kyethra

Hi all. I was banded in 2007 and lost those first fifty pounds in the first couple of months, and then my gall bladder came out six weeks after I was banded. Before banding my highest was 297. Then in 2010 I got down to 213. I was about 245 in 2008 so those pounds took a long time and a lot of work. Then the fertility treatments started and I did yoyo a bit from about 220 ish to 245. I got pregnant in May or June of 2011 and I weighed 220. But halfway through my pregnancy (and I had been doing well at that point) I had trouble keeping things down and got a complete unfill. Big mistake!! But it was late enough my pregnancy they didn't feel comfortable giving me a fill. So by the time I was hospitalized (severe preeclampsia) I weight 305 pounds and then I gave birth shortly after to a 5 pound 13 ounce baby. My band has been a bit tempermental after giving birth. I have had a couple of little fills and a partial unfill. Right now I weight about 240 (it varies by about five pounds). My son will be one year old in January and I want to get back to 220 by then. But I am really wanting to get down to about 165 or thereabouts. However, I don't want to spend more than five years doing that! My biggest issue is my love of junk food. I just get so hungry!! I am going to have another fill in a couple of days, but even with decent fills I just want to eat junk food. Ice cream and Cookies. Those are my big struggles. A part of me really wants to be good and eat like I should, but at the same time I feel like I should be able to have some yummy food. If I get enough restriction I can only eat about 1/4 cup of ice cream which is great, but then I am too restricted on things like apples. So that is the dilema with fill level, restriction and so forth. I really want to be a good role model for my child and not have him struggle with obesity. Both of my parents did when I was a child. And even now my mother really doesn't eat well despite losing the weight. She constantly constantly worries about calories and then eats nothing so she can have popcorn for dinner. Not healthy. And I'm trying to get my head around the not eating so much ice cream and junk food. But I get all weak and then I think I will eat a cookie and I eat the freaking box. So I made an appointment with a counselor that specializes in eating disorders and is supposed to be good at helping with cravings. Has anyone done this? What should I expect? I am wanting to do some homework ahead of time if possible. Right now I know I want to get under 200 if I were to get pregnant again since my first pregnancy was so hard and I'm in such bad shape. And I am in physical therapy and taking a fitness class and walk the dogs and trying to eat well (though I cannot manage to fit in all those fruit and veggie servings).

I just started using this yesterday! I have really been struggling recently so I decided to be a good girl. I got the fill I needed and saw my nutritionist. I even started seeing a counselor to work on some of my food issues and learn better strategies. I am kyethra on there. Right now I am just ignoring the calories. My nutritionist said right now I should eat 1400 to 1800 since I am still breastfeeding. The program obviously doesn't take lactation etc. into account. And I'm supposed to eat 1200 to 1400 overall. If I go below 1200 too often then I plateau. I have found I either need to eat a really low amount like 700 or less or a more reasonable amount like 1200 to lose weight.

no problem, i was waiting on insurance approval for IVF when I got pregnant.

I have a question about loose skin. I have a bunch of it. A small pannus, arms that could fly, and more than enough belly skin to go around despite my still needing to lose another 50 after I have the bambino and only being down about 70 some pounds. Will I get more loose skin as the bump starts to grow? More stretch marks? Or will the loose skin I already have just sort of take up the slack? I'm only nine weeks and while I can't button most of my pants anymore (no weight gain yet) I am not showing at all, but I am wondering...

I did get a fill shortly after I found out-- I had been hungry and eating more it was a long time since my last fill. So I got a half sized one (for me that is .05 cc since I usually get .1 cc). I am happy with it. I will likely not get an unfill unless I am having trouble getting food/nutrition. And then I would only get a partial one.

I am glad I am not the only one wondering about this sort of thing. I just found out I was was pregnant the other day, but I have been eating a lot these past couple of weeks (I am almost six weeks) and I was worried I would need a fill so I don't gain. But according to my new what to expect, the morning sickness doesn't hit until around week six. So we will see.

It is nice to know I am not alone. I am 27 and my husband is 35, married 4.5 years and have been trying to conceive for about 8 months. We have been doing pregnancy planning for over a year, including genetic testing, etc. We started with fertility treatments right off the bat in order to do gender selection with Microsort, a clinical trial, because of Autism risk (it is much more prevalent in boys). But after five IUIs, I am not pregnant. After thinking on it we have decided to try naturally for a few months, and then if still no pregnancy, our insurance will cover IVF. I am really concerned about weight since with the fertility meds I gained so much-- 20 pounds! The injectibles were the worst, I litterally gained two inches in one week. And the weight isn't budging. I am tracking my calories and I just don't get it. So I made an apointment and it is finally comming up this week. I want a fill. I worry about things like my blood pressure and stuff being high during pregnancy. The trying to conceive is so frustrating-- I have wanted a baby for quite some time but we were waiting until I was mostly finished with grad school and done with things like student teaching. Since I am on meds now for narcolepsy and fibromyalgia, and I will be off those for at least part of pregnancy my functional level goes down. I've had the basic tests-- my HSG is normal, my hormone levels are normal, etc. My Lutenizing Phase tends to be short, (I have a short cycle, three weeks) so I got progesterone for that. DH has normal sperm analysis. So it just hasnl't happened yet. I get really sad and frustrated-- I feel like I would be a great mom-- I have a lot of education related to child development! I am at the right spot in my life too. Then I get ahead of myself and worry about time lines. I want to be done with child bearing before I turn 31. And I also need to work on developing my career and losing weight. But this fertility stuff sort of puts my life on pause. I am the sort of person who really likes rules. (Yup, I was one of those kids too). I feel like if I follow the rules, I am supposed to have things happen, e.g. A + B= C And I feel like I am doing A and B, but I don't have C. And this leads me to ask why and get all confused. I am following the rules, so to speak, I am doing what I was told I should do, I am following the steps. But still no baby. I take the folic acid, I use the fertility monitors, I take the meds, I monitor my cycle, I do this and I do that....

Thanks. I think I will go and talk to Dr. or Med Assistant about a fill at least. I recently started on follistim, and while it seems to be doing the job I am sure feeling fat and hormonal. I swear my hips have grown two inches in the past week, and I'm not even gaining any pounds. But everything feels tight or doesn't fit, etc. I'm actually doing IUIs so my cycle is monitored pretty well-- base line ultrasounds, meds, OPKS, blood work, then more ultrasounds and blood work, etc. We are using a process that sorts sperm so we can select for gender due to a genetic issues so it is all pretty high tech, but the process reduces the sperm available, so it has lower pregnancy rates. I think a fill might be a good idea as it could take a few more months and medications before I do conceive.

I'm not even pregnant yet, but have been trying to conceive for about six months, and have had a few clomid cycles. During the first two or three months I gained about 15 pounds, and I am not shaking them. I also have been on and off my narcolepsy medicine while trying to conceive (off during two week wait, on until ovulation)-- something that influences my metabolism. I'm currently eating about 1600 to 1800 calories a day and while I'd prefer that to be between 1200 and 1400 I still think I am making progress and eating healthier all the time-- I have had the band for some time, since March of 2007, and after the first six months I have lost very slowly, but always making progress. I haven't gained this much back before. This spring I was so proud of myself, getting down to a size 14 jeans-- a size I haven't worn since freshman year of high school. My band is on the loose side, but rather than get a fill I've been trying to eat more vegetables. I'm also trying to increase activity levels-- I usually go for a walk between thirty and forty-five minutes three times a week or so and I play with my dogs everyday in the yard-- throwing the frisbee, etc. I'm feeling frustrated. I've been hoping to lose more and I ended up gaining what took me a year to lose. I worry about risk levels and so forth. Should I get a fill? Any thoughts?

So last year my city council narrowly passed a smoking ban. Since Jan. 1 this year everything has been smoke free, including restaurants and bars. And it has been wonderful. I can now go to a bar with friends without having to hold my breath when somone walks by (in case they are a smoker) or if I need to go use the bathroom or something. You see, I have asthma. Normally, its well controlled, but smoke is one of those triggers that can really aggravate it. It can start me up coughing or wheezing or worse. Plus, I just hate the smell of smoke. I don't wear strong perfumes or scents or anything-- I try to be considerate too. So the ban was passed. And it has been nice. Also if DH goes out with friends after work he no longer smells when he comes home! We recently had city council elections. The Mayo, a piper smoker, is planning to call for a vote to immediately repeal the smoking ban. Unfortunately it will probably get repealed. I think this is very silly for a couple of reasons. No. 1: My state is waiting on a signature from the govenor to pass a Statewide smoking ban starting in Jan. The Gov said he will probably most likely sign. No. 2: If the buisinesses and everyone had six months to prepare for going smoke free, shouldn't they have six months to prepare to go back to smoking? And since it has been five months, aren't they used to it by now. They claim it is hurting buisiness, that smokers are going elsewhere. Maybe a few people-- I don't see that when I go out. Places look just as crowded to me as they always did. Besides, we only have small towns immediately around my city (pop about 180,000) There aren't many other places for people to go unless they are willing to travel. So what are they going to do, repeal a ban so they can smoke for six more months? How bad is their nicotine craving? This just seems crazy to me. Any thoughts?

I have had my lap band for about three years now, and I am very pleased with the results. I'm 5'8" and weighed 297 at my highest, and now I'm down to 215. I've gone from a size 22/24 to wearing a size 14 jean (something I haven't done since I was 14), size 16 top. I lose weight super slowly, about a pound a month. And until recently I was ok with that since I have been loosing and it works without gaining. But recently, I have gotten frustrated. Maybe it is because I'm trying to get pregnant and I am thinking of my health. before the band, I had high blood pressure , I took meds for GERD and a bunch of other stuff. Now I am on much less, no PPIs, no high blood pressure. I am much healthier.. but I still need to lose 30-45 pounds. That is my goal health wise and vanity wise. I haven't lost weight for a couple of months, and now that I finished student teaching and I'm taking a break this summer from research I am focusing on me. I think my ice cream addiction is a big problem. I have a good fill level, though I might want a baby fill as in the last couple of weeks I can eat small amounts of bread. But I try to focus on getting in my servings of fruit and veg. I drink plenty of milk. And then I think of healthy Snacks, etc. And I go and eat ice cream instead or later. I cant stand the thought of no ice cream ever, but I would love to limit it to 1 serving every other day, as compared to the 3 servings I had today. I try to buy less, but then I find myself going to the store or drive through to get more. I chart calories-- I try to eat less of other foods. Not healthy. My husband might be supportive if I really insist (now if I say I want ice cream, he says, ok, pick me up a malt. As I lose weight, he gains a belly). So what are some strategies to limit this o so addictive food? Cookies I can just not buy and thats ok, but this is different somehow. I need help!

DH and I are trying to conceive. In the middle of a two week wait now. So I a wondering about weight loss strategies. If this is negative, should I go ahead and get that fill and keep working on losing? Should I work on losing during the 2 week wait?

thanks for the ideas, so far I a doing well-- no ice cream yesterday, and today I have only had one 100 cal fudgesicle. If I do well the rest of today then I decided tomorrow I am allowed to use the cold stone creamery gift card thats burning a hole in my pocket. But then I need to be good through the weekend.

I am now two years out, and I feel bad because I lost most of what I lost the first couple of months after the band-- the next 20 pounds came off over the rest of that year. Then this past year I have been at a plateau. I took an inventory. I think a big part of it is motivation and the tools to stay motivation. For me, I know a recent fill is helpful. I get busy, I start to slide. A little fill goes a long way for me. I have another 60 pounds to lose so I need to get regular fills. And to exercise regularly. I ordered a body bug, and I scheduled personal training sessions. I think with keeping track of calories these things will help.

I also have other medical issues, so I decided just to get the medic alert. I have to admit though, that I currently misplaced my pendant. I need to buy a good chain for mine. I have issues with bracelets-- I only wear things on one wrist, and with a watch or other accessory, that gets crowded. But the chain that came with my pendant gave me a bad rash, the other chain I tried after that broke. Mine actually just says allergic to most antibiotics. The sad truth is that it took less space to put that than to list out the ones I'm allergic to. And there is a number for an emergency medical worker to call to get full info. I don't think a medical emergency where this info would be needed is at all likely, but I feel that being prepared for it makes it less likely and that if something were to happen, things would go better as a result.

I noticed that when I was on here regularly, on lapbandtalk, I was doing better. But then life gets busy... Overall, I am doing really well. And the weight I have lost is definitely a component of that. Thanks to the band the treatment of my narcolepsy, I'm healthier than I have been in years. I actually have energy! So I find myself wanting to do more and more. And I have done a lot in the past couple of years. I got a master's degree. That was fun. I'm working on another and my teaching certificate. Its also a ton of fun. I've been doing various things in the community as well, which I also really enjoy and I feel like I'm making a difference bit by bit. But I am dissapointed that I let certain things in my life slip-- like staying on top of weight loss. At least I haven't been gaining! I know I have the band to thank for that!

I don't bicycle. I tricycle. I have worksman PAV-3. The seat is very comfy-- its like an armchair. Its a recumbent and means you lean back and shift to a lower gear to pedal faster to get up hills. So far I'm burning calories, getting around more independently (I really don't like to drive), and having fun.

I am glad to see everyone is doing well! I fell off the weightloss wagon. I realised earlier this month that my two year bandiversary was coming up. I thought I would be at or damn near goal by now. I have a good 60 pounds to loose. So I sat and thought about it. And then thought some more for a few weeks. I decided I needed to prioritize and I needed to be accountable in ways that made things easy to see. I got a tricycle this winter, but I wasn't able to ride it until this month since I wasn't going to start cycling with ice and snow and below freezing weather. Its a recumbent tricycle. I needed a tricycle since I can't do bikes since I have bad balance (neurological issue). And I needed a recumbent due to joint issues-- I SI joint problems, which are slowly improving. It wasn't cheap-- the most reasonable option for me was about 1000 dollars with shipping. But I saved up for months and did temp work to afford it. Lately, I have been riding about twice a week on what tend to be an average of 10 miles round trip. Its good for me, and its fun! I even have been riding to the gym. Then I was thinking that if weight is about calories in vs calories out, I need to keep better track of calories in and out. So I have been working on doing that for calories in with an app on my G1 phone. I'm not perfect at it or even doing it every day yet, but I am getting better and better about it. I also bought a bodybugg with digital display. I saved some money by buying off of ebay. I think seeing that calories burned will help me keep calories consumed in check. I decided I am also going to buy some personal training sessions at my gym-- this will help get me in the door so I go more often and my goal is to start fencing again in the fall. This will be a good way to make sure I'm doing the strength training for that properly. Then tomorrow I will call my bariatric center and schedule my next two or three fills, six to eight weeks apart. Then I'll call and schedule an apointment with the nutritionist. My skin itches. I'm mad at myself. So I had better work on it so I can be proud of myself again!

I met my husband when I was 240 pounds. We met at the hospital-- at a lecture series on the digestive tract called community medical school. Such a romantic setting, I know. Back in that time we were both considering going to med school. Well we were talking and he asked if I wanted to go get something to eat. I said no, not then because I was way too tired and had been up too long but maybe this weekend. And I had been up way too long. Long day. So I went home and we had coffee that weekend (he said he didn't like coffee and I said what, you don't drink any kind of coffee? What about tea? And he said that he guessed he did drink some sugary coffee things. So I said, ok then, we will have coffee. So we had coffee and talked for hours. And we went out again, and sometimes I would say no, or back off a little. But for the most part he was good. And not boring. I never had tons of dates but I could usually find a guy interested in me-- and these weren't even bigger guys. But the trick is finding a guy you are also interested in. I tended to assume that of course most guys would be interested in me if they weren't completely shallow and those are the kind you don't want to date anyway. I mean I've always been totally cute and sexy before the surgery anyway I had great boobs. Now they sort of hang there, and sag... But I have a variety of spanx and so forth and that helps in general. And my hair is gorgeous. I think self esteem is something a person has to work at, actively. If you feel awkward, etc. then that shows. But practice feeling good about how you look and then that will show as well.

I was banded about 18 months ago by Dr. R and everything was great. I did have my gallbladder removed six weeks after the band went in and everyone was so wonderful about it at the office. I was so sick with the gallbladder and it was vital to me to have people really looking out for me.

I too am a Laurel K Hamilton fan, I just read her last Merry Gentry novel. And I read this great book called Gang Leader for a Day: A Rogue Sociologist Takes to the Streets by Sudhir Venkatesh. Its a book about how the author spent several years hanging out with and observing the chicago Black Kings in the housing projects and the people that lived there, especially one gang leader, TJ. I'm in the middle of a Diania Wynne-Jones novel, the Dark Lord of Derkholm that I am reading for my fantasy class and I'm also reading Blume's Blubber for a class. I'm currently reading Deja Dead by Kathy Reichs-- the scientist who inspired the series Bones.

I like a hot drink-- lately it has been hot cocoa (made with milk) or a protein shake. If no protein shake then I try to eat something-- I like cold cereal actually esp. stuff like Kashi cocoa beach or kix. Or I might nibble on a benefiber bar. Protein and fiber are good to get in the morning, I find.

well I haven't weighed myself in ages (I think the scale is under laundry and I'm scared to see the numbers...) But I had to go shopping the other day because I was a bridesmaid this weekend and the outfit I had planned on wearing for the rehearsal dinner did not fit when it arrived. So I went through the mall and I dashed through JCPennys and grabbed several different things off of the sales and clearance racks in a range of sizes-- a couple of size 16s, one or two size 18s, a size 20, one 22. I didn't think the size 16s would fit but they were the cutest so I tried the one first. And it fit! Now my spanx was all in the dryer at home (I rarely leave the house without my shapewear on these days-- I have slimpressions on top, spanx on the bottom and they meet in the middle and help hold it all in) but I figured I would look good in it once I get everything tucked in. So that was good. Then I tried on another size 16 dress and I looked good. But it was a sleeveless and I didn't want to have to get a jacket or bolero to go with it. Then I tried on a suit that was a size 18 top and it was ok fit but the skirt with it was size 24, someone had mismatched things, and the skirt was way too big. Nothing from when I was that size stays on me now. And since the top of the suit had plenty of space I figured the size 20 and 22 would be too large. So I tried on another size 16 outfit and it also looked nice-- sure the belly is there but with spanx it is much less noticeable so that I can reasonable wear it, etc. So I was really excited. I have been a size 16 in jeans now for quite a while but I have not worn a top in that size since I was in highschool (and I graduated from high school 7.5 years ago-- which feels like a very long time ago especially since I'm a in high school a couple of days a week). I need to call this week and see if I can get a fill apointment for next week. Once I get my fill, count me in for the ten pounds by new years. I will say one thing about weight loss-- I am not as warm as I used to be. And I don't mean personality wise since I've never been that friendly :laugh: I mean in terms of body temperature. These days I tend to bring a shawl or sweater with me in case I get chilled which is nice since I always used to just be warm. I had hoped to be at goal at two years from surgery and now I don't see that happening, but I do want to get there eventually-- and I still have my dream size of 12 that I want to get down to eventually.

I have not been doing well lately. I have not lost weight in a few months :thumbup: A large part of the problem is that I need a big fill. I haven't had time to even make a freakin apointment. Lately, I have been running myself ragged. Upon reflection, this is not the healthiest strategy for long term success in any number of fields. But it is so difficult for me, sometimes, to know exactly where that balance lies. So I'm really hungry all the time and eating a ton of food. I'm freaking starving compared to good fill level. And its so hard to eat well when I have my stomach yelling "Feed Me" all the time and I'm tired because I'm trying to do too much. I'm also in grad school full time. I was doing an intense course load. I got my masters in August and now I'm working on a certificate of advanced study and teaching certificate. (I'm a librarian). And part of this includes about ten hours a week in a high school library as a practicum, plus I had a three month temp assignment as a admin assistant where I was working around 15 hours a week. But one of my seminars turned out to be too theoretical for me so that gives me some breathing room. My temp assignment ends next week, which is not happy because that means I just have to spend that time on trying to find another part time job. In the current economy that is so not easy, as I am sure everyone is aware. I haven't been to the gym since August. I'm going to purchase a recumbent trike. Those cost a lot of money but I have been researching them quite a bit and I think it is a reasonable purchase. I live five miles from campus and so this would be a good way to get there, and the recumbent trikes are good for people with balance issues (I have never been able to decently ride regular bikes due to that because of neurological stuff) and I also have a bad hip that means a regular upright wouldn't be a good idea, but the recuments are gentler on the joints. In the meanwhile I do feel frazzled. I am a bridesmaid in a wedding in about a month and I had a really hard time finding a decent dress. I found one that should work, finally. And I have taken to wearing shapewear all the time. More and more of it. I like the svelt belt by nancy ganz at least and spanz is my favorite. I recently found some stuff that is also supposed to work for upper arms. Has anyone tried the stuff from flabuless Flabuless I ordered the smallest version to try and I also ordered some stuff from Slimpressions Slimpressions: Shapewear to slim the arms, back & midriff. Put the 'top' back in 'control top'! I am hoping it works. One of the hardest things for me is this loose skin. I have a good fifty pounds to lose yet (I have lost about 70) and oh its so bad! My arms are terrible-- I can instantly gross out my sisters in laws or anyone really just by rolling up the sleeves. And my stomach!! And arms and the stomach already sometimes get rashes, but mild ones. I hate to think what it will all be like after i loose the rest of the weight as I already have to roll up the boobs to get them ina bra and everythign is so loose, the thighs, bum, etc. Sometimes I get a bit down and wonder if I will ever lose the rest of the weight. THen I remember that I just need to get with the program-- I need a fill, need to eat right, exercise, and the weight will come off. Of course I need to actually get the fill. I also need to see dermatologist I think, about my acne. Ever since I got my gallbladder out, six weeks after the band went in, my skin has just gotten worse and worse. I used to have combination skin that wasn't really problematic. I never had an acne problem and flair ups were controlled pretty easily. But since then I have had skin that just gets so greasy. I was alwasy very prone to milia and that really increased. I have one cholestrol deposit above my eye now-- my blood cholestrol is fine. My pores are huge and I get lots of acne. So I seem to have oily skin or something. Benzoyle peroxide helps, and retin A helps but I think I might need a stronger prescription of the Retin A or something. I dunno, I ran out of what I had and haven't had time to get more. The skin routine I was using since I was 18 stopped working after the gallbladder came out and it threw me for a loop. Microderm abrasion helps, but not enough. oh well, at least that is my only side effect.

Hello all. I finally reached that 200 goal of mine. It took me forever! But I got there. Next up is seeing how long it takes me to get under 200 pounds-- hopefully that happens a little bit sooner. I'm going to see how long it takes me to get to 210, and then for those other ten pounds to come off. I am thinking of having some tuna salad and then working on the garden if the rain has let up. I have missed a bunch of work outs recently. My sinuses have been upsetting me-- last week I had fever and a bit of the flu and was all curled up in bed for a day. My other recent body related joy involves hair removal. I have been waxing my legs and under arms at home for a few years now, and then I recently bought a well reviewed epillator on ebay. I love it! I don't think it hurts at all all and its so easy to use and a lot less irritating than wax, which I found less irritating than shaving. And no more expensive was strips-- score one for the budget!