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Well I have PCOS and i've lost 70 lbs. I can tell you that the growth has slowed dramatically but I still have it in all the places on my face (chin, cheeks, sideburns, mustache) that I had before. I usually get waxed now about every month from a wonderful lady and my stylist who experiences the same problems so I don't feel so embarrassed going to her. I used to have to wax once a week, then it went to twice a week. I still think I want to look into the laser treatment on my whole face lol!

Lorraine, Yes you are supposed to be on a liquid diet for 2 weeks prior and then just clear liquids for a little bit after, and I have been on my liquid diet for 2 weeks already, tomorrow is my surgery, I have been doing liquids only since the 5th, but you have to remember not all doctors ask for you to do 2 weeks of a liquid diet some ask for more some ask for less it all depends on your doctor and where you live. So just depends. But good luck, being new is a good thing, just make sure you talk to your doctor, and get all your answers. Don't leave anything on the table. I found that is the best thing, and if you have questions that you don't think you necessarily have to ask your doctor, ask people here, they are more than willing to help and answer whatever it is you have questions to.

3 days before me! Cool! 7 weeks seems so long. But not.

Hi there I am from London and i am currently one week bf the gastric bypass surgery. As pre op diet i have been already on shakes only diet for a week and still have 6 more days to go. I can't believe my scale as it dropped 5.5kg this week!!!! But today i found my self craving to chew st and i can't get it out of my head!!!! More about me... am 30 and been overweight my whole life...had few hard years and weight when way way up....to the point when i didn't feel comfortable anymore. Other reason is me and my hubby have been trying for a baby for the last four years and have no "medical" reasons why we are not succeeding. The hope is with my weight gone i will increase my chances. ... Its good to have a place to share the personal experiences. .. Sent from my SM-G925F using the BariatricPal App

Start with visiting a surgeon's seminar (or two or three). Once you've chosen a surgeon, his/her office will be able to guide you. My supervision involved checking in with the surgeon each month. My insurer had specific parameters for loss during that time period. There was no specific diet that I had to follow during that time--just had to reach a certain specified number of pounds lost. (For those with 3-month periods, a 6-pound loss was required; for those with 6-month periods, a 10-pound loss was required. Good luck!

We are having a Protein drink tasting at our support meeting tonight. Just in time because my surgery is next week.

I was required to lose 5% of my body weight on the 2 week preop (protein shakes and green veggies only). I was afraid I wouldn't, so I started 2 days early. I ended up losing 22 pounds in 16 days, instead of the required 12 pounds. Even when I saw I was past my doctor's required loss I never cheated once....I was on a roll and 10 more pounds closer to goal even before surgery.

My first week was clear liquids so I used premier protein (my surgeon allowed this as an exception to the clear rule), and ProtiDiet liquid beverage concentrate. My second week was full liquids (which also included Greek yogurt and cottage cheese). I also used ProtiDiet creamy chicken and tomato basil soup.

I do ab exercises 1-2 times per week as part of a weight training class and it is somewhat uncomfortable. I was also banded in April 2007. When we are working upper abs (crunches and twists) I do feel it pulling on the band, lower abs exercises are ok (reverse curl/crunch). Try a web search of lower ab exercises and see how it goes. BTW my son will be attending Univ of MN this fall. We live in Maryland.

Well after over a year thinking about it and researching I decided on getting the Vertical Sleeve Surgery. Self pay is my only option and after reading for forums for the last 6 month, for me, Dr. Garcia is my choice of Doctors after reading all the great reviews of his work. I sent my paper work in to Alma, Ready4achange a few weeks ago... does anyone know how long it takes to get reveiwed, then after that, to finally get scheduled Thanks Everyone

like you one week out i had heartburn bad,, Call doctor there is meds he can perscribe for you that will stop that.

I do get that feeling from certain foods. For me the major culprit is eggs of any kind. I decided to try them again yesterday for lunch and after 14 months post op still have this issue. For the most part that feeling is usually related to certain foods. You may need to eat much slower and pay attention to what foods cause that feeling. I would bet there are some specifics and it is not everything you eat. Yes, things get more normal as time goes on but that does take time and going back to regular food requires a lot of trial and error. You are only 16 weeks post op, that really is not a lot of time. Your entire digestive system was rerouted. When you think about that 4 months is not that long.

Your are not a failure. It is probably really bad gas. I had the same issue and it was coming out of both ends at the same time. Try to walk as much as you can, that is what I did. The beginning is always hard. Do not expect to be able to drink much, small sips all day. I only was able to handle chewable vitamins for about 3 months. You should start feeling better in a couple of weeks. That was my major issue, gas and not being able to go to the bathroom. Once you are able to handle more, your bowels will come around . I had my surgery 11.9.16 was a size 22 I am now a size 8. I take miralax a scoop everyday in my morning protein shake. Just think of what you will look like when a couple of months. Try to keep you chin up, this shall pass. I look at myself in the mirror and do not even recognize myself.

Yep! I gained 8 lbs. 2 weeks later I was like 18 down.

I would definitely check back. I think mine was approved by the next day. At the most it was a few days, but definitely less than a week!! Just get in touch with her again!

Next week will by 8 months post surgery. I have been happy with the weight loss. I have gone from 280 lbs to 168. Overall, I have done a great job of sticking to it. I exercise regularly and really monitor what I eat. With that said Yes, I have snacked but rarely and No some days I do not exercise but I follow things pretty closely. The weight came off prett well but now things have come to a standstill. Some say that will happen between 8 and 10 months post op and the body will start to gain weight without an increase in calories. That is what seems to be happening to me now. For those newbies or those thinking about the surgery just keep in mind you will get results but it is a tool. You will start to see some changes like food not tasting quite the same as it did before. Like they operated on your taste buds. As for exercise - do it - if you are struggling try something - anything but get moving. The hardest thing after surgery is more psychological - the fear that after going thru everything that when you reach a pleateau that that is the end. It is not. You may hit a plateau or two but keep doing what your doing it will come off. A couple of things you can if you did a plateau however like increase the intensity of your exercise - really create a sweat. Change the type of exercise you do - if your using a treadmill switch to a bike or a hard walk. Drink more Water and watch your carbs. If you have a support group that you can attend put everything else aside and attend it. They are great. It helps so much to be in a room with others who have had surgeries and just talk about many of the same things as this site but you get the human interation. If you don't have a support system then visit here. Do not try to do it alone. At the start when the weight comes off you will think you don't need any help but you will. Many have joined weight watchers and attended the weekly meetings. They have a good support system and it keeps you motivated. You will notice things with family and co-workers as well. SOme will say things like "you cheated" or "took the easy way out". Yes, that is stupid but that is how some people think. The easy way out is not commiting ourselves to a major surgery and the risks involved but you will have people say that. You might also see friends be less supportive than you would think - some of it is jealously some just don't want change but you will see it. Also, what you do DOES affect other people. YOU have opted for the surgery so you have to balance the best way to handle it. If your married then you struggle to find a balance between not having certain triggers in the house for food however, that is not fair to others in the household after all why should they suffer for what you chose. There will always be a McDonalds weather you choose to have the surgery or not and you will HAVE to face those issues. You will have those that just don't get it - they will say "oh, just eat you look great" or something like that. IT will happen so be prepared. There will be times when you are not hungry but just feel like chewing or feel the need to eat. Keep lots of Protein available and keep the water cold. Hard boiled egg whites are great protein and only 17 calories. At the start you will feel like you are alone. You will not be sure what to eat, when to eat. You will be concerned your not taking in enough protein or water and sometimes you just won't. That is normal. Do the best you can. Eventually, drinking water will not be an issue so don't get upset if you can only drink limited amounts of water - do the best you can and work up to it. As I said it has been 8 months for me but things have slowed down. My goal is 155 lbs. I had gotten down to 164 and started to gain without doing anything different. I have heard about a bounce as the body adjusts but being so close to my goal was hard. For my weight I should be taking in 2300 calories to maintain however I take in about 1000-1200 calories a day plus I burn about 500 with exercise. Knowing that a pound of fast 3500 calories if I were to reduce my caloreis from my maintain 2300 calories by just 500 calories a day I would lose 1 pound a week. Well I have reduced my maintain calorie number by 1,000 and added anthoer 500 calories for the execise and logically that should allow me to be losing 2-4 pounds a week now but that is not happening. It is just something I have to work thru. I wish you all the best. I know we all say it is a tool but it is. You will do fine but the harder part will be afte the 6 months post op and that is when you will need to work a bit harder. One more note: This is a journey. Take it one day at a time. Your stomach is now about 70-80 smaller so many of the things that were difficult will be bette but you can't drink milkshakes all day without gaining. You have to change your diet. Things will be different but better. With your full size stomach we always had a goal but when we got close somethign would blow it - a holiday, birthday or summer BBQ. Now you have a smaller stomach and that will not change -ever. So use the tool. The one thing about this website is that only we who have had the surgery or thinking about it UNDERSTAND what we have gone thru all our lives. It is not a decision we did quickly and we have all probably done as much research as any doctor or nurse. Certainly more than any dietiticain we have ever met. We have all cheated and fooled ourselves that it was anything else but eating too much and too many calories. THe thing about this site and support groups are you soon learn you can't kid a kidder. We have all done it. We have gotten angry at the scale, we have moved that thing an inch to get the best reading and then when it showed something we would get on it multiple times a day. We let a little number guide or lives. We have grazed in the middle of the night and eaten cake batter, we have struggled and succeeded and then lost and we have done it so many times others would not understand. Finally, we had to make a decision and that is why we are all here. In this new way of living you will meet medical professionals, doctors, nurses and dieticians and all will have book knowledge but they will not really understand. No one really understands but those of us who have lived it. You will get conflicting information from others who have had the surgery, nurses etc. One will say you have to take a particular kind of Calcium like calcium citrate, my particular doctor said any calcium will do including tums. You will compare notes and one doctor will say you can't have carbinated drinks because the bubbles expand in the stomach and another will say that is foolish the reason is because they stimulate the appitite for more sweets - BUT IT DOES NOT MATTER. Listen to all the advice and DO WHAT WORKS FOR YOU. A lot of this is mental. We have spent a lifetime thinking about food a certain way and that does not go away quickly. We will go to a restaurant knowing we can't eat it but order it anyway because we used to. It will look and smell good but what you did before you surgery will not work now. Your mind is the same person but our bodies will not be. IT will be like two different people living in one form. The mental part is hard. I remember how devisted I was when I hit a plateau for a week and was about 60 lbs down. The emotional aspects of feeling that the surgery did not work or was not working was hard. Day by day I would get angry with myself for undergoing this surgery for just 60 lbs and all the "medical pro"s " were no help. THe thought of the surgery not working is very hard to deal with but then WOW - you will get on the scale and be down 5 lbs and it will start again. Realistically give yourself a hard year to work. Commit to it. You will lose much of the weight in the first 6 months but after that it will come off slower. We can help with mental part so ask all the questions. People here are great. . Good luck sleevers - you can do it. You will be frustrated and scared and wonder if its working but it does and enjoy your new life. Yes, you will be able to fly without your body going to someone elses seat, you will be able to go to a football game and fit in the stadium seat, you will be able to do so much more and it will feel great. Those are non scale victories. Enjoy them.

Plain Greek yogurt and tons of Protein supplement! I'm in my second week post op and am finding that in the liquid stage, pretty much the only way I get protein is through supplements. It also takes forever to drink one. I've found that if I blend chocolate, vanilla, or banana with ice and plain greek yogurt, I'm getting tons of protein in one glass so I only have to drink one in the morning and one at night to get my protein in. The rest of the time I'm eating Jello, pudding, popsicles, or broth. Good luck!

I feel so bad for you! I had the same problem, they explained to me that they pumped my abdomen full of air/gas to inflate it for surgery, after they close you up your body has to absorb that air/gas and then expell it. I have some pics of my abdomen from the week after my banding, it looked like I wa 5 months Preggers...It will go away.

I know, sucks huh!?! Dummy me didn't think about it when I jumped at the surgery date!!! Oh well! Small sacrifice, I suppose! haha Have fun and please don't tell me how it is!! I'm probably going to drag my arse down there no later than Thursday!! I can't wait much longer!!!! Prrrrr Edward! :ohmy: Thanks for the kind words everyone!! I'm excited, but still so nervous about the aftermath. The surgery itself will be OK (I've had three others before), but just everything after is what I'm concerned about. I know I'll be OK, eventually!!

Good luck on your surgery today, and I hope you are feeling well enough to see the movie on Thursday...not likely though. See it next week, and you will be able to enjoy it much more.:ohmy:

Hey, I was banded on August 24, 2006. I have lost 40 pounds since the liquid diet before surgery. I received my first fill last Wednesday and I can really tell the difference. I go to my family doctor this week so it will be interesting to see how he thinks I am doing, BP, weight, etc., Hey one thing I have noticed since the fill is that I burp more than usual. It is not PB, because it is just a burp. Has anyone else had this happen? If so, is it because I am not chewing my food enough? By the way, great site, I am glad I joined.

Hi, I've been reading the posts a few times. I was banded 7/20/07, I'm doing ok. I've lost only 6 lbs. I'm supposed to be in a soft food diet for 4 weeks but I don't understand why because I can eat anything with no trouble. I've only eaten a plum that was not very ripe & it stayed in the top of my stomach (I guess I didn't chew it enough), I had to drink Water to wash it down. Does anyone know the reason for the soft diet? Thanks!! My surgeon was Dr Spivak in Houston.