BandedInBama

Hi everyone! My name is Melissa. I was banded by Dr. Zapata in Monterrey, Mexico back in the spring of 2010. This is a bit long, but I gotta get it out... Maybe it'll help people who end up in my situation. Who knows? Unfortunately, I went into the surgery with a HORRIBLE attitude. I just sat back and expected my band to do ALL of the work for me without me actually making any changes. If I ate too much or too fast, I just threw it up. No big deal, right? Of course... I wouldn't even admit that to myself. I for the LIFE of me couldn't figure out why I was sick EVERY SINGLE TIME I ATE! In spite of all of that, I DID manage to lose about 60 pounds, but... Because of the vomiting (that again, I just couldn't make sense of) my band was ultimately drained and I was diagnosed with gall stones and had my gall bladder removed to help with the constant sickness. Lo and behold, I had my gall bladder removed last Thanksgiving (2013) and the vomiting didn't even slow down. Stress made it worse. I'm currently in nursing school and I WAY know about stress. We had finals a couple of weeks ago and I couldn't focus to study because I was literally throwing up everything I put in my mouth. So... To try to take my mind off of my stomach pain and puking, I switched myself to a liquid diet. That lasted from Saturday night until my final Wednesday morning. Amazingly, I felt a lot better. I wasn't throwing up. My constant sinus pain-- apparently the result of reflux while I was sleeping that was burning my sinus cavity-- vanished. I DID NOT DO THE liquid diet FOR WEIGHT LOSS. Remember? I was in denial. My band was just broken. It did nothing. Who the heck knew why I always threw up? Maybe I had stomach cancer... (LOL I swear I'm not usually so melodramatic) When I started eating solids again, I was reluctant. I felt a lot better and was kinda sad to think I'd be giving it up. So I did was professional students do. I researched. Guess what? People who don't respect their WLS and don't change their habits tend to have the issues I was having. A more. And giving my banded stomach time to heal with no puking allowed my band to actually make its presence known. So, I figured what the heck... I started back like I had just had surgery. Soft foods eaten slowly. No drinking with meals. Smart food choices. You know.... All the stuff I was meant to do the FIRST TIME around. And holy crap, it's like I've actually had WLS. Even with an unfilled band. I have restriction. I'm content with a cup to a cup and a half of food. I haven't thrown up in weeks. I've lost 20 pounds. Head hunger exists. I don't like it, but I can cope. Because dang it, I paid for this surgery and even if it was 4 years ago I'm gonna get my money's worth! So, that's where I stand. That's my story. And I'm back. And this time, dang it, I'm gonna do it right! ~ Melissa ~

Having any WLS is akin to trying to reinvent oneself (or it is to me!). So... If you were suddenly your perfect you... Who would you be? LOL It has NOTHING to do with my weight, really, but I'm a total Pinterest addict. I would be super fashionable, a great creative cook who made her kids super neat Bento Box lunches for school (everyday!!), decorated my house per holiday, could make origami napkins for parties and decorate cakes like a pro. Silly, I know, but I just love so many things I see that other folks can do and I feel so flabby and BORING! So, join me in fantasy land. Who would YOU be?

Y'all, I'm STRUGGLING these past couple of days. I don't know what triggered it but I'm just RAVENOUS-- all I can think about it food, food, food. I haven't binged or even over eaten and I'm really fighting the urge to do so. I thought maybe a little treat would help so last night I did eat a package of Peanut Butter cups (2)-- always my candy of choice-- but the chocolate have me HORRIBLE reflex which I'm still feeling today. NOT worth it and it didn't help with my cravings. And today, even while I'm enjoying my food and being careful and could clearly feel I was full, I was just wanting to shovel all of my lunch into mouth. I didn't, but even as I was putting the leftovers away I was half thinking about just bingeing on it. I didn't *need* it but I felt like I did! Ugh. Just struggling. Not ruining myself, but just not feeling that awesome contentment I had all week. Any ideas?

Love the responses! Keep em coming!

Those cravings are becoming less frequent as I deny them. I guess it's kinda like ignoring a kid throwing a tantrum-- eventually the kid just realizes it won't work and stops. So.. I guess my food demons are realiZing it doesn't work? Fingers crossed anyways! Good luck to everyone!!

Of course! I hope it helps someone else "get it" before struggling for years like me!

Haha! I'm glad I'm inspirational I'm still plugging away-- very aware of my rules and my body's needs. The weight isn't falling off like I was praying for it to, but it IS coming off. I guess a 1-2 pound loss per week at this stage of the game is perfectly acceptable. LOL Course, I always think faster is better!

I use My Fitness Pal on my iPhone to count calories. I'm eating NOTHING compared to before! LOL I don't even even want to THINK about how many I was eating before. *shudder* I started yoga this past Monday (geeeeez I'm weak!) and started using my elliptical again today (I was SO sweaty after just 15 minutes!)

Thanks for the support, y'all. It means so much to know people have "been there, done that" and come out successful on the other side. 2muchfun, that article was AMAZING!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you! It helps me understand what might be going on!

Ok. The scale and I are NOT FRIENDS. My weight is still fluctuating between 230 - 235. I'm monitoring my calories, no snacking, lots of Water, the stupid scale refuses to budge. I AM seeing a change on the tap measure (I do it daily just because it's the only change I'm seeing!), but the actual weight is refusing to budge!! Am I fooling myself that I'm being so careful with my food? I mean, I'm eyeballing it, but your fist is about a cup, right? A desk of cards is 4oz of Protein... An ounce is the tip of your thumb... I KNOW the tape measure is realistically more important than the pounds, but seeing the freaking scale refuse to really budge is just driving me up the wall. I'm 3.5 weeks in and the scale seriously hasn't moved since the first week and a half (which was a nice whoosh of 15 pounds!). This is the point when I usually say, "Screw it". I'm an emotional eater afterall. But, I'm NOT gonna do that, but MAN I'm irritated!

I had a spectacular WHOOSH of weight loss when I first recommitted to the band-- about 15 pounds-- but in the week since not a thing. In fact the scale keeps bouncing up 3, down 3. Yesterday I weighed 231... Ate 1250 calories for the day... And today I weigh 234. I know there are always ups and down in weight loss, but this just has me ready to pull my hair out!

Had my first yoga class tonight. Wow. I used to coach competitive level gymnastics and despite being chubby I was really a very strong person. Not anymore. Woooo. That kicked my butt! LOL and yet I can't wait for next week!!

Even though I'm seeing inches lost.. *grumble* So... I have a 3 pound gain today. I suspect it's because I'm not drinking enough. I can feel that I might be slightly dehydrated-- I've seriously been slacking on my Water (I don't drink anything else though). So... I reckon that might have SOMETHING to do with my gain? I'm OVER the 230s! LOL I've hit 230 3 times now and never go down past it!! I'm being meticulous with my calories (1100-1200/day). I'm starting yoga tonight and am gonna FORCE myself to get my rump on the elliptical. I'm ready to see that scale # MOVE!!

Yay! It's so nice to feel better about ourselves, isn't it? My scale doesn't seem super cooperative, but I guess the GIGANTIC initial drop I had of about 15 pounds over the first two weeks should negate the past week of no loss. LOL I do wish I could see results like that all the time, though! Congrats on a great start!

Eating demons is so appropriate! I feel like they torment me. I guess the best way to cope is just to NEVER give in-- giving bad habits any kind of foothold just makes me crumble. The plus is, I DO feel renewed today and it IS a new day that I haven't even made a bad choice in yet. We had a GLORIOUS looking key lime cake in Sunday School this morning to snack on, but I declined just because I know I would have eaten those unnecessary calories and set a bad precedent for the day (I'm weird like that-- 1 not great choice just AVALANCHES for me). I just drank my Crystal Light and enjoyed the fellowship

That's interesting. I think maybe I overdid it a couple of days ago... It wasn't amount, but a friend took me out to lunch at Chipotle and I had to sip a little bit with my meal because it was unexpectedly spicy! The little tiny sips paired with my food (totally an acceptable amount BTW-- maybe a 1/2 a cup) made me PB. Ugh. And since then, I've had some reflux issues. Last night was awful! I was blaming it on the tiny chocolate splurge before bed, but maybe more of a stoma issue? I'm 4 years out from surgery-- is this possible?

I did some research and it appears that most post WLS patients eat between 1000-1200 calories per day. So, I decided that that would be good for me...And the first week or two I saw GREAT results, but now I'm a bit stalled out. I guess I would assume I'm not eating enough calories-- MyFitnessPal fusses at me when I don't hit at least 1200-- but... Calories in- calories out, I should be OK. I'm a student/mom/wife and not especially active at the moment. My BMR is supposedly not quite 1800 cal/day with no activity. So on 1200 cal/day, that creates a calories deficit of 4200 per week which should be 1.2 pounds. So... All that to say... How many calories do you consume in a day? How many did you in the beginning (I'm starting over, so I feel I'm IN the beginning, even if it's 4 years out)? Any tips for me?

Quick update for the day-- the scale had initially driven me nuts by going up about 3-4 pounds, but I'm back down to 230. Buuuuut, according to the measurements I took last week, I've lost an inch at the waist and almost 2 inches in the hips/lower gut area!! My "wants" are a lot more copacetic with my "needs" these days and I don't feel like I have to keep eating just out of habit or compulsion. That's life-changing right there!!!

I just wanted to check in with y'all and say I'm still SO happy to have found this group and I'm still fired up to finally be in control of my life instead of letting my life be ruled by my eating. I'm consistently eating less than 1100 calories a day-- I don't even want to THINK about how many calories in a day I was REALLY taking in before my revelation. *shudder* Anyways.. I'm still doing well, I'm excited to have this tool to use... And thanking GOD that I already have it!!

My husband took the family out to Carrabba's Italian Grill tonight. And our poor waiter was SO confused when I ordered the Chicken Trio (Chicken Marsala, Chicken Bryan, and Chicken... Rosie? Maybe?) and told him I'd be sharing with the kids (aged 5 and 7). He was like, "Ma'am, the 3 portions are perhaps 1/3 the normal size since it's a trio" and I was like, "It's fine. If you could just bring 2 plates for me to share with the kids, that'd be great." He look dubious. And then, when I still needed a to go box for about half of what I had left after feeding my kids way more than 1/2 of the plate the poor guy just looked SO confused. It's far more than enough for me to enjoy for lunch tomorrow!

Well, it IS that TOM so I guess that could be some of it. I hadn't even thought about that. It's just so frustrating to feel like I'm trying SO hard and nothing I'd happening! I suppose I should just be glad not gaining-- heaven knows I have been. I just want the results I'm working so hard for!!

Good luck, Debbie. Changing these habits that have been ingrained in us for decades is SO hard. If you're anything like me, I never even realized just HOW much I snacked until I had my revelation a few weeks ago. I'm rooting for you!

So, b-52, what are some of your tricks that work best for you? I'm unfilled, but I have restriction-- I'm just having to unlearn all of my crap habits like snacking and grazing and drinking my calories. I've recommitted to this thing and there is zero grazing/snacking and all I drink is Crystal Light... So tell me... What advice can you offer?

Ok, good! I was wondering about the calories since my MyFitnessPal app gives me a warning that eating less than 1200 calories is unhealthy and I was wondering if I was doing this wrong! So... After WLS, our bodies just don't respond to "normal" calories like a non-WLS person? Is this standard? I know I was banded back in 2010, but I might as well be a newbie because other than surgery being performed I know nothing!

Congrats!!! How many calories a day are you consuming? I'd love to emulate you!