newjulie

Hello Everyone~ I haven't been on in quite a while, just busy working all the time. I read back a few pages here to see what's happening to all you fellow bandsters. I too have been a very slow loser. I was banded Oct.2007 and just knew I would be 100 lbs lighter by now......didn't happen. I've had a very hard time watching portions, eating 3 times a day, drinking water and staying active. For a long time I thought I could just eat anything, since I couldn't eat that much, calories didn't matter to me, or I would only eat whenever I felt hungry. If I get busy, I often "forget" to eat. I've got about 40 years of bad habits to break here. I am constantly being told,"I can tell in your face that you've lost some wt, but don't see it anywhere else." A real eye opener for me last week was when a co-worker compared me to an "anorexic and old looking" recent bandster (8 mo.) and then asked me why my band had failed?! That really made me feel bad and I had one of those light bulb moments where I realized the band didn't fail me, I have gone down 5 sizes in clothes, lost 40 lbs, have not gained anything,,,,but "I am not utilizing the band to it's fullest." I hadn't realized so many people are watching me and have high expectations. I often wish I hadn't let anyone know that I had done this. I realize now that losing wt. really begins in your head. One more thing, I didn't do the BAND for anyone but ME.....I wanted to feel good about myself, body, mind, and spirit. All you folk's out there......don't give up on that young and spirited soul that dwells inside!

Good Morning Friends!! There is a LB Meeting in Nashville,Ar. tonight at 7. I'm going to try to make it. I finally have restriction! Seldom ever hungry, but still want to eat all the time. Fortunately, I'm not able to do so. My clothes are really getting loose. It took me over an hour to eat half a sandwich with shaved meat on it! There was very little bread on it. The "JOY" of eating just isn't there anymore,,,,there's definitely a psychological twist involved with LB that I don't think I was ready for. Still, I have no regrets. I am feeling a lot more energetic and people are noticing the wt. loss now.

HELLO EVERYONE!! Just checking in, haven't been on in a while. My last fill was a bit too tight, I went back took a little out, but it is still tight. I cannot eat much of anything. You'd think I'd be losing like crazy, but I've only lost 4 lbs during these last 2 weeks. A drink of water is sometimes too much! My spouse gets irritated when we go out to eat; I can't eat as much as before so he thinks it's not enjoyable. I get to taste "some" of the food and he usually gets the take home box. I do enjoy it, but I have to admit it really isn't much "fun" anymore because my choices are sooo limited.:eek: I'll have to do some looking back, but I think I read where we are going to start having a meeting in Nashville,Ar. soon. That will be better for me. Sugarbear, how are things going for you? I need to change my scale but think I'll wait until I get a few more lbs. off. I'm a year out now and have only lost 44 lbs, have 71 lbs to go to reach ultimate goal. I have gone down 3 sizes in clothes and my energy level is up again, especially since I started taking Juice Plus:smile2:

Sugarbear, I do not know...I was just messing around and discovered I had a private message, but after I read it, couldn't figure out how to delete it. I don't know where my email address is in my profile, but it is jul53@whti.net at home, which I seldom check because we are still in the dark ages and have dial up! At work it is julie.tabler@us.army.mil And I am here more than I'm at home!!! Glad you're back on line. I missed you and thought maybe you were sick. There is a virus going around here at work. It's not pretty!

Malteselover, Well, we'll mention this to our MD and see if he will let him try something else. I go to Dr.K next Thur.

Glad to see you back Sugarbear! Was getting worried about you. Malteselover, Sugarbear has LOT'S of good, sound advice. When I first started here, I read all her messages. You can certainly trust that she knows what she is talking about. My daughter is 30, has a 7 mo. old and a 3yr. old, plus she is an RN. She is considering this band as well, but says she is so busy and active with the kid's, her job, etc. that she is doing WW until St.Michael's decides how they are going to assist with the ins. coverage. I see her so exhausted sometimes, I often wonder how she does it. Betty called me back yesterday evening and set me an appt. for next week with Dr.K. Oh! and Yes! My hubby is on blood pressure med. We have mentioned to the Dr.'s that maybe that is the problem, but they just look at us like we are ignorant!! Imagine That!:thumbup:

Welcome "Likebefore", It is nice to lose 20 lbs on the pre-op, but we all didn't do it. BUT, you are on day 6, so hang in there and don't give in this next week or you'll undo everything you've struggled thru thus far. If you're really "starving" all the time, chew gum, go do something, DON'T watch food commercials,LOL. The diet to me was really a test to see if "I" was ready for the surgery. My way of thinking was that if I couldn't make it thru 2 weeks of controlled eating, how could I make it a "lifetime" change? My advice? Get the whey protein pwd and mix it in those flavored pwd drinks. after surgery. I found that there were lot's of things I bought out of habit. After surgery, your tastes change and you don't really miss what you thought you would. As far as Dr.H? He's not hard to talk to, he's just right up front and he doesn't mind telling you he finds it " hard to believe you're being truthful about what you say you're eating!" So, keep a journal! RELAX!! The biggest decision you've made was to get banded. You'll do great! You just have to follow the rules. I don't recall how "young" you are, but it seems the younger one's have fewer bad habits to break than those of us whom bad habits have become a way of life. The worst one to break is "mindless" eating! I'll be in Fort Worth the day you get banded, but I'll be thinking of you!

Thanks Teresa, Hipmom and A Lot Less:smile: I feel much better today, or at least I'm trying to put mind over matter! I never gave it a thought that we started paying office visits after a year out? My insurance paid and a couple of times at the appt. desk I have been told I owed for a visit that day? I never questioned it, just thought it was my co-pay or something. :frown:The gym here at the depot is free to employees and I am within walking distance, so If I don't work thru lunch and don't forget, I am going to go check it out. 20 years ago I was hooked on aerobics, I never thought my life would take this turn...:regular_smile: I'm thinking of becoming a distributor of Juice+Plus Vit. We learned about them at the conference. I and my hubby have been on them ever since, and we both can feel a change for the better. We are both drinking Aloe-Vera Juice from the health food store. It is amazing how much better we are both feeling. The vit. also come in gummies for those that have a hard time swallowing a capsule. Thanks again "FRIENDS"....God Bless Each and Every one of you:girl_hug: :w00t: :tt2: :thumbup:

No one mentioned there being a meeting on the 13th? Did they have it? I've got the cure for the GAS problem ladies! PHAZYME, tiny red gel pills. Easy to swallow. They are about $10. for a small bottle, but they work! Get them at Walmart, or just about anywhere. I need my support ladies....I am back to stress eating.GRAZING!! Seems like if it can go wrong here lately, it is. I've mentioned before that my husband passes out at the drop of a hat, due to a cough he can't get rid of, so he hasn't worked since Feb.We have spent thousands trying to find out what is wrong. We get plenty of bills, but no diagnosis or remedy. I put in 12 hours a day 6 days a week. Doing ALL I can do and it's not enough. We are really struggling financially, it's not looking too good. In the middle of a wash load yesterday, my washer just QUIT me! Took hours to clean up the flooded floor! About the time I was ready to go to bed, a bill collector called me. After she took on an attitude with me, I just hung up. Then I woke up every hour on the hour last night. I'm aggravated at myself for not losing like I thought I should have. I've been banded a year this week. I'm aggravated about the fill I halfway got in Sept. It's like I never even had a band put in. My stomach hurts a lot. Everytime I call the Dr. office, I just get put off and no one ever returns a call....been trying for two weeks. Seems like the aftercare is slipping and it's not like we are free to just go find another Dr. I really don't mean to be so negative or pull anyone down......but I need someone to pick me up.... I'm just venting. Most of the time when I get to feeling this way, I just type up a storm,,,,,then hit delete. Today, it's going......forgive me.:laugh: I'm waiting on Betty to call me back today, but it sounded like they were swamped.

Hello everyone! Well, I made safely to and fro:smile: The actual conference on Saturday was GREAT! Sugarbear was there,looking great:wink_smile:The sex therapist /counselor was very "informative", she even brought "visuals" (toys). My husband missed that part:blushing: But the speaker had a great sense of humor and kept it all in good taste and she was hilarious:thumbup:Dr.Sina Matin is like the Chief of Surgeons at Baylor and he has a GREAT personality and was very informative. He said at our support groups it is VERY important to talk about "real" issues and things that are important to us as bandsters. Don't just limit our meetings to talking about the calories, protein or kinds of food, talk about feelings, family support, even personal things that we might be afraid to talk about but they are really the issues on our minds.Bring out the saucer and servings for a visual reminder. Talk about how irritated your family may get when they take you out to eat and you don't order as much as they do or you don't clean your plate. (Get their $ worth) He also said it is very important to have doctor's involved in our meetings, not to provide free one on one medical advice, but to support and be informative to the group. I could go on and on about what I learned:smile2: but I don't want to wear you out!

Sugarbear, I am so glad you were able to get downtown. I felt bad about not being able to offer you a ride back home. We came in our car and it was packed. If we had come in the truck I would have had some room for you. We stopped in Royse City and then in New Boston to visit with the grankids. We finally got home at 7:30. After feeding the horses and unloading the car I had to get ready to rise at 4 am for work. I sure dreaded coming in this morning.:thumbup: Minpin sat right in front of me, so I was glad to put a face to her. Very friendly and out going girl!! :thumbup:I did learn a lot and took notes. I'm going to be honest and say that yes, I did receive a lot of info there, but I left feeling disappointed and let down. :sad_smile:For my husband and myself the weekend cost me $443. and there is no way I got my money's worth. There wasn't enough lunch so my husband whom I had to pay extra for, stepped back to let the ladies eat. All the "banquets" I've ever been to, we were served a plate, or given a choice of usually 2 menus then we placed our order and were served. There was no dancing and no speaker or ice breaker at the dinner (buffet). All the speakers Saturday said processed meats and fried foods were "not your friend". Pineapple, being stringy is "not my friend". Again, my husband did not eat.:eek: I'm not blaming anyone, I realize this was the first event and I'm glad Cher stepped up to the task of putting it all together. But, because of the money we put out, we were so looking forward to this being an "event" we were probably guilty of expecting too much. I really did get a lot from the speakers and because they were professionals, their wisdom and advice was solid. Good luck at the next event, I'm sure it will run a whole lot smoother:thumbs_up:

I'm doing casual with exception to Sat. night. I haven't had a dress on in years....so I'm doing a dress & heels for my hubby:smile:

:cool2:Morn'n Everbody! Well Sugarbear, conference is almost here! The ONLY way I won't get to attend will be if they decide to put my hubby in the hospital, and I don't think that will happen. I told him if it does, he may just have to settle for the nurses tending to him, I'll be down the street at the conference! To those of you who have asked about attending our meetings;I personally don't think it hurts you to miss them, BUT...there is just something motivating about attending and taking that action is "doing" something positive. I have never left a meeting that I didn't leave with something positive. Sometimes just reading about this is not enough. Hearing and Seeing is proof positive for me. I too have a long drive and put in long hours everyday and I don't make all the meetings, but this thread and the other sites help to fill in the gaps.:cursing:

It's casual, but make it your own "special" occasion! Dress up if you like, make yourself "feel good"!!

Welcome Skymom! I have pretty thick hair and noticed about 3 months after surgery, more than the usual strands were falling out. I started adding the whey protein pwd I get from Dr.K. I add a couple scoops to my warm cereal, or to my bottles of sugar free koolaid, or to my fat free hot choc. It smells like ice cream and is tasteless. But it leaves me feeling satisfied, and my hair has stopped falling out, just have the normal shedding. Good luck on your new way of life! Hey Hipmom, Sugarbear, where is this Wellness Center ya'll are talking about?

thanks sugarbear, I'll try that. I just didn't think we were supposed to ever get that hungry. My stomach has been growling so loud it's embarrassing. I did talk to Deb at Dr.K's, they probably can't check me and do another fill today, they're in surgery tomorrow and out of town all next week. So, here I am. I'm really going to have to pay attention to everything that crosses my lips!

Sugarbear, That cold sting was on the second stick, she backed it off and did a third one and said it went in that time. Instead of doing liquids afterward, I forgot and ate baked chicken and potato salad for supper. Went down without a problem. Woke up starving. I've managed to stay in the box, had coffee and later cream of wheat this morning, and I'm starving again! Before, if I took a big drink, it hurt going down, not now, it just goes! I asked if I could see Dr.K and was told I would probably see the NP, which I did. She is nice, informative, easy to talk to. I've called and left a message, but I'm worried about not having a correct fill. I've got grandbabies this weekend and I'm afraid I will eat too much! One thing about it, I'll be ACTIVE!! One is 3 yr's the other 6 mo.'s. I LOVE those Grandbabies:biggrin:

Morning Everyone:smile: Well, I haven't done so well the past 6 weeks. I thought I was doing pretty good about staying in the box, drinking my fluids, eating from a small plate and exercising. But as it turned out, I GAINED 2 lbs.:rolleyes2: But, I've been lifting weights and taking in more protein, so I am attributing the gain to muscle gain ( I hope). I got to where I wasn't eating but once a day and just basically staying busy.Now I'm told that eating one meal a day makes your body hang onto the next 2 meals.:drool: So I was just going backwards!! I gotta wise up! I had a fill Mon and I'm concerned that because the NP missed on the first hit, that I may not have gotten all the fill I needed. I could feel the cold sting of the saline under my skin, so I know it wasn't in my band.I can eat anything and everything.Anyone ever feel that or not feel any restriction right after a fill? I ate baked chicken and potato salad last night; breakfast was coffee, one piece of toast and later this morning, cream of wheat with whey. I still don't feel satisfied!! I know this gum in my mouth is going to heaven,,,,,you know the rest!

Teresa, maybe if you could tolerate slim fast again for 2 weeks, like before the banding, you could drop 20 before the wedding? Just a thought. As you can see, i have not lost like i thought i would. I thought since i couldn't eat as much at one time, that what little bit of grazing i did and the lack of exercise wouldn't make that much of a difference,,,,,but it does. I never felt hungry because i never gave myself the chance to get hungry. About once a month, i have started doing slim fast for a week just to keep myself in check and i've started out doing nothing more than lifting dumbells and it's gradually turning into more exercise because i'm beginning to "feel" better. I also put up a "slim" picture of myself near my closet and i see it every night when i get out the next day's wear. So i go to sleep with that" slimmer vision " in my mind. The bible says as you believe, so shall you receive. I'm working on that, hope this helps. See yourself one size smaller before the 4th, you still have time on your side!!! Good luck! :thumbup:

Teresa, I'm not even sure what "restriction" is. I can still eat pretty much anything I want. I still feel hungry sometimes. I have never felt "real" restriction, except for when I take a bite or a drink that was too big. I am however noticing my portions are getting smaller and it takes very little to fill me up, so now I'm thinking more about the kinds of food/meals I take in, trying to get the right nutrition. I'm no saint though! I didn't take a fill last time, but this time I might. I feel sore a lot around my band? Wonder why?

manykids??:omg_smile: The Conference is not my doing. I just found out today when I logged on to www.lapbandtalk.com There are many sites to look at concerning this. Just scroll around thru this site and you'll find ton's of friends and support. cher@bandedtogether.net can probably offer more info than I. Good Luck

Lisa~ I stayed off partly because I too, just could not get back in that box! I can't make every meeting they have in Texarkana, because they just throw me too late getting home at night. I have chores to do and have to get up at 4, but I try to at least look around on the lapband sites and I can get motivated again just knowing that I'm not all alone in this. I haven't lost like I wanted to, but I'm happy for the lbs that are now gone. I'm a grazer from years of yo-yo dieting, and of course I want my chocolate. Slowly, I am beginning to realize that what I want to look like at Christmas, and next summer isn't going to happen if I don't put that "one more bite" down. Kick that "little box" outta the way and climb in this BIGGER BOX, where you got room to move :biggrin:

sugarbear~ forgot to tell you, my last post was like #11, so scroll all the way down to COACHCHER's at #1 post.

Sugarbear, scroll all the way down to COACHCHER's info, click on LAPBAND CONFERENCE,which opens to Pink Page with CoachCher's picture, scroll down to "click here to download registration form". I opened it up, filled it out then hit print and it's ready to mail. COACHCHER said my husband could wear his wranglers & boots, he wouldn't have to eat from a saucer! He'd get plenty to eat, everything is casual, some might dress up. I'm paying the $150. fee and the $45. guest fee and the guest(my spouse) can attend everything with me. I had to get a room that weekend anyway for his Dr. appt, we'll get plenty to eat and what I spend on the conference itsef ; l think is just the shot in the arm I need.