Liz1531

I am following Weight Watchers and that's the only thing that has helped me lose weight since I was banded. Any other WW lovers here?

Hi Katie! Congrats on starting your journey to a new you. I have told very few people about having the band. I find that I get looked down on already by the few people who do know becuase I did get the surgery and haven't lost any noticeable weight like many others have. Also, to say I'm doing WW AFTER paying so much for surgery causes others to raise eyebrows. I just figured it's none of anyones business. When people ask if I've lost weight or ask me out to eat I tell them I follow WW. I never get too many questions going that route. I am using the points system and one WW dinner fills me perfectly. Usually I eat almost the whole thing. The old me would eat one and be STARVING an hour later. I used to call the frozen dinners appertizers.

I am following the points system and having had any problem with it. Am I eating too much if I'm able to stick to the system? I've heard that I should be eating about 1 cup or less per meal and having three meals per day and try not to have any snacks. So, that's pretty much where I'm at.

Congrats Neal! You look incredible. I'll be your wife is so happy with her new and improved hunk a love. I can't even fathem having a flat stomach with nothing overlapping. Just can't even begin to think it's possible for me, although I still dream of the day!

Wow! I was sooo scared of PS before, but if you can make it through all of that and live to tell about it, maybe I can to. I dream of the day I will feel "normal" and not be embaressed to prance around naked in front of my hubby.

I wish I could have gone to Dr. Garth. He seems awesome!!!

I can't imagine doing fills without floro. It makes it so much easier. Can't you go back to your surgeon. I go to Dr. Ortiz and he only charges $100 for each fill. They say it's free fills and $100 for floro. Either way, $100 a shot. Also, may docs in US charge $300+ per fill. Dr. Ortiz tells me many US docs will do many small fills and charge a fortune. My doc says maybe 4 fills to get it right. They gave me a good sized one the first time so that I don't need to get 5-10. Good luck!

Ah the excitement of being a newbie!! I couldn't live without this forum and the infinite help available. I too was eating everything I wanted. I had great plans for me last meal too. Well, much to my chargrin, Dr. Ortiz's office called me one day early and said we're doing the surgery tonight and not to eat another thing past noon. Oh my it was already past noon!!! I never got that last meal. Now maybe this will tame your hunger... once banded you will lose right away BUT this will be temporary because you're swollen. It will take a proper fill to get you going. SO, if you are like me, you will be able to eat an entire zoo during the period between the swelling and the first fills. I gained every lb back once my swelling went down... for shame for shame... lol

Paulax ~ Thank you so much for that advice. I have been just thinking I'm a failure at this. I never thought that maybe I'm just too full and unable to eat properly. I really appreciate you taking the time to help me.

My doc said that after six months of being banded I could have 1/2 of a diet soda and it wouldn't stretch the pouch or anything. My six months is up in about three weeks and I'm DYING for a Diet Coke. It's been a long time. Love the prego board as I will be TTC at the end of the year.

I love the WW lunches especially the chicken and rice. One of those stuffs me full!!!

Too much fill? I just tried to have dinner and had a couple bites of mac n cheese and one bite (small) of hot dog and am stuck. This is every day for me and it's getting so old. I keep hoping that once I lose some weight the band will losen up enough that I can eat again.

It seems to me like most people have a 10cc band. I have a 4cc band and am filled to 2.4 which is a bit too much of a fill for me.

I was banded when my little boy was seven months old and is now 11 months. The surgery was a piece of cake. Done on Thursday and back at work Monday. I would make sure you have someone to help you for the first few days though. I was still BF my son and so couldn't take any of the pain meds and was still okay.

I follow Weight Watchers and eat about 26 points per day. Not sure how many calories that is.

Well... I need to go to the no losers unite forum because my lapband hates me. I've only lost 10 lbs since August. Sad.... I'm so embarresed to face my husband who I BEGGED to alone me to put us into debt so that I could have this surgery and here I am not losing a thing.

Hmmm... never isn't an option on there. I've lost 10 lb in 6 months and am so restricted that I can hardly eat solids. It takes me 30+ minutes to eat 1/3 of a breakfast burrito.

I would like to see a perm thread for bandsters who are not losing or losing slowly. I have had a few flls (2.4 of 4cc band) and am pretty full. I can hardly eat a solid meal and I just can't lose for the life of me. The weight I have lost is because I started Weight Watchers about six weeks ago. I paid $8,500 only to join Weight Watchers! WTF??? I spent so much time here prior to surgery and I just never thought I'd be here not able to lose! Agh!!! Any advice, motivation, thoughts are welcome!!! =)

Don't be hard on yourself. I would kill for your numbers! I've only lost 10lb in six months... ridiculous!

I got the roids after having my son last March. Ouch!!! They flare up every now and again but can be quite painful!!! I feel your pain!

Hmmm... perhaps I'm a big piggy here. It seems I eat more than everyone else. A Protein shake does nothing for me (I'm hungry again in an hour)... Here's my meals for one day: B: 1/2 Breakfast burrito (huge) L: Lean Cusine D: salad plate w/ meat, potatoes & veggie Dessert & Snacks: 100 calories packs of anything and/or yogurt. I have about 2 dessert/snacks per day.

Jacqui has a great point about the good for us foods being harder to eat. Sometimes I get so frustrated with not being able to get things down that I say screw it and have a milk shake or some other fattening food that goes down easily. Everytime I get down a few pounds I start to think I'm doing well and allow for too many slip ups. Just curious how anyone drinks while eating. I did on accident (habit) a few times and it felt like my food expanded and got stuck. Awful feeling!

Oh, I'd call the doctor on that one. I know since no drinking with meals, I don't drink nearly enough. I tend to get bad headaches that I believe are from not enough water.

Hello ladies and gents. Can I be the poster child for this thread? Almost six months out and only 10lb down! Ouch!!!! I finally sucked it up and decided to start Weight Watchers. It's so easy to follow and it's working well for me. I suppose the "magic" of the band is that I can get full of one Lean Cusine whereas before, it was more of an appetizer.

Hi everyone! Thanks so much for your support. You have no idea how helpful it is to know that I'm not alone and that others have lost slowly as well. Just an FYI ~ I NEVER drink with meals and I'm following Weight Watchers which is about 1300 calories per day. As long as I follow WW very strickly I am losing. I guess I've seen so many people get gastric bypass and watched them shrink to nothing that when I got this surgery I expected the same. No dice!