Jim1967

As someone who has severe sleep apnea I am curious how it monitors your sleep.

Wow lots of sensitivity on this site lately...but I still don't see it.

My first was 6 weeks but it was a big fill at 5cc's.

I m actually waiting for the fitbit flex to come out.http://www.fitbit.com/flex

elcee let me know if you figure it out because I don't see it either.

I find if I don't dwell on the amount it makes it that much easier. I tend to drink way to much decaf coffee but at least it has water in it. LOL

Hi Jack and welcome to LBT, Terry and Kime-lou offer great advice but I would like to reiterate this part I quoted above. A lot of people have the surgery and shortly thereafter they expect the weight to fall off. It does not work that way. Regardless how much weight you have to lose it will still be a long road. I am not saying this to discourage you. It's just that many have the surgery and in a month they're all upset because they have lost no weight and some even put on a little. This is quite normal. First month post surgery is for healing so expect no real weight loss. They say on average you can expect 1-2 pounds a week but that may not happen until you have proper amount of fill in your band. Some people require no fill and feel the difference right away and others like myself it took 5 fills with a total of 9.5cc. Like Terry said everyone is different and you really cannot compare your journey to someone else. Patience is an absolute key to success along with education on how the band works and following Doctors orders. If you can do those things then you should be fine. Just need to keep in mind it requires you to full embrace a lifestyle change. Learn everything you can about the band and what life is like with one. Good luck, Jim

I guess it goes without saying that there are plenty of fat people out there along with the skinny ones who still don't believe that obesity is a disease. I guess we should shut down all the drug and alcohol rehab facilities as well. After all they just need to stop drinking and sticking needles in their arms. Right?

Education I think is the most important key to success with the band. If you are not willing to take a real interest and spend the time to learn how to use the band then you're wasting time and money and you're just becoming another number in a fail statistics column. And for that reason I do not like hearing about surveys and research studies because in the end you never really know what kind of effort the person put in. I do believe in legitimate failures but I also believe a lot of blame falls on patients and surgeons alike. I do believe there are surgeons out there who will do the surgery and not provide the proper education program to the patients.

I figure it's only a matter of time before company provided health insurance base the cost per participant/ health criteria. My company offers Virgin Healthmiles as an incentive.

Read my story in my profile. You're not alone by any means. I had a lot of anger and depression issues for a long time. I feel this time it is definitely different. What we are doing here is not a diet at all. It is a full lifestyle change and one that you can live with forever and not feel deprived as long as you embrace it.

Nice NSV!!

Yep they come in all sorts of flavors. Clothes fitting different, compliments, sitting in a booth at a restaurant for the first time in years. Being able to go to a concert or show and not worry about fitting into a seat. Wedding band sliding off. List goes on...

In the beginning my Wife as well as I had a hard time with portion sizes. She got a bit offended when I started dishing my own food because she had a hard time adjusting to my needs. She understands completely now. She is getting ready to start her own journey and I feel if she does it we can only be that much more successful...together. We have both learned a lot with my journey which should help her transition go a lot smoother.

NSV = Non Scale Victory

Awesome!!

That was actually and adjustment as well especially when going out for dinner. It is not required to polish off your plate but it is certainly something to get used to changing. Now if my Wife doesn't want what ever it is we don't bother to take it home with us. I do not do leftovers. I would rather waste it then eat around my band. My Wife and I had a talk yesterday because it was becoming habit for her to take and finish some of my plate if I cannot eat it. Well that is not good for her either. I am eating less and she is eating more. Not good!! She is considering joining the band ranks this year. Going to a seminar with her in April.

It can be a rough start mentally but it does get better...

I am allergic to Nickel as well. It was discovered when I was in my early 20's working at a nickel plating factory. I broke out in severe hives so I went to an allergist specialist and he tested me and confirmed. I ended up transferring out of that part of the factory. I have also been banded 1 year next month with no issues at all. Still follow up with your Doc but I have had zero issues. I have the Realize band.

33 pounds is amazing in such a short time!! Sorry but your expectations are a little out of whack. I really mean that with no disrespect intended. A lot of us go through surgery and then automatically we have that expectation that the weight is going to fall off. It does not work that way at all. Slow and gradual that's how it goes. Sooner you get acclimated to that idea the better off you will be. Took me a long time and a lot of frustration to figure it out. I wish you better. Not trying to push my blog on to anyone but if you give this entry a read it may or may not help. http://www.lapbandtalk.com/blog/6807/entry-25584-patienceband-requires-much-patience-especially-at-the-start-of-it-all/

Congrats and welcome to the other side!!

BariatricPal.com appears to be the center hub or maybe even the portal of all of Alex created WLS sites. Maybe Maddy frequents more then just LBT but it's all part of one big family.

Thank you very much!!

Awesome Patty!! Congratulations are in order. Missy is great and I told her in a private message once if she ever left LBT after reaching goal that I would track her down. LOL. I just gave her a shout out in a blog entry earlier this morning.

Hi Draven, First thank for the kudos. That is very kind. Secondly you bring up such a huge point here. Some folks need a full face mask and others prefer just the nose and there are also different types for each. Like I have the one that covers the entire nose where my Mom has just nasal pillows that go in the nostril. It is very important you find the right fit and balance for you. Getting the mask adjusted properly is also key. Feeling air hitting your eyes is usually an indicator the mask is not snug enough and the air is leaking. As time goes on the straps for those masks stretch and need an occasional adjustment. Also, it is very wise to properly clean and change out supplies on a regular basis. I have two cats so I am forever always changing filters and cleaning the thing. Jim