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i dont see why you couldnt. its not (cheating) but understand that liquids does help (with the weight loss) via Water weight....as good as you are doing, why buck progress? eating food to lose weight is how to do it.....(to me, diet pills, liquids only is diet mentality)...we are not on a diet..and remember you are doing fabulous. you will get that challenge.

Hi Nina, You are 100% normal! Most people have fears before any major operation, and before any major change in their lives. That is what this surgery will be for you if you choose to go forward with it. Lapband or any other Weight Loss Surgery (WLS) requires 100% commitment from you. It's not an easy fix, it is a tool to help you better guide yourself into a healthy weight and more importantly to a healthy life style. There are some who are unfortunate and experience complications from surgery at no fault of their own. This can happen with any surgery, for any number of reasons. It is the risk we take when we need to have any surgical procedure. That said there are also some that do not comply with their doctors orders and do not follow the protocols as outlined for them by their healthcare and surgical teams and there for fail and create further complications that did not necessarily have to happen. Often these are the very people you will hear from and who will post comments about how this surgery failed them. Keep an open mind when you read comments as you never can tell where someone is coming from. My best advice to you is to go back to your bariatric surgeon or surgical group and have a one to one talk with them about your concerns. They will be able to tell you what their success rate is of compliant patients who have done well with the band and/or other WLS as well as the rate of complications they have seen in their patients who had complications and what type of complications they had. If you are confidant in your Dr. and you feel that you are ready to make this life change and be 100% compliant with your surgery and your Dr nothing anyone has to say especially if they have not had surgery will enough to cause you any irrational fear. I wish you all the best, as you get closer to your date.

Weight loss often happens in steps down, rather than a continual slope. If I'm constipated that also slows down the weight loss, so keep up your fluids and moving around. It's very common to hit a plateaus around this time. It will pass. I didn't lose anything from 3 to 7 weeks post surgery but now I'm losing 10 lb per month pretty steadily.

Good afternoon all, I am entering into day 3 post-op, and I'm feeling really good. The soreness is still there, but it is really tolerable. I'm just so excited to begin this new weight loss journey! It feels good to know that I will finally be able to see the benefits of my workouts and eating right! My best friend and I entered into this journey together, and I have echoed to him how this was the best investment we could have ever made for our life and we'll-being! Just thinking that this time next year, I could be 100 lbs lighter is invigorating. Good-bye expensive Big and Tall section, and hello to affordable widespread shopping! Let the journey begin!!

Hi Beth! I am new here too; I joined a few weeks back. Last week was my first consult with my surgeon as well however I have been thinking about doing this surgery for quite some time now so I am a bit ahead of schedule in regards to insurance requirements. I had my psych evaluation on 6/18 and have met 4/6 non-surgical weight-loss regimen apts; the fifth one is next Thursday and my endoscopy is next Friday. My anticipated surgery date is late August (preferred) or sometime in September. I too have struggled with my weight for as long as I can remember. I suffer from anxiety and find it hard to comprehend this decision to have surgery, but nonetheless I am SUPER glad that I have finally committed to it.

Hey, BariatricPal Members!We’re turning the corner from winter into spring, and it’s about time! How did the winter go for you? Did you make progress toward becoming the healthy person you want to be? Just before you look ahead to spring, take a look at this month’s BariatricPal newsletter, and spend some time on the boards for further motivation and ideas. Here is what you’ll find in the newsletter. Member Poll: Governor Chris Christie and the Lap-Band Member Spotlight: Meet cindymg! New Jersey Governor Chris Christie: Bariatric Success or Disappointment? Come Chat on BariatricPal We hope you enjoy the newsletter and then you log into BariatricPal to talk about it and everything else related to weight loss surgery. Get tips, share stories, and find inspiration on the boards, and don’t forget to tell your surgeon and support group members about BariatricPal. Thanks for your membership! Sincerely, Alex Brecher Founder, BariatricPal Member Poll: Governor Chris Christie and the Lap-Band New Jersey Governor Chris Christie quietly had lap-band surgery in February of 2013. As you can read in this month’s BariatricPal newsletter, recent political events have made the topic resurface, highlighting his 100-pound loss and his current weight of 320 pounds. What do you think about the issue? He failed because his BMI of 45 keeps him in the morbidly obese category. He is doing great because of his 100-pound weight loss in a year. It’s too soon to tell. He’ll fail if he doesn’t lose any more weight or gains it back, but the surgery will be a success if he keeps losing weight. I really can’t give an opinion – I do not know anything about him or his diet, and I would not want people to judge me if they didn’t know me. Other – Read my answer in the discussion! Click here so you can mark your answer and let us know what you think in the discussion on BariatricPal! Our Latest Newsletter Sponsor: Insure Nutrition! We are always thrilled to welcome a new newsletter sponsor into the BariatricPal family, and this month, Insure Nutrition is giving us the pleasure of doing just that. Our latest sponsor, Insure Nutrition, is an online company that specializes in getting health insurance coverage for nutritional supplements. Its Post-Bariatric Surgery Nutrition products includes Premier Protein shakes in chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry flavors and OptiSource High Protein drinks in caramel and strawberry flavors. Checking if you are eligible is easy. Insure Nutrition encourages you to use its online form to find out if you qualify. Our sponsors help make BariatricPal newsletters and other services possible. We encourage you show your thanks by considering them first for your bariatric needs. Member Spotlight: Meet Cindymg! This month’s spotlight is on cindymg from Chicago. She is a 59-year-old computer consultant who says she has been dieting since high school. In those 40 years, she tried every diet program and calculates that she has probably gained and lost 2,000 pounds in yo-yo dieting. The diets seriously harmed her health as she developed diabetes, high blood pressure, and coronary artery disease. When she started to lose the feeling in her feet, she knew that she would lose her feet soon if she didn’t do something drastic. After some serious investigation, cindymg chose the vertical sleeve gastrectomy (VSG) because she felt it would be effective without having the side effects of gastric bypass. Cindymg’s surgery was in May of 2013. Her starting weight was 258 pounds, and she is just under the 200-pound barrier en route to her goal weight of 175 pounds. She had no complications from surgery, and her family has been largely supportive. Her main challenges now are her excess skin and her hesitation getting rid of her oversized clothes! Since getting surgery, cindymg says that she has been able to cut her medications to one-quarter of what they were. She exercises now and feels much better “without lugging around that extra weight.” She does not get hungry, so she is saving money on food in addition to losing weight! She also notices a change in attitude. Cindymg says she now “eats to live, rather than lives to eat,” and does not feel guilty over food. The gastric sleeve feels like a permanent solution, not a temporary fix. Cindymg says BariatricPal keeps her mindful, and she enjoys reading members’ stories. She hope to provide them with advice and humor. Her advice for members struggling with weight loss is to avoid beating yourself up. Just get up and try again, and “keep coming back to the forum!” Thank you, cindymg, for being in our member spotlight! We are excited to be a part of your journey to mental and physical health, and are proud to be part of that journey. Do you have any members whom you want to see in the BariatricPal newsletter? Do you want to be featured? Let us know in the Member Spotlight Forum or by sending Alex Brecher a private message. Thank you! New Jersey Governor Chris Christie: Bariatric Success or Disappointment? A year ago, New Jersey governor Chris Christie got the lap-band. At the time of his surgery in February of 2013, Governor Christie, who stands at 5’11,” weighed over 400 pounds. Since then, NBC News reports that he has lost 90 to 100 pounds and now weighs in at 320 pounds. The speculation surrounding Governor Christie’s weight loss journey has led to opinions as divided as the political views of those who follow New Jersey politics. Critics maintain that he has failed in this weight loss effort. They point to his current BMI of 45, which places him in the morbidly obese category, and claim that he will be unable to run for president in 2016 because of his weight. Supporters point out that he appears to have lost 40 to 45 percent of his excess body weight, which is right on target for most lap-band patients in the first year after surgery. Governor Christie himself has kept relatively quiet about the issue from the beginning. He did not reveal his surgery until months had passed, and provided few details. In September, he said that he is more than halfway toward his goal, although he did not specify his current or goal weight. What do you think? Is Governor Christie’s surgery a failure? Will his weight prevent him from making a serious run for the presidency in 2016? Is he on the right track? Or, maybe it is too tough to judge because it is too soon to tell or because we, as outsiders, do not know the whole story. Let us know what you think on this thread! Come Chat on BariatricPal Where do you go when you need a pep talk, information about your weight loss surgery diet, or a celebratory high-five? The BariatricPal chatrooms, of course! In-person support groups might only be once a week or month, you need an appointment to see a doctor, and nurses are only available by phone. Family and friends are encouraging, but they might not understand what you are going through. The BariatricPal chatrooms are open 24/7, so there’s always a chance that you can find people to talk to. When you chat with BariatricPal members, there’s a good chance you can find someone who is sympathetic to productive burping, or who can suggest a WLS-compatible snack to satisfy your munchies. The chatrooms have been updated to better serve members’ needs, so come check them out! That’s it for this month’s newsletter. We hope it brightened your day after these long months of winter and gave you some inspiration to look forward to a healthy spring. Thanks for reading it, and we’ll see you on the boards!

Reduced capacity New Tummy is your friend - "food" items made in a factory are not. You can focus on whole natural foods. Mine (and a lot of people here) are required to eat 60+ grams of Protein a day, mine is 70 grams. Fo 60 grams, that is 20 grams per meal. By the time you eat that, you will not have much tummy room for veggies, let alone fruit, bread, noodles, Cookies, pastries, Cereal, etc. With any gastric surgery, your body needs protein to function and rebuild. You have to decide between sweets or a longer life. Nobody wants to deny themselves of all of the comfort foods we love the most. There are plenty of Paleo, Primal, Atkins, and other low carb cook books, to help you find adjustment foods. Also, cooking at home is a key for your success, because you can control the ingredients. Starch makes you hungry for more starch. I had my share of food funerals prior to my surgery. Your sleeve is a tool that you can't keep hidden in the garden shed while you cheat. You have to take advantage of your new tummy. The first time you throw up or get dumping syndrome by eating too much sugar, you will be cured of eating it. Just be prepared to empty those cabinets and start cooking from fresh. Get creative, and try to make your favorite dishes in a low carb style. You will be glad you did. Also taking chromium picolinate with magnesium will help reduce sugar cravings. Start making youradjustments now before surgery. because it will be harder to make changes post-op when your are tired and washed out. Just an after thought.....we all learned the hard way how to balance food, beverage, and exercise to help the weight loss process.

Great story, it's so important to share, so we all don't feel alone on this journey. Everything went great for me until I got home and had to bathe my dirty kitten and blow dry him (long haired persian) and our hot water heater broke this morning. Besides that....life is good :-))) Keep up the good work!

catincanada - How disappointing and frustrating. I cant imagine going through all the preop just to be cancelled last minute. It might be worthwhile contacting the BC College of Physicians and Surgeons. They are there to help British Columbians with questions and concerns about doctors and their practices. Hopefully you will be able to find an alternative that works for you. I am in BC as well and will be having my surgery next week with Surgical Weight Loss Center in Vancouver. My experience with them has been good so far. They might be worth checking out. Hope things work out for you in the end.

I have a long-haired, four-legged baby too. He's 13, black and white and about 15 pounds. He's been so upset with me because I haven't been picking him up. The doctor said nothing over 5 pounds for two weeks. He hasn't been that light since he was a kitten. Coinsidence too, we just replaced the old water heater not too long ago. Thank goodness it's in the garage and didn't created too much of a mess. Now something on the central heat/air has gone out. Not a good thing during the month of Aug. in Tennessee. Ahhh, the joy of home ownership. :smile: Vegas, how are your spasms doing? Are you eating more than mushies now?

This is helpful. I was sleeved in 2018 and never had adequate weight loss no matter what I did. My insurance approved my revision after having 6 nutrition visits and my Dr stating it was medically necessary. My revision is scheduled for this upcoming Monday

Excellent response Elizabeth68. Thank you for your compliment. Congratulations as well on your weight loss. You are doing excellent.

I'm with Way2go123 ... what works for one, may not work for all. Pre-surgery I tried every shake I could get my hands on and discussed with my support group. Personally, I use unjury vanilla or chocolate powder every day in my coffee ... I am terrified of hair loss, so I am not using it as my meals, but supplementing my Protein. Also have used Bariatric Advantage, really liked the coffee flavor, their powders shake up nice and thick and even GNC has a great premade grab and go Lean Shake. I loved the pumpkin spice flavor they had that was seasonal so I grabbed up several cases. Pretty much in the same boat with the Vitamins. I really like the Opurity chewable Band specific Vitamin, but it nauseates the heck out of me. Find something that works for you BEFORE your surgery ... you want to stock up so that's one less thing you have to think about while recovering.

Absolutely check with your insurance company about what is covered if you do have complications- I work in case management and I do know many insurances will cover getting it in but not getting it out or the fills/unfills or even if you have complications. And sometimes they only cover 1 weight loss surgery for a lifetime- so wouldn't it make sense to make it be the one that has demonstrated the most success? There are many many people out there that have had partial or total removal of their stomach not for weight loss but due to cancer/etc and they do just fine. I would do some more homework with your insurance company first and ask those questions. Then you should be able to feel confident in whatever decision you make. Good Luck!

charlie and klaker I know there are many cookbooks out there concerning bariatric surgery their is one of those "for dummies" book i do have it "somewhere", don't remember the title go to your bookstore - they can help you hopefully others will chime in good luck kathy Thanks ProudGrammy My NUT told me about the Dummy's cookbook for post bariatric patients as well as "Eating WELL AFTER WEIGHT LOSS SURGERY" by Patt Levine and Michelle Bontempo-Saray. I bought the Kindle version for iPad through Amazon for $9.99. It looks great!

Welcome and warmest congratulations on all you've accomplished! Stalls are most often normal and part of the weight loss. Unless you've changed your diet/exercise routine significantly, then your weight loss will likely start again. I've had two stalls that lasted almost a month each, but the weight loss started up again. I've read that a stall over a month and you should look closely at your caloric intake, carb intake, grazing, exercise routine, and so on...to see if any of those items could be triggering the stall. Of course, we're all different and can stall at different times and for different lengths. Continued success to you and don't get discouraged!

Thanks ladies! I will check out the military spouses board. I got the realize band instead of the lap-band brand - same procedure just different tie-wrap! Long2bfree - have you gotten banded yet? Cindy - awesome on your weight loss so far! Way to go girl!!! I can't wait for my success story... BTW - I was banded on the 14th. Pre-surgery 206 - now - 183... first blockage - last night - childbirth is more pleasant that a blockage!

This is my response to another poster's concern about co-morbidities. I thought it would be helpful to post it here as a separate post. Here is a complete list of co-morbidities that insurance companies use in evaluating your case. I got it from dsfacts.com. DS stands for duodenal switch. Hope this helps. Maybe you will find some you see as familiar. I also provided a heartfelt letter for my packet, which explained why I need the surgery and how my weight and co-morbities were degrading my quality of life. In that letter, I explained when I started gaining weight and listed the diets and exercise programs that have failed me. I told them about family members who have died of conditions on the co-morbities list. I included a list of the medications I am taking for conditions related to my obesity. I shared info about surgeries and joint replacements and other treatments necessary because of my weight. I told them about inconveniences and the adjustments I have had to make to function throughout my day, and how how the weight itself prevents me from an effective and agressive exercise program. Then I closed the letter by explaining how the surgery would drastically improve my quality of life, and thanking them in advance for approving the surgery which would surely extend my life and reduce the need critical medical care in the future. When composing any good presentation, follow these 3 rules: 1. Tell them what you are going to tell them. 2. Tell them. 3. Tell them what you told them. Good luck. Obesity ComorbiditiesTo follow is a list of comorbidities (additional conditions or diseases) related to obesity which may help you in qualifying for weight loss surgery. Family history of heart disease Family history of stroke Family history of diabetes Family history of heart attacks Hyperinsulinemia Diabetes High blood pressure Coronary-artery disease Hypertension Migraines or headaches directly related to obesity or cranial hypertension Congestive heart failure Neoplasia Dyslipidemia Anemia Gallbladder disease Osteoarthritis Degenerative arthritis Degenerative disc Degenerative joint disease Recommended joint replacement from specialist Accelerated degenerative joint disease Asthma Repeated pneumonia Repeated pleurisy Repeated bronchitis Lung restriction Gastroesophageal reflex (GERD) Excess facial & body hair (Hirsutism) Rashes Chronic skin infections Excess sweating Frequent yeast infections Urinary stress incontinence Menstrual irregularity Hormonal abnormalities Polycystic ovaries Infertility Carcinoma (breast, colon, uterine cancer) sleep apnea Pseudotumor cerebri Depression Psychological/sexual dysfunction Social discrimination Premature death For more information on the NIH qualifications for weight loss surgery: Gastrointestinal surgery for severe obesity. Proceedings of a National Institutes of Health Consensus Development Conference, March 25-27, 1991.

Weigh-in at the hospital last night and I've lost another 4 pounds. So far, I have lost 13 lbs in 2 weeks. I hope to keep losing at this same rate after I am banded. I am shooting for a 20lb loss before my surgery next Thursday. I know that's kinda pushing it, but I am hoping to get close. 8 more days to go!!!!!!!!!!!! :clap2:

I have accepted I am a slow loser. I was sleeved Dec 5th weighing in 280 a few days prior to surgery. I now weigh 224lbs so that is 56 lbs. None of my weight has come at a constant steady loss. I started with a 22 drop in the first few weeks of liquid dieting. A week ago I decide to return to liquid because I was tired of see 236 on the scales. The scales have responded with 12 lbs. down. I know some is Fluid and I know this is not a diet change that will be a way of eating for life. I have learned plenty during the year before surgery and the six months past surgery about what eatting habits should be and I feel looking back over my MFP I think I have done well sticking to those guidelines. I have heard plenty of losing slower is better but I simply want to see results! I am wondering if anyone else has resorted to returning to liquid dieting to lose pounds more quickly. I am still tracking my liquids to be sure all nutrients are fulfilled. I usually have 4 or more premier drinks. I throw a Greek yogurt in once or twice a day to change up flavor. All said I am usually 700 - 900 cals. 120- 150 grams of protien and all nutrient goals met when I count Vitamin supplements I do good getting Water in as well. Not sure how long I can keep going but not finding much data on folks who have been sleeved and do long term liquid diets. Any thoughts?

I did some of that too. Then I went on a 2 week liquid diet & then toward the end I had my wife fix me" Crab stuffed Devil eggs". A recipe I saw in a Weight Loss book. I talked for 10 days how good that last meal was going to taste. My wife fixed 2 dozen of those little bastards! They were the most tasteless thing I had eaten in years! After eating 6 of them they went in the trash.

The fact that you are 18 is a very good thing in my opinion. Obviously everybody is different and will have very different results but here is my surgery story (short form). I was 23 when I had the gastric sleeve surgery. I was 276 (give or take a few pounds) on the day of the surgery. In the first few weeks I lost 50 pounds. I kept steadily losing weight until I plateaued after a few months at 190lbs. I kept doing what I was supposed to do at that point and pretty soon it all started to come off again. Six months after I had the surgery I was down to 133lbs (too low!). I worked to put some weight back on and have been in the range of 155-165 since then, it has been over four years now. I believe that the weight comes off slower for most people than it did for me but I have always attributed that to the fact that I was so young when I had the surgery. So as I said at the beginning of this post - you being 18 is a good thing and in my non-professional opinion, I don't think your goal is impossible. It is obviously not a guarantee either. My suggestion is just to do what you're supposed to do. Everything your doctor tells you is designed to help. It may seem tedious but it is important. Also, exercise is very important! Not just for losing weight but for feeling better, being healthy, and for energy levels. Good luck with your surgery and your weight loss journey! -Joshua

4.5 months into my journey and I'm halfway there. I ve lost 45 lbs and have approx 45 to go ( I 'll decide that by how I feel when I get closer). I know it'll take me more than 4.5 months to finish as weight loss has slowed down a lot. I'm exercising, trying not to diet as much as eat right and the way I hope to eat for the rest of my life. I feel I have more of a chance of being successful if I do it that way. I have only had one fill which pretty much I cant tell, so this Monday, I go in again hopefully for another fill. This board has inspired me so much and I think I would have had alot of trouble doing this without it. Thanks alot guys. I love you all for the support advise and learning I've received from this site.

I recently read about a supplement that can be taken that is supposed to help with hair loss (which is a problem for me that comes and goes) and also helps with PMS. I read about it in Prevention Magazine and can't think of the exact name of it right now...Primrose Oil or something like that. Anyway, I bought a bottle and took it for a couple days, then started to have strange feelings when I'd eat, like I was getting backed up - from the pouch up my throat. Like what I'd eaten earlier hadn't gone down all the way. I began to wonder if it's the type of pill I took that is causing this, which is a pill that contains a liquid inside a capsule that will dissolve in the stomach. Problem is, the pouch created by the band doesn't contain all the acids that the lower part of the stomach does, so I'm not sure if the pill is dissolving in the pouch or if it's just stuck there. Anyone else take a pill that has liquid inside that's supposed to dissolve? Any problems with it? Thanks, Sue

Hi everyone: I think there must be only ONE other person who's undergone WLS and is a fellow Tweeter (That stands for user of the Twitter.com website BTW) and he's a Lap Bander. Just to be in the balpark of people on Twitter who've undergone weight loss, I've had to settle for people who've done so WITHOUT undergoing WLS. So this begs the question WHERE FOR ART THOU FELLOW WLSers??? Where (Not to mention WHY) are you hiding from Twitter? Twitter is a GREAT way to communicate. It's also a GREAT tool for announcing meetings and other activities too. Don't have an account yet? CHECK IT OUT - twitter.com (I don't work for Twitter nor do I have ANYTHING to gain (Except some fellow WLS followers of course ) or lose from posting this, so this isn't a spam attempt (If it were, it'd be a terrible one at that) so GO CHECK IT OUT!!) You can also see MY Twitter page in my sig below or the link to it on my blog page also in my sig below. See ya on Twitter! :eek: Cheers