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I need a little guidance with what to eat everyday. I was banded on 2/4/10 and I've lost 38lbs, but the last 3 weeks I have been stuck! Help! Suggestions please.

I get my Band on 10/31/06. I have to admit,,, I'm getting nervous. I've got all these people telling me "Shirley don't do it! Youv'e already lost a lot of weight!" Like I don't no this wright??? Anyway they are telling me about how many people they no that have had this done, and they are forever sick. "My guess is By-Pass Surgery" They just don't no the difference. I'm told I wil never eat again. I no I plan too! I no it won't be much, but,, I still plan to eat someday. If some one out there wants to get back to me, and give me some pointers or tips. I would really appreciate it. Because I have all ready bought my Protien Drinks, I've watched a tape on the Procedure, I'm going for my Pre-Op visit Wednesday,Whew, I'm trying to get all my ducks in a row as they say. But,,, somehow my head is getting spun around So please get back. I'm in Michigan, my highest weight was 356, now 239 that's on 1200 calorie diet it works!!! My Surgeon is Jeffrey Genaw. Out of Henry Ford Hospital.

1 thing to consider is that regardless of your insurance requirements your doctor may have additional requirements. My insurance didn't require any special pre op diet or waiting period. My surgeon however required that I lose 10 percent body weight. I accomplished that in about 2 and a half months. So moral of the story is you may start your process now but not be cleared for surgery until well after you get your IRS check back. Not trying to be a downer just letting you know how things work for me

It's not just about crunches. Planks, squats, bicycles, lunges, mountain climbers, bear claws, anything that you need balance and core is going to help with the abs. You are going to kill yourself at that pace. There are a lot of great ab workouts that take 10 minutes at the end of your workout.

You are human & so am I. I am scheduled for 4/23 & I am very nervous!! Could anybody tell me what is the level of soarness (on a scale of 1 to 10). Those of you already banded, were you terribly tender, soar, & in agonizing pain.That is MUCH of what I will be nervous about. We're all in this together. We are going to make it through, especially with the LORD's help.

My BMI was 36 when I started off but I have 6 out of the top 10 comorbidities so my insurance approved the first time through. (thank God) If the doc talks to the insurance company and can prove that you are unable to lose on your own, he may be able to convince them. What is meant to be will be. No worries. & Good Luck!

@@madeline121 - Welcome! Everyone loses at a different rate so to tell you to expect to lose XX by two weeks and XX by the end of the month isn't practical. What kind of surgery? Search the BP website for recipes (there are threads with all kinds of good ideas). Did you have a NUT? I would contact them and or your bariatric team for what they want you to eat at this point because not all doctors want you to eat pureed foods at 3 days (mine did) some want their patients on a two week liquid diet. I eat at 10 months post around 1000 calories, 80 grams of Protein and I try to keep my carbs as low as possible (40 or so) along with over 64 oz of Water (usually around 100oz). good luck and welcome again! their patients on a two week liquid diet. I eat at 10 months post around 1000 calories, 80 grams of protein and I try to keep my carbs as low as possible (40 or so) along with over 64oz of water (usually around 100oz). good luck and welcome again!

It's an adjustment for them. I understand that its bothers you to hear "don't lose more weight" It may be out of concern or it may be a compliment. Reassure them you are healthy. It will pass with time once you are maintaining. It's hard enough for us to wrap our heads around the weight loss. Some of the comments kind of mess with your head a bit. I went to a check up at my surgeon's office. The nurse comment "if you gained 10 more I would look less skeletal" I was at goal 140 and a healthy BMI.

My surgery was at 10:00am, I got up and about at 11:30. I am very sore, the doctor makes it seem like your all good to go right after but I'm not experiencing that. I must say though, I am being a good girl and making sure that I get up and walk around the house often. This does help a lot with the gas pain...the Vicodin(hope i spelled it right) doesn't hurt either lol. I'm finding I have a lot of issues with head hunger already, looks like I will have my work cut out for me. Thanks again to all the well wishers and hope your doing well jeremiahsmommy. Jillian

Hello All, Today is my Two Year Bandiversary! I am down a total of 63 pounds from my all time high. I am 5 pounds away from a normal BMI (149). My weight has been stable for several months. I feel so good where I am that I haven't been strongly motivated to lose the rest of what I need to in order to get to my orginally selected goal of 140. I am maintaining my current weight with ease. I eat to my appetite level and concentrate on making good choices and not eating junk. I am hopeful that this means I will not easily gain the weight back. I am more active than I was two years ago because being more active is easier than it was. How nice is that? I've lost weight, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and high cholesterol. I've gained size 10 clothes, self-esteem, and self-confidence. I'm not the largest person in the crowd. I don't feel as though people are looking at my plate and judging what I am eating. I've had no complications. I hope to keep it that way. Best wishes to all as we journey on to healthier selves!!

Hi, I had my second fill last monday, I now have 7cc's in my 14 cc band. I too got stuck and it is the worst feeling ever! Thankfully the pain went away after an hour maybe 2... after approx. 3 days of getting stuck i realized that waiting as long as 10 minutes between bites helped alot. My life was miserable after my second fill, so bad that i wanted to go back in and get an unfill... These past 2 days have been great, i just hope things stay this way >_<. oh! before my second fill i was bale to eat bread and now i can't... have you noticed any changes (aside from restriction) after your second fill? I sometimes "slime" as well but have never had to throw up. I really hope you start feeling better soon! hugs Ps. I know 10 minutes between bites sounds to extreme, but that's what i was told to do.... how long do you wait?

Hi there! My name is Kelley, and I was banded 8/24/10. I made the decision to be banded for myself because it was time to put me first in my life. I also suffer from Depression, which my surgeon knows, and have been going through a tough time getting help from my support group (family, friends, doctor). So I decided to come to the best place to find someone to nudge me once in awhile...The LapBandTalk site! I am struggling with motivation to exercise, and head hunger...both of which have gotten worse since I got the band. I think it is the constant considerations and thoughts about the band that are doing it. I am 31 and have been married to my high school sweetheart for 5 years, although we dated for 9 years before that. :huggie: I am a house wife hoping for children in the next year or so in order to take full advantage of the Band. I started off at 245 pounds, 5'6", and hope to lose around 100 pounds. I have lost 30 and hope to pick it up a notch as I get my butt in gear! I bleed Blue & Gold as I am from the great state of West Virginia, and I cannot wait for Spring so I can go walking in the woods again. Thanks for your help and consideration!!! Be blessed! Kelley

These are natural thoughts. You might be angry when people look at your differently and/or say you're too thin. I certainly get that. [Esp. since the DS kind of redistributes the fat around your body on many of us.] I never had much of a bust before so that hasn't changed for me. But I have no butt. And very think skin on my arms, etc. (It does make it easy to draw blood which is a good thing. They never have trouble seeing my veins, lol.) My face is also very thin. Little fat there anymore. We're all different, but many often have a different fat distribution on their bodies. As for clothes, many use thrift shops or heavily discounted outlets during the heavy weight loss phase. It's true you won't be able to wear the clothes you have now (possibly some of the shoes -- I went down a full size and couldn't.) Regarding recognizing yourself in the mirror: most don't. They still think they look big. I've found it often depends how long you've been big right before you have surgery. For instance, I'd lost a lot of weight in the mid-90s (ah, Fen-Phen ) and kept it off till the early 2000s. Then I got really big again. So it was only about 5 years that I had it back on before I had the DS. Therefore, when I had the DS and the weight came off, I saw it right away and knew what I looked like. Still do. Others I know were big for 10, 20 years. They seem to have a much harder time realizing what they look like now, post DS. Just a theory I've floated around, but often seems to fit. Friends and family: it's hard to say. I told no one except my immediate family and physicians. Still haven't. It's a personal choice and certainly not one for everyone. POSTOP: Thanks for your reply, I sure appreciate you! I have been overweight for a good part of 23 years. I did the FenPhen thing to and dropped down to a size 6. I was running every day and although my weight was 145 I was skinny as a rail due to the exercising. As soon as I dropped the pills the weight started to creep up again. I was always trying this diet or that diet and never got back below 170. About 2004 is when I really started to creep up again and have been over 200 lbs ever since and as of about 5 years ago I creeped up even further to where I am now. I have been overweight so long that in the back of your mind you wonder if having surgery is going to be a quick fix like FenPhen again. You know the fear of losing it all and then so fearful you will regain it that you do everything to the extreme to avoid that happening again. I am so nervous right now and I am only 3 days out before surgery. I noticed you had surgery in 2005, can you tell me how has life been for you for these past 10 years? Has it gotten easier to maintain the weight and keep it off? And is there anything you can advise to a newbe to this procedure?

I actually had to have my surgery postponed from Feb. 3 to Feb. 10 because I had a pretty bad cold which was probably the flu. I was sooooo disappointed, but in retrospect between the fever, chills, body aches and constant runny nose/sneezing, recovery would have been miserable. The week went by pretty quickly; because I was pretty sick I had an easier time with the pre-op diet (which extended for that week, although they had me eat on 2/3 to get some calories in), and I was down a full 10 pounds by surgery day. I hope you don't have to postpone, but if you really aren't feeling well it might be the best thing.

Thank you ! How are you in the process ? CW:245 Surgery date :Dec 19, 2017

Amazed where I am today. When I had the complications I thought I was really doomed. I have no regrets and thankful where I am at today. In 10 months I lost 140 lbs. I'm doing yoga now and have tons of energy. Not on any medications and so looking forward to doing more with my life. The pictures don't lie. Don't ever give up, no matter what is thrown your way. It's not how you endured the storm but how you danced in the rain!!!

Honestly, I though the No on 8 campaign was poorly run. The ads were ineffective and didn't adequately address real fears. I have been saying from the beginning that we need to PERSONALIZE the issue. Make people really aware that a Yes vote is stabbing real people they probably know and like in the back. They also needed to better address the lies. Just saying "Prop 8 isn't about schools" isn't enough. They never did a commercial where they listed all the rights that marriage brings and that gays can't get in other ways to address the lie that marriage isn't necessary because of the CA Domestic Partnership Act. They never had people tell their tales of how they were denied basic human rights because they couldn't say they were married to their partner of 10, 20 and 30 years. I think for the next round, I'll get more involved. I'm kind of obessed with my surgery right now so just sent money. But clearly they needed leadership more. :biggrin: Then, once we get this abomination struck down, the next step is to amend the constitution so that it's harder to amend the constitution!!

So what are you snacking on? There's really no protein in pizza or egg rolls so they would be wasted calories at this point. 30g protein is actually a pretty low amount....most postop plans call for 60g or more. Too little protein now can lead to hairless later. here's a lot of stuff I snacked on.... Refried Beans Hard boiled eggs Baby bell cheese String cheese Avocados (I actually ate a lot of homemade guacamole) Greek yogurt flavored with Protein powder Spam Deviled ham Tuna fish chicken salad Peanut Butter P3 snack packs Split pea Soup Bean Soups Cottage cheese Quest bars are soft, come in a variety of flavors and have 20g protein each For fluids I drank diluted fruit juice, diluted Vitamin Water and Sobe, skim milk (lots of protein there, too), flavored water, and herbal teas. I had a water bottle with me at all times and never stopped sipping. Even at 10 months out I drink a large protein smoothie everyday....30-40g protein and 24-32 oz fluid in just one "snack". With so many different powder flavors and extras like Torani syrups, fruit or PB2, the variety is nearly endless.

Hello All! So I am currently in the pre-op stage and I have completed most of the testing. I had originally thought I would choose the GS, but have started looking into the DS. They seem to be fairly similar, but with the DS adding restriction, thus increasing Vitamin maintenance. I meet with the surgeon in 10 days and have been reading very helpful posts here, as well as reviewing the surgeon's manuals for each surgery. I have considerable weight to lose (BMI 45). I once was down to 185 lbs by counting calories and maintaining a log, but slowly gained it all back plus extra. So, I am a little worried about making the right choice the first time, as opposed to having to potentially gain weight back and have a revision surgery. This is what led me to the DS, which is the highest "rung" on the surgery ladder per the surgeon. The vitamin regiments seem fairly similar between the two, with the DS adding ADEK (fat soluble vitamins). I don't think I would have an issue with the vitamin routine. Has anyone been caught between these two surgeries,and if so, which way did you go and why? Any and all comments are welcome! Thanks in advance!

These are natural thoughts. You might be angry when people look at your differently and/or say you're too thin. I certainly get that. [Esp. since the DS kind of redistributes the fat around your body on many of us.] I never had much of a bust before so that hasn't changed for me. But I have no butt. And very think skin on my arms, etc. (It does make it easy to draw blood which is a good thing. They never have trouble seeing my veins, lol.) My face is also very thin. Little fat there anymore. We're all different, but many often have a different fat distribution on their bodies. As for clothes, many use thrift shops or heavily discounted outlets during the heavy weight loss phase. It's true you won't be able to wear the clothes you have now (possibly some of the shoes -- I went down a full size and couldn't.) Regarding recognizing yourself in the mirror: most don't. They still think they look big. I've found it often depends how long you've been big right before you have surgery. For instance, I'd lost a lot of weight in the mid-90s (ah, Fen-Phen ) and kept it off till the early 2000s. Then I got really big again. So it was only about 5 years that I had it back on before I had the DS. Therefore, when I had the DS and the weight came off, I saw it right away and knew what I looked like. Still do. Others I know were big for 10, 20 years. They seem to have a much harder time realizing what they look like now, post DS. Just a theory I've floated around, but often seems to fit. Friends and family: it's hard to say. I told no one except my immediate family and physicians. Still haven't. It's a personal choice and certainly not one for everyone. POSTOP: Thanks for your reply, I sure appreciate you! I have been overweight for a good part of 23 years. I did the FenPhen thing to and dropped down to a size 6. I was running every day and although my weight was 145 I was skinny as a rail due to the exercising. As soon as I dropped the pills the weight started to creep up again. I was always trying this diet or that diet and never got back below 170. About 2004 is when I really started to creep up again and have been over 200 lbs ever since and as of about 5 years ago I creeped up even further to where I am now. I have been overweight so long that in the back of your mind you wonder if having surgery is going to be a quick fix like FenPhen again. You know the fear of losing it all and then so fearful you will regain it that you do everything to the extreme to avoid that happening again. I am so nervous right now and I am only 3 days out before surgery. I noticed you had surgery in 2005, can you tell me how has life been for you for these past 10 years? Has it gotten easier to maintain the weight and keep it off? And is there anything you can advise to a newbe to this procedure? You're in for some ride. Post DS life has been pretty good. I did have to have my gb removed (2008) and hernias done about a month ago. Right now I'm having some issues b/c I had to have an antibiotic shot with the hernia surgery and antibiotics are tough on DSers. I find it easier to keep the weight off post DS because I can eat as much Protein as I want. And I do. I eat every couple of hours; whenever I want. When I put on a few, I just eat more protein and drink liquids. The trick is to eat and eat and eat protein. It really helps you lose and keeps you satisfied. I always have nuts, cheeses, cold cuts in my home. Nuts are always in my bag, too. I will often go to McDonald's or some other ff place for a snack. I order a triple w/cheese & catsup. I just eat the insides and throw away the bun (too filling, don't want the carbs [usually], and the carbs give me gas & I don't want that at work, lol). My advice is be most concerned about hydration for the first few weeks. Sip, sip, sip. That's so important. I got dehydrated at about 6 weeks out. It's not uncommon. Food is less important. The week after surgery my breakfast was 1 tsp. of scrambled eggs. That was it. Couldn't eat another bite. Nowadays, 3 eggs with cream cheese and salami (it takes 2 sittings to eat it, though). Also, try to walk. I walked around the floor that first night in the hospital. I walked 4x a day in the small garden near my apt. It was tiring, but important. Best of luck to you! These are natural thoughts. You might be angry when people look at your differently and/or say you're too thin. I certainly get that. [Esp. since the DS kind of redistributes the fat around your body on many of us.] I never had much of a bust before so that hasn't changed for me. But I have no butt. And very think skin on my arms, etc. (It does make it easy to draw blood which is a good thing. They never have trouble seeing my veins, lol.) My face is also very thin. Little fat there anymore. We're all different, but many often have a different fat distribution on their bodies. As for clothes, many use thrift shops or heavily discounted outlets during the heavy weight loss phase. It's true you won't be able to wear the clothes you have now (possibly some of the shoes -- I went down a full size and couldn't.) Regarding recognizing yourself in the mirror: most don't. They still think they look big. I've found it often depends how long you've been big right before you have surgery. For instance, I'd lost a lot of weight in the mid-90s (ah, Fen-Phen ) and kept it off till the early 2000s. Then I got really big again. So it was only about 5 years that I had it back on before I had the DS. Therefore, when I had the DS and the weight came off, I saw it right away and knew what I looked like. Still do. Others I know were big for 10, 20 years. They seem to have a much harder time realizing what they look like now, post DS. Just a theory I've floated around, but often seems to fit. Friends and family: it's hard to say. I told no one except my immediate family and physicians. Still haven't. It's a personal choice and certainly not one for everyone. POSTOP: Thanks for your reply, I sure appreciate you! I have been overweight for a good part of 23 years. I did the FenPhen thing to and dropped down to a size 6. I was running every day and although my weight was 145 I was skinny as a rail due to the exercising. As soon as I dropped the pills the weight started to creep up again. I was always trying this diet or that diet and never got back below 170. About 2004 is when I really started to creep up again and have been over 200 lbs ever since and as of about 5 years ago I creeped up even further to where I am now. I have been overweight so long that in the back of your mind you wonder if having surgery is going to be a quick fix like FenPhen again. You know the fear of losing it all and then so fearful you will regain it that you do everything to the extreme to avoid that happening again. I am so nervous right now and I am only 3 days out before surgery. I noticed you had surgery in 2005, can you tell me how has life been for you for these past 10 years? Has it gotten easier to maintain the weight and keep it off? And is there anything you can advise to a newbe to this procedure? You're in for some ride. Post DS life has been pretty good. I did have to have my gb removed (2008) and hernias done about a month ago. Right now I'm having some issues b/c I had to have an antibiotic shot with the hernia surgery and antibiotics are tough on DSers. I find it easier to keep the weight off post DS because I can eat as much protein as I want. And I do. I eat every couple of hours; whenever I want. When I put on a few, I just eat more protein and drink liquids. The trick is to eat and eat and eat protein. It really helps you lose and keeps you satisfied. I always have nuts, cheeses, cold cuts in my home. Nuts are always in my bag, too. I will often go to McDonald's or some other ff place for a snack. I order a triple w/cheese & catsup. I just eat the insides and throw away the bun (too filling, don't want the carbs [usually], and the carbs give me gas & I don't want that at work, lol). My advice is be most concerned about hydration for the first few weeks. Sip, sip, sip. That's so important. I got dehydrated at about 6 weeks out. It's not uncommon. Food is less important. The week after surgery my breakfast was 1 tsp. of scrambled eggs. That was it. Couldn't eat another bite. Nowadays, 3 eggs with cream cheese and salami (it takes 2 sittings to eat it, though). Also, try to walk. I walked around the floor that first night in the hospital. I walked 4x a day in the small garden near my apt. It was tiring, but important. Best of luck to you!

We have a few people that we know that have had a wls and have gained all their weight plus back. So in my husbands eyes "it just didn't work". I tried to tell him that everyone has the surgery to lose weight but some do see it as a fix all and they don't want to change their life style. He had used the phrase "the easy way out". How is having major surgery the easy way out? I brought my 19 year old daughter with me to the seminar. The surgeon and nurses explained everything and opened her eyes to what it really is. A tool to aide me in losing the weight. I know what is being asked of me. I have to do the work because if I don't...I'll find myself in this shape again..and hear that "I told you so"

I was 170 pounds overweight and I thought I had tried everything. I had a LAP-BAND for 11 years, during which I lost and regained 130 pounds. The LAPBAND was ready to do its' job, but I was not ready to do mine. This is the story of how I embraced, life, living, healthy food and exercise, and finally shed 170 pounds 8 years into my LAPBAND journey. From needing a "walker" to climbing America's tallest mountain in 2 years, this is my story. Food was my way of comforting myself and relieving stress for as far back into my childhood as I can remember. There was alcohol and violence in my childhood home and I needed comfort. There was no human source for it so I created a source for it. Food "hugged me" and made me feel safer. In an environment with stressors beyond my control. I had a small something I could easily access to sooth myself. It was my mind deciding what to eat for comfort and it was my hand lifting the food to my mouth. I was in the driver's seat regarding something in my life and body, even if I wasn't safe in my home. Food was my best friend, provided comfort and gave me a way to manage even a small part of my life. By my teens, my chubby appearance morphed into actually being significantly overweight. At the age of 12, I jumped from a women's size 12 to size 18 and never looked back. By the age of 20, soon after my mother's death, I was a size 26 and 330 pounds. In my 30s, I lost 130 pounds too rapidly and much of my hair by binging and purging and in my 40s, I again lost 130 pounds after LAP-BAND Weight Loss Surgery in 2003. But because I had not done the emotional, internal work on my relationship with food and childhood trauma, my food addiction shifted to liquid calories I could easily pass through the LAP-BAND, which is common. At this time, for the first time in my life, I developed an alcohol problem and my dinner each night was a six pack of "vodka coolers" followed by a pint of low-fat ice cream for dessert. Nutrition was the last thought on my mind and my focus was on comfort calories that could pass through "the band." By 2006, all the weight I lost was back. I also continued to eat solid foods that would force me to vomit and caused my esophagus to become distended. When a LAP-BAND patient doesn't respect the "full" signals the body sends to the brain and continues to eat, the esophagus becomes a storage place for excess food and the esophagus stretches. This made the LAP-BAND useless and while it is still in my body, it no longer functions properly. At the same time, during the last 20 years, I developed back problems from bulging discs related to the weight I was carrying. I began using opiates under a doctor's supervision to combat pain and muscle spasms in my back and in my knees that resulted in five knee surgeries. At first, I viewed the opiates as a wonderful tool as they relieved or masked some of the pain and also provided an emotional high. Soon I was using the opiates for emotional reasons more than for pain and as my tolerance for them grew, I needed larger doses to get the same effect. Then I needed to graduate to a stronger form of opiate and that is when, 10 years ago, I began taking Oxycodone and OxyContin around the clock along with Flexeril for muscle spasms. Sitting for long periods became unbearable and I was forced to leave my career as a Court Paralegal and qualified for "permanent disability." I cried as I left the hearing in which I was declared disabled. I didn't want to be disabled but felt it must be true for a judge to decide it was. It was 2010 and I believed my life was essentially over. At 50 years old I was simply waiting to slowly die. I believed all my happy days were behind me. When my doctor suggested I try yoga before we take the drastic step of implanting electrodes in my spine for the pain, I began attending a very gentle yoga class for people with disabilities. Slowly, over a two year period, I began to build stronger core muscles which made the back spasms less severe and less frequent. But I continued to take the opiates because by then I had an emotional and chemical dependence on them. During this time, I was diagnosed with Sleep Apnea which was caused by the opiates and excess weight. Opiates disrupt the brains signals to the lungs and suppress the respiratory drive. On top of this - physical pain, addiction and emotional unhappiness - I was also caring for my father with Alzheimer's. Although in a safe and loving group home, I still felt responsible for my father's well-being and comfort. I was his only family within 3000 miles. As so often happens when caring for a loved-one, we stop caring for ourselves in every sense. Soon after my father's death in 2012, I developed pneumonia because my breathing became so inconsistent that my lungs filled with fluid. I realized at that point I needed to change everything about my life including losing the weight and decreasing, even eliminating, my use of opiates or else I would die. At that moment, in the hospital in 2012, the desire to live was sparked in me by the threat of death! After leaving the hospital, for 60 days, I detoxed and experienced cold sweats, tremors and anxiety as the opiates slowly left my bloodstream. Once I was drug-free, I began making small, sustainable changes to my diet and gradually increasing amounts of movement. (Yes, that means exercise!) Over the following 18 months, my weight dropped from a high of 333 pounds down to 185. As a 6'3" tall woman this is a healthy, lean weight for me. In 2013, I decided then to give myself the gift of nearly full-body plastic surgery. Since I was already severely overweight in my teens, at a time of life when many young girls look their best and enjoy being pretty, I decided "it is never too late to have a happy childhood." During an 11-hour surgery, 13 pounds of skin was removed from my abdomen, buttocks, back, chest and under arms. For the first time since the age of 12, no part of my belly and buttocks continue to jiggle when I stop walking, no part of me droops and my thighs do not rub together. The Sleep Apnea is gone and I now climb mountains instead of grabbing railings to pull myself up stairs! But the hardest mountain I've ever climbed was a "metaphorical mountain" in those first few weeks of starting to change my relationships with food and drugs, as well as beginning to move. I am enjoying a lovely renaissance in a healthy, lean, strong and coincidentally beautiful body. However, this transformation has not been about beauty. My goals are continued health and a desire to live with passion, and about choosing to do more than survive. I am driven from an internal source to live a vibrant, full life of joy so I can continue to enjoy the love of family and friends and so they needn't lose me to obesity and addiction. This photo (above) was taken on the highest mountain in the 48 contiguous United States, Mount Whitney. After 10 hours of climbing 6,134 feet to an elevation of 14,508 feet covering 11 miles, I summited at 2:00 pm and like every part of my weight-loss, fitness and "reclamation of life" journey, I did it! Yet, like during every aspect of my journey I had partners. My partners knew the lay of the land, my strength and challenges. I surrounded myself with people who knew how to help me get where I wanted to go. Physical and mental health professionals who coached me to express my full potential. What mountains will you climb in your life and who will help you get there? Build your team, including here at BariatricPal, and there is no "mountain" you cannot climb!

I'm just starting my journey, but I once lost weight and kept it off for 5 years and on and off for another 6 by using a few tricks. 1. I kept my mouth busy with sugar free gum and exclusively drink water- no juice or soda. 2. I recited food is fuel not fun everyday 3. I didn't say goodbye to everything I liked to eat, so I knew there was nothing I couldn't have. I just had to wait until a scheduled day in the week to have a "cheat meal." A lot of weeks I didn't have the cheat meal bc I didn't want to mess up my progress. 4. I worked out regularly 3-5 days per week 5. I shopped often and stayed out of gym clothes. Stretchy clothes don't tell you when you are gaining, so only wear them to work out 6. I trained for events (100 mile bike, 5k, wedding, trip) 7. I made friends at the gym so I had people to look forward to seeing. 8. I ate on schedule so I didn't have a chance to feel hungry 9. I kept my trigger foods out of my house and resolved not to drive anywhere to get any food I was craving or send anyone out for it either. 10. I made myself a priority. I went places I enjoyed, I tanned, I wore nice clothes, i took time to feel good. Hen it was my time I enjoyed it, and I made up for it by giving my family their day for something special too. When I stopped all of thy I gained weight and lost my satisfaction with my life. That was my recipe through trial and error I discovered it. You just have to find what works for you and be ok with messing up a little as you discover what that means for you. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Congrats to you! I am also a few days away from one month and lost 10 on the pre-op diet, 15 on the liquid diet, and 10 post-op. I feel great already. Can not wait for my first fill. I get that on the 17th.

This time last year I lost 40lbs on the HCG/500 calories per day diet..weighed 155 lbs..I gained it all back. I also joined an exercise bootcamp - worked out 1 hour every day, 5 days a week for 2 months and did not lose one pound. Then I decided I could not do this to my body anymore. I am 58, 5'1" and weigh 193. My heaviest weight was 212 when I was pregnant and my baby girl will be 28 this month. I can eat bags of cookies/chips/candy - a volume eater of everything - it is never enough to "fill" me up. I am praying the sleeve will be the tool to make me eat sensibly. This is not an easy way out, but it may be my last chance to take back my life and health. I am an avid scuba diver and travel the world with my husband, but I am not going to be able to do it much longer at this weight. If I do not go ahead with VSG, my nightmare is that I will weigh 300 lbs next year and more every year after that with no end in sight. No easy answer to your question, all I know is that VSG seems the best decision for me to have a better healthier life. I want to take my 2 year old grandson scuba diving when he is 10! Will be going to Dr. Ramos-Kelly on 4/13 in TJ, Mexico. Good luck!