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Find something that you really want and promise yourself it if you make your goal. You do not have that much to go but I know at your age everything is busy and on the go and so much involves food. This is the way I look at it, the next 6 months are going to past no matter what. You can spend it eating or losing weight. What is a few months out of your life? Count your blessing you only have a small amount to lose. You would have never gone through the process if you didn't really want this. Do you have a support group you can go to with younger people, you need support and I think the same age range is good. If you have trouble cutting way back kick up your workout and burn it off. A lot of people do Zumba and are loving it or go in your room and close the door and dance for 30 minutes a night in your room to your favorite music that is a good easy workout, go to the mall and walk all around several times, you can do that hot or cold, dry or raining. Start changing something everyday 1 day no ice cream, next add the Water you are suppose to drink, then start to workout, find that support group or find a counselor that will help you find out what makes you want to eat You could go cold turkey and just make up your mind and do it or take small steps. By next summer you will be in those small sizes and feeling great, you can so this. Can't find a support group? Start a thread looking for people in your area on that. I have done that twice and we are a small group but we help each other. Email, talk on the phone it helps so much Cheri

I agree way too low in my opinion up to at least 1000? Cheri

I saw once on “Big Medicine” that they had to do ER surgery on someone to remove a popcorn kennel that was stuck and would not move no matter what. I know a lot of people eat popcorn with no problem. What was funny about if was it was Dr. Davis' (of Houston) sister and she flew in from I think New York for him to do the surgery. For those of you not from Houston Dr. Gath Davis and his father are great respected surgeons and authors here in Houston and they did a reality show about the process of getting WLS. I thought it was very true to the process to get WLS. Wish it was still on. Cheri

My surgeon did give me fills very slowly ½ cc a time and I lost 84 lbs with only 3.8 cc in my 10 cc band. It wasn't until my Surgeon retired that I had to go to a new one and he filled me too full as I am now. Waiting for a slight unfill. Loved my surgeon and many people will says how great and nice he was. He was involved early on with the clinical trials with the FDA and trained many of the surgeons in Houston on the LapBand. But he believed in filling slowly and I think it helped me to get use to the band. If I went in for a fill I knew he was expecting that I would have lost 10 - 15 lbs in order for a fill. Once I went in sooner and wanted a fill and he really wanted me to wait, so I lied and told him that I was getting hungry in between meals so he gave me a ½cc fill which I put up with for a month and then went in and begged for a slight unfill which he gave me of .02cc and the relief was wonderful, so never lie to your surgeon. Slower is not always bad. But you also have to remember many factors go into how fast you lose. But only you know if you are following the diet, sneaking food, drinking your Water, getting your protien in, working out. The fills don't do the work in my opinion they only help. Some people never get a fill. But I am proof that you can lose with only a small amount of fill so look at the whole picture and see if you can find what you are missing Also since this is your first couple of posts don't feel like people are ganging up on you, tough love is what some people need others need a softer touch and it seems you are getting both. I do agree that if you have not tried low carb you should. i always lose good on it but I just can't do it for very long and my dr said it is unrealistic to try to maintain like that it is too hard, but a lot of people do and it works for them. Guess I am a wimp and have to have a few carbs Cheri

I agree great post Dave! I do believe that people watch us in our WLS journey. I would never approach someone but would not shy away if someone asked me about how I lost weight. I am not ashamed of being fat and then having WLS, I know I have tried so many times on my own and i just needed some help. Also Dave, you are a great inspiration to people who have never met you so I am sure it is double when they have the pleasure of knowing you in person. But I do hear people say they have taken their Doctor's business cards and handed them out to overweight people they have seen in public not people who asked but just people they thought could use it. What do you think about that? I would be so upset if someone handed a WLS business card and it would put me in a deep depression even if they meant well it would still hurt. I know that is NOT what you did and not what your post is about but I would like to hear what people think about that. To me it would be like being overweight and someone asking you when you are due. (okay men you would not know that feeling but just imagine it) Also I would never lie about having the surgery. I have known a friend since our children were in grade school and they are all grown now. She knew I had the band and we talked about it at different get togathers that we saw each other at over the year I was losing. Well I ran into her the other day and she was so skinny, I mean skinny. I told her how GREAT she looked and she said, "Well I just cut back the last couple of months" She had lost a minimum of 150 lbs and looked great but did she think I was stupid? I saw her daughter-in-law and mentioned it and she said yes she had the Bypass we both agreed how great she looked but why the lie? I do not understand it. I was never mean about me having surgery and her not. We talked about the good and the bad, also her sister had the band when they first started doing them and it was common knowledge no one was judgemental. I would never say I know you had the bypass but it makes things uncomfortable. She really looks great and I would have loved to loose as fast as she did but we chose different surgeries and I am happy for her as I believe she is happy for me but why lie? Any thoughts? Cheri

Enjoy it. You worked hard for it!!! Cheri

To me I seem to have more trouble with non-meat items like soy patties, veggie burgers and stuff like that but I eat them anyway due to the fat in regular meat and my Doctor makes me take the evil little Crestor pills. Try adding some type of sauce to it to help it go down and take tiny, tiny bites. It could even be that your pouch was not ready for that particular type of texture of food yet. The Bands have a mind of their own. Just keep trying it but take tiny bites with some type of sauce with it. Maybe one meal take just one bite and then switch to something else next meal add another couple of bites. A lot of trouble but helps. I know this is probably not good advice put please take it with me saying that. I had a friend who told me to keep from suffering the hurt of being stuck or trying to force it up . . . take a drink (not a sip but a drink) of hot (not headted but not cold) diet soda it will go down and up right back straight up with whatever is stuck. It does work and I have done it a few times to keep from forcing something up BUT please note it with come right back up so be somewhere where you can handle that. So many people are told not to drink soda but believe me you are not drinking it because it is an auto reject. But do as your Dr says always, but it works for me. Cheri

I still have that pain everytime I eat a meal, drink a whole protien shake, or 2 large cups of coffe at a time. There is a nerve there from what I have been told when the pouch thinks it has has a meal it presses on a nerve that causes pain. That is what my surgeon told me. I have had it for about 2 years I just accepted as part of the Band. Talk to your doctor it could be something else but maybe not! Cheri

You know we started out with not too nice words to each other. We could start over and be nice to each other. I do not think I badger people but . . . maybe I come across like that, if so I am sorry. I have very different views on a lot of things than you but that is what this is all about everybody's opinions all mixed together. So I say to Sanction sorry if I offened you or came on too strong in other posts in your direction again, sorry and will try harder to accept everybodie's opinion as just that. Sometimes when we read things instead of hearing them it seems like there is an attitude with it and I think that happens between you and I. What do you think? Friends? Cheri

Too funny! Sorry everybody but the first thought I had was smoking crack . . . .part of my family is really into drugs so first thing that came to mind. But glad it was the other crack LOL. Cheri

I was a July 2009 Banster too. I am down 84lbs. but cant seem to lose the last 20 I would like to lose but no problems with the band. Wishing you good luck to all who are changing to a different WLS. If had problems I would do the same Cheri

You look great! You must have one happy wife or girlfriend! I know you must feel as good as you look! How about the depression? Any better since losing the weight. I suffer from clinical depression and it seems to be the same but the anxiety is much better since losing. Again you look great!! Congratulations! Cheri

Most people are not stupid enough to think the information that is shared here replaces what a Doctor says. You can read on here all the time that people went to the ER and their experiences we can learn from that. There are people on here who are scared to go to the Doctor or some who are ashamed because they have gain some weight. Whats wrong with people talking about it. Encouraging them? Why does it bother you so much? Almost everyone one adds but do what your Doctor says somewhere in the thread. It is a discussion not a medical class 99.9% of the people know that. Cheri

I love this place too. Everybody going through the same things. Also there are a few people that I really respect and love to read their posts such as Elcee and Jachut and some others. We are missing some who like Elcee and Jachut were really great posters who left, but I am glad they were here when I was first banded. Cheri

I am planning on having mine till the day I die. If it was removed my weight would start going up pretty fast. I have no problem losing but always gain it in back in a year or two. Who knows if I will ever have problems and have to have it removed, if that happens I will move on to whatever is new and proved to be safe. Even though I have learned a new way to eat and get more exercise I know my body, can't do it alone, been there done that. Cheri

Sounds like a repeat that I have seen before. It is so untrue. We wish that is all we ate. I don't think anybody could live on the amount of food they said they ate. Your body would go into starvation mode right away and your body would shut down to conserve calories and they would not lose. This is posted in the Pre-surgery section so I say to you do not go into this thing thinking that is what you are going to eat because it is not true. Most people eat about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of Protein PER meal along with veggies. I know when this first aired there was a thread about it so I think you could search for it and read what was said by Banded people who watched it back then. It was after I was banded so it had to be in the last 2 years. It might not be the same one but it sounds like it. Cheri

Don't be ashamed they are there to help you! They see it all the time I am sure for many different reasons. Cheri

I have been taking Super Cleanse made by Natures Secret I buy it online from the The Vitiam Shoppe and when you find how much you need you will go 3 times a day and when you go it is normal, no running to the bathroom or pains or gas you just go. You might need to cut the pills in half I do but no problem. I take 3 a day everyday. I love it You can buy it at the store too but it is so much cheaper online. Cheri

You look beautiful! You should be so proud of yourself! Wish I would have done it at your age! Hope your Dad has a shotgun around to keep the boys away!! Cheri

Said prayer for you too! Get better soon!! Cheri

My daughter-in-law has Lupus and my best friend has Fibromyalgia. I am so sorry for you. Have you lost a large amount of your hair? That is a sign of Lupus too. It is very hard sometimes to tell if it is Lupus. My daughter-in-law has dealt with it since she was a teenager and now she is in her late twenties and her's is not very active in the last few years. They told her probably no children and we have two beautiful little blue eyed, blonde hair girls and she had no trouble at all. But she had all the signs of it you have, but she had a lot of hair loss in the beginning. They check her through blood tests. My friend who has Fibromyalgia has her good days and bad days. She takes no meds as she does not like the way they make her feel, she is banded too. But if someboday hugs her it hurts her so bad. I hope they find out what it is soon for you. In the meantime take it easy and let your body rest if it needs too. You have lost a lot of weight just think how much harder it would be to deal with if you were still carry that weight. Hoping things get better for you soon. You should look up the support groups for both of these as they might can give you some ideas to help you. Cheri

[quote name=1.No Band. 2. A Port and no Band. 3.A Band and No port. I am not joking.This really happens! If you are considering Lap Band for Pete's sake, go to a Bariatric Center For Excellence in the USA and have it done by a legit doctor no matter what the cost!!!! And,how would anyone know if they got ripped off???I mean you can't look inside your own belly and see if the band is there! That is so horrible. My husband was born in Mexico and grew up there. Some of his family still lives there but I would never go to Mexico to have surgery. Not because there are no great surgeons and Drs there but how do you know which ones are in it for the money or to help people. The country and the people are so poor that it would not surprise me at all. A few years ago my sister-in-law (also from Mexico) went to Dr and he told her she had a cyst the size of a grapefruit and needed surgery, when she got back home she went to Dr here and they did the same ultra sound and said it was scar tissue also did MRI nothing but scar tissue. Very scary!! I wanted the surgery so bad and no insurance and the thought never crossed my mind to go to Mexico as I just never would. And for everybody who did go to Mexico and everything was great and you are doing good I say count your blessings! I have spent a lot of time in Mexico over the last 31 years that I have been married and yes things are cheaper but is it really safe. I say no. Also to the Thread starter, I am so sorry the Band did not work for you, I agree it sounds like you did not have a Surgeon who cared about aftercare which is so important. You have to put it behind you and stop blaming yourself. I hope you find something that works for you and you can be happy again. I think you should spread the word as to who your surgeon was so others will not go through the same thing. Good luck to you. Cheri