jensmallwood

Welcome, Jon!! May 4 will be here before you know it! ETA: Congrats on your AWESOME weight loss so far-- that's amazing!

It really depends... I think most doctors and insurance companies go by BMI, not strictly "100 pounds." Find an online BMI calculator and see what yours is. Uh, the "good news" is that the high blood pressure counts as a "co-morbidity." Generally with one or two co-morbidities, your BMI only has to be 35 to qualify for the surgery (which is less than 100 pounds overweight). Try not to stress! Good luck! I guess you could drink a lot of Water before your next visit- and wear heavy shoes! :thumbup:

Congratulations! Wow- you'd think they'd try to make it easy for someone to come to their info sessions, don't you? They're making it hard on themselves! Have fun at the session- bring lots of questions!

Let us know how it goes at the doctor's office!

I have a 9-year-old, too (mine's a boy, though.) :thumbup: My husband is doing his through his PCP-- and basically it's just the regular "move more, eat less" sort of thing. She had him move from 1500 calorie Stouffer's lasagna at lunch to a 400 calorie Lean Cuisine- that sort of thing. And she had him start on a walking program. But I'm sure that every doctor/nutritionist has their own program. My insurance wouldn't cover my surgery since they don't recognize depression as a comorbidity of obesity. So I was self-pay and didn't have to do the official 6 month diet (though of course I've been on a diet since I was about 11 years old of one kind or another.)

Call them and just be direct-- I'm calling because I've applied for coverage of this surgery and my doctor is ready to schedule (you can make this part up) and we need to have a decision as soon as possible. Get the full name of the person you speak with. Ask him/her when you will have an answer. Ask how they will let you know-- will they fax it to your doctor, send you a letter, call? Ask them "By what date should I call you back if I haven't heard anything?" And then call back if you need to. I know it's a pain in the a---.... but the squeaky wheel gets the grease. If you don't get a straight answer from the person who is helping you, ask to speak to her supervisor (and you don't have to be rude about it- sweet works best), but you do need some answers. Insurance companies can be a huge pain to deal with... so much bureaucracy it's maddening. I recommend finding out what time zone they are located in and call first thing when they open. Good luck!

I literally pureed anything that I cooked for my family. So if I made chicken breasts with mushrooms, I'd stick my portion in the food processor with some chicken broth and pulse it until it was the right, soft consistency. Kind of gross to look at, but very tasty!

Welcome, Rachel!! This is a great site- lots of info, lots of advice. I haven't really told any of my friends, either. I have told those I'm close to in my family, and of course my husband and child know. My husband is doing his 6-month pre-band diet with his doctor right now. He's losing so well I think he's considering just sticking with the diet and not doing the band! :thumbup: But we'll see... How old are your kids? Welcome again!!

I had Lap Band surgery at the end of February with "only" about 69 pounds to lose. I have struggled with my weight for my whole life (since age 6) and because I didn't have any co-morbidities that my insurance company recognized (depression didn't "count"), I paid for it out of pocket. A few years ago I lost 110 pounds doing Weight Watchers and exercise -- a LOT of exercise. I even became an exercise instructor and starting going back to college to get a degree as a Fitness Specialist. I thought I had "figured everything out" and was done with obesity for the rest of my life. THEN, I started gaining it back- first 10 or 20, then 30, 40, 50... back up to 70 pounds put back on. I couldn't take it and I couldn't stand the idea of another "diet" so I went the Lap Band route. And I'm thrilled that I did!! Since 2/26 I've lost 24 pounds and I have more energy than I've had in a LONG time. There is a forum on this site called, I think, "Low BMI Bandsters." You may want to check that out, too.

Welcome, Ryan! Congratulations on making the big decision and starting on the path. I have many friends and family members who are diabetic and that possibility for my future is one of the reasons I had Lap-Band surgery. Good luck to you, and keep us updated on your journey!

Congratulations! I wish you a quick and easy recovery! When you feel up to it, come back and let us know how it went!

Skyler- I recommend that you talk to your doctor about it. He or she can put you on a healthy diet that's right for your age and lifestyle. (Or they can recommend a nutritionist to you.) Before you start exercising, you need to find out if you have any health issues that might need to be treated-- like high blood pressure, etc. If you do, the doctor can help you choose exercises that are right for any condition you might have. Giving up the soda was a great idea!!

Ask your doc tomorrow before surgery-- or the nurse. My pain meds were pills, and I didn't have any problem swallowing them. I was allowed to take my vitamins and calcium supplements right away after surgery-- but mine were chewable.

I followed mine exactly, but my post op diet was different than yours. Most people here will likely recommend that you follow your doctor's orders exactly in order to heal properly. I'd recommend giving them a call and asking if you can change over sooner-- tell them how you're feeling and see if they think it's ok. They have a reason for their recommendations, based on good experience. Try to stick it out!

I know that for myself, declaring any food a complete "no-no" is a binge waiting to happen. So I'm trying not to look at my band as just another diet (with all it's no-no foods) but as a way of life with room for indulgences now and then. And I have those indulgences (a small piece of dark chocolate some evenings, for example) regularly and I ENJOY them. Because I know that having that small, 50 calorie piece of good quality dark chocolate tonight not only satisfies my craving, but will keep me from searching the cupboards tomorrow for that elusive "something" that I just have to have that will cost me a thousand calories tomorrow (and that probably won't taste that good anyway.)

It's normal to be anxious! If you know that you meet your insurance company's "policy" for approving the surgery, I'm sure that will go smoothly. Relax-- it's all good! :confused:

Unfortunately, there's no way to foresee how you will feel post-op. We all have a slightly unique experience. If you are still taking pain meds-- which you may want to do if you're going to try to go out-- you won't be able to drive, so be prepared for that. My "day after" surgery wasn't too bad-- and I also had a hernia repair. I didn't feel great, but I could probably have sat and watched a recital. You are likely to be having pain from gas and may feel the need to get up and walk around (maybe sit on an aisle?)

I went to graduate school in NYC and so miss the yummy little restaurants with their open front windows ... and eclectic interiors. ... I could get something from a different ethnicity every single day. (but that was long ago, and now I'm far away...) Good times!

Absolutely-- it is a common problem. I didn't get it until 3 or 4 days after. Call the doctor and they will prescribe an anti-nausea medicine. If he can't keep fluids down, call them immediately (weekend or not- they will have an answering service.) I was so nauseaus I couldn't get off the couch. I was better the next day.

I was going to say exactly what some others have said-- try to let go of some of the processed stuff and choose whole foods from a variety of sources. And don't skip meals-- especially since you are working out almost everyday. You NEED those calories. And I would suggest that you don't have room in your diet for the pringles and crackers everyday. They don't add nutrition to your limited diet at all. When you lift weights, your muscles "hold onto" more water-- which is not a bad thing-- but then adding all the sodium of processed food will make you retain even more Water. What I like to do is make lots of dinner. Then eat those healthy leftovers for lunch the next day or two. You can cook on the weekend, too, and freeze smaller portion sizes. Easy to grab and go or pop in the microwave when you get home from work.

I lost 22 pounds between my surgery and my first fill, which was yesterday. And with that fill, I didn't even get temporary restriction. So my loss has been all about portion control- whether I wanted more or not!

I'm doing the *very* mini goal rewards! My first 10 pounds I bought a glass "heart" necklace-- since I'm doing something good for my heart. For 20 pounds I bought myself a pair of silver earrings that symbolize "dreams" since I'm making my dream come true. For getting under 200, I bought myself a pair of pink-sparkly-glittery Converse low tops! Just because I love pink! :biggrin: ETA: I haven't thought of what sort of thing I will do for reaching my goal, or another big milestone... I'm thinking spa getaway... or something!

Congrats, Stacey-- that's awesome!

Well, if you're just at the beginning of your journey-- you have to wait and see... maybe it'll go away as you lose weight. And you're young... so there's a much better chance that your skin recover!

Depending your your original size (high weight)- it may not go away because what you're partly dealing with is excess skin. You can lose all your excess weight, but if your skin has been stretched out (I know mine has), that will sting hang down. I've heard of people who've reached goal talking about practically "tucking it in" to their pants. And of course the only way to get rid of excess skin is surgery. :smile2: Also- exercises like situps and crunches don't do anything to target specific areas of body fat . (It's not possible to spot-reduce). Sorry to be a downer!