HeatherMarie

Woo Hoo! Way to go Wayne and a day early.

GOOD LUCK! It sounds like you have a great plan and the determination needed to follow it through. Fell free to message me if you need to vent, cheer or need encouragement. I find support is a great motivator. Take Care!

I received fill #1 six weeks after surgery. My surgeon did not add Fluid at the time of placement and wanted a good 6 weeks for healing and swelling to go down. Good Luck, you are doing great!

Can't figure out updating my ticker but I got 4 miles in today. 8 miles total. Slowly but surely! LOL

This is just what I need. Exercise really needs to become a priority or this band is going to become another failed attempt

I would love love to be friends with everyone on facebook. So far I have only been able to find marcy so Please add me. I am under Heather Wilson Anderson. Thanks everyone!

Good Morning Shirley! I am not too far away in MN. I'm not sure how many I have but you are more than welcome to have any of the size 22 and size 20 jeans I have. I'm sure you will be in size 20's in no time Please email me and we can work out the details. Pants weather is fast approaching I'm afraid. Only 52 degrees here this morning on my way to work. Have a great day! Heather jhbanderson@wiktel.com Oh, I should add I' am 5'1"

What books are you reading on eating and controlling eating? I am very interested in helping my head in this journey. I was banded in March 2011 and haven't had the success I had hoped for. Thanks!

Congratulations! What a wonderful feeling that must be (can't wait to be there myself). A great sense of pride and accomplishment

Made my goal exactly, 218 this morning! Count me in for June. let's keep the support going. Have a great holiday!

saturday's are my weekly weigh-in days so checking in with 219.4! Whoo Hoo! TOM weight off and 2nd fill working it's magic. Have a great weekend everyone!

Good Morning! My surgery went great. I did get very nauseas while in the hospital from the pain medication. I was on a continous drip so once we stopped that things got slowly better. They gave me a patch to wear behind my ear to help with the nausea. Incision pain was very minimal. I only used the liquid pain meds at home for 3 days. I would recommend staying on top of taking the pain meds for at least the first couple of days. You start to feel good and think you don't need it, then "ugh" you wish you had taken some earlier. When you first get home from the hospital you will be full of the air from surgery and Water weight from the i.vs so don't freak out if your weight is up. The majority of my discomfort after surgery came from the gas build up. They fill your abdomen full of air in order to get a better view inside. After surgery this must disappate on it's own. Some have a lot of pain, others not at all. Have gas-x strips and a heating pad ready to go. Also, it helps greatly to walk as soon as you can after surgery and keep walking once you get home. This gets the gas moving out. It doesn't have to be big walks around the block, just try to get up every hour or so and move around. I have been losing pretty steadily since surgery (1-2 pounds per week). I have to keep telling myself I am losing. I have heard of some lapbanders who gained before their first fill. I, of course, wanted to get the fat melting lap band and wake up a size 12! Must have been out of stock - lol I do not know what your doctor does in regards to fills or if he will add anything to your band at the time of your surgery but my surgeon does not have any Fluid in the band until 6 weeks post-op. This time is lovingly known as "bandster hell". Two - three weeks after surgery I felt exactly the same as before surgery and could eat exactly the same. And sometimes I did! I probably could have been losing more weight during this time if I had been more strict with myself but I have a thick head and a love for food. After my first fill at 6 weeks I got some restriction. Full on less, but hungry about every 3 hours. I received my 2nd fill this past Tuesday and there is certainly a difference. Quantity is much lower. You certainly sound like you have the right frame of mind - eat to live, not live to eat. I have not been as aggressive as I could have been but everyone needs to travel this journey at their own pace. Try to remember that as you read stories about people losing. Don't compare yourself. I did that in the beginning and was really kicking myself. Who needs more self-loathing though. That defeated feeling is what got me to this weight in the first place. "Well, I suck so I might as well have that 5th oreo, or can of pop or whatever is handy". We have beautiful children who deserve the best and that includes mommies who feel & look the best they can! Take care and look forward to talking with you more!

Why haven't you received a fill yet? I was banded on March 8 and just received my 2nd fill Tuesday. Prior to my fills though I was just like you. No restriction at all. I felt like I was the girl who had weight loss surgery just to eat the same old way! It does get better with fills. Some who have the surgery the band is enough restriction. I was not in that lucky group but now with my 2nd fill my amount of food intake is much lower (without stopping myself) and hunger between meals is longer. I would speak to your surgeon about starting the fill process. Keep in touch!

Beautiful day in northern Minnesota so I haven't been on computer until now. I sure hope mowing the lawn burned some serious calories! Up .2 this week, 222.2 officially.

I have a Realize Band and got 4 cc on my first fill six weeks after surgery. The fill certainly helped with amount I eat, speed at which I can eat. I am hungry about 3 hours after a meal and am going in for my 2nd fill this coming Monday, May 16. Everyone's stomach reacts differntly to the band/fills. Some on here never required a fill. Good Luck!

Hi Alyssa! I was banded on March 8 of this year so I am certainly not an old hat at this stuff yet but am more than willing to be in your support system. I am 10 years older than you but have a little boy that just turned 5 in February and a little girl who will be 4 this August. I live in northwest MN which is only about 9 hours from you! Feel free to contact me anytime! Take Care and everything will go great! Heather

Good Week but slipping now 222 lbs. I would love to meet up with some friends on here for support if anyone else is interested.

Hi! I am from MN also, northwest corner to be exact. I am so glad to see others from MN makes support feel a little closer. Congrats on your success! I was banded on March 8 of this year and am always looking for others to share expereinces with.

Oh! This is exactly what I need right now. Let's do this Name, real or screen~ Heather Age~ 34 Weight on May1st~225 Goal Weight for May 29th~ 218 Exercise Goal for May~ 30-45 minutes 5 days per week Dietary Goal for May~ drink more Water on the weekends and stop snacking in the evening (crackers are the devil) Personal Goal for May~ get rid of old clothes and re-do my bedroom Date Banded~ 03/08/2011 Total Weight Loss Since Banding~ 12 lbs