aghealthy

It has been a while since I logged in here. But Almost 3 years later I am 6 pounds from goal weight of 140 and I have lost 100 pounds! I lost 68lbs in first year and 20 lbs each year thereafter. I have not worked out so would have been faster if I did that! But went to see Dr Rantis today and band position looks good! I have a 10cc band and it is filled to 5.25ccs and no more restriction needed! I am a size 6 and it feels great! Foods that have been eliminated from diet are Soda and Soft Bread. Everything else is eaten on strict portion control! This has been the best decision I have ever made! I have had no health or complication issues and blood work keeps coming back good. I am starting a home workout routing - Jullian Michaels Body Revolution to tone up. I have the occasional times that I eat too fast or dont chew enough and I get stuck but I have managed that pretty well by now. So for now, I am very happy and hope to reach my goal weight very soon and get back into shape!

It will be 3 years on October 22nd 2012 since my Lap Band surgery. I have reached 100lbs today and only 6 lbs more to go to reach my goal weight. Yes, I could have achieved faster if I worked out 3-5 times a week, but I am happy with my results. I lost 68lbs in the first year, and then 20 pounds each year after. I am a size 6!! so very happy - much better than size 20 My band is looking good and is filled to 5.25cc of a 10cc band. The doctor said I am doing great! Just wanted to share my success and hope others are doing great too!

Hi Nooshie and Cindylou00! Wow, you guys are at same place I am! I am about 68-70lbs lost since 10/22/2009 and the past 3 months have been very slow - hence the 68-70 pound lost! That makes me feel good that at least others are at same place I went from size 20 to loose 14 misses too! I want to lose another 38lbs but I have to do what Nooshie is doing and exersize, maybe that will get me out of plateau! I have restriction and my band definetely lets me know when I ate too fast or to much! I am sitting at 4.75cc out of 10cc band. I love my band I still measure food and portions have been controlled. My weakness is sweets so just need to cut those back and excersize and I think I will be well on my way to lose those last 38lbs :wink2: Looking forward to hearing from others - it helps to know if you are on track with others. Have a great day everyone!

It has been 1 year and 68lbs shed. I have 38 pounds to go. My 3rd fill was in March and that was very good. I had restriction and fullness. I lost approximately 35 pounds from March till October. That is pretty good since my job was very stressful during that time. I did not lose any weight though in September and October. I just went back for a small fill. I had .25cc put in. I am now at 4.75cc in a 10cc band. I have not been to support groups or to this forumn since work got crazy so I getting back on track. I eat to many sweets that is my problem. But I have practiced good portion control. A half cup to cup is all I eat and then maybe 2oz of protein. If I eat too fast or too much, then I throw some back up. I don't really have any issues. No pain or erosion or slippage. The band was a good choice for me. My next goal is to get back to working out 3 times a week. My doctor says I will really see great results if I incorporate that in now. Now that I have the diet down, I do think excersize is going to be a great benefit. My weight loss has also brought on some muscle loss, so really need to tone up! Foods that I cannot eat - bread if not toasted, pretzels (bummer really like them) and dry meat. Other than that, all is good. I wish I could not sweets, but I guess that is why people get RNY. RNY was too drastic for me. Portion control is my weapon against obesity. I used to work out and work out and make healthy choices (not all the time but I did make good attempts) and it was still too many calories! Once the portion sizes were reduced hence the calories, it all came together for me. I guess that is why skinny people eat 2oz of protein and half cup of a side and are full and stay skinny! I view this phase as a new struggle. Make some additional changes to get to goal weight. Then it will be to maintain. I feel good and not so afraid to throw up anymore, although I try and really avoid at all costs if I can. We will see what my blood work comes back with I can now say I am a more seasoned bandster now, so let me know if I can be of help to anyone! Stay positive and measure your food :w00t:

I have not had pop in a year. Sometimes I try and have sip but it does not even taste good anymore - yeah! But my doctor said the same thing, erosion and stretching of the pouch size. I have also heard in some people they have pain if they drank too much. So I avoid too!

Hi - I did read about others not losing either. You are not alone. Just stick to the diet and really measure your food. Be careful about eating too few calories, that may also hinder your weight loss. Try to get 400 calories a meal and get in your snacks to avoid overeating. The first fill may not help but keep positive, your body will adjust and you will start to lose weight. Take a look thru some of the forum posts, I know others have struggled with the same thing you do. I just wanted you to know you are not alone and give it some time, it will all kick in. Good luck with the fill!

Hi All, I am down 68lbs and I was banded last October. I just went to see Doctor today and he took a look thru the xray machine and everything looks good! No erosion or slippage. I had him add .25cc so my total fill is 4.75cc in a 10ml band. I have about 38 more pounds to lose. I have hit a plateau which is why I had a small adjustment. But I need to incorporate more excersize and keep refining my diet. I am good with portion sizes but still eat to many sweets. My next goal is workout 3 times a week and be consistent with it. I will have to say I learned a lot this past year. If I eat too fast or too much, I will throw up. I used to be very scared about throwing up with slippage but as long you are not doing it all the time, it seems to be okay. I try very hard to avoid it though. My biggest lesson? Wow, eating 2oz of meat and 1/2 cup of a side really is enough food! Huh, must be why skinny people stay skinny - ha ha. Good luck with your goals everyone and keep up the great work!

Hi - good luck with Surgery! I have been banded for a year now. I will warn you, you will struggle with hunger until your band is filled to the point that is right for you. It is very important to stay on the diet and recommendations that they give you for the first 6 weeks. I won't lie - you will be hungry probably every 2 hours. But.... once you start getting fills it will get better. If you follow the doctors guidelines, you will still lose weight. That is why they call it Bandster Hell the first 6-8weeks. I now get hungry every 4 hours - which is normal. My band is at 4.5cc and it took 3 fills to get it right. You wont be hungry for the rest of your life, but do not expect it to be easy in the beginning since the band is not filled yet. Good luck and you will not regret this decision

Hello all October 2009 Bandsters.... I hope the past year has been a success for you. My year anniversary was 10/22/2010 and I have lost a total of 68lbs. The past 2 months I have maintained so going in to see doctor tomorrow. I have made progress and have learned a lot! It has been a very stressful year at work and for the first time in 7 years, I was able to lose or maintain my weight. I think that is progress. I have 38 pounds to go and I think this is the next phase of the learning process. Getting to your goal weight and probably hitting some struggles since it has been a year since being banded. Anyone have some good suggestions to get past the plateau and reach your goal weight? Would love to hear from you. Have a great day everyone!

Hi Everyone, I had my 3rd fill on March 15th 2010 and the Physicians Assistance put in 1cc - I am now at 4.5cc. Woa! I almost went back to get some taken out but I have adjusted. I think I am at my sweet spot now. I can only eat a 1/2 cup of food at a time and it does take me 30 minutes to eat. If I don't eat slowly or try to eat more, I get nauseated and a watery mouth. In the mornings I can tell my band is tighter. So yogurt is best for me. Since my fill, which was on 3/15/10 - I have lost another 14 pounds to date (4/10/10). So I am down a total of 45 pounds since October 22nd 2009! I won't be going back for a fill for a while. I have restriction and I eat 3 meals a day with a small snack sometimes in the afternoon. I have stuck with choosing healthy choices like Greek Yogurt, Low Sodium Turkey, Low fat cheeses, Veggies and Fruits, Chicken and Pork, Nuts ect. I really want to make sure I am picking the nutritrient rich foods since I am not taking in that much food. I want to be healthy on this journey. The one thing I have not done is get back to the gym. I am a little disappointed by my motivation to do that. I am fearful that I am losing Muscle and Bone mass and want to avoid that. But I just can't seem to get my butt in gear! I have a goal to start this month! My husband is very supportive of me and he has not been motivated to go to gym either, so I am hoping we can push each other to do this. The other thing I want to do is start seeing a therapist. I am a big believer in that half the challenge is mental. If you dont fix the emotional part then you will eventually go back to bad habits. I really want to make sure I don't go back to my unhealthy habits with food and portion sizes. So a couple key goals this month, workout and call therapist. I am going to attend the monthly support group in May at the hospital I received the surgery from. So that is my target, to be able to share that I have accomplished those items by then. I hope everyone is doing great on their journey and Happy Spring!:thumbup:

Hi Everyone, I had my 3rd fill on March 15th 2010 and the Physicians Assistance put in 1cc - I am now at 4.5cc. Woa! I almost went back to get some taken out but I have adjusted. I think I am at my sweet spot now. I can only eat a 1/2 cup of food at a time and it does take me 30 minutes to eat. If I don't eat slowly or try to eat more, I get nauseated and a watery mouth. In the mornings I can tell my band is tighter. So yogurt is best for me. Since my fill, which was on 3/15/10 - I have lost another 14 pounds to date (4/10/10). So I am down a total of 45 pounds since October 22nd 2009! I won't be going back for a fill for a while. I have restriction and I eat 3 meals a day with a small snack sometimes in the afternoon. I have stuck with choosing healthy choices like Greek Yogurt, Low Sodium Turkey, Low fat cheeses, Veggies and Fruits, Chicken and Pork, Nuts ect. I really want to make sure I am picking the nutritrient rich foods since I am not taking in that much food. I want to be healthy on this journey. The one thing I have not done is get back to the gym. I am a little disappointed by my motivation to do that. I am fearful that I am losing Muscle and Bone mass and want to avoid that. But I just can't seem to get my butt in gear! I have a goal to start this month! My husband is very supportive of me and he has not been motivated to go to gym either, so I am hoping we can push each other to do this. The other thing I want to do is start seeing a therapist. I am a big believer in that half the challenge is mental. If you dont fix the emotional part then you will eventually go back to bad habits. I really want to make sure I don't go back to my unhealthy habits with food and portion sizes. So a couple key goals this month, workout and call therapist. I am going to attend the monthly support group in May at the hospital I received the surgery from. So that is my target, to be able to share that I have accomplished those items by then. I hope everyone is doing great on their journey and Happy Spring!:thumbup:

Hi All Sounds like everyone is doing pretty good - coming up on Spring and I dont know about all of you - but I have some expectations of where my weight and health should be by Summer :biggrin: I had my surgery on Oct 22nd 2009 and I am down 35 pounds. I was hoping for a little more - but I go for another fill on 3/15 - which will be my third. I have also been getting a little bored with my food selection, so have been searching new ideas for lunch and snacks... anyone have some ideas please share! Hope to see some good ideas for lunches and snacks and until then - Have a Healthy Day!

I had my 2nd fill on 1/25/10 - after some reschedules from the Physians Assistant. I have a 10cc band and they added 1cc. My band is now 3.5cc. They did the fill on the xray machine and had me drink Barium. Very cool. The PA said before the fill - it was pretty wide open, then she put the 1cc in and it really did go to a very narrow stream. I must have been swollen first couple of days because I could feel water going through - slight pressure in chest, like something getting stuck. But after 2 days of full liquids and 2 days of Blended diet, it was better. I do have to be careful with how fast I eat now. It takes me much longer and I eat a lot less. This fill was great! I think I am out of Bandster hell! I am also glad they did the xray because it showed my band did not move at all - even though I had 2 days of vomitting due to the flu! Phew! That was a big relief to me. I have noticed that Bread is getting harder and harder to eat - so I will keep phasing it out of my diet. It just hurts too much to eat. Not worth it. I have lost 31 pounds since Oct 22nd - 10 pounds a month is not bad. I have not started exercising yet, but plan to this week. That will help with toning up and dropping pants sizes faster. I am not regretting getting the band at all. I love eating smaller amounts. But, bad habits are hard to break, like eating fast. I get reminded every time I eat. And eating smaller bites... it really is an adjustment. But I listen to my stomach closely and have kept up on the vitamins. Overall, I think I doing okay. I hope everyone else is doing great!

I had my 2nd fill on 1/25/10 - after some reschedules from the Physians Assistant. I have a 10cc band and they added 1cc. My band is now 3.5cc. They did the fill on the xray machine and had me drink Barium. Very cool. The PA said before the fill - it was pretty wide open, then she put the 1cc in and it really did go to a very narrow stream. I must have been swollen first couple of days because I could feel water going through - slight pressure in chest, like something getting stuck. But after 2 days of full liquids and 2 days of Blended diet, it was better. I do have to be careful with how fast I eat now. It takes me much longer and I eat a lot less. This fill was great! I think I am out of Bandster hell! I am also glad they did the xray because it showed my band did not move at all - even though I had 2 days of vomitting due to the flu! Phew! That was a big relief to me. I have noticed that Bread is getting harder and harder to eat - so I will keep phasing it out of my diet. It just hurts too much to eat. Not worth it. I have lost 31 pounds since Oct 22nd - 10 pounds a month is not bad. I have not started exercising yet, but plan to this week. That will help with toning up and dropping pants sizes faster. I am not regretting getting the band at all. I love eating smaller amounts. But, bad habits are hard to break, like eating fast. I get reminded every time I eat. And eating smaller bites... it really is an adjustment. But I listen to my stomach closely and have kept up on the vitamins. Overall, I think I doing okay. I hope everyone else is doing great!:smile2:

Hi Oliverdog - Hang in there! Try going back to 2 days liquid and 2 days blended diet to maybe get you back on track. That restricted diet really helps me! The 2nd fill forced that cycle for me :thumbup: I maintained over Christmas but got sick - so ended up losing a few more pounds due to just eating soup. But I got my 2nd fill on January 25 - I had 2.5cc and she gave me 1cc more. Boy! That made a difference. They did the fill under xray and you could see the amount that was going through before compared to after the fill. The first day I was able to feel even water going through - must have been swelling, because better now. But I am not eating as much. I have lost 9 pounds since Christamas and total 30 pounds. I figure 10 pounds a month is great results!

During the 4 week post op - liquids and soft and blended diet - I was hungry every two hours. My doctor said it was normal. Hang in there - solids will be better but don't rush it! Your stomach needs to heal even if you feel better. I was so hungry I thought my stomach would eat itself! Eat 4 oz every two hours and it will help. Increase your intake of Protein drinks, like High Protein Ensure. That will help. But, the reality is, you will need to eat every two hours, just measure and keep drinking Water. Once you move to solids you will make it every 3-4 hours It is normal and will get better after 4-6 weeks. Hang in there! You are doing great!!!

I stayed overnight because my insurance considers outpatient surgery as anything 24 hours and under. So overnight was still considered outpatient and no extra charge. I am glad I did. I have never had surgery before and the meds are great! So I slept great and was taken care of. It was a piece of mind for me. If your insurance is not going to charge anymore, why not stay and get the good meds they don't send you home with and the rest you need right after surgery. Good luck with Surgery! It is worth it

It has been 11 weeks and I have lost 22 pounds. I got my first fill on 12/3/09. They filled it to 2.5cc and my band is 10ccs. All good. I can tell it is there but also can tell I need more in my band. My second fill is 1/14/2010. I just have to take it slow when I first start to eat but other than that, a-okay. Until the Flu.... I got nervous and I hope 2 days of dry heaving and throwing up does not cause slippage. I took some prevacid and stuck to liquids for 3 days afterwards to allow my stomach to get better. I assume there was some swelling and irritation. No pain now and can eat again no problem. But still was concerned. I will mention it at my next appointment and see what they say. Has anyone experienced this and been okay? I am glad I have the band and no issues other than the obvious: break the habit of eating fast and chew food good. Pretzel rods are definitely a no. I love them too. Soft breads are hard to get down- so not worth the hassle. I am making better choices! Sometimes I do not get the difference between what it means by "band does not tolerate" and getting stuck. Both feel the same, like heart burn for a brief moment. So I don't think I know the difference between stuck and if I get heart burn from something that is not tolerated. I guess I need to ask more questions, I have never had heart burn before so this feeling is new to me. My journey continues! If anyone has insight on the flu and if a couple days could really cause slippage that would be great. And better explanation of stuck and just not tolerated. Happy New Year everyone!

It has been 11 weeks and I have lost 22 pounds. I got my first fill on 12/3/09. They filled it to 2.5cc and my band is 10ccs. All good. I can tell it is there but also can tell I need more in my band. My second fill is 1/14/2010. I just have to take it slow when I first start to eat but other than that, a-okay. Until the Flu.... I got nervous and I hope 2 days of dry heaving and throwing up does not cause slippage. I took some prevacid and stuck to liquids for 3 days afterwards to allow my stomach to get better. I assume there was some swelling and irritation. No pain now and can eat again no problem. But still was concerned. I will mention it at my next appointment and see what they say. Has anyone experienced this and been okay? I am glad I have the band and no issues other than the obvious: break the habit of eating fast and chew food good. Pretzel rods are definitely a no. I love them too. Soft breads are hard to get down- so not worth the hassle. I am making better choices! Sometimes I do not get the difference between what it means by "band does not tolerate" and getting stuck. Both feel the same, like heart burn for a brief moment. So I don't think I know the difference between stuck and if I get heart burn from something that is not tolerated. I guess I need to ask more questions, I have never had heart burn before so this feeling is new to me. My journey continues! If anyone has insight on the flu and if a couple days could really cause slippage that would be great. And better explanation of stuck and just not tolerated. Happy New Year everyone!:thumbup:

I attended my first support group meeting last week and it was well worth the time. It is run by a doctor in psychology and it was a pretty diverse group. Ours is once a month, but you really get a good sense of what others are going through. We had one lady that came and she had regained 30 pounds and the group was very helpful in motivating her and giving her tips to get back on track. The doctor also gave her homework to get back on track. Sometimes this is just what you need. My surgeon's practice also provides dietary classes and classes that help you learn about the psychological side of weight loss. I encourage you to attend any and all support groups and classes you can, as someone pointed out earlier, studies show that you will be more successful.

Here is what I received: Hospital Stay: Clear liquid diet Week 1: Full Liquid Diet - 4ounces each meal (3-6 meals) Week 2: Blended Diet - 4 oucnes each meal (3-6 meals) Week 3: Soft Diet - 4-8ounces each meal (3-5 meals) Week 4 - beyond - all foods as tolerated - amount varies (3meals) My Doctor said it takes 6 weeks for stomache to heal - which is why he won't do a fill before then. I fully trust my doctor because he is a part of a practice that is a Center of Excellence in Bariatric Surgery. I got my surgery through the Kane Center in Illinois (partner with Alexian Brothers Hospital). They have a team of dieticians, nutritionists, psychologists, 4 surgeons, and physical therapists. They have you attend Dietary instruction classes, classes on the psychological side of weight loss and other classes/support groups to help with journey. I too have seen many posts out here that describe different diets and timeframes, and as someone posted earlier, it is not about weight loss in the first 6 weeks. You may not feel if something goes wrong with your stitches or band - why chance it? You just went through major surgery and paid (insurance or not) $18,000 dollars for it. Give it time, consult with a dietician and keep positive :thumbup:

My Doc said no carbonated drinks too. I have cut those out. Now - I am only 4 weeks in, but so far so good. I do not have my band filled yet, but I had wheat Pasta last night and it did not bother me. I have not tried bread yet. But my Doc said I may not be able to tolerate it. At my support group that I attended last week - many could eat toasted break, but I really did not hear too many that could eat your typical french or Italian bread that you get for pasta or sandwhiches. Bread seems to be a consistent problem for the majority.

Well, everything is going as it should. I am following all the rules and my Doctor said I am healing great! I have my first fill appointment on December 1st. I am looking forward to that! I have no restriction and could eat more than the 1 cup allowed (but I don't). I just eat more snacks, so still about 5 times day eating something because I get hungry. I can't wait till it is 3 times a day and I feel restriction. I realize it may take a few fills maybe to get me where I need to. I attended a Kane Center support group last week and it really helped to hear what others are going through since many were farther along on their journey. The Doctor that leads it was very good. It really proved that you do need to eat slowly and chew your food. Many complained about PB and getting nauseated after 2 bites of food. I have not experienced that yet. I can eat fast if I want. But I really try and take it slow to get in habit once I feel restriction. My energy levels are great - man - I have noticed my sense of smell is very sensitive, do you think it is because I have not eaten crap food in 4 weeks? Geez, what a concept. I am never up this early on a Saturday, heck, during the week I get up at last minute to rush to get ready for work. So healthy eating must be helping that too. We have been eating lots of fish and veggies and homemade soups. I am very lucky because my husband cooks for me :mad2: My weight progress has been good - I am down 12 pounds since the surgery. Although I am anxious about losing too much weight because I do not want any reason to get in the way of the fill - I know -weight loss should be number one. But I want to leverage the tool to help me stay on task. I am not doing anything to sabotage the weight loss, but I really want to start feeling restriciton. Okay, I think that covers it for now. Good luck to all in week 4! I start solid foods today

Well, everything is going as it should. I am following all the rules and my Doctor said I am healing great! I have my first fill appointment on December 1st. I am looking forward to that! I have no restriction and could eat more than the 1 cup allowed (but I don't). I just eat more snacks, so still about 5 times day eating something because I get hungry. I can't wait till it is 3 times a day and I feel restriction. I realize it may take a few fills maybe to get me where I need to. I attended a Kane Center support group last week and it really helped to hear what others are going through since many were farther along on their journey. The Doctor that leads it was very good. It really proved that you do need to eat slowly and chew your food. Many complained about PB and getting nauseated after 2 bites of food. I have not experienced that yet. I can eat fast if I want. But I really try and take it slow to get in habit once I feel restriction. My energy levels are great - man - I have noticed my sense of smell is very sensitive, do you think it is because I have not eaten crap food in 4 weeks? Geez, what a concept. I am never up this early on a Saturday, heck, during the week I get up at last minute to rush to get ready for work. So healthy eating must be helping that too. We have been eating lots of fish and veggies and homemade soups. I am very lucky because my husband cooks for me :thumbup: My weight progress has been good - I am down 12 pounds since the surgery. Although I am anxious about losing too much weight because I do not want any reason to get in the way of the fill - I know -weight loss should be number one. But I want to leverage the tool to help me stay on task. I am not doing anything to sabotage the weight loss, but I really want to start feeling restriciton. Okay, I think that covers it for now. Good luck to all in week 4! I start solid foods today

Added name to list - aghealthy 10/22/09