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Hello, I have been MIA.. I've been having issues again about not losing weight and being at a standstill. I have been really depressed adn trying to get out of it! I decided I needed to joing a gym so that I could work with weights and so that I could be more accountable to myself and working out. I had my first session today and meat him again on Wednesday and Friday. I'm hoping to be on my own then. I have been really bloated and retaining Water and have a sore calf. I have been taking water pills for three days. My Trainer/Owner at the Gym told me that the water pills were not a good choice but that it will take a few days of working on stretching the muscle to get it back to normal. I'm really excited about starting this and I hope that by the fourth of July I will be down at least one more size and 10 pounds... Have any of you done better working out at the gym versus at home and on your own?

I got the band on Aug. 3rd. Started full liquids today. Feel good but a little groggy from the pain meds. I'm excited to get on my merry way. Starting weight: 271 lbs. Dr. Kirkland did the surgery. I'm looking for members in Philadelphia. I have a 5 year old boy starting kindergarten in Sept. I have been heavy all my life w/ the exception of a 10 year reprieve when I stopped eating sugar and flour, weighed and measured everything I ate, and exercising. I re-gained my weight when I got pregnant and haven't been able to loose any. In fact, I have been gaining. Obesity runs in my family and I'm so tired of dieting. I'm excited about the possibility of loosing weight. I've never been skinny and don't expect to be, but If I could be healthier, be able to be more active (I used to be very athletic) and fit into regular size clothing, I will feel better about myself. I've tried everything from OA to Liquid protein since I was 8 years old. I am 43 now. Thanks for reading.

When I got my date (10/11/12) I was at a 6 weeks before surgery point, I was put on a low carb/sugar diet- no sodas, only FF dairy (so ive cut my coffee consumption by 75 %, at least!), low sodium. 3 weeks before surgery I go on 2 protein meals and one protein / veggie meal per day. He wanted me to lose 10-12 lbs. I've already lost 9.5!! My stomach is shrinking, my cravings for carbs is gone, I'm satisfied with less food already! I try to not drink 1/2 hour before and after meals, chew my food thoroughly and focus on what I'm eating and slow down! Strategies that will help the transition post-op feel not so foreign. It's funny how each doctor is so different!

If you continue to eat that way... waiting for some food to digest then eating a little more, you are essentially "grazing", which is one of the ways WLS patients regain weight. You want to try to avoid that. Once you are all healed up, which you should be at 3 months out, you want to try to confine each "meal" or "snack" to about 20 minutes of eating. Then wait 30-40 minutes before drinking. Then don't eat again until your next scheduled meal or snack. At 3 months out, I was eating 5-6 meals/snacks per day. Trying to get about 10-20 grams of protein in each time. I didn't have much room for vegetables, which is why I was diligent about taking all of my vitamins and supplements.

So i started to go to ballys in kew gardens...right know they have a special 19 a month not bad!!!

Pre-vsg i read alot of stories. I went into this surgery knowing that if the bf of 6 years did not support or approve he can go to you know where. Of course easier said than done but I was prepared. I am 10 months post-op and down 65lbs. My bf has been the same person he was before i got vsg. I believe the only difference is that in the beginning he started to think i was going to leave him once i started to lose weight and look/feel more attractive. Now he's just like "okay babe stop losing now plz. I need you to keep some meat for me to hold on to." lol Before surgery i sometimes felt like maybe i settled because of my weight but honestly i feel so attractive to him now more than ever.. The fact that i am more confident and don't feel threatened by other girls makes me feel so good. Personally, if you start seeing a change in your partner than its time to have a talk. Sometimes it might be self-confidence issues or low self esteem in which a heart to heart is needed or maybe your partner is just an a-hole and you never realized it until now. My best advice for anyone who is going through a difficult time with an un-supportive partner is to remember that your doing this or did this for YOU. My motto is don't just lose the fat... lose everything negative around you as well. Hope my words helped. Good luck everyone!

Hello Juliana1, I was banded this past March. So far, I lost about 10 lbs. My first fill is on April 20th. Happy I won't be alone. Mollyjolie

I can't believe it's been 10 days since surgery! It's going by so fast! The surgeons said the surgery went great! But I had a reaction to morphine in recovery and was there for 3 hours, writhing in pain and broke out with a rash. They pumped the benadryl and fentanyl to me and my respirations dropped.. It was definitely an interesting experience, haha. But I'm good now! I went home the same day, which I found kind of scary, but more comfortable anyhow. I stayed the night at my parents' house so my kids could be home with my husband and I could rest alone, though I wasn't able to get much sleep. The pain was never incredibly bad, just a burning feeling behind the incisions. The last dose of pain medicine I took was on Day 3, so I'd say I'm feeling pretty good! On Day 5 I began feelling antsy and hopped back on the treadmill, I did 30mins (1.75miles) without any pain or discomfort! My instructions were to not lift more than 10lbs until I have been seen in the office, which isn't until this coming Monday, but I have a 2 year old that still requires lifting every now and then, and of course I have been taking care of him. Well, the night before last I was having some pain in my largest incision (I still have staples in, by the way) and noticed a scant amount bleeding/drainage coming from it, I cleaned it up and let it be. Yesterday it continued to drain a bit, so I covered it with gauze and a bandage, and at the end of the day there was a spot about the size of a quarter on the gauze. When I removed it and cleaned the incision I watched it drain.. it was a light orange-red color. As far as I can tell it doesn't have an odor, but I'm kind of worried about it. I go to the surgeon on Monday to have the staples removed so I've been holding off on calling about it until then. Hopefully it's not infected, and hopefully it's not something I did! I had been getting frustrated with my weight, as the scale had stopped moving for a couple days. My husband says I've been obsessing over it, and I'm sure I have. I'm down 10.5lbs since surgery, 27.5 since starting the pre-op liquid diet, and 36.5 from my highest weight (January). I walked along a window in a hallway the other day and definitely noticed a difference in my reflection, it was exciting! The surgeon said he didn't put any saline in my band at all, which kind of frustrates me, but excites me at the same time (exciting because I've still managed to lose 10lbs, but frustrating to think that I could have lost more, and knowing that I'm progressing my diet next week and don't have restriction scares me!). I thought they usually put a couple cc's in to begin with? I have to wait 6 more weeks for a fill. I'm still starving as of right now, but I'm so scared of screwing something up that I've stuck right with the liquids.. and I'm surprised at how easy it is for me. I'm so excited to advance to pureed foods this week!.... I never thought I'd say that.... Any suggestions on foods for that stage?! The only thing I've heard is mashed potatoes and baby food, but are potatoes really the best thing to be consuming while trying to lose weight?! Anyway.. any advice is greatly appreciated!

http://theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.com/2007/08/pureed-foods.html Check out this blog.. She has some great ideas! Today I tried: egg salad for lunch meat loaf and mashed potatoes for dinner Mind you only about 2-3 tbs, if that. The mini chopper she shows here is a life saver for this stage. I've always had one but you can pick one up for $10-15 Cindy Ps: the ricotta bake..yum!!! Love it.

My side area is still hurting. On a scale of 0 pain-10 extreme pain, I'm at a constant 4. Calling my surgeon tomorrow to see what she thinks. Ughhhhh! I pray it's not even sleeve related. I haven't had any physical problems with the sleeve. I'm 7 and a half weeks out. I'll report back what she had to say.

After getting as much as I did this last time I decided to calculate how many more of the regular fills I would have needed and I probably would have gotten to 10 before I felt this "right". As long as I wait until lunchtime or so, I can take my meds whole. I just can't take the entire handful at once like I used to, but that's because I can't chug whatever I'm washing them down with! I hope your fill works great for you! You are definitely right that you don't want to overdo and then be on the road. Just ask Claudine :thumbup:

I've had so many fills at this point I have lost count. Seriously. I do know that at this point I have 8cc in a 10 cc band! I still do not have great restriction. It does make it harder to eat some things but I still don't get that "full" feeling. Ever. I've been feeling queasy the last few days and unable to eat much of anything. Now I'm worried my band has slipped. I don't know if I'm just sick or what.

I'm scheduled for VGS 5/19/2020. Anyone start to panic approaching their date? What did you do to calm it? Did you back out? Or did you go through with it and regret? Or were you happy you did it? I'm between just ignoring it and calling off my surgery. Every night I get closer, my sleep gets worse. Only thing stopping me from canceling is I've put this off for 2.5 years and I'm out of the 3 year approval window. I've literally rescheduled 3 times already since 2018. Only reason I can do it is COVID messed up the surgery date I had in April. If I back out now, I have to start all over again and I barley qualified the first time around. But I'm seriously wondering if this is the stupidest idea I've ever had and I should just let it go. It's not like I can't drop it. I just pile it back on. Maybe that's OK? I'm thinking, I'll keep the date and if I just can't, I can't. Better to march forward than to back out. I have 10 days. Anyone else freak out like this?

That should be 10 lbs

Hi i knoe exactly what school you went to. and thank u. i used to live in houston texas and it was hot and humod didnt like it. i love cali. lol i had surgery sept 19, 2013 and nov 11 had my first fill of 4cc but had no restriction i just got another fill this week and i got 2cc for a total of 6cc and still no restriction my weighloss is super slow im down 40 lbs since surgery and at my last appointment i found out i have a 14cc band of all the forums i read alot of people have a 10cc band. what size band do you have and how long did it take to get to ur sweet spot?

I had 6 tiny incisions and they bothered me getting up from bed. It was a pulling soreness kind of thing. A single larger incision is likely to hurt a bit more, especially once the powerful meds wear off. I am only saying this because I had a C-section with my 3rd baby. A little discomfort is to me expected but severe pain is not normal. In my opinion, anything extreme should be called in to the doctor. Focus on telling them exactly what your symptoms are. Be as to the point as you can. Rate the pain on a scale of 1 to 10 and make sure they take you seriously. Where you advised to take pain medication? Good luck!

Now that I am thin and leaving the house more than I used to, I'm trying to update my wardrobe. The clothes part is going okay but I decided I wanted a pair of ankle boots to wear with jeans instead of my trainers or loafers. I have tried on ten or twelve pairs and all of them make my legs look like saplings growing out of a bucket. Am I trying on the wrong styles? Do I want a bootie instead (they all seem to have spiky heels which frighten me with their height). I don't want UGGs or western but something stylish with not too high a heel that kind of hugs the ankle but is loose enough to stuff in leggings or jeans. I am 57, 5'8" and weigh 137. I wear size 6 clothes but I have size 10 feet. I have come to depend on the stylish folks on this forum to help me make these puzzling decisions. Do you have any advice?

When you feel in your gut what you are and then dynamically pursue it - don't back down and don't give up - then you're going to mystify a lot of folks. Bob Dylan

So I started my weight loss journey at 144 kgs, and came to 95 10 years ago, since then i have been very active and maintained it, but in the last two years, i went to 110, but brought my self down to 105, from here i literally threw up any solid food or even liquid, i try to push food down with water and for the last couple of years living like this. the country i live in now we don't have specialists for biatrics so i cannot get this checked. But i feel that either my band is too tight or it has slipped, i have lost 10 kgs in the last year, 5 kgs in the last 2 months, and this is unexplained weight loss, i am eating everything, choclates, burgers, regular food, but i feel i cannot keep anything in, in my mind i am eating and keeping it in, but it doesn't explain the weight loss, yes i throw up (planned) a lot, i feel i am stuck and don't know what to do..what steps can i take to fix this?

The orientation was very informational. They talked in depth about the rny, sleeve and briefly about the lap band. A nutritionist came in at the end and spoke for 20 minutes about what our diet should be like starting today. If we want to go forth with surgery we have to lose about 10% of our weight. They use our highest weight recorded and every pound after that counts! I set up a consultation right after the orientation for the end of the month to meet with my surgeon, dietician and coordinator. Are you going through kaiser?

Hey man...I am not losing weight on a regular basis right now. I was sleeved Sept 16 and dropped about 60 lbs in the first 2 to 2.5 months. I started hitting the gym in November and lifting weights. I think I'm swapping the fat with muscle. I'll go for 3-4 weeks and not lose any weight. Then..I drop like 10 lbs..and don't lose any more for a while again. However, my waist has gone from a 54 to a 48..and almost about to grab a 46. Shirts have gone from 4XL to 3XL and I even wear a few 2XL now. The reward from this...and how great I feel...I stopped worrying about the scale. I'm 6 months post op; down 105 pounds; have the sex drive and stamina of a 25 year old; and feel like one big stud right now!! Lol!!! The weight will come off. I like the toning at the gym!

Wow!! I never knew how many people commented on this one! I am sorry to be out of touch. The hunger is still there and I am 10 months out. I can definitely eat a lot more than I could in the beginning. Sometimes it scares me how much I can eat. Carbs tend to take up a lot of room in my stomach (rice, bread, pasta) so I try not to eat as much of those so I can focus on Protein. Drinking Water and exercising has been quite helpful for me!! I can exercise I a lot more now since I am so much smaller. It is the only thing that helps, especially, since I felt so HUNGRY at about 1 months until about 8 months. I am 93 lbs down since 4/3/15, which was date of surgery. Dr. Sudan's team at the hospital is marvelous! I had such a great experience there, the nurses are wonderful and everyone is so nice. Every visit I have had to Sudans office post op has been very good, he always says I am right on target! Billing at that office has been a bit of a dilemma, just never pay a bill if you have a question! Make sure to stay on them about it! I have had to, but it might be that I have duke insurance. Good luck with your surgery! You will do awesome! Just remember to ask questions, if you need to. I felt like such a failure because I was hungry all the time. I do not know if it was head hunger or not, somedays are better than others. I now get hungry but not quite like it was. I had this conception that I wouldn't feel this hunger anymore... that I would be like Scarlett O'Hara and never be hungry again! Alas, it was quite different from what I thought! But in reality I find that if I exercise as much as possible, like 4 to 5 times weekly and push the water, I do much better. As for my diet I do a low sugar (by choice, because it sends me on a roller coaster ride of emotions) (low sugar for me is NO white, raw or processed sugar, fruit is okay, very little honey, I try to stay below 5 grams per serving, with natural sugar only), high protein (chicken, fish, Beans, I don't eat red meat or piggies by choice) But I have NO issues with any foods, besides foods that have high fructose corn syrup in them, those will send you to the bathroom with promises of "never again"!! I wish that I had done low sugar from the beginning like 3 months out. I only started that at about 8 months. The low sugar has helped me substantially, emotionally and physically. I think my cravings for for food or that hunger that I felt so much was the sugar wreaking havoc on my body!! I am a sugar addict, I was before and I will always be. Thank you for responding, everyone! It really does feel like I have come so much further than I think some days, because reading through this and how different I feel now. I will update my profile with new pictures too!! Again, good luck! Feel free to contact me on here too if you wish!!

I can't argue with the cost issue - I think it is usual here for insurance to include lapband and VSG, but not everyone is insured, and then public hospital waiting times are long for things like this. A great many things in life are a trade off between cost and safety or cost and comfort, sadly. I have previously asked my surgeon why he keeps his patients in hospital so long (although i was personally v pleased to have it done that way) and his reply was (in part) that Gastrectomy is done for lots of reasons, not just weight loss - cancer/tumours and ulcers on the fundus can lead to an op that is a lot like VSG. It is standard to keep patients for those ops in hospital for 3-10 days... And I have seen those same times quoted on US websites too. He went on to say that many VSG patients have higher blood pressure, sleep apnea or other issues that put them in a higher risk category than the average person and he prefers more conservative treatment. And finally that it reduces the risk of complications and increases patient comfort. All very sound reasons to me. Someone said earlier in this post that the OP should discuss with her dr and be sure she is comfortable with his reasons for discharging her on day 1... Specifically why he thinks this is right for her, not just "right"... And then the OP can decide what she needs to feel comfortable undergoing the op. I think that's good advice. It's worth shopping around too, as longer days in hospital don't always mean greater cost - well where I live they don't. Every clinic I spoke to charged the same "out of pocket " cost - Insurance companies in Australia can only insure up to 85% of of a govt determined cost for a particular service - the doctor can charge more (and most do) and the "gap" between the insurance payout and the cost gets bigger... and the patient has to pay. Bariatric surgery is very competitive these days, and you too may find doctors are charging similar end costs to ensure their share of the market If you pay the same and get less care and follow up the doctor is pocketing the difference as profit. More care and follow up and he's investing in your health. It's always worth asking around.

Iv had testriction from day one but the doc also put 2 cc in at time of surgery! 4 weeks out got my first fill now im due for another and i can tell my band is ready! And so am i! I go in friday! Thatll put me at 6cc in my 10 cc band! Good luck! ' FEELIN IT '

I went today to have my free initial consultation with 1 of 2 groups I intend to go to their seminars before deciding on a surgeon. (Baptist & Vanderbilt if any of you are from Nashville) The initial consult just basically gives you info before the seminar and what you must do to get approved. I have Aetna insurance that requires either a 6 month weight loss program or a 90 day prep for surgery program. After reading some of the literature, I have some questions that I need to resolve and hoping this group can help guide me. I have been over 40 BMI for at least 5 years. 19 months ago I had a baby. I don't go to a PCP regularly as I don't get sick often. I do go for my annual gyno visits. (and they check weight, tell me to lose weight etc. ) If I am sick I typically go to the minute clinic. Amazingly for a 45.3 BMI, I am healthy but my concern is in the long run, I know I am at high risk for diabetes, heart disease, etc. as it is in my family and during my pregnancy I developed gestational diabetes and hypertension. (Luckily the diabetes went away postpartum) My biggest question, do I need to go get a PCP just to have them refer to me a surgeon and give their blessing for this surgery? Or do most centers have staff who will follow you for the 90 day surgery prep? Do you think there will be a problem with my weight history if two of the last years included a time when I was pregnant? Thanks in advance for your help. I intend to call and ask more questions tomorrow so I can decide what next... jenn