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I had lapband surgery in 2009 in Phoenix with Dr Terry Simpson. Fast forward to now, where I am happily married, pregnant and suffering miserably from the lap-band! I did not feel comfortable going back to Dr Simpson with my issues...his office turned into a 'cattle call' with too many patients and little to no time for questions. You virtually lined up to be seen. I was also offended on two occasions, once by a fellow patient who snickered at me and said 'why the hell are you here?' and a staff member that told me that my minimal weight loss (from 200 to 185) was probably because my body was comfortable there...huh? The last straw was my attempt to go in two weeks ago for the pain, reflux, rapid weight loss....and they said sorry, he's on a family vacation...you were self pay years ago so you should find someone else to help with your 'issues'. After a week and a half of an inability to swallow food or Water, I was desperate and was referred to Dr Jason Reynoso at Scottsdale Health Care. Wow! Talk about a caring, compassionate guy that knew I was in trouble and wanted to help me ASAP. Losing 25lbs when you are 5 months pregnant is not normal and he started the process immediately. An Upper GI indicated a slipped band and little to no liquid or food able to pass through. I was scheduled for surgery and had it done yesterday. There was a lot of scar tissue that had to be removed and it appears the band wasn't originally installed correctly as the buckle essentially disintegrated. Obviously being pregnant and having surgery is the last thing you would ever think about but I knew it was becoming a matter of life and death for myself and my unborn child. I am sore but home and can eat like a human again! I decided to write this to encourage anyone pregnant with a band and suffering to reach out to your Dr as soon as possible. I have cried many tears...mad at myself for ever putting myself and my child in this position and 'waiting it out' over the past couple of years when I was obviously having issues. Sorry for the rambling rant but I needed to get it out! Best of luck to you all!

Like Chix said, this is the famous 3 week stall. For me, my weight loss slowed drastically but didn't stop during that period. Soon you'll find you lose 5 pounds in a couple days and then a pound a day until you hit another stall around 8 weeks and then another around 3 months lol. It sucks but we have to get used to it, it's part of the process.

Sorry, I hope you find something that works for you. I wish you well on your weight loss journey!

Yea, it was not the best informational article but I can agree with one thing that I copy and pasted below..... In fact, he notes, none of the weight-loss surgeries works without being performed in conjunction with lifestyle changes. "The surgery simply allows patients to get much more benefit out of proper eating and physical activity," he says.

Hi Friends!!! The next meeting of the NYC/Long Island Bariatric Pal Support Group will be held on November 1st from 2PM till 4 PM at The Atrium at 805 Third Avenue. The building is on Third Ave between 49th and 50th Streets. The Atrium is at the back of the space on the lower level. Looking forward to seeing all of you next weekend!!! If your stressing over Halloween...Here is a little reminder and some low calorie fun alternatives!! 5 Ways To Scare Off Halloween Candy It’s getting cold outside, the leaves are falling, October is drawing to a close — sounds like a good time to chow down on a heap o’ Halloween candy! Not! While Halloween can be a fun time of the year, it can wreak havoc if you’re trying to lose weight. Just a few wrong choices or one too many of the good, old “But they’re so tiny. One more won’t hurt!”excuse will be enough to send you screaming off the bathroom scale on November 1st. Here are 5 tips to help get you through Halloween with your waistline intact. (I did have “don’t eat any candy at all” as a first tip, but figured I’d be run out of town by an angry mob with pitchforks!) Read The Label If you’re going to indulge, at least know what you’re getting yourself into. Read the label on the bag of candy to find the serving size and the amount of calories. The amount of calories alone may be enough for you to stop overindulging. If not, you could trying cutting back on that amount of calories with your other meals. Granted, you’ll end up replacing good nutritious food with pure sugar — definitely not something you want to do on a regular basis! But if you’re otherwise healthy, it shouldn’t hurt just this one time – within reason, of course… Out of Sight, Out of Mind If you’re giving out candy, buy it as close to October 31st as possible and store it in a hard to reach place (or have somebody hide it). Having all that candy in the house is just too tempting. And you definitely need to follow this rule if you’ve ever had to go out and buy more candy because you ate most of your giving-away candy before Halloween. When it comes to the workplace, avoid people who put out candy or look away when you pass by that overflowing bowl of candy the well-intentioned receptionist has put out. And if YOU are that well-intentioned receptionist, take pity on people and move the bowl out of sight. Keep the Wrappers in front of you! Because it’s so easy to mindlessly pop Halloween candy into your mouth with no end in sight, keep every single wrapper so you know how much you’ve had. Your mind may say you’ve only had three mini-bags of M&Ms, but a big pile of wrappers won’t lie. Eat Only Your Favorites To me, there’s no point in taking on the extra calories of something you don’t like or only like a little bit. If you’re going to have Halloween candy, then you may as well enjoy yourself by eating only your favorites. Save calories by turning your nose up to anything else. Eat Protein This tip is a bit tricky. Eating protein will help counter-effect the rapid rise in blood sugar from all that candy. But you have to keep in mind all the extra calories you’re eating. Try to eat a piece of candy with a meal or a healthy snack. (I can hear a chorus of “Yeah, riii-iiight” just about now, as mini-chocolate bars are gobbled down across the country with nary a healthy food in sight… Well, don’t say I didn’t try to make you eat healthy!) If you decide to go all out with the Halloween candy, watch out for cravings after overindulging. You may come crashing down hard after the sugar rush and experience intense cravings. Whatever you do, don’t reach for more candy! Instead curb cravings with these 5 little words: Distraction Get your mind off of the doughnut and onto to other subjects. Leave the room if you have to. You can’t distract yourself if the doughnut is staring you in the face. Out of sight means you won’t be thinking about it. Take a short break. Start reading a book or working on a difficult project. The odds are you’ll completely forget about the doughnut, candy bar, or whatever food siren is calling to you, and the craving will disappear. Distraction is a great tool for your weight loss program. Delay Delay the gratification. Give yourself permission to have some candy in 20 minutes. 20 minutes is long enough that the craving for the candy will pass but not so long, an hour say, that waiting seems pretty much impossible. If 20 minutes passes go ahead and eat a few bites of the candy, then wait another 20 minutes before you finish it. Drink Substitute a long cold glass of Water. The water gives your mouth something to do besides eat — plus the water will fill you up. Even though it’s only temporary, the feeling of fullness is satisfying. If you’re craving sweetness, add a splash of fruit juice to the water. Vary your beverage choice if you like, just be aware of sugary drinks like sodas and juice. Don’t add extra calories! Disgust Another way to curb your craving is to picture the candy for what it really is: fat. Ugly wobbly, slimy, disgusting fat. Fat that plans on sticking to you for awhile… a long while. Go to the grocers and ask them for a pound of fat trimmings from beef. That’s what the candy will turn into once you give in to the craving. A pound of fat takes up more space than you might realize. Freeze that pound of fat. Whenever a craving hits get it out of the freezer so it reminds you of what you’re really eating. Dance Dance instead of eating the candy. If you’re too embarrassed to dance that’s okay. The point is to exercise for a bit instead of eating. Take a walk, climb the stairs, or break out in a set of jumping jacks. The results are two fold, you’ve added a bit of calorie burning to your day and you’ve avoided the candy! Get out there and do the Monster Mash!!! Can't wait to hear your scary tales next Saturday!!! Happy Halloween!

Nikki, I thought you were doing well. What's has changed for you? Are you still tracking what you eat? Sometimes it helps to go back to basics. But how much have you gained. I gain Water weight very quickly and if I don't poo (sorry TMI) I can gain more. Hugs!!!

I had surgery with Dr. Corvala.....I am super happy with my surgery and weight loss....I don't know about Dr.s in Dallas.... You can check out my blog (in my signature line) and or PM if you have questions.....I was at the gym on the treadmill on day 6....ok not doing a full mile, but got 20 minutes in.....I also rode home 7 hours or so from Tijuana the day after surgery....recovery time differs from every body....but for me it was relatively easy.... Take care,

Congrats. Keep moving and eating right and you will be fine. I weight everyday to make sure I stay in check with myself and that way I know if I need to do something different the next day. Good luck

I decided to get on the scale this morning after someone said it looked like I had lost weight and I've actually lost some weight!!! I can't believe I'm on the countdown. Holy Cow!!!!:wub: I am keeping myself in check though. I've been peeing like a race horse and I'm sure the fact that I am eating high protein/low carb has something to do with that, PLUS I gave up diet coke (I was a HUGE addict). I STILL can't believe that I haven't had one in SEVEN days! But I'm not craving them... Only NINE more days....sorry to keep yelling, just too too too excited:lol: Good luck to everyone that goes today!

Everyone is different. I was able to get to my goal weight eating rice. I ate it 3-4 times a week for dinner. I did not eat it alone, always as a side along with a protein (steak or chicken) and mushrooms, and peppers or veggies. It worked for me.

I can relate with you. I work in an environment where a lot of my co-workers have had WLS of some type. I like you talked to many of them prior to having surgery and they were very encouraging telling me how easy it was and they were having great success and no issues. Well they lied, everyone of them. They all had some issues but never disclosed them and looked for work around. As soon as I came across my first obstacle and went to them, the support and good advice was not there. I felt betrayed, I felt lost and knew I was on this journey by myself. I stopped seeking their advice and I actually distanced myself from them and their negativity. The have a year on me, (3 years banded) one had her band removed due to slippage( she always had her band too tight and was PB'ing) The other had her band removed and now has the sleeve. She continued to eat and blamed the band for not losing. The third is 4 years gastric bypass and never reached goal. The 4th, is at goal but struggles with stomach issues. So my role models turned on me and never got with the program and each of them struggles with their weight loss and they are also the ones who make fun of me for exercising, (they tell me I'm obsessed) and they also tell me I am too thin. My point is this, I did this for me, I thought I had support of my friends at work but soon found who my true friends were. You are doing very well with your journey, don't let the negativism of others bring you down. Stay strong, because we all know you can do this.

Ah, now I remember your story. Short and sweet: you are going to lose muscle and fat. Once you are fully healed and can start introducing regular food, you will taper off. But it will take time. A year from now you will likely level off and start to gain weight again. The thing to keep in mind is that you can get overweight again even with a reduced stomach by grazing and eating junk food. You are going to need to focus on Protein rich foods as much as possible and begin weight lifting to stave off muscle loss. The good news is that you will be able to gain healthy weight this way also.

I got banded on Jan. 27,2007. I felt GREAT! I was back to work on Monday following my surgery. With the restriction of no lifting. I am pretty much doing everything that I did before- only more of it! I went for a 2 mile hike this weekend, & I am going to go again this weekend...I have lost a total of 37 lbs since my surgery. March 31st will be exactly 8 weeks since my surgery. I know things have really slowed down now, which can be disapointing, b/c you get to be on such a high each day like"wow, another 2 lbs!" Now it feels like "damn, no more weight gone?" But I keep on Truckin...I am trying to walk @ least 4 days a week. Cant afford to go to a gym right now,since we are trying to move back to California. But I think it is still good. I cant 'weight' to get to my goal weight,but I am also realistic... well my only concern that I have is that I worry that the band will slip of that the Dr. wont be able to fill it for some reason or another. I just have to keep faith that everything will remain fine. If you want to talk ...Email me!

This thread blows my mind... 40 pounds. 18kg. And sleeved!! I apologise (not really) if this seems somewhat judgmental, but what kind of surgeon sleeves someone with such a relatively small amount of weight to lose? I've seen a few posters on here where I've thought that diet and exercise were probably all that was required, and I've held my tongue... But this, in my humble opinion, is ridiculous!! In fact, I've no more words left. Well, I do... But nothing positive. And nothing that will assist me in not being banished from this incredibly helpful and supportive community. Thank you for your time.. KindaFlabbergasted

Today I went to my doctor for my monthly follow up. He walked in and said "Hey skinny!' Then he said i have lost 9 pounds since my last appt. last month and my % of body fat has gone from 52% to 36%. He asked me how many pant sizes I have gone down and I said from an 18 to an 8, and he said well don't by anymore 8's because you will be in a 6 soon! He said that I only have 11 more pounds to go until I am at his goal for me. Then he told me that I have lost more weight each month than any other of his sleeve patients monthly follow ups! Boy did I feel good when I left there, so I stopped on the way home and went clothes shopping! (But no pants just tops). LOL!

When I do my laundry I use a washing machine and a dryer. I don't cart my family's dirty laundry down to the river, beat it against rocks and then spread it over bushes to dry. Yep, I am guilty of doing things the easy way. I microwave. I use a freezer. I pay my bills online. I drive to work. I buy soap instead of making my own out of ash and lard. The easy way is the way of mankind. So what if we have had surgery? Does it make my weight loss easier? Yes it does. Does it diminish me in any way? No it does not. I take advantage of opportunities to improve my life, and that is what living is all about. This surgery was a massive opportunity to improve my life and I remain very grateful that I had the resources and support to take full advantage of this opportunity.

My weight has been the one thing I can't really control in life. I come from a long line of tall, big-boned giants in my family. (Seriously, my dad is a non-athlete and needed a knee replacement the size of a football player's.) I am 5'9 and have always had long legs and curves, even at my highest weight. I developed earlier than other girls when I was in my teens, and owned a size 12 (Between 165-185 lbs) until my sophomore year in college. I've always loved my body and felt that it was beautiful even if I was more voluptuous than other girls in school. During college I ate more. I discovered that beer and wine were good. (You know, before you realized they contained boat loads of empty calories?) My sleep patterns changed and the stress of tests, papers and social life added up-- and so did the pounds. By the time I graduated I was larger (Size 18-20, 240-260 lbs) but still had my curves. Dieting became more of a priority now, but the dieting almost made it worse. I would lose weight, regain. Cut carbs, try intuitive eating, then go to a doctor, go to the gym and try to get on a new plan, try the South Beach Diet, Eat Vegetarian... you get it? Right? I felt like my energy was sucked up with trying to lose the pounds and it was discouraging thinking about it. I worked hard at my career while still trying to work out and eat less carbs. I was supervised by a doctor, personal trainer and nutritionist-- but somehow I just couldn't stop the lose and regain cycle I had started. Every time I stepped on the scale, I was more than 20 lbs heavier than the last time. I wore nice clothes to the office, but as my weight creeped higher and higher-- my heels got lower and lower-- because my sitting and walking posture were losing strength. I felt my muscles weaken and it was weird for me. (By this time, I was about 300-320 lbs.) I added more time in the gym to help keep me active and to prevent myself from becoming completely glued to my office chair or in meetings. I gave up alcohol and only drank water.For a year and a half before my wedding, I worked out 4-5 days a week (cardio and strength). My diet was balanced, (whole grain, lean meats, vegetables, occasional treats) but between working out, going to work 40-55 hours a week-- I ate way more when I came home. Not out of stress, but because I felt HUNGRY. No fast foods, no crazy fried foods-- just balanced meals choices... but HUGE portions. I ended up losing 5 pounds in a year and a half for my wedding. Then gaining 15 while on my honeymoon-- my highest weight. (376 lbs.) So let's fast forward to today: I am a successful profession in marketing. I have some competitive skills and work well with others. I am able to look people in the eye with the same confidence I have always had. I love myself, and I love my life. I just want to be a winner of my own health, too. I am working out in the gym still, eating a balanced diet, now reducing my portions and I weighed in today at 358 lbs. I am currently at a size high 24 and low 26. I still wear heels to work, but low ones. I am at a point where I can walk up and down stairs, quickly through hallways and to my car with a bit of a heavy breath-- but still doable. My chair is snugger than I would like it to be, but it works. I pass on the endless parade of employee birthday cakes, but still participate in the celebrations. My struggle now is trying to control the urge to eat at night and keep my calories in check. It's hard. It's hard not to be tired after work. It's hard to be as focused on my duties, be a leader and ensure I take care of my body with the proper nutrients and exercise it needs. I have some aches that I didn't have before. My lower back gets tight and my joints crack more. This is a new development and one of the reasons I am moving forward with the VSG surgery. Working out IS HARDER at this weight, and it still feels like I am not getting anywhere. However, I am staying positive no matter what. I have decided that I am going to take control and apply this tool (the VSG, is a tool-- not a cure-all) to my gym routine and eat like my nutritionist instructs. Protein, small amounts, stay away from those starchy carbs. I only drink water and iced coffee with a little light cream in the morning. I am already learning to love my scale and thinking of it as a unit of measurement. (The same way I would measure success at work.) I can still be my big-boned, tall self at work-- I just need some help and taking these next steps will help me do that. Anyone else struggle with the weight and work? (In the office or at home?) I'd love to hear about it. I will continue to write more. The good, the bad and the UGLY It's here we can all share these experiences and learn from each other.

In my experience, no, they will not accept it. Generally it has to be done "in house" with the surgeon's bariatric program. I hope they do, though! That would be fabulous. And good on you for taking initiative to establish healthy habits! The lower your weight at surgery, the safer and more effective it will be, so even if you have to do another 3 months you've still done yourself a great favor.

I concur with Ziggle Dog. I found out today that I have been approved. I was very gun hoe about doing this when I started the appointments etc. but the last few weeks I have began to have second thoughts. That is until I started to think about the things I cant and dont do b/c of my weight. I am going to do it now for a few reasons: my kids, my wife, my health and myself... those are reason enough for nme to take the trek into the unknown and do it. When I was in the 3rd grade my parents divorced and I sat around all summer trying to fill that empty void with food. I gained almost 80lbs, I am scared to not have my emotional crutch but my family means more.

You guys asked some great questions. I wonder for those of us who have had subclinical hypothyroid then get banded and have pcos, if the thyroid can just tap out after fast weight loss? I dropped almost 76 pounds in six months my first year. Then things just stalled. I'm almost 3 years out and I can't get the last 50 or so off. I'm pissed and frustrated. I'm not doing very well with my thyroid either I feel menapausal and i'm only in my early 30's. not to mention the Water retention and the mood swings. I just want to get back to normal. When they regulate the thyroid does the weight loss take back off or are we just "stuck" in limbo?

Yes it does. I had un-diagnosed PCOS for 30+ years. When it was finally spotted and treated the Metformin and hormone troche together meant that I dropped 20+kg without changing my diet. Then the thyroid went and my TSH was off the scale almost at 57, I thought I was dying. The result after 18 months with no thyroid was that my weight had gone up and over my previous untreated PCOS maximum and was at 138kg. I am now down to 105kg since my op in Aug 09. The band, with some restriction, stops me feeling hungry early in the day then lunch-time onwards I just eat the normal low GI food that is best for PCOS folks anyway. The weight loss helps with the insulin resistance which in my case has turned into type 2 diabetes due to the thyroid collapse, I think I am now back down to just plain old fashioned IR again now. :-) I thought like you that it wouldn't be any benefit but once I hit 138kg, after fighting the insulin resistance weight gain all my life and then having the thyroid do so much to add to that side of it, my GP recommended it and I said...but I am overweight because of medical conditions that will still be there working against me even with a band and I felt very mis-understood by them. I talked to a top diabetes expert and my trusted endocrinologist (who had diagnosed the very obvious PCOS missed by my Gp's for so many years) between us we decided that at 45 years of age I did not want to spend the next 3 years trying to get my weight back to where it had been before my thyroid packed up. My life was wasting away and I decided after much research and heartache that I did not want to die of a heartattack while I undid the damage from the PCOS and Hashimotos. I felt cheated, like it wasn't my fault and why did I have to have the operation. I also struggle with the pre and post op care as no one reads my records and assumes I am a junk food addict that sits on my butt watching TV and stuffing my face all day and that's why I am overweight! If your excess weight is due to the IR then so long as you are having Metformin for it, hormone treatment for the excess androgens and Oroxine or whatever (none generic, go for the full price brand,,,there is a difference!) for the Hashimotos it should benefit you. Make sure your T3 & T4 are at the high end of the range and your TSH at the lowest end to get the best benefit from your thyroid meds. PCOS is hard to deal with as it is a collection of symptoms that are too often attributed to other things. The PCOS symptoms are related to an excess of androgens and Insulin Resistance. These need to be treated by a doctor with specialist knowledge. Menstruation needs hormones to regulate it. The body hair is the wrong sort, male hair not the softer velus female hair, hair growth can slow down and lighten if hormone and hair treatments are used at the same time. Excess body weight, probably carried centrally - small bum, skinny legs and big round belly, is caused by Insulin Resistance which prevents you from using and causes you to store too much of the energy you consume, Metformin deals with this and then the band will give you the best help to get rid of the excess weight you have probably amassed throughout the years. Both Hashimotos and PCOS are autoimmune type conditions. Auto Immunes tend to run in packs!! Most people that are diagnosed with one have or end up with more than one. Good luck with your decision and journey. I would say that the band in conjunction with Thyroid treatment and PCOS management will take you where you want to be. I'll see you when you get there :-)

I have been dealing with my weight problem pretty much my entire life. I am a 30 year old man. I have been on this diet and that diet. Some with success and some not. I am currently at 476lbs and am starting to get physical problems. I want to beat this before it beats me. So I have taken the first step and told my physician I am considering the lapband. I have not had my appointment yet with the Bariatric office. I recently found this site and have been reading. I am already feeling scared and apprehensive. Lots of negative reading and horror stuff. Q1- Can anyone that has had the ideal surgery and success give me an overview of what to expect? Q2- What are the rules? What will I never be able to eat? What will I never be able to do? Q3- Do you have any regrets? Q4- What is the financial impact after the surgery? Groceries, supplements, etc.? Thanks to whomever answers. I need to do something life changing before there is no life left and anything is going to be scary. Thanks

Hi, can anyone give me any advice on living with the heliogast band??? I have only had one adjustment, but finding that weight loss isn't happening!!!! Please can anyone help/advise me?? Justine

Thanks. I guess I was just wondering if I am losing fast now even with no fill, will it keep going like this. I guess there really isn't any 1 answer to this question. I was hoping that the weight I lose in the first month might be a sign of how things will be in the coming months. Thanks again

On my liquid phase I lost about 16 pounds. I'm on my 3rd week (mushy foods) and after going from the liquid stage to the mushy foods I went up about 4 pounds. On liquids I was on about 300 to 400 calories a day to now about 700 - 1,000 per day. Why the weight gain if the calories are still low (under 1200)? When does the weight start coming off at a normal rate of 1 to 2 pounds a week? Once I start regular food and go to maybe 1200 will I gain all my weight back? Please let me know if this is typical in the beginning? Thanks,