Rockin' Robyn

Wow Paul! Your weight loss is just awesome! Welcome to the 100 Pound Club!

YEAHHHHHH HOLLI!!!!!!! :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: (Banded in KS)...Can you hear me cheering from Missouri??? I am especially proud of you girl! I've been thinking of you all week. I knew you would do it!!!! See ya Thursday!

Lisa- You look so amazingly happy in all these pics (and great choice by the way on the dress--you look awesome!). Congrats on your success at the convention! Wanna see close up pics of your prize! Robyn

Big Congratulations on the weight loss Burnsun!!!:clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: I added you to the list. Welcome to the club!

Wheetsin- Thanks so much for starting this thread :scared: I am 5'6", starting weight at pre-op was 386. That made my BMI 62!!!!:faint: I am now at 269, which makes my current BMI 43. My goal is to be 236 by my one year bandiversary, which would make my one year weight loss total 150. I'm hopeful....but I think the loss is definitely starting to slow-so I'm beginning to believe what they say about the majority of the weight being lost in the first 6 months after banding. We'll see.......My ultimate goal, to be 199. I truly don't remember being anything starting with the words "one hundred" since the school nurse weighed me in 6th grade and told me I was too fat. :confused: With all of that said, I feel the best I have in a very long time. I can wear jeans, I can feel a few bones that I never knew I had, I can chase my 3 year old literally running up the stairs, etc etc etc. Funny though saying I would be happy to maintain my loss and stay at 269....but I guess others wouldn't understand that unless they had been almost 400 pounds before. Hmmmm.... just talking out loud:rolleyes:

Wow guys! Thanks for all the PM's. The list has grown to over 30 in the past 12 hours!! How inspiring:biggrin1: Keep 'em coming!

I'm so glad you posted this...I have felt exactly the same way. I still keep hanging onto the hope that people/friends that DON'T know I have had WLS will ask me 'have you lost a little weight?' That is still yet to happen, and I am down by 117. Now of course I have over 230 pounds to lose, so I guess it is to be somewhat expected. I have lost just 50% of my excess weight....so my husband pointed out to me, it would be like a 180 pound person wanting to get down to 150 pounds, and having only lost half (15) pounds, you wouldn't really notice. I don't know if I buy that or not, but it sounds good in theory. The only people to this day that ever mention me looking good or losing weight are the people that know I have had WLS....which I don't want to discount-their compliments still feel good. But for some reason in my silly little mind, it would mean so much more if someone who didn't know my little secret would notice the changes in me;)

Happy Bandiversary Vines! What an incredible list of NSV's. You truly are an inspiration to us all! Robyn

Great job Wheetsin! Keep up the great work!!!

There are so many variables that weigh in on this issue.....but the answer is YES it is 'possible'.....and possibilities give people hope. I had NO hope before my band. I was approaching 400 pounds, and I was never one of those overweight people that had lost 100 pounds 3-4 times in my life and gained it back. I tried everything, and nothing ever seemed to work. The most I had ever lost after trying 100's of diets since I was 10 years old, was 40 pounds, ONCE! The band has been my answer to prayer. I never in my life thought I would EVER lose 100 pounds, not even this time around. I didn't believe in myself. I still don't believe it has actually happened. But 8 months after banding, I have lost 115 pounds. Many people IM me and ask what I am doing.....I don't think anything special, but I am VERY strict on myself and do what my physician has told me to do. I also am of the mindset that I may not have my band in another year (since I had a port infection which makes me more susceptible to a future erosion). So I make the most of every moment. And most importantly, (I may get hammered for this:rolleyes: )....Banded in KS and I were banded by the same surgeon. He is awesome in that he does fills very assertively. Sometimes he filled me every 2-3 weeks to get me to my sweet spot asap. It took me 7 fills to get there. Had I had a surgeon that made me wait 6 weeks between fills, that means it would have taken me a whopping 42 weeks (or 10.5 months) to get to my sweet spot. Being as they say the majority of the weight is lost in the first 6 months....waiting so long between fills for people who are feeing absolutely no restriction just doesn't make sense to me. The only time this makes sense is waiting for the first fill so the area can heal. The band hasn't been around very long, and I know the research is starting to turn in a different direction on this topic....so hopefully as the research data gets out to the surgeons, this 6 week rule will turn around. Anyway...that's just my 2 cents...But I TRULY believe in my case anyway that the timing of the fills have been absolutely key. Just make sure you ask your surgeon his philosophy on fills, and how long he will make you wait in between.

1. Eat only three small meals a day-YES 2. Eat slowly and chew thoroughly-YES 3. Stop eating as soon as you feel full-90% OF THE TIME 4. Do not drink while you are eating-YES (HURTS TOO MUCH) 5. Do not eat between meals-USUALLY NOT 6. Eat only good quality foods-NO, NOT ALL THE TIME 7. Avoid fibrous foods-NO 8. Drink enough fluids during the day-YES 9. Drink only low-calorie liquids-YES 10.Exercise at least 30 mintues a day-NO :faint: :faint: :faint: :faint: :faint: So would only doing 6/10 give me a D- ??????:omg:

Funny- I was thinking about starting a similiar post....I was just telling someone the other day that I actually HATE food. I used to love it....loved the way it smelled, loved the way it tasted, loved the full feeling it gave me, loved the way it made me feel in general. I can honestly say now that I HATE IT!! It doesn't smell good anymore, doesn't taste like anything anymore, and definitely does not make me feel good. After a 5-6 bites, I hate the full, sometimes painful feeling I get now. Now don't get me wrong, my mind still says to me "Doesn't a filet mignon, or a slice of chocolate cake sound good right now." I can taste/eat most anything, but I just don't get hardly any satisfaction of any kind out of it anymore. I guess that's the whole point of the band. However, I have to say that even after nearly 8 months with the band, it is still psychologically very disappointing to NOT be comforted/fulfilled by my desperate cravings. I'm not sure that the psychological elements and/or the thoughts of overeating will ever go away. But the physicial desire to continue eating more and more to keep my old 'high' going is definitely gone, and has been for a long time. I miss the feeling of euphoria I used to get by binging on my whimsical cravings, but I don't miss the way I used to feel 114 pounds ago:D

AWESOME JOB HEATHER!!!!:confused: Keep up the great work!:kiss2: Robyn

Wheetsin- I'm thinking of you honey......Just remember, you have the best surgeon in the area (in my opinion)...not to mention sweet and kind of cute (in my opinion). You are in excellent hands!!! Think of Wednesday as being the first day of the rest of your life which will be filled with health, feeling good, and lots of energy. A little pre-surgery jitters is healthy and normal...I had it too. Breathe with me now....Innnn 2, 3, 4, 5....... and Out 2, 3, 4, 5. Keep doing that over and over and you will do just fine. Sending happy thoughts and lots of weight loss your way! Robyn

I'm not the type to typically respond to negative posts (and I'm probably gonna get myself in trouble here...but I'm feeling feisty tonight). I feel very compelled to defend my profession here Dody- If you are questioning if Dr. Pleatman is really a doctor, then I am questioning if you are really a nurse. Come on now, any nurse that has been through any sort of reputable nursing program would know how to do a literature search, or at the very least an internet search and EASILY see the 100's of articles that come up on RNY reversal!!!!!!!!! I certainly hope you don't make such uneducated comments to your own patients before you investigate and find out the correct answers, since such a huge part of our job is patient EDUCATION...... Enough said.......By the way, could it be possible you are actually a certified 'nursing' assistant??????????

No regrets at all....and that's coming from someone who has had many more complications that the typical bandster 'should have'. If I ever had to have my band removed, I'd do it all over again if they would let me. Like someone else said, the band has forced me to take my bad eating habits head on....not just relying on the surgery to "fix everything". I have been one of the lucky ones that has lost weight, but I never look at the band as my easy fix, because it's not. You must enter this journey prepared mentally to make long-term changes in your eating habits. The band won't do that for you, only you can do that for you.....NO REGRETS!!!

I don't know if you are referring to acne when you said "rash", but I broke out horribly about 4-5 weeks after surgery all over my cheeks. This was weird for me, because I normally have clear skin and no problems. The surgeon said it was r/t the huge hormone shift due to the rapid weight loss. I also have the dry finger tips.....but I chalk it up to that I probably get a little dehydrated from time to time from only being able to drink an hour before/after meals, which is a pain sometimes to get enough fluids in.

Hi Guys- I live in the KC area and was banded about 7 months ago. Dr Stanley Hoehn in Shawnee Mission has a great program. He is with Kansas City Bariatrics. I am a nurse, and he is one of the most humble, gentle, sweet spirited surgeons I have ever met! He also has a very comprehensive program, which studies show lead to better success. By that I mean lots of pre-op education, support groups...plus I like that he is very assertive with his fills. Meaning he gives them regularly. I have read on this board that some people's docs make them wait months to get fills if they are losing even a little bit of weight. I attribute much of my success to his program. Sorry I didn't read this post earlier....I checked it out a while ago and there weren't many posts. Good to see so many Missourians out there!

Delarla- You said it sister!!!! I also have been wanting to comment on all of the comments here lately. Lisa....PULLLLEEEASSEE don't leave or visit here less often. You have been a huge inspiration to not only me, but I know to MANY others on this board. You're words and wisdom have gotten me through days before where I didn't know if I could go on another minute. We need you here!!! People....don't let a few annoying, bad apples come here and destroy a good thing. It may be easier said than done, since I don't know what type of PM's some people are getting, but please try to ignore the stupidity and ignorance. All I have to say is, for those that are new and preaching the "I'm holier than thou" sermon....it sure is a lot easier to be perfect for a month than for any longer period of time. That's not to wish any badness or cheating on anyone. Just a simple statement for those who don't "get it".

"386, 6.5 months, 10%, 30, 6, no, caucasion, lost 106"

Okay....I'm not a new bandster exactly (6 months out). But I truly thought by now that my head would have adjusted quicker than it has. By that I mean, I get so SCREAMING mad at myself when I go out to eat in particular. I know full well that I can (on my good days) at the MOST eat a cup of food. Yet what do I do????? I still order a full meal. Then I'm practically full on 5 bites of the Soup or salad that comes before my meal even gets there. When I'm ordering, my mind is saying "Oh, well you are extra hungry, so just go ahead and order like you used to." Now that being said, I do order healthy stuff (like today I ordered salmon and broccoli). But what's the point of spending $13 on something that you are going to eat 5 small bites of? Maybe it's that voice in the back of my head from my mom saying when I was little "There are people starving in .....now finish your plate!" I am so frustrated with this. Maybe it's silly, but I'm just tired of wasting not only the money on the food, but the eventual wasting of the huge portions themselves. I've tried ordering half portions, but most places don't do that....soup is full of empty calories....the kids meals are usually full of unhealthy fried choices or carbs...so what's left to do? I know consciously that I can't eat that much anymore....so why do I continue to waste so much food? Then I get irritated when I have enough left over for 5 more meals. Any suggestions anyone?....and for you long time bandsters, Does this EVER change? Thanks in advance for any advice! :faint:

Those are good suggestions guys. I like the idea of having a bite or two of other's food. In some situations I would think it would be odd (depending on who you are going out to eat with) to ask others "Do you mind if I have one bite off all of your plates?" Although I love the sound of it, I don't know if I would have the nerve. Maybe it would be less awkward if I offered to pay a couple bucks per person's plate or something???

I also weigh ever morning. I used to look at it as a bad addiction, but I think it's all in how you look at it. I too started using it as a motivational tool. Like someone else said earlier, if the scale is down-that motivates me to keep going....If it's up a little, that too motivates me to try even harder. (However, I will not lie and say that I have not let the upward fluctuations disappoint me before). Now I think I would go through withdrawl and start convulsing or something if someone took my scale away:p

Count me in too:clap2:

I lost 17 pounds pre-op. Of course that was due to 7 days of clear liquids. YUCK.....I still don't know how I did it, but it was a good jump start.