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Welcome Laurie! I joined just yesterday, and am already loving it! I think you've probably done well with weight loss since you've only had it done for two weeks! At least based on everything I've read. Congratulations! I know you're going to like it here! kelly

make sure with your dr that you're supposed to be released to soft foods... becasue my dr was very strict about doing liquids for the first 2 weeks to make sure the stitching around the band healed completely before sending food down through there. i know some others are given only a few days of liquids. so i would make sure you dont have have to do at least a couple days of liquids... especially those first few days cause you're so swollen around the stomach. it might be easier for you!

I am EXTREMELY picky when it comes to protein drinks. Most make me want to throw up. I found a RTD that is called Extreme Smoothie (chocolate dream) and is 35 grams of protein. I stopped drinking them and just started back a week or so ago and the weight is coming off faster now and that is the ONLY thing I am doing different. I would like to know what the name of the drink is at Trader Joe's. It seems that my body loses weight faster with a protein drink.

If I don't get my fluids in (I don't say Water, because I do a lot of SF decaf iced tea) my weight loss stalls....good enough reason to keep me drinking!!! Keep sipping away, it will become habit, and get easier! Kat

Congrats on your surgery! I am glad it went well and hope you get to feeling better! I just had mine last week 8/2. I was sore for a few days but now back at work and getting better every day. Good luck and prayers!

Hi, I didn't have mine until last week and I had surgery on Jan 23rd. Good Luck

Im on Optifast, week#2.... My favorite "recipe" 1 chocolate optifast 1 packet of sweetner 1-1 1/2 tbsps of decaf coffe crystals 11/2 cup Water Pack blender with ice, blend til smooth!!!! Also i find the bovril beef bouillon super helpfull 10 calories per packet. Lots of water and crystal light!! Msg me if u want to talk

I'd like to set a weightloss goal weight for June 1st, but how does one go about setting a realistic but not too easy/obvious goal? I was sleeved march second. Sw 224 CW 198 Gw 173? That's 25 lbs down in the next 8 weeks. Think that's too much for me? Watch me hit my 3 week stall right now and throw me all off. Lol

I also am losing hair and have been for the past two months. My hair loss started right at three months after surgery. I have talked to my PCP. He said that the stress of surgery and rapid weight loss is most likely the cause since I lost 20 pounds in the first three weeks. I had test and everything was normal; thyroid, B-12, Iron, etc. There are other posts out here and they all say the same thing, after three months your hair will start to grow back and it will be a thick as it was before unless there really is a deficency so you might want to have the blood work just to make sure all is good. I am taking Biotin and using Nioxin shampoo. It seems to have slowed down the hair loss a little and I am at the two month point since the loss has started. I wish you luck, but I am confident that my hair, and yours too, will start to come back in.

Let me go on the record saying that I believe WW is the best and most realistic program out there. I had previously lost tons of weight on WW and felt great. Thanx to Mirena and other issues I gained it all back with interest. Now I need surgical help to get healthy, and most importantly STAY that way. That being said I am currently doing the WW program again to safely lower my BMI for my surgery. I am happy to report I lost 1.4 lbs the 1st week and 7.6 lbs this week. I am chipping away at my BMI bit by bit! Amanda Rae

hi all - i'm pre-op, 12/15/11 right around the cornerWhen I'm being plum lazy, and don't want to fix anything for a meal, can i substitute a meal w/a Protein shake - or am i not supposed to do that after those couple of weeks after surgery Kathy DOS 12/15/11

Summer temperatures mean moving everything outdoors, including your eats! Picnicking is one of the best parts of the season, and it’s a great way to involve the whole family while basking in nature’s beauty. There are three key factors to packing the perfect picnic: each dish should be able to be made ahead of time, not spoil quickly and be transported easily. Steer clear of heavy toppings, sticky sauces and mayo-based recipes—they’ll create a mess and attract insects; the latter can even pose a health risk. Instead, choose items that are easy to eat with your hands (or just with a fork—no knives allowed!) and will be safe to nibble on after an hour or two has passed (assuming you don’t leave the dishes out in the glaring sun—which is never a good idea, regardless of ingredients). My creative picnic recipes will have everyone at the table asking for more without guilt. Makes 16 kabobs Per 1 kabob 71 Calories CHECK OUT MY BLOG FOR MORE INFO ON THIS RECIPE AND SO MANY MORE:thumbup: http://life-after-lap-band.blogspot.com/

Congratulations!! I was sleeved a day after you and lost 22 pounds and then hit a stall. I am at day 13 of this stupid stall!! Kudos to you; I hope my stall dies and never comes back!!

Mine was quick as well. I went to the seminar on August 23rd , I waited a month for the consult, to make sure that I wanted to do that. That day, September 29th I was scheduled tentatively for Dec 7th. I got the insurance approval 2 weeks later. now just waiting for the day.

I am in the process of making my final plans to have my gastric sleeve done in Mexico on 01/10/11, by Dr. Kelly or Almanza depending on the final cost. If I develop a leak while I am in Mexico after the initial sleeve surgery will I be out additional expenses or is that covered because it happended immediately after surgery. After I get home if I were to develop a leak in the first few weeks and/or months after surgery what would the cost of the leak repair be if I return to the doctor in Mexico.

Subject: One year and 85 lbs later The time has come for me to post my long awaited 1st year bandversary entry. What has my band meant to me? I have asked myself this question many times over the last 12 months. I’ve come up with a laundry list of ramblings. Preband – it represented HOPE, Anxiety, and the What if’s of life after WLS Early Post Band – the what the heck did I do? And WHERE THE HELL IS MY RESTRICTION? 1st Fill anticipation – I AM HUNGRY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Where the hell is my restriction???? 2nd Fill anticipation – I am hungry but not AS MUCH or as often 3rd Fill anticipation – Restriction lasts for about 3 weeks 4th Fill anticipation – OK lets clamp this puppy down!!!!!!! 5th Fill anticipation – HOLY CRAP .3 cc’s was too much fill! I am only able to smell foods and sip soup 1’st UNFILL – removal of the .3cc’s was the difference between soup and FOOD……. And is where I’m maintaining at since January 2008. Also…. Getting an unfill and eating real food is what started the scale moving again. Things that have amazed me: I have POWER over my hunger. I have actually FORGOTTEN to eat. I CAN eat without drinking I CAN be full on very little food. Things that I have realized about myself: Restriction Wise I swell (get tighter) when I’m on my period or when I’m stressed I am tighter in the mornings and more open in the evenings. Foods that worked last week, might not work so well this week. I can raise my hands and do a little shimmy to pop up a stuck item of food Things that I have realized about myself: Non band I am a stress and emotional eater. I crave sweets around my cycle I am pretty happy and comfy in a size 12 It scares me to HOPE for a size 8 or 10 (because it is unknown to me) If I COULD eat pizza…….. I WOULD, so keeping a decent amount of fill is what is needed for ME not to be able to. Dairy Queen has become my go to place for stress eating (and this is NOT a good thing) Things that I had to overcome once banded: Realizing that you don’t HAVE to eat multiple plates of food at a buffet in order to “get your money’s worth” Realizing that people REALLY aren’t LOOKING at how much or how little you eat! Realizing that you CAN keep your band a secret if you want! Realizing that fast food joints don’t really offer much choice, Its cheaper to order an appetizer or alacarte, or split a meal with my 4 year old. Being banded is NOT rocket science, and for me it has worked well because I knew going in that FOR ME and MY GOALS I needed to be in diet mode, and truth be told the scale moves when I am IN MOTIVATED DIET MODE. It stalls when I Go to dairy queen for a small blizzard… but I don’t gain I chose the band for its adjustability and the hopes that I will for once in my life MAINTAIN a loss! Would I do it again? In a heartbeat Will I be rebanded if needed in the future? In HALF a heartbeat! My band has really given me the power over my appetite and that is priceless. Journey with me as I enter YEAR TWO of my Banding Experience

I wish I were more persistent. I felt bad too. I found thd more I called the more foliar they became with me. When I had my 1 week checkup, they all hugged me and the compliments were so awesome. It felt good.

I dont really teach much other than basics (numbers, alphabet, animals, basic spanish/ASL, attempt manners lol) things to the younger classes and my a/s class is more for homework/relaxing activities. I talked with my bosses and they said that the wl is from eating right and working out, which is a great idea. However, I KNOW theyre going to ask about being out 2 weeks. Bosses said vacation, but do I lie to them and make up stories or...? Like I said, my kids are NOSEYYYYYY! Plus, parents will probably put 2 and 2 together between the drinks, being out, and wl and the kids will find out. Is there a 'kid friendly' version without it sounding like hey Im fat, but I shlopped my stomach and now Im better, then they get all "omg Im fat" lol I know it sounds weird but the way my aunt and uncle treated peoples weight made their (now 10 y/o, but its been for a few years now) daughter think shes fat and she obsesses over what she eats and her version of working out.. Perk though on a random note, EXCITED that after all this, the kids will stop asking "Miss Ashlee, why is your tushy so big?" Children really do say the darndest things lol!

I see my surgeon for my 2 week post op appointment next Monday. He has assured me that he does all the fills himself.

I think I had the worst of sabotagers, my own family including my mother. Im three years out from surgery and have gained back 30 lbs. Im still very happy with my weight loss but upset at the fact that when I was thinner they constantly told me that they thought that I had lost too much weight and that my face was too skinny and that I just didnt look right. Now that I have put back on some weight they comment on the fact that Im gaining my weight back. Now its a fight for me to get back the motivation that I once had. Dont let haters get to you.

So true about the part that food is connected with so many social things. I'm from the deep South and it seems that every time I turn around food is the centerpiece of all social gatherings. Just a week after being banded, I had a dinner meeting. I was on liquids then and stuck to drinking water while everyone ate! We were at a Thai restaurant and there was nothing (no soups at all) that I could have. I didn't want the group to have change their plans to meet my needs. It wasn't that bad. Someone asked me if I was going to eat and I just said, "I had surgery last week and I can't eat spicy foods yet." So, I felt that I was faced with my first challenge and passed with flying colors.

Thank you!!! My paperwork was submitted on this past Monday. I hope I hear something by next week. Do you have any regrets about having the surgery and have you been able to keep the weight off? Sent from my SM-N920T using the BariatricPal App I don't have a single regret and am Maintaining a 125lb loss Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App I didn't have a six month loss requirement with Anthem. Sorry I have no suggestions Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I had anthem when I was approved for my sleeve in April 2014. It took less than a week from the time my paperwork was submitted. Good luck! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Venting is good, and we're good at it here. Maybe I can help make sense of some of the things you're experiencing. Doesn't it seem like we lose weight at a snails pace compared to everyone else? By we do you mean people with the band, or just people who are significantly overweight? Even worse, it seems like we GAIN weight faster than everyone else. This I have noticed. Gain on the tail end of loss is predictable. I think rate of gain also has to do with the extent to which we overeat. E.g. take a "normal" person who has lost 10 lbs, and may gain back 2. And a "fat" person who has lost 50 lbs, and may gain 15. Two things working against the fat ones - the amount they lost (which usually has a strong correlation to the amount that is gained), and the way in which the weight is gained. The "normal" person doesn't have an eating problem, the "fat" person does. Chances are the fat person is consuming a helluva lot more calories, hence the quicker weight gain. Have you ever been on a diet, stuck to every single little rule and didn't cheat even just a little bit - then, one day you have a morsel of something "bad" and gain 2 pounds?? This experience is exactly what kills so many diets before they even have a chance to kick in. People defeat themselves way too quickly. If you've been around a while you've seen me say it more than once - weight does not equal fat. Weight is your skin, everything on it, and everything in it. Fat is fat. During the first 7 - 10 days of a diet, especially a full omission diet (where some thing or things are excluded, e.g. low fat, low carb -- as opposed to a redcuded calorie diet where the overall calories are viewed rather than individual types of foods), your body is fighting like mad to keep the fat on. I won't go into the sordid details, but one byproduct of that battle is to retain things like Water and glycogen. What happens most of the time is that -- maybe some fat is lost, meube it's not, but it certainly isn't gained. However, the body is being greedy with all the things it's trying to hold on to, and not releasing the way it does when you're in a dietary equilibrium. This means you weigh more than you did a week ago, even if you have less fat on your body. People see that jump in the scale and say, "F it, I'm 2# heavier, this diet isn't working" when - if they could have just given it a little while longer - their body would have adjusted and they would have started to see the difference. And then there's the specific restriction leaps and bounds. Take low carb diets for example. While in a state of ketosis, the body uses a lot of water. Most people don't adequately increase their intake, so their body is continuously in a state of mild dehydration (that's on TOP of the dehydration most people are always in). When you break ketosis, you will gain water weight. It's pretty much a guaranteed thing. It can be as little as a pound, or as much as 18+ pounds. People on low carb diets in ketosis will "cheat", break their ketosis, see they've gained 10 lbs overnight, NOT make the distinction between "gain" and "fat gain" and give up because all of their sacrifice has been for nothing. This is why scale's aren't the way to go. I'm so frustrated I could scream! I'm on my pre-op liquid diet, been good as gold for 8 days and I've lost 5 measly pounds! GRRRRRR! I remember when I could lose 5 pounds in 2 days, now it takes me 8 whole days of nothing but liquid??!! Liquid diets usually aren't for weightloss, they're usually for a specific outcome, e.g. shrinking the liver, giving intestinal issues time to "take it easy," flushing some part of the body, etc. Try not to let yourself be frustrated by this. Part of it could be your age (you mention remembering the day -- also remember that your body has changed since then), part of it could be the liquids... there are SO many variables here. So frustrating. I really think that years of yo-yo dieting has messed with my metabolism. No worries here, it can't happen. Your body - if subjected to extreme dieting - becomes more efficient at storing fat. This "unexplained" weight gain, coupled with the additional challenges in weightloss that can come with age, hormonal changes, etc., and the body's natural tendency to change its own composition (which yoyo dieting can add to - remember, the body always tries to hold on to the fat it has... yo-yo dieting can make your body, well, to make a long story short, your body can become less sure of where its next meal is coming from, and want to hold on to even more fat, just in case... hence your equilibrium state is now fatter than it used to be). I know I didn't gain this weight over night, and I know it'll take a long-long-LONG time to lose it... but 5 pounds?? Come on! And I would say to you, 5 pounds in 8 days?? Come on, what more do you want!?!? :cool: Of course now I'm concerned with what will happen when I'm banded (this Friday). I know I'll go crazy when I see the scale creeping along, or even stopping after surgery. It's just so frustrating. The ideal thing would be to hide the scale - been there, done that. I always talk myself into stepping on it. I try not to be obsessive with the numbers, but, how can you not be? It's not that hard to get away from. It really does work to get rid of the scale. Just throw it away. It doesn't tell you what you need to know. If you want to do something compulsively, invest in a body fat meter, or hell - a $4 tape measure. Those will give you a much better idea of the changes in your body than a scale will. I'm really discouraged and really just plain bummed out. I know it'll take a while, but, I'm literally starving on this #$#%$ pre-op diet and so disappointed. I know we've all felt like this - I just needed to vent. And vent away. It's good for you. And understanding why some of these things may help.

Wouldn't it be lovely to be able to continue to lose at that rate? Unfortunately, it can't and shouldn't be done. The goal with the lapband once you are healed and all that is 1-2 lbs a week. Some weeks you wont lose anything at all, some weeks you will fall. Don't get discouraged, it will come, just follow your doctors advise, watch what and how much you eat and you will get there, but it is a slowwwww process for most.