Noturningback15

Keep it up then and good for you.

Keep it up then and good for you.

Anything with artificial sweeteners will make you crave sugar. I use to hate to drink plain Water but it wasnt worth the risk since I am a sugar addict. Try adding chromium and b complex it will take the edge off the sugar cravings for sure.

I have great restriction at this time. It took me awhile to get here but I am here. I have been banded for a year now and I am losing slow and steady. I have good days and bad days but I love my band! I was 360 the day I got banded but that was after I lost some weight. If you decided to do this you will probably lose some as well over your 3 to 6 month diet with a dietician or your doctor. I had a BMI over 60 as well. Good luck!

For starters I could tell you were a guy and yes it is harsh, no compassion but I don't need your simpathy nor anyone elses for that matter, that was not my intention on this posting. Let me shed some light for you. For the last 4 yrs of my 25 yr marriage I watched him become an alcoholic and lose a high paying corporate job due to his drinking and partying ways (he had been at that job for 22 yrs) and throw away an education and wonderful opportunity. Now with that said, I was tired of him coming home at wee hours of the night/morning drunk and me not knowing whether or not he was lying in a ditch dead from a wreck or passed out or out screwing around. We had a great marriage or so I thought but he had to entertain with his job and that came with liquor and he couldn't handle it and thus the drinking got worse. Then all of the sudden in Fall of '09 he came home from work and said I'm not happy I'm leaving, his excuse was I don't drink, I'm a Christian and I don't party and I never go to bars with him well I'm not about to change that now. He had bought a sports car, was out partying all of the time so I think he was going thru a little of a mid life crisis. In hind sight we did get married too young, never got to sew our wild oats but we travelled all over the world together and had fun and a great marriage and wonderful family times. All I was saying is, I miss being married, I miss having someone to snuggle with on the couch to watch TV with, to talk to, to go to the movies with, the companionship of a marriage. Who knows maybe your not married, I don't know. But when you are married as long as I was and that is all you knew since high school, being single all of the sudden is scary. A lot of jerks out there in the world. Not going to settle for just anyone the next time around. And to answer your question about my surgery, I had surgery June 13th of this year and it was the best decision I've ever made for myself. I didn't do it for him or to show him anything I did it for me and my health. I burried my dad 10 yrs ago last month from a massive heart attack from heart disease and being obese and I didn't want to fall in his foot steps and become a statistic so I had my surgery to save my life and become healthy. And to also remark to you, I would give anything to have my husband back but not in the condition that he's in nowadays, he's a drunk and is a changed man, certainly not the man I married 26 yrs ago and I know that is not likely. I'm not bitter towards him, we are actually friendly when we see or talk to each other, afterall he does pay me alimony and we do text/talk/email concerning this matter on occasion. All I was saying is that someday I want to remarry, have a Godly man in my life and one that can treat me like I should be treated. That is all I will say to you on this matter.

I got the band at 34 and had my first baby at 36. I would have had a very hard time if I didnt lose the weight first. Gestational diabetes was not something I wanted to deal with on top of high bp and and a bunch of other issues I had pre band. I had absolutely no issues during my pregnancy and had a normal vaginal delivery. My son and I were both healthy and pre band I dont know if we would have been. I couldnt get pregnant for 17 years pre band. The 18 months I waited after surgery was worth it. I plan on trying again next year and will be 38 before the next one. I believe its better to be a healthy older mom instead of an unhealthy only a year younger mom.
Good luck.

Congrats!

I told my husband on our first date. I said I won't be eating all of this food you are about to pay for so don't get mad. I told him I have a band on to keep me from eating too much at once. He said "cool" and went on to say how fine I was and didn't care if I lost anymore weight or not. I was like he is the one and he was! LOL!

Isn't It amazing How Another Person's Ordinary Can Be Another Person's Extraordinary!!
Blessed Be God!!! Good Night!!

I was told microwaving anything changes it. My doctor says to avoid microwaving

I am not sure about the "lower class" but it could be jealously because we have to actually put in more work than they do. They may feel like they took the easier way out. Plus, there are a lot of doctors that try to paint such an ugly picture of the band to convince them not to get it. I know my sister's doctor kept trying to convince her to do the Gastric Bypass but she stuck to her wants. Some of us are still able to eat some of our favorite foods vs. them getting sick (some of us do too). We have the option of going to get adjustments vs. them streching their stomach back out over the years. I know we can strech our pouch too but if we follow the rules and get our adjustments we don't have to worry about that.

I did, over two years I lost 196lbs, I suffer badly with pcos! I was told January 2011 I would never have children as my condition was so bad, well surprise surprise I had a beautiful baby boy January 2012!
Doctors think my rapid weightless helped me fall!
Girls never ever give up hope to have a beautiful baby it WILL happen but relax enjoy love making stop thinking it as baby making, most of all stop putting pressure on yourself!
X

I told my husband on our first date. I said I won't be eating all of this food you are about to pay for so don't get mad. I told him I have a band on to keep me from eating too much at once. He said "cool" and went on to say how fine I was and didn't care if I lost anymore weight or not. I was like he is the one and he was! LOL!

Yea, it was not the best informational article but I can agree with one thing that I copy and pasted below.....
In fact, he notes, none of the weight-loss surgeries works without being performed in conjunction with lifestyle changes. "The surgery simply allows patients to get much more benefit out of proper eating and physical activity," he says.

Great job!!! Congrats on your success!

The article states:
"The surgery simply allows patients to get much more benefit out of proper eating and physical activity. But it will not do the job for them."
This is VERY true, and then it goes on to talk about 20% benefiting from surgery. Nowhere does it say the other 80% fail or have complications, it simply says that is how many he approximates benefit. (not even that is based on a case study, mind you, it's his opinion only).
If this doctor approximates only 20% benefit, perhaps that is in his practice. In which case it begs the question- where is he going wrong to inform patients of the facts before making their decision? Again, I stress his 20% number is NOT based on some sort double blind case study. It is simply his opinion based on his own experience.
If you read these forums, you'll see a very high number of people who for lack of better words, are totally clueless about the band inside of them. They think just because they are banded they're going to somehow magically lose weight without changing their eating habits, or they walk around with their band so tight they can't eat and have a slip, or they eat way more than the portions they are supposed to have 'because they can'. The list goes on and on, and every day I am on here answering the exact same questions over and over because someone has been banded without educating themselves first.
Do I agree with this doctor's 20% opinion? Not at all, there are far more than 20% here alone that very much benefit from their bands. However, I do think there is a serious problem with people rushing into this surgery without a clue and failing miserably because of it.

Yea, it was not the best informational article but I can agree with one thing that I copy and pasted below.....
In fact, he notes, none of the weight-loss surgeries works without being performed in conjunction with lifestyle changes. "The surgery simply allows patients to get much more benefit out of proper eating and physical activity," he says.

OMG, what an irresponsible article! They make it sound like the sleeve procedure is safer than the lap band?!?! the sleeve has a 1/200 mortality rate, while the band only has 1/200. And they don't even mention the long-term, hugely painful complications that potentially come with the sleeve, namely stomach leaking...
Regardless, I do wish taogirl well!! It makes me so sad to hear that you've had trouble since the very beginning!! I don't know why it is, but it seems that there are as many different experiences as there are people.
Every surgery has a potential risk, and it's a really good reminder that there are no guarantees... Some people have a really hard time with the surgery, need revisions, removals, or even die...
And of course we all know the potential up side, which is why we're all here in the first place!

The hard fact to swallow - pardon the pun - is that "too tight" doesnt always mean lots of restriction. Too tight for YOU could still be loose enough to let you eat bread and steak and might still be loose enough so that weight loss is a tough ask. Sometimes your body just handle the restriction you think you want and there's unfortunately no way to make excuses or beat around the bush with this, acid reflux will damage your band AND your body over time.
I've been as guilty of this as anyone, putting up with the burning pain for five whole months before I really just told myself, I had to face the unfill. But it turns out it was a different issue altogether.
Like my doc said to me though, its lovely to be maintaining a weight of 140lb at my 5ft 10, but if I had acid reflux to do it, then I just had to face the fact that I might have to be 10lb heavier. I didnt much like hearing that but its true. You cant beat this one, if you have reflux that you cant control with medication you are going to have to try unfilling.

Always Trust your Intuition!!
If you know you shouldn't eat it dont!!
If you know its not right then dont do it!!!
If it Feels wrong trust your gut feelings and say no!!
You will be happy later that you did!!
Love all of you!! Have Faith, Strength, and Courage, and Wisdon to battle this weight loss Struggle!!

day two of the liquids only kinda grumpy but following the rules... mind over stomach today...

Good day to you all!
I wanted to share some good news. I woke up Sunday and weighed myself and realized I hit just a tad over my half way goal! I've lost 62 lbs! I started my pre-op diet in Feb 28th of this year. The Dr had put me on a 4 week shake diet. @ weeks of all shakes except a sensible dinner then 2 weeks full liquid. I lost 25 lbs in doing just that alone. I had my surgery March 28th and have lost 37 since. It's been an up and down journey that's for sure. Good days and bad days. Days with good restriction and days where I wanted to eat EVERYTHING in sight. Meeting with my dietitian really helped. When I saw her a few weeks ago she told me she has seen hundreds of patients and that I'm the most successful in such a short period of time that's she can remember seeing. That made my day and really helped get me back to being motivated! I saw her again earlier this week and she said she couldn't believe how different I looked in just a month since she last saw me.
I was so nervous to start this journey and kept looking for excuses to not go through with it, but like many have said, in this wonderful forum, that the only regret was not getting it done sooner. I couldn't be more thrilled with the results. It has happened so fast and I cant' believe the little things I'm noticing. Several nsv's. A few of them may be silly. For instance. One I've noticed is when I was at my heaviest using a regular sized public bathroom was so difficult. I was so uncomfortable and could barely open the door to get out sometimes. I always had to use the handicapped stall. Now I'm noticing I can fit in regular stalls with ease now! :-) I was able to paint my toenails the other night with them propped in the same chair seat that I was sitting in without being out of breath and stretching to reach because my big belly was in the way. These are a few of many I notice. They may sound silly but when you couldn't do them for so long it's amazing feeling to do what "regular" people can do that they take for granted.
I'm far from goal and I'm a bit nervous because this is the weight I usually have given up with in the past. I felt I could never get any smaller than this, but I'm determined this time. I do most of the work, but this little band has really been a great tool for me. I never understood what people meant in the beginning that it was only a tool if used properly. I totally get that now. I went from barely being able to get off the couch to actually wanting to get up early to go start my 3 mile walk.
Sorry for the long ramble, I just wanted to share my story and also give myself some accountability so I won't give up and hopefully maybe to encourage others who may be struggling right now. I've had a lot of encouragement from my surgical team, dietitian, friends, and family and I'm so grateful God's been holding my hand and giving me strength through it all when I really thought I had none of my own left. Well, I hope you all are having a blessed Thursday!
The first picture is about an hour before surgery. I look extra gross because of the wet shower hair on no makeup and the fact I was talking when my husband snapped the picture. I almost didn't post it because seeing it makes me cringe, sick to my stomach and want to cry my eyes out, but I ended up posting it because I want to remind myself I never want to go there again. The second one was taken this past Sunday after church. It's crazy how sometimes my mind doesn't see a difference in the mirror at all, I have to take old pics out sometimes to keep my mind in check. Anyone else go through that? 

I told my husband on our first date. I said I won't be eating all of this food you are about to pay for so don't get mad. I told him I have a band on to keep me from eating too much at once. He said "cool" and went on to say how fine I was and didn't care if I lost anymore weight or not. I was like he is the one and he was! LOL!

It was hard for me to not tell her!! Kind of a funny story. After several weeks of wining, dining and romancing we decided that things have been great so lets consumate our relationship. Well we was doing the things people do and she reached up and rubbed my belly, everything stopped and she asked me if I had a tumor the size of a golf ball or something! I told her that it was a pump for my penis and how do you like it? she believed it and I couldn't stop laughing for a really long time she kept asking what so funny so finally I told her about Lap Band!! Now its a inside joke for us. When we go out with friends and stuff like that after a few hours I rub where the port is and we both start cracking up. Our friends and family look so confused.

Many people who struggle with morbid obesity find themselves virtually ”invisible”, feeling like or choosing to stay an anonymous person in the crowd as opposed to being an individual and standing out.


In our complex and busy lives, we all belong to a system of people, places and things that connect us to others who, in turn, impact our lives in a variety of ways. Many people who struggle with morbid obesity find themselves virtually ”invisible”, feeling like or choosing to stay an anonymous person in the crowd as opposed to being an individual and standing out. Conversely, many bariatric patients maintain busy and interactive lifestyles regardless of body size or physical impediments. Human nature is strange; we often cannot decide how we would like to be perceived by others. In the area of bariatric support services, we are often reminded that both the internal (your own) response to your comprehensive changes and the external (everyone else) response are both quite evident as a patient begins, and continues on, the journey of recovery from morbid obesity. Either way, bariatric surgery will somehow spotlight your changing physical and psychological selves due to a dramatic change in body appearance and personal presentation.
In attempting to assess how a pre-operative or new post-operative patient is filtering feedback from those around them, it is often helpful to ask a few pertinent questions to focus in on potentially difficult areas:
Do you feel that people in your support system are fully aware of your needs as a pre-operative/new post-operative bariatric surgery patient? Have the people in your life system received adequate information/education regarding the basics of bariatric surgery and the importance of a supportive and behaviorally appropriate environment?
Do you perceive friends or family members unable to relate to you/isolate from you due to the newness of bariatric surgery? Are support people feeling unsure as to how your relationship will be affected by your bariatric surgery in the future?
Are there feelings of resentment or frustration apparent to you around old eating habits or the appearance of new ones?

As support service facilitators, we are keenly aware of the possibilities of external (outside) reactions to bariatric patients and how it may impact the internal (sense of self) reactions patients are experiencing at an already heightened rate. When a patient decides to undergo surgery, that decision can be an alarming, even threatening event, for people in their life system, be it family, friends, co-workers or intimate partners. A change in a relationship between two people may possibly shift the focus of eating behaviors from one to another, possibly putting the spotlight on someone else and their less than perfect lives. We all, to some degree, experience scrutiny around our behaviors but as we all know, body image and self-worth are very susceptible to criticisms from those in our life system.
Expectations of what bariatric surgery will change also affects the patients issues about their own acceptance in a mirror image sort of way. Patients often wonder:
Will I be accepted by my old crowd of friends even though I may not eat the same way or for the same reasons after my surgery
Will I be able to enjoy socializing, holidays and celebrations following bariatric surgery?
What if my feelings towards some people in my life change and I decide to minimize certain relationships because they do not support my new style of life?

Most people want to be accepted for who they are in a holistic sense, not just what they look like. The adjustment needs for both patient and support persons are often the same: that the newness of the situation will pass and interaction between people will become less uncomfortable. Often, patients report having to reinforce the importance of certain relationships with others just as patients need to receive the
same “validation” from others. Patience, tolerance and acceptance are three areas that everyone could benefit from as patients and support people learn from each other that the most valuable teaching tool is life experience. Bariatric surgery begins a journey toward a healthier, improved quality of life the patient will pursue in their physical and emotional recovery from the devastating affects of morbid obesity.