Deez416

Hi everyone,
It's been a long time since I've visited the site but I thought I'd come over to share my recent success.
I just hit my 8 month mark last week and as of today, I am down a total of 86lbs!!! I'm beyond thrilled!
Please allow me to list all of the recent success that I've seen in non-scale form:
* down to a size 16 from a 24
* I was able to get on the rides at six flags three weeks ago (it's been 7 years since I've been able to fit)
* I fit on the plane, comfortably
* I've been working out 2-3 times a week
* I'm happy!
Just needed to share, hope everyone is well!

Having a wonderful time. Just got back from Harrod's and spent a fortune. Been to tower of London, Westminster, Buckingham palace, St Paul, Kensington gardens, just to name a few. Can't post pictures thru the phone app but will upload once I'm back home. Enjoying the food as well but cosuming it in moderation. What a nice way to eat for a change....

UPDATE: Another pound gone. I'm 206. (Down from 256). This giving up wine thing is easier than I thought it would be. Feeling this good is BETTER than the little euphoric high I get from that first glass of wine.
And.... I'm sleeping better. I have more energy during the day. Had a wee little adjustment today (.2ccs) and am pretty sure I am firmly and completely in the green zone.
Exercise + no wine + band adjustments = happy me.

My WFL is working!
A success story to share.
I was banded 7 months ago - December 18th, 2014. Since then I have been a great and compliant patient - modifying my food choices, increasing Protein, eliminating white foods (rice, Pasta, breads). And TODAY - this very morning - the day after my 46th birthday, I have lost 50 pounds. HOORAY!
What is a WFL? WINE-FREE LIFE. Sounds silly to give it a goofy acronym, but I'm trying to stay positive here.
Up until 3 days ago I was stuck at 47 pounds lost. Like REALLY STUCK - the scale has not moved in 9 weeks. I was at 212-214 for weeks and weeks and weeks... the culprit? Red wine.
I love fine wines. (My husband is snorting and reminding me that I love cheap plonk too, but that's another story). In another post I detailed how this love came about because of receiving training in the 1990's in wines, varietals and vintages.
ANYWAY.
My enthusiastic (to say the least) consumption of wine has been stalling my progress with my lap-band. The band reminds me what I can and cannot EAT, however it is not fussy when I throw high-calorie bevvies (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Shiraz...) down my throat. The band does not restrict fluids, and so I have been joyfully justifying my 3-glass-a-night (roughly 500 calories) indulgence but reminding myself of how little food I've eaten.
Reality check - it doesn't work that way.
It takes 3500 calories to 'create' a pound of weight. If I do the math, I've been consuming roughly 4000-5000 calories a week in WINE alone. (Hello, AA?!) So although my caloric intake through food may be down, and my exercise up (I started walking 18 kms a week), I'm derailing my weight loss because of wine.
SO!
I finally realized this last week. I think I was in denial. Last week as my birthday approached, I decided on a WFB - wine-free birthday. (This is huge for me as I Celebrate anything and everything with wine). I went wine-free a couple of days before my b-day. Today it's the day after and I am down THREE pounds. THREE POUNDS. Remember - the scale hadn't moved in weeks. Coincidence? I think not!
So for those of you who are booze enthusiasts, regardless of your WLS method, those calories add up. I am enthusiastically (with only a small sob) going wine-free, and enjoying a WFL - Wine-Free Life.
Woo!

Try not to let the horror stories get to you. They scare the crap out of me too. There are many success stories as well. I've only had my band 5 months but I'm thrilled with my tool and could not be happier. I'm also very happy that I still have all my intestines and nothing had to be rerouted.
Good luck on your journey!

There are lots of posts here from people who have done wonderfully with their bands including Alex who started this site. Do remember many happy people move on with their lives after some time and no longer come here but the ones who are struggling still do. Follow your Drs orders and enjoy your new life.

Tomorrow marks 10 months since I was banded at SlimBand in Toronto. It was the BEST decision of my life. I am down 93 lbs since my pre-op diet started on August 20. I have no regrets. I have 14 lbs to go to reach my goal, and I plan to reach it by the one year anniversary date which is Sept. 4. I would love to help others to achieve success as well. Please do not hesitate to ask me questions.

MISTAKE IN THREAD NAME sorry guys! I'm from oz and use kgs. I am minus 80 pounds not 150 hahaha!!
Not sure of how to change the title..
I started at 230lbs and I'm now at 150lbs...
Found this old photo today, I definitely encourage people to take photos along the way. You don't really notice it yourself until you see it side by side!

Had mine for nine years. All good. Am in touch with just over 50 people (not online, in real life); two have had bands removed, one because she deliberately kept it too tight. Rest doing ok.
Two friends have sleeves and have had an appalling time. One friend has RNY and nearly died.
Horror stories? Yes. Happens to everyone? No!

Like B52 and Bandista I miss Lapbandtalk. I am sure that is why some of our veterans have signed off. It gets very discouraging to have your choice to have lapband talked about negatively all the time. There are a very few of us who still come here for any advice or encouragement. I check in some but mostly get aggrevated. Even though I chose Lapband over the other WLS forums I still get the same ole "My surgery is better than yours" on here. There are many , many successful lapband patients who were here at the beginning but have since moved on. Sadly sometimes change is not for the better and I for one loved the lapband site. I don't think that there are any bad surgeries and I encourage everyone no matter what type of surgery they had or are going to have but my choice should also be respected.

It is totally normal to not feel restriction once the op swelling has gone and before the saline has reached the appropriate level for you. I was lucky and my very first fill did the trick for me, some people need many fills.
So, yes, this can be a very hard time. You seem to be hanging in there! Well done!
Basically you have a choice. You say "I'll be OK later, so I'll not worry now " (the old "my diet will start tomorrow" approach) or you can tell yourself. "I just had major surgery to lose weight, I CAN and WILL do this".
If you are still able to eat more than you hope to be eating later on, use the old pre-surgery tricks of bulky vegetables etc..
But do remember, your band should never physically stop you eating. All it should ever do is slow you down and so dim your hunger. I could eat an entire meze if I took my time over it!

I'm a firm believer that I rely on the band to loose weight. I have tried to do it myself, motivated, focused...whatever, it simply did not work....perhaps temporary, but it always came right back...and then some with a vengeance!
But, with weight loss surgery, I was able to loose weight...ALL the weight. And I will keep it off....can't see how I will ever gain it back, except to say something should go wrong and I would need Fluid taken out....and I read posts such as that all the time, where people have gained weight after some other problem, where the Fluid needed to be taken out.
So, whenever I read posts, I am one that is always asking "What about the band?" "Why isn't the band working?"
I say that, because I KNOW from first hand experience, the Band DOES WORK!
There is a reason we needed surgery!
So as I read your post, that is the way I looked at it. And first thing I noticed was 3 fills in 3 years? And you did not say how much each fill was.....except the last fill was 5cc's...Finally!
(I know someone who had 10 fills, but each one was only 1/2cc...)
I know we should not compare ourselves to one another, and do things just because other people do it.....but we can see and read other people's experiences. and in some ways perhaps relate.......
I had 3 fills in 3 months!!! and the total mount was higher than you have in 3 years....Fortunately my Dr. was very clear on what our goal was....first to have the band installed, then to get it adjusted and working!
Also, where you have gained weight in those 3 years, I gained weight within one of those 3 months....
Being motivated, focused, and having desire to loose weight was never my problem....I've lost weight 100's of times only to have it come back...and then more!
There was a reason I needed to have weight loss surgery....and it was not to get motivated.
I guess what I'm saying is the "BAND DOES WORK!" There are many people that have come though here who found 100% success!
I do not see where you have failed in the least bit!!! I do not see where you did anything wrong....the only thing I see that is sad is that you..(or your Dr. I should say)..., waited 3 years to to get the band working....
But it appears you and your Dr. are finally getting it done.
Just know, this Band surgery does work! We just have to let it, and learn how to live (differently) with it....a new life with a new lifestyle....

Weight Loss Surgery was such an out of the blue decision for me -- I'm not even sure exactly how it came about. We live in the boonies, I don't watch TV, and I didn't know any one else with a LapBand (or any other WLS). I am kind of a health food type and had never been an overnight patient in the hospital before. I guess I heard that a cousin's doctor had recommended this for him and so I started digging into the research. Almost right away I realized I was the perfect candidate. I think what this means is that I was READY. I had spent two decades dieting and working every weight loss angle under the sun, yet I always put the weight back on again plus a little more. Each year I was a little heavier, and since I'm in my fifties it was really starting to add up. I ate well, just too much. Now I eat well, just in much smaller portions and at appropriate intervals. What a difference this makes over time.
Here I am today 75 pounds down from when I started 17 months ago. I honestly can't believe it. Next month at a year and a half I hope to be able to report 80. It's been a long winter and I have not been exercising as much as I'd like. I know from experience that for me the exercise is really the magic ingredient. I hate the gym and as soon as this sleet and snow clears off I can't wait to resume outdoor walking again. Last year I bought a bike and I look forward to that. I have arthritis and being able to do these things is a real gift. So much easier without carrying around all that extra weight!
The scale is the scale and sometimes it doesn't budge. I tend to lose some and then hover a long while around a particular number for a while. This can be frustrating but I've learned that it is okay, that the scale will eventually move. Meanwhile, its all about the pants, the pants. I have gone from 18 jeans down to size 10 in the same brand. Right now I have a pair of size 10 jeans in another brand that I picked up on sale and they are way too tight. But I'm going to get into those jeans over time -- and I also have a couple of pair of linen pants in my closet. I try them all on from time to time and that helps keep me motivated. It's all about the pants, the pants.....
Determining a goal weight is hard -- I guess I will know when I get there (and I know I'm not there yet). I'm fairly tall and don't want to be "skinny" -- I like my curves. For now I am thinking 155 might be a good weight for me and I am thrilled to be just 22 pounds away from that goal as of this morning. Oh my goodness, I am so happy!

I just had my 4th adjustment appointment with my surgeon this morning. I couldn't stifle the laugh when he looked at my weight loss and said "Holy Shit, you lost 11 pounds!!!"
I am a little over 4 months out from my surgery, and I am down 61 pounds (including the 2 week liquid phase prior) and I couldn't be happier.
I am down from a size 24 to an 18.
I am 245 pounds, a weight that I haven't seen in probably around 6 years.
I am happy... simply happy.
I did not expect the results to be this consistent, but I am happy I was wrong!
Good luck to everyone out there - it can be done!!!

I too have waited many years thinking about WLS. I work in healthcare and see so many bypass complications that haunt patients for years. I don't see band patients though (I work in a bariatric hospital). I have the issue that even though I know I'm overweight I don't feel overweight. I'm very active and "see" myself skinnier then I really am. I lost 110 lbs in one year (11 yrs ago) doing Atkins/exercise.....kept it off for 2-3 yrs then it started to creep back. I've gained 60 back total, so not a total loss!
I decided on getting banded this past fall, have done all the work for approval (lost 18 lbs too!) and got my surgery date today! April 16th will be here before I know it!!
I wish you the best with your band and know that we are taking a great step towards healthier lives!!!

@@JustWatchMe Thanks for the feedback. One of the reasons I posted here is for the connection and motivation. Sometimes I feel alone in this and to know that others out there are in the same struggle I am is reassuring.

I was banded in Mississauga (Toronto) on December 18th, 2014. I am 11 weeks post-op and down 37 pounds.
It may not be a ton of weight lost, but its all gone, gone gone forever, and I am losing slow and steady. As I lay in bed last night, I touched my ribs (I have ribs?!) and reflected on how things have changed for me since being banded two and a half months ago.
I realized last night that I am totally, completely, madly in love with my band. Here's why:
My size 22 pants fall down to my ankles if I don't wear a belt. Even when I do wear a belt, my size 22 pants look like I'm wearing a parachute. I can put on my "old" jeans without unzipping/unbuttoning the fly. My tummy scars are a proud (and only slightly scary) red/purple, and serve to remind me every day of the commitment I've made to myself. My College students talk about me when they think I have my back turned/can't hear them and say things like "Damn, she's looking GOOD". I no longer have to use a "bath sheet" sized towel. A regular sized one wraps around my bod, thanks very much. I am no longer winded when I climb a set of stairs. People at work tell me hair looks AMAZING. What they are actually saying doing is choosing my hair as the way to give me a "YOU LOOK AMAZING!" compliment without verbalizing my obvious weight loss. This gives me JOY. I can no longer feel my thighs pressing against the sides of my office chair. Truth: In the shower, I no longer have to lift stuff up to wash other stuff. Seriously. When I get up to pee in the middle of the night there is no pain in my body. Anywhere. The aches are gone. My favourite LL Bean down jacket from before I chubbed out FITS ME and I can zip it up easily. I proctored an exam the other day sitting cross-legged on a desk. My herniated disc (due to obesity) has resolved. I can now roll over in bed pain-free. I can sleep on my stomach again. This is also something that gives me JOY. I sat on the floor with a group of students the other day, and realized I had gotten up again with absolutely NO EFFORT. I can chug water! I was afraid I wouldn't be able to do this after being banded. (It's the little things...) I have been watching my cheekbones emerge. Wow. Our grocery bill has gone down dramatically. I eat 1/3 (if that) of what I used to eat. My husband says with the grocery money saved since being banded we could buy a cottage in Muskoka. (lol!) Speaking of my husband, I weigh less than him for the first time in a decade. And more about my husband: I've noticed him touching my bum. A lot. And smooching me up. And hugging me close. He's proud, I can tell. My band gently (and sometimes not-so-gently) reminds me to slow down when I eat. Thank you, dear band. I have learned what freedom from the hunger monster feels like, and MAN OH MAN is that ever sa-weet. I have a constant backdrop of satiety. I no longer think about, or worry about, my next meal. Love those band adjustments! I am looking forward to getting into my MEC (Mountain Equipment Co-op - the Canadian version of "REI") 'Rad Pants' I've kept from 1994. They are red, they are a size 10. The summer is almost here and with it comes a canoe-trip. I will be wearing those pants. I feel like a I have a new lease on life. Woo hoo! It's okay to stall. It's ok to have the occasional chocolate banana fritter. (Whoops - damn it was good). I am in a love affair with my band, but more importantly, with myself.
THIS is why I am in love with my band.
Happy happy!

Right after surgery, everybody looses weight...lap band or no, we are on a strict post-op diet starting with Clear liquids and slowly progressing. Who wouldn't loose weight? And yet people give credit to the band.
At this stage, the Lap Band is doing nothing, IMO....it was installed and nothing more.(there are a FEW EXCEPTIONS...very few)
And let's face it...people who have much to loose, will loose more than the next person not quite so heavy.
So when someone says "I Lost 50 lbs, blah blah blah, the next person should not feel bad only loosing 10lbs.
I know people who could loose 50lbs if they skipped dinner! (only joking)
There are people here who start at 400lbs and loose over 200, and people who start at 225 and only loose 75....so which is more difficult?
So don't let the #'s intimidate you...it's all relative.
I had my first fill 4 weeks after surgery, and it was 4cc's....after that, I began to gain weight because it also the time I came off the post-op diet and began eating normal food again. DUH!
That first fill did absolutely nothing.
Had my second fill of 2cc's, 4 weeks after that, = 8 weeks from surgery.
The band began to do something....I didn't loose weight, but I did not gain either.
All this time I was being told and reminded to count calories, measure portions, stay away from certain foods/drink, etc...ALL the things I could have done (and have done) without surgery, the time and anxiety put into preparing for this, not to mention the $$.
Talk about Frustration!! I felt it was a big Rip Off!
Came back 4 weeks after that, = 12 weeks from surgery for my 3rd, (and final) fill. THAT one put me over the top.Pushed me off the edge!
Could not keep anything down. Feared I was going to be malnourished, etc. I was free falling!
Many people would have gone back to get it taken out, get back within their comfort zone......but my Dr. (who knows ME and not YOU) talked me into sticking it out, talked me into slowing down my eating, choice of foods, all those thing etc, etc.
Also said if I did get that last (small) fill removed, it would put me back to where I was after my 2nd fill...did I want that?
I'm glad he did...it took weeks - months for things to start to find that groove, but it did all start to fall in line.
That elusive "Fine balance - Harmony" where the band performs splendidly. The true "Green Zone"
I quess my point is, this thing DOES WORK, but it is not going to work immediately...it is adjustable and it takes time, sometimes with trial and error, to get it right.
And it is not just the band that gets adjusted along the way...we too have to get adjusted to the Lap Band. And that is key to success.
Lap Band Surgery will "Change Your Life" but you have to ready and willing for change. And that can be very frustrating and take some time. Even though my last needed fill was 12 weeks from surgery, and the weight began to steadily and consistently come off, a year later I was still learning lessons, Life changing lessons...most times the hard and unpleasant way. Did not mean the band is at fault.
I'm 4 years out, and I can do something right now, this moment, that would cause a very negative reaction with my band. Does not mean my band is at fault...it means I just did something I should never do...simple, yet it did take time to learn the difference.
If people told me 4 years ago what and how little I would be eating today, and still be healthy and full of energy, I would have said they were blowing smoke up my you know what.
And yet here I am at that place, and to tell new people this, would be accepted the same as I would have 4 years ago.
This is the internet, and 1000's of people come and go here all the time. And I have read people's posts about frustration and feelings of failure (many of which are way pre-mature...give it a chance) when in fact I sense they are not willing to accept change. (still talking about pizza and cheese burgers, etc? Really?)
Not all, but some. There are people who legitimately have problems, complications. But we, strangers on the internet can ever tell what is going on.
They can't understand why they keep getting stuck...There's something wrong with their band...maybe there is, and maybe it's not the band....no one on the internet can tell for sure.
That is why it is best, IMO, it's best for people to simply share their own experiences, AT ALL LEVELS, good and bad, positive and negative...
Ok, it's 4am on a Sunday, I'm rambling on with my morning coffee before heading to the gym at 6...nothing more, just rambling..and pehaps ranting.

Another 12.5 lbs. down since last Dr. appointment 6 weeks ago...a total of 83 lbs. so far. It has been a long 2 years but results are finally happening! Got to keep plugging along!

I'm alomst at a year post-op so you've both been banded a lot longer than me but my motivation comes from the way I feel.

There's no greater feeling than waking up every morning fearless. When I was over weight it seemed I lived in constant fear; fear of not being able to fit into anything in my closet, fear of going to the Dr. because I didn't want to see the # on the scale because then I had to try and do something about it, fear I would begin having irreversible health issues, fear that my kids would be embarrased of me when they got older, et.c.

Instead now I wake up everyday thankful that weight isn't the first thing on my mind, living life is. I think about what fun things I'm going to exp. with my kiddos today that I wasn't able to do a year ago, wondering what I'm going to wear to work today because everything fits and I have so much to choose from (shopping problems), I love hearing compliments from my husband everyday:-)

I will say fear is not always a bad thing at times I find it's what drives me to keep going, that fear of going back to a place I I never want to be again.

You both have been very successful and you can pick up and start again!

Have either of you thought about going to one of the local support meetings? I would think this would be very motivational and would help you get back on track.

Have you visited your doctor lately?

Go back to the very basics. There was another lady that posted something similar a few weeks ago and I told her if this were me, I would literally go back to the very beginning starting with the pre-op diet your doctor gave you, then move to the post op diet stages, consult with your doctor, get a fill if you need one and most importantly surround yourself with positive supportive people.

You've both come so far and the great news is you're both aware of what you need to do and are asking for advice so that means you still want it and if you want it you will do it!

If there's anything I can help with please let me know.

Good luck and keep us posted on how you're doing!

5 months and 50lbs later!

On the day of my surgery, January 14th, 2013, I was morbidly obese with a BMI over 50. I was suffering from horrific knee pain and was seriously looking at spending my life in a wheelchair. I couldn’t walk more than a block without having to sit and rest. I couldn’t do the simplest of things like put on socks, or pick up my legs to shave them in the shower. I knew I was probably done traveling. I had just been on a cruise where I couldn’t get off the ship because of the pain I was in. I was wearing 4X tops and 26/28 slacks. I knew I was going to have to buy clothes online soon because I was growing out of these sizes and even places like Avenue didn’t carry sizes much bigger. The larger I got, the more invisible I felt. I worried about being able to move in spaces that were no longer big enough for me. I made sure to get to the conference room at work before anyone else so I didn’t have to bring unwarranted attention to myself by forcing my colleagues to squeeze in just so I could pass them if I couldn’t get a seat near the door. I worried about restaurants with tight seating…airplanes with narrow seats and the looks from whoever was stuck sitting next to me. Oh God…just thinking about this even now makes me so very sad and hurt because the list of painful and embarrasing situations is a long one.

That, however, was before my surgery. Today is my two year bandiversary and during those two years, I have lost around 150 lbs. That’s an amazing amount of excess weight to carry around on a very small frame. No wonder I was so uncomfortable. Today, I feel light as a feather. I can move normally again. As many of you know, I needed my hips replaced even before dealing with my knees. Turns out that my knees are fairly stable now as there is no excess weight to put unnecessary pressure on the joints. I can do all those things healthy people take for granted. I can walk anywhere and everywhere, I can cross my legs like a woman should be able to do, I can go up and down stairs…..hell, I can open my legs again and feel that marvelous weight of a man on top of me (sorry if that’s TMI but we're all adults here and sex is an important part of life that I thought was also in my past) Most of all…I fit in the world again and because I fit, the world has opened back up to me.

After 20+ years, I'm wearing petites again. I'm in small sized tops and size 6 slacks. My legs aren't tree trunks anymore and I'm wearing dresses. And just an FYI for you ladies…If you want to attract a man, wear a dress. Works like a charm.. I love to clothes shop again. In these small sizes, the clothes are cute and pretty and I don't buy anything anymore just because it fits.

I wear makeup again. My hair is styled attractively. I match the jewelry/bag/shoes to the outfits. Like I said above, I am very much aware now that people notice me. What an amazing transformation that is. To know that people see you again is such a powerful feeling….especially when you've felt invisible for so long.

I’m traveling again. In fact, I’m planning a trip to China or now possibly a Nordic cruise to Finland and Norway sometime later this year. I hope to go on one big trip every year. There are so many places I didn't think I'd ever get to and now I need to make up for lost time and go wherever my heart desires.

My grandson is due in April. I’ll be able to play with this one. My granddaughter missed out on a lot because I couldn’t keep up with her. She and I did a lot of arts and crafts, and reading books together or watching TV. I’m sure she didn’t feel like she missed anything but I know she did and this time around, Grandma is planning on climbing the monkey bars with this little guy when he gets old enough.

One last thing I wanted to put out there. I must thank Alex for creating this site. It has been my salvation. The people here were and are, instrumental in my success. I have said things in my posts that no one outside of this place can truly understand and for that I am so very grateful. I am also blessed to call many of the folks on this site good friends of mine and I can’t wait to meet some of you face to face so I can give you a big hug.

Here’s how I feel today..and most days in fact….I’m a person with two birthdays now. One in August of 1958 when I was born, and one in January of 2013 when I was re-born.

For anyone reading this post, congrats if you have also found success in your weight loss journey and to those struggling, or who are pre-op and full of doubts and worries, know that a new life is possible for each and every one of you. I'm not special so if I could do this, so can you...no matter what your co-morbidities, starting BMI, or any other challenges you are facing.

Here's a couple of before/after pics so you can see what 150 lbs. gone looks like. The ticker is just data but a picture is worth a thousand words as they say.

Well I've been banded for over 2yrs now and I am finally in the "GREEN ZONE ". It's a great feeling. So far this month I've lost 17lbs
I love my band

For me, this is how it works. I eat Protein first, then veggies, then carbs. 3:2:1 proportions. I take smaller bites and chew thoroughly. I slow down my eating a lot. I pay attention to the soft stop signals. A burp, a hiccup, a sigh, or feeling like I've had almost enough. Then I stop. When i do this I stay satisfied for 4 to 5 hours until my next meal.
The band isn't supposed to stop me from eating too much. It's supposed to help me feel satisfied sooner. Not full. Full means I ate too much or too fast, and ignored my soft stop signal. Stuck means I didn't chew enough or eat slowly enough. The band keeping hunger away for 4 or 5 hours after a Protein meal is the biggest benefit.
I've lost over a hundred pounds and have had five fills. The last two fills were tiny.
This is my experience and so far I feel successful. Good luck.

I would love to get rid of my sleep apnea machine. 68 more lbs might do it