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Your body is probably experiencing the stall that a lot of people get at 2-3 weeks. Mine lasted about 10 days, some people's as much as six weeks. This is normal and ok, really. Make sure you're eating several times a day, and eat Protein first--vary your foods and keep walking! Most of all, be patient. It is going to happen. The stall right after you start is weird, but normal, I promise. Also, remember, you might have less to lose (or a different metabolism, or be a different age) from many you're seeing here, so you can't always directly compare. Chin up! You're doing great.

Hi, Lismivel! Don't be discouraged! Others here who are further post-surgery than I am will be able to give you good advice on how best to keep up your intake, as my experience is limited, since I am still in the clear fluids stage. Just so you know you aren't the only one worrying about your weight loss, when I was weighed at my first follow-up appointment last Thursday (9 days post-op) I was one kilo more (yes, more!) than I had been on the same scales two weeks previously - after four days of no food while on the IV, six days on clear fluids only and a huge portion of my stomach having been removed! Of course, I had read the average weight loss statistics and was therefore doubly disappointed. The surgeon said (from what I can remember between my tears!) that all sorts of things could be responsible, but that in days of yore I would have been ideally positioned to survive in periods of famine, as my body is so good at hanging on to what it has accumulated during times of plenty! He warned that it could also mean that I can expect long stalls as I move through the weight loss process, but for both of us, if the loss isn't showing at the moment, once it does show, it should be well worth seeing! Keep your chin up and all the best!

If you don't want to read the whole dang story just move onto the colored text at the very bottom of this post. I am so conflicted right now! My husband and I have always planned on having a large family. However I'm starting to feel like I'd be the dumbest person alive to actually INTENTIONALLY get pregnant after getting WLS and reaching goal. Especially considering how much it costs out of pocket for us to get pregnant without insurance for my infertility issues!!! We can certainly afford both......but I can't help but feel like maybe I'm being stupid not waiting to get the VSG. But then, when the thought of waiting occurs to me.....I feel like hell because I know that we will have to wait at least 2 years (as usual) to even begin TTC, and with my infertility/pcos it'll be more like at least 3 years to actually fall pregnant. That is so long to remain unhealthy and unable to enjoy my life with my children. I fear becoming diabetic and getting hbp and high cholesterol as I'm already bordeline...and it's only getting worse the longer I wait to lose all this weight! I also feel like if I waited for the WLS, I'd be stealing a further 3 years plus from my children to have a normal healthy mom who can do everything with and for them that a mom should! UGH! So confused. The thing is.....Both times I've been pregnant, I have had IUGR babies due to my severe loss of appetite coupled with the first two trimesters of nausea. I lose 20-30 lbs everytime I become pregnant, and that effects the growth of the babies not getting enough nutrients like they should. I always thought that even if I wasn't getting any food, the baby was supposed to be fine as he would just take from my body, and the ill effects would just be mine, and mine alone! That is what the doctors told me the BOTH times. But apparently they changed their minds after I had my second child the same way! This last pregnancy I had gestational diabetes, which wasn't even a concern the first time. Both babies weighed approximately 4lbs at birth, and had stopped growing at 37 weeks, and were always measuring 2+ weeks smaller during all of the ultrasounds. Proving that they were not getting what they needed to grow properly. Thank goodness they are both incredibly healthy now and are doing exceptionally well and are not only caught up, but hitting milestones far ahead of their age groups! But the problem still remains, because of my weight and the ever looming PCOS, and pregnancy hormones making me severely ill and causing my loss of appetite due to the PCOS....it's a never ending cycle you know? I know that if I lost the weight, I'd no longer have PCOS, my hormones would be healthy and normal for once. And any pregnancy from then on forward could only be healthier. My doctors say the same thing. However, we are simply not ready to get pregnant so soon yet as the little one is only 8 months today. However, if I do get the WLS and hit goal by 1 year and maintain for the 2 years after, and THEN decide to get pregnant, I fear that I might just actually GAIN all the weight back trying to EAT and KEEP THINGS DOWN this time around. I know that any time I become pregnant in the future I am dedicated to eating ALOT, whether I can keep it down or not, and eating very healthy despite weight gain or whatever else. I CANNOT have IUGR babies any longer, and my doctor agrees that I am one of those women who absolutely need to eat twice as much in order to keep the growing child healthy. Because of this, I feel like I may ruin all of my success after WLS. Basically.....I just wanted to know if any of you knows what the likelyhood of gaining all of my weight back and becoming unhealthy like I am today after the procedure is? I don't want to get the procedure now, and have a pregnancy throw me off and back on the train to imminent disease and early death! But, I don't want to not have any more children either. That is just not fair to my husband, and not to myself. Very selfish of me if that thought ever even occurred to me, which it wouldn't! I know some of you will say that I simply should not have any more children, especially since I have 2 already and my pregnancies barely go well. But my doctor's have pinpointed the actual problem and are willing, as am I, to do anything (even if it means to become hospitalized for the first 2 trimesters in order to keep an eye on my food/appetite and the babies growth) to keep the same from happening again. My doctors have both suggested that WLS would be the best option for me, for my health AND for the health of my future pregnancies and children in so many ways. But............why can't I shake the fear that if I end up pregnant after the procedure and eat like I'm supposed to, and successfully gain weight (albeit 11-20 lbs only, since that is the goal my docs have for me since I always lose weight during pregnancy) that I won't be able to get rid of it and then I'll eventually be back where I am because my stomach will have stretched due to the eating!!! Am I losing my mind here (my doctor sure thinks I am) or are my fears legitimate and rational? In a nutshell: I am afraid of gaining the weight back if I fall pregnant 2-3 years after the procedure. I have a habit of losing too much weight DURING a pregnancy, and gaining it back plus some immediately afterwards when I regain my appetite that was suppressed due to my reaction to the hormones during gestation. I can't decide if I should have the surgery now or after I'm through having children. My dilemma is: If I have all of the children I want than I will be waiting 5+ years to have the WLS, and will be in a much much worse place health-wise by then, than I am now. I feel like I'll have stolen those years from my children's lives as well, they deserve all of their mommy...not just what she can barely give. Not to mention the fact that who knows where we may be financially in 5+ years, yes we do have it well planned....but goodness, in this day and age of recession ya never really know do you? Insurance so far, isn't an option, who's to say it would be in the future. I just want to know if you guys think what I fear is likely? If so, how likely is it? Has this happened to anyone after the VSG and having fallen pregnant? If I exercise and keep my calories/carbs down will that help. I just fear that the extra eating I'll have to do to gain enough healthy weight during a pregnancy will stretch my stomach and it will be a never-ending cycle afterwords.

Hello, my name is Annie, but I love the Beatles so I named myself Abbey I am 25 years old and I had weight loss surgery on 8/23/2010. My highest weight was 330 lbs and by that point I became really scared of reaching the 400lbs. I have always been overweight but I usually remained just 50lbs above my ideal weight (which for my hight it should range from 140 to 150). I began dieting one year before my surgery in hopes that I could lose the weight on my own, and I did lose about 20lbs. After a year of not being able to lose more I decided to have the vsg. My starting weight was 311lbs, on the day of my surgery I was 295 and currently I am 224. I used to be a size 28 and I am now size 18. I am currently at a stall and for the last three weeks I have not lost a pound. I am a big meat eater so my diet consists mostly of chicken or beef, I try to stick to the no carb diet. Usually I was eating three meals a day, but at the start of this month I began to snack still sticking to the no carbs. I believe that my snaking is the reason for me not losing this month. I exercise for about 2 hrs two or three days a week, I do cardio for 45 mins and the rest is weight lifting. I had my surgery in Laredo, TX at a hospital name LMC and it ran for about 8,500. I hope this is enough information but if you have any questiosn go ahead and ask I'd love to help. I also hope to have some of my questions answered I think it is an awsome idea that we have a forum to share info

Hello everyone!! I was recently banded almost 3 weeks ago and I lost 23 pounds. I'm not sure of a date for my first fill, I will find out at next doctors app. My weight loss is at a stand still and I cann't wait to get first fill. I can really notice that I am getting very hungry soon after meals. I am walking 3/4 of a mile in the morning amd the same in the evening. I am very excited about this fill so I can get this journey started.

I am so impatient. It has been two weeks since the surgeons office has submitted for approval and I haven't heard anything back. It's killing me. I just want to know.

It has been 4 days since my band, doing fine, just a little pain in my shoulder.Can't wait to be off of the Clear liquids, I have hardly had anything to eat! Any one else banded last week? I'm curiuos to know .how it is going? Claude

I am almost a week post op and today feeling great. I was a little slow moving from the surgery but yesterday and today have been 100% better. I am starting to get really tired of liquids and have moved to some cream soups that help a lot. It has been nice reading the other posts and has helped keep me encouraged and motivated. I'm interested in hearing from anyone on their experiences. I am down 14 lbs. I weighed 293 the morning of surgery and weighed in at 280 this morning. I really haven't been focused on watching weight loss because I was just concentrating on getting well from surgery. I see my surgeon on Monday, 12/08 and should be ready to go back to work.

Aloha, i'm going in two weeks. What impressed you the most??

Congrats! Hang in there It takes 6 weeks to heal so take care of yourself!

Wow, I weighed myself today. In less than 2 weeks I've lost almost 20 pounds. It never came off me this easily before. Guess when it's your money being used it is important to get the biggest bang for my buck. I actually LOVE the Meditrim shakes. I got chocolate and it is awesome. I read someones blog that indicated they were putting extracts in theirs. Maybe when I'm on the other side. But for now, not so much. I really like them. I'm not sure why, but I've gotten a bit more hungry today. I am thinking it's because of the weekend. Or, nerves. My surgery is Wednesday and that is coming quite quickly. Don't get me wrong, I can't wait. I dont need to be anything more than healthy. I don't need or want to wear a bikini. I don't need or want to wear a strapless/backless/mini anything. I just need the knowledge that I've done everything possible to be healthy. I'll keep you posted. Sheri

By my first fill, I was so darned hungry it was strictly bare knuckles to not eat anything in the house (and since I don't live alone, there is stuff here that I certainly have no business eating, LOL). At my first fill (on 2/10), they drew out all the fluid in the band ... .6cc was left in when the doctor tested the band for leaks before he placed it. The nurse practitioner added 4 ccs and I was told to sit and drink a glass of water. And it just got tighter and tighter, until I couldn't swallow any water. So they drew out 1cc. It was like a rock in my chest melted away as she withdrew that little bit of saline. At 3.6, I certainly wasn't at my sweet spot, but I went on a cruise (can you say 24 hour food?) and didn't partake of the desserts, the french fries and cheeseburgers and pizza that was in my face. So I will say that the fill that I had was enough to get me going. When I got home, I weighed .... no loss, no gain. And I was very happy with that because I've read (and experienced) so many times that people gain an average of 10 pounds on a week long cruise. And after that, the weight started dropping consistently. I went for my second fill on 3/31. The NP and I discussed it and I really didn't want to go back to 4.6 and maybe experience being too full again...plus, I had been in a pretty bad car accident the day before and was bruised pretty badly across my chest and lower abdomen from the airbag and seat belt. The guy that caused the wreck got out of his car and he was fine. I have a broken finger and torn ligaments in my hand, too. Anyway, we mutually decided to go with .5cc, which puts me at 4.1. Still not at my sweet spot but closer. I still get hungry between lunch and dinner, mostly because I have to eat lunch 12:30 - 1:30 and don't get home until 7:00 and that is way too long between meals. My NP told me to eat solid protein at lunch (no soup, which of course is sooo easy) and to eat an ounce of cheese or an ounce of meat before I leave work at 5:30. That works for me. I'm losing consistently still, and a little fast than before the second fill. I'm happy! I hoped to lose 50 pounds by June 12 -- my 40th high school reunion is 6/12-13 anda 50 would take me to less than I weighed at the last one 5 years ago. Well, as you see by my ticker, I've already made it. I get my third fill on 4/30 and I'm planning on losing another 20 if I can by June 12. I've never met a weight loss goal like the one I just beat (setting a date and meeting it, much less beating it) and if I don't lose 20, I'll still be happy with whatever I do lose.

Hey Tammy, we were banded the same day. I can't believe how quickly you organised everything. What a great weight loss you've had so far. I'm staying away from the scales for a few weeks but we're of similar weight believe me. I agree, come and join us on the June, 2007 thread.

Hi, I've only been slowly walking on the treadmill for 30-35 minutes per day at about 2.8-2.9 mph (less than 1 mile), but I'm only 11 days out from surgery. My doc said that I could resume (real) exercise after 3 weeks, so I assume that would be fine. You should really just monitor it by how you feel while doing it, and if you feel that your body is handling it. You could also double check with your Dr.'s office. Caloriesperhour.com has a great walking (and activities) calculator. It will calculate how many calories you have burned, when you put in a few different variables, like, your weight, height, etc... Hope this helps!

Hi guys! I was also banded on 2/26...and I did also "regret" my decision. But now, three days out, I feel much better, still have pain and gas, but well worth it. I was 237 pre-op, and when I started my first round of liquid diet on Jan 1, I was a whopping 256 (I am 5'1") so I am please, I weighed myself this morning and I was 233. So so far, so good, I have been doing clear liquids but toss in a yogurt and pudding every once in a while with no problems. Any other issues? I am still sore and burb alot, but I am moving around fine!

I have finally done it. I was banded yesterday in Temple Texas after a very long wait. I have 100 lbs to lose and can hardly wait to get started. I would love to talk with others about their experience and what I can expect in the weeks and months to come. I feel great except for the soreness in my midsection and I am already looking forward to week 2 food choices. Chicken broth and hot tea just are not very satisfying,:cursing:

Went to North Metro Medical Center at Jacksonville, Ark., at 7:00 a.m. Was in operating room at 8:45 and out the door headed home at noon. Dr. Rex Luttrell is a kind and gentle man, and he's also a really good surgeon. I did my homework on him and others in the greater Little Rock area. No issues getting up right after surgery and making many laps up and down the hall (leaning on my wife's shoulder). Had some discomfort with the gas in my shoulder and taking deeper breaths, but it's already gotten better over just the 7 1/2 hours I've been home. Absolutely no pain from my incisions -- yet. Figuring they'll wake up tomorrow. Told only family and two friends before the fact but about 15 friends via an e-mail after the fact and support/encouragement/understanding have been unanimous. I have lost 80-125 pounds through Weight Watchers once and on a medically supervised liquid supplement diet twice, but always regained. Was 396.6 pounds two weeks ago today. Post-op diet left me at 377.8 this morning, and I am headed for 250. The band is a tool I will use to help me lose weight and keep it off. I am 100 percent committed to following the rules, not cheating the band and getting back into a steady walking regimen, which my wife and I have done well at many times (but not lately). None of us has any guarantees in life, but I like my chances of living longer at 250 pounds than 400. Haven't posted much here but have read a lot. Thanks to everyone for sharing advice, thoughts, fears, etc. As I said to my niece in an e-mail today ... YEA ME!

Yesterday was day 1 of my post op surgery and it was a doozy. I am exited for this change as its mostly mental before you see any physical change. In a sense the next few weeks with the post op diet I feel as I am breaking up with food. I can only intake two ounces every hour and I'm in a lot of discomfort it's worse than labor pain and I did that all natural. I also should mention I'm fully sleeved in one arm with tattoos. I thought my pain tolerance was high but after this surgery I surely have questioned that. None the less I look forward to my life style change and I'm fully committed to losing the fat suit. Tomorrow I go in for my first post op appt but no fill until about the fourth week post op.

Just putting in a post. I was banded on November 18th. Made it through Thanksgiving without too much of a problem. I was still a little sore so I wasn't that hungry.

I was at 291 and dropped to 270 pretty fast but I have not lost anything the last two weeks. I am walking about 2 miles a day plus so toning exercises so maybe I am building muscle. I don't go back to the DR until Dec 30 and then maybe get a fill. I would just like to see the pounds start dropping. I been very good about my eating. Did great during Thanksgiving.

Hi everyone! I am new to this site and very excited and looking forward to having support with all the questions and worries. I had my first visit with my surgeon on wednesday and lost 15 pounds since my pre surgery visit. :thumbup:that was a week before the surgery. I am now on the puree foods and will have my first fill the 26th.

Today I Celebrate 2 months post-op. I started the journey at 192 and am now happily weighing in at 156. The last week has been a little tough. I'm finally feeling less restriction and I have to be a bit more conscious of what I eat. I'm able to eat less food but learned that I still definitely need to watch the carbs, they are the devil! Life is so much better. The holidays were just great. I didn't worry about what to wear and how it felt. Instead of celebrating with food, I am learning to celebrate with fellowship -- really learning to enjoy people! I'm still getting used to all the attention I'm getting but it's way better than the attention I used to get. "You have such a pretty face, have you ever thought about losing some weight?". Yes, I've heard that a few times. These days life is good. I'm learning to love the new me. Shopping for clothes that are not plus size is so much fun. Just after Thanksgiving I cleaned out my closet and now I'm slowly buying all new clothes. The Christmas sales were great. If you are considering gastric sleeve, take it from me, it's the best thing I've ever done for my health and my self-esteem. Did I mention I am prescription medication free? Yep, after 13 years of diabetes and high blood pressure, I am completely free from both. Well, that's my story and I can't wait to see what the next two months will bring. Blessings~

I had my surgery on July 20th also. I never felt hungry the first week and a half after surgery, but now I'm hungry all the time. I can't stop thinking about food. I get my first fill on Aug 29th. I can't wait.

Hi there Smoggy. Welcome! I'm pretty much a newb here too. I just had the sleeve done a few weeks ago and this is a great place to get info and support from other Sleevers.

@@Nessa0121 - I am not married nor do I have children so I don't have great advice. I just wanted to encourage you though and say that the first week is really hard - not just psychically but emotionally - and that was while I was recovering alone. (My mom stayed with me a couple of nights and then I was on my own which I think might have been easier than being around others with food.) You are not wrong for wanting some help. Hopefully you can help him understand at the very least that you did just have major surgery and are recovering and just like it were knee or shoulder or hysterectomy, you would need a little help. I am sure other moms / wives will chime in but I just wanted to say hang in there! HUGS!