Lap Band Newbie

[SummerMoon 0]

Hi , I have my consultation tommorrow at the NEW clinic with Dr Quebberman and excited to see what the whole process is. I am Located in Orange County California... Anyone have any advice i have so many questions. :cursing:

[Cocoabean 430]

Welcome!

Write all your questions down before you go.

There's lots of experience here, too, so ask away.

[SummerMoon 0]

Thank you so much for responding to my thread. Well im a 30 year old female been pretty much overweight my whole life tried everything and anything to lose weight never could keep it off I turned 30 and i said you know what i want to make my 30's my new 20s and i really hope that i can change my life with this surgery. I know that this is a lifestyle change and shouldnt be considered if you just want to fit into a dress . Whats it like after being banded ? Can you eat normal like you did before ? Just having to cut the portion size ? I know that there has been posts that it just depends on each person and that its different ? Umm i guess i should start off with how much can you lose every month ? I am at my heaviest right now which is 260 ;/ and really want to reach atleast 170 or 160 by summer 2011

[Cocoabean 430]

Thank you so much for responding to my thread. Well im a 30 year old female been pretty much overweight my whole life tried everything and anything to lose weight never could keep it off I turned 30 and i said you know what i want to make my 30's my new 20s and i really hope that i can change my life with this surgery. I know that this is a lifestyle change and shouldnt be considered if you just want to fit into a dress . Whats it like after being banded ? Can you eat normal like you did before ? Just having to cut the portion size ? I know that there has been posts that it just depends on each person and that its different ? Umm i guess i should start off with how much can you lose every month ? I am at my heaviest right now which is 260 ;/ and really want to reach atleast 170 or 160 by summer 2011

It is very true that every person is different. My average weight loss was about 3/4 lb per week. But I am a VERY slow loser. You are younger than I. I am not much for exercise, so if I had done more of that, it might have gone faster.

With a band, the expectation is 1-2 pounds per week. For me it was not steady but 3 lbs one week, stable for 2, down 2 lbs, up 1 lb, down 1, down 3, up 2, stable for a week. And so on. But over two years I lost 70 lbs (100% of my excess weight). My surgeon said about 6 lbs a month would be great.

Banded life is the same and yet different. Obvisously it is a choice to not eat the junk that I used to, but at the same time, I also chose a band so that I could still eat most foods.

For me, the only food I have had to eliminate is chicken breast. It just won't go down. It is too dense and dry. But there are plenty of other foods I can eat. I have to eat very slowly and cut my food into small pieces, then chew them well. Failing to do so can lead to food getting stuck over the stoma (which is the little hole to the larger part of your stomach created by the band). This can be very painful, and if you are in a group, can lead to you having to excuse yourself for a time.

Others cannot eat eggs, potatoes, bread, tortillas, steak, and hamburger. Those are some of the biggiest offenders of foods that give bandsters problems. I am OK with most of them. Soft bread will give me trouble from time to time.

You'll be eating (mosty likely) much smaller portions than you are used to now. I generally eat oatmeal for Breakfast, salad and half a sandwich for lunch, meat (3-4 oz), veggies, and a bit of starch for dinner. I have healthy planned foods in between like cheese or fruit.< /p>

I do sometimes have junky treats, but far less often than I used to. The band doesn't stop our brains from wanting food. It helps with our phyiscal hunger, but not out appetite.

But with my hunger under control, I can more easily control my appetite.

I choose to not log my meals and calories and instead listen to my body as to when to quit eating. So far, this is working fine for me.

I am tickled with my results and have reached a normal BMI, my cholesterol is normal, my blood sugar is improved, my blood pressure is normal to low.

Research all the procedures available to you, listen to your surgeon and make an informed decision.

Best wishes to you! :cursing: