marfar7

Oh, do me, do me. I was just commenting on a fb sleeve forum the other day at how dissapointed I was only losing 22 lbs in 4 mths. Someone then told me I had lost 50% of my excess weight in 4 mths (22 lbs to goal - started lower at 174 - was a band revision). Here's my stats (I'd do it myself but I eeked out a C in college algebra and barely passed college stats): SW: 248 CW: 152 GW: 130

I started with a bmi of 28 (band revision) and lost 14 lbs the first month. Since then (4 mths post op) I've lost a total of 22 lbs. While that doesn't look like alot, I've lost 50% of my excess weight in 4 mths, which is fabulous. I knew it would come off slower, since I started out much lower. And those last 22 r definitely the hardest! Good luck to u

My hunger came back on day 10 post op (4 mths ago). I was on full liquids for 4 weeks. I won't lie, it was really hard. I ate alot of split pea Soup and I will vomit if I ever see it again! 3 days before my soft diet was to start, I planned my 1st meal. Refried Beans with a pinch of cheese, taco sauce and a dab of sour cream. It was amazing. Like eating steak and lobster. Not sure my dr got any Ghrelin out of me, even tho he took 85% of my stomach. I see so many people on here with no hunger and I'm jealous. By now, I'm sposed to be eating 3 meals a day, no snacking + 1 Protein shake if I need it. I eat maybe 6 bites at mealtimes. I've done the math - 3 meals of 6 bites + protein shake= 400 calories. I'd starve if I didn't eat Snacks. And I'm hungry within 2 hrs of eating. Sometimes I feel like a pig if say, my husband and I were traveling a few days ago. I had eaten Breakfast (cereal) at 10 am. By 12:30 I was starving but scared to say anything for fear I'd hear "You're hungry AGAIN? U just ate". I told him of my fear (after he mentioned he was hungry and we stopped for lunch) and he laughed and said he was just joking when he said that. Not to fear him. He's gained weight since my surgery. He eats alot of my leftovers. He told me today that I have to quit offering him my leftovers. I keep a baggy of almonds in my purse for those times where I'm starving and I may make an unhealthy choice. Works with about 8-10 almonds. Good luck to u. As a matter of fact, I ate dinner about 90 mins ago (about 5 bites of leftovers steak and 3 bites of broccoli) and I'm now hungry again. 1 burger is about 4-5 meals for me.

I also had my band in 2009. Lost 104 lbs in 18 mths and then it slipped. I guess vomiting everyday can cause that! The nightime reflux started. After numerous unfills/fills/tweaks, it never fixed itself. I gained 30 lbs 4 mths ago, I revised to the sleeve (in 1 surgery). While I've only lost 22 lbs in 4 mths (knew Id lose slower cuz I started at 174), I'm loving my sleeve so far. I take Prilosec twice a day most likely forever. If it takes 2 pills everyday forever to keep obesity and reflux away, I will do it. I have 22 lbs to goal. Ive lost 50% of my excess weight in 4 mths. I guess it's not too bad. Im going to start watching more of what I put in my mouth. Ive been tossing around the same 2 lbs for the past month. Maybe my nighttime snacking is the culprit? I will get to 130 someday. I'm now in a size 8 (from a 22 4 yrs ago) and if I never lost another lb, Id be happy. And I've only vomited once since being sleeved, vs almost everyday with the band. And I dont have to drive 3 hrs each way and pay $180 for every fill/unfill (at 1 point after my slip, I was in there 5x in 1 mth). The constant adjustments are not fun at all. Good luck with ur decision. I will say this: The sleeve was a much more painful post op recovery than the band. My band was easy peasy. Sleeve was not fun at all. Used the liquid Vicodin for 12 days. Was in the hospital 48 hrs (average stay) vs 24 hrs with the band. But would I do it again? Absolutely! Just not vomiting everyday was worth it for me...

I got the starving feeling back on day 10. And u can't convince me that what I've felt as hunger for 46 yrs in acid (and I take a PPI 2x a day). I know what hungry feels like. I was on full liquids for 4 weeks so I ate alot of split pea Soup (filled me up at about 1/4 of a cup) and cream of tomato soup those first few weeks. When I moved on to soft foods at week 4, I ate alot of tuna salad, chicken salad, egg salad, scrambled eggs, refried Beans, and chili. It took alot more soft foods than regular foods to fill me up however. When I started eating regular foods at week 8, I could only eat about 6 bites before feeling full (totally different than pre wls full) When I hit my soft foods stage (wk 4), my instructions were to eat 3 meals a day + 1 Protein shake with no snacking. one day I added up the calories of my 6 bites 3x a day + my Protein Shake = 400 calories. I was literally starving. I started eating a few bites when I was hungry. Worked. While I've only lost 22 lbs in 4 mths (50% of my excess weight), I feel I'm getting there. Only have 22 lbs to goal. I now wear a size 8 and if I didn't lose 1 more lb I'd be much happier than when I was 250 and a size 22. Eat high protein Snacks. I keep a baggy of almonds and Jerky in my purse cuz if I let myself get too hungry, I make poor choices. I've tossed around the same 2 lbs this past month so this week I'm gunna start counting calories again, eating more protein and less carbs. While I LUV carbs, I think I eat way too many of em.

Getting a leak was my worst fear after my surgery July 16th. I was so scared of even eating Jello, cuz it was too solid I thought it would cause a leak. Didn't cheat once on my 4 week liquid diet cuz I was too scared (cheated the 2nd week after my lapband surgery). Every little pain I was convinced was a leak. Ended up in the ER on day 5 due to a bad med reaction, thought it was a leak. Thank God I had no complications. I wish u the very best and hope things start to get better for u.

I'm in the same boat. 4 mths post op and losing and gaining the same 2 lbs over the past month. While I started at a lower weight (174 - was a band revision) I think losing 22 lbs in 4 mths is a bit ridiculous. I had wls so I can quit dieting and counting calories to me is dieting. So I eat whatever I want just a few bites of it. Now, after eating my previous words, I think I'm going to start counting calories, keeping it under 1000. I really would like to lose the 22 lbs I have to goal. And what I'm doing isn't working. Guess I'm gunna have to cut back on the carbs (cookies, bagels, cereal, etc) and increase my protein. Don't know what to tell u about Smoothie King, since I live on the West Coast and I've never heard of them. We have Jamba Juice and my fav smoothie (and it's 1/3 less calories than the regular) is 250 calories for a small. Way too much, unless it's breakfast and then I'm hungry about an hour later. I think I'll leave smoothies for occasional treats. Good luck to u!

I've lost and gained the same 2 lbs for the past 6 wks. Im only 4 mths but like the previous poster, Im only 22 lbs from goal and I think that has something to do with it. I know I could speed up my weightloss by watching what I put in my mouth more often, but its the reason I had wls - so id never have to diet again. That's my story...

I used to get ads on verticalsleevetalk for Pizza Hut occasionally. I asked on the forum what was up with that and numerous people told me that the ads r what you've recently searched for online. I was busted. Had recently ordered from Pizza Hut!!

I'm 3 1/2 mths out and I eat less than 1,000. Rarely go over that. And I no longer do Protein shakes so all of thats just food I eat on the higher side of everyone on here. I only have 22 lbs to goal (was a band revision) and I'm in no hurry, so I'd rather eat more and have less losses...

I had my lapband placed in 2009. Lost almost all of my weight (111 lbs) and then it slipped. They defilled me to see if it would fix itself. It didn't. I was told it wasn't surgical and that "it was all up to me" now - the lapband was done with it's job. After a year, and 30 extra lbs, I decided to revise to the sleeve. My insurance paid for it cuz it was a lapband complication. Had my sleeve revision in July. It took my dr an extra 30 minutes to dig my band outa my stomach. Not sure what would've happened if it had stayed in there any longer. So happy with my sleeve. It's going pretty slow (lost 22 lbs in 3 mths). I knew it would come off slower cuz I started lower (174), and I'm only 23 lbs from my goal of 130. I've only vomited once since being sleeved (vs almost everyday- even while totally unfilled with the band) No more pain while eating either. My dr doesn't recommend the band to anyone anymore. He fixes more complication than sees those with none. While I'm thankful that my band allowed me to lose over 100 lbs, I'm also thankful that its out and I'm on my way back down. Good luck with ur decision! Marci

It amazes me how drs differ on their opinion on doing it at once. The day before my revision I asked my dr what my chances were of waking up in the recovery rm without a sleeve and he said "nil". He Always does them at once. And he's a Center of Excellence and has an amazingly low % of complications. If it can be done safely by 1 dr, whay can't it be done by all? He said it didn't matter about scarbtissue. He's cutting it out anyway. At least 15% of ur stomach wont be affected and that's all they leave anyway. Not understanding why such a long wait between surgeries.

Thank God my dr does the majority of revisions at once. In fact I asked him the day before my surgery what my chances were that Id wake up in the recovery room with no sleeve. His answer: "NIL". And my dr is in a Center of Excellence so I trust his opinion. It took an extra 30 mins for him to dig my band outa my stomach so the recovery was more painful than I had imagined. If I had to go thru that while still waiting for my sleeve, I mightve chickened out. I had buyers remorse for a couple wks afterwards but the truth was I NEEDED to have my band out so why not get sleeved at the same time? Not sure why some drs prefer to do them separately and some do them at once. If they CAN physically be done by 1 dr, why can't others do the same thing?

I asked my dr what my chances were of getting rid of my slipped lapband induced reflux after the sleeve. He said low. That I will probly be on a PPI forever. If I hafta take 2 pills a day forever in lieu of losing 100 lbs, Im willing to do so.

Im terrified that taking 1 bite too much I will eventually stretch my sleeve (im 3 1/2 mths out). Not sure how im gunna be ay 1 yr out. My dr said that the stretchy part of the stomach was taken out but over a year the capacity can grow to hold 8oz, but never more. Seems like alot now but originally my stmach could hole about 5x that much, so I should be relieved. Im also a little panicked that my sleeve will stretch. I can still only eat 1 egg/1 pc bacon. When that gets to 2 eggs, I will reevaluate

I haven't felt "full" in 4 yrs (was lapbanded 4 yrs ago. Revision 3 1/2 mths ago). I just KNOW when I've had enuf. If I go past that point I will vomit. Thankfully since being sleeved I've only vomited 2x (vs almost daily with the band). So, no. I never actually feel "Thanksgiving full". Its a different feeling. Im scared if I feel full that I will slowly stretch my stomach and it will take more and more food to satiate me

I've only attempted to use my wls card my dr gave me once. Hometown Buffet. They refused to accept it. Too bad cuz Im truly a waste of money at a buffet I always order off the regular menu and end up bringing at least 2/3 of whatever it is home. Sometimes (like at Chipotle) it ends up being about 4 extra meals for me. I end up tossing it in a couple days when Im sick of it. I don't order off the kids menu cuz its usually crap (pizza, chicken nuggets, grilled cheese). I have several times ordered off the senior menu (most places will give it to u without ID) but its not much less than a regular portion. Just cheaper

Congrats! Ur doing well. I couldn't even see my cell phone keyboard to type the day after surgery, I was so gorked on medication. The only thing I got in the hospital was Protein shakes and bottles of Water. no broth, no Jello, no Italian ice. Ur lucky! Good luck!

Not even sure what Protein chips r?? Plz share ur info...

I'm 3 1/2 mths post op and I never measure or weight anything. I go by what my tummy tells me. I take a bite. Put the fork down, Chew, chew, chew. Take another bite and go on...till I get that little nagging "I think u've had enuf" from my tummy. Today I actually counted the bites on my soft chicken taco. 4. 4 bites. About 1/2 of a small taco. Got 2 free tacos at Del Taco for signing up online with them. Thats 3 more meals for me. Just to give u an idea...

Wait till ur on regular foods. It's easier to eat 4oz of yogurt than it is to eat 4oz of steak. I'm 3 1/2 mths post op and can only eat about 2-3oz of a TOTAL meal (including Protein, veggies and a carb). I'm hungry again in 2 hrs, but thats beside the point! They took out 85% of ur stomach. Don't worry. You won't be able to eat like you did pre op. I promise...

I never had even heartburn, let alone reflux, until my lapband slipped almost 2 yrs ago. Then I got severe nighttime reflux. So bad that I'd wake up with a burning in my throat with brown ick on my pillow or vomiting in the middle of the night. Prilosec (RX version) took care of most of it, but I still had occasional reflux. After my sleeve, my surgeon switched me to RX Pepcid. The following week, I had constant heartburn. So bad that I chewed about 40 Tums a day. A week after this, I took it upon myself to start my old RX Prilosec again. It worked. No more heartburn or reflux. Now the only time I have problems with reflux is when I've eaten something greasy within an hr of going to bed (like normal people get it). I haven't had a Tums in about a month. I decided that if I have to take 2 20mg Prilosecs a day for the rest of my life in lieu of being fat, I'll take it. I may still have problems with reflux, who knows. I take my meds as directed. I will definitely take taking pills to combat reflux for the rest of my life. Not sure what I'd do in ur situation. I would try to take a PPI now and see if that helps ur reflux now. Then maybe give it a couple mths to see if it works. Then choose whether to have the sleeve or not. Obviously if no PPI's don't work now, they probly won't work after 85% of ur stomach is cut out. If it works well, then maybe that same PPI (they all work differently, so u may have to try a few) will control ur acid after the sleeve too. Good luck with ur decision...

I guess I feel lucky in that I can eat 1 candy and be satsified. If something isn't around, I crave it that much more. When I quit smoking over 20 yrs ago, I kept a pack of cigs in the drawer for a year. I knew they were there "just in case". Thats the way I feel about chocolate or Starburst, or whatever. As long as I have 1 pc in the house "just in case", I'm good with not eating it. FIL bought 5 huge bags of YUMMY candy (in the past I've bought crap that I would never eat) He bought Snickers, Reeses, Kit Kats, Starburst, and Mounds and I plan on eating 1-2 pcs (if there's any left). Not sure there will be enuf trick or treaters to finish off 5 bags of candy. Oh well. Lucky thing 1 pc satisfies me. It's too bad it takes a whole tub of popcorn to satiate me, however

Congrats! Keep up the momentum!

Is the "pre op" a mistake? Did u mean post op? I dreamed about my first soft food for 4 wks (I live with the food nazi and I knew he'd tattle on me to my dr if I cheated even 1 day early). Went grocery shopping and had everything I needed for the big event. I microwaved 1/4 cup refried Beans topped with a pinch of shredded sharp cheddar, taco sauce with a little dollup of sour cream. Best thing Id ever eaten. The following 4 wks I ate alot of eggs, mashed pots, canned tuna and chicken, tilapia, beans, and cheese. After that 4 wks of aoft foods I enjoyed my 1st salad. Wow. Was it yummy...