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With Cigna I would suggest seeing your doctor for weight loss for 4 consecutive months. They consider your first visit as the beginning of the 89 days and the last visit as the end of the 89 days. If you see the doctor for only 3 months they only count it as 60 days.

You look amazing!! What a great loss. You must be soooo proud!!! Congrats

Since surgery I have averaged a 1lb loss every day. Today I was up nearly 1lb and now I feel so discouraged. Maybe my expectations are too high, I was so enjoying my progress up till now and not so much today.

On a good note, you are losing! I know that we sometimes get discouraged, because we expect drastic results, but the slower the weight loss the less likely that you will have a lot of excess skin. That's how I justify it anyway. I will be two months out on Tuesday. I weigh myself weekly for my YouTube updates; otherwise, I would do it monthly. So far, I am down 30 lbs. Some people who have had their surgeries around the same time or after me have lost a lot more than I have, but I try & remember that everyone's weight loss journey is different. Anyway, my point minus all of the rambling, things will get better. Good luck & try to weigh yourself weekly...!

I'm 40. Thanks for saying I look young! I feel like 40 is old, but I don't feel old. I hope my sagging tightens up too... I really don't want to have surgery for it because people say it is really painful. I started working out as soon as the doctor released me for exercise. I do the Leslie Sansone Walk Away the Pounds workout videos. I started with the 1 mile walk and it was hard to finish...now I've worked my way up to 4 miles with jogging and weights included. I exercise 4 to 5 times a week. I really think the exercise sped up my weight loss a lot. I notice that if I take a break, the loss slows down. But, sometimes we all need a break! Congrats on your loss so far!

Hello, I just had my first consult with the surgeon I've chosen to due my VSG surgery. He was very encouraging and staff were very kind. I'm still a little scared to have surgery again, but I'm 38 with a 10 year old daughter and I need to set a great example for her. I've been over weight most of my life, I lost 115 lbs when I was 20 yrs old due to a eating disorder, after years of therapy I now have a handle on food for the most part. My story became crazy when I found out while pregnant that I had Thyroid disease I refused to take any medication until my daughter was born it took me six years to get pregnant and I was not taking any chances. After her birth I weighed 315 lbs and my weight loss journey started all over again. After lossing 65lbs the only way I new how not eating I've been stuck between 250-265 for 10 years. So, surviving cancer and a complete hysteratomy I'm ready to take the journey that comes with weight loss surgery. Sorry for the long post I just wanted to provide a summary of where I've been.

I'm having my surgery Sept. 9 so I'm in the thick of this "who to tell" 'what to tell". Very relevant for me. I've been vacillating for weeks about what to say. In the end I've chosen to be forward to be upfront with everyone except my 91 yo mother. She has some dementia issues and is having a very difficult time with fixating on my daughters health problems now (high risk pregnancy hospitalization). She has caused me so much stress with her multiple phone calls and questions that I just can't go down this road with her. I will tell her my weight loss is tied to my gall bladder surgery, she had her gall bladder out so she is accepting of that. The thing that really ticks me off about the entire thing is WHY do I have to ask myself these questions about who would be accepting and who would not. I'm so tired of my weight being the topic of conversation for people. I'm sure the haters will all whisper "she had to have surgery, she has no control"

I've always managed to get to, or close to, the 60gr my program recommends. To go over by that much is a first. I'm going to try to keep it up. Maybe it'll help me keep up my steady weight loss through the winter. I would love to see a single digit size by the time it gets warm again. :-)

Hi Sherri, First, there is NO dumping syndrome with banding. Our anatomy and digestive processed are not altered, so there is no way anything like that could occur. There are certainly foods that people have trouble tolerating for one reason or another, and one thing I've found is that with weight loss I'm more sensitive to the ingredients in things (such as caffeine, and especially the MSG in Chinese food). I've just had to cut down a little. It is NOT the same thing as dumping syndrome. As for slippage, usually the symptoms are a dramatic change in restriction. Slippage can be severe or slight, and sometimes a slight slippage has no detectable symptoms. But a severe slippage can make it impossible to eat or drink, or can cause serious reflux. When that happens, the first line of defense is an unfill, which can sometimes fix the problem completely.

Never thought I would need advice on underwear! I have really not been able to find underwear that are comfortable after my weight loss. I need to get something new since they are now way too big. My problem is I need something that will be sort of supporting to the hanging skin in my lower abdomen but aren't super thick. I am in Texas so it is still going to be hot for awhile. I have a support panty I wear over my undies with certain clothes but it gets crazy hot with the layers. I am lucky to not have a large apron but I still have enough of one you can see it in certain clothes. Can anyone recommend a good brand? Appreciate any suggestions!

hi king what a great loss - you are really close to being in the famous onederland club. congrats - and see you around the Water cooler. best kathy

I have been thinking of getting the lap band for a few years. I finally made an appointment and my first visit is at the end of june. Ever since I made the appointment I have been really nervous and confused. One minute I am like this is crazy, its too drastic. What if I run into problems or die??? I can do this on my own! Then the next minute I am like if you could do it on your own you already would be thin and healthy. I don't know why I can't just eat healthy and move more? Will the lap- band be the tool I need? I think I am scared of losing control of what I can and cant eat. I only drink soda,coffee,and very little water. I have to drink while I eat. What if I wanted a beer, can you have a drink? I know that sounds foolish, especially since I rarely ever do, but I think it's the loss of having the choice to have one if I wanted too. I know I need to do something really soon. I have alot of health issues. I even had back surgery 1 1/2 yrs ago and until just recently I was feeling great. I have been on and off steriods for asthma for a year and have gained almost 30lbs this yr and my body cant handle it anymore. I am just afraid of making things worse if something goes wrong with the lap band surgery. I am also afraid of things getting worse if I don't have the surgery. I feel better knowing that some of you have experienced the same feelings and that I am not alone. I look forward to reading more posts of how the initial fear turns into hope and inspiration after surgery. I wish you all the best in your journey to good health

2 1/2 weeks later.. my NSV(non scale victory) is I am down 2 guchies sizes (for you non Western Pennsylvania people, that means underwear, and it is an actual word). :bananajump: Also.. do you celebrate your highest weight loss or what you weighed right before surgery or BOTH?? From when I started this journey 8 months ago, I am down 39lbs.. Since my surgery I am down 25lbs...:thumbsup:

I didn't know what forum to put this post under....I just wanted to know if anyone else had used the Ardyss Body Magic? I have been wearing mine since March as my weight loss was stalled - and it totally helped me get moving again...and literally has reshaped my body in the process. I wouldn't believe it had I not experienced it myself. :thumbup: So I was just wondering if anyone else had tried it - it is pricey (as a distributor I get mine cheaper than the retail) but I am finding it well worth the investment. I have lost 15 lbs and 6 inches wearing mine - I am on my fourth smaller size now. Just wanted to know if others who have had surgery have similar results....as I get asked about that a lot. I just started wearing the Angel bra, too...am hoping it reshapes the side fat into my chest as it promises! Anyone else have results with it? I just like to hear real people stories, you know? It is very encouraging! Now if I can find a surefire answer to these grandma wings I am sporting thanks to my weight loss..... Thanks for your input! Kim

I'm there with ya on the hair loss- its really scary and what is gelaten 20?

I don't know that there is a typical duration. Our bodies are so different and constantly changing through this process that there is no really predictable rate of weight loss. You may notice rapid physical changes when the scale isn't moving. Just follow your plan and stay off the scale if it is driving you crazy. http://BariatricPal.com/index.php?/topic/351046-Embrace-the-Stall

Sorry if this is a little bit long, but for me it was all part of the process..... I had never considered weight loss surgery. Even though my BMI qualified me, I never thought I was "fat enough" and I also thought I had to do it by myself. Then around New Year's I started having hip pain, and after going through a lot of exams, tests, cortisone shot, etc., it was finally discovered I had an injury to my hip, on top of arthritis, and that I needed arthroscopic surgery to repair the injury. When I finally got in to see the surgeon, he was quite blunt. He told me I was too fat for arthroscopic surgery. That the tools he had to use wouldn't reach through all the fat on my thighs to get to the injury. He also said my hip was in worse shape than originally thought and I was probably looking at needing a total hip replacement, but that he would not perform that surgery on me at my current weight. He explained that I'm young for a hip replacement and chances are it would need to be replaced again in my lifetime - and the heavier I am, the faster I would wear it out. Also the riskier the surgery would be and the more difficult my recovery. He said "I strongly suggest you look into weight loss surgery". I cannot tell you how shocked and stunned I was. And humiliated. At first, I thought "I'm not going to tell anyone". Then I realized... they all know I'm fat. In the end I told all of my co-workers, my boss, my HR person -- they were all SO excited and happy for me and so supportive, I am truly fortunate. My family is equally as supportive. My insurance specifically excludes coverage for weight loss surgery so I started the arrangements for a loan against my 401K. I also started the sleep study process in motion because I knew that would take awhile and I knew a weight loss doctor would require it (the hip surgeon was going to require it too). I started my surgery research. I went to a support group meeting at a local hospital, then a seminar put on by the surgeon I eventually ended up choosing. I was all over the internet reading diaries and blogs of weight loss patients, and watching You Tube video diaries, and I watched the surgery being performed on You Tube. I went back and forth for awhile between bypass and lap band, but being self-pay, I decided bypass was more than I could afford to spend, and I couldn't afford the higher risk of post-surgery complications. It was mid-March when my hip surgeon recommended I look into weight loss surgery. I had just missed the March support group meeting and seminar, so I had to wait until April for them. In the meantime I got the sleep study done. My appointments with the surgeon, nutritionist and psychiatrist were May 1st and 2nd. My surgery was May 15th. I still have the hip surgery ahead of me, and in the meantime I live with constant pain, but it has gotten a little more bearable since I've lost 30 pounds and I'm really hopeful that the more weight I lose, the more the pain will diminish and maybe I can postpone the hip replacement, or possibly even get by just with the arthroscopic surgery for now.

It doesnt stress me at all, its habit more than anything. Firstly, I'm realistic. I dont expect my weight not to fluctuate by a pound or two now and then. I expect to weigh a bit more at night. I expect to gain a bit around period time. I expected plateaus during the loss and didnt worry about those either. I cant understand how people truly think their weight is going to go down by equal increments each and every week. If I get on the scales and I'm as light as possible, I feel buoyed to continue the good work. If I get on the scale and its up a pound or two, I dont get depressed, I just know to put a lid on it now before it gets away from me. Either way, it motivates me. When I've eaten badly and see the scale up, I know to get back with the program. When i've eaten badly and the scale DOESNT go up it helps me realise that nobody eats perfectly and in the scale of life, if you're good 90% of the time, your weight is going to be fine! One thing I've NEVER seen is a 5lb gain, lol. I've never gotten a fright because I keep a eagle eye on my weight and manage it on a day to day basis. Its win win if you ask me. It just depends how you look at it.

The following comment is based solely on my own personal experience with the sleeve. I feel for you. But my concern is that at your current weight I don't see how you wouldn't wind up with the sleeve post-op becoming terribly underweight. I'm 13 months post-op and have lost 95 pounds and am now below my goal and trying to stay here without losing more weight. The sleeve really, really limits how much you can eat at one time. And when you're "done," you can't just put on the weight loss skids when you want to. It has taken me 5 months since reaching my weight loss to get to the point where I can regularly eat 1600 - 1700 calories a day, which is my maintenance calorie budget. And getting here took significant planning and snacking (not grazing!). In the meantime, I've lost another 10 pounds -- which, as it turns out, I like sitting at. And then there's this: If you're one of the unlucky ones who has a WLS complication of some kind you won't have a big overweight buffer to tide you over while your body recovers from the complication. These are the obvious reasons that surgeons don't do RnY or sleeve or other permanent WLS on patients who aren't already very overweight or obese.

Most women lose their hair and there is almost nothing you can do about it. I bought the Nioxin and the Biotin. Neither worked. My hair just kept falling out and falling out. But, thankfully it stopped after a few months of it falling out. My surgeon told us it is our hormones that cause the hair loss. He said it rarely happens to the men in his practice. They think it is actually our body shedding the hormones stored in our fat cells. He compared it to post pregnancy. A lot of women lose their hair after having a baby due to a hormonal change. You can try the Nioxin and Biotin. I think I wasted my money. I do take Biotin now to help with the regrowth though. I do notice a difference in my nails, they are stronger.

Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Banding- Achieving Permant Weight Loss with Minimally Invasive Surgery you can order thru Amazon.com I believe

i have been averaging 9 lb loss the past 3 months, but the 4th month i only lost 5 i am hoping to get it back up there. But i guess it does happen!!

My surgeon has a swimmer's build. I wouldn't trust a fat doctor no less a weight loss surgeon. Maybe it's a personal failing of mine, but I feel like people need to look the part. Mine was Dr. Menish Parikh in Bellevue Hospital in NYC--I haven't seen anyone else on here who went to him.

I was sleeved 2/20/2019. Nearing the one year mark! Obviously the weight loss has slowed down but I'm curious if anyone is still losing this far out? I started at 273 on the day of surgery and have gotten down to 181 but have been here for a couple months.