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Do your best. I used a free app called Baritastic to track my food. The pre-op is mainly to make you aware of your food choices, to examine your relationship with food, teach you nutrition, and for you to gradually stop bad habits. You have to look at how you use food - are you hungry or bored, anxious, stressed, etc so you can change from using food to solving those issues to solving them without food. It's hard, but your head needs fixing first or you will resort to these behaviors after the surgery. Stopping junk carbs will keep the cravings down, if you keep going back to them it just starts all over again. Give up one thing each week and build on that - I quit soda 1st thing - none, not even diet. Then - no fast food - none, zero. Then gradually let go of starchy carbs - no rice, etc. You may lose a few pounds, or stay the same. The most important thing is to realize food is just food, it will always be there, there is plenty of it, you will have a bite or two of your favorite foods during maintenance. This diligence is forever. You can do it.

So today was my one month follow up visit with the Nut and Surgeon. It was actually just over three weeks since surgery but this was the only appt available. The dr said that I am doing well, I have lost a total of 26 lbs since pre op and 20 of that was fat! I have lost 5 inches off my waist and my blood pressure was normal and not bordering on being high like it has been for a while now! I am amazed and very thankful tonight. Oh, and for the first time in my life I was told to increase my calories a bit to lose weight better. ????

Don’t worry it’s just one bite. But try to stick to the program! I know it’s hard sometimes, but it’s important. I was lucky. For the first couple of weeks after surgery just the smell of food made me want to throw up. Every time my boyfriend would cook his dinner I’d have to close the bedroom door.

I hope this is not dramatic but I am sure it is LOL. I am two weeks post op and had a bite of spaghetti. It was just a bite, a size of a dime. I know it is bad. It went down fine but I am scared I have ruined everything. I just tried it to make sure it was the right temperature for my son. I am on a two week clear liquid diet and I am really struggling. I should be getting cleared for pureed tomorrow or Thursday and it can't come soon enough.

I'm new to this site and it will be one year since my surgery next week. I'm at a loss. 12 pounds in one year and I need to relook at this. Great to be here.

Hello Everyone! I've been on the sidelines reading this forum for a few weeks now but didn't want to participate until I had my insurance approval. I got the good news yesterday and it's finally begining to set in. I'm so nervous and excited. I have battled with my weight for most of my life and I am finally in a position to win this battle. Thank you to all who have posted your stories and inspired and motivated me to get this done. I hope one day my story will be able to inspire someone to take the steps to winning the fight of their life!!!

hello it has been a month sence my last fill and i have not losted any weight has this happened to any of you i am so worried about going in to get a fill not knowing what they will say i am worried that my pouch as streched any advice on what to do before i go get a fill i have had three fills is this normal :confused:

How can i expect to feel? Can i start eating food during week 2? What do you suggest for the pain? Literally any and all advice is welcome!!!! I'm still excited, but i'm starting to get nervous. Sent from my iPhone using the scale etc? I feel like i'm missing something. Thanks in advance!!! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I went today to meet my surgeon. I really love him! He spent an hour with me and we talked about all of the options, where I was at with my thinking, etc. I am officially on the road towards my Lap Band placement. Now I need to do a bunch of "pre op" tests including a Upper GI series next week. I am also going to a mandatory nutrition class tomorrow morning too! Everything seems to be falling into place and now I am hopeful for a July surgery date!! I am looking forward to getting to know this site better and better since there is some great stuff here!!

Self-pay does tend to go very quickly from what I have seen on this forum. However, as the prior post indicated it won't be instant weight loss. The ideal weight loss for this surgery is 1-2 lbs per week. The first few weeks with the pre-op and post op you will have some big weight loss but after that it will likely hover around the 1-2 lbs per week. Also know that the band is only a tool and you will still have to be willing to modify your diet and activity. Guessing since you are military, you are accustomed to exercise as you will need to incorporate that into your regimine as well for this to be successful. While I know you said this is frowned upon, have you checked to make sure your insurance doesn't cover it? I would hate to see you shell out that money if your insurance will cover it. You can call them to find out and none of your superiors would need to know. If it is covered, your medical records are still your private information thanks to HIPAA but not sure if there are different circumstances with the military and what you have to disclose. Good luck to you!

This is my first time here. I'm one week post op lap banding and feel great. I've had no problems so far i weighed 322lbs the week before my pre op and now weigh in at 304lbs weight loss of 28lbs:clap2: . I was banded by Mr. Leeder at Derby City Hospital and wish i had been able to have this op years ago. Hope to speak to you all soon

Hello everyone... I have been reading on this site for the past month and finally decided to become a BANDIT I am 38yr old female, 5ft 4, 216 pds and most people tell me that I should not do the procedure because I am not big enough (in their eyes) well for me having the procedure will be more than just being vain about my size. I have and take medicine for daily: Psuedo Tumor Cerebrii, High Blood Pressure, sleep Apnea and Diabbetes..yea I know right????? so when my surgeon Dr. Touliatos looked over my medical records he laughed and asked me did I drink or smoke and I said no and he said well maybe you should start (lol) because you have everything else which is sad but true. My procedure will be done more for health reasons than anything but the added weight loss will surely be a plus!!!!!! I am an Lab employee at Trinity Medical Center of Excellence and I will have my procedure done there as well so I will have NO OUT OF POCKET COSTS which is great and my insurance is BC/BS. I will be in a familiar atmosphere with the doctors and nurses that I have known for years so I will feel safe. I have chosen to do the Lap Band w/ Plication and I am so excited because at Trinitry the doctors have been doing the Lap Band w/Plication for the last 8 months and the results have been awesome. So far Dr. T said he has only had to do a couple of fills so whatever he is doing seems to really work and alot of patients that was considering Gastric has chosen Lap Band w/Plication and the pounds are dropping!!!! I have to complete a 6 month diet which sucks because if not for that I would be having my procedure in a couple of weeks but Im gonna have to wait this thing out which right now seems impossible. I really love this site and I enjoy reading posts from everyone and getting all the helpful tips and advice. I just wanted to say hi to everyone and goodluck! TheNewMe2012

I wanted to say thank you to every who has "liked" my story or left a comment. I never realized how important the comments are until today. I realized that I read over them every now and then to kindof refresh my motivation. It's been a FaceBook heavy day today and I really really realized how much the support means to me... especially on days when I'm fighting myself, I'm down, or just not motivated to exercise. In my constant search of the web to learn everything I'll ever want to know on every topic, I found an exciting sleeved foodie blog. I was so very excited to have found until I realized I had read the entire thing in about 5 minutes. This person was sleeved and in 1 year went from a size 30 to a size 22/24. I was so shocked I re-read it a few times... I checked the dates... I looked at the photos. I was very confused. She's happy with her loss, says she'd do it again in a heartbeat. And in the 1 year follow up post mentioned something about never getting around to incorporating exercise into her daily routine but "maybe one day"... I realize I have no room to criticize anyone... I know this could very well be me one of these days... all of that being said... I have to say... this has been the biggest kick in my rear to find my motivation to exercise. I'm self pay. I'll be paying my parents back for the rest of their lives for the $12,900 that this surgery cost me/us. This is a major surgery and I cannot take it lightly... and I refuse to fail because I'm too lazy to exercise. Over the last two weeks I have been walking the dogs to the lake and back (about 1.7 miles... but more importantly, about 45 minutes per trip). My little Corgi dog Zoee has been the most motivating workout partner I've ever had. Those big brown eyes guilt trip me into taking her for a walk any time I'm thinking about weaseling out of it. I'm always glad we went by the time we get to the corner of the street. Today I bought a bicycle (Huffy Cruiser) to keep variety in my options... Or really, just to keep me moving. I took it for a maiden voyage around the block (about 2 city blocks). I survived and made it home safely. Scared the boyfriend half to death because I am a very clumsy girl... he said he gave me 10 minutes to make it back home before he was going to drive around the block to find where I wiped out. LOL! Just buying the bike was an experience in and of itself... I actually had the guy ahead of me at the check out flirt with me. Such an opposite of a teen experience I had (being ridiculed by a truck full of guys for taking the dog for a walk). All in all, I am very happy with the experience. I keep finding myself making future plans that involve seeming dangerous items... I want a set of quad skates so I can get the puppies running. Once I can make the walk in about 20-25 minutes I want to start the C25K program. I want a Kayak so I can work my upper body and enjoy the lake. These are insane exercise thoughts... I feel possessed! LOL! I hope they stick around. So while I'm really sorry that sleeved foodie blogger didn't have the results that I want for myself... I am grateful for her blog... it's really been the boot in my tooshy that I needed to really realize Sleevie is not going to do the work for me... But Sleevie is my friend who will handle the food part... This will leave me open to find the physical activities that I enjoy. =)

Hi I had my surgery on 9 Feb and I'm feeling a little frustrated because I also haven't had any change in my appetite. I'm eating less because I'm making a concerted effort to do so, but am feeling no restriction from the band. I'm learning that my expectations may have been unreasonable. I also understand (and am hopeful) that this will change once I've had my fills. My first is in 3 weeks. Good luck!

Had myslef another fill last week. I'm now at 4ml in a 5 ml band. Really do feel the restriction now and I'm enjoying it. I hit the big 10kg loss today which I am very excited about. Here's is an interesting thing I learnt this week - if you have a couple of glasses of wine or any alcohol before eating the restriction will be less because you are relaxed. I tried it out and it's true - bugger it!!

Keep up the positive attitude! It is very hard, I know. I was denied once - 3 years ago. I began "the journey" again this Fall. I was the model patient, counting calories / Proteins / carbs, etc.....losing 17 lbs during the intake process. All appointments were completed in a very timely manner. Papers were sent to Insurance for final approval. My anxiety was higher than ever - as I was afraid of the possible outcome. One week, no response. 2 weeks, no response. 3 weeks, the same. I felt like I was on a roller coaster at times. Excited, afraid, angry and hopeless. With the Thanksgiving holiday and my growing feeling of hopelessness, I will admit, I quit documenting my daily intake. Luckily, I managed to keep on track with my "Protein first", low sugar, low carb diet. I really need to measure and document again - as it really served as a good tool for me. (While I am eating all the right things, I find it all to easy to keep dipping into the sunflower seed bag, and I'm fairly certain sf fudgsicles don't really fit into a healthy food category.) Just shy of 5 weeks after the insurance submission I received an automated call from my ins co regarding my "upcoming hospital stay"! Neither my doctor or I had had any contact from them - and then I got this call out of the blue. I had all but given up. I was a bit pessimistic, or scared to Celebrate quite yet, still. I phoned the company for confirmation and to have them fax a copy of the approval letter. It was approved - FOR REAL! My surgery is scheduled for Jan. 5th! I feel like I am rambling...... What I would like to say is never give the hope. It is a very topsy-turvey ride, but one that can be endured with continued focus. Good luck, and remember that there are lots of people there to support you on your journey.

Hello all, I'm new to this group, and only one month post op. I'm curious to know if it is normal to feel hungry all the time! I had my first fill last week, I feel hungry all the time, I haven't felt full since surgery. I feel like I can eat anything I want. Is this typical?? Thanks, Lori

I finally got a seminar in today. This is my 3rd try. Each time I went before they had changed the date and I did not know until I got there. My insurance requires that I do 6 months of WW(ect) while under the monthly care of my regular Dr. for weigh loss also. I started that about a week ago. So it will be awhile before I can have surgery. I also have to lose 10% of my body weight while on WW. I have tried many times to lose, even WW(weight watchers) but could only lose about 20 pounds then it would not move down anymore for nothing(weeks on end). So I know that this site is more for the lap band but what about the sleeve, anyone? The dr at the seminar says that he won't tell anyone which sugery to have but he made it seem like the sleeve was the better choice...he says is has less risk than the lap band and that he does about 35% lap band and 65% sleeve. He said that weigh loss was better with the sleeve. ......I am tore now as to which I might want to have done.

Bandista, I had not known about the squeezes sending signals from the esophagus but keep in mind it is not as though I am eating yogurt and boost drinks all day. I usually have three yogurts a day and two boost drinks. With that amount of calories I cannot get my head around the fact that my weight is not going down any longer. People that are stuck in hospital beds that do NO form of exercise whatsoever still seem to lose weight. This entire situation has been a complete and absolute curse for me and the frustration level is through the roof. Not to mention all the isolation that I am forced to live with because it is difficult and painful to get around with the cane. At 330 I am a big guy and I can't tell you how many times I have taken falls and near falls. Everything I do is a struggle so leaving the Apt. is saved for doctor and dentist visits. I know that something must be done..........

I am totally new here and started my 2 week pre-op diet today. My sleeve is on August 3. I am a nervous wreck, but there is a little part of me that is excited. Would love to talk to people in the same spot as me!

.No you didn't have surgery for just 34 pounds. I had my surgery on Jan 26th. It will be 4 weeks Tuesday. I lost 20 pounds in the first 10 days and haven't lost a pound since Feb 3rd. That is a stall. By the way 34 pounds in 5 weeks is great. That is over 6 pounds a week. I would suggest you do a search on "embracing the stall" there are several threads about this topic. It night help you understand what is going on.

Hi everyone. I just got approved Wednesday and will have a surgery date on 9/13. So, while I've been waiting on things, I've decided to start a mini pre-op diet of 2 Protein shakes and a meal per day (5days a week). While I've been dropping 1 to 1 1/2lb per day, I've been feeling really fuzzy by mid afternoon along with headaches. While I mostly understand why this is happening right now, I can't continue to feel like this forever. Will this continue to happen after surgery? While I'm feeling upbeat about everything, I'm really worried about this. Of course, I will bring this up with my dr on Tuesday but I wanted to get others feedback. I appreciate any insight or optimism about this.

Hello everyone, my name is Chris and I am in the process of getting the Lap Band. I have already had my consultation, nutrition evaluation and psych evaluation per my insurance. I am one of the luck ones in that my insurance will pay for 80% of my surgery. I am hopeing to have a surgery date within the next week or two, and hopefully have surgery next month. I have been reading everything I can get my hands on regarding the Lap Band and just wanted to thank everyone who posts here, you have answered a lot of questions and really given me hope. I know I can do it!!!

Hey Newnavy wife, I am from Tx too where are u from exactly ?? I am from Austin area. I am getting banded on next week the 8th of Oct , I did some research on this procedure and said enough is enough I am going to do this, I am at 216 and want it to go away inwhich I need some help doing that . so I will be getting banded in Austin by Dr. Ganta he is a very great doc and will be using only one incision and going through my belly button . Have u found a doc yet? Good luck in ur new journey and welcome to the forum. I have meet alot of people that I have became good email buddies with now and it is great lots of info and support here. Becky

Hello Kolaficiondo Congrats on your approval. I am a navy wife to (Retired) 2yrs. ago. Tri-care approved my surgery in two days. I get banded on the 22nd of April. Today is day three on my liquid diet. :thumbdown: Good luck and welcome to LBT.:blushing: