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Congratulations on starting the steps to a healthier you. It sounds like you are putting a lot of thought into this decision which will help you as you move into your new life. I had Lapband 8 months ago and I haven't regretted it yet. I am down over a hundred pounds and feel so much better. 1) Does your port show thru your skin a lot? No. I have the low-profile port and although I can feel it, it doesn't show through at this point in my weight loss journey. 2) Does it hurt to get the fills? No. Just a small stick. The same as getting a vaccination. 3) Do you feel the band will continue to give you restriction for life as long as you eat healthy & exercise and get your fills? I think so. As long as you stay away from slippery foods your band will stop you from overeating. 4) How many fills do you usually need a year? I have only had 1 fill so far. I have 4 ccs in a 14cc band and have been in the green zone for 4 months. 5) Did most of you lose your hair? Did it come back? I didn't lose any hair, but I did pay careful attention to my Protein intake. 6) What are the worst side effects, things getting stuck, gas, etc???? I have only been stuck once and it was really not a good feeling. Immediately after surgery the worst side effect was watching others eat my favorite fatty and or slippery foods. Now that I am used to my new diet, it doesn't bother me to see others eat things that I used to crave. Good luck to you as you make your decision. I too looked at other surgery options and decided lapband would be the best for me. I have several friends that had by-pass or sleeve and I saw the number of complications they had and decided for the least invasive option.

I had a really easy post-op experience. My worst was probably about a week to a week and a half out when the port area started hurting a bit. It wasn't bad, felt like a really bad bruise. I attributed it to the muscle healing around where the port was stitched in.

I keep almonds or pistacios, wheat thins and peanut butter in my desk at work. When I start to get hungry I grab a few nuts or spread 5 or 6 wheat thins with a thin layer of peanut butter. All of these are very filling and high in protein. My doctor and nutrionist recommend eating every 4 hours. I tend to eat 3 meals and a couple of snacks a day and stay under 1000 calories.

Sam, First off congratulations on making the decision to improve your health. My journey has been different from most on here, but my starting BMI was similar to yours so maybe your results will be similar to mine. I was 325 lbs at 5'7". I did not have to follow the strict pre and post-op diets. I was asked to lose 10 lbs before surgery, but it wasn't required. I lost 8lbs and the surgeon still did the surgery. The first day after surgery I was on a clear liquid diet followed by a week of full liquids. After my post op visit with the surgeon I was cleared to resume a normal diet. It was slow going the first couple of weeks. I ate a lot of fat-free refried beans and ground meats. Just remember to chew very well and eat slow. My surgery was on March 16, 2012 and I am down 70lbs so far. I follow a pretty stict mealplan with no white grains of any kind. I eat only lean meats, veggies, fruits and whole grains. But I do allow for treats now and then. I keep Skinny cow or Weightwatchers ice cream bars that are 100 calories or less per serving on hand in case I have a sweets craving. For exercise I mainly walk or do yardwork, but I bought a beginner Kettlebell exercise video that I have done several times and really like that too. My biggest advice for you as you prepare for surgery is to get your head in the game. Start practicing your new eating habits. Eat slow, small bites. No drinking while eating or for 1 hour after. Cut out the things that you most likely won't be able to have after surgery. I was a huge bread and diet coke junkie before surgery. I cut them out 2 months pre-op and now I don't crave them. Good luck to you. You will do great if you stick with it!

I have had so many NSVs in the last 3 months, but my favorite so far happened last weekend. I was working around the house and I noticed my shadow on the driveway and it had a visible waist! It has been years since my shadow was anything but a big blob with a head and legs. I was so excited. Other NSVs I have had include: Went down from 4X sweats to a 1X I can wear heels all day at work and my feet don't hurt at the end of the day I went shopping at the mall with my daughter for 3 hours and was not exhausted when we were done I no longer crave sugary rich desserts or high fat foods. Instead I crave cucumbers or turkey burgers. I can now see the cleft in my chin,and I only have 1 chin to look at:) I am no longer morbidly obese The seat belt in my van will fit around me and still have extra length to spare.

One of the best advices I got pre-surgery was to buy smaller plates and utensils and start using them. They force you to reduce your portion sizes and the amount of food in each bite. I was able to get used to eating slower and I think that helped me get ready for the post-op way of eating. Other things I did was cut out carbonated beverages and coffee about 2 months before surgery and I stopped drinking with my meals as well. Good luck to you as you begin this journey.

I have had pizza with no issues, but like several others I usually just eat the toppings if it is from a pizza place, My favorite pizza now is homemade using a Flatout bread for the crust, turkey pepperoni, some veggies and fat-free cheese. I get just as satisfied for about half the calories and a lot less fat.

One of my favorite meals lately is a hollowed out tomato filled with tuna and dill pickle relish. Another staple of mine is a turkey wrap made with multigrain flatout bread. Both meals are low calorie, high proten and would travel well.

I have been creeping around LBT since November of 2011 and have never posted because I didn't think I had anything to add. A little back story on me... I never struggled with my weight until my mid 20's. Even when I gained 50 pounds in college I was able to lose it with no problem. After having 3 kids in 3 years in my late 20's I gained 150 pounds and had tried everything to lose the weight with no success. After several years of trying to lose the weight I gave up and told myself that my weight gain was genetic and there was nothing I could do about it. Then in November of last year I lost a very close uncle at the age of 53 due to complications related to Type II diabetes. I made up my mind then that I would not leave my husband and kids at such an early age because of weight related issues. In November I weighed 325 lbs and I am 5'7". I rejoined Weight Watchers and was able to loose only 8 pounds before I finally considered WLS. I went to a surgery seminar with a friend of mine in December and saw the surgeon for my consultation in January. I was banded on March 16th and have not looked back. Today I weigh 273 lbs. I have lost 52lbs since November and I feel great. I am able to eat healthy and I can honestly say that I don't miss the high fat, high-sugar food that I used to eat. I also used to be a caffeine junkie drinking a pot of coffee and 3-20oz Diet Cokes a day. Now I drink 8-10 glasses of Water a day and I may have 1 tea. For those of you considering surgery or those that are worried about how you will do I am here to say that if you believe in your heart that this is the only way you can lose the weight and you are ready to give up your old habits, then you can do it. It will save your life. I know it has mine.