Search the Community

Taint any better for the guys neither. I have been on testosterone replacement for a little less than a year now, I think it's what really jump started my weight loss and spurred me on to getting a sleeve and losing 120+ pounds already. Prior to my Sleeve op I HAD leveled out about 650 ngdl which is just right. I started out at 125 - way low and just above the testosterone level a woman produces. After losing 80 pounds it was time for my level check and it shot all the way up to 1050! I too was "tearing heads off". We cut the dosage back to 3/4 CC from 1 full CC. My weight continues to drop and the last check I had the level was 1200! Have you ever seen the incredible Hulk movie? Well that was me. PISSED does not begin to describe my attitude The real trouble is that that is my peak, a week after my shot, when I test the trough (low point) just before a shot, I'm back to 125. So I go through these wild swings TWICE a month - shots are every 2 weeks. It's played hell with my emotions, I go from watching a sad TV program and weeping to wanting rip someones heart out and shove it down their throat for something like bumping in to me. I'll be glad when I reach my goal and can stabilize my weight and maybe stabilize my test. dosage and level.

A lady I knew was 38 bmi and was lucky enough not to have co-morbidities but of course that meant her surgery wasn't covered. She wore ankle weights under trousers. Not recommending it but just saying its silly that theres this magic cut off for 40 than say 37 For me - I got them to measure my height again and i had always put myself as 5 ft 5 when it turns out I'm just over 5 ft 3. Makes a huge difference in your BMI. We always tend to think we are taller and weigh less than we do. In WLS doesnt pay to do either! Best of luck - I'm hoping to do my VSG in March Please God after baby comes in January. Hopefully UHC will still be approving it then

You know what they say about "Misery" she sure does love company. I'm sure once your weight starts falling off and they see how well you are doing maybe you will inspire them to do something about their weight. Anyway do whats good for you and don't worry 'bout who is bothered by it, people will always talk, its when they stop talking that gets me nervous..LOL

I think most people just don't know the difference between gastric bypass and gastric sleeve. I feel like most of the world thinks bariatric surgery is a big huge terrible horrifying thing you do to lose weight because you give up. People are just not informed and even the media screws up the message. Ugh!

I am 5'3 and at my highest weight was 240..my boyfriend is 6'3 and weighs 145 SOAKING wet It bothered me at first but I honestly don't even think about it anymore.

The weight loss ruler seen under some of the people's comments or on there page, how do we get that?

I am not sure why you have not lost more weight in 9 days...make sure that you diet has little or no carbs. If you are consuming protien shakes as your pre-op diet, I wouldn't use any milk and use water instead. If you are buying your shakes, then make sure you are buying the "lite" brand of shakes you are doing. I have been on the diet for about as long as you have and have lost nearly 20 lbs. I would also buy a nutrition scale and weigh out your foods to ensure you are only consuming the amounts allowed by your diet...plus it will come in handy for your new life style. My pre-op diet consists of a Muscle milk lite (morning), 1 cup fruit, NO Bananas (10 am.), 4-6 oz. lean meat (Fish,Chicken, Beef) and all you want of green vegtables (avoid potatoes & carrots), and Muscle Milk Lite (5-6pm). Drink only water, Unsweet tea or Crystal lite...NO DIET SODA. I don't see a couple of crackers and cheese holding you back...either that or your scale is broke???:w00t: I hope this helps

I had my 2 appt with the nutritious and I haven't lost any weight and he told me not to worry cause I made some good improvement with my eating habits and inches will come off first before weight any one else have these problem.

With everything that has been going on lately and all this weight loss surgery talk, I'm feeling very anxious... I have been second guessing my choice to do this, I am getting irritated waiting for insurance approval and then once I'm approved the fact that I don't know what happens next irritates me.. I think about when it could be and how my work is gonna take it. Im worried about how I will feel at work after the surgery. Will my energy levels be ok? Will I be able to make it through the day? Will people be supportive? Will I have this crappy dizzy ness everyone speaks of or acid reflux? Will I be nauseous all the time? Will I get dehydrated and pass out and have to be admitted into the Hospitol? Will I get an infection? An ulcer? What am I gonna do with my RA and Lupus and not be able to take my 800 mg Motrin? Will I develop back problems? Will my planters facetious get better? Will my migraines go away or get better? Will my insurance even approve me?! What have I gotten myself into?

My DR/Nutritionist took my last weight in office BEFORE submitting to the insurance co for approval. You won't Start a pre-op diet until your approved (or at least I didn't it's pointless if you don't get approved) therefor that surgery weight will have already been approved the day of surgery. I hope that makes sense.?

I think that's pretty common when making the decision to have surgery. I, too, thought I could try once again to lose it on my own, but I leveled with myself. What would make this time any different from the other 1000 times I've done it? Losing weight and gaining it back was pretty much the story of my entire adult life. Weight loss surgery was the only thing that ever worked for me. I'm glad I had it and I'd do it again in a heartbeat!

FWIW - 5'3", 55 years old at time of surgery. 3rd surgi-versary in a few days (8/23). Highest weight- roughly 300+. Current weight - about 162. Lowest 152 after contracting e coli. I told only my immediate family (two teen daughters and husband.) I did not tell my mother or my sister (mom died without knowing and sister still doesn't know). I am NATIONALLY RANKED as a fencer now in my age group in two weapons (foil and saber). I can deadlift 240 and back squat the same. Getting your head in the right place is the biggest issues. Learning to deal with emotions without food is huge for most of us. Finding an exercise you love is important. Tell who you choose, or not. But I can tell you that this made a mammoth difference in my life. Best wishes to you.

OK folks - I am 4 weeks out today. what a month it's been let me tell you. One thing I;m just not sure on is the rate at which I'm losing weight. I am down 15.4 pound as of this morning. This does not include pre surgery weigh loss( only 5 lbs anyways) I read many stories of people dropping 20 pounds in their first week or two and here I am at 4 weeks and not close to 20 pounds. Does this make me a slow loser? Please don't get me wrong - I have gone down 2 clothing sizes ( 18/20- 16) and my weight is at 197.6.... I am grateful for the loss and I know that it's still an impressive loss when compared to dieting and exercise. I honestly just want to see if I'm "normal" Maybe the slower loss will help with the hair loss I've read so much about and also with the loose skin issue that we area all bound to face at some point. Anyone with similar results or an encouraging word?

I got sleeved on November 8th. By my two week post-op visit, I had lost 21 pounds. I started stage 4 of my diet plan and I feel that during my 3rd week I haven't lost as fast. I keep panicing thinking oh my, maybe my sleeve isn't working anymore, maybe I stretched it out, etc...it is a horrible feeling but I am trying not to get discouraged and keep telling myself that everyone is different. Thanks for this post. It is comforting to know that others go thru the same thing. Highest weight = 271 surgery date 11/8= 266 2 weeks = 245 3 weeks = 242

It's been almost a year since I had my sleeve done and I can honestly say it was the best decision I've ever made for myself. I fought my weight for 30 years, and won small battles, but never the war, not until now that it is. I feel healthier and happier than I have in years! Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N920A using BariatricPal mobile app

I'm trying to find a weight loss support group that I can ask questions about what to expect with a gastric sleeve. 😀

Betsyjane: It is not a failure to take control of your life! There are a lot of factors that all combine to make a person fat. The band won't cure all of them, but it will give you a chance to lose weight and feel hopeful that you can get all the other things under control as well. It's not a lack of will power because everyday you will still have to decide to make good choices and to exercise, etc. The best thing about the band is that the weight you lose should be permanent. Personally, the band gave me the commitment that I needed to put myself first. Good luck!

Thanks imonemailn, those are some great suggestions that I'll look into....especially the crystal light. I believe the dietary restrictions are definitely based bmi. I've been a yo-yo dieter for as long as I can remember...most recently I had lost like 30lbs and kept it off for a couple of months and gained back like 40 :-(

Actigall (Ursodiol generic name) is the name of the drug. There are also contraindications for this medication if you have liver issues. My surgeon only has 1/4 of his patients that need their gb out after WLS. I opted to NOT take Actigall. #1 Our livers work double time when losing weight rapidly especially when we're in ketosis. I didn't want to task my liver anymore than necessary. #2 The gb helps break down fat. During my losing stage, I ate full fat foods because light or fat free food had more carbs and sugar counts. #3 I had my GB out at 8 months post-op, and a lot of my food choices were nixed because my body would not process fat the same it did before losing my GB. I struggled with a lot of foods post gb removal. I can't imagine not having my GB during my losing stage. I would have been miserable. It's a hiatal hernia repair, and it is not the "norm". I didn't have one, and I had a band as well. Hiatal hernias often go undiagnosed until surgery, and they are repaired simultaneously as the sleeve surgery. These particular hernias can cause reflux, and repairing them can prolong recovery. The esophagus sometimes has spasms for several weeks to months post repair. It's not related to the sleeve at all. I researched so much that really I had zero surprises. I was a revision, and I walked in knowing my risks, complications, and that recovery would probably be extended. Of course, no amount of research prepared me for my specific complications, extensive recovery, but for the actual sleeve life I was well equipped for the ins and outs of surgery, and life post sleeve. I completely agree with buying samples of Protein, don't get hung up on a flavor because more than likely your tastes will change post-op. Don't buy any tubs, or large quantities of protein mixes/shakes until a couple of weeks post-op. If you do, more than likely, you'll end up with them being dust collectors. I bought only samples, and found one that I loved. But, 2 weeks into drinking it(4 weeks post-op), I started puking. Lovely, lactose intolerance hit me, and hit me hard. All whey Proteins were out for me. The soy and veggie proteins were horrible tasting and textured. I gave the one tub I did purchase away to friend. I never experienced a true stall. I always lost weight, every week. Some weeks I only lost 1-2 pounds, but I never the 2 full weeks without weight loss. BUT, stalls happen, and I would say 98% of WLS patients experience them. Our bodies really can't lose a pound a day forever, and it has to adjust. Start instilling better habits NOW. I had the learning curve with the sleeve pretty much beat because of my band experience. I had already quit drinking with my meals, already ate small bites, and always set my eating utensil down in between bites to help me slow down on eating. If you start these little changes now, as a pre-op, you'll find the transition to eating with the sleeve much easier. Also, eat your protein first, take at least 20 minutes to eat your meals, stop bringing a beverage to the table with you when you eat. Learn to identify your trigger foods, and avoid them, or enjoy them in moderation. Go ahead and start sucking down Clear liquids on a daily basis. If you're not a Water drinker, you might want to learn to start liking water now. If you hate water, find something that you can add to it. Clear liquids are essential in your recovery. Also, try to prepare yourself mentally for all the changes. If you have food issues such as emotional and compulsive eating, tackle those demons now. Don't think the sleeve will resolve these issues alone. They operate on our stomachs not our brains, and conquering the mental aspect of WLS is 75% of the battle. Best wishes, and keep reading, researching, and preparing yourself emotionally, mentally, and physically.

It's a balancing game for sure. I had to add carbs to stop losing weight, and of course, the Carb Monster sets up housekeeping the minute you let him back in the door!! I agree, eating carbs makes you want more carbs. But if I don't eat carbs, I lose weight. At first it was hard to eat the 2000+ calories per day, but I've become accustomed to it now. But it's impossible without the carbs.

I seem to be way more hungry all the time post op then I was pre op. Every hour! I am not kidding or using hyperbole!! I eat every 3 hours " on purpose" and then a spoonful of cottage cheese, an ounce of chicken, an extra energy square or some other helpful food in between (try and limit to 50 calories). I have even been known to eat an extra low carb/fat Protein bar (200 calories!!). Arg!! I am getting tired of needing to eat so often mainly because it is so distracting and I worry a little about it. This has been going on since month 6 and am now month 9. Even though it seems like I never stop eating during the day, my weight stays about the same, maybe down a little bit. My weight is hovering 178-182. The hunger strikes the most between 11 and 3 pm for me. I normally eat at 12 pm and 3 pm as part of my plan, but oh how I want to eat more in between. I stopped tracking what I am eating in between planned meals so cannot tell you exactly how many calories are coming in. My planned meals are about 1200-1400 calories during the day. Always drinking Water too in order to keep well hydrated, especially for exercise. I eat mostly animal meats, leafy green veggies, Protein Bars and shakes. My supplements in terms of Vitamins and minerals are also complete. I eat good carbs and low to moderate fat. My protein is 150 g or more during the day. I do not think I am depriving myself of anything that is needed from a nutritional standpoint. I am not eating or drinking junk food or soda. I do have splenda and caffeine in my coffee. Anyone else want to rant about this??? Can someone just come snip my Vagus nerve right now to take this hunger from me?

Thank you both! I have a question...if I used my ER records from 2011and 2012 that state my weight (I didn't see a reg doctor between summer of 2009-nov 2012) do you think they would accept that for the 2 yr medical history???

I also gained about 8 lbs. But, I haven't heard from Cigna yet. Submitted 5 days ago. Thanks SIJoe! I think you made us both feel better. RedStorm, hope you've gotten your approval. Good luck!

Forget CIGNA...we elected to have surgery because we cannot control our weight...so until we actually have the surgery, and for those with the lap band..get it adjusted, how are we going to control our weight? has anything changed? I gained weight after surgery, after my first fill....it took me a few fills untill the band actually started to do anything....

Did anyone who has Cigna gain weight while they were seeing the nutritionist and waiting for incurance approval? I had my first nutrition apt at the beginning of November and my last one will be in February and my weight has fluctuated the entire time (up and down). My BMI is 43 and my coordinator or counselor has not said anything to me about the weight gain and if this would be a factor in my insurance approval. I look up Cigna's policy and I don't see where it says anything about this. Anyone else have this situation and can let me know what their outcome was? Thanks!!!