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What is everyone's goals after weight loss? Mine are; To be able to keep up with my son. To have more energy. To be healthier. My weight actually embarrasses me and I do worry if people are making rude comments about it. So to be able to be confident. To not have to worry if a piece of clothing is going to be in my size. To finally work in a salon. (I swell up if I stand too long) To not swell up if I stand for a long time. If I go to a theme park, it's my goal to be able to fit in the rides without embarrassment. To take photos with my son again. Those are to name a few, what are yours?

I don't think that you can fake those problems and symptoms on a test. You either have them or you don't. My BMI was under 40, but I had some other medical problems. At first the surgery was denied but after they reviewed it and the doctor appealed the first decision, the insurance company approved it. If the band is causing you serious problems, then I would get them to take it out. You said that they would cover that. Let yourself heal and try to maintain your weight loss. If you can't keep the weight off then the co-morbidity problems will come back. If you gain weight back, you will lose it very fast with the gastric sleeve surgery. This is all about being happy and healthy.

Down 10lbs since my surgery date 10-16-15 I HW: 230 PreOp:219 CW:209

I'm almost 3 mos post-op and will tell you that walking helps a lot! Start walking now and don't stop exercising. It will make a big difference in consistent weight loss. Also, I know I had that shoulder pain also. Once the drain was pulled out, I was much more comfortable and the shoulder pain disappeared. Weird to think that drain causes shoulder pain, I know.

My name is Terry and I live in Canada. I was banded in October 2010. I went down to Mexico to the Obesity Control Centre and had my surgery by Dr. Ortiz. It was a very good experience and in hindsight I am so glad that was the choice I went with. So professional and I think better than here. The entire facility is only for weight loss surgeries. Surgery is covered in Alberta but imagine the wait list. They said it could be up to 6 or 7 years because there are so few surgeons doing it. The price in Mexico was less than half ! My progress has been slow simply because to get fills here they will only do 1cc at a time. I have an 11cc band so you get the picture. There are no hoops to jump through, they take you as a patient. Something to consider. My BMI started at 38.5 and it is now down to 33. So slowly but surely.

everyone in the class are heavy and 40-60 yo. one older lady wears a shower cap to protect her colored hair. None of us are anywhere lean and fit. Waves and waves of bouncing fat and boobs. And the ladies talk practically nonstop between sets.( She works us hard enough that we cant talk during the set) and they pick up the conversation right where they left off. I really enjoy the water. I just find too many excuses. My husband wont go and he is home all day alone and is looking to spend time with me. So he is not as supportive as i would like.

Hi Everyone I have been banded since August and had 2 fills but not had much weight loss success yet. I am going on holiday in 5 weeks and some friends were really recommending the vibration training/power plate things for inch loss. As I have not told anyone about the lapband I couldn't ask this question there, but do you think it is ok for me to use the power plates or can they harm the lapband. A special offer is going on if you take a 4 week package at the moment but I didn't want to sign up without confirming if it was safe. Thanks MD

Great question and equally great replies! As many of the respondents mentioned, gastric sleeve surgery is much less complicated than many other types of bariatric surgery… Your digestive system is not rearranged, unlike gastric bypass surgery or duodenal switch surgery. It also differs from the more complicated procedures by being primarily restrictive in nature (makes you feel full sooner rather than directly causing your body to absorb fewer calories). There are no foreign objects implanted in your body as with gastric banding or vertical banded gastroplasty. Because of these differences, the gastric sleeve has a reduced risk of: Vitamin deficiency/malnutrition Dumping syndrome and other malabsorptive-procedure (i.e. gastric bypass) side-effects Long-term gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) vs other restrictive procedures. Another consideration: with gastric sleeve surgery, a large part of the stomach is removed, so afterwards your stomach may secrete fewer hormones that make you feel hungry (i.e. ghrelin peptide-YY). To be fair, gastric sleeve surgery does have a few negatives vs other procedures: It cannot be reversed (not necessarily a bad thing) A relatively long staple line is created during surgery which may increase the risk of staple line leaks and/or bleeding It is a newer procedure than Roux-en-Y gastric bypass and other surgeries. As a result, it has fewer long-term studies to support the short-term results. Some critics fear that the pouch could stretch over time (although there are a few relatively quick and safe procedures that can tighten up a stretched stomach pouch). A couple of studies that directly compared gastric sleeve surgery to other procedures also suggest that weight loss may be similar or better than weight loss following Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery or duodenal switch surgery. Good luck with your decision and with your new life! Bariatric Surgery Source Gastric Sleeve Surgery - Evaluating & Comparing Its Effectiveness and Outcomes

About my 4th week or so. I started making my own homemade chili. It definitely helped in my weigh loss. My HW 340 SW 320 CW 195 GW 185. I was sleeved 5/29/15. Those last 10 pounds are hard since I'm weightlifting and building muscle.

I pretty much exercised regularly since having the vsg. Started walking everyday from surgery and built up to about 3 miles before I started Jazzercise and tap class at a month post-op. I had short little stalls here and there, but I also wasn't as compliant with the post-op diet as others. I low-carbed (around 30 grams or less) it for 3 months, but did not always get my Protein in. At around 3 months I was over half way to my goal and decided to try and lose the rest the way I wanted to maintain. For me this included exercising 5-7 days per week and not tracking carbs. (I felt that I would burn them off with the exercise:-) I did notice that the couple of weeks I couldn't exercise as regularly (due to snow, illness, etc.) I seemed to have bigger losses than those weeks with lots of exercise. Don't know why this was...could have just been a change up to my routine that allowed me to drop fast. So I guess what I'm saying with all this rambling is that I don't think exercise was crucial for weight with the vsg, but I do think it was important for allowing me to lose it the way I wanted to (carbs and all).

thank you both for the encouragement.. and I am not sure if the scales read the same.. they probably don't... I will try to walk everyday this week and see what happens. I guess the biggest thing is that I am at the 20lbs lost mark, and this is were I usally fall back into my old eating habits, and I am just scared that I am going to do it again. I really want this so bad.. it just sometimes seem like I will never get there. I know that a slow and steady weight loss is the best.

I'm freaking out about my hair can everyone just tell me ur experience with hair loss after surgery thanks Sent from my SM-N900T using the BariatricPal App

Slim in 6 is part exercise program and part nutrition program. When you order the program, you get a nutrition guide and some other helpful info. Proper diet and nutrition is the first step to ANY successful weight loss regime. This program though, does have a pretty intense fitness component. What you do is use the DVD's that are provided for a 6 week period. There are 3 basic stages: Start it Up: Basic and shortest of the routines but still does give you a great workout; Ramp it Up: Stage 2 which incorporates more resistance training and more cardio than the first and then Burn it Up which is the third and final stage which is totally killer but is definitely worth it, even if you can only stick with it a little bit. This is one of the BeachBody programs (think P90x, etc) and does have a pattern of great results. However, as with all of the BeachBody programs, it's not easy-peasy. You have to commit and stick with it. Even if you miss a day, that's fine, but get back in the next day. Why I like it, is because it mixes cardio and resistance training into a workout utilizing resistance bands as well as your own body. Squats, push ups, crunches and lunges all work your body, without any fancy equipment and give both good cardio AND strength training. A lot of people I find, also mix in Shakeology, which is a protein/multi-vitamin/meal replacement shake. They have that for Breakfast and call it good. I've often considered going to that at some point.

Hi, congratulations on making the decision to have WLS. I'm Kaiser Southern CA and the first thing you should know is that the insurance requirements vary greatly, not only from company to company, but area to area with the same insurance. Kaiser is a very good example. So what I'm describing here could be very different for you. I started my journey back in August 2014, which was when I first talked to my PCP about the possibility. He was very supportive and told me that all I needed to do to start the ball rolling was to call the Wellness Center in San Diego. When I placed the call I was told that I would be sent an info packet and after reading, if I decided to proceed, to call back to schedule a date to attend two mandatory seminars. One for weight management and one an intro to the Options program. I attended both seminars on 09/11. There they gave us a 10 page questionnaire to fill out that had to do with medical history, past weight loss attempts (you only have to describe them not provide actual proof), etc. After about a week I received an email telling me to get a few pre program labs, blood draw, EKG, stool sample, fasting glucose, and I think that was it. The faster you comply with their requirements, the faster you move along. A week or so after this I was contacted again to make an appointment for a one on one meeting with the head of the Bariatric Options program. Mine was for 10/06, and it only lasted about 20 minutes. The weight for this appointment is considered your Options starting weight. There I was told that I had been approved to enter the program and I would be contacted with the information on when my Options classes would begin. For my area Kaiser requires 24 weeks of classes (or 6 months), one class a week. But most other areas of Kaiser in CA only require 12 weeks (or 3 months of classes). I was also told that I will be required to lose 10 percent of my weight, which in my case was 24 pounds. My classes started in November and meets each Thursday night. This week will be class #11 and I've been surprised by how fast the time goes by (mine end in mid May). For the most part they're interesting and last 90 minutes. Last week we had a speaker, which was a former student who had the sleeve about 1 1/2 years ago. You can only miss four classes, and have to make up each one you miss. If you miss five you're out, and this has actually happened to a couple of people in mine. You're weighed each time and will be required to keep food and exercise logs. In my area Kaiser contracts out to Pacific Bariatric in San Diego, and the surgery is done at Scripps Mercy, also in SD. We are required to attend one of their seminars. I go next month. From the workbook material I've read that after graduation, if you've lost the 10 percent you then wait to be contacted to take a stress test. If you pass, then your file is forwarded to Pacific Bariatric. You will be asked to get a series of pre surgical labs/tests, not sure which. Then PB will contact you to schedule an all in one appointment for psych eval, surgical consult, and I think a medical internist. And at some point in all this you will get your surgery date. They do the sleeve or bypass. They no longer offer the band. If you don't lose the 10 percent there's an extra step before the stress test where you have to go back and have a consult with the head of the program. We were told in the intro seminar that the process averages about 9 months and it's been on line for that. Good luck with your journey!

The center for weight loss at Cedars Sinai hospital. My surgeon was Miguel Burch. The practice is wonderful!

+1 for The Center for Weight Loss at Cedars Sinai Hospital. I had Dr. Cunneen and I couldn't have better things to say. If I could go back in time in order to be less nervous about 'not doing it right' I would do that.

I have to forgo black.. I have 3 long haired white cats. My essentials are different cuts of jeans depending on how professional or slutty I plan to look. Dressy tunic shirts, t-shirts, and 2 pairs of khaki's for the super professional days (hah hah). But then I have tons of clothes on top of this, because once in a blue moon I feel like changing it up! I'm the same way though, I keep buying and buying, but I still keep wearing the same old stuff.

How long have you been sleeved? Did you have hair loss? And What did you do for protein. Sorry for the questions but, I'm really excited about my surgery.

Hi all. I have recently upped my workout to 2x a day because my weight loss has been very slow lately. I was in a car accident in 2001 which left me with some back problems. This limits my exercise options. Currently, I am going to the gym in the morning and riding a stationary bike for 5 miles and at night I walk the indoor track 4-5 miles while my daughter is at practice. I average about 13 mph on the bike and 16-17 minute miles. My calorie intake is between 800-1100 (usually right around 900) and Protein, Water and everything else is on target) According to the calculations I have, I should be burning 230 calories on the bike and between 280-300 walking. My question is with an average burn of around 500 just with my workouts, how the hell is the scale not budging? Do I need to change my intake?

I have MANY words coming to mind. Fantastic, amazing, unreal, wonderful, mind-blowing, inspiring, encouraging, etc etc... I am so glad you have come to join us. We are a great group. At times we are heated and can be in big debates (oh, the drama) but when it comes down to nuts and bolts we all really love each other! I hope you really enjoy it here. It is kinda like, no it IS, a whole 'nother family! WELCOME TO THE LBT FAMILY! Congratulations on your loss! I think you have done mahhhhhhhvelous! I hope you stay and post often with advice and tips as well as share in our many discussions of various topics. As for the extra skin I have been pondering.... my mom's surgeon (she was US insurance paid) said that if you complain of rashes and rubbing and chaffing then the insurance is likely to pay for all or a portion of the plastic surgery to remove the skin. If that is not an option, maybe going to Mexico as a self pay? Many people here have done it successfully and are thrilled with the results. I would guess it would take some research but I know you may be able to talk to some who have already done a lot of the legwork involved for research (ie MariposaBella). I am wondering... if you had all of the extra skin removed you would most likely be AT goal, not 33 lbs from it! Congrats again!

I'm so glad you finally were able to get the leak test done and glad you are home now. Gratz on the weight loss. 17 lbs! Sweet. Best of luck on your recovery and continued weight loss.

I agree with what the others said. There is no shame in using the band. That is the point in having it. I dropped 100 pounds in the first year and I would give using the band 80-90% of the credit for the loss. I spent very little time "working at it", beating myself up, or struggling to do it on my own. Fills and staying in the green zone/sweet spot is the key to my success. I say go get a fill and use that band!

I wouldn't be too disappointed as you're ahead of the one pound per week estimate that my surgeon suggests is typical. Congrats on the weight loss.

Well, welcome Linda! Michelle is a doll, is she not!! We love her alot here. Sounds like you've been through the wringer, so to speak, surgery wise, but you'll fit right in here. Determination seems to go hand in hand with weight loss surgery and those who seek it. There is definitely plenty of that here. We're glad to have you! Please feel free to search the forums for lots and lots of great bandster experience, strength and hope! Again, congrats on a succesfful surgery and good luck with your subesequent journey!

I have asked my doctor's office to run additional thyroid tests when I do my blood work for my yearly physical. In the past my thyroid levels have been low. However the Nurse Practioner was like "oh it's not that bad". I think most doctor's offices don't want to admit a fat person can actually have a thyroid problem. They think we will use it as a crutch. My loss has also slowed to a stop. I am always cold, I have hair loss and am fatigued.