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Why is there weight gained ? I'm not understanding? I barely eat! Example today protein shake breakfast salmon for lunch 3 bites nibbled on salmon for dinner theme 2 bites of spam & 62 oz of water what's wrong with that

Ok folks, I would not have this surgery again. Like any other addiction food is just the conveyer. Weight gain is the result. If a person puts their mind to the fact that they should quit eating so much and exercise more, they could get the positive results they desire. I had the surgery in January of this year. Yes I am losing weight but the price of surgery, sickness from eating anything even in small amounts is not worth it. Do it on your own and save your money and health.

NJ2NC- is there anything else you can do? I am on the Mirena IUD, which pretty much gives me no tom or very light tom- or maybe a no estrogen pill? Unfortunately, for taming of the beast purposes, it would have to be trial and error as to what works for you. Good luck, but I would probably try to switch. I had no weight gain when I went on the Mirena, but not sure if it's appropriate to use it to regulate your cycle. I hope to have at least another pound gone by tomorrow, WID. Hopefully 2, that will put me at an even 30 lbs lost!! I am having the darndest trouble not drinking while eating. Right now it's okay, but I know once I"m at restriction it'll be necessary. And maybe I wouldn't be so hungry between meals if I didn't! Something to work on. Consistency is the key for me, for sure!!! have a great day everyone!!!

I don't have a gallbladder so my body doesn't break down foods like other people so I'm used to gas, acid issues, occasional heartburn or reflux if really bad. By my second and third child being C-sections the gas and pain was bad. Currently I suffer with dermatitis, arthritis to most of my joints, hair thining plus bluh, bluh. I've tried all conventional methods to lose weight nothing has been sustainable. I'm at my biggest ever and I'm feeling it all over. Depression and boredom along with allot of different circumstances have meant weight gain. Please keep sharing because your all insprational to me and all you have to say is a big support. No one understands unless you experience it yourself. Thanks girls.

Thank you so much for sharing your strategies. I've employed much of the same strategies, unfortunately with a lot more medication. I just hope that when I'm post instead of peri, I can sleep better! I didn't manage the insomnia very well. I honestly think the insomnia contributed to my continuing weight gain through my 50s and 60s. There's all kinds of research that links insomnia and weight gain. Here's what I'm doing these days that's helping a lot: * Post-WLS I'm drinking less coffee than I did before -- no more than a cup a day. That is helping. * I'm exercising a lot more than I did 100 pounds ago -- and that physically "wears me out" and lets me rest better at night. * About 50% of the nights I take either a Melatonin or half an Ambien. It helps. Sometimes. * Since WLS I go to bed when my husband goes to bed, in other words -- at the same time every night. Following that sleep schedule rule really does help. * I manage my reflux a lot better since WLS -- meaning that I actually take my H2 blocker antacid (Ranitadine) every day and on time. * Since losing 100 pounds, I don't have stress incontinence and don't have to get up during the night to pee anymore. Not a single time. * Finally, I'm just a lot less stressed at 100 pounds less than I used to weigh than I used to be. I fall asleep easier and generally sleep better throughout the night. However, one thing I have NOT conquered that still messes with my sleep is to deal with the damned cat who always wants out when I'm sleeping soundly; I then have trouble getting back to sleep. I think the cat and I are going to have a serious discussion. I think he's going to have to spend the whole night outside from now on. Thanks for making me focus on this a little better. The cat won't appreciate it, but I do.

I guess I feel like more of a failure in losing and keeping the weight off because I know I am capable of it with diet & exercise...but my emotional eating (worse with having a mood disorder), constant hunger, cravings & out of control appetite make it so hard..in addition to that I can't stick to anything to save my life, I go from diet to diet and practically starving myself at times until I end up binge eating by the 3rd day and the cycle continues..but are all these good reasons to get wls? Are these some or all of the same problems others have that had surgery to lose the weight and keep it off? I don't have any health problems that cause weight gain, but I do take required medications that contribute to increased appetite & slower metabolism. I don't know who I am trying to prove all this to? :-/ I guess only myself. Because I really shouldn't care about anyone else's opinion, but I wish I had the willpower and motivation and dedication, etc to do this on my own, but I haven't been able to in the last 12 years so I deserve a solution to be happy with how I look and feel And with this new "tool" I am confident that I can achieve that.

@@Lexigurl82 First of all... you are beautiful. I know you can't see this right now because you're so broken but you really are. Your ex is a straight up BUSTER. Know that you have done the absolute best thing for you and your daughter and I just want to applaud you for having the COURAGE to take such a huge step. Many women live in this kind of turmoil and because they really don't believe they deserve better-- they stay. YOU made the first step and not only did you leave-- but you filed for DIVORCE. Please know that This too.... shall pass. Lexi, this is your time. I know it doesn't feel like it right now but in time you will be able to look back on this day shaking your head and smiling at the same time. It's time for you to start loving YOU. You've had the WLS-- and been quite successful thusfar. Congratulations!!!! Continue with healthy activities it's this kind of thing that can derail us back to bad habits but DON'T EVEN. The 5 stages of grief associated with dying apply to Divorce just the same. Some stages you will skip past quickly, some you will linger around in longer. It's ok to be sad. To cry. To break things. To be ANGRY. But then you must move on so that you can grow as an individual and transition into the next phase of your life that GOD has waiting for you. It is amazing. Don't worry about dating right now. You're no where nearly ready for that. You have to heal first so that you are ready for the right one. OR else you might find yourself back in the same situation. First and foremost allow me to recommend personal counseling/therapy. I know this is not a very popular option but-- check your insurance benefits. Many plans have a Mental Health benefit that most of us never take advantage of. If your co-pays are too high, reach out to your Employee Assistance Program (EAP). Its a great resource available to employees to help you cope with stressors in your life. If you belong to a church you can also seek pastoral counseling. I went through therapy for about 4 months. One night a week. 1 hr. No judgement. Psychologist was neutral and helped me to identify reasons that led to my thinking and behavior, and provided tools and behavioral exercises to help improve my thinking patterns, and responses. I had to DO THE WORK chile, because she couldn't be with me 24 hours but there were things I would work on until my next visit and we would review and move forward. This helped me to look at life with a new perspective, see the positive in myself so that I could focus more on becoming a better version of myself. That was the mind part. I began eating healthier, exercising, taking care of my body. Then I had WLS. That was the body part. Many men who are themselves insecure, will prey on others with insecurities as a method to inflict control. He had not problem with your weight gain because it was no threat to him. He asked you if you were going to leave after having WLS because this was a threat to him. That's his problem, not yours. Then the soul... whatever helps you to tap into a higher power, spiritual connection-- meditation, prayer, scriptures-- Bottom line all things need to be in check mind body and soul. Spend some time to yourself to do some reflecting and create a vision board for what and who you want to be. Fit, stylish, Social, Traveler, whatever. Create a list of things you want to do. Yoga, Spa, re-connect with old friends, visit a new place, get your hair, nails, feet done. Go to the mall buy a new lip color, let them makeup your face. LOVE on YOU. IF you look good, you'll feel good. Spend time with your daughter. I encourage you to work on yourself first and foremost because everything you do affects her. If you're moping around and depressed-- mad at the world, mad at her dad. She's taking it all in. Trust me kids pick up on these things and when mommy is sad... she hurts too. Be open to discussing her feelings. I understand your feelings toward his friends and family but at the end of the day... their loyalty is to him. My sister in law and I are very close but I KNOW-- if there were something going on... her loyalty will always remain to her brother. Sometimes people just don't want to get involved or cause drama. That doesn't make it right, but this is a time for you to purge individuals out of your life and its up to you to pick and choose who you want in your life. I do wish you the very best. I have a feeling this time next year for you will be much different but it is a process and there is light at the end of the tunnel. But it starts with you! Best wishes Lexi!

Dr. Wiljon Beltrè is the go to guy for surgery in Central Florida. He cares about his patients "beyond the knife". His patients have a high success rate and few complications and weight gain, IF, you commit and follow the plan. Sent from my XT1097 using BariatricPal mobile app

Oh and why didn't anyone tell me how bad I look with my hair pulled up? I always do that when I'm being lazy, but looking at our pics, I look horrid with my hair pulled back!! And I keep forgetting to say, I did text you Kat, but so glad you came out with no problems, and I can not wait to see your B&A pics!!!!! The weight gain is probably a lot from swelling & water retention from the surgery.

I have not had VSG yet. I am in the beginning stages. I will be going to my second appointment soon. I have to be on a weight loss program for 6 months. I have been trying to research this surgery. Somewhat obsessively.... From my research, it appears the majority of people gain weight back. I hear alot about 5:2 diets, lots of exercise, lots of Protein and Water. I hear repeatedly that this is just a tool. But what is our stomach before the surgery. I would think it is a tool to begin with. I am not very good with the tool that I currently have. I would think if I would cut out my calories drastically and start exercising, drinking water, stop caffeine and carbonation that I would probably lose a substantial amount of weight, for a while... I'm really confused as to how the sleeve is different. It seems from my research that the sleeve jumpstarts weight loss for about 2 years and after that most people are struggling to keep weight off or trying to lose the many pounds that they have gained. I have been watching videos on you-tube and many people have negative things to say. The last I watched was about how bad the Vitamin deficiencies made her feel. Most people seem very happy for the first two years but after that it seems I'm finding a lot of negativity. I would like to have more input from some people that have had surgery a few years out. I am currently 5'7" and 250 pounds. I told my doctor my concerns. He assured me that I would lose to 150 and as I get older I might put on 10 pounds. He said I would need to exercise, but walking around my neighborhood 3-4 times a week would be sufficient. I'm not sure this is accurate, bariatric surgeons do make their living by performing surgeries so he may tell me this because I will easily qualify and have good insurance. Please give me feedback!!!!

Negative progress (yes, that means another gain!) for the second week in a row. This is the first time this has happened in the 8 months since my surgery. Still, there are 2 things that are keeping me from stressing over this. First, by being a part of this site I've seen it happen to plenty of others so I was expecting it. That's really one of the GREAT things about bariatricpal...I am almost NEVER surprised by what happens in my own case as I'm able to take advantage of the experiences of others. That's just SO cool! But the second reason is that I have some indicators that my shape is changing. My pants have been fitting different in the past 2 weeks and I've gotten compliments from people who see me every day. So I really think this little plateau (including just a bit of weight gain) is not hurting me at all and will be over soon. So...I'm just hanging in there and being patient. I probably won't make my goal this time but I'm still feeling incredibly good. Yup, that's right...it's really no big deal (never thought I'd be able to say that!)

lol.. thanks, but I don't have any. If you click on that photo it will show the un-cropped image which has the granddaughter in question standing with me when she was 6- 7. So I have aged some. The reason I chose that photo is because that is how I saw myself in my head before my weight gain started. I was always the tall skinny girl. I could eat anything and never worried about my weight. Fast forward a few years and my immune system started silently attacking my thyroid and all hell broke loose. I gained 100lbs from the 145-150 I probably weighed in that photo. The metabolic dysfunction that took over ruined my health. So that photo was my inspiration post-op. It was from the last time I remembered feeling truly healthy and great. I should update it.

Oh wow, okkkkkk DEF the late nite hummus and pita! I missed that before! If all you had was that tiny amount of G2. Pfffff. That ain't even enough to deactivate the IF in my HO. I 10000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000% agree about seeing the menu/planning ahead of time. I plan that meal first from the menu and plug it in, so I know what to do with the rest of the day. LOL! What a goober, right? If it's on the fly...then FM!!! It's very very difficult in that case and triple that if it's Asian or Mexican. *sigh* And yes, I completely get and understand the whole ordering off the App menu or the side menu of the add-on menu. It totally torks me! I WANT an entree! But I've really gotten to where I hate leftovers from restaurants and I used to love them. And I feel so guilty ordering a full size entree. To make matters worse, Mr. F. and I have different food preferences especially now. And I get tired of his stuff. Plus he hates to share. He will eat every last morsel on his plate and if I ask to share, he gives me like a bite or two. LOL. And then I get angry. So yeah, I try to find cheap alternatives and usually do just fine. But still...gah! It's just complicated. Right? I don't know what to say about the metabolism. I also share this fear big time! It's hard to think you are taking in very many cals given your quantities. So the 4.5lbs gain is a stumper. Could that be more travel edema and salt/alcohol/flying rather than real weight gain due to diet? I DO think that increasing calories slowly is easier on us rather than doing it all at once...I've done both and felt like the gradual worked better for me without stalls/gains. The other way, I for sure pack on about 5-10lbs then stall for a few weeks. Then I "may" get back to losing, or maybe I won't. What is strange for me this past week with the IF is that normally, if I eat 1000cals or more, I will be guaranteed to wake up with anything from a 2-6lb gain overnight. That didn't happen here, even on the nights I had a glass of wine and the bread. I'd wake up with maybe 1 to 1 1/2lbs overnight? Maybe? Sometimes, the scale just stayed the same. Then when I would do my DD, the next day I'd either be the same or I'd be down a bit. If I do UDs that are fairly low carb/no wine, then I just start racking up the losses without gains on the UDs. That's been my pattern with JUDDD in the past and it's looking like that may be my pattern again?

Hi All! I spent the day yesterday with DH at a medical procedure. Yay! I ate okay, but did not get a work out in yesterday. I was going to get up this morning to work out but just didn't. So I will do something tonight, for sure. We may go to the beach this weekend- it's supposed to rain, but there's a reptile thing at the convention center in Myrtle Beach that dd (7) would love. Not sure if DH will be up to it, so it's up in the air. Sigh. I had a really bad stuck episode at dinner on Monday- really dry fish, I was bad for a good half an hour and pb'ed/slimed like never before. Ick. But then yesterday I ate a grilled chicken sandwich (no bun) and fries, no problem (the hospital cafeteria)- but boy did I take small bites and chewed like crazy. I am up 1 lb, but for the past 2 weeks still down 4.5 lbs, so it's all good. I feel bad for not exercising, but I figure since I'm good MOST of the time I am NOT going to beat myself up for the little bit of time I don't quite make it. Savannah! That is awesome to have lost your vacation weight gain so quickly!! I agree, before LBS I would have kept that on, plus who knows how much! It is nice to be on vay-cay, but good to be back into a routine. And 35 lbs down in 6 months is awesome!!!!! Hi to everyone, I hate to miss a day posting because I get a lot from all of you, so post!! Nicki

((Tracy)) keep us posted!! Hopefully it's just cysts or something! Haydee you looked super cute. I never did find my pirate costume, and about 15 minutes after handing out candy I changed into jeans & pumpkin t-shirt. Just got back from the gyno, took them a while to find the heartbeat, so I was getting nervous.. guess the nurse could tell cause she was going 'it's a little heart, it can be hard to find sometimes, don't worry!'. When she finds it, she always gives me this big sly smile that makes me feel akward--like I'm suppose to cry tears of joy, and my smile isn't adequate enough.. anyway. Normally it's been 150-160 bmp, which according to an old wives tale means it's a girl. Today it was 140 bmp, which according to old wives tale is a boy. My next appt (Dec. 8) they do the anatomy thing, and tell me if it's a boy or girl!! So excited. I told them DH doesn't want to know the sex, but he wants to be there for that ultrasound, so she was saying there's a slight chance he would be able to tell from the picture.. but I've looked up pictures of how they tell and it took me a lot of effort to figure out what I was looking at. Even little girls have 3 ball looking area, so I am fairly confident Russell will have no idea what he is seeing. Regardless, I will just tell the technician when to tell him to look away. Their parking is so bad, it's 2 small parking lots, that always fill up. I drove around 15m with no luck, so I finally illegally parked on a curb. I crossed my fingers I didn't get towed.. luckily I started a trend, a lot of people were parked on the curb when I came out, whew. They also looked at the rash on my back, she didn't want to touch it, she thinks it's ringworm. My GP thought it was ringworm and put me on meds, I did it for 2 weeks with no change so I stopped. She told me to try another cream.. Lotrimin I think. Doesn't both me though! She made a comment about my weight gain that made me want to melt into a puddle and hide. I know I'm gaining too much, I told her how I feel and I'm so hungry all the time. She said it's the progesterone, and asked if I should see a nutritionist.. no not really, it's not like I don't know how to eat.. she asked if the banding folks told me how to eat well-- yes, yes they did. It's not ignorance, it's.. will power. So whatever. Today Russ goes back on Atkins, I'm going to make a point to cut out sugars that aren't naturla (re: fruit). No more candy, cookies.. blah blah. Brought all my leftover halloween candy to work today, they betta eat it! Ok have a good one ya'll!

Thanks for the feedback everyone. I had my bat wings, moobs, and tummy tuck all in one go. I'm now 19 days post-op. I had 6 JP drains. The 2 in my arms and the 2 in my chest came out after a week. The 5th one in my groin got clogged somewhere around 2 weeks, so it was removed. The last one is still draining about 85cc / day of a slightly yellow, mostly clear liquid, so I really doubt it'll come out at today's visit. The day after surgery, they tried to stand me up. I passed out, probably because of low blood volume. Because of that, I spent a total of 3 days in the hospital, but by the end I was doing laps around the nurses' station. I had a button for pain meds & an IV antibiotic while I was in the hospital, plus Norco (hydrocodone + tylenol 5-325). A Norco every 4 hours actually worked better for me than the button, and that's exactly what my doctor prescribed for me to use at home. I also tried 500mg tylenol to see if I could get off the harder stuff sooner, but nope. I went from Norco every 4-6 hours down to just a Norco at night, down to nothing. I've been off all pain meds since day 15. The scale numbers are just plain depressing with all the fluids (and probably weight gain from being out of the gym),. My shirt size is now a men's medium! I was somewhere between a large / XL. I started working from home at day 14. I'll start going back in to the office on a regular basis once this last drain is out. Here's some tips I learned: You need lanyards for the JP drains. The nurses will pin them to your hospital gown, but once you start showering, that does you no good. Amazon sells a box of 25 for under $10. Use Glad Cling-wrap once you've only have a drain or two to keep dry but have otherwise healed up enough to shower. Don't be afraid to cut a hole in the butt of your compression garment for #2. My particular compression garment looks like a men's one-piece swimsuit from the 1920s. It has clasps and a zipper down the front. It also has a hole in the front for #1, but no flap in the back for #2. Especially with drains in your arms, it'll be hard to get in and out of the garment to use the toilet. The compression garment I got tended to roll up my thigh and cut off the flow, so my thighs collected a lot of fluid. A bed wedge or pillow + workout tights under the garment worked wonders for this. I wish I had a tip for getting rid of the glue from all the bandages. Nothing worked. I tried water, soap, ice, oil, and rubbing alcohol. I had to scrape it off with my fingernail.

My husband has been on Omeprazole for a long time . No weight gain to speak of. His surgery was 3 years ago. Mine was Sept 6th. I have lost only 16lbs so far, but I am not worried. It will happen.

My team said medically I can but they strongly advise against it. This is because there is a correlation between soda and weight gain (even diet soda). It hasn’t been explained yet but the correlation still exists and shows up study after study.

OK, Now I remember who you are as you changed your screen name too. You know I worry more about my daughter than myself. I know because I've gained back weight quickly twice that it happens. I know because I've seen all the famous people on TV who have had the RNY done and you see it come back on. My daughter is the only person I know personally who has had this surgery. She is only post-op May 08. I don't want my daughter doing an emotional downhill spiral if that happens to her. I suppose I've been prepared though for it from the beginning on how to help her. She's still in therapy and I think it helps her and am hoping that will help her also if/when that happens. Of course once she had the surgery I joined a forum just when I had questions as she is not a forum girl. I know from Obesityhelp.com's revision section that every surgery has been revised to every surgery. I think I've seen someone have 3 different ones, I don't know what the high number is yet. But I assume they all can fail in one way or another. I never go to the point where I lost the weight but gaining it back is very stressful on the psyche. Having WLS and gaining weight is very damaging to the psyche too. My psyche is a bit fragile so that's why I'm back and forth about what I'm going to do. Either way I'm damned if I do or damned if I don't! My opinion is that the sleeve wouldn't work for me if the lap band didn't work. Maybe I'm wrong but I don't think it's an option anyway. I remember you said you daughter had children too right? Do you think there is a connection between the pregnancy/(s) and the weight gain at all? My daughter has never had dumping syndrome, I guess I expected that to happen too.

Hi CherylCovey - Welcome, Welcome Welcome!!! We are so glad you have joined us!!!!! With the exception of a couple of people, all of us on this thread were banded, lost weight, then lost committment resulting in either stalled weight loss or weight gain. So we can definitely empathize with your situation. I think it is important to feel a sense of sadness and disappointment in oneself. I have been there. However, what you do with that emotion, that feeling is what will make ALL the difference. I am not talking as an expert as I too have struggled, gained,and now relosing, but just from the perspective of a fellow struggler. I'm going to assume that your band is working properly and there are NO band issues, medically par se. if that is the situation, they you may want to try a recommittment to the band. Here are some ideas: a) Step 1 - the 5 day pouch test. Following this religiously could help you seriously get back on track. evaluating why the band is not being successful for you. Being truly honest in this process and acknowledging the role you have played in it. c) setting specific goals to help you get back on track. If you decide to join us long term, we wont judge you. This is a judgement free zone. But you will get tough love and celebration along the way. I know that this has helped me reignite my weight loss after 1.5years of no loss/gain. With that said, what are your goals for the month of January???

I gained all my weight quickly, thanks to a rare and horrible side effect of depo provera, the 3-month-lasting birth control shot. Sure, my lifestyle contributed, but I went from being a totally healthy size 8/10 to being a size 26 in a year and a half. I've struggled to lose that weight ever since, but I just didn't have it in me. I went thru a period of radical acceptance (and embracing) of reality, and myself, and learning to love myself, so the weight hasn't made me feel *bad* about myself for a long time. I figured that if I didn't force it, when I was ready, I'd work up the dedication to do it, but the guilting wasn't going to work. I never did, though, and now it's 11 years after the weight gain. (I was 16; now I just turned 27.) This year has been a big one for accepting my needs & limitations, and one of the big ones has been "I'll never be able to lose 120lbs on my own... and that's okay, because I'm not superwoman." The turning point was when I developed chronic fatigue syndrome/fibromyalgia after I came down with mono in July 2009, and my life has been one hellish rollercoaster ever since. Most days I am too sick or tired to exercise, and if I do, I suffer for DAYS afterwards. Since April, when I discovered that it is CFS/FMS that I have, I've been able to start treatments that really help. But I still am much lower energy than a normal person and my muscles are easily "damaged." I can pinpoint exactly when I decided to have surgery: I have chronic sinusitis, and because of the CFS, my body just won't fight back, so my sinus cavities are almost swollen shut. As you might imagine, that's no way to go thru life! So I saw a great surgeon for it, and he looked at me and said, "I can operate on your sinuses, but unless you lose a lot of weight, you're going to be back here in 2 years." He told me about one of his nurses who had the lapband done -- like me, she had recurring pneumonia and sinus infections and so on, and losing the weight cured her. So i started researching. That led me to the sleeve. That was October of 2010, and as of today I'm 1 week out from having the gastric sleeve done. I hope he was right!

Ruby - LOVE IT !!!! :thumbup: ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT !!! HAND ON HIPS :Dancing_sorry: OK I WILL drink all my water today - I promise :biggrin2::biggrin2::biggrin2::biggrin2: Cuz I have to have my snacks - last night strawberries - and I am going to jinks this cuz I am talking about it - but my little angel has not woken me at all during the middle of the night to go potty for the last 2 nights that means I have slept 2 nights straight thru - you gotta know even without the dogs I rarely sleep all night - usually up once or twice during the night.. Not always to eat but just wake up. Karri - Yep Ruby put me in my place - but even us Food Cops need some policing too :Dancing_angry: Congrats on the Exercise - You are doing so good. I am proud of you... Your bday is the same day as my Mom's :thumbup: I am not worried about you being unfilled at all - I have read the PS thread too and heck those women are as dedicated as you and some of that weight gain is from the surgery - water retention swelling - so you can not get on the scale after the TT for 2 weeks .. I gotta say I might splurge before surgery - not so much junk - cuz that goes down OK now - but I would love to eat a big juice bloody steak (I am a cannibal ladies ) I can eat steak but not a lot... So something like that - not the sweets. well maybe a little:redface: the sweets..:thumbup: -------------------------------------------------------------- Steph That's FANTASTIC !!! That 12 lbs a month - GOOD JOB!!! ------------------------------------------------------------- Peaches You might not really feel the restriction until you get to real food. Hold on - I know it's hard - but we are cheering you on... ----------------------------------------------------------- Jackie - GF what's up ??? ----------------------------------------------------------- I made this great dinner last night - a new one pot wonder ground white turkey meat (about 8 oz) onion - bell pepper- 1/2 c corn - 1/4 c rice - 1 can of tomato bisque soup. it makes enough for 3 or 4 nights - I had one full cup - guesstimate the calories to be about 210 - 250 max - It was really good. -------------------------------------------------------------- Well, I am drinking my water - and will report in when I have this 16.9 ozs done - I have to drink 4 of them for 67.60 oz of water - I think I need it cuz I have been having tmi stopped up issues :thumbup: Ok off to work (well I am at work) but you know what I mean TTYL

Good morning, I wanted to take time to update everyone on my progress thus far and to share a bit of my experience following my surgery. I attempted to post this a few days after my surgery and forgot to save as I went along and lost everything. This time, I've learned. I'll start with the day before surgery. My boyfriend had been off work for the past three weeks and had to return to work on the 3rd, so I knew in advance that he would not be able to take me to the hospital that morning. I thought I had secured a ride to the hospital with one of the members of the support group I'm in but after not hearing from him I had to be pissed and mess up my chi (smile) or make other arrangements. I secured a car service to drive me to the hospital. I woke up on the 3rd in a good place, mentally and spiritually. I was overly concerned with what I was about to do, because for almost a year I had been preparing and prayparing for this time. Upon arrival at the hospital, I went through the admittance procedures. I was informed that they needed a urine sample (code for pregnancy test) and to draw blood (I hate needles). Once I completed those procedures I went to the waiting room. Within 20 minutes I was called to the back. I have to tell you I had the nicest surgical prep nurse ever. Her name is Bella and she took time to explain things to me as she went along which helped calm my nerves. Bella even mentioned the fact that I was a "pleasant patient to work with". At weigh-in I was 232lbs. This showed a 5 pound weight gain since my last pre-op visit with my doctor. I asked Bella if I could remove my shoes and the other extra clothes I had on. She re-weighed me and just by removing those items I weighed 229 1/2. I know weight can fluctuate a few pounds given the time of day etc, so I didn't worry so much about the extra two pounds. Once I got changed into my hospital gown, the doctors and technicians entering my room seemed unending. When Dr. Forrester arrived he asked me, "What are we here for today"? to which I replied, "to change my life". IV intact, I was ready to be wheeled into the operating room. I remember praying for myself and for my surgical team. Once I was inside the operating room, all I remember hearing was "sweetie, take two deep breaths" and that's all she wrote. When I woke up I was in recovery and my boyfriend was standing beside my bed talking with the doctor. I had no concept of time. Later I learned I had been in recovery since approximately 12:15 P.M. because my fluid levels were low and they were trying to get them stabilized. Once this happened I was ready to go to my room, but then I had to wait until they got it together as other bariatric patients were discharged and they had to wait for a room to be cleaned. I finally made it to my room about 9:30 P.M. and I was exhausted. I went to sleep and around 12:30, the nurse came in and told me I needed to walk a bit. I didn't complain and although I would have much rather slept, I got up and walked with her as instructed. At this point, I still have in the catheter and loved it. Not having to get up to go the bathroom was wonderful. I cannot say this is the case the next day when they removed my portable potty. I could not stop going to the bathroom. I knew it was because of the amount of fluids I got in recovery. A few times I almost had an accident, but was able to make it. Just had to time it right. Day one following surgery is when they bought me chicken broth, an 8 oz bottle of water, jello, and crystal light. I managed to take a few sips of the chicken broth, a few bites of jello and maybe one sip of water. I did keep the water on my tray and promised myself I 'd get to it later in the day. Lunch came with the same foods with the exception of beef broth instead of chicken. Didn't even attempt to sip any of that (not a big eater of beef or pork anymore). My visit by the doctor went well. He looked at my incisions ad said things looked good and that I would be discharged on Wednesday. The next day I was excited to get up and go home. When the covering doctor came in to remove my port, he asked why I had so many bottles of water (3 1/2) on my stand. I told him the water hurts to drink. He said if I did not drink the water I might not be able to go home, so start to sip I did. I managed to drink 16 1/2 oz of the 24 I needed to drink. I put the last bottle in my bag and took it home promising myself I would drink it later. That was January 5, 2011. I can say that while setting here typing I just downed my first 16 oz of water this morning and I feel great. In a few days I will graduate to soft foods and will see how that goes. I am so happy with the way things have progressed. For anyone that has not had the surgery, I know you may be second guessing yourself about the decision to take such drastic measures to make a change, but for me, it's worth it. Since my surgery, I have not had any pain medication (thank you) and I learned the more I chew and sip the easier it is to get foods down. If you have not already done so buy some sugar free popsicles. They helped me greatly. As you embark up on this journey know that you are not alone. In loss and love Theresa

Yeah, when you start eating regular stuff again you won't keep on losing because you'll be getting more than minimal calories and you won't be cleaning out your intestines. If you REALLY want to do this kind of insane crap, here's another....though think I'd rather just take some of the stuff they give you before a good old colon exam....or good old enemas..... If all of this nonsense was worthwhile we wouldn't need or want bands, would we. And the WHOLE IDEA IS TO GET AWAY FROM THE DAMN DIET MENTALITY AND LEARN TO EAT LIE NORMAL PEOPLE> This is the "Master Cleanse", and this is from New York Times a couple days ago: WHEN Teron Beal, a songwriter and aspiring actor in Manhattan, was looking to drop weight quickly for a photo shoot, he didn’t double up on gym visits, gulp metabolic boosting pills or limit his diet to leafy greens and lean protein. Instead, he took a more drastic approach: he tried the “master cleanse,” a fast that requires subsisting for 10 or more days solely on an elixir of fresh-squeezed lemon juice, cayenne pepper, maple syrup and Water. “I had only three weeks and I needed the difference to be noticeable,” said Mr. Beal, adding that he lost nearly 10 pounds during his 12-day fast in July. “The first few days were horrible, but by the fifth day I woke up and looked in the mirror and saw two ab muscles that had eluded me for years. I was grumpy no longer.” While popular diets and fasts come and go, master cleanse remains a perennial favorite, a kind of folk regimen that owes its popularity to word of mouth and the Internet. Created in the 1940’s by a nutrition guru, Stanley Burroughs, to treat ulcers and other internal ailments, the fast enjoyed a vogue in the late ’70s after the publication of his book “The Master Cleanser.” Its fans then were health-conscious types, interested in purging their bodies of impurities and toxins like pesticides and food additives. But in recent years master cleanse has enjoyed yet another vogue among people seeking to shed pounds in a short time. Celebrities, of course, are in the vanguard. On Oprah Winfrey’s show, the singer and actress Beyoncé Knowles announced that she had lost 20 pounds on the fast to prepare for her starring role in the new film “Dreamgirls.” Robin Quivers, Howard Stern’s long-suffering sidekick, told People magazine that she did the fast on three separate occasions in 2004 and shrunk to 145 pounds from a peak of 218. (She heard about it from the magician David Blaine, no stranger to challenging his body.) And on a recent episode of “30 Rock,” the NBC comedy, Tina Fey’s character is asked: “What are you doing? South Beach? Master cleanse?” She did look skinnier. The Internet teems with testimonials to the cleanse, also known as the lemonade diet, claiming that it fights disease, clears the mind as well as acne, and increases energy. Bloggers chronicle their daily fasting. Master cleanse video diaries can be found on YouTube, and a cottage industry has developed with various companies peddling cleansing kits including all ingredients for the beverage except lemons. Never mind that most nutrition and diet experts advise against multiday fasting. “I cannot believe how this thing has had a total revival,” said Joy Bauer, a nutritionist and the author of “The 90/10 Weight-Loss Plan.” “People want a quick fix and they want to be thin so badly that they’re vulnerable and open to almost anything.” Ms. Bauer estimated that fasters who drink six glasses of the lemony potion a day — the low end of the recommended amount — are consuming about 650 calories, far less than the 1,600-plus calories the average woman needs to maintain her weight or the roughly 2,400 calories a man requires. “Of course you’re going to lose weight,” she said. “You’re starving yourself.” Seldom do the pounds stay off, she added, and people have a tendency to binge once they begin eating again. Still, many are willing to disregard the word of nutritionists, seduced by the notion that the only things standing between them and a slimmer body are a citrus-flavored drink and several days of discomfort. Last week at Amoy’s Beauty, the hair salon of Amoy Pitters in the East Village, a brunette complained about her holiday weight gain. “Girl,” Ms. Pitters said, “you need to do master cleanse.” Ms. Pitters, who first tried the fast four years ago at the prompting of one of her clients, Kacy Duke, a personal trainer to several celebrities, said she was skeptical at first. But 10 days and dozens of lemons later, she was eight pounds lighter, and elated. “I fit into my ultraskinny jeans and I couldn’t believe it,” Ms. Pitters, a petite clotheshorse, said. “I was so proud of myself for sticking with it, because it wasn’t easy.” Ms. Pitters estimated that 85 percent of her more than 200 clients have tried the cleanse after hearing her rave. She uses it after the holiday season and before trips to bikini-friendly locales. “I know it works,” she said. “And you’d be surprised how many models I know who do it, too.” Kristina Wong, a performance artist in Los Angeles, lasted on the fast for only five days, but she also saw results. “I looked great,” said Ms. Wong, who uploaded a video diary of her fasting experience on YouTube in September. “No more stomach rolls. I was such a skinny mini.” Ms. Duke, who puts herself on the lemonade diet four times a year for a week to 12 days, pointed to other supposed benefits. “My eyes are clearer, my skin has a different glow and some of my best running times have been while I’m on master cleanse,” she said. She introduced it to her client Denzel Washington and “he loved it,” she said. The enduring popularity of the cleanse may have as much to do with its instant results as with the drink’s relatively inoffensive taste (think lemon Gatorade with a spicy kick) and simple recipe: 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 2 tablespoons Grade-B maple syrup, 1/10 teaspoon cayenne pepper and 8 ounces of spring or purified water. According to “The Master Cleanser,” Burroughs’s book, the lemon acts as a purifier and provides potassium, the cayenne pepper adds B and C Vitamins and aids in circulation, and maple syrup, a sugar, provides energy and minerals. Burroughs suggested that fasters drink anywhere from 6 to 12 glasses of the stuff a day as well as a mixture of water and sea salt in the morning and an herbal laxative tea in the evening, to help aid in waste removal. On message boards at Web sites like CureZone.com, writers warn that it’s best to stay close to a restroom. “One day it was just two hours of me running back and forth to the bathroom,” Ms. Wong said. All that time in the loo can adversely affect one’s social life. Many fasters also say so long to the business lunch, the after-work cocktail and dinner at the latest restaurant, for fear of temptation. Samuel Klein, the director of the Center for Human Nutrition at the medical school of Washington University in St. Louis, is leery of master-cleanse-like regimens because there is no data that prove they provide any medical benefit and no evidence that fasting helps rid the body of toxins, which happens naturally, he said. While fasting for a few days is not dangerous, Dr. Klein said, “Fasting for too long can deplete muscle tissue, including your heart muscle, and it can reduce the size and functioning of organs like the kidney and liver.” He is just one of many nutritionists who caution that fasting can be counterproductive. Some say it can even slow down the metabolism, making it even more difficult to lose weight in the future. Try telling that to the converts. Peter Glickman, the author of “Lose Weight, Have More Energy and Be Happier in 10 Days,” is among them. Mr. Glickman, who at 6-2 once weighed more than 230 pounds, had already made over his lifestyle, going on a vegan diet and losing 42 pounds, when he came across the fast three years ago online. He lost 23 pounds in 20 days, he said. He sold his software company and went into the business of promoting the diet. It has proved lucrative. On his Web site, themastercleanse.com, he sells Burroughs’s original book ($8.95), his updated version and an accompanying CD ($31.95), and a master cleanse kit ($49.95; just add lemons). He wouldn’t give specifics, but said his book is in its fourth printing. “I just put in an order for 10,000 more the other day,” he said. Adaora Udoji, an anchor at Court TV, grew up watching her father use the fast. “We all just thought he was a weirdo,” she said. But after quitting smoking last year, she fasted for 14 days, and now she is a believer. “It’s almost like a religious experience,” she said. “The first few days you’re obsessing about food and by the fourth or fifth day, you get this inexplicable burst of energy and you feel like you can run laps around the world.” Ms. Bauer, the nutritionist, is not convinced. “I really think this chanting about people feeling so invigorated by this really comes from the happiness that people feel about losing weight,” she said. Running laps was the furthest thing from Ms. Wong’s mind during her fast. She found herself staring longingly at takeout menus and scouring food blogs. “I drive a car that runs on vegetable oil so it smells kind of like a fast-food restaurant, and there were times when I was so hungry I just wanted to pull over and put my mouth around the exhaust pipe,” she said.

Thanks for the support ! I will take it of again, and I no it ! I had a great surgeon, but that's all he was, Move em in, and move em out.. He even told me I'm a surgeon, that's how I make my money... So for follow up care,,,,,,, he wasn't worth a damn. He overfilled me, and never gave me water to check it. So I found out when I got home. It was a hot day in July, and I wanted a sip, It came right back up, so I tried again, same thing. I called and they said you have to come back! (NO KIDDING) So I went back, and he stuck ethe needle in the port, and the plunger shot clean up to the top.(4cc band) I heard him say WOWWWWW! I asked what's wrong? He said when that happens it usually means the Band is blown. So he emptied me, and wouldn't see me again, The last time his PA threw me out because of weight gain... I was laid off, and that was the last of my Ins. I wanted to get it fixed, and she said "DON'T YOU GET IT,,, HE DOESN'T WANT TO SEE YOU, COME BACK WHEN YOU LOST WEIGHT, AND WE'LL SEE ABOUT A FILL !) I said yeagh ! I get it now, and was escorted out. So I had my paperwork sent to another Dr., and they said we don't no about you, you eat cake, cookies, pies... I said WHAT ! you're talking to a lady that lost over 120lbs., how'd that happen then?. They couldn't figure why he had no notes on my weight loss.................................. So this Thursday will be 3 weeks since my fill, there was nothing wrong with the band ! ! ! I have lost 19lbs., I have very good restriction, and I meet with the surgeon April 13, A surgical PA did a better job then a Bariatric Surgeon.. At a Center of Excellence, and Chief Surgeon. So I have summer cloths that are nice, some still have the tags on them. Maybe not this year, but for sure next year.. I wrote a post titled I WANT THIS PIECE OF JUNK OUT Looking for a Dr. Near Saint Helen, Michigan. Check that out, and read the whole thing if you want. Should be from page 2-10. Somewhere in there. Good Health to you ! Thanks for writing, Shirley.