auntlucy

Missrach, my surgeon didn't have me do a pre-op diet, and I did gain 3 or 4 pounds before the surgery. It's been almost 3 months since surgery, and I've lost 45 pounds as of this morning. I think I'm losing 2-3 pounds a week now. Good luck!

That's great! Moments like that keep us all motivated. I've been wearing some of my clothes from 6 or so years ago that I now fit in again. I know some of them may not be completely in style right now, but it still feels great to wear them. Plus, I don't really want to go shopping b/c I know that before long the'll be too big!

I know that many surgeons do require it, and I think that's a good, responsible policy. I actually went to a counselor that I've gone to in the past to get through a rough time in my life. My "evaluation" was really just a conversation about what I wanted to achieve with the band, why I was doing it, what my concerns were, what obstacles I saw ahead of me, and what was I going to do to overcome those obstacles. I had thought so much about I think I did most of the talking. She didn't really need to ask me that many questions b/c I think I gave her many of the answers. Plus, she knew me very well (I've known her since I was a teenager), so I'm sure mine may have been a little out of the norm. In terms of advice I would give you...just be open and honest. You shouldn't have anything to hide. I found it extremely helpful to talk through some of my concerns. Even if they don't require a psych consult, I encourage you to find a good counselor or something to talk with before. That way you will have someone to reach out to post-surgery if you need it! Good luck!

Lilbit, I am also in the Dallas area. Dr. Hamn is my surgeon, and I've been extemely happy. I've also had great results. I'll hit my 3 month mark on 6/10, and I've already lost 45 pounds since my surgery. Since one of your biggest concerns was vomiting, I can tell you that I have not thrown up or PBed even once. When people on this site talk about PBing and sliming, I'm not even sure what that truly means yet b/c I haven't experienced it. Perhaps I will as I get future fills (only had one so far), but hopefully I will continue to not have problems. Of course, I have followed all of the guidance of my surgeon. It has been a great life-changing move for me, and I'm glad I did it. I also looked into the surgery more than once. About 3 years ago I looked into it (even had a surgery date) but then backed out. I just wasn't ready for it at that time, and I'm glad I didn't go through with it then b/c I don't think I would have been as successful. I understand your concern about your family. I am very close to my family, and while sometimes I shouldn't, I care about what they think. I took my parents with me to a seminar so they could understandall of the procedures available and understand the risks. Because of the much lower risk of the lap band, they were very supportive of it. The point is that they got the education they needed and were able to ask questions directly of the surgeon. Also, everyone doesn't have to know you had surgery. I've been really private about it. Only select members of my family know, my best friend, and very few people at work. I wouldn't have even told the work people, but I'm in a lot of lunch meetings and I thought it better to let them know. My point in saying all of this is that if you do it, YOU are in control of who and when you tell. Some people are completely comfortable telling everyone, but that's a personal preference. Sorry for the long post...your message just hit home with me! Good luck in your decision! I would never try to talk you into anything, but ultimately you need to make this decision for YOU!

Hi Lin! It's great that you are thinking through all of this. I considered the surgery about 3 years ago, but ultimately I wasn't ready for it yet. I even had a surgery date and backed out. But, over time, I came to realize that it was more important to me to be healthy than to continue my habits. I finally decided that it was worth it to me to give up certain things (bread, diet soda, etc.). I was banded 3/10/08, and I have not regretted my decision even once. I have not tried bread again, but I do eat some crackers. I also haven't tried Desserts, partly b/c it just doesn't fit with my new healthier lifestyle. That doesn't mean I won't ever try them or have them occasionally, but I just haven't felt the need. I find that fresh foods now just explode with flavor when I eat them. My tastes have definitely changed. I have not had a problem with anything I've eaten. Yes, I go to restaurants. Last night I went to a really nice restaurant and ate half of a wedge salad with blue cheese dressing and 3 sea scallops. I know it doesn't sound like much, but it was delicious and I was completely satisfied. Take your time making your decision. Decide what's important to you. If you decide to move forward with the surgery, I encourage you to not think about what you are giving up but what you are gaining (or losing!).

In my opinion, your ED should play a role in the surgeon's decision on whether or not to proceed. You should definitely bring it up in your psych consult. A lot of people get the band to facilitate their ED. I think you should get help from a good counselor for your ED and get that under control before you even consider surgery. I wish you all the best as you go down this journey to self improvement!

I have seen others on the site reference joining weight watchers. You might want to do a search on the site to pinpoint the specifics.

That's great! Congratulations! It just goes to show you for next time that when you hit a plateau, you can push through it!:tongue2:

I don't have the pampered chef ice shaver, but I did buy another ice shaver when I was on liquids and used crystal lite with it (sometimes added my new whey protein bullet to it too). I loved it! It felt like I was treting myself to a shushy!

shalloway, I was banded a few weeks before you. I did feel tired for about the first month, but since then I've seemed to have more energy. I make sure I get all of my Protein in and am exercising. Are you getting your protein and exercise? If not, I encourage you to try that. I have felt a little depressed at times, but not really for the last month or so. I think that is normal. I would do one of the following things when I was feeling down: journal, pray, talk to my best friend or mom. I also know that I can call the counselor I saw for my psych evaluation if I need to, but so far I've been able to snap out of it pretty quickly. I've also found it therapeutic to post on this site!

alv2008, I have to remind myself almost daily why I did this--for my health! I did not do it to get into a certain size of clothes or to be HOT (both would be great side benefits though). I did it to be healthy! Being healthy includes eating the right foods to get the fuel that my body needs to function. So, I encourage you to shift your thinking from "I want to be skinny" to "I want to be healthy". I do agree with everyone that you need to really watch these signs. If you think there might be a problem, I would try to get the help now (when it's still early in the game). You will be in my prayers!

You should be so proud of yourself! This is just the beginning for you!

Try not to feel discouraged! You have done great and have obviously been an inspiration to people around you! As far as your larger size clothes go, I say dump them! As long as they are in your closet, they will be a crutch you can go back to. You might want to look into the "clothes exchange" thread that is on this site...people sharing their clothes with people who need other sizes as they lose weight.

I didn't have one

BeckyinTexas, thank you for your offer! I added you to my contacts. You should be so proud of yourself. It looks from your signature like you have done fantastic. I too have quite a bit to lose, but I feel like I'm doing really well with it. Feel free to reach out to me as well if you need any support.

SunriseinPA, you are definitely an inspiration! Thank you for sharing your story with us. I'm sorry to hear you had to go through all of that, but you should be so proud of yourself for making the lilfestyle changes as if you had the band. You must be so incredibly proud of yourself! Keep up the good work! We all know the band is just a tool and then it's up to us. You are doing it without the tool! Way to go!

Hi! I live in McKinney, TX and work in Dallas! I was banded in March, and so far things are going well. It has certainly been an exciting journey so far. Good luck tomorrow! Who is your surgeon?

One thing I've definitely learned from this site is that every doctor is different. For 6 weeks after surgery, I was on liquids (and that seems pretty normal). That included low fat/sodium soups (tomato soup, cream of chicken, cream of mushroom, etc.), sugar fee pudding, sugar free jello, protein drinks. Once through the 6 weeks of liquids, the doctor had me food process (to consistency of cole slaw) lean chicken and fish, vegetables, and certain fruits. After those two weeks, I eat lean protein (fish, chicken, lean beef/pork), certain fruits, certain vegetables. Alot of people on this site say they eat just about everything they eat before...just smaller portions. I also have a lot of work events that I go to, and I can almost always find something that will work for me. I do carry protein supplement with me that I can add to water in case nothing works. I hope this helped!

Hi Tx Chelsey! I was also banded by Dr. Hamn (on March 10th). When I met with Dr. Hamn during my first post-op visit, he told me to not worry about losing weight yet. He told me to focus first on letting my body heal from the surgery. Once my body was healed, he told me to focus on making the lifestyle changes. I also gained about 5 pounds after I started solid foods and that 5 pounds came off pretty slow at first. Your body is adapting to all of the changes and stress that it's been through. Try not to worry about that. Instead, put your energy into making the right food choices. Dr. Hamn told me to stick to lean Protein, salad, veggies, and fruit. For the most part I have done that, and I'm doing well. Is it coming off as fast as I would like? Of course not. But, it is coming off at a healthy rate. I take my own food weith me almost everywhere I go. That way I know I will have a choice if the food there does not work for my new lifestyle. If you feel like you need more of a fill, I agree that you should call Dr. Hamn's office. I'm sure they will talk you through it. Good luck! You can do this. Feel free to reach out to me any time if you need some support!

I had to take it slow and easy when I first started back on the reformer and particularly any of the exercises that involve a lot of articulation of the spine and core. Simple footwork on the reformer didn't seem to bother me much. Just listen to your body! Let me know if any of you check out gyrotonics. I absolutely love it. When I do it, I completely get lost in my own world. I can't even keep count of how many I'm doing because I go off into some la la land. You can get such great stretches in your back. That's actually why I started doing pilates...back problems after a car accident. The 2nd place I went for physical therapy does pilates-based PT, and they also have gyrotonics. The equipment for it is really strange looking...some say it looks like a torture device. And the movement on it is equally as bizarre at first. It uses a lot of the same principles as pilates. If you check it out, I hope you enjoy it...it's certainly not as common as pilates yet.

My surgeon didn't do my fill until 2 months post op. All of our bodies heal differently and at different rates. gdf18, when you go for your appointment, tell your doctor that you still feel swollen and that you get full very quickly. If you don't think you need a fill yet, I wouldn't get one. I'm a big believer that we need to listen to our bodies, and if yours is telling you you don't need one yet, I wouldn't do it. Good luck!

I've also only had one fill, and I'm scheduled for my second a few days before yours, Judy! I don't feel much restriction either. After reading some of the stories on this forum, I'm glad that my doctor doesn't fill very rapidly and just does a little at a time. I'm sure you and I will both find that perfect fill before long. It sounds like you are doing fantastic! Who cares if you aren't restricted yet...you have lost 45 pounds in 2 months!

I used Dr. Hamn in Plano. It has been a great experience and I would highly recommend him. Good luck with your decision!

I lived off of Tomato soup, especially in weeks 2 through 4 post op. I was limited to the soups I could have b/c my doctor told me he wanted me to eat low fat, low sodium soups--fortunately, many tomato soups fit that bill. I specifically asked him if I could have it, and he said I could. What's funny is that I didn't even like plain tomato soup before the surgery (of course I liked the high fat variations of tomato basil), but now I crave tomato soup. Last night I was talking to a friend who was going to pick up pizza and breadsticks for his family, and I thought, "Yuck...that doesn't even sound good! I think my body would reject it at this point." But then, my mind went straight to wanting tomato soup.

I've experience that too...I have to go at least once an hour. My commute to work is a little over an hour each way. Even though I go before I leave work, there are days I have to stop somewhere on my drive home b/c I just can't make it until I get home. There are times I'm in a meeting and have to excuse myself multiple times to go to the bathroomo. Sometimes it's worse than other times. Hang in there!