How is weight loss for people over 50? Can we still expect to lose 1 to 2 pounds per week with the band?

Denise, are you sure your surgeon didn't repair your hernia when he put in the band? My surgeon said he wouldn't place the band without fixing a hiatal hernia because the reflux problems would be awful. He knew about mine ahead of time, but it sounded to me like he would fix a hernia for any patient after he got in there and had a look.

Gerbera, thanks for the encouragement. I'm feeling a little better now. I even went out yesterday -- first time since surgery. I was feeling bored with being cooped up in the house, so that's a good sign. I think 3 weeks sounds like a reasonable time before you feel back to normal. I'm actually happy you said that because it helps me feel that I'm okay. This is my first week post-surgery today and I'm very glad I took the extra time off from work. I really wouldn't feel like going back to work tomorrow.

Thanks for all the good thoughts.

Regards... Debbie

I'm wondering how you all are doing.

I've had a fill recently and am at last losing again after a several month standstill. It feels so good. I was actually beginning to get into my self-blame thing a bit, feeling like I should be losing despite very little restriction.

Anyway, now that's it's beginning to be lighter in the mornings I'll be able to resume my early morning walks. Walking an hour every morning works wonders for me, but I hate going out in the dark.

Hi to everyone. I was banded last September and I am in my late 50s. I have had little restriction and I have been taking this whole business slowly. The band has helped me big time for my ability to guzzle has been cut.

I have been taking care of business, too, for I have been paying attention to those foods which have been going into my body. This means not only looking at the overall carb count but also at the break-down of nutrients.

I don't know how it works south of the border but in Canada all processed foods/packaged foods must provide a nutritional facts breakdown. This is how I learned that Gardenay soups will provide 80 calories or so per half box but that while they will be generous on the vitamin A and salt requirements, these soups will only provide a minor amount of fibre and as for the vitamin Cs, Bs, Ds or Es, well, you can forget about it.

On the other hand, eggs are brilliant when it comes to comparatively low calorie nutrition providers. Those eggs are loaded with the B complex vitamins and they are packed with protein.

I don't have a sweet tooth - I really don't like fruit - and so I have been eating a lot of avocados even though they are relatively high in calories. They are high in potassium and are a good substitute for bananas.

I am lazy and so I went through a period of buying bottled salad sauces even though I had lived in France and had learned how to make my own healthier and less fattening dressing. But I am banded now and I am determined to take care of business and so I am back to making my own salad dressing again.

You might be interested in this and so here the information which I learned while I lived in France: extra virgin olive oil, lots of dijon mustard, and vinegar to taste. I like to use apple vinegar and I like the taste of hot and sour. If you want to sweeten the taste of this dressing you should add a few drops of balsamic vinegar or some grains of sugar. Lemon juice can be used in conjunction with balsamic vinegar.

The deal is that you must use a fine quality oil, good dijon mustard, and an excellent acid as a base. You will beat this together and it will announce itself suitable for your vegetables when you have got the proportions right.

Now, this is a basic vinaigrette but if you really want to get funky you can mash up some fresh garlic and introduce this into the sublime slime.

Another truly splendid thing which you can do is to introduce a very, very high quality blue cheese into your vinaigrette. This must be an oily, sumptuous and dissolute blue, one that is easily mashed into the mix of extra virgin olive oil, a respectable Dijon mustard, and the right amount of vinegar.

Now, a proper vinaigrette is not low-cal but it is devoid of transfats.

Hello,

Well even for a "older" group, looks like I am going to be the "senior" I am scheduled to be banded next Wednesday, Jan 31 and I will be 66 years old on Jan 30.

I am excited and really look forward to having some long term control for the first time in my life. I am sure my story is the same as most, I can lose the weight, but I just can't seem to keep it off. :myscared:

I had finally given up on diets, because it was not worth the time and effort (and expense of new clothes, that I couldn't wear after 2-3 months), to say nothing of the disappointment in myself.

But, I am convinced this will work for me. I have no illusions that the band will do the work for me, but what a relief to know that there will something to "remind" me when I eat too much.

My cardiologist is very supportive and so is my family. I am excited to join the bandster world and excited to find a group that is close enough to my age to be able to relate to problems other than "that time of the month" and "what do I do if I get pregnant" LOL.

Will let you know how things go next week.

HI ! I'M 64 AND STARTING THE PROCESS. TRYING TO FIND A HOSPITAL AND DOCTOR THAT TAKES MEDICARE. THE ONES IN MY AREA ARE WAINT FOR THEIR CENTER OF EXCELLENCE OKAY. I FEEL I DON'T WANT TO WAIT ANY LONGER. GETTING ANXIOUS. IT IS SO EXCITING TO READ ALL THE THE WEIGHT THAT BANDSTERS HAVE LOST. I WAS A LITTLE WORRIED THAT I WAS TOO OLD. HAS ANYONE GOTTEN THEIR BAND FROM OSCHNERS IN NEW ORLEANS??

HI everyone! I am glad to see this thread moving again. Us older bandsters need to stick together. I know it's harder to lose the older you get.

I don't have a clue if my surgeon fixed my hernia while he was in there. I watched the video and that was amazing to see. It's hard to believe they can do all of that from the outside of the body. On the video, the surgeon does say if there is a hernia in there, it must be fixed. Maybe he fixed mine and didn't tell me.

Today was the first day in a long while that something didn't get stuck. I still haven't ever thrown up at all, but I hate it when it's stuck because it hurts until it moves down. I am learning to chew my food in my mouth until it's completely liquid. It's hard to remember but I am reminded quickly when I don't. I have to stop and just sit there and wait to get unstuck. I am not sure if I will get another fill. I get three with the price of the surgery so I would rather spread them out as I lose more weight. I have only lost 2 lbs since moving off liquids. It's better than not losing anything, but I hope I start losing more consistantly instead of watching the needle on the scale just stay in the same place. I need to not weigh as often because I get so discouraged and want to eat things I shouldn't because I get to thinking I might as well eat what I want because I am not losing anyway.

I hope everyone keeps this thread going. It's harder to relate to the younger girls. When you're young, you can lose weight a lot easier!

Hi everyone. It's been 3 weeks since my surgery. I'm finally feeling more like myself. I'm still a little sore -- just enought to remind me not to move to abruptly -- and feeling a lot less fatigued.

I noticed yesterday (for the first time) that I have a couple of stitches sticking out of the port incision. They look like short plastic threads (kind of like fishing line or a very thin version of the kind of plastic that they use to affix labels to new clothes). If they're still there when I go for my first fill in 3 week, I'll have the surgeon take a look at them.

I'm definitely not as hungry as I was before surgery, and it takes a lot less to fill me up. Sometimes I don't know what I'm feeling -- gas, hunger, general discomfort. I suppose everything will get clearer as I get further out from surgery.

I've lost 25 lbs. since my pre-op fast started -- 5 lbs. since surgery. I'm happy about that, but credit can't go to the lapband yet. It was the liquid fasting and then feeling too miserable to eat for the first 2 weeks after surgery.

Denise, youth definitely holds the edge on quick weight loss. I honestly think the 4 weeks of liquid diet and then moving on to mushies helped me to return to eating at a much slower pace. Taking small bites and chewing thoroughly wasn't so hard after all that fasting. I guess I'm just grateful to chew. Maybe all that fasting serves as psychological prep for a new way of eating. I know it's suppose to aid your stomach in healing, but it also seems to give you some time to deal with hunger and food issues. That fourth week on the liquid diet was hell. I didn't think I was going to make it. Did you have to do the liquid fasting?

Debbie

Hi everyone. It's been 3 weeks since my surgery. I'm finally feeling more like myself. I'm still a little sore -- just enought to remind me not to move to abruptly -- and feeling a lot less fatigued.

I noticed yesterday (for the first time) that I have a couple of stitches sticking out of the port incision. They look like short plastic threads (kind of like fishing line or a very thin version of the kind of plastic that they use to affix labels to new clothes).

Denise, youth definitely holds the edge on quick weight loss. That fourth week on the liquid diet was hell. I didn't think I was going to make it. Did you have to do the liquid fasting?

Debbie

Hi Debbie,

I am 2 months out and I have a little stitch sticking out too. My surgeon said it was very common. He told me he could cut it off if I wanted him to. I was afraid to have him do that though. I thought he might accidently nick

my skin. He said it takes 3 months but they will disolve.

You're right- 4 weeks on liquids is really hard. The first week was really hard because I wasn't used to it. The next two weeks were really easy. I was used to it, and I wasn't hungry. I enjoyed not having to worry about what to eat. I mostly drank low carb slim fast. Sometimes I would have the high Protein Soups that I bought at the dr.'s office. The 4th week I was really tired of liquids and I really wanted to eat. I cheated a little bit and had some foods off the mushy list a few times. There were people on here that only had to do 3 weeks on liquids, so I justified it by telling myself that other doctors only make their patients do 3 weeks on liquids. I didn't have to do any kind of presurgery diet though, so it was just the 4 weeks after surgery on liquids. Then 2 weeks of mushies.

Now I am trying to decide if I should have another fill. I really hate it when food gets stuck. It's quite painful. Plus I haven't told everyone about my surgery, so when food get stuck in front of other people, it's kind of a pain in the neck. I just have to remember to eat really slowly and chew very well.

I hope you'll stay on this thread. I really think it's easier to relate to women closer to my age. I know menopause plays a big part on this "harder to lose that other people" business too. On some of the other threads, they are talking about how their band feels tighter when it's that time of the month.

Glad you posted here!

It's my first time to post on this forum. I am so happy I found it tonight. I will be having my surgery on Wednesday the 7th. Ooooh 7-7 and 7 lbs that I had to lose before surgery. Where I come from that's a lucky number!!!777. Please keep me in your thoughts and prayers, I'll be back!

gailannr: How exciting! I know you're probably a little nervous, but before you know it, you'll be on your road to a slimmer, probably healthier you!

I was very tense during the weeks leading up to the surgery, but the last couple of days a sense of calm does seem to wash over you and you know that you are doing the right thing and that it will just be good to finally get it done.

Those 7 lbs. are your pre-surgical trophy and the liquid and soft diet after the surgery provide wonderful early results that I am sure you will be very happy with.

Best wishes for smooth sailing! Be sure to let us know how you're doing as soon as you feel like sitting at your PC! Remember... moving around is very good after you come home.

So glad to find this forum. I will be on this site often. I am in the beginning stages and will be going to a seminar on Thursday. Hope to get things going and fast. I'll be really disappointed if I have to wait too long.

Gail, Good luck to you and I will say a prayer for you on Wednesday. So glad I found you and the other women on the site.

Thanks,

Carol Ann

HI ! I'M 64 AND STARTING THE PROCESS. TRYING TO FIND A HOSPITAL AND DOCTOR THAT TAKES MEDICARE. THE ONES IN MY AREA ARE WAINT FOR THEIR CENTER OF EXCELLENCE OKAY. I FEEL I DON'T WANT TO WAIT ANY LONGER. GETTING ANXIOUS. IT IS SO EXCITING TO READ ALL THE THE WEIGHT THAT BANDSTERS HAVE LOST. I WAS A LITTLE WORRIED THAT I WAS TOO OLD. HAS ANYONE GOTTEN THEIR BAND FROM OSCHNERS IN NEW ORLEANS??

Have you checked out this site?

http://www.cms.hhs.gov/MedicareApprovedFacilitie/BSF/list.asp#TopOfPage

Thanks, ebthinagn, yes, that is where I finally found Oschner's Hospital. (They were approved for a Center of Excellence 2/07/07) Will be going to their seminar on Thursday. That is a requirement eventhough I've been to 2 other seminars at different places.

I have my initial visit this Wednesday. I'm nervous. I keep thinking I should be able to do this on my own, but then another voice keeps saying if I could, I'd have already done it. Also, I'm not thrilled w/ the idea of surgery and recovery. The only kind of surgery I've had was dental and that was no pic nic either!

Good luck, Gail! Wishing you all good things.

Regards... Debbie

Crabcake: I have a suggestion, from where I sit 6 months post-op. Think really hard about whether you can figure out a way to lose the weight on your own. Because you will be doing the work yourself AFTER the band too. Yes, it does cause you to eat less if you have the proper restriction. But it is not like a sure-fire method of getting to your goal weight real quickly. It's a two year plan, and it takes a lot of commitment on your part.

Most of the people here whose posts I've read would not trade their band for anything. I do know that at this stage of the game, many of us are struggling, trying to stay on track, trying to continue losing weight.

What I'm trying to say is that you should be absolutely certain that you don't think that you can accomplish weight loss without serious help. Having a lap band is a life-long commitment and not a cure for obesity. It is only one thing you can use in your quest for a healthy way to deal with food in your life.

At LBT, you'll read both ends of the spectrum and everything inbetween. It's up to you to make the wholehearted commitment to do what they tell you in order for the band to work for you. If you are convinced that you want to take this route, then I encourage you. If you think there is some way you can lose the weight without the band, I suggest you try that and see if you can do it without surgery.

Whatever you decide, this is a great place for support. The surgery can be scary, but it isn't very complicated and the success rate is very high. Your downtime varies some, but most agree that if you take about a week to adjust and get over the procedure, you'll do just fine after that.

Best wishes to you whatever you decide to do!!