labwalker

I believe I did.

I track everything, based on twelve years of yo yo dieting.... when I track calories and food, I always lose weight. With the lap band, I lose weight when I track, and when I don't i simply hold my weight. Before surgery, I'd lose in the summer, pack it back on in the winter.The lap band keeps me on course, the tracking ensures I am doing what I need to do keep shedding pounds. I place more value on the Protein intake than anything else, while trying to keep under 1200 calories a day. WLS is a tool, and online tracking programs are another aid if you find yourself gaining or not losing weight.

You can do it online, here, in a thread. :Post your daily activities, and keep a running total to keep it competitive! Good luck!

Sure! I try to do an hour on the treadmill everyday. That is good for over three miles, and around 800 calories. Why don't you start a thread in the exercise section asking everyone to log in daily with the number of steps, or miles, for each day? Maybe you could have everyone add to a running total for steps and/or miles to keep the challenge going. When we reached 1,000,000 maybe Alex will treat us to a steak and lobster fest (his treat) as a reward and incentive.. (just kidding on that part.)

There is a big difference between folks who didn't receive guidance, and need advice from others who have shared the same journey because they have no where else to turn. I think the first poster was upset about folks who were told what to do by their doctors (such as no alcohol for six months) and then come here asking for some sort of validation for doing exactly what their doctor told them not to do.

Have fun!! Sounds like a grand vacation!

A lot of those questions strongly suggest that either the providers are running surgery mills and providing little pre or post op support; or the patients are asking questions that should have been fielded at the doctor's office. After six visits with a NUT, consulting with the doctor, and other hoops I had to jump through, I pretty much knew exactly what I needed to do. That is one reason I always suggest shopping for the best practice, not the best price!!! Support is important! But, I think we should try to offer sound advice, so long as it isn't medically related and might contradict what their doctor would expect.

My larger sutures (two of five) took longer to heal and didn't look as nice as the others for a few months. One was for the port and the other was for where I assume they inserted the band.

It may need you need another fill. Or maybe more. I needed three or four fills over a four month period before I started losing weight,. I suspect if the band slipped you'd be having major health issues.

I wanted VSG, but my surgeon strongly suggested the band. He does all surgeries, but he tries to match the patient to the safest procedure. I had the band, and so far no problems. I wish the weight would come off faster; but for elective surgeries many surgeons prefer to be cautious. Good luck, all of WLS seem to yield good results.

NSV!!! That is a milestone! Congrats!

I use either iceberg lettuce or spinach leaves to make a salad with grilled chicken breasts. I never had problems with salads, but I am very careful to chew carefully! But, everyone's band fills and tolerances are different, so it hard to make a general rule that fits all.

Why did they do a fill if you were losing two pounds a week? I'd call their office and discuss it with the staff. Did they use a fluoroscope to verify the fill?

Just make it clear that you understand the risks, and be confident in your decision. You must show that you want the surgery for yourself, and that you are NOT doing it because someone else wants you too!

Congratulations!!! You have a refreshing and honest attitude, and you recognize what you've accomplished!! I think you are a winner and I think you will continue with more success as your journey progresses... thank you for posting.

It is NOT easily. I suspect few WLS are "easy." They all have their risks, and they have their horror stories--regardless of the surgery. For me, the lap band required a great deal of attention... I have to track exactly what I am eating, and keep records for my daily Protein, carbs, fats and total calories. That keeps me honest and aware of whether the band is working, or needs adjustment, I also force myself to go to my gym at least six days a week. That routine burns 800 calories a day. That means I am burning about 1.5 pounds of fat per week on average. I also track how much exercise I do each day in a log on Fitday.com. I've been using it for ten years. When I get lazy and don't keep records I get lazy and I gain weight. When I pay attention and keep track of what is going on I lose weight. Nothing comes "easy," For a few, I guess they are lucky and the pounds fall off and stay off. I am one who needs to work at it, and I know becoming complacent means failure. If a lap band patient follows the diet, and watches what they eat, and exercises, the weight will come off. This assumes they will have fills and follow up visits when problems arise.

Darn! And I thought I could go out and buy a fifth of Capt. Morgan after reading the title of this thread.... back to the bottled water.

Wow! Seven miles a day is great! I think your weight loss has been great too! I think you'd be surprised in that you are giving support to others by sharing your success. I do 3.4 miles on a treadmill everyday and burn 800 calories, and it takes effort to want to go out and exercise, walk or run. I'd up the Protein a bit if you can. My NUT wanted me to stay around 80 grams or higher on the protein. Easiest way is to add chicken breasts, sliced turkey, etc. to the diet. Those are low in carbs and fat, and have good protein content.

I'm not trying to be a shill for Planet Fitness, but for anyone on a very limited budget their membership only runs around 10 dollars a month, and they have free trainers on staff. They do training in small groups... but most of the trainers seem to be quite willing to help out with questions between classes. I imagine having a personal trainer can't be beat, but there are alternatives if you are just starting out and need some guidance.

Well said.

Obesity is a big deal, but very little research is being done to find a cure. We all know that is a disease, and diseases have causes and hopefully knowing the cause leads to a cure. There's been too much speculation as to the "cause," Many blame the obese person for their affliction--but many of us who have "been there" know there are dynamics at play that fight any attempt to lose weight, or to keep weight off. Unfortunately, the popular perception is that "Fat" people have done this to themselves. There are characterized as being obese because they consume massive amounts of foods: pizza, ice cream sundaes, and eat non stop. The erroneous public perception of our illness needs to be changed. And, more research is needed to find a cure. I was depressed when I read comments on another website that degenerated WLS patients who had lost weight as still being grossly fat slobs. Sometimes I feel we can't win, no matter what we try to do for ourselves.

The best I can do is 3.3 miles on a treadmill in a one hour workout... the calorie burn is over 800 calories. I do this seven or six days a week, but I'm not able to run or jog at this point. I wonder what bracket that puts me into?

TMF has it pretty well nailed it down. I'd that four hours of not being hungry may mean you may need to add a fourth meal later in the evening to tide you over. Us grazers can do a lot of damage in the later evening hours once the four mark since supper has past. It is too easy to start sneaking in some extra carbs; which only leads to more cravings. Keep track of your calories and Protein, and allow for a small protein snack later in the evening--a Quest Protein Bar has 20 grams of protein, and is very low in calories and carbs. If your plateau lasts too long, than you may need another fill--providing you are not having episodes of being stuck or sliming currently. I waited too long for my last fill, only after being on a plateau for five months and losing maybe only a few pounds, I had a fill and upped my gym routines. The results were dramatic. I suspect as the inches and pounds come off, the band needs to be adjusted accordingly. Finding the green zone while losing weight is a moving target, from what I have learned in the past 1.5 years. Good luck!

I found the worst part of the whole ordeal was following the liquid diet! The pain (at least in my case, and everyone is different) was very tolerable. I wanted to go home as soon as I woke up in post op, LOL. The time between getting approved for surgery, and the date for the surgery, can seem like an eternity! It didn't come to soon.

I hope you will be free of the machine. My pressure runs between 20 and 18 on the BiPAP. My doctors doubt that weight loss will ever full alleviate the need for some sort treatment. I really hope that you will end up being free of the CPAP thanks to your weight loss.