Wayward Traveler

It depends on your RMR, which is largely based on height, weight, age and gender. A lot of women are told around 1000-1200 calories. I am pretty tall so I was targeting 1200-1500 at first, and was usually hitting 1250-1300. However, I was hungry and having a hard time getting enough Protein with that range. Around that time I had my thyroid re-checked and my endocrinologist said I was not getting enough calories/protein. I upped it to 1500-1800. After that, I felt better and started losing faster. But that's just me - you should ask your doctor what's best for you. Good luck!

I am a bit clogged up today. What did you take for that? Can I take senna? A lot of people have had that problem (that's why I recommend taking a stool softener before and right after the procedure until your body and diet get settled). My doc said you can take any meds with the balloon that you took without it, but you should consult with your doctor. If things are bad, Miralax and milk of magnesia for a few days has helped others. Even colace have been successful. Good luck! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

That all sounds FANTASTIC!!! :-D Congratulations - keep up the great work!! :-) Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I missed chewing too. That's where eggs, cottage cheese and spaghetti came in handy. But it sounds like you've got a good mix going. Don't forget that you can do broth-based soups in addition to plain broth. My favorite is Progressive Chickarina (i.e. chicken meatball) - so yummy!! :-) Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I have not needed to add Protein to anything, and when I have Protein shakes I prefer the ready-to-drink versions over the powders, so I'm not a good one to ask. But the nutritionist at my doctor's office recommended unjury and Premier Protein. The former has unflavored and chicken Soup versions (in addition to the usual chocolate, strawberry and vanilla) which could be good for mixing with other things. What kind of protein shakes are you doing? Maybe just changing that up would help too? I love Organic Fuel and drink it now just because I want to - not because I have to. More often than not, that's what I have for Breakfast on the way to work in the morning. Popsicles are a good way to get Fluid in without having to drink more Water. You could also try flavored waters. And what about broth-based Soups? Soon fruits and vegetables will help with hydration too. There's more than one way to stay hydrated when you're struggling with water. :-) Here's to hoping things get better soon!! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

After I got past the yuk of the first few days, I was ravenous!! I was probably really hungry like that for 10 days and thinking, what the heck - shouldn't the balloon make me feel full all of the time?!? But that passed and now I do get/feel full. I think it just takes your brain a week or so to catch up to your stomach, or for your body to adjust to the reduced calories or something. So be patient - it will pass. Try to get as much Protein as possible - that will help. Greek yogurt, milk, cottage cheese. You can even add Protein powder to them to beef them up. That will make you feel more full. As will Water. What's the challenge with the water - do you not like it or is just hard to get it all in? If you feel like you're ready to "eat" then you may be ready to start the really soft stuff, like scrambled eggs. That made me feel a lot better. Then I did frozen spaghetti in meat sauce and I chewed it up really well. Something about that was comforting, soothing and satiating. Having said that, some people struggle with Pasta but I have not - especially the frozen stuff since it's so soft. It's very satisfying for me. Ease in to new things to make sure they agree with you. But if you feel ready to move on, you may be. Just don't do too much at once - you don't want to overeat and end up feeling miserable. Hang in there - you're doing great!! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Ah yes ... So Greek yogurt is in, but not quite scrambled eggs. Soon enough. :-) How's it going? What specifically are you eating? Hope all is well!! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I only threw up the first night and the following morning. I was feeling a lot better after a week (I was back to work after 5 days), but I'm not sure I would have felt comfortable on a flight that long that soon. Plus it seems like a lot of people had a worse go of it than I did, so for that reason alone I would not recommend flying that far that soon ... if you can avoid it. :-/ If you absolutely must fly, plan your food carefully and pack whatever you can. You'll still be pretty limited after a week and, even if you were not, you want to make sure that you have healthy options at the ready. I've traveled in the past couple of months and have taken my favorite Protein drinks with me, making sure that I had hotel rooms that had mini fridges. I hope it all works out - good luck! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

If by pureed you mean soft foods too, Greek yogurt and scrambled eggs are your friends ... just not together.

I weigh myself almost every day. Sometimes I lose and sometimes I don't, so I'd probably be better off weighing weekly ... but I like to be aware of where I am daily. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I didn't have that "what have I done?" feeling after day 3, so hopefully you won't either. :-) If you're having trouble getting comfortable, you might want to try downward facing dog - I've heard that can help adjust the balloon into a more comfortable place. If you need to take meds and you're worried about having an empty stomach, try to do so with at least a Protein shake in your belly. I'm partial to chocolate Organic Fuel - I have one almost every day and my regular doctor gave it a thumbs up. It's not as thick and intensely flavored as some of the others, so it's easier to get down. You can buy it at the grocery store by the milk or on Amazon. Keep up the great work - it will continue to get better!! :-) Cheers!! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Hang in there - it will get better! :-) Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

@@athenean - does he at least put the patch on you before he does the procedure and give you the scripts at that time? You're going to need them ... sure would be nice if he hooked you up in advance. I was given prescription Prilosec to take a week in advance but it's the same dosage as over the counter (OTC). You might want to ask him if you can start taking the OTC version beforehand to reduce possible acid issues. Good luck!! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Good luck! Please keep us posted!! :-) Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Hmm ... Good question. I didn't feel anything at first. When I woke up, I pretty much felt normal. It was not until the drive home that I started feeling queasy, but even that was not bad and I could not feel the balloon. It was not until later that day that I could really tell something was there. Even then it felt more like a tummy ache than an object. I noticed it the most when I laid down, and that just felt like some pressure in certain positions (the wedge pillow helped). I probably noticed it most day 2 and for a week or two after, then the sensation started to subside. Sometimes I still feel pressure, but I don't feel it often now, and it's easier to get comfortable when I lay down (I used to only be able to sleep on my left, but now I sleep on both sides and my back). To me it feels more than pressure than an object ... it's hard to describe. I guess it's fullness? But it's a little different. However a lot of people say they feel "the balloon". I have to tell you, there was a day or so there when I thought, what have I done? But fortunately that passed quickly. :-) I've also read about a lot of people who've had it worse than I have, and a lot of people who have had it better. Given that and the statistics from the study, I think I'm pretty much a middle of the road case. I hoped for at least that, so I'm happy. But I would never encourage someone to do it or not to do it ... it's just too personal of a decision. Instead I encourage people to do the research so that they can make an informed decision - the decision that's best for them. Gosh, I don't think I helped much - lol - sorry about that! But I hope it at least helped to provide some insight. Best of luck to you!! :-) Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I was the same as @xingmaltese. I didn't take a stool softener (or Fiber pill/drink) before and immediately after, but I would highly recommend it. :-) That first week you're not taking much fiber in (if any) and you might even struggle to get enough Fluid in ... yet you are getting some Protein in. So things could get, uh, challenging. An ounce of prevention ... Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Happy to see other people out there getting the procedure! Please do share your experiences as it helps others (considering) getting the balloon. There was not much info out there when I did it (and probably still is not much now), so forums like this help a lot! :-) Best wishes to you both!! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I'm not s coffee drinker so I don't recall specifically, but I think I've read others saying that they can't tolerate it. Having said that, I heard the same about Pasta, lettuce and carbonation, and yet I have all of those regularly. I've discovered that the best thing is to try everything yourself and see how it makes you feel. Just ease into them and don't do them all at the same time. For example, pasta was one of my early go to foods and I never had any trouble with it. Once I was ok with simpler soft foods that were a little more bland, I tried a frozen spaghetti and meatballs. It was a good transitional food. The pasta in those is fairly mushy and easy to digest, and the meatballs provide a decent dose of Protein. Since they are portion controlled, they are typically only 350-450 calories each. I continue to keep them handy for a quick and easy meal. So that worked for me, but may not for others. Once you are past that first week or so, you may want to try a little coffee and see how you feel before having an entire cup or more each day. But, then again, after not having it for a week, maybe you won't want/need it anymore, or maybe you will decide to switch to something like tea. :-) Good luck! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Glad to hear all is (relatively) well! :-) Don't let the plateau get you down. It happens. If you stick with it, you will get past it. You can do it!! Things are good here, too. My goal was to get the 35 pounds lost since my procedure by three months and I hit 36 so I'm happy about that. Next big goal is 100 pounds total since my all time high and I'm less than two pounds away from that. I was hoping to get there by the end of the month ... not sure that will happen, but I would think no later than early July. I can't wait to cross that threshold!! It seems like a lot of people stop losing after three months so I will be curious to see if I hit a wall. But I'm still trying and am cautiously optimistic about continued success. I would be happy with 40 pounds total in the six months, but am hopeful I will get to at least 50. Fingers crossed!! Cheers! :-) Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

How exciting!! And I know exactly how you're feeling. :-) I've done a number of posts on this subject. If you check out my profile, you will see them all there (including a references list and my replies the other people who had similar questions). I've included one of my early posts below with some updated info. I would also add that it seems a lot of people suffer from constipation at first so you might want to start taking Miralax or colace before your procedure. Also, Popsicles really helped me those first few days. Lastly, keep in mind that the balloon is a tool, not a solution. I still count calories and Protein religiously. You could easily not lose - or even gain - with the balloon if you're not diligent with your diet. Good luck and please keep us posted!! Cheers! :-) Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Wow - look at you - that's fantastic!! Congrats on your loss ... keep up the great work. :-) Are things "moving" along OK otherwise? Hope so, and hope all is well. Cheers!

The US studies are limited, but my understanding is that where the balloon has been used longer (ex: Europe and Australia), they have seen better results (probably just because they have more data points). I'm not even half way through my six months with Orbera and I have lost 33 pounds. I also know of two men who lost more in that same amount of time (one Orbera and one ReShape). As with most things, a lot of it depends on how much you put into it. It's not a cure, it's a tool. You still have to do a lot of work, counting calories and Protein, exercising, etc.. If you use it to assist you with behavioral modification, six months is more than enough time to establish healthy habits that can last you a lifetime. Best wishes!

Best of luck to you with your procedure! I hope all goes well and that you get the results that you want. :-) Cheers!

Is it worth it ... wow ... that's a big question and one that only you can really answer. For me it has been worth it, but that's just me. Fortunately I have not struggled as much as some others. My procedure was on a Wed AM, I threw up at midnight that night, and then at 8am and 10am the next morning. That's it. By the next day (Fri) I was well on the road to recovery. I even went to a restaurant that Sun and ordered soup, and was back to work Mon. After two weeks I was pretty much back to normal. But some people are sick for weeks and even months. The problem is that you don't know how it will effect you before you do it so it's a gamble. And you really have to be prepared for the possibility that it's going to be miserable. Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst. If you can't get your head around that, then it might not be best option for you. I personally got my head around it by reading the clinical trial results. It addresses all of the different side effects and how many people got them on the first few days, the first week, the first month, etc.. Long story short, most people were only miserable for a few days, so the odds were that I'd be OK after a week or two, and that was good enough for me. But that's just me ... you need to decide for yourself. :-) I hope that helps. Wishing you well, whatever you decide. And if you need any support, please don't hesitate to reach out. Cheers!

@@joni g - thanks so much for sharing. I still have a few months to go, but it's helpful to know what to expect. :-) Best wishes to you on the rest of your journey!