CALF

Hi fellow lapbanders!

I had my lapband inserted one year ago exactly and hit my target weight last month. Total lost: 85 pounds. I plan on keeping the band and the fills exactly as they are since they help to keep me honest! lol

I go to the gym four times/week, walk daily and ride my bike three or four times/week. I'm big on protein & veggies and low on bad carbs.

It's all working and I'm so thrilled to feel fit and healthy again.

Bottom line..if I can do it..anyone can. I was (and probably still am) a food-a-holic.

The lapband gave me the tools to turn my life around.

^o^

Thanks to you all for your support and information!

When the 'event' is happening and you find yourself without a local, willing and qualified physician, it's a very scary and stressful situation.

DITTO TO WHAT SABRINA SAID

YOU'VE GOT TO STILL HAVE SOMEONE LOCAL ALSO, LOCAL AFTERCARE IS REALLY IMPORTANT

Good to know ladies...I see from reading your signature that you have much experience on this topic as regards to fills and unfills..Wow..whoever thought it would/could get so complicated!!

The situation here on the island where I live is that there are only three doctors within an 8 hour "local" area that have the expertise to deal with either a fill or unfill...and the only one that reluctantly conceeded (on a one time trial basis) to deal with a 'Mexican' band doesn't use a fluoroscope. None of the three are willing to provide aftercare on a patient that had the band inserted in Mexico. Nice thing to find out after the fact!!

Thanks again for your advice and support. It certainly has become quite the learning curve!

Glad you finally got restriction! But I hope it's not too much. I think we're supposed to be able to eat some solid foods, but not sure how long that takes after the fill. I just had my 4th fill and am on full liquids today with no problem. I expect to be able to eat solids tomorrow, though, three days after the fill. Let us know what your doctor says--you may need a slight unfill?

Hi..I just posted my experience regarding too much restriction.

Please read : "When fills go bad".

You don't want to end up in the emergency room like I did!!!

well..it's been 48 hours since I had my 3rd fill (not at OCC) and it's been an experience that I hope NO ONE ever has to endure. Long story short...I had a blind fill here in my hometown by a very reputable bariatric surgeon who does not use a fluoroscope. This was a decision made by myself and I have only myself to blame.

My first two fills were done by Dr. So at OCC and both times they went smoothly without any complications.

I don't seem to handle large fills very well and both my fills at OCC have been in the range of 2.6 - 2.4cc's. At the time of my 3rd fill I was at 5cc's in an 11 cc band

I had been feeling a lack of restriction over the past month and I decided to contact the local bariatric specialist to see if his office would provide a fill to a 'Mexican' lapband.

After much consultation the local doctor agreed to provide me with a 2cc fill. I received the fill at 4:00 on March 31. Now I had a total of 7cc's in my 11cc band.

I went out to his waiting room after the fill and drank a medium sized cup of water as advised. I experienced no problems getting it down.

I went grocery shopping after leaving the office...walked the dogs and upon arriving home had a medium glass of water with my Benefibre. Approx. 10 minutes later I started hiccupping..and then the P.B started followed by pain spasms & more hiccupping. I called the doctors office but by now it was 6:40 p.m and the office was closed with a message advising that patients go to the hospital if it was an emergency.

By 7:30 I was feeling better so I decided to tough it out and see how I felt in the morning. I had a few sips of water but the burbing and P.B's prevented me from keeping it down.

That night was the worst of my life. I was P.B'ing my own saliva..the pain in my chest was so bad I couldn't lay down. I finally dozed off sometime around 5:00 a.m

When I awakened around 8:00 I felt somewhat better and tried a spoonful of warm water. It went down so I had a few more over the course of the next hour. I decided to wait before calling the doctor to see if this thing had finally resolved. I continued to sip warm water for the next few hours...and by noon I decided to try a small cup of chicken broth.

The P.B came on before I had gotten half a dozen of small sips down. The spasm was so intense in my chest I thought that maybe I was going into cardiac arrest. I called the Dr.s office only to find that they had gone home at noon in preparation for the long Easter weekend.

For the next few hours I periodically P.B'd on my own saliva..that finally stopped around 5:00 p.m.

(I later found out why it ceased...I was so dehydrated at this point I no longer had enough saliva to bring the spasms forward)

My husband came home at 5:30..took one look at me and packed us off to the emergency room.

While waiting at emergency I received 2 litre's of electrolytes and saline, had extensive blood work done and an EKG. At 1:45 a.m they advised us that they could not locate a Huber needle nor was a specialist on the premises to remove my restrictive fill. We were advised to return at 11:00 that morning and they would have a bariatric specialist on the premises to remove the fill.

We went home..got 4 hours of sleep..and back to the emergency room I went. After a 2.5 hour wait I did get to see the bariatric doctor who skillfully removed the 2cc's of offending saline.

It was 45.5 hours of hell! My personal belief is that I should have had the fill done by fluoroscope. If this had been the case the fill doctor would have seen that 2cc's was too much restriction.

This might be a good time to add that I had done my preparaton for receiving this fill to the "T". I had been consuming plenty of water days previously..had a light dinner the night before 'fill-day' and for breakfast on the day of the fill I only had a yogurt with a large cup of Crystal Light, several more glasses of water during the morning and early afternoon and fasted for lunch.

From this day forward I will only have my fills done at OCC. And as a further bit of insurance I will schedule my return flight home to leave as late as possible on the following day just in case an un-fill is necessary.

So that's my story..and I hope none of you have to experience it for yourselves.

Phew..I'm getting too old for this kind of drama!!!!

Great article..thanks for posting it! The sensation of being stuck is my deterrent...as soon as I feel that dreaded pressure I spit out whatever is im my mouth and give a word of thanks to the goddess of self control! lol...

Unlike the rats and their electoded (is that a word??? lol) toes..I will quit immediately if I feel 'the stuck' coming on...and that's more of a motivating source (for me) than the sensation of feeling full or satisfied,

I just wish that Macdonald' s fries didn't smell and taste so...yummy!! lol I can go two months without thinking or craving them..then out of the blue..wham...I Need a fry!

So I've learned to compromise.. I will go and get a Happy Meal..toss the buns and eat the cheeseburger...snack on half the fries and later sip the orange juice. I've done this perhaps three times since I got banded last October and it seems to keep my craving for junkfood at a tolerable level.

Hopefully in the coming year I willl outgrow that little deviant behavior. If not... my husband's grandchild will continue to receive from me the Avatar-Chipmonks-Transformer toy of the month!! lol

Every journey starts with one foot in front of the other.

thanks everyone. im so ready!

michelle is the broth free? one person at OCC told me yes, another said 'maybe'

just so i know, and wont be shocked at $8 room service broth

~dama

The broth, juice and essentially everything you eat at the Lucerna will be covered by OCC.

The last time (this past January) I was there for a fill and OCC covered my soup & salad (yummy !) And the orange juice is fresh & hand squeezed!! Double yum!!

If you request extra water they are very accommodating. Just ask at the front desk.

Just as an extra note...I always tip everyone.. the van driver , doorman, waiters & the housekeepers. Their economy is pretty sparse at the moment!

Hi all. I've been lurking on this site for quite some time, finally decided to sign up since my surgery is uhh two days away! April 2. I'm catching my flight to San Diego tomorrow.

Anyway...

Ive been seeing my primary care physician for the last 18 years. He's watched me grow up, and for the last ten years, struggle with my weight. We've talked about it so many times, and there's always been some new diet for me to try. I decided to have this procedure a while ago but hadn't told him til now, 48 hours before the procedure is scheduled.

He’s the “old school” sort of doctor, I was sure he wouldn’t like the idea of me having the surgery, especially in Mexico.

Well, I was right. I just got off the phone with him. He’s “less than enthusiastic.” He asked me about my aftercare and I explained I had already arranged with my surgeon a fill doctor within 40 minutes of my home. He said he might prefer me to have “gastric dissection” but didn’t say which procedure. When I explained to him I was worried about complications/risks assoc. with those more aggressive surgeries, he admitted he wasn’t all that familiar with it. He told me, “God gave you a big body, you’re not morbidly obese, you’re just big. You’ve got a big father and that’s just it.” I told him, actually, according to my BMI, im just on the line of morbidly obese. I’m right there. I told him I didn’t want to wait around for my weight to cause diabetes joint problems shortness of breath or any of those things. Besides, I don’t think God decided, “Lets make Dama fat.” I think its just crappy genetics.

Anyway, Doc agreed to do some research and attend a conference/dinner he was invited to about bariatrics. I told him I have the desire and commitment to lose weight, but can never get my appetite under control and this is going to be the tool to help me.

Anyway, Im two days out and nervous/excited/aaaah!

Just needed to vent. Thanks!

Good for you!!

You're not only making informed decisions and taking control of your own life and actions..you are doing it in the face of adversity and that takes HUGE COURAGE!!

And you are SO right with regards to this being a turning point in your life towards better and improved health benefits!

It really will affect almost every aspect of your life in a positive way!!

You will find many friends on this site..folks like yourself that had a less-than- enthusiastic 'support' team. I am fortunate in that I have a general paractioner that applauded my decision and a husband who is my biggest cheerleader. Several of my friends do know that I had the surgery and are thrilled for me. There are others..including most of my family ...that I could never tell. I accept the fact that there are some folks who will not accept something they don't/can't understand.

Anyway...have a great time in Mexico..are you going with a friend? If so & you are feeling up to it, you might want to check out Revolution Ave...There are some fun little shops there to pick up some touristy stuff and the storekeepers are friendly and quite the entertainers! One of them had an aquarium that had the most amazing little Asian turtle that I would have loved to have adopted it and taken him home! (the turtle, not the storekeeper...lol)

Please keep us updated on your experience and always know that your fellow lapbanders are here to help share the journey !

Cheryl did a great job of explaining restriction. I am at my sweet spot. One thing I wanted to add when talking about the sweet spot is; When I hit my sweet spot, I noticed my hunger was pretty much taken away. I was left with old/current programing and the dreaded HEAD HUNGER!

I slim or PB now when I take one bite to many or don't chew well enough. To me stuck or slime/PB are not restriction. Those are the consequence of operator error.

Ah such a learning curve...

...consequence of operator error.

So true !!! LOL

I was wondering what RESTRICTION really is ? What should it feel like? I already come to the conclusion the I should no longer eat red meat because it always gets STUCK ! From what I read it normal. Most meats are hard to eat , and i'll tell you I am not a veg. So if anyone can tell me what Restriction feels like that would really help. I had trouble last weak with pbing and went on a liquids for 5 days, it seemed to help. I do not think that I will be eating meat for awhile. P.S. I tried Tomatoe Pie, loved it ! it went down smooth ! So if you can tell me what I should expect with my 1st fill please do, and what restriction should feel like. Thx

Hi jojobeans..

Dr. So advised me that the sensation of "getting stuck" is an indication that either you didn't chew your food enough..or you took too big a bite and attempted to swallow too large an amount of food. He also stated that certain foods will become stuck..such as white doughy breads, pastries, bagels, flour tortilla's, white pasta. They aren't good for us anyway..so it's actually a Good thing that they are on the "no-no" list! lol

If certain meats don't seem to work for you..take a break from them for several days..then try again with itsy bitsy pieces. You do need your protein and iron..and yes you can get them from pills..but the eating of 'real foods' is part of the process.

Sometimes it is a good thing to start the day off with a warm cup of tea...it seems to relax the plastic in the lapband fill-channel and allows solid foods to pass through easier.

"Stuck" is the term used when the sphincter at the base of your esophagus goes into an "esophageal spasm" when stimulated by the lump of food that you just swallowed. This spasm usually results in the proverbial P.B and or sliming..which is essentially the same thing. (A Productive Burp).

Good restriction is the sensation of feeling full after having eaten a Small portion of solid foods and this sensation of feeling full will last for 3-4 hours. Poor restriction means it takes more food to feel full and that you feel hungry sooner after eating.

Your 'Sweet Spot" is that lovely balanced place where we all want to be...the place where small portions will last us without hunger and our energy is bright and our weightloss/weight management is optimal..

Dr. So advised that the portion lapbanders should be eating is 1/3 of what we would have eaten pre-band. Dr. Martinez advised me to keep my portion the size of the palm of my hand.

So that's what I was told and having several friends who have been lapbanders for years..they also concur that this advice from OCC is accurate for them as well.

Hope this helps!

Hey ladies and mostly invisible gentlemen. I had my fill on Friday. I got 5ccs. I didn't ask for a big fill. Dr. So just asked me questions and based on my answers gave me 5ccs. So, I can attest that OCC isn't trying to nickel and dime us with little fills. At at $100 a pop I didn't think that anyway.

I had called in beforehand because I woke up last Sunday morning and it felt like my great big yawning bottomless pit chasm of a stomach was back. I was HUNGRY!! And let me tell you, it bummed me out big time!!!! Between my back being out and my appetite being back, I was worried I'd pack on a ton of weight but I still managed to lose. Yay band!

The process was so easy and painless. I was kind of afraid of how much the fill would hurt since my port area is still a little ouchy. Which reminds me, if you haven't had surgery yet you might want to buy a very snug tank top, like those bulge control ones, to keep your tummy from jiggling and moving that port around. Anyway, I didn't even feel a pinch when the needle went in and even less when he took it out.

I let Dr. So know that I was having close to no restriction. It seemed my appetite was back just as bad as before. Maybe a little less but that was a maybe. I was uncomfortable with the amount of hunger I was having and having a difficult time controlling it. I was making some very bad food choices (it seems satan somehow snuck peanut brittle into my home the day after my appetite came back ). Dr. So gave me some CCs and then upped it and upped it again. Everything flowed right through. So now I have 5ccs and i'm feeling full but not as full as I was post surgery. We'll give it some time and see how it goes. Today I'm back on solids and I was craving Cream of Wheat and ate that instead of something more solid. I think I'll make tuna salad for lunch. Nummy!

Oh.. I got my fill a week early. That's why I called Dr. So. With Easter coming up and lots of traveling, I didn't want to wait for my fill or be on liquids with guests here and since I wasn't having any problems I was able to get my fill after 5 weeks instead of 6.

Good thinking on planning your fill with your holiday plans in mind. What you feel now regarding hunger, fullness, etc, is bound to change as the days go by. It seems as though it takes between one and three weeks post-fill for the saline & lapband to settle. My restriction from the first fill took amost three weeks to stabilize..after my second fill it was quicker..it was like closer to a week.

I've hit a plateau so I'm going for a third fill this week..not to OCC unfortunately but to a local doctor that does not use fluoro.. I'm only having 1.5 cc added so I'm sure we'll be fine.

Have a great holiday..and enjoy your new restriction!!

Hahahaah..its SO true Lindsay. Cobby dogs..cobby owners!!! I'm the organizer of a dog club here in Victoria ( www.pug.meetup.com/687 ) and most of the dogs are fit and trim and so are their owners.....but there are a few (especially the pugs & their people) who err on the side of chub.

Until recently I was one of the misfits...2 slender, athletic little Boston Terrorists coupled with an overweight middle aged Mom...No More!!!

Just wondered if anyone else here on the forum had (or has) the sleep disorder called sleep apnea?

My Mom suffered from it (all 100 pounds of her!) my slender brother had (has) it and I was blessed (NOT!!!) with it. It got SO much worse when I gained weight 5 years ago that I ended up on a CPAP machine at night to help me breath correctly. Now that I've lost 63 pounds the apnea seems to have disappeared..but I still keep the machine on my bedside table just in case my husband nudges me awake to tell me I'm not breathing!!!

Anyone else out there in lapband land that has a story to share???

Cheryl, Way to keep it fresh! I love that you challenge your body so much by doing different things every day. That way it won't get boring. That's awesome! Galloping Goose trail, huh?? Sounds interesting!

The Galloping Goose trail is an old railway line that starts in Victoria, B.C and follows the path of the old rail tracks that end in a gold mining town called Leechfield. The total length of the line runs close to 130 Kilometers and is partly paved and partially gravel. It runs thru developed areas, thru parks and eventually along salmon bearing rivers and streams. There are wooden trestles bridges that span white water with rapids and bear encounters in the bush country isn't uncommon!

My husband and I did the city ride this weekend with plans to head the other direction and into the "wilds" in two weeks with another couple.

I've found for myself I have to incorporate exercise into my 'real life' not just my 'gym life' I'm lucky in that I enjoy exercising ( I had been an athelete in my younger life) so the diversity of exercise routines is very satisfying. Plus it helps me get a good night's sleep!!

Prior to losing these 63 pounds I suffered from sleep apnea and had to use a CPAP machine in order to sleep deeply and safely thru the night. With this weight loss my sleep apnea has all but dissapeared!! yahoo..The CPAP was necesssary..but hard to deal with.

I've realized that although my food intake is important my workouts are even MORE important! So I have committed to working out every single day! I started Jillian Michael's 30 day shred a week or so ago. It has 3 levels. The 1st day was sooo tough I couldn't even imagine what levels 2 and 3 would be like. Well a little over a week later I have now moved on to level 2. I started it yesterday. Oh my goodness! I thought I was gonna DIE! And then I realized that's how I felt the first time I did level 1- and now it seems so easy! So I'm realizing that our bodies can do so much more than we thought they could do. We just have to push ourselves. Daily! Not necessarily a hard core workout every day- but something. I also love this workout because it's only 20 minutes. But there are no rests whatsoever. She works you the whole time. And she says you can lose up to 20 lbs in the 30 days if you follow it for the full month. I am determined. So that's my story. how bout you? What's your workout like?

BTW... if you wanna try this one out you can find it on "On Demand" from most cable providers. I bought the DVD but found it on my TV later on- of course.

Hi fellow lapbanders..

Here's my normal weekly work out:

Two 45 minute walks every day (with my dogs) rain or shine.

Monday/Wed/Fri: 20 min cardio on the recumbent bike and 40-50 minutes of weights and strength training at my womens-only fitness centre.

Tue & Thur: 1 hr deep water aerobics at the rec centre followed by 20 swim laps.

Saturday: 2 hour trail hike (Thetis Lake) with husband and dogs.

Sunday: three or more hour bike ride on the local Galloping Goose trail

The stronger and leaner I get, the easier and more fun it all is!!!

The following info is for B.C residents: In addition to the surgery fees, fill costs and transportation costs, you can also deduct up to $51 dollars per day while out of the country during the course of the medical proceedure. The $51 is the maximum deduction allowed to cover cost of food and accommodations.

As always..consult with your tax preparation firm to determine the correct course of action for your individual situation.

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Hi Calf that is great news. Where did you get the information from. I will be going to HR Block most likely

Debbie

Hi Debbie..email me and I'll give you the name of my tax preparer...she has her own home based business up in Shawnigan Lake and she is also a tax preparer for H&R Block.

She'll make house calls to pick up your paper work if you need that service as well!!!

My husband and I biked into Victoria today (we live near Goldstream Park) ..had soup in Chinatown and biked home..a total of 50K.....it felt great!!

You and I should connect and have some good outdoor time and chat about our lapband experiences.

..Cheryl

I live in B.C and my tax preparer advises that it does qualify..even the transportation back and forth for fills qualifies.

The following info is for B.C residents: In addition to the surgery fees, fill costs and transportation costs, you can also deduct up to $51 dollars per day while out of the country during the course of the medical proceedure. The $51 is the maximum deduction allowed to cover cost of food and accommodations.

As always..consult with your tax preparation firm to determine the correct course of action for your individual situation.

Have any canadians been able to write off their procedure from the OCC?

I live in B.C and my tax preparer advises that it does qualify..even the transportation back and forth for fills qualifies.

I know BandDiva had success with taking the weight off and keeping it off but for me it was a failure. I couldn't stick with the plan. I did the injections and was totally unable to do the 500 calories for an extended period of time. The weight I did lose (less than 10 lbs) came back and then some. I'm less hungry now with an unfilled band than I was injecting the HCG into my stomach every day. Also, even though I switched areas of where I did my injections I started to develop a bruise and a tender bump on the right side of my stomach and it took almost a year for it to go away completely. I had my doctor check it out and forgot what he called it. Anway, I stopped the injections because I was failing on the diet and the bruising was the final straw.

Hi Fellow bandsters..

Just wanted to pop my two cents worth in...

I hadn't followed this topic before and have to admit to being concerned at how readily some folks are ready to jump headfirst into an unapproved method of quick weight loss. I mean..injecting yourself with an unproven hormone??? A longterm (more than a week) diet that advises only 500 calories a day??

OMgosh..it just reeks dangerous health complications!!

The excess weight that we have put on during the course of our lives has taken months and sometimes years to accumulate. Some of us have been heavy our entire lives. It's going to take time and energy to be rid of it..and a lifetime of committement to keep it off. The lapband is no magic wand..it's just a tool to aid us and the onus of the work is still on us.

There is only one proven way to lose weight safely. Be smart about what you eat ..and exercise hard daily. You have to succeed in burning more calories every day than the total calories found in the amount of food you ate that same day. If you are certain that you aren't sabotaging your weight loss by eating incorrectly then you need to address your exercise routine.

Boost your daily workouts or change your training routines. If you are a walker and you're not losing weight...challenge yourself to ride a bike for an hour in addition to your walks. Go to the local rec center and join a water aerobics class and swim 10 laps afterwards... Take a family member or friend and go for a three hour hike on the weekends in addition to your daily exercise routine... Go to the local fitness center and enroll yourself in a program that provides you with a fitness coach that will assist and monitor a customized daily work-out for you.

Just get moving!! Your body will respond!!

It's actually pretty simple. It just takes time. Stick with it. It does work.

Our fill doctor in Eugene says a normal first fill for an 11cc band is 4cc.

Hi!

We all have our stories....

I was banded in Oct. 2009 with an 11cc J&J band and had my first fill with Dr. So in Dec. 2009. When he initially injected 3.5cc's as my first fill into my band I thought I was going to gag from the tight restriction. We settled on 2.6 as providing comfortable restriction for me.

I returned to OCC in Jan 2010 and Dr. So injected 3.5cc's and once aqain I had a gag reflex from the restriction. He removed 1cc and that was still too much so he took out a wee bit more out.

I currently have a total of 5cc saline in an 11cc band. I have great restriction and have lost 62 pounds in less than 5 months. I am a very happy camper.

Yahoooo..Way to go B.C. girl!...

Debbie gets a gold medal for the Canada Fitness and Weight Loss Team!!

YAHOOOOOOWAAAAWOOOOO

I do an abridged version by using diced tomatoes, raw spinach, lowfat mozzerella, mushrooms and my secret ingredient..cubed tofu!! lol. (I don't do a tortilla as I find I just get 'stuck' doing any kind of bread or flour product. Even squirrely bread (no flour) gets me.)

I heat the ingredients in the microwave for 1.5 minutes and enjoy a delicious low calorie, high protein lunch or dinner..and like Debbie & Janice..I've been know to have it for breakfast as well!!

Okay so I have watched videos about the MSM suppliment helping with saggy baggy extra skin.

MSM / Methylsulfonylmethane -

Here is one of the vids I have seen...

I have been reading on the web about this suppliment and have found some interesting information.

Anyone heard of this suppliment? What are your thoughts?

Angie..I've given it for many years (20) to both my older horses & dogs to help with their arthritis...and I can attest that none of them have baggy skin!! lol It is a helpful suppliment for those with joint pain..but like anything we add to our system you should run it past your doctor JUST to make sure it's the right product for you. Sometimes drugs and suppliments will inter-react with not-so-pleasant side effects!

There's an old saying about the joy of getting to choose ones' friends. Since you don't get to choose your family members it's not unusual to have some friction and unpleasantries with various relatives.

Treasure your dear friends...They are the people who support, honor, respect and want the very best for you.

Be polite to the people who do not treat you with the love, respect and caring that you deserve but Never allow them to dishonor and disrespect you.

Keep away from them and refuse them permission to be negative or abusive. You will never change them..they can only change themselves when they find themselves alone as a result of their abusive behavior.

You don't need anyone's permission to live your life to it's fullest.

Be strong and beautiful and Happy!!.

Best wishes!

Just musing about this...I have ready many accounts of individuals who struggled to lose weight but then finally made peace with themselves and accepted themselves for who they are (Oprah is one example). Oprah lost a lot of weight, gained a lot back and finally reconciled that she is ok with who she is. I think this question is probably more applicable to those with lower BMI's (< 40).

I, myself, am living proof that exercise alone won't cut it. I blame no one but myself. I walk/jog 4.5 miles a day on my days off and as much as 9 miles when the scale depresses me. My ankles are sore. I've thrown my back out several times. I am happily married. Successful job. Maybe I just need to accept my image and everything will be ok?

Mentally, I don't think I will ever realize my true potential if I don't ever accept my self image. I hope that after the banding and weight loss, that the psychological issues with my image will be resolved.

I dieted at Lindora once, lost some weight but was cautioned by the nurses there that most overweight people will always see themselves as obese regardless of how much weight they lose. If the patients weight doesn't exactly match the insurance companies recommendations, depression and obsession with weight loss occurs.

I.e., 'Darn, I just gained 5 lbs?!', damn! I better walk it off!

I'm sure this sounds familiar to most.

I think my sub-conscious mind believes that exercise will allow me to eat anything, but in reality, it is more of a weight maintenance tool. Unfortunately, with bad weather and trips, daily exercise is not always available. As a result, I have slowly seen my weight increase (considering garage gym and gym memberships at this time btw).

Anyway, I am going forward with this on 2/19 and look forward to sharing my experiences with everyone here.

Hi Steve..

You've addressed a lot of issues here and all I can say is that depression is the largest obstacle in the way of weight loss. Once a person embraces a healthier pattern of eating and exercise, the chemical and mental conditions that were keeping you down and holding you back will release and a new attitude is born.

You noted that you walk..well perhaps walking (or running) isn't a difficult enough form of exercise for your particular body type. Muscle memory and all of that. Perhaps you need to talk with a trainer or a kinesiologst to find the right aerobic and weight training program for you. Most of us lapbanders hit the gym anywhere from 3-7 times per week. It's a must -do if you expect results.

Regarding the comments the nurses made about obese people always seeing themselves as overweight. etc..Wow..that is certainly a bushel of negative energy! I'm sorry but I totally disagree with that comment...and I'm sure I'm not alone.

And I've heard a recent interview with the queen of pop T.V..and she admitted that she wished she was back down to her slimmer, healthier weight.

Because that's really what's important ..being healthier & more-comfortable-in-your-own-body.

Nobody wants to be diabetic, challenged with sleep apnea, unable to tie your own shoes comfortably? Unable to find stylish clothes that look great?

Fit & healthy is a much better option if you ask me!!

The sadness and depression will pass...

Just allow the beauty of the opportunity you have in front of you to move you forward into the next phase of a healthier life.

The lap band isn't a magic cure but it will be an important tool in your kit if you honor and respect it. And the correct caloric burning exercises will shift your metabolism and you will lose weight.

Good luck and I wish you well on your journey. Please stay in touch after your surgery and let us know how you're doing. We've all been there before.