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Has anyone used Alabama Weight Loss Surgery in Birmingham, AL with Dr. Miles and Dr. Schmitt?

After my initial meeting with my surgeon, he set a weight loss goal for me of 10 pounds, I think because they want to see that I am trying to change my habits before surgery. I went to the NUT at my surgeon's office and she has been amazing. We are slowly removing sugar and Diet Coke from my diet and adding Protein and Water. This is to get me ready for the surgery. Ask the surgeon for a NUT recommendation, it is likely they work closely with one or two. I would follow either the surgeon or the NUT that is recommended diet as they will be the experts when it comes to bariatric surgery. Also, it sucks that your PCP isn't on board. Mine is very supportive, which I think will ultimately help with long-term success. I hope everything works out for you!

Over the years I drank Cokes and later Diet Cokes. One of the requirements after surgery is to cut out all carbonated beverages and caffeine. I decided to implement this change when I entered the medically monitored diet and exercise program in order to qualify for surgery. That change alone caused me to drop 20 pounds. I believe the carbonation was the cause of the weight loss. Carbonation is like producing microscopic explosions in the stomach which causes it to expand. The larger the stomach, the more food you can eat and as a result the more weight one gains. This also turned out to be a good change because I suffered from withdrawal syndrome when I went cold turkey on a 6 coke a day habit. So it is important to flush your body from caffeine early because you don't want to go through these withdrawal syndrome combining it with the effects of the operation. The other thing I did pre-op was to become more conscientious about my calorie intake. I looked at the calories of everything I ate and changed my diet. I no longer ate ice cream or milk shakes. No more pizza. But Taco Bell tacos were O.K.

3 lbs in a week is normal healthy loss. In my opinion, expecting a loss of 7-14 lbs a week is setting yourself up for disappointment.

Cigna does not require weight loss for alproval, so you should be fine!

Many of teens and young guy face the acne problems. The main cause of their embarrassment and stress comes from these problems. It is just comes from eating junk or oily foods which breaks the nutrition balance from our body so your body need the right nutrition in right quantity. Don’t worry, because if the problem comes then solution is also come with the problem. Here is some useful tips, may be these are helpful for acne remedy. Honey mask is very effective for your acne because it has antibacterial properties so it fight with the harmful bacteria and help to acne cures. Wash your face at least three times in a day with the acne soap (sulfur base soap). Don’t wash more time because it increases the ration of your acne. Try to keep hair off from your face because your hair contains any kind of oil, which is not good for acne. These are some useful acne remedies, if you obeying these rules than surely you will get the clean face. Your skin depends on the nutrition if our nutrition is right then we will be free form any kind of disease. Nutrition gives the power that our body fights with harmful bacteria if our power is not strong than we will surround by many kind of disease so take proper nutrition. Excess of anything is not good first of all take advise from the doc.carrots is also a effective treatment for acne because it contain vitamin-a. It helps to repair the tissues of our skin. Don’t forget about your pillows and try to wash the pillows everyday. So try to take healthy and full of nutrition foods. beware of any kind of junk foods.thus,you can say bye bye acne.

My day is June 2nd and I've started my pre-op diet as Well. I am taking biotin for just in case. I haven't had an hair loss yet. I'm having the surgery for Bile reflux but Also for weight loss but I can't tolerate the protein shakes. Idk what else I can do.

The feelings are perfectly normal. I keep waiting for the loss to stop. I probably won't believe it until I am at goal. Sounds like you are ready that it is just the waiting to get going...you will do great! Hang in there and soon you will be on the other side and losing those pounds! Don't worry if others notice so much as you will see it and you will feel so much better!

When I had that first intake class (group setting class) we were given a check off list and told we could start on that and we couldn't see the Nut until we seen surgeon I guess all weight loss center have different protocol

Oh Heels! I ruined my feet when I taught in them on a daily basis, so I'm please to see someone else can enjoy them after weight loss. I have a pair of flats that I wore for a couple hours without having to take them off!! LOL!

I am not an expert on the topic, but one of my last ditch efforts before the sleeve, I went to an eating disorder clinic. I was not diagnosed with an eating disorder (binge, bulimia etc) but rather disordered eating. I think there is a difference. The sleeve, and the 2 year support program I entered via my surgeon was essentially a chance to hit the "reset" button and I have had good results, maintaining my weight loss for 3 years now. I think it would be really important to talk to an expert in eating disorders as I am not sure how you will experience such restriction to eating. And, over time, with some effort (ha) people do regain weight post WLS and we all want to have the best odds of long term success.

I know quite well what you're talking about. Despite and because of that, I shall not coddle you. Digging for some reality seems more the thing. The common wisdom is that people don't fear failure; we don't fear the familiar. It's fear of the unfamiliar that makes us break out in hives. What do you think the unfamiliar might be in context of what you've said? A week's fast on water? That's not too masochistic. What does it mean to "re-set my body?" It sounds like an orthopedics procedure. If you can't stick to a diet and exercise program, it's likely that you're not ready for surgery. The procedure isn't magic. Losing and maintaining weight loss is a matter of your doing the work. If during the psych eval you tell the psychologist that you can't stick to a program and want to rely on surgery for a cure, you will not be approved. A major part of getting approval is being able to say truthfully that you understand that. There is no magic in weight loss. Never make that mistake. You'll go through surgery and remain as you are or perhaps even continue to gain weight. Approval depends in large part in demonstrating that you're expectations are realistic and that you are capable of understanding and following doctor's/RD's/NP's and whomever else's instructions. "What if,"what if," "what if." Waste of time. Anxiety will see you locking yourself into a closet. One thing at a time. Tormenting yourself is not permitted on my watch. Do you really think you need a therapist? Why ever would you say such a thing? From my perspective and my own experience, I'll venture a guess that you sure do. There, too, the work is yours to do. The benefit can be invaluable in helping you sort out lots of things that need sorting out, the emotional and psychological as well as the pragmatic. Try sitting down with paper and pen. Real paper and pen, which I think will connect you more closely to the task. The task is to write down what you want. Not what you think you need or what you think you "have" to do. With very few exceptions, no one "needs to" anything. What matters is what one "wants to (fill in the blank)." Really wants. Make a list of what you want in broad terms, not only about losing weight. Then work on a list of all the reasons you want to lose weight and other goals. Keep them very specific. Example: "I want to be healthy" is far an excellent reason, but too broad for this exercise. Break it down into what you want to change, listing each health concern separately. You'll learn more, e.g., your values, priorities, et al., about yourself that you may have known. Lots of good information to have. Start by writing the things that come to mind immediately. You don't have to sit for hours until you think you have a complete list. Add things as they occur to you. You'll keep those lists because, when you do begin your journey, you'll still use them. As you accomplish each goal, you'll check it off. As new goals and desires occur, you'll add them to the list. Nothing is to unimportant or silly to go on the list. In fact, those things that seem small (and, when it comes to making changes, none is small) may be the first you accomplish. Seeing the check marks is a source of energy to stay with it. Bear with me. I don't have time to be brief. I hope I've helped.

Another thing to keep in mind - you may not be losing weight but you may still be losing inches. Measure the following locations and measure them once a week to see the changes (it only takes about 4 minutes to measure all of these spots): Neck Around the chest (widest part) Around the chest (under breast for women) Upper arm (always the same distance from the elbow crease) Forearm (same distance from elbow crease) Wrist Waist (narrowest area) Waist (at belly button) Hips (widest) Hips (at the dip, if you have one) Thigh (same distance from the crotch or back of knee) Calf (same distance from the back of the knee) Ankle You may not notice changes in all areas, but on those weeks where you have no weight loss you will very likely lose a half inch, an inch, or more. One final note - women gain between 5-10 lbs every month due to our cycles, so if you don't lose this week, you may lose a lot next week. If you're tracking you'll see these fluctuations. And even women who are going through menopause or who have gone through menopause will have fluctuations though they'll be a little smaller in the 2-4 lbs range.

I saw the surgeon in a group setting prior to being a candidate, I think twice. Once I was a candidate, I saw him one-on-one, and got further info about what I needed to do, what to expect, and a chance to ask questions. He made a simple physical examination and asked me a few questions about my health, then I sat with the admin and signed a medical records release so I could obtain short term medical leave at my work, and yes, got a surgical date, in my case a little more than 3 weeks out from that visit. This is a very personal decision as it will be a big change, But for me it's a change I know I need to make - I am mainly looking to head off the serious health consequences of obesity, but also want to look and feel better, be able to enjoy more activities like biking and kayaking. I can almost feel the wind in my hair now! Thank you for your response! I'm so ready to have control over my life for the first time l. I've always been overweight, and it sucks. There are so many things that I've wanted to do, but always told myself no because of my weight. Plus, I know now that I don't have any other medical issues along with the weight, but they are bound to come, so why not try to prevent them. Especially since I've almost met my insurance deductible already this year. Sent from my SM-N920P using the BariatricPal App

I had the Lap Band and had to get it removed and revised to a sleeve. I wish I had not wasted so many years with the band but the sleeve didn't exist back then. I would strongly suggest you not go with the band due to the many cases of it being ineffective at weight loss as compared to the sleeve and bypass. If you are self-pay then your lower BMI should not stop you from getting the sleeve. Those BMI requirements are usually tied to insurance approvals. You should get a second opinion.

I think your weight loss is right on track. I agree with the post about varying your calories. That is suppossed to trick your body into burning more fat. Keep up the workouts and it is sure to pay off. Good luck!

I'm willing to bet most on this web site have had similar experiences to yours, I know I have. Going through this weight loss journey seems to be a series of realizations including ones relationship with food. Boredom, anxiety, are familiar reasons to self soothe with food. My own realization was that I often medicated uncomfortable emotions with food and yes, alcohol. I had to find other ways to occupy myself and acknowledge my dependence on food and alcohol. My ha is and dependence were unhealthy for me and causing detrimental effects on my health. It's a good thing when you find healthier replacements. I had to focus on how was I going to prepare for life after surgery and improve how I coped with my emotions by talking about them or dealing with them. This is a great forum for that!

My insurance company requires Five phone calls from the nurse. You talk about eating habits, your pre-op weight loss plan, and address any questions you might have.

I pretty much hand selected my date of Dec 14 in the beginning of Oct. Not quite as far out as you, but I wanted to connect it to my Christmas break (SLP in a school). So, no, I don't think it's odd. You need to do what's best for you! I just kept going to my monthly appts at the weight loss center, practicing good habits!

I didn't have to lose any weight prior to my pre-op diet that I will start soon. But every weight loss program is different. My surgeon said ok as of now try not to gain any weight, either lose weight or stay at your current weight until insurance approval. And approved 1/18. ???? Now the first weight loss program that I was on required a stupid 10% of weight loss prior to pre-op. ???? I was suppose to lose 25lbs. My insurance approved it but the stupid surgeon did not approve me cuz I only lost 17lbs. ???? sorry it's super long. I hope it helps!?

Prayers going up and Blessings coming down....Praying for a fast recovery and a speedy loss

I donate blood (platelets/plasma) regularly. I don't see any significant weight loss during these times. But I've heard it will burn around 600 calories within a 3 day period after donating while you body replaces the donation. I do eat one of the small chip bags (or cookies) after because they won't let you leave without eating, so I kind of figure that offsets the calories I might burn. It certainly can't hurt and you would be helping out someone in need. But don't forget, stalls are not always non-productive. You could be losing fat and gaining muscle during this time, and your body may just be taking a breather before losing 5 pounds in a week or two.

Weighing yourself too often...even daily can create unnecessary negative feelings about your journey success. It is totally normal to have minor fluctuations in weight throughout your entire weight loss journey. As others have written, this is a time for healing, and getting in better practice with diet compliance. Make the correct choices with your diet, practice portion control, get in your exercise, and resist the urge to weigh yourself daily. Best wishes...

I experienced the same thing! It is hard to not worry about weight but what everyone else is saying is accurate. Just focus on healing and the weight loss will come later. All the best to you.

I don't want to advise you to do anything that is against your better judgement or your own more thorough knowledge of the current state of your own body and emotions. I only write this because it sounds as if you're ready to completely give up, quite understandably of course. However, I would say that I think you should stick with the band, even if you don't follow all of the dietary rules. I don't mean that you should neglect those rules that are for your safety or for the maintenance of the band, but possibly loosen up on those rules that are for strictly losing weight quickly. If you don't feel like you can take bandster hell anymore, instead of throwing the band overboard, just make bandster hell more tolerable for you in small ways. If you don't have any restriction or satisfaction, I'd just really want you to wait before removing the band unless it was causing you pain or illness. Look, in my own case, my most rapid weight loss has been after the last fill of mine, in February. And, if you compare my loss to people who had their surgeries in the same month or even a few months after me, I'm behind most of them. But, ultimately, I don't really care. I'm doing my own thing, making small but lasting changes, and not putting myself through any stress over diets. I plan things so that I can have about 2 cheat foods that I really enjoy a week, of 1-2 official serving sizes, (only buy this much of your cheat-food in a single week, never store extra cheat-food in the house for the next week). If I ever feel like being less strict for a special occasion, I do it knowing that I'm not on a strict plan and, therefore, I don't end up feeling that I've failed and that I have to start from square one again. I just keep monitoring my weight. The second that I start gaining or stop losing, I get a little stricter and cut back on my daily intake (except for the 1-2 single serving cheats a week). Before two months ago, I really felt like the band was just a foreign object in my abdomen and I was worried that I made a mistake. Other than the occasional annoying stuck episode from not having learned to take small enough bites, the band didn't affect my ability to eat normal portions. But, it did make me eat slower and that's a benefit of its own, over time. Even if you just lose about 20 pounds a year, and increase your portions to about 2 cups of decent food (which will likely be still drastically different from your pre-band habits, if you're like many of your fellow bandsters), in 4 years, you'll be 60-80 pounds lighter and you'll have made changes that have actually become ingrained as habit by then. None of us got to the weight that we're at by eating 2 cups of normal and balanced foods, about 3-4 times a day not including Snacks. So, if you even do that, as long as it's lower than your previous usual calorie intake, you'll lose weight. You'll lose it slowly, but without all the mental suffering, guilt, and physical deprivation. The one thing is that you should at least check the scale once a week to see if you ever begin to gain weight (and modify your intake if you are), and always stick to the one rule that, although you will allow yourself little cheats (like I mentioned, once or twice a week in 1-2 servings), but you will never binge again (order the usual take-out, buy a huge multiple serving bag of chips). Also, I know many bandsters who had restriction at 4 ccs. I don't think that I have restriction yet (I think people usually know when they have it), but I do feel satisfied with much less food than I did a few months ago. I never get that "I can't take another bite" feeling yet. But, I'm at about 8.7 CCs already. And I'm probably going to need more fills to reach real restriction. Our anatomies are very different from one person to another. There could be differences in the thickness of the stomach wall and the thickness of the fat-pad between the band and the stomach. Don't give up. Try more small fills (don't get too much at any one time), make small but permanent changes, and keep monitoring your weight. So many people think at some point before restriction that the band isn't going to ever work for them. Keep seeing your doctor regularly. Never avoid going because you feel like you haven't lost enough weight. The most successful bandsters in the longterm are those that regularly see their doctors. Good luck!