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My dietitian explained too few calories will stop weight loss. As soon as you are back on solid food you will take in more calories and the weight loss should start up again. 5 pounds in 2.5 weeks aint bad baby. Walking helps a lot too. I am not a gym rat. I think "gym" is just a four letter word short one letter. It gets better. 4 months post op and have lost 40 pounds. 16 before surgery and 40 after so total lost 56. Get second fill in 2 days. Good luck and keep up the spirits.

<sigh> I havent posted in awhile. Ive just been lurking and hiding out. So today I have finally had enough. For the last 2 weeks I have been very, very bad. I have been eating non band friendly items, and I feel so guilty for my behavior. I know old habits die hard, but it seems my old habits are creeping back into my life. Those bad habits mad me weighing 363 pounds at one time. Its been 5 months since I was banded, and Ive lost 46 pounds and many inches. I dont want to go backwards. I feel like if I get this out it will help. Ive been hiding what Im eating, which is what I use to do. Last week I had a blizzard from Dairy Queen not just once, I had 4. Not in the same day though. 4 days in a row. Ive been eating more than my 4 ounces and I know it. Ive also had some fried food which I know is a NO NO! To top it all off yesterday I had a HUGE slice of pizza and a small cherry pie. Im starting to think I have lost my mind. Im getting a fill on Monday, and I know that will help, but damn what is wrong with me. I was doing really good. I thought things were on track. I know I have had a great deal of changes in my life in the last few weeks, which may be the source of my eating. My boyfriend is moving in with me in a few weeks, and he is so very supportive of my band. I guess Im scared that when he comes I wont be able to have a "treat" every now and then. Ive also lied to him about the food Ive been eating in the last 2 weeks. Besides the guilt I just feel like Im going backwards instead of forward. I dont want to hide what Im eating, I dont want to have to be all hush hush about what I put in my mouth. Ive been so bad, and Im afraid I cant stop it. I know I need to come clean with my boyfriend about what Ive eaten. I guess if I didnt tell him then I didnt have to admit I was a failure and an addict. Does the food addiction ever get easier? For the most part I do ok during the day, its the night time that gets me. I come home, go to the gym, and by the time Im ready for dinner I just go nuts. I still also get cravings for all the things I shouldnt be consuming. Im scared for myself, and my band. I paid a lot of money to get healthy and I am sabotaging myself. Any words of wisdom out there? Thanks for reading.

They usually say that the lapband allows you to lose 70% of your excess weight and the rest is "up to you". Meaning you have to exercise and really work to get that last 30% off. For me this was more or less true. I am 5lbs from my goal and stuck, and I know that I have to really exercise to build muscle to get it off. I think you can do it if you are patient and keep going in for your fills (as you lose, your stomach loses too and you need to "top off" your band)so you keep losing. One or two pounds a week is normal and safe, but it takes a long time, and a lot of patience. IT CAN BE DONE. I've never had the stomach flu, so I can't answer that question, although I guess you could go to a closer emergency room for an un-fill if you needed it. I have arthritis in my back and losing the weight has helped a ton. I also have a tempurpedic mattress which I recommend highly for back pain sufferers. The lapband is a much healthier way to live than the bypass anyway. There are ways to cheat through your band (eating sweets and foods like ice cream that slide right through the band) but being thin is better than anything you could eat. So why cheat? Good luck on your journey!

A predetermination letter is what ur doctor needs to submit to the ins company to get approval foe the surgery. Normally it includes a letter of medical necessity stating why u need the surgery and how u could benefit medically. They will also include lot of ur medical records. Its also called a PreD letter and u should ask ur doctor if they have faxed it to ur insurance company yet. Normally takes 3-5 days for them to decide if they are going to cover the surgery but could take up to two weeks. If they deny it don't get discouraged u can always request an appeal. Good luck!!

I feel the same way, I am 20 weeks pregnant and got both vaccines, my 3 year old daughter got the seasonal flu and I am having some trouble finding a doc or a clinic that will give her the pediatric version of H1N1. But I'll keep looking.

I was banded four days ago and have been reading the posts for the past two days. My doctor only suggested a low carb diet the week prior to surgery. A liquid diet for 48 hr. then soft foods. I had a scrambled egg for breakfast and Salmon tonight. I have lost 3lb. Has anyone else had such easy to follow instructions and had long term success with their band?

DL 's advice could not be better. He mentioned exercise, but I would like to stress it's importance in the process. I started at 331 pounds and at that weight could barely move. As I lost I began to increase my exercise and was congratulating myself that I was going for walks now several times a week, this, of course, was better than no exercise at all. I received a Fit Bit for my birthday in February. A Fit Bit tracks your activity. I was very surprised to find out that many days I was barely getting 5000 steps in, let alone the recommended 10,000. It made me challenge myself to increase my activity level. And the weight is really coming off again! Ask yourself, if your activity has stalled or plataued. Ratcheting that up will probably break your stall, IF YOU STAY AT IT. One time will not do the job. Another thing that has helped me is upping my Water intake. Make sure you are always getting around 80 ounces a day, more is better. Success does not happen by itself. This takes dedication and hard work. DL WAS also correct about it all being worth it on the other side. You have the tools, make the most of them!

I just had my psych evaluation a few weeks ago. It was two seperate days & very easy. First day was just talking to the doctor about my weight loss past. I came very prepared & had all records written down & copied for her. She really appreciated this. The second day was a test that took about 3 1/2 hours answering t or f questions. Its to test if you have any serious psych problems or behavioral problems that may make you unsuitable for a surgery like this one. It was very easy & all you do is answer honestly. PAY ATTENTION to all the questions. they are very repetitve( some very silly) & this is done to make sure you are reading every question & not just filling in t or f for all of them. That is what mine was like I do ot know if they're all the same. I have Blue Cross network & this was standard for them. I was told I passed the very next day. Good luck to you- you'll do just fine.

Katie i'm so sorry you feel bummed out and discouraged, and physically not feeling great either am i reading correctly that you lost 70 lbs pre-op???? OMG thats great as Arts correctly stated, 32 lbs in 6 weeks is wonderful I'm afraid many many people here think that they are gonna have WLS on "friday" and wake up monday morning losing 100 lbs not gonna happen but i think you really do know that - you, like everyone else, just want the weight gone yesterday!!! Water is very very important!!!! not getting enough water in, possibly being totally dehydrated??? sure you will feel weak!!!! gotta force the fluids having blood pressure problems - meds off??? that will cause you to feel weak IMO thats the issue that needs to be fixed glad you have already seen a dr, hopefully he can figure out the prob continue to be pro-active with the doc til he figures out what to do with your meds tell him about the gas issues by not feeling well, not eating or drinking - thats gonna make you feel weak!!!!! gotta force yourself to eat and drink to help yourself do everything very slowly - sipping - taking extra small bites - taking long breaks between forkfuls you will mentally feel better as soon as the physical stuff gradually improves then you won't feel down about your weight situation please remember - you are doing great!!!!! just losing another 2 lb - holy moly girlfriend - you are on the right road to success!!!! take care feel better good luck kathy

Ok! So Mr. Regret has finally paid me a visit. Post surgery recovery has been ok. 1 week now since my surgery and if I could do it over... I would decline. food was such a part of my life. I miss dinner with my family and feeling like a freak. I feel heart burn even after drinking Water. Finally had sex with my husband and it really doesn't feel the same. Quite awkward and a little painful. We actually had to stop and think about birth control! I know I will get past this stage but as an Executive in the business world I feel like I should have been able to beat this thing they call obesity! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I lost 31 lbs and will be 4 weeks on Monday. I haven't lost anything in a week.

Yeah, I lost 21 the first week, then it's been on average 2 pounds a week. Slowed up alot!

So I am beginning to feel much better and able to walk around without much trouble getting up. Yesterday I even ventured out of the house for a few hours. I am noticing that I tire easily which isn't a good thing because I return to work on Monday. I have no trouble with eating (other than hunger and cravings for everything I see on TV). This liquid diet is driving me crazy but only another week of it and then at least some soft foods. Although this is better than the pre-op liquid diet. I notice I don't eat alot at each meal but do get hungery every few hours. I am really trying to get the protein in to help with this problem. I have some pain in my back from the gas but the heating pad really helps and of course where the port is. Otherwise no other pain. I have been having headaches the past few days (I think it is because I haven't been doing anything but sleeping). So I hope when I back to a normal schedule the headaches will go away. I gained a lb from yesterday but I am not too worried about it. At some point it will be lost again. I am just ready to go back to work because I am becoming so bored being at home.

Have never in my life written a blog. But here goes. I thought I should have some kind of diary about this new journey I'm about to start. I'll see my dr. one more time and then get my surgery date, tomorrow 4/23. I've jumped thru all the hoops so now I'm on the pre surgery diet. So far so good, its not to bad. My DH is so supportive of all this, he's been a real doll about it all. He's even helping me exercise. So far I'm starting at 285, I'm only 5'1". I have such a hard time moving around. I have ostioarthritis in both knees, hips and back. Diabetis, Asthma, GERD, High Bloodpressure. Well you name it I have it for obess medical issues. I will be looking forward to getting my life back! I have done so much research, and have been on here reading every day, to learn as much as I can about all. My DD2 did this, I so tried to talk her into not doing it but she didn't listen to me, thank God! She lost 100 lbs. within 1 year and is working on about 40 more. She is a totally different person, can move easily now, doesn't need a cane to walk. She could hardly move and just this week she dug up 4 garden beds (big ones) and planted enough veggies to feed the city. LOL So she will be my support person as well as my DH. All my coworkers are also very supportive, as well as my friends. I'm lucky that I'm surrounded by a lot of love, that will help me get thru the hard parts. I'm really looking foward to this, so when I get my surgery date, will post it as well. Good luck to all of us on here! We are all in the same boat ya know. Hugs...Betz :tounge_smile:

Am 1 week post op & I have had no problems with whatever anyone eats, cooks, grills, crunches, etc in front of me...EXCEPT popcorn. My kids make it every night & it smells so darn good. I certainly will not try to indulge for a very, very long time, but from those with experience...will I be able to eat it again someday? Or do the kernels tend to irritate the sleeve?

I started eating popcorn 8 or 9 weeks out.

Depends on how you heal, also if you can go back without lifting patients for a couple of weeks. I'm an LVT and I went back at one week, but did not lift any animals over 25# for the 3.5 weeks. Was supposed to wait 4 weeks, but a dog came in who was like 55# who looked crappy and I had to get him to the back.

I refuse to give up mine, and YES. I weigh every single day. It works for me and doesn't drive me crazy. So if it drives you crazy, don't buy it. If it doesn't then that's fine too. Maybe buy one and put it at someone else's house? So you could weigh 2 times a week or something?

I was banded in early Nov and quickly lost 28 lbs by the end of Dec...all with an empty band. Currently, I can eat anything I want...rice, Pasta, bread...I'm just enjoying these foods in smaller amounts. I feel like I'm eating like a "thin" person already. My old Breakfast was 2 eggs, bacon, hashbrowns & a bagel. Now its 1 egg, 1 turkey sausage link and 1 slice of toast...maybe even alittle potatoes. I'm hoping I won't have any sagging skin issues by doing it slow. Also, I can still enjoy going out to eat and I'm not afraid of any "stuck" issues. (I HATE to throw up!!) The band gives me incentive to pick the right foods and not over-indulge. I even told my doctor that I went to McDonalds and had 1 cheeseburger and 1/4 bag of small fries...that's better than my normal large #2 meal with an order of 6 chicken mcnuggets! I feel like I still have a quality of life with eating...not quantity! Just hope my willpower stays the same. At times I wish I can see a big jump on the scale but know that this is for a lifetime...not just right this minute. With this all said...I only got 1cc fill on 12/28 and have lost 2 lbs since then. My doctor said to see how much I lose in 4-6 weeks and that's when we can decide on another small amount or maybe a 1.5cc fill. I Hope everyone has a great year!

I don't think there is a "usually" when it comes to these things. My surgery was 10/25/10 & my first fill of 1cc was on 12/1/10. There was 3.2cc's placed in the band at the time of surgery so that gave me a total of 4.2cc's at 5 weeks post-op ( 24.5lb loss at this point). At my 1/5/11 appointment we discussed how much I could eat & how long I stayed satisfied and decided to add .5cc's, so I am now at 4.7cc's at 10 weeks post-op (36lb loss at this point). I can eat any food I have attempted, it just takes less of it to fill me up and to maintain satisfaction. I'm happy with this & my next appointment is 2/2/11 so unless something drastically changes by then I think I will stay status quo on the fill aspect.

Don't write them off if you enjoy them. Just give yourself another week or 2 before giving them another go.

I am in the mush stage also, I use my food processor a lot and find the Starkist Tuna Salad packets to be a pre-made mush for times when you are out and about. I also do a lot of yogurt, chicken pureed with tomato sauce and things like that. I don't love the look of most of it, but it's just 2 weeks then I am on to soft foods!

I have read 92.... but that seems high. I will ask my OB when i go in next week.

I am also going to my first appointment/seminar next week. I am really curious about getting insurance to approve me, a co-worker had the surgery and the insurance covered them. My BMI is 39.2

Here's an article I found on caffeine withdrawal. Beware the perils of caffeine withdrawal Susan Todd loves her daily coffee fix. "I can drink four or five cups, easily,comfortably," said Todd, 59, of Clinton Township, Michigan. But if she skips her regular dose of caffeine, Todd warned, watch out. "I feel lousy all over. It's not that anything hurts," she explained. "I just feel sluggish, and a cup of caffeine will cure that." Todd is among the estimated 80 to 90 percent of North American adults and children who consume caffeine products every day. Experts estimate about half that number will experience headaches and other symptoms from caffeine withdrawal syndrome. There are a numberof reasons why someone might need to reduce or stop their daily caffeine intake.Experts tell pregnant women not to consume more than 200 milligrams of caffeinea day (about one 12-ounce cup of coffee). Caffeinated products are notrecommended for people who are prone to panic attacks or those who suffer fromanxiety. Some surgical patients may also experience the symptoms of caffeinewithdrawal syndrome on the day of surgery, because they are told not to eat ordrink anything. Researchers atJohns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, recognized the condition as adisorder five years ago after reviewing decades of studies. They concluded thehigher the caffeine intake, the more likely a patient was to suffer from severewithdrawal symptoms when denied the ingredient. Researchers also reported that some caffeine users considered themselves addicted to caffeine because they were unable to quit or cut down on their usage. Michael Kuhar,chief of the division of neuroscience at the Yerkes National Primate ResearchCenter at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, prefers to use the word"dependent" rather than "addicted." Even though he called caffeine a drug, Kuhar wouldn't go so far as saying it has reached the statusof cocaine or heroin. According toKuhar, caffeine is a mild stimulant. "If you take a cup of caffeine you'relikely to feel good and energized," he said. Miss that cup of"Joe" or can of cola and don't be surprised if you start feelingfunny, Kuhar warned. He said some people complain of "headache, fatigue,sleepiness, inability to focus and concentrate." Others report experiencing flu- like symptoms, irritability, depression and anxiety after skipping aslittle as one cup of coffee a day. Kuhar explainedthat caffeine blocks receptors in the brain that can dilate blood vesselscausing headaches. "Withdrawal symptoms can start from 12 to 20 hoursafter your last cup of coffee and peak about two days later and can last aboutas long as a week," Kuhar added. It is not justcoffee that can lead to caffeine withdrawal. While a 6-ounce cup of brewed coffee contains about 100 milligrams of caffeine, tea and cola have about 40milligrams each, a bar of milk chocolate has about 10 milligrams and hot chocolate has about 7 milligrams. Kuhar said that means adults as well as children may be suffering daily physiological and personality effects of caffeine withdrawal. He recommended that people who are motivated to give up caffeine, or cut back on consumption,do so very carefully. "The thing to do is what we do with so many drugs --basically you wean yourself off slowly," Kuhar suggested. "That doesn't mean it is going to be easy at every step, but it should be easier thangoing cold turkey." Johns Hopkinsresearchers also endorsed a stepped approach to quitting caffeine. Theyinstruct patients to gradually substitute decaffeinated products ornoncaffeinated products over time in order to reduce the likelihood of experiencing withdrawal symptoms. Kuhar suggested the process also can begin with reducing caffeine consumption by a half to a whole cup a day. Technology consultant ***** Spillane, 42, of St. Petersburg, Florida, started a step-down program after years of consuming up to three cups of coffee each day. He felthe was "drinking way too much caffeine." Spillane said heknew right away that he was suffering from caffeine withdrawal when he started getting severe headaches. His wife told him he was cranky most of the time. He now drinks tea instead, and occasionally sneaks a cup of coffee. Looking back, he was going through withdrawal was "tough for a while," but he's feeling better these days and he's glad he's not so dependent on caffeine.