karebare714

I have always had a very large spare tire. I lost down to 170 lbs once and still had it. At that time the only exercising I was doing was bike riding, most of the weight loss was from dieting. I recently started focusing on losing weight again and following the band rules. I also joined a gym and have been using the ellyptical for 30 min 3-4 times a week. I feel like I get more out of the elliptical then the treadmill but don't really know what else to do. I am about 270lbs now and am too ashamed to ask one of the tiny female trainers or huge muscle male trainers for tips. This is a cheap but very close and conveinent gym to home. It has every machine you could imagine, but when I see the "trainers" with someone they look annoyed that they are wasting their time. I can't afford a personal trainer. If anyone has any tips for exercising that would help trim my midsection or burn fat faster, please help!!

I am really wanting to get one of these. My research has me leaning towards the Flex. I would like to know how many calories I am burning on a daily basis vs input.

Mine did!! I had a small slip that was diagnosed with a barium swallow under fluroscopy in 2011. I had an unfill and had no restriction. Everytime I would get a fill I would not be able to hardly drink within a couple of weeks. I stayed on that yo-yo ride for over a year. Finally in august 2012 I gave up. I had a large unfill and had the barium swallow again. The small slip was still there but had not slipped further. I stayed unfilled untill last month. I gained a LOT of weight in that time. I finally went for a fill and the slip seems to have corrected itself. I will never go again knowing that I am too tight. I was filled too tight for months and dealt with it because I was enjoying the weightloss even though I was throwing up a lot. That is what caused my slep. I now know how lucky I was and I will use the band correctly from this point on. Good Luck!!!

I hope you are doing well. Can I ask what the scar tissue was from? Are they able to replace the band? Do you feel that you need it back? Sorry for so many questions. I am 4 1/2 years out and have had some problems myself.

My Surgeon did a barium swallow under fluroscopy. It showed a minor slip. The slip wasn't enough to cause medical problems so insurace wouldn't cover it. I spent about 8 months or so with no restriction at all. I recently went in and had a fill. It took a large fill for me to feel any restriction at all. So, he thinks that the time without vomiting or getting stuck at all allowed the band to slip back into the spot where it belonged. He can't say that for sure without another barium swallow under fluroscopy. But I figure why pay for the test when this seems to be working. Good luck!

I was banded 4 1/2 years ago. I did great and made it to ONEderland. Then I had some problems that are still going on with my band and have gained almost everything back. I have not had any restriction in a very long time. I am a bridesmaid in a wedding in 3 months. Going for a fill tomorrow and hoping this one is different. For the last 2 years everytime I have got a fill I end up not being able to even get liquids down after a few weeks. Then a small unfill and I have no restiction at all. It seems to only be all or none even when the fill or unfill is .25 cc. I gave up about a year ago and haven't been back for another try. Tomorrow is like a new beginning for my band life. I will follow all the rules and promise to work out at LEAST 3 times a day. I am hoping to have to have my bridesmaids dress altered down quite a bit. I will gladly pay that expense. My goal is to lose 30 lbs by May 25, 2013, but would love to lose even more!!

Congratulations!! I was also banded in 2008. I lost over 130 lbs and in 2011 it slipped slightly. Over the course of a little less that 2 years I gained 100 lbs back. My band seems to have slipped back in place and I just started my journey again 2 weeks ago. I have that new band excitement again. We can do this. Keep us updated!

Update: Two weeks in and I am down 10 pounds!! I feel like I have my band back. I have decent restriction but I feel like I still need a small fill. But this is giving me the help I needed along with my motivation. I have 11 weeks left before this wedding. Hoping to lose another 30 lbs. Thank you all for the motivation!

I think that the small slip I had was able to correct itself because I went so long without throwing up or aggrivating it. I gained back most of what I had lost. I have had my fill for 1 week today and have lost 7 pounds so far. I have not been stuck once or thrown up at all. I am able to eat more than I would like but I stay full for 4-6 hours easily. I am working with the band and making sure to eat very solid foods and no sauces. I will need another small fill though. For lunch I am able to eat a full sandwich and baggie of SunChips. I feel full untill I eat dinner 6 hours late but I know I shouldn't be able to eat that much with lapband. You can do this ToniaPatt! It takes dedication and working with the band. I hope that your fill does for you what I feel mine has done for me.

I worked out last night and went for my fill this morning. I haven't had any restriction since August of last year. I was expecting a tiny fill and he gave me 1.5 cc's!! He uses the drinking method for fills. He has me drink while he is filling untill I feel the lag of the water going down slower. Then he takes out some untill just when I feel the release. I am on liquids for today and mushies tomorrow. I just had a protien shake for lunch and was able to gulp it. So I hope that I am not over filled. Thank you all for your kind words! I am going to update this status every week or so.

I was banded 10/08/2008 at 326lbs. I was down to 192 in May 2011 when my band slightly slipped. The slip was not bad enough for insurance to consider it medically necessary to repair. If I have much of a fill then I can hardly drink water during the day and only get down soups and ice cream at night. So I get dehydrated and still don't lose much due to malnourishment and a large consumption of ice cream at night. This has caused my metabolism to plumit. I was used to a lot of restriction and now have NONE!! I have gained nearly 100lbs in 1 1/2 years. I know I have to do this on my own at least for now. At my last lap band appt I was at 255 in August 2012. I want to try this on my own and when I get back to about 260 go back to see him. I will then try a small fill and go from there. I was wearing 14's comfortably and now in 24's. This is so hard for me to write. I am balling my eyes out right now but I know this is my fault. Wish me luck and motivation.

I meant starting over in 2013. LOL

Checking in at 254. Down 9 lbs do far. 14 lbs more to go for the match challenge. I had been gaining for months before this. I just got back with the program on march 1. That's why I had such a big loss for the week.

Karebare714/ Karen March 1 weight 263 March 30 goal weight = 240 I know this seems big. But I have gained over 60 lbs since may 2011. I'm back on the band wagon and following the rules again. I had been living on nothing but sweets. Good luck everyone!!

I have fallen off the band wagon and read a lot of posts talking about the 5 day pouch test. Can someone give me the details of this? I need to get the sweets out of my system and back to not snacking all the time. Thank you!

Wow. We sound so similar! I can follow the rules all day and just seem to throw it all away about 7pm till 11pm. I am finishing up the first day of my 5 days. So far so good. Is there much of a difference in your restriction? Im hoping that lowering my intake of carbs and cutting down on my snacking will make a big difference.

I am just starting the plan today. I had to build up the will power to do this. I am looking forward to losing a few ponds during this 5 days but that is not my goal here. I have been yo yoing for about a year. I get a slight fill and I can barely drink. I lose like 20lbs in a couple of weeks. Then I get a slight unfill and I can eat huge plate fulls. I gain like 20lbs in a couple of weeks. My fills and unfills are usually only about .5cc's. That should not be enough to make me go so far in each direction. I am hoping that maybe my pouch is just stretched and this plan will shrink it back to its original golf ball size. If so, then I plan to do this every few months to keep it from stretching. Wish me luck!

It was as though I wrote this post myself. I was banded Oct 2008. I lost a total of 135lbs and have now gained back 25-30lbs. I cant seem to stop eating sweets at night. I dont know what is wrong with me. I want this so bad but dont seem to have the self control anymore. I havent been on here for a while and thought I would look here for motivation instead of hitting up the DQ drive thru. Thanks for reminding me I'm not alone. Good luck!

I started at 326lbs which is more than most of you it seems. I have lost into the 190's now but my personal goal is 150lbs. I went from wearing a tight 28 to a loose 14 (sometimes a 12). I am much happier now but dont feel that I am done. I went to my Dr this week and he asked about my personal goal. When I told him 150lbs, he said that was unrealistic. He said that I had already passed his goal for me which was 200lbs (70% of excess weight). This upset me. I think that he should motivate me, not tell me to just be happy where I am and try to maintain. Since this visit I have been working out 1-2 a day and going full force. I want to show him that I am not done. I may not reach 150 due to all the excess skin but I will at least reach 175lbs. I am 5'6 tall. Has anyone else had their Dr say this? Keep in mind that I was 326lbs. Congrats to everyone that has reached their personal goals!!

I started at 326lbs which is more than most of you it seems. I have lost into the 190's now but my personal goal is 150lbs. I went from wearing a tight 28 to a loose 14 (sometimes a 12). I am much happier now but dont feel that I am done. I went to my Dr this week and he asked about my personal goal. When I told him 150lbs, he said that was unrealistic. He said that I had already passed his goal for me which was 200lbs (70% of excess weight). This upset me. I think that he should motivate me, not tell me to just be happy where I am and try to maintain. Since this visit I have been working out 1-2 a day and going full force. I want to show him that I am not done. I may not reach 150 due to all the excess skin but I will at least reach 175lbs. I am 5'6 tall. Has anyone else had their Dr say this? Keep in mind that I was 326lbs. Congrats to everyone that has reached their personal goals!!

I work full time and have 8 yr old. I have a hard time working out as much as I should. The food part is easier. Protein shake in the morning, small lunch (1/2 sandwich or cheese and crackers) and small portion of a normal dinner. I don't get home from work and picking up my kid from after school care till after 6pm. Then cook dinner, baths and homework. I have a hard time working out 5 days a week. If I pushed myself harder I would make it but I'm tired. I have lost about 130lbs and have a prob with extra skin so I really need to push myself to workout more. Good luck and it will all fall into place.

The best thing about the band is that is a tool that never stops assisting. The band will not lose the weight for you but help whenever you put it to use correctly. Just by having a hammer doesnt mean that nails will always be in place. You have to pick up that hammer and use it as intended. But if you get lazy and dont use that hammer for a year it will still work when you pick it up and use it. I didn't want to have gastric bypass because once you stretch your stomach out its done. With LapBand once you begin to follow the rules again you start losing again. I have been banded for 2 1/2 yrs and am still not at goal. I'm sure to some that I am a failure. But I am much healthier and happier than I have ever been in my life. We can all do this and will do it when we put in the effort and use this tool. Good Luck everyone!