babsyintx

Hi Lisa, You are doing great despite the problems you have had with your band and infections. You are right on track to lose 100 pounds or more your first year with the band. Heck, you are ahead of the curve. It feels great being able to go anywhere to buy clothes. Now if I only had the money for a new wardrobe life would be grand. But business has been slow and I am being frugal for now......!! Babs in TX 334/190/170 -144

Hi Guys!!! All of you are great!! Thanks for all the kind words!!! Babs in TX 334/190/170 -144 6/23/03

Jen, If you go to www.obesityhelp.com you can get a letter of medical necessity where the doc only has to fill in the blanks. Thats what I gave my PCP and told him to use that letter and just add whatever else he felt was relevant. The problem is the doc s dont do their own correspondence and unless you make it easy for them, it will take more time than you want. Just a suggestion... Babs in TX 334/190/170 -144

Hi Again, Got on the scale this morning and I am at 190!!! THose 180's are just around the corner!! Babs in TX 334/190/170 -144

Hi Vera, Glad everything is well for you. Having the flouro fills makes me feel a lot better and I think that everyone should have a fill with flouro or at least a checkup once a year. Anway, I hope you see a difference with this most recent fill. Babs in TX 334/191/170 -143

Hi Leatha, Glad ya got a fill. I have to say though when I saw you eat in Vegas, you didnt eat very much. (at least compared to me). I know you will get where you want to go!! Did Dr. V give you your fill? Babs in TX 334/191/170 -143

Hi Guys, I decided to be a very very good girl this week. I am back on Atkins to lose the last 21 pounds. And I went to the gym and worked out last night and plan to go at least 3-4 hours a week til I get the last of this weight off. Lo and behold, just one day of being good dropped me from 194 down to 191 today!!! I was up peeing all night and I knew the scale would show a downward trend this morning. I was eating too many Snacks in the evening like popcorn which is loaded with sodium. So I am looking to reach the 180's before the week is out. I can do it... I can do it... I am a meataholic and I love it.... Babs in TX 334/191/170 -143 6/23/03

Hi Again, Michelle: Thanks for the positive feedback. I know that I can do it and I am tired of being "mildly obese" Six more pounds puts me at just "overweight". Greg: I need one of you around every morning to tell me I am "sexy". Trying to get the hubby to do that, but he just doesnt seem to acknowledge the weight loss and doesnt mention anything about my change in appearance. What a way to start the day!!! Thanks!! Queen Michelle: I do a modified version of Atkins. I dont eat a lot of red meat anyway. Mostly chicken, fish and turkey with some limited veggies. I substitute eggs for Egg Beaters. I eat an ounce of cheese per day, not enough to get the cholesterol up. The reason that Atkins is rough on the liver is that there is some "ketosis" going on in the absence of carbs. And the reason it is unhealthy to do Atkins for a long time is that most people go the extreme and eat lots of fatty meats like ribs and chicken skin and fatty steak etc.. and no carbs and too many calories, which will still put you in ketosis, but is not very heart or liver smart. I also try to keep it lowfat as well. And preband when I did Atkins, I ate way too much. Now I can only eat a 4-5 ounce serving anyway and I keep it to 1100 calories a day, which is a third of what I ate preband. SO I would say that I am eating healthier than I did before. When I get to goal, I can start adding some limited carbs back to my diet, but I want to get this weight off once and for all!!! Babs in TX 334/191/170 -143 6/23/03

Hi Michelle, I have lots of gas too, especially if I eat more than I should at a meal time. It affects me in the evening mostly. I can burp, but its mostly little baby burps. The days of the real belch are over for me. If I eat a bandster portion instead of slightly more, the problem decreases. If I dont eat, then no problem. So just dont eat! LOL Babs in TX 334/192/170 -142 6/23/03

Queen Michelle, Yes, you can gain weight back with the lapband. But it is harder to do than it is with the bypass. This is mostly becausewith the band and slower weight loss, you have more time to deal with developing good eating habits. ONce the bypass patients pass their window of opportunity which is about 18 months, if they havent learned good eating habits some of them regain. Also with the bypass once the stomach stretches a little and the newly created pouch increases in size, it is possible to eat more. With the lapband, you can get adjustments and change your level of restriction for perpetuity. At least to me, the lapband is a much more effective tool Babs in TX 334/192/170 -142 6/23/03

Hi Everyone, Gosh, I have been getting hungrier and hungrier over the last month or so. The weight loss is slowing down and I want my fill back that was taken out in September. My doc wanted to wait until December, but screw it. I am getting some this week! Its been a struggle. I am still losing a little, but less than a pound a week. The weight just keeps going up and down the same three pounds for the last month. i know it has a lot to do with me. i have not been as compliant as I should be. But I know I am tenured enough to handle more. I am at 2.4 and would like to go back to 2.5. They had me at 2.6 and this was a little too much for me to handle. But I had 2.5 for nine months and did not have any problems. I feel like my doc is penalizing me for filling me too tightly. I have less now than I had a year ago. Right now, I would kill for a Peanut Butter and jelly sandwich!!!! I have been consistently hungry and obsessing about food again, so I know I am ready. I could still lose another 50 lbs and not be too thin. But I want to be realistic about this. I REALLY would like to see 169. THats another 23 pounds. If I got there and nothing more happened, I could live with this. So I want the other 13% off within the next 6 months. I just want it to be like before where I wasnt thinking about food all day. Is that to much to ask. I am running out of will power.... OK, I will stop ranting and whining now. There are others that have far bigger problems than me! Babs in TX 334/192/170 -142

Hi Alex, COngratulations on the NSV!!!! Regarding other folks and what they notice or dont notice, I think it comes from years of being invisible. Many obese people dont like attention. When they get it, they cant handle compliments when they are doled out. I am trying to learn how to say "Thank you" when someone notices me and also trying not to get upset when people dont. Its hard to do because as individuals we care what people think even when we tell ourselves we dont. So hows that for words of wisdom? Didnt help much did I? Babs in TX 334/192/170 -142 6/23/03

Hi Again, You guys might be onto something. THe weather change does seem to make me want some nice warm comfort foods. And having my friend Julie here hasnt helped much either. Tomorrow is a new day. I have a feeling it might be a good idea to wait a week or two on the fill anyway. I have some kind of allergy/throat thing going on and I am gurgling all day. When I eat, I have been getting a little golf ballish and once it passes, I am able to eat quite comfortably. But I think my throat is a little raw and it would be hard to gauge where I really am on the restriction if I got a fill this week. Also, I am going to try to stick to the program this week and see where I can go. It seems like even one food indiscretion sets me back days now, so I need to be ever so diligent about what i eat. The thing that bothers me the most is the fact that I keep obsessing about food. When I was tighter, I hardly thought about food at all and sometimes had to force myself to eat. So clearly a fill will help me, but the timing needs to be right. So I will wait a little longer and try not to gain anything. Thanks for the support. Babs in TX 334/192/170 -142

Hi Bright, Honey, I am so sorry I missed this post with my Cosmic sister in Ireland.! Please dont be depressed. It sounds like you need a good fill that will give you some restriction. It is true that Cookies, popcorn and cake will go right through the band even if you have restriction. And chips have replaced bread for me and I have to be ever so careful about not becoming a tortilla chip addict. SOunds like the Belgian doc was an arse. You need to talk to your banding surgeon to see if you can find someone who can fill you under flouoscopy. Without proper restriction, losing with the band can feel very much like dieting. I had a small unfill two weeks after a fill in August. I felt I was too tight. My doc removed more than what he had put in . So now, I am really struggling to get the last 20-25 pounds off and I am hungrier. I am going back to get more fill sometime this month. i dont want to obsess about food either and I certainly dont want to gain anything I have lost. I also had my girlfriend from Colorado living here in my house for the last two weeks. She eats enough to feed a small elephant and I have been living at the grocery store for the better part of two weeks. I have not made very smart food choices since she has been here and it has affected my weight loss. I even gained 4 pounds and it took me the second week she was here to realize that I didnt have to eat everything she did or keep up with her. I dropped the four pounds with much struggle the second week she was here. Hang in there, get another fill and know that you have done wonderfully over the last year. Your weight loss has been phenomenal and definitely above average my dear!!! Babs in TX 334/192/170 -142

Penni, I am so sorry that this is happening to you. It sounds like you are having a horrible time and I hope that things get better. Babs in TX 334/192/170 -142

Hi Kyleigh, Cool ad!!! That should keep you motivated and on track!!! You are looking great. Congratulations!!! Babs in TX 334/192/170 -142

Hey my friends, I have a good friend Julie who is staying with me for two weeks helping me with my company and deciding if she wants to be a recruiter. Julie is about 5' 7" and 142 lbs. She eats all day long. I truly have never seen someone who can pack away so much food. It is a combination of healthy and unhealthy stuff. SHe lives and breathes food. So naturally all week when Julie eats, I eat or nosh too. She does walk a lot and I have walked twice this week with her (in lieu of the gym) about 4-5 miles in the evening. But it doesnt make me feel good about the quantities I am able to eat per meal and the grazing. I went to a buffet this week and was surprised at how much I could pack away at a meal. So I am a little scared. I dont want to gain while she is here, but I notice I am getting hungrier and hungrier. Now with Halloween around the corner, I know she will be eating tons of chocolate. Can I resist? She is here one more week. I really need your help. I am in crisis mode here! LOL Babs in TX 334/192/170 -142

Hi Again, Its getting worse! Sarah, Julie knows I have a lapband. Michelle: You are absolutely right. I have the power. But I have less now because I had some fill removed in early September and I now have less willpower than before. I know I need a fill, but my doc wanted to wait until December before adding what he took out. Bright: She is here one more week so I am going to try harder and ask for her help. Her way of countering the large food quantities she eats is with jogging and long walks most every night. Unfortunately with two kids to get ready for school and bed, I have only managed two nights of walking with a total of about 7 or 8 miles. I havent gained this week, but I aint losing either. I have found that it is more of a volume problem than me actually eating junk food. Like tonight, I had some chicken pieces, some hummus, two little pieces of italian bread, some seafood salad, some coleslaw, some garlic sauce and two pieces of brie. FOr lunch I ate two eggs, 1 biscuit, 1/2 pancake and half a piece of bacon. (we went to Cracker Barrel for brunch). These are not bandster portions!! Certainly less than I ate before, but more than I need! Plus I'm getting my monthly friend and its Halloween tomorrow. I think someone should just knock me out until next Saturday! LOL I think I will walk for an hour later....... THanks for putting up with me!!! Babs in TX 334/192/170 -142

Hey my friends, I have been doing some thinking as of late about getting to goal weight. I am 22 pounds from a goal of 170. I changed it from 180 once I got to the lower 200's. I am just wondering if it is realistic to set my sights at a lower goal weight. I have been losing a pound a week since about April. It is really going a lot slower now and I am becoming a little complacent. I hoped I wouldnt, but I am not trying as hard as before. But also I notice that any little discretion sets me back 3 or 4 days, so I am still pretty diligent about keeping the calories to a 1200 maximum per day except when I go to Vegas and have margarita parties!! LOL I dont know whether I should care if I ever see a weight of 160 or less. I am in a 12-14 top and a 16 bottom (loose) which isnt all that terrible, but its still fat in my book. Should I care more and try to be more dilgent or be happy with the pound a week that I am losing? I also feel like I need more fill. I eat quite a bit compared to what is considered to be a normal bandster serving and occasionally feel guilty about this. Or should I get a really tight fill and try to get the 20 lbs off as fast as possible? I am confused....... Babs in TX 334/192/170 -142

Hi Lisa, I want to come and see you in Vegas again!!! I had such a great time and I want to ride your bike!!! Thank you so much for the compliment. There are days I look in the mirror and think I no longer look obese. But there are other days.... The problem is I still weigh much more than I should. The tanita scale says my ideal weight is 146-152. If thats the case, I am still 40-45 pounds overweight. I didnt think that 170 was an unrealistic goal. No one is calling me a fat ass anymore (LOL) but I still dont feel thin. I want to know what that really feels like. P.S. I will be going to Vegas again either for the Vegas Bandsters Bash or just for fun in Jan or Feb. Hopefully by then, I woould have lost another 10 pounds!! Tell Chris I said HI too! Babs in TX

Hi Again, Jax: It is true if you are losing weight (1-2 lbs a week) that you shouldnt normally get a fill. But I find I can eat a lot more than I really need and I get hungrier between meals now. I had another fill in August (which made me too tight) and then an unfill that was greater than the fill in September. I feel like my doc penalized me for having a fill that was too tight when it did not start out this way. Previous to the August fill, I worked with my band for 9 months with the same fill level. I felt I was experienced enough to know how to handle additional restriction. The band is very fickle sometimes. What feel s like a good fill level one day is too tight sometimes as long as 2-3 weeks after the fill. And it varies from day to day as well. Just so you know, if I want to eat 8-10 oz of food, I can do that quite easily. My normal meal is between 5-8 oz of solid Protein and veggies. So yes, I can eat more than most properly restricted bandsters. I am not complaining, but I really feel like I have never reached that sweet spot where food is no longer a priority in my life. Anyway, I may go back and get a fill in December to jumpstart the weight loss. Alex: Even at 170, I would still be considered overweight for a woman with a height of 5' 6". So its not like I would be thin and its not like I am truly obsessing over a number on the scale. I want to get to a size 12-14 on the bottom and a 10-12 on the top. Thats my goal and I dont know what weight that will be. Anyway, I am seriously going to consider a fill sometime during November to get me through the Christmas season relatively unscathed!!! Babs in TX 334/192/170 -142 6/23/03

Hey Karen, Its good to hear from you again. I know I dont post as often, but I think of everyone a lot. I feel like I need to jump start this baby again. I am still 7 pounds from being overweight and I am still in the obese category. Hope you and your son are doing well. Alex: I am a classic overachiever and feel that things needs to happen immediately.! LOL I said when I got below 200, I would take it easy and just let my body get to where it wants to go in its own time. I think I could be happy at 170, but at one pound a week, its gonna take me at least 5 more months to get there! I just want to arrive!! Babs in TX 334/192/170 -142

Dear Jax, I am 16 months out. I have lost 142 lbs so far and I am still losing a pound a week. THere are some of us out there that are no longer newbies, but dont have time to post. The band is the best thing I have ever done for myself. I eat normal smaller portions and continue to lose weight. Yes, it is a lifestyle change and you need to work hard at it, but if you are willing to work with your band, you will get to a weight you are comfortable with. Good luck with your decision and feel free to email me if you have any questions. Babs in TX 334/192/170 -142 6/23/03

Hi C, There wasnt one defining moment, but a series of them. I couldnt walk up a flight of stairs without stopping 3 or 4 times. Everytime I got on an elevator it would jerk a little and I know people were looking at me wondering if the elevator would fall and they would plunge to their deaths! My feet hurt, my joints hurt and I couldnt run around with my kids. At over 300 lbs, I would have real panic attacks if I had to get on a plane cause I knew I wouldnt fit. So I was researching on the internet what options there were to lose weight and found the lapband. ONce I had it in my brain that this was what I wanted to do, there was no stopping me. Wow, what a different life I have now!!! Babs in TX 334/192/170 -142

Donali, Congratulations on the pants victory.!!! I go away for a day or two and all hell breaks loose on the this site. And they called me the wild partying Las Vegas girl..... Babs in TX 334/194/170 -140