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Yes, I my surgeon was Dr. Stephen Burpee in Tucson. His office is helpful. The surgery was very successful with no complications and didn't take long in the OR either. The best part is the affiliation he has with Northwest Hospital in Tucson (a walk from his office). The weight loss program they have there is great. Tons of infomoration and informational classes to take before the surgery so you know what to expect. An RN by the name of Gail is the head person for the weight loss program and supplies you with a great binder including what to eat at every week, and lots more information like vitamins, protein, exercise, etc. etc. She also visits you after surgery and the day after that. She makes frequent calls to check up after you and tell you what you should be eating, I guess in case you haven't read your binder. I like Dr. Burpee as well. I didn't have a lot of questions for him at all, so I just didn't converse with him much. The seminar he conducts gives you lots of information too. Office visits post surgery are at 2 weeks, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months and yearly after that. He just makes sure you are where you need to be and checks out your blood work. After reading some people here that don't know what to be eating or what they should be doing after a couple of weeks, I realized how fortunate I was to have Dr. Burpee and Gail. If possible, they provide you with TOO much information!!

I would have thought that the shakes would have been good for you. High in Vitamins and minerals as well as Protein. You don't want them for weight loss, but for nutrient boosting. I would make an appointment with your Obgyn ASAP and aske them for a referral to a pregnancy nutritionist. Good luck, and congratulations. Also, make sure you are taking a pregnancy Vitamin including folate.

So, it has now been 4 months since my surgery. I have lost 24 lbs. to date. The last 6 weeks have been at a stand still and I gained and lost the same 2-3 lbs. over and over again. :thumbup: But, I just got my 3rd fill this week and I can really tell the difference. I have alot of restriction and I know this will kick off the weight loss again. Also, I am walking now, so that should help as well. I had acid reflux really bad before my surgery. I still have it somewhat, but not nearly as bad. I am able to take medication for it "as needed" now, instead of a daily. Also, my doctor has lowered my blood pressure medication because of the weight loss! These are definitely victories! I still struggle with some food issues and think that maybe I always will. I have definitely learned that the lap-band is a tool and if I stop using it, it won't work. So, to stay focused is really the key here. Cheating band is only cheating yourself! On my next blog, I hope to report some major improvement in the weight loss and to my self esteem! Surgery: 2/25/09 1st fill: 4/6/09 - 2 cc for a total of 3 cc 2nd fill: 5/11/09 - .5 cc for a total of 3.5 cc 3rd fill: 6/22/09 - 1 cc for a total of 4.5 cc Good luck to all of you out there! :smile2:The journey to 1,000 miles begins with the first step!:smile2:

I had my band put in Oct 10ccband. First fill blind poke three tries 3cc in. Second two pokes dig dig 3cc in, third three pokes dig dig 1ccin RESTRICTION!!! Ya good weight loss happy. Fourth wanted to tweak a little only had restriction in the morning fill 1cc five pokes dig dig. Next day no restriction I think I have a leak. Drive another 200 miles for fluoro and she is able to get 5cc out I should have 8cc plus doc put in 2cc at time of surgery (that is 10 in a 10cc band) she adds 1cc more Fill # Five now I should have 11cc no restriction at all I have a leak. She said sometimes the tube collapses and you can’t get a true read. She said you don’t have a leak because I got something out. They don’t want to take any responsibility for f-ing it up. The obvious problem with having bands in Mexico is the after care. I knew this and yet chose to go for it. If I go back to my doc it is $2500 to replace port and tube. Then what who do I have do the fills? I should have had a sleeve that is what my doc is famous for and there would have been no fills, no leak and it was $2000 more than a band so in the long run cheaper after you factor in the cost of fills and heart ache!! ANYONE OUT THERE DO NOT HAVE NORTH WEST FILL CENTER IN ARLINGTON WASHINGTON DO YOUR FILLS. QUACKS!!! So where do I go from here?? Right now after I beat myself up I am doing nothing can’t afford it so I am trying on denial to convince myself that I have restriction. Any suggestions???

Depends on what kind of work you do. I do hair so I'm always on my feet and get very little breaks. I took two weeks off but was not ready to go back, so I took an extra week.

Extremely nervous. For both the liquid diet, the surgery, & the aftermath. I'm very lucky to have my friend to do the liquid diet with me. I am hoping it jump starts his weight loss again. He half the LapBand placed over 2 years ago.

From the second week on out I was taking in 900-1100 calories per day; we had no distinct mushy or liquid stage, just a combined liquid/mush/soft protein as tolerated for the first month moving on to most anything else within tolerance after that. That worked well for me, providing a fairly consistent 2-3lb per week loss, but I'm a fairly large (final weight) guy who's fairly skinny at 190lb goal weight. YMMV

I think the general feeling is to limit the carbs until you get closer to maintenance. Just getting the protein and fluids in is a major accomplishment for a long time, and then adding veggies and some fruit is more than enough. Adding carbs and fatty foods like nuts and nut butters can slow down your weight loss. I reached goal in 7 months, but did not even think of adding a grain based carb, nuts, or nut butters until then. Then I added them very gradually, to ensure I wouldn't start regaining. I am 18 months out now, and am eating a whole foods plant based (WFPB) diet now. I get all my protein in, but it comes from legumes, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and non dairy milk/yogurt. I eat a lot of carbs now - but they are whole grains, legumes, fruits and veggies - nothing processed. I eat nuts and seeds every day. I also eat 8-10 servings of veggies/fruit every day, so I am NEVER hungry with that much volume. This all to say that there are a lot of different ways to eat after surgery, but initially, until you reach goal, you need to stick to your protein, water, legumes, veggies. The other stuff can come later. The first 6 months are where you are going to lose a lot of weight. The first year is the golden year, and you want to maximize the opportunity to lose as much as you can during that time. After 12-18 months (sometimes sooner, sometimes later), the weight loss will slow down, your body will start absorbing nutrients more easily, you will lose the tight restriction, and all your new lifestyle modifications will be the real tools you will use to maintain your new weight. The surgery gets the weight off, but you need to do the rest. Don't waste those first months. Hold off on maintenance foods like grain based carbs, starchy vegetables, and nuts/nut butters until you are ready to stop losing and start maintaining. Just my 2 cents worth. I'm sure others will have different ideas.

@Calorado... I gained 24lbs I'm hospital.. By my 1month post op I had lost that plus 3 lbs. so I have a question.... When people talk about how much they have lost does anyone ever include what they gained in the hospital?? Just curious. I never added that to my weight loss

Welcome! I just joined the site in the fall. There are lots of great resources and supportive people on the site. Best wishes on your weight loss journey!

I was a slow loser from the get-go and lost 100% of my excess weight. I never thought I would lose it all because I seemed to be behind the curve throughout my whole journey, but I did it. Success with this has A LOT more to do with your level of commitment to your plan than it does to your rate of weight loss. If you are committed and really work at it, you will be successful.

Genetics are one of the reasons my weight loss goal is 180 and not lower. My family is genetically predispositioned to being overweight. I literally have TWO adult family members who are not overweight. TWO (my uncle and my cousin)! I even did one of those DNA tests a few years back and it to no surprise said I was genetically predisposed to weigh more. I think 180 is realistic. If I can lose more than that I'll be pleasantly surprised, but as long as I get to the 180 goal I'll be happy! More would just be a plus, in my mind.

Anyone in this program currently? Would love to chat and support each other through this! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

@@Melanie89 It is likely just Water retention. Have you had too much salt? I literally was a daily weigher all through the weight loss phase. If i had anything salty the day before I could expect a couple pound swing the next day or two. Especially if i did not hit my water goals for that day. Also, it can be hormones. I survived the daily weigh ins by literally telling myself to not get upset at my scale because your weight will fluctuate from day to day. I honestly paid no attention to the 1 or 2lb swings either way until they remained that way for 3 or 4 days. Meaning if the scale told me I lost a pound, I did not count it until that pound was gone for good for at least 3 days, same thing with gains. You definately DID NOT gain 2 lbs for real so try not to worry. Some people stay off the scale if it really gets to them. I had to do it once after a month of no movement whatsoever. I just stayed off for a week and then wham, i started losing again. Best of luck to you!

I came across this article while researching if menopause would still screw me after WLS that you might find interesting. Weight loss impacts our genes. https://www.mymenopausemag.com/stay-well/bariatric-surgery-telomeres/

Sorry to hear about your pain situation. Have you been on pain meds long term? Ask a medical or dispensary professional...lol I would not know how pot is going to affect your weight loss surgery. After goal, I was in Washington State for a friends Birthday party. Let's just say edibles and a water pipe were involved. I get the munchies..But have to admit it was a great time.

How long ago did you have the surgery?....how is your weight loss going @@cute1?

@@mcplu28 That's a good question but one that I don't think there is a simple answer for, I would think dedication, diet and exercise may be the issue but then again it may not be. I would just say don't worry about how much everyone else is or is not losing because we are all completely different so you can't base your presumed weight loss off anyone else's anyway. Look for result from your surgeons patients and the plan he/she has set for you. If you follow plan your plan and eat the foods you are suppose to eat and get some exercise in you will lose weight but how Much nobody knows.

Yes, I think I understand what you're saying. I also have a lot to lose, and many of us who have more weight to lose to begin with see more dramatic weight loss in the beginning. However, I think you touched on something very important: the surgery will not magically fix everything and it does require a lifetime commitment on our part. It's not a diet, it's agreeing to embrace a different lifestyle. We didn't get like this overnight and we're not going to lose it overnight, which actually is a good thing, since sustainable changes over time is what leads to success long term. We all need something to keep us motivated, and the weight loss will definitely be a big motivator, but just remember that there will be times when you are frustrated. You can't throw in the towel, but you can come here where we will be waiting to support you, and you can support us, too Be comfortable with and committed to your decision, and you will accomplish great things!

I would check for another weight loss center/ team.

Careful with reducing your caloric intake..Because if you cut down too much and esp. Protein..Your hair may fall out again. Also your body if it feels stressed will shut you down until it feels safe again.... This is not a numbers game. This is about health and well being....That is what we are aiming for..All of us. The scale can be a fickle friend. And as a matter of fact..is!

Latest on this! http://www.bariatricnews.net/?q=news/111566/preloaded-nutrients-could-mimic-bypass-surgery Here's the study: http://gut.bmj.com/content/early/2014/07/11/gutjnl-2014-306834.full?sid=ad60c3be-d4d6-4fc4-94eb-ae323d9bc3cb CONCLUSION of study in UK We conclude that the distal gut of humans and mice is extensively equipped with sensors for products of fat and Protein digestion, and that these associate with specific signalling pathways, two of which have been shown here. These are in turn associated with the release of specific mediators. We have uncovered a role for 5-HT in the response to luminal aromatic AAs, which may contribute to metabolic and behavioural responses to exposure of the distal gut to a meal. It is already known that oral nutrient preloads reduce subsequent food intake15 and that bypass surgery reduces food intake by shunting nutrient to the distal gut. By refining nutrient preloads and formulating them to target the distal gut, we expect to develop a successful weight loss and antidiabetic strategy prior to and possibly in place of bypass surgery. Lean folks have different gut flora (bacteria) than obese folks. Researchers have been working with mice on transplanting lean flora. How does the lean bacteria work? Some researchers say this is what is happening with human weight loss surgery... the actual change or rearrangement in the gut bacteria, from the surgery, is the reason for the weight loss after a bypass/ or does the flora change for some other reason? http://www.sciencemag.org/content/341/6144/351.summary http://stm.sciencemag.org/content/5/178/178ra41.abstract Interesting. Wouldn't it be great to get a transplant of the lean bacteria without the bypass? This is one thing the researchers are looking at. A transplant of lean flora from a bypassed patient or a lean person to an obese person that has not had any surgery. Here are some articles for your perusal. Although this isn't actually something that is a procedure... at least now, could it be? How about fecal transplantation? Researchers are talking about this, also want to find exactly which bacteria is the "lean" one, and use this only. It has the ew factor, getting beyond it, why not. Fecal transplant has successfully cured (90% rate) c-diff. Then again, just consuming non-inflammatory type foods that are good for the gut, is discussed too. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/28/health/studies-focus-on-gut-bacteria-in-weight-loss.html http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/05/gut-bacteria-obesity-spur-protect_n_3875034.html http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/06/health/gut-bacteria-from-thin-humans-can-slim-mice-down.html?_r=1& http://www.sciencemag.org/content/341/6150/1241214 http://chriskresser.com/a-healthy-gut-is-the-hidden-key-to-weight-loss http://www.naturalnews.com/036331_gut_flora_weight_loss_body_fat.html

I try not to eat packaged foods. I cook on the weekend a prepare my meals for the week in "band-size" portions... but I agree if you are in a hurry you can use them but not every day. Tom, Toronto Banded July 6 06 Wt. Loss: 156 lbs

I would guess that she included pre-op weight loss to her total. I know I always do. Congratulations on all your hard work! You look absolutely beautiful!

Post op diet of liquids, then mushies...lost weight. Who wouldn't? Then 4 weeks after surgery, got my first fill....also happened to be the time when I was allowed to go to full solid foods.... Between the first fill, and my 2nd fill 4 weeks after that, I gained weight....when i went in for my 2nd fill I felt guilty, and discouraged at the same time....\ Fortunately, my Dr. took it all in stride, laughed a little and said it was to be expected....nothing is going to be different until we get this band adjusted and working the way it was designed to do.... So I did get my 2nd fill, and things began to level off after that...not much weight loss, but stopped gaining at least...it took a 3rd fill to really start things happening in a positive way... But everyone is a little different, and their fills are to the individual...if they have a fill at all....