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stalls last as long as they last. Start really looking for the NSVs. Are your clothes looser, do you have more stamina? It will break and you will continue to lose as long as you stay on plan. Good luck!

I like going to the gym. I like walking on the treadmill and then working my target areas-- butt, abs and arms. This is just a reminder to warm up before pushing yourself. I didn't and I hurt my knee and have been out of the gym for a week and limping. Sigh. I know better than this. Best thing for me is to walk kind of slow for five minutes. Stop the tread mill and stretch. Then continue on the treadmill, increasing speed as I feel my legs warming up.

Congratulations!!! I was so excited when I got my date! I one week Post Op..feeling pretty good. Well March 29th is my birthday...so I hope it will bring you good luck.????????????

Good times! We're glad to have good people here to share their stories with others, so Thank YOU. Every single week will progress to newer and greater discoveries. It's like that funny story everyone tells you that you just don't quite get. You have to have just "been there" to get it. I love my sleeve!!!

I can't believe that I can ditch the protein bullets!! It's been a week since surgery and I can have a real protein shake! Sweet!! It may seem strange to crave a protein shake but after a week of choking down the bullets-Wow, I'm ready. It has been an amazing week. Already, I am waking up feeling much better and energized. No longer depressed about my weight problem, I wake knowing that I have finally done something about it and it is great to be done with binge eating and food hangovers. Take care all, Pennie

Hi Carol! Vacation?? I'm jealous! And here I've only been back to work for a few weeks! lol Thanks for filling me in on your experiences. I'm really getting excited. I went to my regular doctor yesterday for a shoulder/muscle issue. I asked her opinion about me doing this surgery. She's not entirely for it. She said that a lot of people initially lose the weight, but then gain it back later on. She said she would support my decision, but to be prepared for a huge lifestyle change. She did mention that her assistant had it done and has been successful. But the mind has got to be ready for a change. I'm there....I want the change....I need the change! My blood pressure is up and so is my weight...its the highest its ever been, 285. I'm just sick about it. The blood pressure scared me, though. Its time to get it together!! Thank you for your words of wisdom....I'd love to walk this journey with you. Have an awesome vacation! Ali

Thank you for responding. I should share a bit more. I'm short. 5'6. I'm actually glad to be this tall. My mother was 4'11. But not so cool when you weigh 315. I suppose that I stopped caring before I was even close to that. My A1C was 10.7. I have no idea how long I've been diabetic. I am stuck at 280 right now but, after being on Invokana 300mg for almost two months now, my test on Wednesday had it down to 6.7 Not everything is doom and gloom. But it's so frustrating being hungry all the time. I'm doing pretty well at staying away from really fatty foods. I tried eating a few ribs 2 weeks after surgery but they made me so sick with heartburn. I deal with sweet tooth with canned lite or no sugar added cans of fruit. Other than 3 egg cheese omelettes occasssionaly, my fat intake is low. I just don't understand the long stall. I wish that I felt more motivated to walk. I'm should also mention that in real life I'm a major introvert. That makes things all the harder when it comes to exercising.

I have a question for you post surgery banders.... I had my surgery last week and I noticed that my left incision (large insicision) feels hard around it while my other incisions don't... Just wondering if that was normal.

Warning - may be TMI - I had food poisoning once when I was young. I threw up continuously for a week. Once I emptied my stomach of all food and liquid, I graduated to black throw up. It looked like asshes and Water to me, then on to yellow stuff that looked like Chinese mustard. I was told that the black and yellow stuff was the lining of my stomach and bile (sp?). I think if you were throwing up blood it would be RED, not black. Black blood is blood that has been in the intestinal tract for a long time. For instance if you were passing black stool, it would be possible that you have an ulcer high in the intestines, if you pass red blood in stool, probably a roid. Not sure if this info is helpful, but it's all I've got. Let us know what the doc tells you. Hope you're feeling better and don't leave there without a perscription for anti-nausea meds.

I had my LAP-BAND® 3/09. I am down about 60 pounds. I am having a lot of difficulty with the surgery. Lots of chest pain and vomitting. Not able to get much down. Have not had a fill since June and have had saline taken out the last three times and will be going Wednesday to get more out. :scared2:Also my hair is now coming out in handfuls. :thumbdown:Anyone who has experienced this and can help me out please let me know.

I'm in Portland. Little nervous about all of this. Waiting for insurance, should know in a couple of weeks. Eep!!

Most drs don't require you to stop drinking before and after a shake since it is liquid. I had the same question for my nutrionist. She said just not to drink Water DURING the shake. The only way I could get fluids in in the beginning was to use a one ounce medicine cup and set the timer on my phone for every 5 minutes and take a sip of that cup (only like 1/3rd). That way I was making sure to get 1 ounce every 15 minutes. It gets easier fast. I could only drink 4 ounces per hour the first week but it quickly progressed to 8 ounces per hour the next week or so and now I can drink 16 -20 ounces an hour (if I am concentrating). I still have to set the timer on my phone for every 3 minutes or so when I am behind and take a sip. Hope that helps! Congrats!

Try some papya enzymes (available at any health food store)... I had my surgery in October and the first week on solid foods I decided that I would have just ONE baby carrot... I thought I chewed well enough but noooooooooo.... That was not a pleasant experience so early on.... I had already purchased the enzymes in case of emergency and took them then.... within an hour my painful chest was gone.... It cannot hurt to try and see if they break down some of that carrot to get it past your band... Good luck!

Okay thanks! I'm three months post op and I've been in the mood for it and I knew it had a good amount of protein in it

I had the surgery 7 weeks ago and had my first fill on the 4th. Find my brain still doesn't really accept the idea of such a small amount of food being OK. Had the surgery at Baptist Hospital with Dr. Morton. I think anyone who has access to this combination should seriously consider it. Surgery went good and support is great.

I'm feeling you! I was very uncomfortable my first week home and friend who had the same surgery told me to take a walk and surprise it actually helped. So now as soon as I feel a little of anything different I just start moving around and it passes. Hopefully this will help you also!

Hello everyone. I just wanted to relate my surgery success. I'll start off by stating that I am not the norm when it comes to surgery. Results vary with everyone. I have many relationship es and friends that range from 2yrs to 5yrs post op. They're all amazed at my transformation. I'd like to think it's due to the extreme motivation I've had. My sister passed away at the age of 42. I was turning 42 in February of 2014. I weighed in at 397lbs. I consulted with a surgeon that month and was instructed to lose 20lbs prior to surgery. I lost 51lbs prior to my surgery date on 4-25-14. To say I was motivated is understating it. I was scared I was going to die like my sister did. She was overweight and had a massive cardiac episode during her sleep. I didn't want to leave my wife and children. I am truly blessed. I had the surgery and started walking the hospital halls non stop 3hrs after recovery. The nurses thought I would wear a path in the floors. I didn't sleep well and I had an issue with my blood pressure dropping too low. I was taken off my BP med while still in the hospital and never went back to them. My BP was around 98/50. It has stabilized now. Normally around 108/64 or so. I was released after 2 days and went home to start my new life. I was and am very strict about my diet. I followed everything my doctors and nutritionist told me. The surgeon stated that I would lose 100lbs in a 100 days. I thought, sure buddy. Well the pounds just started melting off. I was exercising religiously. I started by walking 6 minutes twice a day for the first week. I quickly realized that I could do more. I started increasing my time every walk I took. By the end of the first month I was walking 45 minutes twice a day. The length of the walk was lnt the only thing increasing. My rate was too. I started walking faster and faster. I then started to enjoy yard work. I used to hate to mow the lawn even on my riding mower. I went out and purchased a simple walking mower with manual controls. No self propelled wheels or anything. The rider sat abandoned in my yard. What used to take me a half hour on the rider took me 45 minutes walking but it was great exercise. Every week that time went down until it only took me 23 minutes to cut my lawn. Well that's no work out I thought so I brought it over to my parents house and started cutting their huge yard too. So now I was upto 2hrs of lawn cutting and I was itching for more. I st at yed doing all kinds of landscaping jobs in my yard and theirs. Still not enough. I would pack up my mower and drive it a half hour down the highway to do my younger sisters yard. She needed more than mowing too. I did field clearing in her yard as a full acre was covered in brush. By July all of this was easy. I was down the 100lbs my surgeon said I would. At 245lbs or so all things became easier. Especially breathing! That's when I decided to ask my surgeon if I could go to the gym. I got clearance from him and I was off. I started a little shy because I was still that fat guy in my head. I quickly got over myself. I set goals. One goal was to be able to run a 5k this spring. I started on the treadmill but just walking at a 3.5mph clip. I increased that speed to 4.0 by the end of my first week there and went for 3 miles. Then I st at Ted really challenging myself. I started to increase my walks 1 mile a day over the next week. I kid you not, by the end of the week I got on the treadmill and walked 10 miles. It took me just over 2hrs but I did it. I had the bleeding nipple to prove it. I learned my lesson there. Always protect the nipple. Lol. I then started running at a 5mph clip every other day. 1 mile then 2 then 3. Of course I was elated to have hit my 5k goal so soon. I have increase the distance over the winter to a 10 mile run so yes I will be running a 10k next month instead. Now I have cut back on the running as I've developed a major addiction to weight lifting. The last day I took off from the gym was Christmas morning and that was only at the kids request. I only work out with low weight exercises as I'm not looking to bulk up. I've been bulked up all my life. The gym is my second home now though. I do know my limits though. I've been studying the science of exercise and am using the OPT techniques. I also know when to say when. Some days are easy days and some days I flat out get after it. I listen to my body. I am now working towards my certification to become a personal trainer. NASM certification was my choice. I have multiple job offers already on the table and I'm deciding which to take. My ultimate goal is to work with post op patients or people that were in the same situat I n I was in. Ok, I'm sure you're wondering about my stats. If you've taken the time to read this long winded diatribe then you deserve to know. This is no B.S. either. I started my journey at 397 lbs on 2-6-14 at my first weigh in at the surgeons office. I was 346 on 4-26-14 at the St Elizabeth's Hospital on surgery date. It's now 3-28-15. 11 months later and my weight is 186. I went from wearing 52x30 pants to wearing 30x30 and they are a little loose in the waist. I was wearing 4xl shirts and now wearing mediums and smalls in some cuts. Here are some pictures of my journey. IT CAN BE DONE! Be healthy, your life may depend on it. Mine did.

brookiesleeved i can feel your excitement loud and clear 6 weeks or less til WLS - how great is that this is an exciting time period for you, will find yourself full of nerves, excitement, happiness, you might 2nd guess yourself and be scared too pre WLS - these are totally normal feelings wishing you well hope surgery is sooner than later have a wonderful recovery good luck

i had my lap band surgery a week ago now and from time to time, the feeling I get on my side is like I walked too fast and I have that "stitch" feeling like I've walked fast for a while and you get that pain in your side...has anyone else felt this?

Hi Joy, Sorry to hear about the difficulty you've had in the past. But your son is the best surprise that could have happened. I haven't had the surgery yet, I'm waiting to find out the results of endo, the polpys are actually in my stomach not my colon so I am hoping hear from someone with the same situation so I could get an idea if my surgery would need to be delayed. I would have the doctors measure your height again without your heels so they can document your correct height. From what've read on the message boards the 5 history is pretty important. The best advice I can give you is to call the insurance company and ask about their criteria and have them mail you a copy of it. If your height has been off by two inches all along then your bmi would be way off all along too. Your doctors would be the ones to determine if the c-section would affect the lap-band and how soon after you've had a baby you can have lap band. The process for me started almost two years ago. I went to a seminar and then decided to keep trying on my own for about a year then I finally made the decision that this was the right thing for me. From that point it took six months for approval because I had to do the supervised diet. The surgeon's office would not submit anything to the ins. company until all of the insurance criteria had been met. Once everything was together and submitted it took only week to be approved. My surgery date is next week but I hope it does not get delayed. My gut feeling is that it will go as planned. I really hope eveything goes well for you. The waiting process is tough but I've been over weight for most of my life so a little more waiting is not all bad.

Hi, I wanted to tell that one of the teachers had polyps in her colon. She had them removed and she is doing great. It wasn't a big deal. The main thing was to have them removed before they tearned into something else. I have always been over weight ;but not always morbidly obesse. I'm going through True Results in Houston. There are four doctors with this company. I'm worried about the 5 year history. My BMI is forty althoug many people say I don't look it. Back in 03 my BMI was only thirty. It started to go up over the years. I had a baby on Valentines Day FEB 14th. 2007. I had a c-section so I hope that does not effect me. I was 205 pounds before the baby. The funny part is that I'm only 5'3 at 237 pounds. In the past I would tell people that I was 5'5. I think my doctors may have 5'5 on the records. My grandfather argued with me and told me that I was shorter than 5'5. I was short but didn't realize it because I always wore shoes with high heels. He measured my height with his tape measure and I was in shock. I cried! I cant' believe I weigh that much at 5'3. I do not have any co-morbities but I have struggled with weight all of my life. I have researched and read the book Lapband for Life three times. I'm ready to use this as a tool and start a new beginning. I'm currently sperated from my husband and it's still going downhill. I think it's for the best. Anyway I'm ready!!! The center True Results does everything for you. They will also do the 6 month supervised diet. Questions 1. Do you think that I have a good chance of being approved? 2. Do you have to be morbid obesse for all five years? 3. Do you think having the baby will affect me? I forgot to tell you that my beautiful son Dillon was a suprise. I was actually trying to loose weight with taking the b-12 shot and diet pills. They were putting something in the shot; some fertility stuff to help you loose inches. I got pregnant fast. I don't regret it I love my son very much! 4. How long did the process take? 5. Did they cover all of the expenses for your surgery? Let me know how things turn out with you Joy

susan228 congrats, you survived the first two weeks its such a great feeling when you see your #s go down, along with your measurements keep up the good work

What has your doctor told you to eat? My doctor recommends whey Isolate Protein powder. Remember protein keeps you full longer than carbs. shakes like slimfast and carnation instant Breakfast do not have enough protein and won't keep you as full. I like Dymatize vanilla and Gold Standard Double chocolate. From costco Premier ready to drink protein is very good and has 30 g protein for only 160 calories. Also space out your food as much as possible. I understand if you only have one shake you will still be hungry. If however you know you can have something else in a couple hours it may help you stop snacking on unapproved food. FYI post op you will probably have 2 weeks of liquids and you can not cheat then it will be very bad for your stomach!

Yes every doctor is different, I do find it a little surprising how much variance there is in their guidelines. I was banded on the 15th and for my first week I can have anything I can drink through a straw, including Carnation Instant Breakfast and creamed Soups -- just no chunks. If it's a Soup with anything in it, it has to be strained. I think the creamy soups and Instant Breakfast have really helped me deal with hunger.... clear liquids would be pretty hard, I admit. But that being said, I think you have to follow the advice of your own doctor. Maybe give him a call and ask him if you can move on to creamy soups?

I was sleeved June 16 and the week before the surgery I was walking 3 miles, now I can't seem to get passsed a mile and a half. I almost have a car sick feeling. I think it is very strange but I try it every day, I first thought it was the heat from walking at an outdoor track but the same thing happens in my cool basement on the treadmill.