MLR

Well if it was anything like mine here in Austin I did my initial consult and my first visit on the same day. They just took all my vitals and went over my medical history with me. Then I had a meeting with the nutritionist and a couple of weeks before the surgery was a meeting with the surgeon that I didn't even go to b/c I had to work so my mom (who had her surgery with me) picked up my prescription and filled me in. Then I had the surgery. The whole process took about a month since I was self-pay; it may be longer if you're using insurance. I hope that was some kind of helpful

The one I have is called get running. I think it was $2. Totally worth it. And the fills mostly depend on you. My first fill she pulled out what little was in there to measure and then put that back in plus a little. She adds a little more each time based on how much I'm eating and how much weight I'm losing. I think the idea is to be able to only need to eat 3 meals that can fit on a six inch plate and feel satisfied with it. She's always telling me to report back to her on whether or not I need snacks and if so how many. So I guess you would stop needing fills when you are steadily losing about 2 pounds per week

I'm glad you decided for sure to go through with it! I'm 21 and had mine done in June. For awhile after I was wondering if I made the right decision because the weight wasn't coming off, but once I started getting fills it's slowly starting to, so just make sure that you're patient. Don't give up on it It's a very easy procedure. And reversible which was important to me because I am so young. As far as my exercise goes I've been doing the couch to 5k. It gets you from walking to running. I bought an iphone app that tells me when to walk and when to run. It's mostly intervals which keeps it interesting and done at your own pace. I do that 3 times a week and maybe do something one other day. It's important for your overall health more than actual weight loss. They say that losing weight is 80% diet and 20% exercise. So definitely make sure that you're up and getting some exercise, but it's what you eat that's going to be the most important... that's what I've been really trying to work on. I have a snacking problem... but I had a fill up to 6 cc's yesterday and I'm thinking that might do it... hopefully

I'm in the middle of week 2 of it! I'm hoping to get to a point of enjoying running, but I still pretty much hate it. I love how I feel after I finish a session of it though. I bought an iphone app that tells me when to run and when to walk. It helps because I don't have to pay any attention to the time. Do y'all run on a treadmill or outside? I'm in Texas and it's just too hot to run outside right now, but I'm hoping that by the time I get to the point that I have to run for a long period of time I'll be able to go outside. If y'all are doing it on a treadmill how fast are you running and walking? I was wondering about this because I feel like I'm jogging really slow (I was at 5 mph last week when it was just a minute of running but slowed it to 4.8 mph for this week). I'm not at a pace where I would be running 3 miles in 30 minutes if I were to stay at this pace. I guess I'm just wondering where other people are at on it

I know that pre-op diets are different with different doctors and you should really try and stick with what your doctor gave you. However, mine was just low carb for two weeks. It shrank the liver so that the surgeon could get around it. I think you'll be ok with some fish and veggies. I had a little bit of alcohol because my 21st birthday was a few days before the surgery and it was fine. That's just my personal experience. You should really try and stick with yours as best you can but don't sweat it. Just think of how much weight you'll lose before you even have the surgery!!

I'm 21 and had my surgery on June 16. I'd always been a little overweight but when I quit cheerleading in high school I put on about 45 pounds in the next year. I managed to stay there until about 8 months ago when the stress of my impending wedding got to me (those lucky jerks who lose weight when stressed...) and I gained another 20 pounds. I joined a gym but unless you can eat properly along with it, I find I didn't lose weight. So I finally had enough and when my mom and aunt decided to get the surgery after my dad and cousin had it, I decided to jump on board with it. It's been difficult. It was really frustrating not seeing any results this past month, but keep in mind now that there won't be a lot of Fluid in the band post op and so once you start healing you will get hungry. (that's something I wish I would have been more aware of. It was really tough on me) I was getting so upset that I wasn't losing any weight. But I went and got my first fill this past week and it's a little better. I've lost a couple more pounds. I can't wait to go back in a couple of weeks for my next fill because I'm still not at my "sweet spot". Just keep in mind that it is a very emotional journey but I think it will be well worth it. We're so fortunate that we're able to do this now while we're young. I want to enjoy my 20's! Any fear is just anticipation. I had one moment of freak out while I was in the hospital, but I took a little nap and felt so much better (I thought they put something in my IV, but my husband said they didn't lol) then they took me back and I woke up in recovery. They gave me plenty of meds for the pain Anyways, enough about me. I think it's great that you're able to do this. Good luck with your surgery and I wish you immense success

Definitely need to talk with your doctor. Mine told me to limit myself for 4 weeks and then I could go back to anything I wanted to do

I would definitely recommend DVDs. A lot of them are only around 30 minutes and there's so much variety with them. I love Jillian Michaels myself. I have her 30 day shred which I don't use all that often anymore since I started going to the gym but it's 20 minutes of hell for me basically. But knowing that I sweated like a pig with less than half an hour of working out is great, especially if I just don't have time for anything else. I also have the Zumba DVDs which I love, but would totally recommend joining an actual class for that. It's so much fun Anyhoo, you sound like your doing great! I hope you find something that works for you

I had mine today! It really wasn't so bad. It's more the anticipation I think. The way it worked for me (and I assume this is pretty standard) is that she had me lay back with a pillow under my back and she found the port. She said this first one would take longer than in the future because she pulled out what was already in the band to measure it, then put it back plus what she added. (for me I already had 3.8 cc's and she added one more). She told me that next time she will only add so it won't take nearly as long. Other than the initial pinch (not bad at all) there was just pressure. It was completely fine Other than that I'm just so excited. I haven't lost any weight since the my post op diet (haven't gained either fortunately) and I'm ready to get the ball rolling Good luck!!!!

If you really liked Zumba (I love it), try the DVD's. They aren't as good as going to an actually class but you pay like $50 for I think it has 4 different videos so you get to kind of switch it up and you have it forever. I like to keep things around the house that I can do when I don't feel like going to the gym (wii, kinect, videos). It's about doing what works for you. I'm in Texas and it really is just too dang hot to go outside and do stuff haha

I find that it seems to happen when I'm socializing while I'm eating. I went out to dinner with a bunch of friends last night and was talking and laughing and some food got stuck. It's really unpleasant. I have to remember to take small bites, chew slowly, and focus on that instead of people haha. Fortunately I haven't thrown up... gross

First of all good for you! And I completely agree that group classes are the best way to go. I just got a gym membership too and I'm trying to take advantage of all the classes. I love love LOVE Zumba. It's so much fun and gets your heart going. I also really enjoy yoga. It's a much gentler exercise and just makes me feel good when I'm done. As far as gym equipment goes. I would just go to the strength training machines and get on them and do a few reps. My husband told me to aim for about 10 minutes on arms, 10 on legs and 10 on abs. Then go get on the elliptical for another 20 to 30 minutes. I can't start the strength until I'm officially 4 weeks post op though, which is a week from tomorrow But I think just having some kind of a plan before you go can really help. I know for me the main thing right now is to try and form a habit. Just go and do something, even if it's just for 30 minutes. Set a goal for yourself. I tell myself that I need to go 5 days of the week. I may only be able to fit 30 minutes in, but I need to do it. I'm hoping that it will eventually just be second nature. I've always hated exercising though, so like I said, I'm really trying to take advantage of the classes. They're more fun and it would be rude if you just walked out in the middle of it Hope I helped some!

My parents both have the lap band. My dad got his in March. He's already practically to his goal weight. My mom got hers the same day I did. She's losing weight. I haven't asked how much... I lost a few pounds during the liquid diet. I joined a gym last week and gained it back. I lost inches though so that's not all that important I guess. I'm just really disappointed that I'm not doing as well... It's been really hard for me to follow the diet and it really makes me wonder if I made the wrong decision in doing this... I can't tell them that though. I keep wondering if I should have given it another go on my own. I'm young. I could have done it with more will power... But I tried. Over and over again I tried to lose the weight. It never worked. At least not without me just gaining it all back. I just don't want to be a failure with this. I didn't expect some miracle. It's a tool to use. I know this. I haven't even gotten a fill yet. I mean, that's when it will start working for me right? I guess part of it is that I know my mom is just now starting to feel better and get hungry and stuff. I've been feeling fine and hungry since about four days after the surgery. It made me not follow the diet plan my doctor gave me. I started eating soft foods one week post op. I feel like I had the surgery months ago. And that's not the case. They say I'm still healing, but I don't feel like I am. If it weren't for the scars, I wouldn't know I ever had the surgery. So I eat. I eat until I'm full. I've gone out with friends and eaten too much. I don't know what to do or how to stop it. I have to figure it out to make this work. It's a tool that is there for me to use and if I don't use it right, it won't do what it's supposed to. I just need all the advice I can get. Did anybody else get really hungry during this time. What did y'all do?

This topic is making me feel so much better. I got banded with my mom and aunt on June 16 and they're both doing pretty well. I feel completely like I did before which means HUNGRY. It's been making it very difficult to stick with my post op diet and therefore I gained a couple of pounds back. It really helps knowing that others are going through this same thing. I have my post op appointment today and will hopefully get scheduled for my first fill!

Today was finally the day of my surgery! After trying to get the weight off myself completely unsuccessfully I decided to do this for myself. I got married 6 months ago and was at my heaviest then. On top of that, I gained an extra 10 pounds after the wedding. Ever since quitting cheerleading in high school 6 years ago I have been at least 50 pounds overweight. I'm tired of it. I don't want to spend the rest of my life that way. So, days after my 21st birthday, I got banded. It was pretty much the scariest thing that's ever happened to me. Well, beforehand anyway. I woke up at 5:45 this morning and couldn't go back to sleep to save my life so I got up and watched a little TV before my husband and I left to be at the hospital at 7:30. Took a pregnancy test, filled out some paperwork and then was taken to pre-op. I was doing ok at first but a little after I was given a pill, a shot, and the IV was put in place, I started to completely freak out and was wondering what the heck I was doing there. I started crying a little when my dad came in. My aunt and just had the surgery and my mom was in there at that time, so we had a nice little support system. That didn't help my feelings though. At some point, I took a little nap, and when I woke up, I was completely find and ready to go. They took me to the operating room, had me move to the operating table... and then I woke up in recovery. I was very relieved. I'd never had surgery before and was terrified something bad would happen, but all was well as far as waking up and being alive. The pain was pretty bad, but they gave me medicine for that. Didn't help the gas too much. And I was completely exhausted. After doing the x-ray thing, they made me wait in my "room" in my wheelchair. I kept falling asleep and when my head rolled back I woke up. After doing this about five times, my sweet husband came and stood behind me so I could rest my head against him. After I got home (Around 1 pm), I took some pain medicine and had some water and fell asleep. I slept in about 1 hour increments. I've been trying to walk to help with gas pains and I think I've been mildly successful. I'm pretty sure most of the pain I'm currently feeling is the tightness of the band. But I've been setting my phone timer to 5 min, then 6, then 7 and making myself pace the living room for that long. My husband wants to drive up to the coast tomorrow, which is completely fine b/c I can just rest when I'm there, but I'm not too sure about the 3 hour drive. I'll just have to wait until morning to decide. I've eaten a little bit of the broth from chicken noodle soup, and I had my husband run and get me popsicles and jello (sugar free of course) and some hot and sour soup. That stuff is the best I'm pretty concerned about this next week on the clear liquids. I'm not any kind of hungry now, just eating a very little bit because I feel like I should have some calories in me. But I'm terrified that I'll get hungry and not be able to have anything. It's full liquids starting next week and I'll be able to have smoothies and protein shakes so that should be fine. Just have to make it the next 7 days. But for now I'm going to take some more medicine and see if I can sleep through the night and hopefully feel better in the morning. Love, M

I'm not really sure what your post op diet is. It seems that everybody has different ones that they're supposed to be following. Mine was really strict. Clear liquids for a week, then full liquids for another week, then soft foods for two weeks. I honestly started soft foods a little over a week post op, but on that same note, I'm only 21 and I felt almost completely normal by that point. I'm about 2 1/2 weeks post op now and the only thing that tells me that I had surgery are the scars. Since there's not any fluid in my band my hunger isn't even curbed. The point I'm trying to make is that I think you have to listen to your body and how you're feeling. If you eat something, just eat a little bit and see how it makes you feel. Honestly at this point, I wouldn't recommend you eat anything too hard/crunchy. Anything you eat you want to make sure that it's really mushy in your mouth before you swallow. I'm not really sure what something crunchy that would do that could be. Just try and keep that in mind Sorry I wasn't any more helpful :/

I had my surgery a couple of weeks ago and have been starting into soft foods. I've gained a couple of pounds back from that and so I joined a gym so that I can start exercising because I really want this to work out for me and I'm terrified that it's not going to despite my husband's encouragement. Now my problem is that I went to the gym today and was completely overwhelmed... There were two really thin women and a bunch of fit guys which just made me feel more awkward. But that's something I have to learn to ignore because everyone has to start somewhere right? I specifically joined this gym because they offer classes so I plan to do yoga and Zumba but I also need to get in strength training and cardio. What do y'all do? It would be so easy to just jump on the elliptical for 45 minutes or whatever but everything I read talks about how important strength training is... Any suggestions from people who have been where I am now or are currently here with me?

I love swimming! But they said I have to wait until I'm four weeks post op But I have a pool in my neighborhood that I will definitely be going to once I can

70 pounds in 6 months is amazing!! Good for you!!

Thanks for all the advice! I've been making myself go to the gym everyday after work this week even if just for 30 minutes. I'm trying to make it a habit. It really helps having a place like this to come to to talk to people and get advice. I think it's going to make this journey so much better

Dang those have gone down in the past year. I have the body analysis one that's clear. You put in your height and you can program it to tell you your bmi and body fat Percentage and some other fun stuff. I'm not sure how accurate but still cool lol. And like NJGirl said keep it in one place preferably on a hard surface. And try to weigh yourself at the same time. I'm the type who's too impatient to wait a whole week so I weigh myself as soon as I get up in the morning. Good luck!

I like my weight watchers digital scale. I haven't had any problems with inconsistency on it and I think I got it from target. It was a little pricey (around 50 I believe), but it's worth it to have a good quality scale. Whatever the case, I definitely recommend digital Hope that helps some

I think everybody needs a little indulgence occasionally... I don't think I could have gone through with the surgery if I though that I could never ever have ice cream again in my life... if you hadn't of eaten it and just sat and thought about it all day who knows what you might have done later! Maybe you would have stopped for a late night DQ. Tomorrow's a bright new day and you've had your ice cream fix Good Luck!!!

I had mine yesterday too! I was terrified but it went pretty well! And I'm feeling good as long as I keep up with my medication Definitely still pretty sore. I've mostly been drinking water. I'm trying to be constantly sipping on it. I've had a little soup but if I took my guess I've maybe had a half cup total between yesterday and today. I'm just not that hungry. Hopefully that can last until the end of the week when I start full liquids! I hope you continue feeling well!!!

I just got my lapband this morning. My mom and aunt and I were in it together so that was nice. I was super freaked out this morning but once they put the IV in I took a nap and felt so much better right before they started. I got in the operating room and next thing I knew I was waking up in recovery. The gas hurts so bad. I feel miserable. I had heard to walk it out, but I can barely get myself to walk across the living room. What did everyone else do to ease the pain? Also, how is everybody getting those cute little tickers on their notes? I made one but I don't know how to make a signature I guess is what I need to do