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Hi Pam, its interesting you say about your marriage, since i had the same issues. my husband and i have been married for over 8 years. i go to school in chicago where i get hit on continously. i have seen some of the men and the type of jobs they do which makes me feel the same way as you do that i can do better. yet i think that my hubby loved me when i was big and now that i am small. yet he struggles with his own insecurities becuase of how often men approach me. it is interesting how the band is to help us loose the weight, andyet i feel that we loose a whole other person.

thank you for an amazing post. As yourself, i have felt the same way. i see a person in the mirror that men are continously disrespectfully making comments, and yet i hate it becuase i am still the same person. And then again, i realize that in this society, the way you look is what is going to get you a job or even elected as a president. I am becoming a licensed hypnotist as well and i have learned all about weight loss and the impact it makes on people. i agree with my professor that if i had someone guiding me through and seeing the changes from the begginning, maybe i would not be dealing with some of these insecurities. Sure in the begginning you love what you see, but when you reached goal you are afraid of this new person. You may also feel afraid of gaining weight because it will change how others will look at you. and yet we got the band for ourselves and not for someone else. I believe my original question was a tough one especially for those that wish to ignore the problem. I am seriously thinking about going into weight counseling, but then again i dont know how many peoplke would actually attend. i feel that not only my education has provided me with the experience, but my personal experience as well. Once again, thank you for your post, it really makes me feel that i am not the only one out there feeling this way.

thr program is a 90 day workout video program that you can purchase online. i believe is about 120 bucks. i used to hate workout video but i started with the biggest looser one and now i am used to doing videos at home. i will tell you that the other day i tried to go for a run before doing the particular video and i was spent. it is worth it, and you can ask any trainer and they will tell you that is a great workout.

Hi, i dont do the nutritional part of it. i do the format that they provide you. some days is one hour, some other days is 90 minutes. the program was given to me by a friend that bought it on the internet. it really works if you follow the sequence. i work out a lot before the program, and i have never been this sore. this guy works some muscles that you never thought you had it. it is also cheaper than a personal trainer and i feel better since i had both. the program is a 6 day a week program for 90 days. just like you i was going for surgery but anything that is cheaper i will go for it. also i feel that if i do this myself, i will have a better feeling about myself overall since i accomplish it without surgery.

hey everyone!! Until recently i thought about going for plastic surgery. i was going to have a tummy tuck, lipo in the inner thighs and breast lift. Just to give you a little background history. about 5 to 6 months ago, i went to have my first consult. i was only 10 lbs away from goal, and i thought hey why not get rid of the excess skin left by two pregnancies which will probably take those extra 10 lbs. the doctor said that i was going to need an extended tt. well i decided to wait and went back for another consult 2 months ago. the doc said that now i only needed a regular tt with no lipo. In the last 2 weeks i started this program called P90X, and oh men can you see a difference. the shape of my body has totally changed, and at this point more than likely the doc will say that i only need a lift of my skin. I must say that i am 5'3 got pregnant at 125 lbs gained 100 lbs and had a stomach so big that the doc induced me 1 month early. I am posting this for everyone that gets frustrated with the way their body looks after loosing weight, and dont have the money for the surgery. I know that it could depend on your age, i am 30 yrs old. however, i felt that i must exhaust all other options before paying 10,000.00 dollars for a surgery. The program seriously works. it is hardcore, seriously hard meaning that you will be sore almost everyday but it is totally worth it. Just giving a little hope since i finally got some hope myself.

I am glad to hear that you are in the right path. In this field, eating disorders dont get as much attention as other severe disorders such as bipolar. in the state of illinois finally in the 2009 medical health coverage, eating disorders are cover as if they were as other severe disorder. the mental health field is a tricky one with not enough money to help those in need. at this point of my life, i meet some of the criteria for eating disorder NOS, however there is not enough to be diagnosed as that. the struggle with the band as i have seen for myself and others, is adjusting to how other people look at you. the attention that you received as well as how your behavior changes because of the way you feel is what has affected me. the first thing is to realize that there is a problem, and so i am working on how to deal with it. Thank you for sharing your feelings, and i am glad to hear that you are doing well.

I was banded on 4/18/08 in Tijuana with doctor martinez and that is why i am on this board. I have a 4cc band with two fills. The band has affected my life in many ways, and i am curious on how it has affected others. It might be too personal for you, and if that is the case you dont have to read this post or write anything at all. Many weight loss programs offer some sort of counseling prior, during and after. I have actually thought about being part of that team but i am not 100 percent sure. Therefore i was wondering about other people since i am dealing with my own issues. I hope this answer your questions.

Hi Everyone!! Some of you may know that i am studying to become a licensed forensic psychologist. I have been in both ends of the weight spectrum, meaning that i have always being "normal" weight, then got pregnant and found myself morbidly obese and then now i am "skinny". As a therapist, i psychoanalyze everything meaning that the relationship that i have with other people have changed inmensely and i am always questioning the reasons why. I am happily married with two children. Before i got married i received tons of attention from man and women, however i received even more attention now which creates a lot of confusion and frustration. its frustrating to see man look at a woman like if she has no clothes. its also frustrating because man do not care that i am married. Here is where the temptations come in. I worked with many individuals that have gone through the band and have changed their lives in all aspects. many of them got divorced while others became strippers. So my question to all you bandster out there, how has the band affected you psychologically? Please understand that i am not trying to do cyber therapy, all i am trying to see if how other people feel and how i can relate to them. Thank you for sharing your feelings and thoughts since i find myself many times without someone to talk to.

i guess i am one of those lucky one whose weight fly off. i did not stick to an amount of calories. i added the amount of calories i wanted for each week, the amount of calories i was burning and changed it every week. some days i would eat 900 while the next day i would eat 1600.by doing this i did not hit plateau for a while. also i worked out 6 days a week so the amount of calories that i would intake also had to suffice for the amount of calories that i was burning. unfortunalety, i am still lossing weight even though i past goal. i am trying to eat 1200 to 1500 to maintain the weight.

i drink the slim fast optima (actually the walmart brand since i think they tast better). For protein, i typically eat a turkey burger with a slice of cheese (22g of protein) and corn(has some carbs). for dinner i would either have fish with a slice of cheese or mexican beans with cheese (fat free). i ate the same meals everyday for almost 4 months. I would say that you can try to cut some carbs but not all because your body will be craving them. in reality i really dont know how i did it since i was so strict with my diet and did not fall off the wagon. Sometime for snacks i would have low fat string cheese which help with calories and protein intake. i barely ate 1200 calories during those 4 months. when my body decided that in one week it was not going to drop the weight, i decided to up the calories to 1400 and that did the trick. right now i am finally able to eat again and i am still eating 1200 calories and somehow still loosing weight. i think that my goal weight was too high according to my body. Anyhow, Good luck!!!

i stop taking them after i was banded. dr martinez recommended for you to take benefiber at least twice a day. just be careful because if you dont drink enough it will constipate you as well.

Hi, i used a couple of ways. dr miranda would give you a weight that just about everyone here feels that the number is too high. so i went with my weight prior to me gaining weight. i also look at the bmi table but did not take it taht seriously since depending on your body size and bone structure, it may be off. however its a good way to start. many of the bandster here decided to go with a size. i remember mamamichelle try on a size 6 dress in the begginning and that was her goal. I had a similar way since i had old clothes size 7 that i wanted to try back. however once i approach that size i felt that i was not happy so i continue with my journey. i am short so the number what somewhat important when comparing to the size. just go with it and take a guess of what you would like to be and then build from there. Good Luck!!

I can only tell you what work for me. i had the goal of losing all my weight in no more than 7months. well i accomplish my goal and the way i did it was like this. i had a protein shake every morning, mid day i would have some kind of healthy snack mostly bananas, for lunch i would have some source of protein with a vegetable, never a carb item on my plate. for dinner i repeated the same thing as lunch.i really follow this for the first 4 and half months where i lost most of my weight. after that i only had about 25 lbs so i decided to incorporate some carbs to mess up with my metabolism. i also added certain sugary snacks. i lost consistently 15 lbs per month. i also change my exercise routing and added weights three times a week. I hope this helps you. good luck!!

Thanks for your thoughts. i understand the severity of the problem, however tonight i was able to eat a hamburger and string cheese. i am having a hard time eating earlier during the day, and somehow not too bad at night. i was able to eat more before, but i am also not sure if since im on my period i am also more tight. Ladies i really dont know where to go from here, since i am still able to eat some. im thinkingn about waiting until my TOM finishes and go from there. Thank you for all your thoughts and i will get an unfill if this continues.

When you said tightened, what were you able to eat if anything? i am still able to eat some stuff just having a hard time eating certain foods. thanks

hi one of the reasons why i am hesitating is primarily for money. i also dont know if this is going to go away. i will if i have to, but i am really wondering if this goes away or if i really need a unfill.

Hey everyone!! I have been banded for about 9 and half months. i dont know why, but in the last 2 weeks my stomach has been acting up. i reached my sweet spot a while back and was able to eat with discipline. lately i am having a hard time eating solid proteins, and on most days i can barely eat 1200 calories. so i am continuing to loose weight which worries me. the smallest i have ever been was 125 which was right before i had my kids, but a lot of it was muscle where right now i am not as muscular. my hubby was freaking out saying that i am way too skinny now. Has this happenned to other people? i know that a couple of people had to get an unfill months later because of a similar problem, however i am able to eat things like cheese and beans but not chicken and other sources of protein that i was eating before. thanks for listening, i am seriously freaking out since i really dont want to be any skinnier, especially since i need a tummy tuck which is already going to make me even smaller.

Hi i have been banded for 10 months now and that so called "full" feeling is not the same as what you felt before. the feeling that i get is that i am no longer hungry. the band is a tool but you have to do the rest. mentally you need to tell your brain that you are no longer hungry and therefore stop. in other occasions the way the band is going to let you know that you are full is by pbing or having that slimme come up. the fill is really going to help you control how much you eat, but not completely. i had two fills and i am at my sweet spot and what that means is that i can eat a cup of food sometimes more and not be hungry. there are days that i can barely eat, and yet others that i can, so it depends. the fills will make things tricky for you on a daily basis, this is when you really get to know your band better. Good Luck.

I would have to agree with many of the previous people. i like to way i look in clothes, especially with the idea that i am a size 2. i do however do not feel the same way when i am naked. at the same time, when my husband met me i was a sport person, so going for surgery and getting even smaller than a size 2 also scares me. i will be going for a tummy tuck as soon as i can put the money together, but once again is a personal choice. i am 27 years old with 2 children and maybe if i never had kids and drank tons of water, i might not be needing it, but who knows. Dont get discourage since everyone is different. just keep up with the hard work.

I live in northwest indiana. i go get my fills in illinois and the doctor has been awesome. the doctor does fills with x rays so you will know if everything is fine. you pay 150 to the doctor in cash and approx 100 for the xrays. like i said he is awesome, so you wouldnt have a problem getting a fill. i am getting ready to hit my one year with the band and i am so happy that i made the decision. Good Luck!!!

Sorry about that, i meant 6 months to reach goal. i guess i should proofread before posting, lol.

I have been banded for 8 months, and it took 2 fills for me to reach my sweet spot and 6 for me to reach my goal weight. Each person is different as you have heard prior, but in my case, i waited and used self control before i got another fill to work on the mental hunger. Therefore technically, i guess i could have had 2 fills but i choose not to. Now that i reached my goal, the band is being weird since on most days i cannot eat during lunch but then for dinner i can. however i am not gaining weight. Keep up the good work!!

Is that near ur house? do you mind if i ask how much/

I am going to need a tummy tuck and breast lift. i already went to a couple of doctors around here in chicago. well my questions is for those that had it done already. there are a couple of places that have offers and what not, however they are far from here. i was wondering if i was to get the surgery let say in washington, how long before i can actually hop on a plane and come home? i know that at tijuana, they want you there for a week, but after getting a quote from them, it will cost me more to have it there than here. Any help will be appreciate it.