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Want to started can you have oatmeal or creAm of wheat on the first 2 days I want to see if I didn't break my pouch? Want to loose 10lbs quick I need to change my diet a little any suggestions?

Hi Cindy - SSF is also a very long and painfully slow process. From what I hear the timing is even longer. They say that it will be 5 to 6 months from the orientation to just your first appts with any of the bariactric staff. I don't know about Fremont. I went through Dr. David Le and I'm pretty happy with him. I meet with him on the 8th for my follow-up appt and he will decide then if I need a fill. Right now I'm loosing, eating about what they want me to eat but getting hungry at about 3 hours. They want to see you go 4 to 5 hours in between meals. They have you go see your surgeon once a month for a year for fills and just check-ups. We also have to go to a post-op class once a month for a year. Thankfully that is in my area. The surgery went pretty well. Day 2 was my worst. All in all, I'm happy with my surgeon. As Warrior said, you WILL get frustrated. It is an emotional roller coaster getting to where I'm at. The trade off is a whole lot of money being spent. Good luck on your journey! Warrior - Good to see you online!

Hello, I had my lap band surgery in Mexicali also. My surgeon was Alberto Aceves. The care in Mexicali also exceeded my expectations. I stopped loosing at about 2 weeks post op too. You will begin loosing again but it is not uncommon to stop loosing at this point. My surgery was 4/17/09 and I have lost 48 pounds. Make sure you are drinking enough Water and eating around 65 grams of Protein daily. I got my first fill at 6 weeks in Mexicali. After my fill I began loosing again. Be sure to exercise at least 30 minutes each day too. You may need to increase your calorie intake just a little. I began to loose once I increased to 1200 calories. Remember, the lap band is only a tool that will help you to eat less during dieting. It is not going to make you loose the weight. You will still have to eat less and move more to make the weight come off. Good luck to you.

i havent heard that one before. mabye? are you taking any other new meds since surgery, like a ppi or an anti nausea pill? you may be allergic to one of those if so. either way if it isnt to bothersome you can still take the childrens beny, or try getting some lotion that is for dry skin, with aloe in it. ps----im not a doctor, but i work in a mental hospital, where i give out medications, and deal with these things all the time with my patients, due to them changing meds all the time, and such.

Hi, I'm new at this, have read many posts over the months, but this is my first post, so please be patient with me if I don't get it right. Since I was banded back in May 08, I had been in such a good head space. As as result, my weight loss has been fantastic, but I seem to be "loosing it". I had abstained from my trigger foods: takeaways, alcohol, potato chips etc. but they've since started creeping back, and my weight loss has slowed, though I'm still exercising. It's like they open up this insatiable abyss. The other thing is, my band is quite wide open for a bandit, but any more fill makes me so tight. My Doctor took out .02ml to loosen me up from being too tight, but I can eat ANYTHING and am not satisfied for long. I know most of this journey is more a head trip rather than hunger trip so how does one get back to that good headspace for further weightloss/maintenance?

Does any live in Mass. and have Medicare. I was wondering what the requirements were. I called the insurance company and they didn't seem to know anything. I think I have a 6 month medically supervised diet program to complete. Has anyone done that and what is it that you had to do for that. Has anyone been really close to the 40 BMI with no comorbidities since all mine are just borderline. My BMI is now a 41.5 but worried if I loose to much then I won't qualify for the surgery. If I qualify then I will be going to Burlington Mass. but doing my pre surgery appointments in the Danvers/Beverly hospital. Of anyone out there has used them for bariatric surgery or is going to use them I would love to hear from you. My niece went through them and did fine.

I'm terrified of puking too. It seems like it would be harder and puking is bad enough when you have to stick your head in a toilet bowl and wretch! I am afraid of getting "stuck" even though I am planning on being super careful about what I eat. I am also afraid of all of the lose skin afterwards. I am afraid of having to go to work and do my job on the liquid diet that comes after the surgery for those first few weeks. I am afraid I just won't have the energy to do it. I hear ya, I have some fears too!

I hate to say it, because i suspect from your tone I've already pissed you off, but you will never get to a point with a lapband where you can eat healthy food but not junk. You will always reach the point where healthy food wont go down first. Cookies, chips, chocolate, ice cream, you will always be able to eat it. Assuming all is well with your band, being able to eat those things doesnt mean you need more fill. You need a band loose enough to fill up with healthy foods and just not eat those things. No, that's not easy, everyone understands that. But everyone faces the same challenge. There's not a long term bandster here that wouldnt agree that those foods just have to be avoided by dogged determination. However, if you're fighting an appetite fuelled by medication, that's really tough. I sure as eggs wouldnt be able to do it. I'm sorry if my advice is offensive to you, if you're just wanting to vent then ignore it.

i got the news monday that i will have surgery july 24. i do want the change in my life but i keep asking myself why can't i just loose the weight on my on. why has it come to this. i can usually just drop pounds. so for the last wk i have been having migraines. i guess i just don't want to fail. is this normal to feel this way.

she brought up a really good point. she does not have lots of loose skin, that's because the weight left at a slow and steady pace. that really good! My weight loss has slowed to 1 or 2 lbs a week also. I try to reassure myself everyday!! I know I would not be down 57 lbs on my own, that's a fact. don't compare yourself to others just keep going. when the blues hit distract yourself - walk, exercise, do for others, clean anything. I used to lay in the bottom of a pity bag. I did it for years!! I don't want to be down there anymore, not ever again. I will be patient, I will keep working on this oh so important goal. why, because I am worth it! God didn't make no junk...

Hello folks It's been 7 years this July since I got my band. I was losing weight (368 at surgery) really well until I got near my adult low which is 225. At that point I hit a mental block and stayed between 239-226 until now. Currently I am at 233 but I've had a breakthrough recently and I believe that I'm ready to lose the weight now. Part of my issue is that I've been at least obese since I was 5 years old. So much of my identity was that of the Fat Girl. I was always the heaviest one in the room. At my highest weight I was over 400 lbs. How much over 400 I can't tell you, that was as high as the scale went. It took quite some time before I was able to use the scale. Until recently I didn't become aware that I was no longer always the largest person in the room. I can't begin to explain how that messed with my head. With circumstances as they are now, it is doubtful that I will ever be able to have plastics done. Knowing this was another hurdle I had to get past. Finally I realized it was a matter of deciding if I'd rather look in the mirror and see the loose skin or if I'd rather see the slightly less loose skin and the progress I still want to make. I need to learn to love my body either way, so I might as well keep moving forward. And just because the universe has a sense of humor, two years ago I survived a stroke. Thanks to early intervention, I managed to avoid any lasting physical injury and remain completely mobile. I do have cognitive issues relating to speech and memory. One fun issue I have now is remembering to eat. After years of being obsessed with planning my next meal or snack, now I actually have to track my food to make sure I've actually put some fuel in the tank. Has anyone else had a mental block they had to get through before you were able to get to your goal? I'm thankful that for all these years I've been able to maintain. I guess I'd like to hear that I can make it from someone besides me (and my super supportive hubby who is always in my corner) Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

My sleeve was done last month. The surgery was not too bad. There will be some discomfort but you will have pain meds to combat it. You can also given IV meds for nausea if you experience it. You will be feeling better in just a few days. I actually went back to work exactly one week after my surgery. I wish you the best of luck! Don't worry...you'll do fine and, trust me, you will loose weight!

What has changed in my life since I have lost 105 pounds? I was thinking as my husband and I are planning a trip to Europe in September 2011 how much my life has changed in the last 2 ½ years. 5 years ago I would not have considered going on this type of long vacation. If you are thinking about having Weight Loss Surgery, these things don’t even hit your radar screen right now, because I had NO clue that so many things would change in my life after losing weight. 1. I always liked myself; I just hated the body I was stuck in. WOW I had no idea how different I would feel about myself after my weight loss. 2. I know I walked with much more confidence after my weight loss and I look people in the eye. 3. I have no problem standing up for others that I feel are being picked on or bullied, or judged by how they looked—their weight, their clothing, the color of their skin. I hate bullies and adult bullies are 10 times worse. LET’S STOP THEM OK!!!!!!!! 4. I wanted to give back something to my community and let others know that they could do what I hadn’t been able to do with JUST diet and exercise. I needed to have WLS so that I had the tool to achieve my goal. My tool is the restriction I have with “sleeve surgery.” 5. I am retired and went back and started teaching at an Alternative High School. So many of my students were from dysfunctional homes. I know without a doubt I have made a difference in their lives (they certainly have changed mine.) I am giving 2 of them scholarships to college. Maybe more of us can give something back, big or small. It all makes a difference. Your time helping kids really can make a difference. 6. I am willing to try to educate others about what Weight Loss Surgery really is. 7. I am here to support and encourage others on their WLS journey and I thought that would be a short term thing…now I know I will always be willing to help them in the years ahead. Pay it forward; you may change someone’s life by helping them with words and encouragement. 8. Life is very short, none of us know how long we will be here, and the time is NOW to have your weight loss surgery. This has to be ALL about you and NO one else in your life. It is nice if your family supports you but don’t count on it. And don’t let them discourage you. 9. I get up every morning feeling 20 years younger. 10. I know without a doubt that I will ALWAYS maintain my weight loss. Something I was never able to do before in my life. 11. Eating healthy is really fun. You can cook yummy healthy food that tastes great. 12. Exercise is something that I have always hated, now I want to exercise it actually feels good. 13. I have become a much better cook than I ever was before. The standard things that I am enjoying and they are all the things that you are thinking about if you are about to have WLS or have already had it: 1. Feeling and looking better. 2. Better health and I got off a lot of medications that you I taking. 3. New clothes, shoes, and shopping in places that I never could shop at before 4. Being comfortable and being able to move without my entire body hurting. 5. Wondering if you are the “one” person that WLS will not work on? I promise you it will work for you. 6. Having people notice that I have lost a ton of weight and being able to tell them how I did it. 7. Having someone call me SKINNY—what a GRAND feeling that was. 8. Going on vacations and walking every place I wanted to without having to stop and rest. 9. Giving away all my “fat people” clothes to a shelter where I know they will be need and use. 10. Getting hugs!:happy: Please consider how YOUR life can or will change if you have WLS. When I was considering this, I want the best doctor I could find who had done numerous “Sleeves” surgeries with great success and after all my research I knew it was Dr. Aceves. If you are going to do this WHY not have the best there is? Suzanne Sleeved by Dr. Aceves Oct 21, 2011 Starting Weight 225 lbs, Goal Weight 125 lbs Weight now 120 lbs

My doctor told me that the incision on my left that was the most sore was where the liver retractor was placed. Apparently it is pretty big and rigid. It stands to reason that there would be a lot of muscles bruised under the skin. I am sitting here with my heating pad right now:)

I am so excited- 1st my almost mother-in-law saw me today & the 1st thing she said was "oh my goodness! You've lost so much weight! Your melting away before us!" I LOVE hearing those things=-) Next we all went out shopping (mostly for fiancee) & I looked at myself in a full length mirror-I couldnt believe it-this had been the 1st time I had seen myself in a full length mirror for a long LONG time-and I was truely amazed-I actually liked looking at myself!Usually I hate even looking at myself in a half-length mirror! Later that night I decided to be daring- I bought some lingerie & those see through high heels (aka "stripper shoes").I tried it on for Matt-he was floored! To say the least!!!LOL I felt so beautiful,and not just because he was drooling- I felt beautiful-in my own skin-for once. I am so happy =-) ~Heather

My feet shrunk from an 8.5-9 to a 7.5-8. They are also all skin and bones now lol. My big boned self was also a 6.5-7 ring pre surgery lol. My husband calls me his pocket wife all the time- or his little miracle (a local radio station started calling girls under 5'3 with big boobs little miracles and it stuck). I'm pretty sure without the girls I would be 20lbs lighter. (I'm nursing my new baby now and currently in a 34H, but I've always had big boobs no matter the weight).

Curious has everyone lost weight everywhere but your stomach. Clothes are loose all over , but stomach still feels swollen and clothes fit the same at my waste. Is this normal? And I cannot wear anything tight around my waist , will it always be that way? :confused:Thanks for the input ! Sandra Have my 1st fill next Tuesday 205 195 YEPPIE !!!:clap2:

Hi everyone! I found this site by pure accident, I was looking up gastric band with plication on google and went to lap band talk and the last thread said to come over here, so here I am. I was banded in Nov 08, and I lost 85 lbs and now I am down 55lbs. I actually went in to see my Dr about having a sleeve done, and he says "look at this new procedure I am starting to do". We talked about it, I researched it, and I have decided to do it! When I talked to him on the 2nd he had done his first plication, and I'm curious as to how many he's done since. I have been reading all the post here, about when you had to start going on a liquid diet, and most was 2 days before. They wanted me to do it 2 weeks before, and the stuff I got from them is okay, it's all high in Protein, shakes, bars, and Soup. I have been STARVING! I finally decided I would eat one real meal a day, high in protein. I really wanted that last meal though Thursday night, but I guess I better not . I am excited and nervous all at the same time. I want to loose 150lbs, and I hope that I have made the right decision. 8 days to go, guess we will see!

At two weeks I had only lost 17 lbs dont' worry I've been there. I'm now down 97 lbs from 230 and surpassed goal. The weight doesn't fall off like magic it takes time. And the slower the better. I would rather be slow without saggy skin then fast and saggy skin everywhere. Just remember you just started this journey it will come we have all been there. But also remember when was the lasttime you lost 23 lbs in two weeks. Think of it that way.... Good luck and congrats....

Anyone need a workout buddy in Boca Raton? I am not loosing the weight like I should.

I would speak to your doctor's office and see how much time you need to have between fills. Mine is also two weeks. While they are often booked weeks in advance; I call and ask if they have any cancellations. I work from home so my calendar is flexible. I would keep cut up chicken breast in the fridge so you can have a solid Protein snack. I often have a a large gap between lunch and dinner (since I go to the gym between them); I keep Premier RTD Protein shakes in the fridge (160 cal 30 g of protein). If you don't have BP issues my nurse recommended dill pickles for a crunchy snack because they have very little calories. I feel you pain. Presurgery I was on my own diet and was loosing more than I am with the band prerestriction. Frustrating.

Hey everyone, my name is BrendaLee I am from Houston, Texas. I was banded October 22, 2007 so this is a very special day that I will celebrate from now on and I have named my band "Bella" eventually I will feel very bella because of Bella's help. I have been so depressed these days because I feel like I am not loosing any pounds. I need some help with food! I don't want to eat breads, pasta or tortillas! The cream soups are great but fatting! One soup Creamy Chicken is 130 calories, I don't know how many calories I should consume a day, I guess that means I should go see a dietician. Anyways this is going to be so hard for me but I am determined and I know writing in this journal will help me so much. :ranger:

Regarding the "sagging" skin.... The amount of excess skin after weight loss has to do with several things: 1. The amount of weight lost (greater than 100 pounds is considered "massive weight loss" by the bariatric community) 2. The time over which the weight is lost (from a physiologic standpoint, massive weight loss over the course of 1-2 years is considered "rapid".) 3. Your skin quality (In general, older skin that has been subjected to multiple weight fluctuations is most likely to "sag") 4. The type of bariatric procedure you have (this is related to the amount of weight lost and the speed of weight loss) So, yes, it is true that people who undergo gastric banding tend to have less "sagging" than compared to other bariatric procedures. This is likely due to a combination of slower weight loss, less overall weight loss, and a better nutritional state during the weight loss which leads to better skin quality. Good luck and congratulations on your first step in the weight loss process.

Of your incisions 2 will be larger than the others. The largest is usually in the area of the port placement. The other is where they actually took the band itself through to apply it. The tools used for your surgery are all pretty much attached to the laproscopic equipment. It is not like an open surgery where they use hemostats to clamp something, or anything like that. They do not cut....so there is no need for that. The smaller holes or incisions are from tools being pushed through the skin and into your abdomen to hold tissue back---to hold your liver back out of the way etc---but they are not something small enough to actually go in through the small hole, and be left behind. Another of the holes was used to light the work area, and to inflate it with a gas to hold it open---so to speak---while they worked. Different Dr.'s place the ports in many different areas, to guess which one is your port would be an impossibility for us here. Some are high, others below the waist even! When you go for your first adjustment, you will learn which is your port----if you don't figure it out before then. In the meantime, I would relax about left behind surgical tools, there were really none used that could be left! Inflamation can make the incisions feel harder to the touch. I am so glad you are feeling good, and back to work! Good Job! Welcome to bandland and welcome to LBT!! Kat