Hey, I am just about 5 weeks out and was told that I would always eat 6 small meals a day.  2 ozs of protein and 2 ozs of veg., fruit or starch and fat.  I have lost 27 lbs so far and I think I would be mad if I had only lost 50 lbs also.  A friend of mine was not losing weight either (she had surgery same day as I did) and she was retaining fluids.  The Dr put her on dietetics and she lost 12 lbs in 4 days.  I hope everything goes well at your 1 year check-up.  God Bless.

I hear ya.. I didn't even consider any other surgery before the band b/c I thought it was going to work for me and I didn't want anyone rearranging anything inside....   Now that I am considering revision, I have been researching both RNY and DS. It seems to me they are both serious operations but I see lots of issues w/ complications from RNY so I decided against it... there are cons to DS too, but for the most part, people seem quite happy with that.  My insurance does not cover any WLS so I will be going out of the country to get it done. Again, something I never thought I would do... but I have found a top notch surgeon and feel quite comfortable with that choice. Now I just have to gather up the cash :)  

Hi.. I had lap band 18 mo ago and am currently looking into DS.  I thought the lap band would work for me (had 150lbs to loose), and it turns out that I had issues with it being too tight and then a slip. I also have a hard time with keeping under the 1100 calorie range... so.. I am doing lots of research now and decided against RNY (lots of regaining after that surgery it seems)..... Keep on reading on this site.. lots of good info here :)  Check out the DS boards if you haven't already. Good luck Catherine

Well, I am 28, 5'2" (barely) and 289 and I am getting the Lap Band in less than two weeks.  To be honest, it was really the only option for me, though I have a lot of weight to lose (about as much as you).  I have to work at it and change my mind then my body.  I don't want to depend on more of a major surgery for the sake of a quick loss.  Everyone's reason and health are different, so I am not knocking other surgeries.  I say if you are healthy, go for the Lap Band.  And then change everything that comes along with it.  Lap Band is a tool...not a guarentee.  You still have to work with it...exercise, eat right, all of that fun stuff.  Good Luck & let me know what you decide. xoxo

I know several others suggested checking your thyroid.  As someone whose been hypothyroid for 26 years, let me tell you....doctors don't always diagnose low thyroid correctly.  They draw blood, send it off to the lab and - typically - only test for TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone).  If that value is between the standard lab values for "normal" (.05 - 5.0) then they will declare you "normal" and tell you to eat less - even if your values are on the high end of normal.  But - the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists recommended changing the TSH normal range to .03-3.0  several years ago.   I would estimate that about 95% of labs have not changed their normal range at all.   All the ones I've been sent to have not. I would suggest that you ask your doctor for the actual lab values.  If your TSH is over 3.0 you are actually over the AACE recommended range for normal BUT your doctor will declare your thyroid levels as "fine" if they are anywhere under 5.0 (even if it's something like 4.8 or 4.9).  Whenever I have found myself in that particular predicament it has been very difficult for me to keep from gaining weight, much less losing it.   And, TSH is not all that should be tested.  There's the freeT4 - that checks for the storage level of thyroid circulating through your system - which can be within normal ranges - but your body's ability to convert the T4 to T3 (the active hormone) can be affected by different medicines you may be taking or other hormones, such as birth control pills or estrogen replacement.   If you can't get a doctor to test your TSH and freeT4 - and your free T3 should be tested as well, (but most doctors won't do it because they think it's unnecessary) - you can order a test for all three of these yourself at www.healthcheckusa.com   Last time I used it it cost $80 for a full thyroid panel.