AlexToriMom

I've had my band since 7/9/08 and I love it... no regrets here!!!

I to started out at 311 when I began the program. I lost 15 pounds prior to surgery. My surgery was 7/9/08 and I am now at a total weight loss of 59 pounds (down to 252). I still have a lot more to lose but have already gone down three sizes. I get compliments all of the time but I just do not see it, or feel it yet. I am frustrated that I am not enjoying the success I have already but I am still that "fat girl" in my head.

I went through the program at Buffalo General Hospital. I was banded on 7/9/08 by Dr. Posner. My best friend is an administrator at BGh and knows the docs pretty well. She suggested I go with him because he has the most experience and is the head of the program. When I went to the seminar, Dr. Hoffman and Dr. Forbes were part of the program as well. Hoffman was new at the time and Forbes had not completed her own surgery yet. At that time Posner had to finish all of her surgeries with her. She is no longer with the program is my understanding. I lost 15 pounds prior to surgery doing the South Beach Diet. I was approved pretty qiuckly and have now lost a total of 59 pounds and gone down three sizes. The process has been hard but wonderful for me. I am almost thirty years old, married with two young daughters. I was at my heaviest around the time that I got married, over five years ago, and there are so many health risks on both sides of my family, I wanted to do something before developing any of my own health issues. I also want to set a good eating example for my children. Thank goodness they are very small and petite....they take after my husbans side of the family!!!!!! I'd love to hear from others who have gone through the same program as me and how they are doing. Has anyone attended any of the support groups at BGH?

Hi everyone!! I am from the Buffalo area, Kenmore actually, and went through the Comprehensive Weight Loss Clinic at Buffalo General Hospital. Dr. Posner did my banding in July 9th, 2008. I have loved the whole process and don't regret any of it. I lost 15 pounds prior to surgery doing the whole South Beach Diet thing. I got approved for surgery quickly after my first appointment. I am now at a total weight loss of 59 pounds and down three sizes. I chose Dr. Posner because my best friend is an administrator at BGH and she knows the docs pretty well. She wanted me to go to Posner because he had the most experience and actually runs the program. Dr. Hoffman is very new to the whole weight loss surgery thing and Dr. Forbes never finished a surgery on her own. Posner always had to step in and help her finish. That being said, from all of Hoffman's patients, I have heard nothign but positive things about him and Forbes is no longer working for the program. How has everyone else's experiences been? I'd love to hear from people who have gone through BGH. I think I might start a new thread for the BGH program.

sometimes I don't manage that, if I get really thirsty a while after I eat I'll drink, I don't totally watch the clock but for the most part it is not as hard as it sounded like it would be.

I'm not totally sure but I can tell you what my doctor has told me. I was 5'2'' and 311 pounds prior to surgery. I am 29 years old. My doc said that I have so much to lose and since my weight is evenly distributed I will definitely have to get skin removed from my stomach, thighs and upper arms. I've lost almost fifty so far and my skin does seem a little saggier, hate to say it but it looks like he is right.

I agree with lipstix....my doctor told me baby food was an absolute no-no, I can't really recall why though. I have two young daughters, the oldest is 4 1/2 and the younges is 22 months so I remember babyfood well. If you do decide to eat babyfood I would say that I always bought Beechnut or Gerber, Gerber had the most variety though. Good Luck, but I would suggest talking to your dr. first.

I too have a new found like of different kinds of Beans. I've always loved Garbanzo beens but now I like black beans and Cannalleni (sp?) beans. I recently found a recipe for blanced escarole, Cannalleni beans, olive oil and some broth....LOVE IT

My surgeon's program requires its patients to follow the South Beach Diet before surgery and to work with a nutritionist to get it right. They also required a support person to attend the appointments so that we had help at home as well. My insurance approved me fairly quickly. I actually waited only four months between my orientation and my surgery date. It would have been scheduled a little sooner but I wanted to wait until after my brothers wedding since I didn't know how I would be feeling. One week prior to surgery I was required to go back on phase 1 of the diet....the most strictest phase so that my liver had some time to shrink. When you eat carbs and sugar your liver helps to digest that and when it does it becomes larger. If my liver was not small enough they would not be able to do the surgery Laproscopically and would have to open me up instead....that scared me enough to follow the diet until the end. Good luck with your surgery!!!!

I chose Low Carb but it is NOT high fat. My surgeon has us follow the South Beach Diet prior to having surgery. He has us work with the nutritionist and everything. The phase 1 part of the diet cuts out all carbs and sugars (including fruit) for two weeks. That is in order for your body to lose its craving for those things. After that you enter Phase 2 which consists of lean meats, fish, veggies, good carbs and good sugars. I eat brown rice, whole wheat pasta and breads etc. I like how it focuses on protein first and then add in the other stuff. I do not feel deprived and really like the taste of the "good carbs". If I do eat "bad carbs" I feel tired and yucky. I am able to adapt most recipes to be "South Beach friendly" and my husband and two young daughters pretty much eat the same foods that I do...just bigger portions than me. No one complains and all seem to enjoy it.

My doc says 1/2 hour before and 2 hours after. What stinks is if I have something salty to eat I can get really thirsty. I was also told by the doc. that if I need to I can take a SMALL sip of something if I am having a hard time swallowing something. That seems to help sometimes and not others. Since my last fill....6.5 cc's in a 10 cc band I have really noticed the restriction for the first time and am really struggling with eating without throwing up and feeling "stuck".

I have trouble with the usual suspects.....steak or chicken. meat needs to ground (I eat alot of ground turkey in things) or else I have to had sauce or a dip it in something. I seem to have trouble eating any type of eggs that are not hardboiled. Does this happen to others? It seems to me that scrambled eggs or sunny side up eggs would be easy to eat?

I do eat popcorn and it has not bothered me. To be honest, I do not know if my doctor thinks it is o.k. or not. He never specifically said no and I never specifically asked.