transforming jlaroux

I'm at 243! I remained the same this week, which is really quite an accomplishment considering how utterly difficult it has been. My county job has closed its doors and we are transitioning our agency to a private company, so stress has been sky high! There has been baby showers, Christmas parties, Christmas cookies.... you name it! And I have been guilty of some indulgence. So even though I am not posting a loss this week, I feel it was quite a successful week. I am off from Christmas to New Year, so I hope to get some good exercise in and keep myself busy so I hope to be able to post a loss next week!

This is my bari surgeon. My clinic pushes the rny. I stood my ground and told him this was what i was doing and id be successful. I am and he apologized and he told me he was very proud of me

welcome to bandster hell! focus on healing, not losing. If you lose, count it as a bonus. now, this doesn't mean its a free for all, but this is the hardest part, because you want to be losing, you feel you should be losing, and chances are you're not. It's okay, you will be okay in the end. This is normal!!

First of all, Congratulations!! second, I wish I could show this post to my doctor who says that band patients only average about 50 pounds weight loss! lol. I've exceeded his expectations, and umm, you've blown them out of the water!!!! AMAZING JOB!!!!!

I am down to 243. Thats another 2 pounds!!! woohoo, I won't reach 75 pounds by Christmas, but as long as I reach it, and SOON, I'm good. I've been doing everything right, and even started exercising again. Just 15-20 minutes on my recumbent bike, but it's movement. And I don't mind it. Oh, and I'm joining a Planet Fitness in January.

you have a wonderful attitude toward your band! I wish you much success!!!! congratulations on taking charge of your life and your health!

I take liquid vitamins because the capsule's get stuck for me. Bands are fickle creatures!

Thank you Chris. How wonderful to read your story. It truly brought me to tears, as I sat here, once again reminded that this really is happening for me. I am working my band. I don't deny myself, but often think to myself that food just doesn't look that good. I loved your story, know that you are a real inspiration to us "newbies" out here.

I too average about 100-1200 cal a day. sometimes a bit less, but I try not to.

I'm on, I'll friend you there~ I think I'm jlaroux on there also.

Down to 245! thats a 3 pound loss!

Down to 245! thats a 3 pound loss!

you're in bandster hell. It's gonna be okay. Relax, I always focused on losing, BUT being happy if I maintained during this time!

Name, real or screen~ jlaroux Age~39 Weight on December 1st~248 Goal weight for December 29th~235 Dietary goal for December~ log my food every day and keep within my calorie count and protein needs Exercise goal for December~figure out what is going on with my knee so that I can exercise Personal goal for December~ Get my blue ribbon for 75 pounds lost on 12/21 Date banded~5/24/2011 Total weight loss since banding/pre op diet~63 pounds One thing that has improved with your health since banding~there are too many to list! but 1 thing is that my back doesn't hurt anymore and I can get out of be\d without pain!

Is anyone else experiencing this? since I have all but cut out sugar in my diet, ( I still eat some on special occassions), I have noticed that my coffee has gone from 2 equals to 1, to none. I add a little nutmeg for flavor, AND i've noticed that if I want wine, it's gotta be a red, not a real dry red, but a red none the less. I come from drinking Zinfindel, which is now uber sweet to me. Also, I was at a craft fair with a friend the other day, and she was looking at the pastries, and I thought to myself, ewe, they just look too sweet! It actually looked gross to me. On thanksgiving there were a ton of pies, and I gravitated toward the healthier ones, that werent ultra sweet, although I tasted the cheesekace, but was happy with the taste, I didn't want any more. I'm 6 months out from surgery. I monitor my carbs, and try to keep them low, although I am not always successful. I avoid sugar.

thank you! This change in pallet took me completely by surpise, especially since my surgeons office said that band patients typically don't experience taste changes.

well this was a pretty crummy month. I lost initially, but I do believe I have hit a plateau. I went for a fill on Friday, and was told I didn't need one. ( I still think I do, but because of my weight loss, I hit the 10 pounds in a month mark, therefore, I do't qualify). Anyway, I havent' been able to exercise because of pain in my knee, so I'm heading out today for a scan to see if there is a blood clot in there. If not, its an appointment with my PCP and then maybe my orthopeadic surgeon. (yay). I don't believe I am going to hit my goal of 75 pounds in 3 weeks. anyway, I stayed the same, 248. I did however meet my personal goal of not worrying so much about dinner on Thanksgiving, so I'm happy about that. See you all in December for the "Holiday Challenge!"

Congratulations!!! I can't wait to be normal. I'm tearing up just thinking that it's possible!!!!!! YOU ARE AN INSPIRATION!!!!!

I'm not a veteran, as this is my first Thanksgiving also, but I would be glad to share what I did, so that maybe it will help you. I actually made a contract with myself and with my bari-friends at the clinic where I had my surgery. It's given me a plan, and making me accountable to that plan. I've included it to give you an idea of where I am coming from: 1) I plan to at a minimum maintain my weight loss. 2) I plan to ask my sister in law for a small plate at dinner. 3) I plan to not eat seconds. 3) I plan to focus my energy on my family. 4) I plan to choose foods that are not only the most healthy for my journey and my body, but the foods that are a treat, in other words, the foods that I don't get to eat on a daily basis. 5) I plan to make sugar free chocolate cream pie, which will be my dessert. I may give myself the permission to taste 1 other dessert. 6) I plan to not graze on appetizers, rather I will go and spend time with my 6 neices. 7) I will make memories this year that do not revolve around the plethora of food is, because it's not the food that matters. 8) This is just another day. IT IS NOT A DAY FOR ME TO GORGE! It is a day for me to enjoy my family and be thankful for all of them. I am not giving thanks to the food on the table.

Ugh, Weighing in at 248... still. This has been a rough week. I was in a play, and there was food in the play, that I partook of (chips) and of course final performance someone made dip, there were cheese and crackers, macaroon bars... Then of course there was dinner out.. It was just a bad week. Now, even though there were all those temptations availabe, I only had a little bit, so to maintain after all of that, I feel like I did okay. Here's to Turkey Day, and a fill on Friday (hopefully)!

A question for you to discuss with your family? Would a cancer patient go without the tools that are available to them? would a diabetic not take their medicaion or use a needle to inject insulin into thier bodies? they are tools, just like a band. We have a medical diagnosis that can lead to death if it is not resolved. Why would we not use tools that are available to us that are proven to have lasting effects?

I had a bmi of 50 something, no comorbities and was approved the first time

Hey all!!! my 6 month is coming quickly!! Nov. 24th! OMG I can't even believe it! Anyway, I''ve los 62 pounds and have had 4 fills. BUT the best part of all of this is what's happening at the clinic where I had my surgery! My surgeon wanted me to have the RNY, he told me I would only lose about 50pounds (hah- proved him wrong!) and that I wouldn't be happy. I told him he was wrong and I would be successful! Anyway, he told me he was very proud of me and gave me a hug! wow. thats a lot for a doctor. then at our support group meeting, I was asked if they would show my before pic and let the people find me, I hesistantly agreed, and... no one knew who I was!!!! and finally, our leaders have begun to realize that our needs are different from those of the rny patients and have agreed to let us have our own meeting and are starting pod casts and asking me questions about my band! I'm becoming the expert (along with a very dear friend of mine)! It's a wonderful feeling to be paving the way for better support for us bandsters in this clinic. Also, my friend was told that only about 40% of band patients achieve their weight loss goals! well we all know that's so not true, but we're planning on proving it to them! sorry for the soapbox, just some really cool things I get to be involved in and I'm really enjoying it!

you are in bandster hell. relax, what you are experiencing is normal. Once you get to your green zone/sweet spot, you will start to lose consistently. You just need to get there! My line of thinking in the beginning was that I just wanted to maintain the weight loss between fills. Then the weight just started to move. You'll be okay.

TIckers are easy. There are a couple of sites. If you click on mine, it will take you to either site, and then you just have fun from there! You may be uncomfortable riding 4 hours in a car the day after surgery. Talk to your doctor about his/her recommendations. as far as working the following week, that's what I did. I'm a social worker, so I planned to be at my desk for the first few days. IT worked ok. I was exhausted by the end of the day though. So congratulations on making the decision to get healthy!