TRN87

Hey friends! I was just wondering if some of you would share what you usually eat throughout the day. I have hit a plateau and am looking for different advice as what to eat! Also, have you tried weight watchers? If so, how many points did you eat in a day? Thanks! Roxy

Okay so I have lost 80 lbs and have about 40 more to go! I can't get motivated to lose thelast few pounds! Was just wondering if some of you would be willing to share your meal plans for the day. I think I need to change it up a bit to get these last few pounds off! I have started back working out I just need to try something different with my eating habbits! Also, I'm looking for a accountability partner preferable in their 20's~! Thanks!

Okay...so I have a 9cc band and I am at 6.5 cc's right now and DO NOT feel restriction! I can eat pretty much anything. For example here is what I ate today: Breakfast: 1 fiber one bar Snack: 1 fiber one bar Lunch: lean cuisine snack: 5 ritz crackers w/ low calorie cheese dinner: lean cuisine and 2 pieces of low cal toast snack: fiber one bar Okay. I try to make good choices when I eat, but I did this before my surgery. I know that I ate a lot today but I try to eat the best things possible. Something just doesn't seem right. At 6.5 cc's I should be WAY more restricted than this right? I have a fill tomorrow and think I am going to talk to my doctor.

Sorry Petunia---dont be discouraged! You will find your spot...and so will I. It just is easier for others...hopefully yours will be easy!! Well.. I do have a Realize Band. I will mention it to my doctor tomorrow...I have a fill. Exactly how many cc's are in the Realize...I thought it was only 9?

How many cc's are in your band now and how many does your band hold? What is a pressure fill? Thanks for responding!!! =)

So I have kind of hit a plateau! How many calories do you all eat a day? What kind of foods do you eat at home...out to eat..etc? I NEED something new! =)

Okay so I had my surgery on December 15th and I have lost 54 pounds so far, which is great! However the past 3 months I have been losing and gaining the same 5lbs and I am getting really frustrated! I feel like I should have lost a whole lot more by now, and I kind of feel like a failure almost! When I was a senior in high school I lost 120 lbs in 7months, and I had this surgery and have lost only 50 in the same amount of time. Granted in high school i didn't do it the right way, but still you know what I mean. Basically, I just wanted to get some food and exercise advice. I am following the weight watchers plan and working out 2-3 times a week..depending on how busy I am with school and work and everything else! Would anyone like to be my accountability partner? I think that would help me out a lot if I could find one. Please be nice and remember that we are here to support each other. Thanks so much! Roxy

So... I had my surgery on December 15th and have lost 54 pounds so far which is great! However the past 3 months I have been gaining and losing the same 5 lbs and am becoming very frustrated with it. Also I have felt some restriction with my band but very little and I have 7cc's! I can still eat a 6inch subway sandwich and I don't think that's right? I just wanted to see if someone could give me some menu and exercise ideas that I could try differently. Also I have never taken my Protein...do you think that might have something to do with it? Please no hate resoponses...were here to help each other...not beat them down even more! I go for a fill next week and am going to discuss with my doctor whats going on. I also start a boot camp the following week which will help me with my weight loss im sure...I just needed some encouragement! Thanks so much!

1. I would just do your best to eat what you can, or maybe bring something with you. I would order mashed potatoes or soup at a restaurant! 2. Just tell them its your new years resolution to stop drinking because you just dont like it anymore. 3. First of all I love your statement about how tight your dress is/WAS. I literally laughed for like 3 minutes! I felt great 3 days post op and was ready to do something! I think by 2 weeks A. your dress isnt going to be as tight because your going to lose a good amount of weight while your on fluids and mushies and B. you should be on your way to great healing by then! I think by two weeks I was completely back to normal with little or no swelling! Just make sure to get rest and take care of yourself!

Dont be discouraged because you never know what your insurance company will do! All you can do is try to make them believe that this is really what you need to take control of your life. My surgery was completely covered, all I had was a few copay's at all of my doctors visits and one small deductible of 150.00. I am 6'0 tall and weighed 294 when I began my 6mo Weigh Loss diet with my PcP, my bmi was 43. I have no co-morbidities besides the fact that obesity runs in my family, but they really dont consider that. When I began my 6mo weight loss my PCP told me that I probably would not be covered, but I tried anyways. I went every month, and I also went to a weekly weigh watchers meeting just for support. At first I didnt really try to lose any weight...2lbs per month maybe 5. Then I decided to get serious and started working out with a personal trainer along with watching what I ate (I also got out of a 3 year relationship, so I probably was motivated by that) By the end of my 6mos I lost about 25 pounds. I had all of my tests and sent over documentation from my doctors, my weight watcher meetings, and my personal training facility. I tried to give them no reason to deny me...and they didnt! I was approved on my first try and I never thought I would see that date because I was told that I wasn't "over weight enough". Moral of the story...dont be discouraged and dont stop trying! If its meant to happen it will! The best of luck, Roxy

Well I actually didnt have 2 do a preop diet besides the day before liquids only and nothing after midnight so I will be no help to you there! Surgery was quick and I dont remember anything about the day after they put me to sleep! I slept a lot, and getting in the liquids the first few days was rough but other than that it was great! Yea i do have 5 incisions but I can tell that they wont be very visible after I heal well and everything! My mom had gastric bypass sugery 4 years ago and you cant even see hers at all! Good luck! Dont be too nervous, it will go well!! Feel free to ask me any other questions!! Have a great day!

Hey! Just wanted to let everyone know that I am 2 days post op and feeling 100x's better than I had ever imagined! I still have a little soreness when I move certain ways, but its kinda like my ab's are just really really sore from a good work out or something! I have a little bit of congestion and I will probably go 2 the doc tomorrow if it does not get any better to make sure i don't have pneumonia, but im sure that i dont!! This morning I was able to shower by myself and I actually felt like drying my hair and putting on a little make up! Oh and I have already lost TEN pounds so im pretty pumped bout that!!! I just wanted to open up and let u guys ask me any questions if you have them! I wish you all the best of luck! Roxy :huh2:

So yesterday around 12:45 I had my surgery! I am pretty sore today, probably because I can only take Tylenol 3 due to drug allergies! :smile2: But i feel better than expected! The most pain comes when I try to get up to walk around and use the restroom. I do not have a whole lot of bruising, but it hasnt even been 24 hrs since my surgery so...im sure that will come. I have a little pain in my right shoulder, but it is not too bad...and every now and then i can feel the gas moving around inside me! Anyways I am SO happy to finally have this over! I am just ready for the pain to go away so I can begin working out and shedding those pounds! Good luck to everyone! If you have any questions feel free to ask!

Hey! My surgery is in 2 days and I am so excited! I have a few questions for those of you who have already been banded..I was just wondering how much you all lost the first few months of your surgery? How many calories should I try to eat a day during my stages? How many calories should I eat after I begin having my fills? Are there any tricks to Protein shakes to make them taste better? Sorry for so many questions, but thanks for your help!!!

Hey friends! My name is Roxy and I will be banded in two days on the 16th! I am so excited, and its really cool to know that there are people who are on here that are my age! What should I expect the first few weeks? How much weight did you lose? Is there anyone on here from Alabama? Well I am looking forward to keeping in touch with you all through this process!! Good luck! Roxy

Thanks for all of your suggestions! I actually was not required to do a pre op diet, except for the day before surgery full liquids so I have gained a little back that I lost during my 6mos weight loss diet! I am SO excited....its one mere day away...AHHHHH! :tongue2:

Hey! My name is Roxy and I am 21/ Date is Dec 16th!/ weigh 270ish/ Dr. Lee Schmitt in Birmingham Alabama!

I am having my surgery on December 16th and I am beginning to prepare everything for it. My doctor does not require a pre-op diet and I was wondering if I could get the information of what it is and how to do it from someone. I would like to do the diet that you all do for a saftey precaution just in case. If any of you could pass that diet on to me I would really appreciate it!! Thanks so much!

Thank you SO much to everyone who responded to my post, you all have been so much help! To those who have the same date as me I would MOST definitely love to keep in touch with you all to give each other support! To the question of how I lost 40 lbs pre op. I did weight watchers and worked out 3-5 days a week. I also just went through a rough break up with my boyfriend of 3 years so that could have something to do with it too. :wink2: I guess break ups are good for something right??? Its those first 40-60 lbs that I can lose, but the ones that pack back on me so fast! Again, thanks for all of the help. Good luck to you all awaiting your band and also those who have already been banded! Its so great to know that there are people out there who truly understand this struggle and journey that we have all gone through! :crying:

So I just found out today that after my FIRST try I have been APPROVED by Cigna to cover my surgery! I am grinning ear to ear! As soon as I heard the words "approved" I immediately broke down in tears because I never thought I would ever see this day! This has been a long, stressful, and tiring process but today all of that hard work was totally worth it! I am lucky enought to only pay a total of $800 out of pocket including my co pays and what I owe after their payment! I am so blessed!! I had been a little discouraged by reading others who were denied and I know that some of you may be feeling the same way that I was. I just knew they were not going to approve me. Number one because Cigna "likes to see us lose 10% of our original weight, and after me doing that my BMI went down from 42 to 37 and I was told that I would not be approved at my psychiatric evaluation. Number two I had loast 120lbs in 2005 and all of my previous weights from 2003-2004 had been shredded by my doc office and I had no way to show my 24 mo's of a 40 BMI! If I could give you any advice to would be: DO NOT LISTEN to those who are discouraging to you. The psychiatrist brought me down so much because I had been working so hard to make this happen and he had no sympathy for me and told me that I needed to gain 13lbs by my last doc appt which was in 2 days or i would be stuck the way I am for the rest of my life! What a jerk! I didnt listen to him and just stayed with my plan, to give it all I had and to hope for the best. Ultimately if it is meant to happen than it will! Somehow I lucked up and they did not require me to send them 24mos of documentation with a 40 BMI. Maybe they are changing their standards? Here is what I did to get approved. 1)Before you start the process look into your policy and do eveything that you can to not give them a reason to deny your request! Follow exactly by their guidelines. 2) Go to your doctor monitored diet appointments and weight watchers meetings as well. This is what I did to show them that I was serious about my weight problem. 2) Join a gym, get a personal trainer, or try to find a free gym at a church and have all of your visits documented by someone in charge. I was lucky enough to get a personal trainer to work with. If you go over and above of what they require of you they shouldnt have any reason to say no! :thumbup: I just want to wish everyone the best and to give you a little hope. Even if you "know" there is no way they will approve you...try because you never know what will happen! I was so sure that I was going to be denied and have to struggle with my ups and downs of weigtloss for the rest of my life. I know LAP Band will not be easy, but it is the tool that I need to finally take control of my life and finally start living again. God has a special plan for each of us, and its better than we could ever create for ourselves! Dont ever give up!!!

To be honest you never can tell if they are going to approve you or not. There are some people who I would have thought would have definetely been approved but weren't, as well as those who I didn't think had a chance of getting an approval but did. I think that the fact that you have co-morbidies is going to be key for you in your case. I don't think that Cigna requires you to lose 10 percent of your weight, i think they just "like to see" you lose 10 percent because that means you will be healthier and have a easy surgery when you have your surgery. I will be thinking about you and praying for you because I know how nerve racking it is. They will take every day they have to make a decision (30 days) so just try and stay busy to make the time pass by faster! Good luck, and dont be discouraged!

My date is December 16th and I am thrilled! Anyone else have the same date? Congrats and best wishes to everyone!! Roxy

Well its a "Doc in the BOX" as we call it in Alabama, its not a PCP. I didn't have one throughout high school because I didn't really need one...hopefully they wont give me any trouble...i am so nervous!

So I submitted my paperwork (Just posted a thread about it earlier) but I was going to see if this has happened to anyone else. Well I had all my tests did my 6 mo weight loss w my doctor and I was trying to get my 24 months history of 40 BMI for Cigna but my insurance specialist said that they did not require that anymore. I found that very weird, but it is in my benefit because I have had such a hard time finding an acceptable weight because I had lost 120 pounds in 2005 and have progressively put it back on over the past 3 years but just got back up to a 40 BMI. Also, my doctors office shreds records after three years so i had no way of proving my BMI besides pictures because before I lost that weight I was bigger than I am now with a 43 BMI. Anyways was just wondering if anyone had lucked out like this, or did my specialist just mess up??

So we submitted all of my paperwork on Tuesday to Cigna. I think I did everything right, so I will hopefully get an approval on the first try, but we all know how shady insurance company's can be. Errr. Pray for me and cross your fingers! I will let you all know how it goes, until then I will be biting my fingernails.... AHHHH!