banditalovely

I am really curious about MSM. It is a sulfate that claims to help with elasticity. I have seen many testimonials to say that it works. There are lots of soaps and lotions out there that are made with MSM because it is hypoallergenic. I am curious if anyone has tried these products or powder (ingested or added to your own lotions/soaps) and seen differences in skin elasticity. It is actually a really cheap product. I found my skin was much softer after using it but I didn't do it religiously enough, and don't have excess skin (because I haven't lost weight yet). I am going to try and use it more after surgery but would love to know if anyone else has tried it or would experiment with their excess skin and post about the results!

anyone use MSM to help tighten their skin before or after surgery? i have read good things about it online but am not sure if it actually works. I would love to hear if people have had good results using MSM soaps/lotions or taking the powder and making their own. I know some people drink it too. Any feedback on that?

I am curious how quickly you PB after you eat something you haven't chewed that well or that gets stuck. If you go to a restaurant and are at dinner, do you have time to go to the bathroom before you start sliming (and whatever else comes with PBing). I am getting banded in 3 weeks and eat out all the time socially. I am worried that if I am out with friends and PB it will be humiliating. Does everyone PB? Can you avoid it by chewing or other tricks? My doctor said we aren't supposed to drink while we eat, but if you are eating something more dry (like over cooked chicken, etc) can you take sips to help prevent PBing? or is that really bad? Also, I have been practicing chewing. What consistency do you want your food to be before you swallow to avoid problems? oatmeal? still chunks? Any tips for someone newly focusing on chewing?

i am getting banded july 6th too. i don't know what to expect and i have never had surgery so that part makes me nervous. i just hope it works. i have faith it will based on this forum and all the success stories, but still it crosses my mind that i won't lose weight. i am sure i will be more nervous as it gets closer. right now i'm kind of just trying to preoccupy my mind and prepare..

i am on july 6th. good luck to you both and post updates!

lala, will your insurance company not cover the removal despite the infection??? that seems crazy. have you worked through some of the reasons you ate before the band? has the band helped you to realize what a normal portion is? do you think that these things could help you not eat as much once the band is removed? since you are at a good weight now, do you think you could start doing some exercise routines that are a little more intense to help you keep the weight off? i wish there were easier answers. i am sad to hear of your struggle and don't wish this on anyone. good luck and keep updating.

so i haven't been banded, so someone who has might be able to explain better what productive burping is. but from what i gather, it is the same thing as sliming. it is when your body reacts to having a piece of food that won't digest properly or pass properly. a large amount of mucous forms to try and help it down, but with the band it doesn't usually just go down easily. you have to semi burp to let it up and a lot of the mucous comes up, so it is kind of gross too. i have read some posts that people's mouths fill with saliva/mucous too. i think it is something everyone tries to avoid, but with certain foods getting stuck is more common. i hope i'm right. i would love to hear what someone who has the band has to say about it.

if you have been eating right for a while and very regular intervals between meals your metabolism has probably been reset a bit. you can intake more calories without your body feeling the need to store them. it is important to get back on track, but i think sometimes when people are in a plateau it is important to increase calories a little cause your body is storing because it thinks it is starving. it is a good sign that you have made a lot of good choices to increase your metabolism. keep up the good work!

on top of continuing what you are doing, decrease your salt intake and increase your water. report back on what ends up working for you!!

I have a friend who just got bypass a week ago. I asked her how she was doing and how much she was down today, and the firs thing she told me was "I miss being hungry". Which was a total surprise to me. Do you miss being hungry? how do you cope with that?

i just thought about when they put you in that air puff machine and do the full body scan!! they will see the band. how funny!

oh also, fiber is often added to g carb on labels, so you can often subtract the g fiber from g carb to know the true carb count.

i have had a trainer in the past who put me on a diet where you have 100g of carbs a day ~25g at each of 4 meals, 4 hrs apart. good sources are oatmeal (1/2 cup), ezekiel bread (2 slices-- they have good cinnimon raisin bread that can help with a sweet tooth), 1/2 cup cooked rice, 1 6oz potato, 2 oz uncooked Pasta. aviod fruits and juices. i think anythin 100g carbs or less is considered low carb. it has even been done with fast food (watch the movie Fat Head). good luck!

Just got my date today. My dr is submitting to the insurance, and hopefully it all works out. Any tips for my last month?

I just got approved by insurance so I am all in for July 6th. I only have 2 days liquids before surgery and low cal (no fats, no refined sugar) for 1 week before that. -- at least that is what I think. I guess i will find out at my preop meeting next thursday. I am tempted to do a food bucket list.... bad idea right? I should go to the all you can eat brazilian steak house and eat chilis crispy chicken tenders for all my meals, chinese buffet?

i'm 26 and have 130 lbs to lose to get to a healthy goal, but would be happy just 80-100 lbs lighter. my surgeon today said to start saving for a tummy tuck..... i guess if i don't need it i will be able to go on vacation...

I was wondering how people dealt with dating and the lapband. Eventually you would want to tell the person you are with.. or wouldn't you? How have other people dealt with this? Anyone scare off a date with lapband talk?

I have good insurance now, and barring complications I shoud be getting my surgery next month. I was wondernig though if people have had issues in the past getting their fills, etc covered if they switch insurance after lapband? Are there ways to know what insurance is good to switch to, and what insurance is bad to switch to? I ask because I have a government job with an expiration date in my contract and want to know how I should go about finding someone to allow my fills (I live in MD if that helps).

I haven't been banded but these are all the reasons I have decided to proceed with the surgery: My motivation to lose: 1) to look absolutely adorable in spandex leggings 2) put on a one-size-fits-all shirt and have it be the right size.. or too big! 3) wear heels for more than 20 minute before I have to sit down 4) wear a dress and have my thighs not rub so that I have to have shorts on underneath 5) paint my toenails without having to take breaks for breathing (I have to hold my breath cause my stomach is too big) 6) sit in a chair with my knees bent to my chest 7) do child's pose in yoga and not have my calves stopping my butt from touching the ground 8) sit in any chair in my auditorium at school, not just the one or two fat seats i have found 9) fit boots (even a wide leg boot) over my calves and be able to walk 10) wear a cute bathing suit with no rolls sticking out 11) fit perfectly as the "little spoon" when i am cuddling/sleeping 12) stop sleep apnea/insane snoring 13) not have dark skin around my folds/neck/groin to be ashamed of ----(Actually I'm not sure if this dark skin actually goes away, does anyone know?) 14) cut my hair really short and not think it makes my face look fat I liked what someone else said about being able to see their vajay... it has been too long, so that is number 15 I could go on cause there are so many things I can't wait for! When I meet my goal weight or mini goals along the way: 1) go sky diving (220 lbs) 2) get a dermal implant 3) get a tattoo Anyone know an answer to the dark skin question?

when i gained weight my feet got bigger. do feet get "skinnier" or smaller after you lose the weight? i heard after pregnancy people don't tend to lose the increased foot size when they return to normal weight. I was just wondering though if other people had experience with this and comments on it.

I am glad you posted this. It is nice to hear your successes but also some struggles. What made you decide to get the TT?

I am a new member. I have been doing preop prep for about 6 months getting tests and insurance things figured out. I originally wanted to get banded this May but insurance made that impossible. I had a final appointment in July with my surgeon but last week they called to tell me I was meeting with him June 12th. My stomach dropped, my heart was pounding. I didn't think I would be this nervous/excited/scared? I am not sure what I am feeling. I think I will have the surgery in August. I have some big fears that I meant to ask about in band support groups that I never made it to... I was hoping that posting here I might get some advice on what the skin situation is. I have a fair amount of belly stretch marks and I am really worried I will have like a "skin skirt" at some point. How do people deal with this? Is this really better than being fat? Any advice or consolation would be greatly appreciated. Are spanx enough to help you? I also was wondering if people know much about single incision. I am very interested in getting it because I am keeping my surgery fairly private, and don't want to have to explain scars to someone who might see my stomach in the future. My nutritionist said that surgeons usually perform this when you are BMI between 35 and 40. I am 42 right now. I can't drop below 40 or I won't qualify for insurance. Has anyone had it with a higher BMI? Are the scars really that bad if I can't get to 40 by the time of my surgery? Should I delay my surgery date to try and get the single inscision? I would love some advice and any words of wisdom. I am getting a little terrified.

did you have a large stomach to begin with? how fast did you lose the weight? thanks for the answers!!