rainenroses

Thanks, I have all my questions ready and am excited for tomorrow! I have BCBS too! Good luck with your appointment on Wednesday!
Janine

I have told some people, but I don't want to talk about too much. 1st I want to see if I get approved. Don't want to jinx it.

im the same way. ive told a few family members, but my husband is super supportive. i was so nervous before going to my consult visit i almost got sick lol.....after the appointment i was even more sure i wanted to do this . message me anytime ....sounds like we are near the same on our journey . my 2nd visit is this week ( dietician eval & psych eval ) ive had my ups and downs in dieting as well, great while it lasts but it never does :/

Yes ! I use to be addicted to FAcebook now this gas taken the place of it !

to this website!!!! OMG, since definatly deciding to go through with the lapband surgery i cant stay away ! seriously! the site was down for a while yesterday and i had withdrawels lol I am finding so so so many success stories on here it realy has inspired me and makes me hopeful that my journey will be as great. i also greatly appreciated everyone being so very honest with the bad side of it as well ( stuck etc ) . i go to my psych eval & dietician eval next week.. ok , just had to share that

to this website!!!! OMG, since definatly deciding to go through with the lapband surgery i cant stay away ! seriously! the site was down for a while yesterday and i had withdrawels lol I am finding so so so many success stories on here it realy has inspired me and makes me hopeful that my journey will be as great. i also greatly appreciated everyone being so very honest with the bad side of it as well ( stuck etc ) . i go to my psych eval & dietician eval next week.. ok , just had to share that

to this website!!!! OMG, since definatly deciding to go through with the lapband surgery i cant stay away ! seriously! the site was down for a while yesterday and i had withdrawels lol I am finding so so so many success stories on here it realy has inspired me and makes me hopeful that my journey will be as great. i also greatly appreciated everyone being so very honest with the bad side of it as well ( stuck etc ) . i go to my psych eval & dietician eval next week.. ok , just had to share that

to this website!!!! OMG, since definatly deciding to go through with the lapband surgery i cant stay away ! seriously! the site was down for a while yesterday and i had withdrawels lol I am finding so so so many success stories on here it realy has inspired me and makes me hopeful that my journey will be as great. i also greatly appreciated everyone being so very honest with the bad side of it as well ( stuck etc ) . i go to my psych eval & dietician eval next week.. ok , just had to share that

I found this article and it made a lot of sense. I thought I would share with my fellow pre-bands and it could also be a useful tool for the banded that have slipped a bit. Please feel free to read and follow the link!
food, he measures his food, and when he needs to get an adjustment, he comes in. Recently Bill had a bit of pouch dilation so we had to remove Fluid for a few weeks and rehabilitate his band (he had been eating a bit too fast over the last months and started to notice heart burn.). During the band rehabilitation Bill gained 2 pounds.
X-rays of successful patients
Take a piece of food, like meat, and put some x-ray material on it (kinda ruins the taste) and have a successful patient eat it. How fast do you think it goes from above the band to below the band? Pretty quickly- usually less than a minute, but for most about 30 seconds.
We use to think that food stayed above the band and slowly dripped down – like coffee through Mr. Coffee filters. But it doesn’t. Food, in successful patients- goes through quickly.
What about patients who are not successful and talk to us about wanting the band tighter and more “restricted.” Their food stays above the band longer. They have more episodes of “productive burps” more trouble with meats and vegetables. But if you ask the unsuccessful patient they will tell you, “I know my band, and this is how I lost weight before.” It probably wasn’t- but now they think the answer is to make the band tighter and tighter.
Drinking and eating
Successful patients eat and drink at the same time. We use to think this wasn’t a good idea, and some patients from those days don’t eat and drink at the same time- and tell us it makes a difference.
Exercise
Did you know that 77% of our successful patients exercise. Lots do weight training, some cardio, but they work out and do it a lot and enjoy it. A very small per cent did that before the band. Exercise isn’t how they stay thin- but if you ask them, “When I exercise, I don’t want to waste calories on something stupid and give up all I did.”
Unsuccessful patients tell us they didn’t exercise last month (the month before they came to the office).
Measure everything
They don’t “eyeball it,” they measure it. And in fact, they often don’t trust their own eyes because when they don’t measure for a few days and then test themselves they are shocked at how much they start to eat. Jacquie weighed 260 pounds when she started with us. One year later she weighed 130 pounds. What was her secret — she measured everything, “Everything I ate I put in those little cups.” Oh, after a year she got her first fill (her band was a bit lose).
Unsuccessful patients tell us “I eat less than I ever did, and I just don’t understand.” Do they measure? No- they eyeball. Test this right now – get a measuring cup out and cut up the meat you would think is your portion for dinner.
Successful patients know that they eat less for the first year or 18 months, then they increase the amount. Unsuccessful patients increase the amount.
Never hungry, never full
“I just live by never being hungry, but I never want to get full either,” said one of our patients. She ate every four hours, but never much, and she had gone from 220 to 125 in a year.
Patients who are not successful tell us that they “can eat more than I should.” The answer is, they always could eat more – the band does not physically prevent them. But when you eat to feeling “full” you will eat more than you should. When you know how much you need to eat to avoid getting hungry, and not go over that, the answer is weight loss.
Accountability
Everyone has setbacks. But successful patients get up, come back in, and get adjusted. Sometimes it is their head, sometimes it is there band.
Unsuccessful patients blame everything but themselves: be it drugs they are taking, a lack of exercise, or stress. The successful patient learns from the mistakes they made, know their trigger and figure it out. We had one patient get upset because she was on prednisone, had thyroid issues, had orthopedic issues, and just thought we were not nice because we didn’t accept that as an excuse (we would have the first time, maybe the second time, but a year of excuses to not lose weight with the band).
Food restrictions
Successful patients will tell you that they eat differently now than before surgery. Unsuccessful patients tell us that their diet can’t change because they are picky eaters, and their diets have not changed. In spite of signing the consent form, which on page 2 says they are willing to change lifestyle- these patients don’t change the most fundamental issue- what they eat, and where they eat it. Bad food, and too much of it, is bad food.
Visits
Successful patients see us about 6-11 times the first year, and 4-6 the second. Unsuccessful patients see us either much less – or a few see us more.
Want to change?
Consider this- there is nothing that is difficult if you are willing to change. Let the lapband be the tool. Our 90 day challenge is meant for those who either need to re-focus, get rid of things, and then begin again. Never stay down- always come back.

Oh boy, I was approved in 24 hours & tomorrow is the big day. I'm super nervous & hungry as heck right now. Clear diet is a bummer. I hope I'm making the right decision. I've researched & reviewed a million times & I think this will be the best tool for my lifestyle. The idea of throwing up & not being able to eat is what freaks me out the most. I don't have any grandiose visions of being a size 2 or obsessing over my scale, I simply just want to be healthy. No more pills for hbp, no more being uncomfortable on a airplane. I just want to be a average women that's comfortable in her own skin. Wish me luck & say a quite prayer for me.

Hi everyone! Well I'm in the very beginning of this process. Waiting on my insurance approval now. I've struggled with weight loss for years and I'm only 31. No one understands the struggle if they haven't dealt with it (skinny folk lol) exercise, dieting, diet pills- you name it I'm sure I've tried it. I've always knew of lap band just didn't think of actually trying it until the last few months. So I'm here for support, advice and link up with people who understand that being overweight is something hard to deal with just as having high blood pressure or another type of medical condition. In my opinion. It's something we have to wake up everyday to and deal with every moment of the day

As everyone has posted before me, you are not alone. I am an emotional eater as well, and have done fairly well so far (or so I like to think ). I approached this as a lifestyle change, not a diet. I had been on/failed so many diets through the years, I did not want to have those limitations.
To make this the lifestyle change I needed it to be, I do not have any foods that are off limits. If I want ice cream, I eat it. If I want chips, I eat them. Honestly I can say this approach keeps me satisfed and doesn't make me feel so deprived. I now enjoy these occasional treats and don't beat myself up about them. They do not go through my daily rotation and I've found myself choosing healthy Snacks because I want them and not because I feel obligated by diet.
For me, I knew that I wasn't going to "fail" about two weeks ago a few days after my second fill when I actually felt restriction and knew I couldn't eat endlessly. The thing that really drove home my new life was on Saturday when I tried on a pair of size 16 jeans and they FIT! I started in a size 22 and couldn't fathom getting my butt in smaller jeans.
Please don't be afraid. Think of the things you will be able in the future that you can't do now. It is so worth it!

great! it is so nice to see others starting the journey . i just recently made the call & had my consultation with my dr/surgeon. im also 5'4 lol weight seems to show more on us short gals doesnt it im a momma of 3 girls all older 15-16-20 hoping my surgery will be in september of this year !!
my goals --
130 by daughters graduation in 2014
walk into victoria secret and be able to buy ANYTHING cause it fits
buy a cute pair of harley davidson jeans
wear a cute belt and have it show
wear the dress i was married in again !! (( its a size 10-12 ))
own a cute bra not from a plus size store!

great! it is so nice to see others starting the journey . i just recently made the call & had my consultation with my dr/surgeon. im also 5'4 lol weight seems to show more on us short gals doesnt it im a momma of 3 girls all older 15-16-20 hoping my surgery will be in september of this year !!
my goals --
130 by daughters graduation in 2014
walk into victoria secret and be able to buy ANYTHING cause it fits
buy a cute pair of harley davidson jeans
wear a cute belt and have it show
wear the dress i was married in again !! (( its a size 10-12 ))
own a cute bra not from a plus size store!

had my first visit today to my dr...my consult visit. looks like my insurance does NOT have me jumping through hoops for this either ((YAY)) made appointments for my diet eval , psych eval and the behaviors-diet-exercise classes and my final review and submit to insurance appointments ......looks like my last appointment is AUGUST 27th.......so close yet sooo very far away lol
super excited now!!