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I'm on day 4 post op and I'm hungry! How is that? I thought hunger would not find me for awhile. I know it's just not head hunger as I went to bed and woke up feeling this way. My stomach is even growling. I had my first Protein drink which went down fine from 8-9, now it's 10 and I'm hungry. Anyone else experience this? Thanks

Hi Jeffrey, welcome to the BEST support website for the Vertical Sleeve... I just wrote about my recent experiences with Band Vs Sleeve. I was revised on 9/15/10 and to date it is the best thing I've ever done. In going further, we do have a LOT of well established sleevers here who like to continue chiming in. They are all a great help, and none I've seen ever stop Loving their sleeves. Good luck to you!! Here is the link to my last 2 progress posts: 5 Months Post Op and My Revision is the Best Thing

@@kelseycakes20 Good job girl! Keep it up! I wish I had done this at 19 instead of 33! Smart move!

Hi my surgery date was 7/10. I am unable to drink the protein shakes and have even been unable to drink all the water I need. Maybe this is my problem?

I plan to ask my doctor for a timeframe on my next appointment, which is 11/10. My program has a phone number to call with questions, so you may want to do that. Sent from my Nexus 5X using the BariatricPal App

I was sleeved on 9/10 and have lost 25lbs. I thought I was doing great...you are doing amazingly!! Keep it up!

You are doing great! Don't forget, most people gain weight during their surgery from all the fluids, anaesthetic, etc. Then after we've lost that and are back at our "surgical weight", we starting losing for real! Most people lose the greatest amount of weight in their first month or two. And it sometimes slows down a bit after that. As you get closer to your goal weight, it will slow down even more and become much more difficult to lose each pound. This is due to simple mathematics. At our high weights, our BMR (basal metabolic rate) is high. We require alot of calories just to maintain our current weight (breathing, heart pumping, organs working, etc.). And that's without any exercise! BMR is based on if you stayed in bed all day! So in the beginning, lets say you're 275 lbs and 5'10" tall and a 40 yr old male (for example). Your BMR is approx. 2400 calories/day. And if you're only eating 600 calories a day, you have a DEFICIT of 1800 calories a day. A pound of fat is approx. 3500 calories of energy, so you would burn a bit more than a 1/2 lb of fat each day your intake is about 600 calories. However, as your weight drops, so does your BMR. You require less energy to survive, day to day. And the difference or deficit of calories narrows. If that same 5'10" 40 yr old man loses 45 lbs (as you have), his new BMR is now approx. 2100 calories. But if he's still eating 600 calories a day (and in a few months your intake usually increases to 800+ calories), the deficit is now only 1300-1500 calories a day. Which is equal to about 0.4 lbs of fat lost. And so on..... That is why weight loss slows down, and it gets harder to lose the lower you go. But don't despair! You can do something to change this equation! There's no room to reduce your food intake (nor should you....in fact you probably need to UP the calories). But there's lots of room to increase your energy expenditure! So exercise! Any form of exercise you like.....work out with weights, do cardio, run, swim, play sports. Just get more active and more intense in your activity. And the deficit will increase again, you'll lose more weight, even as you get smaller and you'll reach your goal (and get a lot healthier too!). I lost over 25 lbs my first month, only 15 my second month and about 12 lbs each month since then. If I can stay at 12 lbs/month, I'll be ECSTATIC! And I've only just reached my 1/2 point to my goal. So I expect it to take much longer to finish the second half. About 6 months to get here, and probably another 10 months to get the next 90 lbs off. At least my skin will have time to adapt and I'll have time to adapt too. As it is, I'm already having to get new clothes (I'm becoming a great used clothing shopper!) every 6-8 weeks! Keep up the great work and don't get discouraged. Especially once you start to really see you body transforming. It will be very motivational, and it takes some time for your head to catch up with everything, believe me!

When is your surgery date? Is it 10 to 15 pounds you need to lose or 10% of what you weigh?? Didn't your surgeons office give you an eating plan to drop the weight before your surgery?? Two weeks before my surgery I was put on a total liquid diet. I had to order the Protein powder to make the shakes from a web-site. They have you loss this weight prior to surgery for 2 reasons First is because when you are lying down, as you will be for surgery, your liver rests on the very top of your stomach. This is were the band is placed and the Dr. has to move the liver out of his way so he can put the band on. Being on the diet/liquid diet 2 weeks prior to surgery will shrink your liver. And second, 99.9% of us will have a "last" huge meal, and if we were not told to loss some weight before our surgery we would be eating something while being wheeled into the operating room!

I lost weight rapidly the first seven months, then I stalled...now at a yr and a half I gained 10...I need to lose 20 to reach my goal weight of 140, I don't want to be a stick figure, at 118 id look like I was a stick figure

This week has been a trial to say the least. My aunt, who is my heart and soul, has been very ill and in the hospital for weeks. I visit her almost every day and she cries her eyes out to me telling me how much pain she is in. It breaks my heart because she has a broken back that can only be fixed with surgery, but docs say that she cannot withstand surgery. So basically there isnt much that can be done. I lost my mom to cancer when I was 19 so she and my sis are all I've got (dad hasnt been in the picture since I was a child). To top things off, my sister moved back to Miami from North Carolina and asked me to live with her. Against my better judgement, I agreed. As I expected, we arent getting along. My sister has a very bad temper and gets mad over everything. She is a 39 year old woman and in a matter of 24 hours, she threw a fit at the pharmacy because they were closed and kicked down the products from the shelves. She then yelled obscenities at a plant (I kid you not) because the plant scratched her. Finally, she yelled at me because I went to get a bottle of water and the dog barked and woke her up. That was really the breaking point for me. If I can't even get water without her outbursts... But I am stuck there under a lease for a year. I've basically been at work, hospital, and then in my room without speaking to her for a week. Normally, this would have made me turn to food. I would have pigged out on all kinds of junk. I wont lie, on Sunday I had a brownie. But, I dusted myself off and have been pretty darn good since. I haven't stuck completely to liquids. I usually have a salad or piece of chicken for dinner. I can tell I am losing weight. Haven't weighed myself this week, but am excited to see what the number reads. Anyway I'm proud of myself. I've managed to overcome a huge obstacle for me- depression eating!

After years of denial and apathy I finally decided to have the surgery. Like many of the pre-ops that post here, I am very skeptical but what have I got to lose? Insurance is covering the costs and at the very worst it is just another of my hundreds of failed diets. My initial visit with the surgeon was this morning and I guess we won't even be setting a date until January 6th next year. I guess until then I will keep reading up on everyone else's progress; dream of the day when I can put on my socks and tie my shoes in less than 10 minutes and not be out of breath when done; practice drinking flat beer and actually use the gym membership that I've paid $30 a month for over 2 years and have never been inside.

I bought an organic throat spray of aloe vera extract and some other natural ingredients .... it was $10 at the all natural store. Its supposed to stop sore throat pain from acid reflux and other issues .... i swear by that stuff.

I was on mushies for 6 weeks and it got EXTREMLY OLD eating the same damn thing. I was so sick of canned tuna and chicken with LOTS of mayo - AND cream of wheat, which used to be my favorite Breakfast food until now! But the motivation was the weight coming off. You are going through what I went through and I did the exact same thing as you when I went to Bbq's: chewed the solids until it got mushy in my mouth, but that was after 6 weeks. I did, infact, eat a hotdog and chips while I was in the mushy stage. I chewed the heck out of it and swallowed, but later was scared that I would mess up the band (regret maybe?); however, now that I have had two fills since my surgery, and the 2nd fill was an overfill (suffered 2 weeks unable to eat any solids and vomited alot, now totally unfilled), it was just a nice break/relief to eat all that stuff again - hotdogs and burgers, etc... BUT.... I have not gained any weight, nor lost anymore weight. I have been very careful in not eating that stuff alot during the last couple of weeks. I still have my Protein shakes (even bought unflavored protein to put in yogurts and hot cereals) during the day, but maybe a hot dog here and there because of all the summer BBQ's that were going on around here! (off the subjuct but just to share) I meet with my doctor next week to start all over with the fills. There is no set number of cc he goes by; fills are based on how much Water I drink and then he adjusts the band to release the water, determining the cc amount. I was scared before to drink the water, only taking sips to avoid vomiting, but now I know what stuck feels like, and that water drinking won't cause that other than it "hanging in my chest", I am fully prepared to do it right next week and hopefully get the right fill/"sweet spot". But getting back to the subject, I would think you would be able to eat other foods besides the mushies after 6 weeks. That's what was given to me post-op. I noticed Southern Miss responded to you. She and I communicated alot prior to our surgeries. I was a few weeks before she had hers and now she has lost 10 more pounds than me. I just can't believe it, yet, I am sooo proud of her! My lack of weightloss was due to my slight set back. Anyway, just hang in there! 8 weeks seems like a long time.

Hi Belle My doc knows exactly where my port is and how to get to it fast. He is VERY good at it, and of course I would expect him to since he is the doc who placed it. Anyway, a few weeks ago I had to go for an unfill unexpectedly after struggling from my 2nd fill for two weeks trying to eat food (vomiting and then I woke up at 4 am with pain in my back and stomach, couldn't swallow saliva). Anyway, my surgeon/doctor was in surgery a the time, so I had to go the their other office in another city where I had to see one of their collegues for an unfill. I have never met him before since I've been with the practice. Anyway, he couldn't find my port at all. I kept telling him where my doc put it, but he just couldn't hit the spot. It took him 10 minutes to find it. My husband said that the way he was jamming and wiggling the needle, trying to find the spot, looked very simliar to liposuction! And for my husband to say it looked pretty horrific, it must have been bad. So that doc ended up hitting the sides of my port, just not getting it. So finally after he was able to unfill, I was EXTREMELY sore, tender, and had sharp pain for about a week. He really did a number on me. I see my surgeon next week to start from scratch on the fills, so I will be letting him know what kind of hell he put me through. But hang in there. I know exactly how u feel.

Hi All! So, I have stalled for the past 10 days. I take in anywhere from 400-500 calories per day (50-65 g protein), currently have a boot on my foot and am limited with workouts but even with boot walk 4000-5000 steps. Fluids--minimum 50 oz, maximum 70 oz. Cardio was good lat week but not this week. Thinking this may be my issue but also am trying to be more consistent with fluids closer to 70 oz. Should I increase the cardio? fluids? both? decrease calories? If so, how do you not get lightheaded? Just feeling a little stuck. Happy with my 70 lbs down (42 since surgery 12/12) just wanted to hit 100 lbs by Easter. Must get this ball rolling again. What have you all done? Thanks!

Don't decrease calories, if anything eat maybe 10-15% more for a short period time. Take a look at what you are eating. Watch the carbs, try eating some more complex type carbs it you can. Still get your liquids in

I had all four wisdom teeth extracted in 2000, when I was 19 years old. The sleeve was slightly worse in terms of recovery, but only slightly. I returned to work the day after my wisdom teeth were extracted, whereas I returned to work 2 weeks after being sleeved.

I thought the Ladies would appreciate this information!!! Menstrual Cycle and Weight Article By: The Weight Watchers Research Department While there may be minor changes in metabolism, food intake and cravings throughout the menstrual cycle in addition to possible Water retention, these will not impact weight-loss success. Food cravings, overeating and weight gain are commonly reported during the one to two weeks before menstruation occurs. But what is the science to support these symptoms, and what is their impact on weight-loss success? Food Intake and Metabolism While overeating is the popular perception, research has shown that there are only minor changes in actual food intake throughout the menstrual cycle. Most studies suggest an increase in eating of around 100 to 200 calories in the days before bleeding occurs,1,2 but this appears to be offset by the small rise in metabolism (around 5 to 10 percent)3 that occurs during the same time period. In other words, the body tends to adjust the calories in/calories out on its own. Therefore, in a weight-stable state, no changes in weight will occur. However, if actively losing weight by following a restricted-calorie food plan, the likely result would be a slight (but hardly noticeable) increase in weight loss due to the increased metabolism without the usual increase in calories. Alternatively, the result instead could be a slightly greater difficulty in following the food plan because of increased hunger during that period. Food Cravings Although food cravings are commonly reported during certain times of the menstrual cycle, the scientific evidence on the subjects is limited. Some smaller studies suggest a link, particularly a craving for high carbohydrate sweets.4,5 These studies also show that cravings tend to occur more often in women with <A href="/health/sciencecenter/Glossary.aspx#premenstural">premenstural syndrome (PMS) and that the cravings increase as symptoms worsen.6 While more research is needed to understand food cravings, the good news is that they do not appear to translate into large increases in calorie intake and subsequent weight gain. Water Retention The most likely reason for a weight gain is water retention. While this is a common symptom that can be particularly discouraging when following a structured food plan,7 the weight gain is usually minor and temporary (that is, any weight that is gained is lost around the time of menstruation). Furthermore, water retention can be lessened during this time period by making small dietary changes, like reducing sodium and increasing fluids. Bottom Line: Major fluctuations in eating and weight during certain periods of the menstrual cycle are a common perception, but studies done in the area find that the changes are minor, temporary and will not impact weight-loss success. This content is reviewed regularly. Last updated September 24, 2009.

I have been diagnosed with Nash for about 10 years. I've had two liver biopsies ten years apart and there was little change. I am hoping that the weight loss helps. I expect that my liver enzymes will be a bit higher since the liver gets handled during surgery. I have just been told to keep eye on it.

I had my surgery exactly 4 weeks ago. I've been feeling great; the only complaint I have is fatigue. I've been jogging for 6 days now, and today I started feeling guilty about not lifting weights. So today after my jog, I started to doing lat rows (40 lbs), that went fine; then I did one set of seated rows (40 lbs). Only then did I remember I'm not supposed to be doing any lifting over 15lbs! I totally forgot! I stopped immediately once I remembered. I felt a slight throbbing pain on my left side of my tummy. It gradually went away. Then I started drinking my Water and the pain returned (nothing very severe, 4 out of 10). I'm terrified of a leak and I want to know if anyone else had any similar experiences or words of wisdom. I will not be lifting any weights again, I can't believe how dumb I am sometimes.

I've noticed that since my first fill I have been feeling that same pain under my left rib. I believe that it is just scar tissue around the band. I mostly notice the pain when I am active or when I slouch. It feels kind of like when you run and get the cramp in your side. I am going to ask the doc about it tomorrow but I really dont think its anything to be worried about. One of the side effects of band is abdominal pain, just remember that. Sugar1. that is awesome!! How do you feel with the 2.5 cc? Is it good restriction. Any secrets you want to share? I am getting married in 3 months and really would like to speed up this process a little seeing how I have only lost 10 lbs so far. But I admit I am really just now getting into this. It was really hard for me to adjust at first...Anyways, spill the juice...

I'm a little over 2 weeks post op, and I've been sticking to the foods In my diet plan. I've dropped a total of 19 lbs but today I weighed myself again and I've gained back 3 lbs.. could this be because I'm about to get my period in 3 days? Please tell me it's just hormones and I'm not messing this up somehow Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

OK men, I have to come clean about something. I have participated in an activity that I do not believe Jack Palance nor John Wayne would have approved of. (And I am pretty sure we can all agree that those are the epitomes of manliness.) I have been hitting the gym pretty hard and frequently and I had a fellow gym member tell me that I should consider a yoga class to stretch out the muscles I have been punishing for the past 10 months. "Yoga? But I'm not a hippie. I can't stand patchouli nor sandlewood and I don't hug trees. And I am certainly not 'poofy'." It took me about 2 months after our conversation for me to consider it. After a particularly strenuous session of deadlifts, I was pretty damn sore and I just wanted to work the muscles loose. Thats when her words popped back into my head. So I looked up the calendar at my rec center and attended a yoga class. I will tell you, I felt odd and out of place. Everyone there knew each other but they were all polite. Everyone did their stretching before the serious stretching of the class started. I just kind of stood there with my thumb up my ass because I don't know the first thing about yoga. The instructor arrived and got right into it with the hippy talk. Spirituality, expanding your awareness and so on and so forth... Then we start moving. She would say things like, "Now we are getting into our child pose" or "Come into the Downward Dog" and even a Warrior Pose. At first I was snickering, but as things became more strenuous I actually started to sweat. And muscles started to burn. Legs started shaking and arms trembled. By the end of the class, I was pretty well spent. But I felt really good. Nice and loose! I was in a good mood just like I do when I have a good workout. I came home and told my wife about the class and that I surprisingly enjoyed it. Then the next morning came. I could not move. I think rigor mortis set in. It took the entire day of walking and stretching to get back to a semblance of normalcy, but I can tell you that I did not go to the gym that day. However that following day I went back to the gym and had an even better workout and did not feel as sore as normal. So I believe that yoga may be a good idea after all. So much so that I actually did it again tonight. Thats two weeks in a row and I think I will continue to do it. So in closing, even if you think it is lame or poofy or even hippy, maybe try it out anyways. It can only help you and you may even turn out to enjoy it. And if that isn't enough, Yoga pants. Think about it.

You might want to call your doctor just to be sure, but when I saw my doctor yesterday he told me that lump was about 10 stitches that were under the skin. He said they put a lot of stitches there to really protect the port. He also said that it will go away once the stitches dissolve.

hey there, my doc said it was ok to have the coffee. Just don't be drinking a pot of it a day but 1 to 2 cups a day was fine. Don't know you might ask you doctor and see. I am only 2 weeks post op so I guess everyone is different. Congratulations on being down 27lbs. I am down 10 which isn't much but it is ok. Good Luck