Search the Community

I turned 49 on Sept 17 and my sleeve procedure was conducted on Sept. 18. I started out at 293 in April, 2012 when I started my surgeon's program. By the date of my sleeve, Sept. 18, I had lost down to 268. This morning when I weighed, Feb. 25, 2013, I am now at 208. Total lost is 85 lbs. Feeling great now and looking forward to future weight loss. My procedure went well and I have not had any problems (sickness) since the procedure. The day of surgery and the next couple of days were difficult. Nothing anyone can't handle with the future reward you'll have. I thank my surgeon everyday for giving me my life back! Feel great, energy has returned. Best of luck to you. You'll do and feel GREAT afterward.

Struggle to get in "enough calories". enough per? Possible the band is working with nothing in it? Yes, there are some VERY successful people on here who have never had a fill postop. Some just don't seem to need it. Getting a fill later? My surgeon would. Why get one now if you think everything is working good and you're losing weight......thats really the only goal. Congrats! Sounds like you're off to a great start!

Today marks 14 days since my sleeve surgery and I am happy to report I have lost 20 pounds! I started this journey 12 months ago when I was weighed by my doctor's office during a routine check-up and weighed 288. I am 6 feet tall. That was the most I had weighed in my life and I decided it was time to take action. I was referred to a local sleeve surgeon who immediately put me on the South Beach Diet to lose weight pre-op. Because of insurance I was required to wait a certain time and follow certain guidelines. Well, two weeks ago I had the surgery and despite some complications afterward that required a second procedure I am home now resting and recovering. I am pain free and adjusting to my new body. I would like to meet other people here and share experiences. By the way today I weigh 245 pounds!

I know I shouldn't be so impatient, but I cannot wait to get my surgery date already! I have completed all of my pre-op appointments, and have gotten all my clearances, except the surgeons office is still awaiting the results of the MMPI-II test (which I only took 6 days ago). I got the clearance from the psychologist, but the surgeon, Dr. Scott Steinberg, at Dekalb medical Center in Atlanta, also wanted the MMPI-II test. I just cannot wait to get this new part of my life begun! I have already purchased my chewable vitamins, B-complex supplements, and a few protein powder supplements to try out before surgery. I was originally hoping to get banded before the new year, but realistically, I am hoping now for a January date. In the meantime, I am going to keep on exercising. I am pretty active (yoga, tennis, walking), but probably need more cardio. I will also practice eating slowly (very hard for me, I am a quick eater). I will also practice patience. Another week or two will not make a difference in the course of my weight loss journey;).

It seems to me that the only thing you're doing wrong is stressing!!! Lol!!! ( And 5 kids on top of all this? Are you for real!?!? If you are sticking to the plan, the weight will sort itself out. There is a post from the mail menu of the forum, a FAQ. It explains the stalls in a way that I think would make you chill out. Also, track your loss in more than just lbs. track it in inches. In my 14 Days of Torture...aka "Pre-op diet", in 2 weeks I lost 9 lbs. for as much effort as I was putting into the fight, that seemed stupid! So, I came up with a better idea. I measured inches lost. I took those measurements 3 weeks before I started prepo. Well, I may have only lost 9 lbs...but those pounds were equal to a net 6.8" gone! That totally worked for me!!! side though, cause I ramble, do you have a WLSJ?

I'd say you are doing very well so far for you weight! As said before, don't stress about it. Stalls are normal and must be embraced as part of the process. You body needs time to re-adjust as large amounts of weight are shed. Also, you might want to double check on jogging at this stage. I was told only walking for the first couple months. Personally I'd just stick to walking. Your body has went through a lot in a small amount of time. Give it a break.

Yep Jim.....he is like up in the 300s like 360 or so lbs lost. The VSG can pretty much get whatever weight off that you need. It's all up the person.

My diabetes is type II - weight related with a familial history. I know that by exercising and loosing the weight it won't be long before I am of insulin altogether, so be looking for more NSV's from me!!! Thanks for the words of encouragement!!! Cindy

How wonderful!!!! Your body likes your weight loss, huh? Think you could be off meds altogether as you lose more? In other words, is your diabetes from childhood or is it weight related? I think those are great NSV's. Yay your band!!!!

Hi, I was sleeved at the end of May. At my first appointment I weighed in at 275. Scary! I did a low carb diet to lose as much weight as I could before surgery and the day before my surgery I was 256. So I have lost 32 lbs since surgery and 51 lbs altogether. I was a self pay patient and that has had good and bad parts about it. The good part is I didn't have to jump though a bunch of hoops to get my sleeve scheduled. I just scheduled it when I was ready and it was convenient for me. I teach school so I did it the day after Memorial Day, my first week of summer vacation. The bad part is I didn't have to attend any classes or support groups and now I'm looking to find an online community for support. My surgery was uneventful and my recovery has been smooth. I have been somewhat disappointed as I was hoping to lose 15 - 20 lbs a month. But I have come to terms with the fact that was an unrealistic expectation for me. I log my food intake daily on my fitness pal. I average 75 - 90 gms of protein and 800 to 900 calories a day. I look forward to getting to know y'all!

You are actually right on track. The average weighloss is about 1-2 lbs a week. You aren't supposed to take it off fast with the lapband. Gastric Bypass makes the weight come off faster. However with the bypass there are several downfalls. One of them being is that the bypass actually stops working after 2 years because it can't be adjusted anymore. So in the long run the lapband is the better choice. Taking the weight off slower is better for you also. I had one fill also and I am feeling restriction. I feel more restriction in the afternoon and evening. I try and weigh and measure all of my food. I do get my 2 protein supplements in a day which is not only good for keeping you full during meals, it also helps in the healing process. As of Dec. 3 I lost 29lbs since surgery. 40lbs all together with the pre-op diet. I try not to weigh myself at home and only update my weight when I go for my fills. My next fill is January 13. Happy Holidays to everyone.

I am on a time crunch but I need to get a journal entry so I can start logging what is going on. I am 2 weeks or so away from surgery. I am scared! I just called the Dr. today to see if my insurance approved the surgery and they have. I think I was half thinking htat I would be denied. Next Monday is Pre-op appt then the following Monday is surgery. I feel conflicted. I am definitely not feeling 100% like I want to do this and I am wondering if this is normal. Of course I am afraid to ask that question at the MD office for fear that they will say "Nope, you aren't ready" and cancel my appt. Am I nuts???? I think I am questioning because since I was told that I had to lose 10 pounds and I have joined Weight Watchers (for the 100th time), I have managed to loae about 17 pounds. I have been going to the gym 5 or 6 days a week and I feel wonderful. There is that little thought that, wow, maybe I can do this myself. But then I look at my history and I am always gung ho for about 3 months or so then I lose steam. Typical diet failure. The other thing is, I plan to continue my WW meetings becauseI find them so supportive. ANother thing I never had before. This particular meeting is thebest I have ever attended and every week I feel really pumped to do my best. Anyway, if I continue to go to WW, am I a fraud??? I have not told anyone about my plans and do not intend to. I willbe weighing in with my friend that doesn't know about my plans to have surgery, and I will basically be lying to her every week. It seems so deceitful. I just know how anti-surgery she is and I don't want to tell her. I don't know what to think. On a side note, I had a good workout today-50 minutes elliptical. I need to do my weights at some point since I did not have time at the gym today (dentist appt). Got a root canal today-lucky me. I made another appt for next week and I actually scheduled it around my workout. Whoever thought that would be a priority! haha.

I did a liver/ gallbladder cleanse about a year ago which was before banding. When I had my ultrsound prior to banding of my gallbladder the Dr. said there were no stones or anything. I have been thinking about doing it again since so many people have gallbladder trouble after weight loss.

You are not a failure! The quoted success of the band is 60% of the weight you need to lose. If you need to lose 190 lbs, then anything more than 114 lbs is *beating the odds*-- you've done better than the average banded person already even if you never lose another pound! Still, I know that doesn't mean you don't want to lose that last bit. I think the above suggestions are exactly right. You might consider the 5-day pouch test (google it)-- I've seen some plateaued bandsters swear by it.

As requested by one of my favorite fellow teachers, I am going to outline my journey through this process. Other than researching the surgery, my first step was visiting my primary care physician, Dr. Mark DalleAve. (This was around June 2008, I believe.) I was reluctant to ask him about the surgery because he tends to be very conservative. I feared he would want me to try more traditional methods--again. Surprisingly, that was not the case. He said he thought I would be a good candidate for the surgery and sent me for some preliminary bloodwork he knew would be required. The bloodwork revealed that everything was basically okay with the exception of my thyroid. I can never remember whether mine is hyper or hypo. I just know that the number on my bloodwork print out was higher than it should've been. I think the highest it should be is like 4.5 and mine was 9 something. Either way, he put me on synthroid for two months, and I had to be rechecked after that. The medicine worked well. My levels were down to 2 something when rechecked. As I said before, my other tests were "basically okay." However, as I researched the results and what they meant, I realized that I am VERY close to being a diagnosed diabetic. That was another real wake up call for me. I do NOT want to become diabetic and have to handle all the problems that come with that. This gave me even more determination to do this and make it work. After my thyroid was under controll with medicine, the doctor was ready to refer me to the surgeon. This is where the waiting game started again. (I was already disappointed by having to wait months on the thyroid tests.) It took nearly two weeks for me to even hear from the surgeon. (This surgeon had been recommended by the nurses at Dr. DalleAve's office because he said they knew more about who was good than he did.) When I did hear back from this surgeon, there was a huge packet of information for me to complete and they wanted a "Program Fee" of $150 before they would make my appointment. When I asked questions of the receptionist, she answered everything, but she didn't offer any information on her own. I was unimpressed. I was a little unsure if this was the surgeon I wanted to see, so I did a little more research on this website as well as others online. I called the office of Doctors Watson and Hodge in Johnson City, TN, and I'm very glad I did. The receptionist was happy to answer my questions and offered additional information on the expertise and experience of the surgeons. I had to wait nearly three months for an appointment, but they gladly made me an appointment. I met with Dr. Hodge for the first time on Dec. 17, 2008. (In the meantime I did have quite a lot of paperwork to complete but not nearly as much as requested by the other surgeon. All of this questions actually seemed relevant.) In the time while I had to wait for my appointment, I decided to do everything I could to prepare. I contacted my insurance company to find out exactly what requirements I would have to meet to qualify for the surgery. (I already knew it was a covered benefit.) I met every criteria, but I was disappointed to learn that I would have to undergo a 6 mo. doctor supervised diet before surgery. When starting this journey, I hoped to have the surgery in early 2009. At every turn I realized it would take longer and longer, and it seemed like it would take forever. I also found that I would have to attend four seminars on the lap band as required by my surgeon. I attended two of these in October, and I plan to attend the other two soon. At the October seminars, I learned that I would have a few more hoops to jump. December 17 came more quickly than I imagined. At that visit, I was given a list of my homework and directions for starting my 6 mo. diet. All my homework will be "due" by my 7th appointment, which will also be the end of my sixth month diet and my preop appointment. For my homework, I have to have statements from my primary care doctor once per year from 2004-2008 with my height and weight listed. This is to show my five year history of obesity. (No problem there; I was obese even as the captain of my high school cheerleading squad.) These records can be from any visit; it doesn't have to be a weight-related visit. I also have to have an EGD, which I have scheduled for my spring break. I do NOT have to have an ultrasound of my gall bladder because I had that removed in 2004. I also have to have a letter from Dr. DalleAve stating that he "recommends" me as a candidate for the surgery, a letter from myself to my surgeon stating why I want to have the surgery and what I expect, a visit to a nutritionist, and a visit to a psychologist. The surgeon's office was very helpful in recommending psychologists, and they actually offer complimentary visits to a nutritionist at the local mall's health services center. This is in addition to the seminars which I mentioned previously. I know this may sound like a lot of homework, but I have six months to do it, so I don't think it will be bad. The last thing I have done is my second visit to the surgeon. I didn't see him, but I saw his nurse practioner instead. She was very helpful and encouraging. I lost 5 pounds on the first month of my 6 mo. diet. I was apologetic that I hadn't lost more, but she was quick to let me know that any loss was a good loss. My next appointment is in a few weeks, and by that time I hope to have more of my "homework" completed. I will post again after that, if not before. Until then, wish me luck and let me know if you have any questions.

Not reached goal - yes. Gained - yes. But not lost any weight - like the poster above, I've never encountered that one.

Hi I am new to this site and would love to hear anyone's advice on how to tell your spouse that you are going to a weight loss surgeon and very much considering the surgery. My husband is a little jealous and I really don't know how to tell him that I am going thru with this surgery .. I need some advice. . Thanks in advance!

Yesturday was rough. I had to go to the city (an hour a way). I ended up only having my protien shake and one slimfast from 6am until around 4pm. My system was whacked out! Finally today I feel normal, but last night no matter what vegi's I ate and the shake I had I couldn't shake that off feeling. I had to go to Boise to sign a medical release for my weight records from my old PCP from when I lived there. The gal still hasn't gotten them for me. It's been almoste a week. I just need my weights from 2004. The gal also told me they don't have any records from befor then..... Is that possible??? I started seeing this doctor in 2002. They should have all my records shouldn't they?? Anyway. I'm giving them until Friday and then after racking my brains I remebered having to go to a Primary Health center once when I was sick in 2002 or 2003. They should have my weight. I would be so pissed if this messes up my insurance approval process. I've already pre-registered for surgery and everything, This really is quite the process. It's not like with- oh I don't know- gallstones, to where you need surgery and you get it. This is a pain in the ass at times. I guess it proves if you really want it. And I do so through another hoop I will now jump. I'm gonna go call the primary health now to see how long it will take to get my weights. Until later~ :car: [/url] ickerfactory.com/weight-loss/wwNunKT/"]

Hang in there! I know that just when everything seems to be pulling together in the right direction someone has go and put a wrench in the works. I myself, had to go through 2 1/2 weeks of waiting for sleep study results and then had to wait for an appt for my CPAP machine. Because I have moderate sleep apnea I had to go for 2 more weeks and use the CPAP machine before my surgeon would even think of doing the surgery. I finally have my dates: one being the gallbladder surgery on Aug. 14th and finally my lap-band surgery on August 21st. I would talk to your Doctor that you saw in June and explain to him/her what's going on and I'm sure they'll give you a note to document the diet. Have you tried any other supervised diets within the past year (i.e. Weight Watchers, Curves, etc.)? If you were with anything like that you could get them to copy the documentation showing that time span and save yourself the trouble of another supervised diet. In the mean time, plug away at getting all your other appts that you need for approval. That way when you're done with your supervised diet they can put the paperwork through sooner and you'll get your date before you know it!:biggrin1: It'll get better I swear!

In my nutritional guide from my surgeon it does say you can up your ounces slightly until the first fill. I would just say do so gradually so you don't overeat but absolutely don't go over 8 oz at a time and that's in volume not weight. :scared2:

This is exactly my worry. My ins co requires a 3-month medically supervised diet - which I'm starting this coming Thursday with my PCP. I'm worried that if I don't lose any weight, they'll decide I can't follow directions and not approve me but if I lose too much, they'll say I should just do this without surgery. I'm 150 lbs overweight (BMI of 47). Do you all think this is something I should worry about??? Forgot to say that my doc requires a 5% weight loss before surgery. I don't know how long before surgery that weight is supposed to come off. I have my first appt with the nurse practioner tomorrow, so I can ask.

I want to reach the top of my weight range, which is 100 lbs from my original weight before the 6 mo dr supervised weight loss. I have another 69 lbs to go as of this morning!

July 2015 first consultation weight 284 November 2015 surgery weight 277 Today's weight 201.5 (6.5 months post surgery)

6 week check up today! Blood pressure was 124/82, down 12 points on my BMI, 27.6% access weight gone, and down 48.5 pounds. Sent from my SM-N920V using the BariatricPal App Sent from my SM-N920V using the BariatricPal App

I feel like I have no friends and am having trouble making friends... my best friend has become toxic and is moving away... I feel like I only maintained that relationship because I was scared of being alone... and now I actually will be... in 20y/o and a sophomore in college. I fell like people passed judgment on my size last year and that's why I had no one, but I don't know what to do anymore... I don't want to be friends with people who only like me b/c I lost weight, but I am scared to be alone.... I don't mean to rant... but I'm upset and nervous and scared... anyone on this site ever have a similar experience and tips? Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App