SillyWillyMommy

I had to do 6 months pre-op dieting.. and I think that I am actually BELOW the 40 BMI that is required for approval.... But since I lost it during the approval process... I was still approved. My doctor said just don't gain any weight.. he said mostly the insurance companies just want to see that you're still commited after the time frame. Hope that helps.

I'm going to vegas in August! I've never been there before... Is this your first trip too?? Maybe you'll win enough there to buy an actitrainer..

Hey Suzzie :-) Ok, I don't wear it on my arm OR waist.. I actually just keep it in my pocket.. OR if I'm working out, I clip it to my bra strap... The actitrainer ITSELF just has to be in close enough contact with the polar heart strap which you wear around your chest. It comes on a pretty stretchy band.. I wear a size 22-24, and I still have about 4 - 6 inches that I could work with... I think you'd be ok, besides if it DOESN'T fit you yet... there's another great motivator... to be able to be small enough to wear it... I"m almost POSTIVE the chest strap would fit you, if you insist on wearing the arm band, that will fit you too.. I'm pretty sure... I've never used it. I can measure both for you if you want.

I was a vegetarian for about 10 years (Which, ironically is when I gained all my weight.. mostly from Pasta and chocolate) during HS and College. I got "You don't LOOK like a vegetarian" all the time. I can laugh about it now.. but it was kind of annoying back then. :-) Anyhow, I"m a full fledged meat eater now... so sorry I can't help to much.. but I'm sure you can still eat a good veggie stir fry or veggie burger post-op.

Hi lori. I am so excited for you!!! I am not in Iowa, but I'm sure there are people poking around here who are. This is a great place, and everyone here is super friendly and helpful. You're gonna LOVE LOVE LOVE it.

Karen.. you really ARE beginning a new life. I'm glad that you have your dad around to help a bit... and hopefully you have lots of supportive friends and family near by. Good luck with everything!

Hi lodum!!! Glad to see you up and posting so soon after surgery. I am scheduled for banding 5/16, which is a Wednesday, and I was going to go to work the following Monday... But I'm not sure yet, I may just take a day or two more. Glad to hear you are healing well! Welcome!!

I don't know Lorsbander... My doc said no carbonated beverages.. but she said it was because they tend to fill you up.... I think everyone has different rules they follow (personal rules, rules from the doc, etc.).. I guess in the end, it's your band to do with you want with it, but if you follow the doc's advice to the letter.. you've got the best chances for optimum results.

I haven't used the food log yet... I have a really hard time loggin my food... I guess that's part of why I'm so heavy... I don't want to have to be accountable for what I put in my body. BUT that's MY issue, and I'm working on it. BUT I totally use the rest of the functions. I don't know if the bodybugg has one, but this one has a display on it that shows you how many steps you've takes so far, how many calories you've burned, how far you've walked, average heart rate, etc... So I'm constantly looking at it.. and when you plug it in to your computer it takes the info and puts it into a bar graph. So, I've been just trying to take at least ONE more step each day than the day before... So far it's been SO motivating.. Especially during workouts.

Wow... I've never heard of that. I'm sure it's happened though, and is probably pretty common.. You must be soo frustrated, waiting for a fill.... The xray will probably show that it was just under the surgeon's eye the whole time :-)

Julie NYC.. You're on one of your dates right now (probably)... wer'e all eager to find out how they went And salt on the ice cream?? That is such a good idea. Maybe I'll start carrying around a few packets in my purse... in case of emergencies... (Of course, it's not going to help me if I'm about to over do it on the fries :-)

Ok, here's the pricing for one use (two users or family plan is slightly more) $9.95 for one month, or $25.00 for three months, or $109 for a year, or $198 for two years

Oh, I am soo glad.. and the staff there is SOO friendly, if you talk to Jeremy, tell him I sent you :-) They don't advertise, (at all it seems), and I couldn't find a lick about them when I tried to google or froogle it..... I think it's about $6-$10 a month thereafter, depending on how you pay.. But I will check into and get back to you.

Thank you so much, Wasabubble.. I just needed a reality smack in the face... I planned on writing a friendly reminder on my tummy... It's just different being a patient.. and honestly, I've never actually WORKED in hospital.. I did my training, and rotation, and I've been working from home part time under a physician treating group home patients.. very mild rashes and things, very few calls. Besides, my specialty is dermatology, (although obviously I had to train on the WHOLE body first... not just the skin :-) not exactly practicing at the time... although I've kept my license up to date.... I really appreciate all your soothing words. Thanks :-)

I was just gonna snatch some of my kids flintstone vitamins... do you think I should order something stronger???

Ok, so after seeing all the success stories associated with the body bugg... I started to budget for one. While doing some research, I found the actitrainer. (sleep study feature (which bodybugg MAY have, but I didn't see it) Which tells you how many times you get up while you are sleeping. It has a food log so you can see if you're burning more than you are consuming (which, hopefully, you are). I'm wearing it right now.. I like the challenge of seeing if I am burning more calories today than yesterday... I highly endorse it, if you were on the fence about getting a body bugg... you may want to consider the actitrainer. FYI- I challenged my husband to see who burns more calories a day, me who leads a relatively sedative life as a stay at home mommy (Who's pretty lazy, I'll admit).. or him, an aircraft mechanic, who lifts 60-100lbs parts all day long, and runs 6 miles on average at home... Well, I burned nearly 300 more calories than he did.... (I told him maybe he'd have more luck if he did his daily routine with a 70lb back pack on).... Anyhow.. I love my acti-trainer.

good luck with everything... It must have been hard to be so honest with yourself.. and you get a thumbs up for that. Hope your jaw feels better very soon.

Thank you so much for posting this thread.... I was so pumped for my May 16th surgery... until yesterday, when I had my pre-op meeting with the surgery coordinator at the clinic. She went over the risks, and what to expect pre-op, during the operation, and post-op. She made me sign a paper stating that I know there is a risk of death associated with ANY procedure (rare risk, I know... but still, seeing it written out....)... also that if they cannot do it laporoscoplly, that they would have to do an open procedure, and I would need to consent to that (Which I absolutely do not want an open procedure, she said it's a rare (almost non-existent occurence in clients who have never had surgery before).. I know all this stuff is stuff that they LEGALLY have to tell you, and that the chances are higher that you'll win the lotto than have any of these side effects... but still. So when I got home last night, my crazy mind was going over all the 'what ifs', visions of my body laying dead on the OR table (I am so sorry if this scares anyone else), even the thought that the doctor would have my charts messed up and perform a bypass by mistake, or WORSE a heart removal (Now, I KNOW a heart removal isn't a typical surgical procedure.. but, hey, it COULD happen)..... Then my DH told me that if I had doubts, he'd support my decision to not have the surgery, just as he supported my decision TO have it... He told my that he noticed a new commitment to exercising and dieting and that I could probably do it by myself.. (Ok, sidebar, DH is literally the PICTURE of fitness, a personal trainer, with a basement full of 1/2 marathon trophies.. my husband doesn't have a 'pinch'able surface on his body...) So, this made me upset.. (in my crazy, going thru something big, mind).... I told him... "If i could do it on my own, don't you think I would have? Don't you think there have been a million diets that I started truly belieiving.. OMG this is going to be IT, I'm gonna stick to this one.. Do you think I EVER go into a diet thinking "I'll try this for a month or so, and then go back to grotesquely overeating, because that seems to be working for me"... So he replies... "Ok, then you want the surgery??".. And at that moment, I realized all the 'risks', as much as I'd rather just have a lapband installed via a fairy's magic wand, I need this lap band. ..and I'm going to do whatever it takes to get it. Sorry this was so wordy, I guess I just needed an outlet. Thanks for reading.

Congratulations!!!! That is SUPER!! You're gonna be a may bandster!!!!

i just got back from my meeting with the bariatric coordinator.. I practically BEGGED her to not make me stay the two nights.. (Surgeries are on Wednesdays, discharges are on Friday around noon)...I complete get where you guys are coming from.. but nothing makes me feel better than lying in bed next to DH.... and the two nights away from my kiddos are gonna be torture :-( I would NEVER EVER leave AMA, but I do question why the extended stay.... The coordinator told me that this is how they've been doing it since the clinics inception, and they haven't had a single infection yet, and their post op complications are nearly non existent, so why mess with what's working?.... I guess I see her point... I'll just chalk this up to one more 'sacrifice' to becoming the new me :-)

I am scheduled for lap band surgery on the 16th. I'm kind of envious of all the posts I read that say you guys get to go home the same day. My doctor requires a 2 night overnight stay... Who wants to stay in the hospital, when you could 'recover' at home??? I was just curious to see how many of you who had the band placed had to do an over night in the hospital (and how many of you wish you had)....?

Congratulations!! It's going to be AWESOME... and time will fly right by!! Good luck with everything!!! Welcome.

It could be the scale.. I know you used a doctors scale.. but they are all calibrated differently... It could also be something as simple as a full bladder... You weight can fluctuate up to 5 lbs up or down a day... As tempting as it is... try not to weigh yourself between appointments. (I know it's hard... ok, ok, maybe even close to IMPOSSIBLE). Instead, go by how you FEEL... clothing fitting better?? Notice a little bit more muscle definition???

Let me be the first to say..... CONGRATULATIONS! Hopefully, you'll be a May bandster!! Wishing you a prompt surgery date.

Arggghh.. Shiver me timbers, me thinks Sunta has a point.