Bandista

So happy for you -- we are on our way to good health and happiness!

I'm a private person and only wanted a few people to know -- spouse (a blabber mouth so I had to drill him in the need for secrecy), a handful of very close friends. There are a couple I wish I hadn't told. I didn't want to tell my parents as they are elderly and my mother has been obsessed with my weight loss -- she's handed me every diet book on the market for twenty+ years. It turned out I had a hernia repair when band was installed so we ended up telling my parents and others that's what was up, and why, by the way, I have to eat very small meals.

Great post, Sandy! Love the idea of being resolute now, at the beginning of winter and the holiday season. I'm going to come up with my own little list -- yours is very inspiring. Up with the protein and hydration, down with obsessing over the scale.

Hi there, not In your neck of the woods but want to say that your voice is one I've missed during this web forum change-up -- so glad to see you again!

Hi there and welcome! Thanks for your great intro post. I am 52, banded 11/05. Very happy with this decision. It's not just the weight loss but also the mental/emotional improvement. I feel greet, am exercising and just so happy. Good luck to you -- glad you're here on the forum.

Hi there, banded 11/05, not even a month yet -- cannot believe how happy I am with this decision!

I'm definitely happier and more balanced. Maybe it's because the food I'm putting into my body is good food in such smaller amounts than in the old days and my body doesn't have to work so hard. My head is clearer -- I'm not foggy and tired. I'm making good decisions. It's such a relief not to be preoccupied with food choices -- all that chatter is gone and the dialogue of what I should or should not have is turned down. I look forward to eliminating it completely! And my body is overjoyed with all the increased exercise. This is new for me -- the serotonin I've always heard about is finally noticeable for me. I think I was stopping just short before, that I didn't have the oomph to take it further. So, more oomph for sure. I am also noticing that I'm less shy and I think my self-esteem is getting better. In getting the band I really chose myself and gave myself this gift of health and happiness. I'm not putting myself last anymore, or putting myself down in funny little ways. This has been happening since I made the decision last June and even though I've been banded such a short time it's like a switch got thrown. I am taking better care of myself in other ways than food and exercise, too, giving myself room to spread my wings. My creative life is starting to soar. Thanks for starting this thread. I'm very grateful to all of you for being there for the ups and downs. It really helps me to write out my thoughts -- connecting here reinforces the decision I've made and keeps me in the right frame of mind. This was a very nice way to begin Thanksgiving morning! Best wishes every one for a lovely day.

Try not to overdo -- even though you probably feel great now still need to go easy with any bending or lifting that might pull at incision sites. Congratulations on being a week out -- I am just two weeks ahead of you (11/5). So happy!

Congratulations! Best wishes for a speedy recovery. The walking was really great for me......three weeks out now and so happy with my decision! I did have a stuck episode, too, even though I was determined not to ever have it happen. Too much, too fast. Steamed beets I was really craving and a little bit of tuna. But went at those beets in my old shovel-like way. Got the hiccups for twenty minutes then threw up. I am really working on slow eating and small portions. Had been measuring heretofore but had a visit with my nutritionist who said I shouldn't be wedded to the half cup measure. I was eating about two half cups of food at a time, for a cup. Probably just exceeded the limit of my pouch as I can't eyeball very yet, or it was just that I ate way too fast. You are going to do fine!

Thanks for this! I am scheduled for a possible first fill 12/4. So helpful to know what to expect -- thank you for all the detail......

Happy, Happy!

Congratulations on the hundred -- that is a major milestone! Hope you find a good exercise routine for winter. Couldn't run here today, that's for sure -- it's a mess out there. Best wishes to you as you figure out behavior mod and/or fill....you're doing great.

My school semester is going crazy!! I don't know how my year is going because I've yet to really decide on next semester. I should really try to finish up my Bachelor's degree, but I have a 3.5 GPA and I'm scared it will drop down if I take on too heavy of a load. I also want to pursue an Associate's in Drama at the school that I work at, which I already have my Associate's in Art from. I still need 7 or so classes for my Bachelor's, and I've only been taking 2 classes a semester. With the way I've had to change everything around the LAP-Band, I honestly don't know how I've kept my grades up AND gotten a new job. I love my job though! Even though I'm a History major, English minor, and I have an associate's in art, I'm tutoring General Biology!! I work with wonderful people and the students who come to see me are so eager to learn! I really, really love it. I get home dead tired most days, but it's so worth it. I feel like I've been really blessed this year! This is also the first year I've met all of my New Year's resolutions, so that's cool! <3 How has your year been? <3 Glad you like your job! I have been in the arts most of my life and was always weak on math and science. Somewhere along the line I realized that math and science are art -- that they are all related. Sounds like you are getting a great education. Too bad you can't add up the degrees and start on that master's! All good here -- thanks for asking. Banded three weeks and one day and I am so happy. Out of food jail happy. And exercising like crazy. Everything seems so different now. Best wishes for a great Thanksgiving!

Welcome! I am just three weeks out -- we can all get healthy together. Choosing yourself is a powerful thing. My husband and I have been married 22 years and have a close relationship. Still, he needed to hear it out loud -- I am in love with him and not going anywhere when I'm thin. It was a silly thing but he there was some deep fear buried in that hulky brain. We don't need our spouses sabotaging in even the smallest ways -- we need them all in. Choosing yourself and your healthy future is a very powerful thing. You can do it! You ARE doing it. Best wishes!

Hi there, I struggled with my weight for twenty some years and knew I needed to do something as the diets just weren't working, nor exercise and dieting, etc. I felt I did all the right things with no result -- or a temporary loss only to gain more back, etc. (story of most of us here!). For me, the band was the only choice for me as I was not willing to do anything more drastic than that. I liked the option of being able to remove should it ever come to that -- and I want my stomach intact. I'm 52 and had never been an overnight patient in a hospital before. The procedure was easier than I thought it would be and I am very, very happy with my decision. I researched a great deal -- with the hospital but most of the more in-depth information came from this forum. I read posts like crazy and asked a lot of questions. People were very helpful. I've only been banded three weeks as of yesterday and I am a different person already. I have tremendous will power that I did not have before -- that's needed because I am suddenly an exerciser (who knew?). As for food, I don't even need will power right now as I am just not really hungry. I eat and get full. I don't think about food all the time. It's a miracle for me -- the whole idea that I am not preoccupied with food at all. Amazing. I wish you the very best. I think there is a lot of good information if you are able to sift through posts from people who may be noncompliant or have unaddressed issues or who do not go to their doctor as they should. It's very important that you have a good relationship with your medical professionals. Only you will know what's best for your body -- what's important is that you're decising you want to be healthy and have a whole different kind of future in front of you. Congratulations on that big decision in your life and best wishes in your research.

Terry, I didn't know that -- that's wild! Waking up with a band instead. Glad it has worked out well for you. So great to have lowered that dose so dramatically.

Yippee! That is great!

Same with exercise -- just cannot compare to any one but ourselves. It's motivating to see people who could not walk out to the mailbox and back now cycling, walking, even running -- or just getting whatever exercise they can. But we all have to begin somewhere and those starting lines are so individualized. Mine was doing something every day. Yesterday is the first day since my surgery that I did not have a real walk. I tried to tell myself that I did walk here and there, it adds up -- those little mind games. Today I was on the treadmill in the basement and I tried to stop early. One day of not walking and I was back to the same head games of not wanting to do something I have enjoyed every single day. It is new for me to love exercise and I'm not letting myself off the hook for that! So I did some extra time just to get my brain functioning properly again. Exercise is not a punishment, it's a reward. Geesh, I am thick when it comes to that basic formula. Resistant! But the new me is overcoming all that and I can thank the band as I did not have this kind of will power before.

I can see the multiple quotes above along with my new post, so that's fine from here......

I totally understand the issues you're having with the current apps. Hopefully our new apps will resolve most of your current issues. In the interim, let's see if we can fix your current issues. What exactly happens when you attempt to start a new topic ? Do you receive an error ? Do you know if you're using our mobile skin or our full web site on your iPad ? We have a mobile version of our web site that's available on mobile devices. Please don't bother reporting problems within the current apps. We don't receive these reports. We will receive them once the new apps are released. My plan is to replicate the LBT experience on here. Give us a little time to make some tweaks and changes and things will start feeling more comfortable. Hi Alex, thanks for all your hard work with these sites. It will be worth it in the end and I'm sure you'll have support of your loyal members. To answer your question above (and let's see if the multiple quote function is wonky while we are at it), I am using the full web version but on my iPad. When I try to create new content, the title goes in fine but then the body of the post is blank. The cursor progresses with each keystroke so I know the letters are there, but I can't see them. Translucent. Weird, huh? I am able to create a new post at a desktop computer, however. If you need an iPad user to test anything you can message me. Happy to hear there is an exercise forum, too. I will look for that. Best wishes as you get all the kinks out. You should see the Common App website troubles. We live in complicated times!

Hi Allie, WOW! So happy for you. How is your school year going! Very exciting about all the exercise. That is where it's at! Best wishes for a nice thanksgiving!

Hi there, I was just going to say that I think my arthritis is much better -- and I'm only three weeks banded! I am so happy with my decision. Honestly I feel better than I have in a very, very long time. I'm sorry you have been confronted with negative information so close to your surgery date. It's a jittery time -- all the more so if you have been on a pre-op regime. No one can decide for you. I feel fortunate that I just knew this was right for me. If for any reason it ever isn't, I have not removed parts of my stomach -- but even this early on I love my band and wouldn't let it go! Best wishes to you......

Oh, and I am not that keen on co-mingling -- I am new to my band and want to chat with those folks, not read about why some one went another direction. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy for all the sleevers, etc., it's just not where I'm at and it feels like too big of a community. LB feels smaller to me, more intimate. I like my peeps here! I want to feel safe and supported with my choice of a band, not second guessed.

Hi Alex, I'm on my iPad -- cannot creat a new post from here. Can comment, so I've been doing that as much as possible for snowballing, etc. I tried the iPad app for Bariatric Pal and had to go back to the web for the regular version because on the iPad I couldn't make the text big enough -- can't stretch it to be able to see. I did go to fonts and made that as big as possible but iPad users are always going to want to swipe, enlarge, make smaller, etc. Couldn't do that via the app. Hope that helps! Also if I click the link for reporting problems, it comes up with a weird lime about visiting the URL where I already am. Thanks for all YOUR hard work perseverance and patience. Can't imagine the back end of something like this. I am newly banded, a LB Talk member since June. I learned so much here and really appreciate all the of the people contributing. I think there is frustration with the sorting -- all the old stuff and trending topics so old, etc. Best wishes!

Hi there, I am newly-banded so I can't speak to what it's like to live with the band over time. I glanced at your profile, though, and it looks like you've lost forty pounds and want to lose another forty, is that right? What is your diet like -- do you think the acid reflux could be caused by something else -- many people are allergic to wheat these days, for example. Some can't do bananas. Have you identified when you get the acid reflux? What if there's something else going on and you could resolve that and then get a fill. Is that a possibility? Just a shot in the dark there....Do you take anything (Prilosec, etc.)? Are there underlying food issues which could be addressed. We are all here for that reason. Best wishes to you! I think you can lose that other forty, that you can do it. But you need to think that -- we are here for you!