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I don't have much advice to offer, but I hope everything works out quickly for you. I know how frustrating it is to be denied and have to prove yourself. I mean really-who wants to have substantiate that they deserve a surgery they're suffering from x y z issues because they're overweight; don't we pay our insurance fees every month? I got all the way to pre-op the day before surgery and my dr.s office told me I was denied by insurance for too low of BMI and that I didn't have the "approved" co-morbs. Had I not asked, they probably would have allowed me to go to the hospital and I would have found out there! I know you can imagine all the preparation I'd put into it, including getting approved for time off from work, buying liquids, protien powders, etc. In my case a supposed "slam dunk" with BSNV was promised and the ball was dropped when they got my denial. That was in June, I've just been approved because my BMI is now 40 due to weight gain (co-morbs not required). It still seems like my dr.s office is not the most organized, but it's so late in the game, it would take way too much to change. If they don't get me scheduled by the end of Jan., I'll go to Mexico. Tired of jumping through everyones hoops-I want to get on with my life already. I don't recall if you mentioned who your insurance is through, but perhaps this might be helpful to you: Members in a Health Maintenance Organization (***) and Exclusive Provider Organization (EPO) Plan The California Department of Managed Health Care (DMHC) regulates all HMOs in California. If you are an *** or EPO health plan enrollee, and you have fi led a grievance and are dissatisfi ed with your *** or EPO’s fi nal decision, you should contact the DMHC *** Consumer Help Center at (888) 466-2219 or TTY (877) 688-9891 to register your complaint. You also should request assistance through DMHC’s website at www.dmhc.ca.gov. You may contact DMHC if the matter is not resolved within 30 days from the time your grievance was received by your health plan. Contact them immediately if the matter is urgent. If you have fi led a grievance and are dissatisfi ed with your *** or EPO’s fi nal decision regarding your eligibility for health benefi ts or limits of coverage under the plan, you may contact CalPERS for assistance.

I am six lbs heavier this morning than I was Tuesday morning! Please tell me it's just all the fluids going in you through the IV?

Sleeve nov 2016 highest weight 277 lowest 150 in August 2018 gained 29 pounds since August. Was put on Zoloft for anxiety last spring. Had maintained weight for over a year. Didn’t change diet or exercise. Anyone else experience this?

Hi I am very interested in more information on your experience. I was banded on Oct. 7th. With the 5 day preop diet until now I have lost 21 lbs. But the facts are not that simple. I lost most of it from the start of the preop until about 3 days post op. I feel no restriction whatsoever. I am still slightly sore at the port but otherwise the surgery was very easy. I did every thing I was told and now feel fine just slight soreness at the port site. But I am starving. I tried testing it last night to see and sure enough I can eat anything. No side affects at all. My first fill is Nov. 17th. What I do feel is thirsty all the time and I am drinking probably 100oz a day all non-caffeine teas or water. What drove me to try real food was horrible upset stomach from all the artificial sweeteners. I have 110 lbs more to lose. So your experience with the fills is very interesting to me. Right now I have serious buyers remorse and hunger. One problem that exasperates my situation and led to this massive weight gain over the past 8 years is a very serious foot condition that prohibits any distance walking. I have just bought a recumbent bike and this weekend I am going to see how I handle that with the little bit of residual surgical pain I have. Any additional information or advice would be greatly appreciated.

I think we all have days when we want to shove the food in with both hands. For me, that impulse is SO strong, that I have to give in so I can move on from it. It's mostly about "hand to mouth" time, so I make a bowl of popcorn, sit down & have at it. If that didn't do it, I'll have one of my favorite Protein bars. Usually, though, after a bowl of popcorn, halfway through the Protein Bar I'm already feeling maxed out. So, I give into the intense need to eat, but I choose differently. Prior to surgery it would have been a trip to the market, and back home with a package of Cookies, or ½ gallon of ice cream. I don't believe any of us are ever really cured from this affliction. To have long term success, I believe we need to stop thinking of our new way of eating as some sort of diet; one day we're on, and the next we're off. Every day isn't a popcorn/protein bar day, but when I'm jumping out of my skin with the intense need to eat, I simply....do. I just stay away from things that will cause weight gain, or send me down a road I really don't want to go.

@@Barepigies3 I had the kind of depression that required 8 months of therapy and Paxil to correct a chemical imbalance. The therapy gave me the tools I needed to manage it and the Paxil helped reset my brain chemistry. I still have to be aware of my emotions, to this day. But for years, it was untreated and it contributed to my weight gain. But it was because I had come to use food as a coping mechanism that I gained weight, and I could have opted to make exercise my outlet instead. I just didn't. The fact of the matter is, it won't do any of us any good whatsoever to sit around absolving ourselves of responsibility and saying, "No it's my genetics, it's my depression, it's because I didn't get enough hugs as a child..." No...it's because we ate too much and moved too little, and we developed unhealthy relationships with food. That's it. I wasn't trying to attack you, I'm just pointing out the fallacy in your thinking. Nobody is helped by passing responsibility off onto someone or something else, we have to OWN this in order to fix it. I don't need anyone to feel sorry for me for where I got to and I don't feel sorry for myself. In fact I feel like I've finally taken control of the situation, and that's empowering.

Im thinking of doing it because on top of the 75-80lb i also have pseudo tumor cerebri which is caused by weight gain, migraines, urinary incontinence, positional sleep apnea, joint and back pain, high cholesterol and pre diabetes so its so much more than the extra weight but i was just wondering about RNY since the friends that i know are bony skinny, thanks for your answer

Weight gain is normal from all the IV fluids. Drink as much water/liquids (as your program advises) and walk walk walk. This will help with any pain and get your body back in whack.

your reintroducing carbs into your day, going from liquid to that sometimes causes weight gain. They call this period of time between surgery day to first fill, bandster hell, so relax and focus on the beginning of your journey. The doc told me not to focus so much on the scale but to focus on making healthy choices and exercising. So good luck and try not to weigh yourself so much, I still have a problem with that. I weigh myself like 10 times a day but remember they say a person's weight can fluctuate 8 lbs a day, thats a lot, so don't worry.

The LA Times had an interesting article on weighing this morning. Thought I'd share it here for those who don't get the Times and see what you guys thought. Dieters, step on your scales <LI style="LIST-STYLE-POSITION: inside; LIST-STYLE-TYPE: square">Those who weigh themselves regularly have a better chance of losing extra pounds, a recent study finds. But not all experts agree. By Rosie Mestel, Times Staff Writer Losing weight is hard — and you might say hardly studied. Only recently have scientists clinically shown that the widely used Atkins diet actually works, and they've yet to definitively weigh in on another diet-related question: Does regularly stepping on the scales help a dieter lose weight? Sure it does, say many weight loss experts. Weighing yourself is a clear way to monitor progress or catch (and nip in the bud) a slow, steady uptick in lardage. Not so fast, say others. The glacially slow nature of weight loss, plus those spiky daily fluctuations in body weight, might actually make dieters more apt to throw in the towel. ADVERTISEMENT Now, just in time for the waist-expanding holiday season, a new study has come down on the side of daily weigh-ins. Published in the December issue of the Annals of Behavioral Medicine, it reports that dieters who weighed themselves regularly shed more pounds over a 24-month period than people who didn't regularly weigh themselves. Those who weighed themselves daily lost the most. To the authors, the implications are clear: Dieters should be encouraged to weigh themselves — and often. "We talk to people about monitoring calories daily, about monitoring their exercise daily…. if we're asking them to do those … on a daily basis, then why not add this other recommendation?" says Jennifer A. Linde, lead author of that study and an assistant professor at the school of public health at the University of Minnesota. Yet there's a chicken-egg caveat here that some critics point to and that even those who believe in the findings acknowledge. Sure, successful dieters may weigh themselves more. But the studies don't tell you what caused what — just that the two things correlate. It's fun to step on the scales when you're succeeding. When the numbers are nudging upward or stubbornly refusing to change … less so. "They're assuming that weighing yourself frequently leads you to lose weight. I think losing weight makes you weigh yourself more frequently, because — 'I'm losing weight, yes, yes, I'm down another pound,' " says Janet Polivy, a professor of psychology and psychiatry at the University of Toronto, who is not a fan of the bathroom scales. That confusion is why, to this day, you'll sometimes get roomfuls of PhDs and MDs sitting around discussing an issue you'd think 21st century science might have put to bed by now. A curious study from the 1960s points to the potential effect of frequent weighing. Eight overweight women in a small private college were enrolled in a weight loss plan, part of which consisted of coming in to be weighed four times a day. By study's end the women had lost an average of 40pounds each. The study was small; it lacked important controls. But it was intriguing. "People in that group lost more weight than any study since then in nearly 40 years," says Dr. Joseph A. Risser, director of clinical research for Lindora Medical Group, which runs the Lean for Life weight loss program. The scales couldn't possibly have registered real loss from one weigh-in to the next — but maybe, Risser muses, something else was going on, such as a reminder of the mission the dieter was on. His own studies of more than 600 clients show that those who were weighed five times weekly lost more weight (24 pounds) than those weighed twice weekly (19 pounds). The new study by Linde and colleagues tapped statistics from two populations. One was a group of 1,800 obese or overweight adults enrolled in a weight loss trial. Participants were asked at the study's start and at intervals thereafter how often they weighed themselves. After one year, monthly, weekly and daily weighers all lost weight on average, but those who weighed themselves daily lost the most — about 8 pounds. (Those who never weighed themselves gained weight.) The other data came from 1,226 adults in a weight gain prevention trial. At 12 months, those who weighed themselves daily had lost about 2 to 3 pounds. Those who weighed themselves less often, or not at all, actually gained weight.In both studies, significant differences were also seen at two years. People who weighed themselves also did other healthy things such as exercise more, but the self-weighing effect was statistically significant on its own, Linde says. James O. Hill, director of the Center for Human Nutrition at the University of Colorado, says the findings fit with a registry of adults who have lost at least 30 pounds and (even more impressive) maintained that weight loss for a year or longer. A key thing those succeeders report, Hill says, is regular self-weighing — at least weekly, and often daily. (They also have an emergency plan of action for when the reading creeps above a crucial number of pounds.) Focusing on the long term Psychologist Patrick M. O'Neil, director of the weight management center at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, says he's a strong proponent of daily weigh-ins, based on Hill's data and his own clinical experience — but that the practice should be paired with a weight chart that focuses on trends, not short-term, zigzag fluctuations. "It's sort of like tracking stock prices," he says. "You know they're going to vary day to day." Regular weighing is one thing. But every single day? After all, hormonal changes, Fluid intake, sweating, medications and salt intake cause day-to-day, hour-to-hour differences in body weight of up to several pounds. At Jenny Craig and Weight Watchers, dieters weigh in each week with their personal consultants or at meetings. "We encourage them to take a break from daily weigh-ins because weight fluctuates," says Jenny Craig spokeswoman Gail Manginelli. "It can be demoralizing." Meanwhile, there are some specialists who think either daily or weekly scale-hopping may have downsides. Psychologists and psychiatrists who treat patients with eating disorders note that encouraging people to weigh themselves might exacerbate such pathologies. Other scale-doubters, such as psychologist Michelle Dionne of Ryerson University in Toronto, believe self-weighing can also be counterproductive in psychologically healthy folks who just want to shed some poundage. Among the studies she points to: ones in which students were brought into an experimental clinic and weighed — but on fixed scales that actually recorded their weights as heavier or lighter than they truly were. Students led to think they were 5 pounds heavier than they had thought scored significantly lower on psychological scales measuring mood, selfesteem and body satisfaction. In one of the studies, students were also provided with a tasty snack right after the weigh-in — and the ones who'd been bamboozled into thinking they were heavier than they were ate significantly more of that snack. "I would suggest there are some people who are going to receive really helpful feedback and reinforcement from self-weighing," Dionne says. "But there's another group of people, whom we call for lack of a better word 'vulnerable,' who … may feel worse about themselves, dislike their body to a greater degree and start engaging in behaviors that may lead to weight gain." Experts debate how students given false information in a lab relate to real-life dieters using scales to monitor their progress. But even proponents of weighing advocate restraint. "I don't think anyone in a responsible professional position has argued for weighing oneself more than once a day," says O'Neil. "We do not want to encourage people to turn this into a fetish." If you do weigh in With that caveat in mind, here are some tips from various specialists about the best way to weigh yourself if you choose to. • To minimize variation, always weigh at the same time of day, such as in the morning just after having used the bathroom. • If you are weighing yourself daily, understand that your weight will vary day to day. It's the trend that's important. You may find it useful to make a graph of your weight. • Put the scale on a flat, uncarpeted surface so the readings don't wobble. • Use a scale that is consistent, giving the same weight when you step on, then off, then on again. That's more important than the type of scale you buy. Use the same scale each time. • Don't get fixated on the scale. Monitor your body change in other ways, such as the fit of your clothes, a tape measure or how you physically feel. • To the best of your ability, try to gauge how the weighing makes you feel, and if it is reinforcing — or undermining — your efforts.

Plateaus are the body's way of reestablishing a weight set point. What that means it is resetting the metabolic rate at which you body works at. The reason for the stall, I believe, is the body is making sure that this is a set weight, not a flucuating weight. Everyone thinks that plateaus only occur during weight loss, not true, it also occurs during weight gains, it's simply we don't notice it because when we're gaining, we're usually not paying attention to the scales like when we were loosing. Many people (experts) believe that changing your eating and exercise routine during this time, often restarts the weight loss and waits until you reach what the body considers to be another set point. How, why and if the body deteremines the set point is something I am not familiar with. I only know this bit of information as I took a nutrition course in college and was quite fascinated with the metabolic process, wonder why :-] I do know there is not a particular amount like, 25 lbs, and then you go into a plateau. I believe it's as individual as we are therefore varies. I also believe that exercise plays a major role. If you notice, there have been some people on the boards lately that have been complaining of not being able to get the scale to move. Finally out of frustration they slightly elevate their caloric intake and boom they drop 4-5 lbs in a week!!! That's because the body realizes due to the slight increase in food that it is not starving and there is no need to hold at the present weight. This is only my opinion, based on a class that I took and further research I have done reading fitness articles and watching fitness shows. But as you know, these are most often contradictory, so who knows? Hope this helps. Cindy

I have been banded 16mo and had my fill removed because I am flying back to Mx for a tt on Monday. I was told that due to swelling it could cause too much restriction in the band. Well, I spent two days thinking of all the things I could eat again. LOL I thought I would eat pizza because I have not been able to eat pizza for so long. Instead, I find myself eatting foods that are high in Fiber, such as apples, kashi Cereal and raison bran. I love fiber and have missed being able to eat fiber. I must confess, I drank two corona light beers last night, ice cold..... ahhhhhhh. I have missed them. I am worried of course about weight gain, but I am going to stick with my high fiber foods and hope I don't gain any weight. I will be unfilled for about a month. Anyone else have fills removed for surgery?

Im here. And nothing is happening. Ok, thats not COMPLETELY true. Who am I today and how did I get here...here goes... Im 39 and will be 40 next month. Wow, as if that isnt something breathing down my neck in regards to pressure! I work in a financial call center and spend most of my day sitting on my rear. I am engaged to be married for the THIRD time, they say that it will be the charm, I hope so because at this point im concerned my family will refer to me as Liz (that would be JLO to all your younger gals, for a point of reference). I am a mom in a blended family, DH has two sons, one who lives with us and I have a 16yo DS and 13yo twins, boy and girl. So how did I expand to my maximum density? Slow but steady like the turtle. I think back to Jr High weighing 115 and thinking, I need to lose 10lbs! I could really smack myself now in retrospect. But puberty got to me VERY early and that started the hips and booty expansion, but the serious weight gain happened after my first marriage because we loved to eat and I ballooned from 145 to 190. Then I lost weight after the divorce 3 years later and HAHA looked good enough to get pregnant and went up to 215 delivering a 10lb child! Marriage number 2 and the twins came along but I was careful to only gain 25lbs with those kiddos but my husband owned a pizza place and that was good for 3 years then he sold to my parents so it stayed in the family. I went down to 190, then back up. I tried Weight Watchers (lost 15lbs gained it back). Did the Cabbage Soup diet, Atkins and the 30 Day Body Makeover (I did lose 32 lbs but gained it and then some with current DH). When I met current DH I was feeling good about weighing 207. Thats right, 207lbs. Did I mention im only 5'2"? People have told me that I carry my weight well and I dont look as big as I say I am. Well I may not look it but I feel it. And thats what got me here. I met DH and worked on maintaining. But I ate just like he ate, the same trap that got me eating like my male coworkers ate 8 years earlier. I was eating like a 6ft early 20's guy and I was a mid 30's hispanic woman! We moved to Dallas last year and I gained 20 more pounds from just wanting to leave work. I was eating the way I said I never would, going through drive throughs and eating in my car in the parking lot. I was embarrassed because I was getting winded just going upstairs in our home. Our kids could get away with not doing their chores upstairs because they knew Mom wasnt getting her rear up off the couch to check. What finally did it was when we went to Ross for who knows what and I stepped on the scale and it read 250. I almost cried. I was embarrassed and asked DH to step on it to test how accurate it was. It was accurate alright. So I called the WLS center and started my journey. So where does the Microwave Mentality come in? Well, as a kid I really loved Joan Rivers. I just thought she was hilarious. She had this joke that Elizabeth Taylor was so fat that she would stand in front of a microwave and yell "HURRY!". Well that was me when I was reheating a meal and thats sometimes how impatient I feel about the weight loss process. I want it done in a hurry. And im learning it doesnt work that way. Normally when I am interested in something I research the heck out of it. I went though the WLS center and read all my stuff and had the surgery on May 1, 2012. However, 2 days after my surgery did I notice the line on my Doctors list of do's and don'ts that state I will not get a fill until 3 months after my surgery. WHAT??!!?? 3 months? I check other's blogs and their posts and see some people who got some of a fill at their surgery and others about a month later. I am almost 2 months out and I feel I havent even arrived to the race. WTH??!! I lost 15lbs in the first week and kept it off until 2 days ago where I have gained about 4lbs back. Because it feels like nothiing has ever changed and it feels like I have no restriction. Because I went back to my old eating ways. I did quit soda altogether. I do make better food choices. I started working out, walk/jogging on a treadmill and did Zumba on Monday. But at the same time, even though its early days, I feel a little cheated. And this is where the Microwave Mentality creeps in. So im rising to the challenge another lap band blogger threw out to the lurkers. BLOG- hold yourself accountable. Make goals and track accomplishments. My body, my health, needs this to work. Starting weight 262 on surgery date 5/1/12 247lbs 5/16/2012 251 lbs 6/27/2012

I am having the surgery on Wednesday. I am really hoping it will help with my pain being fibro or back/hip issues. I have been off all the fibro meds for about a year now & only take pain pills. I tried everything & did not see any relief only side effects & weight gain. I am hoping my stomach heals quickly so I can get back on my supplements.

I haven't posted in a while and I wanted to say hi to everyone and hope that everyone is doing ok. A lot has been going on with me and it has affected my weight loss. I left my husband in January of this year and of course that was stressful and the past two months I have had a toothache and the only way I could relieve the pain was eat something, even when I wasn't hungry. I have noticed a little weight gain, not enough to not fit into my clothes and size I had gotten down to, 14, but I have noticed a little bit. To top it off, I had my surgery in Dallas and I now live in West Texas and all the doctors in this area won't touch my band with a ten foot poll even for a fill so I am going to have to go back to Dallas if anything goes wrong with my band or if I need a fill. Of course I am stressed and what happens when I get stressed, I eat. I am trying to listen to my band, which most of the time I do, but sometimes I don't, which I get dissapointed in myself and am not starting to think about diets again, which never helped me in the past and won't help me now. I guess I just needed to vent to ya'll because I knew I would be understood. Thanks for listening.

I too love to cook and bake. I found that baking dog biscuits helps tame my desire to have flour up to my elbows, keeps me cooking without any danger of weight gain and makes all the dogs around very happy! Good Luck

...because I'm seven weeks pregnant. As you can see from my ticker I didn't have too much left to go to goal. We started TTC in March. This is our first child and it was our first time TTC. I still didn't expect it to happen so soon! I saw my OB/GYN for the first time yesterday & she said to aim for no more than a 20 pound weight gain. As for fills, my fill doc has said that unless I have a lot of vomiting or am not eating enough for the baby's growth, I should be able to keep my fill. So far I've gained maybe a pound. I'm eating normally (although carb cravings are pretty bad) and exercising as much as possible -- low-impact. Some nausea here and there but no vomiting. Let's hope that lasts! Hope all are well!

I read some research once that said that it took an average person 4-5 days to show true weight gain for something they had eaten. In other words, if I pigged out today and was all excited because it didn't show on the scales in the morning, then I should WATCH OUT on Thursday!!

:thumbup:: Yours truly, has never blogged but has decided to do it to stay on track, TWO years ago, I had the lap band put into me. I lost so quick and was on track (very happy camper...lol). I went for my mamo and they told me that I had cancer..well the running around and the depression you feel is indescribable. At the time from the pressure, I started having some real health issues and my child needed me desperately to advocate for him in school. omg...it turned out that running for tests..showed that I had cancer...then the fools tried to take a biopsy and then they could not find it... then they take another xray..there is the cancer...then they get the surgeon.. he makes the hospital pre-op tests..then he gets looks at the tests...get a MRi ...great I am clastophobic...soooooo...I find an open MRI..wait again months for appointment..scared to death...and they can not get the color dye in me because my viens did not work..so the DR from that MRI came in and said..YOUR VAINS are the pits and we cannot do this...but I will personally review your xrays and have other doctors look...he at least said ..months of not knowing could kill a person..thanked him... a few days later he told the surgeon ..no way did I have cancer. MY has made me take the mamo again 6 months later...and when he saw that I was really in distress (go to his office and they can not find my mamos) he did his checking allowing sit in a chair, I think I upset him when he saw how much they had tortured me (it was the months of not knowing) BUT he knew since he had seen me so much at the hospital that I had gained some of the weight that I had so proudly LOST Well, I always did eat the little amounts but did stretch my stomach with large drinks and did NOT have the time or desire to exercise. At time during this period of life, I did forget to eat BUT worse is not to drink the water. Finally, I saw myself in a full mirror at the mall and was shocked to see me and my friend following me (:scared2:my boodie :sad: ) SSSSSSSOOOOOOOOOOOO:thumbup: I called my surgeon and went back for a fill. Thank god my lap band did not slip (tested) and already have lost five pounds. I would have gone back earlier:thumbup: BUT SIL made me feel very ashamed :thumbup: since I have been back...and filled...I realise that I did come back with some weight gain but I probably (honestly :sneaky: could have been 400 lbs) so now I am really happy and hang up on my SIL who is a nut :tongue: I am glad that I am back and can not weight to see and enjoy being without that extra fluff. I will see my Dr. Pucci on the 18th of September and pray that I will be down to 275lbs. I did invest in the QVC Dvds by Richard Simmons but will restart them today after handing out our temples telephone directories to members. I also was told to keep a log of what is going in:drool: the nutritionist said that I needed 65-70 grams of protein. Wish me a successful day :biggrin: Laura

Monday - I left Halifax early o'clock in the morning and flew to San Diego via Toronto. Flight was uneventful even if it was with Air Canada and strike threats. Arrived in San Diego and was met by driver by the Info Booth. Was driven to the Hospital where I was met by my coordinator Trish and escorted to my pre-op tests. I was early arriving and was given the option of having my surgery that afternoon instead of the next morning as originally scheduled. I decided to wait till the next morning as I was not mentally prepared at that point. Funny later that night as the nerves, second thoughts, what ifs, set in, I kinda wished I had just gotten it done and over with. Tuesday- I was up and waiting at 0700hrs. Anxious yes but feeling confident with my decision. Dr Kelly came by and talked with me and answered my questions. I gave Dr Kelly my camera for a picture of my stomach that was removed. I did not have a lot of questions, I am typical type A personality and control freak. I researched the hell out of this and knew what was going to happen. Went to the OR at about 0900hrs and was back in my room about 1030hrs. All done. Slept for most of the day. That afternoon tried to get out of bed to go pee and start my recovery process but I was in too much pain and was given pain/nausea meds and rested for a while again. Late that afternoon early evening got out of bed to pee and went back to bed. I was on pain meds thru night but was able to get out of bed to pee on my own. Vomited during the night and cleared blood? from stomach. Felt so much better. Wednesday- Felt great. Up in morning and started walking the hallways. I was given ice chips but I sipped water in tiny amounts. No real pain at all. Was still on IV fluids with nausea meds and antibiotics. Had a lovely shower. I felt so human again. I put on my PJ's and continued to walk and rest the remainder of the day. Dr Kelly checked on me multiple times during the day and was pleased with my progress. Had a good nights sleep. Thursday- Woke in the morning feeling even better than the day before. Dr Kelly came by and removed my drain. Wow what a difference. I felt even better. I showered and remained at the hopsital walking and sipping for a couple of hours. Then off to another hospital for my leak test. I had no problems with the barium drink stuff. Leak test was good so off to the hotel. At the Lucerna (very nice indeed) I rested walked about and ordered some chicken broth. My coordinator Trish left me a pack of goodies, gatorade, SF jello, water, and extra dressings for me incisions. Dr Kelly and the coordinator came by again that evening to check on me. I had an ache in shoulder and neck that was due to the gas from surgery, I knew to expect this and brought my heating pad, it helped alot. I had a wonderful sleep that night. Friday- Feeling really good. Haven't had any pain meds since night of surgery or needed any. I was feeling a bit cooped up. Dr Kelly came by to check on me in morning and again very pleased I was doing so well. Trish came by after lunch and brought me out to see a bit of Tijuana. It felt great to be out and about. Yes I did a little shopping. Back to the hotel for rest and some more yummy soup broth. Went to Starbucks across the street for green tea that evening with Trish. Saturday- Feeling superb. Dr Kelly came by to check on me again as I was leaving that evening for home. All is good. I left hotel with Trish my coordinator and went back to hospital to visit a lovely lady Stephanie(sorry if I misspelled your name). She had her surgery on the friday and looked great. Wasted loads of time until I was picked up by my driver and brought back to San Diego Airport. Going over the border to the States was a simple process. The van went in a special lane for buses and commercial vehicles. We stopped at the customs agent. I got out of van with my bags and went into special line and was processed and then bags were xrayed. Met the van and driver at the parking lot on just after exciting the customs building. Easy Peasy. At San Diego Airport checked in a waited for my overnight flight to Newark. Slept the whole flight. Met my next flight to Halifax. Slept the whole fligt again. Sunday- Got into Halifax Airport at about noon and hubby drove me home the 1.5 hrs to Kingston NS. I am now 2 weeks Post op and doing great. Getting in my protein drinks and liquids. Be vigilant at measuring how much liquid you ingest as I was feeling weak yesterday and realised too late that I hadn't drunk enough the day before. I have talked to Trish multiple times as she calls to check on my progress. I was 284lbs when I was weighed prior to surgery. I was 289lbs when discharged (water weight gain from IV fluids). I am now at 2 weeks post ov 272.6 lbs. So actual lose from preop weight is 12lbs so far. Lessons Learnt- I went on my own and that was a good thing for me. I didn`t have to worry about a companion. I didn`t have to keep answering questions like: how are you feeling, how are you doing, are you nervous, can I do anything for you. That would have driven me insane. My heating pad was a great thing for me to bring along. My Kindle was great, My Ipod was nice to have. My smart phone allowed me to send messages and updates back home with wirelss connection but I did not have any cellular service. I was happy with having a pair of PJs, they allowed for the checking of incisions without having to pull up a nightie or keep my hospital gown on. I had t shirts and yoga capris for day where in hotel. I wore same clothes home that I wore flying to Mexico. Gas X helped. If you have acid reflux issues they will give you meds to helpl I think that is all. I wasn`t scared at all in Mexico. I had faith in Dr Kelly. Trish was fantastic and really took care of me.

Do NOT give up on yourself. You are not a failure!! You stated you have an anxiety disorder and with surgery approaching, the stress can cause lots of things to happen. Including weight gain. Try to keep your head up high and talk it over with your surgeon, pcp and therapist.

How many times have I heard this. Everyone with the band is not going to lose weight at a high rate of speed. To me a loss is a loss whether it be a pound or an ounce. Many factors play in to weight loss and they are consuming less calories then you burn, getting 8 or more hours of sleep, moving your bowels regularly, eating high protein meals with good carbs such as vegetables and fruit and moving. Actually wheat products such as wheat breads and pastas have been proven to be no better then white bread and pastas and may even cause more weight gain. Yes, gluten is a real problem. But the problem is not just gluten. In fact, there are three major hidden reasons that wheat products, not just gluten (along with sugar in all its forms) is a major contributor to obesity, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, dementia, depression and so many other modern ills. How Wheat -- and Gluten -- Trigger Weight Gain, Prediabetes, Diabetes and More This new modern wheat may look like wheat, but it is different in three important ways that all drive obesity, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, dementia and more. It contains a Super Starch -- amylopectin A that is super fattening. It contains a form of Super Gluten that is super-inflammatory. It contains forms of a Super Drug that is super-addictive and makes you crave and eat more. So if you have changed over to wheat products and are not losing this may be why. It really isn't wheat anymore but a bunch of fillers so that may impeade your weight loss. There are many reasons why you may not be losing as much as others, but I say keep doing what you are doing and eventually you will get to goal. It can take two years to lose 100lbs that is not uncommon. Yes you want it off now because you had surgery but the slower the better and if you lose weight slowly you will be more apt to keep it off long term.

I may be late to this post but I agree with not going with depo. Especially if already on it long term. A few years ago I stopped taking BC altogether to see if that was the cause of my weight gain. Plus I think the depot was making me go crazy! When I got back on bc I went with The Nuva ring. It stays in for 3 weeks and on the 4th I take it out and have my period. I love it and so far no significant weight gain that I can tell. Only thing is it's hella expensive and your insurance may not cover it. I know mine doesn't and theres no generic

Slower weight loss coupled with great exercise = LESS loose, hanging skin. I'd say that is a huge plus, not a negative thing. Keep pushing, keep your head up, exercise, and throw out that scale. Today. If you're like most of us, you probably have clothes in different sizes that weight gain prevented you from wearing. Take out the next smallest size and try it on maybe once per week to see how it fits. The scale can be such a terrible and discouraging thing. Use clothes to monitor your progress instead. Best wishes to you.

I had lap band surgery in 2006. I weighed 367 pounds and went down to 156 pounds. I learned that I had a slippage and got the lap band removed. I was so happy to eat I didn't get a replacement...now I'm up to 230 pounds!! I watch what I eat and exercise almost everyday! The weight gain occurred in less than a year. I don't want to keep gaining! Has anyone experienced this? I really don't think it has to do with what I eat. :cool: