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152 pounds is fantastic. As for being complacent, I can understand that because probably for most of this year you have been at it pretty hard. Sometimes I think its important to know when to take a break. Maybe you need to take three months and focus on something else while maintaining. If you do this, you need to make sure to continue to weigh in because gaining weight is really REALLY something you do NOT want to do. Clearly, you still have weight to lose, and you can't lose sight of that, whatever you do.

Hey everyone!! I recently finished my options class through Kaiser. I’m scheduled to see Dr. Kim in West LA in a few weeks for my surgical consultation and I was just wondering if he was a stickler for weight loss prior to surgery. I’ m only 4lbs away from my 10% weight loss goal but I’m struggling. I’m just curious to know if I may be turned away from surgery and asked to come back in a few months for 4 lbs. Please help. Thank you

Hi everyone. I was banded on 2.15.08, and since then I've lost 26lbs (yippie)!! In the last 10 days I have not lost anything and am now feeling like a looser - and getting discouraged. For some reason, when I loose weight every week, I feel so good about myself, and it really helps me keep going, doing what I"m supposed to be doing and eating ALL the right things and not eating much. I'm slipping a little and need some support. I've had one fill - 1.6cc's. I noticed about 4 days into it that I was having a hard time drinking liquids, so I had .6cc's removed. I felt great. I was able to eat my small meals, drink lots of Water, etc. I never really felt 'full' when I was done with my small meal, but I was no longer hungry, so I was following that cue. Now I'm having a harder time following that cue, so I think it might be time for a little bit of a fill....just a guess. Since my fill/unfill I've lost 11lbs. My fill was on March 31st. The unfill was about 5 days later. But for the last 10 days I've stayed the same. Do you think I need a fill? I could use some words of encouragement, and some inspiration. I'm not making great choices the last week, and I know I should be. I never expected to get so down on myself when I didn't see the scale going down every week. While I still can't eat as much as I used to, I am eating a bit more and not making great choices. Thanks for reading and anything you can contribute - personal experiences, words of wisdom, support, inspiration, etc. Much Peace and Good Luck to Us All! Maggie

I hate the 'pretty face' comment, as all I can think is that they think the rest of me is fat!! The reasons quoted are some of the reasons I chose not to tell people..... they want to involve themselves in every part of your life if you tell them about the WLS. And yet who are they to you... I understand family and close friends are entitled to their opinions.. but apart from that I don't advise my neighbour about her weight ot health issues.... I let her live her life.. so let me live mine the way I choose to. Most of them aren't opinionated enough to stop you eating so you don't gain weight....so what changes when you do something about it and suddenly they want their say?? Where was their advice 3 dieting attempts ago??

At 5 months post-op I had lost a whopping 40 pounds... However, my frustration about the slow rate of weight loss dissipated long ago. I took 17+ months to lose 100 pounds and attain my goal weight. So, yes, I was surely a slower loser. Nonetheless, I've been maintaining my loss nicely and that's what matters. In the past, prior to surgery, I would have regained it all plus more. Good luck to you...realistic expectations are helpful in your journey.

I agree that not everyone with weight issues has an eating disorder. But I think that many of us do and have never realized it. I took the screening and it says that I do have an eating disorder (I answered as I would have before surgery) and I have never binged, purged, etc. Disordered eating starts with how you view, think about and abuse food. An anorexic has a disorder even if they are eating normally because of the way they view food, obsess about calories, use food as a control mechanisim and have a distorted view of their body. Does this sound familiar to anyone out there? This is VERY familiar to me - the only difference is my unhealthy relationship with food makes me want to put food INTO my mouth rather than starve myself. Society is much more accepting of food disorders on one end of the spectrum. The disorders on this end of the spectrum are usually ignored and instead we are told our weight issues are all our fault, we are lazy, etc. So many people out there aren't getting the help they need because they are ashamed and feel like they are alone, when they really do have a disorder. Thank you for posting this information - I think more people need to see it to determine if they have an eating disorder and can get the help they need. I know that without therapy, I would gain my weight back after surgery. I have to fix my disordered thinking so that I don't end up right back were I was.

I'm 6 weeks, almost 7, out of surgery and had that same worry. I actually gained a pound when I went to purred food from liquid. It freaked me out and got me upset. But now 7 weeks out I can definitely tell you there is a limit to what you can eat. My advise is to stick to the food plan the docs laid out. Find your satisfaction point no matter if its 1 oz or 5 oz and don't be discouraged at this point. Give it another week or two and if you are still at a stand still with weight talk to your doc.

what i feel is a guilt of whom? is the guilt of people who looking to the fatty people espacially girls as they are strange creatures i heard alot of bad words from people iknow and i didnt know oooh fatty girl, how could you let your self reach this size, you are like abox many things at all my life i was eating the same food of my friends i do the same activity they maintain skinny and igain 25p per months why me? ilook for my hormons it is always normal so why? and i do surgery and pay alot of my mam money but still lost averry little weight, and now the scale stopped you know men is hatting me the fatty girl im dreaming a man who will carry me between his hands or in his back but really who will carry all this fat hahahah his back will broken im dreaming to wear dress without thinking my fats appear or not i want to ride a bike and go on atrip i want to ride ahorse but whats the horse guilt ti carry me people look to the fat person as a bad one so lets punish him they dont know that he is already punished from the life oh people he cant find clothes easily im admiring why me same of other people same activity same hormons so why me

I've been banded since 10/23 and have lost 27 pounds ... the weight loss has tailed off and I'm scheduled for my first fill on 11/28. Does it usually go this way? I know in the beginning I was having 3 oz meals, but now I'm eating food again. I'm eating less than in the past, but much more than right after surgery.. I was 385 and I'm now down to 358 and have 123lbs to go!! I was direted from someone on the OH site and it is my pleasure to meet you!! :whoo::whoo::whoo: Ron

I was very unsure of how my parents would react, and suprisingly, they are very very supportive. My parents both said they have seen me struggle for so long that they are just glad I am doing something about it. I was very shocked, but so glad I told them, and now it is a huge weight off my shoulders.... Good luck! Amy

ladybird - check out this forum to get an idea of what people are eating: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f9/share-ideas-what-did-you-eat-today-36828/index84.html#post961558 i eat a bit more than a half a cup of food at a time & have at least one snack. i think you have to might play around w/your quantities/calories to find a balance & what works for you to lose weight.

Hi My Name is Lynne and I have struggled with weight all my life. My weight has ballooned to 275 pounds on a 5.2 frame - disgusting! I am completing my Masters degree , have three gorgeous children and I am only instrinsically motivated to go through with this bec of health concerns - I am diabetic, hypertensive . I manage all aspects of my life well except my weight - I am a complete whimp about surgery fearful of complications - anyone else have my fears? Anyone care to comment:eek:

I am 3 pounds away from losing 100 pounds and I just don't feel like I loss 100 pounds!!! I still for everything I feel the same weight as before ughh ur mind kills you

In a nutshell there are 3 main types - gastric bypass, the gastric sleeve, and lap band. With the bypass you get a small pouch. Think of it as a bit of rerouting in how your body processes food. With the sleeve they remove around 90% of your stomach. With the band it puts a restriction around an area of your stomach mimicking having a smaller stomach in a sense. There are pros/cons with each one. While you will lose weight with any of them some forms cause greater weight loss, or at least quicker loss. It's a lot to list out but read through some of the FAQ threads in the forums, and there is a wealth of information online summarizing the main differences. I was set on the lap band originally, but after hearing how oftentimes they would have to go back in to adjust it or remove it due to complications I passed on that idea. The sleeve seemed like it would have a quicker recovery time and didn't really change how the body would absorb food. While the weight may not come off as quickly compared to the bypass that was a trade off I was willing to make. Definitely take your time, talk to your doctor, and do lots of research.

@changing b4 your eyes : it is one year after reaching and stabilizing your optimum weight. So it can be at least two years post-op.

It could be something more serious if you're gaining weight without a diet change. Perhaps a serious medical, hormonal or prescription issue? You said you moved too, maybe stress/depression; it plays a HUGE roll on weight gain/loss. Definitely be persistent in getting in touch with your doctors. I'm sorry they've been so difficult to deal with. Try to do an elimination diet, maybe the shakes aren't taking well to your body now after some time. I know when something works for me (even in a positive way) I find my body builds a tolerance for it and it never works the same way! I'm unsure if you can have two procedures entirely different from one another, but I'm sure it is possible. I can't imagine it being terribly healthy or wise though, I'm sure your surgeon would have a better understanding of your body.

I have about two weeks before my lap band surgery, and I have been informed on everything along the way. All questions have been answered as I needed them and I have been taken care of completely. I have been shown how this procedure works and set as ease a my mind as been relaxes about it also. The Staff is very supportive of my needs and are there to answer all of my questions as well. I feel very confident going into this procedure and am looking forward to it as well. I highly recommend The Weight Loss Institute of Arizona (WLIA) , especially if you are looking for a change. and ready to start a new life. they will show you and answer all your questions give them a call to at least get the facts.

Sorry if I posted this in the wrong place but...I know most surgeons will let you choose which kind of band they put in but can we also have a say in how big of a band ( cc size) we can have and is there a difference in weight loss as far as that goes? I read most people have 10cc bands but I have read that a few people have 14cc bands. Does anyone know why there would be different sizes? I'm guessing a 14 cc band would allow for more fills so I figure that means that the weight loss might not slow as quickly as it would with a 10 cc band? Please correct me if I'm wrong. I know hardly anything about this stuff. Thanks in advance!:girl_hug:

Naturally I want to recommend my own books, Bandwagon (strategies for success with the band)and Bandwagon Cookery (a cookbook with food prep strategies, meal planning tips, and 180+ recipes including nutritional stats and ways to adapt each recipe to the various stages of the post-op diet) but I can also recommend: WLS BOOKS: Laparascopic Adjustable Gastric Banding, Jessie Ahroni - the author is a band patient and NP so she knows both the patient's point of view and the medical point of view. Just the chapter on how to know if you need an attitude adjustment or a band adjustment is worth the price of the book. Weight Loss Surgery with the Adjustable Gastric Band, Robert Sewell, MD & Linda Rohrbough - by far the most comprehensive book I've read about the band (aside from my own, of course). Rohrbough is a band patient and journalist, Sewell is a surgeon, so the material is detailed, clear, and easy to read. It also includes information about the other WLS procedures which I found much easier to understand than anything else I had read. COOKBOOKS Recipes for Life After Weight Loss Surgery, Margaret Furtado & Lynette Schultz Eating Well After Weight Loss Surgery, Pat Levine & Michele Bontempo-Saray

i feel wonderful too. i have my (life back) i know that i can walk through a store without dying...i know that i can make myself well by losing weight the right way without dieting and the latest (fads) and i know that i am not alone in this journey....i got my b's and i got my friends/family to believe in me....i also realize i believe in me and without me, i have no chance.

I have a dear friend that is 61 and Kaiser insurance. She is in need of losing a lot of weight . She has had hip replacement surgery, has apnea, asthma, gosh, just too many things. I told her I was going to have a lapband put in, she thinks that because I am 42 of course I get approved for mine but for herself she thinks they may deem her too old. Anyone here deal with Kaiser in their 60s? thanks

I went to the library and did some research. Here is the abstract from a study done in the U.S from 2000-2008: The effectiveness of adjustable gastric banding: a retrospective 6-year U.S. follow-up study source: Surgical Endoscopy Feb. 2011, vol 25 issue 2, p397-403 abstract: Background: This study aimed to assess the efficacy of laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB) during a 6-year follow-up period. Methods: A retrospective database analysis of patients who underwent LAGB at New York University Medical Center between 1 January 2000 and 29 February 2008 was conducted. Patients were included for the efficacy analysis if they were 18 years old or older at the surgery date and had one or more visits with a recorded weight after surgery. Efficacy was assessed using percentage of excess weight loss (%EWL) at 1-year intervals after surgery. Missing weight values were interpolated using a cubic spline function. Linear regression models were used to assess the characteristics that affected the last available %EWL. All patients had implantation of the LAP-BAND system. Results: The inclusion criteria for the efficacy analysis were met by 2,909 patients. The majority of the patients were white (83.3%) and female (68.4%). The mean patient age was 44.6 years, and the mean baseline body mass index (BMI) was 45.3 kg/m. The %EWL 3 years after surgery was 52.9%, which was sustained thereafter. In multivariate models, increased number of office visits, younger age, female gender, and Caucasian race were significantly associated with a higher maximum %EWL. Conclusions: The LAP-BAND patients achieved a substantial and sustainable weight loss of approximately 50% at 6 years after surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] I don't really understand how they can say that there was a weight loss of 50% at 6 years after surgery when some of the patients included in the surgery have only had their band for 3 years. But they lump them all together nevertheless. I also read an article that quoted a study saying the Swedish adjustable gastric band had more incidence of erosion than the LAP BAND. I don't know if they even use the Swedish one here anymore. Here's another one from Switzerland: A 10-year experience with laparoscopic gastric banding for morbid obesity: high long-term complication and failure rates. Suter M, Calmes JM, Paroz A, Giusti V. Department of Surgery, Hôpital du Chablais, Aigle-Monthey, Switzerland. Abstract BACKGROUND: Since its introduction about 10 years ago, and because of its encouraging early results regarding weight loss and morbidity, laparoscopic gastric banding (LGB) has been considered by many as the treatment of choice for morbid obesity. Few long-term studies have been published. We present our results after up to 8 years (mean 74 months) of follow-up. METHODS: Prospective data of patients who had LGB have been collected since 1995, with exclusion of the first 30 patients (learning curve). Major late complications are defined as those requiring band removal (major reoperation), with or without conversion to another procedure. Failure is defined as an excess weight loss (EWL) of <25%, or major reoperation. RESULTS: Between June 1997 and June 2003, LGB was performed in 317 patients, 43 men and 274 women. Mean age was 38 years (19-69), mean weight was 119 kg (79-179), and mean BMI was 43.5 kg/m(2) (34-78). 97.8% of the patients were available for follow-up after 3 years, 88.2% after 5 years, and 81.5% after 7 years. Overall, 105 (33.1%) of the patients developed late complications, including band erosion in 9.5%, pouch dilatation/slippage in 6.3%, and catheter- or port-related problems in 7.6%. Major reoperation was required in 21.7% of the patients. The mean EWL at 5 years was 58.5% in patients with the band still in place. The failure rate increased from 13.2% after 18 months to 23.8% at 3, 31.5% at 5, and 36.9% at 7 years. CONCLUSIONS: LGB appeared promising during the first few years after its introduction, but results worsen over time, despite improvements in the operative technique and material. Only about 60% of the patients without major complication maintain an acceptable EWL in the long term. Each year adds 3-4% to the major complication rate, which contributes to the total failure rate. With a nearly 40% 5-year failure rate, and a 43% 7-year success rate (EWL >50%), LGB should no longer be considered as the procedure of choice for obesity. Until reliable selection criteria for patients at low risk for long-term complications are developed, other longer lasting procedures should be used. This one has a pessimistic view of Lap Band overall but to me 60% with acceptable EWL is pretty darn good. I'm wondering if the authors of this study are investing in the sleeve or some other technique. There are more. For anyone who is also interested go to the library and ask for help accessing EBSCO Host or another periodical database and search for "long-term" and "LAGB". I really don't have the time or energy to sift through all the articles but just from what I skimmed the worst conclusion had something like a 33% success rate after 5 years. By success they can mean anything from 40% and up of excess weight loss. Here's what I'm thinking so far: Without the band I have probably more than a 33% chance of NOT losing the weight. I also have more than a 33% change of developing more weight-related health problems. If I lose 40% of my excess weight in the next 5 years I will be better off than if I did nothing. The mortality rate from having the band is no more than for any abdominal surgery. The complication rate may be somewhat high (but a lot lower than for bypass) but the band is reversible and removable. So I am going ahead with my plans for the band. If anyone can talk me out of it please try. I want to be sure I'm making a good decision.

Cigna does not require any weight loss. Hopefully your bariatric program doesn't either, but if they did I'm sure you'd already know that.

Roxy...you looked beautiful before ur surgery and still beautiful after! Great job on your weight loss. I'm curious....did insurance cover your panni surgery? Good luck on your continued journey

Hello, My name is Jennifer and I am just starting on this journey. I am 46 years old and have been battling my weight for years. I have done many different diets and can lose some of the weight but I always end up gaining it back. I now have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and joint pain. So after doing a lot of research and soul searching, I decided that having the sleeve done was the best choice for me. I had my first doctor visit on Monday. I qualify for the surgery because of my co-morbidities. I will end up paying about $2000 out of pocket. I have a few hoops to jump through first...six months of medically supervised weight loss, a psych evaluation, and a nutritionist visit. Hopefully I will get to have my surgery in September. I look forward to getting to know people here.