banded_for_life

Ok, time to add my two cents: For me personally, my band became my instant willpower. I feel like like Superband, able to ignore tall mounds of food in one glance...or something like that...lol. It was able to let me start making better choices for myself...it also forced me to do that in a way. I have my kids and my husband depending on me to make better choices for myself and them. Do we still go out to Mcdonalds..yes for the kids we do about once a month now (there is a chemical ingredient in the fries for addiction I swear there is.) But we used to go up to 4 times a month sometimes maybe more. I have done very well with my band I think. I eat healthier than I ever have in my life...I have also learned about fiber more than I ever wanted too...but that is the beauty of the band...you now have to think about these things. Do I eat bad every once in a while...heck yeah! But the very next meal I am eating the bander way...the right way. I also have some piece of chocolate everyday...a life without chocolate is no life....TO ME!!! I am struggleing right now with not having to clean up my plate. Take for instance last night...I ate the right foods all day long yesterday and last night I made fajitas. I bought a preroasted chicken and stripped the meat. I had a 1/2 c on a small lowcarb, whole wheat tortilla. It wasn't what I ate that made me angry at myself, is was that I wouldn't listen to my band say..hey I am full stop eating you dummy. I was like compelled to eat the whole thing, when I should have stopped at 3/4s of the way. Then I had to spend 30 mins in extreme discomfort until it had worked on down. That is the learning that I have to work on...listening to my body and responding to the signals accordingly. We are together in this journey, but it is still a personal struggle for us all. We all have our demons to deal with and it is always nice to come here and know that we have the support to deal with that demon no matter what it is. Signed SuperBand! :-)

Best wishes Sunsett!

Welcome to Bandland Ms. Benie!!!!!! Take it easy and get to feeling better!!!

Kathy...my thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. **huugs*

Best wishes Bene!!!! You will be in bandland in no time and I can think of no one else who is fought for it as long and as hard as you have.

OMGosh!!! Jenna you are beautiful in that picture...I could only dream of looking that good in a two piece. You are one beautiful lady and you are getting very close that weight in the picture. Keep up the great work!

1/03: 211 Exercised between 45 and 60 mins everyday this past week. 1/09: 209 -2 Went from Morbidly Obese to just Obese!!!! 1/16: 207 -2 Road my bike for the first time for 6 miles! 1/23: 207 0 I noticed yesterday when changing my son's bedding that I wasn't huffin and puffin my guts out. It was like no effort at all to manhandle his mattress. 1/30: 205 -2 I had a clothing swap on Sat. and I didn't try anything on, I just collected what I wanted. I finally tried everything on last night and I got into most of the 18s that I took and even a few 16s!!! 2/06: 203 -2 Huge NSV this week!! I took the kids to the park and I actually played with the kids. Chased them over the verticle monkey bars. I felt so much lighter! It felt great!!!!

Congratulations!!!! I can't wait to get there myself!!!

You go girlie!!! How is the Gazelle working out for you? I am some movement in the scales after my 4th fill and stepping up my exercise.

Thanks Vines, for your invaluable words of wisdom. I will have to just look around for some picts. I was noticing that I don't have a whole lot of pictures...I just hated being the biggest person in the picture.

Congrats Shawn!!!! I am halfway to my goal as well!

Dr. B. was my doctor. He was great. The only thing is, you won't see him alot after the surgery. You see him two weeks after the surgery for follow up and from there the SCOR takes over for fills and such. If you have questions about anything you can call his staff or Lapband solutions for any questions.

Best wishes Mary and I know you will get through this. You are a strong woman who have 4 children who love you very much! Huggs!

What if you don't have any pictures of yourself as a thin person? My mom says that I started gaining weight when I was 9 which would put me in 4th grade. The pictures that I take today, I see no difference then when I started this weight loss journey...ast least in my head. Even when I graduated from HS I was at 200 pounds.

Congratulations Rene!!!!! I am so happy for you. The SCOR's staff is great!!! I didn't have one bad moment there.

Ya'll I heard a rumor that there is going to be a clothing swap sometime at the first of January....I am trying to confirm this info. I heard that you could find the info off of DFWBansters...I am not on that yahoo list...can anybody else confirm this? I would really love to get somebody all my clothes and start finding some smaller clothes for myself.

I as a rule do not eat past 6:30 or 7 and am successful at it most of the time. I try to clean the kitchen right after we finish so I won't be tempted to eat anymore.

Veritas, you are struggleing with the issues that we are all facing as well on a daily basis. Even afer losing 66 pounds, I still fight head hunger....everyday. Most of the time it is at night, when my defenses are the weakest. I was so mad at myself on Sunday, because I was mad at my mom. How did I handle it? I ate my way through it. I haven't learned anything. We are no longer suppossed to eat through our anger, we are suppossed to talk about it. I even took a long walk in order to walk off my frustration. It didn't help. I know what you are going through and with one babystep at a time we will get there. Amazingly, that night I spoke to my mom of why I was upset and I was able to get through the evening without any more food issues. Boredom is always my biggest issue...I let myself get bored and I end up foraging in the kitchen. So now I am starting to assign myself task to do at home that is away from the kitchen to try and combat the boredom. You can do this with the band.

I got a pedometer, but haven't figured out how to make it work yet.

I would through in some baked tortilla chips, the 7 layer dip can be made healthy and the veggies are ok. How about some baked breast bites? Just take some chicken breast bake them up like you normally would with spices and some chicken stock, after done pat them dry and brown them in a hot nonstick skillet and cut into small bite size chunks and stick them on tiny pieces of lettuce and drizzle with some fat free sourcream mixed with ranch dressing powder and voila!!! Instant bander's snack.

Jill, that is what it sounds like to me...even if it is getting in an extra yogurt or protien drink.

I got my 4th fill as well and it does feel different this time. I really do have to actually sip my water. I have 6.4 ccs in a 10cc band. Here is hoping that I have hit my sweet spot.

Thanks Jay! I did get my 4th feel on Tuesday and man I already fill quite a difference. I can already tell that I am tight...remarkable what 1 cc can do. I am now up to 6.4ccs...so we will see. I for sure have to take smaller sips now...we will see how the food goes down once I am off the 3 days of liquids.

Keep up the great work!

Fellow Texas Bansters, I am thinking about hosting a clothing swap event in my home sometime late January, but am only willing to do it, if there is enough interest. I only have one for sure right now. Let me know if you are interested and what sizes you are wanting to get rid of or find. I live in the far Southwestern part of Mesquite. I am wanting to give up some 28s, 26s, 24s, and a few 22s. I am looking for some 18s. Looking forward to hearing from ya'll.