Cindysmom (Ilene)

I live in Ft. lauderdale, fl.~~ you wlll do great during the surgery. I also was nervous to have surgery and be put out. I made it. I wish you many blessings and good health.

Why not try the Atkins. They don't taste too bad.

My weight came off slowly. much slower than others. I am also in my 60's~ Probably too old. The cut off age is about mine. (with insurance) since I paid out of pocket they ddnt care. No problems ever. It is not what I eat as much as what I do not eat. Bread, rice, potatoes, Pasta, Cookies, cake, candy, pie. any soda, pop corn, chips. rolls. There are no excuses and no reasons to eat any of these things. LAPBANDERS ARE ON A HIGH Protein, LOW CARB DIET. PROTIEN HELPS YOU STAY FULL. CARBS TURN TO SUGAR, MAKE U CRAVE MORE CARBS. I AM CO-LEADER ON 2 GROUPS AND I SAY THIS ALL THE TIME. HERE ARE SOME MORE RULES. 1. Eat only 3 small meals a day. Chew, chew chew. 2. Protein first 3 Do not drink while eating. 30 min before and 1 hr after. No carbonated drinks. 4. Take Vitamins. 5. Drink at least 64 oz of Water a day 6. Exercise daily. NO EXCUSES, NO CHEATING NO BS. = WEIGHT LOSS. PROMISE. YOU CAN HOLD ME TO IT. KEEP ASKING QUESTIONS.IF YOU CHEAT ~~ YOU ARE ONLY CHEATING YOU. NOT ME, NOT ANY ONE ELSE. food DOES NOT MAKE STRESS GO AWAY. IT DOES NOT SOLVE PROBLEMS~ IT JUST ADDS TO THEM. THIS IS YOUR LIFE, THIS IS YOUR FUTURE~ NO ONE ELSES. YOU WILL NEVER FIND ANYONE ELSE LIKE ME THAT IS SO STRONG AND WHO WANTS SO MUCH FOR YOU. YOU MIGHT HATE ME BUT I LOVE YOU. LIZYBIRD@AOL.COM.

DRS KNOW BEST.

After 2 years 1 month and 89 lbs down. Doc refuses to give me fills also. Portion control and elimation of the above is truly the answer. The exercise you are doing is helping also. My fills cost $200.00. So it is just ok for me. The lapband is only a tool. If you continuously measure your food and don't cheat you will lose more. After a while it slows down. There are some that I know that have no fills at all. 12 lb is great for a month that is 2 lbs a week. I lost 5 lbs in 2 months. Focus on living your life, enjoying it day by day. Enjoy your exercise. Keep having a positive attitude. Find friends who have lapband and brainstorm. Think of the fun you will have watching the clothes you have in the closet go bye bye only to be replace by smaller sizes. DO NOT BE NERVOUS. HAVE GOOD NIGHTS SLEEP EVERY NIGHT.

While I have a bit of a thyroid situation and take 50 mgs of synthriod every day. My hubby had his removed. My friend Daria has Graves disease which is not good I guess. She lost 138 lbs from lapband. She stopped losing weight. Did you have a thyroid uptake test? Do you have a goiter? I think these are imp questions for the doc. i know how much you want to lose weight. I dont blame you. Try to do more portion control and eleminate. bread, rice pasta, cookies candy pie. soda, white flour items. *as if you had the band.* The band is only a tool. With the tool we have to bust our butts with exercise, elimiating the wrong food, drinking 64 oz of water. Pretend that you have one. Pretend that you are waiting for you 5 fills to give you restriction. Like I said it is only a tool. If I kept eating crap as the above, I would not have lost my weight. Think positive and love yourself. Find friends that have this and brainstorm with them. Don't give up.

i would like to know how to add my before and after photos. They are in my photo Gallery. thanks.

Hope the gas goes bye bye. Do you not think that the queen of england doesn't have gas..? I bet she does too. ha ha. so let it rip.

I have obstained from all bread, rice, noodles, pasta, pizza. Candy, all sweets, all cakes, cookies, all soda.. It is all what got you all fat AND ME TOO IN THE FIRST PLACE..WHO NEEDS THAT CRAP. EVERY 10 LBS IS 1 SIZE~ YOU WILL FEEL SO HAPPY LOSING THE WEIGHT. LOOKING PRETTY, BUYING NEW AND SKINNY CLOTHES. IF I CAN DO IT SO CAN YOU. SUGAR AND WHITE FLOUR CARBS. CARBS MAKE YOIU FAT AND WANT TO EAT MORE CARBS. UP PROTEIN. PROTEIN WILL KEEP YOU FULL AND LOSE WEIGHT. WHAT DO YOU WANT IN YOUR LIFE? A FAT A$$ OR A NICE THIN AND HEALTHY BODY. I WAS VERY HARD ON MYSELF. I HOPE I HAVE NOT INSULTED YOU. I LOST WEIGHT VERY SLOWLY. I AM OLDER THAN ALL OF YOU.

oh also. I weight myself every day. NO problem there. We fluctuate everyday. If you are not cheating and you are following the rules the fluctuation should not bother you. I keep my list in a book. I started it Jan 1 and on March 1 I saw that I lost 5 lbs.

Ok you newbies.. Best of luck. I am an oldie but a goodie. I want to recomend that you say bye bye to all bread and all of the white flours. You will lose you weight faster. I lost 89 lbs in 15 months. And I am now 63 years old. No soda. Give up these things like candy, cake pie, cookies(all those high carbs ) and in the future when you are thinnner yoiu might want to add those things. ***I doubt it*** IF I can help anyone please ask. ilene

I have the same problem. How about apple sauce.? Frankly I do liquid and if I have a capsule I break it and put it in a shake.

Best of luck to you and welcome. You are doing exactly the right things. Do you have anyone there that can pat your back or rub it.? Think of when a baby has gas...We rub and gently pat the baby on the back. Try this: no promise: pretend that you are hooking and un hooking your bra.several times. I just thought of that. Drink warm tea, broth, or anything warm also. Good luck and keep posting. Feel better soon. Ilene

Hey Bec don't be afraid. It is nothing. Even a flu sot or vacination is worse~ promise. Cross my heart and hope to cry. Sick a finger in my eye!! lol. I am trying to get my b4 and after photos up. I do not know how to do it. but if you can get into my photos you can see it. I think. Ilene

Congrats to you, you have done so well. I am a April fools day baby. Keep going. Never go back..right!

Best of luck to all of you. Keep looking for the happiness.

I am also 5ft 6. I started at 256. I wanted to get to 150. But I could only get to 167. I am older than u/... I am going to be 64 next month. I do wish you luck. This surgery is NOT gastric bypass. Go to lapband.com. Dont' be scared. What do you want for yourself? I know for me I wanted to lose the weight so badly. I could taste it. Is that where you are. Does eating food really solve the problems that stress you out? Give it a thought. I will help you...Ilene

i guess i am an old time. most people have to do the weight loss and exercise journal for 6 months . consider yourself lucky. any thing you want to know please ask. i lost 89 lbs 2 years ago.

Good luck on your first fill. It will take more than 1 for restriction. Maybe 5. Are you eating chips? why? I recommend that you measure your food. This is your window of opportunity to lose the weight that you had the surgery for. i paid cash for mine. I have not had bread or white flour in 2 years. I didnt want to be fat and unhealthy for the rest of my life. I suggerst that you watch your carbs. Up Protein. carbs make you fat and want more carbs, protein keeps you full and makes you lose weight. good luck

It is near the belly button on the side but up.Try not to lay in it if it hurts. I have lapand 2years 1 month. Please feel free to call on me at anytime. I lost 89 lbs.did u see my before and after? i wnt from size 2x to med. Ilene

Sorry that you have pain. Are you having it when you lay on your stomach? On the right side is the port. It takes time before it feel normal. Or are you having it on the side towards your back? That might be gas. Did you call the drs office?

Great job. I bet you look great. I take photos all the time now. My dr refuses to give me a fill. I do the best that I can. I lost 5lbs in 2 months. keep up the good work

Last night while my hubby and I were taking our evening walk. I mentioned to him how happy I was with my choice over 2 years ago. I was 60 years old when I had the surgery. That age was a little too old for the surgery if I had to have my insurance pay for it. Since I had no coverage and had to pay out of pocket it was the best idea and choice of surgery. In 15 months I lost (very slowly 89 lbs.) Then I had foot surgery and it put me and my exercise in a slow down. So I gained back 8 lbs. Well that 8 lbs has stayed with me for 1 year and finally I lost 5 of it from Jan 1 to March 1. So I plan on dropping the rest before we have our trip to Europe. That was my reward. Being older and wiser, I wanted to share my knowledge with others and tried to obtain a position in the faciility where I had my surgery. Killing 2 birds at a time. Making money and giving of myself. At this time I have no job yet. I am a co-leader on 2 teams with Sparkpeople.com. I feel great, I look good for my age. I will be 64 next month. I look forward to exercising every day. I enjoy buying and wearing nice clothes now. I want to continue being healthy until I die. I have made new friends who have the same life style as me. We all enjoy our lives.