NewBeginnings2018

Another band conversion here! I'm 3 months post op and my weight loss has been SUPER slow. Looooooong stalls. I feel fantastic though and am thrilled to no longer have my band in! I nevr realized how much it bothered me until it was gone - life is so much more pleasant now. I'm glad to know I am not alone with the slow weight loss. I am still bound and determiend to get to goal!

I will chime in as another who has converted from a lap-band to a sleeve and am a bit shocked at my results thus far. I have lost weight since surgery, but certainly nothing like I anticipated I would. I also have had major stalls, and put weight back on somehow (?!!), that I've been able to get back off but now need to keep the scale moving south. I am following my doctor's plans too, but find I am hungry. I knew I might not be as successful as I was a prior WLS patient - I just didn't think it would come so soon. Here is where I am at with it. 1) Life is so much better than it was as I have no pain, no discomfort, and can eat without issues. After 10 years with the band this is HEAVENLY!! 2) I'm going to have to work for this, and that's just the hard reality. I am now tracking everything I put in my mouth and staying away from complex carbs (I am eating fruit and veggies). 3) I am going to NEED to exercise, which is a challenge for me to fit into my crazy schedule but there is no way around this either. It's for sure a bit discouraging and I get what you are dealing with and I've had my own moments, trust me. I just kind of got to the "it is what it is" stage and am now trying to focus on what I can change. At the end of the day I can only control what I eat and how much I move - the rest is not up to me. (And just for the record, I have lost 14 pounds since surgery - the rest was before.)

I had a small salad of cucumber and tomatoes with some balsamic vinegar. It was sooooooo good!

I used Newton Wellesley and have been very happy. Great program, lots of support and education, and I felt like I was in very good hands. Whole process was about 3.5 months for me, and it was covered by insurance. Good luck!

I did not have a slipped band and had zero issues getting approved for a revision surgery. The way my surgeon was talking is that the band is considered "failed" if you haven't lost sufficient weight.

The same thing happened to me. I lost the first week then stalled for 2.5 weeks. It was very frustrating but I really did just try and focus on healing and figured it was my body trying to figure out what was going on. The scale has started moving again, but I am definitely the person that drops then goes up 1 or 2 pounds hangs there for a bit, then drops lower - repeat cycle. I had dreams of the weight just falling off every day but I have adjusted my expectations. You're doing great!

It was a long phase for sure - you kind of have to power through it. I ate a lot of refried beans with a little bit of melted cheese. Sometimes I'd add a spoonful of guacamole too.

I'm keeping it low key as well. My parents and sisters know, my husband of course and a few select friends. That's all I plan to tell. I just feel like it's not their business.

This sounds completely like me. Was sleeved 1/8/17, lost 8.5 pounds in the first week, put back on 2 pounds then stayed there for 2.5 weeks. By a month out I had only lost 10 pounds and was so worried my surgeon was going to be disappointed. They told me I was right where they wanted me though and I've started to dial back my expectations. I think in my mind I thought the weight would just fall off in droves like it did the first week and I think that's unrealistic, for me anyway.

I'm just ending my puree stage and have to say that it's been a real struggle to feel satisfied during this stage. The meal that seems to work the best for me is refried beans thinned out with a little taco sauce or salsa juice (no chunks) and some melted cheese. I've been eating it like 3 times a day though - I am SO ready for solid proteins! lol I've heard it's a different ballgame when that time comes and we will feel restriction.

I think it's very hard to find your full this early in the process. I'm not sure I've found it and I'm at the end of my pureed stage and am starting to introduce real foods tomorrow. I've heard once you are eating solid proteins it's a different ballgame. Personally I don't think the first month is about reaching your fullness level as they limit portion size to help the stomach heal. The first few weeks are tough no doubt. Hang in there and maybe reach out to your nutritionist for some guidance.

I'm still on pureed foods (transition to adding in foods tomorrow - whohoo!) so I can't really comment yet. I have not thrown up, but have not pushed any boundaries and have followed the rules. I haven't gotten "stuck" at all but again, not much to get stuck on with purees. I am definitely less hungry but I still do feel hunger.

I converted from the band to the sleeve about 4 weeks ago. I am still too new to give much insight but I can say it already does feel different. I always had a constant pressure and tightness feeling in my chest and that is completely gone. For me, they were able to remove my band (I was 10 years out) and convert in the same surgery. So far, so good!

The thing that really stuck with me is when my surgeon commented that what's different with WLS is the metabolic change your body goes through. It's a physical change whereas all those things I've tried in the past were not. That is what made me decide to go for it.

I would call your surgeon's office and talk to them. I was sleeved the day before you and have none of those issues. Everyone heals differently but you could be dehydrated if you aren't getting in your water.

I largely kept my lap band a secret for 10 years, although I had mixed results with weight loss so it wasn't really all that hard. haha. I am planning to keep my sleeve secret as well. I have told a few close friends and family members, but have not told my in laws or a bunch of folks who I see regularly. I just don't feel like I have to tell everyone. Right now in the early stages it's really hard to hide so I've limited my time out and have "gotten sick" when we were supposed to go to dinner. I'll go to the superbowl party but make a refried bean dip so there is something there I can eat. My plan is just to be open with people about trying to lose weight. If I'm not drinking, this is why. If I'm not finishing the food on my plate, this is why. If they want to speculate I had surgery, let them. But right now my plan is to keep it to myself as I did before.

I was sleeved on 1/3. Lost 8 pounds that first week, put back on 1.5 pounds somehow when I started on pureed foods and my scale has pretty much stayed put since so I've been stalled for about 2.5 weeks. UGH. This morning the scale was down 1.5 pounds so hopefully I'm headed back to losing. It's been hard not to get discouraged but I know right now the time is for healing. I can start trying foods in about a week so I am very muchso looking forward to that. Generally I feel really great though and have had no issues eating or drinking.

Haha! Seriously I cannot wait to get to the stage of eating regular foods that will stay with me a while. One more week until I can start adding foods in my diet. Yay!

I am about the same amount of time out and I am hungry a lot. It's not the same hungry as before but I definitely have hunger.

That percentage seems so high, but I understand that it's probably a reality for the reasons noted in the article. I'm only married 6 years, but my husband and I are both very committed to our marriage so I'd like to think we won't be a casualty. Scary to think about though!

I'm only 3 weeks out but going into this I thought for sure I would lose a nice chunk of weight in the first month. I'm down 6.5lbs, all of which I lost week one and nothing since. Our bodies have just gone through major surgery and they are adjusting to a new stomach. I know it's hard but I am just trying to focus on healing and following doctors orders vs the scale. Everyone's body is going to respond differently.

My surgeon said to me once that regardless of whether you follow the plan or not you will lose weight in the beginning. The bigger issue is keeping it off long term because once the honeymoon phase is over we will need to rely on better habits.

I understand fully. Lost 6.5 pounds my first week and have not moved an ounce for another two weeks. It's hard to not get caught up in the scale not moving but am doing my best to just focus on following doctors orders. I'm certainly not eating enough to not lose weight so it's clearly my body adjusting - doesn't make it any easier though. I keep telling myself that it will be a different story once I can eat a normal diet and for now I just need to focus on healing. But yeah, totally get it. lol

Thanks! For sure already feels different from the band. Keep up the great work!

What were your favorite "meals" on the blended and/or pureed diet stage? My program progressed me to this stage after week one and I'm already getting a bit bored with about a week and half before I can progress. I'd love to hear what helped you make it through this stage. I will add that I do have a few things I enjoy quite a bit, but am looking to add some variety and find some new ideas.