dk4k

I wish I could help! I just got through a plateau, I had to start doing the exercise I had pretty much stopped. But you're already doing that! Definitely get your band checked out--that heartburn can't be doing good things for you. Best of luck.

It is all in how you look at it. I've lost 55 lbs. since November, not much longer than you, but I sure don't feel discouraged! You are doing yourself SUCH a huge favor, trying to get your health right at a young age. I seriously used to think 15 minutes of exercise was awesome when I was younger! Now at 41, I HAVE to exercise to keep my knees from hurting. Losing weight has decreased most of my joint pains. I had high triglycerides and my blood pressure was starting to get a little high. Guess what? It's all better now! You can prevent all that damage to your body by getting moving now. You have the "tool" the knowledge. If you don't want to calorie count (I don't), just try to make good choices more often than not. Instead of McD's, get a turkey sub and Subway and eat everything but the bread. Or chili at Wendy's. Or chicken strips at Chick-Fil-A. There are so many choices!

Dr. Kim did my surgery, repairing the hernia at the same time as placing the lap band. I was self-pay also. They charged my insurance for the hernia portion of the operation, and insurance paid a portion of it. I was not responsible for any amount that insurance didn't pay. Dr. Kim's office charges a set fee for self-pay patients. PS I dislike his manner but respect his skill. Luckily, I have seen his PA's for follow up appointments, instead of him. The whole staff is very nice.

I never forget about it, but I sure don't feel that Mental restriction that I always did when dieting....can't have this, can't have that. At this point, it is easier for me to make better choices most of the time. I just try to get my protein in first.

Welcome to the Club! As you can see, it's a very large club, and there are a lot of members! Let's just try to get rid of the "cheating" label. I'd prefer to say that I didn't eat as well as I could have today. I make good choices most of the time. This philosophy is working for me, and I don't beat myself up with negative feelings.

Ah, the real world is not so scary, is it??? I am going to the Land of Bread and Sausages---Europe---next month. I hope I am as successful!

You're off to a great start, Alie! I think you have to change your mind in order to change your body, so it's awesome that you are already starting to do that.

I think it will start coming back off soon. This is the good kind of weight...muscle and some extra Water your body is holding onto to feed itself. I think that happens when you start exercise, or start doing something really different. I'm so impressed that you committed to a boot camp. It will be one of the best things you do for yourself! Please post an update at the end of the month.

I've been stuck on a plateau for over a month now, between 1 and 4 pounds from my halfway-to-goal mark of 54 pounds lost. Overall I feel it is going great, but for the last month or more I've been up and down the same 4 pounds!! I've gotten as close as 1.7 pounds away (Saturday), then today it's back up to over 2. I'm frustrated and feel like venting! My dr. gave me a tiny fill (.2) at my last visit, which was the last one under my cash-pay 6-month postop period. Neither one of us wanted to push it over the edge from comfortable eating to having problems. So I won't be rushing in to get another one. I'm eating plenty of Protein and drinking a lot of Water. For exercise I'm doing treadmill and weights, and we're building a pergola and patio. So I"m not sitting around doing nothing! On a positive side, I can walk SO much faster than I used to, through the store, airport, everywhere. And I sat in a middle airplane seat last week comfortably (as much as that is possible for anyone). I even had to contort myself to shove some extra baggage under my and my kids' seats, and I could! Previously we would have had to vacate the seats, stow the bags, and sit back down....but I didn't have to! So it's not all bad. I just REALLY want to see that "magic" number on the scale, since I've built up to it for so long. Someone please tell me I will get there soon!

Thank you vlp! I got there! I started exercising again this week, what a difference it makes!

The policy is different for different doctors, but I drink it every morning before I eat. No problems!

mj23, you must be down because you are going through a hard time. Life is not one success story after another, it's a little of everything. I personally am going through a rough period, but I still consider my band journey to be successful because I have lost almost 54 pounds so far. I eat more slowly, I eat less, and I eat fewer unhealthy things (they aren't gone completely). So I think the band will help me maintain a healthy weight once I get there. As much as I still HATE to admit it, I feel better and I lose weight more consistently when I exercise. I realized that walking daily, even if it is for a shorter time than a "real" workout, is necessary to keeping my knees from hurting on my down time. So it's something I will have to commit to forever if I want to feel my best. I hope your journey changes for the better.

You did inspire, CindyC! I need to keep looking forward, not down (at the scale). It will happen!

I'm so glad for you! I might finally be at the end of mine, having finally lost something yesterday. I hope so!

Broccoli is the thing that always get us going. If you are doing mushies, you can cook it until tender and use a hand blender or small food processor to blend it up fine, even add some chicken stock to get it to a mashed consistency. Lots of water, too!

Mine gets tighter 2 times a month, like clockwork. A day or so before ovulation, and the same before the period.

Maybe you were too strenuous and pulled something? I have only been banded for 6 months so I only know what it felt like when I healed and started doing exercise. How soon can you see you dr.?

It will go away soon. Keep SIPPING those liquids, even if you are burping. I actually thought the burping was pretty funny because I had always been Ms. Manners and now I was burping uncontrollably like a 7 year old boy! That part won't last long. Did your dr. give you medicine for the nausea? Some people get sick from the pain medicine. Check with your dr. if you are feeling nauseous. Feel better soon!

It is a scary thing to face, but you will all soon find that you are stronger than you knew when you are standing on the "other side". You are brave to face your fears and improve your lives. Best of luck to you all!

I am donating a huge pile of clothes to Goodwill this week. I'm glad someone else can use them and I don't plan on ever wearing them again!

That's great to hear! I've lost 50 pounds in 6 months, so not too shabby. It's just hard to see past this plateau I've been standing (maybe sitting) on for the past 5 weeks or so... Great work!

yaaaayyy!

I did the same as Heather.

Well I hope it clears up soon! I guess we're all guilty of thinking every pain in our abdomen is our band.

I voted! I lived in Keller for 8 years. Dr. Kim was my surgeon. I really don't like his personality (I think we started off on the wrong foot), but trust that he is a wonderful surgeon. Best of luck!