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Hi everyone. I started my 2 weeks of pre-op Optifast today. The shakes are okay but the soup is deadly. Had anyone found a way to make the soup tollerable? :help:

Agreed with Megpie. Get OFF the scale. As women, we tend to gain weight at certain times of the month, or after a salty snack. (It's all water retention.) Keep fighting the good fight and give it a few weeks before you step back on the scale. You will be pleasantly surprised!!!!

My surgery was Sept 28th so I'm almost at 2 weeks. My husband is driving me crazy because he thinks I should be healed enough to have sex. My surgeon told me that it's up to me of when I feel comfortable to start having sex again. I still hurt and on top of that I do NOT feel sexual at all. I'm so frustrated feeling like he's rushing things and I can feel how annoyed he's getting. He's starting to take his frustration out on me by stomping around and being a jerk. Why can't he understand that I just physically don't feel up to it?

Congratulations! Its an exciting time. Less than a week for me for surgery.

when I called 2 weeks ago ... got the stomach bug (48hr version) I asked if I should be concerned about my band. since I had only been banded a month. I was told not to worry as long as I was not dehydrating. He told me that if I was not urinating and becoming dehydrated I would have to come into the medical center and be put on an IV. Maybe cuz I didn't have a fill yet? I am not sure I didn't think to ask... I was trying to get off the phone quick enough so he wouldn't hear me barf LOL. Hope this helps you.

1 week today

I'm not a Dr. or a Nut, but I've found that if you log in your stats into myfitnesspal or another weight loss site, that whatever calories they give you in order to lose 2 lbs. a week you should cut in half. According to what I should have and what my Nut told me to eat it's exactly 1/2. Just an idea, but your nut should definitely tell you about how many calories to be getting.

4 weeks out and like you, feel like I can/do eat more than I should. Still on mushies but even when on full liquids I could eat a cup or two of soup at one sitting before feeling satiated. The 2 oz guidance from my nut been a little impractical at least at this stage (i Undertand i will feel more restriction when i get to solid foods). My calories are also tracking higher than the recommended 600-800 calories so I know I need to be more disciplined about it. My weight loss, not surprisingly has been similarly modest but I am ok and get to start running again this week ( I used to run, ever so slowly pre-op) so I am hoping that will help turn up the fat burner. 3 lbs a week is a really great weight loss if you think about it and gives our skin and brains a chance to keep up. So, I just wanted to say thanks for sharing (I have lots of the same questions/concerns) and wanted to send my encouragement to keep up the forward momentum. I know the hare seems pretty envious at times, but like the tortoise--slow, steady and sexy wins the race! :-)

I had asked my surgeon about this when we met last week (I'm pre-op) & he said it all depends on your age, & how long you've been obese. I'm out of luck. I'm 53 & I've been obese for nearly 20 years now. Good luck to you!

C section was worst than the vsg. I found it sore but didn't really need pain meds but to sleep. I couldn't ride my horse until 3 weeks out.

I had this plastic thing with balls in it and I had to breath in and try to move all three balls to the top of the tubes. My doc said it was to help clear the lungs and prevent pneumonia. At first I could only get one ball up, but I kept at it and after about three days I could get them all up easily. I think it really helped to use that.

Hi Dee, My surgery isn't until 5 pm.... I'm almost going out of my mind, I'm not sure how to pass the time. House is clean, I'm packed, pantry us organized with everything I'll need for the first two weeks, clothes are done, dogs are bathed.. Get the picture? There is nothing left to do but wait!!! Lol. Good luck to you and I'll see you on the other side :-)

My surgery was 11/14/13 - 4 weeks ago tomorrow...Here's an update on what's going on with me. The Protein shakes are really getting to me. I’m so sick of them!!!!! I know it’s time to start changing it up – I have to the break the vanilla, strawberry and chocolate barrier. This week I found a sample pack of Health Wise Soups that I forgot I purchased before surgery. Jackpot!!!!! The Cream of chicken was so good – it has a little less protein (15 grams vs. 20 with a shake), but that 5 grams of protein was worth my sanity that night. I have also had the chocolate mixed with warm 1% milk and some sugar-free peppermint syrup. That was a nice treat on a cold, snowy night reading my book. This morning, I mixed a chocolate with a cup of decaf coffee, a splash of 1% milk and some sugar-free salted caramel syrup – Caramel Mocha, anyone? Yum! I also have some products on order – hot chocolate (high protein), oatmeal (high protein/low carb) and some Click decaf coffee. I need to get out of this rut – getting your protein in is so important and it’s difficult to get that last shake in, mainly because I just don’t want it. I haven’t stepped on the scale in a week – tomorrow is weigh in day and I’m a little scared. I feel really good physically – I still get tired easily, but for the most part, I feel good. I’ve been exercising at the gym walking at least 2 miles per day and usually 2.5 miles or more. Yesterday I did a personal best of 60 minutes and 3 miles (thanks to the hubs for saying he had a few more minutes of his workout left, so I ended up going a whole hour!). I’m more worried about the mental aspect of weighing and not getting the result I’m looking for. I feel like I’m getting smaller – I didn’t feel like that late-last week or early-this week, but I do now. I don’t know if that is Water retention or me just being psycho… I am still in the same jeans I wore pre-op, which is a little depressing. I think I was in denial about how tight those jeans really were pre-surgery! Plus they are made out of that stretchy jean-like material, so about 10 minutes after you put them on they will stretch to your bulk – a great characteristic if your fat and lumpy. They certainly aren’t tight now and they are a little loose in the waist. I will probably need to get new ones in a couple of weeks. I can’t wear my 2X Old Navy yoga pants any more – they literally fall off me. I am keeping one pair as a reminder of how big I really got. I should burn the rest of them. Tomorrow I move to a “soft foods” diet. I have been on puree foods the past two weeks, but I’ll be honest, I didn’t puree a lot. I let my chompers do the pureeing for me. My surgeon and my local doctor are polar opposites when it comes to food. My surgeon said, “Introduce foods as soon as you can and no need to puree if you have teeth and saliva.” You could almost hear my local doctor gasp when I told her that – she is much more conservative and I think if she thought she wouldn’t have a mutiny on her hands, she would make patients wait a year before trying Greek yogurt. So, I’ve been doing a hybrid mainly for my sanity. I chew, chew, chew and chew some more. The Eat Slower app is also a helper – it slows you down and helps remind you to chew your food. I purchased the Carb Balance Tortilla shells – the whole-wheat fajita size has 3 net carbs. I have had dreams about those shells! I want a taco (small, baby taco) and a pizza with the shell as the crust. Mmmmm…can’t wait.

Hi all needing some help again. I’ve struggled with vomiting after eating foods since I’ve moved on from the soft food phase, so much so that I’ve gone back to soup being my primary intake as that’s the best chance I’ve got of keeping it down. There are no patterns to the types of food I eat and which can result in vomiting and pain. i went to see my GP and my bloods are showing iron deficiency and further issues with my parathyroid (?) which they are investigating. Just wondering if anyone has any insight or advice? it would be much appreciated - thanks 🙏🏻

Hi everyone! I am 8 weeks post-op (aug 15) and feeling fabulous! My question is can i be OK with not ever having a fill? I have restriction and have never had a fill. I have lost over 25 pounds and my doctor says if i am losing no fill is needed. I have what he called a standard size lap band with no fill. Since the beginning i have felt restriction and some days more than others. I have had 2 stuck episodes which i threw up and felt better but a little sore that day and the next day. Has anyone else never NOT have a fill? I will be OK if i continue down this path (2 lbs a week). I wonder if I am just being extremely optimistic thinking this way. I am also self pay. Thanks for all your good advice~~

No driving for 6 weeks after surgery

I am new to VST. On Wednesday, March 13, 2013, I finished my 6mos monitoring. On Thursday, I got a call saying I was approved for surgery. The nutritionist will not be back til two weeks so my pre op is scheduled for April 4. The nurse said my surgery should be scheduled the end of April. 2 years ago, my hubby got the lap band . He has lost 100 lbs. I am excited, but I am also so nervous. I started at 336 lbs now I'm at 316 lbs. Really excited about my weight loss. Think I am gonna start trying to do 2 days a week liquid diet before my pre op.

Crazy how I was just thinking the same thing as I drank my shake this morning after seeing th scale move another pound. (Yay!) I too have had problems sticking to my diet because of really early stalls but this time, I am almost 4 weeks in and went from 330 lbs. to 307. I keep waiing for another stall but nothing is happening but weight loss. I was gonna do the WW thing but decided with my schedule, I would do shakes and 1 meal on my own for a month. It is working but yes, I do need the tool because at least once a week I will eat more than I should. I also know that any given moment something could happen to take me back to my usual habits and I feel with the sleeve, it will be less possible. But I do not think it is crazy to wonder if you need surgery. I am sure many people have lost so much during pre-op that they cancelled their surgery and even if only a few out of many went on to lose, they did it. So if you think you can, do it. But if you think like many of us that you may fail, stick to your plan of surgery. No need to work as hard as you have and to be so close only to start over later.

It's irritating, isn't it? You'll get a lot of advice. Cut carbs. Increase exercise. Etc. etc. etc. I've tried them all. LOL. Guess what works? Patience and consistency. Just waiting it out. Some people just plateau for a while. I'm sorry you do. It's a pain in the arse. I'll go 3-4 weeks sometimes of losing and regaining the same 2 pounds....then one day...BOOM...I lose 5-7 pounds and I'm on my next plateau for 3 weeks. No damned rhyme or reason to it. Drives me nuts. Crazy stuff I'm trying, currently: Doing burst exercise...getting my heart rate up as high as possible for a few minutes, then doing a more moderate cool down pace...then another burst of maximum exertion...then cool down pace. (over and over for 30 minutes) Supposedly, this increases metabolism for 48 hours. Do I believe it? Not sure, but it's something to try. Green tea is supposed to boost metabolism a bit. Switching up my exercise routine. Your body gets used to the same thing and you won't reach the higher heart rate you need to boost metabolism. I'm swimming more in addition to walking. Fiber. Good for pooping, burns more energy in digestion, is correlated with supporting fat burning healthy gut microbes, and makes ya regular. There are some folks here who have reported constipation so bad they've lost 3 pounds when they finally get the pipes unplugged. Being regular is a good thing. Best wishes, and heart felt empathy.

I run three times a week. OK, it's jogging. OK, it's walking alternating with jogging.

Guys, I need some encouragement here. I had my sleeve done on April 6, and everything went as planned. However, after losing 21 pounds in fourteen days, I have been stalled for a week! I'm seriously crashing here, because it's like all my failures in weight loss are coming back! I am following the dietician's recommendations to the letter, walking 2 miles each day. . .HELP!!!

I think our bodies have "set points" or different weights our body wants to be. I think I had/have five "set points". I stayed on my first one for two weeks, my second set point (stall) lasted a week and I just broke thru and lost 3 pounds in two days. Set points are hard to break thru but with our wls tool, it is much easier than before. Good Luck! https://www.prevention.com/weight-loss/a20455278/how-to-shift-your-set-point-weight/

I had a real hard time with fluids the first week. I found if i chewed on crushed ice it was better and also SF popsicles. I then set a timer and forced myself to drink one ounce of Water every 15 minutes. After two days of this it became easier to get fluids in. I hope you can find what works for you.

That is so great that you have her love and support. I imagine for anyone going at it alone it is tough especially those first weeks of recovery. My husband has been a dream of a supporter. He really helped me along the whole decision process, went to the classes, and in recovery. Then this weekend we got ready for a wedding and his pants are too big because he is of pretty normal stature a little overweight. Now he has really toned up and lost about 15. He said he now realizes we just don't need to consume so much food. We both feel so much better physically.

Fill Centers USA - Weight Loss Surgery - Bariatric Surgery - Gastric Bypass Surgery - Lap Band Surgery Information and Support is their website, but just went and found it not working... did yesterday! oh, well, maybe down for site maintenance. Fill Centers require the provider charge: (going from memory) $299 for the first visit and includes fill $1?? maybe 125 or 150 or 199 - can't remember for all other subsequent visits and includes a fill Fluro costs like $80 extra, no matter if it's first or subsequent visit. Any time you need an 'unfill adjustment' if you notify fillcentersusa w/in a week, or 3 days, it's FREE as long as you go back w/in 3 weeks (or something like that) and if you need just a visit w/o adjustments, it's $75. I will post a thread on how my first visit with them goes. Have your friend call Highland Family Practice and see how much an adjustment is w/ Dr. Muse... maybe a better rate is used if not going thru fillcentersusa. Maybe not! He can always go thru the fillcentersusa if prices are too high. Good luck!