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I lost 10.4 pounds the first month post-op. I averaged 10 pounds lost the first four months. After that, the weight loss slowed. At 20.5 months post-op, my combined pre-op and post-op weight losses total 100 pounds. I reached my weight loss target (150 pounds) 8.5 months post-op and now weigh 135 pounds, which I've maintained for some time. It took me 9 months to lose the last 15 pounds. I will guaran-damn-tee you that when you reach your weight loss target and that when you have maintained that goal for months -- and probably for the first time in your life -- that you won't give two hoots for how fast you lost the weight. Losing weight super-fast is actually not the goal of sleeve surgery. The goal is to lower your stomach's capacity, reduce your hunger impulses and give you time to learn healthy eating habits so you can be healthy and normal-sized for the rest of your life. I know you can't eat much now -- you're not even a month post-op. But please don't think you're supposed to starve yourself. Instead, learn how to eat much more nutritiously than you once did. Learn how to savor the food you do eat. Learn how to enjoy exercise and an active lifestyle. This is a great opportunity to change / save your life. Please don't judge its effectiveness or its benefits by your first three weeks post-op.

My surgery was on 4/30, so I am only 10 days post op. I've noticed how people have done in the first few weeks and was amazed at the huge weight loss. This is not the case for me. As of yesterday I had only lost 4.4 lbs, and this morning I am back up 1 lb. I have followed my Dr's Pre Op diet and now Post Op diet to the letter, so now I just need to sit back and trust the process. I did lose 51 lbs since November, which was when Pre Op dieting began, including a 2 week liquid diet prior to surgery, and I am ecstatic about that! This also means I didn't have a lot of Water weight left to lose during Post Op, but it sure would be nice to see a big jump in the scale and feel that rush! My plan is to not weigh myself until I go for my 2 week appointment on Tuesday. After that, I'll weigh myself every 2 weeks. Time to focus on how I feel and not the numbers! Hope everyone is doing well!

I contacted both of my insurance companies; and both my insurance companys told me WLS are not covered under my plan. 1). Primary = Anthem BCBS Blue Preferred Primary Plus (POS) As of 2004 they have an exclusion: Related to weight loss or treatment of obesity. 2). Secondary = United Health Care Choice They do not cover weight loss surgeries. I can't believe it! Now I have to come up with a plan B. I am so sad.

Hello, I am 4.5 months after Sleeve surgery. I am very happy with the weight loss. I know hair thinning is common. I am seeing (for about 4 wks now), a substantial increase in my thinning. I am doing all I think I can. Noixin hair products, Rogaine, Biotin. My team says it is normal and will regrow. My question is....anyone experience this and did it regrow??

I had surgery a couple weeks after you, and I noticed this week my hair loss has really sped up. I know its normal, but my hair was thin to begin with. I've been stuggling a lot with it. I dont want to try rogaine or nioxin because they are all dependent upon your continual use of them. However, I am making sure to really stay on top of my vitamins. I also added a sublingual folic acid. I'm also using the Vital Proteins Collegen Peptide powder that you can get at costco. My wife puts it in her coffee every morning. I usually just add it to a protein shake. It came at the recommendation of many friends, two of which also had the sleeve surgery. It helped them with the hair loss. One of them swears by taking the bariatric multivitamin one day and then a prenatal the next day. Dont forget to stay on top of your protein. If you dont, it will make your hair loss worse.

As you guys do or don't know my surgery date was feb. 4th, this past wednesday. Everything went better than i expected. The pain is bearable but its still pain. Still very sore, they kept me over night because of my sleep apnea, i have very mild sleep apnea but they just wanted to be sure that everything goes well. I was so nervous before i went in, my blood pressure was high as a kite but after wards it dropped to 114/51. The nurse seemed very concerned and said that it would be best to leave after my the bottom number reached at least 60. So i just got home about 30 minutes ago. The gas pain is out this world, the gas x strips dont seem to be doing much, but then again I'm not sure if its the gas alone or if its the soreness thats causing the pain. Dr. Ponce slightly filled my band, not sure why he did, it's very rare that it happens, but i can still eat and drink what i am supposed to. The staff were extremely nice, i couldn't have asked for better people, they reminded me what a better life i will have and what a good year this would be for me. The nurses and the anesthigologist (sp?) especially were the most attentitive and caring. I barely saw Dr. Ponce, he must have been extremely busy but i really wanted to talk to him and know personally how everything went (liver size, how much he put in band, hernia, how my insides looked and etc.) He however did talk to my parents in the waiting room and told them simply how it went. I arrived at 6am and thats when they took me in the room to get changed. Soon after the anes. Dr. talked to me which kind of made me feel a little more comfortable, then he pushed my bed to the operating room where i was greeted by some of the nurses who were extremely kind, complementing me and how handsome i was...and the hair, its not as good as everyone thinks it is, lol. Then....... I remember nothing else after scooting on to the operating table. I came to about 1 1/2 hrs. later in the recovery room, and there is where i waited till they got me a room. It was alllll good just in a little pain. Eeekk!!! alot of pressure is what it feels like, especially when i drink or eat the broth or jello. But all in all it was a life changing experience and everythingg went WELL. Thank God! Thanx for your support everyone, I appreciate it.

Congrats on your loss and getting back on track.

I also have developed some laugh lines and forehead wrinkles I did not have previously. I thought maybe it was because my 30th birthday is coming up in a few months but it must be weight loss because I've always had incredibly smooth skin. Experimenting and finding makeup that doesn't settle in my new creases was interesting. I think I've finally found one that I'm happy with. I'm not opposed to fillers but I'm not to that point yet either.

Si I meet the surgeon today they pretty much checked my weight measured my stomach, I have a BMI of 48 and my weight today was 266 & He said I was a good candidate I am doing this process with the help of Surgical & Medical Weight Loss Clinic Valley Baptist Medical Center - Harlingen Texas. According to them my next step is sign up and pay my dietitian program and do some check ups EKG labs and sonograms. I will keep y'all posted ????

Weight Loss Surgery For Dummies is a good book as well....they also have Weight Loss Surgery Cookbook For Dummies

Hi Friends!!! The next meeting of the NYC/Long Island Bariatric Pal Support Group will be held on November 1st from 2PM till 4 PM at The Atrium at 805 Third Avenue. The building is on Third Ave between 49th and 50th Streets. The Atrium is at the back of the space on the lower level. Looking forward to seeing all of you next weekend!!! If your stressing over Halloween...Here is a little reminder and some low calorie fun alternatives!! 5 Ways To Scare Off Halloween Candy It’s getting cold outside, the leaves are falling, October is drawing to a close — sounds like a good time to chow down on a heap o’ Halloween candy! Not! While Halloween can be a fun time of the year, it can wreak havoc if you’re trying to lose weight. Just a few wrong choices or one too many of the good, old “But they’re so tiny. One more won’t hurt!”excuse will be enough to send you screaming off the bathroom scale on November 1st. Here are 5 tips to help get you through Halloween with your waistline intact. (I did have “don’t eat any candy at all” as a first tip, but figured I’d be run out of town by an angry mob with pitchforks!) Read The Label If you’re going to indulge, at least know what you’re getting yourself into. Read the label on the bag of candy to find the serving size and the amount of calories. The amount of calories alone may be enough for you to stop overindulging. If not, you could trying cutting back on that amount of calories with your other meals. Granted, you’ll end up replacing good nutritious food with pure sugar — definitely not something you want to do on a regular basis! But if you’re otherwise healthy, it shouldn’t hurt just this one time – within reason, of course… Out of Sight, Out of Mind If you’re giving out candy, buy it as close to October 31st as possible and store it in a hard to reach place (or have somebody hide it). Having all that candy in the house is just too tempting. And you definitely need to follow this rule if you’ve ever had to go out and buy more candy because you ate most of your giving-away candy before Halloween. When it comes to the workplace, avoid people who put out candy or look away when you pass by that overflowing bowl of candy the well-intentioned receptionist has put out. And if YOU are that well-intentioned receptionist, take pity on people and move the bowl out of sight. Keep the Wrappers in front of you! Because it’s so easy to mindlessly pop Halloween candy into your mouth with no end in sight, keep every single wrapper so you know how much you’ve had. Your mind may say you’ve only had three mini-bags of M&Ms, but a big pile of wrappers won’t lie. Eat Only Your Favorites To me, there’s no point in taking on the extra calories of something you don’t like or only like a little bit. If you’re going to have Halloween candy, then you may as well enjoy yourself by eating only your favorites. Save calories by turning your nose up to anything else. Eat Protein This tip is a bit tricky. Eating protein will help counter-effect the rapid rise in blood sugar from all that candy. But you have to keep in mind all the extra calories you’re eating. Try to eat a piece of candy with a meal or a healthy snack. (I can hear a chorus of “Yeah, riii-iiight” just about now, as mini-chocolate bars are gobbled down across the country with nary a healthy food in sight… Well, don’t say I didn’t try to make you eat healthy!) If you decide to go all out with the Halloween candy, watch out for cravings after overindulging. You may come crashing down hard after the sugar rush and experience intense cravings. Whatever you do, don’t reach for more candy! Instead curb cravings with these 5 little words: Distraction Get your mind off of the doughnut and onto to other subjects. Leave the room if you have to. You can’t distract yourself if the doughnut is staring you in the face. Out of sight means you won’t be thinking about it. Take a short break. Start reading a book or working on a difficult project. The odds are you’ll completely forget about the doughnut, candy bar, or whatever food siren is calling to you, and the craving will disappear. Distraction is a great tool for your weight loss program. Delay Delay the gratification. Give yourself permission to have some candy in 20 minutes. 20 minutes is long enough that the craving for the candy will pass but not so long, an hour say, that waiting seems pretty much impossible. If 20 minutes passes go ahead and eat a few bites of the candy, then wait another 20 minutes before you finish it. Drink Substitute a long cold glass of Water. The water gives your mouth something to do besides eat — plus the water will fill you up. Even though it’s only temporary, the feeling of fullness is satisfying. If you’re craving sweetness, add a splash of fruit juice to the water. Vary your beverage choice if you like, just be aware of sugary drinks like sodas and juice. Don’t add extra calories! Disgust Another way to curb your craving is to picture the candy for what it really is: fat. Ugly wobbly, slimy, disgusting fat. Fat that plans on sticking to you for awhile… a long while. Go to the grocers and ask them for a pound of fat trimmings from beef. That’s what the candy will turn into once you give in to the craving. A pound of fat takes up more space than you might realize. Freeze that pound of fat. Whenever a craving hits get it out of the freezer so it reminds you of what you’re really eating. Dance Dance instead of eating the candy. If you’re too embarrassed to dance that’s okay. The point is to exercise for a bit instead of eating. Take a walk, climb the stairs, or break out in a set of jumping jacks. The results are two fold, you’ve added a bit of calorie burning to your day and you’ve avoided the candy! Get out there and do the Monster Mash!!! Can't wait to hear your scary tales next Saturday!!! Happy Halloween!

"Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels." --susan maria leach before & after, second: living and eating well after weight-loss surgery. That's a line that is helping me. Im going back and forth. is this worth it? maybe i havent tried hard enough. ect. but i know that in the end it wont matter that i cant stuff my face anymore. it wont matter that i wont have a buffet infront of me. ill have a body i've always wanted, and the health ive never had. but this food grief is getting me. i was grieving Texas roadhouse last night. and popcorn today. how long does it take to get over this? Ive started prep work in my kitchen. i bought Eating Well After Weight Loss Surgery: over 140 Delicious Low-Fat, High-Protein recipes to Enjoy in the Weeks, Months and Years after surgery by Patt Levine and Michele Bontempo-Saray. I started stocking my pantry according to this book so that afterwords i can live from this book for a while. (some of the recipes look amazing!) I reorganized my kitchen so that everything would be easy access. and started getting rid of junk. (though i cant seem to push myself to get rind of my 8 boxes of thin mints. guess those will be a treat later on or something or something i can give to family.)

Tons of questions and concerns come up before and after weight loss surgery. When should I start my pre-op diet? Can I eat this brand of Protein powder? What happens if I feel nauseous? When can I start lifting weights again? Some of the questions aren’t urgent, but sometimes you feel like you need an answer ASAP. If you’re wondering whether a particular brand of Protein shake is okay for dinner, you want an answer fast. Same with a medical concern, like low blood pressure or shakiness, since you don’t know if it’s something serious to worry about. So, who’s on your call list? Whom do you go to when you have urgent questions? Is it your surgeon? Your primary care doctor? A friend who’s had weight loss surgery? BariatricPal? Does your answer change if it’s a weekend versus a weekday? Where do you go for help and information when you need it?

Hi I just had the procedure 12/15 and things have been going great so far. Its a lot to adjust to but I'm feeling pretty positive about starting this new chapter for 2017! My question is about people's calorie and nutrient goals to maximize weight loss. I was only given a Protein goal (70grams) to hit, told to drink enough each day and warned about not eating more then a certain amount etc. But I wasn't given any thoughts about caloric numbers I should be hitting or carb or fat goals. I'm using Myfitnesspal to track everything and they use these and I don't know what I should put those figures at. Would love to know what other people where told or what they have done that has helped them lose weight and feel energetic at the same time. I want to make the most of this chance!

Hey guys I'm a week out and now I can have puréed foods...what was your fave purée? So far I tried: 1. Poached egg with avocado puréed (not mashed) it was aweful 2. Tuna with mayo (puréed) that was gross too lol 3. Cauliflower and chicken with cheese purée then baked in the oven with some cheese on top that was a winner!!! 4. Scrambled egg... Just scrambled was a bit undoable so I whizzed it a bit...kinda ok loll And now I don't know I'll try some pumpkin Nd sweet potato and then I'm at a loss any ideas?

August 22, 2006..I remember that day like it was yesterday. I arrived at the hospital so happy so excited so full of joy and ready to prove my doctor WRONG. You see my pre-op weight was 416lbs and the surgeon wanted me to undergo a gastric bypass or a duodenal switch (which I don't think they do anymore) because my BMI was so high. But at that time I was only 20 years old no serious medical issues and my mother didn't want me to have either of those surgeries so lapband it was. Moreover, my bariatric doctor made it very clear that I wasn't going to lose any weight and in two years I'd be back for a gastric bypass. Fast forward a few years and I was making tremendous progress. I'll never forget when I walked into Dr. Prachand's office in August 2008 for my two year post-op appt and I was down 138 lbs. And he looked at me with a smile and said "well Liqui you proved me wrong" that was the best feeling I ever felt. I was on a mission..I had a point to prove. Needless to say a few years went by and the weight slowly stop coming off...I was getting discouraged...I was losing my motivation and I had to switch doctors (I started a job and my health insurance changed). In 2011, I started seeing a new bariatric doctor (who I'm stilling seeing today) and it was like starting all over again at the time I had gained some weight back and I was about 310. At my first appointment with Dr. Mihil he told me to tell him my journey to this point...although he had my huge file in front of him. I told him my story anyway and he said "so let's start campaign prove Dr. Prachand wrong again." I laughed through my tears of disappointment and agreed. He proceed to say "I don't know Prachand personally but I want you to succeed because he wrote everywhere in your file. Placed band despite better judgement." When I tell you that doctor was AGAINST the band he was AGAINST the band and if I'm not mistaken he doesn't place them anymore at all. Moreover, my motivation started to come back I was checking in regular with the new doctor, losing weight, then BAM in 2013 I found out I was pregnant with TWINS. I was sooooo happy and excited yet sad because I knew I was going to gain weight. Well needless to say I gained more weight than I and the doctor expected. During my pregnancy I gained 73lbs I was mortified. I delivered my twins 4weeks early so I can't imagine how much more weight I would've gained if I carried them full term lol. My babies were born completely healthy but I was left with almost 60lbs of weight to loss. I avoided the bariatric doctor for two years...I kept saying "I wanna loss the weight before I go see him." I hadn't seen him since I was 4 months pregnant and he removed all my Fluid from my band. Then one day a few months ago I realized that I wasn't going to lose the weight on my own (which is why I needed weight loss surgery in the first place). And I finally made in appointment to go see him. I felt like a dead man walking.. I weighed in at 359. Which I was okay with considering I was 374lbs post babies. So I had lost weight but I still wasn't where I started. I was sitting in the room so nervous I thought the doctor was going to chew me out for waiting two years to see him and gaining so much weigh. He came in the room, gave me a hug and asked to see the babies. I just started to cry. I felt like I let him down. But he reminded me that "you're doing this for YOU and now those babies not me." That visit was such a breath of fresh air until he tried to give me a fill and to our surprise my port has flipped around. We played around with it for a while but no luck he couldn't get the fluid in. Another doctor came in and tried to give me a fill as well... No luck So I left that day with no fill but gained my sense of hope back. I have an appointment in the 26th of this month. And we're going to try it again or discuss possibly going in for a revision surgery which I really don't want. But I know something has to be done because right now I have no fluid in my band and feel no restrictions. I know everyone feels differently about the band and although weight wise I'm not were I want to be I'm still pretty happy with it because I haven't had as many complications like I hear about from the other WLS. And when I have fluid in my band it works of course with exercise and eating right. Moreover, I just really hope at my next appointment they can find the top of my port and give me a fill. Has anyone had a lap band revision surgery? Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Here's my journey pictures . Sleeved Aug 2014 weight loss to date 239lbs[emoji4]

I got sleeved on April 7th. I was 198 lbs the day of surgery and I'm 5'1. Iv been so depressed and regretting the choice Iv made but can't take it back now I have only lost 10 lbs since surgery. I hardly eat due to the hassle of it. I can't believe something I use to enjoy doing so much I now dred the thought of. I've lost more weight faster just buy dieting alone. I feel terrible for what iv done to myself especially with no results. I know weight loss was going to be slow for me but not this slow. Any one else have these issues? Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I've been HOVERING at 230-233 for quite a while (week and a half). Dying to hit the 220's. I take my weight loss in "decades" - in the 50's, 40's, 30's- because there are so many day to day fluctuations. Well, today I hit 229.9! I was GOING to take a picture of the scale... Until I realized holding the phone to snap it would have added a couple of ounces!!!!

I also have a cpap machine and have lost 33 pounds since being banded and have notice that Iam not tired etc any more. I notice I take it off a lot at night and my setting has been changed. I will be seeing my doctor next week to talk more about the weight loss and if I should do another study. I had one 7 months ago. Once I know more about what he says next week I will let you all know. Chris

Congratulations on your weight loss!!!! I know it is hard work even with the band. I can't wait to get mine. I am just starting out though. I started noticing symptoms when I hit 200 lbs. I started falling asleep at work, talking, giggling, crying and making hand motions in my sleep, snoring like crazy and scaring the heck out of my husband because I stopped breathing. Since my mother and brother both had sleep apnea he knew right away what was going on. We had a freind of the family pass away because he stopped breathing and never caught his breath again. SCARY STUFF! I hate those sleep studies too. You really should do one though just to make sure you are good to go. Hopefully your are and you can go to bed without looking like an alien. hee hee. Lisa

What was your rate of weight loss per week ? I am 4 weeks post op and from the beginning of the two weeks of prepping to now is 30lbs...is that good? I feel like I have lost more inches than weight

One of the biggest post-surgery rules is "don't drink your calories". beverages pass right through the sleeve and if you're drinking a lot of calories, you're seriously sabotaging one of the biggest tools the sleeve provides for long term weight loss. In moderation it's not a problem, but if you go back to the same behaviors you had pre-surgery, it's only going to hurt you in the long term.

you no what i struggle with the same thing,,do i really want to worry about what i eat,,when i went to my nutrion class and consent sighning they stated that in 1200 lapbands my surgeon has never had to revert to an open banding from the laproscopic,so they said follow the pre opt diet so you don't have to be the first,,got me to thinking ain't no possible way everybody followed that diet to the letter,,just can't be statiscally possible,,my son is an actuary,,he figured this out,,lot of docs don't require a pre op diet,,,but most of the dr use the pre surgery weight in thier statistacs,,like when you first went to get weighed you like weighed 300 then the put you on the pre op diet and you lose 20lbs before banding ,after the banding they use all that weight you lost plus the post op diet in there statistics,,that boosts their numbers in the weight loss category's.....this is big buisness..i get banded in june,,maybe