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Before and Afters have been what has fueled my weightloss and kept me on task (mostly). However, I cant seem to take one of my own. I had gotten so used to taking pictures for various reasons that now when I seem my image I hardly recognize myself. I am so not complaining! What I have learned is that the last 20lbs made ALL of the difference. I look like a different person to myself! The only problem is that I feel that I look sick (not weight-wise). I am hating this winter complexion I have going on right now, I am not to pleased with my pallor. (Yes, Black people can look pale :cursing: ) Hopefully I will be able to take some decent pics soon to post on the B&A boards!

Hi Jayla - We all want to be free! And the band is a great tool. I just caution you to be aware that in spite of how it may feel, your weight is NOT the source of all your problems - it's just the scape goat. So even when you get to be "skinny," you will still have to deal with whatever life dishes out to you. Think of all those celebrities who have good looks, great bodies, and lots of money, but that does not keep them from getting divorced, going bankrupt, being thrown in jail, or OD'ing on drugs. Okay - now that reality check is out of the way... :cool: The band is a wonderful tool. It takes work, and PATIENCE. Patience is probably the #1 thing most lacking with people who have been banded. Most feel as though they are losing weight too slowly. Be aware that if you get banded, this is a lifelong journey, and it will PROBABLY take you a good 2 years to reach your goal. Maybe longer, maybe shorter, depending on how you work it. But it will not do everything for you. There are a number of possible complications - most of them are more irritating than anything else. The things I see most commonly from what I read: 1. Most people experience the "stuck" feeling occasionally throughout their banded life - where they ate too fast, or didn't chew well enough. This is very uncomfortable, and can be somewhat painful, but is temporary (usually) and is controlable by you for the most part. 2. Many develop reflux a couple of years out. 3. Chances that you'll have to have a port repair/reposition at some point is pretty high. 4. Quite a few have problems with food not staying down because they are either filled too tight, or are not chewing enough or eating slowly enough (PB = productive burp). 5. PBing is also the number 1 cause of esophagitis, which is generally treated by removing the fill until you are healed. During this time of little to no restriction, many struggle not to regain weight. The above are the most common negative side effects, but are more annoying than anything else. Other possibilities that happen, but are less common: 6. Frequent PBing is the number 1 cause of band slippage, which requires surgery to repair, and sometimes results in the loss of the band for at least a period of time, sometimes permanently. 7. Erosion (where the band is absorbed into the stomach cavity) is also a possibility, and requires surgery to fix. Again, the fix may result in the loss of the band for at least a period of time, sometimes permanently. MOST people only experience the annoying problems 1-4, and some experience NO adverse affects. The benefits of being banded, for me, far outweigh the negatives. I am one who will have to have my port repositioned. I am 9 months out, and I have only PB'd 3 times. I have gotten temporarily "stuck" maybe 20 times. I do not (yet) experience any reflux, and have had no problems with esophagitis. I have lost 61 pounds virtually effortlessly, as I do not diet, and my exercise is very hit and miss. Many people have much better result than I, because they work harder at it. I, however, am comfortable knowing that whatever I have lost is gone forever as long as I keep my band and my restriction, because I am not doing anything special that I may stop doing later. I am just living my life in what is a normal way for me, the way I expect to live it forever. AND I AM LOSING WEIGHT!!!! How miraculous is that? It is true that I mostly eat high quality, nutritious foods. I have the occasional pizza and sweets, but they are by no means staples in my everyday food choices. Would I get banded again? In a heartbeat!! Do I have any regrets? Only that I didn't do this years ago. Do I feel better than I can ever remember? Absolutely. Would I recommend this to anyone else? Without reservation. However, you do need to be aware of the possible downside, so I have tried to give you a balanced viewpoint. Hope this helps.

I am probably going about this the wrong way, but I am watching a show on TLC called "The Real Skinny." It so far is about two people who have had surgery and are now experiencing a lot of loose skin. What is everyone's take on this? Is it common with VSG, even though the weight doesn't come off as fast as other surgeries, i.e. Gastric Bypass?

That Leigha is a girl after my own heart. Been a believer in non-starvation since I started this process. Throwing a body into the starvations mode only hinders weight loss and causes those nasty plateaus. Good healthy food choices at 2-3 hour intervals makes for a healthy bod!

I was sleeved Sept. 17 and my total weight loss is 42, I am pleased with that, BUT looking at my MFP I have only lost 7 pound this entire month. I feel that is a little low for only my second month out- I will lose one pound and stay there a week and then lose another. Blood work looks good, I am eating 800 - 1200 calories a day. I am not getting in all of my water. Could this be it? I am going to be diligent today and this week and get my water in and see if this will help. Any thoughts? Thank you!

So this is my first entry....i'm pretty excited and hope everything will run as smooth as I can invision. I've been waiting for something like this all my life. I think the most fitting would be where I am at now so I can look back at this and see how far I have come. So here are the current stats: Height: 5'8" Age: 19 Weight: 315 BMI: 49 My mother called call me together and next week thursday @ 9:30am is my first appointment with my home doctor to get him to approve this and hopefully send the approval letters to everyone who will need them.. I'm pretty unsure about who he has to send them to, but I believe we will get a copy to send in to insurance. I read a lot of people who have the same insurance I have (Medical Mutual) and they had to jump a lot of fences (you have to show 6 months of weight loss attempt, which i only have 3 months of documented weight loss so i don't know if i should start WW again and waste more money or not...but i know it will really get to me if they tell me i have to wait another 6 months for approval when i've been basically waiting my entire life for this opportunity). However we shall see. I am just hoping and praying for the best. I will update this again after my appointment next week. Wish me luck! Allysia

Hi Karen I had my surgery on July 7 2012 I am self pay so I went Mexico to have it done. I went into surgery about 315 pm and was in my room at about 5 pm I was up walking around shortly after I got to my room the pain hit me about 11 pm that night I kept thinking it was gas pain but I finally ask for and was given pain meds I only needed some pain med the next day after that the pain was very minimal I did not have real bad pain at all and the meds keep it under control if you just ask for it before the pain gets out of control. If I had to do it all over again I would I had a start weight of 280 I am now almost 210 I used to have to take Motrin for knee ankle pain daily but I don't have to anymore my blood pressure has come back to the normal but higher side so far but I am not on meds anymore I feel so much better now James

I often get much sarcastic remark from skinny women I consider to be my friends and co-workers. I honestly believe I get those remark because at the end of the day they are jealous. They are also aware of the fact that, the only flaw they can judge me on is my weight, I think they realize once I am skinny they no longer will have that something wrong to look at and I think that worries them. So it may be the same for you, you may be such a great person and your friend make those catty remark because she realizes once you lose weight you will no longer be “ her fat friend”

so here i am, 3 weeks in- 19.7lbs down..feeling good, proud of myself, ready to DO this... my two very best friends are skinny bitches. well let me rephrase, one can be a bitch lol and the other is so supportive i feel like i can talk like a big girl in front of her (you know what i mean..waking up in the am planning my dinner..thinking about snacks right after i ate...the stuff i've hide my entire life). i'm going out to eat tonight for the very first time. i'm going somewhere healthy, bonefish grill, and plan to get grilled fish. i was talking to my girlfriends and mentioned that i might bring a small weight watcher scale with me just in case if they cannot tell me how much my fish weights (because i can EAT if i don't weight it--no fills yet). the one laughed a little and said- whatever it takes my love to help you. perfect answer. the other laughs, but in the bitch way, and acts as if i'd be making a scene. she says "you cannnn't bring a scale..common..this is a restaurant." ok thank you, like i didn't know. i just simply said "if it's a problem don't come." :thumbdown: NEVER stood up for my "cause" like that before. Why is it that some people act like they are supportive...but when it comes right down to it- no one gets "it" like another who is in your shoes. I suppose it's easier to be friends with "THE BIG GIRL" well too bad skinny bitch...i'm going to be coming to your category one day.

I am starting a blog for myself to have a way to look back and keep a log of my feelings, attitudes, struggles and triumphs. I am Canadian living in Manitoba. Our system in Manitoba anyway is very different than many stories I see on this site. I started out putting myself on the surgery wait list it takes approx. 2 to 2 1/2 years to get past that. Then you go to a large group meeting where they go over a in broad terms what the next levels/steps will look like and give you a info package and a in depth questionnaire regarding your current health. It was then 3 months after that I had my first one on one meetings. I do mean meetings you do 1 hour each with a kinesologist, dietician, psychologist, and surgical nurse - they go over your current status and set goals for your next meeting if you are accepted. It was again 3 months since the first set of meetings this past Aug 18th that I had my next set of meetings. I am still waiting to move to the next step - my iron levels are not at the right level for me to move on and this is not negotiable. Your Iron levels must be a minimum of 50 before you will get to move to meeting the anesthetist, surgeon, and start the classes for pre-op and post op diets. My iron levels were 45 close but not close enough. My next blood work is around the 21st or 22nd whenever I wish to go to the lab. I will hear the following week if my blood work passes. I will admit though up till I went to my individual meetings I was extremely naïve about this whole process and what to expect and how intense/involved this all is. I have done a lot of self education in the last 6 to 8 months. I suppose its a good thing I do not frighten easy and really do not shy away from hard work, but I will say I thought it was simple surgery and recovery would be a breeze. I also thought we would be given more of a choice into the type of surgery. Not in Manitoba 99% of have bypass that is what has the best overall long term weight loss results and if in the future medically things need to be undone you are able to. The sleeve may be done depending on your health. There has only been one patient once inside that they just closed back up without doing anything- that was because of health related issues and an exceptional case and that is all they can tell us understandably. I am excited and nervously awaiting moving to the next step. I don't think any of this will be truly real until I meet with the surgeon and anesthetist. Heres hoping for good news when they call at the end of September.

congrats on your weight loss.. my exercise routine is walking on the treadmill/exercising with the wii game i have borrowed from my nephew & generally keep my butt moving throughout the day

Did anybody else's cycle go way out of whack post op? I had surgery 8/13/03 spotted off and on till period 8/22 then fine for a week then spotting until yesterday and now I am having one of the heaviest periods I have ever had. I hate to be one of those people who think everything is related to the band but I am wondering if this might have to do with the stress of surgery or losing weight fast. I am debating calling the gyno but to be honest I will avoid doing that for as long as I can.

I been going through the something:-( and it hurts like crap, and I don't have Big Breast so that has nothing to do with it, I don't use a heating pad due to heat and my body do Not work, I get to comfortable with heat, so my Chiropractor has me icing it and lifting a 5lb weight to workout that gas that is still in my body. I'm using ice now and working my arm out, hey I look at it like this I'm toning my arms while moving this gas out. Good Luck! Sent from Ladybug29 iPhone using LapBandTalk

I'm not a mother but this really resonated with me. In 2008 I weighed 185 and lost 30 lbs. I slowly gained 100 lbs over 4 yrs and stopped being in any photos at the end of 2009. It breaks my heart that I have no memories from 2010-2012. I go to Florida 3x a year to visit my nephews and I never take photos with them. When they look back at their childhood photos I won't be in them. I feel sad about this. People have suggested that I take photos but don't upload them on Facebook. Seeing myself in photos makes me very upset to the point that I would binge. Obviously I'm not bingeing anymore but I can't deal with how I look in photos.

I seen a lot of people on this forum not receiving family Support and getting called weak well i have a confession to make i didnt get any support i was laughed at and made fun of called weak called will less was told its all in my mind and was told several time I will fail most of the people were so called friends and family who themselves are not in perfect shape but have a lot to say . I feel it is your strength that you are taking this step also all you are getting is a tool to help you win this battle. I went to hospital with one of of my friends cause family wouldn't support me and thought i am wasting time.Guess what Surgery weight height 6 ft wt 287.5 in 5 days ( my surgery was on 8th of this month) today weight 264.... With ought this tool it's a very hard battle something I read at New York Times..... Shows Why It’s Hard to Keep Weight Off For years, studies of obesity have found that soon after fat people lost weight, their metabolism slowed and they experienced hormonal changes that increased their appetites. Scientists hypothesized that these biological changes could explain why most obese dieters quickly gained back much of what they had so painfully lost. GETTY IMAGES But now a group of Australian researchers have taken those investigations a step further to see if the changes persist over a longer time frame. They recruited healthy people who were either overweight or obese and put them on a highly restricted diet that led them to lose at least 10 percent of their body weight. They then kept them on a diet to maintain that weight loss. A year later, the researchers found that the participants’ metabolism and hormone levels had not returned to the levels before the study started. The study, being published Thursday in The New England Journal of Medicine, is small and far from perfect, but confirms their convictions about why it is so hard to lose weight and keep it off, say obesity researchers who were not involved the study. They cautioned that the study had only 50 subjects, and 16 of them quit or did not lose the required 10 percent of body weight. And while the hormones studied have a logical connection with weight gain, the researchers did not show that the hormones were causing the subjects to gain back their weight. Nonetheless, said Dr. Rudolph Leibel, an obesity researcher at Columbia, while it is no surprise that hormone levels changed shortly after the participants lost weight, “what is impressive is that these changes don’t go away.” Dr. Stephen Bloom, an obesity researcher at Hammersmith Hospital in London, said the study needed to be repeated under more rigorous conditions, but added, “It is showing something I believe in deeply — it is very hard to lose weight.” And the reason, he said, is that “your hormones work against you.” In the study, Joseph Proietto and his colleagues at the University of Melbourne recruited people who weighed an average of 209 pounds. At the start of the study, his team measured the participants’ hormone levels and assessed their hunger and appetites after they ate a boiled egg, toast, margarine, orange juice and crackers for Breakfast. The dieters then spent 10 weeks on a very low calorie regimen of 500 to 550 calories a day intended to makes them lose 10 percent of their body weight. In fact, their weight loss averaged 14 percent, or 29 pounds. As expected, their hormone levels changed in a way that increased their appetites, and indeed they were hungrier than when they started the study. They were then given diets intended to maintain their weight loss. A year after the subjects had lost the weight, the researchers repeated their measurements. The subjects were gaining the weight back despite the maintenance diet — on average, gaining back half of what they had lost — and the hormone levels offered a possible explanation. One hormone, leptin, which tells the brain how much body fat is present, fell by two-thirds immediately after the subjects lost weight. When leptin falls, appetite increases and metabolism slows. A year after the weight loss diet, leptin levels were still one-third lower than they were at the start of the study, and leptin levels increased as subjects regained their weight. Other hormones that stimulate hunger, in particular ghrelin, whose levels increased, and peptide YY, whose levels decreased, were also changed a year later in a way that made the subjects’ appetites stronger than at the start of the study. The results show, once again, Dr. Leibel said, that losing weight “is not a neutral event,” and that it is no accident that more than 90 percent of people who lose a lot of weight gain it back. “You are putting your body into a circumstance it will resist,” he said. “You are, in a sense, more metabolically normal when you are at a higher body weight.” A solution might be to restore hormones to normal levels by giving drugs after dieters lose weight. But it is also possible, said Dr. Jules Hirsch of Rockefeller University, that researchers just do not know enough about obesity to prescribe solutions. One thing is clear, he said: “A vast effort to persuade the public to change its habits just hasn’t prevented or cured obesity.” “We need more knowledge,” Dr. Hirsch said. “Condemning the public for their uncontrollable hedonism and the food industry for its inequities just doesn’t seem to be turning the tide.”

Woke up this morning and did my daily weigh-in and was excited (and relieved) to finally be under 200lbs! I've been bouncing around the 200 mark for over a week. Weight is now 199.6...just barely in there, but I'll take it! lol. Getting below 200 was my first major goal since having surgery on Jan. 11 (down from 243 day of surgery). I've also gone from a 38-40 in pants size, down to a 34 inch waist. Really glad I had this surgery!

I was banded on 10/13/08 and waited 4 months til my first fill on 2/19/09. I lost 30 lbs but then gained 5 for a net loss of 25 lbs by the time of the first fill. I dropped that 5 lbs over the last 2 days. Just follow the rules and your doctor's advice. Everyone and every doc is different. This isn't a race. It's a lifestyle change. Good luck!

Your human we all fall off. Just get back on the program. Every day is a new day. Put yourself first! You will feel better once you start to lose again. I just fell off the exercise wagon the last 4 wks. But good news I still lost weight and now back to working out to kick it up a notch! We will support you! Moving is tough! Stay strong & focused! Try a food diary to get back on track & 30 mins of exercise. Keep us posted! K

My name is Sekea. I was banded on 04/26/2010. I am 34 years old and I reside in Las Vegas NV. My starting weight was 246 6 months prior to operation and 236 on the day of. I am currently at 177 and still have a total of 30 lbs to get to my goal. My main issues are eating out of boredom and over eating. I do exercise an average of 2 to 3 times a week (not enough) and I am really looking for some moral support and guidance. Please be my mentor.

I'm not a frequent poster...actually have been so busy I'm not even a frequent viewer lately. But it occurred to me today that yesterday was my 3 month mark, so I thought I'd check in. Crazy how time flies. I started my journey at 244, and am now down to 193, total of 51 pounds. Weight loss has definitely slowed down, but I'm eating differently now than I was right after surgery, so it's not surprising. Generally losing about 2 lbs a week, though. Still no regrets and no problems. I was in India in late September for a business trip. I'd generally stick with Protein shakes and bars during the day, then would have some local food for dinner with my coworkers. I tried to be smart...nothing too spicy or crazy, mostly chicken. A couple nights we went to buffets and our hosts would bring plates of a variety of things to try. I tried everything, to not be rude, but in very small bites. Actually lost 5 lbs that week. We also just got back from Italy last week...too many carbs and not enough Protein, but it was a special trip with my husband to Celebrate my 40th birthday, so I tried to just enjoy it...with very small portions. Several times, my husband and I shared a dish, and I ate about 1/4 of it, and he'd eat the rest. Only lost a pound, but that's better than most of my previous vacations. I've been very blessed in that I'm not ever gotten sick, and have tried a multitude of foods and had no issues. Water is always a challenge, sometimes I just don't think of it. But I've also learned pretty quickly that I feel lousy if I don't stay hydrated, so I'm getting better about it. I'm about another 50-60 lbs from my goal...weight training and running are the next things on my "do list" which will help me get there sooner. My son wants to do a Spartan race with me on the Spring, so I guess that's my next milestone. So zero regrets and zero problems, I'm thrilled I did this. Don't get me wrong, I hate that I had let myself get to where I was...5'4" and 244 isn't a good place to be. 262 was my highest weight during one of my pregnancies a couple of years ago...so I'm not proud of where I was. But I'm proud of where I am now and of the courage it took to do this. And I'm proud of where my life is heading...I made the right decision for my health, my family and my future. Cheers. No matter where you are on your journey, I hope you're on your way to getting healthier and happier for all the right reasons...starting with you.

yes me too i take bp meds and was scared to take them my bp and pluse are back up but its been i monthjust watch it i thing its the fast weight loss my son lost weight fast and he would pass out and hit the floor so its fast weight loss drink lots of water dr told him and use too

Hi Camper-girl, I had my surgery 2 days after Christmas in 2013, the only people who knew were my son and my husband. I did have my husband with me for the surgery in Mexico but know I could have done it alone. My girlfriend went all by herself to the same doctor in Mexico and never told anyone. I only told two of my best friends when I got home and I am now almost 5 months out and still haven't told anyone else, this is my business and I don't think they would understand why I went to Mexico much less why I had the surgery. I wanted this surgery for my health, I was on so much medication that I had to do something. Even 50lbs over weight was killing me. Find one person that you trust more than anyone else, someone who won't judge you and will support you during and after the surgery. You'll do fine, just go for it.

It really hasn't been a problem for me. For me the key is to just not have something to drink sitting in front of me at a meal. If it's there, I'll automatically pick it up and drink. It's not a problem to occasionally sip some wine with dinner. I do. Alcohol is not conducive to weight loss, so it's good to not drink too often. The thing to watch out for with wine is that it relaxes you and you might be able to eat more than usual.

I survived the holidays with no gain and with no loss, and I'm so OK with that! When I went for my fifth fill early this week (I should be at my sweet spot now), the doctor congratulated me for staying the same. I said, "What?" I expected him to be disappointed as I've been a model patient posting losses every time I've gone to his office. However, he said that many people gain over the holidays. I was really pleased with his reaction, and was glad that I could enjoy my holidays. By enjoy, I don't mean a total slip into old habits. However, between traveling and eating foods that others prepared, I was able to maintain without feeling like I was depriving myself of some holiday traditions. Now that I have this fill (and am still on liquids through today), I'll see if this is truly my sweet spot (3.4 cc in a 4 cc band), and I'll see if I can't get the rest of the weight off in the coming months. The doc did ask, for the first time, what my goal weight was, and he thinks I'm being realistic. He "signed off" on my goal weight. Feeling fine, and looking forward to more victories in 2010!

What am I not doing right? Start weight 247/now 201./Goal 145. NOT THERE YET! FRUSTRATED. Fills...unfills... exercise.... yep... done triathlons 4x, ran a half marathon... trainers galore.... Too tight... too loose... Any ideas out there? Cause I am sick of this and thinking of moving on to another weight loss surgery. Thanks for any help! Angie