jbtullis

For me it is seeing the scale move of course. I don't go every day but I did get a personal trainer. Adding the weight lifting in with the cardio makes a huge difference for me. After 3 months of that I could tell a huge difference and of course had to pitch all my old clothes.

I have to admit I was horribly intimidated by the gym at first. Being the largest person in there and not really understanding what to do to accomplish goals other than walk on a treadmill. I decided on a personal trainer. I see him twice a week and then try to get at least two more days of cardio in for an hour a day. Then on Wednesday's we have 2 hours of ballroom dancing. I come out of that dripping with swaet just like the gym so i count it. I guess I should wear my heart monitor next time and see what zones I hit.

I finally fill like I can actually post in here. Started at 400 and have about 20 pounds to go to make it to 299. I can hardly wait to say I am under 300. It has been a long time. I was banded on 2/27/07, Hoping I make it before the 6 month mark but that may be a bit aggressive.

I can identify with some of the transfer additions but not to something bad so much. I sure enjoy shopping more now. I still have to go to the big and tall section but now I can look around and complain because everything is too big as I have gotten to the lower end of their ranges. Also I have become addicted to weighing. I drive my wife crazy with it as I weigh almost everytime I walk pass the scale. It can be 2 to 3 times a day. But for me it is better than looking for something to eat and it keeps me motivated or spurred on if it moves up. Some would argue the scale addition is unhealthy but better than going for alcohol or something to me.

Dumpling, Probably not what you want to hear but I am 4 months post op and still have very little restriction. I think you said you have the big band. I do as well. A couple of possibilities here. 1. you could be someone who has a sensativity to inflame when they touch your stomach. So when the Dr. fills you, you inflame and get very tight. Then the it goes down and you can drive a truck through. The Dr. has to go slow on the fills to get you to the "sweet spot" without hurting you. Extended Bandster hell. 2. I have had times with restriction but on this last one I have little to no restriction now. This will be my 5th fill on Monday and I am hoping to have him put a lot more in. However, I have lost 75 pounds so far so I know that means some of the fat around my stomach is gone too making the band a bit loser. I know where you are coming from but my Dr. said it can take from 6 to 8 months to get you to the right restriction and make sure he isn't doing harm. Frustrating I agree, but everyone in our support group says once you hit the 6 months it suddenly changes. Yet to get there but we shall see.

I used a CPAP for a couple of years and my sleep Dr. kept asking me when I was going to address my weight. He felt that was the biggest problem. I wasn't really in a position to do it then but had lap band this year. I have lost 75 so far and I no longer use the machine. I took myself off of it and my wife even commented I don't snore anymore nor do I wake up with those horrible head aches. I told my PCP about no longer using it and she was fine with it. As far as I am concerned I now have one less medical issue and one less Dr to worry about.

I have been talking to my GP about BP since before the band and it is the one thing she was the most concerned about keeping a really close eye on. I have to go once a month at first for her to keep tabs. I am 4 months post band and she already changed the meds twice to keep up with the weight loss. She tells me it is a good problem to have. But you are right, keep a close eye on it.

If you are in Kansas City I knot that Dr. Malley will do then for you. He has a copule of patients in his support group that got banded in Mexico and go to him for fills.

I have been fascinated by the Myers-Briggs personality test for a while and always wondered how the different types dealt with weight loss. Wondering if you guys mind sharing your MBTI if you know it. Mine is INTP. Being both an N and a P sometimes make it hard to stay focused on the dieting task at hand. Not that it is an excuse but you would think the T would kick in there and make you think about it. With the band, the thinking part seems to be ruling my day to day diet.

In reading a couple of threads it seems there is a thought that over excersing can actually cause a plateau. I feel like this may be an issue for me but wondering how you calculate the right amount to do?

Can someone expand more on how excerising too much can slow down your weight loss? I think I am beginning to run into that and wanted some more explanation on what I should be trying to accomplish at the gym. I have a trainer for lifting and guess i could ask him too but he is one of those who have never had a weight problem and never will Thanks

Hey, just wondering if anyone knows of a place on line that offers some sort of support for the spouse of a banded person that may not be banded. I know my wife really needs someone like that to talk to. I think the non banded spouse tries to be as supportive as possible but I am noticing it isn't an easy thing for her sometimes. Thoughts or directions to a site would be great.

The day of my first fill I didn't eat much of anything but it was earlier in the morning. I did drink water and tea like normal. It depends on what time you go. I wouldn't eat on the way there or anything. If it is late in the day I would eat an early lunch and make sure it all goes through.

I was at exactly 400 when I went in for my consult. down to 350 two months post band. I remember eating pre band was pretty much anything I wanted and a lot of it. I have noticed that post band my tastes trastically changed. I used to love the food at this one chineese place and went there recently. Everyone else I was with still enjoyed it but it tasted awful to me. Just as well as I didn't need to each too much of it. I did not have a pre-band diet to follow. My Dr. just started requiring them after getting patients opened up and having to close and send them out b/c he couldn't get around the liver. I would concentrate not so much on switching to "Healthy foods" as I would on focusing on cutting the amount of food way down and go for 4 to 5 meals a day. Once you are comfortable with the smaller amount then try to change some of the types of food. But go slow and just pick a low fat version instead of no fat. No fat foods just make you hungrier, or they did for me anyway.

If there is interest from your partners I will have my wife set up a yahoo group list so they can have thier on place. I'll post the name back here once she gets it up and going.

Dan, How do you get on this list? I have tried a couple of times and it comes back that it was denied due to no response from the list owner. I would love to join that group.

Wow, I checked out the thread on obesityhelp.com and not sure I want to recommend that one. I didn't see much other than a lot of negative stuff over there from the spouses. Thanks for posting it though. Maybe I can just start dragging her to the group sessions with me. I have noticed a spouse or two that comes along.

Mainly challenges in dealing with the changes it makes in me. It moves a lot of the attention from her to me. It also develops some passive agressive feelings that I can now lose easier. So I don't want to use the word jealously because it is nothing that extreme. With any massive change in once persons life, it has a huge impact on your partner. At least I can see it starting to impact her. I have a friend who lost a lot of weight non lap band and had the same issue with her husband. So much so that while she was thinner they would fight all the time until she gained weight. Once she gained his demenaor changed. It's one of those things I don't think anyone is doing intentionally. I know that I really enjoy going to the local band group meetings if nothing more than just to be in a room full of people just like me. I know being a non banded spouse is probably a unique group as a lot of couples get banded together. Not all, but it seems a lot I have met do. Basically, she would just like to have others in her situation to talk to. She tried it on here but said she felt like such an outsider being non banded and not looking to have it done, that she was hoping to find a group. Maybe we should just start a simple yahoo email group and point people there.

I am originally from TN but live in KS now. Not sure about how your doctor works but I didn't get my first fill until 6 weeks after i think. I am getting ready to go for the third one on monday. I am deathly afraid of needles so I was in the excited but scared boat. The IV was the worst of it though. After that I managed just fine. The fills don't even bother me now. Good luck. What part of TN are you in?

Welcome aborad. You will be in band land before you know it. Good luck on the process.

good point. Maybe it is just more of the self confidence and being comfortable around strangers. You are right though, I still find I have got to have an hour or two alone at night to recharge or I just stay wiped out.

I have always believed that your core MBTI doesn't change unless you have a dimension that is close to the border line. However, I have heard that a drastic life event can make your MBTI change. I was wondering if you think a dramtic weight loss like many of us here are pusing would trigger that change? Thoughts? I have noticed personnally that since I had the surgery I have become less of an introvert and actually enjoy people some times. My score for an I is 30, so for me to enjoy company is a big deal.

I am pretty close to you guys on type being just one letter off. INTP. So the logical requirements I totally agree with you on. It is funny one of you mentioned the religion thing. I had a friend that was also INTP and were exact opposites on religion. It was funny if you step back and listened to both our arguments. We were both 100% we were right and weren't arguing to explain our point of view but arguing to convert the other. Of course you can't change the mind of an INTP on something they hold close. Sounds like that may be the case for the INTJ as well. It is interesting in that I think the INTX personalities tend to state their opinions as fact and leave no room for discussion. Usually we have spent so much time on the logic of our position that other personality types find us difficult to persuade.

I didn't tell anyone at work or my family when I got banded. There were litterally 3 people that were not medical professionals that knew. Since I have lost 50 pounds now, when someone asks I sometimes just say I got banded. I don't really care who knows anymore. It is something I did for me. I can't see how anyone can judge me any worse for doing the lap band than for being super morbidly obesee. Most of the folks I have told have been jumping up and down excited for me and asked if they can qualify for it.

Thanks Wheet for the follow up on what MBTI is and the links. I should have had that in there, but guess it is what happens when you post then leave for a few days. I was really wondering if anyone had done a study of how the different types deal with weight loss. Is there anything out there that talks about the best way this type is motivated to lose? I know I can be the oddball type INTP. We enjoy living in left field instead of the occassional visit. Thanks