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At this point in my life, I'm not planning to tell anyone except for those I've already told (my parents, husband and bff who had WLS and confided in me a few years ago) because people will think what I thought "It's an easy way out and now that you've had the surgery you can just eat whatever you want, just in smaller portions, and stay skinny". I don't want to hear anyone's negative opinion and I'm already mentally preparing myself that while most people will likely be happy for me, some others who will be angry/jealous/nasty to me about my weight lost.

Hi Shirley! I can certainly empathise with you about making the right choice! I too take ALOT of medication for pain & nerve pain in particular. I was fully able to swallow all (8) of my tablets after the initial 'leak test' post-op day 1. For me the sleeve was a safer option, less complications & because my husband & I wan't another baby, I didn't want to become severely malnourished. It also 'guides' your weight loss' where you do have to eat healthy & exercise for it to work for you. You still are quite restricted with a sleeve, as 80% of your stomach is removed. I can only have half a mouthful of Water per gulp & have to sip everything. I really don't feel hungry at all too, which is great! But if you aren't happy with the surgery option, change it. It's important to go into surgery with a positive mind & wake up with a fresh new attitude. I can only say how I feel about it (which I do feel superbly about)' only you can know what is right for you Hope that helps x

So today was my weigh in day and I weighed in...another 5 pound loss...I was sooo excited. I am a military wife so I live far away from my family and so I update once in a while on FaceBook about my weightloss progress so they can see. Today I was happy and updated that I was now down 70 pounds. So a friend of mine posts her own status, about an hour after I post mine. (A person I have been friends with for years but don't talk to very often but do try to visit when home. Anyhow she knows that I had the lapband surgery. She actually came to visit me a week before surgery.) My gut tells me this status was geared toward me. This is what it said: "Is frustrated.. I know that we all like to only share the positive things in our life... But, please stop taking credit for something you didn't do.. If you want to be patted on the back for a job well done then get off your a$$ and do something.. And, if you get help, whether it be from others--or medically, please give credit where credit is due. Ok.. The End! " So I text her to ask who she is ranting about and normally she would tell me. Today her answer was "just people in general. I am in a crabby mood." I act like I suspect nothing but really I don't buy it at all.It could be just me over reacting but it's just too coincedental. I mean granted I haven't plastered it all over facebook that I had weightloss surgery. But I don't hide the fact. I will tell someone honestly when they ask me how I am doing it. I have told all of my family and closest friends. My friends where I live know. But I do not feel that I should have to say "Thanks to lapband....." everytime I post a status reguarding my progress. I may have used a tool to help me lose weight but I have busted my butt since the minute I was released to exercise by my doctor. I work out 5 to 6 days a week and follow my doctor and dietician's advice on what to eat and how much. Before Surgery I had tried every method I could to lose weight and failed everytime, so this is what my doctor reccommended I should do. Like I said I could be over reacting...Opinions are welcome....But it does seem like she was attacking me indirectly...and it hurts...especially since I have always considered her such a good friend. I just wanted to post this to vent because I felt I needed to get it off my chest and I know the people on here understand...and know that this is not the easy way out...as a lot of people think...I have tried venting to my hubby but he doesnt really get it, ya know? LOL

You are not doing anything wrong, it's completely normal! They pumped your abdomen full of gas for the surgery and you most likely had an IV. It will take a little time for that to go away. And depending on your weight lost prior to surgery, your body could be holding onto all calories. Be patient, the scale will move! Best of luck to you!

Weighed in last week at 187! I think the last time I weighed under 190 I was in grade/middle school. Holy crap! I feel great!! I originally wanted to get to around 170, but everyone is telling me I look "normal" where I'm at. I still feel like I have some to lose but am not actively trying to lose weight any more. Sleeve for the win! Before and after pics

Ok, so I went to the weight center in the fall of 2011 and went through all the classes, psych eval, nut, weigh ins, etc and paid my surgery track fee....Then found out that my husbands bcbs ppo national account had an exclusion on bariatric care. I even went and was was diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea, which i am glad i got the CPAP as I am sleeping better and my husband says I am not snooring as much as in the past, plus on this account! So, I wrote a 6 page letter outlining my history....Please don't worry after you read this, but when I was almost 20 I was crossing the strret in college, of course in the middle of the night with all the athletes before spring break trips for sports and I was hit by a 55 mile an hour car crossing the street. I broke my back, pelvic, had Filled up with fluid in my legs and the hip I was hit on, plus fracturing my skull and damaging my neck. No worries, I survived, but was told I would never be able to play sports like I did because of the injuries and were bad, but that didnt stop me. i learned to re-walk and care for myself....then the following season I wanted to just try to play soccer knowing I had ,issed softball all varsity sports, so I didnt want the driver to determine my fate.....Coach and the team were so excited to see me dressed.....I walked out on the field took one pass to me and as I crossed half field to kick it in the goal, which would have been easy for me....i kicked and felt a horrible pain through my body...shruuged it off, asked for another one thinking I could pass and low and behold body told me H..LL NO. I hugged the team and said sorry I just can't do this. The trainer drove me back to the lockers and that was the last time I was ever on the field until I had children...but before children I had surgeries to remove fluid off my hip and legs, but it will always be there. I was healthy at 180 lbs just not as muscular as I was in the past. So having children, wasnt sure that could happen based on the drs reports. So my husband was told this on our first date because I decided I didnt want him to get connected unless he was aware, yes he laughed...i already went through a long relationship and he was different than anyone I had ever been with..he says its because of the accident and I say its because he made me laugh. Ok, got preg for our first, deemed high risk...now the drama, the found a fibroid growing beside our baby...i was watched every week. Anyway was put on bed rest, the day of the c-section was def a comedy show, i had 2 surgeons in case I needed emergency hysteroctomy but when they said our new son was fine, they asked if they could take pictures of the fibroid as it was large, we asked them to remove it, but it was too dangerouse and I could die from blood los, etc so they tucked it back in my uterous and my life has never been the same. I couldnt loose the preg weight due to the pain on my back...so the dr told us if we wanted another child now or never...so they helped us get preg for our second...the fibroid grew, we ended up aving an emergency c-section 7 weeks early and our daughter was 5 lbs, again too dangerous so tucked fibroid back in. Anyways, i finally had enough....went in for an eval for the hysterectomy and after them saying no more and we couldnt get preg again, surprise of our lives we were. Thought we lost the baby cause I was bleeding and they didnt expect the baby to make it. A nurse at my work gave me shots to help me along....needless to say, our third was taken emergency c-section if you couldnt guess but she was over 8 lbs abd healthy...me on the other hand not so much....the re-oppened me that night as I had a major infection. I was then packec at home for months to heal, but we had our last baby...tubes tied as well. Now to heal, 2 yrs ago I had an ablasion to stop the horribly female cycles due to the fibroid, but it didnt help with the size....i am getting to my question, but figured you needed this background....so now its been 10 yrs, our son just turned 10 but had the fibroid for 11yrs, now its pushing on my bladder and I drip all the time, uterous is pushed uo as its inside the wall, constant back pain and it pushes on my pelvic and back.....so, this 6 pg letter was just captured in this paragraph...but it was to my husbands company as we would out there is an exclusion for weight loss. Needless to say, I self paid all the previous apts but stopped going as we wrote the letter to see if they would waive the exclusion...YES after 5 months of follow my husbands HR team overrode the exclusion and worked with BCBC to approve me. Now my letter said verticle sleeve, but they wrote a note that after review they approved the bypass......NOW what...they are working on how to notify the drs and Heres my question.....what are my chances of getting the sleeve? Can i loose over 100 lbs?? Also my uterous is enlarged so i am worried about bypass and only wanted sleeve! I dont know when I will be able to go back to the dr, but now that I have ben waiting and got the news wasnt sure what your thoughts are on getting them to agree to sleeve versus bypass. Thanks for listening! I read all the discussions and guess this is my largest post. Thanks again for your time.

I started at 3 weeks walking 2 miles, 3 days a week. I recently started lifting weights at 7 weeks post op. I also lift heavy weights but not super heavy. I also started running a week or 2 ago and now I'm able to run a mile non stop. My advice is to listen to your body. Good Luck

Also important to note that MOST people GAIN weight immediately after surgery. It will go away.

I understand about scale obsession. Before I went to the mid I weighed myself completely naked. So my number was different that what she had. I realize the weight will fluctuate as the diet changes. I just have to stay diligent and track everything.

WOW! So tomorrow is my Birthday. I don't think I have ever really been this excited for it. So much so that I'm having a Valentine's Couple's Date night at my house. Found some awesome outfits that I don't know which to wear. One that has been in my closet for about 20 years yes I said 20. That's how much I love it and could never get rid of it or ever fit me till now. What a journey the last 5 months have been. If it was not for an old friend that I lost touch with had not posted a picture of herself I would have never had known about this WLS. I have been going to many doctor's for years with no outcome. I fired the last one when I mentioned this and told me it will not work. But had no problem keeping me on the road to becoming a diabetic. It is hard work not for the weak at heart. Always keep think of where you want to be at the finish line. I have bad days and fall off the wagon but start again the next day to be better. You start to notice the little things you did when you where younger that you have not done in years. I'm starting to like to exercise..(a little) maybe because it does not hurt as much or not as embarrassed to be seen to be that fat. I'm still working a been more committed to it. Because the weight lost is slowing down the closer I get to my goal. I started as a size 20, now I'm looking at 12-14. There so much to choose from now in only 5 months. Happy Valentine's Day to all!! Big Hug and Kisses! Happy Birthday to myself the best gift I have ever giving to me.

According to the BMI charts most American football players and pro wrestlers are obese if not morbidly obese. Yeah, just call one of them a "fat ass" and wake up in the hospital. That's probably the extreme but I've always taken BMI recommendations with a grain of salt. Problem is you can be denied insurance or have higher rates because of them. When I drop below 200 I look thin, really painfully thin. I look good at 220. So when I reach that I am going to consider it a compete success. If I drop lower and don't look like skeletor that's great, otherwise I will be happy. Pre-surgery I was asked to pick a goal weight between the limits on the BMI chart for a six footer male, 160 to 190 - so I choose 180 as an arbitrary goal. 190 was probably more realistic.

Hi! I am about to do my first tri, which incidentally is my first race, ever! (I think I'm crazy!) I'm wondering about energy and what to eat before and during. I think I have a pretty good handle on food in general, I tend to keep to real food, no bars, very little protein powder also. But that might not be possible the day of and during. Any ideas? My tri is Oct 6/12, 1/2 marathon is 1/20/13 I feel like I am ready for my tri, and well on my way to the 1/2. (running is so much easier after losing this much weight, it's amazing!)

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!

wow you have done great and next picture will be super sometimes it take time for the body to show the true weight you have loss....keep going you are on your way and have a super start......

Cigna does not require any weight loss. Hopefully your bariatric program doesn't either, but if they did I'm sure you'd already know that.

I started the day after surgery with 30 minute walks and now two weeks post op I'm back in the gym 2 hours a day doing my normal cardio and light weights! Our all depends on you're body and when you feel well enough to excersize... Banded August 28 2012<br />Starting weight 293<br />Day of surgery weight 273<br />Current weight 258<br />Goal weight 160 5ft 10

I am with you, I am not ashamed of having the sleeve done but it feels very personal and private to me. Even when people ask me how I have lost weight, I have to be careful about what I say so it doesn't get repeated. I have shared with people who I really thought it could help, but if I wanted my whole town to know I would take out an ad in the local newspaper. It is my body and my weight struggle has been a very long and painful one, and I really want my privacy with regards to it. My mother recently came for a visit, she had not seen me since I had the sleeve done and she doesn't know that I did it. I busied myself playing hostess and cooking alot for family, and no one really paid that much attention (much to my relief) what or how much I was eating. I have been thinking about your delimma and I think if it were me, I might tell them that I am working at losing weight (not a lie) and for right now, I am just doing a liquid portion of a diet (also not a lie). Hopefully they will respect your privacy and not pry too much. Keep us posted how it goes. I have found that eating around other people can be stressful, especially when you are at a restaurant and when your order arrives, you can tell that you will only be able to eat a few bites of it. I have gotten pretty clever at pushing the food around on my plate so it looks like I have eaten more than I have Try not to worry too much, it will all work out Kathy

Thanks for all the encouragement! I'm feeling a little better today, but still not wildly excited about things. Another day with no weight loss!I'm trying to vary my calorie intake a bit each day. My past week looked like this:Tues (sick): 397, Wed: 1091; Thurs: 1201; Friday: 522; Sat: 904; Sunday: 1009; Monday: 746. Do you think I'm eating too much? I swim laps for 30 minutes every other day. I can't do anything else because of my bad knees.I have two Protein drinks per day, Vitamins, and as much Water as I can get in. I know I'm a bit low on fluids (maybe 40-50 ounces), but that's all I can get in without feeling sick all the time. I start and end my day with water. My day is like this: Water; 2 soft boiled eggs; protein drink; soup; protein drink; water; protein snack, such as peanut butter; water; dinner--A quarter cup of protein and veggies; evening snack, such as part of an Atkins bar or more peanut butter; water, bed. Honestly, I don't think I can go any lower than this. I haven't been able to eat things I would typically eat, such as chicken, tuna, salmon, or any dairy products at all, since I've had the surgery. And I've been ruthless about getting rid of foods that seem wonderful but have no nutritional value, such as my beloved Ritz crackers! I'm trying to change my relationship with food, but it seems that between me and my body, I'm the only one putting any effort into this.Thanks for "listening."

I am on 20mg lexapro and noticed that I have gained weight since starting it (about 30lbs in 1-2yrs). I was banded 8/25 and have lost 30lbs so far. I have noticed that other people from the "August Allstars" have lost a bit more, but I'm just happy to be losing. I also have hypothyroid and weight has ALWAYS been a problem for me, so just being able to lose anything to me is GREAT! I had 2nd fill today, so sure I'll be dropping more soon!

I have Aetna. Before being banned I had to go to a doctor for 6 months ( Seeing him once per month) and go on a diet. I also had to do a dietitian consult and psychiatric consult ( Which i did in the 5th month) . I would first choose who you are going to have perform the surgery and go to them for the 6 ( or however many) monthly visits. From what they told me, they have a special form to fill out and keep to send in the the insurance company and most doctors office ( like a primary doc ) doesn't document the things they should and one mess up could ruin the whole thing. They have to write down weight , new eating habits , and a few other things. There isn't a way to fast track it... I wish there was!! My time actually went fast. My one biggest advice would be to really work on the pre op diet. I didn't lose any weight in those 6 months. It would have made the big changes to come much easier if i would have worked on new habits then rather than going "cold turkey" LOL I was also approved on the first try. It did take about 2 weeks however! Best of luck!

nausea-no 2 week liquid ( we were given a certain amount of meal replacement drink powder to have each day) pre-op diet with 2-4 cups of certain vegetables for a 10% weight loss had a pre-op class, then chest x-ray, upper GI, EKG, h-pylori after surgery, at least 48 hours of clear liquids, then if we felt ready move on to full liquids (thinned creamed cream of wheat, thinned mashed potatoes, as long as it could still pour off a spoon) The main thing is to allow your surgery to heal. Follow your Dr. guidelines exactly during the healing phase especially.

Lana, You have lost a lot of weight and only have a few pounds to go. I really appreciate your taking the time to give me some honest feedback. I am going for my stress test this morning and tomorrow I get my letter from my therapist. Then my doc will submit for approval. I would love to loose 50 pounds. I understand that it is a journey and the band is just a tool. The change must come from within me. I started riding my bike two days ago and that was fun. I already eat smart (I just eat too much of it!). Again, thanks for thinking of me and good luck to you. I will pray for you.

Thanks for the replies... and the positive outlook! Funny thing... that person that keeps jumping on my back, and falling off??? That so and so gains a few pounds every single time!! Today is a good day, looking forward to band. Had my insurance required GI series Friday, and hope to hear from the doc's office very soon! I have no doubt this weight has affected me emotionally as well... lack of self-confidence, self-esteem, etc... Am I wrong in thinking those things will pick up as the scale goes down and I can see my feet again??? Thanks!!

After 3 months of weight loss, yesterday I emailed my family and friends before and after pictures. I could hardly believe it myself...the difference was amazing. Everyone emailed me back to tell me how proud they were of me and to wish me continued success. The subject line was titled "My Success". At this point, it truly is the most successful I have ever been at losing weight. I am down 40lbs!!! It wasn't while writing the body of my email that I realized this is the I will never have to worry about gaining it back. My personal goal, for the time being, is a total weight loss of 100lbs. I've always prayed and dreamed of losing that kind of weight and now I am. No one is prouder of myself than I am. :clap2: