burrito and eat the filling...this is no different then many other non-WLS people may choose to do, so I do not feel self-concious. If I make my family lasagna for dinner, that is what I eat. I do not require a special 'diet' and I do not want one. I chose the VSG so that I could eat less, not so that I could live on a diet forever. If I see the scale creeping back up, I will cut some carbs but so far I have found a good haealthy balance.
In many ways, I am lucky because my ghrelin seems to be completely gone, after 17 months, I still have no hunger. It can make things difficult also, without that natural reminder, it is sometimes easy to forget to eat and that is not good either. It takes quite a bit of nutrition to fuel an active adult body.
If I was giving advice on the best thing you can do for yourself…it would be to work-out. No gyms or fancy stuff required, just move! I started out walking in the hospital as soon as I woke up after surgery and I feel like I have never stopped. I transitioned onto a recumbent bike in my living room and then 7 months after my surgery, once I had already met my goal weight, I joined a gym. Going to the gym was the hardest thing I have done in years…for some reason I was psycho about it and was almost in tears as I went in to join. I am now addicted to the gym! I found that the energy I get from the other people pushes me to do more, lift more and really build more lean body mass. My body looks better then I could have ever imagined in my wildest dreams AND I am strong and fit. What good is thin without being strong and fit??
I am a firm believer that we have the ability to change the course of our lives and I am so proud of myself for being brave enough to take such a bold step to change mine! I know my family is proud of me. I know I have taught my children to take control of their own lives no matter what people may think.
Everyday I make choices…some are good and some are just ok but none of them are bad…they are just my choices! I can live with that!
Thank You
Aug 31, 2008
Have I thanked you lately for the wonderful gift you have given me? Well, my family and I do thank you!! May God bless you and your family. Keep helping people to overcome obesity and find their new healthier selves.
Love, Michelle
Long time...no post
Aug 22, 2008
I will make this a quick update. I keep thinking I will find time to sit down and type a really meaningful 1 plus year post-op update and the time never comes so this will have to do for now.
I have been down to about 133 pounds for quite a while now. My goal weight was 150. Sometimes I get down to 128 for a few days but I try not to because I just do not seem to have the same energy when I am that light.
I just got back from a week and a half of camping, boating, fishing, swimming in the Lake and bike riding with my family. What fun I am able to have now that I am more active and more healthy. I would have had fun before but it would have been more reading books and being exhausted from getting drug around. As our oldest duaghter (17 years old) gets older, vacations change...we had so many teenagers coming and going from our campsite that the other campers must have thought I was the mother of a dozen or more kids. LOL We stayed close to home to vacation because my husband had to commute in to work a couple days and our 2 younger kids had a karate committment. What memories we made!
I sometimes want to forget that I was fat and I get tired of the questions about if I lost my excess weight "the natural way" and I know some people are just waiting for me to start to regain. I try not to get upset with these people and I do pity their ignorance of the obesity problem. Even though I do not always want to "come out" about my WLS, I still feel that I owe it to obese people to stop perpetuating the myth that diet and exercise alone can always cure obesity. There is NO SHAME IN WEIGHT LOSS SURGERY! I made the best choice for me and I want people to know they have options and support, no matter how they chose to lose or not to lose weight.
I really will try to find time to post a more in depth update and some new pictures. I even have pictures of me in bikinis...who would have ever thought! I am always more then happy to answer questions. I check my profile every now and then.
I Survived Spring Break with my Family!
Mar 31, 2008
My weight bounces around 136-138 and sometimes even a few pounds more or less then this. I really don't care so much what the scale says anymore because I am finally at a place where I know how my body looks and feels when it is healthy. I am continuing my love affair with the gym that started a couple months ago. I appreciate the cardio because I know it is strengthening my heart (treadmill or bike mostly) but my true love is weights! I feel so powerful when I am lifting weights or using the leg press machines...and I can see and feel the difference each day. I had worried about loose skin afer losing 90 pounds but so far I have been lucky. I have been able to find a nice balance of working out and eating the right foods to help firm up the loose-shaky parts such as the under arms and tummy much better then I had dared to hope for. I continue to try to firm up my thighs even more, and feel there is room for improvement everywhere.
Besides the weight loss, there have been changes in my life. I feel better! My health is better, I have more energy, I have more confidence, I have better self-image. I am thinking of taking some college classes (I have NEVER done this before). It'll be fun to see what the future holds!
Many people wonder what happens after the VSG and once you have reached goal and what you can eat...here's my experience; I thought it would take me longer to reach my goal because I did not do a lot of calorie, protein, carb counting. It may be very important for some people to do these things in order to stay on track and lose the weight, do what works for you!! I lost my weight mostly by reducing the amount I ate at each meal (I still can not eat more then 3 ounces at a time except for soup) and by using common sense in my choices. I do not like greasy foods anymore...bacon, sausage, french fries, onion rings, fried chicken and things like this just do not appeal to me anymore. I CAN eat them if I chose but they make me feel like I drank oil and I just don't want them anymore! I love to eat steak cooked rare or medium, chicken, pork or ground beef. I eat small salads, veggies (asparagus...YUM) and fruit. I eat bread or crackers if I want them. My favorite and most frequently eaten snacks are nuts (almonds, cashews, peanuts), wasabi peas and Mrs. Mays Trio Bars (these are yummy nut/seed/fruit bars that I buy at Costco...they do have 20 carbs but they are good for you because of the fiber and protein and the good nuts and seeds, and the best part is that they satisfy my sweet tooth), and I eat a couple string cheeses almost every day when I am running out the door. As you can see, I can still eat normal foods! So now that I am at my goal (slightly below but loving it), I have started to learn what I have to do to maintain it. My son was home sick from school for a week and I missed out on the gym for 9 days, so I had to adjust my eating so I did not put on weight. I cut my carbs and added proteins and I skipped the extra nuts and cheeses. I did not gain! When I spend extra time in the gym, I have to make an effort to get in more food so I choose soup for lunch because I can eat more of it and it has calories and protein to help fuel my body. I also have to remember to eat a snack or 2 in the afternoon. So far, I seem to be able to maintain at this weight with no problems. I DO have to remind myself to eat because with the no ghrelin to make me feel hungry, I forget to eat now which I much prefer to the 'old days'! I ALWAYS carry snacks with me 'just in case', as I have a tendency to get busy and forget to eat and when this happens I need to have something that can give me fuel. I sometimes have to run into the store and get an individual string cheese or slice of cheese or a slice of deli ham or turkey. My husband (VSG 5/06) doesn't have this problem of forgetting to eat so I think it's just me!
Emotional or boredom eating...here's my ongoing view on these; this does still happen to me sometimes. If I grab a bag of chips and start to mindlessly eat them, I find that I soon feel overfull and just sort of miserable. This is where the restrictive nature of the VSG really saves me from myself, I am absolutely unable to eat the amount I would have pre-VSG. Many people say there is no "dumping" with the VSG. My and my husbands experience is that we do have some minor dumping symptoms after loading up on sugary treats. An example of what happens to me after I eat a small ice cream is that I feel slightly sweaty (like I imagine a hot flash to be), sometimes I get some minor tummy cramping and I usually feel like I REALLY need a nap. These symptoms pass fairly quickly, within about a 1/2 hour and can happen with other sweet foods too! I still eat sweet treats sometimes but this does make me think twice about having them. I don't like to eat stuff like this very often anyway because I don't like to waste my limited 'space'.
Roller Coasters and The Drop Zone during Spring Break. I went to California with my husband and our 2 youngest children for vacation and we went to Great America several times. The kids and I get season passes each year and I have been happy that 1 of my children was not tall enough to go on the 'big rides' because this gave me just the excuse I needed to avoid seeing if my larger size would shut down the ride when the safety devices would not fasten. WELL, this year my son was big enough for everything and I was small enough for everything!!!! It's been forever since I rode The Drop Zone (one of those free fall rides you have to be CRAZY to go on) and all four of us rode it together...YAY! And I loved going on The Demon Roller Coaster and going through the loops and corkscrews...all these roller coasters brought back such memories of my younger thinner days! And even my 40+ year old heart held out!! I will try to scan some pictures when I figure it out.
Shopping and size descrimination...I have tried to tame my shopping addiction now that I have stopped losing weight. While in California, we did go to two really nice Ross stores so we could shop for spring and summer clothes (I REALLY needed these cause I was a size 14 in the Fall and now I am a 6-8). I found some cute things and even bought and wore shorts to Great America. My new favorite store is the Levi store, where you can get any style, cut, length and color of Levi's...if you have not shopped at Levi's, you have to try it! The thing about shopping that makes me mad enoughto spit is that I could not get good custmer service when I was obese and now they fall all over themselves to help me!!?? I find this sooooo disgusting! Did they think I was poor because I was fat? Did they think I was 'below them'? Did they think they would 'catch it'? Did they think I had no feelings? Now - I walk into Macy's and within a few minutes I have people asking if they can help me...don't get me wrong, I love that they want to help me but I remember when...I WAS FAT!!! OK, so some of this may be my own fault, so I'll take some of the blame. Maybe I was not putting out 'good vibes' because I was lacking self confidence and they were just responding to my own self loathing and shopping depression. I imagine the truth is somewhere in between these two scenarios.
Libido...don't worry I will not go into details but people PM me and ask about it all the time. Yes, weight loss and self confidence boost your libido tremendously :) Ross sells lingerie also!
What will I do if I stretch out my tiny tummy and gain back alot of weight? I do not think this will happen but I have thought about this as I am sure everyone who has WLS has. This is easy to answer, I would go back to Dr. Alvarez and have my sleeve made smaller again! If this was not possible and I was really regaining I could choose between a DS or a RNY or even add a Lapband onto my tummy. These options are some of the good things about the VSG, it can be changed into any other WLS if need be. Again, let me add that I am confident none of these will be necessary!
I will try to continue to post on my experience with my Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy so that those of you researching your WLS options will be able to make informed decisions. I wish everyone good luck on your journey to better health! If you have other questions for me or just need to talk, send me a PM and I'll get back to you!
Life in 2008 so far...
Jan 05, 2008
The holidays were easier then I had imagined, as far as the food and not over eating goes. I enjoyed a fulfilling Christmas dinner of...2 small bites of ham, a bite of my moms best stuffing, a bite of mashed potatoes with gravy and several extra bites of gravy. After dinner I had a small slice of fudge and some of my favorite blanched almonds. I got to enjoy everything I really wanted to and passed on all the stuff that I would have normally eaten but just do not wow me! Eating continues to be to fuel my body and satisfy my taste buds that know what is the most tasty, not because of hunger (I still do not experience any actual hunger).
After Christmas, my family traveled to North Lake Tahoe for some snowboarding and to spend time with my in-laws. This was a fun trip, the kids were well behaved and I found out my 16 year old daughter has her first boyfriend (am I ready for this??!!) Eating was easy and I saved money when we went out by ordering a cup of soup which is my new favorite meal. I was able to eat everything that my inlaws cooked, just a very small amount of it, I even ate lasagne...YUM! We came home in time for our 2 New Years Eve Parties with our good friends! First, there was the mostly teenage bonfire party and firework excitement, where we tried to freeze ourselves to death in the 5 degree weather. Then, we stopped for 5 minutes (which turned into hours) at our other friends New Years/Deployment party. This party included much drinking and adult style merriment, poker, arm wrestling, more huge and very illegal fireworks and did I mention drinking?!!!!! We all survived this 2nd party as well (thank goodness for our 16 YO designated driver daughter). Our friend Mike shipped out for more then a year to Afganistan the next morning, so the crazy memories will have to hold us over for a while until the coming home party!!
I attended my 2nd weight loss support group meeting last week and met 2 ladies who were looking into having lap bands done..I swear I was just trying to encourage them to look at their options, as they had never heard of the VSG! By the end of the meeting, we were exchanging phone numbers and information and I shared the obesity help website with them for research and the next day (I am not exaggerating) they were scheduled for VSG's with Dr. Alvarez on January 19th. I will not mention their names (you know who you are) but I am convinced that the VSG is the BEST wls with the fewest negative side effects and basically no maintenance and I just can not help wanting people to look at ALL the options, not just the ones that the local surgeon does.
Dr. Alvarez...myself and my 146 pound body thank you for your great surgical skills!!
I REACHED MY GOAL WEIGHT!!!
Dec 23, 2007
Just thought I would post to let everyone know I reached my goal weight of 150 pounds. And it only took me 5 days past my 6 month anniversary of WLS and a bad case of the stomach flu to do it :) Now I can leave for my trip to Tahoe knowing I made it to goal. Merry Christmas to me!
6 months Post-op...Normal BMI...and almost to goal!!
Dec 19, 2007
Yesterday I celebrated my 6 month anniversary of my Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy "VSG'! Since the surgery the road to my weight loss has been so easy that sometimes I wake up and am shocked that this is my body. I want to continue to post here as much as possible for those who are struggling with the decisions leading up to their own weight loss journey...so here it goes.
I am only 3 pounds from my goal weight of 150 pounds. This makes a total 6 month loss of 74 pounds. I was secretly hoping to reach goal by my 6 months post but am so happy with how far I have come. My BMI has been into the "Normal" range for the last couple weeks...I now find it absurd that they would place a title such as normal on such a chart, how hurtful to so many! I am fighting through my new addiction of clothes shopping (and losing). That's ok, my husband is very understanding, since he went through the same addictive phase after his wls and huge weight loss in May 2006.
I went to my first weight loss support group meeting 2 weeks ago and met some really nice people who are traveling the road to weight loss and are in different places in their journey. I was moved by their stories! We were asked if we feel we have changed since wls or if we are exactly the same person as before. Many of the people said they are the same person but people just respond to them differently since they have lost weight. I feel differently...I think a large weight loss does change us! I believe that people DO respond differently to nice looking thin people but I think part of that starts with the added confidence and outgoingness that comes from the person who has lost the weight. I have always been friendly and outgoing but over the years as the weight came on, I started to "hide" just a little more. I am now feeling better, I am now able to enjoy shopping, I am now able to be comfortable in a swimsuit, I now have less foot pain...all of these things may seem small but they have CHANGED ME AND CHANGED MY LIFE! I am the same person but with renewed vigor and promise toward a more active and healthy life.
I am wishing you all a very Merry Christmas! And to Dr. Alverez and your family... I am wishing you the most wonderful wishes of all...may God Bless You!
