babsintx3

Hi Drifter, I have been banded 3 years and I could easily eat 4000 calories a day if I wanted to. It would be a little challenging, but I just got back from a cruise to the Bahamas and I am sure I was grazing and eating at least 3000 calories of fish, sauces, oatmeal etc...omelettes, bacon, bread and butter etc.. I am talking mostly healthy food here and believe me it can be done. Definitely not something you need to worry about especially since the fill level could be adjusted to help you to eat more volume of solid Protein. DOnt worry about it!!! Babs in TX 334/180 ish -150 ish

Hi Jeannette, I had no restriction until my second fill. It really depends on the surgeon and whether he /she like to slowly creep up to a good fill level. It also depends whether the fills are done blindly or whether or not fluoroscopy is used. Fills are not rocket science unfortunately and different people respond very differently at the same fill level. I have 2.5 CC in my band now and someone else might not have any restriction at all at this level or could have the opposite problem where they cant swallow their own saliva. Sometime fills kick in right away and sometimes it can take a few weeks to feel a major difference. There are lots of theories about where saline goes and how it gets there. Such theories include Fluid distribution and having some still sitting in tubing to osmosis (although not likely because the band is closed system) A lot depends on how conservative your doc is or how assertive they are. I whined a lot and luckily got to a level of restriction that I could live with within 6 weeks of surgery. But in the beginning I had 0 restriction the first 6 weeks and I was frustrated. Be your own advocate and when its time for a fill, make sure you get a good one, although please know that there is NO exact right way to get you there. Every doc is different and every patient is different. Babs in TX 334/180 ish -150 ish

Hi, Not trying to be judgemental, since I was at one time the biggest party dog in the universe and now I am just an old geezer LOL I personally did not drink my first 6 months of banding although admittedly, I was not much of a drinker since I have had children to wake up to in the morning. Suggestions: Lay off the booze for a while until you get used to banded life and focus on weight loss. Drink less and stay away from the high caloric drinks. There were some good suggestions here: Crystal Lite and Vodka. Red Wine since it is low in calories and actually aids weight loss. diet cranberry and vodka. Stay away fro rum. It has lots of sugar in it and will not help you at all. Wine is my drink of choice to get a buzz and sometimes vodka and cranberry. Babs in TX 334/180 ish -150 ish

Hi Telly, I went back to the gym after an 8 month reprieve!!! Yay for BABS! 30 minutes on elliptical and biuke and tonight a BELLY DANCING CLASS!!!! Babs in TX 334/180 ish -150 ish

Hi Melanne, Just thought I would add this point. Its not about low calorie. Its about reduced intake. What I mean by this is with the band there is no way I could eat what I could before which means if I waste it on a big piece of cake (which goes down easy) then I wont have as much room for the meat. Right now if you are working out as much as you are you need to have the Protein high to build and maintain muscle. Carbs are important, but believe me for those who are insulin resistant (I am) they are killer. I eat less than 50 carbs grams a day, usually less then 30 on most and this works for me. I upped my calories to about 1300 a day because I dont have great restriction like I did when I first was banded 3 years ago and need more meat to get full. 6 oz or so... My quantities are bigger than when I was first banded. If I were you, I would cut back on the carbs and see how your body reacts. For me, the weeks where I have the least carbs are the weeks I lose the most so I guess this works for me. I know its hard to NOT rush it, but you need to take your time and get used to the lifestyle change. Like I said, it has to be something you can live with for life, not a diet. Babs in TX

Hi Beachee Girl, First I would like to say that you are trying to do too many things at one time. Trying to quit smoking and starting a diet do not go hand in hand. I smoked between a 10-20 cigarettes a day for 24 years and quit 2 years AFTER I got a lapband.My doc did not require I quit for surgery and I didnt. However, I had plastic surgery last year and had a doc who insisted or he wouldnt operate. You will not fail. Without my band, I would never have been able to lose the weight I did. Its a tool, but if you work with it you will succeeed!! Good luck and stay positive!!! Babs in TX 334/180 ish -150 ish

Hi Melanie, Some questions: Did you exercise regularly before banding??? Maybe the reason you are not seeing the pounds drop off is because you are gaining muscle and that would explain why you are not seeing the pounds drop off the scale. Also, how much do you need to lose? That makes a very big difference on how fast you lose it. You dont need a personal trainer. Just keep doing what you are doing. As long as you are moving and expending more calories than you are taking in, you will lose unless you have some really strange metabolic disorder that will keep you from losing weight. I worked out at Curves my first 8 months 4 times a week and then transitioned to a regular gym later. My caloric intake for the first 8 months was an average of about 1000-1200 per day with at least 50-70 grams of protein, some veggies and pretty low carb. This worked for me, but no one can tell you what will work for you. You talk about steady and predictable losses. Sorry, but for most there is no such thing . LONG TERM YES. SHORT TERM NO. Heres an example of how I lost the first year: 1st 2 weeks: 15 pounds 1st month: 28 pounds. 2 month: Gained back 3 pounds when I started solids 2 month total losses: 10 pounds 1st 6 months: 80 lbs lost 1st year: 120 pounds lost Average per month losses: 7-8 pounds after my first several months of quick losses. IF you take into account that my BMI was 53.9 at the time of banding and now is 28.9. 334/180 now, that also determines how fast I lost b ecause of high BMI. If you look at averages, other than my first two months, I averaged 7-9 pounds loss a month and an average of 2.1 pounds of week. LONG TERM STEADY. Short term is frustrating and you need to be patient. There were weeks I lost 6 pounds and weeks and weeks I would lose nothing. YOu NEED TO BE PATIENT. We can all throw suggestions of what worked for us, but that doesnt mean it will work for you. Stick to protein, some veggies and stay away from the carbs. Most of us are insulin resistant from years of abusing carbs. At least I was..... If you stick with what you are doing, you will be successful.Also you need to stick t a plan you can live with for perpituity. This is not a short term situation, but a permanent lifestyle change. Babs in TX 334/180 ish -150 ish

Hi Nana, Sounds like you might be ready for another tweak. It sounds like you are doing great!!! Babs in TX 334/180 ish -150 ish

Hi, Normally, I dont care or believe tabloid crap, however, for years, Oprah has made it very clear that WLS is the easy way out and that she does not support it. She brings guests on her show that have lost lots of weight the hard way and advocates that this is the only way to lose weight. A while ago, I wrote to the Oprah show asking why they dont do a segment on the lapband? Its the ONLY time in my life that I attempted to do this. The article contends that she was scheduled to have the lapband procedure in AZ and backed out at the last minute because she was afraid of the surgery and didnt go through with it. It was a cover story and it caught my eye. If Oprah did indeed change her mind about WLS, this would actually be a victory. If a woman who is worth over a billion dollars and has personal trainers and dieticians at her call and beckon cant keep her weight off through diet and exercise, then maybe people will listen to this message and be less judgemental about the folks that take a different road to improve their health with surgical assistance. I dont like people like Dr. Phil who take the moral superiority high road that struggling is the way to go when there ar eother options that are available to help people with their satiety issues. Babs in TX

Hi Photo, I am one of those bandsters that made reference to the honeymoon stage. None of my remarks were meant to be discouraging to new bandsters. The point was some of the things Paul said are true, but they are not the Ten Commandments. All fast food is not bad for you. But if HIS addiction focused on eating too much fast food, then HE needs to stay away from it and not prostelytize about the merits of staying away from fast food joints and suggest all of it is crap because it is not. My problem is NOT fast food but the fact that I have a satiety disorder so I guess that would mean I should never go grocery shopping again. Not all bandsters exercise daily. Some have knee problems or need hip replacements or edema or other physical ailments that prevent them from moving around. Great advice to new bandsters would be to exercise, but what about the ones who cant? One of the most successful bandsters I know who is a nurse has not exercised at all through her whole journey and has been at goal almost one year and weighs 150 down from 290. She now has the gift of mobility and has the choice of whether she wants to exercise, but telling her that she needs to exercise to be successful longterm is a moot point. She has been maintaining her present weight for more than a year now and who am I to lecture her about what works or doesnt work? And what works for one, does not necessarily work for others. When the honeymoon is over (which is true for all WLS procedures) things do change and when you lose your restriction, dont have any restriction or lose your band all the demons come knocking at the door and even the folks who have been totally compliant, followed good bandster protocol and exercise daily find that they need far less calories to move around a person half the size. Weight gain for WLS patients whether it be band, RNY or any other procedure happens. If you find it demotivating for me to point out that perception changes, then that is your perrogative. I am thrilled that Paul has been so successful with his regimen. I too lost 120 lbs my first year of banding and busted my ass to achieve this success. In my second year, I lost an additional 34 pounds and then plateaued for 6 months. I quit smoking, gained about 12 pounds, had plastic surgery and all my fill removed and many of the food demons come back with the missing saline. My whole point is for those who have not reached a sweet spot or have never had one, the tool is a lot less effective and it could be very discouraging for those newbies who are not losing for those reasons to think that they are not trying hard enough. And just think how hard it would be for someone who really tries and is not seeing the results that Paul is seeing? Also for you to say that you can only think of one reason why someone would point out that there is a honeymoon period this instead of offering words of encouragement and WOOHOO!!! s and GREAT JOB! and its not a pleasant conclusion (paraphrased) is really off the mark. I do find it a little confusing that someone would think that I am trying to be hurtful by pointing out that things really change radically through this journey. Somebody once told me that there is a big difference between truth and perception. I have more or less maintained my weight give or take 5-8 lbs. Now that the honeymoon is over, it is a huge struggle to maintain this weight. 3-4 hours of exercise and a 1300 calorie a day eating plan of mostly meat and veggies and some limited carbs just aint cutting it to keep the weight off. Theres only so far you can go with restriction ( I dont barf very often 2 or 3 times a year) and the tool does become less effective several years out for lots of reasons like dwindling satiety, the fact you get used to restriction and find ways to eat around the band even though I said I would NEVER do this. I dont drink when I eat, but a pre meal cup of warm tea helps to get that little bit of extra meat down. A little more Sauce for my meat acts as extra lube and before you know it, I ate an extra two ounces of steak. OOPS! Sometimes your portions get bigger just a 1/4 oz more of this and a little of that and you dont notice until you are now eating a cup of food once again. And its easy to get complacent once the weight is off. So although many of the things Paul are saying are true, they are more easily said when you are losing 20 lbs a month. I recall when I was first doing research on the band that I went to obesityhelp lapband forum and posted and got one reply 3 days later to my posting. I remember "SouthernBandgal" Michelle was the only person to reply to my questions. THere was very little information available about the lapband three years ago, so all the protocol Paul so kindly outlined in his posting wasnt available at all and most of us back then stuck with our docs protocol and winged the rest. As said here by an earlier poster, obesity is a managed addiction. I love my band but there are limitations regarding this tool and there really is a HONEYMOON period where one should maximize losses and try their best to be as compliant as possible. I understand what Paul was doing and he has a big heart, but his guidelines work for him, not for all of us. I went to a nutritionist, a psychologist (pre and post banding), hired a personal trainer, worked out daily and posted religiously my first two years of banding. Things do change at year 3, 4, 5, so if this bothers you that I point this out, then so be it. THeres nothing I can do to make you feel differently. Babs in TX 334/180 ish Size 14 -16 Dont weigh myself anymore but my clothes still fit!!

Hi Magsi, I am married now and was married once before. First husband 5 years and so far 12 years with the second one. Both guys were/are totally normal and I met both of them in bars/clubs. I met my present husband at the American Hotel in Amsterdam, THe Netherlands. He was sitting alone and I was sitting alone. I guess what I am saying is that lots of folks say you can't meet a normal guy in a bar or on the internet. I say you can. So go for it. Just know you have to kiss a lot of frogs to meet a prince. P.S. I weighed over 250 when I met both of them. Babs in TX 334/180 ish -150 ish

Hi Megan, The three pounds could just be sodium from eating the Chinese food. You can do this. The key is to always have healthy food with you at all times. RIght now, I have strawberries and carrots on my desk and I am eating meat right now (steak and hamburger). I always have something to eat in front of me. I pack string cheese, blue cheese crumbles, fruit, green Beans etc., whatever it takes to get me through the day. I have restriction, but not as much as I should have and I also went several months on an empty band and gained some weight which I am attempting to lose now. Hang in there!!! Babs in TX 334/180 ish

Hi, I have been a fan of Elliot since the beginning. Anyone who can overcome adversity (diabetes and 90% hearing loss) and can sing the way he does deserves my vote. He does need a little bit of cosmetic grooming. He is actually starting to look a lot better because of the stylists and I am starting to forget his old look. He could in fact get an expander for those front top teeth and his mouth would look a lot better. Cosmetically, hes a lot more attractive than Clay Aiken was, so this shouldnt get in the way of his success. I am not saying this to be mean, just an observation, but his Mom is not the most attractive woman in the universe and he got the gene pool from dear ole mom unfortunately. I love Chris and do think he is better than Catherine was, but he really is better off without the show at this stage in his career for many reasons. He is now 27 and if he really wants to launch his career, the quicker the better. No matter what, he is far better off without the show. People will not forget him, but I dont think he should join Fuel. This will totally mess up his chance as a solo artist and he does not have the time factor on his side in this youth generated music industry. Katherine is a GREAT singer, but to me she picks the wrong songs and over exaggerates like Constantine Moroulis? used to do. She really belongs on Broadway. Taylor Hicks is awesome when he emulates a JOe Cocker presence instead of trying to gyrate his way with upbeat songs. Its great he is having such fun, but the richness of his voice is only apparent when he is singing soulful songs. He is awesome, but I really want Elliott (the underdog) to win. GO ELLIOTT!!!!! Babs in TX 334/180 ish

Hi, I have a diary up on obesityhelp.com under Barbara Baez. Please read it if you get a chance. I was totally afraid to eat my first month of banding and I was only getting in 400 calories a day the first three weeks. I upped it to 1000 and started to lose consistently. I even gained 3 lbs and started freaking out that I was not going to be successful with the band. This was 3 years ago. I lost 154 pounds and I have been maintaining most of my losses. So stop being so hard on yourself and eat!! You dont have any restriction yet and your band is wide open. Just try to make intelligent choices and keep the caloric intake under 1200 and you will do great!!! Babs in TX 334/180 ish -154 ish 6/23/03

Hi Julie, I also had PS after a 154 pound weight loss with the band. There are problems associated with an unfill too. I had a full TT and medial thighplasty. Two surgeons worked on me so I was under for only 4 hours instead of the 8 hours associated with these two procedures. IT was rough. I had some of my fill taken out by my plastic surgeon only to find out 6 weeks later that all my fill was taken out instead. I have gained weight, cant seem to get the proper level of restriction and my fill doc said that that my band seems a little bit off from ideal position. Nothing terrible, but it might be what is causing my lack of restriction. If we cant resolve this, I might need another surgery. He said another unfill might do the trick, more fill might do the trick. I dont think they really know what to do about me. i do not have all the other post op complications you describe and i am sorry to hear that this has been as difficult as it has been for you. I guess what I am saying is that I wish they never unfilled me and left everything alone, but it is possible that if they hadnt, maybe I might be having some of the problems you are having as well. Hang in there and I hope things get better. Babs in TX 334/180 ish -154 ish

Hi Megan, Last year when I had my "Unknown unfill" during plastic surgery, I didnt gain any weight. Mostly because I tried to stick to bandster rules. Sometimes less restriction means you get to eat healthy things as well that you couldnt eat with the restriction. You can do it. Dont look at it as a negative. Look at it as a jumpstart to weight loss again cause sometimes loading up on the Fiber, salads and fruits help you to jumpstart things again. Hugs, Babs in TX 334/180 ish

Hi Amanda, I gained some weight back when I quit smoking and also because of an unfill. I am now back to bandster rules and I am starting to lose again. IT is possible to gain even with proper restriction. The band is just a tool. Babs in TX 334/180 ish -150 ish

Hi Tina, I agree with the earlier poster. Please go to Dr. Neal in Olympia. I hear he is a good surgeon and has worked with higher bmi patients. MY BMI was 54 when I started and now is 28.9. I started at a weight of 334. Yes, your risks are higher, but that would apply to any surgery you have at a high BMI and my risks were much higher being morbidly obese. Relax. Everything will work out great!!! Babs in TX 334/180 ish -150 ish

Hi Kelly, I will be on vacation in Branson on July 23- August 1st. I have a timeshare so it is not costing me anything but 139 exchange fee for the week in a one bedroom. I have been to Branson before and if you want to email me, I can give you my number and we can talk a little about whats really great there and whats not.!!! Babs in TX 334/180 ish

Robin, I had the same question as one of the previous postings. Why did you pay for a nick that caused abdominal bleeding. I have never heard of a fill leading to bleeding to death.DOesnt your doc take responsibility for this??? Not trying to make trouble but if it were me and I had to cough up the cash for something that is an UNHEARD of complication due to a fill, I would be the first person on line talking to a lawyer. I dont care how nice the doc is. Thats negligence. Please seek another opinion. I know that here in DFW area, they can do an unfill on a portless person with a twilight in office rather than being completely knocked out at the hospital . If a doc is really willing to help you, he can use a procedure code that will be accepted by your insurance. Just some ideas. Please get the unfill and a second opinion. Babs in TX 334/180 ish

Hi Melissa, Sorry it took so long to get back to you with an answer. My insurance paid about 2/3 of the bill. I paid a third. They really dont pay the surgeons much, so I paid the difference there. They covered my 4 day hospital stay, anesthesiologist, etc.. The surgeon got 1000 for the panniculectomy (I paid 4750) and only 1100 for the thightplasty and the assistant surgeon got something like 2000 total which I think is appalling. I negotiated all this with my surgeon pre op. Since my insurance only wanted to pay for a panniculectomy, I covered the difference for the full TT. I am glad I did this. My stomach looks great!! Babs in TX

Hi this survey for newbies? I have PB ed about 6-7 times in 3 years, so more than 5 times but statiscally not very often, so I guess I dont see how this survey really gauges anything..... Babs inTX 334/180 ish

Hi Everyone, I noticed since I came out fo the closet on the no underwear confession that there are lots of folks who hate wearing them, so I am not alone! LOL Mary B: I dont wear dresses except maybe once a year for a cocktail party or something. Then I go out and buy really expensive panty hose with the built in crotch!! OK? Sorry you asked? LOL Babs in TX

Hi Sue, I have been thinking about this too. I had some weight gain from my lowest weight and weighed 193 when I had my PS. I have been having trouble to get back to my lowest weight and my body is telling me its comfortable at 190-200 lbs. Yes, thats still overweight/mildly obese, but honestly, I dont care if I never get to 145-150 which is a normal BMI for my height. The strange thing is that I know about nutrition, I know about exercise, most of us are nutrition experts after years of fighting obesity, but that doesnt stop me from eating the cheesecake and then going for a second piece. Have I learned anything??? I'm really not sure. Time will tell because the one thing I know for certain is lapband or not, I can gain all my weight back if I give up the battle. IT was really easy putting on the 12-15 pounds that I gained when I quit smoking. Its really scary and even the fear isnt motivating enough..... I do think that people that learn to love and respect the power of exercise are more likely to keep the weight off because I dont think the fact that we are obese is solely genetics. I think turning some of that fat to muscle really makes a difference to help keep the weight off. Babs in TX 334/180 ish

Hi Vines, Take a much needed break and just enjoy life and dont worry about dieting for a while. I took a break from here for a while too, not for the same reason as you, but to try and live like a "normal" person and not think and equate my success on lbs lost, but rather how much I have accomplished so far. Sometimes people need to do this. Come back when you are ready and we will all still be here!!! Babs in TX