BookWormJoy

HELLO ALL MY AUGUST SLEEVERS!!! How are you guys doing?? I think I have come to a strange realization: My weight loss is a byproduct of my lifestyle change... The surgery is what kick started this process for me.. And I am endlessly glad that I had it... I cannot believe that I have come to LIKE the gym... I hit the gym about 30 to 60 minutes a day...the elliptical burns the most calories, so I am on that thing 90 percent of the time... I am eating between 900 to 1100 calories but with the time in the gym, I take in approx 500 calories a day...After some experimenting, I have discovered that this is what works best for me. I hope you are all well!!! (YAY!!! 40 more pounds to go!!!)

I had surgery August 1st, 2013... I eat about 700 - 1200 calories a day... But I exercise at least 5 days week. Combined with the exercise and calorie counting I net about 500 calories a day. Most of the meals I eat are protein (4 oz) and usually dense protein like chicken or beef because that makes me feel full.

My stall was fun September 26 till around yesterday... And I tried everything to make it go again... Fewer calories, more time at the gym, more protein... Etc... But I think it's just a matter of sticking it through... For me, the key is not getting discouraged... I would see pounds come off like nothing at first and now it's just gonna take longer...

HEY GUYS!!!! The stall is FINALLY OVER after over two weeks!!!! If anyone is interested, FYI mu calorie goal is 900 but I usually eat beween 900-1200 calories..however I do frequent the gym to earn those extra calories... So I net about 500 calories appoximately... If you hit a stall DO NOT BECOME DISCOURAGED... it will pass... And yes I too get bored of Protein powders (NO MORE chocolate powder ew!) But Syntrax makes a bunch of good flavors that are nice to switch up...My fave right now is fuzzy orange and the latte one.... Most of my food is lean meat...It fills me up... and I am not eating simple carbs that I am addicted to...like rice or Pasta... rice is the devil in food disguise as far as it goes for me... I am so glad that stall is over... It sucks knowing weight loss won't be as easy as it was in the beginning, but I won't stop till I lose that 100 lbs! For me that means logging ALL my food, taking all my Vitamins, workout at least 40m minutes of cardio at least 6 times a week and eat protein as my main food source... AND not giving up when I have a bad eating day or haven't seen any losses for awhile... WE CAN DO THIS

Thank you Lady Jay! As of the last two weeks I have hit a MAJOR stall... Kinda freaking out over it... No inches lost... No weight loss... Anyone else if my fellow August sleevers experiencing this?

I'm wondering how accurate the elliptical and treadmill machines are at counting the calories spent while working out when you input your weight. Is there a better way to determine how many calories we burn? How do you calculate how many calories you use during workouts?

I was sleeved on August 1st! Guess what? I can put my own shoes without feeling like I'm dying... No more stress incontinence.... Goodbye Diabetes! Best of all I'm not obsessing on food anymore.... I started at 257....pre op diet got me to 243...this morning I weighed 214.5lbs I'm even starting to see body parts I haven't seen in over a decade... Back pain and foot pain are a thing of the past... Feeling good!

Non scale Victories 1. No longer diabetic 2. No more peeing on myself from stress incontinence. 3. I can put my own shoes on. 4. I can see my hoo-hoo again (use your imagination...I haven't seen that part of me in over 10 years ) 5. ABOVE ALL- The obsession with food seems to be mostly gone... YAY!

Remember that sometimes we may not be losing weight, but inches instead....

So.... I just have to ask...Are you guys doing the 600-800 calories a day recommended by the vets in this forum???

Congratualtions! You are an inspiration to us newbies!

I was sleeved on August 1st at Kaiser West Los Angeles by Doctor Um and the wonderful staff there. I weighed 257 in June when I was in their pre-op program...the day of surgery I weighed 243... and today I weigh 222.5....A loss of about 35 pounds... It took me about 7 days to feel close to normal, but I have to say that those 7 days sucked because I was aclimating to the new stomach and could not drink as fast as I used to. The obsession to constantly eat or constatnly think about what I am going to eat is SOOO much better today than it was those first two weeks... Feel free to add me as a friend if anyone wants to Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Free Calorie Counter

I had reflux and heartburn with my band..and never lost any real weight with it either. I was sleeved August 1 and have not experienced any heartburn or reflux at all. I think that everybody is different though. The way I used to relieve my reflux and heartburn would be to take pills like prilosec and to sleep in an upwards position. Thank God I am done with that!

Don't worry..they were very professional...I would be completely dumbfounded if anything like that happened...so relax and I am sure that they will contact you soon!!!

I had surgery in Aplil 2009..since then I have had two fills...all I can tell is that it is just harder to swallow..I end up regurgitating it when I can tell that it is just sitting there...but I still don't have a satifisfying experience when I eat a meal...so I graze all day which is not helping my weight loss. I am not losing anything anymore. I am afraid that my espophagus will become dilated bcs. food just seems to build up in my throat! I am soo frustrated...What is like to feel satiated when you are at your "sweet spot"? and how much food can you eat when you are there? PLEASE HELP...getting depressed...

This incision just refuses to heal completely. Seven days after surgery, I sprung a leak from my port incision which was due to melted fat and my body making a capsule around the port. I did stop leaking and the area never got infected. Well, it is well over a month now, as I was banded April 16, and now it looks like there is a little hole there!! I keep it clean with diluted hyprogen peroxide and keep it bandaged as I am afraid of infection. To this day it always bubbles. I cannot find any info on this unfortunate circumstance (albeit it minor, I think). IT IS DRIVING ME NUTS!!! I am scheduled for a fill June 4, what if it is not better? Has anyone else experienced this?

I was recently banded. Everything is well with that until I had to say good-bye to my family who was visiting me from another country. I have just come back from the airport and I am devastated. My coping skills used to center from drinking (but I am sober as of 2001), smoking (quite that last summer), and, of course, EATING...I even went to an all-you-can-eat buffet and only ate one plate of food (which by all previous accounts) is UNHEARD of. No longer is it satisfying bcs. I need to chew the shit out of all the food I put in my mouth and eat slowly...not to mention being full isn't a comfortable feeling to me anymore. And I guess that it is kind of good in a way...BUT I FEEL RAW EMOTIONALY...my inner person does not have a way to pacify the pain...so here I am, praying and walking through this crappy situation...trying to remain grateful for what I do have in my life...and it is just so painful...I haven't even had a fill yet! How do you find comfort when you cannot eat but a cup of food?

I was banded on April 16 and my incision port has still not healed!? About a week after my surgery I had some drainage that was clear in color, and what was "melted fat" from my body trying to create a capsule around the port. That stopped about a week ago but the incision is still not healed...there is about less than a cm of the original incision that seems to refuse to heal! It is not infected, but it seems that it just doesn't want to heal completely!! Has this happenned to anyone else? What can be done to faciltate healing?

Hello...I was banded on April 16 with Dr. Pompa of the LIMARP clinic...it was great!! They are wonderful there, and the price was right. Excellent service and facilities!!

slow and steady wins the race!! I am good at beating myself up too...we just need to chill....

The accomodations were great. The room was very clean and comfortable. There was alot of security detail and everyone who was working there had such a pleasant demeanor. The best part is that it was just a short walk from the surgery center. About the pain, well, I am a BIG BABY when it comes to pain, and I had never had surgery before either, so it was hard for me. There was another patient there getting a band, and she was up and around like it was nothing...myself on the other hand, I woke up crying, so they gave me some a shot for the pain. I was in pain for 2 weeks, but to me it was severe for a week. I think it differs as some people have a greater threshold for pain. I am not in pain now (I was banded April16), but my port incision is not 100% healed yet. If you would like to, contact me privately and I will give you my number.

I have lost about 15 pounds so far...for me the hardest part was the pre-op liquid diet and post op diet for the first two weeks. Being hungry causes me to dry heave...I know I am wierd. I haven't had a fill yet so I don't have much restriction than I did before...but if I eat too fast, it let's me know. When I feel the restriction, albeit subtle (since I have had no fill), it reminds me "Hey You, remember that surgery you paid cash for?" and believe me, it gives me much motiviatoin to make healthier food choices and eat less. As for the other sugeons working there, I did see (visualy) Dr. Lopez, but only had interaction with my surgeon, Dr. Pompa. Really, I was sooo impressed. Although I have not lost as much as others their first month, I have already felt benefits from the weight I have lost. Very little stress incontinence, better breathing, and my back does not hurt as much. I hope by next year this time I will have lost 85 more pounds.