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I have been struggling with hypothyroidism for the past 6 years....still trying to get levels evened out! My Endocrineologist was very supportive and my Bariatric doctor said I would have NO PROBLEM with hypo and the band. I can still take my meds (they are small enough), but you do have to take caution when eating anything with Calcium within 3 hours of taking your meds....that makes Protein shakes something that I have in the afternoon or evening! It has been a great experience so far! Good luck!

Keep looking! There is a thread of people who have lost 100+ lbs and many success story threads! My story is a mini success story....I was banded on 3/01/11. My doctor didn't require a liquid diet before and I was on liquids for 10 days after. I can eat anything except meat and bread (I just haven't been released to eat it yet!) Even with my band empty (first fill is 3/30/11) I have noticed restriction, lots of help with portion control, and I am comfortably wearing jeans today that I wasn't able to get on in Feb before surgery! They are even a little big! I can't give you a number of pounds lost yet (I only weigh in once per month, next WI 3/30/11) Good luck! According to me, it was worth it...and I was self pay!

Can you have "full bodied" liquids yet? I know that after day 3, I had alot of tomato basil soup!

I was banded 3/1/2011 and I am so very happy with my progress so far! My band is still empty until 3/30/2011, but I have already lost enough to comfortably fit into a pair of pants that I couldn't even button before surgery. I almost waited too long because they are almost too big! I only weigh when I go to the doctor, so I can't say how many pounds I've lost....last weighin was 3/10/11, 10 days after surgery....lost 8 lbs. I'm excited after attending the post op seminars and can't wait to attend my first monthly seminar this Saturday! I LOVE my band, but I can't wait to get it filled so I won't be so hungry every 2 hours.

After doing ALOT of research, I have found that reading all of the various opinions in this forum can be very helpful! You definately need to look at both the "problem" posts and the "success" posts. I am definately with one of the earlier posters that said that the band makes them not want bread because it is painful to eat too much! EVERYTHING IN MODERATION! My doctor also suggested working with Overeaters Anonymous or a Psychologist to really be able to cope with the food addictions......the addiction will still be there, even after the band! Good luck to you! I can say that, even after only 2 weeks, it was definately worth the pain, trouble and all the money (self pay patient!) Don't fall into the trap of weighing yourself every day...that will only discourage you with daily fluctuations! I only weigh monthly.

The secret is not weighing yourself too much. I'm only weighing in when I go see my doctor (once a month). Water weight and swelling (especially right after surgery) can really effect your moods and motivations to keep after it! Good luck with your surgery!

I am 2 weeks banded and I can say that will power still plays a huge role! I have very few foods where I fill a restriction, but I'm not up to eating everything yet! I had trouble eating for the first 4 days, but after the majority of the swelling went down, I had to count calories and watch what I ate in preparation for my first fill and my first "restriction". In my pre and post op seminars, I have learned that losing is still a product of watching everything you eat and exercising. The band is a tool to help you feel full. It is much easier to get into the mindset of moderation before surgery because there are so many things that can go wrong with your healing and stretching of your pouch after surgery! My doctor says that everyone id different and some people can eat anything while some still have problems with breads and veggies. Good Luck with your weight loss!

I only weigh when I go in to see my doctor! It keeps me from obsessing about a number or getting discouraged if there is Fluid retention! I won't have an updated weight until 3/30/11, when I go for my first fill! I was told that no weight loss in the first month is completely OK and can be expected because of the liquid diet and the fact that my band is empty. I lost 8 lbs in the first 10 days, but I don't really know what has happened since then!

I hear that it is a process getting everything to an optimum level! My surgeon won't put any Fluid into my band until I am 4 weeks post op! I have been very strick about Protein intake and calorie counting until my first fill! Good luck getting everything adjusted and getting to your goal!

Should I be concerned? Or are most of the side effects due to the patient not adhering to the "rules"? Lots of side effects are due to people not following the rules post op! The pre op diets are to try to rid your liver of fat to make it more "pliable" durring surgery. (the liver sits over the top of the stomach and can be difficult to move if it is too fatty) My doctor just said low fat and no fried foods for 2 weeks pre op. I wasn't really great at sticking to it, but I made sure that I drank alot of Water and cranberry juice to flush the liver. I've also found it really interesting to read about how many members have cheated on their pre-op diet. I'm honestly scared not to follow the directions the dr. has given (even with the cravings that have crept up on me) and I'm REALLY scared about the whole food getting stuck/ vomiting posts. Small bites, size of a dime, try to stay away from bread, CHEW, CHEW, CHEW! Follow the rules from your surgeon for post-op diet...they are very important. Vomiting happens as you get used to the feeling of a full pouch (it feels like you have taken a bite of meat that is too big and it is stuck in your chest, where the top of your stomach is located) if you feel the "full feeling"...spit whatever is in your mouth out....you will make yourself vomit! I'm just wondering what the cause is because I don't want to experience all these awful things, if I'm doing everything I'm supposed to be doing. My other fear, of course, is dying on the surgical table. I'm fairly healthy, starting at 250 lbs with borderline High BP but no diagnosed Diabetes yet and no "major" issues to report. There is always a risk of dying on the table, but there is also a risk of dying due to complications from being morbidly obese! Inform yourself about the risks, but look in some of the "victory" threads too. The results of other members is amazing! My main motivation is to take action on weight loss to be a better role model for my daughter and also to have the energy and body to be able to play with her more. Then I ask myself, what if I die in a surgery that wasn't required? Am I risking it all to end up leaving her alone? IS IT WORTH IT? The first 4 days, my thought was "what did I do to myself? This WAS NOT worth it!" Now, I feel GREAT! and would do the surgery, endure the 4 days, and pay all of the money (I was a self pay patient) all over again! This has been a great tool and has helped me gain so much control and I am only 2 weeks in!

I had my surgery on a Tuesday and I was back at work the following Monday. I was feeling much better by Saturday (on the 5th day), but I was really glad to have a couple of extra days! I did wear yoga pants and a non-underwire bra for the first 3 days of work. As long as you can go back with the understanding that you might not make it the whole day, you should be fine!

I have tried every weight loss method, diet, plan, doctor....anything to lose weight. I am a 32 year old female and I have been over 200 lbs since middle school. I have been banded for 2 weeks and am patiently waiting on my first fill (my doctor won't fill for the first 4 weeks for healing). I am hungry, but I can already see the tremendous difference in my ability to discern the right portion sizes. I am calorie counting so that I don't over eat with an unfilled band. I welcome any suggestions for the future, any success stories, any information at all!

The first 4 days, I thought "What on earth did I do to myself? This was a horrible decision!", but now I feel fantastic! Every day is a learning experience. I have had a couple of overeating/vomiting experiences, but they have helped me to learn how to guage the amount and types of food I can eat. I am a BIG TIME calorie counter since my band isn't filled. My doctor has been wonderful with educating me on how and what to eat. I am the kind of person that has a problem with anyone telling me what to do, so naturally, when I am told not to eat something or not to eat some kinds of foods, I need to know why! My doctor put on intro seminars, pre-op seminars, and post op seminars, all of which were a few hours long. I don't weigh, except when I go into the doctor office, so I have my current weight as my weight 10 days out, but I won't have a new weight until my first fill on 3/30/2011. Congrats on your journey! The first few days may be rough, but, even 2 weeks into it, it is already worth the pain and the money! Let me know how you are doing.....we can go throught this together!

I happen to be a greek yogurt connoisseur! I have tried it every way possible. My favorite quick fix is Athenos with honey on the side. If I want to work a little harder, the plain (Athenos or FAGE) with truvia and a small amount of vanilla extract or plain with truvia and TRUE LIME packets (just dehydrated lime juice / no chemicals!)....tastes like Key lime pie. I use it as sourcream on my baked sweet potatos and tacos and as a creamy thickener to Soups. I find that the FAGE brand is the best for sour cream use. it is really thick and has 23 grams of Protein 120 cals and no fat per cup (though I generally use significantly less). Yes, greek yogurt is an obsession....I pretty much mix it with anything!

I am a patient of dr Wilkenfeld. I have had the best experience with him and his staff. He is very focused on education and making sure that you know what is normal and what isn't. I am only 2 weeks post surgery, so I haven't had my first fill yet. He and his staff emphasized the fact that coming in monthly (he will do fills no closer than 2 weeks apart) was very important and that you shouldn't be hungry (after the first 4 weeks, of course). They are very focused on calorie counting and try to keep you close to 1000 cals per day. I would suggest calling his office! Good luck!

That is very motivational information! WAY TO GO! I have been banded for 2 weeks and am having a hard time not being hungry! I have my first fill on March 30th, so maybe that will make a big difference. Are you counting calories? What kinds of foods are you eating? Lots of Protein shakes? Thank you for sharing your story and wisdom!

I hate to hear that you have had such a bad experience with Dr Wilkenfeld's office. He is my doctor and I have had an excellent experience with him and his office. Betty is usually very helpful and has helped me through some blood work issues with LOTS of calls back and forth! I hope your experience improves! Good luck!

It is wonderful that you are doing so well! I went home a couple of hours after surgery (outpatient) and I remember the first 3 days were very difficult. I often wondered what I had gotten myself into! I got my band 2 weeks ago and my life is completely back to normal (eating considerably less, of course). I hear it gets even better! Good luck on your journey!

This thread has made me smile today! I understand "skinny bitch" as a term of endearment and I can't wait to be called one! This is the first thread I have read in any lap-band forum and all of the success stories that I see here have given me the motivation to eat my small lunch and do something non-food related with the rest of my lunch break! YAY for support! I'm am in industrial sales and am seated using my brain most of the day......This job is one of the contributing factors to my gaining 100 lbs over the past 8 years (since college). Thanks for the encouragement!