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I can so relate to the stairs issue. I have a bad knee as well & with my pre-surgery weight would "plan" my trips up and down the stairs in our home. Now, my knee hardly hurts and all & I am up and down those stairs all the time. Congratulations to you!!!!

Wow what a great answer! Right now I am eating between 1200 and 1500 calories. I NEVER lose weight eating that amount of caloires. I have suspected this for a long time and pretty much have proved it now. On this amount of caloires, I basically maintain. The only time I have ever lost a substaintial amount of weight was when I went on the Dr. Bernstein Diet (I think this is mainly a Canadian diet not sure if you have heard about it). It limits you to about 600-800 calories and you get Vitamin B shots under doctor and nurse supervision. It is grossly expensive. It works, but most regain extremely quickly after you run out of $ and have to stop the program. So I know I have to be under 1000 calories in order to lose, this is why I decided on the band. Glad to see the calorie count will go down, hopefully soon! I also feel stuffed a lot when my band is tighter. I was wondering if this is a problem??, because they say you should not feel stuffed.

I had the same problem. I needed to show weight loss for my final appointment with the NUT so I could get submitted for insurance approval. What I did was ate a small Breakfast at about 7:30 then had a Meal Replacement shake at 11:30 at lunch at 1 a meal replacement at 4 and another at 6. Then 3 days before my appointment I had nothing but 6 Meal Replacements every day. and purposely went to my appointment dehydrated. I took a bottle of Water with me to drink as soon as I got my weigh in done. I just considered it a practice run for my two week pre-op diet. I showed the weight loss was passed. Now I am waiting for insurance approval. Good luck!

Thanks! It's getting easier to accept. I'm passed the whole shocked aspect. I gained 45 pounds with my last pregnancy and wasn't thin to start with :/ hoping to keep this round under control!

Average loss will depend a LOT on your Excess Weight. Figure your excess weight by subtracting your goal weight (or your normal BMI weight) from your weight the day of surgery. Say you have 100 pounds of excess weight. If you are having an AVERAGE experience...at 3 months, you can expect to have lost around 33 pounds. At 6 months, around 50 pounds. At 12 months, around 65 pounds, and 18 months...around 70 pounds. Some people lose much more weight than average. Some lose less. people are individual. LoseBig....you do seem to be losing much faster than average for someone with 114 pounds of excess weight on the day of surgery.

So I managed to pick up a stomach bug the day after my vacation. When I got home I weighed myself and scale said 199lbs. Woohoo onederland! Then all day yesterday and so far today as well I have been with diarrhea and not eating much (I get nausea) the scale now reads 197lbs. As excited as I am to see that number on the scale (I haven't seen a 1 in front of my weight in over 14 years!) I know I weigh 197 cause of the diarrhea. Should I even count that??

I don't think that I would mind the slow weight loss either. I think it may be better also.

I'm in birmingham also. I just submitted my paperwork to the insurance, I'm hoping to be approved and to hear within the next week or so. I'm using dr miles with alabama weight loss surgery. Good luck to you both!!

I want to know the truth about this. As a teacher my health insurance is awesome. However when I retire I will have to deal with getting insurance. Yes, it's probably about ten years away but I think it's a concern. First I read a post here about it (someone denied) and I have googled the subject and found info. from some years ago about how difficult it is to be insured after the surgery. Assuming you're at goal weight and an insurance company funded the surgery wouldn't it stand to reason that they would see you as healthier?? Does anyone here work for an insurance company or know the deal about it?

I too had the lap and in 2008. The first two years were wonderful and I got as low has 185. I too am 5'2" and a petite female, in other words I was far never big boned. In 2012 I finally admitted to having some serious issues with my band; reflux, heartburn, not eating until 4 in the afternoon because my band had to warm up. It was two years of hell for me. I finally went in and had an egd and found out I had intestinal metaplasia, caused from the reflux and heartburn caused from the band. I decided then and there to have it taken out. My surgeon advised me that revisions are more complicated but I was an excellent candidate. I was revised to RNY on June 12, 2013. I weighed 218 on the day of surgery. I hit my goal weight in the summer of 2014 and had a circumferential lower body lift at the beginning of November. I feel fantastic, am holding steady at 110 to 112 and now have the figure I felt I always should have had. I eat sensibly, exercise and take my Vitamins daily. I bought jeans last week at lucky brand and got size double zero. Never in a million years did I ever think I would be that tiny. I look normal and healthy and when I look at pictures of myself at my highest weight of 270 size 24 I can't believe it's me. Anyone starting this journey know it isn't easy but it can be done. I wasn't a fast loser but I worked the process every single day. Good luck!

I too had the lap and in 2008. The first two years were wonderful and I got as low has 185. I too am 5'2" and a petite female, in other words I was far never big boned. In 2012 I finally admitted to having some serious issues with my band; reflux, heartburn, not eating until 4 in the afternoon because my band had to warm up. It was two years of hell for me. I finally went in and had an egd and found out I had intestinal metaplasia, caused from the reflux and heartburn caused from the band. I decided then and there to have it taken out. My surgeon advised me that revisions are more complicated but I was an excellent candidate. I was revised to RNY on June 12, 2013. I weighed 218 on the day of surgery. I hit my goal weight in the summer of 2014 and had a circumferential lower body lift at the beginning of November. I feel fantastic, am holding steady at 110 to 112 and now have the figure I felt I always should have had. I eat sensibly, exercise and take my vitamins daily. I bought jeans last week at lucky brand and got size double zero. Never in a million years did I ever think I would be that tiny. I look normal and healthy and when I look at pictures of myself at my highest weight of 270 size 24 I can't believe it's me. Anyone starting this journey know it isn't easy but it can be done. I wasn't a fast loser but I worked the process every single day. Good luck!

The approval process in the US seems like a hardship. Here in PR is easier for the patients, if you have a BMI of 35 or higher with comorbidities or 40 or higher, all insurance companies must approve your surgery within 15 days of submitting your application provided you include evidence of having tried any weight loss treatment and or exercise plan without success, and the basic medical evidence. Then with the approval you begin the process of nutricionist, and all the evaluations needed prior surgery.

Hi JennyBean, You are correct MOST people have to go very low in order to lose weight, I do, too. When you get low in calories of around 500-800 calories a day you do need to supplement more and some people take B12 supplements to keep their strength up from being weak. Everyone that I've known to have the Bypass or Sleeve, usually go very low in calories, more so than Lap banders, since they lose very quickly. Some say that going low will take you into starvation mode, for ME, starvation mode does not exist, I can't lose consistently at 1500 calories, I think when you are very young and have a very strong metabolism that may work for young active people, but if you are over 40 like me, that does not work. Well hopefully if we use our band wisely, we will have our bands to stop that regain .. Yes that is the dangers of going low it can ruin your metabolism, this is why I try to walk daily or get on the treadmill daily for about 20 minutes to keep my metabolism strong. Well I feel stuffed too, here is the thing, I eat very dense food, this way I don't have to keep my band too tight, for example, I think my band is now at the right spot. I feel tight in the mornings, but I can still eat all solid food, if I eat yogurt, I don't get that signal that stimulates my vagus nerve, the key to eating with the band is eating DENSE food, that will keep hungry at bay for hours. Really learning how the band works takes a course ...lol... For example, if I eat a boil egg or scrambled egg it will keep my fuller longer than eating yogurt or cottage cheese or a Protein drink, remember food has to be dense to send that signal to your brain, and dense food also give you that stuffed feeling, that is how MY band works. And if I eat a few slices of an apple -- that's IT, I plugs me up and I can't eat dinner, so I have to carefully watch my diet to eat more because the more dense foods I eat the LESS I can eat, this is something newbies don't understand well, this is why newbies make a mistake and get too tight, when in fact being too tight will create the opposite. Believe it or not, those who's bands are too tight end up eating MORE calories than those who are in the green zone at their sweet spot, because when the band is too tight, will be fighting heartburn and a feeling of misery, More acid creates a false sense of hunger, and the vagus nerve is not stimulated because nothing dense is hitting the stomach, and those who are too tight will get sick and tired of sipping protein drinks, and yogurt and panic and eat chips, candy, Cookies, soft carbs, etc and many don't' lose weight and many end up with slipped bands with no weight loss. If you are feeling stuffed don't worry about it, that is a good thing, I guess you need to focus more on making sure that you are not eating over 4oz per meal. For ME, when I eat an egg and drink some crystal lite, I am stuff and can't eat any more, the band is not about restriction but feeling satisfied, but for me, I get full. In fact when I eat two solid meals, I can't eat anything else, for example, if I eat breakfast and lunch, I will not be hungry for dinner, and if I eat dinner when I wake up I am not hungry for breakfast until around 10am or 11am.....so it's difficult for me to eat 3 solid meals per day...but if I was eating soft food, and protein drinks I would be more hungrier. The key to the band is getting the adjustment "just right" where you can eat solids and dense foods to plug up the stomach to keep your hunger at bay for hours, and my band is now doing that. If the band is too tight you will not be able to enjoy or get down healthy dense food that will stimulate the vagus nerve to keep you satiated for hours, like an egg, or apple. Hope this helps.

I would say decrease calories ... since you have lost a lot of weight your body may no longer need 1200 calories ... how about 1000 1050 for 3 days and see if that helps. or do a liquid diet for 2 days and see if that breaks the plateau

My surgery is January 9th, I start a all liquid diet Jan. 1st. I have been on this journey for about 6 years, I would lose the weight and cancel surgery. I have had enough of yo yo weight loss. Cant wait to be sleeved. My diet now is anything I see I eat, Stopping that Sunday,and back to all Protein fresh fruit and veggies. No diet coke,or any carbonated beverages. I will be 50 at surgery so this is an important step for me, I have young boys in sports and would love to coach them and run with them and skate with them. So I need to lose the weight. I also have a 100 pound 6 year old and I need to set a better example for him to follow. Hes very athletic tall too. but built like his dad. we walk together to keep it off. Thats my story so far, liquid diet will be the worst but worth it. Lets hear some more join in...

Depends on your Dr.'s requirements. My Dr. did not prescribe what I can or cannot eat/drink during the pre-op diet. He simply said I must loose X amount of weight prior to surgery, or he would not perform it. Simple. Didn't care how I did it, just as long as I did. My surgery was a Monday, I had my final meeting and weigh-in with him on the Friday before. Lost 20lbs, all was good. See you Monday morning at the hospital. Saturday, I went out and had my LAST MEAL, all and everything I wanted to eat - drink. Knowing that that would be the last time, which is was. Sunday I fasted all day. Nothing but Clear liquids. Monday was surgery - no problems.

Good morning! I'm on day 6 of my two week pre-op diet. Unfortunately, you are going to have hunger pains,headaches and mood swings. That's just part of pre-op. That being said, there are, at least for me,things that help. For the headaches, I take Tylenol. Remember... no NSAIDS. Tylenol doesn't always work but it seems to take the edge off the headaches. As for the hunger pains, I drink hot decaf tea. I can have artificial sweeteners, so I put some Splenda in it. For me, the tea eases the hunger pains. It doesn't always get rid of them, but it makes them easier to deal with. I drink a LOT of hot tea! Doing these things seems to help with the mood swings. Also, keep yourself distracted, if you don't focus on them it's easier. I read a lot, and I am still going to my water aerobics class and will until I have to stop for my surgery. I don't know if you had to lose weight before you could qualify for surgery. I had to do a six month insurance mandated diet. I just keep telling myself that if I could do that to qualify for surgery, then I can certainly do two weeks of pre-op!!! :-)

Since my weight has come down I'm waking up early morning with massive amounts of energy it's like nothing I've ever experienced before, I'm walk-run-sprinting for 10 kilometres and returning home and lifting weights for 30 mins and still cannot sit or relax due to the amount of energy running through me, normally this has been happening between 8am -9.30am then goes away, anyone else experienced this?

After reading up on the three most common procedures, I decided on the sleeve. I think the lap band has the highest failure rate; not because of the procedure itself, but because it's the easiest to misuse and cheat. I've seen/heard/read of many people converting from band to sleeve. The bypass seemed too extreme for the 110 lbs I wanted to lose and I worried about the malabsorptive aspects of the procedure. It seems that more daily supplements might be required to replace nutirients that aren't absorbed. Also, I got the impression that the skin used to create the new pouch is very elastic. I worried about it stretching and allowing me to cheat it as well. So the sleeve seemed to hit the Goldilocks spot right in the middle. It's permanent. It allows for more nutrient absorption than the bypass. The remaining portion of the stomach is less stretchy. And this is a biggie.... The area of the stomach that produces the hunger hormone ghrellin is in the section that is removed during surgery. The Wikipedia article on ghrellin states that the sleeve procedure reduces ghrellin levels 60% long-term. So that sealed it for me. You will have to decide which procedure is right for you based on your research and conversations with your doctor. As others have stated, the answer will involve the amount of weight you need to lose, your co-morbidities, and your ability to stick with different levels of follow-up care. Good luck with your decision!

I finally made it. It seems like it took forever. I had my lapband surgery in April of 2012. I lost 60 pounds within the first few months and got down to exactly 200 lbs. Then I found out I was pregnant. I gained 40 lbs back during my pregnancy. Now I finally lost the 40 I gained and made it to ONEDERLAND.

Thanks to some genetics and my weight, I have rather bad knees and back problems. The result was I would get really tired just going up one flight of stairs - and would try to avoid them whenever possible. I couldn't walk more than 5 minutes without getting winded. I couldn't even stand in place for 5 minutes without breaking out in a sweat. Then I had VSG. Today - just 2.5 weeks after surgery, I was moving some stuff into my new apartment. I totally forgot about the stairs. There are 4 steps up to the front entrance, then 8 more down to my floor. I did all 12 steps at least 8 times today (both ways - so 16 times total I suppose)! I also unpacked my trunk twice taking stuff into the apartment and putting it away immediately. For me, this is a MAJOR NSV! Boy am I tired now though. Oh, and because I forgot to pack my lunch, I stopped at Big Boy for lunch (plus I wanted to sit in air conditioning for a bit - my apartment has air, but no furniture yet). I ordered the Grilled chicken dinner that came with 2 sides (I chose cottage cheese and baby carrots). My eyes are still bigger than my stomach. I barely made it through the cottage cheese (which was about 1/2 cup). So, I asked for a box when the waitress brought my meal and immediately packaged up the chicken and the carrots that turned out to be glazed carrots. I left the roll on the plate. My "doggie bag" will be at least 3 meals for me - I just have to puree it first. So although I'm really tired, I am proud of myself today. Now to rest up a bit (my back is really bothering me right now, so I'm resting) and then re-pack the car with more stuff for moving tomorrow. At least tomorrow my furniture will arrive at some point in the afternoon, so I'll have a chair to sit on!

I met with my surgeon for the first time on October 2nd. Since I have acid reflux really bad, my only option for weight loss surgery is the gastric bypass. I was prepared for this choice because I have done a lot of research on wls. I have 3 month worth of diet and Dr visits, and about 6 weeks after that should be my surgery. Is there any advice or information that anyone thinks I should know?

I had been warned that post weight loss surgery that some people have an increase in BO. I just left the gym and I reek of BO. I am not up to my old treadmill routine of hills and spead but I am working hard enough to raise my pulse. Thing is I barley sweated even though in the past this long of a work out with a pulse level I achieved I would of been soaked. So is the increased BO because My body is not letting go of its precious fluids and the sweat is concentrated stinky stuff?Does this stage last long? What has been your experience?

Crod; A few things come to mind. First, congrats on your success. MANY Band Patients do not make it to those last 15. You have done very, very well. First, you said you exercise, but you did not specify what KIND of exercise you do. In a later post you agreed that you should start doing cardio. If you have not been doing much or any cardio up to this point, then you really have not been working out. Cardio is KEY to losing weight. You should spend most of the hour you dedicate to exercise on cardio, with your pulse in the correct range. That might be all you need to shed those pounds. Also, you said that you ate correctly %99 percent of the time, but you did not specify what exactly that means. To many people on this forum, "eating correctly" means having only ONE Snickers instead of 3. I have stated many times on this forum that it is the constant, small decisions we make in what we eat that will determine whether or not we are totally successful. I seem to continually get into arguments here with people on the subject of alcohol. I won't open that debate here, but in fact those couple of glasses of wine that many people have at dinner or bedtime might be inhibiting their weight loss. I saw a post recently where one member (LeighaMason, I believe) had difficulty losing her last 10 or 15 pounds. When she cut out her glass of wine, the weight came off. It is NOT always a matter of Calories in/calories burned…..different types of food have different effects on your METABOLISM. Alcohol is one of them. I am not suggesting that this is your problem, but I would encourage you to take a serious look at what you are consuming. Culturally, we are very conditioned to think that certain things are "good" for us, when in fact they are ONLY good for the people who SELL them. Milk, for instance, is one of those foods. We are the only creatures on earth who continue to consume milk after we have been weaned from our Mothers, and with all of the hormones and drugs that the dairy animals are given to promote growth (and profits), there is a good possibility the Milk we consume can be, in fact be having a detrimental effect on us. Most of the positive nutrients in Milk are destroyed during the homogenization process, so you're not getting much nutrition from your Milk, but you ARE getting some fat, calories, and other things that are NOT desirable. You can get all the Calcium you need from a small serving of vegetables. So, I would encourage to you take a close look at what you are eating. There might be some things that you can change that will make a difference. You have done very well, so you must be eating fairly well. I suspect, though, that adding in as much cardio as possible in the exercise program will be of great benefit, in a number of ways. Cardio is tough to get going on, but after you have done it for a while, you will begin to look forward to it. Best of luck; keep us posted! S.

I told EVERYONE lol even strangers and I really never got a bad reply.. I was and am so excited about it. This saved my life who cares how it happened but it saved me. If someone ever was negative I wouldn't care but I needed to tell everyone to help keep me in line. I knew if I kept it a secret I wouldn't be held as accountable if I didn't lose. I had to work hard, I had to follow the band rules, if I didn't I wouldn't lose and everyone would know. Soooo it worked for me I hit goal before a year, I am now wayyy below my original goal have lost over half of my orgiginal body weight and just had plastic surgery as the cherry on top. Good luck and there really is no right answer. You have to do what is right for you :thumbup: