Mrs. Ski

My band was unfilled February 2014. I started getting fills in May 2014. My weight has slowly creeped up since my unfill. I'm at 7cc with a 10 cc band . My band slipped at 7cc and that's why I needed an unfill . Last month when I went to 7cc , I was able to fill some restriction . My ability to eat more was limited . However, my weight did not change from my last visit . The doctor did not give me another fill, which was a bit disappointing to me. I was banded 2/29/2012. Started at 262 lbs now I'm 217 lbs .......lowest weight was 173 lbs before my unfill. At the lowest weight I was a loose size 12 leaning towards a size 10 . Now I'm a semi-tight size 12 and mid loose size 14 ( not plus size ). I'm going insane but trying to stay positive. I have been guilty of eating sliders especially at office functions. Just feeling a little hopeless from yesterday's visit ????????????

It has been 4 Months 7 days sense my New Journey Started!
I am down 36 pounds!!...some people ask me why I have not lost more weight...ugggg
I am so exited with how my extra unwanted pounds have come off! and I am finally able to make a goal to when I might be able to hit
my target weight and I am shooting for January 1st!
I have learned so much in the last 4 months with my new baby...such as eat slow!!Chew,Chew,Chew...don't gulp when drinking.
someday's my Buddy likes what ever I eat... other days no matter what I try My Band don't like it, so it's always a new experiance
learning to live with my new Buddy.
But to those who are just starting out I will tell you to relax and enjoy the new journey,and don't worry about what others have lost
in the same time frame, we are all different, we don't look the same we don't live the same as other's so why would we loose the weight the same as other's...So stop Compairing yourself to the other's... I might not have lost a lot of weight to some but the way I look at it is I have not put any on!!! and I am very happy and excited with what I have lost and will continue to look forward to my future with my New Buddy.

I have to say I have lost 30lbs in all, I know it's not much but I feel good and people are noticing... it is coming off slowly but progress is progress. Yay for me *-*

I'm almost at my 1 year mark I was putting some clothes away and decided to take a picture of where I started to where I will stay! Size 24 to 6!!

so, the 8th was my 2 month surgiversary. my starting weight at the beginning of this process was 303lbs. i couldn't tie my shoes or get dressed without getting winded. at age 26, and dealing with my weight since age 6, i knew i wasn't going to do anything other than get fatter. i finally made the decision to get the lapband i was offered on my 18th birthday by my dad.
after 12 months of dealing with insurance, my information was finally submitted and after the longest 15 months of my life. i headed into surgery may 8th, 2014, weighing in at 284. 2 months later, i'm 256, and loving everything about my band. i've had one fill, which put me at 4.4cc's, and i have pretty decent restriction. the only foods i've had problems with so far are quinoa and dry chicken/shrimp.i dont see the changes as much as i like, but everyone else tells me how great i look, and i know i'm my own worst critic, so i'll go by their opinions.
i was cleared for swimming/light cardio 1 week out and lifting/all clear at 3 weeks out. since 3 weeks out, I have worked out in the gym 5 days a week lifting weights for about an hour/hour and a half, and 2 days a week i incorporate HIIT cardio routines. some days my port bugs me, so i take it easy, but for the most part, my body is really handling the exercising well. i was a college athlete (softball) so being active isnt really new. i kinda fell off the exercise train the last 2 years, and thats when my weight really crept up. i ENJOY going to the gym now; i look forward to it; and if i miss a day, i make it up the next.
the only thing i miss is my diet coke, but i dont miss buy size 22 pants and spending tons of money at lane bryant because it was the only place i felt comfortable shopping, spending an arm and leg each time. i'm in almost all of my 18s at this point, including my AE favorites. even my feet are getting smaller. i have more confidence and just feel better.
this band was the best decision i ever made. i only wish i had made it sooner, instead of being stubborn and thinking i could do this on my own.

I remember what this was like! I was about 6 weeks post op and traveled 1500 miles and was driven crazy by every food billboard and restaurant across this country! It drove me almost insane...................The good news this will pass and eventually they won't even bother you. Hang in there!

Wow. What an amazing transformation. Thanks for sharing.

I am 11 weeks post op and had my second fill today. 2.5 added and now I have 7 in my 14 cc band. I love watching the fluoroscope and seeing what the NP sees. She drew a little out, put the Fluid in, had me swallow. I had a little gurgling so she drew some out and had me swallow again. That went through pretty fast so more in, swallow again. Perfect. I'm impressed with the accuracy and thoroughness of this office. Next fill will be 5 - 1/2 weeks from now so I can get an appointment late in the day. Otherwise it would be four weeks. She said the next adjustments will probably be much smaller as we narrow in on my green zone.
I'm excited to be on this path and am already reaping the benefits of the weight loss thus far. From two blood pressure meds down to one and maintaining a good BP. Ditched my Prevacid. Ditched my NSAIDs. No more painkillers other than Tylenol for my arthritis. I feel reborn.
I lost 4 pounds since my first adjustment a month ago, and two weeks of that was on vacation in Italy. This would have never been possible without the band.
At my first fill, I told my NP about this forum and the Big Book of the Lap-Band. Today she thanked me. I told her how checking in here every day of my vacation kept me in touch with my goals and gave me daily support. I suggested she let her patients know about these tools.
48 hours of liquids now as I adjust to my adjustment. Bring it on!

8yrs ago i as 350lbs happy healthy and out preformed guys 1/2 my weight at my physically demanding job. Then 1 day i was up on a ladder and lost feeling in my legs, i spent 2yrs a prisoner to my home. Back surgeons refused to work on me until I lost 100 pounds, naturally being immobile I only gained weight ballooning to 450lbs unemployed & depressed! Fast forward again another 6 months and I have my surgery 8/24/09 @ 425lbs. Now im 215lbs for 4yrs and holding. Well 3yrs ago this B@#*$ says to me "oh you took the easy way out" so I said to her "yeah kinda like your father who took the easy way out and got a liver transplant" that didn't go over too well... lol

i had my surgery 11 months ago.. ive lost 220lbs.. im at 192 started at 412. about 20lbs per mo average but my results are atypical i believe
chris

I started my journey at 33 years old, weighing 289lbs on a 5'1" frame, and looked like I had no neck or eyes:-) My blood pressure was 180/98. This surgery was my ONLY hope because without it I knew I was only going to get bigger and the healthy issues more severe. So, One year ago today I remember checking into the surgerical center and waiting to be called back for my surgery; I was nervous as hell and wondering if I was making the right decision. Well today, 1 year later, I'm confident I made the right decision and would do it all over again in a heartbeat!!!
This has truly been a life changing experience for me on so many different levels. I'm definitely not the same person I was a year ago, I'm healthy, happy and just thankful to have my life back! I didn't realize how much of life I was missing out on until I was given the opportunity to live again! I feel like I can do anthing now with no restrictions!
Has this been a cake walk?? Well, honestly, for ME I never really thought about it, i just did what I knew I had to do and with every passing month I was less of a person than I was the month before:-) Several people have asked, how did you do it, how did you lose all that weight in a years time, even the nurse at my doctor's office asked me this and the honest answer is, I'm nothing special, I chose to follow my doctors instructions to the T, I chose to believe in myself, I chose to have a positive attitude. Going into this I told myself failure wasn't an option, I knew there were certain things I was going to chose to give up forever, I accepted that, moved on and never looked back. The best piece of advice I can give to anyone starting out on this journey or is needing a restart is believe in yourself, if you put in 100% you'll get 100% back, don't set and dwell on the things you can't have, think of all the things you can have because you made the choice to kick some unhealthy habits out of your life. The reward will be so much sweeter than anything you can imagine!!
We all started this journey out with similar worries and fears, always keep that in your mind and remember that one person(s) that encouraged you through the tough times, pay it forward!!! One of the greatest joys for me is being able to help someone else who is where I was. That's why this site is so great! So if you find yourself stuck in a rut one of the greatest ways out is by helping someone else.
May 14, 2013- Before Pre-op Diet- 289
May 30, 2013- Day of Surgery- 273
May 30, 2014- 147ish (I haven't weighed, go for my check up next week)
Total weight lose- 142lbs
I started out wearing a size 20-22W in pants
A size 3X Shirt (24-26)
TODAY, I'm in a size 5 pants, and med/small shirts!
My blood pressure is 128/78, my cholestorol is NORMAL, my liver is NORMAL
I've almost lost more than I actually weigh now:-) I'm just thrilled!
I HAVE A NECK NOW AND 2 EYES THAT EVERYONE CAN SEE!! I MAKE IT A POINT TO MAKE EYE CONTACT WITH EVERYONE I MEET NOW INSTEAD OF WALKING WITH MY HEAD DOWN.
Just know if you stay the course you will achieve your goal!!

I'm going for my third fill this Friday and had surgery on April 25,2014. I am down 45 pounds. I have been eating lo-carb since my surgery but in the last two days i started eating more Protein than anything. I am hungry all the time so I am hoping that this next fill will bring me closer to the green zone. I am at 5cc's.

Hello everyone. One year ago today I started my 3 week liquid diet to prepare for my lap band surgery. It was both one of the most exciting and scariest days of my life. At that time I weighed 360 pounds, had severe sleep apnea and just felt lousy in general. I was unmotivated and my world revolved around my lazy boy chair and my office chair. I was in a major rut in my career, and if I was to be really truthful only had a few more years left to live. Twelve years previously I had lost almost 130 pounds and gained it back with in four years so I knew how difficult the change would be.
Today I weigh 213 pounds and I can't remember when I felt this good. I walk an hour everyday and have so much energy to burn. My sleep apnea is gone and I feel in total control of my life again. My marriage to my wife has never been stronger and now I am get ready to embark on a career change that I should have made five years ago. This surgery has freed me from my prison of obesity.
What have I learned this time that I didn't know when I lost the weight last time? The most important thing is that this is a lifestyle change and not a diet. This will never end to me. I just eat less than I did before. Sure sometimes I give into my cravings, but instead of eating a gallon of ice cream at one time, I eat two scoops. Everything is in moderation. I am what most people would call a fussy eater. Very much of a meat potato guy. I am a little more careful than I used to be but I can still eat all the same foods (but in much smaller portions) I did before with the exception of carbonated beverages. I really believe switching from a 2 litre Diet Pepsi to Water made a huge impact on my success. I have also learned to forgive myself when I slip up and have a bad eating day. Before if I messed I would use it as an excuse to sabotage my progress and go off the wagon. Now if I have a bad day I just start back fresh the next day. Even people who are natural thin have bad eating days but they don't let it become an everyday thing.
I have been very lucky as I have had very few side effects what so ever. The three week liquid diet was the hardest part, followed by the first three weeks after surgery. Since then no problems what so ever. I have only PB'd once and probable only had a dozen stuck episodes when I forget to slow down my eating. I have deliberately kept my band relatively loose 3cc in a 14cc band because I was afraid to have it too tight and experience a lot of the trouble I have seen some people go through. I just keep it tight enough so I can go 5 hours with out hunger pains and it has worked for me. I use it like a tool but not as the only means to succeed. It won't cure your head hunger or your cravings, but it will keep the hunger pains away.
I am now 13 pounds away from my goal weight so I have been slowly trying to adjust to more of a maintenance mod now. I really feel that I have a toll that can help me succeed going forward. I am going to attach a before and after picture that was taking about 6 weeks ago. I know some people like these pictures as motivation so I hope it helps. Thank you to all the people on this board who provided me advice, especially in the scary beginning stages. You all helped reassure me. Thank you.

I quickly did forgive myself. I have lost 26 pounds so far on my preop so I am not guilty at all. I am only feeling a sense of pride and accomplishment. Tomorrow is the start of my new future and I can't wait

Hi Martha. No shakes yet. Just Jello. Soup and tea right now. Thank you for the encouragement

Thank you Chrissy. Today is a better day. Just resting and taking care of myself.

Actually today is my surgery 3 weeks preop under my belt. The surgery is scheduled for 12:30

Thank you Martha

I am truly excited about starting today. I already have been stocking my pantry shelf with my "supplies". I generally don't eat first thing in the morning but my mind is playing tricks on me and of course I woke up feeling like I could really put a buffet out if business right now,lol. Time to go and drink my Breakfast. Can't wait till April 25th:)

I'm at the halfway point of my 3 week preop. Unfortunately I can't weigh myself because my scale won't work because I weigh to much right now. I can tell in my clothes that I am definitely loosing something. I have 10 more days until my surgery and I am anxious for that day to arrive. I am extremely moody at this point. I can't wait until I start counseling on May 5 th.

Mrs.Ski...checking on you after surgery. I pray you're well and let us know if you need anything. Remember to rest and push the protein.... WALK WALK WALK

Actually today is my surgery 3 weeks preop under my belt. The surgery is scheduled for 12:30

I quickly did forgive myself. I have lost 26 pounds so far on my preop so I am not guilty at all. I am only feeling a sense of pride and accomplishment. Tomorrow is the start of my new future and I can't wait

Thank you so much for the encouraging words. Today I got very excited I actually had egg flower Soup while on a business lunch. But now I'm feeling very guilty because I did not strain it.

Wow. What an amazing transformation. Thanks for sharing.