garfield461

Don't feel so down. I lost 75 pounds the first 6 months but hit plateaus along the way, anything from two weeks to a month. I think your body needs time to adjust and then it kicks back in. If you are not eating enough, your body will go into starvation mode and you will tend to gain a little weight. Try to continue eating normal food consistently and keep exercising, it will come off.

I lost 75 pounds the first 6 months, then have not lost anymore for th last 6 months. I would hit plateaus along the way and not lose anything for a few weeks then it would kick in again. I have had three fills and that was enough for me. Hang in there, watch what you eat and exercise it will come off.

I told a few people at work and all my family. I didn't want to tell too many people though in case it didn't work. I finally got to the point now where I tell everyone how I did it. I am proud of my success, some might think it is the easy way out, but anyone who has had this surgey knows it takes a lot of self contol among other things to keep losing and keep it off. It has been one year today since I was banded.

I get that all the time, today is my one year anniversary and my BMI is stil 32. Whenever we go out to eat my husband has to tell everyone that I don't eat very much that is why we are sharing. AT work I hear you don't want to lose more do you. I agree it is very iritating.

Look for another insurance company. I was with Group Health and they covered gastric by pass but not lap band. I switched to Blue Cross last year and they covered both. Shop around if you can, even if you have to pay out of pocket for a year of premiums, it may be worth it.

I can relate. I was in the Army and got out when I was pregnant. I gained a whole lot of weight and then more when I got pregnant again. Never got it off after 20 years. I fly a lot and barely fit in the plane seat with the seatbelt extended as far as possibly and forget putting down those trays. I was diabetic and next step was insulin injections. I had lost weight and gained it back so many times I lost count. Finally made the decision to have the lap band last August and never regretted it. I was 265 at my heaviest, 237 when I went for surgery and now I am 75lbs lighter. I can play with my grand kids, work out in the gym and go for walks with no problem. My diabetes is in remission and my blood pressure near normal. I think you reach a point when enough is enough and only you know when that is. I congratulate your decision, it is a scary step but well worth it.

Sometimes it depends on the type of egg. Scrambled eggs tend to be too dry and stick when going down so you get that feeling. Fried or poached go down much better.

You will oftentimes feel tighter in the morning and more loose at night. If you feel you can't keep anything down, not even water then you are too tight. You are feeling that tightness most likely because you are eating too fast and taking too big of bites. Focus on slowing down and eating really small bits of food at a time. Also the typ of food you eat can make you feel like throwing up because it gets stuck. Most common protein that does that is the white meat chicken and turkey. Others include breads and pasta. Take it slow and if it happens all the time talk with your doctor. It is a learning process.

That is also my goal. I was banded on 8/29 and have lost 65lbs. I keep hitting plateaus every 10-15lbs and think is that it? Am I going to lose anymore and stay at this weight.

In the gym at 8:30 today. Did three miles on the eliptical, was only able to do 1/4 mile when first starting out, and also did the strength weights circuit. Banded 8/29, 237lbs, now 181.

I have never heard of it. Most smoothies have way too many carbs for me. What is the make up?

Yes, contact your doctor right away! Bruising is normal, but swelling a lot is not. You can expect some slight swelling and pain but again you should not be having a lot of swelling.

First I am 5'5" and weighed 237 lbs so was just barely over the BMI limit. I was banded on 8/29 and lost approx 30 pounds the first two months and have continued to lose 10-15 pounds a week. I work out a the gym 5-7 days a week. As far as Protein, I use Champion brand which is low carb and mix with only Water. I use something like a magic bullet to mix it and make it thick so it says in my system longer. I do not drink milk of any kind any more as it usually has a lot of sugar and therefore high in carbs. As for foods not going down, that is usually because you are not chewing your food enough so the pieces are too big to go through the pouch and therefore you end up throwing it all back up. Take small bites and chew, chew, chew before you swallow, you will find some foods such as white meat chicken and turkey are a little harder to get down because they are drier. I don't crush pills at all, everything I take is small enough to digest without crushing. I did that at first then found I did not need too. If you have a particular pill that you have trouble with, cut it in half and try that. Take care and good luck.

Sweets are a big problem, I did not eat any sweets at all until two weeks ago, then ate several chocoate covered cherries. I was banded on 8/29 and have lost 58 pounds. You will hit plateaus along the way where you may not lose any weight for a couple weeks but probably are losing inches. You body needs time to adjust. Find a support group, at the hospital where I was banded they have two lapband support groups that meet for free in my area. Some times it is just going to boil down to will power. If you eat more protein that also helps take away the craving for sweets. Take care and keep your goal in mind.

I know exactly what you mean, I was on here and seeing all these people talk about going back to work within just a few days and I couldn't even walk from my house to the car without being in a lot of pain. I thought something was wrong or that it would never stop, then after one week exactly it starting feeling better and I was able to walk a little farther without a burning, tugging type pain and it got better everyday. Hang in there it will end and after awhile you won't feel like you had anything done at all. Try not to do too much and rest as much as possible.

Hi I am 46 years old and was banded on 8/29 but Dr. Srikanth, in Federal Way, WA. I too, like a lot of people, was scared about the surgery itself, how I would feel after and the changes I had to make. I am an emotional eater, eat when I am happy, sad, bored etc. I am also diabetic and had high blood pressure. My next stop was starting insulin injections which really had me scared. I started out at 237 and had my first fill yesterday and weighed in at an even 200! Haven't been that thin (ha,ha) in 23 years. I am still working on the emotional eating part, basically when I know I am not hungry and just "want" to eat I divert my attention by starting some chore or going on a walk, anything to get my mind off eating. This seems to work most of the time and other times I still struggle with it and just try to tell myself that I didn't go through this whole procedure just to fall back into old habits. I am completely off one of my diabetes medications, the other is cut in half and my high blood pressure meds are also cut in half, this help keep me going. An added benefit? The money I don't spend on food I can spend on shopping! Look forward to hearing from others and no I don't regret my decision to have the band one bit.:clap2:

I agree, trying different brands and experimenting helps. The best one I have tried in Champion brand. When I use the vanilla I add fresh strawberries and splenda and it tastes great. Other ideas adding small amount of crystal light to flavor the protein powders. It is so important to take as much protein as you need to make sure your body stays healthy. Good luck.

I started exercising a week after surgery (with my DR blessing). Started out slowly on the bike or treadmill and just did a fairly slow pace to get back into the groove. Two weeks later I started working out with light weight on my legs and arms. I just had my first fill yesterday and asked the Doc about doing abs and he said it was fine to add that in now. I started at 237 am at 200 today and I know a lot of it is because I am in the gym 6 days a week. I made it a habit and now don't feel good when I don't go. So get started, just do anything you can comfortably do.

It is not as hard as you think. Most people are off work anywhere between 1 week or two. I was off for 1 1/2 weeks. Heaving lifting is not allowed for a period of time, but talk with your Doctor about that. You will be on liquid diets for a few weeks after surgery so having plenty of water and protein drinks on hand is a must. The Champion brand seems to taste the best for me, I get it at Super Supplements but you can probably google a place that has it near you if you are interested. Once you move on to pureed foods there are plenty of options for applesauce, no sugar added, soups etc. After awhile you will be eating just as you did before but only healthier, no sugar, high carbs ie white bread, rice, potatoes etc, only much smaller portions. It get some getting used to. I was banded two months ago and it gets easier with time. Hang in there and you will do great.

There are always going to be events and occaisons for food you used to be able to eat. I assume if you have made it this far, you are in the right frame of mind to know you have to make permanent changes in the foods and amount you eat. You are still far enough away from Christmas that by that time you should be on solid food again. Keep your goal in mind and try not to think about it as deprivation but a positive change.

Some people expect you to fail and don't want you to succeed even though they say they do. I was just banded on the 29th and several times since he has asked me if I ate yet knowing I am on only liquids until later this week. Sometimes it can be just a simple case of jealousy, keep your goal in mind and try not to let her get to you.

The best protein powder I have found in the Champion Brand from Super Supplements. They have a banana flavor that really tastes like a banana cream pie.

There have been many studies that if you are at least 100 pounds overweight no diet will work for you. I am diabetic and it is getting worse. For approx 2 years now I have sworn off pastas, white bread, rice, sugar, I walk approx 2 miles a day and work out in the gym 5 days a week. I lost 30 pounds a year ago and kept it off but nothing else I did worked. I got banded a week ago and I know I have to change the way I eat even further but just reached a point where I was ready to this step to better my health and finally lose the weight. The reason you have to lose weight to have the surgery is because you need to shrink your liver to make it easier to perform the surgery. Again do what you feel is right for you, only you can decide to try one more diet that may work, every diet out there has worked for someone, maybe you can find that one that works for you.