Search the Community

According to the Law of Attraction your life is a physical manifestation of your predominant thoughts and feelings. If you have spent many years battling with your weight and not liking your body, the primary focus of your thoughts and feelings has been that of discontent in terms of your weight and body. Every thought you think carries with it an energetic vibration and will attract experiences that carry with them like vibrations. If you are focused on needing to lose weight, not liking the weight you are now, and feel like it is a struggle you will attract to you more life experiences that will be an energetic match to that feeling thus showing up as excess weight, discontent with your current body state, and struggle. Focusing on what you don’t want is like having someone say to you “Don’t think of an elephant” (I bet you just pictured an elephant in your mind!!). If you want a strong, slender, healthy body, you must keep your focus on the kind of body you want and the feeling of what it would be like to live in that body. It does take energy and effort to keep yourself focused on what you do want especially if your dominant focus has been on that of what you do not want. Answering the following questions will help you shift your thoughts in a positive direction. Why do you want to resolve your weight issues? How will your life be different if you were at a healthy weight? Use the following questions as a guideline: Do you think your health would improve? If so how? Would your energy level change? If so how? Are there physical activities that you would participate in that you do not do today because of your weight? Do you have any aches and pains you think would be resolved if you lost weight? Would you walk differently? Would you interact with people differently? Would you talk differently? Would your relationships change? Would you eat differently? If so how? Are there people you would be more or less involved with if you lost weight? Would losing weight affect your career? If so, how? Would losing weight affect your family? If so, how? Would you dress differently? If so how? Would you have any new hobbies? Would it affect your social life? If so how? Do you think it would affect your mood? How about your mental clarity? Next week I’ll tell you how to use the answers to these questions to generate a powerful vision statement… Blessings and Peace, Louisa p.s. I’ll be offering new telephone support groups starting in September. If you have any questions or would like more information about them email me at louisa@louisalatela.com or call me at 856.429.9799. www.louisalatela.com

I too, had unbearable, heart burn and sour stomach for a week or two. I'm not almost 6 weeks out and am fine but my Dr recommended 60 days of Prilosic. Not sure if it is that or just been awhile but it is working. deb

Hi my fellow sleevers. I don't post here often enough anymore but I get so much support and motivation here. I'm hoping this will give encouragement to someone who needs it. I was sleeved in May 2013. I have spent the last almost three months in a stall and bouncing up and down. Although I felt like giving up I didn't. I stuck with the program. Suddenly in the last ten days, eight pounds fell off putting me at a normal bmi. I have to admit I had started to believe this wouldn't happen. My doc set my goal at 170-177 (still overweight) so when I stalled for so long at about 166 I thought, well I guess that's it. I wasn't done and I'm still not done. I'm now 158 and sky's the limit! My weight loss has gone mostly like this. Long stalls with chunks of loss here and there. I was 240 the day I was sleeved and my highest weight was 268. Good luck to everyone.

Congrats! Why not post some before/after pics? Those are really encouraging, for when we hit a stall.

Thanks so much for the encouragement. I have been in a 3 week stall and I am currently 8mths out. I'm down to 188 but would love to see 170. You have revitalized my focus!!

I'm currently in the process of fulfilling insurance requirements so we're looking at a timeline of around June'ish. I will get done with the requirements the early part of May then they said that insurance companies take between 2-3 weeks to send back approval should they approve. Once i have the approval they will look at his schedule and see what is available. I have a family reunion the second week of June in Illinios (about a 10-hour drive) so I think I will choose to do it when we return so I'm not on the road and away from my doctor if needed

I eat when I'm bored and when I watch TV. I try to find something to do....clean my office (this actually turned into a two week distraction), wash my truck, write Christmas cards, do laundry, etc. Winter is a lot harder because most of the distractions I used in the summer are no longer available. the other thing is to fill a 32 oz container with water or tea or whatever and not eat anything until it's gone.

Do you not have insurance because you can't get coverage? If so, I would encourage you to look into PCIP. It's the pre-existing health insurance that was put in place in 2010. I was without insurance for ten years since I work for a small company that didn't offer a plan. After a gallbladder attack, I tried to secure individual insurance but was denied because of my weight. You can get this insurance if you live in a participating state, have a pre-existing health condition or have been turned down for insurance and have been without coverage for at least six months. It's age rated. I'm 51 and pay $306 a month. You seem much younger so your premium will reflect that. The plan I chose has a $2,000 deductible and a $4,000 out of pocket maximum and yes, it covers the sleeve. I had my gallbladder removed in February so that and a couple of other procedures met my deductible. I have been able to get my septum corrected and am scheduled to be sleeved in three weeks, all at no additional cost. They do require a six month monitored diet and either a BMI of 40+ or 35 with two co-morbidities. Good luck!

Hi!!! I did the same thing. April 07 I was schedualed to have surgery and I called the night before telling them I would not be there. I just didn't feel good about it. Today.. same surgeon, same hospital I am banded. It will be 2 weeks Monday and I am so glad I did! Good Luck!

Let's get skinny! your story motivated me so much. I weighed the exact same amount and am the exact height as you! I was banded on Jan 7th and I am down 30 pounds. I have really been feeling down this week about my diet. I have not strayed from the program once until this week! and of course I hate myself now. Seeing your story reminded me why I had the surgery and that it can be done! good job and thanks for sharing.

Below is an old thread but lots to read through. Wish you the best! https://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/351046-embrace-the-stall/

I'm down 24 pounds tears of joy and more to follow!!!!! Good luck to us all on this journey.

Good luck and best of all to you. I go in a week.

I think many of us go through this phase of not being hungry and food not looking appetizing. Enjoy this stage in your band journey. It is such a wonderful time to realize that food does not need to be a part of every single moment of your life. You can go without food right now because of the swelling around you stomach. I was told this exact same thing three months ago and it was so true. I now have an appetite, but back then, I really thought that I would never want food again.

you can get them online at GNC or I beleive they are called NEW WHEY....Gosh they sure do beat the drinks...gag!!!! Just remember....you dont have to do this alone...we are all here for you. We have been there. I am a year out, and I still have cravings and weakness....which is why my weight has stalled. I got comfortable, and got lazy with my diet.... good luck.....and try the bullets...sometimes I will drink a little and than add some water so it is not so thick...makes it easier to. The grape is my favorite

Thanks for replying guys. I have heard "but your're not that big" once, this from a co-worker who had gastric bypass at 500 lbs., but after I told him my real weight (he was shocked) of almost 200 lbs., and the fact I was almost half that weight as a teenager (I have a very small frame that was clearly NOT built to be carrying 200 lbs). However, he totally supports me now and is even going to do my pre-op diet with me to jumpstart his weight loss which has stalled (I'm guessing at around 275). I remind everyone that I have gained 30 lbs in the past year despite working out 5 times a week and that I can wait but why wait until I'm morbidly obese? I've already got the health problems and told my family I want to see my son grow up...that helped them get on board. Shauna

I just had my GB removed and the sleeve done a week ago. Much harder then the band... The band was giving me spasms in my esophagus, but I did lose 65 lbs.

I am trying hard to get early May because I have two children (6 and 5) and I want to be through the first 2-3 weeks post-op before they get out of school! I will never get recovery time if I am home after that. I have a twin sister and I told her I would have to move in with her for recovery if it is later than May! My husband got laid off so we opted for him to stay home during the summer to save the dollars on camp and day care. I have a family wedding in July and am trying to navigate that too! I wish the doctors would just work on my time schedule instead of vice versa!

Went to my last appointment this past week. My file is being sent for approval, I am super excited and nervous at the same time. Waiting for this approval Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I haven't had a baby yet, but I am pregnant now after being told for the last 6 years I couldn't have children. My doctor doesn't usually do an unfill, but he did have to take out 1.5 cc's because my band tightened so much I was unable to eat and lost about 10 pounds in a month period. Since having my band loosened I have gained back 5 pounds in the last 3 weeks, which is what I needed to do. Now I'm on course for the typical 1 pound a week. I feel my port no differently than I did before I was pregnant, but I'm only 15 1/2 weeks at the moment. I will be able to have a natural birth, barring any complications (that won't be band related). The band should not affect my pregnancy at all. Because I plan on breastfeeding, I will not get my band tightened up immediately because I will require an additional 500 calories a day. I can answer more questions the further along I get.

Stacey the lap band was a last resort for me! This will be my first baby. Once I got the lap band done, I was regular as anything from the first month. This has been such a blessing for me! Definitely keep the faith Stacey! I had given up and didn't think I would ever get pregnant....but I was 13 weeks when I found out I was!

https://www.lapband.com/en/sign_in/?cID=T2&eway_id=1081836 There are some great recipes on this site. Free to join and tasty. Personally I like the chili enchilada soup. It was awesome. Making more tomorrow for this week at work.

All this is telling you..... Is that you are still healing .... At three weeks when I was done with liquids ... I went to soft/purée .... Turkey sausage would not have been a choice ... Even when I advanced to more solid foods... Tuna and chicken both came up on me. Now I am almost 5 months out and I can eat everything . I thought I would never get here ... But it just takes some healing time. Listen to your stomach, bringing your food back up does not always mean you ate too much.... You may not be ready for that particular item at this time. I wrote everything down .... So I could remember what I ate and the reaction my stomach had .i would then go back and try it a few weeks later. I do have certain foods I stay away that cause bathroom issues ... Trial and error ... Alyce

I had very slow weight loss in the first few weeks due to being dehydrated and having to be pumped with IV's. After the internal swelling went down and I could sip easier and more often the weight started melting off.

Hi everyone, I had my VSG back on Dec 22 and today was my first day back on regular foods. Well regular foods minus the bread, rice, Pasta, red meat, pork and sugars that is. Today I tried Breakfast turkey sausage for the first time in months, and needless to say it didn't stay down. I think I kept it down all of 20 minutes before it was too much bloating and belching to the point that it came back up. I find myself struggling with I guess the eating slowly. And by that it seems like waiting 3 to 5 minutes between bites is not enough time. Besides the turkey, I had issues with soft chicken too where it just seems like it doesn't want to go down. Anyone have any other recommendations on what I can do to try and keep the stuff down? I know I need to give myself time to let my body heal, but the not keeping actual meat Protein downs is worrying me. I know my body is starting to go into Ketosis and I am not doing it any favors by not getting in the recommended protein and Water amount.