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Does anyone have a suggestion for losing more weight without having PBs? It's been about a month, and I haven't lost any weight. I'm afraid to go in for a fill because it will cause me to "get sick", and I don't like that feeling. I wonder if I'm sabbotaging my own weight loss. Also I had surgery 12/30/04 and I've only lost 65 pounds. As I've been reading other people's entries, I see they've lost this much in only six months, or those who had surgery when I did and have lost about or over 100 pounds. Your help and gudance and suggestions would be greatly appreciated. drj

I just completed my last weight loss class required by my insurance. Submitted to insurance for approval today! Hopefully, I'm in the last days before I can schedule my surgery!

similar situation, getting revised to the vertical sleeve, band destroyed my esophagus, mysterious manufactured 1.5cc's of fluid. Since emptying I've had constant diarrhea and have gained back 50 of the 100;bs i had lost. I cannot wait to get this voodoo piece of cr@p out my body

Good job wisegirl i try to do the same just weight myself when i go for my monthly fill...keep up the good work...im loving my band!

I'm in the same boat and just started getting myself motivated to lose again. I lost an initial 62 lbs since my surgery (73 since pre-op) in the four years since I was banded. I have recently gained 17 lbs back and that is where I put my foot down. I had my band unfilled for a month and have an appointment for next week to start over. I am going to pretend like my band was just put on and start the same diet I did four years ago. I am exercising regularly, which is something I had let go. It's really about being in the mind set to do it. You have to find your motivation. Mine was that my clothes were all getting too tight and I didn't like how my skin looked. And it helped that one of my best friends just lost 123 lbs. I look at her every day and she motivates me. Good luck and don't give up. Most of all - if you fail it is ok as long as you try again. Don't beat yourself up over it and give up, just keep trying.

If you're losing more than 2-3 lbs a week, you're probably losing muscle and you don't wan't that. You'll have weeks when you lose 6 lbs and weeks when you lose nothing, but your average shouldn't be more than 2-3 lbs a week. I raise or lower my caloric intake to keep my weight loss at about 3lbs a week, and I work fairly hard to keep it at that level.

Hello to all. I am new to this site but not new to the process. I was banded by Dr. Adam Kaplan July 22nd, 2009. I have lost a total of 93lbs according to the weight I was at the day of the surgery. But I did gain 39lbs in the 6-8 month period that elapsed between my initial consultation and the actual surgery date. I admit, I have not been what my doctor would call "compliant" to his rules, but I have lost quite a bit and have not had any set backs or problems. I am now on my last leg of my weight loss journey. I have approximately 40-50 lbs to go before I have my abdominoplasty and I am now recommitted to this process and want to finish what I have started. I have not had a fill for almost a year and I have lost most of my weight without the help of my doctor. However, I realize I need to do more and its time for a fill but in order to do this, I had to go back to eating one cup total of food three times a day. This is a challenge! I need some encouragement and do not have time with my busy lifestyle to go to the support group meetings scheduled by my Lap Band doctor's office so here I am. I look forward to learning and helping to encourage if I can.

On 4/25/14, after 2 full days of pain and vomitting blood, I was rushed to the hospital via rescue. What was happening to me? I thought it was my band and it was. My band had slipped and cut off the blood supply to my stomach. Scar tissue had began forming and the stomach was starting to die. OK, this is serious..That night, my band was removed. I had my buddy band for 2 1/2 years. 120+ pounds gone and I was not having any issues..wow, when I started issues, I really started. I am now bandless and don't know if or when I can have anything else done. Due to my current weight and BMI, I don't think that will happen. Thank you all for being so honest about your problems and fears - post band - I am looking forward to following this thread and with your help, getting through this and moving on. I am still in pain and still have my stitches..I'm trying to be good but I also feel sorry for myself and letting fear take over a bit. Anyone who can shed some light on post-band it is appreciated. Melinda in Florida

Most insurances will not cover a tummy tuck. Some will cover a panniculectomy with certain requirements. Most post weight loss plastic surgery can be very difficult to have insurance cover unless there is a documented history of rashes, infections, or hindering movement. Exercise can help, but some skin will be too far gone to ever snap back. It just depends on the degree you can live with. I can live with mine. Shapewear is a great thing.

Everyone has different time constraints. Fantastic that you are getting your workout 2X a day. What are your fitness goals? What types of exercise do you find interesting? Do you need something easy on your joints to begin with? Do you work out at home or a gym? Do you need to buy equipment working out at home? You get to decide how much time you are going to invest in yourself. The weight loss is just a perk of the work you put into this. Here are some links to give your some fitness inspiration: Just google for more! Home workouts: dumbell workout Phala B fit training website - level one to level 5 programs Gym or home weight lifting exercise database. choose the muscle you want to work on. It will give you a video of how to use the equipment and perform the exercise. Three months : Cardio and adding weight lifting into my program. I work out at a gym in the evening. Over the years my fitness level and goals have evolved and changed. It's always a work in progress.

Does anyone else use this? I signed up yesterday, since I now have a little less restriction than normal (in order to let my stomach recover from too much restriction). It will calculate your daily calorie needs based on height, weight, and your goals. I chose "lose 2 pounds a week", and "light activity" for my exercise. The site gave a rather high calorie count, however, so I plan to stick well below that. One feature I like is the fact that you can add users' recipes to your food log. There are some tasty-sounding recipes on the site, and everything is calculated for you.

I just got the call from the Nutitionist at my Dr. office. She asked me my current weight and starting weight. Since I've already lost 9 lbs she said I don't have to do the liquid diet for 7 days. She said just stick to a low calorie (1000 cals) diet and drop a few more pounds that way! :clap2: That was great news for me as that was a daunting prospect for me - being only on liquids pre-band for 7 days! WHOOHOOO!!!! She suggested a low fat breakfast like Special K and low fat milk, a shake at lunch and 250 cals for dinner. Hot damn. I'm thrilled. Then she warned me - some people lie about their start weight and have problems. Not a big deal for me since I know I'm not making it up - I just thought it was interesting that someone might lie about it....

No, I don't think so. I see a slight upward slope for those in the 90th and 95th percentiles, meaning that the weight loss continues for these high achievers, albeit at a slower rate. You beat the odds. You're doing great! Now please share your success factors.

You sound A LOT like me. I, like you, have been big for what seems like forever. I too was around 250 when I graduated high school and I haven't been under 300 pounds since I gave birth to my daughter almost 18 years ago. I hovered around 380 for many years, then gained even more when my health took a turn for the worse the last couple years. I maxed out at 421. I know you're scared, but if you are willing to make the necessary life changes to be successful with the band, you will be so glad you did it. I never in my wildest dreams thought I'd lose weight. I still have a ways to go, but I've already lost 96 pounds in just under 5 months. I was hoping to have lost 100 pounds by my birthday in a couple weeks, and now I'm sure I'll actually surpass that goal. I LOVE my band!! This is by far the greatest thing I've ever done for myself. Hang in there, you will do beautifully too

I know just how you feel. I am 2 years post op and oddly enough I didn't have these fears before my surgery. I had waited and wanted it for so long that fear wasn't present on the surface. Now however, 2 years later, and not having the success that I thought I would...I do have fears everyday. The band did allow me to lose enough weight that I'm now expecting my first child so for that I'm thankful...but I'll be honest with you...everyone's experience is different. I attend a support group through my physician's office of 35+ people twice a month...no 2 stories are alike. There are people in there that are dropping weight like nobody's business and have no problems. There are people that are miserable and can't tolerate any foods. And there's everything in between. As much as you prepare and as much excitement as you may possess, there's only one way to know how it will work for you and that is to take the huge leap of faith required to do it. I know it isn't easy. And I would definitely encourage you to talk to your surgeon about which WLS option is best for you and what they offer in terms of post-op support. It shouldn't stop with surgery... Best of luck to you.

The thing that bothers me with weight is airline travel. Im to the point of barely fitting in the seat and getting a seatbelt on. I PRAY nobody has to sit with me. Once I was put in a seat beside a guy who was actually bigger (ironically from my same office), and it was actually comical because it was so bad! We both agreed to compare our tickets in the future and adjust!

You are losing at a fantastic pace for you!! Don't worry about what anyone else is doing. You will lose the weight, at YOUR pace. Congrats on your weight loss so far, it is phenomenal!!

Almost two months since banding and well the weight loss is so wonderful a few big burps and occasionally a bit of discomfort from eating too fast or two big a bite is a small price to pay for how I feel otherwise. Don't worry too much but remember to chew, chew, chew and small bites all the time.

Clinically, HFLC diets are used for non-WLS gastrectomy patients who need to avoid weight loss and ultimately regain unwanted loss and indeed, this does present one of the challenges for WLS patients who adopt this approach. During the early weight loss months (when we are relatively insensitive to diet due to the enforced restriction courtesy of our WLS,) many will proudly proclaim that they "do full fat everything". This works fine when we are largely consuming "condiment" amounts of fats early on, but often bites people when they carry that practice into maintenance and allow the higher calories to get away from them. It can be done for whatever reason you may want to do it, but you do need to be watchful of your overall consumption to avoid regain. Philosophically, in the absence of a specific medical condition that warrants it, I'm not a big fan of diets that are "low" or "high" of anything as that implies deficiency or excess. One might do a short term very high or low diet to counter an existing imbalance (such as treating insulin resistance with a very low carb diet,) and then moderating that extreme to a more balanced state as the body's chemistry corrects itself for the long term.

I am 29 going on 30. Got banded in August. Weight loss has not been rapid one because not in the green zone and secondly I'm only 5' 0 so they said it will lose at a slower pace. I just wish there were monthly meetings for people that have had this done. If anyone knows where there may be one please let me know extra support never killed anyone (isn't that the saying) Thanks everyone

This post is just minutes after yours....must be fate! I had the same problem when I found out my surgery date. I had already made up my mind that the only person at work I would tell would be my boss....I didn't want her to think it was some kind of debilitating or heart surgery. Also, for the same reason as yours.....well-wishers who unintentionally sabotage our weight loss...and lead us to the path of gaining it back again. I could lose weight.....but keeping it off was impossible...because people would say how nice I looked and how thin I looked...so I figured...if I looked that good I didn't need to follow the diet anymore! End of success! So I know exactly what you are going through. I had my surgery on 9/24/04 and just about a month ago started telling others about my surgery. I have lost almost 70 pounds and now that people are asking "how'd you do it"? I have to be honest and tell them...have to give credit to the band and me! I tell them exactly how I did it....with the help of this great tool. We all have been told over and over that the band is NOT a "magic cure"....that it will still take OUR hard work and a definite change of lifestyle. It's a "TOOL" to help us lose the weight and keep it off. You need to face the scale, for yourself. You need the accountability, and the Dietitian is there to help you if you have a problem with your diet. The surgery, I feel, is the easiest part of the whole process!!! It's the follow up and support that is VERY IMPORTANT afterwards!!! This is what helps you get used to your new lifestyle. You can only tell people about the surgery when you have come to terms with your success first. I was not ready.....not right away....but now I am a speaker at the Lap Band Seminars at our hospital and I am not afraid or ashamed or embarrassed at all to tell everyone that I lost the weight with the help of the lap band. There are always those who will say, why couldn't you do it on your own? But they don't understand, because they have never tried. Having the surgery is the BEST thing I have done for myself in my life!!! There is nobody that can convince me otherwise. It will take time; but you will see the changes in yourself, in the mirror, and gain your self-confidence back. It didn't take us overnight to gain the weight....so it won't happen overnight that we get used to the wonderful changes in us!!! I've been fat all my life....so it will take a while for me to think of myself as otherwise! I can bet in a few months you will be your surgeon's best advocate!!! Bring out that scale....or go to the doctor's office to get weighed....just only do it once a week or every two weeks, so you are not checking all the time. Hang in there....you'll start to recognize that the person you are seeing in the mirror is YOU....inside and out!!! Take care, Nancy* huggggggggsssss

Hello All: I have been banded since Nov 24th 2004 - When I was looking for a weight loss surgery I read about the band and immediately knew this was for me. I orignally was to go Mexico but with the concerns of my family decided to stay close to home. So here I sit 3 months out...I have lost weight but I'm so afraid to weigh myself or even think I'm losing weight. I have had so much disappointment and frustrations with diets before the band that I'm afriad to think positive only to be disappointed again. When people ask me how much I lost I just make up a number or just say I don't kn ow. I'm even afraid to call my doc for an follow up appointment in fear the scale will increase instead of decrease..and get a lettuce on what I'm doing wrong. I've started exercising and I eat less then 800 cal. and 70 grams fo protein a day. What If I fail:nervous what will I do, how will I feel? :ermm I so much what to be a success but afraid it won't happen. I can not picture in my mind me at a normal weight I only see FAT...... Am I being silling?

I dont know if I am posting in the right section but I just had to share that I am shocked and so happy that I have lost 13lbs in ten days! I stepped on and off the scale about ten times to make sure that it was true. I havent lost this much weight in over ten years. It is so awesome, everything Ive been through thus far is so worth it!