Jim1967

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Sliming while driving is the worst. Happened a couple of weeks back while sitting in traffic. I feel bad for all the people that had to witness that but I couldn't hold it back any longer.

In case no one has figured it out...I am the husband LOL. I am happy Kelli has finally joined up on the site and she can hear things first hand from a woman's perspective/experiences. :-)

I agree with this a 100%. I have no doubt there are plenty of unethical Surgeons out there looking to make a buck. Alex posts news stories every day about places being sued and losing their accreditation. My own weight center when I went through the process the band was very popular and they were just starting to learn about the Sleeve and now it is all they push for along side with bypass. They will still do the bands but their logic behind it is the Sleeve takes a lot the burden off the Patient for aftercare. My Wife is going through the process now and they asked her why she is choosing the band over the Sleeve. She gave her reasons and that was the end of the discussion. Her band surgery date is 9/16. Sleeve maybe a better option these days but in the end they are still cutting you and that is something neither my Wife or I wanted anything to do with. I do believe a lot of the responsibility is on the Patient for every aspect of seeking out surgery. There is no rule that says you have to go with the first Surgeon you meet so the research goes beyond the procedures and which one is best for you.

Band is a lot of work no doubt about it. There are guidelines you must go by and after care is huge just as the others have mentioned. I also have no doubt there have been legitimate band failures BUT I am betting there are more failures because the person was non compliant and didn't do the things they were supposed to. You're going to hear more about "failures" then you might successes because the successful people are enjoying their new lives. You'll hear plenty of anti-band complaints because they need a stage to stand on and say "Don't do this you will fail because I did"....It's all rubbish and I myself came close to canceling my surgery after reading the rubbish on OH. Thank God I found the wonderful folks here at LBT. This was the best thing I have ever done for myself and if I am a failure then I love it.

Weight loss for me didn't really start happening until near the end of month two. However we are all different. Being 3 weeks out your body is still healing. I know it's hard but you got to give your body some time to adjust to change. You have to remember this is not a rapid weight loss solution. Baby steps.... As for the lack of appetite I wouldn't worry about that. Some people would love to be in that position. I haven't had an appetite for over a year now and it's great (insert Tony the Tiger impression). I no longer live to eat. I eat to live and so will you.

Wow you have been so successful pre-band alone that you'll certainly knock it out of the park. Congratulations!!

Congratulations. So excited for you. Another chapter in your journey is just beginning.

You'd be amazed how long it took a 488lb man to shower compared to a 260lb man!! And, I haven't busted a toilet seat in a very long time. As for the being cold part I am dreading upcoming winter. I love the 100+ temps even with high humidity.

Wow, some people just have no filter.

That is pretty cynical. LOL. In my opinion it all comes down to mostly money. 1. They want to ensure the patient is serious about changing their lifestyle and not just getting this magical surgery. 2. I believe they deny purposely with the hopes that the patient will give up their pursuit for coverage. Think about it, If they get two or three people out of a pool of 50 on a monthly basis to just give up after the first denial think about the money they would save in a years time.

Sounding pretty awesome Mary. Keeping my fingers crossed for you.

Curious if anyone else experiences the mental game. I will be going along losing then all of a sudden for like two or three weeks, sometimes longer then there will be no scale movement at all and NSV's just don't seem to be there either. It sets me off thinking maybe I've reached the end of the line with my weight loss and my band (which I know is just a tool) has reached is maximum potential. Anyone else ever feel like that? I have lost a very large amount of weight but still 45 pounds from my personal goal. Even when I hit that personal goal of 220 I will still be with a high BMI. I am only 5'6. I can only imagine what it will be like to hit a real plateau...which will come like it or not.

Make sure your footwear is in good shape. I went through sneakers very fast when I was heavy and even though they do last longer now they still cause my back to ache when they are due for replacing. I now keep a pair just for working out and a pair for every day wear. Funny thing is I feel it in my back long before I feel it in my feet.

I've never had trouble with pills of any kind. I can take a daily multi without cutting or crushing it.. Only the first couple of months post op did I make adjustments.

I took two weeks off from work but I could have gone back by day 4. I do however sit in front of a computer all day.

I would go back to the Doc and see if you can trade the 4 or 5 shakes a day to 1 a day but with the use of skim, almond or simply smart milk. You can still achieve liver shrinkage. Whole point of this is not to make you sick or starve but if you can't do it the way they ask comfortably and it could cause you to stray (cheat) then they should compromise a bit. Just my opinion and you know what opinions are like....

Not much

I only had to do a 5 day pre-op diet consisting of 1 protein shake a day and the rest liquid. Are you buying pre-made shakes or you using powder and making your own? I use Body Fortress Whey powder from Walmart. Blend a cup with milk and ice. Makes a good smoothy. From time to time I will do the same with vanilla powder and add in either strawberries or blueberries.

What Missy said..... So many different things factor into the day to day weight. Exercise and sleep are good ones as well. I have had pretty poor nights sleep and the next morning the scale showed it.

Sounds like you are getting some sound advice here Jimmy. Get back to the Doctors asap. I know you're embarrassed to face the Doctors but you need a serious intervention before it gets worse. Only you can break the cycle you're in. I would definitely seek out a Counselor, Nutritionist and I would start journaling so you can see in print everything you put in your mouth. Sometimes seeing the numbers can help break patterns of bad eating.

My Wife has been very very supportive and is actually starting the process herself but I inadvertently insulted her. Maybe not insult but its the best word I can find to describe it. We had Breakfast together one Saturday morning and then we went about our daily activities and she at one point said as we were driving 'I'm getting kinda hungry'. Well I turned and looked at her and bluntly said 'Really? already?' Funny part is we had breakfast at 7AM and it was now a little after 1PM when she said that. She obviously gets hungry a lot sooner than I and sometimes we both forget each others circumstances. I do not like eating out anymore. I feel it is a waste of money and I can better control the quality and portions eating at home. It is going to be nice when are on the same page. Her date is Sept 16. She is floating around this board somewhere.

We are our own worst critics. Even after losing 200+ pounds I still cope with it as well. I go through various stages of "This is not good enough'. I have been pondering for sometime to seek out the Counselor at the Weight Center. I think there are a lot of psychological issues going on in there. It doesn't hurt to talk to someone.

I had to do the 6 month thing as well because of insurance. I dreaded the beginning of the process knowing I had to wait 6 months and then hope I would be approved. As I started to lose weight during that time my motivation increased big time. I did everything I could to be around bandsters whether it was being here or attending in person support meetings and various binge eating classes. I read books. I felt like I was close to a life and death situation with my weight. You are nearly there and from what I see you are off to a great start. Keep your eye on the prize and it will be here before you know it. When you get that official surgery date you will be riding high again. You can count on that. It felt like Christmas to me.

At the end of the day it is your health, your life and you have only one pass it. I don't really care what most people think of me. I am no longer a walking time bomb.