wsw27

Don't give up! First, get a fill. 1.5 is nothing. The band is there, but without any restriction you are setting yourself up to fail. I have 8.1 in my band. I've lost 75 pounds since my surgery (July 2008). Talk to your doctor. Your doctor does not want you to fail. Most surgeon want to see patients once a month or every two months post op. The first year after my surgery I got a 3 or 4 fills. Then nothing for several months, then another about 18 months out. I've been at the same fill for about 6 months. My weight has been stable for the last 3 months. I plan to go back for a small fill next month as I want to lose another 15 pounds. Good luck to you.

I like Unjury and Optifast. Unjury has 20g of protein per serving. You can mix it with skim milk. I actually make a shake of one Optifast packet and one scoop of Unjury with water and ice in the blender. 36 grams of protein. I don't really eat breakfast--I make a shake and drink it on my way to work.

I have Cigna, but Dr. Kurian was my surgeon. I think the surgery date depends on the surgeon's schedule rather than insurance. One issue I had was that the office did not submit my paperwork to Cigna until the last minute (three days before my scheduled date). It was very stressful but I got approved. Good luck.

As you will see when you read various posts, everyone is different and we all lose weight at a different rate. I had surgery on July 1, 2008. I've lost about 25 pounds since my surgery. There are times when I feel like this is much slower than I would like, but other times I think that this pace is probably just right for me. Now to your question -- I have a few questions for you that may help you figure out why it has taken two years to lose 15 pounds. (Remember, at least you lost 15, rather than gained 15) Are taking in enough Protein? When was the last time you saw your doctor? Have you had any fills? Perhaps you should see another surgeon to get a second opinion. Are you doing regular exercise, cardio? Weight training? I still start everyday with a Protein shake. I do Pilates two times a week, cardio two times and weight training one time per week. Now, if another band patient did what I did he or she might have lost 50 or even 70 pounds since July. I try not to get caught up in how much others are losing. I try to focus on my successes. Start by calling your doctor and make an appointment for a check up. Good luck.

Try a touch of cinnamon, splenda and a splash of vanilla. One of my favorites.

I agree. Call your doctor. Sometimes I have pain if I eat or drink too fast. But because you had a similar pain later, I would call.

I had surgery on Tuesday and was back at work on Monday. I could have gone back by Friday, but it was July 4th weekend so I got the benefit of the holiday. Take it slow and don't plan to put in a 12 hour day --especially if you have a commute. Good luck to you. This is the best decision I've ever made.

Why don't you ask for a referral for the name of an internist from the surgeon's office.

Twenty one pounds since 9/5! That's great! I was banded 7/1 and I've lost 25 pounds since surgery. Give your body (and your head) a chance to adjust to the weight loss. I lost 15 pounds very quickly, then nothing for several weeks, then another 5. I lost 5 more after my first fill. You will notice a change after the fill. Are you exercising? I found that when I stepped up the cardio and the weight training the weight loss started again. Good luck and stay focused.

Congratulations! Pain will ease up. Keep walking and drink plenty of fluids -- helps flush your system. Good luck.

Blackcherry, I had surgery on July 1, 2008 and I've lost 20 pounds. I'm thrilled with my weight loss. May not be as fast as some, but I'm going in the right direction. Slow and steady wins the race here. Slow weight loss is the healthy way. A couple of suggestions: Resistence training: have you tried doing some resistance training with weights. Lean muscle burns more calories. So in addition to all the walking, try some weight training. Once or twice a week and you may see a difference. Water: are your drinking enough Water (no juice, soda or pre sweetened drinks)? Water helps flush the toxins from your system and keeps you hydrated. Get some counseling or join a support group. I know it is hard. I know how easy it is to slip into old habits and talk yourself into going off plan --just this once. But every time you have a chicken nugget instead of a piece of grilled chicken, you are taking a half step backwards. I miss bread and Pasta. But those things got me here in the first place so I have to think about the goal. That may be what is holding you back. The goal --being thin -- can be very frightening. Don't underestimate the power that fear has in shaping (no pun intended) your results. Talking to someone will give the safety net you might need to face the fears and move forward. Perhaps your sugeon's office can suggest someone who is familiar with the lap band and various hills and valleys that we face post surgery. Celebrate: Since your surgery you've lost weight. Rejoice in your achievement to date. Nutrition: Does your surgeon have a nutritionist on staff? Perhaps you can make an appointment to work on some meal planning. If you have resort to fast food, the nutritionist may be able to help you make better choices. Finally: If you have 8 cc's in your band, do you feel restriction? If not, tell your surgeon, perhaps the tubing is leaking. Please don't fell discouraged. I know this is hard. I wanted this to happen much faster. But I take it one day at a time. You should try to do the same.

I make a protein shake by combining Opti Fast powder (14 grams of protein; 160 calories) with a scoop of Unjury protein powder (20 grams of protein; 100 calories [i don't use skim milk] with water and ice. Mix in a blender. Sometimes I add sugar free vanilla bean syrup. I drink that in the morning--usually takes me a all morning. That gets me at almost halfway. I think Unjury makes an unflavored powder that you can add to warm soup. Hope this helps.

Hi, Generally, the answer depends on your insurance. I have Cigna. I attended an information session and found out that my insurance requires a 6 month medically supervised diet. So I started that process first. Then I made an appointment for the psych consult. Around the same time I made an appointment with my primary care doctor. She wrote a letter for me on the spot. It was very simple, just identifed multiple attempts at weight loss. I was seeing a different doctor for the supervised diet. I got copies of my records before I went to NYU for the appt with the nutritionist and consult with Dr. Kurian. I saw both on the same day--along with the nurse for an exam. After meeting with Dr. Kurian I met with Nilsa, the surgical coordinator. She suggested getting additional details about the visits for the medically supervised diet, which I did. When I met with Nilsa we set a tentative date for surgery and she took care of getting insurance approval. Here's where it gets ugly. The office is very busy. Nilsa is very very busy. My paperwork was not submitted until three business days before my surgery. I was going nuts. Everytime I asked Nilsa when she was going to submit the paperwork, I got the run around. Finally, I called the office manager (Marianne) and Tammy (who is very helpful). If you read other posts about NYU you will see that many of us are frustrated by the administrative staff. That said, I wouldn't go anywhere else. Dr. Kurian is GREAT. At the end of the day, that was the single most important factor in my decision. Good luck and let us know how you are doing.

Hi. First of all -good luck to you. I do not travel as much as you do, but I did have two back to back business trips about 10 days post-op. I tried to have as much soup as possible (technically, I was supposed to be on mushies during my first trip). I was not a fish eater pre-op, but I am now! I tried to order fish whenever possible. For sides, mashed or baked potato (no skin). I did just fine. I also found a small portable battery operated drink mixer. I packed it in my suitcase along with Opti-fast powder and Unjury single serve packets. I transfer the shakes to a throw away water bottle and sipped during the day. If anyone asked, I just said it was a protein shake. Very few questions. Hope this helps.

I don't know the cost of fills, but I think you should talk to the billing coordinator. I'm sure they will help you. This probably happens all the time.

Congratulations Kristen! Hope you are doing well. I felt a little sore the fist few days, but by day 5 I was doing much better. (Had some shoulder pain for about ten days, but that went away). I hope you have an easy recovery. Let us know how you are doing.

Actually, I have not had a fill yet. I was supposed to go this week, but I have a business trip so I had to reschedule. I feel some restriction, though I think I could use a fill. I continue to lose weight. Since my surgery I've lost about 17 pounds. I find that I'm not at all hungry in the morning so I really have to work at finishing that protein shake.

Dr. Kurian did my surgery. She is terrifc. From everything I've read, all three are top notch. I think you might have a longer wait for Fielding and Ren. Also, each one accepts different insurance, so you may not really have a choice unless you are self-pay. I met with the nutritionist, the nurse and Dr. Kurian on the same day. (I think you have to make a separate appt to meet the surgeon if you plan to have Ren or Fielding do the surgery). I met with Dr. Kurian mid -May and my surgery date was July 1, 2008. I think 6 weeks is typical. I will say that the process for insurance approval is a stressful as my paperwork was submitted less than one week before my surgery date even though the paperwork was complete several weeks earlier. The person who does the insurance approvals is overworked and can be short. I found email was the best way to reach her. Hope this helps. Good luck to you.

I am eating fish and some chicken. Sometimes the chicken is not moist enough, so it is hard to chew. Fish is easier. Talapia, red snapper, swordfish are all easy to eat. I do have eggs too--scrambled with cheese. I might have half a piece of toast, but find I don't want more than that. I also still have at least two protein shakes a day. Typically, I add a scoop of Unjury to a packet of Optifast (34 grams of protein), mixed with water and ice in a blender. I transfer it to an empty water bottle in the morning if I haven't finished it before I'm ready to leave for work (most mornings) and drink on the way to work. Hope that helps.

I've only been able to buy Optifast through my doctor or on Ebay. If your doctor wants to do Optifast pre-op, the office should be able to order it for you.

I have Cigna. BMI of 41 and no co-morbidities. I was approved the first time the paperwork was submitted. Make sure you have met the 6 month supervised diet requirement and that the supervising doctor writes up each visit, noting weight, blood pressure, diet and exercise program and date for follow up. I also submitted a printout from my gym that showed the date and time I went to the gym during the 6 month diet. Your surgeon's office should be able to give you more guidance about what is required. Good Luck to you both.

Take it one day at a time. Old habits are hard to break so give yourself a break. I try to have a protein shake in the morning --sometimes I double up the protein by adding a scoop of Unjury to an Optifast protein shake. I transfer it to a "to go" bottle and take it with me to work, sipping all the way. One idea you may be able to adopt. Good luck and hang in there.

Hi there. I was banded on July 1 (Dr. Kurian). I've lost about 15 pounds so far. I go for my first fill August 13. I agree that NYU needs a larger office. They also need a better organized adminstrative staff, but I'm thrilled with Dr. Kurian and overall, my NYU experience was positive. I'm not planning to go on the August cruise (conflict) but I'm sure it is great way to meet fellow NYU bandsters. Thanks for starting this thread.

You have to give yourself permission to not be perfect. I was banded July 1 and am really just starting to understand how to eat with the band. I've been afraid to progress off mushies to real food, but I realize that I must take the plunge. Most of us who have been banded or who are considering the band, have started a new diet everyday or every Monday, for many years. I am trying to break the habit of "diet thinking" and trying to look at this as a new lifestyle and not a "diet" in which I somehow end up defining myself as "bad" or "good". Okay. You gained 8 pounds. You didn't gain 18! Look at the positive side. Then usse the band as a tool, and you will lose 8 pounds and probably some more. Oftentimes, I find that if I start exercising, better eating habits follow. This is true for me both before and after the band. Try it. You may find that it works for you too. Don't use this as an excuse to give up on yourself or your "journey" as so many members here call it. Read the posts and get support from the people here. One final thought--does your doctor offer support groups? You may find that a regular support group will help you deal with small set backs in a more productive way. Good luck to you and hang in there.

I was told treadmill only for about one month. I just about there, so plan to start other cardio equipment this week. Am itching to get back to Pilates reformer, but I think I have to wait as there is a lot of ab work and resistance work with the reformer. I go back for my 6 week post-op in two weeks. Hopefully I'll get the okay to go back to light weights.