StartingOver

I weighed in at 268 this morning. That's 1 more pound for me. Total lost since beginning of challenge is 10 lbs!

And have you noticed that the portion sizes at fast food restaurants have gotten larger and larger over the years. When I was a child, a small soft drink at McD's or Jack In The Box was 10 or 12oz, medium was 16oz, and large I think was 24oz. Now it's more like 16oz small, 24 oz med, and 32oz large. And what's with the Mighty Kid's meal. I was a chubby kid, but I still got full off a Happy Meal - so why are they making them bigger? I'm just disgusted whenever I order a medium or large anything, and it comes out 2 times bigger than I expected.

Hi Barb, First, welcome to this site, and congratulations on your decision to get banded. I was banded just over 3 months ago by Dr. Rodriguez in Monterrey. I went to the San Pedro clinic instead of the large hospital because it was more affordable for me. (it's not really a clinic-just a smaller hospital facility) I am completely satisfied with my decision. Dr. Rod's team is fantastic. I have emailed him directly with a few questions post op, and always received a prompt response. They have a group on Yahoo for Dr. Rod's patients, and I think once a week one of his patients who is a personal trainer is available online to chat. Overall, my care was great, and the support has been phenomenal. I get my followup care in Seattle, but I am going to stop by Monterrey during my vacation to Mexico City in Janusry. While in Monterrey, I knew that I was in good hands. My mom travelled with me, and Dr. Rod even went out of his way to bring her lunch and dinner the night that we spent in the hospital. I'm looking forward to going to Dallas in November to Dr. Rod's patient reunion. I think it's just in the beginning stages of planning now, but I've marked my calendar. If you have any questions, feel free to PM or email me. I hope this helps you with your decision. Oh, and for spell check, I usually copy and paste the text into Word, or something that does have spell check.

Well, here it is my most desperate attempt to be thin. Last summer I convinced my (thin) husband to do the "Master Cleanse" with me. For those of you who are not familiar with the madness of the cleanse, you basically don't eat any food, and only drink a concoction of warm water, lemon juice, cayenne pepper, and grade B maple syrup. It is truly the vilest thing I have ever put in my body. The whole idea is that you do drink this, and don't eat for some ridiculous amount of time (40 or 70 days I think) and when you're done, your colon is clean, all of the toxins are out of your body, and you have lost tons of weight. I lasted 2 days. I will NEVER forget the smell of that drink, and the warm temperature of the water mixed with the spiciness of the cayenne....yuck! The most weight I ever lost was at age 19 doing fen-phen. I tried to eat pretty healthy food, and I worked out a ton! I went from 230 to 197. Right now 230 isn't looking bad to me.

I am down to 269.5. That's 9 lbs! I'm glad that all of my hard work payed off this week, and thankful for my new fill and appetite suppressants.

I too have the large VG band. My surgeon did not put anything in during surgery, and I had decent restriction for 2-3 weeks (probably due to swelling). For patients with the large VG band, my doc puts 4cc's for the first fill. My second fill was 1cc, and basically he'll put in 1cc a month until I have decent restriction.

I had my surgery March 30th also. I've lost 26 lbs so far.

I'm a real estate agent in the Pacific NW.

I went today for my second fill. I was pleasantly surprised because the doctor I ended up seeing was not the doc I expected. You see, they are a father/son team, and last time, guessing by age, I thought I saw the father, so that's who I made the followup appt with. Well, today I met the father, and found out that last time I had seen his son. Anyway, he gave me another 1 cc. He also prescribed Phentermine which he said would take away any cravings that I may have, and told me to eat a modified Atkin's diet, essentially only eating meat. He does not want me making my protien shakes with milk, only Water or crystal light or something like that. He said he wants me to be dropping 20 lbs a month. Does this seem exteme to anyone? I'm going along with it because he is a doctor after all, and he has tons of experience with the band -- telling me that he actually did the first LapBand surgery in the US 11 years ago.

Hi Everyone, I just wanted to introduce myself. I've been hanging around watching for a while, and I figure it's time to get in on the action. I was banded March 30th by Dr. Arturo Rodriguez in Monterrey, MX. I've had one fill thus far, 4cc, and am going in today for a second fill. I have the large Vanguard band that holds something like 9cc's, I think. I live in Seattle and am having my follow-up care with Dr. Fox at the Surgical Weight Loss Center in Tacoma. My progress so far has been a bit disappointing to me, as I lost 20 lbs in the first 2-3 weeks post op, and have been struggling to lose ever since. I do recognize that a 26lb weight loss in 3 months is good, but since I have been losing and gaining the same few pounds for the last 2 months, I'm a bit frustrated. I have a new commitment to exercise and making wise food choices, and I suspect that will jumpstart the weight loss again. I've also made a goal to participate in the STP (Seattle to Portland bicycle event) next summer, so my husband and I will begin training shortly. On a personal note (as if sharing my weight loss journey is not personal), I am 27 years old, married, and have a 4 year old son. I work as a Realtor in my local communities, and love it since I have the flexibility to spend time with my family and work from home when needed. I'm looking forward to developing relationships with the people here at LBT, as I have seen how deeply you care about each other in the advice and support you give, and I hope to be just as supportive to those in need.

Okay, this morning I weigh in at 278.5. My goal is 20 lb in 10 weeks, so 258.5. I'll post a picture later today.

Count me in ! This will be a great source of accountability for me, which is just what I need at this point. I've been banded nearly 3 months, and most of my weight came off in the first month. I've been struggling with gaining/losing/gaining the same 3-4 pounds for 2 months now. I'll post my weight and before picture Monday, which is when I'm scheduled for my next fill, so this ought to be great! 10 in 10 , I can do it!

I too am getting banded with Dr. Arturo Rodriguez in Monterry. Surgery is scheduled for March 30th at San Pedro clinic. I have been doing tons of research on the doctor and the entire Mexico/surgery experience, and have not found many (if any) negative comments. Best of luck to you!