Kalipso2

that's why we all do our research... some decide to get banded, some decide on the sleeve and some decide on the bypass. my friend had the sleeve procedure a week before i got banded. she had 200 pounds to lose, i only had 80. in the 2.5 years that have gone by, she lost 160 pounds and i've lost 65. she's slowly gaining her weight back and i'm still losing. to each their own...

congratulations and good luck on your journey! you'll be itching to be back home in 3 days though lol i tried staying with my parents but their hovering got on my nerves! so as soon as i knew i could be off the pain meds long enough to drive myself the 20 minutes to my apartment, i made a run for it!

my first goal weight is the high end of normal on the BMI chart. i'm only 2 pounds away and i know i'll get there soon! but i don't think i'll be satisfied being at the high end. i'm going to work toward being in the middle of the normal range that way if i gain or lose 2 pounds here or there it won't make me underweight or overweight!

i was skinny as a child and teen. my early 20's i started gaining weight. by 30 i was fat. my mother felt the need to call me out of the blue to TELL me i was fat and that SHE was telling me because she was afraid my friends wouldn't. like i didn't own a mirror? her words hurt... bad. i started doing dangerous things to my body in order to lose weight. i felt and still do feel that my lapband was the only think that could help me! now that i'm skinnier than my mom, she's telling me i need to gain weight. go figure...

congratulations on winning the battle... if i were in your seat, i'm not sure if i could have won against a chocolate glazed donut!

if you're already thinking of reasons to have the band loosened, it's not the right tool for you (other than becoming pregnant). for me, i consider it a lifetime deal. i'm almost at my goal weight and when that happens i may have just a little fill taken out but i doubt i'll ever have it taken all out... it's just a part of me now.

i really think what you're feeling is absolutely normal! he has guided you to a healthy and happy new life! when i met my surgeon i thought he was cute, funny, sincere, supportive, etc. then i got to thinking.... ewwwww he saw me NAKED looking my WORST lol no harm in crushin'

the bites of food you eat before the pain... what are you eating? maybe its a food your band can't tolerate. mine happens to be hamburger. are you eating tiny, tiny bites and c-h-e-w-i-n-g a lot?

not a whole heck of a lot of anything! honestly... this is the most difficult thing i've ever done! think about that steak you eat... or even a chicken breast. once you're banded and at a decent restriction, you'll only be able to eat less than half of that piece of meat.... even though it tastes so good. you have to train your brain to stop eating. and it's hard stopping.

congratulations!!! i still can't believe how much my body has changed. i've gone from a size 18 jeans to just recently a size 6 jeans! i've become addicted to shopping instead of food lol the other morning it was coooollldd here so i was going to wear a pair of dress pants instead of a skirt. i tried on 3 pair of pants and they were all too big... and they looked bad. not something i could get away with wearing for a day. i've gone thru so many sizes of clothes these past 3 years that Good Will is probably stocked up because of me lol my mom and i went shopping the other day and i picked out this bright printed shirt and my mom commented on my new "taste in fashion". i told her when i was big, i wanted to stay neutral... in the background. now i want to stand out!

WOW... you look awesome! you went from looking like a lost little boy to a confident man! yummy : )

i'm only a few pounds shy of my goal weight and i don't have a low profile port but i don't think its visible at all. mine port is to the right of my belly button and up 2" or so. i wouldn't worry too much about the port being visible.

getting as much weight off before your surgery is helpful and 20 pounds is a great start! it sounds like you'll do great after surgery! i agree... stay away from the scale for now. your surgeon won't turn you away for not making the 30 pounds!

i'm 3 years post-op and this is the most difficult thing i've ever done in my life. it's definately NOT easy! we're all here because we love food, right? it sounds easy to get banded and never be hungry again but it doesn't work that way. for me, a lot of the foods i love(d) i can no longer eat. no bread, no pizza, no rice, no potatos, no hamburger... or else i throw up. you'd think it would be easy to stop eating once you start but its hard. if you listen to your band, you'll be fine but if you listen to your brain that's saying "yummmmm keep eating" you'll be in trouble. while i LOVE the results of the band, if i had to do it over again i'm not sure i would.... but that's just me. most here have great stories and success. i've had success but damn... what i wouldn't do for a juicy hamburger lol

i agree... sounds like a slight unfill might be a good idea. i'm not sure if removing half your fluid is necessary but i'd talk it over with your doctor for sure! you might have to work a little harder on continuing to lose but you've done a fantastic job already you should be fine!

all of my incisions have faded except for my port incision. it's a little raised and a darker color than my normal skin... and of course the largest of the incisions. i actually don't mind the scar. it's a reminder of where i was then, where i am now and where i'll be in the future!

i'm 3 years post-op and carbs are hard for me to digest. i can eat the crust from 1 piece of pizza but not the entire piece of pizza... its just too doughy. i can't digest any rice. potatoes and Pasta are hit or miss. it will be a learning process with your band because everyone is different. i've learned to accept that i can't eat a grilled cheese sandwich or a chicken sandwich with bread.

i'm almost 3 years post-op and 3 pounds away from my goal weight. when i look in the mirror, i still see the fat me. when i go clothes shopping i still try on the bigger sizes because i can't believe that i could possibly fit into size 8 jeans. my friends and family still comment on how thin i've gotten but i just don't see it. you'd think after 3 years i would be used to my new body, but i'm not. maybe someday...

i'm 3 years post of and i still remember feeling scared. i was self pay so the process went really quick from my info session to the nutrition class to the psych test to the pre-op test to the surgery... it was about 30 days from start to finish! i had never had surgery. i had never spent the night in a hospital. i had never had general anesthesia. i had never had an IV. and the surgeon i chose was 4 hours away. so, needless to say, i was scared! it seems like such a daunting task right now... but it's worth it in the end!

i think we all plateau at one point or another. switching up your menu and exercise should help... or its helped me in the past. what does your a normal day menu look like? are you getting enough Protein (at least 60 grams?) how do your carbs look? they should be less than 60 grams. what size band do you have and how many cc's are in it?

i went by myself too! i went to 2 or 3 info sessions before i found my doctor. my surgery was almost 3 years ago but i don't remember feeling weird but now that you mention it, i might have been the only person that was alone. eh, it was worth it in the end! once i made my decision, it was pretty quick too. gives you less chance to chicken out : ) good luck!

well, that certainly doesn't sound like a doctor who is looking out for your best interest! yes, he should be tough on you for not following the "rules" but he should be just as supportive. i mean, obviously YOU know you haven't been following the plan so why doesn't he HELP you instead of turning you away? each and every one of us has a different lifestyle and i don't see why yours makes a difference towards you losing weight. i'd either make an appointment to see your original surgeon or find someone else!

some people can eat bread (or pizza) just fine... i'm just not one of them. i can eat the crust if its crunchy and i can eat the cheese and toppings. people just look at me funny when i take 2 pieces of pizza, eat the crust of one piece and the cheese off both of them and throw the rest away... so its just easier to just skip it. i've been open and honest with everyone... friends and family... everyone has been supportive to my face but i don't know what they say when i'm not around. they know i can't eat a lot so they let me graze off their plate during happy hours and such. i'm almost 3 years post-op so i can drink a cocktail or 2 if i want but i have to decide whether i want to eat OR drink because with the band its too hard to do both!

some people have "lied" by making themself a half inch shorter than they really are or use ankle weights when getting weighed in for the first time so you appear heavier.

i think its healthy to set goals but try not to be so hard on yourself! i too am almost 3 years post-op and i haven't reached my goal yet... but i'm okay with that because i still look and feel good. i've had to work for every single pound that i've lost. it hasn't been easy but that just encourages me to keep it off! i have about 3 more pounds to go before i'm considered "normal" on the bmi chart and it will probably take me a month to lose those 3 stubborn pounds... but i WILL! keep up the good work... you'll get there.