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please dont worry i did not lose any weight on my pre op and my surgeon was happy he said that it showed i was doing the right thing as it is all to do with fluid levels and the shrinkage of my liver, so dont give up yuou will be fine! xx

I have a proform xp 160. I've had it for about 3 years. It's very sturdy and has a weight capacity of 275 lbs. I also use the precor machines at the gym. They make home versions as well.

Thanks very much for the replies and support. The visit went well, he is pleased with my weight loss but is now insisting that I exercise on a regular basis. I know this but mentally the idea of losing calories when I am eating so few is a major challenge, has been from the beginning. The labs were a little questionable since I had a delay in finding Vitamins that could be tolerated after surgery. Vitamin D was low but it's been so since before surgery so that does not concern me right now. My cholesterol jumped 20 points in three months(!) and my AC1 is elevated. I have NEVER had an elevated glucose level, fasting or not, and this has set me on edge. Doc says this was the body reacting to surgery over the time period and the new way of eating but still. I have a visit scheduled with my PCP in about a week and will have her pull labs again to double check these results.

Hi all I had a Midband fitted in March this year in France though I live in England. I have lost about 32lbs so far, though I think I need another fill. I am loving being banded (not the Pbing) and cant wait to lose even more weight. It will be good to get some extra support and be able to share my experiences with others. Hunnie

Does anyone have contacts or people near Ft Wood/Waynesville/Rolla/Cuba area that are bandsters? That have been through the pre-post & after care process? I am resolved & excited about finding a tool to help me lose weight. I need some answers and maybe a suppport group. What about it any one out there in this region? LaLee:eek:

AS of yesterday I am in ONEDERLAND!!!!! I was 197 yesterday and today so i think i can claim it.. I dont remember the last time i was under 200 -- I really want to say it was a good 20 years ago or more.. I was so excited i was nearly jumping up and down OH!! AND i weight LESS than my husband for the first time EVER!

Planks are excellent cause they work the entire core - front, back, chest, and hips/legs. Any kind of core work is a fantastic idea. There are a ton of options. I also really like the mountain climber (if you do look it up - I do a slower, more controlled version, keeping my body in a straight line - don't lift the hips up and curve the back or you negate most core work). If you do decide to go with sit-ups, studies have shown that quicker reps work your abs harder than a slow, controlled movement. :frown: To add...about the underarms. Two very good workouts are either the close-grip bench press or push-ups with the hands closer together. Two options, there - so whether or not you have access to a weight room, you can go either direction.

I feel my band tighten up around my period time...I need a slight unfill so I know how you feel dont wait get some taken out losing weight with the band shouldnt be painfull or depressing....

I was'nt required to lose any weight before surgery but I did end up losing 13lbs because all i could have was liqued. Try that for the final two days. Might help.

My surgery is on the 12th and I am doing the liquid diet as well, my scales at home say I've lost 6 pounds but the scales at my pre-op appt at the hospital this morning say 10! I'm going with those ; ) The liquid diet is not fun but will be worth it in the end I'm sure. Losing any amount of weight helps I'm sure, I mean if you went in for emergency gallbladder (sp?) suregry you wouldn't have been on a liquid diet and they still are able to operate. I think it is also to help prepare us mentally and emotionally as well...just my opinion. Good luck on your surgery, and your new journey!

I lost alot of my weight really fast. But once I hit 213lb I quit loosing. It has taking me 6 months to loose 20lbs. HELP I am very close to my goal. I just want to loose 40 more lbs. I got another fill a month ago and I am at very good restriction but I am still loosing really slow. I am only eating about 1 cup of food a day. Any suggestions?

Hey everyone.. I'm 5 weeks post op and only lost abt 20 lbs:( I take my Vitamins, at least 60g of pro daily, I do have room for improvement with exercise & Water intake. I am just so disappointed... I expected so much more! Surg-9/11...SW=244. CW=224 I would appreciate any feedback. Anyone else experience such a slow start??

I am using the nutritionist at my surgeons office. I called Aetna and they said that's fine as long as she documents my weight loss, exercise, and behavior modifications. But aside from the weight loss, I can really just make up the other stuff so it just seemed odd to me that they are trusting what I tell the nutritionist. She's just told me cut out carbs for the most part.

Hello fellow weight loss friends! I have decided to capture a little bit about what I have been through, and my progress through through the sleeve process. I also thought it might be helpful for those of you transitioning between band and sleeve to have some info about what feels the same and what feels different. I am also, selfishly, wanting to capture some of the feelings and emotions I have had around the success and subsequent failure of my band while it is so fresh in my head. This is not meant as a complain session, but a reminder of all the reasons I NEVER want to weigh 360 pounds ever again! In April 2009, I had a successful Lap Band surgery, and was able to lose 120 pounds over the course of two years. I was so incredibly happy with the results, and often said it was the best decision I have ever made. To this day, despite the complication that came up for me, I am still not at all sorry I had surgery. I knew I wanted to have another baby, and the idea that I could adjust the band if I did get pregnant was very appealing. At the time, the notion that the band could be removed was also enticing, though it has become clear it was a tool that I really needed to be successful. In 2012, I did get pregnant again, and unlike my first pregnancy, everything was incredibly smooth. I had started kickboxing in 2010 and was able to keep that up through almost all of my gestation. At the end, I was just too big and my balance was off, so it wan't safe to try and be quite so intense in my exercise. The gestational diabetes that I dealt with during my first pregnancy did NOT return, my blood pressure was normal throughout, and I gained very little weight. It was amazing. I have birth to a big, healthy baby boy in Feb. 2013. Things took a dramatic turn for me in November 2013, however. I contracted a terrible stomach bug and threw up violently. Of course, I had the anti-nausea pills, and tried to take them, but just kept throwing them right back up over and over again. Unfortunately, I ended up with a perforated stomach and contracted severe peritonitis (as my stomach contents leaked into my peritoneal cavity.) Without going into great detail, I will just say that I was very sick and feel grateful to still be here today. I spent 6 nights in the hospital recovering and had to have the lap band removed at that time. It was the beginning of an unfortunate spiral for me. I tried very hard to continue to eat the same way without the band that I had been eating with it for the past five years. As my voracious hunger returned, that became harder and harder to do, and as each month slipped by, weight was returning. I had gone back to kickboxing, but had to quit again because of the surgery. I fell into a pretty deep depression about the whole situation and knew early on that I wanted to consider getting the sleeve surgery ASAP. All of the reasons I needed the Lap Band as a tool were still in me, and I knew having another Lap Band installed would be a foolish choice. My surgeon agreed, and approved me for sleeve surgery in April 2014. Then, my insurance denied the surgery. I was totally devastated. That was when the weight really started piling on. I felt to totally defeated. I know my behavior was just stupid and fueled by self-pity, but nevertheless, I ended up just shy of my original weight prior to lap band surgery. I appealed the decision, and ultimately won! (If anyone would like to see the letter to use as a template for your own appeal, I would be happy to share - just let me know). So, fast forward to yesterday at 5:00 a.m. I arrived at the hospital so excited to get my life back! I was nervous too, of course, but I am happy to report that despite some significant scar tissue and damage from the band, my Dr. was very happy with how the procedure went. I write this at the beginning of day two, and so far, I am feeling great. I have been up and walking several times yesterday and today. I will start liquids this morning and will likely get off the IV fluids shortly. I will spend one more night here at the hospital, and then will get to go home. I plan to take a week off of work and return a week from tomorrow. I know that is a little on the short side, but fortunately my job is not physically demanding, so I think I will be ok. My pain is totally manageable, I have had a little bit of nausea off and on, but the Dr. gave me some medicine that helped a great deal with that. No throwing up, which is good! My back is a little sore from spending so much time in bed, but really, I feel fantastic overall! I really do want to take a minute to capture all of the things that had resolved for me when I had lost the 120 pounds that came creeping back as I got heavy again. I never was skinny, but compared to 370 lbs., 244 felt like a dream! I wasn't sleeping well at night - I am sure my sleep apnea returned and I never woke up feeling rested. This resulted in tremendous fatigue that would last all the time, day in and day out. I was so uncomfortably hot all the time. Going to the grocery store was such a big ordeal. I would get so embarrassed about how sweaty I would get by the time I reached the check out line. My lower back hurt ALL THE TIME and my poor feet would just ache if I had to stand or walk for any longer than 10 to 15 minutes at a time. Getting up off the floor when I was playing with my children practically took 20 minutes. I had to be so very careful or my knees would suffer for days. The same was true for getting up the stairs. If I didn't take one step at a time, my left knee would give out, and I would be in tremendous pain. I have had headaches, it seems, everyday. Although I don't know this for sure, I suspect my type 2 diabetes has returned. I will know when I get my pre-op blood work back. When I try to walk, my hips hurt so bad. I can't cross my legs anymore and self-care has become really awkward. ALL of these things had become a normal part of my life prior to the Lap Band surgery 5 years ago. Gaining the weight back so quickly really made these issues feel especially awful - they were NOT normal to me anymore and as each new symptom came up, my depression worsened. I turned to the drug I knew and loved - food - to make myself feel better. I am committed to using the sleeve as a tool in the same way I used the Lap Band. My hunger will be under control, which is an enormous key to success for me. I also said that the band was like a leash for my portions - I just could not eat very much, and that was ideal! I know that the sleeve will give me that same boundary. However, I think it is critical to say, neither the band nor the sleeve are an "easy way out." Quite the opposite. Nothing about starting over here is going to be easy. I have to make the decision every time I put food in my mouth - is this a good choice? Have I had enough Protein today? What SHOULD I be eating? Without strict adherence to my diet, I know I won't really be successful. However, after having such good luck with the band, I am truly confident I can have equally good and maybe even better results with my sleeve. I will try to keep a record of my progress and hope to be able to compare what I experience with the sleeve to what things were like with the band. So far, recovery as felt very similar. I guess I am more confident this time because some of this isn't completely "new." I always had some port pain, from the very beginning, with the Lap Band, and I have to say, I don't really have any pain at all right now. So I guess that means one mark in the win column for sleeve. Thanks for reading this, thanks for the support, and good luck to all of us on this journey. You are brave and amazing. I really do think it takes a great deal of courage to envision a different life for yourself, and even more courage to take the steps to make it happen. We can do this!!!!!!!

I have Aetna, my BMI was just 40 and I had no co-morbities. I did the entire process with the bariatric surgeon's office and his insurance coordinator. They are very knowledgeable of the process. I had to complete a patient history form documented all previous weight loss attempts. I had to have 3 months of consecutive visits with my bariatric surgeon with my weight documented, a nutritionist visit and a psych evaluation. I did not have to show any proof of current weight loss attempts or exercise. I was told not to lose weight because I just squeaked by the required BMI. Each plan is different even within the same insurancs company, it depends on what your employer chooses. Get a copy of your particular plan's requirements in writing.

10/12/06 I was banded this day.. I thought it would never get here.. it is here..I have been through alot.. with my last episode in April where my spllen was removed.. But it is done.. I was banded!!!! and on my way to a new life.. I have to loose my weight so I can be here for my kids... Your spouses are not forever but yur kids are. I am sore since he had to remove scar tissue..

When I worked in Foster Care in Detroit. I new the staff in the Burn Unit at Childrens Hospital in Detroit. I also new the Chief Surgeon. We talked about weight loss, and he told me that skin is a Organ, and if I would donate all that he could take, he would perform the surgery for FREE ! I asked if he was serious, and he said when your ready, just give me a call Shirley. I asked about the Hospital stay, and he said nothing to worry about, it would be taken care of. I hope he's still there when i loose more of this weight. Because I think I will give him a call. I just have to hope that he is still there, and that he remembers me. Throwing that thought your way if you want to enquire at a Burn Unit as a Donor... God knows that they need it.

I sure hope my insurance company feels the same way! If not... gotta resort to Cheryl's tip, and do some jumping jacks with the ankle weights so my blood pressure will rise a bit. LOL!

gallbladder can be done laproscopic, that's why i mentioned the 2 done at the same time. i completely understand why they said they wouldn't want to do both together though. this way you will know if you have trouble, which one is causing the problems! i read the good and the bad. it's a risk that comes with just about anything you do. The day i called to make my appointment to find out if i was a canidate for the band, i had gone with a friend to get diet pills and some kind of shot that suppose to help with weightloss. Had i done that, i probably would have had a reaction to the meds they were going to give me because little did i know, my B/P was SKY HIGH and i had to go on B/P meds (which in the end, helped me qualify for the band since my BMI wasn't high enough). so, i could have harmed myself by that.... i figured yes, there are risk, but being overwieght, and dare i say obese....and closer to morbidly obese than i would like to admit there are many many risk also. I have babies...4 of them... one about to be considered an adult, all the way down to a 1 yr old! i want to live long enough to see my youngest baby grow up, i want to live to play with my GRANDbaby's. i don't just want to WATCH them do it either...i want to run and play with them, i want to ENJOY them! i guess it just depends on how bad the weight is affecting your life and what changes you want to make. getting the band isn't a magic device that makes the weight just melt away. you still have to make changes and follow the rules. Some people don't do that, and then complain that they don't have success. the band HELPS...it doesn't do the work FOR us! I'm sure you will come to the decision that is right for you and you will be at peace with it!!

I am 15 weeks out too (sleeve surgery Oct 3rd) and I am down 44 pounds. I would say you are right on target. At least I think I am on target. 40 pounds in 15 weeks is approximately 2.66 pounds per week. That is normal, healthy weight loss. I have always been a slow loser too, but I don't worry about the amount of weight loss everyweek, just that I am losing and not gaining. I have never been a binge eater; however, I used to take in the largest majority of my calories in the evening and I (like you) find myself eating all day now (stoking the metabolism fire). Good Luck to you! Keep us all posted on your progress.

Well I attended DR. Maremas Seminar tonight in st. augustine, fl. It was pretty good i think. He seemed alright he seemed to push the gastric bypass more than the band, but i know i will NOT get bypass, he also seemed to like the realize band more than lapband, not sure why he said he likes the contour more i dont know, but i will research both, does anyone have the realize band? Well i weighed in my weight was still 230, bmi was 40.5. So i'm not sure if when i go approval they will go off that what that says, or whatever weight i am at when they submit my approval, i still have to do the 6 month diet.But the insurance lady said my bcbs ppo state employee plan was the best one to have that they take cause she said they are easy to get approval from. And with my bmi at 40 i dont have to have 2 co-morbilities. Not sure when the procedure will be, still have to talk further to them, about all the info that i need for approval, also i'm stll no sure if they want the several thousand upfront, phew still quite a bit i have left to do i think, but we'll see the 6 month diet will be the hardest and longest part to get thru.......... So yeah anyone know the difference between realize and lapband and do the insurance company go off your bmi from your weigh in, or do they go off of the latest weight before approval? thanks LaLa

wow oh wow oh wow I'm so glad I found this site...I have been putting off going to a 'weight loss seminar' knowing that I 'want' to do the banding but continiously missing the dates of the seminars and continuing to eat more and more food since the holidays and wondering...'what's wrong with me...what is WRONG with me??' As I read on I am recognizing the fear of letting go of the food and how I have dealt with stress, emotions, happy, glad, or sad for most of my life is the biggest roadblock I'll have to overcome. So tonight with that realization I will walk into that seminar (with the help of a friend) and begin the next journey of my life...it all starts with one step huh? Betty

Started my pre-op diet yesterday and just wondering how much weight can I expect to lose in these 2 weeks? I know everyone is different just looking for different experiences. Sent from my SM-G928T using the BariatricPal App

I lost 15lb in 1 week with glandular fever. I couldnt exercise for 3 months as I was so sick and was hospitalized twice for severe dehydration. I lost all of my weight REALLY quickly because of it and the only real side effect I'm suffering now because of it is HEAPS of saggy skin. It just didn't have time to contract. Focus on getting better, not on the weight.

Mine was unfilled for the umpthteen time due to complications 4month prior to surgery, was nice to have most the pain gone but I did gain back another 30lbs. But my revision was Dec 10th & I feel so much better!