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Hello! I am trying to figure out this forum and how it all works so bear with me! I was banded Friday, Dec. 3rd and have about 85 lbs. to lose. Diabetes runs in my family and I felt like a time bomb and have never been able to keep the weight off. It just crept up and up. I am very active and want to be able to exercise without the aches and pains. I am 5' 10" and 55 years old. I would like to stay in touch with those of a similar situation. I had a great experience so far and had my band done as an out pt. procedure. I was out at SAM's the very next morning and haven't had alot of pain. Today I did laundry and walked at the mall. I plan to return towork for awhile on Monday. I was fortunate to also have had it done laproscopically and had a great surgeon, Dr. David Provost. All I can say is so far so good!

I posted this as my status today: "This journey, regardless of how much or how little support we have, is an individual one. No one else can lose the weight for you. Take the encouragement, the support, the good w/the bad and separate the meat from the bones... and ultimately do what works and what's best for you! That is always a key in success!" How does this tie in to honesty? Well, I'll tell you. I've noticed, not only in the few short days I've been banded, but in the entire time I've been researching lap band, that everyone has advice to give. We all want the keys to success; what it took for others to lose the weight; the exercises and the food they ate. But the truth is, what works for one won't always work for everyone else. Not everyone gained the weight because they've over eaten or because they're lazy. Just like everyone has their own reasons for gaining the weight, everyone will have their own means of losing it, even if we are all using the same tool. Encouragement and advice are great and I know we all have a lot to learn on this journey, but it starts with being honest with ourselves. We were honest (or vain) enough to realize we needed the lap band and now it's about being honest enough to admit our limitations and strongholds. Food is an addiction that we're trying to kick (we know that), but my food addiction isn't yours. My habits are not yours, and I have to be real enough with myself to understand that if I'm going to succeed, I have to do what is going to work for me.. and you need to do what will work for you. This starts with listening to your surgical team, dietician, nutritionist, etc. If there's one thing that remains consistent in all of the advice I've received from successful lap banders, it would be, "If you follow the rules, you'll lose the weight." Not just the universal lap band rules, but those set forth for your individual program, for your individual needs. One of the dangers of trying to follow the regimen of someone else is that you may not be able to live up to it, because it's not tailor made for you. And on this journey, that is one thing I think is definitely a plus; the capability to contour the band to work for YOU! Remember that there are people that have health issues and co-morbidities that may affect their regimen. Don't waste time trying to compare yourself to everyone else, do what works for you! We all want to be successful.. get this weight off and strut our stuff! Be healthier...be happier! For me, it's starts with doing what works for me and building from there! =) O well, that's enough ranting for now. Just had a few things on my mind I wanted to share. All the best!! -Mary-

Im sorry to hear that hope all gets better. Thats exactly why I dont understand people when they say my doctor said not to drink soda but can I. He said to not drink alcohol can I? He said not to do this or that can I? If he said not to do it then dont test your band. Its for a reason people. No one realizes also when you over eat you are forcing the band into the wall of the stomach which equals erosion. If he tells you drink decaf then do it. I dont miss coffee, alcohol, or soda. You have to learn its not about what you want but what is best for you. We all need to take a lesson from this and do what the doctor says to do and not ask everyone if its okay to do this or that when your doctor told you not tooooooooooooooo

At the beginning of my journey my BMI was 47.4 - as of today, 3 weeks later - it is 44.5!! This is a great NSV for me!!!! I want to be healthy and live long enough to aggravate my children's children

Good luck you can do it!!!!

Hi everyone, I was banded 10/11/11. I just had my 2nd fill yesterday and have lost 35 lbs. I really messed up around Thanksgiving, ate too much of the wrong things. Then going out with co-workers at lunch just to get out of the office, and the first fill didn't last very long, and I was so hungry. I'm hoping this fill will last longer and will help me get back on track. I had bad news 11/2 - I was notified my job was being transferred overseas, but will still work through 12/30. After about a week, I stopped exercising and that mood lasted for about a month. Yesterday when I went in for my 2nd fill, I had only lost 3 lbs since the month before. At least it's in the right direction, but I know I can do better. So I just need to get back on track. I'm so glad I found this site! I think the journey will be much easier with support from other bandsters.

GREAT advice. Thank you for posting! I think a lot of people are searching searching searching for answers is a fear of failure. Looking for ways to guarantee we won't fail. But you answered it: listening and following the instructions of the surgical team and doing the work required of us is a good recipe for success no matter where we're coming from.

Go over there and bring muffins...shameless I know but its guaranteed to work!

This is great...I got yelled out for going in the staff entrance of an office at school yesterday...She thought I was a student. I really had to laugh at that one, especially beings I have been working there for 7 years!

What you need is definitely a tummy tuck and not liposuction. I'm having mine done next week and I couldn't be more excited!!