doodlebugsmom

I am in a similar situation as you. I can look at a picture and say that there is a difference but day to day I feel that I look the same. I can tell you that I feel different physically. I have been working out 4 days a week and I would have NEVER done that 30 pounds ago. I say that I can feel it because as my weight is going down my endurance is climbing. I used to be able to do 5 min on the arc trainer (like an eliptical) and now I can do 15. Those are the moments that I say to myself, "Your onto something here!" I have moments when I feel pretty too and that rarely happened at 240 pounds. I think it is the little things that make the difference to me.

I have that problem once in a while but most of the time it is because I have pants that sit at my waist and when I sit it pushes close to the port. I have found that if I have low rise pants is doesnt seem to bother me.

I think that everybody has these types of moments and it is normal. I know that I sure have. I hate when the scale bounces between the same three pounds. I dont have the hunger issues that you do but again I feel that a lot of my hunger was "head" hunger. At night it really sets in. I want something to munch on when the family is snacking away. So recently I have started drinking warm tea or coffee so I feel full and the hunger passes. I try to reevaluate what I am putting in my mouth. I am often suprised how much I used to find myself doing mindless eating. When I notice that happening I go back to basics for a few days and usually that helps me get refocused. You have to remember that you are not at a green zone yet so it is a struggle still. (Better but a struggle) If you get on track and eat and move like your doctor has advised and you are still hungry then I would schedule a fill. Just keep working it and it will get better. Dont measure yourself by others because this is your journey!!!!

Name, real or screen~Kimberly Age~37 (When the hell did that happen. I thought I was 36 and then sadly did the math) Weight on August 1st~187 Goal Weight for August 29th~180 Exercise Goal for August~Strength Training. My arms are wimply things. Dietary Goal for August~Work harder at eating three meals a day and if I have a snack make it sugarfree like popcicle or pudding. Personal Goal for August~Starting a new career on Monday and leaving a job that was just a job. Date Banded~3/11/11 Total Weight Loss Since Banding~52 I think.

The same thing happened to me and it was driving me crazy. Then finally after a few weeks it went to 199.7 and I was so excited that I work my husband up so that he could see it. Then I bounced around above and below for a couple of days but on my official Friday weigh in I was at 198.9 and it has been coming down since then. I wanted 199.9 so bad so I feel you. You will get there!!!! :bananalama:

Yay!!! I am so happy for you. It is an amazing thing watching our bodies change for the better. Keep up the good work my friend.

I would guess that you are ok. I had a student get a really good kick to my stomach two months after surgery. I was tender for a few days but then I was fine.

I am so happy for you. It truely is an amazing thing to see your body change. I had trouble myself not comparing myself to my fellow March bandsters but it has past and now I am enjoying the journey. You should be proud of yourself.

I dont regret getting the band at all. I know that while I am working out and really trying to be better to myself the band is my assistant who makes sure that I dont blow it. I use the band as a tool. It is not a magic wand that will wish the weight away at least for me anyway. I have to work the band and this diet. For me there is no free ride. I think that my only regret is that I didnt take more before pictures. I hated to be pictured when I was 240 pounds. Now I see it was part of my journey and I didnt document that part well. But the band itself has helped to transform me into a better mom, wife and person because I have more to give than I have in the last twenty years.

I would just give up eating all together is it was only three bites of food. That would suck!! I eat about a cup of food at each setting while focusing on protein then vegs and lastly carbs. I think that big thing for me is to take my time eating. If I sit down and really take my time I dont have to use a scale I listen to my body for signals on when I am full. On another note it has foced my whole family to sit longer with me and they have slowed their eating down as well. Dinner is my favorite because while the food that I eat is good the conversation is even better.

I went to the gym today again. It is funny but this little posting has gotten me a little motivated. I like to see when others check in and post where they are. I am far away from any manathon of any type and to those of you who can.... man you are my insperation!!! I am really looking for consistency with my workout. Each time of go the gym I do different things and I bought the Wii Zumba game yesturday because I have been waiting for it to go on sale and Target finally came through for me. I will try it this week and post. I think that when I first started working out I didnt feel like I made a difference with my weight but now it is more about a mental control. I feel happier and eat less throughout the day. I need to add some 80's music of something to pump me up because my ipod had all kinds of music and I get a good stride and the a song comes on that is so slow and I naturally slow down with the beat.

I have Tricare and overall I didnt feel that the process was that hard. The big thing for me was that they wanted proof of history that I had high blood pressure that required medicine because I was not heavy enough to qualify based on weight alone. Best of luck to you.

I would love to go dancing with my husband. That might be worth looking into. Great idea.

I read your post and got a little chuckle because exercise and me have never been friends. I do it because I know I have to and like you -I always feel better after I do it. Just keep at it. There are some days that I get to the gym and think ok in 15 minutes I am outta here but then once I move my butt I never leave. At three weeks post band take it very easy. I dont think that I really excerised other than walk until my doctor released me. Good luck Jenny Penny!!!

Yay!!!! I am so happy for you. It is a great feeling.

CheckYes you are an inspiration to us all. I keep working my way at the gym to shorten my time some. Today I did 18 minute miles and for me that is huge. And I love the rowing machine at the gym. I put on the tunes and pretend I am on the cool boston Water rowing away. I live in Texas so it is truely a dream but I really enjoy it. I never thought that I would say that but I do. Anyway today I did 8:30 to but 100 calories and when I started it was 11 minutes for 100 calories. I realize that the machines are not all the accurate but it feels good. I am thinking about the Wii Zumba game to mix up my routine but I will wait till I see it up for sale. On another note my mom and my husband have been going to the gym with me in support and it feels great that they are taking time to support me and help themselves.

I am sorry that you and your doctor do not seem to be on the same page with your health. I can understand that initially a doctor would possibly say that you are not following the rules and so forth. Sometimes people need a reminder and as much as I hate when to do it-sometimes I need a slap on the wrist. But because you have been stuck at that weight for a while I am suprised that he would not have run your bloodwork just in case anything else could be wrong. Your doctor should be your partner in this journey and I feel that you guys have lost that relationship. I would consider looking for another doctor specifically one that deals with thyroid patients. I knew before surgery that I had a thyroid problem and I struggled with my weight before surgery. Since surgery I have lost an amount that I am pleased with but more importantly my primary care doctor has been running my numbers every three months and tweeking my meds as we go. I take those results into my lap band doctor so that everyone is on the same page. I feel that intially I lost weight pretty quick and now I am to the point where I have to work out in order to loose what I want per week. I feel that if you and both your doctors are on the same page with everything then you will have more success. I believe that it is important to not compare yourself with others. Also the last thing that concerns me is that you are eating so little. If I ate that little I believe that my body would go into starvation mode and everything that I ate would turn to fat. I am not medical person by any means but I believe as scary as it is to you I think that you have to increase your calories to lose weight. Hugs to you my friend and keep working the band and it will happen.

I am in Texas too and this heat is really getting to me. I am going to check it out.

That is a huge goal!!!!! You should be so proud of yourself. Nice job.

I have been loosing pretty steady since having surgery so I cant complain about that. I do however feel that I have been lacking in the exercise department. I tried before surgery and I was able to do about once a week at the gym and maybe two walks a week with the dog. Like many of you I am one of those people who put myself on the bottom of the list. It was not intentional at all just life I guess. But after a couple of months after surgery I feel like I am worth it. More than worth it. I admit I still hate exercise but I have been doing it at least four times a week. I find that when I exercise I eat better the rest of the day. My intake of water is higher. It is my goal to make exercise routine. I am not there yet believe me. Today I did 2 miles on the treadmill in 40 minutes. To most people that is not much but to me that is a lot. It means that I can do a mile in 20 minutes. I realize many people run eight minute miles and that it great. I hope to get to ten minute miles some day but I am on the map people. I have a time per mile. I am living and moving better than I have in a long time. Dont give up no matter how small keep moving.

I traveled to Vegas a few weeks ago and I didnt feel any different. I had made sure that I had eaten before the flight (an hour or two before) and I felt no pressure or pain at all. When we landed we checked into our hotel and got dinner with no problems. When we did the tour of the Hoover Dam and went way down into the Dam I did feel a bit of pressure and felt some gurgling but I just sipped water and was fine. If you are at a good spot it seems that I would not mess with success. Have fun!!!!

I didnt tell anyone that I was having surgery in March (Work people I mean) After surgery I didnt care who knew but I didnt plaster it around the workplace. However my frustration comes in when people assume it is easy because I have the band. It is not easy. Everyday I can eat all the junk I want. The band doesnt keep me from eating a gallon of ice cream. There is a lot will power involved but people dont see that.

I dont eat a lot of junk foods but I have never told myself that I cant have something. For example-when my kids gets fast food I take two of their french fries. I know it sounds weird but I eat my proper meal and then the two fries if I still want them. Sometimes I savor and eat them and other times I toss them. But the power is in my hands and if I couldnt have them then I would want them more. But because I know that I have two fries for after I eat my healthly food it makes all the difference. My husband thought it was very weird at the beginning but now he just hands me two fries. The important that is that you ate the ice cream, enjoyed it and then walked away. That is a great thing in my book. Now you know you can walk away where as before you were scared of it.

Cheering you on to success. I hope that you will update us and let us know how your are doing and feeling.

I started out at 240 pounds and was in a size 22/24. Currently I am in a size 16. I bought a dress that was a 14W and it looked great. I would say that by the time I am around 180 I would fit into a 14 maybe a little tight. I am pretty hippie with a low belly so to speak. I will be glad just to get rid of the W's. It is very exciting and difficult not to shop too much because I know that I am still changing. But my overall goal is to be a 10/12 still have a way to go but I am moving forward every day. Best of luck!!