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Banded June 2010. Rid of 168 pounds! (sorry if this is a repeat for some of you but thought i should post this in this forum too to help/motivate more people) So the truth is the way I had success was to get real with myself. The first year I completely failed my lapband. I lost a little and then gain 30 pounds back. I didn't exercise at all and tried to tell myself walking the dog counted as good cardio. I also didn't count any calories that first year. I ate crap and tried to blame it on my band not working properly. I was very uniformed and thought the band was magically supposed to work. I didn't understand that I needed to get to that "sweet spot". The second year I decided I had to do it and get informed. I read these bariatric pal boards and searched for the secrets to everyone's success. The answer? No big secret, actual real exercise and counting your calories! I got a little cruiser bike and actually rode it 15 miles a day 7 days a week starting the day I bought it. I had always wanted a bike like that and said if I got one i would use it. That day I also started counting my calories religiously...right down to a stick of gum. I stuck with 1200 calories for the first year and then actually had to up my Protein calories once I started doing even more exercise. When it got too cold I tried zumba and fell in love with it and did it 7 days a week. Then I upgraded to twice a day zumba for several months. Then I did the Insanity program and zumba every day for 3 months. I slowly but surely lost steadily that whole time. The majority of my calories was always protein. 90 grams at least. And when my weight was stuck and I exercised more, i upped it to 120 grams of protein and lost even more. With that amount of protein i felt full, and there was only enough calories left for my veggies, then fruit the sometimes some carb foods. My band is a realize band and if i remember correclty it is at 10.2 in an 11cc band. I almost have to have the darn thing closed shut to feel any real restriction. I havn't had a fill in a year. (acutally i had it to 10.7 for a almost a year until this january when i started randomly having really bad night reflux so decided to just get a tiny bit out). I made little goals as I went along.. If I had a trip planned, I would say, ok I just have to lose 10 more pounds by then. Or I just want to weigh what I was when I graduated college, and the what I weighed when I first got married, and then I just wanted to be smaller than my husband ( that was an awesome day the day the scale said I weighed less than him!). And the it was I wanted to be what i was when I was 21, and then the ultimate was what i was when I was in my teens! As for extra skin, yes i look dang good in tight workout clothes but naked is an entirely different story. I will be very honest here and many people here can relate. I struggle daily with my body image. While I may look tiny and muscle packed with clothes on ( I'm at 19% body fat), without clothes my skin is soooo wrinkled. My upper arms are super bad and I am pretty self conscious about them. I wore tank tops last year but vowed not to this summer as i swear all i thought about was people staring at the saggy skin. My upper and lower stomach and pubic region have a huge amount of extra skin that gets in the way when i exercise. I can actually hear it flapping about when I workout dang it! My chest is completely non existent, just flaps of skin which will require a lift and augmentation. My inner thighs and butt are the least saggy out of everything but will require a lift if I really want the complete packed. The good news about some of this is my legs and butt have actually gotten better with working out once I added weight training. I was so overweight for almost 15 years and so i just don't have time (or age) on my side for my skin to shrink back. My goal is to concentrate on reducing my body fat just a little more and have my arms, chest and tummy done this fall as a reward for keeping my weight off for a significant amount of time. The best advice is to get very informed and have a plan. Don't kid yourself, real exercise and a diet plan is the key to success with the band. Exercise is my best friend now. I actually want to be a personal trainer and nutrition counselor. Many people have asked me how I did it and I have to say I was sick of being what I was. You can do this!!!!!

I was sleeved 4/13 and had my post op appointment today. I lost 10 pounds on pre op liquids and 10 pounds on liquids post op. Starting purée/ soft diet for next 2 weeks. Have bought some of the bariatric pastas and add salmon or tuna for extra protein. Had some pretty wicked spasms initially when I drank too fast but they seem to have abated. Still a little swollen in my upper mid section as well but as this is where the incisions are I think it’s normal.

Good for you!! My experience was similar - I felt awful through day 10 post-op (low energy, could barely get out of bed) and at day 11 I magically turned the corner and have felt better every day since. I'm only at day 15 and I *almost* feel like my old self (minus 20 pounds)! Glad you're doing so well! Best of luck. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I am 10 days post op. I was late getting my lunch in, started burping before it got way worse after eating- can eating too fast cause the excessive burping? Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I had surgery with Dr. Aceves in Mexico. He fixed the hernia at no extra cost to me. My surgeries were the reverse of yours==I had my gallbladder removed 10 months post-op and although my surgeon was worried about adhesions in the area from my VSG, he didn't have any problems getting my gallbladder out.

Sorry about the thread hijack. I started about 15 lbs less than you. I'm 5'7. 10.5 months out.. down 188 lbs. I have a normal bmi and wear a 6...sometimes a 4. I am someone who has be fat since childhood. Never been "normal" before. There are pics in my profile. I think in the afters I was a size 10 so I have lost more since then. You can totally do this!!!

Wow. So I was 11 months out when I found out. 10 lbs from my goal of 136. Being sleeved and pregnant has been a challenge. My husband wanted another baby but I was skeptical. Since finding out I am pregnant I have fallen in love. I so happy and hope we are having another boy! I am 10 weeks now. Morning sickness has plagued me as always. Hoping to get back to the gym soon.

*lost 100 lbs!

Thanks do much everyone, I'm now 9 months out, almost 10 months and I'm down 112lbs, feeling like a million bucks...lol

Just wanted to share my story so far. I had my 1 week appointment at the Dr.s today. I had my surgery last Thursday 4/14. It has been an easy recovery for me. I was out of the hospital the next afternoon, Friday. On Saturday, I had promised to dogsit and went to walk dogs three times. I also grocery shopped. Sunday was two more walks and some errands. I have been out every day since. I have been doing doing some walks with my husband and yesterday we did almost three miles. The doctor said everything looked great. I am down 18 pounds, 10 since the surgery and 8 from my five day pre-op liquid diet. My starting weight was 237 and I am 5'7" tall. I can't see or feel any difference in my body yet though. Getting the Protein in is tough. I do not like the shakes but have been able to tolerate the Isopure drinks which is a big help since a 20oz bottle has 40 grams of protein. I usually get my 64 ounces of Water in and am getting about 60 grams of protein. I am averaging around 400-500 calories a day. My eating plan was nothing at all the afternoon/ evening after surgery, then 2 days of Clear liquids followed by 12 days of full liquids. Next is 2 weeks of purée and then 2 weeks of softs. Full diet taken slowly starting 6 weeks after surgery. 7 more days until pureed food which I am looking forward to - only to try and get more protein through food. I'm not hungry and making meals for my family hasn't bothered me. I am dreading the thought of an upcoming stall. I am also fearing losing my hair as it is super thin to begin with. I am off pain meds and have been able to sleep on my side since the second night. My only problems are slight nausea here and there, but not bad enough to have to take the meds they gave me, and diarhea. I was also lucky as my surgeon did not put in drains. My other issue is that i had the top of my hand turn black and blue, but it was not the hand that had the IV. I know others have had more issues after their surgery and I feel bad as I read their posts. I just wanted to share my experiences so far. Please excuse any typos as I am typing this on my phone and it won't let me go back and reread or edit. Good luck to all the upcoming surgeries!

Joined fitness pal. Look me up. User: bkswann Sleeved in April 10. 8 weeks today.

Biotin really won't help with the kind of hairloss we experience. It doesn't hurt anything so if it gives you any peace of mind, take it, just don't expect any results. Iron is actually more closely related to hairloss than biotin, yet you never hear about people taking it. I think there's a bit if Biotin "buzz" on teh interwebz, which unfortunately can even carry over into surgeons' offices. But I tell you what. If I could go back in time about 10 years ago, I've have bought all the Bioin stock I could have. I'm sure it's a lucrative manufactured market. It will eventually stop. I've been around WLS boards for about 8 years, and know an awful lot of people who have gone through it, and I don't know anyone whose hairloss did not eventually stop. Our hair works in cycles. Cycles can neither start nor stop overnight. You will get there. If you're to the point where you need a wig to feel comfortble,the honestly - get the wig. None of us need new/additional esteem issues on top of our WLS efforts.

Today, BariatricPal celebrates its 11th birthday! I am very proud of this accomplishment and of our dedicated BariatricPal members who have made the last 11 years possible. How It All Started I got the lap-band and came home from the hospital on July 2th 2003. Almost immediately, I went online to find out the answers to some of my questions and to share experiences with other weight loss surgery patients. To my dismay, I could not find an online social site that met my needs. The very next day, I started LapBandTalk.com with the goal of providing a welcoming community for lap-band patients and potential patients to provide support, encouragement, and advice to each other. The Evolution of BariatricPal LapBandTalk.com took off, and I eventually started VerticalSleeveTalk.com for gastric sleeve pre and post-op patients, RNYTalk.com for gastric bypass pre and post-op patients, and SleevePlicationTalk.com for sleeve plication pre and post-op patients. In 2013, 10 years after the launch of LapBandTalk.com, I decided to merge the boards into BariatricPal.com. This single community retains the welcoming environment of the individual boards, but has a stronger voice in advocating for weight loss surgery as a way to fight obesity. We Hit Post Number 3.5 Million! BariatricPal is still growing. Our community includes hundreds of thousands of members and 7 million monthly site visits. Our most recent milestone is an impressive 3.5 millionth post, which we hit on July 10! Don’t forget that the lucky poster who made post number 3.5 million will receive a free copy of my latest book: The Big Book on Bariatric Surgery: Living Your Best Life After Weight Loss Surgery. Thank you for your continued support. Without your participation and feedback, BariatricPal would not be the top site that it is today. I am truly grateful for all that you do. Sincerely, Alex

*disclaimer- please withhold negative opinions, looking for advice, not judgement*. That being said, I'm 10 months out, down 115 lbs and looking to get knocked up. Based on having a gastric sleeve, those of you who are prego, are you considered to be high risk based on the surgery by your MD?

Going to a brunch. Menu: bacon/cheese quiche, stuffed french toast, hash browns, sausage, assorted bagels/muffins/pastries, fruit. I am 10 weeks post op today. Have been doing reduced fat and no sugar since surgery. I worry about dumping syndrome. What is everyone's opinion about having a forkful of each?

Just had mine done on 5/10. Down 14 lbs. no regrets!

Thanks guys! I am waiting on my approval and will hopefully get in on April 21. I got my unjury stuff today so at least I'm prepared for my 10 day preop. How do you mix the chicken soup with water and cream of chicken. Equal parts?any way to jazz it up w/o the cream soup?

Got Bronchitis that affected my asthma. Needed to get dreaded steroid shot. Gained 4 lbs overnight! Hope it comes off & then doesn’t produce stall. Never had that Initial 2-5 week stall. I’m about 10 weeks out.

11 hours post op and I am feeling pretty good. Pain at about a 2 on the 1-10 scale. Ice chips are the best! I am so happy to be on this journey!

I had weight loss every week. The numbers were inconsistent, but I never stalled. Not one week went by where I didn't lose something. I might have only lost 1-2lbs some weeks, but I always lost, the scale only slowed down when I got close to goal and I think I went 10 days with no movement, then BAM I woke up and had dropped several pounds.

I won't actually start the diet until 10 days before surgery. My nutritionist just went over everything and gave me my meal plan because I won't see her again until after surgery.

Are you talking about my pain on the day of surgery? For me, the gas/shoulder pain was the worst. I was definitely sore when I woke up and I was very nauseated and started dry heaving right away - but I don't tolerate anesthesia very well. The heaving hurt my stomach but at it's worst I would say my pain was only 6 out of 10. They gave me Lortab post-op and I only took one other dose that day. I was fairly sore but I wasn't necessarily in pain. I also made sure I got up and moved around a lot which helps in the long run. Day 2 I took 2 doses of Lortab and that was it - no pain meds since then. I do have a high pain tolerance though so that may not reflect what the majority need. I would definitely, absolutely, 100% recommend that you get a heating pad for the shoulder/gas pain - this was my biggest lifesaver! I used it around the clock for the first couple days and I feel like it made a big difference. I'd be happy to answer any other questions I can, good luck to you!!

giogirl I've only been banded for 10 days and I'm well into mushy foods. I lost 10 lbs on the liquid diet and just recently lost another 2 while eating semi-solids. I started back in the gym a few days ago on the eliptical machine. As soon as I started back in the gym I noticed that I have gained the 2 lbs I lost . I contacted my dietician and she informed me that I am not consuming enough calories to sustain myself. I would burn 400 cals in the gym and only eat a total of 800 calories in a day meaning I only gave my body 400 calories to live on. I've up'd my calorie intake to at least 1200 calories a day when I hit the gym this gives my body around 800 to 900 calories to live on. If you do not take in enough calories your body will naturally fight to save your life by retaining every calorie you consume for energy to stay alive. It will store those calories, fat, sugars and everything else if it thinks you are starving to death. You can easily put yourself in stavation mode if youre not careful (especially on the immediate post op diets we have to stick to) This is just my two cents but when I weigh in at the doc's office tomorrow I hope to see that I have lost and not gained becasue of the changes my dietician suggested. Hope this helps. Todd

Got banded 7 years ago. So many stories, so much to tell. I lost 120 pounds slowly and without thinking. In fact, got a little underweight! I am a success story, no doubt. Went for a check up and found slight slippage. The doc offered to reband with the new version, which I did. I'm 10 days post op now. He repaired a hiatal hernia, for which I had no idea - and am glad. Came to the site to check on others with the same issues, and found great comfort. I've gained some post op weight, which I am assuming is Water retention from the sodium overdose and swelling. Of course, I spazzed... want to get back down again, and I feel like I'm overweight all of a sudden. Thanks for all the great support on this forum. I"ve been through it all - ups, downs, great weight loss, great adventures because of it - even won a contest in the National Enquirer for the best weight loss results! Had my photo splashed across the country in my swimsuit. If I can be of comfort or support to anyone in doubt about this awesome topic of being banded.....I am here. My husband was banded 8 years ago and lost 230 pounds. So, we are living proof of what can happen to YOU, too.:biggrin:

I dont have a photo post but i was banded a year ago today.i have lost 62lbs. In a size 10.down from a 18. My internal medicine doctor asked me where i wanted 2 be i told him 130lbs. He said that was too small. I told him i didn't thinkso i am 5'2 so that is not too small for me.so now i am 30lbs from my goal. I go to the gym 5 days a week 1-2 hours a day.minimum 1 hr treadmill or elliptical. Now ready to pump up strenght training 2 maximize trimming and tioning my legs