karibensea

Thanks for the info I will have to look into that center. Sorry for the delayed reply I just dont get on here very often Michele

I am currently looking for a great surgeon in the So Jersey area. I am close to Princeton, Philly, but that really is about it. I had a good doctor here but his office staff sucks..Can't deal with all that nonsense and he always seems to be way to busy .. I want a doctor who makes it about me and not about him and the god almighty dollar.. Help please Thanks Michele

Sometimes seriously under 1000 a day.. It really sucks that I can not get this weight off. I try to eat more but simply can not get it in this is why my doc did take a smidgen out and as i said I mean a smidgen!! And a good nights sleep WTHeck is that..lol I would not know that if it even happened. I am going to see a nutritionist/trainer next week and he is my pal on my food tracking website.. I am trying to very honest about what goes in my mouth.. Sometimes I forget because my mind is old..lol I need to get back to the gym have not been in a couple days and today I had major pain below my shoulder blade this morning OMG it felt like major gas like when I had my surgery. I will go back tomorrow I don't care if my arm falls off!! I can barley move today from the lack of working out, Gosh I never thought ever those words would come out of my mouth but yes I am hooked on the gym. If your on FB I found a great support page today it is called Lap Band Divas..HUGE busy support page.. M

Hello everyone!! I am back on and in need of some input. I will have my band now for 6 yrs in July. When I first got the band it worked great! For the past couple years I have been at a stall then all of a sudden I began gaining weight.. Knowing that muscle weighs more then fat I am just hoping my weight gain is muscle.. My tummy is big with fat and then with all the muscle back there which I can totally feel my mid section is bigger and my jeans don't fit ;-( this makes me sad and adds to the discouragement. A couple years ago I had issues with high cholesterol and my fibromyagla got really bad. So I began hitting the gym a min of 3 days a week I really got into the gym and to my surprise really enjoyed it. Not at all a fan of cardio and to be honest I detest it!! Anyway I also began doing organic and seriously paying better attn to what I put in my mouth. I do not eat out and I am a great cook thanks to this band. I am not a huge carbs eater other then things that are natural organic carbs, fresh fruits and veggies. I have a 10cc band and it was full to 8 1/2 and it really did take a long time to eat things when I went back home to St Louis in Nov last year my surgeon took out a tiny bit of Fluid did not help ;-( He backed out some because he said it was taking way to long for me to eat things.. I love the surgeon I have here in the So Jersey area however his office staff are a ridiculous bunch of nit wits and that I simply can not deal with!! So I am looking now for a new doctor here in NJ Bottom line here is I eat healthy and I do workout again a min of 3day a week sometimes 4 or 5 days. I have muscles in places I never knew I had them and my pants will not button!! My jeans are tight, my thighs are bigger, my butt is bigger, everything is bigger even the numbers on the scale!! What on earth am I doing wrong I feel now like I am d&*(%^ if I do and if I don't!! I have gotten very discouraged and feel like giving up at this point. I would love to hear some input and thoughts. I think I need to be here again for some great support from all of us who have been there and done that! Thanks Michele

First off let me say thanks for the input. I do count what I think is every bite that goes in..I am pretty obsessed but all this at this point ;-( not sure if that is good or bad..lol My surgeon back in STL took a bit of Fluid out and seriously not enough for me to even see in the syringe but non the less he did. I was not even able to get into the 1500 calorie zone. I do have a job that allows me to work from home and my apartment is only about 600 sq ft so not much room to roam about. I do not sleep well and my job is HIGH stress. I have gone through menopause over the past 12yrs but now am done with that nonsense too. I have had every god known test done to make sure that there is no underlying medical issues but there are none. Again leaving me in a whole world of confusion. I am trying to find a good surgeon in my area and it has not been an easy task.. I am going to be staying on top of this because it is currently adding to my stress level and that as we all know is not good news for that hormone they call Cortisol which lives in my midsection!!

I totally understand where you are coming from here.. I have just celebrated my 5 yr anniversary an I am not going to lie it has been a long 5 yrs.. I did great in the beginning but have been stuck the past 3 yrs I have not gained and I have not lost. Truth!..OH I would do it all over again in a minute! I eat healthy, I work out minimum 4 days a week and that is only because of my job and time restraints. For some reason can not get this weight loss kick started again. I look better, I feel better and I am healthy!! All 3 important things to me. I do enduldge now and then, and sometimes I binge (bad thing) I am a food addict and a self taught chef! I have crazy cravings for sweets and carbs. I am on the back end of menopause and this has NOT helped at all.. I have come to realize that I am never going to be skinny again nor do I really want to be.. I am striving to be what is best for me..body wise, weight wise and over all health wise. I try hard not to stess about it at all I now know how to eat, cook, and stock up to stay healthy! Not going to lie it has been a hard but before I did this Lap Band I commited to the new lifestyle for the rest of my life and to never be on a diet again!!

May I ask what testing has been done to determine if you are in fact insulin resistant? I think I might be as well Thanks

Hello everyone, It has been a long while since I have been here and things have changed alot. I got my band in July 2009 and I did lose 60 lbs in the beginning. However for the past ohh 4 yrs I want to say I have absolutly come to a stand still.. NOT gaining or losing.. This really stinks. I actually joined a gym about 14 months ago and I do go today 4-5 days a week. I love going to the gym but other then making me stronger and building my muscles I have not lost any inches nor weight!! I have had so many test done, thyroid is fine. I have gone through menopause, I have been on and off of hormone replacement, I do not sleep well and my life is full of major stress, I do eat very good and healthy, i cook my own food from mostly organics/fresh foods. I very REARLY do I eat out.. I even keep track of my food..I take suppliments and I am very very healthy ..I am not perfect with all this even after all these years but I do not get out of line much.. This NON weight loss is killing me..I work hard at the gym and I eat right but yet nothing is happening.. I am right now as I type having a very bad time dealing with all this. Something has to give here because all this along with these lingering symptoms of menopaus which by the way has been going on about 10 yrs now, well it is just about two much for me to bear emotionally.. Well if any of you have input that might help get me jump started,, Thanks alot for taking the time to read this and help out if you can.. Michele

OMG I am sooo very sorry for not replying sooner. I simply do not get on here the way I use to or should at this time. I have moved to NJ and been here about 4yrs now, I have a doctor here who says the band is as full as it can be. I have a 10cc and it has 81/2 cc in it according to him. He is recommending that I have this thing taken out and get a sleeve!! NO way in hell will I be doing this again. I do not and have not ever regreted doing what I did it has just been frustrating. I do everything I am suppose to do I work out, I count calories, I have a nutrionist, I have had every god known test done to see if there were underlying causes for the stall. Metobolic/insulin resistance NOPE those are not it either. Before I had the band put in I had been experienceing pre menopausal symtoms and yes that is over with well at least all things point to that..I thought this was the culpret NOPE not this either.. lol I simply am at a loss. I am going to make an apointment I think with my original surgon Dr Minkin for my visit back to St Louis in NOV. Maybe he will have an answer for me.. I have never even had a problem with my band he did a fantastic job with my original surgery and I am so greatful the the job that he did do.. I am gonna try to set this thing up to notify me when someone replies and again I am SOOOO VERY SORRY for the lack of response.. Thank you for all the input Michele

This has been one of several post I have put on the site and I am sorry if it seems repetitive but I really would like some great or not so great input on any one surgeon specifically or a variety of doctors to choose from. What kind of experience have you had? Any input you can share would be helpful. Thanks folks Michele

Hey there Everyone! I am so happy to read all this I have seriously been considering some body overhauling as I call it. I live near Philly and wonder if any of you have a GREAT surgeon I will not settle for less than GREAT.. I had my lap band done 3 1/2 yrs ago by a FANTASTIC doc--Darin Minkin in St Louis and love that guy and would recommend him to anyone. But now comes the time to get rid of this ugly flabby wavy skin dangling all over my body!! Help again live near Philly any thoughts here? Thanks Michele

Hey there I really do like My Fitness Pal. This you can load on your phone as the app and also you can log on to the website and work the pages from there. Everything you put on your phone app throughout the day will show on that website as well, so they work together interaction is very good between the two. Ck it out it really is a great app!! Good Luck in your journey!! Michele

I am serious about getting some body work done and looking to get a consult with a good doctor. Any suggestions? Thanks Michele

Any suggestions? I am near Deptford and going south.. I am in the early stages of this process and will be doing my homework but really would appreciated some input from anyone on their experiences. What did you have done? How do you feel about it? Thanks in advance Michele

Just looking for any recommendations for a full body lift or body sculpting. Who has had this kind of surgery and how was it all, details, insite? Thanks Michele

Hello everyone I do hope your all well. I have begun my research for reconstruction of my body. It is such a mess so my post here is about this. Have you or anyone your friends with had "laser lipo, or full body lifts? I hear that laser lipo uses the laser to loosen up the fat cells so it can be easier to suck them out. Less traumatic I hear, done in the doctors office under local anesthetic while we chat, and talk about all kinds of things. Have any of you had a problem with the fat growing back in different places and causing your body to perhaps look a bit lopsided? Again I am in the beginning stages of my research and I do live here in South Jersey I have a great band doctor who is also the LIPO doctor, go figure and over achiever..lol Well I do hope to hear back from anyone with input on this topic.. Thanks everyone Michele

WALK , WALK, WALK..It really will help with the gas...and as strange as this sounds if you can lay on your tummy at all try it, worked for me..The walking for some strange reason does help and I has so much pain on the left side of my back area I could hardly move my arm on that side it was bad so I understand..Good luck to you. :-)

Thanks Bnug I do appreciate your input..Late or not I thank you so much and you know what you are totally correct on the good Dr.. Love him

Hello everyone, I currently have a great doctor way up in N NJ however the doctor has become very slack with me and his office staff really has issues with follow through. I have become a bit disenchanted with all of them. I have moved just down the road from Voorhees and when I did a search on this lap band topic Dr. Adam Goldstein's name came up with a very high rating. I move here from Missouri a bit over a year ago and had a pioneer in the lap band process and was extremely happy with him but then moved. Although my current doctor is amazing his lack of response to my concerns really is bothering me. My medical insurance runs out at the end of the month and I have according to the insurance met all pre-exsisting conditions of my medical policy and really need to have some thing looked at before the end of this month by someone who is GOOD at what he does. Input needed soon as possible I need to make a call Monday for this doctor depending on what feedback I get. Thanks so much for your help Michele

Good Morning It has been 3 years since I was banded and I just cannot get this last 8 lbs to get to one of my goal points. I had gotten off track for a while and since about May I have been back on track. I found a new doctor, and it was found that I am deficient in many Vitamins. So back I went to the nutritionist and she and I discussed all this. She has me on a 1200 calorie regimen daily but sometimes I really just don’t get in those 1200 calories worth of food. Could this be causing a weight gain? The band had been checked and the doctor seems to think I am tight enough by the way the Fluid flows through. I do have a 10cc band and right now I am at 8.5 cc full. He will not fill it again as he don’t want to cause any problems for me, I can totally respect that. Although I am very health conscious as to what I put into my mouth and I did find this app for my Iphone called My Fitness Pal and I keep track of everything, even the one or two packets of Splenda I might use in my tea. Even the things I think are BAD foods I keep track. I am not big on caffeine’s; I am not big on sweets although a cookie now and then (which is counted) is very yummy. I have not had my Ice Cream or Starbucks since May so going on two full months and really I do not miss it. I make my own coffee, and eat fruit pops if I feel like I am in need of that Ice Cream fix I gave up. I do not eat out at all; I cook everything fresh and from scratch. I just do not understand how I could be gaining weight! Could it be my hormones (going through the change) I have pumped up on the Proteins I intake as well although I am certain that I am not getting in all they recommend. I hate exercise and that might be a downfall I don't know. I am simply at a loss any input anyone might have as to the same struggle you had like this and how you overcame it would be helpful. Thanks so much for your help Michele

There really are only about 5 lbs which fluctuate up and down but really being stuck is making me nuts and do think it is more this than anything else. I never go into starvation mode however I wonder if and when I do not get those 1200 calories in if that is not what happens, sometimes I just forget to eat because I get busy and then I will be like well couple more hours and it will be time for dinner, so I just get a Protein drink to hold me over and go on about my day. I am just don't know the 50 some pounds I have dropped is what I expected, although it is 50 lbs gone and I am ecstatic about this I just want more. I did think it would a bit easier then it has been even with this band guess that was a bit of a mis conception huh? I still have 50 more to lose and simply am getting tired of the not being able to get past this one mid zone hump! I guess I should just change something up a bit, but really I wonder if lack of food intake is putting me in starvation mode, this would bite totally. .

I have not eaten since about 10p last evening at 930am this morning I am going to have a barium swallow do you think it would be bad to have maybe a half 1/2 cup of coffee..My stomach is making the most gosh awful noises because I am hungry and I do not want to eat.. It is now 730ish so a couple hours before hand do you think it would be ok? Thanks

Just wanted to update all of you kind folks.. Everything looked A OK!!! So glad when I saw the normal pouch poke out as the barium flowed through without any problems. So I am at from what I remember 8.5 in a 10 CC band but I am having trouble losing weight..I am not keen on exercise never have been to be honest..So now getting back on track and moving forward..!! Thank you all for your input

Just really cking on the band because it has been almost 2 yrs since it has been looked at, and I did change surgeons, been gaining weight and he wants to ck it before he possibly gives me a fill.. Thanks for getting back to me so quickly.. :-)

What do you bander's do to keep this stuff flowing through your band> I have such bad allergies and this gunk feels like it lays in my throat and I have tried cough syrups with expectorants and they do not really do much. Any thoughts? Tomorrow I am going to do a barium ultra sound to ck the band and make sure all is good. It has not been checked in almost 2 yrs and it has been almost a year since I had a fill. Been a bit worried about my food intake as I did gain some weight. But we will see.. Really want to know about the Phlegm, thanks for your input folks.. M