O i have just been approved for conversion of band to vsg. Never lost much with the band and my biggest fear is that i wont with the sleeve either. I am not a binge eater nor a big snacker but i tend to eat large meals primarily because i am so hungry. I am now 5'8 and 250lbs. If i were to set a goal it twould probablly be about 155-165 because of my larger frame. Is there eanyone lse eout there like me that has been able to reach their goal? Is there a point where the metabolism adjusts and you can no longer lose weight? I really want to get to goal. Did anyone start any kind of pre surgical diet or musclebuilding plan before surgery? I am scheduled in august.

I started out close to where you are, 5'7 and 266 lbs. My goal is 150 lbs. I am 10 months out and have lost 90 lbs; I weigh 176 today, so 26 lbs to go! I am not the fastest loser by any means, but I am still losing, albeit slower than I was in the first 6 months. In fact I have not yet had a stall, I have lost consistently every week, even if only a small amount. I have been pretty lax in the exercise department I'm sorry to say, so that is what I am working on now; I think it will help me lose this last bit and also tone up some.

Good luck to you, you'll do great!

I'm built different than you, I'm 5'3" and I was over 300 pounds. I thought about surgery a few times and last summer hit about 330. I had pneumonia twice the year before. I walked in my pool daily and started doing a lot of salads and I upped my Water, and I lost during the summer. I had been on steroids and went off, so I dropped some weight, but with age & weight and Lupus the weight on my frame was already doing some serious damage. I had a heart monitor because I kept passing out when I laughed. When I laid down my lungs hurt and my heart flipped and I slept with oxygen because I couldn't handle c-pap. My normal weight body I was a size a cup, was then a 52-54 DD, which was too much for my heart & lungs.

I contacted the surgeon's office but this was my 2nd time trying to get through their office, I quit after a month the year previous because I caught pneumonia and truthfully because the thought of having to write out calories, Protein & carbs and chart everything was something I didn't want to do and because I was ticked at the audacity of them expecting me to do a six month pre-op diet and worse...go into group meetings etc. I for some reason thought I should get a pass - go right to surgery, but it doesn't work that way. If your mind doesn't like the plan, the diet, the rules, it's not going to work for you.

This time I decided I had no choice, and I called. It took them a month to get me in. I had the old pamphlets so I re-read them and all the stuff I hated about the program. 80 grams of protein, low carb, and worse...writing everything I ate down and NO CAFFEINE. I sat on my couch and realized if I kept this up I was going to die because of my weight and if I am going to do this I am going to follow their rules.

I never ate Breakfast, never ate lunch, and only ate dinner. I was also on ambien would which wake me up in the middle of the night and I would end up eating popcorn, or an apple or wanting something big like slim fast.

I decided to work hard before my first appointment and see if I could do it. I decided if I was going to do this I was dedicated 100% to it.

I got to 299 and I used myfitnesspal.com to chart my food. I did give myself days that I treated myself, but I used myfitnesspal. I started on my own and made it through the first holiday which was Halloween. I had my first appointment in November and I tried to follow the rules through Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, Birthdays, Valentines Day, St. Patrick's Day, Easter. I made it through. I lost 70 pounds pre-operation.

It can be done if you decide to do what you need to do. I had special days where I went out to dinner, I had days that I went out with the family and had a cocktail, I wrote everything I had down and I kept to about 800-900 calories a day. Of course except the special days. There were days I would be at 800 calories, I would exercise and I would have 80 grams of protein and about 45 carbs and I would get on the scale and I would weight 3 pounds MORE....I would shake my head and say really??? Then my husband and I would go out to eat and I would order the lobster appetizer, and a Lobsterita (which I think is like 1500 calories and a Lobster dinner and eat that stupid cheesy roll of deliciousness and the next day I would be down like 6 pounds. Then I would go back to my normal 800 calorie diet.

It was hard but it was worth it. Realizing I went into surgery 70 pounds less on my own I would have backed out of the surgery and said, wow I did it on my own, but I am a yo - yo dieter, I can fluctuate between 200-300 every year if I let it, and this time I'm done. Since surgery I lost 20 pounds, I am now down 90 pounds since I started my journey (I haven't weighed myself in a few days).

I wasn't concerned that I would go under the 40 bmi because I know what my bmi was before surgery and I also had two comorbidities. Most places are 35 bmi with 2 co-morbidities or 40 with one. I figured if I got under 200 pounds without surgery, I would then cancel the surgery on my own.

I have read stories and heard stories at my doctor's office about those that spend their 6 months making every dinner their last dinner and him making them stay on the pre-approval phase longer, I have read countless stories here of people that gained weight once accepted into the program. Bless their hearts, but you know the though of having major surgery, and all surgeries come with risks, including death, to remove 85% of my stomach, and knowing that is a life-altering decision, is something that should not be taken lightly.

The attitude of the person going into this type of surgery, especially those that claim that this is their Last Hope, should be of 100% commitment.

I had some severe complications during surgery and I kept a positive outlook throughout mostly because I think I went into this entire program with 100% dedication.

I have hard days, I had buyer's remorse the day after surgery after the gastrique and I had an allergic reaction to the stuff, I had buyer's remorse for about 4 seconds after I found out I have 5 weeks of full liquids and I thought I would be on pureed food by at least 4th of July.

I am not tolerating the shakes that I had for breakfast for the pre-approval phase and they make me gag, but after everything I have been through, I would do it again.

I am going to be 49. I will most likely never reach 130, don't even think I would look right at 130 again, because I am older and I can't exercise like I used to but I consider myself a success right now.

Good luck to you, keep a positive attitude and give it 100% effort and you will do great.

You WILL lose with the sleeve! I was fearful of the same thing and my doctor said everyone loses because you simply cannot eat like before. He was correct! Now remember it is just a tool and you can gain it back slowly but not to what you started. You can do it and you will love it.

Thanks so much for all of your replies. It is hard to overcome the notion of feeling like a failure with the lap band. The biggest thing for me was always feeling so hungry even after my fills. I intend on starting to implement some of the lifestyle changes immediately because i feel like this is my last opportunity to get healthy and the thought of having more energy and lower cholesterol and less knee pain and no more sleep apnea to name a few is reAlly exciting!

I'm a revision b/c I only lost 20 lbs with the band and the sleeve is so much better. I'm 4 weeks out and have lost another 13 lbs with the sleeve. I'm a "slow" sleeve loser but at least I'm losing whereas with the band I stalled for 3 years. I had the hunger problem with the band and the sleeve has cured that. Good luck!!

I'm going band to sleeve July 24!! I feel a bit defeated bc I list 30lbs and within the past 26-18 months since I have gained it back. I was also diagnosed with diabetes. I also have pcos. One of the things that scares me is my hair lose. I am loosing do much now the thought of loosing more scares me!