Mrs. Bubba

Congratulations and good luck!!!!!! That is a wonderful accomplishment and I hope to be in your shoes one day down the road............... Julie

I've gained some peace of mind to know that I will never have to watch the scale go up again.... And on an odd note, I lost my wedding ring.... My husband had it in his pocket while I was in surgery. I had to stay at the hospital and he somehow lost it from his pocket........... It broke my heart as I had the most beautiful diamond band..... It was perfect and expensive. We looked everywhere, but it is just gone... and no insurance when it was lost... So I'm waiting to get a bit thinner to get a new one. My husband would give me the world if I asked... So I have to be careful what I ask for... :smile:

Hi RM... I know that I'm not one of the people you hope will answer your questions, but I do have some thoughts on this subject, too.... I'm about a week ahead of you and from what I can tell we are similar in our circumstances. I started my quest on August 7th with the pre-op diet. I've lost 46 pounds to date and am quite happy about that. I think I have some of the same concerns as you and even though I know most of the answers according to the "rules" , I wonder how I will handle things personally. I haven't had a fill yet and they don't want me to come in until November 10th to discuss it. My eating habits are not alot different from when I lost weight on my own, except now I can't overeat at all. I'm in a good mind frame and this is good. I plan to do what is right for me and that is eating regular food, but just much less. This is the only way I think I can keep it up... I don't want to feel like I can't do things. If I want something I'm going to have it.... Just not very much of it... I had a bite of my husband's apple pie tonight, but that one bite satisfied me and I don't want anymore. It didn't hurt me and I feel fine about it.. I don't want to be stuck with cardboard tasting low fat things and making different food for myself while making regular food for my husband. He doesn't need to lose weight and I won't make him eat that stuff either. I want my life to be as normal as possible. I just want to have control of myself. This band gives me the extra "courage" that has seemed to evade me in the past. Does all that make any sense to you.? It is so encouraging to me to feel that I don't have to worry any longer about gaining weight and just have to wait for the pounds to fall off one at a time..... It's like a security blanket, I guess..... Thanks for listening... Hope you get the answers you want from those who have been at this a lot longer than we have... Did you get your first fill yet? Good luck... Julie

Congratulations and good luck.. Julie

Hey there, I'm in the Band...... I'm sorry for all the trouble you are having. It must be very frustrating. Do you mind me asking why you object to the surgical center? Is it like at a clinic or what..? I had to have my surgery at a hospital because there was a chance that I would need a full incision rather that laproscopic and it would be easier to do the hospital right away. And that is what happened. I was 4 days in the hospital and have an 11 inch incision. But things are good. However, I wouldn't have been upset to have had mine in the clinic surgi-center. So, I'm interested in why you chose the hospital... And don't get me wrong .... I'm not criticizing, just asking. Everyone is different and has reasons for what they want.. Good luck to you... Julie

Hi, in order for us to help you figure this out we need to know a few more statistics about your loss so far. Don't get discouraged.... it will work out.. Julie

that was interesting... thanks for sharing. Julie

OMG, can't wait to be where you are.. My numbers and circumstances are similar to yours. Congratulations.. You deserve to feel so good about yourself.. Some like to say that those kind of results aren't possible with LB, but you are proof that it is possible... Thanks for sharing... Julie

All of the people before me have given you great advice. Hopefully you can get some good ideas from all of them.. However, one thing you have forgotten is that you have lost 10 pounds....... and you haven't gained any, right..... That says something.. You haven't failed ....... you are just having a bad stall!!!! Get re-motivated, go back to the basics and get going.. That is why this band is so great. It is a tool and waits for us to use it.... You'll do fine, just pick yourself up and get going again... Best of luck.. Julie:thumbup:

Actually what you listed is a good list for the clean liquids.. Jello is a clear liquid... This isn't a very long list when it comes to clear liquids. I wasn't able to have much, so I did overbuy these things a bit, but will use them in cooking at a later date.. Now full liquids is a little more broad. Cream soups that have been strained of particles are great for a variety... There are so many kinds. Yogurt is good. You just have to keep in mind that you won't be having very much at a time, so don't over do it... Don't worry too much. You'll get it figured out about the time you are ready to switch to the next phase. Good luck.. How's the weather in GF?? Here in Washburn it's turning cold and there are rumors of "snow" Not good.... Take care....... Julie

Maybe your doctor needs to re-apply to the insurance and use some more convincing language so they can see the whole picture. What you just wrote here makes good sense to me, but I'm not in the insurance business.. Good Luck... Julie

congratulations!!!!! Such a differnce 90 days can make!!!!

My goodness, isn't your doctor helping you through this? He should be all over finding out what is going on. As for the eating... Just because you can eat as much as you want doesn't mean you should. I'm not into this as long as you yet, but I do know that I chose the LB and I understood that I was going to have to do some work too... Otherwise I would have had bypass...... I recommend that you talk to your doctor and then get yourself on a portion control regime of some sort.. Changing the amount you eat could help with the rest.. You never know!!!!! Keep the faith and don' t give up now.... Julie

It's been years ago, but I once had a guy dump me after I lost a lot of weight.. His reasoning was that I looked so good now that soon all the guys would be after me and he couldn't handle it... It was a horrible event in my life.... and of course I started eating again... that night.... Don't let this guy get to you.. If he was the one, this wouldn't phase him... He would continue on supporting and loving you.. There is someone better waiting out there for you.. There was for me!!!!!! My husband would do anything for me and loves me fat or skinny, but wants only for me to be happy... Take care and keep your head up....high.... Julie

When I first started my journey the surgeon and his assistant both tried to convince me that I should have the bypass... I need to lost 200 pounds to be what they think is my goal weight. I told them I was set on the LB... The surgeon then said, "oh, you want to be able to have it reversed!" That made me angry. Reason is that I have had more than one invasive surgery and my family and I felt more safe with the LB.... I almost died after my last surgery from a bleeder. After explaining why I made my decision, they backed off and have been very supportive ever since. They had just looked at my weight and presumed I wanted it off fast and furious. And I suppose I do, but I'm willing to do this the right way to get the right results... You do what you think is best.. Good luck... Julie

Yes, I've experienced this, too.... I don't get it either. Some days I feel good restriction and others I don't. I haven't had a fill yet, but am losing at a fairly good pace. I was stuck for about a week, but then I lost 6 pounds in the last two weeks. I don't get that either.... Maybe we aren't supposed to get it and just keep doing what wepve been told to do.. It is to be a new way of life for the rest of our lives... Moderation and patience.... I'm going to talk to my doctor about a fill, but don't expect him to want me to have one considering my loss rate.. Take care... Julie

Hey, you sound just like me except I'm 56 and I was banded on 8-21. I've lost 43 pounds altogether. I'm wishing it would come off faster, but I realize that isn't what this is about. I've lost lots before only to have it come back.. I'm tired of feeling great about myself only to have to bear the shame when it comes back!!!! I think we have finally got this going the right way.. Best of luck to you... Julie

i agree with the rest..... You're doing fine. One thing I've learned from reading from everyone's posts, we are all a bit different and our loss is going to be different, too. the general concensus is that it is normal to be stalled a bit at times, and then for no real reason the weight goes down. It has happened to me twice now and will probably happen again. There are all sorts of factors, especially with us women... Water retention and constipation are two big ones.... I thought I had a bad day yesterday. I ate more than normal, but not bad things.. I was expecting to see no loss or even a little gain, but surprisingly I was down a pound and a half... I was amazed and thrilled. It just goes to show that you have to live your life and do the best you can and trust that things will be going down, down, down all the time.. It may be a slow decline, but that is so much better than going the other way.... Best of luck to all... Maybe we'll get this all figured out by the time we get skinny!!!!! Julie

I experienced the same thing and I agree with the idea that sometimes I wasn't eating enough. After I added more calories in a day I started losing again. It could have just been a coincidence, but who knows. I also can tell the differnce when I have too many carbs in a day. I lose more when I stick to mainly proteins.... I had a piece of wheat bread in a sandwich for supper last night and had a glass of juice earlier... This morning I had gained .2 of a pound.... So today I'll make sure to get mostly protein and that should be better tomorrow.... I also think everyone is different and you will stumble onto what is going to work for you... good luck.. Julie

I don't think it's weird. I share your beliefs and think things happen for a reason. I went to a seminar 1 1/2 years ago and left feeling like I couldn't and shouldn't have LB. Time passes and more weight comes on and a friend just makes an unusual comment at supper one night. She was with me at the seminar and was really against me doing this. After the comment I asked her if she had changed her mind and she said she had heard so many good things that she had changed her thinking. That was all it took and within a month I was scheduled for surgery.... Someone or something had a hand in that by my way of thinking.... And I'm thankful.... Good luck to you.... there are so many good times to come... I can hardly wait.......... Julie

I am a Tricare person. My request was sent to them on a Tuesday, they received it on Wednesday and by 1:00 that afternoon I had my call with their approval. I have no medical problems at all, but my BMI was 58.8............. I can't say for sure what will happen to you... I think it is looked at by someone who makes the decision based on your specific circumstance. We are on the "Retiree" program and haven't had Tricare long, so I'm just learning, but I was treated very well. They called my that day and then asked if they could call after the surgery. They did call after I got home and the nurse was very pleasant and supportive. I hope you have a similar response. It helps to feel like you are being treated respectfully..... Good luck.......... Julie

At the start of this there was a question about where all the old-times are..... I presume you meant those that got banded years ago... I have a theory about that. I'm told that the success rate for LB is about 60%.... Those people have gone on with their lives and are out living the healthy life and don't need to sit by the computer sharing worries and joys like we are now while everything is so new to us. The other 40 % probably don't want to be here for the obvious reasons. I'm guessing that as my progress moves forward I won't feel the need to be here as much as I do now. This is just my opinion............ so take it for what it's worth.. good luck to all...... Julie

When I inquired from my medical people about the realistic expectations of the weight loss, I was told that 7 pounds a month is considered a good pace. If you've lost 70 pounds since February...eight months... That's 8.75 per month.... so you're ahead of the normal... and at 7 per month it could be that you will be at your goal by next summer.... That seems pretty great to me. Of course they say the first part comes off faster than the last part, but still after being so overweight I'm just looking forward to feeling better. At a meeting I was at today we discussed the fact that this really shouldn't be about a number, but about how we feel and how good our health is.. I have been near 400 in the past so 300 seems wonderful... 200 something would be fabulous and 100 something seems like a dream.. I'm going to wait for that "feeling"....... I hope you can find a way to be happy for yourself and look forward to what 's to come. Otherwise you'll drive yourself crazy. Just think of all you can do without that 70 pounds.... Must be wonderful.. I'm at 41 and can't wait to get to 70... Take care now and try to enjoy your life .... Julie

It isn't an issue for me. I take sips of water when I eat if I want them. I don' t drink much for a while after meals so as not to cause that too full feeling. I wasn't the big meal drinker you said you are, so this hasn't caused me any distress. I have a problem getting all my fluids in during the day. I just can't seem to manage more than about 30 ounces... It doesn't seem to be affecting me in a negative way as my weight loss is good and my stomach seems fine. It may contribute to some of the constipation that I get often, but I have got that figured out, too. So, I wouldn't worry too much. When you feel restriction and know that it's either food or drink, you'll make the right decisions. I really miss my Diet Coke....:cursing:........... Some days I can just taste it in my head...... But I'm getting over that, too.... Good luck... all will be fine... :thumbdown: Julie

There is always going to be someone who works to burst your bubble. I'm sure there are those people who have had major troubles or have died from lapbanding. But that is the same for any surgery there is. That's why you always have to sign a paper before surgery that you are aware of the risks. But living afraid is no way to live in my book. Gather your information, go to a seminar, read a book on the subject, and talk to people who have already been banded. I had a complication that left me with an 11 inch incision and 4 days in the hospital. I have had a longer recovery, but I've lost 40 pounds since 8-21..... I'm doing well and don't regret having the surgery. You just have to make up your own mind. Support from family and friends is very important, but what you think is the most important... So, think hard and make an informed decision.. Best of luck... Julie