HeatherO

wvgal33, It sounds like you have given it a lot of thought . . . and that is an important step. As far as choosing between banding or R&Y, what are your eating habits like in general? Do you eat three meals primarily and just have a tendency to overeat, do you graze throughout the day, do you eat minimally through the day and find that after dinner is the time for eating overload, etc. Do you tend to eat sweet things? What makes up your diet in general on the best days and worst days? As far as choosing options, I have the Realize band and am very happy with my choice. I think you will find both successes and failures with either band. I asked two different doctors for advice on choosing between the two, and they could never give me a definitive answer that one was truly better than the other. Has anyone found any good statistics comparing the two, side-by-side?

Congratulations!!!! Don't be too nervous with surgery, it is over faster than you think.

Added Georgia Girl back in, now the list is really current. _____Name______Start Weight____Current Weight____Goal________Lbs lost *****:cool2:************************:tt2:************:thumbup:**********:w00t:*** ahsem2bme..........244............244............225............0 aJoneen............223............223............213............0 Aphrodite1984......208............208............190............0 Caramia71..........208............208............195............0 georgiagirl........245............245............230............0 HeatherO...........155............155............140............0 Jazzyywan..........322............255............190............0 Jodi_620...........196............196............177............0 Leslie2Lose........224............224............209............0 livn4thm...........235............235............210............0 Long2bthin.........248............248............230............0 Luu2008............203............203............183............0 mominlv13..........299.8..........299.8..........275............0 Tess...............304............304............280............0

Leslie, I think we were doing the same thing at the same time, but our information is the same only I have current weight following start weight.

Great idea RedTulips!!! I made the change and everyone is included below. _____Name______Start Weight____Current Weight____Goal________Lbs lost *****:cool2:************************:tt2:************:thumbup:*********:w00t:**** ahsem2bme..........244............244............225............0 aJoneen............223............223............213............0 Aphrodite1984......208............208............190............0 Caramia71..........208............208............195............0 HeatherO...........155............155............140............0 Jazzyywan..........322............255............190............0 Jodi_620...........196............196............177............0 Leslie2Lose........224............224............209............0 livn4thm...........235............235............210............0 Long2bthin.........248............248............230............0 Luu2008............203............203............183............0 mominlv13..........299.8..........299.8..........275............0 Tess...............304............304............280............0

Is it 10% of your entire body weight or just your excess weight? What is your current weight and height? There are definitely ways to lose. You can start by just changing the types of foods you eat. Focus on lean Proteins, tons of veggies, stay away from too many starchy vegetables like potatoes, rice, sweets, etc. Also if you are not already drinking sugar free beverages, that might help. Drinking tons of Water makes a huge difference as well. Exercise, even if it is only a walk around the block, can also make a huge impact.

Don't worry . . . give it a little time and it won't bother you as much. It is different for all of us, some of us have to work our buts off all day long just to be normal, others can never workout, eat junkfood all day long and stay thin as a string bean.

I just learned the answer to this was because of risk of blood clots. My doctor not only did not ask me to go off the pill, but said I needed it even more because I don't want to get pregnant too quickly after banding. I stayed on it because I did not know any better about blood clots. Knowing more now and considering my age is not so far from 35, I would do things a little differently if I had to do it again. Be really careful for those of you who take a break from the pill. Many people became pregnant immediately or within a few months after banding. Losing weight seems to raise fertility. If you read the pregnancy threads, you will definitely find that some people had to put weight loss on hold until post pregnancy due to timing.

It sounds like you are making a good choice :0). I am surprised that smoking makes your stomach feel neutral. Most people seem to be ravenously hungry afterwards. I didn't realize it worked that way.

Any of these options can help you to make goals, but not one of them does the work on its own without your assistance. Even if you lose some weight initially, if you don't make any attempt to change your eating habits, you can regain the weight. You mention in the post above that you didn't really try to lose weight . . . and this is the last stage before you take the ultimate step and seek a surgical solution. Are you really ready to make the plunge? The first thing you might want to consider is analyzing why you did not make an attempt to lose the weight. Is it because you don't have faith in yourself? Is it because you are scared of the surgery and might be sabotaging yourself? Is it because you did not consider this stage of pre-op dieting important? Is it because you feel that you wont be able to eat again in the same way post-op so you want to take advantage of your final days beforehand? Answering these questions to yourself fully and truthfully can help you decide if you are really ready to make a go of this and be successful. I think it would be helpful at this stage to seek some counseling (with someone specializing in weight related issues) and begin working on personal reflection on what this change really will entail for you. If you want success, you have to be ready to put in the effort as well. It really isn't an easy road . . . of course everyone says that and it has become a cliche . . . but for those of us who have lived it, we know that it is very true. For almost every one of us, the changes to our anatomy are the smallest part of ourselves that have changed, most of the change happens in our head. Success can definitely be yours, you just have to be ready to grab it.

GGGGGOOOOOOOAAAAAALLLLLLLL!!!!!!!! :crying::Banane25::cursing::crying::crying::Banane25::huh2::huh2::crying: Name_________Start Weight ____Goal____ Lbs lost____Current Weight *****:cool2:********** **********:thumbup:******:tt2:**********:w00t:***** aJoneen............230.........220.......7.......... Bea1128............220.........199.......5.......... Babs0101...........185.........170.......0.......... blesdbyonmzur......159.........148.......4.......... BTTRFLI1432........221.........210.......6.......... Bunkey1965.........212.........195.......16.........194:thumbup: Chocolate_Snaps....254.........240.......6.......... Darr5380...........167.........155.......3.......... Epm316.............209.........199.......7..........202 erikadawn..........199.........175.......0.......... FloridaGirl........235.........215.......0.......... HeatherO...........172.........155.......17.........155:thumbup: Heft_Bandit........261.........245.......6..........255 JennyPoo...........169.........159.......5.......... KarenG.............160.........158.......6.......... KathyStrick........305.........290.......0.......... Lapbandfan.........258.........230.......2.......... Leslie2Lose........224.........209.......0..........224 LessNLess..........144.5.......140.......0.......... LilMissBand-Aid....234.4.......225.......6.2........ Lunabeane..........209.........200.......11......... Luu2008............219.........189.......14......... Luv2Laugh..........232.........212.......0.......... luvinke............206.........190.......0.......... mamato3............199.........184.......11..........188 mcgreen............189.........175.......0.......... mdgarcia31665......225.........200.......0.......... melboyd............266.........256.......14.9.......251.1:thumbup: Missrach...........269.........175.......25.........244 MollyMolly.........192.........182.......2.......... mominlv13..........316.........300.......15.2.......299.8:thumbup: MSnika3............228.........204.......4.......... MyTurn.............250.........240.......7..........243 NANAbanded.........225.........199.......10.........215 Ninja..............204.........189.......5.......... NukeChik...........221.........199.......6.......... Ollie..............242.........210.......0.......... Redtulips..........188.........180.......6.......... Renewedhope........174.........155.......5.......... ronni_NC...........243.........220.......0.......... slgandera..........185.........173.......7.......... StartingOver.......220.........205.......15......... Sunshine2..........187.........170.......10..........177 want_so_bad........170.........155.......0.......... Sades.......(7/16).192.5.......180.......8.6........ Sadie..............220.........199.......6.......... smwww..............189.........179.......0.......... tp78...............212.........195.......7..........

MMMMMM . . . . Kohl'sss. I love Kohl's. :cursing: They have gotten almost all of my post banding business, lol.

I had about 85 pounds to lose to put me at the top of the "normal" bmi range. I lost 20-25 pounds in the first month or so. However, I followed the doctors instructions for post-op to a T while still keeping Protein high, calories and fat low. My loss was not typical early on for a lower BMI loser. It varies so much from person to person. My doctor warned me that I shouldn't really expect to lose much if at all during post-op before any fills. She told me that some people even gain at this point . . . but I think she was just gearing me up to prevent dissapointment if this was the case. Everything that I have read indicates 1-2 pounds weekly is the overall average. But an average is only an average . . . meaning that there will be plenty of people that gain and plenty that lose to offset each other. I think you have some personal control regarding the level of success you have at this stage.

Good luck with going to the doctor. A very slight unfill may just do the trick for you. You are doing wonderful at minus 47 at 5 months out. I didn't exercise at first either, but now I couldn't live without it. It only takes about two weeks to start a habit, and it relieves so much stress not to mention how good I feel afterward. It has also kept my weight loss going strong and steady after the initial honeymoon period . . . and I am almost at goal at 7 months out. I highly recommend it :0). By the way, I saw your before and in progress banding pictures in the albums and you are looking absolutely beautiful :0).

I am a self pay patient and I paid an initial $300 transfer fee (banded in Mexico) and every fill is $50 a pop.

Leslie said it all . . . fat around the stomach diminishes and you get small fills to make up for it. It is also true that everyone is different. As you get closer to goal, you have less and less fat to lose around your stomach and it stabilizes. Once people have met goal, most people need little more than a checkup/tweak yearly. My body is pear shaped. I never carried so much weight in my abdomen as in my rear and thighs (they are also the very last places where the fat is dissappearing as well). I think I was lucky in that I must not have had very much fat around my stomach. I have only had two fills, the first one did almost nothing much to even talk about, the second was super restriction from day one until now. That was four months ago and this fill is still working strong for me. During these four months I lost 41% of my excess weight but it has not affected my fill level at all. I am beginning to think I may never need another fill, or if so, it will be only the tiniest of tweaks around final goal.

Everyone else's responses were great so I don't have much to add . . . only that you can still eat after banding. It is not the end of the road, only a new beginning. Don't think of it as "life as you have always known it will be drastically different." It is only like that during the early stage. You can do this . . . and a few months out when you have restriction, you will find that it is not so difficult.

I started out like this but have gotten over it. I just allow myself no more than one outfit a week, but then I am really selective over what I choose and it is more fun that way. I also know that in practice, I only wear a mix and match of 6-10 outfits. My favorite things are definitely worn weekly, so I don't want to buy anything that may not make it up to par as one of my favorite things. It is hard not to go a little overboard when you can all too clearly remember the days where all clothes that fit were for women in their twilight years or just not flattering at all. Now I am wearing medium tops and size 10 pants . . . and that means that I can now wear anything . . . nothing is off limits. Shopping itself has become a joy instead of a tearful experience in the dressing room when nothing at all looks good.

I would certainly tell him before you have it done. It may be more damaging to your close relationship to not tell him before-hand. You know your father best, and after all these years, you can probably find the best way to present it to him. Perhaps you can feel him out. First have an in-depth discussion with him about how you feel about your weight, how it affects your life, how it is certain to impact your health in the near future, etc. Later, maybe the same day or a different day, proceed to steps you have taken to combat it . . . and when you feel the time is right, go into how you plan to make a change in the future. Perhaps you can have some information printed out and available in your purse regarding what is involved, risks, statistics involving complications and success rates, etc. Make sure that he understands that you can really use his support. Also, if he is not immediately accepting, don't lose hope, just remember that sometimes people need time to digest things. First response may be one of fear or just not understanding what is involved, after all it is surgery and the word itself is enough to bring fear into the hearts of any loved ones. Good luck.

I wouldn't worry about it. You still have a lot of swelling. I don't think I could easily feel mine until about two weeks out. Also as you lose and the fat on your abdomen diminishes, it will be easier and easier to feel. I can feel mine very distinctly and easily without trying now.

Thanks everyone for your input :0). I think most of it is that I am a quiet, reserved person that does not share personal details with strangers. I am just not used to strangers asking me personal questions. I know if I say 70 pounds and the response is "OMG, 70 POUNDSSS!!!" I know I will be blushing beet red down to my toes in a way that only pale red-heads can blush. I think saying "I lost a bit" or something more non-specific is better than a number.

I agree 100%. Thanks, Denise. :w00t: I also spend 95% of my time on any forum here on Lapband Talk because I like the positive outlook of most posters, and the structure is friendly. I can probably count on one hand the number of times I got annoyed that a thread here had descended into pointless squabbling, on some other sites it seems to be a daily event. I really don't think it matters so much in that threads grow on their own and as long as things are categorized in such a way that you can get to topics of primary interest, all is hunky dory with me. This site focuses on Lapband so the majority of posters will be bandsters. I started off on a couple of other forums but soon lost interest in that most people were R&Y and there was just not enough going on with bandsters to keep me hooked. I think that people with other wls procedures will gravitate to other forums in the same way so that they find something that more closely match their interests.

I agree with what every one else is saying. I am 7 months out, have lost most of the weight, and I can eat just about anything as long as I am careful. Don't feel like you are giving up everything. Plus there is no reason to wait for the band to get started on getting healthy . . . many people lose quite a bit before banding which gives them a head start.

Each day varies of course but an example of a low calorie day would be something like: Breakfast: String cheese with grapes or half a banana Lunch: Two egg omelette with a little reduced calorie cheese with onions and green peppers inside. Dinner: Salmon or chicken or steak baked or cooked on the stovetop with non-stick cooking spray and either a salad or broccoli or some other veggie. A higher calorie day might be as follows: Breakfast: 1/2 cup of cottage cheese with a little fruit thrown in (maybe half a peach or banana). Lunch: Salad with lean meat such as turkey, chicken, tuna, salmon, etc. Dinner: Small steak cooked on the stove top with non-stick cooking spray. Maybe a small baked potato with fat free spray butter, salt & pepper and sometimes a little sour cream, cheddar or parmesan cheese depending on what I want. A salad with guacomole added or veggies such as cauliflower or something along that line. Snack: Maybe a little hummus or cream cheese on a couple of crackers some point throughout the day. I never eat canned veggies because the best part of the nutrition is leached out in the canning process. Frozen veggies are rare. Almost all veggies, and we eat a lot of them, are fresh. Because of the expense we buy them in alternative places like Arabic or Indian stores or farm markets where we can find them cheaper. Salad is the most frequently eaten item in my diet and it is one food that is not varied often. My family is Turkish so when I reference salad, it is not the typical American salad but more of a Mediterranean variety. Lettuce is a minor ingredient. It is usually equal parts lettuce, parsley, onions, tomatoes and cucumber all chopped finely. Sometimes I have green peppers or other things added on when I have them. Sometimes I will roast an eggplant which is later chopped finely and forms the base of the salad. I never use dressing but use the traditional Turkish salad topping of a teaspoon of olive oil, some fresh squeezed lemon and salt.

Physically you should be fine I think, but you might tire out a little easier than usual with the walking around part. Your incisions should be well healed at that point. You will definitely need to take some food with you that fits the post-op diet for the stage you are on. Just a word of caution, last time I went to six flags, I packed a lunch and they confiscated any liquid beverages other than water. I was pretty annoyed with this because the only reason I could think of for this behavios is that people are thirsty walking in the sun all day and at $3-$5 a drink they must be making a lot of money on top of the $$$ for the tickets. However, I found that they will give you water for free. I would suggest checking the website or giving them a call to make sure that you can bring something in the park. You may be able to find soup in a cafe but most food I have seen there is by no means post-op band friendly if you are still in your liquids-to-mushies stages.