Lap2Fab

I had 6.7 cc in my band and just had some taken out yesterday. My sister died tragically 2 weeks ago and I just thought I couldn't eat because of that, but I called and they said when we are under stress, our GI track swells and it could be why I feel so tight. I had them take .5 out and WOW I feel so much better. Last night when I ate dinner, I made salmon and baby potatoes in their individual foil packets on the grill, and I could eat enough and stopped when I felt full. Felt so much better! how much total do you now have in your band? I was the same way for a LONG time, once I found the green zone, you'll feel like you can eat enough, but not too much, but it won't be your band stopping you, it will be you stopping you! That's awesome and I'm so jealous of your surgeries! I would LOVE to have them but with my heart, I don't even dare ask my husband! He loved me at 225, and still loves me just the way I am...now 76lbs lighter! So happy...14 more to go!

The dress I bought 7 years ago and have never worn...zipped it up myself!

After reading the previous posts, I feel like jumping in again! I too didn't really know what REAL restriction was, for the first 5-6 fills, my fills were so small to try to find the sweet spot, that I didn't feel restriction at all. The only time I felt real restriction was when I ate a whole sub roll with all the meats, cheeses and veggies. Yes...I could still eat the whole thing but would force myself to only eat HALF! LOL. When I went to my last two fills and told them what I was able to eat, they gave a larger fill and then the last fill, we found the sweet spot. That was after a year on the lap band! I had only lost about 40lbs in the year, which I thought was horrible, but they were pleased with my results. Since being at the sweet spot, I've lost another 30 in 6 months and can feel the restriction. Marzee...one thing that I decided to do was to keep the surgery low key. Only my husband knew that I had the surgery, and to this day, only a handful of friends and my sister know. At first I didn't tell anyone until I knew I would qualify for the surgery, then I was embarrassed that I couldn't do it myself, and then I realized, it was MY journey, people don't need to know everything! I didn't want to constantly hear about my weight and to have people question my food choices. I just felt it was something I didn't want to announce to the world. People know I eat smaller portions and see me exercising and they just give compliments. I've told my friends who I go out to dinner with consistently and have traveled with without my husband so that someone knows. I know there are many who tell everyone, but I feel that by not telling many, it made the decision easier for me and living with it makes the weight loss about what I am doing for myself. It's a tool, but will be one of many tools that you use to lose the weight and keep it off. Good luck!

I would say 100% worth it! I have had my band for 18 months and I have lost 70lbs and am almost at goal. I feel so much better about myself and my health! I'm 40 and I feel 24 again! I am 5'5" and weighed 225 at my highest. I'm now at 155 with about 20 more to go to be at goal. I was depressed about how I had let myself go too, but it doesn't have to be that way. It's not a quick fix and it does take work, but I have never regretted the decision. My advice would be to start the process! You will have to go through a whole bunch of tests and meetings. You will learn if it's something you can handle or not. But start the process and learn more about it from a surgeon in your area. If your doctor is suggesting it and you trust your doctor, then you owe it to yourself to get informed. I started looking at this website when I was considering it, but in no way did I form an opinion one way or another if I was going to have the surgery. There are too many opinions and situations. Good luck to you in making the decision and no matter what you decide, you are a beautiful young woman!

Do you have a smart phone? I use an app called Waterlogged because I have the same problem! I set a reminder starting at 8:30am and it goes off every 2 hours to remind me to get my water in...and you can log your water!

NightNurse, good for you for losing half the weight! I know most of us had unrealistic ideas of what the band was going to do for us. I'm just learning now how to work with it, believe me, having months and months of no change on the scale is frustrating to many of us! I'm going to post more and use the website as a tool as well. Good luck this year, I have tried to make small changes and do them for two weeks to form a habit before adding on more goals. For example, I like to sometimes pull out my post op menus and use them to get me back on track or drink some EAS protein shakes just to get my mind back into using the band! I gave up sodas two years ago as a New Years Resoluion and I'm so proud of myself, I still have an occasional rum and diet coke, but I'm not drinking a 2 liter of diet coke a day! If you don't put it in your cart, you won't have it in your house. My children have learned to like Crystal Light or water! Now when we go out, having soda is a big treat!

That's great Monica! You can do it! Pay no attention to the time and just do it! I am going to do a Sprint Tri this year! I can't even believe I just typed that! I'm doing it with 3 friends and it's not about the time, it's about doing it! I guess that means I'll have to learn to swim better since I barely have worn a bathing suit in recent years, let alone get my face wet in the water! I'm on a mission to prove my cardiologists wrong when they said my heart would never get better! The surgery was just the first part of my plan, getting healthy, eating right, putting less stress on my heart....I'm going to show them all that I can make my heart better! Good luck to you in the 5k! You won't regret doing it!

Happy New Year's August Rush in Bandland! Let's hope that 2012 makes us all even more successful in the weight loss! I'm hoping that by my 2 year anniversary I will be done and will be able to just do maintenance! Here's to a happy and healthy new year!

Anyone interested in doing a 3 month challenge? It will get us all ready for the holidays and may motivate us to push harder in the journey! We can each add an additional tracker to our signature with our goal and check in at least once a week to post how we are doing!

Give it some time, I too had huge breasts and a 24lb weight loss didn't effect my breasts either. I'm now down over 60lbs and I definitely can see a huge difference. I went from a 40DD to now a 38D, I still hope to lose more and be a 36 or 38 C but with the right bra, I already look so much more proportionate.

I'm sooo happy for you! Size 8 baggy...how exciting!