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Feeling under my skin it's about a 2cm diameter circle... But this may not be what you mean! Hope this helps.

I have a pretty loose fill now (1cc in a band that holds 4cc's) because I had previously had an unfill due to a too-tight fill (1.5cc's). It seems I'm eating alot more than everyone who answered! I eat a minimum of 1 cup of food per meal, and sometimes even 1.5 cups. However, I keep my calories to 1,000-1,300 per day via strict calorie counting. Since I've had my loose fill and have started the strict calorie counting (I have also cut out white flour and sugar), I am losing much faster than before, even while eating the 1-1.5 cups per meal. As an example, my dinner last night was 1/2 cup of squash with Beans, and 1/2 cup of whole grain Pasta with low cal yogurt sauce. So that was a cup total, but then shortly after that, I snuck a few more bites of each and had about 1/4 cup of whole grain Indian snack mix. So my total dinner intake was probably 1.5 cups or just under. Despite this, my total daily caloric intake was under 1,300. So, I feel that as long as I don't feel overstuffed and am watching calories, I am doing fine.

maybe a haircut I will see how my body reacts to the weight loss. i am mostly excited about the clothes and maybe my skin...microdermabrasion or something

I've been on the list for about a week now but haven't really introduced myself. I am 48 years old and currently weigh 255, I have lost 15 pounds in the last month or so tracking food on myfitnesspal.com I looked into the lapband in Jan of 2011 but at that time I had lost 70 pounds doing Weight Watchers on my own and was down to 232 and hadn't gained any of it back. I got off track last year and ended up gaining back about 38 pounds. I decided to look back into Weight Loss Surgery Jan of this year. I had thought about the sleeve and when I found out my health insurance covers it now (Health Alliance) I was thinking it would be the best route to go. I am going through all the appointments and stuff like now. Had the Medical evaluation, psych social visit, indiv. nutrition meeting, schedule for group nutritional classes in March 2012 and have physical therapy assessment end of Feb. My insurance doesn't require the 4 weight loss visits to my PCP in 6 months like they used to but Memorial Bariatric Services does so I had that last week. I have been overweight all my life, I weight 11 pounds when I was born. I was a Weight Watchers member at the age of 10! I have lost, gained, lost, gained all my life. Never been the correct weight my entire weight. I know this surgery isn't a magic but I think of it as a tool to help me loose the weight and keep it off for good. I just wish I hadn't waited till I was 48 to do it. I have a set back right now, I found out yesterday I am going to have to have a knee replacement on my left knee sometime. I have doing alot of exercising but can't right now. I am going to try to put the knee replacement off as much as I can. The cortisone shot they gave me yesterday in it helped some but I still have to take Tramadol to walk on it and make it to work. Thank goodness I have a sit down job. This is great group! I am glad I stumbled onto it! Pam

I am very interested in what kind of f/b you get... I am 3 months out and down 54lbs.. my weight loss and caloric intake seems to be very similar to yours... and I do 45 min. daily on the treadmill... The only thing that helps is that I have had VERY LITTLE loose skin, so I am thinking/hoping/rationalizing that folks that lose slowly like us, give the skin time to snap back... I also use the Lose It app and track daily, faithfully... My loss seems to be about 1-2lbs per week... and considering I exercise daily and usually consume about 700 calories, I would think it faster as well...

I will get a varicose vein on the back of my right leg zapped so I can wear shorts without an ounce of self-conscious. I am not sure about the rest of it. I am not loving my arms currently but I am young and I think there's a good chance that some of this skin will snap back. Regardless of if it actually happens, I am choosing to believe that positive self-thoughts and good karma will make it happen!

Hi, I'm sorry but I have to respectfully disagree that one must eat only "healthy" foods with the band. I myself do eat smaller portions of what I was eating before, which was a varied diet of healthy and some "unhealthy" foods and I have lost nearly two pounds a week for the last six months for a total of 45 pounds down. Of course bandsters can't gorge on ice cream and milkshakes and chocolate all day long and still lose weight, but I enjoy all foods and do not eliminate any food at all. I eat pizza, hot dogs, chips, fries, everything. I also eat fish, whole grains, vegetables, Beans, and fruits. Everything I eat is in a very small portion and I don't second guess what I eat, only how much. Everyone is different but for me, I don't eliminate anything. The only thing I would say is if you eat huge amounts of ice cream or chocolate or other soft sweets (mousse, cheesecake, etc) and you don't think you can ever stop, then the band is not for you. It's really easy to drink milkshakes or eat a 1,200-calorie piece of cheesecake (yes, Cheesecake Factory cheesecake contains an average of 1,000-1,200 calories per slice!!!) with the band. That being said, I have still enjoyed ice cream and dessert in limited amounts since I got my band but I'm able to limit it because my sugar craving post-surgery is greatly reduced. As for band vs. bypass, I agree with all the other reasons listed such as adjustability, less hanging skin, greatly reduced death rate during surgery (1 in 2,500 as opposed to 1 in 100 for GB), no malabsorbtion, no need for supplements the rest of your life, etc.

I have so many questions. Can you see the port thru your skin? Is it painful when they refill it? When can you eat 'regular' foods? I should mention I am incredibly inspired by your tickers. Dar.

Hi Dar and welcome to LBT..you have come to the right place for support. We are like on big extended happy family here. Lots of love around this place. As for me I felt great the day after surgery but as others have said we all are different. I was able to feel my port under my skin if I was to push down on it..it did not stick out or anything. Every doctor has their own post op diet they want you to follow so when you are able to eat solids is up to your doctor but I can not imagine it being longet then 3 weeks. Most have 1-2 weeks of liquids then a week of mushy foods then onto solid foods. Best of luck to you

Just wanted to say hello to everyone and tell you how much help this forum has been. I've been lurking around for a long time reading everything I can about the lapband. Have been researching it for about 2 years. The actual journey, starting with a seminar in Aug. '06, and will be realized on Feb. 12th. I'm very lucky that my insurance will cover surgery or I probably wouldn't be able to afford it. Retired teachers usually aren't rolling in money. I'll try not to bore you with too many details. Been overweight, and undertall, most of my life. Would like to loose about half a person. For 32 years I taught in NY State then retired to FL with DH, the dog and cat. Absolutely the right choice -- love central Florida. Looking forward to chatting with y'all (new language for me). Guess I'd better get in touch with the Feb. bandsters.

:crying:sorry if im repeating my self im having diff with posting my question and keep getting cut off so i wll b quik 3 yr bander after only 20 lb loss 13st down to 11/6 and spots of blood in fefux aicid saw x ray specialist who said my band was cutting in and stongly ad 1/2 de fillout of my 14ml band :mad2:I had 10.25 in i have neverr felt the fullness i was expeting he said my band was higher than most not enough to warrant re adjusment im really stuggling with my weigh after diets gym work cyling and angry at wasting 8 thousand of my own money:angry: i cant keep paying for x rays its 6 month on now should i have another fill can i avoid reflux damage I was told by one top dr the band only helps to rid 50% of the weight that you need to loose 4 stone in my case and i have lost nearly 2stone thats about what i ad achieved but i m stii over weight and unhappy any avice welcome x :thumbup:

That's an interesting mix of thoughts. I have recently befriended someone whom is a representative for Medifast and I've attended a few of the seminars. One of the biggest push for them seems to be learned eating habits. This makes perfect sense otherwise when you are at your goal weight you'd just ballon back up or become part of the yo yo dieting I suppose. I also have a friend whom had I believe her stomach stapled this was back in 2003 or so and I remember how scared we were for her before during and after. She wasn't very big but to her she was huge and found herself unpleasant and had taken so many pills to try to loose weight. I was totally against the pills but I guess once you get it into your mind you'll do anything. Her problem was more so she wanted a "quick" fix so to say because she never really changed her habits. I remember her being stapled about a month or so into it and she was eating bread which was on the top of the DO NOT list because it expands and she'd eat and eat and eat. I used to think oh dear God don't let this girl explode. My point is very early on before I even thought about dieting or looking at my options I realized there has to be some self discipline and dedication to making yourself healthy by not only loosing weight. I am currently 320 pounds and because I've become ill I've done so much food research and it scares me to know what I was and put into my body at this point. I too struggle with emotional eating, depression eating, uncontrollable snacking etc...but I've taught myself to be mindful and that its not always about giving in but holding out. I appreciate the feed back its always interesting to see how people are doing personally and how things relate to them. I'm looking forward to finding a seminar I can attend and getting more details =)

Hi Pedro, I think that many of us on this journey need to work on filtering out the noise of others. As previous comments have pointed out, people are just used to us looking as we always have. Our weight loss garners attention, which either draws focus away from those who are used to having it, or shines a light on those who also have unaddressed weight issues. Either scenario is uncomfortable for them, and thus likely to incite comments that may not always in our best interest. I've already heard a comment with my pre-op weight loss about how my cheeks are starting to look hollow and I'm still over 280 lbs for crying out loud! They're not hollow - I just have cheekbones like everyone else and we're actually starting to be able to see them! You are doing this for you. Listen to your medical team, not your peers. Consider how you feel in your own skin, not how the comments make you feel. Soon enough, people will become accustomed to your new appearance. If the comments start up for me after surgery, I plan to put "My doctor is happy with my weight loss, and I'm going to trust her" on loop.

In the event she is opposed to it, I would ask if the surgeon has a pcp he could recommend.. The fact you were given info. On weight loss says to me the pcp wanted you to take a next step to do something about loosing weight... Getting all your previous medical records sent to her should make her feel more comfortable in writing the letter of support... Good luck Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

So, here is what I know from my experience, FWIW. It was suggested to me that better endurance translates to easier recovery from major surgery. I had a membership to the health club for years, but did not go religiously. However, one month prior to surgery, I started hitting it hard. To increase my endurance, I did elliptical and spinning classes almost daily. 45 minutes minimum. Started low, but after the month, I was able to go for 45 minutes at a pretty high level. I would go over to the weights occassionally when I had time and was able to increase my weights by the end of the month. Day of surgery (I was outpatient in Vegas, baby!) after taking a nap back at the hotel, I walked around downtown Vegas for a couple miles and took the wife out to dinner. Next day, we were all over the strip walking at least 5 miles. Same thing the next day, maybe even more. I felt great. I knew that my cardio workouts played a large role in my being able to do this. At my appt with my surgeon before I left town, I told him all this and he just laughed saying how incredible it was to do what I was doing. He believed it was my preparation that was responsible for this. Now, when I got home, things were definitely reduced that first month or so. As Butter says, you cannot build muscle on a calorie deficeit. For starters, muscle can only be built from Protein, which is just about impossible to meet quota for the first few weeks post-op. Your calorie intake is so low, it can be tough to muster up enough energy just to make it through the day let alone take on a serious workout. Napping took priority over working out. Fast forward two months post-op and I add walking/jogging around the neighborhood to the workout regimen dropping elliptical in favor or high intenstity interval training. As you can see from my signature, I'm dropping weight like crazy during this time. Almost too fast, if truth be told as my excess skin is really starting to show up. I am sagging from places you just don't want to sag. I have definitely lost muscle mass, but I am lifting weights and taking in over 100 g of protein daily. Buuuut ... still only getting about 900 calories a day. It is just difficult to get it all in. 6 months in I run my first 5K and actually do really well. Inspires me to try to be a runner. I basically only run and do HIIT and weight lift about twice a week. I cheat the rules of the sleeve to get extra calories in (drinking while eating) to be able to support my running efforts. I'm still dropping weight, but at this time, I feel pretty confident all of my weight loss is fat as I am able to increase my weights on the lifting side of things. One year out and I've been at goal for several months. My exercise has been sidelined with knee issues, but I follow the sleeve rules pretty tight, so I am able to maintain. In my last 5 races, I have either won or come in 2nd in my division. I had never even ran a mile before in my life. Never had an interest in running, even hated it, to be honest. But, I don't think there are a lot of obese people who like running ... know what I mean? What am I trying to say? This all started with cardio endurance training 1 month prior to my surgery. I know this was the basis for my recovery and transistion to a healthier lifestyle. Weight lifting ... yes, but only after I completed my cardio. Good luck and keep us all posted on how you do.

I thought the banding was much worse than I had anticipated for the first three days, but I am feeling much better today. I also had hernia repair and assume that adds additional stress on the body. I am really looking forward to being lighter on my knees. The loose skin is a slight concern. Would like to hear from others who recent bandees. Sally:laugh:

As long as you understand that the best you will be able to do is minimize it and not prevent it, you should be too disappointed. I have pretty bad sagging skin on my chest, belly, lower back, and inner thighs. Unless I somehow find a way to take in 6500 calories and dedicate all of my free time to lifting, there is no way to fill all that skin with muscle. It's really going to depend on what you are wanting to get out of the gym. If you want to build muscle, your focus will be on progressively loading and lifting heavy weights. Cardio will deplete your reserves. If you are wanting to be lean and muscular, cardio first and just do what you can with weights. I have a regimen that I used the first year before I transitioned to heavy lifting. It's in the Guy's Room: http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/361768-by-request-bigviffer-workout-routine/ I have since moved over to a Starting Strength routine. Much different without as much variety. But that is a pretty good starting point. I really appreciate the information. This is very helpful, and I believe that my gym has all the equipment you mention available as well.

I am 2 weeks out of surgery, so I am just doing some regular walking and trying to hit my fitbit goals everyday. However, I used to lift a lot of weights as a younger man and I am looking forward to getting back into that to minimize some of the saggy skin and just build a bigger engine. I would be interested in weightlifing programs and fitness programs people (preferably men) have used and what was the progression of their timeline to start using them? I know, I won't be cleared for another 2-4 weeks to do anything beyond walking, but I want to start preparing.

@@Jersrose43 thanks but i have NALC Cigna its a federal option an it says no cosmetic surgery not sure what u have applys for me... i do hear alot of ppl sayin document skin issues

It runs in my family, my first popped out when I was 5ft5in 110lbs and 11 years old, so you don't necessarily need to be obese to get them. I'm sorry to say I passed them down to all 3 of my children, developed at about same age on the outside of both hips. Between gaining and losing weight, carrying 3 9lb babies non of which laid the same way, my tummy looks like the roadmap of Indianapolis with all the county roads marked. I actually have an abdomen 5 little slits would only be enhancing. I heard someone was going to have ivy leaves tatooed to join the scars together, I couldn't do it. My skin is in too badly stretch marked, I'm not quite that frisky and most of all I couldn't afford it. Just think how much that would cost! Sent from my VS880PP using BariatricPal mobile app

I am 3 pounds from my goal weight. I still have 6 weeks to lose it before I see my surgeon, but I have been stuck for 2 weeks. What can I do. I can’t loose this opportunity.

Hi, Well for me its my tummy!!!! That extra skin from pregancy and c-section has left that oooooooooo yucky!!! (smile) They say to do crunches but that is for the muscles not that skin

It mostly depends on your age and the luck of genetics (also the way your fat is distributed) In my mid thirties, I lost over 150 lbs and had very little loose skin. (meaning it wasn't quite as tight as it used to be, but there was no sagging whatsoever). Now, the second time around (I was banded January 27), who knows? I'm a little older and my skin has been stretched too many times. One thing I know for sure, excercise will not help with lax skin. But barring cosmetic surgery, (which can leave hideous scars, which also happed to me too :smile:) there are some procedures that can help with minor sagging such as the Titan laser or Thermage. Even lotions that help boost the collegen and elastin in your skin can help a little. Just my two cents... good luck everybody :smile:

The green zone is loosely defined as being able to eat a modest amount of food and feel full for four hours. However, this feeling full sensation can be affected by many things. For example, if you eat a steak you are much more likely to feel full than say eating a bowl of cereal. Dense foods like meats, cheeses, and eggs tend to keep you feeling full longer. You can also sabotage your green zone feelings by drinking with meals or eating what are called 'sliders' like sweets, chips, or Soups for example.

hahaha.. you people are hilarious!!! This is better then watching soaps. I don't have in-law issues..I have CHILDREN issues!! Grown azz people living in my house, cooking fried food every night at 1:00 am ... it smells like Mel's Diner in here!!! I have been the biggest person in my family since ... forever... but now.. I am steadily loosing... and they are all gaining.. I am gonna be smaller then my children!!! And when I finally am able to shove my son and his fiancee' out the door and we finally have an empty nest.. I am turning the extra room we have into a "red ear turtle" sanctuary!!! At least they eat healthy things.. hahha. I already sold all the living room furniture. They came out and were like "hey are we getting a new couch?" NOPE!! I went out and bought a bowflex, treadmill, stationary bike, weight bench, free weights, stepper, two swiss balls and yoga mats. I turning my living room into a LIVE LONGER room!!!