gowalking

Hi gourmetone. We are finalizing the details now. I can tell you that the meeting will be on June 14th so please hold the date if you can. We will send out the time and location shortly and Alex will also send a blast email so all our friends in the area will have this information as well. Hope to see you there! Liz

I know this is the sleeve site and I'm banded but it doesn't matter. You sound just like me before I got the band. In fact, I went with the band because I expected to fail and then I could get it removed and go back to eating myself into an early grave. All I can tell you is what my experience was like. I started to see that I was not so hungry anymore. I was eating so much less and not missing it terribly. Oh...I still have cravings, and I want what I want. But somewhere around the 70 lb. mark, I was able to see a difference. Plus, it was at this point that I could go ahead with my joint replacement surgery. Before that, I was too heavy. I was also close to being in a wheelchair because I couldn't walk. Do I miss eating to excess? Sometimes yes. Do I miss the hip pain? Never. Do I miss the staring faces and the horror on some of those faces if it looked like I might try to sit next to them on the bus or subway? No. Do I enjoy being normal sized? You bet. I know how you feel. I really do. You will get used to this way of life. If you don't fight the sleeve as I do not fight the band...meaning not testing it, not breaking the rules....you will find success and your fears and concerns will fade away. Good luck. Oh and I see that you and Marmello are in NY. Anywhere near New York City perhaps ladies? That's where I hail from.

With all due respect Laura, you have more to worry about than a fill or not. You should not be nauseous and you should definitely not be vomiting. Get hold of your doctor tomorrow and tell him/her what is going on. It's not normal to have these issues. Please let us know what the doctor says.

Hi taku. I think everyone on this site struggles. Maybe some do better with the weight loss than others. Maybe some lose faster than others. But everyone struggles to eat better, smarter and less. And that's a struggle for me with almost every meal. I would love to eat alot again...and I would love to eat Pasta pasta, and more pasta. When I'm out and about, all I see are restaurants that I don't even bother with because I know the food they offer is no good for me. What motivates me..what empowers me is the feeling of control I now have. I don't like not being in control and eating till I'm sick is an out of control activity. When I get up from the table having eaten my band sized portion, I feel in control and empowered. That feeling is overwhelmingly better than the brief good feeling from eating to excess....and then of course the terrible feelings of guilt and disgust...from once again, not being able to stop. Find the thing that motivates and empowers you. Maybe it's control like it is for me...or maybe something else. Whatever it is, once you do find it, I really think it will make this process easier. That, and correct restriction. Especially correct restriction. Good luck my dear and please let us know how you are doing.

Same here. I had a conversation with my PCP and she mentioned that she would be thrilled if I got down to 150 and that was the number I used. You can see on my ticker that per my BMI, I'm still overweight even though I've met my goal.

You're not a loser. You are almost halfway to goal and you'll get there sooner or later. Focus on the journey rather than the destination. How much better do you feel now? How much better is your mobility? Are you off some of your meds? You must be in smaller clothes as well. Focus on the positive. Good luck!!

Georgetown....wow. A blast from the past. I'm a Canarsie gal. Lived there till I was 20 and then went to Sheepshead Bay. I'm in the city now...West Village. I like downtown better than mid or upper. Do you mind if I ask how you did with the band other than the slip? I'm doing so well it's scary. I've lost all the weight without even any fills. I had good restriction from day one. My surgeon said it's very rare but it does happen. I know of two other banded folks on this site who also have no fills.

Totally agree with enjoythetime. Check with your doctor but I also think a fill just before a vacation is probably not a good idea. Oh and my doctor also says to not eat/drink an hour or so before and after the flight.

Good luck. Doesn't matter which WLS you have as long as you are successful. Do you live in Brooklyn? I grew up there.

It feels tremendous. I went from not being able to walk to living almost a normal life. I am still working on some residual pain but I am off all heavy duty pain meds and high dose NSAIDs. Have I worked hard? Well, if following the rules and not cheating is working hard, then yes, I worked hard. But it was all worth it. I couldn't do any exercise before...there was too much pain. I now do Water exercise classes two or three times a week. I can ride a bike again. I ride at the gym. I'm smaller than I've been in more than 20 years. I can cross my legs. I can shave my legs. I can walk up and down stairs. The list goes on and on. Good luck to you Harley. If you follow the rules, you will reach your goals as well.

...and mine.

Just one thing.....make sure you can break the pill. Check the insert or ask the pharmacist. Some meds cannot be broken or crushed. They don't work the same if they are not taken whole. I was on Tramadol and Diclofenac also for arthritis. Heck, I was on Percocet round the clock till I had my hip replacement surgery. Not everything could be split. Again...just check first.

My tummy is very saggy these days but when I do Water aerobics, I don't have an issue because my suits are tight and they act just like a girdle. Maybe you should investigate a smaller sized bathing suit that will keep you tighter. That may be all you need to 'fix' the problem.

No my dear....you shouldn't presume you haven't lost enough weight at two months post band. The 'average' weekly loss is 12 lbs. Really. You lose slower with the band than with other WLS. In the end though, it makes no difference. After a couple of years, the weight loss is nearly the same regardless of which WLS you had. Practice eating slower. As the band is filled, you must take small bites and eat slowly. Otherwise, you will find out the joys of sliming and getting stuck. Alex (the founder of this site) is working on face to face support groups. I don't know where you live but you can search on support group threads and you should find the one Alex started. It will let you know if anything is planned for your area. I live in New York City and we have become the test case for these support groups. We are organizing the second meeting now as a matter of fact. Read the threads that inspire you. Take strength from the many success stories out there. Follow you doctor's instructions....don't cheat..you will only feel bad and guilty and that sucks. Good luck and keep up the good work.

Bless you Carmen. I have two married sons and I'd like to think if I needed someone to take care of me in such a dire situation, one of my daughters-in-law would step up as you are doing.

You are hooked up to IVs when you have the surgery. It's done so you don't become dehydrated. Those fluids can cause a weight gain. You can also have Fluid buildup from the trauma of the surgery itself. I'm not a doctor so I can't explain it in detail but for me, after I had the bi-lateral hip surgery, I gained 15 lbs. It wasn't from food....I was very swollen and that's where the gain came from.

I needed to lose over a hundred pounds. I see from your ticker that you want to lose nearly twice that much. If you're doing a strict pre-op diet, you could lose 20 lbs. or more during that time. After the surgery however, you could gain from the Fluid buildup. Or not... It's so individual that I don't think you can estimate anything for yourself. You might lose alot at first, or you might lose just a little. I lost all the weight I wanted to but I never lost more than three pounds in one week. Just follow the rules...if you do, I promise, the weight will come off. Just enjoy your trip and don't worry about how you will look. My weight loss was not obvious until I dropped around 50 lbs. Honestly. And you won't drop that kind of weight in four weeks. So like I said, don't try to project. Have fun on safari!

Thanks boo. I really appreciate you responding. Now that I've lost so much weight, I am really concerned about the maintaining. It's not the first time I've lost alot of weight but I sure as hell want it to be the last time. I understand how life and circumstances can throw you for a loop and get you off track. I also hear from folks that they don't feel well and start messing around with their fills. I have no Fluid in my band. I got really really lucky and had restriction with an open band but I still worry about upsetting things somehow and losing the feeling of restriction. Please keep me posted and let me know how you are doing.

Hi Carol. You are obviously a very strong woman. Otherwise, you would be sitting in a corner drooling considering all you have been dealing with. You need to take that strength and use it to be successful. Don't make these adversities an excuse. Use them to motivate yourself to take care of you and your health. I was banded just three months before you and have made it to goal. I don't say this to make you feel bad. I say this because I didn't let anything get in the way. I was diagnosed with osteonecrosis in August and was told both my hips needed to be replaced and possibly my knees as well. You can imagine how thrown I was. I had terrible arthritic flares that had me bed-ridden. I was in such horrific pain that even oxycodone round the clock only took the edge off. Through all of this, I kept losing weight. I followed the rules. Then I got hit with another health issue that threw me so badly that I found myself in therapy just to cope with it. Still, I lost weight. I started to see again how wonderful it was to be normal sized and that was the thing I held onto when all else was in shambles. I'm finally coming out of alot of this and am reaping the rewards. I can walk without the horrible hip/knee pain. I'm off the cane, and can even exercise again. I'm on the verge of living a normal life again and it means everything to me. You can do the same. Focus on yourself. Again, don't use your challenges as excuses. Use them to your advantage and take the weight loss on full steam ahead. Stay on this site and read the stories that inspire you. I know that will help you to find the success you are hoping for.

Hi boo. I'm 15 months out from my band and trying to understand why you, or many other veteran bandsters struggle years later. I'm presuming you were successful for most of your banded life so what is it that is making you currently struggle? Are you eating more? Are you making poor food choices? Are you not exercising? I'm really curious because I am hoping with all my heart to not be one of those who struggle in the future. Can you enlighten this relative newbie? Thanks.

That's the new mantra around here Lisa.....'share my bacon'. We need to make T-shirts with that saying. I loooove it!! Bandista...didn't realize it but now that you mention it, yes...it is funny how I was able to get rid of the bacon so easily.

Sorry for your loss. Regarding your hair falling out....it doesn't stop right away even with the extra Protein and Biotin. It took several months before my hair started to come back. I know it's horrible to see it fall out and horrifying if it gets so thin you can see scalp as happened to me. But just know that it will come back. I promise. Keep up the biotin and see about taking protein supplements if you need to.

The best thing for you to do is talk to your doctor. He's the only one who can answer your questions. Wishing you the best.

Thank you for posting the pictures. I am considering this type of surgery. I've lost alot of weight and have the loose skin problem. I think all the time about getting rid of this darn pot belly, and getting the 'girls' plumped back up instead of them just laying on my chest like deflated balloons.

We can all be your buddies Marge. Most of us have been through what you are shortly facing and can be your support as you go through it. The hard part is the unknown. I'm 15 months post op and I remember how scared I was about what my life would be like after being banded. All I can say is that the band saved me. I was in need of knee replacement and no surgeon would touch me at the weight I was. I lost enough weight to have the surgery...which turned out to be both hips and not the knees. 2013 was a horrific year what with all the joint pain, surgery, and post op crap. But now I'm almost completely pain free in the hips and normal sized. I'm living again and didn't realize how small my world was when I was morbidly obese. This is the best thing you are doing for yourself and a year or so from now, you can do the same as I am and pay it forward for some other newbie on this site. Good luck, follow your doctor's instructions, don't cheat or fight the band, and you too will have a new lease on life. FYI, my before and after pics are attached so you can see how far you also can come.