parisshel

@OKCPirate that's one of mine too - cutting my own toenails!
Walking into a clothes shop and not pushing everything to the side so I can get to the biggest sizes straight away (oh and not hearing across the shop, "We don't do large sizes".
Kate

Having to request a table instead of a booth at a restaurant. Pretty sure fitting won't be an issue anymore.

No longer having to plan on how to cut my toenails. Used to be a logistical hassle - leg up, breath, suck in gut, bend, gasp for air No more.

So this morning after taking a shower, and elbow deep in my usual routine of slathering on the lotion, and slapping on the baby powder, in hopes of reducing friction, I thought, I can't wait until I don't have to do this anymore after I lose the weight.
What fat related routines, patterns, or things are you hoping to leave behind after surgery?
PS: Johnson & Johnson stock is really going to take a plunge after I stop buying the lotion and powder.

not many ppl lose a lot of wt. until they start getting fills. I would check with your doctor's office about your diet. you might be able to move to a regular diet by now. you maybe a bit more depressed because of the limited diet. believe me we all go through emotional roller coaster ride during the first months after being banded. it will be okay. but do call your doctor about getting on more of a solid type meals. my incision hurt more where the port is. icing it did help. check and make sure you have no redness, swelling, or warm feeling to the site. is your temperature staying normal? please try and remember that you had anesthesia and that medication could be the cause for your blues. you are healing give yourself a chance. I wish you well.

Hey there, how are you doing ? Hopefully better by now ? Your body is still healing from surgery, but I would talk to your Dr. about the port pain. Not sure why you're still sore there but you would probably feel alot better after you talked to him/her. 4 lbs in the first 3 weeks ! ? Great job ! That's about what I lost when I was banded, my Dr. said that was perfectly normal. (1-2 lbs a week, and sometimes you'll stall and not lose for a bit ) Sounds like you're doing great weight loss wise ! So, look on the bright side . You're getting healthier and stronger every day and that's more than you could say 6 weeks ago ! Hope all goes well for you , keep up the good work !!! You got this !!!!

I am so sorry you feel that way and it is very disappointing to only see little results. Time will make it better. The positive is def. that you can get pregnant and get the nutrition you will need. Keep your chin up and things I am sure will get better! ????

I'm so sorry that you are feeling this way. I wish I had something to say that would make you feel better. Just remember, it's early in the game. In reality, if you have problems with your port, talk to your surgeon. Tell him your regrets. If your regrets increase or worsen, set a goal for yourself to make the most of it and your diet changes while saving for a revision. Everything gets cheaper as time passes. If your body is reacting negatively to the port then tell the doctor. I'm sorry you had little support from family. To be honest, I told a lot of people I was having surgery, with the exception of several family members. Our families aren't always our best supporters. Much love and prayers for you!

This is a great topic to ponder. I've probably been asking myself that question for 30 years. You know what? Sometimes I am convinced that obesity is merely a genotype--similar to being short or having brown hair. In other words, there are many of us who are fat not for any psychological reason, but because this morphology is the "voice of our genes."
There are those that hang onto weight because of trauma or other, but really, I am convinced that there is also a set of us that have fat inscribed in our genes. So weight loss is all that more challenging (though obviously not impossible, just harder) because our we are battling genetic code and nothing more.

I always give credit to my WLS. I feel it is only fair. If I were to leave out this essential tool, I might make the other person feel bad, as if he/she couldn't do it "like me." It's so very rare to have significant weight loss/sustainable weight loss without WLS, so giving credit to a real and useful tool is important to me. Omitting WLS in my story (such as it is; I'm hardly a success) wouldn't feel right to me. I would never want another overweight person to walk away from me thinking I did this through sheer willpower.

Alex's chart was very interesting. It really shows that there are trends in WLS focus, just as there are trends in diets.
It is clear that the lapband is no longer the hot new WLS tool and is going the way of stomach stapling. Still, my band surgeon supports bands for patients who meet the criteria because he says there is so much longterm data on them, vs. the newer procedures that he won't (yet) do.

Alex's chart was very interesting. It really shows that there are trends in WLS focus, just as there are trends in diets.
It is clear that the lapband is no longer the hot new WLS tool and is going the way of stomach stapling. Still, my band surgeon supports bands for patients who meet the criteria because he says there is so much longterm data on them, vs. the newer procedures that he won't (yet) do.

So...I wrote you a long post about how I met my boyfriend online and how everyone gets rejected online, but I erased it because ultimately it's boring and something you may not care about. Best advice...go read the book "Why Men Love B*tch*s" and then the other book "Why Men Marry B*tch*s". Contrary to what it sounds like from the title, the book is all about putting yourself first when it comes to dating and how a man has no interest in a woman that chases him. And before the men reading this have a fit...read the book first before you judge!!
In your case, if you're initiating all of the texts, then he's just not that into you (also a book worth reading). If a man is not willing to chase you, then he doesn't want you. Give yourself the respect you deserve and let the man come after you. Men like a chase...let them have it. I get that this is a bit old school, but it's true. I've dated a lot...mostly in college when I was thin and hot (now I'm just older (31) and thin, but not so hot, lol), and universally I have found that if you're the one doing the chasing, the relationship is never going to work. Be sweet, be honest and sincere, but don't ever be a doormat. Have your own life and a man worthy of your time will be happy to text you first almost every time.
Good luck!

I think if you're going to have WLS, you really have to be all-in to make it successful.
Yes, there are WLS complications for a small minority of patients. Yes, WLS is expensive -- sometimes also expensive when you have insurance. Yes, WLS is permanent and changes a lot of things about what you can eat and drink, when you should do so, how much you can take in at a time, the supplements you must take, etc.
But if all goes well (and it does for most patients), WLS can change your life so positively.
Still ... if you're not ready, please don't do it. Your situation is different from mine. And if I'd been in your situation, I might well feel like you and "try another time like hell to change my lifestyle permanently." You've got a 5% chance to take off your excess weight and keep it off for a year.
And if it doesn't work out for you, you can re-think WLS later.
(This is NOT a snarky post.)

I looked into lap band about 7 years ago and decided I would instead try to lose weight "on my own." I was successful in losing 85 lbs, but was still no where near my goal weight. Then I started putting the weight back on. I regained everything I had lost plus another 60 lbs. Fast forward 5 years. I looked back into surgery, got my sleeve (my surgeon won't do lap band except in rare cases, he has looked at statistics and believes the lap band is rarely the right surgery) and lost 180+ lbs. I still have a little ways to go but I will get there. This was so the right choice for me, though I am glad I didn't ever get the lap band.

My surgeon only takes bands OUT now. He wouldn't even discuss having it done.
Go with the sleeve. You will NOT be disappointed. Bands slip, and I've sent too many people that go for conversions from band to sleeve.
I'm 6 months out next week and I'm down 102lbs. SLEEVE!! ????????

Wow, lap band went down fast. Knock wood mine stays good for life.

Isn't it fantastic that we have options rather than just one. I know in the UK, the sleeve seems to be the one everyone is having. Whatever you chose, for whatever reason, as long as it works for that person and they are healthy and happy, then it's all good in my book
Hugs
Kate

Warning: long post ahead!
Well, if you haven't already, focus on eating lean Protein, green veggies, and healthy fats. These foods will help keep you satisfied longer and avoiding high-carb foods will help curb your hunger.
And the other thing to do is to learn to be okay with being hungry. Hunger is not an emergency. Starvation is an emergency, but you are not in danger of starvation. Hunger is just unpleasant. There are good CBT techniques to learn that can help you deal with hunger in ways other than eating. Here are a couple that I have found helpful:
--plan everything you are going to eat each day, either at the beginning of the day, or the evening of the night before. When you get hungry, say to yourself, "it's not fun being hungry, but I can wait to have my beef Jerky snack at 2:30" (or whatever your next planned snack/meal is).
--log everything you eat -- calories, carbs, Protein. When you see those amounts going into your log, you'll find yourself less hungry.
--plan three healthy meals and allow yourself unlimited Snacks in between -- but only if your Snacks consist of nothing but one specified type of lean protein and one green veggie. You can use whatever spices you want, but no oils, no cheese, no sauce, etc. So your "unlimited snack" foods for the day might be chicken breast and asparagus. You get to eat as much as you want as long as it is chicken breast and asparagus. Again, you may find yourself not as "hungry" as you thought you were -- you may be experiencing head hunger or carb cravings, not true hunger. And if you are really hungry, well, you can't do much damage with chicken breast and asparagus.
--practice fasting a couple of days a week. Have a small Breakfast, then no eating (or drinking anything with calories) until dinner. Before you start fasting, write a list of the most physically and emotionally painful experiences you have ever been through ("my mother died" "I gave birth" "I had a root canal" "I lost my job" etc.). Then, every two hours on your fast days, write a brief journal entry. Describe your levels of hunger. Rate your discomfort associated with hunger on a scale of 1-10 and compare that with the worst physical and emotional experiences in your life. Write down a coping strategy ("I will go for a walk" "I will remind myself that I can eat a nice dinner at 5 PM and I'm not in danger of starving" etc.)
Make sure that you only eat sitting down at a table. No, you can't even taste or sample anything standing up. And being in your car does not count as sitting down at a table! Keep your phone turned off and do not look at any lighted screens (tv, computer, tablet, handheld gaming device) while you are eating.
I am aware that this all sounds like a lot of effort and not much fun. Both of those things are absolutely true. I don't have a magic wand solution for you. But these things really have worked for me when I put the work in. Good luck to you!

You've asked a good question and it's a good sign you are doing thorough research.
My surgeon did band or bypass. I knew I only wanted a band, as I mentally could not handle the idea of any other more-invasive WLS. The band is also invasive, certainly, but "less" invasive in how I perceive it. My surgeon also thought, after reviewing my pre-op evaluations (psych, dietician, health issues) that I fit the criteria for a successful experience with the lapband. So I felt supported by him and his expertise.
I wish I had had the mindset to have been braver, and to have gone with either the sleeve or the bypass. My band was terrific the first year out...I loved it and sang its merits to everybody whose path I crossed.
Then I got complications.
I've said this before on this platform...when considering WLS, or any elective surgery, read closely all the risks and potential complications, and picture yourself living with any or all of the complications. This is a good way to evaluate the risk and benefit of this elective surgery. So, with the band, if you are one of the patients whose band erodes into your stomach....picture that and ask yourself how you would resolve that? With the sleeve or bypass...look at the potential for GERD or malabsorption properties, and ask yourself how you would resolve those issues?
The thing is, we are human and really can't predict outcome. I know for me, I refused to read the posts from bandsters who had experienced complications, or the band-bashers, or even the blogs of bandsters who had failed. I didn't want to be dissuaded from my decision and I was convinced I was going to be a winner at this...no issues, no complications...I wasn't going to be "like those other people." And indeed, I followed my band rules to a T, and still ended up here today, with a dormant band, unable to tap into its usefulness to the extent I need to support finishing my weightloss.
All this to say that I would not today choose a lapband. It was perhaps the gold standard in its time for WLS, but I think it has now gone the way of the Blackberry. It can still work for people, but there are other, less-problematically-prone WLS on the market (at least for now they appear to be...who knows, tho, ultimately?).

I began my journey in Nov 2014 and lost 26 lbs by surgery. I had my LB done 4/16/15 and have lost 23 more lbs for 49 total.
Today was the first day that I got any compliment on how I look!! I got " wow you look great!", " wow you've lost a lot of weight". This happened all morning!! I was so happy! Only a few people at work know I had WLS.
Picture from my vacation last week...my dgt said it was my Kim Kardashian dress!! Lol

explore your options. the sleeve is radical surgery, you lose 80% of your stomach, the band is less invasive but comes with some rules that you should consider. Bypass of course is a major surgery where your intestines are re-routed. All WLS come with risk . I was banded because I did not want to have major surgery , I have so far had a good experience and I hope to continue without problems. It is more work on your part to keep the band healthy and maintain your weight. I agree with your Doc about long term effects of sleeve, not been around long enough. I do know we have many long term band patients around and I know a few who have had band's re-done for one reason or other. I also know band over bypass patients.

Thanks all. My doc said he would do either just is partial to the band. I feel confident in him but keep going back and forth. I will check out some of the other seminars.
I am ok with changing my food habits and really feel the WLS is a tool but I think what I hear is that the band is more resrictive on what you can eat, is that true.
I think there are pros and cons on both and I just have to keep doing research.
My biggest fear is the bank won't "work". The sleeve seems easier.
Thanks so much!

Get 2 more opinions before you decide. Many surgeons are moving away from the lapband now. Fact based medicine.