Desdemona

Donna-- To be specific, here is a list of factors I can think of off the top of my head: People who have higher BMIs tend to lose faster. gender age Metabolism The first several lbs contains a lot of Water and glycogen and that comes off quickly so if people were required to lose weight before surg they already lost some of the "fastest" weight. Different MDs give very different after surg eating plans (and for different lengths of time). People who have fewer calories lose more. Some people exercise or are more active then others. There are differences to how well people can stick to their dieting plans. The human body may have set points (unique weights where each body "likes" to rest and cling to for a while before moving up or down in weight. There may be more factors that I'm not listing In addition; according to Dr. Ortiz (Lapband for Life) it is very common for lap band pts. to have a period of weight loss stalls after surg and the initial weight loss. This can be cause by a "shock" to the system -- or the body's effort to adjust. I lost 20lbs before surg, 11 within 2 weeks, several more in the next few weeks---then I stalled for about 6 weeks even though I was being golden. At times I have been frustrated but when I stop to look at it ---I have lost 49lbs in 6 mons. I'm half way to my goal and my goal is actually 8lbs less than a normal BMI. I haven't gained 1lbs since I started losing. Six months ago I was 92lbs overweight and now I'm 42lbs overweight. I know are worried and you want to lose faster. I feel the same way -- but try not to worry

You can read about BMI at the CDC (which is the most authoritive place to get it from). You can use this link: BMI - Body Mass Index: Adult BMI Calculator: English | DNPAO | CDC I checked it and you are WELL within a healthy range! 140 almost sounds too low. See what your MD says. Ya. It sounds like you need to let your band out and start working on good, healthy maintenance eating. Good for you!! You did GREAT! :ohmy::blushing::biggrin:

ladybug3---I hear you. Sometimes I slip up too but, as you have already said, those days are just not that often and when I do slip up, it's not nearly as damaging as before I got the band. Have you noticed that there is a 12 step thread on this board? Maybe it would help if you wrote out a short list of things you will do if you start craving. When you start craving - snap the band (be gentle!!!) and let the snap mean that you HAVE to do something on the list for yourself---like come to this board--or pick-up a workbook that you will have on hand on mindfulness. You can mindfully redirect yourself that way. :ohmy:

Holy Toledo!!! I'd just love to kow how you did it!!! And there were 4 plateaus in there!!?? The only thing that comes to mind is--I'm wondering if you are really insulin resistent while you were overweight and now you aren't any longer as you have been in a normal range. Insulin resistance does get better as we lose weight but it might be that it's even better in you. What does your MD say? Is s/he concerned? Are you eating well? Is your goal weight set at between 20 to 25 BMI? Could be that your body wants to be 23 BMI instead of heavier. That would be even healthier than 25 BMI.

Ugh!!! I'm really sorry to hear this. I can understand why you are upset with them. Please don't take your frustation with THEM out on your poor body. Stick up for YOU -- by being the 1 person who right now who really understands your inner child. Take care of her. Maybe you can think about who in your family will be the best one to sit down and have a real heart to heart talk with tomorrow once the pizza stops flying and they have returned to their senses and love for you. Is there someone in your house who would be particularly good at helping you work out a plan for making this easier the next time they all have a food party. I do realize that they live there 2 and will still want to have food parties and company -- but there just has to be a better way to deal with these difficult situations and I'll bet someone there will help you. Good luck sweeite.:ohmy:

I don't think I have an answer for the hard stomach. I'm assuming that you aren't talking about the type of hardness we have when we have gas. But -- as far as loose skin--my understanding is that everyone is different. I did some research on this and found out that ---bascially -- they really can't predict who will and who will not end up with loose skin. They think the biggest factors are -- genetics, age, how long we have been overweight, and some people think the rate of weight loss is part of it. I am surprized and happy to say that SO FAR -- I don't see any loose skin. I have lost about half of my excess weight. In fact--I'm finding that there is a certain color and quality returning that I haven't seen in years. Now -- I don't know what will happen in the next 50lbs but I'm hopeful. You may want to go to the Reconstruction thread on this board and see what women who have lost all their weight have to say about this. Good luck.

The company I work for is located in another state from where my main home is. This summer I wanted to see an MD outside the usual network for my insurance co. I called the ins com to see if there was anyone at all within a reaonable distance. They did have the name of someone but as I as talking with the woman from the insurance company she told me that whenever their isn't anyone in the network within 40 miles from where I live they will attempt to locate a professional within the 40 mile range and make a deal with them to treat me. I was very surprized. I thought it might come in handy in the future. So try calling your insurance co to see if there is anything they can do to arrange your evaluation and treatment with someone near you who is out of network. Good luck.

Amysoc---also --I'm living in Westfield.

Everyone here is right. I hope everything turns out well for you. If you want to join a group on this board you might want to look into the "Shrinking Shamrocks." We are a group that all got banded in March 08. All you have to do is look down the board and find the monthly groups then follow the links to March 2008 and we are there. We welcome all who have been banded in March 08.

MSnika- I don't really use the ketosis sticks anymore but I remember reading on a message board once that you could save money on the sticks buy cutting them the long way so they are more narrow. I know they costs a fair amount.

I have been on and off low carbs since 1971 (pre-Atkins!!) and I have lost and gained more weight than I can shake a stick at. I STILL do Atkins -- but man-or-man you just won't believe how much easier it is to stick to with the band. The band is the most wonderful jump start and it's also a great tool for helping in times of weakness. One night I fell of the low carb wagon and made myself a hot fudge sundae with coffee ice-cream with sugar-free hot fudge and whipped cream (and real ice cream!). It was so good I decided to go out to the kitchen and make myself another one. I put 2 spoons of it in my mouth and my band said, "oh no--your not doing THIS!!" I put that bowl down and watched a perfectly good sundae melt. The whole thing went down the sink. Now that is the very first time in 56 years that this woman EVER turned her nose up at ice-cream. The next morning I was right back on my diet and went to the gym. THAT is what the band does for me. What was difficult for me before -- all those years---all those other times---is not anywhere as difficult anymore.

For what it's worth –I’m a therapist and I have a few thoughts on your post. I'm certain your instincts about the source of your emotional eating are right on the money. I sense that your eating habits are, indeed, a metaphor for what is going on in other areas of your life. You feel out of control in those areas -- so you are acting it out somatically with food (out of control). You also said you are mad at yourself! Perhaps, on 1 level, you are angry about the other areas where you’re out of control and you may be taking it out on yourself by sabotaging your wonderful record of mastery and success in losing weight. At another level---eating whatever and whenever you feel like may be your way of lashing out against the forces that are out of control. Eating could be your effort to have at least 1 area in your life where you get to do whatever you please. As a banster I also really identify with you on this situation. I was experiencing a lot of stress over a job situation for about 2 years prior to getting the band. At the same time, I was also very worried about my parent’s health. I was driving around like a mad woman trying to cover all the bases. I ate fast food in the car constantly, didn’t get any rest, and felt worse and worse physically and emotionally. For me the turning point came – when I really admitted that I just didn’t have a lot of control over most situations that were causing me so much stress. I truly felt like if something didn’t change I was going to die of a stroke, heart attack or cancer. I felt like I was killing myself with stress. I came to a place were I fully realized that losing weight was just about the ONLY thing I COULD exercise control over! By looking at it that way---I decided to focus on the 1 area where I did have control and could do something really major to help ME feel and look better. That is how dieting and exercise became an act of being IN control of at least 1 thing in my life. I made a list of all the reasons I want to lose weight. I taped that list on my car dash board, my frig, my bathroom mirror and on my bedroom wall. I made a point to read it at least 2X a day. I put a rubber band around my wrist and every time I got a craving or started feeling like I was going to do something leading to out of control eating, I’d give that rubber band a snap. It’s a little behavioral technique and it works. Try to see a therapist and talk it out. If you can’t afford it – go to some Overeater Anonymous Meetings. They focus on emotional eating. Good luck to both of us.

Hi all again-- I'm just watching the eve new (NBC). They are putting a story on tonight on a major newly released study out today -- saying that low carb is more effective that low fat for losing weight. I just did a news search and found this link in the London Times. I'm sure you'll see it all over the news in the next couple of days. Low fat diets 'not as effective for weight loss' - Telegraph

renewedhope--- I honestly don't mean to push you on your decision. Absolutely do whatever you and your family think is the best thing for you -- but I just want to point something out before you go. If you go to Pub Med at PubMed Home which is the National Institutes of Health medical website containing the abstracts (and sometimes the full paper) for every single medical study that get published in medical journals worldwide you can do your own search on low carb and muscle. Just enter those terms, “low carbohydrate” “muscle”. I have already done it. There have been several studies done testing this question for the past several years. Both single focus studies (just studying low carb) and comparison studies (comparing low carb/high Protein to high carb/low fat) have shown that low carb/high protein is more effective in preserving muscle with weight loss and/or exercise. I don't mean to second guess your MD but may I ask if he sent you for a BOD POD Test or were you completely immersed under Water to have your FAT MASS weight versus Lean Body weight measured? Those 2 methods are the only 2 accurate measures. Or perhaps he used some calipers on you which is less accurate but still is a pretty good rough guess? I had the Bod Pod test last week. My lean body mass is exactly what it was when I began losing weight 48lbs ago. I make sure that I get at least 60g of protein which is needed to protect my muscle mass. The only time low carb interferes with exercise is when the exercise is very strenuous – then more carbs should be consumed – but it doesn’t need to be a lot of carbs. Again -- I don't mean to upset you but I just felt the need to offer this before you left. Whatever you do, I wish you the very best.

Hi Denise---yea ---I'm hoping I'm going to be able to ride this wave for at least another 10-15lbs. Congrats on maintaining your weight loss and then building on your success. I hope to copy you! hollyberries---that Enchilada Bake looks wonderful! I can't wait to try it! Bloo--Congrats on "overweight." I can't wait to claim "overweight." I can't do that until I lose another 24lbs. Sigh. Everyone seems to be doing pretty well.

I have been gone from this thread for several days. I went for a fill last Thurs and the MD put 3cc (!!!!) in at once!!! It was done under a floroscope because they couldn't find my port opening a month ago. I was losing on the low carb but when they put that fill in -- I had to go to liquid for a few days. I was so tight that I thought I was going to have to go back in to get some out but now it seems to be relaxing. I have been eating a little soft food and its been low carb. For liquids I still used Atkins low carb protein drinks. For soft food - I ate egg salad. Tonight I was able to eat a little salmon with spinach. Between the fill and the low carb I have lost about 5lbs over the last 9 or 10 days.

I got my 3cc fill last Thurs at noon. I was only able to get in about 3 glasses of water the first couple of days because it was going through VERY slowly. The liquid was actually harder to get in than mushies--but the mushies were hard to. It CAN take a few days for the swelling to do down. It’s different for different people. I could only do a LITTLE omelet, egg salad, or cottage cheese until today (Tues). Now I’m getting all the liquid, sugar free pops, I need. Tonight I had salmon and Brussels sprouts for dinner with no problem. I do believe it was swelling in my case. It’s tight but a lot better than it was – even from yesterday and I expect it will be even better tomorrow. I’m not getting the uncomfortable/painful fullness feeling in my stoma anymore unless I try to eat too much. I have also lost 3lbs. It looks like – I won’t need to go in to have saline removed.

I agree with the first 2 posts. 20lb seems low for Dec but your expectations need to be based on things like your weight, gender, age, BMI, how many fills have you had?, do you have physical disabilites that limit exercise?, do you do exercise? what are you eating? We'd love to help but -- we need some info.

I got my second fill last Thurs. My MD used the floroscope becasue they had difficulty finding the port opening. He put in 3 ccs -- making it a total of 7. I have exactly the same situation you are describing so I called yesterday and had a long talk with the nurse. She has a lapband too and their office is located in a teaching hosptial in NY. In addition to having a band she sees tons of bansters. For what it's worth to you -- this is what she said to me. She said--the tightness in and of itself will not cause slippage but if you vomit more than a couple of time because the band was tightened -- that can cause slippage. She told me that some bansters actually WANT the band that tight but most do not. She said that in her personal opinion -- it was too tight because she doesn't think it allows enough nutrition or 64 oz of fluid. After talking with her a while -- I told her that I agree that it's too tight and I want to allow more food/fluid but since there was no increased danger of slippage and becasue it did seem like it was gradually getting better and I would give it a few days to see if the swelling goes down and the band relaxes on it's own. It has been getting better each day. If I'm still not happy with it in 4-6 days --I'll go back and have a little taken out.

It really does depending on which type of diet you follow. Most of them do work. The big question is which one are you most likely to stick with. Which one suits you best? Fat and carbs do not mix. If you use a low fat, calorie restriction diet then you need to really watch those fat calories. You depend on only higher carbs and lower fat to lose the weight and maintain healthy eating. But if you do a low carb diet -- you eat more fat and the whole fats work better on a low carb diet than low fat foods do. There are now MANY major well respected studies that show that low carb is every bit as healthy (and in some cases even MORE effective) for a host of diseases (cancer, diabetes, heart disease) and blood work indicators as low fat diets. You just can't have it both ways. If you are going to eat quite a few carbs -- cut fat. If you eat fat--watch your carbs.

Well --I'm one of those who did the research (as in taking 1 year to read ALL the medical studies on obesity -- bypass--and banding that have been published in medical journals for the past 5 years) before making a final decision. I also screened 5 different surgeons before selecting one. And--I'm here to say that you definitely have the right attitude. Congratulation on getting to clear decision so quickly! Good! You seem to totally get the idea that the band is a tool and you will have to diet and exercise if you want to get to goal weight. You also are right on the mark when you say that those of us who have battled this war of obesity get blown out of the water when we hit those dreadful nasty stalls. The band is wonderful at helping us through. I just completed a 2 month stall and the band is the only thing that kept me on course. I'm losing again (finally!) and I NOW can see that weight loss is NOT a hopeless thing for me. I NOW can see that I really DO have set points where my weight will get hung up even when I everything right. If I temporarily lose my mind occasionally and eat a hot fudge sundae the band stops me from over doing it until I regain my sanity and control over my diet. You have it right -- and your friends you don't know what they are talking about have it wrong.

The insurance companies use your weight at the time of your medical intake appointment for the BMI guide. The first 20lbs is the easiest to lose because it's mostly water, glucose, and fat around your liver that drops fast. Taking it off makes your surg. faster and more accurate. It’s easier/faster for the surg to get in next to your stomach. You will have a better band fit which will help you lose weight more effectively on the band. It also decreases risk of complication (slippage) later on. I would think that you would WANT to have the band placed in a way that maximizes your chance of a good band fit with reduced chance of complications! Also, the insurance companies and surgeons also know that although the band is effective -- it is really important that it is matched to the right patients --- or it will not work. In addition to the medical aspects --- most surg require the weight loss to identify patients who are at risk for disappointing banding outcome.

I am a health care delivery researcher. This is inexcusable!!! One if the WORST stories I have heard. Copy your email into a letter and report this incompete to the state of New Mexico!!! You will be doing a great service to others.

I hear they are good in India. Do you have someone lined up here to do your fills? A lot of people going outside the US are having a LOT of problems finding someone who will do the fills and deal with any complications that may come up.

The main thing is -- you're not suppose to soak the area of the incision. My MD told me to take showers and I asked if I could put water in a tub as long as I kept the water line below the incision. He said yes --just doing immerse the incision area.