Lap2Fab

I had 6.7 cc in my band and just had some taken out yesterday. My sister died tragically 2 weeks ago and I just thought I couldn't eat because of that, but I called and they said when we are under stress, our GI track swells and it could be why I feel so tight. I had them take .5 out and WOW I feel so much better. Last night when I ate dinner, I made salmon and baby potatoes in their individual foil packets on the grill, and I could eat enough and stopped when I felt full. Felt so much better! how much total do you now have in your band? I was the same way for a LONG time, once I found the green zone, you'll feel like you can eat enough, but not too much, but it won't be your band stopping you, it will be you stopping you! That's awesome and I'm so jealous of your surgeries! I would LOVE to have them but with my heart, I don't even dare ask my husband! He loved me at 225, and still loves me just the way I am...now 76lbs lighter! So happy...14 more to go!

The dress I bought 7 years ago and have never worn...zipped it up myself!

After reading the previous posts, I feel like jumping in again! I too didn't really know what REAL restriction was, for the first 5-6 fills, my fills were so small to try to find the sweet spot, that I didn't feel restriction at all. The only time I felt real restriction was when I ate a whole sub roll with all the meats, cheeses and veggies. Yes...I could still eat the whole thing but would force myself to only eat HALF! LOL. When I went to my last two fills and told them what I was able to eat, they gave a larger fill and then the last fill, we found the sweet spot. That was after a year on the lap band! I had only lost about 40lbs in the year, which I thought was horrible, but they were pleased with my results. Since being at the sweet spot, I've lost another 30 in 6 months and can feel the restriction. Marzee...one thing that I decided to do was to keep the surgery low key. Only my husband knew that I had the surgery, and to this day, only a handful of friends and my sister know. At first I didn't tell anyone until I knew I would qualify for the surgery, then I was embarrassed that I couldn't do it myself, and then I realized, it was MY journey, people don't need to know everything! I didn't want to constantly hear about my weight and to have people question my food choices. I just felt it was something I didn't want to announce to the world. People know I eat smaller portions and see me exercising and they just give compliments. I've told my friends who I go out to dinner with consistently and have traveled with without my husband so that someone knows. I know there are many who tell everyone, but I feel that by not telling many, it made the decision easier for me and living with it makes the weight loss about what I am doing for myself. It's a tool, but will be one of many tools that you use to lose the weight and keep it off. Good luck!

I would say 100% worth it! I have had my band for 18 months and I have lost 70lbs and am almost at goal. I feel so much better about myself and my health! I'm 40 and I feel 24 again! I am 5'5" and weighed 225 at my highest. I'm now at 155 with about 20 more to go to be at goal. I was depressed about how I had let myself go too, but it doesn't have to be that way. It's not a quick fix and it does take work, but I have never regretted the decision. My advice would be to start the process! You will have to go through a whole bunch of tests and meetings. You will learn if it's something you can handle or not. But start the process and learn more about it from a surgeon in your area. If your doctor is suggesting it and you trust your doctor, then you owe it to yourself to get informed. I started looking at this website when I was considering it, but in no way did I form an opinion one way or another if I was going to have the surgery. There are too many opinions and situations. Good luck to you in making the decision and no matter what you decide, you are a beautiful young woman!

Do you have a smart phone? I use an app called Waterlogged because I have the same problem! I set a reminder starting at 8:30am and it goes off every 2 hours to remind me to get my water in...and you can log your water!

NightNurse, good for you for losing half the weight! I know most of us had unrealistic ideas of what the band was going to do for us. I'm just learning now how to work with it, believe me, having months and months of no change on the scale is frustrating to many of us! I'm going to post more and use the website as a tool as well. Good luck this year, I have tried to make small changes and do them for two weeks to form a habit before adding on more goals. For example, I like to sometimes pull out my post op menus and use them to get me back on track or drink some EAS protein shakes just to get my mind back into using the band! I gave up sodas two years ago as a New Years Resoluion and I'm so proud of myself, I still have an occasional rum and diet coke, but I'm not drinking a 2 liter of diet coke a day! If you don't put it in your cart, you won't have it in your house. My children have learned to like Crystal Light or water! Now when we go out, having soda is a big treat!

That's great Monica! You can do it! Pay no attention to the time and just do it! I am going to do a Sprint Tri this year! I can't even believe I just typed that! I'm doing it with 3 friends and it's not about the time, it's about doing it! I guess that means I'll have to learn to swim better since I barely have worn a bathing suit in recent years, let alone get my face wet in the water! I'm on a mission to prove my cardiologists wrong when they said my heart would never get better! The surgery was just the first part of my plan, getting healthy, eating right, putting less stress on my heart....I'm going to show them all that I can make my heart better! Good luck to you in the 5k! You won't regret doing it!

Happy New Year's August Rush in Bandland! Let's hope that 2012 makes us all even more successful in the weight loss! I'm hoping that by my 2 year anniversary I will be done and will be able to just do maintenance! Here's to a happy and healthy new year!

Anyone interested in doing a 3 month challenge? It will get us all ready for the holidays and may motivate us to push harder in the journey! We can each add an additional tracker to our signature with our goal and check in at least once a week to post how we are doing!

Give it some time, I too had huge breasts and a 24lb weight loss didn't effect my breasts either. I'm now down over 60lbs and I definitely can see a huge difference. I went from a 40DD to now a 38D, I still hope to lose more and be a 36 or 38 C but with the right bra, I already look so much more proportionate.

I'm sooo happy for you! Size 8 baggy...how exciting!

Hey All! I need some help! I got a fill last week because I was still able to eat a considerable amount of bread with no problem. I had 6.5 in my band and went to 6.7. The first week has been harder and I'm wondering if I need an unfill or if this is how it has suppose to feel all along and I just have found the right restriction. For the first week, it has been very hard to keep food down or to eat small amounts of food. I feel like it hurts just to eat. Could it be that it's too tight or could it be that I'm eating too fast because I haven't had enough restriction? It's starting to get easier and doesn't hurt as much, so I'm thinking of sticking with it unless it goes back to painful. But I also have no appetite, I have to set a reminder on my phone to eat and drink! Does that make sense? How does the right restriction feel? I've been doing this for a year and had no idea that this was how restriction felt! Duh! Shelly

Congrats to all for any weight loss! I went out to dinner with my husband last night to a fancy restaurant (we were given a gift certificate by his old boss for Christmas that we hadn't used and the kids went away for the weekend on an unexpected camping trip with a friend's family...lucky!!!) and it was a 5 course meal, so I was worried. It turned out to be small plates though, that came slowly and I was in heaven! I could eat everything because it was small amounts of food and everything was delicious and healthy! I wore a dress that I hadn't worn in 6 years...one of the few that I saved because it's really simple and pretty! My husband left there hungry and I felt satisfied! I also started reading a book yesterday called Younger Next Year for Women, there is another book that they wrote first for men. I'm only 40 and it's written for people who are really in their 50-70s, but I think when you have weight issues and other health related issues at any age, it can apply, and it certainly applies to me! Plus, even if you don't have health issues, it's a great way to get a head start on the information! I'm finding it extremely interesting and thought I would share! http://www.amazon.com/Younger-Next-Women-Chris-Crowley/dp/0761140735

I feel the same way! I just bought a bunch of clothes from Old Navy and typical, I didn't try on at the store and just grabbed everything in an XL, everything is too big! I can't even believe it!

Hi All! It's 11 months since my surgery! I'm down 47 lbs and although I now know I had unrealistic expectations of myself thinking that at this time I would be a size 6, I'm also really excited that I'm down 47lbs from last year! I'm looking at today as a new day. One year ago I started the process, the shakes, the mini meals, etc, etc and I think I need to go back to the basics! I am more active than last year, but I still don't enjoy exercise. I'm thinking of trying yoga, does anyone do it and like it? I have noticed changes in myself, when I go to the beach or lake, I don't hide myself anymore! I'm still not comfortable just hanging out in a bathing suit, but I will get up from my chair and go in the water instead of sweating my ass off on the beach! My kids like it! I'm giving myself a SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely) goal today because the weight has slowed so much, I want to be down to 165 by September 1st, that's 10lbs in 7 weeks, I think that's very realistic, and attainable!

I got a fill today, I now have 6.5 ccs in my band, I think it's my 5th or 6th fill. I could tell that I didn't have enough restriction and I haven't been losing. Does anyone else look bloated when they get a fill? I was actually happy to see a picture of myself in my file today...wow...what a difference. The nurse said she didn't even know it was me! I'm only half way there! I feel like I'm back on track and I'm going to pay more attention to getting the rest of the weight off. Just being back on here and reading everyone's posts are motivating to me! Glad to be back!

Hey All! It has been way too long since I checked in. I have been from one plateau to another for the past 9 months. I had a very unreasonable expectation of what the band would do for me without realizing what I had to do for myself. My doctor has been okay with my weight loss because I have a heart condition, it is very hard for me to get my heart rate up with the meds I am on. I did run a 5k with some of my friends on Mother's Day, which I haven't done since I was diagnosed 5 years ago, I'm pretty happy about that. There were two of us with heart rate monitors on and I only burned 250 calories to her 800 calories. My nutritionist warned me that my body was fighting the loss every step of the way, and it sure has been a struggle to not see the scale go down. I have seen other changes though, I'm down 2 dress sizes and I'm wearing clothes that I stuck in the back of my closet for "someday!" Those clothes fit me today! My sons have both told me that they see a difference in me and my 8 year old gets excited when he can put his arms around my waste. I have had to slow my thinking down and remember what we all said at the beginning, that it's a journey, not a race. I hope all is well with everyone. I plan on being more active on the website again because I really think that not checking in has made me less accountable and I would like to keep the scale moving in the right direction again! I can not believe it's been 9 months since surgery!