Search the Community

Gina I know I'm driven by results as well. I gained 1lb but it is also that time of the month and I'm usually good for a 5lb weight gain. When I went from clear liquids to mushies I lost 4lbs. Maybe it is time to fully graduate to solid foods. Trying to finish up the stuff I made in bulk. I just had a 3oz turkey burger for dinner, and am amazingly full - not stuffed, just comfortable. I guess maybe I should try to increase intake and see if that helps.

Regarding weight gain... I understand your concern. Most of us have failed at keeping weight off in the past and have regained more than we lost most times. I want you to know that the band requireds hard work on your part. The difference with the band is that the hard work pays off...A first for me! Even when I've royally screwed up a day of eating, I either plateau, or lose anyway. Quite a change...... I've sometimes wondered if I would have enjoyed gastric bypass more----that sudden big drop inw eight that happens almost in spite of yourself. But I know that there's something about working and succeeding at wieght loss that is so good for my soul. I've needed that experience all of my life.

I'm trying to decide between lapband and gastric. My concern is erosion and slipage. I'd like to know how many people suffer from either of these. I have to pay cash for my surgery so I want to make the most educated decision I possibly can. Also, does anyone who had the lapband regret it and wish they would have had the gastric instead? Another concern I have is that I live 150 miles from the doctor so I'd like to know about how many times I will need to make the trip for a fill. Finally, is their less chance of weight gain with lapband then gastric in the long run? Thanks for the advice and info in advance.

This is the most obscene, and ridiculous thing I have ever seen. My partner of 12 years is thin. I have a large circle of lesbian friends, and they too are healthy not fat. This is outragous! There are heavy set people in every group. Thats like trying to associate blacks with sports and all red necks have mullets. This is a very scary statement. I am so proud of my sexuality, and my weight gain at one point in my life had nothing to do with who I date. That sounds like a vauge statement an uneducated man would make. Ive been to several lesbian bars with some beautiful thin women. People should get out more before making such general statements. SICK

Yeah, and just pointing out...i'm a guy and i'm 19...so my metabolism is faster (not as much as my skinny roomate who takes weight gain protein..2500 calories per serving...GOD I HATE THAT) Try and tell me my metabolism is high and i'll laugh. But in all seriousness guys lose weight easier than girls, and the age factor goes the same way. And yeah, comparing weight is the easiest way to get discouraged so dont...trust me i'm not ready for before and after photos yet...i dont see a difference..i've still got a good 100 lbs to lose.

I'll use myself as a guinea pig. Here's an extremely accurate description of an INTJ. I've highlighted some of the specific areas that can (and do) impact weightloss/weight gain, focus on appearance, and all those other factors that play into it. You could do the same for any MBTI. So anyone who ever wanted a day in the life of Wheetsin, here you go. Now consider the highlighted areas not just in terms of being directly related to weightloss efforts, but also contributing factors to weight issues, especially those around interactiosn with other people/relationships, reluctance to "trust" a diet or weightloss program, etc.

Sunta Water weight gain can fluctuate as much as five pounds. If you don't want a fill than you should get one. Follow your heart and stay on it the way you feel is working best for you. I know sometimes one gets the feeling that at some point a balance is met and you can do this.

I was banded on 4-4-07 and when i weighed in for my 2 week post op i had lost 13.5 lbs and was super excited !!! Since ive gone on soft foods i find myself eating "normal" things that i would before the surgery, just chewing a little more. I recently used a doctor office scale at my university to see my progess and it showed i had gained back 3 of those pounds. I have not had my first fill yet and attribute some of my ability to continue to eat regularly to that, but ive also began to excercise again walking/running 3 miles at least 4x's a week. In my mind scientifically there should be no reason for weight gain. Its really discouraging to me to see these kinds of results. I really want this to work for me, its my last resort. Does or did anyone else have this problem ?

Hi All, I'm Lynette and I'm being banded on June 27 in florence, KY by Dr. Sonnanstine. Still a ways off, but I'm enjoying the time on this site and all the information it has. It's great talking with people who have already had the surgery, and knowing what is out there on the other side. I hope to meet other June 07 bansters to share experiences with. Does anyone feel like you've been sentenced to death, and will be resurected the day of surgery???? I know, kind of weird, but I've been overweight for so long. I don't have a life to get back to, but I have a new life to begin. I don't know what it is to be thin, or not overweight. I really have no before weight gain pictures to stare at for motivation. But I'm in the right place now, and I'm headed in the right direction. I wish surgery was tomorrow, but good things come to those who wait, and I feel like I've waited all my life for this tool to work with. Can't wait to put it to use. Good luck to all those who visit that are being banded in May. We're so jealous and green with envy, but we'll be there too, soon, in the land of Lapband with you.:clap2: Lynette:)

I could have written this myself. And I was in serious denial about my weight. I convinced myself that I didn't really look that fat, or at least that the poeple that saw me on a regular basis weren't noticing the slow-but-steady weight gain. In my personal life, I have had a hard day and I want to binge eat so badly. Since I have little restriction, I am having to resist the urge myself. I think I may need outside help- like over-eaters anoymous or something. Has anyone ever gotten a type of counseling for out-of-control eating???

Thanks Stacy!! I was born and raised in New Castle County Delaware and had 3 of my 4 kids in Christiana Hospital!!! Nice to meet a fellow Delawarean!!! I live in WI now While my insurance won't cancel the surgery due to weight gain and my surgeon told me he expected me to bounce back a few pounds, like you said, I need to FOCUS!!!!!!! 8 pounds is NOT a few!!! I really NEED to practice my new habits. Tiny bites, chew chew chew, eat SLOW, etc. My goal is to re-lose those 8 pounds before my pre-op physical in two weeks. I know I can do it (and then some) by going back on medifast. SO, that's what I'll do. Thanks again for the encouragement :girl_hug:

About periods. My weight always affected my cycle before. It was one of the good things about gaining weight. I remember my freshman year of college I told my PCP that I thought my weight gain (about 40 pounds) was unhealthy because it was affecting my periods (they were lighter, shorter) and I thought that was a good sign. So I said, help with this please. He said don't worry about it. I insisted (he was a bad doctor). So he refered me to the campus weight loss program-- I lost 30 and kept it off for a year. But yeah, thats always been just about the only good side effect of weight gain. It made the periods less excruitiating. I remember back in Junior High I would wish that I would just pass out (I used to get terrible vaginal pain with them too in adition to the lovely cramps). LOL. As a teen I got my periods about twice as often as everyone else and they lasted longer too. Sure didn't seem fair. Then I got on birth control. It was like the clouds had parted and the sunlight came streaming through. What hadn't anyone told me about this miraculous thing before? I adore my birth control. Though I did notice last month mine came about two days early even on that. With my lovely birth control my period only comes once a month. And its light!! And it only lasts about three to five days! No cramps either. Before I always actually lost weight during my period due to the vomitting and diarhea. If men had periods, the world would be a different place. They think they are all so tough... HA! (or at least this is what I think to myself when my husband whines because maybe he pulled a muscle a little).

Hi everybody. This is my first entry on this site. You all seem like such a close nit supportive group. I'm having my surgery in Monterrey, Mexico on May 18th. I'm pretty nervous but I just keep reading and educating myself. I'm going to get my fills in Fill Center USA in Mount Laurel, NJ. It's about 30 miles north of me so pretty convenient. One thing that I have to say is that I have very little support in this. I have chosen not to tell people. My kids are too young and it would scare them. I'm so afraid of negative feedback because my mind is made up and I'm afraid it will get me down if people are negative. Does that make sense? Somehow I have to find somebody to tell so that if god forbid anything happened I could be reached. Hmmm. Anyway, I have a few weeks to work on this and maybe I'll come up with someone I can trust with my heart. My story is that I'm a New York State transplant and have lived here in Jersey for 10 years. I'm divorced but happily so. I always battled the pounds but stayed in pretty good shape until my 40's. I actually had my kids late my normal standards. I was 37 and 40 when I had them, I'm 50 now and have managed to get myself way heavier than I should be. So here I am. I'm an RN and live in south Jersey. I'm very contented with my life other than the fact that my weight is becoming an all consuming problem for me. Although I don't have medical complications I will if I keep this weight gain up like I have been. I feel like I'm being proactive. With young kids I need to stay healthy for a long time. Thanks for listening Laurie

I agree, six months is nothing. My insurance requires a twelve month MD supervised diet. It is just something that you have to do unless you have the resources to go to a surgeon and self-pay. I suggest if you do that, that you do some serious research about the doctor first. Some are wonderful, some are questionable, some are quacks. Also, you need to set up aftercare in your area BEFORE you go elsewhere and have a band placed. Just some things to take into account. I am also here to tell you that six months means EVERY month. Do NOT miss ONE single monthly visit. If you do not have the resources to self-pay or decide that the six month diet is doable, then start right away! Also you have to find out if your policy has a weight loss requirement during this six month program. If so, you need to make sure you loose that weight or you will be denied. I was, and that was despite letters from two doc's saying it wasn't my fault and that I was sick and on meds that precipitated my weight gain. Good Luck!

Good for you for getting a scale. I know people can get obsessed with them, but you do need to have some reasonable parameters or you can let the weight gain get out of control. I had a scale that I never-EVER- stepped on. I use it now, but I don't let the daily number get to me. Just so long as I see a downward slope over a few days, I'm good. How can you do only 800 calories a day without a fill? My average is 1400. Even going only to 1000 has me feeling wiped out. Good for you though. That's great progress!

Glad to hear it helped sex drive in some people.. In the past about 6 months, mine has been dead. I have to work REALLY hard to get psyched up for it.. and it's unusual, we use to be horn dogs and the sex is great with fiance.. but some reason I've just been really tuned out and turned off. I have gained quite a bit of weight in the past year, so I was HOPING it just had to do with the weight gain and when I lose weight it would help. I don't want to think we've hit any plateau at such an early age!

Melissa- I have Empire BCBS of NY. I was told by one coordinator that the 6-months diet was mandatory, but by a second coordinator (two days later) that it was not?! I submitted paperwork that listed 5 months and was approved very quickly (2 days). I had an arsenal of met requirements and left nothing to chance. Document EVERYTHING, fax a copy to your surgeon and keep one for yourself. I think my submittal had over 100 pages of "stuff" including: PCP letter personal "mission statement" lol psych eval/support cardiologist suport/EKG/Echo nutritional eval pulmonolgist support/eval apnea study/report endocrinologist report/support letter dr's visits for over 5 years (including thyroid issues, pregnancy...weight gain & loss) gym membership receipt weight watchers "thru the years" I copied & faxed myself silly. My surgeon's office said it was the quickest approval they've see. I suppose my OCDs pay off sometimes. I'm not certain that all I did was necessary....but it was all well worth it. I'm 16 days post-surgery and feel better than I have in YEARS. Best of luck to you!

Thanks so much for your encouragement guys. You're right Jachut, I am an Aussie. I live in Brisbane. Do you know of good surgeons that I could maybe go and see around my area? I'd like to at least meet with one and just discuss it. I think that would be the first step. I've battled my weight for many years, I have always been on the large size, but since entering my teens to now - It's gone up heaps. The side effect of PCOS is weight gain, and I think that's part of the reason why I find it so difficult to loose weight. I know that it's going to be a tough journey, but knowing that my parents are behind me, and you guys too! I think that I will be able to make it. My best friend is also obese, but I don't think she's ever going to consider lap-banding. I don't think I'm going to discuss with her about getting it done because I'm really scared she's going to talk me out of it. And so I'll tell her after it's done, or maybe when I'm in hospital or something, but not before hand. Thanks for the encouragement though, I really appreciate it. ! And and so you know. 125kg is about 275.5 lbs.

Hi Everyone, Rava and Lisa, The liquid stage can be hard in terms of being hungry. I stuck with pure liquids, but I have heard people say that they liquidized spaghettii bolognaise etc for more substance. I tried to drink Water also and keep myself busy. It will not be long until you can go for a fill. Hang in there. Blythe, 29 days!:clap2: Yay! You will be joining us all soon in these shananingans.:biggrin1: Anna, What job are you going for? Don't worry about the weight gain, just get them to give you a small fill and you will be back on track again. Everybody else I hope you are all well. I am feeling really well and happy these days.:clap2: A friend of mine has been asking me to think about going to Israel for a holiday to see if I would like to live there for a while. I think it could be good, although my Hebrew is very limited, and I would have to learn the language completely. Another consideration is the fact that my surgeon is here, and my follow up care is here. I am sure they have the medical staff over there to treat me, but I feel very happy with my care here. Maybe I will consider it in a few years time when I have lost all my weight and I only have to have follow ups every six months etc. Hugs to all Susannah

Yes, PCOS can definitely cause the cessation of periods, and also can cause weight gain, chronic pain, etc. etc. For a while, that's what they thought I had. So yeah get checked out and ask for a hormone level check! If you have too much prolactin, it's your pituitary! L

Thank you all very much for answering my questions! BestyJane-I think it's awesome that you have the same surgeon that I am considering. All of your info helped me tremendously and I'll be sure to go to one of his seminars! azmensan-The first thing I'm going to do once our insurance kicks in is go ahead and get a pap smear and make sure that my recent weight gain is because of me eating cakes and Cookies and not a tumor, lol. My OB/GYN told me last year that I do have a slight condtion of PCOS and this could be why but I am really wanting to go and get this under control. Thank you so much for your concern!

My answers will be in blue. Our new insurance is going to kick in as of June 1, 2007 and this is when I'm going to start my journey of trying to get approved for the surgery. I don't even know if our insurance covers any of it but I am hopeful and I still want to get as much research as possible within me. We are going to have UHC so my guess some of it could be covered but who knows, I will find out in June once we get our cards, info packets, etc. etc. Anywho, here are my questions.... If you are enrolled, and just don't have active coverage yet, you should still be able to get a copy of the SPD. You should not have to wait. (I could be wrong about this, but that's what I think, anyway) 1) It's been a little over a year since I've had a pap smear. I'm going to go once our insurance kicks in and I'm going to let my doctor know that I haven't had a period in 7 months and that I am interested in having a weight loss surgery. I'm very sure it's due to my recent weight gain, do you think she would be willing to write a letter of recommendation to the insurance company that the reason for surgery is a health issue? First, your doctor will have to verify that your cessation of periods is due to weightloss. Your doctor won't write a letter of recommendation on your assumption that it is. General guidelines for insurance approval include history of obesity (5+ years) and BMI over 40 or over 35 with two or more comorbidities (doesn't sound like you have this). IF the periods were a result of weight gain, this might be one comorbidity, but honestly - I'm not sure. 2) How will I know what other procedures I need to get done before being considered for the surgery? Does the insurance company tell me this or the surgeon? Usually no other procedures are needed unless you have something that has to be medically corrected before the surgery can physically take place. There are general criteria that (usually) need to be met for insurane coverage. Common criteria include 6 months of medically supervised weightloss (6 months of being weighed in doesn't normally count, they require an additional 6 months of going specifically for Morbid Obesity - 278.01), psychologist approval, standard pre-op admissions (xray, labs, etc.). These vary by surgeon and insurance company. Your surgeon will probably have a set of criteria, as will your provider. 3)After that, do I just call up my surgeon (I'm wanting to go to Dr. Spivak in Houston, TX) and say "Hey! I'm interested in getting the lap band surgery!" and do they just guide me from there? Determine if you're covered by your insurance, or if you will be self pay. Dr. Spivak may or may not be an in network provider. If he isn't, you can either pay the difference or find someone who is. Once that decision is made, contact the surgeon's office. Most require you to attend an information seminar during which you're given the paperwork you need to begin the process. 4)Is it possible to lose weight w/ out fills or are they necessary? You can lost weight without fills, but you shouldn't count on it. The point of the band is to be restricted. Sometimes enough restriction is given by the band itself that fills aren't needed. 95%+ of the time this isn't the case. It's safe to assume you will need at least a few fills. ...Grr, that's all I can think of as of right now. I took a shower earlier and I swear that I had questions coming out of my ears! Anyway, thanks in advance for all of your help! 5) I know that some insurance companies require you to have a 6 month weight loss documentation. This is no problem for me considering I have joined Weight Watchers numerous times in the past. How do I get my information from them? I have long thrown away all of my weigh-in cards but I assume they also keep them on file? Weight Watchers is not medically supervised in and of itself. If it was something you and your doctor agreed on, and you were going to follow-up sessions with your doctor to monitor your progress. Weight Watchers weigh in cards are pretty much worthless as far as "medically supervised" goes. See above information.

Mrs AEF - Welcome to researching the Lap Band! I'll try to answer your questions in order: 1) First, please concentrate on the fact that you've not had a cycle in 7 months. When I had that issue, it turned out that I had a tumor on my pituitary gland. You NEED to get that checked out. At a BMI of "only" 38 (which is not clinically morbidly obese, although you surely feel like it), your cycle stoppage is not likely solely due to the weight gain. In fact, a great amount of my weight was gained BECAUSE of the tumor. So PLEASE get that checked out. Many insurance carriers will NOT cover the Lap Band if your weight gain is caused by a medical condition. And it's definitely beter to get the medical condition treated first. THEN, if youstill can't lose the weight, take a look again. 2) All of the testing and whatnot you need, provided you start with a reputable bariatric surgeon, will be clearly laid out for you. Much of that testing will involve an Endoscopy, electrocardiograms, etc. etc. This will all be so that you are proven healthy enough to have the surgery. I met a guy pre-surgery here who found CANCER in the pre-surgery testing. It literally saved his life. ONce he got the cancer treatment wand was clean for 2 years, he again became a candidate for the Lap Band. 3) Your surgeon should be able to guide you - IF he is a covered physician under your health plan. UHC I think is United HealthCare, right? That's an HMO. HMOs are NOT typically likely to approve the Lap Band for those with a BMI below 40. Pleae keep that in mind. That is, unless you have some severa co-moribities, like diabetes, high blood pressure, etc. IF you are not experiencing these types of major weight-related issues, you may not even qualify as this surgery being medically necessary. 4) Losing weight without the fills would be possible, depending upon the amount of restriction the band itself provides you. BUt that is rare. Remember that the SURGERY is the big deal, NOT the fills. The fills are just a needle in a port. No big deal at all. Like giving a blood sample for a test. 5) Weight Watchers MAY have your cards in their files if your membership was recent enough. Some insurances not only require 6 months of documentation with a plan, but also along with visiting a DOCTOR every month during the weight loss effort. Please remember that you are only 21 years old, you have a lot of years ahead of you, even though I know you probably don't feel like that right now. You want it NOW. I know. But you may have a long road ahead of you. I took about 6 years before finally deciding which surgery was right for me, my lifestyle, my psyche, my insurance coverage, etc etc. I hope this info helps!

Good evening, everyone! I am a 21 year-old with a BMI of 38 and hoping to get the lap band surgery sometime in the near future. I have tons and tons of questions and I have heard that this board is incredibly helpful so here they are! Firstly, my husband and I don't have insurance yet. He changed jobs which caused us to not have insurance for a couple of months. Our new insurance is going to kick in as of June 1, 2007 and this is when I'm going to start my journey of trying to get approved for the surgery. I don't even know if our insurance covers any of it but I am hopeful and I still want to get as much research as possible within me. We are going to have UHC so my guess some of it could be covered but who knows, I will find out in June once we get our cards, info packets, etc. etc. Anywho, here are my questions.... 1) It's been a little over a year since I've had a pap smear. I'm going to go once our insurance kicks in and I'm going to let my doctor know that I haven't had a period in 7 months and that I am interested in having a weight loss surgery. I'm very sure it's due to my recent weight gain, do you think she would be willing to write a letter of recommendation to the insurance company that the reason for surgery is a health issue? 2) How will I know what other procedures I need to get done before being considered for the surgery? Does the insurance company tell me this or the surgeon? 3)After that, do I just call up my surgeon (I'm wanting to go to Dr. Spivak in Houston, TX) and say "Hey! I'm interested in getting the lap band surgery!" and do they just guide me from there? 4)Is it possible to lose weight w/ out fills or are they necessary? ...Grr, that's all I can think of as of right now. I took a shower earlier and I swear that I had questions coming out of my ears! Anyway, thanks in advance for all of your help!

Dee - thanks so much! And ONLY 1.5 gain on a cruise! You rock! And with no fill? Wow! You know the average weight gain for a 7 day cruise is 10 lbs, so you did great. I was nervous too on my first fill, but it wasn't as bad as I imagined. I know how frustrating it is to be stuck at a weight, I'm stuck in the 190's - I want out so bad! I haven't been below 190 in over 10 years, I think about 14 years.