Search the Community

It doesnt stress me at all, its habit more than anything. Firstly, I'm realistic. I dont expect my weight not to fluctuate by a pound or two now and then. I expect to weigh a bit more at night. I expect to gain a bit around period time. I expected plateaus during the loss and didnt worry about those either. I cant understand how people truly think their weight is going to go down by equal increments each and every week. If I get on the scales and I'm as light as possible, I feel buoyed to continue the good work. If I get on the scale and its up a pound or two, I dont get depressed, I just know to put a lid on it now before it gets away from me. Either way, it motivates me. When I've eaten badly and see the scale up, I know to get back with the program. When i've eaten badly and the scale DOESNT go up it helps me realise that nobody eats perfectly and in the scale of life, if you're good 90% of the time, your weight is going to be fine! One thing I've NEVER seen is a 5lb gain, lol. I've never gotten a fright because I keep a eagle eye on my weight and manage it on a day to day basis. Its win win if you ask me. It just depends how you look at it.

I just asked this question to my nutritionist last week. She said that my surgeon's protocol is to loosen the band after a certain number of years (I can't remember how many) at goal weight. The reason for this is to avoid any complications linked with a potentially-inflammatory implanted device, especially as one gets older. My surgeon has observed that by that time...(the certain number of years maintaining), the patient has acquired the eating and exercise habit/mindset etc that will prevent him/her from gaining the weight back. If the patient observes weight gain after the band losening, he/she is instructed to return for a fill immediately.

At face value it's because I lost 90 pounds over a looong three years, then stalled for a year despite trying my hardest to break the stall, and then after going on a 1200 calorie diet recommended by my doic I started *gaining* weight back. That was it. I had tried for so hard, and so long, and I feel like I gave losing weight 'on my own' my best attempt and I was sick. Sick of being fat, sick of being undesirable, sick of society not accepting me (my main motivation for losing weight at all, really), sick of chronic knee and back pain... Overall, I'm just over being fat and everything that comes along with it. I'm a big fan of fat acceptance and health at every size, but imo health includes mental health and at my size and my size-based self imposed prison, I was verging on tossing in the towel on life in general. I have a history of depression. I don't think losing weight will fix that by any means, but even though I'm only 5 weeks out I have no regrets and I'm so happy and so relieved that I finally went through with WLS after researching it and skirting around it for 8 or so years. Losing weight may not fix my mental perception of myself, but I'll be happy if it prevents a knee-replacement in the future.

Have you taken an honest look at what you have been eating and how much? Do you pick at all during the day? It is amazing how much we can eat and not even realize. My first month did not end with as much weight loss as I had hoped/expected, so I looked at myself and my habits and realized I was snacking in between meals - often without realizing it. As we all know, it is much harder to take off than to put on, so a bad day or two can cause my scale to go up 1-2 pounds as well. When that happens though, I make sure to eat healthier, smaller portions and really rev it up at the gym. It's amazing what an hour of cardio can do!! The important thing though is that you are down 23 lbs overall. But if you are unappy with your progress, take a long hard look at your habits - both dietary and exercise related. Is there something more you can do to speed up the weight loss? If so, make a promise to yourself to do it. And reward yourself (not with food) for every 5 or 10 lbs. that you lose. Also, Keep a pen and paper with you to write down everything you eat for a week. It will really help you get a truer sense of what / how much you are eating. GOOD LUCK TO YOU!!!!!

I thought the hunger hormone was gone as well. I guess it depends as my mother-in-law had surgery three weeks after me and has no hunger at all. The acid reducers do not help whatsoever with hunger unfortunately.

I am 6 weeks post op , start weight 237 , current weight 200 lbs ..... This past week I started feeling hungry , I don't know why . I have been under alot of stress so I am starting to question if I am what they call an emotional eater .

Hi everyone. I am a little bummed right now. I am exactly 2 weeks post-op today. My stomach is still very swollen. My port site incision has come open a little bit. It started at the beginning of the week. I called office and they asked me if it was red or puffy. I said no. They said just put some gauze on it so it didn't bleed on anything and leave it loose to let the incision 'breathe'. Well, today I shower and that little part is red, a little puffy and more open. Ugh. So I am going to have to go in to the office next week. Ugh again. And I know I shouldn't be on the scale everyday but the last two days I have gained! I would be ok with not losing but gaining! Along with my tummy that is bigger than the day I had surgery. Very discouraging. I am not sorry I had the surgery but I can't say I am glad yet. I really really really want to be glad. Somebody pat me on the head and tell me everything will be ok! <grin> Made a joke... but really... <sigh>

I also gained once I started the Mushie phase of the diet. We put our bodies into starvation mode with the super low cal sugar free liquid phase of the diet. Our bodies are hanging onto every calorie we put into it right now because of that. Give your body a few weeks to adjust and come to terms that you arnt trying to starve it and you will start losing again. Also I think its important to be kind to yourself and have realistic expectaions. I think Drs should warn people more that we will prob gain weight back when we move to mushies since we put ourselves into starvation mode. Our bodies can only do what they do naturally. Be kind to yourself and be patient. Its an important part of this journey to learn to love ourselves and stop being so hard on ourselves regarding our weight.

So the holidays really caught me by surprise and even though I was down in the dumps:crying: a bit about the whole 'not being w/ the one you love' kind of holiday season I still had my family. I mean I'm quite aware that my immediate family are still the ones I love but it's been a long time since I've had that :wub:special kind of someone in my life and it's made me really emotional (:unsure:thank God i'm not an emotional eater or i'd be in big trouble). I've been :thumbup:praying though and God is getting me through it day by day. I just have to learn that when it's time He'll direct my in the direction of he and he in the direction of me. (sigh....exhales) Aside from all the hum glum of the holidays there was some cheer in there and I love my family. :rolleyes:The food,fun and laughs were flowing. My grandmother was surely missed but I miss her every day especially when I want to tell her the good news about my weight. I know she's proud of me though. :w00t:Speaking of good news!!! Well of course you're well aware that I go every six (6) weeks to my LAP-BAND®® Dr. so that he can weigh me. We're still not sure (or at least i'm not) when i'm going to have the initial surgery but I'm pretty sure it will happen when it happens. Still being on this semi-liquid diet even through the holidays I was successful at losing an additional 11lbs. Yes folks 11 more lbs. I was amazed myself and if you add it all up that's 51 total lbs in 12wks tops. I'm so proud of myself because I didn't think I would lose any and actually thought I had gained some. But to my surprise I lost. (exhale) So i'm sticking to this thing like glue and I've even been trying to convert some friends of mine who aren't even dieting. It's not working too well but you just weight they'll see the results and change their minds instantly. A really good friend of mines mother passed away just recently and it hit hard for me. Although I'm pretty sure he was prepared I don't think anything prepares you to lose your parents. He's so sweet though and I love him dearly. I continue to pray for him and I'm going to send him a sympathy card and a thinking of you card too. Oh my new years? well it was pretty good i mean I toasted myself and one of my besties was going to come over but I had fallen asleep and refused to answer the phone. so yeah I brought the new year in on a pillow cloud lol. Oh and my other best-friend got married . I'm so happy for her and my new cousin-in-law. They have been together for so long I was wondering when the wedding would take place. I was a little unhappy that it wasn't a wedding wedding and that they went off and did a quiet little thing () lol but i'm glad they are married. Well that's about it right now. Nope no resolutions I have enough on my plate as it. Talk to you soon and blessings. :smile2:

nope, I didnt get one of those. But I guess my surgery is not the typical american kind, ie, I had my first appointment on mon, and the next day I decided to go for it, and surgery was on sat. no pre op diet, and barely any info for what foods to eat after. my doc also was going to give me my first fill a week after surgery, and it seems like my fills are totally up to me. good and bad points I guess.

Slim in 6 is part exercise program and part nutrition program. When you order the program, you get a nutrition guide and some other helpful info. Proper diet and nutrition is the first step to ANY successful weight loss regime. This program though, does have a pretty intense fitness component. What you do is use the DVD's that are provided for a 6 week period. There are 3 basic stages: Start it Up: Basic and shortest of the routines but still does give you a great workout; Ramp it Up: Stage 2 which incorporates more resistance training and more cardio than the first and then Burn it Up which is the third and final stage which is totally killer but is definitely worth it, even if you can only stick with it a little bit. This is one of the BeachBody programs (think P90x, etc) and does have a pattern of great results. However, as with all of the BeachBody programs, it's not easy-peasy. You have to commit and stick with it. Even if you miss a day, that's fine, but get back in the next day. Why I like it, is because it mixes cardio and resistance training into a workout utilizing resistance bands as well as your own body. Squats, push ups, crunches and lunges all work your body, without any fancy equipment and give both good cardio AND strength training. A lot of people I find, also mix in Shakeology, which is a protein/multi-vitamin/meal replacement shake. They have that for Breakfast and call it good. I've often considered going to that at some point.

I promise, your green zone is coming. I didn't find any restriction for 5 mths (3rd fill). After my 4 week liquid diet, I ate just as much as before being banded - thought I had failed another diet. My dr only does fills every 6 weeks, no sooner. I losy maybe 5 lbs during those first 5 mths. After getting that 3rd fill, I found myself losing slowly, but every single week, I lost something. I've never counted anything or measured anything. I go by what my body feels when I'm full. Counting and measuring remind me of being on another diet, which I swore I was done with getting banded. You can do it! Have a little faith in yourself and in your dr. Most people take 2-4 fills before they find the "zone" where they start losing. I think that most of the people who fail with the band give up before getting "there". Good luck! Marci

HI John, You must be very excited about your surgery date on Feb 21st. I actually thought your surgery date would have been sooner than that. Are they booking out about 5 weeks? What is the reason for the semi-liquid diet? Sherri

Alright, I'm kinda new around here and I just recently got filled so that I'm finally losing weight. In the last 3 and a half weeks I'm down almost 18 pounds (liquids, blenderized, soft, etc) and I've changed nothing in the way that I'm eating over the weekend. But now the scale went up 6 pounds since Friday. Now, could this huge weight increase be because I'm supposed to "start" pretty soon or what? I'm keeping track of all of my foods/calories/protein like I should be. I'm getting 1200 - 1500 cal. per day and 60 - 70 grams of protein a day. I'm only drinking water like I should be and I'm walking, like I should be. But it's just frustrating that after weeks of losing I started to gain some this weekend and of course, I go back to my doctor tomorrow. Could starting your period really cause that much of a weight (water, more than likely) increase? What can you do to help it along as well? Thanks!

My BCBS of CT pulls up 'price estimators for Band and Bypass but nothing's under Verticle Sleeve or any other names I could think to search it. I will call to confirm its covered tomorrow because that's the surgery option I've researched and found fits me best. BUT I'm now freaking out that maybe my insurance only covers some types of surgery and not Sleeve. Is that something anyone has ever seen happen? My surgeon apt is in 2 weeks but I'm gin research mode now.

@@Nerdgrl Very normal! Explain to your husband that your hormones are out whack from the surgery and that it's going to be a rough few weeks. I'm sure he'll understand.

It's very typical. Fat cells store hormones in addition to fat, and when they release the fat to nourish you in this period of semi-starvation, the hormones come flooding out too. So it is very normal to have several weeks of strong emotion, whether that is rage, weepiness, irritability -- or the whole gamut! Try not to take it out on the people around you and don't make any major life decisions right now

I'm scheduled to have a revision from a sleeve to a mini gastric bypass in 5 weeks. I am way more scared than the first surgery. I think in part because I know what to expect post op (I had an awful recovery last time). Has anyone else felt like this before their revision?

Started back at gym at week 3. First two to three weeks were rough, lose a lot of muscle quick with rapid weight loss. I sweated a lot and stamina was low. Talked the PA and dietician, increased calories for additional calories burned, it helped get stamina back and sweating stopped. Around week 8, 5 weeks after returning to gym, my strength was back to pre surgery. Workout still basically, 1/2 hour treadmill running followed by 1 hour of resistance training, cardio workout, ab workout, mixture of all of the previous all depending upon what my personal trainer plans for me.

I was back at a full workout at week 3. Elliptical and weight training. Drink lots of Water but remember to sip.

Two weeks is an awfully short time to heal from a mommy makeover.....usually off for 6 weeks here in the states. Mexico maybe different, but you do not wanna take chances of sutures opening up or any other complications by going back to work too quickly. When you go to Mexico for plastic you usually stay in the area for several days. Drains and all are removed before leaving. You stay in a hotel. Then you have to travel home and recuperate from your travels. Mommy makeover is extensive work. There are some really great surgeons in Mexico but you can't rush your healing. May wanna think about waiting for summer. Or take extra vacation time if possible.

I am 9 months post op now and would have MM if I could get it scheduled. I am aiming for July - but it seems like it is going to be August now. The only reason I would recommend waiting is that I have noticed just in the past month that my weight is really shifting. I was a size 4-6 last month and just had to go buy new pants because I am in a size 2 now. If you have summer off, I would recommend waiting until then to have the MM - I am planning on taking at least 4 weeks off work because of the not being able to stand up straight. For some perspective - I had the sleeve on a Monday and was back at work on Friday....I don't tend to be on the overly cautious side but I have seen enough MM recoveries to know that 4 weeks would be realistic for me.

I was told to wait 18 to 24 months before doing plastics. If you are not at goal, I would wait because you could have more loose skin after your MM. I am 17 months and I just had my upper arm lift and breast implant/lift two days ago. I am having a lower body lift on October and was told to take 6 weeks to recover.

Anyone else headed to TJ for Dr Ortiz this week? I was sleeved by him last November but have not lost any weight. Because I had a revision from a band he thinks I had too much scar tissue to get a small enough sleeve. So, I am going back. He said this is ony the 2nd time he has had this problem. and, NO cost to me.