Thats All Folks

Unfortunately you'll find a lot of myths like that online. I know if you have predisposition for it exposure to toxins can trigger it, but medical devices aren't considered a toxin. I have an autoimmune disease, btw. I have Multiple Sclerosis. That's why I know the info I do about them and I'm familiar with a lot of the hoax causes and cures floating around, too. I'll be praying you don't have CREST or Lupus. Best wishes.

My goodness, I'm so very sorry. Have they tested you for Lupus too? I know CREST is autoimmune, if it is what's wrong could your band cause problems?

She's a completely ignorant moron that needs to be b*tch slapped. Hard.

I'm very sorry you're going through this. I'm curious why they think you have CREST Syndrome? I know Reynauds is common with CREST but there are a lot of other primary conditions that can cause it, too. Are you being tested for those as well?

That's exactly what I was thinking, too.

Wow that's weird. I don't understand that logic at all.

Slips are actually a lot more common than leaks, but they are a possible complication.

That does seem high. I don't think I could eat that much! I do know this, calories and pounds really are simple math. 3500 calories make up one pound, so to lose a pound a week you have burn 3500 calories more a week than you're consuming. Here's a simple calculator that might help. It's a calculator to tell you how much you need to consume to maintain your weight. So, if you find that number, you can deduct to see what you need to eat to lose. For instance, if you are aiming for a pound a week, you'd subtract 500 calories. 2 pounds a week would be subtracting 1000 calories. http://www.caloriecontrol.org/healthy-weight-tool-kit/weight-maintenance-calculator-women

Hi Chrissy! I am so sorry about the losses in your life. Your stress level must've been through the roof. Going back to your doctor is the perfect first step. Regardless of whether the scale says you lost, gained, or stayed the same look at it as a clean slate. This is your new "first day" and everything that happened (or didn't happen) before now just doesn't matter. The fact you're buckling down and getting back on track on now is all that matters. I think a trip to see your nutritionist would help, too. If I were in your shoes, I'd make an appointment with them and let them help you. Best wishes.

I can only speak for myself, but my weight loss stalled considerably and I increased my calories to start it up again. I'm just copying my blog entry about it here, I hope you don't mind. It may help a little.: I wanted to share my recent experience with calories with everyone in hopes maybe the information can help someone else. My weight loss had seriously slowed down. To be honest, I spent about a month getting very frustrated because I'd slowed a lot (for me, anyway). I was eating around 900-1000 calories a day. I knew I couldn't lower my calories any further so I figured "ok, let's increase a little and see what happens". I raised my calories to about 1200 a day and sure enough, the weight started falling off again. July weight loss, on 900-1000 calories: 7.8 pounds/1.95 pounds per week August weight loss, on 1200 calories: 17.8 pounds/4.45 pounds per week Needless to say, that's a pretty big difference! So for anyone who's struggling to lose and eating under a 1000 calories a week, don't be afraid to play with your caloric intake. Raise it a little and see what happens after a week or two. It's worth a try, especially if it works!

I think what you're feeling is normal. It's a huge a decision and a lot of money to spend. But, I think you answered your own question when you said "They never worked (long term) for me, so why am i even considering them?" One of my favorite old sayings is "Insanity is doing the same thing but expecting different results". Educate yourself fully on the band, including what to expect and not to expect. Also get into a nutritionist to learn how you need to eat afterward. Then, if you still think the band is the right decision for you, I say go for it. You deserve to be healthy and you can't put a price tag on a healthy life. Best wishes

Originally I was supposed to have Gastric Bypass surgery and my surgeon had the same requirement. Everyone had to have an IVC filter put in place ahead of time. I ended up canceling my surgery and going with a different surgeon to get the Lap Band instead, however I do still have the IVC filter in place from back then. It's not a big a deal, in fact they don't even have to put you under for it. I talked to the nurse and doctor during the procedure. I just figure at least now I'll never have to worry about throwing a pulmonary embolism.

Well congratulations and happy birthday to your lovely wife!! Enjoy your pizza!! (I know I always enjoy mine! lol!)

As you lose weight your stomach (or the fatty layer covering) also shrinks, which then makes the band looser. This is why you can feel like you're in the Green Zone for awhile then gradually find yourself getting hungrier. I had similar happen. I had been in the Green Zone for months then last month it seemed like I was hungry every 2 hours again. I got a tiny fill and have been back in the Green Zone ever since. For me, I find both looking at my past and dreams of my future my momentum to keep going. As much as I despise old pics of myself, seeing them gives me some serious incentive to keep going and losing weight. I think my biggest motivator is my children, though. Whenever I start to feel frustrated, I just look at them and remember being healthy for them is the biggest reason I did this to begin with. Find what inspires you. Best wishes

Surprisingly, Slimfast now makes a high Protein shake. 20g of protein per bottle. It's not super great tasting but it's not horrible and doesn't have that weird whey smell a lot of other brands seem to have. My favorite is definitely unjury, however you can only buy it online so it's a little more difficult to plan for.

I couldn't agree with you more! Unfortunately there is a lot of misinformation out there, and that's especially true when people who fail are the ones yelling the loudest. But as you said, they failed their band didn't fail. In our society where no one seems to take responsibility for their own actions, we see this a lot. I laugh when I hear this trash, by the way. I've had my band almost 14 months. There is nothing I can't eat but plenty I choose not to eat because it's not good for me. I've never vomited even once. And as for the weight loss, I've lost over 190 pounds so far. That is just as much (and often even more) than someone with the Sleeve or Bypass can lose in the same amount of time. Good luck on your own band journey. It's so great to see someone who educates themself before surgery. You'll do great!

I know it's frustrating, but plateaus are a very normal part of weight loss. This is especially true the lower down the scale you go. Honestly, it sounds like you're doing very well. I agree with others that if you can increase your Protein it will probably help. I don't do the whole low carb thing either, however I have found staying away from processed carbs does help. For instance, if the package says "enriched" or "bleached" or it's white (like on bread or pasta) I stay away from it. I try to use brown rice, whole wheat bread, and whole grain Pasta. I find it's a lot better for me and I lose easier. Best wishes!

You're human. We all make mistakes. Anyone who claims to never mess up or never make a mistake is lying. We're all flawed yet beautiful humans. You realize where you made your mistake so just go forward. Use it as a learning experience and put it behind you. Today is a new day and a clean slate.

Call your doctor.

As others have stated, there is no rule stating you have to be on Atkins. Speaking strictly for myself, I know I sure couldn't. I refuse to do high protein/ultra low carb for the rest of my life so I won't do it while losing either. When I got my Lap Band I knew I had to make changes in my eating habits that I could live with for a lifetime. Atkins definitely wouldn't be something I could do for a lifetime or even a couple months. Find a nutritionist that will work with you and realize eating guidelines aren't one size fits all. Some people do great high low carb but some do great without restricting carbs (like me, I don't restrict carbs). Some need low fat diets while others don't seem to have to worry about it. We're all different and our metabolisms are all different too. The trick is discovering what works best specifically for you. Best wishes.

Oh gosh yes!! I'm so ashamed I let myself get to over 400 pounds. I look at old pictures of myself and feel physically ill. How in the world did I ever let myself get to that point? What's worse, is now I look like a dang Shar Pei naked because I have so much excess skin. I mean, seriously, it's ridiculous. Every time I see myself and all the skin, it's just another reminder that I have no one to blame but myself. If I hadn't gotten so huge I wouldn't have so much excess skin now. So...yeah I think those feelings of regret are normal. But we have to focus on the now not the past. I mean, look at how far you've come!! Don't dwell on what you missed but rejoice in your new life now. Here's the one bonus to that regret- you probably have a whole new appreciation for the small moments in life you missed before. You know how bad it feels to miss it so you can appreciate it so much more now. Be proud and enjoy your new life, don't dwell on what you missed or you may miss new moments while you wallow in regret. You deserve to be happy

LOL! You are truly a man after my own heart!

Deep breaths!! Just keep telling yourself what a wonderful thing you're doing for both yourself and those that love you. You're regaining control of your health and this is the first step. This is a GOOD thing! Congratulations!!!

That could do it, plus Protein helps your feel full longer too. Here's a formula to figure out how much protein you need: How to Calculate Your Protein Needs: 1. Weight in pounds divided by 2.2 = weight in kg 2. Weight in kg x 0.8gm/kg = protein gm So if you weigh 200 pounds, it would be 200 / 2.2= 90 90 x 0.8= 72g of protein per day Best wishes on your journey. You're on the right track so keep going strong!

It's weight loss after surgery. ...and you can lose as much as you want to lose. No one said you had to stop at a certain percentage. Like I said, I've lost 73% of my excess weight in the last 14 months and I'm still steadily losing. I know people on here who have lost 100% of their excess weight. In fact, some have even gone below their goal weight. How much you lose is entirely up to you. Don't let statistics scare or deter you.