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You'll probably get more energy when you actually start eating. Two weeks postop and you're still on liquids and soups? Are you sure you're understanding your doctor's instructions. Even the most extreme I've seen still has their patients on mushies by the beginning of week 3. I'm so very happy my doctor had me back on solid foods at 2 weeks! Don't know how you people do it.

I am one person who never drank my calories! Even when I was chubs, I still preferred to drink iced tea or water. I guess rationed that I could eat more food that way! If I could make it through the 2 weeks, I'm sure you will be just fine! I only had the shakes from the doctor's office and had a couple slimfast low carb drinks too. The whole time I was on the liquid diet, all I kept waiting for was to eat some salmon! Let me tell you, I think I may enjoy the taste of food more now that measure out what I am supposed to eat and stick to just that.

Ironically, I was in the hospital having a ridiculous neck surgery a week before my WLS anniversary and my two selfies are quite a sight to see! Now it's time to do one NOT in a hospital bed!!!

I was sleeved on May 1st. Starting weight was 246 Current is 171. Im 5'11" and 38 years old. I couldn't be happier. My BMI in normal. People tell me I'm long and lanky! I love that! I wear a 10/12 and large shirts! I can wrap a pool towel around me! I can see my belly button. I don't mind if my husband runs his hands down my back cause I don't have back fat! Sex is better! Sure I would love to have a flat stomach! But will I? probably not! I have had 3 kids! Do I worry about my hair! Yes it's so thin! I take my vitamins everyday! Had a not so great 3 weeks around xmas but still lost a few pounds. Started back hitting 60+ calories of protein. And set a goal of doing Pilates everyday. Hope to strengthen my core and hopefully tighten my belly! So glad to see this thread. I have friends that had the sleeve and they made sleeve friends and they stay in touch on here. Wish we May sleevers could stick together.

Thanks, that makes a lot more sense to me. I'm only 4 weeks post-op, so I've got a bit of time to press my case.

Hi, This is my first post on here, it's all a bit daunting isnt it? Best of luck for tomorrow, I'm sure it won't be long and you know that yes you did make the right decision. I am due this Monday for my LAP-BAND® and have been that busy with everything else this week, so the weekend is here and all of a sudden it's hit me with a thud..........like you.....second thoughts. But know in my heart it's the only way to beat "this struggle" I've had for years. I must admit though I am on here to inload my guilt, I had a handful of hot chips yesterday, yes am on opt-slim, but I was like an animal, has anyone else out there "slipped" on pre-op diets? Anyway on the straight and narrow, best wishes to you tomorrow, can't wait to hear how it all went. Cheers.

I too am a stomach and side sleeper. About a week post surgery is when I was able to with the help of my trusty body pillow. My body pillow is saving me, I highly recommend one. I also cried when making my chicken broth about the 5th day. (DH and son were having pizza). I take it one meal at a time. Once I choke down whatever it is that I don't want to be eating then I am full and it doesn't matter till next meal. Then, I go into the pantry, look around at all the food I can't have, then grab a different can of soup and start again. Now, I am entering week 3 and it is soooo hard. Hang in there! Soon we will have our fills and eating solid foods again like everyone else. That is what I keep telling myself. Plus, find a band buddy on here and bug the heck out of them sobbing/whining for hours on the phone (thanks Lisa and Penni).

This week I walked my dog down to the small public beach along the beautiful St. Croix river. Kids are back in school so it was a very peaceful morning down there. I sat down on a half buried log to enjoy the view. I was watching some fishing boats go by when I realized that I was hugging my knees to my chest. What? I was astounded that I just naturally did that without thinking about it and that it was comfortable. Six months ago I couldn't/wouldn't have done that. Hurrah for that NSV! I was tickled pink as they say.

Congratulations on your successes! I agree that this has been the best thing I have ever done for myself! It's quite amazing how empowering it is when food no longer rules your life! Keep up the good job! I am 4 weeks out today and haven't been able to do too much walking yet (had a really tough recovery) but we went to see some friends to the LA Rock & Roll Marathon yesterday and had to walk probably a mile to get back to our car and I did ok, so I think I will start getting some walking in now :-) Keep posting your successes! It is such an inspiration to the rest of us and especially to those who haven't been sleeved yet!

Hi, you will have to do the 12 week options program after your orientation. That gives you time and information you will need to make your decision whether or not you want to have the surgery. I had my surgery 10 months ago with Dr. Belzberg and he was great! the program is a lot of work but it will really help you make an informed decision. Good Luck, I had a great experience and wish you the same!

I have had a goo scoot around and I am gonna try it next week - Tuesday and Thursday will be my fasting days. The other days, I will just stick to eating 3 meals a day, with one possible snack and try to maintain the primal blueprint idea of natural good foods... See what happens. Feed your eye has put a link on the other thread that pretty much sums in it... really good. I'm at the stage now, where I am thinking that if I mess up, then that is history and move on. For example, yesterday my daughter had a cookery assessment in school; she made a range of tasty 'treats' and brought a lot of them home... so I ate some of them. The jam tarts and sausage rolls were fantastic! I don't feel bad about it and today I have reeled myself back in and I'm back on track. Wish me luck and let me know if you are gonna have a go.

Hi. Im a teacher and my name is Rebecca! I have a question for you. Do you notice that before class you arent hungry but after teaching you are really hungry? This has been my experience. I was banded 9/19/09 and its only been 6 weeks for me but I still cant maintain satiety during the week when Im teaching. I dont know if its all that talking or the energy it takes to handle a classroom of 15 elementary students or what. Any ideas?

From what I understand it is very difficult to slip your band. Keep in mind too that your stomach is swollen from the surgery and the tightness in your chest may be related to that as well as the air still trapped in your cavity from surgery. The first few weeks I was very aware that something foreign was in me, and eventually the feeling you describe went away. If you are able to swallow 1/2 a pill your are probably doing just fine. Of it were stuck you would probably regurgitating the soy milk and pill.

It is all of the gas making it's way out. Eventually you will get terrible gas and the screaming me-me's and it will all go away!! My noisy tummy lasted about 3 weeks. I had HORRIBLE gas pains for 3 days HORRIBLE gas for about a week and diahreah about a week. Hang in there for a good time!! LOL Kelly

So glad to read these posts I have been stalled so many times. I lost 35 pounds in the first 6 weeks and I was disappointed. Then I have been at a stall for the last couple of weeks. I actually fluctuated up and down by a pound. Now that I can eat just about anything I find myself eating wrong. Sometimes I feel like I am eating too much of wrong things. I get hungry a lot!! I'm trying to do some sort of excercise daily. I just don't want to fail...

I was at a stall beginning on day 17. I was so scared and nervous that I was doing something wrong. Everyone told me judo that stress and keep doing what I have been which is following the plan and walking. Your body just needs time to regulate to its new normal. Give it a few days and you will be fine and losing weight quickly!! Good luck!!

I applied about six weeks ago. They called to confirm my information but they told me they don't have a contract in my state (Massachusetts). I asked why they were confirming my information and was told that they might have a contact in a month or so. Not holding my breath...

Hi, I laughed at your post and want to know why four hours? Is three any better? Be well. Fran

Within the last couple of months, I was having a lot of problems with sliming/ everything getting stuck/ and feeling just down right awful! I tried to eat smaller bites and chew my foods very slowly and wait 30 seconds before my next bite of food. Well, nothing was working for me. I had some fluid taken out almost 4 months prior so I was so afraid of losing my restriction. Therefore, I continued to endure with the sliming and every single thing placed in my mouth getting stuck. I was getting so depressed because the band is a tool that befriends you in the weight lost process, but I was not getting that return from my band. Therefore, I knew I had to make some quick decisions because the constant throwing up was starting to effect my esophagus due the acid reflux I was experiencing. I went in last week and had some fluid removed from my band. I was brought down from 4.8cc to 4.2cc. I felt instant relief and yes- I am not as tight but that was my problem. I did some research and when the band is implanted- there is only an opening about the size of an ink pen opening for foods and drink to travel through. That's why we are told to eat small bites of food and to drink fluids slowly to prevent things from getting stuck and to endure long periods of pain and suffering. Therefore, when the band is too tight it makes things that much more difficult to allow foods/drinks to go down properly. I still have decent restriction without all the uncomfortable drama (sliming/ throwing up/ acid reflux and pain)! Therefore, I have learned it's not all about how much saline is in the band, but the ability to use the band as the tool it was designed to be. I am much happier with some fluid being removed than I was having the band tighter than it should have been. Also remember, when your band is too tight you will make poor food choices. That means eating slider foods that will cause weight gain and not weight lost. (just a little food for thougth)! I am almost at my one year mark as of July 21st with only 4.2 ccs in my 10cc band. but my band is working as a friend and not a foe! I have a tendency to want everything to happen quickly, but slow and easy works better for me. If anyone is experiencing a lot of sliming, throwing up, daily episodes of food and drinks getting stuck, you may consider having a little fluid removed and allowing your band a time period to heal from the entire trauma episode it's experienced. I am starting to love and befriend my band all over again! I am definitely a work in progress. Thanks for listening and supporting me through it all. My wonderful band family!

Congrats! Welcome to the 'approved' list I am soooooooo exctived for everyone getting sleeved in the upcoming weeks (including me!! Yay!!)... It is unbelieveable how supportive and informative this message board has been I can't wait to share before and after pics!!

Hi there, I guess it's true that Time flies when you're having fun; I've been having a lot of that. Honestly, I cannot believe that two years ago today I was waking up from surgery and beginning a new chapter in my life. I had no idea then of the many ways my life would be reshaped aside from the shape of my body. I'm forever grateful the band was available to me as it has been the perfect choice for my situation. We are all different. I was 52 at the time and had never been an overnight patient in a hospital before. I can barely tolerate going to the dentist. Getting a band was a big decision but I was fortunate somehow to just know that that's what I wanted to do. Thank goodnes there are so many different surgery choices available to us; we live in marvellous times. Two years ago I was 250+ and now I'm in the seventies. I'm a little tall and like my curves (oh my goodness, do I LOVE having a waist!) so I don't want to get too thin. But a word about collarbones: YIPPEE! And hips. Wrists. You know how it is -- I'm celebrating this new body every day. I was wearing size twenty pants and am now in tens. No more Plus Size anything. I would not have predicted that I have a thing for clothes, but oh yes, I sure do. It's so much fun to be able to just try something on without all of that angst. I have been an exerciser for many years (arthritis - have to move) but in the last two years I have ratcheted up to being more of an athlete. I feel ridiculous even typing that out as it's such a foreign concept. I used to work out for 45 minutes 3-4 times a week; well, it turns out I am some one who needs more like 75-90 minutes 5-6 times a week. There's the faking it until making it thing and that's what I did. I pretended that I liked it, that I was one of "those" people until I actually have become something resembling one of those lucky people who truly look forward to exercising. Like I said, resembling. I'm not quite there but I raise my hands up in that crossing the finish line pose and I go do what I need to do and I feel like a million bucks afterward. Food. I am happy to report that I still like food. I can taste almost anything and be quite satisfied. That is a miracle. I love to cook and one of my weird non-scale victories (NSVs) is being able to tie my apron double around my waist. I love that. All those years in all those kitchens with my big fat Winnie-the-Pooh belly in an ill-fitting apron or Chef's jacket. No more. Silly, but that just feels so good. I was very restrictive in my former life so I am careful to not be on a diet. I make good choices, which I can do because my appetite is dimmed and I know what good choices are. But I also let myself have a little bit of whatever I want, whether that's a square of chocolate or cheese (behold, the power of cheese). This is why I still have a little weight to lose but I'm okay with that. I do drink alcohol and we have a lot of dinner parties, go to restaurants, etc. Practically no one knows I am banded; I'm extremely private about that. What people do see, however, is how much I'm exercising and how good I feel. It was important for me to go a bit slowly because I wanted the weight loss to be incremental and I didn't want to have saggy skin. Well, that's about it. I am tremendously grateful to all of my Lapband Talk friends and now Bariatric Pal. You know who you are -- the encourageers. Virtual friends. This has been my first experience on a forum and it's been great. Best wishes to all of you wherever you are in the process. For new people, a few words: don't get too hung up on what kind of surgery you had; we have much more in common than not. Don't try to give or take advice from strangers on the internet. Have a good working relationship with your doctor and show up for all your appointments. Show up for yourself! I really had to put myself first to get the surgery and choose my own well-being over taking care of other people's needs first. I don't do that any more and, guess what, every one else benefits from that. Here's to our health!

There is nothing wrong with asking for help. You've taken the first step in posting about your struggles here. You might also want to consider making an appointment with your NUT to revisit your goals and talk about strategies for reaching them. From everything I know about myself and my experience, if I eat sugar, I crave sugar. The only way to break that cycle for me is to go cold turkey. It's easier said than done, but going back to basics would be a good idea if you want to continue your progress. You have already come so far, it sounds like you know what works. Embrace the Stall! http://BariatricPal.com/index.php?/topic/351046-Embrace-the-Stall

Yeah- I’d watch the coughing for a week or two immediately post-op. Also, be mindful of the munchies that typically accompany smoking pot. Obviously I’d recommend enjoying it some way other than smoking it.. because smoking is not healthy. Maybe an edible or a tincture? There’s no surgical related reason why can’t still do it... just be mindful of the side effects like coughing and munchies.

THATS MY PLAN TO JUST DO A BIG CHOP AND START ALL OVER IM JUST NERVOUS NEVER HAD SHORT HAIR DONT KNOW WHAT ID LOOK LIKE MY 28TH BDAY IS COMING UP IN A WEEK OR SO MAYBE ILL TRY SOMETHING NEW

I lost 4 pounds the first week. I'll weigh myself again on Tuesday before surgery to see the total. I had lost 5 pounds in the month prior to starting the pre-op diet.