my story
I had the sleeve on June 9, 2006. So far I am 75 pounds down and working very hard to keep it up. I have a lot of weight to still lose. I am looking to hear how other people managed to keep on track after the initial "honeymoon" phase is over.
I am hungry(I THINK) I also have lost vast amounts of hair. I am starting to add a biotin suplement to my program. Does anyone have any other suggestions? I swim 4-5 days a week and need to make contact with others who have had my surgery or other WLS to compare notes as my surgeon is a 2 hour drive away and hasn't done this procedure before. I have learned alot over the net but would like to hook up with a group like this for support. I would appreciate any input you all might have.
Toni
Well, the sleeve is half of a DS, so you're welcome over on the DS board. There is also a board specificly for people who've had just the sleeve: http://obesityhelp.com/forums/VSG/
You had your surgery on my 40th birthday, so definitely an auspicious day 
Congratulations on your weight loss so far. That's great in less than 5 months.
Since you do not have the malabsorption to assist you, the DS'ers mantra of "fat is your friend" does NOT apply to you. So the first thing I would ask is - what are you eating? If you're not sure, then start tracking it on a site like www.fitday.com or www.sparkpeople.com. Next - your honeymoon phase is more than just 5 months, so don't think you're over and done with.
Like a Bander, what you'll need to be wary of is highly caloric foods in small packages......such as Cokes, candy, ice cream, etc. You are dependant solely on surgical restriction, to limit the number of calories you consume, so you want to make sure that you're getting in good healthy food for each bite that you take.
Unlike a RNY'er, you still have your pyloric valve, so you *can* drink with your meals, but a general plan like they use would be useful to you to encourage food to stay in your stomach longer & require more digestion.
Because of the way the partial sleeve gastrectomy is performed, they remove the outer curvature of the stomach, which is one of two areas where the hunger hormone, ghrelin, is produced. What that does is reduce your physical craving to overeat or what some people think of as head hunger. However - what you may be feeling (and perhaps for the first time) is true *hunger*......ie, your body crying out for fuel, which is what it is *supposed* to do.
Focus on eating regularly - four to five times a day, with protein & vegetables as your primary focus. Limit carbs (especially simple ones) and fat (since you don't have the benefit of malabsorption like DS'ers & RNY'ers do).
Oh, and as for your surgeon - it doesn't matter that he's two hours away....he's seconds away by phone. If you need help, CALL him. My surgeon is in *Brazil*.....if I need him, he's only a phone call or email away.
Good luck!
--BT
Congratulations on your weight loss so far. That's great in less than 5 months.
Since you do not have the malabsorption to assist you, the DS'ers mantra of "fat is your friend" does NOT apply to you. So the first thing I would ask is - what are you eating? If you're not sure, then start tracking it on a site like www.fitday.com or www.sparkpeople.com. Next - your honeymoon phase is more than just 5 months, so don't think you're over and done with.
Like a Bander, what you'll need to be wary of is highly caloric foods in small packages......such as Cokes, candy, ice cream, etc. You are dependant solely on surgical restriction, to limit the number of calories you consume, so you want to make sure that you're getting in good healthy food for each bite that you take.
Unlike a RNY'er, you still have your pyloric valve, so you *can* drink with your meals, but a general plan like they use would be useful to you to encourage food to stay in your stomach longer & require more digestion.
Because of the way the partial sleeve gastrectomy is performed, they remove the outer curvature of the stomach, which is one of two areas where the hunger hormone, ghrelin, is produced. What that does is reduce your physical craving to overeat or what some people think of as head hunger. However - what you may be feeling (and perhaps for the first time) is true *hunger*......ie, your body crying out for fuel, which is what it is *supposed* to do.
Focus on eating regularly - four to five times a day, with protein & vegetables as your primary focus. Limit carbs (especially simple ones) and fat (since you don't have the benefit of malabsorption like DS'ers & RNY'ers do).
Oh, and as for your surgeon - it doesn't matter that he's two hours away....he's seconds away by phone. If you need help, CALL him. My surgeon is in *Brazil*.....if I need him, he's only a phone call or email away.
Good luck!
--BT 
The hair loss, telogen effluvium is the official name, is usually caused by rapid weight loss which is a stress to the body. Usually it isn't caused by a deficiency. I lost hair in 1988 when losing on the Weigh****chers program and I did blood tests saw doctors and was diagnosed with TE. Means more hair go into a resting stage than normal and those are the ones that fall out. Anyway, having lost hair in 1988, I expected it with WLS. And yup, I got it.
I can tell you that I had surgery in May of 2005. My hair started falling out in August of 2005. That lasted til late September or so. Then in late October early November, I started seeing sprouts of new growth. My hair filled in from there. It took months to fill back in as the hair grew but it got there.
Good luck, Kathy
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