Bandista

Hi there and congratulations on choosing yourself and your healthy future. As Lessofme says, insurance companies have different requirements as do surgeons. My hospital required attendance at an information session that was held every other month. I started my process in June with research and so much info from this forum. Missed the mandatory info session in June of that year and had to wait until August; was banded that November. It turns out the extra time was good for me in terms of getting my head together, upping my exercise and just general preparedness. I love my band and am so happy for the changes in my life. Getting that appetite monster off my back is one of the best things I've ever done. The links below in my signature helped me understand what the band is all about. I must have read the Dr. Simpson pieces five hundred times......

Yippee! So happy for you. Isn't it great getting our lives back? Here's to health and happiness!

I'm laughing at how hard this is for me, a wordy writer. How about four words? I LOVE MY BAND!

Hi there, congratulations on your surgery and your weight loss so far. I can't remember what I lost at this time but I remember realizing that every pound down was, for the first time, a pound I'd never see again. You are doing beautifully!

Yes! You are made of awesome. I am driving around with a bathing suit in the car and ready to hop in lakes I've never swum -- no more worries about how I look in my bathing suit. Yippee! Here's to showing up in our lives.

Agreed! I struggled mightily. No more.....

Oh, I meant to say -- no oil necessary with this method. Meat on to very hot dry pan (no oil) and take it from there. As for olive oil, I love it but mostly use as a drizzling on things after, but that's just me. And tomato product can also be used like stock to help cook meats down into deliciousness. Once you are not worried about calories, add a dollop of cream. Your dinner guests will be applauding (none of mine even know I had surgery). Good luck with all!

Chiming in here as a cook (we have different surgeries).....try using stock to cook meat down. Use a very high heat, sear the meat well (whether chicken, beef, etc. -- including ground meats like turkey or grass-fed beef, etc.) -- add stock (can get it in cartons at the grocery store -- I always go for the organic) and simmer it down for a long time. By now I've added garlic, spices, etc. Delicious for all, weight loss surgery peeps or just regular old gourmet eaters....enjoy! And get ready to join the league of dainty eaters. Such a beautiful thing. Way to go getting yourself prepped for everything -- you have a whole new future ahead of you and it's going to be great!

Hi there, way to go on your weight loss; that's fantastic! I am also in the no breakfast club -- I don't get hungry until later so for me it's brunch or lunch. I drink tea in the morning and enjoy the ease of that. Whether it is solid food or a shake, I am not ready to tolerate anything for those first hours of the day. Shakes even late in the day can be tricky for me -- not sure why but something about the thickness and cold temperature. Good luck with all -- you are doing great!

My surgeon was looking for satiety after a tennis-ball sized portion (his lingo) and not hungry again for 4-5 hours. I'd have one but not the other so we kept going. You don't want to be too "tight" -- I have had to go back and have a little removed, a little more put in, then a little removed. For me it is a nuanced thing and I think it has to do with inflammation (I have an arthritis profile), weather, stress, hormones, etc. It will be good to find a doctor you like whatever you decide to do -- just so you have that resource when necessary. Good luck with all!

I was so excited and nervous -- I had never been an overnight patient in a hospital before. It was all so much better than I ever thought it could be. A sense of humor was very helpful (the gown, goofy slippers, final weigh-in, paperwork, all those medical professionals -- kind of surreal). Before I knew it I was waking up and walking up and down the hallway a little further each time. Nap, repeat. Then it was morning and I was heading home. Honestly, I was so impressed with myself and you should be, too. To this day, I'd rather go through the surgery again than go to the dentist. Keep smiling, treat yourself gently, watch all the movies you want and enjoy your Popsicles -- keep us posted!

My insurance company required a BMI of 40 and I was under that -- not fat enough for weight loss surgery at 240 and change? Come on! Anyway, I got ankle weights. One thing I could not get clear on is which weight would be submitted to the insurance company -- in a case like this very important to know -- so I had to do it for several weigh-ins which I found quite stressful. Still, it worked. Later when I talked to the surgeon about it he said he would have let me weigh in with my pocketbook or whatever it took, but I'm not sure the nurses would have been on board with that. But just so you know, you're not alone. Good luck to you with your upcoming surgery -- and good for you for doing whatever you need to make it happen!

I'm so sorry for this tremendous loss of a young man just beginning his adult life and for all that his family and friends are going through right now. Be gentle with yourself; life is so fragile.

I journal, get it all down on paper, and yes on the necessary alone time (could my family please go away for a few days and take the phone with them?). Spending time in nature helps me -- gardening and walking outside -- and when I'm stressed (good stress or bad stress) it helps me to walk it off. A mini juice fast can reboot my dietary needs, get me back in touch and listening well to my body. @@*Lexie* thanks for the reminder about how a 5K on the horizon can reinvigorate; I've got some paperwork on one in my in-box and am going to go tend to that now. I walk at least that all the time these days, but a timed event like that is different for me. I can't get over even being able to do it. Reminds me of how proud of myself I am and what a good feeling that is. We have all come so far.

Hi Meggs, great post. I practiced with a timer early on because I was such a fast eater -- still have to fight that impulse to shovel, shovel. For me, putting down my little fork or spoon in-between bites is important. I don't have many rules for myself except to eat when I'm hungry and don't eat if I'm not. Protein takes care of itself in my case because that's what I crave. I avoid all sliders -- shakes, bars, etc. are sliders for me -- have to be careful of things like crackers or chips, etc. Since my last adjustment I cannot drink with food. And I can't tolerate carbonation unless it's just a splash into something flat. For getting back to basics, I benefit from an occasional mini-fast. Should probably do that again soon. Life is busy and full, way too social just now, and sometimes I need to regroup. The links below in my signature have helped me a lot. Best wishes -- sounds like you have a good doctor and you're doing well!

I also have Lapband and love it. Whatever weight loss surgery you elect, the important thing is you are choosing yourself and your healthy future. Way to go!

@@JustWatchMe I hope you're feeling better and got to go hiking "on purpose" lol, loved that comment -- here's to exercising voluntarily, imagine!)......re: arthritis, I often get a flare-up when there is a dip in my immune system. Strep is no fun and neither is joint pain. Voltaren helps me so much -- topical NSAID gel. I go to Canada to get it as its over-the-counter there and here I have a big co-pay. @@gowalking i think you're beautiful just the way you are -- and sex is in our heads, how we are thinking and feeling. None of us is getting any younger. There's gravity for every one, make and female, and lumps, dents, scars, etc. Maybe buy some fabulous dressing gowns and take your time with your new body? I hesitated to respond because I want to be supportive of every one (Julie, I applaud you! And Joe, your wife is one lucky gal....) and whatever we decide for ourselves, wherever we are individually. But you wanted all of our thoughts and so I'm chiming in. Maybe I'm just so out of it here in the woods, or I am personally not a fan of doctors/hospitals, etc. that's why I'm so glad Lapband was available to me as I would not have considered something more drastic.

Mine was an idiot. Had my two required visits and got no information of use from that source. Took my husband along with me one one appointment and she announced my weight in front of him -- a statistic I had gone to great lengths to conceal (he didn't care but I sure did!). I wanted a different protein shake as the one they distribute for two-week pre-op was full of chemicals, artificial sweeteners and dairy-based, which would be a problem for me. I researched an excellent alternative and she fought it. Later when I remarked to the surgeon about the shakes he said, "oh, I'd never put that stuff in my body." AND when we were talking about breakfast and I said I wasn't really a breakfast person she told me her little boys weren't either and she couldn't get them to eat their cereal before school. A nutritionist sending her kids off to elementary school with no breakfast? Cereal? Like I said, an idiot.

Yippee! So happy for you -- a whole new chapter opening in your life and you are so beautifully prepared. Here's to a speedy recovery. I can hear your enthusiasm from here. Best wishes!

I am definitely a stocker-upper! On hand for myself (I do a lot of cooking without partaking): 100-calorie Greek yogurts (what did we do before Greek yogurt!) gluten-free cereal (I put a little in my yogurt as otherwise it's a slider food for me. I need to chew) Walnuts, sunflower seeds, almonds Cheese, Grommit! (@@LipstickLady, bet we could open a cheese shoppe!) Eggs -- a fried egg is my go-to when I'm suddenly hungry Smoked salmon. I just feel better if there is an extra packet in the freezer. Olives -- they are something I can have just a couple of and feel very satisfied. Good ones, oil-cured are my favorite. Black beans, kidney beans, garbanzo beans Hummus Celery -- I have to destring it and/or cut up into small pieces Scallions & cilantro --seem to use in everything Carrots, onions, garlic - scallions Ground beef (we only buy organic grass-fed now) Ground turkey (Costco has organic ground turkey, yippee) Things I still can't have in the house: Peanut Butter -- I can't be trusted not to find a tiny spoon and start in...have not tried almond butter for the same reason but I may give it a shot as I used to love a rice cake with almond butter. Cottage Cheese -- I have this when I go visit my parents and I can just have a little, but at home I have a tendency to go back for more, more.... Very few foods hold that old power over me. I am able to ignore the ice cream and sorbet, etc., that we often have in the freezer. Wouldn't go near the breads, pasta or rice, etc. I can even have chocolate in the house -- in fact that should have been on the list of staples above. I let myself have a little dark chocolate when I want it. No depriving myself, that is over.

Every one is different, of course, but sometimes I think every day is different, too. I have a lot of variation. Some days I'm really not hungry at all until evening, while other days hunger arrives at 11:30 or so (that's about the earliest for me -- I do not eat breakfast because I am not hungry in the mornings). I try to listen to my hunger and respond to it appropriately (good food, protein). I have to resist old wiring in my head that tells me to hold off or restrict myself in some way. All those years of dieting! I have not logged in a long time and that might be helpful to me for a little while, but I know I won't be a regular My Fitness Pal person again. I just want to "be" -- be normal, I guess. Normal weight, normal relationship with food. We all have to do whatever we need to do to achieve our goals. Best wishes to you -- it is so much easier in the zone and you are getting there!

@@mafai congratulations on your surgery -- and moving up to full liquids. I really liked those boxed soups from the health food section of the grocery store -- potato leek, etc. Later for the next stage I steamed cauliflower and blended it with chicken stock which made sort of a savory pudding. Yummy. Also egg drop soup. Good luck to you as you heal up and get used to this new chapter in your life -- exciting times! I love my band.

What pix? I'm missing your trip to London! Assuming you had a fabulous time.........and do t worry about a few vacation pounds. Cream teas, yikes. As for tickers, I need to adjust mine up a few -- and meanwhile I've been in the process of signing up for emailing with my medical professionals. What is the front page? "Home?" Me, my weight and I. Eeek. No matter what I weigh I will never want it that visible.

Hi there, love hearing from long-term banders! The close fill is such an issue -- I am there myself -- wondering if my last little fill is okay or making me a bit too "tight" -- it is such a nuance game. I am committed to a no slider lifestyle -- this is so I don't find myself taking in calories the wrong way. I try to chew, chew, chew real food. Sounds like you're doing well and you'll figure out your next step. Keep us posted!

Walking it off helped me -- a little further each time, even just across a parking lot and back. This put me in a new space as a walker, even though I was just faking it at the beginning. And it gave me something to step right into after surgery -- as soon as I woke up I grabbed that pole and headed down the hallway and back. Repeated each time I needed to pee. Walk, walk, walk.....and now, today, I look forward to my walk and have to do it.