Catherine55

I disagree with the person who said that you have to limit eating out with the band. I eat out multiple times a week (I live in NYC) and it's not a problem. I just order good quality, healthy food. I am 15 months out and 3.4 pounds from my goal. I know fully well that I could not have stayed on the straight and narrow for all of that time without my band. And, I love knowing that the statistics tell me that I'm going to keep it all off. I had some doubts right before I got banded -- and one thing that really helped me was to make a pro/con list. Once I laid it all out on paper, my decision was really clear. I recently wrote a post for another bandster about this. Feel free to check it out -- there is a link to my pro/con list in there. Best wishes for your success, Catherine

Congratulations!!! Be sure to take before photos and your measurements now!! You will definitely want them as you work toward your goal! :cursing: Catherine

I didn't tell my work why I was having surgery -- I basically told people about it by saying . . "Hey -- can you give me some advice? I need to tell [someone else] that I'm going to be out for surgery, but I'm pretty private and I don't want them to ask me all about what it's for -- I just really don't want to talk about it. What would you do?" That actually worked really well. Also, if you're not going to tell people about it, be sure to let it slip to someone who talks a lot that you are dieting NOW. That way, they won't necessarily associate your weight loss with your surgery date b/c people will have seen you working on your diet long before you were out. I hope that helps! Honestly, most people are so focused on themselves that you really don't have to tell anyone about the surgery if you don't want to. Catherine

This is a really good point. You should line up your after care stuff before you have your surgery. Dr. Rumbaut has relationships with two different groups of doctors here in NYC, and I decided to go with the doctors at NYU who co-wrote Fighting Weight with Mohammed Ali's daughter. I worked with Dr. Rumbaut's office to coordinate the after care, and had an appointment for my post-op check-up scheduled before I even had my surgery. The fact that he was able to get me in with such a great team also gave me confidence in him. I've been really happy with them. Not sure where you live, but you should see if whoever you decide to use in MX can hook you up with a good local doctor for fills & such. Best wishes, Catherine

Marcox, I still eat burgers every now and then. I don't order them out, since sometimes the meat gets me stuck, but every few months, I'll have one at home. I can't finish a whole one, but eat about half (without the bread) and that takes care of the craving. I also eat Mexican food regularly . . no problems there! I just order the stuff that works well with the band. Hope that is helpful! Catherine

Congratulations on your surgery date, Curlicue! No need to worry too much -- I can still eat just about everything I used to eat . . I just eat less of it! The only food that doesn't work for me that I've just stopped eating entirely is soft bread that "gums" together after you chew it. So, I don't eat bagels anymore (though I could have some toasted bagel if I wanted). I still eat red meat though I'm careful about when I eat it b/c sometimes I get stuck on it. As for getting stuck and PBing, it doesn't happen to me that often . . maybe once every other month? I'm not sure. More often, something will be sort of stuck, I'll slime a bit, and it will eventually go down. It's a little gross, but it doesn't happen often enough that it's a big deal. Honestly, the benefits of the band are so great that none of that stuff really bothers me. I was surprised to find out that it's not as hard as I thought it would be. I'm 15 months out now and 3.4 pounds from goal. GOOOOOOOO BAND!! Best, Catherine

Congratulations on your decision!! I'm 15 months out and am so happy with mine. . am only 3.4 pounds from goal as of yesterday. The band really works if you work with it! Best wishes, Catherine

Yes -- I went to Dr. Roberto Rumbaut in Monterrey, MX because I had a friend who went to him and had a great experience. I also had a great experience and was very impressed with his staff, the gorgeous new hospital, and Dr. Rumbaut and his team. Dr. R is a bandster too, so that made me even more comfortable. If you click on the link to my blog (below) and go to the beginning, you can see photos from the hospital and read about how it went for me. Good luck with your decision! I am about 15 months post-surgery and am only 3.4 pounds from goal!! Best thing I ever did for myself! Best wishes, Catherine

WAY TO GO!!! 50 is such a huge milestone!! As for the mini goals, it really depends on how much you have to lose. You lose more at first, slower later. If I average it out, I lost just under a pound a week, though I definitely had weeks where I lost 2 or so pounds at the beginning. Just set a goal and don't be afraid to readjust when you see what your rate of loss is! Congratulations on your awesome achievement!!! Catherine

Ugh . . that's a tough one. It's one thing to go out, but to have to eat every meal in a restaurant while you're still on liquids? That sounds like bad timing. Can you postpone it by a month? BTW, check with your doctor, but I was fine to have a glass or two of wine a week after surgery. Definitely don't drink beer. It's SO uncomfortable to have the bubbles stuck below the band!! And, BE VERY VERY CAREFUL not to drink to the point of being hungover, ever. You do NOT want to throw up once you are banded, especially not while you are still healing! That said, you can make this work. You'll have to look at menus on-line before the trip and go places that have soups. I called ahead to restaurants when I was on liquids and arranged for them to puree my soups, which worked just fine. If you get a game plan for eating together, you could make this work. But, that said. . you'd probably enjoy it more if you went a month later. Have fun! Catherine

Lisa, you are doing so great! And, you're losing at about the same rate as I have. Slow and steady wins the race -- and it's great that you're getting in so much good exercise! Don't worry about the mirrors. I am sure that you are already looking at a new and improved version of yourself, and that you're just getting better every time! P.S. OK to smash the Wii . . that would make me crazy!! Catherine

A few things I loved. . pureed turkey chili (thinned out with some chicken broth); mashed potatoes with nonfat Fage yogurt; poached salmon (waited until the end of mushies for that); yummy soups (I put some recipes in my blog); sweet potatoes. I know. . I totally overdid it on the carbs, but it was like heaven after clear liquids! Bon appetit!! Catherine

I struggled over this -- I used to drink Stoli O and soda (low calorie, yummy), but because you shouldn't have carbonation with the band, anything bubbly is out. I normally just stick to wine now, and that works out just fine. That is what I would recommend doing. Have fun tonight! Catherine

I follow several of the above blogs (Hi, Amy and Dee!) and have kept my own one for the past 15 months. It's a fantastic way to keep track of your progress and an incredible source of support and encouragement! Link to mine is below! Catherine

No -- but I used Dr. Roberto Rumbaut in Monterrey and was very happy with him, his staff, the hospital and the results. Catherine

There are some statistics floating around about how most bandsters lose a certain percentage (I forget what) of their excess weight. But, based on the bandsters I know and whose blogs I follow, my impression is that everyone who works with their band does very well. My personal experience is that -- after failing on every single diet I've ever done (and there were countless), I finally found a great solution with the band. I am 15 months post-surgery and. . as of this morning. . . am only 5.2 pounds over my goal!! It was hard for me to imagine 15 months ago that the day would ever come when I'd only be 5 pounds (OK, 5.2) overweight. I can not imagine that I could have lost 70 (OK. . OK. . 69.8! lol) pounds on a normal diet -- or that I would feel so confident about my ability to keep it off. I hope that this will be your experience as well! Best wishes, Catherine

Welcome to Bandster Hell! It's completely different after you get a decent fill (which may take one or more fills). Hang in there and watch what you eat. I gained 5 pounds during Bandster Hell (for me it fell during Thanksgiving 2008). What a difference 15 months with the band has made!! Cut to this morning, and now I only have 5.2 to go. Hang in there! Catherine

Hey there! Welcome! I also was reasonably active before I got the band, and am a lot more so now. It's been a great tool, and I am seriously thrilled to say that . . as of this morning. . . I am only 5.2 pounds from my goal!! WOO-HOO!! The band can be a great tool, and it sounds like you'd have no trouble doing the work to get to goal. Best wishes for your success, Catherine

Welcome, Cookie!! Don't worry too much about the hair loss thing. If it happens to you (and it might not), it probably won't be enough that anyone else will notice. And, after a while, it grows back anyway! Glad to hear you are doing well and major props for all the working out!! :biggrin: Best wishes, Catherine

First of all, you have the cutest poster name -- Bandaide!! :biggrin: I had a lot of concerns about my privacy about being banded, and I have been glad that I decided not to tell everyone. In particular, I avoided telling people who I thought might be judgmental, who might say annoying things (like "Why aren't you losing more weight?!"), or who might get all food-police-y with respect to what I choose to eat. That said, I told the closest people to me because I knew that it would be really helpful for me to have their support. And, it really has been. At this point, I am 15 months post-op and I know what and how to eat in a restaurant to avoid getting stuck. But at the beginning, it was a relief to be able to practice with friends who knew about my surgery. It just took away some of my anxiety about looking weird when eating in public. That said, I almost never get stuck in a restaurant and probably could have gotten away without telling most people. Also, I wrote out a pro/con list before my surgery and then wrote out what I thought about the cons about 7 months after my surgery. Here is a link -- Chronicles from Band Land: Reflections on my Pre-Op Journal. I hope that helps! Best wishes for your success!! Catherine

I went self-pay with Dr. Roberto Rumbaut in Monterrey, Mexico. The whole thing, including my plane ticket and my mother's cost around $8,000. It was a small price to pay to be able to finally stop feeling bad about my weight every single day, to get healthy and to get in the best shape of my life. If you look at the very beginning of my blog, you can see photos of the (gorgeous, new, clean) hospital in Monterrey. I really liked my doctor -- he is banded as well, speaks perfect English, and is well-respected internationally. In fact, he had a relationship with the doctors at NYU, so I was able to set up my post-op care (covered by my insurance) with them before I even got banded. I hope that helps! Best wishes to you! Catherine

It sounds like you've done a good amount of soul-searching and have found good answers for yourself! Don't worry about being around food all day -- you can still enjoy cooking with the band. Just don't make a concerted effort to overeat and you will be fine! You asked "How does everyone explain to people they have not seen in awhile what happened?" I usually just tell them about my crazy boot camp workout and tell them that I've been dieting for 15 months and that what I'm doing boils down to portion control and paying attention to when I am full. Some people I tell about the surgery, but not most. When people how much I've lost, I usually tell them the number (68.8 lbs as of this morning . . 6.2 pounds from goal!!! WOO-HOO!!). :biggrin: This is a great tool, and I am happy for you to have found it and to be thinking out ways to help yourself succeed with your band. One thing I recommend doing is writing down a Post-Op Plan for Success (just a list of things you'll do to help yourself succeed). I wrote one out and posted it in my blog a few months ago -- feel free to take a look if you like! Best wishes for your success, Catherine

Definitely give him reassurance -- and let him know that you're going to be with him LONGER because you'll be healthier! As for dinners and cocktails, I go out for these things all of the time. It's no problem with the band -- you'll just eat less of your meal than you did before. Catherine

I had a number of "last meals" before I got banded. I felt stressed that I'd never be able to eat "normally" again. What I wish someone would have told me in advance is that getting the band isn't the death of being able to eat good food. And that when the band isn't filled, you can pretty much eat how you did before (which is why there is a thing called "Bandster Hell" that happens before you get filled to restriction). I hope that this info takes some of the anxiety out of this for you! My guess is that's why you've been doing so much eating. Anyway, let yourself have a few nice meals before your pre-op diet, but don't go crazy -- you can still eat most things with the band. Best wishes, Catherine

Congratulations -- and welcome!! Take some before pics and take your measurements as soon as the swelling goes down if you didn't already! You will definitely want that info. later on!! Best wishes, Catherine