LapBandFan

I have been blessed to have been banded since 2003, used Walter Rose, MD at Chattanooga, I live about halfway between Knoxville and Chattanooga. Lost 140 pounds maintained but with daily committment, you have to use the band as a tool and it will be that way until I pass on....I am still a food addict :wink2: but the band has been so helpful. You still have food demons even 5 years out like I am, but the band helps with that and you have to be committed every day for the rest of your life to maintain. :smile2:

I am a member of our local Curves for Women gym and try to go 3x per week and love the facility and the SMART machines and the support they give and the accountability. I currently follow low carb diet (combination of south beach and weight watchers core plan). I still need to lose 50 more pounds and with the band and the Good Lord's help, I will succeed.

Good luck to all of you and the ones about to be banded. I used Dr Rose and he is a very good surgeon and I would highly recommend him to anyone.

I had surgery 1 year ago,have lost 80 lbs. My problem is the weight loss has just about stopped....

I exersize 3-4 times per week about 1 hr cardio and weight.

Ive read about eating 5-6 small meals per day to jump start the metabolism, has any one tried this??

I do tend to snack at night but I don't feel I overdo it...

I started at 385 aqnd am down to 305 but have + or - 5lbs for the last 3 months.

Any suggestions

Guy, I feel your pain, :w00t: I hate it when I stop losing as well. Sometimes I will go back to full low calorie liquids for a week and it jumpstarts my wt loss again.

Also really try getting all your needed Water in, I notice my wt loss halts and stops :laugh: if I am not getting all the Water in I need (I usually aim for 80 oz per day).

I am 4 years post lapband and still struggle with night snacking which sabatoges me. If I do eat at night, I try to do no carb, low cal stuff. Good luck and hang in there. :thumbup: You have done great so far.

Ladies,

Well, it has been a while since I posted here, still doing Curves and loving it. I have lost a total of 20 pounds since starting there in April this year !!!

I have not been able to go the last 3 weeks and went back yesterday and boy oh boy, I could tell I had not been in a while. LOVE those SMART machines, I hate not seeing the green light (The goal) on each machine and now am determined to lose at least 10 more pounds by Christmas. Anyone want to join that 10 pound challenge with me?

I hope you all are still going regular and loving curves. Let's try to post here daily to encouarge one another.

Keep it up Curvy Girlies, lets burn some fat today! :laugh:

Good luck to all of us on our goals!

My daily goals:

• Drink at least 64 oz Water
  
• Work out at Curves 30 or 45 minutes per day 3x per week, walking 1-2 miles on treadmill on off days or 30 minutes
  
• Write down daily food intake.
  
• First wt loss goal: Christmas Challenge: Lose 10 pounds by Christmas 2008
  
• Second wt loss goal: Lose 60 pounds by my 6 year Bandiversary date in February.
  

Just tell your PCP that you will be a less risk insurance wise if you can go ahead and get the lapband and get your weight under control before your health suffers from the effects of the weight whcih are inevitable over time!

Good luck and do keep us posted.

My local fees at my gym are $34.00 per month.

Jennywren: please see my thoughts in your quote below. I have been crazy busy this week and dealing with an aging parent with some nerve problems this week so not been able to check the posts here. ~~ Lapbandfan

well, I went to my seminar last night with dr Mcdowell at baptist. I was hoping to get him, and I did. he is really nice, but says he prefers gastric for himself because he is impatient. I am not, so i think lap band will be fine for me. In my opinion, I would try hard to do Lapband instead of gastric as there can be SO many more chances of complications with gastric.

I am nervous about one thing. I went to this seminar unbeknownst to my PCP. A few years ago I talked to him about gastric (lap wasn't available, or I dind't know about it then) and he said NO! He or she should be THRILLED that you are trying to take control of your life, tell them if they don't support you that you can find another PCP, I would be THAT determined as it is so worth it. So, I don't know how he will feel about me getting the lap. I need to get a letter of recommendation from him and I am nervous about it. Do i need to make a special appt with him, or can I just take it in to him, or just fax it to him? If they are willing to help you with the letter, you will probably have to make an appt and be able to go over all the failed diet attempts in the past, bit of advice, Do stress to your PCP the family history you may have of heart problems, cancers, heart disease and high blood pressure and strokes that you may have in your family, I did this and feel it helped me in getting approved by insurance. (felt like the letter showed me "going to H__ in a handbasket" with my health LOL.)

LOL I really want to take the chicken way out. lol Any advice? Amy said she would call my insurance today to see what my pay would be, etc, and dr said he puts all his patients on a diet as well....this is the routine procedure, just do what they say and if you dont' lose much it will be in your favor showing you really need the lapband so I see this will be a process. That's ok, I am just worried it will take forever for me to lose weight, as I have been fighting just to keep my weight even or gain little- I have gained about 7 lbs in the last 2 mo fighting.

Good luck and do keep me posted! What did you find out so far about what portion you will have to pay? Have you talked to your doc since the seminar? I would go forth with a mean determination to get it done! that's just me!

When did you stop drinking protien drinks. It's been 2.5 weeks since surgery and this is getting old now.

Everyone is different, but I still do Protein drinks one of the morning 5 years from my surgery. Just gotta get in the needed Protein and especially right now for you while you are healing from your surgery. Helps with not having as much hair loss (if you get enough protein)

What about trying the Protein waters that are there? Also to get in my protein while in the mushies stage of the diet right after surgery, I would heat up a can of chili with Beans and add some Water and put it in the blender and make it soupy. Looks pretty bad but tastes Like chili and has good amount of protein.

Good luck and hang in there, the days will be here eventually when you can get on regular foods again, just with the lapband limitations.

I am enjoying Curves... as much as I hate exercise.... but I am having a hard time forcing myself to go... ergh...

Bandster Gal,

Just keeping moving shows your motivation, even when you don't want to or feel like it. I have the same problem lots of days.

I have a great support team at my local Curves and hope you do too. They will push you with encouraging words and remind you what your goals are if you want them to. I need that! Accountability to others is the ONLY way that I continue to lose, if I try to do it on my own without someone to report to regularly, I fall off the wagon and get ran over by the wagon! :wink2:

See my last post about my first workout on the Smart machines, they are gonna be awesome!

Well, here to report had my first workout at curves on the new smart machines and woah momma!

It was more of a workout than I ever did before. It makes your strive to see the green light stay on constant!! But of course, I had some yellow or amber colored lights (means you are not going hard or fast enough) At the end of the workout they took me to a computer and showed my progress and calories burned, etc, which machines I needed to work harder on, etc, next time. WAY COOL.

Well, have a great night Curvey Girlies!

Keep us posted on your workouts and good luck on wt loss.

I have thought about joining Curves but am concerned about damaging my knee replacements. I have also had a tumor removed from my lower back 18 months ago. I have lost 80 pounds since October 27 (banded), but seem to be stuck. I usually walk or ride my stationary bike for excercise, but I tend to have slacked up on that. I thought if I had somewhere I "had" to go, I would be more successful.

I need to get a jump start again to get me losing again. Any advice?

First off BIG congrats on your 80 lb loss , that is great! Second, make sure it is okay with your physicians before starting Curves. Just talk to the owner/trainer of your local curves and see what they think, I know where I go, there are some ladies how are allowed to skip certain machines due to the same reasons you mentioned (knees).

Keep moving, don't give up! I am sure you will find a place there at your local Curves as they take into consideration these existing health issues, so I say go and try!! :wink2:

Keep us posted here on when you join!

I started curves in april and was banded on july 23th and i can't wait until i can return. Best of luck to all!!!!!!!

Baboomer,

Yes, Curves will be very helpful and instrumental in helping after you are released to exercise again. The support there is awesome :thumbup:and love that I can get a good work out without having to go to a regular gym with prissy bony teenagers/college kids and men working out too.

Take care of yourself and good luck and do stay active here on the board and hopefully on this thread too! :wink2:

I have an 11 cc band and have 9 cc of Fluid in there. My doc says he will keep adding more as much as it takes to get me where I need to be, and right now the 9 cc is doing the trick, full only after a few bites of food.

My doc always does his fills under flouroscopy machine in the xray dept and has said nothing about doing an Upper GI, just looks at the band under fluory every time I get a fill.

Good luck and congrats on your 100 pound loss!!

Leslie Sansone videos are my favorite!! I love the walk away the pounds fat burner one!!

I am with Marie, Leslie's are the best, encouraging and not hard to do, either on a treadmill (watch while I walk) or just walking in place.

Continue the great work all of you! You all are doing good!

You cry when a child crawls up in your lap that you never ever had before!

Sitting at a small booth in a restaraunt, I was astonished when my husband said "Hey, did you see what you just did?" Thinking I had spilled something or messed something up, stand looking awed when he says "you got in and out of the booth without being "stuck".

Wearing the seat belt while driving which is a legal requirement in my state, where before when being pulled over for not wearing a seatbelt had to pay a fine!

These are just AWESOME feelings. :thumbup:

Lost 2 pounds this week! WOOHOO! Long way to go, but I can do this!

Name_____________Weight Now____Goal_____lbs lost

aJoneen............230.........220.......3.......

Bea1128............220.........199.......5.....

Babs0101...........185.........170.......0.......

blesdbyonmzur......159.........148.......4.......

BTTRFLI1432........221.........210.......6.......

Bunkey1965.........205.........195.......7.......

Chocolate_Snaps....260.........240.......0.......

Darr5380...........168.........155.......2.......

Epm316.............209.........199.......0.......

erikadawn..........199.........175.......0.......

FloridaGirl........235.........215.......0.......

HeatherO...........165.........155.......7.......

JennyPoo...........169.........159.......3.......

KarenG.............162.........158.......4.......

KathyStrick........305.........290.......0.......

Lapbandfan.........258.........230.......2 pounds......

Leslie2Lose........219.........209.......5.......

LessNLess..........144.5.......140.......0.......

LilMissBand-Aid....234.4.......225.......5.6.....

Lunabeane..........212.........200.......9.......

Luu2008............219.........189.......14.......

Luv2Laugh..........232.........212.......0.......

luvinke............206.........190.......0.......

mamato3............199.........184.......6......

mcgreen............189.........175.......0.......

mdgarcia31665......225.........200.......0.......

MollyMolly.........192.........182.......2.......

mominlv13..........305.8.......300.......10.2....

MSnika3............228.........204.......4.......

NANAbanded.........225.........199.......4.......

Ninja..............204.........189.......5.......

NukeChik...........221.........199.......6.......

Ollie..............242.........210.......0.......

Redtulips..........188.........180.......6.......

Renewedhope........174.........155.......5.......

ronni_NC...........243.........220.......0.......

slgandera..........185.........173.......7.......

StartingOver.......220.........205.......5.......

Sunshine2..........187.........170.......2.3.....

want_so_bad........170.........155.......0.......

Sades..............186.........180.......6.5.....

Sadie..............216.........199.......4.......

I've been a Curves member for almost three years. I was just banded on the 24th of July (doesn't matter how much you exercise if you keep eating!!!) and am in the transition of being able to go back. My post surgical instructions say nothing strenuous for 4 weeks. Anyone have experience with that out there?? I feel like I could modify the Curves workout and still maintain some activity. Any thoughts out there? We got CurvesSmart a few months ago. Other than a bunch of days when the system didn't function worth a poop, its great in concept and when it works, it provides great accountability. I love the idea of utilizing the weigh and measure aspects of the curves (I've declined so far!) program, mostly because I wasn't losing, just staying active even though my weight kept going up. Wow, really blathering here. Thanks for listening.

I would advice you just stick with what your surgeon told you, I walked during my 6-weeks after surgery, I was told to not do any other exercise except walking until after that first six weeks.

Just my opinion. Good luck and Welcome to BandLand! WOOHOO for you!

Glad it passed, it is an awful feeling but do follow the instructions to do soft mushy foods for several days.

The minute I get that "stuck" feeling (which lessens after you teach yourself to pay attention to chew till it is nothing before swallowing, like retraining your brain to chew! LOL) I usually sip on hot tea until it passes, the heat of the drink usually opens up the stoma a little more to help it pass (at least for me)

Good luck with your journey, you ar doing GREAT so far!

Ladies,

As I posted before, I am doing Curves and love it. I did weight and measure yesterday and down another pound :lost1lbs: and 8 more inches overall. :thumbs_up: that makes me down 11 pounds since joining in April!

I hope you all are still going regular and loving curves. Let's try to post here daily to encouarge one another.

Our Curves just started the Smart Machines yesterday and I am so excited to be able to be "watched" and get feedback daily on calories burned, etc per workout.

Keep it up Curvy Girlies, lets burn some fat today! :thumbup: :thumbup:

Good luck to all of us on our goals!

My daily goals:

• Drink at least 64 oz Water
  
• Work out at Curves 30 or 45 minutes per day 3x per week, walking 2 miles on treadmill on off days.
  
• Write down daily food intake.
  
• First wt loss goal: Labor Day Challenge: Lose 10 pounds by Labor day
  
• Second wt loss goal: Lose 60 pounds by my 6 year Bandiversary date in February.
  

Hi Kim, Congrats on your surgery, How are you feeling? If you get gas take Gas-x and chew them until they arenothing before swallowing and move around as much as possible to get rid of the gas pains, usually most people have the gas trapped between their shoulders and back. Keep in touch.

I had my surgery in Chattanooga at Memorial by Dr Rose in 2003. Hope to hear back from you and your progress! Good luck!

Julie, I see you are on WW core with the band, I am thinking of doing it, I have books from last year where I started WW meetings but then dad got sick with cancer and I had to stop going to the meetings.

Am i correct in thinking you can eat any fruits listed when you are hungry and not have to count the points? Thanks for any info.

Lapbandfan

Denise

I am so sorry you are having so many frustrations in getting BCBC to approve I had BCBC Of Massachessetts at the time and they covered, but that was then and now I know they are bucking on a lot of people on getting approved.

I will pray it gets approved for you soon. I agree with you, looks like your diet history of years of dieting and you family history of health issues would be plenty enough for them to approve. Good luck with it and hang in there, it will be SO worth the wait if they approve you!

Hi JennyWren, welcome to the TN forum. I have been very busy with life in general ( my dad just finished 24 rounds of chemo for colon cancer) and am now finally finding more time to contribute to this board.

I have been blessed to have been banded since 2003, used Walter Rose, MD at Chattanooga, I live about halfway between Knoxville and Chattanooga, so not really too close to you but wanted to say hi.

You will find the seminar very helpful in answering a lot of your questions. Good luck on your journey to getting banded and a new life!

Have you tried the SPecial K high protien waters? They are very tasty and would fill the bill for getting some of your Protein in if you are not hungry. Just a thought.

I wanted to pop in and say Hi from Sweetwater, (about halfway between Knoxville and Chattanooga) I used a surgeon at Chattanooga only because at that time (banded in 2003) it was the only one covered by my health insurance.

Hope you gathered lots of useful information at your wt loss seminar and do feel free to contact me anytime and I will be happy to try to answer any questions you might have.

Hopefully you will be in BANDLAND soon! Good luck.

lapbandfan

My blog with wtloss pics is at: Brenda’s Blog Look for lapband page at the top of the screen.

Not part of this particular thread but wanted to say CONGRATS! On getting a surgery date! WOO HOO for YOU! :thumbup: