Dave_NW

Weight loss tends to be overall, and it's unrealistic to try and "spot reduce." If you look at before and after photos of people who have lost weight, you can see it most in their faces, but otherwise, their body shrinks equally. To maximize your new shape during your weight loss, try to tighten and tone the muscles that are in the area you want most to affect. So if your stomach area is the problem site, doing crunches, situps, whatever else for the benefit of muscles in that area will make sure your new body reflects the best possible muscle conditioning you can do. Good luck! Dave

Congratulations on your decision to improve your life. You won't regret the positive changes it'll make. My only regret for this surgery was that I didn't do it years ago. When you do tell others, be sure they understand that you're talking about lap band, and not gastric bypass surgery. I find it very hard to believe anyone would be "bedridden for life" with a lap band, since it's removable and reversible. You'll find a lot of folks confuse the two surgeries, and they are very different from each other. Continue to do your research, and educate yourself on the process of banding. The more you know, the more you can speak with authority to others about why you've chosen this surgery for yourself. At the end of the day, it's about you, and not about them. Those who are supporttive will accept your decision, and be "on your side." There will be some who will object regardless of what you say. In those cases, it's best to take a "wait and see" approach. Most folks come around when they see how well you're doing after surgery. Remember also, that you don't need to tell the world you're having surgery. it's a personal decision about a personal subject. Everyone else will just have to accept the truth after the fact. Wishing you the very best with your surgery. Good luck! Dave

I agree with Amber about adding more calories. I plateaued around the time of my first fill, and it seemed impossible to lose anything. Then I took my nutrition up from around 1000 calories a day to between 1200 and 1500, and the weight is now steadily moving downward. And Swan, one thing to remember is that muscle weighs more than fat, so you may not see the pounds coming off very much, but you may be losing fat, and gaining muscle. At my last fill I had a talk with the PA who does fills. She showed me a chart of my weight loss so far, and the fat percentages were moving downward, while the muscle percentages were moving upward. She said I was right on track for what they want to see. I'm probably sounding like a broken record, but I can't emphasize enough about how sold I am on the Bodymedia.com armband. There are several versions, one of which is the Bodybugg, the armband worn by contestants on The Biggest Loser. This awesome gadget will show you on your computer screen exactly where you are for the day, in terms of exercise, calories eaten, calories burned, and the calorie deficit you need to equal weight loss. It takes the guess work out of everything. It's incredible! Dave

Cliff, just to give you an idea that there are different schools of thought about this: I've been advised by my surgeon's team to eat small meals as often as I get hungry, as long as they're planned and nutritous meals. For me, that's about every four hours. So I eat about five times a day. Some meals are a bit heavier than others, but the goal for me is to maintain my blood sugar balance, and to get my nutrition in. I eat about 1200 to 1500 calories a day, about 100g of Protein, and about 60g of carbs. I work out 30 to 60 minutes a day. My goal is to have about 1000 calories a day deficit, which equals about 2 pounds a week weight loss. It's working very well for me. I think the minimal diet you're on is fine, as long as you're healthy and losing on it. It wasn't enough nutrition for me, and after I bumped my nutrition numbers up, my weight loss started moving downward again. I've found having the Bodymedia.com armband (aka Bodybugg) has been an excellent tool for me to track my meals, exercise, and sleeping habits. This is the same kind of band the contestants wear on The BIggest Loser. It really works. Good luck! Dave

Call it how you see it. I'm not taking sides. To me, it's obstructionary politics, and it is ALL game-playing, at the expense of the average citizen. I don't agree with any of it. Dave

You both are getting ahead of yourselves. For about four to six weeks after surgery, your goal should be to heal from your surgery. When you get your first fill, it will start to firm up the band in place, but one fill isn't likely to be enough to let you feel restriction. You may need several fills before you reach that point. The bigger thing to focus on is your eating plan, getting your nutrition in, learning how to eat with the band, and working toward your weight loss. When you go for your next fill, discuss things with the staff at your surgeon's office, and get the information you need to understand where you are in the overall process. One question to get answered is whether your surgeon put any Fluid in your band during surgery, in which case the fill you've had would add to that. You should know where you are, relative to the size of your band. Mommy, if you have only 2 CCs in a 10 or 14CC band, then there is no way you should be feeling restriction. And Rosey, if you have only 1/2 CC but you're feeling restriction AND sliming? Sounds like you have more in your band than you know about. You both need to find out the rest of the story. When I was banded, my surgeon put in 3.2 CCs in my 14 CC band during surgery. At my first fill I got 2 CCs, giving me 5.2 CCs. At my second fill I got another 2 CCs, so now I have 7.2 CCs. I only now feel some restriction. It feels much different than it did the first month after my surgery. Have you ever read the article "It's Not About Restriction?" The article is excellent: http://drsimpson.net...l#LETTER.BLOCK7 Hope this helps. Dave

Yeah, it's nothing at all like what the Republicans have been doing in DC since Obama took office. I guess cowardice comes in different colors - both blue AND red. Both sides should be ashamed. Dave

Welcome back, Joe. I know how difficult it can be to try and restart a derailed program. But you know there's a lot of support waiting for you here. I wish you lots of success, and decreasing pounds on your new scale - talking or otherwise. I'm pretty new at this, but if I can help in some way, give me a shout. There aren't enough guys here. Dave

A lot of self-pay folks have the surgery in Mexico. It's a whole lot cheaper there. Just a thought. Dave

I had a hiatal hernia and a ventral hernia repaired during my band surgery in December. I was sore like crazy for several weeks. If I felt the urge to cough, I found it was easier to stand up, and try to get "under" the cough. Once I got the excess lung fluids out (leftover from surgery), I had more control over coughing. Within a short time the hard pain stopped, and it was only a matter of the stitches healing up. I was back to normal within a relative few weeks. One very, VERY positive beneft: I have had ZERO acid reflux, heartburn, indigestion, GERD, or whatever you want to call it, since surgery. No matter what I eat, those days are gone. It's AWESOME! Hang in there. Sip liquids till you feel you're going to float, don't eat anything you shouldn't, and walk a lot. It's the best three things you can do for yourself in the first few days after surgery. Dave

Congratulations on your weight loss. Keep it up! I went for my second fill the other day, and I had a serious heart-to-heart with the PA who was working with me. i said I felt I should be losing faster than I am, because I'm doing everything right. Diet, exercise, hydration - whatever else. She pulled out a graph she had that showed my progress since being banded last December. There were percentage numbers, two of which were fat percentage vs. muscle percentage, or some such. I didn't understand all the numbers on her graph. She showed me that the numbers on the fat percentage are moving downward, while the other numbers are increasing. She explained that this showed my body is adjusting it's ratio of fat to muscle, and since muscle weighs more, I'm actually losing more weight than it shows. As muscle is added back, the pounds lost seems fewer, so even though the scale only showed I'd lost a few pounds in the last month, I'm actually getting healthier. She said I'm right on track for what they expect, and she was very proud of my efforts. One to two pounds a week net loss is what they want to see, and in the overall picture, that's what I'm doing. Then she gave me my second fill. I'm now feeling some restriction for the first time, and I've lost two pounds in the last four days. Yahoo! Dave

I'm not sure if you've seen it, but this is taken directly from the Triwest Benefits website pages: Gastric Bypass TRICARE covers gastric bypass, gastric stapling and gastroplasty to include vertical banded gastroplasty and laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (Lap-Band surgery) is covered only when the beneficiary meets one of the following conditions: Is 100 pounds over ideal weight for height and bone structure and has one of these associated conditions: diabetes mellitus, hypertension, cholecystitis, narcolepsy, Pickwickian syndrome, hypothalamic disorders or severe arthritis of the weight-bearing joints Is 200 percent or more over ideal weight for height and bone structure Has had intestinal bypass or other surgery for obesity and because of complications, requires another surgery (takedown) TRICARE does not cover: Nonsurgical treatment of obesity, morbid obesity, dietary control or weight reduction Biliopancreatic bypass, gastric bubble or balloon for the treatment of morbid obesity ******************************* So maybe you need to evaluate your stats? A BMI of 40 isn't all that is required. If you want to use the 100 pounds over ideal weight ruling, then you need to have at least one of the listed comorbidities. Dave

After my surgery I lost steadily for several weeks, then as I was allowed more "normal" food, my weight loss slowed, until it finally just stopped. I was plateaued for several weeks. I finally sorted through what I was eating, how much exercise I was getting, and what I wasn't doing, then reached a balance for my system. I learned that increasing my nutrition a bit, exercising a few minutes more, and raising my calories just a litte put me over the edge, and the scale started moving again. This isn't rocket science, but it isn't a walk in the park, either. The more proactive you are in what is happening in your body, the better off you'll be. Good luck! Dave

And if you need WLS surgery and don't have it, what will they say when you DO die suddenly, tragically, and prematurely? Will they wring their hands and say, "Gosh. We always told her she needed to lose weight. But she never listened..." Seriously: If you feel it's the best option for you, have the surgery. For every one or two people who develop serious post-op problems, even those who die from those complications, there are TENS OF THOUSANDS of people who have no trouble at all. Choose your surgeon carefully (there is no substitute for experience) and follow your intuition. Chances are very, VERY good you'll be just fine. And then, after you've lost the weight, you can rub your family's noses in the fact that they didn't want you to do this good thing for yourself. My biggest regret about my surgery was that I didn't do it years ago. Good luck!

I had a similar appointment with my surgeon's office. I called it a "marathon appointment," since it was four or five consults back-to-back. It took about a half day. I first met with a Psychologist, who interviewed me, and talked about whether I knew what having band surgery was about, and whether I knew what I was getting into. (Some folks report the Psych had them fill out a long questionnaire, but mine didn't do that.) After the Psych I met with a Physician, who did a basic "Are you healthy enough for surgery" assessment. We also talked about the physicality of being banded, and what life is like after surgery. Then I met with the Nutritionist, who talked about how it is to eat with a band, and how my eating habits will change after surgery. Finally I met with the Surgeon himself, who talked with me about the surgical procedure, what to expect, and what would happen. After it was all done, the surgeon met with the other doctors, and they decided if they felt I was a candidate for the surgery. They agreed, and sent me on my way, to do lab work and a few other things. I did the lab work at another facility that was more convenient to my home, since I needed to be fasting before they drew blood. The blood draw was something like 13 tubes of blood, which got sent out for all sorts of different kinds of tests. It wasn't a big deal, but seemed like a lot of blood to draw all at once. Don't worry about the appointment. This is what the surgical staff is for, and they'll take good care of you. Good luck! Dave

I recently got the Bodymedia FIT BW version, and I'm finding it very helpful. I previously had the non-Bluetooth version, and found it inconvenient to have to sync with my home computer, only to find out my exercise for the day was too little. Now, with the Bluetooth version, I can track things on the fly through my Droid phone, so when I later sync the armband with my home computer, I know what to expect. It's helping, too - I've lost more weight with it than without it. Yahoo! Anyone else stepping onto this "band" wagon? (Lap band AND arm band. Gee - I always wanted to join a band... LOL!) Dave

Hang in there. Things will change. You've come a fair way in a very short time, and you deserve to give yourself a chance to adjust. After my surgery, once things adjusted to their new "normal," (surgery Fluid weight went away, I got off liquid diet, and such), my weight loss slowed, then plateaued. I didn't gain, but I couldn't seem to lose any, either. I kept up the daily routine, tried to balance calories in vs. calories out, and I played with the nutrition a bit. I discovered that if I boosted the nutrition while maintaining everything else, the weight shifted a bit, then started downward again. Granted, it was at a slower pace than it was initially, but it still continued downwards. From what I've read here and elsewhere, this is normal. The stalls are your body adjusting to the way it responds to what you're feeding it. I've since figured out how my metabolism works, (sort of), and I'm trying very hard to balance calories in vs. calories out, while increasing my daily exercise. The LBT threads about calculating caloric intake and how much it takes to lose weight were very helpful. I'm happy to report the scale for me in moving downwards again. Good luck with this. And above all, keep at it - it's worth it! Dave

Something about the not drinking with meals thing I don't understand: If the point is to prevent you from digesting too fast, and therefore help prevent you from overeating, is it still a problem if you drink with meals, and DON'T overeat? Am I missing something? I have trouble breathing through my nose (it's more than a deviated septum) so I'm forced to breathe through my mouth. As a result, my mouth and throat are always very dry. I drink liquids all the time. If I don't sip liquids while eating, I can't swallow. So I've been drinking all along. I don't overdo it, but I don't restrict fluids with meals. I eat till I begin to feel full, and I stop eating. In four or five hours I eat again. I don't get sick, I don't get stuck, I don't graze, I don't eat junk food or empty calories, and I feel fine. So to me, that's in keeping wth the larger point of being banded. They say everyone has a personal journey with their weight loss, and they have to learn how to work their band to their best advantage. I don't recommend others do as I do, but this seems to be working for me. My weight loss would seem to support that. :thumbup: Dave

I think there are reasons why some posts are annoying or rude, and others that say similar things aren't taken so badly. A lot has to do with the reader, and their frame of mind when they come across a post like that. I've found that some posters who annoy the heck out of me aren't so bad on other days. I figure it's all about how I'm reading things. As for why posts like that exist, I think it's because of the anonymous nature of forums like this. People say things on forums like ths because nobody knows them. They adopt a certain attitude or online personality, and they live up (or down) to that persona. If the same person was in a room with you, chances are good they wouldn't say things like that to your face, or at least, not in the same way. As has been mentioned, reading a forum does not give you the option of expressing body language. And a post that may be meant to be strong, heartfelt concern easily comes across as rude and insensitive. You have to step back and take it all with a huge grain of salt. Another point is the intelligence and communication skills of the person leaving the rude post. They may not have the vocabulary to use "softer" words to express themselves, and the phrasing they choose says something much harsher than they intended. Now, having said all that, I've also taken to staying away from this forum for more than a cursory review every few days. I rarely post anymore because I know there isn't much I have to say that would be a new thought. There is plenty of redundancy here, and I don't need to add to the confusion. If I can offer something helpful to the OP, I'd recommend reading the forum at "arm's length," and take away the advice you need, while not taking the other posts too seriously. In the end, your goal is probably to learn what you need to know to live with your band. The social arguments and negativity don't contribute to that, so don't take it away wth you. The one thing I think everyone here wants is for everyone to do well with their band, and to be successful with their weight loss. Everything else is just drama, emotions, nerve, moods, and bad social interaction. Focus on the right stuff, and let the other stuff go. Life is too short to let it bring you down. Good luck! Dave

My surgery was more extensive than most. In addition to the normal band incisions, I had a hiatal hernia and a ventral hernia repaired at the same time the band was placed. So I ended up with 13 incisions. Yikes! All but one are very small. Most are just "poke hole" types. The largest is where the port was placed. It's about two inches long. They're all fading, and I expect they'll be mostly invisible in time. Dave

Kathy, I'm not any kind of expert in all this, but I found this article to be quite helpful: http://drsimpson.net/newsletter/March-2010-Lap-band-surgery-newsletter/content-March-2010-Lap-band-surgery-newsletter.html#LETTER.BLOCK7 Dave

I have Tricare Prime, and went through things as they came up. My PCM was happy to refer me - all I had to do was ask. The surgeon I chose was one of very few in Washington State who do lap band AND take Tricare Prime insurance, so it made the choice fairly easy. (Swedish Hospital in Seattle.) I attended their required seminar, then scheduled the office consult. On that day I met with a psych, a physician, a nutritionist, and the surgeon. It was a marathon day, back-to-back appointments that took half a day. Easy thing to do, as it handled everything on the same day. I had an Endoscopy two weeks later to confirm I also had a hiatal hernia, after which the surgeon sent the request for surgery approval to Tricare. Three working days later I had my approval. I had my surgery at a convenient time after that, which was about eight weeks ago. Things are going fine, I feel great, and my only regret is that I didn't do this years ago. Good luck! Dave

Nice job, Gregg! You're an inspiration! Dave

I had so much trouble peeing after surgery they weren't going to let me check out of the hospital. They even gave me a bag of fluids, did an ultrasound on my bladder, and whatever else, and zip - nada. i just didn't feel like I could go. Eventually things progressed, and I was back to normal within a few days. The best anyone could tell me for the reason behind it was that the anaesthetic used during surgery can screw with the bladder muscles, and your "urge" to go. Once the anaesthetic has fully worn off after a few days, things will get back to normal. Hang in there. Within a short time you'll be working like you used to. Good luck! Dave

I think the people who share those "I heard about someone" horror stories are the same kind of people who are quick to judge others, quick to jump on the bandwagon to be a part of the gossip story of the day, and who will be hard-pressed to admit they might be wrong. If you said you were having a surgical procedure to help you stop smoking, they'd all get on board and tell you how proud they are of you. So consider the source, and try to maintain your focus. They probably think they're helping, and are not aware of how negative their comments can be. I work at a hospital, and I'm all over the place. (I repair computers, so you can imagine how much I get around the entire place.) To a person, everyone has been amazed at the difference in my appearance since I've lost a fair amount of weight in such a short time. People are coming out of the wood work to ask me questions about how I did it, where was it done, and so forth. I've shared with everyone who has asked, and I've been as upfront as possible about how things are going for me. Only now am I starting to hear people say how worried they were for my health before surgery, because I was so out of breath, always flushed red in the face, and so forth. The changes so far have been amazing. I keep telling everyone to wait another six months, and see how I look then. Keep in mind that everyone has a personal journey with weight loss, and you are no exception. So when the naysayers are trying to tell you how risky things are, or how dangerous you're being, just tell them you appreciate their concern, but time will tell how you do. If you're anything like me, you're doubling up your resolve to make sure they are all proven wrong. Also, remember that a lot of folks are not educated about weight loss surgery. They will easily confuse RNY or stapling with banding because they don't know any different. There are some real horror stories with RNY and stapling surgeries, and they may think it's the same with the band. Keep up the good work. Dave