GoingforGoal

(raising hand) I am one of those 'liars' ahhahaha. There's only 3 people who know I have the band (mom, MIL and my hubby...oh and of course everyone here). I have a long list of reasons for not disclosing: 1) It's kind of like disclosing your sexuality- why is it your business and why do you care LOL 2) I am not interested in educating every individual I encounter as to what the band is, why I did it, how it works, drawing diagrams etc..because you know that's exactly what will happen 3) I am not interested in the feedback. Too many people go into lecture mode, are judgemental, etc and you don't know which ones are which until you share this kind of info. A great test...ask them in a general convo what do you think about people who get wls? what about less invasive ones like the band? and see what you get. I'm not interested in being anyone's target for the sake of 'conversation' 4) I, unlike most people here, have been fortunate to have moved around a bit. This is a blessing in disguise because I've never been anyone long enough for people to see the heeps of weight pooring off of me. There was nothing to justify. People would see small drops and this is easily accomplished through healthier eating habits. Now with that being said, on the very rare occassion if someone is discussing getting wls, or feels hopelessly obese etc..I will share my story with them in hopes to give them an option or simply to educate them if they have q's on their own surgery. I am not ashamed of having wls, but to me, it's just not something I have to share

Nice and thank you for posting the +'s Those are inspiring to all of us

Here's the unfortunate part of the band..you get a fill and it starts out tight..than with time it slacks off. So we all juggle with the, will it loosen up in a couple days, maybe a week in which you would be at that perfect green spot. However, if you are having symptoms of pain and are unable to eat/drink adequately time is not on your side. Best thing to do is get partial unfill. It is amazing how only 0.1cc can do the trick. Side note to newbies: I hope noone gets the impression that (figurative numbers here>>>) if you are at 3.5 and feel nothing that suddenly 3.6cc will be your magic bullet (green). Typically an overfill is what brings you over your threshold. For instance say you were at 3cc and your doc gives you 2 more=5cc. Now from partial restriction you are too tight. After taking let's say 0.5cc out of the band you are at green. It's because he overshot your green zone without knowing. This is why unfills are essential because it's not an exact science or number you have to feel your way to it. Also understand that as you get closer to green your fills will be substantially smaller. We typically start with 3cc fills, than 2, than 1s but right now I get 0.1-0.3cc fills to tighten me up once a year at most. Hope this helps

It's funny. Not all of us had preop diets, I being one of them. But my hubs did. He had 2 weeks of liquids and was perfect on it..until the last day. I ate 'clean' but not liquids etc until the last day as well. The last day was like a grieving process. I had this thought in my head I would never eat x, y, z ever again so I the equivalent of a last supper experience. But 4 years down the road and in hindsight I say binging on any 'lasts' is not necessary. First, you won't even remember what you ate so that rewarding experience only starts and ends the day you eat it. Second, you will eat most foods in moderation in the future etc. Now with that being said, you are about to succomb to a liquid preop diet and a couple weeks of transitionary feeding which can be a bit of bare. So eat healthy, start some good habits, eat in moderation and treat yourself intermittently. This is afterall, the end goal

Maz, liquids only. The problem w/ antiinflammatories w/ the band is that if it sits in the pouch and begins to dissolve it'll effect the tissue by the band. This can lead to erosion of the band where it gets imbedded into the esophogeal tissue. Which requires surgery for removal etc. Just ask doc for liquid OR IV med is really necessary

Ahhh yes that voice...the one who not only told us we couldn't do it, but gave us reasons it was ok not to do it today, tomorrow and the next day. You are correct, that voice has a name, self sabotage. This voice was created with our first failed attempt to lose weight and it's been reinforced with every subsequent failure. I know when we first get the band, the weight typically just melts off with what seems like little effort on our behalf. And than reality hits, oh no we actually have to start controlling our choices again? <Intro self sabotage voice> It's amazing, there are these milestone we all have for ourselves. My first was under 200, than my original goal of 175, oh and just to be 160=normal weight, than goal etc. Every time I came close to this threshold I had this mental block...can I do it? is it possible? I've wanted to this for so long..is it really happening this time? or this is it, this is where the buck stops..no more loss for me..its just not for me... Pshhhht- not only did I get pass the threshold I overcame it. But I confess, it happened with each of these monumental milestones. Why? My personal take is that these milestones have significant relevance to us (ie 200 was before kids for me AND its the 100 zone, 175 I remember being a size 14 at this weight..oh what I would do to be a 14 again, 160 lowest weight ever etc). I also remember, as I got older how much harder it was to get to the first goal nontheless 150!!!. These milestones are significant and meaningful. We want them so bad and almost gave up on ever seeing them again. Alas when they come it's almost surreal. The funny thing is that this doesnt go away. I am 150-155 and want to lose 5 mesely pounds..can I do it...will it happen.. blahblah. How absurd huh. But you know something else 1) those old goals seem so far away and I will never see them again and 2) Ive worked so damn hard to reach all these goals that I'll never let go of my wl. Just turn to self sabotage voice and say "Voice, you no longer have a say...so shutup before I put a band around your mouth" lol

Greetings. I know this post will be contradictory to everything you just read. So bare with me... Here in the US, the band is typical for BMI 40 and higher (35 w/ comorbidities) However, this can be circumvented if you are self pay as there are no insurance hoops to jump through. Our peers in other countries (Europe and Australia specifically) have been doing this much longer and many of their participants are lower in BMI. I would be assumptive to believe their average 'obese' person in their population is not the same as ours. I am not sure at what your height is, but for me 195-200 would be a BMI of 30 for me. And for me, that is obese an unacceptable standard. And despite differing opinions, if you were to ask bandsters if they would find it acceptable to remove the band at BMI 30 because they are not fat enough anymore, they would all balk. I get peeved when I hear others state whom they feel is an appropriate candidate for the procedure. It is likened to family and friends discouraging someone from the band because they deem it drastic. Because hey, all you have to do is eat less right? But in reality, you are suffering like the rest of us. You can mask it with all the positives you want, but in reality, you are out of control and struggle with maintenance like the rest of us. We just managed to gain more. I am certain you can find others here who have the same habits (ie binging etc) and ended up in the yo-yo effect you are living out. Whether you are 300, 250 or 200 the lifestyle, the habits are the same. The negative effects you are having on your body are not mitigated by the 'healthy cholesterol and low sugar' bit. Your playing havoc on your metabolism, wasting muscle weight with fat and setting yourself up for easier weight gain each and every time you reattempt to lose. This is the bodies natural response to this kind of loss-gain-loss-gain cycle. So let's talk mental for a minute. You avoid life as a consequence of being overweight. You feel devalued at work. You feed the emotions etc. This is more of a burden than the weight itself wouldn't you agree? It's the impact fat has on your life, your decisions and your relationships that create this vicious cycle. If all your efforts are unsuccessful, or temporary, you need another solution. We all sat at this intersection and had to determine if the band was that solution. Sure you and I have different circumstances, but our needs are the same. Being vegan you should already be savvy on how to achieve minimum Protein levels through your current diet. I personally find vegan Proteins (ie tofu, Beans etc) much easier to digest than meat proteins so, in reality, you may have a head start on us. Can you achieve 80g min of healthy protein daily in your current diet? Recognize you will be limited to about 1c of food per serving. If so, than you'll be like the rest of us calculating protein levels and finding creative solutions to achieve those numbers. As for the longevity/success of the band. If you want a guarantee, you won't get one...that's true for any diet or wls procedure. However, the band is designed to be placed once and for the life of the patient. True, some need revisions, repairs, replacements or removals for various reasons. But this is still the minority statistic. Much of the success is up to the patient to be compliant. But side note, specific to maintenance. I too was easy at losing weight initally. My issue was always maintenance as I reverted back to old habits. And this is where the band saved me personally. After getting banded I lost 50 lbs easy. THan got pregnant, than had a bad accident that put me into rehab for ovr 8 months. That's 18 months of not dieting. But unlike my 1st pregnancy where I gained 50 lbs, I only gained 20 w/ the band which I readily lost after the pregnancy. And because I am horrible stress eater, I ate poorly the entire 8 months I was in rehab. I would equate it to preop eating but the trick was..I couldnt eat as much. Would you believe I didnt gain weight?!?!?! And in January when symptoms got better I decided it was time to start again and I lost another 50 lbs. There is no way I could have done it w/out the band. Even today, I have a +3lb rule. Where when I go easy on myself and eat more freely, I will go back to strict eating if I gain more than 3 lbs to maintain. It's harder to gain 3+ lbs as it was before and thus I find maintenance to be a cinch. This is how the band can help someone like you. I know that if I did not have the band, not only would I gain weight back readily, but I would find maintenance an impossibility long term. And that's how the band serves me. Just my personal take on it.

dingding that would be me too Couple things.. 1. I get busy so I don't become preoccupied w/ my emotions. Distraction and exercise both are great emotional relievers so if you can do that before hitting the pantry you'll divert overeating 2. There are high stress days I just fail to overcome my emotional state. yesterday was a great example. And I started eating. Unlike before, i dont graze..because that can go on all day long ey. Instead I intentionally eat a full meal. I can't eat much of it afterall. However, if I feel full it really thwarts grazing because it's uncomfortable. I know I'll have probably added calories to my overall daily intake, but only by a few hundred not a thousand. Plus I can usually compensate for it the next day so there's no impact on my weight

Don't worry about the steri strips just let them fall off naturally. just pull them off in showers when they are hanging by their last threads

Truly sorry for you loss Congrats on your recommitment to your health. Sometimes we do take life for granted... we simply can't do that. Your sis would be proud of her bro

..and many more

Since the only thing that has changed is the fill, than start there. Get a partial unfill. Test it out for a week or more and see if this resolves you stomach pain. If not, take out more until it does. 8cc in less than 3 months is very aggressive. I am 4 yrs banded and at 5.5cc. However, that is not to say that is the norm. But it took me well over 5 months just to get to the 5cc mark. Do you have a 10 or 14cc band Last note: Despite the great feeling of losing quick weight, that is not the goal. And we certainly should not be accomodating pain to do so. Unfortunately we somtimes have to take a step back to move forward, otherwise, severe complications can result that will bring you all the way back to step 1

Hello, When you go in for fills they are elective, never required. However, you and your doctor will determine what is best based on a few criteria. Those usually include: 1. Are you losing adequate weight 2. Do you NOT have adverse symptoms (stuck episodes, gerd) 3. Do you feel satiated If the answer is yes to all 3 than a fill can be postponed. Answer no to any of them and that will lend to a fill or unfill. You are brand new and sounds like things are going well for you. Keep in mind that things can change within days or weeks so keep self evaluating for when you feel you may need that fill. The goal is to get to green for optimal loss and food management. Good luck hon

Oh you look mavvvalous darling

I wouldn't be worried. Sometimes different docs, nurses etc have better techniques than others when finding and manipulating the port with both their hands and the needle. Sometimes they just overmanipulate the tissue, or give a lidocaine injection too quickly etc. Call the doc if you see the bruise swell, spread or become fluid filled.

Not for me either

lol I know it seems funny, but I remember how damn happy I was to 'just' overweight and than 'finally' <whatever that means lol. Congrats on a job well done

No regrets. I kept a level head and my expectations were sensible. I'm at goal and as happy as can be. No complications either

Docs will say alcohol can increase GERD symptoms and the acidity of the stomach. So you definitely want to wait until you have regular solid meals at bare minimum. But consult w/ doc on his preference.

Im scheduled 10/8, please show us your updates when you are up for it. Thanks for the share

Wow! I'm so impressed by your preband loss...simply amazing. Congrats on the before and after loss...200 lbs is definitely a great accomplishment wootwoot

Hello CLG, First, the hiatal hernia. Alot of bandsters had HH and were able to have it removed during the same surgery. Definitely keep your doctor abreast to coordinate those 2 surgeries at the same time= less recovery time. If your insurance does not pay for lapband they may pay for the hiatal hernia portion of the surgery (which means less the anesthesia, setup/supplies/equipment and recovery bed etc). Bonus for you! As for the difference between the band and other diets... The band is a unique tool that restricts your portion intake. It creates a second smaller stomach pouch on top of the band which typically holds 1/2c-1c of food per meal. On average it only stays in that pouch for a handful of minutes before funneling into the second (original) stomach for digestion. However, alot happens in those few minutes. 1) signals are sent to the brain to say you are full and typically after 1 cup you are indeed full and 2) when you have reached the limit of your pouch it becomes uncomfortable to eat more and discourages overeating. Now I realize reading that makes it sound like you eat no food (1 cup seems so little right) and how would you ever be content on such small portions of food. But the reality is, you will be content and that is the magic bullet right there. No other diet provides that. All diets are about self control. But what happens when you become weak..you splurge, you binge, you repeat the process and weight packs on. The band (for me) prevents that viscious cycle from starting. And that has been my lifesaver. I indulge in just about every food, but whereas I use to eat 2-3 slices of pizza, I can only eat 1/3 of one slice, or when I use to easily eat a dozen+ Cookies, 2 will do etc. I hope this helps you and good luck in whatever you decide

woohoo, have fun

Nothing wrong with is, just eyeball the calories and compensate. What goes down is highly individual on lapband so just keep mental thoughts as to which foods cause too much discomfort.

I don't want to assume, but did you carry most of your weight in your stomach area? It is very common to lose from the extremities, breasts, and face before (or more) before the stomach. It's harder to appreciate weight loss where the bulk of your weight exists. You can be losing equal amounts but the results look more noticeable in smaller weighted areas like your neck. Unfortunately there's lots of research on target exercise and it simply doesn't work (ie you can do a bunch of stomach isolation exercises and expect a lean stomach). The best approach is a full body workout + cardio. Just keep at it, you are doing great.