This group is for weight loss support for lower bmi bandsters (of course anyone is welcome!).

For encouragement, tips, accountability.... Give stats, helpful advice, etc.

How much weight you have lost, how long it took. etc.

In some case I have found it takes a lower BMI patient a lot longer to lose the weight.

Introduce yourself and jump on in!!!:welcomeB: :welcome2:

Audree

Hi Everyone! I haven't been on this thread in a while and wanted to check in.

I seem to be doing pretty good, although I think I might be at a bit of a plateau right now. I figure that it's par for the course, since I am planning on cosmetic surgery in January and want to lose another 15 to 20 pounds by then! Anyone else considering getting any work done?

I am very happy with the weight loss though and am working hard to keep pushing the scale down. I've had three fills and am scheduled for another one in early October. I think I'm pretty close to my sweet spot, but I am dealing with hunger and the ability to eat a bit more than I think I should be able to eat.

If I would exercise, I bet that next 20 pounds would come off pretty quick. I've had an elliptical trainer sitting in the box in my living room for a long time now. It's heavy, so I can't put it together by myself. I need to hire a handyman I guess because pulling hubby off the golf course for manual labor just isn't going to happen! LOL

I hope you are all doing well!

My 4th fill made a huge difference for me. I've lost 10 lbs since I got the fill at the beginning of Sept. It's great to finally feel really full all the time and not be interested in food. I hope it lasts!

I'm hoping the 4th one is the best one too Denise. So far, I'm doing good, but I'm dealing with very strong hunger pains in the evening. It's probably just because I'm waiting too long to eat though.

Yes, when you have a good fill, there is no hunger. I really can't believe the difference.

Hey there! My BMI is 34.1, I currently weigh 205 and am 5'5. Do you have any regrets getting the band?

I have not regretted getting the band once. It can be a real pain and sometimes rule your life though. Like this weekend, I went out of town and we ate in restaurants all weekend. It's tricky ordering from a menu when you don't know how your band is going to act that day. Some days you can eat something, the next time you try it, you might have trouble. I really don't care though. I sat and watched my kids eat McDonalds and had no desire to eat any of it. There wasn't anything on the menu that tempted me or that I felt was worth the trouble finding out if it would give me trouble.

I've started my pre-op diet and go for surgery Friday. My BMI is 33. It is good to read all this again to confirm that this is the right thing to do for myself. Thanks everyone!:car:

i am 62" and started at 178. NOw at 122 pds NO REGRETS ABOUT GETTING THIS DONE. SELF PAY AT THAT..WOULD DO IT OVER AND OVER AGAIN

DIANE

I, too, will be a self-pay. I did not want to wait for my insurance to turn me down nor did I want to eat to a higher BMI to get insurance approval.

My biggest fear with the band is how difficult it will be to consume certain foods. I've heard some horror stories of food getting caught in the stoma and how terrible it feels when that happens.

I have not regretted getting the band once. It can be a real pain and sometimes rule your life though. Like this weekend, I went out of town and we ate in restaurants all weekend. It's tricky ordering from a menu when you don't know how your band is going to act that day. Some days you can eat something, the next time you try it, you might have trouble. I really don't care though. I sat and watched my kids eat McDonalds and had no desire to eat any of it. There wasn't anything on the menu that tempted me or that I felt was worth the trouble finding out if it would give me trouble.

Hi Denise 822 -- question how do you feel the band rules your life? Do you feel it rules your life because of how careful you must in your food choices or that it is inconvenient to have the band? Please explain. Also have you had any food that got caught in your stoma and caused vomitting?

It's kind of hard to explain. If you don't have a fill, you can pretty much eat what you want in smaller amounts. If you have a tight fill like I have right now, it's a complete different story. But I am happy about that. I got banded last Dec. and I was getting pretty tired of how slow my weight was coming off.

I was over filled not long ago. I only live 5 min. from my dr.'s office so I asked for an aggressive fill. Unfortunately, it was on a friday, and I couldn't get some taken out until Monday.

Yes, I have had food get stuck and it's painful. If I take too big of a bite, and don't chew well enough, the food can't go through the band. That's when it comes back up. Before it comes up, your body produces thick saliva and they call that sliming. That goes on for awhile before the food actually comes up.

The reason I feel that sometimes it rules my life, is I haven't told many people that I had the surgery. Here is an example. A bunch of my girl friends are going to dinner this weekend, and they have chosen Tai food. Right now I have no clue if there will be anything on that menu that is band friendly. You can do a thread search. There are threads about what foods give you trouble.

Feel free to send me a private message if you have more questions. I don't want to scare you, and I can't tell from this thread if you have already had surgery.

It's kind of hard to explain. If you don't have a fill, you can pretty much eat what you want in smaller amounts. If you have a tight fill like I have right now, it's a complete different story. But I am happy about that. I got banded last Dec. and I was getting pretty tired of how slow my weight was coming off.

I was over filled not long ago. I only live 5 min. from my dr.'s office so I asked for an aggressive fill. Unfortunately, it was on a friday, and I couldn't get some taken out until Monday.

Yes, I have had food get stuck and it's painful. If I take too big of a bite, and don't chew well enough, the food can't go through the band. That's when it comes back up. Before it comes up, your body produces thick saliva and they call that sliming. That goes on for awhile before the food actually comes up.

The reason I feel that sometimes it rules my life, is I haven't told many people that I had the surgery. Here is an example. A bunch of my girl friends are going to dinner this weekend, and they have chosen Tai food. Right now I have no clue if there will be anything on that menu that is band friendly. You can do a thread search. There are threads about what foods give you trouble.

Feel free to send me a private message if you have more questions. I don't want to scare you, and I can't tell from this thread if you have already had surgery.

Tom Kha soup is your best bet for Thai food...it is yummy and you can eat the broth (which has coconut milk and is spicy too) and feel VERY satisfied.

For me, the band can rule my life because it's so easy to forget that it's there. I quickly remember when I start eating a bit too fast and I get that first, "ummmm, you'd better see what's going to happen before you take that next bite" feeling.

It's not a bad thing for me, unless I think that I can continue when I really can't. I have only had two PB episodes, but I have had several close calls. Those close calls are good for me; they make me stop and think about what I'm doing!

Hey guys!!!

Sorry I have not been on for so long. I dont' have internet at home temporarily. I am checkin in from work!

Great news!!! I lost 12 more pounds!!!! I was 165, lost 2 pounds, then I started taking my QuickSlim30 again and lost 10 more pounds!!!!!

I am majorly doing the happy dance!!!

Audree

Greetings, all!

I'm still in pre-approval land (done the seminar, sleep study, first surgical consult next week), and before I go to the consult I'd be interested in your experience with pre-op dieting...

My surgeon, at the seminar, mentioned that his team requires everyone to lose 10% body weight prior to surgery. If I did that, I'd be under the 35 minimum BMI for ins approval (I'm 5'8", 241 lbs...230 is about as low as I can go and still be over 35 BMI).

Anyone have experience with a dr that had this kind of threshold for his patients? Were you, as a low BMI-er, also required to lose prior to surgery, or were you exempt?

I'd like to start exercising and getting ready for op day now, but I'm very concerned about losing too much (losing has never been my prob - it's the keeping it off part that messes with me!).

Thanks for your input!