sushi5912

I had bad reflux after having the band for several years. I had the sleeve done 10 weeks ago and haven't had reflux since! But they also repaired the hiatal hernia when they did the sleeve.

I think about this a lot and you may be right about the carbs. I have enjoyed the amazing summer fruits like peaches and lots of berries and watermelon. And they’re so full of Vitamins and nutrients that they’re easily justifiable but I know sweet fruits are carbs. Ugh!!! My boys are teenagers and i keep only the bare minimum of fillers they need because I can’t afford for them to eat a whole chicken each every day haha! They get hostile/ hangry when we don’t have those Snacks. It’s up to me to make better choices. Thank you for this thoughtful reply!

This is painful to admit. My worst fear has come true that I would blow this. I have lost 30 lbs since my surgery in June but have only lost 3 lbs in the past 2 months. I was doing well but the last stall messed with my head and I’ve gone back to old habits of snacking, grazing and mentally obsessing about what to eat. I eat very highly nutritious clean foods (I’m an aspiring gourmet cook) and occasionally grab 5 pringles or a spoon of ice cream when my kids have It out which feels like a compulsion I can’t control. For one solid month I was staying under 1200 calories, 75 grams protein/day and no loss and yes that includes every gram I put in my mouth. And it was taking every bit of my will to stick to that. I’m grateful my recovery was a breeze, no problems drinking Water and getting my Protein in. But I feel the same as I always have. My cravings are not changed. My appetite is the same and I can eat anything. Of course now I can only eat about 6 ounces at a time. I wait to drink water as long as possible because it does wash the food out of my stomach and I am hungry about every 2 hours. And I read what you all say. The scolders who say why do you eat foods you aren’t supposed to? And I wonder why you all who are able to stick to your food rules need this surgery? I wish I knew what makes me different. I am seeking a therapist to discuss this because I can’t stick to food rules after seeing no results after more than a month of white knuckling it and nothing happened. And my message is it’s true this is no magic tool because I feel the same as I always have. I have quit gaining which is good but I still have at least 70 lbs to lose. I’m 40, feel super healthy, always have lots of energy, I am passionate about many things in my life, I sleep great, love my job and personal life balance and I’m grateful for my health. I’ve been walking since surgery in fact the nurse who tried to wheel me out of the hospital said I was the first bariatric patient that ever asked to walk out at discharge. I have felt normal since day one!
I am scheduled for metabolic testing and I’m curious to see what I’m burning daily and hoping I can get motivated again. I’m so down about this and back to feeling powerless like I did before surgery.

This YouTube video explains why we're stalling and why we shouldn't be working out as much as we are. I have been killing myself in the gym with no success and this video really helped me cope with my stall and realize what I have to do to break it. I wanted to share it because I think it will be really helpful for some other people too!

I had bad reflux after having the band for several years. I had the sleeve done 10 weeks ago and haven't had reflux since! But they also repaired the hiatal hernia when they did the sleeve.

For obvious reasons - this is my favorite answer. I am struggling with water, but not because of pain or discomfort - just not used to drinking this much of it.

I never gave up my coffee. I started back on it a few days post op. But I wouldn't have done that if I hadn't been able to easily get my Water in. Caffeine is a diuretic and you must drink extra water to balance it out.

Not much has been done other than IV fluids with Vitamins. Protonix and Pepcid seem to be all she receives. She has had endoscopes and CT scans. All we are told is normal. No apparent strictures. Could it be GERD or horrible reflux??? As for food she was taking in broth but hasn't been tolerating that well. She is keeping down some Water and coconut water. We were at the ER again last night. Blood work was normal. How can this be??? Imaging show nothing wrong. Labs show not much but lower than normal levels. That is treated with basic IV fluids. All I can say is she is describing pain that sounds excruciating. She is vomiting all the time. Every follow up appointment she was in the hospital. The surgeon did see her.

Thank you so very much. Bless you

It may not be by much, but I finally did it! Gosh, it's good to see a 1 at the beginning of my weight for the first time in so long...I'm too excited!!
EDIT: In other news, since I kicked my butt into high gear as soon as I hit 300, this marks a 100 pound weight loss too!

Banded Oct 2007, like you, struggled with vomiting, etc. to where I was having to eat around the band. Lost about 40lbs total... Moved to another state in 2010, but the doctor that did my band moved before that, so no follow up, etc.
Jan 2012 had to have emergently unfilled in the ER due to having a stomach bug to where my stomach swelled up around the band and I couldn't even swallow my own saliva. Left it unfilled for 4 years... Gained weight of course.
May 2016 I finally had enough of my co morbidities, so I sought out the help of my local bariatric specialists.. I had my band taken out July 2016. I should mention I had Left shoulder pain for 9 years! Every doctor said it was from an injury (I had separated that shoulder in 1993), even though I tried to tell them I had only had it since I had the band was placed, literally that day. I brought them research articles showing that it could be referred pain from my band riding up under the nerve. Miracle of miracles... the day I had my band out I have had NO shoulder pain ever since that day!! Bonus, 1 month post op, I had lost 7 lbs !
I am now scheduled to have a RNY on August 1 after a year of jumping through hoops for insurance. I also was not recommended to have the sleeve due to scar tissue and previous GERD. Will let you know how it goes!

Hi I'm new to the site and new to VSG. I am 55 mom of 4 kids 13-20. I started my wls experience 11 years ago when my husband had RNY. His experience was horrific. They cut the main artery to his stomach and then sent him home still bleeding internally to return a week later. They dehydrated him because they forgot to give him an in and wouldn't let him have anything to eat or drink. This nearly killed him but also caused chronic kidney stones to form which he still gets to this day. The good news is that he has maintained a 100 pound weight loss for 11 years. So, when I found myself at 223 pounds and looked at myself in family photos I decided to look into what was happening in the field today. I started looking at the end of February 2017. I had my first doctor appointment march 6 and by the end of May had surgery scheduled for June 22. My insurance company approved the same day the doctor sent in the forms! On top of that I had no copay. So here I am.
I had surgery on June 22. I have had a great recovery process so far. I'm excited to see where this journey takes me.
Hw 223, SW 217 CW 200 GW 135

Great idea and sounds good! My hospital has one meeting a month I can go to but it's not for a few weeks. I will plan to go. Hopefully by then something will happen! Ha

I totally understand. I'm the same with my bmi- I was 40 when I started. Is there a local support group you can attend? My hospital has one that I'm going to try next week. I think some face to face support helps.
Let's keep in touch and support each other!


Mich W
Hw 223, SW 217 CW 200 GW 135

I hope so. I'm still stalled. I've only lost 2 lbs in the past 2 weeks and I'm not even 4 weeks out. I feel great fortunately. Lots of energy. I just can't believe I stalled 1.5 weeks after surgery. Down 17 in all including pre op one week diet. It just messes with my mind because I'm eating carefully and less than 4 ounce meals and nothing is happening it seems! I'm just going to keep doing the right thing and hope something good is going on with this craziness. My starting BMI was 41 I think so it's not like I'm a "low BMIer" I'm trying to focus on my gratitude to keep from being depressed. So grateful I've had a breeze of a recovery.

In at week 4 tomorrow. I've lost 23 lbs since the pre op diet but nothing in the past week. It will start up again. I think it's just our bodies getting used to everything and healing. Someone said to me- you've lost an average of 7 lbs a week those first 3 weeks that's awesome- this is a journey for the long haul. I'll bet in another month you will have lost another 15 lbs!


Mich W
Hw 223, SW 217 CW 200 GW 135

So im 7 months out, and I reached the 100lb milestone today! Went from a size 20 to an 8! Most importantly, I've never felt better.

Sent from my SM-G930V using BariatricPal mobile app

Same Same Same! Sleeved on June 28. I actually had my band removed in February, but the band had slipped and caused some damage to my stomach that needed to be repaired before the sleeve could be done. I'm so tired and so nauseous. My muscles hurt and my biggest incision still hurts. I have those mini freak outs all the time. I groan rolling over in bed and think "What have I done?!". Part of the appeal of the sleeve for me was the permanence of it...but it is definitely scare when I feel this crappy all the time!

I am at week three today. My first week I lost 12 and the last two total of only 8. I read about the stall and hoping that's it. I thought it would be way more by now. I am only getting 500 calories each day. Having trouble with Protein but getting Water intake. Best of luck.

It just depends on how well you can drink after surgery. I went back to work 6 days post op and could have gone sooner. I was so glad to fix my mind on something other than not eating! But I didn't have any problems getting in Water and Protein so I did not have low energy. I'm 3 weeks post op now.

It just depends on how well you can drink after surgery. I went back to work 6 days post op and could have gone sooner. I was so glad to fix my mind on something other than not eating! But I didn't have any problems getting in Water and Protein so I did not have low energy. I'm 3 weeks post op now.

I'm 3.5 months out, too!
There's a restaurant/bakery in my town called 7 Bites. It got its name because the owner had VSG surgery and afterwards could only eat about seven bites of food in one sitting. She decided, since her food intake was limited, that those seven bites should be the best food imaginable, so that's what she serves.
ANYWAY I'm telling you this because I've adopted this as a strategy and it works! I have seven bites per meal. I've mastered the art of spacing out my bites so that I finish with everyone else.
I don't get that sickly full feeling anymore. Sometimes after my seven bites I still feel hungry, but if I wait 10 minutes I realize I'm actually full.

I got the band in 2003 and didn't tell anyone except family and some close friends. Well, some of the close friends who "wouldn't tell anyone" wound up telling their husbands, who you know can't keep secrets (sorry, guys!), and would say something in front of others. There are still some of my friends who don't know. I wish I would have been open about it - how do you "confess" to someone 3,4,5,6, etc years later?
I am getting a revision to the sleeve on August 5, and this time I have decided to be open about it. I know I don't owe it to tell anyone, but I think the more we try to keep WLS a secret, the more we reinforce the shame of it.
Also, if you are basically lying to people in the gym and who struggle with weight loss as well, aren't you in a way making them feel worse about themselves? How many times have we said to ourselves, I will just eat Protein, I will just follow the diet without the surgery..... I know we are not responsible for the way anyone else feels, but I'm deciding this time to try to motivate people and not be ashamed about my life decisions.
With that being said, I am still not telling people about my "little band secret." I feel guilty now about saying I had it 11 years ago - also I don't want people to say, you had WLS and you still need another one? :/
I KNOW I totally just contradicted myself - what can I say? lol I've just done it "both ways" now and I am finding for me, the open way makes me feel better. I am also surprised at HOW MANY people tell me they have been looking into WLS as well - most people know all about the different WLS, so I know they have been researching.
The bottom line is to do what feels the best for you. I am NOT an open person, but I already feel less guilt this time about just telling people the truth and not being ashamed of it! Good luck in whatever you decide!

Almost everyone gets what is called the three week stall sometime during the first month or so. It is completely normal. I am very surprised at how many calories you are able to consume in a day. At two weeks I was right around 400, at4 weeks 600, and now at almost 8 weeks 875-900.
You sound like me in that you have had an easy recovery. My stomach healed quickly and I think I. Could easily squeeze in more calories if I tried. I am working towards a gradual increase to 1000 at 3 moths and 1200 at 6 months.

Before you worry about the sleeve size, wait until you start eating regular food. Yesterday was the first day I could eat like ground beef or turkey. Had a kids mini slider at Chilis with no bread. Couldn't eat it all and was full for many hours.

That's great you're sticking to a routine. I've been experiencing physical hunger and growling stomach which is satisfied by a protein shake or pudding up or blended up soup. I was told most people don't have hunger so this has been surprising to me. Also drinking is so easy and i go slow by taking 20 minutes to drink 11 oz protein shake but this is fast compared to most. I hope the surgeon didn't make my sleeve too big.