debbiefish

I am also from Spring and am 2 yrs post band. This is the best thing you could possibly do for your family and yourself. I have been at goal for over a year. Good luck.

Good luck...being on the liquids after is the most difficult time. I'm 2 yrs banded and went from a size 16 to a size 4. This was the best thing I had ever done. I thought I was getting old because of the sore joints and getting tired by the end of the day, but I am 46 and feel better than I did when I was 30. Follow the docs instructions on eating progression, because this will be a key factor in keeping your band healthy and losing the weight. Keeping a food diary is also very helpful, my RD recommended 6 small meals daily and it worked very well. Some meals were only a yogurt(SF and FF of course) or a handful of almonds, but I never felt deprived after getting off the liquids. Good luck.

I had the surgery two years ago and weighed 210 and have been at 140 for over 1yr. I only have a small amount of saggy skin on my lower belly. I became much more active (mostly because I felt like it..no more sore feet or breathing problems) and I think that helped some. If you have had children, that may be the main reason for the saggy skin, the fat just had it filled in before. Good luck...this will be the best thing you ever did for yourself and your family!!!

It may take you a few fills to get to your "sweet spot" I am over 1 year banded and it took me 4-5 months to get there. I still lost wt each month, but by the time I was to go in for a fill, I could eat more, I haven't had a fill since March. I am at goal and feel moderate restriction that keeps me there.

If I think I will have a problem eating out, I opt for soup.

Well I am 12 days post band, and have lost 13#. I am going to have to hide the scales though, I find I am getting on them 2-3 times daily. I go back to the doctor in 2 days for my 1st check up. I am not sure if I will get a fill or not. I think I need a small one, because I can now hold what I feel is too much ( a cup) at a time and most of the time I am hungry again in 2-3 hours. I am watching the protein though to make sure I get enough for healing. Skim milk is my snack when I am hungry before mealtime and I guess the calcium is good for me. In 2 days I can start back walking and I can't believe I am looking forward to it. I have set a mini goal...for Oct.8...I will be 2 months out and I hope to have lost 30#. I have a meeting and only one saved suit that I can barely squeeze into, but not wear out in public that I hope will fit. I spent the weekend with my daughter inventing new recipes for the mushy stage and have a few high protein ones that are really wonderful. Crab augratin...with ff ricota and swiss cheese was wonderful and 1/2 c had 20g protein and only 220 calories, kept me full for 5 hours. All for now...gotta go to work.

Well I am 12 days post band, and have lost 13#. I am going to have to hide the scales though, I find I am getting on them 2-3 times daily. I go back to the doctor in 2 days for my 1st check up. I am not sure if I will get a fill or not. I think I need a small one, because I can now hold what I feel is too much ( a cup) at a time and most of the time I am hungry again in 2-3 hours. I am watching the protein though to make sure I get enough for healing. Skim milk is my snack when I am hungry before mealtime and I guess the calcium is good for me. In 2 days I can start back walking and I can't believe I am looking forward to it. I have set a mini goal...for Oct.8...I will be 2 months out and I hope to have lost 30#. I have a meeting and only one saved suit that I can barely squeeze into, but not wear out in public that I hope will fit. I spent the weekend with my daughter inventing new recipes for the mushy stage and have a few high protein ones that are really wonderful. Crab augratin...with ff ricota and swiss cheese was wonderful and 1/2 c had 20g protein and only 220 calories, kept me full for 5 hours. All for now...gotta go to work.

I was banded last week, I am 5'4" and 203 preband. My BMI is 35 and I have highblood pressure and hx of diabetes in my family. My insurance is United and they approved in 2-3 weeks. Some physician's offices are very good in working with the insurance companies to get approval. So far it is worth the trouble of going through the process. What is a few months of headaches with the paperwork and recovery for a lifetime tool and better health?

I was banded 1 week ago in Houston, the time waiting to be banded seemed longest...the few days after I wondered what I had done to myself, mostly due to dehydration and not able to drink enough, and now I feel great and not any different than before other than at meals. Your stomach will be somewhat swelled and mine has now gone down to presurgery. I have already lost 9# (this was in the first 4 days) and the jeans are getting droopy already!!! :clap2: I am just moving from liquids to mushy and can only eat what before banding would have been a taste. This morning was 1/2 of a soft scrambled egg with 1/3c skim milk before I ate the egg, and I was full. 6 oz of FF SF yogurt is also a "big" meal for me now. It is suprising to me at the small amount that will fill me up. As for liquids I am able to hold more but I am exciting for getting back the chewing experience. Are there any specific things you are curious about?

Well, I decided to start this journal to help in tracking progress, both physical and mental through this journey. I had my lap band surgery on August 8th. I am 4 days out, and day 3 was terrible.:sick I had gotten dehydrated and not realized it for most of the day. I am now drinking at least 24 oz. of gatorade daily to combat. I am still on the protein supplement that no one else seems to have heard of Prostat 101, because on the liquids I couldn't see any other way to get enough. With the Prostat, I take 1 oz twice daily and it provides 15gms of protein. I think I have lost about 10 pounds, but went out to get a new set of scales today so that I could be more accurate during this process. My preband weight was 202.5 and today my weight is 192.5. 10#!!!! :clap2: I know is will slow down considerably, but maybe I'll be able to make my goal of 30# in 60 days.My stomach is still quite swelled from the surgery, and I am curious if anyone else noticed this and how long it would last. I went to lunch with my sister in law today and had the broth from chicken noodle soup, even ate a couple of the noodles and had no problems. I chewed them up very well and ate very slowly. She and my brother are visiting this weekend and I think we will go out to dinner tonight, I may try some crab bisque. It is probably too rich, but I am only able to take in about 3 oz. anyway the protein should be good for me. I have a friend that I hope this will encourage to go for the band. He has had multiple knee and hip surgery and I think would be a whole new person...especially with his health. More later!:biggrin1:

Well, I decided to start this journal to help in tracking progress, both physical and mental through this journey. I had my lap band surgery on August 8th. I am 4 days out, and day 3 was terrible.:sick I had gotten dehydrated and not realized it for most of the day. I am now drinking at least 24 oz. of gatorade daily to combat. I am still on the protein supplement that no one else seems to have heard of Prostat 101, because on the liquids I couldn't see any other way to get enough. With the Prostat, I take 1 oz twice daily and it provides 15gms of protein. I think I have lost about 10 pounds, but went out to get a new set of scales today so that I could be more accurate during this process. My preband weight was 202.5 and today my weight is 192.5. 10#!!!! :clap2: I know is will slow down considerably, but maybe I'll be able to make my goal of 30# in 60 days.My stomach is still quite swelled from the surgery, and I am curious if anyone else noticed this and how long it would last. I went to lunch with my sister in law today and had the broth from chicken noodle soup, even ate a couple of the noodles and had no problems. I chewed them up very well and ate very slowly. She and my brother are visiting this weekend and I think we will go out to dinner tonight, I may try some crab bisque. It is probably too rich, but I am only able to take in about 3 oz. anyway the protein should be good for me. I have a friend that I hope this will encourage to go for the band. He has had multiple knee and hip surgery and I think would be a whole new person...especially with his health. More later!:biggrin1: