Search the Community

4.5 months into my journey and I'm halfway there. I ve lost 45 lbs and have approx 45 to go ( I 'll decide that by how I feel when I get closer). I know it'll take me more than 4.5 months to finish as weight loss has slowed down a lot. I'm exercising, trying not to diet as much as eat right and the way I hope to eat for the rest of my life. I feel I have more of a chance of being successful if I do it that way. I have only had one fill which pretty much I cant tell, so this Monday, I go in again hopefully for another fill. This board has inspired me so much and I think I would have had alot of trouble doing this without it. Thanks alot guys. I love you all for the support advise and learning I've received from this site.

They do follow up with them, but they start the show on their road to surgery and most of them take a long time to qualify so that is most of the show, getting them to buy in. People on 600lb Life are the worst representation of WLS patients because they are severe food addicts. Most of them lose weight post-op with terrible, trash diets, They perpetuate the myth that you can lose weight with WLS eating anything. 75% of the people that post on this and other WLS forums have trash diets too, Which is why the general population doesn't think that WLS is hard work and that everyone regains.

I relate to everything said in this thread. I never thought I was THAT big until I started looking at side by side pics. Even when people said "wow you have lost a lot" I would always shrug it off like no I haven't. The saggy skin for my is mostly my gut and a little on my inner thigh. I wear a compression shirt everyday and that helps me and my image issues I have now. I might look into plastics at some point, but I want to wait a couple years until I have settled into my goal weight. I'm down a little over 160lb in 10 months going from a size 48 to 32/34 waist pants and 4XL to a L/XL shirt. When I started this mentally I battle if I COULD do it. Now mentally I worry about keeping the weight from coming back. I track everything I eat, but will beat myself up over little overages some days.

Same happened to me. I dropped 17 lbs in he first twelve days then stalled for a week and actually gained three. Now down 5 in four days.

totally agree it is not fat gain, it's a fluctuation in fluids. Don't worry!!!

I’m having so many mixed thoughts swirling around my head. I hesitate to post this today. I am grateful for having gastric bypass to have the tool to combat metabolic disorders and inability to exercise due to disability (post exertional malaise) and I was at the point it was all or nothing. All my fight was getting me nowhere fast. I know I’ve come a long way, I’ve also paid a hefty price physically and am still dealing with many health challenges. But I also know my body could not carry the burden of all that weight. And I will do everything in my power to maintain the weight loss. i reached goal Sometime last month. I overshot it a little. Although based on my height of 5’ I’m within my goal range. I haven’t been actively trying to lose for a few weeks. I raised my calories somewhat but not drastically. I started out at 208lbs with a BMI of 40.6 and today am 102.4 and a BMI of 20. its Funny though, I write my weight on a calendar daily, and write Daily log of my weight, meals, calories and protein to Track and plan what I will eat the best I can based on what’s available in the fridge, freezer, pantry. I haven’t given solid thought to my progress, I’ve just taken it one moment at a time. My weight fluctuates slightly and that’s ok. Other things weigh on my mind though. I hesitate to call it a celebration when even my birthday this month went unmentioned and Covid-19 will be around for the foreseeable future. It’s not impacted my odd daily routines of living with lifelong chronic illness and disability. I’m homebound much of the time as is. It’s risky going to get groceries but a necessity. But It’s had more of an impact on healthcare. i Had an early one year follow up with my surgeon February 11 and discussed continuing severe pain and spasms in left side under ribs along with other symptoms along with my history of ulcers in the remnant stomach and small intestine, they said I needed a double balloon enteroscopy. But I had to see a different doctor for the test. I couldn’t get an appointment until March 12 to see that doctor, I asked if they could schedule the test since it takes a while but no I had to wait to see the doctor first, who of course ordered the test. Which was then scheduled for April 27. And what happened, of course no one called until the last minute and it was then canceled indefinitely. And I’m left in pain, I sent them a message and they tell me I could go to the ER to be evaluated. First of all how is that a good idea? And evaluated for what? That’s why I saw the doctor and he ordered the test (actually both doctors did) I’m at a loss as to what to do and meanwhile I’m just trying to move ahead. i don’t even want to discuss this. I’ve other health issues that I’ve been waiting months to deal with. My doctor gives me attitude. Even things are obviously a problem. I saw my general doctor February after waiting a few weeks. I had sudden severe pain just lightly touching the front of my throat. I had a thyroid ultrasound. I also saw an endocrinologist. I was supposed to go to the hospital for further tests. But this was cancelled indefinitely. I’ve also been having nosebleeds and I don’t know why ... but it’s all been put on hold and none of the doctors care to follow up. I have been making plans about having skin removal surgery. Since it’s the only thing I can manage to do right now. The excess sagging skin is very problematic especially my thighs. A thigh lift, and Having a Belt lipectomy/Butterfly lift to remove excess skin might also help benefit strengthening my core which I can’t do with exercise. I’ve been working on this with Hospital BC that is part of BariatricPal and they are so helpful in the process. I’m trying to think of it as a vacation in Mexico with benefits. I’ll need financing of course. I’m far away from rich. It’s a goal to have a body I haven’t as long as I can remember. I haven’t been this weight as long as I can remember either. I could never reach this goal on my own before even as hard as I tried with strict low carb and calorie counting. I only managed 124lbs and it didn’t stay there long. So taking that last step of getting rid of ugly sagging, rashy problematic skin feels like part of the journey to finish. A crazy thing in times like these. I’ll be pinching pennies as hard as I can. But part of me is determined. And also ... trying to ignore the rest. I had wanted to deal with the other health issues first but looks like that won’t happen so I’m going to try to roll with it and see what happens. maybe it’s dumb for me to write this. I don’t know anymore. I’m exhausted. But I think that I want others to know that if I can do this with my chronic illness and disability And despite how hard it has been for me ... that others can succeed and reach their weight loss goal.

I had lap band with plication 3 months ago and I have had just 1 fill of .5cc and that's it and I feel Great. I have been losing weight very consistently and have lost about 36 pounds since surgery.

Exercise can be an important part of your weight loss surgery routine. It burns calories and helps you maintain lean muscle to boost metabolism. It also helps you stay disciplined so you can make better diet choices the rest of the day. People have different approaches to getting in their daily exercise. When do you exercise? I’m a morning exerciser. Early morning, or it doesn’t get done. Lunchtimes are for me. It’s the only time of day when I can take some time to walk or hit the gym without worrying about work or my family. I get out after work. It helps me unwind, and it’s a great way to get ready for my family and dinner. I’m an evening exerciser. I get it in after dinner, and love that it helps me digest my food better! I don’t have much time during the week, so I make sure to get out on weekends. I don’t have a set schedule. I get it in when I get it in. Exercise? I know I should do it, and I will start…soon. I can’t exercise because of a medical condition. Other. I’ll tell you in the conversation below. Mark your answer, and explain it in the conversation below. We want to know when you get your exercise in!

The band was my first decision. One of my hardest problems with losing weight is tackling down portion control and I feel that the lap band will help me with that .

Im sure you havent ruined your band. I know depression is hard especially in your situation with your hubsand gone and it seems easy to turn to eating. Just remember everything you went thru to get the band. You can start over. I have read of something called the 5 day pouch test to help kick start if you have fallin off the plan. The website is: Surgical Weight Loss 5 Day Pouch Test Also, you may want to think of talking to someone to help get thru this period or find a hobby, I really like swimming. You will do great and get back on the wagon. You did this for a reason, and you WILL reach your goal, I BELIEVE IT!

and I don't know what to do. My husband just left for Afghanistan and I had some problems with depression prior to him leaving that I was in a place where the food was not fit for my diet and since being home I have been slacking and I am convinced that my lapband surgery was a failure or more like I failed it and I don't know where to begin now. I will have my 3rd fill next week and I still haven't noticed a differnce in how much I eat. I get full but I am hungry again soon after and when I tell them this they don't seem really bothered by it and just tell me to weight out my food still which I do, I just want to eat more. I feel like it is to late to start again because my stomach is probably a lot larger than it was after the surgery and I feel horrible because I really screwed this up. Does anyone have some advice on how to start again or what I should do. Please no rude comments I feel bad as it is, I just need someone who has been in the same situation or just wants to help someone succeed. Thanks and I hope to hear from some of you soon. Take care.

Hi. For those of you who have reached your goal weight, congratulations! For those of you still on you journey, I know you'll get there. I'm considering Lap Band surgery and would like to know how much "credit" do you give the Lap Band for achieving your goal and how much "credit" do you give to motivation, dietary changes and lifestyle changes. Thank you so much! Joe

In terms of recovery, everyone is different. I had RNY bypass. For me, the surgery was easy. The first night in the hospital was the roughest but that was brought on by the gas they pump in your belly during laparoscopic surgery. I would not call it pain, I would call it discomfort. They gave me liquid vicodin in the hospital for two nights and then sent me home with some. I had surgery on monday, went home on wed night. Took my last dose of pain medication on thursday and then they switched me to liquid tylenol. That stuff is awful and i chose not to take it. I just did not have alot of pain. The first week I was on a clear liquid diet and was simply focused on getting fluids in. That to me is the hardest part early on. You dont feel like drinking but if you dont, you get nauseous, weak and dizzy. If you do a good job then that feeling goes away. By week 2 i felt pretty good. The hardest part about having weight loss surgery in my opinion is getting used to the new lifestyle and wanting to eat. If i was busy, and i was i would just forget to eat. Sometimes hubby would ask, have you had lunch yet? It would be 4pm. I simply wasn't hungry but you learn to eat on time to keep yourself healthy. There are folks on this site alone that range from their early 20's all the way up to 70's+. Not sure what you looking for with meals? My nut had me on a high Protein, good carb, well balanced diet from day 7. Lean Proteins, veggies and fruits. During weight loss i was to stay away from rice, Pasta, sweets, caloric drinks other than Protein Drinks. I also minimized potatoes. I would have them a couple times a week and then only after i got my protein and other veggies in. In maintenance, I began adding whole grains in and I do eat some of those other things once in a while but i am careful about how often as I dont want to gain back my loss. As for confidence, hell yes! I carry myself different, dress different and feel fantastic. I had this surgery to get healthy as i had a BMI over 44 and was struggling with alot of health issues. It never dawned on me that I would even care about how I look until the weight started coming off and my confidence started coming back. Now, I am focused on how i look and what i wear all the time. Its weird how that works. I am 53 by the way....I feel like i lost my 30s and 40s because i was so morbidly obese that i just did not care about how i looked or the clothes i wore. Everything i bought i did it because I had to. I was working in a professional setting. Anything I bought, i thought looked like crap on me. Now, I try on clothes relentlessly just because I can and i know they will look good on me. My shopping definately changed, i love to go clothes and shoes shopping now. Best of luck, Hope we are answering your questions. Feel free to reach out if you have more.

I had a very fast recovery with very few issues. I had surgery on Wed, started working from home (I'm an IT analyst) the following Monday, was back in the office the Monday after that. I had some nausea, but didn't ever throw up. I was very fatigued for probably a month but I also have auto-immune arthritis that I had to go off meds for the surgery, so it's hard to tell what was auto-immune and what was surgical recovery. If I'd had any issues or a physical job, I'd have had to take more time off. Ages? I'm 47. I've seen everything from late teens to 60 or 70 on this board. I'm a little over 3 months out, and I eat 4-6 times a day, about 1/4 cup each time. I do not restrict carbs because ketosis makes me very ill, but I focus on Protein first and when I do eat carbs I try to make them complex carbs with little sugar or refined grains. I am gaining more confidence with the weight loss, but I'm still in the early stages. I'm also able to get active for the first time in years, so that's helping as much or more than the weight loss. While there are some people who have had major issues and regret the surgery, most of the people here will tell you that they just wish they'd done it sooner. I'm in that camp, though I realize if I'd done it much sooner I'd have had a bypass because the sleeve surgery is relatively new, and with my auto-immune a bypass wouldn't have been a good option. So I'm just glad I finally decided to take the step for my health.

I considered the sleeve but I decided the lap-band was a better choice for me. The lap-band will require more work by me and maintenance by my doctor but I feel I will have more responsibility for my success and more control over my weight loss. D

I had my first lap band in January of 2007 and lost 70 lbs. I kept a steady weight until March of 2010. At this time, I had my fluid removed to have a scope done. When I went back in to have the band tightened, I had problems. I couldn't even keep water down. I had the fluid removed and the doctor ordered an upper GI. I had a slippage and had the band replaced in August of this year. Since having the band replaced I have gained 20 pounds and feel no restriction. I never feel full, but I often have pain across my back. Sometimes I feel like my chest cavity is expanding (my bra gets too tight ), but I don't feel like my stomach is full. Has anyone else experienced anything like this? It is very frustrating since I had such success with the first one. I feel like my doctor is not taking me seriously, but I know it doesn't feel like it did before. I am self pay (twice) and can't afford to have it done again.

Thank you all so much! It is true that sometimes we are going to do things differently then planned or we may over indulge (I hear even skinny people do that, who can say?) I need to learn how to deal. There is always that voice in the back of my mind telling me that even if I can lose all this weight, I can't keep it off. After having the chance to look and feel so much better it terrifies me to lose this awesome gift. Thank you all for your support and encouagement. It means the world to me.

For the first time ever I am literally happy going shopping for clothing. I use to dread doing this cause it was either a reminder of gaining weight, or me having to spend so much on clothes that weren't necessarily cool or the "in" trend at the time. I swear this has also helped restore a lot of my confidence that I had lost over the last 12 months or so. With the troubles from the surgery its finally good to see some real true progress that's tangible. To look in the closet and see where I came from to where I am now....very eye opening experience to say the least.

Hello, I have been on a 3 month stall. I had the gastric sleeve late July. I was wondering if anyone used herbalife wls? I'm looking for jump starting my weight loss again. I still weigh 240 post surgery and am looking to loose at least another 80.

Hardcore... Hey Guys! Sorry I have been suchhhhh a complete stranger..I am just stopping by QUICKLY to let everyone know I am completely fine. I actually have had a lot happen in the last two weeks that has been affecting my vst time. First of all I broke my laptop = [. I cracked the screen, and it is like almost 150 to fix it. SO I said screw it and hopefully when I graduate hair School ( yes you can indeed graduate form there) I'll ask for a netbook. SO that is mostly why I havent been on so much. Also I FOUND OUT MY DAD IS COMIMG HOME EARLY =D. Which is completely exciting, most of you know he is in Iraq. So because of him coming home we have been looking for a new bigger place, which i found, and I have been packing up and we are moving this weekend...So yeah lots going on with him coming home. Running lots of errands. AND Losing weight!! Other than all the extra stuff.... Everything with me is normal...All my incisions healed...I take all my Vitamins, try to drink Water... eating mostly only protien...AND I am really seeing results...I can't wait until I can go back to full workouts...that is in about two weeks which is perfect because it will be right after I move.... Life Is pretty good right about now.... So NO I am not dead. Just Busy! Thanks everyone for being so supportive...= D Tiff

I am so sorry to hear you went through this once and gained your weight back. It is my worst fear. I cannot answer your question because I just had my bypass in Sept. I am down 111lbs with 34 to go to get to goal. If I were in your shoes I would definitely meet with a bariatric center of excellence team to discuss options. They are extremely supportive and have the right team of specialists to answer your questions and support you during the next phase of your journey. I would call your insurance company and ask for the bariatric centers of excellence that they support. That would be my very first step. I wish you all the best and if you ever need anything or have questions please feel free to reach out.

No, but I'm a proud Pflag mom and I wish my youngest son would qualify for lapband surgery. Alas, his insurance won't cover it. My oldest son is also gay but he's into weightlifting and cannot relate to his Brother's weight problems. My oldest son and his partner find it very easy to lose weight and they feel my youngest shouldn't have any problem losing weight.

When your body experiences a great weightloss and you have done everything right...it needs time to find an equilibrium. Once it finds it...weightloss resumes. There is NO WAY you can consume 800-1200 cals a day...and not lose weight. If you hit a stall...just carry on and consider it Christmas when the drop comes and weight starts falling off again.