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Tricare Standard does not require a referral (neither does Tricare Reserve Select); only Tricare Prime does.

When it comes right down to it, aren't most medical treatments "cheating?" Organ transplants, amputations (and subsequent prosthetics--how dare they use a fake limb!), vaccinations... Shouldn't we all just let nature take its course?

I can see where my port is when I look in the mirror, but I don't think most people stare at my stomach long enough during the relatively few times it is on display (when I'm in my bathing suit) to notice anything. I can definitely FEEL it much better now that I've surpassed goal weight, and it is sometimes uncomfortable to lay on my stomach. I'm hoping to lose just a few more pounds and more body fat, and it will be more noticeable then, but I don't think it will be too bad, at least not in comparison to how my stomach looked before I lost weight. I might look into the low profile port at some point for comfort's sake; my doctor only offers that as a revision after weight loss.

Mmmmmm, I second sandwiches! I can *sometimes* have a little bit of a sandwich, but not often and usually just a few bites. Stacking up meat and the fixings on a plate and eating with a knife and fork is something I do quite often; also cheese, meat, and crackers (like Lunchables). Some sandwiches are harder/just not the same to eat without the bread though, and I DO enjoy really good bread...:crying: But I don't miss sandwiches enough to regret all of the weight I lost!

If it works for you and you like it, I have no idea why there would be a problem with it. Just because some people prefer "lite" and reduced fat/calorie foods for themselves doesn't mean weight loss can't occur on regular foods too. Keep track of your calories and see how your body reacts; in the end, that's what matters for weight loss. I like Muscle Milk; I'm not as much of a fan of the lite version.

I weigh myself most days. Like everyone, my weight fluctuates up and down a few pounds from day to day. I don't worry about a few pounds, but if it ever goes up more than that I want to know in order to nip it in the bud; I plan to stay under 140 lbs. forever! I also like to get a feel of what my activity level, hydration, time of the month, etc. do to my weight.

I still eat ice cream and chocolate. I suppose I could eat more of it than I do, but the band has me pretty well-trained to go for smaller amounts; it is second nature for me now to choose and be happy with smaller amounts of everything, for which I am SO grateful!

I have both a fat girl and a thin girl living in my head! They take turns talking and looking through my eyeballs; the fat girl sees a thin girl in the mirror, the thin one sees a fat girl. In comparison to most people I know, I am thin and look pretty good. But I have trouble spots, and would like to have less back and butt fat, a thinner waist, perkier/fuller boobs, etc. I don't beat myself up about it though like I may have before I gained the weight; I feel lucky to have the body I do now!

Sounds a lot like TMJ symptoms. It makes sense if you are chew, chew, chewing your food so much more than before surgery that the joint and muscles are under more stress.

My husband overall was supportive, but he did get sick of me talking about weight loss, being fat, insurance, etc. between the time I was thinking of LAP-BAND® and the actual surgery, and he did complain a bit about my "obsession." That stopped once I actually had surgery; waiting for me in the hospital, then being around for post op seemed to make it "real" for him, and not just another goofy idea. I'm sure he likes me being thin and attractive now, but even more he seems to enjoy having his happy, active, energetic wife back!

I take a multivitamin and a calcium supplement. My band doctor had suggested taking biotin too, which I did for over a year. The emergency room doctor told me to STOP taking biotin when I showed up there for kidney stones.

I'm almost two years out, and I guess I'm at a maintenance level. I wouldn't mind losing a few more pounds, but am at a healthy weight now and don't feel the need to restrict my eating any further. I think if I do lose more, it will be primarily from increasing my activity level. I have great restriction right now, and am always monitoring it closely to make sure I am staying properly fueled for exercise. I am not ruling out getting a slight unfill in the future; if I get below my ultimate goal of 125 lbs., that's probably the route I'll take.

I LOVE soup and could never fully give it up, but I do try to eat chunky soups or chili most of the time (though I can never resist a creamy tomato soup ). Broth alone never lasts long for me, but if there's plenty of meat and veggies in the soup it fills me up. And if I pair that with a tiny little salad, I'm STUFFED.

I second all of this. She may not be experiencing any ill effects now, but chances are high that she will eventually, whether they are PCOS-related or not. It is extremely unlikely that at her weight she will escape problems forever; so would you like for her to wait and get sick and suffer that damage to her body, or address the issue now? BTW, I just saw a new doctor (gynecologist BTW, for PCOS), a couple of weeks ago. He hadn't seen me before, but had looked through all of my past records; he quite bluntly told me that I had saved my life by having surgery and losing the weight. Though I had just really started to feel the effects of morbid obesity (high blood pressure, joint pain, skyrocketing weight and hormones, fatigue) at the time of surgery (at age 34), I feel like I stopped myself from going over a cliff. If I could go back, I would have had the surgery before I started feeling sick. I completely understand and agree with your fiancee.

I can definitely get full on liquid, the same as I did before banding; it usually goes through the pouch readily, but if I drink a lot at a time, it gives me a full feeling; I haven't really tested how much I can drink in one sitting, but I haven't felt limited yet. I don't worry too much about drinking excessively; I live in Florida and usually run outside, and it has only recently begun to cool down here :rolleyes2:; plus I take in plenty of salt in my diet, and sometimes drink sports drinks too. Maybe I should clarify on the sipping; I suppose that sounds like tiny little sips, but I guess I mean normal drinks? What I DON'T mean is tipping back a jug and gulp-gulp-gulping it down at once--that is a recipe for disaster for me, as I guess air gets trapped (?) and some liquid is likely to come back up! I can handle a big mouthful at a time, just not several in immediate succession, if that makes any sense!

I am so confused...I am fully hydrated (didn't say I wasn't:confused:). Overall it is the amount you consume, not simply the rate it is consumed, that provides hydration. I used to be a chugger, and usually cannot now due to the band. However, I started drinking much more since being banded than I did prior to surgery, and even more as my exercise increases; right now I usually drink a gallon or more per day, spread out in my awake hours. Healthy lifestyle and all that; some changes are for the better...

I didn't realize drinking Water was a moral issue :thumbup: Getting the LAP-BAND® might require a variety of lifestyle changes; many people feel these changes are worth achieving a healthy weight, some don't. Personally, I'm not able to guzzle large amounts of liquid all at once, but as a runner I do drink a lot, spreading it out over the course of the day, and drinking even more before and after exercise; I just can't chug it, though sometimes I would love to! If I was insistent on chugging, I would not have had the band, lost the weight, enjoyed improved health, or gained the ability to run or engage in a healthy lifestyle. It's a tradeoff that was worth it to me--I'm still hydrated, and healthier than I ever thought I would be. Sticking to my preferred rate of water intake was not going to prevent me from saving my life.

I'm not sure why so many people fail or have problems--I think there are probably a variety of reasons. I thought I'd either be a REALLY slow loser, or have to be satisfied at a higher weight loss goal, but it's been amazingly easy. I am hypothyroid, have PCOS and other crazy hormone issues, and had terrible foot problems that prevented me from exercising for the first half of my weight loss journey (but now I'm a runner!). My weight loss was minimal and veeeeery slow until I reached my sweet spot; after that I never hit a plateau. I was patient though, and I went in KNOWING I had to be patient and that it wouldn't work like it should until I got good restriction. I do think I am lucky though; I've never been too tight, no complications of any kind, and my band even helps me out with so-called slider foods. I've also never kept a food journal since being banded; I did that for years before my surgery, and was sick of it, plus I KNEW what I should and shouldn't eat, knew portion sizes, etc. (as opposed to popular belief, not all fat people are ignorant on nutrition :thumbup:) I just had to use what I knew, which was much easier with the band. I have two friends who were also banded, both about three years before me. Neither one has ever reached their weight loss goal, but they both drink a lot of their calories, eat a lot of slider foods, eat very few vegetables, and rarely exercise. I would never dream of lecturing them, and I don't know if changing their habits would solve all of their problems, but it does seem that the only permanent change they made was being banded. I think the entire experience needs to be embraced as a life change--the band can't do it all, but it can REALLY help and support you if you don't purposely try to see what you can get away with.

I still eat white foods like potatoes, rice, bread, Pasta, etc.--just in MUCH smaller amounts than I used to. And I still drink diet soda once in a while, though it doesn't taste as good to me anymore so I rarely have it. Both of those are OK'd by my doctor (but not all doctors). I finally chose the band after numerous attempts at different diets that weren't sustainable for me. The band is permanent and helps me out at times when my willpower sags--when my mind doesn't say "No" to large portions, my band does. My band journey has been amazing both physically and emotionally. I'm thin, healthy, and fit now, able to do things I couldn't do before. And as weird as it sounds, sometimes I get almost tearful because I'm so grateful that it has curbed my appetite, and that food still tastes good, I can still enjoy it, but that I am full and satisfied with so much less now.

I'm predominantly pear shaped, bordering on hourglass. Though everything has been shrinking, it seems like my waist measurement is shrinking the slowest; I'm not potbellied in the least, but just have some flab especially at the sides and lower back that I wish would melt away at the same rate as the rest of me. I think some of it is loose skin, though I'm lucky enough not to have an apron.

I answered extremely easy, and except for that little matter of surgery, it really has been the easiest weight loss attempt. I've never hit a plateau since getting to my sweet spot, and I lost the majority of my weight without exercising (not that I recommend that, and I work out a lot NOW). Compared to the constant hunger, lack of results, and sense of failure my other weight loss attempts produced, this has been a breeze!

My doctor didn't tell me to do it, but I usually start the day out with coffee with half and half and Splenda (my doc has no problem with coffee). The hot liquid seems to open me up, and when I don't have it I often feel tight for much of the day. I also often end the night with a cup of hot tea when I take my meds; it seems to ensure they go down with no problems. Hot tea is usually my go to if I'm ever feeling extra tight--that's often a sign that I'm dehydrated, so I start off with a cup or two of hot tea, then move on to constantly sipping other liquids (water, Crystal Light) until I'm back to normal.

I am hypothyroid and have PCOS, and though I was prepared for very slow weight loss or not losing as much as I wanted, I am thrilled with my results. From the time I hit my sweet spot until I reached goal, I never hit a plateau; I lost more some weeks than others, but I always lost!

See if they will go up more gradually in your fills. It sounds like a lot of docs on here fill at 0.5cc or more at a time, which can be a LOT if you are anywhere close to restriction. For me, 0.25 or even just 0.1cc has made a lot of difference in my restriction without being too drastic, and I've never been too tight or had an unfill yet.

My band gets much tighter when I'm dehydrated; since I started running with the band, I have to pay even more attention to drinking A LOT. If I don't, I tighten up SO much that I sometimes have to got to just liquids for a day to get anything down. As my mileage and intensity increase, I'm thinking that even with drinking more, at some point I may need a slight unfill to battle temporary dehydration from longer runs.