Jenn1214

I hit the 75 pound mark a few days ago, so to celebrate I got rid of my humongous clothes and resolved to go shopping for smaller things. I've had a few mini shopping trips before this, but this will be a big one since I literally have nothing to wear. Now call me crazy, but the thought of being able to shop pretty much anywhere is an intimidating thought for me. When I was heavier, it was Lane Bryant or Torrid, and if I didn't find anything I was screwed. Now it's like the world is my oyster, and it makes my head spin! Anyone else feel like this? I know I should be happy to be able to find clothes anywhere, but it's been years since I could shop at any store I wanted and it's a little scary!

I just went shopping today as a matter of fact...it's a strange feeling shopping in the "regular" section now. My brain can't wrap itself around the fact that I've lost 75 pounds and that Lane Bryant is no longer an option for me!

I was watching this show called Fat Chef where obese people in the food industry try to lose 25% of their body weight in 16 weeks. This one woman Maggie was just full of excuses and had no accountability whatsoever. She told her nutrition consultant that she was eating 2-3 slices of pizza for dinner at night and ate soft serve ice cream constantly. Later in the show it was revealed that she was hiding her Lap Band surgery from everyone. She got really mad for some reason and said "I don't want to be some kind of role model for Lap Band...it didn't work for me." Ok, really?! First of all, if you are able to eat 3 slices of pizza in a serving, something is terribly wrong. Not to mention all that ice cream wasn't doing her any favors. People like her make the rest of us who use the Lap Band correctly look bad. It just really irks me. It's clear she wasn't psychologically ready for it and I wonder what doctor in his right mind would give someone like that a Lap Band. If you aren't ready to change your lifestyle and work with the band and not against it, don't have the surgery. Period. Ok, rant over :-)

My gyno is very happy with where I'm at now. I never had a very severe case anyway but it was definitely there.

I'm getting married in July so my motivated is hanging in my closet! Seriously though, sometimes it takes having specific goals in mind to keep you on track. Looking at old pictures of myself is helpful too...I never want to get back there again!

I rarely drink anymore, only when I go out and I try to limit it. For me, there are several reasons: 1. I'm a cheap date now. Two glasses of wine and I am trashed. 2. Alcohol slows weight loss. I'm working too damn hard to sabotage myself. 3. Drinking lowers inhibitions and makes me crave fatty foods. After a few drinks all I want is Mexican and ice cream. And more drinks. All in all, alcohol is something I'd rather avoid for now.

I talked to an endocrinologist about this. I have PCOS, which has pretty much resolved due to the weight loss and the subsequent lowering of my testosterone levels. Unfortunately low testosterone means low sex drive, according to the doctor. My libido was much higher when I was heavier...go figure.

I drink coffee every morning and I don't feel that it loosens my band. I still drink a protein shake afterwards for breakfast because I'm just not hungry.

I'm glad I'm not the only one irritated by this woman! I have half a mind to email her restaurant and thank her for all the negative Lap Band PR she has put out there.

How many calories are you eating per day? If you burn a lot of calories while working out but not eating enough, your metabolism will slow down. Also keep in mind that you're probably losing inches right now and it takes the scale a couple of weeks to catch up. I had the same problem when I first started working out and I was about to give up, but the scale finally started moving after about 3 weeks. Don't get discouraged!

I started exercising regularly only recently after a two month stall. I was getting frustrated because the scale wasn't budging, but my trainer measured me and sure enough, I was losing inches. The scale took a few weeks to catch up, but now it's going down steadily. How many calories are you burning in a session? If you aren't eating enough and you're burning a lot, your metabolism will slow down. I eat around 1200 calories a day and burn anywhere from 400-600 when I work out. It seems counterintuitive, but eating a little more can help. Keep it up!

Wow that is amazing...you must feel so proud! Can't wait til I reach the 100 lb mark!

My surgeon says to stop drinking 15 minutes before eating and wait an hour after. I rarely follow the 15 minute rule but I always wait at least 45 minutes to an hour after eating to drink fluids again. My fiance's surgeon says 30 minutes before and 30 minutes after. The nutritionist in the hospital explained to him that no one has really figured out the "magic number" so every surgeon has a different estimate. Mine works for me so I stick with it. Now to answer your question, any time you have eating anything solid, whether a meal or snack, I would still wait the 1 hour. I know it's torture waiting when you're so thirsty! I usually wait about 45 minutes after I eat before working out so I can drink and also I seem to feel short of breath if I have a lot of food in my pouch during a workout.

I'm sure no doctor will recommend this, but my morning coffee seems to be the main thing that helps keep me regular. I also try to get in as much water as possible to keep my bowels happy! I don't take fiber supplements because frankly they make me gassy and don't help me much anyway.

I've been having the same problem, except I don't "see" the weight loss anywhere. I've lost 74 pounds and all I see is the same chubby face, big belly, flabby arms, and thunder thighs. The only time I see a difference is when I look at old pictures of myself, but it's still hard for me to grasp the concept of how much thinner I am. Everyone keeps telling me how great I look, but my brain hasn't caught up to my new body yet.

Hey all, I don't know if anyone else experiences this but most days after I work out I get a headache. It's really only at the front of my head and it's not unbearable, just weird. My trainer says it might be that I'm dehydrated but I drink water throughout. Anyone else have this issue?

When I first started exercising, I had no weight loss either and was starting to get frustrated. Luckily my trainer was keeping track of my measurements. I was losing inches, but not pounds, and it took a few weeks for my body to catch up. Now my weight loss is slow and steady, and yours will be too. I would recommend eating a little bit more though if you are exercising so frequently. An hour on the elliptical burns around 500 calories, so make sure you have enough fuel in your tank to keep your metabolism burning. Good luck and keep it up...the results will come!

My full signal is usually a hiccup or a sigh, I guess maybe it's SOB when the band tightens. It's near my TOM, but usually the opposite happens...it's like I don't have a band at all! If it doesn't go away by Monday I'll go see the surgeon.

For the past few days I have been noticing that I feel short of breath while eating, like I have to yawn really deeply to get enough air. This has happened in the past but it went away, so I thought nothing of it. My band has also been feeling tighter, especially in the morning, so I wonder if that has something to do with it? It's a little disconcerting but I don't feel lightheaded or dizzy or anything. It's also annoying because if I eat less than an hour before going to the gym, I have trouble catching my breath while doing cardio. Has anyone else experienced this? Should I be running to my surgeon's office?

I couldn't feel my port after surgery but I had a gigantic bruise in the area since my pre op nurse thought it would be a good idea to give me my Lovenox in my lower abdomen... Anyhoo, 72 pounds later I can easily feel my port under the skin. When I touch it I feel pressure, not necessarily pain or tenderness. Since you're only 3 weeks out from surgery, your port site is still healing, so I wouldn't worry too much.

Hey all! My fiance was banded about a week ago. His surgeon keeps him on full liquids and thin purees for up to four weeks, so naturally he's thinking about what he'll be able to have when the soft food stage rolls around. For some inexplicable reason he's been craving chopped liver (I'm not a fan, but to each his own). I'm not sure of the consistency since I don't eat it, but would it be considered a soft food or something he would have to wait for solids to eat?

I am an emotional eater in the truest sense of the word. A few days after I was banded, I was pretty depressed and said things like "I made a huge mistake, get this thing out of me now!" I missed food and was just miserable. I cried a lot and without food to comfort me, everything seemed very dark and depressing. I felt like I was in detox or something. When I finally got to solid foods again, I wasn't depressed anymore, but something a little odd was happening. I would lie in bed at night and remember painful or uncomfortable memories from my childhood and teenage years, and I realized these were all things that I had buried in food that I never truly dealt with. I talked about the most difficult ones with my therapist, and the others, well...I just allowed myself to feel the emotions attached to the memory and was able to let it go. It was actually a big relief to release all of the negativity I had been keeping inside all those years. Food was definitely the crutch I used to deal with a lot of negativity in my life, and when that was taken away it was very stressful for me. This may be why you're feeling a little down, or it could be that the lifestyle change is sinking in. Either way, it gets better and you will be just fine. If I can do it, anyone can!

I have a protein shake every morning (my band is kinda tight until the afternoon). My other main sources of protein are Boca burgers, tuna, almonds, lean ground turkey, white meat chicken, and occasionally low fat cheese. I'm a big fish fan (especially salmon) but I don't make it at home too often because I haven't found a good fishmonger around where I live.

Setbacks definitely suck, but once you recover from surgery you'll be on track again. Be proud of what you have accomplished so far! Hope your recovery goes well, and feel better soon!

I have been banded for 11 months and I have been stuck MAYBE about 4-5 times total. Each time it was because I wasn't paying enough attention to how I was chewing...it was always my fault, never the band. Being stuck is definitely a wake up call...once it happens you don't want it to happen again, so you tend to be more careful. My episodes have never lasted more than a few minutes at a time, but it was enough to make me pay more attention at mealtimes. Don't let it deter you from getting a band!