Bandista

Just want to say congratulations! And I think when it's time for me to stop losing I will look to full-fat yogurt and other "good" fats. Best wishes for this transition! You are an inspiration.

I'm taking liquid fish oil as I worry about the gel caps getting stuck. But I do remember that Krill oil capsules are a lot smaller. Something to consider. I take a Vitamin D that's in a small gel cap and am fine with that. But those old fish oil caps were huge; wouldn't dare try those now. Stay warm, friends! I am so happy I invested in the big puffy coat this year.

Flounce is, indeed, a great verb. Another is skulk. I am so damn happy that I don't have to skulk around anymore -- hiding out because I felt too fat, unacceptable. Here's to that. Maybe there's some flouncing in my future. I need the right outfit!

Jack, I love your "sport eating" terminology; so true. I find myself cruising toward the kitchen sometimes and have to remind myself that I don't do that anymore. Since I work at home, it is such an automatic response when I want to get up from my desk, if I'm procrastinating, if I want a little reward for something well done or if I'm doing the old prep for something I don't want to do. So this is what I tell myself, "that's right, I don't do that anymore." It works much of the time. Thank you, Band!

Way to go -- Zumba! Fun. You are doing beautifully. Just keep following the plan and watch the pant sizes go down, down, down.

Hi there, so glad your back is better -- awful to live with that kind of pain. Are you able to exercise now? I find that switching my obsessive thinking about food over to the exercise realm really helped a lot. Maybe that would help even out the weight. Meanwhile, I know what you mean about seeking the perfect fill when there can be so many variables. Some people go all liquids for 3-5 days (and some describe this as the pouch test) -- that "tightens" things back up and probably offers some behavioral correction as well.

Jim, I refuse to 'Like' that post! Yikes. -12 here on the side of Monadnock right now. Got a good workout in -- basement so cold nothing to do but keep turning the treadmill up. Feels good to relieve stress through exercise instead of trying to tamp it down with food. Great to have made these changes in my life. Have a great day, all!

Hi there @@KYGirlSummer -- so glad you're here on the forum! I think that what you are experiencing is very common. WLS is such a big decision and if you didn't have some nervousness and anxiety then something would be wrong. You have thought out every aspect of this and gone through all the hoops; you are going to do very well. Getting that headset is the thing, and then you are way ahead in terms of having an exercise plan in place already. Plus that incentive of your daughter and being able to keep up with her. @@Lawrence Baxter congratulations on being two weeks out -- sounds like you're doing really well. Way to go on resisting the scale. It's only a number. I love the test of how the pants are fitting. It amazed me how I dropped a size, another, and another, and another. I still can't believe it.

I've got to stop the evening grazing and be more intentional about when and what I'm going to have. This means not starting out the evening in a deficit mode and having to catch up on protein and calories, because then it's too easy to go too far. Also if I have a cocktail I am more likely to lower my guard and revert to old habits, like looking for food.

I think this fill has made me too tight. I feel like an idiot! Am also experiencing some anxiety which could be related to my work, but also could be the red zone. Hard to sort it all out! Vagus nerve, so interesting....to think a year or so ago I had never heard of it. Need to decide whether to go for an unfill or ride this out a bit. No trouble drinking, etc., no spitting up but this whir of anxiety and feeling that it's too tight. And gurgling, my goodness. Think I may have some reflux going on but not sure. Ugh. Like everyone I want the best possible adjustment.

Hi Ginger, I like savory, flavorful foods and make stews and chilis often. For me, I need to chew really well in order to trigger that signal for satiety and of course we are all looking for protein. People seem to have their own foods that don't work for them. I love a fried egg for example but have difficulty with scrambled. Would have thought it would be the opposite! In my signature below there is a link to Dr. simpson's website and there is a section on band-friendly foods. I have learned a lot perusing his articles.

Fantastic! You are amazing -- way to go choosing to be healthy. Here's to 2015 and all it will bring.

Anne, this sounds to me like the red zone......maybe you need a small unfill?

Hi there, I so remember all of these feelings. To tell the truth, the excitement part is actually still there even 14 months later. I was a bit nervous -- at age 52 I had never been an overnight patient in a hospital. It was all so much easier than I thought it would be. And best decision for my health and happiness. 1) walk 2) drink 3) sleep 4) WALK!

I was the best dieter ever, so careful and restrictive, diligent. One good thing is that at age 53 I am now a fount of nutritional knowledge. However, all that dieting and I just kept gaining weight, littke by little. For me, dieting does not work. If I could have elected WLS at age 30 or 35, omg, what a differce that would have made. Life is short, my friend.

@ you are going to do beautifully -- all this is part of the process. The nailing it down, figuring it all out. I had a special notebook for all of this stuff........

Gorgeous -- what a success....!

For some reason it takes me a few days after a fill for it to settle in --- this is definitely a good time to be really practicing the noticing of signals and chewing very well, going slow......especially with a primed band as you're "ahead" -- you are really on your way now! Green Zone is a zone, a range, not one specific place -- at least that's how it is for me. Best wishes!

Hmmm, no idea. I always see the surgeon but we live in a rural area and it may have to do with staffing. I think it's good that you'll have this contact as needed -- and certainly it's good for surgeons to see their patients progressing. Helps with their social skills! Good luck as you go forward. I just got a fill, too, and it's settling in.

Way to go on the noticing -- being present to what's really going on. You have got this! Happy new year!

Hi there, so happy to hear from you, band sister. I needed a reboot, too -- and that's without the knee issues and pain you've been enduring. Today I went for a fill -- looking to be just right, not too tight (duh) but tight enough. And I did a PT consult for hip issues. Yad, let's make this year the one to meet our health goals. You are doing beautifully!

Great pix! Happy New Year, band friends. Because New Year's Day fell on a Thursday I am feeling like today -- Monday the 5th -- is the real beginning of my new year. I went for a fill today and am riding it out, letting it settle in. I know how important proper adjustment is for me and I am committed to getting off another chunk of weight in these next months. I have lost a nice amount and am "acceptable" now, but I am still overweight. Not going for super-thin but definitely not staying put. Besides getting a fill I went for a PT consult to get at some exercise-related issues I've been having (IT Band, Trochanter). I have to say, it feels great to be be taken seriously as a serious exerciser. It was an excellent session and I'm going back next week. Plus I am seeing a massage therapist. It's an investment (although the five-massage package was an amazing deal), but one thing I'm understanding is how I am worthy of whatever investment it takes to secure my health and happiness. Besides, saving so much on food, right? Best wishes for a fine new year for all of us. Very grateful to have you here.

My insurance company had one requirement only: a BMI of 40 or above. No leeway with co-morbidities (high blood pressure and sleep apnea in my case). I was a nervous wreck because I was really hovering around that BMI. At my height 249 was just not fat enough for them, I needed to be 250. I had difficulty getting clarity on just when the weight would be submitted to the insurance company for approval -- which weigh-in, etc. Good for you to get this sorted beforehand. Later my surgeon told me they would have allowed me to have a purse on my shoulder when I got on the scale if that's what I needed to do. Don't know if the nurses would have gone for that but that's what he said. Also, I made sure I had heaviest clothes and full pockets. By the time I actually got to the surgery date the stress of all that had put me over the top without any assistance. Good luck to you -- you are making a great decision for your healthy future. Get all the facts and work closely with your medical professionals. You're going to be a great success and July will be here before you know it!

Hi there, you're in the right place for support. Welcome aboard! By the way, I had exactly the same stats as you going into surgery: 5'6" and 252. Happy to report on a very successful year. It's an amazing thing to make this choice for a healthy future. And a family affair, indeed. Wow! You guys are going to do great. For me it was really about the exercising. Even though I didn't want to increase my exercise prior to getting banded, I did. It was such a great decision as I felt like I went into the whole process with the right frame of mind. And you know what? Now I actually like exercising. That is indeed a miracle but it's absolutely true. I've switched an obsession with food to an obsession with getting my workout in -- it's amazing. So happy to have the appetite monster off of my back!

CARMEN! You made goal.....so happy for you!