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Ok so we finally have everything in place...I have my dress and everything...only problem is I ordered my dress in a smaller size (anticipating more weight loss w/ 5 months to go, I have lost almost 50 lbs in almost 5 months). My only problem is I don't like how my arms/back look in my dress...can anyone suggest some good exercises to do to shape up my top half in 5 months? I am doing resistance training 5 days a week and walking 20 miles a week what more can I do?

Awesome surfer girl thank you and your so right I have stalled, your post was awesome!????

I'm 2 weeks post op & I've been getting them pretty much every day since day 1! I agree jadeylemonadey, they hurt so bad!! Sent from my SM-G900F using the BariatricPal App

As I posted earlier I have had a problem for about 4 weeks with food getting stuck and reflux at night with the coughing. Went today to true results and did a barium swallow. Than goodness my band had not slipped. In fact it took a bit for them to see the brarium go down. apperently for some reason my band tightented up on its own. they removed ..75 cc's and for the first time in weeks i can eat without throwing up. Got an appt in 4 weeks to have the fluid added. I had 7.5 cc's in a 10cc band. Just wondering if anyone else has experienced this

I am currently in this boat. I was asked to recheck my A1C in 8-12 weeks (from beginning of January) here we are 4 weeks later and I haven't done much if anything. I went out and bought all the good foods for my diabetic eating plan, but have no motivation and or always unfocused. I know I have roughly 8 weeks left...just really need to get my head in the game, but I felt that way too when I got the news.

My 6 month pre-op I had one Protein Shake a day for three months. I cut my Pasta, rice and starch a little not completely, but ate tons of fruits and vegetables. The last three months I did two shakes a day and one meal (meat and veggies). And cut more servings of my pasta, rice and potatoes. By the time surgery came around I had weened myself of the pasta, rice and potatoes, but when I see them boy oh boy I want some jasmine rice!!! Lol.....haven't touched it. When I hit my goal I'll treat myself.....maybe

My doctor said we will re evaluate my blood pressure meds at 2 months post op. Right now (6 weeks PO) My bottom number is borderline low blood pressure (62) and my top number is running high (142). My surgeon is already suggesting that she take me off the beta blocker. We shall see

Good Morning All.... I had my bypass on May 5th, so tomorrow morning I will be exactly one week out. It has definitely been a week of ups and downs (although mainly ups). Surgery went better and quicker than expected as I also had a large hernia repaired at the same time. I also was released from the hospital a day earlier than I had expected. So things were looking great! Thursday was great but Friday was my day from hell. Everything hurt so bad, and I felt that I could barely move. By Sunday I felt like I was back on the upswing. I was able to walk my block outside without having to stop and catch my breath. I could stand up without feeling like my stomach was dropping to my feet and I was able to enjoy a wonderful mother's day with my family. This morning was the first morning I didn't struggle to roll over in bed or have pain sitting up to get out of bed. So I think I'm starting off my week great. Just one problem...... I still have not gone to the bathroom since surgery. Is this normal? I know I have only had liquids, and am peeing regularly. I am a little concerned as before surgery I took Milalax every morning with my coffee. Maybe I should start taking it again?? Any advice? (btw, down 10 pounds since surgery and 34 pounds total! )

Hello @@Laurabrown929! Are you keeping with your Protein first rule? Are you making sure that you are mostly filling up with solid protein and then veggies? Are you working out regularly (At least 30 Mins per day, 5x per week)? Do you do any kind of muscle toning routine? If you need to get back on track, here is a little eating plan you might find useful. Good luck! http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/306411-basics-bootcamp-v2-getting-back-on-track/?hl=%2Bback+%2Bbasics+%2Bbootcamp

@@itstimealready - thinking you meant 196 - and great job! I was 227 on the day of my surgery - am 212 today - 5 1/2 weeks later. I lost 7 lbs in the first week in addition to the Water weight from the surgery. I stalled after the 1st week for 4 weeks and have been averaging about 3/4 lb a day since the stall broke. The stalls can get discouraging - but I just stick with the process. I had fluids the first 2 weeks - the Protein shake I could drink before the surgery my stomach didn't like afterwards so really had to work hard to get the protein in. After 2 weeks I could eat pureed foods which made it a bit easier. At four weeks I was allowed to move to soft foods and that is where I am at now for a few more days. With soft foods I am able to get most of my protein in with food and only sometimes need to drink some shake - or a drink a shake on days I just don't feel like eating anything. I know what you mean by people telling you that you can lose the weight on your own 'ugh' - I had that, too. But from all my dieting through the years my metabolism had slowed down and I ended up with a lot of co-morbidities which are slowing resolving themselves. As long as I get in all my protein and fluids I feel great - and sometimes that is the hardest work I do all day!! But it is all worth it. Good luck on your surgery! This is a great website and the folks on here have great experience and wisdom.

Let's see, the first 4 days were pretty rough, but now as of a week out its a lot better. I'm still not getting in all my liquids and protien but I am eating. I've managed apple sauce, yogurt, pudding, and mashed patatoes. No more then 4oz and I def haven't tried. But I feel normal again. How is everyone else feeling.

Start: 243 Goal:223 Today: 239.8 Loss: 3.2 To Goal: 16.8 Had a great week! I really buckled down and got my snacking under control and it seems to have made the difference!

I also did the 2 weeks of liquids..Optifast 5 times a day. It was very hard in the beginning. After the 3rd/4th day..I was ok with it. Then at a week..I started having second thoughts. It didn't help that I had to go to a bday party with Spaghetti and Pizza. It didn't help that I had to cook for my family. And it really didn't help when my hubby ordered a pizza!! LOL I cried a few times...it was the hardest thing I've ever done besides the 2 week post op diet of broth. It's just that withdrawal from real food. I missed it. But I had a lot of heart to heart talks with my hubby because I kept wanting to just quit. He kept me going and talked me right back into sticking to that liquid diet. He even promised to not order anymore pizza until I was on real food. LOL!!! The best part is...time went by and now I'm off that phase of the diet. It's hard, but you can do it!!

Well Marchies, looks like we have become a dieing breed. I don't check in as often as I should either. I am hoping that everyone checks in next month on our 4 year bandaversary. I am do so-so. Dropped 10 of the 50 I put on during chemo. Had to have another hernia repaired. This is my second on near my port and it was only supposed to be a small on, well it wasn't. It wasn't just one small one but many small ones. Was told it looked like swish cheese in there. They think that chemo and radiation might have something to do with everything deterating. Well, they had to move my port to the left side and I tell you what, it hurts like #$%%. I had the surgery 1/11 so today is 4 weeks, the hernia side is fine, the port side is what hurts!! If I am not better soon, they want to do a cat scan. I would rather not, I have had one too many of those in the past few years and I just know that one day I am going to start glowing in the dark because of all the radiation. Other then that, my health is fine. Still have no lung power so exersice is something that I have to take slowly. I love walking and have a treadmill set up in my livingroom, now I just need the energy to get back on it. My oncologist keeps telling me that it take a while to get back to being able to some of what you were used to, but come on, April will be 2 years out from diagnosis and a little over a year from last chemo. I think I have just become very, very lazy. Oh well, still here to complain about it. Well, thats all about me for now. Hope to see someone else on here soon. If you are on facebook, look me up, Barb Skilton Fougeron. Blessings all,

Ive posted this topic as it was a very valid point I had to consider prior to my get my band fitted , Get fitted in UK or abroad in Belgium as was the cheaper option. UK Price £7000 , Belgium £4,100 ( 4,500 Euros ) , obviously for belgium trip travel expenses and hotel expenses post op for a few days extra costs. Now I struggled with this for a while , what if this what if that , the clinic and consultant both been very highly rated , but finally I decided with the UK option and pay the extra , it included 1 year after care , as many consults , monthly dietician and free fills throughout the year to get me started. Still a little much but I finally decided nope Local is best. Now .. ok Im sure your thinking to yourself , we all think this , so I will leave my experience with you. 25th March , first band fitted , everything fine for two days , everyone great at hospital etc, surgeon consultant great , I was exstatic thats me on the way .... 26th March , get home ...... 27th March ... My wife picks up my meds I left hospital with , and says ( because I know tablets an issue , so had been breaking them down ) , these decoflanac tablets Nick it says you have not to break up , they must be taken whole, oh I said so thought well the pharmacy would not have gave me them if I m not supposed to take them I thought , pops one in .... oh no ... dear I choked ... choked again ... the damn pill had gotten stuck ... I wretched , and wretched and was violently sick all night .. oh a terrible state I was in , called my consultant next day , come straight in he says , Saturday straight in , and he checked me immediately. He felt perhaps the little fill to prime the band was problem , drained that , and that possible my stomach where pill had gotten stuck perhaps inflammed, but I tried to drink some water as he refused to leave it was until it was cleared fluid was staying down , and I wasnt being sick .. previously being sick immediately after drinking anything prior , it staying down 30 mins all appeared ok and we were both convinced it had sorted. So went home in car with wife , 30 mins later , up it all comes , I try to drink , up it comes again , I reassure my self its still possible inflamation thats causing the blockage and decide stay with it a couple of days .. by Monday I was readmitted by the Consultant as he was concerned my dehydrating in addition to the problems ... Mon 30th , readmitted , a series of x rays carried out , this horrible aniseed tasting stuff , Bariaum Meal whatever so he could track where fluid going , X ray showed above the band the pouch as if it had expanded 4/5 times its size , but the fluid I was drinking some was getting into lower part of my stomach. So still on the its inflamation of the stomach at the band , he then decided back to theatre to carry out an endoscope ( camera down the throat and into the stomach ) Tues 31st - Endoscope , goes down , he could see a little inflamation but the camera had passed thro the band , and he still couldnt understand as to why I couldnt drink anything or what I did drink immediately came back up , so he decided sorry NicK we have got to open you back up again , and look back in side and get to the bottom of this, yes I agreed as for me to be honest I am seriously thinking oh Ive had enough of this , rip the damn thing out of me, but consultant reassuring me to hang in there we would get to the bottom of it .. Weds 1st - Back to Theatre , opens me up , turns out part of my lower stomach , had managed to get back up through the band , twisted itself , he believes this had possibly happened due to my wretching so bad and being so violently sick all night initially when the tablet got stuck , so he straightened everything back up , done some extra stitch work to the band to stomach to ensure no further problems , apparently he said I had an extremely mobile stomach .. ie moves a lot ... but anyway by 5pm Im awake , Im sipping fluids .. and finally Im happy ..... Thursday 2nd - Im back home and everything fine. Now the moral of my story , my lasting thoughts ... Had I gone to Belgium and flew back 2 days later and this happend .. what would have I done ???? Would I have managed in agony to get back onto a plane , to go to Belgium ? Would I have had to wait ? Would I have had to go to A & E local hospital ? On the cheaper option ie Belgium at 4500 euros , would I have to pay for all the remedial surgery that was required in my instance , nearly another week in Hotel , well if Belgium it would have had to be in hospital still so definate charges there ... Think about it long and hard as to where you have it carried out , yes Im sure not everyones experience was not like mine , but I didnt think it would be mine either a few weeks ago . I had to share this , I didnt mean to go on either or make dramatic , of which the experience was for me , remember it is your health and make sure you cover all aspects of having it done good or bad. Finally , I do want to say and appreciate I was just unlucky, one of the statistics, The staff and care I recieved in UK was excellent. The consultant superb ... and finally well Im here and finally a bandster , so managed to get there in the end. apologies if gone on a little too long type as I talk LOL kind of .... Nick:thumbup:

Oh....don't misunderstand me...Since I left my Goverment Job--I have Medicare and Blue Cross and BLue Sheild....When this is a fact and you retired due an injury--Medicare is the Primary insurance that controls the total deal I pay close to $500 a month in insurance--but here is this $98 insurance trying to stop me. Oh--I went on just last week and got 5 years of my weights and measures. They wanted at least 3 weight loss failures. My old Drs and new ones got them 6 years of medical facts. My surgery is on. I see Dr Weaver-Mcgraff on 28-Feb. She will gve me a few dates that is good....I am ready for this 9 days to pass. I am looking forward with a possible March 3rd through the 15th date.....So since I overcame the red tape...I am A-OK now....Lee

I went 12 days after surgery before my plumbing started working.... I took milk of Magnesa, colace, drank warm prune juice & finally added a suppository (fleets) and it finally did the trick. I would not wait as long as I did. When I would call my surgeons nurse about the issue all she would say was you need more liquids. None of these remedies will work without the Fluid to help the plumbing work. I had a hard time getting in all my fluids at first. At my 2 week check up I was on the edge of dehydrated.... So with all the ability you have do your best to get in all the liquids you can. And walk that helps as well! Hope you have relief soon!

You don't think you've done well? Crazy lady, look at your weight ticker. I was sleeved just a week after you and I am far from doing great, but before my sleeve, I was doing NOTHING! It will catch up with us. Wait and see, we may be slow, but think how quickly a year passes and I bet next year at this time we will be elated with our success. I love that you're going out and feel good enough to come home at 3 am. Those days are few and far between for this old broad. :-) Congratulations and keep up the good work and your spirit. Good things come to those who wait. :-)

Yup. Went on a 17-day all-inclusive, high-end luxe cruise over the Christmas / New Year's holidays. I came back weighing EXACTLY THE SAME I weighed when I left, even though I ate dessert and drank wine for both lunch and dinner almost every day. Happily, The ship doesn't serve food in every cubbyhole and deck -- but in restaurants where they cook slow food and serve smaller, European-sized portions, not US Golden Corral portions. I ate three meals a day -- Breakfast, lunch and dinner. The secret is portion control and stopping when you feel satiated. And not eating between meals. And going on the hiking / walking excursions when you're in port. And taking the stairs when you can. And enjoying any gym classes that appeal to you. P.S. And no, the wait staff did not look funny at me. Their job is to help me do anything I want to do. And on that cruise line they do their jobs perfectly.

Hey guys, I'll be having my sleeve in a few weeks!! Can't wait. My surgery time is 8pm and my surgeon has another 6 sleeves to do before mine. Is this something to be worried about? Is it normal for such a late operation time? Thanks.

@ i dont measure. but i do feel looseness in my clothes. but im still annoyed after a week of hard work to only see one pound. i think i just got spoiled after the first 3 weeks post op to be losing so much so fast and then suddenly .....nothin. but i'm staying on track and hoping to rebound next week. just needed to pout.

Being new to this group (and 2 weeks PRE-op, I am so grateful for these forums...it helps me "get in touch" with what to expect so I don't freak smooth out when "I feel" something has veered off my preferred plan. I don't know any of y'all---but already feel like a kindred spirit to so many, having felt, thought and experienced the same things. To Original poster: Deep breath! Your body has been through some major drama & the "injury" of surgery takes months to completely heal. (I'm a nurse)--- 6 weeks for initial healing, 6 months for total healing. So go easy on yourself. [[[[[[ hugs ]]]]]]

I'm only four days in to two weeks of full liquids prior to June 8 sleeve date and met with surgeon Thursday for prevealuation, approvals, anesthesiologist etc., and I already lost five pounds! Everything's a go and for those of you who are struggling with 'time' waiting, uncertainty, self doubt...hang in there. I've been second guessing myself for months and now it's ten days away. Sure it's hard giving up food emotionally but to gain my health, comfort, confidence and energy will be worth it! I'm so used to not losing weight in the past (or gaining) I was elated to see a few pounds gone in a couple days. Commit, dedicate and be confident. It IS possible ????

It happens. More people stall at that point than gain weight, but I'm including people with different surgery types in there. I think it's harder with a band because you are trying to lose without restriction at this point. For support groups, try the hospital you had your surgery at. I know the hospital I go to for my surgeon's support group meetings also runs a lap-band only support group for anyone no matter who their surgeon is so maybe your hospital does too. Personally I prefer my surgeon's support groups because he leads them and I like having the contact with him and also getting answers from the horse's mouth so to speak. Does Dr. Waldrep lead his support groups?

Hiya, I've just seen your request for information about Cosmetic Bliss and am here to say 'Use them!!!' I've recently had Gastric Sleeve surgery, on the 1st of April and I have since lost over 2 and a half stone in less than 5 weeks! The company itself is fantastic. When I was looking for a company to have surgery with I was very weary about booking with an internet company, especially outside of my own country, but as soon as I soke with Micheal at Cosmetic Bliss I felt more at ease. It was still daunting when I finally sent off the balance of the money, as far as I knew it was going into Cyberspace maybe never to be seen again, but I was willing to try anything I was that desparate!! I'm glad I did, its the best thingI have ever done for myself. I was met at the airport by Debra and Micheal who introduced me to the other girls who were going with me to have the same proceedure, they chatted to us about the surgery and general chit chat before we got on the plane. When we landed in the Czec Replublic, Debra and Micheal met us there and transfered us to the hotel, Which by the way completely lives up to its name of the Grand! It was an amazing hotel. We were then given time to take our bags to our rooms and we went back to the bar area to have a chat with Debra and Micheal to talk things over and ask any questions etc. They are the most wonderful, honest and caring people you could wish to meet, they completely put me at ease and any reservations I had were totally gone by the time they left the hotel. Debra is with you the whole day when you go for your tests, the hospital themselves are so thorough when doing the tsets and the doctors and nurses are wonderful, so caring and explaining all the time what they are doing. They all speak fantastic English too. Debra is like a Mummy while you're there, she was rubbing my hand as I was having the some of the tests and it is like taking your Mother with you. Following the operation I was a little uncomfortable but the staff at the hospital made sure you were looked after and that you had all the pain releif you needed. They are literally there the second you call them. The hospital itself is a bit dated from the outside and on the lower floor, but when you get to the ward that deals with the weight loss proceedures you can see they are newly refurbished and spotlessly clean, even the cleaning staff were masks when they come into your room to clean!! I can't really say anything but good things about the whole experience, it even continues after you return home, Debra and Micheal stay in touch with you, they call to see how you're doing and want to have regular contact to make sure you are doing well and getting the results you are looking for, they don't just take your money and forget about you! If I had to recommend them to anyone, I totally would, even my Mother is talking of having surgery with them in the New Year. So go for it - it'll be the best decision you'll ever make!!!!