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The surgery does mess our cycles up. If your IUD was hormonal, then the loss of that can change things as well. Just watch out for excessive bleeding, but otherwise I wouldn't worry.

I am doing 30 days of no meat!!! I am holding up well, meat gets stuck anyways and I can't see the doctors to late this month so I am trying no meat!! Thought I would feel bad but I really feel good!!! I feel 20 years old again!! The energy is amazing and yes I get the protein in through shakes, and nuts, and beans and other ways. I love the Lord, for the strength to tackle this weight loss!!!

Why can't I loose weight? I thought this would happen after surgery?? What am I doing wrong?

Congratulations on your success. Graduating from law school! and weight loss :clap2:

Awesome! Congrats on both the weight loss & graduating! WOOHOO!!

I thought I was losing slowly i the beginning too (sleeved 11/15) and my doctor told me that everyone loses at a different pace and the more you have to lose, the quicker you will lose in the beginning and if you don't have hundreds of pound to lose that could be the reason. He said to expect about a 8-12% loss in the fist month. I lost about 8% the first month. Also, once you start eating more Protein you tend to lose faster also. Of course, us women have our monthly cycles to deal with that include Water gain and bloating. So, I am 8 weeks out and down 26.5 lbs... only 12% in 8 weeks, but I have less than 100 lbs to lose. As long as the scale keeps going down, I figure I'm doing something right. You don't always lose weight every day! I know it's hard, believe me.but try not to get discouraged and be happy for where you are at. You are on your way.. if it takes 7 months or 12 months to reach your goal, does it matter? It's not a race, as long as we reach our goals then it was worth it! Good luck!

Please don't go Leatha. Just ignore the ugliness ( I know! I know! It's hard not to stand up for sanity and good taste!!!!) but don't post!! Lay low and pop up for the newbies who need you...and the not-so-newbies who need you even more! There are very few left that post regularly, and have the experience I lean on. I'm waaaay past the lliquid stage, and even the first fill stage, and, maybe I'm selfish, but I NEED YOU! Others do, too. I totally understand your frustration. A bunch of mess happened this same time last year (is it an annual thing?!) and we lost Darcey, ohhh, what's her name? with the long hair and the leather jacket? and Marie, and Ryan, and Greg (for the most part...he rarely posts, now) and we missed out on big visits from Blossom because she backed away before her tragedy. It's shameful. And it isn't the same here! I miss that, and it will be worse with you gone. I hope you will take a break and reconsider. (((hugs)))

Hey you! Hang in there! Some people get banded like they had a cavity filled and bounce back to normal. Then there was me - UG! But it will get better. Be careful though, because some of us felt better after a couple days, but then felt much worse for a few more days before getting all the way better. Have someone rub almond oil in your feet and brush your hair. Get spoiled, k?

Wheetsin- I'm thinking of you honey......Just remember, you have the best surgeon in the area (in my opinion)...not to mention sweet and kind of cute (in my opinion). You are in excellent hands!!! Think of Wednesday as being the first day of the rest of your life which will be filled with health, feeling good, and lots of energy. A little pre-surgery jitters is healthy and normal...I had it too. Breathe with me now....Innnn 2, 3, 4, 5....... and Out 2, 3, 4, 5. Keep doing that over and over and you will do just fine. Sending happy thoughts and lots of weight loss your way! Robyn

My dietician gave me a sample of vitamins especially made for people having weight loss surgery. They're called Optisource. You can get them at Walgreen's or order them from the Walgreen's website. A little pricy I think, but then I really didn't compare the price to Centrum chewable. You take 4 of them a day. They have an orange flavor...not bad...very doable.

Here are my thoughts- however simplistic they may seem. After reading your post, it appears to me that (pre-banding) you had your life mapped out. Live until your fourties, then die. Now that you've lost the weight and can't sabotage yourself in the quest for being thin, you have NO idea what to do with your life. You're most likely NOT going to die in your 40's, so that's shot to hell. You aren't going to reach your goal then make a 180 and gain it all back. Seems to me that you're just unsure of how to really LIVE. It also seems that you've always looked at weight loss as a sure failure. Not so this time around. I understand the restlessness....Not only do I feel that I can no longer be obsessed with being HUGE, I'm sending my baby off to school this fall and have to start another chapter in my life that doesn't involve little kids at home. One thing is for sure, the possibilities are endless if we're willing to take the time to explore them. Pati

Yasmina, I have experienced quite alot of hairloss. I was starting to panic about 2-3 weeks ago, it is still falling out alot but I noticed some baby hairs starting to come back. You hear alot about hairloss, I don't think you can prevent it, if it happens to you. Many say eat protein, but I don't think that helps, personally. I do know though, if you are one who experiences it, it always comes back eventually. (within the year).

Hello Everyone, My one year office visit with my surgeon is this Tuesday and I know he's going to ask why I did not work harder to reach his goal. I'm '5"4 and my current weight 150 lbs, I'm not built like others I can wear a size 4 jean. So my plan is to explain to him that I love being 150 and I can maintain this weight for the rest of my life and I also plan on wearing my size 4 skinny jeans to my appointment....lol When I weighed 170 I was wearing a size 6 and now all of my size 6 pants and skirts are to big. Are their any other sleevers out their whose weight on the scale and clothes size look odd? What I would like to know also, was it wrong for me not to meet my surgeons goal? I wanted WLS to save my life and to be happy currently I'm very happy with the energy I have to play with my daughter, and my ablity to workout for an hour and not feel like I'm having a heart attack. People I've not seen for a long time are amazed and they keep telling me how skinny I look and please don't lose anymore weight....I usually respond I'll keep that in mind thanks. I do plan on having implants and my bat wings removed but again I'm doing what makes me happy. How many sleevers are fustrated because they have not met the goal set by their surgeon and have not realized or enjoyed the weight loss accomplishments they have achieved. Take Care

<HR style="COLOR: #d1d1e1" SIZE=1> <!-- / icon and title --><!-- message --> Do Males and Females lose diffrently or react to the band in other ways? React to the band differently - not that I know of. Not physically, anyway. Lose differently - very often they do, but I don't want to make a generalization out of that. Typically the male metabolism lends itself to quicker weightloss. Particularly with "low carb" diets (which many bandsters end up following). A niggling little fear that I have is losing muscle mass, I know I will lose some becuase hopefully I will not be carrying around a 160 lbs of fat but I do not want to lose too much. Have any of you noticed a loss of muscle?:phanvan I'm sure that I have lost muscle, not it is not evident, neither in my physical abilities nor in my physical appearance. E.g. I can still flex my thigh and see the thigh muscle, just as I could before LB, but now I see a lot more definition b/c there isn't as much fat blocking my view. :cool: This question may sound a little vain:embarassed: but, has your social life improved since you have lost weight? No, BUT I have noticed a BIG difference in how I'm treated - already, and I still have a ways to go. I've been getting a LOT of attention from guys lately, almost overnight, and 120# ago I couldn't get the time of day. I have a BMI of 45 but I do not consider myself "morbid" I can get around under my own power (tying shoes suck though lol) and I work, I can do hard physical labor with few problems due to my weight. Will this hurt my chances when I go to the doctor? "Morbid" refers in part to the likelihood of life threatening complications coming about as a result of the obesity. I was morbidly obese, but I had no comorbidities, no mobility problems, no health problems, no secondary risk factors, etc. I honestly didn't expect to be approved, and had alreasy planned to self pay. I was as healthy as I could possibly be, while being 200# overweight. I was approved on the first try, I didn't have to submit any documentation other than the paperwork I gave to the program coordinator and the required medical history. I didn't have to prove a medically supervised diet. I just gave her my paperwork and then got a call that I had been approved. I was actually surprised by how easy it all was, I definitely expected that due to my relatively healthy state, I would have to fight for coverage. But that's insurance, and you asked doctor. My PCP was all for the idea. She said that the lack of physical challenges, clean bill of health, good vitals, etc. made me the ideal candidate. My surgeonasked what I'd done on my own to try and lose the weight, but did not try to "hassle" me at all about having the procedure done. Hope this helps.

Okay, just trying to keep it real here. Statistics do show that the weight loss with the sleeve is slightly less than RNY, that makes it about 85%-87% of the total weight needed to be lost. That doesn't mean that we won't hit our desired goal. It just means that last little bit might be a bit tougher than than it would be just through the surgery alone and you might have to work a bit harder to hit that goal. NOW, the Dr. shouldn't have brought that up, but if you research it that's what you'll find. My surgeon even said that in our orientation session. We see people on this board all the time that has loss 100+ on the sleeve. It seems to me, just by what I follow here is that more than 100 lbs with the sleeve is a tougher, but it is certainly doable. Just just have to work at it. Don't let the knock you off your game, hang tough

I am so glad to hear I am not the only one that struggled with wanting to eat all the time. You are right in saying the band keeps you in control. I had that fill yesterday and I can eat but really put the brakes on me. that is VERY GOOD!! Have to do things much slower and the is VERY GOOD too. It stops me from unconcious eating. Am so looking forward to seeing some progress in the loss of weight. I had a major delay because of a infection in my port site. Was banded on Jan 19 and finnally just got first fill last month Apr 5th. Second one yesterday. I can see now how this is spose to work. I was able to eat almost anything I wanted to and did I guess. Many times I was restricted but not like now. This is better. Does anyone know what the deal is with the hair loss? I am in a panic about that. Have a wig lined up but hate to have to use it. I am a hair-dresser so I do have some talent with styling and that is saving the day so far.

It mainly depends on the diet that your doctor put you on. I was on clear for one day, full liquids for 7, mushies for 7 then regular. So, 7 days out for me wasn't a big deal with soups because I was already on pureed/mushy foods. The best thing to do is stick to what your doctor suggested. As far as eating around friends etc. I didn't keep my surgery a secret so keeping up with status quo wasn't an issue for me. Everyone's feelings on that one is different. Chances are you didn't hurt your band, however your doctor did subscribe a specific diet for you for healing and that's what the first weeks are for. Congrats on your band and much luck to you Way to go on the weight loss!!

I never even thought to not tell her, but since she lives in the same city it would be hard not to, and harder when she found out later and I hadn't told her beforehand. DH did kind of soften the family up, they've seen his weight loss and he told/tells anyone who will listen about the surgery. So they are familiar with it at least.

I def. think it is normal. What I was eating before was wayyyyyyy over!! It amazes me now when I see what I once could have ate. How did I get that all in my body? And remember, our stomach is now that of a "normal weight" person so we feel satisfied with what seems like so little. As far as weight loss....I see that when I do not exercise I stay at a steady so lack of the amount of calories needed with no exercise makes me just maintain. But we are all different.

Hi: There are two things I can think of trying. First, change the foods you are eating. Still make good choices, but make different ones. I don't know how this gets someone out of a stall in their weight loss, but sometimes it does. Second, write down everything that hits your lips for a day or two and see how many calories you're actually taking in. Sounds like you're doing great! Congratulations. Sue

Thanks for the suggestions, im not sure how many calories im taking in i see the dietican we talk about food choices but not about how much calories are in each food, im not sure about that point.Thanks and congrats on your weight loss as well

I have heard of a drink called iso pure? supposed to have 40 grams to a container. Haven't tried it yet. I started wtih soy milk before surgery to see how I liked it and also wanted to avoid the lactic acid (milk sugar) after surgery. But not really any reason why, and it lasts longer in the fridge because my son won't drink it. Today I went to Walmart and found an unflavored protein powder which uses a smaller scoop. I made my lunch with a packet of cream of chicken cup of soup with hot water, then added a tablespoon of instant mashed potatoes and microwaved another 30 seconds, then added one scoop of the protein powder. Couldn't even tell it was in there, it added 10 grams of protein to an otherwise proteinless cup of soup. Then I had 4 ounces of protein shake. I am feeling full. For my breakfast earlier, I couldn't finish the cream of wheat, went out to walmart then finished it when I came back. It definitely filled my hunger and so did that lunch. I might just have a yogurt for dinner then my two viactives for dessert. I can make the yogurt high protein by adding protein powder to that Yum! The minimum amount of protein they want us to take in is 40 grams with a goal of 60 grams per day. From now on it's going to be protein, protein protein. But I wasn't this vigilent when I had the band and became protein deficient. My hair got really thin. Luckily it's all growing back in the eight months I've been without. I can't let that happen again. The surgeon who did my original band was not as involved with his patients as my new doctor and didn't send us home with much nutritional information. My new doctor prepares a notebook on your nutrition and a notebook for your after care when you are realeased. A completely different experience this time around. __________________ Originally posted at www.lapbandtalk.com

What are the Benefits of Dry Skin Brushing? What are the Benefits of Dry Skin Brushing? I’m writing about How Dry Skin Brushing Benefits help me now because I’ve written so much about the challenging side effects. Is Dry Skin Brushing the same as Dry Body Brushing? Yes it is. Other countries besides America call Dry Skin Brushing by the name of Dry Body Brushing. I had horrific Dry Skin Brushing Side Effects and crazy emotional issues that made it difficult to start Dry Skin Brushing. I still have detox side effects from Dry Skin Brushing, but now I have learned how to live with that result. Every one of the side effects are worth it to get these wonderful Dry Skin Brushing benefits and results I see today. Loose Skin – This is the reason I started Dry Skin Brushing – to tighten my loose skin. Being as large as I was for as long as I was has left lasting damage to my skin. I’m saying this to every possible person who can hear – try to get in control as young as you can to reduce skin damage. I can see that my loose skin has improved in the 18 months since I lost the weight and started Dry Skin Brushing. I also use lots of coconut oil, clay and salt on my skin, swim, stretch, drink lots of Water, and stay consistent in my habits. These are the only things I can afford to do that I also have confidence might help with loose skin at this time. I think my skin is tighter since Fall 2011 when I proclaimed I was done losing weight. It seems as if my skin tone and elasticity has improved since then. My skin isn’t sagging as much as I used to see. It has been 18 months now, and I am supposed to give it two years, so I’m trying to be generous and non-critical with myself. Body Image – A great benefit of Dry Skin Brushing is help with physical and emotional issues that have come up from losing over 120 pounds and keeping it off for 18 months now. Soon I will write a big long post about starting Dry Skin Brushing when you are obese, because I fervently wish I had done so. I have both physical and emotional side effects from obesity and from losing weight that Dry Skin Brushing is helping me work through. If you start when you still recognize your body, it will be easier than waiting until you have lost weight. I think I am still fat. I think I still look really bad even though I lost my excess weight. Your opinion of how great I look in clothes doesn’t help me. If I get going, I can start on my feet and work up to my hair and tell you everything that is wrong with me because you, as an amateur at viewing me, will miss it all if I don’t point it out. Dry Skin Brushing is helping me with my body image issues by forcing me to confront my body every day. I have to be minutely involved with all of my skin and actually be naked at the same time. I know I would not do that and pay so much attention to myself for any other reason. I actually notice changes in my body because I’m Dry Skin Brushing all the time. I can feel that something has changed, even if I can’t always bring myself to look. Soft Skin – People are shocked by my soft skin. They grab at it sometimes after they shake my hand. It’s funny how often it happens now. I credit Dry Skin Brushing. Softer skin was the first immediate benefit I noticed within the first days of starting Dry Skin Brushing. Even my elbows are soft. No more scaly patch at the point of my elbow. Can you believe that? I didn’t know you could make that go away. I didn’t have that goal, but I should have. This is a very nice and unexpected result. Keratosis Pilaris bumps are gone – I never had a huge problem with Keratosis Pilaris, but in the last ten years I have noticed some bumps on the backs of my arms and the outsides of my thighs. Since I’ve been Dry Skin Brushing, those little annoying bumps are gone – 100% gone. I was startled to look for them one day and find none – zero. I don’t know how long they took to leave, because I wasn’t paying attention but they are gone now. The reason I even looked for this result is because I have read other bloggers report it many times. It seems to be a universal surprise to all of us when those bumps disappear quickly. Stretch Marks are Improving – I know that they are less deep and less dark. Less purple and more skin colored. I am so well acquainted with my stretch marks that it is pathetic. I can see a very big difference and I’m thrilled by it. Is it Dry Skin Brushing, Excellent Diet, Coconut Oil, or just the passage of time? I don’t know, but I am not changing a thing. Less Money Spent on Beauty Products – I used to spend a ton of money on products to exfoliate and moisturize and clean my skin. Now that I do Dry Skin Brushing, I don’t use anything at all besides coconut oil and a little bit of sunscreen if I’m going to be out in the middle of the day. Anything I use on my skin that has chemicals will burn now and not soak in, so I stopped trying. My skin started rejecting lotion in the very first days I started Dry Skin Brushing and it has never gone back. I still have some organic products at home, but no need to use them very often, if at all. It’s just all that coconut oil now… Detoxing – When I do not do Dry Skin Brushing, toxins build up in me. There is no doubt of this result. Because: Something happens and I stop Dry Skin Brushing for a couple or a few days. I start to feel terrible – tired, bloated, want junk food etc… I hit myself on the head and realize I’ve missed a couple Dry Skin Brushing times. I do Dry Skin Brushing at the next available opportunity. All the physical symptoms of detox http://www.fitinfun.com/dry-skin-brushing/physical-symptoms-of-detox-with-dry-skin-brushing.php come back to some degree as Dry Skin Brushing eliminates toxins that built up over those missed days. The detox effects settle down after a day or two. Life goes on as normal until I forget again – rarely does this happen. Well OK– that’s really all I need to know. If you need more, I will also say that Dry Skin Brushing makes me go to the bathroom in 15 minutes – 80% of the time I do it. I think that is not a coincidence. Lumps of fat under my skin – Oh this was so gross. Here comes another medical opinion from an accountant, but I think I’m right. When I first lost weight, the fat loss was uneven and not necessarily in the place where it was needed. I’m not talking about my skin. I’m talking about the underlying fat. If you ran your hands over my body, it was very lumpy under there. And by there, I mean everywhere. And by lumpy, I mean big, huge lumps of – ew – yuck. It was like a bunch of hard marshmallows with gaps between them. I would touch myself and confront a lump of – WTH is that? – that would send me screaming and crying to my room and don’t think I’m kidding. This went on for months as I lost weight and looked worse every day. My opinion of what happens is that fat melts and disappears unevenly. I think the moving and massaging of Dry Skin Brushing is helping me even out that lumpy texture that used to lie beneath my skin. Since I run my hands and a Dry Skin Brush over every inch of my skin so frequently, I am able to stir things up and both create and notice improvement. I’m putting Coconut Oil on my skin very frequently as well, so again I feel what my skin and body feel like and I’m massaging at the same time. I do not have those huge disgusting lumps today. I don’t feel them anywhere on my body. The lumps are still there but lumpy aspect to this whole mess of my body is reduced. It’s not that I’m used to it, it’s that it is better and the lumps are smaller. I think the extra blood flow helps, and maybe just the passage of time, but I don’t really care. It’s easy, cheap and I’m doing it anyway. Emotional Adjustment to Weight Loss I really hated myself when I started Dry Skin Brushing. At the time I started, I had lost about 100 pounds of the 130 I would eventually lose. My body was mushy and soft and scary to live inside of. I would look at obese women in Vons with envy. They didn’t have saggy skin like me, so they were the lucky ones even though I weighed 170 and they weighed 275. I was really a mess and so disappointed in myself. My forearms were the best part and even they were horrific to me. I had to see them every day as I typed (until I found shirts that cover down to my wrists). I couldn’t look at the rest of me in more than quick glances. I had paper taped over my one and only bathroom mirror for a while. Someone else finally tore it down. I believe that Dry Skin Brushing has improved this condition of scary self-hatred. I know the repetition of Dry Skin Brushing is helping me emotionally. How? Because every 36 hours or so I do this thing to all of my skin – 100% of it – brushing it towards my heart. That necessarily means that all of my skin is lifted up and pushed around and touched – by me, while I’m kind of forced to think about it. Therefore, I am familiar with how it feels and I can tell when it improves. What else would make me confront myself like that? (Sorry its long, but copied from website) There are more websites that have more info such as drybrushing.net

I'm not a frequent poster...actually have been so busy I'm not even a frequent viewer lately. But it occurred to me today that yesterday was my 3 month mark, so I thought I'd check in. Crazy how time flies. I started my journey at 244, and am now down to 193, total of 51 pounds. Weight loss has definitely slowed down, but I'm eating differently now than I was right after surgery, so it's not surprising. Generally losing about 2 lbs a week, though. Still no regrets and no problems. I was in India in late September for a business trip. I'd generally stick with Protein shakes and bars during the day, then would have some local food for dinner with my coworkers. I tried to be smart...nothing too spicy or crazy, mostly chicken. A couple nights we went to buffets and our hosts would bring plates of a variety of things to try. I tried everything, to not be rude, but in very small bites. Actually lost 5 lbs that week. We also just got back from Italy last week...too many carbs and not enough Protein, but it was a special trip with my husband to Celebrate my 40th birthday, so I tried to just enjoy it...with very small portions. Several times, my husband and I shared a dish, and I ate about 1/4 of it, and he'd eat the rest. Only lost a pound, but that's better than most of my previous vacations. I've been very blessed in that I'm not ever gotten sick, and have tried a multitude of foods and had no issues. Water is always a challenge, sometimes I just don't think of it. But I've also learned pretty quickly that I feel lousy if I don't stay hydrated, so I'm getting better about it. I'm about another 50-60 lbs from my goal...weight training and running are the next things on my "do list" which will help me get there sooner. My son wants to do a Spartan race with me on the Spring, so I guess that's my next milestone. So zero regrets and zero problems, I'm thrilled I did this. Don't get me wrong, I hate that I had let myself get to where I was...5'4" and 244 isn't a good place to be. 262 was my highest weight during one of my pregnancies a couple of years ago...so I'm not proud of where I was. But I'm proud of where I am now and of the courage it took to do this. And I'm proud of where my life is heading...I made the right decision for my health, my family and my future. Cheers. No matter where you are on your journey, I hope you're on your way to getting healthier and happier for all the right reasons...starting with you.

Ya, what are you worried about? We have this band for a lifetime. There will be a period of YEARS where we don't get fills, I hope....so go and continue this lifetime journey of healthy weight loss. hugs....