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I started low carbing... Now I can't find an appetite. I are practically nothing the past two days which really isn't good so I need to work on that but seriously I don't even want food. Even up until a week ago with the band I was wondering the same question you just posted. I just wanted that satisfaction of "full"

What they said. Be honest with your doctor. And follow their protocol. I was on liquids for six weeks post op. You can do two weeks. Good luck.

Totally screwed up tonight ...I had a handful of cheese its and some graham crackers !!! Did I ruin everything? I am only 4 weeks out!!! I feel like a failure

7 pounds in 2 weeks is more than good, it's fantastic! Be careful of being discouraged, you don't want to put yourself in a mind set where you will get frustrated and kind of give up. You are doing great. Be aware that the rate of weightloss will slow down. Bandsters are expected to loose 1-2 pounds a week. If your not excersising, start. It works wonders for weight loss. Good luck!

Well I am now allowing myself to get excited about getting the band.... I have been trying for over 2 yrs and I got my approval letter in July but still did not let myself think about it too much. But I see the Dr on Sept 6th for my final appointment and then I get my surgery date. The office told me it will be 3-4 weeks after my visit my the Dr. Today I found this site and read all the stories and stuff and now I cant wait to get the surgery so I can get started. Currently I am 269 lbs and 5"8' tall a size 22-24 depending on the clothes. My highest weight was 272 and have been this size for 3 1/2 yrs now. I was 220 lbs for atleast 9 yrs but when I hurt my back and I went up to 260 and then they put me on insulin last spring and I gained 12 lbs in 1 1/2 months. I have lost 3 pounds but with the humidity I have not been eatting much. I am going to take the before shot of myself soon so that I can remember what I look like. My goal weight was about 175 but would not mind being closer to 150 or so. I have not seen 160 since the 6th grade and I dont know how I would feel about being that small. I am not sure I would recognize myself. I guess right now I am just going to work on getting to 200 then 175 and then we will see how I feel. I am hoping to get off some of these meds I am on by the end of October. My diagnosis list is getting up there also. Diabetes, Asthma, chronic lower back and joint pain, high blood pressure, Irritable bowel syndrome, poly cystic ovarian syndrome, Fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrom, and Sjogren's syndrome, hyperlipademia and migraine headaches and gastric reflux. I am currently taking: Vicoden for pain, Flexaril for muscle pain, Mobic for joint pain, Lisinopril for high BP, Actos, Lantus insulin and Reg insulin for diabetes, Remeron for sleep, Fish oil for high tryglicerids and high cholesterol and lexapro for mild depression. Anyways I will keep everyone updated on the surgery and the after results.:cool:

Well I am now allowing myself to get excited about getting the band.... I have been trying for over 2 yrs and I got my approval letter in July but still did not let myself think about it too much. But I see the Dr on Sept 6th for my final appointment and then I get my surgery date. The office told me it will be 3-4 weeks after my visit my the Dr. Today I found this site and read all the stories and stuff and now I cant wait to get the surgery so I can get started. Currently I am 269 lbs and 5"8' tall a size 22-24 depending on the clothes. My highest weight was 272 and have been this size for 3 1/2 yrs now. I was 220 lbs for atleast 9 yrs but when I hurt my back and I went up to 260 and then they put me on insulin last spring and I gained 12 lbs in 1 1/2 months. I have lost 3 pounds but with the humidity I have not been eatting much. I am going to take the before shot of myself soon so that I can remember what I look like. My goal weight was about 175 but would not mind being closer to 150 or so. I have not seen 160 since the 6th grade and I dont know how I would feel about being that small. I am not sure I would recognize myself. I guess right now I am just going to work on getting to 200 then 175 and then we will see how I feel. I am hoping to get off some of these meds I am on by the end of October. My diagnosis list is getting up there also. Diabetes, Asthma, chronic lower back and joint pain, high blood pressure, Irritable bowel syndrome, poly cystic ovarian syndrome, Fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrom, and Sjogren's syndrome, hyperlipademia and migraine headaches and gastric reflux. I am currently taking: Vicoden for pain, Flexaril for muscle pain, Mobic for joint pain, Lisinopril for high BP, Actos, Lantus insulin and Reg insulin for diabetes, Remeron for sleep, Fish oil for high tryglicerids and high cholesterol and lexapro for mild depression. Anyways I will keep everyone updated on the surgery and the after results.:cool:

My surgeon told me I DID NOT NEED TO do any pre-op diet because I am not that big (I have NEVER heard that before! ). I am 250 lbs but taller ... BMI is 37-38. I am being sleeved in exaclty one week - Feb 8. So here is my dilemma .... I was going to do the liver shrinking diet anyway for one week before surgery .... it could not hurt, right? I could "sample" the protein shakes, start getting my body ready for surgery, be healthier for surgery, shrink the liver for an easier surgery, have a possible speedier recovery, get used to the liquid diet aspect, stop GORGING myself thinking this is my LAST HOORAH - which I seem to have been doing almost daily - almost like my last supper / last meal ... every meal! .... and this week could be the start of so many other positives. Yet, I tried to begin yesterday with Carnation Instant Breakfast shakes and OMG ..... I got so gassy and so much stomach pain ... has anyone else experienced this? I was seriously in so much pain and had terrible gas issues. Not to mention I was very hungry that after a shake and a fruit for breakfast ... then a shake and veggies for lunch .... at dinner I had a chicken pot pie and a hershey bar! I was STARVING and in so much pain from the gas. And I think to myself - doctor knows best - so why bother sacrificing if he says I don't have to. Why give up now what I will be giving up for the rest of my life? Is it worth taking away the food this week? I would appreciate your thoughts .. especially if you have gone through this. THANKS! Only one week left .... WOW! Just one week .. so excited!

I had the gastric sleeve Feb. 24 so I am 5 days post OP. I feel crappy. I feel hungry, am I suppose to? I tried the broth as much as I hate it and I couldn't do it. The cream of wheat they said I can eat made me throw up (never liked that either) so all I have really been able to eat it sugar free jello and sugar free fudgesiscles. I am not sure if there is other things I can eat at almost a week post op.. any suggestions??

wow u people are so encouraging. i am three weeks post op barely lost 16 lbs and no one can hardly tell its ok your not alone. we are gonna be skinny soon

@@Sleeved_Grace Glad to hear you are already feeling better! It truly does get a little better every single day. It feels like eternity when you are in the moment, but two weeks from now you will look back and not believe how much progress you've made in your recovery in such a short period of time.

@Sleeved_Grace just like Jamie Logical said, get yourself some GasX strips and keep them bad boys handy for the next few weeks. They are AMAZING! I still use them!

I can have caffeine until surgery day. I stopped the wine at the beginning of my pre-op. I am 1 week away and have lost 9 lbs. I had 1 rough day, and a slight headache today. Other than that, it's been okay. I am so focused on the end result that I think that is why I am doing okay. And... my Doc said when I check in next Thursday, he will ask me if I have followed the diet, and when he gets in there he will know because of the size of my liver. All of my tests are great, so I think I can suffer a few more days. Good Luck everyone!

Ok... so if you've read some of my posts recently, I've been complaining about being in a stall or not losing inches or anything. I received some killer advice on this board and took it to heart. I stopped consuming 2-3 Protein shakes a day and decided to get most of my protein in via food, I stopped weighing myself everyday, and I up'd my Water intake by double! So, here I go last week with all my changes and what happens? I get hit with my kids' cold/flu! I've been out of commission since last Thurs and am finally back to work and feeling somewhat normal. The bad news? I havent been able to eat anything substantial since last week and have only been able to finish 1/2 of a Protein shake. I know I'm depriving my body of the nutrients it needs to survive but nothing is going down. I made chorizo and scrambled egg for BF and was only able to eat maybe 3 bites. I have baked chicken for L today and am hoping to get most of the 2oz in but I highly doubt it. Anyway.... on to my scale VICTORY!! I am officially down 30lbs post-op!!! (Ticker to reflect this later) YAY!!!! My "stall" has broken since last week due to all your help and advice!!! and for my NSV.... I fit into my size 14 slacks today!!!! So very excited!!! One more freakin pound and I'll be in ONEDERLAND!!!! Doing the Happy Dance!! Thank you all for your encouragement and advice!!! Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!!

I am 3 years and 4 months post op so not quite 4 years yet. My situation is probably different from most people. I had a severe spine injury before the revision surgery. I can't exercise very much to help burn calories. So now I have leveled off. I haven't lost any weight in over a year but I haven't gained any either. I eat everyday until I'm full. I don't deprive myself of any food that I want. Breakfast is usually a small amount of cereal with fruit in it, or a bowl of watermelon or some other tasty fruit, or sometimes I skip the food, and drink something with protein. Or I'll have bacon and eggs and toast. Or French toast with butter and syrup. During the day I'll snack on vegetables or cheese or fruit or almonds. Maybe half a sandwich. I can eat a small portion of steak and about a quarter of a baked potato with butter and sour cream and a couple spears of asparagus. I love seafood. Any food that I want. The good thing is that I can't eat very much of it. I don't feel any discomfort unless I eat too much then there is a nausea kind of sick feeling and some pain from my abdomen for about a half hour until some of the food digests then I feel normal again, so I don't overeat anymore. I don't like that feeling. I still eat the same portion size but sometimes I still feel hungry after the meal so I will drink some water and that stops the hunger immediately. So far I haven't had any issues with the surgery. I had a very painful post-op recovery for about a week but now my stomach feels good. I haven't been to the weight loss surgeon for 2 years, but I do see my other gastroenterologist regularly for other problems, and he has checked me out through an upper GI endoscopy twice since the revision, and says everything looks fine. I think differently about food. Socializing with family and friends used to be a whole lot of eating. Now it's more talking and sipping on a beverage. Wine or Tea and even a margarita or a Jack and Coke. This surgery is dangerous. You need to really think about it and make sure it's right for you. I'm glad that I had it but I really wish that I could have solved the problem on my own. I know that there are quite a few people that have had a nightmare experience with this and I feel bad for them, but for me it has turned out very positive so far. I will need to have upper endoscopy's every 3 years for the rest of my life. Not because of this revision but for something else. My stomach acid has an effect on my other problem so this surgery has helped with that also. I also have to take a nexium pill everyday for the rest of my life. These are issues that I already had prior to the sleeve surgery, and were considered co-morbidity problems that were the main reasons for my insurance company approving the revision. Good luck to you.

Welcome, it's good you are trying to improve your health. I agree one week is probably the average time for recovery. some need a little less, some need a little more time. I like to think that the band sort of evens out the playing field for overweight people. Meaning, our thin friends, could overeat also, but they seem to be able to resist doing that most of the time and know when they are full. Overweight people ( me) seem to have a broken thermostat that doesn't tell me I've had enough food. the band can help boost our willpower. But yes, it is possible to eat around the band. there are foods that will go through the band easier than others and the foods that go through easily are generally high calorie foods. But if you follow the food plan of eating Protein first, that helps fill up your pouch and you are able to push away from the table. The band helps you change your habits, but it is not a cure, it is more like a crutch we can lean on to help us. We must do much of the work ourselves, forever. Since getting my band,this is the most weight I have lost in 3.5 months. I'm not a fast loser, but I am losing weight at a steady pace. I do not feel deprived.

the lap band is truly a great tool for weight loss. but it has to be used as that - a tool. it will help your hunger once you have reached proper restriction (may take a couple - or more - adjustments / fills). i was out a week from my desk job. could have returned in 4 days, but decided to just stay out and rest as much as possible. my suggestion, read the posts here. you will get a TON of information. they say people generally lose 50-60% of their weight they should lose, i disagree with that. there are MANY MANY on here who have shattered that. i say 100% of excess weight lost is not impossible at all. but, like i said, use the band as a tool, not a cure all. eating right and exercising must become habit. good luck on your journey and welcome to LBT.

So, I was bragging for a time that I had lost 70 pds in a four month period. However, I haven't lost any weight for several weeks. It is making me depressed because I am four months post op and I want to lose another sixty pounds. Here are some factors that might be contributing to my weight loss plateau. Everyday I have to drink six glasses of milk for the fluid and protein. Water literally makes me gag and vomit. Also, according to my doctor's plan I should be eating five ozs. I am only at four ozs and that is tough still. Any suggestions?

I am nearly 6 weeks post op and I get my first fill on the 16th. I can tell you the half cup doesn't work for me right now. I tried and tried and my blood sugar would drop till I got sick. I am cutting back now so I have an easier time adjusting to my half cup after I have a fill, but until this week I have pretty much given up on the half cup at a time. Some people may be able to do it, but I can not do a half a cup at a time with no restriction. I don't eat anywhere near as much as I used to, but I do more than half a cup.

@@Momma_D Don't panic. TOTALLY normal. Your body is adjusting, that's all. I gain weight all the time, but then I'll have a 4 pound weight loss. You are doing nothing wrong, (especially if you've switched over to good Protein instead of mashed potatoes and crackers)...follow plan, get some exercise, and it will come off. Stalls and weight gain are all part of the process, so you may as well get used to it now This journey is not a straight line, but more like steps of stairs. You'll have your ups and downs.

Thanks every one i will try everything that has been sugested here, i am so glad to have found this web site, getting support from people that are walking in my shoes, really help, i called my doctor he gave me some pills to disolve under my tounge i take 2 three times a day, andt has helped some, again thanks

Cyndel You'll do just fine! Dr. Kwon is a very good surgeon. Although people say that he is strict, he is a very nice man. Also, he has a great office support staff who you will get to know quite well. Don't worry - be happy! Good luck with your surgery and keep us posted on your progress - it's only a week away!!!!!!!!!

Cyndel ... I don't know anything about Cigna...but you have it all under your belt so it sounds. I didn't have much pain after surgery, if any. I remember I stayed over night because I had a reaction to the anestesia...then when I got home I had a prescription waiting for me. It was liquid vicodin. I had a little discomfort,,,(honestly have had worse period cramps in my lifetime) and I desided to take a little liquid tylenol...but then I saw how much of it I would have had to take, and said screw it! I took the liquid vicodin twice when I was about two weeks post op....I had a real bad pain in my left side. I saw Dr Kwon about it, and it said it was normal and that I should take liquid Motrin for a couple of days. I took the Motrin once and was feeling much much better. Im sure you will be fine! Dr Kwon is an amazing person and surgeon...He puts us through the hoops to make sure we are safe during the surgery....It is all well worth it. Hang in there with your insurance company! It doesn't sound like your gonna lettem get you down! GOOD FOR YOU! ttyl

thanks for input. i stepped on the scale today, and there is ZERO change in my weight, which i'm really grateful for! i think that maybe things have just shifted a bit. going to stick to my plan and see if it makes any difference over the coming weeks and months

Sounds like you've got it covered with the echo and EKG I'm doing well. I'm down a total of 103, 43 since surgery. My old 5X and some 6X clothes are hanging on me. Even my underwear is baggy and my bras are loose! My mother had gotten me a new 5X outfit for Christmas, and I asked her to return it for a smaller size, since I knew I wouldn't be in them for long. She mailed the replacements in a 3X last week. I tried them on - a pair of black knit pants and a long sleeve cotton knit sweater. They actually almost fit! A little more snug than I would like to wear them comfortably, but since my stomach isn't as lumpy, they were presentable! Too bad the weather is now too warm to wear them, and by the time it's cold enough for them again, I will (hopefully) be out of the X's altogether! Hope things go well for you!

Niterun - Thanks for the post. You should be proud of yourself! I am scheduled for surgery March 10 and I have to admit, since it was scheduled a week ago - it's definitely last supper syndrome. Not that I'm eating everything I think I can't have after surgery, I'm just overeating, about 1800 cal a day. I know it could be worse, but I set out every day intending to stick to 1200 calories - was doing well and down 10 pounds until my surgery was scheduled - talk about crazy! I'm up about 3 pounds from my doctor appointment a month ago. I might try what you are doing. It may help me get in the mindset that surgery really is right around the corner. I just started a routine exercise program - gave up the gym - it just wasn't for me. I enjoy walking, have some exercise videos, etc. Im doing okay on my Water and don't have caffeine or soda, but I really need to practice chewing like crazy. That's something I really have to work hard at remembering to do. I've wolfed my food my whole life. Again, thanks for the inspiration and congratulations!!! Please keep me posted on how you are doing. Send me a message anytime.