btrieger

This is bull. Find another surgeon. I started at 54 and there re patients here that started with a BMI over 70.

Nope. Only $250. Losing weight and counting calories makes so much more sense when you can compare it to how many calories you are burning.

For the record, I'm a hiccupper. :thumbup:

I am down over 130 pounds in the last 9 months and don't see it in the mirror either. But I put before and after pictures next to each other the other day. Man, what a high!! Try it!! PS. People are going to hate me for posting this picture 100 times but I love it!

Bandster Hell is the realization that the lapband is not a magic pill and you don't just get skinny over night. When I did mushies I used my imagination and threw anything I wanted into the blender or food processor.

I update both of mine after each pound I lose. I don't touch them when I gain 1 :smile2: I use Graphical Tickers and Trackers: Weight Loss, Trying To Conceive, Pregnancy... as do the majority here. Below is my over all ticker and my since surgery ticker is in my siggy.

The band will help you with the quantity of food but not quality. My dietitians have said on more than one occasion that there is nothing wrong with any food if eaten in moderation. They also say to eat until I am no longer hungry. If you are hungry immediately following a meal, you aren't eating enough. The best way to get back on the wagon is to make compromises with yourself. Eat the foods you love but in moderation and not very often.

Only 13 votes so far but this is very close. I have to eat at Subway every once in a while because it is how I measure my restriction. I can still finish a 6" sub if I take my time. Hopefully after Wednesday this will be thing of the past.

Hi all, it's been a while since I posted on this thread. I went back a couple of pages and it look like everyone is doing great. I'm down 34 pounds since my surgery and going for fill #3 on Wednesday. The NSVs are adding up. I can actually wrap a large towel around my waste and do that tuck thing. I flew coach last week without needing a seat belt extender. I've been reading up on plastic surgery and figure I will be signing up for it by year's end.

Elcee and adagray, you are both right on the uncooked pork thing. Trichinosis - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. I had to hear the word "trichinosis" every time my mother burned pork chops into oblivion. They had the consistency of treated lumber and no amount of applesauce couple reconstitute them.

There are tricks to curb hunger like brushing your teeth when you get the urge to eat. Night eating in itself isn't bad if you can be satisfied with a piece of fruit; a cup of fat free yogurt; sugar free pudding cup or a small bag of baked chips.

It does the same to me. I have no problem with Weight Watchers® and other meals that were made to nuked but I do my left overs cold if at all now.

I pride myself on the fact that I seldom if ever eat at fast food joints. However, I eat at Subway® at least every 2 weeks. Someone include Subway® in their list of fast food joints and I was curious as to how many others considered it this way.

I am fat because I did what I thought was right and I knew more than the doctors and nutritionists. I'm losing weight because I realized that I don't know more than the doctors and nutritionists and I am following their direction. If I don't agree with the rules they set or have questions I ask. For the most part, they are willing to alter the rules for me. Therefore, I'm not breaking them. As for the church of the band comment. That is the crutch that some folks require in order to be successful. Just like real church.

Congrats and welcome to Bandland!! The post-op diet flies by and you will be eating "normal" in no time. I hate to be the bearer of bad news but I wish I had been warned ahead of time. You probably went through the same thing with gallbladder surgery. The IV Fluid leave your body 3 or 4 days after surgery and you may be a little (very) cramped for the day. It is more discomfort than pain.

Congratulations Amy! You are officially a real bandster now. :smile2: I read all about it for months and couldn't wait to get stuck and slime just to see what all of the commotion was about. It only took my 4 weeks after surgery to manage it, pre-fill and in public. The pain will subside fairly quickly but linger if you try and eat solid food immediately. If you are going to eat again before bed, I suggest some yogurt or a Protein shake.

Thanks!! And folks just starting out; take those pictures no matter how disgusted you are by your body. Nobody has to see them until you are ready. I got an unbelievable high yesterday when I pasted my before picture next to my after. So high I did them in reverse order by accident.

Thanks! I wish I could lay claim to it but I got it from my nutritionists.

The weird thing is that I don't feel hungry when I am jamming that last bite in my mouth. It's more of a compulsion. I must do it; I can't let it go to waste. Unfortunately, OCD isn't just about washing your hands a lot or closing the door 3 times. I am a classic hoarder and it extends to food. (not bad enough for the tv show yet...yet) I don't like to refer to my family as poor but there were 7 of us and my dad worked more than 1 job at a time. We were taught to never waste anything. Not just food, but anything.

Welcome aboard! What you will not get with the lapband is a quick fix or magic bullet. It takes a lot of work on your part. The lapband will help you become satisfied with less food but it does not make your food choices for you. It's all about changing your lifestyle; eating healthy and being satisfied with smaller portions. The pre and post diets play a relatively small part in the big picture. They vary from surgeon to surgeon. Pre-op diet is a low carb diet to shrink your liver prior to surgery. It can be from 1 day to a month or more depending on your surgeon. All or a portion of this may be comprised of nothing but liquids Post-op diet varies just as much as the pre-op. Your stomach and body go through trauma during surgery and the post-op diet is meant to allow your body and stomach to heal. This usually consists of a week or more of liquid only and then a week or more of purreed foods prior to returning to "normal" food.

Of course it's possible. There are hundreds if not thousands of members here that have done it. I have no problem losing weight either. I lost 95 pounds in the 5 months leading up to my surgery. I had surgery for the specific reason of keeping weight off. I'll do the losing and just count on it to "help" me in not gaining it back. The less doubt you have, the better off you will be. Read some of the testimonials here and around the internet. Your confidence will increase. Good luck!!

I applaud those that can do this. I still have an issue with it. I cannot stop until the plate is cleared or I am throwing up. I try and put a lot less on my plate. So when I do clear it, I won't be in pain.

I was not offended. We are all different people and see things very differently. I just want to make it clear to those which are still looking into surgery that not everybody goes through "Hell" and everybody's interpretation of Hell is different. I've had my share of plateaus and knew they would pass in time. If I had got frustrated or agonized over them, it would be devastating because sometimes I, like many am just looking for a reason to give up. I come across a lot more critical than I actually am. I am no stronger willed than most but I try and channel what willpower I do have into staying positive about my health.

Don't forget what you are feeling right now. Embrace it and ask yourself, "do I ever want to feel like this again?" Then get back on the bandwagon and keep going. Don't waste your energy on anger and aggravation. Take it to the gym or go for a long walk. We've all been there at some point and this is the point where many of us have just given up.

Think of your metabolism as a fire. If you throw some kindling in; it will burn for a short while. If you throw in a good size log, it will burn hotter and longer. Too much wood and you smother the fire. Something like that.