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DONT TAKE BC PILLS. Please. My surgery team warned me about this for a long time. Your body will not absorb the hormones after the DS. I have an IUD instead.

Has anyone been approved that has Blue Cross PPO of Tennessee? I'm set for my doctor on Feb.5 for my approval, I'm not worried about them approving me. It's the insurance company. I want this so bad!!! I have been overweight since I was 10.I'm tired of starving myself to lose weight.If anyone has could you tell me what all I need to do?

I had my gastric bypass surgery in September 2012 and weighed 285-got as low as 145 at one point until I had my gallbladder out in 2014. I was 165 when I got pregnant. Went into labor 7 weeks early for reasons still unknown and weighed around 180. Before he was discharged from the nicu 11days, I was back to my pre pregnancy weight from stress and hiking up and down a parking garage 8 x a day. 3 months post baby, I was creeping back up to the mid 170s I just thought it was hormones bc I nursed for 6 months. I also struggled with ptsd for the struggles I had w the guilt of him coming early, struggles w nursing, balancing work, etc. He just turned 13 months and I feel like my metabolism has just shut down still at 178. I am also getting depressed and discouraged. I live in a rural area, and do not even have a gym that's reasonable within 45 min. My job is literally drivingfor 8-9 hrs a day so exercise is difficult to give time to when I don't see my little man. I feel like eating enough to nurse mayhave reprogrammed my pouch. I dk what to do

Sometimes if a woman feels insecure she distances herself emotionally bc if u were to leave her it won't hurt as much. This is one way people (men and women) self-sabotage relationships. "well he's gonna leave me anyway so it may as well be on my terms" What she needs is to be reassured Ur in this together. Regardless of weight loss or gain. You need to make up your mind whether you truly want to be together or whether this honeymoon phase with your weight loss is going to turn Ur head at other girls that pay you more attention.

I have BC/BS Fep too. I’m really nervous for submission because of being on the low BMI side. Only 35.5/36. I have 2 co morbidities (Hypertension and Severe Osteoarthritis in my knee). My surgeon said he feels pretty confident I will have no issue with my insurance and those issues for approval but I’m doubtful. He said BC/BS is one of the better ones for approvals too. I’m sorry you got denied GTGirl. But fight the insurance on it. You’ll get it.

Today marks two weeks post op for me and I feel pretty good...I actually have to force myself to sit down bc I'm doing to much Hw:334 Sw:318 Dos:305 Cw:282 Down 23.5 since surgery and since the start of this journey down 36lbs!!!

Wow, I started burping tonight......I am so excited that I don't have that rumbling torture in my stomach and agony of trying to burp but I can't bc I was swollen from surgery. Oh and I go full liquids now.....butternut squash Soup for dinner. Sitting lovely as can be!

i went and visited some of my friends and they all know i've had the band done. So, they were all like, how come you haven't lost like 50lbs already. Good Freak'n grief people, i've already lost 35 and i'm pretty dang excited abt it. And you wanna rain on my parade!! I guess what they don't realize is that i didn't get fat over night. It took years for me to get this big, and its gonna take some work and big effort on my part to get it all off. Yea, i wish it would all just come off so easily but its not. I gotta work at it and with the band, its not so hard. So, while my friends stuff there faces with burgers and fries and drink tons of soda. I'll be xtremly happy with small salad. I'll have my water in an hour. LOL bc sooner or later its all gonna catch up with ya. Then you'll have a big caboose and i'll be slim, fit and ready to take on the world! LOL

Hey! We are in the same boat. I am 3.5 weeks out and can barely stomach food. It's really catching up with me too bc I'm running around after two 8 year old twin boys, driving all over town, and my energy had plummeted. I was doing fine until this week. I cannot seem to get my protein in or all my water. Yesterday I was so fatigued and weak that someone asked me if i was ok to drive home! One trick that has worked, though it takes me forever to get though a mug, is that bariatric hot chocolate that has 15 grams of protein. I mix it with 8 ounces of milk bc cup of milk has 10 grams of protein so 25 grams in a mug. The taste is pretty good, it's just kind of rich and takes me about 1-2 hours to get through. As I write this though, not having eaten anything yet, the thought isn't appealing. (Who ever thought I would not want food??!!!) my biggest concern is losing my hair if I can't get my protein up-omg trading in one insecurity for another!!!! Last night we went to Thai food and I ordered soup made with coconut milk to up my calories and added soft tofu. I got a little down. I'm right there with you! I have even thought about puréeing a protein bar into my shakes. You should see my front room-Amazon delivered powdered peanut butter (PB2), bars and shakes. It looks like a protein store and I want none of it. Holding your hand from California! I'm here with ya! 5'7 HW: 256 SW: 248 CW: 235 At 2 week post op GW: 150 Fantasy GW: 135 Sleeved 8/7

This. I fit this pattern to a T. I am 14 months out. I'm working out hard, tracking calories, and have dropped into the 4-5 bs a month range. The fast loss is only at the very beginning for most people, and will slow down. You will have stalls and it will be frustrating unless you are someone very lucky. This is a long game, not a quick fix by any means.

Well its weird...we tried for 2 years before the band...than we decided this last month we would start trying for a baby my aug cycle...aka the one that never came....bc i am PREG!!!! we are in shock and excited and super happy!!! we got preg with out even trying God is amazing and the Band is my best friend!!!! Our Lil Peanut is due April 22nd 2009.... The band really can help someone get preg.... God bless everyone!!!

Here is the run down... Had vsg 2 years ago. Lost 180 pounds. Pre-vsg I had a slew of health issues. PCOS, high lipids, high blood pressure, diabetes...you name it, I had it. Now...I am 10 weeks pregnant. I see a high risk ob with consultation from my Bari surgeon. However, I now have to eat every hour or two and for the first time in my life, I am constantly hypo! Docs are ok with 1 hour post meal bs at 70. My body is not. I also had two miscarriages pre-vsg and was constantly hyper with them. I am struggling to keep weight gain at a minimum but loading carbs is zapping me! Any advice?

Just like with WLS you'll hear all sorts of birth control horror stories. Pills make some crazy, people say shots make them gain weight, etc. I'm on my third IUD and have never had a complication. I also already have two kids and don't plan to have more. Personally I would not recommend am IUD to one without kids. I'm so out of the loop with bc options since I've had an IUD so long, but take others experiences lightly... Everyone reacts differently

I'll say what my mother tells me all the time. Always file an appeal.. even if it's 10 times. She actually works for BC/BS and said that 80 - 90 % of the time they will approve on an appeal.

Not trying to "win" anything. Just pointing out that this is a wls forum where we should be discussing wls not bashing a group of people. I came here to read about wls not transphobic bs. This type of content should be removed. Sent from my SM-G960U using BariatricPal mobile app

Saturday night I woke up at about 11 PM and my stomach was soaked and through my pants were soaked I called the surgeon to let him know that I had serous drainage. As a nurse I know that this is common however I have never seen it so bad in all my years of nursing. So he stated to just put a dressing over it and it should be okay. So the next morning I wake up still draining. By after noon is was draining so bad that the dressing was soaked within ten mins of changing it and I don't mean just wet I mean soaking through pants shirt and hoody. So my husband said I think u need to call the surgeon back. Long story short he said met me at the office on a Sunday which was wonderful since he was in the operating room all day anyways he said. So he looked at it and said everything looks okay and it may take a few days to stop draining. Today it's still draining super bad. I've been nauseous today a lot and now started with diarrhea. I'm hoping not related . I just don't wanna develope seroma. Or any infection as a nurse I do great with patients but not with my kids or myself bc I fear the worse. Lol. Which I know co workers have told me they're the same way when it comes to them or they're family probably bc of all the things we see in patients. Anyways I'm still soaking through dressings like crazy changes them atleast ten times today already. They have me comming back in tomorrow morning. I guess my biggest fear is that everything has gone sooooo smooth is this where I start having complications? Has anyone else had this? Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Well no one ever answered my question so I got dome new ones and see if anyone will help me this time. So I went and the doc gave me loestrin. She said it shouldn't make me gain weight or effect it at all. I've been on it 4 days now and I was supposed to get my period before I started it but could not bear another day that I wanted to vomit, so I started it early. I usually cramp like 5 days before my period and the day of gets bad then it stops. I was supposed to start it yesterday and I am still cramping (not bad). My weight is up think because I was supposed to get TOM but haven't been up like this in months only 1 lb but still. I am feeling kind of tired, is this normal when you first start bc? Has anyone taken loestrin and has it affected their weight loss? Please help!!!

I'm finding it hard to exercise as much as I use to! I also find it hard to eat my veggies as much. I'm a year and a month out- is anyone else having this issue? I started a new BC pill for my ovarian cysts and since then my body has changed so much- I feel bloated all the time. It's a mess!

OMG. I remember you. I talked to you a while back on here. I am so fed up with my band. I finally had all of my fluid removed because of the same issues. I am ready to convert to the gastric sleeve. I am hearing good things about it. Personally, I despise the lap band and regret it! __________________ Originally posted at www.lapbandtalk.com

I have gone to 2 of the 6 required nutritionist visits required for weightloss surgery. I see the surgeon next month to decide what type of surgery I want to have. I am 26 yrs old, 6'3", and 327 with sleep apnea, high cholesterol, pre diabetic, and minor reflux. Dieting hasn't worked too well bc I always gain it back. I've been on 4 major (and expensive) diets since I was 13. I am just so tired and beat down feeling... My wife is scared for me to have gastric bypass and I am too but I am starting to feel likes its my only option. Any encouraging words?

I take 400mg of magnesium a day. I looked at how much was in my multivitamin and then I add an extra magnesium supplement to get to 400mg. I originally started taking it to help with migraines but it also helps with my (former) chronic constipation. I don't buy anything fancy, just whatever they have at a big box store. Of course, ask your doctor if this is okay for you to add. ETA: Oh, I take it at night bc it can make you a little sleepy. It helped me go to sleep, as well!

-Greek yogurt with berries and a couple teaspoons of Special K Protein cereal (can add Protein powder to the yogurt) -Morningstar vegetarian sausage patties with cheese and sometimes SF syrup (a couple of times I've had with half a low-carb English muffin or half a thin bagel but the bread fills me up too much and I can't eat enough protein, so I just stick to the patties) -Morningstar vegetarian meatballs with ricotta, parm cheese, and tomato sauce -Before I was on solids, I liked diet hot chocolate with protein powder -oatmeal with Greek yogurt on top, chia seeds (not eating these yet though), and a little SF jam -Refried or whole Beans with cheese, Greek yogurt and salsa (sounds weird for breakfast but I really like this--you might too if you like your grits savory) -Low-carb/high-protein pancake made from egg whites, protein powder, flax meal. I probably eat the veggie patties the most bc they have 10 g of protein each, so I can almost eat 2 of them or 1.5 with some melted cheese or part of a cheese stick.

Interesting post, but there are a few quick facts to state on thie issue. I agree with Poodles, it is a YMMV situation. My body actually does very well on lower carb diets. A couple points... 1. Many people mistake low carb dieting for NO carb dieting. No carb is bad. You cannot survive on ONLY meat. Diets like Atkins NEVER suggest that, that is a myth. They actually suggest that you avoid processed and refined foods alltogether, flour and sugar mainly. Since both of those items are truly devoid of nutrition, you will be hard pressed to find a doctor that suggests you eat them. 2. This is the big one... I looked at your "facts". They were provided by the American Dietetic Association. You might want to note who these folks are... they are a VEGAN group (gee, vegans don't eat meat, and most lower carb diets allow you to eat meat) and are associated with PETA. Obviously, they are biased against ANY diet that allows for eating animal products. Not an unbiased opinion here folks. Take their "wisdom" with a grain of salt. 3. There is just as much good data on the benefits of lower carb eating. For example from Web MD: June 23, 2006 -- In motivated, obese type 2 diabetic patients, a low-carbohydrate diet with some caloric restriction has lasting benefits on body weight and glycemic control, often reducing the need for medication, Swedish researchers report in the journal Nutrition and Metabolism. Dr. Jorgen Vesti Nielsen and Dr. Eva A. Joensson from Blekingesjukhuset, Karlshamn, previously reported that 16 obese patients with type 2 diabetes who followed a 20% carbohydrate diet achieved significantly better glycemic control and body weight over 6 months than did 15 patients who followed a 55% to 60% carbohydrate diet. Follow-up data at 22 months for the low-carbohydrate group now shows "stable improvement" of body weight and glycemic control, the investigators report. At the start of the study, mean body weight was 100.6 kg in the low-carbohydrate group. At 6 months, mean body weight was 89.2 kg and at 22 months it was 92.0 kg (p < 0.001). "It is significant," the authors note, "that 44% of the patients have had a stable weight or have reduced it further and all but one had a lower weight at 22 months than at the beginning of the study." Initial HbA1c was 8.0% in the low-carbohydrate group. After 6 and 12 months, HbA1c had improved to 6.6% and 7.0%, respectively, and at 22 months it was still reduced, at 6.9%. After 6 months on the low-carb diet, 2 of 5 patients using sulfonylurea had discontinued this medication and three were able to lower the dosage. Similarly, 3 of 11 insulin-treated patients discontinued insulin and the mean insulin requirement among 8 had fallen from 60 IU/day to 18 IU/day. Dr. Nielsen and colleagues also report that seven subjects who switched from the higher-carbohydrate to the low-carbohydrate diet after the initial 6-month observation period also saw improvement in their blood sugar and body weight. The low-carbohydrate and high-carbohydrate diet contained about the same caloric content (1800 kcal for men and 1600 kcal for women), but the proportions of carbohydrates, Protein, and fat were 20%, 30%, and 50%, respectively, for the low-carb diet versus 55-60%, 15%, and 25-30%, respectively, for the higher-carb control diet. In the low-carb group, the daily quantity of carbohydrates was 80-90 grams and carbohydrates were limited to vegetables and salad. Pasta, potatoes, rice and breakfast cereals were excluded and, instead of ordinary bread, crisp/hard bread was recommended, with each piece containing 3.5 to 8 grams of carbohydrates. The low-carb group was also counseled not to eat between meals. In contrast, in the higher-carbohydrate diet, whole-grain products were recommended, as were generous helpings of vegetables and several servings of fruit as Snacks between meals. "Several recent reviews have made the case for reducing the carbohydrate load in type 2 diabetes or metabolic syndrome and the low-carbohydrate diet presented here is clearly effective in many obese people with type 2 diabetes," the authors write. "Because of its effectiveness it should be used with close clinical supervision in patients on insulin or oral hypoglycemic agents." In comments to Reuters Health, Dr. Nielsen said: "There is no such thing as one diet that all patients should adapt to. Some prefer to eat as they are used to and treat the blood glucose with medications. Others are willing to make quite substantial changes in their lives in order to get healthier (and in some cases to get cured of their diabetes). These (patients) should also have help from professionals." Dr. Nielsen also noted that existing diabetes dietary guidelines are "paradoxical in that they...actually increase blood glucose, cause deterioration of the blood lipids and prevent the wanted weight reduction -- just the opposite of what the physician wants to see in the patients." When it comes to diet and diabetes, Dr. Nielsen acknowledges that "we know very little and patients should be informed about our lack of knowledge so they can make their own choices. And then they should get our full support in whatever they chose." From Rx List: A review of the research currently available on the safety and effectiveness of low-carb diets published last year in The Journal of the American Medical Association concluded that there was "insufficient evidence for or against the use of these diets." From Newswise: Newswise — With a continuing epidemic of type 2 diabetes and dwindling resources to combat it, new approaches are clearly needed. Because it is disease of insulin and blood sugar regulation, low-carbohydrate diets have been an obvious choice for diabetic patients but have been resisted by some professionals and agencies in favor of pharmacologic approaches. Now, medical researchers in Sweden have reported a follow-up study of patients on a low-carbohydrate diet up to 22 months and report stable improvement and reduced need for medication. The Swedish group, led by Dr. Jorgen Vesti Nielsen, had previously reported on16 obese patients on a 20-percent carbohydrate diet over 6 months. After 22 months, patients continued to show improvement in hemoglobin A1C, a marker for long-term blood-sugar levels in diabetes. The paper published today in Nutrition & Metabolism, an open access journal [no subscription required (http://www.nutritionandmetabolism.com/home/)], also reports that seven patients who immediately switched to a 20-percent carbohydrate diet from a low-fat diet in the earlier study also showed improvement. According to Richard Feinman, PhD, editor of Nutrition & Metabolism, “It is a small study, but it is the longest of its kind and it shows people coming off medication and improving their glycemic control.” Dr. Feinman is also professor of biochemistry at SUNY Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn. From Newstarget: - A REVOLUTIONARY low-carbohydrate diet could dramatically ease the effects of epilepsy in children and reduce the need for sufferers to take drugs, researchers claimed today. - Pioneering work at Londonâ¬s Great Ormond Street Hospital has shown that almost half of youngsters following a high-fat Ketogenic diet have reported a 50 per cent reduction in seizures. - In trials involving 31 children, doctors were able to reduce the anti-epileptic medication of 42 per cent of patients after three months. - The tests, conducted with the Institute of Child Health and the National Centre for Young People with Epilepsy, have involved children adhering to either a classic version of the Ketogenic diet or one which includes prescription-only medium chain triglyceride supplements. From Medicalnews today: High Protein, Low-Carb Diet During Pregnancy Good for Baby It has been estimated that up to 32 million Americans have adopted the low-carb style of eating, in part because of its quick and dramatic results. Converts often maintain components of low-carb eating long after they've officially finished dieting. Not surprisingly, a growing number of pregnant women now explore ways to continue low-carb routines through gestation, in fact there are several chat rooms devoted to this topic. Though low-carbing during pregnancy has not been extensively researched, a new study points to some positive benefits for the adult offspring of low-carb dieters. A team of U.K. scientists at the University of Southampton School of Medicine have found that female pups born to mice who were fed a diet high in unsaturated fat and protein, and low in carbohydrates (low-carb/high-fat) during pregnancy and lactation were likely to have lower liver triglyceride levels in adulthood than pups born to mice on the standard chow diet (high-carb/low-fat). The female low-carb/high-fat offspring also had higher amounts of Proteins that aid fatty acid oxidation (fat burning) than did the standard diet pups. A similar trend was noted in the male low-carb/high-fat offspring, but the results were not as dramatic. In humans, maintenance of low triglyceride levels and a good lipid (fat) metabolism is important as these factors can reduce the risk of developing coronary artery disease, a condition that affects millions and kills thousands of Americans each year. Research highlights: -- Mother mice were assigned either low-carb/high-fat or standard high-carb/low-fat diets approximately six weeks before impregnation. They remained on these diets through pregnancy and nursing. -- The low-carb/high-fat mother mice ate approximately 21 percent less than the high-carb/low-fat mother mice did. The low-carb/high-fat mother mice consumed 57.5 percent fewer carbs, 153 percent more fat and 23 percent more protein than the mice on the standard diet. -- The mothers on the low-carb/high-fat diet did not display differences in body weight in comparison to the standard diet mice. -- All pups were weaned from breast milk onto the same standard high-carb diet into adulthood. -- Importantly, the adult offspring of low-carb/high-fat mothers had reduced liver triglyceride concentration (less than half that of the pups born to mothers on the standard diet), despite being fed the same standard high-carb/low-fat diet post weaning. They also expressed significantly greater levels of the hepatic proteins CD36, CPT-1 and PPARá, which help with fatty acid oxidation. The results of the study “A high unsaturated fat, high protein and low carbohydrate diet during pregnancy and lactation modulates hepatic lipid metabolism in female adult offspring” will appear as one of 20 research studies on fetal programming (how a mother's actions affect her offspring) presented in the January 2005 edition of the American Journal of Physiology - Regulatory, Integrative, and Comparative Physiology. The authors of the study are Junlong Zhang, Chunli Wang, and Christopher D. Byrne of the Endocrinology and Metabolism at the University of Southampton School of Medicine; and Paul L. Terroni, Felino R. A. Cagampang, and Mark Hanson of the Maternal, Fetal and Neonatal Physiology Sub-Division at the University of Southampton's Princess Anne Hospital. All authors are in the University of Southampton's Developmental Origins of Health and Disease Division (DOHaD). This work was supported by the Wellcome Trust, the British Heart Foundation, the DOHaD Center and the School of Medicine of the University of Southampton

I was fed ensure protein and water. I guess you could bring a plant based protein shake with you. I was just in the hospital 24 hours.

I had my surgery Tuesday may 19. I had absolutely no pain.. But the nausea I experienced felt like death! I had to stay in the hospital 3 days bcs I couldn't keep anything down aND I could barely move my head without feeling dizzy. I know I've heard people talk about the nausea but I never ever thought it could be that bad!