Kime-lou

I have only lost 50 lbs in 7 months, but you know what, I lost what I committed to lose. I could have lost more if I would have followed 100%, that doesn't mean my band failed nor me, it is what it is. You get out what you put in. People just don't get that. While I am not 100% perfect band patient I take full resposibility for that.

Heard that one before. Even a lady I work with who has had lapband told me that after I had lost 30 lbs in 2 months. Ticked me off. Why do people only think you lose water weight? I mean do we look at fat people and say oh, they are retaining water - no they say oh that person is fat.

Okay I feel sure I am likely going to offend someone here, so if you are easily offended stop reading now! I don't often get on my "high horses" but I am today. I have heard people complain and moan and groan about surgery being a waste of money and time. Well my first questions is.... Did you follow you doctor's orders? Did you listen and follow what the nutritionist said? Did you go in to see the doctor and discuss issues? If the answer to any of those are no then you wasted your own money! I work hard to make a living and I am not going to give my money away for nothing. I am paying my surgeon and my nutritionist a prime rate and honey you better bet I am going to listen to their orders. If I feel like something they told me is unfounded then I am going to discuss it with them and see if we can come up with a plan- for example multivitamins make me sick. For some reason multivitamins make me very ill, for a first couple of months I took individual vitamins throuhgout the day to prevent getting sick. After that I ask my doctor to test my levels and everything was great. The doctor gave me clearence to stop taking most of the vitamins only if I had my levels checked monthly. I have and everything is fine. I still take B vitamins since those have always been low. I didn't just do my own thing and ignore his advice. We made a plan and I followed through. My opinion, again this is MY OPINION, if you are not going to follow doctors orders then don't spend the money and waste the time to have surgery. If you are not willing to commit totally to what it takes to be successful with WLS don't do it. It may be that you aren't ready right now, but in time you will be.

I heard that one several times and I told them that was a matter of opinion. I felt and my surgeon felt that lapband would help me shed pounds and become healthier and that was enough for me.

I was wondering the same thing. I haven't drank since surgery, but I really want to enjoy a glass of wine or a margarita on vacation.

You will find this is a touchy subject on here. I, personally, did not have a pre-op diet. My doctor told me it would be a good idea to attempt to lose before surgery or at the least try not to gain. If your doctor told you to follow a specific diet it would be best to do so. If you get to your surgery day and the doctor has to close you up with no band because you liver is to big you will be pissed at yourself for not following orders. You can make it, just take it day by day.

6 fills and I am just really getting where I only want 3 meals a day- no Snacks. Each person is different and it also depends on how quick or slow weight loss is and how much the doctor adds at each fill. I have gotten any where from .4 cc to 1cc at a fill (done with Floro).

Embarrishment never felt so good!! Great Job.

Starting BMI 42, I had no pre-op diet. I was told the day before do liquids other than that nada. Now, like Missy, I eat realistically. For me this mean I do eat carbs, but just less and healthy ones. I eat about 1200 calories a day and do cardio (elliptical/jog/walk).

My surgeon told me that I could lose as much as I WANTED to. That means I could lose as much as I put forth the effort to lose, so if I put forth minimal effort I would lose minimal weight, if great effort was put forth I could reach my lofty goal of being 135. I have spoken to many bansters some very succesful some only mildly. But what I see is what you put in to it you get out of it. However, that being said it may take years. One friend it has taken her 3 years to finally reach goal. So I believe that is the most important thing- just keep on living the band life and moving forward and you can reach goal.

I just got to this point now, it took 6 fills, but so glad it seems to be working well.

My doctor never said anything about red meat. I was just told to be careful and chew meat well. I haven't tried steak since being banded (06/2012) except chopsteak which is an extra fine ground hamburger meat and I have no problems with that. If I do hambuger meat I justh have to chew it well. I have the most problem with pork, so I have given up on that.

I do actually like the Weight Watchers cheeses and the 2% Kraft shreads are good. Another great cheese is Laughing Cow and Baby Bel. My hubs loves the laughing cow smeared on his sandwhiches - it also good melted over chicken.

Go by your doctors orders. My doctor and nutrtitionist told me 1 cup a food at a time. Eat approx. 1000-1300's calories in a day (but this is because I do cardio for some it's lower if they do no exercise).

Of course I drank a lot more water than I listed- I drink around 70 oz a day right now.

I got a fill last Tuesday of .5 cc to give me a total of aroud 7cc. Last week was normal didn't really feel much extra restriction. This week- wowser! Yesterday the restriction kicked in and I think I had the best band day ever (food wise) day started with 20 oz of water 1 cup of coffee (black) 1 cup of Special K with 1/2 cup 2% milk (breakfast) Smart Ones Four Cheese Pizza (lunch) 3oz chop steak 1/2 cup scalloped potatos (didn't eat it all) No snacks!!! I stayed satisfied all day long with no snacks. Yesterday was the hubs B-day and he requested seasoned chopsteak and homemade scalloped potatos, so this was what we had. The chop steaks are 3 oz each. Preband I would eat 2 plus 2 sides and still have room, not now! I eat about 3 bites of steak and 2 bites of potatos and full! I thought WTH, wow, I am full on no more than that!! So I pack the remainder in a tupperware bowl for lunch today. I didn't get hungery later in the evening, I just felt good. I am loving this new found freedom from food. I like getting my fill on so much less- it's rush.

I know they say Cereal is a slider, but that is what I eat. I have always loved cereal. When I drink a shake, which I did for a while I would get hungry about 2 hours later then I would eat yogurt. Yesterday morning I tried a small cup of greek yogurt with a tablespoon of granola and a tablespoon of blue berries- at at 7:30 wasn't hungry till noon. Today I ate special k with 2% milk on it around the same time and again no hungry till noon. My advice is play around with the options. I start my day with 20 oz of Water with Peach Mango Green tea in it (crystal light), then I drink a cup of coffee and 30 min later breakfast.

Babe- I have an anxiety disorder and take Paxel for it. Surgery was freaking me out, but I knew I had one of the best surgeons around (Duke Hospital). I finally to try and put the fear to the back of my mind. The morning of the surgery I was postively shaking. My BP was up because I was so nervous, I joked with all the doctors and nurses and took the edge off. You will be fine, just take a deep breath and try not to think about it to much.

You look awesome!! Such an inspiration. Thank you for posting this. I have lost 50 and have 68 more I would love to loose and I feel like I may never make it; but hearing your story gives me hope that one day I will reach goal!

I get a little hicup or a feeling like I want to hicup and I know it's time to stop. If I keep going I will start burping and a little coming up with it meaning that I am over full and then I better stop.

Talk to your doctor and or nutritionist. This does sound like a very low amount and could lead to starvation mode and lower your metabolism.

When you are trying to lose weight and you hit a plateau or even go up a little inspite of doing what you are suppose to it is so easy to get frustrated. My weight loss has been painfully slow- 50 lbs in a little over 6 months. I am one of those nuts who opts to weigh daily and chart it to see my patterns in connection with what I eat. I also opt to count calories and have a fitbit to tell me an average of what I burn in day. While I haven't always been the perfect lapband patient I do stick pretty close to doctors orders. The last few weeks I am been doing what I am suppose to - 3 meals 1 cup or less 1 snack eating 1300 or less calories a day and doing cardio for 30 min to an hour 4-5 days a week. Yet, while I am doing this my weight managed to tick up from 195 where it was Saturday back up to 200 by Monday and today back down 197. I know I haven't eaten the calories to cause this so it has to be something else. With past diets I would have taken the flight approuch- this isn't doing any good, forget it I'm eating what I want. However, with the band I choose the fight mode. I am going to keep fight the fight against the fat. One of us will win and I plan on it being me! It is so easy to flee the lapband lifestyle when we don't see results that we want or expect, but we must (I must) stay and fight. Fight through the ups and celebrate the downs in the scales. On the ups it can be from water retention, a cold, not going potty, or muscle gain. All of these reason will eventually level out and the scale number will go down, but only if I keep on keeping on. I hope that you choose the fight approch to! After all our health is worth fight for!

Awesome job on the weight loss. Glad you are here.

It is so hard when you know you are doing everything right and you are still not loseing. The last week I have been doing cardio everyother day and I have been keeping my calories about 12-1300 and still I have not lost an ounce, even went up for a couple of days. I think that weight will just flucuate we just have to keep to the band lifestyle and eventually it will start moving down again.

I've had that issue when I have to wait to eat due to working on something. I really have that issue if I lay down to take a quick nap and that nap turns into 3 hours on the couch and I wake up at 8 and haven't eaten. I normally attribute that to having been laying down for 3 hours. If I were you since you aren't getting stuck I would try and eat earlier and make sure you chew well and take small bites.