Tsign36

Fertility has been the unexpected benefit of weight loss for me. After 20+ years of infertility I woke up pregnant at 43 years old.
Having a child has been a powerful motivator to continue to drop the pounds--he will be 21 when I am 65 and I want to be around to see that day.
I'm down 140# and my bariatric doc says now is a good time to focus on maintenance but I feel that dropping another 30 to 40 will increase my chances of longevity.

I am very new, banded for only 2 1/2 weeks. One thing that has already happened is that I've learned the difference between satisfied and full. At the moment I have no restriction, but as I eat my cup of food for dinner (slowly) I am able to stop and listen to my body. For the first time in my life I am learning to realize when I am no longer hungry, and I'm actually leaving food on my plate.

Just really go back to the start. Think about all the things you did when you first got banded that worked well for you. Double check that you are doing all the key things we were taught. If you want to start adding in exercise to help jump start things I can give you a few suggestions. I am doing the "Couch to 5K" program. It is a program that gets you from walking to running.... Also, there is a great dvd out there by Jillian Michaels called 30 Day Shred. It is hard but good. I don't know your medical history so this isn't advice, just an idea. I think the biggest thing is to do some type of exercise everyday for at least 30 minutes. Wishing you the best!

I am 3 months post tomorrow and I very much remembe where you are at! I was there too! I tried everything and ended up having the best success with Miralax. It dissolves in Water and doesn't taste. Good luck, this part does stink but hopefully things will get moving soon and you will feel worlds better!!

Sounds like you are doing wonderfully! Good luck and keep it up!

I think you are perfectly fine. You are going to feel more sore at that location than at any other incision spot. Everyone is different so go with your body but you had alot just done to that area so it is going to be sore. Mine was sore for the first two weeks there... and even now that I am 9 weeks post sometimes it feels "weird" there..... If that spot feels very hot or if there is any discharge call the dr. but honestly I think it is just normal. Good luck on your new adventure in life and congrats on your surgery! It is awesome!

Hi from Nevada. I should have my surgery by the end of November. I had the gastric bypass in 2003 and unfortunately had severe complications. I lost quite a bit of weight but gained it back after having 6 back surgeries. So, now I am having the lap band done. I am extremely excited and determined to make the appropriate changes. I am nervous but can't wait.

You might need some Fluid taken out, ask your doc how much fluid is there. Your body, your band, your business.

This is the most positive, up-lifting web page...and it's full of people... w too much gas, lots of stomach pain, that dream of solid food, that volunteered to be operated on and have a foreign object inserted, ... I love it!!!!

having a larger bmi then most, and being short and most likely looking as wide as i am tall, i am assuming its hard to notice a difference because of the large size that i am. i can tell by my clothes being smaller and getting looser. (i dont judge by the scale). i look in the mirror and cant see it but that is as jean says, the fat person still looking at me.
one day i will be able to look in the mirror and like what i see. one day. its getting closer every day.

I'm only banded aug 15th. Lost a total of 33 (including pre-op) But I don't see much, but my clothes for loose and feel more energetic. And that's what counts!!! The way I feel.
I want the scale to move, believe me!! But I'm taking it one day at a time. Good luck. I'm sure you'll do great!!

I know some people do have issues eating certain foods, but the bad isn't supposed to prevent you from eating anything. That's not at all it's job. If you have certain foods that are too hard to eat it's not a huge deal, but please don't make the mistake of thinking the band's job is to stop you from eating.
While you definitely don't want to overeat, are you sure you're taking tiny enough bites? Pausing between bites? Chewing it until mush?
Here's how small of a bite I have to take now that I am in the Green Zone:

I would keep an eye on the bathroom part.... if you stay well hydrated and if needed take something if you notice starting to feel really bloated it will help when you do go... I know I had serious issues with it and it was not a very pleasant experience! Walk as much as you can... Every hour or two be walking for 20 minutes... I even did it during the night since I wasn't sleeping well anyway. Honestly the more you are moving the quicker you will feel better. Take your pain meds, you don't have to give them up just yet.... but just do your best and you will be wonderful! Congrats on a successful surgery and good luck on your new adventure!

I bought my first size 14 skirt this weekend since before I was married 7 years ago!!!
I didn't even bother trying on the XL shirt I picked up (silly me for even looking at it!) since the medium almost fit and the large was just right!
This also happens to be the first time I shopped in NY&Co instead of Lane Bryant in over 7 years!

Thanks all I feel better today and eating mushies. By the way I lost 23 Pds so far

No, you will probably never feel "full" the way you did pre-op, and that's a wonderful thing.
In the bad old days, I ate to the point of Thanksgiving dinner full at every single meal. I could out-eat my husband, who's 9" taller and does manual labor for a living.
My early days as a bandster were a challenge because I had to give up that old definition of full and learn what my new definition would be. It also involved a lot of willpower because I knew that if I overate, I could cause my band to slip. So I weighed and measured my planned portions of food and stuck to that. I often felt that I could go on eating long after the small portion was gone, but I was too afraid of complications to do that, so I would tell myself I could have more food if i was still physically hungry (empty, growling tummy) in an hour.
As I got more Fluid added to my band I discovered that the small portion of food was actually enough. I had to learn new "stop" signals to tell me when to stop eating - it might be a sigh, a cough, a burp, a hiccup, a runny nose, whatever. If I didn't notice or ignored those signals, I would end up in pain because eating too much caused a PB (productive burp), sliming (excess saliva), or getting food stuck. Eventually (maybe a year?) I didn't have to think much about all of that any more because I was in the habit of putting a small amount of food on a small plate, and would stop eating because suddenly I just didn't want any more.
The band works by providing early and prolonged satiety. Satiety is the sense of having eaten enough food - no more, no less. To be satiated is not the same as being "full".

I was glue and steri strips.....My biggest scar is about 2 inches, the other 4 ones are about the size ofmy pinkie nail so that is good... right now I look a bit "interesting" but I keep putting mederma on it to hopefully help with the scars as they heal... good luck with yours! I do believe that every dr. has a preference... When I had my 2 c-sections the first was steri strips and glue, the second wanted to do staples but I asked to not have them and she did it the other way.... so every dr. is so different!

Thank you both... I am on liquids again.. even that doesn't feel all that great! Honestly it was awful but I am sort of glad it happened... I know it doesn't make sense but I know what it feels like know. I don't want it to happen again, at least not for a very long time! I need to pay better attention as I do eat and cut cut cut my food up more.... It was a quick way to not be hungry that is for sure... the idea of eating hurts! Strangely I feel "gassy" in my belly now... but it was a learning experience...

Yeah I agree with everyone that it is different for everyone! I had surgery on a Thursday and was back to teaching Middle School on Monday... and teaching middle school NOT having surgery is hard enough! It was hard the first few days and I would come home, take my tylenol with codeine and SLEEP! I would have loved to take 2 days off work just to give myself a bit more time but I am glad I had to get up so soon, I think it helped me recover quicker. I am now 3 weeks post and feel great! Only time I feel anything is when I sit and bend over I can feel my port a bit but it doesn't hurt anymore! YOU CAN DO IT! No matter how long you need to recover you can do it... and when you feel good you will be up and about! Best of luck!!

Liquids or at least something soupy. Your throw-up was what we call PB for productive burping. Usually your esophogus fills with flem/saliva which we call slime(ghostbusters!). It's there to help the food pass through but if the chunk is too big, a little PB will work. Don't alway rely on PBs to get you through. We have one forum member who has been PBing for years and it stretched her esophogus out.
Sadly, most of us take much longer to get the message. I got stuck just yesterday. I probably have at least one stuck episode a month now. Distraction is the enemy.
tmf

I would recommend liquids for 24hrs. Your stomach is now irritated and eating food could cause another stuck episode. I do 24hr liquids, 24hr mushie then back to normal when I get stuck. Good luck.

well, if you are a sagging, me and maddy and alex will still wuv ya
( we will all be GORGEOUS)
hey, WE ALREADY IS.............

I am saggy. MY belly button frowns....my Upper legs, butt, boobs and arms are wrinkled....I am working on trying to see if exercise will help but i have been walking 2 miles a day for almost 2 years and it hasnt so far. But thin and saggy is better than fat and fluffy.

It gets better very quickly... I am three weeks today and I wouldn't know I ever had the surgery if I didn't look at the silly lines all over my belly! Best wishes, take it slow and follow the dr's orders.... Hope your recovery is smooth and quick!

It gets better very quickly... I am three weeks today and I wouldn't know I ever had the surgery if I didn't look at the silly lines all over my belly! Best wishes, take it slow and follow the dr's orders.... Hope your recovery is smooth and quick!