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I have also loved this thread. It has been so supportive and so good to "talk" to folks at the same stages throughout the year. I reached my goal at 7 months and have maintained at about 5 pounds below, which feels good. My clothes fit and I am wrinkly, but not gaunt. I,too, am eating more normally than every before. I still have some restriction, but am finding that I need to watch portion control a bit more now. Being able to eat more at a time, however, is really helpful as I step up my exercise. Surprisingly, I still have a little trouble getting in fluids more than a couple of swallows at a time. It is my goal each day to get in 64 oz minimum, and sometimes it is a real push to do so. I have transitioned to a whole foods plant based (WFPB) eating plan now, and have developed lactose intolerance. In fact, it looks like the whey protein started an allergic reaction in my esophagus. So menu planning has become a bit more challenging with no gluten, no dairy, and no animal products. As far as complications, I developed blood clots in my legs after surgery, even with walking right away. I also got an ulcer at the the GJ junction which is being treated now (in spite of no alcohol, NSAIDS, coffee, soda, or anything else that would predispose to an ulcer.) But would I do it again - YOU BET! My life if so full and active now. My family is have a bit of a time getting used to the "new me," but it is the best decision I have ever made for myself! Year two challenges: I anticipate a lot more "head work" as I dig deeper into emotional eating issues and not wanting to stop eating once I start, especially with evening time munching. As the "honeymoon" period ends, I want to be strong and resilient to temptations, having good tools to fall back on - like IF, longer fasts, and exercise goals. Best wishes for all my Feb buddies. I hope you will all post and let us all know how you are doing and what your new goals are.

Yes if I drink too fast, dont wait at least 1/2 hour before or after food. Not pleasant feeling. Sent from my SM-G973W using Tapatalk

I am two weeks out from gastric bypass. All was going well but on Tuesday I woke up with some intense lower abdominal pain when attempting a BM. An hour and a half later and many solid BM later, the pain went away. I called my doctor and went back to liquids. My nutritionist thought I had eaten something my stomach didn’t agree with and the pain had subsided. Did liquids for 24 hours and all is back to normal. Fast forward to Friday morning, same thing is happening right now. Intense lower abdominal pain when having a BM. I do not think it was something I ate because the last time I ate was a protein shake 12 hours ago. My stomach is gurgling too. Anyone else have a similar problem? Advice?

The hardest part is remembering to sip water. For me mainly the mental part of not being able to eat like a regular portioned plate. I was a very fast eater before and drank so much drink during meal time. Separating the two was a real struggle. The gas pain after surgery is probably the worst part in that aspect.

Honey, this is exactly what the band is SUPPOSED to do. You WANT to eat, but the band stops you. The "wishing you could eat more" is a whole other subject. The area of the stomach that is responsible for satiety is in the top portion of your stomach. The bottom portion isn't calling out to you. This is your head thinking you didn't eat enough, aka "head hunger." When I was banded, I could eat small amounts (usually about 1/2-1cup) of food. The amount of time before I felt hungry again depended on what I ate. If I ate a cookie or cupcake, I was hungry again in about 15 minutes. If I ate solid meat and vegetables, I wasn't hungry for hours. With the lapband, if I ate too quickly or didn't chew my food well enough, it felt like razors trying to pass through that stoma. It hurt so bad and I didn't want to have to experience THAT again, so I'd go back to my chewing/eating slowly/etc. Then I'd forget and the RAZORS would quickly remind me. I never had the "burp" and I'm cleared thing other than once when I had something stuck in the stoma (I hadn't chewed a piece of meat well enough). When my gallbladder went crazy, I had a lot of violent vomiting and my band slipped. I didn't have it out because it failed me. I had it out because it slipped and was giving me reflux for years before the doctors found the slip. With the sleeve, it is much the same. I eat small amounts, about the same as the band. The amount of time before I feel hungry again is exactly the same as the band. If I eat junk food or high-carb food, it doesn't satisfy me and I'm hungry again very quickly. If I eat a meal with substance, I could go 3 or 4 hours without being hungry. EX: for lunch today I had a small salad and some tomato soup. I ate it about an hour ago and I'm still as full right now as I was when I stopped eating. This will probably last me at least another hour or 2. I still have the razor feeling if I eat too fast or don't chew well enough. I get a "hard stop" if I've reached my max capacity, which I try not to do. It's painful and I can get thick saliva that foams. In comparison between band and sleeve, I'd say they were very similar. I have a firmer "hard stop" with the sleeve, but that's OK. Otherwise, the satiety and consequences of not chewing well enough are the same. I'm still of the opinion your problem may be related to what and how you're eating. I wasn't able to tolerate fills at all in my band, so I never got the full benefits of having the adjustable restriction, but I never felt like I was starving. Go back to the basics of your bariatric diet. Chew well and eat s-l-o-w. Log everything you eat, so you know how many calories you're getting. If necessary, contact a nutritionist for a diet plan. If you're still struggling after all that, maybe a counselor? disclaimer: My comments are not intended as medical advice. When in doubt, always contact your doctor.

The problem is, I don't feel "full" I just feel like I can't eat anymore. Does that make sense? Like I want more, and I wish I could eat more, but the band stops me from eating. That would actually be fabulous, if the feeling stayed for more than 10 minutes... however, a good hearty burp clears it out straight away and then I'm able to eat more. The result is I take a bit longer to eat a regular meal but I can eat as much as I want. Having the top portion of my stomach full is great but the bottom portion definitely calls out to be filled up too. The result is, once I burp and the small pouch empties, I want more. If the duration between the full-feeling stayed much longer I think the band would work just fine for me. Did that happen to you when you had your band? Would you mind sharing the difference you feel between the sleeve and the band, if anything? If it's an identical experience I don't want to stress my body from another surgery... but I do want something that works. I didn't expect the band to do all the work for me, but it never worked to begin with even when I followed the rules (because of the pouch emptying so fast). I talked to my doctor about that so he added a small amount of fluid to the band but when I went to take a drink of water I was completely stopped up, so he had to take it back out right away. He said I was at the max tightness for my tolerance. It's so strange.

Yes. 15 days. Its killing me, I guess there was an unexpected opening to be scheduled for my surgery and I was slotted in but I didn't find out until last Fri (Jan 3rd)- I am scheduled for Jan. 15th. It was submitted to Insurance that day and I am still awaiting a decision and I am being told its very common to take the maxiumum amount of time for approval in January as the companies are slammed with requests due to patients changing coverage. So after thinking the earliest I'd be scheduled was to be Mid-Feb, I'm now on the will it happen or won't it rollercoaster and its freaking me out cause its like 6 days away! FWIW I am also in FL, and I have BCBS Federal and I had to do a 3-month supervised diet. My first visit was Aug 13th and I am now scheduled for Jan 15th...so it went quite fast.

Maybe I'm getting Fatboyslim wrong but I don't think he denies these things. He just seems to say that the TDEE Serengirl claims/thinks to have is too good too high to be true and therefore she's losing the weight not as fast as she "should" according to the calculations she made. When people are losing weight rather slow it's because their TDEE isn't very high - for whatever reason.

I personally recommend that everyone on this thread, if you haven't done so already, make sure to ready Fluffychix's 'Importance of doing the Head Work' as I feel the wealth of info, the videos, input, etc. will help answer many questions and will help ensure we all stay in the right mindset to keep accounting and on top of the things within our control. I've seen Fluffy's weight loss month average timeline and trust me, that chica fought for her weight loss every step of the way and hung in there and look at where she is! Don't get discouraged! The 2 year outcomes for people who truly work their plan, check in with vets, their surgeon, their nutrition, their specialists, EXERCISE, etc. are very similar to those who dropped weight fast! Stick around, do the work, don't give up!

Not really physically impossible. Just don’t feel like it or if I do I feel an uncOmfortable feeling and have to lay down. I’ve thrown up several times because of it. I think it’s because I’m not chewing enough, eating too fast, or the specific food. It kind of varies. I can eat a little chicken one day and then feel sick the next. So mine is really an after effect If you can’t physically eat that might be something else than my experience.

Hello all, im so anxious My surgery date Is 01/28 and its approaching pretty fast but im So Ready that i keep coming on here reading people experiences, screenshotting any helpful info, and reading almost all the forums. My Surgeon has suggested a 1 week liver shrinking low cal, low carb diet but im going to do 2 weeks being that yes I cheated and ate things that i know i will not eat ever again after surgery and had a couple last meals. So over the last month and a half I’ve gained 10lbs back so i have to work those lbs back off before surgery. Im very determined in fact from September 26th-dec 2nd I lost 37lbs So im not worrying about losing the 10lbs Before Surgery. JUST HAVE TO KEEP MY EYES ON THE PRIZE.

Same!! I've been to a fair amount of Peruvian restaurants and your uncle's food looks super fancy! Going back to a previous post of yours @MarvelGirl25. I eat out professionally a lot. And how little I could eat, and how much it was noticed and commented on was, for me, the hardest thing about WLS. But as time went on I could eat closer to normal portions, and the comments stopped. So it won't last forever, just know it's temporary. As far as alcohol. I had my first drink 3 weeks post op (work situation). But after that I mostly swore off alcohol during my WL phase. It just wasn't worth the liquid calories to me, they add up fast. But I also didn't deprive myself. I had a few drinks my birthday week, or when someone bought a really nice bottle of wine at dinner, and on vacation.

Hello All, I am not a frequent poster on this forum. To make a long story short, I have had my band for 10 years. Up until 4 months ago, I was what I considered to be a successful bandster. Had lost about 95 pounds (41 years old male, highest 270, lowest 175 lb). Maintained a 90 pound loss but was having serious issues with my lap band: 1) acid reflux, 2) gas bloating and abdominal pain, 3) port pain, 4) no follow-up doctor as my out of province surgeon had retired years ago, etc... I am in a difference place now. I FINALLY found a GREAT weight loss surgeon locally who agreed to take me on as his patient and have been following up with him since then (he does the fills himself which is also great). He did xrays on me. Band appears to be good. He removed 2cc as I had been experiencing excruciating gas bloating and abdominal pain attacks that were becoming more and more frequent and then filled me slowly over 4 months to a more comfortable level. I am now at a lower level (0.3 cc lower) where I am no longer experiencing acid reflux, gas bloating, abdominal pain or port pain which is a HUGE relief. The only symptom I still have is random low-grade nerve pain (left shoulder, head, leg) that is gas related but I can happily live with that if I do not gain further. Funny enough, even that pain disappeared when he removed the 2cc so I know it's band related. Unfortunately, I am gaining weight FAST! In those 4 months, I have gained 25 pounds and am unable to stop it. I really don't know what to do. Last week, I decided to really go back to basics. Eat very very slowly, tiny amounts, No sugar ...basically dieted...and all I lost in that week was 0.3 lb!!! I don't know how long I can keep that for. I really feel that years of banding wrecks havoc on our metabolism so that if you lose it, or just go to a lower fill, you just end up gaining weight very fast. I am not sure where to go from here? I do not want more fill and I am not mentally ready for a revision. Worried about side effects of these surgeries (in particular bloating, abdominal pain. NEVER want to go back to this) and the fact that they're not reversible. I am also in Canada so if I do revise using public insurance, it would be years assuming I get approved (which I very well may not considering I am not high BMI at this point yet). And not sure I can self-pay at this point. Even if I did, I would have to go out of province for this as my surgeon only works under the public system. I don't want to be in the same position again of not having a doctor to follow-up with where I live. I know that's a discussion I need to have with my surgeon but I am not even sure I am ready for it yet. I just want things to work with my band as I am so relieved to be finally following-up with a doctor locally and to not be experiencing terrible pain with it. Any words of wisdom or advice would be most appreciated as I contemplate my next move.

Ok so it’s not just me too. I lost 10 pounds during the fasting prior to my sleeve surgery. I am only 3 weeks after surgery but I only lost 4 pounds. I mean I have also only just been able to start working out. I guess slow and steady 🤦‍♀️.

My process was extremely short as I was private pay as well maybe three weeks. My surgeon did not require as many steps as yours... I think it’s OK fast is good I pondered on the surgery for years. I do not regret a single penny or a single moment. Best of luck to you.

Anyone notice if you eat too late in the day - like get most of your calories 2-3hrs before bed- are slower losing? I know there’s two camps: calories are calories no matter what time of the day vs . Calories before bed cause weight gain Just want to add even though I’m not losing weight as fast as I wish (driving me bat shit crazy) I am definitely losing inches . I calculated my burn rate and it’s roughly 2500- 2600 cals so after food like 2300-2400 cals burn in 24hrs (includes workout) so should be around a lb every other dayish if my body would cooperate haha hopefully I’m just retaining water and will have the “whoosh” hahaha

It has only been six weeks and I'm down 38 pounds which is about 40% to goal. I get plenty of protein in every day and am close to expected on fluids (not counting protein shakes). In lab tests last week all of my numbers are within normal ranges except of glucose which is only 78 and below the bottom threshold of normal. I've been having some dizzy spells from, what I would guess is hypoglycemia. I average 500-600 calories per day and around 25 carbs. I get full very fast and just can't eat any more after I get my protein in. Any thoughts or ideas? Anyone else in this boat?

Okay guys, I’m trying to decide if I need to change anything. I’ve IF’d since month 3 PO. The main reason I chose the 16:8 fasting style is I would be in pain and my water intake would suffer if I tried to eat a meal before 11-11:30 in the morning and it didn’t matter if I woke up at 5am or at 9am. Before 11am HURT to put solids in. I’m very good at protein first, anything else second during my eating window, so I never really stressed the protein. If I fell short, i drank a cup of milk between meals and make it up. All of this has contributed to my smashing success in losing above and beyond all expectations set by my doctors and by myself. I’m truly an outlier at well >100% excess fat lost. Honestly though, my 16:8 fast almost every day has become a source of comfort and routine and I love the lifestyle. I’ve never before in my life been more comfortable managing hunger and getting in healthy nutrients that my body needs and thrives on. That being said, I decided to abstain from the scale for a month back on December 14. On that date, I had successfully taken off my 4 pound regain from thanksgiving/vacay and I felt ready to conquer the rest of the holiday “doing my usual” with the exception of several cheat days. My thought process was to not stress myself out during the holidays— enjoy life, weigh a few weeks later, and assess the damage. Well yesterday am I woke up and it dawned on me that I was visibly looking “skinner” and I actually could feel that I was lighter (not a normal feeling for me) so I decided to get on the scale about a week early. Guys, I went from 146.4 down to 140.6!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This was completely by accident bc I had a few hedonistic days in there. Now I’ve starts training for a half later this year and I’m a bit worried about all of the cardio I’ll be doing to get ready. Yet I DO NOT want to give up my IF. It’s my comfort zone and my security blanket. what’s a girl to do?

Thank God I feel much better. Just woke up with a pretty sore throat. I will attempt another fast tomorrow. Hopefully it will be better Sent from my SM-G950U1 using BariatricPal mobile app

Yesterday, Tuesday, Jan. 7 Maintenance : 5'2" / 1yr PO Sleeve / 113.3 lbs ---------------------------------------- The sugar free chocolates bonanza continued yesterday. The good news is I finished all my fave ones so I can't eat any more of them. The bad news is I finished all my fave ones so I can't eat any more of them. Went out for wings and drinks with BFF last night, and I got toasted on 1 vodka caesar, probably due to drinking it way too fast on an empty stomach (plus it was a double). Only managed to eat 3 wings at the bar. BUT i had 3 more as a late nite snack later on among other things... I think I'm going through a sweetness binge... ---------------------------------------- 8:00am - coffee-cayenne w/ stevia 11:30pm - salad w/ vinaigrette + 2 grape tomatoes + 1 tbsp tomato onion tuna + 3 oz grilled chicken + 2 oz baked ham 3:30pm - 1/3 cup cottage cheese + 1/2 fl oz pumpkin seeds + 1 oz blueberries + 4 pieces Russel Stover sugar-free chocolates + 1 sugar-free Reese's mini Peanut Butter cup + 4 dark chocolate covered coffee beans (NOT the sugar free kind) 9:30pm - 1 vodka caesar (approx 24 oz) + 3 naked chicken wings + 1 tbsp blue cheese dip. 1:30am - 3 naked chicken wings + 1 tbsp blue cheese dip + 1 cup chocolate peanut butter protein ice cream + 10 almonds + 1 sugar-free Reese's mini Peanut Butter cup ---------------------------------------- Totals: 1715 cals - 121g Protein - 125g NET carbs - 87g fat

@chayarg : yeah, sounds like dumping to me too. I dunno if its the quick succession or the fasting or what, but the symptoms def sound like dumping. Only way to know for sure is to try isolate and try again, though I get if you don't want to do that...dumping is death. How are you feeling today? Are you attempting another fast today?

I think it sounds like dumping (from the quick ingestion of all the sugar alcohols in the cookie and protein bar). Especially if you have any PCOS insulin issues. Sorry you had to deal with that hon!!! Yikes!! I will tell you that sometimes longer fasts make me poop my first meal. LOL. But then I started breaking my fast with some avocado and then bone broth.

Good morning and thank you. I've always been hard to bruse and fast healer.

Not an expert at all. But my first thought is that was a lot of food in quick succession. Maybe just too much for your stomach to process after a little shrinkage from fasting?

Definitely did something wrong my fast resulted in projectile vomiting and diarrhea Sent from my SM-G950U1 using BariatricPal mobile app