cat lady

Thanks Elvees mommy. i also think that not being able to eat certain foods is part of the band process. I am going back the end of April after the holidays....i think i am ready for my first fill. Not gaining but i can see that i am not satisfied with what i am eating right now...and getting my bad urges to snack again. i must put a hold on it. Good Luck to you on your journey....it is a great tool and really does work. Could never have lost 50 lbs without it. Chris

I have not had a fill yet.....was afraid to get one since i got stuck a few times and still have trouble eating certain foods. Will this always be the case. I am not losing any more and afraid the scale will creep up on me. Starting to get cravings for chocolate and junk food again. When the PA in my docs office heard I was having trouble eating solid meats like steak she wanted to take some fluid out ???? i told her I never got a fill and she claims they probably put some in at surgery. I refused for her to take some out since i was losing nicely. Down 50 lbs so I can't complain. Should i get a fill now that my appetite seems to be returning. ??????

I also weigh in every morning....afraid to let it go for the week. At least if I see it go up i quickly cut back to get it down. I know this is frustrating but it works for me. Don't want to lose my grip on the weight loss.

Hi Byrd: I am also a July bandster. Surgery was 7/25/11....lost 49 lbs so far. Could not have done it without the band. Love where i am at now....getting alot of compliments and the clothes fit so easily. You look great. The weight loss is really slow for me now....so i must be careful. Good luck.

So sorry you are feeling blue. Why not find something you like to do and join a group. Anything you like, singing, exercise, dancing, painting, etc. You will meet others who like similar hobbies and who knows who you will meet along the way. I find when I am blue....I try to get out and do something I like. Thinking of you and will say a little prayer for you to be in the pink soon.

hi Allison; you have done amazingly well with the weight loss. i too was banded in july and lost about 48 lbs so far. i started with 223 at my highest. its great to be fitting into size 14's at any store.....i think we are ready for size 12....keep it going and i will follow....chris

5'5" tall, 178 lbs....now wearing 14-16 depending where i shop. Womens plus 14 fits without a problem but in regular size 14 does not usually fit.

Try to be more positive.....i know its hard and we were all scared to do this but its really a great help to losing weight. i could have never lost the 45 lbs in 6 months and able to keep it off so far. it really helps you stay within the calorie limits...because for me i cannot overeat or i will suffer the consequences. i must eat slowly and chew carefully and i do get full alot faster than i did before. That is why I chose to do this. you must come to your own comfort zone with this. Believe me i hesitated for a long time before i actually decided to do this.....but it was the right decision for me. i'm sure all your tests will come out fine.....good luck whatever you decide.

have had this problem with hair loss. i always had thick hair and now it is much thinner. When I shampoo my hair i find some in my hands as i shower. A bit scary but i began taking Biotin and it seems to be helping. not losing as much now. i think it from not eating enough protein.....although i try i guess i don't get enough in daily. Still would recommend the band. lost 45 lbs since the end of july. could have never done it without the lapband.

Just had this discussion with my husband.....we are going away in 2 weeks to the bahamas and my thighs sure do look like old ladies. Decided to get some cute skirt cover ups to wear over the bathing suit. They look stylish and cover up my sins. I'm still alot happier than the alternative.....thunder thighs.

We all get scared when it comes to any kind of surgery.....but its really not that bad at all. I am no youngster and I came thru the surgery fine....very easy recouperation. It does change the way you can eat but I guess thats why I did this. Six months out and down 43 lbs and not starving at all. Never could have done this without the band.

I was banded the end of July 2011 and completely satisfied with the band. The only down side is being stuck....like another poster has said. Other than that the weight continues to come off slowly but surely. Now that its over 40 lbs I can really see the difference....feel better and getting alot of good compliments which makes me happy. I did this for me....and so far its working for me. CAT

For my past experience with the band I think restriction & getting stuck are two different things. I feel some restriction every day.....meaning I cannot eat what I used to eat.....I must follow the rules and eat slowly and chew carefully with small pieces. I get satisfied easier.....do not eat nearly as much as I used to and I get satisfied with the smaller portions. This I believe is restriction for me. On the other hand getting stuck is a very uncomfortable experience. I have had a few and one was so bad I had to go to the ER. I could not even sip water and get it down. Had to go on IV drip so I would not dehydrate. It lasted about 18 hours of having to throw up and very uncomfortable feeling in my chest. Happened after eating scrambled eggs with bacon.....guessing it was a piece of bacon that did it. That is not restriction. Restriction is a good thing that we want to have.......getting stuck is not a good thing at all! Just my opinion. CAT

Anyone feeling uncomfortable by the port incision. I am 6 months out and beginning to feel the port. Is this typical after you begin to lose the weight. Whenever anything touches that area I get a funny sensation. Just wondering if it is common.

I think you are doing great. 33 lbs in 3 months is fantastic. I was banded July 25th and just lost about 43 lbs. so far and I'm really pleased with these results. I could have never done this w/o the band even in 6 months. CAT

I can only speak for myself. I was banded July 25, 2011 and am very satisfied with the band. There are times that I encounter problems with eating certain foods but that is what the band is intended for. It makes me stop eating at a certain point......or choose foods that I can handle. Naturally if I sit down and eat a gallon of ice cream....which I can handle .....I will not continue to lose weight. So far I have lost about 42 lbs and I know I could not have done this without the band. The surgery itself was not bad at all. Some mild discomfort....but nothing to talk about. Had surgery at 7am and was walking the halls at 1 pm that day. Released from hospital the next morning. Took only tylenol when needed. Back to work and driving within a week. I am no youngster and thought long and hard about doing this. It was a hard decision but I'm glad I did it. Get compliments every day and most of all I feel better. Blood pressure down, knees no longer hurt, no back pain, more energy. Everone must make their own decision but for me it was a good one! Good luck whatever you choose! CAT

Hi fellow July bandsters: I'm down about 40 lbs so far. I have not had a fill yet since I have been losing......slowly but steadily. I have had a few stuck episodes so I'm kind of afraid to get a fill right now. I do feel like I am eating more every day and that is not a good thing. Think I might be ready for a fill soon......just don't want to get that stuck feeling.

I had this vibrating feeling in my lower groin area before I even had the band. Went for a sonogram and they could not find anything wrong. Went away just like it started.....?? I could only describe it as if you were sipping Water thru a straw. That was the sensation. It drove me crazy.......but it left. Hope yours disappears too. CAT

I was banded July 25th and have not had any fill yet. I am losing slowly but happy with the results. I lost 40 lbs so far and feel good. I don't want a fill yet since I am losing and eating much less than before the band. I would say I am averaging about 1000 - 1200 calories a day. Is that what most of you are consuming a day???

I have had the stuck symptoms a few times. Really hurts up to my throat. Now I am concerned that this might be happening to me. Most of the time I am good with the eating but sometimes it happens even when I'm following doctors orders??? Good Luck with starting over.......I hope it works for you. CAT

I have sugar free mints all the time. Gum I hesitate bcause if you swallow it you will have a problem. I have had it a few times but are really careful. I tend to throw it out after a few minutes of chewing. CAT

Happened to me the other night. I think I ate too fast and wham it got me. Was in real discomfort for about 4 hours. Had to relieve myself a few times to get relief. I also hate this about the band.....but I guess thats why it works. CAT

I weigh myself every day in the morning when I get up. This keeps me accountable. I don't get crazy if its up a lb or two but I know I must keep it back on track. I agree that not weighing myself got me into trouble. Was too comfortable without seeing the numbers on the scale. I don't post any change in weight until its steadily down 2 lbs for the week. Then I change my loss numbers. Its fun to see it still moving down. CAT

I remember walking home from high school with my boyfriend and hearing about the assassination of our President. It was also my boyfriends birthday (now my husband's birthday November 22nd). It was a sad day for all of us.....everyone seemed so sad and even the adults cried. We lived thru that terrible day and also 9/11 when the Towers were attacked. That seemed worse to me .....maybe because I was an adult and relized the severity of the attack. Living on Long Island, New York....we lost alot of friends and neighbors at the WTC attack. That was a horrific day for me. My son in law just started a new job in the City and could not get home for 3 days. He is an electrician for NYC and had to put up temporary lighting after the attack. When he finally got home to his wife an children he was covered in black soot for days. Very sad and horrific day.....hope we never experience it again!