The Big Boy

I use the UA Heatgear compression shirts and love them. I am a remodeling contractor who lives in the desert, and sweating is part of my daily life but these shirts really help keep me cooler. Add in the fact that we are all big guys and you can see I know what I'm talking about. I have been buying mine on EBay and have been saving about 50% from what they cost retail. As I have been losing the weight, this has saved me a lot of money each time a shirt has become too big for me and I have had to buy a smaller size.

"High above the murky Water... Blocking out the view... stands an old abandon outhouse... That they call KU!" K-State boy here. I love the fact that the K-State\KU games mean something again.

First of all, breathe. You are only 21\2 months out of surgery and are entering what is known as "Bandster Hell." As your doctor slowly fills your band, restriction will come back. It has taken me almost 6 months to finally feel steady, full time restriction. In the past after a fill, I would feel restriction for a couple of days to a week, and then it would go away. Then i would feel it again at my next fill for a little longer. Just make sure you are eating the right things, Protein first, and not drinking while you eat. Remember, this is a marathon, not a sprint. You'll get there. Good luck.

Hey everybody. I have started working again and I have put together a list of the different weight lifting exercises I use during the course of my workout. I never do more than 4 exercises from each muscle group but I have included more of them than that so that I don’t get bored with the same workout every time I lift. I figured I would share it with whoever might be interested. I have attached it in the PDF form but if you are interested in the Excel spreadsheet send me a message and I will send it to you. All of the exercises are demonstrated in video form on the website below. I am not affiliated with the site whatsoever but just found it as a good source of information. It also shows a number of exercises that you can do just with your body at home, no additional equipment needed beyond the occasional chair. Enjoy. http://www.muscleandstrength.com/exercises/main.html Weight Lifting Exercises.pdf

I am at 7cc's out of 14cc and I am occasionally feeling restriction when I eat too fast or take too big of a bite. From the reading I did on this board before surgery, I expected it to take up to 6 months +- to hit my sweet spot and that is what my doc is telling me now. Remember it took us years to put this weight on; it won't come off in the blink of an eye. I try to focus on the other things that I have direct control over such as exercise or really watching what I put in my mouth. Drink and extra glass of Water or take the dog one more block on our walk. Don’t eat after dinner. I constantly keep telling myself that the band is a tool just like the hammer in my truck, not a magic bullet that cures all my ills. I have to know how to use it. Stay positive, you’ll get there.

I am interested in how long it took those of you who play golf to get back on the course after surgery? I searched the archives of past posts and only found one thread from over a year ago so I thought I would try and update it. I am scheduled for a June 8th surgery and have family coming to visit the first two weeks of July. We usually manage to get 3-4 rounds in and I am hoping that I might be up to playing a couple the last week they are here. But I am unsure of just how sore I will be or how much my mobility will be limited 2-3 weeks out from surgery. Do you think I’ll be able to pull it off?

I figured I would give future readers an update. I hade my surgery on June 8th and played four full rounds the first two weeks of July with no problems or pain. I even rewarded myself for my first 30 pounds lost with a new TaylorMade Driver and Callaway Hybrid. Thanks everbody who gave me their input. It eased my mind about hitting the links. Now if I can just get my score down.

Hello Everybody. I have been lurking around here for awhile and figured it was time I said hello. My name is Scott and I am 6’3” and weigh 395. I am just beginning the process of finding my surgeon and have learned a lot from reading all the posts. I am interested in some personal experiences from people living in and around the Coachella Valley (Palm Springs, CA area). I live in La Quinta and have no problem driving to Riverside or San Diego for the right doc but would obviously like to stay close to home. I have already heard some great things about Dr. Coon at Parkview Community Hospital (Thanks Rose) and will be attending one of his seminars soon. I am also interested in any program fees you were required to pay. I have Anthem BCBS and they cover 90% of the cost but I have heard of additional program fees from zero to $8000.00. I know there is a lot of discussion on this board about the legitimacy of program fees, but let’s keep those conversations on the other threads. I am just craving information here. Thanks everybody.

What about protein shakes? My doctor requires 80 grams of protein a day, 40 by food and 40 by supplement. I drink two or three protein shakes during the day and my energy level is great. Granted I am still relativly new at this (banded one month ago today) but they have really helped me stay on track.

I took two weeks off before I went back to work. I am a home remodeling contractor and do very physical work, so I really listened to my body and stopped each day when it told me that was enough. After the first week back to work, I was feeling completely normal again. The key is to really listen to what your body is telling you, it will let you know when to rest. Good luck.

I'm in La Quinta, just west of you in the Palm Springs area. I was banded on June 8th by Dr. Coon in Riverside. Did everybody feel the earthquake? Certainly gave us a good jolt!

I ended up going with Dr. John Coon in Riverside. His program fee is $1,500 and he and his whole staff have been fantastic. They are located at Parkview Community Hospital which didn't have the greatest reviews but turned out to be a great experience. I had surgery on June 8th, have had no complications and have already lost 30 pounds. Dr. Coon's website is below. http://newimagebariatric.com/index.cfm/PageID/7597 He also shares an office in Rancho Mirage once or twice a month but doesn't do lap-band related work out of it due to insurance requirements, but hopes to in the future. I have Blue Cross and they required that my surgeon be working out of a certified Center of Excellence, which Dr. Coon obviously does. My neighbors also each had a gastric bypass done by Dr. Coon and also speak very highly of him. Let me know if I can answer any other questions, I would be more than happy to help in any way I can. Congratulations on starting down this life changing path.

5 days for me. Think about it. You have been on liquids for how long? No solids in the system. Don't stress .

I'll second the recommendation for Unjury. I am only one week post op and haven't tried any others but I ordered the sample pack of Unjury and it's pretty good. I have tried the chocolate and vanilla so far and they certainly surprised me. From reading everybody's reviews of protein shakes on this site, I was expecting some sort of gruel like substance but these are ok.

I was banded last Tuesday and I can tell you I spent a lot of time on this website researching questions I had about the band. It seemed like any question that I had, someone had already asked it some where on this board. And if they hadn't, I asked it and had multiple responses in no time. I also went to my doctors support group at the hospital and talked with people that had already been through it. They were very encouraging and actually contributed to my decision to use the doctor that I did. I encourage you to be as active as you are comfortable being here on this board and keep us all updated on your progress. Good luck.

Good luck Tim & welcome to the boards. I am 5 days post op and learned an incredible amount of information from this website. If you have a question, someone probably asked it somewhere here. Keep us posted.

Don't worry it will be over before you know it and you will finally be on the other side of all the buildup. You will do great. I was banded last Tuesday and I am so happy to finally be on the backside of it. It was absolutely worth all the work. Good luck!!

I don't know the specifics for your doc but mine had me on 4-6 shakes plus one 300 calorie meal each day. Can you throw an extra protein shake in somewhere? I used the Bariatric Advantage shakes with added splenda and they were very thick. Really filled me up.

Yep, I was banded yesterday. Not feeling to bad, just dealing withthe gas pains. Thank god for GasX strips.

I'm with you Maura, 5:30am for a 7:30 surgery tomorrow. I am ready to get this behind me and get on with the rest of it. Good luck!

First of all, take your foot of the accelerator. This isn’t something you want to rush into without being absolutely comfortable with your decision. It took me almost a year to find the right doctor after meeting with many of them. Go to their support group meetings. Talk with their patients. Research them on this website and others. Once you have built up a good base of knowledge, the right doctor for you will start to emerge and you will be comfortable. You have to be rock solid about your decision if you are going to be successful. This is a huge step we have all decided to take and you don’t want to have any regrets. Once you find the right team, they will help you get to where you want to be. Good luck!

The biggest thing that the shink wanted to check on with me was to make sure I had realistic expectations about the band. Understanding that is a tool for weight loss and not some magic bullet that will do all the work. Once she realized I had researched it and knew what to expect, she signed off and wished me luck. I am sure your will do the same. Good Luck!!

Congratulations, that’s awesome in only fourteen months. If I remember right, I came across a couple of your posts when I was researching Dr. John Coon. He is putting my band in on Tuesday and so far I am really happy I chose to go with him. I have to travel from La Quinta but I think I made the right choice and clearly you did too. Congratulations on hitting your goal!

I read in another thread a couple of weeks ago that pickle juice or apple cider vinegar cured heartburn. I tried the pickle juice and it really does work. Vinegar is a base chemical that counteracts the acidity in the stomach. Then I read in another thread that someone drank it to cure their hiccups. It’s the new magic elixir.

Try drinking pickle juice or apple cider vinager. I learned about it on these boards and it worked for me. I'm lucky, I like pickle juice.