viprvenm

Program Fee sounds like new wheels for the doc's Lexus.

I will take a look at the chart around August 1st I suppose, but will be posting my weigh-ins on each Monday for now. I had my weekly weigh-in today and lost 6lbs this week which puts me at 70lbs down before surgery!!! My surgeon told me to lose 70-100lbs beforehand so I am there a bit early. I will continue to lose though, of course... no looking back for me!!! Jason P.S. August Bandits is awesome... I am glad it won out!

Do I detect a challenge Hel? Hmm... oh yeah BRING IT!! HaHa!! Sorry to hear about your hip pain. I hope the doc is able to discover the problem and fix it quickly. Let me know what he/she says please. Jason

HappyHomeCC - Thank you for checking out my post & for the encouraging thought!!! I was soooooooooo wanting another 6lbs this week to bring me to 70lbs lost.... & I got my prayer answered!!! I went from 425 to 419 which puts me at exactly 70lbs down now! What a feeling! Dr. Fox wanted at least 70 and acheiving that is very satisfying. My BMI has gone down another point now to 63.7. I should get results from the Hemoccult test Wednesday to find out if I need the colonoscopy or not. I am wanting that August 20 surgery date set in stone now:) To get the 6lbs this week I have started doing 40 mins a night on the treadmill with a 4.0 incline. Whew does this produce the sweat for me! It feels great when I am done walking. At this rate it would be cool if I could get to 80-85 before surgery. We shall see! Jason P.S. Where is everyone this past week? I was hoping to see some posts from everybody from last weeks update, but maybe y'all all took a vacation together! HaHa!! J/K Talk to y'all soon!!!:smile2:

These figures are encouraging for a guy my size. I am praying that I lose weight quickly, but safely after the surgery. I started at 489 & have gotten down to 425 so far. Due to be banded in August, but it is tentative for the time being because docs are trying to discover why I am slightly anemic. We shall see. Jason

Great news! I know you are happy & relieved! I wish you the best of luck with your surgery. Jason

I like the idea, but back in April when I began to exercise and lose weight my doc asked me to come in each Monday to weigh in. I have intentionally not bought a scale for home use because I like weighing once a week. My day will be Monday, but will still post up if you like! Jason

Talk to your doctor to be safe. Good luck. Jason

Exit only. Nuff said.

To play with my kids on a daily basis... running around the yard, park, wrestling with them on the floor, biking etc. Taking kids on small trips to Water parks, zoos, just all the neat stuff out there in the world. Driving my dream car that I already own. I bought a 2001 Dodge Viper in 2005 and got too large to drive it comfortably. Thought about selling it because of that reason... pitiful. There are many other things I would like to list... I am ready to live life! Jason

Helicobacter pylori Tests Let WebMD become a good friend of yours. It has a plethera of medical information that will help you through your journey. Good luck to you! Jason

6lbs down this week!!! I have dropped my BMI by 10 points now & could not be happier! I had my first appt with the GI doc today as well. He tells me that I need to do an at home Hemoccult test to see if there is blood in my stool. If so I will need the colonoscopy. If it is not present then I suppose further testing may need to be done to determine why the mild anemia exists. So as of now my surgery date is still not set in stone, but I know I am getting closer by the day. I am doing everything they tell me to do and will keep chuggin along until I reach my destination! It still is tentative for August 20th right now. I also was able to reach a personal goal last night on the treadmill. I walked at a brisk rate for 1.53m in 36 mins! I have been trying for some time now to do 1 1/2 miles & it was a great feeling reaching this goal for myself! I will continue to keep y'all updated. Jason

Sounds good.

Very true guys... I am committed and ready for my band to be "installed." HaHa!! I not only want this, but need it. Jason

August Bandits.... come on you can do it! LOL Jason

First & foremost I am happily married... that being said... What a gorgeous woman before... but now? Lord Have Mercy!!! HaHa!! Seriously you have done an amazing job. I too have over 200lbs to lose and hope my success is much like yours! Great job! Be proud of yourself! Jason

I will second August Bandits. Good idea! Jason

I am in the same situation. If you pay yourself you "should" have no worries. Call and ask to be certain. Jason

Was not that big of a deal to me. I was nervous because of all the hype... tried first sip and was ready to drink the rest. Not something I would want to do on a daily basis, but truly not bad whatsoever. Jason

I am due to have the Band in August and have finished all required testing from my surgeon. I am self pay. Stress testing was not part of my work-up.

Well reading this thread makes you think twice, but it still feels like the right thing to do in my mind. I suppose we should all hope for the best. Interesting read though. Jason

For a long time now I have had a belief that if you have a bad day a really good one will follow soon... & this came true for me this week. I was kinda down this past Monday, but today made up for it. My meeting with Dr. Fox was nothing but encouraging! He told me that my weight training has slowed my progress, but that he does not mind at all and he is still willing to proceed with surgery this August even though I have not yet reached his original goal for me of 70-100lbs. There is still a great chance I can reach 70lbs. He was very pleased with what I have done so far. It was good to hear that from him! He also told me that the weight training will help my healing process be less painful which is a big plus. He then turned to me and asked me why I have not picked a date for surgery yet. I was like... umm. He smiled and said .... "oh... you want me to do that now right?" LOL Well we went out to the nurse station and was going to pick a date which looks like August 20th right now, but he did forget that I must see the GI doc next week. He told me to hang on until I see that doc and then he will write the date in ink. Until then it is tentatively set for 8-20!!! I am excited! Now a few days ago I had to give more blood for an anemia workup. When I came out of Dr Fox's office I had a message from my primary doc saying that those results were also abnormal. They sent me for ANOTHER lab test... haha!! So we are now waiting for that and my GI doc appt. which I moved up to Monday. So things are moving forward and it is awesome that he is still willing to move forward!!! I am more than ready!

I was a bit anxious about going mainly because I knew this would bring out to everyone I knew that I have a weight problem... something I had never been willing to freely talk about before. The seminar was the beginning of opening a new door outside my comfort zone. Once it was done and I found out that everyone who loved and cared about me was very happy and supportive it was so much of a relief. The seminar was nothing, but exciting for me once I was there. To hear all of the information I had wondered about and getting to meet a few that have already been through the first year of having the band was inspirational for me. I knew at that point I was ready. After that its a waiting game and following all of the instruction of your surgeon once you are approved or able to self pay if need be. I am having to self-pay... that is why I am so determined to do well. I am not about to spend $15,000 just to eat around my band. I am going to change my life! Best of luck to you... you will enjoy that seminar! Jason

I am 30yrs old & married to Dana. We have a 4yr old daughter, Lauren & 15 month old son, Tyler. They are a handful, but too much fun! I have been overweight my entire life. I grew up in the South in Birmingham, AL & loved to eat.... too much. I had my initial consult on April 27, 2009 with Dr. Fox in WA where I currently live. I had never worked out or eaten healthy in my life. I weighed in at 489lbs at a height of 5' 8". This gave me a BMI of 74. Dr. Fox opened my eyes when he told me that he was unwilling to do surgery because of my enormous size. Ok... it's time to do something to change my life so that I can continue getting those precious hugs that my kids give me daily!!! I left his office and went to the local gym and signed up. I have gone every night since. I have lost 58lbs so far and Dr. Fox tells me he is willing to do surgery next month. I am hoping to get a date tomorrow at my 3rd appt with him. We will see what he says. I have been loosely following the Atkins Diet with the help of a prescription appetite suppresant (Phentermine). This combo has done wonders for me. Luckily the only med problems I had was high blood pressure, but my primary doc has already taken me off of those meds... my HBP as gotten down to normal from working out and eating so much better (& less). I have never felt better & to think I am still 431lbs. I can't wait to shed 100-200lbs and be a new Jason! I have completed all testing. My last doc to see on July 22 is a GI doc for clearance and then watch the clock tick. Let's Roll. Thank you to the creator of this forum. It will prove to be very helpful I am sure. This website has brought me a lot of joy & help thus far. I am excited about the future! Nice to "meet" all of you. Jason

Stick to the liquid diet no matter what. It is more important that the rules of the wedding. About being nervous... just think of the weight you will lose! That will be great! I would think it could even delay your surgery should you choose not to follow the surgeons orders. Stay the course & good luck!!! Jason