Alexandra

NWMarc, whatever issues might affect weight loss in an individual are issues that will have to be faced whether the person has a band or not. The band does nothing to change anyone's underlying metabolism or medical conditions. It only makes it easier to eat less. So if you know and understand your own health, you can make a considered and informed decision as to whether cutting calories will help you lose weight. To beat a dead horse, the band is just a tool to help us cut calories. 'Taint magic.

That's a great story, Fran, except for what happened to you the first time! I'm not sure a refund is really enough to make up for the fact that you had to have two surgeries. What went wrong the first time, do you know? And might you want to share the name of your Mexican doctor? Congratulations on your banding, however bumpy, and I hope the road ahead is smooth and uneventful.

Hi Bubba! Welcome to LBT and congratulations on your banding. Nice to meet you!!

I eat salad now with no problems, but I was afraid to start for a while. I don't remember when I first realized that it really didn't give me any problems at all. I'd say go ahead and try it whenever (assuming you're back on real food) and just be cautious after fills. Some people do seem to have trouble with lettuce and other raw vegetables.

Hi Cashley, It sure sounds normal to me. It's been a while but if I recall one thing that helped me was stretching. I didn't have much pain but back at my desk job the next week I found myself stretching out the stabby pains I'd get from time to time. Give it another week and then see how you're doing. It really can take time for everything to get back to normal. Surgery is hard work!

Hi Mary, welcome to LBT!! And good luck with your insurance!

The good news is that it does change, but you have to help it. Try ordering NOTHING the next time you go out. You'll be able to make a whole meal from a couple of pieces of everyone else's meals. That's a trick that worked for me, because my big issue was with variety. Ordering an appetizer never made me happy, because even though it's enough food it wasn't enough variety to satisfy me. I was so used to the whole meal, with side dishes and everything, that just one thing seemed like such a GYP. But then I discovered that I can have FIVE different things, just by having a little of everyone else's dinner. And there is always plenty of food for me. Remember "I'm not hungry, I'll just pick!"? Well, now it's true!

Imalene, all those off-topic threads are supposed to be limited to one section, the LBT Lounge. They're easy enough to avoid, if you want to. And you know what? People come and go. Some people come and stay. I hope that LBT serves both constituencies. Get any group of ANYONE together for any length of time, and conversations about movies and cars will crop up. That's just human nature. And one thing we all are, is human. And you know what? I just realized this thread is in the wrong section. I'm moving it.

Hi Diva, welcome to LBT!

Donna, I hope you'll read posts for a while even if you don't feel like posting. Some threads seem to turn into "debates" while others are simply support and exchange. Take what you want, and try to ignore what bothers you. There's simply no way every thread can be all things to all people. First and foremost, this is a board for information exchange about the Lap Band. Of course there's lots of room for plain old discussion of other topics. I hope you'll stick around in those sections that seem helpful to you.

I'll come right out and say I hate tickers. It makes me feel like everyone is in some sort of race. I don't think it adds anything helpful to the information that is shown in text sigs, and the graphics are clunky and distracting. They inflate when they're updated and all around they are a big downer. (Tell us how you really feel, Alex!) So I don't blame you one teeny bit for being irritated. And I'm not going to try to talk you out of it.

What other factors should you be aware of? Your own metabolism and health, for one thing. Your personal behaviors, for another. The band will not do anything all by itself; YOU are responsible for seeing that you allow it to consistently lessen your caloric intake. I don't believe there is any difference in results between the brands of bands; they are designed to do the same exact thing. That's not to say that there can't be problems, of course. But for the most part, people who get timely adjustments and eat sensibly and within band guidelines as much as possible will lose weight at a moderate pace for them. People lose at different paces: Heavier people lose more quickly than lighter ones, men lose more quickly than women, people without metabolic disorders or medication issues may lose faster than those with. Nothing is a sure thing, and I don't think it's worth worrying about every tiny little factor that other people have to contend with. What are YOUR issues, and YOUR concerns? Have you examined your eating behaviors and determined whether the band can help?

Well, considering the average expected loss is 4-8 lbs/mo, and you've lost 7 lbs each month, I'd say you're doing GREAT!! There is nothing to be frustrated about, you are right on track for a terrific year.

Kim, that's pretty much my ritual too, right down to the coffee that DH leaves for me! (Awwww....) For me, weighing daily keeps me mindful. That's all I take from it--it's not validation, humiliation, a kick up or a shove down. It's just information that I need to proceed. And I can totally understand that this information helps make people more successful at watching their weight. You can't watch something if you're not actually watching it, ya know?

Different brands taste different, and of course the flavor will vary with the flavor. Make sense? That's not helpful, I know, but I've tasted yogurt that's really gone bad, and man, you can tell. If it leaves a really nasty sort of burning flavor behind, it's gone. My favorite yogurt is Fage 0% fat strained Greek yogurt. It only comes in plain but I add a spoonful of all-fruit preserves to it and it's totally delicious. It's the thickest yogurt ever. YUM!

How cool!! You must be so proud. I hope it sells like gangbusters!! :becky:

Actually, I'd venture to say that MOST people lose in spurts. Everyone from time to time will have periods of no weight lost, and they often get worried and fret about plateauing. The fact is it's NORMAL to lose that way, and in my experience at least it seems that it's during these flat times that my body dimensions do their changing. So don't worry--you're normal. And you're doing great!! :biggrin1:

Eating plan? What eating plan? My plan was/is for the band to help me eat LESS. If I wasn't prepared for that I never would have done this. I eat whatever and however much I want, the key being that this has changed a lot over the last 2.5 years. The post-op regimen is a little difficult, but it's temporary. And we ALL have experience with sticking temporarily to restrictive diets. No problem. Once you're back on solid food you have to trust your band to guide you, and ALLOW it to teach you that you have a totally new and smaller capacity. As far as variety goes, it's all good. It's just the AMOUNTS that have changed. And that's all we need to lose weight.

Oh, VQ, you're so right--if it isn't one thing, it's another. I'm so sorry you're dealing with all of this! You'll come through it all with flying colors, I have no doubt whatsoever. Take the best possible care of yourself, k? :hug: :hug:

YAY!!! Thank goodness and all the powers that be, Kathy. We were thinking about you!! Yep, say goodbye to the death sticks for good. NOW you know what lies down that path, and it'll be easy. :biggrin1:

Oh, Ruthie, what a pain. :cool: I know, I had bronchitis over the winter too, and it's a BEAR to get rid of. Trish is right, we can't tell you if your band has slipped. It may have, it may not have. I've seen many, many people be absolutely POSITIVE their band has slipped only to be reassured upon an x-ray that everything is in order. One thing's for sure, you need to keep babying yourself until you get the answer to this situation. :hug

From everything I've heard and read, there is nothing that will really help with hair loss after surgery, childbirth, whatever other trauma is causing it. The good news is that it WILL stop, and your hair will come back to its self within a few months. I experienced it after surgery, but it's a distant memory now and the only thing I did to deal with it was get a slightly different haircut. :cool:

Sounds like quite an ordeal you've gone through, New Sho. I'm sorry you're so frustrated! A thought occurs to me: was the band itself any different five years ago than it is now? Perhaps surgical techniques have evolved or the design has been refined since then. Maybe a case could be made for an update or upgrade since you were a member of a clinical trial? I have no idea if that's feasible, just a thought. Maybe your doctor lost enthusiasm for followup on trial patients after the trial ended? (After five years, I'd guess it's over now, right?) You should be able to find another doctor willing to work with you, though, unless being in a trial somehow precludes that. Certainly many other doctors don't have any compunction against filling bands more than 2/3 full. Good luck, and I hope you keep us posted.

You know what? There is a way. I've seen it done on another board. I'll ask Mr. Alex if he can wangle that for us. Any objections, gang? Also, this other board I'm on comments frequently that dustups occur around the time of the full moon...

Hi and welcome to LBT! Yes, the routine for bariatric surgery is generally the same for banding or RNY or whatever. There's typically a battery of physical exams, a psychological exam, and at least one meeting with a nutritionist. Depending on whether you're going for insurance coverage or are self-pay, and depending on how busy your surgeon's practice is, and depending on how quickly you can get all the tests done, and depending... Well, you get the point. The quickest turnaround time even for self-payers is a couple of weeks, I'd guess. Insurance slows things down a lot, but your doc's office would probably be the best source of information on scheduling. Good luck!!