Hi I'm new

Well, hello everyone, I am a new girl here and I just thought I would say hello and introduce myself. My name is Gail and I am hoping to have WLS. I am reading and learning and getting very excited. I hope this dream will come true for me.

Welcome!!!

You'll find lots of support here.  Good luck on your weight loss journey. 

I got the realize band in April.  It took a few months to get it adjusted to the tightness that is starting to help me lose my weight.  I wasn't educated enough before surgery so I was pretty disappointed that it was taking so long to get restriction.   If you decide to get the band, just remember that it could take a few adjustments before you get good restriction.  I had five fills for a total of 7.5cc before I felt good restriction.  However, some people don't need any fills for a while.  We are all different.  I just don't want you to go through the disappointment like I did because I didn't know.  I thought I would start losing weight immediately after surgery.  I didn't.  In fact I'm 6 lbs heavier today than I was when I got banded in April.  If I had followed the rules of the diet since April I would be thinner.  However, I'm not good with dieting so I was waiting for the restriction of the band to do all of the work for me.  I know this is pretty lazy and I got some grief from some members here as well as my doc.  Looking back now, if I had dieted since my surgery in April I would be much thinner now.  And happier.  And since I now have good restriction I wouldn't have gained it back. 

For a while I felt like I wasted a lot of money. (I'm a self pay)  However, now that I have restriction, I know that I didn't waste my money.  Instead I made a very good investment in my health.

Good luck to you.  And visit often.  There's not much activity on this board.  So head on over to the lap band forum.  Lots of people over there. 

Take care,
Rachel

Hi Rachel,
Thanks so much for your input, I believe we are all different also so I will do what you said and follow all the rules and hopefully for me I will loose this weight. I will visit often I need to get smarter LOL
Thanks
Gail

Hi Rachael.

I wanted to say hello to my fellow april loser.  Its interesting to see the realize band in action with different patients.  Im at 6 cc's now and boy do i feel restriction. 

Good luck
Betsy

Thanks Betsy and good luck to you too.

I got banded in May of this year and am down 34 lbs. I have had one fill so far and am due for another in a couple of weeks. After surgery you can only eat a couple of ounces, but by the time you get to soft foods you can take about 4 ounces and when you get to full foods about 8 ounces. What I did was purchase four ounce and eight ounce containers and that is what I take my meals in. That way I am not overeating because I have more on my plate. Once you have done this for weeks...it will become second nature to know your serving size. Beside I do not want to overeat and get that sliming or pbing that I see people talking about. Once I feel full I put down my fork and stop eating.

Good luck with your journey and keep up posted of your progress.

Thanks for your reply, I go next week for the beginning meeting. I have a friend who also had lapband and she is doing as well as you are. She told me she would do it in a heartbeat. I want so much to end this obesity problem. Please keep me posted on your progress.
Gail :o)

Hi Gail,

I wanted to welcome you to OH.  You will find an astronominal amount of support here.  Everyone is wonderful.  Im hoping you will find the comfort here to talk to people as I did before my surgery. 

I also wanted to tell you that this surgery was a dream for me.  They will come true for you.  Im sooooooooooooo  happy with my band.  Im glad I went that route. 

Hugs & welcome
betsy

I'm new also, have my lap band surgery on Monday of next week.  I am very excited but also a little anxious.  Not about the surgery, but about the changes I will have to make in my eating habits.  Hope to hear from you soon.