PrettyThick1

Oh dear, you are eating: 1) too fast 2) the wrong thing too soon. You shouldn't go anywhere near solid foods right now. If you just have to have it, then chew it and spit it back out without swallowing it. I'm afraid you are going to do some damage if you don't correct these behaviors right away. Which do you want the most: the food that go you where you are now or a healthy weight and beautiful baby? The choice is yours. It would be ashame for you to go through this whole process and not do your part. We are here to support you, but we will also get on your case when you need it and right now - you need someone to get on your case. Snap out of it, do what you have to do to follow doctor's orders and think about the big prize at the end of all of this - having a beautiful, healthy baby who will be proud to look up to you some day. How bad do you want solid foods now? I hope not at all!

Call and request a tiny bit more, that will do the trick. I had to do that and my doctor didn't have a problem with doing it a week after my first fill.

You don't have to wait until your next scheduled fill...call them and let them know you need a bit more. My doctor had no problem giving me an additional .5cc's to top off what I had gotten and it did the trick!

Just tough it out, you don't have long to go. Once you are banded, most if not all of that is going to go away. I was obsessed with food before I was banded, now it's the last thing on my mind. Most of the time I only eat because I know I have to, not because I want to. Infact there are times when the sight and smell of food are overwhelming so I avoid eating because it's a sure sign that I'll feel sick and PB whatever I do try to eat. Being a former food addict, during my preop diet I would chew whatever I wanted to eat and spit it back out until I got tired of doing it. Then I would fill up on Water and a Protein shake - please keep in mind that these are tactics used by people with bulimia and other eating disorders - but you have one anyway in that you love food. This will at least get you over the hump and you won't need to do it again once you get the band.

WHAT AN EFFIN JERK! You are losing weight at the rate YOUR body is allowing you to. FInd another PCP! This could be his twisted way of motivating you, but it's the wrong way and his bedside manner SUCKS! Do not be discouraged, stay on this road and keep in mind that as long as the scale is going down you are headed in the right direction. See, you're nicer than I am because I'm one of those people who LOVES to write letters - either to compliment or condemn and I would have a letter in the mail to the medical review board and my insurance company so fast his head would spin. What you can do in the interim is find out which doctor's referral services he is subscribed to and I'd write a review warning others of his horrible way of talking to you. Hugs.

Thanks for you input everyone! I decided against drinking a soda last night and I don't think I'll even try it for at least another couple of years, I'm fine with tea and will continue to drink that. I tried drinking alcohol, but have completely lost the taste for it - I only had a couple of sips of one two weeks ago and wasted my money, not a bad thing...I wasn't much of a drinker anyway, but when I was I was the life of the party and people miss that. So do I, but it's okay...I'm still good company, just not the happy drunk everybody grew to know, love and look forward to. LOL

You have had one heck of a run before hitting your first plateau...I can't advise you, but many others here can. I'm only posting because I wanted to say BRAVO!!!

I thought once banded, carbonated drinks were out of the question but I just read a post where someone's doctor said every now and then it was okay? You mean I CAN have an icy cold coca cola every now and then? Please hurry and answer, I'd love to have one tonight!

Agree. I don't know what it is, but every body is different. I'm averaging about 6lbs a week, which is great. I wonder what I'd lose if I didn't cheat...

Your face looks great Missy...your body will match it soon!!!

I have BCBS TX, not sure what differences there may be but BCBS is about the best you can have for bariatric coverage. Call your weight loss center and give them your information, they can tell you for sure. You can also go to the insurance section of this forum, there is a good chance someone has that company and might be able to give you valuable information on how they performed in the process.

Not to be a bad influence, but when I felt like giving in I would just chew whatever I wanted to eat and spit it out without swallowing. Do that and follow it up with a protein shake and water and you'll be fine.

Lisa - I know what you mean about your friends faces! I know someone who has gotten the sleeve and she lost the weight, but her face has aged 15 years over the last 12 months because of the wrinkly skin!!! I am so happy my face isn't doing that, I'm just the opposite - I've rolled back the clock at least 5 years so far. I love it!

Well, I'm happy about my progress and I have gotten to the point that I can't put off shopping for new clothes anymore. I look like a little girl playing dress up in her mommy's clothes and I don't like it - very sloppy and unkempt, not me! It sucks that this came about during back-to-school and I have to invest so much in my daughter's clothing and supplies. Sigh. Can this be considered a down-side to down-sizing? LOL At least now I'll get to find out what size I really wear now! I wish there were thrift stores close to work...

There is no exact science to this, every band and every body is different - keep that in mind and try not to be discouraged. It seems you've hit a plateau before you really got off the ground and I'd hate to think you deprived yourself by going on the preop diet before you really needed to. Don't try to overdo it, your weight will start to come off soon. Remember less is more, so walking is very good for you now. Don't be discouraged, it's going to happen - you are not out of control by any means.

I'd find another doctor, seriously. It sounds like they are in it for the money and not necessarily what's best for you. The band is actually gaining in popularity for it's effectiveness and because it carries fewer complications than the other two procedures. I've lost a significant amount of weight in a short amount of time and I feel great. I have friends that have had the other procedures and they wish they had tried the band first. The sleeve is probably the most risky, if you want to know the truth, one of my friends nearly died from sleeve complications. Yes, she lost the weight very quickly but she (like others I know) have aged drastically as a result of the skin not being able to keep up with the loss. Her face is wrinkled - she didn't have wrinkles before the surgery. I am not exaggerating when I say she's aged 15 years in a single year. Meanwhile...the band has me looking like I just graduated from highschool again. Honestly.

Your current BMI is just over 36. You would qualify for the surgery if you have comorbids - diabetes, sleep apnea, high blood pressure. You would need to be 20lbs heavier = 205 for a BMI of 40. Gaining weight on purpose is not exactly honest, although I know people who have done that in order to qualify. I am not advocating fraud. I've done phentermine to lose weight and it worked for a while until my body became resistant to it - I didn't really like the way it made me feel either. A few months after quitting it, my weight started to increase gradually. I eventually put back on all of the 60lbs. I'd lost plus a few more. Good luck to you.

I am curious - I don't expect a lot of excess skin, but many of you are having skin removal and contouring surgeries and I wondered which if any insurers cover this after WLS. I know mine covers tummy tucks, but I might need an arm lift and a bit of skin removed from my back as well. Thanks for your input!

I can no longer tolerate alcohol. Not a bad thing, I wasn't much a drinker to begin with but I realize it's not for me anymore - period. I hope you feel better soon.

I told EVERYBODY! I wasn't ashamed and I got more support than I bargained for, but I truly felt loved and that was/is a comforting feeling. Now those people are my biggest cheerleaders. The only downside of telling others is that the day you have surgery, your phone will ring off the hook with people checking on you. So if you do spill the beans, make sure you have a single point of contact for others to call and see how you are doing. You will not want to talk very much for the first couple of days, all you will want to do is sleep and have peace and quiet.

LOL - so am I, that's why I called them! I know where you're coming from - I was a crazy woman, calling the doctor, insurance and surgeons office like everyday - I had to talk to SOMEBODY! Please know that time is going to FLY by, you'll be on the other side before you know it.

I'm so sorry that has happened to you. I noticed that they didn't charge me a copay when I got my first fill, so I asked and was told that my aftercare had already been billed to the insurance. Did you check to see if that might have happened for you?

I am a friendly person who often greets and gets greeted with hugs rather than handshakes. I noticed lately that peoples arms wrap all the way around me and back to the hugger. I feel so tiny when that happens.

I only get the gurgle if I drink too fast. I have 4.5cc's in a 10cc band, so I'm not very tight.

I have BCBS - TX and it took them a whopping 2 days to approve me. You'll find out faster if you call them rather than wait for your doctor to call you, they won't know until they get the letter in the mail. I would say call on Friday and they'll have your approval. You still can't do anything until the letter arrives, but at least you'll know.