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To Sue and everybody else who added to this post, I want to thank you all. I was going to put out my own SOS cuz I am in the exact same situation. I did pretty good up til the week of Christmas. Then I gained about 4 pounds and have not been able to get it off. Now I am afraid that I will gain even more if I don't get a hold of myself pretty soon. I work in a school setting too. It is very difficult as there is always something or somebody tempting you. I like the advice about just thankiing that person and not taking the gift. I WILL eat it and eat it until it is all gone. So anyway, my question was how do I get myself back on that wagon that I thought I was going to be back on? Cut out bad carbs, stabilize my blood sugar...anything else? I really need to do this before I slide completely back to my old ways. It's REALLY SCARY to be in this place! Any more advice from anybody? I could sure use it. Thanks to everybody. Pam

Jan 6 jan 16 jan 31 feb 7 today 225 start weight 278.0 IM MY OWN MOTIVATION

I started mushies and my weight loss STOPPED totally. I fluctuated up about 2lbs. Soft foods...same thing. Started on solids 2 weeks later and voila! Weight started coming off again. Hang in there and don't worry.

@@ambrosia916, I think you might want to see what is required by your insurance. Your dietician may have a point. There's a reason why you need bariatric surgery, just like the rest of us. Maybe gaining 8 lbs will put you where you need to be in order to qualify for the surgery. Check your insurance qualifications for surgery.

Yep, you are doing fine. You will have starts and stops, but the inches continue to drop away even when the pounds are not. Your body needs adjustment times in between chunks of weight loss. Relax, and weigh once a week when you are in a stall, so you don't get stressed.

Got back on insurance yesterday! Then called my Dr. and said, file that insurance and get me my refund! It took the day before filing for a court hearing to show I was serious about putting me back on insurance. So all he had to do was call and put me back on and I was back on as if I never lost the insurance! Now I can stopped being so stressed. The P.A. who did my fill said that stress was definitely a factor as to why I hadn't lost any weight and I had been working out so much! Plus he said I wasn't taking in enough calories and my body was holding on to the weight. Imagine that? So day 2 after fill and eating mashed potatoes again, but no pain, just a big fat bruise at the port site. No weight loss this week, GRRRRRR! And I have another appointment for my next fill in 3 weeks! Wow! Spring is coming quick and I am hoping to be down another 40 lbs for my final divorce hearing! Strut my stuff and be proud of it! Having the lap band is not a magical overnight fix it, I am still putting in the hard work and won't give up!:thumbup:

So Chickie; Hi I have just made the decision to have LAPBAND in Toronto. I am happy (to have finally jumped off the fence) and have hope now that I will be able to lose/&maintain my weight. Could you share with me what your menu might be like in a given day?

It's ok, I don't mind sharing! I had 1cc removed because despite cutting back on my exercise, and trying to eat more, I was still losing. I was happier with my weight at 114lbs... And 107 is just a wee bit low for me. If I continue to lose, I will have more taken out. So far, I am not really noticing a real change in my appetite, and I don't see that my portion sizes have changed any - yet, so the jury is still out.

I am 1 year 2 months post-op. I have had five fills and I have lost 97 pounds. My surgeon stated that I will begin to just maintain at this point-which I have I eat 1450 calories a day to maintain-does that sound correct. BMI from 47.8 to 28.9

By the time I scheduled my surgery I couldn't diet if you paid me a million dollars. I joined WW with a friend as my last attempt before resorting to surgery. I didn't make it 3 weeks and I quit. I think I had truly hit some kind of emotional wall. I was just so OVER dieting. Don't get me wrong, I love food too and I still enjoy it, just much less of it. The band is successful with a huge percentage of people. You'll be amazed how much easier it is when you aren't fighting that hungry tiger all the time. Willpower is not the way to lose weight. That's like trying to push a rock up a hill, how long can you do it before it overtakes you. You need a permanent solution and lapband, IMHO, is the best thing going! Good luck and let us know how you are getting along. I'll be cheering for you!

Most of us don't after surgery- hence the raging hunger. When I was on the post op diet, I spread out my food so I could eat every 2 hours and got as much protein as possible. I even added clear unflavored Protein powder to stuff like Soup just to try better control the hunger. It wasn't easy, but it's how I was able to stick to the diet plan and lose weight despite having an empty band. Hang in there

I'm getting sleeved on tuesday and from what i read and know it's an Adkins type diet we all follow after surgery. High in Protein, low in cards. If you need structure, follow the adtkins exactly for a while..the first phase is very strict and then it gets a bit more lienient as the stages progress. You can still have high quality foods, just limit them to whats on their list of foods. You can eliminate carbs slowly is you can't tolerate going all the way. Carbs are easily processed by the body so your metabolism doens't have to kick up when you eat them. If you eat a little protein every 3-4 hours, your body's metabolism has to kick up to process the protein. Making meals and Snacks with high protein will hellp with weight loss. Good luck with your journey! Gayle

Man I love mushies. My protein shakes were tolerable, but this is definitely better. Right now I’m perfectly fine with my new diet. The portions (2 oz protein, 1 oz carb 6 times a day) are more than adequate for me. I’m still feeling plenty of restriction and sometimes I’m not even eating my entire meals. I do feel hunger, usually if I haven’t eaten in 3 hours or more, but otherwise I’m fine. I’m thrilled with my progress so far but I’m waiting on this bandster hell I hear about to hit. The way I feel right now, I can’t imagine it happening to me, although I know it’s still early and it might. I had my first follow up with Dr. G on Tuesday, 1 day after I started mushies, so I was able to discuss how my body is reacting to the beginning of this new stage in my diet. I do sometimes feel that pressure in my chest but it’s been less often as the week has gone by. He said that’s fine, but that I should try and slow down my eating. Of course I feel like I’m eating really slowly already—I usually take anywhere from 15-20 minutes to eat my designated portions. Since my post op instructions said to aim for 5 minutes per ounce of protein/carb, 15 minutes is the right time frame. But I guess my body just needs even more time right now. I also explained that even when I felt “full” up in my chest area, I still could feel my tummy rumbling—like I could tell the difference between my pouch and the rest of my stomach which was still empty. He said that the mushies shouldn’t necessarily fill me up at this stage and that it was fine that I was feeling that way. I think it might have just been psychological though. I’m not really having problems with that anymore. Even more exciting than the fact that I am not hungry physically, is how little head hunger I’ve been suffering from. I can only think of 1 day, the first week after surgery when I had really bad head hunger. Otherwise I’ve been OK. Sure, I’ll see commercial with some yummy looking food, or see what someone else is eating and I’ll want it, but it’s not the same as it was before. Just yesterday the people at my office went on a Friendly’s run for ice cream sundaes. I was able to sit with them while they were eating it and not have any problems. Sure, they looked nice and tasty, but that was it. It’s almost how I’ve always imagined it must feel to be a “normal” person without an eating disorder—to see food and to want it a little, but not to be consumed with that desire. To be able to say no and move on without this obsessive nagging in my head reminding me of how good it will taste and how much I want it. Okay, I’m seriously tearing up right now because I’m so happy about this. Anyhow, Dr. G explained that because the band presses on the Vagus nerve—a nerve which runs directly to your brain and has effects on hunger and satiety—that there is actually a neurological component to the band as well that will often make patients want to eat less. I’m thinking this is my favorite part of the band so far. And last but not least, I got clearance to go back to the gym. When I had my appointment Tuesday, I had my gym bag packed and in the car with me so I could go straight there after I got the okay. Dr. G said I was allowed to do very light lifting and cardio, but warned me not to do the cardio machines on an incline or with too much resistance. He doesn’t want me grunting and groaning and getting my intra-abdominal pressure up yet because he said that it can make the band go from being arranged in a 2 o’clock to7 o’clock direction to a 3 o’clock to 9 o’clock direction which will screw me up. So I headed to the gym and got on the elliptical—no incline or resistance. I tried to go slow which was the hardest part since I very carefully selected my gym music to be songs that motivate me to work out hard. Since I had to hold back I tried to make up for it in length and did a full hour. I skipped Wed, and Thurs as I work 12 hour days and spend most of that on my feet, but I headed back today and repeated my work out from Tues. It felt great. Plus I think it stimulated my weight loss again. I slowed down last week on the last week of fluids but the weight seems to be melting off again now that I’m on mushies and exercising. I think my metabolism just needed a boost. I’m so happy with how everything is going so far. I'm feeling good and I'm down 26.4 pounds. This band kicks ass. Dr. G was pleased with my progress as well. I also met with my psychiatrist today—the one who cleared me for surgery—and he also says it seems like I’m doing great. So basically everything is great. I truly and completely believe that I made the right decision getting my band and that I’m going to be so successful with this. It’s a great feeling to have. Alright, I’m tearing up again it’s time for me to get my ass up and go get a tissue. Hasta la vista, amigos.

Ok, my question is... I was banded on 10/24. By the 3rd day I was fine with drinking fluids. It's now been, 2.5 and I'm already eating. yes I know I'm not suppose to, but I stay so hungry! I'm, afraid I'll strech my stomach, is this possible? I'm not eating anywhere near wha i use to, but I'm already eating "soft foods". I'm afraid I'll gain weight before my 1st fill in 3 weeks. Anyone else have this problem?

Yep! This is your time to heal. Any weight loss at this point is a bonus. However, I would closely keep track of what you're intaking and keep bad food choices (empty calories) to a minimum. It takes most people quite a few fills to get settled in. It's hard to keep from getting frustrated but it will get easier as you progress. Brad

I am so sorry that the band malfunctioned. As well as I am sorry that you suffered MDD. At least you can get it corrected and you are not back at starting weight. I beleive life is a journey and there is never really a "goal" but just the trip we must take. I hope your new proceedure goes well and you find yourself where you want to be. You definately didnt fail, the band did and you have still done very well! Best wishes!

After I got under 200 pounds, I stopped caring much about my lapband. I have one fill and I was satisfied. .. At one point (after suffering from severe major depression and PTSD) I got down to 148 pounds and had a body I had never had.. When I recovered from MDD, I gained 20 pounds. Slowly, I noticed I had less and less friction when I ate. When the band was "effective" I had productive burps, and spit up every once and a while. Now, there is no productive burping at all.. I went in and saw a new doctor-- and explained how I felt? I went through a pre-approval process to get the band looked at underneath a special xray machine.. when he injected fluid-- it came right out.. right at the junction where the port and the tubing meet. I was right about losing friction slowly but surely! wow! --after another pre approval process; I am scheduled to get a new port and tube replacement. I am now 180 pounds and really hope I can lose some of this extra weight before my DH and I try to try for our first child. Thanks for listening

I had RNY gastric bypass surgery. I lost weight quickly. Those who have sleeve surgery generally lose weight at a slower pace and encounter many stalls along the way. [Someone on the board even created a slogan for it called "Embrace the Stall"]. My weight loss came to an end around 7 months and I transitioned into a maintenance phase. Sleeve patients can achieve the same degree of weight loss but it is over a longer time period. Many are still losing weight after 2 years. It took me around 6 months before all the problems that I encountered after surgery seemed to melt away and I entered a Happy State. So do not expect the problems to disappear overnight. It will take time.

Hi All I am now 2 months post surgery, 35kg lost. started back in the gym and looking for ideas for work out programmes? having spent a lot of my youth trying to lift heaviest possible weights what should I be doing now? still using the weights or all cardio? I have never wanted to be "thin" so thinking weights will be best? any personnel trainers on here?? cheers Steve

I have two kids, 3 and 4, that are the love of my life. My son is big but thin; my daughter is not a big eater at all but she is a bit chubby. I don't really notice it until she's around other kids and she's a lot thicker. Both kids like to swim, play outside, etc. My husband and I are trying to build healthy family habits, and since we're both sleeved, there's not a lot of junk in the house anyway. My pediatrician isn't overly alarmed but asked us to keep an eye on it. I feel like we are doing all the things recommended for healthy kids, but I wonder if it's really possible for two parents who've battled weight to have kids that can outrun their genetic lottery toward weight gain. Thoughts?

Don't worry after the 3 week stall you will start to loose fast again. The stalls are just part of the process, you get worried you are doing some thing wrong or the surgery stopped working. The stalls are the way your body looses weight, you are putting your body through a big change.

There was a study that came out recently about how the body reacts to artificial sweeteners. However, I was on a low carb diet for three years before I was banded, and artificial sweeteners never made me hungry the way sugar and white carbs did (does). Even now, a year after surgery, if I had to live without artificial sweeteners, I would probably fail miserably. How long post op is he supposed to be on the liquid diet? Every doctor is different with their dietary rules. Mine said I had to lose 5% of my body weight pre op, and could use a variety of diets to achieve that depending on how much time I had to diet before surgery. After surgery, I was on Clear Liquids for 7 days, then two weeks of "full liquids" which included yogurt drinks, cream Soups, and Protein shakes. I didn't use slim fast, but I did have a Protein shake mix that contained artificial sweeteners. I still use it occasionally when I think I am shorting myself on protein. Some doctors say no caffeine after surgery, and some (like mine) said coffee is fine. I don't really know what to add about the slurping down liquids to test for a good fill level. I found that my own sensations of fullness or "backing up" were more reliable than what the doctor saw on the fluoroscope to determine a correct fill level. I wouldn't think drinking rapidly once or twice would cause damage, but on the other hand, I always would have problems drinking quickly without having some real discomfort, so I don't think it would provide a reliable indication of correct fill level. The problem with a doctor presenting a patient with too strict and too limiting a post op diet is that it makes it that much harder for the patient to stick to it. I would think he would get VERY hungry on just broth after more than a week, when the stomach swelling from surgery goes down. However, I realize we all often think our own doctors are the wisest and give the best advice, while any deviation from that is questionable.

I have not posted in a while. I have been pretty depressed with my weight lose. I know part was my fault because I was not exercising, but I have been so tired with no energy! I finally forced myself this week to join the gym. I have my best friend and my sister join with me so if one is unable to go the other will be there sooooooooo that makes me have to go!!! I am only able to do 1.25 miles right now but that is better then nothing and OMG the elliptical is WAY!!!!!!! out of my league right now. I was only able to do 2 minutes on that. I went out and bought 5 new shirts (1x size) WOOHOOO.... because my best friend told me I was starting to look like dumpy because they were getting to big on me LOL...... so I found some good sales! and teased her when I lose some more weight she will have some new shirts! I just hate to buy items when I wont be wearing them very long ( I hope!!!!!) We have planned a trip in January for 10 days to Kauai!!! I am so excited to go to Kauai, but I sit here and worry about clothes and what I will have to order because there will not be any stores that will be carrying shorts and swim suits in Dec. I dont know what size I will be and if I order items off the web will they fit, will I have to return them or what??? I don't like to order off the web much because unless you try them on you dont know how they will look or feel. Crossing fingers my goal is to be under 200 by then! All I have to say, don't give up! All the other post and blogs from people about how much they lose and how fast! I think as long as I am losing even 5lbs a month is better then nothing!

Last week I attended a seminar about LAP-BAND® hosted by one of our local weight loss institutes. I was very exciting. They provided a lot of information including just a quick blurb about cost and that at the first visit the financial counselor would review your insurance one-on-one. That makes sense, everyone has different insurance. They did include that there would be: $500 – program enrollment (includes pre-authorization testing), $400 – psychiatric eval, and $1,000 for the three year nutritional/exercise program. That all seemed reasonable to me. I also knew that my insurance had a $1,000 access for bariatric surgery. When I got the appointment today they said it would be slightly over $8,000. In addition to the costs listed above they use a second surgeon who is out of network (out of everyone’s network) which is about $5,000 and some miscellaneous fees. My husband has been active duty military for over 20 years and I have not seen a “civilian” doctor in a long time. I knew it would not be cheap but I was really surprised at the cost. Is this similar to what your fees were? I know each insurance is different but I had serious culture shock! :scared2:I was going to use my insurance through work but now need to look into TriCare referrals.

I've read a lot about energy level decreasing after surgery. True I had a muffin and some cantaloupe today. But I attribute 90% of my tiredness to me being overweight (and lazy). Question is: When I lose the weight, after I've had a VSG (I'm still pre-op), will I STILL be this tired? :sad0: I just assumed that when I lost some of this weight I would CERTAINLY have more energy. Im just starting to wonder if there are other underlying issues here. THANKS!