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I am almost 2 years banded and still occasionally get stuck. Just this last week, twice on turkey!! I refuse to throw it back up, just walked and walked, with chewing papaya enzyme tablets and finally it moved down. I tend to miss meals on weekend and I get so hungry, either I take too big of a bite or don't chew enough. Wouldn't you think I would learn by now. I would hate to see if I had any fill, never had a fill and probably a good thing for that. Hopefully we will learn down the road....

Yeah I am new to this as well!!! I did however find out what it was like to "slime" this week twice!!!! Two mistakes I made! I first ate a few bites of grilled chicken and then followed it with a liquidity soup!!! OH yeah the no drinking extends to not eating soupy Soup on top of real food too!!! It wasn't anything I wouldn't consider eating separately but together was bad!!! :) And then....after two days of all liquids, like we are supposed to do after getting stuck/sliming, I ate broccoli for the first time since surgery. OMG!!! That was painful and slimy! So again with the two more days of liquids for me!!!! HANG IN THERE BANDSTERS!!!!:thumbup: Live and learn! Oh yeah no more stringy veggies for me !!!

My surgery was on Octobe 23rd. I had bad shoulder pain for 2.5 weeks..it was awful. It slowly went away and i no longer have it. Id tell your doctor about it and see what he says. Sounds like you may still have some air trapped in there. Try walking alot and drink lots of fluids. Another thing that helped me with the pain was heat pads. Id use the bags you can put in the microwave for a few min. That eased the pain. good luck. :tongue2:

I still have 3 weeks before my surgery I wanted to create a post about hair loss. As a Licensed Cosmetologist I want to share something that I haven't come across in lot of these threads. Although hair loss with this type of surgery may not be something that we can not avoid, it sure doesn't hurt to try and avoid it! We want to be healthier and skinnier and NOT bald! We all know it's important to keep your scalp clean and in good condition for proper hair growth. Using a good professional shampoo is very important, as other shampoos can cause a waxy build up that will weigh the hair down and could possibly make it fall out faster. It is important that you switch up your shampoos! Shampoos like Nioxin are great for thinning hair but if used day in and day out it will have major drying effects on the hair and scalp. It is also important that you keep your hair and scalp moisturized so a good conditioner along with a good scalp treatment is very important for maintaining a healthy scalp! Taking your Vitamins daily and meeting your Protein goal is so VERY important!!! So here is my suggestion: Scalp Manipulations! Scalp Manipulations is a technique that may help increase blood flow to the hair follicle and strengthen the roots. Warming the the scalp before the massage will help open the blood vessels which increases blood flow. The better circulation to the hair follicles may help nutrients strengthen the hair cells and encourage proper growth function. If you google Scalp Manipulations there is a site that shows your how to massage your scalp properly. So using a warm hot oil treatment and having your scalp massaged for about 10-20 once or twice a week could have huge benefits for your hair and could most defiantly slow down or stop hair loss. These are all things that you can do right at home! Also another thing to try is to put a deep conditioner in your hair, cover it with a plastic bag and blow dry it for about 3-5 minutes to warm the scalp. Then remove the bag and start massaging the scalp, it not only feels wonderful but it is so beneficial! Please do not over due and of these suggestions, 1-2 per week is enough! You can find a great deep conditioner at you local beauty supply store or make a homemade hot oil treatment right at home! Also I few things I forgot to mention above is to keep your hair trimmed regularly and back off the styling products and hot irons! Also NO tight fitting hats during this time, this decreases the blood flow to the scalp which in turn could cause more hair loss or slow it down. Hopefully you find these tips helpful:)

My surgery was on 9/28 and had 1st bm 3 days later and been regular ever since. I exceed my hydration and Protein goals and I know this contributed to me having no issues related to the bathroom. Sent from my SM-T350 using the BariatricPal App

Congrats. I also was not hungry the first week or so

So I am 10 days post op and the incision where my port is has started hurting like crazy! It didnt hurt for the first week but the past few days has been hell! Every time I lay on it or push it against something it hurts so bad! And to make matters worse I sleep on my stomach. Ughh has anyone else had this problem or is something wrong? Im kinda freakin out

My surgery date is the 31st, and I just started my pre-op diet. Last week when I talked to my surgeon I asked him about the smoking thing. He said it takes at least 2-3 weeks for your lungs to start to heal and during that time you cough a lot of junk up. (which I remember from when I tried to quit before) So, he said if I haven't quit by now, not to until after you heal. He said he REALLY doesn't want me to cough a lot post-op. Of course, he added that the surgical center won't release me until my oxygen levels are where they need to be and smoking can make that difficult, so I might have to spend more time in the center. I just figured if I tried to quit smoking, stay on a low-carb diet, and prepare for life-changing surgery all at once I would probably end up on the front page of the newspaper with a headline that reads "IRATE WOMAN KILLS EVERYONE IN HER PATH!"

I totally understand I went 2 weeks with no loss then I started eating more and weight started coming off again. Don't worry!

The first couple of days after a fill, I feel great. Portions are appropriate, not constantly hungry, no snacking, then 3 or 4 days later it's like I don't have a fill at all. Is this what happens until you find your green zone?

I was diagnosed with insulin resistance probably 15 years ago and have been diabetic for about 5 years. I was banded September 2008. Happily, my weight loss has not been slower than usual. I've lost about 50 pounds in almost 5 months. So that is right on par for about a 1 to 2 pound weight loss per week. Good luck to you.

I should be starting my pre-op diet in a few weeks. I heard that the diet can bea little uncomfortable for the first few days, I think I'm going to start drinking my shakes next week to get myself started. Good luck with your pre-op & surgery !

I dumped twice this week. Hard to describe...first time upset stomach...bit of nausea, feeling woozy and generally unwell. Second time all of the above plus hot flashes as well...lasted about an hour. Caused by drinking my shake too fast.

So I've been lacking in fiber, as most of us probably are. I've decided to start having 'green' drinks for breakfast. I had one yesterday and another today. Strawberries, raspberries, 1/2 banana, and spinach. I'm going to pick up some Chia seeds this weekend to start adding them as well. I created 3 recipes that are high in fiber and acceptable calories for a meal. I'm already feeling a little better having them the past 2 days. Anyone try these or have smoothie recipes to share?

Try not to think of it as "good" or "bad". Life happens! We just gotta stick to our exercise routines, and eat well the majority of the time to offset it. I had a few big slip ups these past few days that I feel guilty about, but all we can do is move forward with a solid plan for this upcoming week.

hi pezo yes i did gain after surgery. it had to do with water retention, swelling, etc dont worry...i found staying away from the scale initially a good thing since it was making me crazy. i always felt if i didnt eat a meal i should lose 10 lbs (of course i am exaggerating) for the first 2 weeks i focused on getting back on my feet. the 3 main things my doctor stressed: 1. walk, walk, walk 2. do breathing exercises. 3. drink plenty of water. hope this helps....

So, now that I'm almost 3 months out and down 37 lbs since surgery, 61 lbs total since i started in April, ppl have started to really notice my weight loss. So many people ask me how I'm doing it, and I hate that I feel so weird being honest that I had weight loss surgery. I always feel like they are judging me. I know I shouldn't care, but it bothers me that I do! Does anyone else feel this way?

I take Zoloft and skipped them the first two days, dissolved them in water for a few days and starting at about a week out I was able to swallow them after I broke them in half. At 2.5 weeks I was able to swallow them whole. Presuming you have not been having any problems keeping anything down, I would try to break it in half and see how that goes. If you have trouble with that still, talk to your doctor. The low dose pills are pretty small and even if you have to take 4 to get to your dosage it can be done.

So I'm at my pcp for a check up and to ask of he will follow me after the surgery. He said yes (yeah) then he took my blood pressure then took it again and again! He was like umm you feel okay? i said yes he said well your blood pressure is very high 150/98. I NEVER have high blood pressure. He did an EKG everything is good but I have to go back in a week to see if it goes down! Only thing in my diet that I have charged is I stopped drinking diet coke and I'm drinking green tea.

Figured it out, my itchy incisions derive from the adhesive from the steri strips. WHICH I AM ALLERGIC TO! Otherwise, went for my first post op follow up, down 8 lbs in a week! Good start right? Sent from my iPhone using VST

Thank you Panda. I will check with the doc. I see him tomorrow for my 2 week post op apt.

Hi! I can share what MY surgeon had me do; I think it can be modified to fit your needs, none of it counteracts what your doc said to do.. I used EAS CarbControl AdvantEDGE shakes (NOT the mypolex ones). I could have 2-3 a day; you I guess get 1. I got 1 meal a day (lucky you to get 2!) and i was told to have no more than 3-4 oz of lean Protein (fish, chicken, or turkey...no beef, no pork) and 1 cup of green veggies. That's it. No butter, cheese, eggs, no fried, no ketchup, etc. I think that's a lite meal...3-4 oz of lean proten and 1 cup of veggies I bought some Gorton's fish filets (the ones that aren't breaded) and we ate those a lot...or I cooked chicken (roasted or baked) and ate it. Never did anything with the turkey THe upshot is, a portion is usually considered 3-4 oz of the "meat" (about the size of a deck of cards) and 1/2 cup of veggies... That should help you a little. You might want to try some smart ones or lean cuisine or south beach frozen meals...just keep an eye on the fat, carbs and salt! Good luck!

Thank you so much for the stories. I am in encourage. I think I will build up endurance by walking as I have been doing. Weight training in 2 weeks. Then start yoga. I did the hit yoga too and I loved it. The heat made my body so much more supple and flexible.

Follow your nut & dr guidelines...just hang in there. With my dr, on the 3rd week out, I could have an egg, whole wheat toast, & peanut butter...I felt soooo much better then. I know it is hard; it does get easier. Best of luck to you!

Can you eat cream of wheat on week 1?