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Julie, First of all Happy Birthday (saw you on the list). Secondly I live in Montrose, just a little north of you in westchester. I was banded in New rochelle on Oct 1st and I am having the same problem. Are you lsoing weight now? I know your last post was a while ago. I am really getting discouraged. I lose 13 pounds in the first week. Now - nothing. I'm eating about a cup of food three times a day. What am I doing wrong?

Sorry you are going thru this. I was banded in June as well and have lost 15 pounds. I'm losing about 1/3 pound a week. My band is half full (2.2cc in a 4cc band). I know when I don't see the scales move...it's my soda and candy. Don't shoot me.... I still have soda and eat candy from time to time. But isn't that so opposite of what I'm trying to achieve...weight loss? You bet. But I'm happy to say my addiction to food is getting better and I'm in more control now that I used to be. So for me, the band is working...keeps me in check. Just take a look at your intake and ensure it's 100% nutritious...if it's not...don't eat it.

I'm guessing you have the Swedish Band because of the amount of fill that you are getting. I go for my first fill next Friday, as of right now, I don't feel like I have any restriction, but hopefully will notice a difference after my first adjustment. As a friend of mine said, it didn't take overnight to put on this weight, and it's not going to come off overnight either. Hang in there!

OK I AM A LITTLE CONFUSED I HAVE LOT 18 LBS SO FAR I WAS BANDED ON 6/7/04 MY FIRST FILL WAS ON 7/10/04 OF 4CC AND TODAY I WENT FOR ANOTHER ONE AND SHE FILLED IT UP TO 5CC SO IN TOTAL IT'S 9CC DOES THAT SOUND LIKE ALOT ? HAS ANYONE OUT THERE GOING OR HAS GONE THOUGH THE SAM THING? NOW I FEEL THE RETICIONS BUT IT'S LIKE MY WEIGHT DOES OR IS NOT COMING OFF FAST ENOUGH I STARTED OUT WITH 218 LBS BEFORE GETTING BANDED NOW I AM AT 200 LBS

One thing I learned. After one year I went on a cruise, had a dinner roll every night, great meals, then went to Perdido Key eating out for a month. It put me on a path to regaining 20 lbs. I am back on track with shakes, salads, and proteins. I have finally lost ten hard to go pounds. If you don't stay focused and track your food, like me, you will gain, and I can tell you that even TEN POUNDS is hard to get off.

They would like for you to lose weight but not a requirement. Just can not weigh more on surgery day than you did on your first weigh in. I have lost 29 lbs. I have cut out all sodas, fried foods and very low carb consumption. Was hard for the first few weeks but it became a habit and now I don't think about it. I was reluctant that I would be able to do it, but I have and can't wait to get my date.

I am 1 year and 3 months out and am wondering is it normal for the pouch to stretch and how much should I be able to eat at this point. I feel like I can eat more but should i? Also, is there a picture to see what our stomach (pouch) looks like now. How usual is it that the stomach would stretch to a very large size and is that what causes weight gain and if not what causes weight gain after surgery. Thanks, Irelandgrl

Hi guys! I am meeting with the surgery team next week for a gastric sleeve. Going into this decision to have surgery I definitely have concerns about the response I will get from others when I begin to lose the weight. I am also curious how I should respond to everyone's questions. I was thinking of joking about swallowing a tape worm. haha! just kidding but to be honest I don't know how I want to respond. I am naturally a more private person and don't feel as though it's just anyone's business. Any advice would be so welcome.

"I would rather lose the weight than to have someone cut on my body" "All you have to do is eat vegetables and fruit" "What kind of surgery is that and what are the side effects?" (Instead of asking me positive questions) Even though I have been asked/told these things I still decided to tell my husband, daughter, immediate family and friends. At this point in my life I do not care what someone thinks I should or should not do. I have struggled too long with obesity and I'm ready to be healthy and fit. I have a supportive husband and daughter, that's all that matters. One minute people will tell you not to do it and the next minute they're going to ask how you did it. Remember that...

"There is a diet I did that worked and I lost a lot of weight! That is all you have to do!" ---They gained back all the weight the "lost" on that diet after they stopped.

I began reducing my volume and caloric intake about 8 weeks ago. I slowly, slowly lost around 10 pounds. Hard to know because I only bought a scale half way through. I began the pre surgical diet 3 days ago and my scale has shown a drop of 4 pounds! That encouraged me! I have no problems until night time. That's when I get hungry! I have been splitting my delicious shakes in half. Taking a 20 minute break between the two halves. I also make a bowl of sugar free jello in the morning and that is my evening snack. So I think the actual fact you can loose weight on the presurgical diet is a huge motivator. I am having problems with some friends who are really all about just staying fat and enjoying their lives. They are very against me doing this. My supportive friends are all really into eating healthy, and they are into smoothies and shakes already so its pretty much easier with them. All kinds of people are drinking protein shakes and smoothies for breakfast and lunch so that should be easy for you at work. Best of luck! I am going in for a tune up of my pouch and RNY, on July 31.

You aren't heavy enough You should just take X pill. X diet works do that instead Do you realize the changes you'll have to make? If you'd eat less and exercise more... Thats the easy way out (On here) You don't have any comorbidites, you shouldn't do it.... (My personal favorite) the only reason why you can't lose the weight this time is because your gut is imbalanced, take these supplements (which adds up to hundreds of dollars, and they just so happen to be a rep for X product) and then do it the old fashioned way

Welcome Ziva and Linkoop! This site is the best there is because you are chatting with people who have had this all done. Gone through Bandster hell (the time between the surgery and your first fill) and everything else. The lapband is great but its not a miracle. You will have to still work at controlling your hunger and what you eat but the band will definitely help. I'm a slow loser plus I have had problems so I have not been able to exercise too much which slows the weight loss. Each time you get a fill and the band tightens you get more and more restriction which will help alot. There are people who complain of pain and other complications but those are really low compared to us others who have had no complications whatsoever. You are going to love your band and what it can do for you, IF, you do what you are suppose to as far as eating right and getting some exercise in. Take care and I congratulate you on taking your first step to becoming a healthier you. Yvonne

VerticalSleeveTalk Newsletter Hey, Sleevers!Happy New Year! It’s time to leap into 2013. You might have slipped a little during the holidays, but January is a great time for a fresh start! Of course, VerticalSleeveTalk.com is here for you as you work to lose weight and get healthy. Allow the January Newsletter to motivate you to get back on board if you lost your focus in December, or to inspire you to keep up the good work if you were able to stay on track during the holidays. Here’s what we have in this newsletter. Looking Ahead to 2013! Member Spotlight: Meet Velena! New Year’s Resolutions that Work! Sleever Challenge: Make Your New Year’s Resolutions! Casting Call: Looking for VerticalSleeveTalk.com Members to be in a Book! As you get back into the swing of everyday life and your commitment to your health, we hope you continue to make VerticalSleeveTalk.com a regular part of your day. So, enjoy the newsletter and then talk about it or anything else on the forums! See you there! Sincerely, Alex Brecher Founder VerticalSleeveTalk.com Looking Ahead to 2013! 2012 was a phenomenal year for VerticalSleeveTalk.com. The forums grew tremendously and we came out with mobile apps for the Android, Kindle and iPod, iPad and iPhone. We have plenty more changes in store for 2013! Keep watch for even more improvements. We’ll be sure to let you know in the newsletters and on the forums, too. 2013 will be an exciting year! Thanks to you, our members, for continuing to support the community. Member Spotlight: Meet Velena! We’re delighted to start off 2013 by shining the spotlight on Velena from Madison, Alabama! She says she spent most of her adult life obese. She didn’t want to spend “second half” of her adult life obese, too, and set the goal of weighing under 200 pounds by her fiftieth birthday. She lost about 25-30 pounds through dieting, doing fitness DVDs and taking weight loss pills, but was still 30 pounds short of her weight loss goal. She wanted to lose weight to be able to enjoy life instead of being limited because of her obesity. Velena wanted to be able to ride a motorcycle and enjoy hiking with her husband; the final straw for her was on a hike when she couldn’t follow him down to the falls because of the steep stairs. She had high cholesterol and high blood pressure. In addition, Velena has diabetes and needs to eat well to control it. She says she always ate healthily, but portion control was a problem. When Velena started looking into weight loss surgery two years ago, her insurance didn’t cover it. This year, she attended another seminar and found out that now her insurance would cover the sleeve. She didn’t like the idea of bypass “rearranging my plumbing,” and a friend had had a bad experience with the lap-band. Velena did like the idea of the gastric sleeve, and got her surgery in September of 2012. Her top weight was 264 pounds. Now, Velena is down to 197 pounds! She feels light on her feet and her balance is much better after losing so much weight! Velena now has her own bike to ride around the neighborhood. Some of her great moments have been buying a jacket in the Misses section, instead of the plus size section, and trying on a winter coat at costco and finding out that it was too big. Of course, stepping on the scale and seeing a number under 200 was a thrill for her! She faced some challenges along the way, such as having trouble swallowing right after surgery. She got dehydrated and had to get hooked up to an IV! Eating slowly enough and ending her meal before she’s too full are still challenges for Velena, but she’s working on them and it’s paying off. Velena uses Vertical Sleeve Talk daily to catch up with friends, get ideas and encouragement and provide support. She says the forums keep her focused on her nutrition. We’re sure that you’re keeping up with your nutrition because you even managed to lose weight during the holidays! Congratulations on your success so far! Thanks for being in the Member Spotlight, Velena! Welcome to 2013 and the second half of your adult life! The Member Spotlight Forum is the place to go to nominate another member to be in the spotlight section of the newsletter. You can also nominate yourself – everyone on the boards will be pleased to meet you! You can even send Alex Brecher a private message telling us that you want to be featured. Everyone has a great story to share. Thanks! New Year’s Resolutions that Work! What are your New Year’s resolutions? Whatever else you’re resolving to do in 2013, your resolutions almost certainly include losing weight or maintaining your goal weight. Too often, we stop following our New Year’s resolutions pretty soon and fall back into old bad habits. How can you make New Year’s resolutions that you’ll stick to so that you can meet your goals for 2013? Try out these simple tips as you make your resolutions. Make them specific. You want to get healthy and lose weight. Those are great goals, but those resolutions aren’t specific enough to be helpful. Instead, choose resolutions that will help you meet those goals. Resolutions to help you get healthy might include exercising at least three days a week and choosing olive oil instead of butter for your servings of fat on your bariatric surgery diet. To lose weight, you might resolve eat at least 80g Protein per day so you feel more full. Make them doable. Keep your resolutions realistic so you’re not setting yourself up for failure. Nobody’s perfect, and your resolutions’ success shouldn’t depend on you to be perfect. Instead of resolving to drink more Water, resolve to drink an extra 8 ounces of water in the morning at least 5 days per week. This resolution gives you some room for error just in case you forget your water a couple of times in the week. Plus, the resolution is specific, so it fits with the first tip! Make them controllable. You can’t control whether you lose a certain amount of weight within a certain amount of time. What you can control are resolutions such as sticking to your diet or exercising to burn off an extra 300 calories per day, 3 days per week. Keep these tips in mind when you’re making your own New Year’s resolutions. Solid resolutions together with your best intentions can help you make 2013 a great year for your health, weight and happiness! Sleever Challenge: Make Your New Year’s Resolutions! This is the part of the newsletter where we challenge VerticalSleeveTalk.com members to take a step forward by doing something new. The experience can help you grow and gain confidence when you do something you hadn’t even thought about before, or you find out that you can do something you hadn’t even realized that you could do. This month, we’re sticking to the theme of New Year’s resolutions. The challenge for this newsletter is to make one or more resolutions based on the advice in this newsletter. We challenge you to make your resolutions specific, doable and controllable – and we’re eager to see what you decide to do in 2013! Tell us about your resolutions in the Sleever Challenge Forum. We’d love to hear about why you chose those resolutions and how you think you’ll do on them. When you post, you get to help other members who may need ideas for their own resolutions. Of course, if you ever miss a challenge, you can always go back to the archived Newsletter Forum to check out the old ones. It’s never too late to try – or retry! – a Newsletter Challenge! Casting Call: Looking for VerticalSleeveTalk.com Members to be in a Book! Are you eager to have your gastric bypass story published in a book? This is your chance! Our first book was focused on the lap-band, and it is called “The Big Book on the Lap Band: Everything You Need to Know to Lose Weight and Live Well with the Adjustable Gastric Band.” It was inspired by our sister site, LapBandTalk.com, and we’re so pleased with its success that we’re going to add a vertical sleeve book to the series! If you want to have your story published or you have advice, tricks or recipes to share, let us know! All you have to do is contact Alex Brecher (username Alex Brecher) via VerticalSleeveTalk.com’s private messaging system. We’d love to hear from you no matter where you are in your sleeve journey, even if you’re just thinking about the surgery. Thanks! That’s it for this month’s newsletter. We invite you to head on over to the forums and get a head start on a healthy 2013. Again, Happy New Year to you and your loved ones! May 2013 be the best year so far. Take care of yourself and each other. Sincerely, Alex ============================================================== If you no longer wish to receive this newsletter, you may unsubscribe by going to your Control Panel and clicking on the Newsletters tab, or clicking on the following link: {unsubscribe}

I have always been fat. Always. There were 4good years in my college days where I lost 90lbs! When I was 20 I lost 90lbs all through eating right and working out. I maintained for two years until I was legal to drink and all that went down the drain. Then when I was in grad school I used money I got from a grant to get the LapBand in Mexico. I lost 80lbs but the band failed me and I gained it all back and then some in a year. A year later I gained 110pounds! Who gains THAT much?!!!! It was so sad. The moment I realized I wanted to lose was this past year I was pregnant and miscarried. I was so sad because I really was happy and excited and was willing to do anything for this little pea inside of me. But when I lost it I got depressed and just didn't care. My partner is such a great man he lifted me up and told me he wants to try again once we are married and I got excited to think about everything I could have in the near future. But I didn't want to be 260lbs and pregnant like I was. I did not want to gain more. I didn't want to get diabetes while pregnant or have a high risk pregnancy. I just could NOT go through one more miscarriage. So I talked to my boyfriend about the sleeve as my surgeon had recommended for me. He was the most supportive person because my boyfriend had lost his own son at 9months from a risky pregnancy he didn't want to risk any pregnancy anymore. This is our plan and I am 6 weeks out just waiting to lose 100lbs (-30down) and we are talking about a wedding, my 30th bday and a baby in a 2years and I will be healthy in all the pictures. Sometimes at night I close my eyes and picture all these moments and what they/I will look like. So far it's been worth it but damn this biological clock is ticking. I need constant reminders of my purpose and goals.

Loou, I am a major coward I will probably spend the rest of my life never knowing how in the world I found the courage to go through with. In the end I came to believe that one way or another I would end up in the hospital in pain the real question was whether I'd be there for the sleeve or some weight related issue. The decision was easier then. And now 6 1/2 months post I can say without any hesitation that it was the best decision I've ever made. Good luck.

HI Kaye! I think you should be able to say how you really feel about it...it might help those of us who haven't done it yet. (Although I'm one of those people who isn't good at sugar coating, so I can see how it might be tough to say what you mean and still not rain on everyone's parade. LOL) One of my friends at work had lap band years ago and has been telling me a lot about what it's like. Something that surprised me was that some foods are too dry to go down and other days...they DO go down. Weird. But everyone's different, too...her experience may not be mine...and probably won't be. I do realize that I'm going to have to kiss some things goodbye (part of the reason why I've already given up sugar and sweets)...and I'm sure that's going to have its down side, but I've fought my weight for 20 years...I'm over 200 lbs overweight. Something's gotta change...time for me to lay the smack down. On myself! :-)

I'm a bit of an anomaly, as I had made peace with being overweight. It made me miserable when I was younger, but the more I struggled with it the older I got, I figured I could either continue to be miserable or... I could make peace with myself and be happy, even when fat. So I did. I pursued weight loss surgery on a whim after being told that my insurance didn't require a six month wait if you were over a certain BMI with comorbidities. Up until that point, the idea of a six month pre-op diet was so repulsive to me that I refused to even think about doing it. I figured that I had tried everything else up to that point, so I could try this and I would either succeed, and things would be different, or that I would fail and I could at least say that I had tried everything. So far, it's been successful. We'll see how it goes a few years from now.

Last week I attended a seminar about LAP-BAND® hosted by one of our local weight loss institutes. I was very exciting. They provided a lot of information including just a quick blurb about cost and that at the first visit the financial counselor would review your insurance one-on-one. That makes sense, everyone has different insurance. They did include that there would be: $500 – program enrollment (includes pre-authorization testing), $400 – psychiatric eval, and $1,000 for the three year nutritional/exercise program. That all seemed reasonable to me. I also knew that my insurance had a $1,000 access for bariatric surgery. When I got the appointment today they said it would be slightly over $8,000. In addition to the costs listed above they use a second surgeon who is out of network (out of everyone’s network) which is about $5,000 and some miscellaneous fees. My husband has been active duty military for over 20 years and I have not seen a “civilian” doctor in a long time. I knew it would not be cheap but I was really surprised at the cost. Is this similar to what your fees were? I know each insurance is different but I had serious culture shock! :scared2:I was going to use my insurance through work but now need to look into TriCare referrals.

I too was sleeved on the 9th. How long were you in the hospital? I think that makes a big difference. I have noticed that people that had a 2 day or more hospital stay had more iv's. then i did. I only had an over night stay. I only gained 5 lbs from the iv's some people i have talked to have gained anywhere from 8-15 lbs during the hospital stay. And dont forget once you stop retaining all that Water the lbs will fly off you. It's too soon to be discouraged! I am happier then a pig rolling in $&(# that i am finally sleeved. I know in a couple of months i will have forgotten about all the gas pain, sharting myself (yes i trusted a fart), The horrible swallow test! and in the end it will be all worth it! good luck to you!

I am just starting my process and was wondering if you could let me know low long it took to get approval? I have Harvard Pilgrim with sleep apnea, high blood pressure and a bmi of 39 (weight 230lbs and 5.5). I have tried unsuccessfully to lose and need assistance. I have an information session on April 22nd at Beth Israel. I would love to hear of any good or bad experiences with them. Thank you all!

I just got sleeved on Dec 15. I've lost 22 lbs. ..my time of the month started and I gained five. Since then....I haven't been able to loose like I was at the begining....has this happened to anyone else?

Yes. I was deciding between sleeve and bypass. Since I previously had a failed lap band, my doctor told me that bypass was the better option because it's easier to convert. I also have a lot of weight to lose.

Ok, I did some checking, asked a highly respected oncology surgeon in town who removed a melanoma of mine and did a few things my husband needed done during his cancer hell, talked to his daughter (who I work with), and got the name of the practice he most recommends for the lap band. He, the oncology surgeon, had good things to say about it. I called that practice Friday morning, they said you HAVE to attend our information seminar before you have an office consult, and there is one today at 2:00 pm. So I told my boss that I had to go to the doc and left for the day. Very informative. the NP who ran the seminar had worked on clinical trials for the LB at the big university research hospital in town. She discussed both GB and LB. Really a side by side comparison which was really helpful. I went to my car, called the practice and left a voice mail that I wanted to make an appt. The scheduler called me on sunday! I didn't actually talk to her until this morning. My first office consult is April 16. My Dad, who is and always has been fit and trim, was very supportive when I told him. He is 77 and you never know . . . but he said he'd actually read about the lap band and was thinking it would be good for me. I need his support, since he's all I have besides my five year old daughter. So I am on the way and I'm not looking back. This is the last step for me, in recovery from the cancer-hell I've endured the last four years. In fact, I am already starting to mentally calculate where the $$$$ are coming from for my tummy tuck, breast lift and face lift I'm going to get after I lost all my weight!