running_scared

I am down 56 pounds, so slowly, but I am happy. From September to March, I didn't lose anything, while I battled with some other issues (needing orthopaedic surgery on my hand), but I also didn't gain anything, which is a victory in it's self

1 Year before surgery, and around 310 pounds in the white and black cardigan. August 2012 around 270 in the black top. December 2012 at 265 in the blazer. Once I lose another 10 pounds, I'll update the photos again.

Great job!

I'm still struggling to find my 'soft stop'. I am (usually) meticulous with measuring out my portions, so I never have more than a cup in front of me to eat, but I almost always finish the cup. I've got pretty good hunger control, and now that I'm refilled after my recent orthopaedic surgery, I'm back on top of things again. I was just doing dishes, and I noticed that I measure so much stuff, that I actually have 4 full sets of measuring cups, and I use them often enough to not have the 1/2 cup ones clean, when I need them. I also really prefer a scale for the harder to measure things, like cheese, dry Pasta, yoghurt (the only thing I can eat in the mornings) and nuts. Anyone else in my boat? I am losing with my method (a hybrid of skills learned from weight watchers, and a myriad of other diets), but I wonder if I might be slowing myself down, by always finishing my cup of food at each serving? And I don't think I am eating too quickly, as my husband usually has his meal eaten, and is back for seconds, before I finish my portion. I do notice that I often push the dish away, or put my fork down, half way through. However, the times that I have stopped eating then, I seem to be hungry again within a few hours.

Thanks for another great article Jean. I haven't been on the boards lately, but with my 1 year 'banderversary' passing, I thought I'd pop in, and see how things are going

Yep! I know that I can easily maintain my weight, while listening to my hunger cues, and eating smaller portions of pretty much whatever I want. That's a huge victory, compared to before surgery

Hello all, I am 6 months post op this week, and I have a bit of a problem. I am at the green zone for sure, and I rarely have an appetite. I have zero interest in food, and I can easily go 5+ hours before getting physically hungry, which means I eat Breakfast a few hours after getting up (I'm kinda tight in the morning) but then I don't feel like eating until supper time. I have no problem eating most things (except breads that are untoasted) so I know I'm not over-restricted according to the red/yellow/green chart. Some times, even when I am physically hungry, I have no interest in food, and I either have to force myself to eat something, or I just don't eat. When I eat, it's always under a cup of food. I try to focus on starting with Protein an getting in veggies and whole grains, but I'm starting to wonder if I'm missing out on some important nutrients and such. I'm probably eating only 500-800 calories max most days. So, am I alright, or is this something I should talk to my doctor about? Is this what the green zone is about? Thanks guys! All replies and opinions are welcome

I have 6.7cc in my 10cc band, but that shouldn't matter, from what I understand. I'm not overfilled, since I can eat whatever I want, I just don't find food appealing.

Maybe give your surgeon a call, and pass it by them.

I booked in January, and had surgery in April, when I had time off from work. I could have had the surgery within a month though, if I'd wanted to.

Just a bit of an update on my wrist: I saw the surgeon, Monday, and the degradation of my wrist bone is bad enough that I'm no longer a candidate for any sort of repair/restoration surgery, and I now need to think about what I want to do moving forward. I can start with pain management, and wait to see how my wrist changes. I have already lost 50% of the movement in it, and it will continue to decrease as the disease (Kienbock's disease) progresses, until the lunate completely disintegrates, and locks all of the other carpal joints, which will be extremely painful. I had a cortisone shot yesterday (which was extremely painful, due to the lack of space in the joint between the radius and the lunate) and I am being fitted with a wrist brace on Friday. If the cortisone shots no longer work (or if I the hand surgeon can't get the needle in anymore) I can opt to have all the nerves severed to my wrist, in hopes that it will relieve the pain. Neither of these options will improve my wrist's range of motion, but they may allow me to keep a more normal function for longer, and I may be able to keep the range of motion I have now. The next option is a partial carpal fusion, which will also be painful and complex, as they will need to take a bone graft from my hip, to use, along with plates and screws, to try and encourage a few of the bones to grow together, with the end of my radius. I'll lose 80% or more of the movement in my wrist if I opt to do that. I can wait as long as I want to chose this, but the risk in waiting too long, is that the lunate bone will be so degraded that it will no longer be able to be fused with the others, and then I'll have to opt for a proximal row carpectomy, where they will remove all of the bones in the row closest to my arm, and put plates in instead. If I opt for the fusion operations, or the proximal row carpectomy, I will no longer be able to move my wrist at all. However, the natural progression of the disease will do that to me anyway. I have been referred to another surgeon, for a second opinion as well, so I can see what he would recommend. It is likely going to be at least a year until I can have any of the surgeries, as I have to wait in line behind many other orthopaedic patients. Thanks for your input. I just wanted to update you.

So, I've been dealing with left wrist pain since I had my band put in 4.5 months ago, and I've had it x-rayed twice to check for a break that might be causing the pain. I never had a real injury to it, it just started to hurt a few days after surgery, from pushing myself up, and whatnot. I've seen physio and a chiropractor for it (as well as my family doctor) and they all think it should be healing, when it is just getting worse. Well, the x-ray I had yesterday shows that one of the wrist bones (lunate) is dying (avascular necrosis), and I'm to see a hand surgeon on Monday, to talk about surgical repair. The surgery likely won't be pleasant, if the hand surgeon confirms the diagnosis. It will either involve changing the length of one of my arm bones, and fixing it with external pins, or doing a bone graft, depending on what the cause of the bone death is. So, I just had another fill on Tuesday, that I wouldn't have had if I'd known that I might be having surgery in the next couple weeks, but I'm wondering if anyone else has had any orthopaedic surgery, and if you needed an unfill before. I'll be calling my surgeon's office on Monday to ask his opinion, once I've seen the hand surgeon tomorrow, but I was just wondering if anyone else has been through something similar. Thanks.

If yoghurt won't go down, you might be too tight. Or, you might have just swelled in response to the fill. I'd go back to full liquids for another day, and then call the clinic back, if you can't tolerate solids.

What is your goal?

Remember that a healthy rate of loss is 1-2 pounds a week as well. Sounds like you are doing awesome!

A weight-loss of 15 pounds while on liquids is probably all water-weight (or from having no solid food in your system). I would expect that the majority of that weight to come back, when you start eating solids again, which is exactly what happened for you.

Wonderful to hear!

I wouldn't want big fills 2 weeks apart, but for fills of less than 1/2 cc, you can probably get them closer together.

I've gone a couple of times with only 2 weeks in-between.

I eat at their goal of 1430 for me, most days. I need another fill though, so I'm not sure how that might change when I have time to go get one.

I flew home 2 days after surgery, (it was awful) but you should be fine

Woohoo! Congrats!

Why wouldn't you get a fill, if you need one?

I've lost almost 50 pounds, and I've gone from a DD or DDD to a D. Good bras are so expensive, but I just can't bring myself to wear an inferior bra that gives me cone-boob.

I'm also at the point where I don't want to eat more than 1 cup of most things, I'm just done with the last few bites. I can still snack with the best of them though, if I don't monitor myself.