Kristin1031

Congratulations Bandpal on taking control......It feels wonderful to finally be in control over something that has so controlled all of us for such a very long time. I am proud of you as you should be of yourself!! Hugz

I work with two women who have both had Gastric Bypass and both are over 4 years out and both have either gained it all back or well on their way to gaining it back and then some. I cannot believe the portion sizes that they consume. It just amazes me. Because they too are given a pouch with the bypass....they are to eat no more than said amount......I am uncertain why people would venture past that. I know it is not easy, but certainly it has to be other things that play into it as well, you have to deal with what makes you eat in the first place. For most of us there are real reasons that causes us to choose food over something else when we are not actually HUNGRY!! God Bless her and I hope she wins this battle........Lord knows it is a WAR for life!!

I know this feeling well, I have lost the same size difference. I got out the pair of jeans that were so tight I could not breath before surgery and they are huge, I am thrilled but am waiting for my 16's to come along. I have some wonderful dresses in that size. I cannot tell you how long it has been since I wore a dress above my knee. I have a light lavender skirt that buttons up the front that my husband loves....have not had it on in 8 years....but it is coming...I can almost taste it!!:tt2:

To those out there who think you cannot be successful with the band......I have to say if I can do this anyone can. I cannot explain why I have the restriction without a fill but I apparently have enough because I am able to eat within the boundries of the band and feel satiated. I know that many struggle with all of this, and I hope that those who are will see the success I have had as a positive thing. I know that when I am not losing for weeks and then boom I drop 5 pounds, which is how my body has been doing it for the past two months. That I too would get discouraged with other posters large numbers. But what I was failing to see what the bigger picture. That as long as you STAY the COURSE you are bound to be successful. Even if you are not losing weekly, making muscle out of fat weighs more so there are times you are not going to see the change in the numbers.....However when I go in for my next bodpod in May I am certain I will see a large difference in my BMI. That for me will be the biggest success of all.....to know that I have restructured my body and put that fat I had to a much better use. CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF US WHO MADE THE DECISION TO TAKE CONTROL OF food........and to no longer let food control us!!

I so agree with Cindy on this one. I think people with weightloss think they are in this soley on their own. And when you get support you tend to do much better with long term success. So my suggestion is to find a motivationl site, one that builds people up and helps you set goals. Short term goals and even long term ones, goals are important. Also track your food and make sure you get in your exercise and WATER. Find a place where you feel welcome, and this is an awesome one. I also love Sparkpeople. com and attribute that site to my inspiration, because I track my GOALS.....good luck and we are all here for you!

Kendra: So glad the news on the cysts was good! I remember the Radiation treatmnets that my son got and how it took a toll on him. So be sure to rest, I agree with everyone else you are an amazing teacher and a wonderful friend. You are a fighter and that is so apparent. I know that you will be a winner in this fight as well as your WeightLoss fight. All of our prayers our working and they will not stop, they go out daily here in Peoria....LOL Hugz Lady!!:tongue:

Hi Rhea some of the things that I try are most all exercise related; I am truly not eating between my meals because my surgeon told me he would kick my ass if I did. He wanted me to eat three meals a day. But sometimes life gets in the way of that and when it does, I always make my food choice based on Protein, I like the slimfast high protein snack bars I love the whipped caramel and it is only 110 calories so I do not feel like I am giving in to too many calories. It is like eating a candy bar really. But mostly I get up and move my arse, because for me when my head hunger comes into play it is because I am down or depressed I have figured this much out since surgery. It is the hardest thing to learn to recognize and I feel that many people who talk about being ravenously hungry are actually experiencing the HEAD hunger. They cannot tell the difference. I have had no hunger pains in my stomach since my surgery and I have NOT one FILL. I have however expereinced hungry from my head. Telling me that I need to eat, when I know that I do not NEED to eat. When these times come for me, I usually get moving in some fashion and get my mind onto something fun, or something I enjoy. There are so many things you can choose rather than eating.....it is just being able to recognize and actually bring ourselves to make those choices. I hope you continue with your great success, as other posters have said your weightloss is great and you want to lose it slower, since that is healthier. Afterall, Rome wasn't built in a day!!

Congratulations on your weightloss hon.....I have been following your progress and I am thrilled for you being so close. Just remember they say the last few pounds are the hardest to take off.....it will happen for you, you have the drive and determination!!:tongue:

What a great feeling to be doing so well, I am thrilled with all of our progress Great Job Everyone!! Name...........Start........Current......Goal.......To Go Brandymom1234...200...........200........185.........15 Candle..........205...........198........197..........1 cQQlgirl........215...........212........200.........12 destiny79.......255...........250........240.........10 Foofy...........242.5.........240........234.........6 Jackie..........164...........162........157..........5 Jill............220...........216........210..........6 Jovi2673........217...........217........200.........17 KarenG .........189...........181........181..........0 kjl315..........227...........220........217..........3 kristin1031.....240...........230........225.........5 legster.........209...........206........196.........10 LessnLess.......164...........159........157..........2 Linda Lu........228...........217.2......215..........2.2 Longhorn........204...........196........195..........1 Mumof2boys......188...........188........175.........13 Marimaru........206...........202........195.........7 PhDiva..........208...........208........195.........13 Rainer..........251...........247........241..........6 Redtulips3......225...........221........215..........6 Renewedhope.....213...........206........199..........7 Sades...........201...........197........190..........7 Skinny_Jill.....186...........182........178..........4 Stacy73.........222...........219........212..........7 Sunny112........143...........143........135..........8 Suzzzie.........291...........291........280.........11 Valstar.........269...........265........260..........5 wombat712.......145...........144........135..........9 debihaines......254...........219........209.........10 4jin............225...........220........220..........0 Trixie..........241...........224.5......221.........3.5 Jennypoo........199...........194.5.......194....... .5

I had this same issue and believe it or not. The techs do not know how to put the leads on obese people. That is what my surgeon told me. I had to have a nuclear med test on my heart with Thallium. It came out great. My heart is fine. But it is better to be safe than sorry. You do not want cardiac issues on the table. This all happened to me one week before my surgery. I got all of my tests done and surgery went off as planned.

Kendra: I am sad to hear the news was not good, however let me tell you that my sister was diagnosed last year at this time with stage 3 breast cancer and it was in her lymph nodes and she had a double mastectomy and went through radiation and chemotherapy and she is 55 and she is cancer free as we speak. So do not give up on this, you can beat it!! We are all here for you, you are a strong Lady and have been a great inspiration to all of us here in the November Nymphs, you have my prayers and my love sending down your way there in Texas...Hugz sweetie!!

I so agree with you on this post.....we all hang on to the number as our validation of being successfull......and that number is usually our weight. But I agree it should be BMI not physical weight....because that can very within the normal to healthy BMI by 10 pounds. I just want to be considered healthy again. Once I achieve that I will be fully satisfied and if that is 150 pounds then so be it......it will be my lightest weight in well over 28 years....LOL Yippee well on my way!!

I have so many favorites but I will have to say: I Talapia fillet with Andys coating for fish (lightly browned in a little EVOO 1/2 cup fresh vegtables sauteed in EVOO and Emerils Original Seasoning with 1 tablespoon of Wortsechire Sauce Vegtables: Onions Green Peppers and Red Peppers Zucchinni Shredded Broccoli and Cauliflower mix mushrooms I love this meal and it keeps me full for hours!!

I have reached the 1st major goal in my journey. I am 50 pounds lighter.....I am thrilled with the results in such a short amount of time. I could never have done this presurgery. I would have never been able to stick to the small portions, my BAND is my best friend!! I know that staying the course is my only recourse in my addiction and that I will be a recovering food addict forever even when I am at GOAL! I know this will always be an issue and that I need to look at it like an Alcoholic looks at booze! Food is now just something I need to keep my body going. I do not use it for making me feel better nor do I eat just to fit in or eat out of boredom. I love exercising and making that part of my regular life has been the best part. I now feel like a person with energy that can make a difference, by helping others, because I am able to MOVE and not feel pain. I am able to breath and run up a flight of steps....YES run.....before surgery I would of had to crawl up a flight of stairs.....or I would of just taken the elevator. I have had alot of NSV's but the best has been having my 4 year old grandson Adam crawl up into my lap and sit and talk with me, before surgery I had nowhere for him to sit.......I love this time with him now. I also can get down on the floor and crawl around with him playing and he loves it. I know this will only get better over time. I am well on my way to reach my goal of 140 pounds lost and a weight of 140 pounds. I am happier than I have been in I can't remember!! Don't lose hope, if I can do this anyone can!!

YOu are in my prayers Lady!! I hope you find out some concrete answers soon, I do believe it is the not knowing that is worse than knowing what it is your facing.......Hugz!! I hope you can do something fun this weekend to take your mind off of it for at least a few hours! Keep us informed!!

Thanks guys I am so looking forward to the next 50...LOL I know though....slow and steady!!

Conbgratulations on feeling the success of the BAND!! It is awesome when people make comments about how you look because I know for me I am not used to those kinds of things being said about me.....at least not since I left the 215 pound range...LOL Now that I am coming within view of it again, it is nice to hear people. I was in the hot tub recently at the club after my workout and was talking to a friend from my water aerobics class she has been drilling me about the surgery and had many questions. All of the sudden a man middle to late 40's in excellent shape I might add bent down next to me outside of the hottub and said you are an AMAZING woman, you need to hear this if no one is telling you....COngratulations on your 52 pounds in 14 weeks.....I just smiled and said thank you. It literally made my whole week. Keep up the great job......staying the course is so REWARDING!!

I totally agree and think your post get right to the heart of the matter. WLS is hard work...it is not an easy fix.....and it dumfounds me when people post oh I am eating hamburgers and am not loisng weight. Or I can eat a 2 cups of food.......when your pouch was created to hold no more than 4 ounces (and this is the maintenance phase.) Perhaps they can, but why would you want too.......knowing that all you are doing is stretching out a pouch that is designed to be small. I do believe alot of the band success is found in our will and desire......hence why we go through psych evals before surgery. To find out any underlying problems before we have the surgery. You have to WANT to do this, you have to WANT to choose Healthy over JUNK FOOD you have to be able to LISTEN to your body and disregard your head......Dont' get me wrong....not saying this is all easy by any means.....this is HARD WORK. Most of the time for me, my adult is in charge......at least so far in my band journey that is!!

Wendy I am, I know that I would never have done this before being banded. I had tried and failed so many times. This has seemed so easy.....just follow the plan and stay on track....and it has just come off!! I just got back from Water aerobics and I am not sleepy....but I have to be up and at work at 6am.....ewwwwwwww.......it is getting late...LOL

THank you Losing........I spoke to you last year about my Amber who we lost on Spet 8,2007 she is also chasing Rainbows:) Congratulations on your plastics that is upcoming and reaching your goal you are truly an insipration for all of us here at LBT!!

I have containers and have them marked with 3 ounces on each one so that I know it gets no fuller than that. With your meat and things like that you need to weigh them of course. But honestly remember this is based on weight and not volume, because 3 ounces of popcorn is a huge amount. I follow this and I take the cups with me, if I go somewhere else to eat other than home. I do not find this to be a problem or a hassel and I still eat with the baby spoons that were provided to me at surgery in the hospital. I know that smaller bites and chewing well is the secret to the band and NOT overeating. I know that keeping the portions controlled and small is what the band is all about. Good luck!!

I would first like to commend your weightloss, you have done well. You say you only are losing 4 -5 pounds a month. Did anyone tell you before your surgery that the LapBand is a slow process.....average weightloss is 8 pounds a month. That is average which means you might be that you might be below that or above that. Make sure you are logging your food, I find that I had no idea what I was eating in the amount of calories and fat before surgery until I started logging it. I was amazed about what was going into my mouth. Make sure you do get in your protein because it will keep you fuller longer than the other foods. Drink lots and lots of water, this is also a key. Are you working out at all or doing any exercise? That is also a key here. By no means give up, I will tell you I don't eat sugar, once I purged I wanted to keep feeling that wonderful feeling. So I stay away from it, if I happen to want a bite of something sweet I have a BABY SPOON bite of it. Non of this was a surprise to me, because our nutritionist supplied me with all this information before my surgery. She told me what amount to eat for the REST of my life. She told me what to eat first and what to eat second and thirdly. When she would be asked for how long she would smile and say forever. This is about changing our lives, and eating habits, some since birth......to forever. The band is a tool and it will NOT do the work for you totally you have to work with it. I think if you step back and look at your movement, water, protein and calories you will get back on track. Perhaps you do need a fill. Discuss this with your DR. I am sure they will also be able to analyze why you think you are not doing well. However in my opinion you are losing on the average. Great Job, don't give up!!

I had the surgery so I would be around to see my grandchildren grow up. I adore my little boys and they are my world. After losing my own son to cancer when he was 4 1/2 I have had enough pain in my life to last forever, and I did not want to allow this pain to happen to my daughter again in losing her mother at 50 because of morbid obesity. I am thrilled with my decision, I am 50 pounds lighter in only 3 1/2 months and that is without a fill.......I can only imagine what the next 7 months have instore for me. It was the best decision I could have ever made for myself. I have no intention of ever over eating again in my life.

Thanks everyone for your kind words. I think I am back on the mend.....cough is gone and I am feeling more energetic. That was crappy stuff though....LOL I also had my flu shot...oh well!! I am definately ready for SPRING!!!!

Yeap it is official went to the Dr this afternoon straight from work, got the nasal swab and yeap the flu.....I had my flu shot and everything.....but the flu shot is only working at 40% so they tell me. I hope this passes quickly, the cough is killing me and I am worried as to what it might do to my band......but I am off work for now, going to rest and take it easy....but I am upset I can't work out.....he said no working out til I am better. I guess I should just be happy that the pounds are melting away.....right? I am truly I am, I just beat myself up when I can't get to the gym I have become addicted to the working out. Everyone at work has been sicker than dogs it is no wonder I finally could not ward it off anymore....LOL. I have been so happy that I made it all winter without getting sick....I chalk it up to eating healthier for sure!!