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I am now ten days post-op. So far so good. I start pureed foods next Wednesday. By doctor's last weigh in pre-op I am down 15 lbs. Per my personal weigh in day of surgery 10 days ago I am down 11 lbs. So I am averaging a loss of a lb a day. I am getting nervous starting the pureed foods next week, I plan to just eat baby food for convenience for most meals. I hope I lose at least 4 more lbs before starting them up. But I must say this has been going very smoothly and hope it continues, It took me a few years to decide to do this but I am sure I made the right decision. I can't wait to be released to work out with less poundage!

So April 13 I found out that I have to loose 10 pounds before my surgery on June 4th. I was really concerned because its so far away I am good at loosing weight but always gaining it back. Plus I am a sales rep that spends the majority of my week on the road. I have been doing liquids for 2 meals and on the 3rd meal I am doing something healthy, mainly fish and veggies. There are a few times like I cheated like all day mother's day. But I have worked really hard at making time to do at least 45 min of exercising at least 3 to 4 days a week. I have been weighing in at home and doing well, so I thought. I got on the scale at my YMCA and it said I only lost 3 pounds in a dang month!!!! WTH!!!!! So I remembered that my doc office said that I can come in anytime to weigh myself before the surgery to make sure I am staying on track. I weighed myself today. I lost 9 pounds!!!!! 1 more pound to go and I have 8 more days to go. I feel really good about it. I am starting straight liquids monday for all my meals.

My Nut finalized her part and forwarded it to insurance company. I received an approval letter within 10 calendar days from BCBS Fed employees. The surgeons office called and scheduled a pre-surgery appointment (for a surgery date & pre-op check-up) that was about 2 weeks later, earliest they had open. I had basically began my somewhat modified (about 90%) pre-op diet at that point. When I had pre-surgery appointment I found out that I could have surgery within about 9 days (normally a 2 week pre-op diet). Because I had started, somewhat, earlier that was an option. I didn't take it because it was not a first-in the OR timeframe. I ended up waiting about another week for a 'first-in' apt for the OR.

Wow, I didn't realize, but it's been 2 months today since sleeve surgery. Time flies. I'm down 25 pounds since surgery and 51 total from where I started. I'm now back in my size 16 pants instead of the 1X, so that feels good. Another 10 pounds off and should be in size 14, then 12 then 10 and then whatever. It takes time. We recently took a business trip to Washington DC (we live in Calif.) and ate all meals in restaurants. It was really hard for me to eat. You really start to notice the huge amounts of food that restaurants put on the plate. I'd take a few bites of a steak and was done. Luckily the people I was with know about my surgery and understand. I couldn't do my regular routine of protein shakes, bars, etc., so it threw my whole food thing off balance. I came home and weighed to see only a 1/2 pound loss in 3 days. Crap! That's what eating out did for me. I was losing 1/4 to 1/2 every day before the trip. Now getting readjusted. Last night our neighbors hosted a wedding for a friend of their daughters and had the DJ and music blaring until midnight. It sounded like they were in our house, that's how loud it was. I think the stress of that situation caused me to show a slight gain this morning. That's what stress does to you, so best to let it all roll off the back if you can do it. Going on a cruise at the end of the year and am hoping I can get down sufficiently to buy formal wear to wear on formal nights. I have 70 pounds more to lose, so am praying to have lost 20 of that by 12/31/09; we'll see.:cursing:

My eval was pretty basic I answered about 1000+ questions about depression,suicide, healthy eating, support and addiction. Then I talked to the Dr. For about 10 mins he asked my highest weight, where my husband worked, if I knew I would look and feel different after the surgery and that's about it. Good luck everyone

Hey Kim....sounds like you are doing great on your liquid diet. I don't have to do the liquid, but still have to lose 10 lbs. So far, so good on the cabbage soup diet. I am on day four as well and haven't cheated. I am down my 10 pounds.....Yay, but am still staying on my strict diet to try to lose a few more. I hope the more I lose pre-op the easier my surgery and recovery should be. I cannot believe in only 11 days we will be on our way to the loser's bench!!! I am so excited! So glad you are doing so well on the liquid diet, and I know you will do great!

Nice to meet you, Elizabeth. My surgery is next Wed. 10/19, here in Orange County, CA. I understand your feeling so grateful for all the comments on various topics. I've used them to compile a list of things to take with me to the hospital. It's given me something to focus on, and that's helped. I've lost 13# on the pre-op liquid diet and hope to have that a higher number by tomorrow and then again on Wed. I haven't figured out the process of attaching the weight loss ticker but I've copied the information and saved it. Congratulations on your decision. When your emotions are all over the chart, this is a good place to go!

I have been so hungry the past two days, and I don't feel full. I had baby food pears, two 8oz protien drinks, 1/2- 1 cup mashed potatoes a cup of Soup and some shredded slimey chicken yesterday, in addition to 3 16oz bottles of Water. It just seems like a lot to injest and still feel hungry and not feel that very full bloated feeling. I'm not having any pain, in fact I feel great. Any ideas or is this normal?

I had terrible gas pain for almost 10 days! The only thing that relieved it was walking or riding in the car. I also used the heating pad a lot. Also, I drank Isopure over crushed ice and just sipped on it all day. So I was getting the protein, but it has more of a watery consistency. I craved something hot, so I also sipped on broth quite a bit those first few days. Don't worry about caloric intake right now, just heal for a few days. And just know that it does get better. I've felt great since getting rid of the gas!

March 11 - Lapband seminar March 12 - Made decision to proceed - scheduled appt w/ surgeon March 18 - Consult w/ surgeon & begin pre-op diet March 31 - sleep study at hospital April 3 - Psych evaluation April 4 - Nutritionist evaluation April 18 - Diet progress evaluated by surgeon April 25 - Pre-op appointment w/ surgeon & hospital April 29 - Surgery My surgeon required that I lose 10% of my total body weight pre-surgery. I lost about 22 lbs. between March 18 and April 18. Because I lost so quickly, when I went in for my weight check appointment on April 18, he moved my surgery from May 13 to April 29 and didn't ultimately require that I lose the entire amount. I was excited to get to go two weeks early. I was self-pay so I didn't have the long delays that a lot of people experience. I scheduled all of my pre-op appointments as quickly as possible and pretty much just drank Protein shakes for a month (with the occasional treat every three or four days when I couldn't stand another liquid meal) to shed the weight. All in all, mine went pretty fast. Good luck!

Let me tell ya. My "best" friend is 5'3'' and weighs 110 pounds soaking wet. And I noticed that right after my surgery, she was starting to withdraw from me a little. Finally, last week, I confronted her and asked her what was wrong and to my shock, she told me that she had always really seen me as the fat person, and now that I'm losing she doesn't really know. Then, she said that she felt like being with me when I was (and still am, for a while, anyway) fat makes her feel better about herself. She told me this to my face. We have been friends for 10 years. I am hurt by this. I know part of me should tell her to shove it, but I am still a little bewildered. I'm also MAD. I havent spoken to her since this conversation, though she has called several times....WHAT SHOULD I DO??

Tomorrow marks 10 weeks out for me. I have had 1 fill, am due for one Wednesday, and eat 1/2 cup per meal. Most of the time, I make sure whatever I eat fits into a 1/2 C measuring cup, sometimes I "eyeball" it but I am getting pretty good at seeing the correct portion size. My hunger is controlled, and I go about 3.5-4 hrs between eating. Make sure you are drinking your Protein drinks too. shakes, smoothies, or concentrated drinks that you can get online. My dietician recommended that I get 75-80 grams of protein per day - and there's no way I'd come close if it weren't for the drinks!

My two cents....for what it is worth. Remember that you are worth this and you are not a failure because your weight loss journey is different from those around you. In my three years I have come to realize that everyone is different even with the band. For example, I have great restriction, but I can eat bread. I always have been able to and waiting around for bread to get stuck to let me know that I have restriction or can't eat anymore is not going to help me at all. I lost 10 -15 lbs in the first month and basically hit a plateau that lasted nearly a year. Then I gave up, was depressed avoided my doctor and gained a lot of that weight back. My doctor wanted me to have a gastric bypass, even encouraged me to run the new testing and thankfully my insurance company denied it. He basically wrote me off as a patient. New doctor gave me very different support and aftercare. Some things I have now learned: (1) I need a low-carb diet. I eat 45-55 gms of carbs a day. Thats it, and a lot of that comes from fruits and veggies. The funny thing is that with carbs, they are either slider foods (potatoes) foods that get stuck, (doughy foods, rice) or sweets/nuts (high calorie, high sugar, high fat) and they often trigger cravings for more carbs! (2) I eat at regular intervals, every 3 hrs. Some people say they don't get hungry for 4-5 hrs. Not me. I'm hungry. If I rely on just hunger, I eat too much, if I to wait for 4-5 hrs I am starving and again I eat too much, too fast or make bad choices. Seriously figure out how long it takes you to get hungry and set your meals around that. I had an alarm on my cell the first week to remind me to eat because I am not starving at that point and sometimes miss the hunger signals, but I know if I go past the 3 hrs pt bad things happen. I also know if I am hungry between then it is probably dehydration and I'm not getting my fluids in. 3. Eat slowly. If I eat my 3/4 cup to 1 cup of food in less than 15 or 20 minutes I am eating way too fast and likely to eat way too much. You'll find if you are only eating softer foods you eat them faster because they don't get stuck. I have to force myself to eat Proteins like chicken or steak and fresh veggies because I am afraid they will get stuck and they require me to be very careful with the chewing. The other day I ate carrots too fast and they were stuck! Ugh. The old me would have stopped eating raw carrots. The new me knows I ate them too fast, and didn't chew well enough. Also know that I will get full on a smaller amount of carrots than I will lunch meat, or yogurt. If I can eat it that fast it is probably not that good for me!! Time yourself. I've done it and having that external cue to keep you on pace helps. Note: If you follow this guideline with portion size, small chews and length it takes to finish a meal and are still getting food stuck you are too tight!!! I know it sounds counterproductive, but being too tight means your body thinks it is starving and you WILL NOT LOSE ANY WEIGHT!! Get the unfill, let your pouch heal and go back to the basics. My dr. does not like people relying solely upon Protein supplements for regular maintenance...so in his opinion you need to be able to eat lean meats without getting stuck.You can also be too tight and go over your calories because you tend to rely on soft mushy foods that are not going to keep you full and that are higher calorie for the volume. 4. Track your calories very very carefully. The've said it before and it is true. One of my biggest issues for me with this surgery was my slow metabolism. My body adjusts very quickly to a reduced caloric intake. You are not losing any weight because your body is adjusted to the amount of calories you are taking in. If i ate the amount of calories the calculators say I should to maintain weight (even without exercise I would be gaining 2-3 lbs a week! Trust me! I have tried.) I have to stay on a strict 1000-1200 calorie diet. If I am around 1400 or 1600 I gain. And when you break it down that is not a ton of calories and one pudding cup, cookie, or yogurt can quickly throw me over my daily goal. I may be eating what I would call a healthy diet but now post lap band for me healthy means getting lots of protein, paying strict attention to carbs, and focusing on non-starchy veggies. Very different from my BFF. If the scale is not moving I have to take a very serious look at what I am eating, own what I ate and make adjustments. My guess, if you haven't lost weight you are probably taking in the same amount of calories you were before the surgery just in a decreased volume. Again, doesn't mean you're eating ice cream all the time, but you would be amazed at how many calories you can take in even with the band. Someone said he does 3000 calories on a calorie cycling regimine for his high cal day. I know its hard and I know you may feel like people assume you aren't following the rules or are doing something to sabotage your success. Please don't give up!! I have run into plenty of guys and gals who struggle and this journey is a mental and physical one! Don't judge yourself or your success based on what others have done on the boards it will only make you feel more depressed. Set your own goals and Celebrate them, no matter how small. I celebrate tracking all my calories (especially if I have missed a day or two!) Adjusting behavior patterns and breaking internal cues and triggers can be hard. Your body does not want to lose weight, it thinks of that as starvation. You've got to outsmart your body and for some of us it takes more work than others! Good luck!

The only people who know are my close family members, until this week. I went to a conference for work with 10 other of my co-workers. There is a LOT of drama associated with my work (I feel like I am in high school with all the drama) so I know its better for me not to tell. However, 2 of the ladies I am sorta close to and felt I could tell (hope I didn't make a mistake). One asked me why I wouldn't be open about it and I know if I do be open it will not be good. They see my side about keeping it quiet. I don't want people watching every little thing I eat and one of them did comment, that now that she knows she has noticed I really put thought into what I eat (and eat slow, small bites, etc). So I hope I didn't make a mistake with telling them.

I have been reading so many forums and discussions on this board that I thought I had everything firgured out....somewhat. But nothing could've prepared me for all this pain. I am 2 days post-op and what to greet all my attending nurses with tears of pain. I would say on a scale of 1-10 I'm @ about a 8. I had a hiatal hernia fixed as well, so this may be contributing to the pain. I can't really drink much....I'm pushing about 16 oz's a day. I am excited about all that is left to come and plan on leaning on my sleeve family for advice, encouragement and support. Thanks for listening and its good to know I'm not the only one.

I just got back from my checkup too - and also lost 10 lbs since surgery (December 3). Wahoo! He said he likes his patients to loose 15 lbs in the first month . . . so I'm in OK shape (well not physically lol). I have an appointment for January 2 for my first fill. He said he is pretty agressive . . . and we will see what happens then. He said I can do anything as long as I still feel good . . . don't overdue it. And I knew my incisions were glued shut . . .but he said "yup . . .it's a high grade super glue that is bendable and flexible" . . . amazing! Chris

How were most of you closed up?? Glue, stiches or staples. I am going to have staples (12-19-07) which I have never had. I have had 2 c-sections with dissolving stiches. How is it to have staples removed?

Thanks Heather (and everyone else) for the support, I was having a pretty bad few days when I posted that and have been feeling better recently. I know it's a step by step process but somedays it just makes me want to cry, scream throw a tantrum, you know hehe. I had my last fill on Thurs June 12 and go for my next one on July 10 hopefully that one I will be able to get a bit more of an agressive fill. I am probably at about 6.6 or 6.8 or around that in an I'm not sure how big but I am guessing 10cc MIDband (I am not sure how much because my doc has never given me a straight answer on that total cc amount). I do need more restriction that is for sure. After this next appointment July 10 I am going to book the next one a lot sooner. I have to take 4hrs off work to drive out and back so I don't want to go too frequently if I can avoid.

Yeah, Titanic came out back in 97' (I still have my ticket stubs. LOL) and I saw it like 10 times at the theater. But, I was young and in a different place then. I just had a break up... and it reminded me of my first love.. So I loved it. I watched it again about 3 years ago and didn't like it as much. The Notebook is the only movie that has ever made my dad and husband cry. LOL. So, I gotta like that..

fat free food has a lot of sugar... they replace the fat with sugar..look at all labels.. my nutritionists suggest we eat 10% protein ratio to calories.. in other words if it's 120 calories you should have 12 gms protein... of course after banding you should not drink soda of any kind diet or otherwise.. like steph and maddysgram said eating protein is the key..

Welcome to the forum, Hunnydew. Don't freak out again. I watched my daughter succeed and was sleeved 10 months later. The only way this doesn't work is if you really don't follow instructions. You will be amazed at how easy it is once you start the journey. My daughter and I are both RN's also. It seems like there are a lot of us here. Just keep coming around for all the help and encouragement you can handle. Onward!! Kathe

Every surgeon is different. I was given a big calendar, color coded so that I could track and follow for my food changes. Personally, after surgery I was on clear liquids day 1 and 2. Then full fluids (soups, yogurts, pudding, smoothings) for 2 weeks. I am now on pureed and blenderized for 7 days, followed by stage 2 of that, chopped, ground meats and adding a bunch more well cooked foods for 10 days. Then my maintenance plan for life.

I am eating around 800 calories and getting around 60-80g of Protein...but the scale is not moving. I am six weeks post op....do I have too many carbs....I think its around 30 or 40g carbs...here is my day Muscle Milk (225 calories, 25 g Protein) 2 Babybels (140) Calories 10 g Protein) 1 Single serve Hummus (63 cal, 6 g Protein) 2 oz Turkey Laughing Cow cheese, 1/2 Dr. Kracker Cracker (17g protein, 130 cal) 1 Babybel Light (35 Cal, 6g protein) 1 2.6 Tuna Pouch with light mayo (130 cal, 20g protein) 1 Wasa cracker (30 cal, 1g protein) Water with Metamucil (50 Cal). Walking 2-3 miles a day...just started adding weights.... Should I cut out something out????