Search the Community

I am exactly the same, everything seems to just stick and gives me huge pain on the right side under my ribs. They are putting a scope down there on the 9th January, why not any sooner I couldn't tell you. Keep us updated on the the outcome. Sent from my HTC 10 using the BariatricPal App

I am 5'4" and 260 lbs. I have been heavy all my life, too. I grew up poor in Louisiana. Food was typical Cajun food as it is cheap and plentiful ie. meat, rice, gravy, fried foods, etc. On top of this, my mother had absolutely no idea of portion sizes for a child. She gave us adult portions and were made to eat it all. Furthermore, she had this paranoid delusion that somehow we were going to be hungry going to bed so we had a bowl of cereal and milk to go to bed on, nevermind we could roll faster than we could walk. On top of that the household was abusive and neglectful. As a result myself and two siblings suffer with weight issues due to overeating and emotional eating. I was also diagnosed with PCOS 10 years ago. My weight has been a constant struggle.

Lauren. I am in the same boat as you. I have had many fills, unfills, and micro fills. I could never found my sweet spot like you I lost a total of 72 lbs and now its back to only losing 62, I gain and lose the same 10 lbs. I have thought about the sleeve like you, but again I only weight between 170-180lbs... it is risky to have another surgery just to take off 30-40 more lbs to be at a healthy BMI. I go into get a fill june 4th so I hope it kick starts me. I have been trying for 3 years to get under 170 it wouldn't budge .... so lets hope something is quick start this weight loss again. Good luck to you !

Hello everyone! After many years of yo-yo dieting I decided to get the lap-band. My insurance denied me, therefore I was a private pay. I figure I can spend that much on a car then I can spend that much on me! I just had my surgery on Tuesday (September 19) and am up moving around. Muscle soreness still around the port site, but otherwise feeling great! Maybe too great! I am hungry...and tired (so tired of liquids.) But I am dedicated and will follow doctor's orders. I look forward to talking with all of you for support, motivation, and maybe some day venting! Eve

Just joined here. Had my initial surgical consult on August 18th. Surgeon said I could probably have the surgery done by end of September. I have most of my test done, have my nutritionist appointment scheduled for tomorrow then just need to see a Mental health specialist and get an EGD and I'm ready to roll. I've been overweight for about 10 years now, morbidly obese for about 6. I've tried successfully quite a few times to loose weight but it always seems to make it's way back. My father had the lap band done and dropped from a 42 waist to a 34 in 9 months so I decided it was about time for me to go through with it. There has been a lot of Dr. appointments over the last few weeks trying to get everything done. I go to the nutritionist tomorrow, not really sure what to expect.

Interesting question to you all. I am quite familiar with being slimed or hyper-salivation since being banded 6/10. Recently had my second fill about three weeks ago and now on two occasions during a "stuck" episode found myself foaming instead of sliming. It was literally a foamy like substance when PB'd. Anyone else have this experience? Is it a food thing? Sign of getting close to your sweet spot? Alien experimentation!!??? I'm certainly not concerned about it, but would like to see anyone else has experienced this. Keep up the good work everybody!

Me me. Walking and waiting it out. Not much helps. It's like after 2 baby bites my throat closes. Thick liquids are better for me than thin or solids. Since week 5 I'm on week 10 now Sent from my 5054N using the BariatricPal App

Ditto on the small sips at a time ALL DAY LONG. I even keep a small glass of water on my nightstand and may have a sip or two if I wake up. I also diluted the Premier shakes with decaf or hot water which makes them much easier to take---it still took me at least an hour to get one down. I now have about 1/2 of one in my morning coffee since I refuse to use powdered creamer. Jello, sugar free popsicles, Powerade Zero and Crystal Light also can count as water intake. First pureed foods I tried were baked chicken breast, steamed cauliflower and cottage cheese. Baked the chicken in broth and seasoning and then added broth, plain greek yogurt, and Duke's mayo to the food processer bowl until it came out like a moist paste. Too dry does not work. Steamed cauliflower for about 12 minutes until really soft then added some "lite butter" and Montreal Steak seasoning and this is like garlic mashed potatoes. I have also tried baked salmon (yum), canned tuna (meh), green beans (meh). Baking up some cod fillets right now. These foods worked great for me, I still have 10 days on pureed to go. At first I only put a tablespoon on the plate and have increased slowly to about 1/4 to 1/3 cup per meal. I take very small bites, savor them and swallow. No idea why but my program says no baby food, no soups.

I had no problem with Protein shakes preop. I did three weeks of Optifast. I was banded feb. 19 and every time I drink a Protein shake - optifast or something else, I get an upset stomach and sometimes diarrhea. Any suggestions? I would really like to drink the as I have a hard time eating my protein. Any ideas are appreciated. Thanks! Cindy

Hello, I am new to this site. I am 40 years old with a BMI of 39.6. I have been overweight for most of my life, with the exception of high school and a couple of years after I was married. Right before my wedding, I had dieted down to 130 pounds with the help of Phen Fen. I had my daughter when I was 30 and gained over 60 pounds that I was never able to lose. In fact, the weight kept creeping up after that, and I now weigh about 10 pounds more than I did when I was full-term pregnant. I have been trying for the past 10 years to lose the weight, but I can only lose a little bit at a time, then I gain it all back plus more. You all know how it goes. I have lost and gained the same six pounds for the past year or so. I can never make any long term progress. I got fed up and started considering a lap band, because I thought that was the only option besides a gastric by-pass, which I am not willing to do. When I called Bluegrass Bariatrics, they suggested that I consider the gastric plication. They said they had had a lot of success with it, and it was the cheapest option, which makes a difference for me because my health insurance won't cover a dime. I've read all the posts here, and I am both excited about the prospect of having the surgery, and terrified all at the same time. I want my life back, I want to be able to do all the things that I can't or won't due because of my weight. Part of me still thinks this is ridiculous, that I should just be able to knuckle down and diet and exercise and lose the weight without any surgical intervention. But I've read the statistics, that only about 3-5% will actually succeed with this approach. I went to a seminar this past weekend and met Dr. Oldham. I really liked him, and he's gotten good reviews on this site. I have my intake appointment on 2/15, and when all those results are back, I will have my surgeon consult. I am going through the process, with the knowledge that I can still back out if the fear gets to be too much for me to go through with it. I am terrified of severe pain and complications, although I have been through a c-section with a vertical incision. My husband is also very scared for me to do this, and people keep telling me that I'm not big enough that I should be considering surgery. Is what I'm feeling pretty normal? I would love to hear from some others who have been through this, and also folks who have had their surgeries wiht Bluegrass Bariatrics. I am looking forward to talking with you all, and I thank you in advance for sharing your experiences with me.

Have you been working out? And how quick did you gain the 10 pounds? Was it a month? Two months etc. So many different people have different concepts to what their bariatric nurse/surgeons have suggested or required in their program. The program that I am in states that no weight should be gained anytime you go in for an appointment. Every appointment that you have they check your weight and want to see if you have lost any weight. You have to remember that the main reason for the 6 month diet is to so that you can be disciplined enough to stick to a plan (even if you lose 5 pounds over 6 months). I haven't had the surgery yet but from what I hear you won't be able to eat a lot of food like we're use to doing. I have learned to eat much smaller meals. Trust me it was HARD. But, in a short two months I have lost about 26 pounds. I started off by eating what I loved and just eating smaller portions. Then from there I started eating healthier lean meats, rice and veggies. Then I totally switched it up. When I don't have a drink with my food I fill satisfied longer and it's making me not overeat. Try and shock your system and switch it up. You don't want to be penalized for gaining weight and getting denied by your insurance. I'm not an expert at this. I'm new too. But, those things have worked for me. Oh and plus now I'm up to at least 4 planned days of working out. I really wanna be super successful at this. You can do it. You just need a little boost. Distance yourself from your eating buddies, Try not to eat after 8pm. If you are starving and have to eat drink a Protein shake (low in sugar) or eat some Peanut Butter or nuts. It'll help you get through the night. And no matter what EAT BREAKFAST! And try and stop drinking calories. Those things are what I find has made me successful so far! You can do it!

Do you have to stay with gluten free? If not, Bob's Red Mill makes a 10-grain hot cereal that has 24g protein and 20g fiber per cup. A serving is 1/4 cup, so that's 6g protein/5g fiber. I make 1 serving and then add 1/4 scoop vanilla protein powder and a couple tablespoons of of milk that brings the protein up to 12g. Add in a handful of blueberries and some flax seed for even more fiber, and it makes a very filling breakfast.

I bought a Wii Fit this last weekend. I figured that even if I can't exercise now I can show that I am willing to make an effort and have a plan in place for when I am able to exercise. WHO INVENTED THIS MALICIOUS TORTURE DEVICE? I plunked down nearly 100 dollars of my DH's hard earned money on this atrocity. That cute childlike little voice is so encouraging and makes it seem so easy. It told me it was just going to do a simple Body Test on me. I picked my cute little Mii and followed the directions. All the sudden my adorable little character starts to blow up like a balloon! I thought she would explode! I think I saw bits of chocolate flying into her mouth. No one told me they were actually going make her look like me . Like I can't look in the mirror and see that I am fat--now I have a fattie mii to workout with. Then it reminded me of the fact that I am beyond overweight. After my balance tests it told me that I probably trip over my own feet when walking. So as of right now this vicious device has told me I am an obese klutz. And I PAID for it to tell me that! I have a mother and children--I can get that information for free whenever I want. And it has told me that it expects me to come and visit it every day. Why? Cause it hasn't told me I dress frumpy, wear too much makeup and could use a new hairstyle? Then I found out that it is going to be stalking me if I don't show up for training? I can just imagine my phone ringing and that childlike voice "Mom (my wii's name), why hasn't your obese klutzy butt been up here to play with me? I am going to raise your Wii Age to 60 if you don't come see me. I have all of your Carnival Game tickets and you can't have them back until you run 10 miles. I am taking over your Sims house and redecorating it with Country Chintz. I WON'T BE IGNORED!" I knew I should have been scared from the moment I started to open it and the first warning on the box was "CAUTION: Everyone in the room will be able to see just how old, fat and klutzy you are when you use this" (I paraphrased a little. . ) Some skinny game developer is laughing his butt off all the way to the bank. I would love to get my fat klutzy hands around his scrawny little neck. . . But who would have thought that trying to gain 5 pounds would be so hard???? (stop throwing things at me!!!) I have been eating nonstop. And eating crap. I am afraid to do anything else on the Wii Fit cause I don't want to screw up my chances when I weigh in. Yeah, it groans when I step on it and says "that's obese!, in that so cute little voice, but apparently that little girl doesn't work for the insurance company. I was going to reweigh this week but I realized I can't get my insurance paperwork together until next week and I figured that I would give myself a better chance of hitting the magic number if I waited a week. When I weigh myself with clothes and a full bladder at the end of the day I am just barely making the 40 BMI. At the beginning of the day I am still around 228--not enough to qualify. But just enough for my evil little Mii to take up most of the screen. I swear when I was watching my skinny children play I could hear my Mii crunching away on a bag of potato chips. Or maybe that was me.. .

Well I cannot believe it has been 6 months since my surgery. So much has changed. First I just want to say I was hoping to reach a 100lbs lost by this date but I did not. I am oh so close and still I find myself happy with what I have accomplished. I want to share all that has changed for me in the past 6 months. - I am down 91lbs, and have lost a total of 60 inches from my arms, legs, bust waist, buttocks, thighs and calfs!! I have gone from a 30/32 top to a 18/20 or XL sometimes, bottoms were a very tight 28 to a an 18. Those are just my stats here are some NSV's that I am so proud of....... 1.) I am an ACTIVE participant in my life once again, this was the main reason I had this surgery!! 2.) I have more energy than ever, and just can't seem to sleep forever anymore 3.) I can run for short periods on the treadmill, still working on this one 4.) I fit in any and all booths that I have sat in anywhere I go now.....no more fear that I won't fit 5.) I have choices in clothing, choices, choices and more choices!!! 6.) I can wear my necklaces 7.) I can ride my bike 8.) My daughter can get her arms all the way around me for a hug 9.) I feel even more confident than I did before 10.) I can bend, cross my legs, get up off the floor, etc. 11.) When going thru a crowded store or venue and I am following my 16yr old daughter I know can pretty much fit thru spaces she can without trouble, where before I would always have to go around another way. lol 12.) I can buy shoes, all different kinds of shoes and wear them without my feet hurting. I love my converse but they have no support, but I can wear them now, Love it! 13.) I can fit in the airplane seats 14.) I logged between 18,000-22,000 steps daily on vacation to Disneyland in March..... CRAZY!!!! 15.) I have inspired my mom and she is doing great with her weight loss 16.) I have gone from a 30/32 top to a 18/20 or XL sometimes, bottoms were a very tight 28 to a an 18 17.) I can shave and lotion so much easier now 18.) Someone wanted to know if my daughter was my sister or my daughter, I will take that as I look younger now 19.) I love seeing muscles where before I couldn't 20.) I still don't love the gym, but it is part of my life now and I do feel better after I go 21.) I don't find out till tomorrow at my check up but I am pretty sure all my numbers will be better 22.) I can feel and SEE my clavicles, not sure why but I love this 23.) I do not hide or shy away from pictures 24.) I love that my skin has improved too 25.) I CANNOT wait to see what the next 6 months bring me!! I know that I am at a weight where people will begin their journey, but coming from my highest recorded weight of 324 and my starting weight of 314, I am amazed at the changes and what this body can do. It's hard to imagine what it will be able to do once I get to 175 or maybe even lower. I'm sorry this is so long, but I wanted to put down everything so I can print it out and add it to my book, so I can look back at it in another 6 months. I also know from my past experience that posts like this really helped me in the beginning and before my surgery. Me and my hubby are going to Celebrate today with a bike ride. It's a beautiful day here in Tucson and we are going to enjoy it! I have a pair of beautiful Clark wedges just sitting here waiting for me to hit my 100lb loss and then I can wear them!! My daughter is holding them hostage till I do. LOL Tomorrow I have my 6 month check in with my surgeon and I cannot wait to see how all my blood work came back. We will also be discussing getting my ventral hernia (it's on my lower right side of abdomen) removed. Herman has to go. He is protruding now and causing me some pain. Thanks to all who made it this far in reading this long a@@ post, Thanks to all of you who have helped me out along the way wether you realize it or not. This website has been so helpful I can't explain it. You never know when your words might inspire or help so everyone keep posting, keep asking questions, and keep keeping on!!! Here's to the next 6 months of this beautiful life of mine, it's not always easy, it's not always fun, but it's MINE and I am loving every minute of it. I have attached a pic my docs office took me before surgery, the one in the mirror was taken just the other day (I was showing my daughter I was wearing the new shirt I bought) and then a side by side of my face from the day of surgery to a pic from our March vacation. I am sorry if they are sideways, I don't know why they do that.

I was sleeved on 08/16/11 and will be going on a cruise on 11/01/11. We have a steakhouse reservation on the 2nd night of the cruise at a cost of $30 per person. That will be about 10 weeks out from my surgery date. I am not expecting to eat a 6 oz steak but would like to enjoy some of the meal. Will I be able to enjoy this meal or should I cancel??

Oh my goodness! You are the British me!! I'm Heather. I'm 5'4" and was sleeved on 12/29/16 at 253 lbs. I am currently at 226 lbs and progressing nicely. PCOS is my struggle as well. I have been on spironolactone for symptoms for the past 10 years. I am 100 lbs down from my heaviest of 327 lbs (lap band that I had removed at my sleeve on 12/29). As I lose, my PCOS symptoms get better, my vision improves, my other medications lessen (but not the spiro for PCOS, unfortunately) and I feel GREAT! I agree with you on NO birth control. I'm 38 and don't want to run the risk of blood clots. I'm not trying to get pregnant so spiro is perfect for me! I find that I have to work harder, eat NO sugar, no carbs, no fruit and workout 6-8 hours per week to have continued success. Since I have been off of sugar and carbs since surgery, I don't have the cravings for them. I have some definite opinions about Protein shakes. My favorite are the Quest brand of powder. I have one in some variety every morning. I mix with cold coffee for an iced latte or just Water and PB2 for a Peanut Butter shake. Banded 2010 weight:327 Sleeved 12/28/16 weight:253 CW: 228 GW: 155 Heather in Texas

I had the lap band done in 2007 and I maintained the 100# weight loss w/o gaining for approx. 7 years. The band slipped and was causing a lot of problems so I had it removed August, 2015. I am 11days Post-Op with the sleeve. I am down approx. 10 #'s so far from the last time I weighed the morning of my surgery. Today is my second day back at work and I'm feeling pretty good. I am looking forward to seeing the number on the scale go below 200 again... I start Phase III of my diet in 3 days. Good luck with your journey!!

I am the same, I go into hospital again tomorrow for a camera to be put down and a look see. Best of luck. Sent from my HTC 10 using the BariatricPal App

I'm 10 days post op and still have some swelling My doctor said it is because of all the repairs she had to do. As far as BM's go mine have been pretty normal, but still liquids only so I only go every couple days. Oh sooner or later normal will resume!

My doc's only requirement was that weight wasn't gained. I'm not allowed to gain anywhere over 5-10 pounds of my starting weight. Does your doc require a pre-op diet? That will probably get things moving in the right direction!