Astrasmom

It's because you feel good about yourself. Your self-esteem is building up. And you feel sexy again. I think it's a normal process for anyone. Feeling that way is one thing, but acting on those impluses are another thing. If you feel that you need to cheat then maybe things in your current relationship can be spiced up a little bit. After all skinny sex is awesome. There are alot more things that can be done without all of that extra added weight on. To answer your question. Yes I think of the same things every so often. And I love my husband also. I would never cheat.

Your very welcome. Hang in there. The pounds will come off. Remember this saying "A watched pot never boils". Same goes with weightloss. The more you look the longer it takes because you are anticipating it to happen. If you only weigh every so many days you will be suprised at the weightloss. Good luck to you.

Yes it is possible but it's not healthy to stay on liquids all of the time. You need other nutirents from solid foods that you eat. liquid diets are only meant for pre-op and the first 2-3 weeks after surgery. Also the first 24 hours after a fill and when your doctor tells you too. Otherwise you should never be afraid to move onto solids and try different foods when your doctor says that it's ok. Also stay on liquids all of the time will force you to binge eat which is not good either. You should always follow your doctors plan. Its there for a reason. And all doctors are different.

If you are getting protein from your solids it's ok not to drink the shakes. I usually only have 1 shake in the morning and that's only because I find myself to be the tightest in the morning, so it's easier for me to drink a shake then it is to eat solids. If you are feeling hungry inbetween meals then I would suggest having 2-3 shakes a day. If you aren't getting all of your protein in you won't lose the weight either. Are you drinking your 64oz of fluids a day? Try journeling your foods to see what you are eating during the course of the day. You might be suprised. Also you might have to increase your exercise if you are on a stand still. Don't be to down on yourself. You will lose again. We didn't get fat over night so we aren't going to get thin overnight either. You are doing wonderful. Keep up the great work.

Unfortuantely you are in banders hell. You probably won't feel good restriction until your 2-4 fill. What you need to do at this point is to follow the doctors plan. You should measure your food because you really can keep eating if you don't. You should only eat 1/2 to 1 cup of food at each meal. Try eating foods that are higher in Protein such as chicken and fish. And of course continue your Protein shakes. You will be fine. Don't be afraid of moving through the stages. You shouldn't worry about getting stuck on the mushy stage. It should go down nice for you. Just take smaller spoon fulls. As you move up in the stages just remember to chew at least 25-30 times and cut your food to the size of an M&M. You will be fine. Don't be afraid to get stuck because it's really not that bad. As I have said before this might sound harsh but I beleive that everyone should experience the 'stuck' once in their banded life so they know how to deal with it, and it also teaches you how to chew better. Good luck to you. You will do fine.

You said it all for yourself. The scale isn't our friend. It wasn't our friend before the lapband. The scale is also NOT your true weight. Measure your weightloss by your success. By the things that you couldn't do before but can now. By the way your clothes fit. By the way that you feel about yourself. By the compliments that you recieve from others. Remember inches come off faster than pounds do. And if you are working out. MUSCLES WEIGH MORE THAN FAT. By the sounds of it, you are doing wonderful. Keep up the great work. Try weighing yourself once a week or wait until you have your doctors visits to find out then. Meanwhile keep up the awesome work. Your doing wonderful. :wink2:

Congratulations! To answer your question. It is a life changing experience. This is probably the best thing that I have ever done for myself. I have no regrets except that I didn't get it done sooner. Go into this knowing that it's not a diet. It's a lifestyle change. There are no bad foods. Eat everything in moderation. Do not deprive yourself of the good things in life once and awhile. And do not be afraid to move through the stages. Do not be afraid to try new foods. And most of all, understand that your bad habits will follow you after your surgery. They do get easier as time goes by. Good luck to you.

You are one of the lucky ones. As was I. I didn't have much pain after the surgery and I never have problems after a fill (I've had 6). I also had a hiatal hernia repair. Everyone is different I guess. Congratulations to you on your pain free success.

Don't be afraid. Fills aren't really that bad. What you do have to learn is to cut your food very small (no bigger than an M&M) and chew at least 25-30 times before you swallow. I find that I can not talk, or watch TV or be distracted when I am eating because I forget to chew, then I get stuck. So eating is my time and everyone knows to leave me alone. As for getting stuck and throwing up. Honestly it isn't as bad as it sounds. Yes it's painful but it goes away. It's not like a regular throwing up as the contents of your stomach don't come back up threw your pouch. It's called Sliming. It's just saliva that comes back up with the food that you just ate, that's still in your pouch. It usually only happens once because your food tends to come back up. That's because it's stuck. It DOESN'T always come back up. What I try and do when that happens is first I close my eyes and try to relax my chest so that the food goes down. As I said it is a little painful but once it goes down it's ok. If that doesn't work then I get up and walk a bit and it tends to go down. As horrible as this sounds I think that everyone should experience stuck once in their banded life so that they aren't freaked when it happens. It's a learning experience that teaches you how to eat properly. I have had 6 fills already. Although my doctor doesn't beleive in telling us how much he puts in because he doesn't want us focusing on the fact that we could be filled to the max and not able to have anymore, I know that I am pretty much filled because I have awesome restriction and I'm never hungry. I have gotten stuck a handful of times and I have also slimed a few times. I learn from my mistakes and I know that I have to chew my food better and cut it smaller. Don't let the thought of throwing up freak you out. It's not bad at all.

Congratulations on your journey. Everything you are feeling, we have all went through it. I almost chickened out a few times before my actual surgery. Now of course that I look back on it, I can't understand why I did becaues this truely is a life changing experience. I think in the begining it's more of an emotional change then a physical change. After all we battle with food for most of our lives and for most of us, food is our savior. Take away that savior and what do we have? I can tell you that the lapband has changed my life. I have lost a total person on the outside, but I have gained a new person on the inside. My self-esteem has returned and for once in my life, I actually feel sexy and good about myself. The only regret that I have is that I didn't get it done sooner. You need to enter this journey with the mind set that this is a lifestyle change. It's not a cure all. You aren't going to lose the weight over night, and you AREN'T going to vanish your bad habits over night either. This is not the easy way out by any means. This is probably the hardest work that I have ever accomplished in my entire life. But the benefits are well worth that work. You will have your good days. And you will have your bad days. Everyday of banded life is a learning process that brings you closer and closer to meeting your goals. And once you meet those goals the band helps you to keep them. My suggestion would be to read as much as you can about the band and the things that others go through. Do not get freaked becaues the bad things don't happen to everyone. The benefits of the band out weigh the complications. As for the endoscopy. Peice of cake. You will be asleep and the most that you might feel is a little sore throat when you awake. Nothing big. Good luck on your journey. Keep us posted.

Congratulations! And those head cravings will get easier as you go along. Remember old habits follow us. This is a lifestyle change. Not a cure all. I truely wish that it would change those habits because that would be a miracle but they do get easier to deal with as you go along. Once and awhile it's ok to give into those cravings. This isn't a diet. Diets fail. There is no bad food. Everything can be eaten in moderation. If we don't give into those cravings once and awhile, then we tend to go on a binge. Once you move up in your progress and your fills you will be amazed at how those cravings just disappear. I don't crave any of the things that I did before. Your taste buds change. I also blog my progress so if you want to check it out, please do. Thanks for sharing yours. And good luck to you.

The object is not to deprive yourself of the better things in life, once and awhile. There is no BAD food. Everything in moderation. This is not a diet. Diets fail. This is a lifestyle change. We all have to learn to eat smaller protions and chew chew chew. If we deprive ourselves of the good things then we will want them even more. And that's why we over indulge in things like that. So once and awhile reward yourself because you do deserve it.

Ok so you hear of all of the horror stories about the Lapband and to new people it can be pretty scarey. I thought I would start a thread about the benefits. By asking you what have you gotten rid of since surgery? By that I don't mean pounds and clothing. I mean medication, CPAP machine, High blood pressure, your wheel chair, a walker or cane, etc. Before surgery I was borderline everything (Diabetic, highblood pressure, fatty liver, high cholesterol, sleep Apnea). I wasn't taking any medication for any of those things but I would have if I didn't have the surgery. I did however have Sleep Apnea and used a CPAP machine for 5 years. I am happy to say since my surgery I am no longer borderline anything. And last week I got rid of the CPAP machine because I no longer have Sleep Apnea. YAY!! I'd love to hear your success stories. Even if your medication has been cut in half. That's still a positive.

Remember it's a lifestyle change. It's not a cure all. Bad habits follow us. It gets easier over time to deal with those bad habits. Biggest thing is you have to be true to yourself. And you have to listen to your body. Don't be afraid to speak up if your band is to tight. Having a band that is too tight is also not good. If you can't get the proper nutrients down into your system you aren't going to lose any weight either. I've had 6 fills so far and I had to go back once to have some removed. I honestly didn't want to because I was afraid that if I had some taken out that I would be eating like a pig again and start gaining weight. It didn't happen that way. It was so painful before they took the fill out that I could hardly eat anything. Just a tiny bit was taken out and I felt so much better. I kept losing the weight too. I just went back in last week and they put back in the small amount that they took out before. I don't think I will need anymore fills for awhile because I am only 10lbs from goal. Don't fret about making bad choices. It may help you if you journal your food. Then you can see exactly what you are eating. Sometimes this helps. Try cutting back on your food intake. Pick one day a week or maybe once a month that you can reward yourself for the good choices that you have made. Save that day to eat something special (like some ice cream or whatever you enjoy). But again don't over do it on that day either. You will get there. Keep up the great work.

Hi there Jaime. My name is Dawn. Let me say the first thing that you have to do, is take a deep breath. What you are feeling is normal. EVERYONE goes through this before the surgery. The things that you read don't necessarily happen to everyone. There are those of us that haven't had any complications, nor any of the problems that you have described. I unfortunately can not promise you that they won't happen to you, but I can tell you that it didn't happen to me. I did not lose my hair, and I did not have the major gas problem. I have heard Zinc tablets or Vitamin B12 work for the hairloss. And as for the gas, if you take Gas-X strips they work wonders also. The food obsession unfotunately follows you after the banding. That's a bad habit that many of us learn to deal with over time. It DOES get alot easier after you are banded because you simply can not put that much food into your mouth. Over time your taste buds change too. The junk foods that I obsessed on before, I no longer have that craving for. Don't get me wrong, I do crave certain things every so often. And I give into those cravings. Such as ice cream. BUT it's ok to give in once and awhile. And I can not sit down and eat an entire 1/2 gallon of ice cream like I used to. I am luck if I can finish a small bowl now. The lapband is a lifestyle change. It is not a cure all miracle strap. Bad habits will follow you throughout your journey but you do learn how to deal with them. The lapband is a tool that will help you to lose the weight and keep it off. It is not an easy journey but it is worth the effort. This is the best thing that I could have ever done for myself. I have lost a complete person on the outside but I have gained an even better one on the inside. It has changed my life. I have no regrets at all except that I should have gotten it done years ago. If I could do it again, I would do it in a heart beat. Also I had the same feelings as you. I wanted to back out and diet. I told myself that if i could do this with the band then why couldn't I just cut down and diet and lose the weight on my own. After years of struggling and every yo-yo diet that I could think about. I understand now that I couldn't do it on my own. I needed the help of the lapband. As for the support system. You might want to see if there is a local support group in your area. It does help to have others face to face that are going through what you are, as well as this site. Now, step back of the ledge and ask yourself. Are you ready for this lifestyle change? Only you can decide if it's right for you. But if you back out, you might be questioning yourself for the rest of your life. I hope that I have helped. I wish you luck on your journey and naturally will stand by with whatever decision you make. We don't judge people. Good luck to you.

All doctors are different. Liquids don't make your band slip. I was told to do clear liquids also but my doctor considered my Protein shake a clear liquid even though I put milk into it. There are clear liquid Protein drinks on the market though. unjury makes a great chicken Soup flavored one that you can heat up. Yes I know that they can be a bit exspensive but ufortunately we didn't gain weight over night and it took alot of money to get this weight on also. It will take more money to get it off. Unfortunately until you can rely on soilds for your protein and don't need the supplements anymore, you will have to invest some money. But I'm rolling off topic right now. As I said before, all doctors are different. Speak to your doctors, that is what they are there for.

Hi everyone. I hope you are all doing well. I am quickly reaching my weighloss goal before my Bandiversary. I have 10lbs to go for my doctors goal. Which is what I would like to reach before October 23. I had another fill last week. The doctor put back in the small amount that he took out the last fill. Seems to be doing well this time around. I don't think that I will be needing another fill for awhile. I've had 6 already. I've been trying to increase my exercise. Doc said that most of the weightloss now will rely on my exercise levels. So if I want to reach that goal before October I need to step it up a bit. Althought I can not job I can power walk so thats what I did on the boardwalk last night. I power walked 5 miles. Anyway I hope everyone else is doing well. I wish you all the best with your goals.

You should be fine with your job. As I said earlier, careful with the heavy lifting. They say nothing heavier than 50lbs for at least 6 weeks after surgery. But I don't think groceries weigh 50lbs. I would leave the heavy dog food bags for someone else to lift though. 2 weeks is probably good for you. It does take a good 2 weeks to feel normal again. Good luck to you. And please keep us posted.

Careful with the heavy lifting though. They say nothing heavier than 50lbs for at least 6 weeks after surgery.

As others have said, HIPAA laws protect you. You are not requred to tell anyone about your medical issues. I also work in a school. I had my surgery on a Friday and returned on a Wednesday. As long as most of your teaching is from a desk you should be fine. If you are a gym teacher, then I would suggest 2 weeks. Just tell your boss that you are having a minor procedure done that will require a few days off. If they ask what the procedure is you simply have to say, I'm sorry it's confidential and I'd rather not share.

Hi Joe. Congratulations on your success so far. You sound like you are doing really well. The great thing is men tend to lose faster than women. That's where the jealousy comes in..heh Anyway to answer a couple of your questions. I would lower your goal a bit. An additional 50lbs on top of what you have lost for September might be a little high. But then again, your a man so one can never tell. As I said, men lost quicker than women. I would cut that in half though to maybe 25lbs. The general rule is 1-2 lbs a week. But it's good that you are following your doctors guidelines because it does pay off in the long run. Your portion sizes should be 1/2 to a 1 cup of food at every meal. You won't feel full right away. It's a gradual process but you will know when you are full. Many people have what is called soft signs of fullness. For me I get the hiccups. Thats when I know to stop. Biggest thing is to listen to your stomach do not listen to your head. When you feel full, cut yourself off. As for food suggestions. I eat alot of chicken and fish. My family will eat different things than me. When i prepare something for them that I can not eat, I just make sure that I always have something for me. I plan ahead. Or i will make extra and freeze it so that there is always something for me. For instance I do not eat red meat, Pasta, bread or rice. When their meals involve that, then I will usually prepare myself some salmon or chicken burgers. Anyway you have a good attitude and I wish you much success. Please keep us posted on your progress. And it is possible to lose the weight. I'm a little over 9 months out and down 104lbs already.

You can stay the same on the inside. There are those that do change I am sure. I did change in the fact that my self esteem is no longer in the toilet. I am much more confident about myself. It is a big lifestyle change that you need to adjust to but it's well worth everything that you go through. As i say all of the time. I have lost a complete person on the outside but I have gained a person on the inside.

Hi Gabrielle, my names Dawn. I too had many of the things that you have now. I was borderline everything and had sleep apnea (used a CPAP). I also had open heart surgery. I started at 304lbs. I am now teetering at 200lbs. I have 15lbs to go. I've lost 104lbs so far. Needless to say i am no longer borderline anything and I no longer have sleep apnea. I would just tell them at work that you are having a minor procedure done that will require you to have some time off. It's against the law for them to ask you about your medical stuff, with the HIPAA laws. And you are not required to supply your employer with detailed medical information. If they ask you what your procedure is about just simply say I'm sorry but it's confidential and I'd rather not disclose that information. You won't really be able to ask for a specific time because everyone heals differently. And it all depends on what time of work you do. I had my surgery on a Friday and was back to work on a Tuesday. That's because most of my work is done behind a desk. If I had to suggest a time, I would say at least a week. It takes a good week to two weeks to be back to normal. Good luck in your process and if you have anymore questions please feel free to ask.

Hi Lindsey. I'm Dawn. Just let me say that there are more success stories about Lapband surgery than there are horror stories. As with any surgery there are risks. But in my opinion, this is a risk worth taking because it has totally changed my life. I wish you much luck on your journey and I'm looking forward to seeing your video blog. Do keep us posted.

All of what you are feeling is normal. I thought that I was gong to climb out of my skin before I had my surgery. Especially when the day got closer. At the last minute I almost chickened out too. But I knew that if I didn't go through with it, that I would probably be smacking myself forever. Boy am I glad that I went through with it. This has been a total life changing experience for me. I have NO regrets at all except that I didn't get it done sooner. This is major surgery and it is a major lifestyle change that you have to be willing to work for. If this is something that you really want done, then take a deep breath and just think of how great you will look a few sizes smaller. The process before the surgery is the hardest part. The surgery itself is really not that bad. BUT the results are awesome. It's well worth the hard work. Good luck to you. I hope that things calm down and you find out when your surgery date is. Please keep us posted on your progress. And do add me as a friend or email if you need some encouragement along the way. YOU CAN DO IT!!! :cool2: