Kate rules

10 copayment at each preop visit plus each ancillary appointment (shrink, etc.). Probably 100 bucks. 150 for hospital nutrition class. 300 for surgeons nutrition program. Insurance didn't cover any of that. 30 for post-op meds. Now, new clothes...

My nutritionist is completely against drinking while eating. I occasionally do. But I have found that I sometimes do get stuck as a result. My strategy for handling this is to order a glass of Water at restaurant and drink until food comes. After that no more or puking will follow.

You can go to any restaurant. I found it easier in the beginning to scope out menu before we go so I would know what to order. I eat Chinese, Mexican, Italian, etc. I have trouble with beef that is tough - sirloin steak is off menu. Pain sucks after surgery. A heating pad and stronger pain meds will help. Initial foods sucked for me. Lots of lima Beans, mashed potatoes and soft meats. My biggest concern pre-surgery was that I wouldn't be able to eat bread. The weird thing is I don't crave bread like I used to and I can eat, but not much and very slowly when I do. Wishing you the best.

Hi Amy. Congrats on surgery. Wishing you health and happy losing.

Hey daddyof4! Dr. Moazzez was great. No support groups for me but I have a band buddy I chat with every day for support, accountability and encouragement during the slow losing times. You know how the DC metro area is - getting to fair oaks is a pain! Feel free to PM me. As far as all the stuff with marriages, relationships goes, my comment is that I do get a lot of looks and offers from men now. But as I did before, I politely refuse and thank them for their interest. My hubby, after supporting me through the past years (especially the last one), is more attractive to me than anyone else. Losing 66 pounds hasn't changed who I am but it has changed how people see me.

Took me 2-3 weeks. I still have port pain sometimes so I sleep with a pillow to support my side.

I think my doc said 4 weeks. I think we made it to two and hormones took over. Wasn't a problem. Just don't do anything too crazy...

Northern Virginia. Bluepoint surgical did my band

I can only speak for myself on this issue. I really can't have any of that stuff. For me, junk food is the slippery slope. Once I'm on it I find it so hard to escape. The time to do better is NOW. Each day, hour and food choice is your opportunity to make better choices. If you have chips with lunch, have half a salad at dinner. Stop buying bad foods. Stop eating at restaurants where you slip up. I say this as someone who lost only 12 pounds in first 6 months of being banded. And I just started losing again after a 5 week bout with bad food choices. I gave away my last box of Cookies, asked my mom not to make brownies for my kids when I come over and I stopped driving past the plaza with the frozen yogurt. I'm struggling but I've lost 2 pounds this week. Another thing: try to see why you are eating. You don't need to respond, but have you considered seeing a therapist to help with any anxiety or depression issues that trigger a need to eat or to eat certain foods. All of this is just from my mixed experiences with the band over the past year, for better and for worse!

Focus on protein intake. Start, if you haven't already been, reading nutrition labels. I fell into a fast food trap during the mushy phase and didn't lose as much weight as I could have.

Try to take away one or two key points from each meeting or presentation. They have to throw a lot of information at us fairly quickly. What I did was set this information aside and browsed it during recovery. I was bored anyway. Don't let this overwhelm you. Your practice is there to support you and the discussion boards are a great resource for those times you just are not sure of what to do.

I'm stuck at 141-143. Been here since April. But I was also on a plateau at 172-175. So I accept that it will likely be another 2-4 months for me to break past this. My goal was 135 for July 5, now just hoping to maintain while my body figures out we haven't finished losing yet. My cruise with multiple trips to ice cream station helped me break plateau last time. Lost 4 pounds on a Disney cruise. Yeah, I don't get it either. Maybe I need a vacation! LOL

Sorry had a problem with device. I lost only 12 pounds between July 5 and January 1. Then I lost 22 in 3 months. Thi pa

I really didn't start losing weight until my 3 or 4th fill. I lost 12 pounds between July. 5 A

Banded 11 months Started at 205. Currently at 141.4. Wanted to lose 75 pounds. Revised to 70 pounds Have lost 63.6 pounds. 27 of that was pre-op. Rating of 10. I love the way I look, the way I feel. But biggest difference is in the bloodwork. Triglyceride count from 399 to 133. Overall cholesterol normal. Hga1c is 5.0 from being a type 2 diabetic. Pretty awesome. Did I mention I'm hot now??

Hey I messed up last week. Averaged 1750 calories per day. I am moving on. Today I will do better. I will have more lean Protein and avoid the places that add calories to my diet without adding real nutritional value to it. All you can do. My advice, being almost a year out, is to allow yourself a slip at a party. Have a rib or two smothered in sauce. And let people see you licking the sauce off of your hands. Then suggest someone accompany you for a nice walk around the block. No one will question how you have lost weight. Most people will see you ate and not bug you to eat more. This is how I managed all the work picnics and social gatherings during the past year. I grabbed a coworker and took him or her for a long walk. Their comments whoa slow down!! My sentiments exactly!!

Awesome!!

I didn't really start losing until 3rd fill. My fitness pal helped too. I was allowed 1200 calories per day. Now in a kind of self imposed maintenance mode ( because I have less than 7 pounds to goal) I am between 1500 and 1800 per day. But I'm not losing at that level. I would do the 1400 per day and focus on protein intake. I never denied myself a food I wanted but I was sure to get my protein in every day.

I'm just starting to recognize myself in mirror again, well recognize who I thought I would one day look like. But I understand what you are saying. I sometimes stop and look in mirror because I can't believe the skinny face or body belongs to me. I like my thin face and especially my thinning neck. But still some work needs to be done there. What's really funny is when people I've worked with for years who haven't seen me in a while say I didn't recognize you. And my license, oh my! I was broken out, PMSing, 65 pounds heavier and hate the DMV with a passion. My photo is horrid!!

I wouldn't do sleeve. I considered it. I had 65 pounds to lose. I have lost all but a pound and a half of that in one year. With the band only. My doc said that over a 5 year period weight loss surgeries tend to have the same outcomes. Sleeve or GB will yield faster loss but eventually it levels off. Band weight loss tends to be slower. I liked that the band can be removed and that the complications that are a bit more common seem to have less capacity to be life threatening. I have two little crumb snatchers who depend on me and a hubby who wants me around for a while. Had to do something about weight but figured this was a good compromised. Good luck in your decision making process.

My gastroenterologist found I had fatty liver during abdominal US while in process of diagnosing cause of my severe acid reflux (per-band). I had a liver biopsy done with negative results. My fatty liver has resolved and my hiatus hernia (cause of reflux) was fixed during banding. Actually wasn't going to do band until I found out I had to be put under anyway. Two for one!! Actually three for one if you count biopsy. Which sucks if you have done while awake.

So sorry about your loss. May I suggest you start (if you haven't been already) seeing a therapist. I still struggle with emotional including stress eating. I think your comorbidities can help you. But the other poster was right when they said that you may have to do a liver shrinking diet before surgery.

I did it because I want to live long enough to drain my pension plan that I would have paid into for 25 years. My plan: take my now skinny rear end to the tattoo parlor and get my employers logo tattooed on my rear end with the money from my first retirement check. 16 years and 2 weeks to go! And I'm going to live to be 90 and see my great grandchildren be born! While continuing to cash my pension checks! LOL. Just kidding, sort of... BUT actually: having the diabetes, fatty liver, obesity, high cholesterol, and start of high blood pressure all completely gone from my life is so wonderful! I was really worried I wouldn't see 50 if I continued on the same track.

Love it. Nothing like blowing stuff up

What kind of eater are you? They will want to know if you are a binge eater , grazer, carb lover and so on