I am at the end of my six month diet. I am hoping to lose weight tomorrow. I have lost about 10 pounds...not too bad for not trying real hard. I have had all the pre-surgery testing. I did find out I have sleep apena. I am nervous and yet excited. I hope that the band will be worth all the pain. I am really trying hard not to snack between meals...I hope that the band helps with that. Any advice/comments would be great. Thanks so much!!

Hi Rachael,

I just was banded on January 5th 2011, and I have already lost 9 pounds. I am not a "pro" about the band but I will say that I have been on liquids since the 5th and have not found myself hungry at all. The only thing that was difficult for me after a few days was smelling the food that everybody else was eating I was still not hungry but just smelling some of my favorite foods was hard but I made it through the temptation and just went into my room lol. My bad was filled at the time of surgery and Im not exactly sure how much but I guess thats whats keeping me from being so hungry.

I started off @ 250 in August, I went to the seminar in September were I was 240 and had to be @ 228 for surgery. The day of my surgery when they weighed me in the hosptial I was 226 and now 5 days post op I am 217! With that being said I think the band, the pain and everything else is worth it!

Good Luck on your journey

Alison

I was banded Dec 13th, I lost 13 pounds on my liquid stage after surgery. I didn't start feeling any real hunger until about a week after surgery. The hunger was satisfied with liquids but after about a week and a half I was hungry for real food. Once I entered the "mushy" stage and ate food, all my cravings for junk, and the fantasies I was having about my favorite foods like burgers and any kind of fast food (which have been my drug of choice for years) were gone and healthy foods were good enough. Although, after 2 weeks I was able to eat like a normal person. I had no restriction after the initial swelling of my stomach went down. I was able to eat less than my old stomach would but was and still am able to eat ALOT more than I initially anticipated. After I started eating food (which was over Christmas and New Years) I gained almost 5 pounds back.

At this point, 4 weeks out today, I am eating everything from Pasta to steak without any problems. But I am "dieting" and eating mainly veggies and meats along with my Protein shakes. I have lost 4 of the 5 pounds I gained over the holidays, thankfully. My Doc told me that until my I find my "sweet spot" (where the band is filled enough to keep me from eating too much and I'm comfortably losing weight), I have to really work at losing and keeping the weight off on my own until the band starts working for me. My first fill is Jan 18th, and I'm really hoping I feel a difference right away.

Everyone is different, some people feel enough restriction from the get go, others need several fills before it's working for them. This can be a slow process for some of us, so be patient.

So far since the beginning of my journey (seminar July 2010) I've lost 26 pounds, most of it on my own but motivated by the band. I'm feeling better already, so so far, I'd say it's worth it.

Good luck to you!

Nothing to add as I'm having surgery on the same day as you, but just wanted to give my encouragement. I think each of us wonders if this is truely worth it. With so many bandsters saying it is based on their experience, I really think it is going to be. Every thing good in life has its risks, this is just one more. The nice thing about the band is if it is not right for you, you can reverse the process. I'm nervous too! But also can't wait to get this going!