yvonneb3

My surgery date is April 23rd and I just realized that I have still been taking Alli (I am almost finished with the container) and didn't mention it to my Dr. Has anyone discussed this with their Dr? Does it make a difference?

Hi Turler, Do you mind me asking how you knew your band had slipped? Did you have pain with it or did you just not lose weight? I am very upset because I have not been very successful with my band. I thought it would help me more but maybe I put too much of the burden of dieting on the band instead of myself. I am only down 40 lbs now since I have gained back about 10 lbs. I can eat just about everything but bread if I chew it good enough. I am getting married Oct 3, 2009 and want to lose a minimum of 30 more lbs by then but not sure I will be able to do it. Exercise has not been added into my daily routine much because I have had some complications with breaking a foot last year. I need to be able to burn more calories but not sure what I can do. Can anyone give me some pointers, I invite any help. Thanks much to anyone who can help me. Yvonne

Karina, Congrats on getting approved first of all. I had lapband done in Apr and its been slow losing for me cause I had also broken my right foot and sprained my left so I wasn't moving around too much. I don't put too much blame on the Dr's offices because its the insurance companies that hesitate and make us run thru hoops. I'm at my half way point and now that I will be able to exercise again I hope to lose the last half of my weight. I am getting married again in Oct and hope to be a size 10 at least......cross your fingers. You will be happy you did this for yourself, just don't give up and lose patience cause it does take time..... Good luck to you Yvonne

Rosemary3, I have felt as frustrated for the last 4 months. I have just had my 4th fill (5.5 cc's in my 10 cc band) and am just now beginning to feel that I am getting some help from the band. Its not an instantaneous thing, you have to get to your point where its tightened up enough for you. Hang in there, it is definitely worth having the band. You will see.

I must be an idiot because I have never even seen the spreadsheet to add my numbers in. I am a slow loser but keeping at it. Having had 4 fills and 5.5 cc's in my 10 cc band, I have finally gotten some restriction for the first time so I am excited to get moving along. Congratulations to all of you, I am so jealous but know in the end, I will get where I want to be. I am getting married Oct 3, 2009 and REALLY want to be a size 9....

Welcome Ziva and Linkoop! This site is the best there is because you are chatting with people who have had this all done. Gone through Bandster hell (the time between the surgery and your first fill) and everything else. The lapband is great but its not a miracle. You will have to still work at controlling your hunger and what you eat but the band will definitely help. I'm a slow loser plus I have had problems so I have not been able to exercise too much which slows the weight loss. Each time you get a fill and the band tightens you get more and more restriction which will help alot. There are people who complain of pain and other complications but those are really low compared to us others who have had no complications whatsoever. You are going to love your band and what it can do for you, IF, you do what you are suppose to as far as eating right and getting some exercise in. Take care and I congratulate you on taking your first step to becoming a healthier you. Yvonne

Flowers, I am the same as you . Not only do I carry it all in my torso, I am also very big busted (42F) AND have a big butt. So I gain weight like a man, from front to back not wide. I tend to look at myself in the mirror straight on cause as soon as I turn to my side, I look worse.... I also just got into XL t-shirts but no one seems to see the loss of 39 lbs. I will probably need to lose 60 before anyone notices. Thats ok though, cause I know I will get there!!! Hang in there, I am...

Hello 50's Gang! I've been slow going since my surgery Apr 23rd 08 but I had broken my foot in Feb and reinjured it in August so I haven't been able to exercise much. My job had me just sitting at a computer all day also... I got laid off on Friday and after spending all weekend moping, I happily got up this morning and spent 30 minutes on the ellyptical :wub: so I hope to really get moving on the exercise part so I can start getting the scale to move down. I also finally bought some weights for strength exercising..... I just recently noticed a Yoga place near my home and wondered if I would be able to do some of that? I am going to check it out to see if they have any beginner classes. Has anyone else tried this type of exercising? And if so can you give me any info on it?:redface: I"ve been catching up reading on everyone and I'm so jealous of all the progress made by you all . I am SOOOOO close to getting into onederland where I have not been for 30 years..... I am getting married on Oct 3, 2009 and REALLY want to get down to my goal of 160 lbs for it!!! :w00t: I go for my 4th fill on 10/21st and hope that will help alot also. Keep up the great work and you'll be hearing from me more. Take care and congrats to all, Yvonne

Hello April Bandsters. I've been slow going but I had broken my foot in Feb and reinjured it in August so I haven't been able to exercise much. My job had me just sitting at a computer all day also. I got laid off on Friday and after spending all weekend moping, I happily got up this morning and spent 30 minutes on the ellyptical so I hope to really get moving on the exercise part so I can start getting the scale to move down. I also bought some weights for strength exercising..... I"ve been catching up reading on everyone and I'm so jealous of all the progress made by you all. I go for my 4th fill on 10/21st and hope that will help alot also. Keep up the great work and you'll be hearing from me more.

Hi Ladies, Haven't been on here for awhile since I went back to work. I'm holding firm with 35 lbs lost 12 lbs away from onederland. I haven't been under 200 lbs since 1978... and I can't help thinking I am going to mess this all up...Its been slow going for me for the last 2 1/2 months. Had gained back 8 lbs before I told myself that I was only hurting myself. Had to convince myself that I could really do this and that it is not just a dream that will never come true. Have lost those 8 plus another 4. Its just a matter of putting one foot in front of the other for me. Its such a terrible struggle some times, most of the time but I am trying my best. Congratulations to all and good luck to all!!! __________________

I'm holding firm with 35 lbs lost 12 lbs away from onederland. I haven't been under 200 lbs since 1978... and I can't help thinking I am going to mess this all up... If someone can please update me on the spreadsheet, I would appreciate it and thank you. Congratulations to all!!! :wink2:

Hello Ladies, As embarrassed as I am about my progress, I am posting because I am going to keep trying. I lost 15 lbs pre-op and 16 post banding mostly from just doing protein shakes. Then I started normal foods and stayed under 1400 calories but not much exercising cause I have been recovering from a broken foot from Feb 08. I did go back to work and figured the extra activity would help tho I am still walking with a cane and limp. Had my first fill June 2nd which did not do too much for me-2cc's in a 10cc band but hey, its not suppose to do all the work....But not 1 more lb lost since May 23 (4 weeks post op). Had a colonoscopy done a few weeks ago and figured maybe that would help me start losing again but no. I finally weighed myself today on my own and I have gained 8 lbs. I go to the Drs on Mon July 7th for my 2nd fill and I have had serious doubts about going..... Thinking stupid thoughts like, oh well, this is not going to help me either.... BUT, I will go see him, as embarrassed as I will be. I told everyone and their mothers about me doing this so I have gotten quite a bit of "Hey, so how much have you lost now?" Errrrr, oh well... then I explain that the weight loss is not as fast as say gastric bypass. Really hoping that my 2nd fill will help with some restriction but I know I have to up my activity too which has been very hard to do up till now. I will continue to work at it and let you know. Thanks for listening. Yvonne

As embarrassed as I am about my progress, I am posting because I am going to keep trying. I lost 15 lbs pre-op and 16 post banding. Then I started normal foods and stayed under 1400 calories but not much exercising cause I have been recovering from a broken foot from Feb 08. Had my first fill June 2nd which did not do too much for me-2cc's in a 10cc band. I finally weighed myself today on my own and I have gained 8 lbs. I go to the Drs on Mon July 7th for my 2nd fill and I have had serious doubts about going. BUT, I will go as embarrassed as I will be. Anyway here are my totals and very sorry I can't prove better right now for the Apr Avengers: Jan08-246 lbs Apr 23, 08-231 lbs - day of surgery June 2, 08-215 lbs - first fill :biggrin: July 7, 08-223 lbs - second fill :thumbup: August 08-High hopes :thumbup:

Jorge I know how you feel. I lost 31 lbs (15 pre-surgery-which took 3 months- and 16 after being banded on Apr 23, 08 which was documented at my office appt a month later. Then it all stopped, no further weight loss. I then had started eating normally about 1400 calories a day with 1/2 hr walking and have gained back about 8 lbs. Had my first fill which didn't help me much but hey its not suppose to do all the work. Because I told everyone and their mothers that I was getting lapbanded, everyone is now always asking, "so how much have you lost now". I could kick myself for saying anything.... I have even been too embarrassed to even post anything on here. I need to go to the Drs on Monday July 7th and I have had serious doubts about showing up. After reading your story and then reading all the positive feedback, I will go to the Drs on Monday and grin and bare it as embarrassed as I know I will be. I fell off the bike but I am going to get right back on and do what I have to do to lose. Each fill should help us get closer to our goal,no matter how long it takes, and it will take awhile. I'll pray for you if you will pray for me to succeed. Only we can do this, NOTHING and NO ONE but our Drs and the lapband can help us do this. Think about that. We are so lucky to have this and it will make such a difference in our lives, a difference we have only dreamed of. At least I have. And with the support from this website, hey, we are bound to do better. We can lose and then help others as we need help ourselves. Take care and keep posting, I will look out for you. Yvonne

Haha, I never even noticed that feature, count me as a "friendless" person.... :smile: Who in the hell are all the people I have been talking to?

Hi George, Everyone gets a fill eventually but usually about 4-8 weeks after having the band inserted. After that it depends on the Dr and the patient (and how restricted they feel) but could happen 2-10 times more. Take care, Yvonne

Hi Sam, I was banded on Apr 23rd and it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. The only problem I had really was with the pain meds as most of them get me really nauseous even with the anti-nausea meds and once I was out of surgery I chose to just take Tylenol. There was a little pain when moving around and all but not too bad really. I went home the day after surgery and followed Drs advice to try to walk about the house as much as possible to help heal faster but to get a lot of rest also for a few days. I was off work for another issue at the time but could have gone back to work after about 4 days (I have a desk job). This has really been worth it to me to have gone thru it all and because it is adjustible (to make it tighter to help with weight loss), there are no worries about gaining all your weight back.... Take care, Yvonne

Welcome Melallot, Congrats on your surgery date. You will be so happy you did this for yourself. Keep reading all the posts, starting with the beginners and pre-surgery. I'm telling you, I got all my info from this site and the Dr was pretty impressed with my know how when it came time for him to tell me anything. Ask questions, lots of people are on here willing to help you out with anything. Only thing I suggest is to try out different protein shakes before HAVING to drink them so you find something you like and can live with as you will be drinking a good amount of them pre-surgery, post surgery, and after each time you get a fill. Good luck Yvonne

Hi Tyler, I went on the Optifast diet through a good Dr here in the San Francisco Bay Area a few years ago. Went 3 full months on ONLY the shakes. Spent $1800 to the Dr to cover all the Dr visits and all and spent $90 a week buying the shakes, soups, and snack bars from them for another $1170. Spent nearly $3000 and lost 48 lbs. But gained it all back in a year and a half.... This could never happen with the band. You may (or may not) lose weight as fast but you can't gain it all back because you just go get an adjustment to tighten the band if you start gaining anything back. Save yourself the money and the grief and get the band done.

Welcome Furgie, And no worries, this will be the best thing you could do for yourself. Hope all goes well for you and will look forward to hearing about your weight loss journey. Take care, Yvonne

Welcome Sperry! You are doing fantastic. Keep up the good work and hope you don't come up with any problems. Yvonne

Beautiful!!!

NewMe2008 Awesome, congratulations! Yvonne

Willbefine, Whoever promised you that the band would keep your appetite away, was way wrong and not truthful. My Dr was very specific that it would HELP but that I would still have to be strong and follow the instructions and diet. It sounds to me like you keep pushing to see how far you can go and eat. What you are doing is restretching your stomach and making it harder for the band to do its work. If you are really working out as much as you say, then you have to be taking in too many calories to lose anything. You have to keep to eating mostly proteins. Weigh your food, drink all your water and no calorie liquids, keep track of your calories but most of all watch your portion control. We all know how hard it is to diet but the band won't do all the work for you. You will have to tough it out. Good luck to you! Yvonne

I have just copied the ticker when I am done and pasted right in here.