Jim1967

My Doctor told me flat out that he prefers someone getting the Sleeve or Bypass simply because of the compliance factor. He has actually refused to do revisions on patients who have failed due to non compliance. As for aftercare that responsibility falls on the patient just much as it does the Doctor if not more in my opinion. You're the one living with it not the Doctor. He cannot force you to follow the plan and go to follow up appts. They can only give you the tools and knowledge. Real work is on the patient. My Wife has a friend who had the band and never lost weight. Unsure of the real circumstances but he had asked for a revision to bypass and my Surgeon refused. He ended up having it done by another Surgeon who also happens to be my wife's Surgeon. Sad thing is I can remember him telling my wife a week after surgery that he was craving Chinese food so badly he was pondering blending crab rangoon!! True story I kid you not. It is no wonder my Surgeon said NO to a revision.

Nice Protein shake is one way. I start the day with a 40g shake. 30g from the whey and another 10 from the Simply Smart Milk. Toss in some frozen fruit for some Fiber and blend it up. Good stuff...

I also have the band and have an office job banging away on the keyboard. I took a week off but could've been working by day 3 from home. It is really about how well you tolerate discomfort and your energy level maybe lacking. Research all the options back to front and then decide which is the best option. You will find plenty of anti people on this site whether it be anti band, sleeve or bypass. I keep reading repeatedly on this site that band is not a good option for high BMI folks. That is rubbish...my BMI was 79.

Sleeve, Band, Bypass...OH MY!! Seriously can't we all just get along? Who cares about what surgery? Support me and I sure as hell will support you and I don't care what surgery you had. Questions is what you chose...is IT working for you?

Yes. And I will go a little further and say there are still times I feel guilty for my food selections when really deep down they're not bad especially in moderation.

I also have a sit down computer job. Fatigue is the major factor. I could've gone back to work by day 3 or 4 but I had the week scheduled off. I also have the ability of working from home. Good luck on your upcoming surgery!

This is true. It's just the mantra that's spewed by surgeons who try to sell their personal choice of surgery. If you say something enough people will believe it. You know Sandy the funny thing is I was told by my weight center that they would prefer people do not get banded anymore because of the amount of aftercare required and the amount of failure due to non compliance. I find it rather sad that Surgeon's cannot be bothered. They're almost as bad as non complaint patients. What's is even more sadder is they still offer the band even with that attitude because they don't want to turn away the money from people who are set on being banded.

I probably would've laughed in her face and said "oh your medical practice is doing so well that you need to come in and sell books" then I would've really shot back at her and said "you know what I would like to buy a copy of this book for you as well. You look as though you could benefit from weight loss surgery" those kind of things I usually tend to turn around and have fun with them rather than get pissed off. Getting pissed off just means they got under your skin.

Amount of weight has no bearing if the person is dedicated to making a lifestyle change...

By the way this link here has a lot of good info on the band and how it works. It is a very good straight forward read without all the techno babble. http://drsimpson.net/fills/Lap-band-eating/lap-band-not-restriction/lap-band-and-restriction.html

I agree with the others that slower is better only because you do not want to start overly tight and then have some removed just to only have a little more added it back in. Basically it would be best to avoid that see-saw fill in and fill out action. That said my first fill was a big one as my band was empty but as you can see it still was not enough to put me in the green zone. I haven't had a fill since Jan 2012 but I am feeling due for one soon. 11cc Realize Band: 1st fill 5/29/12 5cc 2nd fill 6/12/12 1cc 3rd fill 7/02/12 1cc 4th fill 8/14/12 1cc 5th fill 9/4/12 1cc 6th fill 1/29/13 .5

There was many times I thought I was in the green zone along the way only to have it subside days or even a week and half later. It took me about 6 almost 7 months post op before I was finally in a spot that worked for me. Those 6+ months were some frustrating times back in forth. I have to admit now that I am in the green zone the head hunger is more controllable and at times I wonder if my band has more to do with it then my state of mind. As a friend on here told me I do tend to over analyze things. Bandster hell was rough and the only way I got through it was by not having the tempting foods around me. I was a severe junk food addict and I simply could not keep it in the house. I still do not keep in the house even now but now that I am in the green zone I feel I have more control. Urge just isn't there but I cannot tell you for sure if it is just me embracing my new lifestyle, will power or the band or just a combination of all of it. I have not had a fill since January 29, 2012. April 16 will be my two year anniversary. My most challenging part of this journey has been my patience. I went through periods of up and down frustrations with the scale. I slowly started recognizing that there are other factors to consider when losing weight. Look for NSV's AKA non scale victories. Watching and feeling myself go from a size 62 waist to a 36 was more rewarding than any number on a scale.

First off congratulations on your success.....and what a great story. Like yourself my story did not have a happy beginning either but more of a sense of desperation and I think if it wasn't for my Wife I would be 6 feet under by now. I went into it at 488lbs thinking well if I can at least take off a 100 with the band it would be better than nothing and at the very least it might give me a couple of years back. I had serious doubts I would ever see the 300's again let alone the 200's. My beginning like yours was not all sunshine and roses but rather bleak, terrifying and desperate. I will forever remember who I was and where I was in my life during that time as a way to keep humble. I did not get banded for anything material. I was not looking for a job or a wife or to look good on the beach........I got banded simply for "MY LIFE" and I considered it a last ditch effort. If I failed then I was as good as dead and on borrowed time...

Not only that but also newbies and people just starting their research on the band is going to get the impression that all they have to do is have this magical belt strapped around their stomach and hundred or so pounds will just fall off and in my opinion that is just bad news...

B52: I enjoy reading your posts and I value your experiences. What I will say is the band has changed me as well but you made one important statement that I would like to highlight: Your band is not making those choices you are. You're making the decisions with your brain on what to eat. Your band maybe limiting your intake but your choices are all on you. I think it is very important for newbies to understand that the band will not force you to choose meat and vegetables over potato chips and ice cream. IT is not that EASY....

Primed means the Surgeon added Fluid at the time of the surgery.

I am flirting with goal myself so I find this thread interesting. My goal is also a number picked out of my head. My Doctor never gave me a goal to strive for. Actually, my initial goal was 220 and when I hit that I wondered if 199 was possible so I changed my goal. So I am slowly getting to that goal but really my plan is to keep losing as long as my body wants to give it up. It's not like I am suffering from malnutrition. Sorry I am rambling and not trying to hijack your thread. I have a deep fear of hitting a final weight goal. Having lost so much weight before and gaining it all back plus another 90 just scares me and has me on edge about history repeating itself.

Hi Betty, Sorry to hear the agony this is causing you. Have you spoken directly to the insurance company to find out their requirements? Most insurance companies will provide you the documentation on what is covered and what the requirements are. I have never heard of an insurance company requiring someone to lose weight to prove they needed WLS. I guess anything is possible though. Insurance companies want to ensure you are committed to a lifestyle change which is why they put you through the supervised diet but typically do not expect weight loss as that is the whole point of needing surgery in the first place. I do wonder if the person at the Surgeon's office is trying to motivate you to lose as much as possible before surgery or they're just miss-informed. If it were me I would place a call into the insurance company and request documentation. My insurance company actually emailed me a pdf copy instantly. Edit: Forgot to mention I also had to do a 6 month supervised diet as required by Cigna and not once was weight loss a requirement. Monthly weigh ins, food and exercise journals was all they wanted. They could care less about my weight.

I did Atkins back in 2003 and managed to lose 170+ pounds but I could not sustain it. I was depriving myself of the things I liked. I never shifted through the different phases properly. I stuck with induction for 19 months and lost the weight but then I started eating again and eating the things I went with out for a very long time. Long term deprivation does not work. Atkins is a good way to lose weight but I recommend following the program completely because in my experience it was nothing but deprivation and long term will lead to failure. I often wonder had I done it properly if I could've avoided WLS. As for life now I don't follow any particular diet outside of portion control and moderation.

Some of the responses in this thread are down right saddening. Starting weight does not matter with the lapband if you're truly dedicated to making a lifestyle change. I am living proof of that and I will put my numbers up against any Sleever or Bypass patient. I mean no disrespect to anyone but what the hell difference does it make if he weighed 450 or 250? Weight loss is weight loss and it only matters in the end if you've adopted a lifestyle change. Without a true lifestyle change then any weight loss using any method is just temporary and prone to eventual failure. Sure the Band takes more work and more patience but it is certainly just as effective as any surgery if you put the work in. Some people such as myself thrive on the extra work or extra attention the band may require. I have learned so much about myself in these last two years then I have the entire course of my 46 years. Christie's 100lbs in the first year is incredibly successful given the fact a "typical" band patient needs to go through a series of adjustments before the band reaches its maximum potential. In closing I will quote Dylan...."Don't criticize what you can't understand"

Hang in there gang it will definitely get better. As we know everyone's anatomy and needs are different but I have an 11cc Realize band it took me nearly 6 months to reach the elusive green zone and as I lost weight I needed follow adjustments as the zone changed on me. Patience was the hardest part of the process for me. 1cc Realize Band: 1st fill 5/29/12 5cc 2nd fill 6/12/12 1cc 3rd fill 7/02/12 1cc 4th fill 8/14/12 1cc 5th fill 9/4/12 1cc 6th fill 1/29/13 .5cc

Congratulations!

Really need to assess if that is head hunger or legitimate hunger. Based on your description your fighting head hunger and the band will not help (much) with that. That is mental part of the lifestyle change you must come to terms with. Also, you need to be careful with grazing as well. Eating until your full and then waiting an hour and eating again and on and on will not lead you to lose weight. I definitely recommend talking to a Nutritionist and explain what is going on.

I have a lot of loose skin and I think when I look in the mirror I still have a hard time seeing that smaller person because he is surrounded by so much loose skin. I would like to eventually get it removed but I am sure getting insurance to cover it will be a difficult chore. More so than the actual band coverage. After losing close to 280lbs I am not even sure if I will be able to get away with wearing shorts this Summer because of the loose skin. I have skin hanging from my forearms that is how bad it is. As for reminders I have pictures, wedding pictures and I still will not forget the time lost because of my lack of mobility.

My Wife and I are band-mates. I was the guinea pig who had surgery first in April 2012. She got the same band (Realize) in September 2013. We used to eat out constantly seeing we had no children to feed but now it is home cooked meals and it is amazing the money we save now. Not only are we not eating out we don't spend as much in the grocery store.