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Turner. good for you! i bet you ARE losing weight--how could you NOT be on just a few liquids? i am behind you in the process--i see the surgeon on dec 7, then i get insurance approval, then a surgery date. i'm scared to death...but hoping this will help. hearing you say "i feel full" is good! are you somewhat recovered from the procedure? back at work? (if you work)... keep up the good work! best wishes, girlin nyc

Probably 90% of the people who get the band have these exact types of thoughts and questions, especially just before surgery. One thing you might want to do, if you would like a lot of feedback quickly, is to run a search on this forum with search terms like "second thoughts." I'll try to give some short answers to your questions. As for "sticking to the diet," the purpose of the band is to help you lose weight without sticking to a diet. That's the point. With the band, you feel full with much smaller portions so you don't have to diet. You have to work with the band and not deliberately sabotage yourself by drinking McDonald's milkshakes all day. But if you just eat regular food, you will find that you are full on much smaller portions and you will lose weight without being hungry. We all have issues with controlling food. You don't need to solve all of those issues ahead of time for the band to work for you. The band helps you lose weight even if you still have issues with food. But again, there are limits. A person can find a way to gain weight even with the band, if they try hard enough. As for being nervous about the surgery, everyone is. Surgery is scary. But the fact is, the actual risks are quite low. And when you compare the risks to your health from obesity that will come from not having the surgery, the odds are good that you will conclude, like most of us here, that the risk of surgery is less than then risk of not having it. So, we do it. Ultimately, you will need to answer these questions for yourself. But most of us here have made the decision to get the band. And almost everyone is glad they did.

Thanks everyone!! Pink Dahlia, I love what you said about 'fabulous' weighing 20lbs. That's an awesome line. I may have to borrow that. My big dog is such a sweetheart. I love him to death. I love when he tries to be a lap dog (that's when I call him a 'Laprador'). 2muchfun, it does feel good. I see 'before' pictures of myself and it disgusts me. I cannot believe I let myself get so big. My weight really held me back (that a the dead weight ex-husband I dropped three years ago this month). I'm hoping to get out and do more, since I'm feeling better about myself. I'm going to try and meet more people. Good luck to everyone.

I'm so glad that I'm not the only one with sweet tooth for ice cream. But the pre bought weight watchers and skinny cal things are great ideas. Think I will get rid of all the schwans ice cream cones and replace it with those, every once in awhile treat! . Thanks everyone!!

Shelly, i can't imagine people taking "Water pills" to make a dial on a scale move. The concept escapes me. I take a diuretic (what some people call a "water pill") because of congestive heart failure. My heart cannot keep up with the demands--many of them related to weight and being out of condition--being placed on it. What the heart "gives up doing" (because it can't do everything) is pumping the body fluids back UP the legs and arms. When that happens, I get edema--my feet and ankles are swollen, my knees get so sore they can hardly bend. Also, my fingers are swollen, rings and bracelets don't fit, and I can't hold a pen very well. It has been (before the band) so bad that the excess fluids "wept" through the skin on my legs. The diuretic I take is Demadex; it's a little more powerful than Lasix. And as I have lost weight, I have decreased the amount of Demadex I take. The diuretics have to be taken on a regular basis, but only as needed to assist the heart in doing its job. And caution is crucial. Many diuretics are NOT potassium sparing, that is, they deplete the potassium from your system which can cause immediate cardiac problems. Now, to the "successful" bandsters. I think they are wrong...and possibly not too bright. There is no cumulative weight loss from diuretics. All they do is make the kidney work harder, and nobody's lost weight from that. On a really bad day before I took a diuretic on a regular basis, I found myself puffed up and feeling like I was walking on sponges. I went to the doctor and took a 20mg Demadex. Within eight hours, I "lost ten pounds." But that was not "excess weight." That was about a gallon and a quart of excess water in my body, that almost kept me from moving. Ten pounds of "water." But NOBODY loses 100 pounds on diuretics. It's too bad--on several levels--that those "successful bandsters" believe that they are losing weight from diuretics. One reason it's too bad is that they are doing something right, but have failed to identify it. So they are not likely to rely on a good behavior they cannot identify. Another reason is that diuretics are tough on the kidneys and the heart. You absolutely have to regulate the body's potassium level when taking diuretics. They are not toys. Also, it's a wonderment to me that they have PCP's who would prescribe diuretics to people who don't understand why they are taking them. I'll look for a couple of links. Sue Edited to add: http://www.tmc.edu/thi/diurmeds.html http://www.gwu.edu/~cade/diuretics.html http://www.e-kidneys.net/diuretics.html http://www.healthcentral.com/mhc/top/001840.cfm

I know that pre-op diets vary a lot from doctor to doctor. This is the one my doctorb uses and that I'm on now. 3-4 low carb, low fat Protein shakes a day. I had the choice of several. Premier Protein Shakes as are good and available at Walmart, Sams and costco. I use unjury Protein powder but since I don't know when your surgery is, I don't know if you would have time to order them. I also can have 3 moderate servings of non-starchy veggies with no fat or "extras" added. It's not an easy diet but I have lost weight during the last 9 days

Today I am 25 days post op! Yes! I have most certainly struggled the first 2 weeks and today I think I made ground breaking progress for the first time in my life!!!! My body image and looks have always been a concern my entire life. I was pushed into modelling as a child and then came all the food issues and insecurities. It wasn't until I had paid modelling jobs that my weight became an issue. I was never fat but athletic and it wasn't until the company I was doing catalog work for as a child stopped calling me back for more work. My mother told me that it must have been because I looked fat in the last catalogue and if I would stop eating junk food I wouldn't have been "sacked" from my job. i was 12 years Old! Being told not to have any treats ever whilst my 3 siblings did I felt punished. I have had the most unhealthy relationship with food because of this. Because I felt like I was missing out, and I was not allowed to eat junk of any kind, I did it in secret and felt better about the fact I wasn't missing out and felt joy and happiness comforting my self. This made me into the emotional closet eater I am today.. Well not today but until a few weeks ago and I had this operation that changed my life and I know it's just the beginning. I have had the most unhealthy relationship with food... and it wasn't until 25 days ago did I break up with it. Feeling full makes me content.. That's the feeling food has always given me.. No matter what the emotion, food has been there for me. Tonight I had my family order gourmet pizza. I had 1 piece and that was it. I didn't eat the base.. just the topping. (Spinach feta pumpkin and garlic). This may sound insignificant to everyone else but my band made me feel full and food has not been an obsession or a comfort any more!!! I would have comsumed 3/4 of a pizza before this op. Food is a source of fuel and consumed for a purpose. i now Eat to live as apposed to live to eat! Thanks to my new accessory (my belly bangle lol) I have lost that emotional attachment to food. I feel like I have control for the first time in my life! Loosing that gilt and horrible feeling i had to food is like a tonne lifted off of my chest!! If anyone else has suffered from this type of eating disorder and is unsure as to if they want to have this operation, please do yourself a favour and talk to your dr about it. I wish I had have done this ages ago.

I wasn't done hit button..depends on your insurance and whether you have other certain dxs. That meet ins criteria..i yoyo'd with weight for 30 some yrs. My bmi was above 40..ugh..won't hurt to ask but tests will be needed.

Hello all. I am waiting for my consultation in November with Dr. Gazmuri. I am hoping that the insurance will not give me a hard time about wanting the band over the RNY. I have HMO Blue in Mass. Has anyone had success with getting the band from them? I have been doing research for a little while now and I just feel that this is the best option. I need to have this done. I can lose weight, but can I keep it off? Nope, not for very long at least. Portions....ugh!!! I am really glad to find another place that talks about bands and I hope to make some good friends here. Kaci

My personality change is one of the TOP reasons I am considering lap-band. I have always been a yo-yo dieter and while doing Atkins I went from 200 to 150 (wore a size 6!!) and I was alive, full of happiness, on the go all the time, was very social and loved to be intimate with my husband. I have since gained 110 lbs in 10 years (most of it in the past 6 years) and I am gaining faster every year and in the past 2 years my personality has changed drastically. I FAKE happiness all the time...when all I think about is food and how fat I am. It consumes my every thought. If I am talking to someone about something else I am thinking about how much skinnier they are than me or what they must be thinking about me. I have a great life with a wonderful husband and 2 awesome kids. I really have nothing other than my weight to worry about it. I used to do my hair and makeup to go to the store...now I go without even looking in the mirror. I have given up on looking good because how can I possibly look good at 260lbs??? My relationship with my husband has definately changed. He tells me all the time how much he loves me, but I think he is just saying that because he took me for better or for worse...and he got the worst! We have sex MAYBE once a month and its not that enjoyable for me. I am uncomfortable and worried the whole time about hiding my body. I know the lapband wont buy me a better personality, but even getting some of this extra weight off will make a big difference on how I feel about myself.

Pinky, Have you been tested for sleep apnea, I was shocked when I found out I had it, because I am overweight but not huge. I had symtoms of fatigue tiredness, body aches, my bloodwork checked out ok so dr. sent me to rheumetoidologist (sp.) and sure enough I have it, my Dad had it and I have a brother and sister with it. The weight gain comes along with it because you do not feel like doing anything and when you do it makes you tired. I have a CPAP machine but I pull the mask off every night cause I hate it. I am going to look into surgery that is supposed to correct it. Anniemay

I was not a particularly buxom woman prior to WLS (barely a D) and now I am somewhere in the B+/C- range. My butt is as flat as a pancake - but even 100 pounds ago it was not anywhere in Beyonce or JLo's family. My shape is basically the same as it was before, only smaller. I gained weight all over my body and I lost it the same way.

i was not heavy til my late teens since then my mother has always made an issue of my weight (4 siblings, spouses et al - all average size) for my b'day mom would always put a candle in a WW cupcake!!! she would "look me up and down" in reference to my weight i don't think we should ever blame anyone else for being overweight..........but she sure didn't help we went clothes shopping today (she's 83) i can wear a size 4, but truly a 6 fits and feels better when we were shopping i picked up a pair of pants size 6 she said "hmmmm, don't you think you should try an 8!!!!" i'm going crazy here will she ever give me a break??? :ph34r: thanx for listening to me vent DOS 12/15/11 235 lbs 5'3 11/13/13 130 bls GOAL still 5'3

Wow, I'm still in the phase of worrying that I will not lose enough weight. I had the Gastric Sleeve 5 months and 9 days ago (2/20/2015). I'm 5'3" and initially ballooned up to 285 lbs. I got myself down to 277 lbs. before I started the Bariatric program. By surgery day I was 267 lbs. today, I am 193 lbs. and I still don't feel I'm losing the excess weight fast enough. Although, I have have had 2 co-workers (*itches) tell me I look like I'm sick) they don't know I've had surgery but they pointed to my face and told me I look like I've had a stroke. I admit my upper half has lost a lot of weight compared to my middle. These people see me exercising around the office everyday and they can tell I've lost weight. Some people are just prone to being negative.

having lap band surgery tomorrow and just feeling scared. i have a heart condition that requires a pacemaker and a defibrillator. i have arrhythmia's really bad and i think just being stressed over the surgery has them acting up. i just wanted to know if any of you out there have had this condition or something similar and had lap band surgery. my personal cardiologist and the cardiologist that works with my lap band doctor both cleared me for surgery. i know that if anything is off tomorrow they will reschedule my surgery but it would be nice to hear any words of encouragement. i'm doing this to get rid of the weight and put less of a strain on my already weak heart. i have been really excited but now i'm afraid.

Do you have any co-morbidities? Diabetes, sleep apnea, and things like that? If yes, definitely do it. If no, seriously consider whether you have tried everything first. Have you had a nutritionist work with with you? Have you had a personal trainer? Have you worked with a counselor to see if they can help you deal with whatever is making you over eat? I am not saying you not to do surgery, but make sure you HAVE tried all options first. It IS major surgery and with the right support, you MAY be able to avoid it. Or not. That said... I had a low (under 40) BMI. I started with a BMI 38.9 and co-morbidities. With nutritionist support, my BMI dropped quickly (but I kept it above 35 to qualify for surgery because of my co-morbidities). I have followed the program, and I am now below my goal weight. Best decision I ever made. If you have a BMI under 35, you may have difficulty finding a doctor to operate unless you pay out of pocket. It is expensive. But if you do have co-existing conditions, you may qualify for insurance to pay. I can't say that I recommend someone who doesn't qualify because their BMI is under 35 have surgery. But that is me and my personal opinion. You do what is best for you. And if surgery is what you believe you need to do, then go for it. I will say though, definitely take your weight and get it under control! Just know, if you DO have surgery, you will get ALL SORTS of unsolicited opinions and advice lol. Don't listen to the naysayers. Just listen to your research and your doctors.

So far everything is still intact. I am losing weight in the right areas. My only concern is a little bit of bat wings on my arm but then again I have not been exercising. I still have my

What was ur surgery weight??

Wow!! 98 pounds in a year that is an amazing accomplishment you should be so proud! I am waiting to be banded and I hope that I can be as successful. Did you loose weight pre-band or did it all come off after you were banded? Congratulations!! :thumbup:

The Woodlands Mary?!?! I am in Spring! Thank you for your support and example of what I need to be doing and focusing on. I am scared. I need to loose this weight. As I am already loosing my mind. -MelAnne

MelAnne, welcome to LBT My PcP and I chose the band over GBP for the very reason you state here: it is a slow process, it did not take 1 month for me to put on this weight, nor do I expect a miracle and it all suddenly drop off in a month. Rny patients have problems as well as Lap Band patients. You are only going to succeed as far as you let yourself go - you have the ability and tools now to do whatever you wish if you have the strength to do it. Please do not compare yourself to your sister, each of us have our own strengths and weaknesses. I do not even have my band yet, due to medical complications, but I am chugging along. When I made the decision to get banded and change my lifestyle, I did changed everything ~~ My eating habits (for the most part) my exercising and my way of thinking. I will not stop until I reach my goal. It might take me a year or 5 years, but with support such as LBT it can be done. Do things that make you happen, chart your progress and make daily notes of your NSV's - this all has helped me stay on track and somewhat sane.

I had my 3rd fill yesterday and was on liquids all day yesterday and again today. My issue is, every time I go on liquids I gain 1-3 pounds. Does this happen to anyone else? I am sure it is water weight, but I am curious if this happens to many people.

@@cbonet The fact you lost ANY weight 5 days post-op is excellent! Others who lose faster may have more weight to lose - or they had more Water weight to lose (depending on whether they had a pre-op diet or how they ate prior to surgery). Your loss is not slow - nearly 10 lbs in 2 weeks is a great loss! Stay strong - you're going to stall - you need to follow your program and just keep working at it.

I'm post op and for the first time in ten months of diet and the surgery I've GAINED A 1lb this week I could just scream I'm so mad at myself

My weight stats are almost exactly the same as yours. I'm just today 3 months out, high weight pre-surgery 450, weight at surgery 389, this morning 338. I have not experienced anything like you are describing. Are you on any medications? If so, perhaps your weight loss has made them unnecessary and could be causing an issue. Just a stab in the dark. Definitely call your Doctor ASAP!