NWgirl

Hi Nikki! I am also pre-op, currently waiting on approval... Where are you getting your surgery at?

Call them or look at the insurance booklet. If it says something along the lines of "No coverage for obesity related treatment or surgery," then they probably do not cover. You really need to call and ask yourself, as insurance plans vary so much.

Good for you No one is going to make you go any where else, although do keep in mind that there is a sister site for the sleeve if you ever have questions that can't be answered here.

There is a thread floating around on this. try typing gastric plication or Iband into the search forum link on the top right.

I really like the Better Oats Good n' Hearty varieties. Each packet has about 9g of sugar.

My surgeon did try to talk to me about the sleeve, but I shot her down pretty quickly and said I was not interested in cutting out a huge part of my anatomy while there was a less severe option available. I think on the Dr's mind is that they want you to lose the most weight possible, and when they see larger people (I was 110-120lb overweight when I started), they want to give them the fastest and most result producing procedure. They also want you to be successful, because even if you mess up your WLS by doing/eating the wrong things, it still reflects on them. I knew for myself that I can lose the weight- I'm still very young and motivated. I have had no problem losing 40lbs in the past with a simple change in exercise/eating, and I think the band will keep me going in a downward direction. I would honeslty be happy an 80lb loss, even though I really want to lose it all!

Gastric you traditionally lose more weight and don't really need followup care. With the band, you have to go in for followup care for fills, etc. If you feel you'd be better off getting a one stop procedure, the gastric is the way to go. If you are willing to put the time in and religiously go to your Dr's for fills, then do the band. Obviously each procedure has its positives and negatives. You need to research both and see what seems like the best procedure for you. Everyone is so different.

Was this an actual tear, or was it an erosion of the band into the stomach? I am so sorry that you had such a terrible experience and that your Dr's would not listen to you. Are you maintaining your weight well? Are you considering a revision surgery to another form of WLS?

I hope you love it, it really is a motivating tool! As for the calorie program, I use the integrated Fitbit site. It's a pain at first to enter the foods you eat, but if you regularly eat the same things, it's no problem. I really like the simplicity of visiting just one site.

I am guessing they would do a complete unfill and start the process over. This is supposed to help people when they've hit a wall.

I talked to the dietician about my current food habits and about how and what I will eat after banding. I was completely honest and open, and she gave me great recommendations on how to curb some of my night time eating. She also gave me Unjury samples and premier nutrition samples to find out which I liked better. I would not be worried. I felt she was very accepting and that I could get some good, honest feedback on the aspects of my eating life that needed to change to ensure success.

Okay so I went through the myfitnesspal site and created a ticker. When you hit the save button, you are brought to a screen shows BBcode in a box on the right side and HTML code in a box on the left. You want to highlight everything in the BBcode box and select copy. You will then go to your siganture tab, paste the code into the signature box, and select save.

I had the bodybugg too, and switched to the Fitbit a couple weeks before my 6 month subscription expired. I tested both together to see how accurate the Fitbit was (I admit, I was sceptical that the $100 device could do the same thing as the more expensive Bodybugg). I found that the Fitbit actually reported about a 300 calorie burn less, which I was okay with. If it was showing more, I would have been concerned. I just noticed on the Fitbit website today that they are coming out with a new wifi scale called the Fitbit Aria! I've been contemplating buying the Withing scale, but the reviews stating the lack of customer service put me off. The only down side is that the Aria is on pre-order and does not come out til April!

Good luck!!!!

Congrats and good luck! It's awesome you will have your sister as a support person!

As stated, most weight loss shakes are full of crap- high sugar, high carb, higher fat, and little protein (9 or 10g). I think it's really important to find a drink that is high in protein because it helps you stay fuller, longer. I do feel bad for those that are required to drink a specific brands (like Optifast) because usually the protein is pretty low.

I know at my hospital support group one of the staff members acts as a moderator and they have a different topic they discuss weekly. I guess it depends on the type of setting and if there is a staff member present. I have read on here that some places have combined WLS groups, which can be discouraging for bandsters because the RNY folks lose so much more weight to start in comparison. I would try to find a group ran by your surgeon's practice. If you go to a personal support group, anything is game.

I am waiting on approval to receive a surgery date, so have not officially started my pre-op diet. My Dr. allows for a low fat diet without added protein shakes, but I did purchase premier nutrition high protein/low carb/low fat shakes from Costco and have been having one for breakfast, one for lunch, and then a normal dinner. I personally have not felt too hungry and would probably contribute that to the amount of protein in the shakes- with morning and lunch I am getting 60g protein. I am also drinking a minimum of 75oz of water a day, which keeps my belly feeling fuller.

I am not understanding here- have you purposefully been making yourself "purge" so you can eat more, or so you have eaten, feel full, but don't actually get the calories (like binging)?! It is not my place to lecture you, but if you are purposefully causing yourself to vomit, aside from the psychological issues, I would be worried about the actual long-term viability of the band. I can't imagine that continually puking is good for the band, and if this is an everyday occurrence, I would say that a slip in your future is likely. I hope I have just misread your post and you have not been purposefully purging. If you have been, I would hope you have sought out someone to talk to about this.

I tried following the paleo diet for awhile last year, but it turned out too expensive and meal planning oriented for me. I also found it confusing because the book I purchased talked about one way of eating, but the people on the forums practiced another. If you can sustain the eating, I am sure it would work. It made sense to me based on the biological development of our bodies...

Hi there! I am down in Portland and am currently waiting to see if my insurance approves or denies. I am turning 24 this year and I decided I had already spent the last 6 years doing every diet under the sun without any long term accomplishments. I wish you success on your journey!

Maybe acid reflux?

I think we all understand what the meaning behind the original post is- WISHING that you were at the 199 and not the 250, 300, or 350's. It's almost the same as having skinny friends who always complain about how "fat" they are. Other than being insulting, you just want to wack them upside the head because they are not fat. I had a friend in high school that was probably on the lower BMI for her height and had always been a skinny girl and would literally grab at skin (not fat, skin) and complain she was fat. That was always infuriating, having the 120lb girl tell the 220lb girl she was fat...

I do not believe there is a mobile version...

http://i175.photobuc...rs/Capture1.jpg This is what the code should look like before copy/paste