Lose100

I never understood what the big problem is.
What's wrong with looking them directly in the eye and simply say you are trying to eat right and take care of yourself?
Plenty of people are doing that.
Do people feel bad because they can't be gluttons?

you need to keep visiting your surgeon for monthly follow up appointments. At these appointments, they will decide based on weight loss if you need another fill.

I have lost a total of 50lbs since my birthday last year. I could not be happier. I look GOOD!

I have lost a total of 50lbs since my birthday last year. I could not be happier. I look GOOD!

I have lost a total of 50lbs since my birthday last year. I could not be happier. I look GOOD!

I have lost a total of 50lbs since my birthday last year. I could not be happier. I look GOOD!

I am on vacation with my family. We are staying at a resort that has a huge indoor Water park. I have lost 69 lbs and have been being way more active with my daughter. I didn't want to be the mom I use to be sitting on the chair just watching. So I got my swimsuit on and of course has to buy a new one that fit yeah! I had a blast but I am not sure if the water slides were the best choice for me because now this morning my port is sore. I am almost 7 months out. I guess some things will be trail and error. I was wondering if anyone else has tryied things they didn't do before because of weight and pay for it a little the next day??? I will take a little soreness to have a blast with my daughter!

I can remember about 3 years ago when my chart stated that I was morbidly obese. I was devastated.

This message is for all those who see my inspirational posting as too Religious for Lap Band. Elcee. I just want you to know that My postings may not be for you since you think they are too religious so I would give you the advice to block me off your page. Because the way I see God is apart of this process and if you don't have him. The way I feel failure process of losing weight will be an option if you don't have the right guidance and strength. What works for me may not work for you!! To All those who like my inspirational posting I will keep them coming!!!! Smooches!!!
Lets Go bandsters!!!!

17%

I ate an entire piece of corn on the cob!!! Haven't had corn in over a year!

Go girl

Phase #1 - Pre-op
Phase #2 - Post op (healing)
Phase #3 - Band adjustment
Phase #4 - good healthy, steady, effortless weight loss.....Go and live your new "Normal Life"
Everything else in between is just....what?
Too often many people express dissatisfaction, frustration, anxiety because they are expecting Phase #4 when they are not even out
of Phase #2 or #3 even.
I wonder, did their Dr.'s tell them this would be the case 2-3 weeks, or months, right after surgery?
Do people understand how the band actually works?
Are they confusing corrective, invasive bariatric weight loss surgery with good old fashioned dieting?

Go Jenny, It's your Birthday. Congratulations!

Go Jenny, It's your Birthday. Congratulations!

The song that instantly came to my mind when I read your post is "I am coming out" by Diana Ross. Way to go!

I was banded on 4/3/12. I went through and array of emotions. Fear, anxiety, excitement, and frustration. My fear was what if I failed yet again. I tried and failed soooo many diets. Anxiety about the pain during recovery. Excitement when I lost 4 dress sizes and was able to wear clothes that I haven't wore in years. Frustration when after 2 fills, I still didn't have restriction. Today, I am in the yellow/light green zone. I am very happy with my band. Your fears are normal but please don't allow it to hinder your success. My advice is to share your fears with your doctor, attend support groups, and continue to utilize this site. My only regret is not getting banded years ago. Feeling healthier and having more energy trumps any amount of pain that I experienced during recovery.

I am disappointed, I wrote a long and elaborate post to respond to this and my computer failed and deleted it....
Essentially, I am getting banded July 6th and share many of your concerns (or did). My big fears are how people will react to my weight loss and change in diet (no more chugging beers and eating pizzas with the boys). How I will like my new body (will I be a bag of skin? Will I lose weight in the right places?). And how I will cope with not having food as a comfort (I am seeking out support - therapy, overeaters anonymous, this forum, trying to start journaling). For me, as a type-A person who likes to do things right and be the best, a huge part of my anxiety was the food. Getting my supplements, taking the right Vitamins, following the rules so I don't make myself sick by being ignorant.
What really eased my mind was making a list of the things I needed, calling my Drs office and asking questions when I didn't understand the packet, posting on here for more variety/first hand experience with these issues, and then actually going out and making the purchases to prepare my self to be successful. I talked to my doctor about scars and found out about/opted for single incision. I got my Vitamins, found Protein powder/shakes I like, started tracking my calories (myfitnesspal.com), and bought a lapband specific cook book. I youtubed all sorts of skin remedies (I am using MSM and Biotin, and stopped tanning + more). I bought a fitness tracker (fitbit) and just set myself up for success. I ate through the excess food in my house that I wouldn't be allowed to have preop and post surgery so that it wasn't a temptation later. I made a bucket list of 10 foods I knew I would miss or restaurants I had been dying to try and I ate them all before starting my preop diet. I tried to count the calories and track them and see what I was really eating and I even took note of how I felt after each meal (to be honest when I really thought about the food, it wasn't as good as it was in my imagination). Thinking about my food I was also able to actually feel being full (not that that really stopped me from eating what I am kind of considering 'my last meals').
As for some of your direct questions, the pain can be monitored by pain killers that your Dr will prescribe. And the pain of surgery will last a few weeks most, but the emotional pain of being obese.... maybe we'll never fully kick that. Not to mention the physical pain of being obese -- chaffing, clothes pinching, sweating, walking far, stairs, sore feet, back pain, broken ankles (I fall all the time being fat and having awful balance). The reason I am doing the band instead of other bariatric surgery is because if I regret it, I can reverse it. You can get a 100% unfill, or the band removed completely. I can almost promise you will regret not getting it in a few years more than you regret getting it. I don't know if your regret is cost related (I am lucky that my insurance is paying), but when I talked to my surgeon, he asked why I decided now. I told him I got insurance that would cover it, and he said "but if you think about all the costs you have from being obese, is the band really that expensive?". I went home and crunched the numbers and I spent >$15,000 last year on food/fad diets/trainers/gyms/fat people clothes/obesity related drs appts/stretchmark creams/herbal remedies. The band costs well below that and will maybe even SAVE YOU money. I still can't imagine what it will be like not to tear through the only pair of jeans ($80/pair) that fit my body well every 3 months, and not having the perpetual "food drip oil stain" or "hole from where my stomach leans on the counter and rubs my jean zipper" on my shirts and having to buy new shirts every couple months (the same freaking shirts!!!). How nice it will be not to fight myself from breaking out the credit card at every infomercial offering weight loss/cleanse/diet pill. How it will feel to order $10 of chinese food and have leftovers rather than $40 of chinese food and wish that I had gotten those crab rangoons too.
I don't mean to be corny, but you can't succeed if you don't try. You automatically fail. So worrying about failure, seems moot. If you are like me, lapband is not the first diet plan you have tried. It is the last ditch effort to get your weight and life under control. By having the surgery you are upping your chances of success hugely, and without it, at least for myself, there would be virtually no chance of success, and a better chance at gaining another 100lbs in the next 4 years. A huge reason I chose lapband was because of the automatic support it provides and the virtually guaranteed success (with patience). You are REQUIRED to see your doctor for fills and follow ups. They don't just cut out half your stomach and say "good luck". They work with you and your band to help you get the results you are looking for. The support and motivation that seeing your doctor until you have it under control, for me, is a huge win. It almost feels fool proof as long as I am willing to put in the time and wait until I find my sweet spot.
My advice is to keep using this forum to ask any last minute questions you have. Re read through the surgeons packet and make sure you have no questions. Start taking the steps to success by purchasing the tools you need to begin with your best foot forward. Get into the mentality that you are about to add life to your life. Make a list of the things you want to do once you hit your goals and use that as motivation to do the preop diet and walk into the surgery feeling confident you can be successful. I started looking at all the skinny girl clothing sites that I have not fit into for >6 years and started making "shopping bags" of all the clothes I would want to fit into. I made a pinterst board of the tattoos, skydiving, rollercoasters and things that I can't or don't feel comfortable doing now, that I want to add to my life. Think of scenarios that frighten you (for me it is how I will be social with my friends without food) and make alternatives (go kayaking, see a movie, have a cookout at my house where I can provide myself with proper food, work out with the boys instead of drinking beer with the boys). My therapist helped me look up overeaters anonymous groups in my area and lapband support groups from my surgeons office and plan to attend a lot in the first few months. I'm sure it won't all be easy, but removing these "variables" has eased my mind SO MUCH.
I hope this is more helpful than preachy. It was actually a huge help to me to write all this down and reaffirm why I am doing this. I wish you luck with your surgery, fellow-july-bander. And please contact me or ask more questions. I don't have all the answers and I would love as much support as I can get as I make this change. This forum has been beyond helpful for me in answering questions and realizing that I am not the only person with my concerns. I have found plenty of people with the exact same fears/concerns/flaws and sometimes they have the answers too. There isn't one way to be successful on the band, and between lapbandtalk and youtube I have found the pieces I need to feel like I can succeed.
.... Can you imagine what my pre-deleted post was if this is my "essentially" version. HAHA.

I was banded on 4/3/12. I went through and array of emotions. Fear, anxiety, excitement, and frustration. My fear was what if I failed yet again. I tried and failed soooo many diets. Anxiety about the pain during recovery. Excitement when I lost 4 dress sizes and was able to wear clothes that I haven't wore in years. Frustration when after 2 fills, I still didn't have restriction. Today, I am in the yellow/light green zone. I am very happy with my band. Your fears are normal but please don't allow it to hinder your success. My advice is to share your fears with your doctor, attend support groups, and continue to utilize this site. My only regret is not getting banded years ago. Feeling healthier and having more energy trumps any amount of pain that I experienced during recovery.

The song that instantly came to my mind when I read your post is "I am coming out" by Diana Ross. Way to go!

I realized that for many years I didn't Love Myself. Loving others and food was more easier then loving me!! I hated the way I looked and allowed many to just come into my life and treat me so bad. As a way of medicating myself I turned to food! It was easier then facing the truth!! I away's wondered why God kept me repeating the same cycle in my life as if I were in a summer school class. Then I got it clear as day. I had to repeat those classes (Life) because I had not learned from my mistakes. If you don't love You then no one else will!! I love myself more and more each day and will never allow food, men. harsh people take advantage of me ever again!! I learned from my mistakes and I am going all the way to being a much better me!!! NO MORE SUMMER SCHOOL!!!

And so I was reading that someone else took 6 months to get to the "sweet spot". Today is my 6 months and I am still not there. I went in to the doctors today and got a fill. I was down only a little. They knew I was very discouraged. They were so good to me today. The doctor said when I get the right fill, it will all change. Then they showed me my bloodwork!!! I had the diabetes one ( AC whatever) at 7.5 when I started this journey. Today it was 6.2 !! My triglicerides were 177 and today 122. I am getting healthy even if it is not fast weight loss. I feel a little better about that.

I'm not losing a ton of weight either. More like .5 lb at a time. Somewhat frustrating when I see everyone else dropping 3 to 5 lbs a week, but I had this thought just this week. I'm not gaining!!! Before being banded I would diet like a mad dog, lose a lb or two a week and then put on 5 lb. the following week. What a cycle to struggle with. Now, I'm losing slow, but not putting it back on. This is HUGE for me. So I'll take my .5 loss and just keep putting those ounces behind me.
TURTLE POWER!

Well I'm proud of ur progress. If ur happy and feeling good that's all that matters. I was nervous at first cause I was starving. But to find out it was head hunger. Wednesday will make just one week for me. So for post op I lost 10 lbs and pre op I lost 20 lbs. I am still on my liquid for 4 more weeks but that's ok cause it's making me know the difference of real hunger to head hunger. I just can't wait till I can exercise so I don't get to flabby...anyways good luck and keep up the good work

I was getting frustrated because I been in a plateau for 3 weeks. But I am losing inches. I have an expensive suit (that I only worn twice) that I have not been about to wear for about 2 years. I tried it on hoping that it would fit. It was way to big. I couldn't believe it. I am doing better than I thought. Also, a few years ago, I brought some sexy underwear as an incentive and to wear to Celebrate losing weight. They fit perfectly. I am still frustrated but feeling better in my sexy undies. Lol