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So, here I am, 1 month to the day since I had surgery. It's been quite the ride, and I'm a bit.....frustrated, still. The only real weight I've lost was during my first week on liquids. I'm still not understanding how I can eat 1/4 of what I used to eat, and still not lose any more weight. It just doesn't make sense to me. I have an apt for my first fill this Wednesday, the 19th. I know they'll make the band tigher, but what I don't understand, is how that will help me lose weight. I'm going to be eating less than now, so how will this make me lose weight where I couldn't the last few weeks? What's the difference, eating even less? I met someone this weekend that had the sleeve done last week. After talking to her, I wonder if I should have gone with that procedure instead I know, too late now. I hate being discouraged because that's doesn't help my journey. I'm having doubts on everything I'm doing and eating now. My surgeon only had us do liquids for a few days, then very soft food (purees and such) then select soft foods. I've been pretty much eating cottage cheese, yogurt, PB, homemade soups, and turkey chili. Well, I have another nutrition class before my fill, so I'll ask questions & see what's going on. I'm sure that I'm not getting as much protein as I should be either, but I don't think that's the issue? Quite the negative Nelly here today. Could be because I have a cold, and am feeling a little run down. The good news is that I'm already on my 4th bottle of water I feel so thirsty... I'll post again after my fill along with notes I take from the Nutritionist. It's gotta get better than this, and.... I'm sure it will...in time! :-)

Just wanted to post about a few challenging days. I was away the last couple of weeks to someplace warm. I did pretty good while I was away and probably under ate, though I did have a few days where I had ice cream (tiny amount), but generally hit protein goals. It was HOT where I was, so I had a ton of extra liquids. I was exercising a lot, usually a few miles of walking, 3 - 5 miles of kayaking, swimming and just generally not standing still for any moment from 6am - 10pm. I didn't weigh in officially, but had noticeable weight loss (clothes stopped fitting during the trip). Anyway now to the venting part. I was so busy during the trip that it was pretty easy to stay on track. Coming back I was off track a due to the travel/ flight. The last couple days I'm back in the cold and doing less activity (wife is sick so I have the kids 24/7). I am STARVING. I've also eaten some carbs that I shouldn't and some nuts. Nothing crazy, but my calories are up 300 - 500 the last few days. I'm still hitting protein and fluid goals. I just can't figure out why I'm so hungry all of a sudden. Today I decided would be back on track so I removed foods I was struggling with (nuts and cheese-its) from the house and am focused on doing better. Hopefully I can get some exercise in today as well... Do you have similar stories? Ideas for getting back on track or curbing spikes in hunger?

Hi Caroline, I too have gotten mixed reviews (and opinions) from family and friends... what I am seeing is that I get a lot of cheers and support from those who have struggled with their weight over the years and wished they were able to select WLS as an option. Also, I get some of those frowned looks from others who are relatively healthy, health and wellness junkies, or thin already etc. ....they seem to think that I should be able to "focus" and manage my weight without a surgical procedure. Who cared what others think/say....you have to be comfortable with your decision. I've learned how to manage taking in the opinions of others and rather choose to just be happy and positive with my own decision. Finally, I've still got to inform my supervisor that I will be out do to "abdominal" surgery ....that's all I will be dislosing to my employer. I am waiting to speak to my nurse/scheduler on Monday to select my December surgery date. Wishing you the best!!

It might be ur having to much calories and carbs, also do u workout? And the how much did u weigh when u had ur surgery? Also from what I'm seeing getting ur vitamins and protein in, Is a must.

I am 33 years old and have been overweight my whole life. I need to lose well over 100 lbs to get to my healthy weight and after having three children back to back and being diagnosed with PCOS, I'm really fighting to lose weight. I have been working with a clinic for almost a year now and have lost about 55 lbs thanks to medication and nutrition/exercise. It does not come off easily and never has for me. I have recently been discussing surgical options and have my first consultation with a surgeon in a few weeks. I'm nervous for many reasons, but I want to do something good for myself and my family. Honestly, I want to feel healthy and try to counteract what PCOS has brought me. I take metformin and Victoza right now to help with appetite control and countering PCOS. I have my consult in a few weeks for the sleeve since that is apparently the best choice for me, but we'll see. I'm looking for support and hopefully folks that have been there done that and have some advice to share!

I am having my sx here in az on Dec 5th. I start the "liquid diet" monday and am looking forward to the next step of this process. I am 5ft1 and 196 so i have about 90# to loose (that what they tell me) i would be thrilled with 75. I am private pay so needed to be SURE this was the answer. anyone with any suggestions for being successful with the protein shake and still feeding my family regular meals would be appreciated. also, am i allowed to have the turkey on thansgiving or is it really nothing? i thought maybe low fat protein might be okay??

WOW! Who knew? Not me! Thanks so much Silly. http://www.allearsnet.com/tp/rid_josh.htm As a larger guy -- 6'6", 375 lbs. -- hotels, bathrooms, and public transportation all present their own obstacles. You have to deal with all of those things, and more, at theme parks. On my most recent trip to Walt Disney World, I decided to really pay attention to how everything works for those of us who are of more than average proportions. I'm happy to report that Disney, while perhaps not necessarily perfectly suited to larger visitors, is certainly a Big-Friendly place to be. Let's start with the hotel. We stayed at the Caribbean Beach Resort. We requested a king room when we made our reservation in June, but we made sure to reiterate the request at check-in. It was good that we did because we ended up waiting several minutes while they tried to sort that out and, eventually, they came up with what they told us was the last available king room at the resort. Having pre-paid for the trip (the super-deal they offered in June), they did add an additional charge for the king room, making up the difference between standard and king. It came to $85.00 for 7 nights with the deal we had, but once we got there (#3461 of Trinidad South, upstairs), there was a refrigerator in the room, which we did not pay for, so it worked out pretty well. (EDITOR'S NOTE: All deluxe and moderate resorts will soon have refrigerators in all the rooms. Keep in mind that Caribbean Beach has larger rooms than the other moderate resorts. Also, there are no elevators at Caribbean Beach.) We were in the lovely village of Trinidad South. The room was colorful and uplifting, and there were no low-hanging light fixtures to knock me on the head, no narrow doors to make me feel claustrophobic, no impediments at all. The bathtub was an actual tub, not one of those plastic molds, so it felt solid and sturdy, without any of that unnerving creaking and groaning that can occur in lesser quality bathtubs. That particular touch was a pleasant surprise. The bed was big and sturdy -- I could've jumped on it if I'd wanted to. All in all, the room was open, inviting, and comfortable. I thoroughly enjoyed everything about Caribbean Beach except the labyrinthine complex through which you are forced to search for your room. Even that could actually be a relaxing stroll, provided you weren't absolutely exhausted from a 12-hour day at the parks. As far as the rides go, I never encountered a single ride that I couldn't get into. This is a vast improvement over places like Six Flags, where half the rides (all the best ones!) are less than accommodating. Granted, I didn't try to cram myself into the Tomorrowland Indy Speedway race cars at Magic Kingdom. I can't even imagine fitting in those, let alone them having enough power to move me! But I did ride the vast majority of the rides at all four parks. I had done my homework on AllEarsNet® prior to going on my trip, so I already had the skinny on most of the rides (forgive the pun), thanks to previous trip reports. Armed with that knowledge and with previous experience at the World, I knew what to expect in most cases. The biggest offender for me was, not surprisingly, LEG ROOM. I had to wedge myself into several of the rides, which could be a bit uncomfortable depending on how I happened to fit into any particular ride vehicle. Many of the vehicles were just plain hard on the knees: Snow White's Scary Adventures, Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (which would have been all right if it hadn't been for that bar in the middle), Spaceship Earth, Maelstrom, Kilimanjaro Safaris, Dinosaur, and the Backlot Tour ride. Admittedly, some were worse than others. In these cases, all seats on the ride vehicles are the same, meaning that I couldn't get away with requesting a front seat to get a roomier and more comfortable ride -- more on that in a minute. Some of the ride vehicles were short on both leg room and width, which resulted in some interesting situations. Splash Mountain, one of my favorite rides in the Magic Kingdom, is also one of the more difficult to get into and out of. I'm sure anyone who videotaped me cramming myself into or extricating myself from one of the logs could sell it on Funniest Home Videos. It takes some doing. I would say I'm at about the edge of that vehicle's capacity. Space Mountain, which I rode this year for the first time since they got the new ride vehicles, was great! A little scary, but great. The Cast Members actually suggest that bigger/taller guests ride in the rear seat of the vehicle. I thought that was a bit strange, certainly unusual, but what the heck? I climbed into the back -- again, a humorous sight, with knees sticking out at all angles. The bar, which is supposed to lower between your legs and fit snugly across your lap, came only half way down my femurs, leaving me in a not-quite-comfortable position. It wasn't exactly uncomfortable, but it definitely made for an interesting ride. So interesting, in fact, that I immediately ran back around and rode it again - - there was no line, thanks to Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party's reduced crowd, so another go at it was irresistible. Some ride vehicles' seats are not identical in every instance. Several of the rides, particularly newer ones, have options. The Rock 'N' Roller Coaster in Disney-MGM Studios, for example -- I can't sit in the back seat of any of the cars, but I fit quite comfortably in the front. For all of you taller/larger folks out there, try the odd-numbered rows, and there shouldn't be a problem. The same thing goes for Test Track in Epcot. I fit just fine in the front seat, but I couldn't be shoehorned into the back seat if my life depended on it. Other rides on which to try and snag a front seat are, of all things, El Rio del Tiempo in the Mexico Pavilion and Living with the Land. Both of these can be extremely enjoyable attractions, as long as your knees aren't being abused by the seat in front of you. The Astro Orbiter is an odd one. It's a long-ways bench, meaning you straddle it with your legs and feet straight out in front of you. Each rocket is intended to seat two people in this fashion, but it just wasn't going to work for me. There was simply no way, without a good can of WD-40, that we were going to wedge my girlfriend in there, too. So we both flew solo -- what a great view of the Magic Kingdom! The only other rides with unusual requirements were Kali River Rapids and Primeval Whirl, both at Disney's Animal Kingdom. Kali River Rapids straps a single seatbelt across two seats, which is all well and good if they're seating a child or a much smaller adult next to you, but which could easily get uncomfortable if you have to try to strap in next to anyone of even average size. To avoid any potential embarrassment, just make sure the Cast Members are aware of the situation and they'll be happy to seat you next to someone built on a smaller scale. The semi-circular seating on Primeval Whirl may not work with another person on the concave bench seat next to you; it didn't for me. Just tell the Cast Members your situation, and they'll be more than happy to seat you alone on your side. To prove the extent to which I went in my research, I even tried out Cinderella's Golden Carrousel -- twice. (OK, it was my girlfriend's idea, but I still did it.) Take a second and picture that. The first go 'round, I took the easy way out. I sat on the front row of the carriage and watched as a throng of divinely happy princes and princesses galloped around, bouncing up and down as they went. The second time, I figured I'd give one of the horses a try. Why not? So I chose one of the bigger, sturdier looking steeds, whispered a brief prayer, and placed my foot in the stirrup to swing up on his back. Uh oh. Here's an unexpected problem! Who would have thought that the stirrup would be too narrow for my size 15EEEE shoe?! Somehow, I managed to squeeze my foot in there just enough to hoist myself up onto the horse. After a brief, but enjoyable, ride (infinitely more enjoyable than sitting on the carriage, if you can manage it), I dismounted by using the top of the stirrup on the horse next to me. Once I successfully managed to get down from my perch, I patted that horse on the head, promptly thanked him for his generous support, and walked on to the next attraction, feeling a little silly and a little giddy at the same time. In the last two years, I have experienced about 99 percent of the attractions at WDW. If I didn't mention an attraction in this article, be it a ride, show, etc., it's because I encountered no problems with it whatsoever. That means that Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Mickey's PhilharMagic, etc. were all perfectly accommodating to my large frame. One exception to that is Mission: SPACE, which I have yet to ride. I'll definitely let you know how it fits and how it works as soon as I get the opportunity to ride it. All in all, I'd say this was definitely a magical trip. My girlfriend and I enjoyed fabulous rides, amazing shows (Cirque du Soleil's La Nouba is INCREDIBLE), and wonderful restaurants, and we never had to forego anything we wanted to do because of my size. We enjoyed every moment of our stay and, like most everyone else, were only disappointed when we had to head back home.

A Nutritionist visit was a requirement for my insurance also. I found her to be a great source of information regarding the requirements after surgery. How not all protein is equal and what to watch out for to be successful. Good luck with your approval!!

I've heard that everyone "stalls". Some people start from basics. Protein shakes during the day and a meal in the evening. Good luck...

I was sleeved on 2/3/13 and down about 7lbs. I really hate the protein drinks, although the unjury ones mixed with unsweetened coconut milk are not bad.

My surgery was on October 27th, 2009. To be honest, I wasnt nervous at all. I got to the hospital at 6am to finish my registration. I was told I didnt have to have my $500 co-pay and that it would be billed with the cost of surgery. By the time I was done with registration, it was 6:30am and I was told to go to the Ambulatory Unit for pre-op preparation. I sat in a chair, waiting my turn for about fifteen minutes before I was taken to a bed. First I had to have my vitals taken and my nose swabbed. WEIRD! I was given this weird fabric gown to put on and some slippers. Then bloodwork is drawn and an IV started. I sat in that bed for nearly an hour and a half before I was taken to the "holding" room for surgery. I spent another hour in the holding room before I was taken to the OR. I dont remember much in the OR. Just the warm sensation of the anestesia going up my arm. I found it easier to just close my eyes and not try to keep them open. When I woke up I was in immense pain. I couldnt breathe very well and kept repeating, "OW" over and over. It tooks about 50 OWs before a nurse came over to give me some pain medication. Not sure if the pain was the breathing tube having been in my throat or the hernia being repaired. I was only awake for about 10-20mins before I was wheeled to my room. I was jazzed to have my own recovery room! I wasnt jazzed that it was across from the nurses station. A few hours after entering my room I was up and walking, and a couple hours later I was able to get up to use the bathroom on my own. I found this useful because the nurses were EXTREMELY busy and took FOREVER to come and help me. I would walk around the halls, doing 10 minutes intervals. I think that this helped with the gas, because during my night there, I had no pain. I was discharged the next morning around noon. Of course, I had to wait my turn for my upper GI and since my room was almost one of the last, the other two women that had just had surgery following me, had already been discharged. Breathing was not a problem. It was the incisions that caused me pain, and later, at home the gas. The gas was HORRIBLE!!!!!! It kept me up all night and caused me to sleep in a chair with my feet on another chair. I was constipated for two weeks! TWO WEEKS! That sucked. I have just now started to be able to comfortably sleep on my side, flat on my back, and on my stomach. THANK GOD! I am also currently having problems drinking my protein powder. I think I need to get some unflavored powder and blend it into things. This chocolate isnt doing it for me. I am also getting my mushy food "stuck" and that is painful for hours at a time. IT SUCKS!!!!!! Other than that, I am doing well. I drool at the smell of other food and dream of eating the foods I cant have. But with 25 pounds gone, I really have no complaint!

I found out this morning that I was approved for a referral to see a surgeon for weight loss surgery. I was able to celebrate this "first submission approval" for approximately 30 minutes. I called the MD, made an appointment, and then the woman who scheduled my appointment called me back to advise that the surgeon does not do VSG surgery, he only does RNY and lap band. So, I called my MD office and talked to the girl who does the referral submissions, and said, "Hey, the surgeon doesn't do the surgery I want to have done. What now?" She had no idea. She said a message had been left for the nurse (why? IDK!) to call me back to discuss it. She asked me what surgery I wanted to have done, and asked me to repeat it THREE TIMES before telling me she had never heard of it and they only do referrals for rny and the lap band. After that unsuccessful call, I called my medical group (I have H.M.O.) and they said that my MD would have to submit a determination of benefits to see if this surgery would even be covered. Now, I know for a fact that BCBS covers VSG - their medical policy is available online AND I used to work for blue cross doing these exact approvals, the only difference being that I worked for PPO, not H.M.O. Absolutely NO ONE I'VE TALKED TO HAS EVEN HEARD OF VSG. They act like RNY and the lap band are the only options for weight loss surgery! Besides VSG, there's also the duodenal switch - I've worked in insurance for years and know about all these options. Why is it that no one else seems to have heard of anything else?! The medical group also advised that once they verify that the surgery is covered, they would have to request out of network benefits to see a surgeon out of network that performs this surgery. What an absolute nightmare this is turning out to be. I tried calling back to talk to the woman who does the referrals at my MD office and she won't take my call. It doesn't look like the nurse is planning to call me back either, since the office closes in about 6 minutes. I've honestly been bawling about this for over an hour, I have a headache now. I feel completely devastated and lost. The only option I can come up with at this point is to change my medical plan at work to PPO in January. I really don't WANT to have a ppo plan, tho. I'm so completely depressed. This is NOT how I wanted my weekend to start. I guess I'll go lay down and cry some more now. :*( I really, really, really, really, really don't want rny. Is my alternative to just get that surgery instead?? Or a lap band (which I've always been totally against!)? Defeated. Crushed. Inconsolable. Lost. That's me.

I found this when I was a "newbie" and used it as a general guide….although 1,000 calories are HARD to get post-op (and was so absolutely easy pre-op) LOL! My doctor's time frame was also different from the below and I've seen several different versions so apparently there's not a hard and fast rule as to how many days/weeks each phase last. I also liked how this emphasized "fluids" instead of just "water" because all fluids count as your liquids. Gastric Sleeve Diet Rules: Phase 1 – Clear Liquids Day 1 and day 2 after surgery. Calories to consume: under 1,000 per day. Fluid ounces to drink: 32 or more per day. Phase 2 – Full Liquids Day 3 through day 14 post surgery. Calories to consume: 500 - 1,000 per day. Fluid ounces to drink: 32 or more per day. Grams of Protein per day, minimum: 40 for women, 60 for men. Phase 3 – Soft/Moist Foods Day 15 to the end of month 2 after surgery. Calories to consume: 1,000 - 1,400 per day. Calorie distribution: 40% carbs, 30% protein and 30% fat. Choose soft/moist foods which can be pureed in your mouth. Avoid raw fruits and vegetables. No crunchy foods: seeds, nuts, popcorn, etc. Phase 4 – Regular Diet Starts on the first day of month 3 post surgery. Calories to consume: 1,000 and 1,600 per day. Calorie distribution: 40% carbs, 30% protein and 30% fat. 300 – 400 calories maximum per meal. Fiber per day, minimum: 25 grams High in omega-3 and low in omega-6 and fatty acids.

I'm in the same boat. I'm 5 weeks out . I get all my protein and even go over. Average around 100-120 g of protein but I feel like I can eat lots of food. I'm trying to focus on more water. I don't exercise as much as I would like too. I am in a stall between 240 to 237 it moves back and fourth

I'm only 12 days post op. I got so mad that I couldn't get my protein in from the nasty shakes....I went ahead and got a dish of vanilla-88 fat free- from dq and added light peanut butter. I also had the insides of 2 crab Rangoon. Even though they are not the best choice for calories...they made me feel amazing. This is the best I have felt since coming home.

Looking for a reasonable US self pay option that specifically caters to out-of-towners (am also researching the Mexico option). Thanks!

I will be 5 weeks post-op tomorrow. I take my Vitamins and I have slowly been increasing my calories and Protein intake. I went from not being able to eat 200 calories a day a week ago to now I can do 600-700 and my protein went up as well...40-60grams. I know this is still not enough but I am working on it. Well I'm pretty sure it's because of my low calorie and protein intake but I just need some reassurance but my energy is soooooooo low. My doctor cleared me to workout and eat whatever I wAnt as long as I can tolerate it. I have been eating healthy healthy healthy. I will never go back to junk food I'm just feeling down because I can't seem to get myself to get up and do stuff! Last week I had to days where I had some energy and I did an hour of dance central on both days! It felt great!!! I want to keep working out but I'm so tired! Please reassure me this too shall pass. It's encouraging to hear your stories and advice. Thanks in advance!

So you've lost 3 lbs in a week? That's fantastic! The goal target is usually 1 to 2 lbs per week, average, so you are really doing well. I think the biggest guideline for fills is: 1) are you losing 1 to 2 lbs per week? (on average, I lose mine in spurts. A few lbs in one day, then nothing for a couple of weeks, so it still averages out). 2) if you are losing that much, is it because of the band or are you dieting but feeling hungry? If you aren't feeling hungry between meals, you are probably fine, but if you are struggling between meals, it might be time to consider a fill. Also, make sure you are getting your Water in, and your Protein too.

Cooking? We get those boxes that include everything for 3 meals for four people. We use green chef because it's organic and not over packaged but there are others like Gobble, Blue Aprion and Hello Fresh. Gobble is the easiest, te verifies mostly come cut up and all their meals are "one skillet" The cooking is easy. There are low calorie, low carb and even Paulo options. I make my 2 meals of 2:1 Protein and low deal carbs and there is plenty enough for my husband and son for dinner and left overs for lunch the next day. I have vouchers for free trial meals if anyone want one PM me. I don't work of these companies and don't get anything at all from giving out the vouchers.

Hi Ann, I am from NSW too, I had my surgery 13th Feb 2014, My family were I wouldnt say against it but not for it either, they dont understand, simple as that and my mum was just being my mum. I am going into my 4th week post op, I have to say I have had a few hiccups and sometimes I miss eating too but I am 43 and yo yo dieting and exercising my ass off for the rest of my life just wasnt an option for me, I have too many co morbidities that needed addressing ASAP. I am grazing though, I am one of those that still feel hunger and still want to eat, I just cant eat that much at a time, so therefore I find an hour after I eat I am hungry again, Im still off work so I do think that once I go back to work this will settle down. My 19 year old daughter has joined a health fund and plans on doing this surgery herself next year and i will be there to support her when she does. This operation is an individual choice, no one can make this big decision for you. sometimes the pros of having this surgery outweigh the cons if you dont have it

Hey guys! I was sleeved in July of 2011. Since then, I've had some problems. Once I started on soft foods, I was not able to keep my food down. In September of 2011, I had to have my gallbladder removed. I was still nauseated after every meal, but able to keep the food down...until about January of this year. I recently had an endoscopy and an upper GI with a barium swallow. My tests indicated that I have pretty severe acid reflux and a hiatal hernia. I just got back from the doctor. His recommendation was medicine and time, or some sort of tissue repair surgery. It seems they can't do the typical hernia repair fundoplication because the part of the stomach that was removed is used for that. He said another option is to convert my sleeve to a gastric bypass. Has anyone had anything similar happen to them? Also, I am a cash pay patient...should the tissue repair surgery or gastric bypass conversion be covered under the 1 year complication coverage? Any advice is greatly appreciated!

Protein and water is a problem here.

I'm on less than 20 carbs a day, and atleast65-75 grams of Protein a day. For dinner I I don't make me something separate. I just make low carb for my husband too and if he wants a piece of bread with it or something that's fine. Or for instance, the other night we had friends over for dinner... I made fajitas and I bought the low carb tortillas( not the ones that taste like cat food but the white ones made by Mission)z each small tortilla is 5 carbs. So I had two. I knew ahead of time that's what we were having so I made sure to have no carbs early on in the day. I suggest a high Protein shake for lunch. That will definitely help with getting your protein in and help with your lunch temptations. Also, in the morning, I get a route 44 Water with lemon and lime from sonic and sip on that. I fill it up a couple more times a day and then I'm good! You can do it! The first three days of sticking too it were the hardest for me. I felt so deprived. But if you just put your mind to it you can do it! I've lost 10 lbs in 10 days.

I'm going to quote the tag line some one has attached to their posts, "Compliant Banders are successful Banders." Following your doctor's plan is the best possible option -- be careful of looking for workarounds as it is very possible to eat around your band later. You have made this decision to choose your healthy future -- congratulations! Any minor sacrifices are nothing compared to what it's going to feel like to lose the weight and regain your health.

PlantFusion and Olympian Labs Pea Protein. I have 1/2 container of a 1 lb chocolate PlantFusion and about 3/4 1 lb container of a Vanilla Pea Protein that I could sell her for $10.00 buy it now and shipping cost on eBay (thinking of safe way to sell so everyone is covered, but up for suggestions, and I can take pics too) if she is interested. This is what I started with when I kept having problems with whey protein powders and had no side effects, but you have to get used to the taste of these, but I ended up using Isopure. You can look them up on Vitamin Shoppe for the details.