stevoinfranklin

Well I had to come back to tell everyone about my journey..luckily for me it was not as hard as I thought. Was banded 2 years ago..weighed 311 pounds before the surgery..got down to 303 the day of the surgery..and now I have stabled out today @ 178 pounds....yup..133 pounds gone..along with my Type 2 Diabetes and a much lower blood pressure. Did I think I made a mistake at first...duhhh..you bet..those first few long weeks were both scary and humbling but I was bound and determined to make this work for me.My main reasoning/rationale was not only my health issues of course...but I was a self pay and every day I told myself not to mess this up due to all the money that I shelled out..lol..it helped!! This forum was also a lifesaver...I was on everyday scouring for bits n pieces of any info that I thought would help me thru this journey.The main piece of info I would like to share is that..as we have all heard time n time again..IT IS A TOOL..not a miracle cure...you also must shift thru all the info and find what works best for you.WE are all individuals thus we are all different..what worked for me will not always work for you! We all now know that different clinics have different sets of rules/guidelines..drove me bonkers at first reading about this Dr said yes to this...but this Dr said no..wow!! I shifted thru alot of info and it can be so frustrating and confusing! Case in point..how long to wait before consuming liquids.The first year I stuck with what my Dr told me..wait at least 45 minutes to an hour before having liquids..set my alarm after every meal..stayed busy until I could drink!!Now I only wait 20- 30 minutes and have no problems at all.Will it work for you..I cannot answer that..but I experimented with everything that I read til I found a solution that I could live with. I want to tell the newbies to stay focused...it can and will be difficult for some but the outcome is worth all the frustrations and self doubts!! Do I know the band is still there..of course..I still follow some simple rules/guidelines...but it has become such a daily part of my life and I refuse to go back to the way I was before surgery. I wish all continued success on your life changing journey!!

WOOHOO...way to go on your success!! NO Sugar Ice Cream for all...lol !!

Just celebrated my one year anniversary..Dr Wellborn in Little Rock did my surgery.I am very happy with him and his staff...everyone there with the exception of him..are banders!! They have all been down our road and make it so much easier to relate to. I am now down 118 pounds and am amazed on how I have progressed!! Wish you success on your journey

OMG...this is exactly what I needed to hear and read about this morning....thank you...thank you. Have reached that dreaded plateau that I knew was coming and did not want to deal with!! The weight came off fast after surgery (half-way where I need to be after only 3 short months..65 lbs gone....but now the slow down begins ) i realize now that I need an attitude adjustment along with my next fill....bless you for this great post.

WOW....sounds like you had Nurse Ratchet !! I would not tolerate such behavior...I would first ask nicely to speak with your Dr...and if she did not comply with your wishes...I would go bonkers until I at least spoke to someone higher up than her!! Please remember that you are the patient (whether self pay or insurance) and therefore you are in control...not her. Our journey can be difficult at times and I hope you get this matter resolved so you can continue on with your great success...good luck!!

I think your answer might be found in your last sentence...." I suck at eating right " ?? I was banded on 7/21/11 and have had 2 fills (2nd one 4 days ago)...and I know I am no there yet because I am starting to feel hungry between meals and feel that I could eat whatever I wanted....WRONG !! I use to use food as a crutch for whatever ailed me...work...relationship...etc and the next thing I knew I was morbidly obese....gawd I still cringe when I see those 2 words...I knew I was " heavy" but not those 2 dreaded words...blah !! My point is you HAVE to change your mindset as difficult as it sounds....you are fighting your band for whatever reason...you cannot and must not give in to mindless eating...that is what got most of us into trouble to begin with. As most everyone here will tell you...and trust me I get tired of hearing it...the band is a TOOL...not a a magic pill that we can take and poof...bye-bye pounds !! I couldn't lose all the weight I gained...so I made a commitment to myself that I was going to make the band work..especially since the money was coming out of my pocket...is it difficult...hell yes...is it a lifestyle change...double hell yes ...lol !! Please be patient and remember why you made the decision to get the band....most importantly tho is work with your Dr....each one of is different and each one of us responds differently to this procedure. Me personally...I will not weigh myself until the Dr does every 2 weeks...we can yo yo some so why beat yourself up over a 1/2 pound here or there. I do measure once a week and keep a journal...the inches come off much faster than the pounds I have found and it is so gratifying for me. Go to MyFitnessPal.com and start tracking everything....and I mean everything you put in your mouth and you will freak out when those innocent little Snacks or rewards add up to a whole lot of calories!! I wish you luck my friend...hope this helps you on your journey.....Stevo

Although I have only been banded since July 21st and had only one fill so far,I felt a need to respond to your post. From everything I have read and been advised by my Dr and his staff you will almost always have some swelling due to a fill or unfill. It is best for most of us to be on liquids for the first 48 hours. With that said may I suggest sipping hot broth, tea or coffee...especially in the morning...the majority of us suffer from "morning tightness" and it is difficult to get anything to go down!! And DO NOT gulp or chug your liquids down...too much air gets in your stomach...thus the painful bloating and belching which usually leads to puking,which as we all know can be damaging to the band! May I ask why you had a complete unfill?Were you tried of the restrictions?? I wish you the best Lee....

What type of meat are you eating and are your portions iddy biddy and you are chew chew chewing then chewing some more?? I can no longer enjoy a strip steak because it is too dense...but my new best friend is a tenderloin...yes more expensive but not really when I have the butcher cut me a 6oz piece and can usually make 2 meals out of it!! Moist meat is usually our friend...no more dry rubbery chicken for me....you might revisit the types of meats you are eating....hope this helps!

Understand the hunger pangs...today is my 10th day being banded and liquids can be a pain... Have been reading this forum since being banded and realize that every Doctor is different when it comes to the does and don'ts. If you can drink it thru a straw you can have it is my Dr's mantra...so I get creative...it's like trying a new recipe...puree your favorite Soups...thin down mashed potatoes with some broth...anything different helps soothe those hunger pangs!! I also now know that this is the ultimate diet challenge....if I want to cheat...I will pay AND I paid way too much to mess this up! Stay busy...do little things like clean out that junk drawer (we all have one)...reorganize the closet...in other words...keep your mind off of your hunger!! Good luck to all

Had my lapband surgery on July 21 and like alot of you struggling now with what I think is hunger pangs as we call them here in the Ozarks between meals(still on liquids). I have found this site and it really helps to read about everyone's ups and downs...makes you feel you are not the only one going thru this journey. My question is I have not read anything about gum or hard candies...I'm talking about such items as Werther's sugar-free coffee or caramel nips @30 calories or less and all sugar free gum. Having one or the other seems to help me get between meals without knawing on the computer...lol Any thoughts?? Stevo

Thanks for the reply....makes sense about the gum getting stuck....yuk!! As far as the hard candies i limit myself to no more than 2 a day..guess I better pull out my best friend sugar free Jell-o when those pangs hit!!

I just had my lapband one week ago and I am 60 yrs old...like you I was concerned. No major problems to report except behavior modification...guess it's hard to teach an old dog new tricks?? Seriously tho...if all your tests blood heart etc are ok...go for it!! Good luck