JustWatchMe

Congratulations!!!

My a-hole husband was emotionally abusive up until the day I left him. And now, abusive in the divorce as well. I finally hit a tipping point, left, and haven't looked back. I deserved so much better but I never thought so. Now I wonder how I accepted it for so many years.

100 pounds down. 50 to go. So far: I sleep so much better. I dropped a bunch of prescription meds. I leave food on my plate. I take home food from restaurants more often than not. I can walk for miles. I am wearing size 16 jeans and 1XL tops. I wore a dress three times this year. And heels. No more seat belt extender on a plane. No more spilling over the armrests in a movie theater. No more getting stuck in restaurant booths. I rode a horse without guilt. My kids are proud of me. I started taking care of my hair and skin and nails. My feet don't hurt. I joined a gym. I go to the gym. I have been the same size for almost nine months. I've learned that the band won't make me skinny, but it will help me make better choices if I choose to. I choose to. I'm not hungry all the time. I get hungry after about 4 hours of not eating. When I'm really hungry it's easy to choose something healthy. When I'm head-hungry I still can choose crappy food. I'm learning that it's not inevitable for me to make those crappy choices. I gravitate to people now instead of food. I have high hopes for my future. The band was the first step in me creating a new life for myself. It's a tool. It won't magically make me thin. I don't keep my band too tight or too loose. I want it to last many years. I'm a happy bandster.

So glad to be part of this group. Two thirds to goal and sitting here for quite awhile, but I know it can be done by reading posts from all of you. Thanks for being here.

Very inspirational!! You look great!!

Yes! In this thread, positivity! Love my band. More later.

Julie, I had gotten into the habit of following every thread remotely related to the band. That was a mistake. Now I'm being a bit more selective about what I choose to read. My band experience has been good. I've read enough to know if I start having bad symptoms to promptly get my band checked. Meanwhile, no need to immerse myself in negativity.

Don't ask. http://nerdist.com/now-presenting-robert-downey-jr-as-pinup-girls/

Very inspiring, B-52!

Awesome post!

I'm banded and I chew gum all the time. Just don't accidentally swallow it. Head hunger. Yep, it's real. My suggestions. Drink some Water. Ask yourself what feelings are lurking under the surface that are begging for food as a distraction. If you're not sure if the hunger could be genuine or not, ask yourself if an apple would satisfy. If yes, it's stomach hunger. Eat an apple and stop. If no, figure out what feelings are causing the anxiety. Spend time quietly acknowledging those feelings. In my experience as a bander, getting out of the snacking habit and sticking to three meals a day helped define head hunger vs stomach hunger for me. When I truly get hungry between planned meals, I have a Protein shake or some almonds that I keep at work. At home I have a piece of fruit. But between meal hunger rarely happens at home. This should get easier as your band becomes optimally filled (green zone). But emotional eating will always be a danger for me. I've had success this week by really examining the feelings under the surface. Good luck and keep posting. It helps.

I am so happy for you both!

Check in with the feelings. You mentioned emotional eating. Examine that. Each time. It's not easy, but it's a habit I've started and it's made a huge difference in my anxiety eating this week. I no longer deal with PMS, but try it, it might help you too.

I had super thick hair pre op. I started to lose at around 4 months and it didn't stop until after a year. My hair was also quite long. It started to regrow during that time. I recently got it cut a bit shorter and am wearing it in a different style. It's thinner but I think it will thicken up over the coming months. I believe it's a combination of surgical shock plus rapid weight loss. I've had rapid weight loss before without surgery and never lost any hair. Have faith. It's temporary.

Time for a happy post from me. Since my therapy appointment this week, I've been checking in with my feelings throughout the day. It's made a big difference in my attitude. I've cleaned up my food, stopped numbing out, and I feel so much better. This head work is really work. But I don't ever want to go back to the way I lived before. Happy Thursday, friends!

You are strong people. Prayers sent!

You can do this. I, too, started at 302. My surgeon wanted six weeks of full liquids after surgery. My nurse had me on a treadmill one day after surgery, walking 3mph for fifteen minutes and adding a minute every day until I reached two miles per day. It seemed like six weeks was so long. But it helped me kick start a strong weight loss. I lost fifty pounds before my first fill. Stay on track. Once you start getting fills, the appetite gets suppressed and it gets a whole lot easier. I can't even begin to tell you how wonderful life is 100 pounds down. I have fifty left to lose, and I will. But life began to change enormously only a few weeks post op. Good luck. Post often. It helps to stay connected here.

My goals are day by day.

I flew to Europe 15 days after my first fill/return to solid foods. Plan to hydrate before your flight and during your flight but no food during your flight. Eat before flying and wait a few hours after to eat mushies. I had no problems.

I'm still getting fills. I can't imagine unfilling at goal.

Debbie you look great!

Lol, thanks for the chuckle today.

Right reasons? All of the above. For me, I had lost significant weight once before but couldn't keep it off. This time I knew that WLS was the only way for me to reclaim control over my eating and then make some really major changes in my life. What's a bad reason for WLS? Doing it against your will because someone is pushing you into it. If you're doing it for yourself, your reasons are valid, whatever they are. Good luck.

Gorgeous!

No regrets. LapBand gave me my life back.