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Hi Gang! First, I want to say that this board has been a GODSEND to me. I have learned so much from you guys and received so much support from here - wow - I can't even thank you all enough. But Thank You All!! :sad0: I cannot BELIEVE I'm finally here writing about my journey three months out; time went so fast but at times, it's like, it's about time!! The journey has been nothing short of incredible, mind boggling and, like Tiff said at one time, a mind twist for sure! It's all good and I wouldn't change a thing! I am so happy I did this!! I have posted some pictures in my album, I'm .5 pound short of 60 pounds today - I figure I'll hit 60 later today after I ride my bike - that's always good for a pound or so. The pics are 50 pounds down and also include the other two that had surgery the same day as me - you all are familiar with Gary_B - that's him before. I'm in the pink shirt. Samantha had rny with Aceves. My goal was 50 pounds by tax day - I beat it by three days. A few observations thus far; people didn't really start to notice my weight loss until I was well into the 40+ pounds lost. Very aggravating. Now, less than 60 lost, some are saying don't lose more. Moral to the story, keep the public tuned out!! They mean well but they really don't know what they are talking about most of the time! Eating has been wonderful; I have always had an Iron gut and that remains. Nothing has bothered me and I'm happy about that. I've only "hurt" myself twice; once when I first went onto solids and ate a hard boiled egg too fast... so that's what sliming is all about... that was horrible, and a second time when I was trying to eat on the fly and ate some wings way too fast again... Not as bad of an episode as the egg but gross nevertheless. I've never thrown anything up but came close these two times. I still have a terrible time slowing down eating - it really is hard for me, especially being around my family that inhales their food. I am trying to get better with that and hope I don't damage my sleeve in the meantime. I do know when to stop, however, and don't do anything to make pain, obviously pain is bad. I also have very bad head hunger sometimes and am thankful (mostly) that my sleeve is there to keep it in check. I was in New Orleans by myself last week on business where every other business is a fantastic restaurant - I thought I was going to go nuts. Double whammy on going out to eat alone, I won't do it because of the tiny portion business... I do find myself obsessing about food more than I like; the old fat girl is still there, no doubt. I'm hoping this gets better, I really hope it does. I am staying under 1000 cals per day, under 25 carbs per day and as much Protein as I can get in - I try for 90-100 g's. I log religiously on myfitnesspal.com. Hunger; I have had plenty but I know it's just gastric juices and not real hunger. My stomach likes to toy with me, however. I've really tried to listen to what my body is telling me and I've found that when I get these so-called hunger pangs, I've noticed that the feeling only lasts for a couple of minutes, usually. If it doesn't, it's rare and it's usually late in the day; I've had to take an extra half nexium on occasion because of this. If I don't, or if I forget to take my dose in the morning, I pay dearly. I'm hoping this gets better but at least I know it's all acid related, controllable, and I'm not truly hungry. Weight Loss; I have been thrilled with the ride so far, haven't had any real stalls but a couple of slow downs of barely 2 pounds in a week. I average about 4 pounds a week, give or take. I am following a very low carb diet while I'm in the losing phase. I know I could just take the restiction and lose slowly but that's not how I work. I am looking forward to a few more carbs once I meet goal for sure, but, I have to say, this has been the easiest "diet" ever. Even starvation didn't take 60 pounds off of me in three months. Not that I ever did starvation for three months... Anyway. I?m hoping to meet goal by my birthday; July 30. I think it?s very possible but I'm not going to obsess any more than I already am! :wink0: Drinking; I was surprised to find that I was/am more disturbed about not being able to chug liquids more than I ever thought I would be. I still can't chug like before but what I can drink is MUCH more than at the beginning. I still wish I could take more, especially when exercising but it's all good. This bothers me more than food issues. I am, however, getting in plenty of fluids; easily 100 oz per day. I keep a sport top Water bottle with me, mix single packs of Lipton or Arizona tea in them, and refill the same bottle for about a week from the tap before I toss it. Trying to do my best to be green. Tried alcohol once, two bloody marys, didn't get intoxicated, really a non-event. Avoiding alcohol now because of the calories. A glass of wine would be sooooo nice, however... coffee has been the best thing ever, I started back probably 2 or 3 weeks out; heaven. Just my one power cup in the morning. I make it extra strong with splenda and powdered creamer. Yummy!! My periods have been a little whacked since surgery... will save the details but I'm hoping they get back to normal... Any regrets? NONE! Would I recommend this for someone thinking about it? Absolutely!!! I know that I had an easier time than many and anyone thinking about this should absolutely do their research including plenty of soul searching. Thanks again to everyone for listening, you guys are the best! Carol

Hi everyone, I was banded May 6th of this year and was doing really well until I hit a brick wall three weeks ago. I had my 3rd fill on August 3rd and the doctor and I were hopeful that this would get me in the green zone but it hasn't. After losing two pounds by the end of that week, the last three weeks I've bascially plateaued. I've gained and lost the same 1.5 pounds. I am getting my Protein and Water and exercising almost every day. I've changed up my exercise, varied my calories but never more than 1200 and still haven't been able to break this plateau. The only good thing is that my scale is recording body fat loss even if there has been no weight loss. Since I'm still 50 pounds from goal, this stall three months out is heartbreaking and frustrating. I have made an appointmen for a fill tomorrow. I can still eat about 8oz of food and am hoping that this will help me get beyond this stall. Has anyone else exerpienced a pleateau this soon? I suppose techincally I started dieting last summer but took a two month break before surgery so I really think my diet started in May. Thanks for listening!

I'm Tammy (or Flutterby - the original name for a butterfly... ) I'm 45 yrs old, 5'8" tall. I weigh 295 lbs. My BMI is at 44.8. My first goal is 170 lbs. Ultimate goal is 137 lbs. I've struggled with my weight since my second child was born about 23 years ago. I tend to gain weight all over. Well, except my bust area (strange). However, in the last several years I have gained more in my belly. I look like I'm about eight months pregnant... Uggghh! Now, don’t get me wrong, I loved being pregnant and I adore being a mother, but I’m not having any more children and I’m ready to be able to lose all MY baby fat. The baby fat may have stayed with me, but I added a whole person’s weight to it. I need to lose half of my weight – a whole person’s worth. Only those who have been here understand how much that realization can hurt and disgust me. I have tried to lose weight by diet, exercise, supplements and programs just like so many others here. From Slim Fast, Cabbage Soup Diet, Herbal Life, fasting up to two weeks at a time,, Atkins, Low Calorie, Juicing Diets, Wheat Belly Diet, Gluten Free Diet, Gaps Diet, Hallelujah Diet, Mediterranean diet, Paleo Diet, HydroxiCut, Green Tea, many herbal supplements, OTC aids, a short span on prescription diet meds and thyroid medication and using vinegar as a diet aid. As I think about it, losing weight been a driving desire/force in my life since I turned 23. The endless weight loss/exercise and health-related books and internet ideas and “snake oil” type cures, well I’ve researched and attempted many of those as well. I've tried exercise alone, or in combination with diet plans. I've used 10 to 12 different exercise videos both aerobic and weight lifting combined with aerobics, walking, swimming, biking, stationary machines, free weights, machines like elliptical, treadmill, stationary bikes, etc. My results were sporadic and frustrating. I could stay with a weight loss or "get healthy" plan for months, sometimes even three years at a time but when I failed to lose weight at all or stalled with 10 or 15 pounds loss with hard work and high cost to sustain, I would slowly go back to eating my "normal diet". “Going back to my old ways” basically meant 70% healthy choices and still incorporating something new I learned, but I would stop resisting the dessert, the chips and dip, the popcorn with butter. I think the "extras" and "snacks" are one of my biggest weaknesses. I’ve also noticed in the last few months that I really do eat big portions especially when alone. I keep cooking for a big family and it’s only me and my teenage daughter at home to eat right now. No matter what, my weight has continued to climb the last 23 years. I get so sick of my failure to be able to control it or change it. Several times I have resigned myself to being fat. But as I got bigger and older, other things started happening to my health and I realized how much it affected my family and my ability to actually live life like I longed to. I kept thinking there had to be a "key" or a certain combination of things that would magically get my health back under control and I'd start losing weight. I had a sleep study done and found out I had severe obstructive sleep apnea. I was full of hope that using a CPAP would solve my problems because obviously I wasn't sleeping well with meant I wasn't getting proper rest. This in turn, I thought, surely meant it affected my metabolism and maybe perpetuated the problems with my weight. I considered that since I started gaining excess weight when my first marriage got emotionally and mentally and sexually abusive I might have been trying to be less desirable to protect myself from my husband at the time. I just wanted to be safe. I could write out that long story here, but suffice to say I got out of the marriage finally, after 16 years. What is frustrating is that even the strength and self esteem and “new lease on life” I gained by getting out of that marriage didn’t translate into the weight loss I should have or wanted to have and continued to try to have. So, was my weight gain or inability to lose it initially due to the stress of the bad marriage that involved sexual abuses? Maybe, maybe not. More likely it was also genetics and environmental (how I was raised nutritionally). Both my parents are obese and have struggled most of their adult lives trying to lose weight and now dealing with health problems related to being overweight. However I got here, I’m here. And I am so thankful and grateful that things have worked out for me to have this surgery. It’s such an answer to prayer and a dream come true. Honestly, I want this personally, but doing it for my family is a super-close second! One thing I am appreciative of is that I’ve probably learned enough about nutrition, vitamins, food, feeding a body, metabolism, weight gain concepts, healthy living and very interesting discoveries about foods like kefir, kombucha, barley green, apple cider vinegar, good water, food supplements, and the benefits of grass fed beef, range fed chickens & their eggs, and home grown vegetables to write my own book. However, since I’m having weight loss surgery – I doubt it would be deemed worthy of contributing to my health. It’s sad, but true. True because all these things didn’t “work” to help me lose weight. However, I do believe with all my heart that all I have learned will continue to be super valuable to feed my body right after I’m sleeved! My mantra has been, “If I don’t put myself first for once and lose the weight and get healthy, how can I be what my family needs me to be?” How can I truly give and serve and support and enjoy in my marriage and our children’s lives unless I first take care of me? Initially weight loss surgery can seem selfish and irresponsible. Only initially! In all truth, it is smart and right for me because it is what lines up with my vision of my future.

I agree, this does get to me, HOWEVER... Sometimes I feel like the search funtion isn't that great. I remember when I was a noob trying to read about the dreaded week three stall and I did find SOME posts, but not a lot. I'm certain there was more on this site about that topic but I was having a hard time uncovering it so I try to be understanding and my week three stall was extreme, it last three weeks for a total of nearly 4 weeks with incredibly minimal weight loss, I can see why that would disturb people as it did me. What I REALLY get sick of are "omg I ate a whole can of soup" (why did you sit down with a whole can of soup?) and posts about hair loss I don't know why those particular posts grate on my nerves so much but they do.

Don't worry, I've been at a stall for two weeks and I'm only three weeks post op. On the up side, I've lost another whole size in my clothes so at least I know something's happening!!

Does anyone know what taking BCP's does to weight loss? I started taking a continual double dose of my BCP'S so that I'm not constantly having my TOM, and have only lost two lbs in the three weeks since then. My weight loss stopped the day that I started the double dose. Coincidence?? It is totally possible that the stall is just a long third week stall, but I'm about six weeks past surgery and have basically been in a stall for three. And I'm eating my Protein, getting my Water, getting exercise, and having about 600-700 calories daily. Ideas anyone?

Ok, if you want complex, @@Elode gave you an excellent answer but as I stated before, a true stall is only if you have NO change in weight, up or down, for three weeks. So yes, they exist, no, you aren't in one. Just keep working your plan, the weight will come off. It's hard to be patient but...oh wait. That's too generic, isn't it?

Im the same way! As a matter of fact my battery on my scale went out on me after three yrs the day before my surgery! I havent had the urge yet to even go and buy a new one. I almost want it to be a suprise when i go to my follow ups and the dr tells me how much more ive lost. I love going to my one week follow up last wed and them telling me i was 17lbs down! It felt great. So i am trying to hold out as ling as possible and just let things happen and find out what i weigh when going to see my dr. I dont know long ill last but im going to at least try it for the first three months. I see too many ppl upset or down on themselves when they hit stalls. And i know me i would be really hard on myself if i knew i was on a stall.

It's the week three stall! Almost universal! Do a search for it here and relax it passes :-)

I can't believe I am three and a half weeks out now- time is racing by. I had to put my poor little cat down recently, which broke my heart so I have had a serious case of the glums. Some things, however have been going well..I helped to move a friend's apartment contents and cat to a new apartment in the same building, and she has given me a key and said I can use the apartment pool whenever I like while she is away on vacation. Since I was cleared to submerge about a week ago I have been swimming every day and I am loving it. I'm starting to really regret that I don't live in an apartment with a pool though - something to think about for next year when we all have to make decisions about whether to take company housing or not. A place with a pool where I can swim sounds great right now.I can't believe I am so enjoying it- which means I must keep it up, even though it is only breaststroke for 30 minutes a day it burns nearly 500 calories and works on the dreaded batwings. Since my first VSG surgeon consultation back in April I have lost 17.5 kgs (38 lbs ) and since surgery 9.8 kgs (21.6 lbs).Not bad- I've had a few 'stalls' but I keep going back to Benjammin's wise words about this here http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/blog/1390/entry-3580-the-voice-of-reason/ and then I just mentally shrug and get on with it. Yes it is annoying but it'll help no-one to dwell on it. I am onto mashed foods now which is GREAT. I have cooked the yummy baked Ricotta cheese and love it. I also eat scrambled egg, tuna mayo, baked grouper, prawn paste, shredded cheese, bolognaise sauce, minced chicken mayo. I have also discoverd that if I add a really strong 2 teaspoons of decaff instant coffee dissolved in a little hot water to my isopure vanilla shake it takes the sickly sweetness away and makes it like a really quite drinkable type of iced latte. So I'm supplementing my protein with one of those every day, and having no problem getting protein in. I am NOT getting water in so easily. As soon as I go out anywhere during the day I can't drink as it is Ramadan which means no drinks/food consumption in public and that really slows me down. I am getting enough liquids in, just not as much as I'd like. I have found if I eat too much my nose runs and I sneeze a lot which is a bit strange but I am not alone in that and I'm glad I have some sort of full signal. Otherwise, I'm physically good, healing ridiculously well, no weird side-effects from surgery and am finally sleeping on my tum. Now to try and stop missing my kitty so much and drag myself kicking and screaming out of the glums.

Hi, I am 8 months out and so far have experienced all the stalls my Dr had predicted. Three week followed by a three and Dix month stall. You'll see that things will move quickly during these stalls . She also predicts. 9 month stall too ( can't wait) as I am a slow loser to start with. Keep doing your job of getting fluids and protein and you will see success! Good luck!

Starting weight: 283 Height: 5'8" Starting BMI: 43 Goal: 150ish. I'd be happy with higher if I thought I looked and felt good. I guess it depends on where my body feels comfortable. I have been overweight all of my adult life and really, as long as I can remember. I feel like I've been on some sort of diet forever. The first diet I can remember is at the age of 16, my mother sent me to Weight Watchers. I've been on Jenny Craig, Richard Simmons. I've taken Redux and just about any over the counter "dietary supplement" known to man. I've been able to lose weight with these things but I've never been able to keep the weight off and the pounds usually bring a few friends back with them. It's really amazing when I look in the mirror. I don't think I look that bad, but when I see photos of myself I am shocked at how big I look. I'm ashamed of what I look like. I am looking foreward to the day when I have the lap band as a tool to help me keep on track. I was born with a condition known as congenital hip dysplasia (my hips weren't formed right and were dislocated). I'm told that I'm lucky to be able to walk, but I had a good doctor as a child and with many surgeries, I'm whole again. It's hard for me to participate in high impact exercise, but I walk, ride bicyle, swim and try to keep active. I enjoy reading and music. My favorite author is Stephen King. My husband and I own a travel trailer and do a lot of camping in the summer time. That keeps me active with walking and bicycling. I had my surgical consult on 1/14/05 and am currently waiting for insurance approval for adjustable gastric banding. 2/3/05 I got word that my insurance approved me for the lap band. Hooray!. 2/9/05 I've scheduled all my pre-op testing and dietician appointments. They tell me my surgery is scheduled for 4/4/05!. WOW. This is happening faster than I thought. The nurse from the office had told me yesterday that 4/4/05 was a possible date but didn't tell me they were going to schedule it. 02/11/05 I got a letter from my doctor's office and from the hospital advising me that my surgery has been scheduled for 4/4/05. What a way to notify someone. Well, at least it's official. Now the waiting game begins. I'm trying to follow the post banding diet so it won't come as such a shock for me post operatively. I'm "in training" so to speak. I think I find the no drinking with my meals and trying to time my fluid intake around my meals the hardest. 2/23/05 I had my first appointment with the office nurse who does most of the follow ups. She was doing my lap band teaching. All the pre-op, actual operative and post op advice I understood and was prepared for except for one thing. She told me to start eating with a baby spoon and a pickle fork so that I could get accustomed to small bites. I don't even know what a pickle fork is!. Is this something I'll have to do forever? I can't find anywhere on the forums where anyone has been advised this except for other patients of Dr. Duckett. I guess this will just become part of my "in training" whether I feel good about it or not. How am I gonna explain those utensils to my co-workers since I've tried to keep the whole surgery from them to begin with? 2/26/05 Had my consultation with the dietician today. It took 2 hours! Who knew it would take 2 hours to go over food? She made me feel very comfortable and she gave me a lot of hand-outs on the different types of diets should I ever stray. There's even examples of menu's. Although, that's exactly what I've been researching ever since I decided the lap band was for me. I felt very informed going in and very confidant going out. OH, and one more thing. I weighed myself today. I'm down to 272.5!. That's 9lbs gone since I've started trying to follow the lap band diet after my consultation with Dr. Duckett. WooHoo! 3/2/05 I found this on a post tonight and thought that it spoke volumes for my situation. I wanted to save it in case I forgot all the reasons I chose lap band. Once in awhile, someone will come around asking for the reasons why I chose the Band, so I'll compile my reasons here: More natural rate of weight loss: * Minimal sagging skin * No "window of opportunity" * Plenty of time to develop better eating/living habits, including exercise Least invasive surgery: * Lower rate of complications or death * Complications are easier to manage * Quicker recovery time; less painful * No cutting/rearranging of body parts * No changing the natural digestive process * No necessity of taking vitamins or supplements; I can get all I need from food Most innovative technique: * Adjustable for permanent weight-loss aid * Removable, should something more effective become available * "Cool" factor Generous but effective learning curve: * Better eating habits must be adopted from day one - no coasting * Has been labeled as "thinking person's WLS" * No punitive "dumping syndrome"; may eat like a normal person * Ability to drink normally and get in enough water * Safety-net effect; may put weight loss on hold to concentrate on other matters without gaining I never seriously considered RNY. When I heard about the Band, it was like a light bulb going on for me. By the way, I weighed myself again. 270.5! Another 2lbs gone. I don't want to get in the habit of weighing myself more than once a week, but I couldn't help myself, and I stepped on. 3/18/05 I had the upper GI and venous doppler studies today. Man, I felt like I was playing twister on that x-ray table for the upper GI. It was like, "turn left, more left, turn right, more right, now on your stomach, bend your knee, roll over." Venous doppler was a piece of cake other than the goo they use for the ultrasound. It was kind of hard to get all of it off. I haven't lost any more weight, but on the bright side, I haven't gained either. Once I'm banded, my portions will be significantly less and with the liquid diet required, I'm sure I'll get moving again. 4/2/05 I've been on the full liquid diet since 3/30/05. Sometimes I feel like I'm being tortured. I dream about food. Is that sick or what? I feel really sorry for those individuals who have to do this for longer than the 5 days I'm required to follow it. 4/6/05 I'm home and banded. I read about this gas pain, but geez it really is the worst. I'm not nauseated or anything. But the pressure in my chest and upper abdomen feels like I'm having a heart attack sometimes. I try to walk it off, but last night it was even hard to breathe. I'm trying to sip my water and eat a little at a time, but really I'm not hungry. I'm only eating out of fear that I'll get run down and not feel well if I don't. 4/8/05 Feeling better today. I've been up and about the house. The only discomfort I've had is from moving too quickly. I do have an odd sensation of bloatedness. It seems like I have it all the time. I'm trying to learn the language of the band but it's hard when everything feels like different levels of full at this point, even when I'm only consuming liquids. 4/16/05 Feeling back to my old self for the most part. I'm up and around, even starting to feel hungry. I have 2 more days of full liquids then I can move onto pureed. I can honestly say I'm really looking foreward to that as I'm getting tired of soup! I plan on going back to work on 4/18/05 and although I am physically ready, I would like more time off. Who doesn't like being home and relaxing? 4/25/05 Gee, the last week has gone by so fast, I haven't had time to blink let alone update or post. My husband's grandmother passed away on 4/18/05 so, we had to leave for Texas on very short notice. I've been on mushies and let me tell you, traveling on mushies is a difficult task. Especially to Texas where there is GREAT Tex-Mex food available. My husband's family doesn't know I had surgery, so I had to make do. I had some cold cuts, chewed really well and some very well cooked roast beef (also very well chewed). I didn't have any problems with them, other than some extra gas, but I didn't push it and tried to stay with very soft, mushy or even foods that boardered on liquids for the duration of the trip. I got on the scale today, and I've lost 3 more pounds! WOW! I never thought I would because truthfully, I didn't think I was getting enough calories in and I definately wasn't drinking enough. I've also been fortunate enough to have some sort of cold or bronchitis and haven't been feeling up to eating or drinking. I guess, I must have done something right! This journey is so unique. 5/3/05 I had read other member's NSV's but I didn't really realize the significance of them until this morning. I had dressed for work in slacks that zipped on the side. They were loose, but I didn't realize how loose they were until...I had to tinkle and when I went into the bathroom I pulled my pants down. I had absentmindedly thought that I was wearing elastic waistband pants! They came down without any problem and as I sat there, I started laughing, my husband thought I was crazy laughing there on the toilet. This has been on my mind all day and I had to share it because I've read everyone's weight loss in the first few weeks and I felt that my own weight loss was a little slower than others. (I know, we're not supposed to compare ourselves, but it's hard not to) I had resigned myself to being a slow loser. I must be losing inches and because I hadn't measured myself, I'll never know exactly how many inches I've lost. Oh well, I can feel it in my clothes and the way I move. 5/23/05 Just a quick update. Feeling good. The weight is slowly going down. 250.5 today. I think it's been 2 years since I've weighed that. Over the weekend, I cheated a little and had some Doritos. Not a lot, just maybe an ounce or 2. Just the same, shouldn't have had them. Well it's just 1 day along the road. "one day at a time" 6/5/05 I've been 248 for about a week now, just didn't update. Hope to see some more loss soon. I haven't had a fill, so I don't really have much restriction. I follow the diet and I do feel satisfied for about 3 hours. I can't say that I'm hungry a lot or "starving" or anything. Still trying hard to get all my water in every day. 6/10/05 I weighed myself today. 244.5! I've been out of town for work and I've been eating all my meals out. I feel I've made mostly good choices, a lot of grilled chicken salads though. I do log everything I eat in a program I have for my PDA, it's called Balancelog. It's O.K., although I'm sure no program's perfect. I've been staying about 1200 cal or less. :-P once in a great while I'm over, but not by much. I've also been doing better with the water because it's been so hot here. 7/18/05 I haven't updated in a while because I've been stuck for about a month. In fact, after my last post, I gained 4 lbs and had to lose them again. I've been more active with exercising and I've been doing well with my eating habits, but still I was stuck. So...I scheduled a fill. I had to convince the doctor's office nurse first, but I did it. Today was my first fill. It wasn't so bad. The doctor did it under fluoro at the hospital where I had my surgery. BUT, I'm filled to 2.8 or "just under 2.8" according to the doctor. That seems like a lot. I watched the passage of barium through the band and it went through, albeit slowly. The doctor reminded me several times to take it slow and to call anytime, day or night if I have spitting or problems. I'm a little scared. I've been on clear liquids since the fill this morning and haven't had any problems getting those down. I guess I'm just nervous. I've never had a PB and I don't want to. 7/29/05 Oh my God! Yesterday I thought I was going to die. Or at least I wished I had for a time. I've still been on mushies. The doctor told me to take it slow after that fill and I've been ever faithful to those orders mostly out of fear. I had very finely shredded tuna salad and one of those breakstone's creamed cottage cheese with fruit for lunch. It went down fine and I took my time. I had eaten both of those items before and wasn't worried. About an hour and a half afterwards, the pain started. It felt like something was stuck. I started to walk around. I even took a couple sips of water, which I know doesn't usually help but I have found it's kind of instinct. When that didn't work, I kept walking. I walked for nearly a half hour straight, sometimes leaning over a sink hoping and wishing I'd vomit for the pain to go away. I finished my work and got in my car. By this time, an hour had passed and the pain was so bad I could hardly breathe. I called my DH who called the surgeon and told me to get to the ER to be checked. The ER is an hour from my home and I was more than a half hour from my home! That drive home was the most painful torture I have ever experienced. The pain only seemed to get worse and worse. Then, about 2 miles from my house, I felt a "pop" and suddenly the pain and pressure was gone. When I got home, DH and I decided to go to the ER anyway mostly because we were scared. I had never experienced anything this extreme (nor do I again, thank you). The doc checked my band under fluoro and to my amazement, the 2.8cc he said he put in is now down to 2cc and everything is moving just fine, band has not moved. What happened to the 0.8cc? And, what the hell was all that pain? 8/13/05 Gosh how time flies. I didn't really realize that I hadn't updated my profile since "BLACK THURSDAY". I've come to the conclusion that the pain on 7/28 was probably some solid food that I hadn't chewed well enough that had gotten stuck. My Dr. thought maybe I had eaten too fast or swallowed too much air in the process, both viable possibilities. No matter what the cause, I WILL be chewing better and eating slower. I did mushies for a day or 2 after that then continued on soft foods for another week before going back to regular food. I'm doing fine now. I was amazed to find that I can still eat bread, rice, red meat, etc. I really haven't found anything that doesn't go down...yet. I haven't lost any more weight. I'm still at 234.5, but that's o.k. I feel great. I've been kind of bad at getting my water in the last couple of weeks, my work schedule has been weird. I'll get back on track and I'm sure my weight will get moving again. 8/22/05 Been doing O.K. Weighed on Friday. I'm at 232 lbs. I'm doing about a pound a week. I'm very happy with that. I'm in a size 18 comfortably right now. Today, I had to try three pairs of pants to find one that fit well enough to wear to work. The others were so big I looked bad. What can I say, I'm too cheap to buy all new just yet. I think I'm going to have to break down and buy a couple of outfits. I've been telling myself that as I got fat, I also gathered plenty of clothes that got me there. Well, I think I skipped a size or two because I can't find many in size 18 in my closet. Darn, shopping will be such a pain I'm sure. I look back and remember that when I started this journey in January and in the pic below I was in a size 24. In January that size 24 was rather snug. 9/13/05 Feeling pretty good about my weight loss. Still doing the 1-1.5lb loss per week. Went to my monthly support group meeting last night. I realized how lucky I am to be losing steady and to be going along so well. I haven't PB'd, just that "stuck" episode. I tolerate any food I put into my mouth and I have followed my rules pretty well. I try to make good choices most of the time, but I do allow myself treats. I think that's what keeps me happy and on track. I am satisfied with smaller amounts of the things I love. This is exactly what I wanted. I can eat what I want, in moderation and still lose weight. I do track my nutritional and caloric intake nearly daily (I may take a day or 2 off on a weekend, but rarely). And, I don't cheat on that log...I track everything the best that I can. I admit I could be doing better with my exercise. 228lbs. 9/22/05 Although, I generally weigh myself on Friday or Saturday I thought I'd post today because I have plans for the weekend and thought maybe I'd be too busy to post later. The last time I weighed myself I was 225lbs. That's a total of 57lbs gone. I can't say it enough...I am so pleased with my surgery and my weight loss so far. I can't even remember the last time I weighed that. I think it was more than 10 years ago to be honest. I don't feel deprived. I have more energy. My self confidance has gone up. How could it not? So many people have noticed the loss and are making comments. Lap band was the best thing I have ever done for myself and I would do it again in an instant. 10/5/05 Well, I can no longer boast that I have never PB'd. I am not proud of that fact, but here goes...Today at work I started to have that now familiar epigastric pain. I had clam chowder for lunch with a small salad and a breadstick. None of those items were new to me, so I had no fears whatsoever. About an hour after I ate, the pain started. This time I even started to sweat. I figured that I wasn't going to put up with this so...(bulemics beware) I went to the bathroom and put my finger down my throat in hopes to feel better. I only brought up mucous. This only temporarily relieved my pain, so I did this same routine 3 more times. One of those, I did bring up some undigested food. This has not been a pleasant banded day. I'm still uncomfortable, but unless I can't stand the pain I'm not doing it again. I guess it's a jello night. 10/24/05 After the last update, I went to the ER and was kept overnight for dehydration because I couldn't keep anything down. Dr. Duckett took out 1cc from my band the next day. I've been really careful ever since mostly staying with soft foods. I did have a salad over the weekend and felt pretty confidant about it. Today I PB'd again. It was the best PB I've had if that's possible. The pain started, I walked, up it came. All in all it lasted about 10 or 15 minutes. If they were all like that, I would consider it a blessing. Not that I really want them. But that torture of 7/28/05 and 10/5/05 made me want to die. I'm gonna cut this update short because I'm a little sore. I'm down to 223 lbs which is good considering my band is looser than before. 11/24/05. Wow, I forgot to check my profile and hadn't realized how llong it had been. I can remember that time like it was yesterday. I feel like the whole month of October and most of November has been brutal torture for me. I had to keep going back to liquids for one thing or another and I sincerely developed a fear of food. On 11/14/05 when it felt like I was gonna get that pain again I called the doctor's office. I didn't go into a full blown attack, but it was distracting to say the least. I felt like I was eating papaya enzyme tabs like candy in hopes to help digest whatever was the problem (although really how could tomato soup and a bit of tuna salad do that?) Dr. Duckett insisted on seeing me. On 11/17/05 I saw him and he felt that what I was having was esophogeal spasms. I suppose they may have originally been started by something getting stuck, but he felt they were caused by increased stress in my life (which I've been having A LOT of). He gave me a prescription for Valium to help calm those muscles down which I'm only supposed to take when I feel the spasms coming. So far, no more really intense ones since 10/24/05 and 10/25/05 but I fear that and would avoid that with everything in me. I've been doing much better ever since. I do have a little bit of reflux, but I think that may be from eating too late at night. I'm down to 216.5 lbs and very happy with that. I cleaned out my closet and got rid of all of the clothes that were hanging on me. That's a good feeling. 12/28/05 Well, I didn't make it to my unofficial goal of "onederland" by the end of the year but that's O.K. I've lost 69 pounds and am very happy with that. Especially considering the last three months worth of trials I've had, I'm very very happy. October started with a hospitalization for pain and inability to keep liquids down that turned out to be esophageal spasms. November was more of the same then turned into reflux that went on and on which convinced me that my band was slipped. After a long struggle with that reflux, I finally called the doctor who (I think mostly to ease my mind) checked my band under fluoro. All was well. I think he thinks I'm a nervous freak-he told my husband that once my mind was eased I should be just fine. Now, my struggle is HOLIDAY TREATS. I haven't really gained any, but I'm truly shocked. Those darn cookies will be the death of me. 2006 will be good for me. My band is in place, once I'm away from the posessed cookies that call my name I'll be fine with my choices and "onederland" here I come. Only 14 lbs to go. 1/20/05 I've been hesitant to update. Not because I'm not losing weight or anything. I've just been down in the dumps about banding. There have even been times I wish I had the damn thing out of my body. I am SICK and TIRED of having these episodes where I have pain and pressure that goes on and on. I'm not exaggerating when I say I've had it for a whole day in varying degrees. I don't have a clue what causes it. I keep track of everything I eat and NOTHING, absolutely NOTHING that I eat is consistent enough to figure out what causes this. Because the pain comes about an hour to an hour and a half AFTER I've eaten I can't say whether it's because I've eaten too fast or not chewed well enough. All I can say is that I try to pay attention at each meal, mostly out of fear. I'm averaging one of these "spasms" about once every two weeks. The doctor says it's consistent with esophageal spasms. Well, FIX IT! I'm tired of having them. I'm losing weight, but not necessarily the right way. Basically I'm starving. I'll eat normally for a week or two, then WHAMO! smasm and then it's nothing to eat for a day (or 2) but maybe tea then slowly work back up to solid foods again. 211lbs 1/30/06 Here I am, still suffering to a certain extent. A couple days after that last entry, I got fed up with the poor answer from my band surgeon to "seek counseling". I started considering the possibility that maybe these attacks were not related to my band. I saw a doctor for a second opinion and found out that I have gall stones. All of these months, at least since October, I have been suffering with gall bladder attacks. I am scheduled to have my gall bladder removed on 2/2/06. These last few weeks I have not felt well, I constantly have a sick taste in my mouth. It's kind of what I thought was reflux before. Now, I'm wondering if I had reflux at all and not some weird bile overload or even infection from the gall bladder. Who knows? I sincerely hope this gall bladder surgery solves my problems. If not, I may just have the band removed. I am tired of being sick and I'm tired of being in pain. 207 lbs 2/5/06 Well, where do I begin? I had the gall bladder surgery. They say that part went fine. Somehow during the surgery they dislocated my artificial hip. Yes, they dislocated my hip. My abdomen is sore from the gall bladder surgery. Generally, I feel better than I did before although I really don't have much of an appetite. The problem is my hip. I am not to bear any weight on it. It's been 3 years since I've dislocated it. I was doing so well. I feel really low, as if I've started all over again with my hip. I hobble around with my walker and my a$$ is really sore from sitting all the time. Weight loss is really not a priority right now, but it's amazing that when you feel so bad or are in pain it really doesn't matter. 3/24/06 Well, I'm fully recovered from the gall bladder surgery. I'm still in physical therapy for my hip. They tell me that the muscles are really weak. I'm planning on going back to work on 3/27, so I hope they're strong enough for that. Other than a little bit of pain that comes and goes, I guess I'll have to go on. I've come to the realization that all of the problems I've had since October, probably even the "black Thursday" mentioned in July 2005 was a gall bladder attack. All of those experiences were variations of the same. Any vomiting I had was only mucous and came as a last resort to relieve the pressure associated with the pain. Although I couldn't testify, I believe I have NEVER had a true PB. Is that possible? At almost 1 year out, to never PB? I would have taken a PB or 2 over the torture of those months. OH Well. Now that I can eat, I do. I'm stuck at 211lbs. Yes, I gained a couple since the gall bladder surgery, but I'm not terribly sad about it. Not happy, but not really depressed or anything. I can eat, Happy. I gained, sad. I think it's also because I'm working out with weights to strengthen muscle. Muscle weighs more than fat. It's only 4lbs. I'll eventually get it off. I hope. 4/9/06 I know this is a LONG first entry for a journal, but I wanted to put my entire OH profile on here. I'm told that there's a possibility I may lose it. So...I figured I'd have it on 2 sites. What's the chances of both of them losing it? Anyway, I'm still bouncing between 210 and 211 lbs. I'm thinking that I may be experiencing my first ever real plateau. Even when I've dieted whenever my weight even slowed down I'd give up and return to my prior eating. I've been exercising more, trying to strengthen those weak hip muscles. I have had a bit of Easter candy, but I don't think enough to stall me this long. I'm sure with patience I'll break it, eventually.

I had my surgery on January 14th, and lost 14 pounds. Now I have been having the infamous three week stall since last week Wednesday, and have been floating between 177.5 and 178.9. I read a lot about the stall, but this is really getting old. No amount of reading can prepare you for feeling like crap that you had your surgery to lose less than 15 pounds, and I can't help but feel like I am the ONLY ONE that this surgery will not work for. Did you have a stall? How long was it? What did you do to break it- if anything? And in the meantime, how did you survive those days? p.s. my Water and Protein intake has been decent for the most part- 64 oz, and 70 grams of protein.

I'm a daily weigher.. but I don't worry about my daily or even weekly fluctuations... while I was on my 15 week preoperative VLCD I gained all the time.. on 800 calories a day. It's completely NORMAL.. I also stalled for nearly three weeks... also completely NORMAL. For a lot of people when you lose weight really fast while in ketosis, your body regains a bit because it may be re-establishing its glycogen stores. Nothing wrong with weighing in daily, but don't get bothered by fluctuations. Evaluate your weight loss on a MONTHLY basis... and even then remember that some months will be better than others.

Good morning carroll. I was pretty low when I wrote this and now, two weeks later, things are better for me. I knew when I posted it that time and experimentation would be the key, but it's no less discouraging when it feels like all you see are folks doing better than you. First, five pounds a week is nothing to sneeze at! I don't know you stats like starting weight or if you've lost nothing in a while, but even so, 20lbs is good for most folks! Regarding gagging... this is something you will have to watch. At 4 weeks out, what does your Doctor have you eating? I developed a true tolerance issue with protien drinks at three weeks post op. They went down fine, but made me miserable for hours later. I discovered at about 7 weeks post op that they went down better if in a milk base, rather than just Water. But if "everything" is making you gag, you might want to follow up with your surgeon's office. If it's solid food making you gag, your new sleeve may not be ready for the hard stuff yet. Go back to the slider semi-solids and sip sip sip! Don't pressure yourself above all. You're still healing. My stall seems to have broken but I had to overcome my aversion to the Protein drinks to make it happen... I need more than DOUBLE the "60g" goal to get my body moving. This may not be a key for you, but it surprised me that "more was better". I hope that today is brighter for you.

help!! i had the sleeve done on december 26th. i lost 72lbs (started at 283). i havent lost a single pound since early july. i go the gym about 5 days a week to lift weights, play volleyball, softball and pickleball combined two or three times a week and i go to zumba twice i week. i also try to run a couple time for more cardio. i know i dont drink nearly enough Water, but that cant be the only reason the scale hasnt moved in over three months. im trying to figure out what im doing wrong. during the day i tend to graze, rather than eat three meals with two Snacks. but i find that im always hungry, not matter what and when i eat. for instance, today i ate 1.5 hard boiled eggs for Breakfast and was hungry an hour later. and not head hungry, but STARVING, the way i was prior to the surgery. does anyone have any advice or ideas? has this happened to anyone else? three and a half months seems excessive for a stall. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I stalled for two weeks at about three weeks out from surgery. I kept exercising and I dropped four pants sizes in those two weeks but not an ounce of weight. I also I had to put the scale away. I was weighing myself several times a day. I was becoming really upset. Now I only weigh myself every couple of days. It's much better that way, so u don't see the weight fluctuations, which do happen. When my stall finally broke, I lost 13 pounds in 3 days. I have been slowly loosing ever sense. Just follow your program and your stall will come to an end. I have learned to patient, we didn't gain weight overnight, so we aren't going to lose it over night. Keep us updated on how you are doing. Good luck!!

I'm almost 3 months too (I'm 11 weeks), and I am down 57 pounds since the start of this, and 40 pounds since my surgery date. I just came out of a pretty rough three week stall, but I appear to have come out of it. I was stuck at 202 for so long, and I'm finally in ONEderland. I haven't been at this weight since middle school! 40 more pounds to go to reach my goal! Starting Weight: 250 Surgery Weight: 233 Current Weight: 193

Sigh. As usual, everyone here is correct. The stall ended after three weeks. Just posting the update for other people who search stories about stalls.

Well it's been almost three weeks since your surgery. So that infamous "3 week stall" was going to happen. People stall either at 3 weeks or a little before that. But the weight loss will start back up again. I know my stalls lasted a week each time and for me to break them, I either needed more of something like more protein or I needed more exercise. There are other ways to break stalls besides those options but you're in the very beginning stages and right now, it's not really advisable to try them. Hw-273 Sw-226 CW-124 GW-130 Size- 2, Small in sweats. Small in shirts. depends on how it's cut or made. Bra Size- 34C Surgery Date- April 26th, 2017 RNY "Only those who try will become" FFX

Three+ months of no weight loss isn't a stall, it's maintenance. It means you aren't eating at a caloric deficit. You have been really successful at losing weight -- you know how you ate when you were losing weight. That's what you need to do again. Exercise is great, but the battle to lose weight is won in the kitchen, not in the gym. If you aren't already, carefully weigh or measure your portions and track your intake on MyFitnessPal or a similar app, at least for a few weeks, in order to get a clear picture of exactly how many calories you are taking in. If you are like most people who have been morbidly obese, your maintenance calorie level would be about 2100 calories per day (current weight x 10). To lose a pound a week, eat 1600 calories per day (do not count calories burned via exercise and try to "eat them back."). To lose 2 pounds per week, eat 1100 calories per day. If you are very confident about your calorie intake and tracking and not losing at those amounts, your resting metabolic rate may be lower than that and you need to drop your calories further. As far as hunger goes -- yes, hunger comes back. You need to learn ways to deal with it other than eating. You can never out-eat hunger. It is okay to be hungry. Hunger doesn't mean you are about to starve to death. I did Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to learn ways of dealing with hunger other than eating. Some simple techniques are things like planning all your eating at the beginning of the day and writing down your food plan. Then when you get hungry, you remind yourself "I'm hungry, but that's okay. I can wait until 11 AM when I get my chicken breast snack." Good luck!

Stalls are a normal, natural, and necessary part of the process of losing weight. Almost everyone stalls for the first time at about three weeks post-op. Embrace the Stall! http://BariatricPal.com/index.php?/topic/351046-Embrace-the-Stall

I know everyone's surgeon/nutritionist's post op/lifetime eating plans are different. I see most folks are told to eat 3 meals plus snacks in between and second most popular seems to be ~6 small meals a day. My plan is 3 meals a day no snacks and to only supplement protein with protein shakes if need be, not on the regular. I admittedly have been having snacks in between meals like a cheese stick or something strictly high protein, everything I consume has protein, no empty calories. I cannot fathom how to get the required protein in only three post-op sleeve size meals a day. The only way I can imagine is if you eat something every meal that you add protein powder to. My manual even states that at the point I am now I should be able to get in all the required protein through food alone. I say BS if you aren't allowed a snack in between. I was curious if anyone else has this type of plan and what you think, even more curious if you follow it and how you do it? I am still losing and just had my first stall the past two weeks which broke this week, even during my LB stall I was still losing circumference so I know I'm doing OK I guess I want reinforcement. My surgeon's office also said they expect their patients to eat 600-800 (which is where I'm at) calories a day and after everything I've been reading and from this forum I think that is wrong. It seems the most successful of the bunch are into the 1000 cal/100gms protein range. My surgeon and his handiwork are excellent and I'm very pleased, but the nutritionist and bariatric nurse I feel are not progressive sticking with older ideals. I didn't go through this and pay all this money to have a couple of thin years then not be able to keep it off because I can't stick to starving myself! Just a little frustrated!! =/

do a search on this site for the "three week stall". I can pretty much guarantee you'll find hundreds of postings on it

How are you doing at getting in all of your Protein and fluids? Stalls are a normal, natural, and necessary part of the process of losing weight. We all experience stalls, and just about everyone experiences a stall about three weeks after surgery. Just follow your program and make sure you are getting enough fluids and protein. Embrace the Stall http://BariatricPal.com/index.php?/topic/351046-Embrace-the-Stall