DELETE THIS ACCOUNT!

Great story!! Thank you for sharing! I was banded on Jan.6th and am so far very happy with it, but it's still nice to hear the positive experiences of others.

Are you serious? I can't tell if that's sarcasm or if they really do try to hypnotize you into thinking you've been banded EDIT: I just went and watched the preview, and holy cow you ARE serious!! Dr. Oz loses more and more credibility with me all the time. Unreal!!

I always gain on my TOM, and I know the scale will show me a depressing number, so i refuse to weight myself until the week after. It's much better for me psychology.

Congratulations!! Be sure to keep us updated how you're doing

Have your primary doc focus on any pain- back pain, knee pain, etc. Oesteoarthritis is one of the co-morbidites insurance will accept. Also, maybe a sleep study to see if you have sleep apena?

I actually eat Lean Cuisine, Smart Ones, or Healthy Choice. They're the perfect portion for us bandsters. I'm having one tonight for dinner even.

I was originally scheduled to have gastric bypass in June 2010, and at the last minute backed out. I just couldn't justify re-routing and permanently damaging healthy organs. I thought the Lap-Band was a much more logical step because it is 100% reversible should something go wrong. I figured if the Lap-Band didn't work, then I'd consider something more drastic such as the Sleeve. It just made sense to me. I was banded on Jan. 6 and have already lost 38 pounds. So far, I'm thrilled with my band! My only regret is not doing this years sooner. I'm totally happy with my decision.

Lean Cuisine makes a surprisingly good little personal pizza. It's the perfect portion, too.

That is very, very common. Many people feel little or even no restriction until after a couple fills. Hang in there.

I prefer Lose It! It's an incredible app, lets you track not only calories but specific nutrients, weight loss, etc. I love it. https://market.android.com/details?id=com.fitnow.loseit&feature=search_result#?t=W251bGwsMSwyLDEsImNvbS5maXRub3cubG9zZWl0Il0.

I just started soft foods a week ago, however I'm simply modifying recipes I already have. For instance, using lean ground turkey in place of fatty ground beef, skim milk in place of whole milk, and I Can't Believe It's Not Butter in place of margarine. I also use whole grain pastas or brown rice. Of course, I also eat small portions, too. Here's an example of a modified recipe I made this weekend (and I have tons of left overs). Low fat Goulash · 1 lb 99% fat free ground turkey · 1 ½ cups whole wheat elbow macaroni · 1 can stewed tomatoes · 1 can tomato paste · ½ ketchup · 1 cup onion , diced · 1 cup green pepper , diced · 1 tablespoon garlic powder · 1 tablespoon cumin · 1 tablespoon pepper Directions: · Brown onions and peppers in I Can't Believe It's Not Butter spray in a large skillet. Add ground turkey and brown. · While this is cooking, cook macaroni according to directions. · Drain and rinse the turkey and mix in seasonings. Drain the macaroni. Place both in large skillet. · Add remaining ingredients. Cover and simmer on low for 15 minutes. Makes approximately 4-5 servings. 1 cup serving= 343 calories 3.9g of fat 41.8g of Protein 35.5g of carbs

You said snow in your area, so cold weather, wear layers! Put on a couple shirts, maybe long johns under a pair of heavy jeans. Heck, even find a couple small pocket sized weights to put in your pockets. As others have stated, make the appointment in the late afternoon when you're bound to weigh more anyway. I know this is all horribly dishonest stuff, but sometimes you have to do it. Best of luck to you.

Yes! I was a mess not only the week before but the week after surgery. My emotions were all over the place! Happy and excited one moment, scared to death the next, constantly questioning myself and my decision. It was truly an emotional roller coaster! I am happy to report that now, a month later, I'm very happy and so glad I did this. Just hang in there a little longer, it gets tons better

That does include a week of pre-op diet, too. See that what I want, to be able to go many hours without being hungry. I'm absolutely starving way too soon after eating, even though it does take very little to make me feel full. Oh and I was hungry all the time while on liquids, too. When I finally got to soft food last week it was like heaven! Hang in there, it gets tons easier once you can actually eat.

Jenn is right, you're probably retaining a ton of Fluid right now. I know i was when I first came home. Everybody is different and loses different. Some don't lose hardly anything during the healing phase, some lose quite a bit. Just try to remember right now your goal is to heal, not lose weight, and that the weight loss will come once you've started getting filled and you can eat real foods. As for tomato soup, no that's not a clear liquid. That would be under the full liquid category. The clear liquid phase is definitely the toughest! Hang in there

Any who claims they never slip up is lying. We're human, we make mistakes and give into temptation. I was just banded on 1/6 and as of yet haven't had a 'bad diet day', but it'll happen eventually. It's inevitable. I say chalk it up to a bad day and start over fresh the next. Just don't make the mistake of one bad diet day turning two, three, a week, a month, etc. Too often we get discouraged after a minor slip up and give up. Stick with it

When I lose 50 pounds, I'm getting my hair done and colored. I'll have rewards every 50 pounds I lose, but they'll be based on what I need/want then.

Congratulations, Holly! I have so much respect for you. I wish I'd have had this option back when I was your age. It would've saved me living the last 20 years as an obese woman. I was the same as you- I started trying everything from a very young age. I was on Jenny Craig by the time I was 16, Weight Watchers the first time by the time I was 18. I did lose, but it always came back. Granted I've only had my band less a month but I'm SO glad I did this. I pray you will be happy with yours, too. Best wishes, Mis

I use an Android app called Lose It. I use to track my calories and nutrients, but it also is helpful because it has a section called "my recipes". There you can enter in the ingredients one at a time and then it will figure out the calories, fat, protein, carbs, etc. per serving for you. I've used it a couple times and it's a real help.

Hi Tressa! Welcome to the site. i've been here a couple week and I've found it to be very informational as well as inviting. I hope you do, too! Keep us updated on how your journey goes! Mis

My first goal was/is to lose 50 pounds by my birthday in June. I was banded on 1/6 and have lost a little over 36 pounds so far. So, I'm confident I'll meet that goal

Holy cow...this thread is just horrible. I can't believe that not only a surgeon could be so careless, but that his staff would do something as serious as violate HIPPA. Just...WOW!! GB2011, please keep us informed what happens. I hope you nail their @sses to the wall for their behavior and complete lack of ethical conduct.

All insurance companies are different and have different requirements, so it really depends on yours specifically. You could always call them and ask to be sure. Almost all Lap-Band patients have to have a psych evaluation. Many also need an EKG and sleep study. We all need a nutritionist, thankfully the majority of reputable surgeons connect with you almost immediately. I would suggest going to a free seminar. All the Lap-Band surgeons have them (at least the good ones). At the seminars, they explain absolutely everything you can expect pre-op, during the surgery, post-op, and for your life with the band after.