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Help! I had my banding in june 2010 and have only lost 40 lbs. I can't seem to lose anymore. My problem is that I'm eating almost as much as before, the band does not restrict the amount of food I eat, but it does make me eat S L O W. If I get super hungry sometimes I eat to fast and I have to go throw up, it's gets stuck. Because of this I'm afraid to let them fill me again. I've had 3 or 4 already. I am 68 and come from a very fat family. Losing weight has always been a problem. Now I have to go in for a weighing in 2 wks and I know they are not going to be happy that I, once again, have not lost any weight. If I don't eat until I am satisfied... I'm hungry before the next meal. I'm eating mostly meat, veggies and very little if any potatoes or Pasta products. I don't eat sweets. In fact I've been eating so much meat and cheese that my cholesterol has gone up. Any advice?

I had my surgery on May 5th and I still get occasional nausea when eating. Certain foods make me incredibly nauseated, and if I eat too fast or too much I will definitely get sick.

Hello, my name is Michelle. I'm a 22 year old student and CNA working full time at a local hospital here in town. I just had my surgery 3-13. So, i'm three days post op. I've been walking a lot and following my doctors orders. One of my big concerns is that I am having difficulty telling whether i'm hungry or just havin some gas pains. I definetly know that these hunger pains are nothing like they were before. I'm working on full liquids now, and this morning when i tried to eat my super runny mashed potatoes, i experienced some pressure in my chest. I don't know if I was eating to fast or what. It's uncomfortable to say the least. I would really appreciate getting to know people who are going through the same thing I am. There aren't any support groups or anything close to where I live so I feel a little bit alone in this whole process. But I'm very very optimistic. I'm excited to start this new chapter in my life. Thanks.

Eating and drinking is very different after surgery. I could barely drink an ounce of water immediately after my surgery. I remember I went out on a boat and watched my family water ski and go tubing. I panicked for a moment thinking I'd never be able to water ski because I couldn't risk gulping that much water. It scared me to think of doing that. Needless to say, time passed, and I healed, and I can drink large amounts of water. It just took a long time to get to that point. Eating is something I still do slowly. I can't eat too fast. I need to physically stop between bites and let my food settle into my stomach before taking another bite. If I eat too fast, I become very uncomfortable. It only takes once or twice of that happening before you learn how to eat slower.

2 tiny chicken wings and I’m sneezing uncontrollably until I vomit. It’s not just chicken wings, it’s everytime I eat almost like now I’m allergic to food. The internet says overeating out eating too fast but only 2 flats eaten slowly and it’s still happening. And the hot flashes, why? I’m starving, I’m thirsty and everything in between.

I am new to the forum, and just had a quick question, as at my six month checkup, I felt, for the first time, as if I had done something wrong. I am a by the book, numbers, write it down, everywhere and everything person. I have kept my profile on MyFitnessPal, my "guide book" given at my first seminar, and have now filled three huge binders of my own notes and journals, as I want to make sure no stone is unturned. I didn't see my normal surgeon, as he was away that day, but the dietician (who was all of 12, brand new when I started coming the second time...the first two times there were insurance red tape even down to the hour before surgery...that is a rant for another day) said I want making the progress she wanted to see, and the Dr. who did see me talked through not to me (God I hate that). I now have to come back for "monitoring" once a month to keep on track. Huh? I was furious when I left the office so I called back as there were no goals, just switch up food. Um why? I eat 90% Protein and drink 96 oz of Water a day. I take EVERY Vitamin, supplement, med, etc that was prescribed by then EVERYDAY. I exercise a minimum 4 days a week, varied workouts from cardio, to swimming, weight training, yoga, and now mini cross fit sessions. They said at this point in the game o should be at least 50% excess body weight lost? Um what? That is on NO book, lecture, seminar, support group, anything I have ever read, in fact quite the opposite. They say the average is 60% in the first year, will slow continued loss. I went from 292lbs at first consult, to 301lbs pre fast, 278lbs post fast, 273 day of surgery, 254 one month check up, 230 the month check up, and now 215lbs at six months, and they tell me it is not enough? I feel angry, frustrated & insulted. I bust my butt, do above and beyond 95% off the time (I am human and do make mistakes sometimes), but the only number they looked at was the actual weight loss, then lectured me failure rates??? I was fuming but embarrassed like I felt I was being shamed. Every other time I have gone, post op it has been a great experience, and ask my others doctors and primary care think so too, but I don't know now if I will ever go back. I hate being treated like I am some moron, who doesn't know what is going on. The world treats "fat people" like we are dumb & don't know right from wrong, so why are we getting this from the one place that should be safe. Am I crazy to think that for a sleever, not a bypass patient, that 50% excess weight loss in 6 months seems a bit of a stretch? Or am I over thinking things? Just stressed out. B~

Hey there and welcome. Best wishes on insurance approval. I honestly love life with the sleeve. It'll be best thing you can do for yourself and your future. Congrats on the fast approaching arrival of your baby boy ! ! ! Keep us posted on your progress.

It just depends...everyone is different. A lot of factors go into it: How long you have been heavy, how fast you gained the weight, how much weight you loose, how fast you loose it, etc..

Yes!!! I lost 10lbs first week then gained 2 back then lost 3. I've realized that I'm not a fast loser like some others. I'm ok with it though I am going to start working with a trainer. I also had some dessert. I think tht contributed

There's no way that on six bites you're getting the minimum of 60 grams of protein per day. I was told to prepare my meal with about 1/2 - 3/4 cup of food: 3 oz of protein (looks to be about the same size as a deck of cards), a serving of steamed or raw vegetables. If, after you eat that, you are still hungry after 15 minutes, it's okay to eat a small serving of whole grain carbs. I drink a protein shake in the morning because it's convenient, but I've been told to stop because I need solid protein. And the logic works. I get plenty of protein in that shake BUT it's liquid and it doesn't stay in the band, so I'm hungry in a couple of hours. If I eat "real" food instead, I don't get hungry so fast.

I still have no hunger, so I don't get a 'satisfied' feeling because there's nothing to satisfy. I weigh and measure my food diligently and always eat my Protein first so that when my restriction hits, I've gotten what matters most into my stomach. I just eat slowly and really pay attention to how my stomach is feeling, because if I go a bite over, I'm miserable. The feeling is clear and unmistakeable (for me, it's like a STOP sign goes up and I'm DONE), but if you're eating too fast, you can already be a couple of bites over your limit before you feel it...then it's bad, for me.

I am one of the LUCKY ones!! I had my RNY July 2, 2013. Lost below my goal weight in 6 months, I weighed 117's. I did gain back 8's which I feel so much better. It is weird how just 8#'s made such a difference. I have maintained my `125# weight for over 3 years. Now for why I am lucky. I still feel no hunger!!! No physcial hunger but I do deal with mind hunger a lot. I had some problems with strictures (like scar tissue) I feel like that was the reason I lost so fast!! But hey I'm not complaining!! I am so glad that I had my WLS!! It is one of the best things I have done for myself and my family. Just remember each person has their own journey and no 2 are alike!! Good Luck

I just came to the hospital Sun night and was admitted. I had severe nausea and vomiting, and I have been on full liquids for almost a week although I am one month out. I was told last week that I had pancreatitis and they recommended I fast for a couple days then work my way back up to softs. Sunday was the first day I tried softs again and as soon as the food entered my mouth, before I even got a chance to swallow it, I became very sick. I had no food in the hospital yesterday and I'm supposed to be on bariatric clears today to see how I tolerate them. That's why I recommend the OP not to overeat so fast...because even when you follow the directions you can end up sick. So just imagine when you're not following instructions.

What are you eating? And in what amounts? Are you taking meds or Vitamins that could be upsetting your stomach? Is it possible that you've increased your activity enough that you're feeling muscles that were annoyed by the surgery protesting a bit? I am not sure that going back to liquids is an approach I'd take--there's no sense going backwards unless you've discussed it with your doctor and determined it's the best approach. I think it might be worth a call to your doctor, if you're concerned. But to me, it doesn't sound particularly ominous. You're only a few weeks from surgery, and there are lots of new sensations as you heal. I hope you feel better fast!

It would have to be a slider food. I would say call the nurse or NUT because there has to be something. Heck, I am even thinking put it in a small tsp of mild salsa.... Or if you drink it in something it would go down fast. V-8 or tomato juice? Good luck!

​Slow and small is key for long success I would think. Even before surgery that is something that we have all been taught. It takes 20 minutes for your body to register that it received food - even before your new tiny stomach. I will say that at 11 weeks, I can eat slightly larger bites now but likely more because I am not as afraid. But if I eat too fast, I get sick - every. single. time. It does get easier. Set a timer on your phone. Eventually we won't have to do that as it will be a new habit, but as my therapist said to me today - you are trying to change many many years of conditioning and it cannot be done overnight.

Sounds like it's because your drinking with meals- a real no no. Also- additional drinking will only make a stuck episode get worse. I hope your not offended, but I just have to comment that chicken nuggets are not the best weight loss food. Fast food resturaunts are tough- I stay away from them. Best wishes!

In this past week’s meeting with my therapist, I said that I felt like I was not losing weight fast enough. I’m still fat. I still have a “beer belly”. She stated that I needed to make lifestyle changes to be successful. In her opinion, I need to do better. We discussed the life changes I’ve made to be able to lose 86 pounds. I used to eat at fast food restaurants about four times per week. That is down to about twice a month. And just to be clear, I’m not eating a burger meal, usually it is something small. I’m very careful to keep it under 200 calories. One of the tasks I used to hate while dieting was writing down everything I ate. Now I actually enjoy seeing how many calories, protein, and fat I’ve consumed. I’ve been using myfitnesspal.com and it has made all the difference in the world. My friends on there are very supportive to the point that if I don’t log on for a few days, they send me notes asking me where I am and how I’m doing. Now that I’m logging my food, I also measure it before I eat it; not everything all the time, but putting my food into a 1 cup measuring cup helps me know how much my stomach will tolerate. All of these things that I thought were a pain in the ass, I am now doing. I still make a lot of poor choices and I do need to make more changes such as exercising regularly. But with each pound lost, I feel like I am slowly making the changes required of me to lose the remaining 60 pounds. I only have 40 pounds to lose for my doctor, but I want to lose another 60. If this 86 pounds made this much of a difference in my life I can only imagine what losing another 60 pounds will do! I’m fairly confident that I will reach my goal but it is frustrating not being there already.

Turning into insurance today! My blood pressure is to high so have to take meds. Hoping only for a short time. Pray for the insurance person that is approving my records. Hoping it will be fast and a YES. HAVE A MAGICAL DAY EVERYONE.

I will be sleeved on September 20, 2013!!!! I am so ready to start this new healthier life (like my husband said YOU DESERVE to be healthy). I dont know if I'm so moody because I cant eat what i want due to this liquid diet for 2 weeks, the days seems to be going by slow, or if its just normal to feel like this. Since 6:00 a.m. I've yelled, prayed, smiled, frowned, prayed, laughed, cried, and prayed again. YELLED- my four girls wasn't moving fast enough to get ready for school. Ages 10, 9, 6, & 4. Then my dogs wouldn't stop barking. PRAYED- Lord thank you for waking me and my family up in our right mind, life health, and strength. SMILED- Talked to my supportive husband who said I Love You and you will make it. FROWNED- The receptionist at worked brought me my 8:00 and 8:30 patient back at 8:40 and said I told them they are o.k. knowing my 9:00 is due to sign in at 8:45. PRAYED- Lord help me!!! Im more than a conqueror!!!!! LAUGHED- my coach at work thats helping me stick to the 2 week liquid diet starts to dance. CRIED- I want my husband to be approved to make it to my surgery PRAYED- Lord make a way even when I dont see the way. Lord you are the way maker. Let these days go by and be with everyone being sleeved!!!! Have a blessed Day everyone.

Hard not to get discouraged when you see other people starting the process after me, and I am still waiting for approval. The 45 day limit on the appeal is fast approaching, and am still waiting for letter of medical necessity from my neurologist. What stings is that the request was sent over almost three weeks ago. Doc dictated it the next day and sent it off to be transcribed. Well I guess there was nothing in the file so the transcriptionist just moved on. No follow up. No question. No nothing. Just dumped it and moved on. So now I may miss the deadline for the appeal because they did nothing about it for three weeks. I started in July and didn't have the six month diet. I was told late September or early October and I would be sleeved. Mid October and I am still trying to get stuff submitted. Trying to keep hopes up and anxiety in check. But getting more and more discouraged every day.

That is awesome, I think you are doing great! Congrats on the loss! Just remember everyone loses at a different pace, do not compare yourself to anyone else or get disappointed if your loss isn't moving as fast as theirs @ 5 weeks out I was down 25lbs from surgery

There's more to it than just eatin right and exercising. Eating at the right times is just as if not more important. I "mostly" eat healthier and try to eat the right potions but I felt like I should be losing more. I rarely ate Breakfast so I would go without food(energy) for sometimes 16 hours, in turn my body went into starvation mode. My dr. recomended keeping low cal protien bars in my van(180 cals, 20 gr protien, taste great). When I went back for my last fill I lost 6 1/2 #, not great but I finally got below 300# to 294. Ive been fighting to get below 300 for the last 2 fills. If you dont eat at the right times you become super hungry and it becomes alot easier to make bad decisions. I thought I would get the band and lose alot of weight fast by just eating less of mostly the same foods which isnt so! There are alot of factors that need to happen for the band to "help". Im trying to incorporate changes in every facet of my life slowly because in the past I've tried to do everything at once and I believe many major changes to what I was used to and comfortable with contributed to my failures. Btreiger actually gave me the advice many months back. Im not concerned about losing all my weight in 6 months although it would be nice. This is going to be a lifetime of learning for me and Im content on hopefully being at goal in another year or so. Also someone recomended having a revision to the sleeve. If you do decide to, make sure your doing all thats necessary for the band to work because the same changes need to be taken for the sleeve or any surgery to work(basically are you following your drs. orders to a T?). The good news is, if you arent doing all you can you can still change. The band is forgiving, just start again. Find support groups in your town, on here wherever, you've come to far(surgery) to give up now or to not take this serious. Besides all surgeries require alot of work from you, there are no quick fixes! (assuming your not doing everything required). Or maybe your one of the few who it wont work for. You'd be the only one I've heard of without a band problem(erosion, slippage). Im sure you have the support of everyone here. Dont give up.

So this week I went to my surgeon for my 3 month post op visit. 3 months!!! ALREADY! Wow, I cannot believe how fast the time goes when you are so focused on a goal! So, I went there and first off got weighed by the nurse. She says to me, "Wow, you are down another 26.3 pounds since the last time we saw you just over a month ago!" So I tell her about the hair loss and the little bit of worry that I have about the loose skin, and she gives me some fliers about what other Vitamins I can be taking for the hair loss (BY THE WAY, ANY ADVICE IN THIS AREA WOULD BE GREAT!!!). She then tells me to ask the Dr. about the skin and what he thinks. So the Dr. comes in a few minutes later. Says to me, "Hello, Kim. I'll tell you, you used to look like someone I would perform surgery on, but not anymore!" So I smile and turn beat red (i'm sure) and then he looks at the chart again and says, "Kim! Do you realize you have lost 90 pounds in 4 months!?! NO ONE has ever lost that much that fast in our program!" Thats when it hit me. I have officially "lost" my 12 year old niece. WOW! Now for the bad news... My hair is 1/2 gone. Thank goodness I had a really thick head of hair to start or I would be bald by now. It's horrible! Every time I touch my head I loose a whole hand full of hair. I am really starting to worry about it but don't know what kind of vitamins to invest in so that it at LEAST slows down. HELP!!!! More bad news: I'm on another stall. I wanted to start the new year off in Onederland. I haven't lost in over 2 weeks. I am 10 pounds from Onderland and am stuck. Go figure. I just hope I can be within 5 pounds of Onderland at least by the New Year. Over all, I am happy as a lark and LOVING my new life! Thanks to the surgeon, their wonderful staff, and the sleeve I am happier than I have been in a very very long time. I finally feel good about myself and therefore am able to tackle the everyday things that used to tax me to even think about. I don't have a lot of full body pictures to post but I do have just a few to share. The first two pics is from a wedding I was in this last June (5 months ago). The last three were taken just this week. I will do my best to find some full body pictures this week and get them posted. ONDERLAND HERE I COME!!!!!!

From my experience, the sensation of restiction is a little uncomfortable, or tight, but heartburn HURTS, I guess it's the reflux, the liquid going up into the esophogus since it can't go down fast enough. BE CAREFUL and sloooow down. And when you slow down, slow down some more. I have taken up the habit of taking a sip, and swallowing it in 2-4 swallows, so not all of my sip makes it down at once. That seems to help me. I have seen on an Upper GI screen a live picture X-ray of my stomach ABOVE the band squeezing the liquid up into my esophogus. Take it easy and cut out anything acidic (coffee, tomato juice, V-8, whatever you might be drinking) and that should help with any irritation from refux, if that's what you have. My Dr also said take Prilosec, crushed in juice. But check with you doc for instructions. Good Luck!