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I was sleeved on 10/20. Today I am 299.2! This may not be a big deal to some, but boy am I excited! Next stop is Onderland!

Hi I had surgery last Monday, 3/19 and have lost 11 pounds so far I did everything right yesterday. 89 g protein (protein shakes, mostly), 605 cals, 34 net carbs, 5 sugar (watered down Gatorade, per surgeon), 30 min on the treadmill with my heart rate at about120. My surgeon has us on full liquids after day 2. My guess is I just need to be patient, but does anyone see any room for improvement? Perhaps getting the carbs down? thanks

So did you start WW since your almost at your goal or did you start off with it. I just had surgery 10/13/09 so I don't know what do you think.

Hi all! Always looking for local connections! I live in Arlington but travel! Had VSG 1/10/11, HW 266 SW 260 CW 148 and I'm 5'. I'm 54, live w partner of 34 years (what?!?!) and two kitties. Had surgery at Sibley Hospital in DC and highly recommend them. Would love to meet up for coffee and convo!! Let's do it!!!! Ann

I have become so tired of protein drinks too. But I know we have to have it. A friend told me about Nectar unflavored protein. I was sorta sceptical, but thought I would try it so I got a jug and tried it twice today. I was amazed that I could not taste it. I put 2 scoops in an ice coffee and 2 more this evening in sf cho. soy milk. It was good too. The vit are awful and the nut at the surgeons office was telling us about one that is vanilla flavor, so I got some of them and they are not as bad as the fruit flavored one.I try my best to not smell the protein or vit. Make sure to wash your mouth out really good after taking the vit. Make sure what food you do eat is high in protein, I think chicken is your best bet. I wish I could help more. Maybe if you have soup you could try adding the protein to that. It is 10 gms a scoop so you would not have to have to many scoops to get in enough.

Hi! New to the forum! I was sleeved 10/6 and Everything has been great. But... I have a question for you. I started soft foods today and, for dinner, heated up a Lean Cuisine Meat Loaf and Mashed Potatoes (250 cals/20 grams of protein). I expected to only eat half if it, but I comfortably are the whole thing in 40 mins. NO pain and no ill effects. Is this normal? Too much food? I am concerned. Thanks!!

Well I'm going to be 19 in a few weeks. This is going to be the start of my new life.. I know that I am young, but I have always been the big girl.. I am 5'7 and weigh 292 now, So on July 30th I will be sleeved. At first I was going gastric bypass, but my surgeon told me that this was better for a younger person. If anyone one it can be a male/female. I don't care about age or if you are pre op or post op. But I would like to find both a weight loss buddy and a mentor if possible. I live in Connecticut(suckish) Texting is fine though. pleaseeeeeeeeeeee. Love Krissy.

Thank you guys so much. I think it is just the fear of not having post op documentation for 10 + years. I'm so excited & I love having the support of you guys to answer my questions. I hope all is well with everyone.

So I was sleeved on June 24th and I am very happy with where I am at and the progress am now 102 lbs from my highest weight which was 2 weeks before surgery and now 85 lbs since surgery Today I went to the gym and did 4 miles in 52 minutes on the treadmill feel more energy and so much better I do travel a lot so getting all my Protein in on the road is at times a challenge, but I am still learning and doing better and as I said all along, I was not going to go crazy on this strict food plan - i wanted to be realistic and practical, smart and yet not deny those things that i like but thanks to the tool really control my portions. so, I do eat a halloween size pack of Peanut M&Ms every now and then - so yes all 6-7 of them little candies - the old days it would been a whole pack I have had a bratwurst (no bun) at a football game I have had pizza ( mostly just the toppings and very little of the crust and its a thin crust) - if i have 2 slices of toppings that is a lot - compared to used to eating a WHOLE pie I do have the Skinny Cow 100 cal fudgesicle most nights when at home sometimes for Breakfast I have 2 slices of Cracker Barrel Cheeses (individually packaged so very nice) with a 100 cal Pack of Goldfish (nut said crackers were good to help with nausue on occasion from Chewable Multi-Vitamens and my biggest bad thing - I will drink diet soda - i get the small can 7 1/2 oz and drink slowly - used to drink 6-10 full 12 oz cans a day I do drink through a straw in public and yes at a restaurant i get soda and small sips when eating, but i have never emptied a glass So i am not perfect, but I am doing well and making progress, i could see how i could go backwards, but the portion controls is huge and I am eating so so so much better and working out so so so much more Used to wear a size 50-52 w pants and now i am doing 44-46 shirts were a 5XL and now 3Xls are almost to big Goodwill got 4 huge bags of clothes!!

Congrats on getting started with the process. I'm about 10 weeks away from surgery. The program I'm in is the most intensive I've heard about. They have everyone do a lot of head work before they decide as a team (surgeon, program coordinator, dietician and program psychologist) that a person is ready and they submit to insurance. All the appointments and my work schedule have made the time fly by. It also helps to know I am not just waiting until surgery, I am working on the mental changes and habits so the changes after surgery won' be as hard. While you are waiting for surgery I highly recommend you read books that will help you with the head game. There are a lot of books on amazon that have really good reviews. I'm on my phone so I don't have access to my book list. The best one I've read so far has a title of something like The Ultimate Guide to vertical sleeve gastrectomy by Dr. V. It's a Vietnamese name. There is also a book about the habits of people who have had long term success with WLS

And I feel lika big, fat sausage. I have gained 10 lbs since my band unfill the first of march, and I am worried about what might happen before I get the surgery. The doc has to remove my band(maybe week after next) wait 1-2 months for my stomach to heal, then i will get sleeved. I dont want to put on another 10 or 20 lbs! Maybe I should get some appetite supressants or something. Blech, Lisa

I felt like getting up and leaving right up until they took me into surgery! Your feelings are normal. I was sleeved 3-19-13. I am glad I did it. Good luck!!

How long have you been diabetic? I only take pill forms of insulin, so I can not even imagine! That was the final straw, diabetic. They are hopeful I will not need medication again. I have had high blood pressure since I am 30 (44 yo now). if my triglycerides got better, I would be thrilled. I take a whole regimen of meds also. Definitely making the pharm companies big bucks! SW:350 BSW:260 (10/17/17) CW:256 GW:175

Hi Kimberly! I have MS and was sleeved on 10-9. what was your question?

No comparison I was back at work day after having my gallbladder removed. Had absolutely zero "side effects" from the surgery. Took 7 days to return to work after VSG. 4 months of not wanting to eat and about 10-12 months before I felt totally "normal" again. Of course the other side effects, namely losing 100 pounds puts VSG at the top of my list for best surgery I ever had!

I had abdominioplasty surgery 2 years ago. I keep thinking my stomach is going to hurt worse in the healing process because of this. Has anyone experienced this or have any advice? my surgery is 10 days away..

Sweatinitout, I had a TT in the summer of 2007 and was sleeved 1/23/10. The pain was substantially less than recovering from the tuck, but then again I didn't have alot of pain after that surgery either. I realize everyone's different but I doubt you'll have any problems. Was your TT recovery very painful?

I sure do hope you are right! I have been stalled for several weeks and just can't seem to budge the scale no matter what I do. I am exercising at the gym 5 days a week and have lost 10 pounds of body fat in 2 months but no weight. At least I'm not gaining! Have worried that my pouch has stretched but I do still feel the restriction. I am able to eat more than I expected before I feel the restriction.

Congrats on the weight loss...and yes, stalls are common. I have had three in the last 9 months. I also just have another 10 pounds to go and the doctor said they will be the hardest...just keep doing what you are doing. Throw in more walking, if you can, it helps a lot and make sure you are drinking lots of Water. It will start going again. the good news is you are probably loosing inches now!

Let me start by saying-- I'm not complaining, just commenting and looking to see if other people have experienced this. Through a painful and expensive (to my insurance company) process, I have discovered that I've developed an intolerance to gluten or a gluten by-product (unclear). I don't have Celiac's, but products that are wheat based (bread, flour, etc.) give me an unusual amount of extreme gas bloating, pain, and constipation. I did not have this intolerance before I had my band and cut most wheat products out of my diet for almost two years while I followed my low-carb band diet. But I definitely have it now. I'm wondering if this is a coincidence, or if there is any anecdotal evidence that severely restricting wheat-based carbs for a couple of years could have triggered a digestion issue when I reintroduced them. Anyone else have problems? A little more info: I am 3 years post-band and I've lost and maintained a 100lb+ loss. I spent the first year pretty hard-core low carb via doctor instruction, and the second year I slowly added carbs and non-band friendly foods back in until I was eating pretty much anything, including bread and (drinking) beer for a good portion of year 3. Over the year, I put on 10 lbs. I also had a consistent and really painful issue with bloating and gas. When I went to see an urgent care specialist for chest pain, he sent me for a CT scan of my chest and abdomen to check my lungs (pain consistent with a pulmonary embolism) but it came back clean, including no band issues and it was chalked up to referred diaghram pain from surgical adhesions. About 4 months later, I was in Asia and had to go to the emergency room for chest pain and severe abdominal pain that came on in the middle of the night, and they diagnosed it as gas/reflux. I thought, "huh". And also, "good, no surgery in Asia required!". Then, back at home 3 months later and I've been dealing with this horrible constant bloating and piercing gas pain that isn't responding to any otc medication, so I go to my pcp. She did an x-ray to check for an obstruction, given the degree of pain and bloating. Her words: "I have never seen someone's entire digestive track extended like that without being able to see an obvious large obstruction." So, worried that I had a small obstruction that an X-ray wasn't picking up, she sent me for my second CT scan in a year. Which again came back clean. So basically, it came down to testing reactions to various foods. Started with lactose, and didn't seem to be an issue. Then, just by happenstance, I decided to get those 10 lbs I'd gained back off by going back to low-carb. I cut out all carbs for a week, then added in just low-glycemic fruits and veggies. . . and, symptoms disappeared. Completely. No pain, no bloating, no gas. So we started "testing". I seem to be able to sometimes tolerate low amounts of gluten, as long as I don't overdo it but it's a bit of a gamble. Bread is a definite no-go. I'm not allergic, but wheat-based carbs digest a lot differently now than they did in the 34 years I lived before the band. It is a relief to know what is going on because I can control it by diet, and heck, it's in my band's best interest to cut out the bread crap anyway So, yeah. That's my story. What do you think?

Hello everyone. Well this is my second go round... I was scheduled approved and ready to go on march 20th. I went into the OR, surgery started and spots were found on my liver and spleen and a mass on my stomach. After 7 days in the hospital, liver biopsy's and 3 weeks of antibiotics to rule out several infectious diseases... Here I am. June 19 is my new date and we are a GO! This process is complex and the preop liver shrinking diet (if you are required) is not bad but tough... If I can answer any questions about it let me know... If you are interested in a secret Facebook group (no one but group members can see) let me know I did one for another group.

My Dr office called saying that my surgeon has some concerns with my Eco test I did back in June, so he recommends a cardiologist to send a letter of consent. So on Friday 7/18 I got in touch with my cardiologist hoping to have some kind of answer on Monday 7/21 only to find out that he is on vacation until Monday 7/28. Here I was worried about my EGD and getting a biopsy on 7/10, but now I am waiting clearance/consent. The only good news I received was, once they get the letter of consent, I will have a surgery date within 5 days. Is there anyone out there who ever needed a letter of consent, and if so, what was your experience?

I'm 5 months out and a month ago I up my workout classes. Doing 6 days a week of metabolic conditioning and strength conditioning classes. Pretty hardcore 1:10 min long sessions. Since starting I haven't lost any weight I'm drinking all my fluids plus some getting on my protein in. No carbs don't think I'm eating enough now. I'm around 800 to 850 a day. My nut says I should be eating 1000 or more but afraid I'll gain. Any in sights???

so im 10 months post op. kinda at goal (ish) might go a little lower. i work in a place with 2000 people. every single day i have to hear something about my weight. you look great! or OMG you're so skinny (not in a good way). or you're wasting away! etc etc. is it bad that i just don't want to talk about it anymore??? i'm just over it. the journey is long and hard and now i just want to move on and "BE" without having to think or talk about my weight or body anymore. i just want this to be the existing 'me' and not have to be reminded every single second of every minute of every hour. am i gonna have to quit my job so i can go somewhere where people just see this me as the regular me they've met and will know moving forward? when does the journey become something in my past that gets to stay there? i feel like im not even getting to be THIS me cuz the old me is on my back still. end rant

I had been having a really tough time since my surgery (Oct 19th) with nausea, grogginess, and dizziness. At my check up yesterday, the surgeon suggested getting off of the pain killer I had been prescribed (roxacet) and replace it with chewable tylenol. Wow! I feel like a new woman! The side effects from the narcotics were worse than the actual pain. So glad we did that change I start flying back home to the Yukon tomorrow. It has been a good 10 days with my out of country surgery experience here in Washington. I am looking forward to being back home with my children and the snow that is already on the ground. I am ready to hibernate for winter. I was already down 10lbs in the five days post surgery. Not too shabby!