#MagicWithinme

Call your dr/nurse let them know you are having problems drinking all the shake, (I know I did) I was told to drink other liquids as well, (liquids that had not calories/sugar). worked for me , but it does suck, this is just the beginning, once you have the lapband , you HAVE to stick to your good food choices, or your body will tell you different. (I speak from experience!) make sure that you are taking your vitamins , calcium if your doctor has already rxd them to you. Good luck!

I agree, and it's great for my personal trainer, people have told me he must work you out like crazy to look so great and have lost so much weight (personal trainer knows I have the band) He gets kudos all the time, my body just sucks up exercise like crazy.

I've been getting dizzy spells since Saturday, of course ones mind runs crazy what did I do, what did I eat, I appreciate everyones feed back My dizzy spells hit out of the blue, and I've been drinking water like a camel too.Temperature was 110 this weekend! I've been eating pretty much what I always eat,and the last time I got dizzy spells was when I lost weight too fast, (doesn't feel like it right now!) My regular md said its not always good when your pee comes out clear, but what are you gonna do to cool off? It gets worse at night , when I lay down to sleep, I end up on the couch sitting up. With everyone's input I think I will go ahead and check in with MD to have PB, checked, MD already took me off of one bp med , maybe its time to get off the last one.

same thing happens to me, I go up and down 6-8 lbs, I stopped for a week and it all came off !. Started up again and a few days later and at least 5 lbs was back. I'm trying not to sweat it (ha) because excercising makes me feel so better and clothes fit looser. Don't give up. This is for the rest of our lives!

protein drink for breakfast I had 1/2 of a double chopped chicken salad at Subways for lunch, they put everything in a bowl and chop it up into small pieces.

No one can "tell you what its going to be like", we get guigelines and good suggestions and directions from doctors, therapists, and nutritionists, and work with the new restrictions but ultimtely we are the ones that put the food in our mouths, apparently thats all she wanted to do...

Congratulations!

day by day, day by day, lets keep at it!

Bandster hell can happen at any stage, no matter how long you have had a band, for me, a year in, I still struggle with food amount. And then I will go to dr and I will have lost weight. Its all in the mind for me.. but do what you feel is best !

Well said and I agree that everyone should continue to look to their doctors and nutritionist for guidance. We are all on this journey and for some it's been easier than others. We can tell each other the steps we've taken, but what works for one, might not work for another. The one thing I do insist on when asked about my lapband is " this was the best decision I made for my health". one year in.. and doing well!

Make room for me on that wagon, I didn't realize how scared my husband had been for me until 8 months later, when visiting some friends. The wife told me he had been so scared for me, but because it was something I wanted so badly he supported me. I had talked to him before about it, but he said he was fine with it.. make sure everyone knows whats going on and validate their feelings. Yes ultimately the decision is ours but we have to think about them as well. I didn't tell my family not to tell anyone, it was a private issue. It was a private issue, until I was told that someone was commenting how good I looked and another so-called" friend, comments oh she didn't do it on her own, she had the lapband done and proceeds to put her own pictures of herself how she had lost weight on her own.Since I don't follow this persons comments I was unaware. I confronted this person and asked her to remove her comments , that it was a private problem and I didn't appreciate what she did. Not that I was embarrassed but it wasn't her place to tell people. She never said a word.. We are all doing this for our health, so we can be around longer for our loved ones and I know I said this to my family.I want to enjoy the rest of my life, living in the real world not sitting on the couch in front of the tv. good luck to all of us!

Woops, that is January 24, 2012, a whole year... lol

Hi, inbox me and ask away... I had my lapband january 24, 2013 and would be more than happy to pass along my experience so far!

never heard of dr. giving patient needles, but I can understand his reasoning... congratulations..

That does sound like alike, but we are all individuals, and at least its already in you, it wasn't gradual.. I got up to 3.75 (10cc band) and had to have it all taken out, now all I have is 1cc, (at time of surgery I had 2 ccs in band). But if you have problems, don't hesitate to let your dr. know!

salted carmel for me... hmmm

In November I had to have complete unfill of my 3.75. I was having problems breathing, I had just had a .50 fill but it was just not comfortable. I had 2 x-rays to make sure I did not have a slippage after 6 weeks of nothing in my band I gained 3lbs, x-rays showed everything was clear and I now have a fill of 1. Your health is more important. Its not going to do anyone any good if you are not feeling good, (but loosing weight). The soonest you get your issues looked at , even if the doctor finds nothing, you know what your next step will be... keep trucking!

"My understanding is that the sooner a slip is diagnosed, the better chance that it can be corrected without surgery" thats exactly what my md said this morning after he unfilled my band. I have had problems swallowing and just not being able to eat alot, I was living on peanutbutter and drinks for a week and lost 4 2/4 lbs, although the weight loss is great, I am also having problems catching my breathe. Dr says I will go back Monday , sometimes after an unfill the bands correct themselves and no further surgery is required, I'm hoping thats what happens. Good luck to you as well. We have to be our own advocates. Md said he's glad I come in, instead of some people happy they are loosing weight and starving /dehyrating themselves till it makes it worse, I said all I wanted was to be able to breff!

had lapband on 1/24/12, and on 1/19/12 had a partial fill of .25, total of 2.75. Well the rest of the week was miserable, not that I couldn't eat turkey , I couldn't eat anything, 2 olives well chewed and I was full, 10 Beans and I was full , and shortness of breath I was not having a very good quality of life, Dr. did partial unfill of .15. today When the nurse weighed me and told me number, I was ahh man I gained weight, she's like what are you talking about you lost, 3 1/2 lbs in 8 days. Through out the whole time, I keep thinking I shouldn't of ate that, oh too much of that, yet here I am lost 70lbs!! When I hear people complain about weight not lost, I have to sometimes bite my tongue because I know they are not watching what they are eating as well as the amount. I could have started eating sliders when I couldnt eat much but I stuck to spoonfuls of Peanut Butter , I will probably gain some weight back but 70 lbs today, this moment... yeah!!!! Hope everyone else is doing good too!

oh gosh, mine have, I was great for 9 months and then I turned 50 last week and boom hot flashes/anxiety whatever it hit me. I sweat , my hair literally gets drenched, And I agree with some of the ladies, sometimes it is due to our diet. I might be pushing the sugar button but never thought of the salt one. Will have to be more careful thank you ladies. A few years ago I can remember talking to an older lady she had to be in her 70-80s about them, and she just laughed, "oh yes I remember those, are you in for some fun!" but they do stop after 20-25 years... Good luck all

go to dr, ask for small unfill?

I too have struggled with anxiety, and have gone to therapy a couple times and am on meds, it was great since I have the lapband that I did not have any panic attacks but last week I had one, I was home, and I just doubled my medication (as Im told to do). What we have to realize, it doesn't just happen. It isn't just our bodies. Once Im calm, I have to stop and think, ok what was I doing, what was I thinking, am I worried. What's happening around me. I was one of those people that tended to "shelf problems " till finally the shelf broke . (me) We all have to realize that just because we have lost weight, that doesn't mean that some of our health problems will go away completely (anxiety being one). We just have to learn how to deal with it, and what helps us through those times. And I know that sometime I was worried about, consumed with fear and doubt, half the time turns out to be nothing. The best therapy, I have found, is being able to talk to someone about it, (my sister), my co-worker. I did feel like I was alone with this problem until I said something to sister and she had been on meds long before me! as well as co-worker, it was like I was the late bloomer. Anyways, I know I'm having problems right now, maybe change in weather and hormones, because one of the things I tend to do is go shopping for underwear. And I have been to the local Khols and Marshalls like 4 times in the past 2 weeks, yes buying bras and underwear. Oh well I needed new ones anyways. Stay strong everyone, we are too beautiful and have too much to live for to let this keep us down!

It hasn't been a year for me but I can relate, the doctor himself is kind enough but sometimes the office staff is bipolar. One day they are saying hi how you doing, looking good and then next visit, they act like they don't know who I am. I can understand that they seem many people, but there should be some familiarity after a year of being dr's patient.

Obesity is a physical sign of an unhealthy mindset. Most people believe that losing weight involves having willpower and being perfect. This is the wrong mindset to have. Your mindset is fueled by the conversations you have with yourself. If your internal conversations are positive and healthy, your mind will follow through. These inner talks can give you the motivation to keep going or the discouragement to quit. Another important part of permanent weight loss involves planning and perseverance. Failure and mistakes are inevitable. You have to learn how to accept them and move on. If you can't internally deal with failure, then you won't be able to move past it. This is different than defeat. Being defeated is letting failure win and letting your missteps ruin your success. The best way to keep failure from becoming defeat is by continuously working on a better mindset. Below are some ways to help you do that and keep you on the path to success. BELIEVE IN YOURSELF In order to do this, you have to give your all. No cliche excuses, no poor self-esteem, and no setting yourself up for failure with unrealistic goals. Trying your best can only produce positive outcomes. They may not be the outcomes you initially wanted, but believing in yourself is the first step to achieving what you set out to do. CREATE A ROUTINE Plan out your meals, plan out your exercise, and then follow through. The easiest way to get off track is not being prepared. Your willpower can only hold out for so long. Willpower is your brain's attempt to overcome your natural desires. Even though the brain is very commanding, natural tendencies will eventually win out. If you depend on willpower alone to lose weight, you will probably fail. If you create a rock-solid eating plan and put aside some time for exercise, then you will succeed. Meal plans, will help you learn how to stay on track and maintain your success without becoming overwhelmed. PERSEVERANCE Expect failure and embrace it. None of this matters unless you are willing to trek on, even in the face of failure. If you treat your mistakes as lessons learned and stay the course, you will succeed. If you succumb to your failure and project it inward, you will most likely fail, fall back to your old eating habits and continue to live an unhealthy lifestyle. Accepting defeat creates an unhealthy diet cycle that, for some, never stops. USE YOUR IMAGINATION If a healthy eating plan is not designed to fit your needs, then it becomes very hard for you to succeed. If you don't like the food, you're probably not going to eat it. If you don't like the exercise, you're probably not going to do it. Tweak and change plans in order to make a routine easier and more enjoyable to follow. Use your imagination to create the best diet plan for you! Choosing what you like to eat enables you to associate good thoughts and feelings with that food. Associating a healthy diet with positive feelings will help you to stick to the plan and be more successful in the long run. ALWAYS BE ACCOUNTABLE No one is responsible for your weight loss, except you. Don't blame your job, “body type”, family, or society; you will never succeed. Take control over yourself, decisions, and outlook on failures. Without positive accountability, there can never be lasting success. DEAL WITH YOUR EMOTIONS Many people will eat when they're sad, eat when they're happy, or eat when they're bored. Food is used as a coping mechanism for all sorts of things. If you want to change your body, then you have deal with the emotions that hinder your success. A good way to do this is only eating if you're hungry or when you have a meal planned out. If you plan ahead, then you are more likely to stay on track if your emotions get out of whack. CHANGE YOUR PROGRAMMING Most of us have been programmed to think that we're fat, unhealthy, and that we will never look or feel the way we want. Too often, this is a self-fulfilling prophecy. If you tell yourself that you'll always be unhealthy, then that will probably be true. The opposite is also correct. If you tell yourself you want to be healthy, stay healthy, and lose weight no matter what obstacles you may face, then you are setting yourself up for success. STAY POSITIVE The best way to have a healthy mindset is to stay positive. Try to find good in everything and train your mind to think in the best interest of your body. Focus on replacing unhealthy thoughts with healthy ones and your body will start to follow suit. If you have any other questions or want to know more about how to have a healthy mindset, go over to our Facebook page by clicking the link at the top of the newsletter. You can talk with us and other dieters about anything you like. We want to hear about your successes and your failures in the hopes that people will learn from your mistakes and find motivation in your victories. I got this in an online post I recieve,

I had mine last Monday and I was nervous too, Our minds go back when we first had surgery and our tummys were still tender. and we felt pain, Its not like that at all and if you feel pain then tell your doctor, because you don't feel much different (depending on how much fill you get)