DELETE THIS ACCOUNT!

See but this is good. Not that you "haven't been an angel", but rather that you are clear where you haven't been and what you need to change. This will help a lot! I still think your calorie range is too low, btw. I'm a 5'3 woman and I eat 1000-1200 a day. Being a man, yours should be higher for sure. Now granted this is just my personal experience, not "right" or "wrong", but I simply cannot eat after 7pm and lose weight. If I were to eat stuff like ice cream or drink wine at night I guarantee I wouldn't lose. It's VERY hard to kick the nighttime eating habit but for me it's essential. If I find myself truly hungry in the evening, I have a dill pickle or a sliced cucumber because both are 0 calories. Hang in there, it's definitely a learning experience!

you're very welcome

My goodness, it sounds like you're doing everything absolutely right. I'd be incredibly frustrated in your shoes, too. The only suggestions I can think of are: -See a nutritionist to establish a good calorie range specifically for you and your activity level. 1100 for a man is VERY low. I would have to guess you're not eating enough and actually need more to stimulate your metabolism into activity. A nutritionist is your best bet to establish this. -See your primary care physician. It's highly unlikely but doing this will at least rule a medical reason for your stalled weight loss. Good luck!

Actually yes, we have a Wii and the Just Dance is a good work out when you're on the faster/harder songs. We don't have Zumba but I imagine it would be a lot better than the Just Dance. I will say this: We also have an Xbox 360 with Kinect. I actually MUCH prefer it for dancing games, and pretty much everything, over Wii. With the Xbox Kinect you don't need any controller. It reads your body movement, so there's a ton more freedom and variety. With the Wii, you have to hold the remote and/or nunchuck. Best wishes

You'll have to ask your surgeon. They all have their own schedule.

I haven't ever had a slip, but I know someone who did. When I was in the hospital getting my Lap Band surgery, my roommate was a woman in there getting her band replaced. Apparently she regularly drank soda and as a result, not only did her band slip but her stomach actually prolapsed up through it. She also gained 40 pounds in a very short period time. I will never forget her telling me her story and telling me "learn from my mistake, don't ever drink carbonation". It was a year ago I was banded and I never forgot her or her story. As a result, I've never touched a carbonated drink since being banded either.

It is entirely possible to get stuck without any fills. Depending on where you band sits, your stomach size, and your band sized you could have a lot of tightness despite having an empty band. Tuna isn't bad, in fact it's very good for you. In fact, unless your doctor or nutritionist tell you not to eat a certain food, nothing is off limits except carbonation. Food isn't "bad", it's the amounts of it and frequency we eat it that can be bad. You may think you were taking small enough bites, chewing enough, and eating slow enough but it's possible as a newly banded person you're not quite there yet. My nutritionist suggested bites be the size of my fingernail. Yes, that small. She also suggested actually putting the fork down and waiting a moment between bites. Perhaps you could try this and see if it helps you too? Hang in there, it's a learning experience but you'll get used to it

Jim, I've never been in your shoes but my heart positively breaks for you. To the inconsiderate people that would ask personal information such as "when are you going to have kids?" I'd say "I don't know, when are you going to learn not be an inappropriate, nosy idiot?" ((HUGS))

It's unlikely he missed the port because when they put the needle in, they can feel it "pop" through the port itself. I am guessing that's why he was fishing around for 15 minutes because he wasn't feeling the needle puncture the port. However, if he did miss it? The only way you'll know is by having him measure the Fluid in your band at your next visit. This is done very easily, they just act like they're going to do a fill, draw all the fluid out to see how much is in the band, and immediately put it right back in. Give it a day or two and see how you're feeling. It may just be because the fill was so tiny you don't notice it. Best wishes to you.

Left side

Congratulations!!

To be honest, I don't miss any foods. I still eat all my old favorites- Chinese, pizza, even desserts- but I do it on occasion and in moderation. And when I do, I simply make sure to add them into my daily calories. The only thing I miss isn't a food, it's a drink. I miss Vernor's ginger ale. It's carbonated so I can't have it anymore, but it's the only thing I miss.

It is possible but it's really uncommon. You would have to have a very violent, prolonged coughing spell. Not just your usual nagging cough from a cold but the kind where you cough so hard you're retching. I'm guessing you're ok but I'd ask your doctor, just to ease your mind if nothing else.

Being as I started this thread I suppose I should add mine *laughs* I've lost 175 pounds in a year with the help of my Lap-Band. I still have more to lose but I know I'll get there. The Lap Band is the best decision I've ever made for myself. My life has gone from sofa bound misery to active and happier than I've ever been in my adult life. It's been work, I count calories and try my best to make healthy food decisions. I never eat more than a cup of food per meal and I exercise as much as I can. The band is a tool, not a magic fix for fat. If you use it the way it's meant to be used amazing things can happen- and I'm living proof. I've gone from being disabled with Multiple Sclerosis, sofa bound in pain and miserable, to walking 2 miles a day with ease and absolutely loving my life (despite still having MS!). If I can do this then anyone can!

Talk to your OBGYN and ask them.

YAY!!!! That's awesome!!!! I'm praying mine breaks this week too. *fingers crossed*

There is a sister site to this one specifically for Sleeve patients. You'll see the link at the very bottom of this page. This is a great site for info on the band but I'm guessing you'll get better info on the Sleeve on the other site. Though definitely check back here for Jean's response tomorrow. Amazing lady, she's been through a lot and has a wealth of knowledge to share. Best wishes to you.

Amazing story and very wise words. Thank you so much for posting

You're doing great! Congrats!

Having your thyroid checked again is a great idea. In fact, having an entire blood panel run would probably be helpful. This way they can see if anything could be the culprit that is being missed. And btw, it's not shallow at all. My hair is a lot thinner because I've had 2 surgeries over this last year. I'm not dealing with anything even nearly as severe as you are and even I get upset at times when I feel the difference. We're women, our hair is VERY important to us. I totally "get it" and why you're upset. Hang in there.

What you're talking about sounds a lot more extreme than anything surgery or band related. If I were in your shoes, I'd go to your family doctor and maybe even a dermatologist See what they say or can recommend.

There's a HUGE difference between the original pics and the 80 pounds lost pic! Congratulations! You're doing outstanding!!

Not every surgeon requires that. Some actually require a longer diet, some don't require any pre-op diet at all. It all depends on your surgeon. The 2 week pre-op diets are rough but necessary when a surgeon requires it. They're not to lose weight but rather to shrink the liver. In obese people, the liver is extremely enlarged and fatty, making it very difficult to handle without injury during surgery. With Lap Band surgery, the surgeon has to be able to move the liver out of his way to band the stomach. So, a lot of times they put you on a pre-op diet to shrink the liver. It's definitely a diet that you must stick to if given one, too. I've read many cases of people going in for Lap Band surgery and coming out with all the scars but no band because when the surgeon got in there, the liver was too big to proceed safely so they closed the patient right back up. Just remember, if you are asked to do a 2 week liquid diet, it's only 2 weeks out of the rest of your life. You can handle it. Best wishes.

Welcome to the forums! You're very smart to read up on the band and educate yourself before making a final decision. This is a great place to ask questions and get opinions so jump right in Best wishes!

I average 1000-1200 calories a day.