trish151

Woo Hoo, I'm right behind you. I've got 20 more lbs to go.

Gosh, I don't know what to say except please don't stop. I have only been banded since 2/23/11 and have only lost 43 lbs so congrats on your 100 pounds. This morning i was officially at 220.4. You are so close to wonderland, If the overall big picture is causing you stress, set a mini short term goal with me to get to wonderland with me. It will encourage you to get back on your eating right and exerciae plan. I am only 5'1" so when I look at that I have another hundred pounds to lose then it gets overwhelming. That's what I have done. My next goal is to hit wonderland and that is in 20 more pounds. After that, my goal is to hit 150 and then 120. It's just easier for me to break it down to make it more manageable. I also tacked a pair of jeans the size I want to be in on my wall in my work out room so it stairs at me all the time. I heard someone say to tie a bikini that you like around the frig door as a motavator. Come on chicky poo. we can do this. It's time......................woo hoo.

I have two tricks that work well for me. I still crave something sweet after I eat so I got me some sugar free Worther's originals. It gives me the satisfaction of having something sweet after I eat but it doesn't put any more food in my stomach and satisfies the sweet tooth. Then for times when I feel like I just need an out of the ordinary treat, I bought some sugar free fudge cycle's at Wal-Mart. They taste really good and only have 35 calories so even if i do binge and have two at one time, I'm still ok. They also have some sugar free cremecycle's that only have 14 calories each that are really good. Now, I don't feel deprived if my family is having a bowl of ice cream or something like that. I also found that watermelon is really good this time of year. You can have a whole bunch for very few calories and by the time you chew it really good, and get the water out, it's only a small volumn but you got to chew so much that you feel like you really ate a whole bunch. When I really desire something crunchy, I get me a few special K chip crackers. You can have like 30 of them for 110 calories. Either that or I munch on some pickle ovals. They are crunchy and make me feel like I still get to have a treat without wrecking my weight loss. I also have to cheer a little right now. I tried on a bunch of size 18 dresses and clothes yesterday that I had stored away hoping to get into. Last year when I put them up, I couldn't even get them over my thighs. Yesterday when I put them on, they went over my thighs, over my waiste and zipped and buttoned with a little breathing room. I stalled out a little last week after a fill and was a little discouraged but this morning I was down 2 more lbs for a total of 43 since my surgery 2/23/11. Woo Hoo. I'm so feeling the changes and my BMI is down 8.

I used True Results in Richardson as well. I had surgery on 2/23/11. I live in Longview, TX, which is about 2 hours and 15 minutes away from there. So far I have had 3 aftercare apts. in Richardson. Basically all they did was have me write down what I have been eating, they weigh me and then ask if I think I am in the yellow, green, or red zone. So far, I have been in the yellow each time so they did a 1cc fill. Each time, the amount has been perfect and the restriction has been just right but as I lose weight each month then I need another fill. The PA said that after I get to a point where I lose a lot of the fat around where my band is that the fills will be fewer and farther between. This last time when I got a fill, I was at 5cc in a 10 cc band and the first 2 days, I could tell it was tooooooooooooo tight. I just stuck with the required liquids for 2 days after a fill and now things are back to good.

You might also want to tell him to have his doctor test his testosterone levels. My husband had erection problems for a few years before I met him. He went to several doctors and the tests they were running all came back normal. My husband is a normal weight and all but the doctors kept telling him the erecftion problems were all in his head. After 4 years of struggling with it and about 20 doctors later, he found one who tested his testosterone levels and found they were almost nonexsisting. He has to rub two packs of testosterone called Androgel, a day on his belly but completely recovered from it. He has also told many of his male friends about it, and several of them had their levels checked and were low. Even small injuries from childhood can affect a man later on. Don't know if this is your friend's man's problem but it sure wouldn't hurt to check.

I was banded Feb 23 and I still have those from time to time. Me and my husband just laugh when it goes off. My husband always thinks I am hungry when he hears me all gurgally but I tell him I'm not. I just take it as a reminder of my band and that it is working.

..............same here. When I started out after surgery, I was just walking back and forth in my garage with my jammies on and when I moved outside and on my treadmill, I was just walking a mile an hour. I had my surgery on Feb 23 and now I get up and go jogging every day. I am sure I looked like a snail when I first started walking but every day I get stronger and faster. I have also noticed that my neighbors are waving more as they get used to seeing me out there and I have even noticed that some of my older neighbors have started walking too. You never know who you inspire. I am down 39 pounds and that is not near as impressive to me as the fact that I am actually out jogging and liking it. My heart rate can stand the faster speed now and it feels wonderful. My secret goal now is to be able to have more stamina and to jog faster than my skinny butt husband. He is so awesome to let me be competitive with him in order to reach my goals.

Alright.............woo Hoo.........................I look forward to that feeling. I went from a very tight 26 and I bought pants about a month ago and they were a 18/20. Today I am getting out my sewing machine and taking them up as they have become to loose. I also have a pair of size 12's tacked to the wall in my work out room to remind me what I am reaching towards..........congratulations.

Colorado, I did the same thing and when I visited my doctor for the first time, a month post op, he said that they generally expect people to gain a pound or two the 3rd or 4th week. Would have been nice to know in advance, but anywho, it is what it is. I personally had to throw my scales in the closet and stop looking and just move forward doing everything they said to do. I am down 39 lbs now wince feb 23 and I just try to stay as busy as I can. I know I am doing everything I can. Remember it is ok, for us to feel good about ourselves too. Have faith that it will work and just get up and turn some music on and giggle that we are going to make it this time.

Oh, please don't feel like a failure. Please remember there are no failures, just learning experiences. You know what it feels like to still be hungry so just know that the right feeling is coming. I have had 3 fills and each one has been different. In one of the forum's I read on here, it said that as we lose weight, the fat pad around the band shrinks and we may have to continue to get fills but along about the 6th or 7th fill mark, the adjustments will get smaller. Please look at it from that perspective. Also, for those whom it takes more of a fill to reach your sweet spot, you may just have a smaller pie hole opening so it takes more fills to make it smaller than it would someone with a larger opening. I understand where you are. I go for my 4th fill on the 23rd of this month and I have to admit that I seem to be hungrier this month than I have been. Maybe I need to ask them to give me a tad bit more of a fill. If you are anything like me, I have spent years dispising my body and beating myself up for what I am not. I am impatient with my weight and have had times when I just could not look in the mirror and liked what I saw. I want this weight to fall off my bones and I don't want to be hungry in the process. Well, I got sick and tired of that. This is the only body I am ever going to have. I beat it up and that just didn't work. The more I hated it, the worse I made things. I prayed for help for so many years. I got it. Not only was I banded and the weight is coming off (not as fast as I would like) but I have discovered that I can roll over in bed easier. I am jogging (very surprising that I love it) and yesterday I sat in a chair and saw myself cross my legs. I am taking note of the things that are working and the things that are not. I know I am hungrier than I was and with a week to go until my next fill, I am just filling myself full of things that I enjoy that are low in calories. I have been eating pickles and some tuna with low fat mayo with olive oil, pickle relish and celery seed. It is really good. I know I have to push forward with this and I am determined to succeed. I did as someone on here suggested and got a charm bracelet and I put my next charm out on my desk to remind myself what I am working towards. I put a charm on my bracelet for every 10 lbs I loose. So far, I have got 3 charms on there and I have one more pound to lose before I can add the 4th. I also bought my other 10 charms and take them out and look at them from time to time to help decide which order I am going to add them. I am going to spend about an hour after while and take up the waistbands of all of my pants. I know the hunger can get to you and be very distracting but PLEASE don't beat yourself up. Keep seeing yourself as completing your goal and be determined to make it to your next fill and know that this time it is going to work. When? When it does............and it will. We only fail when we give up. You know your next fill is coming and if it takes 5 more then it takes 5 more. If it's fine this month and not the next then you may be losing your fat pad around your band (woo hoo) and may need another adjustment to not be as hungry. We can look at the hunger as a sign that we are weak and need to beat ourselves up someone or we can use it as a sign that we just need another fill and this too shall pass. As for me, I plan on telling my doc that I am a lot more hungrier this time. My explanation to him of what is going on is the only way he knows how much to add and I am charming and persistant and usually get my way. This is my body and my journey, just as it is yours. Hang in there sunshine. We are on our way.

Ok, most of the time I try to stay on the positive side but I just found out some information over the past few days and it just took away another chunk of faith I have in doctors. I have been struggling with my weight for so many years. I love my band but the past few weeks since I have been eating so much Protein, I have been so tired. I get up and go jog for an hour and then want a nap. Then I'll do some laundry or clean the kitchen and again I want a nap. I started doing some research on fatigue and some of my other symptoms. I have a low body temp that is usually around 97 and sometimes it goes as low as 94. I knew that the lower body temp affected my metabolism. I also have low blood pressure, brittle nails, and up until a few years ago, when I would work out, I wouldn't sweat. Before my surgery, I was also having really bad carb cravings and cravings for salt. A few years ago I went to the doctor and after many tests and months of going for labs, they told me that I was hypothyroid because of a conversion problem even though all of my thyroid tests came back in normal range. They altered my meds until they had me on a low dose of pure T3. Some symptoms such as the not sweating, and the brain fog went away but I still had a lot of other symptoms that they couldn't explain. I do have a family history of tyroid problems. Anywho, I got to checking out some websites the other day on iodine deficiency and it listed every symptom I have. Turns out the salt I have been buying for the last 8 years doesn't contain iodine. I saw the word iodine on there but after inspecting it and reading it more carefully, my Morton salt container says "this product does not contain iodine." So, I followed one of the suggestions for testing and it said to get some tenture of iodine and paint a 3x3 inch square on your under arm and if it disappears within 24 hours, you could be iodine deficient. If it goes away in 6 hours, you could be severely iodine deficient. Mine went away in 2 hours. So, I went to the healthfood store and bought a bottle of liquid iodine/iodode and put 3 little drops in a bottle of Water for the past 2 days and today is the first day in I don't know how long that I have not needed a nap. My mood has been wonderful. I don't know how many doctors I went to with my symptoms over the years that dismissed me as just being depressed and overweight and told me to lose weight and I would be fine, or tried to put me on some sort of antidepressant. I am going to go have my labs checked in a few days and monitor how I feel but It makes me so mad how doctor's won't take the time to listen to their patients and that I may have spent thousands of dollars and suffered for the past 10 years over something as silly as low iodine. Ok, thanks for letting me vent.

Don't be scared. Everything happens for a reason. Just go see the new doctor and see how things go first. If you don't trust him, follow your gut then and seek out a new one. It all works out in the end and we end up all the more wiser.

I think I may be at mine too. I have 4 cc's in a 10 cc band. I have also slowed my eating so I am feeling that signal for the first time that I can ever remember that I am full. It feels so good. I never used to have that feeling until I was stuffed and miserable. I did read on one of the other topics that the fat pouch around the band may shrink as you lose weight so it may alter the sweet spot. I think it usually said that it takes about 6 months of losing weight and getting fills before you can tell a difference with a tiny fill. I am remembering that as I go along just in case today feels like the sweet spot and as I continue to lose, it may change. There is so much good information on here. I weighed this morning and I am down 37lbs since my surger 2/23/11. I have been working out an hour almost every day and have been doing some small hand weights because I have no upper body strength and then I do cardio. I am so loving the changes I am seeing. I also started doing a bunch of research on vitamins and minerals and have started taking some and I am feeling so inspired. Keep up your good work.

I took a can of black eyed peas, mixed in some tyson chicken that comes in the little bag, added a small amount of sharp cheddar cheese and some tobasco sauce. It was soooooooooooooooo good. One can of peas and the bag of chicken will make about 4 cups, enough for about 4 meals. I still eat that sometimes even though I am not on mushy food and it still keeps me full. Make sure you put it in the blender.

I just posted something under sick of doctor's. I have been so exhausted that I get up in the morning and go jog and then need a 3 hour nap. Then I get up and clean the kitchen or do some laundry and need a nap. It has really been messing with my life. After doing some research for the past week, I have all of the symptoms of being iodine deficient. I checked the salt I have been using for the past 8 years and on the Morton salt can it says this product does not contain iodine. I did a patch test and it showed that I was severely low. I got some iodine drops and have been taking just 3 small drops in a bottle of Water for the past 3 days and today is the first day in I don't know how long that I haven't needed a nap. This may not be your problem but check to see that your salt has iodine in it. My other symptoms were low body temp, low blood pressure, mood swings, dry brittle hair and nails, fatigue, and at one time before they put me on thyroid meds, I was not sweating when I worked out and had bad carb and salt cravings. I also had bad brain fog. So, please check your salt containers to make sure you are getting the kind with iodine. It can take years to show up but it has been miserable. I'm going to monitor mine to see how I continue to feel.

I stalled out for about 3 weeks and then remembered taking an amino acid called glutamine. I started taking before surgery because it is supposed to help with carb cravings and it also helps you recover faster after surgery and it helps to keep your body from eating muscle tissue while you are loosing weight. I started taking that a few days ago and dropped 4 lbs. I also read an article the other day that to make your weight loss workouts more effective to do weights before you do cardio and it helps you burn more fat. I have been trying that and not exactly sure what the results are yet but it feels good. I have been doing a 20 minute workout with a 5 lb weight before I go jog. The article said it would help you burn off any glucose in your body before you start the cardio so when you start the cardio you will be burning pure fat. Again, the verdict is still out but it feels good. I started with a 3lb weight and could barely lift it over my head. I started doing 5 sets of 20 reps and now I have progressed to doing that many with a 5lb weight so progress is progress.

I had that happen 2. I called my doctor and he said it is really hard to tear the stitch out because he sews it in there so good. I am 2 months post op and it seemed like as long as I kept my stomach pooched out, I was ok but as I started walking and then jogging and my tummy muscles started tightening then it hurt more. I went to Wal-greens and got one of those white stretchy stomach bands that helps hold your stomach in. That really helped when I would bend over and while I was doing stuff around the house.

I'm Trish. I'm 40 years old and live in Longview, TX. I am married and have a 16 year old son who just got his driving permit . I was a photographer for 12 years, a newspaper reporter for 6 and got my BS in Criminal Justice for forensic psychology a few years ago. I am a licensed chemical dependency counselor intern and am currently staying at home and working on me. I have been over weight all of my life but generally enjoyed it because it seemed to keep certain mean people away from me and those that knew me were my closest friends. I am short (5'11"), opinionated, friendly, funny, a hard worker, and a very compassionate person. I have had a really good life until about 8 years ago when my mother committed suicide. My baby sister tried, my brother broke his neck, two grandfather's and a grandmother died, my best friend's mother died, and my first husband walked out on me. Since that time I have done a lot of soul searching and decided no body can take care of me like me and it was time for me to start. I get up each day now and spend some time with my lord, then I do some house cleaning and it's off to exercise. I've decided that I really enjoy exercising and it's not nearly as bad as I thought. I'm not sure what I will do on my next phase of my journey but I sure am enjoying the one I am on now. I was banded on 2/23/11 and have had one fill and am scheduled for another one on 4/25. Not sure I need it but am looking forward on finding out. So far, I am down 32 lbs and am feeling great.

I have only grieved food one time. I was so ready for my band that I had to put things in my way for my success so that when I do feel a little down, I can still reward myself. I got some skinny cow ice cream. I got the fudge bars that only have 35 calories and the cream cycle ones only have 15 calories. Every once in a while when I am feeling like I need a little something then I will have one. I also keep sugar free candy on hand so that if I want something sweet after I eat then I can still get the taste. You might want to try something like that. My husband and son had pizza one night so I took my baby spoon and my husband let me take a bite of the sauce and the cheese and just the flavor was enough to satisfy me. I didn't want to take a chance on the bread. I also went to reward myself when I was feeling a little blue by going and buying a new night gown. It feels sassy and is black and I really loved the feeling of getting into one that was two sizes smaller than I did going to eat some where. I also took a pair of size 12 jeans that I want to get into and tacked them on the wall in my work out room. Every time I go in there, I remember what I am working towards. I heard someone say to get a bathing suit the size you want to get into and tie it around the handle of the refridgerator. There are all kinds of things you can do to keep you moving in the right direction. It's ok to grieve for a moment but then get up and ask yourself what you can do for a reward replacement. I heard someone else talking on here also about a charm bracelet. I went and started making me one the other day. I went to Hobby Lobby and they had all of their charms on sale for half price so I bought a whole bunch. Every time I loose 10 lbs, I put another charm on there. So far I have 3 and am well on my way to adding a 4th. Maybe you could do something like that too. Put your next charm on the refridgerator as a reminder that you get to add that next charm. For me, a good motivator is that summer is coming and I want to be able to go and enjoy our vacation as a newer improved me. I may not be all of the way where I started but I am not at the beginning either. I am down 32 lbs and it is only mid April. My vacation is in Aug. Maybe you could make you a vacation jar and every time you feel like having a pizza or McDonalds, you could put in the money that you would have spent on food and put it in your vacation jar. Even if you don't go far from home, you could have it to go visit a friend to show them how your progress is doing. Then it could help keep you motivated because you know the date is getting closer. Even set yourself a date on when you would like to go and a goal where you would like to be. It really helps to dangle our carrots out a little farther out than we can reach. When you reach your goal and date, set a new goal. God bless ya sunshine. We are going to make it this time.

What my doctor explained is that a lot of patients don't know if they have a hernia or not but he told us that if they went to do the surgery and found that we had one, he would repair it. I didn't have one thankfully.

Good luck girly poo. I will be praying for you until then. I am so happy for you. I hope you love your band as much as I do.

I am licensed through my state as a drug and alcohol counselor and the first thing we learned as counselor's is that every counselor needs a counselor. Talking to someone you don't know is easier sometimes and the goal is to be able to admit things to yourself that you may be to embarassed to tell others. Sometimes we don't want to admit things to ourselves and a good counselor will help you through the process. I can also tell you that sometimes people don't always know things that are bothering them until you start asking them questions. The good thing about it is that if something is too painful for you to discuss, you are in charge and can choose if you go there or not but it may also give you food for thought. I can tell you that a few years ago I was losing weight on my own and doing good before my band. I had lost 73 lbs. Then one day my dad told me that my sister was coming for a visit and he warned me in advance that she had gained a lot of weight. He told me how much she weighed and I realized that I had lost so much that I weighed less than her. Something clicked in my head and even though I still wanted to lose some more weight, I started sabotaging myself and started gaining. No matter what I did, I couldn't get back on track. A few weeks ago, after I had my band, I was talking to that same sister and she told me how proud she was of me for having surgery and that she hoped I reached my goal. I was talking with another one of my counselor friends and she asked me if that sister had always been smaller than me. The answer was yes. Not only that, it was the same sister who used to constantly make fun of me when we were younger for being overweight as she was always naturally thin. I did not make the connection until then that subcontiously, I was putting weight back on when I heard she had lost because she had always been the smaller sister. Even though I am grown now, I had to work through the process and allow myself to be ok with my own decisions about being the best I can be, despite her weight issues. Now that I am aware of what is going on, it's not as much of a struggle any more.

I gave away 4 large trash bags of clothes that were TOO big. I bought a new night gown and watched my husband look at me differently when I wore it. My knees are not rubbing together when I walk making that washing machine sound. I am enjoying exercising for the first time in my life. Taking my vitamins everyday are making my fingernails grow like crazy. I am getting my selfesteem back and feel good about myself instead of like a failure. I threw food away on my plate last night because I was full.

Yes, the pickles are low calorie but I think more than anything, I miss having something crunchy sometimes. The pickles are crunchy so I guess in a way it allows me to still have that pleasure of having something crunchy and enjoying it, even if it not a chip or a cracker. Just kind of my own secret little reward. I also miss having something sweat after eating so I bought some werther's original sugar free candy. When I get done eating and I want something sweat then I can eat one of those and get the taste of a desert but not hurt my weight loss efforts. It satisfies my taste buds and my head, especially since I know I didn't have room to eat anything else anyway. My body has tricked me for years to get me to over feed it. Now I'm using reverse psychology and tricking it by letting it think we are still getting all of the pleasure we used to as it let's go of the weight I don't want. So far it is working. I am down 30 lbs this morning since Feb 23.

Gosh, I don't know how you feel because I have a wonderful husband but I can tell you that in dealing with other people, I savor every bite and tell everyone that I can only take a small taste. I appreciate the taste of stuff so much more and every person I have told about my band has been so excited about my enthusiasm. I personally think that other people take their cues about how to feel about the band based on how we feel about it. I have posted this before but I am 40 years old and have shrunk in the face of my problems before trying to do everything on my own. As I get older, I realize we are all dealing with something and we all need the love and support we can get from whereever we can. The more I tell people I tell about how I prayed for help and got it, the more I see other people light up and know that help is available to them too. My happiness about it is one of the miricles that helps me see the positive changes and it is about time. It also helps me see the one's who are in support of my happiness and those who are stuck in their own pits. If they are happy for me then they cheer me on and if they don't then maybe my excitement will rub off on them. It's your own personal decision as to tell someone or not and only you know if the time is right. I just hope you don't let fear dictate whether or not to tell someone. I persoanlly am not a very good mind reader so I don't know how someone will react but I know it makes me feel wonderful to share my good news.