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I lost control Xmas day. Had about 20 chocolate covered almonds. I've been away on holiday for 2 weeks without a scale. Praying I didn't gain. I see my NUT Wednesday morning. Sent from my SM-N910T using the BariatricPal App

Misty, I know my ex-fiance has fears of me being thin...yeah...he still thinks he has a chance! I'm 28 and broke off our engagement last winter...really haven't done a whole lot as far as going out as I'm busy with my family and career, however, I cannot wait to be at a healthy weight again and go out and shake my stuff. I'm fortunate that even at 250 I was proportionate and although I didn't get the attention from men that I did when I was thin somehow, someone who liked fat chics always seemed to find me...LOL... I'm scared but I'm also excited! I met a guy this summer "blind date" type thing and he never called me again. Funny how we got along prior to meeting. I would love to see him when I'm at 145 and be like...you missed out jerk! I keep telling my friends that I'm going to start taking applications when I see a cute guy because pretty soon I'm going to be a babe! Alot of times our size is our security, our knowing that we will not have to let someone in (because no one is dying to get in)...similar to getting your hair cut short...you can't hide behind it anymore...but let me tell everyone I'm ready to sport a cute halter top and a little skirt this summer looking fine as all hell! Sorry for being so full of myself but after all of what I've been through (including my ex-fiance telling me the night before surgery I wouldn't have to worry about complications if I wasn't so fat) I deserve to be happy and confident!

Maybe you should watch Dr. Phil on tv, he has a weight loss group and a couple of the women are dealing with the same issue. You could keep tabs on the ones you are similar to, and take his free advice. It cant hurt.

Lordy! Deep thoughts for a hump day! As I sit here taking in my 2nd cup of real coffee and drinking my chocolate Peanut Butter (and espresso spiked) Protein shake I can't help but wonder of those are just not normal thoughts by normal people everyday? The last couple days have been terrible for me. I made a promise to myself that I wouldn't have simple carbs and sugars till the end of the year. Day before yesterday, I had a piece of cashew, dark chocolate topped peanut brittle. Thats all she wrote….things went to hell in a hand basket fast! Have been beating myself up one side and down the other since as I stuffed my face with the poison. I finally, yesterday afternoon took it out to the trash can out side and then beat myself up some for having to take that step. I was damned if I kept it and damned if I tossed it. Either way, I lose. After reading your post, it made me realize that we do this in more aspects of our lives than just as it relates to our weight loss journey. Maybe we have just conditioned ourselves to be our own worst enemy and critic? Yes? Whoever said this journey is every bit as much mental and emotional is absolutely correct. As most of us know, the actual part of losing the weight is not as hard as keeping it off. Keeping it off is where the head comes into play. If we don't fix that we will never succeed. We have heard them all, "We have to keep our head in the game", "We have to deal with what's eating us", We have to……the list goes on and on. Perhaps we need to redefine "success." We are constantly evolving and growing and changing and taking steps forward and backward and this and that….. Maybe the best gift we can give ourselves this Holiday season is try and see truly how far we have come and try not to look at how far we need to go. When we look at how far we need to go, the finish line is never in sight. Interesting topic, RJ. You really have expressed what I have been feeling the last few days. This should be a time of joy and gratitude and I have found myself blue and self loathing. I thought for sure I had this and the holidays would be a piece of cake. Not so much. Will I ever "have it"? Probably not. Will I ever give up striving to "have it"? I can only pray not. I do think today though, I am going to skip the gym and go outside in the beautiful sunshine and garden. It makes me happy. Just for today, I'm not going to work on my physical body. I'm going to work on my heart and my head. Thanks RJ, for helping me make the best decision that I can make for me as a person today. I wish the same for you. ((((big hugs)))) I'm a hugger!

Congratulations on your weight loss. After my blood work they found I was deficient in Iron. So they told me to add an iron supplement, 65 mg of iron. It had to be "ferrous sulfate" chemistry or it would not be absorbed properly. So that is what I have been taking once per day for a couple years now and it seems to work. All iron supplements must be spaced 2 hours from all Calcium supplements otherwise they interfere chemically with absorption. I take calcium either in the form or calcium supplements or in dairy products such as milk that contain calcium throughout the day. In the end, the only way I could achieve the time spacing was to take my iron supplements at the end of the day, just before bedtime. From my perspective an iron transfusion seems a little drastic. Especially since you had a severe reaction to this process. Have you tried the normal iron supplement approach?

Since I lost weight on the lap band, it actually made my birth control completely stop working for awhile. I was on the depo shot and had to switch to pills. My hormones became completely out of control, along with my period. That was around 170 pounds. I started out at the 230's. Then when I lost another 30 pounds, my body seemed to even itself out and I could use my regular birth control again. So yes, weight loss will effect your birth control and your periods.

Have you ever been diagnosed with PCOS? Symptoms include:excess weight (especially around the middle), irregular periods/infertility/miscarriages/heavy periods, excess facial hair, thinning hair/mail pattern hair loss, cystic acne, skin tags, depression/mood swings, ovarian cysts/ovarian pain, insulin resistance. It affects woman differently so you could have a few or all of the above symptoms. Fasting glucose test is the best way to be diagnosed and an endocrinologist is the best type of doc to see for it. Some do treat the symptoms with birth control but to treat the root cause the best treatment is insulin sensitising drugs. Weight loss is possible with the condition but it may be more difficult and you definitley have to watch starches and sugars. If you have a few of the above symptoms you should be tested because if you do have it, the type of food you eat will be an important factor in sucess with your your band. But to answer your question, I have PCOS. I had most all of the above symptoms and I was on Metformin for five years and that helped to regulate my cycles and keep most of the symptoms under control. Since shortly after surgery I came off the medication and have normal 28-day cycles and most of the symptoms have gone away 100%.

thanks a lot everyone for all the comments, i really really appreciate it i called my insurance provider in a heap of bravery lol...i got told what i needed to know, no coverage unless youre considered "morbidly obese" so i guess my next step is to wander down to the hospital and get a primary care physician who can make that determination ive dieted and exercised for a while, i didnt find eating mostly healthy to be too awful (although im kind of addicted to pepsi, thats going to be rough) honestly the whole catheter thing is right up there among greatest fears, along with insects and a day with justin beiber if id have to crawl home in a thunderstorm to avoid that and pee myself the whole way ill do that :/ for the liquid diet thing, did you find yourself to be like hungry during that time? except for coffee ive never really found any liquid to be a replacement for food do they give you painkillers after the surgery for the pain? thats so good that all you lost so much weight, i definitely need to read more about the good stuff build up the ole confidence reserves

Ok, thanks for all the help! I was just hoping that things wouldn't be so out of wack once my body got down to a healthy weight. Guess now I have one more thing to look forward to lol. Thanks

Hi! My name is Tonya and I have been on this roller coaster of by-pass... band... self... no, okay by-pass, wait band... okay Weight Watchers (again) for over a year now! My BFF (that sounds so high school-ish, lol) had RNY in October 2006 and I said I would wait and see how she did. Well, she lost 130 lbs and looks great except for the thin, brittle hair and the pale skin tone. I guess that I can live with... but she is always freezing because her Iron is too low and can't get regulated and she is constantly sick due to low immunity. So... I had decided a while back that the Lab Band was the better choice for me. I had my surgical consult in August 2007 and started a new job two weeks later -- so my insurance changed and I've had to put it off until now. I have an appointment with the nutritionist on Monday! THANK GOODNESS... but now I am feeling the terror again! What if I'm denied, what if I fail, what if I hate my life because I can't eat what I want OR because I am always sick or having band issues!?!?!?!?!?!? What if, what if, what if!! PLUS, I was told I'd have to loose about 50 pounds :cool2: to even get the band due to my BMI - HOW AM I GONNA DO THAT?!?!?!?!?! Anyone who can share anything to help calm my nerves... I would greatly appreciate it!!

I too stalled. On track until I saw dietitian, a month ago and at that stage I was loosing too much too quick, then I have just spent the last month loosing very little and four days at a time on same weight. Disappointed. Had my appointment with diabetic specialist this time last week and he gave me a script for refilled pen to take one day, once a week. He said my body hadn’t caught up. One injection and I have started to move again in the right direction. Also I now have to get thyroid checked out. I had heard about stalls but I think we have done the right thing and it just takes time for mind and body to adjust and change our ways. A slow process but well worth it in the long run.

Jaide0967, Your in what some call Lap-Band hell stage. My nurse told me to drink a glass of Water before each meal, keep the carbs low, and don't worry too much about losing. Just try not to gain. I had my first fill in my VG band last tues. I get another 2cc next tues. Im hoping i will have some restriction. I must admit... the small fill did help with appetite though. Hang in there! JoeMcc - My first post here

I thought my band was too tight, but I have this!!:tongue_smilie: I had an Upper GI because my band seemed TOO tight 4 times. Hopefully, your band is just to tight... Symptoms of Achalasia:eek: The symptoms of achalasia most often occur during and after a meal. All patients experience the sensation of solids, and usually liquids, hanging up and passing slowly into the stomach. This may occur several times a week or at every meal. Effortless regurgitation of bland, undigested food or whitish foam (saliva) is common and may be associated with coughing and choking at night. Some patients experience chest pain, and heartburn is common. This heartburn is not related to acid reflux into the esophagus, but rather due to retained acidic food or the fermentation of food in the esophagus. Approximately 50% of patients will lose weight. Tests for Achalasia The diagnosis of achalasia is suspected by barium x-rays and confirmed by esophageal manometry. Barium studies of the esophagram (esophagram) show a distinctive narrowing of the lower esophageal valve, esophageal dilation with retained barium in the upright position, poor esophageal emptying, and to-and-fro movement due to the loss of orderly peristalsis (coordinated wave-like muscle contractions).

Hi All, My last post here was several years ago, and that was probably the last time I was going down in the weight department. I'm trying to get back on track and I'm hoping posting here can help me. I had my surgery in Dec 06 and lost 45 lbs (of the 100 I need to) in the first six months, stayed at a stable weight for two years, then started gaining slowly when I quit smoking last Spring, and now I'm back up 15lbs. I haven't been to see the doctor in two years, I haven't been sticking with the rules and I'm scared that I've caused damage to the band or my stomach, that returning to the surgeon will lead to scolding and finger waving - all of which would be fair, and no reason to avoid taking care of myself. I think I'm just starting to take the first steps by coming here, and I could use a kick in the pants and some support. Any of you fall off the wagon? Have to get back into the habit of not drinking carbonation, not drinking with meals and all the other rules I haven't been following. How did you do it? Thanks so much for reading!

To not have any follow-up care and gain only 15 pounds in two years is verrrry good. But now you're back and ready to dive in again - good for you. I totally agree with Cathy. Get to the doctor. You're not the first person to go missing for awhile and definitely not the first person to have weight gain. I stopped going for follow-ups and gained, too, but I'm back on track. When the nurse gave me a little bit of a rough time about not eating right, etc, my response was a casual, "I know I've not been doing everything that I needed to do, but I'm here now. At least I came back." I got back into the good habits by following the post-fill instructions to the letter. By the time that was over, the cravings were gone. Good for you for getting your head back in the game. Good luck!

Hello All, I just had a fill. My last fill was back in Sept & supposedly I was @ 6.8cc. Since it was a long time since my last fill we decided to pull out all of the Fluid to verify the quantity & then add a touch. To our surprise, we only pulled out about 5ccs. A leak was suspected a while ago but it would be a very small, slow leak. Now it appears more probable. The PA thinks it's a leak around the port that could be addressed in the office using a local & lite 'sleep'. Anyone else experience this? The PA filled me to 7.0cc. That lasted until I reached the parking lot. She removed .5cc. Still no good. I was experiencing major muscle spasms [per the PA] in what I am assuming was the around where the band is located. The PA took out more - I'm down to 6cc. I have quite a bit of restriction & the muscle spasms have subsided. This was the first time I had any issues with a fill. I've been jerking aound with the LAP-BAND® & not really 'participating' in my weight loss. Now I'm ready to play by the rules & this little road block pops up. Any information, suggestions, etc are much appreciated! Many thanks, Cheryl

listen to your trainer. you are burning fuel and then you have none left essentially. try some greek yogurt before a workout or a smoothie. you work out more, you burn more, you eat more. you will lose more inches than lbs, there is an almost 2 month "lag time" from inches lost to lbs lost. but it will catch up. i have been told and read that eating more protein will help you lose the weight as it builds muscle.

I am 7 months out and eat b/w 700 -900 cals a day. I eat mostly Protein foods, and very little carbs and approx 4-5 ozs per meal. It doesn't sound like a lot, but it is more than enough for me. If I want a cocktail, I have one; the same goes for dessert or Snacks. I do not deprive myself but I find that a bite satisfies me as much as a plateful. I seem to crave chicken daily and after I have it, I am good to go for a while. Quest bars are a "go to" food for me, I always have one stashed nearby. the weight loss is definitely slowing down, but it is still at 1 lb a week.

I was banded yesterday:thumbup:, June 17 and everything went well. Dr. Chua, in Milwaukee, WI, is an excellent surgeon! He found out I had galls stones and my gallbladder was removed during surgery. Minimum pain after 2 days is at # 3. No gas/shoulder/neck pains yet. Just a little soreness. I thank God that he brought me this far and I will do my part to work toward completing my weight loss goal.

I am really unsure what happened to cause my band to slip. I don't think the band actually slips itself but your lower portion below the band actually slips up past the band causing the problem. Anyway, last month I had a round with the GI virus with the vomitting and whole nine yards. After that sometime I began noticing that when I ate my food felt like it was up in my chest and would take forever to digest. I "ignorant like" thought that maybe I was finally feeling some good restriction. Then one week I had heartburn continously. Called the doctor's office and scheduled a visit. The doc done a barium swallow, radiologist said it was okay, done a 2cc fill (my band is 14cc). That day and the next all I did was vomit. Ended up in the hospital with vomitting and dehydration. Did another swallow the next day and was found to be obstructed. Removed all of the fluid from the band, stayed on full liquids for two weeks. Feel fine right now but for the next three months I will have no restriction. Doc said today that at the end of three months we would start with a rapid fill and would not be as slow. I will need encouragement the next three months. I am determined not to put any weight back on so wish me luck!!!:sad:

I had my surgery on Jan 21st and hit that dreaded 3 week stall. I was in that stall for about a month and a week. And now my 2 stall is happening now. I have been sitting at the same weight since APRIL 21st. I'm losing my mind!!!! Did you all hit your second stall so soon?

2 years post op and lost nearly 200 pounds. I have been in a stall for almost a year. I fluctuate about 10 pounds (gain and then loss) but I cannot get below the 190 mark. I have tried everything! I workout 5 days a week, try to stay at 1200 canals although with the excercise calorie adjustment it is usually around 1500c. I feel EXTREMELY guilty when I put anything bad in my mouth but then there a days ( usually once a month) when I will go on a mini binge and have little snacks throughout the day that are completely unhealthy. I love the way I feel but I still have fat brain and I am EXTREMELY frustrated that I can’t drop below 190! Btw...this is my first post, I usually just troll

I had "buyer's remorse" the first couple of weeks. It's common - and people usually get over that pretty quickly. a lot of women notice crazy hormones the first few weeks or months of surgery (weird menstrual cycles and emotions all over the place). It's because estrogen is stored in fat cells, and it's released during rapid weight loss. It'll stabilize once your weight loss slows down.

I just got on the forum to see if I could find out anything about periods and stumbled on this post. I was sleeved on 10/23, and I'm down 50 pounds :-). I'm also in ketosis, but I'm having the opposite problem with my period. I've had three periods in the last month and a half. Any input would be great because I've always had normal monthly periods. It's frustrating because I'm breaking out with pimples on my neck and back, and it stalls my weight loss. Thanks for your help!