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I was banded 4-14-08 and am getting my fifth fill tomorrow. I still have no restriction and I'm pretty sure my weigh-in tomorrow will show a gain. I've been gaining and losing the same 3 or 4 pounds for the last 5 or 6 weeks now. I know it can take several fills to reach good restriction, but I'm getting a bit weary. I can eat WAY more than I should, and I know I have to work at this, but if my self-control were all that good, I wouldn't have needed surgery in the first place. Thanks in advance for prayers and support. I'm glad this forum is here. Jan from KY

style="margin:0;padding:0;background-color:#d8dde8;color:#5a5a5a;font:normal 13px helvetica, arial, sans-serif;position:relative;"> Hey BariatricPal Members! It’s that time again…time for a monthly newsletter. It’s a way we can reach out to you about the happenings on BariatricPal and the world of weight loss surgery. We hope to motivate you by sharing ideas and introducing you to inspirational people. So here’s the run-down of this month’s newsletter! • Don’t Let Summer Slip Away: Your WLS Must-Do’s • Member Spotlight: Meet Elode! • FDA Approves Gastric Balloon as Obesity Treatment Enjoy the newsletter, and then log in to BariatricPal to spend a little time. You can talk about weight loss surgery and whatever else is on your mind, and see what’s on everyone else’s mind! We want to know how your summer is going. Thanks as always for your support of BariatricPal. Sincerely, Alex Brecher Founder, BariatricPal Don’t Let Summer Slip Away: Your WLS Must-Do’s! Remember putting things off this winter or spring? “I’ll do it in the summer,” when the snow melts or there’s a little more time or the days are longer. Well, have you done what you said you were going to do this summer? If not, you’d better get moving! The days are long and hot now, but summer doesn’t last forever. Don’t let it pass you by! Take the Next Step What is the next step in your weight loss surgery journey? Is it deciding about whether to get WLS? Is it deciding on a surgeon, or figuring out which type of WLS you want, or crunching the numbers to fit it into your budget? Is it getting more protein, finding a WLS buddy, or starting an exercise program? Take that step! Don’t wait until summer is over, because things tend to get busier in the fall. If you can get over your next hurdle now, you will be stronger and in a better position to get healthier. Eat Well and Get Active Okay, that’s not a summer special…but you can eat well and get active summer-style! Why not check out a local farmer’s market and see what’s in season? Keep going back every week for delicious in-season produce with a selection that changes slightly all the time, and challenge yourself to make healthy recipes with it. For bonus weight loss points, walk or bike to the market, or at least walk around it a few times to burn some calories. And how can you use summer to your advantage to get active? Without snow or ice, the streets are yours to pound. You can also hit local pools, and trails, and see if your neighborhood park has a circuit training loop set up – many do! To beat the heat, exercise early in the morning or in the evening, stay in an air-conditioned gym if needed, drink a lot of water, and listen to your body. As summer passes, take a few minutes to take stock of where you’ve been and where you’re going. Staying aware can help you stay focused, and make any necessary adjustments to your goals and plans for reaching them. 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. Member Spotlight: Meet Elode! This month, we are thrilled to feature Elode as our Member in the Spotlight! She is a 5’8” travel nurse who struggled with her weight for years. She had been overweight since the age of 12. Her mother and brother are morbidly obese, and Elode worries about them a lot. She says she wanted to get the surgery to motivate them to follow in her foosteps. Elode decided to get the gastric sleeve after gaining 60 lbs. in a year and hitting a high weight of 267 lbs. She got her surgery done in November of 2014, and has since lost nearly 100 lbs! She is down 97 lbs and is going strong. Her main challenge was and still is eating slowly, but she was expecting this to be a challenge and is working on it. Since getting the gastric sleeve, she feel better and younger. Exercise is easier, and clothes shopping is much better, especially since she is not limited to Plus-sized clothing. She enjoys paying attention to what she puts in her body, and watching the scale go down. As a great moment, she points to a recent 8-mile hike that she and her daughter completed for the first time. Elode uses BariatricPal to receive support, and she enjoys keeping in touch with the people she’s met on the boards. Elode also gives a lot of help to others here at BariatricPal. She loves sharing her experiences with newbies. For those who may be struggling with their weight and weight loss surgery, she says to stick with the basics. “Know that it’s going to be hard at times, but remember why you wanted this in the first place.” She suggests writing a list of reasons why you got your surgery and reading the list when you’re feeling down. Thanks, Elode, for being in our spotlight and also for all you bring to the BariatricPal community. We are all grateful for your contributions and are happy to see your success! Do you want to be in the Member Spotlight? Is there someone you’d like to nominate? Let us know in the Member Spotlight Forum or send Alex Brecher a PM with the subject line “Member Spotlight.” We want to share your story in the newsletter! FDA Approves Gastric Balloon as Obesity Treatment On July 28, the Food and Drug Administration approved the Reshape Dual Balloon for use as an obesity treatment. The Reshape Dual Balloon is one of a few different intragastric balloons available in other countries, and the first to be approved in the U.S. You can read more about intragastric balloons on BariatricPal! How It Works The dual gastric balloons are placed in your stomach and inflated under anesthesia in an outpatient setting. The balloons help fill up your stomach so you are less hungry and not able to eat as much. The balloon stays in your stomach for up to six months. The intragastric balloon is meant to be used only with proper nutritional support for the entire time you have the balloon. ReShape stresses the need for changing your eating habits and staying informed and engaged. Is It for You? The Reshape Dual Balloon is for patients with BMI of 30 to 40 and a comorbidity. The balloon is a non-surgical option that may be appealing for patients at the lower end of the overweight BMI ranges who do not want an invasive procedure. As with WLS, you need to be willing to change your eating habits with the balloon. You cannot get the instragastric balloon if you already had WLS. Weight Loss and Maintenance The balloon is not for patients who are at the higher ends of the BMI ranges. The balloon is expected to help you lose only about 7 percent of your total body weight. If you weigh, say, 300 lb., a loss of 7 percent of total body weight would be equivalent to an expected loss of 21 lb. Another major potential drawback to the balloon is that you can only use it for a short time. If you do not adapt the new eating changes and form new permanent habits before the balloon is deflated and removed, you will regain the weight back. In one study, patients regained an average of two-thirds of the amount of weight they had lost within six months of getting the balloon out. Don’t forget to check out our article on intragastric balloons for more information on how they work and who should consider them! We hope you enjoyed the newsletter and are ready to keep up with your WLS successes…or get back on track if you’ve been a little slack. Don’t forget to visit BariatricPal if you ever need ideas, support, or inspiration.

I have always paid attention to "fat" people. Constantly comparing myself to other's sizes, and now I think I notice even more. It's not hard to do when there are so many people overweight and the problem it's becoming for so many in this country. I tell people my goal weight and they tell me I am crazy, but I think because so many people are overweight now we don't think of lower weights being ok. I feel bad for the people I see with such huge amounts of fat they need to loose, because I know how they feel! Wish I could help more people with this struggle!

Hi there... HumbleMom here. Am Pre-Op RNY - waiting for insurance approval. Most likely will have surgery next month (2/2014.) Was born and raised in Memphis, TN and am still here. Have been a wife for almost 21 years ~ looking forward the next 21+. Mother to 3 children, one of whom passed away at 8yrs ~ more about this in future blogs. Am happy in general ~ my life is full of love and laughter, family and friends and all those little positive intangibles we tend to take for granted. My faith is intact, meaning my relationship with God has weathered the death of my son. God and I are good ~ I have MANY questions for Him, but I also have to thank Him for all He's done for me and for all He continues to do for me. For financial reasons, I dabble in cybersecurity. For fun, I read, cook (sometimes healthy, sometimes not), needlepoint and am learning to play Bridge. We have three dogs, all different sizes, all rescues, all quirky and all amazingly lovable. You can see from my profile that I'm a big girl. Like just about everyone else here, I didn't get this way overnight.My weight crept up on me over time, over pregnancies, over typical stress, over unbelievable stress and over many a wonderful meal shared with good friends. Also like just about everyone else, I'm a very well educated obese person. I KNOW Weight Watchers inside and out and have been very successful with it over the years, having lost (and regained) myself several times over. Jenny Craig and I have been good friends, albeit never for long. I've tried Nutrisystem and Medifast ~ ordered the products, received them, organized the cupboards to house them, tried them for a few days and then promptly sold the remaining items on eBay. I've walked, done couch-to-5k, done pilates, attended exactly ONE Bikram yoga class (WHAT was I thinking??? If you are a Bikram fan, my hat's off to you!), used a personal trainer, worked out in a members only gym, worked out at my office gym, walked some more and then walked even more. And like just about everyone else, each new this-will-change-my-life endeavor has proven successful (except the Bikram yoga!). I've lost weight, I've toned muscles I never knew I had and I've increased my endurance more than I ever thought possible. UNTIL… I wasn't losing or toning anymore because I'd stopped. I'd stopped because I ~ well, that's part of this puzzle. Why DID I stop? I don't know. I seriously need to find a counselor who can help me with this strange dance of mine with food, exercise and health. Know of anyone in the Memphis area? Please share! So, long story short, I'm hoping this surgery will be the missing tool from my arsenal of knowledge needed to become a healthier me. While it will be nice to look more attractive, I'm here for other reasons. I want to be able to hike and climb volcanoes with my sons. (True story ~ more later!) I want to quit the daily meds for cholesterol, blood pressure, GERD and depression. Or maybe I should say I want to trade those meds for vitamins, calcium and b12 supplements! I don't want my family to bury me because I literally ate myself to death. Much better to perish on the side of a volcano, right? I'm tired of walking into a large department store filled with beautiful clothes and being relegated to shop from the Women's sizes hidden away in the tiny corner of the basement. I mean, come on. NOTHING tastes that good! I have 'eaten' my way into that corner and I'm tired of it. Those clothes in the other 90% of the store are much, much cuter! I want to shop from THOSE racks. Actually, just knowing I have the choice to shop from those racks is enough for me. I'll probably end up at the consignment store anyway. Well, that's me in a nutshell. Obviously a fan of lists! I need to get to know others here. I need support and I want to support you! I need to know I'm not the only one who can't stand a certain type of chewable bariatric vitamin! Won't you please be my neighbor?

I'm under a month until the Triathlon. On the bike Ive been averaging 6+miles daily. I need to up my runs over 3miles. I'm feeling good so far. No major muscle aches. Just my left shin being tight. I had some really good BBQ today. I'm glad I'm training enough that I can eat it and not feel guilty. Exercise is the key to weight loss people!

I'm under a month until the Triathlon. On the bike Ive been averaging 6+miles daily. I need to up my runs over 3miles. I'm feeling good so far. No major muscle aches. Just my left shin being tight. I had some really good BBQ today. I'm glad I'm training enough that I can eat it and not feel guilty. Exercise is the key to weight loss people!

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I chose a sleeve because I didn’t want my intestines messed with, or to have malabsorption issues. Sleeve was less invasive. As far as how much weight you have to lose, you can lose just as much with a sleeve. A woman I worked with went from 410 to 170 with a sleeve in less than 18 months. But if you have any issues with heart burn, beware. Sleeves are bad news for people with GERD. I had only mild and occasional heartburn before and I am suffering big time now.

I picked bypass because of how much I had to lose! I started at 340. My surgery weight was 311on 4/23 & I'm currently 276. Sent from my SM-G955U using BariatricPal mobile app

I had surgery Oct 2 and I think I'm over excited for this weight to be gone! Vent away!!

So I'm 4 weeks post op tomorrow and have lost 22 lbs. I have been stuck at this weight for a week. Quite frustrating! I know 22lbs is a great achievement but it seems like such a slow go. Just had to vent!

Can't overstate enough about those fluids and protein! It's the hardest part for me, getting all those fluids in. I'm 8 weeks out, and if I'm a little light on the fluids, I get bound up. If I'm light on protein, weight loss and energy drop off. I am at the point where I can put benefited in my water bottle, but more importantly I have to actually drink ALL the water! ^Benefiber

Rid my house of all bad or trigger food/drink items that I might be tempted by as a post op. Bought second hand treadmill, elliptical and bike from Craig's List. Kept a personal video journal starting a year before surgery through meeting my weight goal after surgery. Took before pics and measurements. As far as what I wish I had done, I really can't think of many things as I did a ton of research, except maybe not buy as much in quantity for some things - like Isopure. Some stuff definitely went to waste. But I'd rather be over prepared rather than under prepared. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Hi 15 days post op and I am not losing anymore weight but the 30 pounds so far, actually I think I gained 2 pounds but I think that is from fluid intake I drink over 64 ounces a day and also it might be muscle growth because I walk a mile and a half a day at least 40 minutes brisk walk. I read so much about the stall and I guess it will just go its course. I will remain vigialant and only weigh myself once a week instead of every morning. Any feedback is greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Hi, In answering your question, Yes, my insurance does pay for it because it is a surgery that is not elective, I have to have it repaired or out. Actually, I just returned earlier this afternoon from having my lap band removed. I feel sore but relieved. I plan on increasing my exercise program and possibly going back to Weight Watchers as I know that it does work. Thanks for your concern and God's speed in your endevors.

Hey! My name is Jessica and I am just starting my weight loss journey. I have been "stalking" these boards for months and have finally gotten the courage to join in. I have read so many posts and have shared your victories and moments of defeat. .....Thank you all for being so honest. I have started my 6 month supervised diet and have gone to a seminar, that my surgeon held, this past weekend. I hope to have my surgery in Oct/Nov. I don't really remember ever not being overweight..... It was just who I was. But now, it is time for a change!! I am looking forward to sharing my journey with you all. -Jessica

Whoever scheduled your move so close to surgery should be shot... Other than trying to get other people to do the work and you go curl up in a ball somewhere, I don't have anything constructive to add. Just know that you'll get through this! Just be sure not to lift more weight than you are allowed. [Hugs]

I've had that experience, although for me it only seemed to work when I was earlier in the process. The first Christmas after the sleeve, I really couldn't eat a lot, but I did enjoy cake and cookies- I didn't lose weight but I didn't gain. The second Christmas after the sleeve I think I ate 30 bags of Peanut Butter m&m's and a plate of fudge. I actually lost a pound. Christmas is the only time I really allow myself to eat junk, but this Halloween I had a bit of a cheat day where I had caramel popcorn, buffalo chicken, and a few other things I rarely eat. I woke up 3 pounds heavier and it has taken well over a week to lose that weight. At over two years out from surgery I have to be VERY careful with what I eat and how much I eat or I absolutely gain weight almost immediately. I miss the honeymoon phases (and m&m's).

OK so I had surgery on July 25 20011. The weight is shedding off of me very fast, thats a good thing. My concern is that with the fat lose there is also muscle lose. While I am on this journey of losing the weight and reaching my target goal, I still want to maintain fitness. I do not want to be a sucked up frail 41 year old man that reaches his target weight! I don't think it will be possible to gain muscle mass while losing weight at this pace? I also want to focus on cardio fitness strength and muscular fitness strength and size. Can I please get some feed back from you guys on how you went about achieving these type of fitness goals???? Thank you!!! ; )

I haven't blogged about my weight loss forever nor have I read posts. I am going in for my 3rd fill 2 years later and and excited! I was dragging feet for the first 10 months of surgery and then my husband and I split the sheets and my weight loss rocketed! I got rid of someone that made me very unhappy and made me happy.... amazing what that can do! So this past year I have lost over 100 lbs and am starting to slow. I am on the downhill slope of things but I have worked so hard. I have gained about 20 lbs., not from over eating its from undereating and getting carried away thinking that I can just go back to not eating but once a day.... The scale reality checked me the other day and I became panicked!!!! I am very aware of my weight and when I start gaining I feel awful, bloated, and think to myself that I can't gain any weight because.... I have gotten rid of the larger wardrobe and refuse to go buy bigger! Anyways... my little rant... Hope everyone is doing well and having great success! :cursing:

Hey everyone. . It's now two weeks post surgery and im changing my diet... sadly cos im allergic to Iron I could not have any Optifast or sustagen or that so ive been living off drinking yoghurt and juice tried a cup of Soup strained but just could not do it! Has anyone got any good suggestions on what to eat at this stage. Im finding my weight loss has started to really slow down was losing heaps post surgery and now im just losing 300 grams or 600 grams. Also did anyone have any problems with constipation?? I don't know if anyone takes anything to prevent this or if we are allowed?? Hope everyone is doing well!! :tt2::tongue2:

Hello Mike, You sound like my husband, ironically also named Mike. His highest was over 500, he is now 300 with a goal of 260-270 due to his larger/muscular frame (ex fb player). Anyway, your progress is mindblowing and what a huge accomplishment. When you look at the numbers, it's so easy to say "but you ONLY have 40 more to go" "and if you can lose hundreds why not just 40" etc. There's certainly a rational point there. But as you mentioned, and as most of us have lived out, maintaining the loss is what becomes the bigger obstacle. Not certain how you gained your weight, but I know that life in general can really sway us from out dieting efforts. Anything from holiday cooking, extended vacations, a loss, stress (good and bad) etc. It's inevitable and can really get you off track real quick. This is where the band helped me the most. I had gotten pregnant (I know a nonissue for you lol) and suffered a serious MVA that led to 8 months of rehab (I was practically immobile). I was able to gain a mere 20 lbs (opposed to the 60 with my first child) and lost it within 1 month postpartum (unlike with my first child lol) and I maintained my weight during the entire rehab period. Remarkable, yet impossible without the band. I am now at goal and I can speak to how much MORE energy I put into maintenance than I did with wl on the band. But unlike gaining a lb or two on bad cheat days/weekends etc I would have gained 5, than 10 etc. I am able to turn things around much more readily and I'm almost hardwired now to not gain. Big difference from before. (And I had lost 70 lbs once in my life as well just to gain it +50 back). And than I don't want to point out the obvious..age (eyeroll). But it is a factor. Yoyo diets are truly detrimental to your health. With age comes lower metab and thus wl is harder. etcetc Now I know I sound like a huge band advocate (because I am lol) but the call is yours. Having been on both sides of the fence I certainly would to the band. Knowing you were at 620 is probably the leading reason for encouraging the band. Only because if you were to regain.how far would you go? Best of luck Mike. Again congrats on such a great loss! ^5

Slow and steady wins! I didn't lose drastic amounts of weight, but a year later, here I am at 120 lbs gone! Everyone comments on how "thin" I am now (still have a ways to go). Those months seem like they will take forever, but they fly by. I also find that I never mourned food the way some people do and now I just feel like I eat normally. So, I feel sort of like you do, that I just needed that smaller stomach. (Although, I do know I have boat load of issues!) Some people comment on how little I eat - but mostly it's just people who knew me before. I don't hide my surgery, but for those who do not know, I haven't had anyone ask if I had surgery. It's funny, nobody notices when you eat normally - haha.

Yes... it can be done. I only told my sister, my 2 BFF's and 3 people in work with one being my boss. Your business is YOUR business.. you don't have to tell anyone!! In my opinion... the less people you tell the better off you are. When people say "wow you lost weight you look good", I say thank you if they ask how am I doing it I say diet and exercise.

My husband and my mom are the only ones that know i had it done. I had my gallbladder removed at the same time. so when people ask about my weight loss i just tell them i had my gallbladder removed and now there is food i cant eat plus i gave up sugar cause of family history of diabetes. Sent from my DROID RAZR using RNYTalk