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So its been interesting reading so many people saying bad things about the gastric balloon, because for me, even though its very early days, it is going really well. I have lost 8kg since my procedure on May 21st (starting weight 134.9kg which I think is just under 300 pounds?, height 5'6), I am, as advertised, not hungry at all, and while the first week I was cramping somewhat, I haven't vomited or had any nausea at all. I haven't had any issues in the puree stage and am already finding some soft foods are okay too, though I do still feel more comfortable on liquids so I am dialing it back a bit and taking the transition slower as the fullness is hard to (lol) stomach. Speaking of stomachs, even though I intellectually knew better, I think my mind always associated my stomach with my belly, so intestinal pains or discomfort sometimes translated as hunger pains for me I think. I have never been so aware of my actual stomach before and I think that's hugely important to learning how to change my lifestyle going forward. I can hopefully do a better job listening to my hunger and fullness cues because this balloon is taking me to actually listen to the right body part! I wonder if this is something anyone else has experienced as part of their bariatric weightloss journey? I must say I did a LOT of preparation in the lead up to my procedure, I created a folder with all the info I needed for my different stages, as well as recipe ideas, info about possible health issues and troubleshooting for anything that might come up, tracker sheets for water and medication, weight loss, exercise tips for recovery, measurements etc (like you might have in a bullet journal) and I am referring back to my folder and adding to it constantly - which is actually super fun and keeps me motivated! I got some info from my surgeon and dietician, as well as the usual orbera booklet (in digital form, so i printed only the relevant bits - why there are whole pages of slim people who have never needed to consider weight loss procedures in these things I will never know lol) and I also scoured the internets for resources from other hospitals, much of which is more aimed at surgical patients but is still really relevant for me. I think it's a mindfulness thing, because I find that adding to my folder is great way to keep my mind busy and get out of old habits (And I have cute stickers that I put in there too). I was an emotional eater all my life but recently I am realising I am also a boredom eater - so trying to replace those boredom triggers with other things is my main goal, sometimes I find myself even though I am FULL, thinking about eating something out of boredom so I am learning how best to divert my brain with new fun things. I think a lot of people go into the gastric balloon thinking is going to be a quick fix and obviously that isn't the case. Its a tool like any other. They say the average amount lost is around 15kg but as I am halfway there already, and I have at least a year of this, I am quietly hopeful that my goal is in reach ( I want to get below 100kg, so the total amount I want to lose is 35kg over the time I have this balloon). It's still early days for me but I feel hopeful. I can do this. Honestly I'm not sure if my lack of vomming is because I am being so careful with how much I have at once, or because I am tracking the medication and taking that regularly as a preemptive thing, or if I am just one of the lucky ones. Along with not being hungry (at ALL), I am not having any of my regular cravings. I tell people the fullness feels like.... say you stuffed yourself eating a huge meal then someone put a slice of chocolate mud cake in front of you and even though you KNOW it would taste good, the idea of even getting it near your mouth is the last thing you want. Or say you've had a big holiday dinner and now you need to go have a mid-afternoon nap to sleep it off. I feel like that almost all the time right now so there really is no room for temptation. I'm happy to talk about my experience with the balloon insertion, why and how I chose the balloon (and why Orbera), how I put my folder together, or generally answer any questions. And I hope to come back and update on my progress to help keep myself accountable. Sent from my SM-G965F using BariatricPal mobile app

😢 So the local show is on (fair for those in the US) and I started out good, I had a dagwood dog ate 3/4 threw the rest away, had a small cup of soft serve ice cream with choc- sherbet topping didn't finish it. Now this is where I fell down bought 2 yes 2 pizzas to take to work with me (nightshift) only ate half of one over the course of a 12 hour shift BUT ate a whole packet (big) of twisties , a litre of coke, a cupcake, a slice of ice-cream cake (left over from someone's birthday) 2 sausages (left over from BBQ) and 100g caramel coated popcorn and not once did I feel full 😧. jumped on the scales today, 69 gone hello 70 😭Now I am trying to not beat myself up over it but gee its hard to stop when you start down that slope of mindless eating. I know we all slip up none of us are perfect and now I am telling myself Just because you can doesnt mean you should. I cant believe I drank the coke as I ate the twisties without an issue didn't feel bloated or anything 🤔and a whole packet OMG. I get what you were saying now Sleevdiva2022. I was thinking darn it come on sleeve kick in and stop me from doing this lol. Tonight ( nightshift again) hasn't started off any better. Thank goodness the pizza I bought wasn't very nice or I feel I might have finished it off tonight. I hate nightshifts that aren't busy I am always wanting to eat from boredom.

Before you buy a book look on Pintrest there's loads of recipes on there site just type biatric recipes and it will come up with different options and some really good recipes

No not really. depending on your surgeons schedule you will be able to eat soft foods in a few weeks after surgery. and tiny amounts fill you up fast. I was on solids after 2 weeks and it was glorious lol. Because the 2 weeks pre op liquid diet sucked and the post op liquid diet sucked because that point you really cant have any solids until a couple weeks or longer depending on your surgeon. but after the liquids it gets so much better.

you have to stick to the plan and that means NO BURGERS NO eating or drinking whatever you and as much as you like. slow down your eating .you're only just 6 weeks Post op you could do serious damage, your nerves wont be healed yet to give you those "full" signals which is why we get strict eating plans to follow. sorry if I sound harsh but I think someone has to say it. I am sitting here shaking my head at the fact you are eating a full burger at 6 weeks out my god woman what are you doing to yourself. Again just because you can doesn't mean you should.

No you didn’t make a mistake, yes you did the right thing! I promise. Now you just have this to distract you from the thing that was making you miserable in the first place that made you want to get the surgery. So you can’t turn to that for comfort now. Give yourself a lot of grace and visualize yoke healing. I walked, sat when I was pushing it too much. I had a heating pad which was heavenly. Tylenol was my friend, the one with narcotics in it lol I chewed on Gas X like sweet tarts. I loved hot tea, sugar free popsicles. everyone is 10000% correct that you are going to feel amazing. Distract yourself as much as you can. I’m 3 1/2 months out and I love my restriction. It helps me focus, it’s reset my hormones. My cholesterol is almost 200 points down. sending hugs and healing your way.

Super late to this one but I’m scheduled for 17 June Yikes that’s close!

I canceled my first surgery because of concerns I had with the program I was in and doubts I was having in general. I found another program and the psychologist (for the program) and I discussed my concerns I had and she assured me - that once I had clearance if I was still questioning if the surgery was the right choice I could take up to a year to decide on having it (based on their program and my insurance requirements). She also reassured me that if I didn’t want surgery she could work to refer me to the medically supervised weight loss program so I could continue to work on progress. Knowing I have choices is helping me be less anxious. I always advocate for listening to your instincts. Get the answers/information you need to feel confident in the choice you are making. Talk with your therapist or the program psychologist… your PCP or specialist if you have a good relationship with them… nurse navigator in the program (or all of them if need be) to help set your mind at ease so you feel confident in what ever your decision is.

Congratulations!

Congrats! I like the bypass so much better than the band. Cheers and looking forward to your success story. Sent from my SM-S908U using BariatricPal mobile app