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Oh very interesting question Meggs. I agree that it probably depends on the person posting and whether or not they are OK with this weight loss 'interruption' or aggravated by it. The only thing I ever post is for those who are worried, I tell them it's normal and the weight will start to come off again as long as they are doing what they are supposed to. Other than that, I don't comment as I've been very fortunate to not have gone through a prolonged stall or plateau. If my weight didn't change over a couple or three weeks, I didn't consider it a stall. I never went months as others have with no weight loss. As I said, I've been very lucky with the weight loss part of it. I hope to be just as lucky with the maintenance part.

Wow! You sound just like me! In fact, I was so worried that I called the nutritionist and made an appointment to make sure I was doing everything right. Your body is going to freak out after surgery and think it needs to retain everything. Eventually it will let go. I know it's easy to say not to weigh yourself, but don't weigh yourself. Put the scale in your car. Give it to a friend. Better yet, smash it with a hammer. LOL! Our surgeons focus on the weight and the BMI but those are NOT the only measurements of health. They're just the best ones they can use. We have so much more at our disposal! For example, how do your clothes feel? Are they looser? Can you cross your legs yet? Do you not gasp for breath when you climb up the stairs? These are what we call "NSVs" - non-scale victories. Have a friend or family member measure you - your thigh circumference, your arms, your waist, your neck, etc. Then in a week measure again. GUARANTEED you'll see those go down. When you work out your body builds muscle which uses the fat for energy. Muscle weighs more than fat. So, you may be losing 5 pounds of fat but gaining 6 pounds of muscle. That's ok as long as the fat is going away. If you don't believe that, ask your butcher to give you 2 cuts of beef that look the same (same size) - one with a lot of fat, one without. Hold one in each hand. Guaranteed the cut of beef with less fat is heavier than the one with more fat. Like Proudgrammy said, everyone is different. Keep in mind on this forum that people are not always honest (insert shocked face here). My starting weight, for example, is the weight I started out at when I started this journey with my lap band 5 years ago. So my weight lost isn't what I've lost since surgery. Although I input the information correctly on the system, that's not the way it's showing on my profile. I've hit plateaus - I'm in one right now. But, I'm keeping up with what I need to do. Eating right, exercising, etc. I feel fantastic. Am I still overweight? Sure. But I feel incredible. I'll never be 300 pounds again. Heck, I'll never be 265 pounds again. Will I stay at 258? Maybe - although I doubt it. I'm happy with what I've done. Don't know if my surgeon will be but whatever. I know that I'm more than a number on a scale. Hang in there. You're doing great. Throw that rotten scale away.

I think that happens to everyone, but you will start feeling it, more energy loose fitting clothes. The weight will come off!

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.

It took me a year to get approved and during that time my insurance required I had to be on a six month nutrition regiment. My weight and BMI was just over the requirement for the insurance so after losing a little my insurance turned me down because I lost just enough not to be covered. It was a nightmare for me I had waited a year to be turned down. I was so depressed I gained weight and my doctor resubmitted my claim and I was approved. Go figure ( no pun intended. ) hehe

Hi All. So i met with my PCP yeaterday and he was very supportive of my decision. I told him that my insurance requires at least 3 months of supervised diet an he said to just start logging my meals and weight. What i really want to know is how will the insurance co. Interpret the results of this diet? Should one really strive to loose as much weight as possible or is that a bad move? I am afraid the insurance co. (cigna) might take it as " hey he can loose on his own NOT APPROVED" should i just loose a few pounds? Just to prove i tried and it didnt work? I know that if i stick with a diet and exercise for 3months i will loose weight but my problem is staying the course . I want to make sure i do this perfect and not give them any chance to question the approval. I would appreciate any advice i can get. Thank you

Sorry forgot to add the link to the book....http://www.amazon.com/Recipes-Weight-Loss-Surgery-Revised-ebook/dp/B006GO6F9O

I visited with my nut today Margaret Furtado.....I can't say enough great things about her. But I got to view her latest book out of recipes for weight loss and wow I love it. I wish that I would have had this 5 weeks ago but hey I just ordered it on Amazon and can't wait to cook some of the recipes. The recipes are catorgized by post op stages which is wonderful......I'll let you know how good they are in a couple of days!

Went on vacation and for the first time since I can ever remember lost weight instead of gaining!!! Wow it feels so great!!!!

I had two co-workers that were banded 3 years ago, one never had success witht the band and had complications, they considered her a band failure, she had her band removed 4 months ago and had the sleeve and is doing well and dropping weight. The second co-workers band slipped after 3 years, they removed her band but because she was almost of normal BMI insurance would not replace band and would not approve sleeve. She is now 2 months post op band removal and is gaining weight and struggling. I do know that my physician will not replace the band if there are any complications because he feels if you have complications once you are at higher risk for a second round of complications. Not sure what I would do if I had to have mine removed because like you I really do not want to be cut. Good luck in your decision and I hope what ever you decide it works for you.

Hi, My name is Kimberly and I was banded on 03/02 and am having a very difficult time with keeping clear liquds down. I am post-op day 4 and feel dehydrated, will be notifying the DR in am. I also had a hiatal hernia repaired that I didnt know i had. I weighed 234 lbs when i was banded and dropped to 225 today. I know that rapid of a weight loss is not good. Ant suggestions would be appreciated. God Bless.

Thank you all for your warm welcomings! I am excited and I will try to post consistently throughout this journey. Kat817- it "sounds" like you are truly enjoying your weight loss, I am really happy for you. It is so funny how the smallest things that many people take for granted like crossing your legs or wearing a certain type of jean/pant can mean the world to someone else.

Good Morning, Everyone! My surgery on Tues. (28th) went like clock work, or so they say. I was the only one being banded that day at the Journey Lite of Thousand Oaks, Surgical Center. So, I had the staff at my beck and call, they were all so helpful and nice. My nurses and Dr. Billy are the best!!!! Wednesday, was my hardest day, as my calves and hip joints were killing me, all we can figure is the way I must have been laying on the table??? (Plus I'm 57 years old) But by Thur. I was starting to walk around without the help of my husband and by Fri. had no leg pain at all. My tummy is still a little sore, but the swelling is going down, and the incisions starting to itch a little, so, guess I'm healing. As for pain meds, I took one dose on Tues. after I got home, and one does on Wed., and that was it. It is so strange to me to not feel hungry all the time! I never would have believed that I would have to make myself eat, but I have because it is so hard to get any protein and calories on my liquid diet. Yesterday I was finally able to reach my goal of 40g of protein/day. Yeah!!!! I'm losing slower now than when I was on the pre-op diet, because my body is in starvation mode (I think) but that's ok, at least I'm still losing. I didn't gain anything post surgery. My highest weight was 217 (5'4"), surgery day wait was 200, current weight is 196.5!!!!!!! I have found Onederland!!!!!! And I'm never going back to the Two's again!!!!! Thank you Sandy, Bobbie, Bashful, Princess & Slpcat, for your prayers and well wishes! Take care everyone!

I was banded 4 weeks ago. This past week I have gained 3 pounds! I have not cheated once! Here's what I ate yesterday (which is basically how I eat every day) and gained a pound Breakfast 1 egg 1 light laughing cow cheese Lunch 3 thin slices of ham with mustard (no bread) raw veggies Dinner 4 oz. of Salmon Afternoon Snack Pear 2 oz. cheese PLESE HELP! I am so frustrated and sad!!

Being that your BMI is only around 32 you might have problems finding insurance to pay for it or a doctor to do the procedure. Do you have any health problems due to your weight?

I'm working on getting banded. Having been very heavy in my youth, losing much if not all of the weight I needed to lose and now, having gained most if not all of it back, I can give you a few points of view that your Mother is going through. First, the comment you make about "trying to be supportive". In that kind of language, this says to me that you are only being supportive, because you have to, not because you want to. Being genuinely concerned and being OVERLY PROTECTIVE, are two entirely different things. You need to focus your mind differently on approaching your mother and how you deal with things. Statements like "I've tried to be supportive" indicate that you don't trust the person inherently and this can create an emotional chasm between you and the other person that can have ill effects later on. My second insight to you is that having been an EXTREMELY obese person, migrating to the EXTREMELY FIT and healthy thin person, I never truly saw how wonderful I looked. I always thought I was still fat. I look at pictures now and wince, knowing that the person in that picture was thinking that he was still disgustingly fat, even though he looked AMAZING in the picture. The problem is called Body Dysmorphic Disorder. Body Dysmorphic Disorder is a psychiatric disorder in which the affected person is excessively concerned about and preoccupied by an imagined or minor defect in his or her physical features. This is especially common with people who have lost a tremendous amount of weight, or have eating disorders. The only suggestion I can give you is that perhaps you gently encourage your Mother to speak to her physician and/or you possibly speak to her physician on the side asking if he/she could recommend that your Mother see a psychotherapist. Perhaps the one that did the Bariatric Surgical Evaluation to go over these issues. Please just be careful when approaching your Mother. Be patient and understanding, because the last thing you want to do is to alienate her and her feelings by trying too hard to "Dr. Phil" her into seeing that this is a problem. Your mother needs to come to this conclusion on her own, with some really great, nurturing psychotherapy. Now that I'm on the other side again, anxiously trying to get back, I have overcome this issue and know that when I get where I need to be, I will be the most thankful person in the world. Best of luck to you and remember to be really proud of your mother and her accomplishments. A 74 year old lady who lost that much weight deserves to kick up her heels and live a little! Enjoy this time with her!

lol lol i'm 29...if you met me you'd think i was 22, i'm toooooo fun to be in the 30's thread, maybe i'll join them when i turn 40 lol all my friends are in their 20's i'm in college (dental school) so i got all the college drama of any other 20-something yr old... so i moved to dallas for school...i've been here 7 weeks...um yeah i'm the biggest person in the entire dental school...AWKWARD!!! like not just the program, but the entire school of nursing, dental hygiene, ect. but funny enough, all the teachers remembered my name first, probably cause i stood out like CRAZY ok so i'm 5"8, i was 5"7 until my consultation, lol lol, i'm like heck i'll take the inch sure why not, currently 288 lbs. i'm scheduled for surgery july 24th, so i'm on my pre op low carb diet now...which isn't toooooo bad cause i'm sure we've all done low carb before... i'm not telling anyone i go to school with about the surgery...um i kinda hinted to a few girls i was considering it, cause i have like pictures from my early tweenties when i was like 145-155lbs , um their comment, oh i like you like this (my current darn near 300 lbs self) um ok the biggest girl is maybe a size 8, they are all size 4-6, sharing clothes etc, so just restating i stand out in my program, BAD!!!!! ...one girl was like "don't do it" um yeah....so now that i'm on my pre op low carb diet, i'll just say i'm changing my eating habits :mad: i've been reading the threads on people losing friends and people becoming jealous after people lose weight, so i'm kinda suspicious of my new friends, but i'm like well maybe its just one of those "friends will like you no matter what you look like " so maybe it was the nice thing to say, i guess i woulda freaked if they said "oh dang girl GET THE SURGERY!!!" LOL only my sister and a close friend know...ahhh and the close friend who was also thin with me in high school and early 20's and is currently obese with me in our late twenties, is totally against the surgery...so i told her i wasn't doing it :biggrin: i used to be totally against surgery, i'm like thats cheating, diet and exercise thats the right way...um yeah ok, i'd do good for 3-6 months, lose 40 lbs, gain 50, lose 30 gain 40...just recently lost 17, gained 36, those are just the most recent attempts, i realize i need help or i'll be over the 300 lb mark...like it was better for me not to try cause if i just eat normal i maintain, when i diet then get off diet...WATCH out! so after a hundred or so failed attempts i realize i cant do it on my own, i think the band will make it a little easier to make good food choices, i'm good with exercising, its just so discouraging when you go to the gym 5 days a week for a month, lose 15 lbs, then one bad weekend of snickers and cheetos 8 lbs is already back.... LOL to the people who say you didn't gain the weight over night, i beg to differ! nic

Had appt to get a fill today, doc decided to wait til the end of Jan. Down another 5 lbs, total of 55. He was pleased with the weight loss (as am I) but since I was doing well he wanted me to get through the rest of the holidays. He did however, spend some extra time with me discussing my diet. The turkey (not the dr,) the bird, at Thanksgiving did not agree with me to well. Left overs wouldn't go down and when they did, wouldn't stay down. He then proceeded to remind me of too many carbs and not enough veggies. Although bumed out by not getting the fill, I appreciated the reminders and the time the doctor gave me and I have to keep an I CAN DO IT attitude until then.

I just started looking into the band, and I really would like to do the surgery so I tried to look up if my husband's insurance covered the procedure, and I found this Weight loss programs whether or not they are under medical supervision. Weight loss programs for medical reasons are also excluded. This was in the Will not cover section. Do you think that this diffenetly means that they wont cover the procedure?

Great news, Pearlygirl!!!! Hope things continue to fall into place for you. Cannot wait for that day of insurance approval. I wish you luck with your weight loss and also wish for you an uncomplicated road to your destination.

I'm in birmingham also. I just submitted my paperwork to the insurance, I'm hoping to be approved and to hear within the next week or so. I'm using dr miles with alabama weight loss surgery. Good luck to you both!!

Here is my situation, I got my band 6 months ago, and I have been able to loose 44 pounds since then, but it has been so hard for me to loose weight, I think my body has a set weight that it's fighting me to keep, the main reason that I got this surgery is because I want to be healthy and be able to have another baby, talking to my ob/gyn told me that the only way I was going to be able to ovulate normally is by loosing weight, again my progress has been slow and I just don't know what ales to do, I follow all the instructions from my doctors, any suggestions or anyone going through the same situation as me, please advise...

How have u been doing? Is your weight loss kicking into gear again?

Thanks Jodi!! I am getting ahead of myself,I want this so bad.I am scared of the weight I will gain while I am away also.It will be something I will definetly have to work at. Again thanks for the advice,every bit helps! Cathy

Hi all, just checking in to see how everyone is. I have been banded for 4 weeks and have lost 15 pounds. I was wondering if this is good or just normal weight loss. Can you tell me how much you lost in the first month? I have just been trying to stay under 1k calories a day, kinda hard somedays & others i am trying to get in atleast 800 before i go to sleep. Any pointers at this stage would be greatly appreciated.