reverie

You're not much more than 2 weeks post-op; your body takes 6 weeks+ to heal. Losing weight right now shouldn't be your goal. Allow your body to heal and get used to having a foreign object inside of your body. With most people, weight loss slows after surgery. You're not going to lose another 15lbs as quickly as you did during your pre-op diet. Like others have said, you didn't get fat overnight, and you're not going to lose it overnight either. Be patient and give yourself time. Your body will come around soon enough. Until then, keep doing what you're doing, and maybe stay off the scale for awhile.

I say take some time, maybe talk to a surgeon about having Lapband to see if it's right for you. I don't regret my decision one bit! Per your questions: Is there a decrease in your desire or cravings for food with this proceedure? I was never one that "craved" food, if anything I starved myself all day and went nuts when I was home/around food. I can honestly say that now food is not a big part of my life anymore. There are days I forget to eat! Food just isn't on my mind anymore. Why do you think you were not able to decrease your food intake before the surgery if you are able to after it? (I am scared I would just eat past it if nothing changes) My problem wasn't that I was eating the wrong foods, it's that when I did eat, I ate..and ate, and ate some more, literally until I felt stuffed when I was done. With Lapband, I can eat, and feel a real sense of not being hungry. I'm not stuffed nor full, but satisfied, and stay that way for hours. When you have restriction, you won't want to eat more because eating a smaller amount of food provides you with that satisfied feeling. Of course, you can eat around the band. Ice cream, candy, junk food, etc, it all goes down easily. You have to have the willpower to eat healthy and only allow yourself to eat "junk food" in moderation. How bad was the recovery? Not bad. This was my first surgery and I thought it was maybe a 3-4 on a scale of 1 to 10. The first day was a little rough, but it really is just the gas pains that cause discomfort. The port incision is a little sore for a few weeks, but nothing a heating pad and pain meds can't solve. What do you say now that you have done it and did you think it would help you before you had it done? I definitely thought Lapband would help me before having the surgery. I know that I needed something to control my eating portions and it has done just that. I love my band and I am extremely grateful to have gotten the surgery done. I've lost almost 95lbs in 6 months...who could ask for more?

The 3 months will fly by, most definitely! I didn't have to jump through any insurance hoops (thank god; was approved in a day) but time did fly from my first appt. with my surgeon to my surgery date. Before you know it 3 months will be gone and you'll be on the loser's bench.

You'll find plenty of wisdom here from everyone who has/is scheduled to get banded! My main advice is to stick to your surgeon's rules but allow yourself time to mess up. Try not to get into the mindset of "bad foods" or "forbidden foods." The idea with the band is to eat less and eat healthy, but that doesn't mean you can't treat yourself or have a piece of candy once in awhile. Reward yourself and be sure to set mini-goals. It makes the journey much easier. Best of luck to you!!

I've been banded for months but I just wanted to say congrats on deciding to be banded and best of luck on your journey!

I'm joining late, oops. Since I already hit my Christmas goal, I figured I'd do a new challenge. Looking to hit 140lbs by the 1st. That puts me at a normal BMI.

Awesome! January will come quickly!!

Definitely not a port leak; saline is clear. Call your surgeon ASAP.

Congrats!! I bet you're so happy.

Try to up your calories to say 800, see if that helps. I don't believe in the starvation mode stuff but, eating so little for too long will stall you. Everyone has different caloric needs. Some lose eating 800-900 calories while others can eat 1500 and still lose. Up your calories a bit and see what happens. Though it sounds crazy, especially as we're trying to get the scale to go down, we have to eat to lose.

Yes! The support you get just makes everything flow so much easier and gives you that extra push you need sometimes. And thank you for the congrats! I never thought I'd be so close in just 7 months; hopefully I'm running down the home stretch now.

Just wanted to say welcome! The 2-weeks of liquids is hard, but once you're done, you look back and it really seems like nothing, especially when the scale is dropping. Best of luck to you and keep us updated.

Congrats on being banded but..I have to say you NEED to follow your post-op diet. It doesn't matter if you chew chew chew; you have a post-op diet, just like everyone else, for various reasons. Doctors don't just create the things for their own satisfaction, it is to give your stomach time to heal after surgery. Eating normal foods at such an early stage could really do harm to your stomach. The whole thing with the band is being compliant and well..you aren't. It's hard but try to do the diet you were told to do. You're putting yourself at risk for complications, especially if you're 'eating whatever you want.'

Congrats on deciding to get banded! I'm not a pilot but I have flown with my band and everything was fine. Some people say they get a little bit tighter after flying but it may be a person-to-person case.

I'm 5'3, goal is 115lbs-120lbs.

I'm definitely thankful for my band! Without it I'd most definitely be gaining weight and limiting myself and my life. I'm extremely extremely extremely thankful for my mom who has been so helpful during the process. She has been here each step of the way for me, from the pre-op consultation to now. She exercised with me in the beginning so I didn't feel so alone and lost weight herself (not that she is overweight) She is always complimenting me and has even eaten some of the healthier cooking that I do. We tend to fight over the spaghetti squash now. I'm also thankful for my coworkers. Many of them know I'm banded (or at least 'dieting' and working out) and they are all very supportive. And of course I'm very thankful for this board! It has been helpful to read posts from band vets and to get answers anytime you need one.

There is a complications forum here if you want to see the things that can go wrong. No weightloss surgery is perfect, so Lapband does have its flaws. 1. Slippage 2. Pouch dilaton 3. Erosion 4. Band just doesn't work for some people Sometimes these just happen; sometimes it is doctor error, sometimes user error.

Congrats on your approval! Just proof that sometimes you have to push and push, but it does pay off.

I sometimes burp when my body is telling me to stop eating. Maybe it is your sign to not take another bite. Or maybe it's the "one bite too many" sign.

Snack: Protein bread w/ peanut butter (uh..can I say AMAZING stuff) Breakfast: Turkey sausage w/ egg whites and 1/4 cup strawberries Lunch: Stirfry w/ sugar free/low carb teriyaki sauce (broccoli, carrots, etc) Snack: Peaches w/ ricotta cheese (I sweeten it with SF Vanilla Torani) Dinner: Salad w/ chicken, cheese, almonds, and turkey bacon.

I'm not at the end of my journey, but I do think I've had some pretty awesome results with my band. I was banded May 10, 2010 and in 7 months I have lost 85lbs+ I haven't had any fills (this is the scary part!) yet I woke up from surgery with excellent restriction. I am full eating 1 cup of food each meal and satisfied for 3+ hours. I've only gotten stuck once (last week to mention it!) and have really had no complications. I lost about 12lbs with my pre-op diet and honestly, since then, my weightloss has been a steady 1-4lbs a week; it has varied but I've only hit a full on stop for about a month, but the inches were still coming off. I started off weighing about 245lbs, and today I'm probably about 159lbs with a goal of 115-120lbs. I love to workout now. I have a lot more self-confidence and I actually want to go out and do things. I find I'm making TIME to workout and don't have issues saying no to something to do my daily exercise. I have so much energy it is crazy. My mom asks why I run up the stairs now -- I don't do it on purpose, just a habit since I have so much energy. I get called all sorts of funny names and compliments and I'm definitely not used to them. A lady at work calls me slim; it's cute! We had a party this summer and people didn't know who I was at first. But, despite all of the compliments and attention I get, I do still feel well..fat. I think it's important to note that your brain does take some time to catch up to your body. I know I'm thinner but I don't, feel it. In the end I've learned a lot about myself; I have so much more discipline then I ever thought possible. There is always some sort of candy on my desk (Girl Scout's Cookies most recently) and I've yet to take a piece. People always say that the will-power I have is awesome..and I agree Some advice.. Stick to the band rules. It is SO important to follow them, but not to a T. Allow yourself to mess up; you're human. So what if you eat a piece of chocolate one day. If you can limit yourself to a small portion, who really cares? EXERCISE!! I can't stress exercise enough to anyone. I hated exercising before I was banded. I had no energy to do it, no push to do it, and when walking up the stairs took my breath away..why would I even contemplate doing more than that? Exercise really is a must when you're looking to lose weight. It helps tone you and you really do feel good after, even if you're drenched in sweat. And lastly, count your calories, carbs, Protein, etc. Track everything you put into your mouth. Drink as much Water as you can! Hydration is a must. So, even though I'm not at goal, I think I've had pretty good results. I love my band and I have been complication free so far and hopefully it stays that way. Best of luck to you and to everyone else getting banded!

I second this.

Snack: Protein bar Breakfast: Turkey sausage, turkey bacon, and egg whites Lunch: Spaghetti without noodles (I used spaghetti squash instead) Snack: Slices of pear and strawberries Dinner: Salad w/ chicken, cheese, almonds, and ginger dressing.

Congrats!! You look great.

I agree that the band can fail people, and from what I've seen from your posts, you have really given it your all to try to work with your band! It is odd how the band works flawlessly for some and not at all for others. I know people who have had plenty of success with the sleeve and hope you are able to join them. Hopefully you decide to stay so we can follow your new journey! Best of luck to you and congrats on losing the weight you did while banded.