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my weight loss journey is not complete, but I have had my balloon removed (my 6 months was up). I had no major complications or problems with it. The most negative part of the experience was the cramping/nausea during the first 7-10 days after insertion. I am still losing, although more slowly than when I had the balloon, which is more because I've not been sticking to my clean eating plan as much (just a long string of life events getting in the way), but I'm confident that once I return to my "new normal" eating plan, my rate of weight loss will increase.

I had the Reshape, so my experience might be a bit different, but I had bad cramps for about 5 days— around day 3 I was seriously wondering what I’d gotten myself into. I had hiccups and acid reflux for a week as well. The first week genuinely sucks. Try to drink some flat ginger ale today and work your way up to small sips of broth; your body needs the fluids. Take small small sips though because bigger sips will make you cramp even worse. By around Day 5 or 6 you should be able to have some small portions of very soft foods like a puréed potato (no butter or milk) and it will not feel good afterwards, but in about a week the worst really will be behind you. It sucks. It really does. You’re already 15% or more through the worst part though, so just hunker down and you’ll make it through!

The nausea is definitely caused by eating too fast, and that should calm down in a little more time, and there are some veggies that you probably won't ever adjust to until the balloons come out (for me, it was kale). That said, eating slowly is an excellent habit that will help on your longer term journey, so if eating slowly helps prevent the nausea, that's a great way to build that habit. As for the ongoing calorie levels, do you have access to a doctor or nutritionist/dietitian that can help answer that? My husband and I were told to aim for 800-900 calories/day but not to go under 800 too often, as it becomes hard to get enough protein below those levels. But everyone's a little different.

FWIW I am 2 weeks post-removal now and I haven't had any raging appetite changes. I'm still satisfied with the portions I was eating while I had the balloon and I've been maintaining the same eating and exercise habits I had before. I've lost about 4 more pounds, for a total of 69 lb.

first time poster here-- I wanted to start writing a bit about my journey, not just to help other people by sharing my experience but also to help myself express my feelings. Warning, this is going to be a long post! Also I originally wrote this on another forum where there doesnt seem to be a lot of traffic, so I'm copying it here in hopes of more conversation. It's been just about a month since I had the Reshape balloon inserted (October 22). This is one of the various gastric balloons on the market, with the theory being that the balloon will take up some space in your stomach and force you into better portion control. The Reshape is actually two balloons tethered together so if one deflates and tries to exit the stomach, it will be stopped by its still-intact partner. I have been varying degrees of overweight for most of my adult life but after a knee injury 2.5 years ago and a multi-year tendency to poor diet and low activity, I found myself at 367 lb. I've developed osteoarthritis in both knees and one foot, and have been in more or less constant pain since my injury. I've been married for 6 years to a lovely man who shares all of my same bad habits-- we lost a combined 150 lb for our wedding, and without the looming deadline to keep us honest, we put it back on and then some. The Reshape balloon was actually my husband's idea; he did the research, compared the products (including traditional gastric bypass), and then spent about 2 months talking me into it. One of my goals is to lose enough to shut up the orthopedist long enough for him to give me another cortisone shot in my knee (because I would prefer that shot without the side of lecture, thankyouverymuch, and if I can say "well I've already lost X pounds" then maybe he'll just shush up and give me the shot). We enrolled in a program at a major medical university in our area. Each of us got the insertion (and eventual removal) plus an aftercare program (more about that later). My husband's program cost $8000 and his insertion was performed under "twilight" sedation at a hospital-affiliated medical professional building. My program cost around $9400; my weight dictated a different type of anesthesia and also carried higher risks, so I had to go to a proper hospital. Insurance will not cover this procedure, although it looks like insurance might be covering our anesthesia. Possibly. It would be nice to have some of that money back. The day before the insertion, you are required to have a primarily liquid diet, with yogurt being the closest to solid food you're allowed. The day of, you're not allowed even drinking water, and they do turn you away if you've not followed these rules (it happened to a man who was being prepped while my husband was in the recovery area). Once you're checked into the hospital, they give you and IV and take you to the surgical room, and once you get the gas mask on, you're pretty much gone. I have no idea how long I was out, but I was so thirsty when I woke up! You go home after the procedure; no overnight stay. That day isn't too bad, because you're mostly still stoned on the anesthesia. I had no interest in food but forced myself to drink some flat ginger ale and half of a protein shake. I slept a lot. It wasn't awful. The next day, though... ugh... so bad... you're given anti-cramping medicine (and good lord it is expensive) that helps, but your poor stomach is still trying to figure out what's shoved in it, and I spent the next 3 days or so with super angry, violent cramps. I also had bad acid reflux despite a daily Pepcid, and for about a week I had midnight hiccups that woke me up. I was pretty miserable and had even set a deadline "if it's not better by friday, I have to have it taken out." This mirrors my husband's experience (he's ahead of me by one week). I think I had stomach acid come out my nose once. It was really kind of terrible and I don't think I was prepared for just how terrible it was going to be. Those first few days, you're really not feeling like you want a lot of food, and you're supposed to stick to a liquid diet anyway. After about 4 days of this, I was feeling exhausted, run down, nauseous, head-achey and sick. My husband made me a mashed potato-- just one boiled potato, mashed, with no butter and the tiniest bit of milk in it, and it was the most delicious thing I'd ever eaten. It also fixed most of what was wrong with me. My headaches went away, I still felt drained but not bone-tired as I had been, and the cramping stopped, at least temporarily. It would come back when my stomach would get empty but I was getting more interested in food so I made it a point to always have a little something in my stomach. I have a new love of eggs. From there, the meal plan involves slowly introducing more semi-solid and soft foods, with heavy emphasis on proteins, and gradually working towards an unrestricted (although healthy) diet. My husband and I both progressed through these phases faster than the official plan-- we were eating plain boiled chicken breast by the end of Week 1 and salad by the middle of Week 3, when officially you're not supposed to be ready for salad till Week 5. Rice and pasta are not officially banned but they're not favored; popcorn is banned for the whole time you've got the balloon. Menus are built around lean protein, more lean protein, and veggies that are cooked till they're pretty soft. Carbs are part of the plan too, either carby veggies or unprocessed/whole grains like oats or the occasional slice of bread. So how does it feel now? Well, for me, usually it feels like nothing, but sometimes it bothers me, and it's hard to describe it. If I eat something that my body doesn't like-- which tends to be dark, leafy greens, whole beans (like edamame) or tough/fibrous veggies)-- my whole stomach feels heavy and "grabby" for the lack of a better word. It's like a cramp but not quite. And I get the most ferocious after-taste of those veggies. I had some sauteed kale which did not agree with me, and for 2 days I just kept belching up lawn mower bag flavors. Bleurgh. Sometimes I can feel some bit of food that's caught between the balloon and the inside of my stomach, but it's annoying rather than painful. You have to chew chew chew your food to bits while you're eating but sometimes it's hard to be perfect, and your balloon will let you know when you've had one of those times. I have random hiccups a LOT. My nurse says this is usually from eating too fast but sometimes it's first thing in the morning, so who knows. My husband is not as comfortable. He has moderate cramps after almost every meal. The nurse and the dietitian both say that's because he's eating too fast, and he's trying to get better at that. We did get another anti-cramping medicine (not the super expensive one) but he won't take it because it knocks him out. I've never felt the uncomfortably full feeling I'm told will happen when you overeat, but I've not really over-eaten since getting the balloon. But that kale, man, I am not touching that stuff till after the balloon is out. And I think edamame is going to end up on that list too. What's the rest of the program? Our expenses included 12 office visits, to cover a full year post insertion (aka 6 months after removal). We can see the dietitian, a behaviorist, a medical doctor or an exercise specialist (or we can see two in a visit and they count it as two visits, that's fine). We can also email questions to the dietitian or our nurse anytime, as long as they're not long research projects. Apparently participants in their program lose an average of 12lb more than non-participants, or so they tell me. But the nurse was a godsend during those awful days-- she was able to help us get a little relief where possible, and encouraged us to stick with it when we wanted to give up. So how are we doing now? We are both drinking oceans of water, which you must do because it's very easy to become dehydrated. We are currently consuming about 900-1000 calories each per day, spread over 3 meals and sometimes a snack. We tried going for the 5-6 tiny meals a day approach but it's just not for us. The dietitian says it's ok and we should do whatever works for us. We are also exercising 30 minutes a day (every day for him, 5-6 days a week for me) on a recumbent elliptical in our house. Progress so far: I've lost about 19 lb which I think is kind of awesome. My husband has had his balloon for a week more than I have. He's lost about 23 lb. He has 19 weeks to go and I have 20. I don't believe we will keep up this rate of weight loss but I sure would be tickled if we did. Feel free to ask me anything and I'll try to answer!

I lost about 65lb with the balloon. My husband lost 72. I've lost a few more in the couple of weeks since removal. You absolutely have to learn proper nutrition and exercise habits if you want the balloon to be successful--- but this is the same with any weight loss tool. If you haven't addressed the reasons you aren't able to maintain a healthy diet and exercise program, you should consider delaying any surgical procedure until you do. Balloons don't make you lose weight. Gastric sleeves don't make you lose weight. These are merely tools for your toolbox and if YOU don't put in the effort, you won't have anything to show for it.

Your stomach doesn't really change shape or shrink while you have the balloon in, so there's nothing stopping you from reverting to all your previous habits and re-indulging and putting all the weight back on. Nothing except yourself, that is. But 6 months is enough time to re-learn portion control; I have a much better idea now what my body actually needs to live, and what a reasonable serving size is. If I maintain these good habits (exercise, calorie moderation) then I'll do well and continue to lose, and if I backslide, I won't do well. But this is true of any weight loss procedure, as you can have even a traditional gastric bypass and gain weight if you aren't making smart, conscious decisions about what you eat, so I don't feel that I'm at that big of a disadvantage now that the training wheels have come off.

so far so good post-balloon... hubby gets his out on Monday (we are on slightly different timelines because even though we are in the same overall program, we had the insertion/removal at different medical centers). He's lost about 70lb and he looks awesome!!

So I had my removal on Friday. During the week leading up to the removal, I spent 2 days eating only soft foods, then 2 days of an all-liquids diet (including pureed soups, egg drop soup, and commercial protein shakes). The day before the procedure was clear liquids, milk, and smooth yogurt only. I was also told to drink the occasional fizzy beverage (coke zero, mineral water, etc) as that apparently helps remove food particles from the surface of the balloon. Conceptually they want your stomach as empty as possible so that you don't cough anything up during the procedure. Nothing to drink after 7pm the night before. So on the morning of the procedure, I was a little grouchy and very thirsty. I spent about an hour doing all the pre-checks, then they knocked me out and did their thing. It seems to have taken them longer to wake me up this time around (I think they may have been a little worried) but I seem to have survived haha here I am. After another hour or so in the recovery room, they sent me home. Apart from a WICKED sore throat and a big bruise where they put the IV in, I actually wasn't feeling too bad. No nausea, a little cramping but not anything I needed even a tylenol for. The worst side effect was probably the gas; they do puff you up while you're under the anesthesia, and all that gas finds its way out eventually. So it's probably best to clear your social calendar for 3 days or so, unless you want to fart up your blind date or your high school reunion. Like others mentioned, I was wickedly hungry once I got home, but that's no surprise; I'd had a whopping 400 calories the day before (really hard to rack up the calories on diet soda, broth and yogurt) and hadn't chewed in almost a week. Outside the single day, though, I've not noticed any real difference in my appetite, so this is good; it means my portions are enough to keep my body happy and comfortable without giving myself extra calories. So really the removal is fairly unremarkable compared to the misery of the insertion. I'm pretty much back to normal although my throat is a bit scratchy still. Would I recommend the balloon to someone? I would, but only in conjunction with an actual support program that included access to a dietitian/nutritionist, a behaviorist/counselor and a doctor. I believe it's an excellent tool to help reshape your eating behaviors, but that you need other tools as well, and your weight loss program has got to help you get those tools. Oh and the final totals... I lost 65 lb in the 5 months and 3 weeks that I had the balloon, which I think is pretty darned good. More importantly, I think I am in a place where i can continue to lose now that the balloon is gone. I've also lowered my resting heart rate by ~25 beats per minute, lowered my blood pressure from the "needs medication" range to the high end of normal range, and lowered my blood sugars from pre-diabetic to the high end of normal range. Good stuff

So we're just past the 5-month mark and I just got the notification of removal date, which will be April 19th. My husband's removal is April 29th so end-to-end he'll have his balloon in for about 2 weeks more than I have mine. As of today I've lost about 60lb, I say "about" because I had a different scale when I first started, but if it's 58lb or 62lb, either way, I'm pretty happy with that. I will probably end up right around 65lb lost, and my husband has been doing great- he will probably end up in the 70-75lb loss range. I am not looking forward to the actual removal, as I have to do 3 days of liquid diet (which can include smoothies, yogurt, etc) and 1 of clear liquids only. I've started taking some night classes so I'm worried about my ability to concentrate while on a diet like this, as well as the logistics of that last "clear liquids only" day since that's a work-then-school day but I assume I'll survive, so I'll stop complaining (for now). I have to admit, while I'm definitely happy with my progress, I'm also a little disappointed; I'd had daydreams of losing 80lb or more during the 6-month balloon period, and I think that is one of the lessons I really need to learn: be proud of what I've done so far, and stop feeling like it's somehow not good enough. It's plenty good. I also need to learn to give myself credit for what I've done (and my husband needs to do this as well), because losing weight is hard work. The gastric balloon isn't some magical short-cut; if anything, it's harder than doing it on your own because those first couple of weeks suuuuuuuuuuuuck. We're taught as kids that it's bad to be boastful, but honestly there are some things that we just have to boast about, and this is one of them. Going forward... I don't really expect any major changes to our lifestyle once the balloons come out. We're still eating around 1000 calories/day and exercising 30 minutes 5-6 times a week, and there's no reason we can't sustain this. I don't think the portions we are consuming to get those 1000 calories are so small that we'll feel hungry without the balloons. We certainly don't feel deprived-- in my previous career, I was a chef, so I can *cook* and my husband is no slouch either-- and we've managed to have the occasional night out (and yes, even dessert and beer). So this is perfectly sustainable. We just need to sustain it. Big lesson for now: this never ends. We don't reach our goals then revert back to our unhealthy habits. This is the new normal, and that's a big realization, but I'm totally okay with it.

yes @Frustr8 thank you for asking! Just very busy. I've recently started taking some classes (two nights a week plus saturdays) and my job has been very hectic, so I've cut my social media usage a fair bit. But I'm still around and still doing well! Currently I'm at 52lb lost in about 4.5 months, which makes me very happy. My balloon will come out in about 6 weeks but I feel fairly well equipped for the next stage!

I haven't decided yet-- a lot of it depends on how I do in the first 3-6 months after the balloon comes out. If I can keep my good habits and maintain a steady weight loss (even if it's not at this rate), then the ideal way forward for me would be no new procedures until I am ready for excess skin removal (which I am fairly sure I am going to need). But I would consider another balloon, or a sleeve, if that's what was required to get the results I wanted. I would probably also consider a proper gastric bypass, but one of those semi-permanent procedures is more appealing to me. So ask me again in a few months I do think I've learned a LOT about my relationship with food, and also about the mistakes I made last time I had a significant weight loss, and I feel that my aftercare program has been a huge resource for me. I think I have the tools I need to be successful; I just have to stick with it!

Today I reached 40lb lost, which is pretty fantastic. 3.25 months. The scale has been super stubborn for the last two weeks but I put on a shirt that I’ve not worn since last year, and it’s feeling quite roomy. I am in the middle of some big lifestyle changes that include a new job, some school, and some big changes to the social life, so the next 3 months will be more challenging, but I’ve got a really good foundation now, and I’m going to stay on track.

It's been about 3.5 weeks since my last doctor's visit and since then I've lost another 11 lb, bringing me to a total of 37 since my balloon was inserted on October 22. Impressive, especially with all the holidays in there. I have learned a LOT about food, my body, and my relationship with food since my procedure. I think for anyone considering the gastric balloon, the before- and after-care has got to be part of the package. It's been the difference-maker for me. I'm almost at the halfway point and had originally been hoping for a 50lb loss (although I told myself I'd have been satisfied with 40) but I think I will realistically be able to wind up in the 60-70lb range. I will still have a long road ahead but that will be one heck of a start.

Yes indeed! I’m really happy with how things are going!

Just about two weeks since my last update and I've lost another 4.5 pounds, which is pretty awesome considering I've had to navigate Christmas dinner with the extended family, a quasi-anniversary with my husband (went out for tapas and sangria, yum!), New Years Eve, and a nasty head/chest cold that made me cut some of my workouts short in that time frame. Cruising right along!

Quick update. Went for a routine visit to my weight loss doctor. I'm officially down 26 lb since October 22 (I think that makes it exactly 8 weeks? I can't count haha) and my husband is down 29. Not too shabby! Especially considering that we had Thanksgiving, a few Christmas parties, and some other "special occasion" type things going on. We're both eating around 900-1000 calories/day most days. I'm using the recumbent elliptical 5 times a week, 30 minutes each time; and my husband is doing 30 minutes, 7 days a week. We make most of our meals from scratch. The things we buy pre-made are things like granola and hummus where there's lots of fairly unadulterated options. We use a lot of ground chicken -- it's high protein, low fat/calorie, and very versatile. Happy to share recipes! Right now, not having a lot of negative side effects; I still have to chew chew chew my food to bits, unless I want really nasty burps the next day, but that's fairly easy to do, now that I'm in the habit. But no cramping, pain or bloating (yay!). My doctor thinks if I just keep doing what I'm, doing, I should be realistically able to expect to lose another 50 pounds or so in the 4 months before the balloon comes out. That would be pretty awesome in my book Most of my visit today was just reinforcing that the balloon is just a tool, and not the reason I'm losing weight; we talked about ways to start getting ready now for continued weight loss post-balloon. I'm really happy with how things are going. Almost halfway through with balloon time....

Yep, that’s basically it hahahahaha I think he stood still for about 5 shots and I consider myself lucky we got those!

I can probably be persuaded to share photos once I get a little closer to the After. Hubby doesn't do photos haha. You have no idea how hard I had to bargain to get him into the wedding photos!

You're correct! The balloon stays in for 6 months. From what I understand, stomach acid deteriorates the balloon over time and the risk of breakage or leaking increases after 6 months. You can, however, get one balloon removed and a new one inserted in the same procedure (you have to pay for the new one).

I realize I'm replying to a somewhat old post, but I couldn't let this go without a response. Yes the gastric balloon is expensive, but the "ineffective waste of time" is not accurate at all. Like any weight loss or weight maintenance routine, you will be more successful if you put in effort. There is no magic wand that will allow you to eat whatever you want, whenever you want, in whatever quantity you want, forego exercise, and maintain a perfect physique. That just doesn't exist. The gastric balloon can be extremely helpful as a part of an overall program, especially if you need to lose a lot of weight fairly quickly (such as someone who has limited exercise options due to injury). You will be SIGNIFICANTLY more successful with a gastric balloon if you combine it with behavioral analysis (understand why you have the dietary habits you do and learn to have better habits), nutrition/dietitian guidance, and exercise. While there are a small number of people who don't tolerate the balloon well and should have it removed early in the process, the majority of people who use it in conjunction with appropriate medical and behavioral insight will be successful. This is true of EVERY weight loss procedure and product on the market.