MLR

So I was banded on June 16 and just found out that I'm pregnant. I'm concerned about how much I need to be eating because I want to make sure that I'm being healthy for my baby. But I don't want to just throw away the last months and 30 pounds that I've lost and I've even read on here that some of your doctors say its ok to keep losing weight for now (I haven't been to either my lap band doc or obgyn yet) but I feel like continuing to eat only 1200 calories a day may be too low... do y'all eat more? I'm also annoyed b/c I gained like 3 pounds from Thanksgiving so I would like to get that back off asap. I'm just kind of wondering what some of y'all are doing or what your doctors said to do. Thanks!

So my mother in law is pretty overweight and has a lot of the health problems associated with it (diabetes, high blood pressure, arthritis). She can barely even move around because she's in so much pain and I honestly believe that if she could get some of the weight off it would immensely improve her quality of life. She said that her doctor wrote a letter to her insurance (medicare) saying that she should be approved for the lap band surgery and they wouldn't approve her. I was self-pay so I don't know anything about it. I have read on here about some people whose insurance companies tried to get them to go with gastric or something more drastic because they don't want to have to deal with the aftercare that comes with the band... What I'm wondering though is if medicare ever approves the lapband surgery and how to go about getting approved. It's so important to my husband that his mom get healthier so that she'll be here and able to enjoy her grandchildren one day. So it's important to me to and I don't know if there's anything that I can do.

I've been sitting her trying to research this. True results in austin doesn't accept medicare... I don't know much about this... do you know if maybe she could get it done somewhere else in Houston maybe and then trueresults take her on as a patient for fills... grr... lol

We're also in the Austin, TX area... I'm not sure if that matters... I really don't know anything about medicare

Ok fellow bandsters. So I was banded on June 16 of this year. It took me awhile to actually start losing weight but once I started it was coming off pretty easily. I've lost almost 30 pounds and am quite pleased with myself for that. However, I've been fluctuating between the same two pounds for the past month. I'm at the weight I was at for about four years before I up and gained another 30 or so. So I've lost what I put on the past year and now I can't seem to get any lower. I monitor what I eat through myfitnesspal (my username is mbcr920 if you want to add me!) and I've always been doing some form of exercise. I've really kicked it up this past week trying to bust through this plateau. I've been doing an hour of strength with my husband along with cardio. So maybe I just haven't seen the results from that yet, but mostly I'm just wondering what some of y'all do to get past them. I was going to the doctor every three weeks or so but then last time she decided I was doing well on my own (which I was) and that I could wait six weeks to see her again. So I've got two weeks until my next appointment and a goal of six pounds at least (I've lost two so far). Ugh! I'm just getting so frustrated! lol. I'm going on a cruise it about a month and was hoping to be 10 pounds lighter than I am now and I need to get past this stupid plateau! Please help

Of course I got the band because I want to lose weight and be healthier and feel better about myself. I think what I really like about my band is that I don't feel like I cheated by getting it. I worried that I would. That it would be so easy and I would just have dropped the weight in months (not that it would have been something terrible haha). I worried that people would think I just took the easy way out. However, I still have to work my butt off to lose weight. I'm still dieting and exercising. But when it comes to eating, I have a little friend who makes it much easier to only eat 1200 calories a day. So when I finally do get the weight off, I can be proud of myself knowing that I did this and it wasn't easy. I worked hard and I got the results, just like everybody else who has gotten the lap band or has done it without it. So don't think it's going to make your life a million times easier, because it won't. But if you're good to it, it will be good to you. And you'll be proud of what you accomplish. I hope that helps

haha. I didn't even realize that this was from August... You're way past that stage

I was SOOOO bad with my post-op diet. I know some people will read this and think I'm some horrible person for not following the diet to a t... but I just couldn't do it. I was supposed to be on Clear liquids for a week, then full liquids for a week, then mushies for like 2 weeks I think. I started eating mushies like a week in. I really just couldn't take it. I started solids too soon too. I don't recommend it. I suggest that you stick it out at much as you can. Because I did that I didn't lose any weight until after a fill or two. But honestly, I didn't have any problems with my band from it or anything. I honestly think that being 21 I healed faster and it just wasn't a huge deal. Just be careful and watch it because you want to keep losing weight. It got beyond frustrating for me... Good luck

I would definitely do all of the research involved. I personally never considered anything other than the lap band. It just seemed safe and the gastric bypass can have a lot of complications. As far as whether you're making the right decision that's something that you need to decide. I mean, you would lose a lot more weight a lot faster with bypass but all the complications... the lap band is slow weight loss. I've been banded since June and I'm just now to the point that I'm losing one or two pounds a week. So the lap band is just a tool to help you lose weight at a slow, healthy pace. It must be that your insurance company doesn't want to deal with the aftercare that comes with the lap band because that makes no sense to me how they would tell you horror stories about lapband and act as if bypass is a better, safer way to go... it really baffles me. Keep us updated

I LOVE Jillian Michaels. I've had the 30 day shred for awhile now. It's not something that I do religiously but it's perfect for when I just don't feel like going to the gym. And it kicks my butt every time! I also just bought her yoga video which was pretty awesome as well. I really want the Ripped in 30. I think it's similar to shred but from what I read the strength part is split into 3 different moves for 30 seconds each which sounds so much better. I always struggle through the movements for a whole minutes. It drags!! But regardless, a kick butt routine in less than 30 minutes. I can handle that

I am the exact same way! I had registered for it probably a year or so ago and just started really using it about a week or so ago. I love it! I'm mbcr920

I am the exact same way! I had registered for it probably a year or so ago and just started really using it about a week or so ago. I love it! I'm mbcr920

Yeah the food in college was not exactly health friendly. I'm not really one to condone it because I just don't think it's very healthy but if I were you I might just try and cut carbs completely (or close anyway). So have omelets and other forms of eggs for Breakfast and someone else said hamburger patties without the buns. Hot dogs would be ok occasionally. Salads with lots of veggies and oil and vinegar. Just try and stay away from pastas and breads and desserts. If you can manage that maybe you can get out of your plateau. I hope your exercising too. My college had an amazing rec center with lots of ellipticals and treadmills and and indoor track and swimming pool. Make sure you take advantage of any of that stuff. Keep us updated

Obviously everybody is very different, but I went to the doctor today and I thought I'd share what she told me. Basically she told me that they tell people (granted this is solely at my dr's office) to try to only eat three meals a day in order to prevent people from over eating. In reality she told me that she could care less how often I eat as long as I don't go over 1200 calories. She told me that if I can eat all day and manage to not go over that amount, then that is perfectly fine. But overall I just maintain that you should eat when you're hungry. Don't let yourself starve because then you'll overeat at the next meal and you could stretch out your stomach and you don't want that to happen. Good luck

Yes. Taco Bell is my favorite fast food. I always get the pintos and cheese (170 calories like Cindy C said) and a fresco crunchy taco (150). So I get a super yummy meal for like 320 calories and lots of Protein and fiber. You should try it next time the hubby wants it But like they said, don't beat yourself up over it. Everybody has off days. Just get back on it tomorrow. You're doing awesome!

Try myfitnesspal.com You can create recipes and put everything that you put in your dinners and then put how many servings that is to make calories per serving. It can be really helpful because I have the same problem of not knowing how many calories are in some of the dishes that I make.

I just finished the 20 minute run!! It was challenging, but not in a way that I felt like I couldn't do it. I probably could have even kept going... I'm so excited that I did that! I just started this 5 weeks ago! Haha. Now I just need to take my car out and figure out how far I ran in that 20 minutes lol. I hope everybody else is doing well with it!

Let's see: The day I started pre-op diet: 203 Day of surgery: 193 I got down to about 188 during the first few days when I was on Clear liquids, but then I gained it back and was at 192 until I got my first fill. Anybody who is between the surgery and fills and isn't losing weight, don't sweat it. You think that since you have the band you should be losing weight but it doesn't always work that way. It was a very frustrating month for me. After my first fill I got down to 188 (two week time span) After my second fill I got down to maybe 187. I had started the couch to 5k so I was losing inches but not pounds on the scale which was still very frustrating. My third fill was the most recent about 2 1/2 weeks ago and I'm down to 184 now. I'm hoping for at least another pound off before I go back in on Tuesday. In the beginning, I was hoping to have lost more by now, but now that I'm here I'm ok with where I'm at. Especially now that it's coming off pretty steadily Everybody is doing really great!! Keep it up

You don't sound like you've gotten to a spot in which you don't need to snack. Honestly if you're hungry, you should eat. Just make sure you keep healthy things around to snack on. My doctor says that if I'm hungry drink a glass of Water first because we can confuse thirst for hunger. Then if I'm still hungry then I should have a snack. For me, I find that I get hungry about every 2 1/2 hours. I will usually try and prolong eating for about 3 hours or so but then I will have a small snack like some greek yogurt or a hard boiled egg. You may find yourself eating from your daughters chips because you're hungry. So when you give them their cheetos, have an apple or something that you enjoy (although I really don't think it's too bad to have a couple of them. If I could stop at 2 or 3 chips I'd probably eat them more often ) . I constantly find myself stressing over what I ate during the day and I just have to tell myself that I'll be better tomorrow. Sometimes I am and sometimes I'm not. We're still pretty new to all of this. The pattern that works for us will come. Also, I just started using it yesterday so I'm not 100% on if I feel it's effective but so far it's working. I downloaded myfitnesspal onto my iphone (they also have a website that you can use). I put in my height and weight and how much I exercise and how much weight I want to lose per week. It told me how many calories I can eat per day and then counts them down as I input my meals. I was using caloriecount but I find this better because instead of just telling me how many calories I have eaten, it tells me how many more I can eat so if I decide I want to eat something I may think twice about it. Just a thought. But really, don't be so hard on yourself. It takes time

I was banded on June 16. I got my third fill a couple of weeks ago and I'm thinking I'm getting close to my spot. When I'm being good I can eat and won't be hungry for about 2 1/2 hours. However, I find myself doing the same things that I've always done. Grazing. Granted, I don't graze on as much because I just can't eat as much but I know that the way this is going to work best is if I'm only eating WHEN I'M HUNGRY. Not because I'm bored, or I could eat or whatever else the reason is behind it. I start the day off good. I'll take a Protein shake and a hard boiled egg with me to work and when I get off I'll come home and eat lunch. But I'll usually end up eating something else (or two) before dinner and then something after dinner. Sometimes it is because I really am hungry and I don't like being hungry so I'm going to have a snack if I am. But sometimes I just eat more than I need to and I know that and I feel guilty afterwards. Sorry for rambling. I'm just wondering what some of y'all do to keep motivated and to not have a snack when you think you want one but aren't actually hungry. I'm going on a cruise in December and I would like to lose another 20 or 25 pounds before then so I have my little doodle thing on my fridge that says -25 on it that I can change as I lose weight hoping that will help. And it might a little. Idk. But I've been doing the couch to 5k and I'm losing slowly. Probably half a pound to a full pound a week. But I'd like it to be more like 1.5 pounds to 2 pounds a week and I really think that if I could just get my eating more under control then that would be feasible. So, for like the third time I've said this, what do y'all do? Thanks!

Lea you have been doing amazing! You seem to be on the same level with me on how much weight you need to lose and you're already down 36 pounds! I'm mildly jealous And only 2 cc's? I've got 6 in mine right now I've been getting fills every 2 or 3 weeks. I may or may not get one next time though. We'll have to wait and see. I have been really trying to make sure that I don't eat too much at one time. My doctor told me to serve myself on 6 inch saucer plates and that's what I've been doing. And I try really hard to put everything into my calorie counter app but that doesn't always go as planned :/ I obviously need to just be a lot more strict with myself. I have faith that I can do this though. I think this band just gave me the push I needed to get going.

I'm so glad to hear that there don't really seem to be any problems running that long! As far as where to start back I would say maybe a week if you don't feel comfortable with where you left off. Maybe just repeat week 5 again since the first two days of it are still intervals. But that would definitely just be wherever you feel comfortable. As long as you keep going!

Thank you! I am terrified right now. But when I get out and do it and if I can get through it I will be amazed and super proud. I'm almost excited

So I just finished week 4. I'm pretty proud of myself (I also got up early since I don't work today and ran outside while it was still like 70 degrees. I loved it. So much better than the treadmill) But that's not the point. I've been doing ok so far. I run really slow but I'm not worried about it. What I am worried about is that running for 5 minutes straight is pretty tough and the last day is 20 minutes straight? I'm pretty terrified of this. Who's done it and was it easier than it sounds? I'm really determined to get through this program and I don't want that to hold me back....

Congratulations!!! You'll feel normal again in no time