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What feels to me like the biggest hurdle has been jumped! And it's fine! I came down on the other side on both feet! I had my appt with my PCP today. I need from her a letter of medical necessity. And I wasn't sure how my visit with her would go - whether she would make me defend and justify this, whether she would be adamantly against it, whether she would emphatically support it...I just wasn't sure at all! And she said she would absolutely give me that because while she's only known me for a year, she's seen enough to know that I'm not lieing when I say "I TRY!" And it comes off. And it comes back. She said we would do some testing to prove a comorbidity that she thinks I may have. She said we will jump through those insurance hoops and give them NO REASON to deny this! She also said three or four years ago she would have been hesitant, would have said, 'do it yourself' but she's seen those people she told that lose the weight and then gain it back plus some. It's something about a BMI over 40 that makes your body NOT WANT TO LET GO! And she's seen lap-band® after lap-band® do wonders for people. She said my choice in surgeon is fantastic. Can't beat him in my area and she would have suggested him had I not found him myself. She recommended doing the supervised exercise and diet program with them because she likes their nutritionist and the staff in that office are all fantastic. She gave me copies of everything I need for the consult tomorrow - which should help some of this role along faster. I did some blood work because I had questionable liver function earlier this year and she wants to see if we can prove it's fatty liver. If the blood work warrants it, I already have the order in hand for a abdominal ultrasound. She said even if we can't prove that comorbidity, it's enough that my parents are ALREADY deceased - were deceased by 55 (mother) and 61 (father) - for things that are comorbidities. I already have tons of odds against me, I don't need this weight stacking my odds even further! To me, getting her approval was potentially my biggest stumbling block. Had she said no, I would have gotten myself a new PCP and kept trying. But I like her and I didn't want that hassle which would also potentially become a demotivator. And I KNOW I'm fat enough. She laughed at that. Was impressed at how much research I've done, what I knew, and how I've been taking care of myself in this endeavor. Wasn't asking for the answers, was asking for endorsement - and from what she said, the people willing to do this from start to finish like this, on their own - if you will, are the successful ones. The people on this website, I'd venture! Can't be done on your own - don't get me wrong. But I'm not being spoon fed my information. This wasn't suggested to me, I explored the thought. That's what I'm talking about... Anywho... She said she has seen it before where people are like me, on the fence with the BMI with no comorbidities. And she's seen - and even supported - minor weight gain to get them to the "acceptable level of fatness". I find that sad. But it's the game we have to play, apparently. Comorbidities help, but I've enjoyed my food this weekend to ensure my weight today and tomorrow would not be an issue. And hopefully tomorrow can start the six month supervision. And hopefully I can be looking at the March/April time frame. And if not, I'll take it as it comes. My biggest stumbling block has been passed. I just feel like now I can say "Ok, hope is on the horizon!" YAY!

Vickietoo you can start over in your mind minus the surgery. I believe that with all my heart. This is the fourth time today I shared this article I read. I took a good long read at it this morning and it hit the spot. I was just filled on Friday. I live in Florida and fly to Colorado for my surgery, and now my fills and followups. I have to admit I was just in an odd place mentally and physically. I was SO GLAD I took the step to fly out to Denver. Sometimes doing the followup be it in our own hometowns or out of state or wherever, it looms at us larger if we are having difficulties. Take the step. Make an appointment with your doctor and follow through. I felt so great after leaving my doctor's office...joyous, victorous, and a reward and pride in myself that I care for myself to know that I need more than what I myself can give. So enjoy this read. Know you have many like you and much support here on Lapbandtalk. Think You Need a Fill? THINK AGAIN By Nikki Johnson Do you remember that feeling you had when you first had your band placed? For a while, everything was great. You didn't experience hunger, you felt satisfied with a small portion of good food, you had more energy, and you were thrilled with your initial weight loss progress. If you are like most people, your experience changed over time, Some of those feelings of hunger returned, and you stopped losing weight. You knew you needed something, so you went to your surgeon's office and asked for a "fill" right? If so, you might be surprised to learn that it is your thinking about your band, and not the band itself, that needs adjusting. The LAP-BAND Bad Word Paul O'Brien, MD, FRACS, is a skillful, compassionate surgeon and a foremost expert on the LAP-BAND System. he was involved in its design in the early 1990's and placed the first band in Australia in 1994. Since then, he has treated thousands of patients and is recognized worldwide for his expertise. When his patients utter that worst of four-letter words, "fill," in his office, they are asked to throw a dollar in the Red Cross donation bucket--a reminder that, according to Dr. O'Brien, thinking about a "fill" is just wrong thinking. How can a concept that we hear about so constantly be so very wrong? Dr. O'Brien's answer is simple: "Any adjustment to the band is something that only takes place in the context of clinical consultation--part of a relationship of trust, honesty and communication between patient and surgeon--that is much more key to the success of the patient than the precise number of milliliters of Fluid in the band. This concept of partnership is the central theme of Dr. O'Brien's new book, The Lap-Band Solution--A Partnership of Weight Loss. Patty's Note: Available on Amazon.com ISBN#9780522854121 Like many people, you might assume that weight gain or a sustained plateau means an incorrectly adjusted band; in fact, you may be right. But you may be surprised to learn that weight gain sometimes results from a band that is too tight. This is part of the reason why the "fill" concept is so misleading. If your surgeon determines that you are not losing weight as you should, then discovering why that is happening is crucial. Sometimes adding fluid to the band will only make matters worse. Life in the "GREEN ZONE" Most people who have the LAP-BAND operation will have an amazing feeling of disinterest in food for the first week after surgery, before any adjustments are even made to the fluid in the band. According to Dr. O'Brien, that lack of interest in food is referred to as satiety. A related but different feeling is satiation, or the feeling you get as you are eating, precisely at the point that you don't need any more food to eat but you do not have an uncomfortable feeling of fullness. These two feelings--satiety and satiation--are what the properly adjusted band helps you achieve, allowing you to maintain your new healthier eating habits. Your careful observation and truthful sharing of your feelings and eating behaviors, combined with the expert care and training of your surgeon and his or her staff, can make the very individual determination of whether your band is properly adjusted much more accurate. In order to help create the most effective partnership between themselves and their patients, Dr. O'Brien and his colleagues at the Australian Centre for Obesity Research and Education have developed a concept they refer to as the "Green Zone". When patients are in the green zone, they experience satiety, satiation after properly-sized small meals, and satisfactory weight loss or maintenance. However, there are also yellow and red zones, both of which indicate that the band is not optimally adjusted. If your band is too loose, you will not have the benefits the band's hunger-controlling mechanism. If your band is too tight, you will have trouble eating properly and may actually gain weight because the foods you can eat more comfortable, that tend to be liquid and calorie-rich, like ice cream and chocolate, do not provide the proper nutrition. Learning to recognize when you have the feelings and eating behaviors that signal a problem can help you give your surgeon the information he or she needs to help you keep the band optimally adjusted. Thinking Adjustment Once you have eliminated the concpet of "fills" from you Lap-Band vocabulary, you will be able to let go of much of the conventional thinking connected to it. Perhaps you have heard talk about the "ideal" amount of fluid in the Lap-Band. While it may be helpful to have some idea of how much fluid is in your band, Dr. O'Brien says there is no magic number. No perfect amount of fluid will provide the best results for everyone. He says, rather, that "whatever volume of fluid is needed to achieve the [feeling of non-hunger] is the correct volume." When you notice that you are feeling hungry or are not losing weight, your body is telling you it is time to revisit your partner in weight loss -- your surgeon. your success absolutely depends on this relationship. So rather than thinking "adjustments," adjust your thinking, and, in partnership with your surgeon, find a lifetime of health! For more information about all of the themes discussed in this article, please see Dr. O'Brien's book, The Lap-Band Solution--A Partnership for Weight Loss, which is available fro Amazon.com. We also invite you to visit LAP-BAND® System Forum - Home for more information and supportive resources.

PCOS=Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. It is a lovely disorder that is named after a symptom instead of what is actually is, which is basically a hormone imbalance. Essentially, when PCOS-ers eat our bodies make MUCH more insulin than a normal persons would, causing 1. more hunger 2. more fat storage. All this insulin and fat causes an excess of testosterone which opposed to popular theory does NOT drive up the libido but causes things like facial hair, acne, more weight around the middle, skin tags (basically moles) and..hence the name...a failure to ovulate fully which can cause small cysts on the ovaries. I don't have TOM for months at a time then will spot for like 3 weeks unless on some kind of birth control. I currently have an IUD which has triggered a weight gain of about 50 lbs in the last 2 years, not that I was thin before!!!. It is treated with birth control pills for period regulaiton and some diabetes medications, usually metformin, but the only "cure" is weightloss, which because of the insulin stuff is VERY hard...I can restrict eating and workout like a crazy person and lose half of what others around me are. sorry may be TMI but I love to educate women about it because there are so many out there with it, this is an incredibly common syndrome, who don't know anything about it until they start trying to conceive. I was lucky enough to have a surprise baby back in 2004, but many struggle with infertility their entire lives.

The original article can be found HERE A mouthful of chocolate candy, a sliver of cake, a chunk of cheese...give into those insistent urges, and before you know it, you've eaten everything but the kitchen sink. Even worse, those little urges can also add up to a large weight gain. For example, if you take in just 100 extra calories per day -- that's one ounce of rich cheese or a fistful of potato chips -- you can put on ten pounds in one year. So, when the urge to eat strikes, stop and ask yourself if you're really hungry. If not, then you're merely eating out of habit, and the urge will usually pass if you can wait it out. Overcoming the eating urge can be compared to riding a bucking bronco. You can fight the horse and be thrown or maintain your balance and "ride" the horse until it settles down. Being a good "urge rider" involves identifying your urges early and using skills to ride them through. One skill to "ride out" your urges is to distract yourself for at least ten minutes with an activity that is incompatible with eating. The goal is to "buy time" and choose an activity that meets several criteria: It must involve you, be readily available, and give you pleasure or fill you with a sense of accomplishment. Here are some activity suggestions to get you started, but it's important to create your own list of personalized options: Call a friend (don't use the phone in the kitchen) Chew a wad of sugarless gum Brush your teeth Take a shower Paint your nails Water your plants Ride your exercise bike Organize your closet Meditate, pray, or think pleasant thoughts (but not about food) File papers or balance your checkbook Grab your mate, not your plate Work on a crossword puzzle or a jigsaw puzzle Do not use television as your alternate activity. Studies show that obesity is almost twice as common in people who watch three to four hours of television daily as in those who watch less than one hour. This fatty connection may be due to the decrease in activity and the mindless snacking that tends to go hand in hand with watching television. If you watch four hours of television every day, that adds up to 1,460 hours each year. Just think of all the useful or enjoyable things you could do with those hours-or all the calories you could burn through more physical activities -- instead. Another way to ride out your urges is to change your environment. If you're alone, visit a friend (who won't offer you food.) If you're working overtime, take "seventh-inning stretches" in hallways. If you're in the kitchen, go to the bedroom or living room with a good book. Once you leave the environment, especially if it contained food, your desire to eat will eventually weaken. When you just can't resist an urge to eat, simply satisfy it with a low-calorie food or beverage. This is easy to do if you have an emergency stash of low-calorie items on hand, such as fresh vegetables, fruit, diet soda, and air-popped popcorn. Finally, ask yourself if your urges are simply a sign of fatigue. Many people feel like eating when they are tired, run-down, or sick. Once you recognize when you're tired, you can take a time-out and give your body what it really wants -- a little break. And don't feel guilty taking the extra time. If you ride out urges productively, you'll be surprised at the free time you have that once was filled with mindless eating. As your losing weight, or even before you begin, you should set up realistic goals for yourself to stay motivated. We will show you how in the next section. This information is solely for informational purposes. IT IS NOT INTENDED TO PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE. Neither the Editors of Consumer Guide ®, Publications International, Ltd., the author nor publisher take responsibility for any possible consequences from any treatment, procedure, exercise, dietary modification, action or application of medication which results from reading or following the information contained in this information. The publication of this information does not constitute the practice of medicine, and this information does not replace the advice of your physician or other health care provider. Before undertaking any course of treatment, the reader must seek the advice of their physician or other health care provider.

So I guess that since I'm now posting in the forums, I should write an introductory thread about myself, right? My surgery is scheduled for March 27th. Deposit paid, everything done. Well, minus the pre-op diet, obviously. It's with Dr. Oritz at OCC in Mexico. About me: just turned 24. Lives in Portland, Oregon but from San Diego. Lover of dogs, science, music, forums, and blogs. Microbiology major at Portland State University. Huge geek/nerd. I have the most amazing support system (boyfriend) ever and my golden retriever (who is going to love the new active me!!) is my pride and joy. I'm 5'8-9ish. My highest weight is 265. Currently, I'm sitting at 225. My weight gain isn't due to BAD food. I rarely eat junk food, I cook constantly, and I LOVE my veggies. I haven't had soda in over 4 years, and I'm not one to have a sweet tooth. I guess that makes me lucky, right? My problem is QUANTITY. I eat huge portions. I eat until I'm so full that I go into food coma and sleep it off. Haha. I have a low-moderate activity level: I take my dog on walks, hike occasionally, and walk my a$$ off running back and forth to classes on campus. Post surgery I am going to become a runner. You'll see! Anyhow. I would absolutely love, love, love to have some fellow bandsters to chat with, as I'm not telling my family or friends, for personal reason. Like so many others, I'm not ashamed; I just don't want all my hard work to be written off because I hit an "easy button." If any of you are close to where I am, or even my hometown, let me know! I'd love to meet up and talk strategy (while making new friends along the way)!

I will be the hopefully gentle critic here. It looks like you are making bad choices, and feeling guilty about the good ones. There is nothing wrong with a turkey wrap with no bread. In fact, that is a GREAT lunch. Try spreading hummus on the turkey instead of the cheese sometimes to lower the fat. I eat turkey, hummus or cheese, and a leaf of lettuce almost every day for lunch. Also, the pepper steak and onions are not bad, either. Those choices are both high in Protein and will keep you full. Just make sure you chew it up real good and that you eat slowly. Now.... the topping off a pizza are high fat, high sodium, and not much protein. If the chicken tender was breaded, then that was also a lot of fat. We don't need to talk about the Doritos, right? Please don't get into the "it was the only food that went down" excuses. When I had my lap-band I fell into that habit and it only results in weight gain. If you have the sleeve, then your stomach should tolerate just about everything it did before, so that is a mindset that you have to get out of. I know that a lot of people have trouble with certain types of food, but if your surgery was successful and you are having a normal recovery, you should not have many issues. I'm sure you know this, but I will say it out loud (sort of) - WLS will NOT make you lose weight. You still have to CHOOSE everything that goes into your mouth. I believe you DO have to sill be on a "diet" while losing weight. Watch your calories - do you use my fitness pal to log your food? WLS will help you control the portion of what you eat, but you have to make the choice of what that portion is going to be. In my opinion WLS gives you the opportunity of maintain your weight loss and makes losing a little easier. But you still have to diet to get there. You got this - you have lost 30 pounds which is great. It will come off. STOP beating yourself up! hugs!

Essentially, everyone has said what I would say so I thought of skipping this thread, but I also know that it helps to hear from others. In addition to "ditto" covering most of it, let me just say that PCOS (and with it, insulin resistance, fertility issues, etc.) and weight gain/obesity are conspiring bedfellows. PCOS issues will make you gain weight, weight gain will exacerbate PCOS issues. It's a vicious cycle - one I hope to break with my weight loss. My periods are so few and far between (my friend Charlie calls it "natural seasonale") that I sometimes forget women have to deal with that every month. The good news: Now that almost 40 lbs are gone in 5 weeks or so... I have a period! Also, my blood sugars are completely normal... without Actos, without anything but the band supporting my new eating habits and exercise routines. My A1C was 5.9 pre-band, borderline diabetic. I went through months of hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia waves. 5 weeks, no more. The band is the best thing I did for my PCOS and related issues... even if the weight loss is first and foremost, the results and affects on other issues is reason enough.

Julie: I've had the same fill level for quite a while and sometimes it feels too tight and sometimes not tight enough. I think that you just have to watch what you eat and hope that the band cooperates. It's a great tool sometimes and sometimes we have to be our own tool. I have found that exercise is my most constant weight loss ally. Mimin: Your weight gain does not sound healthy. Is that common with lipo? I thought most of my swelling was from the tt, but maybe the lipo was more of it than I thought. But girl, that is a lot of water weight! I think that Ghost had a similar problem. Why can't you use a diuretic? How about just drinking a lot of water with lemon in it or some naturally dieretic tea? When you get that water weight off you're going to show an awesome weight loss! Anyway, I think I would park myself at my doctors till he did something! The HCG diet is expensive (of course). The 40 day supply of the hormone was $210. The doctor's office over seeing the process for 45 days is about $525. It's kind of a rip off, but I'm willing. Let me be the guinea pig, while you recover, and let you now if it's worth it or not!

I am on Day 10 of my 14 day liquid diet, the first of two! Yup my surgeon requires 2 weeks liquid, 2 weeks low cal, 2 weeks before surgery liquid again. I am so close, my surgery is April 18th. I fell very hard today and I cheated, I ate like 10 chocolate truffles! And I am on the verge of a total breakdown! I haven't been an angel so far but I haven't cheated this badly! I am so afraid it will have caused a weight gain and that I jeopardized my surgery. Has anyone else had a hard tome on liquid pre-op?:smile2:

I echo all the above posters' comments. Remember: our goal is to keep our bands for life, which means respecting them. I suspect much of the failure rates for lapbands are due to keeping them too tight. But I understand your fear. I'm now up 2 pounds from the day I had my partial unfill; that's one pound a week. I'm hoping this is just the normal thing happening when you drop a lot of weight under abnormal circumstances (you know, like when you have the stomach flu and are thrilled to see you lost 5 pounds...5 pounds which comes back on once you return to your normally-scheduled program). I know that I lost around 5 pounds in the two week period my stoma had closed up, so I guess this weight gain is just the rebound of that. I know I'm sticking to my usual diet, although with larger portions because I'm hungry all the time. I'm still not touching any of the stuff I stopped eating the day I got banded: bread, Pasta, white carbs in general. My goal is to maintain my loss until I get my band filled back to my optimal level. I'm freaked out by this gain, but watching things closely because I sense this will even itself out and I'll maintain the weight I was at before this little complication set in. But I wouldn't be honest if I didn't say I really really miss having my band at the proper fill level. I am very depressed being back in the dieter's mentality of always thinking about food.

I had surgery in January 2011.... My starting weight was 278lbs and I am down to about 225.... I have been stuck here for MONTHS! I am so embarrassed and I feel terrible... I skipped my last fill because I was to embarrassed to go to the dr with no weight loss and possibly a weight gain of a few lbs. I am very emotional and short with the people I care about. I am currently on the depo shot and I am wondering if this is also hindering my weight loss. I have made the decision to discontinue the depo shot and I also made an appointment for a fill on Friday. I was just wondering if anyone else has delt with this or has any good advice? I am not good about following the rules and I recently started nursing school which I feel is hindering my weight loss even more due to poor meal planning.... I am just reaching out for any advice or words of wisdom anyone may have! Thanks

In the late 1970s the government mandated we get the fat out of our food. The food industry responded by putting in more sugar. And that, we see by historical data, correlates to the time when America’s obesity epidemic began. Read my article, “Cause and Cure of Obesity in America.” In the New York Times best seller Fat Chance: Beating the Odds against Sugar, Processed Food, Obesity and Disease, author Dr. Robert H. Lustig, a renown expert on obesity, points out that “a calorie is not a calorie.” Not all calories are equal. Whether the calorie comes from fructose, glucose, protein or fat is important to its metabolic effect and how much fat that calorie accounts for. Fructose and glucose — just two of the many names that sugar goes by — and even protein are said to be the culprits behind insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome. Insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome are two primary causes of obesity in both adults and children. If you are struggling with the problem of an overgrown waistline, aka “belly fat,” this may be an indicator of these health conditions. Read my article, “Belly Fat is a Danger for All People.” If metabolic syndrome is the cause of your weight gain, a diet that is low to moderate in calories coupled with an exercise plan may not be enough to lose the weight. And if you continue to eat the wrong foods, exercise and diet may not help at all. What are the Wrong Foods? Sugar goes by a variety of names, about 52 in all, including glucose, maltose, sucrose, and fructose. The result has been an altering of our biochemistry that has driven our eating out of control, according to Dr. Lustig. Dr. Lustig further states that so-called healthy sugars such as agave, coconut and palm sugars are all “crap.” Checkout this HealthCentral sugar infographic named Sugar is to Blame: http://www.healthcentral.com/obesity/c/380545/179644/sugar-blame-infographic/ Dr. Andrew Weil, a well-known guru for holistic health and integrative medicine, agrees on this point. Dr. Weil warns that sugar is toxic, and coupled with modern industrial food, has disastrous effects on the hormones that control hunger, satiety, and weight. Both Dr. Lustig and Dr. Ron Rosedale, author of The Rosedale Diet, advise that branch chain amino acids (BCAAs) and protein contribute to insulin resistance and obesity. I’ve been eating a high-protein diet and taking BCAAs because I thought I was doing my body good. Whey protein, which I and the majority of bariatric patients have been conditioned to consume, is one of the worst foods for releasing insulin in the body according to Dr. Andreas Eenfeldt, a Swedish medical doctor and specialist in family medicine. Dr. Eenfeldt, commonly known on the web as the “Diet Doctor,” interviews Dr. Lustig on the "Causes of Obesity" in the video below (or watch it on ). The Bottom Line If you think metabolic syndrome may be the cause of your weight gain, then eating a traditional “healthy diet” combined with exercise may result in failure to lose weight. Talk to your nutritionist. Further, you may wish to explore three diets for metabolic syndrome from Cleveland Clinic, Dr. Robert H. Lustig, and Dr. Andrew Weil in my article, “Metabolic Syndrome and Weight Loss.” Living larger than ever, My Bariatric Life

Thanks. I go to my doc this Wed and have made an apt with the dietician for the same day. Don't think I'm doing anything wrong, but if so, she should be able to help me out. Several people have mentioned that perhaps the stress of having surgery was affecting my diabetes. Since the surgery was in November, I don't know. Just very disappointed. Really expected to be going down in meds... not getting on insulin and now 2 types of insulin. Don't know how you can lose when on insulin. Always thought it caused weight gain. Oh well, it is what it is and I guess I'll find out more on Wed.

Jodi, I don't think anyone is "siding against Tom". We have all been where Tom is (as far as gaining weight goes). I think that Tom's Dr. should definitely give him another fill if he wants one ... but looking at it from the physician's perspective, maybe she doesn't want him to hurt himself by overeating or eating too fast (because - let's face it - it HURTS). If Tom is having pb's after eating bread, then his band probably *is* working. I'm at 6cc's in a 14cc band right now, and I feel *a little* restriction, especially in the mornings. BUT I'm losing 2+ pounds per week, because I watch my caloric intake, and I journal every bit of food that goes into my mouth. I'm not eating enough to *gain* weight. There must be a couple of things happening in Tom's case - one, his band is not working (yet), and two, he's eating enough to *gain*. If Tom had maintained his initial weight loss, his Dr. would likely be far more willing to give him as many fills as he desired. I do know that my surgeon will not give fills to people who have gained weight, and I think that makes sense (outside of any major health issues that might cause weight gain, such as taking certain medications). I'm on Tom's side, and I want him to do what's best for him, which is to lose weight. Sometimes thinking realistically is the best way to think, instead of placing blame in one place, which could possibly be ill-founded belief. If we all blamed lack of weight loss on our bands, we would probably have not lost any weight at all. Most of the weight loss is up to each of us, not just the band. That's really all I'm saying, not trying to be for or against anyone. Best, Sarah H.

I agree with quick weight gain if non compliant. And I fills seem to go with just a bit more food than usual.But I'm in the camp that doesn't weigh themselves too much. Much of my adult life the scale has not been my friend. It truly affects my mood for the day. I can tell by clothing and other ways if I'm on track and fine. I do weigh in at my Drs. appt and sometimes at friends houses but do not keep a scale in the house.

Hi all, I'm new to this place. But I had my surgery on my 20th birthday, when I was 385 lbs. In the eight years since my lowest was 240lbs, but I am back up to 292lbs! I'm freaking out! I know I leveled off pretty quick with my weight loss but I held steady for a long time. It wasnt until I started my birth control that I started to notice some weight gain. Of course it doesnt help that my job requires me to sit in front of a computer all day. I'm terrified because I'm getting back to the point where its hard to exercise and I dont know what diets to try or anything like that. I missed an appointment with my bariatric doctor only a few months after my surgery. I waited a few weeks to go back but they had moved apparently and then he retired, so I cant ask him. I have a new GP so hopefully she can help direct me down the right road. But has anyone else had this problem, with gaining back significant weight?

First thing - you may want to change your user name - having your email address as a user name will likely result in a lot more spam due to the email bot finders. So to the advice from people around you - I am assuming they are not medical or health specialists? They may be well meaning and while some family members may be concerned about possible medical complications are more likely to be concerned about the change in the status quo. You are likely to lose the weight that is required for health and maintain that loss long term? If so, you may not need the surgery. But if like most of us, you can lose some weight (not likely all that was needed) and are not able to maintain that weight loss beyond the short term, you will greatly benefit from weight loss surgery. Your medical team believes you are a good fit for the surgery and believes there is a need for it, you had reasons for looking at weight loss surgery - are those still valid? If you don't do the surgery where will you be a year from now? More weight gain - more medical issues?

here is my input on the subject: My husband has been large all of our married life(30 years so far), and has always struggled to lose weight, only to gain it back, plus some. When he retired from his job as a fire fighter, he weighed 357lbs. Can you even imagine rescuing someone on a ladder at that weight!! As we watched our youngest son enter college and play college baseball weighing 320 lbs there was such a sense of guilt over not teaching him better habits. So the two guys pledged to do the Subway thing, and son lost down to 199 lbs. and husband lost 150 lbs total. Soon afterwards, husband had a heart attack, and needed a stent put in. And guess what, all the weight came right back on!! He blamed it on the meds that slowed his heart rate, but I watched him eat his way back up to 330 lbs. After the son graduated from college after 5 years of baseball, he is also almost back to his precollege weight. Now to the good part of all this,,,, after I had lapband surgery to shed my excess weight(mainly for vanities sake, since I had no real health problems to blame it on) my husband watched quietly as the pounds fell off, without hardly any exercise to speak of, and no changes to his love of eating out all the time. So six months later he signed up for the surgery!!! He was so impressed with how it all worked, and he was bandes on Jan. 31, 2007. To dATE HE HAS LOST ALMOST 50 LBS, with not really much effort, and only a walking schedule for exercise. The thing he loves the most is that without any problems, he can be sure of the weight not coming right back like it always has. He will always have his safety net against weight gain to help him. He is almost 50 years old, and for the first time in his life he feels safe against the obesity demon that controlled his entire life. What a blessing the surgery has been for both of us, hopefully it will work out for others as well as it has for us. MIZBOO

I received a call today. They didn't submit my paperwork because they don't have a two year weight history with a high enough BMI. I'm being told I will have to wait until January 2016. Very upset and very discouraged. I've done everything. I've been on a yo-yo diet, weight loss and weight gain, but I don't have all the proper paperwork. I can't even get my doctor to write a letter about this.

thankyou for all your well wishes people, ohh and due date is 6 July!! It seems that all the books i have read say that most sickness starts to clear up around 12 weeks soooo now at 13 weeks, i only get the odd sick feeling so i can conclude that the sickness was just one of those pregnancy deals that happens with or without WLS. YAYYYYY I have been having trouble exercising.... (and have stopped same as last pregnancy tho... another 12 week symptom, being tired) as i feel theres just not enough energy to go around but have still dropped 10kg since actually falling pregnant so happy days are still here. Hi Marci My baby is 14 months old I and thank god i had this surgury beforehand. there is NO WAY UNDER THE SUN i could keep up with my baby, and feeling all the general associated pregnancy hick ups at the weight i was before!! there is no way i could be keeping up with baby. I am hoping that by the end of this pregnancy i am still way more mobile than i was with the first, as i was able to sit and lounge around and relax at will. this time i dont have that luxury. i have dropped 100 odd pounds since my highest weight and think i am better equiped to not only keep up with my daughter but also avoid some of the joint pain i suffered last time around!! (fingers crossed and time will tell) I think the hardest thing for me so far is going to such extreme to lose weight and just getting my head around getting smaller, enjoying losing weight and considering the concept of maybe buying some smaller clothes to now having to wait/ put on hold that dream. my boobies are already getting bigger and filling out and my 'new' belly shape is also changing. At first i was totally devistated that i was going to be getting fat again, but now i just think hey...what the hell, im gonna lose weight, therefore not get anymore stretch marks. ha!!! lose weight gain baby at same time. ***laughs*** sounds greatttttt in theory... hey deedee I hope everything sorts itself out for you!!! wow! any plans in near future now that you are almost at your goal?? I also wonder about this baby and its size at birth.... it was an unanswered question that was going around my head. my girl was born 9Lbs 14oz so it will be interesting to find out on the day if my habbits have had any impact on birth weight. dont they say that babies get heavier with each pregnancy?? (that maybe for mythbusters) ohhh well the experiment beakers are out and time will tell!! lol cheers till soon Ange

Okay..so here is my latest strange question...in my search for answers! In addition to seeing so many wonderful stories here, I've read about people gaining weight, wanting to take diet pills, doing 2 hours of exercise each day.... I understand that the band will just be a tool and you still have lots of hard work to do, but given what the band is suppose to provide for you, like getting fuller faster, digesting slower...it seems like you wouldn't have to kill yourself at the gym or that you could eat enough to gain weight??? Does that make sense? I'm trying not to be offensive, just trying to understand. Do the people who struggle eat more often? Do they eat liquid calories? Are they not following the *rules* of the band? I just want to have a clear understanding of what I'm potentially getting into!! I want to understand what has happened that the band is helping you achieve the weight loss. :confused2:

Something to be aware of. Reality is with any bariatric procedure, you will gain weight by eating "around your surgery" It's easy to eat several small meals throughout your day/night with no effect on feeling restriction pain. Grazing food will/can increase caloric intake and cause significant weight gain.

Hi, I'm walking a very similar journey. I am 9 years post op and have crept back to 20 lbs less than my surgery weight. Yikes!! Facing that reality plus wanting to get pregnant again and getting older, I have buckled down to start losing weight. Back in 2007, my surgery was very smooth. I healed quickly and 1 year afterward, I had lost 100lbs. I plateaued from there for several years. However, I became less mindful of what I was eating and how I was eating. The weight gain was very slow. After having a baby 2 years ago, the weight gain started happening at a rapid pace. It frightened me. Approximately 10 days ago, I started a liquid diet, which includes protein shakes and I am exercising 4 days a week. I just transitioned to eating lean protein and veggies, substituting 1-2 meals with shakes. Like you, I have found that now I have some restriction back. I'll be seeing my former dietitian soon to see how I should proceed going forward. Do you have any updates to share? Are you counting calories and if so, what it your daily count? What kinds of things are you eating?

Sounds like we are all in the same boat, somewhat. I don't have grandkids but I do have an eight year old and a twelve year old who are very active. I hated that I could not be as active with them. I feel like I have not been living my life the past ten years due to the weight gain. I am definitely looking forward to being able to enjoy myself again!

I had 15 pounds of water weight gain when I was released two days later. It took over a week to lose it. The weight will come off