m1hocker

Hello everyone! Just wanted to say Happy Summer and let's keep up the good work!!! I just had my 30th birthday yesterday and was mourning that, but when I woke up this morning, I had the best birthday present of all...I hit 50 pounds. Let these goals keep us going!!! Let us spend the next 30 years being skinny.

You will love your new life. It has been a great journey this far and I can only imagine it will get better. To have this much energy and feel this much better about myself is priceless. Good luck and enjoy watching the pounds fall off!!!

I remember the office stating that it was for a trial, but wasn't exactly sure what they meant by that. Sarah's explanation clarified that for me. Good luck getting some info.

I know that my doctor's office told me that they were going to be banding a younger boy, don't want to say exact age because I can't remember for sure, sometime soon. My surgeon is Dr. Malley, located in Kansas. He is an unbelievable surgeon. Great man who honestly wants good outcomes with his patients. He is a very firm believer on follow up visits, so you would have to be willing to follow through with that. If you want more info, his website is Kansas City LAP-BAND® System Surgery : Weight Loss LAP-BAND® System Surgery Experts. Check it out.

Second picture is 4 days pre op at 273. First picture is at 3 months post op at 235. Since then I have dropped another 10 pounds but this will do for now.

I have around 100 lbs to lose and have lost 46.5 lbs in just 3 1/2 months. I am just rounding the corner where I have really good restriction where the weight will be coming off more consistently. I have had 2-3 week stalls in just this time period which is frustrating but I know it will eventually kick in again and it has. I am on my third fill and am getting great restriction and am feeling very confident in the rest coming off. My sister has had the band for just 3 months and she has lost 53 lbs. Just another example for you that if you work at it, you will succeed at this. Good luck in your journey!!!

Another update...had .4cc's taken out this morning because I was just miserable even trying to get liquids down. Already am feeling much better. I also was informed I lost 7 lbs in the past week. Not a bad boost in the weight loss. Hopefully this slight unfill will get me to my sweet spot. That would be just great. Now I just need to get on the wagon for the June challenge. I joined Curves last month, but am doing only 3-4 days of 30 minutes. I guess that's better than nothing. I'll try to become a little more motivated this month.

You will definately see a difference once you start getting fills. Might not be with your first or second fill, but it will come. I have had 3 fills and my 1st and 2nd didn't really do a whole lot for me. Now with my 3rd, I really feel it. I have a very hard time even doing liquids in the morning and I could eat pizza, bread, steak, anything before this fill. I have done rather well even with no restriction up until this point mainly due to my own willpower. Yes it is hard, but i refuse to fail at this too. You will get your mind in the right place and it will all start working for you. It would be very hard to get to that point with not having lost yet, but I promise you, you will get there. Just keep on believing in yourself and work WITH the band. Good luck!!!

I got my third fill last week and I definately have restriction now...have actually considered getting a little taken out. I can barely do liquids in the morning. Have to wait until mid afternoon before I can get much solids down at all. I have been eating around 1000 cals a day and have been very satisfied on that. Have had a great boost in weight loss due to this fill...that part is nice!!! Probably will keep it as is for now and see how I am when I go in for my next appointment in 3 weeks. I go on vacation in 5 weeks and can't imagine not being able to eat a little good stuff while gone. Might be good though. Go on vacation and still lose weight. Never done that before. Well, just updating everyone and hope everyone continues their success.

To anyone that has lost hair during this process...at what point did you start losing your hair? I am about 3 months post op and am just starting to lose hair. After each of my pregnancies, I lost a significant amount of hair around 3 months. Something in my body just stresses with changes around this 3 month mark. I hope it stops soon. I have tons of hair to lose, but really don't care to go through this again, since I just had my last baby 14 months ago and am finally growing some of that loss back. I am keeping my Protein intake up to at least 60 grams a day and am taking my Calcium and Vitamins on a daily basis. Any suggestions of what else I could do and just curious as to why it just started now.

Thanks everyone for your posts. I dealt with this after both of my pregnancies (C-Sections) and it's no fun. Like I said before, I have a lot of 4 inch strands around my face growing back in from the birth of my son and here I go again. I wouldn't worry about it because it always grows back healthy, but I have a wedding to be in in 3 months from now. As if getting my weight down is not enough to worry about with a wedding, now I get to worry about my hair too. I guess I could be in a lot worse off situation...I need to look on the brighter side. Thanks again!!!

Thanks for the info. Not quite sure what was used for my surgery. Will ask my doc come time for my next fill...in 1 1/2 more weeks. Hope it slows down between now and then.

Capital One has a program for bariatric surgery, but your doctor has to be on the list of participating doctors. I've heard that they have a 3 year no interest program, but make sure and pay it off or else you're stuck with interest from the beginning.

I know that I am by no means the lowest BMI bandster, but I had a BMI of just barely 38...38.1 to be exact. I had no comorbitities, but just complained of feet and back pains at times. Could or couldn't have been due to weight. I have had very good success thus far, but am only about 3 months into it. Very pleased though. Good luck.

Hi everyone. Haven't posted in a while, but just updating everyone. Had my 2nd fill on Monday (Total of 2.5cc in 4cc band) and don't know that I am really feeling much. I seem to stay full a little longer, but am not feeling that 'full' feeling. I think my problem is that I'm looking for the full feeling that I used to get before being banded. That I'm supposed to feel miserable to be full. If I could just change that feeling in my mind, then this band might just be working. It is just so hard to change those old habits. I also need to be exercising. Have just been doing a little here and there. And I mean a LITTLE. Does anyone else feel like after having fills that they can still eat larger bites and not chew their food down to mush. I would think that by now, I should be HAVING to do that. I keep thinking that the band will never restrict me enough. I know there is still room for another 1.5 cc's, but am nervous. I'm not complaining by any means about my experience, because I am very pleased with results this far, just wondering about how I'm supposed to be feeling when the band is in full working mode. Hope everyone is feeling and doing great!!!!

Hi all. I haven't posted in quite sometime. Have been watching everyone's progress and seems most are doing really well. I am going in for my first fill on Monday. Am nervous, but excited as well. I had a pretty long plateau (2weeks), but noticed that if I concentrate on getting in MORE food, I lose more. I was eating less than 1200 calories and that is when I wasn't losing anything. For the past 10 days, I have really made an effort to get in between 1200 and 1400 calories and I have lost a pound every day. I think my body was in shock that I wasn't feeding it and it was holding on to every ounce that I put in it. I am eating 3 small meals a day and a couple small snacks (applesauce or cottage cheese). I eat only when I am hungry, which is usually about 4 hours past a meal, and that seems to keep me very satisfied. I really don't feel the hunger that I thought I would experience. It just took what seems like a long time to get the losing back on track. Hope everyone keeps up the great work!!!

I was banded on the 15th and also went through some really hungry periods around day 5 and 6. I didn't feel like eating, but my stomach would growl. With being so newly banded, I would eat just a little more broth or other liquids maybe a bit sooner than you were advised, but I wouldn't push anything more than that for a couple of days. Just remember to sip ever so slowly. Maybe even drink some creamed soup with a little more milk than called for...this will give you the protein from your milk and might make you feel full longer plus liquify it more so. Just make sure there are no chunks in it. Hang in there. It really does get better. Now that I am on mushies, I feel like I am in heaven. You're just a few days away from feeling much better!!!

I also was banded on the 15th and I am suffering with serious gas pains...especially in my shoulder. I called the doctor today to see if it can last this long and they said it should ease up in the next week to ten days. It's just so uncomfortable. I guess we just have to hang in there. You're definatley not alone.

Just an update to let very newly banded friends know their is light at the end of the first week. I was banded on the 15th and today I am feeling like a new person. Day 3 and 4 were my worst. I had severe pain in my ribcage and bad gas pains at first and had terrible problems getting much of anything down at first, but am pretty much feeling normal. Just remember... sip, sip, sip. It really does make a difference. Here's to a great recovery for all and happy beginnings to our new lifestyle.

Thank you all so much for your replies. I have gotten progressively better over the past couple of days. My pain in my chest is going away and I was able to eat around 900 calories today and take in about 25 ounces of water on top of it. Feel like things are finally looking up for me. Now I fear getting hungry in the next couple of weeks...have been reading other posts of being 2-3 weeks post banding. I guess just one more obstacle to face and beat. We all CAN do this!!!! Thanks again.

I am just 4 days post op and am having a lot of trouble getting much of anything down it seems. I think I have been getting about 500-600 calories a day and pretty much no other liquids than the ones that are considered our food...soup, Protein Shake, etc. I am having major pain just under my rib cage and called the doctor and they said I am probably just really swollen still. Just curious if anyone else is having this much trouble and if so how much liquids they are getting by on. I think my intake is around 20-22 ounces a day. The one positive thing is that I don't feel weak or tired and not really hungry. Any other experiences would be helpful. THANKS!!!

I have experienced some back pain, but I think mine is due to leaning over so much to decrease the pain in my abdomen...i am 4 days post op. I need to really concentrate on better posture but difficult to do when it seems to help so much slouching over.

I had surgery 2/15 and am still so bloated. My port it placed in a similar position and I too can feel it. I can look in the mirror from the side and see it protruding a little. I'm sure it is just due to the swelling and inflamation.

I too had the EXACT same feelings. I just had my surgery on the 15th and was a nervous wreck about going under and waking up. I felt so guilty doing this knowing that there was that slim chance and that my 3 young children would be left without their mommy. I had even gone under for gall bladder surgery and wisdom teeth extraction and did just fine, but didn't have children at that time, so didn't have these feelings. I too have no other health problems besides being overweight. But if you look on the positive side, if we get this under control now, we will live longer, happier lives with our children. Look to the future and realize how much more fun you will have swimming, biking, and playing chase with your little one if you are smaller. That is how I had to look at it. You will do just fine. Sounds like you have a great surgeon. Very good statistics!!! Keep us posted.

Hi all. I am currently sitting in the hospital 7 1/2 hours post op. I made it through the surgery just fine and am doing farely well. No gas pains as of yet, but only time will tell. Port site is terrible pain if I move in a specific way. Just lounging though, is not that big of a deal so far. Have gotten up and walked a couple of times and that was okay. Again, only problem is the port site. I imagine it will be tender for quite sometime. Overall, pretty comfortable. Hope everyone else is doing great!!! Now the fun begins...weightloss!!!!