oldiebutgoodie2

Thanks. I have appreciated your comments and musings in the past, and today is no exception. Thank you for being such a wise role model. You're doing great. Keep up the good work!

Well, from one fraud to another, I'd like to say thank you for your encouragement and support. Regarding your "fraud," I say let them believe your are doing it with exercise and better eating, cause it's the truth. How many times have you felt like eatng "illegal" food even with the band, but it was your will power and desire for better health (and cuter clothes, or whatever!) that stopped you, NOT that piece of plastic adorning your tummy. Hurray for all of us here! And thank you.

So true! Thanks!

Thank you very much. It is encouraging to see someone who has been at this for 2 1/2 years, and that it is still working. I know it is a lifetime thing (I have given away all my bigger clothes for the first time ever!), but sometimes it is still hard to believe it is really true after all the failed DIETS in the past. Thanks! And continued good luck to you in your journey.

Excellent point!-- embarrassment is part of it, because by verbalizing how good I look now is, I guess, also pointing out how bad I looked before! Well, better that than visa versa! Thanks for the encouraging words. As I have said before, this web site and all you wonderful people are my support group, and have been soooo helpful in this journey. Congrats to you on your amazing success so far. You are an inspiration!

I LOVE YOUR ATTITUDE!!! Thank you!! And congrats on your great progress so far!

Uncomfortable is yet another perfect word to describe that feeling I sometimes get! But it's because I feel guilty for not losing---so why are they still complimenting me?! As you and I both know, the band is not an easy way out! Like someone else on here said, a lot of that negativity from others is because they sort of hope you fail, cause they can't lose weight, they think you will move out of their lives once you are skinny, etc etc! I'm feeling better already knowing there are others who feel that same way as me, even people who are almost at goal! Thank you thank you! And keep up the good work!

Yesterday, my sister and I were shopping. Panda Express was the only eating place in that little mall to stop for a "nosh". To my delight, each item available, right on the tag identifying the item, was the calories and Protein count per serving! We got one plate of two Entrees and one side...got a chicken entree and a beef entree, then the veggie side. We split the meal and it was 210 calories and 18 protein each! And so tasty! I've also discovered Mimi's Restaurant has a healthy eating menu that has good low calorie/high protein choices. Anyone else found good dining places for us lap banders?

Great stuff! Thanks for breaking down the nutritional info! And congrats on your wonderful weight loss!

What a cool idea! There are Chipotle restaurants all over town here. I had forgotten about them. And I agree, one of their bowls would last 3 meals!

Salmon (or almost any fish entree) is such a good choice at restaurants! I too have taken half or more of my meal home. I agree with you about eating out being a whole new adventure, now looking at the menu through lapbander eyes! A friend and I actually left one restaurant cause there was absolutely nothing I could eat on the menu (a sandwich shop). We went next door to a pizza place of all things and I had a delicious spinish salad! We sure got the lap band at the right time...restaurants (at least the chain ones) are mandated to now show the nutritional info. Thanks for the Ruby Tuesday suggestion. And congrats on your amazing weight loss in so short a time! Keep up the good work!

A-maz-ing!!! Super congrats!! How on earth did you do that? Continued great success!

how totally cool!!

82-lb loss! Amazing! Keep up the good work!

Great advise and outlook on the band and eating! Thanks! And super congrats on your continuing fabulous success!

Well, wait til you start consuming 80+ Protein a day!-- you become a tooting factory! Thanks for the Gas-X suggestion!

Good thing to keep in mind when I get subsequent fills--- that it just might not be from eating too fast, but too tight a fill. Thanks!

86-lb loss in less than 11 months is awesome! 14 lbs seems like a lot to lose in 5 weeks! So please focus on the amazing job you have already done-- the 14 WILL come off, maybe just not in 38 days. Super congrats on such a successful journey!

I love your daughter!! My adult son did sort of the same thing when I went to meet him at his akido class (to go out to dinner afterwards!). He even wanted to introduce me to his instructor-- he's never wanted to do that before.

Oh, Amanda, please don't give up. Sometimes one change makes a difference. When I hit a plateau eating under 500 calories a day (and I was starting to feel weak!), I kicked it up to 800 a day, and started losing again. Everyone is different as far as what works for you. But you certainly have the exercise part down--super good for you! I am walking a little and exercising my arms. Can't bring myself to do much more right now. So you are so much further ahead than I am in such an important aspect of this thing. The thing that has helped me the most is sticking to eating AT LEAST 80 Protein a day, and drinking at least 64 oz of liquids a day (between meals), and staying around 800 cal a day. I am positive that the protein is what keeps me from feeing hungry, feeling satisfied with the little meals that I am eating very slowly. I hope some of these suggestions help. Super good luck. One day you are going to look back on this little glitch and just see it as a little bump in the road. Take care.

OMG! Yo are AMAZING!! Do you have any before and after pics? You are such an inspiration! And I am sooo glad to see that you did it at the ripe ol age of 53! I'm 63. You are 10 years smarter than me. But it is never too late. Your life must be so totally different. Do you have your story somewhere? Supe congrats!! And thanks so much for being such an inspiration! Keep up the amazing work! You sound so casual-- was it a relatively "easy" journey for you? It has been for me so far-- but I still have a long way to go.

Cindy, you are wise and amazing! Congrats on your success so far!! You're almost there! Question-- regarding the band loosening, it loosens because your stomach is shrinking? I never thought of that, but it makes sense! If you are losing everywhere else, why not also the star spot?!

I just got my first fill last Thursday. My PA told me to not eat or drink anything at least one hour before. The procedure itself turned out to be nothing! She had me lay on the table. She told me to tighten up my stomach muscles and push out. It made my stomach sort of hard-- she was better able to feel where the port was. (But my friend had it done by another PA who didn't have her tighten her stomach, and that PA found the port just fine, too. So guess it is just different technique). Anyway, back to my PA...she told me to relax, and when I did it again, she would insert the needle. When that happened, it felt like getting an easy shot. That was it! When she took the needle out, it felt weird, but it didn't hurt. She said someone described it as the way a cork might feel when it is coming out of a bottle! She put a little bandaid on the site, and had me sit up. She had me drink a little Water to make sure it wasn't too tight, and then I was on my way! Hope that helps. I too was very apprehensive beforehand. Luckily, I went to this site too, and other people's experiences helped a lot. Hope this helped you! Good luck. And congrats on being so successful before your first fill! By the way, I got 4 cc's. It is wonderful-- doesn't seen too different than no fill, other than twice since Thursday I had a little pressure in my chest when eating, which I assume is that wonderful "stop" knot everyone talks about! I LOVE IT!!

First of all, welcome to the land of bandsters! Hope you are doing well. I am hoping to get a smart phone in January (when my present contract is up), one of the reasons is because I see so many posts on this site saying they keep track that way. But til then, I have a form I made up where I do it the old fashioned way-- write down how many ounces I drink (min of 64), number of protein grams (min of 80), and how many calories (800). Those 3 categories seem to be all I need. The rest falls into place. But you'll find what is comfortable for you. Super good luck. I think this is the best decision I've made in a very long time!