his_spirit

I joined WW for the accountability and for the support more than anything. I didn't count points or anything just stuck with the simple start in which they have meal suggestions and you can substitute to build your own as well. With any of the meals I cut out the starches and it was okay.

I am much the same as that I was much more meticulous in the beginning about following the rules. I am finding it much more difficult now, nearly two years out than in the beginning. It is frustrating. I am at a healthy weight for myself now but would like to lose a few more pounds and it is sure a struggle. The moments I have cheated it definitely makes me suffer. Getting back to basics though. This might sound really strange but when I was getting to goal, I didn't think so much long term. The other day it just hit me that it is the rest of my life to eat this way!

Hi there, I am fairly new to LBT and banding. Only two weeks since surgery. Doing well and enjoying learning and getting to know some great people on here. Just wondering if there are many out on the west coast going through it too?

I wanted to be able to wear jeans and without always being untucked.

Congratulations!!!!

Me too. Especially when I go out to lunch or dinner with friends and family.

You can try the Couch to 5k. It is also available as a mobile app. Many people here have used it with success. I have used myself in the past and liked the program. You can repeat weeks if you find it too difficult.

My breasts shrank and have totally deflated!!! Not that they were too perky before but now I need a lot of support not so much because of size but because of sag. lol

I am finding it very difficult to stay in the green zone. When I got to goal, I asked for some fluid to be removed from my band as I was still slowly losing weight and I was happy where I was at. Physically, I just could not eat enough food to stop losing. I had been in the green zone for about a year. After having a small amount removed (0.3cc) my hunger came back with a vengeance and I put on a few lbs. I had a very small fill 0.2cc and it seems to fluctuate day to day. In the green zone when I am very conscientious and eat my protein first etc., not so green when I eat "slider foods".

I found quite a difference in how people treated me although I am not sure if some of that was coming from me too. When I was heavy I didn't want to be noticed. Dressed very plain, was very quiet when dealing with people in stores. So looking back it is not surprise that I was ignored much of the time. Being thin, I am much more open, friendly and talkative with strangers in stores and in general meet people much more easily. In my personal life, co-workers treated me much the same except for many many comments and questions. Some very personal asking if I was sick, and how much I weighed (personal to me anyhow as I would not ask people those things). I decided to take a year off of work and there are tons of rumours now about me being off to have plastic surgery etc. LOL. I would but that was not why I took time off. People will always gossip and talk regardless. One of the best things I have done in the past couple of months is move to a small island with my family and I love the feeling of meeting new people who I have no history with. They don't talk to me about my weight at all. I am simply me. The me that was always there fat and thin. In general, I find that the biggest difference is that people are much friendlier to me as a thin person but again, some of that might be attributable to how I treat others too and how I carry myself.

The past year has been incredible. Struggling for quite a few months in the beginning to get the hang of my band and ever so slowly losing the weight. Many of us have been there. The joy at reaching a milestone. The tears when we do not. I had never really felt successful in life at much of anything and I became so driven to be successful with this. Once I had my confidence up and was getting closer to goal, I took up yoga and began to do that 6 days a week. It was my new addiction. Inside, I was so proud of myself and amazed at the things my body could do after being a couch potato for 20 years. I wanted more. To see more change in my body so I took up bootcamp 4 days a week at 6am in addition to the yoga. My body developed muscles that I never knew existed. I loved my body (except for the saggy boobs) more than I did in my 20s. I was confident. Reached my goal and wanted to pay it forward to other people. I decided to take my yoga instructor certification course just to show myself that I could do it and could encourage others. Around this same time, I decided that I didn't want to keep losing as I was getting too thin and physically could not eat enough food to sustain my activity level so I got a bit of an unfill. I began my yoga teacher certification and it was intense. I was not nearly as flexible as many in the class but it didn't matter. I was there. Doing it. The very last class I pushed myself too far and tore slightly a tendon in my shoulder. I got my certification and continued going to regular classes. A week later, I could not turn my head or raise my arm and I was soooo hungry. This was 3 months ago. Since then I have regained 12 lbs and have not exercises a minute. I was becoming so depressed and fell back into my old habits of using food for comfort. Cheesies and ice cream. I felt like all I worked for was in vain. I got a small fill last week that feels close to how it was before I got the unfill and I am optimistic. Tomorrow, I am going to my first yoga class in 3 months but have to take it very easy. Not sure this post will help anyone but I just wanted to share my story in the hope that it does. We all struggle at some point or another. Even us "successful" ones. I also realized tonight that none of it was in vain because I learned to listen to my body and that I can do it. That does count for something.

Thank you for the encouragement everyone. I know that 12 lbs does not sound like a lot and it isn't but I was starting to get scared that I was on my way up much more than that. Felt so out of control for a while. Thankfully, I think I am getting back there. Back to basics of tracking and doing what I need to do.

It is quite overwhelming to suddenly realize that you have to replace everything! I even had to change shoes as I lost a size there too. It took my brain a long time to catch up to what I really looked like and most days it still hasn't. I see the fat girl still when I look in the mirror in the change room.

After surgery I cried my eyes out for a week or more mourning the loss of my best friend, food. I wondered why I did the surgery and thought that life was going to be miserable without all of the things that I enjoyed. It was incredibly hard at first. I had no hobbies, nothing really social that I liked to do. For years prior to surgery, I had pretty much hidden myself from social situations outside of family and work out of shame at how I looked. I felt very alone even though I had a lot of support. I put my energy into following the rules and learning to use tools that could help me stick to the plan. Myfitnesspal helped me a lot and gave me something to focus on. What I noticed after a short while was that I didn't miss those old foods as much as I thought I would because I simply wasn't as hungry and by not physically being able to eat them I had developed new mechanisms to deal with emotions. That was an important part of the process for me. I cannot say that I can eat everything that I did before because I cannot eat certain things or they do get stuck or I am quite uncomfortable but I am very happy with how it works and have adapted to eating alternatives that just happen to be better for me anyways.

I bought bras that were too small in the band and used an extension. I need a lot of support and found the more inexpensive bras didn't have enough for me. The extender made them fit for quite a while.

Lose the last stubborn bit of weight that I am holding onto. Get rid of my ghosts of the past by not assuming people will judge me a certain way. Be consistent with my water intake. Do one thing that I have never done and always wanted to.

Very amusing thread lol. Sounds like you have some good advice to give out Steve and a great attitude. Exercise was the key for me and I try to not to be so strict with myself and eat "normal" and not all dietish all the time but I have some sort of fear of gaining the weight back. Your recipes sound like a good place to get started a bit.

Congrats!! It does take a lot of perseverance and hard work. I laughed at the ice cream comment as I went through that too. You are doing great and can get to your goal. That feeling of wow, is this really me. Hits so randomly sometimes.

I am now a normal BMI and have had a lot of success with my band. Wearing a size 4/6 and getting smaller by the day. People keep telling me that I am thin enough and should not lose anymore weight but when I look in the mirror I still see fat areas. Rationally, I know that I am no longer heavy and have changed my whole lifestyle dramatically. Exercising religiously for an hour a day by going to hot yoga 6-7 days a week. Often doubling up and later in the evening going for a 5K run. I track my calories and can count on two hands the amount of times that I have had a positive balance of calories in over out since I started this journey. Very soon, I will have to start eating more and begin to maintain but I am struggling with that. I often think I am eating too much when I actually am not. My appetite is just not really there. Anyways, I wondered if anyone else had ever had this problem. I know it is in my mind but don't know how to get past it. Maybe I am just really afraid of going back to where I started. Suggestions from anyone who has been here would be much appreciated. Thanks.

Thank you for being so open and sharing that. I guess that I can feel myself going down that road as I get anxious and stressed when I cannot get the exercise in. I plan my schedule a month in advance to make sure I fit it in as I am a single mom with 2 kids and work full time it can be a juggling act. There is the odd time when something comes up with the kids and I just cannot get to class or run. Eating enough on those days really is hard mentally. Maybe I need to go and talk to someone about it more in depth as my whole life I have struggled with my body image and how I have perceived myself physically.

I am tired of all of that and tired of people telling me not to lose any more weight! The constant comments are annoying LOL

WTG luvbug!!! You are doing amazing.

At first I told everyone and found most people very supportive and encouraging. Now, when people who I have not seen for a long time ask I just say portion control and exercise which is true. Getting tired of all the talk from others about my weight actually LOL.

Good for you!!! You can totally do it!

Just thought i would leave a little note to encourage you all. I was banded this last February and have lost 60 lbs. Normal BMI now and have only a few more lbs. that I would like to lose. I was like most of you in that I struggled with this same weight for many many years and could never drop more than a few pounds. People also told me to just cut back and surgery was not "big enough" blah blah blah. My clothing has gone from a 14/16 to a size 6 and that is getting too big now LOL. It is amazing they amount of clothing that needs replaced. Even dropped a whole shoe size! I am very happy with my decision, best one I ever made in my life. They only trouble I am having now is that I really need a tummy tuck and boob lift and don't want to spend all the money on new clothes just to have my size change again haha. There are worse problems one could have. I wouldn't listen to other people because you have to do what is right for you and it would seem silly to wait to have something later when perhaps there would be even more to lose and more health issues to contend with.