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Many will say it's because you should drink Water. Many will say because the carbonation will cause the stomach to 'blow up' with air and stretch. Others will say because it will rot out your teeth. And then there's the new research released saying diet sodas can actually cause you to gain weight...hear that one yet? Something about because of the taste, your brain expects it to be sweet...therefore doing something to the metabolism...but the sugar never comes and so....well, it's supposed to not help in weightloss. I'm sure others will respond but my doctor has told me no such thing and I from time to time will have Mt. Dew or Coke. I used to drink 3 a day preband, but over the past year I've gotten down to about 3 a week. My goal is to give it up altogether...but this is a process.

I had to work with my Endo for around 3 years before I got approval for the surgery. My Dr. was somewhat apprehensive because I may not see the results that were similar to people who were not dealing with Hormonal issues. I have issues with my thyroid and my pituatary gland. So as far as hormones go I am in my 'sweet spot' and wanted to have every opportunity to get this weight off. I have currently lost 126 lbs. and I had the surgery on 8/31/2011. Now I lost most of this weight pre-operative and I still have a ways to go but with my hormones I am learning slow and steady will win the race. I don't have a scale at home so I will only be weighing in when I go to get my B12 shot. This helps me mentally so that I don't see stalls which can be a downer when you are losing inches more than pounds. My weight loss goal is 1 to 2 pounds a week. Which doesn't sound like much but I believe as long as I am losing each week that is half the battle. Now I am losing more than 2 pounds a week but I wanted to set goals that were realistic for me and taking into account I may be a slow loser. I just want you to be encouraged. Make sure you keep up with your thyroid meds and know that this is not a sprint.

I also have a cpap machine and have lost 33 pounds since being banded and have notice that Iam not tired etc any more. I notice I take it off a lot at night and my setting has been changed. I will be seeing my doctor next week to talk more about the weight loss and if I should do another study. I had one 7 months ago. Once I know more about what he says next week I will let you all know. Chris

Your body is adjusting. I'll bet when you go to week 2, you will drop more than you expected, so hang in there!

Hi! I totally understand where you're coming from -- the hardest part is waiting! From beginning to end it took a little over six weeks until I received approval. This includes my initial consultation & completing the insurance requirements. Once everything was submitted by my doctor's office, my insurance approved it quickly! Nothing wrong with you calling to check on it. Fingers crossed that you get the approval!!!

Started the shakes a week ago and have lost 7 lbs. Met my surgeon yesterday and all clear for surgery next Wednesday April 4th. Ready!

I know the feeling you have because my surgery is on the 3rd of April and I am excited yet nervous. I want to make sure I am doing everything correct also I had to do a two week all liquid diet, so your lucky you havent had to do the pre-op diet that long. Congrats on the all clear.

Well I am now at two weeks from my surgery. I have one more day until my pre open appointment.

I was banded 4 weeks ago and the first two weeks after I had not much of an appetite at all. I was really scared too but don't be scared, you will be fine. Personally, I scared myself because I did not completely understand how everything was going to work even though I read all kinds of literature about it. The steps have been much easier than I ever imagined them to be. Hang in there, try and get a goods night sleep before you surgery

It's hard to believe it's been over 6 weeks already! It still feels surreal that I went to Mexico, that I flew on a plane and that I had this surgery. I am down 34.6 lbs. I've already gone from a size 22 jeans to a size 20. My starting weight was 242.2 lbs. That was the heaviest I had ever been. I was in denial for a long time that I was really that obese. I didn't have any health problems, so I didn't worry too much. However, my habits were starting to rub off on my 5 year old daughter and the light bulb went off. It was time for a change. I tried Weight Watchers for the umpteenth time. I think all of you know how that goes lol. Well, long story short I was fed up and finally made the decision to have surgery. I did lots and lots of research and decided on Dr. Garcia in Tijuana. Everything went great! My experience was pleasant. I never felt unsafe. I battled a lot of emotions for the first few weeks, but I feel pretty good about everything now. I'm starting to get compliments and that's awesome! To anyone pre-op, it's worth it!! Thanks for reading!

Hello everyone! I have been lurking about and researching for about a month now but things just got real. I scheduled my surgery and sent the check off in the mail today!! I tried to schedule with a local surgeon but my insurance does not cover any weight loss surgery and it was going to cost $15,000 so I started researching surgery in Mexico and decided on Dr. alejandro lopez with Specialized Bariatrics. My surgery date is November 3, 2014 in Tijuana at Mi Doctor Hospital. Thankfully my husband is an English/Spanish interpreter and I've been to Guatemala before and I love Hispanic culture so I don't think I will feel uncomfortable in Tijuana. Also, my husband's parents live in Los Angeles so I'll be able to recover there for two weeks before I fly back to Florida. My husband has been very supportive and I am very grateful for that. My mom is freaking out a bit and I have yet to hear Dad's opinion but I know this is what I need to do and I made the right decision. Here's some info about me: My name is Kristen. I'm almost 29 years old (my birthday is a week after my surgery!) I am 5'7" and 260 lbs but I have a very muscular/thick frame with well-proportioned fat so I "hide" my size well (or so I've been told every time I tell someone how much I really weigh) Current BMI is 40.7 My highest weight ever was 290 My lowest weight in my adult life was 217 but I gained most of it back after a two year stall discouraged me from continuing to track calories. I have PCOS, pre-diabetes and high blood pressure without medication. I am an expert on diets! (Haha, aren't we all??) I love to exercise but I also have a lot of back/muscle issues that flare up and I get discouraged easily. I have a very "all or nothing" "perfectionist" kind of attitude so if I can't do something perfectly I don't feel like it is worth trying at all. This is why I fail with diets and exercise. I'll be 100% committed but if I don't see results from my hard work, eventually I give up. (In all fairness, a two year stall...I have the patience of a saint!) I have started a running program on 3 separate occasions and every time my back gets messed up and sets me back a few weeks I give up and never return to maybe try walking. Because I want to run! I'm still working on refining my brain. I obviously have a negative relationship with food because now that I know I'm having the surgery I feel like I should eat as much of my favorite things as possible. How horrible is that?? At least I can see that this is not normal behavior... I'm looking forward to meeting and getting to know some of you! I would appreciate if you drop me a line with some advice, words of wisdom or encouragement :-) Kristen

I have been eating fish and imitation crab for over a week, maybe closer to 2 weeks and it has been settling just fine. The first time I try anything new it gurgles like crazy in my stomach and I eat slower, but I haven't gotten sick ... yet! : )

Hello again, fellow sleevers. I've been on and off this site since October, 2012. My story is long, and it's available in my blog link, so I won't bore anyone with it again. The latest highlights are that the job I started last July actually covers bariatric surgery. I was submitted in December with my past data, but was denied because the new insurance required 6 months with NUT, as opposed to the 3 months my previous insurer required. 6 consecutive months. After completing an additional three months, January through March, the office got around to resubmitting me around 4/10. I had actually lost so much faith in the front office staff, I continued making my NUT appointments, and actually had my 4th visit with her on Thursday, 4/17. Yesterday, 4/18, I got the call that I have actually been approved. I would have expected to be a little more excited, but I'm not really. I don't know if it's because I've been relatively successful in the dieting since January, or if I'm waiting to have the rug yanked out from under me again, or if it's just nerves. I don't feel like I'm going to back out of it or anything... just not excited. So I'm back. I know I need to brush up on all the knowledge I gained here in the past and have probably just plain forgotten. So my tentative surgery date is 5/19. Here I go!!!

Greetings! I am new here and really appreciate reading through all of the threads. This site has more information than I could have dreamed of! I am trying to get banded in the next few weeks, as I'm between jobs. I want to have the banding complete before I start a new job in early Sept. My insurance won't cover, so I don't need to deal with the approvals. I started going through the Weight Loss Centers, but became disheartened by delays and the fact that the surgery and medical procedures are done in Beverly Hills. I'm now starting with Dr. Quilici in Burbank, which is very convenient for me. I hope I can get through the process soon enough! I already started the pre-op diet recommended by Weight Loss Centers, but I bet it will be different for Dr. Quilici. Oh well, whatever I need to do. I am very optimistic the band will work for me. I am good about following a healthy diet when I'm home or during the week. I do have big problems over the weekend (I'm out of town most weekends) and when I travel for business. The restriction of the band should prevent me from binging when I'm away from home. Last year I traveled 80% and gained 50 pounds :sad: I look forward to participating in the discussions as I go through this journey. Thank you to you all, as you're comments have been incredibly valuable.

Greetings, I have begun my journey to surgery. I have been approved by my insurance -- gone to some of the necessary appointments - will have some testing done next week. I don't know when I will be scheduled for surgery but it will be happening. I found this website just by chance -- and I want to thank each of you for the valuable information. I know I will be asking questions as I go along and feel comfort in knowing I will get the best answers from each of you. All the best, Anni

Well I'm back! One week post-op and I feel great! Can't wait til I return for my post-op appointment so I can get to exercising. I have been walking daily but would like to pick up the pace. For those of you who are considering lapband, it has been a blessing.

Three years ago this time I was in the operating room and my friendship with Leonida, my band, was starting. During the first year I lost 52 kilos, which is something between 100 and 110 lbs, if I am not wrong.. During the second year I started losing part of my strong motivation and,by the end of the second year and the beginning of the third, I had gained back 10 kilos. Bariatric Pal is helping me come back on track, your approach to weight loss connected to wls is a bit different and many of the suggestions I have read here are becoming part of my life and behaviour. Thanks to all of you!!!

Do your best. I used a free app called Baritastic to track my food. The pre-op is mainly to make you aware of your food choices, to examine your relationship with food, teach you nutrition, and for you to gradually stop bad habits. You have to look at how you use food - are you hungry or bored, anxious, stressed, etc so you can change from using food to solving those issues to solving them without food. It's hard, but your head needs fixing first or you will resort to these behaviors after the surgery. Stopping junk carbs will keep the cravings down, if you keep going back to them it just starts all over again. Give up one thing each week and build on that - I quit soda 1st thing - none, not even diet. Then - no fast food - none, zero. Then gradually let go of starchy carbs - no rice, etc. You may lose a few pounds, or stay the same. The most important thing is to realize food is just food, it will always be there, there is plenty of it, you will have a bite or two of your favorite foods during maintenance. This diligence is forever. You can do it.

Don’t worry it’s just one bite. But try to stick to the program! I know it’s hard sometimes, but it’s important. I was lucky. For the first couple of weeks after surgery just the smell of food made me want to throw up. Every time my boyfriend would cook his dinner I’d have to close the bedroom door.

I hope this is not dramatic but I am sure it is LOL. I am two weeks post op and had a bite of spaghetti. It was just a bite, a size of a dime. I know it is bad. It went down fine but I am scared I have ruined everything. I just tried it to make sure it was the right temperature for my son. I am on a two week clear liquid diet and I am really struggling. I should be getting cleared for pureed tomorrow or Thursday and it can't come soon enough.

I'm new to this site and it will be one year since my surgery next week. I'm at a loss. 12 pounds in one year and I need to relook at this. Great to be here.

Hello everyone... I have been reading on this site for the past month and finally decided to become a BANDIT I am 38yr old female, 5ft 4, 216 pds and most people tell me that I should not do the procedure because I am not big enough (in their eyes) well for me having the procedure will be more than just being vain about my size. I have and take medicine for daily: Psuedo Tumor Cerebrii, High Blood Pressure, sleep Apnea and Diabbetes..yea I know right????? so when my surgeon Dr. Touliatos looked over my medical records he laughed and asked me did I drink or smoke and I said no and he said well maybe you should start (lol) because you have everything else which is sad but true. My procedure will be done more for health reasons than anything but the added weight loss will surely be a plus!!!!!! I am an Lab employee at Trinity Medical Center of Excellence and I will have my procedure done there as well so I will have NO OUT OF POCKET COSTS which is great and my insurance is BC/BS. I will be in a familiar atmosphere with the doctors and nurses that I have known for years so I will feel safe. I have chosen to do the Lap Band w/ Plication and I am so excited because at Trinitry the doctors have been doing the Lap Band w/Plication for the last 8 months and the results have been awesome. So far Dr. T said he has only had to do a couple of fills so whatever he is doing seems to really work and alot of patients that was considering Gastric has chosen Lap Band w/Plication and the pounds are dropping!!!! I have to complete a 6 month diet which sucks because if not for that I would be having my procedure in a couple of weeks but Im gonna have to wait this thing out which right now seems impossible. I really love this site and I enjoy reading posts from everyone and getting all the helpful tips and advice. I just wanted to say hi to everyone and goodluck! TheNewMe2012

I wanted to say thank you to every who has "liked" my story or left a comment. I never realized how important the comments are until today. I realized that I read over them every now and then to kindof refresh my motivation. It's been a FaceBook heavy day today and I really really realized how much the support means to me... especially on days when I'm fighting myself, I'm down, or just not motivated to exercise. In my constant search of the web to learn everything I'll ever want to know on every topic, I found an exciting sleeved foodie blog. I was so very excited to have found until I realized I had read the entire thing in about 5 minutes. This person was sleeved and in 1 year went from a size 30 to a size 22/24. I was so shocked I re-read it a few times... I checked the dates... I looked at the photos. I was very confused. She's happy with her loss, says she'd do it again in a heartbeat. And in the 1 year follow up post mentioned something about never getting around to incorporating exercise into her daily routine but "maybe one day"... I realize I have no room to criticize anyone... I know this could very well be me one of these days... all of that being said... I have to say... this has been the biggest kick in my rear to find my motivation to exercise. I'm self pay. I'll be paying my parents back for the rest of their lives for the $12,900 that this surgery cost me/us. This is a major surgery and I cannot take it lightly... and I refuse to fail because I'm too lazy to exercise. Over the last two weeks I have been walking the dogs to the lake and back (about 1.7 miles... but more importantly, about 45 minutes per trip). My little Corgi dog Zoee has been the most motivating workout partner I've ever had. Those big brown eyes guilt trip me into taking her for a walk any time I'm thinking about weaseling out of it. I'm always glad we went by the time we get to the corner of the street. Today I bought a bicycle (Huffy Cruiser) to keep variety in my options... Or really, just to keep me moving. I took it for a maiden voyage around the block (about 2 city blocks). I survived and made it home safely. Scared the boyfriend half to death because I am a very clumsy girl... he said he gave me 10 minutes to make it back home before he was going to drive around the block to find where I wiped out. LOL! Just buying the bike was an experience in and of itself... I actually had the guy ahead of me at the check out flirt with me. Such an opposite of a teen experience I had (being ridiculed by a truck full of guys for taking the dog for a walk). All in all, I am very happy with the experience. I keep finding myself making future plans that involve seeming dangerous items... I want a set of quad skates so I can get the puppies running. Once I can make the walk in about 20-25 minutes I want to start the C25K program. I want a Kayak so I can work my upper body and enjoy the lake. These are insane exercise thoughts... I feel possessed! LOL! I hope they stick around. So while I'm really sorry that sleeved foodie blogger didn't have the results that I want for myself... I am grateful for her blog... it's really been the boot in my tooshy that I needed to really realize Sleevie is not going to do the work for me... But Sleevie is my friend who will handle the food part... This will leave me open to find the physical activities that I enjoy. =)

Had myslef another fill last week. I'm now at 4ml in a 5 ml band. Really do feel the restriction now and I'm enjoying it. I hit the big 10kg loss today which I am very excited about. Here's is an interesting thing I learnt this week - if you have a couple of glasses of wine or any alcohol before eating the restriction will be less because you are relaxed. I tried it out and it's true - bugger it!!

Bandista, I had not known about the squeezes sending signals from the esophagus but keep in mind it is not as though I am eating yogurt and boost drinks all day. I usually have three yogurts a day and two boost drinks. With that amount of calories I cannot get my head around the fact that my weight is not going down any longer. People that are stuck in hospital beds that do NO form of exercise whatsoever still seem to lose weight. This entire situation has been a complete and absolute curse for me and the frustration level is through the roof. Not to mention all the isolation that I am forced to live with because it is difficult and painful to get around with the cane. At 330 I am a big guy and I can't tell you how many times I have taken falls and near falls. Everything I do is a struggle so leaving the Apt. is saved for doctor and dentist visits. I know that something must be done..........