JustDoIt130

I know you didn't mean to be too harsh- I know you're looking out for me . Yep, a semi-break is exactly what I need I think. Keeping up with the exercise and not going totally crazy with food. I know I'm not done with losing weight by a long shot! Nicki

Hi Amica- some awesome NSV's!! And a 5 k, that's awesome! Maybe I should sign up for one, that will be some motivation. Nicole- I know you're looking out for my best interest. You know the old joke, how many psychologists does it take to change a light bulb? One, but the light bulb really has to WANT to change. Right now I want a pause. Not a stop, but an evaluation period. I'm not happy with where I am now, but happy with the progress I've made. I appreciate your comments and know them to be true at the core and I will deal with it, I promise. Just have to get back in the right direction. Where is everyone else? Post! I'm struggling, let me hear everyone else's struggles/victories!!! Nicki

I could have written this post, absolutely. I've lost 80 lbs- but have 70 more to go. I posted about this on another site- a weight loss site with people I consider good friends. I've posted there for more than 7 years. One woman pointed out that most of us gain weight for various reasons- some emotional- and when you lose a lot of weight in a relatively short amount of time, sometimes the emotions kind of catch up to you- even if it's subliminally. Meaning we fall into old habits without understanding why, or- in my case- we eat something once a week (ice cream for me), then it becomes twice a week, then every night, and lo an behold, a weight loss stall. She suggested I sit and relax for awhile, that it's a marathon, not a sprint. I decided that as long as I keep exercising and I don't gain more than 3 lbs, then I will stay here until I feel like being motivated or until 1/1/13- whichever comes first. I am not giving myself unlimited freedom, but I'm not going to beat myself up over it. I did a pretty drastic thing, getting the lapband, and I'm going to be successful. It's true what they say- it bands your stomach, not your head! And eating around the band, as I've been doing, is easy to do and I need to get my wantpower back into play- it will happen! Good luck to all of us!! Nicki

That is awesome, I can't wait to see after pictures!!!!

Nicole- I know ultimately you're right, it's going to be something I just have to give up even if I'm not "ready"- someone on another forum I post on suggested that I also need to kind of settle into it a little- meaning, there's a reason we got fat, some physical, some emotional, and losing a lot of weight in a relatively short amount of time can bring up some of those emotional reasons- even subliminally. I am going to not worry about it within a certain pound range- meaning, I'm going to take a break and as long as I keep up with my exercising (which I am) and don't gain over 205 (that's a 3 lb swing) I am just going to have some status quo until I feel like moving on or until January 1, whichever comes first. I just feel like I need to do this for myself, not giving up ground I've gained, but not stressing myself out, but not giving myself unlimited "time off" either. I have good restriction, I have great exercise habits in place, I've lost over 80 lbs, so I'm good with hanging here for a moment. Nicki

This is an awesome post, so inspiring!! I'm a little off track, but have lost 82 lbs. Thanks for sharing your success.

Hi everyone! I'm still on my self-imposed plateau. I too am eating everything in sight- eating around my band for sure. I was wondering what you all do about breakfast- I do a protein shake in the AM, but then am HUNGRY all morning. I wonder if I skip the protein shake early in the morning (I leave for work around 6:30 and drink it on my way), and just take some cheese and almonds to snack on around 8:30-9 am or something. It seems like I am just so hungry all morning!! I do worry about not getting enough protein in if I give up my shake. I don't know. I do know if I"d just kick this stupid sugar habit (read ice cream) I would be better off. I go through such phases- like I didn't have any ice cream from my surgery date until like 2 months ago, and now it's almost daily. I really can't have it even once a week it seems. I need to give it up, but am not ready to. It's a journey.... I haven't exercised since last Thursday, unless you count walking around the state fair on Saturday. I will be at the Y today for sure! Chrissy- that is awesome about the suits!! And you'll still hit your 100 lb goal, but better to not be so dang stuffed up you can't even drink!! NJ2NC- hope you get to NY and Co! Great NSV for the sweatpants. I think I wore a size 5x sweatpants to my surgery (I could have probably worn 4x but wanted them lose around the waist)- I should try them on now, I"ll be they won't stay up. Nicole- a pants victory for you too!! Yay!! Ready- good for you in your size 14's- 12's are right around the corner! Toning is something I really need to do too. I am also considering another job- I was referred by a former colleague and spoke with the hiring manager yesterday. He had me do the online application and the assessment- which I hate doing, LOL, so stressful. So I got that done last night and we'll see what comes of it. It's still a long commute, but there may be some possibility of working from home, and it's more money which we need. Keep me in your prayers!! Well, everyone have a great day today. It's always a new day to start, right? Nicki

how many do you take before each meal.

I have a 14 cc band and probably over 11 cc's in it and still not quite to the restriction I want. I don't want to be too tight but I still get hungry after 2-3 hours. I'm doing well overall, have lost 80 lbs, still 70 more to go. What if I get to 14 cc's and still no restriction?? What then?? Anyone have this happen? I just had a fill a week ago, and if anything I have even a little less restriction. I have been eating around the band, am working on that. When I go back in a month I'll ask the PA, and I may even move my appt up a week so I don't get too far out of hand. Any insight??

So what happens if you do stretch your pouch? Can it go back in shape?

Thanks for that feedback! I need to know all this!

I did see your response, and I say GO FOR IT!! Good luck, you'll do great!

Just to help a little more while I get to good restriction, really. Someone on a post I posted on the fill board suggested it, so thought I'd see what others thought. I'm just trying to curb the hunger a little bit more so I can get back to losing.

Hi Cheryl- yes, I do think I'm in a "eating the wrong thing" phase. I appreciate your words of advice. I know I"ll still get hungry, I'm not looking to never be hungry. I have been successful, I guess I just need some support, ya know? I will also look into the hoodia- what does that do? Missy- thanks for your words of encouragement. I know they're doing pretty small fills now, as you say, a little goes a long way! Soccer- My doctor was pretty aggressive with fills, but now has slowed down. I think I felt "restriction" of some sort around 10.5 cc's, but has a LOT of success before that anyways with just following the rules. You'll get there, just like I will. Thanks everyone! I really appreciate the support I get from everyone here on this forum. Nicki

Oh, and I have a very sedentary job, and I had surgery on a Thursday and was back to work on Monday. I was wiped out by the end of the day, but at about 8 days out (so I'd been working 4 days or so) I felt like normal. You should be fine.

Go for it, you can pre-op diet yourself if you want to, a few days of liquids before surgery. But do you mean you won't have insurance again until November 2013? Or just a month after your surgery? If not to 2013 then do you have the money for fills and follow up? That's as important as the surgery, good fills and follow up. So if you have insurance as of 11/12, or the $$ to get fills and follow up, then go for it! If no insurance and no $ for fills and follow up, it's up to you- you might still have the surgery and then have to wait a year to truly get the benefit. But don't worry about the pre-op diet, for sure! Good luck, let us know what you decide. Nicki

Hi Nicole- that's a good post! Halloween is an easier holiday for me for whatever reason (let's not talk about Easter candy, LOL). For me, we are going to a fall festival at church- a potluck- where I will have one or two bites of dessert after an appropriate dinner (they're serving chili, so at least I probably won't have to worry about getting stuck!). I think this will be my hardest event of the Halloween season, and that's my plan! Stuck at 202- well, let's be honest, it's not a plateau, it's a not doing it right with food and not losing weight. But I know it and right now I'm okay with it. Do you guys think we can stretch our pouch out with overeating? I'm not eating to where I feel "Thanksgiving" stuffed (well, a couple times over the last couple months, not consistently), but I'm definitely eating more than a cup sometimes. But sometimes I'm just fine. What do y'all think? Sigh. I posted on the fill board my worries that with like 12 cc's in a 14 cc band (though I'm not totally sure the amount I have) that I will not be ever at the restriction I think I should have. In fact, with this fill I really don't feel any more restriction, if anything I feel a smidge less. I haven't gotten stuck once- but that could be I'm finally not pushing that like I was. But I'm still hungry sooner than I think I really should be, but that could be all the stinking sugar I"m eating with the ice cream. Let's face it, the ice cream really needs to go, I'm just not ready. Nicki

Vent away, it helps . Yes, doubts are common, we've all tried a zillion diets that have failed, what makes this different? I would make a list of things that motivate you- NSV's- like going on the rides at the fair without worrying they'll kick you off for being too fat, no seatbelt extender on an airplane, weighing less than DH (these are a few of mine, LOL). Have a little journal where you write your feelings- good and bad- and reasons to keep on keeping on. It's still a journey, even though you have some excellent help in the form of the band. It will have ups and downs, remember this is a lifetime thing, not another diet. So you can do it, I know you can, just feel your feelings, own them, and try not to eat them . Nicki

Hi there, I've had 3 c-sections and I have found that time will bring back some of the feeling, but it's still a bit numb. I'm not sure how it's all going to look after I've lost weight, I just know it can't be worse than how I looked at 284 lbs. I may have a tummy tuck, or just have some really good Spanx- either way, I will be healthy and happy and thinner! Good luck in the process, and just know that at least for me, the c-section recovery was way worse (and I didn't think it was bad at all, really). I was banded on a Thursday and back to work (sedentary desk job) on Monday.

Hi everyone- so it seems this last fill hasn't really changed a thing- I am not really tighter in the morning than I was, and no PB's since the fill- but of course my ice cream goes right down ;(. We were at the fair and I ate a little bit of funnel cake (not much) and I had about half of a bloomin onion- with no trouble at all. the funnel cake I took really small bites just in case, and didn't have very much at all. I just thought if I could be a bit tighter I would not eat so much....but not so tight I'd get stuck all the time. I have no idea how much is in my band, but it's probably around 12 cc's in a 14 cc band. I will have to ask next time. I just really need to focus and get back on track- but I have decided to not stress, and just eat what I want but smaller amounts, and keep up with my exercising and at least not gain. That's my goal. I will make other goals, though, I like Nicole's idea about holiday goals. Chrissy- moderation goes OUT THE DOOR with ice cream, LOL. I told my DH that when I decide to kick the ice cream habit he couldn't buy any that I knew about, and he agreed. Not sure when I'm going to be ready, though... NJ2NC- congrats on the scale moving! And the 5 k sounds great, we did one as an office for 9/11, and I did pretty good time, way better than when I was 284 lbs!! Nicole- good ideas- ice cream is just one of my true trigger foods, once I start I can't stop it seems. I really just need to eat other things that don't do that to me- just not ready to yet. Funny thing is I didn't eat ice cream until a couple months ago- I go through phases- like I don't eat it at all and then I gorge for awhile, then I get away from it. So dumb, I know. True about it taking a long time to mentally get where I have been, so I need to give myself some credit. I think I've lost like 46% of my excess weight and my doctor is super happy with my progress. Sigh, I know if this was easy we'd all be thin with no issues. Nicki

still 202. Dang scale. Who am I kidding, gotta get eating back on track!!

I am another unjury fan. I do the vanilla, mix with 1 c trop 50 oj and a couple of frozen strawberries. Or vanilla, 1 Tbsp s/f pistachio pudding mix, 1 c skim milk. Or the chocolate splendor, 1 c skim milk and a couple ice cubes. Unjury is only online- unjury.com, and they have a sample packet you can order with 2 vanilla, 2 chocolate splendor, 2 strawberry, 2 chicken broth (which I LOVE, tastes like Lipton to me) and 2 unflavored to try. Good luck!!

It'll go fast, I promise!! I had a 6 month mandatory wait because of my insurance. It'll fly by.

All right, girls, whazzup? We were almost all the way to the bottom!!!! I did get a little tweak of a fill yesterday. I asked the PA about my ice cream issue, she said if I could portion it out and eat a reasonable amount counting the calories say once a week, then I could keep it. If it gets out of hand she thought that maybe I just shouldn't do it. I go in spurts- sometimes it's all ice cream all the time, then I get over it for awhile, then go back- so I think we'll keep on trucking with it, and try to reduce the amount. I just don't want to give it up. She also said that this time of year starts the "hard" time of year with Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas- the food festivities. I remember this time last year being glad I had my surgery scheduled after the holidays so I could eat all I want. Sigh. But life is for enjoying. I still lost 5 lbs in the last 5 weeks, still on track. I didn't lose last week, but held steady. It is what it is, right? It's a lifetime thing, and I'm definitely not going to be perfect all the time. So, what's up with everyone? How are you all doing? I know a big part of my success is having people I can talk to who are going through the same things I am, so post so I have support (cause it's all about me, LOL). Nicki

Down to 202, checking in a little late!