I would like to be on this forum, but I don't see any recent activity. Should I be on a different forum for talkers like myself?? Anne

OK low BMI'ers I had my surgery July 16th - I weighed 199.6 and am 5'2 at age 50.

It is now Dec 1st I am 164 pounds 5'2 and 50 years old.

I had to pay out of pocket and I would have sold my teeth for this surgery. It was the best thing I have ever done. I have now had 3-4 fills and just reach what is referred to as the sweat spot! No head hunger, about 1 cup of food at atime fills me up.

I have really had to keep my head in the game getting to this point though. Remember it is a tool to control your quantity/ portion control! You still have to chose what goes in your mouth and how often.

Here are few of my tips:

1. always chose Protein first

2. never drink fluids and eat solids at the same time

3. get your fills as often as you can to get to the sweat spot.

4. never give up.

5. If you have to sell a limb to get the surgery do it!!

I feel great and you will too.

I was in a tight size 14 as we speak I am wear a size 8 jeans!

It's always good to hear words of encouragement. I started at 213 and now 180-182. I have been here for at least 2 mths now. I need my sweetspot. I was banded on Jan 8, 2009. I still feel some restriction, so I was afraid to get a fill. I have 2cc in my 4cc band. Any advice... :thumbdown:

Hey Kissy:

Wow a size 8! Waahoo....you are doing great. I am the same age as you 50 and I was banded on 12/1/08 and I feel the same way you do! At this age I was only going up. I started at a size 16/18 and now I'm in a looseish 14 and I'm thrilled too! Getting into all my old clothes that stopped fitting a few years back was amazing! I didn't lose alot but ....I my numbers all improved though....chol. BP, etc. I am a bigger boned 5 8 so my goal is to get back to a size 12 or 10.

I have a question for you though.....how are you on the TOM cycle. I was doing so well a few weeks ago down to my lowest 215 from highest of 253 but then got my period after a few month of freedom and everything went haywire. My appetite came back full force but my band got super sensitive....i was vomiting alot. Do you ever get stuck? What is the mainstay of your diet? I also go anemia which mean Iron pills that cause const. Think I need to revamp my diet. I am exercising more tho.

any words of wisdom would be appreciated.

thanks

marg

Opps ...the 50 year old part was for LYnn...just saw that now...lynn if your reading would love some advice too>:tongue2:

you are probably in perimenopause where your periods will be irregular until you're done. Everyone says their band is tighter during TOM. All you can do is try your best to eat right and exercise!

hi! i had my surgery on June 5th 2009, my bmi was 35, i am starting to get nervous about my first fill. its on monday july 6th, i have been able to eat what ever i wanted to since i eased back into regular food. im sortof worried that that will effect what he does. i have lost about 5lbs since the surgery, so i guess thats a good sign. im just loosing my motivation and i have no energy to go exercise. im not sure if the lack of these are from physical or mental stresses, probably a bit of both. im just looking for someone who maybe went through the same thing and has any advice!! thanks to all

hi! i had my surgery on June 5th 2009, my bmi was 35, i am starting to get nervous about my first fill. its on monday july 6th, i have been able to eat what ever i wanted to since i eased back into regular food. im sortof worried that that will effect what he does. i have lost about 5lbs since the surgery, so i guess thats a good sign. im just loosing my motivation and i have no energy to go exercise. im not sure if the lack of these are from physical or mental stresses, probably a bit of both. im just looking for someone who maybe went through the same thing and has any advice!! thanks to all

Hey there...if you haven't already joined the June Group here on LBT (under groups, 2009, June), do so as they're all in the same place you are 'Bandster Hell'. Your doc should expect that you can eat anything at this point as your band isn't giving you any help right now (this period is for healing and not losing weight...many GAIN weight until they get good restriction). Don't expect your first fill to get you there, but if you're lucky it might (most need several fills before they feel a change). Bandster Hell is a tough period and can be frustrating...just remember, it's not a race, your 'tool' will be helping you with a few fills so hang in there! I've had 2 fills now and only have a tiny bit of restriction, but I'm working it. You're doing great! Good luck. -BG

I guess i'm considered a low BMI'er too. I was under 40 but the day of my first consult, i went to my PCP and had a BP of 210/116! I KNOW i was very worked up about not quailifing for surgery and i also had been having migraines A LOT. but, whatever worked! it qualified me for surgery through my ins. (my BP meds were gone before i was 1 month of out of surgery!)

I didn't have to do ANYTHING. no classes ahead of time, no shrink visit, no nutritionist.... they called to schedule my surgery 2 weeks later (when they got the approval letter from my INS) for a little more than a week later (enough time to do a liquid diet for a week)! I had a hiatal hernia repaired at the same time ( i had no clue i had, but he showed us the pics! YUCK!) we ended up paying a little more than $3000 for what they charged $26,000 + to the insurance!

I remember my Dr. telling me i was a 'light weight' and i almost cried because i thought he was telling me he wouldn't do it. he did not mean that, he just wanted me to know that i'm not his typical patient and that he understood i didn't want to keep going up.

Each visit i have been to, he has been more than pleased with my results. i really thought i would lose slow because i was a lower BMI, but that has not been the case. i have good weeks, GREAT weeks and slow weeks...sometimes i don't lose...some times i'm up a few ounces. the thing is it's no where near what it used to be!

I was banded on 3-3-2009, i started at 191. 4 1/2 months later, i am 141! 50 pounds gone!

I am only 4'11", and from a very tiny family....i weighed 96 pounds before my first child was born! there is NO WAY i could ever get that small again without looking deathly ill. i had gotten down to 120 (you know, for all of 4 seconds) 6 years ago, but, well, you all know....gained it all back, 2 pregnancies added to that, and gained even more!

i can also remember the night before surgery thinking, SHOULD I DO THIS?

then, i looked at my before pics again....OMG, YES. NO. DOUBT. ABOUT. IT!

this IS the best thing i have EVER done for myself!

I'm now only 18 pounds from having a NORMAL BMI...only 4 1/2 months after surgery! I'm 22 pounds from my original goal of 120, and even my OMG goal of 115-110 doesn't seem impossible!!

I have set a goal to reach my goal by the end of OCT. i will turn 38, and i hope to be in the best shape of my adult life!

sorry this post was ALL over the place! one thing i have noticed is that my ADD/ADHD has definitely showed up again!! not only does my body have more energy to go go go...so does my brain! lol

good luck ladies! we can do this...with the HELP of our band!

wannabethinagain

I loved reading your post . I too am low bmi 39.5 . just banded 7/16 lost 5 lbs so far . I hope it goes as fast as yours did. I am hungry some but if i loose weight its easier to deal with hunger. cant wait to wear my old clothes .

My surgery date is August 05, 2009. I have not received insurance approval yet. With less than two weeks I am worried. I am not confident that I wiil be approved and self-pay is not an option. We will see! If am am approved I have no clue how I am going to get home. No one knows about the surgery except for my husband and he will most likely be out-of-town.

My surgery was moved to 08/06/2009. I am down to 209 and my BMI is slightly below 35. I have not heard from my insurance company yet...keep your fingers crossed. Any suggestions on how to get home. The hospital will not release me to a taxi.