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Welcome! I was just banded on Tuesday, June 8th. This website is amazing. It helps me get my mind on my goals and is inspiring. I feel so relieved to know I have this tool that will help me get the weight off and stay off! Good luck with your tonsil surgery!! Ashly

Ok, so I was bad yesterday...I wanted to try a new recipe for a cake that a lady had brought to work for everyone...And needless to say, it turned out great...I had a few pieces of it and will be very glad when its totally gone out of the house...I already gave a fair warning to the boys that it was about to be thrown out and to get their fill of it before the end of the day because everytime i walk by it I grab a fork and taste it...Its the root of all evil...I cant help that I just love to bake but from now on it needs to be something that I am going to take to work to get rid of and given as a gift...So I am not planning on a loss this week but instead am planning on a pound or 2 gain...I am not going to be too hard on myself cuz I have really been good since the beginning of this ride in June...People just have to treat themselves every once in a while or they will go nutz given the chance (which I have learned the hard way)...I am going to try to up my workout this week from 30 minutes to 45 if my legs and knees will hold out and we will see how it goes...I have heard that your body isnt even really losing anything until about about the 45 minute mark anyways...Of course I might not be able to walk for a couple weeks while I get adjusted cuz the 30 minutes alone just about kills me...But its time to get tough!!!!:angry

I have been given the ok to exercise. My 1st week, what kinds of classes or weights or other things should I be doing? Any help is appreciated.

I have been so discouraged lately. I have had, I believe, 6 fills. I couldnt help but think this was a mistake. I was gaining weight. Well baby, something worked with the last fill I had 2 weeks ago!!! I have lost 8 lbs in the past 2 weeks!!!!! I marvel at the facts 1)I dont have to count points 2)I dont have to measure food 3)I dont have off limit foods except for slider foods 4)I dont feel deprived!!!!!!! All I have to do is eat my Protein first, veggies second and if i still have room the carbs. Easy!!!! I am not hungry between meals!! this is so brilliant!!!!! Can you tell I am a happy campers?

I believe if your BMI is over 40 you don't need to have any health conditions related to your weight, if your BMI is 30 or over you have to have some health conditions related to your weight. That was how it was for my Dr. and insurance. It could be different with different insurances. Now if you pay out of pocket I guess it would just be up to the Dr. , and I think it is a BMI of 30. Like I said that was in my case. There are some well informed people on this site that I'm sure can give you more detailed information, I'm sure they will answer this post. I would have thought your insurance would have given you all the details, if not the seminar should be informative about how insurances work, they may even be familiar with yours personally if they have already worked with it. Good luck

I want to hear from people who had the band removed and how they cope with gaining weight back despite diets and exercise. I do not have an option for any other bariatric surgeries unfortunately!

Well went to the doc and I had him redo my fill I now have 4cc in me and I do believe I can tell it too. I laid down with a pillow under the small of my back and he was actually able to put in more liquid. Amen So here is to hopefully me losing more weight. I had actually gained 2 pounds.

You’re almost there! Way to go, praying everything goes smoothly [emoji177] Have a great day! Amanda [emoji16] HW 248 CW 241 Surgery Date: pending 11/21/2017. Goal weight 150’ish [emoji23]

I have been having a VERY tough 3 weeks. :think My sister and her husband are separating and getting divorced. Its been very stressful and i have been going back to my OLD habits. :angry I am very depressed and been eating and eating and eating and not exercising. I keep making excuses and i really can't get back into the swing of things. My uncle's Cancer came back and he needs a bone marror transplant and we can't find a donor. We had one but that person backed out. :think The doctor already mentioned that he will die if he doesn't get one. So lets just say the stress level around here is HUGE. I keep thinking Oh one more day won't hurt. Yeah well one more day has turned into 21 days. I don't think i have gained much which is good but i can't seem to do anything right. I want to loose weight. I want to become healther,I DON'T want to fail. I keep dreaming about making it to goal. I am only down 57 lbs, My sister is already down 65+..I have a slow thyroid but i can't blame everything on that. I do get some protein but i don't think its enough. I have 127lbs left to go. I keep feeling like its never going to get there. I DON'T want to be fat the rest of my life. I have dealt with weight 20+ years and i can't stand it anymore. I want to have boyfriends. hell i want some FRIENDS. Ugh... I have a trip coming up in May. Its for work. I would like to hopefully be at least another 1-2 clothing sizes down. Right now i am in a size 26. I want to be at least another 25-50lbs down. I think i can do this if i stick my mind to it! i need some encouragement. Bigtime.

Hey just was wondering about weight loss with the lap band. My doctor said generally anywhere from 80 to 100 lb weight loss with the lapband, and lap band is what she is recomending, but i need to lose about 145 lbs. Can I do that with lap band or do i need to see about gastric bypass? I don't know a whole lot and am still researching both. also my left kidney quit due to kidney infections as a child, would that have any affect on getting either? Thanks

I am not an emotional eater, nor do I eat because I "love food". My thyroid went bizerk 5yrs ago, and it took 6 months before I got a diagnosis, and 40 lbs packed on my tush. I then had a set of twins, and after they were born I gained some more. I have to stick to Weight Watchers to NOT gain weight, not to lose it. It's been frustrating to say the least.

So here goes nothing.. I'm two days away from my surgery date, full of nerves, but ready to start my new life. I'm 30yo and I've been struggling with my weight for over 10 years now. I'm currently 280lbs, 5'4" tall, and I wear a size 22. My BMI is 48. I am not married (yet) and I do not have any kids (yet)! I've been diagnosed with PCOS, Arthritis, Fibromyalgia, and Sleep Apnea. I do suffer from bouts of depression and anxiety. I feel as if everything in my life revolves around my weight. It controls my every move. I go to school worried about being bullied or not fitting into the standard small desks. I apply for a job and wonder if they will judge me because of my size. If I go to a restaurant, I fear not being able to sit at a booth with the rest of my family. If I'm invited to go to a theme park, I cringe thinking about all of the potential rides I will be turned away from because I don't fit. I have limited myself from enjoying life to its fullest potential, and it is time that I make a change. I don't want my weight to bind me anymore. I vowed to myself that I wouldn't let another year go by feeling unhealthy, out of breath, and out of shape. I want to have energy! I want to have a family! I want to be healthy! I want to LIVE! I decided that I would have to do something that would take a lot of courage and a lot of dedication to reach my goals, the Gastric Sleeve surgery. I had been researching this specific surgery for over 3 years, but never had the financial opportunity or insurance approval. My insurance company refused to approve my surgery because I didn't have any of their required co-morbidities (ex: Diabetes, Hypertension, etc.). I appealed that decision, and their medical director decided to create new approval parameters for patients like me! After the new changes were implemented, which took about a year, I got back on track with my other requirements and was approved October 2014. My surgery is scheduled for December 30th, just a few days shy of the New Year. For me it’s the moment I've been dreaming about for over a decade. It’s my chance to feel like me, and to look into the mirror and see the REAL me in the reflection. I've been wearing this "fat suit" and lugging around it's baggage for way too long. I know that having this surgery is in no way "taking the easy way out". By reading everyone's blogs and knowing people who have had this surgery done, I know it's not a simple fix. But many have said it's the best thing they've done and wished they would have done it sooner. I'm glad to see that there are so many sites that offer support to those people who are pre & post op like myself. I hope to be a success story as well, and I want to inspire others to never give up. Don't settle for a "less than life". Lift your head up, dust yourself off, and go for what you know you deserve, and LIVE! PS. I want to thank my family and friends, in advance, for their love and support during and I’m sure after my surgery, as well as throughout the years of my food addiction and weight issues. You all have stood by my side when I felt my worst, when I couldn't see the beauty of my soul, and when the light at the end of my tunnel was dim. Thank you for your loyalty, your encouragement, and your support! I love you!

My boyfriend sounds like your husband. He's always been very, very skinny but eats enough for three people in one sitting. I can share with you what I've learned over the last year. Eating habits become bonding habits between people who eat together frequently. I had no idea how much my eating disorder had impacted my boyfriend until I looked back at pictures of us from the summer and realized how much weight we'd both gained. Since I have changed my eating habits, the ones I left behind and that my boyfriend still holds by become glaringly obvious. Its like we are watching a different version of ourselves and all you want to do now is say "Stop! I know what you're doing to yourself and its awful and you will regret this later!" The problem is, this doesn't really work, because when we changed our habits after surgery, the food bond we formed with these people was broken. Although we were prepared to break our bond with food, we don't often think about how cutting off that bond will affect the other half of the pair. They cling to the food because its the only part of the bond left that they can grab onto and keep familiar. Its something they will have to work out in their own time. In essence, we taught our partners how to eat to cover up emotions in many situations, and now that's how they cope, just like we did. Its not intentional, but it happens. Instead of addressing the food issue with my boyfriend head-on, I started making up activities that we can do together, out of the house, that have nothing to do with food. Over the last few months, he has slowly started to break away from the food for bonding and gets more excited about just being with me. Food is oftentimes an integral part of relationships, and when that component is no longer there, we have to find something else to replace it to keep that bond alive with our significant others so they don't also turn to food.

Hello all, I had the VSG done a little over a year ago (June 2012). After 5 months post-op, I have not lost any weight and even gained 10 lbs back. I decided to look into getting a revision to either the RNY or the DS. My insurance approved revision to the RNY because I also have severe acid reflux. I weigh 185 and my BMI is currently approx 33. I was wondering if anyone revised from the sleeve to bypass, and if you could share what your experience was like? Did you lose the rest of your weight? What should my expectations be? I have heard of so many people who do not lose weight with the RNY. I know that surgery is a tool and it is up to me to utilize that tool properly. I admit that I have messed up a lot with the sleeve. I became unmotivated when I stopped losing weight. I don't know how much of this was my fault, but I have felt like I failed my sleeve. I really think that this is what I need to do to get focused again. Being much closer to my goal this time helps as well, I just don't know how effective having another surgery will be. I am looking for some positive and/or honest thoughts and advice about this decision. Thank you! =)

It's comforting to know others have the same issue!!I do know that I have a lot of extra skin. My dr told me he could feel a 6 pack! I just have the extra skin over it. I am 28 and plan on getting pregnant very soon, so they told me to wait on a tummy tuck until I am done having kids. The dr also told me that if all the extra skin was removed, I would most likely weigh about 10 lbs less.. so I guess that puts me almost at my goal weight!

Day 6 status post roux-en-y gastric bypass surgery. The past five days of a clear liquids diet has made it abundantly clear to me that if I thought I had turned a new leaf, I definitely hadn't. Me: I'm hungry Ed: Oh, that food smells so good, doesn't it? It would be so good to take a bite. Look at it, just sitting there. Me: I'm going to turn away and not look at that Ed: Yeah, but whoops! There it is again. One of your kids left a perfectly good bowl of noodles drenched in Alfredo sauce just sitting there. Oh, the thought of eating it! Me: Distract! I'm going upstairs! Ed convinced me to just try purees a few days before I was supposed to. I did. It went okay, so he talked me into advancing the diet to purees a day early. I countered and decided on full liquids (liquids you can't see through but that still go through a strainer, like milk). Except he talked me into cottage cheese at night, just for fun, and I struggled to resist him. Me: One cup, and that's enough. Ed: Fill you up! Fill you up! Oh, it feels so good to fill you up! Don't you love that stuffed feeling? Don't you feel better now? Go take another cup. You can, you know, it's legal. Me: But I felt sort of full even before I finished the first one. I won't have a second one. Ed: DOOOO IT! Get up! That's right! Go over there and get another one, and make sure you pack it tight too! Level it off so it looks legal. There. Make an excuse now. Me: (to my daughter) "And I even get to have seconds! To think that this would have been two bites in the past -- haha! -- sigh." I don't want to eat another. Ed: But it does look so good. Really savor it. That's how you can justify it. You have 30 minutes to eat and it's only been 15, so you may as well. Me: But it doesn't taste so good any more. And I feel full. Ed: EAT IT! Me: Okay. And then later when I was in my daughter's room: Ed: Look! It's those powdered rice crispy things. What are they called? Puppy chow? There's three on her desk -- no SIX! Jackpot! You can take them without her looking. Do it! Me: I am not going to take them. They are soooo not on the diet! Ed: Take those three! There. You got them. Now the other three, right back there. She can't see you. Me: Why am I doing this. I'll throw them in the trash can. She noticed I'm doing something. Ed: No you won't. Walk out. Hide your hand. Real casual like, by your side, as if nothing were in it. Me: I'm going to dump them in the trash when I get out. This could really hurt me if I eat them. Ed: Eat them. Just chew them up good. Me: But the carbs! It's pure refined flour and sugar! Ed: Eat them! Good, good, now another... and another... Chew them slowly if that makes you feel better. Me: God. I hope I don't get dumping from this. How can I have cheated the first day I'm off clear liquids? Ed: Except you weren't, right? We ate that baby food meat for two days now, didn't we? Me: I feel so awful. Ed: There you go. You blew it. You didn't need any more food, but you had it anyway, didn't you. Didn't it feel good though? Me: No. It didn't. I feel horrible. Ed: You should. You never really will learn. You're going to start a blog, aren't you! You think you'll stick to that daily schedule you made today? You won't. You'll get bored like you always do and walk away. Sure, sure, maybe you'll get published some day, or maybe you'll just help someone. But really, you're going to quit like you quit everything else. You probably just gained back some of those pounds that you lost. And you didn't exercise today either. Hah! Fat lotta motivation you had for that, right? Me: But I thought... I was at least trying... Ed: But you failed as usual. Put it off. Screw this. Go to bed like you always do. Me: Okay. I'm not trying to shift the blame. There is no other person who is "forcing" me to eat the way I do. These are conversations I have in my head all day long. However, I've begun to read a book called Life Without Ed (Jenni Schaefer, 2004). In it, the author describes how she became the patient of Thom Rutledge and conquered her eating disorder by process of separating herself from these thoughts that had become so very internalized to her and later, as a separate "being" was able to end the relationship she had with the eating disorder/ED/Ed. I'm hoping that by blogging along as I read the book, I can experience some of the recovery that she has. Although the author describes a cycle of "starving, bingeing, then purging," it is just as easy for me to substitute the words "eating until I can't feel any more." Too easy. I have sought help for the craziness that causes me to eat when I'm not hungry, to eat until I'm stuffed, and then to eat more, but I'm told this is not an eating disorder. Like hell it isn't! So for now, those of us who don't binge and purge or starve ourselves, those of us who just have a problem with "poor food choices," or "portion size" and "not enough exercise" can go through the motions and get ourselves weight loss surgery. But why do so many of us not reach our goal, or gain so much of the weight back, eventually? Because we still are in the grips of disordered eating, or whatever you want to call the process that makes us want to eat when we're not hungry. I didn't even know that another way of eating existed until I had my third daughter. If she is not hungry, she will not eat. Plain and simple. She "saves up her hunger" when she knows she is going to her dad's for visitation, because she doesn't want to disappoint him by not eating. You see, if she forgets and has a snack after school, then she literally cannot eat dinner at his house, and ends up having a late dinner with me when she comes home. Or she will just skip dinner altogether, since she doesn't like feeling full at bedtime. One time I found a third-eaten Reeses Peanut Butter Cup laying on the counter. I had just enough restraint to ask her what that was all about before I devoured it in one bite. Her answer? "I took a bite and then I wasn't hungry any more." I gave birth to this child? Seriously? She definitely has her dad's genes, those of the calm observation that "If you just stopped eating after supper, you'd lose a lot of weight. It worked for me!" And of course it did. He snacked out of boredom or because he liked the taste of the food, but he really could take it or leave it. So he left it, and reached his goal weight within a month. If only it were that simple for the rest of us. But I see that I've gone on a rant, so I'll just shut up now and go to bed.

Hello everyone. I "stumbled" unto this site about 2 hours ago and I can't get off of it!! It's so wonderful to have this supportive site. I am in the beginning stages of this process for the Lap band. I am excited, scared, and nervous all at the same time. I've heard horror stories and I've heard success stories. I am not detoured because I know that I need to do this for my health. After many many years of losing and gaining weight, at 35, I realize that I have to gain control!! My father, who is 62 years old and weighed over 340, had gastric by-pass surgery in May 07. He has since lost over 130 pounds and looks fantastic. When he first talked about getting this surgery, I was so against it because of all of the horrific things that I heard about the surgery. Did I mention that my father was diabetic, has angina, high blood pressure, etc, etc?...After his surgery, he no longer needed insulin every day, no longer had high blood pressure and he feels great. My father is my inspiration. I've read all of the good, bad and the ugly and I realize that having this surgery is a heart felt, personal decision. I was among the people who said that and WLS was the "easy" way out but I have watched my father discipline himself with his eating and his excercising and I realize that even though WLS gives you a "boost" towards weight loss, there is still a lot of work that needs to be done. I have opted for the Lap Band surgery because I am 35 years old and I have had 1 still born and 1 miscarriage . I want to have a baby and I feel that the LapBand surgery is adjustable and more conveinant. I also don't want to spend a lot of time out of work. I'm still doing my research and I am excited about this journey to my new life. I will be attending the weight loss seminar on Feb 19. My pre-op appointment with the doctor is on Feb 27. I'm confident that things will go well and that insurance issues will not be a problem. I have a lot of documentation for my weight loss attempts for the past 10 years. My main "advantage" is that very recently, I was seeing a nutritionalist for 6 months through my insurance. Sorry this is so long but I'm so glad that I found this board!!

Hi LadyRiddick. I am a 34 yr old diabetic and too have opted for the lap band procedure. Still going through my tests (EGD, psych eval). Am more determined than ever to get these blood sugars under controlled so I can get banded. So ready to lose weight and be healthy!! Good luck and I look forward to hearing about your journey!! :-)

Hi apples First of all, you aren't going to die. Hundreds if not thousands of people have this surgery every day. My understanding is that there have been no deaths from this surgery and that the post-op mortality rate is extremely low. You will be fine! Piece of cake! I don't know what your pre-op diet consists of. Mine is high protein/low carb up until two days before surgery and then it's Clear Liquids. Just follow your doctor's instructions to the letter and you will be good to go! One more thing, do not go out and have "a last meal". That can result in your liver swelling and making the surgery more difficult. Work on reducing your carb intake so that the sugar in your liver is burned off and the liver shrinks. That will help make your surgery go much easier and you will lose some weight pre-op to boot! Good luck!

My name is Augusta. I am 38 years old, happily married for nearly 19 years, a proud mother of a 17 year old boy and a 15 year old girl and I just got banded almost 2 weeks ago. For me it was an easy choice to make. I asked my pcp if there was anything new on the market as far as weight control goes and he told me about the lap band. (I'm a worrier of the worst kind so I don't listen to the news, if you're wondering how I didn't hear of it before now) So, I did the research. By the end of the week I went to a seminar, in another week I was having a consultation with a surgeon, in another week I began my 3 month pre-approval path for my insurance and on August 28th I was banded. I was terrified. Being a worrier, I required valium to get me in the door and cried until the moment I was put to sleep. I had the best surgical nurse ever. She held my hand and whispered in my ear how everything was going to be fine. It was to her voice and my prayers that I went to sleep. Bravo to the Norhtwest Weightloss Surgery team. My doctor, Dr. Montgomery, took very good care of me and I came out just fine. I felt pretty crappy the next morning and for a few days after. I had my gall bladder out almost 16 years ago and there was some scar tissue to deal with causing a bit of pain for me, but now 1 week and 6 days later, I'm feeling pretty good. Still a bit sore, but feeling more human now. Since August 18th, I have lost 20 pounds. Since my banding, I have lost an even 10. 10 pounds in 13 days.....I keep asking myself if I'm dreaming. Saying goodbye to the 290s and the 280s in less than 3 weeks is a bit bizzare for me and I can't shake the feeling it's all not real. I am 273 now and can't wait for the rest to come off. My goal weight is 160. Anyone out there who needs to talk about anything, please feel free to email me. I look forward to building lasting, banded friendships. Augusta

I am doing well, been making it to the gym regularily. Seriously, I was HURTING for several days after my first round of weight lifting. Feeling better today and thinking I might go for the arm weights again tomorrow. DH has been gone since two weeks after the surgery. He is a commercial diver and has been on a job out of the country since the middle of January. He will be home end of this week! I have been hush hush about the success of the band so I hope he manages to notice. LOL, that would be a man for you to not mention anything. I have had 4 fills total and am at 6 or so cc's in my 10 cc band. Currently, this level is working out really well for me.

I have a 12cc band and im at 9cc's as well. I have never had a sliming incident or vomiting or anything and i can eat whatever i want. I just started weight watchers a week ago in hopes that it will move the weight loss process along since i havent lost nearly as much as other people around my surgery date have.. its a little discouraging, i know its a tool and not magic but i expected a little more out of it. i am going for my next fill next week which will probably bring me to 10ccs. good luck and hopefully the next fill does the trick!

Dont get discouraged. I have a 10cc band and until I reached 8.5 cc, i didnt feel total restriction. Now I get full after about a half cup of food, if even that, and am losing weight like gangbusters. I have been banded nearly 3 years and it has taken me this long to lose 103 lbs. Dont give up, restriction will come!

I have some family that is supportive, and those, I have reached out to. Other family is not the supportive type, and those I haven't even told about the surgery. I figure that can wait for some future date, after the weight is gone and I'm stabilized at my target weight; they've shown themselves not to be supportive during past times when I tried other weight loss efforts, so I don't expect them to be supportive now. I work so many hours that finding time to do a support group where I would have to drive an hour to get there and and hour back just doesn't seem worth it to me now, but that's why I asked, to see if I'm missing something important. As it stands, I have just about enough time in the day and week to work, exercise, do my artwork, spend time with my husband, visit family, sleep and keep up the house, and that's about it. Something would have to be dropped to add in group meetings, just doesn't seem worth it.