ragdollx19

Good to know... I was starting to feel crazy.

I have moved since getting banded and have really struggled to find anyone to even give me a fill. It makes me sad that even though the Dr's take my insurance I dont get to choose one, I have to take the one who doesnt care if he did my original surgery.

Needless to say he went to medical school in Mexico which does not make me warm and fuzzy. Not knocking those of you who go that route, I just wish I had the power to choose from Dr's who accept my insurance and their primary language is english.

I feel ridiculous for even asking this here because I got my band 3 years ago and other than the 4 to 5 fills I had in the 1st year I have been bouncing along happy as can be.

The last 6 months I have noticed I am hungry more often as the full feeling just doesnt last as long. So I made an appointment to get a fill after gaining more than 10 lbs.

I once heard someone at a support group say they go in once a year for a fill. Is there truth to this or what have those of you who've been banded a while found to be necessary? Ive kind of just taken the same approach all along, wait and see if I need it do it.

I have already lost the weight but wanted to share my 3 favorite things now that I have:

1. Wear cute clothes. (gets expensive because no matter how ugly it is, it looks cute because its so small!)

2. Be more active. I love doing things outdoors now including coaching my daughters softball team.

3. Climb on a step stool or ladder and not worry that the sticker says its only meant for 200 to 250 pounds. WOO HOO!!!! Hey its the little things :wub:

I havent been here in a long while but wanted to share a pic from this weekend at the beach. Almost two years out and I couldnt be happier with my band.

I havent posted in a long time, came across a few pictures of me and wanted to share just how FABULOUS the band has been for me.

Me in March of 2006:

June 2008:

Me in Sept 2008. Not the greatest pic of me but at least I am skinnier! I even wore a bikini to the beach. Why? Because I can, I dont care what people think of my stretch marks.< /p>

Today is my band-versary! Down 90 lbs :cursing: I suppose I can stop monthly pictures now and just take them when I have had some significant weight loss. I started at a pants size 22 and am now in a 10/12.

Weazer- yes, exercising just not as much as I should. My goal this week is going to be making it in 3 times. I do weights and not so much cardio.

I try so hard to eat high Protein most of the time, its the sweets I have a really hard time with and they are so so easy to eat. I had dental surgery yesterday so being on liquids has given me a quick short weight loss, which I will likely gain back at least half of. But I cant lie it makes me feel fabulous to look at my scale and it say 172, I am quickly approaching 100 lbs lost which has always been my goal but I didnt really think I could make it!

Hi everyone, I haven't posted here in a while although I do lurk quite a bit. Everyone looks like they are doing amazing and I love it when you guys post your pics on the before/after thread. What a trip it has been this past year! I am down 87 lbs as of this morning and am really happy with my progress. Sometimes it gets discouraging when you do all that you can to lose just 1 lb and it doesnt happen. But as I have told others even if I never lost another lb it has all been worth it. I am in a size 12 jeans now but still shop mostly at Goodwill because I just cant pay a lot for clothes that fit for a few months.

I think in the next year or two I am going to seriously think about some plastic surgery on my tummy and boobs. I look back at progress pictures from 6 months ago and remember how awesome I thought I looked back then, and now. WOO HOO! I really feel hot and confident most of the time. With more self esteem came the need to fix other things, such as my smile. I have spent about $4,000 over the last 4 months and will be spending at least $5,000 more through the end of the year. Its funny when I was fat I thought how ridiculous is it to fix my teeth when I will still be ugly, now that I feel better about myself I am in a rush to get everything just so. Sorry for rambling, I had some oral surgery today and got good pain meds!

Keep up the great work everyone!

I didnt keep any of my clothing from when I was this small so I cant really compare the way you can but I think my shape is different. I still have a ghetto booty though so there is some consistency :tt2:

If you ate terribly today or all week whatever at least you realize it... get to the gym and back on a healthy diet. YOU CAN DO IT (as evidenced by your weight loss so far!)

When I first started noticing people were treating me differently than they would have before it kind of upset me. Whether it be the man who went way way out of his way to open a door for me, or the overweight woman at the store giving me dirty looks, or the guys at Subway just plan undressing me with their eyes, or the store clerk who was more attentive than when I was fat.

You are for sure treated different and I think that is just plain wrong.

My surgeons office has monthly support meetings which were free, I went to a handful and generally found them to be a disorganized mess where you really don't get much accomplished.

They have great ideas for the meetings just no one to really take charge of them, which is sad.

Hi! I used Dr. Marsden too! I had the same problem getting rid of fat clothes at first so put them in bags and set them to the side. I did come to a point that I realized it was ridiculous to keep them because of the amount of clothes I was having to buy to replace them since they were falling off.

If it makes you feel better to keep them then do it, you wont keep them long :tt2: What was weird for me was giving them to my best friend because we had always worn about the same size. She was happy to get free clothes but it made me feel weird because I was afraid of hurting her feelings with all my weight loss, which I never did because she is a kick butt friend.

11 Months and 86 lbs later...

Breakfast and I are a little rough unless I wait til later in the morning, so oatmeal or yogurt are my favorites. If I am eating later a breakfast burrito chewed well and made with a corn tortilla are really good.

I feel bad that I havent been posting pics each month like I was, I have been so busy! for fun I thought I would compare a couple of face shots as I have never done this before, I must admit I feel like one of the ads you see in weight loss magazines because I dont even have make up on in the before oh well. All I have to say is "This is why I'm hot" :regular_smile:

I love thrift store shopping for clothes. I just wash the clothes before I wear them... then it doesnt matter who wore it before me and it doesnt smell. Goodwill by my house even has a 50% off day once a month!!

I started at 5'6" 261 lbs and am now at 183 and still losing. I am officially no longer obese, just overweight. My initial "goal" weight is 160 which is still considered overweight I think?

I am sorry you are having to go through this but I hardly see it as a reason to "hate your life."

There are a lot of users on here who dont even have the slightest chance of having the procedure covered by their insurance either because it is completely excluded or because they dont even have insurance. You are blessed beyond belief to be able to file an appeal and provide the proper documentation so that you can have your surgery paid for.

I am sorry you are so frustrated and disappointed that you havent had your surgery yet but do try to look at the positives in your situation. Good luck getting your approval quickly, in the scheme of things 15 days is NOTHING.

Kara- Call your doctors office and ask them! Call them every day if you have to until you get an answer. You have the right to know what the next steps are and when they will happen.

penny- I have Basic BCBS Fed and they submitted a written medical history I provided them stating what all weight loss attempts I had made, along with my current height & weight. They sent my info off on a Thursday and by Monday or Tuesday I called to verify they got the paperwork and I was approved. I had surgery almost a exactly a month from my initial phone call for a consultation.

Fed BCBS paid just as they said they would. PM me if you have more specific questions and GOOD LUCK!

If I tried to drink after every bite I would gak. Have a tiny bit of self control and put the drinks away. Go in and see if you need a fill and get back on the wagon. You can do this!

I kind of think its funny when the waitress walks by looking at my uneaten plate with concern on her face 4 or 5 times before she asks if it was okay. I went to lunch with a banded friend one day and we both ordered big plates of food knowing we would be taking most of it home to our husbands. It was pretty funny. I just tell them it is really good but i will need a to go box.

I would go get a lap band implanted once a month if thats what it took. Just take one look at the before/after pics thread thats all it took to convince me I wanted to be a part of this.

I am SO GLAD I DID. I got my life back.

I eat Pasta sometimes no problem, only small amounts though.

As others said you will be able to do as much as before surgery you will just have to go slow and listen to your body for the first few months. Long term you will be able to use more weights because you will be in better shape and hauling less fat :eek: