reqgoddess

cracked pepper, i am 5'7", was 285 but was 44.5 when I got banded, so you will probably do better then i as you are younger and probably will have more energy. I have never seen anything that has said you can't move certain ways in order to avoid slippage. i have seen posts where people say becareful about not chewing your food carefully (at least 20-30 chews) as THAT could upset stomach and you could throw-up which if done too much can cause slippage. maximize weight loss...watch those calories and excercise. I drink plenty when I am thirsty but each person is different. I haqve never been able to "chug", not even water, so for me, not much different. Never heard of anything actually getting stuck.. Sometimes it may feel like it, again, if you are rushing and don't chew properly, and that can make you throw up which I guess, right before you do, it does sort of feel like something is "stuck". Hope this helped and good luck!!!

Want so bad, I think you will do fine. You could first try more excercise but you may need a small fill. I plateaued for months because i couldn't get back to docs but once i got my fill again, it was better. first month after new fill, only lost 3 lbs but fill after that, I have now lost another 5 lbs and still going.

I have had my lapband for a year now and still have only told a few folks. I too used the stomach surgery "excuse" and in my profession, most are too polite to ask exactly what kind of stomach surgery (thank God)lol. I just feel that I need encouragement, not jealousy. I already see some in a couple of friends I have told. I don't want to tell them now when I have lost more weight because instead of being happy for me they sort of make a face and very quietly say congratulations, etc. so, i tell my family, especially my kids are always happy for me and very supportive.

Dixiecharm, You must look at it this way..you wanted this, and you still want it, even though it might seem it. Just go easy. i went through a little of that and basically i picked up bad habits. So what if the food is cold. Take a smaller portion, then go back for more and heat it up so that you are re-heating and re-heating. what is the doctor saying? if you are having issues swallowing, in the beginning of eating, then something is wrong, so I would see a different doctor. Don't give up as you don't really want to. If you did, you wouldn't be upset in the least about it and it is very obvious that you are very upset about all this.

new update = 71 lbs lost

I got banded a little over a year ago, and I thought i would be 100 lbs gone by now. I was doing well, then plateaued, had to do a lot of Traveling for work, then had deaths in the family (3 in 1.5 months (all immediate family)) so it slowed me down because of the time I had to take off from work and out of my normal routine. I was so downtrodden ed. But my mom and DH kept after me to go back to doc. I felt embarrassed because i hadn't been there in months, but, I did it. Now I am happy again as I am losing. Not as quickly as I was before, but still they are coming off. if it takes longer then I thought, it is okay, because it is still better then I was. My BMI is still obese, but not in the morbid range anymore, so I am grateful for that. Keep going, keep believing in yourself, even in spite of your self (LOL) like me, it will pay off. every pound off is a nother step to healthiness and happiness and longevity.

You are only human. You went through all the prep work and the operation and you wanted some results, as we all do, that is the human side of us. But you may have a bigger band (there are different ones), or you could have lost more weight while in hosp or your Doc could have set it looser then some others...who knows? What matters is that you did it!! You took the GIANT step (which consisted of many steps to get to that big Giant one). Now, sit back and take a deep breath. Do the right things (see your doc regularly, watch your caloric intake and exercise) and you will be rewarded, I promise. There will be times when the going will be rough, and you may lose your perspective, but hopefully those times will be few and far between. If you made it this far, believe me, you have the stuff in you to tough it out. I can't wait until next month, I bet we will be reading about all the pounds you have lost!!

bergdorfblonde, Yes, and I am going to put both tickers on my profile, I think, but I , in my mind, track it lb by lb (talk about little chunks). LOL< I know it sounds weird, but I get happy EVERY lb. I was plateaued for a long time, so now, each and every lb brings me closer and is important for my brain to say, 'see, you are doing it"!!!

Davyna, I plateue'd in JUne/July. I got an overfill in June, so then in july, they had to take some out. Then I was doing alot of travel for work, and went to greece and then had 3 deaths in family. So, i didn't go back to doctor until january. Bad news was i didin't lose anything from July to January. Good news is that i didn't gain any. My doctor couldn't believe it, but i was exactly the same weight as I was in July. I was embarrased to log into here for all these months. But I am glad i did. BTW, I did need a fill. he gave me one and in february, i went back and had lost 3 lbs more, not much but a start. I got another fill that day and have lost another 3 lbs thus far. It is frustrating because I really thought I would be close to done by now, and here I am , not even half way. However, I am on my way. You are on your way. What was happening to me was that I could only eat a little bit but for 2 hours so therefore, I could eat a whole chicken breast and potatoes and veggies. So, once he put in the fill, it has been better again. Now I have to get off my butt and excercise again. That is something I had stopped doing and it was a bad move. Here's to being back!!!

Sorry to have gone off on a tangent here. When i first started, i was overwhelmed too. It looked like a big number. But you know, as it happens, you start feeling different. You start seeing success (not ALL thee time, so it keeps you humble and you keep trying) but now, I see that I can do it, if I keep at it. Perserverance is the key (and 100 calorie snacks like jjmiles says above).

my doctor wants me to have 150 as a goal weight, but I want 135, because I looked good there, and was able to do all the things I wanted to like run, etc. So, I need to update with both goal weights, it it will let me.

Oh, I must update my ticker tonight. I was on a plateau for a long time, so I felt so ashamed, i wasn't logging on. Silly, aren't I. Now I am losing again, but I need the encouragement of reading others enthusiasm. This is a great site for that!!!

Hi all. haven't been on in a while, but I like the new groups. took me a while to figure out which group to be in (reading too much into thedescription (lol)), but when I started I had 150 lbs to lose. Now i am at 69 lbs lost, so ALMOST half way there.

Liz, Your doctor needs his head examined. You are about 100 lbs overweight, and so the band would work. i cannot answer teh mexico questions, but look in the diffent topics because thee are threads dedicated to those mexican doctor questions. Depending upon your insurance, they may pay. Also, do you know for sure that you don't have things like sleep apnea? They will test you for that prior to surgery, etc. At 230, and 45 yrs of age, you aren't "that" healthy, and you know what i mean, i am not trying to be facitious. However, with the band, you do have to give up some things. You get the band to be healthy, so quit the smoking. You will NEVER really be able to excersie and feel good if you are smoking (I have tried, believe me). Forget soda it is the most unhealthy thing. Each and every ingredient is not just NOT GOOD for you, each and every one is BAD for you. They make you GAIN weight, yes, EVEN the DIET ones. I will be honest with you here, you need to do more research. This is surgery. It is a total lifestyle change. If you are not prepared to make a lifestyle change, then the band is not for you, seriously. Why go through surgery if it is all for nought? However, if you do your homework, and you really want to do this, then the band is a wonderful tool for losing wieght. However, it is a TOOL, you must still watch what you eat, count your calories (don't care if you use points, portion control, etc. it is all still counting calories, just someone else did it for you) and excersise. But if you do, you will love the results. i went down 3 full sizes in 4 months. Yup, that is 56 lbs, but....this last month i have not lost my normal 15 per month because I was overfuilled and so i was able to eat ice cream and fritos but not good food other then yogurt (I don't like alot of soups, etc) so, I have only lost 8 lbs since my last fill. BUt I am going back to morrow and have some taken out . See, at first i was thinking , well, that is allright if it is too tight, it'll loosen soon, and i will lose more wirght, but it isn't the correct way of doing it. Now i feel tired, no stamina, not eating correctly not really eating at all, so not losing weight either, well, not like I was. When i get back to the right feel, I will have energy and can excersize and eat the right things again and look forward to my normal wieght loss. Hope I didn't confuse you. Good luck with your quest!!

I go to Ft. Hood at least once a year, which is close to waco. How is the weather down there? Looked like you guys were having thunderstorms again.

Hi Craig and sweety, Welcome soon to the world of banding that i love!!! I think you will love it. My advice? Read as much as you can about nutriction. You will not be able to put alot in the little belly you will have, so pick good things to go in. Healthy things i mean. White flour and white sugar and salty things only last a short time and are high in fat and calories. So, soon after, you will need to eat again. This defeats the whole purpose. I count calories every day. I stick to about 1200 or less (i try for less most days). I love it, i do not feel hungry nor like I am missing anything. So, my unsolicited advice is "do your homework" and HAVE FUN!!! It can be alot of fun. My kids have fun with it too, giving a stern warning to mommy if she even mentions a "baddie" like cookies. (I do have them here and there, but tey don't know (LOL))> I think you need to have fun and a candy kiss once a night or every other day, won't hurt...as long as it is 1 kiss, not 2 or 3 or more. But you will see how easy it is and you will be so phyc'd. Welcome, and enjoy!!!

I am actually from central NJ, Ocean County, but because it is by hte shore, everyone calls it south (from up north (LOL)).

I have been able to eat whatever i want most times, but i choose NOT to have those, because it just isn't worth it. 30 minutes of walking only gets rid of enough calories for half a candy bar, etc. Bread and pizza (with all it's cheese (110 cal / oz)) is fattening so it isn't worth it to me. I would rather have something better that will make me feel full longer so that i don't want to eat again in an hour or 2. I have made exceptions, then mentally regretted it because i felt like a cheater, but then went back to my normal "new" habits. I can tell you however, I have greens at least once a week (like escarole or broccoli rabe) which has some olive oil and lemon on it and i will have a piece of whole wheat Italian bread with it to dip. I mean, come on, we have to live right? lol. However, let me say one thing, WHOLE WHEAT grains are good for you. Baked potatoes are good for you. Don't believe it when people say they aren't. What isn't healthy is all the crap people put on them, like cheese and bacon bits, sour cream, even butter. These things not only add calories and fat they sometimes, depending on what you are piling on, can undo other good foods you eat. 2 of the best, a number healthiest foods in the world : oatmeal and SWEET POTATOES. NOT with milk and sugar and candied and loads of butter, of course. Talk to a nutritionist, or even look it up on line, these 2 foods are excellent and filling; even though oatmeal is a carb. We need some carbs in our lives. For me, and this is only me because everyone's body is really different, it meant making alot of hard choices, but I have been doing it with sheer joy. I just bought 2 pairs of jeans and 3 shirts, first new clothes i have bought since banded, they are now 18. I was a 24 in most things and sometimes a 26. So, I am elated. And you will be too. As you see those pounds go off, you will know you are making the right decisions, but you will feel it too. Like more energy, better sleep (i had bad sleep apnea, after the first month of the band was already much, much better), happier outlook on life. Obviously, this isn't all from the band, but the band reinforces it. Like you are doing the right thing for your body, then when you feel better and see results, you are a happier person inside.

thank you all, I am going to call tomorrow and hope they can fit me in. Believe it or not, it is actually hurting my weight loss because all I can eat is soft like ice cream or crunchy like Frito's and I can do yogurts but I get sick of them after a wile. I have thrown up too many times over the past weeks, so it has NOT been good. Was going to go last week and daughter had cut her cornea while at a band competition, so was going to her eye doctor every day, so she didn't lose her sight. Things are calming down now, doesn't have to go back until Thursday so i will go from work (because this week I will be able to get there on time (LOL). I have only lost 6 lbs since my last fill, and I had been doing much better. But this has left me weaker so I can't exercise either. You know, at first i was going to leave it, thinking it would subside in like 2 weeks. It has been almost a month and so far today i have eaten 1/2 piece of bacon and 1 piece of cheese. I am going to try a hamburger because it is late so I may be able to handle it. I hope so.

wasabubblebutt, and all, You are correct. A "destroyed" metabolism isn't a good description. I believe it is that you can slow your metabolism way down by bad dieting habits over the years. Eating certain foods and no exercise and your metabolism will be slower then a person who eats good food and exercises. Most of us on this forum probably have slowed our metabolism down to a crawl before the band. The minute you "diet" your metabolism crawls because most of he time your body thinks it is in starvation mode. And I was NOT discounting what she said just because she was 19. But to say "I know it all" is a common example of a 19 year old point of view, and the fact that certain parts of the brain do not mature until 25 (like the part that says 'look before you leap because you may not like where you land') is a fact (at least in the latest 'discoveries')). So, age does have to do with perspective on things and giving advice. I do not believe that the person is unintelligent or anything like that. You know, what you said is true, IF a 15 year old is going through what we are...but that could NEVER be the case because we are NOT 15. And she is NOT 45. I didn't have this done at certain ages because i was not 'ready". You have to exhaust all avenues first. surgery is and should always be a LAST choice. (although i am NOT promoting "dieting" but a change of lifestyle). She would have to have a change of life style AFTER the band anyway, or she will just get fat again or not lose much to begin with). All i am saying is that in the teenage years, IF she made the other changes , truly made the other changes, she probably would not need the band, because having bad habits for 10 years is not as bad as having them for 30 or 45 years in some folks cases. Most of us have found the dedication after the band, because it helped us with discipline (pre-op diet even started this) and we learned nutritional information (some in classes pre-op and from this forum, and in general as we have become more dedicated). Yes, the feeling full helped, but it is alot easier to keep to 300 calories until dinner then it was before the band because i eat better food to fill that void (yes the void is smaller). But, I could eat ice cream at lunch instead of my fat free yogurt that is 60 cal. i could eat that snickers instead of the fat free pudding that is 100 cals for snack. But again, we are not 15. When I needed to lose at 15, and even 20, 25, whenever i felt i had gained, i would have discipline and ate less and worked out more. At one time, I had a gym for he weekend and a gym for during the week. I got fat when I stopped watching what I ate, stopped working out and got a sit down job, and all the self esteem issues were smothering me all at once. I should have taken care of those self esteem issue FIRST, when young, and paid attention more to me so that as i got older and life didn't go my way, I could have handled it better. I believe, and I truly do, that a teens self esteem needs to come from within FIRST, then deal with the body issues. I got the band, because I dealt with the "me" first. Or I wouldn't have been successful, thus far. I realize that each of us is unique and do not have the exact same issues as all bodies are unique. Some heal quicker, some heal slower etc. But the one thing that is most common is the lumping of age groups. As a rule, 15 year olds will lose easier then 25 year olds. 15 year olds will run rings around 35 year olds. easy? no. easier? yes. The band is good, but surgery isn't. I don't believe, and this is just MY belief, that at 15, such a young age, not even really out of puberty yet, body changing so dramatically still, one could explore all avenues honestly and wholeheartedly and still come up with surgery as the only answer. Would you let your child get lasix surgery done at 15 (IF you could get a doctor to perform it at that age)knowing her eyes haven't fully developed/grown? Why should her stomach be so different? Because we are sensitive to it? Because we made mistakes as youths (and it wasn't NOT getting the surgery) so why should she? I will shut up now,, (I know you are saying (finally lol)) and will not reply no matter what (lol).

All, I need to have some taken out but am more am more afraid then when I had the fill. Does it hurt to take the Fluid out (like can you feel it?)? Can you eat afterward? Do you feel relief? How do you know if they took too much out?

you know, it is a sign that something is wrong, (duh) but sometimes it isn't to see what it is. elationships are so hard. I have been where some of you have been (my husband actually counter sued me for divorce staing that I wouldn't ahve sex with him for 2.5 years (of course he didn't state it was because he made me feel like I could have been a chicken he was having sex with). I had decided that if i wasn't going to "make love" then i was NOT going to have sex. However, there are other things too. like antideppressants, age, stress, scared of what to do after you haven't done it in awhile, like failing your partner, afraid of not being able to finish what you start, etc. Boy, it certainly isn't the cinderella and prince charming story you thought it would be whern you were a kid huh? life is tough, even in a good marriage, there are so many stresses.

Yes, it is a horrible feeling isn't it? At first, before my first fill, it NEVER happened to me. Then after my first fill, I tried to eat a cheese omelet too soon (even thought it was 4 days) and oh baby the pain. After my second fill, which was too much I am pb'ing too often. I will ned to ge tsome removed i think. Even though it has been 2 weeks, it isn't much better so my quality of life isn't as good.

Laurend, Sorry, but ...no. Very FEW people in this world can be a couch potatoe and eat thousands of calories and NOT get fat ..eventually. What you find out about most people is that when they aren't around you they are working out, dieting, etc. There are a few lucky sould in this world that have a very fast/high metabolism, but very few. The most of thin people work at it. My dad was 6 ft tall, weighed 180 lbs his whole life, but he never ate too much. he would purposely move away from the food. Not have that doughnut, etc. And again, of course, the gene has something to do with it, but not all. What the gene does is help you to have a pre-disposition towards obesity. IT DOES NOT seal your destiny!!!! Some people have to work harder then others. And it is NOT jus the calories, it is the content of the calories and the combination of the enzimes with the Vitamins you eat. It takes work. It takes learning A BUNCH of stuff. It takes discipline, dedication, etc. But man, who is better equipped to do that then a teenager? Who has the drive the energy more then a teenager. They live half thier teenage life with going all day and very little sleep and can get up the next morning and do it again. At 45, if I stay up to 1 am reading then i feel it the next day as if I was out on a drinking binge. yes, i wish I had the support i do now to have had the time it is taking to learn all this and the stamina of youth to have stayed the course of implementing it. But I didn't. But a teenager whose mom is asking these questions does. She has parents who want to be there for her so she can take the time and learn this and be able to take the time to implement.

First of all, I never said you "grow out of it". Quite the opposite. The longer one waits, the harder it is . Look, no offense, but at 19, although you may be extremely intelligent, you are too young to be fully "life smart" yet (the proof is your statement of "I know all there is to know"). Heck, you haven't even graduated college. However, I know you hate hearing that, because I did too. I, too, felt that way at 19, ( actually i think I felt that way as early as 16 (lol)) so I understand. Warning: when you are 25, you will look back and realize just how much you didn't know. But that is part of life that we all experience. You have NO concept what it is like when you turn 30 then 35 then 40, etc and each time you realize the changes and just how ignorant you were at the age before. (needless to say you will realize all the things that didn't hurt (like knees) in the age before (lol)). No one is saying that the "fat gene" doesn't count. But we use it too much. With exercise and diet and the metabolism of a teenager you can overcome the "fat Gene". And yes, it looks great on paper, and like EVERYTHING in life worth obtaining, it takes work. I have been banded because I am 45. I allowed myself, for all kinds of "reasons" get fat. I yo-yo'd for years. I destroyed my metabolism, which at 45 is nothing like a teenagers' to begin with. Are you going to tell me, honestly, that in your teens, you ate healthy, and exercised? I mean, you had less calories in then you burned? Come on, we are talking about a kid here, who has the time and energy to do it, (but maybe not the stamina, because of years of bad habit eating which I am not saying is her fault, but only she can correct it). Not someone who has to go out to work each day, take care of a couple of kids, dogs, cats, (maybe even a goldfish), a house, who has lot's of things to get done in a day with no time to do them, let alone time to work out, a boss on your back and maybe a husband that is a non supportive idiot. In addition, even THAT is an excuse, because our priorities should be better so that taking care of ourselves IS important. Exercise IS taking care of ourselves. I am not saying this with disdain, but with love. Sometimes, it isn't the easy thing to say, doesn't mean it isn't correct. Teenagers fall into that mode of "the social life" is the most important thing. They will sit on computers; cell phones; ipods for hours but not have "time" to exercise. I have a teenager and I have to constantly try to get her to eat properly, stay away from soda (in which EVERY ingredient is BAD for you), etc. Luckily, thus far, she is thin, BUT she complains that she is getting a belly. Well, at 13 and now 14 she decided she no longer likes the good stuff she used to eat and at school is eating lots of carbs ( chicken patty; fries) and no real Protein (protein wrapped in deep fried bread crumbs doesn't really count does it?) She is NOT 8, (like my little one) where I can control what she eats even when she is away from me. At 14, they are a bit more independent, but she already isn't liking the results. I tell her, only she can change it. I make the healthy food, she eats good at dinner, but the rest of the day it is a horror. When she stays after school, for school work or band; she buys soda out of the machine (which thankfully is being pulled out of the school this summer). Here's the deal, banded or not: Losing more then 10 lbs is a lifestyle change. It is an important one. My sister, who has never been overweight, at 49 runs 3 miles a day , and works out in the evening. She eats no more then 1500 calories a day. YES, she watches what she eats and it is WORK!@!! Even thin people who want to stay thin HAVE to do it. If a bony-malony like her has to watch what she eats and exercise, what makes us think that we don't have to? All those things you want to avoid..i have some. All un-necessary. Had I thought better of myself and put more emphasis on me, could have all been avoided. I DO NOT MEAN become an egotistical SOB. There is a happy medium. I suffered from depression due to some things that happened to me as a child, and my ego was certainly not what it should have been. At late 20's - early 30's it all came down on me like a ton of bricks. I was smart enough to know better, but like you said, it is all easy on paper. Real life happens, and some handle it better then others. I made mistakes due to my lack of self esteem and tried to protect my kids but by doing that i let myself go, but should have tried harder to take care of me, ( again a happy medium) because in the long run, a happier mom is better for the kids. Again, easier said then done. With bad knees and hips going bad, having had 2 herniated discs; exercise wasn't an easy option, although now that i have lost some, it is MUCH easier then before. I can tell you that I was banded for many reasons having to do with health issues, so that i would be here for my kids because they are not ready to be here without me. Anyway, i kinda like life, and in this case it (the band) probably saved it. As a 19 year old person, you may have been banded, for your own personal reasons. But you cannot even fully understand the impact on your life for the future because the part of your brain that handles "long term planning-cause and effect" doesn't fully mature until about 25. So you THINK you do, but medically you are shooting dice. I hope it is the best thing you've done and that it turns out 100% happy (and in this case it probably will) but as a person whose body is still growing INSIDE, I don't think it is sound advice for all teenagers. I think it should be an exception; absolute last choice. Especially for early and mid teens. If they think they have stress now, oh PLEASE!!! I know it seems real to them, but that is why they need to get help to handle that, because this is one of the least stressful times in your life. i know it sounds cliché' but I wish i was back in high school and college. Being a "grown up" isn't easy. Exercise now before the knees and hips and back all go south. Right now, they have some of the stamina. Get the help NOW, mental and physical and it will last a lifetime. It is an IMPORTANT investment in the future, one of the most important they will ever make. Being banded isn't easy. Living with the band is something I wish i didn't have to do to achieve my goals, but by waiting too long, it is the best way out. But teenagers have their whole lives ahead of them. The clock is NOT ticking as fast even though it may seem it. Good and healthy lifestyle changes will benefit more. Remember, if you don't get healthy upstairs too, they you can gain back all the weight that you lost . I know a lady who had a gastric by-pass and has gained back 50 of the lbs she lost. And remember , they don't even absorb everything like we do, but she is the one to bring all the cakes and donuts and Cookies into the office each Friday. Anyway, i did not intend to come across condescending or mean. I nag because I love and want to help. I was hoping some could benefit from experience and such, (but the nagging part is a left-over from being a mom :-). We are all here to learn, and embrace and hopefully help someone else. I WOULD NEVER want to hurt anyone nor would I intentionally be mean or try to hurt any one. Although I know that because you cannot hear me say the words that i write, you can't know that. Many times the written word comes across cold, but that doesn't mean they are meant to be that way and i swear in this case they are NOT meant to harm or hurt.