sparkplug

I am 58. Been banded 2 1/2 yrs and down 90 pds. I had everything, borderline diabetic, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, arthritis in knees and tendenitis in feet, you name it I had it or was on the verge of getting it! I am down from size 22-24 to a size 10 (sometimes size 8), off of all meds and look and feel like a 20 yr old. I can't remember feeling this great and bouncing in my every step of my daily walk. Never regretted it and I never even thought about age, except that my insurance at work only covers this up to age 62. Good luck and don't give it a second thought. If the dr says you are a good candidate, go for it, I did and never regretted it.

I like to think of myself as a success story. I was banded 12/20/08 and lost 90 pds. I went from size 22-24 to size 8-10. I am 58 yrs old and thought this never possible to lose this weight one more time. I have been stable for the last 2 1/2 yrs with fluctuations of 5-6 pds up and down. I do occasionally have my piece of pie or chips or popcorn and then go back to basics to keep myself down in weight. Everyday is a learning experience for me. Some days I can eat hamburg, others I cannot. Every day is different with the band. I do not eat bread or sugar products. Everything is sugar free and bread is a "stuck" for me and I keep away from it totally. I did have my days of what did I do to myself when I cannot eat something I used to eat in my "fat" days, but I look at my size 10 pants and all the compliments and being totally off of all meds and think, " WOW" what a wonderful life I have now. My knees and feet don't ache when I take long walks and I have the energy of a teenager again. I am not saying it is perfect, when you find you cannot eat a lot of the foods you used to, but I try to think of the good things and how healthy and great you look. You can do this and you just have to keep reminding yourself that there is more to life than that big fat piece of cheesecake! Remember eat to live, not live to eat!

You sound quite young since you are depending on what mom and dad are saying about the surgery. I on the other hand am old enough to know better, I am 58. Before we left New York I was okayed for gastric bypass and did not want that but the band and after going through all the hoops and testing was okayed but backed out at the last minute just before we moved to AZ. I thought at that time that it would be easy to get approval out here when I started working and could get the band. Well, it took another 2 1/2 years before I could get the approval for the band and my Dr. specifically said that gastric was not the answer for me but the band would be better. The Dr. was so right and I am thrilled to be in the position of not being on a diet and at almost 3 years of being at goal, I feel like a million dollars. Go with your heart and the Dr's advice on what is best for you and do it. I wish I had done this when I was young instead of doing the yo yo dieting thing for my whole life. Good luck in your decision and just keep a positive attitude in whatever choice you make.

Don't be scared of the future. I am banded, have been since 12/20/08 and am to goal. I am 58 years old and living a wonderful life thanks to the band. I am off all meds and feel like a kid again. I walk twice a day during the week and swim most of the weekend for exercise. I was refused by insurance the first two times but fought until they gave in and only had two weeks to prepare for surgery. This is a life change and there are many things they do not tell you at the seminars but you will learn along the way the best way for you to handle them. Good luck and don't look back, look to the future with a new slim and healthy you.

I am from AZ too. I live in golden Valley, Arizona, the real desert! I was banded on 12/20/08 and am to goal. You girls are on the way to a great start with the surgery. I was excited and every pd that dropped off made me more excited as I shopped for cheap clothes in the beginning, since the weight was falling off. I did have many plateaus along the way, since I am older than you two and my metabolism seems to have sometimes stopped along the way. I am down 90 pds and off all meds. This is quite a journey and a life change and yes I occasionally cheat with Desserts and it is not a diet but a life change. If you keep that in mind, you will do just fine. I dieted my whole life and being told I can never have something to eat does not work for me. I tell myself I can have it if I really want it and do I really want it? Well, congratulations on you girls entering this new lifestyle and I am sure you will do fine.

Well, I am 58 yrs old, I too, have been up and down my whole life. For about 15 yrs I did stay in a normal range of size 12-14 and then as I got older, I quit smoking gained 45 pds and had my "change of life" really early and gained an additional 45 pds. That weight was never coming off!!! I wanted the gastric but when I started to prepare for the surgery here in Vegas, the Dr. thought it best for the band. I was refused the first two attempts with my insurance company and over a 2 yrs period I was persistent and finally got okayed. I have been banded for 2 1/2 yrs and lost the entire 90 pds, I am down to a size 10 and have been holding. I do occasionally cheat and have snacks that I wish for and then go back to the basics of eating well. I am off all of my meds and feel like a kid again. I do believe this was the best decision for me and do not regret it ever. I never had to have a fill and that was another plus for me. I was not constantly getting filled and unfilled. Good luck on your decision and sometimes the Dr. really does know best.

It depends on how bad you want the surgery! My insurance would only cover 80% but I had to pay out of pocket for pscy eval, nutritionist and a few other things before the surgery. I took 3 years to get the O.K. and after the first two denials, I was ready to give up but I did not. The hospital in Vegas was great to me, they gave me a payment plan of $100 a month and that was paid off within a year of my surgery. I almost 3 yrs out and never regretted this. Maybe you might think if you have to pay out of pocket, you might stick with the plan more than if it was FREE! It made me even more determined to make this happen and I feel great for my accomplishment. I am to goal and the bill is paid for. Good luck on your decision.

I was 55 when I got banded. I fought the insurance, the first two trys they denied me the band and finally I had it done 2 1/2 yrs ago. I had high blood pressure, high cholesterol, border line diabetic and severe arthritis in my knees and feet that hurt so bad every day at work. I was a size 22-24 and have lost 90 pds and am now a size 10, even though I have gained 5 pds over the winter that I have been battling over the last 7 months to get off, I feel great. I am off all meds and the family Dr said I am a glowing tribute to how a person can turn their life around for the better health wise. You are never to old to change and make life better. The best decision I did and that you can make also.

If you tell yourself that you can have any snack any time if you want and choose not to, you will be better off. I find myself if I tell myself that I cannot have something, I want it all the more. I am to goal with losing 90 pds and 2 1/2 yrs after banding and this works for me. I do occasionally have some chips or peanuts but I get it out of my system and go back to my regular eating habits. Good luck

I was banded 12/20/08 and lost 90 pds. this past winter it has been unusually cold in Arizona and gained between 5-6 pd that i cannot get off. I know where you coming from. Been chewing on nuts and popcorn like it was going out of style. Made up my mind today, I need to get this weight off before it gets to be a bigger problem like you are going through. We can do this and that is why we got the band to begin with. Take one day at a time and we can do it together. I have gradually been eating more and more and I too, am hating myself. We are addicts and need to get a grip on this now before it gets any worse. Good luck and remember you are not alone, we all fall off the wagon and need to just brush ourselves off and get back up.

I feel so much better after reading these posts. I was beginning to think that I was totally crazy and there was no hope for me mentally. I too, have those awful days were I eat nuts till I drop from being stuffed or chips until I can't eat another one before exploding. I was banded 12/20/08 and down and maintaining 90 pds but still have those days. I felt so guilty this weekend after eating a whole can of nuts and sesame sticks that I worked in the yard for over 5 hours trying to balance out the calories put in my mouth. But like you all said, tomorrow is another day and I am good with moving on, but thinking that I was the only one that could not control my thoughts on eating all the bad food I have been so good keeping away from, has totally baffled me. I thought I had this under control but I guess we will always have this fight on our hands. Thank you all so much for letting me know that we all fall off the wagon and we can continue this journey forever by just being supportive of everybody else. It is true, letting this out makes you feel so much better than holding it in and making it fester in your mind to make yourself a failure. We are not failures and I believe we deserve the best of what life has to offer. This makes my day and I want to continue to thank each and everyone of you for sharing and not making me feel all alone.

I don't know where you heard that you only lose 40% of the weight. If I had been told that in the beginning, I would have never gone through the expense or life change of the band. I was banded 12/20/08 and have been maintaining the 90 pd loss, except for the 3 pds gained this winter. I have never felt better in my life even when I was 30 yrs younger. I am 58 and feel like 28 yrs old and my husband is afraid someone is going to steal me. ha ha. As far as the counselor, you do what you feel comfortable with and what works for you. I have not been back to my surgeon since the surgery and follow up visits, never had a fill and my insurance no longer covers the Dr that did the surgery and am having a hard time finding a replacement. Other than that I am happy as a lark and never regretted my decision in having the surgery. I have lost 100% of the weight I was hoping and praying to lose. I never thought I would or could get down to a size 10 again in my life but here I am. I have a couple of things in size 8 too. Keep positive, it is a long journey and you will slip up but do not let it get you down and pick yourself up and get going again. I do occasionally cheat a day and go back to basics of my routine and I walk every day at least 20-30 minutes. Good luck and welcome to the band world.

Never regretted getting the band. I am thrilled to be at goal with 90 pds off and maintained for the last 2 1/2 years. I would gladly do this in a heartbeat again over and over. This has been a life saver and made me feel new and young again.

I believe you all have good points on these diets. I did every diet in the book, including Atkins and that is why I am on here with a lap band. None of them worked forever, it was just part of the yo-yo dieting I have done for 40 years. I agree you need to listen to your body and do what you feel is best for you, with some advice from your doctor. I question everything and everybody, even the doctors like Elfie said her husband's late wife died from Dr. advice. I have seen that time and time again. Just do what you feel is comfortable with some common sense and I try the recommendations that you all have put on here to add to my own decisions and have been to goal for over 1 1/2 years. This is a very informative site and each person needs to pick out what they feel works for them from all of this advice. I have and it has worked, thanks to all of you for your advice and I will do what I have to do in the end.

congratulations on getting up and brushing yourself off and starting fresh. It is never too late to start over. I read these posts every morning and I am amazed that I was banded 12/20/08, lost 90 pds and have been to goal for the last 1 1/2 yrs and NEVER had a fill. Last night I could hardly eat dinner, when I get upset, stressed or nervous I have an even harder time eating than usual. I don't know what the difference in me and the other bandsters is but I have been very happy with my band. Remember, it is never too late to start over, I am 58 years old and wish I had done this 20 years ago! Good luck and never give up!

Cookie lover, My heart goes out to you, but this nitwit was never a true friend to you to begin with. She has some if not a lot of mental issues and she is trying to down you with your fantastic results from weight loss. Please don't let this bother you, she was just a person with a phony facade pretending to be your friend. REAL friends don't do this kind of stuff to a wonderful person like you. Congrats on your weight loss and don't let this get you down or think less of you in any way shape or form.

I was banded 12/20/08 and lost 90 pds and this past winter I gained 3-4 pds that will not come off. It has been unusually cold herein Arizona and that is why I have not been out doing yard work. I know that in a another month our pool will be up and I will be back to my goal weight. I have not had any problems with the band and have never had a fill. From what I read, either you will have problems with getting filled and unfilled or you will not, I think it just depends on the person. I chose to use good old will power and follow the rules with no fills and it has worked for me. It sounds like you have a problem with the initial process of being banded, I would question the Dr. that did the surgery and hold him responsible. I do cheat occasionally just so that I don't have the nagging feeling hanging over me that I can never have a certain food again. I do not do sugar or bread because bread gets stuck and sugar starts the cycle of wanting everything that is bad for you and your body. I wish I could be more help to you, but my instinct is to go back to the original surgeon and question him on why you are having so many problems. Good luck and hope that you get some resolution to your problems.

You make me laugh! My husband told me the same thing. AFter losing 90 pds and him thinking I look fantastic even though I still see myself fat. My husband says he hopes that somebody doesn't try to steal me away from him. We have been married for 32 years. I don't ever see that happening but it is so sweet to hear my husband saying and worrying that somebody is going to steal me away. It makes this journey so well worth the struggles along the way. I am to goal and have been maintaing for 1 1/2 yrs and I do cheat now and again on Snacks when we go out to eat, but this winter has been very cold and rainy in Arizona and I did put on 3 pds that need to come off. I have been going up and down with these 3 pds but until the weather is warmer and I get to swimming and plenty of yard work, they will go up and down. Enjoy the compliments and just reassure your partner that you are not going anywhere and things will be fine.

I too was banded on 12/20/08 and down 90 pds with NO FILLS. I was so glad to see that I am not the only one with NO FILLS. I am and have always been very comfortable with no fills and did not want to mess up what is going so well. I feel fantastic and there are several other people that were banded by Dr. Atkinson in Las Vegas that have had no fills with losing over 100 pds also. I feel very fortunate to be in this position with not having to play around with getting filled/unfilled repeatedly. My main focus has been controlling the mind hunger and portions and I do still fight the head demons when I get idle on weekends that rain or cannot get outside to do yard work. I thank God every day for the band and what it has done for me. Congrats to everybody on here that is doing well and for the ones that are not, you will get on the right track too, sometimes it takes a little longer for some people to figure this out.

Shirley, I couldn't help but write when I saw that you were starting all over. That is my biggest fear! I am to goal from being banded on 12/20/08 and down 90 pds. I am off all meds and have been maintaining for the last 1 1/2yrs. I usually put on 2-3 pds in winter from not walking much but it has come off now that the weather is sushine beautiful and again I am where I wanted to be. I went from a size 24-26 to size 10 and never in a million years thought that this would happen. My weight was slow going for the year since getting banded and I had a few plateaus that I never thought would end, but it did and here I am. I too am 58 yrs old young and feel like 28, off all meds and move like a teenager again. My insurance company at work dropped my surgeon in Las Vegas and have not been able to find another Dr in case something goes wrong. I am going to start searching again shortly once the weather is nice. Good luck on journey to get the weight off again, and I know you can do it. You don't say how long it took to gain it back and why?

There are a lot of people like you and I that DO CARE. DO NOT let some heartless, cold blooded creeps chase you away from one of the most important chat rooms at this important time in your life. Fight back, there was some nasty woman on the chat line in here and she was absolutely obnoxious and even though some people thought she was just being honest, that was not true she was rude, hurtful and just cold blooded with hate in her soul. I fought back like many others and complained and complained until SHE LEFT THE SITE! You need us that care and we need you to share ideas and thoughts during this major important journey. Good luck and please reconsider staying on here and ignore the stupid cruel cold comments and go with the good people like us. We do care.

You must not put so much pressure on yourself to know all the answers in the beginning. This is going to be a learning experience from beginning to end. Everybody is so different. I know I have had enough and am full because I get the hiccups and my nose starts running. If I eat one more bite, I will be stuck and God knows that is the most horrible experience you will go through and you will learn fast not to do that. I have been to goal for over a year and a half and still make mistakes. I keep going back and forth 3 pds but mainly stay at goal. I do occasionally cheat when I really need a piece of pie or some chips but then go back to my regular routine on Monday and get moving to get that out of my system. Look at this as a life change and make the most of it and enjoy the new body as you get to goal and maintain it. I only wish I had this opportunity when I was young and could really enjoy this size 10 body, but instead at age 58 my husband is looking at me like a teenager in love. Good luck and enjoy the ride.

I have been maintaining for the last 1 1/2 yrs and find that sugar free popsicles or SF pudding is great when you wish for something sweet. I do occasionally cheat with doritos or chips and then go back to basics the following day. Nobody is perfect, right?

I don't know who told you it is normal to vomit with the band, but I beg to differ. Never vomited since banding 12/20/08 and had a couple of real stuck episodes but no vomiting. I believe that could really hurt your band and possibly cause a slip. I also have never had a fill and am to goal, so I guess I am different than most banders, but I still believe you are doing well. You are still in the healing stages and really should not worry so much. You will find out what is normal for you and enjoy the ride as the scale goes down, down and down. This is a great website for information, so many people like myself with great experiences and information that will help you to goal. Good luck and keep smiling.

I am with you Kalipso, I was banded 12/20/08 and at goal of 90 pounds lost and kept off. the only exercise I did is what I knew I would continue throughout my life and that is to walk once or twice a day for 20 minutes. I am not and never have been an "exercise" person and probably would never be one. Do not compare yourself with other people, this journey is individual, as individual as the bands that are put in us. All different sizes and shapes, work with what you have and enjoy your results. I have gained 3 pds this winter, the coldest ever here in Arizona but once spring comes, I will get it off in the pool. Good luck and enjoy the journey, I have and feel like a kid again, being able to do what I want because of losing all the weight.