DELETE THIS ACCOUNT!

I eat popcorn a lot without a problem. I keep a box of those 100 calorie mini bags in the pantry for low calorie snacking. I love it.

Wow, that is amazing and so true. We see post after post here all the time of people worried about loose skin and how to avoid it. Over and over, those of us who've dealt with it tell them the sad truth- there is very little that can be done besides surgery. The author's bravery to post those pictures is astounding. I'll be honest, I have a ton of loose skin but there is no way in heck I'd post pics of it online. Definitely not naked ones. I'm just not nearly that brave again. Thank you so much for sharing this!

All of Lap Band Talk has been integrated into this new site. The old Lap Band Talk app will no longer work but there is a new replacement app called BariatricPal. I don't know where to find it on Apple but you can find the Android app here https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.bariatricpal.forumrunner As for posting pics, the gallery is having issues and you may not be able to. I'd give it a little for them work out the bugs. Btw, congrats on reaching goal!

The mobile app is really fubar'd right now. I signed out and back in and still see all sleeve and bypass topics. There is no way to see current band threads.

Holy cow, I have never heard of this before. Crazy! I don't have any advice but I wanted to thank you for sharing it so the rest of us are aware of the possibility.

Oh I gave up on running or jogging because I feel like I need a full body bra to contain all the jiggling lol. It's not pretty!

Unfortunately, if you have the excess skin, it's there unless you have it surgically removed. You can tone muscles but if the skin didn't shrink as you were losing it's not going to after. I've lost over 230 pounds and had over 12 pounds of skin removed from my tummy this past spring. My upper arms, legs, and butt still look like a Shar Pei when naked because of all the excess skin. Believe me, I totally feel your pain. But here's how I look at it- I can easily hide the excess skin under clothes and still look good. There was no hiding over 230 pounds of fat. I'll take the excess skin over the fat any day. Hang in there

Wow, yeah there's no way you're eating too little. Especially considering your work outs, you must have a huge calorie deficit. I'd very strongly suggest going to your primary care doctor and making sure there's no medical issue causing the weight gain. Thyroid, blood sugar, hormones, or many other imbalances in the body can cause weight gain. If I were you, I'd get a full blood work up to make sure there isn't an underlying problem.

You have to remember that weight loss comes down to simple math: When you burn more calories than you consume, you lose weight. If you're gaining weight then you're likely eating too much. Do you track your calories?

You should get a detailed post op diet before surgery. If you haven't received one then call your surgeon and ask for one. They all have different diets to follow so it's imperative you find out exactly what yours requires. Best wishes.

It really depends on your post op diet. Your surgeon should've given you a post op diet and food list for it?

You're very welcome! Now...be kind and patient with yourself. You really are doing great and should be celebrating your success

I think the problem isn't your weight loss- your weight loss is great. Your problem is you seem to have extremely unrealistic expectations of the Lap Band. The average weight loss with the band is 1-2 pounds per week. You've lost almost 18 pounds in only 4 weeks, which is an average of 4.5 pounds per week. That is WAY over the expected weight loss with the band. Remember, you didn't gain the weight overnight and you won't lose it overnight either. It takes time and patience.

This is strictly my opinion, but you should go look over at the Sleeve forum before deciding it's the better option. You will see post after post over there with the same struggles we have- not losing weight. They get the same advice we get too "how many calories a day are you consuming?" WLS, no matter which one, is just a tool. The work will always be ours to do and that includes monitoring our calories and portions. You have to completely change your lifestyle and calorie intake no matter which WLS you choose. Your life shouldn't be about what you can and can't eat, either. The band is about moderation not deprivation. If you're talking about what you physically can't eat, if the list is very long then quite possibly your band is too tight. I would strongly suggest discussing this at length with your doctor. Best wishes.

Best wishes for a happy, anxiety free future.

My feet shrank A LOT!! I had to replace all my shoes because I went from a size 10W to an 8 1/2M!

Unfortunately, it's not a matter of "getting" them to pay for fills. Either they cover it or they don't. Because it's not considered a medical necessity and denied the surgery itself, you're pretty much at their mercy. If I were you, I'd contact them and find out what their stance is and if there is any way they will cover it. Good luck.

Thanks for all your VERY hard work on everything, Alex. I know we complain about change and glitches, but the new site does look very nice and I can tell you put a ton of hard work into it.

Congratulations on your success!! I'm curious, did you go back and report to the hospital your less than desirable experience pre and post op? If not, I really would if I were you. I think they'd take the criticism a lot more seriously coming from an employee and nurse. As far as your good and bad days- that just makes you human. We all have them whether everyone is willing to admit it or not. Besides, sometimes I kinda feel like I need a "bad day" just to splurge and get it out of my system. Then, I don't feel deprived and the bad day doesn't turn into a bad week or month.

I couldn't get that link to work either. Here's the error message I rec'd:

We've see many threads talking about the fear of not fitting into airline seats. Well, it seems our fears are more valid than we realized. In the 1990's the average airline seat was 18.5 inches across. Today, the average is only 16.5 inches across. This is despite the fact the average size of a woman has gone from 159 pounds to 166 pounds. The average size of a man has gone from 186 pounds to 196 pounds. Here's the original article: http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/07/travel/feeling-cramped-battle-airline-seat/index.html?hpt=hp_t3

My ticker isn't site generated so don't base fixing your tickers off mine. Mine is actually a link pic pasted into my signature line that I just change as my weight changes.

I just sent you a test PM to see if it works.

I just looked at the profile settings and saw some coding error when I tried to go into the ticker section. It looks like they're broken.

My heart goes out to you. You've been through a lot both physically and emotionally yet come through it all with a level head, lots of bravery, and immense poise. I don't have any wise words of wisdom except to be patient with yourself. Give your mind time to process all the trauma (and it IS trauma) you've been through. I'm sure once you're healed and back to your normal life, you'll see things with a decidedly more optimistic view. ((hugs))