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Try to hang in there. The 16th is just around the corner. Make sure you are getting enough protein in your liquid diet, as the protein helps make you feel full longer. I have been doing a liquid pre-op since 3/10 and am averaging around 120g of protein a day... For what it's worth, I have not been hungry at all... I guess all of us respond differently. Good luck!

So I had pizza last night.. I was craving it.. (I know I know) I blame the $10 for any large pizza email I got from Pizzahut...anyways I got thin crust thinking this would help with bloating...etc.. Eh it's just not the same.. you ever eat something cause you had a craving and then you're like "eh" this isn't what I was expecting." or "this isn't as good as I thought it would be" - yep totally the reaction I had last night. Or maybe it's truly that I just don't care for pizza really, and especially pizza hut.. either way I was just about full after a piece, I started to eat another one and I was done.. which makes me glad I didn't get hand tossed but seriously who wants pizza on a cracker? Ick!

So I had pizza last night.. I was craving it.. (I know I know) I blame the $10 for any large pizza email I got from Pizzahut...anyways I got thin crust thinking this would help with bloating...etc.. Eh it's just not the same.. you ever eat something cause you had a craving and then you're like "eh" this isn't what I was expecting." or "this isn't as good as I thought it would be" - yep totally the reaction I had last night. Or maybe it's truly that I just don't care for pizza really, and especially pizza hut.. either way I was just about full after a piece, I started to eat another one and I was done.. which makes me glad I didn't get hand tossed but seriously who wants pizza on a cracker? Ick!

I couldn't answer the poll. I went back at 4 days post-op. I was still pretty weak. At 5 days, I did a bit better. I was operating at about 75% until 10 days post-op when I was feeling 100% better. I have a medium-level physical job. I work night security patrol. Getting in and out of a patrol vehicle a couple dozen times all night long, walking through properties, etc.

100lbs in 10 months.. I think that's pretty serious too.

I have gone through this every morning of my six-month pre-op diet. I won't get an accurate weight until after about 10:00am or so. I am still ridding my body of liquid until that point. If I weigh super early (before 7am), it can easily be a 2ish pound difference. I've learned to know that and accept it -- but it was a hard pill to swallow in the beginning!

I was banded on September 15, 2011, and by all accounts I'm doing very well. I'm making healthy choices, following all the band rules, and I'm exercising. I've got a 14cc band, and my surgeon will only give me 1cc at a time, so I've been at 4cc for the past month. I had another fill on Tuesday, and I got him to give me 1.5cc this round, and am now up to 5.5cc. At this point, I have no restriction, the only reason I know I have a band is because I paid the 10% insurance didn't cover. I know it's only been two days since the fill so I understand that this fill may get me to a point where I will at least feel something resembling restriction - but nothing yet. I'm not to the point where I'm giving up and saying that this isn't going to work for me, but I am at the point where I'm saying I did this to get some help and #$&it I want help now! Right now, I feel like my life is focused on denial. I'm not eating what I want to eat, I'm eating what I should eat, all in proper portions. I'm constantly hungry, and I'm always thinking about the things I'd rather eat even though I plan my food a day ahead and stick to the plan. If I didn't plan, I'd end up making bad choices. I quit eating after I've eaten my allotted portion, and I'm still hungry. The last time I actually remember feeling satisfied was after going out to dinner with a friend, and I ate the full restaurant portion. I explained this to my surgeon, and asked if I should see a psychiatrist, because I'm committed to making this work, and I'll do anything to get there. He doesn't think a psychiatrist will help, that my problem is about the lack of restriction, and once I get there I'll be fine. Add to this the fact I've been at a plateau for a couple of weeks now and I feel totally and utterly defeated. I log every bite of food I take, and wear a Fitbit activity tracker to monitor my calories burned. There has not been one single day that I have consumed more calories than I've burned. In fact, it says that I should be losing about 3.2 pounds per week, which of course I am not. I had the stomach flu, and weighed the morning it started, ate a very small Breakfast before getting sick. Didn't eat or drink for two days, weighed before I started eating & drinking again and I gained a pound!!! I know it's a plateau but I just want to scream!! I've lost 80 pounds since I started my preop diet, something I should be thrilled with and proud of. Instead I'm focusing on things I have not achieved yet, and the foods & portions I'd rather be eating. I look in the mirror and I'm still completely disgusted by what I see, because lets face it, my shape is still a blob (no curves). I look at my BMI, and I need 1 more pound to be just "obese" instead of "morbidly obese", so no progress there either. People never acknowledge to me that they can see I'm losing weight, & I don't think I look much different than when I started. I'm still wearing my biggest clothes because I can, and I can't afford new clothes every time I drop a size. I've gone from a comfortable 26 to a snug 20 as I did have to get a new pair of jeans, which just doesn't seem like a lot to me - as ultimately I need to get to a size 8. I am so negative and down lately that I can't even stand to be around myself. If anyone can offer advice or suggestions to get me out of this negative cloud, I'll be forever in your debt!

I was also banded Dec. 27th (was a popular day!). My surgeon will not bill me for fills for 6 months at least he said (I was his first banding and he is still 'feeling' out the logistics for his practice). I had my first fill on 1/25 and my second last week, on 2/10. I agree with the above poster that I would be asking questions, at least demand a face-to-face appointment to discuss this issue. It is one thing if he does't want to do it because you are losing well, not healing or something. But to just not see you to make that determination is unacceptable. I wish you good luck! I want to see all of the Dec. 27th group do well!

I was sleeved 12/10 and all I did was burping the first week. I never passed gas until a week or a week in a half postop.

I was plugged up for a week after surgery. It was hell. diahhreah would have been a welcome situation. Unfortunately, I'm now 10 weeks out and still have a problem going to the bathroom. It was always easy for me. Now I strain, go 2 - 3 days without going (I used to go every day, sometimes twice). I have to say, that so far this is the one negative of being banded. I don't feel good when I'm irregular, and hard BMs just plain hurt.

Hi, I will be starting solid food in 2 weeks (YAY!). And I need your valued opinion on some stuff. I want to try some food but I want to know if I'll get in the required amount of Proteins with these items. 1) Many have commented that they eat cottage cheese for Protein. I love cottage cheese but I'm a bit skeptical about it because of the fat content. I know there are some low-fat brands but I dont get many options in India. So, do you think it is advisable to have regular cottage cheese? How many grams of protein do you think it has in, say, 3 one inch cubes (coz that is what I think I can handle for a day with my sleeve LOL) 2) I rarely eat non-vegetarian food. I only take eggs regularly. So I'm out of touch eating chicken though I used to LOVE it in my school days. I'm planning to start eating chicken when I start solid food. Now, I was wondering how many pieces I'll be able to eat for a meal and how much protein I'll get from it. I know everyone has a diff capacity but I just want to get a rough idea. 3) Some say they eat peanuts, roasted soybeans etc. I'm again skeptical about these because of the fats. Your opinion pls... I welcome any other suggestions from you. I want to have a protein rich diet when I start the solid phase coz I haven't really been able to get as much protein as required till now. Though I'm making sure my food is low carb and low calories, I havent been concentrating on proteins. I just take 1 protein mix a day (20 gms protein), 2 egg whites (6.5 gms protein), lentils and pulses 2 times daily (10 gms protein), milk twice daily (3 gms protein). I barely get in 40 gms of proteins a day. Though I dont have any complications I really dont want to mess up because of my carelessness. PS: What do you think is the healthy amount of fat and carbs that I can take in a day?

I didn't feel restriction until my 3rd fill, 6 cc's in a 10 cc band. Good luck and hang in there.

Took me 6 fills to get to the green zone...... 7.7 in 10 cc. Be patient. Once you get to the green zone & follow the rules you will be fine. Good Luck!

Missy is right I'm afraid. I honestly don't think I'm in the green zone yet and I'm 10 months post op, not sure how much I have in my band, sorry but some days I can eat chicken and some days I can't, some days I can eat eggs and some days I can't, same thing with toast. 2 days ago I tried eating pulled pork BBQ and either ate too big of a bite, didn't chew enough or the stringy mess just slid down but I got stuck BIG time and ended up sliming, and then vomiting up everything I ate, a forceful vomit, not PB'ing which was not good for me at all. Am I afraid of trying BBQ that I have left in the frige, no, I will try it again but will be mindful of cutting it up into tiny pieces and chewing, what has really helped me is what someone else posted on here not too long ago, chew and say the alphabet. Most of my food intake is healthy choices like chicken, fish, oatmeal, cereal, tuna, cheese quesadilla grilled in a nonstick skillet with low fat cheese and for dessert greek yogurt with fruit on bottom or fresh fruits. It just so happen the other day I was craving pork BBQ and got some and well that night it didn't agree with me. I try to stay away from chips because I can't stop at one, however I'm a popcorn freak and I will eat that once a month as a treat but only a little. Be a little more creative in your food choices. Chili is good, loaded with protein, actually I love Wendy's chili, I get their small and eat it and its all I can do to eat that amount. However with that said when I go to Cracker Barrel and order a bowl of beef stew I can pretty much eat the whole bowl, go figure, I'm sure that is more than a cup worth which is what we are suppose to go by, eating 1 cup of food at each meal or at least by my surgeon's directions. I wish you well and good luck, you can do this.

Thank you all. Quitting smoking is NOT an easy thing thats for sure. I've tried Wellbutrin and I'm not kidding when I say this....I started smoking more! Needless to say I went off of that. I'm scared with being only 6 wks out I'm going to develope ulcers. I know all this but I just cant quit and I'm really getting mad at myself. The island with cabana boys would really do wonders for me.....it would surely keep me occupied! Give me a bottle of Captain Morgan, a few hot cabana boys..........life would be good! lol!! Oh wait, I cant drink yet! Will life ever be normal again? I know a few months down the road I'll look back and say "it wasn't all that bad" but right now it just seems like it will never end. I cant go to the gym yet, I do walk a lot and I'm down a total of 56 lbs (26 before surgery o 11/19/10). I don't like this phase I'm in right now tho. Oh well, this to shall pass.

Did you follow a pre-op diet? Yes. I was on a 1300 calorie a day pre-op diet eating high protein and low carb foods. If so, what/how long was it? I began my self-prescribed diet on October 18, 2011 until I had surgery on March 21, 2012. I did not have to do the pre-op liquid diet -- my doctor just told me to continue doing what I was doing since I had lost nearly 50 lbs. I know many people use My Fitness Pal, but I discovered FatSecret.com before learning about My Fitness Pal. I used FatSecret.com to log my foods either on my computer or on my phone. I contribute much of my success to daily log-ins of my food, liquids and exercise. On a scale of "no-pain at all" to "just shoot me", how would you rate your recovery process after surgery? I was on the "no/relatively low pain" end of the scale. On a scale of 1-10, mine at it's worst was a 3. I rarely used the pain meds in the one-night I was in the hospital and only used it a couple times over the next two days at home. Now, with this being said, around week three I developed a pain near my incision that the stomach was removed from. I think I overdid cleaning out my closet, however I have also learned that many develop this pain/stitch around week 2-3 as the organs are reestablishing themselves in the body. I had odd feelings when I laid on my side to sleep as it felt like my insides where shifting so I used my tummy-pillow during week one and then weeks three-four.

I too had surgery on 6/19 and I feel GREAT! Barely any pain just a little around the incisions...I also had a hernia repair at the same time of this surgery and besides my 2 c sections this is my 3 surgery in my abdomen area...i am also a belly sleeper but i cant do that yet...i can sleep on my side though without pain...I want to go walking but wasn't sure I could actually work out yet...food goes down well but I am still on full liquid I can't wait to eat salad, fruit, and veggies again I miss that! I am definitely going through the food depression of seeing everyone else eat food and I know I can't...but I am getting better...I am down 8lbs since surgery so I am happy! It seems like everyone truly has different experiences with this surgery it is nice to talk to everyone about it....

I had a fill on 10/15, but it hasn't "kicked-in" yet, as I am still on mushy food. My doc said not to expect any restriction until I start eating "real" food (this weekend). The 37 pounds is all post-op. I weighed 265, when they weighed me at discharge. That's pretty consistent with my weight for the last year or so. My wife, who sees me every day, has noticed quite a difference already. I can't wait to see the reaction of some people I haven't seen in awhile.

I can only tell you my own experence. I have a beautiful 5 year old little girl. I got Hannah when she was 3months old and very sick. The first year was very hard, lots of time making trips to the Doctor. Hannah was the child of my brothers wife, (not his, she's biracial) and born with cocaine in her system. The mom continued to use drugs and breast feed her. When she finally ran off again my brother called us and said come get these babies, their are 5 all together, but he ment the two youngest. After years of going to get the girls from vairous police stations and keeping them thru stays in jail for both of them, my sisters decided between them that I was going to take this one and not give her back. If I had not received the support from my friends and family I couldn't have made it thru the stress of court and a raising a child. Did I mention that I am single, I was resighned to never having children of my own at 32, or that my mom had died suddenly of phnumonia 10 months before? You know how they say if you wait till you can afford kids you will never have them? It bankrupted me to fight for 3+ years in court. Would I do it again for Hannah? You bet your ass I would. She is so healthy now, tallest kid in her kindergarden class, smart and beautiful. I don't have time to feel sorry for myself anymore and having my surgery next week is just as much for her as it is for me. I want to ride rollercoasters with her and take her to Disneyland and do all the things its hard for me to do at 350lbs. She is my inspiration and the best thing I will ever do. I know its not for everyone, kids are hard. They are generally ungrateful, messy, have the worst timing, break your stuff, and tourture the cat. Hannah filled my whole life up and I never knew I had that much available space. I know what its like to have a baby just fall out of the sky and into your arms, I have had moments of doubt, but never regret. Candy To be banded in TJ on 8-25-06

I was banded Oct 30, and have had 4 fills. I agree usually after I loose 10-15 pounds I think I need another fill. I am doing awesome though, I have lost 68 pounds, I agree you wont really feel full, but satisfied. You have to really stop and think about what you are eating and how much. Not sure I have found the sweet spot either, but I think I am really close. The key to loosing is the exercise, I work out in the gym 3 days a weeks with a trainer, and what a difference. I started out in a 26 and I actually bought 18 shorts this weekend.

I am 5'7", began my journey at 252 lbs. BMI 38, and every co-morbidity except diabetes (high blood pressure, sleep apnea, high cholesterol, joint arthritis, GERD). I lost 10 pounds on the 6 month diet for insurance, was on liquid diet 3 weeks pre-op(supposed to be 2 but I caught a slight cold and they bumped my surgery a week, not enough time to stop and start again, so I stayed on it an extra week). Lost 25 more on the liquid pre-op, and the rest of the weight has come off since surgery. I mainly walk for exercise, plus Curves. I walk in a park that has a 2 mile nature trail, and I try to do twice around, sometimes 3. When I lose daylight during the week I will be doing Curves and Water Aerobics, with the park on weekends. I can't address the diabetes issue, but after my followup blood work, I was able to stop 2 cholesterol meds (recheck in 6 mons), one blood pressure med (may lose the other one later on) and my GERD med. Will be having a sleep study to assess my apnea later this year. My cholesterol numbers were so good I don't think I was born with them that good! (Total 142,Triglycerides 53--used to be 300 or more even on meds--LDL 66, and HDL 65). I have gone from 22W size to currently 12-14. My knees still have arthritis, but they feel infinitely better than they did before. It is definitely worth it. I have never managed to lose more than 20 on any other weight loss attempt.

Hi Firebolt! I thought they may have stitched your Mom up without the equator that is left in your stomach and that was why she was seeping. :smile2: It had no where else to go... :confused: I guess I should watch out for this too. I have no idea about the scar size either... Right now I don't even care as long as the darn thing closes up quickly and heals. I just want to feel normal again and healthy... Is your Mom on a liquid/soft diet still for 2 weeks after surgery? They have me on one. The Doctor did said the xrays they took the day after surgery in the hospital to make sure everything was sealed and nothing leaking out from the stomach, that you can tell exactly where the band was and my stomach is still holding that shape. He said it can stretch back out but try and keep it small and not overeat I can't really eat more then about 5 bites and things don't taste good to me except for grape juice. I only drink a very small amount of that but I figure the antioxidants will be good for me and hopefully heal as quick as possible. I can tell each day is getting a little easier. I'll just be happy to get the first 10 days behind me. I'm suppose to see the Doctor again 2 weeks out of surgery so I'm hoping by then things look really good and healed... How is your Mom's recovery going and how was her visit with her Doctor? Is she in pain or fairly comfortable now? She's lucky to have you! GOOD LUCK to both of you! :ohmy:

I had my surgery on 9/19 as well, and go next Friday 10/18 for my first fill. I've lost 10 pounds since my surgery, but nothing in the past week. I keep getting frustrated. I am doing everything right as far as I can see, as I am sure you are as well. Do you use my fitness pal? I am finding that it is very helpful. If you use it or decide to use it, would love to be your friend. We are all on this new journey together. You got this! You are doing a good job. Things will get easier!

This happened to me. It's very discouraging! I lost 10 lbs after surgery and then gained 5 lbs back. I have slowly taken it off and lost 3 lbs more. I checked with my dr. and he said the first 6 wks are for healing. Weight loss starts after the fills. Your job now is to protect your pouch and let your stomach heal. It has been 6 wks since my surgery and I have lost 13 since surgery (35 total counting pre-banding lbs.) I have followed my drs. guidelines and my dietician has reviewed my diet journal and says I'm eating the right things. She suggested bumping up my exercise to 1- 1 1/2 hrs a day. I did increase my exercise. It just is slow going. I'm looking forward to my first fill next week. Hopefully I will see more results a little faster. But truly, my dr. says 2 lbs a week is good and that should be happy with that--which I am--beats what I used to weigh. Good luck and follow your drs. rules. It will come off. Keep your chin up!

Hi Jaygerlo5- My Surgeon is Dr. Hamn. I had surg on 6-2-05. I had lost 33# by 7/10 (actually only 25# because I lost 8# before surg) I was at a plateau, and was told Dr. Hamn doesn't do the 1st fill until 10 wks post op. He was on vacation my 10th week, so I have my first fill 8/19. Before my fill, I could eat whatever I wanted. Just not as much as before the band. Now that I've has my first fill (1.5cc), I'm definately tighter. I was on liquids 3 days and then soft diet for about 1 wks. I just tried a cheese stick wrapped w/ turkey and although I chewed real good, it still feels tight, but the 1 cheese stick w/ turkey has filled me up for now. Before the Fill, I could even do a handfull of popcorn. (my favorite food.) and just about anything else. Now I hesitate because I know it's tighter. I did try popcorn yesterday and got maybe 15 pieces down and was satisfied. (they're empty calories- so I didn't fill up.) I won't lie to you. After surg- the first thing I thought was, "oh GOD, what have I done." I've never had any type of abdominal surgery before... so the abdominal pain was intense. But by the next morning, with the help of a pillow across my abdomin whenever I walked, I was doing okay. I had surg on Thursday and by Sat I was walking 1/4 mile. Daily the pain got better. I went back to work on Wednesday. (could have gone back monday- but glad I took the extra time.) The worst part was the pain at the port site incision. It felt like everytime I sat down, the port was poking under my rib. I didn't notice that after about 3-4 wks. I originally bought 2 bottles of liquid Adult strength tylenol. I still have 1/4th of the 1st bottle left. Yes- I was apprehensive. We've all been there. I kept thinking- I've lost wgt in the past I can do it again. But I knew that I needed that help of the lap-band to control my portons. I can now eat approx 1/4th of a chicken breast or about 2 oz Protein w/ veggies and possible salad or some rice and I'm full. Would I do it again...... IN A HEART BEAT!! Keep your chin up and good luck. We may run into each other in Dr. Hamn's Ofc.