TKW

you wouldn't think a Dr. would even do the band surgery if it were so unsucessful. What you say may be true, I don't know but I think it all goes back to following the lap band rules. It's not just till you lose the weight, it is for the rest of your life, people tend to forget that. So, is the band unsuccessful or are the bandsters unsuccessful? Guess that depends on how you look at it. Good luck to you on your new journey.

I seem to eat a lot of chicken salad sandwiches. I just buy the 98% lean white chicken in a can, I like to add onion, celery, sometimes i chop up boccoli and cauliflower, radish... what ever raw veg I have and throw it in with the chicken and a little light mayo. I eat it on toast or crackers or wrap it up in lettuce. I've ate a lot of this since my surgery, so far I haven't gotten sick of it, the raw veg makes it nice and crunchy. Lots of Protien. I will agree with you that somethings just don't taste good anymore. I also will do lean cusine once in a while for lunch or leftovers. Good Luck!

GREAT JOB SUNTA... CONTINUED HEALTHY LIVING TO YOU!

I would say for me after 3 or 4 days the gas pains were completely gone. That was the worse part of the whole thing but mine were tolerable.

Well, there is nothing wrong with having soup once in a while but it will go right through your band so it probably will not fill you up. (slider food) However, I make soup once in a while and I make it nice and thick with lots and lots of vegies and meat such as chicken or beef. I figured it all out and one cup of my home made soup had aprox. 150 calories and 9 grams of protien. I get plenty full, although I probably eat a little more than the standard 1 - 1 1/2 cups. It's not something you should have all the time but it certainly can't hurt once in a while. You want something that will stay with you so you are not hungry an hour later. Good Luck to you!

Yeah, they repaired one on me too. My surgeon said 8 out of his 10 have a hiatal hernia! I was lucky, no pain to my knowledge. The "gas" pain was all I could concentrate on!

Good for you! It may have seemed like a long road but it will be worth it. You should be very educated about the band by now. This is a great site to learn lots. My band advice would be, get educated about the band and how it works, drink your Water and exercise. I started out so slow with the exercise and it has been 7 months since my surgery. I could barely walk a mile on the tread mill and could only do 6 minutes on the eliptical. Now I do a 45 minute 3.5 mph up hill walk or 35 minutes on the eliptical 7 days a week. When I'm done with that I do 30 minutes strenght training a day. I thought at first the little bit I could do could hardly make a difference. Now I know it makes all the difference in the world. Best of luck on your journey! We all love to hear how you are doing, so keep us posted!

If you have not vomitted - Congrats you are doing everything right. It happens to people a lot but because they are eating too fast or not chewing. It can cause slippage, so people may say everybody does it but the ultimate goal is to NOT vomit! I agree about the dark urine, you need more water.

Absolutely Marvelous!!!

Well... I'm guessing they are just concerned but "really"? You have to do what is best for you, the lap band has changed my life only for the better. I started out at 432 pounds! I had high colesterol (no longer) My blood sugars were pre-diabetic (no more), My blood pressure was high (now normal) and I still have 150 pounds to loose!!! I feel GREAT, I sleep like a baby, used to wake up several times a night. I am exercising and let me tell you... I started out walking 2 miles an hour on a treadmill for 20 minutes. It has been 7 months and I am walking 3.2 miles an hour for 45 minutes.... UP HILL!!! The first time I got on the eliptical machine I went 6 minutes and almost died. I can do 30 now... no problem. I just can't believe how great I feel and I still weigh ver 300 pounds... imagine another 100. I don't feel deprived of food, sometimes I eat things I shouldn't but I don't beat myself up. I try really hard to follow the plan, sometimes I slip but the next day I get back on the band wagon. Best thing I ever did. I had never had surgery before and was terrified to say the least. It went off without a hitch. Could something happen, yes but It can happen with any surgery. The best pre-op advice I could give you is to get educated. Learn about the band and life afterwards, go to the group meetings and the classes your health care facility offers and do what is best for you... and your children. They do need you... for a long long time. Getting healthy is the best way to be around for them. Best of luck to you on your journey.

Yikes.... well, glad it is getting a little better. I had never had surgery before my lap-band. I really didn't feel too bad afterwards except for the gas pains in my shoulders. I wish you a speedy recovery and much success on your journey!

Yup... salad is sort of a slider for me. Wish I could find a good low calorie recipe for salad dressing. I have tried several... none of them turn my crank!

Yup... someone left me a little heart shaped box of choclolate on my desk today. It had 5 pieces of choclolate in it. I was just going to have one... ate 3, Made someone else eat the other two but had they not I would have. Sort of feel like a dumb cluck now. Chocolate is truly my weakness. On the ohterhand, everyone at works knows I've had lapband surgery, and they know my love of chocolate... why would you leave me a box? One of those things I just have no will power over. Wonder if I ever will? But, it was good! We all need a little treat now and then!

You are beautiful! How wonderful. My starting weight was about the same as yours. Thanks for the inspiration!!! (how come the port problems?)

At 4 months... I was ready to cry, my hair was falling out by the hand full ( or so it seemed) Talked to my Dr. at a fill apt. She said, it's all part of the surgery, anethisia, weight loss. She actually told me it isn't fallin out, it is breaking off. (not that that made me feel better???) Anyway, I am amost 8 months out and it has subsided. I never did try the Biotin. Good Luck!

TKW = 338 WOW down six pounds. I have been on the wierdest pattern. I'll go 2-3 weeks and struggle with the same one or two pounds then I'll get on the scale one day and be down 6-8 pounds, then I'll go up and down 1-2 pound for a couple of weeks and then bang... down 6-8. This has been going on for 3 months. Crazy, but I'll gladly take it!!! 6 pounds till I hit 100 pounds lost!!!!! HAVE A GREAT WEEK EVERYONE!

well, policies vary but I have not paid a dime for a fill. 100% covered, no co-pay. I have Medica. 80/20

I ate a lot of cottage cheese. Wow... don't know if I could have done it for a month. I got to start mushies after one week!

Today I decided to treat myself to a half coffee/half capachino from the local convienience store. I was so excited cuz I have followed the rules pretty closely and given up my regular coffee for decaf ( might as well drink hot water). But I've been working out at the gym 7 days a week since the first of the year and was going to treat myself today. It tasted terrible. I poured it down the sink when I got to work... and poured myself a cup of hot Water, I mean decaf. I've notice a lot of things just don't taste the same...

well... I have no experience with it but from what I've read on this site, it sort of sounds like a slip? You should see a dr.

I took a class after my surgery. 6 weeks (one day a week) nutrition and exercise. Every week we cover a different exercise. machines, strenght, that big rubber ball. But one of the weeks was just stuff you could do at home with no equipment. I can't remember everything but the couple of things I do remember were. 1. sit on a chair and stand up. repeat. i was suprised how tired you get. don't use your hands/arms to get up off the chair if you don't have to. 2.) push ups against the wall. the farther away your feet are the harder the push up. I bet if you googled it you could find lots. Good Luck to you.

In a heartbeat!

Ya... I know everyone has different thoughts on the coffee thing. Soon summer will be here and weekends at the lake will definately require REAL Coffee. Love the early quite mornings at the lake with a hot cup of Coffee and everyone else is still in bed. I seem to drink more than my 64 oz of water so I probably could introduce a cup or two of the good stuff back into my diet. I think I miss the good coffee more than I miss the chocolate!

Agreed... I should have went for the starbucks, but that might not have been any good either. They say do not reward yourself with food.... next time I'll go for a new shirt!