BetsyB

The current recommendation for added sugar is that it make up no more than 6-10 percent of your daily calories. So for a 1000-calorie diet, no more than 100 calories should come from added sugar. (As reference, a teaspoon of sugar has 16 calories.) To me, this seems like a lot of added sugar, at least on a routine basis. We have such limited stomach space these days, so using 10 percent of that space on foods that offer the body nothing nutritive seems wasteful---at least on a routine basis. (I am all for occasional treats.) Also, keep in mind your doctor's recommendations. Mine's a low-carb guy, and added sugar is a no-no. Yours may be completely different. If your doctor is okay with it, and you don't have any blood sugar issues, then sticking with the recommendation is probably okay. If you hit the wall in terms of weight loss, you can always re-evaluate and tweak.

I'm with Bob--just how, exactly, are you cheating? You're cheating death. Presumably, people who love you want to have you around, long-term. You should be very proud of your success. You've done a tremendous job! I haven't gotten much of the "easy way out" from anyone--people see how hard I work to lose, even with the band. And they want me to succeed, to be happy & healthy. But then, I am not leaving anyone who's obese in the dust---if I were, I can imagine some resentment and jealousy. Heck, I can imagine being the one feeling left behind and resentful. In your shoes, I think I'd focus on what you need to do for your own health and well-being--and respond to anyone who suggests that you're taking the "easy way out" with something like, "Really, banding just gave me a way out. It doesn't much matter to me if it's easier or harder--it represented the way out for me. If you ever decide to explore surgery, I'll be happy to talk about it or even attend a seminar with you, but I'm no longer willing to debate its merits with you."

It's really normal to stall after a significant loss like yours. The tricky part is convincing yourself that, despite the uncooperative scale, your body really IS changing---and that you need to stay on the wagon and tough it out until the scale starts cooperating again. To help you through the next plateau, you might want to start taking body measurements, if you're not already doing so. That way, when you hit a spot where things don't seem to be happening for you, you can measure again, and have concrete evidence of your progress. You might also want to phase out the off-the-wagon episodes. They aren't helping you achieve your goal; they're just reinforcing old messages in your head. You know, the "I always lose--then regain," or, "See? No matter what I do, the scale doesn't budge!" messages. But those messages are no longer true. If you do what you need to do to support loss, you will lose. You likely will encounter stalls and rough patches---but you will get through them, and you will lose.

I get checked out a lot more when I'm out walking, now--a lot more. There was a time when I really would have been uncomfortable about this--really, the invisibility to men that fat created was useful when I was fat. It's no longer useful to me; I've moved past that, and am reclaiming who I was meant to be. And I really like it. That said, I've always been a good faker, and even when I've felt miserable about myself, I have presented a confident front when out and about---so I've always struck up conversations and been someone people like to be around. I haven't noticed any real changes in relationship with female friends, other than that they ask lots of nutrition questions.

I'm not an oldster, but wanted to recommend fitday.com to you for journaling--it has helped me identify when things need tweaking, as well as what to tweak, when necessary. (I have good restriction and losing well, and can drink Fluid very freely--a coffee wouldn't slow me down at all. I know you like things good and tight; I just wanted to offer the perspective of someone who's taken it a bit more relaxed---in terms of fill, not in terms of food choices--and done really well.)

I use mine because I only see my surgeon every six weeks or so--and that will drop down in frequency very soon. My scale is really consistent--it always weighs me exactly a pound less than my doctor's does. (And that is the weight of the clothes I wear for weigh-ins at his office. Yes, I am ridiculously superstitious; I wear the same clothes for each weigh-in.)

No matter what route you choose, the behaviors have to change. That's it, period. Until you accept that, you will struggle with your weight. (And if you're as frank with the surgeon you choose as you've been here, I think it very unlikely you will be taken on as a patient. You may one day be ready, but you are not now.)

I hope you get good news from the EGD--what you're experiencing sounds miserable (and expensive)!

My doctor's gastric bypass rules are identical to the recommendations he makes for banded patients. (The only difference is how rapidly diet is advance postop; bypass patients introduce solids more slowly. That, and bypass patients are cautioned about possible postop lactose intolerance.) The malabsorption of nutrients related to bypass will work in your favor--temporarily. The body is pretty amazing in its efficiency, though; it "learns" to work with the alterations in anatomy, and corrects its response to malabsorption within a couple of years. That's why you see initial huge losses with bypass--followed by about the same result as banding 5 years down the road. Just as with banding, you can "eat around" a bypass. Yes, dumping syndrome can be a deterrent to some overeating--but it's not experienced by all (or even most) bypass patients. If you haven't been able to make the modifications required for banding, I'd think long and hard about having bypass. You will need to make the same modifications---and MORE. To avoid dumping, you will have to avoid a whole class of foods that I suspect you still are eating with your band. OTOH if the issue is that the band causes you physical discomfort that prevents you from eating properly, that may be a different story--as long as you keep in mind that you might be experiencing a whole different world of discomfort if you are noncompliant with bypass.

Well, you didn't really gain 3 pounds overnight--that sort of gain is related to Fluid retention. However, you really need to get a grip on the eating. It's natural to resist big changes--but you've gone to pretty drastic lengths in the name of losing weight, so it's imperative that you do make those changes. It sounds like your mind is playing games with you---and that you're playing along by not sticking to the preop diet and testing the limits of the postop diet. These are NOT things that support weight loss. You need to make the decision to to what you need to do to lose weight. That means choosing the right foods, in the right amounts. It means NOT pushing the limits. It may very well mean being hungry---which is not pleasant, but if you remind yourself that this is the LAST time you will be hungry in the name of weight loss, it is liveable. Your body has enough reserve that you are not going to starve to death if you follow your doctor's instructions. No one has yet died from hunger during the time it takes to achieve restriction. So you simply have to make the decision to do what you need to do to lose the weight. And not just so that you get those 5 pounds off so that you can get a fill---but because it's what your body needs. You're in control--but you have to exercise that control. ETA: if you go to another doctor to "speed up the process," yo may well find your aftercare with your surgeon compromised. Mine would be VERY unhappy if I were to do this; I suspect he would discharge me from his care.

Have you finished taking it? The effects should taper off pretty quickly---within a week (probably far less), you should be feeling lots better. You might find, though, that the carb monster has been triggered---and that it's tough to turn back from it. If so, eating carefully for a few days will remind your body of what it needs

I don't--my doctor okays it after 6 months, but I decaffeinated myself before surgery, and have felt really good, so I didn't start back up with it. I do occasionally have caffeinated tea, but not often. You mentioned that you were worried about being able to get fluids in when you have restriction. I have good restriction now, and can still drink very freely. Not tiny sips, but drinking. Clear liquids move through the stoma rapidly. Immediately after a fill, I have to stop after every few ounces and wait a minute or so if I want to drink more. But most of the time, I can very freely drink.

You can take the guesswork and suspense out of waiting by reading your policy; it will spell out, very precisely, the conditions you have to meet. Mine specifies that for BMI 35-40, 2 comorbidities are required in order for banding to be covered. For BMI > 40, no comorbidities are necessary. At my first preop visit, I was just at 40; this is the number that was used for approval. However, by the time I hit the OR, I was lower than 40.

Steroids are notorious for causing carbohydrate craving--and they skew carbohydrate metabolism, which can really make your blood sugar swing wildly. The best way to combat it by upping your Protein, sticking to carbohydrates that come from veggies, legumes, and WHOLE grains (and I'd skip the grains, to tell you the truth), and really being careful about sodium. Your satiety will be increased if you aim for a good balance of protein, "good" carb, and heart-healthy fat at each meal. This will help with the blood sugar swings and also, if you are generally well-fed, leave less room for binge-y stuff. Be aware that the steroids may well affect Fluid balance--don't be surprised if you see a gain. The meds are short-term, so you won't see the fat gain that can occur with long-term use---but you may well retain fluid.

I would go ahead and get the fill. For me, portion size is never really affected by fills; rather, the duration of satisfaction is changed. If you're getting hungry quickly, your pouch is emptying too rapidly. A fill will address that. The size of your pouch will remain the same--so if you're not eating sliders (which would go through a bit more slowly with more restriction), then you should not notice much of a difference in capacity.

For me, that sensation means I've eaten too much.

If you can't drink water, you need to make the trip back to your doctor. Sooner, rather than later.

I don't do the fake foods, in general. I do use artificial sweeteners, but things like oils, butters, cheeses--I use the real deal. It's not like I can get all that much of them into me these days. I'd rather have a tiny amount of a good-quality food than a larger amount of crapola food.

You've had a really rough time--I hope things improve for you fast. I know they seem enormous--and they have been really bad for you---but early postop complications like the ones you've described are relatively minor (not in terms of inconvenience to you, but in terms of safety and threat to your health), and once cleared up, are usually followed by smooth sailing. I hope that for you, this is the case. That said, "only 35 pounds" since July? You don't really think that that is a small loss, do you? If so, it's time to readjust expectations; your loss is really good!

Well, a fill is a great first step! You've done tremendously well with only 2 fills---100 pounds down is pretty darn amazing. With a fill, you will find it easier to get the ball rolling again. Sometimes, you just need a break to adjust to huge changes in your body. You've had that time, and now you're ready to move down some more. What kind of food plan does your doctor recommend? What are you eating now? What are you willing to change, and what are you unwilling to change? What kinds of exercise are you willing to commit to doing regularly? You can do it--you just have to make some decisions

I do have a bodybugg and highly recommend it. However, for a long time I relied on a good Omron pedometer and Fitday.com. (I still use Fitday for journaling; I plug my totals for the day into the bodybugg site.) Fitday is pretty darn accurate in terms of calorie burn from activities. Where I find the bodybugg to be more helpful is with the calories burned just from activities of daily living--it helps me keep an eye on how my loss affects my metabolism, overall. Not something critical to know, but useful to me.

I have had fibromyalgia through thick and thin---literally. I am not sure whether it's the weight loss itself that has given me (huge!) relief, or the way I now eat. I suspect the latter, because as I mentioned, the diagnosis predates my obesity, and even when thin (but eating differently than I now do), I was more symptomatic than I am now.

No, I would postpone.

I had a hard time finding liquid adult acetaminophen, too--my pharmacist ordered it. I was told NO Advil (or other NSAIDs) at all, post-banding, so check with your doctor about that before taking it.

Insurance only provides the coverage an employer purchases; if you want to have the coverage, making a case with the insurance company is futile. The place to start is with the benefits person at your (or your spouse's) place of employment. You can make a pretty strong case in favor of purchasing coverage for bariatric surgery when you identify the costs related to obesity (and health care related to obesity) for the employer. Every insurance provider has a whole spectrum of different coverages---and employers choose which to purchase, largely based on cost. If their employees demand other coverages, however, they may opt to include them when they renew policies.