Cindy C

Didn't jump on anyone. Simply asked a question.

Why are you eating solid food 2 hours after a fill? You should be on liquids for at least 12 hours.

How are your clothes fitting? Have you taken your measurements? I have lost very little weight in the last several months, however, I'm down sizes and inches. The scale doesn't tell the whole story!

If you are burping, have heartburn and aren't losing weight then you are probably too tight!

If I want a treat I eat it. Doesn't mean I blew the whole day. I just try to cut back from somewhere else to compensate for it.

Mine are barely noticeable any more.

It's only been three days! Don't stress out. It took time to put it on. It'll take time to come off. GL tomorrow!

I never measured my food. I ate until I was satisfied which didn't take long. I do know that a 6 oz yogurt was more than I could handle at one time in the beginning. The trick is to not eat until you're full. Eat until you're satisfied and then stop. Whatever food is left in front of you throw away or feed to the dog. I found that I really needed to get over the "children starving in India" mentality that my mother drilled into my head and contributed to my weight issues in the first place. My theory now is "better to go to waste than to go to waist!"

Congrats on your success and your new baby. Nursing shouldn't affect your band but discuss it with your doctor. You want to remember to get the proper nutrition to pass on to your son. Breast feeding helps with weight lose. I'm sure you'll get back on track and lose the weight again.

Good job. I tried to go Monday. Got as far as putting on the clothes. Then started doing housework and never went. Went today, tho. Gonna try like heck to go tomorrow too.

If I'm going to drink it's either whiskey and water, vodka and cranberry or a glass of wine. Stay away from all things carbonated.

That's something you'll have to decide for yourself when the time comes. Personally, I'm taking mine to the grave with me! I'm not taking the chance of getting back to 300+ pounds. My best friend is the same way. She went from 300 to 150 and has maintained it for about 7 years. She said if it was taken out there's no doubt in her mind that she would regain. I also know people who have reached their goal and had it removed. It just depends on the individual.

If you had truly done A LOT of research on the band as you claim, you wouldn't be writing this right now. All of your excuses aren't going to melt the fat from your body. You don't need encouragement, you need a good swift kick in the ass. You might as well get used to being the fat person in the room because that's what you're going to be unless you decide to put in the necessary effort. You just had surgery 5 months ago and lost 40 pounds. I'd say you were off to a good start. So you hit a plateau...SO WHAT? We all hit 'em. You just have to stay on the horse and keep riding. Did you think you were going to lose 150 pounds the first week and then maintain it the rest of your life with no effort involved in the process? You need to grow up and be accountable for yourself. Nobody is going to build the house for you. Sorry if this isn't the response you were hoping for but I too am outspoken and as you said we are allowed to say what we want.

Your hair isn't falling off. It's breaking. It's very common and caused by a combination of rapid weight loss and protein deficiency. The good news is that it will grow back. I started losing mine about 6-7 months post op. It lasted for several months. I'm now 3 years into my journey and my hair is almost back to normal. Don't worry. It's just part of the process for most of us.

They will probably ask you what zone you're in, yellow, green or red. If you tell them yellow, they'll give you a fill.

I guess you are in the green zone. 200 pounds lost in less than 2 years! GREAT JOB!!!!! Congrats!

Make your own.

I don't have a problem with chicken but I can't eat beef, pork or lamb. Everybody is different with what they can eat. You will find that what you can and can't eat can vary from fill to fill. There was a period of time when I couldn't eat potatoes. It didn't matter how it was cooked...baked, fried, boiled even mashed...I just could not eat it. Next time I went for a fill all of a sudden they didn't bother me anymore. I swear my band has a mind of its own!!

Depends. If you weigh 300 pounds and just had surgery, then 30 is completely doable. If you weigh 200 pounds and had surgery a year ago then you probably won't lose 30.

Should probably wait til you get home from the hospital! Sorry couldn't resist! Seriously, tho. Alcohol has alot of empty calories. An occasional cocktail is ok, but that's really a habit you need to get away from if you want to be successful.

When you say a large size band do you mean it holds 14cc? If so, then yes, 6cc seems like a good starting place. Just because you CAN eat a "normal" plate of food, doesn't mean that you SHOULD! Don't expect the band to do all the work for you. You still need to exercise some self control.

You definitely want a record of the rash. Easier to get insurance to pay for panniculectomy (skin removal) if there's a record of it. It's caused by yeast. Have your PCP write you a script for Nystatin cream and use it. It will clear it up in a matter of days.

Three years, no complications. Not losing as quickly as I used to but I'm about twenty pounds from goal and I'm not gaining so it's all good!

Call your insurance company and ask them. Every company has different criteria. Or you could call the lap band doctor in your area and tell them what insurance you have and they can probably tell you.

My doctor doesn't give anyone their first fill til 8 weeks post op. I didn't have good restriction until 4 or 5 months out. By then I had already lost almost 60 pounds. Fills and restriction are only a small part of this journey. It's more about will power and lifestyle change. The band is just a tool to ease the way.