5 months after the op - should I have lost more????

Thank-you, thank-you, thank-you - for all the great answers & entertaining reading material.

I feel much better than I did - much, much better - so thanks to all of you. Just needed to get
myself focused I think.

I have put myself back on my pre op diet - but no opti yuk for this fattie - I lost the first 50kg in
7 months with my own diet & no opti yuk.

I had a great incentive to shed that weight though - my beloved op was on offer - a thinner me.

Magda baby has nothing on me - why won't weight watchers come & watch my weight?????
Magda has shed 16kg & good on her too, but I know there are heaps of us that must have
chuckled when we saw it on the news - this woman has lost 16kg & it made headlines on the
country's news broadcasts for goodness sake. Good on yer Magda but what a plug for weight
watchers & just think of all the free publicity. Enough of the tall poppy cutting.

I begged my doctor not to make me use opti yuk & he said I'll see you in X amount of time
& see how your going without it, but if I decide you are not losing the weight I expect you to, you
will have to use it.

I was told to lose 20kg & I shed 30 & then I was sent away to lose another 10kg & lost a further 20 -
no opti yuk for me - my doctor called me his 'star' patient & after the op he used to come around to see
me & while he was chatting he used to massage my feet for me - what a honey. Even at my check-up
he collected me from the waiting room & walked me arm in arm to his office & when we'd finished he
even walked me arm in arm to the elevator - thanks for everything TJ - what a man!

I also have a good friend who had this op about 4 years ago & she is at her goal weight & has been
for over 2 years - no worries with anything at all. I suppose you eventually reach a weight that you can
maintain solely by the amount of food you consume.

As for the apron, the bat wing arms, the flabby tops of my legs & the rolls of flab hanging off my side &
the turkey neck - I will try & live with them. The op for getting rid of it all is well over $25,000 & to be
honest I'd rather tuck it all into a set of leathers & buy a Harley.

I have a male friend who lost over 150kg on the Cohen's diet & he didn't have an op to get rid of the
excess skin & most of it went after a couple of years. A 150kg loss is huge & sort of unbelievable but
he was a big boy & stood 6ft 8in - he is now 6ft 11in & the doctor says he's taller due to the fact that the
disc's in his spine are not compressed anymore from all the weight he was carrying around - his name
is Tiny by the way - typical hey? Great man & a good friend too.

While on the subject of the op & it's consequences I am sick to death of having my hair fall out - I'll be
bald by the end of the year at this rate - I have taken to wearing pigtails & using hair spray so the strands
of blonde hair remain in place for the day & don't fall all over my black clothes - I am shedding hair at a
great rate so I hope it stops soon - I was told it's a side effect from being under the anesthetic for a long
period of time & also from stress. Me stressed - yeah well, maybe....lol

Thanks again to all you sleevers out there for taking the time to reply - will update my weight in a week or
two & let you know if the diet thing is working for me.

Nitey nite one & all as I have to do canteen duty at the school for the second day running.

Stomach stapling was the first bands. I know bandits like to freak out and point at sleeving and scream it is just stomach stapling. I love to smile sweetley and point out the truth hehehehe. Totaly differnt procedure, the staples used in stomach stapling banded the stomach. It as was stated proved useless. The pouch stretched the staples split. total nightmare. So they went onto putting the band on the outside of the stomach making it adjustable so when people stretched their pouch as they tend to do they could do more surgery and move the band. But as we all know having surgery over and over again to fix these problems is not for everybody.

applesauce

Hi Tummy stapling may be the "old" fashioned" stapling, where your stomach is not removed, but a pouch is made using staples semi across the middle

It had a terrible success rate!!!!

Sophia

hi, i do find your replies super interesting. i will check back tommorrow to read more. i am really relieved. ps does any one know if there is a difference between a tummy staple and a sleeve op. lots of my girl friends from south africa talks about the tummy stapling. everyone seems to know some one who (to their opinion) had this "tummy stapling" op and in the end ending up quite overweight after a few year again. maybe it is as one of you said, the tummy that was left, might have been to big. thats if it indeed is the same op.

cheers

A couple of things from what I have been told. The late regain assocated with sleeves is thought to be 10% which if you put into perspective you lose 40kg and gain back 4kg. I can live with that. You sure can gain weight with the sleeve you can even do it with a bi-pass, nobody can eat themselves fat they SNACK themselves fat. If you constantly graze all day, and I amean make a HUGE effort to do this you could gain weight. But it is hard work to graze all day, I can not do it. My weight has been stable for about 4 months up and down a kg or 2 the entire time and trust me I have eaten everything I have ever wanted in that time frame. I have even had a couple of graze all day days because I am an idiot and still nothing my stomach has not increased in size that I am sure of and I have not stacked on the kgs. Okay I have lost nothing either. so yes I do have to be real good to lose that last 10-15kg hehehehe

applesauce

Hi Anne,

I did read one article where some patients in the "super obese" range DID increase their stomach size over a few years... but it didn't say what size the stomachs were in the first place. My surgeon also mentioned that in ?France where they have done this op for a while longer than America and Australia, it wasn't so successful in the early days, which was found to be related to the bougie (size) of the sleeve op they performed... but this was in the "early days."

I think our surgeons have learned a lot since then about what works better!


Regards,
Sophia

Someone please correct me if I am wrong, but I believe that this procedure has only been performed for five years, so it doesn't have a long-term history, or documented side-effects.

In my humble opinion (and it IS only an opinion) I would have thought that with such a reduced size of the stomach, it would be almost impossible to stack the kilos back on. Maybe the stomach could stretch a certain amount, but could it stretch so much as to increase its size to the original?

Regards,
Anne

oops. Revised to say that both posts were written at the same time, but even so, we seem to have similar results.

Hi Rose,
truth is, those people who say you'll be back where you started in 5 years are talking through their hats. (Polite way to put it!)

There is no evidence or data to support that. They have NO idea what they are talking about! There is no published medical research re the sleeve beyond about 5 years. (I vaguely remember an 8 year report, but can't find it!)

I have posted some information below, that I found after a quick search. (I think the trial was done by HIMPENS). This is the most quoted study comparing banding and sleeving.

The only thing I remember reading somewhere - and to be honest I cant' remember if it was sleeves or banding - is that some patients gain back 10% of what they have lost at the 5 year mark. Honestly, if that is all that happens, I really don;t care!


Operative Techniques in General Surgery - Nelson Trelles, Michel Gagner,
Volume 9, Issue 3 (September 2007) -
A recent prospective randomized trial comparing LSG with laparoscopic gastric banding (LGB) reported better results in terms of weight loss for LSG as compared with LGB.[28] Forty patients were randomly assigned each group. Median age was 36 for the LGB group and 40 for the LSG group. No statistical differences were reported in gender and age distribution. Preoperative median BMI was 37 for LGB and 39 for LSG. One year after surgery, median EWL was 41.4% after LGB and 57.7% after LSG (P = 0.0004). Three years after surgery, median EWL was 48% versus 66% (P = 0.0025), respectively. Loss of feeling of hunger after 1 year was registered in 42.5% for the LGB group and 75% for the LSG group (P = 0.003). These results proved that LSG is more effective than LGB as it has shown for other restrictive procedures.

hey untamed_angel277

how bought a more recent avatar? sorry about the name thing. i quess i was to occupied with the (then) coming surgery to take notice. i see you are doing great also! good on you. another thing thought. i find a lot of people is sceptic about the surgery and some even said that i will be back where i started from in 5 years time. which does not bother me to much coz five years are like 20 years away for me at the moment. does any one know anything about the surgery becoming inafficient in a couple of years. is there any stats on this and how bad is it. maybe if i prepare myself for the possibility i can save up (just in case) for a bypass or something.

cheers to all

Hi... so it seems we are all more or less around the same weight loss.. its great to hear that were not all doing something wrong.. ok i may not exersize but ill get there day by day as my bones wont feel like they will break or back hurts.. reckon my body is the same as an 80 yearold..lol... as for the apron im thinking after all this hard work when im done im going to go lift up my new sexy skinny legs on the street make some money for a nip tuck and perky boobs.. lol am taking people if anyone wants to be pimped off...lol... and hey rose yes name is still the same and so is pic havent changed a thing except when i lose weight...

take it easy guys and keep safe...

Hello all. You mention that our aprons will disappear. I wonder at that - as I am 61, and believe the older one is, the less elasticity in the skin. I hope I am proven incorrect, though.
Regards,
Anne
ps. I too am losing weight slowly (but surely), so the end result will be so rewarding. (I have lost 18.5 kilos so far)

You may find this to be of great interest.

I too had the sleeve on....SEPTEMBER 8- EXACT SAME DATE AS YOU

I am about the same age - 4 years older

Just to let you know, I am down exactly 54 pounds from that date - and if you do the math that is exactly


da, da, da, da,..... 24.54 kilograms SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Stop worrying - you are doing great. We are a bit older than some of the other people on the site, and female, and you lost a lot before your operation - I only lost about 6 pounds before --- less than 3 kilograms


CONGRATULATIONS - THE APRON WILL GO, I PROMISE YOU. JUST PLUG ALONG AND KEEP MOVING - WALK, BIKE, ROCK IN A ROCKING CHAIR - ANYTHING WILL WORK.

hello untamed_angel277

your fellow september sleever here. you are doing great. ps did you change your name coz your profile photo i recognize but not your name.................?

i am happy to say that i am doing well. i see u2! what a blessing hey? it could have failed, we could have died, we could have never had the guts to go for the surgery. man that would have been a pitty!

keep going!!!!!!!!!!

cheers

HI Hell 69.....

You have done a wonderfull job congrats on all your weight loss.... i wouldnt stress if i was you.. im the same im over 5 months now and have lost 27kg... i didnt do the opti fast before the surgury so mine started on the day of my op before that i was doing sure slim.. just take each day as it comes i find mine stalls quite often or depending on the meds i take it stalls more but was aware of this before the surgury... wih you saying you get hungry and need to snack i do that also but mine are because of the meds thats the reason i had it done in the first place so instead of eating two snacks of sandwiches in one sitting i have a pice of toast youghrt or glass of milk and that satisfys me more.. if you on any meds you also have to take that into account.. just look at where you have been and what you used to eat to where you are now and what you eat and i bet there is a big change... hang in there and keep up the good work and take each day as it comes and be proud of what you have achieved....

hell_69

OMG - I can only wish to become like you! I think that your weight loss is sensational. If you could drop all that weight pre op - I couldn't even stick to the opti fast!. I am just blown away. I reckon that your body has just said "Hang on and slow down". It is probably just a plateau - don't let it get you down and stay on track. I was just done on Monday and would be happy to lose even 3kg per month!

You are an inspiration to us new sleevers

You have to look at your overall weight loss and accept your body has said *cough* get stuffed no more go away hehehehe 6kg in 2 months after ALL that weight coming off is NOTHING to be sneezed at. I have 10-15kg to go and know after all I have lost that my body is NOT going to shift that last bit without heavy durty work. I am just happy right now where I am so have been very slack, I do plan within the next few weeks tho to kick it up into full on diet to shift that last bit. As for an apron oh my do I have one of those hehehe. It tho has improved so damn much in the last 20kg. My stomach was the last to move any weight off it is sure still huge but the most dramatic weight loss in the way I look and feel has come from the 130kg to 100kg mark. You should now be seeing some of the most dramatic changes this should help you so much :)

applesauce

Hi Hell_69
I'm sorry you're feeling so down at the moment, and having trouble losing weight again.
I read that you've only lost 28kg since the sleeve, but 77kg in the last year.
Firstly, I want to say congratulations - that's a massive weight loss, and you should feel proud of yourself.
And maybe that's why the weight loss slowed down - simply because you have lost so much. I'm only guessing here, and I'm no expert, but perhaps your body just needs to amalgamate that loss before moving again - like a plateau?
Okay, it might be only 6kg in 8 weeks, but that's nearly a kilo a week that's come off and isn't going back on again - sure, less than you'd like, but a definite loss.
But it never hurts to check what you're eating, as I well know. If you look at the thread about what did you eat yesterday, you'll get an idea of what others eat and you'll be able to compare what you eat and see if you think that's more or less what others are having.
Personally, I can eat about 3/4 of a bread and butter plate full of food, not heaped. Depends on what's on the plate, but that's about right. Or 1 egg with 1 slice of toast will fill me up for breakfast; if I scramble the egg and add some ham and cheese, I can't fit in the bread.
I also eat from 'head hunger', especially lately while I've been sick - but I find that I eat stuff that's not good for me, and also I get uncomfortably full.
Also, don't forget that sometimes when you might think you're feeling hungry, you could actually be thirsty. Try having a drink instead, and see if that helps.
I'm sure you know all these things, but sometimes it helps if someone reminds you of them. I'm lucky that a few people have reminded me of the same things over the last couple of weeks.
Oh - and what does the doc say? If you haven't talked to your surgeon, perhaps you should?
Best wishes
Chris

5 months after the op - my weight loss is 28kg - should I have lost lots more?

Reading some things you have written my loss seems small for the time frame.

Are you still dieting??

Maybe that's my trouble - I need to go back to the heavy duty diet I was on prior to my op.

Most of you have had a big weight loss - I am so envious as you have done so well.

I can fit into size 24 pants but need a 26 shirt & they never cover my massive hanging apron - maybe I should get some longer shirts made.

I seem to have small meals but do like to snack occasionally - sometimes though I am just hungry - back on the diet for me I think.

Maybe once a pig always a pig - I think I'll always be huge.

I have not lost weight in over a week & have actually put on .5 of a kg - feeling very depressed at the moment.

Good luck to you all - fingers crossed this end, maybe my weight will drop tomorrow.

Just previewed my post & noted that I have only lost 6kg in the past 2 months - feel like crying.




Oh well, I'll just have to try harder. Wish me luck!!



highest weight (end of Feb '08) - 198.8kg
weight at time of op (end of Sept '08) - 150kg
weight now (end of Feb '09) - 121.6kg
total loss in 12 months - 77.2kg