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Over the last 2 months since being referred to RNY by my PCP, I've slowly changed from being a food consumer addict to a food controlling addict. Or weight loss addict. Awesome [emoji52] I've been so obsessed with a self made goal before surgery. I've lost 36 pounds in 2 months by sticking to my dr monitored diet + exercising and hate the idea of not losing a total of 60 before surgery. I didn't have a weight loss goal by my surgeon so this is all self induced. Lol. My fear is - an addict has mental punishments for themselves that will make it easy to get so down over one mistake that you give up and take the easy road. For me, being a food consumer addict is a heck of a lot easier than food control/weight loss addict. I journal a lot to try to sort through my own brain. I just fear I will fail in some way that I will turn back to food. It's like I can't just be normal. I have to be in control of something. Anyone else go through this concern? My back story if you're interested: My sister and I were raised by a drug/alcohol addict and a control/cleanly addict. We both knew what the signs of addiction were and we both chose to monitor our food addictions closely, though not perfectly. The recognition of being an addict lead to extreme measures to not turn into "them"... which meant we ended up becoming more like an addict haha. I became an anorexic in high school because I guess weighing 158 pounds was super obese in my eyes (if I only knew what obesity really was). Then when I was found out, I transitioned to a binge and purger. When I moved out of my parents home and half way across the US with my fiancé - away from anyone we knew. I could only afford junk like ramen and rice. Mac and cheese and bread. I got pregnant and married within 2 months and that was the end of my body as we knew it. Anyway, after a move across states again and 2nd pregnancy, I ended up being diagnosed with severe Health complications and was put on a dr monitored diet in 2012. From 2012 - 2014 I went from weighing 287 to 225. In 2014 I became pregnant again (through 2 forms of birth control so yes it was truly a surprise) and my dr told me to eat what I felt I wanted because I was so high risk, he only wanted me listening to my body. I took that too literally and let my cravings for meat and mayo get the better of me. My baby was born in 2015 and my high pregnancy weight was 320. I got down to 298 when I delivered and then quickly rose to 328 and stayed there. 2 years later I'm on another dr monitored diet, exercising regularly, and have weekly weight loss goals for myself. I've lost 36 pounds and have a goal of 24 more before surgery. I think about food/weight all day and know that can't be healthy but I'm just not sure how else to make certain I don't give up or fail. HW: 328 (02/22/17) SW: TBD CW: 292

I'll be completely honest- this post has nothing to do with WLS. I'm 26 years old and I live in Florida. I've been watching the news coverage on the Oklahoma tornadoes and its truly heartbreaking. I cant even begin to imagine the kind of traffic this website gets, but in the grand scheme of things, every little effort counts. For those of you who have already been sleeved or are thinking about getting sleeved, please consider donating to the red cross. I'm not going to guilt you into donating. I hate it when people do it to me, so why would I do it to you? I was driving to work this morning and I realized a $10 donation to the red cross relief efforts equals a large starbucks coffee (something I am very familiar with), one alcoholic beverage (also something I'm familiar with), OR one Quarter Pounder with cheese. If you think about all the things you buy on any given day, substituting one of those things in order to help the life of another person is priceless. Please text REDCROSS to 90999 in order to donate $10. If you dont have access to a phone or for those of you who don't want to add charges to your monthly phone bill, please visit https://www.redcross.org/donate/index.jsp?donateStep=2&itemId=prod10001. Ok, I'm done preaching, but if its for a good cause, I'm all about it! Thank you for reading this. If you decide not to donate, that's okay! Thank you for considering it! If you do donate, WONDERFUL! Thank you on behalf of everyone struggling in Oklahoma. Happy losing! (Btw, I have nothing to do with the redcross. I'm just a student in Florida who was incredibly touched and heartbroken)

I have had my second fill and am not in the green zone with 3cc fill appear to be stuck at this weight for 3 weeks now. I am trying not to get discouraged, continue to walk thinking about getting a personal trainer just to make the scale move. I had a large celebration this week with my only cheat being a 2oz sample of wine. First and only alcohol since going under the knife. No sweets at all and making healthy choices. Time to get back to my journal I guess to really see what's happening with my intake calorie wise. I have to remain focused, I can feel a difference in my clothes as I have shed an entire wardrobe! Another non scale victory under 100 to lose! I can do this....! Yes..I can!

I had mine 2 1/2 years ago and have never regretted it. I admit as I was getting on the OR table I was like do I really want to do this? Yes you do. It's a tool and not perfect but gave me my health back. I am an RN too so I was glad to be an example to my patients. Go for it. There is pain the first week or two and you have to ease back into solid food but you will get there. The straw thing is real. The air in your stomach can hurt. The feeling full too you will feel it! And if you push it you will vomit[emoji33]. And the not drinking while eating is true too but after a while you can sip a little if you need to. Eating spicy food you need to!if you try an alcohol drink watch out! It can hit you really fast. But look at this way 1 drink and you are done! Saves money. Also the take home box is your friend. I order what I want but I usually take 1/2 or more home. But if I feel like it I eat it later. Again it's a tool not magic. But I wanted to live a better life and I have. Good luck. Remember get up as soon as you can after the surgery. Also use the binder they give you. It helps a lot the first 2-3 weeks giving your abd wall support. Also use pain medication. You don't get extra brownie points for going without it. So says the RN in me! The pain mostly comes from the larger hole on the side of you belly button. It's the place the do most of the surgery from and they have to move in and out of it more. So don't be surprised if there is more pain in that area. They close it with a web like suture that you pull and it closes he hole. They usually use it to close a person up who has a chest tube for a collapsed lung. Sent from my iPad using the BariatricPal App

I get on the scale every day. Yes, i know i shouldn't but cant help it. I record weekly loss every Wednesday which is the day of the week i had surgery.... Last week and this week that just past, from wednesday to saturday i hadn't lost anything, then i went out on Saturday night, had a few sips of an alcoholic drink (maybe about 8 oz, spread out) and then on Sunday i was 2-3pounds lighter. This happened last weekend and this weekend, could it be coincidence? Both days i barely ate anything so cant point it on higher calories consumption. Not trying to advocate this and not making it a habit to drink alcohol, just wondering if anyone else has had similar expereince.

I've had three of these episodes now, where I'm a freaker/tweaker for 2-4 hours, but it seems longer. I just need to know that someone else experiences something similar to this, to know that I'm not alone. I become frantic, frenetic, like every molicule in my body is vibrating at double what it should be. Can't think, can't make a coherent sentence, can only shake and pace and move and tweak. The first time I was a little euphoric, but the last two times I felt out of control in a bad way. I don't doubt that If Iwas in public when this happens that I'll be arrested for public intoxication use of meth, or speed or crack. And not in a good way either. This goes way beyond being "normally" Cushie energetic. There is no way I can get anything done, it's all I can do to not start screaming or yelling. I spent over an hour walking in a circle in my kitchen. I'd get dizzy, so I'd switch and walk the other way. I ended up leaving the house and walked around my block twice, at a speed-walker pace, crying all the while, tears streaming down my face. I'm sure the neighbors were alarmed at my erratic behaviour. *I* was alarmed. When I"m in the teeth of one of these episodes I cannot hold a rational conversation. I can't even follow a simple one, not really. I repeat myself. I'll say the same thing two or three times, usually the end of the sentence I'm trying to say. I also get TERRIBLY thursty, and end up drinking a couple quarts of water in one go. Last week when this happened, I was in the middle of my 32 hour blood draw, and ended up with an ACTH of 59 and 60. Chris at least got to see how bad I was, at my very worst. I called Chris, not sure how I managed to punch the buttons since my hands were shaking so bad. She told me to start yet another UFC, do a salivary, and get a blood draw at the end of the UFC. I dont' want to test anymore! I wanted it to STOP! I don't want to have another one of those episodes EVER. But all Chris could do was tell me to test. Of course, I wouldn't have ever thought to test while I was in the middle of that. Even though it's happened three times now, it would have never occured to me to test. When I had regained my brain, after I stopped tweaking, I told my son that he was going to have to make me a drink. He was going to have to feed me rum until I stopped tweaking. I know that alcohol and Cortisol "eat" each other. I just feel like I cannot go through another one of those episodes. I just cannot face it. I know it is a danger signal to think in "black and white" concepts, but I'm just so terrified of those episodes. But what also frightens me is the thought of the crash that is bound to follow, either this afternoon or tomorrow. Where I'll lose conciousness, where I'll have "extreme weakness" with the crushing pain of the headaches and the back pain will burn my very soul.

I don't know if they make people dump, but they're hard on a lot of people's stomachs. They're in my SF popsicles. I can't eat more than two SF popsicles because the sugar alcohols start doing a number on my stomach if I have more than that

Hey, Bandsters! Time flies when you’re having fun. If you’re like those of us here at Celebrate Yourself This Valentine’s Day! Keep reading for more on each of these stories, and when you’re finished, come on over to LapBandTalk.com for more motivation and information. The conversations never stop! And, as always, please free to drop us a line if you have any comments. We love hearing from members! See you on the boards! Sincerely, Alex Brecher Founder LapBandTalk.com Please be Respectful on the Boards! We started LapBandTalk.com to help lap-band patients and people who may be interested in getting the lap-band. We are very proud of the array of resources on the site, and recognize that you, our members, are our most valuable assets. From the conversations on the boards and feedback we receive from members, we know LapBandTalk.com has been successful in reaching out to thousands of members and making a positive difference regardless of where you are in your weight loss journey. One of the most valuable features of LapBandTalk.com is its welcoming, respectful atmosphere. Because of some recent incidents on the board, we’d like to remind you that rudeness is not tolerated. Board etiquette is outlined in the dinner with wine. Before starting your weight loss journey, you may have celebrated by exchanging boxes of chocolate and eating too much fat and sugar at home and at work. On your pre-surgery diet and after surgery, these unhealthy choices are no longer for you. High-fat, high-sugar foods aren’t part of your weight loss surgery diet. Pasta and shrimp can cause problems with your lap-band and alcohol with dinner can make you lose your control and overeat. So what can you do to enjoy Valentine’s Day – with or without a special someone – while keeping your weight loss on track? We have a few ideas. Give your sweetheart flowers instead of candy. Opt for broiled lobster or chicken with vegetables instead of steak with creamy mushroom pasta. Skip the refined pasta at dinner. Instead, try a small amount of orzo or another whole grain – but only eat it after eating your Protein and vegetables. Choose strawberries for dessert instead of chocolate cake and ice cream. If you still have chocolate cravings after dinner, sip sugar-free hot chocolate instead of going for the chocolate truffles. There’s nothing more romantic than dancing. Burn a few extra calories with some slow dancing before watching a movie after dinner. Picking out a few slow songs to dance to with your sweetheart will show how much you care. Take a walk. A short after-dinner walk lets you and your valentine enjoy the fresh air and focus on each other. Don’t have a valentine? Call up one of your single friends and take a leisurely walk together. You’ll both benefit from the chance to chat. Make a Valentine’s Day card. Do you remember how good it felt to get them from your friends when you were in elementary school? Making one instead of buying one lets you put your own personal touches on it. These are just a few possibilities for enjoying your Valentine’s Day without interfering with your health. Everyone should be able to enjoy, not dread, this happy holiday, and we hope these suggestions are useful as you make your plans. Member Challenge: Be Your Own Valentine! The Member Challenge portion of the newsletter is an opportunity for you to try something new or discover tricks that’ll help you with your weight loss and health. It’s not a competitive challenge; it’s just a way to challenge yourself to achieve new goals. This month, we’re sticking to the theme of Valentine’s Day. Some people think that Valentine’s Day is only for couples, but we’re going to let you in on a little secret: anyone can celebrate Valentine’s Day, even if you’re by yourself. Take advantage of the occasion to show yourself how much you love and appreciate yourself – especially as you work toward becoming healthier. The challenge this month is to show yourself how much you care about yourself and appreciate your efforts to become healthier and happier. These are a few of our ideas to treat yourself without going off your weight loss surgery diet. Get a massage, facial, manicure or pedicure. Try a calorie-free chocolate treat, such as chocolate chapstick or chocolate-scented body lotion. Make or buy yourself a Valentine’s Day card. Frame a “before” and “after” picture – with or without your sweetheart – in a Valentine’s Day-themed frame. Try a dance class – you’ll burn a few calories and may meet a special someone! If you are dedicating February 14 to a special someone, take a few moments to treat yourself, too, or treat yourself on another day. Use one of the above ideas, or come up with your own way to celebrate Valentine’s Day without missing a beat in your weight loss journey. We’d love for you to tell us how it went in the Challenge Forum! Sharing your ideas and experiences gives you a sense of purpose and helps other bandsters hit their own challenge goals. Don’t forget that the archived Newsletter Forum is always there for you when you’re ready to try an old challenge. We’ll leave you with these thoughts of Valentine’s Day, hoping that they’re warm enough to carry you through the rest of the cold winter. Keep up the great work with your weight loss journey, and we’ll see you on the boards! Thanks as always for your support. Take care of yourself and each other. Sincerely, Alex ============================================================== If you no longer wish to receive this newsletter, you may unsubscribe by going to your Control Panel and clicking on the Newsletters tab, or clicking on the following link: {unsubscribe}

I weaned myself off caffeine a couple months before surgery (took 2 months to do it.). I also stopped smoking cold turkey 3 months before surgery. Other than that I ate normal and drank alcohol right up until the day I started my preop. I figured why start torturing myself sooner than absolutely necessary?! Looking back now, the preop diet is barely a blip on my radar compared to postop life and maintenance. Really Just a small part of the process and a necessary "right of passage" that can often be empowering.

LOL, so darn true At 5 months out I have developed more of a trusting relationship with farts, but every time I touch sugar alcohols the trust issues come back XD

Take the discount!!! Although it's not quite the same thing I still get VERY happy when people card me when I'm buying alcohol (I'm 31 so well past the age where I'm not obviously old enough to drink). I am almost always carded, so I suppose I have gotten a bit spoiled. The other day my boyfriend and I were out to dinner and the server carded him (he's 4 years younger than me) and didn't card me. I was like, ummm hello, do I really look that much older?! Still though...I say take the discount. I wouldn't have minded 20% off at my Michael's trip today, lol.

I am no longer Tyle 2 Diabetic! yipppeeeeee! BUT, when I went to diabetes school, they helped me develop a diet to control my diabetes. It said I could have a specific number of grams of carbs per day. I was told, like Jen says, to subtract the fiber grams from the casrb grams to be the carb grams I actually had to count. They never told me anything about sugar alcohol grams.....

Well, I think it largely depends on you and what could be personal triggers which may sabotage our efforts. Let me put it this way ... if a recovering alcoholic told you that drinking a particular energy drink reminded them of drinking margaritas, would you suggest they continue drinking them or find an alternative? If candy bars are not a slippery slope for you, then I would say the Quest bars are a great way to get your Protein on the go. But if it could possibly be a trigger, then ...

You can eventually have alcohol but I recommend reading a new report from UPMC hospital out if Pittsburgh. http://www.upmc.com/media/NewsReleases/2012/Pages/Weight-loss-Surgery-Alcohol-Use.aspx

I have a pretty bad intolerance for sugar alcohols (sorbitol, xylitol, mannitol, etc.). Can't handle aspartame either. Also lactose intolerant. It's possible you reacted to all those things as some people (from what i've read in here) can't after the surgery if not before (I haven't had surgery yet). You know the surgeon well - maybe he knows? :-) Is there a dietician on your team you can speak with?

Sugar alcohols are very common in "sugar free" sweets and they are extremely hard on the digestive system for anyone, let alone someone with a tiny, traumatized stomach. You learned a good lesson -- sweet food, even fake sweet food, should not be what you are trying to justify to yourself right now! Just put it off the menu of possibilities entirely for right now. To make yourself maybe feel a little better, read the critical reviews on Amazon for sugar free gummy bears (which contain sugar alcohols, like most sugar free yogurt). You are not alone in your suffering! https://www.amazon.com/Haribo-Sugar-Free-Gummy-Bears/product-reviews/B008JELLCA/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_viewpnt_rgt?filterByStar=critical&pageNumber=1

I have a totaly ramdown question to u... what about drinking alcohol a month later of the surgery? I ask this because once a month I socialize going to club or any social events and I have heard that I can NOT CONSUME ANY TYPE OF ALCOHOL BEVERAGES I LOVE WHISKEY W.COKE. ANY ADVISE

I haven't blacked out but sugar alcohol ( something in sugar free sweeteners) makes me dizzy and I sways and I get the sweats- I have felt like I was going to pass out though . I hope you don't get it again! Mich W Hw 223, SW 217 CW 185 GW 135

@@Jennifer - I just realized that you were using chewables, not trying to swallow solid Vitamins. So your aversion is probably not a stricture. Most likely the chewables you are taking contain a sugar alcohol such as sorbitol, erythritol, xylitol, maltitol, etc; most do because it's a way to keep calories down while making the vitamins palatable. Surprisingly, even most brands of chewable bariatric vitamins contain sugar alcohols, although I do recall there were one or two brands that don't. A lot of RNY patients get super sensitive to sugar alcohols after the surgery (so read labels on "sugar free" products carefully!). For me, sugar alcohols upset my stomach even more than real sugar! Unfortunately this has meant an end to my favorite Mocha Soy Frappe because Starbucks' sugar-free syrups contain sugar alcohols Sucralose ("Splenda") also bothers some people, myself being one of them, but this seems to be fairly unusual. Also many RNY patients get lactose intolerant after the surgery, so check your vitamins for that (lactose is the sugar that naturally occurs in milk). My general dairy intolerance got much worse after the surgery, so I try to avoid anything with dairy components (lactose, whey, casein) in it unless it's near the very end of the ingredient list. (Hard cheeses work fine for me though, go figure!).

So I had my seminar today, and am super stoked about this. One negative to it is I have to do 1 WHOLE year of supervised diet which I can totally deal with but it does kinda suck because I was hopeing for only a 6 month diet. But I was told if I could switch to another insurance which is still part of my insurance just a different plan. Then I would only have to do 6 month diet. Which is awesome! So I'm going to talk to my insurance to make sure there will be no penalties and see about switching to this other plan. I still am going to see tbhe doc and everything will basically roll over and I won't have to start over. So far I have the seminar done off the check list of requirements. So here ill list what insurance requires. -seminar -class attendance (which is educational classes there are 2 before surgery) -consult with surgeon (which is next week on 8/30) -5 years of past med records (weight documented 2-3office visits a year... which I have) -BMI 35- with 1 co-morbidity (my bmi is freaking 55 and I have high blood pressure) -12 months of physician supervised diet (unless I switch plans then only 6months) -psychological eval (with MMPI what the heck is mmpi lol) -pulmonary clearance -cardiac clearance -letter of recomendation from pcp (med necessity) -documentation from pcp on smoking cessation for min of 6 months (not sure what this is!) -maintain food diary (not sure for length of time will def ask surgeon) -physical activity log (same as food diary ask surgeon) I'm extra excited that I've gotten this taken care of and I'm very suprised that it really isn't too much asking for except the length of time it takes! I'm just excited about this whole thing, and my surgeon is very honest and careing. And he seemed definitely great! So I'm just excited to see what the next year brings! Because I've been trying to get this taken care since 2010 and since I found a doctor who knows what they are doing now I can actually get this done! I cheers to that. Oh and found out the drug screen and alcohol and tabacco screen too (which I don't smoke or do drugs but occasionally have a drink! So idk how that's gonna work out!)

after almost 2 weeks of fasting its almost time for me to get banded. my op is on tuesday morning and im counting down the days. i haven't weighed myself since last monday and when i was weighed i lost 6kgs (approx 12lbs) in 6days. im hoping by now i would've lost another 4-6kgs (approx 8-12lbs). can anyone give me any advice on what to expect when i wake up from the op? also how long after the op were u able to start drinking alcohol?

at 4 weeks I was told it was safe for me to eat anything. I am, of course, low carb, high Protein, as much "real food" as possible as opposed to processed foods. I have all manner of vegetables, raw and cooked, meats, I prefer to be pretty tender and juicy. With toast (I have oat bread toast 3-4 times a week with my egg) I can not stand the crust anymore. so I just eat the middles. I have not tried alcohol yet, but per my plan it is ok - not recommended - not wise yet. I do not plan to try until the holiday time. I love wine, and whiskey - but if I find that they do not sit well with me anymore it will not be something that I worry about. I'll just use my collection for others at family meals or some friends will get some really fabulous birthday presents. I enjoy my coffee, but if I have a lot of coffee I get sour stomach. so, it's a treat a few times a week and then all is good. I was not told "no straws" and that's a good thing, because I am a clumsy clod, and so having a lid and straw is a life saver for me. I am just over 3 months out and have lost just more than 1/3 my excess weight. I also can take any medications I might need to take and I take all my recommended supplements and others that I believe to be good for general health with no problems. I can now drink my Water and liquids normally, and not have to sip.

I definitely do! I travel a lot, in fact, I went to Germany when I was a month post-op. Although I never thought of myself as a big foodie when I travelled (I've always had a sensitive stomach so have had to be careful), it's so much different now as I am now painfully aware of what I can't eat. There's a whole lot more can't than can. :-( Even though I never went totally off plan, I did have a couple of small breakfast sausages, a bit of bread here or there, and lots of cheese (the only source of protein that was available wherever I went). I ended losing about a pound a day on that trip, so maybe my body liked the change up in foods. It was also the first trip I've been on where I hadn't had any alcohol. I'm very much still in the "zone", that is, I don't crave food, I rarely feel any real hunger (and if I do it may just be gas/acid), and I have no problem passing over what I used to eat and drink all the time. But I do feel like you sometimes, I mourn food, I miss being able to eat what I want, to go with friends and not worry if there will be something on the menu that I can mostly eat, etc. But I never want to go back to where I was, so eventually I hope the mourning period will pass.

You are really a cutie! It's amazing how young you look. I'm 35 and still get ID'd for alcohol even in Australia where the drinking age is 18. I hope I don't look younger as I lose weight LOL

Hi All! Its been a while since I posted anything or been active. I found out in November that I was pregnant. I was 8 months out of surgery when I got pregnant. My fiance and I had just gotten engaged a few months before and were planning our wedding. So it was definitely a surprise! I was really nervous about proceeding with the pregnancy. I just knew I would be ready in just one more year (I've been saying that for the last 5 years!) BUT I was pregnant now, 33, in a great relationship, with a stable income, healthier then Ive been in a while and all out of excuses not to start my family. So my journey began... I am currently 23 weeks pregnant! This is my first pregnancy so I have nothing to compare it with but this has been my experience in case any of you find yourself in my situation. Its hard to find doctors who understand how VSG affects my pregnancy. They understand that I need to be monitored more but don't really get the nuances. One example; I was given this HUGE jug to collect my urine over 24 hours. When I returned it, I was told that they need AT LEAST 4X more urine than I had collected. They were convinced I didn't collect all my urine. I told them that was everything I had to give! They told me to drink more water. Now this community knows how hard that task is. I still can not eat and drink at the same time. I also cant just drink a gallon of water in one go. It feels like a herculean task. I have tried 3 times and have still not filled this jug! I've learned that drinking tea increases my urine output so I have hope for my next attempt. I was really sick throughout my first and second trimester. I already had bad acid reflux before and after surgery and was taking omeprazole to relieve it. Turns out you can't take anything stronger than Tums while pregnant. So on top of the normal nausea, I felt the need to throw up to relieve my indigestion and heartburn. I started really hating food when everyone else kept trying to feed me more! I've been feeling better now though. I was allowed to take pepcid and it actually helps. Now, I have the desire to eat more but still cant eat more than a few bites of anything in one sitting. My food also takes forever to digest so I have to be really picky about what I eat. Fruits are my best friend! I kept my surgery a secret. My fiance and sister are the only ones I told about my VSG. So no one really gets why Im having a hard time eating more. They also keep wanting to see my belly but Im not sure how to explain my incisions. It feels too late to say anything now... so its awkward and more isolating than it could have been. But my family can be SUPER judgy so I think they would just find a way to make me feel bad about it and I don't need the added stress. I get to do more sonograms than your average mom to be. Because of my VSG and previous hypertension, I'm monitored more and have more doctor visits. I really don't mind! I love getting to see whats going on in there! So far so good... mostly. I keep expecting the docs to say my baby isn't growing or Im malnourished but that doesn't seem to be the case. Everything is progressing normally and baby looks good. They did mention that one of babys kidneys is not eliminating waste as it should. The other kidney is fine but they want to keep an eye on it. Of course we are worried but its actually pretty common and generally resolves itself. If it doesn't, there is a small procedure to fix it after birth (if necessary) so we are trying not to sweat it. I got Covid. I'm a teacher and as soon as the mask mandate was removed, I got COVID. Never mind that Ive been vaccinated, boosted and was still wearing my mask! Im actually recovering now. (SIDE NOTE: We seem to be having a second surge at my school. I wonder if any other teachers (or parents) have noticed that?) I was EXTREMELY sick the first week. I was lightheaded, coughing, full of mucus, achy and just couldn't get out of bed. I also couldn't take any medicines because of the pregnancy. My mom kept sending me home remedies but when I looked them up, there was always a warning for pregnant people. I just had to ride it out. Baby seems ok but I'll know more at my appointment next week. As far as my VSG goals... I was 195-200 lbs when I found out I was pregnant (SW:267) and had been stalled there for almost 2 months. I was getting a bit discouraged because my whole weight loss process had been so slow and felt harder for me than it seemed like it was for some people here. I also had a friend who had her VSG after me and had lost almost twice as much weight as I had so I knew it wasn't in my head. I started drinking again and sneaking in more cheat snacks. When I found out I was pregnant, I cut out all alcohol and was really strict about making sure the little food I ate was good for baby. I dropped 20-25 more pounds. Im currently 175 lbs. I havent really gained any weight. Part of me is happy about that and still trying to get to my goal of 155 while pregnant. But I know I have to put on weight for baby. It's really a mind f**k. Doctors say the baby is growing normally so there isn't much to worry about... yet. Technically I'm still overweight and they don't recommend as much weight gain for overweight moms. Im entering my third trimester now and am supposed to put on 1-2 lbs a week. We'll see how that goes. Im still trending downwards... If you made it to the end, thanks for reading through this entire post. I hope it helps. I hope to update you with only good news in the weeks to come! Last note, I'm having a girl! So exciting!!! My VSG has definitely complicated things but I think we made the right decision and I am really excited about entering this next chapter of my life healthier than I have been in years!