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My hubby is also going through the steps to get the surgery. I'm shocked how in less than a year the requirments have changed. My husband had to go through 6 dietician sessions, I did 2. He just saw the phychiatrist (i know I spelled that wrong) yesterday. Now once he gets all the documents together they will submit them to our insurance for approval to see the doctor. Starting your diet is so hard, I know, but I promise the sooner you start doing it the better. Don't be naive to think that you will be able to follow the plan that you will be following after surgery, its imposssible. I tried and there was no way I could eat that little. I started with cutting out sweets, breads, and snacking. I focussed on 3 healthy meals and it really worked for me. I was asked to lose 10-15 pounds prior to surgery and lost 22 pounds. It was hard, but if you work it you can do it. I wish you all the best and hope that your time goes by fast. Keep my updated on your progress. Good luck.

oh dang you better make sure you do lower it..That would not be good if it did not get to happen..Well I started the slim fast and its not that bad as long as i use a straw that was i cant tast it..Yeah I figured out how to do it last night when I was at work.

i never expected to lose weight this fast...i was excited to hear i may lose 100 pounds in a year....for it to happen this fast...is shocking to me 2....lol...i would've done flips with ur results...not to mention u look like barbie!!!!!!!!!!!!

I was banded Sept of 2008. I'm down 78 lbs so far. I feel so much better but I'm losing everywhere fast except my stomach. I'm losing there too but very slowly! How long have you been banded? You look great!

Thank you and your welcome . hope your dr. appt went well . and if your scale is not accurate then im sure you lost more . lol funny you say you have never owned a scale . i have not either untill i stated this . helps me be more aware of where i am . crazy how fast you can gain but its so much more workk to lose it =( . take care and look forward to tlking .

hey lauren,

things are still going good. im down to 243 so another 3 pounds and ill be done.lolthe only problem i have is that the weight is comming off pretty fast but i cant see my doc til the 30th. maintaining has always been a huge issue for me. but i figure as long as i stay on liquids it shouldnt be hard.how are you doing? how much weight have youlost so far?

p.s. i hate slimfast.lol

wow...I was banded on April 13th 2009... and so far I've only lost 27lbs...how'd you lose 41lbs so fast? Whats ur secret?! Do tell!!!

Hi, One day away. Yaaaahhh Girl. I am thinking about you you must be excited. I know it will go well for you , you are ready! I am about one month away July 20th. I can not believe how fast the time has gone bye. Loved your pictures from your trip. Speedy recovery and keep us in the loop. Best wishes imaluckydog Kathy

Hey your appointment is coming up in a couple of days how are you doing getting those last 2 lbs gone? I have my 2nd surgeon appointment on July 22nd and they will submit my paperwork after that visit. Aetna is usually pretty fast with the approval so we are hoping for an August surgery date. I'll keep you posted.

Hi There

I am a little the same, have been trying to keep myself busy. I have decided its cleaning out the kitchen day tomorrow I cant believe we are almost there to our date 14/5 its come around so fast. How long do you have to be on your pre op diet? What do you have to do in your diet? Im just on 2 Optifast a day and a meal at dinner time. Small peice of protein and some vege or salad. Its not too bad, Its weird to say it but the Chocolate Optifast actually tastes quite nice

I have been feeling really crap the last couple of days, the optifast seems to bound me up pretty bad Its not nice, But at the end of the day its working I have lost quite a bit of weight. If my scales at my gym and the ones at the doctors are the same Ive lost 12kg.....kinda exciting....Im just hoping my liver shrinks enough

But hey like you said WE can do it!!!

Thanks heaps for writing to me that was really nice

Talk soon Trish

Hey there! I was just checkin in to see how your 6 month program is going! I know it's probably frustrating but it will go by so fast! Any word on a date yet for you?

hey miss meliss, no date yet, just an approval from insurance....i dont get to meet with my surgeon til early june, at that time i will schedule...and im sooo happy for your loss u did perfect with ur weight loss, it didnt come off too fast or too slow..it was steady and u look awesome, and so happy!!!

Hey, I've got the same froggy ticker as you...great minds think alike, huh? Lol! I actually didn't mind the slim fast shakes, but having bouillon and smooth varieties of Campbell's soup at hand and/or Lipton Cup-a-soup were also great to break up the monotony. Did your doc say only liquids or only the ones you mentioned? Luckily, I could have any liquids, but if not, then maybe you can mix OJ into vanilla protein shakes (yummy creamsicle). I know ppl have all kinds of protein shake "recipes" on here, it just depends on whether you're allowed to add fruit, juice, strawberry sf syrup, etc. Good luck!

2-day is my 7th month bandiversary and im 120 pounds down!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i cant say enuff good things about the band...yes...i've had to work very hard...yes i had to change the way i eat and view food...yes i have to exercise...is exercising and eating healthy worth looking better...feeling better...wearing a size 10?????????OH YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i didnt need much conveincing...i was 296 pounds...double chin...fat face...i was disgusted with myself...i was convinced anything was better than living in that huge ...sloppy body...and i'm right!!!!!!!!!!! as far as complications...i consider mine to b the norm...if i eat to fast or dont chew good...yes i will pb...did i lose hair...yes and its now growing back...when ur morbidly obese there r far more complications!!!!!!!!!!

Hey I cant wait till then. I am on 5 Slim Fast High Protein a day and then a 200 calorie meal at night for 2 weeks b4. Let me tell you they are not good all or I dont like them. I got one to try today and its nasty but its only for two weeks I can do it..I am so excited so I think I will b able to handle it..Where are you having yours done..did your dr tell you how much you could lose in a year bc mine was not very informative about that he just said about half ur extra weight but everyone i have seen has lost more so i was just wondering what yours said

Soreness pretty much completely gone except if I bend the wrong way or the kids get too rough. On full liquids and some soft foods but I feel like I'm hungry every 2 hours sometimes. I hope this passes fast.

I had my first fill yesterday...funny how you get used to eating a certain way and that refill puts a whoopin' on you if you eat the wrong thing or too fast...OUCH!!

I had my band place in on 9/12 and today is exactly 2 weeks I am on muchie foods and still feel pain when I Bend down so far from 203 I am down to 190.5 dont know if it is enough but i dont feel hunger just some cravings and get full fast with pain.. I havent had 1 fill in yet my Dr said she doesnt beleive in fill in day of banding have an appointment with her on OCt maybe then she could give me a fill ..

Day 3 post op is a lot better. I'm not as gassy as I've been walking to keep the gas down. I also got some Maalox to help me a long the way. My primary pain is around my port area. I have also had some shoulder pain for which I believe I may have drink too fast.

The band is most definitely worth it. I've always been overweight & had been able to lose up to like 60lb but then just gain it all back. The weightloss in the beginning was very fast & but didn't seem that dramatic. Now that I'm down & losing like 5-10lb a month, I'm seeing more results. But yeah, I think the band is more than worth it.

hi cometchaser - i'm sorry i didn't see this message. probably by now you've gotten some answers... my surgeon required pre-weight loss ( a % of body weight i think) to shrink my liver - so that she could move it more easily during surgery. i've heard this is very common and that most surgeons require this step.

it was extremely frustrating for me because it took me 8 months to lose 6 lbs - and i had to lose 10. i had to change to another program with a different surgeon that offerred optifast before surgery (medical fast where you drink their protein shakes and protein bars only and i did that and lost the pre-surgery weight finally). took me 3 years to get the surgery because i changed programs. but i had it on 6/10/08 and it is going very well! stick with it - it's so worth it!!!!!!

Thanks for the reply and no problem on no advice and asking a question to my question...I am happy to help anyone...overall I would say this has been gradual - the pain in my back has occurred and I also wake in the night from reflux and choking on the acid that would creep up while sleeping (which is very dangerous and you should tell your doctor right away) I have been sleeping with my bed elevated now and using prilosec twice daily and has made a huge improvement. My symptoms of vomiting and having the chest pressure have been with me since I have been banded, sometimes worse than others - I have had difficulty with slowing down while eating and chewing enough and that has led to where I am today i think because honestly my band has always been tight enough since surgery 2 years ago. The doctor stated after my surgery he was able to place the smaller band and I think that is why my restriction has been fine without having fills-however the vomiting of when I eat too fast or do not chew enough has probably caused the slip/prolapse - the upper GI is what was conclusive that my band needs to be moved or replaced my surgeon is replacing - looking at upper GI that is the best option. However, what concerns me is the stomach pain you are having - I think you should go to the doctor ASAP because my surgeon told me if I should have pain between now and the scheduled revision surgery I should go to the ER and they can do the surgery right away if necessary. I don't want to scare you but don't let it go. Hope this helped you somewhat.

I havent been on this website for a long time, I got my band last June 12, so its been a few days over a year. I am one of the failures, I have gained 8 lbs this year, I have just given up and feel like I was just grasping for a last ditch effort to lose this weight. I am 295 and I am only 5'2''

I have gotten "skinny" 3 times in my life (53 years old) and each time slowly gained it back, I read all there was about the lap band but I realise now that I never really heard what people were telling me about it just being a tool and I had to follow certain rules, I was really counting on this thing to do it for me. I have what I consider to be a major and chronic sugar addiction, never have I ever been able to eat small portions when it comes to sweets, it is major binge or abstain.

I have had a very difficult time with getting the proper fill and I still dont know if it is right. I have the vg band which takes up to 10 cc's, I have had

7 or 8 fills and am now up to 7.2. I do have restriction but I definetly do not have to chew my food untill it is liquid like I read in one of your articles. I do have to eat slower but usually just in the begining of a meal, after I take 4 to 5 bites the food usually just kind of sits there and will not allow me to have any more bites for about 5 minuets then I can feel the food go through my band and I can then eat with out that happening to much again unless I eat to fast. I PB occationally but I know that is because I am eating to fast or two big of bites. I have read a few of your articles and have really liked what you have to say. I would love to hear anything anyone has to say because I have basicly given but would love to have faith in this fight again.

After a week scale only moved cause I went on a 2 day liquid fast but today I'm up one pound! I wonder how long I gotta wait to get lapband removed????

Ok.. got things straightened out w/the psychologist...FINALLY!! She is going to submit my eval tomorrow and I will be submitted to insurance. I can't believe it..but I am actually a little nervous. I know it's only insurance, but if it goes through as fast as I'm seeing others go through, this will be the blink of an eye. O well..take it as it comes! Hope you all are in the midst of a fabulous week!