want2bthin

I've been talking Iron once a day since my surgery almost a year ago. I have 9.5 lbs to go so I feel your pain. When I look at my BMR now I see why my loss has slowed down. I figure the best I can hope for is 1 lb or so a week and that's with eating 1000 calories a day. I'm so happy with where I am that another 9 weeks or so will go by quickly. Hang in there

I haven't been here in a few months but I had not given up on getting VSG surgery approved. I've written some posts which tell more of my story if anyone is interested and is going through the same thing: http://www.verticals...er-suggestions/ This has been such an emotionally draining time that I wanted to share that I have finally had SUCCESS and I thank all of those who encouraged me to keep trying. I will be having a Lapband removal and revision to Sleeve - Surgery date not scheduled yet since my surgeon's office said they have to see if any pre-tests will be required. I was originally denied by UHC in August stating that I had not met their requirements since I hadn't completed a 6 month pre-op physician supervised diet. I was, however, approved for the Lapband removal due to complications. I wanted both done at the same time and found the fact that they approved one and not the other completely illogical. My surgeon's office suggested I move forward to start a physician supervised program (since UHC says it specifically cannot be a Bariatric physician). I started seeing my primary care Dr. specifically for weight loss. I had recently moved to FL so had to find a primary care Dr. to begin with. So essentially I decided to go down both tracks - appeal the denial as well as work on the six months pre-op diet so, in my mind, worst case I would still qualify by March. However, I was still upset about the whole 'principle' - or lack of - principle of requiring someone who lived with the Lapband for so long to do another 6 month pre-op diet. I sent an appeal letter to UHC and received the most ridiculous response I have ever seen - let alone another denial. They had another Dr. review my case - someone supposedly with knowlege of bariatrics and his lame reason for denying me was that since I had failed with the Lapband I would just fail again with a Sleeve and then I would be asking for a gastric bypass - almost his exact words... no lie. This infuriated me and showed a total lack of knowledge on his part in my opinion. I mean, just like that, this Dr. who does not know me at all, has never even spoken to me, let alone examined me, decides that I am just a BIG failure!!! I was told the next level of appeal would go to my employer since my employer self insures the plan or something like that. In the meantime I continued to go for my monthly Primary Dr. visits and the first few months lost about 5 lbs then after the holidays gained that back and more. I forgot to mention that my Band was unfilled back in July and my appetite has been worse than ever let alone that I can now eat a whole lot more plus things I couldn't eat for years. It took me another month or so to finally write my second appeal letter which went to my employer. By the time I sent it off it had grown to 70 pages - 2 for the letter and the rest my prior letter, denials and other medical records. The first appeal letter was 4 pages of a letter and 30 pages of records but I went ahead and obtained more records in the interim from my podiatrist, etc. I didn't intend for this post to be so long - I guess I'm kind of venting along the way so forgive me for that. I finally received a letter from my Employer the other day stating that they, too, had had another surgeon review my case who had bariatric experience and this Dr. (bless him) completed validated my case - stated that both surgeries are absolutely medically necessary and that I was correct in pointing out that UHC's own Bariatric policy contradicted them denying me both times before. I choked up as I read his words - and just praised God for his answer to my prayers! I don't have a date yet - I am supposed to hear from the Nurse at my surgeon's office on Monday to go over my health questionnaire to see if I need any pre-tests for sleep apnea, etc. I am really healthy other than my morbid obesity and even when I had Lapband in 2006 only had to have a pulmonary test done aside from the routine blood, etc. So if all goes well I may still have the surgery by the end of the month or in March. All this to say that if you are going through the same type of thing - particularly with UHC - DON'T GIVE UP!!! I'm willing to share my letter with anyone interested - email me if you want a copy. It's sad that they make us go through all of this; upon reflection it has all the more strengthened my resolve, but will still really unnecessary. As my plans progress I'll post in other topics. Thanks. Susie

This really has turned into such a great topic so thanks everyone for being so honest and sharing what you were/are going through. Along with lots of eating alone in my car I learned where the public trash cans were in shopping centers or gas stations because that was always my last stop before getting home - to 'hide' the evidence (e.g., bakery boxes, fast food bags, etc.). I'm glad to know I wasn't as alone as I thought but I'm even happier that those days are gone since having the sleeve. Though to be honest with one or two exceptions. I have no idea why but at some point a few months ago I really started craving these cinnamon buns that the local Publix (grocery store) bakery makes that have lots of cream cheese frosting. I resisted but seriously it just kept nagging and nagging at me for days. Finally I told myself I just had to give in and I went and bought one. Of course I ate it alone in my car but I could not eat more than half and mostly I was eating the icing. I will say, however, that I still logged that in MyFitnessPal using Cinnabon calories but since I ate so little else I think my total calories for the day was still 1500 or less so I knew I wouldn't gain weight over it. After getting sleeved I began referring to my new self as Susie 2.0 and anytime I thought about old behaviors I would tell myself that that was something Susie 1.0 would do, not 2.0. It may sound crazy but it has worked a lot of times - bottom line is that I have no desire to go back to Susie 1.0 who had all those bad behaviors. I'm thrilled with Susie 2.0. Again, I can't explain it but I had that same craving a couple of more times and did the same thing a couple of more times and I always added it into my food diary. I'm not sure what clicked but the last time I did it I was totally disgusted with the richness of it and I ate maybe a bite or two and threw it out. I have not had that craving since and I think that was in early November. I recognized quickly that I was going back to my old behaviors (1.0), eating alone, throwing the evidence out before getting home, etc. To this day I never told my husband about it. But I'm happy to say that I'm over it. So all this is to say that with the sleeve you probably will face issues and it is very much a learning process. I was always told the first 6 months were the 'honeymoon' period and I was determined to make the most of them. We've got a great support group here to go to for help. Perhaps we should suggest a new forum topic just for Bingers?

clk - you have captured so well the thoughts and processes that many of us go through. I, too, was a binge eater. I had a Lapband revision and I can tell you also that with the Lapband I was still a binge eater. That is mostly because I would binge on sweets - ice cream, cannolis, etc. While I never wanted or would consider RNY because I had no co-morbidities - I worried when having sleeve surgery 10 months ago that without dumping syndrome I would continue on with my sugar/carb addiction. I am happy to say that I can't even imagine being a binge eater anymore and I've removed that label from myself. I'm still amazed at how the sleeve has completely changed my relationship with food. I think that the lack of hunger and a Protein rich diet has really been key. I also think that my post-op diet as well as surgeon's follow up program has also been key. I can't say enough good things about my surgeon and US Bariatrics in St. Augustine FL. That being said my post op diet did not allow for most carbs for six months - even nuts. My carbs came from low fat dairy and some fruits and vegetables - I had no Pasta, rice, bread, potatoes or nuts. I learned about MyFitnessPal on VST and I absolutely love it. It's the best program I have ever used. So I agree with others that tracking is another key to success. I have it on my iPhone and track anywhere and everywhere - I don't have the excuse that I wasn't by a computer. In fact I just read yesterday that Consumers Digest just rated it the #1 program for weight loss this year- above WW, etc. Anyway, back to binging - with your small pouch I think you would really have to work hard to binge. During the holidays I did eat more sweets than I ever had since surgery but I tracked every one of them. In fact, a lot of them just didn't even taste that good anymore. My sister sends out packages of her homemade Cookies each year and most years I would get those in the mail, stash them and eat them all within a day or two. My husband never even knew they came This year I received the package and ate 2 cookies a day (tracking them) for a few days and then brought the rest to my aunt who is a couple of hours away in an assisted living facility. Others have mentioned many books and I'll add one to the list which I bought years ago. It is called "Shrink Yourself" and it deals with binging and the psychology of overeating. There is also an online program at www.shrinkyourself.com. While there is a paid 12 week program there is more than enough free information out there to help people so check it out. I guess more than anything else I wanted to respond as another former binge eater with my testimony that since having the sleeve it has been a non-issue - which in itself alone truly AMAZES me. I hope this helps. Susie

Thanks Sleeve Master for the advice on the cookbook - I will check it out. I did make this recipe tonight and it was fantastic. My husband even ate it and he's pretty picky. I used a 9x13 pan and cut into 12 portions but could only eat 1/2 portion and added 5 bite size tortilla chips, light sour cream and salsa. Great recipe!

One of my New Years resolutions is to try more recipes - this sounds great. Heading to the store to buy ingredients now. Thanks Happy New Year to all!!!

I mix the unflavored Unjury with my crystal light when I'm close to the end if the day and need to get more protein in for the least amount of calories. I like the idea of using 16 oz of water to dilute it more so will try that too. I agree that it's similar to the Syntrax flavors. I've also learned to let it sit a bit before drinking since it seems to help eliminate the initial smell it has if you know what I mean.

I really have not posted on VST for a while and have been meaning to start again; particularly in the Band Revision forum. You can read many more stories of people's experiences there, but I just wanted to throw in a few more points for consideration based on my own experience having a LapBand for six years: Fills - They never hurt but I am so glad that I have never had to have them again. There was so much trial and error and second guessing involved. My Lapband surgeon was very conservative with fills so it took something like 6 or 8 of them to even begin feeling restriction and that in itself took a few months. It's a great money-maker for doctors and most insurances cover only some or none of them. Once my insurance stopped paying I ended up negotiating with the Dr. for him to accept $75 per fill vs. the $150 I would have had to pay. Still - that adds up. I also could not tell for days whether it was effective; with the exception of when it was too tight which would take a day or so. So I walked out of the office feeling fine and happy that I thought I had finally found my 'sweet spot' only to wake up the next day to find I couldn't even keep Water down and to make an emergency appointment to get some of the fill taken out. Not fun. Insurance - Most will only cover one WLS procedure so you want to make sure it's the right one for you. I had to appeal 3 times to have get my Sleeve approved. That in itself took 6 months. On the 2nd appeal the insurance Dr.'s expert opinion stated something to the effect of - 'she failed with the Lapband so she will fail with VSG"; Gee, thanks for that vote of confidence Dr., by the way have you ever met me, have you ever examined me? On what basis are you expressing your 'expert' opinion of me?" The only positive in that was that it was so absurd I used it as an argument in my 3rd appeal letter and finally won. As I already mentioned when I had the Lapband in 2006 (I think I wrote 2007 before which was incorrect, the only two options were Lapband and RNY. Be glad you have the Sleeve choice now - it has come a long way in the last few years and they predict it will be the #1 recommended surgery over RNY soon. In fact my own surgeon had RNY some 12 years ago and he states that if he were to do it again he would do the Sleeve (of course, not sure if he tells his RNY or Lapband patients that so I'll take it with a grain of salt Of course, many people don't even have insurance and had to self-pay for the Lapband and now a revision and VSG. No small chunk of change; I was fortunate that insurance paid for all of my surgeries. Pre-Op Diet - I did not have to do any pre-op diet to get the Lapband so it was scheduled pretty quickly. Of course, at the time, I thought that was just great. As I mentioned since I had to do all these appeals I also started visiting my PCP monthly so that the insurance couldn't hang the 6 month requirement over my head if they denied me again. My VSG surgeon required a 2 week pre-op diet which was very regimented but relatively easy and I lost 10 lbs in that time. It really did help me get ready for the surgery mentally and I'm grateful that my surgeon required it. This is a personal decision that only you can make and you should weigh your options carefully of course. I just thought it may be helpful to hear some more 'real world' experience from someone who has had both surgeries now. All the best,

I had a Lapband for 6 years and lost only 44 lbs with it. I was constantly hungry. Went for many fills and either could still eat too much or was so tight I couldn't eat at all and had to go back to have some taken out. I completely agree with what Desertmom posted. The absolute best thing about being Sleeved is not being hungry. I'm 7 months out and have lost 110 lbs now. There really is no comparison between the two. Sadly if I were making the choice today I probably would have still gone with the band since the surgery is less invasive but I now know how wrong I would have been. The sleeve as a stand alone procedure was not an option for me in 2007. I also can't tell you how mentally and emotionally I was damaged by feeling like such a failure with the band. You can make a choice now to learn from those of us who had the band first. Read the revision message board here. There are so many of us. For the first time ever I am confident I will get to my goal which is another 42 lbs away. I feel great and my priority now is fill my time with healthy activities rather than unhealthy eating and binging, and believe me you can still binge with the band. I wish you all the best and applaud you for researching before making your final decision.

Be aware that the calories for the Gladiator do not include the added fruits. I have bought the powder from them and the calories and Protein amounts are for 2 scoops of their protein powder. I also asked someone working at the store who confirmed this and I asked what the calories were from the added fruit. He showed me a nutrition chart and said that they add 2 ladles or each fruit you ask for. So the Gladiator I had with strawberries and mango was almost 400 calories; much more than I thought! He suggested asking for only one ladle of strawberries and to have them drain off as much of the syrup as possible. Since I bought the protein from them (and you can only buy it at their stores) I make it at home with 1/2 c frozen sliced strawberries (Dole). The taste is very good. As far as smoothie places go this is still your best bet; just ask to see the calories for the fruit so you know the true amount you are drinking. I just want everyone to be informed since Smoothie King advertises those shakes as low calorie and they don't exactly highlight that those calories don't include the added fruits.

Could I look any more miserable in my before photo? It was taken February 22 the day I started my preop diet and surgery was on March 7. Very happy with my results and feeling great!

I had 2 oz of Boars Head Honey Ham slices. Cut 1/2 oz slice of Swiss cheese in half and rolled it up inside the ham to make 2 ham n cheese rolls. Quick and easy and goes down very well.

Thanks everyone for all of the nice compliments and your encouragement. To those of you who haven't had surgery hang in there. The physical, emotional and mental processes leading up to surgery are tough. I was where you are not long ago so I know. I learned so much on VST and am happy to answer any questions. Most of all be encouraged and keep a positive attitude. The first month was the hardest for sure but each day gets better and better.

I am five months out and I have never had a stall. For a long time I was losing half pound a day like you. Now it's slowed a little bit to on average .4 pounds a day which I'm still very happy with that. I usually only weigh myself once or twice a week and to those who have stalled if you're weighing yourself daily I would strongly discourage that. I also think that other reasons I haven't had a stall yet is because I eat very low calories – on average 500 a day even though my surgeon would prefer that I eat 800 cal. Also his postop diet is pretty strict compared to most. I cannot have any carbs other than fruits and vegetables until I am six months out and even then it will only be one serving a day. The only Carb I can honestly say I miss is pistachio nuts. One month more to go before I can have them :-)

Just make sure that you have proof of monthly weigh ins with the diet doctor and that he's not the same doctor has your gastric surgeon. Sounds like you have everything you need and I'm sure you should be approved quickly.