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After various seminars, a bit of resistance on my side, and the scale going up...I committed to finally take control. I live on Long Island and found a surgeon and program that is perfect for me. It's taken three solid months of doctors, tests, and follow-ups but I am scheduled for April 14. The ONLY thing that stands in my way is that I did not yet lose the requested 30 lbs. I'm down 10 and have only a week & a half. If my surgeon who I see on 4/9 tells me to post-pone for more weight loss, then I will do so. he is a very cautious doctor and that's why I chose him. Either way I'm on my way to a better life. I've been on liquids for nearly two weeks and I'm already feeling more energetic. That's my short story and looking forward to finding support with this group. Kas-e

I am scheduled for surgery on October 28. I'm self pay (in US, not in Mexico) and have my second appointment with my surgeon in a few days. The problem is that I have been gorging on food because I feel like I'm saying goodbye to a lifelong friend and habit. I'm so ashamed that I've gained at least 5 pounds and maybe more in a month and feel like the surgeon is going to be upset. Did any of you have any weight gain in the weeks before you started your pre-op diet?

Hi my name is Anica I have been having weight problem since high school. The older I am getting it is harder to lose weight the traditional way. I work out 3-4 time a week and watch what I eat. Still the weight doesn't come off. I have tried weight watcher, paleo, doctor approve weight loss program, and evening juicing. Nothing has work may have lose 10lbs and then gain it all back and even more. 2011 I wanted the weight loss surgery so I schedule an appt. to find out that the insurance I had didn't cover it so I cancelled the surgery. As of Jan 1, 2014 the insurance I have now covers it so I made up in my mind that I will get the surgery to help me with the weight loss. I am using this as a tool knowing I will need to work to keep it off. When I tell people how much I way they look at me like I am joking because I don't look like I am that big, but the scale says I am. I am in a size 18 some 16 depending on how it is maded. The doctor I am using I have heard great things about. I already did the seminar online and pass the test that is at the end of the seminar. I had file out paper work online which ask question like how long have you been over weight and what type of plan have you been on to lose weight. Also asked about the insurance once I done this about two day later I received a call from the office stating they called the insurance company and got approved that this was a cover surgery. I got so excited. My consulation is Feb 13, 2014 for the sleeve. Once I go for all the other preop stuff. I can have a surgery date sometime in the end of March. While I am waiting I am still going to watch the things I eat and still do my workout.

Its weird how when you lose weight you evoke such emotions in people.. most are delighted for you especially if you haven't seen them for a while. I've been 'dieting' for over 20 yrs, never reached my goal (not yet anyway!!) I lost 56lbs 3 yrs ago for our wedding and regained at least 28lbs.... Anyway.... we were out socialising with a neighbour last week who commented on my weightloss and said how great i looked, don't lose too much etc..... We also saw her last night, and boy did I suffer at her tongue. We've been invited as part of a party for a paella.... I accepted the invitation from the host saying we'd love to come but at the moment I am on a liquid diet to kickstart my weight loss again ( I'm not telling them about the surgery.....). The host replied she could do me a salad..... I politely declined saying no, honestly don't worry about me, I'd love to come but I'll sort myself out before we arrive and hubby would love the paella. Word has got round to the other woman who is going (as it does!) and she laid into me last night saying I was crazy being on a liquid diet... why did I want to lose any more.... I gave her my practised speech about the fact I'd like to be at the higher end of my recommended BMI of 147lbs. Also if I get there my husband added in an incentive that he would give up smoking. ( I actually want to get to 140lbs but wasn't telling her that) She replied well you'll never get there, she was 5ft 10 and wasn't 147lbs so how did I think I was getting there. (Shes not overweight IMO). I said well I've battled with my weight for the past 20 yrs... she said well if its not worked then why will it work this time.....(in a really bitter sort of way) She then started to go onto the fact I have a lovely face (WHY is that ALWAYS the pity comment they give...???) and then luckily we were interrupted by someone else which diffused it... but I was getting SO angry with her. The good news (?!) is that she said, don't worry we can finish the conversation on Tuesday when we meet up for Paella........ OH JOY!! The long and short of it kinda sums up why I'm not telling people about my decision for having the surgery.... most people just don't get it. Unless you've struggled with your weight, been bullied etc thru the years then you cannot grasp how desperatly unhappy it makes you inside. They don't see 'fat ' people as having problems, they see them as greedy. They don't realise there are eating disorders which make you over weight... they only know about the 'slim' ones..... I can tell I'm in for an emotional time when we do meet up, andthat I will tell her to butt out if she gets to me too much, its my life and my decision to lose the weight, if I'm not happy with myself then I have the right to do whatever I want to make me happy. What else is strange is that her husband told me I look 10 yrs younger already!! Phew.... sorry for the long post but it insensed me that she was really having a go at me for what she thought was fad dieting.... blimey if only she knew the truth I'd be hung, drawn and quartered over it!! Kathy

I start my pre-op diet today. Technically I am suppose to start it tomorrow. I prepped a thermos of broth to bring to work with me, I have premier Protein shakes, sugar free Jello and Crystal Light. I can and will do this! Surgery is next week. I can't believe that it is finally here. I'm afraid that I am going to turn into an emotional mess and scared for the people around me! LOL. Every statement I make will come with a disclaimer, I am on a liquid diet this week so this may hurt, ........! Hopefully I won't be that bad but who knows.

ugh... i remember the pureed stage. that usually means baby food consistancy which usually means using a blender. the thought of eating pureed chicken or beef or veggies made me want to gag so i chose to extend my full liquids a week and skipped the pureed foods all together. i did 1 week Clear Liquids, 2 weeks full liquids, 1 week mushies... then had my first fill so had to go back to 1 day clear liquids, 1 day full liquids, 1 day mushy and FINALLY real food! it was a rough month but something i highly encourage everyone to follow right after surgery. cheat all you want before surgery but always follow the post-op instructions from your surgeon!!

Kind of depends on what the doctor has ordered. Mine had two weeks of mushies. The first was cottage cheese and ricotta, The second week I could add canned tuna and/or chicken. I would ask for clarification. As for week one I made an italian bake low/fat free cottage, ricotta, some parmesian, some smooth spagetti sause baked in the oven. In week two I could also add egg whites. I would make the eggwhites and and at the very end add fat free cottage cheese. So yummy. For canned chicken I added low fat laughing cow cheese (each wedge is 35 calories). Also because it's cheese you can heat it up in the microwave.

Yes, it is normal, both immediately after surgery, and during TOM. Many people retain fluids monthly, so that is why you may see slight stalls during PMS, that should resolve once your period starts.

Walk around ,don't stay in bed and you will feel better soon. My daughter was discharged from the hospital in 24 hours I had her walking for 20 minutes every day .in one week she was back in college her normal self. Two months later she has lost 60 pounds . You will be fine ,

Out of control! I was doing so good on my diet with the nutritionist, lost 23 pounds as of 2 weeks ago.. surgery is in 13 days and it seems my appetite is crazy.. I have the feeling Ill be gaining it back by the time surgery is here... Ugh I guess its Im in the state of mind of thinking well I can just have this one more time.. one more time.. one more time... HELP!

Liquid diet begins today. It seems so unreal that I'm having surgery in two weeks!

I was banded on 8/8/07 and did not suffer much. I am on my second week, and dr. said I could proceed with the next phase, eating creamy soups. I have not had problems swallowing and find it difficult to only eat 1/2 cup. I have eaten the whole can of soup - chunky soup. I process it fine, no problems there, but I am scared of what it might do to my pouch. Will eating a whole can of soup at two weeks post op expand my pouch? Is the expanding reversible by, let's say, eating only liquids again for a week? What can I do since 1/2 cup does not cut it for me?

I feel just how you described. I can eat scrambled eggs, and just about anything. I am hungry and tolerating this band really well. I just wanted some security in knowing I was not stretching my pouch by eating more than what is recommended, but I guess we all can eat and tolerate food differently. I am just one of those who can progress through faster. My husband was banded a week ago and he still has trouble swallowing water and broth - gets nauseus often. He has lost 24 lbs. since the liquid diet before the surgery and it's not a healthy loss. I, on the other hand, can eat more than allowed. I guess everyone's stomach is different. Thanks for your answer.

I can't believe it happened so fast. Paperwork was submitted on Monday (9/21) and Aetna called my doctor to tell them I was approved first thing this morning. I was told it would take 2-6 weeks for approval. I've got a EGD scheduled for Oct. 7th and my surgery is bright and early on Oct. 20th. Just about 3 weeks away. WOW! And as an extra bonus, I've already spent my deductible so everything else is free to me (as long as everyone is in network). This whole experience has been unexpected. I was laid off on April 15th. (I know - perfect day for that!) and then got a job a week later. I knew the benefits were way better than I've had before but I didn't expect WLS to be approved. This company is very pro-employee wellness. The job is 1/10th the stress I had before. I never thought that being laid off would be a good thing, but for once it was.

I just followed up with my doctor for my one week followup and to remove my staples. During surgery they did a hiatal hernia repair and a liver biospy as he did not like how the liver look. Now I already knew that I had fatty liver disease so that was not a suprise for him to due. But today he told me that he always looks inside the stomach that he removes and he found multiple polyps. He did have a biospy done and they were all benigned. Has any one else found out that they had stomach polyps after the surgery? I did just a little research after coming home and polyps are common but some lead to gastric cancer which is hard to detect as it most people think it is just a stomach ache. Holy crap, at least mine were benign but what a scary thought. As for the liver biospy, it was found to be hepitatis inflamed which is common in obese people even though we have never had any form of hepitatis. He did state that this is now a leading issue for overweight people leading to a liver transplant. The good news is because I did get sleeved, all stomach polyps have been removed, hernia has been repaired and the liver will improve as I lose weight. I have stopped my diabetic medication as my blood sugar levels have been in the normal range ever since the pre surgery liquid diet. This has been the smartest medical decision I have ever made and I wish I would had this done several years ago. But I am now sleeved and moving to a healthier me.

I'm heading to the hospital in 10 hours. Not looking forward to the coming week but it will get better after that. Good luck sleeve twins! See you on the losers bench!

Everything changed for me when I had my consultation. I got off soda, I bought all sugar free stuff, I eat 4 oz of food every three hours to get used to it, I chew and chew for practice, I've started not drinking while I eat and I'm doing 2 Protein shakes a day so it will be easier on my liquid diet. YOU have to decide to make the changes and start practicing them. WLS is just a tool to help you eat less. It's up to you to do the rest.

My surgery is June 7. Just a couple days away- yet feels like forever. Lol. Just got to do this final hoop and I'm ready to rock and roll!! 3 weeks for you- are you excited?

That will be tough. You should check with your surgeon....the first thing that comes to my mind is the weight lifting limitation...mine was no lifting of over than 10lbs for the first 4 weeks. Good luck!

How are all you "60 and Olders" doing? There hasn't been much activity here lately - just wondering how ya'll are? I am getting closer to my date (2/28) and am getting very excited. Even tho I read a lot of negative stories about people with bands who aren't having great sucess - I still believe I can make this work to my advantage. I believe I mentioned before that this is not the surgery I initially wanted - I wanted a gastric sleeve, based mainly on my Dr's recommendation due to some other issues I have, and truthfully if my insurance covered it that is what I would be doing. But I can only get the lapband covered with the insurance I have and I am not in a position to self-pay, so this is it for me. I plan to keep a positive attitude and work my band for all it's worth. Someone here mentioned having the date of their banding tattooed on their hand - I am considering the same (altho not on my hand!) because that date is going to be the beginning of a profound change in my life. I am also going to turn 60 exactly one month after my surgery and I like it that I am starting a whole new decade of my life with a whole new outlook and approach and a tool to help me achieve my goals. The most important goal I have going forward, aside from losing weight, is that I have been working my way to becoming vegan (have been a vegetarian for awhile now) and when I have my surgery, from that day forth that is the way I intend to live. I found a very good site that I visit daily for inpiration - it's www.bandedliving.com The two women who run the site have had great sucess with their bands and they are truly an inspiration to me. I believe that is what we need to do as we start/continue our journey with our bands - stay positive and inspired. Don't get me wrong - educating yourself about all aspects of the band is important - I have spent 7 months researching this and looking at it from all angles, the positive and the negative - but now that I know the negative I prefer to move on and surround myself with positive and inspirational people and stories to keep me going. I personally know a couple of people I work with who have had the band and not had much sucess with it - but I also see them raiding the candy jar in one of our co-worker's office, eating large amounts and eating & drinking things they shouldn't. So it's no wonder they are not having sucess. It's so important to remember that this is not a magic pill to cure our obesity but rather a tool to help us - but we must put forth the work and effort to make this work. Yes, there are some banders out there who want to go from the band to a bypass - but there are also by-passers who are now getting "banded over bypass" because their bypasses failed them! As I said, I wanted a sleeve and would go that route if I had the choice, but on the other hand, altho the band may make us have to work harder to lose than sleevers or bypassers, on another level you actually learn to control and discipline yourself in ways you don't have to do with the other surgeries. I can't help but think that's a GOOD thing! And we don't have those crazy side effects to deal with like hair loss and dumping syndrome. All I know is I am going ahead with my band surgery and I plan to give this my very best effort. If I happen to end up one of those people who don't get results despite my best efforts, I'll face that when/if it happens but atleast I'll know I gave it my best effort. Hope everyone of you out there are doing well - have a wonderful coming week!

been on the preop one week today ...only drinks no meals . not easy but will be worth it soon i hope...feel tired

Congrats to you! Just last week I too was able to move from the Women's World Section at the store to the regular misses. I was over the moon happy! Keep up the good work!

hi; I had to be on liquids for 2 weeks pre op and almost lost my mind and my cookies (pun intended)! I spoke with a bariatric nurse at the Cleve Clinic where I had my band put in and she said you can have creamed soups and yogurt. It isn't easy but it will pay off in the end because it gives you a mind set about a new way of eating. Keep up the good work, you will be happy you did. Jugazi:thumbup:

Hi, My surgery is on July 30 too. I'm a nervous wreck! I'm really struggling with the pre-surgery liquid diet and feel pretty depressed about it. I'm having the surgery to insure that my senior years won't be full of sickness and pain, but even that thought doesn't stop me from wanting to eat all the time. When I'm anxious, I eat, so this has been super hard. And its only day 3 of the diet! I actually had second thoughts about the surgery this morning when I was forcing myself to drink...I guess this is part of the process of preparing for what life will be like for 8 weeks post-op. And so the surgeon will know that I can comply with the diet. (OMG) I'm going to look at all of the pretty clothes in my closet I cannot wear anymore... Good Luck!

Can't believe my surgery date is coming so soon. I've been thinking of weight loss surgery for about 5 years now. I decided 2014 would be my year. I've done a three month health plan with my surgeon and dietician, as required by my health insurance. I was approved within days and received the call today for the 21st. For the past three months, I was expecting sometime in June, but feel excited, relieved and nervous that it is so soon. I've lost 34 lbs since Jan 7 and will try to lose about 5-7 more before surgery. My starting weight is about 450. I'm 6' and turning 30 in June. I'm nervous I won't be able to lose enough for it to even be noticeable. I'm trying not to worry, though. I know this is the best thing for me. I have not her choice. Anyone else in my weight range that can provide some insight? Thank you!