BlueMoon~T

Yay! Glad I found this thread! Doing beginners fat burning yoga. Gotta love Jillian Michaels!

Tyger's Mom- Although, I do not have a Masters in Health & Fitness, I was really well versed in dieting. I lost almost 90 lbs on Atkins, but guess what? I gained it back. It took me awhile and serious health issues to convince me I needed help. That's just what the Band is for me. It's my tool, it helps me stop eating when I listen and it keeps me feeling full. You're a step ahead with the knowledge you have to be super successful with the proper tool. Just my thoughts. Have a great day!

Congrats on your surgery! You'll find everyone's dr does fills differently. In my case my office uses a fluoroscope. So, they take an x-Ray verify everything looks good. I lay down on a table with a wedge, they spray some numbing spray on my port area, then insert the needle. My first fill was 3ccs. I have a 14 cc band. I then stand with the needle still in my port. Drink some barium under the fluoroscope. I watch while the liquid funnels through my band. Just a side note. It took me three fills to feel like I was in the green. About 2 months ago I had a .5 cc tweak. But, that's just my experience Everyone is different! Most importantly this is YOUR journey. It sounds like your doing a great job. Keep that focus and your going to do great! There's nothing like watching the pounds melt away and the feeling of," Yes, that's right I can do this!". Best wishes!

I agree with TMF and Bandista. Find another Dr. I too, chose the band because it was less drastic. I would also like to add faster isn't always better. It's not a race it's about our individual growth and learning to eat healthier. Yes, you have to take small bites and chew well, but it makes you mindful of what you're putting into your mouth. The band is high maintenance, but those monthly Dr visits make me feel I have more accountability. It works for me, or I should say its working for me because I haven't met my goal weight yet! WLS was the best decision I have ever made for myself. I wish you the best of luck in whatever surgery you choose!

Congrats on your surgeries, ladies! The first month or so can be tough, but believe me it gets easier! Fills are different for everyone. It took three fills for me to get to "green" and I'm one of those bandsters that has lost my appetite all together. You'll find our experiences are different but we all have a common goal...To lose weight and get healthy. Best Wishes!

Hey there! Most of the post-op pain you read about is gas pain, which the pain medication prescribed by your surgeon doesn't fix. I was lucky and didn't struggle with the gas pain, too much. Walking, gas-x and a heating pad for where ever your gas has settled, usually in a joint... But moving helps the most! It's not all easy, but don't be afraid. IMO it's all worth it!

I want to start this entry out on a positive note... I'm still doing great with my band. I'm losing inches and pounds and I still love my band. Now, if any of you know my back story you know last April I had a serious medical issue that put me in ICU for several weeks on a ventilator and dialysis. I recovered thank God and my Dr.'s were optimistic about my kidneys. I was just told under no circumstances was I to take any kind of NSAIDS. Well, a week and a half ago I started feeling sick and noticed I was retaining fluids, then it occurred to me that I hadn't tinkled in almost 36 hours. Got blood work done and of course I was in kidney failure again. I had to go back on dialysis for a week and luckily my kidneys started working again this last weekend. BTW, I'm one of those lucky people that dialysis makes me feel deathly ill. The anti nausea medication didn't help. So, I've just been miserable. My Renal specialist is less optimistic about my prognosis now. I no longer had acute kidney failure once! I now have kidney disease. Most likely... Ah, I'm not even going to say it. It just sucks because now I have to take two more medications added to the list of many that I already take. My take away is this... I compromised my health by being so fat. I was on so many medications for all my different ailments that I eventually made my body sick as it was trying to process all the meds. Now, I have to deal with the consequences. Confession: I'm not good at getting my daily fluid intake in and for someone with my history that is a huge no-no! I'm not having a pity party, I'm just dealing with the gravity that I've potentially done irreversible damage to my body that could down the road put me in need of new kidneys. But, today... I'm done with dialysis! There are now foods that I have to stay away from completely to help my kidneys function properly and no alcohol. Bummer dude! I'm kicking myself in the arse for waiting so long to have the surgery. In my mind I have those " What ifs" floating around. But, I'm still standing and as long as I am, I'm going to stay the course. I'm going to reach my goal. I'm going to finish what I've started and be the best and most healthy me I can be! Plus, I have a grand baby due next month and I wanna be a GILF! Too much? Too soon? LMAO!! Till next time, ~T

It's good you're on here admitting your mistakes. My surgeon also gave me the "talk" about my liver and if I didn't stick to the diet and my liver hadn't shrunk up enough he wouldn't go fwd with the surgery. I agree with a few other responses. The pre-op prepares you for what is to come the days after surgery and as you get fills. It's really important that you want this for yourself and are committed to your healthy recovery and your weight loss. You got this! I know you want it b/c you're on here sharing! Best of luck to you!!

Lorena, try to remember that everyone is different and not to measure your weight loss against others. That will only set you off your game. As long as you're following your surgeons guidelines and exercising you will meet your goal before you know it. You've started out strong! Best wishes!

Dare You To Move by Switchfoot.

Welcome to the site! And congrats on your surgery date! You must be super excited. You're going to be dancing and doing all the things that your weight has held you back from...soon! Enjoy your journey!!

I cannot speak directly to what you're feeling, but I agree you should speak to your Dr. or PA. Keep in mind your body is still healing and needs rest to heal. Please don't get discouraged. The first few weeks are tough. Try staying positive and hold tight to the determination you had in making the decision to have WLS. I hope you feel better soon. Call your surgeon... : )

I'm glad that the gibberish I write in my blogs can be relatable to others who have gone through WLS. Change is hard, but empower yourself. Make your goal your mantra. You got this! Keep me updated on your progress.

I had heard that traveling can cause your band to become tighter. Well, in Vegas my band lost all restriction, but as soon as I got to Houston for my lay over, I was much tighter and now that I'm home I have great restriction. So, traveling did mess with my band just not the way I thought it would. My trip was awesome. Vegas is a different kinda animal. I played the slots and broke even in the end. This trip we went out to Fremont Street. I loved the live music and insanely crazy people walking around and posing for pics. We also took a bus tour out to the Grand Canyon... Awe inspiring site and I conquered my fear of heights by walking on the Skywalk. That's a check off of my bucket list! A year ago I would not have taken this trip. 1) I could barely squeeze into an airline seat and couldn't buckle my seatbelt .this time pssssh! I fit in my seat and had room to spare with my seatbelt. 2) I wouldn't have been able to walk the strip and enjoy the sights. This time I walked from early morning till late, late, well, early morning. My back still hurt like hell, but I had my meds and managed wonderfully. 3) I always felt like people would stare or make comments about my size everywhere I went. I know some of this was in my head, but not all of it! This trip a guy bought me some drinks and we danced for what seemed like hours. Got some winks and I felt sexy as hell. Life with the band takes a lot of dedication, but the pay-off is so worth it. My life is so much more fulfilling. I can't wait until I reach my goal! I was determined to make this WLS work and I haven't lost sight of that. I have my moments of disappointment. I don't want to give the impression it's been all sugar free peaches and fat free cream. But, I've chosen to focus on the positive and it's working for me. Love your band and it will love you back!

This weekend I did what I have never done before. I cleaned out my closet. I've held onto size 16 to size 26 jeans/slacks/capris for years. I would go up and down and I would always have some back up clothes to go to. Well, not anymore. I got rid of all my size 20-26. I can still wear some of my 18's but I can fit into my size 16 jeans now. I loaded up bags and bags full of clothes and dropped them off at the Planet Clothes depositories that we have here in town. Looking back in hindsight I see we have a clothes trade forum here and should have donated them to someone who might have needed them. I will definitely do that next time! I just feel so good b/c I am letting go of things. I'm learning to be more confident and in becoming that new me, I let go of the security blanket of 'what if". You know, what if I gain the weight back and need those clothes? NOPE! Not going to happen! I'm hoping my next step in this journey will be getting off of the medicines I have to take now. One day at a time, one pound as it goes, I'm getting healthier and that's what I chose!

I also like the face greek yogurt. It's all about what you like, it's just best to chose a yogurt that is higher in Protein. I use Muscle Milk Light and I also use Body Fortress. I like the vanilla because I mix it with soy milk a frozen sugar free fruit. I'm a weirdo though, I never get tired of having the same Protein shake for Breakfast. Go figure! Most of the time your Dr. will give you samples. Oh, I use

Today I am so excited about my decision to get my Lap Band. I know I still have 70 lbs. to lose to get to my goal weight, but I've lost almost 100 lbs. I don't know what you would call that, but it sure feels like I'm succeeding. Now, if I'm going to be honest I want to vent a little bit. I rather enjoyed being ignorant/uniformed about how the majority of people (not all) who chose to have VSG or RNY look at those of us who have the band. Most days I just move on and SMH, but other times I feel disrespected. It feels like I'm being told I'm ignorant and made a stupid decision and that they are in some way guaranteeing that I am going to fail. I know at one of the seminars I went to they had a person who had the band and another who had RNY. They guy who had RNY said that he knew he would find a way to eat around his band and that is why he chose to have the Bypass surgery. I also have an Aunt who had Bypass. She lost weight but she also figured out a way to eat around her surgery and gained her weight back. She still struggles with diets now. You can find bad things about every surgery, but why such disdain for the band? The idea that you either do it the way I did it or you're doing it wrong makes me cranky. Excuse me, my way seems to be working perfectly fine for me. I also always try to be diplomatic and say that we are all on the same page if we had WLS, we want to get healthy, so why worry about which surgery you or I had. I guess its just like anything in life, you can find information anywhere to support your point of view. The integration of the site has just made me more aware of how people view me as a bandster. Often times, I get dismissed as if my opinions or my weight loss is of little or no consequence. I'm not the type to rip someone in the forums when this happens... so, here I am in my blog, pounding away on my keyboard getting it out of my system so I can go on my merry way. In the name that all is holy... people PLEASE stop posting questions in the forums on what surgery you should get. You can get that information online, from your Dr. and just your own informed decision making skills. We can't tell you what to do and it almost always turns into a battle of my surgery is better than your surgery. Aren't we all adults and cant we just be happy for each other that we're taking steps to improve our quality of life?

KimK - I'm doing fine. I was just curious. I lean more to towards the thinking that if a couple gets divorced after WLS there were problems there to begin with. I also agree with what was said about gaining confidence and deciding you may be in a relationship where you deserve better. I know of two people who had affairs after they had WLS surgery. They enjoyed the new found attention they were getting and decided the grass was going to be greener on the other side. In both cases, it wasn't. I just happened to talk to one of my gf's about her affair yesterday so this topic was on my mind. As those of us who are married or in long term relationships we know, it takes work to make a relationship work. Just like we who are dropping weight and feeling better about ourselves it can sometimes take a little while for your significant other to catch up. My hubby is having to get used to a more active and outgoing me. For instance, I would never go to any of his work functions because I was embarrassed of how I looked, but his friend is getting married next weekend and he was surprised when I sent in the RSVP for two. I guess, what I'm saying is if your not prepared or secure in your relationship WLS can be a point of contention for couples.On the one hand I'm happy for those who leave dysfunctional relationships because they find their voice, but on the other hand I'm sad for the folks who get thin and lose their minds wanting to relive their youth and forget about their family. Just my two cents.

I am just curious if anyone wants to chime in on this topic. Is there a correlation between WLS and Divorce?

There are some crazy people out there. Wait, I might be the weird one! We're all "special" in our own way, I just think some people don't have common sense. Thanks for reading my blog.

My husband also voiced concern about me having WLS. I also took him to a seminar. That didn't really change his tune much. I had several health issues and shortly before I committed to having the Band I was hospitalized for a month. Not to be over dramatic, but I really almost died. Several times my family was told that they didn't think I was going to make it through my first night in the hospital. I too, had lost 90 lbs once through diet and exercise, but in 13 years I managed to gain it all back plus an additional 50 lbs. Every time I would go to the Dr. I would have gained more weight. and my comorbidities grew. As, PT mentioned above. YO-YO diets are dangerous and for the most part we're all here because we weren't able to lose the weight and keep it off on our own. You have to want this for yourself. Only you can make WLS work for you. It's a personal challenge. I'm not telling you to disregard your husbands concerns but make sure you're educated on the procedure so you can help him understand what's going to happen after the surgery. My husband was ultimately just concerned for my safety of actually going through the surgery. He worried if my body was strong enough. He just wanted to protect me the best way he felt he could. Finally, after my surgeon and my PCP reassured him I was perfectly healthy to have the surgery, he was there by my side. It's also fair to note that some men worry if their wife loses a bunch of weight and gains confidence she may leave him, etc. Just a thought. Also, as PT said. My hubby rather enjoys the changes that are happening with my body and after 21 yrs. of marriage its like were teenagers again. Enough said! LOL I am still on several medications that I have to take daily and I have not had any issues with taking them. You can talk to your surgeon about the best way to take your meds. I have one medication I have to break in half to ensure it goes through my band. I had a bit of a learning curve when it came to feeding myself and my family. They don't necessarily like the things I eat and my cupboards are not always lap band friendly. It just took some adjustments but everybody is happy now. Including me. Honestly, I didn't realize how much me getting healthier would affect the rest of my family. I've said it before in my blog... If Mama Ain't Happy, Ain't Nobody Happy. Do something for you! Best of luck!

I'm a self proclaimed carb junkie. I find myself following a high Protein low carb way of eating and it agrees with my band. I stay away from crackers and breads because I know that those are my kryptonite and if I started eating them it would be a slippery slope. Also, I don't let myself veer too far off of my food plan. I'm sure that will change when I'm in my maintenance phase! Nothing gets me more motivated than watching the numbers drop on the scale or pulling my skinny jeans out of my closet and being able to wear them. I agree with the statement that people know what's wrong with their diets. I did! I just cant wrap my head around why someone would go through the process to get WLS if they weren't truly committed to taking the weight off. SMH! It's such a drastic measure. I'll also admit in the beginning I was worried because I had/have so much weight to lose I wasn't sure I could do it with the band. To hell with that! Again, I will say how important it is to keep up your appointments with your WLS office. Even if I don't think I need a fill its just an accountability thing for me. And, I again SMH when people are having issues but haven't seen their Dr. in months. Why not? That would be the first thing I'd do! TGIF. I hope everyone has a fantastic day!

I'm six months Post-Op and have started doing some new exercises focusing on my abs. I know there under there somewhere. Anyway, I digress. My port is placed at the top of my stomach just under my bra line and since incorporating abs into my workout my port site has become sore. All you Dr.'s out there.. this is normal right? I'll be discussing this with my surgeon on the 20th. I was just curious if anyone else has experienced this?