Leepers

Yes, I can relate! I work in an area of a hospital where we frequently get free lunch. Which is not usually healthy. A rep is always bringing donuts or bagels. Donuts are my kryptonite! Six months post op, I have been able to resist every time. One day, I will eat a donut. But right now, I want to lose weight more than I want that donut. And when I do eat one, I'll eat ONE. Not three like I used to.

My advice is to not go too crazy buying stuff ahead of time. I did that and ended up throwing stuff away. Once I was on solids, my doc really didn't want me to drink my meals. I used Protein shakes as an occasional supplement after exercising. For pre made shakes, I liked the EAS Carb Advantage strawberry. Tastes like strawberry Quik.

I have a Weight Watchers scale and I like it because it's always very close to what the doctor's scale says.

I've been getting the same comments lately. I still have about 40 pounds to go. I'm still "obese" for another 7 pounds. I laugh and then squeeze my tummy and say here's another 40 pounds, but thanks!

I just ignore the message.

I'm so happy to have my lap band! I have lost a total of 87 pounds so far! I want to lose 43 more to get to my goal of 165. But, really, even if I never lost another pound, it was worth it. I feel great. I think that my large weight loss is not the usual for most people and if you have lost less, don't compare yourself. Everyone has to use their band their own way. I have been very lucky and have had a lot of things in my favor that have helped me along the way. When I first knew I was going to get a lap band, I did not intend to be as focused on weight loss as I ended up being. I had decided I was going to stop eating fast food junk, I would watch my portions, and make better choices. I was surprised when my husband decided he would do my pre-op diet along with me to show support (he was very overweight also). That changed everything. Health, food, eating, and exercising became a daily conversation in our home. We completely revamped how we eat and how we see food. He joined us up to a gym and he started going every day. I work three days a week as a nurse, and I started going to the gym the other four days. I had no excuse not to go. We don't have children and I definitely could make the time. It was hard at first. The gym we were going to was kinda snooty and I felt very self concious. I started out just walking on the treadmill and did that for a long time. Eventually I started jogging just a little. It was hard to even run for one minute without feeling like I was going to die. I had to fight the negative feelings of being the fattest person at the gym. And I was. No exaggeration. Eventually, I tried the elliptical and I discovered I love it! Over the last five months, I have been able to work myself up to one hour on the elliptical. I do crunches and upper body on the weight machines too. It was a mental battle to get over my insecurity. But, I did. And so will you if you keep at it. I do use My Fitness Pal to log my calories. I follow the high Protein, low carb diet my surgeon wants me to do, but I also still believe that calories in/calories out is important. I love My Fitness Pal. It keeps me accountable and I am honest about every bite I put in my mouth. I allow friends to see my food log and it's hard sometimes to admit that I eat Chinese food once or twice a week and it's probably not that good for me. But I balance it out with very good, healthy days. I started out eating about 900 to 1000 calories a day. Now I probably eat about 1000- 1200 calories due to the amount of exercise I do. The summer is hard as there are a lot of social activites that involve alcohol and not so great foods. I still enjoy myself. I have my wine and I eat within reason on those days. If anyone want to be my friend on My Fitness Pal, my user id is lleepers (that's 2 lower case L's). I have had one fill in my band. Every time I go back to the surgeon, he's happy and does not think I need a fill. I'm Okay with that. Maybe in the future I will need more restriction. I'm a realist and I know that life changes. I like being able to tolerate most foods. I still stay away from bread for the most part and Pasta. I eat rice every now and then. My band is a fickle b**tch. Some days I can shovel whatever I want down my piehole as fast as I want and other days I take two bites without chewing well, and it's a 10-15 minute stuck episode for me. I've only BP'd three times. Every time, it was my fault. I know the signs and ignore them and then I'm miserable. So, just because I can eat fast or as much as I want, doesn't mean I do. I have tried really hard to recognize satiety. I don't follow eating any certain amount, I just make sure what I put in front of me is healthy and low calorie. And I don't always have to finish my meal. I would like soon, to stop counting calories. I think I have a good idea now of what is healthy and what foods are high in calories. That is how I view maintenance. I should be able to eat within reason, keep up my exercise, and stay close to my goal weight. My hubby has lost 80 pounds. Together we have lost a whole person! Like I said, I've have very fortunate circumstances that have allowed me to be so successful. I work three days a week, have a supportive hubby, no children (no tempting Snacks in the house). Also, my job as a nurse plays a big part. I work in a Cardiac Cath Lab and see everyday the effects of extra weight on people. I have a strong history of heart disease in my family and I'm relatively certain I was heading toward a heart attack. The reason I mention my fortune is, I know that others are not so lucky. People have harder jobs and schedules, making it hard to go to the gym, or be able to make dinner that satifies everyone in the house. I feel for you. So don't be hard on yourself if you're a slow loser. This is about the long run. It's about becoming a healthier person. If you have to go back to get 12 fills to get to green zone, then so be it. Just make sure you do it. Just make sure that at every opportunity, you're making good choices. I love this forum. I have gained great knowledge from others on here. It really helped when first starting out. It is one of my forms of support, even if I'm just lurking and not commenting. I encourage everyone to find support wherever you can.

I've been wondering how you're doing. I keep checking your blog for new posts. Glad you're doing great!

I got a little teary eyed reading your post. Thank you for sharing your wonderful story. I get on here every day and it reminds me that I need to be more supportive of those starting their journey behind me. I know how much this site helped me when I was starting out. Congrats on your incredible success.

There are a lot of really positive posts on here, but the truth is, a lot of people don't post unless there's a problem. Lots of one time visitors, etc. If this surgery was unsuccessful for most people or if most people had major complications, insurance companies would not be paying for the surgeries. All of the possible negative outcomes get us really worked up. And for the first month out two I was hyper sensitive to every pang and gurgle in my tummy. Six months out, it's smooth sailing. Everything will be fine! Just stick to the plan. Change your life!

My doc wanted me to get off of protein shakes fairly quickly. He wants me to eat, not drink, my calories. I don't drink them much anymore. Sometimes I drink them before or after I work out.

Very tiny sips of hot tea may help.

My latest selfie.

I was banded in December and I had one fill in January. Sometimes I can eat whatever and as fast as I want. Then other times.... stuck. For some reason, for the past few weeks, I tend to get stuck all the time. I always blame myself for taking too big of bites, not chewing enough, and eating too fast. It is totally a learning curve. To me, this is my band doing it's job. It makes me slow down and stop and think. Then I eat less.

Hi, Lynn! I haven't been very proactive at getting started due to some personal issues. I'm still very interested. I've been trying to come up with places to meet that are not food oriented and private enough to allow conversation. It would be great if it were centrally located in Louisville. Any ideas?

I thought I was going through early menopause and that was why I sweat all the time. Turns out, I was just FAT.

Amazing! Congrats on your life change.

Hi, Fruit Loop! Have you been riding your bike? I bought one this past Sunday. Can you say thighs-a-burnin? I love it though.

I have definitely over-imbibed a few times since I got my band. Luckily, I have never gotten sick. Wine seems to make me loopy much quicker than it used to. I think it's okay if every now and then you want to go out and tie one on. I would definitely find a way, though, to stop before reaching the point of throwing up.

I'm so proud of you, Bandista! You are a voice of reason and an inspiration. Keep on keepin on!

Hi everyone! I have started a facebook page called Lap Band Louisville for anyone looking for local support. I'm hoping that maybe we can form some small, in person, meetings in the future. Everyone is welcome to join. Look it up!

I have found myself getting stuck quite frequently lately. Usually it's because I eat too fast and don't chew like I should. I can eat anything if I go slow enough. But my stuck episodes are pretty miserable. I'm pretty sure I look like I'm in labor. Sometimes they stop me from eating for 10 or 15 minutes. I guess that's one way to eat less.

Tmf, I was just thinking about how something like a top five or ten most searched subjects link would be nice. Placed very near the beginner's forum.

You've lost the weight before, so you know you can be successful at weight loss. Once you get there, hopefully the lap band will be the difference in keeping it off. That and a lifestyle change. I'm on the same journey. I've lost before. This is the time when I've chosen to change my lifestyle. I want to be healthy and feel feel good. You're so young, I'm proud of you for taking control of your life. You seem so mature, helping others, putting yourself aside for a while. Now is your time. I wish you so much success.

Sounds like symptoms of low blood sugar. After that much exercise, your body needs something to replenish. Hungry or not.