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Congrats on your weight loss!

Research studies show that mortality rates are higher for those that are obese along with those that are underweight. It is important to have a little extra fat on the body because when major injury or illness strikes, this fat is the reservoir of energy that the body draws on until recovery. So my end goal is to maintain a normal healthy body weight a little on the high side. For this reason I choose a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 24.2 as my goal weight. Normal (or ideal) BMI is defined as 18.5-24.9.

Ok so Im about half way through my classes and if all goes well I will be sleeved in August. I have been on top of everything and every hoop is being jumped through as soon as I'm given the chance. My blood panels, sleep study etc - all done. HOWEVER, I cannot seem to get my head in the game to lose the weight I need in order to have the surgery. Im so frustrated. I mean, part of the reason Im doing this is because my life long battle with weight and dieting my whole life has left me just flat out unable to do it anymore. I dont know what to do. Im thinking that maybe I need to pound the Protein and do a liquid diet for a couple of weeks to jumpstart myself. Does anyone have any suggestions for me? And what type of Protein powder do you prefer?

Hello! I am Cathryn and I live in Georgia! I am a 'Lightweight' with less than 100 lbs to lose. This post deals with my reasons for VSG. In my opinion my weight problems are genetically predisposed, although lifestyle can and does change that outcome. In my family we ate when celebrating anything family related (birthdays, holidays, promotions, graduations, everything). I think it's on me that I eat when I'm bored or stressed. My mother was overweight and had gestational diabetes while pregnant with me (I'm the youngest and she had me in her early 30's). Later, she was diagnosed with hypothyroidism and began Synthroid pills. In her 40's she was diagnosed with full blown type II diabetes and began taking one insulin shot a day. Then she progressed to taking two insulin shots per day. By the time I was in my first year of college, she had her first TIA stroke. It caused her to slur her speech a bit but that improved with speech therapy. She had a major stroke in 2007 that created stiffness on her right side and short term memory delays. She had another stroke in 2009 and she was diagnosed with Parkinson's with Dementia. She hadn't remembered who I was since sometime in 2012. This entire time, my father was doing everything he could to take care of her. He still worked full-time and used Medicaid/Medicare plus his work insurance to cover things for her. He also smoked since he was 14. He went to the emergency room in March of 2015 with possible pneumonia and was diagnosed with lung cancer that had spread to every bone in his body and also to his liver. He was given weeks to live. My mother and father moved in with me on my birthday at the end of March. My father was on Hospice and my mother came because there was no other options and I wanted to keep them together if my dad only had weeks to live. My father passed away at home at the end of April. I took care of my mother for the next month and a half but she eventually contracted aspiration pneumonia due to the severe swallowing problems she had. She went to the hospital for almost two weeks before going to a nursing home using Medicare. I visited and continued taking care of the paperwork and phone calls. My brothers and I discussed the option of using a feeding tube to support her nutritionally but we decided against the operation. Mom lasted until the beginning of August 2015. I am 29 years old. Earlier this year, my doctor prescribed Synthroid for a sub-clinical case of hypothyroidism (I think that's the one). I have tried calorie reduction, weight watchers, atkins, and general low carb to no avail. My BMI is 34. I am considered pre-diabetic and also have high cholesterol. I also take anti-depressants since the birth of my daughter. But my daughter will not have to go through these horrible situations or make terrible decisions for my wellbeing. Ever. And my number one best option for losing the weight is having a Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy. So I am a self-pay patient as my insurance is Obama-care and doesn't cover weight loss surgery. I am going to use Dr. Ramos Kelly in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico. I am currently in the process of scheduling a date but I am hopeful for Thanksgiving or before. My husband is still nervous about my decision but understands that I've done the research and am making an informed decision. So that's it. My reasons. I will not put my daughter through the emotional turmoil that I have had to endure. This includes not only losing weight to be healthy but also setting up legal documents so that she won't have to make decisions without knowing what I or my husband wants. I've recommended to all of my friends that the third best gift they can give their children is not putting them through the agony of making healthcare or financial decisions without any guidance. The first is the gift of being alive and there, the second is the gift of reading, and the third is the gift of confidence in a bad situation.

I got my sleeve yesterday and I'm in love! No hunger or thirst.... =D this is going to make loosing weight so much easier! I'm about to go do my swallow test and see if I can have ice chips! NOW THAT'S SOMETHING I NEED!!! My mouth is super dry. 5 small scars. One of which is in my belly button! 2 are just above my belly button! Here's to wearing a cute bathing suit for spring break next year! I'm ready to get moving. I can do laps with no problem!

I'm considering getting banded (yay me!) But my body can be very frustrating some times, most recent example was gaining 8+ lbs in the span of 3 days (not it's not Water weight.) So it sparked the thought - I'm not sure how I'll handle GAINING weight after being banded. I'm curious if anyone gained a significant amount of weight in the first year and how much? Did you get it back off again? Thanks for any feedback!

Hi Katie, I had my first fill a couple of weeks ago and it wasn't bad at all. Just a little prick. I had 3.5cc's put in my 10cc band. I could definately tell the difference even when drinking Water for the first time. Just be sure to eat very slow, take small bites, and chew well. It only takes a small amount of food to satisfy my hunger. I have MS so don't get the exercise that I need but hopefully I will become more mobile as the weight comes off. Good luck to you, Bobbie

I asked my term LIFE INSURANCE agent with Met Life whether or not I would be rated higher since I had the Sleeve and lost most of my weight? She never told me the answer.\ BC I was rated as standard bc of my weight before, she thought that now I lost it I might qualify for a better rating. Does anyone know the answer? I heard private health insurance companies won't accept you if you had any WLS. But she says life insurance is different than health in the way that they look at things Curious if anyone knows the answer to this. I might need to change my insurance at some point. A doctor (not mine) said to lie! But I think that is sorta risky, and plus I already told my PCP so it is in my health history.

Hi All! I was banded on August 7, 2009. I used to read these boards all the time, and they were immensely helpful. The past year I've been slacking big time. I've been on a bit of a weight-loss rollercoaster, mostly because I wasn't being serious about my weight loss goals and letting stress overtake me by resorting to stress eating. I just got married a month ago, and now that all that hoopla is over I'm fresh out of excuses! I've lost 162 pounds (132 with the band), and gained 13 of it back surrounding the wedding. With all the yo-yo-ing I've only lost 20 pounds in the past year...somewhat successful, but I can do so much better! Started getting back on track this week and down 4 pounds already! (I know, mostly Water weight, but it's a start). I'm hoping to keep myself accountable by getting on the boards regularly and sharing with others.

Corey what state are u from? What your starting weight and what is your goal?

Hi everyone...I just got the Lap band yesterday and it went great. I feel minor pain and able to drink a little bit more. Yesterday I felt a bit tired and pain but now it is okay...I Pray the lord to keep guiding me in this journey of weight loss to meet my goal!!! Does anyone have any advice on what to expect while on this journey let me know..:thumbup:

I am new to this board. I am thinking about getting lap band done. I have a consultation on Thursday 7/3. I am just meeting the 100 lb requirement and have no other "health related" issues, other than the normal back aches and depression from being over weight. I am hoping they will approve me. The lady on the phone told me not to diet this weekend...haha! Oh and my name is Reeny!!

Thanks, Jodi. It looks like you've done really well. Can you tell me what your experience has been? When you got banded, how your weight loss has progressed, your biggest challenges, etc? I'm not sure if I'll have a pre-op diet - it's the post-op diet I'm most worried about! Frances

I'm so excited for you! I went through Kaiser Richmond too. When you have your one-on-one appointment with your surgeon - they will tell you what your weight loss goal is. Mine was only 5lbs - but a coworker of mine through the same program had to lose 8lbs. Good luck!!!

I'm so comfused. I have been doing so good and working out at the gym so hard. Been so excited to look at the numbers on the scale going down but suddenly there not moving anymore? Wth? I'm doing the same things I have done since surgery when I was losing weight as I'm doing now but for some reason the weights not coming off the same. Only 1 lb down this week when its usually like 7? Any advise to brake this stall? Pleasseee help. I knew I would hit a stall but hoped it would be later rather than sooner. Know I feel lost and hopless.

I also think my weight loss has my fat belly sitting in different spots now...can't wait til my beach ball belly is gone

The rate of cancellation isn't that high through my military program. They have a rule that if you cancx your surgery date twice....it will not happen through their facility period.My friend cancx back in October. She tried to reschedule and now she is on an indefinite waiting list. Needless to say, she completely regrets succumbing to nerves...especially as she sees my almost 70 lb weight loss. My experience involves my military base. I'm sure it is much more flexible with self pay.

My surgeon and dietitian suggested I look into the sleeve instead of the band. I love the idea of the band but now they are making me rethink it. I have about 150lbs to lose to get down to a normal weight for me. They said that much weight rarely happens with the band.

That level you're reporting, it's your TSH? Or something else? if Tsh, Your thyroid is hyperactive at that range which should help weight loss. "normal" ranges are between 1-5. Anything under, is hyper, anything higher is hypo. But many, many people are symptomatic at 2 or less. I have to be close to 1 otherwise I have trouble. Get a copy of the blood test because they also measure T3 and free T3 and those ranges are different.

Sounds like you are right on track. With excellent care you will continue to lose. I wish that my Dr was closer. I have not been able to go to the nutrition classes because it is a long way from my home and is at night with commuter traffic making it worse. Your Dr will make the best decision for you, but if you don't follow guidelines and rules, you can stretch your pouch. So ultimately it is up to you how you manage your weight loss. I would so ignore your co worker or tell her that you can compare notes when she loses her weight, but not now. LOl.

I meet with my surgeon next week YEA!! I feel like those brides that send out "save the date" cards! I chose my hospital/surgeon due to proximity to my home and the fact that 4 close friends highly recommended them. Did nursing clinicals there. Have friends that work there. Met the bariatric staff, LOVED them! I feel that my care leading up to surgery has been excellent. Expect aftercare to be just as good. I will be having lap RNY. Now...I have a jealous co-worker who constantly makes snarky comments about my choice in hospital. Jealous she just started with company and must wait 2 years to get surgery. I did a full year of research prior to making a choice so her "know it all" attitude grates on me! So other day she started in on me that her ONE friend told her that patients with my surgeon lose slower. She said my surgeon is more conservative with his pouch size. Honestly? I really wouldn't care since losing is losing. I have 90# to lose vs her 200+# so I'm sure we look at it differently. I just cannot imagine a SIGNIFICANT (they can't be exactly the same) amount of difference among surgeons, but I do believe MY surgeon will tailor MY surgery to fit my needs. They can only go so small on your pouch! I told her that no matter what the surgeon does, ultimately the weight loss results will be up to me. Opinions?

My name is Angela, I had surgery on November 15,2010. My start weight was 250, my goal weight is health weight. Ii have a young son that I had late in life, and he always ask who will take care of him. If something happen to me because of me being overweight. Thats when I knew I had to do something, I didn't wnat my child to worry about that. Plus I want to give him the same chance my older children have. I have total of 3 kids age 26,20 and 7. My hubsand is very supportive with my decsion at first he was upset or a little scare but, once he had all the information he was okay with me taking my step. This was a hard pill for me take, since I have always been skinny...till I move to NC. When i move here I was a size 8 that was in 1994. Since then I have went from a siz 8 to a 22. I didn't see the weight come on me. But, once I took a long look in the mirror I knew. I have tried weight watchers, slimfast, and Jenny Craig. Nothing worked for me. Since my surgery my first week I had regrets, I felt sad that I did this to my self. I was nervous with the fear of vomiting and other this that might happen. I was afraid of the food I might be miss. Thanksgiving was the hardest but I made it ....I reallize that my son will miss me more then I will miss FOOD. So I am on a new journey and I will handle this new way of eating with care. :huggie:

I got my last fill on the 22nd and am experiencing the same thing. I haven't thrown up but I sure have felt like I was going to. I did call the nurse and she told me to go back on creamed soups until Thursday and try to eat again after that. If I still have discomfort she wants me to come in for a slight unfill. The sad thing is I'm still not losing weight!!!!

Wanted to be sure all of you bandsters or those of you interested in learning about bands were aware of the NW Weight Loss Conference in Portland OR 10/28 through 10/30. Check it out here. Dr. Emma Patterson will be speaking and Sandi and Gloria of Banded Living will be conducting a table talk and presenting a break out session. Look forward to meeting some of you there

My sister always says no pain no gain Is it your shoes? Is it the setting u have the elliptical on? Just some thoughts