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Hi Everyone!! I hope you will hop over to my blog and see my 200 Pounds Lost Video. I came to this board about 2 years ago in search of hope And I found it!!! Thank you all so much for the help and support you have given me. You all will never know the difference finding this board has meant to my life!! If you can leave me a comment over at my main blog, it would make my whole day I love hearing from VerticalSleeveTalk friends!! Click here to get to the 200 Pounds Gone Video

Wow has anyone else been on the liquid diet before surgery and wanted everything in the world to eat and know that you cannot have it.??? It is just like coming off of drugs. I am trying to find everything in the world to keep me busy so I will not eat then I will be sorry. I definite cannot cheat because my lb surgery is tomorrow. Which me luck:))

Hello fellow sleevers, Well it's been three months since my initial surgery, a little more actually and I am finally doing pretty well. Though I was in hospital for two months with a leak, I am finally starting to feel a little normal. I am back at work (part time admittedly) and getting around to christmas parties etc. I usually love this time of the year - I am loving it a little less this year. I am not sure if it's because I was sick and the whole Christmas thing is (frankly) exhausting or if part of my love of this time of year was food related (and since that's off the books, then my enjoyment is somewhat dimmed)...but I am generally feeling pretty good. My stamina still sucks but I have an exercise program that I will start after Christmas that I am hoping will help with all of that. What news? Well, I am eating everything now - well most things lol. I am finding that many things do not suit me anymore. Carbs is one of them - bread, pasta and rice are really hard to eat so I avoid them. I hate protein shakes and powders so am focusing on consuming all of my protein through my diet. This means that I prioritise protein over everything else. Basically it's protein, veggies, fruit, dairy, carbs. It's working because as of today, I have lost 98 pounds. I have another 97 to go lol but I've lost it. It now means that my ticker will show double digits to lose rather than triple digits. It's a small milestone but it's mine, okay?? As we use the metric system here in Aus, double digits means anything under 99kg (about 218 pounds) so it will be a while before I get there. But at least my "to lose" pounds are now in the double digits, hey! I hope you are all well and enjoying your sleeves. Thank you for all your support and kind wishes during the past few months! I look forward to hearing of your successes and sharing mine along the way! Merry Christmas! Cheers, Lila

Hello Everyone!! My start weight was 242 and with Kaiser's help, by the time I was sleeved on December 7th, I weighed in at 221lbs. Today is Sunday, December 16th, I'm at 207! I've lost 14 pounds in 9 days. I am extremely happy!! I thank God that my surgery and recovery has been great! I have been Christmas shopping all this weekend! No more use of pain meds since day 5. I'm drinking the liquids although, I am getting a little tired of them. I keep telling myself this is temporary and real soon and (at the two week mark), I will be able to eat moist chicken and very soft cooked vegetables which I love!! I'm very excited and I used to dream of the results but now it is real! It's really happening! I am on my journey! Thank you everyone who is a member on here. Thank you for posting blogs, and just filling out your profiles have helped me so very much! I got a whole lot of information from this site that has helped me tremendously through the surgery. If there is any questions I can answer, or any way I can help anyone. PLease let me know. Otherwise, I wish you all the best!!!

I think we all either have or will run into bumps in the lapband journey and we will all handle them in our own way. I was banded June 22- the first week of Dec. I hit 199- Onederland- after starting at 244. The month of Nov. I only lost 2 lbs. and I fear Dec will be the same. My doctor says that isn't really a plateau and to not stress about it, easy for his 130 lbs runners body to say. Granted, I haven't worked out must this last month. I have been busy with work (new system), getting ready for Christmas, Christmas parties and get togethers, and general household duties. I know there should be no excuses. However, when I get up at 5 am and and I don't stop going until 8:30 pm, that is all my body can give. As soon as my butt hits the chair I am asleep. Yesterday, it all caught up to me. Saturday night after our dinner party my head started hurting. I went to bed about 10 with it killing me. Woke of at midnight thinking I was going to have to go to the ER. I got some advil and took some. Woke up at 2 still killing me, but no worse. Again same thing at 5 and 6. I ended up not getting out of bed till noon. After that I felt groggy and like I'd been hit by a freight train. My hubs pointed out that maybe I needed the rest after running at such a rate for the last month and a half. Today I am better, but frustrated. My weight is stalled in the 199-200 zone. I do weight daily, which I know many say don't do, but I track my trends. Since Dec. 2 my weight has been bouncing between 199.2 and 200.8. I have started back counting calories in the last week and my calorie counts daily stay between 1150 and 1300, most days closer to the 1200 mark. My fit bit says I am buring some where around 2000 calories a day so I should be losing around 1 lb a week at the least. But, I'm not. I am staying still. I went to the doctor last week and it appears my thyroid is slightly off. I am going back this week to discuss meds. WTH- my thyroid wasn't off before surgery how the heck is it off now. No more than my thyroid is off my doctor says that shouldn't be causing a weight issue. All this has gotten me down and frustrated and made all my fears resurface. Have I lost all I will loose? Am I destined to always be the fat chick? Can I do this? Am I failing my band? What am I doing wrong? Am I going to gain all my weight back? I am freaking out right now. I want this so bad, but when I am doing what I suppose to (eating less moving more) and not losing I get so discouraged.

I have been having difficulties with my eating for about a week, I blogged about my lunch episode on Friday. When I say difficulties I mean, I’ve been getting acid reflex (first time since being banded) and I get a lump in my throat from time to time. I have been able to eat and drink, but it’s been more challenging. Over the weekend I decided I needed to see my doctor and find out what was going on. Either I am being paranoid or something isn’t right. So, I was on the phone to my doctor’s office first thing this morning and fortunately they could squeeze me in this morning. Upon arriving I was escorted to the x-ray room. Martha (the x-ray tech and support group leader, who is also banded) said, “What are you doing here girl?” “I’m either paranoid or something isn’t right”, she laughed and said let’s find out. We did a barium swallow and as my doctor said, “It looks perfect.” “So, I am paranoid?” “No, you are aware of your band and something changed.” “So what am I doing wrong? Why the acid reflex now?” “Could be you irritated your band in some way or it could be that you need a fresher on the basics. Size of your bit, how much you chew, time between bits. Maybe you need to get that egg timer back out that we gave you at your first post op visit.” “Funny, just last night at dinner my husband had to tell me to slow down on my bits.” We talked a little more and I was on my way feeling so much better. End result is something wasn’t right and that something was me. I was slipping back into old habits. It’s time to dust off that egg timer, cut my bits smaller and chew, chew, chew. Everything I tell newbies to do.

A few weeks ago I had a coupon from BJ's for jeans so i bought a size 16. They went on but did not zip. Well today they are on the body! I can not believe it. I am happy today. In a short time the hub and I are joining the gym, About time!!!!!!!!!! Now to put on the Ugg boots to go out in the nasty weather we are having all week. Enjoy your day everyone. 'eye candy' aka Arlene

So I am only 4 days away from the biggest event in my whole 24 years of living and I am freaking out. I know this is normal I know this is normal, but I am so nervous at this point. I just don't want anything to go wrong. Finals are done, vacation is set to begin this Wednesday so I shouldn't have anything pressing. Liquid diet is getting on my nerves, but hey, it's just one of those things that you gotta do. So I'm a little irritated with that but I'm doing it. I'm down about 5 pounds from my starting weight so the scales didn't let me down at all. But I'm definitely getting rid of the scale as soon as surgery hits. I will not step on that thing until my post op appointments. I just don't want to overwhelm myself with trying to eat right and watch the scale drop pound by pound. I'll be ok I'm sure. Just panic. WOOOOOOSA! I'm ready.

Had my quarterly follow up with my oncologist on Thursday and mentioned the 'Jill's Rules' as applies to eating. He urged me to go see my WLS and I did on Friday. I was ashamed that I'd gotten down to 216 and have been now hovering at 223 - 227 since July and have been blaming myself for not trying hard enough. When I laid this all out to my WLS, he assured me that it wasn't me, it was the band and told me I should've come in when this first started. He took all the fluid out of the band(4cc) and I'm to follow up with him on Monday. He's concerned that my stomach has mushroomed over the band and that due to the amount of time I waited before coming in, I may have scar tissue which would mean additional surgery. So far so good though - was able to eat an english muffin and a scrambled egg for breakfast yesterday in 20 minutes and actually got to go out to dinner with my husband, eat while sitting down and wearing a bra without having to run to the bathroom in agony. It felt so good to feel normal I almost cried!

Happy Sunday Since I bought a Fitbit the other day, I have been recording everything I eat onto the computer. I am now so much more aware of everything I put in my mouth. It was one of the best investments I have made since my surgery. Some people need a crutch and I have found mine, the Fitbit. For all of you celebrating Santa, it will make a great gift. Just came home from food shopping. Awful weather in Boston, rain maybe snow later during the Pat's game tonight. Then we are rain/snow the rest of the week. UGH! Enjoy your evening everyone.