btrieger

My surgeon gave me the green light to move onto "regular" food at 14 days. Just take it slow; listen to your surgeon and call him if you have any issues.

I don't know about weight limit but I think there is an age limit and nobody reading this is young enough. :smile2:

The carbonation in a Coors Light or Bud Light gives me painful gas. I drink Guinness every couple of weeks and have no issues. Contrary to popular belief. Guinness has no more calories than American crap beer and a shot of liquor has less. Check out this page: http://www.shapefit.com/beer.html

By taking things slowly it makes it much easier to transition to a permanent change. Don't wait for surgery or even until you make up your mind to have either surgery. Start right now. Take your usual serving and then take 5; 10 or 20% of it off of the plate before and throw it away before sitting down to eat. Take smaller spoonfuls or cut the pieces smaller than you usually do. Chew it longer and enjoy the taste before swallowing. You'll be amazed at how much of a difference that will make. Learn to not eat unless you are sincerely hungry. I did that and lost 95 pounds in 5 months prior to surgery and didn't go hungry the whole time.

Great! then you'll be happy if you gain every bit back in a short time too. Surgery is not a quick fix. Whether it be lapband or gastric-throw-most-of-a-major-organ-in-the-trash-and-reroute-your-digestive-system. Both involve a lifestyle change. With the lapband you check in regularly with your surgeon. With throw-your-organ-away, you are on your own for the most part. There is no such thing as a panacea when it comes to weight loss. If you want it to happen and you want to keep it off, you are going to have to work at it for the rest of your life. The lapband will help your do this with portion control. The other thing will just take time but will stretch back to its original size unless you change your lifestyle. What? Me opinionated? Are you kidding?

Yes, it can. Coughing is a lot more violent to the body than most people realize. My mother broken a bone in her back just coughing. Your body become a paint shaker, throwing everything around for a split second or two.

Congrats!! Don't take the scale too serious. Our health matters a lot more. Then comes the way we feel about how we look; then how our clothes fit and then we can worry about the scale.

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE Do a Google search on them. They are notorious for being dishonest; sloppy and even killed a couple of people. Find another surgeon in LA, there have to be hundreds.

Congrats!!

I am in the "he's too young" camp. How does he feel about this? You say that diets don't work. What makes you think the Lapband will? Why is he fat? Is it emotional? Psychological? Physical? What other weight loss methods have you tried? Have you tried counseling? The lapband is just a portion control tool and will do nothing unless the patient is willing to work with it. Surgery is not a quick fix. Go to the seminar with an open mind and make sure you get all of the information you can. Please don't go in with your mind made up.

Congrats!! Doesn't it feel great!!

I have Aetna but didn't have to deal with them. Relax and let Dr Kim's staff do the legwork. If you have any questions at all about insurance, feel free to ask them. They are very knowledgeable and always happy to help. Also, start practicing what you are learning in BEND classes now. It will help in the long run. Don't wait until surgery.

Howdy neighbor! I felt zero pain following Lapband surgery. I was honestly a little disappointed it was so quick and painless. It didn't leave my with many war stories. Hopefully that makes 1 less thing to be anxious about. I can't offer much information that your wife's experience hasn't already provided you with. I am in Keller also and trying to get a local support group together. My surgeon (Dr. Kim) offers one once a month at his office but sometimes something less formal is called for.

155, not 145. Get that right!! :smile2: I lost the weight prior to surgery to prove to myself that I can still lose it if I try. I read up plenty on the lapband prior to ever making the decision. I am skeptical by nature, I don't believe anything until I see it for myself. I am still a little skeptical about the lapband and think of it as playing a minor part in my lifestyle change. In fact, I knew it wasn't going to make me lose weight when I had surgery. I got it as a failsafe to keep me from regaining the weight that I am losing. So far, so good. I don't consider what I've done a diet. Diets end and the changes I've made are forever. It's been a year now and I haven't sacrificed a thing I loved. I quit drinking soda; quit eating fast food and cut my portions down. I still enjoy a snack once in a while. I eat pizza every couple of weeks. I eat out almost every day of the week and I enjoy Guinness or cocktails on occasion. Anything is ok in moderation. I used to be able to astound folks by downing a case of beer in a few hours. These days, I have a buzz after 3 or 4 and a six pack satisfies me for the night. I also don't drink every night or even every weekend any more. Like I said, the lapband will be around when and if you make the decision. Keep reading and asking questions. The lapband is only a tool and works well with 2 much more important tools, knowledge and a positive attitude. Good luck!!

They don't work in blogs unless you cut and paste every time. Try it in the regular forum.

Spooky! You sound like me right down to the name and age. So my questions: 1. How will the LAP-BAND® help me lose weight? It is built in portion control but you still have to lose the weight. The lapband doesn't control what you eat, just how much. 2. What kind of diet needs to be kept after the LAP-BAND® is installed? Nothing special. You just eat a balanced meal. The portions will just be smaller. Just don't drink you calories and keep snacking to a minimum. 3. If I/We/anyone can’t maintain a diet regiment before the LAP-BAND®, how can we expect that it would be any different after the LAP-BAND®? That's a chance you'll have to take. You have to ask yourself how serious you are about losing the weight. Don't make the mistake like many here and think that surgery is a panacea. 4. Are there medications or supplements that need to be taken after the LAP-BAND® is installed? NO, NADA, NICHTS! 5. If insurance covers the procedure (I am investigating that with my insurance right now), and there is a problem with the device such as a leaky port, who covers the expense of fixing it? It all depends on the insurance company; your coverage; your deductible; etc... 6. Are there other manufacturing defect problems that can occur with the LAP-BAND®, and if so who absorbs the cost of repair? There are issues but I can't say who pays. 7. I am noticing the number one side effect of the LAP-BAND® is nausea and vomiting. Is that a temporary problem or an ongoing problem? You're noticing wrong!! Most of us never get nauseous and 90% of the time the vomiting is our own fault for not paying attention or eating too fast. 8. Is there any restriction on drinking alcohol when you have a LAP-BAND®? Hell NO!! Although, American beers are full of carbonation and that doesn't work so well with the band. I don't have any issues with Guinness. Keep reading and don't hurry into anything. The lapband is not going anywhere. It will still be available if/when you decide you are ready.

Great advice above except the silly one about drinking Water. The simple answer is, don't put so much on your plate. If you're eating out; ask for a to-go box when the meal arrives and stow everything you aren't going to eat before you start eating or put what you plan on eating on the bread plate and push the rest to the side.

I'm not sure what you mean by celebrate but if you mean with chocolate cake and ice cream, it is never a good time. :drool: I celebrate every morning that I wake up feeling great. I am reminded every single day of how much fun it wasn't, when I would strain myself and be out of breath just tying my shoes. That being said, celebrate now, tomorrow and when you do hit 100 pounds lost. Congrats!!!

There's no such thing as a good excuse. :drool: Congrats on recognizing and correcting the issue early. There's nothing that can't be fixed but it's best not to let it get to the point of needing fixing.

Hubba hubba! Congrats! You look great! It's not about how fast you lose or even how many pounds. It's about how good you feel and how healthy you are. You've got a great attitude. Keep it up!

What 10 minutes?

Take it slow. Start out by walking the neighborhood and just pick up the pace every few days. You'll be amazed at the people and things in your neighborhood that you've missed.

No, it wouldn't have. I am not afraid of anything. Lacking discipline is what makes most of us fat, disgusting, repulsive slobs in the first place. At some point we all must make the realization that we don't know what is best for us and trust the people that we went to for help in the first place.

I couldn't answer because "No, because I care about myself and realize that I do NOT know more than my doctor. That is how I got fat in the first place." was not one of the choices.

I am down over 150 lbs and NEVER work out. I didn't say I seldom work out. I NEVER work out. I may have to gain that 150+ pounds back and do it right the next time :smile2: That being said, it is all semantics. I exercise daily but nothing I would call a work out. A little stretching and walk at least 5 miles in the course of the day.