pink dahlia

i think you're doing great ! It takes alot of courage to start a journey, and you're already off to a good start. Keep it up ! As far as the scale goes, i think it might put alot of unneccesary pressure on you right now. The scale can change daily, which might upset you until you realize it can be water weight, hormones, digestive issues, etc. i DO weigh myself daily , but i just look the # as a general guide. I dont stress over a pound gained, but the log helps me see the progress ive made. I use my clothes as a guideline too. the bigger they get, the more im losing !!! Good luck to you !

if i figured this right ive lost 47% of my excess weight since last December. yee haw !

Last fall, I also asked my Dr. if he had ever lost a patient in all his years of practice. He truthfully replied that he had never lost a patient due to the band , but 2 had passed away not too long after they were banded due to other health problems. Fair enough answer. I dont assume that just because somebody has the letters MD after their name that they know everything. I did my homework, researched and asked questions, so when i made my decision, it was based on knowledge, not just assumption. i think if you have done all your homework, you'll be less likely to worry about problems. Personaly, Id rather take the tiny risk of dying during surgery than the huge risk of dying from obesity related problems. So, my getting banded ?? Best decision i ever made. Good luck !

No disrespect intended, but................. to me looking "better" is just one of the many bonus's we all got with the band. Yes, we all got banded to get slimmer and healthier, but if you're going to lose excess weight you kind of have to expect that you're going to look "better." That just goes with the territory ! Diamonds rings are nice looking but when you have them cleaned and polished, they look even better ! Nothing wrong with the diamond in the first place, it just looks better when its polished. Well honey....................... you're a diamond too !!!!

congrats ! I have the same problem. Ill eat healthy and exercise and the scale wont budge ! Then ill do the exact same things and the scale will drop 2 lbs for no reason. Cant figure it out !

Im doing the Happy Dance for all of you ! Way to hang in there !! Iv been banded since last December, down 47 lbs ( and still losing ! ) and feel 100 % better. Wish id known aboutt the band years ago, its so worth it. Recovery and surgery was a breeze, the last 6 months have gone by so quick and easy. Hope yours goes well !! Good luck !

Oooooh Jachut, i love your comment about being able to call yourself a runner ! Way to go ! I cant wait until i can call myself a runner too ! I have a loooooooong way to go before i can call myself a runner but im looking forward to it. Funny story------ a few months ago i was slowwwwwwly jogging on our local walking trail when a toddler wandered into my path. His mom pulled him aside and gently said "watch out for the runner, honey !" ( Me!??? A "runner?") God bless you lady, you just made my day !!

my stitch lasted for about 10 days after being banded. It felt like a badly pulled muscle. Other than that I felt fine. My Dr said it was perfectly normal and would go away in a week to 12 days or so. He was right again !

Tough love comin' your way honey............... i think you're very, very smart for researching, doing your homework and knowing what you're getting into BEFORE you get banded. I did all that too , and so I was very comfortable and relaxed about being banded 7 months ago. I also had a very good idea what to expect after surgery, so i think that added to my overall easy time so far. I learned a very hard lesson years ago that just because somebody had an M.D. after their name doesnt mean they know what they're doin'.(Different procedure all together .) That bein said, YOUR research is for YOUR journey, not your Dads. HIS research (if any) is done for HIS journey. He may or may not have different issues, problems or success's than you, but at least you'll know what to do for YOUR body. Im down 47 lbs, look and feel 100 % better. Best decision ever !!! Good luck !

My straight , thin, baby fine shoulder length hair actually got a little thicker since i was banded 6 1/2 months ago. I dont take vitamins ( I know, I know !!!!) but since i eat a lot of protein, fruit , veggies and very little junk food i think thats the reason. I wash and condition my hair daily in the shower, and 3x a week i rub a tiny bit of "Biosilk" on the ends and then rinse. Makes my hair silky and soft. ( Sold at salons, way more expensive at grocery stores . Can be used on wet or dry skin or hair. A bottle lasts forever. Love it ! )

PandorasBox.........................well, damn girl ! You are one strong chickie !!!! Good for you for making the decision to get healthier ! You go girl !!!!!

Ask your sweetie if he would feel the same way if you had to have extreme dental surgery. Would he be so against it that he would encourage you not to have it ? I doubt it, because dental surgery is something he is more familar with. Lap band ? Not so much. Its easier to say " Dont do it !" when you're unfamilar with something. So take him to the appt. so he can ask questions directly. i was very lucky as my hubby was and is 100 % supportive. His sister and her hubby had just had it and are doing very well. I was banded last December, down 45 lbs and he's always complimenting me or encouraging me. He just wants me slim and healthy, and could care less about the future possibility of loose skin. So far he's VERY happy with the results ! Tell your sweetie you'd rather live a long happy healthy life with him !!! Good luck !

i didnt look at anything except the band so im no help with any other kind of wls. i will say this, i had 2 relatives get banded 1 yr ago this month. He is down 100 lbs, she is down about 50. They did so well , with no problems i decided to have lap band too after alot of research and discussions. I did my homework and knew what to expect. I was banded Dec 2011, and felt so well i went Xmas shopping 2 days after surgery and went back to work 7 days after surgery. I've had no problems, Ive followed the rules 95 % of the time, got regular fills and ive gone from 225 lbs to 180, and a chubby old lady looking size 18-1x to a much healthier and attractive size 14/16. (I'm a 53 yr old woman, standing 5'3 inches ) I have lots more energy , sleep better, get tons of nice compliments, and just generally feel better in my own skin. I love my band because it gave me my life back !!!!!!!!!! Hope this helps ! Good luck !!!

WAY TO GO !!!!! any advice you want to share ??

WOW !!!! ! congrats ! I hope to be around 150 about Christmas time, maybe later. Ive been banded 6 months, down from 225 to 180 now. We'll see.................. How is life at 150 lbs ? I cant wait ! Thanks for the inspiration !!!! Any advice you want to share ?

Im not sure what a brachioplasty is (neck smoothing ??) but id definetly go for the breast lift and small implants. As i loose weight im hoping to keep what little ive got. So far, so good !

if you're never content , have you gone in for a fill, or seen your Dr ? Are you following the rules of lap band eating ? Maybe talk to a nutritionist ? How many fills have you had ? These are all questions that you should be discussing with your lap band Dr. Ive had 6 fills in 6 months, finally hit restriction with the 6th fill, down 45 lbs by following the rules 95 % of the time. Make an appt with your Dr and hopefully you can get back on track. Good luck !

Good luck to all of you ! Tmf said it best "6 months from now you'll love the step you are taking." Oh, how true ! I was banded 6 months ago , and while my surgery and recovery was soooooo easy, the best part is im down 45 lbs !! Down from 225 to 180 ! Im beyond happy ! I just followed my Drs rules 95 % of the time (healthy food, small bites, chew well, and exercise 3x a week minimum ) and the weight has slowly come off. You can do it ! Let us know how it goes, good luck !!!

wow ! Great thread ! I never had a weight prob in my life until my late 20 s. and even when i married at 29, i still only weighed 143. (my average adult weight is 125) I got pregnant with my son and thats when the weight problems really started. My metabolism really started to slow down and i continued to eat the way i always had. I like sweets and carbs and too large portions, combine that with a couple of past relatives who are short and stocky too and the weight started piling on. I was always hungry or eating mindlessly ! Even when my eating habits changed for the better (hubby was diagnosed a diabetic, so alot of healthy food camme to live at our house ) I look back now and think "well, no wonder youre overweight ! Look at what you were eating !" but i was always hungry even when i ate healthy ! It was a combo of things for me that made me overweight, not just one thing. Im halfway to goal, and very grateful for the band that doesnt "allow" me to overeat !

i dont know if you insurance would cover it or not but "Honk" had a good idea. Follow the Lapband eating plan for a month and see how you weight does. Protein 1st, then veggies or fruit, than carbs. limit the junk food to an occasional treat, not a daily junk fest, and exercise a minium 3-4 x a week. Try tracking your food intake on Fitnesspal.com . What an eye opener that was ! You have to be commited to these food and exercise changes if you do get banded so start practicing now. Either way you're ahead of the game ! Good luck !

Great question !! Im not sure if this is a "reward" or not, but my goal was to lose 85 to 100 lbs. Im almost half way there (45 lbs) , and while our 25 th wedding anniverary is coming up in July, we have neither the time or money to do anything. So........... I suggested to hubby that next summer (2013) we celebrate late by going to Alaska on a guided fishing trip ( where you stay in the cabins, they do all the cooking and they take you out on the fishing boats etc.) By then i will be a normal weight (140-125) and will feel much more comfortable climbing in and out of a small plane, and not sinking the boat ! That will definetly be my "reward !!!!"

Every month when i attend my local lap band support group, i bring my too big clothes because there 's a girl there who is loosing weight too and is just a size behind me. When shes done with them , she'll donate them to someone in need. Were both happy, but i wish someone would do the same for me as im running out of clothes ! I like to look nice and people always comment about how nice i dress with out realizing 90% of my clothes come from Goodwill ! Although i wear jeans to work everyday because of my job, i like to dress it up a bit with a long scarf, cute jacket and pretty earrings. So if you can , donate your clothes to a local Goodwill or charity of your choice, because everybody benefits ! (Imagine how much better you'll feel when all those piles of clothes are gone from your house ! Donate them and make someones day !!! )

i dont like alcohol at all, except for a strawberry margarita every month or 2(woohoo !!!!), but 3 months out i had 3 small sips of a margarita during a mexican food dinner, and (TMI ALERT) had to excuse myself to the bathroom where i lost everything............ baddddddddd slime........... i have had a couple of margaritas at home since then with no probs, so im guessing it was the type of tequila that triggered that very fast reaction (cheap resturant type vs good stuff ???) just say' in be careful of when, where, and what you drink as peoples reactions can be different after they're banded. Cheers !!!

i got my full restriction on my 3rd fill, but it only lasted about 12 days. then it went away. I still had a medium amount of restriction, just not 100% . at my 4th fill the tech told me "sometimes that happens as the saline settles into the nooks and crannys of the band." well i still didnt get full restriction until my 6th fill on june 4th, and now im finally eating small amounts. I did continue to lose weight as i couldnt eat much and i exercise 3x a week. Everybodys different and you may or may not hit full restriction on your next fill (s). This is not to bring you down, just to give you a heads up that it can happen. Other than that problem the band has been very easy for me with no problems. (down 45 lbs in 6 months , so if thats the hardest problem i have , ill take it ! ) Good luck !

try the whole wheat tortillas, they dont expand much if i chew them well, and they taste good too. ( My hubby is diabetic, so needs whole wheat products)