mom24teens

Wow - so much has happened in so little time. I haven't been on the forum since May; we've had such a busy summer. Now that school's getting ready to start it's going to get even busier! When I was last on in May, I had just publicly made it my goal (posted it on FaceBook) to reach 100 lbs lost by my birthday, which was 8/12. At that point I had lost 70+ and was feeling on top of the world. I had even bought an elliptical machine from someone at work and was ready to kick up the exercise program a couple notches....which I did, along with adding water aerobics twice a week. HOWEVER, I hit a MAJOR plateau in June that lasted into July. Ugggghhh! I talked to the doc about it and he said not to worry, all was well, and plateaus are to be expected. He was pleased with my overall progress and said to keep up the good work. As the numbers in my signature say, I have not yet reached that 100 lb goal - YET!! I am very pleased to be at the 87 lb mark and closing in on that 100! After all, today marks only 8 months since I started the pre-op diet and that is what I count as my starting point. Some NSV's for me include: 1-starting in a size 24/26 and I just bought some 14/16's!! I found a couple ladies with some size 16's for sale on Craigslist and THEY FIT! Soooooooo exciting for me 2-starting at ZERO minutes of exercise per week and now, I exercise an hour a day at least 4 days a week, if not 5. I do the elliptical for 20-30 minutes then go for a walk outside to round out the hour (sometimes it goes past), or water aerobics twice a week for an hour each, and sometimes I just grab my husband and tell him we're going for a walk. This has benefitted him too! Today we walked 5 miles and had an hour & 40 minutes of pleasant, uninterrupted together time. <3 3-the compliments I have gotten from people at work and who haven't seen me for a while never fail to make my day brighter! ========================================================================================================================================= Things that haven't been so great: 1-After my last 2 fills, I have had nausea & diarrhea that evening - anyone else experiencing these sypmtoms? 2-I have gotten "blocked" a couple times and it HURTS!! It hasn't been so bad that I've had to go have an unfill, just pain that lasts until the food moves past the band I suppose as the band gets tighter, I have to pay closer attention to chewing, swallowing, and eating SLOWLY! 3-Constipation. I have had issues with this for a few years since I tried another weight loss program, but still had problems and finally started drinking MiraLax (or the generic equivalent) every day and this has worked well for me. ========================================================================================================================================== Am I glad I did it? HELL YEAH!! Would I do it again? In a heartbeat! Am I loving the results? Oh yes!! I have reset the timeline on my 100-lb goal for the 1st of October. We'll see if it happens by then, and I would be ecstatic if it were to happen before then. But, even if I don't get there by then, I know I will eventually, and I just have to be patient and let it work. After all, I didn't get that big over the course of a few months and I shouldn't expect it to all go away that soon either

Maybe it's how you structure your food intake throughout the day. I had to experiment and play around with mine until I found what works for me to keep me from being hungry. I was at first, but now, am rarely hungry unless it's close to meal time. I start off the morning with a high-protein shake on my way to work. At work, I eat 1/2 a protein bar. (This came throught experimentation too - because along with protein comes calories!) Around 10:30 a.m. I start drinking a can (11.5 oz) of V8 vegetable juice. This is a great way to get your veggies in and curbs hunger til lunch. Then at 3 I have a snack, usually something with protein, like yogurt or the other 1/2 of the bar I had for breakfast. Then supper is around 6. For my beverages throughout the day, I drink Crystal Light - they have a strawberry-banana flavor that suppresses hunger. The also have other flavors that boost energy, increase metabolism, etc. The key is to make one change at a time so you can tell if that one change makes a difference - and give it time too - it usually doesn't make a difference right away, but after 2-3 days, you'll notice. Hope these tips help, everybody's different!

Unfortunately, the band doesn't make the triggers of emotional eating go away. That has to come as a result of changing your mindset - and only you can do that. I was banded Dec 28, 2010 and believe me, my mind has been reset in so many ways, it makes my head spin! The band is a tool that you use to lose the weight - you choose how to utilize the tool. You control what goes in your mouth. There has been a couple (thankfully only a couple) times where I have reverted back to the old habits of eating when I am upset - as much as the band allows. I might be only able to eat 1/2 cup - but I can eat one 1/2 cup portion after another of whatever junk I choose to shove in my face all day long - and that is not good! So, work on those triggers. If it's Dad yelling at you, then tune him out. Tell him you're not going to listen to him when he's like that and walk away - whatever it takes. The question I ask myself when I feel like doing something I shouldn't is this: "Is all the time, effort, MONEY, and success to this point worth throwing away because of how I'm feeling right this moment?" The answer is always NO! Step back, look at how far you've come, pat yourself on the back, and say this too shall pass, and move on to something else. Stress is temporary.....

I'm curious about something.... Just how easy is it to strectch your pouch? I try really hard to keep my portion size to 1/2 C per meal as recommended by my dietician. But there are sometimes where I don't have anything to measure with and have to "eyeball" my portions. If I go a little over the 1/2 cup, is my pouch going to stretch out and then slow down my weight loss? Or does it take a lot to stretch the pouch and it's not a huge deal if I eat slightly more once in a while? I've made the investment of time, $$$, and effort in this process and don't want to mess it up!

Thanks for your answers everybody - I've been away for a while but am checking back in tonight. All of the above were very helpful - thanks again!

Awesome - that must be an amazing feeling ~ Congratulations!! I can't wait til I'm out of sizes that start with a "2" and when I hit Onderland?? Oh Happy Day!

I have my 2nd fill Wednesday and that will be 5 weeks since my first. My doc goes 4-6 weeks. I have an Allergan 14cc band and have 4cc in it currently. My opinion on the not knowing how much, etc: 1-It is your body, you paid for the surgery and you have a right to know the information if you want to. If you doc hesitates, just tell him it's for your own curiosity if nothing else. 2-You owe it to yourself to become an informed consumer of healthcare. Don't leave the office until all your questions are answered - even if it's something you think is trivial, you'll feel better about having the answer than wondering about it.

Tomorrow marks 10 weeks out for me. I have had 1 fill, am due for one Wednesday, and eat 1/2 cup per meal. Most of the time, I make sure whatever I eat fits into a 1/2 C measuring cup, sometimes I "eyeball" it but I am getting pretty good at seeing the correct portion size. My hunger is controlled, and I go about 3.5-4 hrs between eating. Make sure you are drinking your Protein drinks too. shakes, smoothies, or concentrated drinks that you can get online. My dietician recommended that I get 75-80 grams of protein per day - and there's no way I'd come close if it weren't for the drinks!

I go in for my 2nd fill in a few weeks - good information to have!

CONGRATULATIONS!! That is an amazing story! Best wishes for continued success on your journey

Congratulations! Your story is very inspiring. Onederland must be an amazing place - hopefully I'll be there too some day. While I don't see myself going to the gym 14 times a week, I have begun-albeit slowly-to incorporate exercise into my life too. You wife & kids are fortunate that they will have you around for a long time to come. Way to go!

Congrats! I started out in a tight 24...I have a job interview Wednesday for a legal dept position so I need a suit. Didn't have one in that size, so off to LB I went. I tried on some 22's but they were a tad too big. I thought...."Do I dare????" I tried on a pair of size 20 pants and they fit perfectly! So...I have a couple suits in size 20 from my last (failed) diet attempt before surgery and went home & tried them on. They are different styles & fit different but the point is, one fit really well, and the other pair I could at least get on...still need to lose a little more before I'd be comfortable wearing them again. So, no money spent, have a suit that fits, and 2 sizes smaller than I started...AWESOME!! Sorry to ramble on in your post...just had to share too

Congratulations - that must be a very good feeling - hopefully I'll be there before too long

Zeniada, I don't really have any suggestions other than maybe sugar free Jello & pudding, Crystal light makes sort of a sherbet type thing... but I would like to know what the 5 day pouch test is. I've seen a couple other posts titled with that but haven't found out what it is. Would you enlighten me?

I got a 2 week free trial coupon from a friend who is an Avon rep - it's some sort of partnership btwn Curves & Avon. So, I took it to my local Curves, and after doing the paperwork, assessment, health history and getting the workout demo, the assistant told me that she had called the owner about honoring the coupon while I was doing the workout. The owner told her that yes, they'd honor the coupon but when I register, the registration fee would go up from $49 to $99!! So.......I did some shopping around with the hubby & found a gym the whole family can join for $55 a month and that's what we're doing. Curves can stick it!

I was 11 days post-op when I had my first alcoholic beverage since surgery. It too was at a post-holiday party. I had a vodka-cranberry (hey-juice!). I had to watch everyone else digging in to NY Strip steaks while I sat & ate 1/4 cup of mashed potatoes....I decided I deserved to get SOME enjoyment out of the evening. I sipped it slow, 1 oz every 15 minutes just like I was supposed to have my beverages.. It tasted good & there were no problems. But, day 4 post-op, I don't think I would have tried it!

Some of it's probably fear of the other person's reaction. For some reason, people without weight issues see those of us that struggle and think we should just be able to fix it. The majority of us have tried, tried, and tried some more only to have little to no success - that's why we reach the decision to have surgery. In my opinion, WLS is a tool. A tool to help us do the work it takes to lose weight and become healthy. We still have to DO the work but now we have a tool. It's no different than a smoker using nicotine Patches or pills to help them quit. No different than treating any other addiction....we need help to be successful and this is our tool. I thought about keeping it quiet, but once I realized how much my eating habits would change, and I would be carrying a drink with me everywhere I go, even all day long at work, I knew I would have to be open about it. I'm glad I did - everyone has been very supportive and encouraging. Don't be embarrasased - you should be proud of yourself for making the decision to make a change for a better, healthier you!