pinktulips

@telby that's awesome...I would say that as long as you are losing at a rate you're happy with & you're staying full then you may just be getting enough from the band w/no fill. I know of at least one person on here that has lost over 100 lbs without a fill.

I can feel my port if I push on it. But I'm a stomach sleeper & I don't notice it.

Your body might still be in recovery mode from the surgery. I'm a slow loser so I understand your frustration. I think that really keeping hydrated has started my weight loss again...oh & take your measurements vs just using the scale. If you're eating "right" & you're active, I bet you are losing inches & you don't even realize it.

I was banded in March 2011 & for me it was after the 2nd fill when I could start to really feel this thing giving restriction. You will know when it's right for you It might just take awhile then everything changes.

Sorry for checking in 1 day late. Checking in at 238.5, down .5. Good grief that is frustrating!

Checking in at 239.0...no change in weight. I wasn't able to get any extra activity in last week & I think that made a huge difference in the scale not moving. I've already been to the gym today & I expect to see a drop this week.

Name, real or screen~ Amy

Age~ 37

Weight on May1st~ 239

Goal Weight for May 29th~ 229

Exercise Goal for May~ Complete the 1st 4 weeks of the couch to 5K program

Dietary Goal for May~ Getting more Water in, having a hard time w/that since my fill.

Personal Goal for May~ Get my house organized

Date Banded~ 03/16/11

Total Weight Loss Since Banding~ 18lbs (10lbs pre-op) total:28lbs

I was told it is to help shrink your liver prior to surgery & makes the procedure easier for the doctor. I just figured that's part of the process & I'm a rule follower (haha) so I didn't question it. I was on full liquids 2 weeks pre-op but I see plenty of people who say they ate food up until the day before...everyone has a different experience.

So I guess in this case it's not considered a pre-existing condition that you already had coverage for ... i thought that as long as you were covered for it under another insurance & didn't lapse in coverage (went from one insurance directly to another) your coverage would be continued. Maybe it just depends on the new insurance...regardless this concerns me Edit * oh i see you are saying "individual" insurance but STILL we never know when our circumstances, jobs etc will change.

Checking in at 239...loss of 3lbs this week. Just missed my Spring Challenge weight loss goal by 1 lb. Oh well, still happy with 9lbs down for the challenge! Yippee! Happy Friday!

I did Opti-Fast (5 shakes per day w/nothing else) for 2 weeks prior to surgery & did not cheat. You can do it. For me, each day got easier & it was almost like a cleanse. I lost carb & sugar cravings & got used to drinking Water vs. sodas etc. Again, you can do it!!

Hi ~ I was approved by my insurance & didn't have any other health "issues" except a BMI of over 40. I had to do 6 month supervised diet, nutritional consult & mental health evaluation all before approval. Your insurance company or the insurance specialists at your surgeon's office will be able to tell you what all you need to do outside the 6 month diet. Good Luck!

Hi ~ I have UHC & started the process in late Dec 2010 & got approval in late Feb 2011, had surgery mid March. I had already completed the 6 month dr supervised diet prior to my 1st consult in Dec (I already knew of that requirement), had to do a psych eval & NUT consult before approval. I had no other health issues but my BMI was high enough to satisfy my insurance requirement. UHC didn't return my phone calls either however the insurance specialist at my doctor's office was really great & would call to check on status every week. She said in her experience, UHC was normally really quick to make a decision once all paperwork was submitted. UHC kept requesting the same paperwork from the doctor saying that they hadn't received something even though the doctor's office said they had turned it in. Anyway, overall I think UHC had some communication issues but I think I got approved fairly quickly.

Just keep calling Good Luck!!

This is so inspirational! Thanks for sharing ~ congrats on all your success!

Checking in at 242 ... 4lb loss this week! Really makes up for no weight loss last week! (cartwheels) :0)

@NJGirl32 - NSV stands for Non scale Victory...

Love this..great story!!

Thanks for the responses...I'm not going to worry about it.

Checking in at 246 ... 0 lbs lost this week. (drop kicking the scale across the bathroom!) Shaking it off, moving on & continuing to stay focused.

-Amy

**Update ** I called the doctor's office & they said that I should:

1) Keep the appt for the 4/26 (don't move it up or push it out).

2) Remind them when I come in that I'm going out of town.

3) They will only fill me a small amount. (I figured since it was my 1st fill)

4) Don't go crazy eating when I'm out of town. (I wasn't planning on that anyway!)

5) Come back in after I'm back in town.

We will see what happens!

Here is a link to an article on LiveStrong with the Pros/Cons: http://www.livestrong.com/article/309079-the-pros-cons-of-crystal-light-drink/

I know I've seen some posts about what flying sometimes does to your band, I believe it might make it tight? Of course I will call the doctor's office but I wanted to check here for personal experience. I'm supposed to have my 1st fill on 4/26 then I am going out of town on 4/30 for 3 days. I will be flying. Do you think I should push out my fill until my return? or see if I can move it to next week? Next week will only make me 5 wks post op so they probably won't do it. Just curious as to anyone's experience!

Thanks!

Amy checking in down 2 hard fought lbs...246

These are great NSV's ... continued success to everyone!!

Most of my friends & family know...I've experienced both support & judgment but at the end of the day with EVERYTHING in life not just WLS...people shouldn't judge others since they haven't walked in their shoes. Unfortunately, people just can't help themselves...you do what is best for you!

Good Luck!