howdybooth

JBall - may I ask how you gained? I keep my band pretty tight - that way my biggest temptation (breads) can not be eaten. Maybe you need a fill - tighten you back up so that you are restricted to what you can and can not eat. kll724 - I was wondering about maintenance......people think the hardest part is losing the weight.......I think that maintenance is much harder! Also - since I'm not at goal, but I am continueing to lose 1/2-1 pound per week, what do I do when I reach my goal? Have some Fluid removed?

Well - I'm just about at my goal weight! Had my surgery Novembver 16th 2009 and as of today I've lost 102 pounds with 8 left

Well - I'm just about at my goal weight! Had my surgery Novembver 16th 2009 and as of today I've lost 102 pounds with 8 left for goal. People ask if all the time if I'd do it again and I say Heck Yeh - in a heart beat. I've really not had any problems with the band......and any that I did - I knew that I did it to myself! I had plenty of people tell me their horror stories - and I learned from them what to do and what not to do! So very proud of myself!

Well - I'm just about at my goal weight! Had my surgery Novembver 16th 2009 and as of today I've lost 102

I just recently had a fill and I have to be very careful of the amount of time between when I eat and when I go to bed!!!! Eat to late and I wake up basically choking! Yuk! Last night it was so bad I actuall vomited! So, my advice to myself is eat less in the evening and not at all if I'm going to bed within 2-3 hours of eating!

It’s been a year since I got my band and I’ve lost 85 pounds. I’ve had a total of 4 fills and I’m at about 6.5 cc with a 10 cc band. My last fill was mid-August and since then I really have had a great relationship with my band! I can pretty much eat anything, only in small amounts, and continue to lose. I was hoping that I was done with fills! Then this past 3 weeks I’ve found that I can eat WAY more then I should! I’ve only got 25 pounds to go to meet my goal and I’m thinking that maybe it’s time for a little fill. Have you experienced the need for a fill now that you are so close to your goal weight? Is a fill the way to go or should I leave my band alone and start “dieting”? Don’t get me wrong, I’ve always been very careful about calories, but it’s just never felt like a diet and I’m wondering if that is the route I should take now. I’d love to hear about what you did………

Well – it’s been a year since I got my band and I’ve lost 85 pounds. I’ve had a total of 4 fills and I’m at about 6.5 cc with a 10 cc band. My last fill was mid-August and since then I really have had a great relationship with my band! I can pretty much eat anything, only in small amounts, and continue to lose. I was hoping that I was done with fills! Then this past 3 weeks I’ve found that I can eat WAY more then I should! I’ve only got 25 pounds to go to meet my goal and I’m thinking that maybe it’s time for a little fill. Has anyone else had this same experience of being really close to your goal weight and suddenly need another fill? Is a fill the way to go or should I leave my band alone and start “dieting”? Don’t get me wrong, I’ve always been very careful about calories, but it’s just never felt like a diet and I’m wondering if that is the route I should take now. I’d love to hear about what you did………

I’ve recently started taking Zoloft and have really had a hard time with the pill. Zoloft is known to cause problems with the stomach (pain like taking too much aspirin) and boy has it caused me pain; a couple of times it was so bad I vomited! I’ve tried taking it on an empty stomach with lots of water; on a full stomach; while I’m eating dinner – nothing really makes the pain go away, until the pill is completely dissolved! I’ve started trying to take it after dinner and before bedtime with a cup of something hot and that seems to help a little. Has anyone else experienced similar problems and found a solution? If so, I’d love to hear what you’ve done. Surgery 11/09 down 85 pounds

Not long after my surgery I had something very similar happen......only mine came in the form of, "oh no - I can't eat very much!" Which surprised both my husband and I since that was exactly why I had the surgery! It's just funny how our minds can REALLY play tricks with you!

I seem to have hit a plateau and my weight has pretty much stayed the same for the past month. I figure part of it is due to getting closer to my goal and it will now start slowing down. If this has happened to you, can you share what you did to kick it back into gear?:puke:

Dave - it sounds like you have the right attitude to be successful on your journey! It is just a tool in your toolbox and if you decide to go with the band - you will need to learn how YOUR band behaves with your body! Good luck!

Love your post!!! I love my band and I'm very happy with my results after 11 months - down 75 pounds! I've lost because of portion control, the type of food I put in my mouth, and exercise! Gee - just like my surgeon told me! :thumbdown:)

I gained 7 pounds between my surgery date and my first fill!!! My surgeon is a little different from some in that he doesn't keep you on liquids and mushies for weeks after getting the band. By the end of the second week you are introducing solid foods. And my time between the band and my first fill included Christmas!!! So don't get discouraged!!! I'm down 75 pounds as of this week and I had my band date was 11/09.......

What's your secret to success????????????? So im 7 days away from my new Birthday!!!! What I need to know is... What is the best thing you learned on your journey? To enjoy each and every pound I've lost!! I try to not get too focused on a "goal". What makes you successful? I don't eat what I can't! Sounds funny, but you will find that certain foods just don't work and you will slim/vomit! Just let that food go. Oh and I had had a bad habit of eating a snack before bedtime.....can't any more or I have acid reflux. What can I do to make sure my journey is a sucessful one? Follow your surgeons rules!!! You will find later down the road what you really can do or can't do, but by starting out your journey strictly following the surgeons rules - you'll learn the right way to live with the band!!! What are your best tips??? - I always have a Protein shake and greek yogurt for breakfast....between the two I get half my day's Protein in. What's your best advice for new bandee's??? Be prepared to not be tight after your swelling and soreness wears off - I even managed to gain weight!! What should i NOT do?? Get discouraged! You will have your ups and downs when it comes to food!! Too tight and you can only eat liquids, too loose and you can eat everything. It takes time to find YOUR right balance.

What a bunch of bull!!! I have a friend that lost all her weight, 196 pounds, with the band. I've lost 75 and have 25 to go and I will tell you that it's slowed way down - but I'm still losing. Just continue to make the right food choices and you will be fine! BTW - I'd tell your surgeon what she said.......that's not very good for business!!

zuly98 - I made a very interesting discover last week about being tight. I had my last fill 4 weeks ago Thursday and I've lost 12 pounds in that 4 weeks. I'm tight and really I like to be tight, but last week, I was suddenly so tight that I actually vomited 3 times! So I went online and found this very interesting website by this doctor who does lap bands and he had some interesting suggestions that I took to heart. 1. Sometimes food can get stuck and stuck for a couple of days.....resulting in vomiting. 2. When that happens - go back to liquids only for 48 hours. I did this and now the tightness is gone.....so maybe you should consider getting a fill!!!!!

Well - I'm now within 40 pounds of hitting my goal weight and the weight loss is really starting to slow down! I could count on getting up every Monday morning (that's when I weigh myself) and have lost 2 pounds. Now I weigh and maybe I've lost 2 pounds.....or maybe I've gained 1/2 a pound.......or maybe I stayed the same! So, I'm now going to increase my exercise and really start concentrating on even better foods and portions. Anyone else out there in the same boat as me? If so, please share what you are doing to help reach your weight goal! Banded 11/09 Down 70 pounds 40 to goal weight 6 cc in a 10 cc band (4 fills)

I'm with you Galthom. I leave the doc's office after a fill tight..........and I don't get tighter over the weeks or months...........What does happen is I decide I want something - that I know I can't have because of the band - but I eat it any ways and boom......problem! Then my tummy is swollen and tender for some time and I have to baby it.......then back to no problems. Banded 11/09 Lost 70 pounds 4 fills for a total of 6 cc in a 10 cc band

I'm looking at getting my panniculectomy in the next few months. I am estimating that to take off another 15. Is your insurance paying for that? I've been pretty lucky and everything has been pretty much shrinking as I've shrunk.....so really no saggy tummy on me. But boy oh boy to I have the wavy are flapping in the breeze. I do yoga 2-3 time per week and you can see the muscle, it's just that fat on the bottom. My insurance doesn't pay for any cosmetic surgery. Heck - it didn't pay for my band!!!!

I thought that was how they were all done.......if you're not drinking as you get the fill - what are they basing the fill on? I've even noticed that father/son bariatric doctor team out of Houston, Tx do the fills with them sitting up and drinking water.....

trieger, now that you are down to your last 40 pounds, are you finding it coming off slower? I've lost 70 and only have 40 to go and was pretty much losing 2 per week and now - about 1 - 1 1/2 per week. Just wondering if any one else seemed to be slowing down once they got within 30-40 pounds of goal weight.....

My surgeon does not beleive in keeping you on liquids or restricting you to so few calories......so by day 3 after the surgery I was on mushies.....with that being said you must follow your doctors advice. But think of it this way......if you could have stayed on liquids and 500 or less calories per day, would you have needed the surgery? The being tired is also just your body recovering from surgery! I hit a real slump about 4 months after my surgery and thought I was most likely low on iron....but I wasn't......just the old body adjusting, because I'm fine now. Banded 11/09 - down 70 pounds - 40 to go!

Mel Mel - just keep doing what you are doing......don't go over board on supplements.....remember GNC is in the business to make money. I personally can tolerate Myoplex Lite - it's the cheapest at Walmart. I drink one every morning - I don't love it, but I don't hate it......I tolerate it! LOL Your depression/anxiety meds can cause you to not lose weight, also needing a fill can cause you to not lose weight. I don't know how much more weight you have to lose, but mine has slowed down now that I'm down to my final 40 pounds. Hang in there and don't let this become another factor in your anxiety! It will get better - just always eat Protein first - even if it means no room for anything else.

Mel Mel - go to your local Sally Beauty Supply and they will help you with the right type of shampoo/conditioner/leave-in. I'm right at 10 months out and I've lost 70 pounds - but really no hair loss that I can remember. But - I was afraid of losing my hair and I've always made sure I got my protein in first - daily. Maybe BetsyB is right and it's just something that happens to some people.........Good Luck.

Btrieger - I come from a very large family and my mother and 2 sisters had what is basically the sleeve and 2 sisters had the bypass. Only one sister has the dumping problem. With that being said: my mom lost and kept the weight off and eat very healthy; one sister with the sleave gained everything back plus more and is thinking of having the band; another sister with the sleeve has kept the weight off, but doesn't hardly have a tooth in her head - too much vomiting from over eating; my two sisters with the bypass have both lost 200 pounds, but struggle to keep it off! I wasn't ever over weight until the last 10 years and to be honest, portion control was my biggest issue - not the foods I ate. So maybe that's why the band works for me. I wish I could have just cut out soda/milk/cheetos/cheese burger to lose weight - but I didn't eat those foods......so I spent $9,750 of my own money to have this surgery......and maybe that too contributes to the band working for me also!