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Hi Firefly! My son is due to have surgery soon and it's good to see another guy on the forum. I never did use slim-fast because it has a high carb/lowprotien ratio. That may be why your weight loss is not as big as you may want. Did you mean diet Jello or Jelly? If it's Jelly, take a look at the carbs on what you are eating. A better Protein shake would be something like Muscle Milk light or Premiere protein ready made shakes. They have a very low carb/high protein (premiere has 30 grams of protein per shake) ratio. If you try to stay below 6 grams of carbs per meal you should be dropping weight super fast. If you get bored with the flavors of the shakes nectar makes some really awesome flavors of shakes, but you have to mix them yourself with either Water, non-fat milk, or almond milk. Hope I helped a little. Good luck on your surgery!

I worry about it as well. I'll say this, it takes some work to really stretch a pouch out. My best friend had a RNY GB 12 years or so ago. He eats whatever he wants, and has failed miserably at the whole weight loss thing (from 700 pounds to 400) but even with that, he can't eat more than a single piece of pizza at a time. His issue, is that he'll start on a pizza at 1700, and by the time he goes to bed, he will have eaten the whole thing, one slice at a time. So, i'll go on record stating that while it is certainly possible to stretch your pouch, it is not easy, if it were my freind would be dead by now. In fact, he has a number of extremely severe health issues relating to, you guessed it, morbid obesity. He has become so anemic that he has to to the hospital three days a week and be infused with Iron via a slow drip, as his body has completely lost the ability to absorb Iron. His Vitamin D is heading the same way, I think his current Vitamin D is 200,000 IU a week and even that has not brought his levels up to normal. He'll die fairly soon I think, we've been friends for 30 years, and I'll miss him, but this is all his doing. I talked until I was blue in the face and he laughed everything off. Oh and he needs double knee replacements, complete knee replacements, at 42 years old. Not good.

i am still pre op but please seach 3 week stall on here. it will give you really good insight as to whats happening and what to expect. good luck to you and keep your head up! congrats on the weight loss so far!!!

Don't be discouraged......stalls do happen. Put "stall" in the search engine and read other folks' stories about their stalls. Everyone's journey is different so never compare your weight loss to others! You may not be dropping pounds.....but you may be dropping inches

Nope...the surgeons in Mexico do their own pre-op workups. When you sign up with them, they send you the pre-surgery required diet and then all the tests are done the day of your surgery before your surgery. IF you want an American contact in Mexico who can answer all your questions and help set you up for surgery there, let me know and send me an email. This gal has had weight loss surgery herself and has a "recovery bed and breakfast" where she takes care of you in her lovely home in Mexico after your procedure so you don't have to stay in a strange hotel. If someone is coming with you, that is fine...they can stay with you at her house also. I had two VSG procedures in Mexico and had no issues whatsoever and am very pleased with the care I received.

I think the fat that your losing has lots of stored hormones that are now being released into your system. Those hormones are now messing up your periods, moods, etc. Having a major surgery alone is stress enough on a body. Then having extra hormones released from the fat loss is causing chaos on your body. I'm not a medical professional, but I would think a irregular periods would be normal for a few months, but if you are really concerned, maybe a doctors visit is needed.

My daughter has issues with my weight loss. She has weight battles of her own, and she has treated me badly ever since I started to lose weight. My reason for starting to live a healthy lifestyle was a near brush with death, You need only have a doctor tell you once that it's over to make some drastic changes. I just feel the band will help me reach my goal and help me to stay where I belong. Thank you for responding to my post.

Well, I did it. I went to see the surgeon to discuss LB. He thinks I am a. Excellent candidate for it... The office staff was very nice in answering questions. I have a physical and appt for RD scheduled next week. Provided insurance approves everything my surgery could be as early as the end of August. I have looked forward to this for over 5 years. Why am I so scared? Fear of failure?? Like all other attempts to loss weight. Fear of surgery? What if Something goes wrong. I am not telling my family I am doing this (obviously hubby knows... Not kids, my mom or anyone else) No one can "I told you so" if it doesn't work. Are these normal feelings?

JCsMamaBear, you just expressed what I've been experiencing. I've finished all evaluations and playing the waiting game. It took 3 weeks to get an approval letter from my insurance company. When I called my doctor's office, they said it was just a letter approving that I was a candidate for WLS. They said now I have to wait for a letter actually approving of the procedure. It's sort of frustrating because it's causing me to rearrange summer plans, kids schedule, etc., but my husband said that this isn't a process that we want to rush so let's just make sure that everything is done right. In the meantime, I see shows like the new season of Extreme Weight Loss and think-- okay, can I do that? Do I really need surgery? Then I'm reminded that that is TV and I don't have Chris Howell working with me. Good luck to you!

Guess I should deactivate myself here. I went with the sleeve after being on this board reading stories. Slips, erosions, not getting the right fills, stuck, slider foods, sliders, etc...all kept me away from the band. I got the sleeve instead and I'm healing fine. I wish all of you the best in your journey with weight loss and getting healthy!

Hi and Welcome! This is a great community and people here are very helpful and genuine in their efforts to educate the newly sleeved and those who are contemplating sleeve. I know you'll enjoy getting to know more about VSG. I was sleeved just 4 months ago. I used to drink Optifast in my pre-op diet. Dont like the vanilla flavor, but I think the chocolate is okay. I like the Vanilla better with a half tsp of coffee blended with cold milk. I dont take the Protein shakes with Water -- I always use cold milk. I used Optifast because it was a more balanced Meal Replacement for me and it had 19 to 20g protein in one serving (46g). Wishing you a safe surgery, speedy recovery and awesome weight loss!!!

Lizabug... you have done really well to date and your weight loss isn't slow... not at all!!! The dreaded 3week stall is a pain in the tail, but it is a way for you body to take some 'time out' and readjust... remember, you are still recovering from major surgery! Try not to get too stressed.... I know it is hard, but the scale will move again! I went through the 3 week stall and it passed! Good luck =]

HELLO, my name is Liza, I had my gastric sleeve surgery on December 7 2010. My original weight was 211 lbs. On the day of surgery, my weight was down to 199. Today at about 3 weeks post op, I weigh at 186 lbs. I feel great, sometimes I wake up in the morning and I had to remind myself that I had the surgery. I think my weightloss is super slow and I am not very happy about it, especially for someone like me who weighs herself about 5 times a day. I just started going back to the gym 2 days ago and I use the elliptical machine for 30 minutes each day. Still though, the scale isnt moving at all. I do take my 1500mg Calcium and Multivitamins everyday and follow the diet as ordered. If there's anything unusual, I may not be able to get all the calories needed each day, Ive been trying my best to get all the Water and Protein in. I take protein everyday about 66g a day, I use nectar protein, it mixes well and has absolutely zero carbs/sugar. I am so frustrated with the super slow weight loss, Ive become kind of irritable to the people around me. 3 weeks and I stopped losing weight, I mean literally, WTF????Help me? I dont know what to do anymore, Ive followed all instructions and yet Im stuck BIG TIME! Will someone tell me this stall will end, has anyone had the same problem? Good thing though is that Im off insulin. Well duh, of course im not eating anything, my blood sugars everyday range from 80 to 88, this is the only good thing. I wanted to burn my digital weighing scale and throw it away, it just pisses me off seriously!

Hi I am from NI and got banded in Australia!! I was banded in Feb 2011 and i am still getting food stuck and feel very unconformable. i don't feel i am eating enough to loss the weight and i am exercising and only have lost 10kg from Feb a bit disappointed.

14 years out. I order only an entree (as not enough room for an appetizer) and ensure it’s a lot of protein. A steak, double cheeseburger; etc. I eat as much as I can and take the rest with me. It’s never been a problem. I can’t help with the drinks, as I don’t partake; but I do know one should wait 6-12 months before having one. You don’t want your liver to work double time on weight loss and alcohol.

Oh sorry this was the first method of weight loss back in the 90's here is the definition Vertical banded gastroplasty (VBG), also known as stomach stapling, is a restrictive operation for weight control. Both a band and staples are used to create a small stomach pouch. In the bottom of the pouch is an approximate one-centimeter hole through which the pouch contents can flow into the remainder of the stomach and thence onto the remainder of the gastrointestinal tract. Back then it meant being opened up and not using laparoscopy will say it hurt will not lie but I did it again hoping for better results seems the lap band has better results and if something goes wrong it can be removed easily well surgery anyway not removing a band. Go to this link to see a picture http://www.docshop.com/education/bariatrics/gastric-banding/vbg

My time period was 8 months. I had to pay deductibles over two years because there are costs spread out over the two years. The initial cost were primarily for meeting the 6 month medically supervised weight loss program where I met with a physician every month for 6 months. There was also the cost of the psychologist visit, which was not covered by the insurance. The later costs which included an extensive array of pre-op tests, a second round of pre-op tests with specialist in their fields, hospital and surgeon costs, post-op medicine were the greatest.

I have sympathy for those of you who have regained weight. I myself lost 120 pounds and at 2 years out my portion options became much larger, my ability to snack became apparent, and my weight started to yo yo. So what happened. Well I felt very very depressed. I put on 15 lbs and was having nightmares about being back to my pre op weight. I also felt extremely depressed about the idea of having to be back on a diet and stay there the rest of my life. My weight loss with my sleeve was very easy and I had it had to really try not to eat. Suddenly all that changed. The scale began to rise. So what did I do? I began dieting again. Counting calories, doing low carb, etc. what happened? I lost weight. And then gained it back and then some. I found myself back in the same pattern of dieting and binging that got me obese in the first place. I felt very angry and in despair. I just knew I couldn't live like that again. I knew dieting had made me gain weight before and I would again. Skipping meals, going to bed hungry, not allowing myself to eat things I enjoyed, not enjoying family events because of the food, etc. I decided I was done with all that. There was no way I was going to go back to dieting because I would be more depressed living like that than being overweight. Instead I began to research anti-dieting. I discovered intuitive eating and it changed my life. I bought books, read stories and blogs, and made a pact with myself I would no longer diet. And I began to eat anything I wanted and to honor my bodies hunger and fullness signals. I soon found myself eating a normal amount of food without binging. My weight stabilized, my energy level shot way up, I regained my health. I stopped weighing myself or counting my calories. I finally had the energy to go to the gym- not for weight loss but for the fun I got out of it. I now weigh about 128lbs at 5'6. I maintain my weight with no effort. I eat when I am hungry and I don't if I'm not hungry. I eat whatever makes me feel good and sometimes I even eat food that makes me feel crappy. I am active and fit. I don't think about food or have food rules. I allow all food in my home and I never binge on food because I don't need to as I am not deprived or hungry. I follow my bodies intuition. If you are having issues like me I highly recommend reading intuitive eating and walking away from the diet mindset. Surgery is a great tool but no one can live on a diet plan forever. And who would want to? Me and my daughter who I am also raising to be an intuitive eater and to love her body at any size.

I know that everyone is different but I just want to get an idea of what you all have lost typically in one week? Today I weighed myself -- as I promised myself I would only do once a week -- I tried to weigh myself more often and would get disappointed.. So, I get on the scale today and saw that I have only lost 3 pounds. Should I be losing more? I started at 207 prior to surgery. I had surgery on June 29th. So, technically I have lost 20 pounds in total. 10 pounds pre-op and 10 pounds post op. I am just asking because I see some people lose 10 pounds a week and I am wondering if it is all dependent on what the starting weight was (the more you have to lose, the faster you lose it?) ... :thumbup:

I've lost about 20 pounds since my weigh-in 2 days before surgery. My surgery date was June 10, so you are doing quite well, even though you don't think so. My BMI was in the 38 range, so I do think my weight loss is slow, but at least I am losing weight. Of course my stomach has been a mess since the beginning and I've been in the ER with a UTI and have been working on antibiotics that kept me from eating, but that didn't help with the weight loss. Look for the positives, i.e., you are finished with the surgery and aren't gaining... Also, you will have a healthier lifestyle from now on. Terrie

Hi Joe! I just met a bandster who is an EMT recently. He was taking about three weeks off but after that expected to go back to work full-force. My doc's instructions about exercise and strenuous work are basically that by the time you'll feel like doing it you'll be healed enough and it won't be a problem. Laying on your side/stomach is just a matter of time and healing. I sleep on my left (port) side all the time and while I can feel it there is no discomfort at all. The only time it might be a problem is if you're laying down on a hard surface, but then you could just shift around a little till it's comfortable. By the time you've lost lots of weight you'll be more concerned about your bones sticking out than your port! The port is not at all obvious under my skin, but I have a ways to go yet. If it ever becomes a problem I know there is a smaller port that can be installed, a "low-profile" port. But that would involve another scar so I'm probably not ever going to go there. Of course it's possible to "eat around" the band. Calories are calories, and if you take in too many you won't lose or may even gain. The band makes it MUCH easier, though, to eat healthfully and in appropriate portions. That's really all there is to it. And IMO, the band is perfect for anyone who wants to lose weight and who isn't in immediate need of results. If the patient is willing to see the pounds come off at a measured pace of 5-10 lbs a month, banding is the answer. Measure that pace of weight loss against the risk of complications with other surgeries, and you'll see why we picked the one we did. Good luck, to both you and your mom!

Wow what a difference! You look so cute with the short hair. Great job!

Hey I'm not exactly an oldie but I can tell you that this surgery has been around a long, long time for stomach cancer and ulcers and such. It is new as a stand alone procedure for weight loss. My mother in law had abut 3/4 of her stomach removed about 30 years ago because of bleeding ulcers and she is doing great.

Researchers from the University of Western Australia are seeking volunteers to participate in a trial investigating the possibility of psychological treatment enhancing weight loss among those who have undergone Lap-Band surgery. We are offering individuals the opportunity to participate in a psychological treatment programme which will be run over 3 months and be provided free of charge. Those agreeing to participate must be willing to either receive psychological treatment or continue standard medical care, as they are unable to choose which treatment they are allocated. If you have undergone Lap-Band surgery, aged between 18 and 65 years old and are able to attend UWA in Nedlands for regular treatment, please contact Dr Emma Dove for more information on 9224 0341. This study has been approved by the UWA Ethics Committee.

Hi All! I was banded on August 7, 2009. I used to read these boards all the time, and they were immensely helpful. The past year I've been slacking big time. I've been on a bit of a weight-loss rollercoaster, mostly because I wasn't being serious about my weight loss goals and letting stress overtake me by resorting to stress eating. I just got married a month ago, and now that all that hoopla is over I'm fresh out of excuses! I've lost 162 pounds (132 with the band), and gained 13 of it back surrounding the wedding. With all the yo-yo-ing I've only lost 20 pounds in the past year...somewhat successful, but I can do so much better! Started getting back on track this week and down 4 pounds already! (I know, mostly Water weight, but it's a start). I'm hoping to keep myself accountable by getting on the boards regularly and sharing with others.