Justme9786

Keep water bottles in your house at all times! You can get generic case of 24 for like $3-5. I keep my frig stored full of them and ALWAYS have a water bottle with me everywhere i go. Like at work, I bring my water bottle and refill at water fountain everytime it's empty.

Welcome!! This is a great site to be apart of. Lots of great advice and lots of forums to read through of different experiences! I'll be 26 in 2 weeks and have had the band for over 4 years now. Best decision I ever made. The energy, confidence, everything has increased! Keep us posted on your journey in the bandster world!

Yay! Congrats on the 20lb weight loss! We all have struggles in life that prevent us from doing our absolute best. Keep the motivation going and keep us updated! Best wishes!!

Hi there! Whatever you feel most comfortable with. Eventually, they will most likely know, so I told everyone ahead of time. Yes, there will be some who are against it, but remember this is YOUR decision, not theirs.

I have the 10cc and 4.4 was too tight for me so i am now at 3.9 and have good restriction. I could probably go to 4.0-4.1, but I'm comfortable with this feel so sticking with it.

Oh girl - I'm right there with you!! My chin is horrible! I've heard great things about the laser treatment. Friend of mine who was also banded had it really bad and she did the laser and saw AMAZING results. I blame a lot of mine on my genes as I am mixed syrian (middle eastern) so we naturally have a lot of dark hair. However, I've also been told by my GYN that I have all the symptoms of PCOS as well and I do have ovarian cysts, but tested negative for the actual PCOS test. I am hoping to do laser soon, but until then, I may try what Possum84 suggested, the No No.

Good plan! I have pretty good restriction and barely ever PB...the only time i find I get stuck is when I 'm not hydrated...

Hey all - just thought I'd share some insight on the band and Water. They should be best friends! I've always struggled in keeping myself hydrated...but I'll tell you what...if I don't, my band notices. Since starting my most recent diet again, I told myself I was going to drink at least 6 12.9oz bottles of water a day and I was and all of those days, I was able to eat NO PROBLEM. No stuck feeling..I was able to eat NORMAL. lol Today, I got busy at work, etc. etc. and missed out on some water like I should have and my band is yelling at me now that it's lunch time. I'm on a high Protein high fat low carb diet and I've always had problems with protein (chicken) going down, but if i drink enough water throughout the day, it's way easier. So, just a tip for new & old bandsters. DRINK THAT WATER! It really does make a difference!

I don't have BCBS, but I know that when I tried to get approved they denied me and I fought for 8 months, had letters from doctors on medical necessity, had conference calls with their medical advisors at the insurance co, and finally they approved me. I wouldn't give up, I would fight for it if you can.

Did she tell you WHY she didn't think it was the right choice for you? Did she say that the LAP BAND wasn't the right choice and suggested other WLS? This is coming from the psych evaluation, not medical....so in most cases, the psych eval is used to make sure that the patient is mentally ready for weight loss surgery, in general....not just the lap band. So, if she is saying it's not right for you, TO ME it sounds like she is saying you are not mentally prepared for whats to come with weight loss surgery. However, I don't know exactly what she said. You have to be mentally prepared for any WLS - gastric bypass & sleeve included.

clarks4willie - I think as you said, 2 days clear and 2 days full is pretty standard recommendation for fills. That's what my doctor says. ESPECIALLY in the beginning when you are familiarizing yourself with the band and how it works and how your body reacts to fills.

Elcee hit it dead on. We were all heavy, still heavy, still trying to lose weight, etc. It's a battle that we will struggle with for a lifetime - the band doesn't take that away. However.....the band helps us through our struggle. My way of looking at it is this..... I tried every stupid diet out there when i needed to lose 75lbs! I would try it, not like it, stop it, go back to eating like crap...or I'd try it, it would work for a bit, then i'd hit a plateau and get discouraged...and I ALWAYS gained all the weight back. With the band.....I have not gained all of it back. Ya, I'm +/- 10 or so lbs now and then, but since my initial weight loss (230 to 175) I've only gained 10 of the 55lbs that I lost back (due to LIFE) Hang in there and take it each day at a time and look at the BIG picture rather than your current weight loss. I also have swayed away from the scale so much, because I get discouraged when I look at the NUMBERS too much. Now, I rely on my body and how I feel and look to determine if I am being successful in my weightloss. Good luck!!

I can SO relate. I have had many ups and downs in my lapband journey....between chronic abdominal pain....that still is left undiagnosed because GI said it's not GI related, band doctor said it's not band related and GYN says its not GYN related....real nice...I have had colonoscopy, EGD, flouroscopy, gallbladder removed w/exploratory while they were in there...and nothing. Then, I broke my ankle which required two surgeries. That REALLY set me back. So, now, being about 30lbs away from my goal I was left in a plateua w/some occasional weight gain. I just started the Ketogenic diet.... high Protein, high fat (like 65% of your caloric intake) and VERY low carb. It's similar to Adkins, but I am doing the carb cycling where you eat little to no carbs for 6 days and you have one carb up day where you can eat literally anything you want and all the carbs you want, then the next day you go back to the strict no carbs. It's a little confusing, but a lot of body builders and people who want to drop weight fast and still keep their muscle mass do this diet. A close friend of mine swears by it along with a lot of his friends, so I figured I'd try it. I'm only 4 days in, but I've already hit ketosis (which means my body is burning fat). Doing a 2-3 week trial to see where I'm at. My suggestion to you is to shock your body! When I am in a rut, I do a crazy "fad" diet to shock my body into losing weight and then gradually go back into the normal healthy lifestyle. Best of luck!

Haha, no, I've never had a lap band dream! However, it is normal that you are getting excited about getting the band! Best of luck to you on your bandster journey!

Start off slow.. Usually my doctor says 2 days of thin and 2 days of thick...now that i'm an advanced bandster I can usually get away with 1 day clear and 1 day thick, but i've also had it for 4 years and learned how my band acted after fills - i've had MANY fills and unfills. Sometimes it takes a little while for the band and the area around the band to reduce in swelling after they do a fill which is why they recommend taking it easy. So give it a little bit to adjust. Then when you start introducing solid foods again, chew chew and chew more. Just like in the beginning. If it still feels too tight or you can't get even liquids down, contact your doc. Best of luck!

Glad someone was able to chime in on the other side of the band. Yes, there are people who, the band just doesn't work for. Definitely look into all options and other surgeries out there. I haven't researched any others because when i got the band they were really only talking about the band and bypass...and me being young with only 75lbs to lose, the bypass didn't feel like the right fit for me which is why i chose the band. But everyone is different

And that is a great thing, to ask ask and ask more questions. Like a previous poster said, educate yourself so you don't end up as a statistic. Youll have ups and downs, but my thought was that in the end, I'm healthier, I'm happier, I look dang good (if I do say so myslef haha!) and I can still do everything I enjoy!! Best of luck to you in whatever decision you make!

Liquid tylenol helps most people and WALKING definitely is the best thing for gas pains. Gas-x has worked for some and not for others. That pain can be so intolerable. I had it with the lap band and luckily it only lasted a few days and it was at least tolerable with meds and walking. When i had my gallbladder removed though.......it was so bad I had to go back to the hospital and be admitted for 2 days for pain control (and a few other complications). Call your doc though, because 3 weeks out seems a little far out to still be having gas pains. Unless it's intermittent with what you're eating.

Hey there! It is completely normal to have fears and concerns! I did as well! But let me give you a little bit of my story. I am 25 years old and got the band when I was 21. It has not prevented me from doing the things I enjoy! I still go out with friends, eat, drink, etc. You start to learn what you can and can't eat once you start bringing foods back in the mix after the surgery. I'd say the beginning may be the hardest, but we've all gotten through it and i wouldn't change it at all. I am very happy with my band and glad i have this tool to help me in losing weight and keeping it off. This site is a great forum so ask as many questions as you want! As far as the port - its never been an issue for me and i am a stomach sleeper as well. If I am on a hard surface, sometimes I can feel it, but other than that, never a problem.

So sorry for that horrible experience! Yes, the Dr is correct, the band indeed is not meant for things to "come back up" especially from lower stomach. It's only happened once to me (recently) and it was very painful and a HORRIBLE experience, due to alcohol, so I've learned my lesson as well.

Not sure if you saw my post a few days ago about my experience, but i had the same thing, but i actually threw up like 15x! Just didn't eat enough before drinking. Happens. Anyways, i gave my band a rest for a few days and it's fine. No odd symptoms, can eat normal, etc. So you should be fine!

It sounds to me like you are right on track with introducing foods. Your meatballs and steamed veggies sounded good! I buy the morning star veggie meatballs and love them http://www.morningstarfarms.com/morningstar-farms-meal-starter-veggie-meatballs.renderImageText.html?BID=121211&MD5=5327d3f7243ac5bc9bacc38ab7cc9e48&FT=MorningstarFarmsMealStarterVeggieMeatballs_28831&productORrecipe=product&freeTextPresent=no

I knew you could do it to milk, but didn't realize you could do it to cream cheese, etc. Thanks for the info! And that's what I like about this milk....is that it IS dairy....its from cows, just has the enzymes added which is why it tastes so real. I'm a vegeterian and eat a lot of organic stuff anyways so i happened to see this in the organic section and have loved it ever since. I may look into doing it on my own though as it may be cheaper....

I had the band placed over 4 years ago now. I initially lost about 55-60lbs, then put on 15 or so then dropped it again, yada yada yada....it's a lifetime battle no matter how tight or loose the band is. I know this. Well anyways....in March of this year I was down to about 175 which was only 20lbs away from my goal weight, and i was working out and eating what i wanted, just in moderation of course....which was great!..... but then life threw me a curve ball..... I broke my ankle when I was out looking all kinds of cute with my spring outfit including high wedges....I ended up requiring surgery on the ankle and had to have a plate and 5 screws put in initially and then 2 months later had one of the screws removed and then a week after that surgery had my gallbladder removed. From 4/12-6/24 I was out of work and out of commission really. For 9 of those weeks I was out, I couldn't walk at all, so I was just sitting around majority of the time. Needless to say I've gained some weight back....Last I weighed I was at about 185, but I may even be up to about 190ish...you know how you can feel it. That now puts me 35lbs away from my goal and I know that doesn't sound like a lot, but we all know that when you're closer to the end, it gets harder. And seeing that I am still in PT for my ankle and cannot do any high impact exercises like running or jumping jacks like I used to be able to, I've been delaying going back to the gym to do the "little" stuff (to me). I'm very used to high impact exercises. I KNOW that I can do it. I KNOW that I need to get my butt up and do it. I just don't have the motivation! I need someone to yell at me. lol tell me to get up and do it!

I have a weakness for Cereal, but due to my lactose intolerance its always been "difficult" for me to eat it....or else! Well, I found Organic Valley Fat Free & Lactose Free milk is probably the best I've ever had. It's the closest thing to "real" milk that I've come across. I've tried all the others....skim, soy, almond, etc....I just never felt like any of them tasted like MILK. This one....does! (to me at least) I've actually used it to cook as well and you would have thought I used real milk. Anyways. I love it and thought I'd share. It's a little pricey (4.99 at publix) but worth it to me. Healthier too. :-) http://www.wegmans.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10052&catalogId=10002&productId=708692