Julie norton

This fill " dance" we do is amusing... I'm currently almost empty for months after many years, and the number on the scale slowly moves up each month. Back for a fill. I'm going for .5

This is the beginning of a long life change. Sometimes you just have to trust the process. Go with what your doc says for 6 months and then reevaluate if things could be changed a little. I'm thinking if we could have done this weight loss by ourselves , we would have by now in our life. It was hard for me to eat differently from how I had, but truly , you can develop new healthy eating habits. Ps water and exercise also seem to be the other pieces of this WLS puzzle. Good luck and keep going!!

How about a weight you feel healthy at !!!and all your clothes fit for years? Nothing in my life is perfect, including me, but I adore being at a weight I can MAINTAIN. That is gold to me. GOLD No more up/ down / all around. Almost 10 years post op and would not go back for anything!!! (FYI. Lost @ 100 lbs from highest ever weight , 70 with my band.) I feel great in my 60's!

Love my [emoji192] cats o

Have a safe and warm voyage.

Better days are coming soon. [emoji93]I predict you will be so happy after you get through the first rough spell! In a month, I'm hoping your life will seem so different, and you will be thankful you took a big step in improving your health. Many of us had lingering doubt until we turned the first corner. Best of luck, and Please keep posting[emoji122][emoji316]

Refried beans, cottage cheese, yogurt, tofu,

Well. I guess one person has to say that the lap band does hold success for some. For years. There are some of us here, quietly working our program with success. I'm headed for ten years.... our founder, Alex, is on 12 years I believe. Happy to have changed my life. Wonderful tool for my body; not so for some others. Just the other side of the coin( Not the pancake- ha)

String cheese , nuts , yogurt, protein drinks or bars...

Great story and a healthy life. Winner![emoji122][emoji122]

Congratulations You are at the beginning of an exciting time! Hope you got some guidelines. Sipping a Protein shake when the doc oks it.....? That seems to be common first liquids..with as much Water as you can drink. My 2cents is this can truly change your life, but You need to commit. You can go slow and remember this is a marathon, not a sprint. You have plenty of time to learn to eat differently. Just chewing more (protein)and eating slowly can help a lot. There is a nice group of banded vets around this site..with good advice; there are plenty of nay Sayers too. Best of luck and keep posting!

Maybe you can Find something you like and look forward to: nuts. String cheese. Hard boiled [emoji505] jerkey.. cottage cheese? Yogurt , kefir,? just try to have your body fueled. You need to be healthy for your kids too. Best of luck

However, homeowners no longer need to lose their home due to an illness with no insurance... and existing illnesses are covered. I'm still not happy having to pay 1200/mo just for me!!!

I have better luck with chicken thighs. Cooked in liquid ( braising). Turkey is not my friend unless deli type.

Stress is a major factor in my band staying calm. Sounds like you got a dose of it this last year. Hoping for an easier time for you. At the moment, I am almost emptied.... you would think after 9+ years, all would stay the same.... yet slowly I am creeping upward... Just like you, I'm gonna try a fill and hope to get to the "Just right" level... Sometimes it is just like Goldilocks...

JWM. What a life changing decision! Congratulations on moving forward. Hope it is all you want it to be. It is lots of fun thinking about furniture placement, Wall color etc. it is NOT food focused , which helps in the big picture of maintenance ... (However moving can be a big pain in the as*)

My doc prescribes liquid carafate for acid throats. Helps me, hoping others can get relief from that yucky taste and feeling.

All those reasons above is why I believe so few of us are left posting years later. Yes, they could have just moved on and still be successful, but I give kudos to this board, and checking in, to keep ME going year after year. I want to believe the seasoned vets are out there working their program.... I just wish they would visit.

I am just publicly declaring to you guys that I will NOT buy Halloween candy until the actual day; I shall buy what I DONT like, and I shall get rid of it shortly thereafter. BOO... not. Boo hoo.. just my coping strategy after many years of trial and error. Good luck to us all ![emoji260][emoji316][emoji316]

Perhaps we could learn a quirky thing we don't know about each other? Me: I was once in a famous country singers fan club and won a chance to sit down and chat with her!

I feel fortunate to have a dvr. I can skip all commercials on my pre recorded shows. Otherwise, that mute button works. I refuse to watch or listen to the crap they try so hard to sell . I notice there are very scant ads for healthy choices. No one subsidizes that industry of fresh fruit and vegetables like America does for corn syrup..... Sad

What habits does Alex observe in WLS patients that appear to lead ( and sustain) meaningful, long term weight loss?

I don't miss what seems to be an omitted subject. The dreaded sneeze. And the leakage that almost always used to occur. The larger I got, the more incontinence came my way. Having a cold or sneezing fit was dreadful. I also do not think twice about getting up in a movie or baseball stadium and threading my way down the aisle and back.

Thanks for the info my cyber friends. My doc wants to start me on prednisone and I'm trying to say let's wait. I hear swelling and hunger.... and it scares me. Not quite ready for the trade off until she insists. What say the goddesses?

I'm guessing peanut butter is a bit too thick yet. Tempting because the protein count is good... I would think yogurt is closer to the texture advised, but each doc is so different .