Jim1967

Thought this might be a fun topic. Corny to some I'm sure but none the less fun. So do you have that one song that you relates to your journey? For me it is Faith of the Heart or more commonly known as the Theme from Star Trek spinoff Enterprise.

Looking fantastic and must be feeling so good!!

Honestly, I wasn't trying to be a wise guy here. It is all pretty much the same stuff being posted. Really not missing much.

You're not missing much in the Vets threads anyway. LOL

I would like to recommend this link to Dr Simpson's explanation of how the band works . I think it will help you immensely! Even two years post op I still revisit the page often. http://drsimpson.net/fills/Lap-band-eating/lap-band-not-restriction/lap-band-and-restriction.html

Sounds like a combination of gas and maybe port pain from the trauma of surgery. Everyone has different pain tolerance but discomfort for me lasted about 4 days. Sounds like you're doing all the right things. Walking as often as possible is the big one. It will help get the gas out. Hang in there and you'll be past this stage in no time.

Easy folks..lets not beat up the OP. We are not in her shoes and not dealing with the frustration first hand. It is quite clear she is very down on herself at the moment and she is here for our support not to be belittled further. Embarrassment in talking with a Doctor about weight gain is quite common. I've seen loads of posts on this board about it over the years. I myself was a bit embarrassed at one point in my journey because I had not lost any weight in 3 month window. I still went and saw my Doctor and he set my mind at ease and said let us tackle the issue and not focus on the numbers right now. I am happy to see the OP made the appointment. Remember the Doctors and Nutritionists are there for you and they cannot help without clear and concise, honest facts. Best wishes!

No Carbonation since March 2012. Surgeon advised no more as it could cause problems such as stretched or eroded band. I was a severe diet pepsi addict but I don't miss it all now. Way I see it nothing tastes as good as thin feels!

My Wife and I have seen and met John Pinette many times over the years and we were deeply saddened by the news of his passing. He was a kind soul and deeply grateful for the support of his fans. Almost every show he would hang out and mingle with people. Such a very unique and talented Comedian and will be greatly missed. This pic is from 2010.

Most people fear change but with the proper approach and proper guidance you could be very successful. With this change there will be new habits to learn and eye opening experiences. I can eat pretty much the same foods as before but in moderation. Instead of sucking down a 1/2 gallon of ice cream on a nightly basis (no joke) I now swing through McDonalds drive thru once maybe twice a week and get a single cone for a dollar and it satisfies me! I used to eat loads of junk food on a nightly basis in front of the TV. Now I have dinner at 6PM and the desire just isn't there like it used to be for the junk food binging. I also find that with this change I am a lot more active and I spend a lot less time in front of the t.v. Whole idea behind WLS is about lifestyle change not just weight loss. If you cannot change your life then the weight loss may come but really how long will it last without the lifestyle change? Others have recommended some counseling, talking to a Nutritionist and most of all open up to the Counselor doing your Psych Evaluation. A lot of people fear the Psych Eval but honestly I found it to be the most helpful. Even now two years post op we still exchange emails from time to time.

I bet no one can guess what mine means

Good Luck to you today. Although you don't really need it as April 16th is a great day for surgery!! Today marks my 2nd anniversary

I have a Protein shake every morning as breakfast. I find my band is a little tight first thing in the morning so it works out perfect. I get my protein in and it's a quick and easy meal on the fly.

Hi Nicholas, Just a couple of thoughts here and it is just my opinion and you know what they say about opinions. Next time you feel hungry stop and ask yourself is your stomach wanting the food or is it in your mind. Seriously, stop and think about it before eating and have an internal talk with yourself. You should be shooting for 4 to 5 hours in between meals without truly feeling hungry. If you cannot go that long than you may need a fill. Perhaps schedule an appointment with a Nutritionist and if you're not doing it already then start logging your intake and take it with you to that appointment. Seeing it on paper provides a lot more clarity and it also provides the Nutritionist a baseline to work with you on. Knowledge is power living with the band. Keep a journal containing band size and amount of fill so you know what you're working with at all times. Aftercare with the band in my opinion is more of a responsibility of the patient than the doctor. You're living with this thing not the Doctor. If something isn't working for you then do everything you can to figure out why. If you wait for someone to come to you, you will be waiting and waiting. Seek them out for answers and if they cannot provide answers then find someone who can. Lastly, Living with the band does not mean diet. It means adopting a new lifestyle. I can eat almost all the things I ate pre-op just a whole lot less and not as often. Quality foods with reasonable quantities but that's not to say you can't have a slice of pizza just don't eat the whole pie. If you got a few minutes check out this site: http://drsimpson.net/fills/Lap-band-eating/lap-band-not-restriction/lap-band-and-restriction.html

Jim..... I have a picture in my men's size XXXL Saints football shirt and God's honest truth.....that is my motivation too. I was floored when my daughter took the picture and mailed it to me. It's as if I had never SEEN MYSELF. I too was a prisoner inside my own skin. My days consisted of eating, sleeping, and watching TV. I was headed quickly to be featured on my 600 pound life. One day I will post my "WHAT IS THAT????" picture..... But I need help with that from my 14 year old... LOL It amazing when you have wow moment isn't it? Last weekend I was helping my wife do her Mother's (she's disabled) laundry. Apparently, some of my old 6x T shirts got handed down to my mother in law to wear as night gowns. Anyway, I was folding one and thought jeez this is a huge shirt. I looked closer at it and realized it used to be mine and one I wore on a weekly basis!!

Wow, I completely forgotten about my CPAP. I haven't worn it in about a year now. I hate that I forget some of my past like that. I wish I had written more when I was at my lowest. I wish I had written a letter to my future self to help me remember the smaller details. I have pictures and lingering memories but things like a CPAP and how restless my sleep used to be is a good one to think about.

Hi Jen, Have you spoken directly to Cigna and had them send you the documented requirements? 5 years sounds pretty strange not to mention unreasonable to me. I had Cigna cover my surgery and they required a 6 month supervised diet along with weigh ins and exercise journals and approved me pretty quickly once I met that. I do realize coverage also depends on what your employer paid for coverage. If you haven't spoken to Cigna directly I highly recommend it. When I spoke to them they actually emailed me the PDF of requirements so I got it instantly. From what I recall Cigna dropped their requirement from 6 months to 3 months. At least that is what I heard. I no longer have Cigna.

I could provide you with a list that would knock this thread into several pages but the root of it all is in this picture....I NEVER EVER want to be that again. I was a prisoner inside of my own skin...

Almost 2 years post op and I still walk away at times thinking wow two years ago I would've eaten all of that and then some....

Well the problem is if you weigh in daily it may look like your weight loss is going very very slow at times. If you are the type of person whose day will be completely ruined by the number on the scale than I don't recommend weighing daily. Daily weigh ins is not for everyone that's for sure. There have been times when I've taken breaks from weighing in daily because my attitude was getting sour. It can be a double edged sword...

As you know Jean I tend to over analyze everything. My issue is the opposite of yours. I walk away from a meal constantly asking myself if I had too much. Not that I am excessively full or anything just I am constantly thinking about my portions and think "should I've been able eat that much?, Did I miss the satiety signal" I have been one of those lucky ones who got banded and lost interest with food. Head hunger is a memory that I don't have to work to hard at suppressing with will power. I have not had a fill since Jan 29, 2013 and I have a 6 month follow up coming on April 4 so I am constantly analyzing and trying to decide whether or not I need a fill.

WLS is not about deprivation. Most if not all of us failed at diets because of deprivation. Moderation is the key. I can eat popcorn but I rarely do only because it is not something I favor. Once a while when the Wife and I go to a movie I may take a couple of handfuls of her popcorn.

Is it bad that knowing this Sunday is Corned beef dinner day at my folks and all I can think about is how much sodium is in that?? LOL

I didn't get a chance to read all the replies yet but I can tell the OP that you are not alone. Losing weight is easy..keeping it off now that's hard. My story is simple and I've told it here many times so I apologize to those reading it for the umteenth time. In 2003 I was 393lbs and I was at an all time low mentally and physically. A couple of friends from work bought me an Atkins book and begged me to read it. I agreed and the 3 of us set off on our journey supporting one another. We all lost weight. In 19 months I went from 393 to 220 just low carbing. I felt great and I was on top of the world. Then suddenly out of nowhere it seemed I let my guard down and I gained all my weight back plus another 90+lbs. In just over 10 years time I went from 393 to 220 back up to 488!! Today, I was 207. I am very much afraid of history repeating itself regardless of the tool and new lifestyle change. I spent a lot of energy angry and hating myself for what I did. It took me a very long time to make peace with it. On the flip side I have become obsessed about losing weight and what is sad is I am not satisfied with where I am at. I am proud of what I've accomplished but not satisfied if that makes sense. Sometimes my attitude plain sucks and I say big deal I am 12lbs lighter then I was in 2003 and look what I had to go through to get here. Still beats the alternative though. You will hear mixed opinions in regards to weighing in daily. I am a 'pro weigh in daily' advocate. Lifestyle change/tool does not matter unless you know exactly where you are on the scale. I can weigh myself and be up 2 pounds one day or I can wait a whole week to weigh in and find out I am up 5. 2 comes off quicker than 5 and that scale keeps me accountable. It is a tool just like my band. I wish you the best and hope you hit that goal and maintain it.

Lynz, you got this!! If you want it bad enough you can do it! I am happy with all the advice and encouragement you got here. It is tough but it must be done. This is the first challenge to a new lifestyle. How you handle this challenge sets the bar to how successful you can be.