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Hi Tina, Congrats on the weight loss so far! I hope you can get your port taken care of soon and get the fill. Looking forward to getting to know you!

Do you have any other conditions, diabetes etc., that would benefit from a low carb diet? Do you track your calories and fat? Those things have helped to motivate me in the past. And making myself walk even when I don't want to has helped as well. It helps that I have three dogs that need exercise too. Just don't lose sight of why you started all of this in the first place. I know it is hard to stay focused and I have trouble myself which is why my weight loss is about 30 pounds less then it should be. Just know there are a lot of people going through the same thing you are. Some successful and some not. Be the successful one!

Great job on your weight loss!! That is just amazing what you have done!!! I am glad you are enjoying life Keep up the great work!

We are sleeve sisters! I, too, had surgery on 10/17. Congrats on your weight loss! I am looking forward to being back in the 1's.....someday. I've been stuck at the same weight for almost 3 weeks. Though I know it will pass, it's so frustrating when you're in the middle of it.

Congratulations on your weight loss and the new band life. Time will fly by before you know it. I can honestly say I fully enjoyed the holidays without depriving myself and still managed to lose a few pounds. Band life is incredible.

Hello bandsters, I wanted to write and express how pleased I am 2 months post-op with getting the band! I am 24 lbs down, and for the first time in a long time can I start the new year with a weight loss promise I can keep! Now that all of the holiday treats are out of the house, I can now refocus on reaching my 60lbs mark by March! Are there any fitness challenges going on now? If so please share, I'd love to participate!

I'm a new sleever looking for a mentor. I'll be sleeved 10/6/14. I'm going at this so blindly. I'm not sure which diet is the best. How to maximize weight loss and time. What kind of activities did you pick up? How did you get over your eating disorder?

My insurance excludes weight loss surgery. I am two days out, got sleeved on Friday with Dr. Kelly. I am currently a the Hotel Lucerna - very nice - I spent thur night, surg fri, recovering sat - mostly sleeping and walking the hall. That said, if my insurance had covered it, I would have done it in the states. I have had a great experience with Trish and Dr Kelly, and my PCP is very supportive. jean

Tyger's Mom, that doctor is a jerk. Dump her *ss. Get a new doc. It's a perfectly okay thing to do. You need to be a strong advocate for your own health care. Start by kicking Dr. Jerk to the curb. Weight loss surgery is a huge step to take. It can be a fantastic, health improving, life saving step but it needs to be done thoughtfully, carefully and only after you have done a great deal of research, reading, given it a great deal of deep thought and know without a doubt that you are making the absolute right decision for yourself. Not only is there the consideration of surgery, there is the type of procedure you will eventually decide to have. You are thinking Lap Band? Are you absolutely sure it is right for you? For your body, health concerns, the way you eat now and can adjust to eating in the future? Can you live with lifelong aftercare appointments to maintain and keep watch on your Little Silicone Friend? Do you LOVE the idea that you can control and adjust your WLS to your very specifications? Can you learn to eat very small portions, take small bites and chew very well? Can you learn to time out your bites? Learn to listen to your band? It does talk... You have to learn to listen to it! If you can answer yes to these questions, the Lap Band may be for you. If the answer to any or many of these questions is no, a different procedure may be more suitable for you. In the end, only you can know what is perfect for you, for your body, your health concerns, the way you eat, can learn to eat, what you can live with, what works with your personality and so on. Don't let some judgmental doc who just met you and doesn't know the real you tell you. Let you tell you. You won't steer you wrong.

It was easier for me to decide. i was 47 years old. I'd had plenty of experience losing and regaining weight. I'd lost as much as 120 lbs in a health kick at 45 years old.....only to regain after an injury and surgical repair that kept me outa the gym for a while. I healed but turned that "while" into way too long. Anyway.....a bulging disc at T-12 knocked me on my arse. Outa work for an extended period trying to heal it and avoid surgery. Back surgeon suggested bariatric surgery and that losing a significant amount of weight would allow my back to heal itself. Suffice to say that pain is a powerful motivator. That back injury was the most painful thing I've ever experienced....and that includes knee surgeries, broken bones and two prior hernia repairs......those back spasms were a beyotch. Within a month of having my VSG my back started to heal. At five months I was taking vacations and having an absolute blast. Live was good again........and has been ever since. Weight is coming off nicely. I can eat anything I choose to eat, just choosing weight loss friendly foods now. I can eat smallish to normal sized portions at meals. Nobody I'd meet today would ever know I'd had wls if they didn't see older pictures. Nothing in my daily life would reveal this. Living like a normal person......eating normal foods......normal portions. What, exactly, is your fear ?????????????????? A better life awaits you. Get lean. Enjoy the results. Gotta run. 14 hour shift awaits me.....and I have tons of energy to burn. Will even hit the gym during lunch break. VSG life is good !!!! Edit: VSG life is GREAT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I can understand your frusteration. I have Tricare prime south . I had 2 other insurnces but after TRICARE said they woiuldnt cover bariatrics if I had other insurance I quit the other two. I saw surgeon who said I am an excellent candidate. EVERYONE in my family has died of diabetes, including my dad at 45 and my son is very brittle t 26.The surgeons office submitted everything and I was denied for not having physician supervised diet, I called Tricare to find out exactly what that meant and I was given the reply of "oh I don't know!" On my own I saw my ob gyn who has it documented since2007 weve discussed weight loss diet exercise weight watchers etc (ive been a member of ww since 2007) the doc wrote me an excellent letter and resubmitted. please cross your fingers.

I'm down a total of 36 lbs, which is fantastic. I started this journey at 310, and I'm now at my lowest point in about 10 years (I think I was around 270 after I gave birth to my youngest. I could be wrong though...it was a while ago) I am slightly irritated that I'm still so swollen that my clothes are not reflecting the loss, and I am frustrated that I can't do much walking because my stomach HURTS (I hit 3300 steps yesterday, which was an accomplishment. Pre-surgery, I was doing 10k steps). I know that I need to give my body time to heal, but I am ready to start MOVING! Last night was a bad night. I was told that "This time last week you still had your whole stomach. I am sad for your missing stomach" and "God gave you a stomach because he wants you to eat." To say I saw red would be an understatement. After the pain I've gone through in the past week, to say things like that just irritate the everloving fuck out of me. And I'm agnostic bordering toward atheism, so saying God did anything is guaranteed to get me to turn a mute ear. By that same token, God gave me a gall bladder for whatever reason (it's been gone 9 years), a thyroid gland (partially gone for 6 years) and reproductive organs (non-functional for 10 years due to surgical intervention). Just because some Big Invisible Friend allegedly gave me something doesn't mean that it works. And when you have something that isn't working as intended, you fix it. My stomach wasn't working as intended, for whatever reason. I had no shut-off, and whether that was physical (I couldn't read hunger cues) or mental (because food=comfort). So I fixed it...with the aid of a surgeon. He and I decided together which surgery would be best for the amount I have to lose, for my general health and for a lot of other little reasons that go into making this kind of momentous decision (I didn't just close my eyes and point to a chart for which surgery I wanted. I thoroughly discussed the options and chose the one that was best suited for my situation) So in closing, don't bother with the pity for my missing stomach. If you want to feel anything for me, feel happy that I took control of my life for a change. Feel happy that I can walk up and down the stairs as intended, without heaving for air at the top or limping up them one step at a time (that is my NSV for today...walking up and down the stairs without pausing and without painfully pulling myself up one step at a time) Be glad that I took this step before my health deteriorated to the point where I would need my hips and knees replaced (my knees...oh my knees...they feel completely different with just this small amount lost. I am SO looking forward to walking longer distances and eventually starting the C25K.)

I lost 16.4 pounds in the three months between my initial consultation with the surgeon and the start of my pre-op diet. I just tracked everything with the My Fitness Pal app. I still had some "food funerals" but tried to get started on better habits overall. That put me at a BMI of 39.9, but my insurance had already approved the surgery, and I did have some comorbidities. Then I lost another 10 pounds on the 2-week liquid pre-op diet, so my weight on the morning of surgery was 208.4. I feel like losing some beforehand helped kickstart my post-surgery loss, and it wasn't quite as jarring of a change as it would have been if I'd eaten like crazy up until the day I started the pre-op diet. I cut out caffeine (along with all the sugary creamer that I dump in my coffee) during that time, too. I also started regular therapy in the months before surgery to help deal with some of the issues underneath my overeating, and I continue it post-op.

I am having issues trying to figure out if my inusurance will cover my surgery. When I call Cigna they tell me any weight loss surgery is excluded in my policy. When I contact my HR dept at work they say their are no exclusions on our policies! I am so frustrated getting 2 different answers. :mad:And of course everyone says their answer is right. I dont know what to do. Any suggestion?:help:

lol, God gave me a malignant tumor in my right arm and no one told me they were sad for my missing malignant tumor when I had it cut out. I'm an atheist but I'd like to think that if I were religious, I would believe that God found my surgeon for me and blessed my surgeon with skills, dedication, and compassion. God also gave me wisdom teeth and no one was crying over those when I had them yanked, either. Whoever told you this -- if they dye their hair or bleach their teeth or anything like that, tell them that God gave them beautiful mousy brown hair with gray streaked in, or blessed with with yellow teeth, and you are crying for the way they destroyed God's handiwork.

Oh, I'm so sorry about your loss. Give yourself some time to adjust - I'm sorry you've had to go through this, especially with your first pregnancy. Big hugs and positive thoughts, ~Cheri

So sorry for your loss. I admire your positive attitude. You are in my thoughts.

Can someone tell me if that means that I won't covered for the laopband- I just went to my seminar yesterday?? Thanks This what is under my covered benefits in my certificate booklet Obesity Covered Services for obesity include up to two nutritional counseling visits when referred by your Primary Care Physician. Prescription Drugs and any other services or supplies for the treatment of obesity are not covered. Surgical treatment of obesity is only covered for patients meeting Medical Necessity criteria, as defined by us. Precertification is required, and coverage is only provided for gastric bypass or vertically banded gastroplasty. and then under exclusions and what's not covered: Any services or supplies for the treatment of obesity, including but not limited to, weight reduction, medical care or Prescription drugs, or dietary control (except as related to covered nutritional counseling). Nutritional supplements; services, supplies and/or nutritional sustenance products (food) related to enteral feeding except when it’s the sole means of nutrition. food supplements. Services for Inpatient treatment of bulimia, anorexia or other eating disorders which consist primarily of behavior modification, diet and weight monitoring and education. Any services or supplies that involve weight reduction as the main method of treatment, including medical, psychiatric care or counseling. Weight loss programs, nutritional supplements, appetite suppressants, and supplies of a similar nature. Procedures including but not limited to liposuction, gastric balloons, jejunal bypasses, and wiring of the jaw.

Hi all, I am almost a year on from my Gastric Sleeve (April 22 2018). Surgery went perfectly and very few immediate symptoms. I had a lot of trouble getting food down at first with hot flushes and nausea if I ate too much or too quick. It took a while to start seeing any weight loss. But it's a lot easier now. I've lost 40kg (about 90 pounds I think). With another 20kg to go for my ideal weight. About 6 months ago I started getting REALLY bad indigestion. I had never had indigestion before the surgery so it took me a while to figure out what was going on. It would keep me awake and I couldn't sit still for hours. But it would pass. Then a few months ago it started getting so bad that I was throwing up and crying etc. Last night, for example, it started at 6:30 pm and didn't stop... I was pacing when I could move, and in the shower for hours (for some reason a warm shower seems to make the pain more bearable). I hadn't slept the night before because indigestion was bad then too, though not AS bad, so I was falling asleep while walking! Sometime around 4am I was so tired I fell asleep despite the pain still being very very bad. When I woke it had subsided, though I'm achy and stiff. I had to take the day off work today, which can't be maintained. It's not all the time... maybe once every few weeks... often a couple of times in one week then nothing for a few weeks. I have tried antacids and they did NOTHING. I then did some reading that suggested it could be LACK of acid instead of too much acid so I am now taking HCL (Hydrochloric Acid) with Pepsin 650mg every time I eat. This did seem to help for 8 weeks or so, but now its back as bad as ever. I don't know if I need MORE of the HCL or if I should avoid it, cos maybe too much was the problem... I just don't know. I have a doctors appointment booked, but I'm wondering if anyone has had a similar condition and gotten to the bottom of it. Were there particular foods that triggered it? Did you work out if it was too much acid or too little and what did you take, etc? I haven't worked out a particular pattern with food. Often seems to happen when I've had dairy or salt... but then other times that I have either of those, nothing... so I'm not sure. Thank you for any advice!!! My

Walking helps me tremendously. The key to exercise effectiveness for fat loss is to stay in your target heart rate zone for 45-60 min. For you that is approx 101-118 beats per minute. to start out however, 84-101 BPM is adequate. Several types of medications can lower your maximum heart rate and, therefore, lower your target heart rate zone. Beta blockers, most anti-arrhythmic medications, some Calcium blockers and digoxin are among the most common. In some people, H-2 blockers prescribed for acid reflux also reduce maximum heart rate. If you're taking any of these medications, ask your doctor if you need to use a lower target heart rate.

I've belonged to both the LapBand and Sleeve websites for a little bit now. I've read here so many people who have had revisions to the sleeve from the LapBand. Yesterday, I completed the last of my requirements to get weight loss surgery. Today I spoke with my surgeon and he agrees that getting the vertical sleeve is probably the best option for me. He also gave me my surgery date: MARCH 28!!! I'm so very excited. I cannot believe this part of my journey is almost over. I had a lot of prerequisites to complete before I was able to get this surgery. I was scared I would be diagnosed with sleep apnea which would have made me push my surgery back for at least 6 months. But I passed the sleep study and all of the other hurdles my insurance company had for me. It's been 3 months since I began this process. I can't wait to be posting my weight loss on this site with the rest of you!!!! Cynthia

You look AMAZING! Congratulations on the weight loss~ T~ :wub:

p.s. if you are carb sensitive (and I am NOT - but lots of people are), I would stay away from cereal. At least while you're in the weight loss phase.

I am 5 weeks post-op and I feel like if I am doing good. I have lost 17 pounds no pre-op diet. I have only 2ccs in my band, so almost no restriction. I have not eaten any bread since before surgery, I am scared that I will get stuck. One of my favorite food is subs, especially a cold cut trio on wheat from subway, will I ever be able to eat a sub again. I would not want to eat so much bread until after I have had some significant weight loss. My question is, are their bansters out their that eat subs without a problem? Will I have to give up subs forever?