happygirl65

Hi! I am so inspired by you! Here you are, still at it and reaching out for support because you recognize that you need that. We all need that. 93 pounds is HUGE...way to go! I understanf gaining before surgery. I went through this total "last supper" phase where I just wanted to eat everything that I told myself I would never eat again...not because I knew I couldn't after the band but because I knew I shouldn't. It was my mental way of letting go and saying goodbye to those foods. I practiced being mindful of every taste and every mouthful of the breads and pastas that I will not allow myself to order and ya know, I found that while I may crave them from time to time...that is just the learned habit of the comfort food self medicating I was doing and there are PLENTY of really delicious healthy foods that I will be able to be very satisfied with. I am even excited to come up with a new way to have my previous favorite...pizza....using eggplant instead of crust and making my own. And some casseroles that will include spaghetti sauce, olives, mushrooms, onions, zucchini and motzerella cheese. The main thing I am going to do is like you said, measure my food to no more than a cup and be done...walk away, find a new activity to distract myself from the thought that I want to eat more because I know from experience it will go away and I will feel full for several hours. I have gotten the advice from my doc also to put myself on a timer, eat or plan to eat a meal or snack every 4 hours until dinner then be done. I can totally do this...the other thing that successful people do is make a plan for the week and stick to it. If you plan it out not only will you not exceed your calories for the day, you will also SAVE money at the store buying only what you need! I go a step further and plan what I will make based on the sales ads and coupons I have...it is challenging but I do love a good challenge and since it cost me lot of money to have this done it is kind of fun to find ways to save money to pay it off faster. I wish you every bit of luck and support. I think you already know what you need to do, afterall you have had tremendous success already, you just have to kick it into gear again and remember why you are doing all of this and that you are WORTH it! Hope you have a fantastic day filled with great choices! Best wishes to you!

Jduck...I think you bring up an EXCELLENT point with the kids! That is such an important and often overlooked side effect of obese parents. We DO teach our children by our example. In their lifetimes and especially childhoods they will learn SO MUCH MORE from what we do than what we say. I just got the lapband 6 days ago but already my children are noticing what I am eating and they know why because we have made it a big deal in our house and this morning while making school lunches my daughter was scanning the fridge and pantry for healthy items and asking me to cut her sandwhich into 4 peices so that it was easier to just eat a little bit if that is all she felt like she wanted. She is only 5 and I feel I am saving her from bein the chubby kid. My two older boys 7 and 11 have already learned some really bad habits that we are going to have to work on changing for them so that they can grow up healthy and KNOW the right things to do by my example and their Dad's example who is also obese but doesn't have the lapband. I am proud of the choice I have made as well and doing great just a week out. I have already lost 8 lbs since my nutrition class before surgery. Probably water weight but still....even if that was ALL water that is a GALLON of liquid I no longer have to carry everywhere I go. That feels pretty awesome.

Not too hard for me either and I am only 5 days post op....you can check out my blog...I have a detailed account of my surgery as well as a few posts since then. http://toritattles.blogspot.com/2011/01/my-surgery-day-story-as-told-to-my-band.html All in all not too bad of an experience. I was more scared of the surgury itself too because you have to give up control entirely to this team of people and literally put your life in their hands, but in my case they did everything they could to make it go smooth, and keep the process moving along so I wasn't sitting and worrying about the next step. it was not bad. There was some pain post op and recovery has been smooth as long as I remember to take my pain meds. It's not bad. But it is a life changing event and you need to do your own research and search all of your reasons and expectations for doing this. It will really help when you are doubting your decision and if you need the encouragement to keep going when you get tired of the battle...as we all seem to do from time to time.

As you are losing weight the band gets looser due to the fat loss in your stomach perhaps? So your fills are helping it keep up to where it has been and not getting further ahead. My doc says that the band doesn't make you stop eating, you have to do that. You should measure your food eat the right amount and walk away...basically the band helps you not be hungry when you choose to eat smaller amounts it sends that signal to your brain...and just because you can eat more does not mean that you should....if you eat your measured servings and are hungry in 2 hours you need another fill....that is what they have told me anyway. I think it may be a blessing that you have never gotten uncomfortable, stuck, or vomitted from the band. That is awesome because you are still losing weight based on YOUR choices...celebrate that! You deserve all the credit for that. Just try NOT to eat to much...especially if you know it is too much, you don't want to damage or stretch the stoma. Best wishes to you!!!!

Even though you have had 6 fills doesn't mean you have reached that magic restriction level that your body may need. You should be measureing your 4 oz protein, 4 oz veggies eating that and stopping....then if you are hungry before 3-4 hrs have passed you do not have proper adjustment in your band...at least that is what my doctor says. I would not say that a 20 pound loss is unsuccessful. That is really good...just keep at it, remember that each time you lose some weight you are also losing fat around your stomach where the band sits and you WILL need those adjustments to keep it working to it's greatest potential. I have heard of people not going back to their surgeon because they are embarrassed that they have not lost enough ...please don't feel that way. You reached out for help because you need help, so use the help, get the additional adjustments...you will get there. And once you are properly adjusted it will hopefully be easier to make the healthy choices again. Best of luck to you!

I was banded on 1/25, have had no real hunger either but I do have to stay on top of the pain meds but the paid does get better each day than it was the day before. Just remember that pain meds work better if you keep on them as prescribed, it's harder for them to take pain away once it is established....someone told me that and it is good advice. The walking does help with gas pain but be careful not to overdo it! I am noticing I get lightheaded when I walk for more than 20 minutes or so since I am not taking in very many calories....tomorrow I am going to walk AFTER I eat and see if that helps Good luck to you! Glad you are feeling good. THat is awesome.

Congratulations! 3 days ago I was banded...stay on top of the pain meds...did they send you home with some pain meds? I got sent home with Ibuprofen due to a codeine allergy but had to call in for something stronger...also had felt like I ot punched in the gut really hard many times! The walking they tell you to do really does help, even when you don't really feel like doing it. I wish you a speedy recovery!

I am only a few days Post Op...I am still in pain and learning all the new feelings and sounds of my body but I am happy with the decision because my health and my life and my kids are so very important to me. Don't get me wrong. People can and do lose significant amounts of weight without surgery and some even keep it off. The bigest thing that has to change is the mental aspect of things. When I was younger...in my 20s losing weight was about my appearance. And I was easily able to derail my progress with thoughts of "vanity is stupid" and "people love me for who I am not what I look like" and " I am a good person no matter how fat I am" and it gave me the permission to stop trying to lose weight way too easily. Then my mom who is only 56 yrs old had a triple bypass surgery...her second heart attack actually...then one day she fell and couldn't get herself up for over 3 hours. There was no one to help her, her muscles are weak, the neuropathy in her feet and hands from her diabetes made it hard to even feel her way and couldn't get enough footing, all the strenght that she could muster couldn't help her lift her body off the ground for 3 entire tear filled hours. My heart broke for her and I thought...there is no way I can let this happen to me. I also didn't want to continue the pattern and pass on the poor habits and choices onto my own kids dooming them to a similar fate. No, I decided to have surgery because having a tool that will help me be less hungry will assist me in making better choices and give my best efforts of planning and exercising a chance to work without making me more hungry when I increase my activity and by taking away the aspect of eating too much because I simply get too hungry after a week of dieting and start eating too much. Weight loss even with the band is not going to be easy. But over the last 5 months I just keep thinking that it will be a lot easier than dealing with the health problems that were looming on the horizon if I don't. I honestly feel that if I hadn't started really caring about my health...I would have not been able to keep the weight off...now that I do, it's about lifestyle changes and not dieting and that sounds really cliche....but it's true. I am at a point right now where I realize that as much as I love potatoes...I should probably never eat one ever again...or relgate it to the only very occasionally list. But when you know that it's just not consistant with your goals it really stops making sense to want the foods you shouldn't have anymore....there is no justification, it's all accountability. You still have to hold yourself to a higher standard...this lapband...just helps you do that by making you less hungry and giving your logical mind a shot at combating the hunger we all face every single day....that's just my two cents worth. Sorry if it was too long.

Had an excellent experience with Doctor Simpson doing my surgery. He and his staff are all so calm and professional it was an excellent experience and I felt well cared for ecery step of the way!!!

Congratulations! I wish you a painless recovery! I am feeling it now myself having gotten my band placed two days ago. Each day really has been better than the last...the walking really does help even if you don't feel like it.

The waiting is hard, don't get discouraged, it is just another part of the process...I think a lot of people waffle back and forth about it too, I know I did. Then the whole idea of proving you're a good candidate to the insurance company etc can be emotional as well. I wish you all the luck in the world...and patience since that is what you really need. You can get a ticker on tickerfactory.com and customize it.

AWESOME...good for you! Good luck! I am one day out and not doing too bad. I recommend LOTS of pillows when you go home!

RIGHT ON! WAY TO GO!!!! WOOOO!

Don't even look at the scale! That's all those IV fluids. You will do AWESOME~!

I just had surgery yesterday and they said you need to try and belch to get the gas out of your system it absorbs into your tissues etc. I have noticed my belly growling a lot as though I am hungry...but yet I don't feel hungry...if that makes sense. I have had a total of 200 calories today so I guess maybe I am but don't really feel like eating so I just keep drinking that water!

I have a feeling there might always be a 3 lbs fluctuation for me as long as it keeps going down that;s good. Hormonal changes can also be responsible. Best wishes to you it sounds like you are doing awesome! keep up the good work!

This is a great point...perhaps one I will bring up at a support group meeting. My husband and I have been married for 12 yrs...going on 13 and together for a year more than that. He is also obese and though I was the one who is banded he is really hoping that we go through this together. We are also pre-emptively going to set up counseling so that we don't let anything derail our marriage which had gotten rocky over the last year with all of my own self improvements that were kind of leaving him in the dust. I had my surgery yesterday and we are both looking forward to the future. I am wish you all the best and humbly suggest that communication is the key to solving all of our spousal issues. I know I will have to tell him what I want and don't want and need. If I don't, he wont know. As much as I want him to read my mind he just cant. Best wishes to everyone!

Mine is super long ...read my blog. It went well. Easy to say that now...lol. http://toritattles.blogspot.com/2011/01/my-surgery-day-story-as-told-to-my-band.html

Some people lose fast, some slow, some right away, some not until solids at 5 weeks or after, some wont lose until they have a good fill, some get loose skin and some don't. Sorry to say we are all different. No cookie cutters here. Try not to worry so much about all the what if's and just do your best to make your own healthiest choices every day. That is all any of us can do. Good luck!

I think it happens to everyone. It's a pretty big decision so I have to say I think we would not be normal if we didn't. Just re-evaluate everything and go through all of your reasons for wanting to do this specifically and see if it is still something you want to do. Good luck!

Yep, you are going to have to call them. They can usually send you the part of your plan that has it all spelled out. Even if they don't require a medically supervised diet, they will want to see progress notes from your doctors showing your weight and such perhaps as far back as 5 yrs. Best thing to do is call and get all of their requirements. Good luck!

I have learned to take those in the spirit they are intended. My husband (as it seems perhaps many men) lacks a brain to mouth filter that "flowers it up" before it comes out. He is not tactful but is sincere. Sometimes though particularly when I am hormonal...when he says stuff that is meant as compliment but really irritates me because it came out all wrong....I turn and look at him, raise one eyebrow...blink and him twice in wordless silence and he knows to rephrase because I will actually smack him....but then he loves it when I do that to, so he always wins. lol.