Kathleen Rogers

My doctor put in what he called a low-profile port. I have sort of a small frame and had 65 pounds to lose. It does not show at all.

I have reached my goal weight a couple of times. Each time I do, I have a little bout of self-sabotage just to keep things interesting. LOL I will regain 2 to 4 pounds and them struggle to take them back off. It's just something that I do. I have been banded for almost two years and took the original 60+ pounds off the first year. It's been a life changing experience. Congrats on the 36 lbs! That is great!

Sounds Delicious!

Thank you for the great suggestion about the toilet seat covers!

Yep, it just happened to me the other day. And I was in a restaurant and so it was the toilet water in a public toilet splashing me in the face!!! Next time I will chew slower and longer or bend down closer to the toilet....LOL!!!

Hey JinTx - i am going to use what you said as a mantra! I can't change the past, but I can change today. I love that! And since it is still early in the morning here in California, I haven't eaten any crunchy or slider foods yet...LOL So thank you for helping me mentally start over. And GLove - you sure gave me something to think about. Thanks everyone! I'm off to a new start today!

I actually got to within one pound of my goal weight and them started eating too many crunchy foods and too many slider foods....I think that I was self-sabatoghing. I have only gained a few pounds but I know it is my head doing this. I need to get back on track. I was so close to my goal. I was banded in October 2010. I lost at a steady rate for a year and almost reached my goal of 60 lbs. lost. Now I am struggling to get that last 4 pounds off. And I'm not really struggling as I am not really trying. I think that I may be scared to actually reach my goal...because, then what?

Yep, that's been my experience too. I'm one year out and still get the shoulder pain almost everyday. Being very near my goal weight feels great but I could do without that pain in my shoulder.

I'm one year out and have reached my goal of losing 60 lbs. The one thing I wish I had known was that my left shoulder would hurt everyday. While in the hospital they told me it was the gas from the surgery. I have since found out that left shoulder pain is a side effect. It went away for a few weeks about 2 months ago, but its back now. Reaching my goal weight was a victory clouded by the constant shoulder pain.

Grape juice usually works well for me.

My weight loss is equal to eleven 5 pound bags of sugar!

If you are not having any other issues with your band, you may not be too tight. Coughing at night is also a sign of acid reflux, which the nutrs could be causing. Avoid the nuts in the late afternoon/evening for a while and see if helps.

Congratulations on reaching your goal! You look just great and you look very happy.

Hi Everyone! I'm been lurking here for a while, learning from each of your experiences. I was banded on 10/26/10. All together I have lost 27 lbs. I get my first fill on 12/9/10, so I am officially in what y'all call Bandster Hell...lol I can eat most things but I have been making good food choices and have started back on the eliptical at the gym. Thankssgiving was okay, watched my portions and did not gain any....but having houseguests for the long holiday weekend has made it tough....I don't normally have pie in the house. So that is how I'm doing....pretty good so far!

I, too, now like to eat with a cocktail fork. It used to be a treat at Thanksgiving, my Mom would let us eat our whole dinner with our cocktail forks. Now, it helps me with bite size and slowing down. I have not had my first fill yet, so I am in banster hell until Dec. 9. I can eat pretty much what I want and that is not a good thing....So the smaller plates, the measuring cup, and the cocktail forks are all helpful tools.

That sounds really good, I'm going to try it. Thanks for sharing!

I'm confused too...I just got banded on Oct. 26 and have lost 24 lbs. already. 10 Pre-Op and 14 Post-Op and I just found this site a couple of days ago. Here is what I'm confused about: What is sliming and pbing?