reverie

Congrats on deciding to get banded and welcome to the boards! I definitely understand the ups and downs emotionally, but in the end it is really all worth it.

E: Quest protein bar B: 1/2 cup egg whites with turkey sausage L: Tilapia with broccoli/cabbage D: Chicken w/ spinach and feta cheese and fresh green beans Lots of water.

I did some research, looked at online doctor reviews, and in the end came here and asked about my surgeon. It's definitely important to do some research!

I'd have nothing to say but shut the hell up, followed by a few other not-so-nice words. See, people who have never had WLS don't know that it's not the easy way out, nor is it cheating. It takes an entire lifestyle change with a lot of commitment to lose weight. In the end, I'd say nothing at all. I've had people make comments like this, and eventually I realize they aren't worth it to have around. They're all obviously jealous; I wouldn't let it bother me. Either way, congrats on your loss and congrats to you husband as well. You've both done awesome! Keep your heads up.

Correct; at least you've started the process. Six months may seem like awhile but it really does fly by. Just remember your goal in the end.

I wanted to take these but with the added calories (sometimes even carbs) and the amount you need to take to equal to a normal chewable vitamin (ie. Centrum) I said no thanks and sucked it up to chewing my disgusting pill each morning.

Woo hooo! Great loss. Keep on going!

I do wish you the best of luck in whatever route you take, but in the end, the weight-loss starts with you. RNY, DS, the sleeve, Lapband; no matter what WLS method you choose, you have to be willing to make the lifestyle change, and it seems that you aren't ready or just don't want to. WLS to me is just a tool. Yes those who get RNY/DS lose quickly, but in the end it comes down to you to make the healthy choices, both food and exercise wise. Maybe the band isn't for you, but with your mindset and eating habits, another WLS may not get you to where you want to be either. None of them are a perfect answer; they're all tools to use to help you during the lifestyle change. While the malabsorption may help you more than the band could, still eating improperly will cause you to gain the weight back. I'd consider therapy or just talking to someone about your eating habits. You can't eat unhealthy and expect to lose weight just because you revise to DS or RNY. It's not that easy.

Lapband. And loving it greatly.

It really depends on the restriction you get from surgery. Some people don't get any with just the band itself, others get enough just from the band. I've lost all of my weight without one fill; guess I'm one of the lucky 1% of people who don't require fills. With the band your stomach is smaller and a pouch is made, but for some it's not enough to hold them over for 3-4 hours without getting hungry again, so a fill is necessary. Sometimes without proper restriction people will go for the "slider" foods (chips, ice cream, etc.) But for many, a few weeks post-op until the first fill can be "bandster hell." It just takes some self-pushing and self-regulation of what you eat and how much.

Plateaus are normal but it seems like yours has been going on for awhile. If you've fallen off the wagon, start back from the beginning. Go back to counting your calories for a few weeks. See what levels you need to be at. Stick to no more than one cup of food a meal. Remember to really try to get in your protein. Start exercising again.

Well, first off, congrats on what you have lost, and congrats and catching the problem early before it gets too out of hand and wanting to correct it. You know the band rules; start to follow them again. Get your fill and start to watch your portions. Count your calories and make sure you get all of your water in. Good luck and you can do this!

Your incisions are healing; try to leave them be if you can.

I'm not a patient of hers but I'm from MD. Welcome to the boards and good luck with your surgery!

The scale really isn't the sole measurement of success, especially when it comes to weight-loss. You said yourself that you're having to buy smaller clothes: that's a great hint of success. Look at how you feel. Take pictures to compare. Measure yourself. Make note of any comments you get. I've been called 'hot' two times today; very new to me! If you're running, you may want to up your calories. It's common to lose quickly in the beginning, but it does slow down; remember 1-2lbs a week; you can't expect the same rapid weightloss because well..it won't happen. On the days you aren't running, keep your calories sort of low; when you're running, up them. For me I eat 950 calories on the days I do heavy exercise; on days with weights/stretching/sculpting I eat around 850. Try messing around with your calories, maybe add in a little bit of weightlifting or just stretching when you aren't running. Hope this helps. PS. I doubt you aren't losing weight due to cardio/weight gain in muscle. Women don't gain muscle easily and in the end while it does weigh more, there's no way you're gaining more muscle than you are losing fat.

When it comes to the band, there really aren't any "off-limit" foods. If you don't have tight restriction, most things go down okay as long as you take small bites and chew. Things like bread and pasta can cause issues though. I think the point is that with the band you can eat anything; junk food, pasta, rice, anything. The focus is to realize what's healthy and what's appropriate to eat to keep your body in weight-loss mode. Of course, having pasta or bread every once in awhile won't kill you; it's always nice to treat yourself. Before surgery I LOVED, seriously LOVED rice and pasta. I would eat it until I literally felt sick because I ate so much. With the band, I haven't really had much of these nor do I crave them.

Congrats! (I just commented on your other thread) For gas pain, you may want to try a warm compress as well as some Gas-X strips or some other type of medication that will dissolve in your mouth/is chewable that is meant for gas relief. You'll probably be sore for a few more days, but trust me, each day it really does get better. Give yourself plenty of time to rest and focus on you water intake. Best of luck!

Welcome to the boards and congrats on being banded. Best of luck on your journey and glad to hear surgery went well for you!

Welcome to both of you and congrats on your success!

That's a good amount, definitely. Just try to push yourself. Maybe start off slow, with 30 minutes, or even do two 15 minute sections broken up. This way you're at least moving!

How many calories are you guys eating a day and how much exercise (intensity really) are you doing? Are you getting all of your water and protein in? I'm not sure if it'd help but somewhere on the board there is a plateau buster that may get you back on track.

The thread makes me pretty sad, but both of you will pull through. Good luck to you both and you'll definitely be in my thoughts. I've also been one who has been secretly reading all of Jachut's posts. You're definitely one of the best bandsters on here!

Actually the 5-6lb loss in 5-6 weeks is about normal; a pound a week. However, eating what you're eating without exercise is not going to allow you to lose for very long. You really just need to kick yourself in the butt and get back on track. After a nice vacation I can imagine it'd be hard to get back into the routine of things, but you have to. Take the junk food out of the house and realize that it's not healthy and won't help you get to your goal. Maybe start counting calories again and allow yourself to see just how unhealthy you may be eating.

Even though set backs are never something to be cheerful about, October 7 will come SO quick. Trust me. Time flies when you're waiting and before you know it you'll be on the other side!

You may still be a little bit swollen. I'd stick to liquids for a few days more. Yogurt may still be a little too thick. I was on liquids for 2 weeks post-op. It will get better for you though!