LeighaMason

"I am also aware I am not ready to give up my favorite foods, and I am struggling with that." Maybe you just need to look at the band in a different way, Let me ask you this, would you be willing to cut down on your favorite foods? I have, I love steak, but I only have 3 oz now instead of 16. I have to eat it slower so it still takes me the same time so I still enjoy it just in a smaller amount. Another example is ice cream, now we only go get it 1 or 2 Sundays a month instead of having it in the freezer so I haven't given it up, I have just limited it. Would you be willing to do something like that? (Feel free to tell the truth here, because there are things I am not willing to give up. I have a glass or two of wine almost every night and I am not going to give it up. I could have probably lost my last bit of weight if I would but I wont so....)

Since the fills are the most important part of the band working, and you are postponing getting fills, do you think maybe your not ready to lose the weight? Or maybe you are afraid of change? Maybe your afraid to give up your favorite foods? When you postpone a fill what do you tell yourself? I hope you don't mind the questions.

All my tests were included in the price of my surgery. $10,200 out the door with 6 months of fills included.

Just remember that the band is slower than other WLS so it is going to take a couple years of hard work for you to lose the weight but it can be done, and then the band will help you keep it off. Good luck. :Dancing_biggrin:

When I was first banded I used Miralax, just mix a cap full in a glass of Water, it totally dissolves and by the next day I would be regular again. I don't know how you feel about artificial sweeteners but I personally consider them poison (no scientific evidence for this but I feel better when I don't use it). I have even stopped using the Crystal light to get away from it. I always gain with processed foods, the salt really reacts with my body. Maybe the combo of more salt and less water to flush it out contributed to the 6 pounds. Hope some of this helps...:Dancing_biggrin:

"Now I am mad that the scale is up"--the scale is a liar, I always give myself a 3 pound Water fluctuation range. As long as it says less than 3 pounds up then its just water and is always gone in a couple of days and usually takes another pound with it. "mad at myself for puking"-- Your body made this choice not you. "worried that I have messed up my band" --No way that a little water coming back up hurt your band. I have done lots of PBing based on operator error and my band is fine. (Not that I recommend it!) "and worried that the scale is never going to go below 245"-- You've got to give your body a break! It hasn't even been a month! This is a marathon not a sprint. It takes a while. I actually gained weight before my first fill. Once your band starts giving you a little help it will be much better. I promise. Plus I want to congratulate you on your choice, a lot of people's reaction would have been to overeat instead of over exercise. Your doing great. Ignore the scale, just follow the rules and your body will follow along. :Dancing_biggrin:

Um Patty, do you ever click on the links that "support" your claims? I did, it brought up urban legends at about.com that states your email is false. Snopes does too. Pure hysteria. Post facts not lies.

You know, I try to read Fox News as well as others just so I do get both sides of the story but it is such lies its hard to take. Here is the link I clicked on from the AOL news page. Success — BP Cuts Pipe,Moving to Install 'Cap' Success means its handled right? No. "BP used giant shears to slice off a pipe Thursday in the company's latest bid to contain the Gulf of Mexico oil, but the cut was irregular and placing the cap will now be more challenging, Allen said." "We'll have to see when we get the containment cap on it just how effective it is," Allen said. "It will be a test and adapt phase as we move ahead, but it's a significant step forward." "Even if it works, BP engineers expect oil to continue leaking into the ocean. The next chance to stop the flow won't come until two relief wells meant to plug the reservoir for good are finished in August." Once again the republicans declare, "Mission Accomplished"

I have nothing interesting to post. I apparently did something horrible to a landlord in a previous life and now I am getting paid back. Karma is a bitch. House 1) Broken garage door $800 Clogged pipe for washing machine drain $100 House 2) Refrigerator quit working, new one $500 House 3) Roof leaking, $1600 Refrigerator quit $500 House 4) Tenant gone, needs total repaint inside, supplies $300 6 window blinds & vertical blinds destroyed $150 Somebody remind me why I thought having rent houses was going to be a good idea. :Dancing_biggrin:

I hate to say it but he's right! I gained weight before my first fill but after I could eat normal food and started getting fills, I started losing 2 pounds a week. Be patient (not my strong suit, either) and practice your good eating habits, measure, cut up food into small pieces, eat slow and chew, chew, chew. Good luck.

He is probably saying you need 40 BMI for your insurance company to pay, I was self pay at 35 BMI. By the way there are BMI calculators on the internet, just enter your height and weight and it will tell you what your BMI is and then enter random weights until it says 40 and that is how much you need to weigh to qualify.

I have had success with my band, and it hasn't been too bad. I do have to diet to lose weight and the last 15 pounds are coming off at about 1 pound every frickin 10 days but they are coming off so I am not complaining. Stick with your pre op diet its very important for your safety during surgery and I am a firm believer in strictly following the post op diet as well. I think it helps "settle" the band in place. I tried to look at it as a month of sacrifice to gain a lifetime of being thin. But it was hard so I do sympathize with you. Try and manage your expectations for the band, I didn't start losing until I started getting fills 6 weeks after surgery. Just focus on learning the eating rules for those first weeks and then after you start getting fills, start trying to lose. Congratulations, again. :biggrin:

You might want to try a different forum instead of the introductions area. I would go to the forum page and scroll down and try local forums, maybe someone from NZ will see it, I have seen posts from people there. Or maybe use the search function and search NZ and see if that brings them up. Good luck. :biggrin:

Congratulations your almost in onderland! Keep us updated on your progress! :biggrin:

Good luck with your insurance, I hope you get your approval soon. :biggrin:

Well, I'm not what you are looking for, I was banded last October and I live in Texas but I wanted to say congratulations on your band date! :biggrin:

If you Dr tells you to do a pre op diet, he has a reason, not following it is jeopardizing your health during surgery. Drink plenty of Water the day before so you wont feel thirsty. Walking helps with the gas pain. Follow the post op diet, this helps the band heal in place. Eating too soon can cause problems later. Don't expect too much until you start getting fills. Until then its going to be all you. Don't forget to take before pictures, when the scales aren't moving you can refer to these and see changes which will help you stay motivated. Good luck.:biggrin:

1) Until you get several fills, its all you. Be prepared to do all the work until the band kicks in and starts helping. 2) You will reach a point where diet alone will not work and you have to start working out. 3) Then you reach a point where you have to work out harder and longer. 4) Then you realize that you like it :biggrin:

I just wanted to say good luck today, we will see you on the banded side! Oh and my advice, walking really helps with the gas pain. :biggrin:

Congratulations, I'm glad your doing well. Your right there is a lot of great info here on this site. Were glad your here. :biggrin:

Use the search tool on this website and enter Mexico and there is lots of info. If I couldn't afford it in the states I would have gone to Mexico too. Good luck.

Yes you really have to stick to the liquid diet. It shrinks your liver and helps the Dr put your band in correctly. Plus I have heard of Dr's cutting you open, seeing that you didn't do the liquids and then just closing you up with no band. I guess they figure if you cant do the short pre op diet you wont do the post op one either. You can do it, its just a week! Give yourself a pep talk and do it!

Congratulations on your band and welcome to the forum. Don't worry once you start getting fills, and start losing the doubts go away. :biggrin:

I understand what you are going through, I thought I might offer my personal experience and maybe it will help. I miscarried twins 18 years ago, afterward my Dr told me the damage was too much and I would never get pregnant again. So I completely took my mind off of having children and guess what about a year later I was pregnant! As a matter of fact I was almost 5 months pregnant before I figured it out because I was so sure it would never happen. When I went to the Dr and asked him about it he said, "I tell my patients that it wont happen if there is only a little chance because then they relax and stop stressing and it increases their odds of a successful pregnancy." So hard as it might be, I suggest you try and put your dream aside for a while, spend the time needed to mourn you loss, feed your body good food, exercise and let nature take its course.

Boy this "your not big enough" stuff really wears me out. I was 50 - 70 pounds overweight for 16 years. Obese is obese, if its 50 or 100. As far as the "Just diet and lose it" theory goes, I had been dieting, for 16 years, that is why I was 70 pounds overweight and not 150. So I paid for the band. Now I am normal BMI, starting a running program, ride my bike to work instead of jumping in the car and all around feel like I am 25 again. So my advice is don't wait till your 40 to get your weight under control. I cant say if the band is right for you, but if portion control is your issue that is what the band helps with. But with your work ethic and clean eating I think it is worth seeing the Dr about. Since your Mom is banded and has been successful, I'm sure you know what the band life requires. I would think that if active NFL players can be banded any athlete can. Good luck in whatever you decide.