healthy and happy

As far as how fast the weight will come off, I dont think anyone could truly answer that for you because everyone is different and quite frankly that is going to depend on YOU! The band is a great tool but it is up to you how you choose to use it. My weight is dropping quickly (2-3 pounds a week) even faster the first few weeks, but I work really hard at it. If you incorporate exercize and watch what you are eating you will do great. But remember its not a race, be happy as long as the weight is consistently going down. On the question about the sports, my doctor says Go for it, do whatever you feel like doing. So far I havent found anything I cant do! I am going snow skiing next month, I play volleyball, martial arts, run, bike long distances, etc. You name it, I am doing it. In fact I would say I can sure do a lot more activities now that I am at 179 instead of 253, Good Luck! You can do this. Take control now. You are too young and are missing out on life! My one regret is that I didnt take control sooner.

Agnes checking in here... This week weighed in at 180. Down 3 from last week I believe. So now all I need to do is lose 2 to meet my goal for this challenge. I think I can do it even with Christmas thrown in there.

Hello All I had the lap band with plication surgery on August 11, 2011. I have not had any problems at all. I am losing weight quickly. I am down 71 pounds and weighing in at 182 now. I feel fantastic and I am extremely active. Of course the first week after surgery was a little uncomfortable, but I expected that. I feel better than I have ever felt in my entire life and again have had no sickness or problems at all. I guess everyone is different but so far I wouldnt change a thing. I would do this surgery all over a gain!

I was eating anything i wanted except for steak. Been scared to try that. Then I got a fill. Since the fill I find that I have to be a little more cautious. I do find that first thing in the morning it seems tight. The solution for me is to drink some hot tea when I first get up, Then half and hour later I eat breakfast. It works for me. I also find that certain breads dont work well either. I pretty much stick to whole grain sandwich thins if I eat any bread. The doughy yeast breads are not good. I have to eat more slowly and chew better. But isnt that the reason I got the band- to slow my eating down and restrict the quantities. Why yes, it is! That is what I needed. I am doing well with the band and using it to control my obsessive eating. That being said, while it is great that it is restricting the bread and Pasta intake a little bit, you definitely should be able to eat chicken and and your other healthy foods, so maybe it is just a little too tight. Throwing up is not good for your band, so you need to get your situation fixed soon. Good luck and dont give up. Find that sweet spot that will allow you to use the band for what it is intended for.

This is a great post and so true. I have realized since being banded that everything I do is associated with eating. My husband and I laugh because we will be talking about what we are going to have for lunch while we are eating breakfast. When I am watching tv it is a given that you must have a snack and something to drink on the table beside your chair. And isnt the whole reason for going to a movie to eat the movie theater popcorn?? It is hard to break the habits. I find that I am having to replace the food with something else. While I am watching tv, I have to be doing something with my hands-crocheting, surfing the web, etc. If I try to watch tv without doing something else, I will definitely be eating. As far as the movie goes, I usually take a substitute for the popcorn. I went to the movie with my daughter yesterday and took some almonds and blueberries in a measure container and enjoyed it just as much as the popcorn. I stay in the gym a lot working out or riding my bike on a nice afternoon. If I stay busy, I am not thinking about constantly eating. Its not easy to change a lifetime of habits, but we can do it. Recognizing the problem is the first step. Then you can start to make a plan to overcome it. Great job at quitting the smoking!! At least thats one bad habit that I never picked up. Btw- I got that shopping problem too. Since losing the weight, shopping sure is a lot more fun!!! Too much fun!!

Weighing in this week at 183-not as much as what I wanted for this week. Down one pound from last week. I am gonna have to really hunker down to get to my goal of 178 for the challenge but I will do it even with Christmas being thrown in there.

Love it!!!

I have been banded since August and knock on wood have not ever thrown up or PB'd. I am in business meetings and traveling for business all the time and I eat whatever they are serving and have never had a problem. I am very conscious though of how much I eat and I do chew well. I have not tried to eat steak yet but I have eaten everything else that ppl mention on here that causes them trouble. I eat a boiled egg at least 4 days a week. I chew well and have not had any problem. I eat bread sometimes but break off very small pieces at a time. I dont eat it often though simply because I like to limit my carbs. Good luck! You will be fine if you follow the rules.

I am with you!!! I was in a meeting for 8 hours today and they always put candy bowls in the middle of the table. Millions of those darned little miniature candy bars. I think they are worse than the big ones because you rationalize to yourself that they are so small it cant hurt you and the next thing you know,you have eaten a dozen of them!

Very inspiring!!!!!

I usually mix a some nuts (I, too like the cocoa almonds from Emerald) with some blueberries. Great nutritional value!! I also like to mix some sugar free chocolate pudding cup with some fat free cool whip and some Unjury protein powder to help me with my protein intake. This is absolutely delicious and helps me get the protein in. You do not taste the protein at all and it is a low calorie but delicious snack or dessert.

I'm with Kelly on this one. I tell everybody. I dont care who knows. I dont go around announcing it, but if someone asks about my weight loss, I tell them. But I do tell them about how I have changed my eating habits and exercize too. They know is work for me and that the band is not just some magic bullet that fixes your issue.The way I look at it is that being overweight is no different from any other health issue. If a smoker is trying to quit, noone frowns upon them using the patch, blood pressure or high cholesterol conditions have medications to help them get it under control. The band is a tool to help us get our condition under control. Corrigan is right. You have the right to tell or not tell anyone. I just would rather be upfront and honest about it from the start if someone asks me. I live in a small town and everyone knows everyone elses business anyway so better for them to here it from me than someone else. I really have had nothing but support and positive reaction though. Good luck on your journey.

Hello Claud, Welcome to the forum! I had the lapband with plication surgery on August 11, 2011. I have had huge success with my weight loss. As of today, I have lost 71 pounds. I started at 253 and am now weighing in at 182. I have had very consistent weight loss at a good pace. I have not hit that yucky plateau yet. My biggest piece of advice to you though is the exercize is key, so though your activity may be limited due to your health issues, do what you can to start off and as the weight drops you should be able to do more. I am enjoying life and living a very active life- roller skating, snow skiing, bike riding, etc. You name it, I am doing it. I too had hbp and knee problems, but I am feeling great now. Good luck with your journey! Work hard and you will do fine!

Ok, today something incredible happened to me! I have been experiencing all the normal NSV's that everybody else talks about, shopping on the non-plus side of the store, etc. But today I had a funny thing happen to me. I travel a lot for work, so I rarely go to the bank at home anymore. I used to be the manager at a retail store and went to the bank every single day. Today I went through the drive through to cash a check. The teller was a lady that I know very well from my days as the manager at the store. She has waited on me a million times. I put the check in the slot. She retrieved it and looked at it and kept looking up at me. She finally walked away and came back. She said "I am sorry maam, but you will have to send your mom in to cash the check. We wont be able to do it for you." I said "What the heck are you talking about. Its my check, why does my mother need to come in. She said "Are you Agnes' daughter? I said no I am Agnes! She told me to wait just one moment. She went and got the bank manager, who thank god knows me well. She came to the window laughing and said "I apologize Agnes. The teller thought you were your daughter trying to cash your check. She didnt recognize you. YOu look fantastic! Between my weight loss and I have grown out my hair and ot a completely new style, she thought I was my daughter!!!! I love it!!!!!!! Everybody keep on plugging away at this thing. Days like this really make it worth it!!

Dont lose hope. When I first started working out, I got on the ellyptical at my gym. I couldnt stay on it for 3 minutes. I kept getting on it each day and stayed on it for an extra minute each day. You can do anything for one extra minute! Now I get on it and workout for an hour and am increasing the level everyday. I also could not run on the treadmill for more than a minute. Now I can run without stopping to walk for 15 minutes at a time.You just have to set a goal each day and push yourself. Before you know it, you will be running and it will be a breeze. I hate to miss a day of working out now. I love it!! And I am convinced that it is the secret to my success on losing the weight so quickly. I started out at 253 pounds and 71 pounds later I am weighing in now at 182. The more you lose the easier it gets, You can do this! Just make your mind up and get to that gym. Good luck!

I chew it all the time. I do get gas pains from it sometimes but I did before the surgery so that is normal!

Incredible! 200 Pounds!!! I am with Hummingbird-you deserve a reward. Perhaps a shopping trip for some new clothes. Great Job!

Wow Cindy, I would be scared to do that. Plus I think my doc would probably not be real happy about it either. Actually Thanksgiving wasnt too bad anyway. I ate everything that I wanted, I just didnt eat much of it. I hope it works out for you. Just be careful and watch the scale. You have been so incredibly successful, I would hate for it to start going south on you now. YOu have been an incredible inspiration to me and to many others I am sure. Have a happy holiday!!!

Agnes checking in. My Dec. 8 weight was 184. Down 1 1/2 pounds. I was traveling for work a lot this week so it was tough. This week will be more. I WILL reach my goal. Larry I love the table you set up. Very nice!!!!

I agree with Jim. I was banded on Aug 11 and had 4 cc's put in on surgery day. I am losing weight at a very consistent and steady pace. I have not had a fill until just last week. I was pretty much using my will power and good sense to keep me going. I decided though that it was getting easier and easier to eat more than I should, so I elected to get a fill. Thats the reason I got the band-to help me maintain the weight loss. I am not having to rely on will power as much since the fill, because I feel full much faster and I actually had a little stuck incident (the first and I hope the last). It was a good thing though because it taught me a lesson. It happened when I was mindlessly snacking. Knowing how it felt will definitely make me stay conscious of what I am putting in my mouth and how much from now on! Thats why I got the band, so I can defitely say it is working for me now. I think everyone is different and you are just going to have to work with your band and pay attention to your body to figure it all out. Good luck!

My doc put in 4 cc's on the day of surgery, which was August 11, 2011. Last week I just had my first fill since surgery. I have been losing weight extremely well anyway but I was just starting to feel like I could eat a little more than I should. I think it is crazy that he couldnt tell you exactly how much he put in on the day of surgery though. Also I am like the other responder on here. I went back in 2 weeks for a post op visit and go once a month for a check in. I dont see my surgeon every time but I have seen him twice since my surgery.

OK like everyone else on here, I didnt love the exercize at first either, but I made myself stick with a routine and now I love it. As far as the boredom, pick things that you like to do. I ride my bike for long distances and really torch some calories and it doesnt even seem like I am exercizing because I just love being outside and riding my bike. I also am playing on an adult volley ball league. We all suck so I dont feel embarrassed by my lack of skills on the court because all of us are awful, but we have a ball playing and get exercize while we are laughing at each other. I roller skate and ice skate now. I am going snow skiing in january. There are so many things you can do that are fun. The other good thing about exercizing is that you are staying busy instead of sitting on the couch thinking about what snack you are going to eat next. I absolutely love it now. I am more energetic than most of my daughters teenage friends. Its tough getting started but you will enjoy it once you get going. I also like the suggestion of getting a calorie counter. I wear a Body Media fit band and I plug it up every evening to see what my calorie deficit is after working out. If I am not on track to burn at least 1000 more calories than what I took in, I will jump on my treadmill at home for a bit to make sure I achieve my daily goal. That will ensure I take off at least 2 pounds per week. Usually I burn more and lose more than that. It just gives me a little accountability. Good luck! Now get up off that couch and get started!!

Congratulations! The workouts are key to the consistent loss. It sounds like you have definitely got that figured out. It is a wonderful feeling not to see that 2 in front of the number any more. keep up the good work!!

I had not only an arthritic kneee but tore my ACL and miniscus in that same knee. I am happy to say that I now experience relatively no pain in the knee. I use the ellyptical-very low impact on my knees and the other thing that noone has mentioned on here is that by building the muscles in the legs, it will imporve the knee pain, so get on a strength building program (hip abductor, thigh master, leg lifts, etc. are some of the machines I use at the Y) I have built my leg muscles up to support my knees and now I am snow skiing, roller skating, ice skating, etc. all without surgery to repair any of my issues. Start out slow on the weight machines and slowly build up.

Healthy and Happy (Agnes) Age~44 Weight on December 1st~ 185.5 Goal weight for December 29th~ 178 Dietary goal for December~ more protein/ less snacking Exercise goal for December~get in shape for January ski trip Personal goal for December~ get hair thinning under control Date banded~ August 11, 2011 Total weight loss since banding/pre op diet~ 67.5 punds One thing that has improved with your health since banding~ cardio endurance, knee pain, and blood pressure