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i was very discouraged cuz i was in pretty much the same boat but i had TOO MANY fills so i had passed that elusive sweet spot! go get another fill & see what happens. i told my dr how i read about some people who lose 100lbs in 6 months & i wondered why it wasnt happening for me! i look at pics of people who were banded last year is i was and some have done miraculously-i was envious as well as happy for them! i was eating very littlle & holding on to every lb:eek:. i only lost 52lbs in a year which is a lb a week but i felt like i colud have done that on WW:frown:. do not be discouraged, join the Lap Band Strugglers group & try to track your intake with a diary until you get the next fill. you may be surprised how much tou are still consuming:ohmy:. hope you find your spot!!:sad:

I'm feeling frustrated with my progress. From my highest weight I'm down 77lbs, but from surgery date (2/23/16) only 63lbs. I started working out and paying more attention to what I was eating in October. Since that time, I've only lost 2lbs! I'm eating around 100g of Protein a day, logging my food (around 1200-1300 calories daily) and watching carbs more than ever. People keep saying I look great, and am losing every time they see me, but it's just simply not true. After 3 months, it can't be a "stall," right? Is this it? Am I done losing? :'( Also, I started at over 300lbs so I have plenty more to lose. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Could it possibly be gas? I'm four weeks post op and had something very similar the other day. I was worried about it being a leak too after searching for similar symptoms on this board. Mine did go away, and I did notice one time it went away right after burping. My other thoughts for you, since you said radiating, is possible your gall bladder - though that is rather quick after surgery unless it was already in bad shape. I had my gall bladder taken out more than a decade ago and the pain definitely radiated around and felt like squeezing, though it was in my upper stomach, not sternum. Another suggestion, it could be esophageal spasms. I just thought of this and I did have them for about two weeks after surgery, starting in the hospital. It does feel painful and a bit like trapped gas. My surgeon gave me meds to relax the esophagus, and they helped tremendously. That would actually be my first guess for you so close after surgery. This is especially true if you had a hiatal hernia repaired as well (though it could still happen without). Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Dont stress the "last"meal... look forward to the "new normal". My surgery is October 21st. I have spent the last few days on high Protein, and low carbs. I start my full clear liquid diet tomorrow. I have decided to not allow my mind... get in the way of my determination. We ARE going to eat normal food again peeps... we ARE going to get past the first few weeks ... just fine. Mind over matter... If you don't mind... it DONT matter... Turn your thoughts around.. not about what you didn't get, or may not be getting and think about the light at the end of the tunnel. It will be worth it! I am saying this for you benefit and mine! We are all here for a reason, we need change in our weight to experience a happier healthier lifestyle... Don't let your mind play evil tricks on you before you even get there. Stay focused on the positive, accept the reality of the work ahead of you... and don't let anyone .... get in the way of your goal. I chose to share only with my husband, and recently my best friend. I did not want anyone questioning my decision and adding more pressure. Give yourself permission to stay private about it until you feel ready. We are have doubt and fear... but you remember what is was that made you decide to do the surgery. Don't lose sight of that. Stay strong.... this is for you ... no one else. FYI:I repeat that to myself daily! I am a few days ahead of you... I hear everything you have said, I have felt what you feel. I am simply making a conscience effort to see the pros over the cons. Blessings

hey everyone, just wanted to write a little bit about what i'm about to go through and how i'm feeling. I told everyone about my surgery but my boss and co-workers, at this point i don't want any negativity so i'm still undecided on when or if i will actually tell them. I felt through this whole journey that i had alot of support but as the days near i'm starting to doubt that. My fiance was not really supportive in my decision because he has heard the horror stories and stories of people constantly being sick and throwing up and i explained how this is hopefully different from the gastric bypass and doesn't have dumping syndrome issues and since then i thought he was pretty supportive. Now, that i'm scheduled to start my full liquids tomorrow, i'm worried that he isn't going to be as supportive as i initially thought. Tonight was my "last dinner" (that sounds so silly) and he came home late after my son and i already ate, gulped his food down and then out the door to take our son to football practice. I'm sitting here so hurt.... like the last dinner i could have with my family for several weeks and it was no big deal to him that he was late.... am i over re-acting because or are these normal emotions? i just feel like now, i'm going to be alone.... help!!

How many calories and carbs are you taking in each day? It seems very unusual to not lose anything for 4 weeks at this stage of the game. I'd recommend having a conversation with your team about it.

Hello all! So i am almost 1 month post op and i'm now allowed to start eating some soft foods. I'm a little nervous to do this in fear of stalling even more or gaining weight. I may just be paranoid about this.... but i'm really nervous to switch back into eating foods because of this. How did switching back to foods affect your weight loss? How many calories do you think you are consuming a day? I don't want to eat too much.... Also right now i am just drinking about 2 protein shakes with water a day and getting 70g of protein. Do you think eating too little could be why i am stalling?

It's very common to have chest/shoulder pain after surgery due to the stretching of the diaphragm. Not sure if that's what your referring to or not, but that's very much a post-op complaint for at least a week to 2 weeks.

thanks for input. i stepped on the scale today, and there is ZERO change in my weight, which i'm really grateful for! i think that maybe things have just shifted a bit. going to stick to my plan and see if it makes any difference over the coming weeks and months

Check out this site, it will help you determine if you need a fill or not. I go by my weekly weight loss..if I have not lost weight in 3 consecutive weeks and I know I'm making good food choices, drinking all my Water..then possibly I would schedule a fill. Most of the time for me ..low weight loss is bad food choices and not drinking all my water..I try and stay real honest with myself and ask myself ..do I need my band adjusted or do I need my head and attitude adjusted..it is usually my head and attitude that I adjust. I have had 2 fills and do not plan on having one anytime soon..I got this fill in August and I have lost weight every single week since..I have good restriction..I have been losing 1-3 lbs a week since being banded... Good Luck http://lapbandtransformation.com/Adjustments.htm

I am on my third day of two week liquid diet prior to surgery and even though I "eased" into this (Two weeks of 1 mean a day liquid, two weeks of 2 a day liquid diet before beginning 3 a day) it is still hard! The first two days every time I stood up after sitting still for more than half an hour I got light headed and dizzy! Body slowly getting used to no carbs/sugars I guess! Sitting with family at meals is the hardest so far to do.

I registered for the Race for the Cure 5k... very excited but now also nervous. I have been loosely doing the Couch to 5k program for a month, but am still not running 1 mile without stopping to walk. Now I looked at the real 5k training schedule and it's 5 days a week! 3 miles, on Tues, Thurs, Fri, 2 miles on Wed and 4 miles on Sun.... OMG! What did I get myself into????

Yes, weight loss is faster with the sleeve. With the band, it might take 3 fills before you even feel like you have a band. Most doctors do fills 6 weeks apart. The nurse I spoke to when I had my surgery said he lost 100 lbs in 6 months. The difference with the foods you can eat is with a sleeve, you can eat most anything. With a band, once you have restriction, there are many many foods that people have to give up or they throw up. They won't go through the band and it's painful when things get stuck until you throw it up.

There are days when I'm amazed at how little I can eat and still feel full, and then other days where I'm worried about how much volume it takes to feel even mildly satisfied. I don't get my first fill til Monday, so I'm not exactly in your shoes, but here's what I think: if you are losing 2 pounds a week, you are doing GREAT! This whole band thing is a learnng experience. It sounds to me like you are on track.

Hey everyone I had surgery on 7/6, so I'm about 1.5 months post-op. I've had one fill so far, with a total of maybe 3cc's in my band. I'm just feeling really guilty about how much I've been eating at each meal. I was fine with small meals until after my first fill. If I go out to eat, I put half away in a box first, don't drink with meals.. follow all those rules. But I still feel like I'm eating way too much for having a band with a fill. I eat maybe 1/2 to 1/3 of what I used to, pre-op, but I look at the serving sizes for lapband recipes and the 1/2 cup, 1/4 cup sizes just make me laugh. I'm worried that I've stretched my pouch or something. I'm still having the 2 lb/week loss, and I haven't started exercising regularly yet. Maybe I'm being paranoid about it but I'm just wondering how much others were eating at this time in their journeys. To give a concrete example, I ate an entire medium-sized plate full of salad yesterday at lunch. And for dinner I had about 1.5 enchiladas. (it was really just one, but the tortillas were pretty big.) Gah.. I'm just not sure what to do here. Start eating only 1/4 cup servings? Talk to my surgeon? Idk.

I am 3 and half weeks post op and my left side still hurts fequently. I know this is normal but I am ready for it to be gone.

Great plan @@determinedtolive and congrats on your June surgery! Hope all is well thusfar @Outsidemachine thanks for the tip. I've heard about head hunger and I guess I won't quite understand it until I experience it? I think of it in terms like when I restrict certain foods from my diet but crave them like crazy. Its mental. @@PRINCESS2218 that's exactly what I'm doing!!! Meal prepping for the next 2 weeks. I messed up though. I didn't buy sugar free popsicles and Jell-O. Its cool, I can eat them now pre-op but I understand post op I should stick to sugar free items. I was going to wait until Monday... but I started today. I'm officially 2 weeks pre-op!!!! I made a fruit smoothie this morning-- strawberry, banana and blueberry. Added a little Water. Yum! At work right now... having a chocolate Protein shake, will have a Jell-O in an hour sipping plenty o' water in between will have another protein shake about 3:00, and another smoothie when I get home. I think I 'm good with clear and full liquids. I stick to what I like. I'll probably get the flavorless protein by unjury to add to my foods post op. Won't be able to eat as much. Currently drinking about 8 oz, of smoothie or Protein Shake each meal. Post op that one 8 oz protein shake might last me the whole day!!! I need to start working on a post op food list for once I'm in the pureed and soft food phase. I hate cooking... So for now, I'll stock up on baby food so I'll at least have my sides and a few Entrees and use the next two weeks finish purchasing my post op clears and fulls and set the stage for the puree and soft phase.

I spent the day at home ironing watching Oprah....then I got dinner all prepared before going out for a ride, home to cook , cleaned up and watched Survivor...feeling tired now so am heading to bed to catch some zz`s I hope everyone is having a good week, I am glad its Hump day (Wednesday Middle of the week) for me tomorrow. We have got a busy weekend and the following week ahead of us , with distributors comeing downunder for a week of meetings we will be putting on a BBQ Sunday for some that arriving on Saturday (2 from USA, 1 from Denmark, and 2 from the U.K ) we have 2 coming from N.Z mid week for just a few days too , so it will be dinner out a couple of times as well.. I am going to be very tired at the end of it all...:thumbup: My daughter will be leaving for London at the end of the month also :thumbup: I will miss her , but by the time she comes home I hope there will be less of me for her to see...:w00t: Good night all...Wishing you all the Best with your new way of life , I am coping well no major problems ..fingers crossed it stays that way... Nite..:glare:

Talk to your dr. Mine gave me a vitamin regimen that I took for three months. A different combination every two hours. My hair stopped falling out and I have new growth. You can only stay ogn it for three months. Now I just take my calcium, multiple and I still take biotin. The shampoos did not do anything for me.

Tuff Enogh i was quoting UK statistics the USA is much bigger than the UK we are a mere spot compared to your country. In the UK we dont have insurance like you we have a NHS National Health Service free health care for everyone. We do have a private sector but its expencive. Sometimes if we go private say for the opp the after care can be moved to the NHS but it does not always work like that. The NHS is megga busy because the surgions who work in the private sector may only work for the NHS a few days a week so waiting lists are long can be years long. It just disgusts me that simply to promote a n out service such as the band they falsyfy the statistics. its about £8000 to have a band fitted here with fills costing between £150 and £270 that depends if there done blind or by x ray then u have the cost of consultation on top and travel so to get a amercan doller convert roughly double the uk currency £270 is about a weeks wages here its just such a lot of money if u go private and then like u say to cover costs of complications it can be desaterus.

Hello All! I'm Nanster. I was banded by Dr. Spivak 6 days ago in Houston, TX. The surgery itself was not so bad, but I was unaware of how "SICK" I would feel as I "detox'd" from my old way of eating. I planned to be banded Friday and return to work Monday...they told me "no problem"....WRONG....I felt like CRAPOLA for several days.:sick Each day has gotten a little better, thank the Lord. I guess my body has just been "crashing" from the reduction in calories, the lack of caffeine, the fact that my tissues were healing, etc. etc. I just wish I had been more aware that this was going to occur, rather than expecting "no big deal" for an outpatient procedure as was projected to me by the doctor, the surgery center staff and other "losers" I've met. Perhaps it's all my fault for not having gone to a low-calorie, no-caffeine diet ahead of time, but I was primarily told to go off "whites"-flour, sugar, Pasta, rice, potatoes. I'm having difficulty getting enough calories in right now. I'm "full" before I even start!!! I don't have ANY desire to eat and feel full with an "empty" stomach. I have to push to drink Water, broth, soup. I tried some grits this morning...only ate about 4 tsps full, over the course of 1/2 an hour and they felt like a huge rock in my gut for 2-3 hours!!!! I finally laid down and they passed while I napped. The rest of today, I've been having only liquids...ensure, Boost, Atkins shake, water, tea, and a little no-sugar-added applesauce. I assume from the majority of posts that I'll actually be one of the "lucky" ones in the future, as I will be able to put off a fill for a while since I feel full ALL THE TIME! :confused: Is that a correct assumption? I have actually lost 8 pounds in 6 days, which I feel is TOO much - not that I don't like seeing it on the scale - for such a short time. I think that is a further indication that my body is really "crashing" and that's why I have felt so poor so far. Does anyone have any suggestions for a "newbie"???:biggrin1: I am taking tomorrow off work-make it an even week! I need to get my home back in order and try to catch up on my bills, etc. and used to functioning on all liquids. I still have shakes and sweat constantly....any idea on how long these things will last?????? Am I almost past the "detox" stage??? (I hope, I hope) Thanks for your replies!!! Nanster

Hi all. I am 7 weeks post op and looking for a veteran sleeve buddy that I can vent, ask questions, and share stories with. Would prefer someone in Michigan.

Hi Yecats, It's not like a diet to me at all, but like you said, we are all different. I have seen a couple of people complain that it feels like a diet to them. In the sense that you need to track your protein to make sure you get in the minimum, and keep up with your water/fluids to make sure you get it all in, then I guess that part could seem like a diet to some. Especially if they didn't read/research a long time before making their decision to have surgery. Because it doesn't take a lot of reading/researching on these forums to realize that there are many lifestyle changes and the sleeve is just a tool. We are still responsible for making the right choices, tracking to make sure we get the correct nutrition, and even though the tool does most of the work for us on the portion control part of things, a lot of us do restrict carbs. I've seen some people say they don't really restrict the carbs, but some of us who have had Type 2 diabetes or insulin resistance still have to watch those things to lose any amount of weight. Another thing is the exercise. There are a few who say they lost weight and got to goal with little to no exercise, but in general, most people do have to form a habit of some kind of exercise into their lives to really kick in the weight loss, and help get them to their goal quicker, and even maintain their weight loss. But on the will power part, things are much easier for me on that and feeling more in control where food is concerned. I am not ravenously hungry all the time and want to eat only certain things that I crave. And with the sleeve, no I've never been full but still be hungry. You are completely satisfied after eating a tiny amount. It's not like a diet, where you only get to eat certain things and small amounts, but you feel like you're still hungry or deprived. Now, I am not hungry a lot but I eat because I know i have to fuel my body and keep my protein up. I won't say that things don't look or smell good or that I don't ever want things I shouldn't have, I still choose not to bring things into my house because it still makes it easier if things aren't so convenient. So if it's not in my house, I don't really think about it or want it.. Generally I actually want and have the taste for the proteins that I know I am suppose to eat. I have taken 1 bite of a dessert to taste once or twice, but was completely satisfied with just that one bite. I didn't have the desire to have a whole piece of pie/cake or whatever. Having said all this, I feel I was pretty well prepared for the lifestyle changes. I had been researching and reading for 7 yrs and knew I wanted surgery so I saw people post constantly about tracking foods, having to restrict carbs, so none of the changes were a shock to me. I have not yet for one second regretted my decision to get the Sleeve. A lot of people have buyers remorse sometimes immediately post op or for the first month or so, and I understand why. Cause no matter how prepared and how happy you are to be sleeved, it is STILL a big adjustment to your eating and lifestyle, because it isn't just changing how or what you eat. It completely changes your relation with food, and changes your familys relationship with eating and socializing and a lot of family activities that may have revolved around food, can't happen as much, or as easy. You just always have to keep in mind what you're eating or snacking on everyday, plan it, take stuff with you everywhere you go so you don't get stuck in a situation where you have nothing good for you to eat. So it still is kinda like your life still revolves around food to a certain extent, but only because you are planning, preparing, tracking healthier food instead of like before where our lives might of revolved around food cuz we were always hungry, craving, planning on eating out, etc. It's just we're trying to become healthier now and get skinny rather than be out of control and keep getting fatter and our self esteem suffering, our health suffering etc. The thing for me was, I had been diagnosed Type 2 Diabetic(this was AFTER I started researching WLS too), and I knew if I didn't do this, my health would only get worse and I would die from some form of obesity related disease. So I did it more for the health benefits than anything. Type 2 Diabetes was the final deciding factor that I finally put my foot down and said, come hell or high water, without insurance, despite money struggles, I AM going to have this surgery, even if it's self pay in MX, despite how others felt about it. I had researched enough that I was completely comfortable with it and and had learned thru research that the Drs had done a lot more Sleeves anyway. I was more afraid to NOT have the surgery than to have it, if that makes sense. Oh, and I know I have mentioned a couple of times about all my research, but I read about hair loss, stalls, and all the things that freak us out post-op. And even though I KNEW those things were common and would most probably or likely happen to me, It is STILL difficult to go thru these things when it's happening to you. I still freak out about both even though my hair loss really only got bad for a wk, my hair was already thinning before. And I'm afraid it's not over and I'll still have more fall out. And the stalls, I swore I would not let get to me and I wasn't going to stress or whine about it everyday on the forum lol. Well I may not have started topics on it, but yes the stalls bother me, really bad. I am like many people that I think, omg, am I gonna be the only person that this surgery doesn't work for? I know it's not a good idea to compare my weight loss to anyone elses, but it's really hard NOT to. But I know I'm not finished losing weight. I know I am much healthier and will continue to improve even more. And I am VERY happy with my sleeve and the choice to have it, because I have NEVER lost this much weight in this amount of time or kept it off. It's changed my life for the better in so many ways, and I am excited and looking forward to more improvements and changes. As someone else said, it's natural to worry about having surgery, and it's also natural to worry about post-op life. But most peoples biggest regret is not having it sooner, whether it was because it's only been offered for a few yrs, or they couldn't make up their mind, or because insurance wouldn't cover it. And even most of the people that have a rough start or complications, still say they don't regret it and would do it all over again, even with the complications. Good luck to you and I'm sorry I got long winded!! haha And I hope I didn't miss a question. Shoot me a msg if anything I said was confusing or didn't make sense.

I've been a pescetarian for about 25 years or so. I'm about 12 weeks post-op. The focus on Protein is a huge change for me. For my whole adult life, I made whole grains the base of every meal, surrounded by veggies and just a little protein. I had to admit to myself after all these years that it wasn't working for me - constant cravings and low satiety. I still don't believe in the high levels of protein that most adhere to (except during the post surgery healing phase) Which is good, because veg protein sources don't get you anywhere near 60g a day and I don't want to rely on shakes and bars now that I'm past the healing phase. I'm a total convert to the low carb camp for the duration of my weight loss phase. It really does reduce hunger and cravings. I haven't decided on a maintenance plan yet - I'll figure that out down the road. I've been eating 3 meals a day comprised of 3 oz of protein (fish, hard cheese, eggs, nuts, beans) and 1 oz of veggies plus fats (olive, coconut, butter, avocado), Sometimes, I'll add a Protein Bar, but not everyday. The weight is coming off at a nice steady pace. I don't know if I am on the right track or not - all seems well for now and I'm open to experimenting down the road.