bbrecruiter2000

Congratulations on losing 104 pounds. That is truly fantastic and you should be extremely proud of yourself. babs in TX 334/231/180 -103 6/23/03

Hi Jennye, I figured you were eating healthy most of the time. I was on a plateau for about 3 and a half weeks not too long ago. I was stuck at 239 and just kept jumping around with the same two pounds up and down and up and down. Sometimes your system just needs a jolt. You might try changing what time you eat, what time you exercise and eat a little bit more for 2 or three days and see if that helps. Also, I think when you get to certain significant numbers on the scale like under 300, under 200, I think it can also be psychological sabotage as well. I know that sounds weird, but did you ever notice it takes longer to get by these monumental numbers than at any other point in the weight loss journey? Just food for thought...LOL And ya know I was kidding about the Spaghettiohs! LOL Babs in TX 334/232/180 -102 6/23/03

Jennye, You last post was more revealing. For most of us, restriction is fickle with the band. Sometimes, I can't eat much and sometimes I can eat a lot too! But it sounds like you have good restriction. Spaghettiohs are not a food group! LOL Maybe you might want to go back to basics for a while and stick with the lean Proteins and veggies which will fill you up and stick with you for a while. . If I were to eat canned Pasta, (which I dont!) I could probably polish off the whole thing because it is mushy food. But besides that, it is a food with no nutritional value. Also foods like refried bean, enchiladas go down easy too. I know it takes longer to get down the hard proteins, but try this for a while and see what happens. I think you will be surprised at how much restriction you have. Babs in TX 334/232/180 -102 6/23/03

Hi Kathy, It will take a while before you know what full feels like. I am assuming you are still on liquids at this stage of banding. Pressure is a good sign to stop. At the moment, any restriction you are feeling is swelling post op. I don't know where they put your port, (I am assuming on the left lower part of your abdomen. I feel my port occasionally when I am wearing tight jean or restrictive clothing, but I really don't notice it any other time. Everyone is different. In the beginning, I felt it, but nowadays I hardly know its there. I received heparin shots in the hospital, but did not receive anything after I left. babs in TX 334/233/180 -101 6/23/03

Congratulations Leo!!! You are getting very close you your goal. hang in there. I hear the last 25 are the hardest to lose. I think I am going to blow up my scale when I get below 200...... Babs in TX 334/233/180 -101 6/23/03

Nancy, Congratulations to you.!!!! :D :D I would be shouting from the rooftops as well. You go girl. Keep up the good work and go out and buy yourself something hot!!! Babs in TX 334/233/180 -101

Shana, If you noticed on my post, I put LOL after the couch potato part, so you would realize that it was tongue in cheek. I was quoting out of your original post where you said there was nothing better than a whiskey or martini while sitting on the couch watching a movie with your boyfriend. While you were sipping on your martini and watching a movie, I was at the gym working out for an hour. I can guarantee that there isn't a lapband surgeon out there that would endorse drinking hard liquor 3 weeks after banding, which you claim is when you started your weekend "one or two drinks". As for restriction, we all start out the same way (or at least 90% of us) Most docs don't give fills until at least 6 weeks post op. I would safely say that most of us had trouble with restriction, so if thats the position you would like to take on the issue of lack of weight loss and the need to continue drinking on the weekends so soon after your surgery, so be it. As far as permanent lifestyle changes, I did not get a band so I could be on a permanent diet either. But the band requires a lot of work and some sacrifice. It is a gift and a chance to a better and healthier life. The people who are successful at this know they have to make permanent lifestyle changes to be successful at this and it sounds like you don't want to hear any constructive criticism. I also don't think you are in a position to tell another newbie that drinking is OK when most of us are still eating mushies and even some are on a liquid diet for up to 6 weeks after surgery. And don't you dare question my sincere wish to help anyone here and my motivations. I have never said a harsh word to anyone here and only offer kind words and occasionally (tough love and hugs) to anyone who needs them. Babs in TX 334/233/180 -101 lbs and counting 6/23/03 Babs

Good morning, I certainly do not want to offend you in anyway, but I am a very direct person. As much as you love your mother, (it is obvious you do!) she is toxic to you as you begin and continue through this journey. It sounds like she had some unrealistic figure in her mind of what people should weigh. My mom is 5' 1 inches and weighs about 105. I am 5' 6" and weigh 233. I started at 334 pounds. Now most people would never be able to guess my weight. My personal trainer says I look about 175-180 today. I went home for Christmas and at that time, I had already lost 75 pounds. My mother did not acknowledge the weight loss and instead started pointing out other imperfections like a mole I have on my neck. Her comment was "Why don't you have it removed? Now, I have had this mole (it is tiny) for at least 18 years. Why was it necessary to focus on this? Also, as I reached for a piece of italian bread, my mother says, "Are you really supposed to be eating this?" (Another zap!!!). And the amazing thing is I paid for this abuse!!! (it was my money that paid for the trip!) My older sister who eats boxes of Teddy Grahams and weighs in the 140 at 5' 6" isn't the most sympathetic person either. My brother who is 6 ' 1 and weighs 200 (He is a personal trainer) was the worst one of all. Oh, You are having elective surgery, he says. "Why don't you just lose weight by eating less and exercising?" (no, #@* Sherlock!!) I had to avoid all of the unsupportive family members the first 6 months of banding. That is the only solution unless you are able to tell your mother to back off for a while. It is possible to set groud rules from the beginning though. You could say to your mother that when you are together, weight loss and what you should weigh are offtopics since you differ on what the outcome should be. If you can't resolve, give yourself a break from her and surround yourself with supportive positive people who understand what you are going through. Good luck!!! Babs inTX 334/233/180 -101 and counting 6/23/03

Darcy, Good going!!! You are on your way to a healthier and happier life. Keep us update on your progress.!!!! Babs in TX 334/233/180 -101 6/23/03

Zadyzu, There is absolutely no problem with having a drink occasionally once you are banded for a while. The reason I say a while is that we all need time to develop good habits and work on our compliance issues. Afterall, we are in the business of losing weight with the band and this should be our personal mission. I have had 5 glasses of wine since I have been banded; 3 in one night at a party and two at dinner with my husband for my anniversary, but I did not drink alcohol the first 6 months, since I did not think empty calories would help me reach my goal. This is for Shana who posted earlier: You were banded almost 4 months ago and according to your stats have lost 8 pounds. So my statement to you would be: Just because you can, doesn't mean you should!!! I remember what it is like to be 23 years old and want to party a little. I like yourself, weighed 247 pounds at age 23 and partied my way through Europe and by the time I was thirty, I was over 300 pounds. Now maybe you are happy losing 2 pounds a month as an average weight loss. But I don't think anyone has this surgery to lose 2 pounds a month. And most people if they are doing the headwork are losing more than that especially in the first three months of banding. (Unless they have a problem with their band or restriction!) I know many people out there who would love to have a band and don't have insurance to pay or cant afford to self pay. So honestly, I don't know what this really means to you and I sincerely hope you can keep your eye on the prize. We are in the business to lose weight and the only way to do this is to reduce caloric intake and exercise instead of being couch potatoes!! LOL Babs in TX 334/233/180 -101 pounds and counting 6/23/03

Hi Donali, Congratulations!!!! You are doing wonderfully and the ones will be here before you know it. (I'm talking both weight figure and century mark!!!) Babs in TX 334/234/180 -100

Mary, You look absolutely fantastic!!! I remember your earlier posts from last year and I saw the original pic. What a difference a few months make!!! Maybe I will have a chance to see you at a bandster bash!!! Congratulations!!! Babs in TX 334/234/180 -100 6/23/03

Hi my friends, Today is the big day. I am down 100 pounds.!!!!! :eek: Got there in 8 months 3 weeks and 5 days! Now I still have at least 54 pounds to go, but that number sounds far less intimidating! I am so overwhelmed that I don't know what to say. My life is dramatically different now. I am no longer afraid of chairs, booths etc.. I can workout for 45 minutes doing cardio without feeling like I'm having a heart attack. My skin is better, no more double chin, no more swelling and I am no longer the biggest person in a restaurant or at a social event. For those just starting the band is the best investment I ever made for myself. Yes, its hard work and you need to do a lot of headwork and make lots of changes, but it is worth it if you stick to the program. I love my band!!! Babs in TX 334/234/180 -100 and counting 6/23/03

Hi Guys, I disappear for a few minutes and get oodles of new well wishers. Thanks for all of the support and friendship I have here. All of you are great and I look forward to coming here and checking all of your warm wishes and getting advice. This is a great site and we should try to increase the activity a little here, since it has been a little slow lately. Babs in TX 334/234/180 -100 6/23/03

Chantal, I am working on finding a good pic to post on the web. I have a good before pic and I had my husband take a few pics today. Alexandra: You are almost halfway there yourself, so kudos on your great success. Mary: You are doing really great. I will be here with a Woohoo for you in a few days!!!! Thanks for all of the support. You guys are great!!!! Babs

Brandi, Congratulations! That is great that you were able to figure what you were not doing to get you to your goal. The important thinh is you are right on track and you will get where you are going in no time!!! Babs in TX 334/236/180 -98 6/23/03

Hi Denise, One of my scars turned into a Keloid. It looks like the one at my bra is starting to keloid after 8 months??? Strange. You can go to a dermatologist and get injections to try to shrink them down. I think they inject cortisone and try to get rid of the Water pouch which forms under the keloid. It is my understanding that they do come back sometimes, so it might not be worth the money to have it done. I have not decided what to do about it yet, so for now, love your body anyway!!! babs in TX 334/239/180 -95 6/23/03

Donali, THis is very interesting. I was having the problem of being hungry at night time. I almost alway skip breakfast because I am too tight in the mornings. Since my most recent fill, I am tight all the time, but less so in the evening. My biggest challenge recently is getting enough calories in a day. I know, some would say this is a luxury problem, but it really isnt. I do still have the ability to eat more in the evening that in the morning. I wish I had tried this before I had my most recent fill though. I am not PBing, but eating is a challenge and I am almost never hungry. I am going to try this approach and see if it works better than what i am doing now. thanks for bringing it here from the other board. Babs in TX 334/241/180 -93 I am in plateau hell at the moment.....

Hi Everyone, I think they should offer post op classes on 'How to deal with plateaus". Now I know no one is feeling sorry for me because my weight loss has been great, but I have been such a good girl making good food choices and I still on a plateau for 10 days in a row every month. I will go up and down 2 pounds from my lowest weight and have to struggle to get back to it and then drop some more. But overall, if I look at averages, I have consistently lost between 8-10 lbs a month in the last 5 months and an overall average of 11 1/2 pounds per month since being banded. So even though I consider myself somewhat intelligent, I still want to scream and jump up and down like a baby when I get on the scale and experience this. FOr a week now, I have bounce around from an alltime low of 241 back up to 242.5 and then have struggled all week to get back to 241. Now I know based on history to date that in the next few days I will see a 3-4 pound drop, but sometimes I get scared that I will be stuck here and never see anything below 200. Now the logical thing would be to throw out the scale, but for me this would not work. The daily accountability I feel to myself is important and I know that if I don't do this, I will be more unfocused and think that maybe a couple of tortilla chips or a piece of bread will be OK today because what I don;t know won't hurt me. So I guess everyone is different in this way. SO does anyone have any advice other than throwing my scale off a tall building? Babs in TX 334/241/180 -93

Hi my friends, Got on the scale today and was surprised that I finally reached -90 pounds. It sounds so much better than the 80's. Only 10 more to go to the triple digits. Woohoo!!!! Babs in TX 334/244/180 -90 6/23/03

Thanks to everyone here who give me my daily inspiration. As I have mentioned before, eating after banding is not complex unless you make it that way. I eat two meals and one or two Snacks a day. Since my most recent fill, I cannot eat more than 4 oz of food at a sitting and I eat on a salad plate. When I first started out, I was on a low carb high Protein diet. Now I can eat so little I eat pretty much whatever I want, just in really small quantities. My favorite food is turkey chili. I also have eggbeaters with lean turkey or ham and a little cheese. I do not eat much bread or potatoes, or rice, but I will have some if I desire it. I can usually only eat a couple of bites anyway. I have a skinny cow low carb Peanut Butter and chocolate ice cream bar in the evenings and I try to drink 40-50 oz of Water per day. My total caloric intake is about 1000-1100 calories and about 50-60 grams of protein. I really have to work hard to eat 1,000 calories now. It is a luxury problem, but lately I have been thinking that I may be too tight. I like it better before I had this fill because I could still eat about 6 oz of food and now I really struggle to eat because I am not really hungry very often and I gurgle a lot since this last fill. No PBing, but some discomfort for the first 5-10 minutes. I thought I would try to work with this fill since I have not PB'ed. I also had a really bad cold that has lasted 3 weeks and has caused irritation in my esophagus because of coughing. So I will wait it out a couple more days and see if there is an improvement if I only do liquids and hot tea! Anyway, with restriction, it gets easier to do this. SOrry, no secrets of the universe here. Also I do exercise 3 x a week, so I am sure that this is helping as well. Babs in TX 334/241/180 -93 6/23/03

Hi Everyone, Today is my eight month bandiversary. My life has changed dramatically and I am so happy to be banded. I have lost 93 lbs and I am 7 away from the century mark. These are the things I look forward to: Riding a horse. ( Isaid I would do it when I got to 225 lbs) Only 16 more pounds to go to this goal. Going to Six Flags and getting on EVERY rollercoaster. (Thats my goal when I reach 199) Only 42 pounds to go! Start flying on planes again (Did that at Christmas at 259 lbs! Didn't need an extender either!) Will be really happy to fly anytime when I am down to 199! Only 42 pounds to go! Sit in the middle seats at the movie theatre! (I do that now and have plenty of room even in the small seats!) I used to sit on the last seat in the row so I would have more room. I used to wear a tight 28 pants. I now wear a size 20 pants. I used to wear a tight 26 top. I now wear a size 18. OK, I am not skinny, but I am no longer the biggest person when I go somewhere like a restaurant, or get on a plane or go to the movies. My life is very different now and I am excited to see how much better it will be in 4 or 5 months. Who would have thought that eight months later I would be no longer morbidly obese? Yeah! Babs in TX 334/241/180 -93 6/23/03

Hi Shana, I had my first fill in August. They gave me 1.00 CC. I came home and felt hungrier than when I went there. I called my doc and told him that I wanted another fill immediately. I came back the following week and they took me to 1.75 where I stayed for 3 months. In November I had another fill to 2.00 and a month ago I had another fill to 2.25. I just had one of my highest weight loss months at 10 lbs lost. Before the fill, I was averaging 8 pounds a month. So if your doc is cooperative, try to see if he will bump it up some to give you the restriction you are looking for. You have to be proactive and write down what you are able to eat in a diary. This will give them a better idea what kind of restriction you have. Babs in TX 334/241/180 -93 6/23/03

Audrey, You go girl! You are looking good. Keep up the good work!!! Babs in TX 334/241/180 -93 6/23/03

Roberta, Congratulations on losing so much weight!! I forgot to congratulate you in the last post! Babs in TX