Fauxnaif

Lots of Water Turn up or switch up your exercise Don't weigh for a while Write down everything you eat on www.fitday.com or www.sparkpeople.com I know this is frustrating but you can get through it.

Totally love it even though it has been a long and arduous journey!

Some of the stuff I eat on a regular basis: -string cheese -fiber cereal (often for dinner) -power bars -luna bars -weight watchers smart ones (half during lunch, half after work) -grapes, apples, etc. -peas, carrots, etc. -salad with slightly too much ranch dressing (trying to reduce it) -chicken salad -turkey salad -low fat turkey frank -healthy choice pizza -rice noodles with peanut sauce

This, especially the clicking, sounds like Runner's knee (AKA femoral patellar syndrome) where the femur bone and the knee rub against each other due to weird bone angle, etc. http://www.rice.edu/~jenky/sports/pfs.html http://www.aafp.org/afp/991101ap/2012.html I am in the middle of physical therapy (to strengthen my muscles to overcome this tendency) for this and it has helped tremendously. I didn't exercise for a couple of weeks then I was cleared for elliptical or biking. I started physical therapy mid-October and yesterday I did a 5k. This is very treatable. Good luck.

Because it is no one's business. I choose not to be an open book. I grew up in a family where I had no privacy at all and boundaries were crossed constantly. Now, here, in my adult life I get to decide if I want privacy or not. And I want privacy about the band. Lots of people have regretted sharing it because people ignorantly confuse it with a bypass and wonder why they aren't losing 20 pounds a month. People also question whether the banded person is eating the proper foods instead of just trusting this banded adult to make his or her decisions. As for most of us (all but the super-human among us), we HAVE DIETED and EXERCISED our butts off. I know I have.

It probably took me a year. But I'm extra stubborn. Hang in there!

Questions for you...I'm getting over an injury and about to start again... How often do you run? How far/how long? Do you take walk breaks? Can you recommend some good shoes? Have you done any 5Ks? Thanks!

I weigh 182 now and only want to lose about 15 more pounds but I'm 5' 9." How tall are you? What's your BMI?

Haven't done it lately because I'm too lazy to clean the blender but we were doing smoothies like this. milk yogurt ice scoop plain protein powder whatever fruit we have Splenda depending on the fruit YUM.

I regained about 20 pounds 3 years into my banding journey. It was binge eating. It stopped when I left that crazy job. :clap2: I recommend therapy to anyone who is a binge eater. The band absolutely WILL NOT take care of it on its own. What it will do is help you think about food less and not get ravenously hungry. Those things sure contribute to bingeing. OA might also help. Some people are into that.

Eggo whole grain waffle on the way to work. Plain. And usually a string cheese.

It took a while. The first six months are hardest. For me, the first year, but then I am more ornery than most. Find something else to do with your hands, suck on some sugar-free candy, etc. Journal about why you might be so eager to eat.

I prayed about it and had a real feeling of peace about it. This is how I make my big decisions. I don't regret it at all.

I've rely heavily on thrift shops, garage sales, etc. for my in-between wardrobe. You can find some really good stuff and you won't feel guilty for only wearing it a month or two.

Those who are already banded, if you could go back and change something about your banding or the time since, what would it be and why? I'd exercise more from the start because I do think I have lost muscle and am now working to build more and more and become fit.

If you're losing weight, it's working. These things take time. It does get easier.

I don't think many bandsters actually lose their hair. I think that has to do with malnourishment and most of us aren't malnourished. I didn't lose any hair.

I also love feta cheese. It is actually lower fat than lots of cheese. Also, you can just use a little since it has a strong flavor. They also sell reduced fat feta. I don't think it's a bad thing, just don't overdo it. PS. My love of cheese is why I left vegetarianism. I eat much healthier now by eating lean meat instead of cheese all the time.

On wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midol, it lists the ingredients. If it has ibuprofen or aspirin, we are instructed to avoid it. The formula that has acetominophen should be okay, though.

It seems counter-intuitive but drinking lots of water will actually help you lose water weight. Avoid salt and lots of processed foods. This too shall pass.

20 pounds in about 2 months is great!!! :clap2: We don't lose weight too quickly with the band. If I ignore my pregnancy and the time before I got a post-baby fill, I have lost an average of 6 pounds a month. Doesn't seem like much but it adds up!!! Trust me, your body and your mind are much better able to handle weight loss at this pace. It is a big struggle at the beginning. Find other things to do besides eat. Identify your main overeating times/situations and make a list of what you will do instead. Also, journal and/or seek therapy if you think your issues are emotional. Hang in there! It gets much easier!

Isn't it a beautiful feeling???? The pant size thing, kinda depends on how big you are, where you store your weight and where you lose weight from first. I don't think I went down a size with 13 pounds when I first started, but I would now.

Hi. Well, lots of people have foreign objects like other implants in their bodies. I don't really sit and think about my foreign object but I do reap its benefits. I have never, ever felt my band, just my port. You say you love food. I want to give you some encouragement on that front. Once you have your band, and get with the flow and you have lost some, you can really, really enjoy the food you do eat much more. When I was bingeing before the band, I never enjoyed the food. I felt like crap for bingeing-guilty, self-hatred, depression, etc.-and didn't slow down to taste it either. Now I do really taste my food and enjoy it so much. In limited amounts it's like it's worth more. It's not so plentiful. I want to savor each bite. I hope this all makes sense. At the same time, you will not obsess over food if your band is working properly. This is so liberating.

I lost another pound after losing and regaining the same 3 for several weeks! Wooohooo! That's -137!

There are some great inspirational stories on this thread. http://www.lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=25491 Congratulations on your band!