Lisa0203

Going to get my first adjustment tomorrow after having my baby girl 3 months ago. Man am I nervous! I was so deep into the banded life when I got pregnant and now feel like I've forgotten everything! I have about 25 lbs to lose to get down to my pre pregnancy weight and about 80 total to goal. Had an incredibly easy pregnancy after a slight unfill and I have an amazing band baby that reminds me every day how important my health is! Time to get back up on the horse!!!! BTW...here's my band baby, Emma Catherine!

Going to get my first adjustment tomorrow after having my baby girl 3 months ago. Man am I nervous! I was so deep into the banded life when I got pregnant and now feel like I've forgotten everything! I have about 25 lbs to lose to get down to my pre pregnancy weight and about 80 total to goal. Had an incredibly easy pregnancy after a slight unfill and I have an amazing band baby that reminds me every day how important my health is! Time to get back up on the horse!!!! BTW...here's my band baby, Emma Catherine!

Since I'm constantly scouring this site for before and after photos to keep me motivated, I figured I'd post a few of my own. As of today, I am down 75 lbs since banded 10/11/12 which I think is fantastic. I have to admit, though, some days I feel and see the difference and other days I see the old me in the mirror.

Thank you everyone! I love the support I get from this site! It's really kept me informed, educated, and supported throughout this journey! It does look like my journey will be on hold for the next 8 months because I found out today I'm pregnant (with the green light given from my doctor)!!!!! Waiting for my hubby to come home from work so I can surprise him!

Thank you!

So close I can taste it! Congrats to you and great work!

My doctors instructions were to limit coffee/caffeine to 8oz per day because excessive coffee drinking will actually counteract any calcium absorbed by the body. Therefore, long term, could lead to deficiencies since our consumption is on the lower end already. I can't see the issue with short term use to sooth the laryngitis, but as always better to double check with the doctor before going off plan. Hope you feel better soon!

I like them all but my favorite is: 1 scoop unjury vanilla 8 oz milk (skim or almond milk...any kind really) 3-4 ice cubes 1Tbsp Peanut Butter or PB2 I also freeze fruit and it makes a fantastic supplement for the ice cubes... 1 scoop Unjury Vanilla 1 container Greek yogurt any flavor A few slices of frozen fruit (bananas, peaches, and strawberries are all good options! Since I'm not a huge fan of chocolate for Breakfast, although I love it any other time of day, I use this recipe: 1 scoop Unjury Chocolate 8oz cold coffee 3-4 ice cubes Milk/Splenda to taste Enjoy!!!!!

I'm so sorry to hear of your struggles PJ. First off, 35 pounds is excellent. Plateaus are extremely frustrating and I hope that reaching out can help you get to the root of the problem. Unfortunately, it takes some longer than others to get there, but if you are being as diligent with this "diet" like you say, continuing to get fills may not be the answer. I know I will probably be torn to shreds for this, but it makes me so angry to read everyone saying if you aren't losing the weight then you need more fills. We were all instructed to eat the allotted amount of food, calories, protein grams, etc. set forth by our doctors. When in bandster hell waiting to hit the elusive green zone, sticking to those portions is essential to keep the weight loss going. Yes, we may be hungry and yes, it can feel like the end is nowhere in site! If you are tracking your portion sizes and calories, which I see you are (go you!) there may be something else going on. All of our bodies are extremely different and sometimes it takes a little tweaking of our diets to find what works for us individually. Speaking for myself only, I found that 1000 calories was too little to maintain consistent weight loss. I also found that not eating enough carbs stalls my weight loss and gives me bouts of dizziness and fatigue. I'm nowhere near the green zone but it doesn't matter if I ever get there...just sticking with the 1 cup portion control per meal has changed my whole mentality on food. I am one of those 6 month post op patients you spoke of who lost over 70lbs but it was due to following the rules, not getting more and more fills. I see you are following the rules too so maybe getting more restriction and eating even less calories is not the answer! Try changing things up a bit, maybe up your calories a tiny bit for a few days (scary, I know...I had anxiety about this but 1200/day kicked my WL into gear). Also, get in to see your nutritionist and see what he/she recommends. I wish you so much success in this journey!

My doctor initially recommends 18 months to his patients so there are no surprises post op. They want to make sure they get blood work far enough post op to see your vitamin, iron, and protein levels and be sure you are getting the proper nutrition. Luckily, at my 6 month visit I was given the go ahead to start TTC anytime because everything looked great and I had already dropped more than 60% of my excess weight!

My doctor won't ever do band revisions, so it often surprises me when I read threads regarding people having a new band placed. From what he says, our bodies make scar tissue under the band and a new one will never sit properly in the same place for the long haul. Not saying that this info is valid or not, but considering he is awarded one of the top surgeons out of all disciplines each year in NYC, I would say there's a chance he knows what he is talking about. It is a huge fear of mine that I will one day be in your shoes having to make the decision to switch to another surgery. I wish you all the luck and success in whatever decision you make!

First off, Mike, congratulations on the first step to becoming a healthier you. Admitting your weight is holding you back in life is a very hard thing to do, and I know I was in denial for a very long time before getting where you are. You have come to the right place for support and knowledge about the weight loss surgery journey. To answer your question, I have very minimal scarring...5 incision scars on my belly less than an inch long each and they have faded drastically since my surgery 6 months ago. As far as pain goes, I was sore for about a week after surgery, like I had done too many sit-ups and a little pain from the gas they pumped into my stomach during surgery but no pain that was intolerable. As a matter of fact, I told the hospital to hold off on the morphine once I was up after surgery and haven't taken so much as a Tylenol since that day. The best advise I could give you is to go to support group meetings in your area, do your research, learn all that you can and then make an informed decision about what path is right for you! Good luck!

I think one of the biggest things that helped me make my decision was to sit down and take a hard look at the pros and cons of both procedures. You need to look deep within yourself and be honest about what your current eating habits, weaknesses, and strengths are. Each procedure has proven to be effective, but neither is perfect for everyone. At my support group meetings (which I still attend twice a month) they stress that you should always go with the surgery that best fits your eating habits, goals, and lifestyle...not second guessing what you deep down know is right. One of the other things they talk about I'd type II diabetes and the types of surgery that best help manage or eliminate it. While weight loss alone with the lap band can prove very successful in helping to manage diabetes, more recently experts are looking at sleeve/bypass as options for even the normal bmi patients because of the significant evidence that they truly help eliminate type II diabetes. Either way, you are only as successful as the work you put into any surgery you choose. I wish you the best of luck in whatever decision you make!

Banded 10/11/12 and feeling great! So far I'm down 68 lbs with 2 very small fills. No stuck or PB episodes yet and trying my best to keep it that way! Need to get my butt back in the gym ASAP because I fell off that wagon, but continuing to eat properly has kept the weight loss steady.

I do remember having discomfort in my kidneys and thought I had a urinary tract infection. In the end I chalked it up to having some difficulty with urine output after my surgery...only a little would come out at a time. I actually had this for about a month post op but don't know the real reason for it. Just make sure to keep super hydrated and it should pass. Also check with your Dr. Just to be sure.

Meatballs made from any type of ground meat...turkey, chicken, beef, pork, veal. Beans, nuts, eggs, protein shakes (of course), Greek yogurt. Still on soft foods?...tuna, egg, and chicken salads, bean soups, cottage cheese. There are plenty of options...do an Internet search for high protein foods and see what appeals to your taste buds.

I'm definitely interested! Currently in between sizes 14 and 16...live in Staten Island. What are you looking to get for them?

I'm very tight in the morning as well. Usually a cup of coffee around 7:30am and breakfast around 10am. I've started doing protein shakes in the morning with frozen fruit to replace the ice cubes because the earlier you eat, the earlier your metabolism starts kicking into gear. Try something warm to help ease the band a bit. It seems like a lot of bandsters do this with success.

Another big fan of Unjury here! I have tried all of the flavors and the vanilla and chocolate splendor are my favorites. The vanilla is fantastic mixed with any type of frozen fruit in place of ice cubes...peaches, strawberries, blueberries, etc. After trying numerous other brands, I just feel like Unjury tastes more mild and less like a "protein supplement". It's a little more expensive than other brands, but they offer an auto ship method where you can choose as much or little as you like and how often you would like it delivered. When you choose auto ship they take 15% off.

My sister and I refer to the Cadbury mini eggs as Easter crack! I thought we were the only ones who couldn't resist!

Oh no! So sorry to hear about this setback...hoping your son feels better soon. Do yourself a favor and consult with the athletic trainer about the school sports accident policy. Usually the high schools must have a policy that fills the gap as a secondary insurance, but also covers the uninsured for injuries that happen during games and practices. If they made an accident report it should cover any MD visits, orthopedic bracing, and surgery if needed. Good luck!

Pulled pork and coleslaw sandwiches (minus the sandwich for me)!!!

The past few evenings I've been having this uncomfortable feeling in my chest and upper back and I'm not sure if these pains are what you feel when you are "stuck". It seems they come on about an hour after eating dinner and subside a few hours later. A little background on me...I'm 4 months post op and have had only 1 fill about 6 weeks ago. I have never experienced a stuck episode, vomiting, or PB. My doctors are ecstatic with my progress because I have been following the program and the rules so carefully. Typically, i cook dinner at home and follow the 3oz protein and the rest veggies. I don't cook potatoes or rice with dinner...not because I can't tolerate them, but because I don't trust myself around them! This weekend happened to be full of different celebrations and I found myself eating out the past 4 nights. Tonight my husband and I went to Chili's for dinner and I started the meal with 3 or 4 tortilla chips with salsa. Not the best choice, but I made a point to limit the intake to a minimum. I then ordered chicken fajitas without any tortillas. I ate only 3 strips of the chicken breast (couldn't have been more than 2oz and it was very moist), a few bites of onions and peppers, and about a tablespoon of guacamole. I was satisfied...I stopped eating. Last night was a fancy Italian place...ate a piece of fresh mozzarella, a piece of roasted red pepper, a sliver of focaccia bread, and about 3 spoonfuls of my white bean soup. I'm just wondering, both nights I came home and felt tightness in my chest and discomfort in my upper back. Is this the feeling of a stuck episode??? Since I've never had any symptoms of discomfort from the start I just don't know what this is, although I'm sure it's not uncommon. Thank you for your feedback!

Jiffy popping!!! LMAO!!! I tell my husband I do it while I walk because it helps me go faster...my rear propeller! Luckily he finds it hysterical