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Well, my name is Meggie. Im 21 years old, and I recently was banded on DEcember 10, 2007. My story isnt exceptional or sad, maybe it isnt even worthy, but its mine,and I have had quite a journey becoming the young woman I am today. I have had a weight problem since I was a child. My mom worked fulltime so frozen pizzas and processed french fries became a hot meal for me. I was very picky, and that was easy for her and tasteful to me. I grew up with the occasional teasing but nothing out of the ordinary. I always felt out of place;even with family. I was always the "fat" kid in my eyes. My family never saw me as that simply because they saw beyond my weight. They saw what I call the "internal me"--which is in fact a totally different person.-I was never pressured to lose weight or compared to my "model material" kid sister, and in fact, I have been my own worst critic all along. When I got to the seventh grade I decided to take control the only way I knew how; I became bulimic. Typically, bulimics are rail thin and look malnourished-but I never hit that point. The disease never got out of control-well I mean the idea is out of hand enough in itself-but it never got excessive.It was my last resort when food got the best of me.My mother sent me to counseling and there I was, 13 years old with "control" issues as the doctor would call them. I was always told how beautiful I was, and in fact, I was the popular kid in school; neverhteless, I still didnt like me. I went all through highschool with my weight issue and in my senior year my dream came true- I needed my tonsils out. I know, I know-silly dream huh? But, to me it was so much more than a painful surgery. It was a period of 2 weeks that I would lose weight. I did ofcourse-18 lbs to be exact, but it all came back on within a year. So, there I was 18- still struggling every day of my life with my worst enemy-my weight. I dropped some weight at almost 19 because I was going through a break up, and my "control issues" caught up with me yet again. That weight didnt stay off either. As you can see, I never succeeded in keeping it off. It haunted me and creeped up just when I thought I was winning. When I was 19 my 45 yr old father died of massive heartattack while watching the superbowl. A part of me slowly died that day simply because he was ultimately my biggest fan. I dont think my daddy ever saw my size. He didnt care-I was his baby girl no matter what anyone thought. He was the dad that yelled at other small-and I mean young and innocent--kids if they called me names. I wasnt fat, he said and he belived that. Its as if he saw my soul, and not the horrific body that held me hostage. I love him for that and I find myself still trying to see what he always did....Anyways so here I was almost 20 years old. I lost a few lbs after Daddy died because of a loss of appetite, but still nothing to brag about. In November of 2006 I found out I was pregnant. Ive never felt so overwhelmed in my life. While ofcourse I was scared and anxious to meet my beautiful baby boy, the sick part of me thought "hOw will I possibly deal with this weight gain." I know-that should have been the last thing I thought of, but I couldnt help it. The whole 40 weeks I ate like I was on a diet, with the occasional splurge of McDonalds, but for the most part I monitored. Thats insaine isnt it? Who wants to be pregnant and on a diet? The two words dont belong together. Well, needless to say thank god that I monitored considering that I still gained 60 pounds! After the baby I struggled with some deep depression about my weight. I was always crying, and it was the number one focus in my life aside from motherhood. I remember actually thinking" if I have to live like this, I dont want to live." Scary thought, I know-but it was real. In the meantime I had consulted with a plastic surgeon to give me a breast lift. I guess I was looking for anything on my body that I had the power to change when really I just wanted to be thin. I even cut 12 inches off of my hair thinking I was going to have a "new" me. Little did I know, I was far from being new and I was still overweight. By this point I was tired of fighting this battle. I couldnt win alone and that was definitly apparent to myself as well as my close family. So, on the day I was going to schedule my breast lift, I made a call to find out if I qualified for the lapband....well indeed I did-by the skin of my teeth, but it didnt matter. That day I think I found a hopeful part of me that I never knew existed. I connected with the little girl in me and let her know that we were finally going to be alright. I met with Dr Fritz Rau only a week later and immediatly felt a sense of protection and peace. He was wonderful, and assured me that I was in good hands. I soon went on my 2 week liquid diet and did very well. My mother wasnt completly supportive in the beginning but she knew that with or without an army of support, I was going to be banded on Dec 10, 2007. She came through for me, ofcourse, she always did. I got there early that morning and was prepped in no time. After a long wait of about 3 hours-it was my turn. Finally, the moment I had awaited since I was that little girl was actually happening. I almost couldnt bare all of the emotions because for the first time in my life, I felt like the real me was going to have a chance at shining. I came out only 35 minutes later, and everything had went fine. I had alot of pain from the trapped air, but otherwise I was okay. I was already a new woman mentally. I went home the next day, and within a week was taking care of my son. I have had 3 fills so far and am down 25 pounds. My loss has been gradual, but thats okay now because I know it will melt off soon. So, as you can see, I have had an interesting travel to get to where I am today, and to Dr Fritz I owe my happiness. The man has changed my life, and because of him I will be the girl that I was destined to be. Nothing, not even weight, can hold me back now. God Bless all of you- may you all find that inner self who screams to be heard.

@@Julie norton I get that none of us are exempt from weight gain. I've just made nutrition and working out my lifestyle. I still weigh myself in the morning. I just don't think about my surgery anymore.(the thrill of watching my weight go down is gone) I'm getting my motivation from living at the gym, I like being a bad ass at my age. lol Its become my addiction. I don't think of myself as a surgery patient anymore. I plan to participate here when I can. I just don't feel like part of the group some days...Life has just moved on.

I had WLS in December, 2014 - 4 months ago. My pre-surgical starting weight was 259 lbs. This excess weight came from eating too much (volume), rather than the wrong foods or junk foods. I'm not vegetarian however I have always incorporated a lot of raw food habits into my diet. To those who are not familiar with "eating raw" - I'm not talking about crudités or peeling a banana and eating it. I'm taking about "raw" lifestyle foods like breads, crackers, wraps and veggie burgers that have been created using nuts, seeds, flax, hemp and vegetables, often in a dehydrator. Before my surgery, I incorporated a lot of raw cuisine into my diet and used my dehydrator constantly to make delicious foods like raw falafel, flax crackers, pureed veggie wraps, kale chips, mushroom burger patties, etc. Since my December surgery, I have stayed away from raw and been stringent about adhering to a low carb, high protein diet. (Yes, this included meats). Lots of salads, raw fruits and veggies, but no "raw cuisine" per se. In the 4 months since my surgery I have dropped 45 pounds and feel terrific. Or I should say, I HAD dropped 45 pounds, until 2 weeks ago when I started eating raw cuisine again. These past 2 weeks eating mostly raw, I am sad to say that I gained almost ten pounds back. Ah, the irony. Eat well! Gain weight! I had missed my beloved VitaMix and my Excalibur dehydrator terribly, having not used them since two weeks prior to my WLS. I decided a couple of weeks ago to get back to incorporating delicious raw cuisine back into my diet. Foods I created over the past two weeks from my old favourites included nut cheeses (cashew...mmmm mmmmm!), walnut-spinach pesto, nut burgers, raw "onion rings", sesame seed/hemp seed dressings and more. As I was blending, spreading and dehydrating, I became worried about the sheer amount of fat, calories and carbs that made up the ingredients going into these dishes. Those nuts, seeds and avocados really pack a punch. The ingredients in my raw food dishes were wholesome and nutritionally dense, BUT they contained a ton of unwanted complex carbs and sugars (Mejool dates, for example). So I feasted (in small amounts as only my lap-band allows) on raw falafel, vegan hummus with garlic aioli with marinated vegetables in a flax/carrot wrap, marinated portabello mushroom caps stuffed with cashew/garlic nut cheese and walnut-spinach pesto, raw zucchini pasta with sweet marinara sauce... it was a great 2 weeks. Unfortunately it also triggered some pretty major weight gain. What I've learned: Even with smaller lap-band sized portions, and although most raw food dishes are densely nutritious, they pack a significant caloric punch - too much so to be aligned with my weight loss goals. So I am back to salads and lean meats and steamed veggies, no wheat, no white, no sugar. And, unfortunately, no raw cuisine. (Or at least very, very little). Has anyone out there managed a raw food diet (60% +) and managed to keep the surgical weight off? Would love to hear from you!

Hello everyone. I am thinking of getting the Lap Band and have a couple of questions.... My BMI is 36, now I know that is a little low, but I have high cholesterol, major back pain, and joint pains, and a few other minor issues. I have tried everything under the sun to lose the weight on my own but the weight never comes off. I will admit I have an addiction to food (since I quit smoking) and I know this has led to much of my weight gain. I have a family history of morbif obesity, and other major health issues. I am wanting to get my weight and health under control before it becomes majorly out of control and I have major health issues. And I am on the path to it! So here goes the question... do you feel that I would make a good canidate for this? Do you think I will be approved? My insurance pays for damn near anything. Should I wait till my BMI is more? Thanks for the help. Jenn:crying:

I had my final visit before my insurance packet is submitted. I did all the blood work (29 vials!!). I was an emotional wreck at the appt. though. You see this year has SUCKED! When I started the weight loss surgery journey life fell apart. My wife broke her foot and needed 5 surgeries, my dad went blind, then he fell and became permanently paralyzed, then he passed. It has been awful. But I'm running short on my insurance window and I need this surgery. I quit smoking, started, quit. I lost weight, gained. My TSH went up to 9 and I felt so sick. It's been a hot mess of a year. So please cross your fingers and toes that they understand and know that I truly am ready to do this. I feel like i applied at the worst possible point in my life.

Oh I hear you, I would definitely opt to have preventive surgery. I'm 46 now and I don't think I would do reconstruction, but at 25, I think I'd give it a shot.. I know what you mean about the weight.... prosthesis are easier to manage with the weight gain or loss for sure...

I just hit my 2nd trimester and still have the same fill I did a year ago. Just saw the OB yesterday, and he's not worried about weightloss (very slow, nothing dramatic for me anymore, too far out from surgery) until my 20th week, at which point I'm no longer allowed to lose, and if I do, I will need to get some fill taken out. Of course if I have problems between now and then, I would get an unfill. Around week 8 I had a period of a week or so where I was really tight, but I compensated for it with liquids. He wants to see me gain a total of 20 - 25 lbs, which makes sense when you look at the weight gain distribution.

My wife is 3 weeks out from surgery, has lost 47 pounds but has been having some issues as of recently. She started getting this severe pain in her right lower back/side, we think it could be constapation, she has went 3 times in the last 22 days, I ended up taking her to the ER and everything checked out normal from the blood work and cat scans. She has tried over the counter laxitives with no evail. She was originally losing 2 pounds a day, now she has gained 6 pounds, any ideas?

Hello, My name is Andrea from New Jersey. had my VSG done in September of 2012. At my largest, I was 250lbs. In less than a year post op, I went down to 165lbs. I felt that I looked good! I could fit into so many cute outfits without feeling ashamed of how I felt in my body. Health-wise, it was a bit more complicated. Between my “water-nausea”, not being able to drink and eat at the same time, needing to take vitamins everyday, feeling sick after enthusiastically eating my favorite foods, and then, of course getting gall stones and needing my gallbladder removed in 2013, my VSG came with a lot of mixed feelings. Nevertheless, I was happy to feel like I looked good and have the energy that came along with that. Fast forward to February of 2017, I find out I’m pregnant with my first child. At that point, I had been able to maintain a steady 165-170 lbs. At 36 weeks, I went into labor and subsequently had my daughter a month before her due date. On the day I gave birth, I weighed 200lbs. I thought it was normal. The few days following the birth of my baby girl, I actually went down to 180lbs. Not exactly where I wanted to be, but at the time I thought my body would go back to 165-170lbs. ....Boy was I wrong. My daughter was born in September of 2017. In the winter months, specifically January, February and March of 2018 my daughter was diagnosed with RSV, Influenza Type A, and Metapneumovirus, respectively. My husband and I spent many days in the hospital with her.... stressing, worrying, sad, not getting paid time off (in my case), and, of course.....eating. During this time is when I believe my body began to turn on me. Today, I weigh 209lbs. I went from a size 8 to a 14, I feel that I have less energy, and I know that I’m unhealthy. I seem to have regained an almost insatiable hunger fueled by my constant anxiety and stress. Not to say that I didn’t suffer from these things before, but honestly, I don’t know what has changed exactly that doesn’t allow my body to metabolize quicker and keep the pounds off. I need help, but I’m scared of the actual work of exercising and eating better, because even though in theory, it sounds pretty simple, let’s be honest, those things require a great amount of inner strength and discipline. Just trying to figure out if I can actually do that creates a significant amount of anxiety, stress and, thus ultimately makes me want to eat. That’s the way I find comfort, the way I shut up that voice on the inside. Prior to having my baby girl, I could literally eat whatever the eff’ I wanted, and if I made a minuscule change to my diet, I would lose weight immediately. That’s no longer the case. Nowadays, I feel more like I used to pre-op, and that makes me feel very depressed. I don’t fit in like 95% of my old clothes and I’m slowly but surely needing bigger and bigger sizes. A few months ago, I followed up with my bariatric surgeon to see if there was anything that could be done. He prescribed Topiramate, so I wouldn’t get hungry at night. (It doesn’t work). My other doc prescribed Zoloft (for depression), Bupropion (for weight loss and depression), and Klonopin (for anxiety). Nothing’s really changed. I want to have another baby (hopefully) in a year or two, and I have strongly toyed with the idea of a revision immediately after that. For now though, I don’t feel mentally strong enough to change my circumstances, but I pray that side of me will eventually change, along with my circumstances. Blessings to you all in your journey too 😌 Any kind advice and/or your own stories welcome. ❤️

SouthBeach Diet Tips and Guides The SouthBeach Diet is different from the Atkins diet in that it is not a low carbohydrate diet. Regardless of which phase you are currently in, you should follow these recommendations: Drink a minimum of 8 glasses of water, decaffeinated beverages such as club soda, tea, coffee, or decaffeinated sugar-free soda every day Limit your intake of caffeine-containing beverages to 1 cup each day Take one multivitamin and mineral supplement daily Take 500 mg of calcium for both men and women under the age of 50, and 1,000 mg for women over the age of 50, each day Eating can be both pleasurable and healthy as long as you eat the proper foods. All the meals in the SouthBeach Diet consist of healthy combinations of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. Dishes can be made by anyone and the ingredients can be found in most grocery stores. These foods will satisfy your hunger without depriving your system of the low-quality starches and sugars that caused problems with your blood chemistry in the first place. The SouthBeach Diet does not involve counting calories, fat grams, or portion sizes. This plan was designed to be simplistic and will help you understand the principles of metabolism and put it to work for your own body. A major key to success with the South Beach Diet is the Glycemic index (GI), which ranks carbohydrate foods based on the effect on blood sugar levels. When you start adding foods back into your diet in Phase 2, keep your focus on low-GI foods such as apples, berries, grapefruit, high-fiber cereal, and whole grain breads. Preparing For The Rest Of Your Life Mindset Change for South Beach Diet You have learned what the South Beach Diet is, how it works, and what to eat. Now, you need to get prepared to change the way you eat, for life. Start by accepting that the first couple of weeks will be a big change but one you will not regret. The first morning of this diet, you will eat a breakfast that may consist of a two-egg omelet with two slices of Canadian bacon, cooked in either spray canola or olive oil. In your old life, you may have toasted bread or a bagel and had fresh fruit or fruit juice to go along with your omelet. However, with the South Beach Diet, the bread will have to wait. Most people have been conditioned their entire life to add bread to meals. You have toast with breakfast, sandwiches on bread for lunch, dinner rolls with dinner, and cake, cookies, or pie for dessert. However, during Phase 1, you will have to forget about the bread. It may take a few days to leave old habits behind but keep in mind that it is during this time that your body’s inability to process sugars and starches is being reversed. After trying numerous diets, most leave you feeling hungry, is one of the most difficult aspects of any diet. A common denominator seen with overweight people is that most of them skip eating breakfast. When this happens, blood sugar drops, which then increases the desire for bad carbohydrates to escalate until lunch when the entire meal is blown. Planning for South Beach Diet Planning will help you stay away from snacking or substituting things that are not healthy and could cause weight gain. Remember that once you start into Phase 2, carbohydrates will start being introduced back into your diet along with fruits. You also need to remember to eat your mid-morning and mid-afternoon snacks, even if you do not feel like it. Some of the greatest low-fats foods to incorporate into your planning include cheese and yogurt to replace the fats since they have no bad carbohydrates. In addition, the sugar is found in the lactose, milk sugar, is one of the things you can have with the South Beach Diet. The South Beach Diet is a lifetime change, lifetime commitment, and a lifetime of health and vitality! How Does The South Beach Diet Work? As mentioned, the South Beach Diet is unique, successful, easy, and works in a three-phase process. Unlike many other so-called diets, with the South Beach Diet, simply substitutes your bad carbohydrates and fats for good ones. After trying this, you will be amazed by how well and quickly it works. South Beach Diet Phase 1 South Beach Diet Phase 1 lasts for two weeks. During this first phase, you will eat normal meals of chicken, beef, turkey, fish, and shellfish, lots of vegetables, eggs, cheese, nuts, and garden salads using 100% olive oil for your salad dressing. Each day for 14 days, you will eat three, well-balanced meals. While eating until your hunger is satisfied may go against most diets, with the South Beach Diet, it is part of the plan. Trying to lose weight and become healthy by depriving the body of food makes no sense. In addition to the three meals each day, you will also eat a snack between breakfast and lunch, and then again between lunch and dinner. Even if you do not feel like eating these snacks, for the South Beach Diet to work, you need to, and after dinner, you will even have dessert. Additionally, during this phase, you can drink all the coffee and tea you want and be sure to drink lots of water. You may be thinking that this is a lot of food - it is! With most diets, you deprive your body, eating only small portions of foods that are unappealing. The change you will make during this phase is that you will cut out all bread, rice, potatoes, pasta, baked goods, fruit, candy, cake, cookies, ice cream, or sugar. Keep in mind that these eliminated foods will be added back into your diet, starting in Phase 2. In addition to taking these foods out of your diet temporarily, you will also need to avoid beer, or any kind of alcohol. Once you start Phase 2, reasonable amounts of wine can be added back in. Instead of feeling overwhelmed about the foods that will be taken out of your diet during the first two weeks, stop and think about this for a minute. To achieve a life of health and lose unwanted weight, two weeks is a small investment to make. After all, you are worth it! The first two or three days will be somewhat challenging, but breaking any bad habit starts out a little bumpy. Once you pass this small hurdle, the rest of the time will go by quicker than you think. When you see the results that these changes bring, you will be glad you did not give up!

@@impact food addictions and old behaviors can start back up for any of us. You have lost weight before. You can do it again. Start back to where you began. Remove the food that trips you up out of your home, activity/exercise,Get back on your healthy eating plan and log food. Support and you might want to think about counseling. In the vets forum on BariatriPal there is information for people that are further out from surgery. Tips to get back on track after weight gain. Thanks for your honesty in your post. Just reminds all of us that the work never ends.

consider all reasons for weight gain. It may just be fluid. Fall on the mercy of your surgeon. I am sure you are not the only patient who has gained. I did not gain I kept losing but it did take a year for me to meet all the requirements of my insurance company. I had to have a certain amount of visits to my doctor plus be cleared for surgery by a cardiologist, pulmonologist, endocrinologist, phsyc evaluation plus group sessions with other bariatric patients. Maybe your trip to the operation room will be a little longer than you thought but you can lose that Go on a liquid diet and mentally tell yourself your life depends on it because in the long run it does. Do the liquids for one week and see the results. Do protein shakes, broth, V8 juice, get balerina tea it works like you won't believe. YOU CAN DO THIS!!! I am not in Texas but that doesn't matter. YOU GO GIRL

I was sleeved in 12/2012 and converted to bypass on 8/14. I went from 240-lowest 166. In July I was 166 using phentermine but have since gained 17 lbs since July. Had an upper GI don't and the area btwn small bowel and stomach has stretched. I go back in 1/25 to discuss options bc of cravings and weight gain. I feel like a failure. Who has 2 weight lose surgeries and can't maintain. I do eat fairly well and work out 5 days a week. I also had twins in oct 2015 so I'm always busy!! Any questions, comments or concerns welcome! Be nice please! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I feel like such a failure. I'm at 6 cc's in a 10 cc band and have gained approx 10 lbs in the past 2-3 months. Was supposed to get a fill 2 weeks ago, but after learning of the weight gain my doctor has made me keep a food journal for the next month to track of exactly what I'm putting in my mouth. I'm supposed to be eating 1200 to 1250 calories per day. I'm eating healthy, but too much still. Has anyone else gone through this aggravation? I'm mad at myself more because I'm self-pay so it feels like money going down the drain - hard earned money! I just want to get back on track and lose this stupid weight.

Good Morning everyone! I needed some feedback and support regarding insurance not paying for bariatric surgery, I also have Aetna POS here in Louisiana and I too went through the 90 day program one of Aetna requirements, I fit all of the criteria and just last week received noticed I was denied because I gained 1 lb and did not schedule my procedure within 6 months of my initial start date. I was in shock, upset, and very disappointed. how can this be, initial program date 6/25/15 last weigh in date 9/16/15 and immediately was denied, I researched and hired obesity advocate /attorneys to fight this since Dec 2015 to start the first appeal process and last week the appeal was denied because I gained 1 lb. I do not understand that policy, I weighed in summer which means my clothes were lighter, then last weigh in was September which my clothes would have been a little heavier 1 lb is not a significant amount of weight to consider because 1 to 2 lbs can come from many factors such as clothes, time of the month, or if I had a snack or lunch prior to the appointment my clothes alone would weigh 1 to 2 lbs COME ON'. I can understand if I gained 5 lbs to 10 lbs of weight. OMG!! I want to scream...... Has anyone experienced AETNA denying surgery for weight gain and then was approved after it was appealed first or second time? Now we are going for round 2 and want to know if it is worth it bec I am so disappointed with Aetna. HELP!! please ADVISE!!

:tongue_smilie:Hi there folks, it's Lynn from Darlington, UK. I had a Vertical Banded Gastroplasty in 2004. In my first year I dropped from 26 stone(364 lbs), to 17 1/2 stone(245 lbs). In that year I was still only on liquids and mush. In the following 4 years I managed to get back onto 'normal' food, but my weight has crept up. I now weigh 22 stone 5 lbs(315 lbs) again. It is still fluctuating, up more than down. I can still only eat approximately one small cupped hand of food. Most solids, like meat, are rejected by my stomach, so I am mostly vegetarian these days. I find it hard to reconcile the fact that I do not eat much in quantity to my old diet, but am still putting weight on. I have had no follow up from my surgeon for years, it only lasted the first year. I had no counselling before or after and i only saw the dietitian half a dozen times in the first year. That was almost pointless as they did not have any idea about post op diets for VBG patients. Has anyone else experienced this post op weight gain?

So, I had my surgery back in 2008 and have lost 170 lbs. I've lost consistently throughout my journey and then once I got to a weight where I was comfortable, I've stayed there. I go up and down a few pounds, but as long as I stay within what I call my "safe range" then I'm good to go. Here's why I'm writing. Back on April 30th I went to see my surgeon. I had decided that I was going to ask to have a tad bit of Fluid removed, just to be a little more comfortable. I don't think I was too tight, but I figured I'd see what happened. My doctor took a little bit of fluid out and he did tell me that I might feel like he had taken out too much. I wasn't worried though. Boy was I wrong. Since I saw him, a little over a month ago, I've gained 10 lbs. I'm not eating any differently, but I am constantly hungry. I go back to my doctor on the 25th and am definitely asking to have that little bit of fluid put back in, but I never imagined that a small unfill would contributo to a 10 lb. weight gain. So, I was curious if anyone else has gone through this?? I'm very concerned because I've NEVER gained. I want to get as much of that weight gone before I go back to my doctor on the 25th. My clothes all fit, but I suddenly have a muffin top above my loose skin. Plus, I feel bloated and miserable all the time now. Does anyone have any suggestions as to what I can do to get this weight back off?? Any suggestions are greatly appreciated!!! Thanks so much :0) Liveforit

Greetings All! I am happy to have found this site because all I had been finding is Lap Band sites with bad reviews and complaints :smile:. I am open to everyone's input, as I am in the decision stage of the process. I'm in a rut. I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired. I'm the heaviest I've ever been. My weight problems began with a sudden onset of weight gain 21 years ago. I had a two year bout of a mystery illness and packed on 40 pounds within three months. It's been a battle ever since. My body hurts; my knees, my back, my stomach, my self esteem, my spirit. I hate having photos taken. I discard most of them. I’m depressed and have become unsocial. My worse fear is that I'll just get fatter and fatter. I can't honestly say that diet and exercise doesn't work, because I just can't seem to muster up the will-power to actually stick with a portion control plan. As far as exercise goes, my body just hurts too much to do the simplest of exercise routines. I tried walking several times last and this week and I was in agony. My knees were hurting and my back went into spasms. I’m discouraged and disgusted with who and what I have become. :thumbup: If anyone out there has Tricare Standard, I’d appreciate your commentary regarding insurance coverage for the Lap Band procedure and how easy or difficult it was to get approval. Thanks!

Anyone notice not losing weight around their period time? I have weighed myself nad lost nothing last two days, but know im getting close. via cramps, crappy mood etc lol.. Im wondering if i shouldnt weigh myself until after my period ends? What does everyone else do during this time?

TRUE! Anyone with bariatric surgery should have serial growth scans to be sure their baby is growing well, and beyond that just eat healthy. As long as your baby is growing well, no worries! No weight gain needed! Bariatric surgery patients also should have the Vitamin levels checked due to problems with absorption. Even with lap band and sleeve procedures. Hope this helps!

I used IVF w/ICSI for my twins (prior to sleeve) and did a frozen embryo transfer to get pregnant this last time with my daughter. I gave birth four weeks ago and I'd say that while my pregnancy wasn't more enjoyable now that I'm smaller, the recovery was fantastic compared to past pregnancies. I developed gestational diabetes with my twin pregnancy that did not resolve afterward until I had my VSG. This time around my blood sugar was better than a non-pregnant lady so that was no concern. I was a big gainer with past pregnancies - 97 pounds with my first single, more than 80 pounds with my twins - but only gained 32 pounds with this pregnancy. Within a week I'd lost 18 pounds and now at 29 days out from delivery I only have 9 pounds left to be back at my pre-pregnancy weight and I'm already in my size small and 5/6 clothes again (though I admit they aren't the form-fitting ones yet). If you're diligent about your habits you will remain in control. I was able to eat quite a bit more during pregnancy than I am postpartum, but I still eat very little. Max, about a cup of food in a meal and that's if half the meal is soft enough to slide. I wasn't as strict as I could have been while pregnant but I kept weighing daily like I was in maintenance to stay on top of things and I kept trying to eat right at least 80% of the time. It seems to have worked, even though I really wanted to gain less than 32 pounds. In fairness, though, I think that being on progesterone shots for nearly two months is partly to blame for my weight gain. I put on nearly half of it before five months and then slowly gained the rest through the last months of pregnancy. I am pumping (and still diligently attempting to get this child to nurse) and have had absolutely no problems with supply or getting enough nutrition for the baby. She's gaining very nicely and has already outgrown her newborn clothes. You'll do fine, and in my opinion waiting is the best thing you can do. I feel that it would have been near impossible for me to eat enough to stay healthy if I'd gotten pregnant sooner because I never had a large capacity post op. I also didn't have my lab numbers in a good place until more than a year out. The longer those good habits are ingrained, the less chance you have of falling back and getting sloppy or using pregnancy as an excuse to do all those things you know you shouldn't be doing. Good luck, and many ladies here have increased fertility post op, so perhaps you'll find your PCOS isn't as much an issue this time around as before. ~Cheri

So, I have seen a lot of people getting the revision from sleeve to bypass due to GERD and I have seen people getting the sleeve to bypass revision due to weight gain years after the original surgery. I am not experiencing either of these issues. I had my surgery in the middle of 2021. I was around 300 pounds then. It is now more than a year later. I have only lost around 70 pounds. I am still losing, but very slowly. I feel like due to my starting weight, I should have lost more than that in this time period. I am not ungrateful for the weight I have lost so far, but I want to lose much more and I am feeling a bit stagnant. I want to truly get down to a normal weight. I feel like it will take me forever to do that with the sleeve, so I want to get the gastric bypass. I feel like getting a revision to bypass would jumpstart the weight loss for me again. But I am wondering if I would even be able to get approved for a revision in my position, since I am not suffering from any other medical conditions and I haven't actually regained any of my weight. Is there anyone else in my position who has gotten a revision from sleeve to bypass so soon after the original surgery with no other medical conditions, just because they felt like they didn't lose enough weight with the original surgery?

Um, seriously? I looked back through the responses, and only one person responded that they didn't have a food addiction prior to surgery (which, yes, is possible--there are a few people on these boards who had significant weight gain due to a medical issue and couldn't lose on their own). Everyone gave thoughtful, helpful advice to your questions. Here is the relevant part of my own response: I'm not sure what you were expecting us to say--yes, of course many of us were/are food addicts, and because of that, we gave you advice that came from each of our experiences dealing with that aspect post-surgery.

Hello Angie, I also have BCBS of Mass. I started with weight watchers and went for check up and my doctor referred me to dr. schneider at BI Hospital in Boston. Because I have been with my doctor for eight years and he had a history of my weight gain and loss on record I didn't have to show my weight trail for them. I did have to call BCBS and fill out a form for my doctor making sure they will accept the band and it took about 10 minutes over the phone and he explained everything to me about lapband and what they expect from me. The doctor's office submitted all the information to bcbs and was banded 3 1/2 months later. I wish you the best and it will be worth it in the end. I am excited with you!

I'm not a big overeater either - but I do recognize now that when I do eat my portions are much bigger than they should be. And not eating regularly has caused serious weight gain as well. I can eat Breakfast and go hours and hours until I eat again - sometimes right until dinner. Then I'm starving of course, and eat too much for an evening meal. My choices aren't always good either. Over the years the pounds just came on and didn't leave! Good luck to you - I go to my first clinic appt Oct.3 but since I'm going through our provincial healthcare (free) that means I will wait awhile for surgery. If it's going to be too long, I won't do it. I'm 54; what would be the point if I can't get it for years from now?