SpecialK

I'm having internet access withdrawal symptoms...just kidding :thumbdown:No power like so many of you since this past Sunday at 4pm and its not projected to be back on now until maybe Sunday so the only internet access I have is at work on the weekdays. Still very restricted from this last fill - I'm trying to hang in there but it is definitely true that when you are very restricted its easy to want to fall back to something that slides right down but I'm doing my best to resist. Having a nice bowl of Soup for lunch and had a Protein bar for Breakfast so doing better today. Yesterday I had a slip and tried a scoop of pumpkin ice cream when I was up at Amish country. Then I could barely finish a bowl of vegetable soup a couple hours later due to being very restricted. Still learning as I go.

Be sure you use the latest post so we don't drop anyone! Name_________Start Weight__CurrentWeight______Goal______Lbs lost *****:confused:***********:thumbup:*************:scared2:**********:smile:*********:confused:* 1day at a time.....263............258.5..........243..........4.5 2BHealthE!.........194............179............194............0 ahsem2bme..........244............244............225............0 aJoneen............223............221............213............2 Aphrodite1984......208............208............190............0 Ariel..............199............196.4..........180..........2.6 ArmyWife4life......209.5..........209.5..........190............0 Barb12590..........228............223............213............5 Bea1128............210.5..........207............188..........3.5 Brandymom1234......227............151.9..........135..........4.1 Caramia71..........208............203............195............5 Crzytchr...........281............277............265............4 DebinFl............181............181............168............0 georgiagirl........245............234............230...........11 HarleyGirl.........188............187............175............1 HeatherA...........210.5..........209............200..........1.5 HeatherO...........155............150............140............5 Ivyrose325.........212............212............199............0 Jazzyywan..........255............255............190............0 Jodi_620...........196............188............177............8 KikiVal315.........237.5..........235............220............0 Lana24.............208............195............185............0 laurigee...........180............180............160............0 Leslie2Lose........220............214............205............6 lindar172 .........274.2..........271............256..........3.2 LisaB..............205.5..........200............180..........5.5 livn4thm...........235............235............210............0 Long2bthin.........248............244............230............4 Luu2008............203............199.5..........183..........3.5 KikiVal315.........237.5..........235............220..........2.5 Mamanmidwife.......299............293............280............7 mamato3............186............186............170............0 MarinaBleu.........226.5..........226.5..........216............0 memom..............210............210............170............0 Minxz..............299............287............280...........12 mominlv13..........299.8..........295............275..........4.8 nip50..............175............173............160............2 NurseNiki..........258............255............239............3 odamay.............242............242............225............0 paige65............252............247............232............5 Peaches11..........205............205............194............0 pj_txlady..........220............220............200............0 Redtulips3.........180............180............170............0 Renee74............214............213............199............1 Renewedhope........171............170............150............1 reif78.............294............195............185............0 shaversd...........230.5..........227............210..........3.5 SpecialK...........294............290............280............4 Sunshine2..........177............172............167............5 Tess...............304............304............280............0 thatDEgirl.........211............210............195............1 Turler.............225............219............210............6 wendyw.............192............192............172............0 wowox7.............195............190............170............5 WyominGirl.........327............321............312............6

I went off my cholesterol medicine and didn't experience a gain but a blood pressure pill has alot more to do with body Fluid level so I can't really say. Hang in there you will get it off. And yes, I do the same, don't adjust my ticker up if I have a gain but it doesn't get to come down either until that is back off. I had a good loss Thurs/Friday as my fill kicked in and then Saturday went sugar crazy and so I was up .5 pound this a.m. I mowed the grass (riding mower but I have 2 acres+ to mow) replanted two trees, and washed the car so I did some big time sweatin today as pennance... watching more carefully on eating today and hoping to hit my -60 by my 6 month bandiversary but I won't get there if I get crazy on Starbucks Frappaccino for passing my PMP exam either. I also wanted to say I can eat a Protein bar and not PB when eating a sausage link or another solid item is very hard right now. Go figure? I can't just eat 1 egg or just 1 sausage link as I know that isn't enough protein and calories to go on. I divided my leftovers from my Chinese dinner into 3 containers of about 1/2 to 3/4 cup and I am seriously doubting I can even eat that much.

Hi Cyndi and welcome to the board. A couple things I'd suggest is checking in on the 2008 Bandsters thread under the October group and you'll find the other folks who are going through stage by stage the same things as you. Its a great way to interact. Also, check out your Wisconsin thread under USA Local Support groups section and you might find others in your area to share with. Good luck!

Welcome to the board from another Buckeye! Go Bucks - Beat Southern Cal! Be sure to check out the Ohio subforum under USA Local groups. You'll find those in your city of area of Ohio.

Heather and friends - there is a chance I won't make it to the mall today because my Mom called and wants me to take her to do a few things early today and its out in Pataskala and its a priority for me taking care of her given she lost her husband and that's important to me. I won't be able to have a balloon probably but if I can make it before you wrap up at 4pm I will.

Okay friends, this latest fill is really kicking in... I only ate about 400 calories yesterday and about 800 the day before and unfortunately yesterday I had my worst PB and sliming episode ever so I am definitely going back to full fluids and mushies today to get my calories back up and to give this fill more time to settle in and for me to learn what I can and can't eat. I am doing a happy dance this morning because the weight is dropping since Monday as well after being pretty stubborn.

I'm sorry but I think that is totally inappropriate for the dietician to be counseling you against lapband and raising doubts when your own doctor and your family has thoughtfully considered this as well as you yourself. I would disregard what she said as I am wondering what her motivation was.. was she trying to talk you into RNY or VSG or just talk you out of WLS all together?

Speaking of those missing in action, where is BrandNewLisa and NurseNiki?? I loved putting together the list of March Bandsters when it was way over 200 in March 2008 and I'd love to hear from a broader group on how they are doing but even if not, I love this core group since we are all hitting the same snags as well as sharing successes in step with each other.

Lyn - 25 lbs in 6 weeks or so is tremendous! Hang in there. Have you had a fill yet? Keep close track of what you are eating and check in with Andrea for a nutrition class to go over food journals if that might help. She said if we were struggling to bring in a few food journals so she could give us ideas on what to do. Also, getting plenty of exercise in to keep revving up our metabolism. Okay, now I better practice what I preach! I got a nice walk in at noon to go see the display of 3000 small flags on the Ohio Statehouse lawn to commemorate Sept 11 and the lives that were lost. Gave me a chance to exercise a bit and it was such a beautiful day to be out.

You will be fine. I am actually glad that bariatric surgeons and their prep practices require the psychological counseling aspect to getting the surgery as it really does make you deal with head hunger - the reasons I eat to satisfy feelings and deal with stress -- which isn't going to be any different with a band. In fact, I've had a death in my immediate family, a knee surgery, and a job exam to pass to keep my job, and other things that were high stress SINCE getting banded which in the past may have been excuses to eat. I'm happy to say I made it through it all and am still losing. My psychologist did the same with about 4 visits, plus the 200 question test, and a follow up after the test to give me insight on where I have weaknesses to work on and her professional opinion, which she had to provide to the surgeon and the insurance company, was that I was prepared to work with the lapband and not defeat it myself. So, all in all, it was more hoops to jump through, but when I read stories of those who hate their lapband, aren't losing with the band, or whatever reasons they are failing, I am glad I had to take the long road to get my lapband because I was fully aware of what I was getting myself into. God Bless!

Congratulations HopeinApril-- that is great. I'm sensing the same frustration because I've been stuck in the same numbers for a few weeks now but I had a fill Monday and am hoping this kicks me to the sweet spot. I am surprised I haven't lost anything though in 2 days on full liquids which I have in past fills so this could be my time to hang in there and be patient. Thanks and keep up the good work! We know its not magic but work to get us to our goal. :biggrin:

Hi Shamrocks - I passed my PMP exam for my job today that I was studying for, and stressing over too, and now that is such a relief. I have to just keep up with continuing education to keep it current. Thanks for the well wishes and prayers. P.S. It is fun seeing some of you adding to the Why we want Fenton back.

Hi friends. I passed my PMP certification test for my job today-- what a relief after 8 months of prep for that! I also am trying to reintroduce food today after my fill on Monday and it could be the stress of exam day for that test but I've found I can only eat just a few bites and then I'm full and sliming a tiny bit. I guess I better go mushies for a couple days until I give it more time to settle in. Definitely different restriction now than I had before the Monday fill. Interestingly enough though... my scale hasn't given me a new number since Monday which is a surprise given I've been real careful with my full liquids and watching to keep my protein level up with shakes. Hopefully the body will kick in and have a drop here. I signed up for the Labor Day to Hallow-Lean challenge and haven't been able to make progress yet. Finally, I read a good article from that Kim trainer on Biggest Loser that said if you add more intervals of quick bursts of exercise in, plus walking, that it revs up your metabolism which is what I think I need to keep doing. I tried running for 30 seconds - going maybe 40 yards - and then walking the next 100-200 yards then run/jog, then walk and it definitely got my heart working more and me more winded. My legs almost felt like they had lead in them to run on them - I haven't done jogging in a very long time for any amount of time sad to admit, and maybe the muscles and joints have forgotten what it takes to do it. Interesting that I am not sore today which must mean I did not overdo it so I'm going to try it again. Anyway, with a fill that will restrict me more on eating and continuing to try to move this body, I am hoping for progresss -- make that WORKING for progress!

I've heard alot of patients that have been challenged on whether they know why they are choosing lapband and being asked to consider GB instead but if you stand up for what you want, they are pretty good at then working toward that decision. On the skin issue, for some of us, we have alot to lose and have been overweight so much of our lives that it is true that no matter how slowly I lose, I will have excess skin and I've just accepted that I will be considering plastic surgery for a tummy tuck when I get to goal or close to it as my reward for making such a big positive change in my life losing the weight. If you have less weight to lose, and have been overweight for less time than some of us, you are right that if you are young, your skin has more elasticity and you may not have the same degree of problem as others.

The AP-Small or APS is 10 cc's and the AP-L or large is 14 cc's and that is what I have.

Why we want Fenton back: 1. We need some testosterone to help offset all the estrogen from us lady bandsters! 2. We want to hear about life in the big city --NYC! 3. We want to be able to celebrate with him when he changes his ticker to say -100 lbs lost! 4. We want to know how his new book writing is coming along. 5. We want to hear about Paris so we can live vicariously through his adventures and gourmet meals. 6. We want to hear all about your first fill!! 7. We want to hear about his cat and his blender...of course never in the same sentence...Fenton would never do that! 8. The suspence of not knowing if he's back on the wagon or not is killing us. 9. He has the personality of a cyber teddybear that gently tells us what we NEED to hear....with a sense of humor to boot! Combining to keep us rolling....

Hi friends. Just a reminder that tonight is the Mt. Carmel Bariatric Support group meeting in the Medical Staff bldg. Hope to see some of you there. I have on an orange top and brown slacks so if you spot me, come on over. I got my 4th fill of 1cc this a.m. taking me now to 9.5 cc's in my 14 cc band. Liquids for the next 2 days. I am anxious to see how this helps. Dr. Miller was pleased with my progress and I see him again in 6 more weeks.

Patty - how's it going post op on those liquids? You'll be glad to get to the mushies stage so have something to chew a little bit! I'm off to see Dr. Miller and hopefully get my next fill at my 8:45 appt.

Truly Inspirational!

We've all been concerned about Heather and her daughter and I wanted to let you all know that I'll definitely keep us going this coming Saturday with our get together so I hope to see as many as can make it.

I commend you for passing on the homemade ice cream... that is excellent. I had 1 small bowl on Labor Day after having 2 large bowls on 4th of July when we had family gatherings so now its time to go to Zero bowls! Congrats and thanks for setting a good example. On losing 55 lbs and still seeming like its not enough, how much I can relate. I've been stuck at this number for a few weeks now and I have my next surgeon appt on Monday at 8:45 am and I was worried he will think I am not trying enough but I really am. I feel like I made it through a really emotional month where I lost track of writing down what I ate those two weeks around the funeral and just maintaining was a victory. So yes, I know I have lost 55 lbs, and feel confident I can lose another 55 lbs and then another until I get there but I'm going to have to hang in for the long haul.

Okay Shamrocks... let's send some positive encouragement out to our bandster brother Fenton and add to this list by copying it and adding your wishes and hopefully when he gets online, he'll see he is missed and we're all hoping he is doing well in Paris or wherever he is. Why we want Fenton back: 1. We need some testosterone to help offset all the estrogen from us lady bandsters! 2. We want to hear about life in the big city --NYC! 3. We want to be able to Celebrate with him when he changes his ticker to say -100 lbs lost! 4. We want to know how his new book writing is coming along. 5. We want to hear about Paris so we can live vicariously through his adventures and gourmet meals.

Desdemona - I have the AP-Large or 14 cc band. Here is my fill record. I'd have to go back and look at a weight chart to tell you how each fill helped me on weight loss but this last fill really didn't last me as long as I thought it would for being 2.5cc's. I'll chime in Monday after I have my appt and see if he gives me a 4th fill and what level that takes me to. My personal goal is to get to 60 lbs lost at my 6 month bandiversary which is Sept 17 so at 55 lbs now, I'm close to that. With so much to lose still, I thought I'd lose faster but I'm still pleased and feel great. Banded 3/17/08 1st Fill April 29, 2008 4.5 cc's in AP-L band 2nd Fill June 10, 2008 1.5 cc's 3rd Fill July 22, 2008 2.5cc's = Total 8.5 cc's

One Day At A Time... One hour at a time... One minute at a time... You will make it!