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WOW you look amazing! Congrats on your weight loss. Your post hit home for me as I am struggling with my weight. I have had the band for almost three years, one year ago i was 20 LBS. from goal then I guess I told myself I did not care anymore, boy was that a lie. my heaviest 232LBS. my lowest weight since banding 160, my current weight 182LBS. people like you are a lifesaver for people like me, I will get to goal this year. Wishing you continued success, I comend you for not having a fill and still getting to goal! simply amazing!

Where are you in your monthly cycle? No matter what, I gain weight every four weeks like clock work. It's maddening, but I know it'll come off. Could it be that? Sometimes when I am constipated I drink some extra protein and it helps me go- odd but effective. MOM, miralax, and every stool softener and laxitive out there has no effect on me either :/ good luck!

I have a digital one as well. I think i got it at Bed, Bath, and Beyond...you put your height in and it tells you your fat % it also saves it for you so the next time you weigh it remembers your weight from before and tells you the difference...it does the math. If you really want to get fancy Tanita ( not sure if I spelled it right) makes the best.

Take a cardboard tube from a paper towel roll. (Your stomach) Wrap it in a pound of fatty bacon. (The residual fat-pad around your stomach) Tie a balloon around the bacon and inflate it. (The Lap-band) "Melt" a little of the bacon away underneath that balloon. (Lose weight) That is exactly what happens when the residual fat-pad melts and loosens up the band. If a person loses even a few ounces underneath the band, it's going to get loose and need a fill. Graphic, but REAL EASY to visualize, isn't it?

Thanks checkyes! You are so right. Less weight and more reps I shall do!!

I'm 2 1/2 months post op and he been a weight stall for weeks (down 43lbs) but I wanted to start working out to maybe jump start losing again. What are some things you guys do? I'm looking for ideas and wanted to know where my heart rate should be and things like that.

I started walking every day after getting home and eventually got back into the gym. I started gradually increasing the speed on the treadmill to where I have now gotten to the point of actually running. I will do the elliptical machine also. In all I will do about 45-60 minutes of "cardio" exercise a day. I may now have to try the spin class thanks mamamareli for the idea on that one. I have also been cleared as of this week to start lifting weights again.

Hello Sept. 2008 Band Mates: I'm getting back on track. I lost 90 pounds in the first year and then stalled and yo-yo'd. I thought my band was loose but was having some night coughs. Went to Dr. and he added .25cc and suggested that I move any meds and vitamins to morning. I think the vitamins were the problem with the night coughs. He also wanted me to keep track of calories which is a big trigger for me because it feels like dieting and I can get obsessive about writing things down. The nurse suggested the My Fitness Pal app for my phone and it's been wonderful. I can scan the bar codes on products and it gives me all the nutritional information. I'm so glad it's easier than the old days. I've been fairly faithful for a week which is a bit of a miracle and I've lost 7 pounds. I really feel like I'm on track again and eating like I did when I first had the band. Moving the meds to morning has helped. I'm still hoping to get to my goal weight by the 5 year anniversary of band.

Maybe I can help you. I have the lap band and my husband had GB along with his mother and his father. I can tell you why I did lap band. I am a nurse and have seen GB that have gone bad I could go on and tell you the morbid details but you can just go on the internet to do that. The band was out patient and if it goes wrong you can take it out. My family all suffered with intense pain for about 2 weeks after there surgery. I had very minimal discomfort. GB and lapband have the same goal. LB is a slower weight loss and does envolve more will power. GB weight loss is faster because say I ate a turkey sandwhich and my husband did too, my sandwhich goes through my entire digestive system. My husband is missing about half of his digetive system (hense the term bypass) so my body took in all of the fat and calories were his took in half. My husband did awesome with his bypass and has lost 180 pound but has said numerous times the he wishes he was aware the LB. This is a personal choice for each of you. The GB is 95% more risky than the LB. We had small children to keep in mind and they need parents (fat or skinny). I do not want to tell your husband what to do, however if he as patience the LB can be just as successful as the GB. My husband also had huge health issues (as most of us do) so the surgery makes it that much more of a risk. But we are a gastric bypass and a lap band household. In the end we both have lost weight and that is the goal. Also, I had LB in Aug a week before my father in law had GB he has lost 65 pounds and I have lost 73 pounds so it is possible to loose weight just as fast or faster than GB. P.S. I know it sounds good but I would stager you surgery and not have it at the same time if possible. There are complications as we have all told you :>

I'm in your weight loss chalange for Oct. 2012. That's my birthday month. And we are planning a nice family trip for next year.

I can't remember the last time I owned a scale and I don't plan to buy one any time soon after being sleeved - primarily because of stuff like this. I'm sure that's been a positive and negative for me in terms of my weight over the years but then I think of the times I was really working a diet and exercise program hard and got on the scale somewhere else and was crushed when the numbers hadn't changed as I had expected. This happened to me as recently as last week when I went in for the last of my 6 month md visits. I had switched to diet drinks, was exercising 4 or 5 days a week and was doing low/no carb meals. I just knew I had lost AT LEAST 5 pounds because my clothes had loosened up...but the scale moved down just 1 pound. This week, I'm feeling like what's the point. If I had had the choice, I would never have gotten on that scale, but I had to finish my pre-op requirements. So, my plan is to continue on through surgery enjoying the many non-scale victories that I will surely be treated to. I plan to buy a scale when I get close to goal so that I can monitor a maintenance weight and keep within a certain range of pounds. I do plan to take my measurements pre-op and thoughout my journey toward goal because I feel that measurements are a more accurate measure of progress.

I'm just in the research stage at this point. I have an appointment with my regular doctor next week to see what she thinks. One of my concerns:rolleyes is the port. Does this stay there forever and you keep having to get a fill? My weight is 234, BMI 43 and I have high blood pressure. I have BCBS insurance.

Wow! You give me hope!:thumbup: I also cannot stand the thought of exercise. I have been fooling myself for a year now having money deducted weekly for my gym pass. I have gone once. I have such a hard time getting motivated.. But when I do, the weight usually melts off. I just need to do it. You go girl! And thanks for sharing.. You can do this!! :)Kerri p.s. best of luck with your surgery, and have a wonderful birthday!

Right now I'm 285 (I'm 5'8") and my BMI is a 43. In order to leave the 40s, I'll need to be about 265. I'm just scared that by the time I go to the doctor, I'll reach that weight. But we'll see. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Hello I am new to this forum. After research and thought, I was to get the Gastric Sleeve. I have 3 friends that have had major success with it. I am on my husband's insurance from his job with is BCBS of Georgia. I looked on our online account and I cannot find anywhere if it says that our particular plan covers weight loss surgery. Our card is the Bronze plan. Its says Blue Open Access POS and a little box to the side says PPO. Can anyone tell me please? Thanks in advance and I look forward to getting to know all of you!

I think you are very lucky your body responds so well to weights. Can you afford to hire a personal trainer? Even if it's just for a couple weeks they could give you some help in toning muscle, but not bulking up. I would think if you lighten the weights you are using you will be happier with the results, but I am no proffesional in weight training. Hope this helps and best wishes.

I have a bit different approach. I have been tracking my weight daily on my scale - same time of day & always without clothes. I keep this on a spreadsheet & monitor stuff like TOM, exercise, and alcohol intake. The graph I get from this data shows my ebbs and flows throughout the month & gives me peace of mind if I see something unusual. What I mean is that it isn't usually UNusual - it's just the way my body works. Now, the stall I had 2 weeks prior was not part of my normal routine since having surgery, but now I have it documented. It will be interesting to see if it follows a similiar pattern in the future. Of course, this is what works for me - you need to find out what works for you.

Hi everybody, i had my sleeve surgery last week (09/06). It thankfully went perfectly and no hassles except what was to be expected. I am losing weight, but have a small concern. Until two or three days ago when I was on clear liquid diet and stomach was healing and swollen, I could barely swallow and keep up with the dietary needs. But last couple of days, I feel that I can drink a decent quantity of full liquids without any problems. E.g. I can down a 32 oz ninja blender cup of Protein smoothie over about one hour easily. One week out of surgery is that normal. I am not going to get cocky and indulge in real food for the next 4 weeks as my surgeon told me to, but is there anyone who had the same experience. I mean being able to down a 24 to 32 oz protein smoothie over one hour and take big sips, one week out of surgery. Thanks and please share. Jilani

I'm curious. If you require a tummy tuck, yet are thinking of becoming pregnant when goal weight is reached, should you still get said TT? Would the skin stretching become an issue, or grow with you during development? Thank you for any candidness, Lori

Hi everyone. Have been reading a lot about people getting scared and questioning their decision to have VSG and wanted to share. I’m scheduled for January 15th (a week away aghh!) and I’m currently starting week 2 of my pre-op liquid diet. The weekend was very hard because of going out with the family and them wanting to eat. But I stuck with it...but during that time, I started to freak out and question if my life was going to be like this, not being able to go out with family, friends, and never being able to eat again ( I was getting very dramatic-might have been the lack of calorie intake lol). I was really questioning my decision and even thought about calling the doctor today to postpone. I started to convince myself that I could do this on my own (especially since I’ve lost 11 lbs on the liquid diet). In the past, I’ve lost up to 70-75 lbs on my own and kept it off for over a year. So why not be able to do it again? By Sunday night I had pretty much convinced myself and was ready to call my doctor today. Then I remembered that I had never taken pictures of myself at the start of my liquid diet, which I had wanted to do to see if I saw a difference in the two weeks. So I took the pictures and had my epiphany....I hated what I saw and for a long time i had convinced myself that I looked and felt great when I didn’t. Body dysmorphia is real. When I would lose weight I still felt fat and ugly, when I wasn’t. And when I gained the weight back, I avoided mirrors and pictures and felt and imagined being smaller than I was. So I’m back on the wagon and even though I am still scared, I am excited again and will try to remember why I am doing this. Even though I’ve lost some pounds now, there is no way I could live off of protein drinks, jell-o, and broth for the rest of my life and I’m sure if I started eating again it would all come right back. Sharing because I hope other people can relate and for support bc I think we all need it, especially me. Now to finish this darn liquid diet! [emoji846]

i AM ALSO GIONG TO HAVE MY FIRST FILL ON 4-5 AND i HAVE NOT LOST AS MUCH AS aI thought I would. So weird. I am working oiut adn doing all the right things, but my weight is stalling. sounds like you did too...did you find any solutions to this issue?:thumbup:

So this is my first post. I've been researching and contemplating bariatric surgery for a few years now, but it's only recently that I decided to put my foot on the road and start the journey. A little background: I'm a 38 year old woman, 3 kids, and husband, cat mom (hoping to bring in a dog soon too, hehe) I've been overweight all my life. All 3 pregnancies were with gestational diabetes, but I managed without meds, and that has been the only time I've ever lost significant weight. Actually, prior to my first pregnancy, I cut out soda, and stopped relying on hamburger helper/boxed meals for dinner, and went from 255 to about 230. My weight over the years has fluctuated between 200 to 230. My biggest problem now is diabetes. I was diagnosed with type 2 a few years back. I'm on metformin, which my body doesn't handle well. In 2015, I lost my mother, who was over 300lbs and had diabetes to complications from diabetes. It has really scared me, enough that I've had anxiety issues since, and what's really pushing me to find a way to lose weight. After all my research, I'm aiming for the sleeve. I've been to my program's orientation, and met with the Nurse Practitioner. I now have loads of appointments, and a goal of losing 12 lbs by January 24. It feels like a lot, only because my timing is poor and I'm doing all this through the Christmas season. While I'd like surgery in March, I'm actually thinking May would be better since my older kids would still be in school, but my husband would be home (he's a professor) so that he can take care of my 3 year old. I could try to time it right so that it happened over his spring break too, but that's going to take the stars aligning just right, lol. Anyways, I feel like I'm taking on a whole bunch of stuff at once, and I'm not sure how to handle it all. My husband is a good man, who listens, but as he says "I'm not a therapist and other than listening, I'm not sure how to help you." I've got an appointment with a therapist, but not until January, so I'm on my own. So I guess here's my questions...how do you keep focused? I have little direction at this point, and find my confidence wavering. It's always a stressful time of year for me, and while I realize that I have to change how I handle stress, I feel a bit "thrown into the fire" by doing all this now and not say...next month, when I'd have more time to learn more ways to deal with everything. (Another back story, December goes like this: Christmas Eve, Christmas, my oldest' birthday, my youngest birthday, and 10 days later but within the 12 Days of Christmas, my middle child's birthday.) I find the site here too big so I'm not sure where to read in order to get more positive stories and other helpful information. I read a few books, but I guess I'm not ready to invest in any sort of emotional eating books. I'm counting calories and watching what I eat, and trying to exercise more, but really, that's not enough to keep me focused completely. So what other resources do you use? Sites with good articles and information, positive stories of success, etc? And finally, on a grosser note, and a rather...embarrassing question to ask, but how are bowel movements after surgery? I mean mostly on the long term, but I ask because one of the biggest factors to not just simply "losing weight with diet and exercise without the surgery" is I can't handle the thought of being on metformin for the rest of my life. Even at 1000mgs, the loose BM's are horrid and painful and interfering with my every day life (with my current primary care physician pushing for me to move up to 1500mgs despite my protests). I have this worry that I'll still be dealing with intestinal issues after surgery. So if you have had the surgery, and were on metformin, did you get off of it? If you've had intestinal issues in the past, have they continued after surgery? Sorry for the novel!

@@fatchocobomom Hello and welcome!! I am relatively "new". I had sleeve surgery 9 weeks ago. I can address the pre-op focus portion. I have Neve been diabetic so I can't offer advice there. Congratulations on your first steps towards getting heathy! I agree that starting your pre-op diet during the holidays and birthdays might be difficult. (Seems you and your husband really like the month of March..wink wink ). My advice on staying focused is to visualize the life you want. Can you see yourself diabetic free and in smaller clothes? Can you imaging yourself pain free and active? How about summer clothes, feeling sexy, and healthy for your kids? visualize that life as you go through this busy, festive month. (I started mine just before halloween. I kept seeing everyone partaking in the stuff I loved, the foods of fall, the holidays, etc, but what I had in my mind was how I would look and feel next summer because I am NOT partaking in all of that stuff). During my pre-surgery work ups and diet, I stayed on track because I was determined to get the life I want. It was only possible if I stayed on task. The day of surgery was a celebration in itself, like a second birthday. Your husband sounds supportive, so perhaps he will prepare the yummy foods for your kids birthdays, etc. As for losing 12 lbs before Jan 24, it's doable. I lost 17 lbs on the pre-op liquid Protein diet. If you replace one or two meals a day with Protein shakes and then eat one meal lower in carbs I bet you will see the weight start dropping. Whether you decide to start this month or next, if you want a new life bad enough, you will find yourself jumping through hoops and staying on course. Good luck and keep us posted on your journey!!

Since my appointment for my colonoscopy last month, I've lost 12 pounds. I have about 15 pounds to go before I can leave the "morbid obese" level. If my BMI drops below 40 and I don't have any underlining conditions, will that effect my qualification for surgery? Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I got sleeved on 4/22 also.it was also my b'day. I know what you mean. I keep thinking am I doing the right thing. I feel like I am not drinking enough but I am because I am logging it. Everything went so well. I am not have too much of a difficult time swallowing. My doc gave me anti esophagus spasm pills. They have worked wonders for me. I am not in a great deal of pain. Just sore & achy. I get ahead of the pain before it gets me so to speak. I also had a hiatal hernia repair. Never knew I had one. Also have another one which we'll fix later. I have taken a month off from work. I read where people are anxious about losing the weight. I,to tell you the truth, am not all that concerned. I did the surgery to get off my diabetic meds & I went home on Wednesday not needing to take any. So my sleeve sisters, I hope we can share our stories. And we need to hang in there & hydrate