MerryHearted

Here's the guidelines that I have, most are some variation of this. Sorry, I hope I didn't come across as sounding snippy! I didn't mean it that way. :cheers2: Guidelines: • No liquid calories [except 2 servings of non fat milk (2 x 8 oz = 16 oz/day)] (16 grams of protein) • No soft foods • Two 3-4 ounce servings of protein/day (2 X 21-28 = 42-56 grams of protein) • Always eat the Protein first, then the vegetables • Avoid bread, Pasta, rice, potatoes and other starchy foods • 20-25 grams of Fiber a day (Examples: bran Cereal, fruits, vegetables, beans) • Eat only three small meals a day with maybe one small planned snack • Eat slowly and chew thoroughly • Stop eating as soon as you feel full • Do not drink while you are eating • Do not eat between meals except for a planned snack • Eat only good quality foods • Avoid tough stringy foods • Drink plenty of liquids during the day (48-64 ounces) between meals • Drink only low calorie liquids • Exercise at least 30 minutes per day

Clearly you have both tried this already. Didn't work, did it? Trust me, the band is not a good choice for the lazy nor is it an easy way out. It's a lot of work, actually. But at least I have the hope of being normal again now and have come a long way. I love the way Jessie Ahroni puts this (she is my fill doc and she wrote [ame=http://www.amazon.com/Laparoscopic-Adjustable-Gastric-Banding-Achieving/dp/0595311148/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1206161687&sr=8-1]this book[/ame] on banding). I quote: I hope your hubby comes around... I know it would be hard to do this without his support and maybe you will choose not to. Whatever you do decide, best wishes!

Well, I've lost almost 100 lbs, does that count? :biggrin: I don't think the kind of band matters. They all work the same way. But mine is an Inamed that holds 4cc of saline. What really matters is getting the right fill level and following most of the guidelines most of the time. The reason I'm not at goal or closer to it is because I stopped following the guidelines for awhile. Now that I am again, the weight is coming off. And I will get there. Maybe by the end of 2009 even! :Banane43::embaressed_smile::frown::mad::Banane39::Banane49::Banane27::eek:

I was going to ask if you had anything with cinnamon oil in it. I chewed a piece of Big Red last fall and it burned the inside of my mouth. It hurt for days!

Congratulations!! :thumbup:

For anyone else reading the thread, Junonia.com also sells sports bras for the well-endowed.

The idea is this: you have plenty of fat stored on your body to supply your energy needs. However, you don't want to lose a lot of muscle mass, and if you don't eat protein, your body will start using your muscles for protein. So we eat protein. If you don't eat produce, you're going to be constipated. Plus it supplies bulk for very few calories, and lots of vitamins. Your body doesn't need carbs -- it has your fat to burn for energy. You're getting some carbs from the fruit & veggies anyway. I add in a good multi-vitamin as well as a calcium supplement.

Do you have a copy of your bandster guidelines? I'm at work, but I think they are something like this: 1. Eat 3-4 oz of solid Protein twice a day, plus 1/2 to 1 cup of produce after the protein 3. Avoid Pasta, potatoes, rice, bread and other high-glycemic index foods. 4. Drink at least 64 oz of non-caloric fluids daily (except for up to 16 oz of milk, which is fine) 5. Do not drink anything for at least 1 hr after eating. 6. Avoid any mushy foods that slide through the band too easily - yogurt, cream Soups, etc. 7. Take a multi-Vitamin daily 8. Get 30 min of exercise at least 3 days a week 9. Stay away from junk food and alcohol Are you having any trouble with any of those? Even if you are following them really well, most people say those last few pounds are the toughest. So hang in there. Oh - fitday.com is free if you want to try logging all your food for a couple weeks and see what your daily intake is. Might be too high or too low. Congrats on the 80 lbs you lost -- that's fantastic! I can't wait til I'm out of plus sizes. :thumbup:

Welcome to LBT and congrats on getting insurance approval! It sure helps knowing they are covering costs. If you are really scared about going under, do tell them about it at the hospital. They can give you something to help you relax beforehand. Best wishes & hope to see you around here!

Definitely not the same feeling as I used to get prior to banding when eating a big meal. For me, it's a "I'm not hungry anymore" feeling. And when my pouch is starting to get full, I get a little cough. Weird, huh? That's my signal to stop.

Woohooooo!! :thumbup:

My goal is between 1000-1200, and sometimes I'm a little short, sometimes right in range. How many calories am I able to eat? A lot more than what I am actually eating. All I'd have to do is "eat around the band" -- drink with meals, drink calories like juice or alcohol, eat chocolate or ice cream... The band can't stop you from eating junk. It will help keep you feeling full between meals though if you use it right.

I'm kind of regretting the stall that I went through for almost a year -- I should have been more proactive about getting a fill and about going to talk to a counselor (banded herself) about what I was struggling with. Instead, I mostly just walked away from weight loss for months. I would have been a lot closer to goal now had I stuck with it. So stick with it for the long haul & find support if you start to waffle on sticking to the plan. I'm really glad the Band is still ready & waiting now that I've got my head in the game again.

Welcome! My advice is to do your best to follow the bandster guidelines you get from your doctor, and don't get frustrated if you aren't losing as fast as you hope. This is a long-term job. And definitely have some support system in place for when the going gets rough. Either here, or SmartBandsters, or some other group or person who can encourage you & challenge you. Best wishes on your surgery!!

Ooh, I can see why you are frustrated! If you are not already doing it, can you experiment with writing down every single thing that goes into your mouth for a week? Even if it's just a bite of carrot while making dinner. Fitday.com is free and you can log it there. That'll give you an idea what your average calorie intake is per day as well as a breakdown of the fat/carbs/protein. Then maybe consider altering either the ratios of what your eating or the overal calorie intake -- i.e. if you find you're only eating 800 cals a day, bring it up to 1200 for a couple weeks to see if that does it. If you find you're eating 1500 cals a day, drop it to 1200 and see if that does the trick. (wow, 1/2 lb a day comes to 3.5 lbs a week -- that's fast! Except for the first week or so of a new diet I've never been able to drop weight that fast. Mine is always 1-2 lbs a week even if I stick perfectly to a diet and exercise routine, and then I plateau every 20 lbs or so. Maybe your body is changing from all the ups & downs or just from aging)

I'm actually thrilled that I'm one of the bandsters who cannot drink anything carbonated without great pain. Oh my goodness, I can't even describe how much it hurts. Ow. Ow. Ow. I'm so thankful for that, as I know I'd give in from time to time and drink Coke, or worse, Rum & Coke, which is a Really Bad Idea when trying to lose weight. But there are a lot of bandsters who don't seem to hurt when they drink pop, so you may be one of them.

I can't answer your smoking question. Maybe someone else here has gone through that. The Lap Band surgery is surgery, so there is some risk, but overall it's quite a safe surgery and you will be fine. The question is: do you want this? Because unless you do, and are willing to really work at losing weight, the band may not be the answer. What are you willing to do to be healthier? You said Make a list of what you have to do and prioritize it. You might even divide it into three lists: absolute must-dos, really want tos, and would be nice tos. Where does getting your health under control fall?

Does your surgeon's office do any aftercare, like have a nurse or doc to talk to, a counselor on staff, support group meetings? That would be a great place to start. The bandster eating guidelines posted are how you can eat and lose weight, and be sure to read the list Jeni 85 posted on how to tell if you need an adjustment. I know I sound like a broken record these days, but I'd really like to recommend you pick up The Beck Diet Solution if you feel like you need that extra push to get back and stay back on track. It's not a diet, it's tools to help you succeed at whatever eating plan you choose to lose or maintain weight with. And it's working really well for me. You CAN do this.

I've had no complications and I'm 2.5 yrs out. I think the reason why you see so many complications on this board is because when people have complications they come here for support. People who were immediately successful with their band are, for the most part, all out there living their skinny lives. :shades_smile: Following the bandster guidelines that your doctor gives you will be important -- that will lower your risk of complications. But there is always some risk. Then again, being fat is a health risk itself. I don't regret getting my band at all! :teeth_smile: I'm not thin yet, but even the weight I've lost has made a big difference so far, and I plan to hit my -100 mark this summer. It's perfectly fine to keep this private. You can't "untell" once the cat's out of the bag. And really, it's nobody's business. :thumbup: Best wishes on getting your insurance approval!

When I went in for my first fill, the nurse asked me if I wanted to be aggressive or creep up on good restriction. I said I wanted to take it slowly -- I was about to go on a Caribbean cruise and didn't want to be pbing all the time. :shades_smile: So I think I got 2cc's in that first fill (my band holds 4cc's), and then upped it to 2.5 about a month later.

Yeah, the head issues can be tough in the long term. You can see from my siggy that I'm not at goal eiether. Ultimately you have to decide you want it bad enough to do the work. I highly recommend working through The Beck Diet Solution (not a diet) to help get yourself back on track if you continue to struggle. It's been really helping me so far. Do you have a list of reasons why you want to lose the weight? That's a good place to start for inspiration / motivation.

Welcome to LBT! Struggling with overeating those last few weeks before surgery is a very common problem. Often called "last supper syndrome". The thought of being restricted on our food intake is scary, and we imagine not being able to eat our favorite things, so we scarf down everything in sight. Chance are, you'll still be able to eat pretty much anything after banding. (post healing stage) Just in smaller quantities. Just because you can, doesn't mean you should, of course, but you physically will be able to. Now would be the time to kickstart your weight loss! Might as well get going now -- try out some of the bandster eating guidelines and see how they feel. Hope you find out your surgery date soon!

I eat fruit every day. Nowadays, orange membranes are a little much for me so I chew chew chew chew then spit out whatever I can't "chew to goo". I also have to peel my apples now. Fruit is a fine choice for a low-calorie snack if your meals are spaced really far apart. (unless you're specifically on a low-carb diet)

I'd just take the Advil (I use Motrin myself). Take it with a warm liquid so it gets washed down into your stomach and doesn't sit in your pouch, or use the liquid kind. My doc says it's fine. Ulcers and other problems occur if you are taking large doses or daily for an extended period of time. That can happen whether or not you have the band. But a couple days a month for your period shouldn't be a problem. disclaimer: ultimately, one should follow the advice of one's own doctor

I know a couple people who had bypass and had terrible complications, so for me the band seemed a lot safer. I liked the idea that it was adjustable and could be removed if necessary, and less invasive. This sounds silly, but I also thought that if the band didn't work, there was always the possibility of a gastric bypass or other wls as a backup. My HA1C numbers dropped very nicely after banding, but I was never on insulin or any other med to control it. My cholesterol also dropped, thankfully, as my doc wanted to put me on cholesterol-lowering meds. Good luck choosing!