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I am only 4 months out of my LB and I have been having gall bladder symptoms for about a month. I have a semi-severe pain in my right side especially after I eat a "large" meal (which is hardly large). Deep breaths hurt and last night for several hours, I had pain in the middle of my back. I have an ultrasound scheduled for this Friday. I'm annoyed and feeling negative because I've been doing good with my weight loss - not too fast, concentrating on eating a healthy diet, exercising 7 hours a week, etc. And now this. Sigh.

Everything you're feeling is completely normal. The first couple of months pretty much suck. You just had major surgery, you're sore, tired, hungry, trying to figure out the whole eating thing mentally and socially. And yes, I think all of our expectations about surgery were pretty much wonky. We hear about these massive weight loss numbers, and for some reason think we are going to be at goal and living happily ever after in 6 months. That's far from realistic for most of us. The 3rd week stall is a completely normal thing that happens to 99% of WLS patients. And besides, weight loss isn't linear. If you look at it on a chart, it looks more like step on stairs than a straight line downward. We stall, go up, go down, and sometimes back up again. Then we have a whoosh, and boom...down 5 pounds. It's really strange! Take it from someone who is almost 4 years out...it gets better. Once you get into more normalcy and into a groove, you'll start feeling better about your new lifestyle. I feel completely normal other than I get full faster than other folks. And it's not even as fast as it used to be anymore, unfortunately. Don't stress, and just go with the flow. Take this time to learn all you can about health and nutrition in order to be as successful as possible losing--and more importantly---keeping the weight off. I won't even go into what a complete pain in the ass that is! Hang in there. I promise it will get better.

The same thing happened to me a few days ago. Definitely made me start paying more attention to how fast/slow I'm eating. The good news is, that pain shouldn't last too long. I laid down on the couch for a few minutes and was fine.

I know when I was recently post-op I wanted to know what my life would be like after the dust settled, so to speak. When I had surgery I was 56 years old, at a weight of 234 lbs and a BMI of 35.6. I wore a size 22 dress and size 10 shoes (I'm 5'8). Dr. Alberto Aceves did my sleeve in Mexico (a 36 trochar) and repaired a large hiatal hernia. I was self-pay. After my surgery I lost my hunger and also developed some food aversions. I lost 102 lbs over about ten months. I followed the post-op instructions as well as I was able although some days I was not able to drink all my protein. When I graduated to solid foods I learned that regular bread seemed to ball up in my stomach and it felt awful. So did noodles. Chicken made me vomit. I ate lots of shrimp and steak. I ate no desserts other than baked custard that I usually ate for breakfast. As my weight stabilized at 136, I had much more energy. I mostly walk and hike in summer, and swim indoors and ski in winter, but I am certainly not a fanatic. However, it is considerably easier to breathe and move almost 100 lbs. lighter than I was. Bad habits, though, can creep back. My hunger is still gone, but I have a tendency to eat when I am bored. It's easy for portion sizes to increase, so I consciously use my food scale and measuring cups. Also, my sweet tooth came back. I still can't eat cake (see bready things above) but let me tell you, chocolate candy and cookies go down just fine. But, I can easily lose five pounds in a few days when I am busy and out of the house and so I have managed to stay under 140 lbs (and size 6) since my surgery. (Oh, and I went down half a shoe size!) To this day I cannot eat too fast or it comes right back up. I still get the slimies but rarely--usually when I am very hungry and eat too fast. I can't eat bread easily, although toast is fine. I cannot eat salmon, tuna, or other fish that dries out in the cooking process. I frequently use sauces to slide dry food down and I have learned to cook in ways that preserve the moisture in food. Eggs are iffy--sometimes I can eat them, other times not. Vegetables are fine if the pieces aren't too big. Crunchy things, like crackers, chips, and apples, are fine, although I avoid the chips except at parties. If I have them here I will eat them, but out of sight, out of mind. That is the difference between pre-surgery and post-surgery for me. Before surgery, I thought about food ALL THE TIME. I would be eating breakfast and thinking about what to eat for lunch and dinner. If I had to go out I had a "snack" in my purse. If I traveled, I carried food with me and bought food in airports and roadside quickie-marts besides. Now I don't think about food except when the clock tells me it's mealtime or if I get a little light-headed because I've forgotten to eat. There have been some drawbacks to surgery. I can't give blood anymore because it takes too long to replenish my iron stores from food alone and iron supplements irritate my sleeve. I developed GERD about a year after surgery and have to take a PPI daily. I was diagnosed with osteoporosis this year--I had some risk factors unrelated to the sleeve, but a year of malabsorption/malnutrition probably didn't help, despite the liquid calcium citrate I took. All in all, surgery was the right choice for me. It did not change my life, but it changed my relationship to food, and for that I am profoundly grateful. I have so much more time to devote to other interests instead of thinking about what I'm going to eat next. I wish you all the best and hope to read your success stories in a few years.

Welcome. There is no way this is the easy way out - no more so then a person you uses meds to control their health issues is "taking the easy way out". You will still need to make the decision as to what food you eat/ when and how you work out etc. I hear you on many of your issues: I was a lover of food - and have MANY social activities based around food. The funny thing is 2 years out - I still do. I just eat differently- no more 3 dinner rolls before the meal, more seafood etc. If fact, no that I eat slower- I think I enjoy food more then ever. I had been a fast eat since grade school - half the second time you get sick- you learn to slow down. Its a habit and like all habits they can be changed. I am 5'10 and while my pre-surgery weight was 296 - I am sure I had hit the 300+ mark at some points thru the years. For me, the band allowed me to "reset the clock and start over". Looked at food differently -- its very hard to explain. After a life time of gaining and losing more weight then I could count. I know understand people who put a "holiday 5" and need to lose it. Good Luck

I love the attitude of "looking forward!" I'm 7 months out and would kill to fast forward another 6 months to see where I am!! Just don't forget to live in the now too!!!

Received a phone call today and my surgery is scheduled for the 19th. I have not spoken with my surgeon since October. I have not talked to a nutritionist, nor have I had an other appointments other than psych evaluation and approval. I am slightly concerned that I am being shuffled along here and being set up for failure. I tell myself that everything will be ok, I just need to breath. I am scheduled for pre-op on the 6th of February. Hopefully, I can get some more answers because just telling me to start pre-op on the 5th is ridiculous. I have been to the classes but maybe I need to put on my big girl panties and stop thinking someone is going to hold my hand thru this process. Cheers!

As a young child, I grew up poor. We rarely ate out or got special treats. As I got money of my own, I spent it on the foods that I wanted but could never have. I am sure that this was a large part of me becoming overweight. Everywhere I would go, I would think about food. Where would I eat? What would I eat? I almost felt like I needed to eat everywhere that I went, even if I wasn't hungry. I think it was because I could eat in these situations, where as a child/teen I would have never been able to eat. Fast forward to my 3 week post-op experience... I went to a baseball game last night for a buck night special. Hot dogs, beer, pepsi, and popcorn were only $1. Its a good thing I am still so close to surgery, because it was hard to refuse these items that really are on the top of my favorite foods list. It rained, which I think helped too. At least that way I didn't have to smell the popcorn. Food has such a hold on so many of us. Its a daily effort to remember why we had surgery and why we are changing our lives. Let's all drink a Protein shot to our successes and move on from our failures.

I created a sort of new normal. I eat a most of the things I used to eat pre-op, but many things I don't eat. High on the list of things I no longer eat or very rarely eat are highly processed carbs like breads, white rice, and refined sugars. I didn't even have brown rice until I was at least 6 mths out. Some will eat the pizza toppings and leave the bread. I think I've had pizza maybe twice since I was sleeved 14mths ago. It fills me up too fast with not enough of a Protein payout to make it worth while. They can also end up being slider foods. Foods to can eat easily but also overeat easily or lead to bad eating habits that cause you to gain or impede your losing.

Every now and then I get a PM asking me how I have lost so much weight so fast and what do I do for exercise. Let me tell you honestly I have lost a significant amount of weight just by simply doing things that I couldn't do for a very long time. Things that most people do daily. When I was 488lbs I could hardly stay on my feet for 10 minutes at a time without sever muscle cramps in the back of my legs. I couldn't even walk the grocery store with my Wife. I used to sit in the car and wait for her to do it and then I would get out and help her load the car. We would get home and carry the groceries into the house and I would have to sit and catch my breath, rest my legs before helping her put stuff away. It was no way for a 45 year old man to live. So to say I lost a lot of weight with no exercise is not completely accurate but the exercise I was getting is stuff that some folks may take for granted and I never will again. At my heaviest everything but sitting and lying down was a task. I was a home body as much as possible and even going out to a movie was a task. I even reached a sad point where taking a shower was a real chore but I did it every day because not taking one is just unacceptable not mention gross. So as my journey has progressed so has my physical activity but yet I am still having a problem getting in actual exercise and sometimes just a simple walk is hard to get in. Last week I committed to 10 hours of cardio and came up way short not even reaching half. This week same thing I committed to 10 hours of cardio and I didn't get the walk in yesterday. Today I am going and this time no excuses. Exercise needs to become a daily task just like taking a shower is a daily task.... So far my weight loss has not really started to slow down but I am starting to see the signs that it might. I figure as I am inching closer to goal it will only get more difficult/slow. My initial goal that I was shooting for was to weigh 220lbs. That would still put me into the obese BMI but I can accept 220. I am on track to hitting my goal of 250 for Christmas which I set last Christmas. Starting to wonder if 199 is possible. Excess skin is really becoming noticeable but there is not much I can do about that. Insurance is not going to cover plastic surgery. So you choose to live with the excess skin or be fat. I'll take the loose skin just as long as I don't start having problems. Anyway if you read this far then thank you. I hope your day is going well and that your scale is being friendly to you!

I'm two weeks post op and have realized when I over eat or eat too fast I will burp. This is a warning sign to slow down or stop eating.

Yuck the slim fast and the atkins have a after taste.

WOW 32lbs in 5 weeks I dont think your doing anything wrong if your losing weight that fast!!!

That's totally normal. You have very little restriction now, so your food is probably going through pretty fast. You'll need to go by your doctor's recommendations, but before I had my first fill, I was told to keep my meals under 1 cup and to add a 4th heavy protein snack rather than something low cal. For instance, 1/2 tuna, Greek yogurt w. added nuts & high fiber cereal. They call this period "bandster hell".

After applying for v.s.g I was denied by Blue Shield,the same with appeal. Then, miracles of miracles, the managed health care board accepted my grievance.Now i'm fast tracking toward surgery(before the 1st of the year) and i'm scared to death. I'm 6'2"-325lbs.and b.m.i. is 41. I truely feel this is my best option,but i'm beset with the "what if's" and surgery fears. I know this is normal,but it doesn't make it any easier. HELP!!!

I too had to wait due to appealing. Part of me wanted to give up and use the appeal as an excuse. For me I focus on why I am getting the sleeve. I don't want my body to fall apart after 40 like my parents and so many others in my family. I also know this surgery is my best option. No matter how many times I have failed at dieting, I refuse to let that voice of failure dissuade me. I will lose this time, I may not lose as fast as others. I may have stalls. I may have awful side effects like nausea, acid, and pain, but this tool will work in the long haul. I will not fail this time. Face your fears, talk back to them,and kick their a**. They have no place in your thin healthy future.

OK, I had a trainer appointment this morning. I got measured (4 weeks since joining gym and having first measurements), and had a nice chat. At $100 an hour I could find a nice dog to chat with and buy a new pair of pants, but ok. And its not as if I didn't enter into this contract with eyes wide open and wanting the motivation and information..... First, I have lost 2 inches from my hips, 1.5 from thighs and 1 from my waist. Considering I can't and haven't done any core or lower body weights these results are just from the elliptical. I'm over the moon. Explains why my pants fall off when I walk. Trainer says I need to start lower body this week which I agree with. I'm going to meet with him again next Sunday and start core. My pain (from who knows what) on my left side is mostly gone and I'm cleared 8 weeks out (next weekend) to start core so that's that. I need to kick up my elliptical -- not working hard enough. WHAT??? I guess I wasn't pushing hard enough and I need to try to get my heart rate up over 130 (target is 150-170? JEEZ). Its around 100-110 now, but I'm off high blood pressure meds so it should go up fairly well now. But I'm not supposed to be able to easily hold a conversation during the 45 minutes so there you have it. I went online and recorded almost 100 songs that I can play while I'm on the elliptical that will keep me moving faster. That way when my workout buddy flakes on me or I'm on my own I can listen to some catchy fast tunes to keep my pace up! Watching the soccer match, cleaning, laundry and packing food for lunches. Fun, relaxing day! :rolleyes2:

I see people post all the time about the first month, and a pound a day is NOT something to be depressed about? When was the last time you lost 15 lbs so fast? Put the scale away for a while and eat exactly as your doctor directs, and get your fluids in. It will get better.

Hi everyone. I am currently on the waiting list for gastric bypass but I'm switching to the lap band. I have no medical problem beside being obese. I feel as though getting the gastric bypass would be more for my vanity then anything else. The lap band makes me feel more comfortable like it's going to help me control my eating. And I was wanting to hear from people who have had it. What is it like? Can you feel your port? Does it hurt when they fill the port every month or how ever often they fill it??? Can your husband fill your port? How much weight are people loosing? And how fast are you loosing it? Any complications people have suffered?? I know it's quite a few questions...but I need knowledge!! I'm 22yrs old 5ft and 217lbs. BMI of 42.2 Thanks so much Ashley

I felt like that too even though I could hardly eat a thing...once you get to pureed foods... you'll feel full too fast and probably find yourself having to span your meal for hours to get the protein you need. The liquids just mess with your mind! Sent from my SM-G965U using BariatricPal mobile app

About 4 weeks after my sleeve, I had to lower the dosage on my main blood pressure med because my blood pressure had dropped too low. a month after that, I had to stop that main medication altogether because my blood pressure was dropping again and i was having really scary bad dizzy spells. I still take my other bp med but we are planning to stop that in december (6 months post sleeve). Some surgeons stay stop taking it immediately post op but I would check with your PCP first. Just know that if you are taking it post op - be very watchful - get a bp cuff and start taking your own measurements daily if you don't already. And if you start having dizzy spells - contact your PCP immediately in case you need to lower dosage. I was very surprised at how fast I was able to come off it.

I've bought quite a few items and in general they are good and the shipping is fast. I really like their double chocolate cake mix and the biscotti. Pricey, but very good! It;s a nice one stop option for stuff and the prices are comparable to others on line. These items are basically more expensive, period. I'd recommend using the store.

What does it feel like after eating the 1/2 cup of food? 1/2 a cup theory is bull. No one can be nourished on a 1/2 a cup of food. By a year you should be able to eat a small tv dinner with no problem Only eating a half a cup of food is going to cause Vitamin deficiency for sure. What does it feel like to be full?I it feels satisfied What does it feel like to be stuck? Painful very painful when you try to drink Water to make it go down it just comes back up. What does it feel like before you throw up? people with the band should never ever throw up. What does it feel like when you are throwing up? the same as any time you throw up What does it feel like when you drink water and if you drink it too fast? No diffference in drinking water to me I also have not seen much from people who have actually reached goal: How do people deal with reaching goal? Currently (probably because I am barely starting to live the lifestyle) I imagine that when I reach goal I might be the person to say, "OK I can enjoy myself a bit now and if I gain a few lbs its OK because I can lose it again." But then I will get out of control and gain it all back. to me its not acceptable to think oh I can just gain a few pounds and then lose it. You should always be concerned about gaining and controling your weight loss What is the thought process like once a person reaches goal? I dont think you thought process changes once goal is reached its a daily struggle. What is it like to stay on maintenance?You continue to eat like you have since surgery. Always mindful of what you are putting in your mouth. How do you exercise during matinence? For example if you do 2 hours of exercise per day while loosing weight do you have to continue to do that much exercise during maintenance to keep the weight off or do you pull it back a bit so you don't continue to loose weight?I go to cures its just easier to do cardio and weight training all together

Yes, you can get a bypass when they remove the band. May I give you some advice? The bypass is pretty final. EVERYONE that I have talked to has had complications but they also say they would do it again. I myself never once considered the bypass because it is so invasive. I got the band in March 2010 and am having it removed July 9 due to not feeling well, intermittent nausea, tummy issues, etc. I, too, am worried about re-gaining weight but if I do, then I do. I think I won't though. You have had your band longer than me so you must have lost weight and learned to eat differently. Just try very hard to continue that. Can you tell I am very much against the bypass?? LOL But seriously, think about it beforehand. It's a big move. Good luck!

Hi Jen in Buffola, This is Molly. I am on day 4 postop and having some pain in the port site, but only intermittently like when I am reaching for tv remote. Still very tender for me. How long did it take you? I still wish I had some Lortab left but have been taking Liquid Tylenol XS. Have good night!