Kime-lou

my nutritionist told me 800, once I started working out I could increase to 1000-1200. It has a lot to do with your starting weight though. You have to be careful not put your body is starvation mode.

I have mine done under floro all the time and it makes it much easier for them to access it. I get one stick and it's perfect. From what I understand if they use floro they can be more agressive with fills (add more at a time) than they can without. I am not sure about this, but it what I was told. I had 2 cc's put in last time.

I did. I went to one on a Saturday morning, had my appointment with the surgeon in two weeks, did all my test in a month and then had surgery. I fast tracked myself. I had thought about doing it for so long, I just tried to fast line myself and I did. I can harldy believe it's over and I weeks post op. Love Duke Weighloss though, they are a great team. Feel free to contact me about anything. I am fairly new, but learning a lot.

Hi Wecolme. I'm from NC to, Raleigh. My surgery was done June 22nd by Dr. Yoo. 6 weeks out and 23 lbs down. I do feel good and am starting to really get into the workout routine. Good Luck!

Thanks all. I opted to eat at my desk today and ms negative had to come in my office to see what I was eating. I wanted to toss it in her face. Yeah I went to McDonalds and no I did not get a big mac (gross) I got a salad. I ate the grilled chicken on top and some lettuce and now I am full- yeah me!! I so want to stick it to them and show them what kind of success you can have if you put your mind to it.

I thought I would have a really hard time giving up Dt. Dew, but it was actually the easiest part about this process. I don't miss it at all. Water plain or with crystal light is perfect. My hubby has even stopped drinking it after trying my crystal light and propel. We are now a soda free house and loving it.

I am just 6 weeks post of and have lost 23 lbs. While that is great and I happy to have lost it and that my clothes fit better, I am having a fat day. While I know I am still fat (221), I want the feeling of feeling better about myself to come back. The change.... negative people. I work with several banders, one succesful at 60lbs lost, and 2 unsuccesful. The unsuccessful ones think I am crazy for doing it because it doesn't work. The one that has lost 60lbs and kept it off seems to have an attitude now. She keeps telling me that I won't be able to lose the 100lbs I want to. She said I will only lose about 40% of my excess weight. My doctor keeps telling me that I will lose as much as I work at losing-- meaning if I excercise and eat right I can lose the 100lbs I want to. The negitve co-worker picks apart everything I eat telling me what is bad about it. Then they go get milkshakes and offer me one - hell no I don't want a milkshake. Today when I didn't bring lunch because literally the dog ate (stole it from the counter when I turned my back) I said I was going to run out and pick up lunch. Then I get- you know that really isn't good for you, you aren't going to lose weight like that. Just because I run pick something up doesn't mean I am going to make a bad choice as to what to get. I know I need to just let it go and ignore her, but when you see a person daily who is being negative it wears on you. I can't keep from seeing her, she is two offices down and literally I am going to see and bump into her. I realize this is just a mental game, maybe she doesn't want me to be more successful than her. However, her being this way is giving me motivation to show her.... can't wait to get home and hit the elliptical. It is odd how my attitude has changed. Pre-band I would go to food due to hurt feelings, now I go work out and literally work out the frustration and then I feel so much better afterward. I am going to do this, but the negative people are singing a chorus in my head that I will fail. How do you deal with negative people?

The shot was a numbing agent, he said that if the shot helped the pain then it likely wasn't anything wrong and not need to do the CT, but if the pain continued or got worse he would order a CT. From what I have been told you can experience odd pains for up to 6 month post op because it takes that long for everything to totally heal and get back to a new "normal". The PA I see said that the tube running from the port to the band people will often report odd sensations or pinches and that is from that tube moving around. I have heard that you have to be careful taking the NSAIDS (advil and such) because they can cause stomach inflamation that can cause problems with the band. I try not to take them to often. If your pain continues at the the level you have it I would for sure go back and ask. My doctor is great as is the entire office. They are agressive in treatment, but very safe at the same time. So glad I went with them, I can't say enough great things about them.

OMG girl! I hope you improve quickly. You had some kind of experience. LOL to the short and chunky comment! So funny!

It seems we all hit a plateau at some point. I had surgery June 22 and have lost 22 lbs and am stuck for a week. I just keep on keeping on. From what I am told you are bascially loosing on your on until you hit your sweet spot with fills and that could take a while. Good Luck

So I did go to the doctor. He offered to do a CT, but he said that due to the location and how it felt to him, it is just a internal suture that hasn't dissolved. He said it can take several months for them to go away completly. He said to massage it when I am sitting - which doesn't happen much. He put a pain shot in the area which helped for the day. So we will see.

I have a vasovagel response (pass out) to fills - so they told me I was senstive and my fills would have to be slow. Only had 1 fill so far so not sure how it will go from here I go back in two weeks for my 2nd one.

So I started using my fitness pal that I have heard so much about. I keep hitting these stalls with my weight. So for the last few days I have pluged in everything. It is telling me I am not getting enough calories a day- WHAT? My nutritionist told me to keep it between 800-1000 calories, which I had been sticking to, well my fitness pal say that is to low. What do I believe? Last week I was stuck due to my TOM, then last weekend I dropped 2 lbs in 2 days, but since then I have stalled. I have stayed stuck in the 222 point somethings each day. I know I am not getting the 60 oz of Water because I feel bloated with that much water. I normally get 40-50 oz of water a day. I am just 6 weeks out and have lost a total of 22 lbs and feel good. I am working out 3-4 times a week (elliptical) for 30 min and doing weights twice a week. What am I doing wrong?

I have the same problem. I am 6 wks out today and I still weigh every morning when I wake up. My doctor said weigh once a week on the say day, but I just can't. I like you, am scared of gaining an ounce. Before the band the "stuck" periods or the slight gains (.4 oz) would drive me nuts and I'd say screw it, I am eating what I want, then I would gain back everything I had lost. Well, with the band I have been really good about staying on course. If I see and up one day or a few days of the same thing I try something different. Also, now that I am exercising each day it seems that I am hitting plateaus more often, but my husband said pay attention to my clothes, which is true, my pants, shirts, even underware fit better. I know it is working. So my advice would be do what makes you feel comfortable and know that just because you have an up day or a stretch of the same weight, that it is normal and stay on course. Warning when your TOM gets close Water weight gain is a b*****.

Yep, likely the TOM. When my TOM finally came, afterward I dropped 2 lbs. Yet, now I seem to have stalled again, but I am working out like never before.

Since heating pads are small, I would put a towel in the microwave for a min and take it out and lay it across my belly and it would help a lot after my surgery.

I don't know anything about your case, but for me, my nutritionist told me not to drop below 800 calories because I could put my body into starvation mode and not lose weight. But go with what your team told you. It sounds like you are getting it down to a science. Kudos to you!

I called and have an appointment to see my surgeon tomorrow. When I went in for the fill and they said it was stiches they also said if I had pain that seemed to moved something that was caused by the tube that runs from the port to the band and that can cause odd pinches that move. But for me this is an actual knot that I can fill and it doesn't move it just HURTS. Hopefully the surgeon will just say it's scar tissue. I am worried though that something is herniated, it appeard after I did some abdomial exercisce that I should not have done so early.

boobs lift - mine have always seemed to point downward, so to get them up in place would be great

New cute clothes so I look my age, not like a grandma. Being a hot little wife for my hubby, so he can be proud to show me off (not that he hasn't been proud, just my perception). Like one lady said earlier going into Victoria's Secret Again and getting sexy clothes. I guess I just want to feel sexy again instead of like a beached whale

Normally happens to me if I eat to much or eat something to fatty, sometimes if I eat to fast. My doctor told me it was normal in those cases. However, you should try not to do the things that could cause this because repeated frequent acid reflux can lead to erosion and or a band slip. Talk to your surgeon.

I didn't have to go through the program, my insurance only required medical appointments from 2 years that showed my BMI over 40- that was no problem. However, I had similar family support issues. I got my husband to go to an info session with me. They went over all the health issues that my weight could cause and then went over surgery risk. Lapband carries the least amount of risk. My husband was on board after that. Once he was on board WE spoke to my parents. My parents were also worried about the risk, but my husband said the surgery has less risk at this point than her weight- my dad is dibetic and both parents have high BP, so he ask them if they wanted me to follow their path. They agreed that they wanted me to be healthier so they go on board. I also printed off info about the low risk of lapband. While they were still worried until surgery was over, they were supportive and are now really happy with my choice seeing the change. Good Luck. This is about you and your life and being there for your family for many years to come. You are worth this!!

I called my insurance to see if it would be approved. They told me yes, so I called the surgeons office and spoke to their insurance person and gave her all my info. I got my appointment for pre-op and they gave me orders for the test. I called and set up the appointments and faxed the orders myself. I was really proactive in getting everything done. My doctor sent a head and scheduled my surgery, my insurance said that they would approve it, if all the test cleared me for it, so as soon as all the test were sent to the doctor (I ask for them to rush results) my insurance gave the go ahead - 3 weeks and done.

My surgery went great. I don't have any pain in my port area at all like some do. I do have one place that is about 2 in below my port (my port is high just under my rib cage) and .5 in above an incision. I can feel a small pea size knot. To sit or bend over it is horrible pain. I can lay on my belly with no pain and stand, walk, work out and no pain, but sitting and bending is horrible. Someone said may it was scar tissue, but I don't know. When I went in for my first fill the PA told me it was internal stitches that had not dissolved, but the knot is still there 6 wks post op. Any thoughts?

I am only 6 wks out, but I think once you get use to one diet and then you eat something you aren't use to eating your body freaks. My nutritionist said getting gassy or bloated is a problem for some bandsters, she recommended I get beano and take it before I eat foods that could or have given me gas issues in the past.