MountainMan

I tried the Phentermine once...I was awake and jittery for three straight days/nights. I almost overdosed on Benedryl trying in vain to get some restorative sleep! I wasn't on it long enough to realize any weight loss. The band is the way to go...slow, but steady and healthy.

I tried the Phentermine once...I was awake and jittery for three straight days/nights. I almost overdosed on Benedryl trying in vain to get some restorative sleep! I wasn't on it long enough to realize any weight loss. The band is the way to go...slow, but steady and healthy.

Only 4 lbs in two weeks? Anyone who has been banded for more than 3 months would kill to lose 2 lbs a week.
Phentermine is speed. Bumps up your metabolism. I still have some from a doctor I used to see back in the 90's. I couldn't use them. Speed makes me jittery and we had two small children at the time and infanticide crossed my mind often, so I stopped using it.

I think a heating pad at home is essential...at least it was for me. And give yourself permission now to take it easy for a week.

I think a heating pad at home is essential...at least it was for me. And give yourself permission now to take it easy for a week.

I think being 'thinner' gives you a better self esteem and that in itself will make you happy. When you feel good about yourself and have a positive outlook on life that bring happiness....however -- being thin or having a lot of money does not automatically makes someone happy.....happiness comes from within regardless if we are obese or broke....
But being thin and having money surely helps put a smile on ones' face

You look amazing. I agree with previous post...you ARE an inspiration!

You look amazing. I agree with previous post...you ARE an inspiration!

I recall from my old college A&P classes that adipose (fat) tissue is very good at storing accumulated toxins. It seems reasonable that as we burn fat, we're also releasing all the crap into the bloodstream. I think the more Water ingested, the better.

As a NICU RN it's hard to endorse the concept.
However, I am also anti-government... which just means I need to buy and govern my own damn island and all will be right again

Well, if we don't watch out, the government will begin to regulate that, too!!

That's fantastic! You are an inspiration to us! Keep up the great work!

Sometimes you gotta just shake your head and wonder what the hell!?! People can be so cruel, whether it's intentional or not. I've heard a few murmurs similar to what was said to you, but thankfully most people who address it directly respect the fact that I did something about my obesity. I've made a conscious decision that as I drop pounds, I'll also drop any cares about what ignorant people say/think/do. I'm too busy doing something great for myself to waste time on anything else.

yep, def worth it...i went from the pic in red who could hardly walk and had trouble wiping her butt to the image on the right who now does step aerobics..down from size 30 pant to that size 16 in the picture..
the band/plication
not only saved my life and gave it back to me to enjoy
but gave me something i thought i'd never see again...myself

Your story is my story. Up and down weight over the years. VERY good at dieting, horrible at keeping it off for any length of time. I truly spent much of my adult life either on a diet or thinking that I should start one, and feeling bad about that. I am a couple inches taller than you and fluctuated from 130 to almost 240 and in more recent years could not get under 180 no matter how hard I tried,
I researched WLS for 2 years before getting banded 1/18/2012. Was it worth it? God, yes.
I really can't explain the power and control it gives you over eating, but it is the first time in my life I can eat like a "normal" person. And maintain!
I am currently maintaining at 160 pounds, and I am pleased as punch.
In my opinion, I think the band works very well for those who have dieted successfully in the past (because it does require following a diet of sorts). The key is that you don't gain it all back immediately (I don't know about you, but I could lose 10 lbs in a month and then gain 5 back in one day?!!) and with the band, that just hasnt happened for me. I've lost slowly, but it's always been a downward trend for the past 2 years.
I hear your frustration, and been there. Yes, the lap band helped me. Tremendously.

Sometimes you gotta just shake your head and wonder what the hell!?! People can be so cruel, whether it's intentional or not. I've heard a few murmurs similar to what was said to you, but thankfully most people who address it directly respect the fact that I did something about my obesity. I've made a conscious decision that as I drop pounds, I'll also drop any cares about what ignorant people say/think/do. I'm too busy doing something great for myself to waste time on anything else.

I weigh half of what I used to weigh..from 286 to 143 in the last 10 months...I feel amazing! Thank you to all the people here that have supported me and cheered me on....13 lbs to go until I reach my goal then I will need to figure out how to maintain for the rest of my life...any tips from maintainers greatly appreciated!! Will definitely get some before and after pics up soon. Keep plugging away guys, you are all so worth it

Yeah I clicked the link and I got the Facebook pop up asking to access my information, friends list, post to my wall, etc. I closed it immediately- there is no way in hell I want that posted to my wall or spamming my friends' list.

Sometimes you gotta just shake your head and wonder what the hell!?! People can be so cruel, whether it's intentional or not. I've heard a few murmurs similar to what was said to you, but thankfully most people who address it directly respect the fact that I did something about my obesity. I've made a conscious decision that as I drop pounds, I'll also drop any cares about what ignorant people say/think/do. I'm too busy doing something great for myself to waste time on anything else.

Sometimes you gotta just shake your head and wonder what the hell!?! People can be so cruel, whether it's intentional or not. I've heard a few murmurs similar to what was said to you, but thankfully most people who address it directly respect the fact that I did something about my obesity. I've made a conscious decision that as I drop pounds, I'll also drop any cares about what ignorant people say/think/do. I'm too busy doing something great for myself to waste time on anything else.

You can be sure that for the vast majority of people, the coverage/services will be reduced (or unavailable) and the costs significantly more under the ACA.

You can be sure that for the vast majority of people, the coverage/services will be reduced (or unavailable) and the costs significantly more under the ACA.

Yup. Treadmill, jogging, exercise in general. All are good fat burners!

Good Morning fellow bansters,
In light of some recent posts, I felt compelled to start a discussion on LBT forums and what you can expect.
At large, there are 3 phases to wls. The initial research preop phase, the postop losing phase, and the maintenance phase. Within each of these groups, you will find like-minded and not so like-minded individuals who are here to share their experiences and their story. Most of us speak to our level of experience. Anyone with over one year of being banded is probably the most qualified to give advice, however, anyone can contribute. Some individuals have additional experiences and knowledge sets unique to them which can serve us as a lbt community. Examples include those who have had complications, those with medical training/education etc. There's also those who have limited knowledge/experience, but yet still want to support and guide those with even lesser knowledge and experience and to reinforce their own learning.
When you post to the LBT community, you will get a wealth of information in response. However, some of the responses can be terse, irrational, unfounded, misguiding or simply confusing/contradictory to other responses. It is your responsibility to gather all the information and determine what is appropriate to make an independent decision on vs something that should be discussed with your physician. It is also your responsibility to determine who is misleading you and not. This is not a medical resource center, you are speaking to individuals of different levels of education and experience with the band. This is true for emotional vs educational posts as well. Some responses are supportive, some are keeping you accountable, some seem understanding and some seem accusatory. Sort of like real life right? No one is monitored here. You can speak freely without being overtly offensive. However, negative feedback is sometimes warranted. In order to grow in your journey, honesty is best. It will hopefully help you thwart negative behaviors and instill good ones to ensure success. Please do not expect positive support all the time. Tough love has it's place and is exercised on occasion.
Now, this post is also to address accountability. And I wish to take this from a 'oldies' perspective opposed to a newbies perspective. You will come across many 'oldies' who have had their bands for years. We deliberately come to the lbt site for continual support in our maintenance phase, but also to help newbies with a wide spectrum of needs ranging from general understanding of the band as a mechanism to how to live day in and day out with their bands. Most of the topics discussed on lbt is repetitive. The answers become more and more concrete as everyone becomes more educated on the rationale for the answers given. But there are times when a person's post can simply be a huge red flag. The response to these type posts typically become terse real quick..and here is why:
1. We wish to educate wls patients and want to prevent unsafe posts from serving as educational posts for others in the learning process. It only takes one poor post to misguide an individual in their journey. Bandsters will do anything they can to negate the wrong information simply to inform and educate.
2. We want everyone to realize that there are very real consequences to not following band rules. Too many people are becoming too lax with their rules and it's resulting in terrible complications that could be prevented. Posts that hilite poor band habits can also yield terse comments. This comes from an angle of accountability. The worse thing we can do is allow someone to leave feeling as if their decision was a small mistake, no big deal, nothing to worry about..its ok, you'll do better tomorrow. Let me reemphasize the very real consequences of these decisions and who has to live with those complications. It serves us better when we receive honest feedback that helps us adjust our mentalities and behaviors for the better. Support posts are great for those down and out days, not the posts where someone has identified a behavior that could put their life at real risk.
It is very easy to receive negative or honest feedback as an insult. But please realize, most of the posts come from a place of understanding and support. We are very scared for people who seemingly have very little knowledge yet have a band. It's a scary combination. For those banded for years, you see the same repetitive mistakes and ultimately complications and/or failures. We are here to support you through this process with refreshment of the band rules, tricks to the trade, and support you through obstacles. We do our best to provide you accurate information and some of us (raising hand) have spent over an hour researching information for fellow bandsters to ensure they get the right information.
Somehow this gets convoluted into others perceiving this feedback as "rude, cyber-bullying, offensive, unsupportive" etc. I think if you invested in reaching out to some of these oldie bandsters and knowing their experiences, how much they contribute, the typical responses they offer..you'd be pleasantly surprised that these are some of the most caring and supportive individuals investing a lot of their personal time for your benefit alone.
Being apart of this community, for myself, has been both rewarding and infuriating at times. As an RN I see people post inaccurate medical information all the time and it's simply irresponsible. Please refrain from 'educating' people by saying things like "I heard" "I think" "It might be". If you do not know the answer for certain than please refrain from answering at all. The forums are a wonderful way to communicate and get quick responses. But don't feel compelled to answer all of them if you cannot contribute a safe and accurate piece of information. But by all means, if you have the answer, help your fellow bandsters so they can make wise decisions or become better eduated in their band and the band lifestyle.
Thank you for listening. Wishing everyone a safe and successful journey.

For what it's worth...I am an RN who has been banded since March 2012. I'm just a few pounds shy of my goal and will probably revise it downward another 15 pounds. My experience with the band has been nothing but positive. I credit that to having an experienced, skilled surgeon in a highly accredited bariatric program, and my compliance with follow-up. As a nurse I researched my options exhaustively! There are naysayers to be sure, and people who have not been successful (often due to noncompliance in my opinion). A thorough look at the literature will show the band is a great option with the lowest mortality rate. And while there can be complications, they are minor relative to the complications with the other surgeries. Best of luck to you, whatever you decide.