BKdoll

Hi Nicole, at this time last year, I was having the exact same fears. Your band journey sounds just like mine -- except I put up with it for 5 years because I was so ashamed to be unsuccessful with weight loss even though I had weight loss surgery. Due to my reflux problems and esophogeal spasms, my doctor suggested the bypass. That surgery has never been an option that I wanted for myself. I went with the sleeve the day before Thanksgiving last year and I'm so happy I did! I wasted so much time feeling physically ill, losing sleep because of the reflux episodes and ashamed and now I couldn't be happier with my progress. Good luck with your decision!

I've been growing my dreds for 7 years now and they are quite long. I'm four months out and have been worrying all this time about losing my hair. I was wondering if anyone with dreds experienced hair loss? I don't really know what to expect -- could they just start popping off?! Do they grow more slowly. I heard that most people experienced shedding, but it's hard to imagine how shedding would work for my hair type. I know I should try not to worry about it because there's not much I can do (I've getting my Protein and taking Biotin the whole time, but I know it may be inevitable.

I am nine months out now and I have experienced some breakage. It's on one side of my head and fortunately they are not coming out at the root. Instead, it sort of becomes thread thin in the middle and eventually snaps off. It's happened to less than ten of them. I can still cover it now, but am getting concerned and hoping it won't continue. I'm really working on increasing my Protein intake to help prevent this. I'm also avoiding putting my hair in ponytails just in case it was the elastics which are making it weak. However, since it's only happening on one side, I don't think that's the problem. Good luck everyone!

I like Mio, the berry flavor. I also wil do either fresh lemon or lime. I cut up a lemon or lime and add it to my water pitcher. It gives water a natural bump in flavor which helps me get through more of it.

I like Mio, the berry flavor. I also wil do either fresh lemon or lime. I cut up a lemon or lime and add it to my water pitcher. It gives water a natural bump in flavor which helps me get through more of it.

Thanks Patricia! I hope that's true. It's been such a long journey to grow my hair. I've always wanted to be thin and have long hair. I would hate to think it's impossible to have both at the same time!!

That is so great! And you are doing SO well. 66 pounds lost is amazing! I look forward to seeing your fitness secrets

Hi! I had my band removed and was sleeved on November 23, 2011. I'm tracking my progress on Myfitnesspal and would love to have some friends on there so we can learn from and encourage each other. My username on there is bkdoll. Hit me up if you want to be a buddy or mentor. Also, I live in NYC and would love to meet others who have been sleeved!

Thanks for your inspiring post! And congrats on being a runner.

You are doing great! Congrats.

I know well the feeling you are describing. When I had a band, I would feel stuck and hungry at the same time. It was so strange! Now 4 months out with the sleeve, I never get the stuck feeling. My only complaint would be that although I feel satisfied and stop eating, I am hungry again around two hours after I eat. I am working on paying attention to my body to make sure that I'm eating enough and also drinking more water.

You are rockin that sleeve! You look gorgeous. Congrats on meeting your first goal.

You look great! You're so ready for your Hawaii vaca!

I'm 11 weeks out and I have no problems with popcorn. Not a regular snack, but I certainly have to have some at the movies! I tried eating it around week 7 and that was too premature -- I ate a handful and regretted it for about an hour.

I stayed two nights in the hospital. But unlike some others, it felt like I had surgery and my recovery was longer than when I got the band. The recovery is likely related to because I had a lot of scar tissue from the band - which complicates things (I'd had the band for over five years). Anyway, I had it on Wednesday and planned to return to work on Monday. I was unable to returned to work and ended up submitting an STD claim. I was granted 4 weeks. It took me about two weeks to feel myself again.

You move fast. Good for you!!

I can totally relate to you not wanting to get rid of your clothes. I have a yen for designer clothes, and they have been hard to find seeing as how I was squeezing myself into a 16, which you can rarely find in certain designers. I've decided that I'm going to have my favorites taken in -- which I know can be expensive. And everything else I'll give to Dress for Success. I'm also not allowing myself to buy that many new clothes as I progress. Why spend $200 on a dress I'm only be able to wear for two months? Isn't this a GREAT dilemma?!

That is beautiful. You are changing on the inside and out!

I got the band in 2006 and finally last year decided that I'd had enough of the sliming, throwing up, night reflux, etc. I wasn't eating healthy because I couldn't keep any solid food down, yet, I was surviving on cheetoes and not really losing much. I couldn't take medication - even tiny pills, because they'd get stuck. On November 23, my band was removed and I got a sleeve. I love my sleeve (I wouldn't have said this back in December because I found the recovery more difficult than with the band), but now there are things that I missed all those years with the band that I'm so glad to have back: A few examples: 1. Real meals -- I can eat meat! and many other things that I hadn't had while I had the band. 2. No more waking up gasping for air because of reflux, or the horrible burning feeling in my chest. I sleep well, like a baby, now. I wish I would have given up on the band sooner. No regrets.

I had my band removed and a gastric sleeve done last November 23. I had some of the same concerns you've voiced -- mostly because two doctors told me they suggested the RNY. But I was concerned about the idea of rerouting my intestines and I really wanted the sleeve, so that's what I did. I've found that for me, the rate of weight loss has been faster than the band. And more steady. Comparatively, I think it's slower than RNY. The recovery time for me was longer -- I had a lot of scar tissue from the band. And it took more time before I was able to eat food. but now, 2 1/2 months out, I am able to eat solid Proteins that I had to avoid with the band. I don't miss the sliming, the reflux, the constant back and forth with the fills because we couldn't get it to the right place. I have no regrets, and I wish I would have given up on the band sooner. I was a nervous wreck prior to surgery. In fact, I called the day before and asked to change my surgery to RNY. I wasn't able to because it required other tests. I'm surprised they let me continue with my surgery as much as I was flip-flopping. As someone else mentioned, it's really a personal choice. After consulting the information and your doctor's, make the decision that, in your heart, you feel is right.

that's great! You're shopping your closet. I'm getting a little worried because for the most part, my clothes still fit. Guess this means they were WAY too tight before. All I can do is keep pluggin away!

I drink coffee every now and then and find that it suppresses my appetite. So the only reason I avoid it is to avoid the calories -- cream and sugar or a Starbuck's fancy coffee can really add up!

Cheles, I'm an HR consultant and I go to companies and help them implement market-based salary bands. LOL Do not despair. If you are that far off, you don't have the right job level. Once you start thinking about it, I'm sure you'll find plenty of duties you're doing that put you several levels above where you are. As for the emotional eating, I've been having similar aha moments. Sometimes I instinctively find myself reaching for one of my go-to foods -- like milkshakes. I've picked one up one time, starting sipping and within 5 minutes I felt sick. I haven't craved a milkshake again! It also happened with a cupcake -- ate the whole thing and felt uncomfortable for an hour. Haven't had one of those either. It's great because I'm changing, but I need new techniques to deal with my stress! I'm determined to find healthy outlets. Best of luck to you.

You're right. The pre-surgical liquid diet is really hard hunger-wise. In addition to drinking the shakes and sucking on sugar free popsicles, I just tried to keep in mind that I didn't want the surgeon to cancel my surgery because my liver was huge. I think I had nightmares about it! Good luck. It all gets better from here.

They ain't seen nothing yet. You have so many positive things to look forward to!