bigloser2008

I know this will probably get a lot of negative comments...and I certainly do not mean to hurt anyone, but sometimes I get so tired of reading threads where the person has lost a minimal amount of weight because they have cheated or not exercised...then I look at their stats and see that insurance covered their surgery. I was not lucky enough to have my insurance cover my surgery. I had to finance the $13,900 that the surgery costs. Every time I think about eating wrong or not exercising, I think about the $300 a month that I am paying. I have lost 73 pounds in four months. To tell you the truth, I may not have done as well myself if my insurance had convered mine. Don't get me wrong...I am very thankful that this wonderful surgery is free or at minimum cost for some people. I just get so sick of hearing the whining and moaning. Thanks for letting me vent!

To be honest, I forgot about the fact that sometimes it can take months to get insurance approval. I attended the lap band seminar on a Saturday and was having my surgery the next week. Whether I have to pay $300 or $3,000 a month...I still wouldn't change a thing.

I am sure you will be successful! This has been such a blessing for me. I know that my weight loss will slow down eventually, but I have been eating mostly Protein (fish, chicken, egg whites, etc) I am really getting sick of fish! Lol! I have also been exercising at least 5 times a week...sometimes every day if I can drag myself up to the gym. I have a buddy that also has had the surgery and go to they gym together. It is wonderful having someone hold me accountable. I also write down everything I eat. I noticed that for two weeks I only lost a couple of pounds. I was able to go back to my food journal and see that I had started eating Lean Cuisines. I am assuming they were the reason since everything else was the same. I quit eating those and went back to protein and fresh fruits and veggies and dropped 6 pounds in a week. I sincerely wish you luck on this journey. It will change your life!

I had my surgery at around 8AM and was home by 6PM. I felt really good and even went to Walgreen's to get my prescriptions filled.

I had my surgery on 11.26.08 and have lost 62 pounds so far. Hopefully I will make the 100 mark within the year. I eat mostly protein - lean meat, egg whites, fresh fruits and veggies - I also work out at the gym at least five nights a week. Nothing major....at least 30 minutes on the treadmill. Good luck to you. I feel so blessed to have had this surgery. It has changed my life.

Can someone please tell me the appropriate amount of sodium a lap bander should get per day. I have started eating Lean Cuisines and my weight loss has slowed...I thought it could be due to the sodium. Any ideas or suggestions?

Can someone please tell me the appropriate amount of sodium a lap bander should get per day. I have started eating Lean Cuisines and my weight loss has slowed...I thought it could be due to the sodium. Any ideas or suggestions?

I just wanted to ask if anyone had any complications from lifting weights after surgery? I am 7 weeks post op and have lost 40 pounds so far, but I know to keep losing I need to exercise more. I have been doing a few light weights...ab machines...leg press, etc....nothing too heavy along with aerobic activity. I did speak with a nurse at my doctor's office this morning and she stated that everything should be fine; however, I am self pay and certainly cannot afford any complications. I would appreciate any help! Thank you!

I would definitely speak with your doctor about your concerns, but I had soreness in my calves after my surgery as well. It ended up being because of the compression wraps that they put around my calves in order to prevent blood clots before, during, and after my surgery. They massaged my legs....felt great until the soreness kicked in. The soreness took a few days to go away.

I was banded the day before Thanksgiving and both of my calves are pretty sore...the right is worse than the left. I contacted my doctor yesterday morning and after answering multiple questions, he stated that he wasnt worried and that it was probably due to the compression bands that I wore around my calves before, during, and after my surgery. They massaged my calves. Has anyone else experienced this? I also want to say that although this is my first post, I have been reading the forums since my surgery was scheduled. I would just like to thank everyone for giving of themselves and posting such great advice. Every question or concern has been answered by reading the posts.