country lovin

I had to be unfilled 6 weeks ago due to being too tight and vomiting mom stop. When I had my surgery to put my band in he fixed the hernia. No more acid reflux after that until now. I got a small fill 2 weeks ago and feel no restriction but for the past three nights I wake up with horrible acid reflux. I am really worried. I go back for another fill in 10 days. When he fills me I under the X-ray the whole time and was told the bad was great and in the right position no worries. So now I so afraid that something is wrong and I do not have the money to do anythin as my insurance doesn't cover anything. Advice???

Hi! I am a 35 year old female. Married to a wonderful supportive man. I live in the Fort Worth, TX area. I am a case worker for the State of Texas, so I work A LOT. I had lap band on March 28, 2014. I have lost 30 pounds including the 2 weeks pre-op diet, but have recently not lost anything. Struggling and go for 1st fill Monday. I would love to have a buddy in my area..thanks.

you are very inspiring....would you mind sharing any tips? I was banded March 28, 2014.

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!!

Hi there, I have just celebrated my six month "bandaversary." How am I doing? Well, I'm thrilled! The weight loss has been great. I am 52 and I wasn't sure how fast it would be possible for me to lose. I am very satisfied with the results. In November I was a size 18 in my Lee long jeans. This morning I'm wearing size 12 Lee longs. I guess I'll be getting some 10's next time they are on sale. I find this mind-boggling, as though it must be some one else! My collarbones are coming back and I find myself noticing more definition all the time. This morning I wore exercise togs that I've had for a long time and the shirt is like a dress on me. It was kind of tight before. I no longer resemble Mrs. Winnie-the-Poo. I carried a lot of weight on my belly and now when I stand on the scale I can see right down to the floor. Yes, there's still plenty to lose, but wow.
Yesterday I had an appointment with the lap band coordinator at the hospital where I had the procedure. She is also banded and we had a great time together. I haven't seen her since the month before my surgery, so it's been a while. According to their records I am over fifty pounds down from the morning of my surgery. I don't go by their scale, though. On mine I am still one pound away from Onederland and I will be fifty down when I lose three more pounds. I was hoping to be there for this post, but that's okay. I know it will happen. That's one thing I am learning, patience with the process. How I can feel impatient when I've had this kind of success is beyond me, but I guess that's human nature and part of the "more, more, more" mentality that got me fat in the first place.
I had labs last week and we reviewed all the numbers. Every category has improved, in some cases greatly improved. I am healthy, healthy, healthy! I still have a lot to lose (30, 40 or 50?) but I feel so much better now than I did six months ago. I know that there is even more vitality to come as I continue to focus on fitness. I am sleeping better, waking up rested and I am able to walk long distances that I would not have attempted a year ago. I feel strong and able.
This site has been a god-send for me. I have not told very many people about the surgery and in any case those are not people who know what WLS is all about. They love me and want to be supportive, but let's face it -- only another banded person can understand the ins and outs of the thing. I have benefited so much from veteran banders, some still here and others no longer here. I felt very prepared for my surgery and for the months afterward getting used to my new lifestyle and learning how to listen to the band (nod to B-52 there!). If I start naming people I will probably forget some one and I don't want to do that, but I hope you know who you are. I really appreciate your willingness to share information and give support along the way.
What's next for me? Well, more of the same, really. Keep increasing the exercise. Keep reminding myself that I'm not on a diet. Keep noticing everything. Notice if I'm hungry and eat when I'm hungry. Don't eat if I'm not hungry. Stop when I'm satisfied. Next week I'm going to get another small fill. I've learned what my body is telling me when it is nibbly too often or I seek larger portions than I should be able to eat. I pay attention to the amount and the frequency and I always eat high-quality "real" food. Am I perfect? No way. But I'm doing very well and no longer beating myself up. At all. For the first time in decades I feel like I can hold my head up high when I'm out in the world. I don't feel judged -- I feel like I fit in and that I'm being seen more for who I am than my size. I look better and feel better and there's a feedback loop there with the world. It's pretty exciting to crawl out of my shell and feel welcome. This band has been the most wonderful gift I could give myself and I'm grateful for it every day.
November, 2013:

May, 2014 (six months later):

November, 2013:

May, 2014 (six months later):

Just uploaded an app on my phone to help me with eating slower, called Eat Slow!!! it is great!!! Thanks Gloria Nayely!!!

I downloaded an app on my phone called Eat Slower -- it's a little timer that will vibrate your phone at intervals you set. So, I can set it to vibrate every 2 minutes. I'll take a bite when it vibrates then chew, chew, chew and swallow and wait until it vibrates before taking another bite. I'm going to up the time to 3 minutes between bites.
Just an idea that might help.

Wonderful advice everyone....I am going to go for a walk this afternoon at my son's baseball game....ya'll are wonderful!!!

Wonderful advice everyone....I am going to go for a walk this afternoon at my son's baseball game....ya'll are wonderful!!!

Two things I've found as a busy mom --
1) Nobody wants my time at 5:30 in the morning. If I can get my butt out of bed and go to the gym or hit the treadmill at home first thing in the morning, then I can get that time in. My 14 yo had to learn to wake up to an alarm but he's a big boy and needed that life lesson anyway. I get back home around the time he gets in the shower, so I'm there to see him off to school. Basically all he misses is me waking him up and he's fine with that.
2) As a sports mom, I spent a lot of time at practices when they were younger, standing on the sidelines watching games. During practices, I started walking circles around the baseball or lacrosse fields. That way, I was there in case of an injury or whatever but I wasn't just sitting on my butt watching THEM exercise.
Try to find some times that you can add in some time for yourself. You can do this!
Ginger

Thank you all so much for the advice and support!! I will start incorporating small things into my schedule today!!

kbrtn gave very good advice. I work at a desk and i find myself pacing to get in some exercise. also when you take bathroom breaks maybe work in some squats while in there. you can catch exercise moments anywhere if you are looking for them. Good luck!

I've often wondered if some people who are super busy but overweight are care givers. Either jobs, or family matters that always come first. Do we compensate by giving ourselves food instead of doing other things that will take our time like exercise?
Walk at lunch/breaks. Take the child who consumes your time on a walk to talk. Walking stimulates creativity too so maybe you'll both be inspired to find a solution to the behavior issues.
Park as far from the door at work/ stores/ etc as you can to get in extra steps. Pace or walk when you're in the phone. Get up and take a short walk once an hour if your job is sitting at a desk. Work it in if you can't create time.

So I stepped on the scale this morning and the following was staring back at me.

I have now lost 101 pounds and finally passed the 100 lbs lost mark about 6.5 months after surgery. I have been staring at the scale impatiently for the better part of the past week waiting for this and today was the day. I keep reminding myself that I originally thought it might take a year to get to this point and it bested that by 5.5 months. As an added bonus at my six month appointment I was told I had lost 96 pounds overall, but had lost 102 pounds of fat, so I actually gained some muscle. In addition to that my measurements showed a loss of six inches from my neck and 12 inches from my waist. Surgery definitely is the tool that makes the difference.

Ordering off the kid's menu is a great idea, but most placed I have been say you must be a kid and put an age limit on it. Has anyone ever told the restaurant that they had bariatric surgery and needed to order the smaller portion?

So, when last I was on here I was talking about how I hadn't been losing (plateau for over 3 years) and really wanted to lose the rest of my weight. Well, my last fill was just over a week ago and I'm down 4lbs! If it was slightly more, I'd be happy, but I'm good with this. Nothing in the last three days, but I'm sure I'm heading in the right direction. Down!
My band is 10cc and I believe I'm at 7cc now. Way more restriction than I've ever had. A little uncomfortable at times, but if this is what it takes, I'm doing it. I'm hoping to reach my next goal of 145lbs by mid-June. I need to be realistic, but this should be doable with this restriction I have going now. I am 40lbs from my goal weight. Go me! Who can tell that I am trying to pysch myself up?
Hope everyone is doing well.

I also in Bandster Hell I believe. I am looking forward to Monday when I get my first fill. I have people that know I had the surgery asking all the time how much weight I have lost and it is so embarrassing to say 30 then gained back 10....UGH

I also in Bandster Hell I believe. I am looking forward to Monday when I get my first fill. I have people that know I had the surgery asking all the time how much weight I have lost and it is so embarrassing to say 30 then gained back 10....UGH

Thank you for sharing that story it sounds similar to mine. I am really struggling right now with bandster hell. I just seem to be eating way to much daily and at this point nothing has made me sick. I have to remember that right now this is a diet to still until I get the fills I need. I never wanted to be on a diet again...well thanks again for sharing and keeping other people inspired.

When I started the band process in September last year, I didn't know how much work it would be on my part. I just knew it was the least invasive of the three surgeries. As I went through the pre-op protocol and was told to change my snacking habits or else the psychologist wouldn't clear me for surgery, I got really ticked off. How dare he? Well, I turned the anger into action. When I did that (gave up tv eating) I then understood why he said that. It required discipline! Of course, if I wouldn't stop tv snacking every night, I wasn't going to have success with a band. I didn't know that but he did. I guess I thought everything would just magically change for me without any pain on my part.
Once I changed that snacking habit, I began to believe what they all kept saying, which was that this process was only going to be as successful as the effort I put into it.
I had the same negative instant reaction to the post-op liquid diet. When the surgeon told me it was six weeks, not four weeks, of post-op liquids, I was mad and aggravated. When he further told me to reduce my post-op calories from 1000 to 800, I again got mad and wanted to rebel. When the nurse coordinator told me I had to walk a treadmill every day starting one day post-op and build up to a 2-mile walk every day, I nearly croaked.
I think on some level I expected to treat these like suggestions, or guidelines, that were great for other people, but no biggie if I chose not to do them. After all, I'm special, you know. I have arthritis. I'm really fat and I get out of breath. I have hunger issues. I really like food. I'm not in this for the beauty or vanity aspects, just for health reasons, so there's no problem if my weight loss takes a little longer.
But instead of giving in to those excuses about my uniqueness (!), I followed all of the rules. Only by following them did my understanding of how this works transform from theory into understanding and acceptance. Sure, I read the book, I researched all this, I "knew" all these things back in September, six months before I was banded. But I didn't really learn them until I did them. I have experiential knowledge of these things now. I feel better because I exercise. That one blows my mind. My knees still hurt, but I feel BETTER when I exercise. Sweating and panting do not destroy me. I walked in the forest preserve with my college-age daughter yesterday and she told me I hit my target heart rate. Huh? She said we were walking and talking, and I was slightly out of breath the whole time, but able to carry on a conversation, so that meant I was exercising at a good pace . For an hour. Amazing. Six months ago, heck, four months ago, I never got off the couch.
Eating differently is huge. I'm on liquids for 5 more days and then I finally move to regular foods. I'm dreaming constantly of what I'll eat. I want steak, I want lobster, I want three Jimmy John's sandwiches in one sitting. I want, I want, I want. What I will do instead is make a scrambled egg on Thursday morning and I'll probably be in heaven. Then I'll probably have a Protein shake at work for lunch because dinner will be at a restaurant with my friend before our exercise class. I'll probably have a few bites of some meat or fish and a veggie. Not three Jimmy John's sandwiches. Not a ribeye. Not a burger.
The next phase is what some people call bandster hell. I'll get a first fill, but have to keep a good eating discipline while the months go by and I work toward the correct number of fills for my green zone. I WANT to wolf three Jimmy John's sandwiches, but I WILL practice eating slowly and chewing thoroughly and keeping portions small. I won't drink while eating. This will all be new behavior because I haven't chewed in 7 weeks, have only consumed liquids so far, and haven't slowed myself down too well yet. It will be my next big challenge.
Thank you, people of this board, who post your experiences and teach me how living as a bander works and doesn't work. And that's how I approach all of this. What works and what doesn't work. My actions for 52 years didn't work. This year that all changes, because I'm following the directions for what does work. It gets a little easier every day.

that sounds so good to have a tight band. my first fill is Monday and I cannot wait!!! congrats on doing good yall.

I also in Bandster Hell I believe. I am looking forward to Monday when I get my first fill. I have people that know I had the surgery asking all the time how much weight I have lost and it is so embarrassing to say 30 then gained back 10....UGH

Amazing job!! I am just 3 weeks out and love seeing the inspiring stories. Congrats and keep up the great work!

I am so thankful I found this page. This app on my phone helps me through so much. I feel so uplifted now and am getting some great ideas!!!

Thanks so much. That helps a lot!!