Jim1967

Wow, some people just have no filter.

That is pretty cynical. LOL. In my opinion it all comes down to mostly money. 1. They want to ensure the patient is serious about changing their lifestyle and not just getting this magical surgery. 2. I believe they deny purposely with the hopes that the patient will give up their pursuit for coverage. Think about it, If they get two or three people out of a pool of 50 on a monthly basis to just give up after the first denial think about the money they would save in a years time.

Sounding pretty awesome Mary. Keeping my fingers crossed for you.

Curious if anyone else experiences the mental game. I will be going along losing then all of a sudden for like two or three weeks, sometimes longer then there will be no scale movement at all and NSV's just don't seem to be there either. It sets me off thinking maybe I've reached the end of the line with my weight loss and my band (which I know is just a tool) has reached is maximum potential. Anyone else ever feel like that? I have lost a very large amount of weight but still 45 pounds from my personal goal. Even when I hit that personal goal of 220 I will still be with a high BMI. I am only 5'6. I can only imagine what it will be like to hit a real plateau...which will come like it or not.

Make sure your footwear is in good shape. I went through sneakers very fast when I was heavy and even though they do last longer now they still cause my back to ache when they are due for replacing. I now keep a pair just for working out and a pair for every day wear. Funny thing is I feel it in my back long before I feel it in my feet.

I've never had trouble with pills of any kind. I can take a daily multi without cutting or crushing it.. Only the first couple of months post op did I make adjustments.

I took two weeks off from work but I could have gone back by day 4. I do however sit in front of a computer all day.

I would go back to the Doc and see if you can trade the 4 or 5 shakes a day to 1 a day but with the use of skim, almond or simply smart milk. You can still achieve liver shrinkage. Whole point of this is not to make you sick or starve but if you can't do it the way they ask comfortably and it could cause you to stray (cheat) then they should compromise a bit. Just my opinion and you know what opinions are like....

Not much

I only had to do a 5 day pre-op diet consisting of 1 protein shake a day and the rest liquid. Are you buying pre-made shakes or you using powder and making your own? I use Body Fortress Whey powder from Walmart. Blend a cup with milk and ice. Makes a good smoothy. From time to time I will do the same with vanilla powder and add in either strawberries or blueberries.

What Missy said..... So many different things factor into the day to day weight. Exercise and sleep are good ones as well. I have had pretty poor nights sleep and the next morning the scale showed it.

Sounds like you are getting some sound advice here Jimmy. Get back to the Doctors asap. I know you're embarrassed to face the Doctors but you need a serious intervention before it gets worse. Only you can break the cycle you're in. I would definitely seek out a Counselor, Nutritionist and I would start journaling so you can see in print everything you put in your mouth. Sometimes seeing the numbers can help break patterns of bad eating.

My Wife has been very very supportive and is actually starting the process herself but I inadvertently insulted her. Maybe not insult but its the best word I can find to describe it. We had Breakfast together one Saturday morning and then we went about our daily activities and she at one point said as we were driving 'I'm getting kinda hungry'. Well I turned and looked at her and bluntly said 'Really? already?' Funny part is we had breakfast at 7AM and it was now a little after 1PM when she said that. She obviously gets hungry a lot sooner than I and sometimes we both forget each others circumstances. I do not like eating out anymore. I feel it is a waste of money and I can better control the quality and portions eating at home. It is going to be nice when are on the same page. Her date is Sept 16. She is floating around this board somewhere.

We are our own worst critics. Even after losing 200+ pounds I still cope with it as well. I go through various stages of "This is not good enough'. I have been pondering for sometime to seek out the Counselor at the Weight Center. I think there are a lot of psychological issues going on in there. It doesn't hurt to talk to someone.

I had to do the 6 month thing as well because of insurance. I dreaded the beginning of the process knowing I had to wait 6 months and then hope I would be approved. As I started to lose weight during that time my motivation increased big time. I did everything I could to be around bandsters whether it was being here or attending in person support meetings and various binge eating classes. I read books. I felt like I was close to a life and death situation with my weight. You are nearly there and from what I see you are off to a great start. Keep your eye on the prize and it will be here before you know it. When you get that official surgery date you will be riding high again. You can count on that. It felt like Christmas to me.

At the end of the day it is your health, your life and you have only one pass it. I don't really care what most people think of me. I am no longer a walking time bomb.

I told a lot of people but not everyone. If I am asked however I will be honest and upfront. It is hard to hide the fact I lost 220+ pounds in under 2 years. My reasoning behind not wanting to broadcast it originally is because I was afraid of failure and being known as the fat guy who couldn't even lose weight with WLS. Not afraid of that anymore and I will talk up how the band added years back to my life. It is a very personal decision to share with people but once you put it out there it cannot be taken back. I always tell people to give that some good thought before hastily offering up the info.

I wouldn't worry too much about the rapid weight loss. You are probably losing a lot of water weight. Your body is also going through the detox stage as well. Just make sure you stay hydrated. I know this is tough but you are tougher and you can do this!! Keep your eye on the prize.

unjury offers sample packs relatively cheap. Only problem is you have to order online as their products are not sold in stores. http://www.unjury.com/store/protein/unjury-protein/unjury-protein-samples.html

I am no medical expert but it sounds as though your Doctor filled you too much too soon but either way you shouldn't be in pain and certainly not to a point you can barely walk. I would call right away and get in there. May be they should do a fluoroscopy to make sure your band is healthy.

Not to be gross or anything but,,,fluid in equals fluid out. I would definitely call the Doc and also maybe some Imodium.

Easiest way would be for the Doc to pull out the saline and see how much fills the syringe. How big is your band and how much should you have in there? I have an 11cc band with 9.5cc filled. Could be you just do not have enough.

I would suggest a call into your Doctor to let them know you are struggling and get some professional input. Maybe they will at least allow a protein shake.