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I know this has prbably been discussed here before... I am thinking about doing the 5 day test to see what happens... I also have gained some weight (10-15) I was down to 294 on my scale and the other day I weighed in at 308. 14 pounds. I think my band is getting more restriction from the fat-pad. I am heading back to Texas for Christmas and have a fill scheduled... I don't want to have gained weight AND restriction and in return, not be able to get my fill! Anyway, did the Pouch Test work for you guys and also, did you lose any weight??? Seems like WL would be a nice byproduct of this little test.

I told family and close friends, and that is it. Once I had the surgery I told almost everyone. If I had it to do over, I probably wouldn't tell many people. With the band the weight loss isn't as quick as it is with gastric bypass. The band doesn't even really start working until you have it filled. But most people are familiar only with gastric bypass and expect you to start losing crazy amounts of weight right away. I can see people checking me out when I walk into a room, trying to determine if I have gotten thinnner. Two weeks after surgery I really didn't look much different! And before my first fill I could eat almost as much as I could before surgery so it was awkward at restaurants - I could tell people were watching and wondering why I bothered having surgery when I could still eat large portions! It may sound paranoid, but it's true! Keep it to yourself and only tell those who you need support from.

Hi Everyone, My name is Sara and I am new to this site, I am going through Kaiser Richmond and I live in Sacramento. I have completed all the pre-surgical appts and I am finally 6 lbs below Dr. Fisher's goal weight. My appt with the case manager is Oct 4th, so I'm hoping for an Oct surgery date. Anyone thats been through the appt with the case manager there and has any advice I would greatly appreciate it. From what I've heard she isn't the easiest women on earth to deal with. Are any of you going to the Point West Support Group tomorrow?

When I went in for my surgery the girl in the hospital bed next to me had changed clothes into her gown and laid down for her pre-op routine. She had put on 5lbs since she had seen the doctor last and swore up and down she lost weight on her liquid diet. The doctor sent her home and said "we will reschedule your surgery for when you want to take this more seriously." I guess what I'm saying is don't go overboard. I'm two months post op (70lbs lost) and I've dabbled with things like ice cream, Taco Bell, chick fil a, whataburger, alcohol, etc. You must realize your relationship with food moving forward is not a "never again" type scenario but is most certainly a "in extreme moderation" one.

I had my first fill on Thursday the 20th and am very hungry in fact Im more hungry than before the fill. I have been looking for food all day Friday through Sunday. I cannot go back and see me Doctor till after the new year. I was wondering if anyone has had the same problem as me and if this is normal. I have lost 15 pds and do not want to gain any back. I also want to know what is a good average to lose since surgery. I was banded on November 14th. Thanks for anyones insight. Have a Happy Holiday.

Thrilled, thrilled, thrilled. Saw the post-op bariatrics team last Wednesday. Kaiser defines a sucessful bariatrics patient as one who has lost 50% of the excess weight within one year following surgery. I have lost 81% in 7 months. This forum is a wonderful resource, with many people who are very successful with the sleeve in the long-run. I want to add my experiences to the pool of information. I plan on being one of the long-runs. To keep losing weight, I have to eat fewer than 50 grams of carb a day, and stay under 1200 calories. No, I usually don't get all my Water in. I also drink coffee, with 2% milk. This is the source of most of my carb. Eating too much is as bad as eating too little. Doing either one can make my weight loss stall. I can't snack anymore. The surgeon told me that, after 6 months, it's three meals a day, period. He's right. I still use baby bowls, a baby spoon, and 5-inch plates. I plan to use the small plates forever. I like my baby spoons, and the bowls are still portion-perfect. Too much Protein triggers insulin, and I gain weight. At my weight, 166.6, I only need 65 grams of protein a day, according to my NUT. If I don't eat enough fat, my weight stalls. Fruit = stall. I cannot lose without low-intensity exercise. 3 - 5 sessions a week, 30 minutes, on a treadmill that keeps me at a pulse rate of 107 (based on age) is the key. I also lift heavy weights twice a week. Throwing a 20-pound weight around does nothing for me. I use as much weight as I can lift for 5 slow reps. I am almost to the point of being able to do a real pull-up. I have loose skin. I am a shar-pei. But I am a proud, getting-healthy shar-pei. It doesn't bother my Best Half. Why should I care? I wore a bathing suit in Hawaii, and no one reported me to the Skin Police. Yes, I lost hair, starting at 3 months and it has slowed almost to normal. I ate my protein, took my Vitamins, and I still lost hair. It's based on hormonal changes, just like after childbirth. I still look like a girl. If you are scared to have a sleeve because of the potential hair loss, you aren't a good candidate for the surgery. You don't want to lose weight badly enough to be successful. I did not have a "food funeral" before my surgery, and I followed my surgeon's pre-op diet to the letter. I've spent years eating crap. Two weeks crap-less wasn't going to kill me. I don't miss any foodstuff. I don't cry over crap not eaten. I pull my vintage sized 14 Liz Claiborne clothes out of the closet and rejoice that I no longer wear a size 26, like I did back in 2000. If I really, really want it, I eat one small bite. Most sweets that I used to crave now taste terrible. One sweet potato fry satisfies as well as a bag of gingersnaps used to. Soda tastes like chemical-salts-bilge water. Yuk. I goof. I screw up. I eat too much. I still emotionally eat. That doesn't make me a bad person. There's always the next opportunity to make a much better choice. Veterans, please feel free to add on. I'd love to know what is down the sleeved road!

You've done a great job so far! Maybe considering weighing everyday? Then you won't wake up one day and realize you've gained 15 pounds. I weigh once every morning so that I know when I start to gain and I can immediately make adjustments for it. I feel like if I gain a pound or two I can easily get it under control in a day or so, but if I gained 5-10 pounds., that's going to take at least a month to fix during which time I'm going to be upset about it. Weighing every day prevents that from happening. Good luck!

I soooo agree with both of you!!!! I feel like I gained 10 pounds overnight....everything I put on seems to stick and rub...... Even the earrings I put on seem to "hurt"....

Thanks really trying to stay motivated to keep moving. I have been really tired as of late. I just made an appt with my PCP to see if my blood pressure meds are maybe too high for me now and making me super sleepy. It's also been very hot here on Long Island, but I have been OK with the heat and humidity, just really really tired. I pushed through and went to the gym today. Walked for 45 minutes. I wonder if there is anyone out there who might be able to advise a good fitness routine for someone just starting out that doesn't have a whole lot of time to spend in the gym throughout the day. At first I was walking way too fast at 3.0 for my target heart rate, so I have slowed down and walk in the range for weight loss and monitor it at intervals and I have increased the amount of time I am walking by 15 minutes. I try to use the bike a couple of times a week, for 20 minutes to shift things up. I am not really seeing the scale move, though I am feeling good and I can tell the inches are shifting in the way things fit. I'd love to hear any advice you all have. I'm trying to stay motivated to get fit and keep losing the weight.

You're doing great! 5 days per week is SUPER! Keep doing your thing and you'll be jogging/running in no time. A few things I've started doing- added 5 lb weights to work my arms while I'm walking (not running) on the treadmill and I've also been doing the 30 day squat challenge and WOW...I can feel a difference. Keep up the great work!

Hi Andrea Did you go through Henry Ford. Congratulations on your weight loss that is great!

Thanks, the weight loss thus far has been almost effortless! I had my surgery through St. John hospital. Have you checked out the St. John program yet? I highly recommend it. I went to seminars at Beaumont and Henry Ford too, but in the end I picked St. John because it seemed like they had the most experience with the sleeve, and the program was organized very nicely. If you have any questions feel free to ask!

Today was my first appt with bariatric surgeon. Ready for my 6 months of prep for the sleeve! If all goes well, I'll have my surgery in May! My start weight is 189 lbs. Wish me luck! Sent from my SM-G900P using the BariatricPal App

I had lap band from 2010 to 2015 but it slipped. Gained most of my weight back Sent from my SM-G900P using the BariatricPal App

I know exactly where you're coming from. I was sleeved 1 month before you and at 22 months, I've let myself slip into old habits - eating when I'm bored or stressed or in a hurry (eating something convenient). My weight loss has stopped because of that. I switched jobs 2 months ago and now I'm working 6 to 7 days a week. And I've used that as an excuse to slack off on sticking to my diet. I too am going to have to become more viligant over how many calories I'm taking in. Hang in there, it's only a setback, nothing that can't be undone.

It sounds like you are a smidge too tight and being a bit looser and eating more Protein may jump start your weight loss. Times have been stressful for you and that effects your body in strange ways. When my losses really kicked in I was working out with a personal trainer to build more muscle and I was eating at least 80 grams of protein a day. I was a slow loser for the first 8 months. It does work...you just need to put yourself first.

What a week! <A style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 1em; FLOAT: right; MARGIN-LEFT: 1em; CLEAR: right; cssfloat: right" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XY28b1Yte7Y/Tc7ls5jjiFI/AAAAAAAAALw/fV5JfT8plVw/s1600/treadmill.gif" imageanchor="1">Well I have had an exhausting week! I went back to work on Monday! OH BOY! I have so much catching up to do (Paperwork)! I must tell you how nice it is though; I went back to work and the folks (developmentally/intellectally challenged) were so happy to see me! They showered me with hugs and kisses! It made me feel so good to know I make that much of an impact on their lives! I am so happy to get back into routine and I missed work so much! It is just great to be back! So let's get to business! This pic over here on the left is me last week! I took this pic and was amazed at what I saw! I was looking at this pic and feeling proud of all the things I went through to get to this point! Going through everything I did... it was a HUGE eye opener! It really makes you cherish life for what it is worth! I went to the Lung Dr. this week! I have a major NON SCALE VICTORY (NSV)... I am no longer on my inhalers for Asthma! This is HUGE! HUGE!!! My numbers are excellent! My Dr. could tell I was exercising cause my pulse and blood pressure were much lower than they ever had been! I am so much HEALTHIER! That is all I wanted out of all this! To be Healthy! Guess what.... I AM! I must tell you how much I have missed "FOOD"! I am stickin to my healthy lifestyle though and making good choices! I am actually eating a meal! Not a few bites; A MEAL! I am still trying to stear clear of the Carbs!!! Those are my worst enemy! Cause I love them oh so much! I have been walking! EVERY DAY I walk! I am now up to 3 miles a day! It takes me about 45 minutes to walk! But boy it feels GREAT! I love the rush it gives me; the way I feel after! It really makes me proud to know I can walk 3 miles! Then I come home and do a bit of resistance bands for some toning! I am getting into a great workout routine! This week was my first week really doing this on my own again! Back to Weight Watchers! So I really thought I would have gained because of the amount of food I had been eating! I lost .6 this week! I keep thinking to myself it is better than NOTHING!!! But I guess because I was so used to the big weight losses every week, I was a bit bummed! I feel good though! I am proud of myself! A total of 89.4!! Wooo Hooo Well I hope everyone is doing well! I have been so busy I am really falling behind on blogging! I haven't read blogs in about a week! Shame on me! Well till next time! Take care and stay healthy! ~Mandy

My surgery weight was about same as yours... 279... you can do it! Sent from my SM-G930T using the BariatricPal App

I used them while recovering but not really sure it helped. More of it was walking that helped the most.... I use em now tho! While I am proud of my post op weight loss the gas after surgery is nothing pretty ..as u will find plenty of us talking about noticing post op :/

I have been training for a 1/2 marathon since July. I hadn't run at all prior to July. I actually ran 14 miles this past Saturday. The 1/2 marathon I am training for is January 30th. I love it! I will say that as the miles have gotten higher it is difficult to fuel my body and continue to lose weight. I am having a hard time getting the carb ratio right. At this point, I am focusing on my race and being fueled for it. I can also say that the muscles from running are really helping with the sagging skin. Next up for me is a sprint triathlon in August and a full marathon next October. You will definitely be able to run as a post-VSGer. Good luck! Amanda

I did pre op diet for 17 days b4 surgery they call it lean & green. I was allowed 2~3 protein drinks/shakes a day and either chicken, turkey or fish/seafood & a green veggie for dinner. I started my journey out at 297 now at 256 now but from surgery day I weighed 255 a week later I weighed 267 (gained 12lbs) and as of today 256. so still 1 lb above surgery weight :{ I understand the whole "stall" thing but the 12lb gain, that im frustrated about.

I'm right there with you!! My surgery was Feb.26. A week after surgery I had lost 7lbs. The dr took me off all my bp meds. b/c I had low bp. Then I gained 2lbs, and haven't lost anything since. I think my scales lie!! My clothes feel looser. I know I lost, but the damn stupid scales won't say so!!!

Hang in there. My complications post-op had me virtually bed-ridden for months, but now, 3.5 years out, I have zero regrets. Well, I regret regaining all the weight and I'm very grateful my tummy tuck held up through my regain, but you know what I mean. Now that I am losing again post-sleeve and almost back down to the weight I was at when I had my plastics, I am thrilled!

Hello all! I am seriously thinking about doing the gastric sleeve surgery. I am 27 years old, 5'1, 224. To matters worse, I have rheumatoid arthritis since I was 2 years old. I was hoping someone could shed some light on this procedure, what they like, what they didnt like. Did they regret anything? and so on. Was there a point where you had to stop any medications. And how has the weight loss affected your arthritis ? I am tired of being obese, I am tired of huffing just because I walked a few feet, and I'm tired of not having energy like I used to. Thanks.