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Anyone else catch this show? My Tivo recorded it last week for the first time, so I don't know if it's new or what (on National Geographic Channel). First one I saw, they follow the story of how someone (tourists all I've seen so far), agree to do smuggling to make some extra $$ while on a vacation.. get caught, and go to jail. First one was a guy smuggling nearly $2m in gold to Napal, and got caught, and was sentenced to 8 years in Napal's jail. He had an uncle in the royal guard or something, and was able to get him pardoned on the king's birthday after 8 months of jail time. It's really surreal, so this is what I expected. I watched Mexico last night :wink_smile: So we follow the story, they are doing illegal stuff, so shame on them.. but it still makes me think of Broke Down Palace-- though these people brought it on themselves. So near the end, I expect to hear how they were released.. they've been interviewed the whole time, how they thought they were smuggling weed from Costa Rica to Amsterdam (weird concept imo), and the layover in Mexico they got caught.. and it was a crap load of Crack, not weed. So they got 10 years in prison. And they are currently serving it!! So near the end, they are showing us around their cells in prison in Mexico City. They won't be out until 2014. What a crazy thing to happen, it fascinates me. I couldn't imagine being on vacation somewhere, and getting dazzled by the idea of smuggling drugs or gold, etc. through foreign countries. Wow. Anyway, this is one of my new favorite shows, it's so scary!!

you are so not alone!! i kept saying " well, this is the last one!" and it'd be like 10 of them later!! i think it is a normal thing but don't let it get you swayed. best of luck!!

I had the option to do 3 months with my surgeon or 6 months with my primary doctor. I opted to do it with the surgeon and was told that if I gained or didn't lose weight at each appt., my insurance would deny coverage. I've been following a strict diabetic/low carb lifestyle from about two weeks before my 1st appt. with my surgeon and started an exercise program (couch to 5k) about a week before that 1st appt. It feels like I'm going to keel over and die every time I open that app to workout but it's worth every step in the long run. So far it's been going about how I thought it would. I lost about 10 pounds in the two weeks from when I started to when I saw the surgeon on the 15th and since then I've come down another 3-4 pounds. I'll see her again the end of next month and I'm determined not to screw this one up, lol.

I have three boys - ages 10, 4 and 2 - as well as my husband. I cook for them every night and I was also concerned about losing this expression of love. If anything, I'm more committed to cooking for them almost every night than I was pre-op. I make healthy choices for them...and I make their favorites - not necessarily things i can easily eat. I have no problem making food without tasting as I go. Once you're post-op a little bit, you'll see that you will be able to have a bite here or there but you probably won't WANT to have more than that.

you are so NOT alone.... I have many many days like this...and I am 10 months post op....it is a challenge. I am in bed with a bottle of water I have only had 40oz today....still sipping.

Cost-Effectiveness and Budget Impact of Obesity Surgery in Patients With Type-2 Diabetes in Three European Countries JournalObesity Surgery PublisherSpringer New York ISSN0960-8923 (Print) 1708-0428 (Online) IssueVolume 16, Number 11 / November, 2006 DOI10.1381/096089206778870067 Pages1488-1503 Subject CollectionMedicine SpringerLink DateTuesday, June 26, 2007 Add to marked items Add to shopping cart Add to saved items Permissions & Reprints Recommend this article Roger Ackroyd1, Jean Mouiel2, Jean-Marc Chevallier3 and Frederic Daoud4 (1) Royal Hallamshire Hospital, General Surgery, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, United Kingdom (2) University of Nice, Obesity Center, Nice, France (3) Hôpital Européen Georges-Pompidou, General Digestive Surgery, Paris, France (4) Medalliance, Paris, France Published online: 01 November 2006 Background: We aimed to establish a payer-perspective cost-effectiveness and budget impact (BI) model of adjustable gastric banding (AGB) and gastric bypass (GBP) vs conventional treatment (CT) in patients with BMI ≥35 kg/m2 and type-2 diabetes T2DM, in Germany, UK and France. Methods: Clinical evidence was obtained from literature and patient-reported EQ-5D scores given BMI and T2DM status from HODaR. Resource utilization data in AGB, GBP and CT were obtained from quoted publications so as to reflect practice in 2005. CT in each country was based on descriptions in HTA reports or based on co-authors' experience of current practice. Unit costs were obtained from published sources when available, or from co-authors' institutions. A deterministic algorithm with cost and utility discounting, enabled selection of inputs independently throughout the time scope for each of the 3 treatments, and included mean BMI, amounts of resources and unit costs. Results: The base case time-scope was 5 years, and the annual discount rate for utilities and costs was 3.5%. Compared to CT, GBP yielded +80.8 kg/m2.years, +2.6 T2DM-free-years and +1.34 QALYs. AGB yielded +57.8 kg/m2.years, +2.5 T2DM-free-years and +1.03 QALYs. In Germany and France, both GBP and AGB yielded a cost decrease, and were thus dominant in terms of ICER compared to CT. In the UK, GBP and AGB yielded a cost increase, but were cost-effective. Conclusion: In patients with T2DM and BMI ≥35 kg/m2, AGB and GBP are effective at 5-year follow-up in cost-saving in Germany and France, and are cost-effective in the UK with a moderate BI vs CT.

Age:32 Banded 3/19/03 Starting weight:292 Pre-op weight: 277 Current Weight 268 Goal Weight: 180 24lbs down! And I feel so much better!

Hi all I have been on hear since Feb. my first meeting was 1/3/13 all hoops have been jumped through an now monday the 19 is my day. I have talked to an read a lot of good stuff all has help me be ready so wish me luck an I will see you on the other side. Doug from Michigan.

i was on 600 calories a day for 10 weeks pre-op and i never went anywhere near starvation mode .. if u arent hungry on 800 or so calories then thats fine too.. everyone is different some count calories as that is how we monitor our food, some just eat smaller portions, some just weight everything .. the most important part of this is 'You just do what works for you ' !.

For me, it was over in 10 seconds and I felt one minimal skin prick. Liquids for 24 hours, then a day of mushies, then on to regular food.

I had the sleeve done 11/15/19, and I know when they cut through the stomach they also cut through nerves in the stomach....but I need to know if it's "normal" to not have feeling in your bladder? I can't tell when I need to pee because I don't get the feeling anymore so I literally have to just go after time has passed and guess when I need to go... Anyone else have this issue or had this ??!

Anyone want to do a pull-up challenge with me during January-February 2014? I found the following link: http://www.50pullups.com This looks practical enough to work through the month. You progressively work your way up to 50 unbroken strict pull-ups. A strict pull-up is all upper body and grip strength. I anticipate this might be a 2 month challenge to complete the program defined on the linked page based on number of cycles and rest days. I can do about 5 strict pull ups in a row and about 10 in a row if they are kipping. I would like to do 25 strict in a row and 100 kipping in a row. Kipping pull-ups are more about timing and coordination rather then raw upper body strength, but still require good grip strength which translates into strong forearms. It would be great to have some folks participate so we can motivate each other. I still dread the thought of a cross fit workout that calls for sets of 40 pull-ups over a couple rounds (had one last week). I want to enjoy doing pull-ups. Even if you think can't do a pull-up this is still the time to jump in and take on this challenge. It is for anyone who has some desire to get better at pull-ups and looking to build a strong upper body. Go ahead, try the challenge. You will come out the other end appreciating the fact you made it. It will be hard, but totally worth it.

Try sublingual B12. That will help. And enhanced electrolyte water with minerals. I had low energy for about a month and still occasionally do...I'm 10 wks out. Good luck. It will get better.

Hi ladies...I joined few days ago...in the same boat as y'all. I am almost 7 yrs out RNY 2/19/08 I started out at 277 , got down to 132 ( looked way to thin and sickly) so I went up to 140 and was healthy looking and comfortable...maintained my weight until we moved from California to Indiana a year and half ago and lost control,gained 34 lbs now I have been working to get my weight back down ,get back on track with my Vitamins and supplements cuz I am very anemic and vitamin D deficient. So far I have lost a few lbs. And do Zumba at my YMCA when I can otherwise my biggest Loser DVD at home and getting better with a vitamin/supplement schedule... would like a buddy.

Hi everyone! I was banded on 9/2/10. I have had 1 fill of 1cc with 2 cc added during surgery and had been doing great. For the last few weeks though, I have been getting a pain by my upper right abdomen and about every three or four days the pain gets so bad I have to vomit (sorry, gross). This happens about an hour after I eat and it has been different types of foods (not band friendly--bread, rice, peanuts). Is this what stuck is? I don't feel it right away like I have read others that take a few bites and feel it. I eat and I feel fine and then it hits me...and it hits me hard. I am in pain for about an hour or more. The pain travels to my back. I am going to call the doctor tomorrow. But since the pain goes away and I feel fine, I have waited. I have tried to read other posts about getting stuck, but none seem to describe what I am feeling or the onset of how I feel. I have tried papaya enzymes, the chicken dance, grabbing my ankles, but none have worked. Any advise/suggestions will be appreciated.

You don't say what your goal weight is, or where you started so it is hard to tell details about whether you still have a very long way to go or not... but I'm going off of your stats on the side that you are around 2 ish months out (if it's three, your progress is still awesome). But in any case, 50 pounds in 2 months is AMAZING. I would have been over the moon happy at that level of progress at 2 months out, and you totally should use that awesome progress to really focus your energy and motivation on. You should be proud and psyched up about how well your body is responding already - not depressed that it isn't 10 times better! At 2 months, you're probably eating so little calories that just puttering around the house would exhaust you; but you're out working and doing assemblies and field trips in addition to your regular job in there, and still managed to exercise once too? Girl, that is mind blowing! You have nothing to be ashamed about. I was not exercising at all at 2 months out and I don't regret it one minute. It took me until about 6 months out to have the energy and motivation to establish a real exercise routine. It is HARD to start from morbidly obese with very sedentary habits and hit the ground eating perfectly and exercising 3X or more a week. I think you are being waaaay too hard on yourself. You need to forgive yourself and definitely not set such crazy high standards and goals! This is not a race. You have the rest of your life to get and stay healthy. To discover fun exercise and find joy in eating healthy foods and being active because you enjoy it and not because you're forcing yourself to go through the motions. Your sleeve will not fail you if you work at it - get in your Water, eating Protein first, good veggies and complex carbs in moderation and slowly get moving and find ways to stay active. But you absolutely should banish the shame. You are working hard at changing your entire life. That is going to take time, and life also gets in the way - job, family, home obligations - they are all going to slow you down while you figure out how to put the pieces for this new puzzle together. But you'll figure it out - even if it takes you a few months or a year - and it will be GLORIOUS. You are doing fabulously and will be successful if you focus on the happy and the amazing and toss the shame and guilt and depression. Good luck!!

Actually have not been banded yet. 3 month minimum required medically supervised diet with a 10% weight loss. Was approved last week and have my surgery scheduled for October 3.

Hello All, 16 years ago at the tender age of 19, I had the, now disgraced, Vertical Banded Gastroplasty procedure. Although I lost weight, I started throwing up 3-5 days a week for hours on end within two months of the surgery and have been that way ever since. 16 years later, I have all fake teeth (natural teeth can't stand that level of acid), am on huge doses of Nexium, and have serious esophageal problems, which could lead to cancer in the future. Also, it is REALLY terrible to throw up that often, and it really effects my quality of life. I also didn't maintain the weight loss, although I have been on Weight Watchers for a few months now, and have lost 45 pounds the old fashioned way. I got to the point where this started to make me mad! They say that often change doesn't happen until to actually get MAD! My parents and I started doing research and found out that the VBG can be revised into the gastric bypass. Does anyone have experience with this, especially with the insurance end? It took me 16 years to stop blaming myself and be willing to take action. Any help, hope, or encouragement would be greatly appreciated. Thank you, Chelsea

Some of it can be attributed to a slower metabolism, but if you're realistic with what you are eating and stray calories are not slipping in due to mistakes in measurements or calculations, try doing the calculations for how much you should realistically be losing according to Calories Consumed minus TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure). For example, here is my calculation when I started: Height: 5'11" Weight: 265 Exercise level: pretty low TDEE: 2,522 Calories: 800 Deficit: 1,722 * 7 days is 12,054 One pound = 3,500 so expected loss is 12,054/3,500 = 3.4 lbs per week! Surprising huh? Of course, in the beginning excess Water weight is lost, so the rate of loss may be higher. I actually have lost around 2-2.5 pounds per week, but I have Hashimoto's thyroiditis and Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, both of which reduce my metabolic rate by about 10% each. Now, here's my calculation for last week: Exercise level: High (5 days of 10,000+ steps including Couch to 5K training) Weight: 199 TDEE: 2,793 (higher because of exercise. If exercise was the same as before it would be 2,162 because of a lower weight) Calories: 1,000 (I'm 6 mo post op) Deficit: 1,793 * 7 days is 12,551 One pound = 3,500 so expected loss is 12,551/3,500 = 3.6 lbs per week! I actually lost 4.5 lbs last week, so I probably had some water loss. Have you tried doing this calculation?

Hi heather! I am in Yuba City, so not too far away. I havent felt isolated yet, mostly because my husband is really helping and i didnt hide my surgery from my coworkers. They are frequently checking up on me. I am a smidge worried about mood swings from the hormone dumps because i am bipolar and already predisposed (hence the crying over ice cream in a previous post). You can always reach out to us here... but make sure that you are not excluding, accidently or on purpose, the people around you that can be your support. HW 385 SW 359 Sleeved 10/5/16

That woukd be great! Pm me and ill give you my number. My husband is tentitively scheduled for 11/9. Its gonna be... interesting. Lol HW 385 SW 359 Sleeved 10/5/16

well i had my surgery on monday 8-18 and today is friday 8-22 and i am back to work. this was my surgery experience... i went friday for pre-op testing they did a chest x ray, ekg, bloodwork, and i met with the anesthesiolist. it took about 2 hours. i did only clear liquids till sunday night. i went to bed at 9:00 pm and was up at 5:30 to get to the hospital by 6:30. wehn i got ther they put me in a recovery room until 10 i was given a shot for nausea and 2 pills. they took me down to surgery at 10 and started an IV then i went to sleep! i woke and everyone was telling me i made it and to breathe!! i was hot and sweaty but they took off my warming blanket i also felt like crying i was told its the aneshtesia. they wheeled my up to my room and i had to PEE so i got that out of the way! then i layed in the bed for about an hour eating ice chips. i had made friends with a girl who was being banded the same day so i walked to her room and we ate popsicles. then i got some more pain meds and had to go lay down! they came and got me for the barium swallow (tastes nasty) then i layed down until my doc could come visit! i left the hospital at 5:30. the drive home made me VERY nausous and when i got home i took 2 gas x's and went straight to sleep. i woke up at nine and think i had a PB. i was having pain in my chest so i leaned over the sink afraid i was going to vomit but i burped really loud and leaned over again and thought i was going to burp again but it was liquid and the shell of the gas x. it didnt hurt and wasnt like a vomit. i am still sore and eating only broth, protein drinks, jello and water. still taking the gas x. my incisions look good no drainage or bleeding. i have been sleeping on my back and a little on my side. i have been weening myself off the pain meds but i am sure i will finish the bottle i was given. i am so grateful i have been banded and i am glad to say i havent been too hungry. this morning my tummy was growling but i drank a shake and it is satisfied! so thats how it went! 325/318/175 i wont weigh until 9-9 so i dont know what i really weigh!

maybe i just need to vent, if so I apologize in advance. If Im doing something wrong someone please set me straight. Im 5 weeks post op today, & since about the 2nd week post op Ive done nothing but yo-yo up & down or stay at the same weight. Granted, I was sidelined with a UTI from the catheter in the hospital & took Cipro for 10 days, which I was told would make me retain water. I lost a few more pounds after it got out of my system but since then its been lose 2, gain 1.5, lose .5, gain 1 lb. SO FRUSTRATING!!!! Im getting my protein in (75-100g per my program) getting my fluids in & walking everyday for at least 30 mins. Only thing I could be doing wrong is weighing myself too often. somedays I do it everyday, some days I will skip a day or so. I havent had my monthly since pre-op too. That was last week in august. I had to discontine by birth control pills when I started by liver shrink diet & I didnt have one the whole month of September. I feel great, i still feel like I made the right choice, Ive had zero complications, Im eating normal foods, being good, no or little sugar, no breads, mostly just good lean proteins & fluids. Am I expecting to much too soon? Just seems like with all Im doing I should see more results....thanks for taking the time to read my vent. Hoping it changes soon!