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It took me two years to finally make the decision and get my band! I went to seminars and doctors in 2010 I was ready to do it, then my best friend talked me out it! I have done diets loose the weight and gained back again! My best friend told me you don't need that you fine the way you are is surgery what if something goes wrong, bla bla bla. I went from 205 pounds to 248 in two years! I love food and I don't know when to stop eating!! I have a friend that go the band last year and lost 80 pounds in 9 months when I saw her I couldn't believe it! So I called my insurance found out which doctor was in network went to the seminar! I originally wanted the sleeve but the more research I did the more I wanted the band I wasn't sure about getting my stomach cut off and it wasn't reversible! My insurance required 3 month weight in, psy and nutritionist! So after I made my decision I went to see my friend seat with and explain that this is what I wanted to do for me for my health and that I needed him to stand by my side to support me and be there for me and not to judge me and tell me I told you so if anything when wrong and that was it! I had my surgery June 20! Glad I did!! Good luck! Sent from my iPad using LapBandTalk

hello well i just wanted to intoduce myself to all u bandsters out there.. my name is Trista i am 22 yrs of age i live in brisbane australia.. i have suffered from obesity for the last 10 yrs of my life n i hate it, im not happy with my self for letting it get to this point, i have chosen to get the lap band done my first dr app starts on wednesday to talk about procedure n everythin that will be happening...to top it off i met the love of my life 11mths back...we have now been broken up for 3 weeks and it has taken its toll on me big time im severly depressed, i have nervous break downs...our break up is not due to my weight as he loves me the way i am but to other issues as the family dont like him in a way it did not help i was puttin myself down the one thing he hated me doin n i hated doin it to , i never meant for it to be said it kinda just happen...there in lies the sayin ( THINK BEFORE U SPEAK) i still love this guy more then i did b4 i met him..and i do hope we get back together, mind u we r still great friends n talk n see each other all the time and he is goin to be there to support me every step of the way but until then he wants me to get help to make me a better person and alot stronger as im not a very strong minded person....my first step is my wieght cuz i no for a fact if im to lose the weight i no ill be a happier an much diff person... anywayz thats alil about me.....i hope to lose need to lose about 70kgs...even if i can get rid of 50kgs first up...so i hope to hear back from all u amazing bandsters and ur life stories...cuz i feel i cant do this on my own . i no im not the only young one out there as we are all young in our own way....please dont judge me!! thanks for listening and hope to talk with some great ppl... cheers Trista

Hi and welcome, I live in the UK. Well done for making the decision to go ahead with surgery, its a big step. I am currently on the pre-op diet which is two weeks of nothing more than fluids with a few jelly pots thrown in for good measure. Its tougher than i anticipated, and if its a pre-requisite of whats to come then I know i'm going to have to be strong and committed. Like you I was a tubby child that turned into a fat teenager thats turned into an obese adult, I yo-yo'd for years and then I had my son in 2003 and weight just wouldn't shift. I developed Diabetes type 2 and Hypertension, I spoke to my Dr and she made me read up loads on the internet on Bariatric medicine, and here I am 6 months later on my pre-op diet and my surgery is scheduled for next Friday 24th. I wanted to improve my health so I would be around to see my son grow-up and with luck his kids too. This site has proved invaluable for hints tips and information, even in the short time I've been using it. I know it will help you to. The surgery is the easy part I'm sure of that, its the living with the band and its restrictions thats the hard part.:rolleyes2:

After my 1 cc fill, I feet as tight as I did after surgery. That was 5 days ago. It is a little better tonight, but still tight. I get very hungry sometimes. I think my body is trying to hold on to the weight. Usually after a hungry night, I will lose weight in the next day or so. Hang in there. I was very flustrated because I lost 8 pounds the week of surgery and then bounced around 2-3 pounds, up and down for the next 3 weeks. I tried to be real strick on the liquid protein drinks which helped the hunger, and was able to loose 4 pounds more at the 4 week check in. I know it is hard and the weight seems like it will never come off. But, I can wear clothes 2 sizes smaller and that is incentive. My co-workers can tell I'm loosing, too. I've lost 3 more pounds at week 5. My doc says 1- 1 1/2 pounds a week is good. Angie

Hey, My name is Katie and I am brand new to all of this. My doctor and I have been discussing lap banding this past summer and I have decided to go ahead with it. I am hoping to schedule my surgery in the middle of December. Honestly, I am terrified. It's a lot to deal with. But I have a genetic spinal disease that makes exercise hard and I have been struggling with my weight for most of my life. So this seems like the best chance I have to deal with my health issues and have the normal life I have always dreamed of. So yeah... that's me. I am glad I found you guys. :biggrin: Katie*

I am also from Ny Brooklyn .. Mark this is not major surgery. Gastic by pass is (in a way).. Are you able to go on Lapband.com. They are the people who manufacture the "lapband" Also if you goodle words asking about Lapband surgery the information you need will be right there to read. Yes, you are a young man.. You know for your self about your eating habits, your exercise habits. You know what you need to do. I did. But I didnt do it. When I got my lapband I was 62 years old. I faced diabetes and saw my brother die from it at 62.For me it was the right thing to do. I hope that you will go to seminars and learn more about this surgery. Would you consider Weight watchers or even Nutrosystem, or Jenny Craig? Have a person to work with is better also I hope you have one~ Maybe your roommate can be that person. I wish you the best.

I am happy to report that I hit the 30 pound mark today, on my 3 month bandiversary. I haven't been this weight since before my first daughter was born 17 years ago. I feel so incredibly proud of myself and I want to thank everyone on this forum and other forums who've helped me along the way. Your encouragement and support are the backbone to my success.

Its been 7 weeks since my life has changed and I'm happy. I turned 57 years old on July 27 - Yea Me!!! So far, I have lost 37 lbs and gone from a size 26 to a size 22: These are the things I have noticed since my RNY surgery July 16. 1) Menopausal hot flashes have stopped!!!! Thank you Jesus!!!! 2) No more arthritic pain in my lower back. I can walk distances now. No longer need to ride the buggy in Walmart! 3) Bowling balls do not fit my hand anymore. Had to get the finger inserts changed to a smaller size!!!! 4) I'm a "cheap date" now. Husband doesnt have to spend much money on me when we go out to dinner! 5) Everyone is noticing my weight loss and complimenting and encouraging me to continue. 6) I have "fallen out of love" with fried foods. 7) I have "fallen out of love" with Pepsi, Coca Cola and RC sodas. 8) I am no longer taking blood pressure medication 9) The entire surgical experience was pleasant (only had 3-4 days of surgical gas discomfort). Incisions were closed with a "crazy glue" type of substance that fell off as the incisions healed. 10) Finally have learned the consequences behind overeating and eating too fast and not chewing food properly (I ended up in the bed, in a fetal position calling for my mama!!!!!) I'm so happy with the way things are going. Looks like I'm losing on an average of 5 lbs per week, trying to lose 150 lbs. My biggest problem: Laziness is still a problem when it comes to exercising though. I just can't seem to go to the gym. In the meantime, I'm walking places every chance I get. Just trying to keep moving.

I am feeling the same here...... I keep reminding myself just like you that my weight doesn't offer me much of a future. At this point, I am starting to feel like my weight has consumed my life and to me, this is no living life. I constantly remind myself I want to run and play with my kids and enjoy their life with them and not just watch them enjoy life. This is what is keeping me off the fence and the reminder the pros out weight the cons for me. I wish you the best of luck!

Hello everyone. I have made the decision to have bariatric surgery. Diagnosed with type one diabetes and high blood pressure last year. Cholesterol diagnosis & meds last summer. I decided at that point to work harder. Exercise daily, eat much better and nutribullet. Well I have & been successful at not gaining more weight but not losing which us what I need to do to get healthy. I have never had a weight problem until I had my daughter in 2004 plus diagnosed with hypothyroidism at the sane time. I am a single mom of two wonderful children. They are 9 years apart but are my world. I am an only child with my mom. I have step brothers & sisters all live out of state. I am super closer with my sister than my brothers although I love them all. I have my first appointment with my surgeon next Wednesday. Thanks to this app plus other research I made the decision to have WLS. I an excited and nervous. I have been so used to feeling bad physically, i.e. tired, achy muscles bones, headaches & backaches. You just keep going, just a way of life. In all actuality... I'm killing myself!!! No I want to live, have to for myself, 10 year old daughter, 19 year old son. My mom I'm her only child... Plus I love life, yes I do... Well I'm happy to see so much support, read other stories and get more inspiration. Thanks for listening & more to come...

Hi Everyone! I'm glad to be here and really excited about my banding date in less than 48 hours! My sig. has my info/dates/etc. At my highest (not counting my last pregnancy where I hit 300), was 260. As soon as my husband's insurance changed and I found out that surgery may be covered, I started my Dr. supervised diet and dropped down to 220, but gained 10 back. At the time I started my preop diet I was at 230 and now down to 218. I've been wanting to do WLS since 1999 and came very close to RnY in 2000 but chickened out after a LOT of negative feedback from my family. When I finally got my nerve back, I didn't have insurance that would cover it - no matter what co-morbidies I had. My family doctor had Lapband and raved about it and she was worried that if I did RnY that I would get too sick. She referred me to her surgeon (who is in our local rural area) and I was able to get in immediately, get all my paperwork in order and get approved rather quickly. My date was set and here I am! I'm on my presurg diet and I finally have gotten used to not eating. My diet is a liquid only, 800 calorie diet. First few days were rough but my body started losing and that was all that mattered to me at the time. I'm worried about pain after surgery and pain meds... Most pain meds make me want to hurl and thats WITH food in my stomach. I can't imagine being able to take pills after surgery to help with pain. Any ideas or info on this?

I started my Weight loss Journey October 2009. This is when I decided to have surgery. Then researched for a doctor and found a really good one Dr. Christopher Hart Then started the actual 6 months of insurance stuff in April Surgery October 29, 2010 weight at the time 326 Current weight 295 (this is where I have been for a week and two days) don't like the stuck feeling Exercise everyday from 1 hour to 3 hours on some. Diet is still soft foods (sometimes just the whey Pro. drink It will be one month on Nov 29th(tomorrow) 100 lbs to go

Today I had my 2 week post op visit. Part of the appointment was to meet with a dietitian and another patient. It was such a good experience speaking with someone who had also went though this procedure that I wanted to check out this forum. My journey began when I visited my family doctor on Oct 14, 2010. I wanted to consult with her about weight loss options as I was nearly at the end of my rope with the yo-yo weight life style. 3 times in my 39 years I had lost 100+ lbs only to eventually gain it all back. I realized that if I had been fortunate to have not developed some of the horrible weight related illnesses like diabetes, but that I was realistically pushing my luck. It was time to take a more serious look at getting healthy for the rest of my life. She recommended that I contact Grand Health Partners (GHP) and specifically Dr. Randy Baker. I was fortunate enough to be able to attend an orientation the following day. Now others will have differing opinions by my belief was that this timing was put forth by God. Had I not been able to attend an orientation so quickly I'm sure that doubt and stubbornness would have crept in and I likely would have reconsidered. The orientation was terrific. It was very obvious that GHP was concerned with taking complete care of the patient. The list of on staff team members was most impressive. Not only did they have the expected surgeons and medical staff but they also had dietitians, exercise physiologist, and behaviorists in house. My initial meeting with Dr. Baker confirmed my beliefs about GHP that I had established from the orientation. Dr. Baker answered all of my questions and addressed all of my concerns. We discussed all of the available procedures and determined that the sleeve offered the best option for me. The time from that initial consultation to my 2 week post op visit today has been a whirlwind. For the sake of shortening this story, if that can be done at all at this point, I weight 66 lbs less today than I did on that fateful Oct day. I lost 28 lbs on the 2 week pre-op diet and now an additional 26 lbs since my procedure on Jan 10, 2011. I have a long road ahead but I know I can make it. Thank you for taking the time to read my introduction. I look forward to sharing with all of you and hope we can learn something from one another. Take care.

I'm trying to do the same thing. Cutting down on eating out, no junk food, and dessert no more than 2x a week - and make it worth it. E.g. tomorrow is our anniversary, so we're going out to a nice steakhouse and I'll definitely have some dessert there, because I know it'll be good. But the Cadbury mini eggs hidden in my dishwasher are off limits indefinitely! It's not really a weight thing for me, although I wouldn't mind if my butt leaned out a bit, but I just decided I was not eating well, even though I was not gaining weight. Now, if only my fiance was in the same boat. Yesterday, I asked him to have a chicken stromboli for lunch instead of pizza because it would've saved like 200 calories, and then for dinner, I let him have whatever he wanted - meat ravioli in creamy cheese sauce AND bread - but given how much he bitched and moaned, you would've thought I had him eating lettuce and vinegar all day! I told him he can eat whatever he wants, just make sure to take out a good life insurance policy so I get a nice chunk of change when he has a heart attack at 45!

Don't let it get you down. I was forced to attend two as well. The pre surgery folks said almost nothing. The meeting was dominated by post surgery folks who had no life before WLS and have been reborn thru the process. I'm guessing that they had become insignificant obese "faces in a crowd" before and now they're filled with confidence - which is great, but now they're persona as a "WLS success story" defines who they are. I'm not saying we don't have to eat healthy post sleeve, I'm just saying it's much easier to do when you can barely eat 8 ounces of solid food at one sitting and you can exercise without lugging the weight of a small person on your back. WLS has its own social world. If you want it or need it, it'll be there for you. If you don't, it'll be in your life's rear view mirror before you know it! #zeroregrets

Hope everyone has a great new years eve. Here in Australia we did new years eve last night it was great listening to music and stuff. It's currently January 1st 2020; felt I should do a weight check in today. Woke up today feeling good. Weigh in today 204lbs Thats 118lbs GONE. Feeling confident and that 2020 will be the best year ever. GW 185 😀 thanks Mike

Hello my name is Anissa. I'm new to the group. I am scheduled for surgery on Feb 13. I started my pre-op diet on Jan 30th. I am 36 years old, 5 foot tall and currently weigh 314lbs. I started the process for surgery Nov 2012. It has taken me 14 months to get everything right with the insurance . I was required to loose 25% of my body weight and keep it off fir 6 months. When I started the process I weighed 382lbs. It has been a long and hard road. I'm very excited to have my surgery and hopefully soon my body will be able to do all the things that my mind wants to do. I am looking forward to meeting new people that are or have gone through what I currently am.

Hi everyone i did my sleeve surgery in august 2016 ( 1 year and 3 months ago) and lost 50 kilos so far but the thing is i look to skinny to a point that people start asking me if I’m sick and it’s annoying me so i started to hit the gym but the the problem is im not gaining weight nor muscle and im eating every 2 hours and whatever i eat i dont get fatter. Whats the solution to gain muscle weight and some fat to reach the normal weight and yeah i was 129kilos before and now im 79 kgs

Yep, Diva has said it. Very good words of wisdom. Maintance is a challenge that each of us it up to. You can do it. We have worked soooooo hard for this, now is not the time to quit. (I know you did not say u were quitting, I'm reinforcing it for me!!!!) One of my tools I PLAN to use after I hit goal is to NEVER buy bigger clothes when pounds creep back on. Maybe there it's a forum on here for people in Maintance & how they are reloosinging the small amounts that they have gained. I am not at goal yet. Also the fact that you told on yourself is the next step. Have you gone to OA ever? I went one time a month ago, it helped.

Hello, everyone. My name is Nicole and I just found this forum website from a Google search. This is my first post, my introduction. I am 32 years old, I am a mom of three (12, 9, 7) and I am engaged to an amazing man. We live in Greensboro, NC. I had my RNY on July 30, 2007 and just this past week was the first I'd experienced any type of problems. I will get into that more here in a little bit. I had my RNY, as I stated above, in 2007, and I went into the surgery room weighing 257 lbs. My highest recorded weight was 315 lbs, and my lowest was 128 lbs. Right now I am hovering around 160 lbs. Since my RNY I have gone through a 12 year relationship/10 year marriage that was rather abusive, as well as a separation from that marriage, a new (and amazing) relationship, two moves (from PA to VA and then VA to NC), three knee surgeries, an emergency gall bladder removal surgery and just this past week an emergency perforated stomach ulcer surgery. Like I said above, this last week's incident was the first problem since having my surgery (aside from the occasional "dumping", vomiting, dehydration, etc.) and it was VERY scary. I was admitted to the local hospital, with what I thought was a heart attack because of the symptoms I was displaying, only to find that a ruptured ulcer produced a perforated stomach. I spent 7 days in the hospital, having gotten out just yesterday. My "pouch" was repaired, however I am back on the DYS 1 diet of pureed and soft foods, and I am being set up with a bariatric surgeon and his team (one that works with the surgeons who worked on my stomach last week) in the next 2 weeks because there is a good chance that I will have to have a revision done. I am on some medications right now, to continue the healing process, but the surgeons think that there is going to be no option other than the revision. Um, let's see ..... I truly have strayed from the "RNY way of life" with all of the craziness and stress that has gone on in my life, but after this past week I know that I have to get back in line. As I said above, in 2010 I had gotten down to 128 lbs (around a size 4) and while I really enjoyed it I just crept back up after the first knee surgery. It's going to be a while before I can get back into the gym, but that's my last worry right now. I just want to get better. I hope to meet a lot of nice people here, to offer advice and to get advice. Just because I'm 5 years post-op it doesn't mean I know it all, and I never claim to. I am posting two pictures along with this post - the first is my highest and lowest weights (2006 and then 2010) and then myself and my children, back in August, at my current size. I hope that everyone has a blessed Thanksgiving week and weekend. Nicole

Hi CarolynMarie, Would you mind sharing how much weight you have lost with the band in three years? Well done!

Hi, I'm new to this... so I hope I'm doing this right. I've never really used a forum so this is a new experience for me. Seems there is so much useful information I've looked around and plan to keep looking. I am scheduled for surgery March 5th, 2009. I started this process back in July. I am so excited that it's finally happening. I had originally planned on bypass, but unfortunately I have Crohn's so my only option is lapband. I have been on every diet there is, I was successful and then failed eventually. I have ballooned up to 500 lbs and I am not well at all. I have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, Crohn's disease, arthritis in both of my knees, I had a subtalar joint fusion back in February and have been pretty immobile ever since. I have had five surgeries on this ankle, and the doctor thinks I need another, I'm not excited about this :wink2: but will face it as it comes. Weight loss is the key to every single one of these conditions so lapband is the answer to the rest of my life. Aside from that, I have two beautiful nieces who are the second inspiration for my surgery, I want to be around to watch them grow up and walk down the aisle. If you wanna message me, please do... if you wanna talk to me on any messenger please let me know, I'll give you my screen name. I also make vids on youtube: www.youtube.com/user/2thousandand9 that is a new account and only has one vid on it, there will be more to come after my surgery. Ok, this is really long... so I'll stop here! Have a great day, and a Happy New Year! Best of luck to anyone with coming up surgeries. Take Care!

If you are using insurance, you should check if the insurance covers bariatric procedures. If they do, sometimes there are stipulations on types of centers you can go to. My insurance will only pay if I go to a center of excellence. Some insurance companies require a letter of medical necessity from your primary care Dr. Regardless, it is a good idea to talk to your primary care and see what they say. Mine was supportive, but also wanted to run other tests to make sure I did not have any other medical problems affecting weight loss. I am also 23 and approx 40 BMI.

hey everyone! i'm trish and i'm 20 and i'm from the poconos in pennsylvania. i'm still in the planning stages of the whole banding process but WHEN i get it done i'll be going to Lehigh Valley Hospital in Allentown, pa. my doctor will be dr. richard boorse. anyone ever heard of this hospital? it's ok if you haven't since it's kind of a small town. but it's one of 2 hospitals in pa that got named one of the 25 best places in the country for weight loss surgery. plus it's in allentown, like the billy joel song. ok, rambling...... i'm also a veterinary nursing student and i should be graduating in the spring. yay! just wanted to pop in and say hello:Bunny

Hi Becky... Thanks for the info. I went to Dr. Moran's seminar and he has a 400lb weight limit as do many other doctors in the area. Its actually a hospital limit, not the doctors.