gowalking

Welcome rae. Like to see posts from veteran bandsters who give us their experiences both good and challenging.

yes as a matter of fact, I'm heading home tomorrow. looking forward to being home, not looking forward to the cold weather though....

I swam because of joint pain. The band never was an issue. Having to buy new suits however was an issue because the cheap ones didn't provide the correct support... hence spending more than I wanted to. It was nice to buy smaller sizes though.

Have a wonderful birthday my friend. All the best to you today and always.

The doctor I mean... not you. He's clueless.

Spoken like someone who is clueless about food addiction. I'm not telling you to ignore what he's saying but keep in mind that this is your journey and you should do what feels right to you. If tracking calories works for you, there's no harm in that. You're not hurting yourself or the band.

I posted about this recently. I noted that my ticker says 25 lbs to goal but I really have met my goal in that I had my hip replacement surgery six weeks ago and I am no longer morbidly obese. However more weigh I lose so be it. It's a number and nothing more. I will have my mobility back soon.. I no longer fear embarrassing situations due to my size and I no longer take BP meds. Thank you lapband.

Beautiful my friend... just beautiful.

I'm posting this in the success stories forum since this is about success. My ticker says I have 25 lbs. to go to get to goal, but I am realizing I really have reached my goal. I needed to lose enough weight to get my hips replaced and that was done nearly six weeks ago. This surgery will improve my life tremendously and allow me to walk without pain. For those with chronic arthritis and associated pain, they understand better than most, just how vital and life changing this surgery is. I also reached goal in that I am no longer morbidly obese. I'm not talking about BMI, that's just a number. What I'm talking about is how people look at me. I'm just a 'normal' overweight person. No one stares at me anymore, no one looks horrified if I try to sit next to them on the train/bus. I no longer fear airplane seats, restaurant booths, chairs with arms, or tight fitting spaces. I'm no longer ashamed of my size. I am wearing pants in the 14/16 range, and blouses in the XL/1X size. I'm sure soon enough, I'll be out of 'women's' sizes altogether and be able to shop anywhere. If however, I never lose another pound, I'm OK with the clothing size I currently am as there are plenty of things to chose from. Not so when I was a 26/28 and a 4X. I've had a few weeks to contemplate this 'new' phase as I have basically maintained my weight loss while recuperating from surgery. I'm not at home and am not as in control as I normally am in terms of food. I'm eating out more than usual, I know my sodium intake is higher than usual, but I'm also seeing what it's like to maintain. Yesterday, we went for lobster Cantonese...my mom's favorite. I had eggdrop and wonton Soup and what was likely one lobster. I estimated because the special was two lobsters and they chopped them into pieces and put them on one plate. In any case, I ate what I thought was one lobster and had them pack up the other one to take home and told my mom she could eat it for lunch if she wanted it because I knew the sodium was high and I didn't want to eat any more of it even though it was delicious. Sure enough, I'm up two lbs. this morning but I know as long as I watch the sodium for a couple of days, the number will drop back down again. So...the point of this post is that once I get home, I'll go back to my 'regular' way of eating and just let nature take it's course. I'm sure I'll lose more weight just because there's still plenty of excess in that department. Plus, as I heal, I hope to be able to finally start an exercise regimen as well. However...if I wind up staying at this weight, I am satisfied with that and am now looking forward to the real challenge here, and that is being able to maintain this lifestyle. My first 'bandiversary' will be in January, and I plan on posting every year with the expectation that I will continue being a successful bandster. PS: I'll post before/after pics shortly. I'm waiting for the swelling in my hips to go down some. Right now, I look like my dear departed mother-in-law who had some set of hips on her. Talk about pear shaped....LOL.

Thanks for your kind words bandista

Right back at you CG!

Went to the Japanese buffet last night and had one plate of assorted sushi and sashimi and less than one roll (six slices). Contemplated going for a few more items but knew it would not have been because I was hungry so I engaged in conversation till the feeling passed. Felt so good not to give in to the temptation.

..and was on two meds then one and now none

Was on BP meds for nearly 15 years and was taken off them six weeks ago. Super happy with this NSV.

I got rid of my larger sized clothes as soon as I could because I was so ashamed of how large I truly was. Well...since then I've often wondered about trying on something I used to wear when I was at my heaviest. Some of that is just because I find it hard to see my new smaller size even looking in a mirror or when buying new clothes in sizes that fit me now. So...the other day, I went into my sister's closet and put on a pair of her capri pants. She is the size I used to be so I knew it would be like trying on one of my own pair of pants. Obviously I did this when she was not around...the last thing I want to do is embarrass her in any way. This was really for me anyway...it was just convenient in terms of the size of the pants. So...I tried them on and I looked like others who have posted pics of themselves in their old sizes. There was so much excess room...the pants could have fit my nine year old granddaughter in there with me. It was a good visual that helped to reinforce how much weight 90 lbs. really is. Sometimes the number really doesn't equate to what you see in the mirror.

I'm hoping it becomes second nature for me B-52. Right now it's not. I have to make sure I am eating band sized portions and remind myself it's not about being full but it's all about satiety.

It was mean and nasty. Talk to her about it if she's a friend. Avoid her in future if she is not.

Oh, I've always been afraid of buying a size smaller...what if I never fit into it? Have to change some of that mindset I think because I like that idea of having something smaller to 'inspire' me. Thanks Hazel.

I live in NYC so with Jersey my neighbor west of the Hudson River, I see articles on Christie all the time in the NY papers. Just the other day, I saw a comment about his running for president and the poster said specifically that he/she would never vote for a fat person as this indicates an inability to control themselves. I agree with posters on this site who've said that those who abuse drugs and/or alcohol receive more support than those who abuse food. I know I have hated myself bitterly for being so fat and I am having issues even now when I look at all the loose skin I have and now the mammoth swelling in my hip area from recent hip replacement surgery. I can't believe how much that bothers me and it's nothing I did...it's just a fact of life when having such an invasive procedure. Sorry...got a little off track there but any time someone is judged based on their appearance, it brings up all these issues for me about who a person is rather than what a person looks like. Oh...and most folks I speak to are convinced that Christie had the surgery in preparation for a run for the top job in 2016...and not for any other reason. I think that too says a lot about how shallow we can be sometimes... OK, rant over. Thanks for reading.

Hi Lainie. Unlike many bandsters, I did this procedure fighting it all the way. Truth is, I had no choice anymore and my back was literally up against the wall. I was in danger of losing my mobility completely and a year of specialized diet meals resulted in a total loss of 25 lbs. when I needed to lose 100. I had the surgery in January and have lost 90 of those lbs. and was able to have both hips replaced. I'm still newly recovering but I can already tell there is a huge difference in terms of the horrific chronic crippling pain I had before, and the post op pain I'm feeling now. This pain will eventually go away and as my name says, I hope to 'gowalking' anywhere and everywhere within the next few months. For me, this was the only thing left. I am fortunate that it worked and I could have the surgery I so desperately needed. Good luck in your journey and I hope you find the answers you are looking for.

My PCP wants me to have both a colonoscopy and a long needed visit to the gynecologist. I put off both for a while just because they are not the most pleasant things to go through and then when the pain in my hips/knees got really bad, I couldn't get in the correct positions for either type of exam. Will have to revisit both of these next year once the hips have healed. I'm still newly recuperating from the hip replacements and I'm sure I'll need to wait for a while but I know I can't/shouldn't put off these visits much longer.

Glad to see you posting again. I was pretty new when I found this site and your posts were very encouraging. FYI I'm now banded ten months and down 90 or so pounds and have met the most important goal of all which was double hip replacement. I hope to be able to move and walk pain free shortly. Again.. welcome back.