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Up your Water intake and lower your calorie intake and you will loose that plus more in the 5 weeks. The first 10 lbs is all water weight.. and it is pretty easy to loose, its after you get to the 10% when it gets very very hard.. Good Luck i am sure you can do it!

Cigna requires a 4 month consecutive supervised weight loss and you can't skip any months. At least that was my requirement with Cigna

I am 11 months Post-surgery and I am doing great. just hit 100 lbs lost and 5 lbs past my goal. feel great. the hair loss has been bad for me also. I get the same comments, "STOP LOSING" it is a bit irritating but oh well they mean well. just another way to say I look good. so this point in not really trying to lose weight but I'm still losing about 4 lbs a month. Sent from my SM-G930V using BariatricPal mobile app

Had surgery almost 10 weeks ago and I am half way to my 'goal' weight of 165!!! Im not that particular at what my goal weight was, I just chose half of what I started at. Started at 331, at 248 right now! Lost 83, 83 to go! Woohoo!

Well, I found out the reason I couldn't get with it. I had a hernia when I went in and when they did my surgery they pinched it off well I hadn't had a bowl movement in 11 days they did an emergency surgery Thursday and thought I was going to have to have a colostomy bag. Turns out during the surgery I aspirated some bile. My mom was really worried. So now I have to weight a few more days on my phase 2 diet which really isn't fair. I'm going to eat setting to day even if it's cottage cheese or yogurt I've got to have something.

for my sil who today, as i type this, is getting a tummy tuck and lipo. i should be happy for her! but i am not! i am having such a hard hard time with it. i am so jealous. but its more then that. well, prolly not really, but.... i am working at losing this weight. i am half way to my goal. it has been an incredibly hard journey, as you all know. she wakes up one day, decides she wants it done, and that is that. she is doing it. she didnt even lose the weight her doc recommended for her to lose. i am being so catty and insecure and just shallow about it! but at least not to her, just here and my mom and dh know how i feel.... i dont know if this is really it or not, but its like, i finally get to where i weigh less then her and bam, she takes that away. (so that is my own insecurities, i know.) my dh tells me not to get so upset/worked up. i am doing this the "right" way. our deal is i get to goal and stay for a year and then i get a tt and lipo and boobies. i KNOW i am doing it right. i know i will have great results and look good and its ok. it really is. its just so frustrating to watch her eat what she eats and i eat....ARGHHH!!! why is this so hard for me? i should be happy that she will be happy! i know what its like to be so unhappy with yourself and your appearance. i guess it all just comes back to being insanely jealous. i just want to cry. and i have. i have bawled my freakin eyes out. what is wrong with me? why am i hate'n on her? i look at people here who have had these things done and i am like, right on! good for them! they are awesome! i want to be like them! but there are not these icky feelings. ughh, just so frustrated with myself....:huh2: thanks for letting me vent.

So I'm 1week post-op... I have been doing really great!!!:-) heeling fast and amazingly great! went on clear liquid diet 3days post-op than full liquid on the 4th day but didn't ever find that fullfilness in that so I called and my nurse told me to switch straight up to purees see if I tolerate it... WHICH I DID!!!:-) unlike some other ppl I NEVER experienced pain or nausea eTibg or at any time post-op. I also ate what was recommended and keep it down without a problem. I even tried 6days post-op hard food and had salmon with salads!:-) yet AGAIN no pain, no nausea...! So I was happy!:-) thought I was on great track healing pretty fast and without complications...until Today I went for my 1st 1week post-op apointement... I lost 12lbs in 2weeks (both including pre and post-op) my surgeon was happy but when I said I was on puree fast and was about to mention proudly I even had started hard food when he started yelling at me!!! telling me: " NO NO NO who did u talk to??!! I WANT U TO LOSE WEIGHT AND U NEED TO STAY ON LIQUID DIET!!!! DONT DO THAT AGAIN AND DON'T PUSH UR LUCK!!!!" I felt so lost and confused and terribly imberresed like a child being reprimanded!!!:-( Than he told me to keep walking and to see him again in a month for my 1st filling!!!0_O I couldn't believe it and didn't understand none of all this!! Honestly I am glad I did the surgery!!! Couldn't be any happier and glad it went smoothly but HONNESTLY regret doing it there!!!:-( The customer service IS HORRIBLE!!! they never take the time for u and never gladly take a one on one apt to make sure all is clear and explained to me!!! I found out much more before and after surgery through this forum than with my surgeon!!!:-( and for $13,000 out of MY pocket it really sucks!! Every time I call to ask questions everyone treats me like I am a child and keep telling me to " RELAX CALM DOWN EVERYTHING WILL BE FINE!!!" like if I was a damn child!!!!! Well now I dont understand the whole deal of keeping on the full diet for 2more weeks when I thought this whole process was just to help u heal...!!!! But WHAT IF IM OK AND HEALING GOOD!!!! I know I have to lose weight but it'll happen at it's paith like it already is weather I'm eating hard food or liquid!!! It's funny how well they can BUTTER U UP to pay up to get the surgery than once done... U just become a number rAther than a patient!!:-( im really Sid and don't know what to do! I dobt feel like following my doctor's advise cause he really pissed me off and to me really made NO SENS!!! I have one month before my next meeting for my filing (which I'm really getting very nervous about)... I don't feel comfortable with my surgeon or the place yet I am forced to stay cause all my feelings and emergency interventions are included in that price which I dont wanna pay more somewhere else!! Idk what to do...:-( I thought I was doing so great and now he really bumped me out yelling at me like this!!!:-( At what point am I concedered OK to eat hard food? When can I start working out a lil more intensive than just and ONLY walk/power walk...??!!! What should I expect with the 1st filling?? Pain? Nausea? Right now I'm able to eat about 1 1/2 of my fist... It's not 4oz or 1cup but DEFINITLY 10000X LESS than what I used to eat per meal before the band!!!:-) I'm watching what I eat and only "cheated" twice very little with 1tiny peace of chocolate once and 6small fried calamari when out once with hubby!!! Yet seems I'm STILL loosing...!!!! UUUURRRGGHHH ALL THIS IS JUST SO FRUSTRATING!!! what should have been a HAPPY check up turned out to bump me out and confuse me even more!!!:-( Sorry this post was so long...I just needed to vent!!:-( Thanks a million for reading!! XoXo

Hi there its been months since I was here but I had skin removed in sept. I was 7lbs heavier than my goal weight when I had surgery. They removed about that much weight in skin. I had a fleur de lis TT. They recommend to me to be at or around goal. That way you get a better result. Good luck

I doubt it'll fix itself. Once the skin is stretched it's not going to go back perfectly or become "flat" no matter how much exercise you do. Try ab exercises and overall continue to lose weight, but I doubt your skin is gonna go back. I started at 245lbs, at 19, and mine hasn't budged so I'm all saved up for a tummy tuck. Good luck and congrats on your loss!

Hi all, So I've been down this road before and am just about at a loss for words!!! It's been 4 weeks since the scale moved and I'm not concentrating on that, I'm trying to focus on my body and losing inches but I don't seem to be moving in inches either!! I've upped my protein and water intake and have even been hitting the gym!!! In all honesty I feel like I'm done losing or even as ridiculous as it sounds I feel like my body has called it quits and my tool is no longer working I'm not discouraged by any means I am down 93 pounds in 6 months!! It's pretty amazing and I feel a ton better!! Highest weight: 266 current weight:173..I have hit my dr goal of 175 but would like to lose another 20lbs or so!! I just don't know what's going on with my insides!! Help!!!!

Thanks - various responses made me realize these are normal feelings, and I do need to pursue this long term fix rather than my previous temporary weight losses. Onward and upward -

Here is a letter I wrote to my health insurance to explain my situation. They told me that even though I was a perfect candidate for the lapband, they would not cover it. Nor would they cover ANY proceedure, medication, therapy, doctor's visit to discuss weightloss, gym membership. I borrowed the money and I had the band in July. At this time last year, I weighed 380. I now weigh 315! Maybe this can help someone.... Obesity is affecting my life in the following ways: Physically Hypertension My blood pressure continues to get higher and higher despite the use of medications. When I must walk any distance I can feel my pulse in my face. sleep Apnea I must now sleep with an ugly cumbersome breathing machine at night. I am afraid I will die in my sleep if I don’t use my CPAP. Caught Variant Asthma When I have an asthma attack, I cough because I can’t breathe. I cough so hard I turn purple, pee my pants and throw up…not nice anywhere, especially in front of a classroom full of elementary kids. Foot and ankle pain The pain in my feet and ankles is so severe, that at night I must elevate and ice them just to be able to walk around the house. I have spurs on many of my foot bones because I have carried around so much weight for so long. Chaffing My thighs rub together. My arms rub my sides. My fat folds rub each other and the tops of my legs. It is miserable! Even though I wash, medicate, powder, use antiperspirant under my belly fat and in the creases and wear absorbing cotton clothing, I STILL rub, sweat, chafe, hurt, and break out in nasty folliculitis. Walking My thighs are so fat; my legs are forced to spread, causing my gait to be too wide. This makes my hips and lower back hurt. I walk like an old fat cowboy duck. Just watch me next time I come into the room. I can’t walk more than a block without pain in my back, hips, feet and ankles. I am out of breath after the first 100 yards. My ankles and feet hurt so badly all day. Stairs? Ha. Going up is actually better than going down. I may be slow ascending stairs and need breaks within a single flight, but descending, well I can’t see my feet to see the next step below me. Each step down jars my huge frame. It is easier if I turn to the side, hold on to the rail and use a side step, using the same foot to lead on each step. I prefer elevators or escalators even if I am going down one flight. Sweating Have you ever been so winded and worn out after taking a trip through Wal-Mart that the sweat rolls down your back and into your butt crack? No? Try being me for a day. Getting Up I have a hard time getting in and up out of cars, chairs, the floor and bed. Fitting I need chairs without arms. Do you know how many chairs have arms? All movie theatres, all theatrical venues, all stadiums, all beauty shops, dentist chairs, office chairs, lawn chairs, waiting rooms, airplanes, trains, and most restaurants (I’m sorry ma’am we only have chairs with arms, do you think you could fit in a booth? HA!) I don’t fit in many cars, non handicapped bathroom stalls, dressing rooms, bathtubs, the spaces between clothing racks at stores, and turnstiles. Bathrooming First I must see if I have enough room to spread my leg wide enough to wipe, then I check the sturdiness of the toilet. I have been on a toilet in the midst of a very delicate maneuver when the toilet has come loose from the floor and made a horrible mess. It is a very embarrassing thing to have to tell your hostess that you broke her toilet and ruined the bathroom rugs. Once all seems to be fit, I do my business and then attempt to lean forward with one arm tucked under my belly. I must balance all of me onto my tip toes and reach through the front. This acrobatic feat is difficult. I do not fit in regular sized bathtubs. If I must bathe, I force my hips into the tub. I had to install a shower wand to clean my self properly while showering. I use hibiclense and other antimicrobial soaps and solutions to reduce the risk of folliculitis, and faruncles. I shower every morning and every evening to keep my fat folds clean and my body smelling nice. Clothing This is a big issue with me. I must be very careful in clothing I select as not to bring attention to my self. One day I bought a very expensive, very cute chartreuse short set. I wore it to the store and I had a very rude person look directly at me and mimic my walk and say, “Look, at me…I am a big, fat lime!” Super sized clothing is hard to find. Once you do find it, it is very expensive. I spend a lot of time, effort and money covering my body in a tasteful way. I must be very careful in selecting clothing. I cannot fit in any clothes from regular plus sized shops. I surpassed the sizes at Lane Bryant 5 years ago. I am now wearing the largest size at the only two mail order clothiers available. I will have to resort to having “tents” made for me if I don’t loose weight. Sex Sex is very difficult because of my large stomach and large backside. This is a very difficult topic to discuss, and an even more difficult topic to endure. My sex life is not what I want it to be because my fat makes sex very difficult. I also feel very self conscious about my body. Mentally Embarrassment I do not like the way I look. I feel embarrassed about how I look to other people. I feel that my fat makes me ugly and undesirable. It is embarrassing to not fit in a $120.00 Chicago theatre seat and have to ask the manager if there is any where else he could seat me. I am embarrassed when am winded from taking my students out to recess. I am embarrassed when I must lift my fat belly up over a turnstile to fit through it. Compensating I feel I must be better, smarter, funnier, cleverer, and more charming because I am fat. I have developed quite a sense of humor to mask my hurt at being left out of many things over the course of growing up. Sarcasm is one of my compensating tools. Sadness- I cry often because I am overwhelmed about my weight. It make s me feel so sad to think about all of the things I miss out on because I am fat. I hate myself for getting so fat and out of control. I am angry at myself for not being able to stick to an eating plan and exercise regime. Fear I do not want to develop heart problems because of my obesity. I fear going to the doctor each time, because I am expecting to hear the words “heart disease.” My blood pressure scares me. Anxiety then takes over and I feel overwhelmed with guilt and fear. Self Consciousness I cover my body with big baggy clothes. I cover my belly with a pillow to “hide” my fat when I am sitting on a couch. I am always very aware of how other people are looking at me, and the remarks they make. This horrible habit puts a strain on my marriage. Self Worth My self worth is in the toilet. I feel disgusting. I hate being fat and I hate not being able to control my food intake. I feel bad about not being able to lose weight. I feel like a failure because I am not able to stick to a successful diet or long range exercise program. These and many more mental obstacles must be overcome daily, even hourly. It is emotionally draining to have to prepare my self mentally for a day, not to mention the actually endurance of the emotions through the day. I am tired and disgusted with being so emotionally tied to this weight. Socially As a child I was ridiculed and left out of peer activities. In middle school I had a handful of friends, but the fat jokes and ridicule over shadowed me and made me feel worthless, ugly and unwanted. There was a rumor that followed me through all of 6th, 7th and 8th grades about me looking pregnant and every week it the big joke was to ask me whose baby it was. Ha! So funny! A three year “gestation period” was more than I could endure. I sought help from the school counselors. They told me if I lost weight they would stop bothering me. High school was miserable. I was never asked on a date, never held a boy’s hand. I was always overlooked. College was no different. Either were my 20s. No boyfriends, no dates, nothing…and I DID try. I tried 2 dating services; I spent 3 years in a huge singles group at my church. While my girlfriends were on dates and getting engaged, I was alone and depressed. I finally put a personal ad on yahoo. I did find a loving man who I fell in love with and married. I love my husband, but I wish I didn’t have the lonely rejection filled past. There are many social opportunities that I must turn down because of my morbid obesity. Camping, swimming, hiking and traveling are too difficult at my size. When a friend asks me to go out, I must consider all of the possibilities (Will there be room for me, is the restroom big enough, is her car big enough, will the chair support me even if I do fit?) There worries are enough to make me want to stay at home, and often times, I do because of worry and shame. Financially It is expensive to be fat and even more expensive to yo-yo diet. I have done both since I was 16. Specialty clothing costs twice as much as other clothes. My medical needs are very costly, even with health insurance. I spend lots of money on my favorite hobbies, eating and cooking. I need help. I want to be successful in losing weight. I am ready. I want to be able to walk with our pain. I want to be alive for another 35 years, at least! Please help me by considering me for weight loss surgery.

It's weird because my insurance company kept telling me that they needed me to be precertified for my surgery before they could tell me anything, and the surgeon said he couldn't precertify me until I completed all of the necessary requirements. But it's funny, my doctor's office seems very confident about the whole thing. l expressed my concerns about the lack of comorbidities and they said, oh we'll make it work, we'll find something. And they also told me not to worry about the required 6 months physician approved diet too. I really hope that one doesn't come back to bite me in the butt. My doctor has been "seeing" me for my weight issues for over 7 years and she said that if they even try to get me to add another 6 months of weighing in and blood pressure that she would "handle it" for me. She was extremely upset with this rule that the insurance companies have for this type of thing. She said we might as well just take our own weight and blood pressure, it's all to get a co-pay. I know I am so ready for this surgery because right now my biggest fear will be that I get denied by Cigna.

Hello I have been reading stuff on internet about weightloss. I am very interested in this lap-band surgery. But it is not cheap...I have alot of questions. I am 340 pounds 5'7''. 43 male. My knees have been hurting and hips too. I tried walking,riding bike...I work a physical job.. and when I lose weight I which takes along time..I gain it all back plus some...I was seeing a doctor who tried to help but it was hopeless. I need some serious help. I have a 3 year old daughter and need to keep up with her. I do not want her to be ashamed of her heavy father. This all makes me very sad. I work for one of the big 3 (not so big anymore) and have some coverage. what will OHIP cover when it comes to this type of procedure. I also have green shield through work. I am going to see my benefit rep and see what kinda coverage we have. Well this could be the start of my journey and I will be glad to share it all with you. I was born in Windsor Ontario and I currently still live in the area. I started gaining wieght a few pounds a year since puberty. Being heavy is no fun. People would never call a person of colour or race any names but they sure like to pick on peeps who are heavy. It seems to be acceptable behaviour. With our population becoming heavier all the time it seems to be a growing problem. I am no wimp I can stand up for myself..( I tell em I am big boned)..hehe but it gets to me sometimes. To be judged on how you look, it really sucks..anyhow thats it for my venting. anyone have some similar thoughts on the subject. I hope to here from some of you peeps that are on same page and have some info for me....have good day. Fordguy8193

I have to chose between the Realize Band and the LapBand. The port looks flatter in the Realize product, but is wider in diameter. Is everyone able to visibily see their port underneath the skin? When you lose the weight does the port stick out like a weird petrussion (SP?)? I've asked a few people about which bands they've chosen and most didn't really have a real reason. I'm back to that question again. What to chose, what to chose??

As for when I had the surgery, I lost like 9.8 lb on pre op and 9.2 on post op the first week. I came back to work 7 days post op and a few days later someone said it looks like you've lost weight. They said my face looked thinner. So less than 20 lb, but I'd say since I started that job I'd lost about maybe 35 or 40 lb prior to that. But that was I've like 1.5 years. So I guess since it was slower it really wasn't noticed

I had my surgery in the summer, so when I went back to school, a few people said something about my weight loss (I was down around 50 pounds), but now almost every teacher I run into says something. I teach at a big school, so there can be months that I will not see certain people.

Here's what I did: Got a personal loan from Wells Fargo, opened an account with Care Credit (used this the least because the APR is super high) and I even sold one of our extra cars. Worked for me! If you have decent credit find out about your bank and if they'll give you a personal loan. Try to also look for credit cards with low APR's or that offer 0% for so many months. Have a yard sale or sale things around your house that you're not using. It may only come up to a few hundred but it's better to pay that than have those hundreds on credit and continuously paying interest on it. If you want surgery bad enough sometimes you have to do things for it you wouldn't otherwise do. I can tell you this, every penny I paid was worth it's weight in gold. Good luck!

You and I started out very close to the same weight. I was 256 starting out and 175 was my doctor goal weight. He said he expected me to lose more, but at 175 he felt like the surgery was a success. When I hit 6 months I started to stall quite a few times. Then out of no where my body would start losing again. I stuck with my program and began increasing my protein intake. I am now 15 months post op and I weigh 132. The last 40 have been slow coming off, but they are gone. My loss in inches was slow coming off, but they are off. Stay strong and stick with your plan.

Yes I was banded on April 1st. I think I am doing pretty good and my doctors office is happy with where I am at. I am down 44 pounds and have not needed a fill yet. Scheduled to go back to doctor on June 26th. I have not been exercising because I broke my ankle 2 weeks ago when I was moving into the solid food phase. So with no exercise and new foods I think my weight loss is slowing down a little. Still not overly hungry and satisfied with a small amount of food. Trying new things every day. How are you doing?

My surgeon required one from my PCP - all it is is a letter that indicates your attempts at loosing the weight over the last few months/years and that they support you having the surgery. Most doctors will know what they need to put in the letter.

I began my journey late April 2015. Completed requirements and I have been waiting on approval from insurance since early October. Total weight loss 60lbs. I've called my insurance and they said doctor has not submitted paperwork. I repeatedly left messages to see what is going on? With the holidays and stress I've gained 10lbs. So than out of the blue I get a call from the doctor stating that they were booked til Jan. And didn't want to submit my paperwork to early other wise I'd have to start over. I told her that is all fine and dandy but it would have been nice if you'd call me to let me know what was going on, I thought you forgotten me. She laughed me off and said no. And said that she hasn't received my doctor referral? Hello lady when I left your office two months ago you guys said you had everything. ????

Sorry for the loss. It's true - many women experience this without even knowing about it. We did IVF/FET for our two and were told multiple times that seeing multiples on our early ultrasounds would not mean that both/all of them would make it even to ten weeks. How far out from surgery are you? Were you in maintenance prior to pregnancy or still in loss phase? If you'd been maintaining at a steady weight I'd be more worried about losing, but if you were already losing, you'll likely continue to lose for a while. We've had some gals that got pregnant before a year out lose all the way up until the final trimester, and finish up gaining very little weight overall. The more important thing is the baby's development. Good luck and congrats on your pregnancy! ~Cheri And my post sleeve baby was born 21 March of this year.

I'm 8 weeks pregnant and am continuing to lose weight. At seven weeks I thought I was having a miscarriage, I passed the sac with the "stem " attached. Unfortunately, I have seen many miscarriages in patients I've transported. I went to dr to make sure the miscarriage was complete and I was surprised to find that I still had a healthy fetus and I had lost a twin (no idea I was having twins. My dr doesn't seem to be concerned about my weight loss which is about ten pounds in four weeks. I can help thinking that may have something to do with losing my baby. I know a fetus is a parasite and will take what it needs, but maybe two was too many?

Don't be discouraged, the time will fly by so fast. just keep busy and continue to surf the boards and gain more knowledge of what your doing. Start preparing yourself for cleaner eating habits and tracking your food intake with a app like my fitness pal, and learn from those who have had the wls... hearing and seeing about other people will make your more excited and soon it will be your turn...GOOD luck to you