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Do you track calories and measure your portions?

First off, I am so incredibly sorry for the loss of your husband Plateaus are frustrating. Are you tracking your calories? That's the easiest place to start to be sure you're not eating too much or too little. If you are counting calories, I would suggest changing up your routine. If you normally eat low carb, add some healthy carbs for awhile. If you normally don't restrict carbs, go low carb for a couple weeks. Sometimes something so simple as this can essentially "trick" your metabolism into gear again. When I've hit plateaus, I've done something called Carb Cycling. I don't do it all the time but when I hit a plateau I carb cycle for 2-3 weeks and it always breaks the plateau. In fact next time I hit a plateau again, I'll definitely be carb cycling again. There's actually a really long informational thread on it here if you'd like to have a look: http://www.lapbandta...ent-gone-right/ Btw, the fact you haven't gained through all you've been dealing with is nothing less than amazing. You should be extremely proud!! Best wishes.

I think Biotin totally works. I was losing my hair pretty bad after my Lap Band surgery. Anesthetic is notorious for causing temporary hair loss. Of course, the drastic drop in calories doesn't help either. I am very careful about getting in all my Protein and I take 5000mg of Biotin daily and it's made a world of difference. My hair came back beautifully and my nails are nice and strong again. In fact, I've had two more surgeries just in the last 6 weeks and so far I'm still not experiencing any hair loss. That's a huge accomplishment for me and I think it's because of the Biotin. I also use Fruitese shampoo, a line called "Fall Fight". It actually has Biotin in it. I massage the shampoo into my scalp really good and I let the conditioner sit on my hair for 2 minutes. I believe it's helped too. Just my experience. Good luck

Oh yum, this sounds so good! Thank you so much for sharing!

You need to stay on your post op diet as your diet directs, however once you're cleared to go back to normal food you need to do that. Staying on a 400 calorie a day diet is serious deprivation. Not only are you not getting nearly enough calories you'll lose your hair, your skin will go to heck, you will be exhausted and cranky, and you'll burn muscle rather than fat leaving you very loose and unfit looking. It's simply not healthy. Plus, if you lose weight due to extreme deprivation, you will pack weight back on very quickly once you try to start eating like a normal healthy person. The average weight loss with the Lap Band is 1-2 pounds a week. Don't be in a rush to dump the pounds, especially in such an unhealthy way. You're much better off losing it slower and keeping it off. You need to see a nutritionist and establish healthy, realistic food guidelines to live by. This is so crucial not only for successful weight loss to keep it off after. Best wishes.

Per the Allergan website, there is NO warnings or contradictions for people with RA or MS. It is NOT all autoimmune diseases that have a problem with the band, in fact it's only a very small number of them: "You or someone in your family has an autoimmune connective tissue disease, such as systemic lupus erythematosus or scleroderma. The same is true if you have symptoms of one of these diseases." Here's the original text: https://www.lapband.com/learn-about-lapband/lapband-is-for-you

I would get it checked out because it does sound like an infection. Foul smelling oozing is a major infection red flag and I wouldn't ignore it.

RA isn't considered a contradiction for the Lap Band. In fact, the majority of autoimmune diseases are fine with the band. The problem is specifically with connective tissue autoimmune diseases, like Lupus, but even some Lupus patients do fine with the band. (this is per the Allergan/Lap Band band website) Btw, I too have an autoimmune disease and I've had the band for 16 months. I have Multiple Sclerosis. The band has done nothing but help me tremendously and I would do it again in a heartbeat.

I'm no longer dating as I'm now in a committed relationship, however I was single when I was originally banded 16 months ago and had to deal with this exact scenario. I found sticking to foods that I know are "safe" was key. Soup is a slider food for me so I know ordering soup is always a safe bet when eating out. Fish always goes down really well, too. Some people do have issue with salads and raw veggies however I never have an issue with them so sometimes I'll order salad. The trick isn't so much where you eat- you can find something pretty much anywhere- the trick is figuring out what are "safe" foods for you and sticking to them. Looking at the menu online before you go is a great idea too. I used to do this a lot, it kept me from feeling pressured and rushed trying to figure out what to eat when I got there. Happy dating!

Congratulations and thank you for sharing your success!

Insurance paid for it because it was medically necessary. Normally they only pay for the skin removal after 100 pounds or more weight loss but the tummy tuck was mostly covered too because of the severe reoccurring hernias. I just had to pay $500 out of pocket- which isn't bad at all. Most insurance companies that cover skin removal require 100 pounds or more weight loss, 6 months of documented back or mobility issues due to excess skin, and/or skin breakdown/rashes. My best advice is if you start losing and realize you are going to have excess skin, start going to your primary care doc to document any skin issues immediately. This way by the time you're ready for the skin removal you've already got all the medical documentation you need. Best wishes on your journey!!

Honestly, I'm not entirely sure. My surgeon's office handled the insurance requirement. They told me I needed a letter from my PCP, I got it and gave it to my surgeon's office, then they submitted it to my insurance. They handled all the psych stuff and everything, else too. Can you just give to whoever is dealing with the insurance at your surgeon's office? I'd call and ask because it would make your life a lot simpler.

The thing about loose skin is, it's mostly out of your control. Exercise definitely can help but really it all boils down to genetics, skin elasticity, how much weight you have to lose, and age. It's unfortunate but some people are just going to have loose skin no matter what they do to try avoid it. Speaking from personal experience, I've had TONS of loose skin. I've lost over 200 pounds and seriously look like a Shar Pei naked. However, I will say this, I'll take the loose skin over the fat any day. I can hide the skin under clothes and look good- there was no hiding 200 pounds of fat. Btw, I am currently recovering from a surgery that was hernia repair/tummy tuck/skin removal combo. My surgery was about 2 weeks ago. It's a rough recovery but I think worth it, my tummy looks drastically different but amazing. If you want a look, I posted a thread about it here: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/topic/169905-tummy-tuck-before-after-pics/ Do what you can to reduce excess skin- drink lots of Water, exercise, don't smoke, and use a good firming lotion. But even if you do end up with excess skin? It can be removed with surgery and even if you opt not to have surgery it's so much better than fat. Best wishes!

First, I'm very sorry your day is so awful. I'm sending a virtual hug. ((hugs!)) It's really really hard to combat emotional eating. For me, I find a number of things help. It's important to acknowledge and deal with those feelings so I try to talk through them when I find myself wanting to emotionally eat. However I'm feeling and whatever caused those feelings, I realize I have to deal with rather than eat away, so talking (or even just venting) to someone else really helps a lot. If I go so far as to even admit to the person "What I really want right now is to eat an entire cake!" it somehow helps take the temptation away. It's like...I've put those bad feelings and unhealthy urges to eat out there so suddenly it all feels a lot more manageable. So, that would be my first piece of advice, find someone to talk to. Or if you can't find that, write a thread on these forums. Just say "hey, my day was pure crap and now I want to eat. Here's why...." and share you emotions, your urges, and your experience. People are sure to respond and you'd be surprised how much better you'll feel. Plus...the time it takes you to write it all out gives the urge to eat more time to calm too. My second piece of advice is find something that calms you. For me, that's baths. I have a beautiful big garden tub in my master bathroom and that is my refuge. I keep lots of nice smelling bath products on hand, so I draw a nice hot bath and let my favorite Bath & Body Works scented product run under the Water. I lay back, close my eyes, and just breath. Sometimes I cry, sometimes I even talk to myself, but whatever it is I always end up feeling a little better. The other thing I do is I take a long walk. I grab my ear buds, put on some good tunes, and I just head out the door and go. There's something about getting outside and moving with music to drown out distractions that really calms me and soothes my spirit. Not that baths or walks are everyone's thing, but the key is to find what works for you. Best wishes and hang in there!

Your PCP has to write it because he has your medical records and history.

Ummm no. Nor is it normal to throw up with the band. Ever.

I had the same thing happen with a laxative, it was horrible. I spent the whole day in bed, in tears, because the cramping was so severe.

Try taking a stool softener, like Colace, every morning. It will help you get more regular without all the cramping of a laxative. Once you're not so bound up anymore, stop the stool softener and switch to a fiber supplement to keep things continued moving. Oh and drink LOTS and LOTS of Water. It really does help a lot. (btw, I have the same problem and this is what I have done to help it)

It definitely can. I only have 5.2 cc in my 10cc band and am very much in the Green Zone- and that is after having .1cc taken out for originally being too tight. And yes, that small .1cc made a huge difference. Best wishes

Yes totally possible. You probably just need a little bit taken back out. No big deal, it happens all the time. It's good you're going back in tomorrow.

If you're tracking calories and exercising, then it's just a plateau I know they suck and they're frustrating but it's a very normal part of weight loss. Keep staying within your daily calorie allowance and exercising the weight will start coming off again.

If you're not already, track calories and measure your portions. It's the only way to be 100% sure you're not accidentally eating too much.

Today is day 15 post surgery and I'm still recovering. I still have some staples in too and will until Monday. At this point, my back and hips and actually hurt a lot worse than my stomach. In fact, though my stomach is tight and swollen it really doesn't hurt anymore. My back, on the other hand, is killing me. This is turning out to be a lot rougher recover than I anticipated.

You fix that by stop eating around the band- which is exactly what you're doing. You get your "stop" or "full" signal after little food so you try to wash it down so you can eat more. You're totally defeating the purpose of your band, which is to leave you feeling satisfied after little food. I would very strongly suggest you talk to your doctor, tell him what you're doing, and see what his suggestion is. If you continue to eat around your band like this you're risking stretching your pouch and even possibly a slip. Best wishes.