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I am now so gagged out on shakes and trying to gag down protein drinks. I just don't know what to do. I tried mixing powder in with yogurt. (BARF). I thought about bars. But most have chocolate or artificial sweeteners. I need some guidance. PLEASE!!!

Ok... So wow this has been such a transformation for me so far very happy with results so far and are seeing numbers on the scale I have NEVER seen that's great AWESOME actually never experienced such a thing before feels great but my BIGGEST upset is this nauseous feeling I get every morning... I take my acid blockers at night that helps with the burning but I feel empty like no food in my tummy at all I hate eating at this hour very early 5am/6am because all I want to do is go back to sleep and enjoy my morning easing into my Breakfast, it's like I have to eat something to feel better and if I pick the wrong (soft food) to consume like sweets (Protein drink, apple sauce, yogurt I get so nauseous and tummy starts going crazy wanting to vomit. So yes I am trying to stay away from the sweets as a coat for my tummy but choose more warm foods but wow I have to actually cook the food (not a fan of microwave food, would rather bake it taste better/boil/sear) and the microwave food I can handle cant eat right now at this stage. So Im like really now I have to have bfast when I don't even want to cook/eat ahhhhh just wanna sleep pls help thx. PREOP-357 SURGERY DAY 1/14 ----- 341 MONTH 1/20/14 ----- 323 2/24-----309

Anca, I can NOT believe he filled you at 2 1/2 weeks post op! :rofl: The ONLY thing that helped MY hunger was a small mcdonalds shake. Not protien shakes - only the mcd's! Id have one a day. Before I started having this daily, I was doing some serious cussing... b/c ALL my tummy did was growl! Like Ive said before, mcd's shakes are made with yogurt, not just plain ice cream. It may be a mental thing, but they sure helped me!

Same here. I was on liquids for 18 days. Twelve days in those hot dogs looked pretty good and I could not look another container of yogurt in the face; I ate one of them. Also didn't strain out all the goodies from my chicken noodle soup a couple of times. My doc was extremely pleased with my pre op weight loss (22 pounds) and the size of my liver. I was worried about that. She told me if it was too big she would wake me up and we would have to start back on square one, she would not put my life at risk and continue with the surgery. The first thing I did when I came to after surgery was look at my belly (after the dry heaves). What a relief. I'm on mushy's now and loving it. Tahi spicy tuna from Bumble Bee is out of this world. Got a good idea off the Food Network about butter beans, ham and onions all whipped up with my immersion blender (my new best friend). I do not miss cheeseburgers and pizza. There is a whole new world of flavors out there I am discovering. Plus I'm saving a fortune on groceries. Shoot-fire, I may just stay on mushies for awhile. I do need to watch my portion control. I overate last night. Was not a good feeling. Another lesson learned the hard way. Most of us have strayed a little far from the wagon, but we got back on when it left the station. Don't sweat it and keep on truckin'.

I've been using plain Greek yogurt in place of sour cream. I'd always heard about doing that but couldn't bear to try it. Well, now post surgery I'm doing it and it's really not bad. It has a similar sour-ish taste but of course more health benefits.

Hi Viktoryalynne!!!! Wooohoooo another 11/5 sleever. This is exciting!!! Soda has not been an issue for me. Flavored water works well for me. Lol I'm at Walmart now getting H20, yogurt and almonds!

It gets easier to get the protein in, I can still only do premade shakes, and add unflavored isopure to everything I can pudding, yogurt, tomato soup . . . It is available on Amazon and 26 grams pure spoonful. Hope that helps.

I just had bypass a few days before you and I've been on purees (and full liquids) since the day I left the hospital (day 3 post-op). I haven't had any real issues except with Greek yogurt (I guess I'll be a bit lactose intolerant for a while, common with bypass, not so much with sleeve). But I had the sleeve 3 years ago so have already been through this once before, where I had to wait a couple weeks before going on purees. In both cases, waiting, or starting right away, I've been doing well. I've been drinking blended soups, pureed veggies, soft tofu, cottage cheese, etc. Just go slow and start with small amounts at first. Try one new (pureed) food per day. After a few days, try adding another pureed food for a second meal. Your sleeve will let you know what's working and what's not.

I like yogurt, cheddar cheese, tuna fish, almonds & fresh fruit.

Canker sores and ulcers in the mouth can be caused from bacteria changes from diet change. I would when possible seek out active culture yogurts. Activa or any that say Active bacteria culture

I was, but I was allowed to have sf jello, strained cream soup and low fat sugar free yogurt too! The fourth day was the most difficult. I did my diet for two weeks and it was over my birthday and the Fourth of July, which I did all the BBQing... I ate a bowl of pudding with extra protein powder while everyone was eating BBQ!!! Definitely not fun but I did not want any complications. I lost 22lbs on that liquid diet and my surgeon told me after the surgery how nice my liver looked. You can do it. It also prepares you for after. I have to eat the same after surgery until my follow up appointment which is on the 30th. I had my surgery on the 14th. I am definitely looking forward to some real food but I will say I'm not really that hungry and right after surgery everything even water tasted horrible.

I need help... I am getting so very frustrated... My dreaded 3 week stall has lasted 31 days. This is getting ridiculous. The scale has been playing with 2 pounds for 31 days... Did I mention I have NOT LOST WEIGHT in 31 days!!! Here is my "typical Day" Breakfast- Protein shake Drink a large Crystal light. ( I add about 28 ounces of water with one of those tiny packets) Morning snack is Yogurt Lunch is a slice of roasted turkey with some mustard, or maybe a bit of cheese. (2-3 bites) afternoon snack is another protein shake DInner is sometimes caned chicken with cheese, or some refried beans with cheese Then evening snack is my Homemade pudding pops... (Sugar free pudding with double protein powder put in popscicle molds) What am I doingwrong!!???!!!

Hi- first take a deep breath- breath and enjoy life... now- make your lists... lay out your vits daily or weekly... done... make a list of meals B-L-D. post on fridge... done...\ the thing I found is some days I can gulp Water, no prob- next day not so good... so take it slow... while you are rehabilitating, is the time to get organized, clean out cupboards etc. make your house clean- eating wise. now plan a time to exercise... the way it works is how you work the program... like any program, you have to make the effort. you are "all in" on this- now that 85% of your stomach is removed... the game is to make sure you become healthier, by following the program. I have had a coupla speed bumps in my road -3 weeks out... my first move is to get over them... mainly eating... it's a physical problem - I still went out and enjoyed live music tonight and the sunset. now my spoon of cottage cheese and a spoon of yogurt are going to be consumed. Good Luck!

I'm doing okay but I cheated a little bit and ate a yogurt parfait. The yogurt wasnt sugar free. yesterday, I cut off a 1/4 of a piece of McDonalds quarter pounder with cheese. I was fine after eating that little piece. Other than that, I'm eating the things they told me to.

I'm a 21st sleever too! I am on purées now and am struggling. I really cant stand eating paste like stuff. I kind just mush things around to make them purée like. I had a cup of French onion soup from panera for dinner and snack tonight. 1/2 dinner 1/2 snack. I just chewed the onions well. No croutons though. I actually felt like a normal person for a little bit. Lunch was egg drop soup. Snack was a la yogurt that I ended up dumping. Dont eat those, I felt horrible. Breakfast was egg salad. So far no problems...

I find different days I can eat different amounts. Some days I can hold 1/2 cup of food. some days 3/4 c of food. Also different foods make a difference to the amount. Sat. I tried to eat 6 ounces of mahimahi, almost threw up. 4 oz of fish is all I can eat. Yogurt I can eat 6 oz.. My calories are between 700-900 60-70 grams of protein. I do not count carbs, but drink about 64 ounces a day. Sophiepants, I am 5'6" too down 73 pounds as of tuesday. I do not use MFP. It is too long to use. I keep everything in a journal, which I carry everywhere with me. I like being accountable for what I eat.

Me too! I have no problem eating a whole container of yogurt. I get full very fast with dense protein though. I can only eat around 2-3 oz the most.

Super quick question for my fellow sleevers..........For breakfast I ate an entire container of yogurt (I was doing a bad thing, eating at my desk while I was working, so it was probably over a 20 minute period).......it seems like a lot at one setting (5 oz)........is that anyone's normal now, or is that a lot? I didn't feel full nor feel the restriction (I'm loving my sleeve....but miss the 2 or 3 month mark where you could only eat a bite or two LOL) I had a little freak out this morning when I got on the scales, and it looked like I had gained 10 pounds........then I put my glasses on and everything is good except my eyesight LOL .....PHEW!

Feel fabulous.....I'm hiking, kayaking, working out, loving life.....I have no problems (so far) tolerating any food. I'm eating mostly protein.....chicken is my staple for protein---I just cook it different ways.......also eat eggs, salmon, tuna, scallops, lobster, the occasional chili, crockpot chicken is good (chicken needs to be moist), one protein drink/shake a day.....eating less yogurt & cottage cheese since they're binding........a wee bit of veggies or fruit.....the rare occasion will have a teaspoon of rice or potatoes (done that twice since being sleeved). Mostly staying away from carbs......Two to three ounces of protein fills me up, so it's tough getting in the veggies/fruit, or anything else. I don't cook casseroles, lasagna, other pasta dishes, or desserts.....hubby is picky and won't eat any of it........so it's been super easy to eat this way. What are you eating, are you on pureed foods yet? Good luck!

I'm on day 2 of my pre-op diet and, I'm hangry. I'm at work , which helps a little, but it's still rough. I restricted my calories for months before, dropped weight and so, I didn't think it would be this tough. Maybe it's in my head. Maybe it's also because there is food with all of the birthdays at work. I usually have lunch with people and I don't feel like it today (but I will go with them and sit at the work deli downstairs). I thought I was mentally prepared, and I am, but it is hard. My stomach growls. They told me 2 shakes, a sensible meal (3-4 oz of meat, 1 cup non-starchy veg and 1/2 good carbs, i.e. quinoa). They said snacks, like SF jello, pudding, oikos trip. zero yogurt, but didn't say how many you can have. I don't want to mess up. I don't have my nut's phone # with me to ask today. Sorry, just venting. This is some hard core mental prep, for sure.

Girl yes this is hard. I'm surprised you're able to eat meat. The majority of us are on full liquids. So in my little carnal mind, I'm trying to understand why you're hungry? I would think just one yogurt, but I can't have that so idk. I would definitely give a call to find out. Best wishes.

Not true. Here in Austria we start normal food at day 4. It has to be chewed to mush, and there are restrictions, like no seeds etc, but we start solid food on day 4. Day 1 is water, day 2 is soup, 3 is yogurt and 4 is solids. But, you can't eat the amount the OP mentions. You have to eat within a 20min window and follow all the rules etc. I started the gym 4 weeks post op. Cleared of course.

Today is much better! I can drink my coffee and plan to have my yogurt and blueberries mixed together (my fav. morning treat!). I really do think I am either in the green zone or at least very close! I am glad I went-even stepped on the scale today to see 2 more pounds gone! I really think the gym has helped with getting my sluggish metabolism going. After a long plateau things are finally starting to kick in! Melissa-I am going to New Orleans on Thursday for 2 nights and then sailing out to Mexico for 4 nights-I can't wait!! I would have preferred to have my fill last week but the doc was on vacation. Where are you cruising too? By Feb. you will be in excellent cruise shape!! Dave- These guys were so proud and they were actaually talkingto a young girl who was filling out a form for the Lapband. I personally don't think she will qualify because she didn't look like she had much to lose. It was really good to hear 2 guys with 100+ weight lost-and you too!! I have heard so many people say it was the best decision of their life-and I really feel like I am beginning to understand why!

I'm fairly new to here but I'll chime in because this is a subject near and dear to my heart. My oldest son has autism and I have educated myself a great deal regarding how the food he consumes affects his body, brain and behavior. Years ago when I began the research regarding this I became of the opinion that if the food affects him it must also affect my youngest neurotypical son. Honestly, the concern I have with the food they put into their body's began as a concern for the physical and mental affects -- obesity really even wasn't a concern. And honestly, at this point, it still isn't. I am far more concerned on what the chemicals and dyes are doing to my children's brain cells than their waist lines. I would say my autistic son eats 90% "healthy" and 10% "unhealthy". His unhealthy foods come in the form of gluten free pretzels, corn chips, Cookies. My neurotypical son is around 75% "healthy" and 25% "unhealthy". My autistic son brings his lunch to school everyday. I monitor every bite he puts in his mouth. He physically feels the affects of consuming food "he can not eat" and does not mind bringing his lunch everyday. My youngest is allowed to buy lunch from the school one day a week - usually Friday's. I have seen the school lunches and they are not the greatest. My youngest also must purchase skim or 1% white milk only - no chocolate or strawberry - or he is to drink Water. He does not complain about this. As far as vegetables....I am fortunate that my kids are not really too picky. When they were babies and began to eat solid foods I started them on veggies vs fruits. This was because I was afraid that if they liked the sweet taste of pureed peaches or apples they would prefer it to the green Beans or peas. As they got older, and still today, the rule is you must try one bite of a new food. I do not accept them saying they do not like something without even trying it. If they do try it and say they do not like it then they are not forced to eat it at that meal. I will offer it again, and again, and maybe even again, and tell them they must take one bite. Most of the time I have found that they learn to like the vegetable. However, sometimes they don't. My oldest does not like broccoli or squash. I no longer offer these items to him on a regular basis. If I prepare these items in a new way (such as roasting broccoli) I will offer to him again and use the one bite rule. However, if I am making these items I know my oldest will not eat them therefore I will make additional veggies for everyone to enjoy. If my son declines squash and broccoli in exchange for swiss chard and brussell sprouts I am ok with that. If my children ask for a snack I take a mental note of what they have eaten within the past couple of days. I will tell my kids that they can either have a healthy snack or an unhealthy snack. My kids know that healthy Snacks equal lowfat organic yogurt, string cheese, fruit, cherry tomatoes or carrots sticks and unhealthy snacks equal potato chips, crackers, cookies. The same goes for dessert....because dessert at our house is really just an after dinner snack. My kids don't consider dessert as something that has to be a sweet treat. I have found that allowing my kids to choose what they eat makes it easier for them to accept the healthy choice. Everyone comments that my sons eats so well and they have never met children that eat so healthy. I am not going to lie...comments like that make me feel good as a parent. It makes me happy that I asked my 6 year old what he wanted me to cook for his birthday dinner and his response was "ASPARAGUS!!" However, he is 6...and when I asked him what he wanted as the main course he said "PIZZA!!". So, we had pizza and asparagus lol. So...I often tell my DH that people must look at my diet and then look at my kids diet and say "where the heck did she go wrong?" I love my veggies....however I also love my brownies, cakes, candy, cookies which is is to blame for my weight problem (the other factor is my lack of movement). I monitor my kids intake of food so much that some would consider it excessive, yet when it comes to myself, I fill me up with crap. I don't fully "get it" --as far as why I do this. Maybe my therapist can help me figure that one out. lol. I do think I have some control issues that play a huge part in this. At any rate I do feel to each his own. I certainly do not judge what others choose to do with their own children (not saying that anyone here was doing that!). I know that others may look at my autistic child and question if we are making the right decision in dealing with a situation with him. I do feel that parents, especially mothers, tend to be more judgmental of other mothers...think about it -- the debates are endless (breastfeeding vs formula, working mom vs stay at home mom, disposable diapers vs cloth diapers). I feel everyone needs to do what they think is best. Thanks for posting this topic...it brought my out of lurking. lol.

My name is Amy Workman and I am a bandster (everyone: HI Amy). I haven't posted on here in a long time and thought I might share with you my blog post from today. If any of you watched the recent Dr. Oz show about Lapband, I thought it might be nice for those of you just beginning to see a more realistic idea of the band. I was banded January 27th, 2009. I weighed 327 and today weight 159 pounds. I love my band. My before and after pictures on here are not updated, but you can find all my pictures on my blog. If you have any questions, please email me and ask away. Sometimes we forget when we were first beginning. Do you remember the first time you googled Lapband? Or the first time you logged into the forums...frantically searching for before and afters....looking at successes and getting pumped...stumbling upon a horror story and then getting scared? Do you remember the stupid questions you asked? I remember posting on lapbandtalk.com something like "is one cup of Wendy's chili bad for you?" Well, I am going to try and remember back to when I didn't know much about the band...and what information would have been helpful. Here goes... Did you know: I started at 327 pounds. My doctor, the wonderful and handsome Dr. Jeffrey Friedman, told me that the band is not always the best choice for someone who is a grazer. They find that the band is actually more successful for men, because men tend to eat in volume (sitting down for a huge dinner and getting really full, vs eating and munching on little things all day). Some doctors say that the band will not work as well for those of us who are or were really morbidly obese. I disagree. And there are plenty of us out here who are proving them wrong. Did you know: The band may not work for you? You could have the surgery and not lose much weight at all. It is not a sure thing. BUT, if you work with the band...it can and will work for most of us.What does "work with the band mean"? Every doctor has a different regimen they want you to follow. Every doc is different, as it almost every patient. Some say no pop/soda, some say it's fine. Some have a 2 week liquid preop and scare the sweet baby jebsus out of you about not shrinking your liver enough for surgery and not being able to operate (thank you Dr. Friedman). But, you will have to do your part with the band. You will have to watch what you eat. You will have to eventually get your ass up and exercise. You will have to make healthier choices and just be better. I know you are saying WHAT? That sounds like a diet to me. And I fail at diets!!! The band is a TOOL, not the Alpha and Omega of your weight loss journey. You can "cheat" the band by eating sliders and soft food. I for one could eat cheetos all day long and the band would sleep right through it. But with the right restriction, your band prevents you from eating that large pizza, the extra value meal, the entire bovine. You have to find a doctor that you can have a relationship with. They have to be open with you and you have to be open with them. You HAVE to go see them for fills. You have to follow up. You have to be a good patient. ASK QUESTIONS. What can you eat once you are banded? At this point in my journey, I can't think of one thing I CANT eat. However, there are somethings that I try to stay away from because they are difficult with my band. Example: Bowtie Pasta. It doesnt go down well. And then it just sits in my band and expands...causing me to PB (get to that in a second). I can't eat a sandwich, or a hamburger with a bun, but I could eat a roll if I tear off little pieces at a time. Hot dogs give me problems for some reason. Dry chicken or reheated meat (with the exception of a hamburger) often give me problems as well. I still drink soda, I still drink beer. I love Soups. I can eat veggies. I can eat fruit. Eating after being banded is about going slow. It's about chewing. They say with proper restriction that 4-6 ounces of solid Protein (a piece of meat about the size of your fist) should keep you full for 3-4 hours. Most docs want their patients to avoid "slider meals". Meaning, eating a bowl of Soup for lunch or yogurt for Breakfast isn't going to keep you full or satisfied because it will SLIDE right down. You want your food to stay in your pouch, and slowly drop down. Sometimes though...food may get stuck and then you get "sick". The Dreaded PB: A couple things may happen if a piece of food gets "stuck in your pipe" as Heather refers to it. You aren't going to die. It's not like it gets stuck and you need the Heimlich. But if a piece of food gets stuck, ain't nothing else going down until it moves or comes up. The first thing that may happen is a productive burp (PB). This is not throwing up. When something gets stuck, your slobber starts to build on top of it. For me, when this happens, I get a weird sensation in the back of my jaw. And if I wait long enough, I will have to get somewhere private (hopefully) and let it come up. What comes up is this weird slime/foam combo. It doesn't hurt. And hopefully...it moves whatever is stuck. Sometimes though, it takes a little more work. Sometimes that one piece of food I didnt chew enough will be down there for hours. And then, it's not PBing. It's sort of like dry heaving until that piece comes up. There is a tightness in the chest...a pressure. It's not fun. I will say that not everyone gets stuck or PB's. And most of us would agree that when we do get stuck...it's our fault. We eat without being present, we didn't chew, we ate too fast. Restriction and Tips for Eating: Unless you are extremely lucky, you will not awake from surgery with perfect restriction. Some docs put a little liquid in your band to start with, others wait. I had to wait 6 weeks for my first fill. And again, unless you are the rare case, you probably won't get restriction with your first fill. It took me several fills before I had good restriction. ASK your doctor what his/her fill policy is. Some docs are super restrictive with their fills. They only fill on a schedule. They don't care whether or not you have restriction. All I know is if Dr. Friedman hadn't let me tell him that I was ready for a fill...and if he had made me wait regardless of what I could eat...I wouldn't have been as successful as I was. You will know you have restriction when you have it. It's sort of like having sex. If you have to wonder if you had an orgasm or not...um...you probably didn't. Restriction will keep you full and satisfied for 3-4 hours. You will be able to eat less. Restriction DOES NOT RESTRICT YOUR BRAIN. You may still mentally crave things. You will have to learn the difference between head hunger and physical hunger. This is very hard. When you do have good restriction, you will have to change the way you eat. This is easier said than done. You should be taking small bites. For example, if you are eating steak, you need to cut that sucker up into pea sized bites. You need to chew. Then, set your fork down and wait a few seconds. You should eat sitting down. You should pay attention to what you are doing. You will learn that things like eating in the car is rarely going to end well. (Always have your emergency PB kit in your car. A couple of bags, some papertowels or handywipes. Trust me.) You probably shouldnt drink with your meal or for 30 minutes after. liquids can help push your food down...thus...cheating the band. How much weight will I lose? How quickly will I lose it? Now you know that there is no one answer for this. Statistically, Lapband patients lose around 40% of their excess weight. SO, if you are 100 pounds overweight, statistically you will lose 40 pounds. I hate statistics. And remember, they are an average. 17 more pounds lost and I will have lost 100% of my excess weight...and I am not alone. It can happen. However, there are so many factors that go into how much and how fast. Genetics, age, diet history, personal support, family life, exercise. Some weeks I lost 7 pounds. Some weeks I gained 5. The weeks I gained, I gained because I ate poorly. I cheated the band The weeks I lost, I ate and made healthy choices. There are some weeks, even when I WAS doing the right thing...I didn't lose. It can be frustrating. But you can't give up. You will have to keep upping your game. At some point, even with the band, you will either have to adjust your food or exercise. But, I feel like the band is "cheating". I feel like if I have WLS, I am weak. I'm gonna tell you what. Who gives a flying monkey's ass?! Cheating what? Cheating early death? Cheating sleep apena? Cheating high blood pressure, sore joints, diabetes? I say CHEAT AWAY then. There is no shame in WLS. It's not about will power. It's not about failing. It is about trying to find a tool that works to give you some power, give you your health. I tell whoever wants to know or will listen about the band. And yes, I have heard "Oh...well...I thought you did it the hard way"...or "hmmm...that must be nice". I say listen FOOL. There ain't nothing easy about the band. It makes some things easier but it is still work. And I find that people either give you 'tude about the band bc they are afraid or jealous or because they don't understand. Either way, that is okay. I will educate or I will ignore. I feel like if I were to say "oh, I am just watching my diet and working out"...that I would be lying by omission. AND, my real fear is that someone who is overweight will think "Well, Amy did it "the old fashioned way", and they will feel like a failure when they try and do not succeed. Will my relationship fall apart if I have the surgery? We all hear the stories of what happens when someone has WLS. The divorce rate and seperation rate is a little higher for us. There are several reasons. One, for some of us....when we lose weight, we become a different person...or the person we would have been if our bodies hadn't been our enemies so long. Our expectations may change, we may want more. OR, our partners may not be able to deal with the new us. OR, as in any relationship...sometimes it's just time to move on. I don't think that having WLS should make you fear losing or changing your partner anymore than the normal person. There are tons of bandsters out there still happy and maybe even happier with their significant other. Sometimes though, even though we can't see it or don't want to admit it...we have settled. And once you start to shed your cloak of security or denial...you realize you deserve more (too bad we don't realize that to begin with. Long story short...people change and grow...with or without weightloss surgery.Are you worried about complications: No. But most days I am not a worrier about things that may or may not happen. I heard recently that the stats for band slipping are about 5% and for erosion, about 1-2%. Slipping for example, can be avoided most of the time and according to the docs...is easy to fix. Erosion is of course a little more scary. But I hope that by always paying attention to my body, my band, and how I am feeling...I can avoid it or if it ever happens...catch it early.Do fills hurt? Mine never do. My doc has never done one under fluoro. He gives me a numbing shot and then the fill.How many fills do you have to have? To get restriction, it took me 4. My first year I had around 6 fills. My second year, I had 2.Will you ever have the band taken out? Lord I hope not. Even now that I am at goal weight and weight loss is more of what I do instead of what the band does for me...it's always there. It's my safety net. It will keep me from ever being 327 pounds again.Why did you choose the band over other options? I was 28 when I decided on the surgery. I didn't want my stomach cut apart. I still wanted to be able to absorb my nutrients. I wanted to be able to eat sugar and other things without getting physcially ill. I liked that the removal of the band was a possibility if something went wrong. I liked the idea of being able to control my restriction. And even though I bitched and complained along the way, I liked the idea of a slower weight loss (vs Gastric bypass). It gave my skin and my brain a little more time to adjust.Did you know there are different brands of lapbands? I have the Allegran Lapband. Ask you doctor your choices and the differences. Mine is a 10-11cc band. Some are smaller.Were you worried about the loose skin? Barely. I figured I may look like a saggy deflated sack after I lost my weight, but I would rather be deflated then morbidly obese. And I am lucky. My skin is nowhere as bad as it could have been. Again, so many factors go into skin. Age, genes, working out, sun...etc. Would you do it again? In a heartbeat my friends. In a heartbeat. It was the best decision of my life. It was a tremedous catalyst for change. I can't think of one negative consequence of the band.