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I'm looking for some people who may have the VSG performed on the same as I did and would like to talk about things, share ideas, experiences, plans and ask questions. There are a lot of good forums on here but, most people are several weeks off in there timeframe. I'm pretty sure there are a handfull or so out there that may fit what I'm looking for. Good luck and hope to hear from you soon. RJ

It was at least a week. It felt like they stepped on me to pull my stomach out...lol A heating pad helped me out a lot on a low setting also an ace bandage around tummy for support. Hope you feel better soon!

I was sleeved 12/10 and all I did was burping the first week. I never passed gas until a week or a week in a half postop.

Yes, this. Exactly! Divorce is the word that's been rattling around in my head! I'm so happy that you're doing OK, and excited about what's ahead. You sound like you're in a really similar head-space to where I am, but my surgery is just over a week away. I was talking with a friend the other day...she is one of the few people who know my plans. She thinks my wanting a divorce from food is a bit dysfunctional, and is recommending I get counselling. I think I will do that, but I stand firm in wanting a drastic change in the way I live my life. I'm so tired of everything--from family gatherings, to work functions, religious celebrations, and even my book club for goodness sakes--being about food!

I had my surgery on June 12th and i have to say i feel amazing! I was expecting the typical shoulder pain and bloat that i have experienced with other surgeries that i have had, but i surprisingly didn't have them at all. I left the hospital on day 3 with a drain that had to stay in for a week and i wasn't allowed to leave the hospital until i could get down two 8 oz shakes, which i was able to do by 4:30pm. The next day my husband and i walked through the mall (slowly) and i stayed as active as possible for the entire weekend with a short nap in the middle of the day. By monday i was feeling normal and was virtually pain free. I have only taken the anti inflammatory that i was prescribed once a day since then. Overall i can say i have had an amazing experience and love the fact that I AM NOT HUNGRY. My relationship with food has changed for the better and i am so happy that i will no longer be controlled by piles of unhealthy choices and lack of will-power. I love the unjury shakes and the chicken Soup flavor is nice for something warm and savory. Down 11 lbs since my surgery date and couldn't be happier to see that my efforts are finally showing up on the scale!

A few months back I would have went to the grocery store and had atleast 30% junk. A few months ago I would have went through about 24 sticks of butter cooking and eating with a family of five. I would never look at nutrition facts ever!!! I didn't care what I cooked or how I cooked it. I realized last night when I went grocery shopping that I only bought three things that were snack unhealthy foods and they were for our kids it used to be way more then that and for me as well. Last night it was more shrimp and meats ,turkey bites, tuna ,cauliflower ,broccoli, cucumbers, all healthy foods. And for the first time today I realized I don't even miss the sweets anymore. I made it through the entire holiday season not one cookie or cake or pie and I'm proud bc while everyone else gained the weight through the holidays, I shedded the pounds!!! I went through a couple weeks of regret bc everything would make me so sick when I went to regular foods but I went back to shakes for awhile then tried again and then I was fine. I watched my family eat and it really sucked I'm not going to lie but I also know I did this for a reason and wasn't giving in. It just took me realizing last night how much in just a couple months my life has changed drastically, and the healthier choices I make now and how much I focus on nutrition facts before I purchase anything. Shopping last night opened my eyes to my poor choices in life!! HW 289 CW 230 bypass 11/22/16

Hi all, I've hit 89 pounds but am plateauing pretty bad. It's been 3 weeks and I haven't lost even an ounce. Any suggestions?? Anything I should be doing differently? Thanks!

I had surgery on June 20 and still have that pain when I take a deep breath not as bad as the first week thou! Sent from my iPad using LapBandTalk

I honestly don't know why I left the support of BPal but glad I'm back. I'm thinking that's why I struggled for this whole time. New year new hopes right? I have my band filled to 7cc and I go back to my dr later this month gonna get some added in I know I'm not in my green zone yet. I added a ticker to my post in hopes that will make it a lot more real for me. I plan to weigh myself once a week. I've been on winter vacation for two weeks, go back to work Monday. Looking forward to it being at home messes up my eating properly and my workouts not to mention we just finished two food filled holidays lol! My plan is to workout daily climb mountain twice a week maybe three, treadmill nightly, and cardio in the morning I tell you its hard to get started but once I see even the slightest result I am committed. My plan for eating is to measure, measure, measure!!! My doc told me a long time ago to stop eating after five spoons full and well I didn't take his advice. My outlook is to make my band work for me and get the weight off the way the band was intended to work. Ok, sorry I think I rattled on enough. Enjoy your wknd

@@Julie norton Thanks you so much for responding. This is a little unnerving, feeling hungry so suddenly after such long periods of satiety. Today I've eaten very little and I'm feeling ok - not as ravenous as the past few days. Good to know that you have been at this for years, and experience some weeks where you are hungrier than others. I wonder why that is?? My cycle just ended, so I'm left wondering if perhaps it might be something hormonal. AS for eating more Protein at lunch, I've been eating SO much protein - like almost nothing but! Smoked mussels, chicken salad, mixed greens, a tiny amount of dressing, no carbs, no sugars. Thanks for checking in with me and offering our thoughts. Very helpful indeed!

Well, I'm many years out and my take is some weeks I'm way more hungry than others. Conversely sometimes I'm not hungry at all. Water can be helpful... Hot tea... Exercise... Maybe a bit more protein at mealtime. Sometimes I just have to have hours of being hungry and being ok with it. For me, it does change.... I just don't know when. Let us know how you are coping[emoji93]

Well, I've made it to one month and I'm 30 pounds down! woohoo! I've had one fill already, which was 2 days ago..I've noticed some restriction, I've had a few encounters where I felt like I was going to vomit, I think only cause I was rushing myself and didn't chew carefully. But I'm so excited to lose some more weight..I have a lot more to go, but at least I have a great start. The first two weeks of liquids was really hard, and I ended up losing 25 pounds in those 2 weeks! These following 2 weeks have slowed down big time! 5 pounds in 2 weeks? Just doesn't seem like much, but I have to keep telling myself that I lost 30 pounds in 1 month..that's pretty freakin good! Talk soon with more updates!

As a healthcare provider in rural Alaska, I want to be a good role model of health to all of my patients. After five years of diet failures to the point of self induced kidney stones, I finally decided it was time to have lap band surgery. I researched for several months, and decided to go with Dr. Trace Curry and Journey Lite. I am extremely pleased with Dr. Curry and the Journey Lite Staff in Ohio. They are so worth a 13 hour flight! Dr Curry and many of his staff members are banded, which to me is awesome because they were able to describe how I might feel after surgery as well as in the weeks post op. I have to admit, I am a nervous patient! A little medical knowledge is just enough to freak me out! Nurse Kathy had just been banded a week before me, and I think it was awesome of her to tell me not to think I am having a heart attack if I wake up with left chest and shoulder pain. I was a fast track patient coming from Alaska, so I had my psyche eval, nutrutuion class and meeting with Dr. Curry the day before my surgery. I have to say it was absolutely awesome. It went very smooth. Everyone was very nice, kind and efficient. After my nutrition class I felt very prepared for the post op experience. I never heard the term PB'in before, and I promise I will try to avoid that at all costs! The next morning my husband brought me in to JourneyLite. I absolutely loved all the nurses, and the nurse anesthetist Mikey. Mikey made sure my IV was good, I am a hard stick, and he assured me I would not wake up in the middle of the procedure. I was nervous and he gave me a shot of versed. All I remember after that was talking to them about working in a rural clininc in Alaska. The last thing Mikey said to me was good night Kristen.. see you in recovery! It felt like I was asleep for like five minutes. This is how awesome Dr. Curry is.. I had an ugly hole next to my belly button, from a belly ring I had in my youth pre fat days, and he closed it up for me!! I am so happy about that! When I woke up in recovery I had no abdominal pain. All my discomfort was in my left shoulder and chest. I am so glad Kathy warned me about that, because I would have been worried about it I had not known that ahead of time. I only remember bits and pieces of the recovery room. I remember my hubby helping me get dressed. I don't remember going to the car!! Gotta love anesthesia! I did really good drinking my fluids that day, and getting up every two hours. As an incentive to get me out of the hotel and walking, my hubby told me he found a Vera Bradley store. He knows how much I love Vera Bradley bags, and we have no stores in the Alaskan bush where we live! So there we are five hours after surgery picking out habdbags. I have to say that walking really does help with the left shoulder pain!! Well that's my lap band story!! If you are considering it.. do it!! It's not scary at all!

Hi, I drink a shake in the morning some fruit or cottage cheese or greek yogurt as a snack , grilled chicken some cheese or soup in the evening and a glass of milk before bed. Exercise I walk it is the same exercise I was doing pre-op I walk 5 miles a day 5 days a week with hills.

I am two weeks out and of course, nothing yet, but fingers crossed. I'm taking hair skin and nail vitamins (biotin) every day plus getting 65 g of protein each day and I'm also using biotin and collagen enhanced shampoo and conditioner. Here's hoping!!! My hair is pretty thick and curly so I am prayerful that even if I lose a little bit, it won't be terribly noticeable! Good luck ladies!

I am almost two weeks post-op and today the mental hunger has really gotten to me. I started a pre-op liquid diet for two weeks and am on a liquid diet for six weeks after surgery. While I know that I can not physically tolerate any type of food, it doesn’t stop me from remembering the taste or wanting a bite. I have four kids (15 to 7) and a husband that I have to cook for. I will say my husband has stepped up to cooking and been very understanding, but I still help out. I am proud to say I haven’t cheated pre- or post-op and usually leave while they eat dinner. Does it get any better? What are some things that you do to overcome mental hunger?

Endoscopy is done! It went really well aside from finding out I have GERD and I had no clue. Apparently I have a small ulcer that’s causing some reflux that I seem to never feel so he prescribed me Omeprozol to take every morning and said he took a biopsy of some bacteria. He said I can still have the surgery though and to just follow up with him in 2 weeks. 😄

I ate 5 grapes for a snack 5 weeks out...Ate them so often that now..I don't have a grape in the house.....Chew well okay......And bite them into sections..don't just pop one in your mouth..They are juicy..And I had a fear that I would choke or something...All the best!!!!!!!!!

Almost 6 weeks can I have grapes?

Okay so I am usually very upbeat. But today I am feeling blue. It's pouring rain here, there hasn't been any sunshine for days, I haven't walked this whole week, outside of going to my classes. I want to be in a size 14 sooo bad!! I can get them on up over my butt and but there is like two inches between the button and the hole. I keep having to put it in perspective, it has only been 8 weeks. I mean really! My double chin won't go away, and it is all that I see when I look in the mirror. My stomach fat is starting to really hang now, and my inner thighs, and instead of feeling prettier, I am feeling uglier. Everything looks bad in the mirror right now. People have said that the double chin won't go away, that the skin will just hang there. I am 40 and realize that my skin has lost is elasticity but I was really, really hoping that the double chin would disappear. AND I HATE TO EXERCISE. I am walking, weather permitting, and doing crunches a couple times a week, but I know I need to be hard at it EVERY day. So the bad habits are still there, although I haven't blown it with food. That has been the one constant for me, thank god. I am losing, no stall, I have been down 1.5 - 2 lbs every week and that is all i ever wanted was to have consistent weight loss. Today I weighed in at 236, that is down from 272, that is 36 lbs in 8 weeks, I should be so amazed by that. But today, I am not. I am feeling like a big fat cow, still. The voice in my head that tells me I am fat and ugly and not worth a shit, it is back and I am sad. I have the tools, I know what to do. I just feel frozen in this muck right now. Anyhow, I am so glad I have a place to ramble. Maybe someone has made it all the way through my pity party here, or maybe not. Thank you who ever you are for taking the time to read my feelings. Somethings I can say here that I can't say out loud to anyone else. My husband get's so nervous if I even hint that I am not GREAT all the time, he remembers all the depression and how bad it had a hold of me. So I don't want to burden him with these feelings. It is the middle of the semester as well, and it is the end of my junior year in college, I am tired on so many levels. I quit smoking when I had the surgery and I have not started since and right now I would really like some chocolate and a cigarette. Haha, well enough for now. Bye.

Hi everyone, I am having a lot of anxiety regarding my decision to do this surgery. I had my surgery set in July and I chickened out, then September, now finally in October. Here is the thing, I am in my final year of my PhD studies and it is very stressful. I am not eating healthy and just the thought of all the work needed to do this surgery is stressing me out. I had a spinal fusion surgery in February and I have been dealing with chronic back pain. I suffer from depression because of it. I feel like doing the surgery now is too overwhelming. But I feel a lot guilt for not prioritizing my health. What if I put of the VSG surgery and my back gets worse in a years time? My worse fear is that if I get the surgery, I will blow this opportunity because of bad timing. Should I wait until my studies is over in a few weeks? Or should I just do the surgery? Ideally I want to finish my studies and then get the surgery when I can commit to a healthy lifestyle, right now I can barely get out of bed in the morning. This has been going on for a year. I would really appreciate any advice or people with similar situations. Please let me know what you think.

Yes I couldn't agree more, and if you focus and get it done now, it will be out of your way. You will be on track to a new you. My surgery is booked Oct. 26 and I start my pre-op in a week. Also good news is I successfully defended my PhD and it is out of the way for now (revisions I will do after). I feel its time. You will get through this. Do you have a date set?

I don’t know how to answer only because I’m at my third week too but I haven’t tried as much food variety. Besides the fact that I had a rash ( I’m allergic to something just don’t know what yet could be glue/ soap/ vitamins etc) I am also feeling well. I had one good I tried didn’t sit well with me but other than that I tolerate beans, fish and I do chug water too I tried the sips couldn’t do it. Also I lost 20 pounds since preop so in three and a half weeks and my doctor was exited but then I measured last week and only 2 pounds, compared to 11 I lost the first week. I think it’s all just a work in progress. I’m afraid now that I’m in phase 3 I won’t loose as much either because I’m I taking real food but it’s a marathon not a race so if I were you don’t compare yourself because I did that before and i know how you can feel like a failure if you don’t loose as much as the next person. Take it day by day and I too only consume 300-500 calories in this stage. I’m optimistic it’s because we are new at this. You can go back to two shakes and one supper with just puréed food but that’s up to you. Don’t give up

I had surgery Jan 20th ... have been consistently losing a pound every 1-2 days. Started at 280 at the two week pre-op (Jan 6th) and am now at 237 ... My calorie intake has crept up (500-600 up to ~1000 now) as we experiment with eating out a bit. We love Mexican food ... I order refried beans and sometimes a tamale but only eat about 1/3-1/2 of it. I think portion size is the key and I love that my new stomach very much vehemently tells me when I'm full! Hang in there. Slow and steady wins the race after all. If you maintain at less than 1000 calories/day you WILL continue to drop pounds.

I had a super easy recovery, and I was concerned because I never had restriction with liquids after like week 2. Solids proved that the restriction was there! One of my coworkers had this surgery 8 years ago and she told me that it was simply the easiest thing ever for her, the surgery, losing weight, and maintaining the weight loss. I’m hoping that it goes that way for me too, and here’s hoping it for you as well.