Ladybandito

Happy Bandiversary, Alex!
Thank you so much for all the dedicated work you put into starting and maintaining this forum. I am amazed at how accessible and attentive you are to all the posts and posters. This is a large group of people, yet, with you at the helm it seems very close-knit and personal. I have to say that my lapband success is due in very large part to the information and support provided here.
Standing... Clapping.... Hooray, Alex!!!!

Happy Bandiversary, Alex!
Thank you so much for all the dedicated work you put into starting and maintaining this forum. I am amazed at how accessible and attentive you are to all the posts and posters. This is a large group of people, yet, with you at the helm it seems very close-knit and personal. I have to say that my lapband success is due in very large part to the information and support provided here.
Standing... Clapping.... Hooray, Alex!!!!

Thank you !
It feels good to be back home. I'm slowly getting back into the swing of things after my hip replacement. I had a few complications other than my hip but I'm on the mend now. I lost 14 lbs while I was in the hospital and rehab... I was in for 38 days and didn't have much energy and wasn't able to walk at all so I didn't burn off any calories and I didn't have much of an appetite because of all the meds... but I hope to put those pounds back now that I'm back home (I never thought I'd say that... LOL).
Tom, Toronto
Banded July 6 06
Wt. Loss: 160 lbs

Congrats Alex and thank you for building this community instead of just taking care of yourself.
This is where I came and found out about the types of surgery available, made a decision about the type of surgery to get, got support pre-op, those first few stressful weeks post-op, through my weight loss journey and finally, during life at goal.
From the bottom of my heart, I salute you! For doing well for yourself and creating a home for the cantankerous, bickering, sometimes ungrateful community of fellow weight loss surgery patients.
Happy 11th surgiversary and here's to many more years at goal and in good health!
Lynda

Today is the 11-year anniversary of my ‪LAP-BAND‬ surgery! I have lost and kept off over 100 pounds, and I'm loving life! It has been a wonderful journey, and I am so grateful. I'm so proud of our weight loss surgery community!

Banded 2009

Now you've got this, dawalsh! Happy for you!

I keep seeing this gorgeous picture of a sculpture all over social media. If anyone knows more info about this pic, let me know! I'd LOVE to have something like this created!

Well,, I'm happy to say that after 18 months post op I have finally hit the sweet spot! I thought it would never happen! The last time I felt like this was during the "honeymoon" stage when I was first banded. I have a very conservative doctor when it comes to fills and I have been going religiously every month to get filled. The fact that I told him I would be gone for 6 weeks may have made him give me a bigger fill but I'm not complaining. It's working and I literally cannot eat more than 1/2 cup of food at a time. So I'm hopeful now that I won't have to go every month for a fill. I can truly say I'm doing a "Happy" dance! :-)

Miss Pearlie is a hot mess I tell you. My personal goal was 150, but nooooooo that wasn't HER goal and as we all know, what Miss Pearlie wants, Miss Pearlie gets. So I've quit freaking out about it and I'm just letting her do her. I'm eating just fine, drinking just fine and maintaining my normal activity level and the weight keeps coming off. Fortunately enough, it has slowed to about a pound a week which is allowing my skin to catch up with it a bit more quickly. My mother and some of my friends were freaking out because after a substantial loss, my skin sags, I look tired and aged. That has tapered off and I am now looking younger than I did before the band...which was already really remarkable.
There was a time that I wanted to get a slight unfill to bring the loss to a complete stop, but after getting advice from experienced bandsters that I trust I just allowed my body to do what it would, trusting that it would stop losing when it wanted to. I am a lot less stressed out as a result and accepting each day and each new surprise as it comes. It is so weird to look at a pair of pants and say "there is no way I'm getting in those"... hold them up to me and still say "nuh, un...not gonna work", then try them on and they are a perfect fit. I have to just sit back and say "no way, I'm really THAT small?" It is shocking and I thought I was over the body dysmorphia, but I'm not quite there yet. I still see myself as chunky...everyone else sees me as skinny. At 138, I'm still way more solid than my body appears and most people think I'm around 120 / 125 at the most. I love being "little". I don't realize how little I am until someone who I thought was an average weight hugs me and they are wrapped around me. Woooooow! Anyway, I'm thrilled that this first year has been so good for me and Miss Pearlie, I'm glad I chose to get the band rather than the sleeve. It turns out it was the right procedure for me and it hasn't given me any complications, even through a horrible stomach virus which caused me to vomit from below the band several times...she's still sitting pretty and perfect. I thank God for my surgeon, I know a lot of my success can be attributed to his level of skill, expertise and his genuine care for his patients. I wish everyone had him, I honestly don't think you would see any complaints about this surgery if they were all like him.

I'm also 2 years post surgery and only my dad knows (and my docs). I don't plan to tell anyone else. It's my business and I think that's ok.

I make a chia seed drink. 1/2 gallon of Water and 4 tablespoons of chia seeds. I flavor the water with fresh squeezed lemon or lime juice, and 2 tablespoons of Agave nectar. Delicious!!

I'm glad that you realized that. If a man doesn't understand then you Dont need him!!! My fiance was worried I'd lose weight and want to be single. Why? I asked him. He loved me with all the extra weight! You want a man that will love you overweight as well as skinny!! Life can be ugly sometimes. You want someone that loves you despite anything! I have an internal defibrillator due to a heart condition. Found myself single and dating again at 35.. I intentionally wore shirts so that the scar showed. I wanted to see who would tuck tail and run and who would stick around!!! Good luck to you on your 2 nd time around !!! And to everyone else, remember through this journey that you are beautiful!!! Love yourself and enjoy your life every day!

Some pointers that helped me through stall times:
1. Increase your Water intake
2. Make sure there are 4-plus hours between eating meals -- 4 hours of only liquids, no "grazing"
3. Increase Protein, lower veggies and carbs. Eat foods you have to "chew" -- and chew well.
4. Get some type of exercise everyday. Walking is great. Resistance bands or weights are great.
5. Avoid "processed" or packaged foods until you are back on track.
I really believe the 4-hour timing between meals (even if you are "starving,") is a key point, and I still do this regularly today. At first it seems like you are clocking everything... Water, food, etc ... But you do get used to it. And you will cut through the stall.

Some pointers that helped me through stall times:
1. Increase your Water intake
2. Make sure there are 4-plus hours between eating meals -- 4 hours of only liquids, no "grazing"
3. Increase Protein, lower veggies and carbs. Eat foods you have to "chew" -- and chew well.
4. Get some type of exercise everyday. Walking is great. Resistance bands or weights are great.
5. Avoid "processed" or packaged foods until you are back on track.
I really believe the 4-hour timing between meals (even if you are "starving,") is a key point, and I still do this regularly today. At first it seems like you are clocking everything... Water, food, etc ... But you do get used to it. And you will cut through the stall.

One time at a 4 star restaurant, after having Soup and an appetizer, I could not finish, let alone even start my entree....the waiter kept asking if everything was ok with my meal, and I kept assuring him it was fine and I would take it home with me.....
I quess he told the chef, who made me another entree, one of his choosing not on the menu...something he felt that surely I would enjoy....you could imagine my awkwardness when the server put another meal in front of me....

I think it's important to fully understand that this process is more than just the surgery. Pre-op, surgery, and post-op are such a small part of the journey. Today is my 2 year anniversary and I am reminded of my band not only at every meal but throughout the day too.
For starters, the band is much tighter in the morning. There are some mornings that are worse than others but when your favorite meal is Breakfast it gets annoying. Oh, and goodbye eggs (for me anyway). If I can mix them with something I can get them down sometimes but for the most part, eggs don't stay down for me. And for the record, eggs aren't fun the second time.
You will be noisy. My husband calls me his baby bear. When I eat, when I drink, and sometimes just because, I make noises. It's fine around my hubby but it does make it uncomfortable when I am with others who don't know about the surgery. I haven't told anyone about the surgery except my hubby and my mom. So I play it off as funny noises with everyone else.
You will eat slower than you ever thought. If you are the chef of the household, you may want to prepare your plate first and start while you are still cooking everyone elses. Eating out is a challenge because others are done and you've got only a few bites down. Again, it's not that big of a deal but people will inevitibly make comments so be prepared. Countless waiters have asked me repeatedly if my meal was ok because most of it is left when we leave. Learn to love leftovers
This will be difficult. This is a not a dream. You won't wake up feeling better. You won't wake up skinny. You wake up every day with a reminder that you were fat once and you don't ever want to be that weight again. You know you. You know why you chose surgery. This is a commitment - a commitment you can't break. It's easy to plan to eat healthy. It's easy to plan to go to the gym. It's easy to say you want to lose weight. Committing to doing those things is easy - following through is the hard part. The band helps you with that. The band reminds you to change your life and when you slip into old habits it makes you pay for it.
This is a great forum. There are lots of people in the same situation as you. I've used it when something happens and I want to see if it happens to anyone else. For me, it was shoulder pain. After surgery you will have gas - not the farting kind but the bloat your entire body with gas so they can move your organs around kind. I felt this pain in my shoulder. Walk. Walk. Walk. Still today, if I eat too much, or eat too quickly, I sometimes get the same shoulder pain. It's not fun - at all.
Anywho... good luck with your journey. You are not alone. You're not the first and won't be the last. This is common. You got this!

The wiki post misses one of the key points which is to have an extended fast on the two "fast"days. You do that by stopping eating at say 6pm the day before and not consuming food till say noon on the fast days.
I also want to mention that going low carb also works to restart weight loss.

277
72 my loss
349

Thanks for sharing your experience.

Um, no. It is not normal. Now that you have, straighten up for the duration.
Sorry if I'm too blunt; no offense intended.

Does not surprise me.....I was obese because I could not control my eating...diets did not work, anything involving self control, discipline would last only for a short while....
Lap band has nor only taking control of what and how much I can eat, it has also taken away my hunger and cravings,,,,
It has been this way for so long, I began to think it was me doing this...so I asked to have just 1/c cc of saline taken out....it was a Disaster.....totally disrupted that "Perfect" balance, green Zone...my hunger returned, I started to eat more than usual, and gain weight...I immediately went back and had that 1/2 cc put back in 2-3 weeks later...
I say that, because if that is what can happen with just 1/2 cc taken out, I cannot imagine what it would be like if I had my band removed entirely....
I know for sure that it is the band that is in control of everything, and not me at all....people call the band a "Tool"...well, I do not....a tool is something I use and have control over ...with the band it is just the opposite...
Also, I am not a believer in the concept that one does not loose weight because they are eating too little....I have always found the opposite to be true....

If food is stuck in your pouch, stomach acids will break it down in about 4 hours. If you got it stuck real bad, the swelling can cause it to feel like you're stuck because of the inflammation caused by the food pressing against the stoma.
If you can drink fluids, the food has passed. Don't gulp, sip some Water to see if it's clear yet? I recommend chewing on ice or having something with ice chips in it. Ice can help with the swelling/inflammation just like it does on sprained ankles. Good way to get your fluids in and helps reduce the swelling at the same time.
tmf

Your level of success is mostly up to you. It's similar to high school where the scholastic average is around 3.0. You can be a 4.0 student if you work hard. You can also fail and be much less than 3.0. That's why it's called an average. We have many 4.0-4.2 students here but we also have some 2.0 students too. Sometimes it's not how hard you work, but life can throw a lot of curves.

When the first doctor I talked to said, "You can expect to lose 60% of your excess weight" I asked how he came up with that number. He said, "Averages". My response was, "I am not giving this an average-type of effort."
I went into this wanting to lose 106 pounds - 256 high weight down to 150 pounds. I'm at 183 and have only lost 7 pounds in the past 2.5 months. I'm discouraged because I've slowed down so much. I'm just shy of 8 months post op.
I can tell you - although I won't be happy with my roughly 70% loss, if I don't lose another pound, my life is better today than it was a year ago. My size is smaller today than at the same weight years ago. I'm more active and a lot of my health problems are gone, my aches and pains are gone.
The numbers are not as important to me right now - I'm working out a lot and doing my best to eat on program. Those are the things I can control. I can't control how my body decides it's going to lose the pounds.. The scale doesn't have the same hold on me as it did early on. I feel fantastic and i think I look pretty good, too! :-)