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So I take a half day off work today, but when my Boss arrives, or at lease when she logs into the system in Atlanta, I am in Little Rock. The first thing she does is tell me to wrap it up and go home. She is such a great boss, and no she does not read this or even know I had a LB. So I go to walk the Big Dam Bridge, it is a 2.5 mile walk above the water crossing the Arkansas River, it is awesome. Then I go to the store and buy two filet minon steaks for dinner. Thinking it will be great to have beef, I have only had one other small sample of beef since the LB. I cook them in the oven and start to eat. TWO BITES, YES I SAID TWO BITES and I was full and had to take a papaya emizine just to get it to go down. My friend was all apologetic, but I thought it was great. I thought all day I was going to over eat, I was going to cheat, at least cheat with more protein than I should have had, not a chance the LB worked perfect. So next week when I get my official weight I should be down 60 pounds or at least that is my goal. Happy Birthday

I'll be in your shoes in a few weeks and I'm not looking forward to it. I've got to get a plan together. Good luck and try and keep busy!

Oh I am right there with you. My type A personality is not knowing what in the heck to do right now. I have 2 weeks until my surgery. I have pre-made quite a bit of soups to freeze, bought as much things as possible without being wasteful, organized and then reorganized. I just don't know what else to do and I hate that feeling!!!!

OMG I wish I could go to some of my branches next week!!!! That would have helped me so much.

5 years, 4 months and 19 days. That is how long my friend Kim lasted after we did our kidney transplant. On May 7, the phone rang with the news of Kim's passing. Although I knew it was coming it still set me back. Kim was so young. Way to young to die now. It should have been Kim coming to my funeral rather than me going to hers. Kim's family treated us so well. Better than some of our own extended family in fact. I worry about her husband and daughter. I know that he sat with Kim every 113 days that she was in the hospital this last time. He will be so lost without her. I know that at some point in his life he will find love again, but he had better make darn sure that we all approve of his choice first or it will be hell to pay! I really miss my friend. I've wanted to pick up the phone and call so many times in this past week. I've still got her home/work/cell #'s on our phones. I can't bring my self to erase them yet. I know that at some point I will but just not now. It seems strange to realize that 300 miles away in a cemetery that several years ago I never knew of lay 3 friends. First came Cheryl, then Kim's mother, now Kim. I'm not sure if I'll be up there any more, I know that I don't need to keep butting into peoples lives, but maybe I will if nothing else to go visit their graves and sit and talk a while. I did tell Sam that the offer/promise that I made to Kim is still on. May of 2010 I'm paying for a cabin in Pigeon Forge for no less than a week. All Sam and Ashley need to do is show up. Rest in peace my friend. You were loved and will be forever missed.

no weigh-ins for me until the 2nd week of November. see what happens. i hate it, but it just depresses me when i see the scale not move or god forbid go up....

Getting my insurance to approve lapband turned out to be the easy part. Trying to coordinate the time off with my job is a pain in the rear. Since I haven't been at this job for a year (two months short). I don't qualify for the familily medical leave act, which would allow me to take a medical leave of absence. While I'll only be out of work for a week or so the small amount of sick leave I have accumulated won't cover it and my company requires me to be on paid vacation or leave of absence if I am gone. What I've had to do is move my surger date closer to the weekend so that I am only taking two days off then two days of weekend and back to work on money. I really hope that i am able to return to work after only 4 days!? New surgery date 27 March

So this is all new to me. I have the support at home but it is really nice to read what everyone else has to say and see how everyones journey is going! So i had my procedure on the 16th of october. I have no idea how much i weight at this moment i actually don't keep a scale in my house. I need to but it is a fear i need to get over. Anyways my check in time was 11:30am. I didn't get into surgery till almost 4:30pm (my husband was a little pissed and so was my mom) I got out at about 5:45pm and woke up about 6:00pm. The nursing staff in the front was horrible. I told them i wanted to talk my husband and they said well whats his number. i gave them his number and they went to call hiM!!!! i got upset and told them he is in the waiting rooM!!! They were pretty stupid....well anyways after that they gave me some meds for some nausa. I turned down the pain meds (which i shouldn't have) I didn't really put two and two together before it was too late. We were in LA and it was friday night. We were in traffic for over 3 hours. We got home at 9 and my mom came over and went and got my perscription. The first night was rough. I was up every two hours. I eventually got up at 6 the next day. My husband and i went for a walk to the grocery store for some popsicles. (it's right down the street) I walked 3 times that day. I went to walmart and took a walk later that night with my neighbor. I was still sore and things i wanted to do i couldn't. I was hungry it felt like all the time. and it hurt too drink fast. My doctor told me ONLY CLEAR LIQUIDS till Thursday. I called them on saturday night and told them i was hungry and they told me to tough it out. So i am stuck i have to go back to work tommrow and am afriad that if i dont get more in my body i am not going to be able to survie my 8 hour day..... Sunday....I took a drive i had to see how i felt. Which i felt pretty good. yesterday was one of my better days until about 3. I started to feel sick to my stomach like i had pushed myself too hard. Monday...I am at home today working on some paper work i need to get done by tommrow :wink2: but other than that i am relaxing today . I need to...I need my energy for the rest of the week.... We shall see i am going to go get some brooth or something.... stomach is talking to me right now... talk to you all later!

One week gone....Im feeling really good, still have a little pain but starting to feel a bit hungry now. I know now why I have had this done ..I want to be healthy and fit and not to be fat anymore. hard to believe I was once 180kgs and being on optifast I then got down to 160 kgs. Dont know what I am now Im just excited to see the new me happening. After all my years of growing up with eating disorders and years of counselling I can honestly say for the first time in my life I am not worried about food and my weight. I know now I am on the right path for happiness...ohh I am happy with my life..Darren and the kids are great I love them with all my heart. I mean happy to go out in public and to socialise with out worrying what people are going to say. To hell with them...:nervous

Go, Janis!! It's such a shock when something like that happens--you have to readjust your mental image of the week and get ready to jump into the unknown that much earlier. But you're ready! Good luck on Monday and be sure to come back and let us know how it went! :)

I'm with kaiser Southern California. I had to do all of that and do a 12 week surgery prep class. I can't believe it's so much easier up there.

Well, I saw my nutritionist today and, yes, even though tomatoes are a fruit, my nutritionist says they count as a vegetable. Which is what was expected. Unfortunately for me, she is NOT counting avocados as vegetables. So, starting today, I can have tomatoes but not avocados. There goes my dream of having some guacamole! At least for the next six weeks! ????

Oh, well, it's just six weeks. But right now, I'm thinking about some salsa chicken!

I'm on the same timeframe as you and I'm totally stalled. I haven't had my period since 2 weeks before surgery so I'm very late - and I'm pretty sure that's what's causing my plateau. I've also started upping my calories and eating more frequently, and I'm already lifting those tiny little 3-5 lb weights. I'm sure we'll both be losing again soon! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I am 1month out of VGS surgery today. I am following what I need to be following and haven't lost a pound in about a week and 1/2. My scale seem has become my worst enemy. Each time I step on it I want to throw it out the window. I am happy that there was weight loss in the 1st 2 1/2 weeks but now . Any suggestions plzzzzzz. Sent from my LG-H631 using the BariatricPal App

I have a couple of different questions. LIke others asked, Over what period of time and what are you eating? Also, and this is the most important, our bodies can be a mystery at some points. Our metabolisms don't like to lose weight this rapidly and will slow down to a crawl. That's part of why it's so important to maintain your post surgical diet for a long period of time. I eat the same things every day, I've always been that way. But some weeks I'll lose nothing, I've gone up and down but then I drop 8-10 lbs and then it levels off and then drops again. We are each different. As long as you stay with the plan, eat mostly Protein, Water, keep carbs to 15 grams or under per meal and walk walk walk, it WILL work for us. But we are technically starving our bodies of calories and it no likey so it fights back sometimes.

So today my new tummy officially made 1 week old! ???????????? In celebration, my boyfriend and I both got a gym membership. I just went to the gym by myself and did the bicycle for 7 minutes and burned 30 calories. I also did the treadmill for almost 7 minutes and burned another 30 calories. I did the elliptical but I was passing gas so much I stopped (embarrassing)!!! I was afraid to do any strenuous workouts because I am still recovering and haven't been cleared to lift any weights so I just kept it at a minimum. I was a hard on myself that I didn't burn more calories or even do the treadmill and elliptical longer but I have to get used to exercising again. I have to ease it in. I will be back at the gym tomorrow conquering some more! ...forgot to mention, today was my first day around my family since the surgery, and the compliments were just pouring! Everyone was saying how I slimmed down and I was just smiling from ear to ear! Only a select few of my family knew about my surgery so to get these compliments really made my day!

Thank you for sharing! I'm much earlier in my journey (I still have to meet my surgeon - but next week!). However, I've been compiling a list of questions. I'll share these, even though they are for folks a little earlier in the process, as it might help someone when prepping. Some, I know the answer to, others, were just things I was contemplating, but I'll add them all, just in case it might help someone... Which surgery (sleeve or RNY?), based on current medical issues? How long will I be in the hospital? How long will I need to be off of work? What tests/prep will I need before surgery (ie. other doctors)? What Vitamins will I need to take post-op? Long-term/short-term? What can I expect in regards to hair loss? Is there a specific type of Protein product you require/prefer your patients to use? What type of pre-op diet do you require? What type of post-op diet can I expect? (by the way - I have on my list, as well, about the catheter, drainage tube, etc., lol)

Greg, I just posted in the men's room almost the exact same problem and dates you are experiencing. I'm headed in for an adjustment fill with no X-ray next week and hope to get back on the horse. I've decided to start respecting my band and all the effort I've put into it over the last 5 years and let it do what I wanted it to do. Restrict the foods to that I eat to ones that will fuel my body rather then just take up space. I've spent the last 2 years trying to find things to eat as I enjoy eating rather then eating the things I know I can and should eat. I'm back to being excited about the band and the future rather then pissed off that I can't eat what I want. Come and join me for the rest of the summer and let's see how we can do. I'm getting up 45 minutes early to do 30 minutes on the treadmill. My goal is to go .25 of a mile further every week in that same time. I'll start off walking this week and try to finish with a walk/sprint combo by the end of the summer.

After todays exercise (which will be my LBWO), and tomorrows cardio session, I will have completed 2 weeks of the Body for Life Challenge - which leave me 10 week sto go or 70 days. I will complete this challenge! I'm excited about not missing any workouts, eating pretty clean for the most part. Things I need to work on - 1) Need to plan my meals better (if you don't plan, you plan to fail) 2) Need to make sure I do my carido in the am on empty stomach - burns more calories this way. 3) Need to plan my workouts so I know what I'm going to do before I go the gym - this will save some time. 4) Going to try and add 2 extra cardio session my 3rd week. 5) Will work on getting some additional supplements (Betagen - helps build muscle)

This is my first posting… and I’m sure not my last. I was going to wait until I was banded – but that has been put on hold. My story…. I as many of you have, did a bunch or research and committed in my mind that this was what I needed. It was a very hard decision as I am really addicted to food, my diabetes is getting worst and weight going up. The first step was to find a doctor close by that was accepted by my BCBS. Found one that was the husband of my wife’s doctor who has been great for her. I went to his seminar and setup an appointment the next week. As I did my homework, I brought a bunch of stuff with me to this appointment including the requirements that BCBS insisted on and all my information on my recent 1 year on Weight Watchers. My first appointment really gave me a bad taste for this practice - I did most of the talking and tried twice to give this information to the "assistances" but told they did not need them because they worked with insurance all the time and had their own. I was never sat down and talked to - just given their requirements like make my own appointment with the nutritionist and they would setup one for the psychologist. I completed both of these, got/gave them the required letter from my doctor along with over one inch thick copy of my doctor's file that dated back to 2002. I even went as far as compiling a cover sheet as I reviewed every page from the doctor notes of my weight, BP, AIC and cholesterol reading. So at this point I thought it was a slam dunk - I am 60, weight 265 so BMI = 38 and insulin dependent diabetic. Wrong - I called BCBS and was rejected after 2 weeks. Reason - the doctors office did not follow their requirements. Since my BMI was under 40 - I had to qualify by having 2 of 6 listed "comorbid conditions". Well I had 1 - Diabetes - but no mention or suggestion of any other. They also needed more information about my 1 year on WW. When I called the doctor's office really discussed - they apologized for not doing the "required stuff" and would talk it over with the doctor and call me back. The next morning the office manager called me back and said that the doctor was dropping me and by the way - he found 3 "comorbid conditions" after reviewing my records (if he had found them before and did his job the way he should have - I would have a scheduled surgery date my now). So I am very discussed - all that work, all that hope, all the time and money spent to get to my goal. As I said, I am 60 and want to live a long time. My daughter and her 2 sons (4 & 6) live with us now and I really want the health and energy to enjoy them and them to enjoy me... I have not given up. I did a bit more research and found another doctor's office (the one that I meet with the nutritionist) and they are to call me back today. Sorry for the long post - just had to get it out there... Lou

Minor discomfort for a week after surgery, but good since then. Since I am at goal now and have lost 201 pounds in the fifteen months post op that I am, I do have a small amount of discomfort when I lay on my stomach where the port is located. This is mainly due to the fact that my waiste is now 38in. as opposed to the 56in. waist I started with. I may look into a "low profile" port down the road, but it has been well worth it. No other band related pain. Life is good!

No pain here since the afternoon of surgery. Minor soreness for a week or so, but nothing I would call pain. No pain, other than the needle stick during fills. Kat

You have to build up to the Protein and Water levels. Do the best you can. In the hospital they gave me these little medicine cups like the ones on the bottle of Nyquill. I took a bunch of those home and for the first week I'd sip from that. I think it helped me slow down. I never had the gurgling or the slimes (knock on wood)