Katja

Congrats Long2bThin! :thumbup::thumbup: It is amazing how much of a boost these non-scale victories give us. Each and everyone I have makes me euphoric! I started out having to lose much more than you, but I am now getting close to 'normal store' sizes. It is so exciting and a bit scary. I'm afraid I'll become a shopaholic! To go into just about any store and find something that will fit AND look good on me - WOW! Keep up the good work! Katja

food For Thought: Isn't it better to 'waste' a little money now, than to pay for expensive prescriptions later for all those meds you would need if you didn't get banded? Tell them you have a stomach condition and can only eat a 1/2 portion. Most better restaurants will accommodate you. Then you'll still have too much, but you can better resist. I like to push my portion to one side of the plate. No taking any more. It's hard, but you'll learn how to do it. Especially when your band is adjusted properly. You won't want to risk feeling ill! Good luck on your journey to a healthier you! Hang in there! Katja

I think of all the things that we bandsters have to deal with, head hunger, followed by patience, is the hardest part of this journey to becoming healthier. We tie everything into food, - happy, sad, stress, boredom. We seldom get together with friends or family without food playing a major role in those activities. No wonder we always have head hunger! I have been banded 11 months now. It has taken me all this time to finally reach my sweet spot last week with fill # 5. I have lost slowly and it has been very frustrating at times, but I am losing. Head hunger, and real hunger have been a big problem for me as my band was not adjusted properly until now. This past week has been wonderful! I am no longer body hungry. The band is finally doing the job it was meant to do. I have had a few bouts of head hunger, but I am amazed at how few and how weak the bouts have been. So I guess you can really say that when properly adjusted, the band helps you there too. I know I have a lot more work to do in sorting out my old habits and discovering what exactly triggers those head hunger episodes. I heard once that someone said "we adults use food to soothe." I agree. "We have replaced the pacifiers we used as infants with food". We need to discover why we need this pacification, and how we can use non-destructive means to soothe us when necessary. I believe head hunger will disappear over a long time, but as any habit, it will need a lot of commitment, patience and work. Good luck to you on your journey to a healthier you! You can do it! Katja

I guess the best way for me to describe restriction is a pressure-like feeling. You get this after eating foods that don't slide through the band easily. Some foods will fill the pouch 'faster' than others. The reason you have to chew, chew and chew is so that these foods become small enough to pass thru the band. Because the pouch is so small, it takes little to fill it. The band slows down the speed in which the food empties into the large part of the stomach. It being just a few days after my last fill, I do feel a bit of pressure most of the day. That's because when you get a fill, it causes a slight trauma to the stomach, causing a little bit of swelling. That's why many feel looser after a few days (when the swelling goes down) and why the docs recommend having liquids again for those couple of days. You don't want to stress the tummy any more at this point. I'm sorry to hear that you had other medical problems that have made being a bandster more difficult. Now that you're better, you can get back onboard and get to your goal! From my experience, I would recommend small fills, often, until you get to that sweet spot - tight enough to not be hungry sooner than 4-5 hours, and able to eat very small portions and get satisfied quickly, but loose enough that you don't get sick. It's a tricky place to find, often after much experimentation. I hope I have answered your questions and you can understand my answers. We can help each other so much, exchanging info and tips, but some things you just have to do yourself find the right answer for you. It has been said many times in here and I'll say it again: "We all are doing the same thing, getting banded, but our experiences are so very individual". Good Luck on your journey to a healthier you! Katja

I had to come back and share with you my good news. I went for fill #5 on Tuesday. I now have great restriction! I am eating very little and have NO hunger, AND, I've lost 2.5 pounds since then! The point I want to make is don't give up! It takes time to get to that famous "Sweet Spot" - where you have great restriction and little hunger. Come join us in the chat room. You'll learn a lot of tips, meet some great people who will be your friends i no time. We support each other so much! Good Luck! :thumbup: Katja

I was taking Biotin for months before the band surgery so my hair loss would hopefully be minimal due to going thru menopause. I never noticed a difference - if it helped, I never saw it. After my lap surgery, my fingernails took a beating. I guess my hair was able to stand it. It took about 6 months for my nails to get strong and long again - without taking the biotin. I'd say try taking the biotin. It couldn't hurt. Just be careful after the surgery - pill size is important! Good luck on your surgery. Looking forward to greeting a new bandster soon! Katja

I don't know what may have happened to the group, but please let me know when you get it going. Sounds like a great group to belong to! I am in a chorus, do solo with them and sing at weddings. I also play French horn and teach the new trumpeters, horn and tuba players that join our brass choir group. Katja

Congrats on your decision to be banded. Once you really get started losing the weight you will love your band and will begin to love yourself more! You shouldn't let being embarrassed prevent you from going to the doc. It just shows you need more help. Nothing wrong with that. Get your fill. It may take a few fills for you to get enough restriction to help you keep to the diet. Don't ever give up. It is a learning process and you can do it! Visit the chat room and listen to us exchange ideas and help. Read the forums. There is plenty of help and encouragement here! Good luck to you in your journey to a healthier you! I hope to hear from you soon saying this little bump in the road was just that. Katja

First of all, congratulations on your wonderful progress! You have worked hard and are now reaping the benefits of a healthy life. Getting all those compliments can be difficult to accept at first, but with each one, you'll start to see the "new" you. Many of us have trouble adjusting to our new images. We see the "old fatty" long after there has been a dramatic weight loss. As to your co-worker... there are probably many reasons she isn't being supportive. Jealously and ignorance topping the list. I have experienced many people, who are also overweight, as being very insecure about their ability to lose. It's like a cover-up - making light of the work it does take to be a successful bandster loser - because they have enormous doubts if they could be that dedicated to making it work for themselves. In the end, it boils down to what you think. What you do. How you feel about you. I wish you much happiness on your journey to a new you. For every naysayer, there are 3 people who will support you and admire your commitment to achieve your goal. Please don't forget that! Katja

i've flown between Germany and America twice now and had no problems. I did not have a lot of restriction then. Maybe if you have a lot of restriction it might make a difference? It will be interesting to see the other answers on this.

Congratulations Daniml! I am an American living near Stuttgart. I was banded here. Let's keep in touch to share our thoughts on our adopted countries and of course, our progress with our bands! Good luck on your surgery and come back and let us all know how you're doing. Katja

Why would you want to remove the band? Statistics show that those who have it removed, gain back a lot of the weight they fought so hard to lose. I am planning on reaching goal, or wherever my body says it's happy and then slowly get unfills to see what i can eat without gaining. I plan on maintaining a healthy weight for the rest of my life! Good luck to you. I hope you will be happy with your results.

I have lost about 80 pounds now and am getting thoughts of actually getting into (and back out of) the bathtub! It's been over 25 years since my last bath. (Don't worry, I used the shower. LOL) I actually crossed my legs for the first time since I don't know when. It was only for a few minutes, but hey, it felt great! It is a lot of fun rediscovering all the things I gave up due to the largeness of my body. I hope every bander enjoys all the changes that are coming!

I too have felt the same way most of my life. Morbidly obese since I was 10. My Dad used to pick dinnertime to let me know I was fat and should do something about it. I did. I just shoveled more into my mouth! My identity has always been tied to the weight. There's Katja, you know the big girl. Not the witty one or smart one. And I always loved "You have such a pretty face, it's a shame you aren't thinner". Sound familiar to many of you? I stopped getting on the scale when I hit 306. I don't think I got much heavier than that, thank goodness. I was banded at 277 pounds. I am now down to 228. It's been an amazing journey, learning who I really am. And you know what? I like me. I really like who I am becoming. Being acknowledged for what I do and not what I look like. Being more confident. I am so very glad I got banded.

I am also an American living in Germany - Stuttgart area. I was banded here in July and it was 7500 Euros. There are a couple of places near here that do the band. Write me if you're interested in more details. I'll be glad to help.

Diva, You will probably get a drink called "Fortimel" in the hospital. I did. I bought it in the Apotheke when i was released. The chocolate and strawberry are really good. Good luck on your surgery.

Dear Bikini, What makes you think the Spanish docs are not familiar with lap bands. Bands are being used all over Europe. I'm in Germany and was banded in July. They have different ideas about diets, fills and such, but I'm sure you can find an excellent doc where you go. Just call the hospitals in the big cities near where you are going. I'm sure you'll be just fine.

Suz, please try not to be dicouraged and give up. This weight loss business is so very important for you now. I too am 52. I finally woke up and decided I HAD to get rid of my 165 extra pounds before I got real problems. I've been really lucky all these years. Are you sure that you're sticking to a good diet most of the time? We all have a little treat now and again, but sometimes a lot goes in than we think. I would suggest writing down EVERY single bit that goes in your mouth. Don't forget to count the drinks in too. They add up quick. Try a diet of about 1000 calories per day. When you eat too few, your body goes into starvation mode and holds on to every ounce of fat it can. You probably have tried 100's of diets through the years like me, and our bodies are now super efficient at hoarding the fat. Try to increase your activity level too. It doesn't have to be much. Better slow and steady than too much and risk injury. I've been there too. Look for small changes, slowly. Reward yourself for each accomplishment - just not with food. 15 minutes in the sun, read a chapter in a book, get a manicure, stuff like that. Remember, you've got to take care of yourself and you can't if you can't enjoy the small things in life. I hope this helps. I was banded 8 months ago and have now lost 49 pounds. It's been a real struggle, but oh so worth it. With each 5 pounds gone, you'll get more energy and want to do more. You'll like yourself more and more too. I love all the compliments I'm getting, but the lady in the mirror has the opinions I value much. Good luck and let me know how you're doing. Katja

I'am having the same experience and thought I was missing something too. I'd had 3 fills (5.7) and will have another in 2 weeks at my next appt. I can eat too much and am not losing much now, although I know I am beefing up the muscles with all the bike riding and exercise I can do now. I can't believe we have to barf to get the best results. I'm glad someone else is in the same boat as me.

I was ALL belly and boob. I did lose about 30 pounds before the band and I was a 34 then. I guess I was more a 30-32 at banding. Losing the weight so fast and flying through the sizes can confuse your numbers. Sorry.

Hallole! I'm 8 mths postop and live and was banded here in the Stuttgart area. Anyone else?

I had my banding done Aug 07. Started with 277 lbs., size 34. Eight months later I'm down to 229, size 22. Through the years I saved all my "thin" (everything that got too small) clothes, always thinking I'd be back in them shortly. Well, you all know this game. I never got smaller. Then the band. I flew through 5 sizes almost before I could blink. There were some weeks where I'd try something on, it'd be a little too small. I'd try it on 10 days later and wow! - too big. This was the best incentive to keep to my diet and try to workout a little more than the week before. I've slowed down quite a lot now due to all the muscle I'm building. I can't believe what I can do now. My closet doesn't have any more clothes from my pre-op days. My husband is terrific and says nothing about all the money I have to spend buying new clothes. I try to only buy clearance. In fact, he keeps showing me pics of high skirts, plunging necklines, etc. Now if I can only adjust to the new me, I might just buy some of them. Sexy has not been in my vocabulary for over 30 years!