HealthyNewMe

Hi Apple2HourGlass....... Welcome to the banded life, as I see you just recently had your surgery. So, how is your recovery going? I remember mine went fairly smoothly...... No complications, no real pain, so to speak. Julie and I started chatting a few months ago, and we try to check in with each other on a semi-regular basis, so please feel free to respond back, and we can all buddy up! TAMMIE

Julie, Ive been on an extended vacation since before Easter, so I have not been on this site too much. I DID NOT get your private message. Please send it again. Hope all is going well with you. I had the chance to meet up with two other women form this forum in NYC this past Saturday. How awesome was that. One of them posted a picture of the three of us on Hey Banders #5. I'm the taller one in the middle. What's happening with you, now that your busy tax season is over? TAMMIE

I've recently read a study that compared the daily calorie BMR of a woman at 150 pounds and had never weighed more than that to a woman who weighed 250 pounds and lost down to 150. The woman who weighed 150 her entire adult life could eat between 300-400 calories more per day to maintain that weight than the woman who lost down to 150 needed to maintain that weight. Something about the fat cells, that are now depleted, are constantly searching to fill again because that is their homeostasis mode. This made sense to me. So, although a sedentary 150 pound woman may need 1600-2000 calories a day to maintain, I will probably need 1200-1600 calories a day for maintenance. Very interesting study!

SandyM is soooooo right. Each "journey" is unique, with twists, turns, and even plateaus along the way. I am in such a good frame of mind right now as to how I want to continue along my journey. I freed myself from: 1. Totally restrictive "DIETING". 2. My OBSESSION with my scale and weighing. 3. Having a GOAL date. 4. Being a couch potato. 5. Drinking carbonated drinks. I'm like Sandy.... I don't try to eat French fries, for example, and I would not order them. But, if I wanted a few from my son's order, I might just eat a few. I DON'T have any trigger foods in my house. Thus, that alleviates succumbing to a temptation if ever one should arise. I try to have more "good" days ( healthy eating days) than "bad " ones...... And I do. According to MyFitnessPal that I have logged into for eight months now, I do have quite a few great food days. I'm not perfect..... But that's my point.... I'm not going to beat myself over the head on not-so-perfect-days!!!! Best Wishes to all on their own journey to reclaim your health!!

I eat two whole eggs.... Yolk and all!

You guys are still very early on in the process of living a banded life... Heck, so am I (8 months). I can only speak for myself, but I know the first six months were difficult with portion control without too much help from the band. Sure, the band cut me back from eating TWO PLATES of food every night, down to ONE PLATE...... But, it was still a full plate of food that I could easily get down. Then, at month SIX, that adjustment got me closer to GREEN. It only lasted about three weeks, so a week later, at month SEVEN, that adjustment put me into THE ZONE...... Now, portion size is half a plate of food with absolutely no hunger in between meals. HANG IN THERE, BANDERS. My shift to weighing only once a month has helped ME as well. I have seen a loss every single MONTH........not day, not week, but MONTH. One month is was three pounds and one month it was eleven pounds. I never set a date in my mind for wanting to lose X amount of weight by X time. I just am enjoying the process along the way. Best Wishes to all who are trying to reclaim their health!

How are things going, Julie? Just checking in to see if you are doing okay. I know you are a very busy lady, so no pressure to respond.... Just know I'm still thinking about YOU!

Oh, I soooo agree. I was all about the quantity, and not even necessarily the quality of the foods I ate. That was definitely my downfall. I can honestly say that for decades, I ate a SECOND helping of an already OVERSIZED portion of food, almost every single night of my life. TWO PLATES of food, every single night. Thankful to lapband for helping limit the amount of food I can eat. Thankful to myself for letting me finally realize quality is much more important than quantity.

I have never read and investigated labels on food products as much as I do now. Some grocery shopping trips take me twice as long as they used to. One example of something I've noticed on a product I buy frequently is with Swiss Miss Hot chocolate Mix.... I add a Tsp into my coffee to make a Mocha Coffee. The Swiss Miss "No Sugar Added" is 60 calories a packet with 7 grams of sugar VERSUS the Swiss Miss "Diet," which has 26 calories a packet and 2.1 grams of sugar. Coffee Mate has A Creamy Chocolate sugar free powder that has 15 calories per tsp. I have to say that even though the DIET version of the above products has less calories, the SUGAR FREE versions taste better, in my opinion.

So far, so good for me. I did NOT get a fill adjustment when I went in last week. However, the Doc said that she would not be surprised if I would need another one by the May or June appointment. She said that she would only be giving very small fractions of a CC from here on out, if I do, in fact, need one at all. I asked her if she thought I would be able to continue to lose, since according to the amount I have lost, I've already hit the "50% of excess weight loss" and she said Im just now hitting my real stride with the band.....so that was very good news. When you start off weighing 327 pounds, and you've come this far, you want to see it through.... ALL THE WAY THROUGH! I know that the amount of daily exercising I'm doing is what's really putting me closer to my goal. It is now ELEVEN months since I've joined the gym...... I'm now addicted to it.....Finally a good addiction in my life. And as stated on another post, my husband has lost 54 pounds since May of last year. He is only seven pounds away from what he weighed when we got married 25 years ago!!!!!!

Pictures speak a thousand words!!!!! I usually can't tell my weight loss looking in a mirror, but I can see it looking at pictures. Actually, it was a picture that motivated ne to reclaim my life. Funny how the mind is weird like that! Best Wishes!

Every time I have my monthly office visit, I'm weighed and then given a Tanita Body Composition Analyzer spreadsheet. One of the analyzed items is the Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR). Of course these figures change as we continue to lose weight. Mine, right now is 1614 calories. To lose 1 1/2 pounds a week, I would have to cut out 750 calories from the 1614 calories needed to just maintain. 1614 - 750 = 864. I round that to 900. This is my own crazy, unscientific Tammie approach as to how I came up with that number of how many total calories I should consume each day. Again, keep in mind that I burn 730+ calories a day at the gym. That's why I eat back most of those calories. With that being said, my Doc doesn't understand my theory either, but said to "keep it up" as I'm losing an average of 8 pounds a month.

I'm inspired. Ccongrats!

I've logged onto MyFitnessPal for over eight months now. I set my daily calorie goal to 900 calories a day. I exercise 6 days each week, and I burn 730+ calories a day (I do about 65-70 mins a day on the elliptical). I eat back most of those calories because I would never be able to survive off of 170 calories a day. So, to answer your question, I personally eat back some of those calories. On the one day a week I don't exercise, I try to only eat the 900 calories..... I find that my harder day! I'm not 100% perfect, but most of my days end up with an average of 850-900 calories total. Best Wishes!

Carol, you and I have a few things in common. I'm 54 and have two teenage boys left to raise. And, I also raised two daughters who are now in their mid twenties.... So yes,, we will survive their teenage years. I was banded four months after you, August of 2013. I also have an awesome husband, who is my rock and friend. I have not lost three parents/in laws in such a short amount of time..., I offer you my sincere condolences. That seems like a lot to have on one's heart and mind. Getting back to basics as far as food, fills, and exercising. Journaling food, exercise, thoughts and feelings. Perhaps a counselor. Perhaps a visit back at your doctor's office to discuss what's going on. I am participating in a biomedical research study as part of my WLS. The one sure thing about successful band steed is their follow-up care and appointments. That's where I would begin. Best wishes!

Just wanted to get all my FIFTY-SOMETHING year old friends interested.... So much better than FIFTY AND FAT !!!!! I'm heading up a 40 year class reunion ( from my ELEMENTARY school ) and the reunion is in one month. For years, my mentality would have been panick mode about three months before such an event about RESTRICTIVE DIETING....... not any more..... For the first time in decades, my thoughts are about shopping for something fun to wear.... Not what piece of material can cover/hide this body.

Living in New Orleans is living from one festival to another..... This weekend was the French Quarter Festival. Seven music stages set up throughout the Quarter with bands performing on all seven stages throughout the weekend. FIFTY food booths featuring food from local restaurants. Went twice this weekend. Enjoyed the music, the gorgeous weather, and all the walking. Only ate proteins.... Grilled chicken livers in pepper sauce and boiled crawfish. Passed on all of my usual pre-surgery booths. A true triumph for both me and my husband!

It's funny, but your #4 and my mantra vary significantly.... I hate thinking I'm NEVER going to be able to have that "bite of cake." So, I always say to myself ..... That piece of cake will be there tomorrow. I don't have to eat it now bc if I really want it, I'll have it tomorrow. Nine times out of ten, I don't even remember that the next day!!!! I also use what I call "the apple test." Whenever those crazy "I want..., I have to have" thoughts enter my mind, I will walk into the kitchen, pick up an apple, and say to myself, "If you're REALLY hungry, eat this apple first, then you can have the FORBIDDEN TREAT!" Again, nine times out of ten, I place the apple back in the bowl, turn around, and walk out if the kitchen. Very good article and sooo insightful in how the human brain works in overweight people!

Hey Julie. Just checking in to see how you're doing this week. Everything is fine on this end. Went back to my doctor on Tuesdsy for my monthly appointment. I had a nice weight-loss this month, 9 pounds. I decided not to ask for any adjustments on the fills. We haven't made arrangements for Disney World yet. Since I need two rooms, I'm thinking we may need to stay at one of the All-Star resorts. My husband's youngest sister lives In Orlando, so we can always stay at her house as well. We want to go to St. Augustine, Florida and will also spend a day or two in Destin, Florida. I have two favorite parks----- Magic Kingdom and Epcot. Hope all is going well with you and that your mind is back in the game! Best wishes! Tammie

I will say that my best friend's mom had bypass back in the 70's, when it was VERY experimental. She lost tons of weight, but had become so sickly, they had to reverse it three years later. Fast forward thirty something years, and she is considering lapband now as a seventy year old.

Same here. I've never heard of a person getting banded after bypass surgery. Best of luck, but I'm no help in offering any insight.... Only Best Wishes.

You are not the first person that posted this question, do I'm guessing that more than one doc does this, BUT..... I, personally, would stay away from that drug! One reason I got the band was to stop with all the insanity of dieting! So what if you only lost a few pounds this month. I know you've read this before.... It is a journey that is NOT a straight path. There are twists, turns, and plateaus along the way. I would go read all of the side effects of that drug before I would take it. I personally took the phen-phen combination and at a different time took redux back in the 90s. Lucky I didn't have a heart attack. Best wishes to you as you consider what will work best for YOU!

About the carbs, I had to stay away from them as much as humanly possible. I, too, would have classified myself as a carboholic. I stay away from them just like a recovering alcoholic stays away from alcohol.

About your fill not lasting..... That happened to me twice. Good restriction for two to three weeks, and then back to the drawing board. With that said, I did not get an adjustment at my last office visit this past Tuesday. Doc did tell me that she would not be surprised if I'd need another slight adjustment by my next monthly appointment. She stated that the adjustments will last longer ang longer, but may need slight fills along the way to not having to be adjusted any longer. My last fill is lasting me five weeks so far.

65 mins of cardio, six days a week. Joined a gym 11 months ago and I go religiously. BTW, I was a certified COUCH POTATO 12 months ago!