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HI my name is Kara I am a 34 yr old mother of 2. I currently weigh 225 lbs and have weighed 175 or better since I was 12 yrs old. I have been trying most of the year to make a healthier change in my life for my kids. I quit smoking in May after 17 yrs and I really want to get this weight off. I am trying to figure out if this is what I want to do. I am a little worried about loosing it too fast and having skin hanging off everywhere. I am afraid I will go through depression boughts like I do about my weight. When I say depression I mean, I don't want anything to do with anyone, I am down on myself, I am unhappy, and quiet and I just want to sit around all day. Luckily I have 2 boys so I can't really just sit around. Well I can some. I guess I am afraid it will get worse or that I will needt to go on medication for it. I don't like pills. Other than that I am not really worried right now. I do need someone to help me with finding the right info and answers. I want to be smart going into the possibility of doing this. I am meeting with my Primary care Physician Fri and will be bringing it up with him then. I don't really know what I need to know at this point, I just know I could use some help. By the way I am in Watkinsville, GA:biggrin:

What James said! I don’t think I’ve dumped ever but I have feel ill due to eating too much and too fast. Before I knew it I ate too much. Or the same feeling when too much sugar in a food. But that’s my own stupidity Mostly you learn your pre- triggers. For me it’s a few hiccups :)

I know this sounds weird but set a timer and take a full minute between bites. My nurse told me this and i thought that was crazy. I was desperate and tried it. You can't believe how fast you normally eat. IT WORKS WONDERS. Sent from my D6708 using the BariatricPal App

Pick your fast food carefully. Some burgers are flame broiled, and those would be less greasy than those fried on a griddle (i.e., Burger King is flame broiled and Mickey D is fried on a griddle). My favorite fast food is Zaxby's My big treat is a Blue Zalad with buffaloed chicken on it. It has some blue cheese crumbles in it. i don't use their full-fat blue cheese dressing but use my own lite blue cheese. I have eaten this about once a month since I got back to "real" food.

I just had a question. Ok, so yesterday was not the first time I've had fast food, but it was the first time I had a hamburger and a few fries. I felt fine (I don't think I have much restriction), but later I had really bad diarrhea (I know, it's too much information, but I need help lol) and my stomach hurt so bad. Was this from the fast food or was it from something else?

Good luck. Everything will go well. Please keep us posted once you can. And please walk as much as you can as soon as they give you the okay to move around. It will help towards a fast recovery. Good luck again and remember walk walk walk.

Wow so glad I found this thread and that others are slow losers as well!!! It gets discouraging when I see all these people losing weight so fast!! I'm 2 1/2 weeks post op and have only lost 8 lbs. and that was all the first week! I am starting to actually get depressed Surgery: May 9, 2013

Hang in there it will shock you how fast it will start dropping! SD: 10/10/12, Converted from Lapband to RNY, HW (before band) 263, HW (RNY) 230, Preop 219, after surgery 223, CURRENT... 199 YIPPEE ONEDERLAND

Be careful!! That will dehydrate u FAST. I had that. First 2 days out of hospital I had diahrrea 10-15 a day for 2 days. I went to hospital and got iv fluids and Felt like new. The diahrrea stopped but obviously I couldn't " push" fluids cause o could only take in so much. I ended io there again for iv fluids. So just watch it. My doc said I had a stomach virus so I had to get over that! Not fair! The nurses said diahrrea was norm cause I was only drinking liquids. Just listen to your body and pay attn to How much u are peeing. Dehydration is what u do not want. Good luck!!!

I'm not sorry I had the sleeve but I wish I were loosing the weight as fast as I was lead to believe I would. My family was also very concerned about me having the surgery but they supported my decision. Best of luck to you

Melissa, Who was your doctor in Kentucky that was not attending to your after care? Who are you going to now? How much weight to you let yourself gain back? I am so glad you have brought yourself back to this point of losing and taking care of yourself again. It is so hard to keep yourself focused in the fast paced day to day events that go on in our lives. Keep posting and let us know how you are doing. Cheryl

OK - I am one of the "only 40 lbs" people - BUT - it is definitly due to the fact that I have not followed the rules, not dieted and not exercised enough during that year. Since I have been "on plan" I have done pretty well. With this surgery, you definitly get out what you put in - or rather, you get off what you Don't put in. If you like sweets - well, that's ok. You will have to exercise some self control - because the surgeon is correct... the Band will not stop or even slow you down from eating sweets or chips or anything else like that. The facts are - the crunchy and sweet are the easiest things to eat... So, the question is this: Will YOU follow the rules more of the time than not? Or will you eat every sweet or salty thing that crosses your path? I am not saying you have to be perfect - because I lost the magic 40 pounds doing about anthing I wanted to do... but can you be good MOST of the time? If you are willing to exercise - and show a little bit of self restraint - you will certainly lose more than I did in the first year. Now, if you expect the band to do it all - then NO, this surgery is not for you. If you go into this knowing that you will still have to watch what you eat and you will still have to exercise... then go for it. Good luck in your deliberations. **Oh - and some other questions to keep in mind. If you DON'T have the surgery, will you have lost even the 40 pounds after a year has passed? Will you keep it off if you do? Will you have to suffer the pangs of hunger to do it? I love my band - because even on days when I decide to FAST (protein shakes only) I don't get that gnawing starvation thing. Restriction is soooooo helpful when trying to reduce the quantity that you eat. Good Luck!

OK calm down...LOL! First of all, immediately after surgery, you'll be sore and more than anything, bloated and with zero appetite. Secondly, once you start eating (Jello and liquids), due to gas, it will be a bit painful when it goes down, so being that you're not hungry and it's painful, you won't think about food, nonetheless feel hungry or have any urge to eat. Once you do start eating food, you get full so fast that you won't want food all the time and with just a little, and hopefully the right healthy foods, you will feel satisfied. Also, once you notice on our clothes and your scale the weight coming off, you will be so thrilled that you will want to continue with this healthy eating and watch more weight come off constantly. Be positive and get ready to feel amazing after a few days and especially after the first 4 weeks when a lot of weight has come off, people are noticing, you feel lighter and healthier! Good Luck!! Don't worry, be happy, go on this journey very positively!

FYI for those of you drinking Slim Fast shakes in USA and Canada. There is a bacteria found in cans of Slim Fast, all varities, prompting a recall. Please check out article on AOL today.

It will fly by so fast too that soon you will be wondering where all the time went....good luck and congratulations on becoming a banded friend...Deanna

Hi, Melinda! Welcome to the losers' bench! I'm just over five months out and life is good! Like you, I had a terrible time with Protein drinks at the beginning. I finally gave up on the powdered shakes altogether and now I drink the Premier Nutrition ready-to-drink chocolate protein shakes. I get them at costco but you can also buy them online here: Premier Nutrition - Diet, organic, and low carb, Protein Bars, protein powders, protein supplements and health supplements and here: [ame=http://www.amazon.com/Premier-Protein-Shakes-18-11oz-shakes/dp/B001O213RM/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1282520693&sr=8-3-fkmr1]Amazon.com: Premier Protein - High Protein Ready To Drink Shakes, 18-11oz shakes: Health &…[/ame]. I have one for Breakfast every morning and at 30 grams of protein in 180 calories, it gives me a good jumpstart on my protein fo the day. I'm a lightweight and I've been a very slow loser, but I'm more than halfway to my goal, and less than 6 pounds from a "normal" BMI, so I'm happy with my progress even though it hasn't been as fast as I'd hoped. I have really challenged myself to NOT make myself miserable every time the scale slows down or stops, and for the most part it's worked out well for me. One thing that has just been wonderful is that almost all of my compulsive eating urges are gone. I still have "head hunger," but the reality is that I just plain cannot eat like I used to, so binging like I used to is out of the question. And I am constantly -- like, every. single. meal. -- amazed at how little I eat and how satisfied I am with that little bit. It feels so good to be a light eater instead of the volume eater I had been all my life! I only started doing much exercise a month or so ago, and I've really been enjoying it. I work with a trainer at the gym twice a week, and take a dance class twice a week, and try to get in a good long walk at least once or twice a week. It feels great to be getting stronger! And the exercise seems to have jump-started my weight loss some, too. Hang in there and know that it will get easier every week from now on!

So I finally scheduled my first fill, one week ago on Wed. I'd gained 5lbs in the past month b/c I truly could eat anything and did. I think I was mourning food - so afraid I'd never be able to enjoy eating again. The fill was very easy, I'm using fill center usa and used the same weight loss doctor that I've been going to for years. She used a needle to numb the area up and after a few misses (you could feel and her slipping off the plastic side of the port a few times) she hit it. I was relieved only b/c I really and truly thought I had flipped my port (see episode of a pop and burning sensation about 6 weeks after surgery that must have turned out to be scar tissure after all!) Anyway, she would put a little liquid in, pull some out. When she put too much in, I could feel my throat closing. It was like that feeling you get when something gets stuck. Its kind of a panic filled feeling b/c when you get something stuck you know the misery that comes next. She would barely pull a tiny bit of fluid out and it would go away. All the while I was drinking a cold, cold bottle of water so I could tell if the water rushed down or not. Well, in the end I ended up with 1.8 cc in my 4cc capacity band. I thought that was a lot! She said everyone is just different and that testing using the water is the best indicator. Great experience at the dr, no problems, etc. Well, I followed instructions, drank protien shakes the first day, mushy food the next. WELL, when I tried to eat solids that's when I got scared. I ate some salsa and one bite of fajita chicken on the 3rd day at lunch and it was horrible. I had to ask the friend who drove me twice to pull over on the way back to the office b/c I was salivating so badly and had to spit. I actually threw up once on the side of the road. I felt like such an idiot - they don't know I had the band and they MUST have thought I had the swine flu! Anyway - I couldn't swallow, foam-like spit came up and it felt like I had to burp but couldn't burp or swallow. And that Pain in my throat -UGH! THAT's precisely when I thought - did I do the right thing? Is this what its going to be like for the rest of my life? Is this what it feels like to be too tight? I was really questioning myself - I WANT to eat, enjoy, savor, cook, experience food - I just want to eat LESS! NOT feel like this!! I thought to myself - I PAID for this myself - what did I DO?? Well, I had to tell myself that I'm learning. I probably ate something too soon, didn't chew enough and I need let my body calm down from the fill - just like I had to allow it to settle in and calm down after the band itself. What I AM learning about this whole process is that I have to be kind to my body - allow it to heal and accept these changes at a slow pace. My job and my personality means I rush, rush, rush! Well, when I rush through eating - eat a large mouthfull and don't concentrate on really chewing the food. I'm going to pay the price. And THAT IS what I paid for. It is at just those times, that I overeat, eat too fast, eat the wrong things. So, I've had a few more similar episodes since - from eating one too many sweedish meatballs at IKEA to going to a mongolian grill with my husband and eating one piece of pinapple and excusing myself to the restroom to spit up foamy spit for 30 mins. I know that's my body trying to get that food un-stuck! I'm learning - I'm learning! And I've lost 3 lbs in the week since the fill! Finally the scale is moving again!

I was banded in 2003. At first I had good success. I had lost 75 lbs. I started to learn how to cheat the band. Then I had a slip. I have been completely unfilled since 2006. I have gained back 45 lbs. I feel horrible about myself latey. I decided to go get another fill, which I will on 4/16. I just do not know what to eat! I truly do not know what to eat as a banded person. I know bread, potatoes, cokes and ice cream are not my friends! It is just me and my daughter in the house and she is leaving for college so I do not really cook and we end up at the fast food places alot. The exercise is not a problem with me. I do a spin class 3x a week, a pilates/yoga 2x a week and a ultimate conditioning class once a week. It's the food that is my problem. I have decided to tell everyone I know that I am getting refilled in hopes they will hold me accountable. I should also mention I cannot eat fish. yuck!! Any thoughts would be appreciated. I do not want to fail again. I do not have insurance so this surgery was an out of pocket expense and they also makes me feel horrible that I have failed the 1st go around. Any menu suggestions?:thumbs_up:

That feeling is referred to here on LBT as the "golfball". I personally call it the 'burning golfball.' It happens, usually, when you've eaten too fast, too much, or didn't chew well enough before swallowing. Some people experience "first bite syndrome" where every time they eat, the first bite or two hurts. Try chewing more, waiting 30 - 60 seconds between bites, and be sure to stop eating before you get FULL. You should eat until you're no longer hungry, which isn't the same thing as eating till you're full. Good luck on your weight loss journey.

Hello Tamara! Usually your doc tells you to go back to shake, purée for a couple of days after a fill . If you are doing that, you may be eating or drinking too fast. Your stoma may be a little irritated after a fill so going slow and easily digested foods should help if it's not too tight. Your doc is the first person to ask. Did he give you a texting phone number?

I got there at 5;58 am, checked in waited about five minutes. Then they took my mom and I back to the prep room. There they had me change in to a gown and socks then. stuck my IV in, they had to poke me almost 6 times before they found a good bleeder. The gave me a shot of blood thinner and antibiotics. They drew some blood. Then everything went really fast, the anesthesiologist came in and asked me to take out my contacts, (after that it was all a blur, literally and figuratively) And they pushed me down to the operating room, had me move over to the table and then they had me breathe in gas as they started prepping me. I remember one of the guys was wearing an avengers themed scrubs. Then just as I was about to comment on them I woke up in recovery.

I have to eat out alot do to my travel schedule and this may sound silly but it works for me, I have a tiny glass bowl that I would put on my food scale and add food and most on the time it was between 3-4 oz so I take the bowl with me everywhere and I just transfer the food from my plate to the bowl and I dont eat anymore than that. As far as the wine goes I say DON'T, not only can the sugar amounts be higher than what you can do but you will get drunk very fast than sober but still feel drunk. I havent had a glass yet as I am only 6 weeks out but 2 of my friends did at 3 months and said it was awful. The last thing you want to do is be sick on Valentines day.

Hi, My name is Mike or Big Mike to most people. I have been getting ready for the lap band procedure for the past six months. My banding date is on Aug. 26th I am very nervous. I have been on a 1200 calorie diet for the past month and I have lost 31 pounds so far I like it, but the thing that keeps popping through my mind is, if I can lose 31 pounds dieting is this the right thing for me? I have struggled with my weight my whole life. I have done all the diets... weight watchers, slim fast counting calories. you name it I've probably done it. I joined this forum to make sure I am doing the right thing, and also to talk to other people in the same situation. So if you have any advice or would like to talk don't hesistate to drop me a line or say hi. More than happy to talk to anybody. Mainly I hope I meet a lot of people that are in the same situation or have already gone through it, to get great advice. looking forward to talking with everybody. Take care. Mike:cool2:

Hey everyone. Signed up about 4 months ago and never pursued it any farther so here goes. Been having some issues lately. I had my surgery in Oct of 08. I started at 326 and to date I have been hovering at 255. I have been stuck here for about 3 months, well since my last fill. I'm at about 6cc's and have the large band. I wont lie been depressed and thats why I think I'm here. Lets just say I have drank my calories more then eating. Mornings cant eat so try to remember my protein shakes. Along with a glass of milk. I'm always out and find myself eating fast food:( So any ideas there would be great. Also quick dinner or lunch ideas would be much appreciated. I am 24 and have struggled my whole life with my weight. Been consistent my whole life but was always on a slow increase then my fiance left about 3 years ago and thats when things got bad so once I confronted those issues I decided to do this. It has been great and I feel great but still have a ways to go. Hard to imagine tho cause I have never seen what I would look like skinny. lol. Well I will leave it at that for now and thank you for reading what I wrote and look forward to hearing from everyone!

:mad2: Hello to all, Hopefully soon I will get the hang of this. My surgery date is Nov 4 and I am so stressed out! Im on a liquid shake diet for 2 weeks and have had nothing but problems. Since the second day, Ive had migranes and cannot hold any of them down. Ive tried slim-fast, Akins and advantage. I'm having bad reactions or maybe allergic to something in these. I cannot figure out. Has anyone out there had problems?? What should I do...Ive worked this hard to get here and now I feel like throwing in the towel!!