bandpal

Name........Start......Current......Goal......To Go CindyG...........190.............90.............175 ...............15 Momto1plus1...178...........164.............159..................5 Shortgal.........176...........175.............168..................7 Shalee04........178...........178.............168.................10 Skinny_Jill.......145...........145.............140..................5 Bandpal..........161...........155.21 ........150.............. 5.21

Name.....Lbs Lost...% of orig. wgt lost.....BMI Abbisgood.........53.............23%.............?? Aubrie............65.............%..............31 BandChick64.......104............34.67%..........31.6 Bandpal...........130.79.........45.7%...........25.4 BarbBee...........122............40%.............30.4 Cherlita..........60.............20%.............55 Cindyg............62.............24.5%...........34.5 Close.............50.............20%.............33.1 Firebolt..........67.............27%.............30.2 Foofy.............50.5...........18.5%...........35.5 gabeekeeper.......101............30% ............40.2 Hajohnson1........49.8...........18.2%...........39.8 Hollyberries......113............31%.............36.2 HoppingToIt.....69.............19.7%...........49.1 Huskerette........54.............22%.............30.5 kandiceb..........63.............26%.............27.6 linda.............52.............23%.............29.9 lindseyann2u......100............N/A.............N/A Maincat...........141............46.5%...........22 Mariegabrieleee...86.............40%.............36.9 Melanie1972.......80.............30%.............29.7 MollyBrown........36.............12.5%...........36.5 Momto1plus1.......105............39%.............25.7 NYGirl1...........102............33%.............32.6 plump_princess....57.............22%.............36 QatarPhil.........55.............19%.............32.2 Rachel............63.............%..............28.3 Robin_Bird........132.2.........43.3%...........26.3 Sades.............44.8...........19.5%...........33.7 scarecrow.........125............40%.............27.3 Shalee04..........70.............28%.............29.2 Shortgal..........44.5...........20.5%...........32.9 Skinny_Jill.......71.............32.4%...........28.5 Staysee...........70.............20%.............48.4 Stephanie.........64.............27%.............26.5 strangeratx.......63.............27%...........29.6 Teresajo..........93.............36%.............27.3 Tmusicmaker123....73.............19%.............48.7 TxArcher..........103............25.75%..........39.2 tyman311..........61.............31%.............28 want2lose.........91.8...........32%.............31 Just as I expected, I lost another few pounds. Now I'm about 5 lbs away from my goal of 150, which would add up to a weight loss of 136 lbs since having been banded in November 2007. Today I went to the beach with my wife and picked up a new bathing suit, a nifty little Speedo, size small. Wow, was that strange... That's the first size small anything I think I've ever bought for myself (besides athletic supporters, that is - actually, that's the only part of me which seems to have grown, but that's a story for another day). Now it's time to gear up for the final push - I'll keep you guys posted. Good luck, everyone!

Good Luck, Wildcat! Wishing you success and many moments of gratification along the way. You can do it! - Bandpal

Welcome! You can do it, First Hope. You'll be gaining a tool which will help you "stick it out" by giving you borders, by letting you know when enough is enough. Here's hoping you doctor is supportive and you move through the approal process as quickly as possible. Good luck! - Bandpal

Hi Wendy, Welcome to the site and congratulations on your upcoming surgery. I was banded in November 2007 and am nine pounds short of my goal of 150 lbs, which would mean a 136 pound loss since then. The band has been an amazing intervention for me. It is not a magic wand, but a tool which you can use in order to change your behavior around food and your relationship towards eating. I guess the most relevent advice I have for you is to follow your doctor's instructions for the post op period to the letter, and to share here often. It's great that you have a supportive husband even though he is not "one of us". If he can't understand why this is so important to you, try this: climb up on his back and scream in his ear "FOOD! FOOOOD! I WANT FOOD! FEED ME! FEED ME NOW! FOOD!". Then climb down off his back and tell him that this is what your life is like now and you don't want to go on this way. Let me know if this works. All the best, keep reading and sharing here - this site has been an essential part of my progress. -Bandpal

It's great to "see" you here again, Firebolt! I'm really happy for your success - wishing you all the best, -Bandpal

Name........Start......Current......Goal......To Go CindyG...........190.............90.............175 ...............15 Momto1plus1...178...........164.............159..................5 Shortgal.........176...........175.............168..................7 Shalee04........178...........178.............168.................10 Skinny_Jill.......145...........145.............140..................5 Bandpal..........161...........159.............150................. 9 Congratulations, Wendy - I'm really happy for you! I'll weigh my self early next week and expect good results. I'm wearing size 31 jeans and medium or small shirts, so that's a good sign. For the last few days I've been eating a quarter cup of food at two or three hour intervals from 11:00 a.m. on (I'm too tight before then), and drinking half a cup of liquid every hour. And you know what? - no pb's. I fill up quickly and go about my business. Until recently I went through a period of pb-ing alot, and no doubt about it - I was eating too much. The biggest adjustment on this journey for me has been changing a lifetime's worth of habits regarding the quantity of food I think I need and the speed with which I eat it. I guess I just have to accept that it's going to take a long time, that there'll be periods when I'll have to deal with feeling deprived, entitled to more food than I am capable of eating. All in all, I have to remember that I'm only a year and three months out, and that adjustments like this take time. A friend made an interesting, if somewhat indelicate comparison yesterday: " A guy who has a sex change operation doesn't become a woman just because he cut his dick off and grows tits; he becomes a woman when he believes deep down that he's a woman, when he thinks, feels and reacts like a woman. Otherwise, he's just a guy with tits and no dick". Well, it's no fun being a guy with tits and no dick, and I don't want to end up being a thin guy with a fat head (for one thing, I won't be a thin guy for long with that mentality). It's just going to take time to accept this amazing new condition I find myself in, to really become the thin person which I already am on the outside. I can't believe how little it takes to fill me up. I can't believe how small I am, how small my bones are... my body is still catching up with the change. For one thing, I've been cold all the time! Along with the physical change, I see my character changing as well. I am calmer, quieter, less boisterous, less needing to fit the "job description" of a "big guy". This is good, because under these circumstances I am less likely to feel the need to overeat. For me, felings of anger or vulnerability lead me straight to food. Lately I've been feeling less out there, less exposed, more self contained and regulated. That's part of the internal change that is going to make this "sex change operation" a real success. Wishing you all continued good luck along the way, -Bandpal

Hi Everyone, I've been under a cloud ever since the news of Kendra's death. I wish more people would share about it. Just about nine more pounds to go for me. It hasn't been easy - lots of pb's, lots of longing for food, emotional raw spots crying out for balm but no eating over it, this time. What am I complaining about, this is exactly what I wanted, and there are advantages to dealing with these problems at 159 lbs. rather than 286, that's for sure. I'm afraid to go for an unfill (even if I do, the closest appointment is 3 months away), what happens if I start to eat more or if the band doesn't fill again when I want it to? Thanks for listening to me - I can't believe that I'm sitting here complaining after having lost nearly 130 pounds. Wishing you all success and strength and something to spit into always nearby, - Bandpal Name.....Lbs Lost...% of orig. wgt lost.....BMI Abbisgood.........53.............23%.............?? Aubrie............65.............%..............31 BandChick64.......104............34.67%..........31.6 Bandpal...........126.72..........44.3%...........26.1 BarbBee...........122............40%.............30.4 Cherlita..........60.............20%.............55 Cindyg............62.............24.5%...........34.5 Close.............50.............20%.............33.1 Firebolt..........45.............19%.............33.5 Foofy.............50.5...........18.5%...........35.5 gabeekeeper.......101............30% ............40.2 Hajohnson1........49.8...........18.2%...........39.8 Hollyberries......113............31%.............36.2 HoppingToIt.....69.............19.7%...........49.1 Huskerette........54.............22%.............30.5 kandiceb..........63.............26%.............27.6 linda.............52.............23%.............29.9 lindseyann2u......82.............N/A.............N/A Maincat...........141............46.5%...........22 Mariegabrieleee...86.............40%.............36.9 Melanie1972.......80.............30%.............29.7 MollyBrown........36.............12.5%...........36.5 Momto1plus1.......99.............36.8%...........26.6 NYGirl1...........102............33%.............32.6 plump_princess....57.............22%.............36 QatarPhil.........55.............19%.............32.2 Rachel............63.............%..............28.3 Robin_Bird........116............38%.............28.7 Sades.............44.8...........19.5%...........33.7 scarecrow.........125............40%.............27.3 Shalee04..........70.............28%.............29.2 Shortgal..........44.5...........20.5%...........32.9 Skinny_Jill.......71.............32.4%...........28.5 Staysee...........70.............20%.............48.4 Stephanie.........64.............27%.............26.5 strangeratx.......60.............26%...........30.1 Teresajo..........93.............36%.............27.3 Tmusicmaker123....73.............19%.............48.7 TxArcher..........103............25.75%..........39.2 tyman311..........61.............31%.............28 want2lose.........91.8...........32%.............31

Thank you Mindy, I echo Cindy's sentiments. I know that this is not the way Kendra would think, but how small and futile all of our cyberwishes seem now. Less than a year! Less than a year since the first signs of trouble appeared. How arbitrary life is, how mysterious and how often cruel. How can I take that frank, friendly, upbeat voice I was lucky enough to hear over the phone a few times and make it part of my own, make it live through me? That's the question I sit here asking myself. Right now I just feel sad, sad and overwhelmed.

Hi Everyone, A belated Happy New Year to all, there hasn't been much to celebrate around here what with the war and all, but I wanted to report in. I've been holding steady at 161 or so ever since returning from the States a month ago - something of an accomplishment because it hasn't been the best month with food. Portion control, eating at night, eating too quickly: all these things continue to be problems for me. Plus, I basically work in a glorified kiosk - the reception center of our educational tourism center, where we sell ice cream, including milkshakes, (and guess who is always asked to prepare them because he makes the best ones?), and home baked cheesecake, apple pie, and chocolate chip cookies. Ironic, huh. I pull a night shift at least once a week, so from 4:00 to 11:00, it's me and every child's sweetest dream come back to haunt me. Lots of spitting, lots of pb's, I'll spare everyone the details. An empty bottle on car and bus trips is now a must for me, as is not eating or drinking before any sort of public engagement. I need to think more about proper nutrition. I know I'm not getting enough fruit or vegetables because I hardly ever eat them anymore - they don't stay down. Time to chart my food on Fitday for a week and pay more attention to what people around here are eating. I concluded eight years of therapy this month. I never would've gotten to the point where I was ready to consider this operation had it not been for my therapist. I know that the way I wrapped things up with her was very gratifying for her - and for me, too. My parents are here from the States for two months, living out the worst of the New York winter here in the desert. It's sad to see my dad the way he is, but my Mom feels up to the task of caring for him. My kids are delighted to see them, and many people here know them - this is their eight trip in as many years. In general, I'm just trying to take things as they come and appreciate life for what it's worth. Trying not to let the past and future contaminate the present, enjoying the sense of calm which I find comes with that. Hey - whatever problems I'm having with food, it's alot nicer to have them at this weight than at, oh, say, 286. It's hard to get that depressed when you are this good looking. Talk to you soon,

Name........Start......Current......Goal......To Go CindyG......................190....................190.............175 ................15 Momto1plus1..............178...................176.............159.... ...........17 Shortgal......................176...................175..............1 68...............7 Shalee04...............178...............178..........168...........10 Skinny_Jill..............145...............145..........140......... .5 Bandpal.................161...............150..........161.......... 11 You're late, Skinny Jill?! That's not late... this is late. But I'm in, guys - and going for goal weight this time. Big party when I make it, and you're all invited.

Hi Everyone, So I've been waiting for the chance to say hello while on a two week family trip to America. I'm here with my four year old son for my nephew's Bar Mitzva, which is this coming weekend. Meanwhile, we've been making the rounds of neighborhood playgrounds, family and friends, while based out of my parents' home in the Bronx. This has been in many ways a gratifying visit for me. I'm 120 pounds lighter than I was at my highest weight, and 60 pounds lighter than I was during my last trip to America back in April. Everyone has been very complimentary, which has been very nice. Compliments used to be a problem for me: I used to obsess on what so-and so said or didn't say and when and how it was said or wasn't said. All of that isn't important to me now. I'm not why, but I am sure am glad about it -it frees up a lot of brain cells and emotional space, both of which I have better uses for. My dad is suffering from advanced Parkinson's Disease. At nearly 30 years since he was diagnosed, he is wheelchair bound, delusional, unable to feed himself or attend to his own hygiene. My Mom is caring for him at home in the same apartment we grew up in, which is not adapted for handicapped use. She has daily aides coming in for about 5-6 hours a day. It is a very trying situation. For me, at day's end, the urge to eat is often overwhelming. Trying to help out, attending to my lovely little boy's needs and keeping to my own schedule leaves me exhausted and feeling like I need/deserve compensation. Remember - this is my childhood home, where my overeating was born, too. I've really been doing okay with all this, though. food talks to me much less than ever before, and when I do overeat (not easy to do, thankfully, with my degree of restriction) I don't beat myself up for it. It's amazing how food-centered life in America is - restaurants and fast food joints, signs, commercials, smells - and then the barrage of noise about obesity and dieting: newspaper articles, specials on the news; one store that I was in had a full aisle of books devoted equally to cookbooks and diet guides/calorie counters! What a schizophrenic society! When I have gone out to restaurants, appetizers and Soups satisfy me completely - haven't had an entree yet. I made one takeout pint of Moo Shoo Beef last for three meals. I'm basically eating like I have for the last couple of months - coffee, hot and cold beverages till lunch -small meal- and then another small meal at dinnertime. Gotta go - the boy needs some lovin'. Take care, all of you -

Name..-----.Start----------Current..----Goal.....--...To Go CindyG..............191...................191.............178......... .......13 Sades................186...................185....... .....175................11 Stephanie.........175..................169.5..........155............. ..14.5 shortgal.............173.6...............172..............168......... .......4 Bandpal...........172.26..............161.7........ 150................ 11.7 Momto1plus1...187....................185............174............... .11 lindata...............174....................171.5............169..... .. ..........2.5 Skinny_Jill........151.....................150...........143.......... ........7 mrskrzyz...........172.....................172...........162.......... .......10 kalipso2...........172.....................172...........165.......... ..........7 scarecrow.........190.....................190............180.......... .......10 Foofy.................226....................223............212....... ..........11 Hollyberries......245.....................245............240.......... ........5 doesn't look like I'm going to make goal this challenge, but I'll take a 12 pound loss during the holiday season with no complaints, thank you. And remember - it ain't over yet!

Name.....Lbs Lost...% of orig. wgt lost.....BMI Abbisgood.........53.............23%.............?? Aubrie............65.............%..............31 BandChick64.......104............34.67%..........31.6 Bandpal...........124.3..........43.4%...........26.5 BarbBee...........109.............36%.............33.1 Cherlita..........60.............20%.............55 Cindyg............62.............24.5%...........34.5 Close.............50.............20%.............33.1 Firebolt..........45.............19%.............33.5 Foofy.............50.5...........18.5%...........35.5 gabeekeeper.......101............30% ............40.2 Hajohnson1........49.8...........18.2%...........39.8 Hollyberries......113............31%.............36.2 HoppingTo It.....69.............19.7%...........49.1 Huskerette........54.............22%.............30.5 kandiceb..........63.............26%.............27.6 linda.............52.............23%.............29.9 lindseyann2u......82.............N/A.............N/A Maincat...........141............46.5%...........22 Mariegabrieleee...86.............40%.............36.9 MollyBrown........36.............12.5%...........36.5 Momto1plus1.......84.2...........31.2%...........29 NYGirl1...........102............33%.............32.6 plump_princess....57.............22%.............36 QatarPhil.........55.............19%.............32.2 Rachel............63.............%..............28.3 Robin_Bird........116............38%.............28.7 Sades.............44.8...........19.5%...........33.7 scarecrow.........125............40%.............27.3 Shalee04..........70.............28%.............29.2 Shortgal..........44.5...........20.5%...........32.9 Skinny_Jill.......71.............32.4%...........28.5 Staysee...........70.............20%.............48.4 Stephanie.........64.............27%.............26.5 strangeratx.......58.............25.2%...........30.5 Teresajo..........93.............36%.............27.3 Tmusicmaker123....73.............19%.............48.7 TxArcher..........103............25.75%..........39.2 tyman311..........61.............31%.............28 want2lose.........91.8...........32%.............31 TOTAL..............3,078.42 (Lets Keep this TOTAL on the list) It's very satisfying to have lost weight while on my trip to America. It wasn't easy, or flawless, but with the band, there are more good days than bad ones. 11 more pounds to go on this journey... let today be the first step!

Congratulations, Shalee! Your happiness in your change makes me happy.

Name.....Lbs Lost...% of orig. wgt lost.....BMI Abbisgood.........53.............23%.............?? Aubrie............65.............%..............31 BandChick64.......104............34.67%..........31.6 Bandpal...........120............41.9%...........27.2 BarbBee...........109.............36%.............33.1 Cherlita..........60.............20%.............55 Cindyg............62.............24.5%...........34.5 Close.............50.............20%.............33.1 Firebolt..........45.............19%.............33.5 Foofy.............50.5...........18.5%...........35.5 gabeekeeper.......101............30% ............40.2 Hajohnson1........49.8...........18.2%...........39.8 Hollyberries......113............31%.............36.2 HoppingTo It.....69.............19.7%...........49.1 Huskerette........54.............22%.............30.5 kandiceb..........63.............26%.............27.6 linda.............52.............23%.............29.9 lindseyann2u......82.............N/A.............N/A Maincat...........141............46.5%...........22 Mariegabrieleee...73.............24%.............39.1 MollyBrown........36.............12.5%...........36.5 Momto1plus1.......84.2...........31.2%...........29 NYGirl1...........102............33%.............32.6 plump_princess....57.............22%.............36 QatarPhil.........55.............19%.............32.2 Rachel............63.............%..............28.3 Robin_Bird........125............41%.............27.4 Sades.............44.8...........19.5%...........33.7 scarecrow.........125............40%.............27.3 Shalee04..........70.............28%.............29.2 Shortgal..........44.5...........20.5%...........32.9 Skinny_Jill.......71.............32.4%...........28.5 Staysee...........70.............20%.............48.4 Stephanie.........64.............27%.............26.5 strangeratx.......58.............25.2%...........30.5 Teresajo..........93.............36%.............27.3 Tmusicmaker123....73.............19%.............48.7 TxArcher..........103............25.75%..........39.2 tyman311..........61.............31%.............28 want2lose.........91.8...........32%.............31 TOTAL..............3001.42.42 (Lets Keep this TOTAL on the list)

Hi, November Friends- Tonight is my last night in America. I'm at my inlaws' in Huntington on Long Island. My four year old will get another look at snow tomorrow morning, just like he did on the night we arrived. In between, it's been two weeks of sun and rain, friends and family, joy and sadness... and tomorrow I leave it all behind, (along with four more pounds!) Thank you all for your replies to my earlier post. I am grateful for your support and friendship. Longhorn, stress and suffering aside, there were many good moments - thanks! Cindyg, my parents are in Riverdale. I can't think about Arthur Avenue without puddles of drool collecting at the keyboard, which is bad form when you are a guest in someone else's home so enough about that (I am Jewish on both sides but was Italian in a previous life). My mom is amazing, and what she is doing is an act of love, but it is not without its irrational aspects. Hopefully they'll be able to make it over to me in Israel in February for their annual visit. Good luck with your paper, and more power to you for going back to school. What are you studying? Shortgal, I suppose fear of my own mortality and decrepitude are indeed part of the mix. Hopefully, in between socialized medicine and the supportive nature of the the community I live in, I will find much more dignity and assistance available to me than my parents have encountered. Lindata, you're right - I also eat out alot less. In fact, it's amazing how much of my existence I've had to redefine because food is no longer the center of my life, no longer the "thing I do" to verify that I am alive and experiencing life. I see this especially when I am travelling. How can you be in America and not have a pizza, a calzone, a pint of Haagen Dazs or an egg roll? The band has made me stop living life through my mouth, and this has been difficult, traumatic, even, but it is a path which I have committed my self to and on which there is no way back. One more thing about food and culture - Longhorn, you're right: Israelis know how to pile on the food too, and nagging runs a close second to soccer as our national sport. I think the pervasiveness and sophistication of marketing is still more pronounced in America, but we are probably headed in the same direction, along with the rest of the West. And yes, Lindata - from what I've read, prevalence of obesity in Israel doesn't lag far behind America. Wishing you all the best, you guys are great! Talk to you again from home -

Name..-----.Start----------Current..----Goal.....--...To Go CindyG..............191...................191.............178......... .......13 Sades................186...................185....... .....175................11 Stephanie.........175..................169.5..........155............. ..14.5 shortgal.............173.6...............172..............168......... .......4 Bandpal...........172.26..............166........150................ 16 Momto1plus1...187....................185............174............... .11 lindata...............174....................171.5............169..... .. ..........2.5 Skinny_Jill........151.....................150...........143.......... ........7 mrskrzyz...........172.....................172...........162.......... .......10 kalipso2...........172.....................172...........165.......... ..........7 scarecrow.........190.....................190............180.......... .......10 Foofy.................226....................223............212....... ..........11 Hollyberries......245.....................245............240.......... ........5 Hey, my weight got bounced back up up to 170 - at this point, I want credit for every ounce!

Sounds like you are handling it well... thank God, sounds like it could've been a lot worse.

4 more pounds lost, nice to see the scale moving again- and what's more, in America, land of the four major food groups: pizza, Chinese, Italian and my family's cooking (of these four, I have only had very small portions of 2,3 and 4. My pizza days are over).

Yay, Cindy, you look fantastic! Congratulations! Your son is very handsome, but you don't have to hide behind him anymore... it's hard to get used to doing that, isn't it? I have developed so many little tricks for the camera over the years, like stretching my neck and holding my head at unnatural angles in order to hide the fact that I had more chins than a Chinese phone book, and all that accomplished was to make it look like I needed an urgent appointment with a chiropractor. I still reflexively hold my stomach in and avoid being photographed from the side. What a lifetime of shame... I'm just glad for the opportunity to live a different way. So happy for you...

Hi Kendra, It is so great to hear from you, I am so embarrassed by my lack of contact, please accept my apology. Great that you have been able to continue teaching, it's amazing how work, which can drive you crazy under the best of circumstances, can be such a lifesaver when there is stress coming in from other areas. What a source of identity, pride, accomplishment and social life the old 9 to 5 can be, huh? Is you new treatment still at Andersen? When you get to Zion, remember that another meaning for that word (in Hebrew, of course, from whence it comes) is Israel and Jerusalem, and that people there sending a lots of good wishes your way. You are still on my synagogue's prayer list and will continue to be there until you get better. It's great that you are being assertive and pro-active about your treatment. I'm sure that you are a great advocate for yourself, and that your husband and family are not far behind. Thanks for the bandiversary wishes - and thanks for keeping in touch. Love, Bandpal

Man, Sades, you made my day with those pictures - Not only is it great to finally see you, it's so gratifying to see you looking so well, and happy. This is just great - I feel like all of you are really friends, with whom I have been through so much! Congratulations! P.S. Hi Everyone! I'm in the States for two weeks with my 4-year old son, making the rounds of family and friends - have lots to share, waiting for some decent computer time. Love, Bandpal

Hey Wendy - March 5th 1960, here. And you wanna know what? Every effing year I would tell myself: "this is the year I'll lose the weight, this is the year I'll be thin". And even then I knew it would never happen. And now... it has! Go figure - live long enough, and you'll see everything! All the best,

My name is churchmouse Hi Churchmouse, Bandpal here... and I was just banded last Friday, the 21st of November 2008. Me too - November 21, 2007 I'm 53 years old and wish I had done this years ago. I felt the same way (I was 47 when I was banded) - but I wouldn't have been ready. It took me years to accept that this is what I needed to do, and all my actions or inactions have finally gotten me here. Just be glad you made it! My highest recorded weight at the Dr.'s office was 253. I weighed in at 204 the day of surgery. 286 at surgery - see what's happened to me since then along with my signature below. I'm looking so forward to a new lifestyle and a whole new life. Tell you what, that is a realistic hope! This is the best thing I've ever done for myself. Ditto. The only pain or problem I've had so far is the sharp upper chest pains associated with gas. I'm talking "take your breath away" pain. Can't wait for that to go away. I had the same thing - it will. Anyway, just wanted to introduce myself. Nice to meet you, welcome - this is a great site. Wish me luck, I do!