Bandista

@@2muchfun missed you! Appendicitis, yikes, that must have been pretty scary with the band. And bracketed by two knee surgeries. Not fun. Glad you're off the meds; that's no way to live. You are one of the people who really inspired me, especially in the exercise realm. Can you bike yet? Hope you have a wonderful autumn and a much better December than last year. Here's an interesting article I just put up on the general weight loss forum -- sure am glad for the dimmed appetite: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/30/opinion/diet-advice-that-ignores-hunger.html?smid=fb-share&_r=0

Good for you taking care of your nutritional needs, Joe, and to have that data to compare and make adjustments, etc. I am going to seek out some Bs in tiny tab form to help with stress and anxiety. And Just Watch Me, happy for you! I agree that checking in with feelings is really helpful; whatever the feelings are, they are not so consuming when I view them objectively. It's very beautiful here in NH just now. Only problem is every one knows this and we are overcome with visitors, events, etc. It's nice to see cousins, etc., and lots of picnics and fun but, yikes, need some serious downtime to recover from so many people. We have a small orchard and today we are setting up the cider press --- it was a good year for the fruit trees. Only thing better than August is September. Did any one see the Super Moon last night? Wow! Star-gazing helps me keep things in perspective.

Weight Loss Surgery was such an out of the blue decision for me -- I'm not even sure exactly how it came about. We live in the boonies, I don't watch TV, and I didn't know any one else with a LapBand (or any other WLS). I am kind of a health food type and had never been an overnight patient in the hospital before. I guess I heard that a cousin's doctor had recommended this for him and so I started digging into the research. Almost right away I realized I was the perfect candidate. I think what this means is that I was READY. I had spent two decades dieting and working every weight loss angle under the sun, yet I always put the weight back on again plus a little more. Each year I was a little heavier, and since I'm in my fifties it was really starting to add up. I ate well, just too much. Now I eat well, just in much smaller portions and at appropriate intervals. What a difference this makes over time. Here I am today 75 pounds down from when I started 17 months ago. I honestly can't believe it. Next month at a year and a half I hope to be able to report 80. It's been a long winter and I have not been exercising as much as I'd like. I know from experience that for me the exercise is really the magic ingredient. I hate the gym and as soon as this sleet and snow clears off I can't wait to resume outdoor walking again. Last year I bought a bike and I look forward to that. I have arthritis and being able to do these things is a real gift. So much easier without carrying around all that extra weight! The scale is the scale and sometimes it doesn't budge. I tend to lose some and then hover a long while around a particular number for a while. This can be frustrating but I've learned that it is okay, that the scale will eventually move. Meanwhile, its all about the pants, the pants. I have gone from 18 jeans down to size 10 in the same brand. Right now I have a pair of size 10 jeans in another brand that I picked up on sale and they are way too tight. But I'm going to get into those jeans over time -- and I also have a couple of pair of linen pants in my closet. I try them all on from time to time and that helps keep me motivated. It's all about the pants, the pants..... Determining a goal weight is hard -- I guess I will know when I get there (and I know I'm not there yet). I'm fairly tall and don't want to be "skinny" -- I like my curves. For now I am thinking 155 might be a good weight for me and I am thrilled to be just 22 pounds away from that goal as of this morning. Oh my goodness, I am so happy!

Love it that they couldn't keep up with you! Here's to living our lives and enjoying exercise. To being ABLE -- that's what I love.

Hi there, I am some one who benefitted from therapy as part of preparing for surgery. We really worked to identify and break down triggers -- it was tedious but I'm glad I did it. It's not as though I hadn't confronted food issues before but because I had made the decision to have weight loss surgery this time I was really admitting the seriousness of the problem and how willing I was to solve it. Good luck with all. Way to go choosing yourself and your healthy future!

@@Narda G congratulations on your surgery! I waited quite a while before having alcohol as I was worried about addiction transference. And I talked to my surgeon, who has no prohibitions for alcohol but recommends martinis over wine for the caloric intake. As for carbonation, I can't tolerate carbonation and it is not recommended for Lapband patients. Talk to your doctor and see what she/he has to say on both scores. And good luck to you -- you're doing beautifully.

Great thread, and a bandwagon I need to be on as well. The Wine & cheese Party does not lead to success, that's for sure. I like it that I can have whatever I want, just in small amounts, blah, blah, blah, but if what I really want is to lose this last twenty pounds I need to give up the vino as well. Sigh. I am going to go make my several bottles of cranberry Water. I fill up 32 ounce bottles with our delicious well water, add 1/2 cup unsweetened cranberry and 1/2 cup of aloe. This is my comfort drink and this is what I will drink this evening.

I am some one who needed several fills to achieve the green zone. Twice I've had small unfills and the pattern was very similar. I'd had a fill, lived with it for a bit and realized I needed an adjustment in reverse. The surgeon did not remove the whole amount of the recent fill but just a bit and that worked well for a time. But then weeks later I began to notice an increase in the amount I was eating as well as feeling hungry again too soon, so I went back to have another small fill. I think I will always need to make small adjustments here and there but maybe not. I do have an inflammatory profile -- arthritis, etc., and I think hormones play a role as well. And the weather. I dont' think I keep a super-tight band -- I'm able to glug my Water most of the time (not always). I still have to be very mindful eating. The other day I gobbled fresh mozzerella and almost got stuck. Almost two years out but fifty previous years of speed-eating. I am quite sure I would not have my band emptied under any circumstances. So long as I can drink water I don't mind if I have to have a day or two off from eating during a period of travel. That would actually be really good for me.

Some months ago I stumbled on beautiful J Jill linen pants on sale. I have long legs and often can't find pants that are not high-waters on me. These pants are long and graceful. I grabbed two pairs in size 10 -- one a deep purple and the other a great shade of red. I want to wear these pants! They zip up but are much too tight right now. So that's my goal, to look great in a pair of size tens. I'd better get going on that. This summer I have been wearing sleeveless tops and dresses. This, for me, is something of a miracle. I guess that was a big goal for me that I have achieved. Yippee! The numbers game does not really work for me. I had an original goal of 148 but I've adjusted that as I think it would be too thin for me. I want to have my curves but not be fat -- a delicate balance. For now I look and feel "normal" and that is pretty wonderful, but I still have a ways to go to get off another twenty. Those pants are going to be fabulous then.

I'm a good cook and enjoy eating out at restaurants. My main issue is that I have kept my WLS private and it is sometimes hard to conceal how little I'm eating. I usually split an entree with my husband if he's along -- like a tenderloin or something I'm not inclined to make at home. He also gets an appetizer or two to make sure he's not going to starve, lol. If it's a business lunch, etc., and I'm wound up or tense I often can't eat much at all. Sometimes I will say something like, "I had a protein shake before I came and it really filled me up." Another tactic is I will just order an appetizer and say I'm saving room for dessert. When it comes time for dessert I will forgo that or offer to split something, in which case I just have a couple of bites and am completely satisfied (miracle). And I don't ever go to chain places, etc. -- I want to have really good fresh food prepared well otherwise it's not worth it to me.

Just catching up on this thread -- not sure why it hasn't been coming up for me but glad that people are posting here in our little sub-group. We are having a beautiful summer here, which is so welcome after a long hard winter. Gardening a lot and quite active which feels good. I'm having anxiety, though, and trying to learn how not to anticipate situations and get tense in advance and generally how not to let myself get overwhelmed. A lot of aging parent issues, teenager at home, friend with ALS, needy neighbors. I have to go back to choosing myself first, seeing to it that my needs are met FIRST....did I take my Vitamins and BP medication, how is my sleep, am I having too much tea, how about alcohol, do I need to stretch, etc. I'm really better at taking care of other people and need to selfish-up again. Have been dealing with some employer harassment issues that are so complicated I had to get a therapist (guy is crazy). Being forced to stand up for myself in a major way and not be fearful. It has taken a lot out of me. There are the issues of my weight loss, looking and feeling good and then along came the inappropriate attention. Such a blow to my professional integrity and self-esteem but I will be stronger in the long run for getting in touch with this anger that I feel.

Go! Choose yourself -- they are your team. Health professionals are there for you but you've got to call and make the appointment. Do it!

I am a switcher-upper kind of craving a little more routine......

Hi there, my only regret is that I didn't do it sooner. I was 52 when I got my band almost two years ago. The weight loss is great but I did not expect to be so happy in other ways. Being at peace with food and having that appetite dimmed is like a miracle for me. I was spending so much time and energy beating myself up or having dialogues in my head about food. No more. The pain was not horrible. I filled the prescription for pain medication but did not use it. Discomfort, definitely, but totally worth it. Like Pink Dahlia, I only have to blap up food (it's not really throwing up -- I hate vomitting and this is very different) when I've eaten too quickly. All those years of shovelling it in and sometimes I am not mindful. But mostly I have no issues whatsoever. I eat when I'm hungry and don't eat when I'm not hungry. In the beginning I had to really focus on all of that because I hadn't really been hungry in such a long time. Plus I had to learn that being hungry is a good thing -- it's normal. Here's to being normal and having a regular relationship with food. Thank goodness for lapband because I would not have been a candidate for one of the other surgeries. I'm very conservative and had never been an overnight patient in a hospital before. I LOVE MY BAND!

Nice! And Alaska -- what a great trip you are going to have. I am so glad to have my band and renewed health at this time in my life. Like others, I am grateful for your presence here. Best wishes!

Hi there @@butterfly40, way to go showing up for yourself and your healthy future. Getting that appetite monstor off of my back is the best thing I ever did. I also don't miss anything but if some one had told me that prior to my surgery I never would have believed it. I still love food -- I just have smaller portions at appropriate intervals. To me that is something of a miracle. Like you, I hate artificial sweeteners. My pre-op liquid diet was two weeks and those first couple of days were definitely the hardest. The product my surgeon's office doled out did not agree with me (full of crap) so I used another. And I did not have to give up caffeine; I am a tea drinker and occasionally have some decaffeinated coffee. If you call the office and tell them you are having a difficult time, there may be some leniency on that score -- but do follow your doctor's instructrions to the letter. I think that is key. I was very excited about the surgery and used that to ride through the stages afterward. My only regret is that I didn't do it sooner (my baby is about to turn 20). Post-op I focused on walking, a little further each time. The protocol for me was one day clear and then full liquids. I loved my popsicles and went ahead and had ones with real sugar because I was having so little. I liked the Soups sold in cartons in the natural foods section of the regular grocery store -- like potato leek, etc. And warm tea felt good to me. I was allowed egg drop Soup and that was very satisfying. You are going to do well because you are thinking it all out ahead of time and confronting your worries head-on -- way to go! Pre-op SUCKS but you will get through this. You need help, though. Whoever can help you needs to be tapped so that you are able to get the sleep you need and focus on yourself for this time. Every one will benefit in the long run. I wish I had understood earlier that in choosing myself first that's what happens -- every one wins. I had never been at the top of the list before and now I am and we are all very happy. Oh, one thing about pre-op is that for the first time in my life, after so many diets and regaining, I knew the pounds I was losing were NEVER coming back. I had never been an overnight patient in a hospital before and was nervous but it all was so much easier than I thought it would be. A sense of humor definitely helped, and the power of positivity. Best wishes, and keep us posted!

Yippee, so happy for you! You are going to feel GREAT on the cruise. What a nice reward. And to get the news on the same day, perfect.

Hi there @@reneeig, my weight loss was similar to yours -- nothing, nothing then whammo, seven pounds down, two up, nothing, nothing then boom, another chunk. It helped me to stop focusing on the scale and pay attention to the way my jeans were fitting. Or not fitting -- it was JOY JOY JOY to go from 20 to 18 to 16 to 14, etc. Pat yourself on the back for choosing to get healthy. It's happening!

Dunkin Donuts seems like the perfect storm of a setting for triggering situational shame. For those of us who became obese because we were feeding some need within ourselves, a hole inside that needed filling, the embarrassment of having that appetite on display is a deep vein inside. It was not eating due to normal hunger, it was the hunger for something else (in my case, "I am not enough," etc.). Those triggers can really catch us off-guard. It's one thing to be excavating and examining our feelings in a safe environment (like here -- thank you all), but when something bubbles up unexpectedly out in the world it can be alarming. Being in an "outlaw" kind of place for an obese person -- a donut shop, pizza parlor or ice cream parlor, etc. -- must have pushed an old button inside. You are a deeply feeling and empathetic person. We are all the same people we were before, just differently-sized and heads screwed on better, but those feelings of being judged and how hurt we often were may need to be processed over time. After all, in my case I was not confronting that shame at the time -- like so much else (guilt, anxiety, fear, even joy), I was tamping it all down with food instead of experiencing it. Pat yourself on the back for letting yourself really experience what you were feeling, even if it didn't feel good, and realize what tremendous strides you have made in such a short period of time. You are amazing, Liz, and I love your thoughtful posts and how much I am able to process when I get to engage with others who have been in the same boat. Now I feel like I'm in a lifeboat, that I saved myself by choosing to get healthy. That is something to celebrate.

Congratulations on your upcoming surgery! I started walking like crazy beforehand -- had been working out regularly for years but this was just straight-up walking. It helped me to be outdoors and walking off the stress and dealing with excitement, a little anxiety, etc.

Call your doctor! If you need to have a little taken out you can always have a little put back in later. Don't risk an overly-tight band and all the issues that could arise. Hope you feel better soon --having a cold is no fun but if it's also making your band too tight then you must be miserable. Make the call and put those medical professionals to work -- that's what they are there for.

Way to go reclaiming something you love! I just got a bike last year and have been enjoying rail trails -- am impressed by how good of a workout biking is. I walk every day but the bike is different. Thanks for reminding me that summer and fall are our best months and I'd better get out there all I can. Good luck to you -- you are doing so well with your weight loss.

@@Julie norton beautiful, indeed! Looks like you're having a lovely summer. Me, too. Have been outdoors a lot. Gardens very lush here in the northeast and all-around a beautiful summer. Thanks goodness after such a rough winter. Yesterday was my second day in a row of doubling up on exercise -- a (now) regular 4-5 mile walk but also swimming in the lake after. Repeating today at 8:30, yippee! Can't believe the years I missed out on swimming and so much more. Very grateful for weight loss surgery and finding myself again. Have a great day, all.

So, even leaner and meaner then, eh? Way to go! Thanks for the inspiration this morning.

@@pink dahlia thanks for your post which I'm just seeing now......having a great summer, lots of walking and gardening (yes, some dahlias!) and feeling good in sleeveless tops, etc. I have not dropped more weight and wánt to but I'm having too much fun "as is" right now. I will get there, however. Hope you're having a great summer, too!