Search the Community

Llamalover17 Hi hon, I'm 3 years out from my RNY. I have been successful in losing 132#'s in 6 months. I did have a 8# gain. So I now weigh 125#'s and have maintained my loss for 2 and 1/2 years. You are not a failure and you can do this!! A 90# loss is nothing to sneeze at. That is 30#'s a month. That is more than I even lost in a month. I lost 20#'s a month. Keep your eyes on the prize. Keep trying that is all any of us can do!! Give up the carbs or at least keep them at a minimum. My Team told me from the beginning that in time there are no forbidden foods!! We just have to do them in MODERATION. Now that doesn't mean you can eat junk all of the time. Our bodies work best with getting lots of Protein in and you can eat veggies to fill up. The ideal program would be to not do carbs until you reach your goal. It won't be long until you are there. If you don't have time to go to the gym for your exercise try to walk. It is a great exercise and it is free and gives you the chance to clear your mind also. I try to keep my hands busy with going on Facebook, support groups on here I color I read In write in a journal. Another thing maybe you can talk to someone about everything going on. This is a BIG ADJUSTMENT our body is kind of in shock. Please feel free to chat with me at any time. You can get ahold of me at scharbroughsherrie@gmail.com. Like I said I'm not sure if I can be much help but I am a great listener and I have gone thru WLS and kind of been there done that!!

Hi, my name is MoJo and I have been seeking out information about the gastric sleeve for the past year. Since December, I decided I want to go through with the surgery. I've been reading and researching like crazy about this procedure. I have all my appointments set up for February; sleep study, EGD, Pych eval, NUT, etc. I'm starting feel a little nervous. I am currently 5'5" and my weight is 246. I just found out I have high blood pressure, which I didn't have before. I am feeling anxious and a little nervous about the surgery, and whether I will lose all the weight I need to lose, and also whether I will be able to maintain the healthy eating. I'm 48, and I am premenapausal and I have hypothyroidism. These are some of the reasons I've had a hard time losing weight, so I'm praying that after surgery, I will not have any problems dropping the weight. Anyway, I would love to hear from anyone who may be dealing with these issues or just any advice or suggestions.

I had to do a few this year due to allergy issues causing severe tightening of my band. I was able to eat and drink normally again and started losing more weight. Before the unfill, it was torture trying to eat and I was not losing any weight.

I am hoping there might be someone out there that can help. I have trouble with workout pants that will stay up when I work out. I carry most of my weight in my stomach. Anyone with similar problem that has found a good brand of workout pants they can suggest?

This is my first time to ever write a blog but I wanted to share my point of view about my Lapband in some form. I had my surgery January 26, 2009 and I have not been in any pain at all..which shocks me! I was worried about how much it would hurt. The only annoying part is that my stomach growls about 75% of the time! I started at 256 (after my preop diet) and within a week I'm down to 247! I've struggled with my weight all my life and knew I had to have this surgery so I could enjoy my life and be happier! I'm only 23 and felt like I was in my late 30s. I love my life but I just didn't love me. I can't wait to go into a normal store and buy clothes not just go with friends and look at accessories!!! Not look around the room to see if I'm the biggest person. Not worry about eating in front of people b/c I fear they will judge me! I can't wait to love to see myself in pictures..and many more can't waits!!!

I called my Surgeons office, left a message to have them call me back if there was anything that I needed to do to get things moving a little faster... No call back so assuming that they had done everything that needed to be done I called the insurance company... OMG... I wanted to tell that lady right where to go... I kept getting "ma'am we do NOT have any thing in process, or even on file for you" . AND, to make matters worse I have to call from work because they aren't ever available when I would be home so trying to get time, and quiet, and NO body around because I am not telling anyone at the office about this was even more frustrating for me. Anyway, I finally hang up with the insurance and call the surgeons office again. I have to leave a message for the girl who does the insurance stuff because she is on the phone with insurance companies all day long so she returns calls after 5 pm... I can accept that, she has her job to do too and if it were me and had to deal with those insurance companies all day, I'd be bald from pulling my hair out! So, it's really ok. Last night at 6:15 she calls me! :-) however, she says... "I sent your paperwork in today, so you should see an answer in a week or 2 at the most" I wanted to cry :thumbup: at that point. :eek:... ARE YOU KIDDING ME??? :wink2: I was under the assumption it had been submitted 2 weeks ago and that it was the insurance company that was holding things up right now. :thumbup: Last night I was so bummed it wasn't funny. But have dealt with it and decided that I will make this my last holiday without the band, the new year will bring the "Normal" resolution that I have always made (to lose weight) only this time it will work. And it will be easier for me to not tell the people that I don't want to tell!!! Right now you are probably saying (or going to say) why not have it done before the holidays... And I was thinking that too, but I have a trip scheduled in November and then another in December to visit family out of town. and I really don't want to cancel either trip or be recovering from surgery during either trip! So, right now I am just waiting for the approval and then ready to schedule a January, 2010 surgery date... New Year, New Me!!! It's all good! :thumbup:

The two pounds gained must be muscle. Keep your faith and focus on the prize. You doing great.

I <3 my new doctor. She's so nice! And pretty. She was able to answer all my questions and check me out. She gave me antibiotics for my throat b/c she saw some spots that shouldn't be there and took a culture for strep. Then I had a blood test for allergies and got med refills. The lab tech was able to get blood on the first try instead of poking me 4 times. That's pretty awesome. I asked her if my veins would be any easier to find when I lost weight, and she said no. That it's just how some people are. That there are skinny people with super hard to find veins too. My dr also said that wls is fine and should be good for my liver. And I can drink on my birthday if I want. Just don't go crazy. She also answered my questions about NASH. I'm in the early stages, so that's good. It's still reversible. I'm happy I can still take my allergy meds and my narcotics. There was one thing I didn't tell her b/c I felt kinda embarrassed about it. We had unprotected sex over the weekend, so I just took Plan B, and I'm going to wait till tomorrow to start my antibiotics so the Plan B can be effective. We don't want any surprises. Not yet at least. Ideally I'd have surgery, get skinny, then have baby. Plus we can't afford one right now anyway. And I would rather be able to get down on the floor to play and be strong enough to carry it around first. Now I'm not able to do those things. Hopefully the Plan B won't make me feel too shitty. The few times I've taken it in the past, I always took it at bed time and slept through any side effects. I need to go to the gym today, so I don't want to get sick or anything. The gym is 10 miles / 15 mins away. I just want to do a small workout. Mainly I need to go to take over payment of my membership.

Here I am 3 months after being banded. I feel proud of the progress that I've made... but sorta bummed because I have such a long road ahead of me. I look back to last April and I realize how far I've come. I actually weighed 332 lbs before I got sick. So, since then I've actually lost 70 some lbs. I know, I know I should be proud but I'm looking at more than a 100 lbs to go to get to my goal. That's a lot of weight. I need to set small goals to keep myself motivated. I'm also bummed because I have so many back problems that its making it impossible for me to exercise. I've had two fills. I have 6cc's in my 14 cc band. I'm calling today to see if I can come in early and get my third fill this week because I know I need it, I'm not in the green yet. Which brings me to my next thought. I had an "Ah Ha" moment this week. I don't know how many times I've heard that the band is just a tool it doesn't make you lose weight. This is SO TRUE! I've had the band for three months and really I've been dieting for three months. I've changed the way I eat and watch my calories. My band isn't tight enough to "KEEP" me from eating. Technically, I could eat whatever I wanted and quite a bit of it, but I'm using my willpower to keep myself on track. Some days are better than others. My point is the band isn't working for me right now so I'm still on my own. I made up my mind that I was going to lose weight and that's exactly what I'm doing! I just didn't realize it would take so long to get my band to the right spot to get me losing with my band. If anybody is reading this that hasn't been banded yet, just realize the band does work it just takes a lot of maintenance. You have to be in contact with your surgeon. I've only been going once a month but I'm hoping to start going every two to three weeks until I get where I need to be. After my fills usually by week two I know how I can eat and what's going on with my hunger. I know I'm just rambling, but that's what my blogs are for! I'm looking forward to Thanksgiving this year and I'm not worried about gaining. I'm more nervous about being around family, and them seeing how slow or what a small amount I eat. Plus, those who know will be looking at me to see if they can tell if I've lost weight. I've lost two jeans sizes. Go me! Go me! Go me! My daughter who comes home on the weekends from college always tells me she can tell the difference in my weight. She told me my clothes were too baggy and I needed to wear smaller clothes to show off my body more. This is another issue. I don't see myself any thinner so I'm still wearing clothes to disguise my body. I really still need to because I have a bad case of muffin top going on now. The jeans are all low cut and I need to lose weight around my middle. Can't wait until I'm to the point where I can get a tummy tuck!! Also, my poor tata's are shrinking. Of course, the first person to tell me about that was my hubby. LOL!! Finally, I mainly wrote this for myself to remind me where I've come from and where I am and to set my mind straight to where I wanna be! I can do this! I am doing this! BUT, its hard. This is not an easy fix. The band is not a quick fix. The band requires dedication and pure commitment to your goal. It's not just another diet either. It's a life changing way to help you eat healthier and in turn you get your life back! I'm getting out more. I'm doing more with my friends and that happy party girl is coming back! Everyone around me has noticed it. I'm THANKFUL that I feel more confident! I'm so glad I got the band and I'm so glad I found this site. Even though it's changed dramatically. I love all my new lapband friends! I'm thankful I have friends and family that are supportive! I feel blessed and I'm going to continue to work hard to lose these last 100 lbs. It might take me two years but I'm going to get there! Hope everyone has a Happy Thanksgiving! Till Next Time, Tara

JAN 27 2007 Oct 27 2006 weighing in @ 245. today i go in for my surgury and i feel okay my stomach is a little sore but over all I'm ok. I was told to sip on liquids for the next 2 weeks, i think that lasted for about 7 days than i started drinking chicken noodles broth. and shortely after that i was eating regular. I went to the MD for my 2 week check up and lost about 10 pounds I was so excited. He scheduled me for another appointment the following month, I was down another 5 pounds, this was over the Thanksgiving break I tasted a little of everything, I did'nt have a taste for junk food as i usually do. My next appointment was Dec 27, and I was weighing in @224, I just know i gained weight because of all the food from Christmas, but to my surprise I lost. At that time I got my first fill 1cc, I wanted the doctor to add more to my fill but he insist that 1cc is enough, and he will increase the fill every 2 months. My goal is to lose 100 pounds bring me to 145-150. My next fill is 2/27. Its 3 months as of today and so far I have lost a total of 21 pounds per my last weigh in at my MDO but I've purchased a scale(worst move i made) and my scales tells me I'm between 215-216, so on record I'm 21 pounds smaller off record I'm 30 pounds smaller. :clap2: latley I've been snacking more than I like, I love puff cheese dodlles and woppers candy. i started walking anywhere from 1-3 miles, but not consistantly. I would like to lose an average of 15 pounds a month, it looks like I'm about 10 pounds a month which isn't bad but they say the weight loss slows down and I have a long way to go. about 70 pounds to go. i want to reach my goal within a year of surgery so that about 8 pounds a month, and so far I'm on the right road. but i'm afriad if i start walking and cutting my calories the doctor isn't going to fill my band because he may think its working at the size i'm at. :faint:

:thumbs_up: HAD MY SURGERY ON MAY 5TH, AND WENT FOR MY 1ST DR. VISIT TODAY, AFTER SURGERY... LOST 16 LBS. AND IT WAS THE HARDEST THING I HAVE EVER DONE... IT WILL TEST YOUR STRENGTH AND YOU WILL THINK YOU ARE GOING CRZY!!! BUT YOU CAN AND WILL GET THRU IT.. IF I DID IT ANYONE CAN... I EVEN HAVE 2 KIDS TO FEED... NOTHING TASTES AS GOOD AS SEEING THAT WEIGHT FALL OFF... BE STRONG AND KNOW YOU ARE NOT ALONE... GOOD LUCK!!!

I was told by Dr Cierny that he had removed 60% of my stomach, but I don't know if that was by weight or volume. However it was sufficient to work and allow me to live normally now, I can eat maybe 5oz of steak, or a chicken breast and a spoonful of veg with that in one sitting. I am careful to always eat Protein 1st now.

I have some family that is supportive, and those, I have reached out to. Other family is not the supportive type, and those I haven't even told about the surgery. I figure that can wait for some future date, after the weight is gone and I'm stabilized at my target weight; they've shown themselves not to be supportive during past times when I tried other weight loss efforts, so I don't expect them to be supportive now. I work so many hours that finding time to do a support group where I would have to drive an hour to get there and and hour back just doesn't seem worth it to me now, but that's why I asked, to see if I'm missing something important. As it stands, I have just about enough time in the day and week to work, exercise, do my artwork, spend time with my husband, visit family, sleep and keep up the house, and that's about it. Something would have to be dropped to add in group meetings, just doesn't seem worth it.

That's probably the one thing I am not looking forward to but it is inevitable. But, if I had to trade being at health weight and having extra skin with being morbidly obese, sh1t, I'll take healthy weight anyday.

so,,, over 3 years post op,,, 325 to 170 look and feel amazing,,, also my food and weight intake,,, have pretty much been rock solid !! no fluctuation,, food is FUEL.. dont crave it to any sense anymore,,, funny as I watch people gorge themselves,,, then say how come I dont loose weight ?? LOL,, anyways been a pretty steady gym rat too,,, but still have loose stomach skin/FAT,,, is surgery the real only alternative?? what is ever-ones thoughts / experience,,, so curious !!

I was watching tv this afternoon, when I realized that the first time anyone told me I was over weight was when I was in high school. My girl friend told me that I should lose a couple of pounds, up until then I had never given my weight a thought. Wish she had kept her mought shut. That was the start of my yoyo diet. I never really have had a good weight lost except when I did the (liquid diet) and that was almost 20 years ago now. I did get down to 170 maybe, can't really remember, I do remember loving to buy the small size jeans and clothes. I was buying size 12, I'll be lucky to wear 16 or 14 this time, with all the loose skin I know is coming. My arms are hanging now and my thighs have rolls of fat on them. I will never be able to have plastic surgery to fix them either. Guess I will alway have to wear long pants and longer sleeves to cover them up. I will excersise and hope that helps.

Hi everyone my name is kristie iam from maryland . I just desided yesturday to do the rny and I am just trying to see how peoples journies went ! I had my lap band done in may 2006 , lost 40lbs ! I put alot of time and money into trying to loss this weight but the weight is at a stand still and no matter what I can't get this 100 lbs off . I started all my revision pre op stuff in august and I am almost at the end ! Nutris. Psy. And sleep study and I am done ! My insurance paperwork and pre op stuff is getting turned in on the 5th of november . So with that being said I am also wondering about how peoples insurance journies was ? I have united healthcare . If you have any stories with them please share !

I have MAMSI / Optimum Choice and they require documentation of 6 months of dieting prior to approval of the procedure. I am trying to find out how anyone else did this. I have been on weight watchers and taking diet pills forever but have not seen my doctor monthly while doing this. If anyone can tell me how they did this, I would appreciate it.

If you lose weight during the six months and your BMI drops (below 40 - I'm right at 40 now) and your co-morbidities improve then can you still be considered a candidate for the lap band?

If your insurance is requiring the 6 month weight loss then if you go below their guidelines for BMI then you will not qualify for the Lapband. The 6 month diet is not to prepar for surgery but to prove that you are not able to persistantly maintain a healthy weight. That is why I had to go through 6 months with two appeals with Aetna. During my diet my BMI dropped to 34.8 (1 lbs below) for only 5 days and they tried to disqualify me for that. In the end I prevailed due to it was only .20 that I went below and not a full point. Just be careful and only lose a "few pounds", do not go below their guidelines.

This is my first time to ever write a blog but I wanted to share my point of view about my Lapband in some form. I had my surgery January 26, 2009 and I have not been in any pain at all..which shocks me! I was worried about how much it would hurt. The only annoying part is that my stomach growls about 75% of the time! I started at 256 (after my preop diet) and within a week I'm down to 247! I've struggled with my weight all my life and knew I had to have this surgery so I could enjoy my life and be happier! I'm only 23 and felt like I was in my late 30s. I love my life but I just didn't love me. I can't wait to go into a normal store and buy clothes not just go with friends and look at accessories!!! Not look around the room to see if I'm the biggest person. Not worry about eating in front of people b/c I fear they will judge me! I can't wait to love to see myself in pictures..and many more can't waits!!!

I don't know the weight, but my surgeon said it was like going from the size of a football to the size of a small/medium banana.

I've found it so darned hard to not drink liquid with a meal. In Weight Watchers years ago, they taught us to take a bite then sip water alternately. The things they've learned since then! My problem is I have a very bad habit of eating my food very hot and needing water to cool my mouth off. My husband thinks I will finally learn to stop doing that. He thought burning my tongue a zillion times would teach me too! I think the real learning curve will be the lapband. So far, it's working!

I was also self pay, and what I did was figure in how much less our grocery bill will be (1/3 less), how many less closet drive-thru excursions, and how much of my medical issues were directly related to my weight, it all came out in the wash.

Since my surgery I have followed my post-op diet to the T. I also developed pneumonia on Day 4 although I used the spirometer faithfully. I'm currently on breathing treatments every four hours, steroids, oral antibiotics, cough syrup in additional to a HUGE shot of Rocephin. I see my surgeon on Thursday and I am not happy. I haven't lost a single pound. What am I doing wrong?