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I've been a emotional wreck since surgery and my husband has been my biggest support. I was talking to him today about me not being able to use food as a coping mechanism and not it's all flooding out. He's very understanding and over the past couple of weeks I've learned how to talk about whats upsetting me instead of trying to eat my emotions away. It is getting better everyday but I'm still learning how to cope. I will also admit that I'm scared to be skinny and all the attention it will bring. As much as I hate being fat, I'm scared of the unknown (being skinny). I'm not depressed but I do get anxious about the journey to losing weight. Maybe this is why I failed at weight loss attempts in the past, I was scared of having to face the issues that I have kept buried with food.

My sister-in-law brought me a very small rectangular pillow the day after surgery. I named it Baby Pillow. It and I were best buds for about 4 weeks. Perfect for just a bit of support or to tuck together with a larger pillow. Don't know what I would have done without it.

yeah i understand my soctor didnt want me to get it done i did and i dont regret it my family had douts about it but now im have it done they all say i can do it. So far i loss 38 ibs in three weeks . Now im on soft food. you need support to get threw this .

You are about three weeks out, depending on what your doctor suggests, I was on puree type food then. So, refried beans were a nice go to for me. Cottage cheese has a ton of protein. Or try getting protein power unflavored. It all has somewhat of a flavor, but I put some in everything. Soups, Coffee , Cream of Wheat.

It will get better with time. At this point, just drink as much as possible right now. It will get easier quickly. I think I was up to the required 64oz within three or four days of returning from the hospital.

The surgeon's guidelines will vary between doctors and also in time. I had RNY gastric bypass surgery 4 years ago, and my direction was Full Liquids for first 4 weeks, Pureed Foods the next four weeks and only on week 9 was I permitted Solids. Your stomach needs adequate time to heal. Transitioning to harder foods can be hard. There is no need to rush things. Many individuals experience a strong desire to eat certain foods right after surgery. Someone coined the phrase Head Hunger to describe the condition. Integrated into each individual is a strong desire to chew. It is part of the digestive process. So after surgery when one is on liquids, that need is not being met.

hahaha.... that's funny. for the first 2 weeks after my surgery, i kept having head hunger for fried chicken too. nothing else. JUST fried chicken. it eventually went away and hasn't come back. and you're right about the dark meat. f**k that white meat s**t.

I've had two fills so far the first one was 2 CC and the second was .5cc. I had 3 cc placed in my band during surgery so I have a total of 5.5cc. It seems like it's not that much and I would like to have another .5 cc fill on Monday. The concern is that I get stuck quite often and I have to throw up a few times a week. Not after every meal. I think it's because I eat the wrong foods or I eat too fast and don't chew enough. I don't want to get another fill if I don't need it but I don't really think I have restriction yet? Any advice?

I saw my surgeon this week and he said the minimum amount of water makes the food slip through the band and that's not how the band works! Weight loss= NO WATER 1/2 hr before or 1/2 hour after!

Sleeved on 1/8. Lost 14 pds the first week. and only 3 pds since then... so frustrated! I'm getting all of my water and protein in, keeping calories and carbs low. -- not hard considering the little amount we can consume. Tell me this is happening to others too, and that it will end!

I agree that is will come in time but I'm in the same situation. I run a 5k 3-5 times a week and I have thighs, hips and booty for days. My boobs on the other hand have shrank tremendously!

My surgery was last Friday in Hurst with Dr. Marsden and everything went great except I did get the dreaded shoulder pain. But I am a week out now and my abdomen is feeling much better and my stomach doesnt feel so swollen. I am back to almost normal even my shoulder is just sore not that stabbing pain like a few days ago. I HAVE LOST 13 LBS!!!! Wow, I am so proud!!! But it is so funny how our brains work, this morning when I got up I didnt lose any weight and I was disappointed. Isnt that silly. I have lost 13 lbs in less than a week and I was bummed this morning. I am going to have to change so much about my thinking. Anyway, THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SUPPORT! I have posted some on this board and have always received great feedback but more than that just being able to come here and read and read and read about everyone elses journey has meant the world to me!!! Love, Teresa 295,282,175 Banded 8/11/06 Dr. Marsden

Hello, Tomorrow is my 6th month appointment with my nutritionist for my supervised diet. This is an insurance requirement for my UHC insurance. I have been meeting with my nutritionist once per month since July. My supervised diet consists of no carbs. Each meal should consist of 3 ounces of Protein one cup of fruit and one cup of vegetables. I have been following the diet to the letter and I have not lost during these 6 months. Each month I go in and she tells me something different to do. I thought finally I was down but then nothing changed in my diet/lifestyle and I gained it all back. I'm so frustrated. Obviously diets don't work for me and that's why I am wanting to do the surgery. I'm 5'8 and 317lbs. My highest was 323 and that was 3 months ago. Like I stated my weight has been up and down during these last 6 months and I just don't know what to do. I don't think its an insurance requirement to lose weight during the 6 months, but just to have a supervised diet. My nutritionist told me at my last appointment that she would like to see me down 10-15 pounds during the 6 months. I have a feeling tomorrow she will tell me that she wants to monitor me for one additional month. I don't see what the difference will be. I know your questions will be, well how about excercise. Right now its non exisitent. We are on mandatory overtime at work and I'm putting in over 65 hours a week. I sit all day! I take the stairs and walk as much as I can. I can't help that I don't have time to work out. I'm also a full time student so I have no free time! I have eliminated all caffine per the nutritionist and with all this overtime I am dying! I can't tell you how much I would like a cup of coffee! Have any one you had trouble with the low carb diet? Like I said, I was finally down last week but I think I found the answer to why i gained it back. I lost 7 pounds during the week of my period. I was not taking my birth control pill. As of Sunday when I started taking my pill again, I gained 4 pounds back. ...... And I'm not getting off my birth control.... This supervised diet is also my pre-op diet. My surgeons don't put the patients on a liquid only diet. The low carb diet is to shrink the liver. I can't tell you how small my liver must be right now after doing 6 months of this but it's crazy that I haven't lost any weight! Has anybody else out there had trouble losing on the low carb diet?!?!?!? Will see what my nutritionist says tomorrow. I hope she still sends my info to insurance for approval without making me wait one more month. I'm so worried about other health factors now such as high cholesterol ect. I never used to eat this much meat and fat. ---------Kara

I am so afraid that I am going to stretch out my stomach I do not think I am eating enough. So I am seeking advise on how much at once should I be worried about eating before this would happen. At this point in my journey I just this week advanced to soft foods. Fortunately, my surgery went well and I've not had any complications. Everly thing I've read said 2 to 3 oz at a time so up until today It has been work to just get in 300 calories a day. I am only drinking 1/2 Protein drink like twice a day. Yesterday I ate 1/2 hot dog ( because am so hungry and it made my stomach sing like a canary) I eat 1/2 of a potato as large as kiwi and it takes me about 15 minutes to get it down. Today I ate it a bit to fast. Today I was so hungry I managed to get a 6 oz glass of milk drank in 10 minutes but it did not make me sick, just very full. I do not want to develop a eating disorder, so any advise is greatly appreciated.

I meant to post back in March but been busy with life. I hope all of you are doing well and staying safe. For those who got sick with the virus or lost loved ones, I offer my deepest thoughts and sympathies. I was part of the group who got the by-pass done just before everything went on lockdown last year. It's been quite the journey. I've been fortunate to have been able to work from home all of this time, although I do expect to return to the office sometime later this year. To date, I have lost 92 lbs. since the start of my bariatric journey and 104 lbs. from my highest weight. I had the surgery at 62 years of age and I was pre-diabetic, with high blood pressure and a BMI of over 44 and Stage 2 kidney disease. My highest dress size was 24 and I had severe acid reflux, back, knee and feet problems. At present, I can likely get into a size 18 and my bust size has gone from DDD to DD. I absolutely have no regrets getting the surgery -- it likely saved my life in many ways. Pre surgery I did a lot of reading on here as I wanted to know as much as I could about what to expect and I appreciated those who were 6-12 months out from surgery coming back to talk about their experiences, so I wanted to pay it forward. I will begin by breaking this into 4 sections: How I feel, What I think about myself, What I appreciate about myself now, and My work in progress. How I Feel: Physically I feel great and I consider that a blessing. I still have problems with my feet but that is mainly due my falling arches more than anything (although I did strain my ankle a few weeks ago attempting to do HIIT exercises -- don't ask). I've been most frustrated not being able to go to the gym to workout so my main exercise is walking long distances and doing online sculpturing classes. I do plan to return to the gym soon to step up the weight training. Walking up a flight of stairs without gasping for air is just simply divine! Having blood pressure that avg. 117/75? Lovely! I do still have to sleep somewhat elevated as I do have occasional bouts of reflux but nothing like before the surgery and I can't sleep on my right side for too long. But I can now sleep on my back without having severe back pain (the draw back is that my mouth is always open when I do). My blood work for the most part shows most areas in the normal ranges and my kidneys are functioning well. What I think about myself: When I was still in my 20s, I managed to lose 80 pounds and I gained it all back and then some. What is different about me now vs. then is that I still saw myself as fat, even though at that time, I was 16 pounds away from my goal weight. When I look at the pictures of me then, I couldn't see what I see of myself now. Even if I never lose another pound, I am so very cool with me being at this size right now. We are all different, especially us women, but yet we compare our bodies to an image that is not necessarily natural or realistic for most of us. Now I look in the mirror and I 'see' skinny and that's only because I'm tall and can carry more weight without 'looking' fat. That's also why the bottom line for me will always be the numbers on the scale, the volume of food I eat and the calories I ingest because the numbers don't lie. But poor body imagery can screw your mind up every time. What I appreciate about myself now: I think that it's so important to note the things that most folk who are thinner often take for granted. I try to keep a mental list of the things I can do now vs. before: Crossing my legs! I so love doing this! I can cross my legs without needing to hold my leg in place with my hand. I can keep my legs crossed for long periods of time without leg cramps; I can get a 4.5 mile walk in within 1 hr, 15 min vs. the 1 hr. 45 mins. in the past. I was able to work up to 10 miles in one session last year; Love having a resting heart rate in the 50s-60s; I can actually go to Costcos and buy some clothes! I haven't yet done so, but I will be able to start shopping for clothes in the non plus size section (that will still feel weird though); I like the fact that it can take me 2-3 days to finish a meal that I would normally eat in one meal. Volume control is a major game changer for me. I can't believe that I don't miss ice cream! My Work in Progress: The weight loss is slooooooooooooooooooooow now. I'm so close to that major milestone of onederland that I can taste it! Drinking enough water is still a struggle; Yes, sometimes I do overeat (and yeah, I pay for that!) Some foods that I like I can't really eat that much of anymore. I have to remind myself to make sure I get in enough protein. The protein drinks really helps even now. I still feel somewhat guilty when I have to throw food away because I'm full. I still snack a lot and I will on occasion, have that one sweet item that I want. I don't crave sweets and I'm so very grateful about that. Interesting that I want more savory things now. Being consistent is what I have to constantly work on. So ask me anything and I will check in from time to time to answer your questions. I would love to hear from others who had the surgery just prior to the great shutdown of 2020. Whatever you do, stay true and focus on your journey. It doesn't matter when you get there, only that you do in your time.

I haven't been on a pre-op diet which I think is really weird. The only instructions I've been given is clear liquids the day before surgery and nothing after midnight. My appointment went really well! The bariatric nurse went through everything in detail, she was really funny and reassuring. I definitely agree, it's a whirlwind! How's your liquid diet going? I've never been on one but that'll be my reality next week!

Hi there, I had my surgery on August 31,2012 and I did really good on the pre-op diet and and the post-op diet up until the 4th post-op week when I could eat solid foods. To be real honest I had a free-for-all and ate pretty much anything I wanted and then I would feel miserable because I was so full. I did notice that I got full a little quicker than normal but I still ate a pretty large amount. In my warped mind I thought I would (excuse my graphicness) vomit if I over ate but I never did. Everyone that I knew that had the surgery told me that if I overate my body bascially wouldn't let me, which evidently is not the case for me. I haven't had my first fill-thats not till next week but now I'm hearing that I've basically ruined my lap-band surgery because I stretched out the new stomach? Is this true? Its been a week since I fell off the wagon but I'm devasted....I've now starting weighing my food and eating right but ever since I had the surgery theres never really been a time when I felt full even when I was doing the right things....I'm always thinking of food and my stomach growls, maybe its mental but I'm really struggling here. I just hope I haven't ruined everything because of my week binge.

Ok guys some ideas on the pureed food please!!! Maybe I just chose the worst thing to try for the first attempt at food. Normally I love refried beans!!! This is actually making nauseated I really was looking forward to this! lol

It took me about 3 weeks before I could sleep on my stomach. Even now I mostly sleep on back or side.

I'm 13 weeks post op and I am still struggling with protein and water amounts. I can not find protein supplements that taste good for more than 5 seconds....lol

WOW - i read that and thought you must be going to the same one i am here in MO. I called my insurance at the beginning of last week and they said I was approved and have sent two letters to dr stating that- but girl at the office says they havn't gotten anything and can not schedule my surgery till she gets the papers- OMGoodness! I am going crazy- My insurance says they have sent it twice now- very frustrating to know that the only thing that is keeping you from having surgery is some one who does not know how to do their job- plus- like you the office I go to most ly does lap band- and even tho on everything I wrote I wanted the sleeve done- she turned it in to insurance over a month ago- but come to find out- for the BAND not the sleeve- so she had to resubmit everything the beginning of March and now I am approved but can't get her to schedule the surgery - and to think if she actually knew how to do her job I could have been sleeved over a month ago!! - UGH!!!! I so understand your frustration!

I'm from NJ... I have Aetna and should have a date last week in August or early Sept..good luck to you all

You should never wait for sex!! Lol!! My doc said a couple of weeks and take it easy till your incisions heal... No hanging from the chandelier till after 6 weeks

Do a search for week three stall. Super common and there are scientific reasons for it.

Had my final visit with my surgeon on Tuesday and set surgery date for December 12th. Got a call from the office today that we have received insurance approval.....YAY!! Will be starting my two week pre-op liquid phase right after Thanksgiving, then move to pureed Proteins after surgery. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using the BariatricPal App