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I'm sorry to say I've become a lurker. .... Life has become so incredibly busy that it's getting harder and harder to relax!! In February 2011, I headed down to Mexico and had my sleeve done. Since then I've lost 100 lbs. I lost the weight in about 8 months and have had no trouble keeping it off!! A huge reason I can keep it off is due to being VERY active! I've become a long distance runner- tomorrow I will do my 4th half marathon. I have another half marathon in September, and my first full marathon in October. In January, I'm traveling to Disneyworld to do the Goofy Challenge. I get up Saturday and do the Donald Half, then go on Sunday to do the Mickey Full. If I complete both in the allowed time, I get a Goofy medal!!! In march my fiancé and I are finally getting married in Hawaii!!! - and yes, there is a half marathon tied in 6 days after : ) My biggest changes?? To do what I CAN do! When I was big, I'd give up on everything- including myself. Now? I've had a running injury for the last 2 races. My second half, I ended up walking the last few miles. My third? I got injured 3 mile in and WALKED the next 10 miles!!! I won't give up!!! Eating wise? I still do Protein first and I still do not eat and drink at the same time. I still carry a drink with me everywhere and get 3 liters liquids in per day. I still stay away from popand slurpees like it's the plague as it's just too much of a slippery slope for me. Since having the sleeve my attitude has changed so much. I'm enjoying life and the people around me. I've gone onto a major fasttrack at work ( I've had 4 promotions since surgery, 6 raises, and 3 bonuses) Life is good My biggest recommendation for new sleevers? CHUCK YOUR SCALE!!! I only lost weight one week a month. It majorly f$cked with my brain! One more thing- get active! The trick is to find something you love. Running for me gives me time to myself ( which I very rarely have), and it allows me to think things through and clear the cobwebs. I also like hiking and do it multiple times per week right now. Now I'm off to pack my gear! Have a great evening!!!

I've had my band since 3/19/12, and boy have you hit the nail on the head! I really hope folks will let you know. I am wondering too!

Hi Meggie, I didn't count carbs. I've been scared off from that a bit since I did Atkins for 10 days and gained 7lbs - and I stuck to the diet 100%!! I'm just happy doing low carb rather than super low (plus I get constipated if I go too low).

I am 2 weeks post op today and feeling great! No more gas pain. Just a little tenderness near the biggest incision. But I can already sleep on my stomach which is amazing. Sleeping was hard before, most of first week, since I'm a stomach sleeper. I was waking up every 2-3 hours. But thankfully it's improved now. Been exercising everyday at least 15 min up to 45 min walking or going to the gym on the stationary bike. I'm down 19 lbs since the pre op diet and have a goal of 65-70 more to go. Been tracking food, drinks and exercising on myfitnesspal. It keeps me honest. On soft foods now starting today although I've been slowly adding day by day since I've been hungry. I'm scheduled to get my first fill week after next. I'm a little nervous to travel next week on a 4 hour flight. Sitting for a long period of time is uncomfortable. I've been working at home since 4 days after surgery so it's been easy to just lie down whenever needed. So any suggestions anyone has would be appreciated about flying and sitting for so long.

Let me tell ya in 10 yrs of being morbidly obese I lost a total of 20 pounds i think. NOTHING worked for me. I also have PCOS . My OB told me " Mindy you WONT lose weight on your own it just wont come off" I had the surgery and expected to lose and that was it ! NO ON In the WORLD was more shocked than ME ( Ok maybe my OB ) that I lost 105 pounds in 10 months ! I am the MOST negative person . The BEST advice i can give you is this . expect NOTHING but to LOSE . AND follow the doctors orders to a T ! If you do those 2 things you WILL do this ! If i can do this band thing anyone can LOL Mindy

Tia , I would be happy to be your mentor. email me i'll be happy to email , chat. my doc is in San Antonio , i Live in Austin. Im happy to help out anyway i can . I was 250 when i started now im 140 ( I need to get 10 pounds off i gained ) Im a married mom of 2 boys . Im 33 Mindy

Consider the percentages...at 20 lbs you have lost more than 10% of your body weight. If I were to lose 20 lbs it would only be less than 6% of my body weight. :nonod:

Sorry not trying to scare anyone here. I had my surgery August 10. Right after surgery and until now I am unable to keep down liquids. My surgeon told me I was tight . He used a 38 bougie but he sais that It is not only the size of the bougie but also how the skin is wrapped around it. I have never vomited so much in my life . I vomit up slimy bubbly stuff. Also meds . I am however in no pain. I am going to see him and his team every morning for fluids and meds through IV.. they seem to think i should be better soon. As the swelling will come down. Toay is the first day i feel coherent. I have no depression even having gone through this I am happy with my decision. One og the doctors there have had this done. Any three or four of the girls. The staff is really caring and even came in today for only me. They are very experienced with 20 years experience. Can anyone else share experiences?

(Reuters) - One night when Lynn McAfee was 5 years old, her psychologically troubled mother left her at the side of a road as punishment for a now forgotten infraction.In the minutes before her mother's car returned, the terrified girl looked toward the nearby houses on the suburban Philadelphia street and wondered if she should walk over and ask for help."But I didn't," said McAfee, 62, who is now the director of medical advocacy for the Council on Size and Weight Discrimination. "I didn't think anyone would want a fat child."The stigmatization of obesity begins in preschool: Children as young as 3 tell scientists studying the phenomenon that overweight people are mean, stupid, ugly and have few friends. It intensifies in adulthood, when substantial numbers of Americans say obese people are self-indulgent, lazy and unable to control their appetites. And it translates into poorer job prospects for the obese compared with their slim peers.It may be the nation's last, accepted form of prejudice. But the stigmatization of obesity has repercussions beyond the pain it inflicts on its targets: It threatens to impede efforts to fight the obesity epidemic."As long as we have this belief that obese people are lazy and lacking in discipline, it will be hard to get support for policies that change the environment, which are likely to have a much larger impact than trying to change individuals," said psychologist Rebecca Puhl of the Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut.That barrier to action is becoming clearer as the nation grapples with the costs of having two-thirds of adults overweight or obese. This week, an influential health panel proposed changes to an obesity-promoting environment, from farm policies to zoning, trying to shift the debate away from personal blame.A new Reuters/Ipsos online poll of 1,143 adults from May 7 to 10 captures some of the prejudicial attitudes. Asked to identify the main cause of the epidemic, 61 percent chose "personal choices about eating and exercising"; 19 percent chose the actions of food manufacturers and the fast-food industry. The poll is accurate to within 3.6 percentage points. Because of the methods used to collect the data, accuracy is measured using a statistical measure called a credibility interval.Reflecting the belief that the obese have only themselves to blame, 49 percent of respondents favored allowing insurers to charge obese people more for health insurance.Poll respondents also showed broad support for efforts that target the food industry: 56 percent wanted to limit advertising of unhealthy food or taxing sugared soda, 77 percent were in favor of calorie counts at restaurants and sport arenas. But an all-out ban on fast-food restaurants? America loves its Big Macs: Only 21 percent said yes.EFFECTS OF THE STIGMAOne effect of the obesity stigma is that discrimination on the basis of weight is legal. Michigan is the only state that prohibits it, along with a few towns and cities. Everywhere else, it is legal to deny people jobs or refuse to rent them an apartment if they are obese. The fact that two-thirds of American adults are overweight or obese has not led to bans on such discrimination.That does not surprise McAfee, who weighs about 500 pounds. "Studies show that fat people are even more prejudiced against fat people" than thin people are, she said.Even respected leaders such as New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, seen as a potential running mate for Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney, are not spared the mockery.Christie's girth was the target of fat jokes at the White House Correspondents' dinner last month, though he shrugged them off."When you're overweight, fair or unfair, there's going to be those who make really awful comments about you and there are going to be people who make jokes about it. That's the way it goes," Christie told reporters.The stigma also hurts the efforts of America's 73 million obese adults and 12 million obese children to get back to a healthy weight: Targets of stigma often fall into depression or withdraw socially. Both make overeating, binge eating, and a sedentary existence more likely, studies show.Sophie Lewis and her colleagues at Monash University in Australia interviewed hundreds of obese adults who were the target of such comments as "look at that fat lady!" when out in public. As a result, found Lewis, obese people are less likely to exercise by walking outdoors.Even healthcare professionals hold negative attitudes about the obese, studies show. Physicians often spend less time with an obese patient, for instance, and do not counsel them about a healthy lifestyle, perhaps believing it would fall on deaf ears.Doctors and nurses who telegraph negative attitudes toward the obese can keep them from seeking treatment for diabetes, found a study led by Elizabeth Teixeira of Drexel University College of Nursing and Health Professions in Philadelphia."Patients are afraid of hearing, 'you're fat,' or 'just lose weight,' as if it were that easy," said Teixeira, a nurse practitioner specializing in diabetes. "I've had patients tell me they delay seeking care, even having their blood pressure or glucose checked, because they don't want to be lectured."A 2010 study by scientists at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore found that the fatter a patient, the more likely a doctor is to assume he or she is not taking medications as prescribed. That, other studies have shown, can keep physicians from prescribing needed meds, assuming they won't be taken.Taking all that data into account, it may not be surprising how reluctant people are to call themselves obese. In the Reuters/Ipsos poll, 14 percent of respondents said they are obese. Based on their self-reported height and weight, 26 percent are obese according to U.S. guidelines.SHIFTING THE DEBATEThe belief that obesity reflects personal decisions implies that the solution, too, should be personal: Eat less, move more. But as the Institute of Medicine argued this week, the most effective way to combat obesity is to change the environment.For average American adults, willpower is no match for "an environment in which we are constantly bombarded by food and food cues," said David Kessler, former head of the Food and Drug Administration and author of the 2009 book, "The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite." "Lecturing people doesn't work."The IOM recommended building sidewalks to make it easier for people to walk, banning sugary drinks from schools and requiring 60 minutes of daily exercise in grades K-12, reducing portion sizes in schools and restaurants, and making low-cal choices widely available and as affordable as super-sized ice cream cones. Most important, it concluded, was changing the "messaging," including the ubiquitous marketing of calorie-dense food.Fat stigma makes those ideas ripe for attack by an industry that says how much to eat and move reflects individual choice. The restaurant- and food-industry-funded Center for Consumer Freedom called the IOM "arrogant and absurd" for suggesting "that Americans are too stupid to make their own food choices." By proposing to keep unhealthy, calorie-dense food out of school lunch programs, it said, "food nannies" like the IOM are "flatly arguing against consumers having any choice in their snacks and meals."In the Reuters/Ipsos poll, respondents were almost evenly split over "government intervention" to reduce obesity, with 52 percent supporting it and 48 percent opposing it. There was greater support for specific steps, with 87 percent in favor of requiring 30 minutes per day of exercise in school.ROOTS OF THE STIGMAPsychologist Chris Crandall of the University of Kansas has found that young adults who stigmatize obesity tend to be more ideologically conservative, favoring traditional sex roles and capital punishment, his studies found."Particularly in America, self-determination and individual choice is a fundamental value," he said. "We blame people for everything that happens to them - being poor, being obese. It's the ‘just world' idea that people get what they deserve."The stigma is less pronounced in countries such as India, Mexico and Turkey, whose cultures assign more collective responsibility for personal outcomes, Crandall found. His studies, going back to the 1990s, surveyed hundreds of people worldwide about how closely they associate obesity with adjectives such as lazy and stupid.Americans also stand out in their conviction that hard work and determination lead to success, while failure is due to lack of effort."Being thin has come to symbolize such important values as being disciplined and in control," said Yale's Puhl. The converse: If someone is not thin, he must be lacking in those virtues.Indeed, some Americans value thinness more than life itself. In a 2007 study, 24 percent of women and 17 percent of men said they would trade three or more years of life to be svelte.Yet despite the rising personal stakes, a growing body of research shows just how hard it is for the average person to keep the pounds off.Just before speaking to Reuters, McAfee had exercised for an hour in her Florida pool and had a salad for lunch."I work out, I eat a lot of fruits and vegetables, and I'm still not thin," she said. "So please stop beating the crap out of me: It's completely counterproductive."(Additional reporting by Edith Honan; Editing by Michele Gershberg and Prudence Crowther)

Well I finally got banded on 10/30/07. Was not a easy surgery the doc said. He said that the lining of my stomach was very thick which is the case in most men he said. Then also I had alot of fat around the stomach. Well after surgery for the next almost 2 days I could not keep down my spit. I would have the acid reflux and it would come back up. Finally after 2 days he did a upper GI with barium and saw the liquid going thru the stomach. He said I have the biggest band they make and it is wide open. He said he could go back in and see what he can do or I can go home and limp along for 3 days to 2 weeks till the swelling goes down. Well good news is the 1st week I lost 16 pounds when I went back to see him. I am fine and can eat now, but at night when I go to bed I still have the acid reflux. I do not lay in bed, I sit with my back to the wall in a sitting position and it still happens. I take 2 Nexium a day plus he just told me to start taking some Mallox. He said there is still swelling and to give it another week and come back and see him. He said it should clear up by then. I am just wondering has anyone else here had anything like this and how long did it take you to get over it? Thanks, Rob

I am so happy I got approved on friday 10/10 and Tuesday I was given my surgery date. The best of all I dont have to pay out of pocket my insurance is covering most of it and writing off the rest . I am happy but very nervous , I start my liquid diet 2 days before the surgery/ Also the day before I have to drink some soda that I am supposed to get at the pharmacy ,does anyone know how it tastes? !!!

Fortunately, I can't do it until after December 19th and according to my friends and family, I should only aim to lose another 10-15lbs. I would also like to address my arms at the same time, so I need time to save for that. I'm giving myself a goal of 12-18 months from now.

Annisversat date 01-21-10 lost 88lbs to date

Well, I'm back in the states and banded. I had my surgery 2 days ago(8/19) with Dr. Ortiz in Tijuana. There were 5 of us that day, although one lady was actually getting a hernia fixed and a new band placed. Everyone was extremely nice and professional and although there was a small language barrier with a few nurses, everything went wonderfully. I can't say enough about Dr.Ortiz and the others. I have never been given a Dr.'s home and cell phone number with adamant directions to call if anything bothered me or seemed wrong. I work in health care here in the states and I have to say that they exceeded my expectations. Now if only my pain would go away! It's not too bad, just limiting, and I can't wait to become healed so I can really start working this band!:Bunny:Bunny:Bunny Ness

I want to be sleeved and when I read these posts I get a bit freaked. Been to seminars, met doc, waiting on psych evaluation. Like you I can make impulsive decisions. I told Dr on Thursday if we can get it done around 10/10 unfortunately (or fortunately) I have to wait for available psyche til 10/28. This will probably drag out til Jan. I have my own biz and need to be in good health for thanksgiving and Xmas when we are busy. I think a lot like your hubby and just the thought of something going wrong scares me. It is a MAJOR surgery. I love good nutrition, no fast food, processed or chemicals and the idea of having to take supplements and Vitamins forever is another worry. I take some now but not necessary like with surgery. The bottom line in the long run is learning to stick with portion control and this is another tool. Seeing so many gain back so much weight is my other concern. So much to think about. Sent from my SM-G900H using the BariatricPal App

I don't know about Costco. I picked up a case (of 12) for around 18 or 19 dollars) at SAMs. I see online you can get a case of 18 for around 27 bucks.

hi my name is samantha. im 19 years old and i live in nyc. i just got my insurance approval and will have my surgery sometime in august. im so excited! well i just wanted to introduce myself. good luck to everyone!

Honestly, I have not really lost any weight yet.....I feel very little restriction right now. Fingers crossed that my fill tomorrow will help. I have to drive 2 hrs to get it and since I am a full time working single mom it is tough to get there. I am hopeing they will lean on the generous v conservative side on the fill. TBD! PS - My surgery was 8/24 and I quickly lost 10 lbs then gained back 6 so....nothing much happening yet. This site encourages me to be patient which is helpful.

I have had a similar problem with my band. It has slipped a bit and the Doc took all the fluid out in the hopes it will fall back into place. Since then, I have been struggling mightily--eating alot and feeling hungry--and have gained 10 lbs. I have lost 57lbs altogether--it was 67lbs. So I am in the same boat you are. I don't know how to reverse this slide, until I get my band fixed. Maybe we can talk about it.

TGIF...... Well I am a week away from a surgery that I have been waiting on for a little over a year. I basically gave up on the insurance approving it and found out the day before Thanksgiving that it had finally been approved. The Dr. is rushing everything through since the insurance is changing on 1/1. So my surgery date is 12/21 @ 10:00 am. I have little time to think about it, so I have not really been nervous. I started looking for "chat rooms" today and came accross this web site. What a GREAT tool. I am not on a liquid diet until 24 hours prior to surgery. So for me it is life as usual. However, I do have to drink a presurgical shake twice a day. Any advice for me out there during this final week of prep and for the first few weeks after?

I am 5 months out. Your dr or NUT should give you guidelines in how much to eat per meal. I know for me, it was a 1/2 and have now graduated to 1 cup. Sometimes I dont even eat that much. Be careful because things do swell in your itty bitty belly! Do when I do eat not so good carbs. I take a half forkful or 2 and wait 5/10 min. If i dont feel full I repeat. Only 3 though. After the 3rd that my cut off. And please remember not drinking when you eat. It will cause it swell more and if you over eat to me it feels like the food is at the bottom of my esophagus. I dont get pain unless i drink to fast. Just get discomfort when I overdo it with foods SW 350 (11/15) BSW 260 (10/17/17) CW 213.6 (2/16/18) RGW 199 GW 175

In the yahoo group there was a person that was 10 years out. She was part of the Band Trails and is doing well. They have replaced here band with an updated one she stated. Chris Pre Band St. Louis

i'm 2 days post op...my pre op diet was low carb so i really didn't have to worry about full liquids or mushies... what i wish i had done was look more at the recipies and things people have posted...cause shakes and chicken broth, after day 2 for me, need a little spicing up if i'm supposed to do this 10 days...everything that i had in my home was jello, yogurt, shakes...all very sweet, making me nauseas lol so i'm already looking at things people are eating in the mushies stages...so my advice...read ahead get different things to eat in your home for you to eat...i truly believe that will make things a little better, even just adding certian spices to you meals can make all the difference!:tt2: good luck guys!

I'd say a "safe bet" is to count out the first 24 hours after surgery. I personally worked 10 hours from home (laptop in bed) with no problems whatsoever (yes, I took pain meds and was still sharp as a tack). I worked every day from then on and went back to work (physically to the office) on the Friday after (had surgery on Monday) and worked a half day. Then back in on Monday full time with no issues. Of course the ol' disclaimer, everyone is different, yada yada yada. Good luck!

My name is Pattiriciat and i am going to get the lapband as well I am scared yet excited all at the same time. I have very little support and I am afraid i wont be able to, lets say deal with the changes that I will have to do. I am working at a new job after not working for 3 years and my starting weight was 262 now after only 4 weeks I have lost 10 lbs already. I stopped eating at resturaunts daily and i eat more regularly. However I feel the change I am going to have the most problem with is the no drinking with my food Thats going to be hard Can anyone give my any advice on how to do this without feeling um, sick. thanks pattiriciat:nervous <!-- / message -->