HealthyNewMe

You and I live very similar band lives !

Most every overweight person's dream goal.... To get on the scale and see that FIRST DIGIT start with a ONE !!!!!!!!

Just checking in to see how you're doing today, Julie?

Having an epidural is the easy way out of labor..... End product is you still have a baby that becomes your child for the rest of your life. ( I had four epidurals. ) I had weight loss surgery..... basically so I could maintain the weight loss for the rest of my life. You see for me, DIETING was easy..... Losing weight was easy, but I NEVER ONCE WAS AE TO MASTER MAINTENANCE.... Let the naysayers say what they want. I live in THE BIG EASY ( New Orleans's nickname).....

In my OLD DIETING DAYS MENTALITY, I would say to myself, "Just lose 50 pounds first, and then start exercising when you're not carrying around so much weight (I used to weigh 327pounds). When I decided to take hold of my life last year, I did things differently. I started exercising three months BEFORE I had my surgery in August. I was in better shape for the surgery and I think it's what helped me recover so quickly. I started back at the gym one week post-op, but only moving my legs as I sat on a stationary bike. Fast forward to today, and I'm at the gym six days a week. It DEFINITELY helped with the weight loss, bc as a now 54 yr old (today's my BDay), the weight sure wasn't coming off like it used to when I was in my twenties. I'm now pretty addicted to the exercising...... And this is coming from a certified COUCH POTATO!!!!!

I'm a Catholic, from New Orleans, and today is my birthday. So I get to eat both lunch and dinner out with family and friends today. I'm definitely a steak lover; but, poor me..... I'll have to eat seafood TWICE today. Good luck with your pre-surgery diet..... Just remember, you can do anything for a certain period of time. This phase will pass in a blink of time!

Between 70 and 80 pounds. I lost the first 55 of my 110 loss over a year's time before surgery last August, so it was very gradual. The last 55 pounds have been within the last six months, so I think that's more noticeable. It took about 90 pounds off before I started to notice it ...... SILLY MIND OF MINE!!!!!

I always go in the kitchen and pick up an apple. Then I ask myself, "if you are truly hungry, go ahead and eat this apple." 9 times out of 10, I put the apple down and leave the kitchen. I have to also distract myself. Also, drinking a hot cup if coffee staves off my head hunger. I go not keep any cookies, ice cream, chips, etc in my house. I'll either eat that apple or convince myself I'm really not hungry! Good Luck figuring out what works for YOU!

My sister-in-law and brother-in-law work on SHAPE in Belgium. Boredom and head hunger go hand in hand. I always tended to eat at night.... Watching TV..... while my family slept. I totally QUIT buying JUNK FOOD. Can't have it in my house bc it calls my name. I have never been a breakfast eater. I like breakfast food..... I just don't like eating in the morning. Like I sai, I like to eat at night, so this is what I do.....I drink two cups of coffee every morning, and that keeps me "full" until lunch time. That is when I eat my breakfast. I eat again when I come home from work . That is my lunch. And then I eat later that night. This is my dinner... But that way I'm eating twice at night when I always wanted to eat anyway. You have to remember why you started this process and had WLS to begin with....you weren't happy or healthy, right? Those chips, cookies, chocolates, etc don't make you happy.... They are filling a void. Everything you walk into your kitchen, you should pick up an apple. Looking at the apple, you should ask yourself, "am I really hungry? BC, if I'm truly hungry, I'm going to eat this apple." 9 out of 10 times, I put the apple down and walk out if the kitchen. Also, I found I needed to exercise. I was a certified couch potato. Started exercising two months before my surgery, and haven't stopped since. That's a good alternative to boredom/snacking. Please stay in touch. Don't fall backwards. STOP now and RECOMMIT.

Welcome, fellow bander. Now, onward to the HEALING PHASE!

You are a very gifted writer. I love the metaphor and I admire the FACT that you are better and stronger than an abandoned M&M. I'm saving your article to MY FAVORITES..... Which means, IT WILL BE READ AGAIN!

I take my BMR, which at my present weight is 1,688 calories a day. To lose 1.5 pounds a week, I cut out 750 calories a day. Thus, I aim for about 950 calories a day. I burn close to 650 calories a day exercising, and I do eat back most of those calories.

I'm from the U.S., so I always have to do kilo to pound conversions, and stone to pound conversions. I know the fear you have about putting the weight back on..... I have TWICE lost 100+ pounds before (when in my twenties). I steadily gained till I was up to 327 pounds.... Yikes, that's hard to type. I'm in my 50's now and find it soooo much harder to lose weight now, but I have steadily lost over the past year. I was banded on August 22, 2013. Now to you..... What WLS did you have? Do you exercise on a regular basis? When is the last time you saw your surgeon? You must put the brakes on now. You cannot let yourself regain your weight. Share with us what is and isn't going on with you.

I let a bunch of bananas ripen, then I peel them and freeze them in a ziplock freezer bag. I blend a shake with the frozen banana. Yum

I was not told anything about alcohol..., only no carbonated drinks and no drinking right before a meal, during the meal, or after the meal. I sure am not encouraging you to go against what you were told. But as I always told my kids, so what if you're drinking lemon water while your friends are drinking alcohol... I mean that .... So what? You won't be the first to not have a drink and you won't be the last. I have a few friends who are recovering alcoholics and they socialize all the time. When going out to eat, share a salad or an entree with a friend. Order off the appetizer menu. Order a cup of soup. There are so many options. Get out there and enjoy your life!!!!!

Please don't think I'm being rude, but why not? I go out a lot. I don't drink as much anymore when I go out..... Only bc I don't like "drinking my calories." I did have a margarita twice this week bc it's Mardi Gras time in New Orleans, where I live. I just made sure to exercise a little extra those two days. I do eat out quite often. I mean, I have to eat, so what's the difference if I eat at home or in a restaurant. The one thing I do differently is that I check out the menu on line before I go so that I can pre plan what I will order. Live with your surgery. Enjoy your life. That's why I had the surgery...., so I could live again!!!!

I'm going on six fills next Monday..... I'm super close to green .... They are stirring to fill with .2cc's now, bc they are tweaking or fine-tuning the amount. Good luck..... Remember, it's a JOURNEY!

B52, you've provided ME with several straight forward answers that have helped me with : My exercise program, My understanding of being in the "Green" zone,& My knowing that it's okay to exercise only on coffee, and then follow up with a protein shake. Very specific suggestions that I have incorporated..... Thanks to YOU! Life IS too short..... Enjoy each and every day of YOURS!

I was never td anything about giving up coffee. I drink two cups every morning, and one cup every afternoon. Love my coffee!

So proud of you and happy for you!

I don't mean to be pushing the exercise (bc, you can't do too much right now, but I think that's what's getting me over a lot of stalls). I first sat on a stationary bike and just pedaled. It helped me bc I didn't have to bare my own weight. I started off very slow. I try to stay at or near the same calorie goal every day, but always tend to overeat one or two days a week....., not overeat like pre-band overeat, but overeat more than I should with the band. I still think I have A LOT MORE "good " days than "bad" days, and I have come to terms with the fact that I won't lose everything I want to lose on MY timeframe, so I relaxed about the whole experience, and I'm enjoying all that comes with this weight loss journey! Stay in touch!

I have been reading posts by KAREN for a long time on this forum. She has always been nothing but supportive. She is not rude and that was not her intention!

I have always read that when you get in a stall ( and it's very normal to stall for several weeks), that you need to SHAKE THINGS UP! Change your exercise routine, eat one high calirie day, followed by several low calorie days. Do you exercise ? I found that doing HIITs (High Intensity Intervals) during my cardio sort of revs up my metabolism. I don't weigh daily or even weekly. I only weigh once a month bc I get frustrated with the little daily ups snd downs. I look at this journey as I want to have an overall weight loss throughout the months, but it will take MONTHS, not days or even weeks, to reach a healthy weight for me. Stay in touch. Btw, my name is Tammie.

Here are my stats... Highest weight in 2012 (327 pounds), weight in August 2013 when I had surgery (271 pounds), weight on Feb. 10 (223 pounds). I'll weigh again on March 10. How are you doing?

Last time I weighed was Feb. 10. I weighed 223 on that date. I do believe I have lost more, but won't weigh again until March 10. BTW, the movie was pitiful.