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WOW!! Welcome to onderland!! I am doing the HAPPY DANCE right along with you !! Glad to hear you are doing so GREAT!! I am 5' 7" and my Dr. put my goal weight at 155 lbs. Last Drs. visit a month and a half ago he said he see's no reason why i should'nt be able to make it to goal. So I am gonna try! I am about 10 lbs away as of today! I was in a size 32 jeans at my heaviest and now I can wear a pair of size 12 what I call "Skinny" jeans. Have a great week and continued success on your weight loss journey. I LOVE my SLEEVE!!

hi!! my surgery is friday and im very excited...not nervous yet....prob will be by thur night! lol .....going shopping tomorrow for post op things....i finally found gasx strips in walmart,after looking everywhere else for weeks! so,stocked up on those....on my list: tomato soup,protein shakes of course,chicken broth,yogurt,diet v8 splash,sugar free hot chocolate...my only worry(besides the gas),is that i'll be starving...even though i've done well on my 10 days of liquids,i would kill for a burger or a slice of pizza!! lol my paperwork from the surgeon actually says to avoid tv for the first 10 days after surgery,because of the large number of food commercials!! good luck to you!!!!

I've been discouraged the last few days because I'm having a hard time losing the last 10 lbs before surgery. Tonight I totally pigged out on taco bell. I'm so disappointed in myself and feel like I'm going to fail at surgery if I can't even stay away from fast food for 1 whole month. :/ I have a serious food problem.

Okay…..so I am officially 3 weeks post op today, May 20, 2008 and am seriously ready to eat a cow . I have been this way since last week and the doc, oh I love him but hell, told me that as long as I am losing weight he is not too concerned about anything. My issues, I am not eating the 4oz that is suggested, but more like 10-12oz, and he said that is fine because I am losing weight so long as I am not eating crap. :sleep: I must confess, I did have 3 Cookies last week although totally drowned in milk, I did eat them and I told him this:thumbdown:. He asked if that was it and I honestly told him yes. I had not even eaten the recommended oatmeal, mushy Cereal, in fact no breads, rice, Pasta, etc. Right now, I want to dive my big ol but into a plate of nothing by carbohydrates or a greasy cheeseburger with some chips and queso, but I have refrained. :eek: Quitting sugar and, well hell the “good foods” (aka: fattening foods) the way I did was like telling a drug addict, alcoholic or smoker to stop cold turkey. I was told my insurance approved me on April 18 and I needed to start my liquid diets because they were scheduling my surgery for April 25, which ended up getting pushed back to April 29, 2008. Now, I am not ungrateful because I appreciate the opportunity to have this surgery, I am sure as much as any of you, but someone please tell me what I can have because right now I want to cave in and eat something that I know I do not need, should not eat and is totally against what this procedure is for. BTW……I have eaten the sugar free jellos and puddings, the sugar free popsicles and the yogurts, but I think it is the bread my body is craving as I have had ZERO of that (except those three cookies). I feel tired, worn out, not really wanting to do anything, which I am thinking is the lack of carbs as my intake is very minimal right now. Any suggestions would be most appreciated!!!!

Ok, so i am 10 weeks post op and I find that I am easily set off and get angry, I mean really really angry - Is this normal? is this because all of the hormones being released into the body, or could there be something more to it?? Getting rather old actually, and it seems to happen at work and at home.... Thanks in advance for all of your responses.

I had my surgery at The Cleveland Clinic on October 29, 2008. Awesome experience - great Surgeon - Dr. Matthew Kroh. I received my first fill on Dec 1, 2008 - I think 3cc's. I am wondering at what level of filling the band do you really feel the restriction? So glad to find this web site with the forums!!!! Awesome to have support! Molly:tongue2:

Well honestly, your regret seems to be based on the false assumption that most of the world has....that anyone can lose the weight if they just eat less and exercise more. And yet the statistics do not bare that out. Less than 10% of obese people are able to lose the weight and keep it off. It's not from a lack of trying by those people. Indeed most if not all of us tried and failed many many times. There are many factors both psychological and physiological that make it improbable for most of us to lose the weight and keep it off. The surgery is not the easy way out. It's not a short cut and it's not cheating. It's a tool to help you overcome those obstacles unfairly put in our way....those obstacles that most non obese people know nothing about. Do not feel guilty and do not regret your decision. I am almost 18 months post op. I've lost my weight, started a new life and found many reasons for living that I never dreamed existed. Those things would not be any sweeter had I lost the weight without surgery.

I have taken the past several months before my surgery (November 2011) to really focus on me and get in the habit of exercising and eating better when I wait for the 6 month insurance required waiting period. I hit a huge milestone this morning that I have to share. I stepped on the scale and it read 299.7. I stepped off and got on again and it still read 299.7. Was I really finally under 300lbs??? I have not been under 300lbs in about 10 years. I stood, looking in the mirror watching the tears of joy run down my face. I felt proud and excited. I cannot wait to feel many more of these moments as the weight continues to come off. I hope to lose another 10lbs before my surgery mid November.

Hi everyone! Like many others, I too have read this site for some time now. This is my first post because I've been a little apprehensive to post--but then I thought, "what the heck" and decided to introduce myself. I'm 19 (young I know) and I decided to begin my lap-band journey in June of this year. Basically, my main reason for choosing to have this surgery is because this really is a last resort. I know some of you may be thinking that I'm awfully young to have to move to a "last resort" but, hear me out. I've been overweight my whole life, seriously, my mom started watching what I ate at age two. Anway, at twelve I was diagnosed with dismetabolic syndrome with insulin resisitance. We hear about this a lot now, well type two diabetes in children now but when I was diagnosed my case was actually just surfacing. In one of the leading children's hospitals in the nation, I was the only patient with a condition like mine in the whole hospital. Anyway, sorry to go on and on. So, now at 19 I am at risk for PCOS and have normal blood pressure but it's abnormally high for my age. My mother and gradmother are also overweight--so I guess you could say it runs in the family. I am experiencing things that a fifty year old woman should be dealing with--not a nineteen year-old. I'll give a few more details about my self, just so you get the idea---I promise to make it short! :eek: I also have lower back pain and joint pain in my knees. I did tae kwon do for three years and while I was healthier, the weight never seemed to come off. Oh, I almost forgot my diet! Since about twelve I have been eating low carb but have not cut out carbs completely. And last but not least---my weight and height (for the whole world to see) I am 5'7 and about 330. OK, so now you know a little about me. Let's see, what else can I say...ah yes, surgeons. I have United Heath Care (primary) and Coventry (secondary) insurance but am having to go through conventry. My primary won't cover the surgery until I am 21 so...secondary insurance it is. As far as the surgeon...really my only option is Dr. Hohen from the Bariatric Center of Kansas City. Coventry only has Dr. Hohen in their network--at least that's anywhere close to where I live. I like in the KC metro area but go to school in Springfield, MO. While I am mentioning school--I'm an English Education major and I love literature---Go English! :biggrin1: Anway, this is getting to be a novella...so I'll end it here. I look forward to meeting all of you and have enjoyed reading the plethora of information on this site--it's amazing. Oh, and as of now, I am still in the beginning of this journey. As of Friday, my file is being referred to the person in charge of the psych. consult! Finally, after 3 months the ball begins to role!:clap2: Lauren :kiss2:

I have been at the EXACT SAME WEIGHT for two weeks now and was at the point of becoming discouraged--I mean how can you intake less than 800 calories a day and NOT lose even 1/10 of a pound???!! The Old Me said "To heck with it--just go ahead and have whatever you want because you're not losing anyway" BUT the New Me said "Keep up what you're doing with the eating right and working out and if nothing else happens, you feel really great!" Thanks, Lap Band, for bringing out the New Me...!

So today was the day for me to return to the doctor to review my labs to make sure i was a go to see the surgeon. i have tricare prime so u had to get my doctors approval. I received a call yesterday stating that my doc wouldn't be in because of a family problem.....ugh i was so nervous! I was sure that the doctor covering for her would want me to wait until she returned to get my referral. The doc same in saying that he wouldnt give me the referral, and that i would have to wait until my doc returned. Then his nurse stated that my doc wont be in for 2 month, and so he put it in. He told me to wait 5 to 10 business days to hear if the referral was accept. but in only 1 hour i go a call with a date for 2/14 to see my surgeon! how fast was that!!!! Im so excited, nervous! Now what should i expect?

Sunday, July 19, 2009 Relatives--Help or Hindrance My husband threw out all his night-time treats. Just because he loves me. Pretty cool. I let him know I was struggling with the treats he kept in the house and frequently ate in the evenings while we watched TV and played on our computers. In fact, I was just thinking about the ice cream in the freezer and, oops!, remembered Ken threw it out. Thank God. Thank you, Ken. This disease is not fair to him. It's not fair that his choices impact me way beyond what they should. He can eat ice cream and then let it sit untouched for weeks. He had a taste for yellow cupcakes with chocolate frosting and decided to make them himself, ate a couple, and let the rest sit. For him, no big deal. For me, unbearable temptation. I know they're there. Knowing makes them pop into my mind over and over. I have to reject eating them over and over and over. Taking care of myself by being honest with my husband was important for me to do. It's part of working on being less people-pleasing when its to my detriment. It is entirely to his credit that he chose to get rid of the snacks and not to eat snacks at night in front of me. He wants to be with me. It was his main reason for giving up smoking when he married me. He couldn't smoke around me and he wanted to be with me. He'll probably still keep some treats hidden and eat them when I'm not around. That's fine. Out of sight, out of mind. If I don't know its there it won't be on my mind, either. Chances are Ken'll lose some weight, too, which wouldn't be a bad thing. Night-time has always been my most difficult time. Food has always helped me wind down. Some people drink alcohol. I eat food--it puts me into a kind of carbohydrate coma. Those carbs generally come with fat attached. Perfect recipe for slowly but surely putting on the weight. So many factors in eating disorders. It's such a complex disease. Relatives can help or they can hinder. Ideally, we shouldn't need the cooperation of our relatives. We're asking them to be codependent. But we also need to take care of ourselves. There are people who would deliberately sabotage those they profess to love. There are those relatives with the same addiction who have a vested interest in keeping you the same and not letting you change. There are those who don't know addiction at all and urge you to eat--they made it special just for you, it doesn't hurt to have a little once in a while, etc. There are also those who would never humble themselves and give up their right to eat what they want when they want it and might actually insist that buy those things yourself and keep them in the house for them. With these people you need to have heavy-duty boundaries and perhaps actually keep them at a safe distance or even totally out of your life. I'm blessed that my husband is supportive. I'm blessed that he reads my blog because he wants to know me better and understand what I'm going through. He's a little angry at having to change his lifestyle to accommodate my disease and he's entitled to be. But we talk about it. We're no longer ignoring the elephant (my eating disorder not me) in the room. I may get to the point where he can go back to eating snacks in front of me and keeping my favorites in the house, but not right now. Not with the reduced restriction I'm experiencing while waiting for my first fill. Once again, weight loss surgery is a tool, not a solution. If I don't take care of myself in my relationships, it won't be as helpful.

What do have to understand is that the VSG also decreases your hungry so it's somehow easy to go with the small portions. On the other hand you don't have a lot to loose. I'm only 19 days out, so maybe the 1yr> folks can say better.

I think that some people get the bypass as the band is still relatively new. I think that in about 10 more years the rolls may be reversed as the complications are so much different. I know that the death rate is considerably lower also. For me, my cardio Dr. was happy to ok the band but a bypass,, He wouldnt recomend that one. Best wishes, your decision is one only you can make!

Hey friends! I just filled out my paperwork this morning! I've requested a surgery date of February 3, 2017! I will be Vlogging mhy journey on Youtube as 50 year old me. I would love to get a few bariatric buddies to join me so we can pray for and encourage one another! Can't wait to get my approval. I'm going to use the same doc as my Sis in Law did in Mexico. She has been doing great and losing about 10 lb a month. Once I get the clearance and date firmed up I'll post more! Today I'm weighing in at 315, HW 325, goal 150. 50 yrs old, 2 preteen boys, stay at home mom <3 Will you join me?!

Sleeved 10/22 started liquids 2 weeks before and just hit 50 pounds gone.

The dramatic changes in our daily lives caused by the COVID-19 virus is likely the greatest crisis of our lifetime. Hopefully, you and your family are safe at home and can avoid harm. It would be easy to focus on all of the negativity and be glued to the news 24/7 but that would be a mistake. As someone working to lose weight or maintain your weight loss, this crisis presents a number of challenges but also several opportunities. First the challenges: Many of us are either working from home or are not working, but still at home. Being home presents a bunch of food and eating challenges. You may be more sedentary than usual, without your commute to work, and possibly unable to be out and about or go to the gym. Being home means that the refrigerator and the kitchen are only a few feet away. Your schedule is probably different. Without a regular schedule, unplanned eating and more frequent trips to the kitchen may occur. For those unaccustomed to working from home, it may be harder to focus on your work, and possibly wandering around the house and once again, back in the kitchen. The emotional toll this situation is taking on all of us is significant. If you have a tendency to eat in response to anxiety or loneliness, this can be a very difficult time. The challenges are clear. What about the opportunities? Before this crisis, many people were so busy with their jobs that they did not have time to make better food choices. Too much fast food. Too much take out. Too many dinners at 10 pm. Now there may be more time to buy and prepare healthy food and eat at a healthier time. Many restaurants are closed so you need to go to the supermarket where more fresh foods and healthier choices are available. Learn to cook! If you have more time, you can break out some of those cookbooks you’ve been meaning to read or find simple recipes online to try. While you’re in the supermarket, this could be a good time to experiment with new foods. Some of your favorites may be out of stock. This is a good time to explore different and potentially healthier alternatives to your old, less healthy favorites. While you are home, you may have more time to exercise. If you are restricted from going to the gym, you can still go out for a walk or a bike ride. Even if you walk with one or two friends, it is possible to practice safe social distancing while exercising. Learning to change your emotional relationship with food. It’s certainly tempting to make trips into the kitchen to manage your anxiety and other emotions, but this is a great time to learn and practice alternatives to emotional eating. Here are some ideas to try to implement in the coming weeks: Try to create and maintain a schedule including setting aside times for meals and snacks. If you already have an eating routine that was working, try to maintain it. If you don’t yet have a routine, examine your upcoming schedule and create one. If you are not used to working from home, it is important to structure your day to avoid working in an erratic “when I’m in the mood” manner. The latter is not very productive and will also lead you to wander around the house more often...and we know what room you’re likely to wind up visiting. If you are able to get out to the supermarket, buy healthy and smart! Make a commitment to using this time for positive change. If you continue to buy chips and cookies, this is going to cause weight gain. However, if you make healthier food choices in the supermarket, you can use this period at home to your advantage. If you’ve been looking for an opportunity to help your family start eating healthier, this is a perfect opportunity! Many restaurants are closed, so if you stock the house with healthy choices, you’re more likely to stick to your plan. It’s probably not advisable to go to the supermarket every day as we try to keep our social distance, so try to make a list and do a weekly shopping. Think about meal prepping. What could you buy for a few breakfasts, lunches, and dinners? Make the healthiest choices you can. Experiment in the supermarket. Some of your old favorites might be unavailable. Even if they are there, check out other alternatives. Have you ever wondered if riced cauliflower was a good alternative to white rice? Now’s the time to give it a try. What about that all-natural, lower sodium and low-sugar spaghetti sauce? Maybe bring home a jar or two. We are all wired to buy what we’ve always bought. They’re probably the same items you grew up with in your parents’ home, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Use this opportunity to experiment with healthier and maybe even tastier choices. Get outside and walk or bike a few times per week if possible. Many gyms are closing down so if you have a home gym you have an advantage. However, even without a home gym there’s always the great outdoors. Walking and biking are excellent forms of exercise. It’s more important to try to build a habit of getting out there a few times per week than it is to walk a specific number of steps or burn a specific number of calories. In fact, it is possible that you make this a habit that endures long after this crisis ends. Learn to manage your emotions in ways that don’t involve going to the kitchen. It is completely understandable that you are feeling more anxious these days, but neither the current situation nor your anxiety is going to be helped by eating. Instead, use this time to learn mindfulness skills to manage your anxiety. These skills actually help reduce anxiety and don’t contribute to weight gain. Research demonstrates that learning mindfulness skills helps reduce compulsive eating. There are a number of great apps available like headspace or calm where you can get started. Similarly, if you did a quick search for “mindfulness techniques,” the internet has 100’s of free modules available. Just experiment until you find a few that work for you. Limit the amount of time you watch television and spend watching the news on your computer and phone. You know the news isn’t great, and more importantly, it can be emotionally harmful. The purpose of the news is to provide information, but many people watch news programs as a form of entertainment. However, today’s news is not at all entertaining, it’s quite upsetting. Worst of all, some news programs focus on how things can get worse. While you may need an update or two per day, you don’t need to watch any more than that. It’s very likely to upset you and may trigger emotional eating. Even if you don’t have a tendency to eat in response to anxiety and emotional upset, who wants to experience emotional upset more than necessary?! Instead, use this time to be closer to loved ones within your home or via facetime, teleconferencing or the good old telephone. If you are among loved ones or can use facetime or video conferencing to be with them “virtually,” break out those board games, color in a coloring book, create art projects or do other things that put a more positive spin on what is certainly a challenging time. To be sure, there is nothing good about this crisis and how it is affecting our daily lives. However, it is possible to take advantage of the opportunity that being at home provides. If you make some changes in your behavior, you can use this time to stay on track with your weight loss or weight maintenance goals, and maybe even develop some new healthy habits that provide benefits that last long after this crisis is over. May you all be safe and well during this difficult time. Warren L. Huberman, PhD. Is a Clinical Psychologist licensed in New York and New Jersey. • Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the NYU School of Medicine. • Affiliate Psychologist at the Langone/NYU Medical Center • Consulting Psychologist to the NYU/Langone Health Weight Management Program • Affiliate Psychologist in the Department of Psychiatry at Northwell-Lenox Hill Hospital. • Maintains a private practice in Clinical Psychology in Manhattan and Rockland County, NY. Author of the book 'Through Thick and Thin: The Emotional Journey of Weight Loss Surgery.' Dr. Huberman can be reached at 212- 983-6225 or at wh@warrenhuberman.com.

Thanks everyone! I think I am one of the less aggressive bandsters when it comes to fills. I always give it a few months to see what will happen. I lost 10 lbs after my last fill, which has been more than 3 months ago. But I have lost & gained this same 10 lbs. so much I am about to scream! This is what made me decide to try another fill. So thanks again!! I hope I do reach my sweet spot this time!!! I will let ya'll know in a couple of weeks!

I had surgery 10/19/2010 and I have lost 32 (+/-2) pounds and I've exercised maybe 3 times since surgery. I can not get it together. I don't know what it will take to jump start me. I'm always on my mother because she is not exercising. Ok, sunday morning I got on the eliptical for 5 minutes, I was dead tired, but I had to do it. I have Leslie Sansome walk away the pounds and I will not play it. I am a true couch potato and I am stressed out with my job, relationship, and finance. I know exercising will help the stress, but I just will not put forth the effort. 5 years ago, I lost 40 pounds with diet and exercising, I do not know what happened to that will power. Is anybody else having a problem initiating or maintaining an exercise regemin?

I have had GERD for about 30 years, literally. I have been on some old school meds, and then on a PPI for about 19 years now. Even post VSG, and losing all my regain, my GERD persists. yes I am still taking a PPI. I've been on them all: Protonix, Nexium, Prevacid, Aciphex, etc. I was told that after all my loss if it still persists then yes, RNY revision is my only option. I'm now 4.5 years post VSG and STILL hoping it will clear up...

Couple of tips that help me with exercise: 1) find a time that works for you - I CAN'T stick to a morning program, for example, it's gotta be in the evening. 2) Sign up for a class - bootcamp is great. I've also signed up for a couple of dance classes - that way I'm actually learning something practical. I've always wanted to try ballet, but my weight made it challenging - even though I wasn't the biggest person in my class when I first tried it at around 175, it was just too tough on my feet. Now it's much easier. I got inspired by a male classmate who started ballet at 19 and went on to have a professional career, which defies everything they ever tell you about professional ballet. 3) Find a buddy. My boyfriend wanted to try ballroom dancing with me. He has 2 left feet and is completely tone-deaf, so the laughs alone were a good enough reason to sign up. 4) Try a sport. I used to play for a community soccer league. Now my boyfriend and I play badminton sometimes. If I had an elliptical at home, I wouldn't be terribly motivated to exercise, either - it's just too boring. 5) If you live in a place with a harsh winter, get involved in some winter sports. It's my 2nd year cross-country skiing and I find it to be great exercise. Plus it makes me feel slightly less miserable about winter. We also go skating on occasion. 6) Set a goal. I loathe running, but in the past, I'd sign up for 5Ks and 10Ks to get myself to train. Having a race to train for should give you that extra push. 7) Find a gym that's close to your house. I've got a 1-month bootcamp pass and I just know that there's no point in using it until school ends, as the gym is about a 20-min drive from my house, and during the school year, I'll have all kinds of excuses (both legitimate and illegitimate!) not to go. If it's too much of a hassle to go work out, you just won't do it.

They submitted the paperwork on Sept. 12 and received the clinicals on the 16th. Said usual turnaround time is 15 days after that. I'm so nervous about getting approved. I tried almost 10 yrs ago and was denied for having no major health issues. I'm now diabetic, so maybe I'm good to go now? Was hoping to have it done before I had health problems, but I guess insurance doesn't work like that. :-/

I had failed gastric bypass. In 2002 went back to doctor 2yrs ago telling him about feed acid reflux he told me I need to get dudunal switch he don't no how to do procedure I have united health care community plan I ask for fair hearing I finally found doctor nj to do it so I suppose went court on1/16/2019 united health care say they lawyer is not able to come I have sleep apnea bmi 41 I still waiting for cpap machine still not received it so my new court date is 1/23/2019 I stress out

Awesome progress! I am 10 weeks post op. I do a shake for breakfast and 2-3 snacks a day and 2 meals. My snacks are mostly all protein. So my third snack depends on where my protein is for the day. I do like to drink the breakfast essintials no sugar add for my night time snack if needed. I am down 36 lbs since surgery today. A total of 70 lbs since Oct. 17th. I measure all my food. Last night I tried a baked lasagna(spinach, chicken and mushroom) I measured 3/4 c. and was able to eat it all. It was also my first pasta to eat. Again, awesome progress and good luck on your continued success!

Hello y'all! I just wanted let anyone, who is being denied by their insurance company, to consider Lindstrom Healthcare Advocacy, to help in your fight for approval or overturning a previous denial! My story.... I was denied coverage for revision surgery (lapband to sleeve) twice, by insurance xyz (I am not naming insurance company, until I get reimbursed), and enlisted Lindstrom Healthcare Advocacy for 3rd appeal and subsequently, a review by an independent doctor. After a few months of diligent and expert advocacy, on my behalf, LHA convinced the doctor and insurance xyz to finally approve my surgery! And this was almost 3 months AFTER my surgery, in which I funded myself! I am just waiting on reimbursement, which is in works now. I've talked to my insurance company and they are keeping me updated in the whole process. They have assured me that I am covered and reimbursement is in the making. Just a matter of claims and paperwork from my providers. Walter and Kelley Lindstrom, makeup the army that fights the good fight for you, by way of expert letters, phone calls, and legal knowledge. These guys are lawyers, who have made their primary scope, that of advocating healthcare, for those who need it. Insurance companies, in many cases, will use a multitude of reasons for denying coverage! In my case, insurance xyz was denying my coverage, due to a clause in our policy, that allows only one lifetime bariatric surgery. Walter Lindstroms letters and provided facts, convinced that my revision was not only necessary, but also eligible for coverage. Regardless of clause in policy. Kelley Brown Lindstrom, does ALL the leg work, as far as medical records and release forms. I can't say enough about her help and willingness to listen and answer all questions! She is simply genuinely awesome! As for the cost, it amounted to about 10% of the cost of my surgery. A risk indeed, but nonetheless, worth it. I will be getting back, minus deductibles and out of pocket maximums, about 90% of my total surgery cost! Three months AFTER my self paid surgery! My revision surgery was worth my self funding, regardless of an approval or not. I am now only 15 pounds from my goal weight, in just 16 weeks out of surgery! But with the help of Lindstrom Healthcare Advocacy, the victory is just that much more sweeter!