2Flyguys

my surgeon agrees with monkey's surgeon....no snacks....3 meals a day....based on my work schedule i do eat around the sametime everyday...on the weekends i tend to skip meals...which isnt good...i know...i know...but i run errands like crazy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i stay away from fast food for the most part...if i'm out and about and starving i will get chili from wendys....a chicken breast from el pollo loco or grilled chicken strips from jack in the box....snacking...will start up really bad habits 4 me....luckily i'm at my sweet spot and stay full for 4 to 5 hours....

here is my before and 10 pounds to goal pictures...i've lost over 125 pounds in under 8 months!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

if u r located in the san fernando valley and are looking for an AWESOME surgeon...dr. paya is it!!!!!!!!!!! him...his staff and his after care have been a 10+....i can't say enough good things about dr. paya....he has offices in glendale...west hills and beverly hills...i am one of his many very sucessful patients...if u have any questions....please feel free to message...he has never under filled or over filled me...i credit his fills to my fast and rapid weight loss...not all the credit....i get some too....lol.....he is great!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i think this is an excellent thread!!!!!!!!! i post threads about not whinnig...not using excuses...not blaming the surgeon...and of course members come down hard on me all the time...i could really careless...but ur right for those that have this surgery and look at as a magic bullet...well be the ones that fail...i have friend who is failing miserabely 4 weeks out of having bypass surgery because she thought she was going to sit back eat whatever she wants and watch the weight just fall off...and guess what?????? its not!!!!!!!! not even with the bypass!!!!!!!!! u have to work at it...period point blank...there is no easy way out...ur either going to use this tool or ur not...its that simple....

i totally understand ur question rcruz...i have often thought to myself why was i able to be so successful with the band...why couldn't i have made the choice to eat less and healthier and exercise without the band...i have 3 reasons #1...i hated to feel hungry when dieting....i was always on atkins...and i would lose weight...my portions remained enuff to feed 6 people while on atkins...but i still managed to lose weight and then managed to put it all back and then some!!! my band totally controls my over-eating habits...#2 fast results...i dont know for sure...but i have never and dont know if i could've lost over 125 pounds in 8 months on a convential diet...i saw fast results from the start and kept on going....#3...i also had the mindset of "this is it...u went as far as having surgery to lose weight"....u have to do it right...period...no excuses...this is ur last and final chance...but i totally understand ur question....

hey melissa...i have aetna ppo they r covering my panniculectomy...not a tummy tuck....like parrothead kathy said...if its a medical necessisty and u r having issues due to the "apron" (the flap of fat that hangs over) insurance will cover a panni...my dermatalogist and m.d. wrote letters to my insurance company letting them know its medically needed...i'm scheduled for surgery the first week in july....good luck!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i have!!!!!!! i have!!!!! i've lost over 120 pounds in less than 8 months!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i had my surgery on oct. 6th 2008...my starting weight was 296 pounds....ALMOST 8 MONTHS LATER...i'm in the high 160's....over 125 pounds lost in less than 8 months!!!!!!!!!! ur hard work...ur struggles...ur pain...well pay off.....come with me on this journey!!!!!!!!!!

wow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! u r doing GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i know i'll b seeing u at goal in no time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

sorry to keep venting...but get ready for this...she has not drank a protein drink since surgery!!!!!!!!!!!! her nutrionist does his evaluations over the phone....she said he didnt make drinking protein sound that important...i know for us (bandsters) drinking and getting enough protein is essential...i asked the bypass support members if its not as important for them to get in protein...they were all blown back!!!!!! it irritates me that she is so non-chalant....but at the sametime i can also understand how hard obesity is to fight...i've been on both sides of the fence.....

i am totally frustrated!!!!!!!!!!!!!! my friend had bypass surgery almost a month ago...the first 2 weeks she did great!!!!!!!! her 3rd week rolled around she went back to eating ice cream...mac and cheese...candy...no....she is not dumping....i dont know much about bypass surgery...i joined a bypass support group...to get advice...they have all been helpful and very nice....she refuses to change her eating habits....refuses to exercise....tells me "i'm doing too much with all the exercise and healthy eating, i make wls more complicated then it needs to be"...lately i've just stayed quiet...not mentioning she should eat healthier...or exercise...i finally got to the point...where i said.... u do ur weight loss ur way...i'll do mine ...my way....today her stomach is swelling...she hasn't gone #2 in 9 days.....do i give up and keep the mindset of u do ur weight loss and i'll do mine?????? do i continue to keep trying to help her?????? i know u can lead a horse to water, but u can't make it drink...i just don't want to c her surgery go to waste...i don't want to c anyone's surgery go to waste...a lot of members on the bypass support group...said to let her learn the hard way.....

I know ur going to do this!!!!!!!!!!! I cant wait to see ur after pix!!!!!!!!!!!!

i am right there with you coco!!!!!!!!!!! i couldn't stop when i got home from work last night!!!!!!! don't come down hard on urself!!!!!!!!!!!!! u recognized u made a lil mess and now ur going to clean it up!!!!!!! do u exercise????? when i take a lil fall off the wagon...i exercise a little more and my weight doesn't go up...ur going to slip up every now and then...ur not on a diet...well jump back on the wagon 2-gether...2-day...right now!!!!!!!!!

i was a huge salad fan b4 surgery....give me a salad and a BUCKET of ranch dressing...lol...now it does nothing 4 me...i may eat one every 3 months if that...i dont get sick...but i dont feel full at all...and no more buckets of ranch!!!!!!!lol...i don't think very many bandsters do get satisfied off salad...unless it has some chicken or an egg...its a once inawhile treat 4 me....

this is totally off the subject of protein drinks...but i'm a huge fan of trader joe's!!!!!!!!! its a bandsters paradise!!!!!! when u r able to eat solids...check out the veggie chili...and the chicken sausages...they r only 100 calories and soooooooooo good!!!!!!!!!!

anyone who realizes they r having a problem...post it on here...and wants to fix it....gets tons of credit from me!!!!!!!!!! ur going to fix it...look how great ur doing!!!!!!!!!!!i can totally relate to the drive-thru binge eating...i know how hard it is to stop that...and u did it!!!!!!!!!!!!!! u'll stop drinking mt. dew just the same...don't come down hard on urself....u made a little mess and ur willing to clean it up!!!!!!!!!

i hope your doing a lot better lml...i'm sorry to hear u had to go through all that...my concern is losing too much weight...i've been blessed with fast weight loss....i dont want to go under 160...i was concerned with the way my tool and i r working 2-gether along with the mediciation...my weight would go below 160....

thank u for telling me about the soy!!!!!!!!!!!!! i eat it sometimes...i'm 11 pounds away from goal...i do not want to go under 160...i just got my prescription filled...is the medication going to cause me to lose weight?????

do any of my fellow bandsters have an under active thyroid???? i had blood work done again and found out yesterday that i have an under active thyroid...she prescribed thyroid medicine and said it should help me to lose more weight....

thanks for the response...i went to the dr. yesterday 4 issues not due to my band...and i did gain a pound....she doubts its from the fruit...lol....and i didnt stretch out my pouch!!!!!!!!!!! i have cut it down to 2 watermelon balls!!!!!!!! wiping the sweat off my 4 head...lol

i was banded on october 6th 2008....these last 17 have been the hardest!!!! i'm running.... power walking...riding my bike and even trying to jump rope them off....lol....these last 11 will probably hang on 4 dear life!!!!!!!!!! i went to my m.d. yesterday...she said i have an under active thyroid and prescribed medication...she said it will help my weight loss....well see!!!!!!!!!! good luck and congrats to u and ur wife!!!!!!!!!!!

i'm right with u billoh!!!!!!!!!!!! 11 pounds 2 go!!!!!!!!!!!!! lets do this together!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i totally pigged out on watermelon...honey dew and cantaloupe over the memorial day weekend and now i'm freaking out!!!!!!!!!!!!! i felt like eating melon all weekend long....i exercised like crazy...but i'm worried i ate tons of sugar....can u burn off sugar from fruit when u exercise????????? i didnt eat a lot of anything else but fruit!!!!!!!!!!!! i OVER ATE fruit!!!!!!!!!!!! i know its better than pigging out on cookies or cake...but i dont know what got in2 me!!!!!!!!!! i just couldnt stop...it was cold....sweet and delicious....now i feel guilty...i feel like i gained five pounds and stretched out my pouch!!!!!!!!!!!!:blush::blush:

the band is very effective...if used right...and U CAN lose over 100 pounds with the band...i KNOW from experience and there r plenty of other people that have lost over 100 pounds with the band....

THIS IS NOT A dumb QUESTION AT ALL...i'm able to speed walk 9 miles if not more with ease....i can ride my bikes 18 miles if not more with ease....then there is this jogging business!!!!!!!!!!!!!!....lol.....i see people on my work out route all the time jogging with such ease!!!!!!!!!!! i can jog about a mile or 2 during my speed walk...but those COUPLE (or 1....lol) have to be broken up....i usually try to take off on an incline when i'm walking...i tried jogging at about 220 pounds...i kept saying i'm still 2 heavy....tried again at 200...still felt to heavy...i'm down to 172-174...still too heavy...lol....i dont know what it is....i jumped roped with my son last night....(my stomach flap made such lovely sounds...with every jump....lol) and that was quite a work out....good luck on the jogging!!!!!!!!!! we should keep in touch....support each other to jog a 1/2 mile...mile...and so on...