LollyMoe

Keep it to yourself. It's your health & your business. You aren't lying to anyone. It's like another poster said, most people want to know if you have found a magic diet that they can lose weight too.

You didn't say how old you were???? All my life I have been very overweight. I am 5' 3.5" tall. I have been on every diet there is that was sensible. Until I hit my 60's I was able to do just about anything I wanted to do. I worked 14-16 hour shifts (nurse), was fairly active, and didn't worry about my fat. However, there came a day when my health started to go downhill. I was injured at work and required a total knee replacement in 2007. Within that year, I gained about 70 extra pounds and became a sedentary person. My legs wouldn't hold me some days, my lungs were in trouble from severe Asthma, I developed sleep apnea. My B/p went up until I was taking 4 different B/P meds a day. My BMI was 52 and I was weighing in at 322 lbs on the day of surgery. The main reason I had the surgery was my PCP told me that I wouldn't see my 70th b/day if I didn't have the LAP-BAND®. So I started with the insurance requirements and was banded on 8/11/09. I have lost a little over 30 lbs in eight weeks, am OFF all my B/P meds except for one. No more C-Pap machine and am feeling better. I have along way to go but NO ONE is going to stop me. I am fortunate to have a supportive family but I did this for me & no one else. I deserve to live a long healthier life and I intend on doing it. Don't wait until your health starts to fail or you're in your 60's. Decide what you want and tell everyone else to go fly a kite! It's your body, your self image, your health. Good luck on whatever you do. I hope you make the right decision for you.

Have you spoken to your doctor about this situation? I can't imagine only losing 20 lbs in a three year period since you are exercising. Are you eating all the right things? Something isn't right. I'm sorry you are having these problems and hope that you get them resolved soon. You shouldn't fool around with it. Go see your surgeon and talk with him.

Congrats! What a wonderful feeling that has to be for you. Even tho I have a long long way to go to get under 200, I do know how you feel. I felt the same way when I got under 300. Now I'm headed to under the 200 mark and I'll be there by this time next year. You just watch me!

I lost 17 pounds in the first week and thought I was going to faint when the nurse told me. I have NEVER, NEVER lost that much weight in one month, much less a week!! Weight has slowed down now but hope it will pick up as I exercise more. You are doing good. Don't measure your loss by others. Everyone is different. My friend lost 28 pounds in one week.

Candy bars are considered slider foods and you really can't be successful on them...or least not very fast at any rate. My doctor wants me to lose 1-2 pounds a week. That is much slower than I thought it would be but in the long run, it's better for me. I am determined to lose the weight b/c I want to live longer. NO candy bar is going to get between me and a longer life. It isn't worth it to me. You might be a little too tight if all you can eat is 5-7 bites. That's not good. You should be eating at least a 1/2 cup of food and that's a lot more than you realize. You might try to find things that are naturally sweet to help you be satisfied and not crave the candy bars. Another thing, is don't buy them. Even a skinny person in your house doesn't need them. Halloween is coming up too...don't buy the candy! Last but not least, you have lost approx 60 pounds since you were banded and that's really good. What if you had gained that much???? Pat yourself on the back, throw out all candy, and start again. You can do it. Remember WHY you did it in the first place. Start journaling....it will help too. Good luck.

Guess what everyone? 1)My B/P is too low to take my meds! I have to see PCP and let him decide what to do now. I can't believe it is happening so fast! 2) I tried on some smaller clothes today and I was able to get in a size smaller jeans that were brand new and I hadn't ever worn them. They have been hanging in my closet just waiting for me. Yipee! I must be doing something right.

Is it leaking by any chance. I read a post from someone that had a leaking port tubing and they didn't know it until they tried to take out some of the saline. There wasn't as much in the band as they thought. Ask you doctor.

I'm not losing very fast but I did get into some clothes that are a size smaller than what I was wearing pre-op. I think I'd better start measuring too. Maybe it will help if I get discouraged.

I eat rotrissie (sp?) chicken and it's always nice & moist. I de-bone it when I get it, put it in small baggies. I also eat fish either baked, grilled or sometimes stir-fried (rarely). I eat grilled boneless pork chops but can't deal with beef in any form or fashion for some reason.

Congrats on your weight loss so far. As for being hungry, are you also using Jello, yogurt, sf popsicles? Those help with the hunger. Also your Protein shakes and Water. Hang in there. It will get better. The band isn't a magic weight loss wand. Only a tool for you to use in connection with your own will-power and good food choices.

Veronica & Ashley both sent me the recipe. I'll be at next group if nothing comes up beyond my control.

Yippee! What a wonderful year. I can't wait until Aug 2010 rolls around for me. I plan to be where you are in weight loss but won't be at goal yet. It will take a little longer to get to goal BUT I will do it. I refuse to give up.

You first have to find a way to control the anger! You are hurting yourself when you don't. Now, forgive yourself for eating all those Cookies and start again. You can do it.

Forgive yourself and go forward! Just remember to send the extra home with someone else or throw it away. Once the party is over, you have gotten your money's worth out of the cake and it isn't going to feed the kids in China, so get rid of it in a way that it doesn't wind up in your stomach! No one said this was going to be easy. You made a decision to do something pretty drastic and you can be successful with it. It just takes work everyday. I say again....FORGIVE yourself & GO FORWARD.

I used Dr. Leslie Miles at St Vincent's East in Birmingham. They have a website. It's Alabama Weight Loss Surgery Clinic. He and Dr L. Schmitt are both wonderful. Not sure where Butler is exactly but if you're close to Birmingham, you might contact them.

Please keep us posted on this matter. I am so sorry you are having problems. You have come such a long way already. Have you checked into the Realize Band or the gastric sleeve?

Do what CAthy suggested but also remember, if your body thinks it's not getting food, it will go into the starvation mode and you won't lose. You might NOT be eating enough instead of too much.

Hey, you're paying for the cruise! However, if you ask, you may be able to get your meat cut up very small right from the kitchen. If you're eating from a buffet and the people at your table don't mind, then go for it.....remember, you're paying for the cruise...not them. You don't even have to tell them that you had lapband...you can say you have a health problem that requires you to chop your meat. Make up a silly name for the problem! Have some fun with it.

My doctor's nurse that did the first fill for me didn't say anything about a change in diet. I left there and went to Taco Bell for some beans. I never hurt so much in my life! I thought I was having a heart attack. When I got home, I contacted some people I know that uses the same doctor. They told me that I should have been directed to go on a 2 day liquid diet after each fill. Believe me, when I go for my second fill, I am going to question WHY I wasn't instructed on a liquid diet???? Also, I'll follow a liquid diet on my own from now on. I don't want that feeling ever again.

My doctor said that everyone's anatomy is different and some get good restriction with very little and others require several fills. So go figure....you won't know until you're there. There is no way of telling for sure. I got a 4cc for my first fill and for a week I had good restriction but now I could eat the cat (IF I had one). I get my second fill on 10/21.

For some reason, I don't seem to be making it right. Mine tastes awful but the one at group is great. I'm going to ask again on the 17th for the recipe.

Yipee Jason. That's great. You'll look snazzy in your new clothes.

Go back to home and scroll down. You'll see the abbrevations section.

I spoke with a lady in my church this morning about the band since she is out over two years. She told me that she thought she has made it to her goal, wasn't losing anymore and then all of a sudden, she lost 6 more pounds. She said that it just keeps on working for her. I am 5' 3", start weight was 322.8. I plan to get to about 150-160 pounds. That was the weight that I felt the best and even tho it is still overweight, it works for me. I think the doctors tend to look at the insurance charts on weight and go from there. I agree with the others. Find a comfortable weight for yourself. Set yourself a "gain" weight of 5-10 pounds. When you see that you have gained that much, back off and tighten up your eating again. Don't wait until you have gained 25 pounds.....