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I’m ten pounds from where I’d like to be but overall have had a good year. My constant issue is snacking junk but I do have my positive habits (exercise, water, protein) intact. How you doing?

I'm cash pay also, surgery scheduled for 8/26. I've also struggled with my decision to spend so much money on myself, but honestly, how much have we spent through the years on Weight Watchers, this diet plan, that diet plan, a nutritionist, gym memberships, diet bet...for me, the list goes on and on... (I even once signed up for 6 months of a service where I got blood glucose monitors for $200 a month, thinking if I could just see what my blood sugar was doing I could lose weight). And if we don't get the surgery, how much will we spend on health issues related to obesity? You're worth it. Don't feel guilty. Sent from my SM-N976V using BariatricPal mobile app

I'm so excited and just have to share the news that insurance has approved surgery! I have been going through all of the motions since January and am so excited! A little about me: I'm 46, mother of two kids (10 & 7), and I teach 6th grade. I had medullary thryoid cancer and my thyroid was removed in 2008. Even though my thyroid hormone levels are within range, weight has been a problem ever since the removal of my thyroid. Have I mentioned that I am SO EXCITED?!?

I knew surgery was the only choice for me when my younger sister gave birth to her second daughter in February 2019. I was 389 pounds and my health had only been declining as the years passed. When I first held my niece I was hit with the realization that if I didn't do something then I wouldn't be around to watch her grow up. It broke my heart. I was only 31 at the time (I just turned 34 last month) and I was absolutely sure that I'd be dead before I turned 40 if things didn't change. I'd done numerous diets over the years and nothing worked so surgery was really the only option for me if I wanted to be around to watch her grow up as I'd been able to watch her sister grow up. It's one of the best decisions that I ever made for myself. And, since I made that choice, and made that change, my sister has given me my first nephew and my brother gave me another niece. I get to watch all three of my nieces (ages 12, 2, and 17 months) and my nephew (age 9 months) grow up without having to worry that I'm not going to be around for them. My family has always been my strength and has always helped pull me through the worst times of my life and the idea of not being around to watch the youngest family members grow up into these amazing and complex little people were what pushed me into making the choice for surgery. I'm grateful every day that I made that choice.

I had no problems at all with seasonings and like future skydiver (love the name I’ve always wanted to do it and now I’m not afraid of snapping the harness) said, it helped keep me on the mushies longer. For me, nothing felt any worse than pre op spicy wise, if I could handle it before it was the same after.

I used seasonings without any issue. Some people can’t do spicy early out like others said so keep that in mind.

My plan has refried beans and ground meat in the soft food stage. I also don't think eight bites total adds up to be a large amount (unless you're somehow managing to eat large bites currently). I guess I'm wondering why this is freaking you out? To me that is a good mix of fiber and protein.

I think many of us have had some regain in one form or another. For ALL of us, once the surgery stops working it's completely up to us. Post op 7 years next week, when I was losing I thought I was invincible and had no fear of regain. But I lost a parent, changed jobs, changed jobs again, went to night shift, went to grad school, dealt with all kinds of things, and the 'eat all things in small amounts' went out the window. I had to fully commit to a very specific PERMANENT very low carb lifestyle. I lost all my regain and more, but I have eaten only a ketogenic level lifestyle for the last 6 years. I am not one of those patients who loses their weight and can resume eating all things just in tiny amounts. I have to work at staying very low carb, no sugar, almost no fruit, no starchy veg, no bread/rice/pasta/oats/grains etc. I basically eat meat, green veg, eggs, cream/butter, and a high protein shake with water or almond milk daily. it's a tight regimen but it works for me. Remember your WHY. find it and recommit. you totally got this!

Nervous 😩… hope my surgeon don’t take too much stomach..😩

I had the lapband procedure done in 11/16/08. Prior to having the surgery, I spent months reviewing every doctor. When I met with the doctor, he told me there were minimal risks and he himself had the band done over 10 years before with no problems. Almost immediately after the surgery, I started having problems. Within a few short months, I began passing out anytime I would stand up. My husband took me back to my doctor and he said there was no way it's the band and sent me home. A few months went by and I became sicker and sicker. I went months and couldn’t even keep down water. During an office visit with the surgeon, I passed out in his office. He still insisted it wasn’t the band. I complained multiple times about having very bad pain on my right side over the last few months. I was constantly told I must have the flu. He still proclaimed it wasn't the lapbands fault. After a few months of me not getting better and having to crawl even to the bathroom in order to avoid passing out, my husband forced me to go to the ER. They admitted me with a blood pressure of 80/60. The ER doctor told my husband if he hadn't brought me in when he did I would’ve died with another 18-24 hours. The only er doctor did a scan on my right side and said I needed emergency gall bladder surgery. I was told this was very common in patients with lapbands. I repeatedly told the ER doc that the lap band doctor kept saying there wasn't anything wrong with the band. I spent 10 days in the hospital just to get well enough for them to even do the gallbladder surgery. After the surgery, I started to get a little better for about a week or so. My husband convinced me to go see another lap band doctor since I was still having really bad stomach pains. The new doctor admitted me to his hospital to do an endoscopy. I was told the lapband has eroded so severely into my stomach that he was not comfortable removing the band himself. He gave me a picture of the band visible from the inside of my stomach. We were told this was extremely rare for someone who only had it less than two years for it to be this badly eroded. I feel my original doctor consistently defended the lapband to the point that he almost killed me. I now have a hole in my stomach and a separate hernia that was caused by him not wanting to admit the band was causing me so many health problems. I suffered during those 20 months so severely that I missed almost a full year of work. I think people should know this thing is not the way to go for weight loss surgery. It can kill you. I want people to know how bad these things are.