The B

I read your post today and left and am now back, I want to say something to brighten your day or change your perspective, but I don't know what to say. All of these things are important and you deserve to feel overwhelmed. I don't know when and I don't know how, but eventually things will work themselves out, or you will see how these things helped you grow, idk, I really wish you the best, and believe things will get better! Good luck and take care.

Tomorrow will be 5 weeks with my band, my Husband comments on my loss everyday and my kids do regularly which feels great! My husband was saying a few days ago "your butt is getting smaller" after telling me several times over a few days I start thinking, maybe it really is getting smaller, so I say to my son (he is 7 and the youngest of 4 kids, he being the only boy and his sisters are all teenagers, so he is used to these questions and usually puts in his 2 cents whether he's asked or not) Is my butt smaller or is dad just being nice? You can tell the pressures on... "uum, um," and his eyebrows are pulled together in thought, what to do, what to do??? he finally says "I think it's smaller?" I laugh cause he's obviously trying to get this right and I ask "is it really smaller or are you just being nice?" his confidence must kick in now cause he sits up a little straighter and says "I think it's smaller yeah, yeah, it's smaller" so there you have it, either my family is being sweet or it's smaller. I've been really lucky, I didn't have to get a fill when I went in a few days ago, I'm never hungry and have to remember to eat, I don't have many cravings and haven't had a problem with wanting to over eat. i'm losing about 15 lbs. a month or 1/2-1 lbs. a day. I'm enjoying it now cause I know any day it will slow down and I'll have to really start working for it. I am noticing inches and my clothes are getting to big, today..right now, I love my band, we seem to be working together very well! My husband says if you could do it again would you. well right now yes, but like so many others I worry that I will lose 35 lbs and it will just stop, it's scary to think that I paid $10,000.00 to lose 30 or 40 lbs (I was self pay) and then he says... we need to get a bag going for you so every time you put something on that no longer fits (which is starting to happen !!!!) you can put it in it and get rid of it you'll never need it again. I gasp, he doesn't know but inside I think wait, what if I gain my weight back I'll need clothes.... Wow, why is this so scary, it's fun I'm losing weight I've only just started this journey... and I know some people return to bad habits ad gain there weight back, I'm familiar with plateau's and sure I will have my share, but since when have I been so weak to not be able to control myself??? not so long ago. or I wouldn't be where I am today. The band helps the belly not the brain. But you know my family has made lifestyle changes we eat better, we only buy healthy things my husband has lost 22 lbs and my teenagers all lost between between 5-9 lbs (all have and had healthy bmi's) but none of them have the band, we are making our life so that I and all of us know how to eat and live better. so I'm going to stick to it. worry about today and eat right so I'll be ready for tomorrow and then I'll repeat. this plan should work... NO NO It will work!

3 weeks banded so very little experience here, but I get hiccups after i eat any thing no matter how much or how little, when I had this question I searched it in the forums and found that a lot of people have this. Good luck!

Congratulations!!! I was just banded 3 weeks ago and I'm still not hungry, and I too had a hard time swallowing protein shakes until about 10 days post op. your really swollen inside and it takes a few days for the swelling to go down. I can drink protein shakes just fine now but I think we are just lucky as far as not being hungry... I think there are alot of people that are hungry right away, and I'm told that once the swelling is gone your hunger really comes back! Good Luck

Congratulations on getting the band! my left shoulder hurt for about a week, I did wind mills with my arms a couple times a day for 30 seconds or so and it didn't help right away but I would notice on days I did it the next day wasn't as bad. it's something to try it won't hurt you even if it doesn't work. as far as the tube my lips were never numb but I did cough a little and throat bothered me for about 2 days. the first 3 days are the hardest and the 4th and 5th day is only a little better then you will really start to feel a little better every day. sorry everything comes in little steps right now. You'll do great Good Luck!

How exciting for you!! water or ice chips, I can't tell you how thirsty I was. I also had gatorade and light cran-raspberry juice. the second day I really enjoyed the broth for me it was more soothing. Good luck, you're gonna do great!

You're gonna do great, I'm recently banded and my best advice would be not to set to high of expectations for right after the surgery,so many people seem to think they will go home weighing 25 pounds less, your body will need 4-6 weeks to heal, and not everyone loses weight during the healing process. but when you have healed and are eating right and working out, you will feel great, and you will do these things bc your dr. said so and he knows how to help you! please don't think you'll fail, know you will be succesful. you're right you got this! Good Luck

I wish I could help you with this one I haven't told my family either, and I worry about the day we all get together and they see me not eating much, My family will comment for sure. I've figured that i would sip on soup so it always looks like i'm eating something. maybe put some food on a plate and move it around so it looks like you ate some. and just tell them your watching your portions. Your clever I'm sure you'll come up with something brilliant Good luck! let us know how it turns out, they'll probably be so impressed with you, they won't even notice your plate!

I'm so happy for you!!!! I just got banded and am healing but I'm looking forward to having days like this. I enjoy reading posts/blogs like these that inspire me. Congratulations

I also live 4 hours away from my dr. and I'm sorry that you're going through a difficult time. so they can't get you in for 6 weeks, frustrating I know but you just have to schedule your appointment, eat right until then (remember this is a lifestyle change anyway) when your there hopefully they will give you just what you need but if the dr. chooses to be tough and start with a small fill then be tough too, go home eat right and return for another fill. You know you don't have a useless piece of plastic inside you because it has worked for you, and I'm sure it won't have been the first time you've had to jump through some hoops for a dr. we all have too. this is just a bad day and when you think about it you'll see what you need to do and you'll feel better! take care and love yourself

So yesterday April 5th at 5:30 a.m. I got the lap band put in. by 9:30 a.m. I left the surgical center with my husband (the poor guy had to wait in the lobby for 4 hours alone. I told him he could go to the hotel since it was only about 4 min. away, but he refused.) we picked up our kids from the hotel and was headed home by 10. I slept most of the way home and my kids sat still and quiet for 3 of the 4 hours of the ride home when I woke up I told them they didn't have to be quiet and assured them they weren't bothering me, they have all been over the top considerate I think it was just a big deal to them, no one in our family has ever had surgery before. The gas discomfort was the most uncomfortable yesterday and thanks everyone that posted to use a heating a pad it has helped so much. my chair in our vehicle has heated seats so that helped some during the drive, others said to have a hot bottle of water but i used the hand feet warmers they stay hot for 6 hours plus there thin little packets so you can lay back on them comfortably. I slept good last night only waking up when the meds were wearing off. I was very nauseated when I first woke up but they stuffed me full of anti-nausea meds and haven't been sick since. today the gas pain is getting better but my stomach muscles are very sore and my inscisions are a little painful but the meds help and I think by tomorrow I will be feeling much better. I can't believe how thirsty I've been i'm sipping water and constantly, I have no hunger whats so ever, i'm sure that will pass soon and then I will be in the much discussed bandster hell. well its done so funny how you wait so long prepare for this big life change and after it's finally here it almost seems crazy! I am so happy that I took this step, I want to be healthy and I want to be proud of myself, this is the beginning how exciting. Thank goodness for this site it really helped me to prepare and good luck to anyone getting the band and to everyone who already has one!

Making a Lifestyle change... In January my husband and I decided to commit to the lapband journey as soon as possible. first we had to finish saving the money, at the beginning of March we knew the finances would come together I started drinking a protein shake for breakfast and lunch but I also started fixing healthier food for my family, march 21 I met with my Dr. and his staff and scheduled operation for April 5 at this point I had lost 8 lbs. I've always drank alot of water and cross my fingers that it wasn't just a bunch of water weight but I'm sure plenty was though When we got home my DH husband and I threw away all junk food in the house, went to the store bought light mayo, lower calorie cheeses, yogurt, leaner meats, everything. we're making a lifestyle change, not just for he and I but for our kids as well. we have 3 daughters and a son 2 of my girls are teens and the third is right there. all of my kids have normal bmi's but 2 are at the higher end and I can see both of them copying my lifelong bad habits, not stopping when their no longer hungry, eating bc it tastes good or just bc their bored...NO it has to stop now. We completely stopped eating out we started counting calories for each of their age groups and started teaching portion control. we're still eating all the meals we used to eat with just a few healthy adjustments, but still delicious. dinners now are no more than 500 cals. total, everything we put into our bodies are healthy. when snacks for the kids are allowed its healthy. and they have to drink water, water, water. don't get me wrong we've discussed that occasionally we will have some junk food, just not everyday and when we do we need to limit it. also we've discussed if we're craving something it's probably better to have a little than to eat a bunch of other stuff trying to curb the craving. my husband has lost 12 lbs of the 20 he wants to lose and he stopped drinking soda. he says he feels better, he's sleeping better and guess what.. no more heartburn, my daughter's with the higher bmi's have lost between 3-7 lbs. we're going for walks and playing in the yard more. but it's more than that, Easter holiday my kids wanted their favorite holiday meal so I made a nice feast for them, still healthier but a feast none the less, usually they would have polished off most of the food, but not this time, they each had a small plate, they only ate half their chicken. everyone ate 1/3 of what they would have usually eaten eaten. They were full It's working!!! then yesterday my daughter came home from school (and I talk about her weight bc about a month ago at school the class weighed each other, and my daughter's friends are petite and my daughter has been very small as well but lately, as stated above she was getting into some bad habits and she weighed about 10lbs more than her friends and some comments were made I don't think purposely to hurt her feelings but it did, I realized I needed to change my families habits) anyway she came home and said some people in my class today brought in some donuts, I thought about having one but I wasn't hungry and I had eaten dessert at lunch so I passed, I didn't care if she had the donut but she was proud of herself for recognizing she didn't need it, IT'S OKAY TO WALK AWAY. I also no longer make my kids finish whats on their plate. I know their bad habits are my fault What I've realized is we needed a lifestyle change I'm proud of my whole family. and I've got this, I'm sure there will be bumps but I have support and I'm excited about our future

I love this and you are so right! I personally need the figurative dad approach for me and tend to be that way myself, but I also know that some people respond better to "moms" and if your one of these people the "dads" always seem like bullies. I have 4 kids and three of them have to get the "dad" or they take advantage but their is 1 little girl that needs the "mom" which is hard to find in this house try as I may (and I do, especially with her) but she has told more than once that she feels like a lamb with a pack of wolves, really? I think we're not so bad yet she and only her always feels bullied. Thanks for posting this I see the same things here at LBT and I will think "what they said wasn't mean" yet someone has hurt feelings, your right we all need to remember we all have different needs.