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have u asked ur insurance about covering a panniculectomy???? a panniculectomy and a tummy tuck are 2 different procedures and insurance will usually cover a panni...which is the removal of the excess saggy skin...but there is no pulling of the muscles or tucking...i recently had a panniculectomy and a mini tuck...and so far i'm very happy with the results...exercise may or may not help...due to ur age unfortunately u may not b able to tighten that skin up with exercise...i exercise my butt off and it made no difference when it came to the saggy skin...it had to be surgically removed...do not b discouraged from exercising...bcuz it has done wonders with other other parts of my body and does increase loss and inches...but truth be told for SOME people u can exercise till ur blue in the face...that saggy skin is going to stay saggy...i have pics posted of what my panniculectomy and mini tuck look like..if ur interested...

I got banded in September and my hair was falling out like crazy. I started taking Bioten (u can get it at GNC or a vitamin store) it seems to be helping..

I have had good restriction before but now since I have had an unfill and been slowly refilled my restriction isn't there. Its close, but not quite where it was before. I can't explain it but feel like I wasn't where I was before my unfill. I am a bit weary as I had a prolapse before from being too tight. Just wondering what to do. Last fill I had was last Monday. I still work out 4-5 times a week for 2 hours a time, and still maintaining my weight with no loss since last fill.

I had my surgery on the 9th of May, and on the 23rd, I started eating soft foods. I had avacado, and even had a TINY slice of pizza with thin, crackery crust. The next night I had (gasp) liver and mashed potatoes with gravy. I just ate very carefully, and picked out all of the fibrous bits, chewing to an almost liquid pulp. This made me feel SOO much better, physically, as well as emotionally. I had my surgery in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, and the instructions were a little sketchy. I was worried about everything I did until I found a great set of post-op instructions online with EXPLANATIONS about what to do and WHY. Things like the 'no drinking' rule. I was told to NEVER drink with my meals, or for 30 minutes before or after. I read in a few places that this was because I would stretch my stomach out and render my surgery pointless. Harsh. The PDF I downloaded explained that this was not the reason, but the purpose for not drinking before was so your meal would comfortably fit, and not drinking after was to hold the 'full' feeling as long as possible. Makes sense, now. This made my life so much easier, as I stopped feeling guilty about everything I put in my mouth. And if I REALLY need to wash my mouth out with a little water to clear lingering taste, I can take a sip and swallow without blowing a gasket. I also learned the importance of protein and fluids, and that (THANK HEAVEN) i don't necessarily have to combine the two. I purchased a protein powder that I sprinkle on my food, and can actually enjoy the taste of the 2 liters!! of fluid a day I need to drink. I LOVE my 1liter smartwater bottle, filled 2x/day with sugar free hawaiian punch! I take 3 Flintstones gummies and 2 Viactive chocolate chews for dessert and skip the nasty liquid vitamins, protein drinks/shakes... I am a wild child and eat a scrambled egg for breakfast with 1/2 slice of 2% American cheese melted wickedly on it. For lunch, I even ate garlic mashed potatoes with protein powder sprinkled on them! When my family had a cookout this weekend, I grilled a portobello mushroom beside their hamburgers and dipped it in (gasp) cheese dip with a few slices of avacado! I have a few basic rules I follow. 1. keep it low/no fat. 2. no more than 1/2 cup 3. drink the 64 oz. of fluid 4. 60 grams protein powder 5. keep meats tender, and don't eat the kind that swell as you chew. This will continue once you swallow, and that ain't good. 6. move your butt 7. avoid skins, seeds, and fibrous bits... spice is ok in moderation, just no pepper seeds! 8. Don't do it if it hurts! (food) I don't eat lettuce or uncooked veggies, either. But a little cooked spinach is great. 9. ONLY EAT IT IF IT TASTES GOOD! This pirate attitude toward the rules has helped me achieve a 30lb loss in less than a month, the ability to be happy with my decision and NOT feel deprived when eating with family and friends, the descent from a size 20 to a 14/16 in less than a month, and a perma-grin plastered to my face! BOTTOM LINE. Don't sweat the small stuff. And don't be miserable. Lose the guilt and find a way to enjoy living your new life.

It came as no surprise to me today that my most recent bone density test showed that I had osteoporosis because two years ago I had osteopenia. Mostly this is due to my breast cancer meds which are anti-estrogen and hard on the bones. My weight loss hasn't helped either. Has anyone gone on Boniva, Fosomax or Actenol? And if so, are the pills hard to tolerate with the band? I don't have very tight restriction and haven't had any problems with pills. I just joined a gym and started weight bearing exercises to add to my aerobic exercising. Hope that will help. Thanks.

I love the weight loss, but between the wrinkles on my face, the hanging skin and my boobs looking like what I image a 90 year old's boob would look like this is getting a little gross!:sad: I have lost a cup size and that does not make me happy! Hubby liked the fun bags! (he is banded also so he is very understanding even though no excess skin on him...urrrrrrrrrrrrrrr:angry:) How is everyone else doing with this! I have about 100 pounds to go so I can't even image how much worse this is going to get and I never realized how the excess weight kept my face unwrinkled... What are you all doing to fight back! One thing I realize is I now understand why people have plastic surgery... I figure I will need about 30K worth to make me happy when this is all done:thumbup: Chime in... I would love to hear all my sista's stories so I no I am not alone in this irony of losing weight feeling great and the flip side of what the hell is happening to my body! :wub:

I know MANY women who have WLS suffer from PCOS, I am only 3.5 weeks out so idk if my cycle has/will regulate but did anyone else have excess hair growth from PCOS and if so, did that stop, & when???

POST BARIATRIC SURGERY supplements FACT SHEET TALK WITH YOUR PROVIDER, PHARMACIST, OR DIETICIAN ABOUT THE AMOUNTS OF Vitamins, MINERALS AND Calcium THAT ARE RIGHT FOR YOU. For balanced nutrition, healthy weight loss and malnutrition prevention, you MUST follow a diet that meets these requirements: Calorie Intake 1200 or more calories/day Protein Intake 75 gm or more/day Water Intake minimum 64 oz daily Multivitamins and Mineral Supplements 2 Celebrate complete daily Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) stop Vitamin B12 1000 mcg sublingual 3 times/week Iron 15-20 mg/day (Give separately if not already contained in the Multivitamin and mineral supplement.) Calcium 1000 mg/day (calcium pills + calcium in multivitamin supplements) >>preferably in calcium citrate >>in divided doses >> not to exceed a total of 2500 mg/day in food and pills Vitamin D 1000 units/day (including Vitamin D in the multivitamin, mineral and calcium pills) >>not to exceed 1400 units/day in the pills

Thanks for all of the great replies! @Serendipity: Wow! That sounds like it was a horrible experience! I hope you haven't had any troubles since! I hope that if this continues, they won't make me wait to address it! I would rather have it out and move on with my weight loss! Thanks again!

ive lost 125 pounds since sugury june 5th and am more depressed then ive ever been i really need a friend that understands me... but am happy in so many ways i mean to go from 465 too 340 so fast feels awesome only 80 more to go

Congrats on your weight loss!! I hope I can see some results like that! Still pre-op here, but I've read a lot about how your hormones fluctuate while you are losing weight. Some people experience issues with their short term memory, some have a hard time concentrating, and other get depressed. It's totally normal and should hopefully balance itself out when you lose the weight. It's worth discussing with your doctor. A therapist could help with all the stress in your life and the changes going on because of surgery/weight loss, and your MD might put you on a mild anti-depressant. I'd take advantage of both, if you can. But if you can't do counseling or aren't interested, I think a mild anti-depressant for a short term use is your best bet. Meds don't make the problem go away, but it does help with the emotions. In the meantime, try to spend time with people who make you happy. And the boards are here to lend an ear, and you're welcome to PM me if you need someone to talk to. It will get better. It's up to you if you want to wait it out or get help. Good luck, focus on taking care of you right now.

Welcome and congrats on the weight loss! It's a new journey for us all but this website has lots of helpful advice as well as great encouragement.

Well, as the title says I'm about 21 months out and now starting to gain. I got down to 143 (my goal was 130, but I was comfortable in the 140s). I'm now back up to 155. Over the past year, I've also developed a bruising issue and have multiple bruises on my arms and legs, mostly on the left side; random but moderate/severe aches & pains; brain fog; severe fatigue, and other idiopathic symptoms. I have a physical scheduled for mid-June, but I'm wondering if any of these things are common after surgery. As for my weight gain, nothing has really changed. I still eat very clean, limit myself to two low-sugar/low-calorie alcoholic beverages a week, and really try to take care of myself. With the aches, pains & fatigue, I'm finding it difficult to keep up with working out, but to be honest, I probably wasn't working out as much as I should be anyway. Mostly walking & biking. I'm also at the age where hormones are likely changing (I'll be 50 in two months). Any idea what might be going on or how to restart the weight loss? Thanks.

Our starting stats are similar. I also CrossFit, and swim. I lose about 5 pounds per month at this point, punctuated by longish stalls. In February I increased my calories to 1200 per day and I eat up to that when I have a big workout. It knocked me out of a longer stall at that point. Even though my weight loss is not what some would consider impressive (which, incidentally, doesn't bother me overmuch because comparisons are kind of pointless) I have also been keeping track of my measurements. I was a tight 16W or 18 when this started, and I am wearing a 12 or a loose 14 now. The difference is becoming quite noticeable. I'd keep at it. I think we all have little catchphrases like "I didn't get this surgery to…" but the fact is, you got the surgery to turn your life and health around. It's a long term game, not a short term one. You're doing the right things and the weight will follow. Maybe not at the rate you want it to, but it will.

In educating myself about Weight Loss Surgery...i just thought I would let you know of this book especially for Aussies... "The Gastric Sleeve Guide" by Trudy Williams available only through her website: http://www.foodtalk.com.au/contents/en-us/p66_The_Gastric_Sleeve_Guide_food_nutrition_lifestyle.html I also recommend these books: "The Big Book on the Gastric Sleeve" by Alex Brecher & Natalie Stein "The Emotional First + Aid Kit" (A Practical Guide to Life After Bariatric Surgery) by Cynthia L Alexander ...available at online bookshops and also www.amazon.com and as kindle books. DizzyLizzie Pre Op VSG 121.5 kg (267.86lbs) BMI 41.1 2015 My Life Change

You might be pleasently surprised after your surgery to find that there were hormonal factors driving your food addiction and they are largely corrected by the removal of the portion of your stomach that secrets gherlin. Many of us have very little interest in food post surgery and find our appetite and food cravings have dropped way back. The more behavorial changes you can make prior to surgery, the easier the time you will have dealing with your new eating habits. My new addiction is for physical activity.I keep exploring new forms of exercise. When I am angry or upset, good vigorous exercise seems to be a better "cure" than food. I am like a kid in a candy store when it comes to exploring what I can now do phyisically that I couldn't before. How often are you exercising? See if your team will help you develop an exercise routine pre-surgery. Mine had me exercise 4 times a week. I already did the eliptical and strength training but they had me add swimming 2X a week. It was a huge challenge, but now I am skiing, snowshoeing, training for a 5k and just signed up for an unlimited 2 weeks of yoga. Focus on your non-weight loss goals for post surgery. Shop in regular size departments, travel on a bus or plane and be able to fit in a seat. Focus on what you are giving yourself and others by the gift of a second chance on your health, rather than on what you are giving up.

Read this article, it explains what is happening to your body. http://www.dsfacts.com/weight-loss-stall-or-plateau.html

People have choices. There are stories of both gastric bypass and lap banded people failing to lose substantial weight. On the other hand there are many stories of great weight loss by people going with either procedure.

Thank you both. I spoke to a relative regarding the bruising - he's a retired oncologist and hematologist. He thinks it's likely a vitamin K deficiency, but also suggested bloodwork, which I fully intend to request during my physical. He also asked if I take Ibuprofen on a regular basis (which I do due to the aches & pains) and he said that could cause it as well. Hoping that's all it is. As for the brain fog, memory loss, and mood swings, I totally agree that it could be hormones. My biggest concern though is the weight gain. I've worked so hard to get where I am...I got on the scale this morning and I'm up another .5#. I just want to cry.

I know a few people that got gastric bypass and tried desperatly to get me to do that...even my doctor. I said hell no...they arnt rearranging my body!! I want to eat what I want and if it comes off slow...so be it. They would spout off about the quick weight loss...I know this person...I know that person...blah blah blah. Now the two people I know who had gastric bypass surgery this summer close to me are struggling to not eat so much. Now they see me and another freind and keep saying they wish they got the band. I feel bad for them but I tried to tell them I have seen too many people stretch it back out and that were fat again. I LOVE the option of getting a fill when I need it. And I really love the fact that my body works the same as it did before surgery:wink2:

It is funny but I never use the word stall...I use the word rest!..body at rest.... I never experienced one stall so far or gain either...2 reasons. I don't weigh myself that much only every 1 or 2 months...As I hit goal I will have to switch it up to once a week to keep track better. But for now...nope! I believe that the body is a magnificent machine and will protect itself from invaders and extreme circumstances.. like illness. it goes into shut down when something drastic happens to it out of the ordinary...Reserves its strength and restarts the regular flow of life when it feels safe... Our body's are like a huge city. Everything works because it is in unison. One thing is connected to the other..When something changes that, it takes defensive action and grinds to a halt.... Once it realizes that things are okay and it is being fed and all is well it starts up again...And lets that change happen until next time it is threatened.... Isn't the body amazing!!!!!!!!!!! I think so... First it made do with the extra weight that we constantly put on it and adjusted so we could carry it and live with it and keep moving..Mind you not at full capacity but it held its own... Not until it could not take it anymore did it do the same thing... Shut down our metabolism and went into protecting itself.... Don't worry about these rest periods..once your body feels safe it will start the engines again and travel forward with weight loss until it feels threatened again... Incredible isn't it that we are made this way!!!!

Thanks Denisemic - good to know it's normal to have slow weight loss... I am the same expected rapid weight loss but that was based on things I heard ...

I am a male so Really do not care if i loose my hair = plus i had gradual hair loss due to age first. But what i can tell you is my female friends who had the surgery before me went thru this stage and it stopped and grew back. or be like me and Shave your head and loose weight and get asked if you have cancer every day! It will pass i have two friends that were sleeved and made it thru this phase.

My hair started falling out (ALOT) around the 3 month mark, and I think it probably stopped at the 7 month mark (about the time that I stopped losing weight on purpose). I lost quite a bit. Cut my hair super short pixie when it started to try to minimize the visible scalp look. Started to notice the sprouting of little itty bitty chicken hairs around month 10. I'm 1.5 years post op now, and I've got a TON of these chicken hairs all over my head, and they are about 3-4 -ish inches long now and still stick up when I don't style my hair, so it looks pretty funny. But I'll take em. Once they grow long enough to lay flat I will probably look close to normal again...though I dunno if I want to grow it back to the length it was before...we'll see.

I am not experiencing this but wanted to say I’m sorry you are struggling and glad to hear that you are getting treatment. May I ask, are you post weight loss surgery? Was this a new development after the surgery?? If not, do you feel like they just missed it during the psych evaluation or did you hide it well. I am post surgery and suffer from emotional eating and they missed it on the psyc evaluation so I am currently seeing a specialist (racing the clock getting help before my tool stops working). i just wonder how often these things are missed during the screening? It doesn’t seem to be at all standardized because the first place I called said that I needed to be there an hour early to take written tests and I found another that could get me in sooner and I didn’t do any written tests. Maybe the tests would have caught it? Anyways, i hope you find someone who is in your same situation and wish you the best of luck in your treatment.