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Hello, this is my first time posting, so hopefully I'm doing it right. I was just banded on 12/3 and get my first fill on 1/14, next week. Has anyone joined weight watchers or felt they needed more support? I feel I need as much support as possible right now and was thinking about joining ww, but wasn't sure if it would help, being banded and all. Any advice or suggestions?? Kristy

I had exactly the same question! They take your very first weight - the first time they see you Any pre-op weight loss is irrelevant to your BMI when they evaluated you.

I had exactly the same question! They take your very first weight - the first time they see you Any pre-op weight loss is irrelevant to your BMI when they evaluated you.

Breakfast: Egg omelet with cheese Snack: Pistachios (my fave) Lunch: Mango tequila lime shrimp (finally finished the last of it!!!) Snack: Sea Salt Vinegar protein chips Dinner: Italian style wedding soup Snack: not sure yet. Still need to up my protein, probably a protein drink soon. Also need to hit my weights. 😊

Hi- Your post caught my attention in that I was in SEVERE pain immediately following surgey under my left ribs. I thought it was gas/inflammation, so I walked often, took my prescribed pain meds and slept in the recliner. Day two of post op had me going to the ER the pain was so excruciating. No conclusion, more pain, more pain meds and another ER visit and the only conclusion that my surgeon could draw was that the instrument they use to lift the liver up "possibly tore the cartilage in my ribs". I am 3 months post surgery and while the pain has subsided it is still evident and seems to be more centered around my port site, May or may not help, but thought I would throw it out there. The office has gotten so busy they have lost sight of customer (patient) service and I am completely frustrated with it. There were several other problems I encountered, mostly with billing as I am a cash patient. I would consider another surgeon next time. Surgery: 3/11/11 Weight Loss Institute of AZ Dr. John DeBarros

hi im 20 and am 5'5 and i have finally made the decision to get the band before i got pregnant i wieghed around 256 but while pregnant i reached a very dangerous weight of 300 thankfully my son was born healthy since then i dropped to 276 and i am not too comfortable with my weight now no clothes fit me , i find my self still wearing my maternity clothes and the same clothes all the time and i feel disgusting i do not feel as active as i did before i had my son and i dont like the feeling of always wanting to be in bed. i want to enjoy my son so therefore that is why i want to get the band bc by dieting i can not do it. just curious to get a time range i just got insurance AETNA ***? what are my probabilities to even get approved for this idk if have sleep apnea, had diabetes when i was pregnant but i dnt have it anymore . thanks for any input =]

Have you noticed that each type of weight loss surgery, according to the fans of that surgery, seems to be the *only* possible choice anyone could make? It's kind of amusing. 1. Here at the VSG forums, everyone is all about VSG, and talks about all the problems with the band or with bypass surgeries. VSG is the *only* way to go. 2. Last evening I stepped into the Lap Band Chat Room just to check it out. Everyone there was nice, but went on and on about all the problems of VSG or RNY. They raved about how the band was the *only* surgery anyone should have. 3. A month or so ago I attended a live support group for RNY bypass folks. Everyone there was great to talk to, but every single one of them also had nothing positive to say about the other choices. Everybody said the RNY was the *only* surgery to have. I'm sure each surgery has its place for all the right reasons, but the devout loyalty of each group is pretty amusing. :laugh0: Dave

I'm starting the preop diet Monday. I'm actually ready for it as I have stuffed myself for the past three weeks and have literally gained 10lbs! I am going to put everything I have into this preop believing that this is the beginning of my new life and looking at it as a way to clense myself from my past eating life. That being said, I know it will be HARD! Please share with me any tips to help me stay true to my 4 slimfasts per day. Another challenge will be that DH will be out of town next week --good that I don't have to watch him eat--bad that he is my main support system, so I will be going at it alone.

It is very hard. I feel like everything my boyfriend cooks is so aromatic and I want him to suffer with me but I can't have that lol. I try and just tell myself it is temporary. Before we know it we will be eating actual food. I began to realize how much of the hunger was all mental. I constantly drink as my family drinks meals.. Usually unsweetened iced tea with lemon. I try and focus on the positive and think about how fast your weight loss will be. We spent so much money on this procedure and really committed to it. We need to follow the rules and make it work. Good luck!

3 hours a day seems like a lot to me too. It's good that you are doing so much cardio (good for the heart, good for fat burning) but it's hard to believe that only 1200 calories is enough-even though you said more than that makes you gain. What were you doing/eating pre-surgery that helped you lose the 100 pounds? How long have you tried a 1500-1600 calorie diet while working out for 3 hours/day? I am just beginning to get back into working out. (Not sure I can even call it that right now...) I used to have a personal trainer before I realized that CRAZY amounts of exercise weren't working for me, and I needed this surgery. Now as I work my way back up to a good rate of exercise, I am doing 20 min./day on my elliptical machine. I have Afib at the moment, so until I have a heart procedure in 2 weeks, I am not pushing it too far. After they zap my heart back into proper rhythm, I will try to do at least 30 min. 3 days a week/20 min 4 days a week for a while until I start strength training and toning again. I know you must be very, very frustrated. Good luck to you. Keep us posted!

Is this official knowledge? I mean, did your Surgeon tell you this personally? I'm just curious because this is not something I usually hear about unless its the Pre-Opt diet. If you really do need to lose this weight then my best suggestion would be to do as low of carbs as you can stand it. That really does seem to help folks lose high numbers, especially in the first two weeks. Try looking up Atkins or South Beach. Good luck!!!

I started at 377 in May of 2013. I had a 6 month monitored weight loss requirement that I took very seriously. I had surgery on November 21st at 303 lbs. My weight this morning (after a 15 day stall) was 270. Im looking forward to continuing losses! So far, loving my sleeve!

Wondering if there is a group of those who were above 300-350 when they had their sleeve done. It seems that the majority of the people I have encountered so far, were under 300 when they had their surgery, and while I'm sure their experience is helpful, I am really interested in the experiences of those closer to my own weight as it seems like they (the few that I have found here) have lost a bit faster than those under 300. Which totally makes since, as the larger you are, the more energy it takes to move that mass which in turn means calories burned, which means a greater loss... or something like that. And, I do realize everyone looses at a different rate; it seems that there are a lot of similarities to losses. Man, that last sentence is so 'stalkerish'.... why yes, I'm stalking your stats. No judgment, please understand, I'm just trying to make an informed decision. The quicker I am able to lose weight during the first part of the loss, I guess the, HoneyMoon Phase, the more encouraged I will be to take the plunge in the first place. Does that make sense? Knowing that I have my first appointment with my surgeon this week, which also means that I will be given my diet plan, and scheduled for all the other post-op appointments, the head-hunger is out of control. And, the only person who knows I'm considering this is a couple of friends that have hand wls and my mom. Everyone is so busy that I don't have anyone to talk to about this and so I have all these thoughts rolling around in my head. And the only way I know to make that stop is to systematically start looking for answers... making my head busy with other stuff... Thanks for your help. I really appreciate it. Please feel free to send me a private message if you don't want to post publicly; I know how sensitive these subjects are.

I had the lap band in 2010 and just had it removed last week. Before the removal he took all the fluid out and I gained 40 pounds just like that. So I am going with the sleeve and November I agree if you go with the sleeve and you're still not happy then you can go to bypass but you can't go to the sleeve after you've bypassed. I had a friend that had gastric bypass and she didn't follow the rules and ended up having all sorts of health issues and dumping syndrome it just seems like too severe surgery to me. But I guess it all depends on you your health how overweight you are Etc Sent from my SM-G935P using BariatricPal mobile app

I'm nearly 19 months out and I eat like a normal person. I consume around 1200 calories a day of whatever I feel like eating. I aim for 90+ grams of Protein and an equal amount of carbohydrates. Now, I did have my metabolism tested and for me, this range of calories is suitable as I could expect to gain on anything over 1300 calories without stepping up my exercise. I didn't get to the point where I could even dream of consuming more than 1000 calories a day until one year post op, though. For much of the first year I was hardly able to consume 800 calories a day, and it was a real chore to do that much. I don't exactly graze but I do think I eat more like six tiny meals than three regular ones. I'm happy with that. Since hitting goal I haven't needed to record my food yet as I never see more than a pound and a half +/- on the scale. I'm happy where I'm at and I feel normal. I do eat half a sandwich and feel satisfied. If I push myself, I can eat a half cup of Soup with the sandwich, too, provided the sandwich is grilled cheese or something else without meat. Cake bores me post op, so I don't even need the whole slice - just a bite or two and I'm good. There is only one food that I want to eat by the bucket and it's popcorn. And honestly, after about 2-3 cups of it I'm done eating it, anyway. It's the only food I want to eat 2-3 cups of, though! My feeling is that if you do the head work as your body is losing the weight you'll get to goal and find you have a healthy relationship with food. I started out post op really restricting carbs and calories and found that just like prior to surgery food was ruling my life. I was thinking about it all the time and making myself crazy. Once I got to the realization that the diet mentality had to end and accepted that I'd lose weight more slowly than I had imagined prior to surgery, I was able to slowly but happily drop the rest of the weight over the course of 17 months. I feel that part of the reason to choose such a drastic surgery is to drop the diet mentality forever. I wanted a diet I could live with, and I sacrificed getting to goal in nine months to have that. I still got to goal and trust me, it's just as fabulous as it would have been had I done it in half the time. For those of us that don't feel hunger and have huge restriction it's more of a challenge to eat than you think. I still rely heavily on Protein shakes or I'd never reach my protein goals. I still have a hard time eating more than 2-3 ounces of protein in one sitting, or anything more than one scrambled egg with some cheese. ~Cheri

well lets see, i'm going into my 3rd year and i'd say i eat anywhere from 1000- 1400 calories per day. For example: Breakfast : 1 - 2 slices of toast and butter and coffee (always coffee); Lunch: kids hormel complete ready to eat meal (6 oz) ; dinner: spa lean cuisine; snacks: whatever the heck strikes me that day, be it M*M's; wheat thins; fruit; whatever. . . of course I still drink my alcohol every weekend; eat the occasional bakery goodie (i'm not into bakery goodies too much though) whatever. . . I reached my doctors goal and even surpassed it by 12 lbs. . . i've been maintaining my weight between 210 - 215lb ever since and at 6' tall it looks pretty healthy on me. . . . good luck and I hope this helped a bit

I lost 80 pounds about 6 years ago, and the second I moved, changed my life style a bit, and started eating my mom's cooking again, I gained it ALL back in about 3 months. I have only gained since then, with the exception of a weight watchers diet where I lost about 20 lbs. Every time I lose, I gain the weight back and more..ten to twenty pounds more. I cannot maintain a healthy weight. I eat healthy, I excersize, but without starving myself and working out 2 hours a day, the weight does not come off or stay off. I just don't want to live like that. This is the reason for the band. It keeps the hunger at bay and makes you full on less, so although I will be eating small amounts, I won't be uncomfortable, hungry, mean, and bitchy (from the hunger) This is my reason for getting the band. I can't WAIT! One more month to go.

Lot to cover here, from my view. I'm year out but almost at maintenance so I think I can qualify for answering from my perspective. I'm about 1200-1500 calories per day and I exercise regularly, although somewhat competitively. I could have pretty much anything I want but I've changed my lifestyle and I'm pretty religious in choosing a healthly lifestyle so I don't want anything to do with my old lifestyle. I still can only eat small amounts and I'm really used to asking for 'to-go' boxes or 'doggie bags'. I can eat socially with friends but I just don't focus on the food so much. All of my friends are very supportive and question what and how I'm doing it so it's not much of a problem. I also snack occassionally but again, because I cna only eat a small amount, it never really gets out of hand. I'm changing from a protein diet to a slightly higher carbohydrate diet because I'm running half marathons and doing triathlons on nearly a monthly/six week basis so I can achieve better results but at age 55, that will change at some point and I'll go back to a higher protein diet for weight maintenance. Does that help?

Well I had rny surgery and I read that it is norm to loose 5 to 15 lbs per week the first few months following surgery , so that is where my expectations came from . I am glad about losing 20 lbs but in the big scale of things was feeling discouraged since the 20 lbs was really only lost the first 2 and a half weeks then I have been stalled since not loosing anything in the last week and a half , basically since I started eating instead of drinking liquid only. Pre op diet start was 9/1 weight was 305 surgery date was 9/15 weight 294 and today 275. But again the 275 has been the same for 2 weeks now. I'm getting less then 1000 calories a day and walking a bit but not much as I have plantar fasciitis and am in pain . I fear that I won't loose the weight unless I go back to starving myself like I did the first 2 weeks after surgery. Sent from my SM-G991B using BariatricPal mobile app

sleep apnea (i.e., patient meets the criteria for treatment of obstructive sleep apnea set forth in Aetna CPB 004 - Obstructive Sleep Apnea); or 4. Medically refractory hypertension (blood pressure greater than 140 mmHg systolic and/or 90 mmHg diastolic despite optimal medical management); and 2. Member has completed growth (18 years of age or documentation of completion of bone growth); and 3. Member has attempted weight loss in the past without successful long-term weight reduction; and 4. Member must meet either criterion 1 (physician-supervised nutrition and exercise program) or criterion 2 (multidisciplinary surgical preparatory regimen): 1. Physician-supervised nutrition and exercise program: Member has participated in physician-supervised nutrition and exercise program (including dietician consultation, low calorie diet, increased physical activity, and behavioral modification), documented in the medical record at each visit. This physician-supervised nutrition and exercise program must meet all of the following criteria: 1. Nutrition and exercise program must be supervised and monitored by a physician working in cooperation with dieticians and/or nutritionists; and 2. Nutrition and exercise program(s) must be for a cumulative total of 6 months or longer in duration and occur within 2 years prior to surgery, with participation in one program of at least three consecutive months. (Precertification may be made prior to completion of nutrition and exercise program as long as a cumulative of six months participation in nutrition and exercise program(s) will be completed prior to the date of surgery.); and 3. Member's participation in a physician-supervised nutrition and exercise program must be documented in the medical record by an attending physician who supervised the member's participation. The nutrition and exercise program may be administered as part of the surgical preparative regimen, and participation in the nutrition and exercise program may be supervised by the surgeon who will perform the surgery or by some other physician. Note: A physician's summary letter is not sufficient documentation. Documentation should include medical records of physician's contemporaneous assessment of patient's progress throughout the course of the nutrition and exercise program. For members who participate in a physician-administered nutrition and exercise program (e.g., MediFast, OptiFast), program records documenting the member's participation and progress may substitute for physician medical records; or 2. Multidisciplinary surgical preparatory regimen: Proximate to the time of surgery, member must participate in organized multidisciplinary surgical preparatory regimen of at least three months duration meeting all of the following criteria, in order to improve surgical outcomes, reduce the potential for surgical complications, and establish the member's ability to comply with post-operative medical care and dietary restrictions: 1. Consultation with a dietician or nutritionist; and 2. Reduced-calorie diet program supervised by dietician or nutritionist; and 3. Exercise regimen (unless contraindicated) to improve pulmonary reserve prior to surgery, supervised by exercise therapist or other qualified professional; and 4. Behavior modification program supervised by qualified professional; and 5. Documentation in the medical record of the member's participation in the multidisciplinary surgical preparatory regimen at each visit. (A physician's summary letter, without evidence of contemporaneous oversight, is not sufficient documentation. Documentation should include medical records of the physician's initial assessment of the member, and the physician's assessment of the member's progress at the completion of the multidisciplinary surgical preparatory regimen.) and 5. For members who have a history of severe psychiatric disturbance (schizophrenia, borderline personality disorder, suicidal ideation, severe depression) or who are currently under the care of a psychologist/psychiatrist or who are on psychotropic medications, pre-operative psychological clearance is necessary in order to exclude members who are unable to provide informed consent or who are unable to comply with the pre- and postoperative regimen. Note: The presence of depression due to obesity is not normally considered a contraindication to obesity surgery. 2. Vertical Banded Gastroplasty (VBG): Aetna considers open or laparoscopic vertical banded gastroplasty (VBG) medically necessary for members who meet the selection criteria for obesity surgery and who are at increased risk of adverse consequences of a RYGB due to the presence of any of the following comorbid medical conditions: 1. Hepatic cirrhosis with elevated liver function tests; or 2. Inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis); or 3. Radiation enteritis; or 4. Demonstrated complications from extensive adhesions involving the intestines from prior major abdominal surgery, multiple minor surgeries, or major trauma; or 5. Poorly controlled systemic disease (American Society of Anesthesiology (ASA) Class IV) (see Appendix). Aetna considers VBG experimental and investigational when medical necessity criteria are not met. 3. Repeat Bariatric Surgery: Aetna considers medically necessary surgery to correct complications from bariatric surgery, such as obstruction or stricture. Aetna considers repeat bariatric surgery medically necessary for members whose initial bariatric surgery was medically necessary (i.e., who met medical necessity criteria for their initial bariatric surgery), and who meet either of the following medical necessity criteria: 1. Conversion to a RYGB or BPD/DS may be considered medically necessary for members who have not had adequate success (defined as loss of more than 50 percent of excess body weight) two years following the primary bariatric surgery procedure and the member has been compliant with a prescribed nutrition and exercise program following the procedure; or 2. Revision of a primary bariatric surgery procedure that has failed due to dilation of the gastric pouch is considered medically necessary if the primary procedure was successful in inducing weight loss prior to the pouch dilation, and the member has been compliant with a prescribed nutrition and exercise program following the procedure. 4. Experimental and Investigational Bariatric Surgical Procedures: Aetna considers each of the following procedures experimental and investigational because the peer reviewed medical literature shows them to be either unsafe or inadequately studied: * Loop gastric bypass * Gastroplasty, more commonly known as ?stomach stapling? (see below for clarification from vertical band gastroplasty) * Sleeve gastrectomy * Mini gastric bypass * Silastic ring vertical gastric bypass (Fobi pouch) * Intragastric balloon * VBG, except in limited circumstances noted above. * LASGB, RYGB, and BPD/DS procedures not meeting the medical necessity criteria above. Cholecystectomy: As a high incidence of gallbladder disease (28%) has been documented after surgery for morbid obesity, Aetna considers routine cholecystectomy medically necessary when performed in concert with elective bariatric procedures. Notes: Calculation of BMI: *BMI is calculated by dividing the patient's weight (in kilograms) by height (in meters) squared: BMI = weight (kg) * [height (m)]2 Note: To convert pounds to kilograms, multiply pounds by 0.45. To convert inches to meters, multiply inches by 0.0254. or For a simple and rapid calculation of BMI, please click below and it will take you to the Obesity Education Initiative. *BMI = weight (kg) * [height (m)]2 See also CPB 039 - Weight Reduction Medications and Programs.

I had similar starting stats age and weight. I had been diabetic controlled with diet and pills for several years. I'm 8 months now, and I don't take any diabetes meds, and my blood sugars are normal. I still test them now and then, fasting and shortly after eating to just to make sure it is really true and they are normal to the low end of normal all the time. I'm noteven at goal or close, I am only down a little over 100lbs. My Dr only does the sleeve. He said I was young and active and there was no reason I needed RNY. You can lose and lose quickly with the sleeve. Long term it doesn't matter if you get the sleeve or RNY. Once you are healed you can eat around either surgery if you choose to, and people regrain and/or never meet goal with both. Check both forums. RNY is not magic. If you don't want RNY and you can't afford it, don't have it. Since you are paying cash, you can switch Doctors if you want. I wasn't comfortable with having my intestines touched, I would have opted not to have surgery rather than have that option, it is just not something I want at all. If you feel like that, go with your feeling. You have to live in this body, not the Dr.

It has been almost 7 months post-op for me and I must say that it has been a rough go. When I first got banded I lost 20Lbs in the first 2 weeks and maybe 15 since then...I've always struggled with my weight, my heaviest was 349 back in 2005 when I was only 19 yrs old. With a bad report from the doctor I immediately changed my lifestyle as far as eating and exercising. and within that year I lost 60lbs. These last 5 years I've really been struggling with my will power and determination. I've always been an emotional eater and it seems like the last few years has given me a lot of emotion. After having the LB surgery i felt confident and when I finally decided to go with the surgery no way was I gonna mess this up or fail. And it just seems like that's what I'm doing is failing EVERY single day. My plans were to start this new year off with a drive that I once had but once again LIFE happens and this time LIFE was taken away from me. I lost my only sibling, my older brother 29 yrs old only 4 years older than me, we were close than ever to a very TRAGIC HORRIFIC BRUTAL accident on December 30, 2010. Two months later I still can't grab a hold of myself. I can't focus on this Lap-Band, I'm working against it...I'm full and I still eat...the same stuff I struggled with pre-op...Counseling really isn't working for me because my emotions are worry-free in there but when I'm home they come back. I REALLY want to do this and be successful with this surgery....I don't want to be a failure anymore...I have ALL the tools I need and I know how to use them, I just don't know how to keep my willpower/motivation for a WHOLE 24 hours. If you guys have any kind of suggestions PLEASE feel free to respond. My 26th birthday is coming up April 12th and I really want to be 10 to 20lbs smaller, if there are any Michigan Bandsters please contact me...I know I have family support to try to deal with the loss of my brother but I don't have anyone who knows personally what I'm going through with this Lap-band...

Breakfast - egg in some form Snack - deli slice of cheese lunch - high Protein leftover from night before (usually pot roast, steak, fish) Afternoon snack (rare) half of a string cheese dinner - high protein meat Exercie - walking and cleaning. I need to do more and have a plan to starting weight lifting and riding my bike soon.

Well today is the big day. I have to be at the hospital at 5:30am. I'm nervous. I guess we all are. The unknown is really scary. I had an unrelated surgery several years ago that was very difficult and difficult to recover from. I think I keep having flashbacks to that and expect the worst. I know I'm being silly. Everyone has been supportive here. So greatful for this site. I know the surgery only takes about an hour and I will be able to go home afterward. Just gotta keep thinking positively.:rolleyes2: I know this is really wierd. I know I'm 240 lbs with a entire host of health problems that will hopefully be improved by this surgery. But what is strange is that in my mind I am not that weight. I do not think of myself as overwieght until I am out somewhere and catch a glimpse of myself in a mirror. Or the doctor says if you would loose some wieght your sleep apnea would go away. Strange huh.:thumbup:

Thank harley, but I guess what I'm asking is- I feel like I've got the perfect level of restriction right now. Will that change as I lose weight? If so, in a month? more than a month? Or will now that I feel I've gotten to the level that's just right for me, I won't need fills from now on....hope I'm making sense.