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It's hard to say for sure, but I will bet you a nickel that you are slipping back into your old eating mechanic habits...so, get out that small plate, find some little forks/spoons (like children use, or cocktail forks), cut the food in tiny bites, chew it really well, put your utensils down between bites. See if this feeling goes away. Also, when you feel satisfied, not full, stop eating. You can always eat again later. You are probably eating too much, too fast. The only way to find out is to make really, really sure you are controlling the way you eat. It's hard, but you can do it!

Hello everyone, I posted this in another forum and didn't get any responses..so I hope its ok that I post it here too! I'm super new to this website, and started this process about a month ago. It's really great to know that there are other SSF'ers out there that are doing well! I've been going through the process pretty fast..and am meeting with Dr. Alami in a few weeks. I've noticed that a lot of you guys had him! I was wondering what your experience was like with him..? Did you guys ask him how many surgeries he has done and what his complication rate is? I know I can ask him when I meet with him..but the more info I can get..the less anxiety I will have! Also, I've lost 15 lbs since orientation (about 3 weeks ago) and was told to lose around 20. If i do..do you think he will schedule a surgery day right away? What was your experience? Thank you so much in advance!!

I definately think it is my own fault, I eat to fast and need to slow down. Usually when I take a bite of food and walk away for a little while I'm fine, it's just so hard to eat like that? But anything is better than the alternative. How do you like your band?

I'm going to get banded on August 7, and we have a Lake Michigan vacation scheduled (and prepaid) for September 10-16. Will there be any problem with going in the (clean but not chlorinated) Lake Water? Also, I'll be in week 5 after the banding then. What can I realistically plan to be eating? My written instructions say to eat only pureed foods from weeks 3 to 6, and I plan to comply -- but I see that a fair number of folks go faster than that. Last: After the surgery, how fast do people get back to work? I left the hospital 48 hours after each c-section and started back to work part time in the second week... I was younger then...but this surgery I won't have a baby to deal with...

Hi All, I was banded in Adelaide 4 weeks ago today. I had my initial appointment on the 21st of September last year with the bariatric GP that works for my surgeon. I then had appointments with an exercise physiologist, psychologist and dietician before finally seeing the surgeon. When I saw the surgeon, he asked me to keep a food and exercise diary for four weeks to prove I was ready to go ahead with the lapband. Once I got my surgery date, I started on Optifast for two hellish weeks prior to surgery. I think the Opti is definitely the hardest part. I had my surgery on the 4th of Feb. Recovery was slow and pretty painful. I was off work for nearly 2 weeks, and I still have intermittent shoulder pain. The liquid diet wasn't easy either - I never want to eat Soup again. The thought still makes me queasy! The mushy stage was a bit easier but I am so glad to be on soft foods. In relation to costs, I have full private health. My intial appointments cost me around $450 all up, and blood tests were $175 out of pocket. My surgeon's fees was $1904 out of pocket, plus $400 excess on my health insurance. Anaethesitist wa $367 OoP. All up my out of pocket expenses were just over $3.2k.

So my WLS started when I found out I had PCOS. Basically it was a wake up call that if I ever wanted kids then I needed to get healthy and be pro-active. Fast forward 1.5 years. I had my gastric bypass 9/30/14 and am down from 330lbs to roughly 220lbs. Huge success for 8ish months but still not exactly where I want to be. Right now I am struggling with the "I am about to be 30 and still havent had a baby" phase of my life. Logically I know I have a ways to go before my journey is complete and it is recommended to wait minimum 18 months before getting pregnant, but the depression this realization has caused is stalling me and setting me back. Its just really hard to reconcile what your head wants and knows versus what your heart is yearning for. I dont really feel like I can express these feelings to anyone else and I am not sure if I am alone in this but to at least feel like I can put it out there, somewhere... well that helps some.

There is the "cottage cheese" test, you eat cottage cheese real fast until you are full you fill the container with Water and measure how much water is in the container. I think it is silly also. Typical response is a cup, 8 oz or as my doctor said you have a stomach the size of a medium banana - don't eat more than that. Easy on soft foods to overeat as they are easy to swallow. Good luck

PB is shorthand for "productive burping" which is what happens when you eat more than your pouch can handle. What can't go down has to come up, which can be anywhere from mildly inconvenient to painful and prolonged. It's almost a given that every bandster will experience this at least a couple of times as we learn how truly little food makes a meal, and how to handle a new level of restriction. Even 18 months out I had a PB yesterday with some chicken soup that had stringy pieces of meat in it (and yes, that's how I know I'm too tight). Tammy, I'm no expert on the mechanics of digestion but in general food doesn't stay in the pouch all that long. It will pass through in at most a couple of hours and move on its merry way. The pouch is just a smaller part of your stomach so whatever digesting happens in the stomach will, I guess, start happening in the pouch. I've never heard of Beans expanding but if you eat anything that is prone to do that you will be very uncomfortable indeed. Someone reported a misadventure with a Fiber drink that thickens (Metamucil?) which did exactly that in the pouch. Blech. Things like bread and Pasta may not expand in your pouch but you will discover that they take up a lot of room anyway and you'll be too full to eat the real food. For example, if I take a bite of a sandwich with the bread it will take literally only two bites to fill me up. But if I eat only the insides of the sandwich I can eat maybe 3/4 of it. That's much better nutrition and gives me the Protein I need. Most bandsters wave bye-bye to most bread and pasta after a while. Before you get a fill you might not have any restriction and so none of what I've said will be true for you. (I don't know what to say about the bands being filled to 2.5 cc in surgery--I asked my doctor about that and he said it sounded unusual and even risky to him.) If you do have restriction you'll know it, and you'll be avoiding foods that make you too full too fast before long. And that's when you'll start losing weight!

I was banded May 7th at Wise Regional Hospital. It has been a full week and I've lost 19 pounds. That might be too fast, but for me it just melted off! I know everyone will be different. Don't worry about how fast the pounds come off, they will in time.

If the protein shakes are so bad you refuse to drink them, they are worthless. They could be the best available in the world but if you can't stomach them, then they are nothing. Slim Fast maakes a Low Carb Diet ready to drink. 20 grams of protein in the can and onlye 2 grams of carbs. The chocolate is pretty darn good. Unjury powder is really good but it's pricey. And there are lots of others. Try to compare the nutritional information on what you're using with other products and see if you can come really close and try that as a substitution. You could always take your "3-scoop protein shake made it with crushed ice and a cup of water and 3-4 strawberries", cut all ingredients in half so that you have an amount you can drink in a decent amount of time. Frankly the revised proportions are probably weak tasting and you could even try adding about a 1/2 scoop more of the powder to the 4 oz of water, too. Everybody has had to find what they like, what works for them,etc., be it protein shakes or ways to prepare their food.

clk posted this a few days ago and I think it is brilliant. I hope she doesn't mind me reposting it and it helps you! I think too many of us focus on the fast losers when we're planning for surgery and then we assume that once we're sleeved the weight is going to just fly off. Not everyone is so lucky. My starting weight is close to your preop weight but you must be taller than my 5'1" and some change because my BMI was much higher at your current weight. I was a slow loser. Slower, I guess. There are a handful of people here that are even slower than I was. It took me 17 months to hit goal, to lose 107 pounds. You cannot compare yourself to everyone else. If you're doing the right things and still losing, the sleeve is working. You can try to adjust your food or exercise for a better result but I caution you against doing anything drastic that you won't be able to maintain. Part of why the sleeve is great is that it does away with the need for that diet mentality and helps you build positive habits you can maintain forever. Some folks cut the carbs down to 20 a day, something I consider extreme, but if they can live their lives that way and get great results then it works for them. My biggest piece of advice isn't one you'll like, but it's something you're going to have to get used to at some point or another. RELAX. That's it. Because this isn't a race. I promise you, 85% of your stomach just got removed from your body so you're going to lose weight. I see this over and over and over again on the boards - people just so frustrated and worked up because they expected to lose the weight faster, or people that get mad because they feel they didn't need the surgery if they were going to be slow losers. It took me 17 months to reach goal. It took me 17 YEARS to go from where I am now to my high weight. Am I any less pleased with my success because it took me longer to get here? Nope. I'm happy as can be. Track your food. Eat responsibly. Get your Protein in, drink your Water, start moving more. In six months you're going to be posting that you're nearly to goal. Give your body a chance to recover from the fact that it's lost 27 pounds and undergone a major surgery the last two months. And yes, even if you want to break the scale sometimes, and even if you don't lose for two weeks of the month (like me) you're going to lose this weight. So, RELAX. ~Cheri

I was sleeved on 8/5/15. I'm on Stage 3 and I'm confused about if the feeling of constantly burping (very mild) and sometimes mild back pain followed by uneasy filling that the last bite did not go down. I chew my food to mush consistency and normally wait until the feeling go away or stop eating. I'm trying new foods so normally I'll end up eating 1 to 1/2oz each meal.

I used Care Credit and was really impressed with how easy it was to apply and the approval was super fast. I’m not sure if you can use Care Credit if you go outside of the country, but you might want to consider that route if you are on a budget. I just took my sister down to Dr. Ortiz in TJ and the experience was wonderful (and less than half of what I paid). You can read about it here http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f11/dr-ortiz-occ-94998/

Ditto, ditto, and ditto. I have gotten in the habit of keeping two Slim-Fasts in the fridge in case work is especially hectic and I can't find time to eat (I work 4 12-hr night shifts / week)

I told my sister, mother, and 6 friends. oh, and last weekend I shared it with some family. I don't mind letting family know but co-workers, church members, etc....nah, not so much. I'm not afraid of what they'll say I just don't want all of that attention. A small part of me thinks, what if I tell the world and then I never lose the weight. I know... silly thought but it's definitely something I've entertained. Also, when I came back to work (I took 2 weeks off) several people noticed that I had lost weight but (1) it wasn't drastic; and (2) these were the same people that saw me drinking Slim Fast for 2 weeks for my pre-op diet. They assumed that's what did it. When I drink my chocolate Protein shake I hear, "that Slim Fast looks deliciuos or Nik, you're so dedicated and it's starting to pay off."

Without a doubt, obesity is stigmatized. The unfair bias that you face may be a major factor in your decision to consider or get weight loss surgery. Unfortunately, you will probably find that the obesity discrimination continues even as you try to use weight loss surgery to get healthy. Obese patients are blamed for their conditions, healthcare providers are not always sympathetic, and coverage for weight loss surgery is not guaranteed. Why Do Obese Patients Get So Much Blame? People are increasingly sympathetic to diseases that used to be stigmatized. Examples include cancer, many mental health conditions, and sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV/AIDS and syphilis. Now, treatment for these and other conditions, such as diabetes, is widely accepted as normal and an entitlement. Each of these conditions is largely the result of lifestyle choices, such as diet, use of tobacco and/or alcohol, sexual behavior, and physical activity levels. More than 80% of cancers are likely the result of lifestyle choices. Ironically, though, many people in our society remain unsympathetic to obese people. They are quick to blame obese people for having no self-control, for refusing to follow a diet, and for not wanting to be healthy. You know, though, that those accusations are far from the truth. If you are considering weight loss surgery, you are confident that you have the self-control for the weight loss surgery diet, that you have tried to follow numerous diets but none have worked for you, and that you desperately want to be healthy! You Did Not Ask to Be Obese: Some Factors are Outside of Your Control More than one-third of American adults are obese, and another third are overweight. That in itself should remind you – and the people who judge you harshly – that fighting obesity is hard! The food environment includes fast food, vending machines, restaurants, food-focused social gatherings, and inexpensive snack foods. There are also biological and family factors that you cannot control. Skinny people have no idea that you may be feeling extreme hunger all day, every day, or that your metabolism may be slower. Your family might have raised to choose high-calorie, high-fat foods, or even driven you into unhealthy emotional eating. Research shows that some obese patients’ brains even respond differently to food compared to lower-weight individuals. Obese individuals, for example, tend to get less pleasure out of food, meaning they need to eat more to get satisfied. Furthermore, high-calorie foods like sugar can be addicting, leading to the same brain responses as cocaine does. But nobody blames cocaine addicts for their situations! Instead, they encourage counseling and intensive program to help them overcome their addictions, not punish them. Discrimination in Obesity Treatment: A Look at Weight Loss Surgery Versus Dialysis Just as unfair is the fact that the healthcare system continues the discrimination against obesity. Compare weight loss surgery as an obesity treatment with dialysis as a treatment for kidney failure (end-stage renal failure). Far from being blamed for their conditions, kidney failure patients who need dialysis are provided the respect that all people deserve and the medical care that they need. Dialysis patients of all ages in the United States are able to apply for Medicare, the government’s health insurance program normally reserved for older adults. Dialysis treatments can cost about $40,000 per year, not including This is not to mention human factors such as reduced quality of life (the vast majority of dialysis patients are too sick to work) and early death (the life expectancy of dialysis patients is about 5 years). In comparison, a typical weight loss surgery procedure in the United States can cost $20,000 to $40,000, although it can be less, and successful patients are healthier and have more energy than before surgery. The irony increases. The fact is that kidney failure usually results as a complication of type 2 diabetes or high blood pressure (hypertension). Both of these conditions are often caused by obesity; losing weight after weight loss surgery can prevent, eliminate, or reduce these conditions. In addition, it takes years for kidney failure to develop once you have high blood pressure or diabetes – years during which patients are likely to be on costly medications and inconvenient treatments. Targeting obesity through weight loss surgery could prevent cases of diabetes and high blood pressure, reduce their effects in people who already have them, and prevent kidney failure, the need for dialysis, and early death. Searching for Fairness in the Medical Treatment of Obesity Your first barrier in your path to weight loss surgery may be your primary care physican (PCP). Some PCPs do not know much about weight loss surgery, or may be against it because they think obesity is your fault. Some PCPs take a narrow view of obesity, and feel that the only way to lose weight is for patients to “decide they want it badly enough” and “just eat less.” You already know that doesn’t work, so don’t let your PCP discourage you from learning more weight loss surgery if you think it might be the solution to your obesity struggles. Insurance coverage has improved for obesity treatments, especially for weight loss surgery. Medicare and many private healthcare coverage plans cover weight loss surgery if you meet their predetermined weight and/or health criteria. Some private insurance companies, though, take a short-term view because they want to make profits within 3 years. Since most weight loss surgeries do not pay for themselves within 3 years, some private insurers do not cover weight loss surgery despite the likelihood that they would pay for themselves within 5 or 10 years, and in addition improve your health and quality of life. Chance of Reduced Discrimination in the Future? The majority of Americans believe that health insurance should cover weight loss surgery, in addition to other obesity treatments such as dietetic and mental health counseling. The Affordable Care Act (“Obamacare”), though, is not the ultimate solution. In nearly half of states, obesity treatments are not required to be covered by plans sold on the health exchanges. This determination is based on the available competitive services in the region. Since the most obese states are the ones least likely to have competitive anti-obesity care, these states are also least likely to have obesity treatments covered under the Affordable Care Act. Overcome the Discrimination Discrimination is an unfair fact of life as an obese individual, and it unfortunately does not end when you decide to get healthy using weight loss surgery as a tool. These are some of the ways that you can keep going strong and overcome the barriers you encounter as you work to get healthy. You have the right to a second opinion if your primary care physician recommends against weight loss surgery but you would like to find out more. Do not take “no” for an answer from your insurance company if you know you are entitled to reimbursement for surgery. Do not listen to negative family members or friends who do not understand your obesity or interest in weight loss surgery. It is your life and health. Educate others as much as you can to try to reduce the discrimination. Chances are that they are only being discriminatory out of ignorance, not out of true mean-spiritedness. Like it or not, some discrimination remains as you go through your weight loss journey. You cannot prevent it, but you can change how you react to it. Expect it and respond as positively as you can, keeping your own health and goals in mind. Over time, as you and others prove that weight loss surgery can be a worthwhile treatment for obesity, discrimination by insurance companies, healthcare providers, and the public will decrease.

Today was my first day postop for mushies. I reluctantly decided on a small piece of fish and mashed potatoes. I wasn't even sure I wanted to eat. Now....ouch! I feel like I ate a plate full of rocks. Is this normal? What is a typical mushie meal? Is it the same portion amounts once the band is filled? I have felt great...lost about 15 pounds during the first 2 weeks. The liquids were surprisingly easy. Did I eat too fast? Were my bites too big? Does that matter at this point? Is there restriction even now...because it sure seems that way. Rocks...that's all I can feel. Thanks in advance for any thoughts/advice! julie

Shely, If you are just starting the process, do NOT treat it like a diet. Try to eat smart but don't rob yourself of your favorite foods. Eat whatever you'd like but in moderation. Eat smaller portions than you usually do; cut it small and chew the hell out of it. Try to stay away from fast food and don't drink regular soda; milk or juice.

I guess I am the speedy gonzales in this procedure LOL as I went to my meeting on June 26,2006, met with the doctor the next day, and told them I wanted my surgery on July 5, 2006. They said they weren't sure we could get it all done, but, I had the psych evaluation, and the sleep study done the day before surgery, my insurance papers were sent on Friday, they approved the Monday before the 4rth of July, so they could all be off I guess, and I had it done on the 5th as planned. I guess it all worked out, though, I only had to do the liquids for 9 days. I could not have a salad , just slim fast, but it passed quickly. I had my sister arrange for those days off to help me, and it all went perfectly. My husband went to his meeting, had all his stff done, and insurance approved within the two week liquid diet, and all went great. Our insurance stuff all went perfectly for us. Hope this helps.....MIZBOO

Great news Helo-Tek! Keep jumping those hurdles, and you are right - having a lot to jump over will only make the time from here until your surgery date go really fast. Don't forget to be prepared for that day as well, since you might be preoccupied with all your appointments. Start looking for Protein supplements that you like too. Of course there's no guarantee you will like them post op but at least it should be tolerable until your taste buds get back to normal. All the best!!!

My restriction varies too greatly to give a definite answer on this question. Sunday night I was able to eat 5 buffalo wings and half a loaf of garlic bread (!) and yesterday I was done after a few bites of taco salad. There's NO way I could have even had a bite of bread yesterday. I can eat a burger, but no bun. I don't even try fast food burgers anymore, they're nasty without the bun, so I stick with salads when I go fast food. Pasta for me is never a good idea. It doesn't chew down well and gets stuck every time. I can eat an open-faced sandwich if the bread is toasted and sliced thin. Most days, anyway. Then there are those days when a half a loaf of garlic bread goes right down. :cool: I pull apart all of my food now. Especially sandwiches. Off comes the top, I eat a few bites of what's inside, eat a small bite of bread, eat some more insides, etc. So no, to someone watching me eat, I don't eat normally, and probably never will again. However, this doesn't bother me. Most people are amused by my food quirks, and I'm actually much more comfortable eating in front of people now that I pick at my food instead of inhaling it. It's really not a bad thing, this band!

Hello, I have been here for a about 2 weeks now. I have sucked up all the info I can - good and bad. I have chatted with some wonderful people on here and I am so glad I found this forum. I have learned a lot. Now my date is approaching fast. The house is clean, laundry all done, my liquids and mushies have been stocked/prepped and I am packed. I have done all I can to prepare, now the wait.... Tomorrow morning I leave bright and early for a 4.5 hr drive to Toronto Canada and check into a hotel room. Friday morning I go into surgery at 8:30 am. It is so close and I am half freaking out and half excited to start my new life! I have had cold feet and a twisting knot in my stomach on and off all day. At this point, it will be great when it's done and I am back home, hopefully Friday night. If I don't get to post between now and then, See you all on the other side!

I'm in your boat! Pre-sleeve: Breakfast- large cup of coffee lunch (if any)- salad or wrap But when I got home, all hell breaks loose. I would make chicken alfredo, steaks, mac and cheese, etc. Then, maybe a couple of hours later, I would have leftovers. This lasted maybe until 11pm. I could not stop shoveling food into my mouth. It was unattractive and borderline ridiculous. Fast forward to April 1st - the day I got sleeved. Everything seemed to be going great for the first two months maybe. Lately, I've found myself going up to the fridge, opening it, and looking inside, thinking maybe something yummy will catch my eye so I can devour it. Not good. Last week I emptied the whole thing out. I threw away everything that could potentially trigger a food fest. All i have in there is 1% milk, cheese sticks, greek yogurt, grapes, sugar free iced tea, cold cuts, and grapes. The grapes are there as a treat since they do have a lot of natural sugar. I find that even if I do go up to the fridge and "hunt" for something eat, I dont find anything that I want. Nothing tastes as good as skinny (or healthy) feels

I'm not banded yet, but I don't think this is an approach I would take unless convinced to do so by my doctor. First, the body doesn't require help ridding itself of toxins--it has the machinery in place to do that without modified fasting. And secondly, it's just not a practice I can envision keeping up long-term--it would be psychologically unsatisfying to me, and I would be concerned (knowing myself) that it would ultimately backfire.