More2Love

Dr. Larson is such a wonderful doctor! He's very personable and he listens and takes notes whenever you're in his office. His staff is always willing to take calls or call back as soon as they get a chance. JFK offers two meetings a month to get together and socialize with fellow bandsters. The whole office is completely laid back and I'm never nervous or anxious before check-ups. I would recommend them 100% - not a doubt in my mind!

I watch newtoy4kt religiously on youtube. She's actually one of the main inspirations I had in the process of deciding if this was right for me. She's brutally honest and a true encouragement. I started watching her when she first started making videos - almost 2 years ago. Her change is remarkable and she's still making videos!

A lot of surgeons tell you how much you'll lose but they're only going by statistics. Be more than a statistic. My doctor told me that I was only going to get to 224. That's not okay to me. And I'm only talking for myself. I personally want to get a lower number than that. So I'm going to shoot for 170. I know I can do it. My surgery was May 18, 2011 and I've already lost 65 lbs. I'm going to keep going until I reach his goal. And then I'll keep going until I get into the 100's. And then I'll keep going until 170. And you know what? I'll keep going until I am comfortable. I do plan on losing more than 100 lbs. Because determination and hard work goes a lot longer than just a few statistics. Besides, you're young... you only get this life once so why not make it the best you can? But here is some truth: The band isn't going to lose the weight for you. If you've been going to the gym religiously and havne't had much success then the band isn't going to drop the weight. Eating veggies is going to be a way of life because most foods (starchy) aren't going to go down the "pipe." fruit, veggies, and lean meats are my daily foods now. Maybe meet with the surgeon and your dietician and tell them about the situation. They'd love to hear about it. I wish you the best with whatever decision you make!!

I think it varies from person to person. Some people don't lose much because it's only been a couple weeks since surgery. But some people lose a whole bunch. It just depends on if you cheated, the amount of weight a person needed to shed, the way your body responded to the surgery, etc. I personally lost 25 lbs before seeing my doctor again, but every experience is different

Hey Karina! What a difference! (In your profile picture) Looking good, girl!

mmmm...cheez-its sound so good right now It's not a point of "cheating" persay, it's a point of your body trying to heal. Your stomach just got squeezed and is trying to pick itself back up after being "abused" so to say. The guilty feeling is probably coming from the fact that you know it's not the best snack food you could have had (no matter how delicious!" If that's the case then just realize that this is a lifestlye change not an overnight change. Not only that, but you can have a few of them. Just because you got the band doesn't mean you can never eat again. Though later on down the road cheez-its might not agree with you! However, this early into it it may not be that great of a choice. I probably wouldn't start eating carrots and steak but a few cheez-its will not hurt you. If you're more concerned about the band itself and if you ruined it - no. Unless you feel extreme pain and discomfort you're fine.

I have a 10cc band also. I now have just a little more than 4 cc's and think I might've finally found my "sweet spot." I would think that you should feel at least something.... whether it be tighter in the morning or something. I think you should probably call your doctor and just check in. Never hurts to just talk to him about it

Congrats!!! This is one of the best decisions you could make!!

Hey! My surgery was May 18 and I'm down 60 lbs. I wouldn't mind losing another 40 lbs before Christimas. Everyone says that I look much thinner, but I can't see it at all. I used to be able to see it, and then my mind suddenly changed... or at least my eyes changed. All I see are the flaws. But maybe I'll be happier after 40 more lbs.

Hey! This post was extremely helpful because I now know that I'm not the only one out there with this problem. I was banded on May 18 and have lost a good portion of weight also (down 60lbs). I was doing so well with my diet and then all of a sudden I just didn't feel like doing it anymore. The band doesn't seem tight enough because I can eat everything (including the things I was told I wouldn't be able to post-op). I actually gained - on purpose - 3 lbs and then started drinking 70oz of Water per day. Now I'm back down 2lbs in 2 days so I think I might continue that. Do remember to drink your water because it will semi-fill you up and will help you shed fat. Good luck!

At least a week...I'm pretty sure I was able to lay on my stomach after a week and a half. It does make life much, much easier!

TMI - but I had my period and let's just say they gave me a blood thinner TWICE in one day. My poor sheets had to be changed because I couldn't get up fast enough to use the bathroom in time. And this is coming from someone who is so careful when it comes to bleeding through clothes. Oh, I was mortified! But 6 weeks later, i don't care!

That's SO great!! Congrats!!! What an inspiration you are to us all!! Keep on bragging!

Ugh. Sliming is very uncomfortable. It's gross, but common. Watermelon did NOT work for me! Bailey explained it really well.

I am looking forward to crossing my legs for the first time lol, being able to wear cute clothes and some cute short shorts. Being able to wear cute sandals and heels without having to buy wide width..just to name a few.

Oh, yes! I'm definitely looking forward to crossing my legs. I've always only crossed my ankles and I usually get asked the same question: "Why are you sitting like that?" When the other lady has her legs crossed. It's embarrassing. I just want to be "girly!"

For a lot of people (including myself) we are on here to get support from others. Not always positive support, but sometimes support to make us feel like we aren't the only ones who feel a certain way. Such as someone who has a port flip or a band slip. We just need advice sometimes. There are positive things on here, but sometimes people just need a place to go where they feel like they "belong" and that they're not alone through this whole journey. Try to read this forum and put yourself in their places. Sometimes encouragement is what they need. I know that I've even complained about a few things, but usually when I'm feeling my best I don't get on here. It's not until I'm feeling stressed, or discouraged do I finally retreat here in order to get some advice. But definitely keep coming back...it really is encouraging even if you don't feel like it is.

Your doctor will tell you. Sometimes it's things that are required by the insurance company - such as a Thyroid test. However, my doc required an EKG and chest x-ray. Both are simple and kind of fun! Definitely talk to your doc about it.

Just wanted to make sure you know that American Eagle has extended sizes (up to 18) online. The boy fit jeans run big.

Hey! Yes, I know. But I want to actually walk into an American Eagle store and put on a pair of 14 jeans. I don't want to shop online anymore. Too many years of that...now I'm ready to actually buy things that day! I can't wait

Hey - I'm really looking forward to the day I can put on a pair of American Eagle jeans. I've always been a big girl and need been able to fit into the "cool" clothes. For just one time in my life, I want to walk into that store and leave with a pair of jeans. I will cry that day. lol...it's been my dream since I was a freshman in high school. However, I just went to Old Navy today and tried on a size 18. A bit snug (then again they were "short" when I'm quite tall) but I was able to zip them up. I'm getting there. Almost 50 pounds lost! Woooo hoooo!!!

I drink Muscle Milk Light every day. They only have 100 calories. I'm obsessed with calories and don't drink anything with more than 120 calories for my Protein shake. I drink the pre-mixed shakes and only the chocolate ones. I've tried the Cookies & cream when I first started and it was nasty. The chocolate one isn't so bad. There's a Muscle Milk that's 170 cals with like 19g of Protein I believe? That one's pretty good. And yes, Muscle Milk gives you the bloated/ gassy feeling. Ugh, that's the worst part of the whole thing. But, there's only 100 calories and sometimes if I plug my nose, it goes down so much easier. It does give a nasty after taste so I ALWAYS have gum in my pocket. That's a must if you're going to drink it. Anyway, I hope everything works out for you with your new shake!!

Actually, my period was really bad prior to surgery. They were extremely irregular for almost my whole "adult" life. I'm 22 now. In fact, since January of this year I had it for 4 months straight! Literally! It was terrible! It wasn't always heavy, but it was so irregular - lots of spotting. I talked to my doctor and it was because of my weight. At that time I was 316 lbs. They were heavy and usually started to get heavy when I was nervous or stressed. However, since surgery May 18th and 42 lbs later, my period is so regular! I mean, I had one period a week ago and it was heavy...but it wasn't heavy for like 2 weeks. No, it was heavy for 2 days and then stopped. I'm finally a "normal" adult! This band has changed my life in more ways than one!

Funny things is, I came onto this site tonight because I was dealing with the exact same problem! I was banded on May 18th - I did no diet prior to surgery and have lost a grand total of 41 lbs. However, every 10 lbs I keep stalling. I work out every night for at least an hour (and I really mean work out!) I had been losing quickly before and then once I started going to the gym, my weight loss decreased. It seems to take me forever to get to the next pound lost. I especially stalled at the 285 mark, now I'm finally at 275 but I keep going up and down....then again, I weigh myself every morning. I'm thinking about just having my roomies hide the scale so I don't do that anymore. All I can say is that the scale WILL go down. Believe it or not. I didn't think it would go down once I got to 285...but now I'm 10 lbs lighter. I know that this may not help, but I'm right there with you. It's frusterating...but we'll do this...together!!!!

On the scale of 1 - 10 (1 being nothing and 10 being terrible) I would probably rate it a 7-8 in the hospital. I have low pain tolerance and didn't want the pain meds because it made me sick. However, once the found the right pain med to give me I was in heaven. I was able to walk around and was great. After day 2 I was more of a (5) until about the 5th day. Then I had to go back to school - I'm in Cosmetology school where I work on my feet 8 hours a day and was completely fine. I was probably a (2) but hardly felt it at all. Definitely the pain is temporary. We've all been there for sure. It gets better...even if it doesn't feel like it will. I remember asking, "Is this going to be forever?" but before I knew it, I woke up and was itching to get to the gym! You can do it!! There's no doubt that you can it! Do attend the support meetings, and even watching shows on TV like Extreme Makeover - Weight Loss Edition help. Find as much support you can, and don't forget that you're your own biggest fan. It didn't take a few weeks to put the weight on, so don't forget that it will take more than a few weeks to get the weight off. But I can promise you that the day you buy a smaller pair of jeans, you will never want to give up! Definitely hit me up if you ever feel nervous. That goes for anyone. I can be a great listener. I will listen to your complaints, and your excitements! Good luck to you! You'll all do great!

Did I have pain? Yes. Was the week of Clear liquids hard? Of course. But did I ever wish I didn't do it? Never. Even today, I am 100% certain that I would do the surgery again. It's been a blessing in my life and everything negative that you may read on here is just us complaining. But I truly don't think anyone would wish they didn't have it done. I'm feeling happy, heathy, and confident. The nerves are temporary, but your health is forever. Good luck with everything!!

Hey guys! I had my surgery 3 weeks ago. I'd been losing great for about 2 weeks. In fact, I had lost 30 lbs in those two weeks before seeing my surgeon for my post-op follow-up. However, now I'm not losing anything! I've been stuck at the same weight for a week now. I joined a gym last week, and now I haven't lost a single pound. Now, I haven't gained either so that's great! I'm just wondering if someone knows a trick to jump-start weightloss again. I'm not eating a lot, and am always drinking 64oz+ of Water a day. I go (fast) over 2 miles on the tredmill each night, and then go just one mile on the bike. And I'm not eating after 5pm. I just don't understand what I'm doing wrong. If someone has a trick up their sleeve for weightloss - even just 1 pound - please let me know. (I'm getting my 1st fill this Monday so I'll be sure to pop into my Nutritionist's office to make up a food plan with her.)