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Hi Julie my name is also Julie and Im 41 with three children as well. I just had to respond.. found it comical that we are close in age and have the same amount of children.. mine are 19, 16, 14. two boys one girl. I have 3 more supervised dietician visits and then Im on my way.. keep me posted on how things are with u.. Julie M in Wisconsin

Hello everyone, It's been months since I posted but this whole weight loss journey is a bit confusing when it comes to losing inches and never seeing the scale move since my last fill four months ago. Last fill 7.1 roughly four months ago, I believe, I'm in the green zone as I rarely hungry and can literally go 10 hours in between meals and have before many days of the week. So question is... I have lost many inches all over, just this week alone, I was measured for a bra and found I lost 10 inches alone around my back and bust area. My stomach area, 6 inches, my hips 4 inches, legs 2 inches.... Sooooo why in the world am I not seeing any numbers move on the scale at all. I mean if your losing fat by inches, why don't you see number wise. I was fifteen pounds smaller four years ago when I could wear a size 10, put those away for some years, and now still fifteen pounds heavier, I can wear them again. Uggggh I'm just frustrated. I will admit to everyone, I don't eat much, Protein drink bfast and lunch most days, very small dinner, and I do occasionally get stuck. I fill up very easily. Maybe need adjusted as I may be close and in between green zone to just hitting red zone. I love how I feel though, never hungry, I've waited for that feeling five months ago now nine months since surgery. Thanks for any advice.

Hi there! I'm having my bypass surgery on 10/26 and would like to connect with people that are having bypass surgery on or around the same date so that we can follow each other's journey's. Good luck to everyone!

It's cliche, but true. Try not to compare yourself to others. I lost at a rate of 3/4 of a pound per week. Slower than the expected 1-2 pounds per week for most patients. I was seeming my fellow band mates losing much faster than I. But I kept marching on. And you know what? I now wear a size 10, sometimes an 8, and I have been there for a year now! I am wearing out clothes before I grow out of them. How exciting is that!? Time keeps moving, whether you are losing 5 pounds a week or 2, you will still get to your goal. It might take a little longer than you'd like, but you WILL get there. That's the thing with a band. You are doing a drastic diet that comes to an end. You are eating right and creating habits that you will continue forever. Keep doing what you are doing! You'll get there!

So today i step on the scale and i have officially lost 10% of my body weight!! Yay!! I have always heard that losing just 10% greatly lowers your risks for obesity related illnesses so im very happy about this!! Hope everyone is doing well and everyone is staying happy and healthy XOXO Angela

I'm 6 months out and 90 lbs down. Now a size 10. I have had a couple of "wow" moments. I feel like the same person, but I don't really feel like a fat person anymore. Big, maybe, but not fat.

OK - quick recap - banded almost 5 years, stomach dilation, converting to Sleeve - Insurance approved and surgery scheduled for 9/7/10. I made all of these plans before really getting to question my surgeon about the sleeve so I had an appointment on 7/14 and we spent quite a bit of time talking about sleeves. He usually uses a 36f bougie and oversews. I'll be in the hospital for 2-3 days and I will have a drain - yuck. I will be his 6th or 7th sleeve but as he put it "in Boston that may be the most any one surgeon has done", now I don't know if that is true but I do know that my surgeon is GOOD. I have full confidence in his surgical abilities - he is the Cheif of Minimally Invasive Surgery and Bariatrics at BIMDC in Boston. Am I a little nervous - Yup - but he has done hundreds if not thousands of lap RNY, the guy knows his stuff and was very fluent in explaining the Sleeve process so I know I'll be OK. We discussed the possibility of switching from lap to open if there was a problem and that I may end up with a modified sleeve (a little larger on top) due to scarring from the band. All in all the risk seems very acceptable and I'm really starting to look forward to my new stomach. In the mean time being unfilled in murder and I've stopped gaining but I am sitting about 25lbs heavier then when I had Fluid - our goal right now is to pamper my stomach and let it resume as much of its normal shape as possible so that I can has as close to a normal sleeve as possible. Fingers crossed - the up side - 3 weeks off of work!!!!

Hello,I've had one fill,am not feeling much restriction at the moment so have been keeping my meals below 800 cals a day in total,except for a Saturday when I allow myself about 1500. I've lost 2 stone in 10 weeks,but this week I have gained 1 and 1/2 lb. I don't understand what I've done wrong,am i eating too much or not enough?

It took me between 20 & 40 minutes to really start waking up, both times. With my most recent, I remember hearing them saying things as I was being wheeled, so it must have been en route to recovery. I guess that's maybe 10 minutes after the procedure ends, but that's a guess. When I could keep my eyes open I looked at the clock, and it was another hour before I was really alert and able to do more than groggy responses or hand gestures.

I'm not touching any of these with a 10-foot pole. This smells like trouble to me. But I have no reason to delete the post, so it's staying. In the meantime, Mikey, if you really want to talk with bandsters why not come back and start a conversation? This is really no way to "break the ice."

I am up and sooooooo thirsty!!! I'm ready to get there and get this show on the road. :confused: I can't believe after all the waiting it's finally here. :cool: I'm up at 10 A.M. Wish me luck! Kelly :tired :clap2:

I haven't had so much hunger during day 1-10 of the diet but today I've been feeling hunger throughout the day comes and go... Now it's too late (night ) can't sleep- can't eat... What should I do? Any suggestions???

Hello all, Eight days until my bypass and I just came back from an appointment that totally surprised me! It was with a clinical pharmacist who was explaining how to give myself the blood thinner shots for 10 days after the surgery. I'm not too squeamish about these kinds of things, but I was surprised this wasn't mentioned in any of the classes, appointments, handouts, or other information I've been getting since January. What will also be a surprise is how much the prescription is going to cost me. I'm waiting to hear back from insurance, but it could be a lot. Any experience or thought about this!! Having to give myself a daily shot in the stomach for 10 days seems like adding insult to injury...I'm just saying...

I lost 11 on my 10 day pre op diet, but the other 20 are since the 21st.

My hair loss started about 3 months out and seemed to slow about 10 months out. Now its growing back in and getting thicker all the time. And yes I took the Biotin and daily met my Protein goals but it still fell out. I was a slow loser too. So hang in there you're almost to the end of the hair loss period. Wishing you all the best!

I have a mild hiatal hernia. Went to pre-op appt today. Can you believe hernia surgery is more expensive than gastric sleeve?! Anyway, surgery date is sept 14. So far, 10 lbs down

In a deeply emotional moment, I sat down and wrote a list in order of importance. I will share it here, in case it helps anybody organize their thoughts, emotions, and priorities. 6/25/2014 RNY Surgery Goals To be able to eat half a yogurt and be satisfied, full, and fortified. to no longer be consumed with healthy food shopping and meal preps, the miseries of weighing cabbage, and be satisfied with my minimal needs. to get off my blood pressure medication Lower my cholesterol to normal levels to beat the odds of my family’s heart disease to be able to navigate stairs without dislocating my knees to be able to walk down the stairs and see past my stomach so I don’t trip To be able to get up from a chair without leaving a sweat-spot to be able to wear dresses without leggings, and not chafe my thighs to see my knee bones and ankles to be able to pick up a tissue from the floor without waiting for more things to accumulate before bending down to be able to walk for more than 10 minutes before my heel spurs start throbbing to breathe easier for longer periods and not trigger my asthma to sing for two hours straight without throat pain to sit on the floor with my clients and play guitar. to send all my old clothes to Lisa and Beka be able to play a narrow-neck guitar play the violin without colliding my fingers enjoy airplane flights without stopping the circulation in my legs because my thighs are squeezed in between the neighboring armrests to be able to lift and move objects without throwing my back into spasms to be able to wear trendy shoes with less support be done with granny-panties to be able to buy size medium clothes on the sales rack to be a normal-looking healthy American

valentine...i too was concerned because i wasn't losing any weight and the people on this forum are right...you should concentrate on healing right now and don't beat yourself up. i really put myself through the wringer when i should have been more concerned with getting better.the people on this forum are right and they are always full of great info....chin up! you are doing great! i have lost 10 lbs since my band and that is better results than any of the things i have tried in the past. all the best!

Hi everyone, I have been looking into getting something done for almost 10 years. At first I was going to get staples, but husband didn't want me to go through it. I was then refered to Dr. Beausoleil in 2005 and he told me he could do the surery in three monthes but it would cost me five thousand dollars. Needless to saw I am still waiting and saving. It looks like the sun is shinning bright for this year to have the money. I'm scared but very excited. I'm a diabetic (type2) and that is one of my main reasons I'm doing this. Sorry if I went on abit but so need people who really know what I'm going through. Thanks:smile:

It all started one week ago, got my 5th fill, 1 cc bringing my total fill to 4.3 ccs in a 10 cc band. At first it felt okay, then the swelling kicked in and I could barely get anything down. After two days the swelling went down, but still was having problems with drinking and eating. The worst part of all this was the night time reflux. I found myself throwing up in my sleep, not a pleasant sensation. Tried to hang on, hoping that the fill would get looser, but the nighttime vomiting and coughing was getting worse. I finally called my doctor. He had me come in to get an upper GI to make sure that everything was okay with the band, after drinking the barium, it showed that nothing was moving, I was pretty much closed off. He unfilled my band and I felt bloop, bloop, bloop, like a sink drain unstopping. HEAVEN!!!!! Then he had me drink more barium and filled me under flouro. I ended up with only 3 ccs in the band, big difference. I can finally drink again...Water never tasted so good until you can't drink anything. During that whole week I was lucky if I was able to drink 8 oz of liquids in a day. I lost 8 pounds in one week, but don't ever want to go through that again.

10/2009 Take a good look. This is what Morbid Obesity looks like. Let me preface this by saying that at first I was going to keep it all a hush-hush big super secret squirrel secret. But I figured blogging would not only help me chronicle my journey, but serve as a sounding board. Of course I run the risk of opening myself up to criticism and negativity. But I figured…they talked about Jesus they’ll talk about me too. And what’s more is – I really don’t give a rat’s sweaty nads. *shrug* With that said… I’ve never had a problem with being full-figured. In fact, I’ve embraced it. It’s a part of the me that I’ve been proud to be. Even flaunted my curves. And its not like I’ve been starved for attention. Most…well, a lot (only basing on what I’ve been told) of men (women too) think that I’m (are you ready for this?) SEXY. I’m not bragging at all…but can you imagine? Me, at 298lbs…on a 5′3″ frame. What doctors frown at in disapproval. What some people in public look at in disgust…but yet others…desire. To this day. As recently as an hour ago. 8/2008 *smh kinda confused* Admittedly, I’ve thought the same thing for a long time. My self esteem has remained in its proper sometimes over-elevated place. The men folk (husband included) never seemed to have had a problem with it, so I never had a problem with it… Until now. I’m at my biggest ever. Almost 30lbs more than I weighed when I was 9 months pregnant (2 years ago). I’m uncomfortable. I don’t like what I see in the mirror any more. My feet hurt. My knees ache. (ironically enough, the VERY reason why working out has been such a chore – that aside from time: 9-5 job, jewelry biz, almost 2 year old daughter, and a hubby that works nights/weekends). And now, my once high (sometimes too high) self esteem has taken a nosedive. So what to do?? 9/2002 I’ve done the diets, the shakes, the cleanses, the “lifestyle change”, the pills, the work-out regimen, etc… Something has to be done. NOW. So after about 6 months of mulling it over, I’ve opted to have the LAP-BAND®®® surgery. In fact, that’s the entire reason for this blog. My goal is 75-100lbs. Realistically, at 200lbs, I’ll still be +size…but ALOT better off than I am now. I’m making a decision to better my life, and thereby, my family’s life. I will learn healthier habits to pass on to my daughter and share with my husband, as well as actually be around a lot longer to see her grow up, and grow into the olden golden years with her daddy. This vixen, is about to change her game up, for good. I have my physical exam and initial info session at the Bariatric Surgeon’s office on Monday. Then comes the consult to chart the path forward, counseling, etc. I will join the Million Pound Challlenge to help get me started on the right track. But that’s Monday – and it’s going to be a life-changing day. So this weekend, I’m gettin it in. *lol* I’m gonna eat what I want…probably for the last time (at least for a long time); Celebrate my 35th bday (late, bc of all the snow) and celebrate in anticipation of a new life and a new, even sexier, healthier me… I’m excited. I can only pray that by sharing this journey, it will garner some support & encouragement from friends, acquaintances, and strangers alike. But even if it doesn’t, it’s no skin off my teeth. I’m CERTAIN that my words will touch or encourage SOMEONE out there. 1/2010 Beauty can be found at ANY size. From a size 6 to 26. However, HEALTH cannot. And that’s all its about for me. Taking off some pounds to add some years to my life. Phine, re-defined… *sexy grin*

I am a little worried. I recognize this is a new experience and that I'm learning to listen to my body in a different way than I ever have before. Yesterday I was sore, more sore than I was the first day - today less sore; except of course, from my port incision. It looks good but still really swollen. The thing I'm worried about is yesterday despite the recommendations that I eat 2 tablespoons of liquid food (runny cream of wheat, creamed soup, etc) five times a day I couldn't. By the end of the evening, my ribs felt like they had been beaten with a two by four and by 10:30 at night I felt like maybe I was stuck - although on what I still can't figure it out. And in truth, I don't really know what stuck feels like. My stomach gurgles and gurgles and gurgles, so much so that it woke up my beloved. I feel like when I drink even an ounce of water it's backed up and then it gurgles more. Does anyone have any insight into this? I've gone super slow this morning and am trying warm herbal tea now but nothing seems to alleviate this. Am I blocked? Is it gas? I'm walking but nothing seems to shift this. Patiently trying to figure it all out but not going to eat even liquid food until I know it is okay . . . nervous Nelly!

Most of us take months of being banded to be able to understand the difference between hunger and cravings/head hunger. Some patients never realize it. Sometimes the food demons in our minds override our sensibilities and we think we're hungry when we're not. It's difficult to give up our security blankets and I know, it took me 10 months to finally be able to tell the diff. It also can take months or even years to re-train ourselves to eat much smaller bites and chew. And I really mean much smaller and I really mean chew, chew, chew. If done properly, the small amount of food taken in the mouth will become mush just like soup or crackers. IF, eaten like a true bandster. You're still in the bandster 101 phase of your journey. Eat small, chew big. Hang in there. tmf

still problem pulling my hair out seriouslly tom is trying to help does not work 2 different subjects are posted about 10 from each subject appear from yesterday to today

I did not start near that weight, and if I was I would not have needed the VSG I am 5' 10" and was 338 at the start of my journey. Ok now that has been said and please don't think that I am being condescending because that is the farthest thing from my intention, I just wanted to let you know where I started! It is completely understandable that you are scared but trust me you will be fine in the end. You need to fasten your seatbelt my dear because this is going to be one heck of a ride! I am almost a year out and you can check my profile for the amount of weight that I have lost. I feel absolutely AMAZING and wish that I would have done this MUCH SOONER, if I did then there are several health issues that I would not have had to deal with! What I did to prepare myself is exactly what you are doing, searching boards, looking at Youtube videos and doing serious research online. Just know that there are things that you are going to have to give up like soda, but in the long run it will be more than worth the small and temporary discomfort that you will go through. Another way that I prepared myself was starting on a high protein and low carb diet. That will be essential to long term results, it will lead to long term results. Please do not sweat the procedure the worst time that I have had with it was the one week following surgery, after that it was smooth sailing! This is a process, and even though it is moving pretty fast you come out on the other side half the woman you are now and have a smile on your face that very few things will turn into a frown! Your confidence will increase, as your waistline decreases! Good luck and please report back with your progress!