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Ive started my training for the Triathlon. Feels good to have a focus. Weight loss stalled. Haven't lost for the last week. I think it is because it has been hot here and I have been reaching for the juice. To many calories. I've been tired lately too. Perhaps because of the increased exercise. I think I will be hitting the pillow early tonight. TTFN

Hi, my name is donna and my husband and i are making this journey together. We are very close to the end and can't wait for a date. I have about 11pds to go and he has just met his weight goal. We attened our 1st support group meeting, and we have one class to attend on the 19th. Then it's waiting for a date. My husband lost his father to obestity about 10yrs ago and we want to make sure this never happens to us. We have 3 boys and want to insure good healthy eating and promote exercise to them. My father had the gastric by pass 8yrs ago and is doing really well. He lost 150pds and has kept it all off. He is so much healthier and happier. I'm nervous about getting sick. I hate to throw up...... This is the one thing i know will keep me honest. But until i know what i can eat and not eat.....yikes! Good luck to all who are about too or have just been banded. I can't wait to read about your sucess.

I had plication with Dr. Ortiz in August of last year. I am currently down 75 lbs. with about 30 more to go. I never vomited but was close a couple times. They do send you home with anti-nausea meds. They do get busy so if you have a date in mind you should set it soon. As far as the financing part , I just saw on BP that they are offering great deals through the website on surgery in Mexico. Looking at the costs, it would save you about$3,000.00 but you have to choose another surgeon at Jerusalem Hospital. He is top-rated though, so check that out before you commit to Ortiz. I personally was not impressed with him or the staff (Ortiz), but I didn't receive horrible care either. However, I did have complications at 2 months out. (Read my other posts if you are interested) I have no idea about the financing part. As far as your job goes, I needed about a month to be 100 percent, but went back to work at 2 weeks and had no problems, other than desperately needing a nap when I got home! It was so worth it for me, I know I would have been at my highest weight or even higher right now had I not had the procedure done. Good luck with your decision!

It's a little past 4:00 a.m. my time. I couldn't sleep, so I decided to get up and take my official Wednesday weight, which was 234.4. I actually peeked at 233 this week, but I ruined getting solidly to that number or past that number by eating too many carbs. After I pigged out on all the carbs at the end of January, I had a party challenge on Saturday, February 2nd. We had some neighbors from the old neighborhood bring their family over for dinner. We decided to prepare fajitas for the main portion of the meal, but I also made snacks to tide us over for the meal and to ensure that there were leftovers for at least Sunday's dinner. I wasn't disgusted with myself after the party. I had a small meal of brisket and beans earlier in the day. So, that held me pretty well. At the party, I tasted all the snacks I made and after I fixed everyone a quesadilla who wanted one, I made myself a very small plate of fajitas and beans. If I had to admit to going overboard on anything, it was probably the corn chips with guacamole and one to many oatmeal cookies. Other than that I did fine. Although I didn't enjoy a six-pound loss like I did the first week, I kept up with my exercises and ate decently for the other days of the week and still had the projected two-pound loss. I must lose 10 more pounds before I will reach my first major goal of 224, which was the lowest weight I remember reaching before I regained it all. I think I will make some homemade chili. I ate chili from Red Robin the first week and did pretty well. So, with homemade chili, I'm hoping to do even better.

Hey all, Not to sound nasty or TMI, but I have a serious question and wonder if you guys can help. I don't seem to be going to the bathroom enough... I'm not constipated per say, but it seems to me that it would be a lot healthier if I went more often. Before surgery, I didn't go to the bathroom terribly often.. maybe once a day or every other day... but now it's seemed to stretch out even more. I try to eat more Fiber, but I'm wondering if there are any supplements or anything else that would be recommended. I'm losing steadily, and I'm wondering if my digestive tract was functioning better if this would be a boost to my weight loss and over all health. Any suggestions or thoughts would be much appreciated! :smile2:

.....and I am not surprised, but it is good to see this information our there. ...if you are obese at 40, (I am 42) you can reduce your life by 7 years. Good reason to work hard on getting weight down don't you think? Tonight I am going to a doctor's speech on childhood obesity and how important good natural whole foods are for our children. I have 3 kids, all of whom are thin, but I see one is a carb addict, just like me, and one of them eats portions that if they continue - will produce an overweight teen. I am trying everything in my power to keep my kids eating healthfully and getting lots of exercise. But sometimes, it is hard to keep 'junk' food out of the house. I'm looking forward to this.

wannalise i am so very sorry and confused at the same time for what you are dealing with i totally understand what you are dealing with, and i hope you and your neurologist get this figured out/get control, very, very soon we are "sisters" - when i turned 16, (43 years ago) i became aware of my epilepsy i have been "controlled" all these years - with a couple of exceptions due to medicine changes my NSV - after i had lost about 50 lbs - we realized that due to my extreme weight loss, i now needed LESS medicine (keppra & lametcal) unfortunately we found this out the hard way - when i had an "unexpected" side effect I became very "dilusional" after knee replacement surgery 3 months PO WLS had to stay in hospital 3 extra days til they could figure out and deal with the prob - getting the right dosage for me I now take 1/2 the dosage that i took before WLS - this is huge for me i hope you and your neurologist get this figured out very soon!!!!! losing 160 lbs - you have done amazing i wish the best for you take care my friend

Hey, Just keep on learning about weight loss. When I was losing weight and even now when I'm maintaining my weight, I avoid "white" foods. That means bread, Pasta, sugar, rice, flour etc. You need to make sure you feed yourself really well with nutritious foods. Use smaller portion sizes and try not to eat after 7pm or so. Keep at it. Keep learning and keep trying Everyone runs into roadblocks along the way. Best wishes, Heather

I haven't lost weight in about a month. I used to stress on it but I figure as long as its not going up I'm good. I am losing inches tho. I love running its a big stress reliever. I just wish my runnin partner was a little more motivated.

I am being sleeved on August 6th. I have thought long and hard about this as well and my thoughts are this...I feel judged for being overweight and I want to end the judgement. If I tell people I have had the sleeve I feel like I am back in a position of being judged, a place I very much dislike. I am back to being judged for not being able to do it with diet and exercise and a beautiful change in lifestyle, but instead taking 'the easy way out' It is your business what you do with your body. You don't owe anyone an explanation or excuse. Having said that, carrying on a lie seems like far too big a waste of energy. When people ask how I lost the weight I am going to say that I eat a hell of a lot less. That will be the truth. Saying I had my stomach chopped off to control my eating seems far less sexy..lol Best of luck with whatever you decide! Julia

When your younger, where do you picture yourself... Never pictured myself flying to Mexico from Canada to get Weight Loss Surgery. Is this something people keep a secret, or is this something that I should be shouting from the rooftops..? Knowing that this is probably the biggest decision i have made thus far in my lifetime, knowing that My will to be 100% completly satisfied with myself is stronger that most ?... I dont think this is something to be embarrased about. I think it's a complement to who I am. I am glad to join other with the same feelings... ...but, my question, is this something you tell people, is this something you talk about?.. . . . . t h o u g h t s ? . . . . .

It seems to me that surgeon's fill at different rates based on their preferences and experiences. My surgeon has given me different fill amounts ranging from 0.5 to 2.5cc depending on my restriction. At my last fill he gave me 1cc and talked about how different people react to the same amount differently so he is always working on an educated guess based on his experience with thousands of band patients. It took me many years to gain all of my weight so I know it is going to take time for me to lose it. So far my journey has been quite easy and definitely successful. I hope yours will be too. Good luck.

Well here i am, just trying to take my first steps in the process of potential lap band surgery...... baby steps, that is all that I can do. I remember "starting" the process 3 years ago. I called someone, and had an appointment to be seen 2 months later. but then i thought i could do it on my own...... so a few weeks before the consult, i called and said "hey i am doing this on my own, i've lost 8lbs since i've made the appointment" Well looking back on some old journals, i see that I am about 50lbs heavier than i was then. Three years in a row now i've been hospitalized in the winter for Asthma type symptoms, and for stomach problems. I don't know why but during an April Doctor appointment, i was shocked that my Doctor asked me if I thought about having surgery to help me in this journey to better health.... gee Doc (i've been with him for 13 years... he knows me inside and out) I am here because of my lungs and difficulty breathing, i am here because of the stomach problems i've been having, I am here because my FBS are getting higher and higher every year, (although still in Normal range), I am here because my knees have been causing me so many problems........ Gee Doc, I didn't say anything about my weight!!:thumbup:, I immediately told him, noway......I am doing it "on my own" this time, like i've been telling him for 10 years. he smiles, and he supports me, he'll do what he can to help me....but he say's well if you are ever interested, I will send you to a wonderful program in Pittsburgh. I said goodbye, and I will see you in July!! You know for the first time in my life, I am truly happy, happy with who i am, happy with my children, happy with my husband (second husband, first husband left me 10 years ago) My husband loves me so much and shows me all the time, he loves me 125lbs over weight! so in reality.......... this makes me a perfect canidate for this surgery. My family health history is not good, 3 out of 5 of my brothers have/had 100lbs to 250lbs to loose at one time. My only sister could loose about 50lbs. 3 of my brothers are diabetics now (we are all under 50) My dad died at age 52 from his 3rd heart attack. My mom died at age 58 she was 150lbs over weight when she died. THIS IS WHY I NEED THE HELP TO LOOSE THIS WEIGHT. I have an incredible faith in God, and I go to Him for every decision I make, and this is no different, i am taking this to prayer. My husband is so supportive, he is even coming with me for the class to see what all of this is about... and i say to him, what if this doesn't work? and he say's well then i'll keep you the way you are. I've told a couple of friends, some supportive, some down right angry..... but ultimately it isn't what they think or feel, but how i think and feel.... I'll talk more about that later :tt2:

Well here i am, just trying to take my first steps in the process of potential lap band surgery...... baby steps, that is all that I can do. I remember "starting" the process 3 years ago. I called someone, and had an appointment to be seen 2 months later. but then i thought i could do it on my own...... so a few weeks before the consult, i called and said "hey i am doing this on my own, i've lost 8lbs since i've made the appointment" Well looking back on some old journals, i see that I am about 50lbs heavier than i was then. Three years in a row now i've been hospitalized in the winter for Asthma type symptoms, and for stomach problems. I don't know why but during an April Doctor appointment, i was shocked that my Doctor asked me if I thought about having surgery to help me in this journey to better health.... gee Doc (i've been with him for 13 years... he knows me inside and out) I am here because of my lungs and difficulty breathing, i am here because of the stomach problems i've been having, I am here because my FBS are getting higher and higher every year, (although still in Normal range), I am here because my knees have been causing me so many problems........ Gee Doc, I didn't say anything about my weight!!, I immediately told him, noway......I am doing it "on my own" this time, like i've been telling him for 10 years. he smiles, and he supports me, he'll do what he can to help me....but he say's well if you are ever interested, I will send you to a wonderful program in Pittsburgh. I said goodbye, and I will see you in July!! You know for the first time in my life, I am truly happy, happy with who i am, happy with my children, happy with my husband (second husband, first husband left me 10 years ago) My husband loves me so much and shows me all the time, he loves me 125lbs over weight! so in reality.......... this makes me a perfect canidate for this surgery. My family health history is not good, 3 out of 5 of my brothers have/had 100lbs to 250lbs to loose at one time. My only sister could loose about 50lbs. 3 of my brothers are diabetics now (we are all under 50) My dad died at age 52 from his 3rd heart attack. My mom died at age 58 she was 150lbs over weight when she died. THIS IS WHY I NEED THE HELP TO LOOSE THIS WEIGHT. I have an incredible faith in God, and I go to Him for every decision I make, and this is no different, i am taking this to prayer. My husband is so supportive, he is even coming with me for the class to see what all of this is about... and i say to him, what if this doesn't work? and he say's well then i'll keep you the way you are. I've told a couple of friends, some supportive, some down right angry..... but ultimately it isn't what they think or feel, but how i think and feel.... I'll talk more about that later

Restriction is when your band is tight enough that you feel that the amount of food you can eat is being restricted by the band. When the band is loose, food passes through fairly quickly, when the band tightens down, it restricts that food, so it stays in the pouch much longer, thereby reducing the amount you can eat by quite a bit. It is referred to as "restriction". It enhances weight loss, because you feel very full on a very small amount of food, and you stay feeling full for a longer period of time. Welcome to LBT---and don't worry about a question sounding stupid!!! Asking questions is how you learn, and around here, we DO have a language all our own!!! I ask so many when I first got here, I am surprised they let me stay!!! LOL Feel free to ask anything, people here are really helpful, and they have soe valuable information they are always willing to share. I LOVE this site!!! Kat

I am very excited! Due to a myriad of health issues over the last 3 months, I've already had most of the pre-op testing required. I just have to get with my PCP to have the records sent over to the surgeon. I live in MD, and will be using Dr. Kim at Harford Memorial Hospital in Havre de Grace. I am starting my three-month supervised weight loss with the team. They want me to lose 5% of my weight by surgery. I started following as many of their recommendations as I could yesterday, and by last night I was totally freaking out. My relationship with food is so strong, and so TWISTED. The thing is, I really and truly love healthy food, and always get my nutrients in via food, but a) my portion control sucks, and I also eat a lot of crap. I am going to have to do this one day at a time, making changes slowly but surely. In order to keep myself from eating all night long, I had to go to sleep at 7pm. My poor boyfriend is going to be lonely in the evenings until I can manage staying awake in the evening without eating. He's super supportive, and has himself lost over 100lbs without surgery. I can't believe I am probably going to be approved for an early October surgery. I have a feeling the time is going to fly!

I'm 54 and had twins girls my first pregnancy followed by my son who was 10 1/2 pounds. My stomach is shot. I've been overweight for 28 years. I knew I would have loose skin but my goal was to be healthy and I am. I lost 120 lbs - over half my body weight. I don't care about the loose skin on my arms and belly. If I can fix it w/help from my insurance I will. If not, I won't. I'm okay with that. Clothes fit okay and more importantly, I feel good. Best of luck to you! :-)

Change and increase the intensity of your exercise regime' and analyze your caloric and water intake. If it's too low, carb and sodium laden, and too low in fat, those things alone can account for slowed weight loss.

Hey everyone...been reading a lot on the boards here and doing my best to take in everyone elses experiences. I was banded on August 6th and I've been doing pretty well. I made it through the first week of liquids pretty well and managed to lose about 25 lbs in the process. I moved onto full liquids last Thursday and never knew how much I'd miss creamy Soups...tomato has been my savior. I've been drinking as much Water as possible along with about 40g of Protein in the form of the Isopure drinks. Things had been going pretty smoothly up till today. Yesterday was my first day back to work and I walk about 1.5 miles to my office in the city, and another 1.5 back to the train. So, I woke up very very sore this morning and stayed that way all day. Plus, sitting up right at my desk all day didn't help matters, and I've been getting some lovely hunger pains as well. I also noticed that the weight loss has pretty much stopped for the last 5 days or so and I gotta say I'm a little disappointed and sad, lol. So, between the hunger pains, soreness, and slowed weight loss I, for the first time since the surgery, had a pretty crappy day. Just wanted to share and find out if this is par for the course for everyone. I'm looking forward to my first fill on Sept 8th. Think this will help with the hunger pains and the push forward with more weight loss?

If you were losing weight with 5cc you shouldn't have been given another fill. Get a slight unfill.

It is a matter of BMR... Basal Metabolic Rate At 180 pounds, 47 years old, female I need about 1500 calories a day to maintain my current weight while being totally sedentary. If I am moderately active I need about 2200 calories to maintain my weight. At 130 pounds, I need 1290 calories sedentary, and 1900 if moderately active. SOOOO... Your body will need fewer calories when you reach goal so you just need to make sure you get in about the right amount so you are not at a calorie deficit when figuring your activity calorie need and your intake calorie need. I recommend taking a look at this page to figure out your BMR http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/ Good luck!

Hi Tracey, I think I just hit my sweetspot too! I know what you mean about the new foods but you just have to try them. For breakfast I usually have egg beaters with some shredded turkey or ham and a slice of light cheese. It packs in a ton of Protein with very little fat and low caloric content. If I don't have time to make my breakfast, I have a box of shredded wheat in my desk and I pour about 1/2 cup for myself. Also, I sometimes bring oatmeal and make myself a packet. Trader Joe's has a great blueberry and flax seed variety. lunch varies for me... sometimes it's half a Lean Cusine, or just some slices of low fat/sodium turkey and ham. Salads are another staple as they go down very easy for me. I also LOVE salmon sashimi. Where I used to gravitate towards the pizza and burgers for lunch, they just don't do it for me anymore. For starters, if it's not super thin crispy crust pizza, I'll PB. And for me, the pizza PB is the worst of all! And considering pizza was my FAVORITE food - I'm amazed at how little it matters to me. dinner is usully whatever I make. I try to stay away from takeout when I can for the health factor and also the money factor. I made a small tray of killer eggplant parm on Sunday (baked the eggplant, not fried!). I couldn't eat much. Last night I had 2 of the 2" square ravioli as dinner and I was set! I can do chicken when cut small, chewed well, and it's moist. I think I'm definitely going to miss my summer grilled chicken sandwiches that I used to order at the grill on Sunday nights... oh the small sacrifice! There's also a great book that I got on Amazon called Eating Well after Weight Loss Surgery. They give some great recipes and many things are specifically in there for lap band limitations. Check it out and good luck!

Pati, I would go for the two year deal. No one knows how many fills you will need. I have had 5 fills and one unfill in 19 months. You would be better off with someone who will offer you a program for your first two years that is local. You may not need more than 1-2, but most bandsters need 3-5 in their first year during ongoing weight loss. The need for a fill should slow down as you get closer to goal. So that would be my advice. Babs in TX 334/185/170 -149 6/23/03

I had my 1st fill today, the dr. said she was going to do 1 to 1.5 ccs but ended up getting 5ccs because I needed more restriction. I thought it was Christmas, I am super happy. She also told me that there was no fill when the surgery was done, no wonder I was still so hungry. I had the band on 9/4, 1st appt was 2 weeks later (but no fill, just follow up) and had already lost 14 pounds, as of today I gained back 5 but I am in no way sad or depressed about it. I now have 5 ccs so I am sure there is alot of restriction and can't wait for the pounds to shed!

awww thanks...I'm glad I am making some sense. LOL! But I can definitely relate to being more nervous about being cut open. I rationalized it like this....At 34 I have had 2 tattoos, 6 body piercings and all without anesthesia! I have been bruised from falling and had a sprained ankle a couple of times. All these things were painful as heck at the time. But days later, the pain was less if not totally gone. so the pain from the incision will be gone soon too. As far as doing the right thing... If you have honestly done all you can to lose weight and understand that this is not the easy way out and ready to make an real change then I say go for it!! I say you are learning now by controlling what you eat and I can see your mind already working on how to make positive changes by your thoughts about the water and the coffee. My hubby used to work security so I know whatcha mean! But it sounds like you are headed in the right direction! Now just so you know...If down the line you feel that you want to try dieting one more time before going through with the band, then I am behind ya in that too!! As long as its what YOU WANT then it will be good!