lessnless

I lost 30lbs the first 3 months, 20lbs the next 3 months, and 15lbs these last 3 months. I am still losing about a pound a week, but now that I'm at a normal BMI it's slowing down a little.

OMG, I forgot how much I love prunes! They were given as treats when I was a kid (different generation, huh!?!?!). I bet I haven't had one in 20 years. >>putting on shoes, going to store<<

Your family is very lucky to have such a self-sacrificing sweetie. I, on the other hand, would have trampled my husband in my haste to seal the deal.

I think there is a fundamental misunderstanding regarding stuck vs. PB I have only been "stuck" once--on a !$)#@! cherry tomato skin. It feels like childbirth, cramping spasms in the stomach, and no way is anything coming up OR going down until it finally passes thru the stoma. No way you're going to want to eat normally afterwards, either. A PB is pretty tame by comparison. Tight pressure/pain at the base of the esophagus from the muscles trying to push food down into the pouch when there's no more room. You can choose to wait it out until the pouch clears (painful), or bring it up. What comes up doesn't have any stomach acid mixed in because it never made it into the stomach to begin with. I can PB from eating too fast or swallowing too big a bite, wait a bit, and still feel like finishing my meal. Sliming is sort of gargling with an egg white.:biggrin::drool:

Count me in...

Count me in...

On the right panel, under the pie chart for calorie breakdown, there is a section called 'My Saved Meals'. Click Create a New Meal and follow the directions.

The difference is: I have a band EVERY DAY. I can't conveniently forget that I'm on a diet, or make exceptions because of an office party or a vacation. Calorie-wise, a bad day with the band is still a good day in diet-land. Pre-band, 1200 calories felt like a really strict diet. Post-band, it feels like a ton of food. I'm truly satisfied eating smaller portions now (well, I would be if I'd stop eating just one bite SOONER ). I've lost weight successfully in the past, but the tipping point was always me eyeballing portions, and those portions slowly growing larger. The LapBand just won't allow me to sneak in that extra 10% without sliming.

Debbie, I had the surgery specifically to avoid starting diabetes meds because I couldn't keep my BG numbers under control with diet/exercise. I had to self-pay because I wasn't heavy enough for insurance to cover it, but my FBG is low-normal now and has been since before Thanksgiving. Worth every penny. I think if your husband is in a normal weight range, the surgery would be too drastic a step (higher risk of complications from surgery than from his diabetes). BUT: I saw a blurb on 60 Minutes a few weeks ago. Mentioned the diabetes/gastric bypass link, and said that Italian doctors are researching a surgery specifically for diabetics that AREN'T overweight (something about disconnecting/rerouting the duodenum above the pancreatic duct). Maybe if he waits a couple of years?

I log everything I eat into dailyplate and have since before my surgery. I manually set my daily calorie limit to 1,200, but I rarely get above 1,000. I like the fact that almost all the foods I normally eat are already in their database, and if I have to add anything the format looks just like the nutritional info panel we're so familiar with. I've tried their calorie intake calculator, and I think it's accurate IF you use the sedentary lifestyle setting. I'm pretty active, hauling hay and riding horses daily, but even so I can't justify eating 1600-1800 calories (recommended for an active lifestyle) and still hope to lose weight like I want. I would consider becoming a GOLD member (more features), but their forums are so anti-WLS that I don't feel comfortable supporting their website.

I keep finding little bruises on the inside of my ankles. They're from banging my ankle bones together in my sleep. No more Cankles!

...of my excess weight. :cool2: :tongue::party: I am at a normal BMI for the first time this millenium (I was thin-for-a-minute back in 1998). I've lost a steady average of 1.7lbs per week. I'm still losing about a pound per week. I think I'd still like to lose another 10lbs. My blood sugar was 89 at my annual physical--first time I've been in double-digits in years. I haven't had to prick myself since before Thanksgiving. My tummy is flat from my bra to my hip bones--no folds, no creases, no gently rolling hills. FLAT. My excess skin doesn't seem too bad--my tush looks deflated, but my tummy skin bounced back better than I could have hoped. My vertebrae are visible when I bend over and touch my toes. I can feel my entire rib cage except for what's covered by boobies. I am wearing size EIGHT jeans and a MEDIUM top. I've had TWO DAYS since banding (each one right after a fill) when I was frustrated because I couldn't eat what I wanted to. I could still eat, just not what I wanted at that moment. I really try to make healthy food choices. Because it's easy with the band, and because I deserve better. I never graze at gatherings anymore, I'd rather enjoy the company. I never end a day regretting my food choices, promising to try harder tomorrow. I am at peace with food--that's the best way to describe this wonderful take-it-or-leave-it attitude.

Each and every day, I see more examples that prove the public school system is failing to edumacate the masses. I know you've seen the signs...

Posting because I'm in the 140s!!!:cool2: Name................Current....Goal......Lost...Still to Lose BigBandFan..........296........270.......0......26 Epm316..............235........200.......0......35 (by 7/4) Hastings............253........228.......0......25 KarenG..............174........160.......0......14 (by 7/4) kathystrick.........318........288.......0......30 Leslie2Lose.........233........208.......0......25 (by 7/4) LessNLess...........149........140.......2.......9 Luu2008.............215........185.......0......30 (by 7/4) luvinke.............217........190.......2......25 Marissa's Mom.......388........358.......0......30 (by 7/4) MollyMolly..........204........188.......0......16 nancy52.............197........170.......0......27 Nettie..............193........170.......0......23 Newhope4me..........177........160.......0......17 NukeChik............238........222.......0......16 nurse7263...........244........150.......0......24 (by 7/4) renewedhope.........197........170.......0......27 Sunshine2...........179........160.......0......19 (by6/29) Tess415.............329........299.......0......30 TexasFire67.........170........145.......0......25 Wombat712...........135.8......120.......0......15.8

That's a pretty accurate description. I feel like every meal is Thanksgiving dinner, I'm stuffed until I need a nap. I usually stop eating because I'm tired of food, not because I'm "full". It's a nice sensation when it's not combined with too-tight pants and vague nausea.

I started with a BMI of 35, and I've lost an average 1.5 lbs a week since surgery. I have never had trouble losing weight until the last 3-4 years (since developing thyroid issues, Type II diabetes). The last few years, diets started out great but then just petered out. Post-band, I still have to plan my meals but I never have that restless, unsatisfied, hungry feeling. I eat something, then I don't think about food for 3-4 hours. Sort of like quitting smoking WITH the patch vs. WITHOUT the patch. Best of all? I squeezed into a pair of SIZE SIX jeans t'otherday.

Oh, honey, don't make me lie! Yes, I've eaten everything but the kitchen sink since being banded, BUT I have true portion control--I can have chocolate in the house for weeks at a time, without feeling the need to binge. So I have a "taste" of mac&cheese, or a "taste" of chips&salsa, and I'm done -- I honestly just forget to take the next bite. Last week I went to lunch with people who don't know about my band, ordered nachos (the only thing on the menu that I felt safe with) and ate THREE chips before I was full. No one noticed, no one cares. My particular tastes tend to favor healthy foods--I'll always pick carrots over chips, for example. I still eat rice/pasta, but only once or twice a month and only a small portion (1/4 cup). Love ice cream, but I'm happy with a small WW cup now, instead of a one-serving-pint. I do keep a food journal and I weigh/measure every bite. I always fall off my diet by increasing my "eyeballed" portion sizes, so I'm really serious about weighing my food as part of my meal prep. As long as I'm honest with myself, I can have anything I want. I just limit my "treats" per week, and stay within my daily calorie range. I feel I have the best possible outcome with the band. I don't really have any foods that I can't eat (except $%@#!!! cherry tomatoes), I'm just really limited in my portion size. Any PB problems are always related to eating too fast/too big a bite.

Don't count yourself out so soon! I ride in tall boots, and I've gone from 16.75" calf to a 14.5" calf. From only fitting in the brands with the widest XWIDE calf, to wearing anything in a regular width, even the "skinny girl" boots.

My favorite decadent breakfast: Toast a slice of sunflower seed bread. Top with half a slice of gruyere cheese, and nuke for 30 seconds to melt. Top with a Tbsp of (Oregon Grower's) pear-hazelnut butter. Quick, sinful, and much healthier than you'd think. About 180 calories, 10g Protein, 3g fat.

Your before/after pics look like a mother/daughter pair. Congrats on your success!

Yep, count me in. I used to be hot all the time, too. I've taken to wearing socks to bed at night (ick). Otherwise I wake up every time I roll over and my feet touch a cold spot.

That's what I needed to hear. I don't think I'm dying, but it's definitely worse than a headache for a couple of hours after running. I really do think it's related to wearing a sports bra. I work from home, so I don't always wear a proper support garment (I have free-range breasteses).

I'm sitting on my hands this week to keep from jumping the gun. I'm so close to a normal BMI, that's all I can think about lately... I've had a weird development. Since I joined the gym in February, I've been running on the treadmill pretty seriously. I've also been having some chest pain. Vague inside-the-rib discomfort, with left shoulder/left jaw involvement. Lasts for hours, but doesn't feel like muscle pain, and doesn't throb in time with my heartbeat. Logically, I know this is probably related to my band, but it's only after I really exert myself (breathe heavily). I had the dr do a barium swallow on April 7, and found nothing unusual there. He thinks I'm having diaphram spasms from over-exertion. My friend (she's an ultrasound tech) wants me to have my gallbladder checked, thinks maybe it's getting flaky. I'm wondering if it's not related to always wearing a High-impact sports bra--maybe I'm straining too hard to breathe when I sprint, and something is getting sore. So, for now, I've stopped all running. I still walk and spin, but I go slow enough to keep from breathing heavily. It's still more than I could do last August.

I put everyone in alphabetical order, before the list gets too big... These last 11 lbs will put me at goal! Name...................Current.......Goal.......Lost.......Still to Lose KarenG..................174..........160.........0...........14 (by 7/4) kathystrick.............318..........288.........0...........30 Leslie2Lose.............233..........208.........0...........25 (by 7/4) LessNLess...............151..........140.........0...........11 Luu2008.................215..........185.........0...........30 (by 7/4) luvinke.................217..........190.........0...........27 Marissa's Mom...........388..........358.........0...........30 (by 7/4) Nettie..................193..........170........42...........65 nurse7263...............244..........150.........0...........24 (by 7/4) Sunshine2...............179..........160.........0...........19 (by 6/29/08) TexasFire67.............170..........145.........0...........25

RE: Closet monsters Back in the '90s when movie rental stores still charged late fees, I was always the designated returnee. One freezing winter night I raced to return the movie before the store closed, dressed in my sweats, Ms Piggy slippers, and a heavy winter coat. I got home, and went to hang my winter coat in the entry closet. The closet door and the front door were across from each other, separated by maybe 10 feet. I opened the closet door, and my husband burst out from behind the coats to scare me. I don't remember the rest, but the family story says I dropped the coat, let out a little-mouse "eeeep", and bolted--right into the closed front door! Yep, knocked myself out cold. Bloodied my nose. I bounced off the front door all the way back into my husband's arms. If he hadn't caught me, I'd have hit my noggin on the marble floor and he would have had to explain to the police why his wife of a dozen years was dead on the floor in a puddle of blood and pig slippers.