Becca

Yay!!!! I stalled at 200 too. Congrats. I am so happy for you!!!! I love your story. It makes Onderland very memorable.

It will get better once you can eat real food again. Hang in there! I know it is hard to change your life. It is so worth it though. You will see!

Good luck! I was an emotional mess on the liquid diet and I only had to do it for two days. I totally understand. It's 110% worth it though for the sleeve. I am so thankful to have that band and the pain it caused me gone. I will be sending positive thoughts your way!

Sorry your revision was rough. The theory that the lapband is reversible is a joke. They have to remove all kinds of scar tissue and it is painful. Keep up with your pain meds the first three weeks. I promise it gets better each and every day. I would try Milk of Magnesia and see if that helps with the tummy problems. The first few weeks are a challenge, but I promise it will all be worth it! The sleeve works!

I had horrible complications with my band. The tubing had broken apart and the band had started to erode. I could barely swallow right before my surgery. I also had a hernia. I had the band taken out, hernia repaired, and my VSG all at once. You just have to find a revision specialist that is skilled enough to do it. I really do think you should seek the doctor that can do it all at once so that you don't have to suffer through two recoveries. I had to wait around for my insurance to cover the VSG (they approved the lapband removal right away when it broke, but stalled forever in covering the sleeve). I am so glad I waited and had it done all at one time. I hate being in the hospital and it was nice to be able to move on to the sleeve and forget about the band. I am so happy you will be getting the sleeve. The sleeve works!

The truth is that no one but WLS people understand what you are going through. I did tell a few of my close coworkers about my revision. Some were supportive and others were very judgemental before surgery. I did feel shameful too, especially since I had a failed lapband. Now that I have lost so much weight, everyone is supportive and I constantly get questions or positive comments about my weight loss. I am pretty open about having surgery because I would feel bad telling people I just did it with diet alone. Many are curious about how I deal with not eating so much and if I miss food. I just have to explain to them that I can eat what I want for the most part, just in very small amounts. You have to do what is best for you. Just know that people WILL notice your weight loss. They will ask you what you are doing to lose the weight. Just be prepared with what you will say when that time comes. I am happy with my decision to be open about my WLS. I hope that it will help others get help that they need with obesity. Good luck with your revision. You are going to LOVE the sleeve! It is so completely different from the band. Look at all the success on this forum. You will do great, so don't stress too much!

HUGS! This surgery does NOT fix our heads. I have found that if I eat protein, it really helps with the hunger and cravings. Protein is what gives you restriction. I have to watch myself around popcorn and peanut butter. Those are trigger foods for me. If I want popcorn when my family and I are watching a movie, I only allow myself to have a 100 calorie bag. Over Halloween, I ate one Reese's and wow did the head hunger get the best of me. I am still fighting off cravings! I had all the candy hidden from me so I couldn't have it. I am so proud of you for losing 100 pounds. You are a success! Luckily, we have each other to get us through the rough parts of the journey. We love you girlie!

I do feel bad that so many people are still being "sold" the band. I was just thinking back to the serious pain I was in last year at this time when my band shattered inside my body. I am so thankful to have that piece of plastic out. I absolutely LOVE my sleeve. I have noticed how (for the most part) the sleeve forum is so positive. I really think that is because the sleeve works and people are happy with it. I think with the band there is a lot of frustration from failure. Also, on the band forum, the few who have working bands tend to judge and blame those who aren't so lucky. I am just so happy to now be on the sleeve side!!!

My doctor stressed healing after surgery. He wanted me to stay hydrated and stick to the liquid/mushy diet. Even when I advanced to solid foods, I really could only get in protein the first six weeks to be honest. I would get very full on a few bites. I would get in vegetables/ fruits if I could. I really didn't eat whole grains at all due to the restriction at first. As the swelling goes down, you will be able to eat a bit more. I still always eat protein first and then eat a few bites of vegetables. I used to count carbs, but now I am mainly focusing on counting protein since I became a bit anemic recently. I take one multivitamin, Calcium Citrate, and B12. Good luck with your surgery!

I stalled at 200 pounds too. It was so frustrating because I wanted to be in One-derland soo bad. I low carbed it to break the stall. I kept the carbs really low (30) and it worked! You will get there. I also drank tons of water. I stuck to cheese, pork rinds, and beef jerky if I had to have a snack.

You are going to do great! You will be amazed at how much the sleeve is going to change your life! I hope you are ready for the excitement. You are making a great decision. Good luck and we will be sending positive thoughts your way!

Stalls are normal. Don't stress about it. 32 pounds in three weeks is awesome! My weight loss would stall here and there, but at the end of each month, I have always walked away with a loss. If you are following the rules, you will continue to lose. You really are doing great.

Once you start to eat solid protein (chicken, beef, etc), you will feel the restriction. I had a hard time feeling it on the mushy diet. Even at ten months out, if I want restriction, I have to eat my protein first.

I can see why they think you are a student! You look awesome!

I had a revision and the band and the sleeve are completely different. With the band, I was either so tight I would slime everything up or so lose I could just eat whatever I wanted. With the sleeve, I have restriction ALL the time. I also have the "you better not eat one more bite" issue with my sleeve. If I don't stop right when the fullness starts, I will get really sick. I start sweating and I feel like I have to lie down. I do everything I can to avoid overeating. At restaurants I won't order an entire meal. I either share or order a la carte. The times I have ordered an entire meal are the times I have gotten sick because I overate, just because the food was on my plate. I really feel having the ghrelin reduced from the surgery plays a big role in the success of the sleeve. I just don't obsess about food anymore. I do get hungry and want certain foods, but once I have a bite or two, I am content. I never had that with the band ever.

I agree. I don't feel because I have half a can of Diet Dr Pepper a day that it is going to cause me to gain all my weight back. I make sure I get in all of my Water daily, so if I choose to drink a carbonated drink as a little pick me up at lunch, that is my choice.

Wow! Way to go! Congrats!

Good luck with your surgery. There is nothing wrong with doing something good for YOU! You are worth it! The sleeve has been one of the best decisions of my life. I wish you the best!

Way to go girlie!

I get the "slimes" when I eat hamburger meat. My sleeve just does not like it and it usually comes back up. Sometimes I can eat it, but I do get lots of slimy stuff that kind of sits in my throat. If it comes back up, it is not the same as throwing up. It is literally the food covered in a clear slime. Gross, but true. I will take it though for this great life I now have being healthy!

Great job! You look fab!

I have had small amounts of hunger since about six months out. Although, I don't take an acid reducer since I don't have reflux. Some people have found that staying on them reduces the hunger significantly. When I do get hunger pains, it is at a meal time or my afternoon snack time. (I have to have a snack in the afternoon because if I don't, I get so irratible at dinner time. Then I tend to overeat- which means a sick feeling in my sleeve). When I eat, especially if I follow the rules and eat protein first, I get full VERY fast and the fullness lasts. The hunger for me is not like hunger I used to have before the sleeve. It is more like a rumbling reminding me it is time to eat. I don't have the drive to keep eating like I used to. I eat, get full, and move on with my day.

The liquid diet is a pain. I was an emotional mess when I had to do liquids for two days before surgery. It is so worth it though for the sleeve! Just get your mind set and do it. I went to Mexico for my band, so I understand what you are going through. I also have three kids. You will do just fine. The doctors are great there. I would have returned for my revision from the band to sleeve but my insurance took off the exclusion for WLS. Your kids are going to have a healthier, happier mom as a result of the wonderful sleeve. I know it is overwhelming sometimes right before surgery. Just know you are making a great choice. The sleeve really has changed my life. I feel so great and I love that I can keep up with my kids. I know you will have the same experience. Best wishes and keep us posted! You are going to do great!!!

The band has a mind of it's own. Sometimes it is tight and sometimes you can eat what you want. With the sleeve, you have consistant non-stop restriction. Also, with the ghrelin (hunger hormone) being reduced, I really feel that helps take away lots of the hunger. I do get a little hungry at meal times, but I just eat a small amount and then I am full and content. The sleeve gives you restriction that lasts.

I lost a total of about 40 pounds in 3 1/2 years with the band. So far, in ten months, I have lost 85 pounds with the sleeve. The sleeve is amazing and it does what it is suppossed to. I have restriction and that is why I have been so successful!