jetti

in my opinion this is not true. I did my 6 month supervised diet just because I knew it was needed for insurance reasons. I didnt lose any weight nor did I really make changes to my eat or exercise habits - Im not saying this is a good thing but its how I did. and I feel that so far I have been successful with my band. For me the band changed something within me and I am a new person. yes I still eat somethings that are not good for me but even skinny people eart "treats" every once in a while.

Good luck Josh. I wish I had this done when I was 19! My advise would be to make sure you have all of your liquids in the house so that you dont have to worry about going out to the store to buy them after surgery. I made sure I stocked up on sugar free jello, crystal light, sugar free ice pops and chicken broth. your doctor may give you other items but you get the idea. another good thing to have on hand is a heating pad. it helps with the shoulder pain from the gas. aside from that just try to relax and make sure you are getting a little walking in after surgery to help with the gas pains.

I was very worried that I would fail with the band. but the band is there to help you and for me it does just that. you can over eat with the band but it wont be a pretty picture if you start to vomit. maybe your eating is out of control because you think that you wont be able to eat again after surgery? I know that I would have continued to gain had I not got that bad so even if I only lost 30 pounds it would be a step in the right direction. dont sell yourself short by thinking you wont be able to do it. you never know what you can do until you try!! good luck

Juli you are one of the people on this bored that I look up to. you are always so helpful and informative. your weight loss has been amazing...keep up the great work

just popping in to say HI!!! hope all you wonderful ladies are doing great!

ellendeette I get tears in my eyes just knowing that I still have so much life ahead of me and I am finally able to start really living it the way it should be lived. Between the ages of 18-22 I loved to go out dancing. I was still very insecure because I was heavy but dancing was a release for me but as the years went on and I got heavier I hated going out. I would get out of breath and my knees would hurt after 1 song. well a few months ago I started going out again and I can dance the night away just like I love!!! I have not been the weight I am now since I cant even remember when and I dont plan on stopping anytime soon. I think the reason I didnt do WLS many years ago when I first heard about it was because back then it was just gastric bypass and even though that was the only option that I knew about I knew it was not the option for me. The band has been such a lifesaver for me and I know I would not be where I am today without it. I still have a ways to go but I feel confident with my band by my side that I will get to my goal and be able to stay there.

donna from what I know most doctors know what you are not going to be able to get all that protein in during the first few weeks because you are on liquids only. and you dont want to force yourself during this time that you are still healing. when you move on to full liquids it will be easier to get it in by adding in a shake here and there.

I dont have a fill but everyone is different regarding fills. Some people need a few to hit that sweet spot and some are good with none or one.

I usually get home from the gym at around 9 and I will sometimes have a little snack of a few pretzels or nuts. I think you would be fine with the yogurt if needed.

I take 2 classes at the gym every day. the first is cardio and then the second is more of a tone class. I normally use 3 pound weight is toning while doing cardio and when just toning I will use 5 or 8 pounds. reps are normally 3/4 reps of 8

Why did I wait so long to be banded??? I wish I did this a few years ago when I first started researching weight loss surgery more so I wish the band was around in the states when I was in my early 20s so that I could have lived my life then! I got weighed yesterday and so far I am down 70pounds and I know that without the band I would still be at 277 or higher. If you are reading this and are considering getting banded my advise to you would be "DO IT" run dont walk to your PCP to get the ball rolling! Being banded is not easy but honestly neither is being 277 pounds. You choose your own battles in life and I choose to battle/work with my band not my weight anymore. if you think you dont have the willpower to do this dont doubt yourself before you even try. I had horrible will power with dieting before getting my band but since I have been banded I feel like a new person. I dont have a fill so I probably have less restriction then most bandsters but that doesnt mean I eat the way I did before. my mindset has changed along with my body. I no longer get the cravings for fast food and chips like I did before. I still do eat chocolate and ice cream oocasionaly but not everyday and not in the quantities I did before. I feel like I value my life so much more know and think more about what I am eating because I am worth the effort. Good luck to all off my fellow bandsters and those on the journey to a new you!!!

Congrats on getting "felt up" AWESOME job!

very interesting. I have never heard of this before but I will be on vacation soon so I will be sure to take notice.

I was banded by Dr Bertha of Advanced Laproscopic Surgeons in Florham Park. They perform surgery out of a few different hospitals - St clares, Morristown and St Peter's. I went to 3 different seminars before I found a surgeon that I felt good about putting my life and future in their hands.

Raf I didnt have to pay anything up front to my doctor except for my copay. I went to a nutritionist and psychologist that I picked because the ones that they recommened did not take my insurance and I would have had to pay abot $250 each for the visits. I got a list of nutristionists from the online doctors listing for BCBS and called a few to find out if they deal with bariatric patients. I only had to pay my copay for the nutritionist and I dont remember even paying that for the psychologist. My surgeon was fine with this and I had no problems when it came to getting my insurance approval.

HIP HIP HOORAY its FRIDAY!!!!

I was on a the Clear liquids for a week so I was surviving on sugar free Jello, ice pops, chicken broth and water/crystal light. really I didnt have the appetite to even want some other then that. the one thing I can say is that for the chicken broth I originally bought swansons broth and when I tried it I wanted to gag. the flavoring was just horrible so I moved on to the lipton packages of Soup that you add to Water and would just drink the broth. Im sure it was not as healthy as the basic chicken broth but it worked for me and the flavor made it easier to eat for lunch and dinner. I honeslty cant remember eating/drinking anything else. A lot of people call the liquid stage "bandster hell" but I have to say that it was not that bad. You will survive and the pay off will be so worth it. for the full liquid stage I added a little bit of sugar free pudding and yogurt to the mix but still pretty much stuck with the broth as my "meal" I also suggest having a heating pad handy for any gas pains that you may experience. I had no gas pains until a week out when I was helping a friend bake Cookies and from mixing the dough by hand I guess I bought the gas up to my shoulder...not fun. the heating pad did help with some of the pain. also make sure you have some comfy pajama pants. you may be a little swollen so you dont want anything that is going to be tight on your belly. if I think of anything else I will let you know and if you have any other questions feel free to ask. hope this helps

this happens to alot of people, myself included. A few months ago I started taking Biotin which I found at my local GNC and it seems to be helping. it cant hurt to try it. its supposed to be good for your hair and nails

donna glad to see that you are already up and moving around. that will help alot with the gas pain. I didnt suffer from any gas pains until a week out when I was helping someone make cookies and I guess mixing the dough by hand brought the gas up into my shoulder which was NOT fun. but I used a heating bad as recommended by the lovely ladies here and it worked wonders.

how has the journey been going for you so far? who is your surgeon? feel free to ask any questions that you may have...I will do my best to help you out.

Im from essex county..how about you?

Hi tracy. Im a Jersey girl too and would love to help you out...or at least try. I was banded nov 6 2007 so to me im still a newbie but im here for you if you need me. there is also a NJ support thread here with a bunch of GREAT ladies. most are not from NJ but they are very supportive and helpful in anything that you need.

Good luck Donna and welcome to band land!!

sherry im like you...I enjoy baking and it relaxes me when I feeling stressed. I kick everyone out of the kitchen, put my music on and just have at it. my specialty to make is chocolate chip cookies very basic but mine are fantastic. my mom follows the same receipe but hers dont taste the same. I tried to make a little business out if it but cant seem to get any steady takers. some people at work will order a batch or 2 here and there but nothing grand. so if any of you NJ ladies need some cookies give me a shout. they are HUGE and soft perfect for making ice cream sandwiches with :-) I also enjoy baking basic cakes and cupcakes...I wish I could work for charm city cakes. if you dont know who they are do a search and you will see the awesome cakes they make. as you can tell I LOVE SWEETS!!!! perhaps this is why I am not happy with my weight loss so far this month...ugh :-( have a good night chicas hope all is well and Kat we are still waiting for those pics of your new belly

No need for me to worry about liquid calories since I dont drink. that just means I get to save all my calories for all the yummy food that will be served on the resort all day and night!!! Goodthing I have my band or I would gain 50pounds. Im hoping that I dont gain to much weight while im away. I will be bringing some workout clothes and my sneakers so that I can do a little workout here and there. but I will also be swimming all day and dancing all night so im sure that will be enough to burn some calories too. This time 2 weeks from now I will be on my way to the resort and I cant wait! Not including today I only have 7 more days of work!!! And Karolina comes home this coming sunday so that is something to look forward too. we will be shopping and chatting the entire week before we leave so the time will fly by...I hope!!! The island is not going to know what hit it when we arrive. We will be having a belated celebration of both of our birthdays while we are there so we are sure to get in some trouble :-)