sleepyjean

Wow, that would not have worked for me. I had a hard time just lying on my stomach to sleep for the first two weeks, nevermind someone pushing on my back! I think I would've been really touchy about people touching me during that period. I tried to move as little as possible. I probably would've waited a month before getting a massage.

Politely butting in - in my opinion, the secret is BOTH in equal measure. The band alone will not do the job for you. Otherwise, we wouldn't know of so many ways to "cheat" the band.

Flouroscopy is for more than locating the port. It allows the doctor to see how much restriction you have rather than guesstimating. The doctor has you drink something that outlines your esophagus and stomach. The he has you take a big swallow of some other stuff and he watches it to see how quickly it flows from the pouch into the lower stomach. At that point, he can then determine how much of an adjustment you need. He'll add more saline, or take some out, then you swallow some more of the stuff and he watches it go down into your stomach again. I don't have any scientific facts to back myself up, but I believe flouroscopy allows the doctor to give you a much more precise level of fill and may explain why some people have to get more fills than others. Besides that, it's just plain cool to watch the band do it's job. Is flouroscopy necessary? No. But I much prefer it. I wouldn't be comfortable getting a fill without it.

I went through this entire process all by myself and I was fine. I think what's going on here, is he *wants* to help. He knows you're going to be in pain and I'm sure he wants to feel needed. No one wants to feel helpless or useless while a loved one is suffering. So even if you don't technically need him to care for you, why not think of a few things he can do to be involved? Tell him you'll need help getting up and sitting down. Ask him to help you find a good protein powder and a variety of liquids you can take in during those first couple of weeks. Tell him you're supposed to walk as much as you can and you'll need his help.include him.

Please, please, please stop doing that The last thing anyone who is trying to lose weight needs is someone continually asking them if they've lost or how much they've lost. Even if it's coming from a good place, it can't make her feel good. In fact it puts a lot of pressure on her that she doesn't need right now. It sounds like she is perfectly healthy, so unless that changes, you just have to step back and let her do this herself. Even though it makes you feel sad and helpless and you want to do something to help her, there really is nothing you *can* do but offer her your support and be there if or when she asks for help.

Why? Are you having health issues?

Call me a cynic, but I don't get how taking a massive dump will make you lose weight. What does that have to do with burning fat and calories? And if you have the type of body that tends to build up a lot of stuff in your colon, won't it just start building up again? Or would you have to take this laxative on a regular basis? I think it might give you a boost mentally, but as a weight loss technique, it seems kind of fad-ish to me.

Am I the only one who didn't have stitches?

If I recall correctly, it took Mae a little over a year to get the bulk of her weight off, and then the last 15 pounds took another six months or so. (Mae/aka muffinbirdie is my patron saint of the band. She just doesn't know it http://www.myagb.homestead.com/why_i_chose.html) Others have posted similar stories here. Once you get close to your goal weight, you're going to need a lot of patience. Those last 10-20 pounds have been hanging around your body the longest, and they're not too jazzed about leaving. But if you hang in there, they will eventually get the message and move on.

I have no idea what this thread is about. I've been part of this group for almost a year (holy crap, has it been that long?) and I have no freaking clue what's got everyone fired up. A couple of weeks ago, I was in a thread where some people were fighting. I don't remember the name of the thread, but the whole thing was lame, so I didn't go into that thread anymore. And now cheese? Threadkillers? People getting banned? People insulting each other? I just spent ten precious minutes of my young life reading through this entire conversation. I still I have no idea what's going on... ...and I am SO glad

Same here. I can hardly believe it but the scale has become a good friend and I actually obsess about my weight loss *less* because I weigh every day. When I never weighed myself, I could gain five or ten pounds, without realizing it, so that option is definitely not for me. I've said it once, and I'll say it again, I am never ever EVER going let my weight creep up on me again without being fully aware of it. One of the most horrifying moments of my life was when I stepped on a scale last year, thinking I'd gained 10 pounds, only to discover it was actually 50 pounds. NEVER AGAIN. When I weighed myself once a week or once a month, there was such a tremendous buildup that unless I lost a good amount of weight, I'd feel rotten, give up, and open a box of twinkies. I'd try all month to be good, only to discover I'd lost two measly pounds! On the flip side, I often find myself eating crap the first half of the week/month, and promising myself I'd diet to make up for it before it was time to get on the scale. Not healthy. Now I weigh myself every day and helps keep me sane. I don't expect to see a major loss, so I'm not disappointed when I'm down 0.02 pounds. And when I gain, it's not so horrible because I can get right back on track. And sometimes that gain is just my body doing its thing. If I get on the scale this morning and I've gained a pound, it's okay. (Well, not *okay*) I can deal with it because I know I'm not eating enough to gain weight so it's probably bloat or TOM or something. Once I was able to stop obsessing about my weight (and I have NO idea how that happened) I was able to use the scale as a tool and nothing more.

I was surprised to discover that lowriders do a better job of holding in the "pooch" than regular waisted jeans. That is if they aren't TOO low.

I've seen topics like this in the past and it's always interesting to read the responses. I want to know, what was the last straw for you? What made you decide that enough was enough and it was time to look into surgery? For me it was two things 1. Realizing that I'd gained so much weight my watch didn't fit anymore. I've worn a watch every day of my life since I was 8 years old. 2. Endlessly circling the parking lot, looking for a space close to the door because I knew that I'd never make it inside if I parked farther away.

Your therapist sounds like a real a-hole. I'd tell you to find another, but the truth is, it's not easy to find a really great therapist who can lead you through the process of healing yourself.There are lots of good therapists who will listen to you and provide sympathy or feedback, but that's not the same thing. Searching for a therapist is exhausting and sometimes you settle for one who isn't so great just because it's easier than continuing the search, which means ripping your heart open again and again for some stranger to inspect and analyze. My advice is evaluate how much this guy is or isn't helping you. And if you do decide to move on, tell the new therapist(s) during the very first meeting that you are looking for support during the banding process. If their reaction doesn't work for you, keep looking. I have been in therapy on and off for a number of years. When I decided to get banded, I also decided to go back into therapy to help me through the transiton. My therapist now is the best and I can feel the improvement in myself. I have no doubt that if I continue in therapy long enough, I will work through all my issues and eventually be able to stop the bingeing and emotional eating. BUT Therapy takes a long time. It takes a loooong loooong time to change certain aspects of who you are and the habits of a lifetime. I wasn't willing to wait that long. It wasn't just because I was impatient, it was because I knew that during all those years of therapy, my weight would continue to yo-yo, creeping up a little higher each time I fell off the wagon. I was on one diet after another in 2005, and I gained 40 pounds. I could not bear to imagine what I'd weigh after 4 or 5 years of therapy. I have finally realized how much stress the constant yo-yo-ing puts on my body and I'm not willing to do that to myself anymore.

It depends. Are your adjustments done with flouroscopy? If so, then the doctor can be more precise about getting you the level of restriction you want. They have you drink some stuff and they watch to see how quickly it flows through the band, then they can adjust from there.

I've been told not to drink out of a straw too. It's something about swallowing more air and swelling your pouch. Or something like that. Or maybe you drink more when you drink with a straw. I don't drink out of a straw except when I drink iced tea (I'm trying to get my teeth whiter) and I haven't noticed any averse reactions. Since everything I drink is low-cal or no-cal and I don't drink while I'm eating, I don't really see a problem.

Shortly after I joined this forum, someone posted the question "what is your goal weight?" Lots of people replied with their different personal goals. At one point, an experienced bandster posted that she remembered what it was like during the pre-band/recently banded period. She said that at some point as you approach whatever your goal is, you realize that you had no idea what your ideal weight is or how you would look at that weight. Now that I have been banded for a few months, I understand what she was talking about. For me, being thin is like going to Disneyland. I went there a loooooong time ago and it was great. I have lots of good memories about it. If were to go back today, it would still be great, but it wouldn't be exactly the same Disneyland I visited all those years ago. I would looooove to be 125 pounds. I would be so happy, I'd probably have to be sedated. But at 5'7" I'm pretty sure the lowest I'm physically capable of (without fasting) is probably 135-140. Some days I think that 165 is probably good enough. Other days I think "well hell, if I can go from 266 to 165, why can't I go from 266 to 130?" So I'm keeping an open mind. Yes, I have a number in my head, but mostly I'm aiming to be in the middle of the healthy BMI range and wearing a size less than 14. To answer the original question, the decision about my goal weight is mine and mine only. My doctor has nothing to do with it. If she were to give me a goal weight, I'd ignore it and stick with what I've decided on my own.

The answer to this will be different for everyone. Ask ten different people and you'll get ten different responses. In my case, I had restriction from the get-go, even before my first fill. I have since had one fill of 1cc and am contemplating having another because though I am still losing, I am able to eat more in one sitting than I feel I should be able to.

How long have you been plateauing?

I'm so sorry the band isn't working for you guys. Mary, if you can lose more weight with Nutrisystem, pills, etc. why did you decide to get banded? I'm sorry if this is a stupid or obnoxious question, I don't mean it that way, but it always seemed to me like this surgery was a last resort for people who have tried all of those other things already.

I agree. And if I put my pre-teen hat on, I would think that you are either ashamed of what you are about to do, or else this is a case of "do as say not as I do." It could look as though you're saying it's ok for them to have weight issues, but not for you. They should be ok with their weight, even though you aren't ok with yours. The example you are setting is not one of someone who is ashamed or taking the easy way out. You are setting an example of someone who has been through a lot of sh*t and finally learned after many many years of struggle, how very important it is to take care of and respect your own body. I think a lot of us wish we'd learned that lesson a lot earlier than we did. And maybe your girls won't have to go to such drastic extremes as surgery.

All I had to do was a chest x-ray

That's interesting. Half of me thinks that you should have to wait until you're 18/done growing to have the surgery. I don't know if I would've been dedicated enough to make the commitment and follow all of the rules if I had been obese at a younger age. I ate all kinds of crap during my teens, and it seems like it would be especially challenging to stick to your guns when your peers are constantly chowing down on pizza and hamburgers. You also have less control of your environment and what foods are brought into the house. It would be much harder to deal with sabotage from well-meaning family members or watching thinner siblings eat whatever they want. But the other half of me knows that if you are morbidly obese as a teenager, you will be morbidly obese as an adult. Period. So few people are able to take weight off and keep it off through regular diet and exercise, I can't imagine that the percentage would be higher for teenagers. Allowing people to get banded younger would spare them a lot of physical and emotional distress. I think I speak for a lot of bandsters when I say I wish I could've done this sooner! (I'm 31)

I really liked Body Fortress Premium Whey Protein Powder in vanilla. They have chocolate too but I'm a vanilla kind of girl. You can buy it at Wal-mart and it is WAY cheaper than anything you'll find at GNC, Vitamin Shoppe, etc. I mix it with 1% milk and it's actually pretty good.

I suspect that most people with a BMI that puts them in the obese category will also have an unfavorable waist to hip ratio. I wouldn't worry about this too much. If this is eventually adopted as the new standard for measuring obesity, it'll take a while to trickle down to all of the insurance companies. You'll be banded long before that happens. I can't see this particular apprach being adopted quickly because it is just as skewed as BMI. There are a lot of pear-shaped women out there.