KellyGram

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.

Thrift stores are great. I also post on Facebook about needing new clothes and have gotten entire wardrobes given to me (latest were sizes 14 and 16) by friends and friends of friends. The great thing about donated clothes is I've worn styles and colors that are beyond my conservative, hide-the-fat-girl comfort zone and learned how great I look in them. Also, the WLS support groups are often great places to score clothes. If you like how someone in the group dresses, ask them if they still have any clothes in your size. Also, wear dresses and skirts. Pants look baggy very quickly and don't adjust well to being taken in, but skirts do -- some are as easy as taking in the elastic on a waist band. If you do prefer pants, get ones with draw-string waistbands. I've dropped 135# and have spent about $300 on clothes over the past 4 years. Most of that has been on bras and underwear.

If you don't want to exercise, don't get the Band!

You will lose very slowly on restriction alone, get discouraged, and start out-eating your band.

Get the Sleeve or the RnY instead.

My band had been empty for 6 months and I've dropped 50#. 4 years post-op I've made the behavioral changes necessary to drop weight without the need for band restriction. I know that I can have the band removed at any time -- it is one of the reasons why I got it -- but I'll keep it just in case I slip and need a tune-up.

Good luck with getting your port repositioned. The tenderness is probably from your waistband rubbing against the port.

Start over with Protein Shakes and Protein Bars. I like the Aria Protein shakes from Trader Joes and the protein bars from costco. Pretend you're on your 2 week post-op diet and get back on track.

Stop eating fruit! You need Protein and low glycemic index vegetables. fruit has too much sugar and will stimulate appetite for more sugar. Protein FIRST is my agreement with my surgeon.

I had my surgery Labor Day weekend 2008. Two months later I had to move to another state -- away from my surgeon. I didn't get a fill with proper restriction until 2 years later. In those two years I dropped and kept off 20#. I really worked at eliminating junk food from my diet, and focussed on a protein-first hi Protein diet. I would have dropped more but I was terrible about exercising -- partly because at 330# I was worried about injuring myself, and partly sheer laziness. Moving my body at that weight was so exhausting!

Once I experienced restriction I tackled Portion Control. I was eating right--just too much. I dropped 12# in three months and decided to up my activity level -- I started walking everywhere I could. After 9 month I was down to 298#. It was a big deal to me to get below 300# and I was determined never to see that number on my scale again!

It took me 3 years to drop 60#. But once I got below 300 and upped my activity level the weight started coming off faster -- I gained hope and momentum. 4 years and 5 months post-op I am down to 228# -- I've dropped 132#. I have 50# to go. I expect to reach my goal weight in 2014 -- 6 years post-op. Yes, it is taking a while, but that's ok.

As to plateaus my personal trainer has me up my calories by 200 a day and my exercise by 400 calories a day. This always works. Why? When caloric intake drops too low the body goes into metabolic conservation mode. Upping calories and exercise turns the metabolism up.

Good luck!

Jimmy, I highly recommend a book called Dr Bernstein's Diabetes Solution. I also recommend putting away all large plates, bowls, and glasses in your kitchen. Eat off dessert plates or cup saucers, as this helps with Portion Control while also helping trick your mind into believing you're eating a plate full of food.

As for the lap band, the moral of this story is to never ignore pain. You should consult with your surgeon about what happened and the feedback from the surgeon who removed the band. Did he ever order an upper GI to look at the band placement when you were complaining about pain? If so, I would have the results reviewed by another surgeon. You may have grounds for a suit, or preferably, can work something out with the surgeon to get a revision surgery like Sleeve done at no expense. You could probably get him to reimburse all of your expenses in lieu of a suit.

Take care of yourself!

Mercedes -- the difference between the Unjury chicken Soup and regular broth is the Protein content. There is a LOT more protein in the Unjury product.

MsRhonda, nothing is wrong with you or your body. It is important to lose that "there is something wrong here mentality". Your body lets go of fat in its own way and if you're patient and do the right things (eat less, exercise more, repeat as necessary) you -will- see results. The Lap Band is a tool, and like any tool, it has to be used properly until the job is done. Keep the faith, girl. I've been on my journey for 4 years and I'm still not done -- but I see the finishline!

If you're considering WLS then I'm assuming you're getting into nutritional counseling. I'd also recommend counseling to help learn new coping mechanisms to deal with the stresses and whatnot that cause you to eat. Bariatric surgery does not cure eating disorders -- people willing to do the work on themselves do. And many people who have undergone bariatric surgery go through periods of mourning and emotional rollercoaster because their traditional ways of dealing with their emotions and comforting themselves (food) is no longer available. These are the ones who eventually out-smart and out-eat their surgeries.

Also, you have to be willing to exercise -- especially if you're going the Lap-Band route. The Band does not forgive bad eating the way the RnY does because there is no malabsorbtion. The calories you take in are going to stick unless you work them off.

I've experience with three different bariatric surgeons and their staff over the years. In my opinion, its not the surgeon or staff that matters--its the availability and usage of support groups, and willingness to make the behavioral changes needed to drop the weight (eat less, exercise more, repeat for the rest of your life).

Welcome! You'll manage terrifically. IF you don't have the book

The Emotional First Aid Kit: A Practical Guide to Life After Bariatric Surgery

I strongly recommend it. Bariatric surgeries fail when people fail to learn new coping mechanisms and make the behavioral changes necessary to overcome their emotional eating patterns. This book is an invaluable resource.

I also recommend using smaller plates, like dessert plates, or even cup saucers to keep your portion sizes under control. Pick up some nice, dense Protein bars. I like the Pure Protein and Premium Protein Bars available at costco. They stick to your ribs, so to speak, and you'll find you won't be hungry again for hours after eating one. Just remember to be patient and kind with yourself and you'll do great.

Remember, this is the time of year when people take vacation and holiday time -- so it may be that they're running with fewer staff and it's taking longer to handle the volume. Be patient. It's worth the wait

The two week liquid diet helps reduce the amount of fat around your liver, which in turn makes it easier to get at your stomach. It's pretty much standard procedure, as far as I know. Plus, it gives you time to adapt and find liquid Proteins you can tolerate, because for the first few weeks after the surgery, you're on liquids anyway. I like Dr Walker's Protein Shakes because they're not too sweet, also Trader Joes has Aria Protein shakes for women, again, not too sweet. I often blend the Aria protein with iced coffee to make a frappacino. Oh, and Unjury's chicken Soup is a staple for most bariatric patients.

Well, I got terrible heartburn AFTER the baby was born. Had two upper GI's etc and the conclusion is it's not the Band. It's the result of intra-abdomenal pressure from pregnancy. The hope is that as my body heals up and adjusts to the post-partum changes, the heartburn will go away. For now I'm on 1600mg of Tagamet and I eat an organic apple every night before I go to bed. The apple, being mildly alkali, helps with the stomach acid so I don't have reflux at night.

However... The acid reflux / hearburn can irritate the banded area, which causes inflammation and slows down the drainage of the pouch and any acid that might get trapped in it. I ended up having my band completely emptied out 4 months ago (and still dropped 35#) and within a couple of weeks noticed that the discomfort was much better, though not gone.

Hope this helps. Good luck!

It's time to be honest with yourself:

1) Have you been doing the work to deal with the reasons why you over-eat? It's important to get nutritional AND emotional counseling to learn how to deal with the reasons why we over-eat. If you aren't willing to do that work, the Lap-Band isn't going to work for you long-term. You have to make the behavioral changes. It is a tool to help you learn to control your portion sizes -- but it doesn't affect your ability to eat junk and there is no mal-absorption to 'make' you lose weight even when you're eating crap.

2-Are you willing to exercise? I personally hate it, and because of that, my weight loss was very slow in the beginning. As I lost weight and it got eaasier to move around (I started at 360#) and my activity level went up, which influenced the pace of weight loss. If you aren't willing to up your activity level to help burn off the calories you're eating as well as the one's you've stored up, the Band is NOT for you. You're going to lose some weight but eventually you're going to be back where you started.

3-Do you want the drastic, no-going-back kind of surgery (VSG, et al) or do you want something that can be reversed if necessary? I went with the least invasive, least drastic surgery out there. Its been 4 years and I've dropped 130#. I've dropped 35# with an empty band the past 4 months, because I've done the work to make the changes in my eating and activity patterns. I'm hoping to keep the band for the rest of my life -- it's become a friend in ways -- but I like knowing that if something happens to my GI tract, this surgery can be quickly and easily reversed.

No changes to my band as a result of surgery. The only time I notice changes is once in a while when I fly, the band seems a little tighter for a day or two.

My recommendation? Up your caloric intake by 250 calories and up your exercise regime by 500+ calories. In a week or two you should notice the scale moving in the right direction and you can reduce caloric intake again.

Plateaus are caused by the body thinking it needs to conserve calories because you're starving. So up your calories and up your exercise to offset the extra calories and you'll be surprised to see that plateau end and you'll love the extra muscle tone, too!

Best exercise there is. I swear I've walked 5000 miles these past 4 years.

It's worth the wait!

Try Protein bars. They tend to be dense and very filling so it takes hours to be hungry again.

I get two kinds from Costco:

Pure Protein, which comes in a blue box. At 1.75 oz, they have 20g protein, 17g carb, and about 180 cals.

Premier Protein, comes in a white box. At 2.5oz, they have 30g protein, 26g carb, and 270 cals.

They taste good and are very filling. It is rare that I ever finish even the smaller bar. I often cut them up into bite sized pieces and put them in the fridge in a baggie.

However you are feeling about this journey is perfectly ok. There isn't anything wrong.

Yes, give up on fitted pants. I have lived in drawstring clamdiggers and skirts for the past 4 years -- it cuts down on the need to shop for clothes. Whenever I've dropped a couple of sizes (I'm down 130# now) I post on Facebook and someone I know has clothes to give me in my new size. I've spent maybe $300 on clothes in the past 4 years, and thats mostly bras and underwear.

Good luck. You're worth the time and effort

Recommendations: If you don't have the book The Emotional First Aid Kit, get it. It provides help in dealing with emotional eating. The band is a tool for weightloss, but it isn't a substitute for tackling the reasons why we got fat. I have to stay on top of my foodie-impulses (which the band helps with) and make sure that I'm exercising in order to achieve and maintain a healthy weight. I've also used hypnosis to help with eating-as-self-soothing and to help re-program me to enjoy exercise.

I'm not a perfect eater, but I've developed some coping mechanisms and strategies to help me stay on track. I've learned how to handle cravings, for example. I know when to Re-direct and when to Relent. I know when to stop indulging (most of the time) and I know when to get rid of something tasty because I can't resist the temptation to keep indulging.

Redirect: This strategy starts with a question: Am I really hungry, or am I bored/nervous/upset? If the answer is yes, I really am hungry, then I try to redirect focus from the death-by-chocolate cake I am craving to a Protein or granola bar or a piece of fresh fruit--ie, to something healthier that tastes good, too. If the answer is no, I'm not hungry, I'm bored/anxious/whatever, then I redirect to an activity that gets my mind and/or body off the comfort-food focus. Depending on the craving and the reason, I may meditate to calm myself, or take a 5-minute yoga break, or go for a walk, do some weeding/chores, take a bath, masturbate, or take a time-out to touch base with what is really going on inside me (ie administer some emotional first aid).

Relent: Relent, for me, comes after multiple attempts to redirect. If I've eaten my healthy mandarin and I've done my chores and I've finished writing an email or whatever other tasks I've put to myself to in order to get my mind off the craving and I still want that cake (especially if I've craved it for a few days), I'll go buy a single-serving cupcake or something, both as acceptance of the craving, and as reward for the work I've done to earn it. If I absolutely have to have a slice of that $20 death-by-chocolate cake and they don't sell it by the slice, I'll buy it at the bakery, ask them to slice me a piece, and then give the rest away to the people working there, or as samples for their customers. (Yes, it raises eyebrows, but no one has refused me yet.) Then I relish my $20 piece of cake, eating it slowly, savoring every bite. I don't bring home more than one serving of a craved food anymore. It's too easy to say to myself, "Oh, I'll bring this whole cake home and share it with my family" and then end up eating more than one serving because I don't want it to go to waste or because it is just that good.

I suppose I should have the self-discipline to be able to eat just one serving of something I crave and leave the rest alone for others or for another time, but I don't. And I am self-aware enough to accept that. I'm also self-loving enough to get over the whole self-sabotage / self-punishing thing for my supposed lack of will-power, no longer hating myself even as I am rewarding myself with a tasty treat. Today, I allow myself to eat that thing I really want, but just one small serving. And I give away or toss away the rest. I may feel a little foolish for eating what amounts to a $20 slice of cake -but- I figure that it's $18 worth of extra calories I'm not adding to my waistline, and given the work I have to do to take off just one pound, it's f-ing worth it.

Be kind to yourself. Work with your band. Good luck.

Kcortez: You don't have to gain much weight. Try to keep it at 20 pounds or less. Contact your surgeon to find out if there is a network in place to support women who are pregnant post-WLS. My H.M.O. (Kaiser) has a specific group to help bariatric patients stay on track by monitoring bloodwork and giving guidance regarding eating and exercising. I found that the tools I developed to handle cravings and whatnot after surgery were invaluable to me during the pregnancy. Remember that being pregnant is as much an excuse for women to eat poorly as it is to eat properly. If you eat properly, adding just 200 or 300 calories a day to feed the baby, you'll be fine -- heck you might find that after you give birth you're lighter than you were before you got pregnant.

Has anyone had a lap band removed because of pregnancy?

Not that I know of, though it probably has happened, most likely to someone who hadn't learned how to use the band, or had a bulemic eating disorder.

I just had a baby 6 weeks ago. Admittedly, I was banded 3 years ago rather than 3 months ago, but I succeeded in keeping my weight-gain to 7# for the pregnancy (actually lost weight during the pregnancy--was down 17# from my pre-pregnancy weight 3 days after the baby was born) so I'll be happy to answer any questions or give any advice to help you through this phase of the journey. Feel free to message me.