gowalking

Welcome. I had Dr. Ren as my surgeon. I was banded on January 14th and I've done very well. I'd like to lose a total of around 120 lbs. and I am a little more than half way there. I've lost 63 lbs. so far. I had a powerful motivator to have the surgery. I have severe arthritis and was risking being able to walk at the weight I was before being banded. Most of the folks on this site have been through the same thing food wise.....food addiction, yoyo dieting, overeating, etc. We're all fat for pretty much the same reasons. Just so you know, some folks do better than others. This is still a diet..or a lifestyle change...whatever you want to call it. But I have found that the band keeps me fairly satisfied between meals and I am eating just a fraction of what I used to consume. I must must must measure out my food and I keep a food diary so I can know just what I'm eating. I've gotten more info on this site than anything the nutritionist or even the doctor provided at the office so keep reading while trying to stay away from the horror stories. Good luck on your weight loss journey. If you are motivated and eat per the rules...small bites, chew well, eat slow...you should be fine. FYI, I can't give you any advice on stuck episodes or productive burping or how it feels to have fills as I've experienced none of those. I'm one of the few who is doing well without fills....and because I have no fills, I find that I can eat anything. I just eat it in moderation. Some things I don't bother with at all because they are just empty calories...like ice cream or candy. If I want something sweet, I've learned to love sugar free pudding, Jello, pops, etc. Keep us posted on your progress and let us know how its' going. There are a number of us from the NYC area who've been banded at NYU and we have a separate thread.

oh..OK not too far. I used to live in Orange County....in Monroe.

oohhh...a fellow NY'er. Are you near the city, or far, far away?

You'll do fine. Before the surgery I ate like a madwoman. I could down 1/2 lb. of pasta at a single sitting. I ate all the time. Now, I eat around 1,000 calories a day. I track everything I eat in Myfitnesspal and I'm doing really well. Sixty-three lbs. since January....17 of those during the pre-surgery diet.

Fantastic! You look great.

My PCP is affiliated with NYU and she recommended them. So did a friend. Your govenor, Mr. Christie, used them. He had Dr. Fielding, I had his wife...Ren-Fielding.

The Big Apple. New York, New York! Or as we say....New Yawk...LOL!

As you continue to see success, you will find it easier to stick to a food plan. Especially when you start to shop and find yourself in smaller sizes. For an old gal like me, it's also about health. I have high blood pressure and want to get off the meds. I also want to avoid diabetes, high cholesterol, all that fun stuff...

I'm just one of those lucky few who are in the green zone without fills. Now..that doesn't mean I don't get hungry. I do. But I can usually go from meal to meal without getting ravenous and I track everything I eat. I stay at around 1,000 calories a day and so far, it's worked for me. I have alot to lose so even down 63 lbs. so far, I need to lose at least 100 lbs total. So...I went from morbidly obese to a regular fat person. But, at least this regular fat person can fit into seats that were tough to get into before, and I don't see the panic in people's eyes that I used to see when I got on the bus or subway. I knew they were hoping I wouldn't try to sit next to them...and I didn't blame them. I'm starting to feel normal again and that's a wonderful feeling.

this has never happened to me but I've read about it happening to others. they all say that it happens when eating too much so at least you know that there is a connection and you're not imagining this..

I was banded in January and have not had any fills. So far, I can eat anything though I'm sure when you get fills, that is not necessarily the case. I burp alot more since being banded and I use that as a soft stop sometimes because after the burp, I tend to feel a little full and know that I'm done. Sometimes, there's no soft stop signal and the only way I know I'm done is that I weigh and measure all my food and when the plate is clean, I'm finished. No seconds, no more food period.

you were very close...it's the vagus nerve. from what I understand, the band affects this nerve and it helps to suppress hunger.

Hi skinnybound. I was banded at NYU in Manhattan. Are you from the tri-state area?

I needed three months of a supervised weight loss plan. My PCP had to submit the documentation along with a letter recommending the surgery. Had to do the psych and cardiac stuff....including a stress test and echocardiogram. I started this journey last summer, got all my requirements in and surgery planned in October and then superstorm Sandy hit and the hospital was shut down for three months. I finally had the surgery in January and have been doing very well. 64 lbs. down with no fills. You will get through these next few months...and might even have some setbacks like I did. A hurricane....who would have thought it?? But it's true....you will soon enough find yourself having the surgery and on your way to a healthier you. Good luck!

oh yeah....that's karma for sure! LOL!!

if you logged your calories and worked out, then don't worry about the 8 lbs. it's likely water weight and will come off pretty quickly. I just got back from my vacation on Sunday and also watched what I ate though I knew that my sodium intake was higher than normal. I gained about a pound in total but watched my weight fluctuate a couple of pounds up and down the whole week I was away. Got on the scale today and lost three pounds since I'm home. I'm telling you...it's water weight....

I don't think so step. you are probably sore and swollen and that's the bloated feeling. Liquids pass right through the band.

are you tracking your calories? I do and that is a huge help in knowing how much you are taking in.

Your high BMI plus the co-morbidities should make you eligible for insurance coverage for the procedure. Good luck on your journey. I have high blood pressure as well and I've gone from two different meds plus a diuretic down to one med and at a low dosage as well. I hope to be off all hypertensive meds completely by the time I reach goal..

Welcome to the other side!

So...I was on vacation last week and was so happy to not just fit into the seat on the plane, but I didn't need the belt extender and I had no problem buckling the belt (I even had to tighten it a little!). Then, I had no problem putting down the armrest. For the first time in years, It wasn't tight, it wasn't riding up on my hip, it just went down...and stayed there. Oh glory!! I didn't eat or drink anything other than Water but I just had to bring the tray down...and again...it went down and stayed there. I didn't have to move my belly out of the way, I didn't have to worry it wouldn't go down... Oh the happiness of the ordinary!! I'm even OK with the 1/2 lb. weight gain. I was very aware of portions and did well in that regard but we ate out alot and I know I ate items that were higher in sodium than I usually eat at home so I expect it's probably water weight. I don't care right now...I was like a regular person on the flight and that is so satisfying.

Hey Mark.....call the office to double check on the soda thing. As I recall, diet soda was OK on the pre-surgical diet but I don't remember seeing soda on the post-op guidelines. I haven't had any carbonated drinks since being banded..I thought it was a no-no..but I could be wrong. FYI, I think we're going to meet up sometime in June. just waiting for dani to be available. I'm surely going to try to make it and I hope you will as well..

I sure do understand what you are saying Angela. I've dropped over 60 lbs. and did a bunch of shopping while vacationing in Florida this week. I was super frustrated because I didn't look good in alot of stuff....especially the new styles of bathing suits out there. Plus I'm dealing with loose skin...my tummy and thighs are bad, as are my breasts. They seem to have deflated and the suits have no support on top. I am buying cheap clothes at the moment and when I get closer to goal...and maybe even after having some plastic surgery, I'll pay more attention to buying better fitting stuff. In fact, I have a wedding in July and I found a dress in the back of my closet that I liked when I bought it and it fits again. I suspect I have this dress at least ten or more years and have no idea if I will look ridiculous or not, but I'm going to wear that old dress and consider it 'vintage'.

was banded on January 14th and including the pre-surgical diet, I'm down 61 1/2 lbs. with no fills. my surgeon says that while it is not the norm, it's working for me and I shouldn't look to get a fill unless I really need one. so far, I'm doing fine without any. and I also have had no stuck or sick issues. I use myfitness pal to make sure I'm between 950-1,100 calories a day and so far, so good.

same here. less invasive and reversible. the sleeve is not. my experience has been very good with the band. had the surgery on January 14th and am down 61 1/2 lbs. with no fills as of yet. still have a ways to go (I'm hoping to lose 100 lbs.) but this is a very good start.