SpecialK

Thanks Joe for the encouraging words to us all. I have been making progress on writing out my 2 weeks of planned eating for starting on January 1 with a band friendly meal of pork roast and saurkraut which is for luck in the new year. I think the South likes black eyed peas or some other food traditions for New Year's day meal. Getting through the holidays one day at a time. I made a big effort to send all the food home with everyone else so that I don't have stuff left to work on. ie. cheat myself! I got a 15 lb kettle bell and a set of 10 lb dumbell weights to be able to work out more at home. Each came with a DVD on using them so hoping to supplement the cardio type stuff I do at the gym or walking with some weight training too.

Christine, thanks for reminding me about what was causing you the stomach pain. If you get a sleeve, is there a risk that food wouldn't move down it or the fact that it is a tube shape will work different than the lapband restricted donut hole type approach to restriction maybe better. I read on the ObesityHelp board that there are some folks who had a procedure called Duodenal Switch and I dont' know much about that one. Those who have had the surgery seem to be pretty "militant" about their position that it is the only way to go and they think us lapband people are totally crazy. The fact that they like their procedure better than mine is good for them but it seems they almost put others down for a different surgery choice. I commend you that you hung in here so long with a legitimate complication that I don't think you could have ever expected to see. Take care, Kathy

Hi to all. I had a good Christmas and while I ate more sweets than I should, I tried to make sure I went for my Protein first and still found good restriction in place. I have started writing out food plan ideas for the next 2 weeks starting January 1 with my traditional pork and saurkraut which is a great bandfriendly meal plan. I'll post my plan for 2 weeks here and if anyone can jump in and give me ideas to keep on going, I will take all the help I can get. I got a 15 lb. kettle bell and 10 lb dumbell weights for Christmas and a DVD for each to give me new exercise at home options. I still have a gym membership and I'm promising myself to go today and get in at least 45 min workout. How are the rest of you doing over the holidays?

Okay, well I took the big step at work today to ask my boss to remove me from that project over the next couple weeks that has been so stressful. He was very understanding but I cried like a baby because I feel like a failure and on top of it, I know I've been eating things I shouldn't have, so even though I succeeded at work, I did it at the cost of my health getting better by getting more of this weight off. So, keep reminding me later on down the road, this lapband thing and losing weight is about being healthy -- and even though I am better now than I was, I am still obese - doctors who don't know I've lost alot would still cringe at my current BMI. So, I'm just going to give myself the Christmas present of self-forgiveness and a fresh start!

Hi Zeke... we share a bandiversary of March 17th so I'll jump in and give you some pep! First congratulations for reaching out for help. I have also done that recently. I went to see the counselor who was the person who had to sign off on my clearance for surgery. I told her I felt I needed help, had let stress get to me and was finding foods that could make me feel better -- thus I would recommend counseling to help you see what happened that you got off track. Second, if you want to PM me, I would be willing to correspond offline with you via email. Third, I made myself a promise to write out 2 weeks of food plans, literally every bite from January 1-14th and to stick to what was on that paper come hell or high water.... Instead of trying to log what I ate, do the reverse and plan in advance by logging it. I think I can be sloppy about little bits of calories here and there and I want to shape up -- mentally. Fourth -- consider going to see your surgeon for a fill adjustment if you try the 2 weeks of controlled planned eating and are still hungry - maybe the tool can help. So, congratulations on taking the first step - asking for help! Kathy

Remind me again what is happening with your band? Has it slipped? I had some acid reflux and they took me down a notch on my fill and that took it away. Wishing you luck in whatever you do. It would scare me to lose this tool.

Yes, those of us who know we have to hang in here for the long time need to support anyone who asks. I saw a psychologist yesterday about how I have been eating to deal with my job problems and she is going to help me get on track. First thing she told me is to get away from the toxic man I am stuck with at work who has a real anger and control issue. I kept trying to fix the situation over and over in this whole year and she said simply - he is not fixable. Work on yourself and make yourself a priority -- which is what I did as I got cleared for surgery and through my first year. So, yesterday I did get 1/2 hour workout in over lunch on the recumbent bike and that was a positive.

I had a good session today with my psych counselor I connected with about the time I was doing my clearance for surgery. I hadn't seen her in quite a while and it was a good session. I showed her my scrapbook of my weight loss up to now and was so proud of that. Also explained how my job has been eating me alive in the past months and that is triggering me to eat to soothe things over. I think she is going to be able to help me get back on track. She gave me the advice to seek to get reassigned to a different project due to the problems that have been involved on this one with a particular man who has been really emotionally abusive - just mean. So, now I need to talk with my boss and see what the options are to get put on a different project. At least I had a good cry and got out my frustrations with someone who could listen objectively and not just a family member or close friend who loves me. My Mom is a little afraid 9as I am too0 about how it will look to be asked to be removed off this project but it may be the very thing that is needed for all concerned to show just bad the situation has gotten to be. Hoping to get my sanity back one day at a time on this.

I have started to see Lapband commercials on TV -- they are starting to gear up to snag people who are committing to lose weight in the new year. Seems funny because I never saw commercials about it before I investigated the surgery more than 2 years ago now. In December 2007 I was still jumping through all the qualifying hoops my insurance (Aetna) had me doing. Time has flown by since then. For those of you with tons of snow, take it easy - we don't want you hurting your back or overdoing it on your heart and things with that snow! Ohio had a 24 inch snowfall last year and I just kept working on 8 inch then the next 8 and then the next 8 inches and I thought it would never end but I did get through it. I am sure it looks beautiful!

Wow -- 18" of snow! I heard stories on the news of the east coast getting the snow but whoa! Central Ohio just has a tiny bit around, enough to be pretty but not to stop me from getting out and about. I am promising myself to check in with my support group boards like this and obesityhelp and keep in touch with those who can support me and know what I am going through. Friends and family are just happy I am where I am and that may be part of my complacency is their acceptign me at this weight just like they accepted me at 355 lbs but I know if I lost more, they'd be happy for me too at that.

Thanks Lynnt1215 -- yes I am committed to hang in here for the long haul and I have let down recently on exercise and nibbles so I am definitely not blaming my stall on the band as a tool but on myself so sloppy effort. Thanks for answering back. All good ideas.

This is a great thread I can relate to. Been stalled at -122 lbs for a very long time now, months, and it is my own careless eating here and there, nothing big as I do have restriction, that is keeping me back. I decided to get some counseling from the psychologist I had to see to get my psych clearance for surgery. I am hoping she can help me sort out why I'm using food again to comfort me when I am stressed. I have had the most stressful year job wise I can remember in maybe 20 years and it started in mid-February and has never eased off and it still is projected to go now until April so I am going to get professional help. I do like the suggestion about writing out a food plan and eating only what is on that instead of just journaling and writing down what I am eating. Plan for portions -- now that might be a good slogan for 2010 for me!

Hey out there to all my Columbus lapbanders! We have missed a December get together. Should I try to schedule a January one and we can all share our New Year's resolutions and how we are getting along on our Lapband Journey. I am struggling now and could use some encouragement. Kind of stalled out. I am going to get some counseling to try to get my head and emotions sorted out on why I'm stuck - as I know its my behaviors in eating to contribute to some of it, and other part of it is the body has been stubborn to let go of this particular level of weight, like I hit a set point where it is happy -- maybe its really me happy at this weight-- the compliments I get are so nice but I gotta remember to keep going. Some people start their journey where I am now and that is hard for me to mentally get my head into, how they were so motivated about their lapband at this weight. I'll keep trying so don't think I have given up. Give me a shout out if there is interest in a January 2nd Saturday Polaris mall gathering to check in with each other. Kathy

lynn1215 -- I see you were at 234 lbs around your surgery date by your ticker/signature and I am stuck right about that number 234 and can use some help with kicking in gear. What all kinds of things were motivating you at 234 to want to have your lapband. I'm afraid that with the loss from 355 to 235 I am too content at where I am and I need to dig inside my head and find the motivation to keep rolling on. Some of the big motivation things I had like fitting into a seat, buckling the seat belt in the airplane, not feeling like the biggest person in the room, etc. are gone and I am not having health problems at the 233 number I am at, so I know I should think more about what health issues I am pretending I don't have at 233 lbs -- anything you can share will help me. Thanks. How much have you lost from the 234 and what is keeping you motivated now? Kathy

Congrats SWood! that one year anniversary was a special mark for me. Keep hanging in there. I figure I am going to try for losing 40 lbs in 2010 -- 10 lbs a quarter -- and see if I can stay on track with that. (plus keep all I have lost off of course).

Hope in April thanks for sharing as I am in the same boat -- love my Christmas baking and things but havent been able to stay out of it. I am going to get it shipped out to family by the weekend and I am promising myself next year not to do the baking unless I mail it the same day! I am trying really hard to hang in here and not go up but I am also desperately wanting to cross the 200 lb mark and I have about 30 to go. I am going for some counseling here starting next week to see if I can get my head issues lined up to be successful in the new year. It seems I am sabotaging myself and being content where I am even though I easily need to lose 60 lbs more. Let's keep encouraging each other.

Hi Sillypuddy - yes I had a Bodybugg and I thought it was helping me. I did have a mechanical failure of my first one when it was about 4 months old and I had to spend about 2 hours on the phone with a Mexico-based call center which was very frustrating and then they agreed it needed replaced and it took about 6 weeks or more to get the second one, by that time, I had lost a bit of interest in it but continued using it. Recently my frazzled brain has misplaced the darn thing and I've been looking to see what the heck I did or if I took it off and left it somewhere. I was thinking if I don't find it soon, I will cancel the month subscription I have to pay to keep it up. So, yes, it was fun for a long time but I kind of lost interest. If I could get a used one, I'd consider it again but for now, I think I will switch over to use a free food tracking place like dailyplate or fitday for my food logging as I got out of that habit and need to keep that up. Maybe my interest in the Bodybugg was impacted by my hitting a weight loss stall period too so don't just go off my ramblings, do what you think is good for you. I had promised myself to be faithful exercising over the holidays and I've already found that very hard to keep up with given I'm busy but I'm maintaining and not gaining in the Thanksgiving to Christmas time so far and I'll be happy with that. In the past, I could easily pack on a few pounds with all the goodies. I was thinking about being discouraged at being at -122 lbs for now but then I remembered back that my Christmas 2008 pictures were at -80 lbs so I have lost 42 lbs in 2009 and that's nothing to be ashamed of. As you said with the 1 lb a week type goal, if I could lose 40 more in 2010 with just slow gradual loss, I'd be happy at Christmas 2010 to be sitting at -160 lbs! So that will be my 2010 goal. Slow but steady wins the race. The sprint that I did to the first 80 lbs seems easy now after a year of work for 40 lbs but every pound has been something I have had to make a conscious decision for each day. Some days I blow it, eat something I shouldn't that is higher in calories, other days, I am a little angel. Its obvious that my cumulative behavior is in the right mindset though or I wouldn't be where I am. I don't need another fill for sure. There are days when I eat a dense protein like solid meat and its a small portion I can eat before getting my full signal to stop so I don't need doctor help right now - maybe some mental counseling to keep my head in the game would be more beneficial.

Hi Sarah -- way to go with hitting the big 100 -- keep working it and it will be a permanent thing. I keep hoping to see 130 lbs -- been forever in the 120s lost and know I need to keep going. Trying to be careful of portions. I have restriction -- got some beef stew and carrots for lunch today and only ate a few pieces of the meat and 1-2 of the mini-carrots before I was so full I slimed for the first time in forever. I thought I ate slow and chewed but it got me. I have to say I am so envious of the Biggest Loser contestants who are able to go on that show and have daily nutrition and exercise motivation - even if it is extreme - I feel like I need someone to kick my butt in gear -- but I just keep trying every day. Being here is so much better than where I started and I never want to go back. I did reflect back that last Christmas I was at -80 lbs and so in 2009 I've basically lost 40 lbs so maybe if I keep patient and lose 40 more in 2010, and keep a moving, I will get to the end. Three years probably for me to get to goal in total and that is hard when you hit the mid-stride section of that journey.

Hi ladies. I've been on vacation and also working crazy hours but still hanging in here. Been on a 3 month plateau but still trying to work this 1 day at a time. I still have restriction as I proved in the last day by eating just a small amount of chicken breast one day and a small amount of tender beef stew and carrots today so I guess I just need to convince my body to hang in there and let go of the pounds.

Wow Kidmeister - you are flying through all the hoops it took me months to get through. I'm envious but I would also tell you to remember as I am living it now, this is a long term process to keep going one day at a time. This week I went for a hour long walk on Monday, walked/jogged for 45 min on a treadmill on Tuesday, was lazy Wednesday - played tourist here in Arizona, and today took another 45 minute walk before we go out to our family Thanksgiving feast. Trying to remember to think Portion Control. Happy Thanksgiving to all!

My sister let me know they have a really good quality treadmill in their basement and I went down and got a good workout in this a.m. for 45 min. Trying to set a good example for her that it is possible. Plus it will help me beat back some calories from Thanksgiving. Hang in there Shamrocks. Remember take a portion and eat it and then see if you have room for more. This is helping me eat small volume but a few more times in a day.

There is something called the 5 day pouch test that is intended to help you physically and mentally test yourself and whether you still have restriction. It was tough but I did it and found it helpful. Google on the "5 day pouch test"

Yes, thanks for the reminder that its going to be normal for some of us to take 2-3 years. I was envious when others got to their goal in about a year and I have more to go. I am in it for the long haul!

I took before pictures and I kept the green sweatshirt top I had in them and then at 1 year took new pictures. I also kept the shirt I took a photo with my surgeon pre-op. didn't keep pants but I know what size I wore and won't ever forget that.

Good luck kidmeister. I have to tell you I am in Arizona visiting with my family who had not seen me since I lost 120 lbs and they are clearly thrilled and happy for me. The downside is we used to eat and splurge alot on the holidays and I relate to visits here with treating myself with food. Gotta watch it. I did get out and do a long 1hour plus walk this a.m. for exercise. Keep working it every day! K