puddin

Leatha, it only hurts because your muscles are sore after. I HAVE to get myself there because I have the trainer there that I'm paying. When money's in the balance, I suddenly have a lot more motivation. One thing that worries me a tad, though, is whether the vibrating platform is somehow moving my band. I need to run this through my band doc.

Yes, I got a personal trainer a few weeks ago and we work a lot on this new machine called the PowerPlate. It's a vibrating platform and ALL your muscles respond to the vibration, allowing you to work out in a lot less time with the same (sore) results! He still works me an hour, 3 times a week. He KILLS me! But I'm so excited about the results. I always thought cardio was the way to go, but I've come to find that the added muscle has given a boost to my metabolism that I never thought would return. So here's CHEERS to weight training.

This has been an interesting thread! But despite being a republican, and having voted for Bush, I'd still like to see a Democrat congress. For one, I thing things work out better when there's a bi-partisan congress/presidency.

I'm also single and VANITY was #1 for me in my decision. I never, ever dated before. It's embarassing to tell this, but I had never been on a real date until last year. A few months ago I really started dating - REALLY started dating. I mean, like sometimes more than one date a day. And NOW I'm dating the most incredibly good looking, funny, smart, active, religious, gentlemanly man I've ever met. It's shocking the heck out of my family - LOL. Oh yeah, vanity was #1 for me. But as a side-note, I really am getting into sports in a big way. I'm running a marathon in June, and bike EVERYWHERE I go. I got back from Guatemala last week where we hiked up a volcano to 14,000 feet, slept at the top and hiked back down the next day, kayaked all day, biked all day, and did so many other things that I would never have dreamed of doing when I was over 300 pounds. This band has changed my life.

Telly Your doctor said to wait until 6 months before you lost all the weight? I'm about 6 months away from being "ideally" where I want to be. Right now I'm a solid size 16, but if I got rid of a lot of my stomach I'd be a 12 or 14. I really don't want to be smaller than a size 10-12. I like being curvy. I want butt filler, a tummy tuck, and some lipo around my waist. Is this something you'd suggest doing right now? Who did you do your consultation with? I haven't had kids yet, but I plan to. I just don't want my future husband to be disgusted by my "flap".

woohoo Julie! I know you'll make that second half! You lost the first half SOOOOO very fast. You must be workin hard, girlie.

I officially hit the 100's when I weighed today! 198! It's all very exciting. My life has changed SO dramatically from losing so much weight. I couldn't get a date to save my life before. Now I'm dating the hottest man alive! Not only is he incredibly sexy, but he's the last true gentleman, he's religious, he's funny, he cooks, he kisses like an angel, and he's ripped like you wouldn't believe. Can you tell I'm twitterpated? And all I can say is that none of this would have happened were it not for this band. It has saved my life, both literally and figuratively.

Thanks you guys. I know we can ALL hit our goals. We just can't give up. There is SO MUCH we have to gain by hitting our goals. The man I'm dating doesn't like skinny women. He doesn't like them obese, he likes 'em curvy. This is my only fear in hitting my final goal. But I'm not NOT going to lose because of that reason. This is for me.

I had mine done here in the States and put $13,000 on a loan from the bank. THEN I immediately got a credit card that had 0% for 6 months and 2.99% for the life of the transfer after that and asked them to "up" the credit to $13,000 because I was transfering a loan over. I'm sure it dinged my credit a little more than if I'd just gotten the credit card, but I didn't care. This was the lowest rate I could find. By the way, the 2.99% life of balance card is an American Express Blue Card, in case you're interested.

Whoa Telly! That's hot. Your new bellybutton looks exceptionally good. I've seen many ladies who have had tummy tucks but their bellybuttons look scary. Your doc did an excellent job. I got laser hair removal done on my abs/chest/around nipples/chin and neck the other day. I didn't have a ton of hair, but I still wanted it gone! But you know, despite having to bear it all in front of the doctor, the thing I was MOST embarassed about bearing was my nasty sagging stomach. So your pics have inspired me. When I hit 170 pounds, which isn't too terribly far from now, hopefully, I'm goin to Mexico!

Vines, I totally forgot about this, thanks for reminding me. I'll ask Tuesday before class. Incidentally, I did talk with a PA about this subject. He tends to think the low calorie has to be quite low for a long time for the body to truly start favoring burning muscle for fuel. He did say that sometimes if you lower your calories drastically for a week or so, however, your body will hold onto water. But I'll ask the docs in my program.

Kirsten, Even though there are some on this board that haven't PB'd. It's HIGHLY likely that you will. Do everything you can to avoid it because it's not so good for your band, but in all probability, it will probably happen at some point anyway. Just to set your mind at ease about it, though - it's really not that bad. Some people make it out to be this terrible event, but honestly, it takes up about 2 minutes of your life, most of the time, and I don't think it's painful, just a little uncomfortable pressure.

I didn't PB for about 3 months after I was banded. Of course, I had nearly no restriction for about 3 months. Now I PB around once a week. I'm curious as to what other people constitute a PB as. I count it as spitting up slime (for me it's sort of like "coughing" up slime).

My doc told me the same thing, not to be discouraging, but rather to let me know what the average was and what to expect, realistically. But he DID let me know it was possible to lose as much as I wanted, if I set my mind to it. My doc also told me once that most people he had who'd lost all their excess weight, lost it in the first year. It really bothers me now that he told me that. I busted my butt the first year and somehow I don't think it's enough. In the back of my mind I feel like it's over for me. But I know it's not. I'm still losing 2 pounds a week. That's what's so great about the band! There's no "magic period" where you have to lose it or you never will. Congrats to everyone on this thread!

I really think if you WANT to lose the weight, you'll find the time to throw in exercise at every possible moment. For me, usually this means following the path of most resistance - taking the stairs, walking across campus instead of driving, every 3 hours take a 15 minute break where I power-walk at work, ride my bike to work (it's only 8 bike miles to work), sit on an exercise ball instead of a chair, etc. In addition, I'll do an hour of exercise a day. But recently I've picked up a sweet tooth habit. This has slowed my weight loss to about a pound a week. The sweets make SUCH a difference!

Thanks, Chrispy, for your kind words. You're going to do great!

One year ago today I made the second-best decision of my entire life! I was banded and branded. One year ago I couldn't fit in airline seats without an extender belt (and even then it was tight), I couldn't ride a bike, I couldn't hike more than half a mile, I'd go on cruises with my pretty friends and never get hit on, I wore an ugly skirted swimsuit, I couldn't exercise more than 20 minutes - forget about jogging, I was running out of clothing options even at the plus-sized stores. I was getting fatter and fatter each day and losing hope for ever getting married and having a family and really ever being successful in life because of my weight. I was a holding tank for hopeless negativism. Today I biked 8 hill-filled miles to work and have to bike 8 miles back, and do this daily (I'm biking 100 miles in yellowstone this weekend), I can fly and have to tighten the seatbelt with 1/2 foot to spare, I exercise an hour each day (I jog for 20 minutes of that), I bought a freakin' cute swimsuit yesterday (with NO skirt) to go on my adventure/athletic trip to Guatamala in October where I'm hiking up a 14,000-foot volcano, kayaking all day to a private beach house, and doing a century bike ride, I shop in the skinny girl section, and I'm down 100 pounds! Life is looking more and more promising by the day. I've reinvented myself and I'm LIVING! I wanted to share this because I read so many posts that list complications and frustrations, and that's what this forum is for, but sometimes it's nice to share the joys of having a band. Thanks for being there for me this past year, everyone!

I have to agree. While I don't believe I have overall self-hate, or ever have, I have always hated how I looked. People tell me I'm pretty, but I always think they're trying to be nice. Even now, I'm a size 16 miss or a 14W, I still feel like the biggest person in the room and no guy would be attracted to that. There has to be a phase shift somewhere.

Oh, THIS is my number one problem. I think "If he's attracted to me (a big girl), there must be something wrong with him and I don't want him." I kept on WAITING and WAITING to date, because I wanted someone good looking and I felt like I needed to be skinny to be good looking. I'm slowly getting over this, but it's still a problem for me. I seriously need counseling over the whole dating issue.

S1M1, I think most of us have been in the same situation, with the fear of losing our friend, food. Personally, I didn't think I had a food addiction until after I was banded. Then I KNEW I had a food addiction. Having a food addiction while dieting is like telling an alcoholic they can only have a drink in moderation. That's what we're up against. But the band makes this process SO much easier. So many new bandsters get the idea that the band will do all the work. You HAVE TO WORK! I still have to watch what I eat on a daily basis. The band just makes that whole process so much simpler. I wouldn't trade it for anything.

I typically eat until I'm FULL. That's usually a full Lean Cuisine meal. I'm not just satisifed, I'm full. I'm not stuffed, though. I may have a stretched pouch, who the heck knows. I guess I just won't stress about it unless I stop losing weight.

How do you know if your pouch has stretched a little (besides flouroscopy)?

That's TERRIBLE!

Laura Have hope dear! PCOS is INCREDIBLY common among obese women (probably more so than actually know they have it). PCOS and metabolic syndrome go hand in hand. The good news is that you have a band and as you lose weight that metabolic syndrome could very well disappear along with your PCOS. And like Shawn said, there are certain medications that doctors can give you to help you get pregnant and alleviate some of the symptoms of PCOS. I have PCOS. It makes me grow hair in places girls shouldn't grow hair. I don't have periods, ever. I've lost 100 pounds and my periods still haven't come back. But I haven't really pursued it a the doctor's office. There are many things that can be done to help.

I'm wondering if y'all PB all the time. I can eat lots of food, but I PB probably 2-3 times a week. I FEEL like I'm eating slow enough. But my band is a fickle bitch. Sometimes she's tight and sometimes she's wide open. I can't imagine how much I'd PB if I had a tighter fill. That's what's keeping me from getting another one.