NurseShay

I am so sorry to hear that you are stuck on a plateau! I am nearing 2yrs out and I definitely expected to have lost more by now but thats only when I compare myself to other peoples results. The stats doctors release about the lapband say the 100 and 200lb losses are "not typical" so dont compare yourself to others, you never know what they are doing to lose weight that you may not be doing. I know for a fact I have never lost this much weight on my own and definitely could not have kept it off this long either so I know the band plays a part in my successes even though it wasn't quite what I initially expected from the band. Have you tried incorporating other weight loss regimens into your lifestyle- excercise, healthier eating habits alongside your smaller portions? I understand that you're capable of eating larger quantities at 4cc fill but that certainly doesn't mean you should be if losing weight is a strict goal for you. Have you tried going back on your liquid diet for a few days or a week to jumpstart your weight loss and break through your plateau? Revving up your workout routine? Don't give up! Even without the bands help you're still capable of reaching your goals with some discipline- easier said than done, I know! If the band is responsible for your 50lb loss and maintainence I would suggest keeping it in- it isn't hurting you but rather helping you so why go through another surgery just because you're frustrated? It seems the people who have the greatest and fastest results with the band do a complete lifestyle overhaul and don't just leave it up to the band so if you're looking for extreme results maybe think about some extreme effort. 50lb loss in 2 years could have easily been a 50lb gain so be proud of yourself!!! Best of luck & dont give up on yourself even if you've given up on your band.

Hello & Welcome to the forum as an official member! Loved your intro, you're funny! I totally hear you about being nuerotic because I read this forum religously for weeks before I even joined or decided to be banded. But theres so much useful information here that even your doctor couldnt tell you and experiencies that only a fellow bandster could relate with so keep reading and you'll find answers to every question you didn't even know you had! If you are someone who already knows how to lose weight then you'll do great because IMO the band is best at helping you keep the weight off more so than lose it- it takes discipline to lose it but the band will stop you from regaining via over indulgence! You have a lot on your plate (no pun intended! ) being in college as well as on your lapband journey so best of luck to you and congrats on your decision to change your life!

Hello! And welcome to the forum! Congrats on your very soon upcoming surgery! I believe you will be so happy you had the procedure once you start making progress and that will allieviate all your anxieties! Im not sure I quite understand your question but I think its hard for anyone to change a habit that most of us have had to fall back on most of our lives for comfort in the ability to over indulge in food. And to be honest the band doesn't change our ways of thinking either it only helps check us when we forget and start to stuff our faces- it wont let anymore food down! The real changes come in time when we really retrain our brains to expect smaller quantities- and hopefully better quality of foods. Definitely doesn't happen over night but it will happen for you in time! You have the right attitude, you will be healthier and happier soon! Best of luck with you surgery!!

Welcome to the forum! And I think most of us on here can appreciate your story. I had my band done at 25 and now at 27 I wish I would have done it even sooner! There's much to be said for being overweight in your young years theres soo much we miss out on being held hostage in a body we dont really like. So congrats on your decision to have WLS you're in for an exciting ride. I understand your fears about the procedure, we all had them, but every surgery comes with its risk, it's surgery after all! But laproscopic surgeries are much safer than open ones and lap band is considerably safer than something like gastric bypass. Being obese carries its own risks so you have to decide which ones outweigh the benefits of having or not having the procedure. And if you find a good surgeon that you trust you should be fine. Most of the issues people have after being banded- slips most notably, you'll find come from the patient not doing what they should be and not from the band itself. Such as over eating, eating items known to cause stuck and regurgitation episodes, having an over filled band trying to rush the weight loss and vomiting much more than they should. If you follow your doctors instructions you should be fine. But read all sides of the forum so that you will know what to expect and relieve your anxieties and make an educated decision before being banded. Don't be afraid of failure- slip ups happen but you can't beat yourself up about it, thats usually what provokes us to over indulge and restart the cycle. The people who seem to have the most success with the band are those who are ready to commit to a lifestyke change, not those who expect the band to knock the cookie out their hands. Understand that permanent weight loss is a slow and steady process. Be willing to forgive yourself and get back on track. Dont deprive yourself just remember everything in moderation- the band once you're at a good level of restriction will help with that. Keep in mind it may take weeks or months before you will find that "sweet spot" of restriction so alot of it will still be up to you in the begining. Also be sure to keep realistic expectations. The band is a tool and it takes alot of getting use to, it won't stop you from eating icecream or other high calorie "slider" foods or from being a couch potato so keep that in mind, that it will take more than just the surgery to receive the ideal results we all set out for. Before I was banded I only read success stories and followed people on youtube who seemed to have exceptional experiences with the band and sort of assumed I would too- and while I have lost 100lbs thus far it wasn't the quick and effortless process I secretly hoped for! But I dont regret the band for a single minute because I know it truly helped me change my habits and see my over eating for what it truly was. Being able to love the skin your in for once is an amazing feeling and I cant wait to see you posting on the other side of the forum when you are seeing the pounds shed. At 21 your life is just begining and now more than ever you have so much to look forward to, congratulations on your surgery! Best of luck!

Hi Monique and welcome to the forum! Congrats on your upcoming surgery! Its such an exciting time for you! Be sure to read lots of threads from new and veteran bandsters to answer all your questions and help eliminate any anxities you may have. Theres always plenty to learn from others experiences on here. And there is area specific threads on the forum also if you want to connect with people in your specific location also. Best of luck and welcome again!

Welcome! You've stumbled into a great site that has been a remarkable help to me and Im sure alot of other people. Read the member stories from the new banders and some of the veteran banders and you'll have a much more clear picture of what you're in for. Results are not always fast for everyone but I think most long term banders will agree that over time its a pretty consistant albeit slow process. Not everyone loses all the weight they want to in a year or less but 2 or 3 yrs out seems to be the norm if you keep up with your good eating and excercise habits. The band definitely does not do it all for you and you can in time find ways to eat around it so remember to stay focused on the goal and be willing to change. You'll read it alot that the band is not a magic cure it is just a tool and doesn't work for those who don't work with it!

The hungry feeling could also be thirst which is often times confused- especially by us over eaters, so make sure to drink plenty water or crystal light. At 4 days in your band is not yet doing much to curb your appetite without a fill so being hungry is expected but try to follow the guidelines set by your surgeon and nutritionist. Protein shakes are important especially early in the healing process. If you're in the liquid phase stick to liquids- pureeing solids doesn't make them liquid so be careful to follow your doctors instructions for your own safety despite what may have worked for anyone else on the forum. Hate to see people with early band flips because they pushed themselves into solids too soon. Best of luck!

No worries you're still early in the game!! The band takes a long time to get to use to as does any lifestyle change. Over eating is an addictive behavior as is smoking or drinking-- and nobody expects them to change over night even with the patch so there's no reason us bandsters should expect to totally change instantly after being banded with no slip ups, its a tool not a cure. Not to mention there's no telling if thats water weight or muscle mass gain so don't beat yourself up. Just stay the course and stay positive! Try not to watch the scale as much as you note the changes in yourself as the scale is sometimes not as accurate to what your real effort is. I have found myself stuck in the same range for the last few weeks and feeling discouraged and just coming on here is inspiring and motivating enough to make me push away the cookies I bought over the weekend. Best of luck to you!

Glad to be of some help Donnie! This site is great for that. Congrats on being newly banded!

Hello all! Im from San Diego, Cali.

1 more pound to go for me!!

Hi! I live in So Cali so my rates are probably more than most peoples. But I found mine at 24hr fitness, he was awesome BUT the gym charges ridiculous fees 5- 50 minute sessions for $389, 10 for $569 etc. which I never intended to keep up with but I liked the trainer so much I kept it up for an extra 2 mts. It was an invaluable way to get into an excercise routine and for someone who was very intimidated by excercise and the gym atmosphere it was the best way for me to kickstart the habit and teach me things I didnt know about weight loss and doing excercises the right way. I would not recommend getting trainers that work for the gym unless you're not hurtin for cash cuz they take alot of it! However I see alot of trainers in the gym that will just offer their cards or website flyers with info on their rates- much better. You can get college kids for much less too. My trainer was in grad school and was studying kinsiology so dont let their ages fool ya! Some of them do know what theyre talking about and they do it for alot less green! If you go to a gym you can also just spot the "regulars" you'll quickly know who they are and often many of them train people too both in and out of the gym. The actual gym trainers will often times moonlight outside of the gym training for less money- keep in mind tho you pay over $50/hr to the gym for training they still only make $10-13 of that! So they're willing to negotiate. On craigslist you can also find trainers and group sessions in my area like meetings at the beach or a park to walk or excercise. My trainer gave me a schedule of things to do when I worked out alone and with him, we talked about my goals for the week, the month and over all. He always had new routines for me to do and was great at modifying workouts for me because at 300+ there was alot I still could not do. I broke 300 with him in fact! He kept me motivated by telling me how much better I was doing and also developed a friendship where he would even talk to me about unrelated issues to my workout because early on we determined I am a stress eater! So having a trainer was helpful in a lot of ways if I could afford it I would meet him everyday! I work out much harder and consistantly when I have a pair of eyes on me, its much easier to slack off when you're your only check/balance system!! Not to mention a handsome guy is a great motivator. Have fun!!

I have the BodybuggSP and I bought it from 24hr fitness. LOVED it when I first got it- albeit it took some patience getting it to sync with my phone and the whole meal log thing got old real fast because I just didnt like logging it in. However I always had a pretty good idea of the range my calories I ate every day were in so even withouot logging the food it was really easy to know where I stood and how much more excercise I needed to do to burn my target calories for the day. It was really interesting to see what my real activity level was- I always thought I walked so much but it turns out I could easily barely crack 500steps when I was working a 10hr shift sitting down most of the time. It motivated me to want to see me in the "green" with calories burned and steps etc. I even found myself going for a quick walk around my house if I ever noticed it was nearing midnight and I had not hit my target for the day! Its awesome for accountability because my trainer at 24hr fitness also had access to my info uploaded online and he would text me with praise or motivation when necessary even when I hadnt seen him in days. However Ive had it about 9mts and although I started off wearing it 24/7 I have slacked off soo much in the last month. Its kind of like having a gym membership its worthless if you dont actually use it! Plus renewing the membership to actually be able to see your info was a pain, its already an expensive tool would be nice to be able to use something you own without having to keep paying for the membership to download the info. FYI the BodybuggSP does not have to be used on the website to see your stats however you can only store 2wks of your info without syncing it to the website before its full and you therefore cant use it more than 2wks out of your Bodybugg membership.

haha Oh I hate how every scale I get on says something different! I usually go with the lowest one to boost my ego but of course the docs go with theirs which is probably the least accurate since I am wearing a lot more clothes, shoes, jewlery, keys and phone when I get on. But as someone else pointed out it doesn't matter what the number is exactly as long as it shows your progress consistantly. I like the wii because it keeps it all stored and I can see my progress in the little chart. But I also hate how it wants to deduct weight based on your clothes which can instantly fudge your weight by 3-5lbs depending which option you choose and how much you're actually wearing! To be honest I just hop on it naked and same with my free standing scale! It usually matches up within a pound that way. Not to mention your weight can easily flucuate 3lbs throughout the day with or without clothes. After I surpassed major mile stones (50, 75, 100lb losses) the exact number wasn't as big a deal as the non scale victories anyways. Feels better fitting in a smaller size of clothes than stressing over a 3lb difference- either way ya win!! PS: Ever throw your arm out playing wii tennis? LMAO I never learn!

I am someone who only wants to be 200lbs and at minimum 190 and people would still call this overweight also so I know what you mean about the ideal weight being relative to the individual and more power to ya for that! I personally think some "ideal weights" are too skinny for certain people- they just dont look right IMO, no offense to anyone.Offering a little insight for your query though, I would think the reason that your doctor had no problem operating on your knee when you were even heavier is because it was a medical necessity- not cosmetic. Big difference! Plus the weight tends to be a factor in having knee replacement unless of course you're injured in an accident- in which case again the benefit of surgery would outweigh any risks your weight could cause. I also understand that one reason PSurgeons dont want to touch someone who is still overweight/obese is because for one they have their stats and having an unsuccessful surgery looks bad on them- that is if A- something were to happen during surgery because as an overweight person we are still considered high risk medically, even if we love the way we look. and B- your outcome would not be the ideal since you're not within the ideal weight range- thats simply not the before & after a PSurgeon wants to show, their profession is about perfection after all. And most importantly because of something you actually proved the point on-- you said that you loosened your band because of reflux and you started to gain weight so you were going back for a fill. So with the doctor's point in mind that would say that not only are you not at an ideal goal but you are not at a stable weight. We all have the band to learn better eating habits but the habits have to be maintained by us or else the band can't work and certainly neither will PS. Doctors like to see that you have maintained your weight loss before doing PS because if you gain it all back and stetch the skin out again whats the point? Its their job to choose good condidates as well as it is to to do a good job. He probably could have explained his position a little more but Im guessing that was what would give him pause about working with someone not at his ideal weight nor at even their own stablized goal weight. It makes sense since you see so many people have to go through several different weight loss surgeries and do PS more than once because their weight is not stable which is condusive to their habits not yet being stable, a conciocunses doctor would definitely have a stand on these issues for whats in the best interest of you as the patient and of course himself as a provider. But there's always going to be a doctor out there who will do what others won't. But I would wonder if he has your best interest at heart or is it just looking for a paycheck? Get several opinions and find a doctor you can develop a good understanding with who has the same vision for your body that you do! Best of luck!

Bump! This is a good topic I have not even heard of this method but would be interested in any replies and your outcome from the procedure! Good luck!

While allergies to detergents and dyes can cause bumps and rashes- they are not likely to cause boils as boils are small skin abscesses/infection. I'm a nurse and I have had the same problem especially once I started working out with a trainer- thus sweating more and having alot more friction going on. Matter of fact I even mention in my profile that my lapband surgeon offered to lance one when I came in to get a fill and complained about one. I've gotten a hair bump or boil before in the past but nothing like I had issues with in the last year. =/ I had one that was so deeply embeded that it could not drain on its own and I ended up getting a systemic reaction- high fever, nausea, fainting and ended up in the hospital over it and having to have it surgically drained because I assumed like all the rest that it would jus go away on its own in time- boy was I ever wrong!! My life saver has been washing my peri area- front and back (as these can and do spread to surrounding tissue esp due to staph) with Hibiclens daily and PRN. You can buy it at any pharmacy its an antimicrobial soap (not just antibacterial), you may have used it before your lapband surgery, some pharmacies like Vons Ive found sell it from behind their counter but you still dont need a prescription. When I actually have a boil I watch it and allow it to drain in gauze instead of all over the surrounding tissue as it can spread. I also apply neosporin or bacitracin to open boils- consult your physcian on the use of those products though, some people are allergic. Also sitz baths/soaks help to bring the boil to head and drain which Im sure you know brings instant pain relief. Warm compresses then a sitz soak is my method. If you have one or feel the sensation that one is coming immediately intervene as these can go from a harmless nusiance to painful and health hazardous in the form of sepsis unbeknownst to most people who brush it off as a simple hair bump. Some people are simply prone to boils which yes can be brought on by frequent ingrown hairs but if you happen to be one of the lucky ones like me who's horomones and body chemistry are prone to them you can get them without a whole lot of instigation on your part. Definitely dont wear tight undergarments for all the reasons people listed above- not to mention they promote ingrown hairs by being so tight against them. Excess skin of course is a breeding ground for bacteria so cleanse more often than most and try keeping the peri area as clean and free from excess moisture as possible. My doctor also suggested I use baby wipes as opposed to just toilet paper- anything to lessen the chance of bacteria pooling on skin thats already prone to boils. I still get the sensation that some want to form at times but I have not had any bad ones since I started this extra clean regimen- and in the end who doesnt like a clean crotch?haha Best of luck!

Awesome transformation! You look amazing. I can't wait to hit goal and have my arms done and boobs lifted! Ive already gone from a HH to DD with 80 more pounds to lose so Im sure I'll be a mess!lol But your pics are inspiring thanks for posting! Any thoughts on getting a TT for someone who hasn't yet had children? I always read mixed reviews. Im 27 and not sure yet if I will have kids on my own but theres always a possibility!