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I'm still having the pains, bought gas strips which helped with the gassy bloated feeling but I definitely still have an empty grumbling feeling. Everything I eat, or drink, it goes like this. I swallow a small sip of Water an about 2 seconds after its passed my throat I feel it hit my stomach, then it instantly tightens up like a fist, then I feel the fist pressure slowly climb up my throat like a burp would, but it never amounts to anything. It just stops mid way up. I guess I'm trying to say that I'm not getting ANY relief from eating/drinking. I still feel sick and empty. I've not had anything "wrong" and been trying all sorts of allowed items to see if maybe one thing hurts less than another but it's all the same story. Jello popsicles broth water flavored water Gatorade diluted juice sugar free pudding, it all has the same effect, although the heavier stuff does hurt a little more. I have my follow up tomorrow at 2 so of course I will bring this all up to him then. Just frustrating that I'm supposed to get all this water and Protein in when it pains me just to sip water. SW: 324 DOSW: 322 CW: 315 surgery date-7/10/13 Sent from my iPhone using VST

Hey all! I was banded 10/8/08. I have been feeling incrediable, but today I am having some port pain. I am not sure where this has come from. Did any of you find that a few weeks later that the nerves started getting back in gear? Or is this something that I should start getting worries about?

Hi, I was just banded 10/4/10 and I am feeling better then ever. I too lost 32 lbs, but I came to realize most of it is Fluid weight. The problem I had is I NEVER felt hungry or full before. I felt stuffed from overeating, but never hungry. Eating was a way of life and now it is changing. I am now paying more attention to the foods and how they are feeling after chewing chewing chewing. So I guess I feel the same as you, it IS part band and part the mind. After all it is a life changing system. Keep up the good work and never feel like you failed. That is other people who will look at you and say "you didn't lose that much". But we all know the healthy way to lose and keep it off is losing 1 -2 lbs a week. That is our goal. :w00t::sneaky:

Does anybody know where we can get recipes for a pureed menu? I have been searching the NET but haven't found a lot out there. Based on my drs. guidelines...I will be on liquid for 10 days then moved to STAGE II (mushy food). So...I am trying to prepare for that this coming Friday. Headed to grocery store this afternoon if anyone has any suggestions. KBR

If you like your sweets like I do, you've got to try this recipe I made yesterday. It rocked my world! 2 scoops of chocolate protein powder 10 packets of splenda 1/4 cup of smooth peanut butter 1/4 cup of margarine You melt the peanut butter and margarine in a small saucepan just enough to soften it, then you mix it with the dry ingredients, press the mixture into a square pan and chill it in the refrigerator for an hour, then cut into squares. I made my first batch last night and wow oh wow was it good! What a treat for this sweet tooth and so filling. Nutritional info: 9 servings - 60 calories per serving, 6 g protein per serving, 2.5 g fat per serving, 4 g carbs per serving, 2 g sugar per serving

See I am pig headed and do not like left overs - I am also a chef so You would think I could manage Food waste and portion sizes. NOPE - So Decided to make skirt steak yesterday - Prepped it cooked it and sliced it - 19 slices? WtF - I ate 4 I just looked at it and was like are you kidding i could not have eaten that much Pre OP let alone now. Glad I am not the only one who does this, Aj

Oh my goodness, even if you didn't make a number goal, look at where you are! Those # goals are hard to make once you set them! Our bodies sometimes just do not comply and we say we want to lose 10, but we only lose 9. Did we fail? Oh, I don't think so, we LOST 9 pounds!!! That's why I never set goal #s. Mine are more behavior based. You've done awesome!! Keep up the GREAT work!

Wow!! You're doing wonderful. I'm one month one and 10 days I'm down 30lbd ive been stalled since June 21st don't know what it is but I decided I wasn't going to let it bring me down

Well I've been in the process of going for surgery for 10 months now and I will finally be having surgery Friday August 3rd and I start my 2 week pre-op diet tomorrow. What kept me going was my beautiful 4 1/2 year old daughter, 10 1/2 year old step daughter and my husband knowing that after surgery I'll be a healthier mother, step mother and wife has kept me going. There's always a possibility of ur insurance to deny u but just knowing that I tried ur best is all u can do. Took me 3 weeks to get approved by my insurance. I'm now just nervous about surgery lol Thats the part that I'm struggling with now

Good luck today! You've encouraged me about my date - 10/11 in just 12 days! I've read too many "complication stories" and have got myself worked up inside, emotionally, with fear. I know everything will be fine. There are more stories like yours that outweight the "horror" stories! Thanks.

I didnt have a problem the first 4 weeks after surgery. The last two weeks thou... Had my first in 6 days today. HW 385 SW 359 CW 335 (50lbs down!) Sleeved 10/5/16

Daniel If you can - avoid watching TV. Those *&^*$ commercials are all about food. Try reading or surfing the net for a bit. It helps if you aren't reminded every 10 minutes that there is a wonderful _ just waiting for you at the nearest fast food purveyor of slow death. Just think of all the times that you suffered before - and know that this will be over soon, and you will have the band to help you eat less in the future. No more suffering after the initial pre & post-op diets. Hugs and good luck!

Good Morning All! I just wanted to share that today's my 1 year bandiversary! I'm down 110 pounds since surgery and 130 pounds overall. I have 9 pounds to go until my dream goal, and I'm hoping to get there by the end of October. I'm 10 pounds below the top of the average BMI limit for my height. I work out 1-2 hours every single day with rare exceptions, and I strictly watch what I eat 97% of the time. The lap band has truly changed my life!

Sleeved 3/19/13 I know everyone is different, I reason these boards about people puking almost everyday or how they can't eat this or that. I'm almost 2 months post op and I can eat everything I've attempted...salad, raw veggies like carrots, a whole slice of pizza (not the crust) at a party. I don't have to sip sip sip I can drink like I used to pre surgery. I have to be completely honest here, I feel like I'm actually on a diet not that I had surgery because I have to control myself not to go for another 1/2 slice of pizza ** btw, I'm not a pizza person but I know I'd be capable of eating more than a slice if I wanted to*** I feel like its diet control not surgery control. I hope I'm explaining myself well. Also, I often feel hungry especially in bed at night. I spoke to my nut last month and she thinks I'm doing well, but I read others on here and I'm like...how come I can eat? I know some may say..."hey don't complain", but this makes me think as months move on it'll be easier still for me to indulge. I wanted the restriction....I don't think I really have enough. Also, just so you are aware, I had the lapband for 7 yrs and lost all my weight (gained it back after it slipped and had it removed) so believe me, I know what restriction feels like and how crappy it feels to take "one bite too many" I used to puke a few times a day and to be honest I welcomed it...bulimic?? Please let me know...is anyone else like me or am I screwed? Thank you for your help!

Hello all i to was banded on 10/22 actually im not doing so bad thank GOD for that minor gas in the stomach and a little discomfort from incisions but other than that i'm fine and looking foward to losing some weight. finally banded yahoo.....

I feel the same as you. I had my sleeve on 10/23 and am having a really hard time taking in my fluids. I had to stay in hospital an extra day because of being so nauseated. That has gone, but just having a hard time. I am DEFINITELY trying though! Don't want anything to go wrong! Good luck to you!

I am so excited about Halloween this year. I have not dressed up or attended a costume party since I was 20 years old. I have not been able to buy a costume because of my size, which none of the costume stores carried. However, thanks to my sleeve, I am down from a 34 to a size 10 and was able to go to our local Halloween store and buy a costume off the rack, in a medium! I was so excited. And last night, I went to my first Halloween party in 24 years. I had a blast and it was so much fun to participate in the costume contests, etc. I love my sleeve and consider this a major NSV. I am living and enjoying life again. And for those of you just starting this wonderful journey, you will too! And we are all here to support you. Have a safe and happy Halloween everyone!

Okay, I have a serious sinus infection (which I am prone to). My ENT gave me 2 different antibiotics to take twice daily for 10 days. My concern is now that my belly is so much smaller is 2 antibiotics going to be too much? I did not think to tell him about my VSG so I don't know if it matters or not. I have only been taking 1 twice daily because i'm scared it will totally screw up my belly. Any advice?

Over the last 17 months I've averaged about a pound a week. That doesn't mean I lost 1 lb every week. That's just what I averaged. Sometimes I'd lose 10 pounds in a month...but I'd pay for that by not losing for a month or two. I once went 4 months without losing *anything* and yes it is very frustrating. If you want to have stay positive and motivated, take your focus off the scale and put it on your health. Choose a diet...WW, low carb, low calorie, whatever...and then stick to it. Monitor everything you eat in something like fitday.com so you can look back and not just have a 'belief' that you did well, you'll have the facts. Then pay attention to your body and the way your clothes fit. That generally changes faster than the scale and is a far more reliable indicator of how we're doing. If you *consistently* do what you're supposed to, the weight will come off. Keep in mind though that if you're a slow loser like many of us, one slightly off week can undo an entire month. .

I spoke with a lady in my church this morning about the band since she is out over two years. She told me that she thought she has made it to her goal, wasn't losing anymore and then all of a sudden, she lost 6 more pounds. She said that it just keeps on working for her. I am 5' 3", start weight was 322.8. I plan to get to about 150-160 pounds. That was the weight that I felt the best and even tho it is still overweight, it works for me. I think the doctors tend to look at the insurance charts on weight and go from there. I agree with the others. Find a comfortable weight for yourself. Set yourself a "gain" weight of 5-10 pounds. When you see that you have gained that much, back off and tighten up your eating again. Don't wait until you have gained 25 pounds.....

Hi Globie, I found my friends changed over my life, slowly but surely. The friends we see most now are part givers as well as goers if you get my drift. I have had my fair share of friend who let you do all the running in the past. I *love* my friends that make the effort becasue it shows they care too. Plus they are grade A hoots and make mean cocktails. One of my daughters is in the process of sloughing off a couple of so-called friends now. She has come to the conclusion that they only drag her down and never support her when she needs a shoulder to cry on. I am really impressed that at nearly 19 she has seen this, it took me far longer to work it out! (My other daughter takes after her father and has always chosen friends wisely). She is so excited about going off to university in September, she is looking forward to meeting new people and has been deciding who she wants to make an effort to continue seeing in her school and vacation work friend groups. All the best to you. Jane x

Yes, I do seem hungrier at night like 10:00-11. Depending on when you ate dinner it could be that your pouch is indeed now empty. Though not sure if it is partially mental becuase when you have breakfast or lunch you say to yourself only a few more hours before you can eat again. At night you don't really have that crutch. Two ideas I have for you would be a solid protein like chicken breast strips with mustard; or a hot beverage like decaf coffee, sugar free hot cider, or sugar free hot cocoa.

I highly recommend Leslie Sansone's Walk Away the Pounds DVDs. (no affiliation) I have 11 of her DVDS that are in rotation, along with others (Jillian Michaels, Jari Love) Start doing 5, 10 , 15 mins or so, whatever you can do, and before you know it you'll be doing 3 miles. It took me 6 weeks to get to 3, it's a gradual process. Before I hurt my back back in January I could do 6 miles. I'm 57. No athleticism required for WATP. Love them. Great for really hot or cold days. HTH & Good luck!

Whether or not you have excess skin relies on lots of things---but rate of loss is not one of them. (People who have gastric bypass may seem to more dramatically develop the issue, but that is simply because their loss is more rapid. The rapid loss does not CAUSE the problem; the loss causes the problem--which means that yes, it can indeed occur after banding.) The things that influence the degree to which you are affected include age, genetics, smoking history, sun exposure history, how much excess weight you carried, how long you were overweight, how many pregnancies you have had, how many times you had large fluctuations in weight, and so on. Losing fast, losing slow---it doesn't really matter. Think of a balloon. If you blow it up to capacity, then let the air out, it looks pretty much the same. If you do this many times, it starts to change. It gets less elastic, striations appear in the latex. Your skin is pretty similar. If it's stretched and stretched, then the tension is released (again, fast or slow, doesn't matter), then elasticity is lost, especially if there is yo-yoing. There isn't much one can do about this other than hope for good luck and good genetics. Meeting your nutritional needs can give skin what it needs, too---that for sure is important. (Get enough Protein and Fluid, get adequate heart-healthy fat, take a good-quality bariatric Multivitamin.) Exercise to build a good "scaffold" for your skin to drape on. Know that exercise will not tighten skin, but will improve your health and appearance anyway. I'm almost 49, am almost 90 down from banding almost 10 months ago (and over 100 down from my highest), and have been very, very pleased with how many of my body parts have rebounded. OTOH, I have had 3 pregnancies, breastfed, and am no spring chicken; I have a plastic surgery consult scheduled for May, when I'll be in the surgeon's city for my daughter's graduation. I am nearing goal. I look pretty darn good in clothes. I look a HELL of a lot better naked than I did before losing weight. If I decide to proceed with surgery, it will really just be icing on the cake, something to do for MYSELF, to complete the journey. But the laxity of the skin is not something that torments me----really, it is weirdly symbolic of the positive changes I've made. ETA: To answer your other questions: I am aiming for the lower end of the normal BMI scale because my frame is small. Since yours is large, I'd go for a bit higher on the BMI scale. "Normal" BMI is defined as 18.9-24.9. At your height, you'd hit the high end at 159 pounds. I've had great success! I'm 0.4 pounds away from 90 pounds down, and have not yet hit the 10-month mark. The band has really addressed my particular weight issues, and I've found it quite easy to work with. I was taken aback by the hair loss that occurred beginning around 4 months postop. This is a result of an interruption in the hair growth cycle caused by the trauma of surgery and anesthesia. While it's important to make sure you get the right nutrients (protein, fluid, Biotin, zinc), and it can be helpful to use growth-promoting shampoos/conditioners such as Nioxin, really---it's just a matter of time. Just when I thought it would really become noticeable to others, my normal hair growth resumed---no harm, no foul. Otherwise, it's been pretty smooth sailing for me. I accepted the lifestyle changes (permanent eating changes, a lifelong need for daily exercise) pretty happily---so I have no real complaints.