TexasSoccerMom

I am in Wylie as well. I will be banded on June 18th

ok i just have to share. i decided to go to the store and buy some jeans since all of my clothes are hanging off my body now. I hit the clearance racks and i pulled sizes ranging from 12-8. i tried the 12 and put them on and immediatley fell to the ground, next the 10 just about the same thing happened, then the 8 they fit good and yet still a little loose, who would've thought i'd be going back for a SMALLER size (6) i put them on and they FIT i have never been able to pull up a size 6 let alone button them. OMG i almost started to cry.
i'm not one to rely on the scale so this morning i weighed myself and i have lost a total of 60 lbs!!!!!!!!!!! i love my lap band and love that it keeps me honest. it goes to show you work with it and it will work with you. me and my lap band are one. i have developed a relationship with the band. We've had our ups and downs but we continue to work through it together.
wishing everyone much success
take care

Hey Everyone! I am here in Texas and just ran with my sister in her first 5K it was awesome. We have lost a combined 500 Pounds and life is NEW


Hope in Your Future is Power in Your Present !
Lee

I am happy to report that we had an amazing time on our cruise during Valentine's week. I am even more happy to report that for the most part I made good food choices ( I did not count calories though) and did exercise while on the cruise, in addition to some huge amounts of walking while in port. Even with all of that, I did gain 3 lbs. Statistics show that the average "cruiser" gains 1.5 lbs PER DAY! With that being said, I think I did pretty good. We returned from our cruise on 2/17 and I have lost the 3 lbs + 1 lb for a total of 4 lbs. Yahoo! Got right back on that horse and even found that I kind of missed my rountine. Who would have thunk it???? Thanks for letting me share.
God Bless

I would definitely do it again. I am not at goal yet, but already my quality of life has improved so much.

I agree with above poster, when I was using an app on my phone to count calories I lost, then I got lazy and stopped. hit a horrible platue for 9 months. Just got back on the band wagon and lost 7 lbs this last month
Until you count calories you really have no clue how much your putting in your mouth every day.
Good luck

Today I put my underwear backwards and have been walking around all day and not even realized it till my third time peeing this afternoon I looked down and saw the writing inside the underwear was on the wrong side of my body. When I was 270 lbs and wore a size 11 underwear there was no way I was pulling up my pants and walking around all day like that because my legs would have been cut off..my butt would never have been covered...and the back would have been so much larger then the front...Not today! Just thought I'd share!

"I tell myself, "it's hard." Then I tell myself, "Stop making excuses. You are a pig. You have no self control, no will power, no motivation. You're lazy." Basically I feel like I've tried another fad diet and failed."
I am very NEW in my banded life so I don't have much to offer in terms of what works...yet. But here is what I have changed: I no longer allow myself to speak to "myself" this way. I try and be much kinder to myself and more forgiving. I try and love who I am even if I have a bad day, make a poor choice, or not exercise for a day or 2. I wouldn't talk to a stranger this way....I certainly shouldn't and won't speak to myself like this either.
Forgive your short comings, be kind to yourself, and take it one day at a time...one rule at a time. Start by seeing your surgeon and be honest with where your head is.
Good luck!

I had my surgery on April 30,2012. My highest weight was 223. When I met my Dr. I was 202. The day if surgery I was down to 190 ( thanks to the two week liquid diet:)) ) I set my goal weight for 123. That would be 100 pounds down from my highest weight! I am 46 years old
( as of today! ) I am 5'1. So , I am short! )
I am now 122 pounds! I made it to my goal weight before my birthday! What a great gift I have given myself! A healthy new life! Full of hope!
I wish you ALL the best! Remember to always follow the rules and put your health first! )
Today is a GREAT BIRTHDAY!!!!

I was plateaued for 3 months. Hopped on the scale today and I've finally started losing again! So, a message to thosed who are stuck and feel hopeless, keep at it! Keep eating right, tracking what you're eating, ( I reccomend Myfitnesspal) and exercising!

Banded 12/21. Stepped on the scale this morning to find that pesky 1/2 lb gone so I made it to the big 50lbs lost goal. Next goal is 54lbs and that will mean I'm half way there with 54 more to go. Went from a size 20/22 pant and 3XL top and 44D bra to a comfortable 16 pant, 1X top and back to my usual 38C bra (why do they suddenly look so small? :-))
I'm a happy camper. Got the clearance this past Thursday for weight lifting and crunched so I can start to tone up those jiggly parts!

Thank you! I had my surgery on 5/23/12 but with the liquid diet, I consider my start date as 5/16/12. As of this morning I have lost 87 lbs. So it has been 9 months.

started this journey 9/2012 at 240 lbs lost a total of 54 lbs. i have a ways to go but still everyday is one day closer to my goal.

Take care of one issue at a time. You will get through this.

Hi i am 19 years old I had my lap band surgery when I was 18. I weighted 349 lbs. 2 weeks before surgery and a BMI of over 50.
It is 1.5 years since my surgery and I weigh 179 lbs
My optimal weight is 164
Wish me luck

Wow, today is the day. I have the surgery at 7:30 this am. I will check in after for anyone else that has questions, but for now,
PRAYERS and POSITIVE THOUGHTS are well appreciated. My name is Diana and I will talk to you all soon.

Hi Everyone! I just wanted to pass along some information. I started using My Fitness Pal 5 weeks ago. When you complete your dairy for the day it will tell you, "If everyday is like today, in 5 weeks you would weigh___" Everyday I write down what the projected 5 week weight would be and believe me, 5 weeks ago I thought "No Way!" But here, 5 weeks later, MFP is dead on what it projected I would weigh! I lost about 15lbs in that time.
If you are a calorie counter, try using MFP. It is awesome!

Yes. And too much, too big and not chewing enough.

More good news about the effectiveness of the band. Take note that this study specifically targeted people who followed the band rules, followed up with their doctors, and changed their lifestyles to healthy ones.
Also note only 5% had to have their bands removed and weight loss was comparable to Gastric Bypass.
Further proof we are responsible for our own success or failure with the band.
________________________________________________________________________________
MONASH U. (AUS) — Gastric banding is safe and effective for managing obesity long-term, according to a study of patients 10 to 15 years after their surgeries.
The study, the longest and most comprehensive yet reported, appears in the Annals of Surgery, and finds a significant number of laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (lap banding) patients maintained an average weight loss of 26 kilograms for more than a decade after their procedure.
Researchers analyzed the results in 3,227 patients who had gastric banding surgery in Australia between 1994, when the procedure was first introduced, and 2011. The patients in the study were averaged at 47 years-of-age and 78 percent were women.
Of those patients, 714 had surgery at least 10 years ago and, on average, had maintained a weight loss of 26 kilograms, or almost half of their excess weight.
The weight loss results were similar for the 54 patients in the study who had undergone treatment at least 15 years ago.
“These results show that when you have a significant problem with obesity, a long-term solution is available,” says Professor Paul O’Brien of the Centre for Obesity Research and Education at Monash University in Melbourne.
“This surgery is safe and effective, and it has lasting benefits. Substantial weight loss can change the lives of people who are obese—they can be healthier and live longer.”
O’Brien says there are also important ramifications for the control of type 2 diabetes, which was strongly associated with being overweight.
“In obese patients with type 2 diabetes, weight loss after gastric banding can lead to effective control of blood sugar levels without the need for medication in about three-quarters of cases,” O’Brien says.
The patients included in the study had followed the rules of their treating team regarding eating, exercise, and activity and committed to returning permanently to the aftercare program.
All the surgery was performed by O’Brien, an international pioneer of the technique, and Associate Professor Wendy Brown, President of the Obesity Surgery Society of Australia and New Zealand.
There were no deaths associated with the surgery or with any later operations that were needed in about half of the patients. About one in 20 patients had the band removed during the study period.
“In treating a chronic disease such as obesity over a lifetime, it is likely that something will need to be corrected at some time in some patients,” says O’Brien.
“The study shows a marked reduction of revisional procedures with the introduction of the new version of the Lap-Band 6 years ago. Importantly, those who had revisional surgery lost as much weight in the long term as those who did not need it.”
The report also included a comparison of gastric banding—which can be done as a day-surgery procedure—and more invasive types of weight-loss surgery such as gastric bypass that are high risk and require longer hospital stay. The weight loss with gastric banding, and the need for future revisional surgery, was similar to that with gastric bypass.
“Access to weight-loss surgery in Australia remains severely limited for many obese patients as relatively few cases are treated within the public health system. We are working hard to improve access,” says O’Brien.
“We have ample evidence that weight-loss surgery is effective, and it is unfair that half of eligible patients cannot be treated, particularly as it has been shown that gastric banding is a highly cost-effective health care measure. The stigma of obesity, and the assumption that it is the person’s fault, entrenches discrimination against people who could benefit.”
find the original article here: http://www.futurity....p-band-surgery/

I was banded on February 7, 2012 my starting weigh was 250 pounds, I wore a size 22 and my BMI was 37.

Today I weigh 171 (lost 79 pounds), I wear a size 10 and my BMI is normal at 25!
stacy.bmp

I just realized that my BMI is under 30!!!!! I can hardly believe it!!! I don't think I'm morbidly obese anymore! What a WOW moment.

I have a 4yr old daughter and for Christmas she had got me a "mommy and me" necklace. i love it so much but was heartbroken when I had to tell her that it wouldnt fit around my neck. She was a little dissappointed but I told her I would put in a special place till I could wear it. Well today getting her ready for pre-school she asked me to wear the necklace she got me. i was nervouse about trying it on but IT FIT!!!! She was so excited that i was wearing it to work and it is the first thing since being banded that I have noticed about myself changing. She was so happy and kept telling me to show everyone and to let them know she got it for her mommy! I was banded 12/3/12 and have lost 36lbs but I havent seen the changes yet so this was a first!

I find that most of the time when I am having a Fierce craving the only thing that satisfies is the thing I am craving. I allow myself a small portion of it and I track it.

Totally untrue. Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurance all require pre-authorization for skin removal surgery. They will want medical records proving it's a medical necessity and possibly photos as well.
That surgeon is full of crap. Find a new one that you can actually trust. It sounds like he just wants the money and doesn't care if it's from you or Medicaid.

I called my doctor's office and cancelled the appointment with the degrading PA and set a new one with a very nice one I had previously. They gave me no problems, which tells me they almost knew why. I will be telling them about her on that appointment. I truly feel so much better after hearing from all of you. Now I know it's not me who is losing my mind!