LapBandFan

Ok, I went and did it. I rejoined weight watchers today and got the information for both the flex plan and the core plan but I am aiming to stay on the core plan. Any of you on the core plan?

I really think I am going to enjoy the support group meetings themselves. I live too far away from my surgeon to go to the lapband support meetings he has there.

Please pray that I can get off this pleateau now!! Thanks.

I love this thread.....I too need accountability.... I vow to do these things everyday:

• I vow to exercise for at least 30 minutes aiming for an hour a day goal 2 miles walked per day.
  
• I vow to write down everything that goes in my mouth
  I vow to drink 64 oz Water per day, aiming for 92 oz.
  
• I vow to follow a lowcarb diet.
  
• I vow to not snack between meals.

Thanks for starting this thread...

Walk across America Log - Daily Walking chart http://www.fitnessjournal.org/map/?see=scrappyethel

I am always struggling with exercise motivation and found the website www.fitnessjournal.org and it is a place where you can record you workouts, food intake, make a journal and all kinds of cool things. You can print out a stat sheet over a time period after you get workouts entered there. It tallys up your calories burned, etc., I love the Walk Across America map that is included, it tracks your miles across as you enter your daily miles walked, etc. I love it and it has helped me exercise every day, just being able to keep a log of my exercise that I can print off and keep up with. Here is my link to my Walk Across America map please bear in mind, I just started it a couple of weeks ago. My goal is to walk 7.5 miles per week and build up to 10 miles per week.

Walk across America Log - Daily Walking chart http://www.fitnessjournal.org/map/?see=scrappyethel

You can also make this link in your blog website or email signature line and others can see how you are doing on the map.

I had slippage and was rebanded. My symptoms of slippage were only lthe fact that I started having bad acid reflux at night when I would try to lie down and started spitting up black tarry looking material, not really vomit, just spit up. I still had restriction and was still only eating small portions. Some people have a loss of restirction with slippage, there are no true clear cut symptoms of slippage, the only way I knew for sure it was slippage was by fluoroscopy in xray. Go to the USA section of the forums and go to Georgia and post there to see if you can find someone who might can help you find a doc in the Atlanta area. Good luck to you.

Teresa! I am so proud of you!! you go girl. 399 will be here before you know it. You are truly on a roll and I am doing the happy dance while I speak for you! Keep up the good work!

In my opinion, it all depends how much you have to lose to start with. I had (embarrased to say) gotten up to 365 pounds and have lost 140 pounds thus far. I do have sagging skin, which my doctor warned me would happen. His description was "you stretched your skin out for so long with being overweight it lost its elasticity" He advised strict exercise as soon as able after surgery to help with it, but it is inevitable to have some sagging if you have a lot to lose. I am now anticipating plastic surgery to fix all my sagging skin. But overall, I would rather have some sagging skin and be a wrinkled skinny person than to be a fat, smoothed-skin person! You are younger, so it might play a good part in your case. The others (above) have given you great advice, especially about the exercise and the Water intake. Good luck on your journey.

Thanks Jonathan, Cashley and Donna for all your pointers. I have found a local meeting here for this Thursday that I plan on attending to get me refreshed on the WW Points program. Again, good luck to all of you on your journeys and good job on your losses so far. I have been at a plateau for so long it would scare me to death to start losing again.....

Have a blessed day!

Praising the Lord with you girlfriend!!! Woo Hoo! Hold onto something tight while BigEthel here does the happy dance for you!!! Way to go!!! I am sure that it means so much to you. I need to be like you and focus on NSV instead of the scales. You are a true inspiration and your bible verse and you giving God the glory tells me we are sisters in Christ. I love your bible verse in your signature line.

With GOD ALL things are possible!!!!

Have a blessed day!

Good idea, I might just join the local meeting to get the information and then do it on my own after that with the Etools.

What do you do to become lifetime member? Once lifetime, meetings are free right? Just was thinking that was what I remembered them saying but was not sure.

Thanks again for the info. I will call my local WW meeting and find out when and where they meet.

It's not free but not to expensive - it's like 10.00 per month (either $9.95 or $10.95 I can't remember)

You are supposed to be a member but.... you can go to one meeting since they have free registration, sign up, get all your material and ask for an e-tools code. The first meeting is only $11.00

I think e-tools is actually better then Weight Watchers Online and it's cheaper. Of corse weight watchers wants e-tools to be for members of the meetings only but once you put the code in they don't check again.

I'm a lifetime member so it's a good alternative.

Thanks for the input! I am struggling with looking and making myself read the food labels. I have done lowcarb so long I was just used to knowing what I could eat, but I really really need Fiber in my diet and hope the WW points program will work for me. I know it will if I MAKE myself do it! ha ha!

Cashley, is use of the etools WW online free or only free to current WW members? What is the website link?

Thanks again.

Megan, YEAH For you!!! that is great news. I have been on the band journey two years since February.

Keep up the good work. Do you have any before/after pics to see? I would love to see them.

Take care and God bless!

Good Luck Crystal! Today is your BIG DAY!!!! WOO HOO! Please keep us posted here how you are doing as soon as you feel like it!

We will pray for a speedy recovery!

Take care, Brenda

I have been doing low-carb for a while and am burned out with it and wish to try weight watchers on my own again. I am a previous member of WW before my band surgery and have dug around and found some of the reading material and my WW points electric calculator but I cannot remember exactly how the plan works. I entered my weight in the calculator and it gave me a list of points, is this list of points what I should strive for each day and no more? The calculator is very cool and you record your daily wieght and Water intake, activities etc. How many points do I get to add daily for exercise? Seems like it was you get one extra point for every 20 minutes of exercise? Is that right? Do I just look at the food label and find calories/fat/fiber for the point value of a serving of that food? I hate to be in the dark about this but I cannot find the main book that came with WW and don't have time to join the meetings locally. Thanks for any information.

Oh, I am so glad for you! I was scared you had slippage as that is what I had, the black tar with acid reflux, when I had slippage. The Good Lord above is watching out for you and your band! I will continue praying the swelling and inflammation get better soon. Take care of yourself!

Welcome Carol. I am close to where you live. I live in Sweetwater TN about halfway between Knoxville and Chattanooga.

Good luck on getting your surgery.

Please post here anytime for any questions I might can help you with.

Carolyn, having been banded for little over 2 years here is my take on it. It was the best thing I ever done. The good Lord above and the band have allowed me to lose 140 pounds which I could never have done on my own. I would do it again in a heartbeat. To answer some of the other things you are concerned about....

1). Being "gassy" and having persistent gas pains I never have gas, I had a little after surgery but it only lasted about a week, took Gas-X tablets for that. <O:p</O:p

2). Becoming a burper (I'm not a burper now and I don't want to be!) This is not a thing I do, I never have had a problem with burping all the time since the band. <O:p</O:p

3). Throwing up - period! This is not part of my life either, never has been and we are actually discouraged from making ourself throw up, not a good healthy band thing, too much throwing up could cause slippage.<O:p</O:p

4). How long after surgery until I am ready for hot sex with my new boyfriend? (I am serious about this!) My doc said wait about 4 weeks to get over the soreness and so as not to pull anything loose (sutures, etc)

<O:p</O:p

5). Is choosing to do this surgery going to make me consumed with "what and how and when and with who and where and how much" to the point of distraction where I'm no fun to be with or like a "special needs" friend? Definitely not, You are more aware of what and how to eat, but you only obsess about it as much as you let yourself.

Do I need to blender foods and take a broccoli-shake-on-ice (example) if I am going to be out all afternoon with the girls? No silly, after you get back on regular food (after going through surgery and doing the liquid diet/ soft diet etc, you will be able to eat most normal foods (although I had to give up rice, Pasta and breads - they hurt to eat them got stuck in pouch). I do however keep a highprotein bar or beefjerky strip in my purse all the time though.

6). That I will regret having this done because it altered my life so dramatically NO, definitely not, not if you want to lose weight and have a new, better, and healthier you.... Yes, you will go through a time of "what in the crap have I done?" right after surgery and I went through a time of mourning of my old eating lifestyle and the food portion size you can no longer eat, but hey is it SOOOOOO worth it. Your lifestyle will be pretty much the same, just you will make better food choices, eat less and know you are doing the best thing for your health.

<O:p</O:p

7). That I'll have ugly scars (I already have tiny Lipo scars that don't bother me but I don't want to look like I've been butchered - which brings me to my next point) Well, scars are gonna be there, that is just normal. You can get that scar cream to help reduce the signs of the scars. No way out of this one...

<O:p</O:p

8). I think (I am sure if you want to look like I want to look) that more surgery to remove excess skin is going to be needed (more scars and now I am looking like a pin cusion when naked Sure, plastic surgery may be necessary for sagging skin etc, but hey at least it is just skin and not fat as before. I am currently waiting on insurance approval for a Tummy Tuck, which in my opinion, another surgery is worth it to get rid of the sagging skin and feel better about myself. Again, scars are inevitable.

<O:p</O:p

9). That this is just another drastic measure that I take that is not really necessary in the big picture... the side effects were not worth it. What side effects? I only see GOOD from it all.

10). That there is life altering stuff (either gross physical stuff or lifestyle changes) that I don't know of or can't imagine right now that are going to further be a problem or issue, etc. .Everyone is different and experiences are different, but I, myself, have only had the great life-altering weight loss that came with the surgery. Yes, I have sagging skin, but I knew that was expected. Erosion and slippage are risk factors that can happen which your surgeon should go over with you, that is just a chance you take. I personally had a slippage 10 months after the band and had a replacement surgery with a new band and I feel it was worth a second surgery and would do it all over again in a heartbeat. Just gotta decide on your own if that risk of slippage, erosion or port leak is worth it to you or not. To me, it was and those risks are small compared to other types of weight loss surgery or the risks of NOT losing the weight with poor health inevitable in the future from being obese (heart attack, stroke, diabetes, etc)

<O:p</O:p

11). Dramatic weight loss causes wrinkles Wrinkles.... well, hey they are gonna come eventually, weight loss or not, we are human ....it happens....That is what plastic surgeons are for....I would rather be a skinny wrinkled woman than a smoothed-skin obese woman!!!

<O:p</O:p

I can really go either way at this moment. I waiver between this a the best option to actually lose weight and this is not necessary and I should accept myself, work HARD to lose it and deal with the health problems that have already begun to surface due to weight (diabetes for instance). Time and again, if you search the boards, you will find that so many people have got to get off their diabetic medicines and arthritis medicines after they have lost their weight, mind you, it is not everybody that will, but your health improves to drastically with weight loss that you won't need as much medications. I feel the that why not do the surgery if it will help prolong your life and better your health. I understand the fear of it all. But weighing in at 365, I felt like such a loser and slob that I was so ready to try anything to lose the weight and am SO GLAD the band was there for me.

<O:p</O:p

<O:p

Who has had a easy, great experience and thinks that this is the best thing that they ever did --- and never threw up or embarrassed themselves as a result of this? Like I said, best thing I ever done....I don't throw up hardly ever, yes, I do have the times when I eat too fast and the food gets stuck but it passes over time, but I try to tough through it and wait on it to pass, but It teaches me a lesson on slowing down when I eat and chewing and not swallowing until the bite of food is mush.....Live and learn experiences...

I don't know about everyone else, but I can sleep on my side just fine.

Hope you will think about the band, it is one of the best things I have ever done in my life, but I realize that others on here have been there and done that and have had lots of problems/complications, but I can only say for me....love my band and grateful for it....Take care.

Brenda<O:p</O:p

Thank you all for being here. This forum allows me a place to gather information and opinion. Thanks for that.

<O:p

I am going to have the Band procedure in two weeks (maybe). I welcome the weight loss as it's a dream for me to be slender and physically fit. <O:p

I am currently a nicely proportioned "big" girl who turns heads everyday and most everywhere that I go. I DO qualify and need to lose as 70lbs although I cannot imagine MY body at that weight! I am lucky that I have gotten by in life so well by having a well defined (but heavy) shape, alot of confidence (on the outside), a certain stylishness and alot personality.<O:p

<O:p

Finding the clothes that I would like to wear and knowing that I am not society's ideal is what plagues me. I am currently losing (very) slowly with diet and exercise with the help of a personal trainer and I'm feeling pretty good and hopeful (right now) that over time I can continue to reduce in size. <O:p

<O:p

I am not concerned about the surgery or recovery itself so much (except the potential for pain from the gas during surgery - this sounds bad and feeling the port or not sleeping in the position of my choice). I've had some lipo (w/infection) and lived...<O:p</O:p

<O:p

I am concerned about the following:<O:p</O:p

<O:p</O:p

1). Being "gassy" and having persistent gas pains<O:p</O:p

2). Becoming a burper (I'm not a burper now and I don't want to be!) <O:p</O:p

3). Throwing up - period!<O:p</O:p

4). How long after surgery until I am ready for hot sex with my new boyfriend? (I am serious about this!)<O:p</O:p

5). Is choosing to do this surgery going to make me consumed with "what and how and when and with who and where and how much" to the point of distraction where I'm no fun to be with or like a "special needs" friend? Do I need to blender foods and take a broccoli-shake-on-ice (example) if I am going to be out all afternoon with the girls?

6). That I will regret having this done because it altered my life so dramatically<O:p</O:p

7). That I'll have ugly scars (I already have tiny lipo scars that don't bother me but I don't want to look like I've been butchered - which brings me to my next point)<O:p</O:p

8). I think (I am sure if you want to look like I want to look) that more surgery to remove excess skin is going to be needed (more scars and now I am looking like a pin cusion when naked<O:p</O:p

9). That this is just another drastic measure that I take that is not really necessary in the big picture... the side effects were not worth it.<O:p</O:p

10). That there is life altering stuff (either gross physical stuff or lifestyle changes) that I don't know of or can't imagine right now that are going to further be a problem or issue, etc. .<O:p</O:p

11). Dramatic weight loss causes wrinkles

<O:p</O:p

I can really go either way at this moment. I waiver between this a the best option to actually lose weight and this is not necessary and I should accept myself, work HARD to lose it and deal with the health problems that have already begun to surface due to weight (diabetes for instance). <O:p

Who here thinks this is more trouble than it's worth? Wish you'd never done it?<O:p</O:p

<O:p

Who has had a easy, great experience and thinks that this is the best thing that they ever did --- and never threw up or embarrassed themselves as a result of this? <O:p</O:p

<O:p

I would really, really appreciate some feedback. I don't want to be a burping-gassy-bloated-uncomfortable-throwing up-non carbonated, cocktail sipping socialite-who cannot sleep on her side and is further inhibited, not by weight but as a result of the effects of living with this band.

<O:p</O:p

<O:p</O:p

Please help and be brutally honest... I NEED to know the worst of this to help me determine if this is for me or not. <O:p</O:p

<O:p</O:p

Thank you sincerely.<O:p</O:p

Carolyn M<O:p</O:p

Sounds like you have acid reflux. I had slippage and the only symptoms I had was the spitting up the black tar with really bad acid reflux. Please call you doctor and demand to get in immediately! I will pray for you!

Take care, Brenda

I'm much worse today!!! The burning in my throat never went away. I can't even keep liquids down. I am choking on a popsicle right now. I have a terrible pain at my band area & was up all night. I threw up black tar. (I didn't eat ANYTHING!!) These are not good signs!! I've got a call into the doctor. I'll let you know what I find out. :paranoid

I'm a little scared. After having no complications for 8 months - I now have this!!!

Teresa, I have been watching your threads lately and you are losing and doing so good. I need daily motivation, accountability and support in the exercise department..... I love that you ahve your stats and how the numbers are going down for you... having been banded for 2 years now, having lost up to 140 pounds, you would think I don't need motivation to keep moving, but I do.....I feel stuck, been stuck without a regulare steady weight loss for over 5 months now. I go for another fill in 2 weeks which will make my band a little over half full so hopefully the increased resitriction will help me start losing again. Please post daily. I need to see your success and that will inspire me to keep on.... I see you joined TOPS is that motivation for you? Do you meet once a week and weigh in? I think I need to join our local TOPS or Weight watchers or something where I have to check in at least weekly to weigh.... Just want you to know you are an inspiration.... keep up the good work.....

Kim, I just now read your post and it sounds like you have been living with me and watching me on one of my bad days. I have done the exact same thing before and beat myself up over it 1000 times for doing it. I think we ALL slip up and eat stuff we don't need and that just proves you are human and normal. When I read your post I thought back to this past weekend, I bought hershey kisses to give to our kids at church in sunday school, well I thought, I will have a couple of those and before the day was over the entire bag was gone, inside me making me feel like such a loser and failure and feeling as big as I ever was. I know we can do this and overcome these binges. It don't happen often to me but it does happen. My new rules are I don't even let myself purchase those things and if I do it to give to someone else I make a big deal out of telling my husband there is candy in the house and to be my candy police!! He don't have a problem at all, he is diabetic and lucky for him he has never been a big sweets eater.

So, stop beating yourself up and move on...today is a new day.....even if you slip once today, don't let it turn you into the candymonster all day, just throw the candy away or give it to someone else. I know it sounds crazy but get it out of your site however you can.

I will pray for you as you deal with these demons everyday and I want you to pray for me. I am just vowing to not even have it in my presence and not purchase it at all. I cannot be trusted with it!! heck, I cannot even be trusted with the sugarfree chocolate either, same thing happens if I have it.

What I started doing after my last "binge" was not allowing me to have any chocolate or treat until once on the weekend in the presence of someone else, as I feel guilty if I eat more than I should in the presence of someone else. Especially since everyone knows I have lost 140 pounds and I feel like they are "watching" me to see if I mess up. That is the safest answer to my problem, wait till weekend to treat myself and then only with one serving of the treat.

Well, wake up now, I know I put you to sleep with such a long post, but I know where you are coming from....take it a day at a time.... you can do it you have not come this far to fail now! You have done a great job with your band on your wt loss. Take care.....

Welcome to bandland here at lapband talk. I live in Sweetwater TN about halfway between Chattanooga and Knoxville, I used Dr Walter Rose and had my band surgery 2 years ago at Memorial Hospital. Feel free to send me a private message for any questions. I will be happy to help in anyway I can.

Best advice I can give you both is to TRULY and HONESTLY follow all the advice your surgeon gives you about following the diet and exercising. The Lord and my band has helped me lose 140 pounds so far and I have followed the rules to the letter. Good luck on your new journey.....

• No drinking with meals
  
• No carbonated beverages - ever
  
• No breads and pastas (they get stuck on me, some people can eat them but not me)
  
• Drink at least 84 oz Water per day
  
• No snacking between meals (slip on that one occassionaly:phanvan )
  
• Increase exercise (still struggle doing this, busy schedule prevents me doing it like I need to:rolleyes: )

Susan, thanks you are too kind. There are other NSV I am sure but I don't have time to post a lot right now as I am at work afterall.... hee hee... I have more pics of me at a photo website at www.picturetrail.com/befain go to wt loss album, you will need the password which is 1968loser. Thanks for looking.

Jenna - Yes, you are right We are both happier now. DH has gained a little bit of weight he found out he is diabetic and the medicine he is on made him gain some weight. Thanks for your kind words.

How has loss of 100 pounds changed my life? Here are just a few off top of my head.....

• I can go out in public and not be embarrassed.
  
• I can wear bluejeans comfortably.
  
• I can fit into booths at resteraunts and movie theaters without problems.
  
• My legs don't rub together catching my pants on fire....:nervous
  
• My nieces and nephews can sit on my lap, I never had one before.
  
• I have more confidence in myself to get up in front of crowds now.
  
• I can wear a seatbelt in the vehicle now (before it would not fit)
  
• I don't suffer from severe depression anymore.
  
• I have energy to exercise and do more outdoors things with my husband.
  
• I can shop for clothes in my hometown instead of ordering everything from plus size catalogs.
  
• The JOY I get if I pass someone I know who has not seen me in a long time and they don't recognize that it is me!!! :clap2:
  
• My favorite...My husband tells everyong he got a new wife and did not even have to get a divorce.:kiss2:

See attached photo of how it looks.....

Hello neighbors, just checking in. I would like to start a thread in this forum for exercise and eating accountability? Anyof you in?

Although I have lost 132 pounds, I still hit plateaus and have days I don't want to exercise or eat right..... so we could post here and encouarge one another. I know some of you have not been banded yet, but you could go on and post daily too.

Nancy, How are you feeling? Hope the soreness is getting better daily. Try to move some as much as you can to work the soreness out. Please post and tell us how you are.

Have a blessed night!

Teresa, WOO HOO 4 pounds gone, you go girl!!!! Happy Dance in progress for you! How long you ben faithfully walking regularly? Is there somewhere here that you post your daily intake too? Just curious.

Great job on the loss!

Ok, I walked 1.5 miles yesterday in 30 minutes and walked 2 miles today in 45 minutes. Just checking in. See ya!