TanksMama

I'm sure these questions have been answered but... I don't feel like searching. First let me say that I am not pregnant, me and my husband have been trying to convince for over three years. However, with my weight being at it was, I was not ovulating correctly. I have lost 50lbs and my fertility specialist says that I am ovulating regularly now, and can conceive at this point... at any time. I got the lap band 6 months ago. I am at a good fill, I can eat what I want...but I just eat about 1/4 of what I use to eat. I am starting to finally exercise and I am considered 'healthy'. I am no longer on any medication. My blood pressure is down and at a good range. with that being said... I had some questions. *Has anybody got pregnant this short into the lap band?* -Like I said, it has only been 6 months. I know that my research recommends a year after surgery, but if possible I do not want to wait *Does your band have to be completely 'open' while pregnancy?* -I know that my mother had me while she had her stomach stapled(which I know is a completely different surgery) but she couldn't get the right nutritions for me and I was born at only 3lbs. Can you keep a fill in the band while you are pregnant without hurting the baby? *Has anyone experienced a 'slip' while pregnant?* -While pregnant, a lot of women have morning sickness and vomit. I know that vomiting is a risk for a 'slip'. *Can the baby get tangled in the cord to the port?* *Women who HAVE HAD BABIES while on the lap band... did you lose your baby weight faster than someone who does not have a lap band?* And any other information would be greatly appreciated!!! THANK YOU!!!

Hello banders- Heres the deal...I got banded back in January of 2011. I have lost 40lbs...without doing anything. I seriously did not even change the way I eat-still mcdonadls, hot dogs, brats, fried chicken, etc. Which.. was pretty awesome, to be honest. I loved being able to go to the places i wanted to... and still lose weight... however, that has all ended now! LOL I am stuck. Which, I am taking full responsibility for, I guess that now I need to start actual watching what I eat. I am also starting an exercise program. with that in mind, I can take care of the Snacks, fruits, etc...however, I need some suggestions for I guess dinner food? Thing is, my husband is NOT A healthy eater. Infact, if it was up to him he would eat frozen pizza or hot dogs every night. Which, he's perfectly healthy. Little bastard is actually considered at the PERFECT weight, if not a LITTLE under for his height. And being in the air force he does PT every other day. with that being said, I obviously can no longer eat pizza and hot dogs. At the same time.. with the income we DON'T have i also can't buy us each two meals and make them. So I need some input on some frozen dinners that are good. I've seen lean cuisine...but is it any good? And what about the weight watchers meals?! input on both would be awesome, or another recommendation!!! thanks!

I basically just need to vent. And if anyone has encouraging advice, or is feeling the same way... all inputs are awesome! however, don't get snooty. This is a forum, and I am allowed to say what I want, so please for the sake of just being a decent person, don't put me down. -With that being said.. I feel like the band is disappointing. I have been heavy my whole life. I went from the chubby kid, to the overweight teen to the obese adult. My mother had always been heavy too, so back..many years ago she got her stomach stapled. She lost 117lbs in six months. She was so young (my age, 21) that she didn't even have any excess skin. So when I turned 21 I decided I was SICK of being the fat person in the room, so I got a appointment with a weight loss surgeon. He told me about the lap band. He said it was the best bet at my age, due to the possibility of having children. So, my surgery date was Jan 7th 2011. I did A LOT of research on the band, and realized that it really wasn't much like my mothers surgery. I just figured I would get it so tight that it would be like hers, and I would drop the weight off the same way she did. Yeeeeeah, not so much. I went from 306lbs to 266lbs. I am stuck. I can't seem to loose anymore weight. A couple months ago my band was WAY TOO tight and I got sick, so I got it unfilled...and have been scared to get it filled since then. I am what I think is a good fill, HOWEVER I can still eat a WHOLE double cheeseburger and a medium fry.(Yes, I do go to McDonald's every now and then, because I freakin' love food. Obviously) So, my doctor tells me last visit (after me not losing anything for three weeks) that I need to start calorie counting...... ....seriously?! Truth is, if I wanted to calorie count I would have NEVER gotten a surgery. If I wanted to calorie count... I would have NEVER gotten fat in the first place. Will power is something that I obviously don't have. And the exercise? Again; if I wanted to go to the gym i would have. I would not have spent the money and the recovery time on a surgery. Everyone says that "The Lap band is a TOOL"... my thought on that?! I did not want a HAMMER to start building a new house... I just wanted to move into a new house! Nobody wants to go to the gym when they are over weight. I don't know if you've ever drove by a bally's(where there is a HUGE front window and you can see all the people on the machines)...they all look like they could be modeling the equipment. And I know that you can exercise without a gym. But, I live in a state where it was 107 today, so... unless I want to have a stroke i am not gonna power walk. I actually feel a lot better now that i have gotten that WEIGHT (LOL) off my shoulders and vented! Again, i understand that some people may want to respond to this with 'Your STILL going to MCDONALDS, you DON'T exercise, no wonder your still fat!', but if you are going to reply... maybe reply in a nicer way than that?! I know it's hard to keep your thoughts under control when you hear/read something that just boggles your mind. I am VERY out spoken, so I know how it is. But... I feel like instead of being mean, I could use some encouragement.

This list is quite motivating. I hope others find it as true and slightly funny as I do! 100 Reasons... To lose 100 lbs 1. To feel good about ourselves. 2. To have GREAT sex! 3. So we won’t think people are laughing or talking about us. 4. To buy clothes in a “normal store” and actually get clothes with some style to them that fit correctly. 5. To have more energy! 6. To be able to tie your shoes/paint toenails. 7. To be able to sit on a floor and get up gracefully. 8. To wear a bathing suit. 9. To cross your legs or sit with them crossed. 10. To fit into an airline/theater/bus/whatever seat without spilling over and without having to see “that look” from the person who has to sit beside you. 11. So our ankles won’t swell. 12. To fit into a booth at any restaurant. 13. To not need an extension to a seat belt on an airplane and to have the tray table not balance on our bellies. 14. To not worry about being decapitated in our cars with our seat belts on if we should be in an accident. 15. To not turn beet red after moderate exertion. 16. To be able to pick something up off the floor. 17. Pantyhose that fit! 18. To go to an amusement park and ride the rides. 19. To be able to sit in any chair without worry of breakage. 20. To not have to apologize when caught in a narrow aisle and have someone need to get by. 21. To go dancing, sky diving, bungee jumping… 22. To be able to go horseback riding or ride a bike. 23. To not worry about rashes and sweating. 24. To not have to listen to “caring” people ask why you don’t diet or worse still to hear… “gee you have such a pretty face”. 25. To not worry about spilling food, sauces or gravy down the front of your blouse/dress/shirt when eating. 26. To not have to think up some excuse for not doing something because you know your weight will impede you. 27. To not have your belly hit the steering wheel and to be able to fit comfortably in the driver’s seat. 28. To have a bra fit comfortably and to be able to buy underwear at Victoria’s Secret rather than at “Tubby the Underwear Guy”. 29. To not have to worry about the weight limit of step stools, ladders, motorcycle, exercise equipment, etc. 30. To not get stuck in a turn style. 31. To not wake up feeling achy in the back..or to have ache free legs and feet. 32. So the bathroom scale won’t creak and groan when you step on it. 33. To be able to leave the tablecloth on the table at a restaurant instead of dragging it with you when you get up. 34. So you won't look the other way when you see yourself in a monitor where they have security cameras. 35. To never be embarrassed about your size. 36. To not count tying shoes as daily exercise. 37. To not have to wait for the handicap stall when there are plenty of other stalls available. 38. To not be more out of shape than seniors. 39. To not break toilet seat when leaning to one side. 40. To be able to put on wedding rings again. 41. To try to make a double chin and fail! 42. Buy clothing bargains to fit the next year ... and they do! 43. Not to have to worry about plastic zippers or having your pants bust open. 44. Normal waistbands rather than elastic! 45. To wear knee socks correctly instead of worn like slouches! 46. To look good in a tee shirt! 47. To try on slacks or jeans and have the pant leg actually fit over leg! 48. To be able to get close to sink and not come away with a wet belly! 49. To get out of a stuffed chair GRACEFULLY and not look down to see if the chair has come up with you! 50. To not worry if the hairdresser's smock will fit! 51. To not be self-conscious about eating in front of others! 52. To not be afraid to ask which hairstyle suits your face. 53. To not have people checking you out after looking in your grocery cart. 54. To not feel (and look) like a sausage in stirrup pants. 55. To have your friends NOT be embarrassed to be seen with you. 56. To get promotions/hired or close that sale. 57. Pants that stay up because your waist is smaller than your butt! 58. No more boobs! (this is for the guys!) 59. Wearing shorts or tank tops without fear of arrest or grossing out others! 60. To not have the fear of being rejected. 61. To successfully flirt! 62. To not worry about how to get in and out of the back seat in a two door car! 63. One size fits all and it fits you! 64. To have a lap. 65. To not have the car you are ride in slant in your direction. 66. To be able to use toilet paper as it was meant to be used and not to have to invent ways to "get the job done". 67. To not have to watch TV news reports on fat people in hopes that you haven't been caught on camera! 68. To be able to get between cars in a parking lot without wiping the dust off with your belly and your butt. 69. No more heat rashes and chafing in the upper thighs. 70. So that the cloth in the thigh area doesn't wear away long before the rest of the slacks do! 71. To meet a friend online and not be horrified to have to send a picture of yourself. 72. To not take fat references and fat jokes personally. 73. To know you can go anywhere because wherever you sit you CAN be comfortable and look at ease. 74. To shop at the mall and not have your back ache from lugging your huge butt and stomach around! 75. To be able to stand still, carrying nothing and still look poised. 76. To be able to cross your arms across your chest without them resting on your stomach! 77. To have your feet get smaller. 78. Using your mouth to taste and chew food rather than as just a route to get the food from your lips to your stomach. 79. Blood pressure returns to normal. 80. To avoid other health complications from being overweight. 81. To be able to borrow a co-worker's jacket for an important meeting. 82. To meet someone for the first time and their eyes don't pop out of their head with amazement...because they never knew you're fat! 83. To see your reflection in a mirror or store window without turning away! 84. To wear a watch with a regular length watch band. 85. To look in the mirror when getting your hair cut without thinking you have the biggest face in the world. 86. To not mind getting your picture taken. 87. To not avoid going to the doctor because you have to get "weighed" in. 88. To wake up each morning feeling energized and ready to go. 89. To not even worry about squeezing into small spaces. 90. To not have to enter an elevator and check the weight limit. 91. To look in your closet and have problems deciding which stylish outfit to work since you have so many that look good and fit well. 92. To not have to lie perfectly still in bed at night for fear of breaking the bed! 93. To buy tie shoes instead of slip ons! 94. To be able to walk any distance without looking for a bench to sit on. 95. To look forward to shopping and just trying on clothes! 96. To be able to drive by any fast food place without salivating! 97. To be able to shop at the same store for food instead of having to remember where you shopped last night for the junk food so you can avoid that store for a few days! 98. To not feel lower than low when an innocent child remarks about your size! 99. To not constantly be thinking of where your next morsel of food is coming from. 100. And the 100th reason to lose 100 pounds..... I'M WORTH IT!

YES!!! I have a quote by Steven Tyler(The singer in AeroSmith) on my fridge. It says "Nothing Tastes As Good As being Thin Feels" Thank you so much for the encouragement!!! I hope your son can find his way of getting healthier!!!

It's hard, because for me... and i'm sure a lot of people who are feeling the way we are... it's like for what I have lost, a surgery seems a bit extreme! I was pretty much the same kind of thinker a lot of people are ... that the band would just let the weight fall off of me, like my moms surgery did with her. However, I am now coming to grip with reality. And it kind of sucks. Because, I am exercising EVERY night... every night i burn AT LEAST 150 calories on the WII game, tonight I burned 400. I am watching my calorie intake... and since Tuesday I have lost 3lbs....and all of this I could have done without the surgery. I feel like that I have these UGLY scars now... for nothing! I am doing it all myself! You know, when I first started getting interested in weight loss surgery.. I want something more powerful. Gastric Bypass, stomach sleeve, but I went with the Lap Band because it had a better over all rating as far as health wise. It seemed like there where WAY Less complications, and between me and you... I didn't want to be pooping my pants, or throwing up every time i ate a bite too much like my mom did with her surgery.. With that being said; if some one told me 8 months ago when I was getting ready to get the lap band that today I would be sweating my ass off on wii games and eating brown rice and vegetables... I would have never gotten the lap band. But, as one poster said I can't change the past. So, I am a bander- and I think if anything it motivates me to lose the weight more, because I DID get the surgery... even though it's not helping me as much as I would like it to...I got it done, and if I'm going to have the scars than I am going to make it worth it. Also- on a side note, the Wii games are not just for people my age!!! I got my 55 year old aunt to get it, and she LOVES it. You put in YOUR information, what you want to lose, what you weigh, etc...and it makes a workout designed for YOU. I also wish you the best of luck!!!

Okay, update! Like I said in my previous post I went out and bought the EA Active 2. At this point, due to Tuesday's work out... I feel like my upper thighs are broken, lol. BUT that is a good thing! I worked out my arms last night, and I DEFF felt the burn! I have burned almost 200 cals in both my workouts. I went to the Grocery and got all kinds of healthy food! Vegtables, Fruits, Fish, etc. I feel really good about the choices I am starting to make. I have an appointment with my Dr in two weeks and i am going to get a SMALL fill, because like i had stated previously I don't want to get too tight again. I will keep everyone updated, and thanks for the encouraging words!!!

yeah, I had a fill back a while ago, and it got WAY too tight, I was SUPER sick.. so I've been scared to get one since the dr took some Fluid out. He had it at 8cc, which is when it was too tight it's at like 5 now.

How is it working out?! I bought it yesterday, and I am with you... today I feel like I can hardly move!!!! I like it though, i think it makes it fun. And so motivating! how have your results been with it?!

I have two pairs of Sketchers Shape-Ups. They are not that great looking, because I am taller (5'10) it's hard for me to wear high shoes like that without my pants looking like I'm waiting for a flood! with that being said- I do wear them when I am at home cleaning, due to my feet hurting while being on the floor for about 3 hours a day. I wore them one day to Walmart...OMG my legs where KILLING ME!!! You can DEFINITELY feel the burn! However... at the same time, I am VERY clumsy, and have what my doctor described as 'weak ankles'. I have twisted and broke my ankle on a flat street. So.. I am VERY careful when I wear them, I would never feel okay wearing them while working out, due to the fact that I could very easily twist my ankle! In my opinion... I think they are both over rated. I think that if you want to shape your butt up, or your legs... then do the exercise. A lot of people will wear them and feel like they are exercising, and not exercise. I knew a woman who would go to a place to eat and order a Diet Coke and then get a three course meal. She said she felt like she was on a Diet because she drank diet coke...stupid, i know. But, some people think like that!

That is amazing!! (Your Pre Surgery weight Loss) I use to love to swim, back when i was 15 I was in the school swimming team I lost quit a bit of weight that year!. I will deffinitly try swimming at the gym my husband goes to there is a lap pool, and nobody is ever in it! i got this really cute bathing suit that I AM SOOO Close to fitting in. It's the same size as my pants (a size 16) but the straps on the shoulders and back are way too tight for it to look halfway decent at this point! I am working out with the EA active as of right now, and hopefully I can shed those pounds to be able to get into the suit. you know i feel horrible saying this, but I do lose weight fast when I exercise. Infact, one summer a couple years ago I decided to walk a hour every night, I never changed my eating habits...but i lost 55lbs just by walking! Thanks for the input!!!!

That is a good idea! It's like... once you get Mcdonalds out of your system for a while it's not so bad, but it feels like every time you go your feeding a crack habit! I know that I personally cannot just go one time and say 'no more'! the more I go, the more I want to go! And it's weird because...the food isn't THAT great, I mean don't get me wrong... it is good, but it's not like getting spaghetti in Italy! Thirty minutes is the minimum? I did not know that! I worked out for 21 minutes with that EA sports Active... I almost cried in the middle of it! It was soo hard, I couldn't imagine doing another 10 minutes, but I will try! I was scared because it has the arms and leg bands, and i thought it wouldn't fit me, I'm a size 16, but thankfully it did with room to spare!

I got the EA active 2 today after I read the posts... OMG I AM SOOO SORE!!!!! I feel like... well, GREAT!!! I have to say that it is a amazing feeling! Although.. my legs feel like they are going to give out! I'm going to take a bath and hope I can find the strength to get out of it! LOL THANKS AGAIN for all of your encouragement!!! You have NO idea how much I truly needed that!!!

I got the EA active 2 today after I read the posts... OMG I AM SOOO SORE!!!!! I feel like... well, GREAT!!! I have to say that it is a amazing feeling! Although.. my legs feel like they are going to give out! I'm going to take a bath and hope I can find the strength to get out of it! LOL THANKS AGAIN for all of your encouragement!!! You have NO idea how much I truly needed that!!!

I seriously cannot thank everyone enough! I really needed all of the responses. I really liked hearing that I was not the only one going through this. Believe it or not, I seriously think that the one that got me in the right mind set was the one that pissed me off the most. (I'm sure you ALL know which one I am talking about!) with that being said...one poster said I didn't have to work out outside...and they where right! I DO have a Wii. And I looked up some of the weight loss games for it, and I am wondering if anybody has any recommendations?! I read about the Biggest Loser challenge and the reviews are good, anybody have any experience with it?! thanks again, everyone.

Do not worry hun!!!! I was super scared!!! I got banded on 1-7-11 and after my surgery... no joke, I could eat the same amount I was eating before! I was SOO discouraged!!! I tried my HARDEST to stay on that 'diet'...but I couldn't! at one point I said 'I think instead of giving me a Lap band they made my stomach a endless pit!' I ate the same before surgery and subconciously as I was eating I was wanting to get sick!!! I had my first fill in the begining of Febuary... he put 5cc's in there! He then told me 'These first couple fills, might not give you restriction. There is a 'Forgein object' in your body and your stomach is trying to 'fix' itself. So, what hapendens is that the stomach linning will try to adjust to the band, as it gets tighter your stomach will get thinner. HOWEVER, your stomach is NOT going to put itself in DANGER so it will ONLY get so thin and then you will start to feel restriction' My first fill... I am NOT going to lie, it did NOT hurt... but the THOUGHT of it made it UNCOMFORTABLE your sitting there, and he does (which I'm hoping he told you this) stick a needle into your stomach... and you feel a pinch... but that's it! My doctor had to move around a little looking for the port... and I could see it, and hear it... but the creepy part of it was... i could NOT feel it!!! My first fill lasted about three days. Then it was eatin' time!!! I ate alot... but not as much as I did before the surgery The second fill, lasted for five days... then I started eating again, not as much as the last fill.. but still, more than I should have! At each weigh-in I did lose weight!!! This last fill... I HAVE the restriction I want! It is awesome! My husband is really small so, he doesn't eat much. Now.. when we go out to eat, he orders a meal I eat the salad... and maybe two bites of his food, and I am done! In conclusion, it IS 'weird' feeling, however... there is NO Need to be nervous about it. And as far as '4cc's being alot' it is NOT alot!!!! the 2 cc's are to get it 'turned on' I have 8cc 's and I am at my perfect amount!!! The best of luck to ya, honey!!!

K, so I was banded on 1/7/11 I have had three fills. At first, with each of them I was totally restircted...but it went away. My doctor said this was normal, according to him the stomach linning is trying to thin out, to fix the band or something. Anyway, i just got a fill yesturday... and it was only 1 cc... and even though before that fill i had literitly NO restriction... i'm starting to feel weird, with just this one. Everytime I take a bite i chew it real well.. swallow it... and then it seriously feels like it doesn't get past my throat. It just sits there for a while.. and then it goes down. I'm drinking fine. And I did manage to eat a small serving last night... but it was a struggle the whole time. Is this normal? or should i be considered?!?!?!?! Also.. it seems like bread is really effecting me. Please let me know, i'm worried!!!

Okay. So, i went on the liquids and mushy foods. I am still trying to learn how to eat and chew slowly. I was so use to literily just 'shoveling' it in that I forget sometimes that i have to actually chew!!!!!! I have NOT been throwing up, HOWEVER I do notice that after I eat... it's like I am producing WAY too much salivia! And it's reallllllllly thick. i did actually vomit today, I ate way too fast! I hadn't ate all day, and i just kinda shoved the food in my mouth without thinking. It's weird, it's like... I'm eating the way that normal people would eat...BUT not the way I should eat with a band! It is SUPER strange how that 1cc did so much!!!! I've lost 36lbs according to the doctors scale, and I feel amazing!

Awesome! Thank you sooo much! I will call tomorrow!! I was so upset. 'Cause like I said, I had no restirtction.. and then this one cc made it too tight?! it was soo upsetting, lol! But, i have no acid reflex and i'm not throwing up.

The first time he did, but not after that! I thought it was just a first time thing... should i start with just liquids?!

So, as my title reads 'I got my first fill yesterday!' it is true! Ha! I cannot believe how easy it was. I expected it to be painful... which, it was not. However... just the idea that he DID stick a NEEDLE into my stomach.. totally made me feel like i should be in pain, so overall... it was a little uncomfortable I have a 11cc band and he put 5cc's inside it. I totally felt restriction last night on the liquid diet I had to be on... it was crazy! He did tell me something that has put questions into my head. He said "This fill will eventually lose restriction'' infact he told me that ''Some patients lose restriction within two days, some two weeks'' the reason for this as he explained it was that first off, the first 3cc's really didn't put any restriction as much as it just 'turned on' the band. He also said that my stomach linning would try to fit into the band so it would become thinner. .... is this how it is always going to be? Every fill that I get? I mean, that seems like a total pain. That for a couple days, possibly a week I have restriction and then I have to back to get a fill? How long did your first fill last? How long did the fills after that last? I know that I personally do NOT want to be at the doctors office every two weeks(if it lasts that long) I made an appointment for three weeks from now, but he said if I lose restriction before that then I can come in sooner. I would like some stories on your first fills, how long they last, how that your current fill feels, ect. Thank you VERY much.

K, so heres the deal. I am a house wife, I don't have a car, my husband doesn't get off work sometimes until 8pm. I would love to add exercise into my plan. I really don't want to spend any money on videos, equipment, ect. So I am wondering if there are any equipment free exercises that would benefit me? Please, any input! Thank you!

I am actually as of right now going through this!!! I called my doctor and freaked out. He said it was completely normal! That the menstrual cycle was due to two hormones and when you have weight loss of any kind it kicks them off track. With my weight loss (20lbs in a month) it was completely expected!!! I had mine early, for two days... three days later, it is back! He said that the more weight we loss, the more fertile we become as well as the more regular our cycle becomes! I don't know about you, but I'm pretty happy! My cycle was always crazy, knowing it will get normal is a relief!!!!

Well, I know that you should NOT be as uncomfortable as you are saying you are. I also think that you SHOULD try to keep something down, because as horrible as this sounds theres a possiblity that it is all in your head, because your other fill freaked you out so much. So, I think overall you should try to drink some water... slowly. You should call your doctors office, and let them know what is going on. I know I was always scared to call my doctors office because I felt like I was 'bugging' them. your NOT going to bug them. that is what they are there for, to help. That is my advice, I hope you start to feel better!!!