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You have to let go of the shame, you can't move forward unless you are kind to yourself. My two grandgirls age 8 and 10 live here, they don't know what kind of surgery I had but they understand Grandma is on a specific plan and getting healthy. My adult kids know and where very on board with it and cheer me on. I did not tell a lot of other people, only a select few.

I have a huge age range of 8 kids: 22, 19, 18, 14, 8, 6, 4 and 1! I felt the same way you do, and totally understand. For some reason I didn't want to tell my daughter (14) because at that age I didn't want her questioning her body or self image. I told my 22 year-old the day before. He is stationed in CA in the Marines and I figured ...if something happened. He was pleased with my decision and I got the thumbs up! The other two older boys I told the truth too: my blood pressure has been high for years, high cholesterol, and now diabetic, all genetic. They KNOW I am always going, and busy - seen me going to the gym, walking 10K steps in JUST my daily routine, so they know it's not from lack of trying. They also said it was a good choice, but "surgery" made them nervous. It made ME nervous! Lol! Initially I told my 14 year old daughter that I was having a hernia repair. I told the little kids that I was just having surgery on my stomach to fix something. After I had surgery, I did tell my fourteen-year-old the truth. I figured she was smart enough to put two and two together and I didn't want her to be hurt that I lied. I explained it just like I did to the older kids and she seemed fine with it. I also told her my reasoning for not telling her right away. The good part about the kids knowing, is it a chip in and help a lot more. I couldn't pick up the one-year-old for two weeks and they were all fabulous to help. In the long run, I think the truth is better because your kids have seen you try to lose weight. They've seen you check out Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, paleo diets, Etc. Yes, this is an extreme measure but you want to be around for years to come, and they want you too! Sent from my SM-G935V using BariatricPal mobile app

I get there on 10/23 for surgery 10/24 - Dr. Diaz

Hello all! This is my first post here and I am thrilled to have this resource available at my fingertips. I have been reading posts for about two weeks and decided it was my turn to ask for your opinion. My relationship with food has been a lifelong struggle. After a while I gave up hating myself and tried to work on self love, which really just turned into justifying my bad habits. I started this gastric surgery journey at over 300 pounds after seeing a candid photograph of myself. I didn't recognize the person I saw in the photo. I had been ignoring health issues far too long that I knew were related to my habits. I began to make small changes like eliminating soda and fast food. I knew, though, that I needed to make a longer lasting change and the sleeve sounded like a great tool to reset my eating habits and relationship with food. My first appointment with the surgeon was June 8 2017. I weighed in at 294. I had four months worth of nutritionist visits, all of which I fluctuated between 295 and 297. Then I had my psychiatric evaluation on August 23 2017. My weight that visit was 299. The psychiatrist cleared me, but was very insistent that he typically wouldn't clear someone who had gained five pounds since their first visit and that my surgeon wouldn't perform the surgery unless I was down 5-10 pounds. My current weight is 290. My pre-op appointment is November 8 2017 and my surgery is scheduled for November 13, 2017. I am a nervous wreck. I have started going to the gym five days a week and doing half an hour of cardio. I don't restrict what I eat, only how much of it I eat. I know I will lose some weight as a result of the liquid pre-op diet but the psychiatrist's words haunt me. I am convinced after paying such a high deductible and all I've already been through that for some reason my surgery will be postponed. Has anyone else had a similar issue? How was it resolved?

Hi, I am wrapping up my fourth week post surgery. Eating anywhere between 400-750 calories per day. I lost 10 pounds the first 2 weeks and now nothing for 2 solid weeks....why????

Yes. Plain water made me sick for the first week to 10 days. Flavored water was OK. It has since gotten better and I can drink plain water again. No explanation why, but it is not uncommon to have issues with water.

Hi Quinn, and welcome to LBT! Glad you found us. I have to tell you, I honestly can say I do not think you will ever regret the decision to get the band. Every day I have it, I am so thankful for it. The recovery process is actually different for everyone. Have you had major surgery before? If so, you can kind of gage your recovery based on how you recovered from previous surgeries. Especially because everyone tends to react differently to anesthia. However, the first few days are the worst. I would say they more uncomfortable than anything. Plan on having gas X around for the gas pain. I also recommend a heating pad. It feels great both on your tummy and your port area. The first few nights I slept in the recliner because it was more comfortable than lieing down flat on the bed. After about day four, I started feeling definite improvement every day and felt completely back to myself after about 10 days. If you have any more questions, give us a holler. Oh, and don't forget to check out the stickies at the top of most of the forums. They are filled with tons of really useful information.

I'm 15 days post op. I've been a perfect little patient and not strayed from my prescribed diet, with the exception of a couple puffed cheetos last week. Today, I grocery shopped, bought some plain chips to pack in lunches and I had an overwhelming "need" to have some. I probably had 10 whole chips. I'm probably fooling myself, but I'd like to think my body was just screaming for salt...at any rate...I felt really bad about the whole thing. I'm on mushy type food right now, but I'm sure the chips won't hurt me cause I chewed and basically disolved them in my mouth. I just feel like one little thing will lead to out of control behavior. When just a month ago, I would have ate 1/2 the bag as an appetizer for dinner! I know I won't go my entire life without indulging some cravings, within reason, but having a band makes me feel like I can NEVER ever touch the stuff. I think I need to let it be, and go on. I guess I'm not "out of control" as I was able to stop and I know I shouldn't be having that type of stuff at this point.....*sigh* :biggrin::sad:

Glad your doing better. i bet that band is a 10 cm band but I 'm not possitive on that either. Hope you continue to improve. Sounds like you have a great family with lots of support!

Hi Everyone! I'm new here but I'm scheduled for VSG on 10/26. I finished my supervised weight loss but I'm wondering if you have to weigh in at preop appt? I have a special event the night before and was hoping to be able to eat whatever I want for the last time ever ...(not the right mentality... I know!) Let me know your experience! Thanks Sent from my SM-G920V using the BariatricPal App

I'm glad you asked that question cuz i want to know the same thing. I've been banded for almost 3 years and i'm 10 lbs heavier than when i got banded. i fell off the wagon and never went back. UNTIL TODAY!!! if there is a such thing as stretching the pouch i'm sure i would have done it. I had a fill today and i'm assuming they would have noticed if my pouch was now the size my stomach used to be. I hope we get some helpful info.

I have an appointment with the PA at my surgeon's office tomorrow. I'm 7 weeks post-op as of tomorrow as well. I do not have any fill at this point. I'm consistently losing (average of 2.25 lbs per week, not including the liquid diet phase). I can definitely eat more than I could immediately post-op but overall I am fairly satisfied with small amounts of food. For example, 2 eggs and half a slice of toast, 1/2 cup cottage cheese and 4 saltines with Peanut Butter on them, 2 oz chicken breast and a few green Beans. It seems to me that the less Fluid in the band, the less complications people experience, so I would like to take a conservative route on fills. I know the PA agrees with that. I feel comfortable with not getting a fill tomorrow, but I'd like opinions from more experienced bandsters please. My overall weight loss since I began my pre-op diet (10 days prior to surgery) is 30.8 lbs in 8 weeks. Edited to add that sometimes I am hungry 2-3 hrs after eating but other times i can go 5 hrs or more. What I usually do is eat a small amount when I'm hungry 2-3 hrs after eating but after that I usually go a longer time without hunger so overall my daily intake averages out.

style="margin:0;padding:0;background-color:#d8dde8;color:#5a5a5a;font:normal 13px helvetica, arial, sans-serif;position:relative;"> Hey BariatricPal Members! Happy New Year! BariatricPal wishes each of our members a happy and healthy year. We hope 2016 is a year you meet all your goals, whether they include getting weight loss surgery, hitting goal weight, or maintaining your loss. Here’s what we have in this newsletter to get you motivated and ready to go. A New Year’s Message from BariatricPal Time to Buckle Down: Here’s How Make Those Resolutions Last All Year! So take a look through the newsletter, then spend a few minutes to set your resolutions. It may help to come to the forums to talk about your goals and whatever else is on your mind! Then you may want to head out the door for a quick walk for a great start to the New Year. Happy New Year! Sincerely, Alex Brecher Founder, BariatricPal A New Year’s Message from BariatricPal We want to wish all our members a happy and healthy New Year! We hope 2016 will be a year that sees you come closer to achieving your dreams. We hope BariatricPal will be an important part of your weight loss surgery support system as you work towards your goals, whether they are to look into weight loss surgery, lose weight, or maintain goal weight. A Quick Look Back at 2015 2015 was a busy year for BariatricPal! The forums have been blossoming. We have a weekly VIP Member Challenge going on. As a community, we hit a total weight loss of 3 million pounds! We also opened The BariatricPal Store! This had been in the works for a while, and it is a thrill to be able to support the weight loss surgery community through supplying healthy foods and supplements. Check the store often to see what’s on sale, and see our blog for the latest store news, recipes, and discounts. More to Come in 2016! We always have more projects up our sleeve. We expect 2016 to be filled with growth and exciting new developments for BariatricPal, so stay tuned! We know none of this is possible without your support, so a huge Thank You to all our members! Insure Nutrition We are always thrilled to welcome a new newsletter sponsor into the BariatricPal family, and this month, Insure Nutrition is giving us the pleasure of doing just that. Our latest sponsor, Insure Nutrition, is an online company that specializes in getting health insurance coverage for nutritional supplements. Its Post-Bariatric Surgery Nutrition products includes Premier Protein shakes in chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry flavors and OptiSource High Protein drinks in caramel and strawberry flavors. Checking if you are eligible is easy. Insure Nutrition encourages you to use its online form to find out if you qualify. Our sponsors help make BariatricPal newsletters and other services possible. We encourage you show your thanks by considering them first for your bariatric needs. Unjury and Opurity BariatricPal is proud and excited to announce two new sponsors for our newsletters. The new sponsors are Unjury, a supplier of wonderful tasting, highest quality protein supplements, and Opurity (from the makers of UNJURY), highest purity vitamin supplements for bariatric surgery patients. Their support lets us keep BariatricPal newsletters coming to you each month. Unjury was founded by a master’s degree dietitian who has been helping patients since 1974. It is committed your health. You know the importance of getting enough protein after weight loss surgery, but you also know that meeting your protein goals can be challenging. Unjury makes your task not just easier but actually enjoyable. Product flavors include Chocolate Splendor, Chocolate Classic, Vanilla, Strawberry Sorbet, Chicken Soup Flavor, and Unflavored. These ready-to-use protein powders come in single-serve and multi-serve containers, and contain high-quality whey protein to keep you full and nourished. Launched in 2007, Opurity is dedicated to using the purest ingredients in its supplements. Opurity Bariatric Multivitamins have two unique big advantages: First, each multivitamin requires only one tablet per day*. Second, Opurity is so dedicated to quality that it is unique in using no ingredients from China. Choose from chewable orange-berry multivitamins for gastric bypass and gastric sleeve patients or for lap-band patients.Opurity also sells chewable calcium, vitamin D and folic acid/vitamin B-12 chewables. All supplements come with a 100% satisfaction guaranteed. They return policy is: “Yes you can return it.” Support from Unjury and Opurity helps us continue to bring you the services you enjoy on BariatricPal, so please support these two brands! When looking for your bariatric surgery supplements, first visit Unjury.com and Opurity.com. Purchasing from these companies helps support BariatricPal. Thanks to Unjury and Opurity for your generous sponsorship, and thanks to BariatricPal members who support our partnership! *You still need calcium and sublingual B-12. Time to Buckle Down: Here’s How It’s the New Year! That means the parties stop, the holiday treats disappear, and the stores advertise healthy foods for weight loss. Breathe a sigh of relief as the holiday food goes away! Easier to Focus There’s a good chance you slipped up a little during the holidays and need to get back on track. Even if you were perfectly disciplined, you may appreciate going back to your regular life. It’s easier stick to your everyday routine when there aren’t as many distractions. Go with a Sensible Plan For most WLS patients, a detox or fad diet isn’t the way to go. The most effective is to go back to the basics, cliché as that sounds. Focus on lean proteins and fill up on vegetables. Drink a lot of water. Eat slowly. Plan ahead. Measure your portions and log every bite. Make a Few Resolutions Remember to make them controllable, feasible, and clear. Here are some examples of better and less good resolutions. Controllable: “I will log every bite of food and stick to my 1,200 calories a day.” Not controllable: “I will lose 2 pounds every week.” You can’t control what the scale says, but you can control what and how much you eat. Feasible: “I will work out 5 days a week, leaving myself 2 days to recharge.” Not feasible: “I will work out every day.” What happens if you get sick, need a little extra sleep, or need to take a friend to the doctor? Did you fail at your resolution? Clear: “I will have fish three times a week.” Not clear: “I will eat more fish.” How do you know if you’re following your resolution if your goal is to eat “more” fish? How much is “more?” Set the Stage for Success Regardless of your specific resolutions, you’ll make more progress in your weight loss surgery journey if you set up your environment to help you succeed. Clear out your kitchen – pumpkin pie, egg nog, and Christmas cookies should be nowhere to be found. Restock it with nutritious foods you need. It should be packed with lean proteins, such as chicken, fat-free dairy products, tuna, eggs, and beans. There should be fresh vegetables and fruit, plus frozen and canned ones to do in a pinch. Round it out with some whole grains such as oatmeal, and healthy fats such as nuts and olive oil. Get your kitchen scale and measuring cups out of storage and put them in a prominent place. Check the gym schedule, get out your workout clothes, and lace up your walking shoes so you’re ready to get out the door for some exercise. There are some extra steps you can take to make progress easier this year. For example, if you’re still gathering information on weight loss surgery and trying to choose a surgeon, make a list of surgeons’ phone numbers and questions so you’re ready at a moment’s notice to make the necessary calls. Make Those Resolutions Last All Year! This year, make it easier to keep your New Year’s Resolutions with a subscription to your weight loss products from The BariatricPal Store. Choose your favorite protein bars, shakes, and smoothies, bariatric vitamins, instant meals, and great-tasting snacks. You’ll be reminded to focus on your goals every time you receive a delicious delivery from The BariatricPal Store! Just select “Subscribe and Save” on eligible products. Receive your products every 1, 2, or 3 months (your choice). Choose the quantity you want to receive. Get an automatic 10% discount on your subscription items. When your healthy meals are delivered year-round, there’s no need to go off your meal plan. You save time and can be confident of being nourished while you lose weight. That’s what we have for this newsletter. We wish you the best in your weight loss surgery journey in 2016, and hope you’ll keep sharing your goals and progress with us on the forums. Again, Happy New Year!

Hmmmm.... I think it would depend on how heavy you were prior to surgery. Someone who weighs 450 pounds would more than likely lose more than someone who weighs 250. But.... 10 pounds lost is an incredible number for a week. Over a pound a day. How much were you expecting to lose? Are you disappointed in that number? If someone else posted that loss on the boards what response would you be posting for them? I am trying to gauge if you seem happy with the loss or disappointed because your post could be read either way. Congrats on the loss.

I had mine done June 5 2012. I have lost 98 pounds and have gone from a size 22 to 10 in pants, and a 2xl to a small in shirts. I went with dr. Wade barker. When is your surgery?

I have Kaiser and went to orientation 11/25. Met with surgeon 12/10, had psych eval 12/11 and then had to finish losing the 10%. Did that and had final case manager appt 2/23 and surgery was scheduled for 4/6...a week from TODAY! For Kaiser, this was a pretty quick process. From orientation to surgery it will be about 4 1/2 months and they tell us to expect 6-18 months. I'm excited!

I have Fibromyalgia and im just starting my journey i had my band in august 2010 and have only lost 7.5 kilos.In the last few months my Fibromyalgia has been quite severe and exercising is the last thing on my mind even thought i have to do it.The only thing i can seem to do without severe pain the following day is hydrotherapy classes but the only problem is its $10 a class and i cant afford that 4 times a week. How are you going with your weight loss ?

Tonight I went to the movies with my parents to see Think Like A Man(good movie by the way). Usually I fit uncomfortably in the seats with both armrests down, the showing was sold out so I had to have the armrests down. I still spill out of the armrest BUT it wasn't painfully uncomfortable. My mom even noticed how I sit comfortably now, I was able to seat peacefully and enjoy the movie .PLUS another NSV I fit comfortably in my dad's tiny Hyundai Accent now, no hunching, looking uncomfortable or praying for a short car ride. Sat comfortably and ran errands for two hours. So excited with these results, can't wait to see what's next! Sent from my iPhone using VST

I was sleeved 2nd May, so 3 months post op now. I"m doing well, mostly feeling good (Aunt flo knocked me around pretty bad mentally the other week). I'm eating 800-1000 calories a day, minimum 75g protein (keeping detailed track in MyFitnessPal) and finding that's plenty to keep my body happy and hunger at bay. I"m not doing any major exercise/extra walking/gym etc, but am doing physical work shifting a lot of dirt, heavy digging, shoveling mulch etc in my veggie patch when the weather allows me (mid-winter here). My weight tends to stay the same for up to a week, then drop for a week, then stagnate again for a bit. I weigh myself most days but never feel disappointed when it's stalling since I know I'm eating well and the scales will eventually drop again. I'm down just over 10 BMI points now and almost half way to goal with a loss of 28kg (62 pounds), 18kg (40 pounds) of it since surgery.

I have had three fills, I have 7cc in a 10cc band. I have trouble with breads, some rice, and chx breast, basically all of the normal problem foods. I PB, slime, etc. I am not seeing consistent weight loss, but part of that may be weighing on two seperate scales (my dr is 3 hours away) and I don't think my home digital scale is all that accurate... seems accurate for my dh and kids but is 10-15 lighter than the scale in dialysis at work. Ugh. I am using my BodyBugg so I know what I am eating/burning on a daily basis. My nurse is coming into town next week to do fills, do I get a little fill or leave well enough alone?

Thanks guys for the responses. My girls are going to be 10 and 5, they are from China and we worked very hard to get them! I probably need to resign myself that I will need to wait and that it would be the best idea. I've waited since Nov of last year...what is a few more weeks? Thanks again, Tracy W.

BREAKFAST 1) Oatmeal: One packet plain oatmeal mixed with 1 tsp brown sugar, 10 g dried fruit, 10g almond slivers 200 cal can add a Greek yog with fruit for extra 80cal 2) Eggs and Bacon, 1/4c eggwhite and 3 turkey bacon = 200 cal (again add a yogurt if necessary) 3) Omelet: 1/4 c eggwhite or 1 whole egg, cook spinach tomato and garlic in separate pan for bulk, add quiona for texture and depending on your calorie allotment feta cheese for a punch of flavor (2-300 cal). SNACKS: 1/2 c cottage cheese (80 cal), greek yogurt (80 cal), cheese stick and slice of ham (80 cal), soft laughing cow cheese on rice cake (80 cal), soup (100 cal), after workouts I have protein shakes for proper recovery (100-150 cal), hummus on rice cake or well toasted low cal bread 1) df

^ Slow and Steady wins the race. Well, 2 days to 10 weeks now and I've not lost much more honestly. But...the inches! Goodness the inches. I'm down from a super tight uncomfortable size 18 jean (at the waist) to a 12 perfect fit. Haven't been this size since highschool! I'm actually smaller than highschool to be honest. I barely have anymore stomach left. It's just my lower pouch...but I've had two kids...and my youngest just turned a year on the 25th...so yeah. That might never be gone for all I know...but come on now...size 18 to size 12...if that's not hope...what is? I'm also wearing medium size shirts now. I was a L/XL. Usually XL. I could sort of get away with a large if I wore my steel lined corset underneath. I've tossed that for 2 months now lol. My face is super slim, and contoured now. I'm loving this. Hoping this keeps up!

Hi Brenda, I'm glad to know I'm not too crazy, dreamin about food! LOL. I think it's some kind of fear or loss thing? Anyways, I'm not allowed anything but clear liquids for the first 10 days, as I was a higher risk, according Dr. Aceves. I had a lot of scar tissue and such on the upper stomach, close to the esophagus, so even swallowing liquids has been a bit of a trial. They didn't allow me to even drink water until day 3 at the hospital. AH! So... I'm taking this kind of gross supplement of liquid Protein called ProStat 64 http://www.pro-stat.com/pro-stat_64.asp It smells like carmel a little bit, but is icky sweet. I'm sure that's due to the same changes many here have noted, things taste sweeter, almost gross... But it's 15 grams of liquid protein in 1 oz serving. So... I guess I should take some more, it is just BAD it's too sweet (and this is the "flavorless/natural" version). Anyways, thanks for the advice. As of Wednesday, I'll try moving to the full liquids and should be able to take in more Proteins, which is good. I've been sucking on sugar free Jello for the little bit of protein there, the only one that isn't too sweet is strawberry so far. Also, made some beef broth, so I'm really trying. Just getting liquids in is killin me. :thumbup1: Thanks for the tips, and I'll keep you posted on how my transition to full liquids goes on Wed. I have a feeling it will be much much better for me at that point. Even a little sugar free chocolate milk, which I would usually not be too fond of sounds SOOOOO good right now. Am I nuts? And seriously, is it normal for me to feel like I'm totally starving? Or is this in my head? :001_rolleyes:

I usually will "gain" 2-4 pounds during a couple hour bike ride...and thats my goal now. But I will drink 10 pounds of water or more during longer rides. I weigh myself before and after most all longer exercise sessions....just to make sure I'm not getting dehydrated. Easier said than done, but don't fret over the daily fluctuations...It'll drive ya crazy.