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Reaching your goal in 10 months is very good. I'm not expecting to reach my goal until 18 months after surgery. I've heard that the weight loss slows down after six months or so, Was that your experience too?

I have no fill in my band and have lost 115lbs total; have 5lbs+ to go. I do have restriction (I feel full with a cup or a little more of food) but I can eat pretty much anything. Sometimes bread gives me a hard time if I don't chew well, otherwise I have restriction, but not nearly as much as most people here do. I think it's possible and a good idea, IMO. Some will probably disagree but for me my journey has been 90% me, 10% the band. Yes it keeps me full but I chose to workout for an hour each day and I chose to continue to count my calories, weigh all of my food, etc. Hope that helps and good luck!

And I’m down to 256lbs… I’ve lost a total of 10 pounds since my last doctor’s appointment back in August and he was very happy with my progress thus far. I went in today (9/12/11) and weighed in, chatted with him about what exactly I was doing to progress my weight loss. I told him I cut out carbs and still am cutting out carbs as best I can. Most meals only contain meat (protein) and vegetables. Everything that is processed/packaged I look at the contents and if there’s carbs I put it down. I am so proud of me, I should make this an NSV! People, or I should say non-dieters, don’t realize how hard it is to nix carbs all together. Especially since it’s been a part of your daily food intake for years! But I’m doing it. I can say I don’t eat something carby here and there, but not nearly enough to cause me any issues. I was off work for fiver days recently and I did so well not eating carbs. I did enjoy a bowl of cereal over the weekend, but that was it! No bread, no pasta, no rice, no sweets! I’m committed to sticking to this no carb diet because if I drop lbs like I’ve done these past two weeks CONTINUOUSLY then I could possibly make my mini goal come November 6th. I’m 36lbs away and I have 58 days to do so, which is roughly 8 weeks plus a few extra days… but that’s like 4.5lbs a week. I know I didn’t get RNY, and that’s asking a lot to lose that much weekly, but this is what I’m aiming for; 220lbs by November 6th! I Can Do It! J Other than dieting, I’ve been taking two hour Zumba classes (when offered), I’ve been walking, doing jogging/power walking intervals for 30 minutes at a time while on my breaks at work; I’ve also been doing the sedentary bike for 30 minutes at a time while at home… I plan to do a little more toning… my arms are slimming down, but I don’t want the flab… I hate to say this but I definitely see a TT, Brachioplasty, and Breast Lift in my future (hopefully covered by insurance)! It’s not all bad, I mean I love lifting and pulling my rolls aside and seeing my TRUE body frame and shape that’s being hidden underneath. It’s like shaking a wrapped gift before opening it. I’ve been trying to guess what’s inside for the longest! J Overall I’m SOOOOO HAPPY with my progress. Today I re-read my journal entries that I started writing when I started my PreOp diet, and I’m happy that I’ve progressed so much since then… I’m 256! In one of my entries I was saying how happy I was to be 278 because that meant I weighed less than my Dad… but now I’ve progressed so much it just blows my mind! I’m almost -50lbs down… just 1 more pound to go! I’m sure I’ll drop that in a day or two! WooHoo!!! I’ve gone from 305lbs (my highest) to 256lbs!... I’m so proud…

Forgot to mention, I am still pretty swollen. I came home 10 pounds heavier than I went it, and today I was still 4 pounds heavier. I know I just need time to heal and loose the extra water weight and gas from surgery. Have either of you weighed in yet?

Be Careful stopping meds. I felt wonderful with no reflux for weeks after surgery( banded on Nov. 7, 2007) but let me explain why I went back on nexium. 20 yrs ago, my mother had a dacron band put on her stomach called gastric segmentation by Dr. Molina in Houston, Texas. When I started my LapBand process, she wanted to see about having a revision done on hers. We both went for endoscopy together. Her results returned saying she had Barrett's esophagus( precancerous changes to lining of esophagus) She didn't realize the acids were still washing into her esophagus pretty bad because of her band but they were. The doc put her on protonics and keraphate and eventually she ended up going through a grueling 6 hr. operation to remove her old band that had gotten very constricted and they fixed her up with a gastric bypass on Dec. 10, 2007. She is still trying to recover. I would suggest if you do stop the meds, have an endoscopy every other year or so to be safe.

yes well i thought getting married was a good idea too,,just joking but do we really no what we are getting into,,nobody really knows untill the deed is done ,,thats why i have looked at th ups and downs,,and if i have to start exercising why don't i just do that now,,i have;nt done really all that much,,but if i have to why don't i just do it now,,and forget the band,,well i don't eat right now,,thats why i'm overweight,,what makes me think i'm gonna suddenly do it with the band,,,like you said this is a tool,, and this is why i'm having these questions,,,i've passed all the tests and supposedly i'm a great canadate,,but i'm really starting to struggle,,with these questions i have for myself,,i'm 10 days away from my band date and i'm wearing 3 pairs of insulated socks if you no what i mean,,this is really some soul searching we all have to do,,man can you imagine what the early bandsters went through when they didn't have this wonderfull support group to just log on and get all this great support,,,it is all wonderful,,but i can't help to wonder if i will get buyers remorse,,trust me i'm totally normal i think,,lol i just wonder if most people have felt this way...thanks everyone

They are putting you through hoops. No denying that. All the hoops I had to jump through are part of the arguement that this is not a quick fix. If it were I would have gone to the doctor on 12/28/09 and had surgery a week later. Instead I did not have the procedure until 8/13/10. In that 8 months I lost 52 pounds.

That's awesome. I am in the process of setting up my sleeve date of Jan 30th and I am ready. I had my lapband removed after it eroded into my stomach and gained the 70 pounds I lost. I have to lose over 200 pounds so I am ready to use my tool and get active also. I am confidence, but I see it as a "big girl" confidence because I have a good sense of humor. I am ready to feel sexy and actually be sexy. My children are 16, 15, and 10, and 10 years is too long to still have to lose baby weight. We are in the same boat. It makes me feel better. I am going to Dr. Garcia in Mexico by the way. So here's to our journey!

I believe it depends on the person and how much they need to lose. I lost 22 lbs pre op.But I had 217 lbs to lose. Here is my abbrieviated weight tracker for your reference: 10/15/2012 167.0 lb current 22 months post op -210 lbs 8/9/2012 179.0 lb 20 months post op - 198 lbs 4/20/2012 199.0 lb 16 mths post op - 178 lbs 12/9/2011 229.0 lb 1 year post op - 148 lbs 9/9/2011 257.0 lb 9 months post op - 120 lbs 6/9/2011 285.0 lb 6 months post op - 92 lbs 5/9/2011 297.0 lb 5 months post op - 80 lbs 2/9/2011 321.0 lb 2 months post op - 43 lbs 12/31/2010 334.0 lb last day of mushies 12/9/2010 352.0 lb Day of surgery 11/24/2010 377.0 lb start of pre op diet

I too have PCOS and it's a pain in the but, well I should say it was a pain in the butt!! I am a slow loser and with the IR trying to lose was hell, I decided to get the Lap Band and change my health once and for all, well here I am 10 months in and 50 lbs lighter!! I knew going into this that it wasn't going to be my "cure all" and I was going to have to work at this, and I have had my struggles, mostly with the head hunger and only eating when I am hungry and not bored, but it has worked, I have stopped taking my Metformin, and my periods have been normal for the past 4 months, I feel so much better and I would recommend the band to anyone. There is hope for women with PCOS, it is called the band.

Hey, even in situations where you "don't have as much to lose", everyone's body handles extra weight differently and sometimes even a smaller amount over that threshold causes serious medical issues as you're experiencing. Try to give them time to come around. Let them see how much work really goes into this whole process. But stay the course. If you think this is right for you, then your family is going to have to accept that one way or another. Tell your wife you're doing this in order to have a longer and healthier life with her and your children. You're tired of suffering with this excess weight and this is the help you need to handle it. Then just don't talk about it anymore for a while. Keep on planning and doing the appointments you need to, but let it all sink in with her for a while. As for your mother who thinks she is a medical professional, point her to the studies and reviews from medical professionals. Those will clearly state the relatively low risk of gastric bypass surgery, and the mountain of evidence that points to the positive effects it has on health. The rate of death is between 1-3% overall for gastric bypass, and even less for surgeon's who have performed more precedures. The rate of complications directly related to surgery is around 10%. I bet those are a lot lower than your current risk of heart attack, stroke, and sudden death due to the health conditions you currently have. Help her with the information she needs to weigh the risks against the rewards. I wish all the best for you in your journey. You will find support here and a wealth of helpful and caring individuals. Welcome.

Just weighed myself and posted my weekly Sunday update and am only 10 lbs from the goal set by the CDC. I have a link to their site on my blog (link to that blog below my name), along with some info on lingerie....if you have a chance, stop by and take a look. It's a gorgeous day here in Hawaii ne, and life is good! Aloha!

I'm on less than 20 carbs a day, and atleast65-75 grams of Protein a day. For dinner I I don't make me something separate. I just make low carb for my husband too and if he wants a piece of bread with it or something that's fine. Or for instance, the other night we had friends over for dinner... I made fajitas and I bought the low carb tortillas( not the ones that taste like cat food but the white ones made by Mission)z each small tortilla is 5 carbs. So I had two. I knew ahead of time that's what we were having so I made sure to have no carbs early on in the day. I suggest a high Protein shake for lunch. That will definitely help with getting your protein in and help with your lunch temptations. Also, in the morning, I get a route 44 Water with lemon and lime from sonic and sip on that. I fill it up a couple more times a day and then I'm good! You can do it! The first three days of sticking too it were the hardest for me. I felt so deprived. But if you just put your mind to it you can do it! I've lost 10 lbs in 10 days.

@@ssflbelle Your stall at 10 days is completely normal. Everyone experiences it early out. Just stay the course and ride it out.

About a month ago I got a fill that brought me too 6.7 cc's. For 3-4 days afterwards I was fine. I felt no difference at all. Then I had 11 days where I was so super tight so I went back to my doctor. He said I had reached my max fill level and wouldn't need anymore for a while. He told me to eat slower and chew more. Okay then BAM for the past 10 days I've been able to eat ANYTHING! I'm hungry all the time and I can even eat bread again. I haven't been able to eat bread since November. I would like another fill but then again if I wait and do nothing then it may tighten up again on its own right? What should I do?

I expect to be cleared by my doctor as far as my sleep apnea goes in the next 3 weeks. Then my doctors send in my insurance request for WLS at that point. I hope to be approved by early May. My issue is that I am going out of the country to visit my daughter and her new husband on May 7th. I was asked to drop 10 pounds before the surgery date and actually lost 13 pounds. I am at the end of this journey to get cleared but I find it hard to focus on maintaining my weight loss. While I expect my trip t Vienna to be my last fling, I'm finding it hard to stay motivated now. I am not sure if its the time involved, or that I have not been in touch with my doctor since December. Everday is a battle and I have gained 3 pounds. That still puts me at where I should be, but I have at least 3 months to go. How do I stay focused on maintaining my weight and not go back to my bad habits. I find it a real issue and I don't know how to stay on the right track. Any help from my friends out there would e appreciated.

My surgeon said no topical NSAIDs for my bad knee so will have to try menthol or other homeopathic options, or maybe some cold gel...but no NSAIDs for 10 days preop.

I am also glad I read this thread. I have been wondering about the reflux & GERD thing. I also get very sick if I drink water before going to bed. I am excited to think I may not need to take these meds after I have my surgery 3/19/08. I think I will try going off the meds very slowly, as I have been on them for years.

IMO, a surgery that involves cutting holes in the anesthetized patient's abdomen, sticking instruments in there, moving around organs, and clamping a medical device around the stomach is invasive, so to me, both the band and the sleeve are invasive. But... the invasiveness of the sleeve is permanent. If you don't like it afterwards, you're stuck because the 75-80% of your stomach that was removed is never coming back. Neither is the sleeve adjustable. I lost my band for various reasons (mostly unrelated to the band itself). I thought the sleeve was going to be a good 2nd choice because it would elliminate my physical hunger, and it wouldn't require numerous adjustments to achieve optimal restriction, but I was wrong. Since my sleeve surgery, my physical hunger has been ferocious no matter what or how much or how often I eat, and I have to eat 8-10 times a day to keep my blood sugar under control. I've become anemic because of micronutrient malabsorption and have to take an Iron supplement every day. I've had to start taking metformin to treat my type 2 diabetes that was always controlled with diet and exercise before. I've also discovered that sleeve patients can dump just like gastric bypass patients do because the sleeve capacity is so small, food gets "dumped" into the intestines very quickly, causing me miserable discomfort from nausea, dizziness, and drenching sweats. Finally, I've discovered that sleevers can experience stuck episodes for the same reasons that bandsters do: careless eating. I've been told that I take a dim view of the sleeve since I loved my band so much. That may be true. I was sleeved on 8/16/12, so it may be too soon for me to judge anything about my sleeve. It's also true that the band isn't risk-free - but there's no such thing as a risk-free surgery of any type. The good news about my sleeve is that it's made it possible for me to lose the weight I had regained after losing my band in April. Jean

Hello everyone! I had surgery Nov 21st 2011.. I am 47lbs down.. I have lost a total of 19 inches. I have been stuck at 213ish for 2 months.. I feel like I am still seeing the weight loss but just not on the scale. Anyone else have this experience? Thanks,

I have had my band since April of 2003 needed port repositioned from kinked tubing in August of 2003. My last fill was Oct 2004 at 4.4 cc my MD could not put anymore in under Fluro he sucks at this. Took a year off managed to loose 10 lb that year total of 58 lbs since Aug of 05. My new years goal to exersice 5 days a week. Since Jan 15th I do my treadclimber 30 min 5 days a week and burn 200 to 230 cal a session. I have not changed my eating patterns yet the 1st 5 weeks lost 5 lbs. Found a new MD 2 hr drive from my house that can access my port under fluro just fine. He checked my placement and did a barium swallow I saw the restriction on the video. MD did not want to put anymore in since I am at 4.4 in a 10 cm band max he will put in is 4.8 but worried about errosion. Since I had lost 5 lbs in 5 weeks doing my new exercise program he did not want to fill anymore and said wait intill I do not loose any more weight for a few weeks. That was Feb 14th. now today I get on the scale and gainied 3 lbs now at 195 instead of 192.Total loss 65 lbs, I know I am a slow loser but it makes me mad. My husband found a picture of me at 258 lbs prior to surger and say the band works . You will never be 258 again. He is right the year I took off no exercise and took 3 vacations 2 were cruises I lost 10 lbs. Why am I so hard on myself? Because I see people who lose the 100 lbs in less than a year and I am on my 3rd year with the band. Thanks for reading my venting post Annette:straight

Third time's a charm? I got the call from the surgeon this morning at about 10:00, wanting to know if I'm free for surgery at 6:30 am on Wednesday. Looks like I'm definately getting my CSS this time. I'll be heading down to OHSU tomorrow to get my Picc line and to start the whole testing process ... AGAIN I'm ready, I'm HIGH like freaker/tweaker High earlier. So, here's to me getting those HIGH NUMBERS I need!!!!!

See its not really true that if you were taller and 150 was a healthy weight you'd have a much better chance of achieving that. If you were taller you'd probably naturally have a bigger appetite (and calorie burn too of course). So for a 5ft 10 150lb person, maintaining it is usually just as hard as for a shorter 120lb person. We dont all have the same appetite and calorie output with different "ideal" weights to achieve! Nature works in more complex ways than that. I set a low goal weight. I've gotten to a BMI of 23, want to go a bit lower. Why? Well I didnt have weight loss surgery to achieve a so-so weight. I want to be slender, not just "not fat". My build has a lot to do with it, at the high end of my healthy range, I still look porky. Is my weight hard to maintain? With a lapband, that's a resounding NO. I dont even have to think about it and compared to people on here, I seem to eat a helluva lot. I have a completely normal lifestyle. I run five times a week or so, something I do because I really love it. I'm active in my everyday life too. As a younger adult, pre babies, I tended to maintain at a BMI of 25, only about 5 or 6 kg heavier than now. Still a healthy weight, but a size or two bigger and I was never happy with it. And also, setting this weight or that, wont affect where your body rebounds to either. It will rebound to a level that you influence by what you eat, and how much exercise you do, whether you initially said your goal was 130 or 140! The weight you want to be is well within your grasp, and it doesnt take superhuman effort to maintain or achieve it with a lap band. I think exercise is the most influential factor when it comes to how low you can get and how easy that is to maintain. Learn to love hard cardio and a bit of strength training and its all in your hands. If you dont want to do that, cant do that, dont want to bother doing that, then you own that result to and many people are more than happy being having a good lot of their excess weight gone and have no interest in looking thin. Me personally, its all about vanity, lol. Thin is what I want to be and I'm prepared to do what I'm doing to keep it that way.

HELL YES IT COUNTS!! WOOHOOO! I know I'll never see a size 6 in my life-----I'm here content with my 12's and the prospect of getting into 10s for my goal. How AMAZING to be a size 6!! GOOD FOR YOU! YES it counts!!!!

I am not a medical prefessional, but a biostatistician. I used to work in the University of Florida, Gainesville, in the early 90s. You may still right in your mind, but I still think in my case, -- the possibilty of puncturing the tube --> almost zero -- the possibilty of port infection, bacteria --> minumum (less than 1%) -- the possibilty of port leak --> low (less than 10) (I am usually conservative in my predictions-estimates.) There are other risks, ofcourse, but I can control them myself. But the convenience of doing my own fills is too tempting.