Allison0927

I did not get any restriction at all until 4.5 months after surgery - 4th fill - so the first months were will power only. Don't worry you will get there. I would not recommend diet coke at all though - stretches the pouch. BEST OF LUCK TO US ALL ON OUR JOURNEYS!!!!!

ditto - it stayed off - you may bounce around a pound or 3 but you will consistently go down from this point forward if you follow all instructions!

Yes and yes also! before banding it was all light beer all the time - i'd drink only one weekend night a week - and would drink 6-8 coors light or equivalent. Since starting the pre-op diet in June 2011 - no beer at all (no carbonation) BUT i still drink about 1x a week or 1x every 2 weeks - and it's a shot of vodka in a water glass with ice and water filled to top and mix in 1/2 pack of crystal light. Yes, i'm drunker quicker - but it's likely because i weigh almost 90 pounds less than i used to plus it's liquor instead of beer.

I just had my 6 month bandiversary on Thursday 1/5/12. I cannot believe what a difference 6 months can make in a life. I wish I could stand next to myself back on the date of surgery to compare - and to tell myself that just 6 short months from now your life is going to change so much. I have 50-60 pounds to go and I know I'll do it in the second six months - if not no biggie I'm thrilled just to be where I am. I am solidly rooted in Onderland - it's been 15+ years since I've seen a one in front of my weight. I truly wish each and every one of us all the luck and best wishes in the world on these journeys of ours!!!!!!

you will definitely do it!! it's all attitude! trust me - before the surgery i was a no-work out, eating machine - i had all but given up on dieting - there's nothing special about me - i truly mean it when i say if i can do this ANYONE can. Best of luck to you on your journey!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

1000 PERCENT HAPPY WITH MY BAND!!!!! 88 pounds in just over 6 months. This NEVER would have happened without the band - not even close. Best decision I ever made!

I am 6 months out and 85 pounds down (size 22/24 to size 14 so far). I have not gained or lost any friends - and everyone (at least to my face) has been extremely supportive (i'm very open about the surgery to anyone that asks how i'm losing all the weight). You will find after a while that the frequent positive comments from co-workers may change from a feel good "novelty" to almost a nuisance or uncomfortable feeling. I hear comments every single day from at least one co-worker (there are about 50 or 60 employees where i work), Surprisingly there are times when I am actually uncomfortable with all the attention (i never would have thought i would feel that way as i thrive on attention/compliments normally). It's hard to explain and only something you will experience when you get there. People are very well meaning and I know they feel they are just giving me positive encouragement. I'm sure the attention will die off eventually - maybe after i hit goal and maintain a while. Still - I would not trade the weight loss for anything in the world - this whole thing has been a life changer. I truly wish you and all of us the BEST OF LUCK ON OUR JOURNEYS!!!!!

OMG i about spit out my drink - great story!!! sorry it happened but highly entertaining - I have never slimed yet in 6 months banded - but i am dreading it big time!

I had a BMI of 47 going into surgery (it's now just over 32) (i weighed 277 before surgery). My surgeon, too, tried to persuade me not to do lap band - basically letting me know that for "larger" patients it's not a good fix because a lot of people (in fact most) do not lose anywhere near what they need to. However, my mind was made up - for the same reasons as you -this is the one and only surgery i was doing - period. Six months and 88 pounds later my surgeon is very, very pleased with my progress. I guess I am falling into the 20 percent of patients in his own practice that are successful. Obviously anything can happen in future but so far so excellent! By the way, my husband literaly cried and begged me not to do the surgery (he is a total man's man and NEVER cries) and it took everything i had but i stood firm and insisted on doing this (he now tells me i was right and he was wrong LOL). He kept saying "give us one more chance to take the weight off together - give us 3-4 months - one more chance and if not successful i'll support you in the surgery - i promise!!!" I kept saying - I know i can lose weight - i just can't keep it off - i've proven it time and time again and i'm not willing to put the surgery off another 4 months just so i can prove i can lose weight one more time (which will inevitably come back on). Finally, he gave up fighting me and although he did not go to the seminar with me (i actually secretly went to that hee hee!) he did go to the inital surgeon appointment with me. He asked my surgeon (center of excellence, very experienced weight loss surgeon) how many lap band surgeries he had done and how many people either died on the table or within days/weeks of surgery - and the surgeon said - at least 200 and NONE. That was all my husband needed to hear (i was a healthy obese person - no co-morbid conditions and he figured most of those undergoing the surgery had co-morbids so I would be safe no problem). Six months and 88 pounds later - i'm THRILLED with my decision. BEST OF LUCK TO ALL OF US ON OUR JOURNEYS!!!!

it took me 5 fills to feel real restriction - that put me to 8.5ccs in 14cc band. Also, my dr. puts me on liquids the day of and after a fill, then a day of mushies, then back to normal eating. HOWEVER the last couple fills i've been so starving that instead of "clear" liquids on day of fill i progressed to protein shakes (i actually told the surgeon i was going to do that one time and he said it was ok - even though he prefers clear liquids for day of fill). Also, within about 24 hours of a fill (maybe the evening after a fill that occurred in the morning of the previous day) i've "tested the waters" by eating some solid food. Up intil this last 5th fill i felt no consequence to eating the solids "early" following the fill - (mind you it was softer food, nothing crazy) BUT when i finally hit restriction on this 5th fill - when i ate solids after the fill (again, early - like within 24 hours of the fill) it hit my like a two by four - this "wall" of restriction. Suddenly i received major pushback from my band and it was having nothing of my quickly eaten, not thoroughly chewed food - whatever it was. It then dawned on me - holy cow - i have restriction, and overeating just is NOT happening - not anymore! BEST OF LUCK TO US ALL ON OUR JOURNEYS!!!!

After 88 pounds gone in 6 months - all of the little negatives are vastly outweighed (no pun intended) by the wonderful feeling of looking better, being more confident, and not being the biggest girl in the room wherever i go. But with that said - the only negatives are my paranoia that every time i feel any pain in my torso i automatically assume it's a band slip, band erosion etc. (my poor surgeon has to contend with me and my fears LOL) AND like lellow said above - now that i'm at restriction - there are times where i would love to put the pause button on my band and really chow into a fantastic meal - because now i can only eat either a few bites or none at all because it hurts going down. It's all so psychological and just goes to show my food addiction because why would i ever want to "chow" into a huge meal - or eat 1/2 a large pizza etc. - that's exactly what got me morbidly obese to begin with - but it is a mind "screw" when you would just love to have "one more day" of eating the old way - the huge, huge portions of wonderful food. BEST OF LUCK TO US ALL ON OUR JOURNEYS!!!!!!!!!

crystal - 50 pounds is awesome - you should be so proud! if it helps - just think if you never got surgery you would likely not have lost 50 pounds and may even weigh more today than 6 months ago!!! As far as the 800 calories - nowadays because i have pretty tight restriction - especially in the mornings - it's a 110 calorie EAS AdvantEdge carb control protein shake (17 g protein) - chocolate or vanilla - then for lunch a healthy choice "fake meat" (i'm vegetarian) entre - usually from 270-290 calories - then for dinner - another frozen lien cuisine or healthy choice - usually a pizza which has higher calories - there's a cheese one that's called brick fire margarita pizza or something like that - it's 310 calories - i drink no calories whatsoever during the week -usually do the 0 calories flavored bottled water - SOBE or equivalent - then sometimes i have 100 calorie pack snack - pringles for example or a 100 calorie smart pop single serve popcorn. That's pretty much the routine - on weekends i may replace one of those meals with a meal out - such as a veggie burger w/ cheese then just peel off the buns and eat only the fake meat/cheese. Hope this helps!

Thanks Everyone!!!! I am now almost exactly 6 months out from banding and down 85 pounds as of this morning!!! For those who asked how I'm doing it - I will be honest - i've done very little exercise - my guilty little secret is that i will "kick in the workouts" when i start hitting plateaus - which according to everyone on here are more common the less you weigh and closer you get to your goal. I still drink alcohol too - usually only one night a week - during my Sat. family poker games - and it's vodka with water/ice and a 1/2 pack of crystal light. The biggest help to me - I think - is this: I am on 800 calories per day per my surgeon. About 1 x every week to 10 days i go up to about 1200 calories for that day (possibly a little more or less) then go right back to the 800 calories per day thereafter. My weight loss counselor from my insurance company said that "mixing it up" like that every once in a while promotes weight loss because it shakes up the body and avoids the body getting so used to the 800 calories per day that it starts plateauing (spelling? LOL). I don't know the science behind it or whether that is a medical fact - but i'll tell you i truly think that's why i'm doing so well. Fills help too - i had no restriction at all for the first 4.5 months - it was pure will power. I have restriction now and cannot overeat even if i want to. BEST OF LUCK TO US ALL ON OUR JOURNEYS!!!!! !

Thanks Christy! I will be honest - i've done very little exercise - my guilty little secret is that i will "kick in the workouts" when i start hitting plateaus - which according to everyone on here are more common the less you weigh and closer you get to your goal. I still drink alcohol too - usually only one night a week - during my Sat. family poker games - and it's vodka with water/ice and a 1/2 pack of crystal light. The biggest help to me - I think - is this: I am on 800 calories per day per my surgeon. About 1 x every week to 10 days i go up to about 1200 calories for that day (possibly a little more or less) then go right back to the 800 calories per day thereafter. My weight loss counselor from my insurance company said that "mixing it up" like that every once in a while promotes weight loss because it shakes up the body and avoids the body getting so used to the 800 calories per day that it starts plateauing (spelling? LOL). I don't know the science behind it or whether that is a medical fact - but i'll tell you i truly think that's why i'm doing so well. Fills help too - i had no restriction at all for the first 4.5 months - it was pure will power. I have restriction now and cannot overeat even if i want to. You'll get there - congrats on your upcoming journey!!!!

6 months yesterday - down 85 pounds - loving it!

It hit me that i needed the band when I started yet another of thousands of diets and this time could not even lose and keep off 5 pounds. I had a "come to Jesus" meeting with myself and concluded that i HAD to have help - i could no longer do it on my own. Once i made up my mind to do it - like a peace/calm came over me and I've never looked back. I have never been more sure about a decision - and no matter how scared my husband was about the whole thing (and he begged trying to talk me out of it) I remained resolute - NOTHING was going to stop me from getting that surgery - period! It's been 6 months and 85 pounds gone - best decision I ever made!

espero que puedes llovar los jeans size 8 muy pronto! Feliz ano Nuevo!!!!

So far bread and pasta hurt the worst going down. I'm not at full restriction yet so not a lot of things get stuck or hurt going down - but those are two things that often do.

WOW i feel bad for you - that is a horrible story. I'm with the poster who said you will save money from having to support him and can save up for the plastic surgery IF that is what you want to do. When i met my husband he had just lost over 100 pounds and worked out every day (worked as a fitness trainer in a health club). He had some areas of "sag" in his stomach - but i still thought he was gorgeous. I know you will find someone out there that can look past the skin and see the beautiful you - inside and out. Best of luck to you as you heal from this.

I drink a LITTLE while I eat with my surgeon's knowledge and blessing - I'm down close to 80 in less than 6 months. The water helps with restriction/fullness. Again, though, I'm talking about a couple small sips.

bien venido y me gusta el espanol - era mi especialidad en la universidad y necesito practicar! Buena suerte en su journey!

YES, JULY BANDSTERS ROCK THAT IS FOR SURE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

hi there! july 5 bandster here - great to hear you are doing so well! I am really, really happy so far - but things do hurt going down sometimes. Really just got any restriction at all off my last fill (putting me at 8.5 ccs in a 14cc band). I am down about 75 so far. i stick to my surgeon's 800 calories per day instructions about 85% of the time - and mix in some cheat days and go to about 1200 to 1500 calories on those days. I've been told that shaking it up like that actually helps weight loss as your body won't plateau on the same number of calories day in and day out. Have another 60 pounds or so to go. I'm sure the last half of the weight is the hardest to lose but i am determined! BEST OF LUCK TO ALL OF US ON OUR JOURNEYS!!!!!!!

it sure is fun - isn't it? I'm enjoying the extra attention myself - and it helps keep me accountable when no one is watching. KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK!!!

welcome and glad you are here - you will love this site!!!!!