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I had become very lethargic because of my arthritis and pain in my knees; which added to my weight gain. When I saw the orthopedic doctor, he said I HAD to lose weight in order to get my knees done and get some pain relief... I had thought about WLS before, but now I was even more propelled to look into it... I wish I had done this sooner. I have gone back to the orthopedic, who was VERY pleased with my weight loss and we are planning my surgery for the beginning of '15!!! Once that is done, I am hoping to be even more active and looking forward to pain relief in my left leg (first one to be done)... I couldn't have gotten here without WLS... the past year I have been maintaining with a 5 pound variable... tho I'd like to lose more, right now I'm just not active enough...BUT I have MAINTAINED for a year, which has NEVER happened with all my "diets" before this tool was "installed" LOL

Depends on the surgeon you choose if you're looking to see how long the weight monitored nutrition diet is. Also depends on your insurance. My surgeon was Dr. Courcoulas. Her program lasted 5 months for me. Magee is a great hospital. The staff was awesome when I was there. If you choose the surgeon I had, just follow her instructions and her surgical staff's instructions. I seemed to get a quick surgery approval listening to them. Feel free to ask me any more questions. [emoji846] ---------------------------- HW- 273 Pre-op Wt- 230 SW- 226 CW- 184 GW- 130 Ht- 5'2.5" DOS- April 26th, 2017 "Only those who try will become." ~FFX

Hello im sitting here in the UK reading all your posts about the lap band. with a operation date of 20th February 14. Im getting so confussed about this lap band thing, all the pre op posts on this site are very interesting, informative but for me im getting into a slight pre op tizzy. As the day approaches im self questioning myself, should I be doing this, am I that bad that I need a operation. I like most have been yo yo dieting most of my life so now its time to take hold of this weight issue I think! Whats driving me forward with this is my health. Im fine right now but if i dont change, well what can I look forward to High blood presure, diabetis, joint problems. I think there are more pros than cons with this procedure. Can anyone tell me whats with this "im having bad gas" issue i keep reading about on these blogs. Over here we sometimes call it wind. Is it very common post op does it last long, and can you take medication for it? Pre op diet starts Friday, this is one thing that has stopped me having this op ages ago. Mush food, ect for two weeks not sure i will cope with it.

Hi, everyone I'm Betsy, and I'm a bandster-in-waiting. I've done the seminar, and am awaiting my appointment with Brian Lahmann at Silver Cross in Joliet, IL. While I am not yet 100% certain, I believe he and Dr. Joyce lean toward Realize banding for their banding patients; I will learn more on August 21. I am not yet sure whether I will be required to be followed preop with a medically supervised diet; our insurance plan has loosened its requirements for WLS, and I don't know where they currently stand. Either way, I'm ready, and willing to jump through whatever hoops necessary to get the show on the road! I'm a long-time weight watcher (not just with that particular plan--but with every one under the sun). I require ridiculously few calories to maintain, and even fewer to lose, and am viewing the band as a tool to make the restriction tolerable. I have just over 100 pounds to lose. On a less weight-related note, I've been married for 23 years to Mark, and have an almost-21-year-old daughter and almost-13-year-old son. I'm an RN who is now a science and health writer and instructor. I love to read, write, decorate, and entertain. I walk 3.5 miles with my "personal trainer" (3-year-old Lab-shepherd,Truman) each morning and, usually, every evening as well. I'm VERY motivated to get this weight off, primarily for pain relief purposes but also so that I feel like "me" again. I look forward to getting to know everyone

What exactly is Bandster Hell? Does not sound pleasant :thumbup: Is it possible to lose weight before fills:blink:

So I'm 3 weeks post op and I think I'm experiencing bandster hell. About an hour after I eat I'm hungry again. Like hungry hungry. I've been trying to make sure that I'm eating enough protein but it still doesn't keep me satisfied. I go in for my first fill on Friday. I'm just wondering if this is what bandster hell is. And could this be why my weight loss has slowed down the last few days?

I was excited to tell my coworkers. I work in a doctors office. I have work there for 12 years. They have been my biggest supporters through my weight loss journey. I haven't had my surgery yet, but they have always been here for me. So tell your coworkers you might be surprised how supportive they might be.

Means you are on the right track...getting your surgery and losing the weight!

Had my surgery July 9th.. The first few days were HELL.. I got sick several times.. I'm doing much better.. I had a severe sprained ankle and torn ligaments before surgery so I'm sure my body was in over time healing.. Going for my first post op Wednesday.. I don't feel like I've lost weight.. I'm not sure how I am suppose to feel.. Can anyone give me advice on what I should be eating?... Thanks!

So many have had questions about gaining or losing during the "healing" period after surgery (for purposes of this, let us say it is about six weeks). Some gain during the soft food period and after. This is so normal, according to my doctor. It is a time of healing and many of us, after the swelling, experience a return to the same ability to eat as post-surgery - until we start to get fills. What was TRUE FOR YOU? Post is here and VOTE! IT'S MULTIPLE CHOICE - CHOOSE ALL THAT APPLY

This is such a personal journey including your decision to tell people. There are some people I have shared with, people that I trust. There are others that are noticing that I am losing weight but I just tell them I am increasing my exercise and time at the gym while watching my portion sizes....its true without telling them I went through with this procedure. I am not ashamed about it, I think it is the best thing I could have done for myself. I just know how they are and what they would say. I am making myself healthier and no matter what path I took, it is MY path. Gracierose...I really felt pretty good within a week but because of lifting precautions, had to take 2 weeks off. Going back to work was kind of like coming back from vacation...you know how when you start off really slow and then pick up. I just wouldn't plan to do much after work when you get back. Do you have enough vacation time or sick time to take 3 weeks off just to be sure you are ready to go back??? Katie

Ok no one hit me, I have been eating to the point of PB, like my band has made me a freakin bulemic. I have continue to lose weight though, slower than usual but about 2 pounds a week with no exercise. So I know that is not a plan and I will no longer do this since I just read what I typed and figure I would yell at anyone else on hear that said it. I will blame it on the stress of the holidays and finals at school while working a 50 hour week at work too. Diets suck, sorry I can't help!

Low carb diets will work but you have to make it a life time commitment because once you go back to eating carbs you will gain FAST!! How about the Mediterranean Diet? Its loaded with veggies and its a very healthy way of eating. My friend lost 87 lbs on it and she's got 10 more to go. She looks amazing. Your even allowed wine. http://www.mediterraneandiet.gr/index.html Personally I've never done good with WW, Nutrasystem or any of those diets but this way of eating is very healthy and you get to eat alot of veggies. Just set a calories level and follow the guidelines. No diet is easy thats for sure, guess thats why they don't like to call this a diet. Its a way of life.

I'm about 16 months out and having a tough time..I've gone back to hoarding food, even if I don't eat it I just want it there. Going to dunks and getting coffee rolls and donuts for Breakfast, snacking on popcorn at night. Just doing it all wrong basically, and I've gained about 9 pounds. I want to be healthy, and skinny, and I don't want to waste this opportunity. Anyone hit this bump? I just feel like a waste of space, and a disappointment and I'm getting horribly depressed again. I just need to know how to get back on track..

Hi there! Most people lose weight very very fast during pre op diet and the first week or two following surgery. You should expect that to slow down drastically. For me I lose on average 3 lbs per week. The thing is, some weeks I don't lose anything and then the next I lose 4 or 5 lbs. As long as you are losing overall you are in good shape. Some people weigh every day and some people weigh weekly, monthly or only when they go for check ups. They do this to avoid the frustration of the scale. I weigh once a day religiously but I don't get stressed when the scale doesn't move. Most of the time you are still losing inches. There is also the dreaded 3 week stall, but if you keep following the plan, I promise you will begin to drop those pounds again. You just cannot expect that you will lose as fast as the first couple weeks every week. Good luck!

I spent the better part of the weekend crying about the turn of events in my WLS saga. I talked to my DH about it (more than he wanted to hear I'm sure! ) He said that we could take a loan through one of his retirement savings accounts so I can still follow my dream :wub: I've always known that I'm a lucky girl to have trapped a good man like him! :tt2: I love him more & more every day. He knows the score with obesity. His dad has type 2. His mom had bypass surgery about 5 years ago. He saw her struggle for so many years, being beaten down by military doctors & the insurance company every step of the way. We've struggled together with our weight over the years. We're like that cartoon couple you see in the Slimquick commercials. :frown: I told him that I feel like being able to have WLS would be like a new beginning for our whole family (all 3 of us!) Y'know how the mom/wife is kind of like the glue of a family, well I know that if I could finally get my weight under control it would have a huge, positive impact on all of us. I could finally set a good example for my child - so that he can grow up with a healthier relationship with food than my DH and I did. We'll be able to "go" and "do" together. I know for sure that I've held them back from doing things recently. It wasn't with malice - I just don't want to go out walking in our neighborhood and risk more people seeing me & how huge I am. (Not to mention that I might make it one whole house away before I start huffing & puffing.) I've had people yell disparaging remarks at me when I was outdoors on more than one occasion. I know that I'm not the first & unfortunately won't be the last, but I didn't deserve it (nobody does) and I don't want to deal with it again. Today I had the pleasure of calling up Pacific Surgical to schedule a consultation. Yay! I spoke with Michelle. I remember her from the seminar I attended a while back. So much of what she said about her experience still rings in my ears. She was so nice! The way she treated me was the polar opposite of the way Karen did. Amazing how when you're a self-pay patient things can happen sooo quickly! I was able to get a consult scheduled for next Monday! Michelle said that it would be possible to have surgery as soon as May 11th! I think we're still going to shoot for a surgery date towards the end of July. My DH said that since we just paid off the last loan through his retirement plan, we need to wait 2 months to apply for another. He'll be back from his partial-deployment in time to help me with a summer surgery. I'll find out the nitty gritty when I go for my consult, but I believe that all I have to do for Dr. Neal is a nutrition consult, and I assume pre-op bloodwork. I'd imagine there's some sort of pre-op diet. Pre-op as in a week or two before surgery - not Dr. Oh's type of pre-op diet. Oy vey! He wanted a 10% weight loss in the months leading up to your procedure & two weeks of clear liquids prior to surgery. Not to mention that Dr. Oh had a huge list of other pre-op things that had to be done. Speaking of that, I need to call and cancel my endoscopy & follow-up. I really hate that we'll have to pay $ every month for the next few years, but... I have a feeling the return-on-investment will be priceless! :ohmy: I'm actually kind of relieved now. If I can have surgery w/ Dr. Neal, I don't have to make that arduous trip over to Federal Way, cow-tow to Dr. Oh & his excessive pre-op testing, and worry about coordinating all the babysitting I'll need to cover those appointments. When I tried to picture myself going through surgery & whatnot w/ Dr. Oh I couldn't quite "see" it; it didn't feel like that was the place I needed to be. I haven't had my consult w/ Dr. Neal yet (just the seminar), but already I feel that this is where I need to be. I'm feeling much better 'bout everything now!

Thank you one and all your positive input has been very helpful. One of my main things is I only have a 10% chance of keeping my weight off that I have lost so far. Only 1 out of 10 who lose 100+ pounds keep it off. I know the band is not a fix but a tool. My surgeon feels that with the good eating habits I now have and my workout routine the band will be a successful tool for me. I talked this over with my best guy friend today and he said if I do it good, if I don't that is fine to. But a couple other friends told me they were proud of me taking such a big step. So I think I'm moving forward with this. Less than 9 days to go!!

Can't overstate enough about those fluids and protein! It's the hardest part for me, getting all those fluids in. I'm 8 weeks out, and if I'm a little light on the fluids, I get bound up. If I'm light on protein, weight loss and energy drop off. I am at the point where I can put benefited in my water bottle, but more importantly I have to actually drink ALL the water! ^Benefiber

The idea of touching my intestines is what has put me off weight loss surgery for years. The complications and the types of complications are just too risky. I would rather die fat than deal with intestinal issues. The people that I have known that have RNY, they get hungry, really hungry about a year out. I think it is because their stomach is still there producing all those hormones and interacting with their brain. In the end it is a personal choice, but I felt the sleeve gave me the best chance with the least amount of risk. I didn't like that RNY would make me too different for the rest of my life. Plenty of people have parts of their stomach removed for all kinds of reasons and live perfectly normal lives. Rerouting your intestines sets you up for issues for the rest of your life.

May 21, 2014 will be 1 year post op from gastric bypass, my goal was 200 lbs, but have changed it to 199lbs., current weight after 11 months is 210, started at 340 lbs. may not make 199 by May 21, but should be close. have no regrets in doing this, feel so much better. I have had my ups and downs, but glad i did this a year ago

I understand. I'm just starting the nutrition classes, so for me it will definitely be next May. I at first was dismayed about the wait, but I'm working on being Zen and really making the most of this time to address non-hunger and binge eating and get myself into as good physical shape as I possibly can (given that I have some mobility challenges due to my weight) so that I will heal well from the surgery, But I totally feel you. The day will come!

Hi, I'm new here. Female, 49. I have been lurking since I started my journey, in September. Since that time, I have been making many changes, awaiting a date for my surgery. (Gastric Bypass). I had my surgical consult a week ago, and everything went very well. I feel very confident about my surgeon. He seems to think despite my having previous colon resection surgery that I am still a good candidate for what I believe he called a low limbic Gastric Bypass. I have made a lot of changes, which I notice everyone else has too. I just hit my 1 year smoke free anniversary I stopped drinking diet soda, gave up caffeinated coffee, I am drinking about 100 oz. Water daily, passed all my psych evals. I am recording everything I eat, and I'm losing, a small amount of weight. I'm on 2 types of insulin, so that's not an easy task, but I am working on it. I eat Breakfast, and I haven't done that since I was a kid. I still worry about one thing, I still have a craving for something sweet after a meal. I don't bring bad things into the house which helps. It still doesn't change my cravings. Maybe that in and of itself is a problem, thinking foods are bad or good. I have my last dietary meeting at the end of the month. They told me about 6 weeks from that appt. will be my surgery. Anyone else have issues with specific foods, or sweets? I have done so much work, but I know I have to tackle this last craving to be successful. Sorry if I seem like I am rambling. It's just a lot and I hope to make some friends here, and work through some of these fears and doubts with others who may be having the same thoughts. Did anyone else have to have an endoscopy because they have GERD? I do. My surgeon is doing it though, so I'm glad of that, he should be able to tell me right away if there are any issues that would prevent surgery. Thanks so much for reading. Gahhhhhhhhhhh I'm really doing this. Maybe that's why it took so long for me to actually get up the nerve to write here. It's getting so close, there is no turning back, and I am happy, and ready, but I could use the support of others who are going through this and have gone through it.

Not losing weight in 4 days is not a stall. My doc says that a platoe is when you are not losing in months. I know it's hard but sometimes is better not to get on the scale every day. Consider that you are intaking lots of fluids and since your food intake is not much your body stores fluids and calories to survive. Your body is learning to adjust to a different life style. Also if you are not intaking enough fluids that can affect your progress. So do not stress over 4 days that you have not lost. Eventually weight loss will become slower but keep in mind that is not about how many pounds you lose but about the % of overweight that you have to lose. The more you lose, the smaller that percetange of exess weight you have to lose becomes. In my case I sometimes don't see any changes on the scale for days or even weeks but I can feel that my clothes fit better so I realize I am still losing inches. Don't feel discuraged or anxious, it is happening! just keep up the good work!!!!

Sleeved dec17. I would have to say my success so far has been not eating, thinking or even look at rice, pasta soda and anything carbonated since being sleeved. Non success for me would be maintaining the same weight for the past 2 months. :-( YEP! Ive lost nothing in the past two months. Im sooo frustrated at that being that i still have a good 50pounds to goal weight. I really hate to think My weight loss stopped just after 4 months of surgery. My tool is just fine. I still eat small amounts as the first 4 months but it just isnt coming off in scale numbers or body inches.

Congrats on getting clean! And your new family! Life has handed you a lot, and I'm proud of you for trying to get things straightened out. Usually a bypass is a one-and-done type procedure. A skilled surgeon can evaluate you to see if there is any "tweaking" that can be done, but it's better for you to focus on non-surgical options. Your stomach is still small, and your bypass is still in place. Those will continue being helpful (probably why you didn't gain ALL the weight back and more!). But at this point, it's time to get back to basics. Protein, vitamins, water, nonstarchy veggies, limited fruit and starchy veggies. No sugar or white flour. Weight loss won't be as easy as it was the first year after surgery, but it IS possible! Good luck!