kgloverii

I was fat because I was hungry. All the time. No food addiction or psychological reason except for I was never satisfied. And now I am. My whole perspective on life has changed because I am not thinking about my hunger 24/7.

Amen to that... My perspective is: people will see my success will know there are options for long term weight loss. We all see Bob go on a diet, lose a bunch of weight and gain it all back in a year. There are options, there are successes, and I know one of the 'secrets.' They can see me and go, 'WOW. That is something I could do', or 'WOW. That is something my brother could take advantage of.' Whatever. Judge me however you want, but I still got my butt in some size 10 jeans. :thumbup:

Don't EVER be embarrassed. In my VG, .3ccs made a HUGE difference. Your doctor is there to make sure you are successful. Utilize them so you can make the most of your band.

I go every 2 sizes... I went from a 14 and didn't buy till I was a 10... and the 10 was TIGHT when I bought them. Now, I am a perfect 10 and will be for awhile... If I ever get the the elusive 8, I will buy in 8's, cause it is a SINGLE DIGIT! LOL. I work for Kohl's and pick up stuff on clearance with my discount all the time and REALLY clean up. Got my size 10 jeans and pants for like $9/each. Also find lots of clearance stuff for $5 or less. That's my kind of deal!

$5500? That's a little ummm... low. I am the queen of the bargain shoppers... but you get what you pay for, too... Some guy you've never heard of, with one heck of a deal... It sounds like buying the generic black and white box of ice cream out of the grocer's freezer: no clue what you're gonna get... and for $5500, you can be almost guaranteed it will NOT be an Inamed Band or a Realize... probably some high pressure midband or something. And those bands have worked for some, but getting aftercare for that kind of band would be nearly impossible... PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE DO YOUR HOMEWORK and don't just pick the cheapest guy, or some guy whose had some nice, gushing testimonials from a LapBand board. People who are overweight will do almost anything to get themselves healthier, but killing yourself or putting yourself at risk is not an extreme we should be willing to go to, in order to save a few dollars and get into a size 8. Seriously. Think about it rationally.

Yes, I eat it... Can't eat much, but it sure is delicious... Katy's Bandster Rule #1: Throw out the rule book. Once you have proper restriction, eat what you want. I do. And I feel no deprivation and continue to lose... cause I only eat a tiny bit.

AM: Sm Steamer (Can't eat in the AM) Lunch: 1/3 A&W Coney Dog without Bun, 2 french fries Dinner: 1/3 Cup Homemade Turkey Lasagna PM Snack: 1/4 Cup Edy's Slow Churned Pumpkin Ice Cream and 1/2 Slice of Stollen (Fruit and Nut Bread) Ok, not the 'healthiest day' but it was a weekend day and we were on a day trip... :thumbup:

BCN is a total PITA. If you have continued issues with them, I'd contact one of the lawyers through obesityhelp.

Have you tried the 'hot' liquids like coffee or tea? That might help loosen something that is stuck...

I have 7 in a 10 cc band. I can eat 1/4 of a chicken sandwich, with only 1/4 of the bread... with a few veggies. That's dinner. It is not much. but I am ALWAYS satisfied! :thumbup: Do you have the head hunger? If so, you might need a tweak. That's how I know if I need a tweak. If I'm mindlessly munching, I need a tweak.

Gas X is a lifesaver. I always used Phazyme cause it is a bit stronger. Do you eat yogurt? That will help with gas too... Walk around, get moving. The more you move, the quicker that gas will dissipate. Promise.

I have been banded for just over a year. I agree with the old timers above. We are here. I post a bit, but sometimes, people get irritated. Cause I say it like it is. If I think you are being dumb, I'll tell you. A lot of the 'newbies' cry and moan about their problems, but when you 'call them on it' they get ticked off. We are here. But we don't post as much, and we don't have many questions cause we've learned how banded life is. Anytime you have a question, ask. We'll be more than happy to chime in... Us oldies love our bands... :thumbup:

One word..., PLATEAU. I have had a couple plateaus last for 3-4 WEEKS. As a lower BMI person, my weight loss has been slower, but if I go 3-4 weeks, I start to think that this might be the 'end.' BUT, I keep doing the right things and get on the scale one day and... BAM! Movement. I say this in my success story: The band is NOT a perfect fix. It is NOT an easy fix. YOU MUST WORK THE BAND. You MUST be conscious about what you eat and the exercise you get. You must have a dialogue and consistent follow-up with your doctor. YOU MUST REMAIN POSITIVE. You will plateau. Over and over. You'll go up and down. BUT, you must remind yourself that as long as you keep doing the right things, you will have success. You WILL PLATEAU! Keep your chin up! Hugs!

One word..., PLATEAU. I have had a couple plateaus last for 3-4 WEEKS. As a lower BMI person, my weight loss has been slower, but if I go 3-4 weeks, I start to think that this might be the 'end.' BUT, I keep doing the right things and get on the scale one day and... BAM! Movement. I say this in my success story: The band is NOT a perfect fix. It is NOT an easy fix. YOU MUST WORK THE BAND. You MUST be conscious about what you eat and the exercise you get. You must have a dialogue and consistent follow-up with your doctor. YOU MUST REMAIN POSITIVE. You will plateau. Over and over. You'll go up and down. BUT, you must remind yourself that as long as you keep doing the right things, you will have success. You WILL PLATEAU! Keep your chin up! Hugs!

Only regret is that I didn't get it done sooner. If I had it done 5 years ago, I would've had 5 more healthy years... but what is done is done. Now I am making up for it!

Exercise, exercise, exercise... Why did your doc refuse to a fill? That seems counterproductive. Make sure you keep a food journal and avoid slider foods... That WILL help. Hugs!

I like the fact you are young... you have more of your life to live at a healthy weight... Do your research and go in with your eyes wide open... I TRULY have no regrets though. GL!

I DID IT! I've done downward facing dog twice when I've gotten stuck and relief has been quick afterwards! What a great tip! :wink_smile:

Your employer chose to not cover WLS. They can add a rider so that the policy would not exclude WLS. When you are considering your options during open enrollment, call the insurance company and ask them specifically about your company's policies to see if WLS is covered. GL!

My aftercare is also provided by someone local. I would not have done my surgery in MX if I could not have found someone local to do my fills and follow-up. My aftercare doc actually was proctored by Ortiz, and even flew down to OCC and performed surgery with Ortiz! I knew I was in great hands!

I am a 32 year female from Michigan who is 1 year post-op. I had my surgery in Mexico by Dr. Ariel Ortiz. Pre-Surgery I was 235, 5'3.5". I am currently weighing in at 163. I am 23 pounds from goal. I am a mother of 2 small children, ages 3 and 5. I work part time in retail for some adult conversation. I believe there are 3 components to successful band surgery: 1) A good surgeon (and aftercare surgeon, if needed). You need a surgeon who you have good rapport with. Someone who encourages you in the way YOU need. A doctor who is realistic with you. A doctor who puts you on a fill schedule that is conducive to YOUR weight loss goals. 2) A Good support system. You MUST have people to cheer you on in your journey. You have to have people who 'keep it real' and will 'call you on it' if they see you not putting effort into your journey. 3) The right attitude. You MUST go into band surgery well researched, ready to make the adjustments necessary, and ready for accomplishments as well as disappointments. You will NOT lose your weight in a miraculous nature. It WILL be slower than you life sometime. But you must keep the mindset that this is not a diet, but a complete change in lifestyle.

Try to stay positive. I was 'full' on tiny portions for the first 3 weeks, and then my hunger returned with a vengeance. Embrace that tiny portion 'full' feeling and work it for all you can. With a fill or two, you'll be back to that feeling after you are healed. Stay positive and focus on that! focus on the fact you have COMPLETELY CHANGED YOUR LIFE! You have a tool that gives you control!

I wanted the Band because it was reversible if something happened to require removal and there was no cutting and re-routing of my insides. I also like the fact that all of the nutrients I eat are absorbed and there is no dumping syndrome. However, RNY provides faster weight loss. And depending on the studies you look at, you may have a statistically better chance of losing MORE with the RNY. That is why my aftercare doc really recommends RNY. I am happy with my band. If I was given the chance to do it all over again, I'd still choose the Band. BUT, I can see the lure of RNY. I can see why it is a better choice for certain people. Do your research. Talk to BOTH sides. If you go to a Lap-Band board, you'll find people are extremely PRO-band. Go to a RNY board, they'll be for RNY. Listen to it all. Then, ignore the noise, and use your logic and lifestyle to determine the best choice for YOU.

This is often something that people don't take seiously, but you are ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. If I drink I can 'wash stuff through' my band. But no drink and I am full for HOURS. It is the best well-known, but often ignored secret of banded life.

My port access is an inch below my incision. It is a bit tender after surgery and will feel 'odd' for a few weeks... but pretty soon, it will heal and just become 'part of you' and you won't think about it... Hang in there!