... the recently banded and soon to be banded would be grateful to know. There's so much information out there that I was hoping to narrow it down. Thanks in advance!

The number one thing that has made me successful is DETERMINATION!

Exercise is a huge component. Even when the scale doesn't move, the measuring tape tells the story.

So, exercise and determination are my keys to success.

Sorry, I only have two things :thumbup:

Exercise, exercise and Portion Control.

I dont count calories or Protein or avoid carbs (or ANY food for that matter). But I work out darn hard most days - running, circuit, bootcamp.

For me top three that helped me get to goal in under a year:

1. no rice or Pasta

2. never eat more than half a cup at a time.

3. eat what you love but Protein first

I would also say keep hydrated. I wasn't a big excercizer but I did keep my body moving. I hate excercize but know that my wii fit really helped boost my weight loss in the first 6 months. Find excercizes you love, like swimming, or rock climbing or anything just keep your body moving.

Counting calories, exercise, and band adjustments/fills are the components in my success.

Mimi

Top 3 for me:

1. Putting me first

2. Weekly support from my bariatrics team, I go every Tueday to get weighed, give an account of my excersize, vitimens taken, food intake (1/2 cup, 3/4 cup, or 1 cup) blood pressure taken, every 3rd visit get measured, and all visits get encouragement never get beaten down even if I didn't do "it" right..

3. fills when needed and I might add that I am very protective of my fills too.

Wow, that's pretty intense follow up.

1. My band helps control my GERD, so I am not eating thousands of calories worth bread and crackers to reduce the symptoms.

2. If I overeat, I feel like my abdomen is being shoved into my chest.

3. I don't feel deprived and can still eat pretty much whatever I want, just in smaller portions. I don't touch bread, Pasta or rice and lettuce isn't working well either. I have learned to like Yoplus yogurt. Before, I couldn't stand yogurt.

I would say exercise, but due to a series of health problems (unrelated to the band), I haven't been able to start yet.

Also, having someone, whether it be a friend or group (lapband, not bypass patients) or provider who can listen to your problems, questions and fears is really necessary.

Yea, that's more than three.

paracelsus51, It's a great team I have. I've been doing this for over 2 years. The follow up only takes about 5 min. I leave work a few min. early each Tuesday as I have a standing appointment. I need that kind of follow up as I am a person who needs to be accountable to someone. Most of the patients in my group do this. The sad thing is on this site so many banders only see their team when they need a fill or have a problem. My team is very dedicated to their patients and truly want each of us to be successful. My bariatrics dept. is starting a Jazzercise program in Jan. It will be geared to all levels of fitness even to the patients who need to do jazzercise in a chair. We also have the monthly support group meetings and have specialists come and give talks from skin care, plastic surgery, etc. And all of this does not cost anything except for the jazzercise. We are accepting bariatric patients from other sites for the type of support each of get however it does cost them since they did not have their surgery at our hosptial or use our surgeons. That being said, it still is a reasonable fee for them. Those patients heard of the support we get and got in touch with our coordinator, excuse my language , as their support sucked from where they came from. I am very grateful that I am in our program.

That is really detailed follow up. You are really lucky. We don't have anything like that around here.

I had my surgery done in Denver (my insurance doesn't cover WLS) and wish I could follow up there, but I live 500 miles away here in Nebraska. I went to the local surgeon for follow up. His office has a schedule for everyone. Actually, the same schedule for everyone and when I had a problem with a fill at not quite four weeks out (2cc's caused a massive GERD attack, as I can never have anything back up into my esophagus, but they didn't listen), they were upset with me. Kept telling me they do this for everyone and usually put in twice as much and I am not going to lose the weight and I am going to fail. Really? I feel like I am going to die and that is their response?

My best friend had her surgery done by the local surgeon and after a few months was told she was full and obviously wasn't following the program and so she spent the next two years feeling a complete failure. The support group, which she attended, is mostly bypass patients, which is a totally different experience, so she was getting bad information there. She was also told that when she was eating and got what turned out to be her stop signal, she was to drink until the feeling was gone. She had been at the same weight for the last two years and really thought she was failing. She was even considering bypass surgery. She is very emotional and will just stay in a funk no matter what you tell her, just because of what they said. Neither the surgeon nor anyone in his office has ever been overweight, so they can't relate at all. After what happened to me at that same doctor's office, being a bit more proactive, started looking for another doctor. I am not about to put up with that sort of crappy treatment.

There isn't another one here, but there is in Omaha. So I trek to Omaha and got people who actually listen and came up with a treatment plan for me as every patient is not the same. I had a complete unfill and may not be able to have a fill again, but they will check and go slowly. I got her to go up there and in one visit they found her band wasn't full and gave her a bigger fill. They told her that feeling she got when she ate was her stop signal, she's full, so stop eating. They also told her she had a ton of edema in her pannus and put her on Water remover to shrink it. She has lost more than 12 pounds now and is much happier. She is also mad about the last two years.

Sorry this is so long, but I can't emphasize enough getting the right follow up treatment by the right people. I am not an in person group support type, but I have her to kvetch with and I can come here anytime to ask or seek answers. I can also call Omaha any day and they freely answer anything.

I'm glad you got another doctor. The bariatrics team needs to work with you not against you which sounds like the new doctor is doing. Your friend will do so much better by people giving her the right support and she will get to goal. May take a year or two but what the heck, she is doing in the right direction and so are you. Best luck to the both of you.

Thank you. Yes, she is so much happier and less stressed about everything. She has hope again. I am too.

Small portions.

Protein first.

Avoiding slider foods.

Weigh often.

Shop often (watch the sizes slip downward).

GET YOUR FILLS.

Enjoy life, keep the faith but recognize this is largely up to YOU.

My top three would be......

1. Having small frequent fills. This enabled me to always keep my portion sizes in check and therefore not be able to overeat.

2. Establishing a regular exercise routine.

3. Not depriving myself. I eat what i want, however only a few bites of it.

1. Remembering the pain. I hurt after surgery! I WONT do anything that will cause me to need more surgery. So I limit my meal size even though I could physically eat much more as I have only had one fill.

2. Limit carbs, especially bad carbs. Some things spiral my hunger out of control. Out of control hunger is a dangerous thing for me.

3. And do not drink with your meals. You will defeat the affect of having a band. liquids will wash the food past your band without triggering your satisfaction. And if no one has told you yet, that satisfied feeling is so wonderful. I havent felt that in decades. But it is still an effort because my habit still wants me to eat.

Ditto to what KelinTx said an determination. knowing i am gonna make it to my onderland.

You guys rock. Thank you SO much for the thoughtful answers. It really helps. I'll keep all of them in mind.