Longhorn

Alphabetical order: Name........... Start........Current.......Goal.........To Go Candle..........205...........205........197..........8 cQQlgirl........215...........215........200.........15 Foofy...........242.5.........242.5......234........8.5 Jovi2673........217...........217........200.........17 kjl315..........227...........227........217.........10 legster.........209...........209........196.........13 Linda Lu........228...........228........215.........13 Longhorn........204...........201........195..........6 Rainer..........251...........251........241.........10 Redtulips3......225...........225........215.........10 Renewedhope.....213...........213........199.........14 Sades...........201...........201........190.........11 Suzzzie.........291...........291........280.........11 wombat712.......145...........145........135.........10

Thanks, Cindy! You reminded me that I decided to change my goal: Name...................Start..........Current..........Goal ......To Go 1. Momto1plus1......228.2..........228.2.............218...........10 2. Mariegabrieleee...252............252................240...........12 3. TxArcher............345.............345...............325...........20 4. Trixie.................241............241................221.......... .20 5. Longhorn............204............204................195............9 6. Tralynn222.........320............320.................310..........10 7. shalee04............205............205.................197.......... 8 8.ellebrookes..........178............178.................169......... ..9 9. Skinny_Jill...........186...........186..................178.......... 8 10 Shortgal ............189...........189.................184............5 11. Sades...............201...........201..................190..........11 12.lisawach.............300...........300.................285......... ..15 13. BiggestLoser2be..198...........198.................188...........10 14. want2lose..........226...........226.................216...........10 15. Osangriared........263...........263................250............13 16. Cindyg...............215...........215................200............1 5 17. Teresajo............195.............195...............185............1 0 18. BarbBee.............270.............270...............259............1 1 19. BandChick64.......241.............241...............230.............11 20. Hollyberries........278..............278..............270............8

Hi, Kacee! Yes, it kind of snuck up on me because I don't lose that quickly. But after my third fill Friday, I dropped about two pounds overnight and the number 201.3 looked very funny to me! I got so excited, I told my husband that it said 101.3. :ohmy: The weight held up this morning so I think it's for real. With my history, though, it could still take another couple of weeks. Guess we'll see what happens. Thanks for noticing! :cheers2:

I also came up short for Onederland on the November Nymphs Valentine's Day Challenge but I think it's within reach this time! In fact, I think my last fill is going to make a bigger difference so I'm going to revise my goal. (My current is less than my start because I'm starting with what I weighed on February 14, the end of the last challenge.) Name........... Start........Current.......Goal.........To Go cQQlgirl........215...........215........200.........15 Foofy...........242.5.........242.5......234........8.5 Jovi2673........217...........217........200.........17 kjl315..........227...........227........217.........10 legster.........209...........209........196.........13 Linda Lu........228...........228........215.........13 Longhorn........204...........201........195..........6 Rainer..........251...........251........241.........10 Redtulips3......225...........225........215.........10 Renewedhope.....213...........213........199.........14 Sades...........201...........201........190.........11 wombat712.......145...........145........135.........10

To me, restriction is two things: being limited on how much you can eat and staying satisfied longer. I didn't experience both kinds until after my second fill. I have even more now after my third fill and I hope it lasts.

When you edit your signature, scroll down to the button that says, "Preview Signature." Then you can tell whether or not your changes worked without actually posting on the board.

There is an excellent doctor in the Denver area, Dr. Kirshenbaum, who charges less than $10,000. I considered flying there, too, but was able to find a surgeon in my area who was affordable, especially considering the cost of travel.

I think there are "worrisome stats" for every procedure out there! I've had four pregnancies and three deliveries, a D&C, tubal ligation, and LASIK -- all came with risk of complication. Of course, these complication statistics should definitely be considered but we also need to consider the complication of NOT losing the weight. For me, nothing else was working and Lap-Band surgery seemed to be the only hope. They may invent something else that's even better (they already have better eye surgeries than six years ago) but I'll be glad that I got the surgery when I did. (Easy to say when I haven't had any complications, huh? ) There aren't a lot of long-term stats on the band yet so we're trusting the opinions of the developers and the doctors (some of whom have been banded themselves) when they say that the band should last the rest of lives, generally without complications. Your question, though, is one of the reasons I chose the band over other surgeries. It just seems more harmless and less likely to cause me problems later.

My doctor always told me to eat when I was hungry and he put no limits on how much. He said I shouldn't be hungry except when it was time to eat again. He also didn't limit calories. My main rules were to eat Protein first and to get 60-70 grams per day, to eat slowly and chew well, don't drink while I'm eating or an hour after, and avoid Snacks. After I was on solid foods, he also wanted me to avoid taking in too many calories from liquids. Before I got restriction, I did my best to follow his rules with two exceptions -- due to my schedule (I'm on the road from one campus to another) I still had a couple of Slimfast shakes a day and I did have snacks (pudding, Luna Bar, cheese.) However, now that I have good restriction, I'm finding that I don't need the snacks. So I'm only breaking one rule but I'm down to just one shake a day for one of my meals. I have a cooler than plugs in my car to keep shakes and drinks cold during the day. I think there are two reasons for "Bandster Hell" -- either you're hungry all the time because you're relying on willpower OR you eat when you're hungry and then you get depressed because you aren't losing weight "quickly enough." (Note: It's NEVER quick enough! ) I wasn't hungry and when I realized that I was doing too much comparing my weight loss to others, I changed my attitude and pretty much avoided Bandster Hell.

There can be a difference between what insurance companies require and what the doctor requires. I didn't have to document anything. I was self-pay with a BMI of 35 and no co-morbidities, though I've had knee problems and my sister, brother, uncle, and grandmother all have/had diabetes. The FDA has certain requirements for the band but there seems to be a little leeway for the surgeons to make their own evaluations. And the Mexican doctors do not have to follow the FDA rules for implanting the band. Good luck!

It's kind of hard to judge how you'll feel about eating nine days after surgery. You're so limited on what you can eat. I'm sure you'll feel differently when you're able to start adding real food again. I've had all of the kinds of foods I enjoyed before surgery but with modifications in how I eat them. I haven't had any negative episodes except a couple of times when the food passed slowly. It's a learning process and I'm sure you learned your lesson! Good luck!

Yes, I had my third fill Friday. I have 7ccs in a 10cc band. I didn't weigh myself regularly at first so I have no idea if I lost or gained right after surgery. But by my one-week post-op appointment, I had lost 6.5 pounds, plus the two I lost before surgery. I also drop a couple after each fill, as you can see from my graph. It's pretty slow in between but that's okay. I was gaining before the surgery! :girl_hug: Now is the time for you to be patient and focus on healing and learning some of the new ways of eating. It's tough but weight loss should be the last thing on your mind right now. Once you're all better and start getting fills, you're still in transition because you may not get much restriction from the first few fills. Most doctors want to take it a little slow to make sure your stomach adjusts each time. Then when you get to some real restriction, that's when you can start obsessing about your weight!

So far, I enjoy it more! My main goal before the band was to fill up. As I continued to eat, I felt guilty. Well, now I fill up in such a short time that there is no guilt. And if I am hungry later, I actually feel "entitled" to eat where before, I would feel guilty even if it was time to eat again. I'm making healthier choices but I'm still choosing foods that I like. It feels so good to enjoy whatever I want without feeling deprived!

I think a lot of us have doubts, even when the surgery goes as expected. In your case, I'm sure what you've been through could intensify that feeling. I suspect you'll feel lousy for awhile but when the worst is over, I think you'll be glad that you had it done. The pain and discomfort I felt after surgery seems inconsequential now. I can hardly tell that I have a band inside of me, except when it works like it's supposed to. While it can start working immediately, it takes a few months to get to the optimum level. But in those few months, I've lost nearly 27 pounds with very little hunger and eating pretty much whatever I want, though much less and less often. I'm sorry you had to take the "scenic route" but I hope you recuperate quickly and get to soon enjoy the benefits of your band. Good luck!

I got my third fill yesterday -- 1cc, as I expected, bringing me to 7ccs. I'm on liquids but I can tell there is some good restriction. I munched on a couple of small crackers last night, chewing to the max, and when it hit my pouch, it just felt funny. No pain or discomfort but I could tell there was some hesitation going down. I also have Citrical chewable Calcium supplements that are like a creamy candy and they were a little slow going down last night and this morning. But what was really different is that it took me awhile to drink my Slimfast shake for Breakfast. I always wondered what y'all meant when you said it took a long time to drink a shake. Now I know! For me, it's like you have to wait for the drain to clear. I also feel like I've got a bubble of air in there with each sip, though the air doesn't always come back up so it may just feel like that rather than be trapped air. It's not painful and maybe just slightly uncomfortable but I do know to wait. What a surprise this morning when I lost two pounds! I never lose that much at once! I was so excited that I told my husband that the scales said "101.3" instead of "201.3"! :biggrin: Maybe I'll make my goal for the Spring Challenge after all! :thumbup:

Wow, my third fill yesterday and today, I've lost two more pounds! I never lose like that! So now I'm only 1.4 pounds away from Onederland! Save me a place! :biggrin:

This is exactly my schedule as well. I had 1cc at surgery, 3ccs at the first fill, 2 ccs at the second fill, and 1cc at the third, leaving me currently at 7ccs in a 10cc-band.

Firebolt: It's very sweet of you to include me, even though I'm only an "adopted" 11/20 bandster. :thumbup: I got my third fill today, bringing me to 7ccs in a 10cc-band. I'm on liquids and mushies this weekend so it's hard to tell about my level of restriction. However, I had *some* restriction before the fill so I'm sure I'm tighter now. I'm hoping I can start losing a little faster than just under a pound a week (not including the big chunk I lost right after surgery.) I had three daughters in Girl Scouts at once years ago and I ate way too many boxes of Cookies, at the expense of both money and calories! We were pretty successful at selling, though. All four of my kids took piano lessons at the University of Texas Music Building at the same time that Longhorn Band had rehearsal. We would fill a wagon with cookies and sell them nonstop while the students were on break. :eek: Congratulations on the 28 pounds! I'm impressed that you are able to lose so much with a smaller amount in your band. Great will power! :thumbup:

Considering I'm averaging a pound a week, I'm going to set my goal based on that average, which, coincidentally, will take me to ONEDERLAND, the same goal I had for the Valentine's Day Challenge. :cursing: Name...................Start..........Current..........Goal ......To Go 1. Momto1plus1......228.2..........228.2.............218...........10 2. Mariegabrieleee...252............252................240...........12 3. TxArcher............345.............345................325..........20 4. Trixie.................241............241................221...........20 5. Longhorn............204............204................199............5

I was a little too optimistic that somehow losing with the band would be different than losing any other time I've lost weight. I'm not complaining, though, because I AM losing -- albeit slowly -- but I don't feel the least bit deprived. If I want something to eat, I eat it. I just don't eat as much or as often. I'm not even exercising right now -- my schedule has just been too exhausting and I'm dealing with some perimenopausal issues. So all in all, I'm content and will be more realistic with my next goal. Name................Start..........Current..........Goal ......To Go TxArcher............360.............345................345.........Zero baby! Foofy ................249............242.5 (yay!).....237.........5.5 Momto1plus1.......241............228.8..............229..........-.2 mariegabrieleee....261............252................256..........-4 Shortgal..............198............189................192.........(-3) Hollyberries..........298............282................285.........(-3) Trixie..................264.............241................244........ .(-3) Longhorn.............211.............204................199.........(5) And CONGRATULATIONS to everyone! We all lost at least a pound a week!!!

I've pinned a skirt that was too big, with a top that covered the waistband, and wear belts to help with the pants that are too big. Fortunately, I do have smaller sizes from the last time I lost weight, too. I went through my closet last weekend -- it was a little depressing at first. I've found that there can be a lot of variation in a given size and I couldn't tell until I tried them on whether they fit. The first few pairs were too small and I began to question whether I had actually lost any weight! Then I started finding some that fit just fine or were very close and I started to feel better. I didn't feel like trying on my current clothes -- I just decided that I would sort those out as I find them too big when I'm getting dressed in the morning. I've already added a skirt to the pile this week. :thumbdown:

Denise: I think Steph is talking about the original post, which does sound like an advertisement, especially since the poster has never posted again. But it's been a good discussion! I felt like some of the negative things I heard about lap-band surgery were very similar to the negative things I heard about LASIK -- the friend of the friend of the friend who had complications? :thumbdown: But having such success with LASIK (as well as my husband and two daughters) helped me get past some of the naysayers about lap-band surgery. I'm so glad I did!

I don't think I'll make my goal, either, Sades. I set the goal mostly based on getting under 200. Also, I was optimistic that getting that second fill in January would make a big difference. I don't know what I was thinking, though, because I've always been a slow loser. I'm not too bothered, though. I still enjoy seeing how loosely my clothes are fitting and I've never been this comfortable while losing weight before. I eat when I'm hungry and there's nothing I can't eat as long as I follow the rules. If I get a fill next week, it will be a very small one.

But what makes it a bigger achievement than 201? It's getting rid of that dang 2! When someone on the metric system considers getting under 200 pounds a milestone, it's because he or she is conforming to the US system on a US board. I'm just curious what the milestones are on an Australian board (or other places where weight is measured in kilograms.) Anyway, congratulations!

Oops! Y'all posted at about the same time! We need to consolidate the list! Name................Start..........Current..........Goal ......To Go shortgal ..............198...............190...............192........ minus 2 hollyberries...........298...............283...............285........ (-2) Trixie...................264...............244...............244...... ....0 Longhorn..............211...............203.6.............199......... 4.6 plump_princess......237...............225...............227..........-2 BarbBee................284...............272...............272........ ..0 hungry..................227.5............215..............215.5..... ..(-.5) Shalee04...............218...............205..............206........(-1) Momto1plus1.........241................231.8............229.......2.8 want2lose.............236.8.............227..............225.........2