Fenton

I don't know how exercise fits into your plan, Llyra, but maybe what you could do is, when you reach one of your chosen plateau weights, use that time to beef up your exercise pattern. That might make it easier to slip down to the next weight stage.

Thanks, Llyra - it does feel like a significant step forward. I don't know if it is, though - when I'm in the zone, I'm in the zone, and it's hard to disrupt that process. The problem is when I reach a certain point in the process, and lose momentum; I'm sick of eating without restriction, I'm tired of the constant mindfulness etc. And THAT is when I throw the baby out with the bathwater, and then throw the bath after the baby. I slip a bit, and I find I don't seem to care, and I continue to slip. And soon I'm not weighing myself, just telling myself - oh, I'll get back to it on Monday. And before you know it, I've abandoned the path, and plunged wholeheartedly into excess. Your controlled descent plan sounds interesting, Llyra. I wonder if that's something I should try. In other news, I was motivating myself last night by going through the Sartorialist website, looking for styles I thought might work for me when I get close to goal. Overweight men have the *worst* clothing options - it's like they thing everyone wants to dress as if they're at a tailgate party, or are happy walking around in jewel tones. I'm a man, not a kindergartener! I like somber colours, not vulgar ones. Bah!

Haha, Harley! Living well is the best revenge... Uh, if that's how you meant it. Things are going well for me. I'm back in the zone, losing well, feeling good. Although last night was a bit of an epic fall for me - dinner with an old friend, a good restaurant, and a big caloric splurge. Bad, bad. But then today I woke up and carried on as if it hadn't happened...

I have to concentrate more on that satiety/full dynamic. I rarely feel "full", and am getting better with feeling sated on the portions I assign myself. I do think tracking intake is useful: yesterday, someone brought a small wedge of chocolate mousse cake to me. I didn't say No, but because I journaled it, I was aware all day how much of an impact the cake had on my total calorie count, and was forced to ask myself whether those few seconds of pleasure were worth it. I'd MUCH rather have had a larger serving of the Senegalese chicken Soup! (a new discovery, thanks ajoneen for the tip!) (Oh, and Chica, I think Hale and Hearty is an NYC-area thing.)

Oh yes, I remember that. Well, satiety isn't my issue. I feel pretty full for good while on almost any quantity of food. But I'll bear that in mind, particularly as I go down in weight, and the band becomes less restricting. When are you going to begin, ajoneen?

Hmm. I just read that Daniel Boulud, famed French chef and owner of Restaurant Daniel, likes H&H's Three Lentil Chili: it's 160 cals a cup, with 10 g of fiber and 10 g of protein...

I don't know - no matter how much I eat, I end up feeling full. And it lasts pretty well. I have my patented Fenton shake at 8AM, and I'm really good until say 2PM, maybe longer (I've not tried to go longer). (Fenton shake: 1 can Slimfast Optima French vanilla, 1 frozen banana, 1 Tbsp of Protein powder, 1 teaspoon of Benefiber or whatever, 2 Tbsp of freeze-dried Peanut Butter powder, 1 large pinch of salt. It weighs in at around 400 cals, and has enough nutrients thanks to the SLimfast to see you through most of the day.) lunch today I had 1/2 of a Trader Joe's chicken Serenada (chicken breast with strips of cactus in a small slather of rich sauce, 290 cals); I find the chicken a bit hard after the fairly soft diet. I should chew better, really, and drink when I eat. Then for dinner I had a cup of Hale and Hearty Curried Shrimp and Corn bisque (first time I had it, yikes, 320 calories, and I bought a quart!) plus one slice of their whole grain bread (140 cals). And I've had some Trader Joe's Honey O's, their (better) Honey Nut Cheerios rip-off. I'm a bit dismayed about the nutrition data on the bisque - I should've looked before I ordered. I've got three more meals of it. I love their lobster bisque, which is 180 cals, but, at 5 g Protein, is a little less than half the protein grams. But it's tasty! Made with a bit of coconut milk and roasted pumpkin. Oh, and lobster.

Ajoneen? How's it going? Have you begun the five day band rejuvenation or whatever it's called? I'm doing well on my 1250 calories a day. The weight's coming off quickly, as it did when I first started. One thing, though: I'm worried that I'm eating food that's too soft. I do eat some solid food, but I start the day with the Official Fenton shake, or a bowl of Honey Nut Cheerios (keeps me regular - yes, that's a problem again, back on the wagon), and at lunch and dinner I've been having vegetable curries, which are pretty soft, or Soups (more along the line of stews, really, but again very soft). I suppose I should switch over to something chewier, although I don't know what exactly that guideline is supposed to do. Yesterday I had a pretty big lunch, more than my entire day's allowance, but felt fine after it. Anyway, yes: progress! With room for improvement!

Ola Chica! I'm really glad you found work, even if it's a bit of a pay cut. And Special K, I bet you feel a lot better going out at your fantastically trimmed size than you would have had you been looking for work in your original one. I think that enhanced self-confidence is going to work wonders for you. And Scrappy! Congratulations! Not an XL, not an L, not even a medium, but a SMALL! That's fantastic work!

Oh, Special K, that's awful! I'm so sorry to hear that. Sounds like maybe this will even help focus your concentration on one part of your life that you're in complete control over; you've had your pity party, and moved on. You're not going to let this derail your fantastic work!

My last fill was about 3 months ago - I can still eat anything I want, although bread I have to take slow. Anyway, it's always been a question of willpower - the band doesn't stop us from eating, it helps us feel full on less. You always lost the weight by dieting. It's all about habits: once you got out of the habit of eating badly and doing nothing, you lost weight. Once you get back into the habit of eating not very much, you'll lose weight again. Doing the 5 day thing reminds your body that, yes, you can feel OK eating a lot less. Eating that way actually feels good. You just have to reattune to how it feels to be full with little food. Thinking in terms of "failure" because you put some weight back on is a waste of time. There's no point crying over spilt milk - you know what you need to do, so just do it! You've done it before, so you know you can...

Oh, a week! Excuse me! It still seems really short - I've always read about recovery from those surgeries taking weeks. Perhaps because it was a smaller procedure? I'm glad you're doing so well, Scrappy.

Wow! Wait - how long were you off? That seems super-short...

Oh, one other thing: I'm going to keep my old signature file up, with my old weight loss progress, just to remind myself of where I was. I'll post my current weight loss tally at the bottom of each post until I reach the point where I can assume the mantle of my old sig file...

I'm in a similar boat. I did really well, but a bit beyond the 100 pound mark I started to tread Water. Then I had a rough ride in a relationship, and allowed myself to backslide. I weighed in yesterday for the first time in a while, and was kind of relieved - i thought I'd done worse. But still, I've regained a lot, and need to go back in the other direction. So I am. I've started off with (again, I think, Harley's) technique for checking or rebooting the band: 2 days on liquids, 2 days on soft foods. And that went well - I'm now on day 3 of soft foods, which is why I think I didn't weigh as much as I thought i was going to. I'm tracking my intake on Daily Plate, and will be trying to post here regularly-ish. Exercise-wise, I'm just walking, but that can be hard when it's hot and humid. After 6 more pounds I'm going back to the gym; it burns calories, sure, but I feel much better when I'm working out. Not to sound too corny, but yesterday is not tomorrow. I don't think we really have the option of giving up here - Tony Robbins likes to say "When you're teaching a baby to walk, at what point do you just give up?" The answer is, of course, that you don't, you just keep on trying until that baby is walking, then running. We have a fantastic advantage over most people trying to lose weight, and it's a question of embracing it and working with it. So, let's get back to it!

Hey, all. Fantastic to see all the great work you guys have been doing! And way to go Harley, hitting your goal! Of course, I kind of figured that from your profile photo... I've done v. badly, just completely let myself go. I think I've turned the corner now, and am moving in the right direction. I'm doing that reboot technique (Harley's, I think) where you start on liquids for two days, then soft food for two days - my eating habits have been atrocious, and I think I really need the short sharp shock. I'm both sad and happy to see the forum so quiet - sad because I miss the people, happy because everyone's really kind of graduated now, and is only sticking their head in from time to time. But I have to say: it's been a pretty wild ride, and I've enjoyed being on it with you guys. I'm going to try posting more often; I think it really makes a difference!

Thanks for the suggestion!

That's fantastic - what great numbers!

Y'know, I wonder how things would have gone if I'd had real restriction before things got difficult. Nice to see you here, Harley - and to see how well you're doing!

Hey, all. The Sinner returns to the fold! Good to see how well you guys are doing, wish I could say that I was doing as well. I've managed to slide back to my start weight (almost) after a year of terrible eating. The trigger was a disastrous relationship, but it really doesn't matter - I'd been going without full restriction, just trying to tough it out as a matter of pride. Then, when I started giving in to my old habits, I avoided going to get the fill that would bring me to restriction. So over the year, I've put back on almost 100 pounds (something of an achievement!), and as you know, with the increase in weight comes the gradual loss of energy, and a decrease in activity, and a faster increase in weight, etc etc etc. So, yeah, almost back to my start weight. At one level it's incredibly frustrating and sad - well, at all levels it's that - but it's also meant that I'm now so exhausted and out of shape that I had no choice but to go in and get an adjustment. I have no choice but to get back on track, so here I am. That said, you guys are effectively graduates of the program - you're doing well, out living your much trimmer lives, and won't be posting so often in here. I'll keep checking in with the Shamrocks, but I'm also thinking of joining one of the 2010 groups under a new pseudonym, just to get the energy and enthusiasm and support of what will probably be a busier forum. No disrespect to the originals! You will always be my Sisters and Brothers of the Band! I must say, I'm really pleased and proud of how well you've all done. Now you can be my role models! xo Fenton

Good to hear you're in one piece! My understanding is that there's a good bit of swelling for a while, so your tummy probably won't be flat right away...

I was banded last year at NYU; the package included a year of follow-up fills, but I went only a couple of times. Now that I need to get fills, I've discovered they no longer accept BC/BS, and that BC/BS won't cover out of network care. Each fill costs $200. Is anyone going to a provider who accepts BC/BS for fills? Thanks!

Scrappy? Post something! I didn't like that story about the vomiting and sweating! I've been away for three days, during which time I was Not Very Good. I'm sick of my behaviours - why is it that I can't indulge slightly, without then throwing everything in and going over the top? My "Oh, well, now that I've slipped, I might as well..." has been incredibly destructive to my course. I'm back from the gym. It's crunch time on my next writing project, and if I even go to the gym, I feel guilty that I'm not writing. The (self-exerted) pressure is constant and really wearying, and SO not productive. In short, it bugs me that I'm letting everything slide like this. I think I'll look for another provider; until a few months back, my doctor took my health insurance, but not any more. Which seems unfair! I don't know the complexities of the health insurance biz, but the band is not like most surgeries, where you have the surgery, have a couple of follow-up visits and you're done. It requires long term follow-up. I'll ask on the region-specific board for other NYC fill centers, some of which are sure to take my (fairly decent) insurance.

Hey, a quick question: I just got my bill for my two most recent adjustments - $200 each! Is that what everyone is paying? I'm thinking I might start doing it myself, if that's how it's going to be. The surgeon offered to show me how - and, obviously, it's not very difficult - but I was worried I might abuse the technique, and start deflating and reinflating at will!

Aww, Scrappy! Lying around in a hospital is no fun, but it's best to take it easy a little, let them keep an eye on you as your body adjusts to your new shape. I'm sure you'll be home soon! Besides, you seem like the sort of person who's always on their feet, so a day or so mostly in bed won't do you any harm, particularly in this early period.