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Our journey is very similar. I was sleeved in 2012 and was fairly successful but have since gained it all back. A couple months ago I visited my original surgeon as I was suffering horribly with acid reflux. The ph test was horrible! I’m scheduled for January 29th and I can’t wait! So I’m sorry I can’t offer any advice. But I wish you the best of luck and hopefully we can stay in touch.

Don't look back, it's behind you. Look forward -- with lots of excitement! I felt the same but took the right road -- the WLS road almost 3 months ago and couldn't be happier, don't remember feeling this "healthy, light and happy" ever!! And I've only lost 1/2 of my weight so far. Life is giving you this second chance at "making it right" so don't dwell on the past, just focus on your beautiful, happy and healthy, low weight future. Good Luck! Stay positive!!! It's all worth it!

Can anyone tell me how to update the weight ticker? I've tried multiple times and can't get it to hold the info. I've lost 46 lbs. and I'm pretty proud of the accomplishment! Thanks! ~Vicki

I am the same way, I had mine done april 15, I still get hungry, mostly head hunger. I have to work hard to lose, weight. I have lost 25 in 7 wks but its been hard for me. Its not as easy as alot of people make it out to be lol. I eat about 1000 to 1200 a day. an exercise an hr 4 to 5 times a week. Good luck

I eat a lot of soup mainly veg soup made with cauliflour, broccoli, celery, zuchini and frozen peas and a chopped onion, veg stock cube , then blended with a stick blender tons of good vitamins and protein and very filling. The other soup i eat is weight watchers tomato soup is low calorie and is the only one that taste any good to be honest. ww soup is the only shop bought soup i eat i sometimes add chilli flakes to the veg soup to spice it up a bit, u can add 0 fat yoghurt too to make it more creamy.

Stop. Stop. Stop. It is entirely normal for anyone's weight to fluctuate a couple pounds day to day, repeat, anyone - no matter whether that someone is trying to lose, maintain, or gain. Do not put yourself through this! If you are eating more carbs (from the crackers) than you had been, then yes, you are putting glycogen back into your muscles and your liver. Glycogen is muscle sugar - fuel. For every ounce of glycogen you put back into storage, you also put back four ounces of Water. Glycogen is NOT FAT - and what you are trying to lose is fat, not fuel. Glycogen is not fat. Water is not fat. EVERYONE has a pound or two that goes up and down, depending on various factors that have absolutely no bearing on overall fat loss, OK? Now go follow your program, go take a walk, but stop beating yourself up over this.

I am with you guys. Every time I hit a stall, I wonder why and what can I do to keep it going. Lower carbs, increase exercise, change exercise, get more sleep, drink more water, eat more protein, track your intake. Pick some of these and see what works for you. I still can't figure it out either. And sometimes, I think it's just a waiting game. I wait and BAM! 5 lbs in one week. That was last week after a 3 week stall. Not my first 3 week stall either. On the bright side, I really do feel like even when my body isn't showing a loss on the scale, I am still loosing inches. Defies logic, but I'd swear it is happening. They also say the stall is the body's time to catch up with the weight loss, and that's how I try to look at it. Keep fighting the good fight and be patient grasshopper.

So I started at 284 on Sept. 19 now I'm 216 and cannot seem to go anywhere? Any suggestions on moving forward with my weight? Thanks!

So we have a scale at work-which I just discovered. It's a community scale for anyone to use. I just weight myself and I came in at 237.8lbs....now I'm a little hesitant to believe this due to me getting weight at the doctors office and I was 248lbs less than a week ago. This doesn't make sense. I have been working out but lately not eating well. I haven't had the surgery yet and I'm skeptical to trust this in fear of getting my hopes up just to be crushed...... Also, I'm starting to question wither I should have the surgery or not. Everyone keeps telling me it's the "easy way out", but they have No idea.....idk I'm just a bundle of mixed emotions. Sorry

Hello Everyone, So far so good. As of today, I have lost a total of 50 pounds.......WOOOHOOO!!!! I got to tell ya, when you are on this journey, you have to Celebrate the small victories. As each week passes, you may find youself discouraged at times. You can't expect to lose 10 pounds or 8 pounds each week. Some times you lose 8 pounds, some times you lose 2 pounds. The point is that you are LOSING weight. I told myself that I will celebrate when I am in the 250's. Well, I did it! I was 260lbs last week, this week I am 258. I thought I would never see the 250's again, yet here I am. This inspires me to get in the gym and work harder than I have been already. For me, its not enough that I lose the weight, I also want to be healthy and look good in the process. I plan on putting on muscle. Believe you me, my wife appreciates that goal. Anyway......my advice to anyone who needs it is not to be discouraged if you only lose 1 or 2 pounds. Use it as motivation and try to work harder to continue to lose weight and achieve your goals. Celebrate your victories no matter how big or small. Good luck! Kenneth

Hello all! I was banded on April 8, 2009 and had my third fill about two weeks ago. I am happy to report that I finally feel restriction! I thought it was strange that I went from not really feeling any restriction at all, to ABSOLUTELY feeling it. I am not sure how much the Dr. added during my last fill, but he said he was going to only add a little bit. Is that dramatic change normal? So now I can really only eat a very few bites (maybe 5 max), and I have to be very careful about chewing carefully and going very slowly. I am worried that I may be overfilled. I am really starting to lose weight quickly (nearly 8 pounds a week) and I am thrilled about that, but is that too quick? I am keeping liquids down, but I am having pain right below my breast (sorry if that is vulgar) where I believe my port is at. It really hurts if I take a deep breath. Would being overfilled cause this? I can't think of anything that I could have done to pull on the port, but I suppose that is a possibility. I am a little worried about the pain though. Any thoughts for a paranoid lap-bander? Thanks!:biggrin:

Was your surgery in 2015 or 2016? If it was 2015, then I can see why he's concerned. However, if it was 2016, you're well within the normal range for expected weight loss. In any case, if you're losing, keep doing what you're doing.

Haven't had the surgery yet but damn, those numbers seem off. I weight like 35/40 pounds more than you and even my doc and nutritionist have me doing 1000 to 1500 calories a day to LOSE/not gain, while I wait for surgery, and at 90 (protein), 40/60 (healthy fats), 20 (carbs). And even I have issues hitting that when I'm being 100% on plan. The carbs I hit easily due to the veggies but the protein can be hard at times. I'd ask about that again to make sure you didn't hear that wrong or they made a mistake.

How did you choose a goal weight? I have been going back and forth. During high school I was in the 160-175 range, but a normal bmi would be 150 and below for me. My surgeon set the 60% of excess weight goal, but I definitely want to do more than that... Any pointers? I don't want to be too wishy washy with myself and do less than I should, but I also don't want to set an unattainable goal. How did you handle your goals? Right now I have my surgeon's goal (207), a personal goal (175) and then a couple of stretch goals (160, 145). I feel like I need to set some kind of goal for personal accountability, but I really don't want to feel like a failure if I don't make it... How did you end up deciding on goals? were they Fluid or set?

My Dr. said early on I should have a BMI of 25 and under. So for me 150-155lbs. I told myself my goal would be 160 first and then go from there. The thing is (and I'm sure you're heard this a million times), everyone's body is so different (body type, size etc). I love that I lost all the weight, plus some, but I am 100% happy at where my weight is now. I'm am currently hoping to tone, and maintain. I'm fine with no more weight loss, and my Dr. said I could stop loosing if I was comfortable with where I was with my weight. I just would look anorexic if I was in a size 5/6 (currently I am a 8/10). That's just me, I just don't have the body type to be super thin. Some people look great, I look like a bobble head.

I'm 31weeks and have gained about 25pounds now. I wasnt expecting to gain this much, but I am just taking it in stride. I know the weight will come back off once baby is here.

Roro, please don't hate yourself! If we've learned anything, it's that diets just don't work. They may get the weight off, but it always comes back. Why, because we return to our old habits. With the band, you have a tool that reminds you (sometimes not too gently) to watch your portions and try to eat healthier (most of the time). But you're the instrumental one in whether your band works or not. You can eat "around" the band by eating soft, high calorie foods that don't fill your pouch and leave you feeling hungry. Please research and ask ?? This is a very personal decision that you alone have the final say in. But do this for YOU, to help you regain your health and energy...not for some guy that doesn't appreciate (or deserve) you for what you are.

RoRo You can expect to: 1. Lose Weight 2. Add years to your life 3. Eat less 4. More energy 5. Do things you have not been able to do in years! 6. Feel good about yourself Everyone here who has had the surgery has had success in their own way and I can almost guarantee they will tell you that the pro's out weigh the minimal cons this surgery has ( does it have any cons??) and that they would do it over again in a hearbeat! Are you thinking of having this surgery?

Roro I think every single person male or female has felt this same way and that is why we are all here looking for help ,answers, and most of all friends and support. I have lost so much weight in my life you could make 3 more people with it. and the sad thing is I'm still at my highest weight right now. I'm getting my band soon and I'm gonna be ready to fight back and my ammo is going to be waiting!!!!! Good luck and don't feel you are all alone in this i am here for you and together we can do this. GOOD LUCK!!!!

roro, welcome. As usual Whippledaddy has written what I would have written had I but the gift of expression he has. I saw myself in what you wrote. I, too, lost 100 pounds and gained it all back and hated myself. I, too, settled for less because I didn't think I deserved more. For me, the surgery itself was very simple. It was a day procedure, I went home that evening. I never had any pain. I took a week off work, but I could have gone back sooner if I needed to. But having a week off was probably a good idea. Leatha is right. Research. Don't look to friends or family members for advice. If they have never been fat, they know nothing. And even if they have been fat, they may be at a different stage of fatness than you are. Meaning perhaps they have not hit bottom yet and realized they are powerless to fight this without help. For me, being banded has been both a physical and a spiritual journey. The physical part involved learning to work with my band, rebelling against the bandster rules, but eventually realizing they are there for a reason. Losing a lot of weight, stalling, then losing quickly again. Learning that even with the band, I have to eat right and exercise, the difference being that with my band to help me, I will never regain the weight and all my effort will not be for naught. The spiritual part of the journey has been much more interesting and rewarding. I am not yet near my goal weight, but my life and my relationships have changed dramatically. I no longer battle depression and self-loathing. People treat me with the respect I deserve. I have never had to demand respect. There is just a subtle change in how I present myself and people respond to it. I no longer feel old and like I am just waiting for the end. I have hopes, dreams, goals. And a lot more physical and psychic energy with which to make them happen. Honestly, I could go on and on, but I'll restrain myself. I researched for two years before I decided to have the surgery. Your research does not have to take that long, but please read until you understand how the band works, what changes you will have to make after the surgery, foods that you will no longer be able to eat. Learn the bandster rules. Research your surgeon. Etc. I wish every obese person could have what I have with the band. But it is a very personal decision. Good luck with your research. Nancy

thanks so much for the information..i have talked to a few family members and i get different stories each time..i am 43 yrs old and have been overweight all my life..i realize the risk of being overweight yet i seem to be unable to stop eating..two yrs ago i lost 103 pounds it changed my life and i for the first time in my life felt good about myself although i still wasnt skinny i felt a lot healthier....i have found so many times in my life i have settled for less in my life...even the relationships i have had in my life it seemed i was the fat girl and if i ever wanted a man i had to take the very first one who paid me any attention...i am angry at myself for gaining my weight back after over a yr...i remember telling myself i would die before i gained it back..you see i starved myself to death to lose the weight....now im back where i started before fat and not loving myself at all ..i wonder how many other women have felt as i do right now ????

roro You sound like so many of us...SO stay here with us, laugh with us, learn with us and have fun with us BUT most of all LOSE WEIGHT with us. Membership to this family is only respect...for yourself and others here. Want to join????.. Oh yes thats a daily fee too.

RoRo: What to expect? You can expect to hate yourself if you don't do something. You shouldn't hate yourself for losing weight and gaining it back. That's what happens. Very few people have a problem losing the weight. The problem is losing the behaviours, and emotions connected to the fat. Morbidly obese (doesn't the word "fat" sound better?) people have such a small chance of keeping weight off that it is statistically impossible. Has it been done? Of course. Every rule has it's exception. You can expect to lose and gain a few more times in your life, if you keep trying this way. Don't be so hard on yourself. Do you expect to be perfect all the time? Sorry, none of us are. Everyone here has lost and gained, and then looked in the mirror and saw a face they hated. Everyone. It's a tough decision. Discussing it with family and friends will be educational, but not helpful. Especially if they're thin. You will encounter all sorts of reactions. Few will be helpful. Some might even be harmful. Listen to yourself, and your troubled heart first. Look at your feelings and you will know what you need to do. Then, come here. Because whatever you decide, the people here will understand. We've been there. If you do decide on surgery you can expect more to happen. The unsolicited comments of family and friends will be your gift. They won't hesitate to tell you horror stories (mostly urban legend), or to seem to criticize. You'll talk to your family doctor. Get him/her to write a note asking a WLS surgeon to see you. You'll see that surgeon. You'll be sent for a battery of tests. If you are trying to bill insurance they will be contacted. You may have to fight for your rights with the insurance company, or you may have to pay your own way in this journey. If you are a good candidate, and if you are determined, you will move on. If you've decided that you are worth the effort, that you truly are a person who deserves a better life, the surgery will be scheduled. You will be mildly sedated then anesthetized. You'll wake up a very short time later and you'll have a new friend. You won't have as much pain as you think. Some in the shoulder, neck or back from gas. You'll be encouraged to get up and walk, use the bathroom, sip ice chips. You'll recover. You'll have to watch what you eat for a few days or weeks, gradually working back to regular food. When you're healed enough you'll be given a fill, a painless procedure that causes "restriction" thereby reducing the amount of food you can consume. That fill may have to be adjusted over the next few weeks. Don't be in a hurry now, this is a life commitment to health and happiness you've made, not a moment's whim. Your loss will mirror your gain. The pounds will drop as gradually as the sun rises. You'll find the beautiful core of you, hiding deep within your protective layer of tissue. There will come a time when you weep still, but you'll weep for joy, and for the lightness of being that comes when this burden is lifted from your spirit. You'll slip up from time to time. Backslide. But thanks to your band you'll not slide as far down that slippery slope as before. Minimal damage. No strain. You'll come here often, and read, and laugh, and maybe even cry a bit. You'll read someone's story and recognize their pain as your own. You will be in awe at how many beautiful spirits can gather together here. Then, one day, you'll answer a question from someone new, someone full of fear and hope. Someone who's afraid to hope for a better way, a better life, a better shot at all that life offers the thin. And you'll realize it is you who is gaining from this, from telling others what to expect. So you will have come full circle, and paid it forward. Good luck. There is a lot of info in this place, and you'll be able to research to your heart's content.

The good news is that you have lost a good bit of weight up til now. I can relate to your frustration, though. I am 4 weeks out today and although I lost 7 lbs the first week after surgery (on top of what I gained during the surgery) I have yet to lose a single ounce more. That is 3 weeks - no weight loss. I am getting in both my liquids and my Protein. I am exercising every day. I was actually losing better before the surgery! Nevertheless, I have faith that all things will work out eventually. I cannot go on forever eating only 600 calories and working off over 500 every day without eventually losing. It will be a topic of conversation with my nutritionist at my appointment tomorrow though! I think you are probably just in a stall. I have read about them a lot on this forum. As long as you are doing what you are supposed to be doing things should work out. I think sometimes the body just needs to catch up with what has been happening. If the stall goes on for more than a week or so, it probably wouldn't hurt for you to call your nutritionist. As for me, I am hoping that my body is still in shock from the surgery and one of these days will recover. Try to relax and follow your routine - perhaps stay off the scale for a bit. Good luck

I can run a mile nonstop. I am really starting to like skinny jeans. I love lifting weights.