ashemademe

I struggled a bit in May. Had a big loss the 1st week then nothing. Actually GAINED 1 week then sat at 95lbs all month. Then finally Friday I did it, 100lbs lost! Whoop!! ☺️ Every time I say it, I'm in awe.
Not all is since surgery, I lost 43lbs between Aug and my surgery date (20 of that was my pre-op liquid diet). I was banded 1/27 and have lost 57lbs since surgery. I still want to lose 70 more pounds but if I lost not 1 more pound I would consider my WLS a success! This surgery has changed my life and I can't wait to see what the next 70lbs look like!!
I know I'm still a newbie myself but I just wanted to let the people who just had surgery or are struggling, weight loss can and will happen. Even through a stall just keep doing what you're supposed to and it'll happen. Trust in your band, your doctor and most importantly yourself. ????

I
I started walking 2 weeks after surgery. I started basic squats and lunges 5 weeks after. I started weights at about 8 weeks. Now I do Swallow Cliff in Palos Hills IL once a week. It's 125 stair up and I do them about 7x up and down. I continue to challenge myself, May 30th I'm doing a 5k.

My surgery date was 11/14/14. So far I lost 51 pounds 11 in the preops. Still struggling with chewing, its a reflex action mostly. Exercise at least 2-3 times a week. I need to get that number up. I have had 3 fills and my band is a about 6 oz but I have good restriction and not ready for another fill. For April I only lost about 2 pounds but mostly because I started drinking iced coffee with the warm weather coming in. I know better know switching to iced tea with splenda.

I
I started walking 2 weeks after surgery. I started basic squats and lunges 5 weeks after. I started weights at about 8 weeks. Now I do Swallow Cliff in Palos Hills IL once a week. It's 125 stair up and I do them about 7x up and down. I continue to challenge myself, May 30th I'm doing a 5k.

I
I started walking 2 weeks after surgery. I started basic squats and lunges 5 weeks after. I started weights at about 8 weeks. Now I do Swallow Cliff in Palos Hills IL once a week. It's 125 stair up and I do them about 7x up and down. I continue to challenge myself, May 30th I'm doing a 5k.

I
I started walking 2 weeks after surgery. I started basic squats and lunges 5 weeks after. I started weights at about 8 weeks. Now I do Swallow Cliff in Palos Hills IL once a week. It's 125 stair up and I do them about 7x up and down. I continue to challenge myself, May 30th I'm doing a 5k.

Exercise is ESSENTIAL in my opinion.....you have to burn that stored fat...(notice I did not say calories)

Exercise is free can be fun and releases stress oh and helps you lose weight too.

You go girl!! Keep up the good work

WOW !!! You look amazing !! Finding workouts or exercises that I liked enough to stick to were a huge help for me in losing weight after my WLS. So glad that you found things you like too . Congratulations !! And way to go on the 5k too !!

I
I started walking 2 weeks after surgery. I started basic squats and lunges 5 weeks after. I started weights at about 8 weeks. Now I do Swallow Cliff in Palos Hills IL once a week. It's 125 stair up and I do them about 7x up and down. I continue to challenge myself, May 30th I'm doing a 5k.

What an inspiration. You look awesome!

I
I started walking 2 weeks after surgery. I started basic squats and lunges 5 weeks after. I started weights at about 8 weeks. Now I do Swallow Cliff in Palos Hills IL once a week. It's 125 stair up and I do them about 7x up and down. I continue to challenge myself, May 30th I'm doing a 5k.

Wow!!! You look great and that's quite an inspiration!

I
I started walking 2 weeks after surgery. I started basic squats and lunges 5 weeks after. I started weights at about 8 weeks. Now I do Swallow Cliff in Palos Hills IL once a week. It's 125 stair up and I do them about 7x up and down. I continue to challenge myself, May 30th I'm doing a 5k.

You go girl! Doing awesome!

Hello all. I just wanted to give a little encouragement to the newbies out there. Today I am 4 years post op. I am still in love with my band. I have been filled and unfilled, I have pbed. I have gotten stuck and yet I still love my band. It has taken some time but I have learned to live with it as many of my fellow veterans have as well. I have learned what I can eat and what I can't eat with my band. I do drink a little sprite or orange soda every once in a while. I can't stand coke any more which used to be my favorite soda. I can honestly say I haven't had it in over 4 years. What I do drink on the regular is orange juice because I can't eat oranges any more. I can eat apples but I choose to drink apple juice. I still have my coffee every morning and tea every week as well. In regards to foods, well I eat just about anything except Pasta that you use for lasagna. I do eat spaghetti every blue moon and I will eat a little mac and cheese only if it's really cheesy. Other than that, I eat bread, rice, etc. I actually had a couple slices of thin crust pizza for supper yesterday. Speaking of supper. I have learned that I can't eat past 8 p.m. If I do, I will fall asleep but in the middle of the night I will start coughing and coughing and then I'll fall back to sleep. Later I will cough some more and eventually Water will start coming out of my nose. That will go on until I finally throw up the last whatever that was in my stomach before I went to bed. So that means I have to get in all my food and drink by 7 p.m. 7:30 at the latest. When I do eat before 7, I have no problems. I sleep like a baby. What can I say, my band doesn't want me eating late I can dig that. That was a problem before I was banded that aided in me gaining weight in the first place eating late at night and snacking watching tv. Well I can honestly say those days are definitely over. I do eat chips but only when I crave them. I eat popcorn as well but only when I have a taste for it and that isn't often. My last fill was August 2012 which put me at 7.1 ccs in my 10 cc band. So I will leave you with this final note, don't give up. Don't get discouraged. The weight isn't going to fall off over night, every week, everyday, etc. Stop stressing. Follow your bariatric team's instructions/guidelines because all our bodies and problems within our bodies are different. We all have different medical issues so what works for me may not work for you and vice versa. Sometimes it will but in other cases it won't. If you aren't sure about what's happening in your body, don't be afraid to call your doctor and find out. After all, it is YOUR BODY. Take care everyone and happy holidays. I'm 95 lbs down and loving it.

Hey I'm almost at my 100lb weight loss only a few ounces away.

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.

Hi Everyone! Just wanted to share, I am 1 month out since surgery and today I hit a total 30 pound lost. That's 20 pounds preops and 10 pounds since the band. I currently eat around 1200 calories a day and I do 2 (30min) workouts a day for 5 days a week.

5 months and 50lbs later!

I get banded on Saturday - thanks for the inspiration

Happy New Year losers!

Way to go!!!! Keep up the great work! Stick to the plan that your surgeon has and follow the rules! You are doing great! This is a life changer, it's incredible!!!

Hi Everyone! Just wanted to share, I am 1 month out since surgery and today I hit a total 30 pound lost. That's 20 pounds preops and 10 pounds since the band. I currently eat around 1200 calories a day and I do 2 (30min) workouts a day for 5 days a week.