pink dahlia

Sorry, that was supposed to be 19 grams whole grain, and 4 grams protein for the Belvitas.

I dont seem to do well 1st thing in the am with typical breakfast foods, but I have to eat something to wake up my stomach. About an hour after a cup of hot tea I have Belvita breakfast biscuits ( 19 grams protein, 230 cals, costco, walmart , or any grocery store , in the cookie aisle, the cinnamon brown sugar are the best!) , later I might have a few almonds or Sommersaults, a sunflower seed snack, or a little turkey jerky.

Good for you for being pro active towards your health !! I wonder if your fellow students would bash wls if it was THEIR body with YOUR family history ?? I dont think so! I think you made the best decision for your future. That being said , is it possible you could educate these people by telling them your story ? Think what a great role model you could be for them ! Maybe they wouldnt be so quick to judge and would have more understanding if the situation was more personal ? Good luck !

I loooooooove skinny cow and ww chocolate too, especially the ww mint bars. Also if you freeze a fat free choc pudding it tastes just like ice cream. I dont know the calorie content , but I also love the Paul Newman Organic Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups. Taste like Reeses but somewhat healthier I would think.

Good for you on starting your journey towards being healthy ! If this is any help, Dr. Neal is my surgeon too !! He is the BEST !!!! He banded me Dec, 2011, ive lost 65 of the 85 lbs and im very happy with the results ! Hes a great Dr and has a great team in his office too. I highly reccommend him. Good luck to you !

I havent had your problem of regaining weight, but my thoughts are with you as you struggle on this journey. That being said, im asking you , what part of the healthy eating was hard for you ? Are you always hungery, or is it the types of food ? When was the last time you saw your Dr. And/ or had a fill ? I find that if I eat my Dr ordered " protein first, fruits and veggies 2nd, carbs last " , I really dont have room for much else. A little chocolate or ww ice cream daily , and thats it. Maybe see a Nut. too ?

I know I already posted a NSV a few days ago, but I have to include one that happened just yesterday. An averaged sized man came through my line at work, eyeing , but not buying a candy bar. I teased him about it, saying that " a little bit of chocolates good for you, I have some everyday !" He looked at me and said " yeah, but you can afford it, you're skinny !!" ( Um, thankyou , sir !! ) EEEEEEEEEEEKKKKKKKKKK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You could of knocked me down with a feather !!!!! I am NOT " skinny" , I'm 5'3, 160 lbs, healthy looking, but have been told I dont look it. It' s been a looooooooooooonnnnnnnnnnggggggggggg time since anyone called me skinny !!!! Thankyou Lapband !!!!!!

No, I will not be posting any pics, as im a private person, but yes, I still look in the mirror and think how much better I look than 2 yrs ago. Big difference !!! Before, heavy set, chunky body, eyes hidden by the full face, not looking healthy at all. Now, a slim healthy body with a slim face and neck, bright eyes and a happy smile !! Its very noticable in a good way !!

Im what I call a"wogger" ( a walker/jogger), I started out walking and would pick out a tree or rock a short distance away and jog to that point, ( panting and gasping for breath) and do that every few hundred yards of a 1.5 mile trail. I kept at it and have now proudly have ran the whole thing without stopping , and not panting ! Woohoo !!!! I love running ! !!! Also, while I did, nt go to a specialty running store I was incredibly lucky to find the perfect running shoes for me. Nike brand, at Penneys, they have a thick gel insole pad that cushions my poor feet as I run. Love them !

The only good thing about gaining weight was that I gained in the bust area too. I 've lost 65 lbs but kept the fullness in my chest, but am a nice size 10 on the bottom. For the first time ever, in the history of "me", I have a very nice figure ! I have a better figure now than I did in my very slim 20's !! I cant emphasize this enough, but a well fitting , uplifting bra makes ALL the difference ! Thankyou Victorias Secret, that was an eye opening experiance !

Ummm, too many to count, but here goes! Sitting on the couch and being able to tuck my heel up to my rear end and paint my own toes ! No big tummy in the way ! Knowing that almost any sizex1o0, pants will fit, cute clothes that show off my body in a appropiate way, I have curves , and a nice figure ! ) Just getting nice looks from men, thats kinda cute, !

Ummmm

I researched the band and never even considered anything else as the band was the least invasive, had very quick recovery time, and a good Dr that would be there for followup, questions , etc. Im soooooooo glad i was banded. I no longer have sleep apnea, digestive problems, and ive lost 65 of the 80 lbs I need/ want to lose. A co worker had gastric bypass, she had most of her stomach removed, talks about nothing except what she can or cant eat, and has nonstop problems. Im definetly pro band !!

I had lost 19 lbs when an aquaintance I hadnt seen in awhile said " have you lost weight ? Your face looks thinner !" Why, thankyouverymuch! I started at a size 18 , 225 lbs and am now a size 10, 160 lbs.

The key for me was finding activities that I liked and felt that I could stick to. Before being banded I only walked occasionaly. Once i got approved for surgery I joined the Y and started on a weight machine that had you go around the room woking out on each machine for a specific amount of timeor reps. I hated it so I switched to swimming 3 x a week and walking once a week. Once I was banded and continued to walk and swim the weight literally started falling off of me ! Now I still swim 3x a week an have graduated to running ! ( my dream was to be a runner !!!!!, and im a slow runner but a runner neverthe less !!) 65 lbs down !!!

Dec 13, 2011, lost 65 lbs with 20 to go.

I was banded Dec 2011 at age 53 weighing in at an unhealthy 225 lbs. Now im a healthy 160 lbs with a weight goal of 140. I seem to have plateaud at 160 for over a year now, and hey this may be my bodys way of saying 160 is fine for me, but its also because the extra 20 lbs I carry is all in my tummy. Umm, oh well !! I figure im healthy and strong , I ve had a child, ive gone through menopause, and so I may not ever get back to 140. But you know whats reaaaaaly nice ?? I have a better figure now than I did in my 20s at 125 lbs !! Why? Because the weight that I gained in my chest stayed after I lost 65 lbs and so now I have a very nice figure that im VERY happy with ! A male aquaintance that I ran into yesterday said " Dont lose another pound , you're perfect just the way you are! " Why, thankyouverymuch!!!!!

Im not a big meat eater either but I do love elk and moose , salmon, tuna , turkey jerky, peanut butter , Luna bars, Belvita Breakfast biscuts ( Walmart or most other grocery stores in the cookie aisle, I didnt like the choc ones but the cinnamon brown sugar are the best ! ) Also try almonds , sunflower seeds or Somersaults , a sunflower seed snack.

Hi skywalker,, your story sounds somewhat similar to mine. I tried Weight Watchers for 1 solid year and lost 12 lbs........................ yep, 12 whole lbs and I fought for every one of those lbs. Sometimes your body just doesnt cooperate. So, after my sis in law and her hubby had the lap band I started looking into it and after ALOT of research, had it done in Dec 2011. I started at size 18 clothes, 225 lbs, lost 5 by day of surgery, and as long as I followed the drs rule 95% of the time , the weight came off 1-1.5 lbs a week. By Aug 1 I was down to 175, (!!!!) Then it slowed down a bit but was still able to get10 more lbs off , and have now settled at a comfy 160. I would love to get to 140, that may or maynot happen, but the best thing is im happier and healthir than I have been in years! !! The sleep apnea and digestive problems are gone, I wear size 10, i swim and run, get almost daily compliments, and like what I see in the mirror. Most importantly, I feel good from the inside out, something that food cant and wont ever do for me. This was by far , lap band was the BEST decision ever. Hope this helps, good luck to you!!!

I always think the 5% negitive of being banded is nothing compared to the 95 % positive of being banded. Yes, it takes a little work to cut my food small, eat slow, chew carefully etc........... but oh, the payoff is soooooo worth it !!!!!!

A trigger food is one that you have trouble stopping at a small amount because it taste so good. For me sweets, especially anything chocolate is my trigger food. I do eat a bite of peanut butter almost everday, today I made a smoothie with a frozen banana , a Tbls of pb, aTbls of cocoa mix and some almond milk. So good !!

" Don't be afraid to give up the good, to go for the great " by the late, great Steve Prefontaine and my favorite line to my kids was always " Step back and look at the big picture !"

Theres a saying that goes " The only bite of success that some people get is when they take a bite out of others ! " in other words , your poor deluded so called boss is using her mean words to express her negitive attitude towards herself, her weight problem and her uninformed views on WLS. ? Since you are doing this ONLY for yourself , and you have researched WLS, you are making a very smart decision to get healthy and strong . Since she wont shut up or offer any positive comments, I would set a stack of info on lap bands on her desk and sweetly say " Since I know we've both struggled With our weight all our lives, I thought you might want to see that there s a solution, and im having it done !" Good luck to you, it us soooo worth it !

You 're amazing ! Your hard work is really paying off ! Good for you !!

P.S. I forgot to mention google " The Pioneer Woman", Ree Drummond has some great freezer meals , and she has 4 kids on a working ranch, and a fun cooking show too.