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Okay I am 2 1/2 wks post op and have not had much wt loss. The wt I have lost has mainly been from the gas. I am eating like a bird, exercising 5x/wk on the elliptical and taking all my Vitamins. I am also really hungry all the time. Is it normal to not loose much in the first few weeks after surgery? And will I start loosing more once I have my fill in a few wks? I guess I am worried that the band is not going to work for me. ~Sarah

Take your Vitamins....your multi-Vitamin w/zinc should be a complete vitamin & 100% of recommended daily value...my nutritionist recommended Flintstone chewables 2x's a day. Biotin is good for hair skin & nails...I use the max strength....omega 3 ...they have smaller gel capsules that are more expensive.

Your doctor likes making you come back all the time? Didnt he deny you on first fill visit? or was someone else post? I had appointment in April but I called doctor, so now i got new appointment on 4th March for second fill. :mad: You seem to be loosing at a good amount, keep up good work

I had my first fill last week (4/2) and I'm so excited with the results thus far. I thought I'd share the experience so that others who have no idea what happens in a fill will not be so worried. My doctor had me lay on the table. He looked at my incisions, talked to me for a minute about what he was going to do, then got right to work. He first felt where the port is supposed to be. Mine tended to move around a bit the first few weeks, and that created a bit of a problem for him hitting it (took him 4 sticks). He prepped my skin with a cleanser and offered to use Lidocaine, but I declined. The needle is attached to a syringe holding the saline. I wasn't really worried about the needle, so I didn't notice how long it was. He had me raise my legs while laying on my back. Apparently that does something with the abdomen that allows him to feel the port better. Once he got in with the needle, he had me sit up. He put in like 9 ccs at first so that I would know what it feels like to be "stuck." Not a pleasant feeling, but he then took some of that saline out to relieve the pressure. It didn't really hurt, just pressure that made me feel like burping and I felt it in my chest and back a bit. So once I understood what it feels like to be stuck, he then took some of the saline out, and experimented with the correct amount to put in at this point. I ended up with 6.5cc for my FIRST fill. I am excited that I have more than 1-2 as I have read from some of you.. He had me drink a bottle of Water and tell him how I felt with each adjustment of the saline. When I felt like I could feel the pressure but it wasn't painful to drink, he stopped and said we'll make another adjustment in 5 weeks. At this point it is definitely working to keep me from eating a bunch of food. I had to go on a 4 day post-fill diet, which wasn't real hard because it is basically what we did post-op, just one day at each phase. Now I am able to eat all textures and types of food (as long as they are healthy). I can only eat a few bites at this point, but the swelling will go down and that will change. I do get hungry within 2 hours of eating, but I've been drinking lots of water and that helps. So, that basically tells the story of my first fill. I am so excited that I have this tool. It was a bit frustrating to have had the surgery and wait for 7 weeks before getting any help from the tool. Right now though, I'm a happy woman! 6.5ccs in the first fill and it is working to keep me from eating much at a time.

Thanks so much for the helpful hints. I am getting nervous. How long did it take you to loose the 29 Lbs.? I can hardly wait to start my new life. Thanks again, JP

I don't post often but lurk almost daily. I am almost 2 years out, lost 50 lbs the first year and 30 so far this year. I have always been a slow looser and I have to work hard at it. There have been 2 times when I stalled for 2 months or so. (total bummer, but I did not let it get to me, I kept going) Anyway recently I was laid off from my job.....last time I was not working was in 1983 or so, so this is completely forien to me. (and scary) But I have learned that anytime you make a major change in your life it is easier to change other things, I guess because it is in the air. So I did not have to eat Breakfast before I went to work cause I did not have to go to work, there was no standard "lunch time" either. So I was not eating because I was not hungry and my scheduled eating times went out the window. I AM NOW ONLY EATING WHEN I AM HUNGRY, NOT BASED ON MY SCHEDULE FOR EATING! I know a lot of us have talked about the clean plate club and all, but now it has hit me in the face. And what about the 3 squares a day? I have come to the realization that my estimate of what one normal person needs to eat in a day is seriously to much. I would like to see laid out on a table how much say a 150 lb person should eat in a day, and how often. After thinking about this alot I also realized that I have had the idea of three square meals a day drilled into my head and that it is just not necessary. Not my idea of a meal anyway.:nervous And then I recall my little sister being made to sit at the dinner table till it was bed time because she did not finish her food. I had finished mine and I am very large, but my sister now at 45 years old is still 120 lbs and had 2 children. I love my sister and we are best of friends now but it was really hard growing up overweight with 6 very normal brothers and sisters. My point in all of this is that this revelation has now helped me begin to loose again, 5 lbs last week! In fact over the holidays at one point I began feeling ill and could not figure out what it was, well I was not eating enough because of everything going on. I had not had enough time to eat, I had to start stopping myself to take time to eat so I do not get that low again. I have always kept myself well fed I had never felt this way before. The moral of this story is to change it up. (my thinking, my routine and my mothers rules) This has helped me learn more about my eating habits and begin to turn the tide on my unrealistic food thoughts. Hope this will help someone else, best to all. Trish

So I have been speed walking three miles a day for the past few weeks. Today I decided to jog. It was not hard and I could do it just fine unlike before. HOWEVER my loose skin and the fat left in my stomach and thighs is bouncing so bad if feels like a weight pulling me down. Is there anything that you can recommend to stop this from happening? Thank you!

Hey everyone! Hope everyone is having a wonderful day. I had my 5th adjustment today, the doc added 0.5ccs to my band. I'd tell you the total amount of ccs that I have now but to tell you the truth, I have lost count. Anyways, the last fill I had until today was Feb. 22 of this year. I knew I was doing good since this fill with finally starting to loose the weight and all. I noticed my clothes were getting really baggy on me but didn't pay alot of attention to how much I was loosing. I was informed today that since my last fill I had lost 36 pounds. OMG!!! You could have knocked me over with a feather when he told me. 36 pounds in less than 2 months. I was so excited that I couldn't stop smiling for the longest. I have another appointment in August and he says that with the way I am loosing now, I should be down to about 160 or 150 by the time I come back. I am so looking forward to my next visit and these next 4 months to see how good everything is going and how much I will be loosing over these next few months. Only thing bad about my fill today. Now for the next 24 hours, I am on a liquid diet, then tomorrow back to the mushy diet, then Friday, I get to return to a full diet. I know I can get past today easily since I haven't even really been hungry since he adjusted me and drinks are filling me up. I wish everyone nothing but success and happiness with their band. For anyone that may get frustrated with not loosing weight like they want to or think they should. DO NOT GIVE UP!!! The weight loss will come in time and before you know it, you will be able to wear that cute little bathingsuit during the summer.

I have this problem with most foods. Whenever I eat within an hours time I am sick to my stomach and I start vomiting phlegm many times. Eventually, after vomiting nothing but clear mucus I finally loose what ever I ate but it is a couple of hours, so of course the food has left the pouch and has reched my stomach. I have already had a slippage and don't want another one. The solution is to take "Gas-X" everytime I eat and then everything is fine. However, I would perfer not to take Gas-X for the rest of my life. Has anyone else ever experience anything like this?:biggrin::wink2:

The nurse told me I would have to do the two weeks but that I needed to start cutting back now sense I need to loose 30lbs. I really hope to have my surgery in Dec and with Thanksgiving I am worried I will not do so great with low-card but I know I can do it. But I am excited about the possibility of loosing that much in two weeks! That is crazy! Thanks for the response )

I THOUGHT I had good restriction after 2 fills, and I did for awhile. But I was still doing the too big bites, feel miserable thing (stuck, pbing, sliming), warm liquids the rest of the day thing. NOW, after my third fill (which was 5 weeks ago), my restriction is still good. I am eating the right things (generally), small bites and small portions and feeling satisfied for 3 or 4 hours. I still don't think I am at my "sweet spot", but as long as I am loosing (albeit slowly), I will stick with this awhile longer. My measurement is white bread, if I can eat a PBJ on white bread I need a fill. Now, I can't even NIBBLE white bread without it sticking (tried yesterday for the 1st time since my last fill, just as a test). HOORAY!

38 pounds in two weeks? I did not think that it was possible to loose over two pounds everyday for 16 days. Seriously?

I think flax seed oil is a miracle product. The experts say you get better Omega balance with fish oil but when I take flax seed oil regularly, like you say, my hair, skin and nails glow. I just take it by the spoonful, I like the taste of it. I know hair is dead but I think its the improvement in the oils your scalp produces that gives you hair so much shine when you're taking it. Normally I'd a dried up old prune - I even have an eye disorder that's related to severely dry corneas, and that's why I take it but it improves everything for me

Hi All - I am extremely concerned and want to be proactive about my hair loss. If I do say so myself (smile), I have a gorgeous head of hair, and I am okay iwth the fact that it may fall out after I am banded. I have a few questions for you. 1. Do any of you take flax seed oil? I'm not much of a meat eater, so the flax seed oil gives me essential fatty acids and Omega-3s. I believe the flax seed oil makes my hair glossier, and my nails stronger. My skin also glows with it. I only take 1 Tablespoon per day. Think there is any harm in continuing the flax seed oil post banding? 2. I was talking to a girlfriend (who happens to be a beautician) about hair Vitamins and she recommended Hairtopia vitamins. Does anyone take any kind of hair vitamins at all? My only question is wondering if I can pass them through my band. I haven't seen them so I don't know how big they are. Maybe I could crush them into applesauce or something? Just curious to know what others are doing, if anything, to care for their hair from the inside out. Thanks! Nathalie

1. Started losing around 3 months out 2. It was mostly just noticeable to me, I was freaking! 3. I was/am taking a multi, Calcium plus D and a hair/skin/nails B complex with 3000mcg of Biotin 4. The loss slowed down within three months 5. I was back to normal after six months. I can tell you what I was told and what seemed to ring true for me. In our case the hair loss is not always related solely to Vitamin deficiency but you need to eat well and take your Vitamins because regardless of whether you lost due to deficiency or not, the vitamins will help your body recover and help your hair to grow back. Often the hair loss is simply due to shock. You suddenly changed your diet, likely ate an extremely restrictive pre-op/ post op diet. On top of that, anesthesia and surgery can stress your system and now your diet is still restricted and you are losing a lot of weight. With all of this your body sort of goes into a shock mode. Your body puts all of its focus on processes necessary for survival and hair is not one of those things. Hair is on a 3-month cycle. So hair loss typically becomes noticeable at around 3 months. Once your body recovers (vitamins and a good diet aids in this), your loss will slow down and will begin to grow back within 3 months (again proper diet and supplements help it to grow and makes regrowth nice and healthy). My doctor assured me that not one of his patients went bald due to surgery and I found that all that he said was true for me.

You lose hair because surgery and weight loss was a shock to your system.When I had my sleeve 2011 I thought I would be ok.Nope,I lost hair and it grew back in.Alarming when you see it and you panic.I had bypass 3 1/2 weeks ago they still said I could lose hair.I'm taking Hair,Skin and Nails supplements.Hope it helps but won't be surprised if I lose hair again.

My youngest daughter of 11 yrs old comes to me and says mommy when you go on your diet with your surgery can I go on the diet with you,and of course I didnt tell her no because she is a litthe overweight to,so when I went to Bj's club to check out the protein drinks she came to me with a bottle of flinstone vitmans chewable-gummies and said mommy i'll need these and we will need more protein drinks because I like the way it taste,,,,I was overwelmed with the responce that I got from her when I told her that I was gonna have surgery to shrink my stomach to loose weight,she looked at me and said mom when you go on your diet I am going on a diet with you so you need make sure that you get extra stuff when you go buy some.....that really made me feel like im not in this alone anymore....and it brought tears to my eyes .....

Hi Kmiller im not doing much for exercise i just turn a month yesterday and still a little sore inside but i do walk and do my normal things like grocery shopping and things like that i just cant eat that much i drink my protein shake lots of cristal light and ive been dropping like crazy people already have noticed it but of course i cant when i see my self in the mirror but when i try my old clothes i get very happy i dont know why im loosing so fast but then i cant eat as much either and i do take my chewable vitamins

That's such a great feeling!! Congrats on your weight loss! I only have one suggestion....don't resize yet! I quit wearing the rings on my right hand right away for fear of losing them. Wedding ring still fit because as a child I broke my finger at the joint above the ring so it's a little bigger and helped to hold it on. Anyway, it got too loose, took it in to resize and didn't get it small enough, don't know if it was cold/hot that day or what happened but sized it tight and when I got it back it still twirls like crazy!! My jewelers suggestion was to get a spacer or just put a little medical tape on the back till you lose all the weight. Congratulations again, and keep up the good work!

I'm glad you are sharing this part of your journey! Your frankness is appreciated! Hurts, huh? From the pictures I've seen, it sure looks painful! What were you given for pain meds? What is the recovery period like? I'd like to hear more about what exactly you had done if you feel like typing. I'm sure the results are going to be fantastic and you will feel better in your skin! I hope you have b4 and after pics! That would be cool!

On Tuesday I was picked up from the SanDeigo airport by Dr. Juan Luque's driver. We drove for about 2 hours to Mexicali. I had a bunch of lab tests, ekg and chest x ray, and then I had to meet with an internal medicine doctor to be sure I could have surgery. then I met with dr. Luque and he drew pictures and was so patient and sweet about answering all my questions. Wednesday morning, I had my face lift Everything went well. I stayed in the hospital for one day but I was so bored, that Dr. Luque released me to my friend Michelle or AKA WasA Bubble Butt's house where she could take care of me. She has been a nurse for over 25 years. I have to admit it's much more comfortable in her house., She is sweet to do this for me. It's more painful than I expected. My hat goes off to those who will have a full body lift. My incisions hurt, and the swelling makes my skin feel like it can't possibly stretch any farther. The drains are not much fun either. They keep dripping blood all over the place. The stitches around my eye lids are quite annoying too, as they poke me in the eye. All in all, they say I will feel great in 4 days. I can't wait for that. I am anxious to see how I will look. Right now I am all black and blue and swollen.In the end, I know it will be worth it. Thanks to WasA for her generosity and caring. I could not have done this without her. I will post some pictures when I get back to Oregon and somebody shows me how to do it.

My sister had a Lifestyle lift. She was happy with the results but said if she knew the truth about recovery she probably wouldn't do it again. They do it while you are awake - cutting and stitching as they go. It took 3 months before she could sleep in her bed and several years later she can still feel tightness behind her ears where they pulled the skin back to smooth out her neck.

Now I gurgle all the time and today while on the phone with my nurse she heard it and said that it should not be normal after all. I was told that I need a UpperGI done and then I have to have some fill taken out becuase this is a part of being over filled which can lead to poor weight loss and other problems and I have had very poor weight loss since May of 2007 I ahve lost 103 pounds but that is it I am currently holding at 175 pounds and I look good too. I am toned and not a lot of excess skin hanging around me. I work out all the time. So now after all of this is done I should begin to lose more weight. I need to be at my goal of 145 pounds but will settle for 150.

Hi Lorna and congratulations for joining this site for support. Only you can make the decision about which surgery, I can only tell you about making my decision for the gastric sleeve and here goes: Lap band was never a consideration for me because I have had two friends who've had theirs taken out because of slippage or fill problems. I was interested in something permanent. To my advantage, my next door neighbor had the sleeve surgery last October so I was able to witness her recovery and weight loss first hand. Although she is much younger than I am & realize her surgery might go much better than mine, I began intensive research not only on this site but also read any news reports I could get my hands on. I interviewed several people who had the sleeve with the same dr I was intending to use. I spoke to those who mattered to me for their reaction & support. Then, I began to prepare myself the months of eating liquids, then mushies, then soft solids. The thing which has encouraged me so much is my neighbor. She is 7 months out and can basically eat anything she wishes but in small amounts--3-5 bites, then she's finished. She's lost 52 lbs so far Something I know about my body is that it dosen't handle anesthesia very well. So my first day after surgery was rough however the next day was so much better, then the next day was even better and so on. I'm walking a lot and progressing on point as much as I can tell. I know the sleeve seems so permanent but my question was why would I want the extra stomach back at some time? Here are my stats: Age 59 Height 4ft 11& 3/4 in Weight at surgery 194 lbs Have not weighed again since surgery---am waiting for first dr appt. BMI 38 I wish you the best of luck in making your decision--it is not one to take lightly. And your comment about loosing weight on your own--of course that would be the optimal choice. I lost 59 lbs 6 yrs ago---it took a year of diligent work, eating low carb only, walking 3 miles a day for 5-6 days a week. Then you know what happened? I had an emotional crisis going on in my life so I began to eat as I did previously. I gained the lbs back and more. Then I went on a Quest to lose the weight year after year with nutri-system, HGC diet, Atkins, and nothing stuck. I am weak when it comes to food and like my dr told me, the sleeve will give me the control I need for those times when eating is out of control. I don't know if I've helped you but please continue to research. Oh by the way, I had little doubts pop up in my mind occasionally before the surgery, that is normal. This is a life altering experience.

First off, Congratulations on beginning your journey! Once the process gets going, it seems to go by really quickly! In regards to your questions food: Personally, I couldn't stomach anything acidic, including tomato-based foods. It would all come back up. It may work for you once you're onto FULL liquid, which is a few days after surgery, but not when you are on clear liquid. You wont feel like eating at first, anyway. I can't give you any advice on Protein powder, the program that I went through doesns't allow them as a part of the meal plan, so I've never used any. My surgeon gave me before and after pics of my stomach, but I'm not sure how big it was. The difference in the pics was really noticeable, and I had a visable intentation above the skin for about a month where you actually SEE where the stomach used to be. The stitching was all absorbed, so they aren't made of steel, and the outside wounds were closed with dermabong and steri-strips. Good luck!