2muchfun

You may not see the scale move for weeks at a time. One week is not a stall or plateau. And, you're still in the healing phase. This is the time to eat responsibly and hone your eating slow, small bites and chewing big skills. Don't expect to lose "Fat" until your band is adjusted properly.

That's it, I need a dog. I keep asking my wife to finish my remaining food and she never does(unless it's tenderloin). If I had a dog(fat one?) I'd have some place to off what I don't need to eat?

It depends on how thorough the insurance department of your surgeon is and what insurance company they send it to? Could take as little as 5 days or 1 month or more.

I had a stuffed pepper tonight. I was satisfied by the time I'd eaten 75% of it. But, I went ahead and ate the remaining 25%. Not a lot of food but it did give me a full feeling. But, that's not what we try for. I should have stopped at the 75% mark. I usually portion out my food so I don't have this problem but it's hard with some foods. Point is, you will someday feel full, but don't make a habit of it. That's why we lose slower than some other WLS. They have no choice but stop.

Puttin on my bike shorts now. 10+ miles, here I come

My insurance was Anthem BCBS too. But, when I started back in 2010, they required the 6 month supervised doctor/nut visits. But, 5 months(about April 2011) into the program, they changed it to nada. It took me a few more months to pull the trigger and then a change of surgeons before I finally got banded over a year after I started.

Yeah, my daughter found out recently she has Crohns and she too is in mourning over all the foods that she can no longer eat which is pretty much everything right now. I get why you might miss some of your comfort foods but since you'll only be able to eat them in small quantities, flare-ups can be managed with some smart planning. Good luck!

This just goes to show us that one on one communication with a professional is always the #1 method to solve most of our problems/concerns. I recall when I was post op 4 months and I was in Bandster hell and hadn't lost any weight for the prior 3.5 months. I wasn't a happy camper. But a one on one visit with my nutritionist solidified my journey. I too wasn't eating the proper mix of foods. Once I modified my eating habits, my life changed. Good for you Pinky!!

Not me. Most everyone who posts here has scars, incisions, ports and pains from the bellybutton up to the sternum and the left side of the body.

As I lost weight, my port remained right where it was stitched to my ab wall. But, my skin started to slide downward(damn gravity) so when they fill me, it's below my big scar.

This isn't your normal gas problem. They actually pump your body cavity full of gas so they have room to operate. It stays in many corners of your body for a few weeks. Many have complained of this but the only thing that helps is time and maybe some walking, shoulder chops and heating pads.

Here's a recent goal reacher: Very inspirational. Check out her photos too: http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/305070-i-cant-believe-it-is-this-reallty-happening-for-me/?p=3445432

It's a guy thing

See, I'm still far enough away from my goal I don't even know which color on my ticker is my goal number and which one is my real weight number(crap, it's the bigger number )!!

GoWalking, you're only a few lbs from your goal? That sort of snuck up on me? Well, your success and enjoy's success has motivated me to ramp up this bandwagon once again. I've been quite complacent for about 1.5 years now and time to shed those last few lbs.

CarolinaGirl still trades emails with her I believe? I haven't heard from her since November. You know sometimes I go back and look at old threads to see how some people came to be where they are in their journey and I run across all these old posts from people who used to post here all the time. I guess some people have lives ourside of this forum huh? Anyway, I wonder about Floridays, sojourner, ms maui and others. Hope they're thin and happy!

I don't think there's such a thing as the perfect dietary lifestyle since each of us are so unique with different tastes and needs. But, your example is as good as any I've ever seen and could be the basis for anyone starting out. They only need to modify to fit their own lifestyle and tastes. Thanks for posting this. I'll be bookmarking this thread for future reference. tmf

Oh yeah. Gas, diarrhea, constipation are all normal. Normal bowel movements is not normal Funny, I was reading a couple of days ago about someone else who messed in their bed overnight. She too was concerned. Someone responded with "holy crap, Al Roker Pooped his pants at the frickin White House!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSORjrg1t8w

Welcome to the other side. Yeah, hot showers are great eh? Congrats and remember to follow those post op orders!!

Wow, 5 CC is a lot. How many days for the two of you for liquids?

Your situation is so different who knows? I'm still trying to wrap my head around your surgery. Thick headed me! Being that you're somewhat a veteran it's possible the doctor might fill you up quicker so maybe only 2-4 weeks of Bandster hell? Didn't you say they were going to open you up or is this laparoscopic surgery?

I don't know your entire story but it sure looks like you're not getting the support and aftercare you need? Both are so important for a successful journey. And sometimes this is also the patients responsibility. Some patients don't communicate well with their doctors? Some never go back(big mistake). I hope you're one of those who walks in and insists on being successful? Don't give up!

I don't think anyone would disagree with you and I certainly didn't mean for my post to indicate differently. There are so many reasons for failure or slow success. In your case, your doctor is taking his sweet time bringing you up to the green zone. Has he ever used a fluoroscopy for your fills? I would highly recommend this! But, you won't lose much at 1500 calories/day. 1-2 lbs a month at most and looks like that's where you're at? Don't give up and maybe you need to be more assertive with your surgeon? No need for you to be 7 months out and still struggling as you are. Keep in touch.

Gastric Bypass and Sleeve have also "Failed" some people. Although it is much harder to fail with Bypass or sleeve since they're both restrictive surgeries. They physically restrict the amount of food they can consume. The band won't do this. The band simply dims our appetites and much is up to us to recognize the soft and hard signals. The band has been sold for many years as a tool that is "restrictive" and will stop us from eating too much and once the pouch is full, we won't want to eat any longer. We now know this isn't true. Patient selection is so important but there were a lot of surgeons jumping on the bandwagon who had no intuitive skills in recognizing that some people can't and never will control their eating habits unless they are forced to.