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Super! I'd take a 23 pound loss any way I could get it! Good for you.

I was sleeved in Aug 12. I lost 20 pounds in 3 1/2 weeks and then the scales stopped. Then I only lost another pound, but this last weekend I lost 3 pounds in two days. Did I just get over my stall or is this common? I never expected to be able to set a watch to the weight loss, but wasn't expecting it to be in chunks. Thoughts? TIA!

Disputing health insurance companies is a little bit like talking to a brick wall. Even when the words are in black and white in the policy, they deny claims. But if you have the time and patience and want to give it a go, then by all means try. It sounds like you have 2 disputes. One is with Active Health. They required that you lose 5% of your weight before you qualify. But you failed to do this (with the consent of your surgeon). The reason you gave is that you would fall below the 35 BMI requirement. Many insurance companies require that you try and lose weight and that your qualification to the BMI requirement is determined at the initial weight officailly taken when you first apply for the surgery. So if you had lost the 5% of your weight you might not have been penalized for it. The area that I would explore is why your surgeon did not push you to lose weight during the pre-op period. Was there some medical issues that would make this weight loss a problem. If so can you surgeon's office articulate this in a letter to your insurance. The second dispute might be with BC/BS, that appears to be out of network. The cost incurred generally includes the hospital, the anesthesiologist, the surgeon, and a secondary surgeon. It is difficult to ensure that all of these are within network before surgery. Maybe impossible. I believe BC/BS offers fairly good policies and I suspect that most hospitals are within network. So anyways I would check to see what is in network and out of network for each of these elements. This is probably accessible over the internet. During my second round of pre-op testing, one of my specialist clearly showed up as being in network (that is why I chose him) but when I received the bill I was charged as an out of network. His name was clearly listed on the latest in-network doctors. When I talked to the insurance they claimed he was out of network. I told them that their website clearly showed him as in-network. But they still disputed the charges. I met with the specialist staff, they said the specialist was in-network and that they would handle it. And they did. I never received that bill. Also even though I made sure that my hospital, surgeon, anesthesologist were all in network prior to the operation. I received a large bill for the assistant surgeon. I didn't even know there would be an assistant surgeon. It turns out that this assistant had not yet submitted the paperwork for becoming qualified for in network. I asked the surgeons office to reconsider and they said they would take care of it. Again, this charge disappeared. So I had better luck working the problems out with the surgeons, hospital and other doctors than with the insurance companies.

Doing just shakes for 2-3 days might kick things off. In additon, once you go back to solids, I would focus on eating the right things- low carb/low fat/high protein. Lots of lean meat and non-starchy veggies. I eat eggs and or low fat sausage for breakfast. Also, if your not working out I highly reccomend you start. It has so many benefits, just one being weight loss. I hope they figure out what's going on with your band soon. Very strange they couldn't even find it. Best wishes!

I can share my experience with hair loss through RNY but not lapband. I've made several posts on this as it's not something that's really talked about in depth. People say, I'm losing "alot" of hair. Define "alot"! I knew going into RNY surgery I might lose some hair. I obsessed over it! I took hair supplements months prior to surgery and thought if I took all my Vitamins, Biotin and proten, I'd be fine. Uh uh. This article won't make you happy, but explains why it happens: https://www.drdkim.net/ask-the-dietitian/understanding-hair-loss-after-bariatric-surgery/ I have very thick, dark coarse hair. I began shedding at 3 months and it's just starting to slow down at 6 months. If I put my hair in a ponytail, it's half as thick as it used to be. I don't have any bald spots but I can see area's where it's thinned. GOOD NEWS!!!! I've been using this spray on color that's made for touching up your roots in between hair coloring. I spray it in the thin area's and don't see my scalp. There's also products you can spray on that have fibers that attach to your hair making the thin area thicker. I even looked into wigs, wiglets and extensions if it got really bad-it hasn't. BEST NEWS!!!! It grows back. I'd do it again in a heartbeat if needed-best decision I've every made.

I am a band-to-bypass revision patient, too! I have been using rogaine for a couple of years due to thin, fine hair and I was really worried about hair loss after surgery. I actually had a 2-part surgery because my band was removed a year ago last December and my bypass wasn't until April 2015. I had expected hair loss right around the time of my revision because it was 16 weeks post-op, which is when I lose my hair, but I didn't have much. After revision, however, at exactly 16 weeks I lost a lot of hair. I had been taking Biotin and using rogaine up to that point, and I do believe that it helped my hair come back much faster than it has in the past. Not only that, but it's now wavy! That was an unexpected perk! Honestly, that short period where I had "bad hair" was completely worth it, though. I would do it again in a heartbeat. Congratulations on taking back control of your health. You won't be disappointed.

While I was going through the prep, I only told two people. When I was approved and a surgery date scheduled, I told a few more people, figuring the gossip line would let everyone else know. Not until about 50 loss, did anyone comment. I readily told them I had bariatric surgery. Their first response generally was "I know someone else who had that surgery and they had _____ complications." Now after five months and 80 pounds, I want to discuss my surgery with anyone who has an interest. I want to be an advocate for WLS. People are going to ask how you are losing so quickly. And as in my case, those who didn't ask, assumed I had cancer or some other bad thing wrong with me. Don't fool yourself by thinking no one is going to notice or ask. I think the biggest struggle with telling or not telling is the fear of what feedback you are going to get. Most of it will be positive. But then there are uneducated (uneducated in bariatric surgery) people who will say something stupid or hurtful. When this happens, you have one of two choices. You can either allow that stupid/hurtful comment to chip away at your self-esteem or you choose to realize that this person has no clue as to what they are saying. Trying to educate them more than likely will be useless, because they know everything about everything. But you can try. Don't give these negative people the power to make you feel bad about yourself. The most hurtful thing someone can say to me is that I took the easy way to weight loss. This has only happened once. My response was "I respect your opinion, but you have no idea what you are talking about." And I left it at that. I did not give that person the power to make me feel bad. I put a lot of hard work into my weight loss. My surgery is only a tool. Generally, when someone belittles you, they are trying to make themselves feel better and more superior to you. They themselves suffer from low self-esteem and the only way they can feel better about themselves is to belittle someone else. This is not your issue, but theirs. Don't allow this to be your issue. I was married to a bully for 17 years who made me feel I was lower than the grunge build up at the base of the toilet. It took a divorce and five years of counseling before I finally realized that there was nothing wrong with me - it was him all along! Just don't give away your power to anyone who doesn't deserve it.

Hugs Kalia, sorry you are struggling. First and foremost you need to stay on your meds for your bipolar -- you need to accept that this is something you will need to do for the rest of your life in order to have a happy life. Once you feel you have that part of your life under control, then you can start to deal with your weight loss issues again. First of all, do not beat yourself up or feel guilty about gaining this weight. Obesity is every bit as much of a disease as being bipolar or having cancer -- it's not who you are, it's what you have.Then you need to get your fill and start working your program again - follow the rules -- Protein first, drink your Water, no snacking and exercise. I think will help with both your bipolar and the weight issues. It's a struggle, but try to find something you like to do. You didn't say if you have a hubby or kids, but even if you do (and I know how busy that is) try to take one hour for you every day to exercise - take a walk, ride a bike, dance, go to aerobics classes -whatever you find that is fun. Start out slow and increase over time. I have found that going back to the beginning with the 5 Day pouch Test was a good way for me to reconnect again when I strayed and gained some weight back. It really helped me to get back on track. It's at www.5daypouchtest.com Good luck and know that we are all here for you. Linda.

Alcohol is discouraged because it is liquid calories. That said, I do drink alcohol, but mostly it is red wine which has some health and, purportedly, weight loss benefits in moderation. I wouldn't drink a whiskey with coke because of the carbonation in the coke, but I do occasionally have a margarita, vodka cranberry, or gimlet (none of which have carbonated mixers). That said, some bandsters do carbonated beverages sometimes and just take the risk with the band. I'll say this-- you certainly won't be able to drink as much as before.

Seasoned sleevers, what was your weight loss like? I have read several posts where people have talked about slow weight loss after revision. I know our metabolisms are slower already since we had the band, but I haven't really lost any weight in the last week or so, just 3 was post op. Just curious as to others experiences.... Also, I noticed a bump under one portion of my incision where they removed my port. Last week, the entire incision was a little hard, now it is just at one end. Did anyone experience this? How long until it went away?

Have you tried doing arm circles? Its just sticking your arms straight out on your sides with your fingers pointed out and moving your arms in circles. You can do big circles then small front to back. Maybe doing those a couple times a day would help? Good luck and congrats on the weight loss!

I am almost 10 months out and I could snack/eat all day. I notice at night I could eat more. I tend to pick slider foods. I fluctuate between 132-134. If I ever go over, I'll do a protein day. I will never risk gaining back the weight. I would have to try really hard to gain weight...eat frequently and make poor choices consistently. I will always be a food addict and I still crave the same foods, but I can only eat them in small portions. Congratulations on your weight loss. You rock.

Congrats on the weight loss, I do find that I snack more when I'm not preoccupied with other things. If I am on the go most of the day I forget to eat but if I'm just sitting and watching TV I find that I will snack more. For me it just depends on the day. Congrats on the weight loss, I do find that I snack more when I'm not preoccupied with other things. If I am on the go most of the day I forget to eat but if I'm just sitting and watching TV I find that I will snack more. For me it just depends on the day.

I just bought some of this to try. I'm six months out and losing hair. Glad to hear it is helping. Thanks for sharing!

Hi Everyone, My name is Sara I am 35 years old, I am in Pre Surgery Mode, I have started my pre weight loss back in December 2009 I started at 321lbs as of today 1/19/2010 I have lost 15 lbs on my own, it is difficult but wow worth every pound lost. :wink2: I have struggled with weight most of my life, I love food nd being married to a latino man and a huge family fixing awsome mexican food every day no wonder I am over weight. I want to let anyone know that I m here for anyone that wnt to become my new friend and want to join the jouney of weight loss with me. :confused:

I am four and a half months out on my journey. I had the sleeve done. It is interesting to read these posts and see how different everyone's recovery is. I am still feeli that pressure the burps are less. But I still can't eat if I eat chicken I get like three small bites. I chew the heck out of it. I was not even able the eat chicken until like two weeks ago. Every time I tried it would get stuck omg so painful and not worth it. If I get 32 oz in fluid down a day that is alot. Protein ha I don't get what I need on that either. I have to drink this bullet I got from Walmart it has 42 grams of protein eww it is gross. My stomach is taking a while to heal. I have heard some people say treats go down easy. The only concern I have with that is we are all on here for weight loss so many people fall off the wagon this is not a fix for life. It is real hard work and it is forever. There will be no problem with stretching out the pouch and then we will be back to square one and it will all be for nothing. I am keeping myself In check by continuing to attend my support group and not tempting myself at all with any treats. Good luck to everyone try to stay on track look at the big picture and everything you have went through to get here.

Let me introduce myself, my name is Amy and I am a 27 year old mother to a wonderful lil 3 year old boy who was born with a very rare brain disorder. I was sleeved on December 21st 2011 in Canon City, Co by Dr. Timothy Brown. My pre-op process was very fast moving and with-in 1 month of asking my then primary doctor about getting the sleeve, I had met all the requirements and was scheduling the date for my surgery. I chose to do the sleeve for several reasons but my biggest reason was to be a healthy Mother for my son. I was on over 8 prescription medications for BP, high cholest, diabetes, sleeping aids, heartburn and more. I have never really been a "small" girl but after my mother passed in the same year my son was born (2008) my weight sky rocketed. My son is non-verbal and among many other health issues he is also not walking or crawling yet. I am now unable to work because my days are full of providing the special needs care my boy needs. I noticed that I had begun stress eating, and moving around a lot less due to spending 80% of my time at doctor appts or playing with him on the floor. I found out that my son would be starting a special needs pre-k in January and knew I had to get my health in check because I now have no excuses for time, 3 hours- 4 days a week I have free. I am over a month post-op now and about 25 lbs down. I weighed 220 the day of surgery but had been as heavy as 235 in the past. I am extreamly excited to have lost the weight and be off most of the meds but I am having this horrible case of the " not doing good enough blues." I have reached a point that I have lost most of my motivation because shortly after surgery my son's health issues flared up and it took me until just 4 days ago to get my gym membership. I also have the biggest frustration about my food intake. I can eat anything I want and am 1 of those lucky sleevers that does noit get sick or barely even uncomfortable if I overeat/ eat the wrong things. My will power has really had to play a huge role in my eating lately but everytime I eat even the smallest bite of a "wrong" food I feel like crying because I want to be sick, I want to have a low tolerance to bigger portions but now all I can do is deal with it. This is the 1st time I have ever blogged and just like I could talk anyones ear off I am certain I could type a novel so I will stop for now but what I will say is this... I do not and will never regret my sleeve. Every person is different and even though I am lossing weight I know it is only half my battle. Seeing the numbers drop on the scale is one thing but being mentally prepared and motivated is what is really going to make all the difference. Just my opinion

I'm almost 2 years out and my hair is still thin and not very long. Fortunately, I don't have bald spots which I was concerned about and I get optimistic sometimes that it feels a little thicker. I had clip-in extensions in briefly the other day for the first time since before surgery and I wanted to cry- I miss my long, pretty hair! The article was interesting though, thank-you for posting!

Has started working out yet? I know I started after my 2-weeks were up. I started out doing 30-minutes on the elliptical maching and now I am up to a cool 60.lol... I know this will speed up the weight loss process as well but I am going to hold off on the stomach crunches for about 6mths or so because i dont want my port to flip or disconnect or anything... Now I don't have that much of a stomach anyway so it wont be hard for me to hit the abs and get them under control in like 1-2mths... but i just want to make sure that I am not alone with the working out and everything.... My best friend that relocated to Atl.. has been there doing everything with me, and it is so crazy because when i started on my liquid phase she said ok i'm going to do it to... she was more pissed off than i was... too funny... she was like hell i think i am going to eat my arm..... but after a few days it was better... and the next phases as well. Now she got a personal trainer and he is brutal....:thumbup:, and i told her everything he is telling her is so true.. and I will workout with her because I know it is do-able. He trains her 2-days a week and she started out doing 30 minutes of the elliptical like i did but he only gave her a week to get to an hour...lol... I am not a hard person to motivate once I see something I want nothing can stop me from getting it. Now does anyone have a workout routine set up??

When did you reach your first weight loss stall? How did you break through it? How long was it? Any tips for avoiding plateaus? I'm 8 days post op

Hello all! I'm new to this so I thought I would join the forum and seek some sound advice from people who can relate. I am 34yrs old, 5'8", 274lbs. This is the biggest I have been in my entire life. I have always been overweight, but never morbidly obese, which I am now classified as. I am currently dealing hypertension, sleep apnea, and joint pain(knees). Things I had never experienced before. I've tried to lose weight in the past, diet, exercise, with some great success in 2006 with a whopping 83lbs loss. But that was a fluke I believe, because I gained it all back and them some. I have recently gone through all the steps necessary for my insurance company to pay in full for my surgery(gastric sleeve). But after some reading, I find myself apprehensive, and extremely nervous. I know nothing in life is without risk, but I truly don't know what to do. Any advice would greatly be appreciated.

I was in the same boat with being apprehensive. I think that's natural. I debated for years about the surgery before I was just too fed up with being overweight. My insurance required 6 months of classes, specialist appointments, nutritionist appts, weight loss, support group meetings, and crazy amounts of blood work before I could even submit to insurance. Luckily I got cleared but the whole process ended up taking 8 months from start to surgery day. So far, the worst part of the entire process was the classes because the instructor seemed to talk about the worst case scenarios as if they will most definitely happen to ever person in the room. Most of it was to scare away the people who weren't serious about the life change. So I didn't really pay much attention to it other than the important stuff. I'm 9 days out of sleeve surgery and since the starting day of the process I'm down nearly 20lbs If you've made it as far as you have- stick with it. It'll be worth it. The statistics of complications are super low if you're going to a credible surgeon. Most people won't have any complications.

I did not have a real pre op diet as I ended up having surgery earlier than expected. I have read that the pre diet is not that bad it is only a few days. This LB has really worked for me. I was not much of a believer before hand. I had a surgery before my LB too, so when the Dr. went in a second time he was excited to see how I had healed from the first surgery. Best wishes and I hope all works out as well for you as it has for me. Six months banded, 77 lost pound , my head is in a great place and I am skiing my first really big weight loss goal. imaluckydog

I'm also right around 70 pounds lost, so maybe I'm no help. But I have two on the outside of my thigh, and I haven't really noticed any difference in them. They're not more prominent or less prominent. I do notice that after a long, hard workout or a day spent traipsing around in high heels they'll ache/burn more than I'm used to feeling, but I used to sit on my rear ALL DAY LONG, so I can't attribute it to the weight loss. ~Cheri

Unfortunately, hair loss is a side effect of the surgery. Many people on this thread get in all of their protein,take biotin and still lose hair-including me. Fortunately, for me it only lasted for 3 months ( months 5-8). Some people go through hair loss for up to a year or longer. Some don't take biotin at all and struggle with getting in all their protein & have no hair loss...go figure. Biotin does not stop your hair from falling out, it helps with regrowth. I take 10,000mcg a day.