kgloverii

One word..., PLATEAU. I have had a couple plateaus last for 3-4 WEEKS. As a lower BMI person, my weight loss has been slower, but if I go 3-4 weeks, I start to think that this might be the 'end.' BUT, I keep doing the right things and get on the scale one day and... BAM! Movement. I say this in my success story: The band is NOT a perfect fix. It is NOT an easy fix. YOU MUST WORK THE BAND. You MUST be conscious about what you eat and the exercise you get. You must have a dialogue and consistent follow-up with your doctor. YOU MUST REMAIN POSITIVE. You will plateau. Over and over. You'll go up and down. BUT, you must remind yourself that as long as you keep doing the right things, you will have success. You WILL PLATEAU! Keep your chin up! Hugs!

Only regret is that I didn't get it done sooner. If I had it done 5 years ago, I would've had 5 more healthy years... but what is done is done. Now I am making up for it!

Exercise, exercise, exercise... Why did your doc refuse to a fill? That seems counterproductive. Make sure you keep a food journal and avoid slider foods... That WILL help. Hugs!

I like the fact you are young... you have more of your life to live at a healthy weight... Do your research and go in with your eyes wide open... I TRULY have no regrets though. GL!

I DID IT! I've done downward facing dog twice when I've gotten stuck and relief has been quick afterwards! What a great tip! :wink_smile:

Your employer chose to not cover WLS. They can add a rider so that the policy would not exclude WLS. When you are considering your options during open enrollment, call the insurance company and ask them specifically about your company's policies to see if WLS is covered. GL!

My aftercare is also provided by someone local. I would not have done my surgery in MX if I could not have found someone local to do my fills and follow-up. My aftercare doc actually was proctored by Ortiz, and even flew down to OCC and performed surgery with Ortiz! I knew I was in great hands!

Try to stay positive. I was 'full' on tiny portions for the first 3 weeks, and then my hunger returned with a vengeance. Embrace that tiny portion 'full' feeling and work it for all you can. With a fill or two, you'll be back to that feeling after you are healed. Stay positive and focus on that! focus on the fact you have COMPLETELY CHANGED YOUR LIFE! You have a tool that gives you control!

I wanted the Band because it was reversible if something happened to require removal and there was no cutting and re-routing of my insides. I also like the fact that all of the nutrients I eat are absorbed and there is no dumping syndrome. However, RNY provides faster weight loss. And depending on the studies you look at, you may have a statistically better chance of losing MORE with the RNY. That is why my aftercare doc really recommends RNY. I am happy with my band. If I was given the chance to do it all over again, I'd still choose the Band. BUT, I can see the lure of RNY. I can see why it is a better choice for certain people. Do your research. Talk to BOTH sides. If you go to a Lap-Band board, you'll find people are extremely PRO-band. Go to a RNY board, they'll be for RNY. Listen to it all. Then, ignore the noise, and use your logic and lifestyle to determine the best choice for YOU.

This is often something that people don't take seiously, but you are ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. If I drink I can 'wash stuff through' my band. But no drink and I am full for HOURS. It is the best well-known, but often ignored secret of banded life.

My port access is an inch below my incision. It is a bit tender after surgery and will feel 'odd' for a few weeks... but pretty soon, it will heal and just become 'part of you' and you won't think about it... Hang in there!

Eat sensibly. If you plateau for more than a week, journal what you eat to see if you are snacking in between meals or getting liquid calories you weren't considering. I never counted calories throughout my whole journey. I make conscious GOOD choices about what I eat. BUT, I DO NOT kick myself if I choose something that is considered 'bad' by dieters. I got the band because I didn't want to diet anymore. And it has been a wonderful tool for me...

I went to see my doc yesterday (on my bandiversary of all days!) for an emergency unfill. Got a fill 8 weeks ago and was getting progressively tighter. He took .3 ccs from my VG band and I feel like a new woman! Anyway, he looked at my weight loss and tried to mask his shock... He is a doc that 99% of the time now does RNY or the Sleeve. He sees better results with them, so tends to prefer them, and recommend that his patients go with one of the two procedures. When I met him for my first aftercare visit (I was banded in MX), he was very clear that he would help in ANY WAY he could, but that he'd seen mixed results with his band patients. I told him I was here to work it, and he agreed to 'work it with me.' At my last fill appt in August he told me that based on my restriction level, I was 'getting to the end' as far as fills needed were concerned... he was happy with my weight loss up until that point as well. Well, I walked in yesterday, we chatted, he masked his shock over my weight loss in 8 weeks (14 pounds). Then he proceeded to tell me "Wow. The surgery really did you good. I don't think you would have had any better success with one of the other surgeries." I was floored. This, coming from a doc who doesn't fully believe in the Band anymore. Well, I showed him, now, didn't I?!!!!!!!:smile:

I take Adult Gummy Vites from Target and a Calcium Chewable. I don't have to take any, per my doc, but since my calories are severly restricted, I figure it can't hurt... I asked my doc about the Bariatric vitamins cause he sells them to his RNY patients... he said I really did not need to take them, and just to make sure my diet is varied. Go figure. At least he's honest and not just trying to make a sale. :smile:

FYI, I got SUPER tight again 8 weeks after said fill. I ended up going to my doc yesterday for an emergency unfill because I couldn't eat anything... and liquids were going down SLOW. Got .3 ccs taken out of my VG band and I am MUCH better... so it DOES happen, and I am not sure why... I thought if I lost weight I'd loosen up. I've dropped 14 pounds since that fill, and have only gotten progressively tighter.. See your doc if things don't improve very shortly.

I understand the 'eat anything you want' theory once you have restriction. I 'eat anything I want.' But I am at my sweet spot and 5 bites fills me up... I am surprised to see a doc so lenient this early out though. If I were you, I'd make GOOD food choices. High protein... And know that once you have restriction, a 'less restricted diet' will still yield weight loss. HTH!

Here are my pics... I hit my one year Bandiversary today....

Please check with your doc. In the mean time, drink, drink, drink... I was dehydrated and it made me feel the same way... I pumped fluids and I am MUCH better now...

I told my mom that I'd lost 70% of my excess body weight and she was like, "NO. It is like 99.9% Where is anymore going to come from?" I was so stoked. Those compliments keep me going! Congrats!

I started out at 235, and am also 5'3.5". I did not work out all of the time before I got my band. My pre-surgery diet was Slim Fast for Breakfast and lunch, and a Lean Cuisine for dinner. I think being fit prior to the surgery is good, but most of us who got the surgery were not fit before, and only got fit AFTER surgery. I encourage you to continue your workout regimen. I don't think you're out of touch, as your fitness guy would tell you. I am exactly one year out and wouldn't trade my band for anything... But I DO understand your hesitancy. I think you are just fine. This is going to be a GREAT opportunity for you.

A couple fills into it, I was able to drink and push the food through. And this last fill, my "top off" of .3 ccs (in a VG)... made me learn this lesson the hard way. I cannot tell you how many meals I 'drank' with and it all came back... EWWWWW... totally perfect advice. I KNEW this advice, but had to learn the hard way...

Until you have restriction, you will be hungry. At this point, practice the bandster rules eat band-friendly foods, and count calories like crazy... once you have restriction, you'll be glad you had the practice! :biggrin:

The statistics for long term weight maintenance with the band are quite good. That is what attracted me to the band.

Congrats! Make sure you are drinking a lot and eating fruits and veggies often. I take a multi, and make sure I am getting calcium as well. We have to learn to be so cognizant of what we eat, now that we are so restricted!

I started at 235, and am at 164, 5'3". It has been a year since my weight loss journey began. I did not notice any loose skin until I was at the 50 pounds mark. Then, it all seemed to happen at once. I have the tummy, I have the 'bat-wing arms' and I have some issues with sagging on my thighs. My doc told me that because of the amount of weight lost, there is definetely a potential for saggy skin, even when losing weight slowly. It kinda sucks, but I look better saggy, rather than OBESE. :biggrin: And BTW, I am only 32.