Leepers

Sometimes I think people who have no fears or doubts are abnormal. You are embarking upon a new way of life, a major change. Change is hard for most people. I had doubts too. It was my first surgery ever. Could I handle the preop diet? After the surgery, when I was hurting from the gas, I thought why did I do this? But I kept on because I had hope. And determination. I could not continue to live my life at 295 pounds. I followed the rules. I also, by choice, counted calories. I exercised for days a week. Now, I am only 8 pounds away from my goal of 165! It has been worth every doubt, fear, pain, you name it, it was worth it.

Great job on everything, especially the exercise. Push yourself a little further every week. I truly believe that a habit of regular exercise is what will help us keep the weight off in the long term.

NSV. Walked into a restaurant bathroom last night and was faced with the big handicap stall and the "small" stall. Almost went to the big one when I realized I now have room to move around in the smaller one. It's awesome feeling "normal."

Foods are sneaky. That's why I try my best to look them up before I eat. Once I went to Macaroni Grill, I was looking up nutritional info beforehand, I saw a Parmesan Encrusted Tilapia. You think, tilapia, that's good right? He'll no! It had something like 1300 calories. Over what I was eating at that time. It was a good lesson. Don't always trust the fish as a good choice. Lol.

http://drsimpson.net/fills/Lap-band-eating/lap-band-not-restriction/lap-band-and-restriction.html You should read this article. Best wishes!

Love the hair!

Love, love, love my band! I've lost 116 pounds since my surgery on December 18th, 2013. I was pretty hard core about exercise and calorie intake. This last month I have eased up on calorie counting but am keeping up on exercise. Gonna run my first 5k in October. I have my sights set on the mini marathon my city has every April. The band has given me my life back. I love having energy and looking good clothes. Would do it over and over again!

Been watching you, Just Watch Me, and you are doing fabulous! We can't just depend on our band to do the job. Our brain is probably a bigger enemy than our hunger. We have to work on it too. You're doing an awesome job of it.

They never test for drugs pre - surgery unless you give them reason to. Deny. Deny. Deny. This is advice from a nurse. Lol. No one really cares about a little Mary Jane.

Best wishes to you, Terry!

Yes, I can sometimes fit in a 9.5. I used to always have to buy a 10.

I had good intentions but obviously have not set anything in motion. Anyone is welcome to take charge and get it going. I would definitely participate and attend meetings and also help if you have specific tasks to dole out. My apologies!

I know what you mean. I have told mostly everyone about my band, but kinda in the same theme, I am constantly asked how much weight I've lost. By men and women acquaintances at work. It's gotten to the point that I am embarrassed to say I've lost 110 pounds because it's hard to admit that I was that overweight. So, even if you choose not to tell people about your surgery, be prepared for all of the curiosity that you will be bombarded with. They mean well but...

@@allielee WOWZERS!!

@@LipstickLady You are smokin' hot!

I wanna know how much my bones weigh!

An awesome athletic marathon runner who is also a world traveler.

This is why I try not to eat my calories back. Then there's MyFitnessPal that grossly overestimates calories burned. So many people use that app and just trust.

I am all belly with no waistline. I wear a 14, when my friend, who is the same weight, wears a 12. It's all about body shape. I was slow to go down sizes in the beginning too.

The food guilt is difficult. I am always worried that when I eat something with more carbs or higher calories or lots of sugar that it is the beginning of the end. I worry that everyday I will allow myself a little more freedom here and there until I find that I am eating crap again and I'm gaining weight back. It is a valid fear. I think it keeps me honest. I need to think about every bite that goes into my body. Maybe for the rest of my life. What is it about half of a six inch sub that makes you feel so bad? Carb-wise it might not be the best choice ever, but it's not a Big Mac. So it is a better choice. We obsess over changing our bodies, when really it is our minds that need fixing. You are normal. Listen to your logic, not your feelings.

With less weight to lose, I have gotten into a rotation of no loss for 3 weeks then the next week, big weight loss. Right along with that time of the month. It is frustrating but just keep with it.

I have always loooved pizza. Now it's one or two slices, depending on size, instead of the four or five I used to eat. I do like the individual size California Pizza Kitchen pizzas in the frozen section. They're about 400 calories and the crust is very thin and crispy so it's easier to eat for me.

If you have the patience, consignment is a good idea. We have some consignment stores here called Clothes Mentor that buy them on the spot and you don't have to wait for your money.

I started out eating 800 to 1000 per day. As my workout intensity increased I upped it to 1200 a day. Just stick with it. Stalls happen. As you get thinner, even more so.

I used to think they looked surprised when I would ask if they had nutritional info. Now that I'm thinner, not as much.