dylanmiles23

I love clothes shopping in my own closet! Yesterday I put on a pair of jeans I forgot I had. They fit with a little room. My dream is to fit into my Warner Bros. jeans with the Taz and Bugs Bunny on them. I have saved them for over 15 years. Wow! over 15 years since I wore a size 16 and in my 40's then. I hope in my 60's isn't too old to wear fun clothes like that. I even have a 't' shirt to wear with them. I am running out of smaller clothes and will have to buy some clothes. In my support group one woman said because you change sizes so often go to consignment stores. I will have to check them out. I have my nephew's wedding in November and hope to fit into a size 14-16 and was thinking of buying at the consignment store to save money on a dressy outfit. Do other people save too small clothes hoping one day they will fit again? One pant suit I love, I waited too long and the jacket is way too big.
Have a great Labor Day weekend everyone. Drive safely-the nuts are out there.

I finally realized by getting the Band, I put me first for once. I have been taking care of my sick husband for about 15 months. I help with a retarded brother, a 94 year old mother in a nursing home and an 89 year old mother-in-law, who finally gave up driving. You can see, I have a full plate and HATE it. I would love to find a hobby to occupy my time.
Have a wonderful Sunday everyone.

I had my surgery 9 months ago, February 7, 2012. It seems like just yesterday, but no its 9 months ago. Wow, time has flown and wow things sure have changed. In celebration of being 9 months reborn I made a list of 9 things that have changed (excluding the weight & inches lost):
No more medication – When I started this journey I had to take 3 different medications to control my high blood pressure. Today my blood pressure is normal without medication.


Giving the elevator the day off – I work on the 8th floor, every morning I walk up the stairs to my office and in the evening I walk down. Plus during the day I go up and down at least 3 floors, several times.


Sex – Sex is definitely better. I’ll skip the details…


How my skin feels – I like rubbing my hand up and down my arm, my skin feels thinner (Don’t know if this makes sense to you)


Wearing heels – When I was at my heavies my ankles couldn’t handle heels. Now I’m back to wearing heels again!


My confidence – I walk taller, I smile all the time, I really like being me now!


I like looking at myself in the mirror – dressed or naked, I like what I see. It’s not perfect but I like it!


Finding my extravert self – When I was in high school I was very outgoing; I had no fear of talking to strangers. When I was at my heaviest I was so shy, I wouldn’t look people in the eyes, afraid to talk to them. Now, I’m back to looking people in the eyes and talking to strangers.


The way others look at me – I love seeing guys take a second look; the expression on my friends faces when they see me and how the family responds to me.

Hi from Boston and wonderful Sandy,
Lately I have been unable to feel full. Right now I am very full. I had for dinner elbows, tomato sauce and shrimp. Dinner was yummy. I had a fill in September and not scheduled to see the doctor until after Thanksgiving.
Yesterday I made an angel food cake and put sugar free chocolate chips into it. My husband is a diabetic. He has eaten over 1/2 the cake. I had one piece last night.
I find with the Band that I getting bored with food. I never know what to have. For lunch I had a grilled roast beef and cheese sandwich (1/2). It was great.
Have a great and safe night and hopefully with electric.

Hi fellow Banders. Can we wear Spanx after surgery? For some reason I think I heard you should not wear them.
Also, I went to my PCP today and had my first Flu shot ever, at 62. The doctor said there is a new version this year and if you get it expect 7 days in the hospital. That heard, got the shot.
Enjoy your evening, all.

Happy Monday all. After not losing any pounds for about 4 weeks, I finally lost some weight! I am so thrilled. 10 more pounds and I will be less than 200!!!!! Never thought in my 60's I would ever see those numbers again. In 3 weeks I have my nephews wedding and I bought a great pants suit, size 18, misses not women's! The pants are a little big and the jacket is too perfect, could use a little room. I will give it another week to see if the buttons need to be moved.
Dr. Oz just said at 2pm is the best time of day to cheat with a sugar boost, like 1 oz. of dark chocolate. Do any of you eat chocolate? I haven't yet but that is my favorite thing, with peppermint in it.
Enjoy your evening.
Arlene

I am from New England, home of great lobster. I was told by many banders that after surgery food can be different. I guess tonight I had my last lobster. It was just too chewy for me. I am sad. I do eat a lot of jumbo lump crab and that agrees with me. I have had shrimp and that goes down fine. The only way I would eat clams is fried, so that is out and I don't do scallops. I find salmon does down super. Tomorrow I am making a pot roast. My husband does not eat meat, only poultry and fish. I guess that means about 12 pot roast meals for me.
Everyone have a great weekend.
Arlene

I love clothes shopping in my own closet! Yesterday I put on a pair of jeans I forgot I had. They fit with a little room. My dream is to fit into my Warner Bros. jeans with the Taz and Bugs Bunny on them. I have saved them for over 15 years. Wow! over 15 years since I wore a size 16 and in my 40's then. I hope in my 60's isn't too old to wear fun clothes like that. I even have a 't' shirt to wear with them. I am running out of smaller clothes and will have to buy some clothes. In my support group one woman said because you change sizes so often go to consignment stores. I will have to check them out. I have my nephew's wedding in November and hope to fit into a size 14-16 and was thinking of buying at the consignment store to save money on a dressy outfit. Do other people save too small clothes hoping one day they will fit again? One pant suit I love, I waited too long and the jacket is way too big.
Have a great Labor Day weekend everyone. Drive safely-the nuts are out there.

Good evening,
I have a very over weight son, age 34, and he finally wants to be on a diet. Good for him. He mentioned that he is going to use coconut oil, which is spreadable, on his english muffin. Are we allowed coconut oil? It is not on my list. His wife looked into the spread and I guess it has a lot of health benefits..
Today I ate too fast, again. I always say never again and I still do it. It hurts, it's very uncomfortable.
Have a great sleep, all.

I am having a time here lately with cravings and eating. I need to step back and remember to measure my food and take my time and convince myself that there are foods that are not good for me and that just are not my friend. I dont know what has caused me to be like this when I was doing so good before. I had surgery on August 1 and today is October 31 and I have lost 41 pounds. I want to continue to lose and I haven't been losing lately. I am having trouble taking my vitamins, they make me sick to my stomach and I am just really frustrated with myself. I dont know why I just cannot get a grip when it comes to freaking food. GRRRRRR it just pisses me off because I dont want to mess this up. I am scared I will over do it and then stretch my band and then boom I am right back where I was. I don't want to screw this up I want to get control and be healthy. I am just really aggravated. So if anyone reads this and if you have any help or ideas on getting a grip about things PLEASE let me know.

Have you ever gone into your closet and said " I have nothing to wear"? If you are a woman I'm sure you have lol. Anyway I had this great idea that I wanted to share with all of you. If you have a phone with a camera on it, take a picture of yourself everyday in a different outfit everyday try to only include your favorite ones. (The ones where you say "hey I really look great in this") before you know it you will have a outfit catalog to go to on the days you just don't know what to wear :-)
 
 
Amanda Out!!!!

After several years (about 10 years) of being overweight I have decided to do something for myself.
I was involved in a bad car accident in 2001 and in that accident a lot of things happened that contributed in my weight gain. In the accident my mother and aunt were killed (and I was the one driving), I suffered a badly broken arm (humerus) and head injury that left me with a seizure disorder. For 3-4 years after the accident they struggled trying to find medications to control the seizures, I was dealing emotionally with the loss of my mom and aunt and the guilt of being the one driving and then I was told I wasn't able to work anymore. I wasn't allowed to drive so I never got out of the house. Plus, I was afraid to go anywhere because I was afraid of having a seizure in front of people. So my life became very restricted. I never left the house, and I found comfort in food. Since the accident I have gained around 100 pounds.
My seizures are now pretty much under control. I have been working a few days a month and have started getting out with my friends and family again. The problem now is I hate that I am overweight! People judge by what they see without knowing everything that is going on. I know when people see me there are people who think I'm lazy and if I really wanted to lose weight I would do something about it. This is why only a few people, who are close to me, even know about my surgery.
I have tried diet after diet and I fail every time. I do great in the beginning and then something happens and I just quit losing. I have worked with personal trainers, dietitian, and my doctors and I have them puzzled too. I have tracked my exercise and my food. I have tried to do everything right and then I fail. I have been so frustrated and have decided I need help.
So, in August I went to my first informational meeting for the lap band surgery. When I was there they went over all the different procedures that are available, the Band, the sleeve, and the bypass. When I left I had decided the band wasn't a choice for me and that I would choose the sleeve. The doctors basically said the sleeve wasn’t very successful and that the sleeve was a much better choice. I had a visit with the surgeon and he told me all the ins and outs of the surgery and what to expect afterwards. I had my cardiology clearance, my phych clearance and then I had to see the nutritionist. Andrea was great and she basically told me about my current diet and what would change. Then we had a group meeting where they went more in detail about EXACTALLY what we should and shouldn’t eat, portion sizes, what will happen with each surgery, etc.
I guess after all these meetings and really spending time researching each type of surgery I got really scared. With the sleeve they actually remove the majority of your stomach. WOW!!! That is permanent ....they can't put it back. Also, Andrea said that in the future if you need a feeding tube (for whatever reason) they would be unable to do one if you have had the sleeve. (She gave the example of being in a car accident and breaking your jaw and having to have your mouth wired shut and not being able to eat.) That hit me like a TON of bricks.
The bypass forms a pouch and they reroute the intestines which changes your absorption. This means I might not be able to absorb my seizure meds correctly and I could be back to the drawing board trying to find a combination that would keep my seizures under control.
So, after long consideration I just have a bad feeling about the sleeve and bypass so even though my doc's don’t care for the results of the band I believe this is the right choice for me. I know weight loss will be slower, and I know the complications that could happen but in my mind they are a lot less than the other two choices.
I am now waiting for the Sleep clearance (had the sleep study just waiting to be 30 days on C-Pap will see doc next week.) and then they will schedule my surgery.
My biggest fear about all this is that somehow I will fail again. I have support from my family and my friends but I have failed so many times before I just can't imagine being successful.
I am only 43, I’m too young to have the medical problems I have that are cause by being overweight. I have high blood pressure, heart arrhythmias, feet, ankle and knee problems and low self-esteem. All these can be changed by having this surgery. I know this is the thing I need to do to and this is the First Steps, reaching out to people who know what I am struggling with. People who don’t judge someone by their weight and people who want to help other be successful. I am glad I found this site and I look forward to sharing with you my next steps of success.
Thanks EVERYONE!

Yes, the "C" word = CANCER! Bare with me as this will be a long post....
 
My dad was diagnosed with colon & liver cancer back in Feb of 2011. He was given 6 - 9 months to live. He had the large mass from his colon removed the following month after his original diagnosis, and since the cancer had matasticised (spelling?), or should I just say spread, having chemo would have been fruitless. That was "20".... yes, I said "20" months ago. Dad i now 86.
 
Dad keeps himself busy, and his original response to the cancer, was that he had lived 84 yrs at the time, and I guess it's his time. What a frigin great attitude man. Dad is also my mom's caregiver. Even though she complains about him, and fights with him, he adores her & takes great care of her. She's not in the best of health, her memory is really starting to go (84 yrs old) and really isn't able to take care of herself (taking meds, running errands, driving...). Dad makes sure she is taken care of. In addition, he ALWAYS keeps himself busy, ALWAYS! While mom can't walk around a lot, dad enjoys doing projects. Earlier this year, he built my 19 yr old son a desk for college. A homemade desk! At 86! With Stage 4 cancer!
 
We've gotten used to the idea that dad has cancer, but since he's beaten the odds thus far, it's hard to think that one day he will be taken. It was hard, that is, until recently.
 
You see my husband & I were trying to figure out why I've been suddenly struggling with tracking my food intake, getting enough protein every single day, and eating enough overall. What caused this sudden change?
 
Dad went to the Dr 2 weeks ago for a cough he couldn't get rid of. The Dr decided to take an x-ray knowing he had cancer & to make sure everything was OK. It wasn't OK. I'll be damned if the frigin' "C" word spread to his lungs... :-(
 
He has an apt with his oncologist on the 30th, where we'll find out how far it's spread. He's still in good shape & "looks" ok, but you can see he's starting to get a little more tired. He takes pain med every morning for the pain in his stomach area (liver).
 
With that said, I've been pretty stressed out, but not really letting it show. I have a difficult time sleeping soundly at night because I worry about my mom when my dad goes, and my dad having to deal with all the pain & suffering that comes with... with that #$%^&* "C" word.
 
Obviously, it's having a bigger impact on me than I realized. It breaks my heart, and I worry. I'm no longer really focused on myself as much as I should be. I want my dad to go peacefully when his time comes. I want my mom to be ok.
 
I'm not ready for this. I HATE THE "C" WORD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I love clothes shopping in my own closet! Yesterday I put on a pair of jeans I forgot I had. They fit with a little room. My dream is to fit into my Warner Bros. jeans with the Taz and Bugs Bunny on them. I have saved them for over 15 years. Wow! over 15 years since I wore a size 16 and in my 40's then. I hope in my 60's isn't too old to wear fun clothes like that. I even have a 't' shirt to wear with them. I am running out of smaller clothes and will have to buy some clothes. In my support group one woman said because you change sizes so often go to consignment stores. I will have to check them out. I have my nephew's wedding in November and hope to fit into a size 14-16 and was thinking of buying at the consignment store to save money on a dressy outfit. Do other people save too small clothes hoping one day they will fit again? One pant suit I love, I waited too long and the jacket is way too big.
Have a great Labor Day weekend everyone. Drive safely-the nuts are out there.

I ran into my patient advocate, Paul, at True Results today. The patient advocate is the first person you meet with and they walk you through all the pre-op stuff. Once you have the surgery you don’t see the patient advocate. Anyway, I ran into Paul and he about fell over when he saw me. (btw, Paul has been banded for 7 years – lost 120lbs)
 
We sat down and chatted a bit. He said he remembers our first meeting and how I cried because I was so unhappy. And now I glow (his words). He said not only do I look great from the weight loss but my face glows with happiness. He said I was a walking Lap-band billboard. Me? Wow.
 
It was so cool hearing that. I just had to share it. Now I just have to figure out how I’m going to get this big head through the doorway. lol

I'm thinking I'm the only person that, knowing I must eat slooooowly & chew/chew/chew, I manage to still try to inhale my food. In my mind, I'm slowing down, but in reality, apparently I'm not.
 
I swear I'm trying, but not enough! Gosh, it's so frustrating because you know what happens when you eat to fast. Your stomach or esophogus... IDK... rejects it.... And then guess what happens? Apparently, I'm good at having the food come back up.
 
I'm so frustrated with myself. I actually had this happen 2 or 3 times this weekend, seriously.
 
I try to put my fork / spoon down, but I guess I just pick the damn thing back up again too quickly. My husband even reminds me, "slow down Fran."
 
Done venting.... back to eating again. See? I waited to take my next bite until I was done complaining about myself

I have discovered something about myself...
 
I go to the grocery store every week and buy food for myself and my family. I started running out of room in my cabinets for the food I bought. So I realized, after awhile, that I am hoarding food!!! I have been losing weight at a good rate since my lapband in March 2012 but I am always looking for new things that I can eat. I get it home~try it and can't eat it~no one else in the house wants it~so it sits in the cabinet to expire. So I buy all this crap I don't need and can't eat while the grocery store makes money! Now that I can't eat what I used to eat I am substituting my lack of fattening foods with SHOPPING; go figure. The realization "smacked" me in the face one day that I am holding onto foods that I can't eat and it fills some kind of void. I buy it and take it home and let it sit in my cabinets!!!
 
Hello, my name is Kelli and I am a food hoarder.

Tomorrow marks 1 year since I started my journey. Oct 12, 2011 was the day I walked into my Surgeon's office and introduced myself and told him I was ready to make a change and a life long commitment to myself. I had at this point been researching the band for about 6 months off and on and had attended an informational seminar a month earlier. That day I was weighed in at 488lbs and they took all sorts of measurements and pictures along with a thorough physical. They sent me on my way with no promises of surgery until I met all the requirements and criteria. One of those requirements was to lose minimum 5% of my weight. They explained the need to shrink the liver for a safe surgery.
 
I hit that 5% goal which was 24lbs in less then two months. Weight Center was surprised and impressed but I told them that losing is not hard. Keeping it off is hard.
 
I was also given a laundry list of testing that had to be done along with meeting a 3rd party Doctor who had to clear me for the surgery. Also on that day I met with the in-house Nutritionist and was given a pre-op diet to follow along with a schedule for Nutrition classes. It was at that appointment they confirmed I needed to complete a 6 month mandatory monitored diet due to insurance policy.
 
November 28, 2011 the first Monday after Thanksgiving I spent a good chunk of the day at the hospital for the following tests
Upper GI
Abdominal ultrasound
Cardiac Echo
Chest X-ray
EKG
Blood work

On December 1, 2011 I returned to the office for a Psychological Evaluation and another follow up with the Nutritionist.
 
Between January 9, 2012 and February 13 I attended a 6 session (we met once a week) class called the Hungry Head. Hungry Head program is to help one distinguish the differences between head hunger and real hunger and to develop skills to manage urges to over-eat. This class also allowed me to meet my mandatory requirement of attending 6 pro-op Support Meetings. I found this class to be an eye opening experience and it really allowed me to take a long honest look at myself. I was a binge eater. I would plan binges. I would go to the store on the way home from work and buy soda, cheese its and ice cream. I would finish a meal and wonder when and what my next meal would be. Eating in front of t.v. was just plain bad for me.
 
 

I am the one in the Patriots shirt standing with my Dad. We were just wrapping up a fishing trip. This picture was taken in August of 2011. I have no real idea how much I weighed in this picture but it was taken two months before my consult appointment in October. So if I wasn't 488 here I was darn close.
 

This is a more recent picture. Weighing 364lbs down 124lbs.
 
I seems like it took forever to get to Surgery day but wow what a fast year it has been. It was well worth it..wait strike that! I am worth it and I would do this again in heartbeat. Even at 364lbs I have a new lease on life and it can only get better from here.
 
If you read this far I thank you i know I tend to ramble. I will close with a quote posted by Chris Powell from ABC's Extreme Makeover: Weight loss Edition
 
"You will never change your life until you change something you do daily". - John Maxwell
 
Words to live by and I'm still trying....

Happy Thursday everyone. Today I start Stage 5 and it's my birthday. My new life is starting and I am 62. It took me all these years to finally take care of me first. Having lunch out at a fish restaurant with my son and husband. I hope I do well eating something different.
Have a great day everyone and think THIN! we are all worth it.

Hello everyone,
On Dr. Oz today Lisa Lampanelli is going to talk about having the sleeve surgery. She did it in the spring and has lost 80lbs. Great weight loss but way too fast. That is why I think the Band is so much better and safer. her husband also had the sleeve done.
I can't wait to hear Dr. Oz's opinion on the sleeve.
Enjoy Happy Hump Day, all!

I have had my second fill and am not in the green zone with 3cc fill appear to be stuck at this weight for 3 weeks now. I am trying not to get discouraged, continue to walk thinking about getting a personal trainer just to make the scale move.
I had a large celebration this week with my only cheat being a 2oz sample of wine. First and only alcohol since going under the knife. No sweets at all and making healthy choices.
Time to get back to my journal I guess to really see what's happening with my intake calorie wise. I have to remain focused, I can feel a difference in my clothes as I have shed an entire wardrobe! Another non scale victory under 100 to lose! I can do this....! Yes..I can!

Everyone has opinions and advice and that is what makes us different individually. I am not one to sugar coat things but for someone to come and tell another "you are giving out bad information or advice" is just dead wrong. That is the opinion bad information or advice is being given.
 
Keys to a successful journey in my opinion is:
Patience
Education
Following basic guidelines set forth by a Doctor and/or Nutritionist
Making good food choices
Develop good eating habits such as eating slow, smaller portions and chewing up food very fine
Analyze your hunger to ensure it is really truly hunger and not head hunger
Patience
Ongoing Education throughout your journey
Constant follow up with Doctors and Nutritionists throughout the journey. This is a must should band adjustments be needed.

While I understand is is perfectly normal to read up on the manufacture website on the product I think I would put more faith in the experience others have had with the product and that goes for both patients and medical professionals alike. I read up on Realize band on the manufacture website but in the end they are trying to sell a product. I want to hear from the 'end users' and the medical professionals who work with the product.
 
 
Just my penny worth of thoughts
 
Oh and Fen-Phen said they could help people lose weight as well but in the end the drug was pulled for causing serious health issues along with deaths and they ended up shelling out $13 billion in settlements. Anyone who just takes the word of a manufacturer as FACT or word of law is not a wise person.

So, I had my 1st fill today after my Nutrition class. Can I just say "ouch!" Yea, it smarted a little when the needle went in, and I did say "OUCH!". The Nurse says "aw, come on (jokingly)," and I said "yea, seriously OUCH." Oh, it wasn't painful or anything like that, but it did kinda pinch. I even felt something weird when she first started injecting the saline. She said some people can feel it, others can't. This was about 2 hours ago, and my port site is a little sore, but it doesn't hurt.
 
Oh, I found out my band size is a 14. Holy large band, Batman. Yea, I guess it's one of the bigger size bands :ph34r: (embarrassed a little), and I guess she filled me with 5 1/2 or 5 cc's (great, now I can't remember). I'm kinda feeling 'full' right now, but I haven't eaten anything. They said fluids this afternoon, and soft foods for dinner. Then tomorrow, normal foods. I have an appointment for 2 weeks from today to see if I need a 2nd fill by then. They said I can cancel if I feel I don't need it, and schedule an apt for 4 weeks out. I guess we'll see how the next few weeks go.
 
So, I'm off....

The first step toward change begins with me. I took mine two weeks ago when I met with my doctor to discuss bariatric surgery options. She was encouraging and asked me to call the surgeon. I did and got an appointment for the next day. I met with the surgeon, got more encouragement, a lot of information and told I should hear something within 3-4 weeks. The first week of waiting went well. The second... not so well.
 
The inside of my head is pretty crowded right now.This has been a tough but typical week. Whenever I reach up to climb out of the hole I have dug for myself (looks a lot like a grave, come to think of it) something always manages to grab hold and pull me back. It's as if there are other people inhabiting me. They have been with me for much of my life and they are not shy. I find them as attention hogs; arrogant, controlling, negative. (Funny how similar they are to my mother, not that I want to blame her).
Sabotage, Anxiety and Doubt...that's their names. They tend to wait until I'm alone to do their work. They are cunning and determined.
 
I believe in standing in my truth and being accountable for my actions. I know I am strong enough to follow the requirements for success. Why am I vulnerable to these three? Constant good intentions that are forgotten in an instant and replaced with thoughts as if I am choosing my last meal in the next minute. I find this battle accelerates within me the more I think of what's ahead. I am concerned about complications and disappointment both with myself and with others. I'm tired and I've lived without hope for awhile.
 
I pray both Sabotage and Doubt will shut up and leave me alone. I know I can do this. I embrace the idea of having support and guidance to walk the path with me.
 
Dammit. Anxiety must have decided to come visit me as well, eh?

I've been fighting with my weight probably since I was 8 years old. Probably since my ballet instructor told me I better watch what I was eating at age 7 or they wouldn't let me move onto point. I solved that problem by quiting ballet the next year. I progressively got heavier and I remember in 8th grade I weighed 175 and was going to a nutritionist. I think of that number now with envy of my 14 year old self. In high school I maintained at between 200-214. I was active on the track team, tennis team, had plenty of friends. Wouldn't call myself popular but definitely not unpopular. Long story short I didn't let the fact that I was overweight stop me from doing the things I wanted to do. I liked that about me and I embraced my body. I think that would have been the end of my story had I been able to maintain what I weighed then, even if it was well above the approprate weight standard for my height. Needless to say I couldn't maintain it and progressively gained. In that time frame I got married and had a baby. And when I hit the scales at 322 I realized that I needed to do something drastically different in my life or I would die and miss parts of my daughter's life I didn't have to. So this past January I went to the free session and learned about my options. Unfortunately the surgeon didn't show up but it was enough to make me think this is something I want to do. After learning that my insurance didn't cover the procedure I figured that this was not going to happen for me. The hospital offered to try to get me qualified for a reduced cost plan which I then waited months to even fill out. I found out in June that I would qualify and that I would get help with some of the costs of the procedure. Even though I will still be paying something out of pocket, it wasn't so much I didn't think this was possible for me. Since starting the program in Mid July I've lost just about 20 lbs. I still have my good days and my bad days but the important thing is, I've started. And I am learning how to eat better everyday. My surgery is scheduled for November 27th and it will be one more tool in my aresenal.