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For so many misinformed years I thought that surgery was the easy way out. How wrong was I? I am working so hard to make sure I am hydrated enough, getting in all of the supplements and getting out for walks. What I have learned is that, it takes a lot of planning and effort to be successful which is certainly not easy. Day 7 post op today. I am feeling pretty good. I also had my gallbladder removed during surgery and the largest incision site is still pretty sore. Mostly due to a couple vomiting episodes and a coughing fit I had . The other ones don't bother me at all I have a total of 8. I have only taken a half dose of the pain medication. My post op diet is a sugar free clear liquid diet, no protein shakes until day 8 and this is until week 4. I was feeling pretty weak so I added regular juice and Gatorade I will stop it once I start protein shakes tomorrow. I can't wait. It blows my mind that I am excited for a protein shake. Thus far, I am not feeling any hunger which I hope sticks around. Pre op I always felt hungry and was constantly thinking about food. My starting weight was 278. My weight the date of surgery was 250. My weight today......drumroll please.........239!!! Looking at 239 on the screen is unreal, I can't remember the last time I weighed that. I love my sleeve!!!!!

Well, I am going to attempt this again. 2 nights ago I sat down and typed our a great story of my journey thus far and somehow clicked on something and the whole thing was gone. Hopefully it works better this time.... I was officially banded on Dec 5th and today is Dec. 14th. As of yesterday, I had lost 30 pounds!! I started my 2 week preop diet and was very strick. I only ate one meal a day, and it consisted of protein and veggies. On the day of my surgery, I had lost 23 pounds in 2 weeks. I honestly don't think that I have ever done that before in my life. What a great way to start this adventure. Since the surgery, I have been eating clear liquids like I was told, and then on Sunday, I could not take it any longer, I had to eat something so I ate some Tomato Basil soup from Panera...and it was maybe the best thing that has ever crossed my lips. Since then, I've been eating soup..after soup...after soup. Carb filled soup!! So today I've actually gained a couple of pounds back and I'm not very pleased. I'm ready to be able to eat meat so that I don't have to eat carbs. Don't get me wrong, if I had it my way, I would be one of those people that could eat mashed potatoes with a side of french fries and a baked potato on this side and still lose weight, but that is not me. I have to stay away from carbs in order to lose weight. I think I am going to try to just eat tuna for the rest of the week. Wish me luck! As far as my journey, I've been curious about weight loss surgery for a few years. It is honestly something that I never thought I would go through with. I figured that it would be way to expensive for the most part. I used that and many other excuses to keep myself from ever looking into it. About 9 months ago, I spoke to one of my junior high teachers that I have remained very close to. She had the procedure done and was very pleased with it. She told me that her insurance covered the cost of it (after a battle). Finally in November, I decided that enough was enough. I was tired of being tired....my knees were starting to hurt...I had to get a CPAP machine because of my sleep apnea and most of all, I just didn't fill comfortable in my own skin (and fat suit) anymore. I strive everyday to be the best I can be at work and in my personal life, but I was missing out on so much because I wasn't being the best I could be to anything by not taking care of my health. I finally got up the nerve to make an appointment and meet with a Patient Advocate. During our meeting, I found out that my insurance would not cover the cost of the surgery, which I expected, but was still a little bummed out by. My Patient Advocate suggested that I get tested for a hiatal hernia, based on some of the symptoms that I had described. So I scheduled myself for a (insert medical terminology here) procedure for 2 weeks later. I ended up having a hiatal hernia, and it actually worked in my favor. My insurance covered the cost of my hiatal hernia repair, so I only had to pay for the portion of the surgery devoted to my lap band. In all it ended up saving me about $4,000. So here I am today, writing my first blog (again), and very excited about my future. I'm already ready for my first fill, and I hope that my doctor is a little agressive with it. I'm ready to drop some pounds! I actually went Christmas shopping on Sunday and decided to buy myself a shirt as well. I went down a shirt size, from a 3xlt, to a 2xlt. I'm 6'2 and have a long torso, so the T is not going anywhere, but was so excited to go down a size. I'm so excited to have a place to get advice and to be able to learn from others. Hopefully, someone will be inspired by my journey as well. Until next time....

Very inspiring!! congrats

I hate diets! And yet it seems like I've dieted for my entire life. My entire 29 years of life! At my heaviest I was 220lbs. I'm only 5'4 so I was quite a butter ball! I went on the prescription Phentermine in 2008 while at my very biggest. I lost 47lbs. in about 6 months taking me down to 173lbs. And then I had to quit taking the prescription, partly because I got the flu and also because it's unrealistic to think after six months the drug will have the same affect it did on day one. It doesn't. Not to mention the awful side effects! Jitters, cotton mouth, extreme irritability, constipation, sleep apnea...just to name a few. But what I loved about that drug was that for the first time in my life, I was losing weight without dieting! I ate whatever I wanted but very small portions. It was so great to be able to eat what everyone else was eating and never feel deprived and never feel the need to rebel! It also gave me a huge amount of energy, so I was working out almost every day. But when I stopped taking the Phentermine, the weight slowly but surely crept back on...like it always does...I mean, did! I had looked into the Lap Band surgery years before Phentermine but never really had the nerve or the pounds to get it done. Years ago you had to be at least 100 pounds over weight. Today you only have to be at least 50 pounds over weight. As the weight started to creep back on, I knew I had to do something! I felt like I needed something like Phentermine but better and that was for life! And that's exactly what Lap Band has been for me...my no dieting weight loss plan! This hasn't been a cake walk, but it has been relatively effortless so far! Notice I said "so far". On my surgery day, 7/8/2011, I was 208lbs.Today, 12/13/2011, I am 177lbs so in 5 months, I'm down 31lbs. So I'm still over weight, but I sure look a lot better! I've had 3 fills in all and I think I will stay with only three. I feel good where it's at. I'm pretty tight, but not too tight. It's been a slow process. And I realize if I worked out it would be quicker but I've actually not worked out for a reason...not that I would recommend it. I also DO NOT diet!!! If I have fast food, I might have a couple chicken fingers or part of a cheeseburger. Sometimes I have a grilled chicken salad. I eat whatever I'm in the mood for, but I eat small portions. Now I realize that I may not be able to keep this up. My goal weight is around 125-135. And fried chicken and burgers probably won't take me to my goal. So when I begin to plateu from just calorie restriction alone, my plan is to start the exercise. Please don't get me wrong, I do eat very decent. And have also found that veggies actually are easier for me to eat than any other foods. But I am by no means on a strict diet plan or ANY diet plan for that matter! The month before my surgery I went crazy eating, as though I would never be able to eat any "bad" food after my surgery and that is not the case at all! I have everything and anything I want. The band had just taken my "want" away. I explained it to my mom and sister like this, "Before the Band, my stomach was a bottomless pit,my appetite was huge! With the Band my stomach is a very shallow pit and my appetite is tiny." So life really is pretty good! I'm finally seeing progress, getting compliments from others, feeling so much more confident in myself and also realizing that success is actually within my reach! I'm actually going to achieve my goals this time! I asked my doctor, "About how much weight can a person like me,who wants to lose 80 pounds, lose with the band?" He said, " The band will give you about 40 pounds, the rest is up to you." That's fair. I can meet my band half way. So far it's given me an easy 31lbs. It's about to be my turn to take myself the rest of the way!

I highly suggest you look at Visalus Shakes. It is called Body by Vi. You can order it on the internet or find a local dealer. They taste good.. 50.00 for a two week supply in one bag. My pre op does not call for all liquid, just the post op.. I get banded 12/20/2011/ Can not wait. super excited.

I haven't been around the site much lately but I just felt like posting today.. It's my 1 year bandeversary, although I am not where I wanted to be at this point (I had much higher expectations but was unable to live up to them)... Who was I kidding thinking that being banded was going to turn me into Jane Fonda or Denise Austin?? yeah ok, I don't think so, I know me better than that.. But anyway so far so good, I really can't complain. I wouldn't be where I am today without the help of my band, and of course some determination on my part and the support of my super amazing boyfriend, his family and my bestgirlfriends. I had so hoped to be 100lbs down in my first year, but knowing now what I didn't know before is that it just isn't realistic for all of us. We lose what we lose, Every Body is different. I can't beat myself up or cry about it, it's partially me (partially my PCOS). I know I didn't workout enough, I wasn't as strict with my food as I should have been. But I chose that route because working out like a maniac and eating like a rabbit was never, and will never, be a lasting thing for me. It's what got me to the weight of 309lbs. For me it was always that old song and dance of losing and gaining more than I lost in the first place, time and time again. Being too strict inevitibly caused me to fail over and over because it never lasted, and I was so afraid it would happen again and I'd truely be a failure with a $25,000 band in my belly, and a lump of embarrassment and devastation in my throat. I still worry that I may fail, I have good days and bad days, who am I kidding I have good weeks and bad weeks, but I can't give up on this... I won't give up on this. So anyway, I've done everything in moderation, my eating, workingout, and my indulging with the penalty of losing slowly, but so what, I'm still losing and I'll take that. When I really sit and reflect and I notice the little changes, I'm so amazed with myself, smaller clothes, I can feel bones, wait I have bones? lol, yeah I do, and it's so awesome to finally meet them.. I can cross my legs, I don't huff and puff walking up stairs.. my sex life (hehehe).. the list goes on and on.. and to think this is only the begining, I still have a ways to go.. I'm still so excited for what my future holds. A future, before surgery I didn't see one, I didn't want to. Now I see the possiblities and I finally see how wonderful life is/can/and will be.. For the first time in my life my weight isn't weighing me down, I'm not a prisioner to it anymore. I actually allow myself to live, whereas before I avoided most social situations by staying home and burying my face in bag of McDonalds or a pizza or whatever else I could shovel in til' it hurt and I fell asleep.. I don't know who I'm writing this for, maybe just for me because who can I really say these things to? Who would really truely get it, or want to listen? Only other banders, maybe.. Or maybe I'm writing this because there's someone out there like me that just needs to hear this and know that they aren't alone.. I don't know.. If anything I say helps or touches one person I'd be happy. Thanks for listening and good luck to every single one of you.. Remember to Never give up on yourself, no matter how helpless things get.. We can do this..

all i can say is WOW! i just got banded this morning, and i hope i look half as good as you do in 8 months ! congrats!!

Great news, tomorrow we are to have our Christmas luncheon. There will be some seviche there so that;s what I will have. It's white fish with lime and onions etc so no carbs or oil. I think I'll have to give up two shakes for it. I hope it will kick start me again to loosing a few more lbs. before Monday the preop appointment.

Congrats! I was just banded last week so am also a December bandster! We can all go through it together. I have already had some of the bandsters here talk me down from the food ledge on day 3 - it was tough! It gets easier as you can add back in the "mushy" foods or "mushies" as they call them here. So far I am experiencing a lot of restriction so that makes me feel good. I have lost right at 17 lbs since the pre-op diet and surgery. I had NONE of the scary pain, soreness, etc. Very little pain at all - I took 2 pain pills the 1st day post-op, 1 the 2nd day and none since. I'm looking forward to being on this site to get great advice, give my own and support each other through this journey. My family and friends are extrememly supportive and want to help but I also need help from those that have actually gone through it. I'm the 1st in my circle to get banded Hope to "see" you on here often and let's lose this weight!

They say that the carbonation in soda can make your pouch expand and cause your band to slip. Also, I don't know about you, but before surgery I know that if I drank soda, I could always eat more. If I was eating junk food and drinking soda, I could eat and eat and eat, but if I tried it without soda, not only did I not really want as much, but I got full faster. Soda is SO bad for you...they've done studies, and the stuff can melt metal if it's left sitting in it for a long time..especially coke. anyway, I loved diet soda but I've given it up..it's not worth it to me. I drink LOTS of water, sometimes I drink apple juice, but mostly water. I stay away from sugar free stuff. Just another chemical your body can't recognize...I've read that it actually makes you GAIN weight because your body doesn't know what to do with it. Water, juice once in a while, lots of coffee, tea, and iced tea. I love hot drinks.