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Oh noooo!!! I will NOT let you do that to yourself!!! Girlie, turn that frown Upside DOWN!! You have accomplished so much, and the only feeling you should have is to feel elation! That said, I totally get what you're saying about the whole graze eating. Hey, no ones perfect - least of all me. But, here's what sets all of us apart from the obese world... we have chosen to DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! food is addicting. I'm addicted to food. I have to remind myself of this every single morning when I wake up. I literally have to let the first thought in my mind be "I will not eat bad today". That is the promise I make for myself that day. Sometimes I break that promise, but I don't do it on purpose! I just have to forgive myself and make that next meal a good one. I really have never been able to do the 5 day pouch test. The only time I'm ever able to stick to liquids only is when I'm getting cut open and my surgeon threatens my life with it... LOL So what I do is kinda turn it into a game. I've always liked the Slim Fast diet - for years! That was how I lost my first 50 Lbs and kept it off. Well what I'll do is Protein dense (Isopure or unjury chicken Soup) Clear Liquids up until dinner time. Then for dinner I'll have lean protein and some delicious green veggie as my side dish. Then day 2-3 I'll do the Atkins shakes and again, lean protein and green veggies for dinner. Days 4 and 5 I pretty much reintroduce solids back in during the day and maybe substitute one meal with a Protein shake, and dinner being lean (say it with me folks!! LOL) protein and green veggies. I know that's not for everyone but I'm just offering an alternative to the common 5 day pouch test. Here's the ONE thing I believe gets me through it though... I fire up that food logger and make sure I'm adding everything! Those two things combined and I'm always back on track and losing weight again. Good luck to you! You're only a few pounds away from your desired goal... you WILL be there PDQ I know it!! Xoxo

Hi! I had the surgery on March 27th. I would have done the exact same thing over again! For me, there have been small bumps in the road but I would do it again. The weight loss hasn't been instant but I appreciate it more that way. It has allowed me to learn and "reprogram" my brain to better choices. You have to be prepared to do the work and I'm so glad to see that you are on the message boards getting other people's opinions, its important to know as much as you can before your surgery. Use this board as a resource for many different things. My best advice - stay in the know, keep learning and don't set unrealistic expectations. Like anything else, this takes time and will require you to relearn about yourself, but its all worth it.. Good luck and keep your head up!

Yes - number one is to check with your own medical team, and not anybody else's. Philosophies and rationales vary all over the map with different surgical programs depending upon their own background and experiences. With my doc, it is no alcohol at all as long as we are losing weight - it's a liver health issue (our livers are usually in poor shape to start with from our obesity, and are further taxed with their job in metabolizing the fat that we are losing and they don't need the extra load of metabolizing the alcohol.) Overall, this is one of the many "when can I..." (drink, eat pizza, Cookies, cake, lattes, etc. etc. etc.) that we see where the first question should be "why is it that important to me?" and how does that desire relate to the condition that has got you into WLS? Can you enjoy a birthday without drinking or cake once? Do you need to have pizza with your kid's little league team after the game (instead of something more WLS friendly)? That's not to say the we can never drink or have cake or pizza, but it these things are no longer all that important to us, then we are much better able to tolerate them when they may be appropriate due to various social situations and not be as vulnerable to their addictive qualities.

[quote name="Lisa ]Here's the thing...Diets don't work!! If they did' date=' everyone would be losing weight and KEPPING it off with them!! The only way to achieve success in weight loss is with a change in lifestyle....which is why most of us had surgery in the first place. The thing with diets is that they create a deficit. But it's like borrowing money from a bank...you can't expect to go into "debt" and not pay it all back plus interest!! That's the way diets work....you go into calorie "debt" and then, one day, you have to pay the debt back with "interest"!!! This is the reason that most people lose weight on diets and then when they go back to eating the way they did before, they gain it all back plus a little more. This is also what drives our "set point" up too...which is the weight your body wants to naturally be at. Immediately after surgery we are forced to "diet", if you will...but long term, I don't believe that long term weight loss can be PERMANENTLY achieved through severe calorie restriction. Our bodies need fuel (aka: food in the form of Protein, carbs and fat) to run efficiently. I was in a 5 month plateau (from Nov-March) and, for me, it was about taking an honest look at my eating behavior. I wasn't tracking and my nutrition was off balance. Now that I'm back to tracking my food and eating a balance of protein, fat AND carbs, my weight loss has picked back up again![/quote'] I'm new, 3 weeks post opt, but this is great information to know!

chimboree is right, MANY of the reps at the insurance company don't know what they're talking about! I ask my husbands benefits rep in HR if WLS was covered, she said "Yes, when medically necessary". So, I called the insurance company and asked if the surgeon I wanted was in their network, they said "he is, but we don't cover any weight loss treatment". I said, "look again, because I have it in writing from the HR benefits department that it IS covered!" She put me on hold, and came back and apologized because it IS covered. So, I'd contact your HR department and ask the benefits rep there, he/she will know if its an exclusion or inclusion in your policy. Keep your chin up! It's a lot of leg work, but anything worth having is worth working for.

:help: well I had another fill on last wensday.:girl_hug: Im at a stand still. :Banane52: :Banane41: Its hard.Ive gone back to baby food in a jar:banana , and alot of water.:ballchain: But its not taking off the weight.:nono: Someday I hoper to loose the rest I just want to get under 199lbs...:frusty: .lol Ive never seen that.:funscale: My goal weight is to be about 155. Not to much. :lost1lbs: I already lost anout 40lbs, :jaw: it dont seam like much but I feel bones that I never knew I had... lol :kiss2: :kiss2: :kiss2: Well thats it, you all have good holidays and eat thin...:decision: Merry Christmas...:rose: :rose: :rose: Deb

Yes I would say you are too tight. You don't want to only be able to eat slider foods as they will make you put on weight and start off a vicious cycle(you will think you need to be tighter etc) The band is designed to work with real foods such as solid Protein. If you can't eat these then you are probably too tight. Don't be scared of going back to get a small amount of fill out. Often just the tiniest amount is required and you will be amazed at how much better you will feel.

Wendy, Hi. I had a very serious health scare so I had a lot of motivation to make this work. I had a stroke at 39 that doctors could not say with an absolute certainty was caused by my weight but they also would not rule it out. I live in southern NH and chose Lahey becaue it's a great hospital and they do not have a "Program Fee" (additional fee charged on top of insurance). As to weight loss even presurgery I was on a pretty strick eating and exercise regiment. Through the therapy sessions I learned what my triggers were for mindless eating. I cut out all crackers, chips, Cereal, etc even reduced or fat free. In the 7.5 months from consult to surgery I ate a pretty low carb/fat diet; and did an hour of Water based cardio seven days a week. I highly recommend water based exercise, as it is so much better on the joints of the overweight. Water proof MP3 player is a must for lap swimming. I also use a snorkle which allows me to swim longer.

My insurance (BCBS) required me to loose 5% of my weight before the dr.'s office could send my papers in for approval. I did the "liquid pre-op diet" to loose my required weight. I figured it was a good way to get used to the diet I was gonna have to do later on.

OK, so my husband has jumped through all the hoops and has received approval for the sleeve. His date is May 2! Yay for him! Now, I was just submitted yesterday for a band-to-sleeve revision. I am praying I am approved too. Assuming I AM approved and the doctor's office doesn't drop any more last minute surprises at me (that's another story!), do you think our surgeries spaced out 2-3 weeks apart is a good amount of time? Will hubby feel up to taking care of me by then? Time is of the essence right now. My daughter is getting married in August and I have to buy a dress and travel out of state! I need to start losing weight ASAP lol!

I'm doing gastric bypass....because of the amount of weight I have to lose and my comorbidities: pre-diabetic, high blood pressure, sleep-apnea. I just feel like I need the malabsorption to get where I need to go. That's my personal choice and my surgeon agrees with me.

So i'm holding my breath and waiting to be able to "relax" because I am so nervous to make this deadline I have set. I need to get this surgury done by the week before Christmas because of school... If I can't get it done then, I will have to wait till summer. (I have completed all the requirments and I am now waiting for the surgeons office to do their part and also waiting for the insurence co. to authorize it...) I know this sounds foolish and that others have to wait so much longer, but I just really want this surgury. I am starting to really feel the affects of my weight. Until lately I have been able to live a pretty normal life even with my excess weight. But lately I have been feeling the strain it is having on my body. This scares the shit out of me!!! I don't want to be this way any longer! I know it needs to come from me and only I can change things and that the band is not the complete solution. But I also know that it will be a helpful tool for me to control myself and what I eat along with how I already try to do that now. Anyways, if you are reading this I ask that you please pray for me and others in this frustrating pradicament. Thanks and Thank God for this website!

Hi Where do you want to be in 1 year from now? When I had weight loss surgery, I had no idea how long it was going to take me to lose weight; I was older than most of you and everyone l drops their weight at different speeds. Most all of us ladies know that men lose much faster than we do. For me it took me about 14 months to lose 105 pounds. I was thrilled it only took me that long. I know when I started this journey like the rest of you I wanted it to just melt off of me. As first it felt like it was, but I knew that would slow down and it did. What I want you to do it take it in small steps. Set you goals by weeks or by a month, and DO NOT put yourself down if you don’t reach that goal. Remember we are all individuals. I had a walking buddy and she was good to keep me motivated and when she was down I did the same for her. She had sleeve surgery with Dr. Aceves about 6 months after I had mine. I was honored when she asked me to go with her for her surgery. Mix things up, become creative with your food ideas. I actually have become a much better cook now that I am healthy and at my goal weight, but that didn’t happen overnight. I started searching out recipes that I could incorporate in my lifestyle and something that taste great and that my husband and I both would eat. Find the Protein that you like and find 50 different ways to cook with it and watch your carbs. chicken happens to be a protein that I use the most. Those sneaky carbs have a way of messing up your weight loss. If you are eating carbs make them WHOLE GRAIN carbs, not whole wheat—the key word is Whole Grain. Summer is coming along find some great salads and put your protein in along with a little fresh fruit—like strawberries and then make the salad your entire meal. Watch the dressing that you are using. I learned to NOT put the dressing on my salad, but dip my forks into the dressing and with every bite I always get dressing. :angel: So look at the calendar and put a goal in your mind where you would like to be one year from today. Some will be there and some will not. Don’t overwhelm yourself with too big of a goal. :thumbs_up: I also used to like to look at catalog or magazines that had beautiful clothes that I wanted to be able to buy when I reached my goal. Looking at these beautiful clothes kept me from eating too. Do what works best for you. I will admit I have bought a lot of new clothes once I reached my goal.:wink_smile: If you haven’t picked your doctor yet I would like to tell you the Dr. Aceves is the very best that you can have for your surgery. If you have any questions about him, I am more than happy to answer anything you would like to know. I wanted the best I could have and after a lot of research and talking to people on these boards, I knew he was the one.:attention: I wish you great success, remember do this one day at a time. If you had a bad day the good news is that day ends and you can start all over the next day. Hugs,:cheer2: Suzanne Sleeved 10/210/2008

Yup, Crystal Light (or the generic equivalent) has a decaffeinated, sugar-free iced tea. I think it's too sweet, so I water it down a lot. It's supposed to make 2 quarts, so I make it in a 3-quart jug and it's perfect. Halfway between tea and water. Very refreshing! As for caffeine, I'm drinking more coffee now than I ever have. Probably because I'm cold all the time, and sometimes need the energy boost. Another source of energy while losing weight is Vitamin B-12. Many people take the sublingual variety, but I find that makes me jittery. I take a time-release B-12 every day, and it really helps!

I think the idea of the pre-op diet is to get your liver in shape for the surgery. I don't think weight loss is the real goal. It seems that the diets are very low carb, low sugar, and high Protein. Unless your surgeon specifically said you needed to lose a certain amount of weight before surgery, you're probably fine. If you're still worried, maybe you could call the doc's office. I also have worried about the liver-shrinking thing. My doc only requires a 3 day pre-op diet but I'm doing 5 just to be sure. He said 3 was enough but if I wanted to do 5 it was okay. He never mentioned weight loss. Good luck on your journey. I hope your surgery goes well and that you have little or no pain. Take care, TPG

And just remember also that everyone's sleeve is a different size. If you are tall, or your stomach is just natually LONGER, then you may have a bigger stomach post-op than someone else. I agree with others - trying to eat chicken in a few weeks will be the true test. When I got to mushies, I couldn't eat but a few bites of eggs while the same size serving of refried black Beans went in fine. Don't get discouraged. The weight WILL come off! Your body just has to adjust to this new way of eating. Best of luck!

I wondered exactly the same thing. I am so glad that I watched the computer screen as I took the leak test. I think everyone should check out the size of their stomach that way. I had a very easy recovery and had absolutely no complications. Now at just 8 weeks out I can eat anything I want. All of the "cautions" they gave us at the pre-op have not caused me any problems at all. This sounds crazy but I seem to lose more weight when I eat a little more than when I don't eat much. Obviously, I certainly don't eat what I used to eat but I am satisfied with much less.

So were you still able to have your surgery?Hi ....I'm scheduled for June 4 for my sx and I have sleep apnea...I remember in college that I was a size 7 but had serious problems with being really tired in the afternoon...thought I was just tired because I was so busy ... Now I'm dealing with weight and my pcp sent me for a sleep study. Omg after I got used to using my machine, I realized what "normal" people feel like after a good nite of sleep. Made all the difference in the world. I now know I've had apnea even when I was thin. I see that u got a cpap when u got the lap band...did u stop using it?

I suffer from a very heart burn. Loose the weight faster. Dislocated knee. Fear of a “stretching your stomach” some say it’s impossible but hey is my fear. I felt like there would be a change in a my taste buds as some people have mentioned more with the bypass so yes since I’m a quick eater I need this restrictions that this offer . And most of all time is limited.. I can’t wait. “There will be obstacles. There will be doubters. There will be mistakes. But with hard work, there are no limits.” —Michael Phelps

For me it was wanting to lose weight a little faster than the sleeve. I know I'll have to watch the excess skin and try to tone myself as I go on, but I'm ready to do this after 20 years of ups and downs. The doctor said I could go either way, but I made a good choice at the same time. Did you choose or was one recommended over the other?

Hi JL, Mornings are tricky, because all of us are tight. Try drinking something that is warm and maybe that will help loosen up your esophagus. If you are still experiencing problems in the morning, contact your surgeon and let him/her know what you are experiencing. Congratulations on your weight loss, you are doing awesome!!

The band can loosen up, especially if you are losing weight. Think of it like a "BELT" the more weight you lose the more holes on your belt you have to adjust. The same holds true for the band.

Lol. Although it does happen, folks rarely lose too much weight. Your body will know when it's at the weight it wants to be at. At that point, your weight will stabilize and losing more becomes notably more difficult. Your mind is not always as reliable but I believe it pays to listen to your body.

I weigh myself every morning. Cm four weeks out and dealing with PMS-no weight gain but no loss either. Also dealing with constipation. I adjust my diet as necessary. More fluids etc and increase my exercise As needed Guess I will be a scale junkie.

I too am a scale junkie. BUT post-op, I made a deal with myself. ONLY the 1st weigh in of the day would count as my official weight for the day. There are too many other things that can influence my weight later in the day. I really try not to take it too seriously and remind myself that as long as my weight is headed down over time, then I'm on track. During the 1st few months post-op, the weight was dropping so fast that I would weight myself when I first got up, then again after a poop, then after I pee, and then again after work or exercising. It was exciting! (I know, I have no life. ) Now, I'm satisfied weighing in the morning and again after work.