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Hey Jen, My surgery is in 10 days also! I was on the liquid diet, but my body wasn't reacting well. So my surgeon told me to get off it, and to restart it two days before the big day.

I sent you a friends request on myspace. I was banded March 10, and so far so good other than the gas pains. Good luck to you.....Kim

Female Height: 5’ 6” Starting Weight: 250 Starting Clothing Size: 20 Surgery Weight: 228 Surgery Clothing Size: 18 Current Weight: 140 Current Clothing Size: 4/6 In the beginning: • I had a lot of restriction due to (I am assuming) increased swelling from the additional procedure of the hiatal hernia repair. I am comparing myself to 4 other family members who had the surgery with the same doctor and described their post-op experience as feeling sore and having the ability to drink 2-4 ounces of Fluid without difficulty. It was difficult to even consume 1 ounce. Week 1 post-op was what I called “hell week.” I was very weak due to the lack of ability to consume fluids/calories and remain properly hydrated. • The 6 week post-op diet was difficult, but I reminded myself that I ate whatever I wanted (and in copious amounts), whenever I wanted for many years. • Once I was released to a full diet, foods did not taste the same. Some of the things I use to think of as delicious, were now bland and without flavor. I read a study that links your sense of taste to your stomach lining. However, this “lack of tasting” does go away and food eventually does taste great again (uh-oh!). • I monitored my calorie intake. I did, however, have my ups and downs. I slipped and fell into crappy eating habits. Despite the food restriction, I found that I could slowly graze on things and that the “bad” foods tend to be the “sliders”. • However, I constantly caught myself falling back into consuming these bad foods and I would work on redirecting my behavior. I was constantly “checking and balancing” my eating habits; trying to change my way of living. • Exercise started with walking (1 mile, 2 miles, 3 miles, and as my endurance and ability increased, 4 miles in one hour). As the weight began to melt off, along with my increased endurance, I upgraded to intervals of jogging (I would jog the straight-a-ways and walk the curves at the local school track). I would also use my elliptical trainer at home and by the time I reached my 6 months post-op point, I could complete a one hour, high intensity cardio session on my trainer. Feeling great! 6 Months Out: • As the weight began to melt off (I was weighing 167 pounds at this point!), I did have that “fallen” face look. My skin was saggy and loose. So, I decided I wanted to fill up my loose skin with muscle. Weight lifting slowly trickled its way into my weekly workouts and—at first—it was about a twice-a-week affair. I also upped my Water intake and made hydrating my face, neck and body with creams and lotions a daily and nightly ritual (as hydration helps to increase elasticity in skin; my face doesn't look fallen anymore...it takes time, but it does retract!!!). • My ability to consume fluids and food had greatly improved by this point. I seemed to be able to consume fluid the best after a good workout. I could drink water faster and in greater quantities! I continued to monitor my calorie intake and tried by my best to refrain from eating bad foods. Even when I did succumb to eating unhealthy foods (which happened on a weekly basis), I stayed within my calorie range. • My Protein intake was still around 60-80 grams per day. I really like the Premier Protein shakes. They come in ready to drink 11oz containers, they are only 160 calories and pack 30 grams of protein. About 12 Months Out: • 153 pounds; size 10 • By this time I was lifting about 3x per week at home. I began to notice my skin firming up around the muscles I was developing. At this time I began taking pre-workout supplements (NO-Xplode), post workout supplements (Cell Mass) and I upped my protein (100-120 grams per day). My goal with the supplements was to create longer workout endurance, quicker muscle recovery repair. I knew that the more muscle I had, the more my calories my body would burn due, as well as a better a metabolism. Even though I wasn’t really dropping that much weight at this time, my waist size started to go down with the increased muscle mass. • A little after the 12 month mark, I went down another 3 pounds, but I also went down an entire size! Typically, before the weight lifting, I would see a size drop about every 20 pounds. So, this was awesome! • Still working on eating clean at this point. I probably ate clean about 80-85% of the time. Weekends were a killer for me! It was hard with the weekends off, kids at home, and being out and about. No routine! Now, 22 Months Out: • 140 pounds • Size 4-6 misses • I eat clean foods 90-95% of the time. “Dirty” foods tend to make me sick now. • I have one cheat day, and I still limit myself and stay within my calorie range • I consume 150-170 grams of protein (still drinking the Premier Protein) • 1800-2000 calories on my cardio days (twice a week) • 2200-2500 on my weight lifting days (5 days out of the week). YES…I do more weight lifting than cardio! And carbs (good carbs, not dirty carbs) are your friend!!! Key for energy retention/endurance and muscle building! I consume more on my weight lifting days. Key intake is about an hour/hour-and-a-half prior to workout. • I still have really good restriction • My skin around my face has firmed up! It doesn’t look fallen. I’m a high school teacher and I get mistaken for a student all the time! • I do have some extra skin (and very little) in my upper arm area, upper thigh/groin; however, it isn’t that much! The muscle I have built really helps! The belly area has a little “apron” and—of course—the stretch marks from weight gain and 4 pregnancies make it look like a very wrinkly old grandma; but other than that, my stomach is flat! I do plan to have a tummy tuck this summer… so bikini here you come! All in all, I LOVE my SLEEVE!!! I would do it all over again! They key thing—and most doctors tell you this from the get-go—you HAVE TO CHANGE LIFESTYLE for LONG-TERM SUCCESS! The weight will come off that first year, but once you’re in that maintenance mode you can easily put weight back on. Especially eating dirty foods that are higher in calories/sugars/fats. They slide through your restriction, they are full of empty calories (no nutritional value), and they will be your downfall. Does that mean you cannot enjoy a piece of cake, chips or some other dirty food? No, but you have to teach yourself to say “no” most of the time; and when you do say “yes,” limit yourself and eat in small quantities. Don’t make it a daily thing, make it a once-a-week kind-of-thing. EXERCISE! You don’t have to turn into a gym rat…in fact, you don’t have to go to a gym at all, but find some kind of active activity that you can engage in at least 3 days a weeks, for a MINIMUM of 30 minutes. It can be hard at first (grueling even), but before you know it—with consistency—your body will crave it! YES!!! Literally, your body will crave the activity! I wish all of your sleevers and soon-to-be sleevers the best of luck! I hope you find your success in this life changing journey!

I just had mine on 10/4. Recovery is going well for me so far. I feel like the worst part was the gas pain right after surgery. I spend 2 nights at the hospital because I was not getting all my fluids every hour. Oh head hunger is a real thing, any tips on how to deal with that?

Hello everyone, I had my surgery on Monday, 3/10/14, and I am doing pretty good but I have been having esophageal spasms since coming out from surgery, it feels like tight chest pain that lingers for a couple seconds and then relaxes. My doctor is aware and I'm told that these are more related to the hiatal hernia that was also repaired, that I didn't even know I had, but I was wondering if anyone else had the same thing and how long they took to go away. They make it hard to drink anything and right now I am far from reaching the amount of Fluid and Protein I am supposed to be drinking daily.

Ok, I’ve been seeing people here and there with my surgery date of 5/10/18, but I’d like to kinda get everyone together in one thread so we can keep up with each other and cheer each other on. I mean I have family and friends as a support system, but I’d like to talk to the folks who are going through the same process at the same time. If you’re interested in forming a May 10th sleeve day group, hit me up. Good luck to everyone! HW: 311 CW: 257 SW: We’ll see on May 10! First goal weight: 191 lbs Second goal weight: 159 lbs Goal weight: 142 lbs 5’6” 34 yo female in NC

My scale also went on vacation. Hard to lose 10 Lbs in 3 weeks. Then lost 3 lbs in 2 days

bandayed, I am glad you asked the question! Me too! I am in the same predicament as you. I've read that it can be from the stress of surgery some 3-4 months after, to weight loss (lack of protein). It seems that when hair follicles are shocked (from surgery) they go into the resting phase. Those are the ones that are falling out. My surgeon said and also what I read, that this is temporary. For me it's been about a month. I am constantly running my fingers through my hair and shedding about 10-15 hairs every hour it seems.... Shawn

Aubrie, Thanks for the info. I don't know what I have either, other than its a 10 cc band. I'm at 2.9 fill right now. All I can say is that for the 5 days in Vegas I had, it wasn't until the last day I could eat any solid foods. I lived on Soup and free drinks! Thanks Debbie

SO good! Especially the brown sugar cinnamon ones. I have these for my 10-11am snack and it hits the spot!

I have not told my parents. My mom has been trying to get the bypass surgery. She has had insurance issues. Because, my WLS process was so quick and she has been struggling for so long, I just don't have the heart to tell her. I have not told anyone, other than my sis. And I only told her in case something bad were to happen. She is my emergency contact person. I would suggest telling your mom all your health issues and why it is so important to have this surgery. Their your parents. They will still worry about you and continue to love you. Take it from a mom who has a 24 yeard old girl and a 19 year old son. We worry about you regardless of how old you are. Best regards!

Had a really terrible experience with Quality Medical facilitators. They seemed to be so great and once I arrived in Mexico it all went to hell. Dr. Camelo did the procedure no problem but I saw him 10 minutes before I was put under and 5 minutes the next day in a post op visit. Anyone use him or this group? What were your experiences? Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using the BariatricPal App

I'm brand new to this website. I am 36 and have been on a diet since I was 10, you name it, I tried it. I just made my 40< BMI (Yay chubby me) last week, Dr approved me, and now am just waiting for the bariatric surgery place to call me. What can I expect now? I am in California with Blue Shield Access + ***. I know there are nutritionalist sessions (How many?) And a period of supervised diet (How long?)

Hi, I was banded July 21st. My weight that day probably wasn't realistic, since I had all that pre-surgery prep, which really emptied me out. Basically, given that weight, I have only lost 10 pounds in the almost 4 weeks since surgery. I had lost 35 pounds before it and that may be the reason why this weight loss is so slow. My first few weeks I know I was taking in too few calories and I'm probably not doing enough exercise, but it is still very discouraging. My starting BMI was 39. I have 40 more pounds to lose, which may be another reason why it's going so slow, but emotionally it is still very difficult, when I read how well everyone's doing. Any advice. One other thing, I'm 62 years old. Dec, 2007 - 210 pounds July 9th - 184 pounds July 21st - 174.5 pounds August 16th - 164.5 Sure could use some emotional support!!!:thumbup: (Now that I look at the above stats, I see that I've lost 20 pounds in 5 1/2 weeks. I guess that's OK!) Thanks for letting me vent. Love, Ellen

HI I am one month post op tomorrow. When I started this process and I read how some people lost weight so slowly I was sure that would not be me since I dedicate myself 100% to things. Also I lost 60 pounds in just about 4 months... of course I gained it all back thats why I had the surgery. Anyways so now I am post op 1 month and only lost 10 pounds since the surgery and 10 pounds on my pre op diet. The 10 I lost after the surgery was the first 2 weeks.. the last 2 weeks I have lost NOTHING!!!! I blog what I eat and I exercise every day for 30 mins to 1 hour. Now before I had the band if I did this I would loose at least 4 pounds a week.. and now nothing?? At first I said well I am not loosing because I am gaining muscle but come on how long can your body stay at the same weight with such low calorie intake and so much exercising? I am getting my 70 grams of protein and low carbs everything sugar free I am doing all I am supposed to do and I am getting discouraged!!! So if you started out like me with a BMI around 40 please let me know where you were at 1 month post op. Thanks

I know how frustrated you are Emily. It is really hard in the first stages of being banded especially when you read on here how fast the weight falls off of some people. First off you should be congratulated for your 10 pounds pre and 10 pounds post op.. maybe you need to remind yourself just how heavy that is and go and pick up a few bags of sugar!!..(you won't feel so down about it then).. I was BMI 41 when I was banded on June 18th. After one month I lost 18 pounds. I was very pleased BUT I had many complications along the way. I have lost 30 pounds to date but haven't lost anthing for the past three weeks. I think because I had infections and my eating was just way out of whack. I also haven't been getting enough Protein. I do think that maybe you should call your dietician, give them a weekly journal of your eating and exercise.. maybe you need to increase your calories a bit more!??.. I read on here earlier that one woman could get out of her plateau by upping her calories (we are talking a couple hundred not a big mac style increase!!)..and changing her exercise routine..that would trick her body into moving the weight again... I used to do this when I was on weight watchers and would see a good weight loss afterwards. I am going to try again once I ge my ankle out of its plaster cast and can start exercising again!. Good luck to you and KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK.. you are doing an amazing job!!!... keep in touch it will be good to hear how you are getting on. kind regards Kizzie

I know you all hate to hear it, and it's more than frustrating, but the lapband typical results are the average of 2 pounds lost per week. If you have lost 10 pounds in a month, you are right on course. Also if you lose 4 pounds one week, then the next you may not lose any. 8 a month is par...so you're doing alright. Someone on here said that the pre-op takes EVERYTHING out of you and it does. And so you gain a few pounds just putting it all back the first week or so. Don't panic. I started with a bmi of 40 and have found that when I stressed about it the scale refused to move. My biggest 'staller' has always been not getting enough no-cal liquids. I have been able to steadily lose 2 pounds a week and have been at 8-10 pounds every month. good luck to you all, if I can help any more, please let me know. This isn't easy but it is possible. Don't lose faith in yourself. You CAN do this.

I am 10 months out. For me, my food preferences didn't really change, but for a while I found food disappointing. I could eat so little at a sitting that I felt unsatisfied, even though I was full. Now that I can eat almost a cup at a meal, I'm back to enjoying all my foods. I have had stuffing on Thanksgiving and cake on my birthday. They still tasted great. I have to watch out. I have to use my brain when I make my food choices, not my appetite.

I feel the same as you. I had my sleeve on 10/23 and am having a really hard time taking in my fluids. I had to stay in hospital an extra day because of being so nauseated. That has gone, but just having a hard time. I am DEFINITELY trying though! Don't want anything to go wrong! Good luck to you!

I belonged to a group where one young lady had 10 fills...problem was her Dr. only gave 1/2 cc per fill.....and after a year she was upset her weight loss was so slow. I have only had 3 fills, and the first was 4cc's.... So it's not how many,...but how much....but many people cannot tolerate large fills, creating large changes to fast.

OMG> I just spent 10 minutes typing it all out!!!! Where did it go? DId I post it on the wrong thread??? Wahhhhh!

I've had my band for 6 days now and I have yet to figure out what's what. I have a pain in the middle of my chest and it burns. I'm burping all the time and I'm starving. Is my band just sore or am I having some serious gas pains. Also is anyone starving like I am. I haven't had any solids since 3/10. I would kill for a poached egg.

Hi! I was drinking anywhere from 10-12 diet cokes a day and went cold turkey about 6 weeks before my surgery. I sometimes miss it - you know, the snap of the pop top and the small hiss of the carbonation. Every once in a while I'll sneak a sip of one of my kid's or husband's but that's about it. One day I even thought - how did I drink so much of this? It tastes like crap! As far as the band, you do have to work at it. I haven't been and I'm totally kicking myself in the butt as I come close to my 1 year bandiversary at the end of March. I've spent the last 3 months working 12 hours a day and then partying almost every night. However, after my last fill last week, I changed my thinking and I've started working with it again. In fact since last Thursday I've lost 6 pounds and working out at least every other day now while drowning myself in water! I know it's a little harder with the large band to feel restriction and I think I've finally found what I was looking for. Good luck and keep in touch! Laura

Well, a BIG box of Optifast shakes arrived in yesterday's post (from my eBay purchase). I also bought a box each of the choc bars, choc mousse and chicken soup.:hungry: Not really motivated to drink or eat this stuff... ...but since I spent all that money on it, and want to drop some kilos right now before surgery, I'd better start. It tastes ok, but I'm not looking forward to hunger pains and feeling depived... ...at least its only a few weeks, and the benefits outweigh the drawbacks. My work pants and jeans are both falling apart, and as I haven't any other decent clothes I fit into right now that are warm enough or suitable to wear out of the house:cry , a couple of weeks of meal replacement will do me good. I have several pairs of NEW pants hanging in the wardrobe - and all they need is just a very few kilos lost before I can wear them:) . So that's motivation to get started. So, from now until the final 2 weeks pre-op, it will be breakfast and lunch of Optifast, and a normal dinner with the family. Some days I have lunch functions, so will not Optifast at these events:hungry: . The last 2 weeks pre-op will be the full Optifast shebang.:speechles Exercise will be a minimum 30 min walk (work days), a 1 hour session of something else on the other days (walk, ride, gym or swim), or a full weekend "chores day" (gardening, laundry, cleaning etc). I must log back into fitday.com and get that log going. I got the rest of my pre-op appointments and instructions from ESV today. Appointments as follows: Sat 26/8/06, 11:15am - weight loss counsellor, Kew Thurs 31/8/06, 5:30pm - dietician group session, Mulgrave Wed 27/9/06, 8:00am - pre-admission nurse, Mulgrave Fri 29/9/06, 9:30am - specialist surgeon pre-op review, Mulgrave Thurs 5/10/06 - surgery, Mulgrave Mon 16/10/06, 3:30pm- post-op nurse review, Mulgrave Mon 23/10/06, 5:00pm - dietician group session, Mulgrave

Unified Group Services? The insurance card also has an HFN 10 logo on it. I am waiting to hear back from them, but also looking for someone else who has used them.