gowalking

Welcome Andrew. Good luck with your journey towards surgery. I was also concerned about complications...we all are I'm sure. I can only speak for myself in that the procedure went well and I recovered fairly quickly with no issues and life is back to normal for the most part. I mean everything is different food wise, but my life has not been impacted negatively. I'm sure you'll do well and will find the lapband a great help. I've only been banded for 5 months so I can't say yet about not slipping back into old habits and regainig the weight. I've seem plenty of posts like that but for me, I've been following the rules and have been successful so far. I also lost alot of weight some years ago and am concerned about keeping it off but I hope that this time will be different. The band is doing it's job for me...I'm satisfied on less food...but still have to be aware of everything I eat and have to make choices not to eat unhealthy foods or too much food at basically every meal. I have to remind myself all the time that I am not physically hungry...I'm just head hungry. Most of the time it works and when it doesn't, I try to minimize the damage by making better food choices..

are you kidding?? that is a terrific loss for one month. you should be very happy with that progress and I'm sure the doctor will be as well.

congrats on being approved. one suggestion...don't fixate on goal weights or the timeframe to achieve them. you only set yourself up for failure if you don't reach those goals. you're being very aggressive....nearly 100 lbs in 9 months. not everyone loses that quickly. I'm not trying to rain on your parade..I'm just saying to look at shorter term goals and go from there. welcome to this site and again congrats on starting your journey.

so glad to see you posting again. hope you are doing well and feeling better Missy

Oh Mark that's really good to hear. You are on your way for sure!

faaaantastic!!

I'm also looking to lose around 100 lbs. 120 would be fantastic actually. No one really noticed the weight loss until I dropped around 40 lbs. so don't worry if at 28 lbs. down, no one is noticing. They will...believe me, they will. I'm now down 63 1/2 lbs. and folks are noticing...but like I said...it takes a while plus your old clothes will hide the weight loss. Wait until you are wearing new and smaller sizes.

Doesn't matter how old you are...She can and always will bother you because she is obviously a very insecure person and sees you as an easy target. Just live a good life and that will be your revenge. It's easy to stay away from toxic people except when they are family. You should tell her thanks but no thanks for the clothes she offered you and instead ask her why she feels so threatened by you because it's obvious she is. Good idea for you not to invite her back.

You are absolutely right Jackie. Having said that though...it doesn't change the fact that I ate like crazy for three months. Some of it was frustration. I was supposed to be banded in October but Sandy flooded the hospital and they didn't re-open until January. So..I rationalized and said to myself that I had another three months to eat to my heart's content. But...and this is a big but....I was totally compliant on the pre-surgical diet (I did not want to wake up and find out my liver didn't shrink enough and not be banded) and I've been completely compliant post-surgery and the weight thank goodness is coming off at a spectacular rate. I still have alot to go and I'm still a fat woman...just not morbidly obese...which is a great thing. I know you're playing devil's advocate but I'd bet that there are more who did what I did than those who became compliant weeks or months before surgery. I'm not saying it's right, I'm just saying I suspect that's what alot of bandsters did.

LOL!!! BTW, Dr. Ren-Fielding was my surgeon.

You betcha!! I ate like there was no tomorrow. Some people start to change their intake way before the surgery but I wasn't one one them. Here's the good news....once I was banded, I followed the rules and was lucky enough to not need any fills and five months out, I am down 63 1/2 lbs. So...don't sweat it regardless of what you do these last couple of months. Yes...you should be more aware of what you are eating prior to the surgery, but if you don't....well...you don't. Good luck!

There you go! Hi TracieR...I'm in the city. Great job on the weight loss so far. Wow..97 lbs.!!

I'm in the city but there's a NY group here on this forum and I know of two people from the island. Zinhaa and TracieR. No idea though what towns they are in.

Feel better ladies. BTW, that was my nickname as a little girl...Lizzytish. It brings a smile to my face to see another Lizzytish out there.

yes it can. I'm surprised your doctor allowed you to swim, or even go into the pool after just a couple of weeks post-op. My doctor told me six weeks before I could get in the Water. I agree with the other posters that you should probably follow up with your doctor just to make sure everything is OK.

How much have you had to change your life because of the band (a big fear of mine)? OK, here's my answer to your question. You have to change how you approach eating....but you do not have to give up foods you enjoy or things you enjoy having to do with food....like eating out. Know that while so many people are excited to start their lapband journeys, I did it under duress. My back was literally against the wall and I was looking at losing my mobility which is a very scary thing. I have severe arthritis and even though I am still in alot of pain, I know that knee replacement if I need it, will now be successful. My doctor told me that I would not do well at the weight I was and I knew I was simply out of options. I'm down 63 lbs. in the five months I've been banded and I will give myself till the end of the year to see if I have pain relief. If not, I will have my knee replaced...and should see a good outcome with the weight loss. I know this whole process is scary...it's a different way of life and an unknown way of life. This forum has been a godsend in terms of information and support. Feeling good and looking good is so much better than the fleeting happy feeling when we eat till we're stuffed. Also...it's up to you who you tell or don't tell about the band. I've told some people but not everyone. If I don't want to tell someone I was banded, I just say that I'm watching my calories. That's not a lie because I do just that. The band is not a cure-all...you still have to work hard at it and keep track of everything you eat. What it does do, if you are in the zone, is help you to feel satisfied on less food for longer periods of time. Good luck with whatever decision you make.

some people bring measuring cups with them. i don't...who wants to bring that kind of attention to themselves? you will get better at knowing your portions over time but do yourself a favor and get something that won't sink you if you do overeat. go with grilled chicken/fish. be very aware of the carbs. I portion out my food when I get it even with me eyeballing it. this way you lessen the chance of overeating.

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...