Search the Community

I was just banded three weeks ago. I am a little discouraged to read a post below with everyone stating they are tight in the AM and cannot eat at all or only a shake, then totally loose and eat everything and anything at night. Can I hear from some people that have had their bands for a while that have consistent restriction? Or is this true for everyone. I really would love to eat a healthy egg Breakfast. Thanks, Laura

@@Ligaleagle86 how has your weight loss been? I have heard that most revision people loose weight slower than if they would have gone right into bypass. I only lost about 5 pounds a month with the band. I too had horrible reflux. The kind that would wake you up at night gagging. I HATE this band and cannot wait to remove it. At the same time I am scared that the bypass won't work either.

Well I had my band filled on 4-12 I have not really seen a big difference. However, everyone at work is trying to loose weight so I am kind of on the band wagon. I worked out yest and today. I actually jogged on the treadmil and in front of people today and it was ok. I am weighing in at 223 so i can not bitch I started out at 310 pounds. 87 pounds in 9 months is something to be proud of. I am trying to stick to 800 calories a day and to exercise as much as possible I want to loose 100 pounds by the middle of June if possible even the firts of June. I just need to keep a positive atittude and my mouth shut! :biggrin1: :biggrin1: :biggrin1: :biggrin1: :biggrin1: :biggrin1: :biggrin1: :biggrin1: :biggrin1: :biggrin1: :biggrin1: :biggrin1: :omg: :biggrin1: :biggrin1: :biggrin1: :biggrin1: :biggrin1: :biggrin1: :biggrin1: :biggrin1: :biggrin1: :biggrin1:

well today makes it one week down for the 6 month diet....Been off sodas for 1 week, oh man and the cravings, but i never gave in.....I'd enjoy the occational glass of hot chocolate which helped my throat while i was sick, and the occational glass of fresh juiced juice, but no sodas, and no carbonated waters, my mother in law found this flavored water thats not carbonated fruit 2 O and its pretty good, we'll have to get some for our house.....My husband doesn't like the no sodas part....but i really want him to try to loose some weight too, we both really need to, he hates water though, he's been trading his high calorie sodas with high calorie non carbonated sodas....so still sodas, but he didn't think they counted cause they weren't carbonated, he didn't even go for the diet ones......like its not hard for me, man i love my soda, but it never really made me feel good, I'd get stomach aches from drinking it, but yet i still drank it....I'm proud of myself for not cheating and drinking soda this week, yay to me I'm slightly confused with my blue cross blue shield of texas....we were under the assumption that I needed five years of weight history, and a 6 month diet, along with the nutrionist, and psychologist, but the criteria they gave me at the seminar didn't mention the five year weight history and the 6 month diet said 3 monthes, and then i got really confused when i went in for my consult and the surgeon and dietician were saying 6 month diet and then the nurse came in saying 3 month diet, i really wish i had asked, but it didn't really occur to me till i got home and read over the paper work again....well my second appointment is in a couple weeks i'm sure i can ask about it...although even if it is now only 3 monthes, i'd still have to wait the 6 or at least 4-5 to be able to save up the $4200 we need to cover the surgeons fees.

Annabelle I too had a wait for my surgery. I started in Feb of 2012 and was sleeved Dec 5th 2012. I am really happy that I followed my NUT suggestion and stopped caffeine, carbonated soda, and empty calories back in early Feb. I read post of those who only stopped those foods when they reached the preop diet and they are miserable fighting craving while trying to adjust the sleeve. I am only unhappy that I got so caught up in "let's hurry up and make this happen" I failed to look at the risk objectively. The surgeon's office is selling a product so they gloss over everything unpleasant. Those here on the form do not, so read about complications and find out the truth of what could go wrong. I got a pierced bowel because my surgeon made a mistake cutting scar tissue. It made for a week hospital stay but worst my family feared they were loosing me during the hours/days it took to get things under control. Read about leaks. Yes they are all rare but I a proof as are many others on here rare happened to real people. With that being said I am a type 2 diabetic,and have hypertension. All meds were gone days after surgery.

I had skin glue and LOVED it. I've been using Bio-Oil to reduce the scaring.

I always just let it wear off as you bathe and such. I have sensitive skin and the guk actually will leave bruises if I try to rub it off.

I didnt havea ny hair loss thank goodness I do interval training on treadmill 25-30 min up and down run and walk and weight training..eventually I will have tummy tuck I had several surgeries for ovaries being removed where they botched burnt my so I have to have reconstruction I was waiting to loose the weight so I can getthe best result.But exercise does help with the loose skin you see my arms it unreal the diffference just keep at it I will be 48 so not the best elasticity but it definitely helps. hank you

Many of us are VERY hungry post op; that's why that time is referred to as "Bandster Hell". However, it is VERY important that you follow your surgeon's instructions post op. Your stomach churns to aid in digestion so those eggs you ate might have caused your stomach to rip a suture loose. Your stomach (usually) is pulled up over your band and it is stitched into place. Until that heals well the movement of the stomach during digestion can rip it all the way loose or just pull or loosen the stitches. If it's "all the way" you'll know now, but the other can happen and you won't know until weeks/months from now when you have slippage or erosion and wonder why! SO please 1. get back on the plan your surgeon prescribed. It is HARD but very important to follow and 2. let your surgeon know, on monday, what you at so he can decide if he wants to check your band. Probably you'll be ok if you stop now; but just hang in there, follow the rules, and you'll get through it!

I would suggest moisturizing daily. Not just your hands, but all over. It can help some, but there is no guaranteed to stave off loose skin on any part of your body.

Are you getting in enough water? When people start getting dehydrated often the skin on their hands will get a bit loose.

I BROKE THE STALL I DID LOOSE 2 PDS LAST WEEK INTO 169 NOW 166 YAY GETTING THERE

I would say yes your “normal” now you didn’t make it easy as you’re in jeans and a jumper lol But yeah you are! I think we have the same belly lol like oh I can wear 1 size down but when I do a bunch of saggy skin gives me a impressive muffin top I can’t jam under my waistband so I go a size up, where you know the butt and legs are a little looser but way less saggy skin muffin top lol I think you look great! Btw in the picture album right click the pic and either rotate clockwise or anti clockwise click to open it and it should show you the actual way it was taken and now turned. I assume that pic was taken on a phone? Always have to turn them once loaded to a puter lol

I have finally gotten the weight loss to slow down. I think eating purposefully around the clock helped. I also purposely eat higher calorie carbs that get calories in and don't make me feel as full for as long. The crazy thing is it's the exact opposite of what we should do during the weight loss phase. The carbs I have are 1/3 cup of granola cereal over yogurt or mixed with 1/3 cup milk. It gives me around 150 calories and then I can eat yogurt, an egg or 1-2 oz. of meat 45 minutes later. If i only eat meat and veggies I am too full to get in other foods and only get 1000 calories max. I was loosing on that and wanted to slow it down. Granted I am not eating ice cream and cookies but still high calories and carbs and it does worry me that this could cause issues but mentally i still feel like eating is a chore and if I could I wouldn't eat a fraction of what i am now . I am hoping as I can tolerate more volume i can make healthier choices. I also can eat a 230 calorie packet of Bevita breakfast bars in under 10 minutes and eat again 45 minutes later. I have managed to get in 1400 calories the past 2 weeks. I also drink 2% milk and cook my spinach and egg in olive oil, and eat a Tbs of peanut butter, and have a RX bar during the day just to get extra calories.

I had the band to bypass revision 5 weeks ago and so far it has been great! My band had slipped and I was having bad reflux and gained back a bunch of weight. The surgeon removed ALOT of scar tissue from the band and had to remove part of my stomach but I healing well and losing weight on track. I was just told at my last appointment that I am loosing faster than most revision patients. I should have done the bypass in the beginning. Good Luck!

Talking about loosing weight in strange areas. What about feet? I use to be a size 9 but since putting on weight Im an 11. Has anyone done down in shoe size since loosing weight?

Hi All, I just watched on a video, that said, after the surgery and your intial weight loss, your metabolism changes..... Your hunger returns... HOLY CRAP BAT MAN !! So is this true? There is supposedly some sort of rebound effect? You loose a bunch, gain "some" back then your new normal weight is set. This is really confusing.. I am still researching and am concerned about years from now...... Oh I can't imagine how happy I will be at a 100 lbs of weight loss, but if my body simply doesn't want to stay that size, and hormones and metabolism start sabotaging me... What am I doing....I just WHACKED OFF 85% OF MY STOMACH - FOREVER !!! I know a lot of you are better at all the research than I am, you went through with it anyway and are living it now. Please help me understand..

I want to do one of those as well! I've been doing a lot of research on it. Follow a diet plan? IIFYM? The skin issue.... It's not that bad but it's there. And at 45 years old it would be so f&@$ing awesome to get that fit and smoking in a bikini!

There are so many variables to consider. A big one is how many pounds a person is overweight. A heavier person will loose more weight post surgery in the beginning than someone with less weight to loose. Weight loss slows down and becomes more difficult the closer you get to your goal weight or normal BMi. That's when exercise really becomes an important factor in success and maintenance. It's best to develop healthy exercise habits early on!

Thanks for all of the compliments everyone, it really has been a great journey. Yeah, I am down over 90 lbs but to be honest, it doesn’t feel like it. It wasn't until I posted these pics that I realized how much of a difference there really is. This was the first time I have put before and, I guess you can call it "After" pics together. I use the term "after" loosely because it just hit 2 months over the weekend. The funny thing about this journey is that I didn’t realize that all of my aches and pains were the result of carrying that extra weight around on a frame that had always been sub 200 lbs. Well, except for the left knee issues but that is a sports related ACL tear problem. But, even with the ACL tear, the weight loss has nearly stopped the knee pain as well, only when it is over used does it hurt. It is definitely nice to be on normal foods now! It is actually easier when I am at work because I pack the right foods in the morning and that is what I eat all day. Still eating about 5-6 times a day but the meals are so small, just enough to take the hunger away without feeling uncomfortable. Lots of Greek yogurt (Chobani Apple Cinnamon is amazing!), low fat or light string mozzarella cheese, EAS Protein drinks, and then usually a lean meat of some sort throughout the day and I am good!!!! I just returned from a weeklong vacation in the Outer Banks and traditionally, I gain 10 lbs from that week. There is so much food in the beach house that all you do is graze all day. Even if I tried, I couldn’t this year, it was awesome! I actually came back 1-2 lbs lighter and I was not too careful about what I ate (it was vacation!!!!). Now that I am back, I am back to being very disciplined once again, the sleeve makes it very easy to be disciplined! I am not exercising like crazy though; my schedule just doesn’t permit the time to go nuts in the gym. But, I am riding my stationary bike daily and I walk a lot at work since our building is 1/5 of a mile long. Now that winter is coming and the days are getting shorter, I will dust off my Bowflex machine and start hitting the weights a little more, at least that is the plan. I am also mountain bike shopping although that may wait until spring as I don’t want to have to sit and look at it for the next 6 months waiting on the weather to break. For those not sure, or on the fence, the sleeve is an amazing tool that when used correctly provides outstanding results. Less food, increased energy, and a renewed lease on life are the upsides. The first day or so following surgery weren’t what I would call "awesome" days, but barring complications, the recovery is quick. I highly recommend having it done robotically if you have that option!!! I had surgery on a Monday and could have easily returned to my desk job by Wednesday or Thursday, but instead, I had to wait until I was cleared at my 1 week appointment. The worst of this whole process....the drain tube. I would not say it hurt; it was just weird, especially them pulling it like a rip cord when it was time to remove it at my 1 week post-op appt. Ok, sorry for the rambling mess that this probably comes across as but I just wanted to share my experience to this point.

Okwell i didnt find anything in my notes about supplements or Vitamins that that firm skin BUT i did have in my notes that Biotin is excellentfor hair and nail growth as well as healthier skin. So you might try that. I have been taking the biotin since about a week prior to surgery; it sure grows nails! I think whoever suggested doing curls was probably right as well as my husband telling me to do squats for my thighs. Good luck everyone.

Well Malby, I don't know if it's normal, but I know that when I went in for my first fill my doc was numbing the area around my navel and this second time (17 Apr) it was up closer to the scar and mine also gets tender when I have worked out really hard or do quite a bit of walking. It's weird, because before this 30 pound loss I couldn't tell you or even feel where it was!:blushing: Also this last fill my doc had that syringe in there so well it created a vaccum and when he tried to pull the syringe out it pulled the port up along with my skin and the syringe finally POPPED out of the port!:sad: It was really something!

It depends on you, your situation, your doc! I cheated because I read on here about person after person who did and "got away with it". But OOPS I didn't get away with it. I had to have my surgery re-done because my liver hadn't shrunk sufficiently. That was really vile. SO Probably you are ok (especially since you have longer to go than originally planned) but for your peace of mind, tell your doc what you ate and when...make sure it's ok. AND for post op...don't cheat at all. The restrictions are there to allow the band to heal and if you eat the wrong food too soon you can either rip your band loose OR more likley set yourself up for a slip or erosion on down the road! So good luck! You're probably ok but check and make sure!

Well everyone is entitled to their own opinion...However I refuse to pass judgement towards anyone because I don't want that in return. :huh2:. It's all an opinion. I'm Fat and I know it. I don't care if u have a fill or not you shouldn't even try to eat an entire box of mac & you r trying to loose weight...WTF. That's just like myself calling and calling, and calling to see what my band date is and being on the pre-op diet and blowing it all the way... I am strictly talking about myself. I would feel like i failed. We are here for support and I know that, but what I am getting at is I think he lied about being banded. I know people slip and that's normal but this guy has not changed his eating AT ALL... I think what he is doing is trying to discourage other people like myself at work from getting the band. I think he is trying to say see it i told yall it don't work....Also He has had a fill or two and hasen't lost 2oz yet... go figure... Like I said I don't pass judgements at all because I am smart enough to know that karma is no joke...:w00t:

Patrick Sooooo great to see you again !!!! many/me watched you as a "little newbie", starting your long walk towards great health you have done great at the beginning 'we" were so happy and excited to watch your journey eventually, you kindof dropped off the face of the earth (i do know you were other places but....)and wondered how you were there was even a thread called something like "anyone seen Patrick"??? How special does that show you are shows how much you are loved!!!! :wub: hope its ok to say when someone has a larger amount of weight to loose it can be easier to get upset, discouraged if a slip up is done I can't even begin to imagine what a hard road you have been walking don't ever throw in, or even drop the towel if you do slip on that banana - get up, get up!!!!! when you are having those harder days (or not) thats when its important to be here for support many people throw around the word "inspirational" Patrick you and your story are inspirational!!! continued success - you are doing great!!!!! i am looking forward to seeing less and less of you but........i want to see you more on the board, ok??? i remember, know you give great responses to posts but come here with any questions, (like how did the chicken cross the road ) OMG just about 200 lbs down!!! keep up the great job you are aces!!!! congrats