Mommyfrid

I was banded on February 6, 2015. I've read so many threads on here since even before my surgery and it's been so helpful. I just haven't really connected with anyone that was banded around the same time as me as I'm interested in others progress and if mine is normal. I started my pre-op diet on January 27th. As of April 27 (3 months), I've lost 48.5lbs. I have a lot of weight to lose, so even though I've already lost 48.5lbs, I have another 150lbs to lose. Im definitely not in the green zone as I feel very little restriction in my band. I just have exercised the pounds off. What I've done so far I could've done without the band bc it wasn't really helping me any until after I had my second fill 2 weeks ago. I started to feel some difference, but there's no way I'm there yet. The dr said i have 5cc's in a 10-12cc band. When I go back in 2 weeks I plan to request another fill. I'm still able to eat way too much food than I should be eating and I'm not eating until my stomach feels full, just until I'm satisfied and that's something I'm working on learning every day. I've pretty much cut out the between meal snacking. I struggle the most in the evening and at night. Anyway, just curious about other people who are near my banding date. I'm interested in other experiences and I'm always open to new ideas and advice too!! Started 1/27/15 - 409 4/27/15 - 360.5 I will attach a pic of my progress.

I can't believe some doctors tell patients it's OK to have soda. My dr says no to EVERYTHING except water. It's also a big, big no no to add these new flavors to your water. He even said he didn't want me drinking milk because of the calories. So I'm just shocked at all the people who say their doctors say this is ok.

Im curious about this 5DPT that I found on the Internet and I'm going to try it starting tomorrow morning! In a couple days I will hit my one year bandiversary. Ive lost 79lbs since surgery, but I lost 80% of that in the first 5 months after surgery. So the last 7 months it's been very slow. I kind of got comfortable with the weight I'd lost, even knowing I had double that amount to lose. I'm def in the green zone because I can't eat much at each meal. I think my problem is not making the right food choices. Eating junk food and eating when I'm not even hungry are my main problems. I've gained and lost the same 10lbs several times over the last 3-4 months. It's just not acceptable. I'm still heavy enough that I should be losing weight faithfully every week. Idk what's wrong with me, but I think I just need to do a reset on my body and start over. I'm embarrassed to even see my surgeon bc I feel like a failure the last 6 months. Once I get some more weight off then I'll schedule an appointment. I do not need another fill, I wouldn't be able to eat anything bc my band is pretty tight. So it's not how much I'm eating at each meal, it's my poor food choices and what I'm eating in between meals. Lord help me! I had such high expectations for this band. I just need to find a way to get excited about it again. Anyone else going thru this or have suggestions for me? I've read thru a lot of the topics on here, but many of the ones I found were years old. Id like to connect with some people who are going thru the same as me.

Doing that 5 day thing was great to get me motivated again. I think maybe once a month I'll give that a try. It really got me back into my exercise routine and thinking more about what I'm eating and I've cut out the crap I was eating that shouldn't have been. I'd def recommend it to anyone who is kind of off the path and needs a reminder of why you started this process. I also started tracking my food again. I had completely stopped doing that.

So I'm curious about people that started to have gallbladder problems after being banded. I was banded exactly 1 year ago, almost to the day. Around mid-Dec I started getting really nauseous. I thought it was my band. The band that I have never had any problems with. No nausea even right after my surgery. I started to wonder if my band had slipped, but I don't have any problems eating, no throwing up or anything. Just nausea that some days is horrible. Actually in mid dec when it started, I was nauseous basically everyday for 2-3 weeks. Then I started to wonder if it was acid reflux. So I started taking a look at what I was eating and decided it was time to get back on track. Since I started eating clean again, the nausea has subsided quite a bit, but I've been reading a lot lately about nausea being a side effect of gallbladder problems. So I'm just curious if any of you have had gallbladder with nausea being the main symptom?

So I'm on the 3rd day of my 5DPT and it's getting easier. I remember how much I struggled when I started my preop diet. I wanted to eat even though I wasn't hungry. I really struggled the first 4 or 5 days. Then it started getting easier. Well today is my 3rd day of this 5DPT and it's getting easier. The good part is that I know I'm not actually hungry. When I struggle it's bc I WANT something to eat, not need something. I understand the purpose of this 5DPT a little more. It REALLY opened my eyes up to the things I was eating that I had no business eating, how my portions had slowly gotten bigger and bigger when in reality, j still only need that 6-8oz portion or whatever. This has been very enlightening and I have NO doubt why my weight loss stopped. I was eating all the wrong things, even though i was telling myself, 'well I only ate a little of it, it couldn't hurt', etc. When you add up all those 'little' things over a week or month's time...well, they really add up. Deciding to do this 5DPT has been really good for me. I struggled the first 2 liquid only days, but it was good for me. Reminded me of the willpower I have and the excitement that I had when for this process when I first started this journey. Anyway, looking forward to making better choices in the coming days. I'm going to the beach on June 10th and need to set a mini goal to meet by then.

Miss Meg - great job on your weight loss. Saturday 2/6 is my one year mark. I'll weigh on Saturday to get an official weight, but I've lost 79lbs. I felt like I should've lost more the first year considering the past few months has been gain/lose the same 5-10lbs. After reading your post, it makes me feel better because I feel like my first year was maybe more successful than I first thought. I started the 5 day pouch test today because I need a reset. I'm looking forward to seeing how this works for me. Day 1 went well and I even got a good workout in today.

So today was my first day of the 5DPT. The day went really well, but it's getting close to the time of day that I really struggle. Mindless eating in the evenings is the worst for me. I even got out and walked/jogged 3 miles today. It felt good to start fresh today and I'm thankful that God gave me the willpower to get through today on liquids only. Tomorrow may be harder, but I got this. Exercise makes me feel so much better about myself.

I found this 5DPT on the Internet and wanted to try it. In a couple days I will hit my one year bandiversary. Ive lost 79lbs since surgery, but I lost 75% of that in the first 4 months after surgery. So the last 8 months I've lost very slow. I kind of got comfortable with the weight I'd lost, even knowing I had double that amount to lose. So I'm def in the green zone because I can't eat much at each meal. I think my problem is that I'm not making the right food choices. Eating junk food and eating when I know I'm not even hungry are my main problems. I've gained and lost the same 10lbs several times over the last 4 months. It's just not acceptable. I'm still heavy enough that I should be losing weight faithfully every week. Idk what's wrong with me, but I think I just need to do a reset on my body and start over. I'm embarrassed to even see my surgeon bc I feel like a failure the last 6 months. Once I get some more weight off then I'll schedule an appointment. I do not need another fill, my band is almost at capacity. So it's not how much I'm eating at each meal, it's my poor food choices and what I'm eating in between meals. Lord help me! I had such high expectations for this band. I just need to find a way to get excited about it again. Anyone else going thru this?

So I just wanted to check in with you ladies. It's been about a year since my surgery. I went from 409 to 337 as of today. That's 72lbs in a year. I feel like it should've been more. My original goal was 100lbs the first year. I just feel like my weight loss has stalled. I think I need to track my calories. I think I'm eating more calories than I think. I also quit exercising for the last month. It's time to get that started again because I can't lose weight without exercise! Anyway, just wonder how everyone else is doing?

I'm just curious how you Feb 2015 bandsters are doing now??? I've lost 61lbs, but nothing in the last 2 months. I made an appt with my surgeon to see him today to see if I need another adjustment. It seems like I do, but my dr argues with me every time I ask for one. Anyway, just wondering if anyone else reached a plateau like I have. I exercise 4 days a week and I don't count calories, but j don't feel like I eat very much. I might be eating more than I think I am.

I had surgery on Feb 6, 2015 and I had my 4th fill today. As of today, I have 7cc's in a 12cc band and I've lost 61lbs since I started my pre-op diet on January 27, 2015. I have a friend who had surgery a month after I did and she's lost 33lbs. My doctor wants to argue about an adjustment every time I ask for one bc he's looking at my overall progress since Feb, but the thing was I never felt the restriction that I read about others having. This fill today is the first one that I actually have to drink liquids slowly and can feel a difference. I hope it does the trick bc I don't think my surgeon wants to do anymore fills on me for awhile. Just curious what other Feb Bandsters are experiencing, how many fills you've had, how much weight you've lost, restriction you feel, etc. Just overall how it's going I guess. Thanks!

Nerms - your post above with the pics showing the difference in your thighs is so encouraging to me!! I've been working so hard to lose weight since my surgery on 2/6/15. I started faithfully exercising everyday in mid-March. Throughout the month of April I may have missed 4 days exercising all month. Also, 2-3 days a week I exercised twice a day. Usually deep Water aerobics for an hour, then swim laps for 30 min in the morning and power walk 3-4 miles in the evenings. I do the 3-4 miles everyday regardless of whether I have a morning workout. So anyway, you get the picture. Lol. The weight I'm losing I'm literally working my butt off. I don't think my band has anything to do with my weight loss so far. I had my second fill almost 3 weeks ago and it felt a little different vs my first fill, but nowhere near my green zone. I don't know what my green zone will feel like, but what I do know is I'm still able to eat way too easily and my portions are much bigger than they would be if my band were right. I've lost 50lbs since I started my pre-op diet on January 27th. Which I think is great weight loss, but since I started all these great workouts my weight loss has slowed down. I would think it should be increasing!! I lost 5lbs from March 16-April 14. Since April 14th, as of today I've lost another 5lbs. I am tracking every single bite of food I put in my mouth and my food choices certainly aren't bad. So I'm confused and frustrated. I had a personal trainer tell me that I was gaining muscle. Then she told me to imagine 3 grapefruits, that's what 5lbs of fat looks like. Now picture 3 tangerines, that's what 5lbs of muscle looks like. I just think it's ridiculous that I'm only losing 5lbs a month working this hard. I'd think I would lose 5lbs a month just with my diet changes with no exercise at all. So I'm very discouraged, but after looking at your pic where you stated the scales haven't budged, there is a clear difference in your measurements. So I can only hope that's what's happening with me too. Sorry for typing a book here, I just wanted to explain my situation so hopefully someone will take the time to read what I'm doing and maybe have some suggestions or some kind of encouragement bc I'm getting really frustrated.

When did you have surgery?

I got my second fill today and he told me I had 5cc's in my band. I can tell more of a difference than I did after my first fill. I'm on liquid for 24 hours. So I guess I'll be able to tell more when I eat real food if it's working better for me. What did you end up doing? Going and getting some removed?

I have read the comments here which are nearly a month old now. I'm wondering how the ones who were newly banded are doing now. I had my surgery Feb 6 and just had my first band fill this week. I don't notice any new restriction. I can pretty much eat whatever I want and I too know that at times I'm prob not chewing quite as well as I should have to if my band were tight enough. I started my pre-op diet on Jan 27th. So I'm 7 weeks out from the first day of my liquid diet and I've lost 38lbs. I'm happy with that, but a big chunk of that was pre-op and the first 2 weeks following surgery. My weight loss slowly drastically between weeks 3-5. Then week 6 I lost 4lbs, but I started exercising regularly after week 5 bc I was so discouraged with my weight loss. So anyway, I had my first fill 2 days ago and I don't notice a difference. He didn't tell me how much he put in or how much my band holds either. Will my dr make me wait until my next appt (in one month) to add more saline to my band? I wish he wouldn't make me wait. My next appt isn't until April 14th. I know people say to be patient with the process, but at times it's very frustrating. So I was just wondering where you folks are now bc some of you were close to where I am now when you wrote these comments. Just interested to see what's coming in the month ahead.

Your story is such a motivator to me. That's great weight loss in 2.5 years. I just had my first full today. So I'm early in the process, but dedicated!! I had my band surgery on Feb 6, 2015 and as of today I have lost 38lbs. I have probably another 200lbs to go. You should be extremely proud of yourself. I can't wait to be where you are and post my success story!!

I have really benefited from reading all of these posts. I just was banded on 2-6-15. So as you can imagine Im going thru quite a bit of stuff that I'm wondering if how I feel is normal and this forum has been so helpful. Looking forward to reading more and sharing my journey as well.

Does anybody take methadone and has been approved for the lap band surgery or has already had the surgery? My surgeon has known that I was on methadone since my first visit. My insurance has already approved me and now I'm jumping thru all the hoops that they require. Testing, etc. I went today for my psychological evaluation and when I revealed I was on methadone because after years of drs writing me pain medication I got addicted. First of all she immediately started treating me differently, but besides that she told me that is a opiate dependency is a psychological disorder and she had to disclose that on my evaluation that would be submitted to the insurance company. She told me the insurance company may not give me the final approval until I'm weaned off it. I immediately called the surgeons office when I left her office and they said she had no right to tell me that because it's not her call, it's the surgeons decision. I'm wondering what the insurance company is specifically looking for in this psychological evaluation. Nobody has a perfect life. I am currently also taking Wellbutrin for situational depression after I lost my job. So I'm worried now. I've spent all this Money to have tests done and see the surgeon and I still have my upper GI to do and an ultrasound on my abdominal area and id hate to spend money out of pocket if the insurance won't give the final approval to schedule the surgery simply bc I made the decision to put myself in treatment so I could improve my quality of life and get off of pain meds. It's not like I have a drug problem that I'm not addressing Anyway, has anyone encountered a situation like mine or had the surgery while in a methadone clinic? Also, my questions regarding the psych eval too. Sorry for typing so much I just left her office so upset after working so hard to get this stuff done so I can get my surgery scheduled. Thanks - Kris

Thank you all for commenting on my concerns. I'm looking forward to finding out next month once my packet is submitted for the final approval. It's an extremely frustrating list of stuff that has to be scheduled and done. I'm jumping thru all of the hoops and I'll update this forum once I have my final answer just in case anyone else is wondering about methadone and just don't want to ask. I'm not embarrassed of my treatment bc I'm in a much better place than I used to be. It's just a shame that people who don't understand addiction/methadone treatment are so rude to people like me. Including that pos psychiatrist today. She was being so nice until I told her that.

Lol. Thanks for easing my mind and for all the information. I'll update you when I find out more info.

Wow...you really helped ease my mind. I've cried about it all day because I was so disappointed. I went to the surgeon for a consult and the next month I went back and he said Aetna said 3 visits with him. I haven't lost any weight since then. He didn't even tell me I was supposed to be losing weight until last week at my visit. Lol. Dec 11 I see him for my 3rd visit and will have had my scope, ultrasound, psych eval, core testing and my visit with nutritionist Is the day before. So I will have done everything they asked me to do. That psychologist really was a b**ch. she treated me so bad bc of the methadone. Thanks for the tips. Any other info.

Does anybody take methadone and has been approved for the lap band surgery or has already had the surgery? My surgeon has known that I was on methadone since my first visit. My insurance has already approved me and now I'm jumping thru all the hoops that they require. Testing, etc. I went today for my psychological evaluation and when I revealed I was on methadone because after years of drs writing me pain medication I got addicted. First of all she immediately started treating me differently, but besides that she told me that is a opiate dependency is a psychological disorder and she had to disclose that on my evaluation that would be submitted to the insurance company. She told me the insurance company may not give me the final approval until I'm weaned off it. I immediately called the surgeons office when I left her office and they said she had no right to tell me that because it's not her call, it's the surgeons decision. I'm wondering what the insurance company is specifically looking for in this psychological evaluation. Nobody has a perfect life. I am currently also taking Wellbutrin for situational depression after I lost my job. So I'm worried now. I've spent all this Money to have tests done and see the surgeon and I still have my upper GI to do and an ultrasound on my abdominal area and id hate to spend money out of pocket if the insurance won't give the final approval to schedule the surgery simply bc I made the decision to put myself in treatment so I could improve my quality of life and get off of pain meds. It's not like I have a drug problem that I'm not addressing Anyway, has anyone encountered a situation like mine or had the surgery while in a methadone clinic? Also, my questions regarding the psych eval too. Sorry for typing so much I just left her office so upset after working so hard to get this stuff done so I can get my surgery scheduled. Thanks - Kris

So want to give me a hint on the company who will not approve you until you're off methadone? What if you just gave me the first letter? Lol. Come on help a girl out here. Or how about I give you the first letter of mine (which is A) and you say hot or cold. Lol.

Nicole...so you were in treatment when you had the surgery? I have Aetna insurance. I'm wondering if you have Aetna. From what I read today after doing some research that the psych eval is between you and your dr. That does not get sent to your insurance. Your surgeons recommendations based on the evaluation is what gets submitted.