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I've just started my liquid diet today. My surgery date is October 5th. I am at my highest weight at 225. I am 59 years old. Can’t stay like this much longer. I realize that I have to make some serious changes in my life. I’ve decided to write a sort of journal of my experience of going through this time in my life. I admit that I am somewhat scared and anxious but it is something that I want very much. I want to feel HEALTHY again. Just had my first shake. Not so bad. Probably won’t say that after a few days of these drinks. I’m nervous and I don’t know why. I realize that I have to do this for 2 weeks. Will I succeed? I will really try my best. To come this far. I must push myself like I never have before. I have all the co-morbidities that go with the weight gain such as high blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, joint, back pain and sleep apnea. Very dangerous combination.

You definitely shouldn't have eaten those! It would've been better if you chewed and spit. I've done it a few times but only with little things, and I've eater a few peanuts and pistachios, but I've stopped that because there is a serious risk for a leak only being two weeks out. It's not about weight gain, it's about your health after healing. Be cautious and if you start feeling intense pain with a fever, contact your doctor right away!

You clearly haven't read many of my posts. Please don't weigh in on what I post or don't until you've done that. I say many positive things. I did read, all of it. And I will clarify my statement above. For the people for whom saturated fat leads to weight gain and poor heart health the information you post is accurate and should be heeded. There is a significant portion of the population for whom that is true. It just isn't true for everyone. There is a genetic basis that can actually be tested for. I'm sorry you think my the newest science is negative. I think it's exciting to learn more and figure out this puzzle of why certain thing work and don't and even more exciting to discover a scientific basis for why it works for some people and not others. Science is science and not positive or negative.

I've had a long history with weight problems. By the age of ''4'' I was already 68 pounds despite having the diet of the typical child. By the time I was 15 I was in the 180's and eating honestly no different from my peers. By 17 I had joined a teen fitness group and failed to lose any weight what-so-ever. I resorted to starvation about a year later and by 19 I was 150 pounds and subsisting on 500 calories per day, taking diet pills and using tea laxatives. This lead to a cardiac issue which lead me into an Anorexia treatment center by 20. I cleaned up my act and began a ''healthy eating journey'' but sadly for me that resulted in a slow creeping weight gain of about 7-8 pounds per year. Sometime in 2014 I had reached ''180'' again and decided to join a gym. Worked out for months and lost nothing. I reduced my sugars, cut out processed food.. somehow I ended up weighing even more. I was 186 by the end of that year. By 2021 I was ''210'' pounds. My doctor weighed me. I was in shock. Literal shock.. could not even believe it because I was working with a nutritionist at the time and following through with everything. This last year I have worked out constantly, eaten no carbs and I am 208. I have only lost two pounds. I am nearly 33 year old and my weight has been a seemingly life long struggle and close to resistant to change unless extreme measures were taken (Anorexia). I am very disappointed with this. I have been tested for PCOS, Cushing's, NCCH etc many times and nothing showed up. I had severe acne (took accutane three times) and mild hirsutism as well but all blood tests come back normal, ultrasound reveal no cysts and I've gotten a monthly period since 13 years old. No doctor can explain this. I feel as though they do NOT believe me when I tell them what I eat. I just had an appointment with an endocrinologist and he said what I was telling him was ''impossible''. I have asked my doctor to refer me for weight loss surgery but at 210 pounds and 5'7 they just won't do it. I am at a loss.

I have PCOS too. The whole hair thing drives me crazy. UGH. Anyway I saw some news report lately (can't remember which show, sorry!) that PCOS is now sometimes being called Androgen excessive disorder. Apparently since not everyone with PCOS actually HAS the cysts, but all seem to have an excessive amount of the male hormone Androgen-hence the hairiness, weight gain in the stomach area, fertility issues, male pattern baldness etc etc.... they feel it's a more appropriate name for it. Anywhoo that was my biggest worry when I was banded- that because of PCOS I would not lose weight. I have lost over 30 lbs already though. The loss is slowing down now to about 2 lbs a week. The key has been getting that Protein in, and the Water too, I think. No one has really noticed the weight loss yet or at least they haven't mentioned it- but someone last week said my skin looked like it was "glowing" and I attribute that to my water intake....but I've always had such horrible skin issues that they had no idea how much they made my day!

Here's what you can expect. You're going to be asked a serious of questions from either the HAMD or MADRS test for depression. You can look up samples online. A lot of people that suffer from obesity and have a BMI that qualifies them for surgery also suffer from depression. Many also have addictive personalities and abused food, drugs and/or alcohol in the past (or may be presently abusing). Having a history of depression or addiction does not disqualify you from surgery, but the psychologist need to show that you are being treated and that you can handle this procedure. They need to know that you have a support system in place to help you with this transition. Having this surgery is not going to cure all your problems--it's just going to make you thinner and PHYSICALLY healthier. If you gained weight because you have underlying issues, those issues need to be addressed (and you need to show that you are continuing to addressing them). That covers you for mood disorders, but they are also screening for other issues including personality disorders (borderline personality for example). People with borderline personality disorder (and other personality disorders) don't do very well with surgery or the changes that occur after surgery. If you are suffering schizophrenia, you may also have issues post-op. This will likely show up in your medical history, but you'll be screened anyway. If you have bi-polar depression, you can have problem coping with this surgery and many of the anti-psych drugs used to treat bi-polar depression cause weight gain, and that would need to be taken into consideration. I am not sure that any of these issues alone will disqualify you from surgery, but you're going to need to show that you're conditions (if you have one) is well controlled for at least a year and that your treating physician believes you are psychological prepared to handle the stress of surgery and the changes that it may bring. Aside from questions that are probing for the above issues, you'll be asked specific questions to determine whether you have considered the consequences of having this surgery and how it may effect your life. I would just answer these honestly. This is what I said in my interview (paraphrasing) 1. Why do want weight loss surgery? (asking to make sure you have realistic expectations and have a healthy outlook on this process) I don't want to have weight loss surgery. I wish I didn't need it, but I do need this surgery to become a healthier person. The cosmetic benefits are secondary. If the surgery just made me a healthy person, but I stayed just as fat as I am now, that would be fine too. However, that's not the way it works and I need to lose this weight to be healthy. Being fat is one thing, being sick and dead is another entirely. 2. If that's the case, Have you Tried Dieting and Exercise to lose the Weight? Absolutely, I have been dieting most of my adult life (or was between diets). i can lose weight, but keeping it off has been a problem. Most recently I went on a strict doctor supervised diet where I lost 40 pounds, but could never get below a certain point. I did everything by the book but just hit a plateau. After two months, it became frustrating and I started to slip. Within another 6 months, I gained back the 40 pounds I lost and then some. That's been the story of my life. Dieting and exercise just doesn't work for me or almost anyone that has more than 70 pounds to lose. That's not my opinion, that's what virtually every study shows. 3. Why do you think you gained this weight? Everyone is going to have a different answer, but in my case I gained the weight a little at a time. I was thin as a kid. Even in my early 20's, I worked out every day and watched what I ate. I even had a six pack for a while. Once I started working, that disappeared. I started gaining a few pounds every year. Then I would diet to lose the weight and it would creep back on quickly after I fell off the diet horse (with a few extra for good luck!). I am now 44, so if you take a normal person my height with a normal weight at 24 and add 4 pounds a year on average you end up being me. It wasn't noticeable at first, but it sneaks up on you and suddenly you realize you're the fattest guy in the room. (obviously, this doesn't apply to everyone--but that's how it happened for me). 4. Can you commit to changing your lifestyle after this surgery? Absolutely. It's not going to be easy. Nothing about this process is easy, but I either commit to change or I am going to have a very short life. I have two little girls and they need their daddy to walk them down the aisle when their time comes. I also need to do this for myself. I love being alive and I want to feel healthy again. 5. How does your family feel about you having this surgery? My wife is nervous, but supportive. My mom is behind this 100% and my dad is very nervous about it, but he supports me too. I have told anyone else in my family. I think they would support me, but I just don't feel like they need to know at that point in time. 6. This type of surgery can change the way you feel about yourself and the people around you. How do you think it will effect your relationship with your wife? I believe it will improve our relationship. My wife is a thin person, who watches what she eats. I know she loves me, but she's not happy that I am heavy and she is scared about the effects that being a diabetic may have for me. Being heavy (and diabetic) also can, in my case, cause sexual side effects for men and I think that losing the weight can only help me in that regard. I think you get the picture. Don't lie, but they want to know that you understand what you're getting into and will be able to handle the difficulties and changes that come from surgery. Good luck!

If WLS is something you REALLY feel you need to take control of your life, then don't let anyone stand in your way. When I made up my mind to go for it, no one was going to talk me out of it. I knew from 47 years of experience that I needed the extra help WLS offered. I had been overweight since childhood and could never control my weight gain. If my primary physician had discouraged me from WLS, I would have found another. My first call was to my insurance company to get a list of approved WLS doctors. I never went to a general practitioner, went straight to the WLS doctor and started the process. Get my free eBook - The Top 10 WLS Fears and How to Kick Their Butt!

I too have the same feeling that you do at this time. My surgery was May 2013 and this month is the first month that I tracked a weight gain. I seem to bounce between 150 and 155. Today I am 152. I have tried the tips already mentioned (tracking food and Water, cutting out the "junk" and getting Protein first.) I find that I can get 50-60 gm of protein a day. I manage to take in about 72 oz of water. I have decided that 150-155 is an ok weight for now. I am wearing a size 8 (which is a size I have never worn as an adult) I am staying positive that the last 25 lbs will come off with time if I stay on track. If I stay this weight for a while, my body must need the break from weight loss. I am hoping that my skin will tighten up while I am working off the last few pounds. I do not look at this as a failed surgery because I am 115 lbs lighter than when I had the surgery.

I have lost 25 pounds since surgery November 19th. That includes the weight gain from the IV. I have not been 216 pounds or in size 16 pants in ten years! I am not complaining but it does cross my mind that the loss should be faster. I examine myself all the time to see what I can do better or differently. I work out 4-5 days a week for a hour or two . I am trying new things at the gym all the time. I do not feel well if I eat below 800-900 calories, so I stick with that most days.

Tho I qualified for surgery because of apnea, I'm mostly having it because the weight is medication induced...which led to apnea, psudotumor cerebri, and a bunch of other fun issues. I don't understand why insurance refuses to recognize the health risks of medication induced weight gain. My surgeon hopes that I'll be able to significantly cut down on my medications. I'll gladly trade them for supplements!

It took me a lot of years to figure out that I never knew how to do the " 5 pounds to play with " thing. I can do that now. I live in Southern California and love going to Disneyland ! All sorts of very not weight loss friendly foods - but there are healthier choices that can be made - and not just salads. There are really good soups in some locations, I am a fan of their corn chowder (vegetarian) and one of the Mexican places makes a yummy grilled half chicken plate that I share with my adult daughter ! I pick my treats and plan on having what I really want, whether it is ice cream or something else..... and if I gain a pound or so... then I know how to take it off over the next week. I weigh myself every morning... so that I can figure out what the heck I did or did not do in the couple days earlier to deserve weight gain, or loss. For me, I don't use much salt. And a meal out .... even a nice salad; can put pounds on me. Took me a long time to figure that out. A diet frozen dinner with less than 300 calories will do it too. Those are full of sodium and it does it every time. I cook with a lot of fresh home grown herbs - getting ready to plant my spring garden - will do lots of lettuces and baby carrots, radishes and beans and peas.... later in the spring will plant cucumbers and tons of heirloom tomatoes for the hot hot summer. Find the things that make you happy, that make your body strong and healthy and take good care of yourself !

I think I developed it with my first daughter as I have a lot of fluid retention throughout my body and just the sudden weight gain in the pregnancy yes I've been told that having the hernia repaired is going to change my life around I can't wait😁😁😁

I had a lot of head hunger for Taco Bell. But when I broke down and bought a taco, it was the most disappointing taco I had ever had. I found it to be repulsing and have no desire to eat there again. Oh, I couldn't believe their taco's were 99cents. So over priced for nothing. Hummmmm. I use to eat these all the time. Could they contribute to weight gain? TACO BELL bad food! No Taco Bell for me. LOL

Well. I know you are not talking about me there, because as a rule, I don't give advice on band related matters. People who see the advice as harsh, tend to do so because of something lacking in their lives. Be it exercise, eating right, or following the band rules. It hits too close to home. It hurts them because they know that it could be true, that they are NOT doing whatever it is that is being talked about, and that is the cause of their weight gain / failure to lose / whatever. People then go one of two ways. They do something about it, or they do nothing but whine about why it is so tough. Why they can't. Why they are special. So yeah. Maybe the second sorts are better ignored by those who give fantastic advice. But how would one know what group they "asker" ends up in if they do hit the ignore button?

Snuffy your advice is spot on! I have fought depression for years, ha - like since birth! Exercise really helps. I do take meds also but if I exercise they work much better and I am in a better mood. I had a real downhill snowball effect earlier in the year. I was doing relatively well at the exercise thing (crap at dieting, but that was pre-band). Not sure what I did but my back and hips (I'm hyperflexible, they pop out of place sometimes and swell) flaired up something severe and I had to start physical therapy. So I was told the only exercise I could do was what they were having me do there. A nice combiniation of pain all the time, weight gain, and not getting good cardio and I was a complete mess. I didn't start coming out of the funk again until I got over the hump of my pre-op diet and then recovered from the surgery. Back on the road to wellville now. Still having pain but of course exercise helps that too as long as I don't start thinking I am training for the Olympics again! My PCP says once I get to a weight where they'll take me seriously I can go to a sports medicine specialist. We can give each other good and correct info but you catch a lot more flies with honey as they say.

Although it seems obvious to me now that you mention it, I wasn't really thinking that I was at an energy deficit. Of course I would have to be to lose weight. I could probably start adding in a supplement like a once a day nutrition shake and just watch the weight gain. Perhaps I could just knock out the shake or cut back if I gain more than 2 pounds in a week. I just realized that with my pregnancy half finished, even if I gain a pound a week from this point forward I am still well within the appropriate range. I might have just become a little too uptight about weight loss after being so dedicated for such a long time. I guess I am a little nervous about losing my momentum.

How does zero calorie and zero sugar diet pop cause you to gain weight? I see Chrystal Light talked about here a lot and it has aspartame and a list of chemicals longer than diet pop. Why is that recommend over diet pop? Just because a doctor says so is not good enough for me. When I was a kid our family doctor told us we would all have heart attacks if we continued to eat eggs. Anti eggs was the fad back then and most doctors went with it. Now eggs are considered a super food. What happened? Why did doctors suddenly change? Diet pop has been out for 50 years and yet there are very few studies that actually study causation. The ones I have found show that people do not gain anymore weight by drinking diet pop. I personally have lost 70 pounds and counting drinking diet pop. None of the ingredients in diet pop has been proven to cause weight gain. Diet pop is just a carbonated version of Water and Chrystal Light.

I found that too but might as well not post the studies as it seems people don't want to see these types of truths. That article is wayyyyy too logical. Interesting that the article you posted states to not limit sweets but rather the volume. I'm sure that will be argued with as well. I don't think this is a study. By study I am looking for an actual experiment with a control or double blind controls and results or findings. The problem with so many food based studies is that they are not experiments but survey based. i.e. the issue with drinking diet sodas, does diet soda cause obesity or contribute or is do obese people just happen to drink diet soda? In order to truly know the effect of diet soda on our sleeves we would need to find results of a study where 2 groups were one drinking diet soda and one not. Their diets would need to be the same and their exercise the same and their weight gain/loss and comparative endoscopy results might allow us to draw some real conclusion about the effect of diet soda on your sleeve and weight loss. In the absence of that everything is conjecture and the only sensible alternative is to follow the advice of your physician, not the advice of someone else physician. After all if you hit a stall or a complication it is your actual physician you are going to be looking to help you correct things.

Well had a long chat with my surgeon after a 7 pound weight gain on my 5 month follow up two days ago. This issue came up as I told him I routinely drink 24 or more oz. of water with every meal. I havn't been loseing anything for 3 months and he was surprised that I was drinking like that. He thought I was following the no drinking with meals guideline and confirmed what others have said that drinking with meals is the # 1 reason for non weight loss. This highlighted a real dilemma as adjustment to this non drinking mode is scary and a hard habit hadn't been able to break. I can look back on it now and without bullshi**ing myself that I have been eating much more than I thought I was and in effect self sabotaging my weight loss goal. Sheesh! do I feel dumb! The doctor gave me lots of non judgemental encouragement and re-eductated me on the band basics. For the past two days per his instructions I have avoided drinking 15 min prior, during and 30 min after meals. God its hard. First couple of bites of my first meal after seeing him I realized that along with the drinking issue I was taking too large a bite and not chewing long enough thus I got stuck for a few mins. I waited for the food to pass and thank God it did. I then resumed eating with much smaller bites and lots of chewing and the meals now take a lot longer. Now I'm the last one done. I have noticed already that I feel full sooner and stay satiated longer and don't need a snack between meals (I was browsing a bit too, lotsa bad habits I now see) Perhaps these adjustments will make the difference and get the scale moving. I have a follow up appointment in 2 weeks to see how I am doing and hopefully the scale will show improvement and joy back to mudville... So to all of us who like to slosh our food down and derive comfort while eating that way I can really relate. If this turns out like I think it will with the weight coming off quicker I'll be sure to share that info. Gosh it's had to give up the fluids while enjoying the meal but I am determind to get slimmer and this may be the key to why the weight hasn't been coming off. Heck, I am sure that its a major part of the problem. Good luck everyone.. Tom

Dear Dave, I completely agree with what you are saying but (there always has to be one ) the drinking with meals seems to be washing my food through my stoma and allowing me to eat more food before my brain gets the signal that I am full. You're right in that water has zero calories so more food was being taken in than I needed hence the stalling and now weight gain. I currently spend 2 hours 4-5 times a week at the gym doing mostly cardio exercise and I don't want to do any more than that right now. I am on day 3 of avoiding water with meals and its very tough for me to do but I have noted a decrease in food intake due to this small change. I hope that I did not give the impression that I believed that the water caused my weight stall and gain if so I apologize to anyone that thought that was what I was saying. I absolutely was overeating and the water flushing my food through was making it possible for me to do so. I will continue with withholding the fluids during meals at least until I see the doctor again in 10 days I really hope that this breaks the stalemate and that I begin a cascade of weight loss. If this happens I will know for sure that the no drinking guideline is one that I will have to follow. Thanks, Dave, for the good thoughts and well wishes, I really appreciate having you root me on and also for the sharing of your personal experience. I'll certainly let everyone know how it turns out the Tuesday, August 9th after I see the doctor again. Tom

Hi all, I have Wellmark BCBS of Iowa and am about two weeks away from submitting pre-approval, so just reading over the WLS coverage on their site. VSG is listed as "investigational", which is bolded like it's important, but not explained. RNY gastric bypass is listed as "may be medically necessary when criteria below are met". I am having zero luck finding a good explanation of what the difference is, on the site. Can anyone clue me in to what that means in insurance terms, and what it may mean to my preapproval application? If it matters, my BMI right now is 49.6. Also, anyone else have Wellmark Iowa (not federal) and have any luck? Thank you for any help! Here is the verbiage from the website: Medical Policy: 07.01.17 Original Effective Date: September 1995 Reviewed: September 2009 Revised: September 2009 Benefit Application Benefit determinations are based on the applicable contract language in effect at the time the services were rendered. Exclusions, limitations or exceptions may apply. Benefits may vary based on contract, and individual member benefits must be verified. Wellmark determines medical necessity only if the benefit exists and no contract exclusions are applicable. This medical policy may not apply to FEP. Benefits are determined by the Federal Employee Program. This Medical Policy document describes the status of medical technology at the time the document was developed. Since that time, new technology may have emerged or new medical literature may have been published. This Medical Policy will be reviewed regularly and be updated as scientific and medical literature becomes available. Description: Obesity is the most frequent form of malnutrition in the developed world and it is increasing. Morbid obesity (i.e., obesity with secondary serious or debilitating progressive disease) is generally associated with a body mass index (BMI) of ≥40 kg/m² (i.e. weight/height squared). Morbid obesity has a significant impact on cardiac risk factors, incidence of diabetes, obstructive sleep apnea, debilitating arthritis of weight bearing joints, infertility, psychosocial and economic problems and various types of cancers, etc. The first treatment of morbid obesity is dietary and lifestyle changes. When conservative treatment fails, a few patients may require a surgical approach. The National Institutes for Health defines potential candidates for surgery as those with a BMI of 40 kg/m² or more or a BMI between 35 kg/m² and 39.9 kg/m² and a serious obesity-related health problem such as type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, or severe sleep apnea. Additionally, persons should have acceptable operative risks, the ability to participate in treatment and long-term follow-up, and possess an understanding of the surgical procedure and necessary life style changes. Surgery for morbid obesity, also known as bariatric surgery is based on intestinal malabsorption and gastric reduction. Surgery is considered successful if weight loss is maintained at greater than or equal to 50% of excess body weight for more than 10 years. Several different gastric reduction and intestinal malabsorption procedures are listed below: Gastric reduction (gastric restrictive) procedures: * Vertical-banded gastroplasty * Adjustable gastric banding * Gastric bypass (Roux-en-Y gastroenterostomy); this can be done by both open or laparoscopic approach * Mini-gastric bypass (laparoscopic) * Sleeve gastrectomy; performed on its own or in combination with malabsorptive procedures. Malabsorptive Procedures: * Biliopancreatic bypass (Scopinaro Procedure) * Biliopancreatic bypass with duodenal switch Top Prior Approval: Prior approval is recommended for this service. Submit a prior approval now. Top Policy: The following surgical procedures for the treatment of morbid obesity may be considered medically necessary when the criteria listed below are met: * Vertical-banded gastroplasty * Gastric bypass (Roux-en-Y gastroenterostomy) with short Roux limb equal to or less than 150 cm; this can be done by either open or laparoscopic approach * Adjustable gastric banding (Lap-Band® procedure) * Biliopancreatic bypass (i.e., the Scopinaro procedure) with duodenal switch; this can be done by either open or laparoscopic approach Criteria for Coverage: * Patient is at least 18 years old And * The patient must have documentation in the medical record of failure to sustain weight loss within the two years preceding surgery and documentation of the health care provider’s monitoring of the patient’s progress toward a goal of weight loss. And * The patient must be a motivated individual with acceptable operative risk and must be evaluated by a licensed mental health provider to determine the patient's willingness to comply with pre and postoperative treatment plans, and a strategy to ensure cooperation with follow-up must be documented. And, in addition to the general requirements above, the patient must also meet one of the following weight criteria: * BMI of 40kg/m² for at least 3 years * BMI of ≥ 50 kg/m² for biliopancreatic bypass (i.e., the Scopinaro procedure) with duodenal switch Or * BMI of greater than 35kg/m² in conjunction with at least one of the following: o Hypertension requiring medication for at least one year o Diabetes Mellitus type 2 requiring medication for at least one year o Obstructive sleep apnea, confirmed by sleep study, which does not respond to conservative treatment o Documented cardiovascular disease o Pulmonary hypertension of obesity The following surgical procedures for the treatment of morbid obesity are considered investigational: * Sleeve gastrectomy as a stand alone procedure OR in combination with a malabsorptive procedure * Mini-gastric bypass (laparoscopic) * Biliopancreatic bypass (Scopinaro Procedure) * Long-limb ( > 150 cm) gastric bypass Endoscopic procedures, including but not limited to the StomaphyXTM device, to treat weight gain after bariatric surgery due to large gastric stoma or large gastric pouches are considered investigational. Bariatric surgery is considered investigational as a cure for type 2 diabetes mellitus. Subsequent bariatric procedures, including revisions, in patients who regain weight due to failure to comply with lifestyle or dietary modifications are considered not medically necessary.

@ Jazma: I had my lapband removed last April. I was scheduled to have the bypass at the same time but changed my mind the morning of the surgery and just had the band removed. I gained about 35 lbs since it was removed, which Dr. says is quite good for typical weight gain after is much more. At any rate I feel really good about the sleeve and can't wait Till June 5th when I get mine. Good Luck to you! Also, Do any of u take Probiotics? Last year before my surgery I went to costco and bought " Advance Probiotic 10" By Nature's Bounty. They are capsules and give u 10 probiotic Organisms and 20 Billion Live Probiotic Cultures. Of course being concerned about surgery, it was important to me to give myself a boost in my recovery process, so I started up on these two weeks before. Right after surgery I broke the capsules apart and them in my Water. On my follow up visit after my surgery my Dr said I had so much scar tissue and removing my band was a challenge. He was surprised I had no complications but I believe it's my secret gem, these probiotics that made the difference. Needless to say I just bought some more to prepare for this surgery as well...

I did and he simply said to prevent any future weight gain it was simply a pre caution measure,...I was just curious if anyone had anything happen to them like this or would suggest legal

To me, willpower is a load of crap. Before the sleeve: 1) conventional dieting meant I was at constant war with my body, 2) conventional dieting wasn't making me healthier but was creating my obesity, 3) willpower only meant I was an adversary to myself, and 4) no matter how hard I worked, every diet eventually led to even more weight gain. Post-op, I am learning 1) how to work with my body and not against it; 2) how to satisfy my needs with small amounts of delicious, nutritious, food; and 3) my efforts and hard work reaps positive results. Unfortunately, it is hard to describe the difference to someone who hasn't been sleeved. Because of that, it is one of the biggest fears and concerns that people have pre-op.

Hello! I'm glad to see this topic on here as I've been struggling with the issue, among the others in my contemplating of banding. I am 5.1" and now over 200lbs. I carry my weight very well, (all over stocky type figure) and have been told repeatedly how I " don't look that heavy." My mother has had the surgery and it helped her a great deal. My conditions include fibromyalgia, degenerative discs in neck, back and a previous lower back injury. My knees have always been a problem even at a low weight. I have BMI at 36. It's right at that level where people say, you aren't heavy enough to consider this option, but as someone who has fought the mighty wave of weight gain since early childhood I disagree. I have been gaining since after the birth of my child and had a hysterectomy in 2010. Since then, it's been almost impossible to lose a pound. I have tried every diet, weight loss idea on planet earth. I am still always consistently 50lbs+ overweight which is obese. I believe it's a matter if time before more serious health problems. Am I to wait for that? Any thoughts or encouragement is appreciated.