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I'm glad to hear that!!!! All the meds I've been on (keep in mind I'm only 25 as of this coming sundday -- but i've been on and off a medley of prescriptions since i was 17 --) keep me from even thinking about getting close under the covers, yet alone actually wanting it. Poor hubby deals, but i know he gets miserable at times. So one of my secret hopes of this surgery is that losing the weight will make me want it more (preferably a lot more!!). Which in turn will make hubby happier!:clap2:

Well I made it through that. I have lost 17lbs and I was surprized. I hadn't weighed for two weeks prior. I had a 255 goal and weighed in at 254!!! I can feel a difference with 2cc's in my 4cc band. I can't wait to pull this weight off.... The local for this fill was a little painful but not bad. I didn't pay a cent at Hamilton Diagnostic. They filed insurance for me... Cyall:cool:

You've lost 60 lbs since last month and you're dissapointed? I took Celexa, Wellbutrin, and Abilify (the first 2 antidepressants and the 3rd an antipsychotic) for about 18 mths following my surgery. No problems with weight loss at all. My psych tapered me off everything but the Celexa (and I've gone down in that by 1/2) in the past 18 mths and I'm terrific! Now, if I try to go off of the Celexa, I feel it, but that's no biggy to be on a microdose of antidepressants. I think once you start losing the weight, your brain chemicals and your life will get better, hence the tapering of my meds. So, no, I don't think any psych meds will hinder your ability to lose weight. It might make it a little slower, but you can still do it! Good luck! Marci

I'm on a little bit of Seroquel to sleep and am trying to get off of it bc it affects cravings and weight. I heard that the worst psych med for WLS is Zyprexa. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

i started therapy about 3 months ago and i want to continue until i think i got it.... i am only 2 wks post-op so the living with the lapband part is still new and i am not sure what issues will be coming up. the one thing my therapist is focusing on right now is helping me make better decisions on who i am friends with... i have a few friends that are "toxic" and an ex-husband too that is "toxic". these people bring absolutely nothing positive into my life and they are the hardest for me to let go. she is after me non-stop to get out there and meet new people and to be unavailable for the "users" in my life. it is a daily struggle as i like the comfort of the known rather than the anxiety of the unknown. i am getting there and the lapband is helping and i think is a positive in my life.. i now try to look at things differently and ask myself "is this a positive situation for my life or negative?" - if it is negative i try to remove myself from the situation - if it is positive i try to embrace it and go with it no matter how uncomfortable i am with this change. i need my therapist for now to help me stay focused. the lapband is not just about getting the weight off to me, but just one of the tools i am using to try to become a healthy, positive person in this society. kim

Hi, I go to private therapy as often as I feel I need to talk. We talk about whatever issues come up, and I feel it's been very helpful in many areas of my life. I think most of us "get" what our demons are as far as why we overate, but the issue you mentioned and others are wonderful points to work out with someone who has only your interests in mind. The issue that has floored me is how other people change. There came a point, around 50 pounds or so, that my coworkers didn't want to hear about my losses. They'd ask, then I could feel a resentment at the answer. It's taken me some time to realize that, now, my success is a reminder of their own weight issues. At first, my losses were a reminder of hope that they, too, could beat it. Now, I keep my numbers to myself unless someone really seems interested. I really believe having my therapist has been a great resource for keeping me together.

My youngest daughter of 11 yrs old comes to me and says mommy when you go on your diet with your surgery can I go on the diet with you,and of course I didnt tell her no because she is a litthe overweight to,so when I went to Bj's club to check out the protein drinks she came to me with a bottle of flinstone vitmans chewable-gummies and said mommy i'll need these and we will need more protein drinks because I like the way it taste,,,,I was overwelmed with the responce that I got from her when I told her that I was gonna have surgery to shrink my stomach to loose weight,she looked at me and said mom when you go on your diet I am going on a diet with you so you need make sure that you get extra stuff when you go buy some.....that really made me feel like im not in this alone anymore....and it brought tears to my eyes .....

I have had my mind made up for months, on which surgery I want to have. But last week I met with the surgeon, and he suggested the sleeve. Ultimately it is my decision. He just said the sleeve is just as effective as the bypass, but without all the complications. I just want to have the surgery that will be the best tool, long term. I am 25 years old, and I don't ever want to be at this weight again. Height of 5'2 Weight 312 BMI 54-55 Please offer any advice you have! Surgery date is scheduled for February 25th! Thanks!

I think it is still hard to lose weight with the band I am six months out and just getting a mind set that I have to eat the right food and basically still quote unquote be on a diet anyone who thinks this is easy I think it is not its still alot of work just vending

oh my.. sorry but that is gross..lol.. i cant imagine it would get stuck unless your biting big chunks ? habits are hard to break, can you not paint your nails with that horrible taste thing stops you from biting them? or reward yourself to manicures for losing weight?

That's such a great feeling!! Congrats on your weight loss! I only have one suggestion....don't resize yet! I quit wearing the rings on my right hand right away for fear of losing them. Wedding ring still fit because as a child I broke my finger at the joint above the ring so it's a little bigger and helped to hold it on. Anyway, it got too loose, took it in to resize and didn't get it small enough, don't know if it was cold/hot that day or what happened but sized it tight and when I got it back it still twirls like crazy!! My jewelers suggestion was to get a spacer or just put a little medical tape on the back till you lose all the weight. Congratulations again, and keep up the good work!

Ok here goes, i was banded june of 2010, i weighed 215, i did fine and lost 60 lbs over the last two years, then in october of 2012 i felt i was more hungry and was putting on a little weight so i went to my gastro for a fill, when the asst dr looked at the band under floro i was told it had prolapsed and all the Fluid had to be removed for one month, i was pretty bummed to say the least, after the month i had gained 10lbs and they put a couple ccs in the band, sfter a couple weeks of no restriction i went back to be told it had prolapsed again, fluid was removed again for one month (this of course was during all the eating holidays of course) i went back in dec and had it filled again, again no restriction even though they say looking at the band under fluro that it is tight enough!!, finally in febuary of 2013 i went back to see the surgeon himself instead of his assistances and told him about everything that had been happening, he pulled up the photos of the past fills and unfills and said it had NOT prolapsed!!!! he took me down to radiology and under fluro checked with blue dye and confirmed all was well he put me to 3ccs and said i was tight!!! well guess what?? i have absoulutly no restriction what so ever and have gained 30 lbs through this mess and have during this mess i had new insurance with no bariatric coverage and recieved a bill foe 1700.00 for all the times i was back and forth for fills!!! i have gotten so desperate i purchased 19 gauge 1.5 inch needles and saline and am planning on adding a fill by myself!!!! PLEASE anyone that can add insight to any of this please help i am desperate, frustrated and fat again,!!!!! PS every time i went back in i was questioned about my eating and made to feel this was my fault and i have to do better, WELL hello i am obviuosly an overeater and had the lapband fpr help in this area!!!

Thank you Missy for the info, i personnaly think we are all overeaters which is what led us to get banded, but before they took the fluid out the first time i would eat much smaller portions and be completly satisfied and full for quite awhile, i rarely ate bread or fries because they were hard on me were now those things don't even faze me, i am doing weight watchers to help me and am doing pretty good but still feel hungry at times, it's just this feels like it was perfect and now it feels like such a failure, very difficult, but i do think i'll give my surgeon another shot.

I'm not really a newbie, nor am I a long timer yet...I am about 6 1/2 months out. I have also read where some people get gas pain, I personally had very very little. I had a twinge the day of surgery, and I figured that was what it was, but never had it again. I did not have a big meal the night before, or anything, and I have heard some say they thought that might have affected it. I have lost 72 pounds. I have been on a plateau for about a week, I have not lost anything at all, but my jeans are getting looser, and I do that sometimes, I end up losing a bunch of inches, and no weight on the scale--not sure how that works, but it's how it goes for me!! I have not been eating like a good bandster for a couple of weeks, that damned Halloween Candy that was left over did me in!! I have lost over 41" now. I eat pretty much whatever I want, some things are hard for me, but not many. I have to watch dry chicken...it causes me to hurt. I eat breads but minimally and slowly, and not alone...I mean I eat them as in pizza with the toppings, or a sandwich with the meat and mayo. I have trouble with cucumbers. I think they hit me the same way drinking with my food does, because they are so wet, I have to be careful with watermelon too...it feels like it floats, and doesn't go down well, I have to eat it very, very slowly. My surgery was by far the easiest surgery I have ever had...I have had a few!!! I was given pain meds in my IV when I come out of surgery, by that afternoon I ask them not to give me anymore, they give me such headaches! I stayed in the hospital that day, then they drove me to the airport the 3rd day, and I flew 5 hours home, as well as a total of 5 in the car. I took one shot of liquid Tylenol, during a layover. I have not taken anything for pain since, except the occasion chewable Tylenol for random headaches etc. I had stitches, we took them out 7 & 10 days after I come home. 7 for most 10 for the port incision. Becka, I cannot begin to tell you how worth it this surgery was to me!!! I began at 289 pounds, and a size 24...I am now 217 and a size 16. I can shop in most places now, and while not thin yet, no one looks at me as anything abnormal now. I can play with my grandbabies, I walk daily because I am enjoying it!!! I joined Curves, and feel proud that I am moving my body and getting healthier. I was very happily married prior to banding, he is an awesome man, and loved me the way I was...but I am such a better wife now! I have nergy to do things with him, to work around the house more...and am a lot less self concious without my clothes which has improved our sex life as well! When I went into surgery I took 2 different medications for high blood pressure, and one for a pre-diabetic situation...I take no prescription medications anymore. My blood pressure and blood sugars are both normal now! Mostly I have hope, and faith, something I never had going into other diets, trying to "do it myself". This is doing it myself. I still have to make the choices. I could eat candy and ice cream all day and never have lost an ounce. I make wise choices (usually!!). If I needed a pace maker I would get one, for my health. I needed to lose the weight for my health, I got the band, and it is working! I hope your nerves settle down, and allow you to make a rational choice, one you can be happy with. I recommend the band to everyone I know!!! If my own Mom or Daughter needed it, I would hold their hand til they went into the surgery...I believe in it so strongly! Good Luck, any questions imparticular, feel free to ask!!! Kat

Thanks Wow. I am impressed and hope to have the same suceess has you. I can't wait to get on the road to weight loss.I know it will be all worth it. I currently weigh around 280 lbs so I have alot of work ahead of me. Ill let you know how the surgery goes.

I'm one week post-op, and down 15 pounds according to my scale. While I'm very excited to see the numbers go down so quickly, I know that drop will slow (or even stop for a bit) once I start getting real food back into my diet. So when did you start "counting" your weight loss as pounds you'd officially lost - did you wait until after your first post-op appointment, or until you started solid food, or did you start counting it right away? (And am I nuts for even asking this?! )

I've wondered about this myself. Over the last year, since making the decision to get banded, I'd lost almost 30 lbs as a result of a combination of things. But I can't count that as being surgery-related, so I won't consider it when I start posting stats. Then, once I won my insurance battle and knew I was going to get banded, I put back on about 5 pounds doing the last-supper thing. But I don't want to count those either. I'm figuring that my weight on the day of surgery is my top weight for the purposes of tracking loss. Of course, they didn't weigh me at the hospital so I'm really going by the weight at the doctor's office about 10 days before surgery. But since then I'm 11 lbs down and don't intend to let any of them go uncounted!

Donali, I like the way you think! I'm going to change my sig to show my 15-pound weight loss right now!

Now I gurgle all the time and today while on the phone with my nurse she heard it and said that it should not be normal after all. I was told that I need a UpperGI done and then I have to have some fill taken out becuase this is a part of being over filled which can lead to poor weight loss and other problems and I have had very poor weight loss since May of 2007 I ahve lost 103 pounds but that is it I am currently holding at 175 pounds and I look good too. I am toned and not a lot of excess skin hanging around me. I work out all the time. So now after all of this is done I should begin to lose more weight. I need to be at my goal of 145 pounds but will settle for 150.

I've done some research and from what I have read a lot of WLS patients use this 5 day pouch test to get back on track if they get hooked back on bad eating habits. From what I read, it's 2 days of liquids, high Protein shakes/drinks, broth and etc. Then 2 days of soft Proteins, then day 5 solid protein. I haven't had to do this pouch test, but I could see the benefits doing it down the road if I get way off track and stop losing, or start gaining weight from eating the wrong foods.

Ahh! So jealous you have that all included! Thank you so much for the feedback. I am going to shop around and see if I can find it cheaper. Even if I can't I think it will be $250 well spent. And your success is so inspiring by the way! 165-170 is my goal weight, too. Seems so, so far away but I'll get there eventually!

I've heard alot of different things. The most consistant thing I've heard is 800, but really, your doc would give you the best input here. I eat between 700 and 1200 per day... depending on the level of activity. I have started lifting weights and feel the need to "recover" some days. I think varying caloric intake can help with stalls too. Some people seem to really love the low carb route... I don't feel well when I restrict carbs so I eat some complex carbs like steel cut oatmeal and sweet potatos. I really think though... if you don't want to count every ounce.... if you just follow the rule of Protein first...then veggies, you'll do fine. good luck stacey

My program offered it along with other things for a $150.00 lifetime bariatric club membership fee. I'm due for another in a month at my six month check-up (not sure if I have to pay again). I am a big advocate of them. I found it extremely helpful to have a goal weight range based on my body, bone density, and body composition. With my DXA I ended up with a goal weight range of 170-177. So technically, I am one pound from my doctor's goal weight. I still feel that I can lose quite a bit more so I am not going to stop. But, my weight loss has slowed considerably and this helps me to understand why. At this point I see every pound I lose as a bonus and don't view myself as a failure because I am not in line with standard BMI charts. I'm in Michigan.

Hi everyone! I feel bad and sad and know that is my fault of not following the diet and sport but I don't know how to manage it all.. I'm full time working mom of 2 boys, hubby is helping around but not much as he is really overloaded with work and one day off per week.. Boys are 10 (my stepson) and 4 (my birthson) and are very active and noisy and difficult to handle. My work is stressful. No friends or family around to help as we are expats living in the foreign country at the moment. All that is making it soo hard to focus on me and follow every rule I have to follow.. My day starts at 5 am and the only time I can be free falls after 9-9.30 pm and by that time I am sooo tired and just can't imagine myself doing any sports.. My food also isn't good enough as most of the time I don't have time cooking for myself, so I end up eating everything I cook for my family. It is not that bad food or unhealthy but still not suitable enough for me. I feel desperate today cuz I made my progress report and realized that despite I have lost 59.4 pounds in total, since bypass surgery, I have lost only 39.6 pounds. As a fact, I am 6 months post op and have such a poor results and such a poor self discipline and control over my life. I feel even at times that my pouch has stretched a lot cuz amount of food U can eat increased a lot too. I want to gain control. I cannot turn the clock back but I am ready to put myself at the first place now. Any advice on how could I start over? Cuz emotions and feelings that again the food controls my life are just killing me inside. I want to reach my target.. want to change.. just don't know again where to start... P.S. to make it easier to understand.. My surgery was done back home and the first 8 weeks were great with sport and food and then I had to go back here.. school, work.. and slowly everything went out of control.. and I found myself living the same life as before surgery. So for what then I was doing it all? Please guys, don't judge me much.. I just look for aupport I am so much lacking here..

There's a huge bit of truth in your title. haha. The more often you get sore from the lactic acid, the better shape you'll get in, and better yet, the faster you'll lose weight.