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Only lost 2 lbs this past week... and 3 lbs the previous. I'm eating ok, have really only cheated once. Frustrating, but hey, a loss is a loss. And this is the lowest weight I've been at in years. I felt much better last night because multiple friends told me my clothes were hanging off me. I hadn't realized it, so I went through my closet and wound up with 3 trash bags full of clothes to donate. Much better now.

I bought his book off Amazon.com, I received it within 5 days. Very fast. I also bought gastric lap band - the minimally invasive surgery, Eating well after Weight Loss Surgery, and Weight Loss Surgery for Dummies. His book is the very best out of all of them! Its called, Lap Band for life.

Tonight, I am packing for the hospital. My surgery is on Thursday. Since I am self-pay, mine will be done as outpatient, so I will leave the hospital the same day. I will stay in a hotel the night after my surgery and then return to the surgeon's office the next day to have drain removed before traveling 4 hrs. home. I am at a loss as to what to pack to be prepared for that night in the hotel afterwards and the long journey home. I would so appreciate any advice or tips. I appreciate each of you as I have poured through all of your posts over the past few months.

Hi Pookey I remember when you told the forum about your loss. It must have been so hard for you to have to deal with final things surrounding your moms death, taking care of your family, kids etc. Also trying to take care of yourself after WLS - my heart goes out to you. I would once again go back to your surgeon with a different approach. He can yes clear you from surgery, but say something like "do to all he new personal problems" i feel she needs more time to re-cuperate. "Surgery was totally successful, but it would be advantageous for her to recuperate a little more at home, due to her anxiety from her mothers death, this might benefit her recuperation. As far as you PHP, who shouldn't even be as worried about the "success" of the surgery, (since he wasn't even surgeon involved) I feel he should definitely be more sympathetic saying something like - "yes, she could go back to work, but i feel it would be beneficial to stay at home for a bit re-couperating a little from her personal problems due to the death of her mother then having more time to deal with her WLS. BTW - isn't there maybe a time off you get for a "death in the family." Wish you well , take care of yourself at this hard time Kathy :hug: BTW - what is your boss like? is she in your corner at all?

Nothing wrong with asking here, but the subject is definitely one to discuss with your obstetrician. He/she may want to consult with your bariatric surgery practice (the RD, perhaps), in which case get them connected. As an innocent ignorant bystander, I'd say that proper nutrition for your baby comes first and weight-loss is secondary for the time being. Thanks for sharing your happy-lovely news. All the best to you.

So I did it!!! When I was banded my doctor said the average person losses between 40-50 pounds. I thought that was fantastic! I was 255 pounds and the thought of loosing 50 pounds was amazing. But it after I got the surgery I decided that I wanted to go all the way. I wanted to lose everything. It's been 9 1/2 years and I am 103 pounds!! I went from a size 22 to a size 0, from a 2x to a XXS. I went from, 'Sorry nothing fits you in this store because you're too big.' to 'Sorry nothing fits you in this store because you're too small.' I went from 52% body fat to 13% body fat. Am I happy? It took me a long time to be happy to be honest. I fought happiness every step of the way. I thought that I didn't deserve to be successful and thin. I stil had a mental image of my former self so it was a challenge accepting the new image in the mirror. It took a long time but I have accepted myself as I am now. I'm no longer afraid of being thin. (I was very afraid of becoming thin when I started this process. I used my fat to protect myself from the world. I felt safe being overweight- not happy, but safe.) But today I am very safe, because I am strong and accomplished! I realize now I worked hard for this outcome. For the the record I lost the weight walking every day, portion sizes, cutting out bread and sugar That's it, that's all. I have maintained the weight all this time doing the same things: I eat small meals and snacks often, and I drink tons of water. I never skip exercising either. I get up everyday at 5:30 and hit the road. It's not complicated, it just takes dedication. I didn't post this sooner because I have been waiting to see if this was just a fluke. Was I going to go back to my old ways in a few years? Plus for the past couple of years the feedback that I have received hasn't always been positive. Most people tell me to eat more instead of congratulations. Some people think that I have an eating disorder and they say really nasty things to me. But I figure those are the people that said nasty things about me when I was bigger; it's just that they said it behind my back instead of to my face. When you go from the biggest personin the room to the smallest person in the room things can get a little weird for other people, sometimes they flip out. I was the fat friend and the fat family member. I made people feel better about themselves. 'Oh, at least I'm not as bad off as Amy. Whew!' Where is their touch point now? But now I feel strong enough to post because damn it I worked really hard to accomplish my goal. I keep working hard to maintain it. I'm the one who passes up on the cake, cookies, and ice cream. I am the one who is up at the crack of dawn to exercise. I deserve to be proud of my accomplishments now. I did it! Yes, I reached my goal and more importantly I have been maintaining it for years. I did what I first thought was impossible. If you've done it too, then great job! If you're reading this for inspiration then please know this: I fell on my face so many times. I cheated and sabotaged myself but I always kept on trying. I never gave up. It was not easy. I used every support tool there was to get this done. I just kept being honest with myself and I kept going. I found the easiest thing to do for me and then just stuck with it. I also leaned a lot on my husband and daughter. Use everything you have to to get this done. You are worth it!

Today's weigh in officially marks 100 lb loss and I couldn't be happier! what?!? I am still amazed with the transformational changes-- physical and emotional- that happen throughout our journey. I wouldn't have thought this was possible-- or that I would have a healthier relationship with food? So grateful and feel amazing.

JSoc WOW 34 pounds... I hope I have that kind of loss my first month

Some people absorb vitamins, minerals and other nutrients more optimally than others. Simply put, I need my supplements because I don't absorb them well from food. Due to hypothyroidism, I'm prone to multiple deficiencies (zinc, vitamins A, B12 and D, iron, etc). I've been deficient in thiamine (vitamin B1) 1 year post-op and required an injection, so I supplement with a vitamin B complex in addition to whatever else I take. I also had deficiencies in vitamins A and D prior to weight loss surgery, so I take those. I'm black. Vitamin D deficiency runs rampant in the black community. Our people need triple the sun exposure time to produce enough vitamin D naturally due to darker skin pigmentation, so I'll supplement with it for life. Blacks also have magnesium deficiency more often than those from other racial/ethnic backgrounds. The moral of the story is that some of us need supplements to avoid nutritional deficiencies.

Fear of failure is quite common, and you won't know the success you are capable of if you do not make the attempt to be successful. Please learn early on that you can create undue negative feelings of failure if you compare your weight loss journey to others. We are all individuals, and as such will not have identical weight loss journeys. My life with the band has given me a life skill which eluded me for years...patience. If you follow the rules as given to you by your medical team, you will be successful. I have experienced some complications along my journey, and am losing weight slowly. I am focused on that the scale continues to move in the direction I want it to, not at the speed which it moves. There will be days when you will be less compliant than others, and you may from time to time encounter weight loss plateaus. It is important to stay the course and stay in touch with your reasons for opting for this surgery. The weight loss will happen...all good things in time.

Hi! I'm super excited to use this app, and kind of wish I'd downloaded it sooner . I am currently four and a half months post rny gastric bypass surgery. I always feel awkward writing about myself so apologize in advance if this is a rambling introduction that is difficult to follow. Since I'm not sure where to start, I think I will begin before surgery (kind of makes sense for a timeline) Before I had surgery, I heard so many mixed views about the results of weight loss surgery, some really amazing and some absolutely horrible, so I was very unsure what kind of results I would see. I live in a smaller town, which of course means gossip travels fast, and since everyone knows everyone in some manner advice (whether asked for or not) is freely given. Nobody was mean or rude about my decision to have weight loss surgery, but there seemed more negative stories told than positive (or maybe they stuck out more in my memory). I thankfully have what i think is a very great Weight Loss Program. I started that program (after talking myself out of it a dozen times) in August of last year with no set decision on surgery. I signed up for a medical option, and switched to a surgical program after approx 7 months. My highest weight (the day I went to my first of many appointments) was 312 pounds. Having spent the majority of my life overweight, I still was surprised how awful i felt about myself as i looked at that first comprehensive analysis of my body (I remember focusing on the segment that broke down each limb/body part because the numbers were smaller). scales had disappeared from my house long before that day, so I wasn't prepared for the results. I'm sure the bazillion appointments with the dr, nutritionist, fitness specialist, psychologist, surgeon, support groups, etc are about the same so I'm going to skip over them other than to say I made some very slow but steady progress presurgery, and was very pleasantly surprised at the level of support and encouragement that I received. Fast Forward to May, after what seemed like both years and just days at the same time, and I was weighed (280.4) and prepped for surgery! I felt a strange combination of excitement, fear, doubt, and expectation while I waited. After I woke up of course all I felt was Pain and worry (was I going through all of this pain for nothing? ) The words "no guarantee" echoed through my head the first night constantly, along with regret (as painful as it was MUST mean it was a bad decision). It seemed like the ****** mean nurses were trying to torture me by insisting I walk around the hallways and poking/prodding checking my aching body!! (couldnt they see i hurt so bad just laying there trying not to breathe too deep and remain perfectly still??). My last clear thought, before I finally fell into an exhausted sleep, was that i was going to tell the next person who walked in my room EXACTLY where to go! Despite my less than positive attitude that first night, I did everything (without noticing since i was grouchy and focused only on the "new pain") i was supposed to do very well. It's hard to notice that you are walking, talking, breathing, swallowing etc well when you are busy wallowing in self pity . Thankfully, morning came with a new and improved attitude, and the decision to NOT allow the surgery to be worthless, I remembered (now that i wasnt focused on pushing the pain med pump every two seconds) that the amount of effort I put into recovering would have a huge impact on outcome. With that determination helping (sometimes being the only thing making me walk an extra lap around the unit or drink something i felt no thirst for) I was home and healing in a couple of days. Now, it is Almost October, about four and a half months since I left the hospital, and so far, things are going pretty good for me. I weighed in at 204 last week during my check up, and I feel a bit more energetic than I have in at least a decade. Dumping Syndrome quickly became my good friend and helped me really learn that eating certain things is bad for you. (It definitely was a better teacher than the words don't eat it...It forced me to actually accept the lesson). I am glad that I chose this new lifestyle, and on a side note, I still do not have a scale in my house, but for different reasons. This Journey, with all of the ups and downs, and twists in the road, could change from an improvement in health and fitness, to a number game, and for me, it has never been about reaching a number goal on the scale, but about improving my life. So here I am, kind of dewey eyed like a newborn looking at my changing life without knowing what the future holds, but amazed at where I am now.

K I'm at a loss. Getting very frustrated. For the last three weeks every time I eat anything I vomit. It can be just two bites and I'm vomiting. It has hone from hard core vomit to the foam and slimed then throw up. I had finally had all I could take and went to my surgeons office on valentines day. Told them how nauseated I was and how I vomited an had horrible pain in my breastplate and back. They gave me something for nausea and sent me for an endoscope. The endoscope showed a slightly tilted esophagus and a need for a little dilation. Nothing major. Weekend ok not vomiting as much. Tuesday afternoon (when I had my 3 small kids with me) I thought I was having a freaking heart attack. Went to the ER everything ok but X-rays showed a huge air pocket in my stomach or intestines. Said I needed to go to the bathroom more. I haven't been since Monday the 20th and have been taking fiber and stool softeners and still nothing. Go back to surgeon on Wednesday and he wants a barium swallow now. I am still not able to eat without getting slimes or vomit. Not as nauseated as before. I go this next Thursday for the swallow. Was told to just keep fluid down if u could until we see what's wrong if anything. Really? Obviously something is not right or I could eat Help!! Suggestions???

I didn't have surgery in TJ, mine was in Mexicali. It's seven years later and I regret nothing. I was 56 at the time of surgery, so after I lost 97 lbs my face was very saggy. I had a facelift the following year. Some of my body skin is a little loose, mostly on my thighs, but clothes cover it up and nobody looks at a 63 year old in a bathing suit anyway. Also about a year after my surgery I had to have my gallbladder removed due to gallstones that developed as a result of quick weight loss. I do have osteoporosis and GERD now. My endocrinologist thinks that I not only had a genetic predisposition to develop osteoporosis, but the drugs used to treat GERD have an effect on bone health and the ability of the body to absorb calcium. Also, I can't donate blood anymore because I don't get enough iron in my diet to replenish ferritin stores. I get enough so that I'm not anemic, I just can't give any away. Those are the negative things associated with my surgery but I would do it again in a second. I feel so much better thinner. I can move, airline seats fit, I don't feel like people are judging me for being fat. Best of luck to you, whatever you decide.

I have had depression for years, waaaayyyyyy before surgery. It has not gotten any worse/better 2 years post-op. I am a little happier overall and my self-esteem is much much higher with the weight loss. But the 2 weeks right after surgery, I was pissed at the world an was ready to fight anyone and everyone - for no reason I can figure out! But, for everything I've gone though, it was sooooooo worth it to be released from the Fat Suit I was trapped in and to realize the dream of being a normal sized person. But you gotta be willing to commit to the necessary changes it will entail. I was a rock bottom before I committed to surgery. You are stronger than you think. You CAN make BIG changes. Imagine yourself a year from now. What chances will you regret not taking? What opportunities will you regret having turned down? Certain sacrifices are worth it. I wish upon you the wisdom to know which ones are right.

Congrats on your weight loss and your new life. You look great. Keep up the good work

Lisa, I really am sorry to hear about all of this. I hate it when parents don't properly raise boys to become men. It just makes me cringe. Leave it up to the poor future wives to have to retrain them not to be idiots. Life has been crazy. I would like to write more but I'll be back. My eating habits all weekend have been less than band proper too. I'll have to be really good for the rest of the week if I want a loss on wednesday. Chat later, I'm thinking about ya, Teresa

Trudad Congrats on your weight loss. Its gonna be a long walk on your journey to success. We all struggle,but we're next to you all the way. Rescue Mission, Good Will, maybe have a garage sale best kathy

I know. You probably do not want to read about dessert nostalgia, but it is a little bit of a rant. A small burning candle that is slowly winking back into existence. I thought the flame blew out a long time ago on that part of me. The cravings are not really there, not magnetic. That is the odd part. it is more like the loss of the good times with having a dessert. It is like the memories are right on the other side of an opaque veil. I cannot see them, but I sense they are there. It is a little sad thinking about it and then knowing it is not the time to have them being far out on the post op journey. I am sure I am a little late in mourning deserts; others took care of this issue closer to surgery. Dessert is on the mind: cold stone ice cream, a brownie, an apple fritter, some Oreos or some old fashion donut holes. Does that mean I am losing resolve to eat healthy and live the post op lifestyle? No, probably not. I have not deviated so far and that has helped with success. Just a little down about it tonight. Why can't this part of me just go away? Who can relate to this rant?

that's great news, you sound so excited. the liquid diet is a bit hard, but at the end it'll all be worth it!!! welcome to your new journey to weight loss. congrats and goodluck!!!:confused:

I am nearly 3 years post op, and am maintaining an approx 160# loss. I guess you don't get to be the size of two full grown men without there being some "issues" involved, right? Last summer, I was hooked on caffeine big time and was exercising alot. I made goal in Feb 2013 so you can imagine I was feeling like maintaining was a newborn baby that required alot of attention. I didn't exercise to an unhealthy amount, but my motivation was to burn off the anxiety I was feeling.. that is the unhealthy part. I think that when we contemplate our own behaviors, it is the emotions that drive it, and the impact on our lives that determine if it is healthy or not. I used to shop alot at discount stores etc but I didn't spend much and I could afford it. I wasn't addicted, it was more like I marveled that clothes actually looked good on me!!! IT was a novelty. Now, I am like "eh" not so interesting. I don't consider my little blip of being a regular visitor at Ross, TJ Maxx etc as an addiction, but rather a passing phase for me. I have dialed back on both caffeine and exercise considerably... the word addiction means different things to different people so I hesitate to use it, but what I seek is balance and a fullfilling life. I am a work in process, but one of the things I "watch" is what to do with my excess energy. Lately, I have been going to just being active, and less interested in doing boot camps, hard core spinning workouts and stuff. Like, I go dancing which is a bit of exercise AND social. IT makes me feel good, but it doesn't feel like I NEED to do it. When i come home from a night out listening to live music and dancing - which is probably 2-4 times a month (and having zero to 2 drinks depending on the situation and length of evening etc - I never drive buzzed so alot of factors) I feel GREAT. And I feel great the next day, it is like something is being fullfilled. since getting to goal, i feel myself moving up the masloves needs triangle. Now that my basic needs of decent health and fitness is addressed, I seek more from life. I realize that cannot be filled from the outside, but rather from within and I see it as a current and future "area of work" for me. I bet it is for many formerly obese people (and others too!). Like i said, I am a work in process, but the truth of the matter is that once overeating and that protective layer of fat leaves you... you may find yourself trying to figure out what the "new you" is like. For me shedding fat exposed so much energy that it has been a bit much... but i am getting calmer, steadier and more at peace all the time. I realize that this is the number one reason I regained weight when I was younger and got down to a slim weight. I would get very wound up... and just didn't know what to do with it. Being fat made me more sluggish and I guess "content" although that is a strange thought. Anyway, it is good to be armed with information. Some people freak out in the first few months post weight loss - you hear them on this forum wailing over not being able to stuff themselves with food. It didn't really happen for me like that - I think I was oddly more emotionally wrapped up with the fat suit than I was with the food since my "issues" bubbled up more after I got to goal. I guess by the time I had WLS I was so "over" food as a friend, if you know what I mean.

Sarah, congrats on doing so well. It does get better and better by day. I now can eat pretty much anything my husband eats for dinner, where before I was having to eat differently. You are doing so well on your weight loss too. Again congrats!!

I am one month out and as of Monday 23 lbs down. It is shocking that this time has already passed but as everyone said, it gets easier day by day. I have my good days and I have my bad days, I have only felt "hungry" a handful of times. In the beginning it was very difficult to not be able to "eat" dinner with my family, however we have adjusted to what I can eat. The head hunger is the devil!!! Which to my surprise wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I am starting to feel "normal" again, although not all my energy is back. I will admit that I try to watch my carbs and all that jazz but it just doesn't work for me right now. I eat such a small amount that I get the majority of my calories from 100%, no sugar added juice, otherwise I would be under 300 calories a day. I hope that will improve over time. Also, with taking all the vitamins/pills, that ends up being a meal in itself. Overall I am happy with my decision, I have already notice changes not just in my physical appearance but in ME, and I have to say I like it! I do worry about getting too comfortable with my sleeve down the road and I worry about the affects it will have on my body (hair loss, skin issues, ect). Although I do know that my overall health will improve dramatically, these are still things that weigh on my mind. I have days that I wonder if I did the right thing but it's been a while since one of those thoughts have approached. I do increase my antidepressant, I felt I needed it, all the change is a lot to digest....haha! That is my update! :001_wub:

good luck with your fill. thats a bummer that you have to go to such lengths for a fill. congrats on your weight loss so far. you are doing well....... cat

I've come to realise that fat is just fat, its just a symptom of an illness that a large percentage of the population suffers from. To me, body image and acceptance is not tied to being fat. I have as many issues now and I'm freaking skinny! My BMI has dropped to 19 and I *STILL* see fat on my body that I'd like gone. If I actually see a photo of myself, I'm shocked - I'm much thinner than I see in the mirror. I am tryign to gain a little weight, but its on a superficial level to please my surgeon and oncologist and not because I see how skinny I am and realise I'd look better with a few more pounds on. I look in the mirror and see 80% satisifcation at a normal weight body with a bit of flab at hips and thighs and, frankly, terrible tits, lol. I think the thing about fat acceptance is the moral issues we attach to obesity - I personally am quite disciplined in my eating now, I think about what I eat, and I ignore impulses to eat rubbish most of the time. I exercise almost fanatically. I really take care of myself. So I do find myself passing judgement on people sitting in the food court pushing KFC down their gobs - see, I even say it in a derogatory way! That's why obese people feel judged, becuase truthfully, they are. I even feel disgust for my own kids and the way they will eat if I let them. But that's so not fair. I think the problem is people these days give into their every whim and desire becuase they can, they want instant gratification every seond of the day, becuase its available. That's what leads to fatness. But its human nature to want that! It makes evolutionary sense to take the easy road, to eat food when its there, to eat food that will sustain. Lettuce or KFC, which is going to keep you alive the longest? Personally, i think dealing with that kind of stuff is what it takes to accept yourself as a fat person. But I dont believe you have to accept yourself AS fat, if that makes sense, you dont have to say "I'm a big person and I'm happy this way" (which none of us are or we wouldnt be here). I think it means "I've fallen prey to the dangers society presents, just like most other people have. This is the effect its had on my body, but I'm smart and I'm going to do something about it". That way, ANY weight loss, ANY improvement in lifestyle behavour is a triumph and it doenst all become about losing ALL your weigh tor fitting into a certain size, but more about your ability to choose your own path and stick to it.

Your fat cells are loaded with all the vitamins your body needs except calcium. Add some calcium sachets to your water or drinks and skip the vitamins. By letting your body use the vitamins stored in your fat you loose more weight. I learned this from a nutritionist that guided my weight loss last year. I stopped all vitamins except calcium for 2 months and lost a lot of weight. I hope this helps. Gloria