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No, you should not do a liquid diet. I didn't need to do a preop liquid diet at all and my BMI was 41. the post op diet was so easy to follow because I had sooo much restriction from surgery. I have done liquid diets in the past and they are wicked. They are hard to follow and for me usually results in huge binges and weight gain instead of loss. Have you met with your sugeon yet? If not, I would not try to lose weight untill you see him. Qualify for surgery and then if you want, try a liquid diet. You can always cancel the surgery once you qualify, but it is alot harder to qualify for surgery if your BMI drops below 40.

I thought this was an interesting article. I hope the link works. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/27/health/biological-changes-thwart-weight-loss-efforts-study-finds.html?_r=1&

Maybe you should have a fill. Are you consuming a lot of liquid calories. That just seems like a lot of weight, if you have a good adjustment. I do yo-yo too...about 15-20lbs, so I understand how you feel when some of the weight comes back on and I see numbers on the scale that I thought I said good-bye to forever!

Yes! I posted a link to it on my blog. You can find it here: Virtual Weight Loss Simulator Lise The Loser’s Weblog

my question is for the best way to go about working/building my arm muscles. i like the size of my arms for the most part, but i NEED more tone. i have some saggy skin and am wondering, if i build muscle (heavier weight, low rep, right?) will it help fill that sag? but i also want it to be nice and toned, so low weight, high rep right? any hints/suggestions would be great.

I've had my VSG for about 3 years. In the past year I've put on 44 pounds. I just started an all liquid diet again will that help re shrink my sleeve. I'm a driver so I'm behind the wheel of a car all day. The hours I work leaves little time for exercise. Any help will be appreciated.

I don't know where the weight went. I don't pee all day long. Depends if I drink a lot of water. My stomach got smaller.

My mom sent me her 'fat' clothes. Since she found out she has Hep C. she has to keep her weight down to make her liver healthy and has been successful at staying a size 8 for years now. But she's quite the pack rat and never got rid of any of her other sizes. First, she sent me two boxes of size 16s and XL/L. This turned out to be more clothes than I owned at the time but I freely admit I'm a bit weird about clothes shopping. Then she sent me the 14s. There were FOUR boxes. Granted, 3 were small copy paper boxes. But still. I don't think they'll fit in my closet. (They don't now, that's for sure, but it's full of the 16s.) I guess I'm not much of a pack rat because I can't comprehend having 6 boxes worth of clothes in your closet that are in sizes much larger than you currently are. Hopefully, it was freeing for her to send them to me. :eek: Anyway, whomever I bequeath them to when I'm done with those sizes, will be getting quite the gift. The 14s in particular have some *gorgeous* pieces in there. Lots of jewel tones, which I love and lots of business wear which is probably good for me since I'm jockeying for a promotion.

Hi I had a band done I was self funding. I lost my band after a big struggle to keep it I gaine a few stone but the wonderful nhs has just funded an RNY for me i am now post op rny. Mrs D

I'm 2 years out, my weight has been stable since May. I'm ready to find a plastic surgeon. I'm thinking lower body lift or mons lift and tummy tuck. I'm debating the inner thighs and am willing to hold off on those for a while. My insurance isn't going to cover any of it, which really sucks. But it's something I want to do for me. So which docotrs should I consult? Any recommendations? Thanks- Leena

Hello Everyone, Before signing on as a member of Kaiser I called their member services to find out more about the benefits and if the Lap Band surgery was covered. The benefits were explained to me and I was told that yes the Lap Band was covered. I was happy about this information and decided to sign up with Kaiser.Well after almost three months of being told that Kaiser would cover the Lap Band surgery and after I started the weight loss surgery process that Kaiser has. Now I have been told that they don't cover it. Not until I started asking for something in write did things change. I now need to know if anyone has gone through this with Kaiser and any information that you can share with me about Kaiser would help support me in my efforts to further pursue this. Thanks for your help, Karen

I purchased Folicure at my local Sally's Beauty Supply. It was less then $5.00 for a bottle. It does help make your hair look and feel fuller. This is a good thing since everytime I wash it, I have more and more coming out. Everyone says you won't go bald, and it will grow back. I'm just thankful that I've lost half of my weight, but I still have a long way to go. Need to get outside and start walking now that the weather is beginning to get nice. Hugs to All! JoAnne

I was just wondering what you can't eat after you got banded.... Im thinking this will really help some people from eating something that gets stuck with most people.... SO Im asking you to write back and let me know what always gets stuck and what you don't eat because of it.... for example, if bread comes up alot I wont eat bread.... and so on... ....and wondering what you ate for mushies.... we need all the suggestions we can get!:w00t: has anyone tried weight watchers WW bread??? does that get stuck? ....what about pita bread??? have a great day peeps :smile2:

today I went to the swap meet.i saw a gorgeous yet petite jumper outfit so I walked in cautiouslyand asked the foreign saleslady how much for it. she quickly [goofy smirk] replies : it not for you no fit you haha nonono! . thats all I needed......that was it. I willing answered her with : " no.....its not for me." smiled with courage and happiness not sadness and kindly in my head finally spoke these words to myself: "so long...goodbye...i must leave you behind now" referring to all of my 230 pounds n five foot three old me. with 6 days left til surgery I have parted ways with that 18 years of extra weight extras and extras of 18 years of tears heartache and sadness 18 years of being buried under this rubble of my skin... today I said bye and so long........

I don't always make it to the gym for various reasons... One being that I'm a former collegiate athlete & because of all the years of training in gyms, I'm kind of anti. But i still get some form of exercise even if it's just 15 minutes. If I'm not at the gym, then l'll try walking my neighborhood or hike nearby. If I don't feel like walking, then I typically do a 30-60 min combo of yoga from my iPad. I also use my free weights a few times a week. I like to finish my day with 15 min relaxation yoga. I try to remain flexible about the whole working out thing because I want to enjoy it and not feel like I have to do it. Edited to add: I was sleeved on 12/16 too

Having a little pause at three weeks is very common. It's important to follow your nutritionists instructions and eat well. Eating too few calories can actually stop you from losing weight because your body will go into starvation mode and actually conserve every calorie. Listen to your team and follow their instructions for the best results:) Good luck and best wishes.

Hi, For years now i've been sure that weight loss surgery wasn't my answer ... and yet, here I am, starting to seriously consider it and wanting to learn more to help with making the decision. I've met with a surgeon and he has suggested both the gastric sleeve and bypass are options; and explained that I would lose a bit more with the bypass which he would usually recommend at my weight (although not necessarily) ... so now this is another decision to make as far as which way to go before i see him again. For me, I know that while the food and exercise aspect of weight gain and loss have been a very unhealthy relationship for the last 40 years (mid-40's now) it's my thinking that has been the main impact on this journey and subsequent weight loss sabotage. I've always struggled with using food as a coping tool for most things; from dealing with emotions, to distractions, to trying to cope with the impacts of various traumatic experiences. Now after a life time of morbid obesity, my body clings to the weight when I do start losing and I regain so fast it seems like I just blink (although i know it's more than this really). Increasing health issues, and a desire to live a healthier more active and fulfilling life have led me to where i am now .... as well as an increasing number of medical professionals saying that while i might lose the weight without surgery they think it's unlikely I would keep it off. Some of the things that are impacting my decision are I guess the usual questions of what it would be like to not have food to turn to in the same way; wondering how to replace food with other alternatives for coping and wondering how it will impact my life when until now eating has been such a big part of it. Right now, i'm taking some time to focus on working on finding other coping tools aspect of things so that if i go forward I give myself the best chance of success possible. As part of that I'm working with a therapist, reading what i can find that might be helpful and open to other suggestions. I know that for this to work, I need to work on the mental side of things ..... and that in turn will help with being able to do the rest. I'm also in the position of not really having much support to make this journey; so another reason finding online support and people to talk this through with is really important because I keep seeing how it is so much better to do this with the support of others. Currently i'm leaning towards the sleeve, and as well as working on the mental side of things trying to work out whether it would be good to spend some time losing weight prior to surgery or not; the dietician seemed to think that if i did that i might get discouraged and not have the incentive following surgery that i'd need ....... and that if i was going to lose it, i would have already. I'd be interested hearing how others have gone forward with this as far as losing weight prior to surgery (apart from the two weeks prior) or not .... As well as any other suggestions or information; and I think just knowing that there are others going through similar things will help Very glad to have found this site and look forward to taking part I think my current head space is a mixture of being terrified and hopeful all wrapped in one!

@catwoman7 thanks for explaining some of the things you did pre-surgery and how they helped; and well done on your weight loss .... it's really helping reading a little of others experiences @GradyCat congratulations on the weight you've lost since surgery; and that's so encouraging to read that the surgery has helped you with the emotional eating as well; and to know i'm not alone in wondering regarding the hunger compared to emotional eating issue. Thanks for what you've shared @Orchids&Dragons thanks very much for your reply here. Definitely not something to do as a first option. i've done the loss, maintain, regain thing ........ a number of times. I've read some of the stories of sabotage after wls, and this is definitely something i want avoid, and to try and sort through before the surgery and find ways to reduce that happening. So working on my head, and finding new coping tools; that will then help with the surgery (as another tool) seems to be the direction I need to be taking

Hi everyone! I'm Micki and new to this forum. I just completed all the requirements for the insurance company and am waiting on approval for sleeve surgery, which my doctor's office seems to think will be no problem. Three years ago I saw a weight loss medical doctor who prescribed Phentermine which I was on for 15 months, (she called it off label). I loss all my weight and and wished I could have been on Phen forever! It gave me the feeling of never thinking about food or caring if I ever ate again. I was wondering how you felt compared to how I did on Phen after things normalized after surgery for you. Once the doctor took me off Phen, I slowly gained all my weight back and she told me that 80% of the patients on Phen do gain their weight back! Now why didn't that B**** tell me that before!! So, my next question is ..how many have gained all their weight back after surgery? I can understand a normalizing period where you may gain some back, but some is not all. I'm just hoping that surgery is a more permanent effect. Nice meeting you in advance! And Thanks Micki

I also have Aetna and when first submitted they contacted my doctor's office that they need any medical records from 2008 showing my weight. I had an urgent care visit where I fractured my ankle and it showed my weight. Then they called and needed an one on one with a nutritionist. I got that in. Everything was turned in on Tuesday afternoon. I called insurance on Wednesday morning to confirm they had all the paperwork and it was being forward for surgical review. I got a call from my surgeons office at 2 pm to schedule a date. Holy crap...24 hours and really less when it got to the surgical review. I was sleeved on Dec 1st and loving every minute of it. I do step on the scale every day sometimes more than once. When I started my journey back in February with my seminar I was 232. This morning I was 193.8. We are now doing the 6 months PCP visit for my husband so he can get sleeved hopefully in March or April. Just following your doctor's guideline and you will be the "incredible shrinking woman" just like me.

OK, I am not an OB/GYN, but this appears to be more cycle/hormone and water weight issues. If so, YES see your MD! The good news is you are NOT gaining fat... and water weight can leave as quickly as it comes!

My goal is 140. For my height I could go as low as 120 but I don't think that would look good on me. I am worried about regain so I want a little wiggle room but I guess I will know if that weight suits me when I get there. I have another 28 pounds to go to reach 140..:thumbup:

Breakfast: Quaker Healthy Weight Maple & Brown Sugar oatmeal Snack: banana Creme Pie Low Fat Yogurt Lunch: Tuna & Crackers Dinner: Scrambled egg whites & Jennie O Turkey Bacon (yummy) If I have the urge for a snack after dinner I will have maybe a small banana, apple, SF pudding, or SF Blue Bunny fudgesicle. Have a great day!

HAHAHA! Gall Bladder issues are VERY common with rapid weight loss. (Mine was already gone). But there are some medical treatments during your BIG weight loss, if you don't remove it prophilactically (sp)

MY boyfriend was super supportive. He has concerns and those are extremely valid. He's more concerned with the actual surgery than anything. He was dead set against RNY however, said that if that was going to be my choice he couldnt support it. As far as everyone else, I could care freaking less what they think. I've told people I am having it done. The worst they can say about me is "Oh look she got fat and regular diets didn't work so now she is doing this" and when the weight is gone, I REALLY wont care what they say. I'd much rather people talk about what I did to lose the weight instead of "Oh she is so fat"...