Hello,

I am so excited to meet you as I prepare for my journey...I live in Troy Missouri (about and hour north of st louis). I just got approval from the insurance company to get banded. I have my pre-op class on Feb 3rd and then they will schedule my surgery within 30 days of that class. I am excited to get healthy. I know that it's not going to be easy, but at this point, I don't know a whole lot about the process.

One thing I wonder is..can you feel the band in your stomach when you lay on your stomach? I guess I just wonder if there is a feeling that something "foreign" is in your body? Secondly, do you eat 2 oz of food per meal for the rest of your life? What is the difference between those who are successful and those who aren't?

I just had a baby last March and found out a month ago that I have type 2 diabetes. I want to get healthy and feel better for me, but mostly I want to play with my son. I want to run and jump and play with him, at 274 lbs, it's all I can do to sit on the floor and play with him. I am so excited to begin the journey and love looking at the successful photos. Great to meet you all!

Andrea

Hello, I'm also new here... meeting with my Doc for the first time on Wednesday. I'm also from Missouri.. I live about thirty miles south of Cape Girardeau.. Are you familiar with this area??? I'm actually using a doctor out of St. Louis, is that where yours if from???

Hi adennis & jacelynn!

Welcome to LBT! Congrats on getting this far with your WLS adventure! It's one I'd start again in a second! It's been the best thing that I've ever done for myself! I was banded on May 1, 2009 so I'm almost 9 months out and about 35 pounds from my goal (lost 102 pounds so far). I haven't felt my port or band as far as physically feeling it inside(unless you really push on it, then you can feel the port with your fingers), but when you don't chew well enough or take to big of bites...tthe band does remind you that it's there! :thumbup:

I eat anywhere from 2-5 ounces depending on the time of day,(in the morning you can't eat as much normally)with an average of 3-4 ounces of food every 3 hours. I believe that you will have to continue to eat the small portions several times a day from now on, but...even without the band that is the best way to keep your metabolism going strong. It's a good thing.

I was on many meds pre op but within 2-3 months I was off meds for my heart, high blood pressure, high cholesteral, diabetes, PCOS, asthma, joint pain and I was able to substantially lower the pressure on my C-Pap machine for sleep apnea! It's an amazing thing! Not to mention, I have an amazing amount of energy and just feel so much better overall! I wish I had done this when my daughter was younger, she's 16 now. But at least I'll be there for her a lot longer than I would've been, had I not done this life changing surgery at all.

Good luck with everything! Hope all goes well! Keep us posted!

Edited January 19, 201016 yr by LaDawnS

LaDawn,

Thank you for that awesome post! I am so excited for you! You have given me inspiration and hope! You answered all of my questions so thoroughly. Congratulations on getting your life back! I hope to do the same thing by this time next year. What kind of exercise do you do? What is a typical food day for you now? I appreciate you taking the time to answer.

Thank YOu,

Andrea

Jacelynn,

I am familiar with Southern MO, I lived in Poplar Bluff for a few months. I am going to get my surgery done at SSM weightloss institute at DePaul Hospital by Dr.Scott. I am so excited!

Nice to meet you!

Andrea

LaDawn,

Thank you for that awesome post! I am so excited for you! You have given me inspiration and hope! You answered all of my questions so thoroughly. Congratulations on getting your life back! I hope to do the same thing by this time next year. What kind of exercise do you do? What is a typical food day for you now? I appreciate you taking the time to answer.

Thank YOu,

Andrea

Glad I could help! I can ramble a bit :wink2:...sorry about that, I'm just very excited about my tool! It's amazing!

I try to do a cardio exercise video 3 times a week and a weight/sculpting video 2-3 times a week...don't always get it in, but that's what I aim for.

I usually start my day by eating 1/2 of an Atkins Protein bar with a little bit of fruit within the first hour of waking up. Then I eat every 3 hours...about 3 ounces solid protein like chicken, fish (I love Talapia and shrimp!), beef, turkey plus 1 ounce of fruits or veggies to get those good carbs in too. I love green chili so I do tend to put it on a lot of stuff to kind of spice it up a bit with a little cheese here and there. There are some great bariatric recipie sites if ya just google "bariatric recipies".

You'll do great, just follow your dr's instructions and your tool will work wonderfully! You'll be skinny minnie in no time! :mad:

Edited January 20, 201016 yr by LaDawnS

Hey guys!! How are you doing? Congrats to both of you on your journey!! I am starting my 3 months of supervised dieting. I went to my regular doctor yesterday and sat through a 20 minute lecture about how the lap band is not a quick fix and most people end up gaining the weight back, blah, blah, blah.

I was very frustrated when I left her office. I feel like I completely understand that the lap band is a tool...and not a quick fix. I will need to change my eating habits. I have been exercising 3 days a week since September, but have not really lost anything. It just seems I make the wrong choices with food... I know there are a lot of times I eat because of emotional reasons...which is what my regular doctor said is why I would gain all my weight back.

LaDawn - What are your thoughts on that? How have your emotions been throughout this past year? Has it been "scary" losing so much weight? Not physically scary...but just a "different" feeling?

Jacelyn and Andrea - I am originally from Cape Girardeau...grew up there. Now I live in KC for the last 12 years. Nice to "meet you!!"

Anyway....Thanks so much for your posts. They're very helpful!!

Angie

Nice to meet you Angie... It's always cool meeting people on here that are from around here. What made you give up Southeast MO?? LOL... j/k.. Nah, I like it down here. How's KC?

I had my consult today. Everything went well. Doc said I was perfect candidate.. was he calling me fat?? LOL

Hope all our journeys go as smoothly as today!!!! *Crossing my Fingers*

Tiffany :biggrin:

Hello Tiffany - I moved around a lot with my daughter's father, but then came to KC and fell in love with it!! I love it here, but do miss Cape! I go down there to see my fam anytime we have a 3-day weekend.

Yea...my doc said I was a perfect candidate, too!! Hmmm... :biggrin:

Good luck to you as well!!!

Angie

I have been banded for 18 months and still can not feel my band. I only know it is there when I eat.:ohmy: Now, my port, I have felt from the beginning. If you run you hand over my stomach you can feel it. It doesn't bother me, but I can feel it if I touch that area.

I do not eat 2 oz per meal. I consume 1200-1500 calories per day and I have during this whole process. I did not get banded to "diet" the rest of my life. I like my band to not be too tight. I can eat whole wheat Pasta and pizza, I just eat a LOT less than I did before being banded. I do watch what I eat, and by that, I mean that I try to avoid slider foods like ice cream, chips and candy. I do, however, eat ice cream if I want it. I just stop when I am satisfied. My weight loss has stalled because I am at the point now that I need to exercise to lose weight now. I have lost the entire 93 lbs so far without exercise, but my body will not let go of another pound until I get off my butt and move. That, or I need to drop my calories per day, which I won't do, so exercise it will have to be.:biggrin:

To show you examples of the amount of food I eat now:

I HOP: 1 pancake and 1 fried egg

Chilis: small bowl of chili and 4 crackers or 1 burger bite and some chips and queso

Cracker Barrel: 1 biscuit, 1 fish fillet and a few fries

Hey guys!! How are you doing? Congrats to both of you on your journey!! I am starting my 3 months of supervised dieting. I went to my regular doctor yesterday and sat through a 20 minute lecture about how the LAP-BAND® is not a quick fix and most people end up gaining the weight back, blah, blah, blah.

I was very frustrated when I left her office. I feel like I completely understand that the LAP-BAND® is a tool...and not a quick fix. I will need to change my eating habits. I have been exercising 3 days a week since September, but have not really lost anything. It just seems I make the wrong choices with food... I know there are a lot of times I eat because of emotional reasons...which is what my regular doctor said is why I would gain all my weight back.

LaDawn - What are your thoughts on that? How have your emotions been throughout this past year? Has it been "scary" losing so much weight? Not physically scary...but just a "different" feeling?

Jacelyn and Andrea - I am originally from Cape Girardeau...grew up there. Now I live in KC for the last 12 years. Nice to "meet you!!"

Anyway....Thanks so much for your posts. They're very helpful!!

Angie

Hi Angie!

I have to tell you...this has been an amazing almost 9 months now! I haven't had a single scarey or negative moment at all since my surgery May first. This has been nothing but a positive journey! It sounds like you have a very good attitude going into this about the band and have made some very important lifestyle changes that are neccessary to be successful with the band! I went to my surgeons seminar wanting to do the bypass...but...after his seminar fully decided to go with the band. There were so many people there that had been really sucessful with the band and some had maintained their weight loss for many years. I like the fact that the band is adjustable and once you make your goal it can be used to help maintain that weight. I also liked the fact that it was reversable should I need it. Now I didn't have the emotional eating problems...I have PCOS which caused me to gain like crazy despite the fact that I really didn't eat that badly. Very frustrating. This definately has not been the easiest thing I've ever done to loose weight , and I haven't been the perfect weightloss patient by any means (exerscise was a big one for me, I've been pretty good the last couple of months...hopefully it's routine now! And I have absolutely NO willpower when chocolate is in the house! Christmas was horrible for that this year! I did gain a little because of that, but it came back off quickly) but it has still come off at a rather rapid pace and I feel amazing! AND I love being able to shop in the regular clothing stores again! It's been 20 years since I've been able to do that!

Good luck with your descision, and please let me know if I can help you at all! Take care!

Edited January 21, 201016 yr by LaDawnS

LaDawn - Thank you so much for your response!!! I am sooo happy for you!! Congrats on your success!!! I'm also very happy to hear you've kept it off for years!!

Thanks again!

Angie

LaDawn - Thank you so much for your response!!! I am sooo happy for you!! Congrats on your success!!! I'm also very happy to hear you've kept it off for years!!

Thanks again!

Angie

I'm only coming up to my 9 month post op. Haven't kept it off for years, but have talked to many banders that have maintained for years. Hopefully I'll be one of those too! Thanks for the sweet words! :biggrin:

I have been banded for six days now. Honestly, my start was rough because I had lots of gas pains. However, I don't feel the band when lying on my stomach. Also, I can barely feel the port site either. The first couple days I felt kind of "tight" around the midsection, but that is probably from the surgery. It has gone away today. I have lost 15 lbs in a week because I haven't wanted to eat or drink anything. I have managed to stay hydrated and I've had to remind myself to drink my shakes.

can't feel my band!

can't feel my band!

You aren't supposed to "feel" your band. The band will give you restriction and you will be "aware" of it after you begin getting fills, but you won't "feel" it. I am glad I can't feel it, that would creep me out.