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thanks! im on day 3 now and can go to full liquids in the morning. i have been doing what they told me. but i will say yesterday was hard. i had to much sugar free Jello and it really does hurt. i think i ate about 4oz of it. im looking forward to the full liquids to have something then Water,juice,jello, and etc.. im like you i dont want to over do it. i like my new stomach and i want to keep it tha way. i havent weighted since i been home. i think im going to wait until the next support meeting. one thing is im a big guy and i dont have a scale that goes up that high.

Hi Nat,good To See You On The Net,how Did You Go With Recovering[when You Had The Band Over Easter]your Weight Is Flying Of,you Must Be Proud Of Yourself,hope You Sort The Reflux Issue Out,there Only A Phone Call Away,the Specialist,give Yourself Pc Of Minde.take Care.gail

:notagree hi havent been on for a while and just need a boost had all my fill out last year when had gall bladder removed and havent had the courage to go back for it to be put back in have been slack and put on weight which i hate so am going to try and get the band tightened scarey as i have enjoyed my year off have had the band on for 6 years and it felt good to have a break now its even harder to get a refill but i must try total weight loss is 25kg and would like to lose 10 more so i must do it

Hello, I have to say, I am some what in the same situation as you. My husband and I decided just last night we are going to go for it! my situation is a little different. we have a 6 yr old right now. It will most definitely be like starting over again for us. We are both very anxious people when it comes to looking forward into the future and what to expect. I realized something lately, I'm 30 now, i don't know if it's a part of me growing up a bit.. i am definitely still in a 20's mind set... but.. I think it's time to live life as an adult. When we got prego with our daughter we were dating just 3 mths, no house, living with parents, lost jobs, really struggled. but in that time we got back on our feet.. bought a house even!!! its not the most ideal area, but it's affordable.. not in immediate danger and I am accepting what we have and how far we really came.. all with a child. and a spoiled one!! So, after years of worrying and waiting for the "right time" we come to realize.. the right time will never happen.. and you always find a way to make it work once put in the situation.. financially we should probably not have a kid at this moment. but.. i can't see our finances changing much in the near future and I am getting older..more risks. so my theory is, we work as a team and make it happen..whatever it takes. good luck with your decision... I am hoping to be prego within a few weeks!! ohh and I am def.. NOT at my ideal weight either.. I will do my best to continue to eat better while prego. -Delia

How much DO you exercise? There are two things that come to my mind -- (A) EVERYONE hits a plateau in the course of trying to lose weight. It may be that you need to add the exercise, or increase, or change up what you are doing to bump you out of that plateau. (:thumbup: I can't tell you how many times I left the gym after a good hard workout in the morning, craving nothing but a crunchy apple and a bottle of Water. The last time I seriously tried to lose weight - I started out walking three miles a day, and did well. When I hit the wall, I added weight training, and did even better, especially in terms of inches lost. My problem is that I reached a point that I was in the gym for 90 minutes a day, add in the 40 minutes travel time to and from; and sometimes a second trip to the gym because I was angry and frustrated (about to go through a divorce.) I was watching what I was eating very closely, and downing water, reduced the diet coke to one a day, etc. After all of that, and a year and a half, I ONLY LOST 80 POUNDS and I only went from a 28 to a 26. Add diabetes and high blood pressure, and 4 amazing kids that I want to be here for -- you bet I wanted surgery! Only you can make the decison, only you know if you have gone through all of these processes. Your life, your body, your choice. The surgery is simple, but not fun -- so make it worth it.

I'm not too far off from you in terms of height, weight and age 43 I was 240lbs and 5'3". I know nothing at all about the diet pills--never had them. You say that your best friend is supportive, you don't say if you are married--having a spouse who is supportive is a huge help. As far as everyone else--they are not the ones in your head and body--screw em. Weight will be harder and harder to take off as you age, thats the way that its been for me. Do what you want to do. I would have the surgery.

Ummmm.... you sent me the pics the other night and you look great. I can see it in you face and neck. 30 lbs is huge! What an accomplishment! Look at it this way, go pick up a 10 lb weight (that's all you can pick up post op) and imagine carrying 3x that, walking around how long would you be able to walk carrying it in your arms!! You are getting there!! Congrats on your weight loss!

So Thursday did not go well at all! Hopefully Friday brings me a better day. My weight loss struggle has been forever, it feels like. I had a baby at 17 years old and that is when the battle started, 18 years ago. To think that I have been fighting a battle this long, no wonder I have no more energy. Yes I am 35 years old:ohmy:! Anyway, I have thought about weight loss surgery for a long time, but knew that I could never afford it. I have a once in a lifetime opportunity to have it done and my husbands insurance will pay for it, buuuuuut, he really HATES his job and may have found a new one. The new job does come with benefits, but we do not know what kind and if they will help pay for any of the surgery cost. To get this close and see the light at the end of the tunnel and then slowly watch it go dark is killing me inside. I love my husband to death and know how it feels to be at a job that you hate going to everyday:cursing:. I told him if he gets the job (he finds out Tuesday) then to go ahead and accept it, but now I feel that I am giving up on me:confused:. This really is a ackward, selfish feeling that sets at the bottom of your stomach. I am up at 4:00 am because I do not know what to do. I have always lived by the motto that there is a reason for everything and that GOD will take care of me, but when you have wanted something so bad in your life, and see it slowly taken away as each day passes it is heart wrenching. I mean this is up there with the lottery, everyone that has battled with a lot of weight to lose understands this, you pray that one day you find the help you need to succeed and I almost had it. Now most of you are saying, well you don't even know if he has the job yet. Well he said the interview went really, really well :thumbup:, and that he was shown around and told to call back when the HR person got back from vacation, and come to find out he knows some people that work there already:scared2:. So I am about 90% sure he got the job . My husband will be very happy, but now I am going to be miserable, knowing that I had got this close, I mean I have already seen the dietician and was told that I could possibly go in for my LAP-BAND®® in August. It is so hard to sacrifice for the ones you love but then I ask myself, why can't he sacrifice himself for me, then the guilt sets in :crying:. This is one of those moments you wish you could have a crystal ball :thumbup:, I would get my answer and know if I am making the right decision. I would hate for him to not take the this oppotunity to make himself happy and come to find out they would have helped pay for my surgery too . Can you be mad and sad at the same time :crying::cursing:?

Im 5 days after surgery and I feel like I need some reassurance that what I'm feeling is normal. I am down 9 pounds as of this morning which I am so happy about but I feel like I am not getting enough protein and that I'm not doing what I am supposed to be. I have stared to have trouble with my protein shakes I have been doing the Premier shakes in a verities of flavor and until yesterday it was all good. But yesterday I got half way through my first one and got so sick diarrhea and nausea it made me feel horrible the first time ever. I tried another flavor this morning and the same thing. I'm just a little sore and I can be up and moving its not bad Im not on any pain pills. But I'm terrified to not get enough protein so tomorrow I am going to pick up the clear premier drinks. I just want to know that I am losing enough weight and healing at a normal rate. This is a little funny note to add but last night I dreamed about eating a cucumber and in my dream it was the most amazing thing I know I just miss food but i just think its funny I want something healthy and not something super yummy and tempting like a pizza or something.

Congratulations, I am only 2 days post-op and the pain has been real but it's getting better gradually. Major regret hit on 1 day post-op but it's slowly dissipating now. I can already tell this will be the best decision I have made for myself. I tear up just thinking that I could be at my goal weight in a year, when I have never been normal weight in my entire life (chubby kid and all). WE CAN DO THIS!

So I’m 22 days post op. I had the gastric sleeve done on June 19,2019. My starting weight was 255 and I’m down to 229 but of course I’m experiencing a stall. I have been gradually adding soft foods after the 2 weeks. So like mashed potatoes boiled eggs really tender chicken soft veggies soft salmon. Everything has been soft and I have been making sure to chew. I see that some people don’t get hungry but I’m starting to. Some days I have restrictions other days I don’t. I feel like I did something wrong maybe stretched my stomach. I don’t know if that is even possible so early in. Really just wonder if anyone has any answers or had felt this ?

Hello! I'm new to this community. I'm 27 years old, 5'5" tall, and I weigh in around 230lbs. My highest RECORDED weight is 268lbs in Dec of 2015. I'm looking to have the Gastric Sleeve surgery done, hopefully before this year is out. Luckily, my insurance does cover WLS, but I'm looking to have it done before the year ends due to having a high out of pocket deductible. Because of other medical issues I've had this year, it would greatly reduce my share of the payment. So far I've gone to the WLS seminar and a support group meeting. My Consultation with a surgeon, nutritionist, fitness coordinator, and first psych eval will be done on Sept 20th. My MiL and SiL had the Gastric Sleeve done in April or May of 2016. I thought it sounded too good to be true, and wanted to have it done back then. My husband recently developed foot and back problems and has decided to look into surgery and is going through the process as well to have the VSG done. It took me 3 days to finally decide that WLS was right for me. I had to battle with my unhealthy relationship with food, as well as my fear of failure. I still have moments of doubt, but all of the online research of articles and YT videos has so far overruled my nerves. I am still nervous about being approved, though. My BMI is only 38.3, and the seminar noted that you needed to have 1 co-morbidity and needed 2 co-morbidities in 2 different places. The only co-morbidity I have for sure ATM is sleep-apnea. I suspect I have PCOS, but my near constant taking of BCPs has the clinical symptoms under control. I also have GERD, and I read somewhere that GERD could be considered a co-morbidity, but I've only seen that once and am not sure. Does anyone know if GERD is considered a co-morbidity? I know it's a frequent side-effect, but that doesn't help me. lol. I'm also worried that I won't pass the psych eval. I am bi-polar and am on a few anti-depressants, as well as go for Electro-Convulsive Therapy (ECT). I'm worried that with being hospitalized in Nov of 2014 and Nov of 2015 for psychiatric reasons, as well as being a current ECT patient will weigh against me. Any thoughts/experiences in this area would be great to hear about. And here's my husband's and my faces for you. Picture taken in Summer of 2013.

The weeks after surgery are not necessarily to lose weight, but to heal properly from the surgery itself. This is why doctors usually do not fill the band immediately after surgery. You are healing and it is normal to feel hungry. Your doctor would tell you that this is normal. There are many people that feel like they are able to eat as if they never had the surgery. This is why these weeks are referred to as Bandster's Hell. Many people do not lose weight during the time before their first fill. If you do not lose, or you gain, it is okay. You will lose soon enough once you begin getting your fills. If you do happen to lose weight, consider it a bonus. Just remember that everybody is different. Just because one person lost 20 pounds in the 5 weeks after surgery does not mean that you will. Also be aware that you may not feel restriction with your first fill. If you read the threads on this website, you will see that many people do not start feeling restriction or really losing weight until the 3rd-4th fill. Be patient. Just keep making good food choices, try not to overeat, and take this time to heal. Rachel

My body is so weird right now, it's like it doesn't belong to me... Why now, after 7 weeks would I start to feel so weird??? - I'm suffering from the worst insomnia I've ever had in my life. Last week I went to sleep at 4:30 three separate nights, and this week I saw 3:30 twice in a row getting up at 6am both the next days. I'm so tired it hurts and I'm getting a sty in my eye, but yet I get in bed and can't settle down. I just lay there, staring at the ceiling. I'm not worried, or nervous, or even thinking about much. I just cannot seem to relax enough to drift off... - I have MASSIVE amounts of gas all of a sudden. I don't think I'm doing much differently, but I'm passing gas constantly and my stomach feels very bloated - I seem to have developed hemorrhoids for the first time ever. Yuck & ouch! - For some reason I suddenly feel my sternum, poking down between my ribs. WTH???? I've never felt this before. I thought I might be feeling the band, but I think the band is deeper inside me so I'm assuming this is breastbone. But Why have I never felt it before?? I haven't lost that much weight. Some, but it's not like I'm skinny or anything... - My stomach muscles hurt sometimes. Randomly. I lie on my stomach sometims and am fine. And the next it hurts. I was in a 5 hour meeting yesterday and finally had to stand up because sitting bent me at the stomach and hurt. has anyone else had this before? Would very much appreciate any insights on any of these weird issues!!! Thanks!

I am in week 4 and I have been doing awesome up to this point ....lost 26 lbs. but I did not loss any weight this week. Has this happened to anyone else. I am so scared that I went through this and I'm not going to loss weight. I have been following my post-op diet to a T and have not put one thing in my mouth that I shouldn't......

Hey everyone, I found your letter very touching as well as all the comments. My biggest fear and I am pre op is, that I might look 10 years older after all the weight is off and that my husband no longer finds me attractive. I would have to say that I am a little afraid of complications and also if I will still be able to enjoy life without my long and close friend "food". I have also not told my friends or children about the surgery because I don't want anyone to try and stop me from doing it. The alternative to the surgery doesn't sound appealing to me either, since I don't want to be fat for the rest of my life however long that may be. I feel older than I am because of all this weight and I just want to be able to break out of this shell I have hidden in far too long. I will be following you guys here because I may need a lot of encouragement as I am getting closer to surgery date. Susanne

I was eating 600-800 but have developed horrible headaches so I am trying to get closer to 1000 to see if that helps. I have continued to lose weight.

I have hit a major stall. Haven't lost any weight in about 4 weeks. Anyone else have this happen or advice on how to kick start losing again?

I have lost a lot of weight and so much energy but no matter how much you loose. 4 to 5 hours of sleep is not enough. Sometimes that just happens and I have to make it up somehow.

I would never laugh at that, I'm so proud of you for getting out there and giving it a go. And it doesnt matter how fit you get, there's always someone fitter, I feel embarrassed posting my times on cool running for fun runs and such, I am slow slow slow! But exercise seems to be the one thing people are just so stubbourn about, and to me, its way easier if you loathe it, to force yourself into a 40 minute run or swim or whatever, than the work you put in day in day out not eating what you crave, sticking with what you should eat, counting those calories. Truly, exercise is the easy part. Just grit your teeth, and do it. It honestly makes SO much difference and when you get to the weight maintenance part, well you wont be successful without it, guaranteed. Lots of cardio keeps weight off, combine it with strength training and you will look sensational!

For some reason I suddenly feel my sternum, poking down between my ribs. WTH???? I've never felt this before. I thought I might be feeling the band, but I think the band is deeper inside me so I'm assuming this is breastbone. But Why have I never felt it before?? I haven't lost that much weight. Some, but it's not like I'm skinny or anything... It may be your port you are feeling. Mine is placed right around that area and I have been able to feel it since surgery. I know my sleep cycles have also been mixed up a bit since surgery. Some nights it is hard for me to get to sleep and other nights (like last night) I was asleep by 6:30 pm!

Well here is my story, I'm sitting here in my living room thinking how good I feel, I just got home from my daily trip to the gym, yes I'm sweaty and tired but 3 months ago I could barely walk to the bathroom without being out of breath, I had high blood pressure, heart problems, back problems, swollen legs and ankles, headaches every day, I was in MISERY! I started this journey at 334 lbs and today I weight 259 lbs, that's 75 lbs gone forever! This is the best decision I could have ever made for myself and I would do it over again in a heartbeat! My husband has been telling everyone that he feels like he's having an affair because my whole body has changed. Here are some pics of before and 75 lbs down, I still have 80 more to go.

Weighing the same from week 1 to week 2 is not a stall. Not losing weight in one week does not mean the sleeve is not working. Paitence is important. Make sure you are drinking enough water too. It is working you lost alot pre surgery so maybe your body is just catching up.

I weigh approximately 118 pounds and maintain my weight on 1900 to 2100 calories per day. Who in their right might would want to restrict to the 800-1000 range for maintenance? As the previous poster mentioned, those who restrict for too long destroy their metabolisms. The term is called metabolic derangement. At 3 to 4 months out I was eating about 1000 calories daily. By 6 months I had bumped it up to 1200, and by 9 months I was eating about 1400 to 1500 calories. By 12 months out I was up to 1700, and by 18 months I got up to 1800 to 2000. I am so glad I gradually raised my caloric intake in increments because it kept my metabolic rate in high gear. I am figuratively dancing on a cloud about being able to maintain on 2000+ calories a day.

I am only 18 years old and was just banded on Thursday. The reason I got the band is a little different than most but i am still grateful for the opportunity. When I was 14 I was diagnosed with a some medical problems that no normal 14 year old should have to worry about. I was diagnosed with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, or PCOS, Hypothyroidism, and very high cholesterol. I grew up in a very active family; my mom is a personal trainer and dietitian so I was definitely a healthy active kid. However, for some weird reason, I was very over weight despite being on my school's swim team, soccer team, and having a personal trainer. I got on medications for the problems in hopes that it would take care of my weight issues. They helped a little but I continued to struggle all through high school with my health despite my activity level and healthy eating. It was so frustrating! Then I went off to college and it got even more difficult in the fact that I was being a dumb college kid and not eating like I should since mommy wasn't there to tell me what to eat (you would think I would have learned after 18 years of it, but alas I did not). I got to a really low place with my self esteem and my health and was very discouraged and very down. I thought that I would have to struggle and be over weight for the rest of my life and that got me really down. Then I heard about the lap-band. I did my research and found that the lap band has helped a lot of people with their PCOS (which is my biggest issue in terms of weight gain)!! I was thrilled! I knew this procedure would be life changing for me and I am so grateful for all the support I have received throughout my journey. This procedure is a blessing for me. I know it will be hard but I know I can do it and am looking forward of a healthier future! I'm only 6 days post op and it has been a hard 6 days but I am getting better everyday. The pain is not pleasant but it is getting better. I do have quite a bit or soreness at the port site but that was expected. I can't wait to see what the band does for me.