NWgirl

I would say that with my loss so far, I have gained some confidence. I've gone down three pants sizes and am proud of myself and don't feel bad about my weight anymore. I have taken pictures since almost the beginning and can see a definite difference in my shape. I think people will treat you the way they perceive you. If you are confident and happy, you will probably get more attention/compliments/praise than if you are withdrawn.

If you are self pay, then no need for the other health issues. If you are going through insurance, they do usually require 35-39 BMI with one or two comorbidities or 40+ bmi without.

I found that 4cc brought me decent satiety and restriction of portions (not foods). I think I need 1cc more to be perfect.

I would say if you are on the liquid diet for after fills and you are having problems, you should suck it up and get some taken out. I wouldn't want to add food to that mix. If you are already eating normal food, you should do liquids for a couple days because fills can cause swelling and the stomach needs time to settle.

The delayed response you're talking about is eating too much too fast. Stuck is something you would know instantly if it happened. For me, it is a painful feeling in the throat caused by not properly chewing your food. It can also be painful to draw a few breaths immediately. Whatever you do, don't drink if you get this feeling. get up, walk around and it will go away.

Sore ports can be a sign of issues with the band. It doesn't mean that's the case, but I would schedule an appointment with your surgeon asap.

I have heard that if you get unfilled and then filled again, things can be very different in terms of amount of saline to give restriction, etc.

Good luck!

I might have a beer or two once or twice a month. No problems here.

You should ask your surgeon. You don't want to do any lifting over 10 or 15 pounds for the first month. You also need to be cleared to do any moderate exercise. walking should be fine.

If it hasn't caused problems yet, then it's probably through. This is a reason why many recommend not chewing gum, as you get to tighter restriction you may not be so lucky.

If you've continued trying to eat after you've already upset your band, it's very likely it's irritated. Some recommend going back to liquids for a day or two to let it settle and then start reintroducing foods. Are you making sure to chew food well and giving it time to go down before you eat more?

Drink or eat more protein items.

The reason for the liquid diet is so the sutures have a chance to set well and so the band can settle. When you eat normal foods, the stomach churns to digest them which can interfere or harm healing by popping stitches, possibly even moving the band if you eat large quantities.

Name, real or screen~ Stephanie Goal weight for June 30th~ 215 Weight on June 1st~ 222 Age~ 23 Dietary goal for June~ Focus on eating nutritious foods and little junk. Exercise goal for June- exercise 3-4 days a week Personal goal for June~ Budget my money Date banded~ 3/20/2012 Total weight loss since banding/pre op diet~ 43 What is your favorite summer activity~ hiking/camping!

I know a woman who went through bypass, has lost a tremendous amount of weight, and is one of the people in the few percent that the sleep apnea did not go away for. It's always a possibility that you may need the machine for a short time, or that it will be long term.

My primary care Dr ran tests at the beginning of the year and my thyroid levels came back low. He started me on levothyroxine and I was good to go. Some surgeons require you be on a med for a couple months before they will operate, so it is best the ask your surgical practice.

I haven't tried muffin pan meals yet, but did find some awhile back at this site if anyone is interested in more recipes: http://www.bandfriendlyrecipes.com/search/label/Muffin%20Tin%20Meals.

The Bodymedia Fit is the parent company of Bodybugg- 24 hour fitness sells the rebranded Bodybugg and Bodymedia sells their own. I have had both a Bodybugg and a Fitbit. I would recommend the fitbit over the bodybugg, for the following reasons: - Bodybugg is large and draws a lot of attention because it must be worn on upper arm at all times. The Fitbit is a small device that can either clip onto clothing (bra) or you can put it in the included holster. - When I was using the Bugg, there was a subscription fee to use their terribly outdated website. It was very buggy and constantly kicked me out when logging food, etc. The Fitbit software is free (includes food tracking, sleep records, activity levels, steps, stairs, etc). You can purchase the premium membership for $50 a year, but I do not think it is at all necessary to get the best use out of your Fitbit. - You actually select when you wake up and when you go to bed with the Fitbit, whereas the bugg had a general time you chose (say 10-6) blocked out as sleeping hours every day. - Fitbit customer service is AMAZING. They resolve issues very fast and send you out a new Fitbit pretty much no questions asked if something goes wrong with yours. - When I bought my Bodybugg, it was around $250. I bought the one with the digital display. I remember people who bought the smart phone version complained often about how the smart phone app would not work right- this is probably resolved at this point. - Because the bodybugg sensors sit directly on your arm, it causes the skin underneath to be constantly covered. I would get rashes from the sensors and have to switch from arm to arm (even though you're only supposed to wear it on a specific arm). - When I tried the fitbit and the bodybugg out together for a couple weeks, the bodybugg over reported my calorie burn by approximately 400 per day. - Fitbit now has a wifi scale called the Aria. I was going to buy a Withings earlier this year for the convenience of auto-uploads of weight, but heard Fitbit would be releasing the Aria in April. I love that the scale and the fitbit are working in the same system and it makes it really easy to only look in one place for this info. - Lastly, both food databases seem small compared to other sites (like Spark People or My Fitness Pal), but once you enter in your normal foods, there's not much problem. The fitbit really is a one-stop shop where you can track food, weight, and overall activity. I love it!

I take Opurity band multivitamins, but will probably change to centrum chewables when my bottle is out due to a price difference.

If you want to set your own specific goals in terms of protein, fat, etc, I know sparkpeople allows you to do that.

You say you havent lost weight in over a month, but haven't worked out in over three weeks. I'm guessing you also started making bad food choices around the same time, which would explain the lack of weight loss. Identify why you are eating crap and why you stopped exercising. This journey is as much mental as it is physical, and you need to stay in tune with yourself.

Most seem to jump start with the post-op diet that you originally went through (2 week liquids, 1 week puress, 1 week soft, then to normal). I would also recommend tracking calories for the time being to see where you're at and starting exercise.

I would go in and sit down with the bariatric team and talk through the different surgery options. I got the band due to it being less invasive and not removing any of my anatomy. I figured if it did not work, then I could consider other options. All surgeries require a large mental change to be successful. The thing that I like about the band is that if you start to slip back off the horse, you can get an adjustment and be good to go again. It does require monthly aftercare, whereas the other options are kind of a one stop shop. The other options also promote faster weight loss, which for me was not really as important as it may be for some. I know that some diseases are "cured" for a larger percentage with the sleeve or bypass as well. Do keep in mind that sometimes RNY or sleeve patients stretch their pouches and the only option available to them is getting a band... Carnie Wilson just did this recently. Please feel free to wonder around the boards and read about the band. There are also links at the bottom of the page for the sister sites for the sleeve and bypass.

I would say you should see a therapist to try and work out your body image issues. If you are always wanting your boyfriend to give you reassurance, then you probably need to find a way to believe it yourself.