Ok i am 426 pounds i started last year at 467 and i am slowly loosing weight but i am encountering an issue. I have constant back pain because i have this roll of fat around my mid section i have no problem walking or anything it just this roll of fat makes my back hurt incredibly bad to the point i ball up and cry in pain. I went to to medical center and they examined the roll and they said their is no muscle and there is no toning you can do to it to make it go away and the reason why i feel like I am being pulled in half is because of that roll of fat . I dont know what that means. does that mean i should get the roll removed? is that even possible? I dont know I am just tired of hurting and i want to workout and walk and what not i just dont want to bein in pain while doing it. I have tried water aerobics and i discovered i am allergic to pool water. So what do i do about this roll ? How would i get this removed if that is even possible?

Have you thought of weightloss surgery?

i have actually and my insurance company does not back bariatirc surgery at all so the other opiton i have is out of the country and my mom ( i am only 22) does not want me to leave the country to have surgery.but i am trying to get a list of options i can do for weight loss.  I am allready dieting ( i did not eat unhealthy before i started dieting but now  i am on a strictct diet counting calories make sure i drink lots of water taking vitamins) and over eating is not my problem.  i dunno i guess i just want this roll to be gone so i wont be in pain so i can work out.

Have you had wls surgery or are you  just dieting?  You need to talk to a specialist; if there is an urgent need to have it removed because it's affecting you that badly, then your doctor should be trying to advocate on your behalf to the insurance company.

Have you tried wearing some kind of binder around your middle; that might help with the pulling....

Watching and counting calories are good things to do, but you might want to join fitday.com or something where you can track proteins, carbs, fats, sugars; none of us got heavy by eating healthy foods, so by journalling what you eat you will know where you are really making the right or wrong decisions.  Likely, there are too many carbs passing your lips.  It's really important for most people to realize that pre-packaged foods  - boxes of crackers, cereal, etc., and white carbs - bread, rice, potatoes, chips, cookies, etc. are full of poisons that we don't need...the poisons are sugar, processed flour, etc.  So, journal what you are eating and watch the pie charts that break down into carbs proteins, fats, sugars and you will probably be amazed what you are really eating.....

No weight loss surgery and I also am apart of health and nutrition group thats local in my area.  I have a very controlled diet that exclude prepackaged foods and processed foods among other things. Originally I was surprised the food that are considered healthy really have a lot of hidden sugar and carbs in it . Buts its easier oce you know what to eat and how to eat. Thank you for tips though.

Sounds like you are doing all the right things!  Good luck to you; I hope you are successful in your journey.

Wow!  Sounds like Mom needs some education in surgery in Mexico.  I've done it twice. ;o)  Once for a band (big mistake) and once for a revision to a sleeve.  Now, I live here.  Dr. Aceves and Dr. Arellano did my surgeries and today I work for Dr. Arellano.  So a little education goes a very long way with medical tourism.

I do cannot suggest Alvarez but for DS - while my surgeon does DS I still suggest people go to Ungson.  For a sleeve, Arellano.  All the experience of Aceves for far less money.  (They did all surgeries together, many many thousands of WLS) and great stats.

Just because you have surgery in the US does not mean you are gettting a good surgeon and hospital and just because you go to MX does not mean a bad surgeon or hospital.

My blog shows how to research MX and US surgeons.  Just do it, you'll be shocked at the difference, you get your life back.

I'm sorry you're dealing with that.  I have back problems too and it's terrible.  And I'm sorry your insurance company won't cover WLS.

I have a couple of ideas.  You'll have to think about which ones might work best for you.

One thought is to do more research about having WLS in Mexico.  You might find it's safer than your mom thinks, and she could even go with you.  Look up Dr. Aceves, he is pretty well known and supposed to be very good.

Even if you can work it out to have WLS, though, your back hurts now and it would take a while before you lost enough weight to help much, I bet.  Ask the doctor that told you the roll of fat is causing your pain if having it removed would be a good idea.  you could also talk to a plastic surgeon about it.  Insurance doesn't cover most plastic surgery, but they usually WILL cover stuff like this if you can document that it's causing a serious medical problem that cannot be treated another way.  Like, if you have tried medication and physical therapy and they didn't help, and your doctor has that documented in your chart, and your doctor says the best treatment would be plastic surgery, insurance would probably pay for it.  I'm not sure if removing it is a good option or not, but I would ask your doc about it.

Have you seen a physical therapist?  They might be able to show you some exercises you can do that don't hurt your back.

And I encourage you to stick to your diet plan.  I know it's terribly hard.  Post here for support.

I highly appreciate the support. I will look into doctor Aceves. I am glad you got my point that  it hurts now and wls will take time for the pain to ease . I know recovery would suck  but still  the back pain would *hopefully* alleviate it self.  I have not considered a physical therapist all my doctor says is you need to lose weight  and really does not talk about helping me. I am considering changing doctors. I will definitely stick with my diet plan its actually pretty good and I do not feel like I am missing  out on anything :)

Given your high BMI, I STRONGLY urge you to check out Dr. Ungson in Mexico, and the formof WLS called the Duodenal Switch. (I'm not certain if Dr. Aceves is doing the DS yet.) Add in the fact that your BMI is this high at the tender age of 22, and it's pretty clear that you have some metabolic problems, and the DS is the form of WLS that best addresses metabolism, permanently.

I really can't advise you about this roll on your back---I just don't know enough about your particular problem. But I can tell you that when I had my DS 8 years ago, I went in practically confined to a wheelchair---and three months later I was working in my garden!

Thats the odd thing, my doctor never stopped to check if my metabolism was normal. I will hae to google Dr.Ungson. As far as additional information on the roll is that it circles my entire midsection and it feels like its pulling my backwards when I need to go forwards. So it makes me feel like it is ripping my spine apart and I would try to walk to the park and I end up at home with an Ice pack on my back because it is swollen.  Wow!  I am glad to hear your surgery went so successfully!

I had terrible back pain, too, except it was my big belly pulling me forward. Caused terrible muscle spasms in my back---I couldn't stand long enough to unload the dishwasher and put away the dishes without taking a sit-down or two.

 I am also considering WLS. Vertical sleeve to be specific. My sister had vertical sleeve with Dr. Alvaez in mexico six years ago. She lost 150 lbs and has kept it off.  Sounds like it may be an option for you. From what I understand VSG is a viable option as step one in a two step process. In fact, in some cases the second step (RNY) is avoided by VSG. The liason for Dr. Alvarez is Susan. You may see her on YouTube speaking about her own weight loss journey prior to speaking with her (she also had VSG six years ago).  I think the cost to go to Dr. Alvarz is $8,700. I don't understand why your insurance does not cover WLS for the SMO!
I am considering VSG here in the states. However, I know several folks personally that have had a great experience with Dr. Alvarez.

RNY is not the second step of VSG. The VSG is a completely different stomach configuration where most of your stomach is permanently removed, whereas none is removed with the RNY. I think you mean to say that the VSG can be done as the first part of the DS, though having it done in two stages is not advocated unless there is a medical need to separate it into two proedures.

I do not recommend Dr. Alvarez, I have heard mixed things about him. The only doctor in Mexico capable of the DS is Dr. Ungson who has an excellent reputation. However, before considering Mexico, I urge to consider appealing your insurance regarding bariatric coverage.

Were you worked on by Dr. Ungson?

Not personally no, my DS was paid for by the provincial health insurance in Ontario and performed by a surgeon here. Amongst the many DSers I know, I know they uniformly recommend Ungson as the only legitimate choice in Mexico for DS. I know Dr. Aceves is currently learning the DS from Dr. Ungson and he also has an excellent reputation, but I don't believe he is performing them on his own yet. Other Mexican surgeons claiming to do the DS often don't actually perform a full DS, or their patients have serious and frequent complications. It is not worth the risk to your health to save a bit of cash.

 I asked Dr. Aceves about the D/s when I was there, and he seemed to be very comfortable with it. I think he'll be adding it soon if he hasn't already.  

i wish I could afford 8,700. its kind of rough when your college kid trying to make that big of a leap. Let me know hw your journey goes

Having surgery in Mexico is a very good option for you.  But I'd also look into getting the roll removed. It sounds like it is medically nessissary.  Also, I lost a lot of weight on my pre-op diet by drinking Premiere Protein Shakes.  That is all I was allowed to drink, but in your case, you could use it as a meal replacement for breakfast and lunch and then just have a light dinner.

Thats what I was thinking about it being necessarry, but I am concerned that the roll will be gone ( it is huge) and my thighs and arms looking big  and my stomach would be unproportional with the rest. I dont know its all confusing.but i am glad i am getting useful information from people.
Hmmm my brother was telling me about that because he notices that I do not eat that much really. Do you have any protein shakes you reccommend?