JosieK

Hi everyone, I was banded 2007 and used this site for everything from suggestions for doctors to use to any issues I was having. Back then we didn’t have a lot to go on in terms of WLS connections, so this was invaluable. I don’t come on regularly but I do try to drop in once in a while. It helps me to stay on track. im not sure if this is true or just my perception ....but the site has changed....it seems like this site is a more supportive one. When I came in, it seemed like a battle ground in many ways. I was able to manuver my way around and stick with the winners. Poor Alex had a heck of a time 😂 ‘It’s funny I happened upon this thread today.... I was just reading a post where the person had the lapband for years and started having trouble with it. They asked for advice on getting it out and if they should get new surgery. one lady took the time to get on and tell her story. The original person went back on lecturing her. I thought,”Wait you ask for input, then you start lecturing the person that had a successful path for herself”. 🤔 generally i try to stick with telling my experience. Someone can’t refute that. And if they did.... it’s my experience. ‘Of course if I said something wrong, I would apologize immediately. I agree these anonymous social media sites sometimes brings out the worst. This site has been fine for me. But get me on twitter.... and I am out of control sometimes. I’ve had to stop twitter because those are the things that made me eat out of control. Have a blessed day

Hi everyone, well I had my lapband removed yesterday and I feel great. The operation went very smoothly and relatively speaking...it doesn’t hurt. When I had it put in I was laid up for 2weeks. I think advances in anesthesia has a lot to do with it. . So glad to be able to eat a fruit, salad, veggies without getting that weird look on my face. First off I’m soooo glad I got the lapband in the first place. The trajectory of my life changed so much for the better. But the band is a tool. We must still put disciplines in to achieve our goals. The reason i had it taken out, a few months ago I had a really bad virus and I think from throwing up my band slipped. So coupled with the fact I’m at my goal weight ... I felt it was time. Would I do it again? In a heartbeat. I’d probably go with the sleeve since I hear maintenance afterwards is easy. The band has quite a bit of post-surgery management. If one does choose the lapband... make sure the doctor’s staff is knowledgeable, efficient and they like their job. You’ll work with them on a lot of things. Dr Spivak (Houston) put mine in and I can’t say enough about his staff. They were wonderful. And a few of them had bariatric surgery so they totally understand what we were going through. Unfortunately for us he moved to Israel. Dr Erik Wilson took the lapband out yesterday He is great. Smart, efficient, etc. As great as he is......The workings of his office aren’t great. I haven’t worked with him long but the staff was not that nice and everyone told me to contact someone else for answers. Could never find anyone. So I’m not sure I would have him put the lapband in based on that fact. On surgeries that don’t require a lot of follow up, I most definitely would use Dr. Erik Wilson (by the way there are 2 of them...his brother is Dr Todd Wilson )

here's the link luckybear https://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/399081-why-do-we-fall-off-the-wagon-how-to-get-back-on/?do=findComment&comment=4485575

here's the link lucky bear

hi James, I must say I am very encouraged by your post and it is great motivation. I just had my lapland taken out and plan to not have any other surgery. I share your post since I find it very thoughtful and encouraging not to mention we need to take responsibility. thank you for taking the time to share it. josie

hi lucky bear, I've gone back to the real basics when we got the band. particularly: -journaling every lick, bite and (I forget the last one weight watchers uses) -protein first -water, water, water (I find sometimes when I'm "hungry" I'm actually thirsty -1200 cals a day. (I adjust if I exercise a lot or don't exercise at all) I read a very encouraging man's post the other day which is helping "my head hunger" I'll try to copy it and post for you. keep in touch. we are in this together. I do have a TERRIBLE sugar addiction I do battle after dinner. josie

hi teresa, so funny you ask about insurance on this... my insurance since the beginning of this journey said "NO BARIATRIC SURGERY". So when this problem occurred, I thought for sure it would be cash only. I think since it was becoming a big problem, I think they filed it as urgent (and it was) and they covered 80%. good luck and keep us posted on your journey. josie

When I had a tummy tuck, I went into a bad depression afterwards. My doctor said it happens to some people after surgery and they don’t know exactly why. Speculation says its due to hormones. It didn’t last too long.. good luck

Dr Erik Wilson. I just had my lap band removed yesterday after having it 10 years. He’s holding off doing the sleeve because my slip was so bad. Everyone at the surgery center raves about him. He’s efficient, smart and have a great bedside manner He’s at 6700 west loop south suite 500 UT professional bldg Bellaire Tx

Hi, first let me say this forum is an excellent source of information. I found my lapband doctor and my cosmetic surgeon on here and I was thrilled with both. I had my band done in March 2007. I’ve lost 120lbs. The key to any weight loss surgery is to approach it as a tool and not a magical cure. I liked and still like the lapband for the fact I am didn’t change my physiology. When I was doing my research I noticed some people failed miserably at all of the surgeries and some people were successful. So I was thinking to back out of surgery. But in looking at it critically.....some of the people that didn’t lose weight talked a lot about ice cream, magueritas, etc. Dairy Queen. Conversely the people that were losing weight were working at it by: -journaling what they were eating -getting protein in -exercising -Drinking Water -actively talking to others working towards weight loss. -when I fell off the wagon I followed the basics as listed above. So I decided to proceed and follow the latter group. My life has changed 100pct. For many reasons but the weight loss was a huge factor. (I hated being the biggest person in the room) The lapband does take a bit of work and follow up (ie. Getting the fills right) but I wanted to lose the weight so badly I didn’t care. Any problems I had were of my own making...ie. Making the band too tight mainly. I had my band unfilled about 3 years ago after losing the weight but still had a bit of restriction which i was happy about.... Fast forward to today. I️ had a pretty bad virus about 4 months ago and my band slipped from vomiting. So I’ve decided to have it taken out on Friday. After the virus the reflux is not good. I was thinking of switching to the sleeve but I’ve decided to go without another surgery. (If I do start gaining I may change my mind and have surgery down the road) None of these surgeries are perfect and none are disasters. I think your doctor, coupled with the research you are doing will help you to make the best decision for you. Some people have had success and some people haven’t with each of the surgeries. Would I do it again... absolutely! Best of luck and let me know if you have any questions...

I was banded 10years ago and lost all my weight. Generally I found if I followed a healthy eating food plan, kept a food journal, exercised... I did well. I would “fall off the wagon” once in awhile... but then I’d get back on track. Any weight lost surgery is one of many tools we have to help us. They are not the total answer to weight loss. This is key and one reason I think some people fail to lose the weight they want to lose is they rely mainly on the surgery. There is a lot of maintenance with the lapband. Ie. Fills that work one time are too much/too little other times. Also sometimes exercise, flying and other random times the band would be affected. But I was Ok with it....until about 4 months ago. I had a really bad virus. It was the first time I️ threw up from illness in 10 years. All of a sudden I couldn’t sleep at night with a lot of reflux, I couldn’t eat many times, etc. I went 2 weeks ago and I have a serious slip. I’m getting the band out Friday. I can’t switch to another surgery until my body heals a bit. I was a big cheerleader for the lapband. And it really served me well. The one thing i really like about it, after it’s taken out it’s as if there wasn’t an operation because the body hasn’t been surgically changed But medical advances give us more choices nowadays. I am going to try to go without any replacement surgery doing everything I’ve done to lose the weight. If it doesn’t work, down the road I will do the sleeve. (Discussed with my doctor as my best option) Your doctor will recommend what’s best for you based on weight to lose, lifestyle etc. And you decide after your research what you think is best I wouldn’t recommend the lapband to my friends based on the other options.

I’m having my band removed on Friday by Dr. Erik Wilson. 6700 West Loop South. Suite 500 UT Professional Bldg Bellaire TX 77401 713-892-5500

I’m having my band removed on Friday by Dr. Erik Wilson. 6700 West Loop South. Suite 500 UT Professional Bldg Bellaire TX 77401 713-892-5500

This is right on. Whenever I think "never going back to....." it's a trap. I've been living "One day at a time" in another program for 29 years. Same skills apply here (for me). I also learned if I stick to sharing my own experience and not preach to others...how could I go wrong? No one could discount or argue my experience. Man when I first joined this group back in 2007, it had a few "experts" that knew-it-all for everybody and was a tough place to maneuver BUT... it helped me to save me life. I found the winners (mainly people that shared their own experience) and stuck with them. I stayed away from anyone that gave unsolicited advice. This place is chock full of well meaning people.

In my 10 year journey, there were times I fell off the plan. So I went back to basics. Key: 1. journal everything I ate. It helped me to clearly see what I was doing. 2. I only weighed and measured myself once a month. The scale becomes an idol to me and I react to whatever it says. 3. I increased my exercise. 4. I consciously ate my meals. Never in front of a TV or doing something else other than eat. 5. I started cycling and signed up for a charity race for MS. It gave me a goal to work towards plus it was a social activity. Key was to make sure my band wasn't too tight. When it was, in ate calorie intense liquids and ice cream. Big no no it helped me to get back on track. Hope this helps

Today is my 10 year bandiversary. 10 years ago I was in total despair. Having tried millions (slight exaggeration 😂) of diets... only to keep gaining weight. I was at 270lbs. When my brother suggested I research lap band surgery. I went to see Dr Spivak on Wednesday march 28,]. I was in the operating room 2 days later. I have to say I think the lap band has been successful for me because we have to work at losing the weight and the lapband is just a tool. I also have to give a big thank you and give credit to Alex. This website (formerly "Lapband Talk") was a huge source of information for me. I found my lapband doctor, my cosmetic surgeon and plenty of support through this website. Anyway I still work on staying in shape through exercise and healthy eating. I currently am doing the Whole30 challenge. It isn't necessarily a diet. But it is helping me to learn about what foods help me to be " a well oiled machine" and they have a great community of people. The head hunger has been the hardest battle and continues. But... it gets easier. i hope everyone that is on this journey, no matter which surgery you've done or are about to do, use them as a tool. They don't solve the whole problem. But they give us a good edge to accomplishing our goals. Best of luck to all. josie

One last thing... when I took my calories too low I stopped losing weight. My body was holding onto every calorie it could Sent from my iPad using the BariatricPal App

Hi Banded Gal, I had a lot of trouble getting to my "sweet spot". I'm banded 10 years in March. I lost 120lbs in 1 year. Some of the problems I had were of my own making (I kept too tight sometimes trying to lose weight... a VERY BAD IDEA.) The main thing I did was journal my food (everything... bites, licks and tastes as Weight Watchers calls it), exercise and talk with other bandsters. Protein was #1 priority. Also My dr told me not to go low fat. Rather full fat is more satisfying and just watch the portions. I couldn't eat in the morning so I did Protein shakes (I still do use protein shakes ). Also a big mistake I made after I lost most of my weight was to rely on ice cream. This caused me to have a terrible sugar addiction of which I'm dealing with even now. Talk to your doctor and/or nutritionist so they can adjust what you're eating. Not sure if this is helpful but that's what I did. Let me know if you have any other questions Sent from my iPad using the BariatricPal App

Hi NurseBec In my opinion, Being in person in a group is a different experience. I use both the forum for info and the physical groups. I think the physical group adds a layer of fellowship and friendship. Plus it helps me to not hide behind the computer which I sometimes do. If you have the time, I'd recommend you try at least 5 times. When I go someplace once... I immediately "say I don't like it" out of fear. I make myself go a few times and invariably... I end up more comfortable and really like it. I'm coming up on. My 10 year lap bandiversary and have found so much help in this specific website plus meeting people from here. Anyway best of luck. Sent from my iPad using the BariatricPal App

In my experience, It's important to develop a lifestyle rather then a "diet". Having variety is more beneficial for me. I have a habit, if I like something, I do it over and over and get bored and then start eating trigger foods which sends me into compulsion. Focusing on weighing, measuring and obsessing over food, triggers all of my eating disorders. I've also found having variety helps me to be more satisfied. More important for me is to connect with a 12 step program which focuses on mental, physical and spiritual approach to recovery. That's just been my experience on the road of recovery

Hi Susan, I have to say I still have trouble with chicken sometimes.... (I'm banded 8 1/2 yrs) But I can eat steak pretty easily. Which totally surprised me when I was first banded. It's been suggested because chicken is fibrous?? But I don't know. Best to check with the Doctor. I did make mine too tight (stupidly when I wanted to lose the weight fast). I couldn't even get Water down at one point and found out it is really dangerous. What you can and can't eat will change over time. I don't have any fill anymore but I still have a bit of restriction and I'm so happy. I actually forget that I have a band a lot. When I was in the process of losing weight I did have to pay attention to the variances that occurred when I would fly on a plane, exercise, and/or the foods I ate. Re: Doctor suggestion I found all of my doctors on this site (bariatric, plastic surgeon, etc). It's a great resource. Maybe start a new thread and title it something like "Llooking for new doctor. I just moved to ???, any suggestions on a bariatric or lapband Doctor I can switch to?" Something like that. If someone does have a suggestion they may not click this thread open if they don't have any ideas on a tight band. Plus you can look up doctors on here as well. Best of luck JosieK

When I was banded and in the process of losing weight, I did lose hair when my Protein fell off. I had trouble eating so I supplemented eating with Protein shakes and protein "shots" that are in a container that resembles test tubes (there's controversy if these really work or not but I did not want to lose hair). I also took Biotin. My doctor advised 25-30 grams per meal. I still follow that particularly in my morning shake. (I have a hard time eating Breakfast so the shake suffices) I don't think I ever ate too much protein to the point is was bad. I had the opposite problem of getting enough in. Have I eaten over the "recommended daily amount."....Yes but not on a consistent basis. Good luck on your surgery JosieK

I had TT, Brest lift, arms .... He told me to wait 6 weeks. And I could do everything. I started slowly with weights, abs and kickboxing. But I'd say I was back to original form at about week 10.

Hi cowgirl Jane, I read your thread and can totally relate to you. I was banded in 2007, lost all my weight and then decided to date. I hadn't dated for many years since I didn't like the way I looked overweight. I had a friend that was doing online dating and was listening to her adventures for awhile. I didn't go to bars, I just relocated from NYC to Texas and thought I'd try it. At first I spent time just "stalking" the profiles. Then I did mine. I had a few friends (male and female) look at it for input which helped me a lot. I used eharmony (thinking what they say about "matching people better than other sites".... It's BS and a waste of time with all the questions back and forth) and Match.com. Match.com was the better service for me. A few things that I realized: 1. Dating is similar to a job hunt. It's a numbers game. The more I exposed myself, the more experiences I had... The better chance of finding a relationship. 2. There are all sorts of characters. The first guy I met was a self absorbed, body obsessed big-wig surgeon from MD Anderson. I left that date feeling like shit because I knew I felt judged. But... I decided to get back on the horse realizing "his stuff" is not "my stuff" 3. I also used a dating coach by phone ( she was in LA.) A few tips she gave me that were helpful: - date with your ears and not your eyes (my history since I was a kid was to go out with a great looking asshole instead of an Ok looking good guy. (After she said this I did date a very interesting, fun, no so good looking guy) - date a few guys at a time. This helped me not to get too attached to anyone too quickly (one of my habits). And to see what I liked in a man. After all dating at 49 yrs old vs when I was in my 20's... I was a different person. -no sleeping with any until we had a commitment. Commitment meant anything from being exclusive to each other on up to engaged, etc. -get a handle on what my likes and dislikes were as I went along. As well as my negotiables and non negotiables in a relationship. This really helped me to not waste time. For instance I love animals, had 4 huge inside dogs at the time. I know if someone says they hate animals or are allergic to dogs... Next.... -lastly have fun with it. Did I meet liars.....yes Did I meet boring guys..... Yes Did I meet guys I liked as friends but didn't think anything other than that was possible....yes Did guys not like me that I really liked....yes Did I misread some cues thinking I had great conversations never to hear from them again...yes The one thing I held onto is something Russell Simmons (founder of Phat Farm and music producer) said, "the only failure is when you stop trying" I also had to change my mind from "I can't" to "I can" do this. And try to stay positive. I followed what the dating coach had said about dating a few guys at a time and started having fun. One of them I started liking more than the others and I thought... This may be leading into something.... As I was thinking it.... He called and dumped me as I was getting on a 5 hr. plane ride. Needless to say tears, etc I was about to give up and a guy contacted me asking me if I'd go out with a country boy. I said yes. (He's actually also the CEO Of a bank (I didn't know this when I agreed. I just thought it would be fun to see what a "country boy" was like since I grew up in NYC.) I found being open to new experiences made it a more fun adventure. We went out, had a fabulous time. We set up our second date for the next day. Fast forward..... We decided to become exclusive and got married 2 1/2 Yrs later. I didn't intend on getting married at 50 Yrs old. I really only wanted someone to have a relationship with someone to have fun with, go out to dinners etc. I'm telling you all this because people told me their stories which helped me to keep picking myself up. As a side note: My friend that got me into online dating would look at every guy that contacted her and find fault just from their profile or first conversations. This was based on her fear of dating. My husband (who was then my new boyfriend) pointed this out to her. We suggested she give this one guy she was picking apart a chance... And they are in a 7 yr relationship. When I share my story of dating with people, I'm hearing of so many stories of people finding their mates online. I used online dating but you don't have to. You can find other ways to put yourself out there (like finding a job that I first spoke about) I know how scary, disappointing, and how it brought up everyone of my insecurities. But... I also know when I work through fears, etc... It can and is very rewarding. Whatever path in dating you choose, talk to other people on the path or have gone before you on the path for suggestions, etc. And my grandmother used to say, "anything worth having in life is worth working for" for me working through my insecurities, fears was hard but well worth it. Good luck on your journey. Hope to hear some good stories from you. JosieK

I found my bariatric and cosmetic Drs. on this website.....