greytz

Actually, I haven't taken any after pics yet. I am not at goal and don't want to compare pictures until I am where I want to be. I only use my before pics at the seminar and then of course they see me as I am now and can compare for themselves. It works well for me. I hope you find something that works for you also.

When I first got my band, I measured everything because I wasn't sure how to look at my food and know how much I was eating and I really had no restriction. Now, I don't weigh or measure since I pretty much know what I am looking at after a little experience with it. However, if I look at my plate and I am unsure about something I have decided to eat, I do measure just to be on the safe side. Even now, when I measure, I am usually very close so once you get the hang of it, I think eyeballing is perfectly sensible.

Wow. That is a difficult place to be in. However, in my mind your thoughts would be correct in doing some research before making a decision like that. I don't really understand why age has anything to do with it though. I am 51 and have some very serious health conditions but I am still banded and loving it. As far as the insulin dependence, I cannot speak to that except to say maybe get a second opinion from a diabetic specialist. And just be sure you have all the facts before making a decision like that. Good Luck and keep us posted about what you decide to do.

It isn't easy and be prepared. You must lose before your surgery in order to shrink your liver. Good Luck!

It depends on so many factors that it is hard to say for each person in particular. It depends on if you have insurance and what type or whether you are self pay. It depends on what your particular surgeon requires for clearances from your other doctors and if you have specific medical conditions that you have to get clearance for. For instance in my case, I have a heart condition and had to go to my cardio surgeon and get clearance from him. It depends on if your surgeon requires a sleep study. Some do, some don't. Mine didn't. It depends on how fast you get clearance from your PCP and any specialists you need and how fast you can get the sleep study completed if required. And again, if you are planning to use insurance, they can be a big hold up. Some require a six month diet plan, etc. So, Congrats on your first step and just keep plugging along with whatever the surgeon tells you to do. Hopefully, it will not take too long for you and Good Luck.

Same for me. Some days I really have to watch because I can eat anything and other days, I can't get through my morning protein shake and don't usually eat the rest of the day. It is up and down and I have to just go by how I feel from day to day when deciding what to eat. I usually know that morning if I am not going to be able to eat that day.

Oh, and don't get me started on taxpayers. I have worked hard my entire life and served my country in the military for six of them. I pay my taxes faithfully. I would rather help someone like this than what my taxes actually go for most of the time.

I totally agree with Jaqui. Pure discrimination against someone who is trying to get healthy and lose weight. It is always great to be sitting in the conductor's chair telling someone else what they should or shouldn't be doing. Take a look in the mirror and be sure you aren't throwing stones. An unhealthy weight and lifestyle isn't just restricted to the very obese. It happens to people of all physical frames. It is just as annoying and just as depressing to someone who is low bmi but still considered obese as it is to someone who is high bmi. Take a look at the BMI chart. Lower weight is still in the obese and overweight category.

My Emmi is a series of videos that will be sent to your home email or whichever email you give them throughout the course of your Lapband journey. As far as I know this series is only for patients that chose Allergan Lapband. It is a very generic support video that walks you through the steps of your next progression level as you progress every couple of months. It does not show real live people and does not show anything gross. It is a very simple video to watch and understand. However, you should always watch it because a confirmation goes back to your surgeon that you have completed each one and it does help keep you focused and is part of your Lapband support.

There are loads of websites for marathons. BillOh can probably hook you up best otherwise you can type in causes like breast cancer, etc and there are tons of walks and marathons for them. They usually ask you to put in your zip and give you the ones in your area. Also, most of them have what they call diva walks where there is a group that completes only half and usually walks it. It is the best feeling ever. I completed my first walk for breast cancer in October and it felt awesome to walk for a cause and do something I had been wanting to do for a long time. I didn't just sit on the sidelines this time and I completed the whole thing not just half. It was amazing.

For me, the band is not a magic fix. I have thyroid disease and have to keep it monitored routinely. I can actually gain 2 pounds in one day or more depending on what I eat and how my food intake went that day. I have to be very, very careful and can't just eat whatever I want just less of it with the band. There are certain foods that trigger my metabolism in a negative way even with the band and cause me to gain weight. And in my opinion, the whole point for me was to get healthy and I can't get healthy if I am eating what I want because that would mean sweets, starches, fried foods and all things bad. Even if it is in smaller portions. To me, it is not healthy and I stay away with very rare exception. But I certainly don't eat it on a regular basis. No offense intended but I think it is irresponsible to tell people to just eat what they want and they will still lose weight. It isn't like that for everyone.

I don't weigh my food any longer as I did when I first began this journey. I find that I now know how much it will take to make me full and still lose weight. You definitely shouldn't feel any type of uneasiness or discomfort with your fill. The restriction as most people call it is that feeling of fullness without overeating. I however do feel somewhat of a stop warning when I am full as opposed to before I was banded when I felt nothing and ate and ate until I was miserable. But, I rarely get stuck or PB and it is always because I eat too fast or take too big of bites. I am finding as my fills increase, of course my ability to take bigger bites decreases and I have to slow down, chew better and take smaller bites. It makes a huge difference and I find I get full faster. I am one of those people who has lost interest in a lot of different foods but still have my favorites.

Have heart girls, it will get easier as long as you put a little effort into it. Don't totally throw away the scales, just don't get obsessed over them. Use them cautiously and only to keep yourself focused. The fills don't hurt, just a little pinch and then you feel nothing. The most important thing right now is restraint and will power until you can get to the point that your fills are kicking in. Good Luck!

I have been married for twenty years and weigh less now than I did on my wedding day. My husband loves that fact that I have lost weight and I am getting healthy. He has been so supportive and makes comments about how great I am looking. We have been through such tough times together and it seems that we just get stronger as time goes on. He has put up with all my dieting and yo-yo sh-t. He was concerned at first but really wanted me to do it for me. And yeah, one of the things we both hated most was losing the boob weight. But on the up side it has lifted them a little which has been nice. Mine were starting to sag bigtime and really weren't attractive in that way. I'm 51 so the girls were really starting to hang. I went from a 46D to a 38C which is a big difference. It has actually helped my shape. But on the subject, my husband loves me to be happy and loves me for whatever I am at the time better or worse. Just happens to be better right now.

The whole point is, only YOU can make the decision since it is your body. Listen to your instincts. I have heard so many people say that their surgeon and staff tried to push them in one direction or the other usually into gastric bypass. I too have known several people who have went with the gastric bypass and have had complications and not so good results. However, with that said I was wondering if you have talked to your PCP. My first talk was with my primary care physician and my caridovascluar surgeon (heart condition). Since they are most aware of my physical health and overall condition they were to me in a better position to help me decide which way to lean toward. Not saying that I totally chose what they said, but it really helped me make the final decision based on what they said. I went to many different seminars before I chose my surgeon also. It was such an obvious difference sometimes to hear the different ideas they have about WLS in general. Most of them I felt like were only about the money. Obviously, they have to make a living but I wanted someone who really put more into my care than that and I found someone who I truly have to say cares about her patients and is great with follow up. Good Luck on whatever you choose.

Good for you! Keep up the good work!

Yeah for you! Doesn't it feel so good to say you didn't partake? Congrats!

I totally disagree. My NUT is not against this and it is a requirement for me on my fill day for a 24 hour period. I have absolutely no desire to binge the next day and think it is ridiculous to think it would cause a binge. In my opinion, a 24 hour liquid day should not spark a binge the next day. For me, the whole point is to cleanse and start fresh the day after the liquids and then 24 hours on mushies once my fill has been completed. Then I begin my solids again. Obviously, everyone should do what there surgeon recommends and what works for them.

I still sometimes get too loose after a fill. That is why this last time, I got filled a little more than usual to try and keep that tighter feeling. It takes a few times and until you reach that spot, it is difficult to have restraint. I have found that as time goes on, my development of healthier eating has become a matter of routine and it has made it a lot easier to stick to my goals.

I personally choose just not to eat burgers and ground red meat of any kind particularly from a fast food place. Full of fat and calories and something I am trying to avoid for now. I do very occasionally have some really lean sirloin but I usually don't end up eating more than a few bites before I find the taste offensive. I totally don't eat fries and heavily fried foods at this point. I have eaten chicken with a very light breading and pan fried at home and it kind of settles my wanting something fried and doesn't wreck my goals. But always with steamed veggies.

Elfie, I do liquids once a month which is on my fill day and do that for 24 hours. It does seem to jump start me and is a necessity. I usually lose a few pounds after that because I am initially so tight and I don't really eat much for a week or so afterward.

I spoke to my new personal trainer today and he said the same thing. I will be doing my cardio and weights at the same time and the other portions of my workout. Also, since I do treadmill in the mornings, as he and I discussed, I will be doing that and then going straight to complete the rest of my workout with him. They also do bootcamp once a month and I am not ready for that yet but when I am, I will be attending it as well.

You are definitely doing the right thing in my opinion. It sounds like you have a good handle on it and know what to do. And you already know that continuing is defeating the purpose of your band. And I am sure the intent is not to be so tight you can't eat the proper solid foods. The last fill I had, I felt too restricted even as I was walking out of the office so I sat in the waiting room for a few minutes and realized I couldn't even swallow so I went back in and they did a small unfill. I noticed the difference immediately and had no problems afterward. I have my next fill today and I am planning on doing that again after my fill I will waiting in the waiting area before I leave to be sure I am not too tight. I live rather far away and don't want to have to suffer through coming back or waiting for another appointment if it is too much. Good Luck and keep us posted.

I agree it has to begin slowly and you have to work yourself up to it but it has been so beneficial to me in so many more ways than just the weight loss. It feels so good to sweat and get the toxins out of you and It gets my mind off of everything and I completely zone out when I am exercising. When I began, I could only walk the treadmill flat for about .25 miles. Now, I am on an incline and up to 3.5 miles a day and I am weight training right after. I am going to a fitness trainer today to help me get rid of the middle section which I can't seem to thin out. They say it is the last thing to go and mine is just sticking around literally. I hate it and want it gone. Anyway, I continue to increase my routine as my body allows and I am also suprised at how easy it becomes to add a little more. I try to add more weekly and intensify my routine. It makes a world of difference in how I feel, how full I stay and how I sleep. It has really helped my sleeping a great deal.

This is definitely a difficult time of the year to be pre-op or newly post-op. Can't imagine it. Find something good to do and get your mind off of it. Looking at all that beautiful food can be very trying. Just think of how great you will feel soon as you are shedding the pounds and keep that will power! LOL