greytz

Read some of the posts on this forum and you will find your answer. No offense intended but you will read people say they eat everything and eat what they want and drink with their meals, etc, etc. and do a lot of things not intended with the band like carbonation and the list goes on and on and they have no problems. Also, I see a lot of posts where someone says they can't breath but they don't do anything about it for a long time. Then a year or less later, they can't figure out why the band slipped or eroded or whatever complications they may have and they blame everyone but themselves and their horrible condition and their treatment of themselves with the band. It is a real eye opener. I've had people on here pish-posh me because I say I do everything I can to ensure I don't mess up my band. I want a healthy life with a healthy band and will do everything in my power to keep it that way.

Even though I didn't have as much to lose as you I wanted to post here. I think you can reach your goals if you set them and give the real effort which as Jaqui said is making healthy choices and exercise and then exercise some more. It has helped me so much. Be prepared for plateaus and working through them and moving on to the next weight loss phase and most importantly don't give up. There was a lot of issue with my weight loss final goal between my doctors. I wanted a goal of 150 and I am 5'8". I first encountered a problem with my PCP who asked me about my goal since I am getting closer to it. I told her and she was really adamant that I don't lose that much and that I chose a more realistic goal of 160. Then, same conversation with my heart surgeon and then same conversation with my bariatric surgeon. I finally gave up and changed it but I decided to let me body tell me when to begin maintenance mode. When it quits, it quits and I will be happy with it regardless. Heck, I am happy now but not happy enough to quit trying. So, I guess my point is no matter what someone tells you, set your own personal goals and go for it until your body auto stops for you.

I got mixed reactions from different people. Mostly my acquaintances and people I thought were friends that turned out not to be. I had some so-called friends that I now believed liked me around because I made them look good. I was the fat girl in the group. Now, they don't want me anywhere around them. The phone stopped ringing and the email stopped coming and after a few attempts by me to do things with them, I finally gave up and left it alone. There have also been a couple of family members that act supportive when other family is around and then make snide and rude comments when no one else is around. I have been heartbroken a couple of times. I just got up dusted off and moved on. My close family meaning my husband, my Mom and my Stepdad and my in-laws particularly my very skinny sister-in-law whom I love dearly have been so very supportive. True friends and family have been the core of my support and my rock. I gave everyone else up.

Ditto here. Wish I had done it sooner. I fooled around with a lot of research for a long time. Not a bad thing because I found a wonderful surgeon and staff in the process which for me was essential in my weight loss efforts. I look in the mirror and think about what I looked like and how unhealthy and inactive I had become and it makes me so sad that I let it happen. There are so many emotional issues and physical issues associated with weight gain that shorten our life span. What a gift I found with the band. It is still a lot of hard work and there is a boatload of eating temptation and people trying to sabotage your efforts but it is worth every defiant "No thanks. I don't need that piece of pie today." I am still adjusting to shopping for normal clothes but I am thrilled about it just the same.

Also, be sure you are getting enough sleep. I had insomnia for awhile and completely changed my eating routine which included knocking caffeine out of my life because I had to give up carbonation (I was a diet coke addict) and I don't drink coffee so it in turn made me cranky. It finally went away but it isn't fun for those around us.

It usually takes a couple of fills before you feel that really good restriciton. It took several for me. They were actually what I think as aggresive giving you that much first time out. It puts you ahead of things for sure.

I had port pain and that little biting in near my side for quite awhile. It finally went away and I feel nothing now. It takes a little longer for some people.

As I am sure you know every one is different in the way they lose weight. But, some things to be checking is your liquid intake, your exercise routine and your protein intake. Also, be sure you aren't eating a lot of starchy bad carbs right now. Also, have you had your thyroid checked? A simple blood test will tell if it is out of whack. You may want to talk to your surgeon and tell them what your routine and eating habits are and see if they can help you. The first time I plateaued, I called my bariatric surgeon and they told me what to do. Worked like a charm. I had to ramp up my exercise routine, add some more protein and back off of the liquids because I retain water and have a problem in that area. I began to lose again and never looked back. Good Luck!

Hi Mimilou, I knew I needed to do something asap so when I called they got me in that morning which was great. It us blessed relief to get that slight unfill. Things are fine now but on liquids until tomorrow just to be on the safe side. I am so sorry you have to wait so long to get a top off. They told me I have to wait two weeks just to be sure the swelling has gone down and we don't get a false reading on how I am feeling. Hope you can get through the holidays ok. What a rotten time to be too loose! You are ready for PS so you will be fine. Do you have a date yet? I am just curious as to what you decided to do as far as which parts of your body you are planning to have done if you don't mind telling it. I am now thinking about my arms. I had decided to only have the Lifstyle Lift for my face but now I am thinking my arms will need it.

It was difficult for me to get used to but once I did, it became a matter of habit just like when I used to drink with my meals. Now, it is my habit not to. Also, from everything I have been taught and researched myself, you should be waiting at least an hour to two before you drink liquids after your meal. 30 mins prior is fine but 30 mins post is too soon from what I was taught. I guess every surgeon is different. I wait a minimum of an hour.

I went to similarly the same thing this week. I tried to hang on but I kept throwing everything up. When I called my surgeon finally yesterday morning she told me to come in NOW. So, I went in and they took out .4 cc's. Everything is beautiful now. What a difference. I am on liquids for a couple of days to allow the swelling to go down and then back to mushies and then solids.

You can see by my ticker I have had several fills and I am just now feeling good restriction as everyone calls it. And be advised, even when you get to that point, there will be days when you feel like you can eat anything. But for the most part, once you get to that good point, it is really helpful.

Congrats on being banded to both of you! Good Luck!

I am not at goal but close. I was banded 06-17-09 and hope to be at goal by my Mom's birthday on april 4th. Wish me luck. Good Luck to you too!

I had only PB'd twice until my last fill this past Tuesday which was too tight and I could't even keep down my morning protein shake. It was crazy. I had the ridiculous thought that oh, I'll just hang in there with the restriction because of the holidays coming up it will help me maintain. How stupid can I be? I called my surgeon yesterday morning and she said come in NOW. So I did and she took out .4 cc's. What a relief. I am still tight and it is doing the job but I can swallow with no problem. I will be on liquids for a couple of days to give everything time to settle down and the swelling to go away and then work back into my solids, but it is really no fun being that way and in the end ruins what you are trying so hard to accomplish which is to eat in a normal way and live a healthy life at a normal weight. So, I learned my lesson the hard way but a lesson I won't soon forget and won't repeat. Before my "incident", I was able to eat normally and make healthy choices which is what I will go back to. It has worked for me so far.

As we all know and have said to each other over and over again. There are no miracles here. Hard work, dedication and desire with the band is what the magic is. I personally don't watch stuff like that because I want to stay focused on my own weight loss and I tend to compare myself to others if it is on TV. It is just better for me not to get caught up in it. I have been spending a lot more time outdoors and doing the things I love and it is really helping me.

I am baking this year for one of my neighbors and my phsical therapy group but, I plan to stay very diligent about it. I got a fill this past Tuesday and we put in a little more than normal and I am very, very tight so I am hoping this will curb my appetite for it. So far, after this fill, I have had to be more careful than usual so to me that is a good thing this time of year, but after the holidays if I am still this restricted, I will probably go get a very slight unfill. Good Luck to everyone and the temptations of the Holiday sweets.

Elfie, I am so glad you called the office and got it straight. Sometimes for me too, it is a matter of telling them what you want. Some people are anxious to be a little more agressive and others like my support group counselor are happy to take things much more slowly. I like tend to go more toward the aggressive side of things when it comes to my band. I really want to get that last 23 pounds off so when I had my fill this past Tuesday, I went quite a bit more than I ever had with my fill level. I am very, very tight but I really feel I need that through Christmas and New Years. Talk about chewing slowly and a lot. That is where I am at now. I have PB'd a couple of times and in some really not so great public places. Not fun, but it reminds me to slow down for sure. Hope you don't ever get there but I think everbody does at one time or another. LOL. Let us know what happens at your next appointment.

Oblong, I love your quote for it. Ha Ha Ha Ha. That is too good. It fits PB so well.

While it is true that everyone is different it is sometimes helpful to know how it is for other people just to alleviate a fear a little bit but not to obsess about it. I am at a very, very good level right now with 7.8 cc's.

I would ask your surgeon to be sure what they want you to do but when I weighed my food in the beginning I always weighed it pre-cooked.

BillOh, Congratulations to you! What a wonderful accomplishment. I can see my goal in the not so far off distance. Can't wait to get there too. You have done so great! Give yourself a well deserved pat on the back.

Actually, I haven't taken any after pics yet. I am not at goal and don't want to compare pictures until I am where I want to be. I only use my before pics at the seminar and then of course they see me as I am now and can compare for themselves. It works well for me. I hope you find something that works for you also.

When I first got my band, I measured everything because I wasn't sure how to look at my food and know how much I was eating and I really had no restriction. Now, I don't weigh or measure since I pretty much know what I am looking at after a little experience with it. However, if I look at my plate and I am unsure about something I have decided to eat, I do measure just to be on the safe side. Even now, when I measure, I am usually very close so once you get the hang of it, I think eyeballing is perfectly sensible.

Wow. That is a difficult place to be in. However, in my mind your thoughts would be correct in doing some research before making a decision like that. I don't really understand why age has anything to do with it though. I am 51 and have some very serious health conditions but I am still banded and loving it. As far as the insulin dependence, I cannot speak to that except to say maybe get a second opinion from a diabetic specialist. And just be sure you have all the facts before making a decision like that. Good Luck and keep us posted about what you decide to do.