Short and Chunky

Lisa: Yes, I do go the meetings....I think weighing weekly - in front of someone - keeps my responsible and on track. I also like being with other people who are battling weight. I find that support system helpful for me. Melinda

Lisa: First - the 75 pounds has been since 7/7/11 not Sept. But I have done good. I just left the Docotor and it is just under 80 pounds now - woo hoo !!! I try to eat low carb but I do have a very small red potato or a Tblsp of mashed potatoes. I will eat a half a slice of toast about once a week. I find that I need some of this in my diet and it helps balance me out. I eat 3-4 oza of protein for breakfast, lunch and dinner and generally a good size salad... Here is my day (so far) today: Breakfast - Hot Tea 2 slices of Turkey Bacon 1 scrambled egg (wet) Lunch: 3.5 ozs ground sirlon (left over from last night dinner) tsp of homemade gravy (made w/bullion) baggie with baby carrotts, celery sticks and two cherry tomatoes I will dip this in a tsp of Catalina salad dressing Sugar free Jello (orange) Dinner: I am planning - 4 ozs chicken breast 1/4 cup green beans 1/4 bakes potato with spray butter 2 cups tossed lettuce salad with cucumbers, tomatoes and celery with Olive oil and red wine vinegar dressing I know that is not enough points and I know it has more carbs than my doctor wants but I am loosing a good pace and I feel good. I will also walk about 3 miles today.

amylovelou: really???? A donut ????? What were you thinking? It should have been a box of Cookies...they go down easier...j/k...hope you do well tonight and don't let anyone force you to eat. I had an upsetting day at work, bought a bag of cookies and started to work on them...about two cookies into it, I got a grip and threw them in the trash...Now I am just crying..oh well, better than eating those stupid cookies. I go to WW tonight and I am not going to let some idiot at work spoil my night/weighin. I see my Doctor on Friday and I am sure I will get a fill - he won't like the fact that I am down only 3 pounds in a month..Gotta love the holidays and Super Bowl. That is where WW will help me more than the band - that every week thing and that every week weigh in...have a good evening and get back on track girl ! Melinda in Florida

jaccaro - wow, have you been through a lot. lband is going to be a cakewalk for you after all you have been through. Best wishes as you continue your journey. Hope you and your husband will once again enjoy good health. Keep us posted..... Melinda in Florida

lcoughlin - WW and the band do work well together with a few exceptions...WW does not like the band so you may or maynot want to tell your leader. I did and mine is very supportive and has modified the plan to assist me. My doctor hates carbs and fruit - WW allows both - I do eat them but in small amounts - doctor hates that and does not want to hear about WW when I visit him - so I don't even mention it. I cannot eat my full amount of points per day. I am allowed 26 and I generally have about 15-18. I do get the water in and I love the fact of the weekly meetings - I need that support. My band was done 7/7/11 and I am down over 75 pounds. I have about 40 or 50 more to go. Lately my weight loss has slowed but the box of cookies I ate at Christmas and all the junk I have been enjoying is the reason for this. The band and WW is not to blame for this one - just me. I feel sooo much better than I did before the band. WW helped me loose a ton of weight years ago and I knew that it could help again. I feel that it has. If I could take diet pills again, I would do that too....I don't the the band is the end-all tool for me to loos weight. I need the "village" to do that. Good luck and hope things work out for you. Stay in touch ! Melinda in Florida

Can I get a seat on your wagon? I need to find my motivation as I too have had a eating good time lately. I have not gained, but I have not lost much either....1-2 pounds a month and that is just pitiful. No one to blame but me (and that box of cookies I ate in Dec. - the entire box). I'm down almost 80 lbs since 7/7/11 - need to find that burning inside me that kept me on the right track and working out. Can't stop now - too close to the goal line. I can't give up !!! Melinda in Florida

Hi shy2012..congrats on all the research you have done and your plans to move forward. I have the lband with plication and mine was done on 7/7/11. I am now down approx 80 pounds. My weight loss has slowed a bit over the past 3 months, but I know whose fault this is - MINE. I have been eating around the band and not exercising like I once was. I am trying hard to get back up on that saddle and find my MOJO - my lost motivation...Thanks to the band and the plication, I can only be "so bad" and now go back to crazy weight. Good luck with your decision and this journey. Don't get frustrated - it can take awhile but in the end it has been worth it to me and I would do this again in a heart beat minute. Remember, you did not become JUMBO SIZED over night and you won't loose it over night. Just keep punching away at it. Make sure you get support. Melinda in Florida

Wow, you guys make me feel like I have found a true family...I was banded in 7/11. I lost great guns at first and I am down 75 pounds. I went from a size 22W to the 14 I have on today. People say I look great - even skinny but..you knew there was a BUT ! I have about 5cc in my band (don't know exactly) and now I have stopped loosing weight. I am down 1 pound since December 1st...I even started weight watchers again so I would be weighed weekly and have to face someone with my weight. I am so afraid I am back to my old self. Diet, loose a bunch, look good, go back to eating what and when I want ! That is why I got the band to keep that from happening. I see the Dr. on 2/10 and I hope he does a fill. I think if it hurts too much to eat, I will get back in control. I have lose the DRIVE that came with the surgery and I need to find that again. I KNOW WHY I am not loosing - I stopped walking 2-3 miles per day, doing hand weights at night and I have returned to snacking - on slider foods (of course - you know- the ones that taste good !). I know what is wrong and I know how to fix it, I just can't get ME to FIX IT !!! This website is a real help but short of having my jaws wired shut, I feel like I too an a bit of a failure and I just can't admit that to anyone who hasn't been there before. Thanks for listening and keep these messages coming... Melinda in Jacksonville

NJ2NC- You had your surgery by now and I was wondering how you are feeling. I hope you are doing well and dealing with the gas stuff. Hang in there..in a day or two you will feel great ! Hope all is going well for you and a healthier/skinner you is just around the corner ! Melinda in Jacksonville

Hey Terri, Glad you are doing better. I had lapband w/plication 7/7/11. That first week I did not feel too great. In fact, I wondered why I did this to myself. A bunch of gas and overall just miserable and then - poof 5 days later - I felt great. No pain, lots of engery and weight loss. I am now down 75 pounds and counting. I walk almost everyday, do crunches at night and am sooooo glad I had this done (lband with the plication). I did find that when I get a fill or eat too much, the pain returns (sometimes) to the diaphram or the left shoulder. A heating pad helps bunches ! I am still learning how to benefit from this proceedure but I have NO REGRETS ! Good luck on your journey and hope you feeling fantasitc today! Melinda in Jacksonville

I have been know to cheat a bit - even now with 4 fills to date. Do I have restriction? I think so, that is why stuff gets stuck...But Cookies, ice cream and cake are sliders - I have to stop that. As for chewing - i do chew but still get stuff stuck, not always after a fill sometimes just before another one. I'm a mess...but I keep on trying to get it right - I am still loosing and I just deal with stuff as it comes. Have a great week everyone... Melinda

Glad you found out your answer. You will do great. The no Carbs no Sugar thing is rough but it is easy compared to Clear Liquids. I did the same. 2 weeks no carbs, no sugar and 5 days clear liquids. I thought I was going to die. BUT...I lost 15 pounds in those couple of weeks and that gave me a great jump start to my post surgery weight...It also made sure that my liver was smaller (it helps avoid unwanted bleeding during the surgery). I am 6 months post- op and down 75 pounds. with 43 more to go....You can do this. Try to cut back on the carbs now and the sugar too..you can get a headache if you stop them too fast. I also got the shakes a bit. Post-op you will be on clear liquids, then full liquids and then mushies, then food so getting an early start might make things easier. I know it did for me and I can be very hard-headed (plus I loved carbs)...Good Luck to a skinner and healthier you ! Melinda in Jacksonville

I work at a University and I hear that stuff all the time..Some are jealous and some just don't know what to say - they surely don't want to say - Hey fatty, glad you are finally doing something about your big butt... I would think of it as a compliment and move forward - Hey, your surgery is just around the corner and it is not going to be a day at the park. You are doing this for health reasons and anyone who thinks this is a "quick fix" is in for a rude awakening. You are getting a "tool" to help you with your weight loss. You are still going to have to watch what you eat and exercise (walking is great) and you will start hearing true, sincere compliments. Your true friends are going to know what you are going through and that is all that matter. You go girl ! I was banded 7-7-11 w/plication and I am down 75 pounds (40 more to go). I have dropped from a 22W to a size 14 in slacks. It is a great feeling - but - my blood pressure is now normal, my sugar is now normal and lots of other tests are now in the normal range. This is about you and your health and you will do just fine. Support from friends and family is great and you are so fortunate to have that. Hang in there and just do your thing. Melinda in Jacksonville

I am Tricare Prime south region - I did not have to have 6 months diet either..Just the blood test, psych eval and the other stuff the surgeon required. The process was very simple. I was banded 7-7-11 (with Plication) and I am down 75 pounds with 40 more to go. Good luck with your journey and hope things get a bit easier for you... Melinda in Jacksonville

Congratulations on your weight loss - that is great. I was banded 7-7-11 with Plication and I have no regrets. I just left my doctor and no fill this time - he said I am doing fine for now - I am down 75 pounds with 40 more to go. I have had (what I consider) an terrible time during the holidays by eating whatever was in site and most of that was BAD stuff. Well, it is all gone now and time to get serious one again. I am struggling to find the "drive" I had when I was banded in July. I need to find that in me once again. I know I can do this, I just am having issues with my exercise and staying away from the carbs. I am also (temporarily) under a great deal of anxiety at work and until that passes - whatever...anyway, I really appreciate this site and the people who post here. It is such a big help - so Thank you to all of you. LBT good luck with those cardio classes - looking forward to hear how it works out for you. I may give that a try... Melinda in Jacksonville

Oh, I have 45 pounds more to go before I reach my goals weight. I am allowed 26 points per day (not counting extras that I get for exercise). A point is somewhere around 40-45 calories if you broke it down. I exercise about 3-5 points per day, but I do not use them or the extras points you are allowed per week. I ususally use about 20-22 points per day and I try to watch the carbs - keeping them at a minimum when possible. Melinda

OK guys, I have read everyone's threads - I joined WW (for the 6th time) 2 months after my band. I told my leader that I had the band but still believed in the WW program (always lost weight but always regained - thusly the band). She said WW did not like band but she would work with me and adjust the program for me...She has done just that and I am now down 73 pounds - my surgery was 7-7-11 - so to say the least, I am happy. The people that I sti with at the meetings all know I have the band and they help me adjust receipes to fit ME. My Doctor is not happy tha I go to WW as he said they count calories and they allow sweets, carbs etc and he does not. Well, welcome to my "real world" - it contains calories, carbs and sweets, just less of them and not all the time. I love this site and I love my WW meetings - it keeps me honest to myself and the scale. I write down everything that I eat (even the bad stuff). WW on line helps me track my weight, protein and waters.. I am so glad you guys started talking about WW and the band as I thought I was the only one out there trying to do two things at the same time. Hey, if it works for you - then go for it. I am happy and loosing and that is all that matters!. Happy weight loss to everyone and keep this thread going ! Melinda Jacksonville, Florida

Happy New Year to all you July Bandsters.I hope all of you had a "semi" successful holiday season and didn't gain weight. I was able to hold my own without gaining. I have now lost 73 pounds and counting. I need to get back on track and start walking again as I know that is only way I loose weight. I did have a terrible incident last night - esophogeal spasms. It lasted almost 4 hours and I thought I was going to die. I drank Hot Tea and it made the esophegus go nuts. Called the doctor and he said 2 Benedryl and a heating pad. Sometime during the night, it stopped and today I just feel a bit yucky. Wow, the pain was something else - almost called 911 it was so bad. I am proud to say, I am 45 pounds from my goal weight but need to find the inner excitement and drive that I had in July. I really like all the smaller clothes I got for Christmas - size 14 pants instead of 20W. But I need to keep going and I need a boost to do so..I don't want to get my band tighter, I feel it is tight enough, I am the one breaking the rules (Cookies are slider foods, so is cake and sweet potatoes). I have purged the house and my office of the "evil" foods and now back in the saddle! I started this journey for ME and only ME can make it happen. Hey, thanks for listening and I hope all of my fellow July Bandsters are doing well and watching themselves skinny away ! Keep up the good work guys. FYI, it is COLD in Florida this AM 24 degrees at my house..Bring back the 80 we had on Sunday please !

Tandi, this liquid diet thing is the hardest part of this entire journey. I too slipped, stumbled and cheeted a bit on my liquids but as others have said, start again, right NOW and hang in there. I have made so many slips since I started my journey in July, 2011, but all in all I am still looking forward and making progress (down 70 pounds). You can do this. Try not to dwell on the fact that it is all liquids - Don't watch regular TV (only watch movies - too many food commericals) and stay away from smells - like food cooking...All of this helped me and I don't regret sticking it out. Hang in there and good luck with the 10 days of torture and your band surgery... Melinda

What is this ? Getting stuck week ? I got stuck yesterday on scrambled eggs - wet eggs at that..I guess I ate too fast or too big of a bite. Suffered for an hour - finally it came up ! Went to see the Dr that afternoon . I had a fill on 11/22 and he felt the band may be too tight so he took out .5 cc.OK, whatever, all I know is that I was in pain and MISERABLE ! No more eggs for me for awhile. Hope evyone is doing better now...Keep on truckin' .....

Congratulations..I hope your day went well. I had a fill on Wednesday so I am liquids too..had 22 at my house for lunch and I spent the whole time talking, cleaning and serving other. Worked for me so far...I just keeping thinking about the 68 pounds I lost and That kept me going....

OK, I was a child of the 60's too...Graduated high school in 1969. I really liked the Beatles and the Bee Gees and Elvis...I saw the Beatles in Jacksonville when I was a young teen and later saw Paul McCartney when he played at half time for the Super Bowl in Jacksonville Florida in 2005. I sang every song right along with him. So nice to have a group of bandsters that are in my age bracket - thanks for starting this. This band thing is a "Long and winding road" but it is working and I hope all of you have a very Happy Thanksgiving...Melinda

Hey Victoria - you are only blue because of Thankgiving being a FOOD Holiday. Go buy yourself something "smaller" than you wore a few months ago, put on a happy face and enjoy the food with everyone else (only smaller portions). You will be fine - just take a look in the mirror everytime you feel a sad moment coming on. This is a new you and you have so much to be proud of..hang in there. Remember, CHristmas is coming and then more food, but you will even be smaller then - woo hoo.....Celebrate !!!!!