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In order to have the best chance of success, I tried to ensure that my symptoms of depression and anxiety were well managed before surgery. I also continued to work with my psychologists and psychiatrists. I think it's helpful to remember that WLS or losing weight won't magically solve all your problems. It's quite common to go through relationship issues (divorce rates are statistically higher according to most bariatric studies) and even transference to other addition issues (you can go from food to alcohol or even opiates). I think it's also quite easy to slip into orthorexia (an eating disorder that involves an unhealthy obsession with healthy eating). On the other hand, losing weight can be great for your mental health. You can find self esteem and confidence that you have been missing your whole life. I definitely put myself "out there" more. I think everyone's journey is different. Best of luck!

That's too funny because with all of my weight loss my osteoarthritis has actually gotten worse. I am in constant pain everyday, I guess without the fat for cushioning well maybe this has something to do with it.

I am insulin resistant, and wouldnt be surprised if I had PCOS when I was younger. I really watch my carbs. If I eat hardly any fruit or carbs I dont lose. Im really pushing the fish. I try to eat very few carbs, because they cause your insulin to spike and you can gain weight just from the excess insulin in your body. Im walking twice a day now and watching it and only losing about 1 lb a week as hard as Im trying. I have a fill this Sat.

I had my surgery 6 months ago and have lost 40 pounds with 7 of that being pre surgery. My question is, do most of you follow a diet plan or do you eat whatever you want but just less of it? Also do most of you exercise? I would set up a poll but I don't know how to. I guess I thought with the band I would just be able to eat whatever I wanted but I would be eating a lot less of it and therefore I would lose weight. I seem fairly restricted during the day although I am able to eat more then I think I should. And at night I can eat what seems like a lot to me and I don't think I get that "full feeling". I am going for another fill on Wednesday, my 4th, and the doc says that if that doesn't do the trick, I will have to see their Nutritionist. Somebody speak to me!!! LOL Thanks

I honestly don't know why I left the support of BPal but glad I'm back. I'm thinking that's why I struggled for this whole time. New year new hopes right? I have my band filled to 7cc and I go back to my dr later this month gonna get some added in I know I'm not in my green zone yet. I added a ticker to my post in hopes that will make it a lot more real for me. I plan to weigh myself once a week. I've been on winter vacation for two weeks, go back to work Monday. Looking forward to it being at home messes up my eating properly and my workouts not to mention we just finished two food filled holidays lol! My plan is to workout daily climb mountain twice a week maybe three, treadmill nightly, and cardio in the morning I tell you its hard to get started but once I see even the slightest result I am committed. My plan for eating is to measure, measure, measure!!! My doc told me a long time ago to stop eating after five spoons full and well I didn't take his advice. My outlook is to make my band work for me and get the weight off the way the band was intended to work. Ok, sorry I think I rattled on enough. Enjoy your wknd

Hi, It is amazing in the amount of money that we spend to remain fat. As we lose the fat we gain control over our eating, and being healthy and our money too. Good for you and I wish you nothing but success. Hug, Suzanne

That's awesome. I can't even remember the last time I saw a teen in my weight.

Do you have any sleeve buddies you could have your own sleevers version of the contest with? Or, perhaps come up with and suggest a different (non-weight loss-based) competition you can do with your coworkers.

I needed 3 months documented diet and weight from primary Dr. That was it. I got approval in one week! Sent from my LGMS550 using the BariatricPal App

I will be having the bypass on 6/19/2018 and was just curious on how much others had lost or is losing monthly? Thanks and Happy Losing!!

Well I've been in a stall for ages. It happens. I'm determined now more than ever to break it. Someone said to me " well your not losing any more weight are you?" This wasnt said out of spite, just on observation . But dang! It bummed me out. She was right though, I haven't . Well, my daughters just informed me that they are throwing us a 30 year anniversary party the last week of August! I can't believe we've been married 30 years! Anyway, I need to get going here. I went through my older posts, which I highly recommend. It reminded me of how far I've come. But I feel stalled mentally . Does that make sense to anyone? So what I'm asking for here is a pep talk! Dozens of pep talks! Arrrrrgh!!!

Hello Everyone and Happy New Years!!! So I recently had the Sleeve done and things are going well, except I cannot tolerate any dairy products. ANY AT ALL. I am struggling to get the required amount of protein in. I’ve tried shakes, yogurts, silke yogurt and protien powders. I do not tolerate sweet tastes wel either. I need your help!!! Any suggestions on protein powders that are dairy free and sleeve friendly that are really tasteless. Please share any recommendations. Today my protein intake should increase and I have not even met he previous intake. HELP. THANKS IN ADVANCE.

I thought Tuesday was Wednesday, so this has been Friday for me too. Yea! 2 Fridays this week. I love Fridays. Now what was the question? Saw my eye dr this morning and she asked if i'd lost more weight from the last time I saw her (a month ago). Why yes, yes I have! :> I've not had a great week either, @@AlanaRN . I have Lyme-From-Hell and the antibiotics are KILLING me, but at least Im not in pain (just barfing). I feel for you with your kidney stones! I've bagged up my fat clothes but haven't been able to give them up yet. having been thru this once before I'm not quite ready to get rid of them yet, but they do pile up. Good for you guys for slamming the door in the face of recidivism. (One of my problems with lyme is my crappy memory. I can only remember 1 word for everything. Sometimes its big, sometimes its little, but there's a max of 1 for each concept anymore.)

Yup. Your last line is ON POINT. Every surgeon is different. These are great general guidelines, but they are not "THE RULE". I am allowed gum/straws/alcohol. Six months was the rule by my doctor, I was given clearance at three. I had a catheter as does everyone else in our practice. No complications. 60% is the worldwide average MAYBE, but of all the sleeved people I know, ALL have exceeded 60% weight loss. I think that's an extremely low estimate. Everyone I know hit their goal, or are within 10 pounds of it. I know you said it, and I agree with you. Everyone's surgeon is different. Follow your team. After all, you entrusted them with your life.

Your doing well, dont worry about how much others lose .. My loss was slow in the beginning and i had my doc telling me my loss was slow compared to others however they had been only sleeved.. Not revised to sleeve, so to me he was comparing oranges to apples! From what i have read generally, revised to sleeve patients lose weight slower in the beginning then they catch up, and this is what's happening to me. Just a lil advice take your measurements at least once every couple of weeks, this will show you while weight isnt coming off the scales, that its possibly shifting. Just stay on the path and keep plugging away. It will start to come off Wishing you every success with your weight loss journey xox

Oh so much to talk about with this..... Sorry, but I'm going to ramble a bit. First off, there are risks and benefits to each of the three surgeries (as background I had a lap-band, miserable with it, prolapsed, lead to emergency removal, and now have a gastric bypass. I'm also a family practice physician assistant. I'm not a bariatric expert, but I've been around this a bit). On average, lap-band patients do not lose as much as the other 2 surgeries. That is why surgeons typically don't recommend lap-band above a certain weight. That said, I know people that have lost 200+ pounds with the lap-band. Average weight loss is just that, an average. For everyone that loses 10%, there's someone that loses 80% of their excess weight. It's impossible to predict where you'll fall in that spectrum. Some of it is how good your surgeon is, some of it is how dedicated you are to lifestyle change, some of it is sheer luck. As far as the band, I won't say don't do it. I will say research your butt off. Again, weight loss tends to not be as much as compared to the other 2 surgeries. I would like to add that, while the band is known for it's reversibility, that is not entirely an accurate statement. My personal story was that my band prolapsed, stomach herniated (and before i get jumped for being a bad band patient, I wasn't a bad band patient....sometime crap just happens). I had an emergency removal and was supposed to revise to gastric bypass, however, once the surgeon got in to remove the band I had so much swelling and inflammation that he was not able to do the revision. They removed my band, sewed me up, sent me home to heal for 6 months, then I had my revision. I know of at least 2 individuals in my area that had band removal and had so much damage that they could not revise to another surgery....while the band is removable, I don't really feel the term reversible is 100% accurate. Another point I'd like to share is 'invasive' truth be told, you're having major surgery. All 3 surgeries are invasive. The sleeve does not have the malabsorption issues or dumping associated with the RNY. However, they are essentially cutting off a large section of your stomach. The RNY does have malabsorption and possibly dumping (most people don't dump, I happen to be in the minority that dump easily, it's really not a huge deal if I watch what I eat). Yes they are making a small pouch in your stomach and bypassing and small portion of your intestine, you are getting some replumbing done with the RNY. That said, RNY is reversible (again, subject to scar tissue and such associated with previous surgeries) IF you need reversal. The vast majority of us will never consider reversal because we need this surgery to maintain a healthy weight.....(reversibility was not a factor in my choosing RNY). I know people that have been hugely successful with all 3 surgeries. I know people that have lost almost nothing with all 3 surgeries. I know people that have had bad complications, hospitalizations, ICU admissions with all 3 surgeries. None of them are magic. None of them work without a commitment from the patient. It is not something to step into lightly..... My advice, research, research, research. Find a surgeon that you trust and listen to what they say and what they suggest. Ultimately you have to make a decision that you are comfortable with and that you can commit to. But know that every day you spend morbidly obese is taking a toll on your body and your health. Most of us just cannot lose an maintain a healthy weight without surgery. Most of us have lost and gained a thousand times. There are some that regret the surgery but the vast majority of us wish we'd done it sooner. The RNY is right for me, I wish i'd done it in the first place. But I'm not you. I wish you the best of luck with the decision and applaud your choice to start considering surgery. If you ever have questions I'm happy to try to help. Best of luck with this decision and congrats on trying I take control of your health. It's a tough choice but at least you're considering it. That's a step in the right direction.

I was honestly in tears while doing this search and found this blog. Im so sick of this band! The pain and the embarrassment from the vomiting and burping is just ruining my life. The pain is just so much and Im just at my wits end. We just relocated for a new job and the health benefits havent kicked in but even then doctors are already saying the insurance wont cover the removal. I honestly feel like Im dying. This just cant be a normal way to live! These terrible chest pains cannot be good for my heart. Ive gone to the ER several times and it seems like the docs there cant get over their weight loss bias. Its the same prior to loosing any weight! They just see an obese person that they think they are to good to help. I really want my life back. I dont want my husband and kids to keep looking at me with sorrow in their eyes! I cant stop crying because I just do not know what to do.

Hello everyone, just a quick compliment to this website and its community. You all seem to be very kind and caring to each other, supporting one another during the time of sleevery. My admiration for that. I am 20 days post op and struggle a lot with my diet. During the first week post op I lost 22lbs. Since last week I've lost another 6lbs. Last night I weighed myself and I was a 134kg and today (it's evening) I've weighed myself again and I gained 2lbs (1kg) and I'm back on 135kg. This just scared the living heck out of me. I barely eat, because I don't really know what to eat. I struggle so much with protein-intake. I bought this whey protein for so much money (we don't have much money..) and I can't even get it down! My belly can't go with the heavy thickness of protein shakes, it makes me ill. I saw they have this awesome 30g protein per bottle protein water in England. They don't have it in Germany (where I'm from), it's frustrating. Dieting is hell for me right now, my body feels weak, I can barely focus on tasks. I drink quite normally, just water and tea. I can take in liquids max 800ml a day, if it goes well 1l a day. Are there any pureed foods with lots of protein? I google all day but it drives me mad. Sometimes there are foods listed that I can't even afford (like avocados, they're very expensive here where I live). I have no one that I can talk to about this so I feel absolutely left alone, I'm on the verge of crying. I don't know how I'm going to manage this. Liquid stage went fine but pureed stage seems to be going to be tough on me. I could eat pureed potatoes but then people say they have lots of carbs. If anybody has some heartfelt advice, I'd be more than glad and happy to receive it. Thank you.

Well, the weekend was a big bust for me. Not sure how many points I went over, but I know that I blew the WW plan on Saturday night. I was doing good until then. I was released from the doctor on Friday and I decided that Monday (today) I would start the BFL program again. I am going to modify it a little, but for the most part, I will stick to the plan. I set my alarm for 4:45 am to hit the gym, well, I almost didn't go, but finally I forced myself up and headed to the gym. I'm so glad I did! My menu today: Bfast - weight wise oatmeal, WW yogurt = 3 pts Snack a few pistachios - 2 pt Lunch Green salad with all kinds of vegies, and 3 oz of baked chicken breast - 3 pts Homemade salad dressing with EVO and lemon and vininger - 2 pts FF pudding - 2 pts Dinner 1 baked potatoe with lean ground beef and side salad - 5 pts WW dessert - 4 pts Exercise - :cursing: 35 min on elliptical 5:00 am 45 min with strength training UBWO - 11:30 am Wt - didn't weigh this morning, but will be weighed tonight at the WW meeting. Hopefully I'm down at least 1 lb!

Fainting, tremors and weakness can be signs of low blood sugar. Several individuals that underwent RNY gastric bypass surgery experience a type of hypoglycemia called "Reactive Hypoglycemia". Here is one link about this condition but you can search for other links on the internet. https://www.ridgeviewmedical.org/services/bariatric-weight-loss/enewsletter-articles/reactive-hypoglycemia-postgastric-bypass/

Hello, sorry this is going to be long. I hope someone will have advice. I had Rny in July of 2014. Since surgery I have been extremely exhausted. I have had my blood work done. Many times. My hands and feet go numb. I have a vibration in my left foot that feels like I am stepping on a cell phone on vibrate. Sometimes I get dizzy even when sitting. And my feet will sometimes just not work. It's all mostly in my left foot. Sometimes I have a hard time lifting it and it feels like it's not there. I also get body tremors. Mostly my hands. Sometimes my whole body. They have tested my bloodwork, did a CT scan looking for ms or brain cancer. They have done an emg. I have seen a neurologist whom looks at me like I'm insane. I am about 10 pounds under my goal weight. And I either keep losing or stay where I am at. My bariatric program has high turnover for all their staff from Dr's to secretaries so I have been doing all my follow up with my primary Dr. I take a multi Vitamin, Calcium with Vitamin D, Biotin, fish oil, b12, and Iron ( iron every other day so I don't get constipated) potassium and magnesium. I was doing them all twice a day but my neurologist took me off of them all to see if I was having a reaction. I added them back in once a day myself because i started getting horrible migranes. I juse added b complex and a vitimin d pill to see of that would help. So far it helped with body tremors but my hands still shake and I still have all other symptoms. I'm tired of seeing Dr's. I just want to feel half way normal. Any advice would be appreciated. Sorry it's so long.

Hey bandsister!! I'm with you about wanting to be able to eat a little during the holidays. Normally I'd think I don't have quite enough restriction, but I really was able to enjoy Thanksgiving and have already lost the extra couple of pounds four days of (mini)pigging out put on me. After Christmas, though, I'll be calling the doctor to tweak me a little. This losing weight thing is FUN! :cool:

that sounds about right. The minute you fall below 40 you have to have comorbs to qualify. I have heard of some people buying ankle weights and other inconspicuous weights for the monthly weigh ins. Some people wear the ankle weights with boot flare jeans and have a large lunch before being weighed in. I know that might sound like cheating but consider the alternative. Just food for thought. ;)Good luck! Cheri

I have my surgery booked with Dr. Kelly in January, but told my husband I'd give our insurance one more try... I have a BMI of 37-38 with no co-morbidities. With my insurance I have to be on a 6 month supervised diet. I get that I would need to be at 40 to qualifiy, but I wouldn't want to stay at 40 for the entire 6 months. When I called BCBS I asked and the rep said that my ending weight needed to be at 40, or 35 with 2 co-morbidities. Does that sound right? Thanks for any input or experiences that you can share to help me out!

no I dont believe it was that by any means. I have my good and bad days and think of quality of life. Was it even worth it to have this surgery to see nothing but loose skin just so society would accept me as well as friends and family and possibility of improving my health. the improvement in health was a major bust tbh. i have social anxiety now and go out very rarely due to the weight loss. Right now with the bills mind ya medical bills i cant just go buy something to fit me now. no thrift stores arent an option either my life doesnt work that way. Sent from my SM-G935V using the BariatricPal App