L12

I developed significant leakage problems as I gained weight, and had to be on Enablex. It helped, but didn't completely solve the problem. As I lost weight with the band it got better and better, and eventually I got off the Enablex. I have no problems at any time now that I'm a normal weight.

I noticed no increase in restriction for my first fill, which I think was 2 or 3cc. It took me almost six months till I achieved good restriction, so steak would have been fine for me. Everyone is different, so you won't know until you get the fill.

This is very timely as I've been thinking about getting into boxing lately! Largely for stress relief actually, but I would like another crosstraining activity in between running days. I'm not sure how to get started, though; I'm not really into group training and don't want to commit to lots of lessons. AND I don't want to hurt myself!

Mojitos, margaritas, and gin and tonics are a few of my favorites...but I just noticed you already went out. What did YOU order? :smile2:

I LOVE spaghetti squash! I boil it, cut it in half and scrape out the seeds, then scrape out the rest to eat over the next couple of days. I like it best with garlic, salt, and pepper, plus some butter or margarine if I'm not being strict on calories. It's good with Pasta sauces, too. I adore grilled asparagus, too. And another easy way for me to get more veggies in is to fix casseroles or crockpot meals (as elcee suggested); the other sauces and flavors in these help the veggies taste good even if I don't love the ones I used.

I took Biotin after surgery and didn't have any hair loss (I think it actually grew faster and thicker), but I did develop kidney stones . The ER doc told me to get off the extra Biotin, which I gladly did :smile2:. Be careful!

I've barely exercised on my band journey , but just today I reached the top of my healthy BMI range. I did start my very physically active job in February which definitely helped me lose the last 50 lbs. or so, but I've exceeded the 60% figure with little effort and no plateaus. I do hope to begin running as soon as I can get a good pair of shoes, which should help me drop more weight (looking to 130 or 135 now). I don't plan on letting myself get under 130 without going for an unfill, though. The closer I get to the new goal, the more likely it seems I'll need less restriction to maintain.

Wow, that's cool! I don't think I NEED it, but it looks interesting...very cool that some doctors give it to their patients.

I still go out to eat quite a bit. If I'm feeling very tight, I'll usually just have soup. But most of the time I'll get an appetizer (might be able to eat it all) a regular entree (can usually eat half or so), or a salad (which I can usually eat more of). Bread doesn't usually go down well so I avoid that, and I rarely feel like dessert (even a bite or two). I LOVE food, going out to eat, and love to cook and bake as well, but it's been wonderful being banded--it makes me so happy to be full and satisfied with less!

I had almost no restriction until six months after surgery; at that point I had only lost about 20 lbs. It took six months and seven fills to get to restriction and be less hungry. If I had given up at five months I wouldn't be more than 100 lbs down now and under my goal.

Ha ha, I'm glad to see someone else feels the same about the BA flavors! :tt2: I tried the chocolate, vanilla, and banana, and HATED them all :thumbup:; finally I resorted to "cheating" with diabetic Medifast shakes (which are delicious compared to BA).

I go out to eat all the time. If people don't know that I have had weight loss surgery, they still can't tell from what or how much I eat. Though it's a lot less than I used to eat, the amount I now eat isn't unusually small for most normal weight people--that's something I think all potential Lap-Band patients should keep in mind :laugh:

I just hit the 100 lb mark, and am one pound away from my official goal. I'm going to try for another 10-20 lbs though, which I think I will be able to accomplish fairly easily.

At first I reasoned that I at least wanted to get to 170; I would still be "fat" but not obese. Then I decided on 160 with the input of my doctor; that later changed to 150 as I was progressing. I'm now one pound away from that, and I am extremely confident that I can get lower and feel comfortable in what I eat and my energy level. At least down to 140, maybe 130? I don't know yet--overall I want to be healthy, but if I can be thin, be a healthy weight, and at a good BMI, I'll go lower.

I didn't stay overnight and had no problems. I was SO tired, and going home allowed me to have quiet and sleep with only my husband waking me up for meds. Plus my surgery was on New Year's Eve; even if it WAS a hospital, I'm not sure that it would have been as quiet as I would have liked. The only commotion I had was my sweet husband waking me up briefly for a midnight New Year's kiss (which is also the anniversary of our engagement).:biggrin:

My doctor used to perform GB, but switched over to only performing LB surgery; he said wasn't happy with the long term results of GB patients as many of his regained weight and stretched their pouch. So I knew when I went to him that he only did LB. Another doctor I had considered wouldn't take my insurance (Tricare) for LB, only for GB; I was told he gets reimbursed more for bypass surgeries. I am going to assume he would have been gung ho for GB in my case. :biggrin:

All of those things you mentioned often give me problems too. I never had a problem with them until I hit my sweet spot, so for me at least, I think it has much more to do with the level of restriction rather than carbs. I haven't sworn them off completely, as once in a while I can tolerate them, but I stay away most of the time for the comfort and safety of my band.

I love food and alcohol (yes, I said it!). I am a fanatical cook and baker, cookbook and recipe collector, read books and magazines about food and wine, and love to go out to eat and drink with friends. I also used to be a bit of an emotional eater (especially when angry), but the band has helped me with that, and given me control over how much I eat no matter what situation I am in. It hasn't changed my love of food and it hasn't made me give it (or anything else) up, just helped me reduce the amount I eat. It also hasn't interfered with any relationships; in fact, my eating and drinking habits appear pretty normal to people who don't know I've been banded.

No way, no how can I tolerate subs! I can sometimes do wraps, though, or once in a while a sandwich with normal bread, which is a lifesaver because I have always loved sandwiches! Sometimes I will make a stack of lunchmeat (or a burger) and all of the fixings on a plate, without bread, and eat it with a knife and fork. :laugh: I look at my husband eating a sub, and think "That would probably kill me."

I'm 15 months out, and haven't had any noticeable hair loss, though I did take some hefty Biotin supplements for several months; I stopped those after I developed kidney stones :laugh:, but haven't suffered any subsequent thinning. And I never had any restrictions on beef.

My husband was very supportive, and probably could tell I needed to lose weight even more than I did. When we met I was thin and very active. As I gained weight, obviously my appearance changed, but my attitude, health, and activity level drastically changed as well. It wasn't until after the surgery and many pounds were gone that I realized how much I and our relationship had changed for the worse due to the weight. He didn't blame or resent me for any of it, he always loved me, but the band has definitely helped both of us in a multitude of ways, beyond what we had initially thought or imagined.

I have bronchitis right now and lost my dinner tonight during a severe bout of hacking this evening. It's not unusual for me to PB (it's not really vomiting) while I'm sick and have lots of coughing and mucus.:cursing:

For me I think it was fill #6 or 7, and six months after surgery before I really had restriction. The wait was frustrating, but since I finally reached restriction it's been smooth sailing!

Have you tried hot liquids like tea? I've had a few instances of dehydration from being sick or being really busy and not drinking, and I couldn't even get regular liquids down. Sipping some hot tea slowly helped loosen me up a bit, enough to start getting down other liquids--then I just had to keep drinking to get everything back to normal. Hot tea also usually helps soothe my band/pouch if I've PB'd a lot. Of course, everyone's different--hope you find something that helps!

I don't have those stats on hand, but I remember that I ate a LOT more than I do now. One large plateful of food plus dessert was rarely enough. Now I eat one small plate of food--probably a quarter or less of what I used to eat. I could easily eat 3/4 (sometimes more) of a large pizza, plus some breadsticks or wings. Now I can have one or two pieces of thin crust pizza. One footlong sub, chips, and at least one cookie was good for lunch. Now subs are out completely--once in a while I can handle half of a wrap. I am SO happy to be satisfied (and full!) on less food now that I'm banded!