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I've also been told that my band should be with me forever. In 10 or 15 years though if I'm told it has to be replaced, I don't think I'll be crushed. One the one hand, the technology will be better by then, so I'll probably end up happier anyway, and besides, it's possible I could tie the band replacement surgery into getting my tummy tightened a little bit. LOL As for Ms. Sharon... her reasons for removing the band were very surprising to me, however, I do believe it's best if she's still battling heavily with bulimia, which is what I read.

Myfitnesspal is the best. I'm only 10 weeks out from surgery and am still intensly focused on getting to my goal, so I try to only net between 300-500 calories. I eat about 300 calories per meal (Protein, veggies, fruit), 3 meals a day plus a snack in the afternon if needed. I also run every day, which burns enough calories to help me stay in my net range. It's different for everyone. I met with my nutritionist and reveiwed my plan. She made a few suggestions but said calorie wise I'm at a good target for me.

I was advanced to side food on day 10. I will be two weeks out tomorrow and am eating all soft food

Yay! I got my surgery date today! I have to go in for my pre-op appointment next Monday and my surgery is scheduled for Thursday, July 19. I am so happy that they were able to schedule a date so soon. I want to be off of my modified liquids diet before I go back to school (work). I will be 4 weeks post-op by then, and 12 weeks post-op by my brother-in-law's wedding. I can't wait for my body on the outside to match my personality on the inside. I am so excited! I am motivated to get as much weight as I can off before the wedding. Wahoo!

I am curious as to how much time you need to take off work after surgery. I have a desk job but I work about 10 hours a day and I need to be quite alert and able to think. If my energy level is low, effecting concentration, I won’t be able to do anything - so might as well plan for a longer leave. Would 3 weeks be enough time?

Eh, if it lasts 10 yeas, it lasted me 10 years.... But it may last forever. No one really knows.

Silry: Mother know's best!, Remember that. LOL. Sharon Osborne is not a model candidate for the Lap Band. She claims that it is all in her head, and she is ready to deal with it; with the help of a shrink! She then can keep the weight off. Lots of Luck. Who's been there and tried to loose weight, but soon, just to put it back on? I would be willing to bet that she has it put back, "in time" or has some other procedure done. I don't think she can afford the people that Oprah has helping her to tryyyy to keep her weight down. To you: youre gonna love this! I no I do. I started my weight loss journey in 10/05, I was banded 10/31/06. Since I started, untill now, I have lost 146 Lbs. 22 of those pounds were with the band, but I'll take it. Check yourself out in about 1 year, maybe less "depends on you!" and I'll bet you are happy with what youre seeing. Shirley

My wife and I got approved through Aetna PPO. The surgery center that I went through did a 3 Month Multi disciplinary diet. 2 weeks after I finished the diet and it was submitted we were approved. 5 days after approval we were in surgery. That was 10 months ago. I have lost 84 lbs and my wife has lost 67 lbs. John

I got the flu. Yup, my kids are learning to share, and share they did! Couldnt keep anything down for 12 hours, and now I cannot hardly even keep Water down! My Fill doctor is 1.5 hours away, and I leave tomorrow on a long trip, so seeing him is not an option this week(end). Are there any methods out there that might help soothe the swelling I'm sure I have around my band? Has anyone else had this problem? I have an 8CC band, with 6cc in it. BTW, I'm new here! I was banded on 4/26/10, and have lost 100 pounds and counting!

I am two months post op lap band. I have not listed but 10 lbs and kinda frustrated. My band has 3cc. I still get hungry

I HAVE TO exercise to lose. Even when I cut back on calories and watch my diet w/out exercise there is no loss on the scale. I came to terms with this at the beginning of my journey and do not think I would be sucessful with my WL if I didn't. I work out 5 times a week usually. ~Liz~l 03/10/06 241/181/150ish (60 lbs down today!!! ) 5'7''

I just had mine Apr 9. I am getting enough protein for sure but not enough cals... I am super lucky to get to 600 cals a day. I sip all day every few hrs a shake or soup...but I am worried since I started out with metabolic issues I am making things worse. My endocrinologist suggested this surgery because it has the side effect of resetting metabolism. I am awaiting a call from the doc...The nutritionists look at me like I have 10 heads when I tell them this because most of the patients are getting full cals and still feel hungry...Anyone else having this issue?

I had my WLS on 10/1/12 and to date have only lost 63#. I know I have eaten a few things I am not supposed to but have been back on track for a month now and still no weight loss. I haven't gained any but no weight loss is upsetting any ideas?

Wt prior to surgery 290#, wt now 10days later, 271, lost of 19#. Still sore at port site, burns after activity.

Funny you ask this. See ... in the beginning, I decided to have the band because it was not too invasive and it was a slower loss than GB, so odds were good that I would not need excess skin removed. I told myself if I lost 100 pounds in 2 years, that would be fantastic. THEN...I was on here reading about people losing 20-30 pounds in the first month or two, and 10 pounds every month after that, and I got jealous. I was comparing my results too much to others' results and was becoming disappointed with myself--doubting myself...even though my results were still on track with my initial expectations. I had to stop reading the site for awhile. If I had read the POST-Operation posts PRE-Operation, maybe I would have been prepared for the aftermath of the actual surgery. I finally realized that my "new" expectations were too high and only based on what some others were experiencing. Eventually my fills started working and I started losing weight. I actually don't even think I'll be getting a fill at my appointment on Friday since I've lost 16 of my 34 pounds since April (yes...I only lost 18 pounds my first 4-5 months...). My 34 pounds (lost since surgery) is not alot, but where would I be without the Band? 10 pounds heavier? On another diet, only to gain 20 more over the next year? Now, I'm on my way to being 1/2 way to goal in my first year and AT goal in 2. My point here---don't let what you read here, and other people's successes make your expectations UNREALISTIC. Everyone is an individual so keep that in mind. This is NOT a fast and easy way to go. Exercise, eat right, and it'll work for you. I'm just happy that I can still eat most of what I like (it's harder, and I eat less of it, but can still enjoy most things except bread...). And -- I don't have to worry about how much heavier I'll be in the next year, or five years.... Good luck to you.

I thought this would be a good place for all of us to start posting some band friendly recipes for our group. I pm'd one out this morning in celebration of St. Paddy's Day. So let's share and see how creative we can be to remain focused and reach our goals. My theory is variety in food keeps you from craving the old life style. Edamame Dumplings serves 2 adapted from the Sprouted Kitchen cookbook INGREDIENTS: filling: 1 cup edamame, shelled, cooked, drained a big handful of basil leaves (about 10 big leaves) 3 scallions, white and green parts, coarsely chopped 1/2 garlic clove, minced 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced 1 teaspoon miso paste 1 teaspoon tahini squeeze of lemon splash of sriracha (or to taste) salt, pepper, to taste other ingredients: 18 wonton wrappers (plus a few extra to allow for mess-ups) 1-2 cups pre-made veggie broth, for steaming toasted sesame oil, for drizzling sprouts and sesame seeds, for garnish METHOD: In a food processor, pulse together all of the filling ingredients. Taste and adjust seasonings. Don’t over blend, the filling needs to be somewhat chunky. If yours is more watery, add some more edamame or more basil until you get a thicker consistency. Lay half of the wonton wrappers out on your work surface. Set the rest in a pile next to you, along with a small bowl of water for dabbing your fingers in. Spoon about a tablespoon of filling in each. Use your finger to wipe a bit of water on all 4 edges. Place a new wrapper on top and gently press down, adhering each edge. Simmer broth in a medium skillet. Add enough broth so that it covers the bottom of the pan at least an inch deep. Drop wontons in the pan in a single later (you can do this in multiple batches if they don’t all fit. Cover and steam for about 2 minutes or until the wontons are cooked through but still al dente (like pasta). Divide steamed wontons among plates, pour the broth from the pan on top. Drizzle with some toasted sesame oil and garnish with sprouts and sesame seeds. Home made Dumpling Wrappers Ingredients for making dough and wrappers: All purpose flour, 4cups Water, 1.8 cup Salt, 1/3 teaspoon 1. Mix 4 cups of flour, 1/3 teaspoon of salt, and 1.8 cups of water in a large bowl. Mix until you get a smooth dough. 2. Cover the bowl with a cling film and let the dough rest for at least 10 minutes. 3.Remove the dough to a clean flat surface. Cut it into 20 equal pieces. 4. Use your hand to gently pound a piece of dough into a small circular disc, then use a rolling pin to roll each piece into a circular wrapper about 3 inches in diameter. 5. The wrappers can be used to wrap the filling immediately. For storage, they should be coated with flour so that they don’t stick together. They can be stored in the fridge for several days, or frozen for long-term storage. How to wrap Chinese dumplings 1. Place a small spoonful of filling in the center of each wrapper. 2. Smear a little water on the edges of the wrapper, then fold the wrapper over filling and pinch the two edges together, forming a half-circle. 3. Place the wrapped dumplings on a plate coated with a little flour so that they don’t stick. How to cook Chinese dumplings 1. Add a dash of salt to a pot of water, and bring to boil. Slightly salty water will give the dumplings more flavor, and help prevent the dumplings from sticking to the pot. 2. When the water has begun boiling, add the dumplings to the water. Wait 5 minutes for the water to come back to a boil, and then turn down the heat and continue to simmer for 10 minutes. 3. Drain the water from the dumplings and serve with your favorite dipping sauces. My first attempt at these dumplings I used wonton wrappers and did not like the outcome, so home made is how I am going with the recipe because I can not find dumpling wrappers in South Carolina. Plug the ingredients into MFP recipes and it will break it down into serving size. I usually only eat 2-3 dumplings so the amount of servings is more for me. ENJOY and Oh, Happy St. Paddy's Day Friends!

i have not always been a big girl. and by big girl i mean that i am 5'2 and 1/2 and currently weigh 232 lbs...after 6 days on the pre-op diet. at my heaviest i was 250 lbs. the first weight i remember was 110 lbs. i was 16. i weighed 110 lbs up until i got pregnant at the age of 18. yes...i was pregnant at 18! i gained 50 lbs with that pregnancy and have struggled with my weight ever since (ironically, my goal weight is 160 lbs exactly what i weighed 18 years ago after giving birth to my first child). by age 22 i was at 175 lbs. and i know this because weight mattered as much then as it did now. when i was 23 i managed to get down to 150 something pounds to enlist in the military, where i lost another 30 lbs bringing me almost to my 16 year old weight. another pregnancy at 23 put me back at 175 lbs. i was able to lose about 15-20 of those pounds while active in the service, but civilian life afforded me the luxury to be a slacker and the pounds found me shortly after my discharge. i was consistently weighing in at between 175 and 185 for about two years after baby number two and then i met mr. right...now i'm not blaming him for the poundage that i've managed to pack on over the course of our 10 year relationship but a long courtship/engagement, family issues, work, school, financial woes, and just life in general did nothing but enlarge both of our waistlines. together we have gained over 200 since we met in 2002. in 2005 i was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and was told that i could control it with diet and exercise which would lead to weight loss. i failed. i went through the first line of medication pretty quickly and was placed on a second line which was effective but i could not adjust to the side effects. i quickly learned the trickiness of this disease and failed miserably at managing it. between general life transitions, my disease, and depression i left a lot to be neglected... by 2009 not only did i have diabetes, but i had tacked on high blood pressure, high cholesterol, sleep apnea, fatty liver, and morbid obesity to my list of diseases. i was prescribed over 7 medications for all of this mess and i was 34 years old... in 2010 my employer announced that our health insurance would cover wls. i was uninterested and full of hate. i was going to lose weight on my own. with diet, exercise, and determination i was going to finally put this weight thing behind me. i got bigger and my diabetes spiraled out of control. in 2011 my doctor warned that insulin was on the way and we had a conversation about wls. she was surprised that we had never spoke of this before and i found that she was banded. she suggested i attend an info session on wls to get more info and she made a referral. i had my first dr. consult in 6-2011 and was still not sure that this was my path...i felt like a failure. why can't i just lose stick to a plan and lose the weight. i tried bootcamps and any number of diets out there that you can think of. success was small and never-lasting. as my disease progressed i knew that i had to make a decision and i started the classes in preparation for my surgery in 9-2011. it is hard to believe that i am less than two weeks away from my surgery...

I have systemic lupus, a history of deep vein thrombosis in both legs and a pulmonary embolism. When I was banded my feet and legs would swell so bad I thought they might burst. I could hardly walk inside a mall and think I could get back to my car. I had shin splints trying to walk around my neighborhood and wondered if I'd make it home many times. I could barely do 10 minutes on a treadmill, but I did it. To me, the treadmill was my best friend. I worked up from that 10 minutes to half an hour. But I started wherever I was and just encouraged myself to try to do more eventually. 5 minutes is 5 minutes. If that's all you can do, at least you've tried. Do 10 minutes next time or next week. You will be SO surprised at what you can do with determination. Curves is another good place to start for those who feel they have limitations. It's only a 30 minute workout, all hydraulic, no weights and you move at your own pace. The music there is very upbeat and you just feel so good about yourself for having done it. I lost 14lbs and 14 inches my first month with Curves and it was FUN! I guess the thing that encouraged me most, however, was reading the stories of another bandster. She weighed twice as much as I did when she was banded. She was much younger, but not nearly as ambulatory as I was due to her BMI. That girl reported everyday on a forum like this how she'd gone to Curves and had so much fun! She also wrote the funniest stories about how she'd gotten herself an exercise ball (another great tool) and what a great time she was having learning to move her body again. I watched her metamorphosis in awe and promised myself if this young lady could do it, with two times the excess weight as me, then so could I. We all have limitations that we have to work with and we all have our own time tables. You will get there. Try new things, you'll eventually find one you can do and then you'll eventually work up to another. First, you have to begin..

Yes, I had the Band removed and replaced with Sleeve.The surgery went well with no scar tissue. I presently at a loss at 37 lbs. I mean hoping to be down 6- 10 lbs by first week of June. My doctor made me aware the weight loss is slower after a revision.I wish you well😇

I am with you! I was in the same boat. I thought I was able to get financing and I also considered getting health insurance to persue the surgery but I could not afford it b/c my payments would be so high considering my weight. I decided that I was making my mind up to do whatever it took. That was in Oct. I am a waitress, not lots of extra cash and thought I nothing. I started with a garage sale. I sold everything. If I did not use it it went. Life is much better and my house is cleaner. I made $400. 00 in one weekend. I put things on craigs list, baby clothes, camaras , ect. I started putting away every cent. I used to like to go play Bingo, stopped that. I do not go buy fast food. $10-20 there a week. Soda.... that stuff.... My husband pitched in $500.00 from our business (which we really do not have) and as of today I am 1/2 way there. I have $2500.00 saved. This is from not having ANYTHING. I thought I had NOTHING to sell. If you really want to be sleeved you will see where you waste your money. For me I had to start a savings account with NO ATM card, otherwise I would spend it. I do not know if I will get the other half up as soon but I will give all I got till I get there. Also I am trying to repair my credit slowly in the event for my tummy tuck in 2 years...lol If you want it real bad it will come!!!!!!

Just to chime in, the statistics on 'things going wrong' is all relative. The more surgeries a surgeon has conducted, the higher likelihood something, at some time, has gone wrong. It's easy to score 10/10 - if all you've done is 10. If you've done 15,000, your chances of something happening, are increased. As said above, anything outside the control of the surgeon could have caused the problem (although I'd be wanting a bit more data on the 'wrongful' death) Think of it a bit like Ebay (sorry for the crass comparison, but it works). If you see a 'power seller' with 1,400 reviews and they're 97.8 positive? That's effectively what you're looking at with surgeons, too.

Try one ounce at a time. Sipped over 10 mins. This is how I'm to take all liquids during my liquid diet Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Are you chewing your food? I just had my first fill the beginning of December and I notice if I don't chew it will get stuck. I know it's hard to go from maybe chewing your food 3-4 times to 10-20. Are you sipping your drinks? If you still have this problem contact your doctor. And they will be able to assist you. Hope this helps... Sent from my iPhone using LapBandTalk