Jen75

Be careful warming up the protein. I asked if i could put protein powder in my coffe and they said no. My dietician said that it breaks down the protein in the powder which defeats the purpose. Smoothies on the other hand with protein powder are delicious but usually the premade premier protein shake (chocolate and vanilla) are a good start. Good luck finding what works for you! Oh and eating in the car does not work for me... I have a short drive and it simply puts me in a bad position to rush. I like the timing of the bites on the clock but I am just not that focused!! :-)

peanut butter and banana smoothies - from Georgia Girl! Thank you for the idea... I had not thought of this combo. I make it with a premier protein chocolate shake and it was delicious!

One last thing... The band did not fail me... I failed the band. It was always doing what it was supposed to do...waiting for me to do what I was supposed to do! I wasn't following the rules like I should have been. I have never regretted nor will I ever regret getting it. I did my own self sabotage... Not the band! Just wanted to put that out there!

Hmm, I have tips on what not to do!!! Haha First off, I am coming up on my banivesary! I was banded April 2, 2009. As im reading many of the new bandsters questions, I think back and say to myself, That's right!!! I should be doing this or that!! Lol I have so much to relearn from all of you! Thank you for this! I was fortunate, I suppose as my surgeon put 5 ccs in my band at time of surgery. Then my NP wanted to get me as full as possible by my 3rd month post op! I did really well, dropping about 78 pounds.... I didnt think I needed to exercise because let's face it, I was losing without it! (big mistake!) I felt good but a few episodes which I now know as sliming and PBing really irritated my band! I lived with the uncomfortable feeling for about 6 months. I wasn't losing anymore so I went to my surgeon and told them... I wasnt completely honest with them (as I had the thinking "more is better") i had about 8.5 ccs in a 10cc band. I would follow all the "rules" for a couple of months and then get tired of not eating because of being uncomfortable ALL THE TIME so I started eating "sliders." (another big mistake) I gained probably about 8 pounds. Went back to the doctor (was totally honest about my behavior, eating habits and the a forementioned "more is less" theory and after a year and a half had Fluid pulled out. I felt great and honestly, I enjoyed eating all the things I couldn't before.... Needless to say, I put on a total of 25 pounds. I wasn't happy. Went back to the doctor for a fill. I feel great now... Eating right, losing again and following all the rules! I go back again on the 4th for a checkup and honestly will probably have some fluid pulled out. Not sure where that will put me. I am following the rules but it is difficult to eat solids. So with that said... Things you can learn from me are LISTEN TO YOUR BODY and GET FREQUENT CHECKUPS and be HONEST with YOURSELF and the DOCTOR! We can be our own worst enemy at times! Like some of you I didnt know what to expect and just DEALT with things because I didn't know. This site which I just found has been a huge inspiration! Some other things I have learned, I had to deal with my emotional eating issues... Head hunger and my addiction to food. It is was my friend, I was a closet eater, eating because of the stress, loneliness, anxiety, etc. it has been tough and I have to be mindful of it DAILY! One thing I also never expected was the attention I received when I was losing. The comments of "your so Pretty or wow, you look great" were actually an enemy and not inspiring. (still working on this one) well intentioned comments make me feel even worse because it makes me wonder what they thought of me before. My own self talk and self esteem are my worst enemy. Reminding my self it is not about what I look like but my Heath helps. As for the physical side of things, I have learned that I can't eat for several hours after I get up. Stress does not allow me to eat. Nighttime is an enemy because of old behaviors. I rarely eat out because it is simply not enough time to eat( for me at least) Fortunately, my husband who is extremely supportive is a large part of my success. My parents are also a huge support system. I still have issues with portion control. Even though I eat on small plates, I still occasionally load it up because my "eyes are bigger then my stomach." I don't eat it all but the "you must finish everything on your plate" theory is still engrained. Although I suspect I am close to the "green zone" I will always have to be mindful to eat the Protein and veggies. Not the bread and pastas. I AM NOT someone that you should model after as I have not done everything correctly, but I do hope that you "newbies" can learn and NOT DO what I did. I am fortunate that I did not have any band slippages or other issues. My band is a TOOL not a "FIX IT" and although I knew that going in it is easy to FORGET. I'm sure I will get a lot of flack about this post, especially from those that are so successful and have sone everything correctly, but just know, it is a JOURNEY of self discovery and constant MINDFULNESS. I am STILL learning. I have recommitted and my goal is to not become COMPLACENT so that I can lose my remaining 40 pounds. I have started exercising and find it a great stress relief and wonderful "me" time. I was so used to giving to everyone else, I didn't know how to take care of me. I hope this helps. Know that I am learning from all of you also. Thank you for all your posts. They have been inspiring to me! This is a long post but has been cathartic in the fact that I can reflect on the things I have done wrong and learn to correct them DAILY! Thank you for asking!

I agree!!! I wouldn't mind having your recipe for a veggie smoothie!

This truly makes perfect sense and I will do it the next time I go in. They usually only give you a small Dixie cup of water so I could never tell for sure!!! Crazy!!! I've been banded almost three years!! Thank you for all the tips! Just goes to show you that everyday we can learn something new! I love this site!!

Wow! Really? Can you explain this more? Why is that?

Sorry, didn't read all the comments before!!! Glad you had fluid removed! This site can be a wonderful resource as I am finding out!!! Best of luck on your journey of re-filling! I wish I had had the support of this site three years ago! This journey is a tricky thing sometimes....don't you think? Walking a very fine line!

Go back to the doctor!!!! The idea of losing weight is great but it's not healthy! I have been banded for 3 years... I spent a year and a half with a band that was too tight or irritated...yes I lost a bit but then the need for food became to great! I started eating "slider foods" which defeated any and all purpose! It's best to do it the right way! When I got back to the doctor, fluid was removed for a month or so... Some put back in but now I'm too tight again! Will be seeing on the 4th to get an unfill! Please do not follow this path! It is dangerous!!! The mindset of "grin and bare it" or "more is better" is not good! I'm lucky I didn't cause any damage and also wish I had found this site much earlier! I'm a newbie on here but not to the band! What a helpful resource!!!! Please go see your doctor!!!

I added all of you!! Thank you

Not sure what my goal size will be. At 5'4" and a goal weight of 150, I am 5'3, build solid like a tree trunk.. I am at 180 and can fit comfortably into a size 12-14 now... (down from a 22-24) I am guessing that at my goal of 140 I will be in a size 6-8. Does that help you any?

Sorry your having a bad day.... Even in the green zone, it is difficult to eat or drink anything in the morning...I personally have to wait several hours to have anything cold or solid...

At the time of my surgery I was working 12 hour shifts on my feet. I had the major sick time built up so I believe I took 2-3 weeks off. I felt better after a few days, but tired easily. I couldn't imagine going back before 1 week. 2 weeks i felt great but because of my job, it was necessary to be able to lift. Surgery had its restrictions with lifting for a period of time afterwards..My supervisors/coworkers were all very accommodating. My suggestion would be minimum 4 days, if you have the time, use it! Like someone else said, you will be able to adjust to your new "friend" and get a routine down. I personally enjoyed the vacation time!!!

All the comments above are accurate. You may need to seek counseling as to the reason you "replaced food with alcohol" for me, food was my friend, my constant companion, my stress relief, and utmost, my anger/anxiety relief. I have had to redirect my emotional eating to something else. In the middle of my journey, i too turned to alcohol. Weight gain scared me and so i did some soul searching and decided i needed a healtier coping skill. Recently it has been the gym and i find that i get irritable when i cant make it there. This is not only a journey of weight loss, but a complete rediscovery of who I/we want to be. It is scary to face the world and reality without a comfort so learning alterative healthy coping skills is a must. You don't want to trade one addiction to another. It's a slippery slope. This site will be a great source of understanding and support, however, you have to search within you and find what you want to change. Good luck with your journey!

I'm sorry to hear about your mom! Stay strong and continue to lose... Don't let his be a reason to get sidetracked!

I voted! Best of luck! Great story!

I have experienced that alcohol really allows me to eat because I get very relaxed. It's a slippery area to enter... For me anyway and I'm not an alcoholic. It I do enjoy a glass of wine occasionally but it is just that....empty calories.

I too have been thinking about this question since I saw this thread the other day. First off, I have already met many of the milestones when I dropped 70ish pounds. I was banded 4/3/2009. Then I became complacent. When I think back, I think I became complacent because I was getting uncomfortable with the attention. My head started playing games with me... I was still seeing the same person that I was before weightless. I know where I strayed and have since renewed my efforts to lose my remaining weight. Things I have enjoyed from losing the weight are seeing my collar bone, smaller clothes, smaller shoes, no sprained ankles every week, getting out of bed and not having to sit on the side and ease down so my knees and ankles didn't pop and walking many 5ks for charities just to name a few. Things I look forward to still doing, I would like to go kyacking. (my family doesn't think I can do it) I want to do a tough Mudder race, I would like to be in single digit clothing, and I would really love to learn how to ride a horse. The last time I tried that, the saddle BROKE as I was getting in with step stool and all. I was mortified..... They tried to comfort me but WOW!!! Such an imbarrassing moment. I have so many dreams and ideas now that I never thought were even possible. as a big person some things are just off limits... I'm sure I will continue to think about this post and may post my goals on the bathroom mirror as a constant reminder. Thank you for bringing this question to the table. Really brings it home as to why we wanted to have the surgery anyway...besides the health benefits of course. :-) I am so glad that I found this site!