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I am starting to freak a bit. Surgery scheduled for the 28th and I am wondering if I should have done RNY. I am afraid I won't lose enough or I will gain it back...I have always eaten sweets and RNY might deter that...any words of wisdom?

Hi everyone I'm scheduled for my surgery June 1st and I'm terrified. I've lost large amount amounts of weight on my own before through militant exercise and Portion Control but my biggest hurdle has been and will always be the emotional eating. I know that the surgery is not going to help me with that so I'm reaching out for help from someone else. If anyone would be willing to help me I I'd greatly appreciate it. Sent from my SM-G900T using the BariatricPal App

Best of luck with your surgery. I had mine 2 years ago and I can tell you I felt no pain. Which was a good thing. Weight will drop off but the hard part is keeping it off. If you follow all the info given to you you should be ok. Best of luck.

Hey, I'm now 6 weeks post op vsg and I keep hitting stalls. HW: 238 Day of vsg: 228 CW: 204 I lost 19 lbs in the first two weeks. After that, I hit a stall for about a week and a half. I then lost another 5 lbs (slowly) and have been in another stall for the last week. Did this happen to anyone else? How do you restart the weight loss? I also feel like I can fit a lot more food when I eat. At first I was eating very small portions; now I'm able to eat a lot more at one sitting. Is it possible to stretch out the pouch already? Any help or advice would be appreciated! Thanks, Mallory

I went off the Seasonale earlier this year. I did, from time to time, experience the break through bleeding. The longest it lasted was 2 wks. I think it's our bodies way of telling us that it needs to have a cycle. I went off of it b/c we want more children and I was concerned it may have an impact on eggs & such....only a rumor I've heard from word of mouth and can't get any health care professional to back up this claim. Let me tell you though, I HATE my TOM and every month I ask myself why I'm not taking the Seasonale. I tell myself I'm doing the right thing. :eek: Hmmm....maybe not.....I don't really know for sure. I was banded on May 26, 2006 so the band/weight loss did not have an impact on the Seasonale. It will be interesting to hear other responses on this subject.

Are you getting in all your Water? The gain is most likely due to being backup up. You don't want it to go on too long, you might want to give your doctor a call. He may tell you to take something stronger than Colace. Good luck!

Hello. I’ve had some success on keto and Atkins type diets in the past and I am curious how they work post op and more than a little nervous to start it up again now since they are basically higher fat and my past probs there...plus I’m only two months + post op. Lil backstory- I had my gallbladder taken out 11/2016 and a year later my body still hasn’t made up its mind on how to process fats (mainly dairy, meat based fats are tolerable) Some days I can totally tolerate minimal dairy (like in my morning coffee or some meat wrapped cheese/pickle meals). Other days I take one sip of my AM coffee and I bolt straight to the bathroom & for the rest of the day- this is low fat, whole milk, half and half or even full on heavy cream. I literally can drink/eat FULL fat one day and get the intestinal freak outs the next! I don’t get it! I had VSG on 10/31/2017 (2.5 mos) and still struggle having dairy back into my diet since I’m pretty much experiencing the same thing. Now I make my one morning coffee with chocolate Premier Protein shake and do OK but still struggle with any other dairy...cheese, low fat sour cream, yogurt...but I WANT TO COOK WITH THIS STUFF! PLUS I NEED THE CALCIUM. Ricotta bake- HELLO! I want to be able to eat that without excusing myself from the table after one bite. Can I do a modified Keto and/or Atkins type eating program that allows me to eat lower fat (mostly dairy) type foods and still be satisfied and lose weight? Maybe less fat and more protein? Is there something like that- toss in some whole greens maybe? I’m earnestly trying and reaching out for help so please don’t give me arrogant attitude. I enjoy most of you but geez the power trips here are sometimes too much...kinda like the trots I get lately many thanks and so much love and appreciation to all of you that offer kind supportive suggestions...Tess

Can you still lose weight if you get pregnant with the lap band?

Hi everyone! I'm very close to the end of my WLS process and my surgery coordinator said that all I'm missing is medical clearance from primary doctor , weight chart for last 5 years and a new bariatric referral because the one I had expired a month ago. Now I called in the referral but I'm wondering what tests are done for medical clearance by primary doctor and what happens when my regular primary doctor leaves the clinic and is replaced by a new doctor? does the new doctor fill out all my clearance paper work? I'm confused

Yes, The gallbladder caused Pancreatitis, Diabetic Ketoacidosis (I wasn't diabetic, my gallbladder failure caused my pancreas to virtually stop) and low functioning kidneys. When they took out my gallbladder the surgeon said it was so scarred that it has adhered itself to the surrounding organs. Ugh. My symptoms were vomiting nightly and daily, discolored stool, mucus in stool and massive leg cramping at night from no potassium or magnesium in my system because of the malabsorption. It took the docs WAY too long to diagnose and thus I suffered for 8 months. To the OP: The discolored stool is a big indicator of gallbladder or pancreatic problems. It's due to malabsorption. Rapid weight loss can cause gallstones and gallbladder attacks so definitely keep an eye on this and let your surgeon know.

Oh my. So sorry you're dealing with all of this. Please keep us updated! My symptoms were vomiting nightly and daily, discolored stool, mucus in stool and massive leg cramping at night from no potassium or magnesium in my system because of the malabsorption. It took the docs WAY too long to diagnose and thus I suffered for 8 months. To the OP: The discolored stool is a big indicator of gallbladder or pancreatic problems. It's due to malabsorption. Rapid weight loss can cause gallstones and gallbladder attacks so definitely keep an eye on this and let your surgeon know. Wow, I'm so sorry. That is horrible. Are you ok now? Gosh, it irks me to know that your doctors took so long to diagnose you, especially when your symptoms are obvious indicators of a possible gallbladder problem. The same thing happened to my mom; she kept having weird bowel movements and back pain, which went misdiagnosed for so many years. Her doctor kept saying it was IBS, but she just wasn't convinced. Several years later, the back pain got much worse. One night, her back started hurting so badly that she was in tears (my mom barely ever cries, so I knew something was really wrong). My sister called 911, and she was rushed to the ER. Sure enough, it was her gallbladder. Her surgeon said that she was one of the most difficult procedures he's ever had; definite top 5 most difficult. He said her gallbladder was completely rotten, and as if it had been rotting for 10-20 years. He said it's a miracle that her pancreas was not affected. After her gallbladder was removed, the back pain went away. For years she dealt with that back pain.

Thanks. It's still a struggle. And I'm always Adrain I'll gain the weight back well some of it How long for you ?

I have been looking at this site for several weeks (my husband says I am kinda obsesed...lol), as well as other sites trying to find one where I can feel comfortable posting as well as getting positive feedback and answers to my questions. I have to say, everyone here is so positive and uplifting and I have learned so much already just looking around. I cannot wait to continue to learn more as I get deeper into the discussions and find support as my surgery date gets closer. I have never thought about having weight loss surgery till my husband and I went to see a fertility specialist and were told that my weight (along with having PCOS) is the main factor preventing us from getting pregnant. As I sat in his office sobbing, feeling embarrassed and down on myself, he told me about the Lap Band procedure. He said that it was a lifestyle change and that he has several overweight patients that have had the procedure and have not needed fertility treatments. When I got in the car, I dried my tears, took a deep breath and called the doctors office and reserved my space in the next information session the following week. We have been trying to get pregnant for over 5 years...this could be my answer to not only starting a family, but a change that will make me healthy for years to come! I started my journey in May 2011 by attending an information session, then my first consultation appointment with my doctor. I was informed at that time that my insurance requires a 6 month waiting period (which from reading on here is fairly common). I was upset that I had to wait, but these past several months have been months of reflection. I have worked hard on changing my eating habits, exercising 5-6 times a week and working with a trainer twice a week. My husband has been my biggest supporter and number one cheerleader. Looking back, I am thankful for this time of reflection and time to get my eating and exercise on track. I am an emotional eater and turn to food for comfort. I now try to turn to other things like exercise, reading, and yes, surfing this site gathering information. I still struggle with a fair amount of emotional eating and/or making bad choices, but from where I was the begining of the year, it is much improved. I have completed all of the required appointments (labs, therapist, sleep study, nutritionist, etc.) and my last supervised doctors appointment is on October 10th. I am keeping my fingers crossed for surgery in November. Everything checked out great with the exception of having mild/moderate sleep apnea, which I am having a hard time dealing with. I have had my cpap machine for a week and am still trying to get use to it. I am also going on a thrift store hunt this weekend so I can stop spending so much money on clothes as I loose weight. I am 31 years old and have so much life to live. I have been heavy all my life, but have been watching the scale go down the past several months...and will continue to watch it go down. I am so ready to see what the future holds...and I cannot wait to be able to go out and do the activities I miss doing, but I am too self conscious or heavy to do like roller coasters, water parks, race cars, etc. I am doing this surgery for me, with fantastic plans for the future, and a healthy, long life! So I will end by saying an official hello, and I hope I can be as helpful and encouraging to others on here, as I know you all will be to me!

Success is more than just the scale. For physical, measurable successes, start measuring inches when you weigh yourself, and keep a log. The more fat you burn and muscle you build, the inches will fall away along with the weight. You probably won't notice much day to day, but it will begin to add up! Celebrate the loss of both inches and weight! If your weight loss is slowing down that much... wouldn't your doctor give you a fill? I am confused (maybe it's too early to be reading the boards); you sound worried that he won't give you a fill but you say that the scale hasn't moved... isn't that one of the times to discuss a fill with your doc?

My doctor wants me to start strength training along with the cardio I have been doing at the gym. Now that I am down 50lbs she doesn't want me getting tons of loose skin and she says it will help me keep losing weight. Any suggestions on what machines to use? Never done anything but cardio machines and I don't wanna be doing the wrong machines...thanks!!

My insurance company requires Five phone calls from the nurse. You talk about eating habits, your pre-op weight loss plan, and address any questions you might have.

this is hilarious because my doc told me I should be able to eat 4oz of food...which for the most part I can. i am also on mushies which i am sure factors into it, but I can finish 4 oz with no problem....and was wondering if I should be eating 4 ozs weight wise or volume wise and whether they were one in the same. One day last week I weighed a piece of salmon my mom cooked...because it was solid, and then I pureed it and put it in the 4 oz container and it fit.. All I know is I am eating WAYYYYYYY less that I have ever eaten and I hope this works

I do Yoga-Pilates - just 2 hours per week. I went back into it VERY slowly, or should I say carefully. Yes, I did get a little sore when I started, the first week was quite sore. The area felt quite warm too until the next day. I took it really easy the next week and its been fine ever since. I finally got to start on my weights/treadmill (nothing too drastic LOL) and the first day my port was really, pinchy and sore, but this settled very quickly too. I think perhaps both times I just needed to stretch into it and it was a shock to my system!

I started exercising a few months before surgery to lose some weight and be more cardiovascularly fit when I had surgery. Also, the only excuse I had not to get started was I waiting for surgery. That wasn't a valid excuse. But to answer you, after my surgery I was only permitted to walk or use the elliptical for 6 weeks. No strength training until then. After that point I started strenght training 3 times a week. I've since got into long distance road cycling and running. I'm running my first 5K on Sunday. Which is amazing, if I do say so myself. Not that you asked for advice about exercising per se, but I'll give it anyway: What is most important is to have a goal that stretches you. Look for something that you can accomplish in 3 to 4 months. Start thinking of your next goal before you reach your first one. If it's climbing one more set of stairs every week or staying on the treadmill for an additional 5 minutes...set goals and see that you do meet them. good luck

I started walking immediately. I did not have a preop diet. So once I was banded I wanted to take advantage of the liquid stage which I still am on and loose as much as possible before my first fill and before mushies. As I have heard people gain some back in the beg of mushies. Its all in what you want. My surgeon recommends 15 to 30 as soon as you are able to after banding.

I would gain the 2 (coins, weights, eating, etc) lbs plus a few for safety, and start over with a new Dr. If you have that option.... But their testing ideas are great. If you have a comorbidity, then you should be good. Sent from my XT1254 using BariatricPal mobile app

Hello Guys, I just hit the 1 year anniversary of my gastric sleeve surgery. I thought I would drop in and say "hi", as well as post a few comments on my experience. I do not post often, almost not at all, but I have really enjoyed reading others comments and posts and have found them to be helpful. If anything, it has been nice to read about other similar experiences and concerns. First, I would like to say that I am very happy that I made the choice to have weight loss surgery. I don't think I could have lost weight without it. I did not have any serious health issues before having the surgery, but I was over 400lbs, so issues like diabetes were probably just around the corner. Things have not always been easy, but I am very pleased with where I am at this point. 1 year from my surgery and I am down to 241lbs from my pre-surgery weight of 411lbs. That's 170lbs lost. What has that meant to me: Blood sugar, cholesterol all in great ranges. I am very active now (no more couch potato)I've become a gym rat and am going twice a day most days, in the morning and after work. I bought a bike and go trail riding often, on weekends I will tally around 20-25 miles of riding in one day. Ran my first 5K ever on Halloween weekend. Plan to do more as I want to improve on my time. Resting heart rate is in the low 50s from all the cardio. (Down from the high 70s before surgery). Love Tabata and HIIT training. Great for short intense workouts that really work up a sweat. Look it up on the internet. Started doing Muay Thai kickboxing again. Loved this 20 years ago when I was younger and lighter and am now getting back into it as the old guy. Much more sex with my wife Can now buy clothes at normal stores and don't have to go to the Big Mens store or sections anymore. People look at me differently and first impressions are much better. Not that I really cared about this before. Just generally feel better and less tired. What have I had issues with over the last year: Vitamin D keeps coming up just a little low, so upping supplementation. Still eat too fast at times (about once a month or so). This causes a very full feeling, sometimes causing me to throw up (or throwing up on purpose to give relief). Some joint issues in shoulders and knees from fitness activities. This has caused me to scale back on weight lifting and adapt some of my cardio routine. No more heavy lifting and have moved from treadmill to rowing machine. Still miss being able to chow down on a big sub sandwich. Going out to dinner isn't as fun. Extra skin. Gonna have to get a lower body lift at some point to take care of this. All this being said, the positives far outweigh the negatives. I got through my down times where I get sick of logging food in MyFitnessPal, or just don't feel like going to the gym. I've had to discover new ways of relaxing as most of my previous activities involved food. Now I bike ride, go to the gym, I even like to just go to a mall and window shop. I'm still trying to figure these things out. I feel great though and love the fact that I don't get out of breath going up stairs. I take a little pleasure when I see people who are thinner than me struggle with activities that I can do, like the 5K I ran recently. I also like that fact that while my kids have always loved me, I know they are proud of what I have done so far. I fit in better with me wife and kids because thankfully non of them have weight issues. Well, that's my one year story. I appreciate you getting this far in my long post and hope this helps some of you as your posts have helped me. I am still a work in progress and have about 30lbs to get to my goal weight. The weight comes off much slower now, how I miss the 5-10lb drops from early on after surgery. Now there are long plateaus and 1-2lb drops. But for the last 5 months I have averaged about 1-2lbs a week. Take care and I will post again when I hit my goal weight. Best advise I can give is not to dwell on the food you can't eat anymore (or the amounts), cheating every now and then is okay, just pick yourself up and keep moving. Be active, Techynerd

StephC - Right after I had the baby I was taking pilates classes at the gym. It was on a machine and I absolutely LOVED those classes! I was there 3 times per week. I have a pilates DVD, but it's not the same "type" of pilates, so I didn't enjoy it as much. One of my weight rewards is to join a gym, and start taking pilates again. 2x per week is my goal. nat

This is what my trainer said too. Do weights first, then cardio if you're going to do them both in the same session.

Congratulations on the weight loss, but even more on the physical fitness that lets you run so much. I know that at this point I could never do that. Seeing those of you who do it is motivational to me.