BetsyB

It sounds like you did really well to me.

I eat 3 meals and a couple of Snacks a day. For me, calories [italic]aren't[/italic] calories; my body needs a steady source of energy. While my thighs are storing plenty, fueling myself throughout the day works better for me. As does very carefully choosing the type of fuel, and amount.

I have BCBS PPO in IL--and was in your waiting-game shoes this time last year. The holidays do slow processing down; I waited almost 4 weeks to hear, once the papers were submitted. My surgeon was booked thru Winter Break (teachers scheduled their surgeries way in advance), my surgery was after the first of the year. It was well worth waiting for Please don't agonize about whether you will be denied. Pull out a copy of your policy and read the stipulated conditions. If you've met them, you will be covered---period. No need to worry :eek:

My top-notch doctor does have a program fee. It covers nutrition classes, use of exercise facilities, and a few other amenities that are not covered by insurance. The fee was $300.

I was so glad to see Mona gain the (emotional) tools necessary to best use her band.

I have. To the OP, no--there's no way you will be covered by insurance if you don't fall into the very specific parameters defined in your policy. The contract guides it all.

I don't think you're being lazy or making excuses--you're in a difficult position, and your principal sounds like he makes it even worse. That said, there are alternatives to classes at the gym. I love the gym, but when you factor in driving time, etc., it really does bump up the time commitment. But I can always find time to lace up a pair of sneakers and head out the door for a fast walk. I value the time, and make it a priority. I feel better, function better, and lose better when I exercise. No matter how overwhelmed I am, I do it. It makes coping with all of the other stuff so, so much easier. I suspect that taking that time for yourself would make a difference to you, as well.

Congratulations! For maintenance, one of two things is likely to happen. Either your loss will gradually taper off and hold steady without change, or you will be able to eat a handful more calories/day to maintain. In the past, for me, it's been a hold-steady kind of thing--my body gets where it needs to be, and I just sort of continue to do what I did to get there. Others often need to add a couple hundred calories/day so that they don't keep losing. It's a trial and error kind of thing. A banded friend had a tiny, tiny unfill to allow him to get those extra calories. He still has good restriction, but is able to tolerate foods that he had avoided during loss, like bread.

Very cool!

I'm not sure what you're asking---are you asking how long the band will last if you're eating the "wrong" stuff? It sounds as though what you're doing is working for you, band-wise. I'd be more concerned with overall health consequences than band survival. You're not apt to lose your band due to your eating habits--at least not out of the blue. (You'd likely have some sort of indication that you were headed for trouble: stuck incidents, vomiting, etc.) I don't happen to choose to eat the foods you're choosing, but not because I believe they'd harm my band. I'm just concerned at this point with getting the nutrients my body needs. I don't "hold" all that much these days, so I try to make most of what I eat worth eating. Just out of curiosity, when you say you reached your goal, does that mean you achieved a BMI in the normal range?

I really have had a good experience, in terms of having the band extinguis both physical and head hunger. The former was really key, for me. Getting rid of the genuine hunger made it possible for me to learn new behaviors and coping techniques that have supplanted the head hunger. Besides, it's just so much easier to say no when you're not hungry. (It's not that you won't get hungry; but you'll find that smaller amounts of food satisfy you. Because space is at a premium, you also might find yourself choosing foods that don't trigger hunger as much as some of your choices now might. Lean Protein and nonstarchy veggies don't cause the same kind of blood sugar fluctuations as the typical diet.) At the beginning, however, it was an exercise in sheer willpower. Until you achieve restriction, you will indeed be hungry. I got through by telling myself it would be the last time I would be hungry in the name of weight loss and, in fact, it was

Both. Solid protein, I weigh, and eat between 2-4 oz. Veggies, I measure by volume.

No, not for a moment. I've lost really well with the band, and unlike my friends who've had RNY, my nutritional status is really good.

I wouldn't do it a minute sooner than necessary. It gets very old, very quickly. I would make sure I had Protein I really liked, though. (My doctor recommends a certain brand, but was fine with others, as long as it fell within certain nutrition parameters.) I really like the Inspire from bariatriceating.com. The Dutch chocolate Cake flavor is very good, as is the PURE unflavored.

I am 9 months out, have good restriction, and can very freely drink fluids. I haven't ever experienced the need to sip. I can't take in huge volumes---after 4 oz or so, I stop and wait a few minutes (it moves through quickly). But liquids present no problem at all. The small bites, chewing, and waiting in between bites to assess your fullness are good habits to start cultivating. In reality, though, you're not apt to experience much in the way of restriction for a good while after banding, and will have the opportunity to continue to practice for quite some time.

The band is a zillion times easier than a c-section!

I'm heading into the final stretch, too--and things are definitely slowing down. The fact that you're feeling hungrier and "able to eat anything" tells me that maybe a fine-tuning fill would be a good idea. A small fill might make it easier to make the dietary tweaks it sounds like it might be necessary to employ. What are you eating? You say you can't cut carbs more, but are you carefully choosing their sources? (I ask, because I lose most effectively if I stick to veggie and legume sources, with some fruit, as well. I aim for <50 grams net carb/day.) Do you journal? Using fitday.com helps me identify little ways to tweak things when I get frustrated. Being able to see the breakdown is really helpful.

What basis do you have for this insulting statement? I gain weight on 1200 calories a day. I meticulously journal, and this is how it was determined I was a good candidate for banding. To lose, I need to drop to 800-900 calories. Yes, a bit different from many. But blanket statements and generalizations caused me a great deal of harm. Health professionals simultaneously insisted I not go below a certain caloric level (a level that, in fact, caused me to gain), then suspected "cheating." It caused me more than frustration; it added considerable weight to my body as I struggled to find what would work for me. It took me a long time to put the pieces together and head to a bariatrician. It took him about 10 seconds with my journals to see what the problem was. By then, I'd already identified what my needs were, and he confirmed them. I wish I hadn't listened to the doctors who told me never to go below 1200 calories, and to the Weight Watchers leaders who first insisted, "eat all your points!" then rolled their eyes when, after not losing (or gaining), I insisted I'd followed the program to a T (which I had).

Most doctors veto carbonation; I think you'll probably find it's really uncomfortable (and, believe it or not, that you don't even like it any more. I know! I didn't believe it, either. I was the biggest diet soda addict on the planet---a decades-long addiction. I gave it up, and now when I sneak a sip from one of my kids to wash down a Vitamin or something, it tastes awful). I was not allowed to lift until after my 4-week check, after which I was cleared to do any activity, without restriction. The good thing about a toddler is that s/he can climb up into your lap so that you don't need to lift

800-900 TOTAL calories (not net); 80-100 g protein, <50 net grams carb. I exercise daily, as well--but don't correct for that; my body has enough reserve that I don't worry about the mythical starvation mode. (No risk of starvation here!)

Elfie, it is really hard to find people who believe you when you gain on 1200 pounds. I learned this from years of experience, years of seeing doctors' eyes roll, years of following Weight Watchers meticulously, journaling on fitday, etc. The fact is that some unlucky people DO, in fact, need far fewer calories than are generally recommended. I am one of them. You may be, too. It's not fun, and it's not fair. But if you keep doing what you're doing, you'll wind up where I did: significantly heavier, and only because you are aiming for an arbitrary number that does not meet your body's needs for loss. What does your body need to lose? The only way you'll find out is by trial and error. Going lower in calories (or higher). Bumping up Protein. Paring down carbs. Bumping up exercise (speed or duration). Try things one at a time, so you can pinpoint what is making the difference. For me, the combo is 800-900 calories, 80-100 g protein/day, <50 grams (net) carb (from veggie, legume, and fruit sources), and exercise every single day (often twice). What works for you might be very different. Going lower in calories is difficult. It is contrary to most medical advice. But if your body gains on 1200 calories, it very well may be exactly what you need to do. Fortunately, the band makes it doable; without a band, it is excruciating. (Thank goodness my surgeon believed me, without hesitation; my journals helped make my case, but he had no difficulty believing I need to restrict my calories so much to lose. This information was what guided his recommendation that I be banded rather than bypassed.)

I agree that there's no cause for shame. Eating is not a moral issue, really. That said, eating well (and exercising) are not activities that require motivation. Think about all the things you do each day just because you have to. No one gets ecstatic about mowing the lawn or brushing their teeth. No one is especially motivated to clean the bathroom or litter box. You do it--you just do it. You can do the same thing with eating and exercise. You can choose to make eating poorly a non-option, and eating well a priority. You won't always be motivated. And accepting this actually is a relief. You don't have to be fired up about it--you just have to do it.

First of all, 30 pounds in 3 months is not "slow loss." If you were to continue at your present rate, you'd be down 120 pounds in a year. That is huge. Secondly, you do realize that if you had gastric bypass, it would require that you make significant dietary changes (far more stringent than demanded by the band), right? And that exercise would be recommended, too? You are losing well. You likely could lose far more effectively, however, if you were to adopt some healthier habits. The band necessitates changes in eating and exercise. You'd have to make these changes with any bariatric surgery--or any weight loss program. There are a lot of different ways to eat postop, so what works for me might not be for you. But I lose best when I get 80-100 grams of protein/day, <50 grams of net carb, and 800-900 calories. I exercise daily, usually twice. I track my food at fitday.com to make sure I meet my body's nutrient needs, and I take a good bariatric Multivitamin. I use a BodyBugg (these days, just periodically--sort of as a checkup) to make sure that my exercise intensity is adequate. We all have busy lives. You can find time to exercise. Make it a priority. Tell yourself that fast food is not an option, or that it's only an option X times per week, or that, when you go to a fast food restaurant, you will choose foods differently. (You can eat out without blowing anything; I do it several times a week.) What does you doctor recommend for postop eating? Get back to basics, and follow the "rules." Sure, allow yourself indulgences now and then--that's where 'happy medium" comes in. But you really have to accept that, no matter what route you take, BIG changes are needed, and only YOU can make them. No band, no bypass--nothing--can do it for you.

I'm with vlp--a three-hour stretch is pretty darn good! I really have learned that "full" is a completely different thing now, too. Instead of "full," I'm simply "not hungry."