Donna113

Think about all that money saved! You didn't pay someone else to do the work, you are going to return it the same day so you don't have to pay for an extra day..... Also, think how much cheaper it is to buy clothes off the rack at any store instead of buying plus sizes just because they fit and paying 3 times what it would have cost off the rack for a size 12.

Yes, Orea, please let us know how you are doing.

That is so awesome! Hearing stories of success like this really helps keep me motivated.

I know that feeling... I KNOW that the lap band is just a tool and it won't do the job by itself, but dang it! after paying $13k (self-pay) and going through all of this, I DO want it to do all the work and it does frustrate me at times that I'm hungry and that I can't eat whatever I feel like eating and that I will have to work at this the rest of my life. I want a magic pill. Then I come back down to the real world and realize that I will achieve my goals and I will use the tools available to me but they are simply tools and I will get out of it what I put into it. The lap band is helping me control my eating even without a fill (have to wait 2 more weeks before first fill) in ways that I could not control myself before the band.

I do get worn out. The nurse at my doctor's office said to be sure to get plenty of water to avoid dehydration, thought I needed a bit sugar as well and suggested diluted apple juice (1/2 cup of apple juice diluted with 1/2 cup of water); sweet potatoes mashed and really try hard to get a minimum of 40 grams of protein a day. She also reminded me that I had surgery under anesthesia and even if I did not feel the after effects now, I am still healing and that will tire you out as well.

Congrats on doing so well. How do you resist weighing yourself? I am obsessive about it. I do it several times a day and I NEVER skip a day of weighing myself. I know it's terrible but it's an obsession I can't seem to break. I did successfully break it early this year (didn't weigh myself for 3 months) and during that time I gained the most weight I had ever gained so I'm afraid to not weigh myself.

I was self-pay also because my insurance had a specific exclusion on WLS so there was no point in even trying. However, based on the forms I signed pre-op, I'm pretty sure there were provisions in there about being able to share the information with my insurance company if they needed to for any reason so you should get a copy of all the documents you signed and peruse them thoroughly before going through the expense/bother of hiring an attorney.

OK, what's the deal? How much food are we supposed to eat? I hear 1/4 cup, 1/2 cup, 1 cup, 2 oz, 4 oz, etc. It seems to me that an adult should be able to eat at least 1 cup of food a meal. Is the goal to live off of 6 oz of food a day?

kdlee, as long as you are losing weight, I think you should trust your doctor. If you stop losing weight and he refuses to help, then it's time to get a second opinion. Remember, it's in his best interests to have you lose weight also.

The Lap Band book provided by the hospital where I had my surgery and the post-op directions from my doctor both state that the point isn't to diet or count calories, but to eat less. If you look at this as a diet and counting calories for the rest of your life, then what's the point of the surgery? You could have done that without the surgery. Granted the band helps control hunger but if you start out as a diet aren't you afraid you're going to get bored and burned out? The book and instructions did state that if you are unsuccessful in losing weight even after fill adjustments, then you may need to count calories but this was supposed to be a lifetime, lifestyle change, not another diet with a twist.

I know not everyone can afford plastic surgery and most insurance companies won't pay for it but if it's at all doable, regardless of the interest rate, can you finance it? If not, have you looked into teaching hospitals to see if you can get a discount and payment plan? I think this is more than a vanity issue; it's truly a quality of life issue. If having all that loose skin is holding you back from living your life to the fullest, then give yourself permission to make whatever sacrifices necessary to remove that block. It's OK to be selfish and do something for yourself. It's wonderful to have a partner you can trust, count on and love both physically and emotionally. Don't let money hold you back.

I think lying about it if someone asks you point blank if you've had WLS is a bad idea but otherwise telling people you are dieting and exercising is still telling the truth as well. I have decided to tell people and been amazed at the positive comments; but I decided I really didn't care what others thought because at the end of the day, it's me that has to live with the consequences and if they belittle my effort because I took the "easy" way out, then that's their issue not mine.

Rather than benefiber, you may want to try Triple Leaf Super Slimming herbal tea. It works overnight guaranteed with no lingering effects.

I think you'll be fine. You will be sore but they want you to walk around to get rid of the gas so it's probably a good idea for you to get your own Water, etc. rather than have a friend get it for you.

I'm so excited for you!

Hi PDX, it looks like you were banded just 2 days before me and you and I have similar amounts to lose BUT I notice you've lost 2x as much as I have. I haven't lost any in the 2nd week since surgery. Are you having consistent weight loss and were you on liquids for long? I was on liquids for 24 hours then soft foods. I have very little restriction.

I've been told that so long as you keep the band in the "sweet spot" you don't gain back what you've lost. So don't worry, enjoy! Give away those clothes that were too big and never look back!

My doc's office said to expect anywhere from 2 to 6 fills in the first year to get to the "sweet spot" and then 2-3 adjustments per year thereafter to maintain it.

It looks like 65% of respondents lost 40 lbs or more within the first 6 months. That's a pretty good statistic and very encouraging.

Thank you NewSho. Your post makes good sense so I will definitely try it.

Hi, Long2bFree. You and I had our surgeries on the same date. I was not on a pre-op diet so I didn't lose any pre-op and managed to lose 9 lbs post-op in the first week but have had no weight loss in my second week even though I'm still on the soft mushy post-op diet and staying below 1000 calories per day. What has your post-op weight loss been like?

Why did you have to have 2 operations?

As in most hinsight situations, once you've made up your mind to do something and do it, you often wish you had done it sooner (especially if the outcome is positive). Having said that, WLS is a difficult decision to make and not one that should be entered into lightly for a variety of reasons. I am glad I decided to do it (12 days post op) and wish I had done it sooner but it took me a very long time to admit to myself that I couldn't do it alone and that I need help. Also, WLS means you change the way you eat for the rest of your life and if you have a food addiction you have to face that fact as well. So yes, I wish I had done it sooner, but I didn't realize it until after the fact.

Did you only have problems with shrimp after you got a fill? I haven't had a fill yet and had several pieces of shrimp yesterday with no problems. Is shrimp something I will have to watch out for after I get my first fill?

I told anyone who cared to listen. I've had a lifetime of keeping secrets and found that whether it's secret worthy or not, the secrets only hurt the ones that keep them. I have to admit that I've been rather surprised at the response. I expected guarded responses (judgmental responses aimed at seeming neutral) but I received very positive responses such as "I'm so proud of you!" and "Good Luck!"