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I totally hear you. I've also got a 15 year old, he's good about helping out with his sister. My husband used to work 3p-1a. It was peaceful. My weight started going up when he switched to days. Now he demands that supper be cooked every night and he wants us to snack on junk all late since he's home at night. Well, good for him, he's got great genes and a high metabolism. He keeps telling me that I'm not fat...personally I think he's scared for me to go back to my pre obesity weight because he thinks if I'm thin and feeling good about myself, I'll leave him. I won't, but I see where he'd feel that way, heck, I would. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using the BariatricPal App

I haven't been to my local bariatric office for two years, but decided to tuck my tail and go back considering I've gained 30 lbs since I was there last. The nurse took the saline out of my band to make sure I had all 3 cc in my band that we had when I last saw her and she was only able to get 1 1/2 cc, then she had me stand to see if it was positional....she only got two total. SMH. She's trying to figure out if my band is leaking or if she miscalculated last time I was there. I really hope that she didn't take proper notes, I'll be devastated if my band is broken.

Good thought Jayson... Think of the Rx as another card in your "deck". You will need to work with your docs to balance everything, but this WON'T eliminate your ability to lose weight.

Thank you so much Lissa and Sharon for the helpful replies. Now that I know that Prilosec (on top of the Famotidine) helps you, Sharon, and Tums helps you, Lissa, I am going to pick up some of both! I was hoping it would be fine to take somethiing on top of the Famotidine (which I take twice a day already as well), so knowing that taking Prilosec has helped you, Sharon, I am sure it won't kill me! Not that I tho't it would but.... Anyway, another question: Are the "foamies" where you feel acid rumbling / building up into your throat? I have read about people on this board experiencing "foamies" but haven't had it defined as of yet. If that IS what it is, I DEFINITELY have the foamies, especially if/when I take pills earlier in the day! I will start watching the clock more closely to time my gut feelings. I also get hungry sooner after exercising (which I am happy to say, I have been walking 30 minutes per day, at least 5 days per week since the middle of week three post-op and it kicked my weight loss into a higher gear). I am down 41 lbs in total. 10 pre-op and 31 post op since sleeved on 10/17. So exciting! I have been using the MyFitnessPal.com app on my phone daily and it is a great tool. I am shooting for 50 to 60 g of protein a day and trying to keep the carbs low-ish. You are on there, aren't you, Lissa? I love being able to keep track of everything there. I finally think I am OVER utilizing the pen and paper routine to track, but must admit, I do miss not being able to see a whole week or more at a glance. I had created an Excel spreadsheet of everything I ate and drank and tracked cals, protein and carbs plus fluid intake and exercise for the first 4 weeks. But using MyFitnessPal is just SO much easier and less time consuming that I know I'll be more likely to continue tracking for the long term with it, whereas with paper, I always quit eventually because of time constraints. Lissa, I looked at a bunch of protein bars at The Vitamin Shoppe but they all had 35 or more carbs per bar and that worries me a bit. I am trying NOT to be paranoid about carbs but I do want to do this right and I DON'T want to screw up my losing streak, IYKWIM! I get to come of of soft foods as of Tuesday and am glad to be moving on to the "permanent" stage of eating on this journey. I just have to figure out what to purchase and fix so I won't get burned out on all the soft foods I've been eating (mostly eggs, cheese, cottage cheese, ground up chili with beans, refried beans and the like). I am SO ready for a REAL bite of REAL chicken (not ground down in food processor til it looks like baby food!' Thanks for your help. Hope your Thanksgiving weekend is relaxing! Leah p.s. Sharon - love your new picture on the board. It's lovely!

I am not supposed to weigh at home. At first it was difficult but now I am used to it. Everyone's weight can go up and down so once a month is good measurement. I have read where some people have their spouse hid their scales

It came as no surprise to me today that my most recent bone density test showed that I had osteoporosis because two years ago I had osteopenia. Mostly this is due to my breast cancer meds which are anti-estrogen and hard on the bones. My weight loss hasn't helped either. Has anyone gone on Boniva, Fosomax or Actenol? And if so, are the pills hard to tolerate with the band? I don't have very tight restriction and haven't had any problems with pills. I just joined a gym and started weight bearing exercises to add to my aerobic exercising. Hope that will help. Thanks.

I am losing inches. I lost about 2-3 inches since my last appointment. My size 13-14's are no longer in my closet because they were too big, I now have 11's and 12's but those are starting to get a little loose. So yes I am seeing a difference in inches. I also do lift weights, 2xs a week for about an hour. I am getting really close to goal. about 25 to 30 pounds, give or take so I suppose it gets really hard at this point, the weight doesnt just fall off at this point? Idk?

I have to do protein mostly, but I can have lean meat and veggies. But they want me to have 4 of their products per day. I'm doing my best to do that. I have still been hungry. I want to include my kale to their shake, cause I don't want to be constipated. I want to be sure to loose weight prior to the surgery, but I don't want to be sick. I'm already starting to feel nauseous. I have to eat something. It's one thing if my stomach wouldn't allow me to eat, but I'm hungry. And with this band it starts to lock up if I don't eat. That's another reason I want this thing out.

I had my sleeve done December 13th 2012. My highest weight was in September of 2012 at 377, the morning of my surgery I was 349. This morning I weighed in at 168!!!!! I have lost 209 pounds…..I pinch myself everyday. There is no secret to my success, my sleeve has been my greatest tool. I would have never gotten to this point without it, I know that! However, the 3 other legs of the stool to help me achieve this have been: 1) Myfitnesspal.com 2) Fitbit 3) Exercise, Exercise, & more Exercise The sleeve did not fix the cavernous space between my ears. Even with the sleeve I would not have lost the weight if I was not ready to tackle the reasons I overate the way I did prior to surgery. I was finally mentally in the right place to take on this challenge, the sleeve was the extra edge I needed to stay on track. I can guarantee failure if you are not ready to combine mental toughness along with a life dedicated to exercise. I fear it everyday, fear that i will give up on my exercise routine and let a few pounds sneak back. I use that fear to force myself out of bed and on to that treadmill, or elliptical machine. Many days I workout twice a day. Many of us are in the same place for the same reason….lack of will power, poor genetics, and we can be just plain ole lazy. Those things DON'T go away….they just lay dormant and you have to fight to keep them where they belong: buried deep inside of you. I see my surgeon this coming week and I can't wait to see my lab work, I am really looking forward to see how much it has improved since prior to my surgery. I had high cholesterol, high fasting sugar levels etc…. In two weeks from today I will be in my hospital room recovering from my circumferential body lift. I am so anxious to let the healing begin and get back to my workout regimen. I have a 10 mile race under my belt, I finished in just over an hour and a half. Mind you, when I first started my workouts back in January I was barely able to walk at 3.5 mph for 30 mins. Now I run twice a day for 40 - 60 mins at a time and average 6.5 mph in preparation for my plastic surgery. In 2014 I have scheduled a half marathon and a full marathon, they are things I would have laughed at back when I was 377 pounds and because of this life altering procedure they are a real possibility. If you are reading this and thinking of surgery or just had it completed or have had it and things are going well, know that it is tough. The sleeve is a tool and that tool is only as effective as the owner of it. This is not popular…..you can cheat the sleeve. You can put weight back on….you can eat more and more over time. It is up to you to use it properly and rehab your mind, train yourself to be mentally strong in your fight against food addiction and abuse. I do not deprive myself of things…..I have had……pizza, ice cream, french fries, and diet soda. I just don't have a whole pizza, I have half a slice and a small salad. I have a spoonful of ice cream instead of 2 pints of ben and jerry's like i did prior to surgery. I steal a french fry or two from my son instead of a super sized order from mcdonalds with my two big macs and two cheeseburger with a large regular coke. You can do it! But, you have to be ready to do it. I wasn't ready for 13 years! I gained almost 200 pounds from 1999 to 2012 when i had my procedure. just about every monday during that time i started a "diet" and by thursday afternoon i was done. I had some success a few times losing close to 75 pounds at one time but it didn't last long. i wanted to take time to let anyone know who wanted to listen that this is not the end all be all to your success. you are the key to it working!! i wish you all nothing but good luck in your personal journey, it has been my greatest accomplishment in my life. there are so many things we are expected to do and do well: be a loving and caring spouse, be the best parent you can be, work hard to provide your family what they need. you don't have to be healthy, you WANT to be healthy but it is not a requirement so when i look back at what i have done, i truly feel its my greatest accomplishment!! good luck everyone!

I'm going through the SAME thing as you. I do have a different insurance company though. My current BMI is at the lower end of the BMI range that qualifies for coverage. I was worried about having to do the 6 month supervised weight loss because I wasn't sure if the insurance company would pay if I fell out of that BMI range. My dietician told me that if I get close she will help me maintain the weight so I can get coverage. With all the appointments & test this whole process sort of feels like a part time job. ???? I know what you mean, I try to think of it as I spent most my life over weight I can wait another 6 months but it's hard to not have a little negativity, especially knowing the tricks insurance company's like to play!

Who was sleeved on march 27th? What's ur weight loss and what r u eating

With a 15 second pause during an EPS study, I am surprised that they did not opt to at least put in a pacemaker. I had EPS and was ablated for a re-entry fast rhythm. Eventually I will need an AICD but thankfully, so far, so good. What's interesting is that in my case, I only began to have heart problems AFTER I lost 230 pounds. I put back 130 of that but did keep 100 pounds off for 4 years. Now I hope the band helps me get back down to a healthy weight. I'm glad that your weight loss has helped the heart flare-ups and I certainly hope you've see the last of them.

I think it's the liquid's, or lack of. I have noticed if I slack off on my Water, my weight loss slows to a stop. Try your best to drink at least 8 glasses of water a day and you should she a change for the better. Good Luck!

Hi All, I am hereby confessing my eating sins. 1) I am not eating enough Protein. 2) I have started eating carbs again. 3) I am not measuring every meal I eat. 4) I sometimes have a snack between meals. 5) I can't resist the sweet deserts in the teachers lounge. 6) I catch myself eating when I am not hungry. 7) I have begun to fall back into the destructive emotional eating pattern. I only have about 23 pounds to reach my goal weight. Why am I sabotaging myself?? I feel so guilty. I need a pep talk.

I was banded in January 2008. Always looking for someone to be a lapband buddy/mentor. Even though I have support from my family and coworkers, it is nice to have outside support. If anyone is available, let me know!! I am only 25 pounds from goal weight and could use that little extra support, just like anyone else.

Congrats on your success this far! My situation is a little different because there was only 1 close friend at work who knew I had surgery (others have figured it out since then I think) and there was this one woman who just would not leave me alone. She was obsessed with my weight loss. "What are you doing?" "What are you eating" "When will you stop" etc etc etc. She made a comment to me at least once daily. It made me really uncomfortable, but now 18 months out, no one really mentions it anymore. They've adjusted to the "New me" and your co-workers will too. But expect lots of compliments in that first year of active weight loss! Even today someone came back to work who I had resigned a couple weeks ago for visit and we hugged and she said "Oh, you're as thin as a rail!!" That's definitely not something I'm used to hearing! Also weird is new people who have started or I've met at my work, church, kids' school since I lost 140+ pounds. It's so weird to me that they never knew me as overweight. Sometimes it will come up and I will show them a before and after picture and they are floored. It's kind of cool the first time someone says "I never would have known you were overweight". Good luck to you on the rest of your journey!

I have had 6 in the prior 8 mos or so. No need to wait for mos to have another... Remember, as you lose weight, the fat around your stomach and under your band shrinks - which means your restriction loosens up. That's why adjustments are necessary. Some of that 48 lbs came out from under the band. Get another fill. :]

Well our company is nationwide and a co worker of mine just found out today that Anthem BCBS no longer covers it. I had originally called to inquire about PS. Then the lady said we dont cover that ( the bariatric surgery ) so they wouldnt cover the PS. I told her well I had it a year ago , apparently they changed their rules in January. They no longer cover it. I feel so bad for her, its the only thing she has had to look forward too. So I guess it doesnt matter what the company size. I was lucky I got in before it changed, but for those who are having issues. Many insurance companies have been sucessfully sued for weight discrimination. You might want to research just to have your own ammo. I do know zerox was one that got nailed for it.

Ok.. When I first saw a dr put on my med chart " obese stomach" ..I was in shock. This was about 12 years ago. This comment stayed stuck I'm my mind for years to come at the meantime getting larger year to year. Of course..I would lose tons of weight between that time I saw this term and prior to sleeve surgery. For some reason that word "obese" pierced my heart. I had to talk through myself that it is only a word that the med profession uses for excess weight. But what I was really doing to myself ..I was in denial about my excess weight.. Only when I saw pics of myself ..I looked "obese". When I started having high blood pressure, high cholesterol ..it was a sign of my health condition..but even with these bad symptoms. I was still in denial about my excess weight. food was my best friend that I could not conceivably ever give up. I could not even fathom this concept and certainly did believe I could in myself to even consider this option. Flashback to Sept , 2013.. I heard that a friend of mine lost tons of weight with the sleeve..and finally keeping off her excess weight reheat she struggled to do for years. I was a classic replica,of her weight loss journey. Lose, gain, lose gain. After losing 65 pounds two years ago, just to gain it back immediately, I was literally exhausted with getting on diets.just to gain it all back. I had liposuction twice, I had the lapband, and went on too many diets to count . I was still no better in Sept 2013 ..improbably spend over $75,000 On weight loss efforts. (Could of used that money for a world cruise). I never , ever considered invasive weight loss surgery till Sept 2013. The gastric by pass, in my opinion, was too extreme, I researched the sleeve, spoke to my friend who had the surgery, and went to a consult with my dr. I vacillated whether to have the surgery. Changed my mind several times. I was also seeing a psychologist at that time for my "emotional" eating. This turned out to be invaluable and a real added plus to my current success. I still see my psychologist every two weeks. I knew deep down that getting on another "diet" of food deprivation was no longer a solution to my weight problem. I was completely exhausted to deal with my weight ..on to dec, 2013'. I had the surgery. I remember that 7 days after surgery, my reality that food can and will no longer be my friend was very humbling to me. I knew that my life changed forever with my relationship with food. I cried, I mourned..but I prevailed. To me that day was a turning point.. I could now accept that food was no longer my best friend. I cannot explain how profound that day was for me. Sadness , mixed with hope ..5 month later, today, I am living such an energetic life, with great joy. I don't obsess on food.. My tool, the gastric sleeve, has helped my in curving my hunger, big time. Head hunger still appears in my life.. But through my psychological sessions, I have more tools to deal with this. I now have connection between my head and my stomach..I had lost,that for years.. Never, ever checked,with my stomach to see,if I was truly hungry ..I would just eat and eat and eat and never felt full. Even though I had years of struggle with my weight..I have to accept that my struggles has brought me to where I am today. Getting healthier, and seizing what life has to offer. Eating to live not living to eat. I have greatly reduced the "all or nothing attitude " I do enjoy on occasion my favorite foods..but he difference now..the guilt feeling nah as dismissed. I don't binge because I had one bite of a "bad stuff". Eating in moderation what I do now. No more deprivation. To those who are considering wls..I would suggest to get help if you are an emotional eater. You need the tool of the sleeve or by pass to help you get to your healthy goal, but just as important, you need to deal with your relationship with food. I am now considered overweight.. I accept this term without harsh judgement on me. I accept the weight I am today.. I know I will slowly reach my goal ..I decided to set a goal of 150 pounds at 5'2". 60'years old. I am in a size 8 .. Which I am very proud of. 13 more pounds to go. I am grateful where I am today.

Hello everyone - I am a 38 year old married mom of two boys. I work full time as a paralegal. I was banded on December 2, 2009, and have lost 40 pounds so far. I feel with the holidays passing by I have fallen off the band wagon and need some support from fellow band members! I didn't gain weight over the holidays, but didn't loose either. One of my concers is I think i should have lost more weigt than i have so far. I started out at 246 and weigh 203. I don't exercise and haven't found the motivation to do so. I am in a bit of a depresive slup and need help. My next issue is that I have learned what bad foods to eat that go down easily and need to stop eating those foods as well as getting out of my head that I dont need to put something in my mouth evey minute of the day like I used to feel before I was banded. However, those feelings are coming back again. I went to a support group last night for the first time and got a bit of encouragement and feel better today but need to continue the support so that is why Im here. I have a 10cc band that is filled with 8cc's of saline so i dont belive I can tolerate anymore of a fill. Any advice and encouragement would be much appreceiated!

Hi everyone, I am so excited. I have weight issues all my life. I was so happy to discove this forum. I am pending approval through my insurance company. I know that i will be approved. It is time to make a change in my life. I fully understand that this surgery is only a tool. I have two teenagers and a spouse. They are supportive of my choice. I have tried every diet under the sun and Gastric bypass was just not an option for me.

This is prob a stupid question but would love to know the answer to encourage me to drink!! Why is water so important to our weight loss? I have seen people posting to drink more to break stalls or reasons for inadequate weight loss etc. What function does drinking high volumes of liquid serve?

Hello, Tomorrow is my 6th month appointment with my nutritionist for my supervised diet. This is an insurance requirement for my UHC insurance. I have been meeting with my nutritionist once per month since July. My supervised diet consists of no carbs. Each meal should consist of 3 ounces of Protein one cup of fruit and one cup of vegetables. I have been following the diet to the letter and I have not lost during these 6 months. Each month I go in and she tells me something different to do. I thought finally I was down but then nothing changed in my diet/lifestyle and I gained it all back. I'm so frustrated. Obviously diets don't work for me and that's why I am wanting to do the surgery. I'm 5'8 and 317lbs. My highest was 323 and that was 3 months ago. Like I stated my weight has been up and down during these last 6 months and I just don't know what to do. I don't think its an insurance requirement to lose weight during the 6 months, but just to have a supervised diet. My nutritionist told me at my last appointment that she would like to see me down 10-15 pounds during the 6 months. I have a feeling tomorrow she will tell me that she wants to monitor me for one additional month. I don't see what the difference will be. I know your questions will be, well how about excercise. Right now its non exisitent. We are on mandatory overtime at work and I'm putting in over 65 hours a week. I sit all day! I take the stairs and walk as much as I can. I can't help that I don't have time to work out. I'm also a full time student so I have no free time! I have eliminated all caffine per the nutritionist and with all this overtime I am dying! I can't tell you how much I would like a cup of coffee! Have any one you had trouble with the low carb diet? Like I said, I was finally down last week but I think I found the answer to why i gained it back. I lost 7 pounds during the week of my period. I was not taking my birth control pill. As of Sunday when I started taking my pill again, I gained 4 pounds back. ...... And I'm not getting off my birth control.... This supervised diet is also my pre-op diet. My surgeons don't put the patients on a liquid only diet. The low carb diet is to shrink the liver. I can't tell you how small my liver must be right now after doing 6 months of this but it's crazy that I haven't lost any weight! Has anybody else out there had trouble losing on the low carb diet?!?!?!? Will see what my nutritionist says tomorrow. I hope she still sends my info to insurance for approval without making me wait one more month. I'm so worried about other health factors now such as high cholesterol ect. I never used to eat this much meat and fat. ---------Kara

Yes, so I joined weight watchers. Used the online tools and went to meetings and lost 23 lbs in 6 months. Surgery Feb 9th.

I had my VSG on 1/20/2015. I told a few close friends I work with and of course my family prior. When I started my preop diet, people were quite nosey, so I was honest about my plans for surgery and really have had positive feedback. I returned to work after 4 weeks down 15.5 pounds (I lost 11 pounds in the 6 months working with the dietitian and 10 pounds on the preop diet), so I was at a total weight loss of 36.5 lbs. I really hadn't seen much of a difference personally in my appearance, but my scrubs were definitely looser. Everybody, made comments! It was crazy. I was very upfront about surgery and the response has been overwhelmingly supportive. The only somewhat negative experience I had was a doctor that I love dearly come up to me in excitement about losing weight and I told her about surgery, but she took a step back from me and stopped talking to me. She is overweight herself, but I was shocked at the look of disappointment she gave me. I'm now at the 8 week mark and I'm down 43.5! So not much of a change since I went back, but yesterday everybody again was commenting. Is the weight loss that different with WLS? I haven't changed much in 4 weeks, but I had multiple people use the phrase "skinny minny" yesterday! I'm a little overwhelmed by the attention. It's a very weird situation for me because I've always preferred to be a fly on the wall and now all of a sudden I'm front and center. Have any of you had this experience? Any advice? It's definitely not a bad thing and it is positive that people are so encouraging. I'm just not used to attention like that. It's a very new experience for me! ☺️