Jim1967

First off congratulations on your success.....and what a great story. Like yourself my story did not have a happy beginning either but more of a sense of desperation and I think if it wasn't for my Wife I would be 6 feet under by now. I went into it at 488lbs thinking well if I can at least take off a 100 with the band it would be better than nothing and at the very least it might give me a couple of years back. I had serious doubts I would ever see the 300's again let alone the 200's. My beginning like yours was not all sunshine and roses but rather bleak, terrifying and desperate. I will forever remember who I was and where I was in my life during that time as a way to keep humble. I did not get banded for anything material. I was not looking for a job or a wife or to look good on the beach........I got banded simply for "MY LIFE" and I considered it a last ditch effort. If I failed then I was as good as dead and on borrowed time...

Not only that but also newbies and people just starting their research on the band is going to get the impression that all they have to do is have this magical belt strapped around their stomach and hundred or so pounds will just fall off and in my opinion that is just bad news...

B52: I enjoy reading your posts and I value your experiences. What I will say is the band has changed me as well but you made one important statement that I would like to highlight: Your band is not making those choices you are. You're making the decisions with your brain on what to eat. Your band maybe limiting your intake but your choices are all on you. I think it is very important for newbies to understand that the band will not force you to choose meat and vegetables over potato chips and ice cream. IT is not that EASY....

Primed means the Surgeon added Fluid at the time of the surgery.

I am flirting with goal myself so I find this thread interesting. My goal is also a number picked out of my head. My Doctor never gave me a goal to strive for. Actually, my initial goal was 220 and when I hit that I wondered if 199 was possible so I changed my goal. So I am slowly getting to that goal but really my plan is to keep losing as long as my body wants to give it up. It's not like I am suffering from malnutrition. Sorry I am rambling and not trying to hijack your thread. I have a deep fear of hitting a final weight goal. Having lost so much weight before and gaining it all back plus another 90 just scares me and has me on edge about history repeating itself.

Hi Betty, Sorry to hear the agony this is causing you. Have you spoken directly to the insurance company to find out their requirements? Most insurance companies will provide you the documentation on what is covered and what the requirements are. I have never heard of an insurance company requiring someone to lose weight to prove they needed WLS. I guess anything is possible though. Insurance companies want to ensure you are committed to a lifestyle change which is why they put you through the supervised diet but typically do not expect weight loss as that is the whole point of needing surgery in the first place. I do wonder if the person at the Surgeon's office is trying to motivate you to lose as much as possible before surgery or they're just miss-informed. If it were me I would place a call into the insurance company and request documentation. My insurance company actually emailed me a pdf copy instantly. Edit: Forgot to mention I also had to do a 6 month supervised diet as required by Cigna and not once was weight loss a requirement. Monthly weigh ins, food and exercise journals was all they wanted. They could care less about my weight.

I did Atkins back in 2003 and managed to lose 170+ pounds but I could not sustain it. I was depriving myself of the things I liked. I never shifted through the different phases properly. I stuck with induction for 19 months and lost the weight but then I started eating again and eating the things I went with out for a very long time. Long term deprivation does not work. Atkins is a good way to lose weight but I recommend following the program completely because in my experience it was nothing but deprivation and long term will lead to failure. I often wonder had I done it properly if I could've avoided WLS. As for life now I don't follow any particular diet outside of portion control and moderation.

Some of the responses in this thread are down right saddening. Starting weight does not matter with the lapband if you're truly dedicated to making a lifestyle change. I am living proof of that and I will put my numbers up against any Sleever or Bypass patient. I mean no disrespect to anyone but what the hell difference does it make if he weighed 450 or 250? Weight loss is weight loss and it only matters in the end if you've adopted a lifestyle change. Without a true lifestyle change then any weight loss using any method is just temporary and prone to eventual failure. Sure the Band takes more work and more patience but it is certainly just as effective as any surgery if you put the work in. Some people such as myself thrive on the extra work or extra attention the band may require. I have learned so much about myself in these last two years then I have the entire course of my 46 years. Christie's 100lbs in the first year is incredibly successful given the fact a "typical" band patient needs to go through a series of adjustments before the band reaches its maximum potential. In closing I will quote Dylan...."Don't criticize what you can't understand"

Hang in there gang it will definitely get better. As we know everyone's anatomy and needs are different but I have an 11cc Realize band it took me nearly 6 months to reach the elusive green zone and as I lost weight I needed follow adjustments as the zone changed on me. Patience was the hardest part of the process for me. 1cc Realize Band: 1st fill 5/29/12 5cc 2nd fill 6/12/12 1cc 3rd fill 7/02/12 1cc 4th fill 8/14/12 1cc 5th fill 9/4/12 1cc 6th fill 1/29/13 .5cc

Congratulations!

Really need to assess if that is head hunger or legitimate hunger. Based on your description your fighting head hunger and the band will not help (much) with that. That is mental part of the lifestyle change you must come to terms with. Also, you need to be careful with grazing as well. Eating until your full and then waiting an hour and eating again and on and on will not lead you to lose weight. I definitely recommend talking to a Nutritionist and explain what is going on.

I have a lot of loose skin and I think when I look in the mirror I still have a hard time seeing that smaller person because he is surrounded by so much loose skin. I would like to eventually get it removed but I am sure getting insurance to cover it will be a difficult chore. More so than the actual band coverage. After losing close to 280lbs I am not even sure if I will be able to get away with wearing shorts this Summer because of the loose skin. I have skin hanging from my forearms that is how bad it is. As for reminders I have pictures, wedding pictures and I still will not forget the time lost because of my lack of mobility.

My Wife and I are band-mates. I was the guinea pig who had surgery first in April 2012. She got the same band (Realize) in September 2013. We used to eat out constantly seeing we had no children to feed but now it is home cooked meals and it is amazing the money we save now. Not only are we not eating out we don't spend as much in the grocery store.

I did Atkins for 19 months and dropped 172lbs. I then proceeded to feel so good about life and started eating all the things I deprived myself of and before I knew it that 172lbs was back plus another 90!! I am not dissing Atkins it was by far the easiest and simplest diet I have ever done. Part of me wonders if it would have been a longer term success had I actual followed the plan correctly and progressing to the maintenance stage.

I agree with Jennybean all the way here. Don't you know WLS is the 'easy' way out? LOL

My hospital required a $250 co-insurance payment on or before surgery day. I would push for the refund if they haven't provided services to you.

Yes she is. And over then last two years she has put on a lot more weight. For the first time since I can remember I am smaller than she is. Well I wonder if it is more of a matter of her not being happy with herself and the weight gain and as she sees you shrink it reminds her of that. That's not to say you Mom doesn't love you or support you. She is having the problem, not you.

I drink 5 or 6 cups of coffee a day with either Splenda or Sweet & Low. If you look at reports they say everything will kill ya eventually. I still remember the big saccharin 'scare' of the 70's and the supposed link to Cancer. I budget my daily calories so the added sweetener is not a concern of mine.

Just curious is Mom overweight? If so then there's your answer.

By chance are you consuming a high amount of gassy vegetables? I have been going through these phases off and on and it is severe gas cramping along with a lot of flatulence and occasional diarrhea. Sorry for the TMI. Just trying to help. I found once I cut down my veggie intake a bit it smoothed out but still occasionally get it. Seems Brussels sprouts are a trigger for me. Also, I really like Cauliflower as well and that is known for causing gas. . This site has a little more information: http://howtostayhealthy.hubpages.com/hub/Foods-That-Make-You-Gassy-and-Bloated

Congratulations! You'll be there before you know it.

Nicely put! We spend many of our years with bad eating habits and new ones do not come easy and take time to get used to. Finding that zone along with repetitiveness is what will get you there and before you know it you will have a new normal. My Wife and I have no children and we used to spend a lot of time dining out rather than cooking. Well that aspect of my life has changed tremendously. I look forward to preparing a good healthy meal now without worry of a cook putting in sugary or salty add-on junk.