Makulafamy

Do you WLS ideas or just ideas in general. Ideas in general: reality tv, tetris, memorize flags of different countrys? For WLS, you could start to ease off things you will have to rule out during your preop and postop phase. If you are a pop/soda drinker, try to stop now. Drink more Water...find things you can add to water that you might like? Try replacing a meal with a Protein shake or at least find some you can come close to enjoying? Start walking or working out (if you dont already) Read lapband blogs? lol...I kill lots of time like that. The link to mine is in my signature. Hope some of that helps! I know waiting sucks! Amy

I have the Lapband and dont ever really think or worry about the differences. It just lives inside of me and has been a very close friend these last 7 months :thumbdown: I have about a 10-11 cc band and currently have around 4ccs. This has given me pretty good restriction.

yeah, go with the one you want. I think some docs dont understand the lapband as well, or dont think that it will work. Some are from the school of thought that if you are really big (like I was), it wont work as well. WHATEVER! My lapband doc's main worry about the lapband was that it doesnt work for everyone bc you can cheat it, work around it, etc. But once you commit....you can do it!

Well congrats! That is a great thing that approval. It differs from doctors office to doctors office, and I dont know if you have had anything done yet, but before surgery you will meet have a psych consult, a nutrition consult, talk and or meet the doc, get scheduled for a surgey, bloodwork, ekg, chest xray, etc. have you done any or all of that yet? After that it is surgery time. For most of us that is a preop diet. If you dont have one at all, I still suggest starting to ease yourself off of things like pop, beer, etc. It will make afterwards easier. If you have any questions, feel free to holler! Thanks, Amy

I bought slim in 6 years ago and actually still have it! I bought the whole set, so it came with like 6 different workouts. When I did slim in 6 with a good diet, I lost about 45 pounds! I like that there is a mix of levels. You start at a beginner level and progress to the next one on your own time. But it was nice so you dont get bored! You should give them try!

Hi maureen! I am 5'4 and started at 327 pounds 7 months ago. I am 29 years old. When you say "what is the process like" that is a really broad question. Are you asking about the process of getting approved, the surgery, post op? Approval will depend on your insurance company and can be very fast for some (about a month for me) and longer for others. Some insurance companys require a 6-month diet before approval. Preop, once you are approved, you have instructions from you doc. Everyones are different. Post op recovery time is somewhere between 3 days to a couple weeks, depending on the person. After you start to heal, you will most likely be hungry again and want to eat everything. You have to be strong and hold on until you get proper restriction with the band. Once you get restriction, things get easier! The band doesnt work for everyone. My doc was up front with me and told me that is his biggest fear for his patients. But if you treat the band as a tool, do your part and work with it...it works! If you have the time, click on my blog link in my signature. Once you get to my blog, look under "Followers" and there are plenty of young bandsters. Look for Angies blog, Tiffani, Mary, Amanda, etc. The lapband blogger community is a great way to get to know people on a more personal level! Hope some of this helps. If you have more questions, just shoot me a message! Amy

ever will help me get healthy. So, questions~~~~~ What is life like after the band? Is it difficult to adjust to foods? Does it really have a high percentage of slippage? and I guess the big question is ~~~~ If you had the chance to choose again, would you opt for the weight watchers plan or have the band? Life after the band is a little different. You have to think about what you put in your mouth vs just eating whatever whenever. For me, the band has helped me make healthier, more nutritious choices. I have always loved cooking, but love it even more now. I still go out to eat. I dont feel like everyone is looking at me thinking I am not eating enough. I am open with my choice about the band, and if someone asks how I have lost the weight, I tell them. No secrets. Some foods you do have to adjust too. You have to eat things like meat slower. put down your fork in between bites. Dont drink with meals. Until you get a good restriction level though, you will be able to eat most foods like normal...and you have to use your will power to say no. The rate of slippage varies, most will say about 5%. A lot of times slippage is caused by PBing (throwing up), overeating, ignoring the signs of the band being too tight. You need to take care of your band. Would I opt for weight watchers? Uh...hell no. (excuse me language). Do you know the statistic for the number of people that lose weight the "traditional way" and keep it off? About 5% as well. I have tried many diets. Losing the weight is the easy part, keeping it off is where I fail. You will meet lots of people who dont understand why someone would undergo surgery to lose wait. You will hear "Why cant you just do it with diet and exercise". Poo poo to these people. You have to do what is right for you. I hope some of this helps. Ask your doc and there staff tons of questions as well. Do they have a support group for Weight loss surgery? Most hospitals do. That might be something you should look into so you can meet others with the lapband. Good luck! Amy

Hi Steve. Well, if you were a lady I could say maybe the tightness was due to the time of month, so that is out. When you say that this week you are very tight, what do you mean? Can you eat less? Are you eating the same thing you were eating when you could eat more? I ask bc sometimes I can eat tons of crap (Cookies, chips, etc), but a pork chop or something like that...no way. I would go in for a fill and describe your restriction to the doctor and let him decide. 3oz is a pretty tight restriction, and for me...I have been able to eat 1-2 cups a meal, even with a moderate restriction. It might depend on how tight you would like to be. As for #2. What was the problem? could you doc not find the port? If this is the case, I think that happens to a lot of people on here. Most docs find the port, take all the fluid out, and then put new fluid back in. #3. Yes. Tell your doc. Hope some of that helps, AMy

As they have zero calories and zero fat, they wont fatten your liver. I would recommend trying to get off of them all together preop bc post op most docs dont want their patients drinking pop/soda due to the carbonation. As a former sunkist-aholic it was hard but I am glad I did it!

Well congrats and welcome! You will find some great information here and hopefully make some friends that you can share your journey with. I have never heard the rule about getting protein shakes with MORE than 200 calories. But everyone's docs and rules are different. Have you tried Muscle Milk? Not sure of the calorie content, but I know lots of people like them. The biggest selection of protein shakes I have found were at one of our big chain vitamin shops (sort of like GNC). Amy

Yes, thanks for sharing! That is some good info!

I agree. I dont think it will hurt anything at all, but it is not the "best use" of the band. It is better to get your protein from a solid form, and that will keep you fuller longer... but if this is just a little short term jumpstart....whatever works for you!

hey neener! I can say that those who are not hungry while waiting for their first fill are in the minority! If you have a chance to look at some of the blogs out there and read peoples journeys, you will see what I am talking about! And yes, it is known as bandster hell and I think most people arent prepared for the hunger. For example, my nutritionist led me to believe that I would only be able to eat small amounts of food from the moment after surgery on. Tisk Tisk...she lied! About 5-6 days after surgery I started to get hungry and once I was healed, I was very hungry. I didnt give in though, bc I didnt want to move backwards...so during the time before you first fill...you have to rely on your WILLPOWER! I didnt get any restriction after my first fill, so I kept going back in until finally after my 3rd fill in as many weeks I had restriction! Then you have to deal with the head hunger...if only they made a band for the brain! But you will get through bandster hell and come out on the other side! Good luck! Amy

I think she is dumb (don't I sound intelligent?) We have 2 docs at our Bariatric Clinic (one of the first 5 in the nation to be a Bariatric Center of Excellence). The older doc will push and push patients towards bypass. he doesnt think banding works for really obese patients, tries to talk about the hassles of fills, et. My doc, younger and wonderful, tells us the pros and cons of both and then lets us decide. He did tell me straight up, his biggest fear with the band is that it does not work for some people. It is possible to lose no weight. It depends on the person, what you invest, and how you use it as a tool. I am not hungry all the time. I have a coworker that had bypass a week before me and she has only lost 15 more pounds then me. Not bad considering I still have my stomach in tact, still absorb all my nutrients, and can eat in moderation almost any type of food I want. i dont dump when I eat sugar, etc. My doc let me set my fill schedule, so I saw him pretty frequently in the beginning until I had restriction. I am only 29, so I didnt want my insided altered forever. Stay positive! There are good and bad with both, complications with any kind of surgery. But I think there are great gains (not on the scale) with either as well. Hope some of that helps! Amy

Hi Louise, I would agree with the others. I get to "know" a lot of the other girls who have been banded through bloggin, and so many of them have struggled with "to fill or not to fill", and there seems to be a pretty clear pattern of when they are on the fence, and go ahead and get the fill...they have to go back in to get an unfill bc they are too tight. If you are still satisfied with 1 cup of food, it sounds like your restriction is pretty good. Sometimes we just talk ourselves into thinking a little tweak might not hurt.

Well dont get depressed. It doesnt make any sense to me, but did you ask why? It will take several fills before you feel a difference, but you will get there and this wasnt all for nothing. It is HARD during this period where you are playing the waiting game. Just hang in there, make more good choices than bad, drink water, get your Protein, move... You can do this!

This is such a good question BECAUSE... right after surgery I started taking flintstone chewables. I was told to take 2. they taste gross and I hated them So I switched to Flinstone Gummies. Not bad at all. However, I noticed that they did not provide 100% on some of the vitamins, so I took four at once not realizing or thinking (special I am) that this was going to give me WAY to much of some of the other vitamins and nutrients like Iron, etc. Have mercy I got so constipated and it took me like 3-4 WEEKS to realize that the vitamins were the culprit. now I just do a nature made liquid soft gel and swallow the sucker :sneaky:

No way jose! I just posted a pic of my incisions 2 days after surgery and yesteday (6 months and a few days after surgery) if you want to take a look. Here is the link Once Upon A Time...In the Land of cheese and Sunkist: Incisions

Welcome all newly banded, soon to be banded, or bandsters new to the site. I was thinking this morning, now that I am a little over 3 months out, I could share some information with those of you just beginning your journey. Some of this is kinda common sense, and some of it is info I wish I had understood better before the band. 1. before get very far into your journey, take some measurements. I forgot to do this and now I wish I had my beginning measurements. This is good, bc sometimes when the scale is not moving...you are still losing inches! SO MEASURE YOURSELF! 2. Take some before pictures. I take pictures all the time, but I know some people hate the way they look presurg. But you will wish you had some before pictures after you start losing :thumbsup: It's only going to get better afterall! 3. This is really important. And I didnt have a clear grasp on it before surgery. After surgery, and after you heal...you will still be hungry. AND most likely, you will still be able to eat whatever whenever you want. The period after banding and before you first fill is referred to as BANDSTER HELL. It's hell because you have to rely on willpower. What's that you say? I know I know...if we were good at "dieting" then we wouldnt need the band. But for a few weeks at least, prepare yourself to practice restraint. Just bc you can eat it...don't. 4. Know that after surgery, and when you start to eat mushies and real food. Your weight loss will probably stop for a week or so. Your body is going from a really low calorie liquid diet to actual food. It needs time to adjust. So dont get discouraged or give up. Hold on, watch what you eat...and more importantly...start moving. 5. Which brings me to this one. Exercise. It doesnt have to be anything huge! I started walking and I HATE walking. But I set a goal for myself. I wanted to do a 5k. I started walking 1 mile. The next week I added 1/2 a mile and so on. In March, 2 months after my surgery I did my first 5k. Is was a nonscale victory (NSV). Exercising will help your scale start moving again, and even when it appears you arent dropping pounds, you are changing the shape of your body. 6. Start a blog. It's pretty easy. Blogger is one great one. The link to my blog is in my signature. If you go check it out, you will see all of the other ladies that blog. Blogging or reading blogs lets you get to know fellow bandsters on a more personal level and see progress and share experiences. 7. When you go to your doctor ASK QUESTIONS! That's what they are there for...and that's what we (or our insurance) is paying them for. 8. Realize that all doctors are different. You will learn that really quickly on this site. We all have different instructions. 9. Dont be afraid to call and ask your doc if you can change something, move to the next phase sooner..etc. All they can do is tell you know. 10. FILLS! Most of us dont feel any restriction after our first fill. I didnt feel anything until my 3rd fill. My doc is pretty aggressive with fills, if that's what his patients want. I had 4ccs my first fill. I called back bc it didnt do anything for me and went in 2 weeks later for my second fill. He gave me 1.5cc's. Still didnt feel much so I called and went back in one week later and got .5cc's. That has held me for over a month now. And finally. 11. Love yourself! Dont be ashamed of the band. It is a TOOL. You DO have to work at it. You CAN cheat it. IT IS NOT THE EASY WAY OUT! Be proud of who you are and who you are becoming! Hope some of this helps! --Amy

Another thing to remember...and this is an important one...YOU CAN DO THIS!

That's not cool. Did you guys talk about your choice before the surgery? If so, what did he say then? Its one thing if he likes his girl with some meat on her, but it is another thing if he would prefer you to be fat and on the verge of death just so he feels secure that you won't leave him. With that said, yes...I would wager at the root of his issues is insecurity. He probably feels that with your confidence now...what are you going to be like when you lose 100 pounds? My boyfriend is small too, loved me before and loves me now. He didnt see me as fat, and he has made mention of what will happen if I get skinny, etc...but we talked A LOT about everything as soon as I decided and its been smooth since then.