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Congrats happy to see you are doing well.. I'm 10 days post-op... Sent from my LG-D850 using the BariatricPal App

So Happy For you!!!!!! I am so jealous! I am down 35 pounds and am still in same clothes and size! guess I was stuffing myself into those 18/20.LOL I think I am bordering on dropping a size and need about 10 pounds to go! This is why no one has noticed any weight loss I guess since I am in the same old outfits!!!! Keep it up. The day I can't shop in the Avenue will be a very happy day for me!! Hate that store!

Just now reading this! I was the one in the pre and post op room with Harmony:) She went in before me an had her cocktail. She said she wanted to "party" after. Ya, she was on the good stuff that I was not fortunate to have had...yet. Shortly there after, I got the good stuff an i was also ready to "party"! Bahaha! Were were in recovery together and chatting across the room to each other, so the nurses finally moved me to a recover recliner next to her so we could open the curtain. We both did awesome according to the nurses and were ready to go faster than most they told me. I refused the extra pain meds as all I wanted to was get home. I told the nurse that if feeling this good was any indication than I would be ready to go back to my flying gig asap. The nurse said "well let's see how you feel tomorrow". ha! Fast forward to the next day....ouch! Apparently anesthesia made me feel like wonder woman on the first day. Now I am the Hunchback of Notre Dame. Memorial Hermann Southeast gets a 10 out of 10! As does Dr. Hollis and his mad skillzzz.

Are you sure you are not allergic to the source of the Protein you are using - like whey or whatever? If you are not, I have found adding a bit of crystal light lemonade takes away that meh protein powder taste. I despise that taste. For some reason the lemon brings out the fruit flavor and negates the protein flavor. Also, you can apparently only absorb like 10 to 20 grams of protein at a sitting anyway so maybe cut your protein powder in half. Here is what I use to make a shake: - almond milk unsweetened - strawberries (Note - some say for pre op liquid diet or right after post op not to use strawberries because of the seeds so try something else like some kind of flavoring or another fruit) - protein powder (i have only tried cream or chocolate and both work) - Splenda (optional) - Hershey's sugar free Chocolate syrup (optional) (I advise adding splenda if use this) - a touch of crystal light lemonade powder Blend well ---------- Also, I am kind of skeptical about the stomach not being able to absorb protein from food right now. Has anyone else heard that? Is that correct?

I had a lot of weight to lose, and I had clothes in many sizes. So at first, for probably the first 60-70 pounds, I had things I could wear. As all of it got to be too big, I watched for sales and bought super inexpensive but high quality items. I was lucky and needed things as they had big winter sales. Seriously, like $10 for shirts and pants. I found that I could find lots of things in the "normal" people sized in XL like that. So I bought things a little snug, and wore them until they were a little big. I don't look good in dresses so that was not an option for me. I always made sure I had enough outfits for a 5 day work week, and one decent pair of jeans, and a couple tops. I honestly didn't spend much even though I shopped perpetually. I never had much in the closet, but I did have enough to get by on and feel good wearing.

Congrats right behind u down 90 4 months 10 to go

Aside from setting my wedding date, this was probably the most exciting date I have ever set in my life! My surgery date is June 15th and I am thrilled. For the last 10 years I have put on an average of ten pounds a year. I feel like garbage and I am exhausted all the time. I am a 6th grade teacher and so I scheduled my surgery for the first Monday we are out of school. My husband is very supportive, my mother is terrified and 99% of my friends are very supporttive. I have one friend who is less than thrilled I am choosing to have this surgery. This is also my friend who I have yo-yo dieted with since we were 13. She has struggled with her weight all of her life as well. Either way I am excited to start this journey and share my experiences with all of you! Looking forward to learning lots and lots!

My "maintenance and loose skin" is the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. I am 10 times healthier, happier and better adjusted. My professional and social life have greatly improved. I recently bought a car based on what I wanted, not on what would fit me. I buy clothes because I like them or because they look good on me, not because that is what was available at the fat guy store. Food has zero power over me. I enjoy new hobbies and activities because they are fun instead of work. I guess you can dwell on one or two negatives, but why would you? There is too much good that came from my weight loss. Who cares about the rest?

Best guess: Plan on losing 10-15 pounds the first month, and 6-8 pounds a month after that.. and the scale will pretty much stop at 160-180lbs. (Once it stops you'll have to work extra hard for additional losses). If you lose faster, it's gravy, but keep expectations low so you aren't disappointed.

The average weight loss post weight loss surgery at five years is around 65% of the weight to be lost to be in the healthy BMI range. I think that is the 75% your surgeon is probably referring to - the difference could be based upon your specific surgery, the stats of his patients & possibly you & your situation vs another patient. As with all averages some lose more & can maintain it, some lose less & happily maintain at that weight. In years 2-3, it’s not uncommon for people to put on 10+/-lbs from their lowest weight as they settle into their new eating style. Some lose some of that weight others are happy to stay there because it’s an easier weight to maintain. As you’re losing you likely will experience stalls or (plateaus) almost everyone experiences at least one. It’s part of losing weight. Think of it as your body taking a break to try & catch up with the weight loss you’ve had so far. They break & you will start losing again if you stick to your plan. The goal is to reach a weight you are happy with, can enjoy your life at & can maintain with out gaining or losing (not including our natural weight fluctuations of course). Congrats on your weight loss so far.

@silverthreads For me eating too fast feels like a traffic jam in my "food tube" ... like there are 10 cars trying to get in one lane of traffic and they all getting jammed up ... it's very uncomfortable ... Lasts about 10 minutes ... and I know I'm eating too fast ... but it's an old habit ... and it's one I've just not broken yet ... I haven't eaten too much at one time yet ... Because of the traffic jam feeling ... I stop eating ... I'll get there!

Starvation mode is real.... kinda sorta.. We don't need to really concern ourselves with that until we are close to goal weight.. As you lose all your fat, and then you don't increase your calories, that's where starvation mode, or more accurately "efficiency mode" can kick in.. but right now... you're not going to be in efficiency mode because you body will get the energy it needs by burning up your fuel stores. Most people who give diet advice and try to scare people about "starvation mode" are talking to people 10-20 pounds overweight, not those of us who are 100-200 pounds overweight!

I'm about 4 weeks postop and still on purred liquids and a few mushies. I'm pretty new to this obviously but I think it is very individual. Some eat right away, some are on liquids for 4 weeks. I tried mushy foods at 2.5 weeks and kept vomiting it right back up. And then, since I irritated my new tiny stomach I started vomiting liquids. I had to re-group, go back to liquids, and start all over. My doc said if I vomit or get real naseaous it is one of 3 things. Ate too fast Ate too much Introduced a food too soon. When they say stop eating at the 1st sign of fullness they were right. A few times I think I ate a few bites more and it all came back up immediately. Being a slow learner, now I take a small sip or bite, wait and see how it feels. Then try another and wait. And now I stop long before I feel full. I can always eat a little more later. The amount of mushy food I can eat is very little. A few table spoons, bite-wait. Bite-wait, can take 10+ minutes to eat. So WEIRD compared to the huge amount I used to inhale! It is so different.

amanda and silver You should go for it. I've had a weight problem all my llife. Hey I was 10 lbs, 5 ozs. when I was born. so there you are - all my life. Anyway, i can't remember in jr. high being under 165 and high school 195. I made it up to 265 when I finally said enough is enough. i had the same feelings you are having. right up until the time of surgery. the night before, i was thinking, maybe i shouldn't. But i thought, I've got to do something, and this is it. Had the surgery March 16. in 5 days i was feeling normal again except i couldn't eat as much. after 2 and half weeks the doctor told me to eat solids and get ready for my first fill on may 6. I've lost 26 lbs and have no restriction. Just think what i will accomplish when i get a fill. I'm happy i've done it and look forward to a thin me. Keep me posted on your decisions.

i will give you my lap band story. i had a choice of doctors to choose from. since he was closest to where i live i used dr carter. two days later i get a bad report from a friend of a friend. they just didnt like him. i think ok well i will wait and see. two days before my surgery i meet him. seems ok .. i asked him about pain medication. he told me not to worry about it he would send some home with me the day of the surgery. i came out of the surgery in so much pain. now granted i do not have a high threshold for pain. they give me two shots or morphein before i go home. my husband takes me home and goes to get my prescriptions filled. by 6 pm that night i am writhing in pain. i cant sit stand or anything else i am crying and in so much pain. my husband calls the doctor. his service answers needless to say we left 3 messages that night and he never returned my call. i was taking the 10 mg toradal he gave me and tylenol nothing was working. i couldnt relax i couldnt releive the pain it was so BAD. finally around 10 oclock that night my neighbor brought over a hydrocone. i took that and before midnight i could move i relaxed and the pain was relieved. i had a fitfull night and called the doctor again that morning....twice... he had a nurse from the hospital call me back and tell me he wasnt going to give me any other pain meds and to put an ice pack on it. i was crying uncontrollably to the nurse that i was in pain and she said i am so sorry. so i called family members and pooled our resources and got me 5 hydrocodone. i was finally able to get up walk and do things for myself. thank you family. thats not all. i go in for my post op visit. no doctor i see his assistant. i thought maybe someone might want to look at my incisions. nope they didnt. i have one incision that stll has a thread sticking out of it. she told me to cut it off myself. ok me and my husband tried this and were not successful. she also told me i had to wait 90 days for a fill and i should lose 30 lbs in 90 days. sheez if i could do that i would need the band. i also was told that i should have lost 12 lbs in my 3 weeks post op. i lost 4. dont use dr carter. he may be a fine surgeon but my experience has not been a good one and right now i wouldnt recommend lapband to anyone because of my experience with him

:thumbup::thumbdown:Hey guys, so three weeks ago, I went in for a unfill in my band. I was eating very little and knew that it was time to take some fluid out. So, I did....WELL since then, I have gained 10pds, I can eat more however, I am gaining weight and I don't know why! I charge my eating and I am eating around 1200-1400 cals. Can someone help me? Is this normal, to gain that much weight, if any? I don't want to gain!!! I have about 60 more pds to go and I am sooooo upset about this! PLEASE HELP Me!!!

Mine was approved in 10 days. Submitted on 7/11 and appoved 7/21with UHC Choice.:biggrin:

So, I have completed my insurance required 6 months of weight monitoring and nutritional counseling, done all of my pre-op testing, both that the insurance requires and my surgeon requires. All of my paperwork was submitted on Oct. 5th.....and today I find out that my bariatric nurse (THE one person who decides if it is approved or not) is going on vacation all next week. So please God, grant me patience, because heaven knows I need it. My surgeon's office won't give me a "date" until I'm approved (can't say I blame them) but it is literally driving me nuts that I CANNOT place a surgery date on my calendar and PLAN MY LIFE AROUND IT. AAAARGH! Oh, and I guess the insurance gives the nurses 15 days to approve/deny...so it's not like it's out of the "norm" as far as how long they can take to decide. At least my bariatric coordinator from my insurance company was SO nice today when she told me that the nurse would be on vaca all next week. I know this is small price to pay for going through insurance vs. self-pay, but someday I wish I was a self-pay patient just so I didn't have to jump through so many freakin hoops! (Oh and just for the record, I will be paying $$$$ some big money for this surgery, I pay $5K out of pocket and then 10% of whatever is left over after the $5K is paid.) I just wish that I could have a date....SO FRUSTRATING!!!

Visit the September 2011 topic and you'll see you have a lot in common with all of us banded about the same time. Remember that for 4-6 weeks your body is healing. Until you get your first fill the band isnt working optimally. It's more that the swelling and healing and lower activity combined with lower calories has our bodies confused. Stay off the scale for a week. Rest. Let your body heal. Be patient. We're in for the long haul. Becky Banded 9/19

Sounds like you are in the same boat as me. The doctor said that after you have lapband surgery. Many people start to have regular cycles. NOT me. My cycle is so irregular it's not funny. I will go without having it for a month. To having it every 2 weeks. My last one didn't stop for 10 days. It went from light to heavy instead of the other way around. I also went for blood work and a pap and everything is 'normal'. So I guess it's just about the weightloss. Weird thing is when I was heavy, my cycle was normal. Go figure. Of course I am 43 so I could be going through the change now. My mom was early in life.

Very Depressing day today.... I dont even know why. Maybe it is because I don NOT want to go to the doctors tomarrow. The last time I had a GYNO visit was HORRIBLE. LOL Probably why I havent gone in 6 years. The doc was such an arse. I have always sat up since I was 12 but nooooooooo she wanted me to lie down, then was mad cuz she couldnt see nothin and then was just a witch about it. I told her my cervix was tilted!!! Sheesh I just feel like I am in a viscous cycle. I cant work at a good job with good insurance cuz of my swelling legs and ankles. So I dont have insurance that will pay for surgery. I have a job that doesnt pay enough to get financing for surgery. Its like buying a house, I just dont think its ever gunna happen. I wont be able to work a "normal" job till I lose wieght. I just want to cry. LOL I even thought about playing the Megabucks the other day. The only 2 people I know that have money are my parents and one of my aunts friends. My parents wont loan me the money. *Sigh* LOL and I only met Rita once, how could I ask for a loan even though I know they have millions of dollars. But at this point I feel desprate. I think I will call my Aunt tomarrow, and see what she thinks. Being poor sucks sometimes. Its at times like this when I get angry with my parents. Why the hell would they say they would not help with college??? It wasnt my choice that you spent $100 grand on counceling because you all could not get it together. I think I would have chosen my future over that. Its why I had to wait 10 years to go to college, when you know thats all I have ever wanted to do. So now I am almost done and I am afraid cuz I might not be able to work... WTF??? When did life become so complicated???? I remember in my 20s that being poor wasnt a big deal. That was before all of my medical issues. What the hell is up with the cost of Drugs and going to the doctor???? Some days I just want to give up and call it quits.... Put me on Medicaid, give me a check and I can sit on my fat ass and not leave my house EVER. I really have thought about it. Even got a application sent 7 years ago. And the sick thing was my mom was like, go for it!!!! She must have missed the class where ya learn that you should want your kids to do better than yourself. So while she and dad live in thier 4000 sq ft house, going on cruises, snowbird ways, I trudge threw school a full time crappy pay job, live paycheck to paycheck and sink further and further down the working poor class funnel. I am really glad that these days are infrequent...lol OOOO and can I get my brothers phone number??? I only asked 3 years ago!!!! Sheesh....I know she is scared that I will tell the truth but come on, he is sick, I am sick, get over yourself!!!! I have already been sworn to never tell my Grandma she had a child out of wedlock and gave him up for adoption. I was punished cuz I told a friend. I just want to get to know him. I dont think it is fair that I had to meet him once with her there and never been able to talk to him since. It is just crap! I wonder what my life would have been like if so many things had not happened in my life. Would I have gained wieght? Would I have acted out sexually in childhood? Would I be a Pschologist like I planned? Would I have travled the world?Would I have tried modeling? Would I have become a dancer? Would I have children? I dunno.... But I do know I just want to be able to live, and thrive. I am dying here. I want to leave. My spirt is dying. I miss my "family" that I created. I miss all of the kids. I am afraid I will never be able to have any children now. Which is odd...lol... because I spent most of my 20s fearful of having kids cuz i didnt want to be like my mom. I married a wonderfull man that has a disability but who loves me unconditionally. He takes care of me, but he will never get a good job till he learns english. He accepts me with all my issues, God only knows he is a Saint, lol. Its amazing that i am so distorted. On a day to day basis I dont think of myself as fat. I catch a glimpse of someone in the mirror, who is that? ooops its me. IS that REALLY me???? Not at all who I think of as myself. I miss dancing,volleyball, softball, cute shoes, swimming all day, holidays..... OMG I let so many things just go by and not even batted an eyelash... ICK.. ENOUGH LAMENTING.... I shall get my fat arse upstairs and into bed for tomarrow is a new day

I've come to realise that fat is just fat, its just a symptom of an illness that a large percentage of the population suffers from. To me, body image and acceptance is not tied to being fat. I have as many issues now and I'm freaking skinny! My BMI has dropped to 19 and I *STILL* see fat on my body that I'd like gone. If I actually see a photo of myself, I'm shocked - I'm much thinner than I see in the mirror. I am tryign to gain a little weight, but its on a superficial level to please my surgeon and oncologist and not because I see how skinny I am and realise I'd look better with a few more pounds on. I look in the mirror and see 80% satisifcation at a normal weight body with a bit of flab at hips and thighs and, frankly, terrible tits, lol. I think the thing about fat acceptance is the moral issues we attach to obesity - I personally am quite disciplined in my eating now, I think about what I eat, and I ignore impulses to eat rubbish most of the time. I exercise almost fanatically. I really take care of myself. So I do find myself passing judgement on people sitting in the food court pushing KFC down their gobs - see, I even say it in a derogatory way! That's why obese people feel judged, becuase truthfully, they are. I even feel disgust for my own kids and the way they will eat if I let them. But that's so not fair. I think the problem is people these days give into their every whim and desire becuase they can, they want instant gratification every seond of the day, becuase its available. That's what leads to fatness. But its human nature to want that! It makes evolutionary sense to take the easy road, to eat food when its there, to eat food that will sustain. Lettuce or KFC, which is going to keep you alive the longest? Personally, i think dealing with that kind of stuff is what it takes to accept yourself as a fat person. But I dont believe you have to accept yourself AS fat, if that makes sense, you dont have to say "I'm a big person and I'm happy this way" (which none of us are or we wouldnt be here). I think it means "I've fallen prey to the dangers society presents, just like most other people have. This is the effect its had on my body, but I'm smart and I'm going to do something about it". That way, ANY weight loss, ANY improvement in lifestyle behavour is a triumph and it doenst all become about losing ALL your weigh tor fitting into a certain size, but more about your ability to choose your own path and stick to it.

OMGosh so hungry !! Banded 5/20.. 10 days on mush ! I am doing it tho. I did have 5 cheesetz which I confessed to. So proud that I have not had anything else. My friend is here from FLA so bunch of us going out which will be tuff. So just going to have soup or chowder with out the clams. One more day closer to introducing new foods :)

@@Teachamy ... yes, this is maybe a bit on the high side, but I've averaged 1700 calories/day for many months now. I mostly walk outside for exercise. I also do a little yoga, stretching and floor exercises. But the winter and these nasty March days have meant I don't consistently do that now. And let me be very clear that I'm not at all a gym rat. However, I am so much more active than I used to be -- do a LOT more housework, run more errands, probably even fidget more than I used to. I can't say what will work for you, since WLS patients show considerable variation in how much and what kinds of food they can eat to maintain their weight. But I will offer this: When I was losing weight, my surgical practice's very well educated and experienced physician's assistant strongly urged me to eat more (not fewer) calories as my capacity increased. Specifically, she suggested that during months 5 and 6 post-op I eat 1,000 calories and during months 7 and 8 I eat 1,200 calories. She said that this would help my metabolism not get stuck at a lower level than it needed to be. Half a month later, I reached my initial weight goal (150 pounds). Then I, my PA, my NUT and my exercise consultant all agreed (based on my weight loss rate and history and my MFP macronutrient records) that 1,700 calories made sense as a maintenance calorie budget for me. But then ... very slowly over the next year while averaging 1,700 calories/day I've lost another 15 pounds. So obviously I need to be averaging more than 1,700 calories. In the last few months I've weighed from 133 - 138. I do NOT like weighing less than 135. That's why I've recently been eating more. This is just guesswork on my part -- but if you want to raise your calorie intake, do so very gradually. This will require you to actually track assiduously your food using something like MFP. Maybe raise it by 50 calories every week for the next month and see what happens. Then stay there. Then try that again. I wish we could just do a cheek swab and send it to a lab to see how much we can eat to maintain our weight. But it doesn't work like that. My own WLS experience and success has been ALL about observation and mindfulness. I don't worry about being perfect. Instead, I consider that everything I do just gives me more information to figure out how my body works. And believe me, 19+ months post-op isn't long enough to imagine I have it all figured out. P.S. I forgot to mention that I'm 70 years old. Was sleeved at age 68.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems that how to do it is not the problem. It's why to do it. When you're fat, the reason is obvious. With a 100+ weight loss, the reason is less obvious. One thing you might try is this: Find a site on the web where you can enter information about yourself and then find out how long you have left to live. Do this 1st for your current situation, then do it again for where you want to be. Just a guess, but chances are you'll probably add 5-10 years to your life. That may turn the tide for you.