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Hi Lauren! :clap2: Way to go on the loss!

My story is rather lengthy and sorted. I am excited to exclaim that today is the first day of the rest of my life. I was banded in October of 2003. By October of 2004 I had lost 165 pounds. My problems began somewhere after that point with a slip. My wonderful insurance that paid for my surgery in 2003, would no longer support the band by October 2004. Somehow I missed the announcement, or decision. My problems began after the major weight loss. TriCare would gladly pay for the removal of my band, but nothing else. My surgeon offered no other solution, but removal of my band. After losing 165 pounds, that was not an option in my mind. But I didn't know what to do. I suffered from frustrating reflux and I deamed my band useless. The food that would go down well was not good for me, empty calories, calories that served no purpose, carbs, sugar, and I rediscovered soda. A down fall for me. I accidently found a new surgeon. I wasn't looking for one, but that doesn't matter. What matters is that, hands down, I have the best, most sincere, caring surgeon in my life. He repositioned my band. I continued to have problems, eating too much, another slip, removal of saline, no fills. Disappointment. Regain 100 pounds, more disappointment, more "rounds" with myself in the boxing ring. It hasn't been pretty at all. I've appealed twice to TriCare to no avail. At one point, when my Saint surgeon "labeled" me with an eating disorder, I did us both dis-justice by following through. If I was going to have a label on my forehead that said I HAVE BINGE EATING DISORDER by gosh I was going to make sure I really did. A few weeks ago, admitting defeat, trying to believe that the band failed ME, I went to see my Saint of a surgeon and tell him to remove the darn thing. I was ready. I can't eat past 6pm or suffer from no sleep because of horrible reflux. I have regained a whopping 100 pounds, so I just wanted it out. Finally, after agreeing with myself that it didn't work, I couldn't think of a reason to keep it inside me? The band failed me. That concept is really difficult to grasp. The band failed me. The band failed me. The band failed me. I talked to Dr. Saint and we decided to replace my band with the new Allergan band. The most bizarre thing happened. The following week I received a TriCare newsletter in my e-mail at work and I opened it up, which I never do. The second article was about TriCare approving Lap Band surgery if the certain qualifications were met, effective FEBRUARY 2007! It is good news, however, Dr. Saint is not in my network. TriCare will only pay 50 percent of what they will approve.

Ok soooo im 7 months out. was 270 and now I am 187. I have totally slacked on protein bad bad me. I am sure i would probably weigh a bit less. But every since I was in the hospital my brain says omg throw it up now apparently. Very few of them I can stomach. Once I actually take pictures I will post some. I have to get too 160 we will see how this goes. Lets see loose skin..check! chicken wings and all. Its not too bad though. The belly skin is what bothers me. Thin hair with the protein. It seems to fall out everyday but i am not going bald or anything. Happy journey folks!

. Hey all: Last time I posted here it was October 1, 2011, and I was nonplussed because my rate of loss was really slowing. I said, tell me I am not stuck at 219. Update: I was not stuck at 219. Today I weigh around 210. That means I'm averaging about five pounds a month now. To me, that is outrageously, unjustly slow but it did renew my faith in the universe.I was hoping to get under 200 by Christmastime and I probably won't, but I'll be *close* and the greatest part about this is that I did it without obsessing *or* dieting. But it is funny how your tastes change. Pre-sleeve I had been starved for carbs for years, and I was sort of a candy, cake, wine, garlic bread type of person. Now I can't imagine that. I can't quite express why Cake is so dumb to now but there you go. My cravings have really diminished and now I find myself wanting food. Every once in a while I'll have popcorn or a muffin but really a week of eating junk makes me feel so gross I will actually stop myself and think okay, kid, THAT is enough of that -- not because it will make me fat but because it makes me feel slow and sick. I'm an adorer of Soup -- especially potato vegetable, I went through a baked potato and vegetarian chili phase and I still drink Sobe Lifewater 0. I'm eight months in and I have 50 pounds to go and I think making it there might be possible. But for a yo-yo dieter like me five pounds a month, while unsexy to the extreme, is a perfect rate of loss.But mostly what I'm happy about is that I am sort of proving my hypothesis, which is that once I refused to obsess about this and just live my life, plus the restrictive action of the sleeve -- I started to crave good nutrition and lost weight without putting myself through emotional torture over what the scale said. Down eighty pounds in eight months. Not dieting. Still going. It might take me another ten months to lose the next fifty pounds but by the end of it I will have learned how to eat like a normal person and for once in my life think about something else. Hallelujah and Happy Christmas.

Crosswind! You are back girl!... and 80 pounds lighter! I had surgery a couple months before you, and at 8 months was losing around 3-4 pounds a month. 5 is NOT outrageously, unjustly slow... its losing and will take you to where you want to go. When you get to goal, it will feel just a sweet if it takes 6 months or two years and it will still be goal. I figure my last few pounds(9) will take at least 3-4 more months, and could even be longer. Its time to get into the ZEN pleasures of S-L-O-W weight loss. Glad to see you back, you always contributed to this site in a unique and enjoyable way. Cheers and congratulations on your weight loss the size of a not so small child in less time then it takes to gestate a baby! (and you are stuck with them for 20+ years after!)

I have only told two of my sisters, my boyfriend, my son, his wife and one other person. Then a good friend at work told me just week she was having weight loss surgery so i told her. lol I am not gonna tell anyone else. People are judgmental. One of my sister's was very supportive, the other being no so much. It hurt my feelings and made me with i hadn't said anything. I figured this is my time and I am gonna treat it like it is:)

Welcome! Please read and research as much as possible before making your final decision. Weight loss surgery is a life altering decision. If you have questions, don't be afraid to ask. There are people on this site in all stages of banding and many is every age group. Good luck!!

I feel the same way..I'm hoping to go back to work after 2wks. How are you getting all your liquids in? I am in pain and have not lost a pound. My surgery was Wednesday April 3, I gained 7lbs. Everyone says that is normal because of the gas and air in our bodies, How are you adjusting to eating and weight loss

My diet came all prepackaged. Although I think a broth is fine as long as there isn't too much sodium in them. There is such a wide variety of pre op diets. Some who don't do it at all. Some who have very strict (I think my surgeon does a strict one). But whatever you do - don't read the 'Did you cheat on the pre op diet?' thread. It will have you convinced that it's okay to do it because the diets have such variety. But if you really want to stick to what you have - then you'll stay with it and get a head start on your weight loss. Seeing how hungry I am at this point makes me wonder how if you didn't have a pre op diet - how can you go to eating nothing all of a sudden. With this liquid diet - I will be used to having less after the surgery. I would have gone crazy if I would have waited until after the surgery to have restriction.

I haven't had surgery yet but have so many questions and you all have been nothing but helpful. I am wondering if after surgery, after your weight loss period, does everyone need a tummy tuck or has anyone got toned themselves? Is it possible to work off all the extra skin through exercise? Just wondering anyone elses experiences

Hi...I'm new to this too. I am scheduled for Monday 11/8. I am so excited!! Have you had any problems?? congrats on your weight loss!!

I expect to be cleared by my doctor as far as my sleep apnea goes in the next 3 weeks. Then my doctors send in my insurance request for WLS at that point. I hope to be approved by early May. My issue is that I am going out of the country to visit my daughter and her new husband on May 7th. I was asked to drop 10 pounds before the surgery date and actually lost 13 pounds. I am at the end of this journey to get cleared but I find it hard to focus on maintaining my weight loss. While I expect my trip t Vienna to be my last fling, I'm finding it hard to stay motivated now. I am not sure if its the time involved, or that I have not been in touch with my doctor since December. Everday is a battle and I have gained 3 pounds. That still puts me at where I should be, but I have at least 3 months to go. How do I stay focused on maintaining my weight and not go back to my bad habits. I find it a real issue and I don't know how to stay on the right track. Any help from my friends out there would e appreciated.

Tonight I had what my husband called "My Last Supper". Tomorrow it will be 10 days before my surgery. At this point, I am not sure what my emotions are! I don't feel excited, nervous, or scared about the sleeve, but I do feel worried about this 10 day liquid pre op diet. Since I made the decision to have surgery, I seem to have lost some interest in eating. Today I have eaten very little, until dinner. My husband, however, has been mourning the loss of food. It seems he is eating everything in sight!!! I have decided on some projects (making my son a halloween costume) to keep me occupied and keep my mind off food. Any one have any other suggestions for passing this time??? Also, need suggestions for convincing my husband that he is not going to starve!!!!

I'm ready to leave it up to the insurance company... Today was my final weigh in after 6 months of pre-op dieting. It's not a lot of weight loss, but I'll take it! I'm excited and nervous about the next month or so. Wondering if I should request to have my surgery after my cruise... June 6th. I'm worried about sea sickness and band slippage... any thoughts?:confused2:

I have been reading info on this site for a while...I am a previous gastric bypass patient with a total weight loss of 168 lbs..I had my bypass in January 2001..Kept the weight off pretty good until the last year and a half or so....I have gained about 20-25 pounds, and it scares me to death! I can eat A LOT now with very little restriction :hungry: ! Was wondering if there is anyone else who has been banded that previously had other WLS??? Also, anyone with experience with adolescents and the band?? I have a 14 year old daughter who struggles with her weight...just like I did, and I would like to explore the possibilities of the band for her, as well. Thank you all for sharing so openingly--I have enjoyed reading your posts over the last few weeks!!

Thanks for all of the kind words and welcomes. I'm not sure if I had a visit with my doctor when I started WW, so that might possibly knock part of my six months out. I'm hoping that it doesn't. But, worst case scenario I'd have to count July as my first month instead of April so surgery could/would be in or around December. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. Quick question, after your banded, how much can you drink at a time? I guess at a time, and then of a day? The reason I ask is that I've read that one needs 60-90 grams of Protein a day to keep from losing hair and muscle tissue. I've heard that folks have trouble getting this much in, but some protein that I've used before has as much as 50 grams for 12 oz. of liquid. Is it hard to drink that much?

Thank you I forgot to change it to post op. I'm post op 9 weeks and have lost 34lbs but really just feeling down about this tonight! I will take your advise and try to focus my frustration on the weight loss and make sure i don't have access to these bad foods the best I can! I appreciate your kind words!

Thanks all. I have met, and surpassed my pre-op weight loss (started last may at 275, now at 191lbs) - clinic told me to try and maintain my weight where I am (not gain, not lose) - so I guess I am relieved that they don't want me to lose anymore, but I am worried about gaining - all "diets" I have done have always failed, resulting in all the weight, plus some returning. I had the clinic put me on the cancelation list, so I am crossing my fingers that I am called.

I am sorry to hear you had all the problems. I have been fortunate so far and haven't had any complications. I was too tight briefly after I had my hysterectomy in Dec. Being too tight was extremely uncomfortable and I ate Cereal until it passed. I couldn't get an unfill, because I had an incision from the hysterectomy where my port is. I definitely didn't want them poking or feeling for it. You are correct that the weight loss can be done without the band. What the band has done for me is help me not be STARVING while losing the weight. I have lost weight before with the lower calorie diet and exercise, but I was hungry most of the time and then returned to eating bigger portions after a while. Hopefully this won't be the case this time. I have lost 72lbs in 7 months. This is a lot, but basically it amounts to about 10 lbs per month which is doable without the band. It really isn't recommended that you eat soup, because it defeats the purpose of the band. Soup can't stay in a pouch, it goes right through. If you are having to eat soup all of the time, you may be too tight. Think about how you feel when you eat foods like chicken or fish. If you are chewing it well and it is uncomfortable, or sticks, you are too tight. If that is the case, consider going for a slight unfill. Sometimes all it takes is .5ccs out to make a huge difference. If you can't eat healthy foods, you won't be able to fuel your body properly to exercise effectively and losing the weight is going to be difficult, if not impossible.

I somehow gained 2lbs this last week as well, though I don't think it's a true gain as the scale dropped a pound this morning and last week I upped my calories and my exercise. Keep on pushing! 7lbs is definitely a great loss in a month.

I attribute a lot of my success with VSG to loss of physical hunger. Plus, I really did follow the rules to a "T" to lose quickly, hit goal and worry about maintenance when I got there. I worked the crap out of my band. I fought to make it work, and I wanted to succeed. But, it failed me in the end, and destroyed my stomach. So, I was pretty hellbent on making the most of out my sleeve opportunity. I really did not make horrible food choices pre-op (pre-band), and even with a BMI of nearly 50, I had zero co-morbidities. Both of my surgeons were amazed for a 30something year old woman, with my BMI, and the fact that I smoked for 12+ years that I didn't have issues. My bloodwork looked pretty great pre-op, I really had zero indicators of being obese if you were to just look at lab results. I just ate a huge amount of food. The band did strip me of good food choices, but not on a regular basis. I only had my band for 8 months so I didn't struggle with it for an extensive period of time. Also, with my complications, my husband being gone, I was pretty hellbent on recovering fully, losing weight, and being an active participant in our life instead of just a spectator. The band did help me beat the learning curve of eating with the sleeve. I knew different tricks to help me through those rough spots because of the band experience. I also knew what to expect during the first 2-6 weeks post-op. I also think that to some degree, I felt like a failure again with the band. I did lose 23lbs the first 2.5-3 months with the band, but gained back 16 of those while trying to get my revision. I kind of felt like VSG was my last shot, and I had to make it work.

I hit 50# weight loss ( pre-op and post-op). I am getting closer to Wonderland! Gastric Sleeve is making the difference and making this seem doable and I feel in control for once. HW 264 ( 10/30/20) SW 235 ( 2/24/21) CW 214 ( 3/27/21) GW 130 ( TBD)

I have been facing the "head hunger" issue alot lately. I don't think it's a coincidence that I've also been dealing with family "issues" lately as well. I think alot of this process is mental. I was going along, losing steadily, happy as a clam for the first six months of this journey. Then, bam! People in my life start spazzing out and I start getting inside my own head and weight loss has come to a screeching halt. Hunger is back, trying to knock down the door. I've begun to look at the reasons I became obese in the first place. I spoke to my doctor, explaining that my weight loss is affecting my relationships. He referred me to a psychologist he works with to help post-op bandsters "adjust." <Okay, pun intended!> :thumbup: Talk to your doctor about your hunger. Physical or mental, he can help you. All the best luck! Hugs,