shrinkAdink_05/10

I wish I would have had lap band years before. I stupidly thought I didn't need it. So I just kept gaining and gaining. I envy those people who took the initiative to have the surgery before they got to where I was - 371lbs! I missed out on so many years of my life hiding out because of my weight. In less than a year I have my life back and it gets better everyday.
I feel great and am starting to not feel fat all the time and I still have 80+ lbs to lose. It is too much work to worry about anyone but myself! I save the effort for my workouts. Don't hate - appreciate!!

Hmmmmm…that makes me sad for you, envy and/or jealousy can be poisonous.
So, are you saying that once you are in the 190’s that you too shouldn’t be able to use your band to lose weight? Would you really consider yourself skinny at 199? When you get to that point, while yes, you will feel better, you certainly will then know (as did I) that 199 does NOT look or feel skinny on a 5ft 4in frame (my height). Now that I am in a size Zero down from a size 20…I not only FEEL skinny, I AM skinny…LOL In fact I am trying to gain about 10 pounds back.
I started at 220 and lost my weight in less than 1 year because of a sincere desire to have a chance at a healthier lifestyle. It makes people angry to hear it, but it has been SO, SO easy for me with the band. When you do exactly as the doctor says and keep your band comfortably tight, you cannot fail to reach your goal weight easily and quickly. I am proof of that and NO…I didn’t go to the gym J In fact I hate the gym. I never drank a Protein shake, they gag me and I despise vegetables LOL. Oh, I could go on and on.
I think you are being absolutely silly, probably one of the most ridiculous things I have ever heard on here, but at least you’re reaching out to others for advice on the matter which tells me that you don’t like feeling that way?
Seriously, remember this post when you are 199 pounds and then imagine what you would do if someone says, “OK, you’re too skinny to have a band now that you’re 199, you can’t use it anymore, just suffer on your own.” Whether you START at 199 or end up at 199 on your way down the scale, DOES NOT: A) Mean you’re skinny or Mean you shouldn’t be applauded for wanting and fighting to be a healthy weight or C) Be denied the use of a Lap Band. It sounds like a simple jealous/envy issue and trust me, one day in the near future, the other “fat” people around you that know your weight loss secret will be jealous and will envy you too. Guess what? You won’t care what they think, you’ll just be happy you did it and if they want it, they too can do it. I never in a million years thought I would ever be in a Zero again in this lifetime. I hoped for at least a size 7…what seems impossible to you right now, WILL become a reality in time.

Well, I find the attitude that lower BMI bandsters are less worthy of being banded downright offensive.
What if I said to you that you it makes me mad that people are so lazy, self indulgent and stupid to let themselves get to BMI's of 38+ and should have the brains to get themselves banded before they get so fat? What if I said to you that my tax dollars should not pay for your healthcare because you have caused your own health problems (actually they dont because I live in Australia but you know what I mean)?
Sheesh.
But I do know that sometimes you just feel some way in particular and you know its not logical or right. For example, I'm sorry to offend any 5ft 10ers (my height) that have goal weights of 180 to 200 believing they would look "sick" at my measly 140, but I would be HORRIFIED to be that heavy again. I was desperate about my weight when I was in my 20's and weighed that much and I dieted myself right up to 240. In truth 180 at 5ft 10 is quite healthy, very attainable and maintainable and worlds better than 300 or more.

My doc says go for it. I drink better and get less air with a straw. Some people however can't tolerate it and get TOO MUCH air in their belly. In fact when I go for my fills I take a straw with me to use, otherwise I get too much air in my belly and then I can't determine if my fill is complete or if I really just need to burp to get the trapped air out. LOL....the straw alleviates this problem and I always get the perfect fill, which is just ANOTHER reason I reached my goal so quickly! A perfect fill everytime is most important to success.

Even though I just had surgery on Monday, I've already had a non scale victory! When I logged today's weight into my fitness pal, it said because I had lost more than 10 pounds, they had to recalculate my goals. I know my calorie goal was over 1300 (which I thought was a bit much) but now it's down 1240. I'm totally psyched! I'm not logging my food right now because I'm just on full liquids. I'm nowhere close to the amount of calories I should be having, so I don't see the sense in it. I love this app!!

Whoever is telling you that is just jealous. I heard it all before my surgery and I did it anyway. Absolutely the BEST thing I have done for myself in my adult life. I have NEVER heard of someone dying from Lap Band.

JACHUT, I agree with everything you said....and B-52 well said... "I believe everyone here is a failure when it comes to dieting with will power alone."
So, here I am only 1 & 1/2 years out of surgery. I met my goal right at one year. I went from 220 down to 126 pounds. Size 20 to a ZERO...WOW. I am now under my goal and trying to gain a few pounds back.
At 9 months I had reached my goal of 135 so I had my Tummy Tuck and breast lift done. I look and feel amazing. I never thought I would ever look in the mirror and feel anything but disgust...I was wrong
How did I do it? I wish I could say from diligently sticking to a Protein packed diet and hours a day of exercise. NOPE, none of that. I eat what I want, when I want. When everyone says it is physically impossible to overeat, they are correct...so long as you keep your band well adjusted.
That was my secret to my weight loss. Plain and simple...eating less. I am fortunate to have a doc who did fills in a way that most don't and if I had a fill and was not satisfied with the restriction I could go in the next week for another one, where other doc's will say, "you get what I give you and that is that and you can't see me again until 6 weeks, regardless". These people, (and I know some) have had pretty slow weight loss which they find to be frustrating and feel like they will never get to goal. As soon as I feel like I am able to eat too much or I am not feeling full or satisfied soon enough, I know it's time for a fill.
The best thing ever is that when I eat what I want, whenever I want...(since I keep my band well adjusted), I feel full and VERY SATISFIED, very quickly.
I went to the gym for the first 2 months after surgery and even worked w/ a personal trainer, but then my step-children came to live my husband and I, so I went from 3 full time chidren in the house to 5. I just didn't have time anymore, or energy.
Protein shakes....yuck! Tried every flavor in every brand. After wasting tons of money, literally hundreds of dollars, I gave up. So, other than a few sips, I didn't do Protein Shakes. Instead I just drink a lot of skim milk. (I will say though that my hair fell out by the hands full as a result. My long beautiful hair is now cut up to my earlobes. It got very thin and then with the new growth sticking out everywhere it looked ridiclous, so I loped it off. The good news is that it only fell out for the first few months. It IS growing back thank God!)
My doc calls me A POSTER CHILD FOR LAP BAND. He remarked that he wished he could stand me at his door so that I could greet all of his new patients.
Through everything after Lap Band, I have remained very healthly. Every few months I have had Vitamin and Protein levels checked amongst other thing. Everything has always been normal. Even when I was losing so much hair, my protein levels remained in the normal range.
Look at my picture, I call myself skinny now and it didn't happen by being perfect or a health fanatic....FAR from it. Don't keep yourself waiting....DO IT!! I still have habits that I haven 't broken, but my habits have been nipped in the bud. My biggest bad habit is I havn't given up Coke. I hate diet anything. I will at most to low fat, but refuse to do fat free or "diet" foods or drinks. The cool thing is that now, it takes me hours to drink (sip) one can of coke, where used to I would have 3+ 12oz Cokes a day! That one Coke is all I need to feel happy and satisfied, I never feel deprived. I don't do coffee or Starbucks drinks, so I think of my one Coke as my daily coffee.< /p>
Seriously....LOOK AT ME. I am so far from perfect. I had such HUGE self doubt and thought I would never be what I could call tiny ever again. It is so easy for you to be in my same skinny jeans...a size Zero that is!

I have to disagree somewhat. Some people have to work hard, I don't. Some people can still eat burgers, fries and pizza, I can't. It has been sort of a magic fix all for me. The thing is, a person doesn't really know how the band will work for them until they are already banded.

Hi there! I too had a c-section and recovered quickly with minimal pain medication - and I do not have a high pain tolerance . The shoulder pain I experienced the first 3-4 days was horrible. I had zero pain in my abdomen. The shoulder pain comes from the gas used to inflate your stomach for surgery, in addition to, a hernia repair. Along with your liquid pain medication, get some gas-x strips and a heating pad and you'll do just fine! Good luck!
Kelli