It's_Christine

Annie100 there was no choking for me ever with my band. Be honest with your surgeon about your fear and I am sure they will also be able to reassure you about this. Good luck!

Double the blessing of your weight loss and donate those clothes as soon as they are too big. Someone needs them and you never will again!

Welcome Craig. I also started on the heavier side and have found my band to be the answer to my prayers. I was banded on 5/28/2008 and recently my band got me over one of my previous problem areas which was getting bored 6 months after starting a weight loss plan. 6 months after being banded was still difficult for me but working with my band I am past it and still losing weight. I hope you find the same. I know you will find help and encouragement here.

Down 121 lbs since 5/28/08 and I am in sight of my first goal which is to weigh less than 200lbs. Should be able to get there by tax day! I am so encouraged because my band is giving me what I hoped and that is a "fall-back" plan when I get frustrated or just plain want to pig-out. I really see it working as an essential tool for me and the one piece that has been missing in all my previous weight loss efforts. YAY for all of us!

dbeers, if you do not want people to know do not tell them. I chose not tell people at work and when I was off for 2 weeks I simply said I was puttering around the house. When people notice my new eating habits I tell them I am actively trying to lose weight through calorie restriction and exercise. It is no one's business that I had a band placed. People are still supportive of my weight loss efforts and I appreciate that but it does not change my approach to maintaining my privacy. One morbidly obese co-worker did approach me and I shared my story in confidence so it may help you to know this approach need not be an iron-clad rule. So dbeers establish a story you can live with and stick to it is my best advice. Good luck!

When I was on my 6 month pre-op supervised diet for BCBSIL (last year this time) my dietician told me they needed documentation that I was on a "low calorie" diet and their definition of that was 1200-1500 cal a day. If you think of it that amount makes sense since that is the average calorie intake recommended for weight loss. Good luck to you, I am now 8.5 months post-op and happy, happy, happy with my band!

Congrats Long2bthin. You are doing GREAT and so close to your goal!

Love it Miss Michelle! For me I have reached a BMI where I am no longer characterized as morbidly obese. YAY for me I am now clinically obese!

I made a decision not to tell everyone prior to getting the band. We all know this is not the easy way out and I just do not want to have to justify myself or my choice to anyone so only people who care about me and I trust to be supportive know. That winds up being a few people in each area of my life and this has worked well for me. When someone compliments my weight loss I thank them for noticing. If they ask how I am doing it I tell them I am eating less and moving more. I did have one co-worker who is also obese ask to speak to me privately and when she shared her struggles and interest in getting banded I shared my story with her. That felt really good but also tells me there may be some chatting going on about how I am losing weight. I agree with cwm, at least they are not talking about how much weight I have gained!

Sooverit, I am right there with you. I was banded 5/28/2008 and have had only one fill so not sure how really restricted I am. Well, this is until I dont chew or try to eat too fast and wham I am stuck. This happens to me more in the AM which from what I read is normal for bands. I sometimes wonder if I have more spasm than restriction but in the final analysis I do not care because I am losing weight. It is a comfort to me that if I lose what I am feeling now I can always have fills. The wonderful mysteries of the banded life!

I am so thankful because this AM I weighed myself and I have lost 101lbs since getting my band on 5/28/2008. I started this process as super obese (not sure what was so super about it) so my goal is not right around the corner but I have never felt this confident about my ability to reach and maintain a normal weight. One thing I have learned is how the scale responds when I am eating correctly. I do not lose weight "evenly". I can go for weeks without losing and then suddenly will drop pounds quickly. I know that when this happened in the past those weeks of stalling were excuses to eat more and just the start of regaining. The best tool for me has been an on-line diary (I use the www.dailyplate.com) so I could look back and see how the weight loss stalls were followed by rapid drops. Also it keeps me honest. Happy New Year to all of us living our new lives.

A usual day for me is between 800-1000 cals. I am 7 months post-op and have lost about 1/2 the weight I need to lose to achieve that elusive label goal, a normal weight.

Glomo, I am also 55 years old and was banded 5/28/2008. I have lost 97 lbs so far and my surgeon actually thinks I may acheive a normal weight for the first time in my life. How is that for positive talk? The band is a tool not a fix but if you are ready to work it you will be very happy with the results. Good luck!

TMM, I went into the informational seminar wanting an RNY and came out wanting a lapband so I think information is key. First of all, do what feels best to you. I had a very strong feeling that I need someone to squeeze my stomach to help me stop eating. I do not mean to speak poorly of anyone but maybe attend another informational seminar and get a second opinion?

Hi Becky! I got my band on 5/28/2008 and have enjoyed similar success to yours. Isn't it wonderful?

Welcome Lori. I started out wanting the RNY and after going to the pre-op WLS seminar changed my mind. Knowledge is power, I guess. I am very happy with my choice (I am 6.5 months post banding) and have not had a moment of regret. I hope the same for you.

I can remember seeing clips of her show after she lost 86lbs on a liquid diet...she was pulling that much fat in a wagon and saying it was gone. At that moment I had a sinking feeling for her and thought don't say that Oprah, it is not that easy. And it was not that easy for her as it has not been that easy for most of us. I do not think there is any one person who represents those of us who fight the good fight against obesity day in and day out. Each journey is individual and because of that each person should have the freedom to chose whatever method will work to help them regain and maintain their health... no judgements, no comments or rolling eyes (and to me that includes those who chose RNY instead of banding). I think Oprah represents how tough it is to maintain a healthy weight for so many of us. Let's face it she has resources beyond our imagination and still has not found her answer so for those of us "regular folks" who have found our health in the band...WOOOHOOOO for us! But no one really can represent the answer for all of us because their is no one answer.

BCBS IL (PPO) has all of it's requirements listed on their website. I used that when I was gathering my evidence for approval. Good luck

This thread is so accurate. Seriously, when you finally open up and tell someone you have XX amount to lose why do they tell you that you are wrong that would make you too skinny? How could you not know how much you had to lose to reach a healthy weight? That's simple subtraction which all of us have been doing since grade school. Also, which of us does not dream of the day when we would actually be told we were too skinny and it was accurate. I am dizzy with the possibilities of how I would chose to gain a mandatory 10 lbs! This is why I smile and thank people for noticing my weight loss. If they persist in wanting to know how much I have lost I tell them I don't pay attention to those things. OK that is a lie but I know it is one I will be forgiven for!

Jachut, Thanks for sharing your experience. I am currently 6 months out and doing well with an essentially wide open band. My hunger has been much less since surgery but I still have my days. And at the risk of sounding like a bandster heretic I have to admit I never assumed I would not have to do many of the same things I did on a diet. I was prepped that way by the team who did my 6 month pre-op supervised diet. The truth seems to be that there are certain things that are common to most who can maintain weight loss. They exercise almost daily and they monitor their food intake and their weight regularly. I think my band is the missing piece of my puzzle to accomplish those things long term. I never expected my band to alleviate my hunger so when it does not I do not feel like it "failed me". It is great to hear from someone who is as successful as you about what life can really be like at or near goal weight.

DallasDi, I am 5'3" and started at 332 lbs. I have lost so much weight so many times I decided this time it's all going to be private. When people notice my weight loss I thank them but I do not offer up numbers or even the fact that I have been banded. For me this journey is all about maintaining a weight loss. I don't think it's unusual to feel self conscious about weighing >300lbs. Good luck with your goals and stay in touch. I am also hoping to be of a normal weight next year (from my mouth to God's ear) and it's nice to have someone to chat with who is in the same situation!

OK so I have been wearing the same bra since surgery (now down 80 some lbs) and yesterday I found a smaller size bra in the back of the closet and it fit Thats not the NSV part tho. When I put it on all of a sudden the girls were back where they were suppose to be! So today I am standing a little bit taller. I don't care what it takes I am getting new bra every 20lbs from now on.

OK, no disrespect meant but I dont want my reward to be that I can wade in crotch deep water with 4 inches of mud but I am glad to hear it is easier for you dab! Congrats! We all have a lot to be thankful for.

I had surgery 6 months ago and have also recently started to struggle. It's OK to struggle but I will not fail. Hang on to what is different about your weight loss with the band, cling to the band rules and remember all success is not measured my the scale. There are lots of us in this place Zeama so thanks for starting this thread. Good luck and happy holidays to all of us!

BG, I can tell you what I was told when I was in my 6 month supervised period earlier this year my weight and weight loss had to be documented each session along with discussion about diet and I had to report my approximate calorie intake. I also had to show a "significant" weight loss over the 6 months which was losely defined but I assumed had to be at least 5%. I lost 9% of my body weight and that qualified. I was told they need to see you can follow a "low calorie" diet plan (1200 cals or less for a woman) and lose weight to qualify for the band. I am not sure if they expect the weight loss to have an effect on the comorbids. I have BCBS IL and they have the requirements to qualify for WLS on their web site and I just made sure I did everything exactly as they stated. Again I have my fingers crossed for you and keep us updated!