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hi....our bodies respond differently isnt it... I too am not loosing..but I have understood 3 things...drink plenty of Water, eat lot of Proteins and exercise.... and i am not doing these regularly...so I cant blame the band... but I am happy I put the band..at least i eat less and stopped putting on weight..all the best to all of us slow loosers..

I have BCBS-Fed and just completed my 3 month yesterday!!!! My BMI was right at 41 so I couldn't afford to lose any weight during the 3 months. I lost 2 lbs the first month and then gained 3 by the last month. It really depends on your BMI.... if you are way over 40 then I would recommend attempting to lose weight. If you are not, then DO NOT lose any weight!! Insurance will not approve you if you are not 40 BMI. I am currently waiting for the word from Dr's office on whether I'm approved or not. They submitted to insurance yesterday, so I should know before the end of the week. I'll keep you updated

Yes, but you made it through most of bandster hell AND lost weight....not everybody (ME!!!) loses weight, so you have done well. Keep doing what you are doing and the pounds will come off. Slowly is healthy!!!

I had the surgery on may 31st at Southeast memorial I lost 32 pounds but had to get gal bladder taken out and I gain 6 pounds I don't know what to do

Hello everyone! I have FEDblue also and I just started my 3 month process last week. So i will finish my 3 months in December, right? The coordinator told me that BCBS usually takes 30 days to approve. My BMI is exactly 40 so I can't afford to loose any weight at all, right? I'm sorry, I just have so many questions! Anywhose, from what I'm learning from you all, it doesn't take that long. Does anyone have any new news on their insurane approval?? I'm so nervouse to start this but i want the three months to go by fast!!! LOL Melissa

Your "sweet spot" is where you have enough restriction to eat a lilttle but not so tight that it won't go through -- AND you're losing weight. Ta -- you were still technically in the healing stages. ANY weightloss during the first month or so is a bonus since the focus is not on losing weight but on the band healing properly. Hope that helps you fret less.

I was sleeved on Nov 13 , 2013 , so appoximatly 3 1/2 months post op . My start weight was 237 , Day of surgery 222 and as of this morning 185 . I found that the first 2 1/2 months , I was much like you after just a few bites and I was so full that if i took another bit ,I ended up throwing up but with the creamy or chunky soups I never had a problem eating a full cup . I find that with time , I can hold down more food but I don't know if that's good or not , because I have a sense of guilt . I don't push myself I have always known when to stop . This past month I have been craving hearty meals and I seem more hungry more frequent . I am not to worried because my weight lose seems steady 51- 52 lbs in 3 1/2 months is pretty good.

It’s probably going to vary plan by plan and practice by practice. That being said, if you’d been seen by my surgeon, you would’ve had to have been on a pre-surgery liquid diet for a longer period of time than someone with a lower BMI, and might have had to go in for blood work while you were on the pre-surgery diet. All plans and practices seem to require some form of supervised medical weight loss program and a psych evaluation, as well as a screening for sleep apnea if you haven’t already had one. Also, though I haven’t heard it mentioned here, my surgeon requires that patients get their A1C below 7 before surgery.

Hi there, After having followed the site for some time, I am posting here for the first time to get some advise! Height - 4'11 HW - 222 Current Weight - 215 My surgeon has given me both options - Sleeve OR Bypass! I don't have any GERD issue or anything that may tilt the balance on one or the other. So can I please get some advise so I can make up my mind on what to choose?! I have PCOS and I want to lose about 100 pounds for my PCOS related side effects to come to a good halt. So maximum weight loss or as much as I can is definitely a key for me. Hence I was thinking *Bypass*, but then I have also followed some posters here and they have lost the same amount with Sleeve too! I would preferred Sleeve too because of little less side effects in future. But then I also don't want to get Sleeved and then not lose the desired weight, having to regret the decision not to have picked Bypass. I have also read how average weight loss is more or less similar to both in the 5 yr study, so why do some pick *Bypass* over *Sleeve*?! Any advise would be great so I don't pendulum on the options and pick one of the two!

Im a little over 2 yrs out and im pretty much the same. I might be able to eat a bit more than you but if i hit that wall Its coming up. I just take it in stride and try to stop before i'm full so i don't get sick. If i take a long time to eat I'll be tight and that meal will be really small. That next meal won't be as small. If im eating dense protein my meals will always be just a few ounces. Just the cost of doing business. So long as you are healthy and have no issues and aren't losing a ton of weight i say go with it. But if it's really getting to you talk to your surgeon and NUT. Can't hurt. Sent from my SM-G950U using BariatricPal mobile app

The pain after surgery is fairly bad for 3 or 4 days. But it's not unbearable. I was never nauseous except immediately after surgery in the hospital and they gave me meds for that. The surgery is easy and quick, I was home the same day. For me, I'm 4 months out, I've lost 48lbs. I've NEVER had any food get stuck. My appetite is gone. (doesn't meanI don't WANT food, but I'm never hungry) I was more scared when I read this board.. But it really is different for everyone. The way people use the tool is different for everyone... I would say if you can commit yourself to changing your eating habits then go for it, if you can stick to a 1200 calorie diet then go for it. If you still want to eat junk food all the time and expect to lose weight, forget it. It's still essentially a diet, you eat the wrong things you won't lose weight, that doesn't mean occasionally you can't have a cookie. But everything in moderation. I'm not worried about complications right now. I will cross that bridge if I get to it. It's a fairly safe operation, SO many of them have been done. The technology has improved over the years.

Green Tea works like any other magic diet potion. Stop eating crap, eat tiny portions, exercise, and drink tons of Water. Then have some green tea with no added sugar or honey and you'll lose weight. Magic. I drink tons of green tea but I'm still mucho fatto.

Having been diagnosed with MS on 9th November, I have had many ups and downs for the last 2 months. Anyway to give you an outline/timeline May time, had back pain/arm pain, trips to physio and accupuncture and 4 weekls later gone.... August, symptoms return and get worse and worse, niggly back pain in shoulderblade region to the left and raditing down arm which is very very painful, having to hand my arm to my side to try to relieve the pain and no matter where I put it it still hurt. Saw physio once a week and accu once aweek. Went to hydrotherapy, hot room, sauna, spa in an attemp to relieve the pain. late Oct, finally had enough and went to see doc(friday), he referred me for bone scan and CT scan, had CT scan monday and bone scan Friday, both test picked up results next day and both normal, bugger bugger bugger. Funny how you wish for something to be wrong just so you can have an answer to your problem. Back to doc on Monday who at least did not stand on his laurels and brush me off (even though he is at lest 70), said next step is MRI but needs a neuro to refer. OK I rang the specilist and no appts for at least 6 weeks. Well it just so happens that I work at the hospital in the cardiology dept alongside neuro dept and had a quiet word with receptionist who had a quiet word with neuro (tues) and he agreed to refer me without consult. Wasnt in till Thurs so in I went and thanked him big time for doing this and how frustrated I was and mentioned that my left side of my face was numbish. Oh he said that isnt right and off he popped to the MRI dept and organised a MRI for Tues for me and free too..... chuffed to pieces off home I went and shock of shock overnight my feet went numb and going to work the next day I fell up the steps. Panicking I was whisked to A&E under same neuro and one brain scan/upper spine scan it was diagnosed. 5 days in hospital on IV steriods and 6 weeks of oral steriods later (and no weight gain) the pain in my arm and back is back, it took 4 painkillers to even stop the pain this morning and they are the ones with codine, 2 neuro plus and 2 paracetamol codenine. I cant fault my treatment, from doc to diagnosis 10 days including all tests and results. Had a full spine MRI 2 weeks later which showed 5 leisions on the spine from top to bottom. I am so over the pain. I popped into see neuro (perk of working next door) and he said that my upper leison was extremly large and could take a few months to get over. If you hear a rattling noise its just me popping more pills. Jo

the apex regions of my spine (mid back and neck) are still a daily ache and burn sensation. However, one PT exercise I do seems to help a lot and is improving my workouts: I lay on a foam roller so it is vertical along the t-spine and lift 5-10 lb hand weights from waist to above head while mentally keeping my entire back against the roller and relaxed. One of the major issues I have had over the year has been tensing up muscles too much in my back due to the spine issues. This PT exercise is forcing the right lifting muscles to engage and the wrong lifting muscles to relax while keeping my spine in a stabilized and organized position. Kelley Starrett would be proud. I am a big fan of his mobility site (mobilityWOD) and his book (supple leopard). The book was above me in my understanding when I first got it 6 months ago, but since I have starting learning about proper movements to protect my back in PT, the book content has really started to click. It makes so much sense and is very practical in becoming a better athlete and avoiding injury. Keep up the exercise as well as you are able to. It may be hard and unrealistic now to WOD as much as you would like, but will be much easier and enjoyable by month 5 or 6 after you have lost a good deal of weight ( I dropped 130 lb by beginning of month 5 and 180 by month 7 to reach goal). Starting in month 5 was the beginning of my running. Starting in month 7 was the beginning of my cross fit with the lead trainer at my box. I spent 8 months with her until switching to open gym in September 2013. Now I WOD 5 days a week, sometimes 6. I kill the WOD as much as I am able to while keeping good form and also not compromising myself. More then 3 days of WOD in a row puts my immune system at risk and generally starts to break me. No mor 5 days in a row. Sometimes I do 4 in a row, but general rule for me is 3 on, 1 off, 2 in, 1 off so that I can do partner WOD on Saturday. Today I am going to break my rule and do a Tabata workout at home because, well, I have my mind set on it. Neither running or cross fit would have been possible if I was fighting too much body weight. Once I started running, there was no turning back. It was like I was born to run. 5k and 10k in 20 min and 50 min became common as I honed the skill. As you know, I do not run for endurance any longer by choice, but there were a couple months where I was running 20-25 miles a week. Before month 5, my exercise was mostly walking and some elliptical. Nothing to write home about. A few times a week on the elliptical. I did keep up my daily walks with my dog. Here is what really helped before month 5: I followed the low carb, high Protein, high Water to the best of my ability, not compromising. Not once. Be as single minded as you can be to not lose focus on losing weight so you can get into the exercise in the way you really want to by month 5 or 6. And then you just rocket from there. Nothing can stop you.

Hi all....I am scheduled for my orientation meeting on 2/7 and am very excited....however, I do have some questions. My BMI is 36 so I am not at the "40" mark, so what constitutes a "comorbidity"? I have dangerously high Cholesterol and Triglycerides (336 and over 900, respectively, altho I think the high triglyceride level was due to my latest failed Atkins attempt).:frown: I have gastric reflux and possibly sleep apnea as I wake up 2-3 morning per week with a migraine (I am sure I'll be scheduled for a sleep study). Also my back, knees and feet hurt so bad I can barely get around in the morning and am having a hard time staying on my feet for long hours at work. So what ARE the comorbidities? And another question.....if my BMI is 36 now and Dr Gluck puts me on the required 10 day liquid pre-op diet and I lose weight with that will I still be eligible for surgery if my BMI drops below 35? Or does qualification only depend on the BMI at time of referral? Oh, I have so many questions! I sure hope I qualify.....I have been down every blasted diet road there is and want to be around to see my daughter grow up, but I am scared because I am 46 and 50 seems to be the magic number for heart attacks in my family.......

1. Take a good before photograph of yourself, so that you have something to compare to after surgery. Many times we are blind to our obesity. We do not see ourselves. Therefore when the weight begins to drop off rather dramatically, we question if this is really happening. Photographs are a good visualization of our success. Many people carry a before and after photo with them, just to remind themselves of their success. 2. Walk 30 minutes each day, every day until surgery (or equivalent exercise). Walking helps the recovery process go smoothly and minimized the pain levels from surgery. 3. Wean yourself from caffeine and carbonated beverages now. After I gave up my 6 diet coke a day habit, I suffered from a week of severe withdrawal syndrome consisting of severe headaches and body aches. I was miserable. You don't want to combine the effects of caffeine withdrawal with the effects of surgery. I lost 20 pounds from giving up my diet coke habit.

Hi am on my last 8lbs before my weight loss goal... But i dont know what else to do amy recomendacion.... Am on the approval step waiting for insurance to accept Sent from my LGMS428 using BariatricPal mobile app

Hello all, I am 5 weeks out, and following a high Protein, very low carb, no sugar diet of soft foods. I log everything into MyFitnessPal. I am wondering about your thoughts on the amount of fat in my diet. From the pie graphs on my app I see my fat consumption is about 25-45 percent of the days calories. My Protein is about 40-45 percent. Could fat intake be a reason for slower weight loss? I'm on day 14 of a stall. What are your thoughts on this? Thanks for the help! diet macros.pdf

Also, part of why I was so determined to know my fate was to consider self pay options as this is what I did for the lapband. I didn't want to jump through the hoops of daily food logs, nutritionist visits etc and still get denied any way as I had no plans to gain any weight and my BMI barely qualified (had to drink some water in the office to get to 35). Sent from my SM-N960U using BariatricPal mobile app

Congratulations on your surgery! I was told I HAD to consume 60-80g of protein each day. The first week they had to be clear. I chose the New Whey protein bullets (42g). I bought them at GNC. They are only 3 oz of fluid, so they are easy to get down. If you think they are too thick, then mix them with sugar free kool aid. You are still supposed to consume some calories. I may have gained weight at first, I don't know. I didn't have a scale, but at day 11 at my post op visit I had lost 15 lbs. Please start getting the protein calories in you so you don't get too weak.

I'm 14 days post surgery and I gained all the strength back in my abdomen. Now, I am getting a strange sensation UNDER my port area. When I go from a sitting to standing position, I feel like it is snagging on something. Hoping I didn't tear a stitch? I'm an orchestra director and do a lot of arm waving. Anyone else experience this?

Well It will be 1 year on Marsh 16 since I had surgery I was 270 pounds shortly after I drop down to 215 pounds and now I'm @ 230 pounds :-( I'm gaining and always feeling hungry I was just prescribed prilosec for acid and heart burn does anyone know if these pills will help with my hunger ? Sent from my SPH-M820-BST using VST

Don't be ashamed , we r being blessed with a tool to help us . So many of us have tryed on r own and couldn't do by r selfs . This is definitely ain't know easy way out. We r all struggling with our weight . And don't like the fact that we r over weight. But that's why we r here is to lift each other up. Nobody perfect . We r just trying to the same thing . I'm here for support anytime cause honestly I need just as much .