It's funny that since my procedure 1 week ago , i have so much more time on my hands.Just 3 weeks ago, I was a was a step away from getting the sleeve surgery . I had already had most of the tests and was sitting in the psychs office when he asked me If i had any concerns. And, at that moment It dawned upon me that besides that typical elective surgery fears, I was most fearful of the stomach stretching back as I heard that it was possible. I truly got that there was no 100% sure fire way to prevent myself from gaining it back again. The sleeve was supposedly permanent . And yet, I had been up and down most of life, always praying when I was at goal weight, that I wouldn't gain it back... This time it took 4 years and boom there I was, no longer fitting into my clothes, isolating, planning my next food adventure. I was miserable, numb and although I am quite active in my social and work life, i was all alone. My 2 friends that I was sharing this can be called by their procedure names, "Lap-band" and"Sleeve". Lap-band was a6 year success of 80lbs. She attributed it to monthly check ins and group support. "Sleeve" was new to the game. She wasn't utilizing the support and I noticed a difference. It's not about the perfection of eating. It's the how and why. No one is better at finding"tricks" to eating basically the same, under this new regime than I.

So, here I am , day 8 and i'm going to spend the next 51 weeks learning how to eat. This week I got to watch and live through every moment that I would have previously used food to substitute, comfort, numb, kill time, avoid etc... We are on 2 sides of the same street. I know that without support I will fail. Even if I lose all of the weight on my own, I know the inevitable. I'm going to use the phone, see my Dr , attend support and really be present. Oh, and keep drinking that h20!

Edited October 24, 201510 yr by lifeofbry

I've had the balloon in for just over 3weeks and I'm down about 18 pounds. The hardest part so far has been finding ways to cope with boredom, stress, etc. because with the balloon in, it has become very apparent when I am actually hungry or just want to eat something. I've been having some increased acid reflux, has anyone taken additional antacids, besides the prescribed one? Like tums, Rolaids, etc. any recommendations?

I'm on week 5. Down 13lbs. I have started having very bad acid in the last week. I have taken some tums, in addition to omeprezole. It helped a little. I am going to start tracking when the acid is worst and what foods and quantity I ate prior. Every forum I read says you can't drink with your meals ... Which I was doing. They also say eat slowly, chew your food as much as you can and there are certain foods that can trigger it... Spicy food, mints, fried food (I ate pepperoni and fried chips on Sunday!) and foods that are very high in fiber might not break down as quickly so can cause trouble. My main problem is I don't feel full after eating for at least an hour so I'm having a hard time knowing when to stop. I'm

Not eating a lot at all, but everyone says even one bite too much can cause trouble.

Today was my 3 month check up visit and I'm down 35 lbs!!! My goal is to lose 35 more by May! It was rough the first 2 months but getting better now! I still have some nausea and vomiting but moving throughout the day really helps! I stopped eating lettuce/spinach salads because it sticks to the ballon and that was one thing that was making feel bad! I guess the bloating is not going away until this thing comes out! 3 down 3 to go! I can do it!

@@monniet50 Great job! I just finished week 2, lost 13 pounds the first week, and now have gained 2 in the second. I

was soooo sick the first week, and could not eat much. Now I am eating just about anything, and feel like most of the time the balloon isn't even there until about 2 hours after I eat and then I feel full. Any thoughts?

Wow! Congrats on meeting your goal!

I have found that if I eat about half of what I think I could eat and wait about 10-15 minutes, I am totally full. Otherwise, I was finding that I would be hungry, eat, and then feel like I had swollowed a bowling ball and be extremely uncomfortable. I also have learned to eat slowly, take small bites and chew the heck out of solid food.

Hey @@candykerr7 How much are you eating at a time? What does your diet consist of? I don't eat rice at all! It made me sick so I just don't bother. I eat very little bread maybe 1 slice every other day! I mostly eat protein, chicken, steak, deli meat and tuna. I do eat plain chips sometimes! I started making smoothies to get fruit and veggies in and I add flax seed to it because I had a bad case of constipation for the first 2 months!

@@monniet50 I know I'm not always making the best choices, I need to plan better for sure.

I too lost a lot in the first week and then only like 1 lb the second week. I think part of it, to put it delicately, is that your system really slows down and takes a lot longer to move food out of your stomach and down through the rest of the system. So you probably had more "old meals" in your system. Third week for me showed a 6 lb loss. Hang in there!

One month into balloon –Having read most of the posts on this topic here, I wanted to check in. I had the balloon put in on Feb. 3. I had a 1 month check up yesterday. I have lost 10 pounds. I am very pleased. 5 more months and I want to lose 30 more pounds and I think I will make this goal. I am 5 ft tall and now weight 181.5.

Nausea persisted for 2 weeks following but mostly controlled with nausea meds. I took them as scheduled, even if I was not feeling nausea, to prevent it from coming on. Some people get over it sooner. I was not one of those. Best to sit in a recliner with nausea. Laying down makes it worse for me.

food plan. I am eating 60 to 80 grams of Protein per day. I am drinking about 50 oz of water/diet ice tea/Zero Propel/ per day. Propel to keep me hydrated. The dr. would like me to consume 90 gms of protein and 70 oz of water/ day but I just can’t get it in. NEVER DRINK WHILE EATING. STOP 15 MINUTES BEFORE EATING AND RESUME 30 MINUTES AFTER EATING. The liquid will fill you up and then you won’t eat the protein you need. And your stomach won’t feel so good either !

I don’t eat bread, rice, Pasta at all. I really don’t miss it. The doctor told me to eat the protein first, finish up the protein, then if I am still hungry to eat the vegetables. On rare occasions I have eaten a vegetable. (cooked broccoli is my favorite.) The protein usually fills me up.

YOU MUST EAT EVERY 3 HOURS. This is my hardest challenge!! I don’t always feel hungry after 3 hrs. But I try to nibble on something nevertheless. (Low fat string cheese is good, and I can eat if in the car if I have to.) If I wait 4 hours, then I am so hungry, I overeat and feel terrible !!

Eat 3 meals and 2-3 snacks/day. I usually start the day with Pure Protein shake, has 25 mg protein ! (oh, I have 2 cups of coffee every morning too. I can’t live w/o my coffee!!)

Eat slowly and chew food well . Take 15 minutes to eat. (Not easy for me!!)

Since we get VERY little Fiber on this diet, I was directed to add 1-2 scoops Benifiber (find at Costco) to the shake. It dissolves completely. You can’t really tell it is in the shake. I have also put it into Propel. This keeps the bowels working. If you are constipated you are going to feel terrible. I have 4-5 BM’s per week .

Here is a list of foods that I eat. GREEK Yoghurt. I use the Triple Zero one. Don’t use any yoghurt that has added fruit. They have lots of sugar which you should avoid. GREEK yoghurt has less fat and that is what you want.

Any low fat String cheese. (Weight watcher, high protein, low fat) 1 Egg or 2 eggs, scrambled poached or hard boiled. 2 eggs equals 14 gms protein.

chicken salad or tuna salad and yes mayonnaise of OK. About 2/3 cups is all I can get down before I feel full.

Cooked salmon, chicken, lean beef meatloaf. Lean beef hamburger (No bun !!) Beef Jerky, turkey bacon, lean steak.

Eating out is a challenge. My “go-to” meal is a house salad with grilled shrimp on top or grilled chicken on top. Again, eat the protein first, then eat the salad if you have any room.

I have also have had fish tacos in a resturant. I don’t eat the tortilla or shell. Just fish and maybe a little of the shredded lettuce or whatever they serve in it.

I also am taking the fusion Vitamins purchased at the Dr’s office. They want you to do 4/day but I am only doing 2/day. They also sell a line of “foods” called Health Wise sold again at my dr’s or online. All are high in protein. Bars, chips, Cookies, Soup, etc. But don’t use these more than once a day.

I take 40 mg capsule of omeprazole every morning. (Dr. prescribed) I have had some heartburn, at night, so I try to eat earlier in the evening to avoid that.

Exercise- I resumed exercise after week one. VERY important. Just start with walking. I like to do pool aerobics. Find something you like to do and do it !!

My doctor explained to me the rational of this diet is that you eat all the protein because you want to lose FAT not muscle !! Very important !! Exercise also helps you to lose the fat !! Even just 30 minutes of aerobic activity will make a big difference. Do what you love to do !! Bike, swim, walk, treadmill etc.

I know this is long, and I have left some things out. Ask me questions, if you want.

I had this experience When I was suffering with persistent nausea, I was only consuming liquids. Seemed like the thing to do. My doctor told me to eat something. Even a small amount. That was the "cure" I got over the nausea the next day. I stated with just a few teaspoons of chicken salad. What a difference it made !

My experience with feeling full is very different. We all know how we feel after a big meal....so full you might burst. But I am not going for that. The full feeling I get with this balloon feels NOTHING like how you feel after a big meal. It is a very subtle feeling I get. Hard to explain. It took me a week to figure this out. I find if I eat slowly I can identify the "full" feeling easier. Good luck !

My experience with feeling full is very different. We all know how we feel after a big meal....so full you might burst. But I am not going for that. The full feeling I get with this balloon feels NOTHING like how you feel after a big meal. It is a very subtle feeling I get. Hard to explain. It took me a week to figure this out. I find if I eat slowly I can identify the "full" feeling easier. Good luck !

Me too!! I do not get a full to bursting/can't eat another bite like everybody else. When at a restaurant I am using all my restraint to only eat half, because I do NOT feel full or anything! About 3-4 hours AFTER the meal, I will feel like a bowling ball is in my gut. So, I end up skipping the next meal. My weight loss is slow and steady. I am 7 weeks in and have lost 15 pounds. I didn't lose any weight the first 2 weeks. I guess my body was trying to figure out what the heck just was going on. 7 weeks in...I am gradually getting used to this week. But I have to be honest, I haven't had one day where I feel good. I have stomach aches, really bad gas while I am sleeping, some reflux (although I am getting that under control now), and some mornings I am nauseas for hours with spit up always at the back of my throat.

As far as food goes...I am simply making healthy choices. Like Oprah, I LOVE bread, but I limit to whole grain and once a day. I gave up alcohol. I limit Pasta or rice to once a week. I eat Protein at every meal. I allow myself one small dessert a week, like ice cream. I am sure if I was as strict as other people on this site, I would not be having some of the adverse side effects. Cutting way back on how much I eat at dinner really helps with the night time reflux.

...15 pounds gone. SO, I am still thinking this was worth it. I started working out about 3 weeks ago (boot camp, walking, swimming), but there are some mornings when all I want to do is lay on the couch and hold my stomach! If I could lose another 20 in my next 4 months, I will be ecstatic and this will all be worthwhile.

Edited March 2, 201610 yr by jansluv

I'm glad you all have had success. I have had the balloon in 9 weeks and seen no weight loss. Maybe 1-2 pounds and then back

Up. They put me on phentermine and that was 10 days ago. Still haven't seen much with that either. My body is stubborn apparently. I am thinking about getting the balloon removed since it isn't working.

I'm glad you all have had success. I have had the balloon in 9 weeks and seen no weight loss. Maybe 1-2 pounds and then back

Up. They put me on phentermine and that was 10 days ago. Still haven't seen much with that either. My body is stubborn apparently. I am thinking about getting the balloon removed since it isn't working.

I am so sorry! What a terrible experience to go through without any results. I would have it removed if after 2 months I hadn't lost anything. Not worth all the discomfort if there is no pay out. Good luck to you.