Iulizbug

I have already lost 81% of my weight and it has only been 5mos. I have every intention of losing 100%--YOU decide how much weight you would like to lose! My goal is to be at goal by my birthday in mid-October but as long as I get to goal eventually I will be happy. ~Liz~ 03/10/06 241/175/160 5'7''

You will probably have to self-pay if you do it in the States. I had a BMI of 37 and had several co-morbities but none severe enough to get my insurance to pay. I was sick of playing their game and jumping thru endless hoops so I went to Mexico with Dr.Ortiz ($8,500) and do not regret it one bit. Good luck to you!! ~Liz~ 03/10/06 241/176/160 5'7''

Thanks New Sho for the compliment. I do feel like the little engine that could a lot of the time! Some weeks I chug a little faster and others I'm stopped....It looks like you are w/in 10 lbs of goal!! You must feel awesome. Congrats to you! :clap2: ~Liz~ 03/10/06 241/177/160 5'7''

Way to go!! You are losing in record time!! :clap2: Keep up the great work. ~Liz~ 03/10/06 241/177/160 5'7''

Hi Kirsten, You are almost there--just a few more days till your surgery. I am sure you will be pleasantly surprised with how easy the surgery goes. I had a perfect experience with Dr.Ortiz, him and his staff are the best. The worst part is what you are going thru and then it gets much easier--really. You are not so darn hungry all the time. Plus, you do get to eat whatever you want the night before and that was awesome for me. I ordered a large meatlovers pizza and split it with hubby--probably not the best thing in the world but after being on liquids for a week I felt I had deserved it! And Dr.Ortiz said my liver looked great so no damage done. I also had Mexican that afternoon after I got my bloodwork done. Good luck on your surgery!! ~Liz~ 03/10/06 241/177/160 5'7''

I don't know if you have considered travelling abroad for PS but Thailand is know world-wide for their excellent care in PS. People go there for excellent prices and make a vacation out of it. It is the same price in Thailand as in Mexico but Mexico doesn't have the great reputation that Thailand has. I am thinking of doing it down the road possibly, after I have children. To give you an estimate price-wise, a tummy tuck, a boob job, AND a breast lift is 5 grand. It is about $1,500 avg per procedure. Those are the three things I will need--If I do it in the States it will cost me close to 30K. Just something to consider....Plus it looks absolutely gorgeous over there and their package includes you resting in their 5 star hotels. I would probably travel there before my surgery though, so I wouldn't be sore. Good luck in what you decide. ~Liz~ 03/10/06 241/177/160 5'7''

I am sure everybody's answer to this will be unique but for me restriction is a feeling of satiety, a disappearance of hunger. It isn't the same type of "stuffed" feeling you had pre-band though. You just feel satisfied with what you ate, even though it is very small. You no longer have the desire to continue eating. I feel more full in my throat and chest now than in my stomach. I know automatically when to stop when I am properly restricted, and know if I keep going I will vomit. It did take me 3 fills to figure that out though. Up until my last fill, I tested my band and ate more than I should. Hang in there--you will be so happy once you gain restriction! ~Liz~ 03/10/06 241/177/160 5'7''

They are much thinner than the past shows. I can only imagine how much easier my journey would of been if I only had to shed 30-35 lbs instead of 80-90! Still getting there though.... ~Liz~ 03/10/06 241/177/160 5'7''

I am guilty too...I weigh at least twice a day. In the morning with an empty bladder and before i go to bed. I usually weigh less in the morning but lately that hasn't been the case. I feel I need to keep close track of my weight b/c in the past not weighing myself is what caused my obesity to spiral out of control. I was in denial I was gaining... ~Liz~ 03/10/06 241/177/160 5'7''

My mom was the worst offender growing up but now acts like she never made my weight an issue. I remember overhearing her talking to her friends about how concerned she was getting with my weight, etc...It was very damaging to my self-image. I then went thru anorexia and bulimia throughout highschool and college and then fast forward a few years and I am morbidly obese again, just like in childhood. I think parents making a huge issue of your weight when you are small only makes the problem worse. My sister received entirely different feedback from my mom b/c she was "chubby" but not fat. Even though she ate ten times more than me growing up she was never scolded for her weight/appetite. Yet now, mom talks like she was my #1 supporter growing up to have a good body image. Oh well...life goes on. I just know what I need to do when I have kids now.... ~Liz~ 03/10/06 241/178/160 5'7''

Kathy, we are right at the same weight. We should help eachother get to goal!! I hit 177 two days ago but am back up to 178 this morning. That's ok though, I am still down 1 lb this week. I am going camping this weekend though so we will see how that works out--lots of drinking, bad food...I will try to be good but it is easier said than done once I have drinks in me. ~Liz~ 03/10/06 (H)241 ©178 (-1 this week) -63 lbs total goal weight-160 (almost there!!)

Nope, no Protein Shakes for me either. Drinking them takes me back to when I was on liquids before my surgery and I HAD to drink them and they don't taste pleasant to me. The only way I like them is with lots of milk and Peanut Butter and chocolate and then they aren't good for me anymore.... lol..SO I just stick to my solids. I have hard enough time trying to get all of my Water in, let alone any other liquid. ~Liz~ 03/10/06 241/178/160 5'7''

Mindy, The first number is your highest or surgery weight, the next is current and the last is your goal weight. good luck on your surgery! ~Liz~ 03/10/06 241/178/155-165? 5'7''

Anyone see A Scanner Darkly with Robert Downy Jr. and Wiona Ryder?? I am going to see that this evening.....just wondering---I know it is an independent film and is supposed to be interesting. ~Liz~ 03/10/06 241/179/155-165??

Hi Brandi, I was banded by Dr.Ortiz in Mexico and although his fills are only $100, it was much much more here in the States. I live in Florida and I am paying $400 per fill w/out fluoro and $550 w/fluoro. That is on the higher end though--alot of places only charge $150-250. I could fly to TJ but with the plane ticket and travel expenses it would be more than $400 anyways. I am happy with my aftercare, but it definately was a struggle to get it set up. Make sure you research it and have all of that arranged BEFORE your surgery. I had a very hard time finding a good fill doc after being banded in Mexico. Another piece of advice~ I wouldn't go to FillCenterUsa locations. I had a horrible time with them and they aren't trained very well. Good luck to you!! ~Liz~ 03/10/06 241/179/155-165?

This is an interesting question. At first, I was thinking 150 but lately everybody at work is saying I look good where I am at and not to lose anymore weight-- so I may settle around 165 if I feel like I look/feel good then. I am fairly tall so I carry my weight well. I am not perfectly content with my body now but I can definitely see my old thinner shape coming back and its very exciting....:eek: So, I guess I will just play it by ear. In a perfect world I will get to 150 but I think 155-165 may be more reasonable. I will be at a "normal" BMI at 159 and no longer overweight,so mabye I should shoot for that! ~Liz~ 03/10/06 241/179/150ish 5'7''

Yes, there definately is a lot of discrimination towards fat people. I do believe that children are the worst. Sometimes I think the younger ones don't know any better and they just speak their minds but I think a lot of them were reared that way by their parents. I don't know how many times I have heard the adults in a family making rude comments loudly at a restaurant about an obese person's weight right in front of their children. So these kids think its perfectly acceptable to tell every large person they see how fat they are. I just think that is such a messed up way to raise your kids. :confused: ~Liz~ 03/10/06 241/180/150ish 5'7''

No no no no....DO NOT gain 10 lbs so you can be approved. I was in the same boat you were--go to Walmart and buy two 5 lb ankle weights and strap them on just for your weigh in. As long as you wear baggy sweat pants nobody will be the wiser. Much better idea IMO than sabatoging yourself by pigging out. You are embarking on an incredible journey to get healthier--no need to make it harder in the end to get the weight off. Good luck to you! ~Liz~ 03/10/06 241/182/150ish 5'7''

(H) 241 © 182 (G) 150-165? 59 lbs lost total :biggrin1: (-3 this week) banded 03/10/06 ~Liz~

Congrats on hitting Onderland!! I remember how excited I was when I hit it. Keep up the great work!! ~Liz~

I agree Donna. I was eating WAY too much at 2 ccs...I am talking 2 chicken breasts, a side salad and some starch. That is why I didn't lose very much the first 2 mos... I know of someone whose band was so tight from just .5 of a cc that she was PBing and vomiting regularly and it caused her band to slip. And then there are some ppl who are filled up to 4 ccs or even over to gain restriction. We are all different... ~Liz~

I do have a 4cc band. I didn't feel restriction until I got to 3.2 cc. I got that fill about a week ago and finally am not hungry w/in meals and the scale is going down again. I know for most ppl 3 ccs would be too much but I barely felt 2ccs. Guess I am weird huh??? ~Liz~

I will have a cheese stick or a small amt of cottage cheese if I am absolutely starving and know I will not be able to sleep unless I get a bit of food in my belly :hungry: . Cheese has Protein and usually just a little bit is enough for my tummy to stop growling and get me thru to the morning. Just my 2 cents... ~Liz~ 03/10/06 241/182/150ish 5'7''

I don't drink near as much as I did in college but I still enjoy drinking on Friday or Sat night, not both. I factor those cals in my daily count and I usually can make up for it and not gain. I make sure I don't drink too much though, b/c I have to be able to go to the gym the next day and work those calories off. Being hung-over doesn't do me any good....:faint: ~Liz~ 03/10/06 241/182/150ish 5'7''

Like the others have said, everybody is so different regarding fills. I, personally went extremely aggressive and have been lucky to have no problems to date. I knew I had an incredible appetite and being self-pay and spending $400-$550 per fill I could not afford to tip toe my way to proper restriction. I asked my doc for quite a bit and she happily filled me. I think she may have been a more agressive doc anyways but she only filled me when I asked her to. I had 2.0 on my first fill, was filled to 2.7 cc on my 2nd and was filled to 3.2 on my last fill and I have perfect restriction now. So it really is individual. I would probably recommend going slower b/c it is safer--MOST ppl would not be able to do what I did w/out an unfill but I needed the restriction to lose. Good luck! ~Liz~ 03/10/06 241/182/150ish 5'7''