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If you're a single mom, think of it this way.....what if you DON'T get your weight under control? Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Hello hun. I myself have PCOS also and this has not helped with my weight loss w/out surgery. I never shared that with anyone unless i am asked.. The sleeve surgery I only told my closest friend and family members.. But some people think this is just a easy way out and don't understand how hard the whole process is. Is not a miracle easy step is hard is hard work. The surgery is just a tool it wont work if u dont put hard work to it. Like follow all the steps and work out.. Is not easy but pplz that have no knowledge of it wont see it that way. For that reasonable I only told closest family like mom dad and husband. And my two bffs. And when they ask how im loosing weight u just said working out and eating healthier thats it. Hope this help. Sorry if my spelling is wrong i don't speak english well. Good luck.

I have been working with a personal trainer 3 days a week and here is what we do on those days... 30 minutes of strength training (weights) then 30 minutes cardio. She/he (I work with a woman 2 days and a guy one day) both said always do weights first - and it I can only get one thing in to make it the weights because you burn more calories and tone more by the strength training. But I think it really depends on your goals -and the most important thing is that you just get to the gym and exercize! Here is a good short article on this topic... My link

thanks i called the office today and they told me it is something that my dr. does when closing up the site around where the stomach is. she said it must be pulling or something like that now that i am on full liquids. it is better tonight. i am doing better today!! thanks. how do you get the weight loss things under your name when you post? i also am having a hard time uploading a pic.

im on day 3 and im right in the middle of the worst i think. i still dont regret my decision as im sure that things will improve since they have already begun to get better, a little at a time. congrats on the great weight loss results. your doing great!!

I am one month out today. My stall began last week. My weight has been hovering between 203 and 203.5 this past week. I haven't weighed less than 204 in 3 years. I am thinking this weight is a set point. I am sure there will be other set points where a stall will happen too. It is very frustrating because I am walking and hardly eating anything. I know that I am still losing because my clothes are looser. I hope by this next week, the stall will break through and go below the 200 mark. Wishing really hard!

I hit my first and only stall so far when I was about 6 days post op and I freaked out! I was on this site reading for months before I had surgery so I knew what to expect. It does not change how you react to a stall though. I think for the first couple months our bodies are going through so many things it is really hard not to get emotional about things especially weight. Fast forward 7 months, I have wrapped my mind around the numbers on the scale and why all the fluctuations. I weigh myself every morning and sometimes a couple times a day. The difference is that it is just a gauge for me. I don't take it to heart if I weigh one pound heavier one morning. I have seen myself gain a pound by exercising more intensely or eating something salty. Stalls suck for sure, but no one weighs herself as much as we do so any other person would never even notice the stall. Your intelligence will eventually win over the emotions.

I also have Aetna and when first submitted they contacted my doctor's office that they need any medical records from 2008 showing my weight. I had an urgent care visit where I fractured my ankle and it showed my weight. Then they called and needed an one on one with a nutritionist. I got that in. Everything was turned in on Tuesday afternoon. I called insurance on Wednesday morning to confirm they had all the paperwork and it was being forward for surgical review. I got a call from my surgeons office at 2 pm to schedule a date. Holy crap...24 hours and really less when it got to the surgical review. I was sleeved on Dec 1st and loving every minute of it. I do step on the scale every day sometimes more than once. When I started my journey back in February with my seminar I was 232. This morning I was 193.8. We are now doing the 6 months PCP visit for my husband so he can get sleeved hopefully in March or April. Just following your doctor's guideline and you will be the "incredible shrinking woman" just like me.

If you're throwing up a lot, you could risk getting a slip later on down the road and losing your band. You are supposed to go on liquids for 24 hours after throwing up to give your stoma a rest. Believe me, there is a happy medium between throwing up all the time, and being able to survive on hardly any food at each meal and never being hungry. I was unhappy with my weight loss too, but right now I am at the perfect fill and it's made a huge difference. Get a small unfill so you don't risk losing your band.

Thanks for the thoughtful posts. I finally went in for my fill a couple days ago, but they would only give me 1cc for a total of 2cc (apparently I had 1cc in there still). Unfortunately, I still have no restriction whatsoever, but I am just trying to tough it out until I can have my next fill onthe 28th. It really stinks, but in someways it has been a lesson that I cannot rely entirely on my band to get this weight off. It has become vividly clear that I was getting by entirely on the sensation of being full rather than making mindful food selections. My goal is just to make sure that I do not get to the 200 pound mark again and just maintain until I can get to that spot where I can begin my loss again. I REFUSE TO LEAVE ONEDERLAND!!! :thumbup: Thanks for the support and I look forward to reading your update pizzi. :thumbup:

Hello all. I am scheduled for my surgery on 7/9. When I went in for my consultation, I was told that your age effects the rate at which you're able to lose. What have your experiences been thus far?

i have been trying to do the lap band since jun '07 and its been a long road.. I went to sent Dr carunna 1st but he felt the lap band would be best for me since I didnt have a sweet tooth. I have had issues with the gen gastric health dept at buffalo general handlimg everything, but I am sure the wait was worth it..(they are really sweet women in the administration ) I see the doctor mid april . I have done research on both lap band and gastric and I feel lap band is for me.. I hope to have the surgey by end of april we will see?? praying soon. As far as the doctors -- many friends have had dr carunna who is a wonderful doctor -- very sincere and his office staff is awesome-- extremely !! lap band is only done with the posner,forbes and hoffman with kalieda health-- -- I hear excellent reports about forbes and hoffman -- so i am going with the banding and pray this tool will help me lose the weight that the thyroid condition wants to keep adding on me..

Welcome to the other side! Small sips is recommended as a precaution against overloading your healing esophagus. I was delighted when I went from the sip...sip...sip... stage to full on Water glugging (one of my favourite things!). If you can drink more with no discomfort, I suspect there would be no trouble, however take it easy. I'm 5 months banded and am able to chug water like I used to. Watch out for very cold or ice cold water/milk/fluids - these can cause your esophagus to reject the liquid (and up it comes!) The "Liquids" phase is going to be a little different for everyone depending on what your WLS doc has advised. Liquids for me was two phases - Clear Liquids (broth, water, watery milk) and then full fluids (shakes, Boost, cream soups), but for you, it could be different. Yes, as the days go on between you and your surgery, you may notice yourself getting hungry. I was instructed to "eat" (drink broth, have a Protein shake, have a Jello, have a sugar-free pudding) whenever I was hungry. For most of us, it's a normal part of the healing process to have the hunger begin to return, but as you graduate from liquids to mushies, then soft food, then regular food, the Proteins and fibres should take care of things nicely. One thing I recommend is NOT RUSHING through any part of the graduated meal process (getting back to solids). Your stoma/stitches etc. need the time to rest and heal. You will also likely enjoy weight loss during this time, which is really awesome and sa-weet! Yup - Have water on hand constantly, day and night. Staying hydrated is really, really important in this early phase. :-) AND YES of course you are thinking about food - you have barely had any for a long time! Old habits (like eating when bored - I did this, too!) took a long time to form, and so they will take a while to break. I was banded on December 18th - 7 days before Christmas. So like you and your family BBQ, there I was sitting at a table LADEN with gorgeous yummy foods - prime rib, devilled eggs, green Beans and almonds, roast potatoes... and there I was. With my pathetic protein shake. I got my family in on the ridiculousness of it all, and we laughed about my situation. Keep your head in the game and remind yourself why you did this in the first place. Keep your eye on the prize! A serious (and friendly!) warning to you - whatever you do don't rush into eating solid food. The BBQ may tempt you like crazy, but if you eat solid food (especially ribs or meats) at this early stage, you risk having a stuck episode. Take good care and keep us posted. Every day it gets easier!

I tried Celebrate sample packs. The chewable vitamins tasted horrible. I did get 2 packets of 4 in 1 but the vitamins tasted so bad, I threw the packets out. I suspect the 4 in 1 just has their vitamins in powder added to protein shake pack. Find a brand of Bariatric chewable vitamin you like and switch. BARIATRIC FUSION chewable are the cheapest and complete, including calcium. Different fruit flavors but avoid the ORANGE as it is really overwhelmingly strong flavor. For protein shakes, I have been drinking pre-made FAIRLIFE Nutrition Chocolate. I really like it and only 150 cal with 30g protein, 2 carbs in 11 oz serving. Stats: 5'1", age 67, female. Highest weight: 245. BMI 41. Surgery Date: May 28, 2020. Weight at surgery: 211. VSG.

no....again...i don't want to sound like a jerk...but my weight came off real easy...i followed the rules to a "t"....exercising ....eating healthy and portion control was a breeze for me...i didnt start obessing over my weight till i had my tummy tuck and was already at goal...the obession took over to keep it off and then to lose more and more...

I really relate to your story. As time went by, I became less and less successful at trying to put on a happy face while being miserable about my weight. I'm on my way now to a thinner version of myself and I'm looking forward to happy shopping experiences. I know you'll get there, too!! I wish you much success!

Just one question.... can you say though that once you hit your sweet spot it really helps the weight come off so much easier?

Hey All I was banded on 6/27 and the doc put in 4cc's. I went for my first fill on Monday and they put in half of a cc. Needless to say....ummmm....Im starving...dont think this is gonna cut it...lol. I go back on the 27th...Im assuming to get another fill if this doesnt do the trick, which...its not My question is this....on the average.....what is the "cc" that usually does the trick? I know every person is different and tolerates things differently but just courious if there is an "average". Also, Ive been feeling very fustrated because no one has noticed my weight loss....and feel its all for nothing....but I did get some motivation....running into boyfriends ex wife....Hahahaha....

I think That you are going to have to do what is right for you, it is so hard to give people advise when it comes to what surgery is right for. I would tell you go with this surgery 100% only because it has worked for me. My starting weight was 341lbs and today I am 261lbs. I had my surgery on March 3rd in Mexico by Dr.Huacuz and I would not change it for all the money in the world. I do feel like I can eat more then I could 6 months ago, but with that being said it is my own doing and I am working very hard on controlling that. I am going back to basics so I can shrink my tummy some more, I have not been good about going to the gym this summer but the plan is to hit it this fall when the kids go back to school. I wish you the best of luck on whatever path you decide to go down, please feel free to p.m. me if you have any questions. :wub:

Go with the sleeve. It has been around longer than the plication, more research, more long-term patients. Plus it actually removes part of the hunger hormone in the stomach. I had the plication and wish I'd had the sleeve. No problems with the plication... I'm losing weight, just wish I'd gone the other way. Good luck with your procedure.

Anybody have to have their gallbladder removed after surgery? If so, did you lose more weight after removal? Gain?

If you have ever been around a kid for more than 5 min I am sure you have heard them say why at least twice. I was always the kid who ask why, it just does never worked on me, drove my mom nuts! Well I am still like that, I always want to know why. Since having surgery I am reading about nutrition and fitness all the time, to find out how and why my body works with food. One article I read said a calorie is a calorie and should be counted, while yes that is true, it isn't the whole picture. We all have heard and been told 200 calories from chicken is better than 200 calories of ice cream. But why is that if a calorie is a calorie? Well here is what I have figured out..... We need our protein and fiber- it helps us stay full longer. Some say hey ice cream has protein- I'll eat that, but that is where we need to know more. One of the best things I have learned is I can make my food work for me!! How awesome is that! When we eat foods high in protein, fiber and complex carbs our bodies must work harder to digest them, therefore, our bodies will will burn more calories digesting them. While I guess I knew this, it never really dinged until I read an article about that. When I did WW years ago things like fruit and veggies were hardly any points, yet they do have calories. However, your body must work harder to digest them therefore their calorie counts are almost null and in the case of veggies like Celery it is null. So now what do I do with this information..... Well, I am all about what I eat working for me rather than sticking to my hips. I am upping my fiber, making sure the carbs I take in are complex, and making sure I get my recommended protein in. I can still eat yummy food and things I love and lose weight. Yes, I will have to adjust. I highly recommend going to your favorite resturants website and looking at the nutrition part. Some like Wendy's and Burger King you can adjust the meal to see what calorie counts would be. It is amazing what just leaving off cheese or mayo can do for lowering the calories. Now I AM NOT saying eat fast food daily, but what I am saying is if you are craving that whopper - go get it, but adjust it- leave off the mayo, cheese and pickle and the calorie count will come down nicely. We (I) got to be obese by eating what I wanted and not paying attention to what I was putting in my body, but with a little nutrition knowlege we and ADJUST ourselves and our food to work for us. Holding up my water bottle..... Here's to Success!

Mkay I suppose this is a good place to track my experiences and maybe look back on them at some point? I am one week post op and I am feeling better than expected. I have a lot of gassy stomach discomfort, but continue to follow the liquid diet as instructed. I get to have full liquids tomorrow which I am quite excited about! (yay) Surprisingly I am not starving like I thought I would be, but it may be because I am so bloated. I am constantly drinking something and I have this "Belly Gas." So far this week alone I have lost 9.3 lbs! I do realize that is because I am not eating any real food, but I will take the victory anyway. I still have some discomfort and continue to take my pain medication - though stretching out the times I take it. I also use a heating pad on my stomach which is very soothing. I am excited to move on with this journey and hope I keep the strength and determination to do what I am supposed to do. I would love to be at a comfortable place (weight-wise) by October when I go on a cruise. Haha! I know it is one day at a time, but it is still a nice thought Will try to remember to update this blog next week... to update on my weekly progress/thoughts.

Hello, I have a friend who has finally been approved for her surgery but she needs to lose about 30 lbs before they will do the surgery, as a safety thing I am sure. She is very nervous about this and wants to get it off, but don't know where to start. I suggested that she go on a low-carb diet and lots and lots of Water drinking and walking if she can, but she had lots of health problems so the walking is probably not an option. Is there any of you who have done anything to lose some weight quick before surgery? If so please advise me and I will share with her..... Thanks so much!

I am finally in the 30's with my BMI, 39.8, and excited. So not sure if that is or is not an NSV, but I'll take it. I know I post how slow my weight loss is, and still feeling it could be better, but excited BMI is in the 30's. I think when I first started, May 2014 my BMI was 49. I did my 6 month requirement for the insurance, which finished in Nov 2014, but had a work injury on my knee and fractured my wrist, so took a break from the program, then started up again April 2015 and finally had the surgery 8/3. Thanks to everyone for their responses, and I love reading these posts and everyones experiences.