Dibley Dawn

I don't know what made me lose weight with no fills..it has just worked for me. I feel satisfied and I don't think about food all day. if i stop feeling satisfied or start obsessing over food, i will have a fill. My port revision was covered by my insurance, so I don't know what would happen for self payers, but that is a question I would ask my doctor, just so you have all the info you need for whatever might happen. as far as the support group. I had not had the surgery before I went to the meeting. you can really just show up. the support group leader doesn't know you haven't had the surgery and he won't kick you out. you can just tell him you are considering it and you are there to have some questions answered before you decide. The doctors are not present at the support groups.

I just have the band and my revision was just to flip the port back over and stitch it back in place...and recovery was much more painful for me than the original surgery. i don't ever want to go through that again.

First of all, congrats on what you have done so far. 35 pounds is great and is more than zero. Secondly, we do all lose at different rates. If you were smaller (say, under 250 pounds when you started) then you are going to lose more slowly than someone who is around 300 pounds. The heavier you are, the more weight you tend to lose in the beginning. I don't kow what your starting weight was, but the majority of people here seem to start somewhere between 250ish to 315ish. 35lbs at around 6 months out for a relatively low BMI seems right to me.

Oh yes, I am good at ignoring them at this point. I have a great pair of headphones that cancel out any outside noise. I can just cruise along to my tunes and ignore the world. Thanks for the encouragement.

They did mine under a local anesthesia. I was awake, but I felt nothing. I had a nice conversation with one of the doctors while the procedure was happening and it took about 10 or 15 minutes max once I was on the table. It was over so quickly, I never even knew they cut.. the recovery was a different story. wow, it was much more difficult than the initial surgery. I have no idea why. I just know that I don't ever want to go through that again.

.....i did NOT chug right after surgery. you won't want to, it will be a struggle to get any fluids down for a few days at least. right after surgery, i filled the lid to my water bottle up and took teeny tiny sips. once you start feeling more hunger, you will start adding a little bit more water. don't try to chug or drink quickly right after surgery. give yourself time to heal.

This was a big worry to me before being banded, and I have to tell you, Water goes down very easily. i chug with no problems at all. I drink a lot of water, at minimum 64 oz. per day..that's bare minimum though. I also drink through a straw and have no problems with that either. The only rule I follow is no drinking for 20 minutes after I eat a meal. other than that, I drink, drink, drink. gotta get all that water in!

I am not a person who loves to work out. I am active though, working out in my gym at least twice a week and swimming at least twice a week. In the summer, my love is volleyball and I play at least once a week in addition to working out and swimming. I've been doing all of these things for the past 3 years, even before I considered trying to diet or getting the lap band. Even being active, I didn't lose any weight. I was still eating everything in sight, so I'm sure that is why. Now that I have had the lap band and have lost a significant amount of weight, I have discovered that I have pretty much boundless energy. I'm serious, I have so much energy that sometimes I feel as if I am about to jump out of my skin.....so what did I do? Well, I decided to take it to the next level and signed up with a running coach. For a total of 12 weeks, I am working with her. Yesterday marked 1 week for me. The 1st week, I ain't gonna lie, was the hardest week of my life. I was so sore, every muscle ached, even muscles that I didn't know I had. I hurt everywhere. My coach said that I had to push through and find another time to run without her during the week, so I found the time and went without her. I should also point out that my runs were more like hobbles and walks than actual runs, but i managed to jog a big chunk of the 1.7 mile loop around Central park. Last night, I met with her for the 2nd time and we did 400 meter sprints.....4 of them. That would be 1200 meters which is a mile. I ran a total of 1 mile last night. I ran 1/2 a mile to get to the location where we sprinted, and then I ran 800 meters...I walked 800 meters and then walked the 1/2 mile out of the park. I am kinda amazed that I accomplished this. Each run is a little easier than the last (I say that with only 3 runs under my belt). I'm excited that I can actually run and I'm so proud of myself for even trying. I am still considered obese, so I definitely look like a fat girl out there running around, but I'm doing it, ignoring the stares and comments from others around me, I'm pushing myself. and I know that this is something that I can be proud of, no matter how far I run.

Summer is the perfect time to get back on track! Start walking more, ride a bike, go for a run, do yoga in the park, etc....there are so many outdoor activities that can be done. Or, join a gym and start taking classes there. There is no reason to just stick to one person who can train you. If you have netflix, you can even rent workout DVDs to mix it up a bit. I suggest trying anything with Gilad. His workouts are great and he'll get you going in no time, plus it's a DVD so he won't flirt with you or try to date you in front of your hubby. :wub:

I have a 10cc band and no fills

You shouldn't go by what people on the board do or say because we are all different and have different experiences. If you are getting hungry between meals, find yourself looking for food or eating non-stop then you probably do need a fill. I wouldn't just get a fill because you think it's time for one. I am just over a year out of surgery, just over 100 pounds lost and I have yet to have a fill. I just haven't needed one. i have been in the green zone (or what I consider to be the green zone) since i healed from surgery. I'm not saying I'll never need a fill, maybe one day I will, but for now, I am right on track. My doctor has said that if I haven't had a fill in a year, then chances are I won't ever need one, but only time will tell. You should only get a fill when you think you need one and not because 6 weeks have gone by or because everyone else is getting them.

Yes, I love Vicar of Dibley and I really love Dawn French too! I'm just over a year out from my surgery and down just over 100lbs. Dr. Fielding did my surgery. Their staff is great so I know you will be in good hands if you choose to go with them.