FLORIDAYS

Congrats! What a great feeling! I too lost over the weekend. I am one pound from my original goal and 11 from my stretch goal!

Just one piece of advice? No can do....LOL But I can tell you the things I did besides have a I will not fail attitude.....which i think promoted my sucess. See your Dr every month, follow his advice to a T and get fills as needed Track your portions and calories. Do not deviate from the amount of calories you are allowed to have on a daily basis. Do not cheat on your diet... and I believe it is a diet ... granted its easier with the band but nevertheless its a diet..... until you are at goal at which time the band becomes a tool for maintainience.

welcome Lizzy! This is a wonderful venue for motivation, support and random entertainment. Let us know if we can help you!

I am so jealous.... but honestly... It was worth every penny and then some.

I am having a tt and boob lift... its about 12k but they will be done together. My Dr wont do my thighs... he said its medically too risky so I am walking alot. LOL And my arms... I think I can live with them too. They say thats a long recovery time.

It depends on the airline. I fly several times a year for work and numerous times for pleasure. When I was 377 lbs fat I only was told I would need to buy another seat one time. That was on a Southwest flight. I had flown from home to San Diego with no issues. But on the return flight they told me I had to buy a 2nd seat. It was the most humiliating experience. I countered them by showing them my frequest flyer # and saying in so many words....I wasnt too fat to get to San Diego... why am I too fat to get home. They actually didnt end up charging me but did issue a 2nd ticket for me for free which reserved the seat next to me. That was in August 2010. That was almost the last shove I needed to get banded.

How many calories a day are you eating?

Obviously every Dr is different.. but for me it went like this. I was weighed, BMI measured, vitals taken. Then I met with the Dr and he spent about a half hour telling me about the procedure, how it works, the risks, what would happen next....what I must do to be successful and mostly an overall getting to know me type of visit. In my case I was comfortable with him immediatly. I had been to see another Dr and also went to a seminar for another.... I was pretty much sold on the procedures but not the Dr or office staff. But with the Dr I selected it was instant comfort!

Typical day of eating is: Bfast 1 scrambled egg, 1 pc whole wheat toast w/ fugar free jelly, 1 piece bacon Snack 2 oz applesauce or 6 oz V8 juice Lunch 3oz tuna mixed with no fat cesear dressing, 6 wheat thins, 1/2 c salad Snack if needed sugar free pudding cup or banana Dinner 3 oz broiled fish, 1/2 c veggies, 1/2 baked potato Snack skinny cow ice cream bar

I have Aetna. They didnt cover my band and they arent covering my tummy tuck or boob lift which I am having to get rid of the excess skin. I have lost 216 lbs. I suppose its up to each insurance company.

An 88 lb loss is wondeful! Why not focus on that instead of the 4 lbs you put on? The biggest question you need to ask is why dont you have any motivation? Once you have identified it you can get it back. Its just one meal at a time. You know this! I lost all mt weight without formal exercise so while its certainly important it isnt necessary to exercise to get back on track. might you need a fill?

I am not a Dr but from my experience I can tell you....The nasty mouth taste will go away. Chewing gum isnt recommended by my Dr for banded patients because if you accidentially swallow it it could wreck havoc in your stomach. Those dissolvable strips are better. Your BMs will return to normal once you start on the Protein shakes. In the meantime you can add a Fiber supplement which is taste free into your beverages and it should help.

To correct the rule breaking is easy. Get committed and put your head back in the game. Go back to basics... start tracking your food and measuring your portions. Decide on a calorie count which works for you and dont go over it. Its really that simple. For me to lose and average 2 lbs per week I did 1000 calories a day and limited myself to 3 oz of Protein, 1/2 c veggies and 1/4 startch at every meal. Discuss what works for you with your Dr or NUT and start with the next meal... Then do it for the next one and you will be on your way.

Thought it woul be fun to compare our losses to something other that lbs so it seems more real. For example a gallon of Water weighs about 8 lbs. my golden retriever weighs 70 lbs. my 18 month old granddaughter is 24 lbs.... So what have you lost? I weighed as much or more then most NFL players...that said I have lost 215 lbs.... the average weight of a Professional quarterback! How about you?

Good point. Not sure what stage she is on...

I was also a self pay. My dr put me thru the same steps as a insurance pay. I question why the rules would be different.

I could have written this. I ate fast food for lunch daily... Now I don't even crave it

It is completely a personal decision depending on how you feel. For me it was 3 days befor ei ventured out. I was back to work 5 days out for 1/2 days then full time on day 7.

Psst......Creamy Soup isn't a clear liquid. The clear liquid goes quickly..I know it's hard but maybe try the Popsicles.... The saved my live and I am not a Popsicle person either.

My dr said no to alka seltzer when I asked him once

I wasn't made to quit so I didn't..I am not a heavy smoker which may be the reason my dr didn't tell me to quit.. I had a successful surgery and excellent recovery. However make sure you disclose this to your anesthesiologist. It's very important he or she knows. Of course your dr might make you quit and actually refuse surgery if you don't. My suggestion is to speak to him about it. Quitting is next on my list.....

These are wonderful accomplishments! I love reading the comparisons.

My dr made me promise to avoid carbonation at all costs. No exceptions....so no I haven't enjoyed my beloved diet coke in 2 years. However he did say I could drink flat soda... Which I tried and it was awful in my opinion. Others may disagree.

I do it all the time. On my avatar the black dress was 205. The green top was 377. On my profile is a pic of 162.... And I still have a hard time seeing the difference. I think it's pretty normal especially when you have a lot of weight to lose. BTW.,,, I see a difference in you tummy, face and thighs ! Congrats

I have been stuck... But I never felt like I was going to die. That was my only point. I cannot measure others pain or trauma. I was merely pointing out I didn't think you could die from it.