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Everyone works their "tool" to the way that suits them best, here is what I would do. As far as chinese, I always look for like a mandarin, orange or lemon chicken (unbreaded-just grilled) and steamed veggies-no rice or noodles As far as pizza, I have one slice of whatever I want. Some people cannot stomach bread or crust, but I have never had that problem (thank goodness). I will usually just have one slice of cheese pizza and be happy! I don't think having one piece of pizza is going to kill me. Although there is the fat in the cheese, pizza is actually very nutritious (in moderation of course). I will usually have a side salad as well. I also make the choice as to when and where I will and won't eat. For example, last night my kids wanted to go to Cici's pizza (all you can eat buffet). So I asked hubby to take them while I went to the gym, it all worked out and I felt great and the kids didn't miss me one bit! Now for tonight, we are going to Fuddrucker's and I'm going to have whatever the heck I want..I do NOT limit my food choices EVER! That is a SURE FIRE way for me to rebel and pig out! What I will do is order what I want, but my brain pushes me to the right choices everytime. Take those choices away, and I would not be successful at long term weight loss. This is a personal decision, and everyone works their band to the way that is best for them. I don't ever want to PB or slime or have stuck episodes, nor do I want to limit my food choices at all. It works wonderfully for me! Best of luck on your journey!!

I was sleeved August 2nd, have lost 12lbs since, most of that in about 5 days. I've been at the same weight now for 5 days. I think it's likely a stall. Blah! I was hoping to get 2-3 weeks of solid loss first, but it's not like I have control. I just follow the plan and what happens, happens. I did expect it to be slow since I lost 53 lbs pre op. Hope y'all are doing well and feeling good.

I have lost 22 pounds since I attended the surgery info session in mid-August. At my consult soon after, the surgeon recommended that I lose 20-30 pounds before surgery (which won't likely be until May as I have to go through the 6-month supervised nutrition visits for insurance) but did not require it. My insurance requires the supervised nutrition visits but does not require weight loss. I have been wondering whether I will be able to sustain this. In the past, it's usually at about 6-9 months that I really struggle to maintain changes to my diet and weight loss. At that point this time, I will be going on the 2-week liver shrinkage plan and then moving to surgery, so I'm hopeful that any weight I lose pre-op will actually remain lost. I lost most of the 22 very quickly, and it is now slow. Does anyone know -- when you are looking at average excess weight lost, do you calculate from you initial weight or your surgery weight? So if an average loss from RNY is 65% of excess weight, would I use 362 (my starting weight) or XXX (whatever my weight is the day of surgery) to calculate the 65%?

Two weeks ago my doctor discovered that my blood test reveiled that I have Hypothyroidism, and that was part of my problem with my weight. This also explains alot of the symptoms I have been having. He started me on Synthroid (a thyroid hormone medication) and I am starting to feel better and have more energy. The doctor asked me if I still wanted to get the LapBand, and I said "yes". Because I have yoyo dieted and lost and gained hundreds of pounds in my life, and I just want it to be off and stay off. Even if my thyroid gets straightened out with medication, I still feel like I need The band to win my fight with obesity. What do you guys think? I am scheduled for surgery to get the Lap Band in only 5 days!!!

i don't want to eat! i mean, i do, but i'm not...really. this past week or so, i have had a scrambled egg or two and thats it all day....im wanting to make bad food choices, so it just seems easier to stop eating almost completely. is this going to harm me do u think? will it stall my weight loss? thanks for ur input!

Some airlines do, but depends on how big you are, I understand your weight and height but can't figure it out how big is that, what I used to do is seat in the emergency exits.

I'm in a remote location and getting medical treatment here is an absolute nightmare. They have to med-evac us to London for care and will only do it for an emergency. So I figure I'd ask here for suggestions or experiences so that I can approach the nurse we have here with some ideas of what to get tested. I've experienced some weirdness in the last two months (totally unrelated to VSG or weight loss, I think) and was hoping someone could tell me if they had a similar experience or if they've heard of anything like this. Two months ago I had a wacky cycle. I've always been clockwork: 28 days with ovulation right in the middle. I am NEVER late, not even when I'm stressed or sick or traveling. I was two weeks late and scared half to death I was pregnant (which should not be possible as my husband is for all intents and purposes, just about sterile). Then, out of nowhere, my period shows up. I get a short, spotty cycle and then it's back to normal. For all of four days! Then I immediately go into what feels like ovulation for me, complete with sore breasts and a breakout. But the soreness doesn't last one or two days like usual - it lasts two and a half weeks...complete with more pimples, dang it. And right when it ends I get my period again. This one was more normal but still very, very light compared to usual and only 3 days instead of my usual 4-5 days. In addition to my massive three weeks' long breakout (something that again, NEVER happens) I've gained weight. Steadily, despite the fact that I've maintained with virtually no effort in the past. I've been tracking my food and nothing is out of line. I've been gaining about half a pound a day and I'm up five pounds in just the last two weeks. This is not a matter of stress, Water intake or sodium intake. Something is just not right and I can't figure it out. I really, sincerely doubt I am pregnant - I've always "known" when I was pregnant within days of it happening, long before I could test. This doesn't feel the same way, not at all. When I went into the clinic here I was told that unless I can name specific tests I want done there isn't much they can do. Additionally, they send our bloodwork out to Almaty and can't even do something locally, so the test I request might not even be available. I had my annual exam done last September so I could ask for one but all it would be is the usual swab and I don't know that they'd find anything that way. I'll be back stateside in August, but would obviously like to figure out what's going on before five more months pass. Women in my family do go into menopause earlier (my mom was totally done at age 35 and I'm 31) but wouldn't I expect my cycles to get farther apart with that, not closer together? I'm not sure where to go with this one. Anyone have similar experience and willing to share? I'm not even sure what to look for, honestly. Thanks for your time, I hope someone can help. ~Cheri

My surgery is scheduled for the 20th. So I'll be a few days behind you. What kind of "preop" are you doing? My doctor doesn't have me doing anything special except the week before surgery I was told I shouldn't have any greasy/fried and that I should eat light that week. I always find it amazing that every doctor does things a little differently. How much weight do you have to lose?

Hey everyone, just throwing this question out there...Hoping to see if anyone his some insight. I am 24 yrs old and recently banded 3 days ago. I've been struggling with looots of facial hair growth on my chin and underneath my chin towards my neck area for years. It used to be a small patch, but the heavier I was the worse it got. And recently the blond, peach-fuzz looking hairs on the back of my arms are getting very dark and thick. Ugh! Dr says it's most likely from the excess weight and hormone imbalance. I basically have many symptoms of PCOS without the actual cysts. Anyone have similar problems? Did the hair disappear after weight loss? Worsen? Stay the same? I don't mind waxing, but waiting for it to grow between each time is awful! Pretty disgusting when I grow a better beard then my hubby...(He may have a pretty sad excuse for a beard, but still! Lol!!) Banded 8/20/2011 - Heaviest: 512 - Current: 467

I have the same issue. I hate waxing . It irritates my skin badly. I had laser hair removal and it came back. I bought a No No and it keeps it more under control without the irritation of shaving and waxing. I hope that as I lose more weight the hair follows .

Am on week two post op and can start eatting real food tomorrow. I was not given a specific amount of calories to have daily. I am always hungry and taking in way too many carbs through potatoes that are mushy and easy to get down. I do not have my first fill for two more weeks. Help!! I am so afraid of stalling my weight loss and that has happened the past 3 days. Prior that I was losing at least 3 pounds a day for a total of 35 lost. I feels stuck and confused on what and how much to eat

For some reason I've really been struggling this past few weeks with my eating habits. I think I'm hungry all the time but I feel full. I'm not sure if it's the excusing because I have been doing a lot of weight training or just my mind. I've been trying to drink more Water when I have these moments. Maybe I need to go back to having 2 Protein shakes a day. I'm almost 2 months out is this normal? Sent from my SM-N920P using the BariatricPal App

Has anyone questioned the amount of effort they have put into prior diet attempts???? It seems that this medically supervised diet is causing me to call into question if I really have ever tried to lose the weight. I KNOW I have tried, gyms , trainers, diet books and all that. Hell, I even spent a fortune on those dame pre-packaged meals. Is this normal??? Thanks!

Lilbelly, Yes, I did loose most of my weight on liquids, pre-op and post-op liquids. I started mushies last Wed 5/09 but I am trying to only weigh once a week. I will know Wednesday night how I am doing on the mushies. I have my first fill scheduled for June 5th.

Hi Blue, welcome to the site and to a new healthier life. How far have you gotten on your process? Have you had all of your preliminary tests? You have done very well on your weight loss so far. Looking forward to hear how you do too. Good luck.

You see all sorts of things happening on this forum. I lost 10 on the pre op diet, and another 10 post op diet. I have a strict surgeon and basically liquids for 3-4 wks post op. It has been 6 months and I've lost a total of 30lbs+ since surgery. Bandster hell is where things slow down, its waiting the months for the appropriate amount of fill- so basically any weight loss is from sticking it out and exercising like heck. I'm 6 months out with 7cc and just probably in the green zone. Everyone's program is different. Some get lots of cc's right away. I get one a month if that. I can loose 1 lb a week steadily and I am an exercise fiend. Dr says now that I'm closer to goal and fit, things will probably slow down. I still have 40+ to go.

Awesome! How goes weight loss? Sent from my moto g play (2021) using BariatricPal mobile app

Ok, the suspense is already getting to me! It's only been one day! I want to know if I'm approved so badly! If anyone out there has Aetna for their insurance, let me know how long it took for them to provide you with an approval/denial. I had an eye appointment today and they dilated my eyes so everything is reaaalllllyyy bright right now. My eyes have pretty much stayed the same though, which is good. Maybe after I lose weight I'll get Lasik, hehe. The doctor gave me new contacts, a different brand, and they're just a little blurry, but I think that's the dilation. Not a fan of anyone dilating my eyes! This LAP-BAND® surgery has pretty much taken over all of my thoughts and my entire day, and I'm glad about that. It makes me think that after it happens, I'll be committed to making it work for me So many people I know have had it, so I'll have an amazing support group, and then there's all of the support on this site. It's so amazing and so wonderful! I just can't contain my excitement!!! :eek:

Two separate NSV's... 1) I work in an office but I also have to go out ito our warehouse area where we hold our materials and stage our packing, receiving and shiping. We produce in our Indiana facility high-end specialty metal alloys - lots of molly, titatnium, colbalt, nickel alloys, etc. These things are heavy (Imagine 60 lbs in an 8"x8"x8" box) and can be 30' pipe or 1" fittings. It was inventory this weekend and every ounce of this material had to be accounted for. I am the Export Supervisor as well as Logistics Coordinator and inventory control, so I wear alot of hats. Inventory is a very crazy time for me. Normally this process KILLS me, it is too hot (It got to 99 here Saturday, which had the warehouse at about 106-110 depending on where you were. I used to not be able to tolerate the heat like that, and the warehouse is huge and DUSTY - the materials ca have 2-3 mm or better of crud on them - I mean crud, not dust - Houston creates moist crud, not dust! lol. ACED IT! I had stamina, the allergies were there and bad but tolerateable, and I was able to get into nooks and crannies and in and out of tight spots - OMG! I bet I contributed to us being done in at least 2 hours or better than we would have, simply by being able to get in there an dlook around better. 2) I have apparently dropped at least a width and a whole shoe size. This happened when I went to get a new pair of work boots, and again with a pair of summer hiking sandals...Hubby was shocked....he was like - your feet are tiny! Well, size 8 normal width, which I guess is tiny for me. I did not know it was possible for your foot to get shorter! Will have to look that up! Maybe it has something to do with the arch, or the weight bearing on the foot.

Wow - you have an amazingly physical job. That would be extremely tough for anyone in the BEST of shape. Congratulations on your huge NSV with work!! I've heard other people say they lost shoe sizes. I only lost width, not length. You might be right that there is something about the arch. If your arch is higher now (due to less weight pressing it down) it would make sense that it would draw the foot up and in a bit, which would result in less length. Very interesting! Congrats on the foot front too!

I've had this very similar situation myself. I was so worried about the scale since my co-workers would say, "so how much wight have you lost now?" It was like they were waiting to hear some astronomical number!! I almost felt like I was disappointing them if I said 12pounds etc.... I discussed this the last time I went to my nutritionist and she wasn't happy with my thinking. Here was her tips: 1. it's no one's business how much you've lost. #2 Everyone is different and we all have our own journey. She said I'll be losing for the next year to year and a half so what's the rush. Do it slow and healthy. Enjoy it! #3.and the most painful in my book..Stop weighing myself everyday! Only weigh once a week tops. Go as long as I can without weighing. She said I will be forced to enjoy how I feel and my accomplishments without the dreaded numbers on a scale hanging over my head.... She was sooo right! I haven't weighed since that visit on 2/21/14. I go back on 03/28/14 and I can't wait! She is going to be so happy for me. Plus I feel sensational. I'm not worried about my weight cause I feel so incredibly good and my clothes are big! ...I hope the best for you!!

I had my surgery 3 years ago and lost 150 lbs. Bad part is i fell off the wagon and gained about 40 back has anyone had a 2nd surgery?

Hey everyone, there's an awesome $500 giveaway contest being drawn, by Carnie Wilson, at the WLSFA event on Saturday night. Everyone can enter. The info's below in case you want to take part! There's only 5 more hours to enter, before the contest closes! RealSelf.com $500 WLSFA Giveaway On Saturday, 18th May, 2013 RealSelf.com will be giving away a $500 prize, to one lucky person who has entered the RealSelf/WLSFA giveaway. RealSelf will also match this amount, by donating $500 to the WLSFA. In order to enter, you simply have to write a review of your WLS journey, which will then be shared on RealSelf.com. You can do this by using this link: http://www.realself.com/review/create If you're entering from a mobile device, please use the instructions below: Send an email, with your full name, to wlsfa@realself.com An automatic reply will be sent with a link to create a review on RealSelf.com: http://www.realself.com/review/create The participant must then create and submit a review of their WLS (Weight Loss Surgery) procedure Once this has occurred the participant will receive an email of confirmation, which also confirms their entry into the contest All entries must be receieved by 5pm PST, Saturday, 18th May, 2103. Terms and conditions apply. To see the Terms and Conditions, please go to: http://www.realself.com/forum/realself-and-wlsfa-1000-giveaway-contest-terms-and-conditions

You are doing great! Those pictures are amazing at how much weight you have lost. Keep stong and keep rockin that sleeve!