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I had my band "installed" in 2007 & lost 125 pounds. Like everyone I said "I'll never put it on again. In the meantime my husband of 48 years died..but I still held my own. Some weight came back but I stayed under 200 for several years. A year & a half ago my sister convinced me to go on match.com and I met a wonderful man to whom I been engaged for a year & a half- and then I was so happy that I started to eat again & gain weight! Just about six weeks ago I got enough nerve up to make an appt to see my surgeon - after 2 plus years. I thought he would be furious with me but I was wrong. I took the first steps of seeing the nutritionist and the psychologist and last Friday I got the first fill in over two years. 2 days of liquids then 2 days of soft and tomorrow regular food - but carefully measuring. My fiance is wonderfully encouraging and I have 9 lbs off already. I know it's only fluid but gone is gone and I'm on my way to 50 or 60 lbs - down from 230. I'm 75 years old - work full time - have a man who loves me for what I am - not what I look like and soon will have the body I want again. Wish me luck!

I weigh every single day and so that I can keep that accountability going. I also track all of my foods on myfitnesspal and go to the gym for 5-8 hours per week. Don't get discouraged and keep up the good work!

Nearly seven years for me with no major problems - my pouch has stretched out a very little bit which my doctor says is a fairly natural adaptation over time, but that if i respect my band it will serve me gor a long time to come. The scars do fade well but my port has always been visible. I had my band unfilled for most of last year and it was hrd work maintaining my weight. I dont think i would become obese again (with work) but maintaining a bmi of 20 wouldnt be easy. I have no plans to unfill -but i dont need to be tight to maintain either. I run about an hour a day and thats key. Personally, i wouldnt swap a bmi of 20 to settle for 32 or even 25, i love having gotten truly "thin"

Dropping-weight don't get to worked up on how fast you loose wt or that others maybe loosing faster. Everyone is different and lots of people don't really start dropping the real wt until after a few fills. If you listen to some of 3 + yrs people several say it took them several fills to really start loosing wt. just don't want u to get down on your self if and a big if you don't loose as fast as someone else. I've been at a plateau for awhile and knw it can be hard not get caught up on other wt lose.

Every morning and record weight every sunday morning. I got to 400lbs by not using the scales am not gonna go there again. Accountability keeps you on track...

You need to get your head around that this is a life change...it is the start of something so positive and so rewarding....The surgery is daunting and so is the recovery and life with the band is different but It is so overwhelmingly worth every second....I am different to alot of people I still eat little bits of what I enjoy (that the band is ok with) but my portions are so so so much smaller than they ever were, I try to get low fat versions of my fave foods.....I lived on potato and leek soup the first three weeks.....It was so filling. Remember that the first few months is more about caring for the band rather than losing weight!!! good luck I wish you both so much happiness for the future!!

I use a product called life shotz and its fantastic! It comes in single serve powder sticks and you mix it with water (it tastes like a fruity flintstone vitamin). Its the best vitamins/mineral in a drinkable form for us banders. Check out the website 21ten.com

I voted for you! Good luck!

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I have Tricare standard (North). If I look in the benefits section online, it said I had to complete a six month diet. But when I went to the doctor seminar, they said I didn't. I didn't want to take a chance of going through the process and getting to approval time for them (insurance) to say "now you need a 6 month diet". so i went ahead and saw my GP doctor monthly as I waited on my first appointment with the surgeon, through all the testing and dietian, psych appointments....that way when it was submitted for approval I already had complted 4 months of the diet. Worst case senerio I would be delayed 2 months. All this being said, tricare didn't require it and the doctors office was actually correct. I was worried because I am only 36 BMI but I do have 2 comorbidities.----I would suggest you call the insurance person at the surgeons office. They work with the insurance companies so much, they usually know what is expected.