Bandista

Way to go, Debbie! You look great.......happy, happy.

Wow, look at you! Amazing. Sometimes it's hard to see your own success. Pretend you are a stranger and you're comparing those two pictures. Pat yourself in the back -- you're doing great. I think our bodies need to adjust to the big changes, stabilize a little. Just keep showing up for yourself. What surgery did you have -- can you fill out your profile so there's more info for people to respond to? A stall or plateau at 3-4 weeks is very common. Like clockwork. Keep on keeping on, keep all your appointments, add a little more exercise all the time -- even just a little more, get good sleep and get ready for joy, joy, joy, because you are reclaiming your health. You are going to have so much energy you're going to rock your world. So get ready......

Lizz, I have been so weepy, too -- I loved Robin Williams, of course, but I would not have expected to feel hit this hard. And with emotions when one thing comes up for me it can be like a drawer opening in my chest. So I've been weeping over a dog we had to out down months ago, the shooting -- yet another -- of a young black man, my father's birthday and how he won't be around much longer. Just so you know, for me this place sure is therapy! I think you are doing beautifully, that a big part of this whole thing is the raw honesty we have to embrace. It's a lovely thing, too, the choosing yourself and your healthy future. Profound and powerful.

Yippee! So happy for you. Nice you have so much support. How about having them each walk with you in the coming days, a bit more each time. That will release trapped gas and kick your body into healing mode......and give your loved ones something to do for you and for them.

Well men are definitely under-represented in the weight loss community, that's for sure. I think he's really on to something. Having women -- whether wives, sisters, friends or whomever -- playing a mother-hen role vs. really showing up for one's self, confronting the issues -- taking personal responsibility. That's what it takes.

I'm not in the same groove as far as one meal a day -- I have my "brunch" mid-day and something 4-5 hours later then a little grazing (sigh). But I'm happy. And I'm glad I still really love food because I think it could have gone the other way with me. I was such a restrictor before. Now if I'm hungry, I eat. But I also love being "in" food. I am a cook and I apply my thinking about food to things I may only taste and that's enough for me. And I love presentation, so even my teensy "meal" is beautiful, maybe take up cooking, adopt an old lady and deliver a dish here and there? Or get a hobby. I garden like a crazy person. There's picking flowers and making little arrangements, finding veggies, etc. Some people love handwork -- knotting, etc. to keep busy. You are doing great!

Onederland and one year, wow! That is so great. You have a gorgeous smile. And look how much you've lost -- you are so healthy. Way to go! Very happy for you......

A while back some one posted a "what things weigh" list and for some reason I latched on to a cinder block weighing 33 pounds. I have always found cinder blocks hard to manage -- we have 16 acres, a farmette, and I've had to deal with a few of those in my time. So I was delighted when I shedded something that heavy. Imagine carrying around a cinder block all day, all night. Well, you have reminded me that at 66 pounds I will have put down two of those! No wonder I am so happy and full of energy these days. Geez. And now I have my next little goal, yippee!

I was just getting my "brunch" together. I'm in the Green Zone but throughout the stages I was not hungry in the mornings. I wait until I am getting that signal and today that was about 11:30 AM (and I've been up for hours -- imagine welcoming hunger!). I love Greek yogurt and have been getting the 100 calorie versions with fruit. I don't do artificial sweeteners, so these yogurts have Steevia and real sugar. I honestly cannot believe this health food girl is having sugar, but it's so little, I enjoy it, it doesn't set off cravings -- that's all the old days. Heck, I didn't "allow" myself dairy much of the time, either. Turns out I have no real problem with any foods. It was the volume. Anyway, I put mix-ins in my yogurt because otherwise, for me, it's just a slider. Chia seeds for Fiber, walnuts and a bit of gluten-free Cereal. I add collagen which is for arthritis issues but it also jacks the Protein up. This all goes into that little cup (easy-peasy portion control), and I stir it up. Here's the thing: if I just ate the yogurt, for me it would be a slider. This gives me something to chew on. I chew and chew and enjoy every bite of this yummy treat. The band works by dimming the appetite. The esophagus squeezes as we swallow our food -- this is how the brain gets the signal for satiety. Could I eat more? Sure. But I don't need to and I am really enjoying that feeling of satiety.

@@briefs199 -- Have you tried Weight Watchers? OMG, that is just the laughing out loud I need to get me off of this thing and into my office to get some work done. Thank you. It's pouring rain and I needed some motivation -- laughter usually does it for me!

@@BandedInBama you are doing beautifully! Don't worry about the statistics of one week! @@Leepers very similar pattern here....nothing then voom! @@labwalker I do the same thing......record the new low number and then dance around it for a bit, worry and then one day there's the new low number. Rinse and repeat.

Thanks, Rose, for such a positive and inspiring thread -- and congratulations on your successes. I love reading these stories! Let's see -- there's so much. First of all I'm proud of my willingness. Just choosing to have surgery was such a big deal for me. I had never been an overnight patient in a hospital before and I'm a bit "anti" as far as western medicine. Electing a surgical solution was a big step. I'm proud of the brutal self honesty it took to understand I needed this. And I'm proud of the degree of serious research and dedication I brought to the process from the very beginning and that I continue today. Choosing myself first has been amazing. Sometimes old habits are hard to kick, but I just kicked and kicked until I got myself at the front of the line. I'm keeping myself there! There was very little resistance -- my family trained up quickly and of course they all benefit from this big change. My happiness is pretty irresistible, I have to say, and now I have so much energy for pursuing FUN. I'm proud that I have learned how not to say "yes" to other people's needs all the time. I have extricated myself from a couple of major projects that were really too much, an imposition. I am no longer in the business of letting other people impose on me, professionally or personally. I joke, "I do what I want" which is said in quite a sassy little accent, hand on hip and a gaze that means it. We all laugh but you know what? It's true! I'll be 53 next month and for the first time I really do just what I want. What a release! Yes, I still do my for-pay work. At home I still produce beautiful meals and make sure our child's school forms are all set, etc., but it's an attitude shift. "I do what I want!" A size 10 in jeans! (Wait, did I just type that?!!). In the very same brand I am down from a very tight 18. I'm proud of my height and my long legs looking so fit. I just picked up some new cotton camisoles. So proud to watch these sizes going down, down, down. After two decades, I wear smaller underthings again. Bridget Jones really had it right about the Mommy underwear! I love having on skimpier things. (Shhhh.....quiet......just between us.....I initiate love-making now and it's pretty great. We can't wait until the house is empty.) Yesterday I bought two new pairs of sneakers. I had a lot of fun joking with the guys in the shoe store about how I'm getting two new pairs because, well, "being an athlete and all....." But I'm burning through shoes and inserts and I'm stretching like crazy. I can bend in ways I couldn't for twenty years. I wake up planning my exercise for the day rather than planning food. I signed up for a 5K in September. I have joint issues and won't be running, but I am one hell of a fast walker. The 5K part is a little silly because I do more than that each day. But being out in public with a bunch of people focused on an exercise event? Me? YES, ME! I am ridiculously proud of this. I'm not even competitive and don't care about my time (okay, I do not want to be last, eeek), but I am just so excited about this event. I want the t-shirt! And we're going to a dance that night as part of this whole thing, a benefit. I love to dance. And you know, I'll get to rub shoulders with my athlete peeps. Lol, I love my sense of humor and I'm loving being me. Not apologizing or shrinking back. Oh, on the walking thing, I'm also doing a walk for campaign finance reform. Forgot about that one. If any one had told me I would turn into a walking fiend, I'd have laughed in their face (then gone and hidden under the covers). It's a miracle -- or I am the miracle, my determination. I feel so empowered now. It's a little strange -- I am taking up more space because I'm smaller. I feel like I belong. I am welcome and deserving. I'm losing weight but not trying to make myself smaller in other ways. I throw those shoulders back and walk into a room like I never have before. What's next? I want to take some dance classes. This is something that was a big part of my life in my twenties, but then thirties to fifties I was less and less able to dance. I want that back! I want to go somewhere and snorkel. I want to feel my strong body moving lithely through the Water and I don't want to give a rat's ass how I look in my bathing suit. I want to find a little black dress that looks well on me and I want to wear it out on the town. Many towns, including getting back to Europe soon. I want some photos. There is so little evidence of me having been here -- I want to change that with some really great family pictures and a couple of glamor shots of this white-haired fifty-something looking very fit and happy. Yes! Oh, I also got a bike. Yippee! And I signed up for a week-long art workshop that we can't really afford but I'm doing it anyway and I'm taking my bike. I'm getting away to make art for five days with some one I have wanted to work with for a long time. Speaking of long, this is getting ridiculous. But I'm writing this for me. I have loved being a part of this forum and seeing the patterns of successful people. Here you are all are. Very glad of that and proud to be part of something like this.

@I will what I want -- love your name! The Green Zone is about the adjustable Lapband procedure. The band has saline in it and we get fills to find the zone where our appetite is dimmed properly. In the beginning, it's a process.

I was very compliant because I know that's the secret to success. One way I looked at it was that this was the last time I would have to fight that fight. Once my band was adjusted properly those struggles were over -- that's the whole idea. So fight the good fight -- you're fighting for your life. And hey, you might not have gotten stuck then but count your lucky stars. Doesn't mean you won't. Think of the investment that's gone into your body, into your healthy future. Keep investing! You are worth it. If you're hungry on full liquids and mushies, just have yummy stuff that is allowed. But if it's about sneaking or resisting the program -- if it's one of those mental battles we all know so well -- maybe really, really look at that. I used to do plenty of that "screw this, I know what's right but I'm doing it anyway" kind of behavior -- usually bouncing back from overly restrictive behavior. I'm glad I really looked at that with a lot of self honesty so I could let that go. The band won't ever prevent us from anything -- it's really about dimming the appetite so we can make the right decisions. But we have to want to make the right decisions. So show up for yourself and sort through your stuff. We all have stuff. There's a very successful bander here who talks about Want Power. Wanting to be healthy more than anything. I love that! Get through this time, stick to your stages, keep all your appointments. Once you are on your way -- and this can take a little time, be gentle and patient with yourself! -- there is so much flexibility. I'm very happy not to be on a diet but just to be living. You will get there!

Hi there, the lead-up to surgery can be such a grind -- all the appointments, the whirring anxiety and excitement, pre-op diet if you have one can bring a lot of stuff up to the surface, etc. Take extra good care of yourself and know that in choosing to put yourself first there may be a little initial resistance or lack of understanding about how big this is, giving yourself this gift. People may not really get it but you will be soaring. Good luck with all; it's so worth it!

Hi there and congratulations on your surgery date Thursday -- very exciting! You sound very prepared to me. I took flip flops to the hospital to slip on for walking. I walked a lot -- every time I had to get up to pee I put the robe over my shoulders and rolled the IV pole up and down the hallway, a little further each time. Then I'd nap a bit and repeat the performance. I'm pretty sure this is why I had such an easy recovery. At home I walked around our driving circle and got people to walk with me. Still on cloud nine over the whole thing and it's been nine months!

How are you doing? This sounds very serious -- I hope you got some answers today. Keep on this until it is resolved. Sending best wishes!

I am a private person and only told a handful of people. There are a couple I wish I hadn't told -- not that they aren't supportive but because I worry about my secret being kept. Not sure why I'm like this but there it is. Must the years of embarrassment about weight issues, feeling like I was being judged for being heavy. Now I'm getting queries about the weight loss and I just say that I've been working really hard and I'm obsessed with exercise now, which is true. You can always tell people later but you can't un-tell! I would just say I'm on a liquid diet supervised by my doctor or something like that. Good luck to you!

Hi there -- unfortunately this is how I had to learn up on what works well for me. For example avocado pieces not smushed up are too slippery for me, as are beets in any form. But I can chew up an apple with the skin on it no problem. We are all different but one thing we have in common in the beginning is how hard it is to learn to go very slowly and chew, chew, chew.

It's like every day is your birthday now -- hope you had a great one!

Hey there, congratulations on your surgery and here you are already! Just follow your instructions to the 't' and you will do beautifully. One of the things I had to learn about my banded life is that hunger is not the enemy. Out of control appetite, yes. I had been so screwed up for so many years it took a while to get in touch with my hunger and really feel it. I have to say it's a beautiful thing to be in sync with my body again. The early healing stages are a good time to practice listening in to the body. You'll need that later! And don't pay attention to any one else's post-op instructions, just yours. Best wishes!

So glad you got in and that the issue is resolved -- hope you're feeling much better now. Be well!

Losing 40+ pounds this year instead of gaining -- I'd take it. And know you're on your way to all the rest but come on, you're doing great! Pat yourself on the back and consider the big picture (no pun intended). Forty? Yippee!

Great post -- glad you're feeling better, Irish. Let's not rush anything -- you're doing great. Good for you recognizing red zone and getting out!

Hi there and congratulations on your surgery! I can't advise as I don't know Isopure. I know what you mean as broth isn't necessarily "clear" nor all juice for that matter. You should always check with your medical professionals but I think the idea is thin, watery consistency and easy to swallow. Just be smart and don't jump the gun on thick stuff before prescribed or foods. You'll be great!