missheidi47

I don't eat chicken breast, but thighs done very moist , chewed well are my go to protein. Fish has a high protein count and I make sure it is not dry. Eat tuna made with LO fat mayo, again chewed well. I try to avoid bread, unless toasted. ' Slider foods" for me is pasta, goes down too easily....well cooked veggies are great. I find that for breakfast, I have a high protein smoothie with a banana added. Just can't tolerate eggs. But, I will have cream of wheat made with milk sometimes for breakfast.
No carbonated drinks, no caffeine and no juices.... Too much acid
I kind of get a kick out of hearing my stomach gurgling when it is empty!!!!! A new experience!!!!!
Eat slowly, chew chew chew! I had a stuck episode early on with corned beef on st Patrick's day..... Lesson learned!

There is so much information out there about living with the lapband and some of it is contradictory. Take advantage of the advice you will get on here but remember that your medical team should be your primary source of information.
With that disclaimer in place....

Eat slowly
Chew lots
Take very small bites
Follow your doctor's dietary rules both pre-op and post-op. They are there for a reason
Just because you can eat something, (anything, everything!) doesn't mean that you should
Experiment to learn what foods you can tolerate. It is different for everyone. For me, I can't eat red meats and most breads.
Plan to exercise. Not only will it aid your weight loss, it also becomes fun!
Have a real life champion. My husband is my biggest cheer leader and my hero. Without him by my side, on my side, I doubt I could have been as successful as I have.
Plan on making this a lifelong journey. It's not an overnight fix.
It's not always easy but it is definitely worth it.
Look out for, enjoy and Celebrate NSVs (Non-scale Victories)
Stay in touch with your medical team. Follow up visits are a major key to your long term success.

Good luck!

The key is to eat slowly. If you eat fast and only junk it will hurt and fail. Remember protein first. Lean meats and veggies. Sugar free stuff if you want somethign sweet. Eating fast may cause you to feel like you swallowed a golf ball and have to wait it out until it passes. If you follow the guildlines you will be fine. Working out more is a bonus to kick start and help lose faster. Its a tool not a magical cure. You work with it and it will greatly reward you down the road. Good Luck to you and if you have any qustions ask me. I'm always happy to share my experiences.

Maybe the lap band site has what you are looking for?
http://www.lapband.com/en/live_healthy_lapband/months_beyond/lifestyle_guidelines/

I am in the same place. I am not quite at my heaviest (only about 10 pounds away, though) and I have some friends who have been successful with the band. For a long time I wouldn't even consider it, because I thought I could lose the weight without the band. One of the local deejays is talking about her journey with gastric bypass, and it during one of the ads for her show, it just clicked with me that the lapband just might be the right tool for me. I have just started the process, had my initial appointment last week, but I feel good about it. I am also not very good at sticking with WW, Jenny Craig, etc. The band will be my insurance policy for portion control and sticking with the plan. Good luck!
Heidi

There are many ways of looking at it and percentages can be of various things. I could have started a thread about how much of your excess weight had been lost but I find that a lot harder to determine as then you have to decide what your excess is. Is it simply anything over normal BMI or is it what you consider to be your excess? I could also have started one with what I have lost compared to what I weigh now - that would have given me a figure of 48% of my current weight.
In the end it doesn't matter. The point of this thread was to encourage and make people feel good about themselves and what they have achieved.
But for purposes of consistency lets all use the same calculation in this particular thread - total lost divided by starting weight

Perspective and interpretation is everything...and elcee nailed an excellent point. Looking at the percentage of body weight lost places a better perspective on how successful we are with this journey to date, instead of looking at the number of pounds lost!
25.2%

11.6% lost so far

17%

42%

36.6% here!

I have lost 64%!!!! Even I am shocked at that number!

What a great way to look at things!! I started at 345.7 and am currently at 240.8 ... that's just over 30% lost!! Wow ... that's awesome to think about! Grerat work everyone!!!

this is so true. in three months ive lost 41.38% of my weight.... and my loss hasnt been fast. just slow and steady. this is a great way to look at ones weight loss. thanks for bringing it up. judy

Can we keep this topic up for a month or two? Or, forever?
18% here. I am such a loser

I agree, you're a loser, we all are

I lost "hundreds" of pounds with Weight Watchers, joining, quitting, and rejoining, between 2000 and 2011. I never quite made it to goal, and ALWAYS put the weight back on, plus some. I was banded in January of 2012 because I knew even if I did make it to goal, I'd never be able to keep it off. I chose to be banded because I not only wanted to reach goal, I want to be able to keep it off. I consider the band my insurance policy and don't ever want to have to live without it!!

Nervous about what?
I think I was mostly nervous(afraid in my case) about how much I was going to miss taco bell, Coldstone, pizza, or even my own mexican food which is very good. My deep love of food made me fearful of how much I was going to miss it. I was never really afraid of the surgery or the process. I knew that would be a distant memory a few months after the surgery. The thought that I couldn't indulge myself with the foods I really loved scared me.
But, now I'm 6 months out and TaDa! I can eat those things if I want but I don't have to eat too much. And I'm good with that. Sorry to vent all over your thread but my advice is to think about all the wonderful things you'll be doing as a thin person. Don't worry, be happy!
tmf

hi miss all the way from raleigh
and welcome to this forum. you will learn alot here and some great people

i would rather have (loose skin) than be over 300lbs again.
just my opinion. do this surgery FOR your health. not for looks.
looks fade.........good health does not.
all the best

Thing is, the requirements are different depending on your insurance or if you're self pay. My insurance (BCBS of TX)had me do a 6 month diet with my regular doctor, meeting once a month. I also had blood work and an ekg. Nothing too bad. I didn't "have" to lose any weight- I did lose a couple lbs but nothing much. Then surgery. I started at 284 on 1/26/12, now at 222.5. so far no loose skin, but as others have stated, I'd far rather have some loose skin I can hide than being super obese and die of something preventable.

Last fall, I also asked my Dr. if he had ever lost a patient in all his years of practice. He truthfully replied that he had never lost a patient due to the band , but 2 had passed away not too long after they were banded due to other health problems. Fair enough answer. I dont assume that just because somebody has the letters MD after their name that they know everything. I did my homework, researched and asked questions, so when i made my decision, it was based on knowledge, not just assumption. i think if you have done all your homework, you'll be less likely to worry about problems. Personaly, Id rather take the tiny risk of dying during surgery than the huge risk of dying from obesity related problems. So, my getting banded ?? Best decision i ever made. Good luck !

You heard it here first( or second or third, who knows), this will be one of the hardest things you've ever done in your life!!
But, it is the easiest and most effective way to achieve what you want.
I'm serious. This is going to be hard. But it is so worth it!
Warning: If you are the type of person who started diets and gave up the next day, don't do this surgery. If you're a quitter, don't do this surgery! If you think the band is a miracle cure, don't do this surgery!
If you are willing to follow simple, well established rules, have patience, and love the rewards of being healthier, DO THIS SURGERY!
tmf

I went for my initial appointment today and I am scared and excited. I have battled my weight my whole life it seems, though I wish that my high school self had realized that I was beautiful and not fat. I was never skinny like a lot of girls are in high school, but looking back at pictures I was active and healthy. I have done Weight Watchers and Jenny Craig and lost weight, but I have trouble with sticking with it and have always gained at least part of it back. I am hoping that lap band will be the tool to help me follow through.
The scary part for me is that I am doing this alone. My family is down in FL, and while they will be supportive, no one will be able to come up and help me. My mom is battling cancer and they have their hands full with that. So I am counting on my great friends to help me out when I need it.
I am ready to change for good.