A thread for super-sized bandsters - starting BMI over 50?

leedorr · June 30, 2007

Lizrbit

I again am angry. It wasn't Dr.C it was his partner. I feel like if I could stop eating the things I am not suppose to eat, I wouldn't have needed the band to begn with! I'm not sure what I am going to do, I just want to get moving with the rest of the weight loss! Thanks for your in pt!

faithmd · June 30, 2007

Lizrbit
I again am angry. It wasn't Dr.C it was his partner. I feel like if I could stop eating the things I am not suppose to eat, I wouldn't have needed the band to begn with! I'm not sure what I am going to do, I just want to get moving with the rest of the weight loss! Thanks for your in pt!

See, that's exactly it. I don't get AT ALL why the nuts and docs all think that for some reason this miracle band is going to make us all eat sugar free, low fat, low calorie, high Protein, etc...If we could eat sugar free, low fat, low cal, make the best choices, then we wouldn't be fat!

I don't get why a doc would band someone, then put them on Atkins, either. But I guess every doc is different.

I know I need to make better food choices, and I've been committed to that since late January. Can I keep it up? I don't know, I'm going to try. Though the diet from the surgeon actually goes against everything I've done to be successful with the nearly 50lbs I lost pre-band. I will give them that it is only the post op diet, and hopefully once I'm healed I can go back to what I was doing, but still.

Granted I made a committment when I had surgery and one would think that going so far as to have surgery would help keep one on the straight and narrow in terms of food choices, but we are all human. One of the biggest reasons I chose the band over bypass (other than not having to have feet of bowel removed) was that I am a food snob, I love good food. I wanted to be able to still eat good food (which often does have fat and sugar in it), but in much smaller quantities. I wanted a 4 ounce filet mignon to fill me up instead of a 12 ounce. I wanted to have a few bites of a creme brulee and be satisfied instead of two full ramekins barely scratching the surface.

I feel like I'm going to have to keep two food diaries, one for the nut, one for real.

lifelongband · June 30, 2007

Ok, so I have been catching up on posts.....

One thing I have learned about eating is this:

You are in control of what you are eating, you are in control of the portion you eat, you are using a tool to make sure you don't over eat. Yes, eating carbs and sugar and all of that is great, in moderation. I have a once a week treat and for the most part, I stick to meat and veggies. I am guilty of liquid calories. I drink SF, FF Mochas daily, sometimes 2. I am at a success of 10 pounds a month. I do not deprive myself of anything, I just do it in moderation.

Example: Yesterday I went to dinner with a couple of friends and I had a tempura plate...YUMMY! Now, that one could have been dangerous, but I remembered my portion size and ate the shrimp first, then some veggies and left the rice. It was nice to endulge a little bit.

This is what works for me. I am not saying it will work for everyone. I changed my thinking to....it's not a diet, I'm eating for life. I am not living to eat.

My opinion on getting fills is this.....Your doctor should be looking at your weight loss and how you feel the food is going through your band. I have been under fluro (sp) and I was dropping weight and found out my band was still pretty open, they did an aggressive fill and I am just now going back in for another. It has been 3-4 months. I think it all depends on who you go with. I am extremely happy with my surgeon and all staff. It is always a wonderful experience each and every time I am in the office.

Good luck to all of you in your goals.

E

Sheelagh · June 30, 2007

We need a place where we can support each other through our "more than most" journey. Just as turtles don't get much out of hearing us talking about fast we're losing, maybe it would give us a nice break from "I'm getting banded because I need to lose 60 lbs".
I think we have our own unique challenges, expectations, baggage, etc. -- and we need our own little niche to support eachother. We all have a very long journey ahead of us, and need to band together.

Hi not sure how i stumbled onto this site but hope it will help me in the coming wks. I am having my band fitted in four wks am so so excited and am dreaming every night about my new life ahead. Am i expecting too much!!!!!!

txkbh · July 3, 2007

Hi everyone,

It's been a while since I last posted. I had my first consult with Dr. Barker in Dallas on 5/3. I went in there planning to be a self-pay bander, but was told that my insurance would cover either surgery and they pushed RNY. It's been a crazy two months. Turns out that the office staff didn't completely verify insurance. My company requires a 12-month supervised diet before they will consider paying. I found out that even at that point, I might still be denied. I was feeling as low as could be, but my WONDERFUL Mom and Dad came to the rescue and offered to pay for either surgery.

The surgeon's office is trying to use my 5-year weight history to bypass the supervised diet, but either way I am so happy to say that I will be able to get WLS.

The only problem is that I am not 100% happy with the attention at Dr. Barker's office. If it turns out that the insurance wonm't pay (very likely), I am planning to find a doc who feels confident in the success of the band in a higher BMI patient. Can anyone give me any references in the DFW area?

Thanks for letting me ramble a bit - good luck to everyone!

Bianca

Mert · July 3, 2007

Carol, Your sister sounds like a gem, er, could you send her over to my house? You sound like you are doing so well. good for you. I am still trying to get started on weight loss. I am having difficulty! But I'm inspired by your phenomenal success...

Suzzzie. · July 3, 2007

Mert - I see that you are a patient of the Dr.Davis-es. I watch their show on TLC and LOVE it! I thought they only did RNY? DO they do bands too?

losingjusme · July 3, 2007

Hi everyone,
Can anyone give me any references in the DFW area?

Bianca

Hi Bianca,

Try Dr. Smith or Dr. Carter.

they were not my surgeon, but i've heard great things about both of them.

best of luck to you!

Zannie · July 6, 2007

Hi not sure how i stumbled onto this site but hope it will help me in the coming wks. I am having my band fitted in four wks am so so excited and am dreaming every night about my new life ahead. Am i expecting too much!!!!!!

I'll be honest... This surgery is not a quick-fix. It is slow-going and you have got to exercise! I'm 4-1/2 months post-op & down 52 pounds. That's right about where many of my fellow Feb Bandsters are at this point, but some are further and some have lost a lot less. So i think I'm pretty average in terms of progress. And FIFTY POUNDS sounds GREAT! It's 1/4 of what I want to loose, ideally.

But, frankly, I was not happy with the way I looked when I was at 268 the last time...and I'm less happy with my appearance now since along with still being FAT, my hair is limp & falling out, my "pterodactyl wings" are flapping, my boobs have deflated like balloons, and my sagging gut has "done lapped" even further over my underwear than before!!! It isn't a pretty picture here. I feel like there's nothing I can eat except meatball & chili! I crave yeasty & quick breads, as well as JUICE!! And that is my reality.

But I do have more energy than pre-op AND my astronomically high cholesterol is within normal ranges!!! :Becky: I'm off the metformin I was taking for PCOS & my cycles have returned (knock on wood). I feel better! And though it's going to take a very long while, I am loosing weight. The band is there when I fall off the wagon, catching me before I hit the ground! And a fill puts me right back on track. I think of my band as Jiminey Cricket -- singing "always let your conscience be your guide" when I get stuck or slime on something I didn't chew well enough or shouldn't have eaten in the 1st place.

I have no regrets. But my dreams aren't coming true overnight either! And i still hate working out! :confused: I'm not saying any of this to scare you off -- the Band was the best thing I could have done for myself at this point. (Well, that and actually exercising in the 1st place.) But if you DO have high expectations & the reality differs...well, that is enough to send some Bandsters right to eating around the Band. And I wouldn't want that for you at all. The Lap-Band is a tool, not a quick-fix. Just remember that when it seems like you're trudging uphill through the snow...it's a tool, it's a tool... :biggrin1:

Good luck to you with your Band!

Zannie · July 7, 2007

Perhaps there is a clothing exchange thread already, but…

I just came across some new 34W clothes. 2 pair of shorts, a couple pair of petite jeans & a couple that are not petite, and some ¾ sleeve button-up shirts. (It’s all conservative stuff, and the shirts would be fine for work either under a suit or left untucked in a more casual workplace.) All of this is tried on & some have been washed, but none of it was ever worn because I never quite grew out of my 32Ws enough to fit into the 34Ws that I'd just bought before having this surgery.

And while it's all perfectly fine clothing that I could take in to be tailored, will I? Do I want to? Wouldn’t it be more fun to BUY SMALLER SIZES as I continue to need new clothes? Right. My thoughts exactly. :biggrin1:

If someone’s in need of 34W, send me a PM & I can take pictures (but I doubt I’ll Iron for ya!) or further describe what I’ve got.

Suzanne

derbygirl · July 7, 2007

I haven't kept up with this thread very well, but I struggle with eating "bad foods" a lot as well. I do notice, however, that I lose a LOT more when I eat low-carb as the surgeon says I should. In fact, there is this particular menu that keeps me losing about .5 pound a day. But it gets old!

Zannie, I have PCOS, too. My cycle is back, too. I am kind of wishing it wasn't...hehe.

Today I had a fill, and I was excited to find out that my surgeon's scales read LOWER than mine at home (mine are new). My goal is to be at 299 by July 31. I can hardly wait to be outta the threes!

Holliwagz · July 7, 2007

Hey guys! Looks like we had a little "heat" in here yesterday! I understand where MOST of you are coming from with all the advice! I take some in stride and some I just skip! LOL

Anyway I weighed in yesterday and much to my dismay I had gained 2 lbs!!! GRRRRRRR I was sooo furious! BUT... I know it is mostly my fault! When I say "mostly" the reason is ... the Dr said for me to "eat till you feel full then quit" so that's what I've been doing!! Yes I know I have been eating more than I should be ABLE to eat yet they said to eat till full soooo what do ya do?!?! So I just happened to see the Dr in the hall yesterday and he kinda jokingly said well if you want to loose the weight rapidly go back on the liquid diet!! I didn't know whether to laugh or smack him!! LOL Basically what they have told me is to go back to 5 small meals a day which is a pain but when I was doing that I was loosing! Hopefully I will get better news from the scales next week!

You guys have been talking about "criticizing" family and friends about how much they eat and I can totally relate! The main thing I have gotten on to my hubby about it he eats SOOOOO fast!! Therefore he eats to much! He has told me repeatedly he is in this WITH me because he needs to loose about 100 lb himself! So far he has taken all my constructive criticism very well!! It was kinda funny last night at dinner he got so bored with eating because he was eating so slow! I was like yep I feel ya baby honestly I do! LOL He is a great sport and I'm glad he is doing this "with" me and helping me along! The only things I eat that he refuses to eat is tuna cottage cheese and yogurt! He is definitely cutting back and I am proud of him!

I know my Dr told me but for the life of me I can't remember ... how long to wait post op before being intimate? I am 17 days out and trying to remember if it was 2 wks or 4 wks? If anyone can help a sista out it would be greatly appreciated!

BTW I was practically begging my Dr yesterday for a fill and he said NO WAY not for 2 more weeks! I was kinda excited that he would consider one before the 6 wks! WOOOOOHOOOOOOO Sorry for the LONG post!

Holliwagz · July 7, 2007

Ok so I copied and pasted my post from another page that had "heat" yesterday obviously that didn't apply to this page!! SORRY!

derbygirl · July 7, 2007

Glad to hear you're doing so well after surgery, Holiwags. Sorry I can't remember on the intimacy issue. I wasn't getting any at the time of my surgery, so I didn't pay attention...hehe. I measured my food for months after surgery because I couldn't (and still can't) stop myself on my own. If I just make a plate and don't pay attention to portions (like at a family function), I ALWAYS overeat. Anyway, my point is that I don't understand it why surgeons are telling people who obviously never stopped eating when they were full...to stop eating when they are full! What's wrong with this picture? <img src="http://www.LapBandTalk.com/images/smilies/confused.gif" border="0" alt="" title="Confused" smilieid="11" class="inlineimg" />