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Congrats on you weight loss. I'm looking forward to a new wardrobe myself.

My weight never seems to move on the scale either. I take my measurements once a month and they have changed My doctor is very happy with my loss each time I see him. I have been down each time. I weigh myself toooooo much and that is very bad. Think positive you weigh less now than one year ago. And one year from now you will be even less than now. I give myself 2 years to get to be a human weight because it took me a lot of years to be fat.

Since month 3 I've lost 10-12 lbs quickly then stalled for 2-3 weeks and then started the cycle over. It's frustrating but the loss does begin again. Don't panic, Kaehl. Try shaking things up as others have said. I broke my first stall by adding a protein snack and upping my calories. I just broke my most recent stall by upping water beyond the required 64 oz.

It is a very long story....I got a leak and had surgery to clean it up...They induced a comma.. I was in it for 19 days...I woke up and could no longer walk or move and could not talk because they put a trakia in so I could breath... I got a category 5 ulcer on my butt from the comma and then I was soon moved to another floor...out of ICU ..There they looked after me and I ended up with 10 surgeries altogether as they were trying to repair the leak which would not heal.....Finally after 4 and a 1/2 months when everything else failed I had a surgery where they gave me both the sleeve and bypass......I had to lean to walk and talk and write again.....I have 12 incisions where most people have 2-5....I am still being treated for the ulcer on my butt almost 11 months later I lost all my hair as I was fed by IV for 5 months...and nobody told me I did until I saw it in the mirror at home....They even had to reteach me how to eat and swallow....I became addicted to pain killers and a detox Doc helped me through that..... This is just a small overview of some of the things that I went through..... But!!!!!!!!! I would do it all over again if I had to..I am so much better then I was before surgery....i can do so much more and the little things make all of it worth it for me....

I've heard MSM works good for the hair loss too. :-)

Google "three week stall." Right now, your body is desperately trying to heal. Stick to your plan, meet your protein and water goals, walk when you can, and stay off of the scale. The weight will eventually start coming off. And get used to the stalls. I have learned that nothing about post-op weight loss is linear. It is frustrating, I know, but if you just trust in the process and do exactly what you are supposed to do all of the time, you will be successful. Good luck!

I had the RNY Gastric Bypass, but I had been diabetic since at least 2003 or earlier. Unfortunately I never recognized it for what it was at the time (enjoying the weight loss that came with being a hardcore diabetic) so I didn't see a doctor about it until mid-2006 when I finally started taking insulin. Even though my blood sugar was better controlled, I never really got a good handle on it, and my dosage just kept getting bigger and bigger. It's been a while since I thought of it (probably some of my older posts have the exact numbers), but I was taking something like 200 units of Levemir per day and nearly 150-200 units of Novolog per meal. My A1C was still pretty high. As much as I had hoped that the surgery was going to be a cure all, I think the many years of being diabetic (including the time between 2003-2006 when I never knew I was diabetic) and the amounts of insulin I was taken will keep me from being fully "cured". Only time will tell. My next endo appointment is next month so will see what he has to say. When I talked with him last September he had hopes that I might be off the insulin by now, but I can definitely tell that's not going to be the case.

I'm so happy right now!!! Today I'm 2 months post op and down 31 pounds from my last pre op visit on 1/22/13. Total weight loss is 58 pounds from my highest weight. I'm down 2 sizes and am feeling amazing! Attached is a before (taken this past summer) and after ( taken last night). For those that are still pre op hang in there it will all be worth it in the long run!!! xoxoxo Sent from my iPhone using VST

One of my all-time fav quotes: "I'm so stinkin' thrilled with my weight loss I dont even care about what i can't eat!" Pink Dahlia

It'll settle down, maybe even stall... but don't worry - I also found it strange to see the scales going down... still do in fact! My weight loss has now evened out and I'm shifting about 1lb a week.... which as I'm only 18lbs off my surgeons target of 147lbs I'm quite happy with. The target I chose for myself is 140lbs..... so we'll see what happens with that one.

I haven't been here in a few months but I had not given up on getting VSG surgery approved. I've written some posts which tell more of my story if anyone is interested and is going through the same thing: http://www.verticals...er-suggestions/ This has been such an emotionally draining time that I wanted to share that I have finally had SUCCESS and I thank all of those who encouraged me to keep trying. I will be having a Lapband removal and revision to Sleeve - Surgery date not scheduled yet since my surgeon's office said they have to see if any pre-tests will be required. I was originally denied by UHC in August stating that I had not met their requirements since I hadn't completed a 6 month pre-op physician supervised diet. I was, however, approved for the Lapband removal due to complications. I wanted both done at the same time and found the fact that they approved one and not the other completely illogical. My surgeon's office suggested I move forward to start a physician supervised program (since UHC says it specifically cannot be a Bariatric physician). I started seeing my primary care Dr. specifically for weight loss. I had recently moved to FL so had to find a primary care Dr. to begin with. So essentially I decided to go down both tracks - appeal the denial as well as work on the six months pre-op diet so, in my mind, worst case I would still qualify by March. However, I was still upset about the whole 'principle' - or lack of - principle of requiring someone who lived with the Lapband for so long to do another 6 month pre-op diet. I sent an appeal letter to UHC and received the most ridiculous response I have ever seen - let alone another denial. They had another Dr. review my case - someone supposedly with knowlege of bariatrics and his lame reason for denying me was that since I had failed with the Lapband I would just fail again with a Sleeve and then I would be asking for a gastric bypass - almost his exact words... no lie. This infuriated me and showed a total lack of knowledge on his part in my opinion. I mean, just like that, this Dr. who does not know me at all, has never even spoken to me, let alone examined me, decides that I am just a BIG failure!!! I was told the next level of appeal would go to my employer since my employer self insures the plan or something like that. In the meantime I continued to go for my monthly Primary Dr. visits and the first few months lost about 5 lbs then after the holidays gained that back and more. I forgot to mention that my Band was unfilled back in July and my appetite has been worse than ever let alone that I can now eat a whole lot more plus things I couldn't eat for years. It took me another month or so to finally write my second appeal letter which went to my employer. By the time I sent it off it had grown to 70 pages - 2 for the letter and the rest my prior letter, denials and other medical records. The first appeal letter was 4 pages of a letter and 30 pages of records but I went ahead and obtained more records in the interim from my podiatrist, etc. I didn't intend for this post to be so long - I guess I'm kind of venting along the way so forgive me for that. I finally received a letter from my Employer the other day stating that they, too, had had another surgeon review my case who had bariatric experience and this Dr. (bless him) completed validated my case - stated that both surgeries are absolutely medically necessary and that I was correct in pointing out that UHC's own Bariatric policy contradicted them denying me both times before. I choked up as I read his words - and just praised God for his answer to my prayers! I don't have a date yet - I am supposed to hear from the Nurse at my surgeon's office on Monday to go over my health questionnaire to see if I need any pre-tests for sleep apnea, etc. I am really healthy other than my morbid obesity and even when I had Lapband in 2006 only had to have a pulmonary test done aside from the routine blood, etc. So if all goes well I may still have the surgery by the end of the month or in March. All this to say that if you are going through the same type of thing - particularly with UHC - DON'T GIVE UP!!! I'm willing to share my letter with anyone interested - email me if you want a copy. It's sad that they make us go through all of this; upon reflection it has all the more strengthened my resolve, but will still really unnecessary. As my plans progress I'll post in other topics. Thanks. Susie

Laura, it's definitely not a lost cause. Tell your BIL to be patient and just take it step by step. We can understand why insurers want to be very sure about the patients they pay thousands of dollars for. Making sure the patient is a qualified candidate and a good risk for surgical success is perfectly within their rights. Asking for evidence of a supervised attempt at weight loss is pretty much standard procedure. The letter of denial has to be specific as to the reason for denial. If there are two reasons given those are the only things he needs to address in his appeals; think of them as marching orders. He has a right to clear communications from the insurer and to know what is missing from his file. You're absolutely right to tell him to document everything, and keep copies because he'll probably have to provide paperwork more than once. With regard to the "experimental" label, Inamed can provide studies and material to counter that position. The doctor has no role in fighting that issue. But first things first: The first step is making sure he meets the medical criteria for weight-loss surgery.

I have Anthem BCBS under the Kroger national plan. From orientation to surgery, the wait was about two months. Approval took two weeks. I was not required to do any supervised diet. I had to submit a list of what diets (ie Weight Watchers) I had done, the year done, and approx weight loss (the last two were more estimates). I did have to be above 40 bmi without comorbidities or above 35 bmi with 2+ comorbidities.

Judy, as long as you feel fine, you are following your doc's post-op instructions and your meals are staying down, you should be fine. As far as the weight loss, remember, you had lapband surgery, not gastric bypass. Most people don't lose, and some gain, between the time they have their surgery and the time they reach optimum fill. Now is the time for healing, not losing.

Hey everyone, I am a little over 6 months out and down 90 lbs...ive been extremely committed to going to the gym 3 times a week. I usually do about 45 mins on the elliptical and burn about 550 calories. At this point i really want to start incorporating muscular workouts (all the machines) in the gym. If I cut down to 30 mins on the elliptical and do all the machines for 15 mins will I still lose weight? Just scared by cutting down the cardio will limit the weight loss. Any suggestions or tips would be greatly appreciated!!

Take Fish Oil. The pre and post op diets don't contain enough good fats, that's why your hair falls out. Coromega is fish oil in a gel pack, orange flavored. Avail at GNC or online. Also Revita shampoo and conditioner will help your hair grow. Avail on Amazon. Expensive, but worth it.

I was banded the end of October 2010. I have lost 21 pounds...approximately one pound a week. I feel like I'm not getting the full effect of the band when I compare my weight loss to others. I know everyone is different, but I have had so many issues. The main one that concerns me at this time is the problem of getting "stuck" every day. I rarely feel full for more than 2 hours at a time. I try to chew and eat the proper amount of protein. I have a burning sensation in my throat from the reflux and "stuck" feeling. I am trying to learn from my mistakes. I am scared the frequent "throwing up" is going to hurt my stomach where it is banded. I'm so scared this is going to ulcerate and something be injured inside...anyone else out there having these types of problems or concerns?

I am right where you are. I made an appt. for a fill since I could eat anything and a lot of it. I bought a book called Success Habits of Weight Loss Surgery Patients and decided it was crap. I have more than enough personal responsibility. LOL!! I went over the eating guidelines again even though I know what I'm doing and don't need to go over them again. I stopped drinking while eating even though I figured it didn't really make a difference. Soooo I started taking personal responsibility for what I ate, ate within the guidelines and didn't eat and drink at the same time. Guess what? All of the sudden I have a lot of restriction. Not as much as I want but a heck of a lot. I'm not hungry for long periods. A lot less fills me up. Amazing! Now that I'm staying away from the soft stuff like Soups, yogerts, mashed potatoes, highly refined crap, my band is working for me!! I get it!! I'm not stupid but goodness, it took me a long time to get it! I guess I should be happy I finally did. I also changed my schedule so I can get regular exercise again. Whoo hoo! I'm off and running!

I have the Aria scale by Fitbit. Since I use my fitbit to track my food and activities this scale is wonderful. It automatically syncs to my fitbit app. I have historical data on my entire weight loss journey. (Including fat% and BMI) It has really helped me because I can see what I lose each week or month etc. I just love it.

HI Cindy and New2TCh -- I am still doing well, now 2nd day of puree and I was told I could even add "a few" raisins to my oatmeal -- guess what? I managed to make the porridge last a full 15 mins Maybe the extra 2 T of porridge helped as well Cindy, I was on Optifast as well - and my Dr. actually had it for sale in his office. Every Dr. / clinic is different, but Dr. Klein insists that his patients have the optifast - for exactly the reason you mentioned - to shrink the liver (and also so you loose a little bit of weight too). He told me that he would be able to tell as soon as he started the operation if I had been "good" or "bad", and that if the liver was too big, he would not even risk the op, so I would have wasted my time and $$. I stuck to the plan -- 2 weeks of NOTHING but Optifast -- by the 2nd week I discouvered that adding Chrystal light made a world of difference -- I could have a different flavour and was able to disguise the chocolate (not really a chocolate fan). Tangerine Grapefruit makes a very good addition to Chocolate, and my favourites with vanilla were Summer Peach an strawberry Orange Bannana. I managed to loose 15 lbs on the Optifast. Your amount of loss will depend totally on you, everyone is different ... Nwe2tch - if you would like to see an interesting set of video clips about being banded, there is a series done by OBYGYN net that follow one of their editors on her journey into bandland -- these were done before banding became common in North America -- she went to Germany. I found them extremely interesting (and you will see the placement of the liver and how the have to lift it up before they can get to the stomach area) I am sure the link is elsewhere on this board, but I'll repeat it here so you can find it easily: OBGYN.net Weight Management Section Cindy, I want you to know that I, too, had a headache right at the beginning, and yes, I think it has to do with the drastically different diet all of a sudden -- if you were a coffee drinker, it could be a bit of cafine withdrawal -- OH, if you are a coffee person,I was also told that I could mix cold coffee into my Optifast, or even stir in some instant coffee (and since my dr. seems to be one of the "strictest" with his pre-op requirements I'm sure it should be OK for you too. Keep up the good work girls -- I'll keep posting on my progress as I go ... It is nice to have the great place to share info (and to get help and encouragement) MaryPat.

I'm only telling a few people post-op but will probably tell more people after. My only reason for not telling people before is that I don't want their opinions. This is my decision and it's not up for popular vote. I just realized that this whole topic (which has been hashed out hundreds of times on these boards) really comes down to how you feel about being completely honest -- do you feel you're lying if you omit some of the story or not. And, how important is it to you personally to be completely forthcoming when you're asked about your loss. I did have a comment about one thing you said -- you will be working out and eating right so that part is completely true. The loose skin isn't a side effect of the surgery, it's a side effect of losing the weight. So, I don't think having loose skin is a 'signal' that you had surgery.

Yes, I am successfully losing weight without logging my daily food intake. I am the first to admit, I am not good at keeping up with this stuff. Bores me to death. I am speaking for myself only! I do believe logging your food is a very useful tool to maintaining a successful long term weight loss. Once I pass my "honeymoon phase", I have no doubt, I'll have to learn to log my food intake. I refuse to take my gift for granted.

Hi Pam and welcome! Any freind of Alex's is a friend of ours. Congratulations on your wieght loss and being banded. You will love your band. Keep us posted on your progress ...

Thanks for the kind words of welcome! I just had my first multi-course pureed meal, grilled chicken, spinach and a tiny bit of baked sweet potato. It was pretty good, though hard to get the chicken pureed without adding a lot of water! Glad to hear I'm not the only one not exercising yet. On some of the yahoo groups everyone sounds like they are up walking miles the day after surgery.... I want this weight loss so badly that I'm willing to try just about anything- even exercise! I am lucky to have Alex to guide and encourage me and look forward to chatting with all of you too! Pam

That some SWIFT weight loss! You keep us inspired!