GoingforGoal

OMG (hitting forhead) I didnt even see that this was for an OBGYN. I assumed we were talking about the surgeon. Please disregard my last post. Give your doc the heads up where your port is. I actually tell docs to not palpate that area when I know I'm in good health because 1) it is uncomfortable and 2) Im so freaking paranoid they'll hurt the port (ie rip stitches etc). Just let her know where it is and work around it (not that she could palpate anything through a port so there's no purpose in touching it). You are still sensitive and healing and you don't need the added agitation. Good luck

Nothing to be nervous about. Just generic assessment to ensure that you are healing properly and assess how you feel overall. She'll probably ask about pain management, how your diet is going etc. Just be honest so that she can best help you. Hopefully you can set a date for your first fill -bring your calendar

Seriously lellow? You think I'm focusing on my band/stomach at that time??? ahhahahahah Can't say I've noticed (snicker)

Congrats and good on you for being proactive and getting back to green. Enjoy your bundle of joy

Kathy, Thanks for sharing your story and all the insight. I am looking forward to your after pics after surg 2. I am going in for a tummy tuck, arm lift, breast lift and implants (same surgery) on Oct 8th and now I'm in planning mode. I will do the same as you and start either a blog or forum post to share the process with other bandsters. Thanks again and you are looking so great !

Hello! Prequalified just means that as long as you meet the criterion, your insurance provider does cover the lapband procedure. Not knowing your specifics or those of your insurance provider I am going off generic procedure. The doctor must perform and/or order tests that are required by the insurance provider and/or by the physician for the procedure. These include things like education with a nutritionist, an EKG, a psych consult, perhaps a sleep study, standard blood tests etc. Your doctor is basically going down the checklist to satisfy the insurance carrier and their essential requirements for surgery to ensure you are in the best health and qualified for the lapband. Once that checklist is complete, they submit the paperwork to your provider to endorse that you did complete the tests and that you are qualified. Insurance reviews and either approves or disapproves it. Typically they only disapprove those who never met the basic criterion, those who are borderline (just to be penny pinchers) and than those who have a secondary medical issue that may pose a risk or disqualifies them as a candidate for surgery. Otherwise, this is pretty straightforward and all it requires is your time. As for recovery, one week is essential. Usually by week two people are up and at em, however, they are still guarded. If you feel that you have a strenuous job that won't permit you to sit down, drink etc as needed than take caution and either do the surgery at a more opportune time, or prepare to take time off? As a nurse who works 12 shifts, I was feeling normal and returned back to work week 3. My job does not allow for frequent sitting, is very stressful, prolonged periods w/out drink/food, so I needed to ensure I was 100% before going back. Hope this helps!

You look fabulous. Congrats on your tremendous success. Wishing you all the luck on those last 32 lbs

Txgirl, you sound right on track. Can I ask how many cals you are taking in? You bring up a good point that you may not be eating ENOUGH if you are not losing consistently.

I assume this will be your first meeting... These are the factors that would concern me most: 1) Does he require a preop diet, if so, how long and what does it consist of? 2) What does the postop diet/transition to solids look like? - these q's are good for you to start stockpiling your pantry and get an idea of what will be expected of you 3) How does he approach fills (what does the typical schedule look like, does he fill at time of surgery or not, does he fill with a set amount or does he do a Water test or flouroscopy test w/ fills) 4) Does he have a set day for fills or is he flexible? What about an emergency if an unfill is needed, how accessible is he? (this is huge because there are some offices that fill once a week..yeah but what if you work that day, or what about an unfill do you wait an entire week (of course not) but that means you'll go to an ER and have the expense of one too) 5) What does before and after surgery support look like? (classes and 1:1 meetings, a nutritionist, any followup, support groups etc) Hope this helps

Couple points... Wow, your daily menu sounds alot like mine and I eat 800-1000 cals a day. So this is about portions. Are all your foods 1 cup or under? Now I am not saying you have to drop down to 800-1000 cals because I do absolutely ZERO exercise due to a bad back. The avg intake for bandsters is 800-1200 cals depending on activity level. I would concur that 1600 is high. HOWEVER, most (like 99.999999% of us are not doing 7 day hour long cardio sessions). The problem here is that your NP gave you 2 variables to change, when it's not necessary. Change diet or exercise. Simple formula: Fat loss = calories in - calories burned So here's examples (fake numbers) If you are losing no weight eating 1500 cals and burning 1000 cals (which is 0= 1500 - 1000 (-body cals) than tweak one like calories (which is 0.5= 1300 - 1000 (-body cals) or tweak exercise (which is 0.5 = 1500 - 1300 (-body cals) The result really is the same. It also helps you to identify your sweet spot. You do not want to eat so much that despite exercise you are not losing, and you don't want to exercise so much that your intake is inadequate to support your exercise. Please understand there are calories burned from normal body activities and that must be factored into calories burned as well. Another thought, you do not go cold turkey on calories reduction. Reduce by 100-150 cals until you acclimate. That's a double shock to the system..and that can put you into .... ANOTHER PLATEAU!!

Carbs are only bad when it's ALL carbs (like cereal). But if you have good carbs in fibers etc it's fine. My staple breakfast is: 1 packet natural instant oatmeal. Add 10g almond slivers or crushed walnuts. Add 10g dried fruit (or small portion of fresh fruit). (I use to add a tsp of brown sugar but now I enjoy the natural flavor and it reduces carbs alike). If I'm super hungry, I go for 2 packets of oatmeal -or- I add a <100 cal strawberry greek yogurt Another good choice is a larger portion of yogurt with granola

ahhahahahaah I will testify on your behalf, no worries. Some people have some adacity. I have never been one to take abuse and that was a classic example of someone emotionally abusing someone. Don't worry babe, you'll drop those pounds soon enough and will be thinner than her. Than you can chastise her for being SO huge lol. What a dip

Hi Armonet, Since you did not describe any adverse symptoms (like GERD, regurgitation, PBing or sliming) it sounds like you are experiencing green. Now this could be because: 1) you were recently filled and thus are at optimal restriction with the additional inflammation. So keep vigilent and observe if this restriction is maintained 2) what use to go down before the fill may not after the fill. Certain foods (eggs is one of them) can be problematic for some bandsters. Not to infer you are having problems with eggs, rather, eggs may fill you right up because it is so dense. So try a new food for your next meal and compare the feeling. 3) When you get adequate restriction you may also start to experience the fluctuating restriction we frequently talk about. Mornings are especially tight for some but the band relaxes as the day progresses. So focus on that as well and see it's the morning band phenomenon. You sound like you are at the right place. With time, don't be disappointed to feel the restriction fade over the course of weeks in which it's time for another fill. But this is what green is hon. Fill quickly without adverse symptoms. Let's hope you are satiated for 3-4 hrs at a time, another thing to focus on. Ride this out for a week and let's hope it stays. Let us know how it goes

It is not a surprise that you find it difficult to lose weight during periods of high stress. When the body is under stress, it releases a hormone called cortisol. Although this is a great hormone for short term "flight or fight" responses, it wreaks havoc on us it is in the body on a prolonged basis. This nasty hormone encourages sugar instability, fat storage in the body and starts messing with glands like the thyroid which just further makes wl an impossible feat. Exercise is a great way to minimize cortisol levels and just so you know, cortisol depresses your immunity so you may be suffering illness due to that fact alone. However, deep breathing, meditating is good and green tea is an excellent counteractive agent for cortisol. I too cannot juggle diet with stress. I am an emotional eater by default and rarely can I cope without sweets (which is also a byproduct of high cortisol levels). My goal during these periods is to maintain opposed to lose because it has been such a defeating battle. Try to make healthy choices and give attention to the source of the stress to alleviate it asap.

We all had this fear because insurance has a reputation for a reason lol. Great example, my husband and I underwent lb surgery together. We did all the prequal tests/reqs together. My BMI was 40, his much larger. But we were both diagnosed w/ sleep apnea requiring cpap, we both tested negative on all other tests. Paperwork is sent in together. He is approved, I'm not. Office sends mine back in and says listen, you do realize they are married, did the same things, have the same results, yet you have arbitrarily denied her. Next I hear I'm approved and dates were set for surgery. If they can save a penny they will. Discretion is not their forte

Call doc for a new prescription or dosage if the vicodin is not working to alleviate acute pain. Use icepacks on the port area on occassion to minimize pain Get distracted as to not focus solely on the pain It does get better, hang in there

Ahhhhhh (wiping eyes) you can come clean my farm anytime <wink> snickers Nah, on a serious note, I too have met some truly wonderful, supportive and inspirational people here..and you are certainly one of them lellow. It's a great help finding people at your specific phase of the journey, who is like minded, and share's your same triumphs and tribulations. Hugs

Looking good, keep it up!

Had mine 4 years, no issues. Told this would be good for life. Know people who've had theirs over 10 years w/ no replacements.

(Warning: Lengthy Read) So I had a recent conversation where I shared that I am struggling with 5 stubborn pounds that I seem to lose and gain repeatedly. The response minimized my struggle and questioned why I felt so unsatisfied after having lost so much weight overall. The conversation reminded me that there is a huge distinction between starting the band journey and the latter end where you reach goal and wish to maintain your loss. I thought it would be a good topic to discuss with newbies and to enlighten others on why 5 lbs mean so much. So.. you got banded. What's your goal? We all have one. Some are generic like being healthy, others specific size x and weight x. Regardless, all we want is to obtain that goal and we give very little thought to all else that will come our way. And than, the weight loss journey begins... At first, it's great. Weight goes down. Clothes get bigger. New wardrobes boost our confidence. Compliments and attention boost our esteems. Positive Positive Positive...all positive. But here are some things that you may encounter along the way... 1) Originally you just want to lose any weight, it'll mean the band works. Than you'll want to reach perhaps onederland (how long has it been since you seen 100 any thing?), than maybe it's the weight you would feel comfortable and mobile at again, and the list goes on. With each milestone is a new bridge to cross. It doesn't get any easier. You'll play mental war with yourself "Will I be able to do THIS?" (disregarding how easy you got through the previous milestones). Self defeating attitudes linger and can be a challenge all the way to the end 2) Wow you are losing mounds of weight..but now you have to deal w/ excess skin. Major setback here. Nothing like heaps of skin loosely hanging of your arms and stomach. Nothing like flapping inner thighs. At least before the fat filled the space, but now it just hangs like a bag of cottage cheese. It can be unsightly. And it brings a new struggle. You can easily disguise this unappealing matter with longer sleeves, bodysuits/shapers etc but what if the goal was to wear sleeveless shirts, form fitting clothes, shorts, dresses etc. This can feel as defeating as never losing a pound. 3) One of the things I never realized was how much 5 lbs really was. When you are obese, putting on 5 lbs is nothing..it goes unnoticed because your body shape doesn't change drastically, you move around the same etc. But when you get to goal than gain 5 lbs you feel it. Not only does your body change, but it takes a huge hit on your esteem. It's just like the ol days. Nothing fits right, you notice the fat before the overall picture, you lose that feeling of being thin. And to make it worse, when you get to size small, it's impossible to find bodysuits that shaped you like they did when you were a large and medium. So you feel exposed. And after working this hard to get to goal, this is not what the end should feel like. And you are desperate to keep those lbs off. 4) Than there's the final phase, maintenance phase. This is when you reach goal. You are not so focused on losing weight anymore and you are settling into your new body. It's a tricky phase that requires a new level of discipline. This is when you try to eat more normal but eat 'too' normal and you start gaining. This is a new place for me and I have far from mastered the maintenance phase. I struggle daily, like I said, gaining and losing 5 lbs. And with it a surge and drop in my confidence. These are the same feelings I had in the beginning when I would lose 20 gain 30. It doesn't matter how big or small you are, these emotions have punch and shouldn't be minimized. So here I sit at 154 pounds. I wear body suits to help my silhouette. I feel frumpy with all this excess skin. I am in limbo land waiting for my cosmetic surgery in early October. I am desperate to lose 5 lbs before the surgery and am eager to see what the results are to determine if it was the skin that's made me feel so distorted. I do get + feedback. Yes I am aware of my achievement. But only I know the 'real' body I'm struggling with. I have a +3 lb rule. Gain more than that, tightening up my diet is a requirement. 5 lb is unacceptable because we all know it's a slippery slope. The goal for me has changed. It's no longer 'just to be healthy', or to be mobile. It's not even a number or size. It's a feeling I get when I'm at my best. Many of us will transition into his mentality as goal comes closer and closer because we are faced with a new reality. There is a new person and body standing in that mirror and that new person wants new things. So please, when a 'thinner' person struggles..don't minimize it because 'at least' their thinner. One day you will be here and will need just as much support as the one who is starting their journey.

Restriction is merely the tightness around the stoma created by the lapband. Too lose= yellow, too tight= red and just right=green. And just to be contradictory, yes it is a goal, to get to green.

OMG Kb, thank you for that. I have seen that before and it just hits home even harder. That lump of brick is around my wasteline right now and I'm seriously frustrated with it lol. Thanks again

lol Amber, I am a realist. I don't in any way feel 'unsupported' because they majority of us oldies get it. This was more food for thought for newbies to understand what things you contend w/ when you get to near goal. My hope is to open some minds now so that it doesn't become a big shock when it happens to them

Ok good, that's helpful. So you are newly banded and on mushies. This is not the time to revert to apps like fitness pal because they do not factor in things like wls. The reality is, no app will ever encourage a low cal diet under 1200 cals as that usually warrants medical supervision. The reality is, that is what we are on. Initially after surgery calories are extremely low as we transition from liquids to solids. I would say 500-800 is the norm. However, once solids are established the range is 800-1200 depending on fitness level. Again, fitness pal will never recommend such low calorie diets. When you get to solids, start logging your foods (as it seems you are already doing) to get an accounting for how many cals you are consuming. Track your wl as well. When you stop losing weight, reevaluate and tweak where needed. If you are burning excessive calories, than yes, adding calories will help you lose weight. But this should not be done by adding meals. There's 2 ways to add calories: 1) Many people drink postworkout Protein shakes to restore energy and repair muscles. You can find low cal high Protein versions like muscle milk lite. Sometimes this is all you need for additional cals plus you get a 2nd benefit of giving your body what it needs post workout to optimize fat burning. 2) Add calories to your existing meal. This can be done in several ways without adding bulk (our #1 restriction). There are protein powders people mix into their meals (2 for 1 again, more protein and more cals), Eating higher cal foods (peanut butter is a great example). Being more liberal with things like mayo. An important thing to remember is that when you need to tweak calories, do it slowly (regardless of adding or subtracting). You'll be amazed what a mere 100 cals can do. Example: I eat 900 cals and lose, I eat 1000 I maintain and if I eat 1100 I gain. You don't want to overshoot it, rather, you want to find that sweet spot that is specific to your body. Hope this helps

5. Are you losing weight?