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I'm at the end of my 6 month supervised weight loss and I was supposed to be at 258 by Thursday! I lost and hovered and gained and lost during this time and I am 1.8 pounds over my target mark. I'm having to do the dieting gymnastics to get there!!! Hopefully, I won't ever have to do that again. Just keep doing what you know to do and you will get there! Good Luck!

Ok so you started at the gym again. Sounds like you can get there better during the day then in the am. Soooo don't beat yourself up. Go during the day. The weight training will do wonderful things for your metabolism. Build muscle - that burns fat even when you're at rest. Win win.

Leslie I find the same since being banded. I used to gain up to 5 pounds of water weight before I was banded, but now I don't do that anymore. I think it's because I drink so much more water now on a regular basis that I don't bloat up like I used to.

Nicely stated. The band is tool... remember that! You will get out of it what you put into it. I have been banded three years and lost 20 net pounds. Meaning, I spent the last year and a half abusing my tool. I didn't have the right restriction and abused slider foods. I thought I was smarter then the band, but turns out I ended almost back to starting weight. Then I keep putting off getting on track. I was ashamed of failing so didn't want too see my surgeon. In July I finally but the bullet and went to see him. I am at great restriction and mentally in the right place. Best of luck. This site is amazing, Yesss it to your advantage.

Thank you both. Yes I really do believe this is the real work. I've lost almost all of my excess weight once before. But the hard part is learning new coping mechanisms. What you just said about finding rejection in everyday interactions -- yes. Wow. It even continued after I got home. Sheesh. I'm living with my mom. Today she greeted me with "do you think you can eat some of that food you keep buying, because it's filling up the fridge and there's no room for my regular food". Oh, you mean my hummus and celery? I perceived it as a rejection of me and my invasion of her home. I'm taking up too much space in her life. Just like I'm taking up too much time in my doctor's office. I got pretty snippy with her but I later apologized because I realized I came home in a pissy mood. So we bonded over reruns of Scandal for a couple of hours. This head stuff is complicated.

Just feeling weirdly out of sorts. Not even sure why. I had a good experience at my rheumatologist today. I went for a cortisone shot in my knee, and I have not been there since April. The last time I was there, I weighed over 50 pounds more than I do today. So it was good to get the positive affirmations from his staff. It's also the first time that I only had a shot in one knee instead of both knees. But I don't know. Something weird happened to me when I got on the scale there. I have been weighing myself only on Sundays. I had a nice weight loss last week. I feel good this week, and I was sure I've lost some more. Sure enough, I'm 1 pound down since Sunday, at least according to the rheumatologist's office scale. Logically, it shouldn't even matter to me. Every scale is different, and hey, it's a loss, right? It's not like I could realistically expect 3 pounds down since Sunday right? So what's going on? After the shot, I was excitedly telling the doctor about my trip to Italy this summer, which he was quite interested in. I told him how easy it was for me to walk all over the hills of Italy. Suddenly, he cut the conversation short, said goodbye, see you next time, and almost ran out of the room. Now, normally I would understand that obviously something outside of my appointment caught his attention and made him quickly move along. After all, he was finished with my procedure. And he is a very nice man. It's not like him to be rude. So why did I feel so unsettled? I returned to my office and finished up my day at work, and came home to a bizarre supper. Celery sticks and hummus. Not too weird, but not exactly a full sit down meal. I just felt like eating a lot of vegetables. A lot. So I sat there and munched and crunched and munched and crunched for about 15 minutes. I never did get the stop signal. I'm pretty sure it's because celery just doesn't do that for me, and hummus is really a slider. So I actually had to tell myself to just stop eating. None of this is very dramatic, and I have only eaten slightly over 1000 calories today, but I just feel so weirdly out of sorts. It just occurred to me why I might have taken that emotional plunge in his office. I can't believe I forgot about this until just now as I type this, but I did tell him that I had a very stressful summer. I mentioned about filing for divorce, and that my arthritis went into a severe flare about a month after I moved out. I told him all of that because I have found that my joints have been reacting badly from time to time over the last couple of months. So seeing this written down in front of me now, I guess it's not a mystery anymore. I spoke of something very emotional during the appointment, moved on to get my knee injection, was happily chatting about Italy, and then was told "see ya" fairly abruptly. What the hell. No wonder I wanted to eat. So there you have it. I'm glad it was only celery and hummus. And still managed to stay under 1100 cal today. And oh yeah, I'm down that pound. Woot woot. I'm glad this board is here. It's a sounding board actually. In case you haven't noticed, I've been working on addressing my emotional eating triggers. You lucky bystanders you.

Hi folks, this exchange has been so helpful, I can't even tell you. The good news is I have most everyone in my life on board; brother, friends, even somewhat holistic minded GP, all except my ex wife/best friend, who thinks it's "too early" - like I should see if the good steps going on in my life now, like solid therapy, walking, better diet, etc will do the trick, but she doesn't realize how many times I've been here before, things going well, losing weight and all, only to have it all come crashing down again. I've lost a good 250 lbs or so in my life, in 50 lbs increments that always have come back. Enough. Plus in truth, even if they weren't all on board, I'd now do it anyway. Yes, I was a bit unnerved reading that 1.5 people in 200 die with this procedure, but not enough to stop me. So I do have a question or two for you good people: I'm a bit concerned with the post-op pain situation, as I'm a fairly long term recovering addict.Will it be possible to grit one's way through it? And when you say years of documented obesity, isn't that easy with my GP's years of taking my weight at office visits that clearly show the story? Anyway, most importantly, I'd love to continue to hear of your progress in these post -op days and months, thanks, Pete

The issue with diet soda seems to be the artificial sweeteners trick your body into thinking you are eating something sweet, but you are not, and this can make you crave something that is sweet. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2892765/ https://www.usnews.com/news/health-care-news/articles/2018-04-23/study-artificial-sweeteners-linked-to-diabetes-obesity The chemicals in soda also leach calcium from your bones which is horrible for women, and especially anyone that has had weight loss surgery. There are a lot of reasons to give up diet soda. I drank Diet Coke for years, over 25! I hope to stay quit of the stuff for good!

Definitely, I guess I'll just have to do better planning...or get dogs...lol! Thanks for the reply! I think I'd much rather lose weight also! LOL! :thumbup:

Nice thread! My husband also has been wonderful every step of the way! I am so thankful for him. Whenever I got pouty, worried, scared, upset, doubtful, etc., with the pre-op diet, the surgery, and post banding living, he's always said something to help put me back on track. He's celebrated with me with every pound lost (but in a good way, not like "it's about time you're losing all that weight"--he was happy I was happy!). The only thing he doesn't like is when I've had to pb in front of him--that grosses him out (heck, it grosses me out too!).

Hello FatPat Only you can decide what you need to do. For myself, I considered it my last option. I had been on the dieting yo-yo for 35 years. I wasn't an obese child. I didn't start gaining weight until I was in my 30's. Then the dieting roller coaster began. My adult daughter said she doesn't remember my ever not being on some diet or other. I am not an emotional eater. I don't binge. But I can't stop eating when I get started. food just tastes so good. My mother died at age 84, and had always been pretty heavy. The last 20 years she suffered a lot of medical conditions that were in one way or another weight related. I started connecting the dots and decided that I really didn't want to follow that path. Yes, I could go on yet another diet, but didn't see that the end result would be any different. The weight would come back ... with friends. Now, today I am 60 years old. My band is new. I am still in the healing phase, but I am losing weight and feeling full. I think the recovery is taking a little longer for me. If I were 30 years younger, I think I would bounce back sooner. But, mostly it just means a little more resting. To me, the band is going to give me happy healthy retirement years, not sitting on the sidelines.

Others may disagree, but the 5 day pouch test is not intended to loose weight...it is intended as "Pouch Maintenence" Read this website: http://5daypouchtest.com/ It is something I do about once per month, but 5 days is more than I need...usually after 2 days I get my restriction back to normal....

Helloah!! I've been looking into Green Tea and its benefits... Obviously, when I read that it has weight loss 'benefits' I became suddenly interested *shock horror* ... yea, I am at that stage where I will do anything to get to goal *sighs*!! Well, I've bought some and I am drinking a cup or two daily ... only been a few days... and I am slowly beginning to enjoy it! So, I was just wondering if anyone has had experience of these 'benefits'... good or bad... and how many cups a day is good??

Mine did. Five years of morbid obesity or 100+ lbs overweight. And in my insurance's case they did not accept any letters from the doc, only copes of office notes, so for five years I had to have my yearly exam note with my weight on it sent in. But often if you could show that five years ago say you were 110lbs overweight and then three years ago you were still 130lbs overweight and now this year you are 105 lbs overweight, that's likely to be good enough.

Have you visited your doctor on a fairly regular basis over the past five years? They usually take your weight at each visit so they would have that in their records.

Absolutely do NOT wait until your consult!!!!!! You can take charge of this yourself, and then you will know fro sure what you need. Grab your insurance card and pick up the phone and call your insurance company yourself. Ask if based on YOUR policy number if you are covered for adjustable gastric banding. Ask what the requirements are and then have a copy of those requirements snail mailed and emailed to you. That way you know what you need to start doing NOW. You also need to ask WHO they will pay for you to go see. Ask for a list. Many insurances will only pay for you to go to a certain group of surgeons and I'd hate for you to find a surgeon's office you like and then find out they are NOT covered by your insurance. Please call today and find out for sure. If you are required to have six months of visits and diet history, then you can start making those appointments now, rather than lose a month or more waiting for your consult. And also ask what kind of documentation will suffice for the diet history, a few insurance companies will take letters from your doc or records from GOING to weight watchers or Jenny Craig, LA Weight loss, etc. But often they require MONTHLY MD visit NOTES discussing your attempts at weight loss and MONTHLY weights. Find out these specifics, too. Trust me, it will serve you well to call your insurance today.

The first 2 pics are from this summer, weight 310 Third pic 246 Sent from my SM-G925R7 using BariatricPal mobile app

Spoke to to my RN Caseworker for the first time today. Gotta go through paperwork to see if my Dr ever said anything about weight loss so I can use it as part of my Dr supervised diet because it doesn't need to be consecutive just in the last year! In the mean time I need to choose a center and Dr. The RN is sending me a list today of which Dr at each center that I can go to but I'm pretty sure I'm going to choose either St Vincents or IU Health North both of which is in Carmel Indiana. So if anyone has had any dealings with either centers and Dr's there I'd like to hear your experiences!

i know exactly how you feel... i have NO restriction at all. Since i didnt have a pre op diet, ive only lost 14lbs, but i fear that i might gain it back now that i'm able to eat ANYTHING... but congrads, you'll be fine! i get my fill 6*25*08:thumbup:

I might not be able to answer all your questions, but I will try. I am only 8 weeks, but I had my sleeve through a facilitator (self-pay) and they give a package of information, plus support group meetings that provide tons of resources. Why do (some Sleeve) people eat so slowly, chew so slow? That was a turn off for the Band, so how is the Sleeve different in that way? I understand that if you eat too fast, just like before you will be overfull and feel sick, but why else, is there something different about the *new & improved stomach* that makes it hard to eat? What would happen if you ate some bites too big/fast (I read about the horrible coconut story)? I guess I don't want to spend so much of my day trying to just get in normal nutrients.Because the tummy is so small, you can get overfull very quickly, which can cause pain or vomiting. If I eat a bite that is too big, it hurts going down, especially if I don't chew enough. It is getting easier as my stomach heals, but I still have to be careful. Sometimes things just taste so good, and I eat too fast, and then feel sick afterward. It is a learning curve and I am slowly figuring it out. Why is it so hard to get in fluids? One person had said they normally drink a Protein shake in the morning and it takes a hour and a half to get it down, and other 30 minutes for a egg. Why so long? Why can't fluids be drank faster or in *normal* quantities? I worry about long-term dehydration, as I tend to not drink much, then drink 2 full glasses of Water at one time to catch up.There is no way you could gulp down 2 glasses of water after the sleeve. At fully healed, your tummy can only hold 4-6oz. In the beginning it is hard because your stomach is swollen and can only hold 2-3 oz at a time. Also, the restriction after surgery is such that you cannot have big swallows as it is very painful. As you heal, it does get better. I can have fairly normal swallows of water now, just not too much at once or I feel sick to my stomach. Protein shakes for me are heavy, so they take me a long time to drink. Too fast, and I feel like throwing up. You have to learn to carry around a sport bottle and sip through out the day. Why should we avoid to eat and drink at the same time. If fluids travel thru so fast, then what is that so? (I understand that soda/beer bubbles tend to inflate.2 reasons. First, especially in the beginning, mixing the 2 can make you vomit. Also, liquids help you digest your food faster. Thus, but not drinking with your meals, it takes longer to digest and you feel full longer. I wonder about the focus on protein. I guess since the stomach is so small that we have to ensure that we get enough protein in first before everything else, but is that at the expense of fruits and veggies? Those are important too. Protein gets lame..Protein is vital for your body to function. It also helps you feel full for longer. I don't think it should be at the expense of everything else, and I try to eat a balance diet with veggies and fruit as well, as I am sure most people try to do. It is just harder in the beginning as your tummy is still healing and you cannot eat a lot. What will happen 10 years down the line. I know the Sleeve as stand alone is only a few years, but will I be a old woman who can't get her Ensure in? LOL actually that might be helpful, since our metabolism slows down as we age, being able to eat less might help!From friends that have had the sleeve for a few years now, you can eat about as much as you do at 6 months out. One friend can eat an egg and a piece of toast for Breakfast. You will never be able to eat like you ate before, but you are not doomed to a life of eating so little that you struggle to get anything in. That is just in the beginning. I have seen a few of you have trouble maintaining weight, as in losing too much. That worries me a bit as I might be trading one problem for another. Those of you who don't have that issue (are above goal, slow losers) are you in that boat from *bad* choices or that you can eat more?Can't answer this one, sorry. Why do many have issues with bread? Smaller stomach, not Band, so how does it get so stuckFor me, really starchy stuff does not sit well. It is heavy and sticky, and just doesn't agree with me. I can't really eat Pasta either. I think everyone is different. Remember, well it is not the band, your tummy is tiny, and it is a long tube, not a round pouch, so there is not a lot of room for things to slide through. Alot of your concerns and what you are reading are especially true in the beginning, not years after surgery. It is a big adjustment, but you relearn everything as you go, what works for you and what doesn't.