Korilynn

I'm just wondering how everyone is doing? I'm 2mos and 2weeks post op and I've lost 32lbs. I've had 1 fill and so far, so good! Everyone check in and tell me how you're doing!

I was banded Feb 9th 2011 and I have lost 72 lbs.

Just checking in.... I'm down 69 lbs! I am so happy I have this band. Best decision EVER!

How is everyone doing now? It looks like no one has posted in almost a month...How are we doing?

Oh my Goodness, Polly! I hope you are feeling better! My friend's mom had a staph infection on her leg a few years ago and that was no joke! You be careful and get it all taken care of! You will be back to losing weight in no time! Try to stay positive! You've already lost 32lbs and that is probably weight you wouldn't have lost without your band, right?! You are doing great!!!

How is everyone doing? I'm down 60lbs, and the scale isn't really moving any more. I need a fill, but I'm going to wait until after I go on Vacation next week. Naughty, Naughty, I know! Check in and tell us how you're doing!!

Soph, You are doing just fine! Don't be so hard on yourself! You might not be losing right now, but I'll bet you aren't gaining either! It sounds like you are doing a lot in the exercise dept! That is great! For me, when I do too much in the gym it slows my weight loss. My Dr suggested I try working out a bit less- He suggested I go 3 times a week or lessen the amount of time I go for if I go 5 times a week. I have really seen some results with cutting back slightly. Maybe talk to your Dr. and see if maybe you are slightly overdoing the exercise? Another idea is to change up your exercise a bit. If you've been walking on the treadmill at 3mph try adding some incline. I usually do an incline of 8 or 9 for a few mins and then go down to a 3 and then switch back and forth a few times. Have you tried the elliptical? I can burn 550 cals in 40 mins on the elliptical. At first I hated it, but the weight loss results are fabulous!! Try it ... I started at 15 mins and worked my way up to 40 mins. I do take a break for a minute if my feet start to tingle..for some reason that happens to me on the elliptical. As far as food goes for me, I eat what I want. I'm maybe not the best person to talk to in that dept. I eat what I want, but do have some restriction. (As I should! I have 8ccs in a 10cc band..) The band has pretty much cut out my being able to eat French Fries. They are my biggest vice. I probably had french fries 4 times a week preband. Now I'm lucky if I can get even 1 down without getting stuck. I also have trouble with Pasta and bread. So, My band is doing it's job there for me. Anyway, I eat pretty much whatever I want, and I lose pretty slowly- usually no more than 2lbs a week, except that I lose in a weird pattern and will lose 5 lbs in a week and then I'll go a couple weeks without losing and then I'll lose a few lbs again. It's really discouraging for me too, because every time I get to that point where I'm not losing for a couple of weeks I think "Well, this is it. It's over." But, in reality it just takes my body a while to readjust to the loss. In the food Dept. I eat lots of chicken. Mostly grilled. Fried every once in a while. Chicken wings are particularly good for me because they take a long time to eat...and I take the time to chew them better than if I'm eating a chicken breast. I eat steak sometimes and things like spaghetti -- I have to be careful with my pasta though! Mostly I find myself eating Salads and things like coleslaw or corn for my side dishes at restaurants. When I'm at home I eat lots of Chicken or Tuna salad & crackers. Sometimes I'll have hummus or pimento cheese, but not too often. I think you probably might want to have some more ccs put in when you have a fill. Will your Dr. do fills under Fluro? That really helped me get to a good spot quickly! If your Dr. wont, I suggest finding one who will! Under fluro they can accurately fill your band without the guesswork! Good luck!! Try not to beat yourself up! This is a long process. My Dr. told me not to worry about losing quickly. It will come off....just be patient!

Elle, As far as exercise goes, my Dr. told me when I had my last fill to cut back some, so I have. I was doing 40 mins on the elliptical 5 days a week + 3 days weight training. He told me to cut down to 3 days a week or go down to 30 mins on the elliptical. We've been moving this week, so I haven't really made it to the gym since Saturday. I think he was right because I am back to losing a lb every 2 -3 days. As far as food goes for me, I do the best with Salad(like a chef's salad) and a grilled Protein or a chicken or tuna(& mayo) salad. I don't really have bread...I eat crackers or pita chips. The other day when I got stuck I was eating a skewer of Chicken Satay. Needless to say, I won't be having that for a while!!! I hope everyone checks in soon! I like hearing updates on everyone!!

It sure is quiet in here!!! LOL.... I've lost 48lbs. Can't wait to get 2 more lbs off so I can be at a 50 lb loss! How is everyone? I got stuck really badly yesterday and PB'd for the first time. Yuck. Ouch! I need to be more careful with my chewing!

Bump!

How is everyone doing?? I got my 3rd fill yesterday. He put in .5 ccs so now I'm at 8ccs. I'm on strict liquids for a week. Hopefully I'll not cheat too bad this time. We'll see. My Dr. actually told me I need to cut back on my working out. lol...I've been doing 40mins of cardio 5x's a week and he told me to cut back to 30 mins. I thought that was CRAZY! I guess all the workouts can really increase your appetite and he doesn't want me to get too hungry. So I'll give it a try and see if it helps. He was really pleased with my weight loss...even though it feels really sloooooooow to me. Elle, You are doing so well!! You're so close to your goal! I'm way jealous! I don't know about self sabotage, I think old habits are just so hard to break! At least that is the case for me. I hope everyone is well!! Check in when you can!

@ Band 29, I have 7 ccs in a 10 cc band and I still don't have restriction. Don't feel bad! You will get there, it just takes some people more than others to have restriction. I'll get a fill, have good restriction for 2 or 3 weeks and then I'm back to needing a fill again! Just go with it and it will be fine! Jay150, Oven Fries (I got the recipe from Self magazine.) Preheat the oven to 450 F . Peel and cut 3-4 med potatoes into fry shapes. Soak your cut "fries" in cold Water for 15 mins, drain and pat them dry. Then pour on about a tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle them with seasoning salt or whatever you like. Bake on a cookie sheet ( I spray it with Pam just so they don't stick!) for 20-25mins until crispy, turn them halfway thru cooking to make sure they brown on both sides. serves 2-3.

I do the same thing! Basically I try to let myself indulge occasionally, but if I find it becoming a daily thing then I know I need to get it in check! Do you work out? I feel like I have some room to indulge because I go to the gym 5x's a week. So, that helps keep things evened out. I feel like if I'm going to live the rest of my life banded I'm going to have to let myself enjoy things sometimes. I try to make healthier choices if I can. Instead of potato chips I'll eat Stacy's pita chips (at least they have 3g protein!) If I'm craving Fries I'll make roasted oven fries (I have a good recipe if anyone is interested.) If I want chocolate I'll have it... I try to only eat 1/2 the regular size candy bar, or sometimes I'll have ice cream- skinny cow truffle bars or regular ice cream but only a 1/2 cup serving. But I still indulge in basically whatever I want...and my substitutions can't be too drastic! I can't go eat cottage cheese when I'm craving ice cream, you know?! It's hard for me, because I'm still not at the "sweet spot" so I find myself snacking A LOT. I would say, maybe you need a fill...if you're really hungry in the evenings and it's not just head hunger. Good luck! We're all human...Nobody is perfect! Just try to "make it up" somewhere else. Maybe an extra 20 mins tonight at the gym will have you feeling less guilt?

It's not just you. I've had 2 very agressive fills.. I have a little over 7ccs in a 10 cc band and I still don't have restriction. I can still eat bread, no problem. Sometimes I get a tiny bit stuck if I don't chew enough, but basically I can eat a lot if I chew well. I'm getting another fill on the 27th. I think it just varies from person to person. So don't stress, just keep getting filled until you feel like it's in a good spot!

Hello! My husband is also Active Duty. We're stationed in England, but I have a friend at Ramstein! Tricare covered everything for me. It did take about 7 months for everything to get approved and my surgery to get done. If you have any questions feel free to PM me. I love my band, It is one of the best things I've ever done for myself! Good Luck!

Bumping so everyone can input their loss for this week!

My Surgeon told me to expect to lose and keep off 50% of my excess weight. I started at 301 and my ideal weight is approx 165. So I can expect to lose about 68lbs. Some people really work extra hard to lose more, so people don't work very hard or don't modify their lifestyle very much and lose less. If you go through with surgery you will have to commit to losing the weight and working with the band. For me, It is daily cardio and some weight lifting. I don't worry as much about my diet because portion control was always my issue and my band has certainly helped me with that. I still have chips (a serving of 10 chips) and I still have ice cream (a 1/2 cup serving). I don't drink liquids that have calories, and I try to stay away from empty calories as best I can. As long as you make some changes your band will work for you. It does take time though, so just remember that it won't all come off overnight! Good Luck!

Look at you, TexasMama! You are certainly doing great with your 29lb loss! It seems like they got your thyroid in check because you seem to be losing pretty steadily now! I can definitely eat a happy meal's worth. That is probably exactly how much I'm eating! Maybe slightly more. It is so confusing reading LBT because everyone has different instructions and different amounts they are told to eat. So it's weird. Sometimes it makes me feel like I'm doing everything wrong. My doctor gives very little instruction. So, I'm kind of learning as I go and learning from what everyone on here says. Does anyone have food guilt? I'm not one to completely change what I love to eat and quit eating it. I still have everything I love. (Fries, chocolate...bread.) Then I feel guilty about eating this stuff. I feel like, I can't completely change everything at once. At least I'm eating less of it, so that's a positive, right? I know some people go cold turkey and do everything perfect... but not me. Are you all "cold turkey quitters" or "everything in moderation-ers" ? I'm not eating the bad stuff every day...maybe one candy bar a week..Fries maybe once every week. So why am I beating myself up about it?!? I hate that I do that to myself.

Thanks Elle! I was down a lb this morning. So I'm getting there...it is just so discouraging when the scale doesn't move for a week or more! I'm a scale junkie too! But it is hard to ignore it sometimes! Sometimes you just gotta have a pity-party and get it out of your system! Soph, Thanks! That does actually make me feel better. Try working out if you can...Even just a 30 minute brisk walk will help with your plateau. They are sooo evil. Plateaus should be outlawed. My hair is falling out big time again. It stopped for a bit, but has been falling out pretty badly for about 3 weeks now. I have very thin hair so it's really bad for me! I hate it! I am debating whether to go for a fill... I just had one on the 21st of May, but I am back to being able to eat a plate full in a sitting. There's no way its just a cup of food... I'm averaging about 1500 cals a day again...so I really think I need to go back. I have heard people say that it takes a few weeks for a fill to kick in..but that hasn't been the case for me. I'm trying to decide what to do!

I'm feeling really disappointed today. I haven't lost anything in over a week. Stupid TOM... I feel so discouraged when this happens every month. I'm stuck at a 41lb loss and my band buddy just hit the 50lb mark. Makes me feel like I'm not doing good. I wish I could go to the gym to get rid of some of my stress but I sprained my ankle on saturday and need to take it easy for a couple more days so it can heal.

So sorry to hear you're getting stuck! I have only been stuck once (knock wood. ) I ate popcorn and that was a big ouch! I won't be having any more popcorn! Everything else goes down ok so far. Sometimes I will get a burning sensation or feel like my mouth is watering a lot. I think that is my signal to stop eating. Does anyone else get it? Otherwise I have a hard time knowing when to stop eating... Very bad I know. I will eat my whole tea plate sized portion if I don't get the burning sensation. I feel like I am still eating too much in a sitting, but it is so hard to eat such tiny amounts and feel satisfied. My calories have been in the 900-1200 range. I find that if I drink a Protein shake or a slim fast for a Meal Replacement I consume WAY more calories in the day. Does anyone else notice that? I do so much better if I just have a scrambled egg or whatever for breakfast. I also get more hungry when I work out than when I don't. I've been burning 400-600 calories at the gym depending on my time and if I'm feeling energetic or not. When I come home from the gym I try to eat a handful of nuts or something with some protein to fill me up. I am wondering...How does everyone know when to stop eating? How do you just push your plate away before you feel full? It's so hard for me. I'm afraid I'm going to stretch my pouch...

I'm in too!

Had an AWESOME NSV last night. I had ordered myself 2 pairs of my favorite jeans. I've been wearing a 22, so I ordered one pair size 22 and one pair of size 20. Well, it looks like the 22's will be returned because the 20's FIT! YAY! I've gone from pants size 24 sometimes 26 down to a 20!!! So excited about it! I'm also down to a 1x top - I used to wear a 3x top! I just had to share!

Cat Lady, I have absolutely 0 willpower and I have managed to lose 40 lbs in 3 and 1/2 months with my band! Even if I never lose another pound it has been worth it for me! The band helps me keep my portions in check and completely dissolves my hunger between meals! Now, It doesn't take away any of my head hunger, but at least for me, I have been too full to actually sit and snack when I feel "snacky". I have said to my husband "I really want to just sit and eat. But I'm not hungry...I'm actually full!" That alone has been a revelation for me. I still occasionally have Ice cream and potato chips. But now I can eat one serving without polishing off the whole carton or the entire bag. I go to the gym every single day (5 days a week) for an hour or more and do my cardio. The results actually make me want to do more and work harder, whereas before my band I would get discouraged after a few months and quit. I love my band -- it is a tool and it WILL work for you. As long as you give it some effort, your band will do it's job. I'd do it again in a heartbeat!

Well. I had my 2nd fill on Saturday. He did it under Fluro and I ended up getting a BIG fill. He put in 2.9ccs so now I have 7.9 in my 10cc band. I was supposed to be on luquids all this week, but I have failed miserably. I made it 48 hours before I had to eat something. I've been trying to stick to mushies, but today I had a little bit of grilled chicken and it went down fine. (Thank God!) I think I'm going to be right where I need to be with this fill. I was satisfied eating less than a tea-plate sized portion. (YAY!!! ) In other news, I have lost 40 lbs since surgery day!!! Such a big deal to me! I'm so proud of myself... I get teary just thinking about it! NSV wise I've dropped 2 almost 3 dress sizes and cleaned out my closet which was bittersweet. I can't wait to see what happens in the coming months! How's everyone else doing?