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I'm hypothyroid and have been on Levothyroxine since my early 20s (I'm 34), I have never been able to lose a significant amount of weight since I started getting heavy at age 12. The most I've lost was 30 pounds, twice, and both times I put the 30 + back on. I've lost 115 pounds since my VSG on 12/30/16. My thyroid is still underactive but I was able to decrease my Levothyroxine dose by half and my PCP thinks I may be able to decrease it more once I hit maintenance. I'm currently 11 pounds from my goal and while my weight loss has been on the slow side, I've been able to successfully lose. I have no mal-absorption issues personally but I also had the sleeve vs. the by-pass which can make a difference as well.

Hi Im Dee, Im 4 years out, my lowest weight was 113, Im stable at 115. Welcome. Your right it takes work. And when we (for whatever reason) don't or cant work it, it catches up really fast (damnit all to heck). So So So happy your reaching out, before your OUT of control and just say THE HELL WITH IT. yay hang out, have a glass of tomato juice, pull up an ottoman..lol

Oh sorry you did ask a question. You and I are only 5 months apart. So basically were at the same stage. Go back to the beginning where you started in MAINTANANCE. cuz that's when the "Honeymoon' phase ended. One awesome thing about this pouch is..it has the ability to make you lose weight quickly if you start behaving properly again...love thattt!!!.., Go back and follow your maintenance rules, That's why food logging is so important...I've give my self a 10 lb leeway, 10 lbs up Im still ok, but need to BACK IT UP...10 down ( happens when I going going going, busy busy busy, and not eating enough food for weeks). The 10 lbs either way gives me a instant alarm to PAY ATTENENTION DEE, your body's in distress!!!! I always jump back to my shakes & Snacks and up my exercise time in the gym or whatever, I like to walk, ALOT to the beat of my music..and I like Katy Perry!!!...lolol

I had my surgery on Wednesday and I've lost 15 pounds is this normal? I'm finally able to intake four ounces of the protein shake every two-three hours and drink two ounces of water every 15 mins. But I'm just concerned with losing so much weight so quickly . Please advise thanks !

I got sleeved on the 5th May, weighed in at 109.5KG pre the preop diet, now I weigh 92.9 so nearly 17 kilograms lost in around 40 days! I'm sooooo sooo happy about the weight loss though it has slowed down a bit the past few days, I'm still losing which is great. The only downside really is the food, I keep getting bad reactions when I try things out, I'm worried I'll be on soups forever at this rate!

Hello, I had the Lab Band May 26th and have lost 27 lbs. I feel as if the band is not tight enough or I am eating the wrong things in order to loose weight. I know this sounds gross but I am also constipated and I don't know how to remedy it. If you know of any solution for that I would appreciate it. Another thing.... I thought with the band you could still eat what you want but you would only be able to eat an extremely small portion??? I have found that I could consume a pretty good portion in the sweet department and that is exrtremely frustrating. HELP!!! :faint:

That's so true! Mine sticks out like a sore thumb...and sore it gets when I hit it, lay on it the wrong way, or when I think someone is going to mash on it-ha!! My doc said because of how my fatty layer was to begin with, meaning not too much in that spot to begin with, he really had no other place to put it. he did tell me he could relocate if I wanted to. Not right now or anytime soon. I actually get a kick out of letting people see and touch it when they're really interested on how I have lost all my weight and the whole Lapband thingy!! Heck, it's my 14k show-and-tell anyways so why not?!!

Here's some examples of a typical meal for me pre lap band: EX1 1qt Beef Fried rice 10 chicken wings 2 egg rolls 2 cans soda EX2 1 medium sausage, pepperoni and Canadian bacon pizza 5 bread sticks with 4oz of marinara EX3 2/3 lb pasta 1 cup Alfredo sauce 1/2 lb chicken breast 3 slices garlic toast Needless to say that was excessive with that Alfredo clocking in at over 3000 calories. I only really ate once per day, but it was still 3000 calories. So now that I haven't been getting very many calories in a day my weight has been plummeting. But that's going from 3000cal/day to almost nothing, so obviously the huge change will do that. For you, your body is used to weight watchers and has adjusted it's metabolism to receiving that 1200cal/day. You'll still lose the weight. Slowly, but it will go away. Just up your exercise and even 300cal per day will make a big difference in your weight loss plan.

Normal. Weight fluctuations happen during this phase. Most of the weight we lose shortly after surgery and even before on the pre op diet is just excess Water. It will take 4-6 weeks to wring out much of this type of excess weight. So, during this phase sodium, TOM, allergies, stress all can make you hold back fluids. Once you get some fills and can work on finding the green zone and satiety, you'll start to see the fat disappear along with inches. tmf

Hey arthritis me. That name would fit me as well. To get weight off the joints is why I had the surgery. I lost a good bit of weight on Methotrexate too. I was 207 the day of surgery and I did not lose but three pounds in ten days. My surgery was dec 19. My weight two weeks ago was 197. I also had to stay two nights in hospital because I did not come out of anesthesia haze well enough to walk that night so I had more than enough fluids to shake. Also the less to lose the slower it goes seems like. Don't fret. It will come off. It seems like some do better once they start the real food opposed to the liquid phases. It's just all the Medicines given, IV fluids, and yur body simply trying to protect it's stores. Good luck to you! It will come off...

I'm going to echo Julia's suggestion on fat grams. Your body needs fat, I'm not talking unhealthy, fried food yummy badness, but throw yourself some Peanut Butter, avocado chunks in there and then push clear fluids. Starvation mode isn't going to happen until your body exhausts all of it's fat stores, but your body does need good healthy fats to function. I had zero fat intake guidelines. Strictly to get in Protein, cut carbs, and push fluids. Eating full fat stuff worked fabulously for me, and I can honestly say that when I started looking at the fat free "light" stuff, it was full of sugar(carbs), and sodium. Those 2 things will stall out weight loss quicker than anything. Don't get frustrated, and don't give up.

Totally normal. I know you won't listen...as I didn't listen when I was in your shoes...but I will say it anyways. Don't get on the scale everyday...or even every week. I weigh myself once a month now...and I am usually happy with the results...but when I was in the beginning I would lose...then go up...then down then up...it would drive me nuts. Weight can go up or down by five pounds a day. You will lose...just stop watching the scale and pay attention to all the clothes you shrink out of! Good luck!

I am in a similar situation as you. I received my lapband in 2008 and quickly lost a few pounds. I don't know if I ever took it seriously. :smile2: Anyway, when I did decide to get serious about my weight loss. I found out I was pregnant (August 2009). I delivered a healthy baby boy on April 1. During my pregnancy I ate whatever I wanted & I never gained a pound. THANK YOU LAPBAND!!!! At my deliver date I was -5 lbs from my initial appointment. Now my son is 4 months old, its time for mama to get serious. Before my lapband surgery I was always on this website & day dreaming of the day I would be skinny. Anyway, the last time I logged in was April 28, 2009. Not anymore! I've made a follow up with my doc to get a fill next week & I will start over. I say all this, to tell you. You can start over during pregnancy. Or after pregnancy! Don't feel ashamed or embarassed of your progress thus far. You are not alone. Good luck & have a safe & healthy pregnancy. P.S. I was so tired while I was pregnant. I didn't excersise one time.

Congratulations!!!! You have had amazing results! I bet that vacation will be 57% better with all that weight gone. And good for you for planning on healthy activities while you are there. We went on an 8 day cruise in December (I am still pre sleeved) and managed to not gain a single pound. If I can do it without the sleeve you can do it and better with the sleeve. Have fun and relax, that's what vacations are for

I think most of us "fatties" have low self esteem. I know I do. I avoid going places because of my weight. I'm 3 weeks post op and I haven't lost enough that anyone would notice. When someones pays me a compliment for any reason, I tend to discount it because of my weight. I don't know if this gets easier as the weight goes down or not. Try to stay positive and just say "Thank you" even if you don't believe the compliment. It keeps the peace. A skinny person would never understand the feeling of being overweight.

I have a question how did you get your weight lose ticker on here.

Please take a minute to look back in your family a couple of generations. Almost all of us develop habits based on how we are raised. I found OA at age 28 and realized that my obese upbringing by obese parents was a result of their obese upbringing by obese and alcoholic parents. I was blessed to see this and get the opportunity to change it before I had children. Having said that, I raised my toddlers into teenagers with healthy food habits. We ate at the table as a family and didn't serve soda, or other unhealthy extras while they were little. Unfortunately over time I gained back the weight I had lost. My kids ate healthy but watched me become morbidly obese. By the time they were teenagers, I was eating in front of the TV and so were they. My younger daughter was slightly overweight in her preteen years but became very active in sports and got health conscious in high school and slimmed down. My older daughter never was overweight. Last year I got WLS and have dropped 100 pounds so far. My daughters are my biggest cheerleaders. One daughter kicks my ass when I make poor food choices. They are both excited for my new life. My point is, we teach what we know, and sometimes even though we know better, we don't do it ourselves. It's also not a straight road. I'm on a path to health today, but my girls have seen it good, bad, and good again. They don't have kids yet, but when they do, they will make their own mistakes and successes. I'm back living with my mom while my divorce is starting. My mom is 100 percent in food dysfunction. She is disabled and can hardly walk and lives to eat. We rarely eat together because she likes to binge alone. I learned from her as a teenager that the way to lose a hundred or more pounds was to eat salad and hot dogs for a year. Of course she gained it back. When she was losing weight back then I was overweight at 15. My mom became skinnier than me and I hated her. It's a generational cycle. You can break it for yourself and for your kids. But you probably won't do it perfectly. Peace.

1. There are no perfect parents. None. Those parents who got the food / eating part right got something else wrong. Trust me. 2. Your mother is no longer responsible for how you live your life at age 29. At your age, you've long been an adult and won't ever be anything but an adult until you die. 3. If you and your mom can't repair your food dysfunctional dynamic alone, I urge you to find a counselor or therapist who can help you two get to a healthier place from which you can make real progress. 4. You didn't say what your current weight is and what your current weight goals are. But it sounds like you're not happy about it all. What are YOU doing about changing your own behaviors? 5. Finally, if I heard you clearly, you think that your mom caused your weight problems. But have you considered that her own family may have contributed to hers? If so, then you and your mom are stuck in a generational cycle similar to those of abuse, poverty and violence. Your mother is obviously trying to stop that destructive cycle. I think you have to join her in that effort. Again, I think a counselor could be very useful to you both. I wish the very best for you both.

Queen, I am with you on this one. I measure my minor successes based on how clothes fit and reaching the '0's' on the scale, but I can tell you that I have two mini weight goals I want to pass because I have hit them before and gained it back and some. They are: 247 and then 227. 247 lbs represents what I have achieved in weight loss independently and 227 lbs represents when I left my hometown to live where I am today. My fear is that when I reach 227, I will just stop losing because my mind will tell me I have arrived. You know how your mind plays tricks on us. Congratulations on surpassing this one goal. You/we can do this!!!

Thank you ladies....I was really in a dark place yesterday & you've uplifted me from my funk. I was thinking "and all this for what???!!!" Well, I don't know if it was the tops....they are cut/sewn proportionately. I'm the one that is unproportionate for my size. My bat wings are more like the whole danged bat CAVE! How could I let myself get to this point where I have disfigured a nice body?? Didn't I see this happening to me?? I guess I just didn't care & now I do & I'm mad at myself for even having this problem! Where would I find a compression type garment? I'm guessing you mean like a girdle for the arms? Do they sell those at stores or do I have to go to a medical supply store? Heck, I'll wear it! Wearing the smaller sized clothing made me look like I've lost a lot of weight & it made me feel good except it was cutting the circulation off in my upper arms!

What did you do post-op that contributed to you weight loss....CONGRATS!!!

What was your starting weight and have you reached your goal? Do you work out? Sorry for the questions but you are very insipiring! I am 9 days post op and so WOW by your transformation!

Good Morning I love sharing my story Start wt-246Current-119Ive lost more than I currently weigh!!I'm in A size 2 and extra small tops. It's amazing. What was your starting weight and have you reached your goal? Do you work out? Sorry for the questions but you are very insipiring! I am 9 days post op and so WOW by your transformation!

When I started this journey, I was determined to win yet dreaded my lowest weight reached after multiple failed diets which was 241lbs. I had reached that weight at least 3 times over the last 6 years only to balloon back up +50lbs. Well yesterday, I weighed in at 237 and it felt so surreal as I had only dreamt of being in the 230s. Now that it's become a reality, I am stunned, happy and slightly nervous but I know this tool is working and I am determined. I still have 62lbs to reach my first goal weight but am super happy to have lost the 55 so far in less than 3 months. The best thing that could have happened. My lab work came in with great results last week: pre diabetes - gone; blood sugar - normal; cholesterol - down to normal....and the list goes on. Happy Sunday to all!

I know how you are feeling. I have fought the idea of WLS for many years. I was totally against it. Yet, I tried working out, being active, careful of what I am eating (without success obviously) and my turning point was a trip to Canada. I went there for a wedding and when I saw I could not buckle the seatbelt in the airplane I wanted to die. I was so embarrassed that I flew the trip hiding the belt from the stewardess so she doesn't ask me or call me out. Stupid huh? Then I saw what I looked like in all the wedding pictures and I was at my heaviest at 275 and I literally looked like a cow in the dress. I couldn't stand the sight of myself. Then the walks up and down town in Canada tore my legs up. I had swollen legs every day. On the airplane back (same thing with the belt) and my ankles and feet looked like the size of elephants. They were so swollen and painful. I got home and after being pist with myself I made an appt with the surgeon for a consultation 4 days later. He recommended which one would be best for me, but I had to option to pick. I went with his recommendation the sleeve. Having the piece of organ taken out of you is not the hard part. I will be honest here and not sugar coat a thing. The hard part is: 1. Passing gas those first few days. They stuff you with so much air for surgery that it lingers. It is what actually feels painful. Once you fart (I am not kidding), you will see rainbows and butterflies. 2. Going through the motions of the eating phases and teaching your newborn tummy what to eat, and see how it reacts to it. Taste buds will change; stomach will be temperamental and may not like certain things. It is a journey and not an easy one by all means. I am at 5 wks post op and still struggle with solid foods, because if you chew to quick (yes you have to chew like a camel until the food becomes dust in your mouth before you swallow) food can get "stuck" in your esophagus giving you an uncomfortable feeling. Not life threaten, just pressure on your chest and you will want to barf it up to relieve yourself. This will teach you to slow down in your eating. (I am still learning). All the veterans say it gets easier, and it does a little daily and weekly. But nevertheless, it is a process to be dealt with. I personally, have no regrets as I am happy I have lost 44lbs so far from my heaviest weight back in May of 2014 when I started the entire process before and after surgery. I feel better, more energy, I smile in pictures more, I love myself a little more. I just have to learn how to eat properly with my new lifestyle and the quantity of a toddler. That is the honest truth.