Cheryldee

I have been banded for almost 3 years now and I am still on my journey. I would tell everyone that is thinking about banding that it is totally worth it, but it is not the FIX to all your problems. It helps me greatly with my portion control, but I can still suck down a chocolate malt from Sonic like nothin! It is a tool and you still with have your ups and downs... just hopefully more downs! I have been at my current weight for the last year. I am a bit frustrated, but it is my own fault. Half the time I wake up, get going and dont eat until 2 or 3... then I will have a piece of chocolate or six while I work and not realize how much I had. So I have the typical struggles of choices just like I did when I was fat, I just dont have the huge portions that I use to eat. My goal this next year is to start my day ... EVERY DAY with my protien shake and get my metabolism going early. Have my fruit as my snack and continue to do my walking .. Im not a huge exerciser, but I do walk 1 or 2 miles a day. I still struggle with my protien as some chicken and meat I have a hard time keeping down. So I have gotten used to grabbing for the mashed potatos and other sliders.... typical choices again! Just have to refocus my attention to the task at hand and get back at it! Although I am thrilled with how far I have come, I still have more to go. Anyone getting started, just know this is a journey and LapBand will take you part of the way.. like me.. but the rest... YOU will have to have the willpower to do... Im also addicted to Crystal Light... but thats a WHoLE nother story! LOL!

Contact your insurance first and try to go through whatever hoops they are going to require of you. Insurance has gotten so much better about allowing weight loss surgery than when I went through 3 years ago... I had to do self pay.. ouch!~ but I dont regret it at all.. I figure I saved that much money in the food I was consuming without the band... I would also attend all your local seminars and see what doctor's group you like the best, look at their certificaiton and how long they have been practicing.. all that! Take the time to do your research before you jump in!

You have to be very careful not to fall the pattern of NOT eating until 2 or 3 though.. that has been a huge issue for me and ultimately is keeping me from losing the last bit I have to lose. Your body wont start burning that fat until you start it's engine... So make sure you are getting in that protein FIRST thing in the morning with either a shake or something. It is so easy to get going in your day's routine and just not eat... because if your like me, I really am not that hungry in the mornings at all... but it is a BAD habit to start !

I have my protien shake in the mornings because I can not tolerate breakfast at all. I also have not had bread, pasta, and rice pretty much for 2 years now. Occasionally I will try to eat some sushi and usually can eat ONE... . I used to miss the bread/pasta... but not so much anymore. I would like to be able to eat rice, but it tends to clump up on my and just make me miserable.. so I avoid it. But the main thing about breakfast for me is I think my band is pretty tight in the mornings.. and doesnt seem to losen up until around 1 or 2... I know that everyone is different when it comes to that, so my experience may be different than yours and many others. But that is how I solved my breakfast issues... just with my shake in the am. Then usually grapes or fruit around 10 or 11... then I typically have tuna salad or chicken salad with a few crackers at lunch. My main meal is usually around 5 or 6. If I had more willpower I would stay away from my snacks.. but I tend to have some wheat thins in my desk that I snack on around 3 or 4.. which is my downfall right now.

Wow... I guess Im just tolerant to pain, but I had surgery on a Wed and went back to work the next day! I didnt take any time off at all. (except surgery day)... I didnt take the pain meds or anything but used Gas X strips to help with some bloating and uncomfort. I really really REALLY think that the sooner you are up and moving and getting around the better! It works the gas out of your system faster if you are moving. Im a teacher, So I was on my feet the whole time, walking. Was it painful...? I remember just some bit of uncomfort if I would turn too quickly or try to pick up something from the floor.. but other than that I didnt have issues. I do recall thinking that I was really kinda "out of it" on that Thursday (day after surgery) probably because the meds hadnt completely left my system... But I remember that I had something going on at school that I had to attend and needed to be there... so I did it. ( I did have my husband drive me to work that first day though...)

I didnt have any "rules" for my first fill... They just weighed me, asked a few questions about how I felt, checked all my incisions to make sure all was healing and gave me my fill. They do want you on liquids though after your first fill for 24 hours.. just to make sure you dont irritate your band. I thought it would hurt, because I hate shots and needles.. but honestly, you have nothing to worry about. They typically use a machine that helps them detect where your port is exactly so there are no mistakes or misses.. and I didnt feel anything. Since it is your first fill, you may not feel restriction this time.. but by the third fill, i was feeling it working. Best of luck and dont be scared... You'll be fine!

I agree with all the comments above. I think staying active and working out will help your body with the elasticity and the skin, but I still have areas that I believe no matter how much i work out, they will never be firm and tight again without additional surgery. Sagging skin or not, you will still be happier and healtier than you are now.

I have had many periods of plateau's as well as some weight gain on my journey. I was banded over two years ago. But the best thing to remember is that although it is slow.. it is coming off. And it may take you longer than some others that you see on this site.. but it will happen for you! I have lost over 80 pounds... and Im still not there yet.. but hey.. thats better then where I was! My struggle now is making sure I do eat.. so make sure that you are eating because not eating you would think you would loose.. but you dont.. and Iv'e been stuck here for a while... so make sure you eat first thing in the morning to start your metabolism and keep it going all day with healthy snacks and good meals. You will get there... but it is a journey that takes time~!

This is the mental part of the band that no one can prepare you for. It was amazing to me how many issues like that I discovered that I didnt know I had issues with. It took me two years to finally get to the point where I didnt feel like I had to order a plate at a restaurant. I always felt like I needed to have my own plate.. and would end up wasting all that food or trying to eat something I knew I shouldnt have tried to eat. I would just get used to eating on a really small plate and only put the correct portion out.. no more no less... learn to eat really slowly so that you can not finish way before everyone else does and then be tempted to try to eat more.. and I usually chew ice or gum when Im done so that Im not putting more food in my mouth.. although I have been told not to chew ice as it is just water that I am slowly flushing down my food... but it keeps me from making myself miserable or sick... so maybe it isnt as bad as that!

I think it depends on how full your band is already. Obviously the more full your band is the more restriction you will fill when they add some.. if you are only on your first or second fill.. you may not feel it yet. But once you start feeling that restriction whether it is your second or third fill...from that point on, you will probably fill it immediately!

Sounds like your food is still undigested, if you must eat that late, I would stick to a soup or something that goes down easy like maybe a yogurt, something smooth.. things like that easy.. but watch your portion size... dont eat more than your supposed to because it will go down easy it is easy to eat more than your share!

From Houston TX, Banded 3 years ago... still on my journey, but loving it!