Search the Community

Getting into a size 8 slacks! Oh and a size 10 jeans! Oh and not to mention my elbow clanging against my hip bone! Love these.

Things went very well. Try to get to recovery house as soon as possible as it is great. You will have lots of people looking after you, making sure you are comfortable. My biggest tip is to start walking as soon as you can as it releases the nasty gas they fill you with. This is the thing that gives you excessive chest pains. Also, do the heavy in and out breathing which will do the same. They will let you take GAS-X strips the day after and it also relieves pressure. Go shopping when you can as it is a good way to forget about pain and great for gas release. I am now 10 days post-op and started pureed foods - 2 oz. max otherwise you feel sick. Stitches healing and I have lost 16 pounds since July 4th. The pain is pretty much gone but energy level low as I have been on liquids for almost a month (pre-op and post-op). Now that I am on pureed foods, I feel so much better with energy level but portion is still minute - hard to believe how quickly you get filled. Dr. Ponce and his team of people are great - I felt like royalty and they treat the guests who can eat even better than I could ever expect - cook their meals, etc ... Can't say enough great things about them !!! Good luck and welcome to your new life - losing weight feels great !!

Hi Pam Your story is very much like mine, except I'm still waiting to have my surgery done.:clap2: As a child and a teenager I was thin and athletic. Upon getting my driver's license I started to gain weight. I continued eating whatever I wanted although I wasn't getting the exercise like I used to. (on the basketball team and just bike riding everywhere)I remember my senior prom, I weighed 157 and was soo mad that I couldn't get down to 150. :mad:If I only knew than what I know now....I'm weighing in at 260 now and would kill to be 200. I think I can blame some of my weight gain on my marriage right out of high school. Or at least my low self esteem. :rain:Why do you never realize who some people are until after you've married them. Let's just say he was a controlling, emotionally, and verbally abusive jerk. I spent alot of time at home eating while he was out having fun, because it was clear that he needed "guy" time and I wasn't invitied. Finally, 6 years later I got a clue and told him I didn't think he should come home. ANYWAY>>>gotten off the subject.....I had a blood work up about 2 months ago-first ever that I can recall- and I'm very healthy! No high blood sugar, cholesterol. Even my good cholesterol is high. I'm a healthy person with the exception that i'm just about 100+ pounds overweight. Plus I was adopted so me or my parents have no idea what my medical history entales. Three years ago this coming March, my fiance left me after being together for the last 10 years. I think alot of it was my weight. I couldn't or didn't want to participate in alot of acitivities that we particiapted in regulary. I've been doing the diet thing for the last 20 years. I've been thinking about Lap band for the last year when finally I decided to pursue it. Now I'm 1&1/2 months from having my paperwork ready to be sent off to my insurance company. I can't wait!!!My lifestyle and the person that I feel that I am, needs to be healthy and look good. I hope that I don't need to have any type of skin removal, which is why I'm going to give working out my best, although I hate it like you do. But I am looking forward to a boob job. Never had much there to begin with and everything always drooped alittle anyway. Already see a psych. for the obvious reasons, and am really going to get into the finding out why I eat when I'm not hungry. I know that the Band isn't a miracle, you have to work the program. The band is just a tool to help you achieve your goals. Sorry to ramble on and on, but your blog inspired me to tell mine as I'm sure mine will inspire others to tell theirs. :bounce: Susan

Don't worry. What's happening to you is not unusual. The surgeon likely didn't fill your band, so you don't have much restriction. At first, you were swollen inside and that gave the effect of a fill. Now that you're healing and losing weight, you loosened up. I don't have periods anymore, but I'm guessing that suddenly getting one has given you lots of bloat. I wouldn't be surprised if you lost the weight when your period is over. I had surgery 7/31 and I won't get a fill until 9/10. I don't have a lot of restriction right now and I'm hoping to get it. You're in early stages and it'll get better. Good luck! (And great job losing!)

i am 1wk shy of my 10 month post op date & i have 21lbs to lose before hitting my goal. i highly doubt i will lose 21lbs in 2 months but im pretty sure that if i tried really really really hard, i would & could. im going to start hitting the gym & im going to work hard at toning my body & losing these next 21lbs. im down 117lbs right now.

I was told to use the M and M as a guide too for the first 10 days and after that I could swallow them whole. I didn't have any big pills except calcium citrate and they were easy to cut in half. The calcium chews at bariatric advantage are delicious so I don't have to take those horse pills anymore.

Today I called my dr because 2 of my inscisions were red and pus-y. He put me on liquid augmentin...It makes me very nauseous. :omg: I remembered the suppositries I got just out of the hospital for nausea...I feel much better now. I feel very hungry today probaby because of PMS... oh goodie.

I'm a former smoker, so I really do empathize. BUT, wound-healing really will go so much more smoothly if you can hold off. Hold off as long as you can to give your body a chance to work its miracles. And then, really try to limit the amount you smoke. It really makes a huge difference. Maybe even more importantly in the short term: you were intubated just a very short time ago. Your body needs to mobilize the secretions from the surgery and adding more gunk to your lungs just isn't a good idea. I stayed in the hospital overnight (surgeon policy), and my O2 sats (as a 10-year nonsmoker) were lousy enough that if cigarette smoke were added, it really would have compromised my health. Add to that the increased chance of blood clots that smoking brings... It's not worth it. Your body can handle conquering more than once vice at a time. I understand the addiction; quitting was the hardest thing I've ever done. But now's not the time to pick up a cigarette. It can cost your life.

I've started in June , I wanted lap band now gong for sleeve , I decided to go sleeve because , seem more logical I'll be out anyway ,loose more weight 80 percent 60 on lap an Band Now am going 19 do research what is good for you.

I used my Protein shake as a 10 a.m. snack (64 gram) I could not gulp it..it took about 45 minutes to get the whole thing down. I siped, siped, siped all day and night. At the beginning of each day I would put crystal light or what ever powder flavor i was using into 4 16.9 oz bottles, all I had to do was make sure I drank all 4 bottles by the time i went to bed. My surgeon/nutritionist gave me all written instructions before the surgery and then sent me home from the hospital with more written instructions on exactly what I should be eating/drinking and when.. They game me the 3 day post op instuctions, 1 wk, 2 wk, 3 wk, 4 wk, etc. etc. I would contact your surgeon because each one is different in their post op instructions.

Hi, I noticed you had your surgery scheduled for 9/3 how are feeling? Did things go well with you? I am scheduled with Dr. Ponce DeLeon on 11/10 I am excited and nervous all at the same time. Can you please share your experience with me? Thanks.

I think it is very normal. At some point, you have to relinquish control (or lack thereof) and let the Good Lord (Or surgeon, if you will) take the wheel for you. Yeah, it's scary - and there are tons of opinions out there. I was asking lots of questions before I pulled the trigger. Motivation? Watch "My 600# life". That worked for me. Can I eat the yummy foods I used to? Maybe. Have I tried? Nope. Why? Well, I won't be the first to say this, but my body literally doesn't crave them (* most of the time). I've lost 100# in 7 months, lost 10 inches off my waist, I can walk up steps to my office, and I can work on my car without feeling like I'm going to have a heart attack. Also, I can fit in amusement park rides now, something I couldn't do before.

I have but I did not have alot of weight to lose. My goal was only 65 lbs and I lost it by 9 months.. I will be 10 months next week. The more weight you have to lose, the faster you will lose.

I expect to be cleared by my doctor as far as my sleep apnea goes in the next 3 weeks. Then my doctors send in my insurance request for WLS at that point. I hope to be approved by early May. My issue is that I am going out of the country to visit my daughter and her new husband on May 7th. I was asked to drop 10 pounds before the surgery date and actually lost 13 pounds. I am at the end of this journey to get cleared but I find it hard to focus on maintaining my weight loss. While I expect my trip t Vienna to be my last fling, I'm finding it hard to stay motivated now. I am not sure if its the time involved, or that I have not been in touch with my doctor since December. Everday is a battle and I have gained 3 pounds. That still puts me at where I should be, but I have at least 3 months to go. How do I stay focused on maintaining my weight and not go back to my bad habits. I find it a real issue and I don't know how to stay on the right track. Any help from my friends out there would e appreciated.

For me, I have to eat every few hours in order to get in all of my Protein. If I only ate three meals and no Snacks I would 1) be short in protein and 2) be pretty hangry most of the time. I have to track my food or I would have no idea whether or not I was meeting my protein target. My memory is so bad I can't remember what I ate 10 minutes ago.

My summary after 1 week: 1. Room temp and warm fluids tolerated best. 2. New stomach did lots of "growling" but rejected nothing. 3. Nausea meds gave me a headache and made me dizzy. 4. Hunger still lives on! Surprised -- didn't expect that at all! 5. Cravings for a graham cracker on day 5, then club crackers on day 6. 6. Advice? Don't try to rush things - slow and steady gets you there. Stay ahead of hunger with proteins. 7. Regrets? Wish I had added 1 tsp Benefiber to each protein drink to avoid constipation. 8. Haven't managed 64oz fluids daily - only up to 48oz 9. Naps are wonderful. 10. Making grocery list for things I can soon have - cottage cheese, V8, creamy soups, spinach added to smoothies, applesauce, etc How does this compare with other experiences after one week?

I am in WA state near Everett in a small community called Lake Stevens. We have a Team Fitness very close and another another gym not much further ( both less than 10 min away). If I drive about 15-20 min, I can find LA fitness and 24 hour fitness. I have been a member of both in the past. I like LA fitness because of sheer size, number of machines, pool, sauna, etc, but the dues tend to be high and I usually always only see the gym rats there. No normal folks like myself. The 24 hour clubs tend to smell like locker rooms and are over crowded. For some reason, they tend not to maintain their machines as well. The Team fitness is nice because it is small, has a good set of high quality machines and typically has the normal people in it. However, they have a high enrollment fee and high month dues. I like that they interview everyone and keep the membership low. I have not joined any gym yet since surgery because I have two good Precor machines in my house to use. They are older ( off Craigslist), but have served me well. Both are commercial quality. treadmill is from 12 years ago and elliptical is from 15-20 years ago. They both do the basics very well, but tend not to have the bells and whistles you see on newer machines. Besides, i enjoy working out at home because it gives me less of an excuse to miss my workout. i have dumbbells of 2, 3, 5 10, 15, 20, 30, 50 lbs and use them occasionally, but have not committed to a program that leads to results. I think I like running too much and give less attention to the strength training. I have Bob Harper Inside and Out, but I think his easy workout is too easy and can only make it 20 minutes into his hour long workout. It is very challenging. Maybe I should just keep Bob as my trainer and keep at it. For some reason, I think that having a personal trainer (in person)would help me focus better and would not allow me to push stop on the DVD. I need to get to a point in my strength training where I am progressing from week to week, much like my running has progressed. For some reason, I have no problem kicking my own butt when running. It comes naturally.

I did not attend a seminar at the time I saw the doctor. I am going tomorrow evening. I am on Medicaid right now but go to Medicare in October. I saw the doctor several months ago and have done some of the tests but what is holding me up is some tooth repair which I had to save up 2600.00 for. That and all tests will be completed in October. I have not been told anything from his office about what medicare needs. Guess maybe I may find out tomorrow night or I will call them. My weight has been the same for several years within 10 - 15 pounds either way. I lost 40 3 years ago but that was due to leukemia. I have since put that back on. Yours seemed to be a snap, hope mine will be too !! Good luck I'm adding you as a friend if you don't mind, let me know how it goes for you

I really like the Special K meal bar. They have 10 g Protein. edie Not the snack bar

Shelly...I am anxious to try the talipia. I will let you know. Planning on having it Tuesday night, my daughter in law loves it, son and his family will be over Tuesday night, I told her I would fix us that. Let me know when you get your date.....Good Luck to U also & ty. Weighted this morning, have lost 10 lbs since last Monday on my pre-op diet. I had my date set before my pre-op diet started. Its amazing how different every DR. is.

I have finally decided to put myself back on my priority list. I know it's very "Obrah'ish" but for weeks I've let other things take over my life. The holidays are over and I've painfully thrown away all the yummy Snacks in the house (except the ones my skinny daughter has hidden from me, bless her). I've restocked my shelves with the food I know works for me and I've started exercising every day. I had a small fill last week and almost immediately noticed a difference. So, I think I'm all set to see what the next few weeks have in store. There's nothing like just cleaning house and giving yourself a fresh start. I was stuck at 219 lbs for 10 weeks (at least no gain!) and the scale finally moved. Looking at my chart, I'm still doing better with the lab-band than I was doing on Weight Watchers alone at the same time. So all is good. Still have a long way to go but I'm up for the challenge. I'm not going to look back, only forward. God bless you all!!! You all give such encouragement and wisdom.

Hi!! I know this is probably answered somewhere else on the website, but I am still doubtful so I hope someone could answer my question! I have my lap band surgery scheduled for the 28th of November and that is exactly one week after my final exams finish so i would have to start my pre-op diet straight after my exams, however, I needed to know how much time I need to take off from work after my surgery because I work in retail at a department store, at a jewellery kiosk. Generally my shifts are anywhere between 8-10 hours a day with about a half hour break... there are no seats so I would essentially have to stand for the entire duration of my shift... any advice on how long to stay off work safely would be much appreciated! Thanks!!!

Hi, My surgery sites were healing well and my doctor gave me the go ahead to swim after 10 days. Lynn

3 weeks and 19 pounds is fantastic. All instructions are different, what does your plan say for puree stage? Are you hitting your protein goal for the day? Do you log your food in an app? My instructions are five years old. I was told to get in 60 to 100 grams of protein. I had to use a combination of protein shakes and pureed food to hit my protein goal. Hunger was more manageable as I progressed to real food stage.

I haven't been around in a while because I've been pre-occupied with my pregnancy. I called my band surgeon's office as soon as I found out I was pregnant and they suggested that I have an un-fill as soon as possible, due to the potential for slippage with morning sickness. (which, by the way I still have morning sickness, evening sickness...) My OB also wanted me to have an un-fill because she was concerned about getting proper nutrition. And of course, due to me having an un-fill at 6 weeks pregnant, I have now gained 12 lbs in only 10 weeks (I'm 16 weeks now).