laralynn86

I was also self-pay and could never have afforded gastric-bypass. I started at 279, and today, exactly 15 months to the day after surgery, I am at 186. That is 93 lbs, and I am still losing. Almost 20 lbs of my weight loss has actually just come in the past two months. Depressingly, my BMI still categorizes me as overweight (even after 90+ lbs gone ... I find this tragic), but I am now only about 18 lbs away from being in the normal weight BMI range. Like others have said, it appears your surgeon has an agenda. 100 lbs does not just fall off with no work as soon as you get the band, but I and many others are here as proof that you can far exceed his claim of a 50 lb max weight loss. Bottom line - do what you think it right for you. Just know that with dedication, the lap band can definitely work. Good luck!

I have not posted in a couple of months ... I go way too long without checking here. I was on a plateau for a few months but got a fill in April and it has made all the difference in the world. I am now less than 10 lbs from losing a full 100 ... that is amazing and flabergasting to me. Today makes exactly 15 months since surgery. I would not change it for the world. I have this random pain in my right side. I feel like my 2nd rib is stabbing my insides (or something). My port is on the left side, so I don't think it could be band related, but it is the type of thing I tend to freak out about. I can eat fine, as well as any other day. I am OK if I stand or lay down, but if I sit it is uncomfortable and if I bend over it is painful. It is like there is no longer enough room in my insides for everything any longer. Has anyone experienced anything like this? I really keep thinking it can't be band related, but like I said, I worry about these things.

It has been far, far too long. I think I have not been here in close to a year ... well, maybe seven months. TammyJ, JulieOh, Mrs. Husker ... all the familiar names, it is good to read your progress and I am so impressed with you all. I lost about 75 lbs total, but then totally plateaued. Months and moths ago. I am scheduled for a fill later this month, which is long overdue. I am sad to say I have lost focus for a while. Same old, same old, but I am too busy, etc. Not a good excuse. And I have gotten way too lax about eating potato chips, etc. I am at a point I swore I would never get it. My band is weird, most days I could eat an entire horse (if I so desired), but then every so often I cannot get down a bite of cottage cheese even. I vow to get back on track though. I am happy with the weight I have lost so far, but I need to strive for more. It is odd, but I have been within 6 lbs of Onederland for like 5 months, but have not done anything to get there. I just sit, stagnant. Again, it is good to read up on everyone and see you are all doing well. I have missed your support and encouragement.

I haven't been on here since June it seems - that's terrible. I don't know how I let it go so long. Tammy - you're my comparison tool as we have the same highest weight, pre-surgery weight, and height I think. We were pretty much neck and neck for a while, but I've stalled for the last 5 weeks or so, and now you're blowing me away. I've been way lazy on the working-out front though, so you deserve it. I wanted to be under 220 by the end of July, and one day it suddenly went from a plateau at about 222 to a weight of 213, which was awesome. Sadly, I've stayed there since then. I fluctuate between 213 and 215 and have for more than a month now. As I said though, I have not been doing hardly anything as far as exercise, so I need to get on it. It's amazing how time flies and I realize it's been SO long since I've been to the gym or anything. My fill is crazy these days. Some days I can hardly get down a drink of Water, and I'm scared I'm way overtight. Then the next day I can eat an entire meal and feel fine. It's a strange feeling of needing an unfill 1 minute, and needing a fill the next. I'm trying to just leave it as is and go with it though. I've been craving dry foods like crazy. I can't eat bread (or heaven forbid pizza crust - my one attempt was tragic) for anything, but I crave crackers and popcorn and chex mix - anything just dry and crunchy. Strangely, theses actually go down much better than say chicken or salmon. I give in too much to my cravings though. My goal is to be under 200 by the end of the year. It's a wimpy, wimpy goal, but hopefully this means I can blow it out of the water. I went on vacation to California for 5 days and was a little concerned about letting myself go, but I came back to a weight of 213.4, so it was a-ok. Amazingly, I didn't even feel like eating too much when I was there. There's this mind-set that vacations are all about food, but like I said, I didn't even want to overeat. I've got to get back on track, but I'm still thrilled with my weight loss thus far and with the surgery in general. I've missed you all! Congratulations to everyone - Juli you're doing AWESOME!!!

Sue, I hadn't ever PBd until after my second fill. I think I also have 2.5 cc's in a 9 cc band, but I'm not sure. I used to know, but I didn't right it down so I've forgotten. If you take an hour to eat a hamburger, that's probably why you don't PB. I only do it when I eat too fast. And there are certain things that cause me to do it more than others. I really like imitation crab meat, but it makes me PB quite often. As does chicken, and steak. Most meats, I guess. I've PBd on cottage cheese, but only because I was talking and not concentrating on chewing. Have you ever had the pain? As I mentioned before, when I feel the pain I can just kind of flex my esophogus and get rid of the food. I wouldn't be concerned about not PBing. I'm sure you'll get your chance sooner or later. Strangely, I can eat "bad" foods - i.e. chips or rice krispy treats - and not PB. But meat I have issues with. I PBd just a little on the salmon I ate tonight, so I decided I was done and put the rest away. This is what I should do, but more often I have the habit of waiting for the pain to subside, then continuing my meal (though quite often I PB on the first bite or two, so if I always put it away, I'd never eat a thing.) And Donna, I totally understand where you're coming from (oh what I'd give to be down 100 lbs), but I think Sarah makes a darn good point. It's not really mathmatically possible for you to have gained the extra weight based on what you're eating. Slow down, give it a few more weeks. You need the nutrition and to not be light headed all the time. Getting that extra food/nutrition may be scary, but it's not going to make you start piling on the pounds. Keep yourself healthy (skinny, but healthy).

I love my alcohol. I had a "good bye to tequila" thing a couple of weeks before my surgery as I thought I should never have it again, and tequila shots were my thing. But then my surgeon told me I could still have tequila shots, I should just add a bit of Water and not do them straight (I didn't even ask - he just volunteered this info). Well, hell ... I didn't have to say goodbye to it afterall. I haven't had any tequila since surgery though. Well, I've had a margarita or two, but no shots. I have had saki shots (I skipped the beer and had straight saki) which worked out fine for me. I didn't seem to get drunk any faster than usual that night - and I had many shots of saki. Anymore though, I tend to pour a drink (sometimes white wine, but more often gin with light grapefruit juice {called a salty dog, apparently}), but it's almost too much work to drink it. I just can't fit all the liquid in, and it's usually a choice of dinner or drinking, I hate trying to drink after I've had dinner. I was never much of a beer drinker, but I do find myself craving it sometimes. Just want what I can't have I guess. So, short answer after the long ramblings above: I can drink it fine, don't really seem to get drunk faster, but it's more work than it used to be to get all the liquid in. Also, I've always tended to eat more (a lot more) after drinking, so I have a bit of a fear that one day I'll get stupid and eat something I should (not that I really keep anything in the house that I shouldn't, but I could gorge even on healthy food).

Welcome back Tammy & Denise! Congrats to the others on meeting your goals! I haven't really set a weight-related goal yet, but I'd like to be under 200 by the end of summer - that's 14 lbs per month I'd have to lose.

So not to be all "woe is me", but let me tell you about my last 10 days or so. Last Wednesday (as in a week and a half ago - June 13th is would have been) I got up around six, went swimming, then went into work. I was leaving for the rest of the week, so I had tons to do. I worked until 6:30 pm, then went home and packed and then drove 2.5 hours to Mesa. I got up at 5 the next morning and drove the last hour to my sister's house. I watched her three kids Thursday, Friday & Saturday nights - and, though she swears they never do this, the kids were up before 5:30 every morning. Sunday night I went back to my BFs house and stayed the night. I got up at 4:30 the next morning to drive back home, so I was at work by 7:00. That started an entire week of in before 7am, out after 8pm. Thursday night I worked until midnight. I went in at 6 am on Friday and worked until 2:30 the Saturday morning (left the office one time - to go to the bank). I went home for a few hours, and was back to work before 7 Saturday morning. (In addition to running the business and my regular work, we're coming up on month-end, which also happens to be our year-end and preparing for my sister/partner/book-keeper (I know nothing of this part of the business) to be gone for a week or so right at the end of the month). And, my other sister was in charge of a volleyball tournament this weekend which she put a lot of effort into, which is the main reason for the two late nights - we made 45 shirts and 175 very involved programs with information and photos of every girl, etc. etc. etc. When I left on Saturday, I kind of wanted to just curl up and die, but I went to the volleyball tournament. I was home by six pm, and I kid you not, I pretty much stayed in bed for the next 24 hours. Probably 16 of those hours actually sleeping. But, I got up last night and went for a bike ride. I had crab for dinner. I was up late due to the incredible sleep-marathon, but I fell asleep around 1am, got up at 6 this morning ... went for a bike ride with my dog, then went swimming with my sister. I don't care for Isopure (it's grossly sweet), but I have a bottle of it I'm about to consume for breakfast. For lunch I'll have cottage cheese, and for dinner I'll have salmon. I feel good again. More like I did two weeks ago. I'll go to my belly-dancing class again tonight. And I'll be in bed by 10. I can't do this 4 or 5 hours a night very long.

I had hesitations about even starting this thread for fear of the terrible lectures or general hatred that may be directed this way, but that's also kind of why I posted. And there's been no hatred really, just understandable lectures. I honestly don't even PB that much. I PBd a bit on imitation crab meat last night, but it was the first time in a few days. As much as anything, it's the fact that I feel good - or I feel accomplished after I pb. That's where the state of mind title comes from. I find concern in the fact that I feel better mentally when I rid my body of food. I don't think I have an eating disorder, but I think I can understand where it comes from. I think this good feeling after purging myself of food could be all-consuming. However, it's not worth losing either my hair or my band. I eat healthy, I don't intentionally PB or intentionally eat until I PB. I don't enjoy PBing because it hurts and seems unhealthy. But then there's the mental thing. The part that wants it all gone. The part that does like it. That's all I was saying.

I still tend to wear my size 22 (and ocassionally 24), though I'm a comfortable size 18 or tight 16. I feel more secure in my 22's ... tomorrow I'm going to try to get rid of them all though, because they are ridiculously huge on me, and I have no business wearing size 22. I show my underpants constantly in them (and I'm not nearly small enough to make that look attractive).

You hit it exactly, Emma. This way we're not actually bulemic cause it's surgical - it makes it acceptable. I didn't PB once today. Yea for me!

And also, I weighed myself this morning, and suddenly it read 221 the first time, then 220 the next time (this is after showing 232 - 236 yesterday) ... I guarantee I did not drop 10+ lbs overnight. I moved the scale a little and weighed myself again at it claimed 230 (which is probably accurate, and close to my low of 228). Anyhow, I'm beginning to think my scale is posessed and maybe it's time for him to retire. Sad for me though cause I love the little scale (it saves your last weight and measures your body fat and is just generally cool) and it was a gift for my 28th birthday. All the same, perhaps it his time for his replacement.

This morning I got up and came into work at 6 am. I drank some water early, then some more around 8. I had a Mocha Frappacino Light (I think that's what's they're called, it's Starbucks in a bottle you can get at convenience stores). About 1pm I had 2 cups of cottage cheese and maybe 3 or 4 potato chips. Drank more water than usual this afternoon, but still not enough. I ate one piece of candy (they're ice breakers sours that I eat). For dinner, around 7pm I went to town on the potato chips and ate who knows how many ... 20 or 30 I suppose. Not my best day still. Thanks for the encouragement from everyone though. Tomorrow I shall do better. Today no swimming, no gym. Again, tomorrow I will do better. Anyone have advice for a constant and overwhelming feeling of fatigue?

Virginia, Can you tell me when and where you meet in Phoenix? Or is there someplace I can go to get this information? Thank you