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Hi everyone its been a minute since I been on here October 17th will make it seven months since I had the gastric bypass. I am down 100lbs my starting weight was 275 here is a before pic and after. I am 175lbs and have 30-40 more lbs I want to loose but I am happy were I am God has really helped me thru this journey its been a long one but I am gone keep pushing I went from a 2xl in shirt to medium and large from a 18-20 to 11-12 ????????????☺

Hi everyone!!! I was hoping somebody could give me some encouragement and guidance. I was banded in March 2011, with a starting weight of 202, yeah yeah I know that doesn't sound like very heavy however, please keep in mind I am only 5"1. I am down to 160 pounds to date and my goal is to get to 130. I am up to about 9.5 ccs in an 11cc realize band. I walk approximately 2 miles a day even though this is my only form of exercise. The biggest issue I'm having is not restriction, or not watching what I eat but the fact that i think i have hit my plateau and i am extremely frustrated. I am a creature of habit. I eat the same thing for breakfast everyday, damn near the same thing for lunch. I am having a problem getting beyond this 160 pounds...I was considering maybe trying the master cleanse or something like that thinking it would give me a boost. I could use some suggestions... Thanks. Date My Journey Began: May 1, 2010 Date of Approval: January 18, 2011 Date of Pre-Op Diet: February 14, 2011 Date of Surgery: March 1, 2011 Starting Height/Weight: 5"0 203 lbs Current Weight (as of November 2012): 160 pounds Goal Weight: 130 lbs *When Your Ready To Change Your Life... You Have To Change Along With It....*

Hello! I am in Groton Connecticut.. the other end of the state. I work in New Haven and plan on getting banded thru St. Raphael's Hospital. I am going to the seminar in early November. Bringing my mom with me for support. I am kinda doing this incognito. Not really telling alot of people. I have lost 15 lbs on my own. But it is so hard. I exercise my butt off and eat healthy and it doesn't help because of this darn insulin resistance. (I am diabetic) Just wanted to say hello and you guys are doing wonderfully! Good Luck and I look forward to reading all your wisdom and you continue this journey! Donna

1. Are full liquids eating, i.e. no drinking for 30-90 minutes after? Ask your doctor. 2. Is Jello considered eating? No, its a full liquid believe it or not. 3. Can I drink broth all day? Is there a difference between chicken and beef? Yes, and nothing. 4. I don't like artificial sugar for the sugar free diet. How can I compensate? You can't. Although you have had a sleeve. You can still get dumping as you do with gastric bypass if you eat sooo much table sugar. But you won't have the cramps...you will get diarhea...trust me. 5. How do I keep the momentum going with the weight loss? I'm starting to feel hunger, but can't eat. I'm worried about going into starvation now that I'm actually feeling hungry and it working backwards for me. I'm also afraid that when I do start eating it will either stop the weight loss or go backwards because of the previous "starvation". Momentum, momentum, momentum, I want to keep it rolling. If you wait to each until you get hungry. Make sure you are eating every 3 hours at least (3 meals - Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and 2 Protein shakes) It the protein that is most important as it contributes to healing and more "filling". 6. I'm having a hard time watching my family eat. It grosses me out the food intake not so much with my growing boys, but especially with my husband who is going to have the surgery also. I feel like....."hey do you realize how much food you eat and I'm over here drinking broth all day long! Get control of yourself." Yikes, I know. So sorry, but it's true. This is emotional. You don't realize the emotions that you will go through in this life changing journey. Don't know if anyone told you but when you lose a lot of fat, your body will release a lot of hormones into you rsystem which give you mood swings like crazy. I felt the same way about my family but I remembered that my husband did not have the surgery and I didn't like it when someone told me that I ate too much so I usually talk more at the table or sit down at the table 10 minutes after everyone else does so that we all finish at the same time. My husband has decided to go forward with the surgery so soon he'll know what I went through. 7. TMI Warning!! I am on the Depo shot and I have been spotting ever since the surgery - 12 days. I never have a period if I do it a day or two of lite spotting. This is every time I wipe, not fresh but old if you know what I mean. Sorry again. Could something in the surgery have messed with my shot or what are your thoughts on this? I do not want to get pregnant! Again the hormone release do to the rapid release of fat can do this. Call your doctor to besure. 8. I'm starting to feel normal and that scares me a little. When I could feel the soreness and restriction (no hunger), it made it easier to not eat and be great with it. Now, it's like appetite is coming back. I'm scared of gaining. Other diets have worked opposite for me and I don't want this to also. I'm scared of any change or move! I feel like I have to starve myself to keep this going. :-( Remember this is a tool to help you adjust to a new healthy life style. If you try to eat something fried or full of sugar you will get very sick. You will only be able to get 300-500 calories in the first month or so then you will need to get 800 to keep your hair from falling out. And it will be a challege to get 800 in. I am at 3 months and I'm struggling to get 600 calories. Also measure, measure, measure your food. I can't stress this enough. Normally, leaks occur 3 weeks after surgery because patients feel better and use the sleeve to gage fullness. But remember, it take 20 minutes for your mind to get that signal that you are full so by then you would have consumed to much. Besides, if you do eat to much or too fast, you will thowup and believe me, it's no the same as throwing up before you had surgery...it's worst! Not to freak you out but it is painful and sometime lasting. You will also plateu that will sometimes last for a week. You may gain a little when drop the following day. These are all normal things. I used a calendar to write down my weight everyday and the total lost. Then at the end of the month I figure out how much weight was down for the month. One month I gained 5 pounds but had at total weight loss of 13 pounds. My husband has been very supportive. He is having his surgery in August. We have already change what we eat when we go out and what I cook for the family. Being obese is just as much of a mental battle as it is an emotional and physical battle. Everytime I was tempted to eat bad or eat fast or stuff my face or felt sad that I can't eat what everyone else was eating, I would redirect my mind to think " in 3 month I am going to look HOT!!!!" Now, I am the envy of every woman at work! I can fit in to a Small Shirt!!!! i have never fit into a small shirt!!!!!!! 9. Life evolved around cooking, eating out, social eating, etc. I've halted all of that and feel a little trapped. No one except immediate family, i.e. husband, sons, and girlfriend who went to hospital with me know that I have done this. I don't lie and would have a hard time explaining why I'm not eating, drinking alcohol, participating in the activities this early in my post surgery. So we are using our workload right now as a reason for staying home, etc. There's so much there for me right now. My husband is extremely supportive and wants me to do the same for him when he has the surgery. Sorry rambling but trying to get through the emotional/mental part of it. I like to cook too. It was a real adjustment to cook healthly things. I have discovered new foods as part of the process and that has been fun. As far as explaining why I don't eat to colleagues, I told them before the surgery. For colleagues I haven't seen in a while, I told them the truth if they ask and answered their questions. I have had only one person treat me bad but she was a big B to begin with so I was prepared to handle it. As for anyone who had past judgement on me to my face or behind my back, that just doesn't bother me because I did this for me and my family and for my health and that is all that is important. I think you will surprise how supportive people can be. Most people are just curious. And again don't get sorry about rambling because you are emotional...it's the hormones talking. 10. I'm still bloated and tend to bloat throughout the day. Is this normal or what can I do to alleviate this? Yes, this is normal. I was bloated for 5 weeks. This is because of swelling. Also there may be gas still trapped inside. Walking makes a big difference. 11. I know I don't get enough liquids in as I can't drink Water. Any liquid suggestions would be great. Frozen sugar free popsicles, warm tea, and sugar free gatorade were my friend. I also had sugar free jello and broth. 12. I can already tell that my absorption rate is super sensitive and high! Within seconds of trying something, I either feel sick, lightheaded or full or all of the above. Does this stay? When food is introduced will it be one bite at a time? You may need to eat slower. Take a bite, chew 25 times, swallow, then count for 10 before taking another bite. This does going away...sort of. You will get sick, lightheaded if you eat too fast. As far as full, you will have to figure that part out on your own but my Doctor told me to start with 4 Tbsp. (2 tbsp of a protein, 1 tbsp veg, tbsp fruit - in that order) but be prepared if you can only get 2 tbsp down. I started with 2 tbsp but now I am up to 1/4 cup. 13. I think protein shakes make me sick?? You tastes with change over time. I liked my protein shakes before the surgery. Then could not stand them for about 6 weeks after surgery but now I like them again. I would try a bunch of difference one. I like the Unjuy and nectar brands. The nectar brands taste like fruit juice with not after taste.

To repeat again, only about 30% of Gastric Bypass patients dump to any degree. Back when I had surgery 50% was the quoted rate, but back then the bypasses were a bit more distal which would make dumping more likely. I am one of the few, the proud, the dumpers! I dump on sugar and fats. Less so on fats. Not enough to dump on cheese, thank goodness. I am glad I dump as it takes sugar off my menu when otherwise I would abuse the crap out of it. While dumping sounds horrible, it's not quite as bad as it sounds. I don't often dump these days as I have a good sense of how much sugar I can consume when. When I am fatigued, stressed, sick, or in other ways out of sorts I dump easier, so at such times I try to be extra careful, but still misjudge and it get's me. When I'm in public I don't do sugars at all, though I don't do them much anyhow. I asked my surgeon for a little extra bypass, a little extra restriction, and dumping. 18+ years later I still dump, my restriction is still in place. I have no clue on the extra bypass. I have dumped on fruit but rarely. My first dumping episode, at about 3 months post-op, was orange juice. Good luck, Tek

Hi Everyone, I'm Gina from Millington Tn. I have just began my journey to getting banded. I attended a seminar and signed up for my first appointment with the Bariatric physician. Unfortunately, my insurance requires 2 six month long weight management programs, the first to be completed within 12 months of the surgery. I was hoping to get things moving a bit faster than that but I guess there is no way around it. I am a surgical technologist and have actually assisted on a few gastric bypasses in my time. Im truely thankful that the LapBand has come along. Being a single parent and working full time night shift the less complicated the better. I was amazed to find out that it was an outpatient procedure and that the time off work I would have to take could be as little as a week or less. Anyway, I am glad I found this forum. Its always nice to talk to others that are going through some of the same things that you are. It's kind of hard talking to someone that has never had a weight problem. They never seem to understand.

Hi Gina, I also live in Millington. So now you have a real neighbor! We just moved to milington in November and we love it. Now I have to write in concerning Dr. Woodman. I know two people who went to him and one friend who went to Dr.Weaver. The ones who went to Dr. Woodman scared me with the talk of how negative he is when you are going through such a difficult time to do such a serious surgery and making such serious life changes. I heard good things about Dr. Weaver and her bedside manner. I decided to go to her and actually my appointment is tomorrow and I am so excited. I have finished everything but my visit with her and my insurance approval. I had to complete the six months and I was so glad when that process was over in April. Well, good luck and I hope that you choose the right person who best suits you and your needs. I am also sorry that you are now gonna have to battle with your insurance company. Good Luck and stay in touch!

Globetrotter I wish there was something I can say to help the pain of this struggle, but all I can say is that you have been under a lot of stress for the past couple of years and now living in stressful circumstances of the living conditions where you live today. With all this stress, your body is in Chaos. Your cortisol levels have sky rocketed, you can't get the foods that you need etc. You are doing the best you can with the resources that you have available to you. Your body is preparing you for the worst case scenario for survival. A DS switch might give you some weight loss, but at what expense? I know the RnY bypass, the pouch will stretch and gaining weight is going to happen. I do not know anything about the DS. I am totally afraid of the malabsorption issue and the constantly having to run to the bathroom. That isn't too much fun either. I hope the your body starts to release the weight and you get some relief. You deserve this. I too do not look at you like a failure either. Look where you are today! Much better than before. What kind of fun to do have over there? Your awesome and you totally rock my boat! :wub:

I saw some extended family today who didn't know I had lapband surgery(well not until my mother felt the need to tell everyone) and the negative comments were plenty. I was even told that my cousin had gastric bypass because the doctors told her they don't like doing lapbands because of so many problems. Really? I just stayed to her that maybe her doc was inexperienced with them and that's the reason. I then heard other comments. I didn't argue and defend my decision. I just told them that they had their opinion and I had mine and let's just keep it at that. Why can't they just shut up if they don't know what they are talking about? I would never make comments to someone about the type of surgery they had.

This morning I am blessed to get up and move around getting ready for my surgery. I have to be there my 6:30am, surgery starts at 9 am, so please pray for me. I will try to take some pictures during the day to share. Love all my bypass family.

That is so sad! My husband has bc/bs through his work and they quit covering the band 01/01/2004. But they still covered bypass! When I found this out, I was torn. I DID NOT want to do bypass. Finally through a co-worker at my work I found out uhc did cover it. But I had to wait until an enrollment period came around, then had to wait for the first of the year. My surgery was 2 weeks ago (May 18th) and I'm waiting for the bills to start rolling in. Right before I got the approval from insurance, I found out my Dr is 'out of network' which can work to your advantage or severely against it. So I'll continue waiting. And if I end up paying a few thousand dollars, it's still better than self-pay either here in the states or Mexico where sometimes you have a problem finding a Dr to do maintainence.

Wow.... this sounds familiar! I had a leak in my tubing and had my port and tubing replaced in November. PM me if I can help!

i got the band in nov 2012 my brother had the bypass done in 2003

I am from fayetteville nc good to hear that someone as to do the 6 months of diet before the bypass I just don't know about getting ready for the bypass. Sent from my iPod touch using RNYTalk

Hi birdee, It must be so frustrating that your friend is so insensitive, but don't waste your time and energy getting angry at this person! ignore her and her arrogance. It is so easy to think that the surgery will be the solution, that it alone will fix the problem, that some of us are completely blinded to the fact that its just the start of the struggle... until we struggle :cool: And I am sure we all do struggle because we must share the bad habits that got us here in the first place. And you shouldnt feel like a failure! I am also 'taking my time' to lose the weight. In my fantasies back in November (surgery) I should have lost all my fat by now. Not even close, but I have lost 1/3rd of it and that is fat that is GONE for good! as long as the scales keep going down, it is all good. I wish I had more control, and was better at this, but I do as best as I can today, and hope tomorrow will be better. ( Today was abominably bad btw) cheer up! tellie

Hey girl, The only first hand point of reference I have about loose skin is my girlfriend that has had a gastric bypass. She has gone from a size 22 to an 8. She is two years out and looks great! I asked her about loose skin and she says that it is not an issue. She has had c section birth but says the loose skin on her stomach is not an issue. I have seen her in short sleeves, knee shorts and knit shirts and I can tell you-homegirl looks good. What's her secret? Exercise. She has been exercising from day one. I plan on following her example. Also,I have been thinking that a good moisturizer from day one will probably help. At first I thought pure cocoa butter but then it hit me---pure shea butter. You know the clumpy kind? Maybe mix it with an essential so that it won't smell bad. Maybe some Vitamin e as well. So I plan on rubbing down with my concoction everyday. Maybe we could do like a test group amongst ourselves for a few months and collect data on how it works?

it DEFINITELY will get better for you, hang in there! That sucks you had to experience post-surgery nausea. I was really scared about that but they gave me a shot just before putting me under anesthesia and told me it was anti-nausea medication to prevent getting sick afterwards. Everyday you will be feeling better!! Don't get frustrated if you don't have decent restriction when you start eating solids. I have noticed on this site that MANY people have to get multiple fills before getting good restriction. in the long run, i believe its still better, safer and HEALTHIER than bypass. I LOVE MY BAND! 278/231/180:rolleyes2:

I was sleeved on 11/8. I had pretty bad pain for a few days but it was managed well without too much medication. It's not easy but the scale moves so fast during the first week that you focus on that! There is a whole thread for November sleevers, do a board search for that and follow that thread.

I got my approval and am getting my Gastric Bypass done on the 24th of June. I'm considering it my new birthday. Does any one have pointers on getting ready the last few weeks before surgery? Thank you all and be blessed!!!

Hi i had my band fitted on 25th June, two days of hell followed, constantly vomited, was really scared that i had done some damage but nurses didnt seem too bothered just kept giving me antisickness medication which didnt really work. Anyway i decided id be better off at home and left, tried soup until it stayed down, was feeling quite low and thought just get on with it, get out and do the normal things and since then ive been fine, quite sore still but managing on purree foods etc I really regretted doing it five days ago but i weighed myself today and i have lost 10lb in 6 days! This site has been such a help especially making a decision between the bypass and the band and im glad that i decided on the band. Lisa:smile:

Sometime before I had my surgery which was November 28th Sent from my SM-G928T using the BariatricPal App

Hi ya'll - I need your words of wisdom please... I was banded on October 1st and from then until November 17th, I lost a whopping 25 lbs! I got my first fill on that date (Nov 17th) and since then have lost NOTHING! Not even a half pound! I haven't gained either, which is great, but NO weight loss?! Seriously?! It's been 5 wks with no loss. Is this normal?! I'm feeling a little frustrated and have been so careful about what I eat - hardly any carbs (only oatmeal in the morning) and the rest is Protein and veggies. Any ideas? Is this the way it's going to be? I'm kind of panicking... I blog my journey too, if you want to follow along: Following my Dreams, One by One Thanks in advance for your words of wisdom. Good luck to you all! :biggrin:

Hi all, My name is Nicole and i posted a few times last year (in fact i had talked with Alexandria a few times and recently i talked with De Larla, about paralegal stuff) I have been to see my Dr. recently and I have complained about weight gain (i am taking Effexor for depression, and i have these 3 torn disks in my neck which i can never have surgery for, so instead of working out at the gym 5 days a week as i used to, due to pain i can barely go to Water aerobics 3 times a week) Oh and i am on the work comp nightmare for my injury. Okay so my doc sugessted Gastric Bypass, i DO NOT want this surgery i am more intersested in the Lap Band, so my ? to you is how did you get your Dr to get the insurance to approve LB and NOT GB??? I have Health Net HMO. At this time the dietican wants me to write a list of all the diets i have tried and failed. I am 4ft 9in and now weigh 205lbs (according to the dreaded Dr. scale. Thanks all, i always read this site and i will be around alot more. Nicole

Sorry for all you're going through. Just wanted to say I am 3 months post gastric bypass and at 3 weeks out we discovered I have an anastomatic stricture and marginal ulcers. I understand how it feels to not be able to tolerate even liquids. I have had 4 endoscopies with dilation, with a 5th one next week. I'm still on liquids but feel better. Take care, and I hope you get better soon. Sent from my SM-N960U using BariatricPal mobile app

i need to get to vickis! LOL...im 9 months out. Started at 232 at day of surgery. I am now 153. which is the surgeons projection for my one year mark. I dont have any curves (i have a fake it til u make it body for special days hahahah) so the goal is 125. not too far away!! BTW i had a 3 month stall when i lost 60 lbs at 4 months out...started losing again in November.