JaxBandster

Yes Ladies and Gentlemen! I have reach that magical number!!! Stepped on the scale this morning, down two lbs, and voila! 199!!!! How cool is that! I have 29 more lbs to lose to goal! Only twenty-something! I'm so excited! Oh! And I was at the Harley dealership this morning waiting for my bike to get serviced and this hunky motorcycle cop came in and as our eyes met I smiled at him and he winked at me!!! Wooo hoooo!!! :biggrin:

I went back yesterday for my monthly check up. No fill for me!!!!! I'm at my sweet spot. He even said if he did anything he would take some out. I said no way!!!!! There have been about four times this past month where I momentarily got stuck but I think it was more my fault than the band being too tight. (Not paying attention, eating too fast, and not chewing well enough). So I am going to work on that this month. I lost 11 lbs since the last time I was in! Dr. C told me that if I lose 8-10 more that he will do my tummy tuck! Wooo Hooo! So I have instructions to join the gym and start toning up and to continue as I have been doing. Hopefully when I see him next month I can schedule another surgery date

This has been a fairly easy journey for me so far. I think the hard work is now upon me. I know that the last 20 lbs or so are the hardest to lose. It is also way too easy to get complacent at this point. I also have to start working out now in order to tone my muscle so I'm not so flabby and so I will be prepared for the surgery. Time to hunker down and get serious!

July 7th was my 5th month anniversary. I have lost 74.5 lbs since my pre-op appt on January 9th so that is six months worth of weight loss. I think I've had four fills and have over 6.5 cc in a 10 cc band. Not sure exactly as he doesn't tell me. I went in yesterday for my check up and we decided I didn't need another fill. I lost 11 lbs last month and there have been several times when I got stuck momentarily while eating things like eggs and fish so he wants to wait and see if I'm just eating too fast and not chewing well enough or whether I'm too tight. I am 25 lbs from goal but will have a tummy tuck after I lose another 8-10 lbs.

Great Job Sue!!!!! I went back yesterday for my monthly check up. No fill for me!!!!! I'm at my sweet spot. He even said if he did anything he would take some out. I said no way!!!!! There have been about four times this past month where I momentarily got stuck but I think it was more my fault than the band being too tight. (Not paying attention, eating too fast, and not chewing well enough). So I am going to work on that this month. I lost 11 lbs since the last time I was in! Dr. C told me that if I lose 8-10 more that he will do my tummy tuck! Wooo Hooo! So I have instructions to join the gym and start toning up and to continue as I have been doing. Hopefully when I see him next month I can schedule another surgery date

Don't you hate that?????? Makes me crazy to have a ton of really good tasting and smelling food in front of me and have to leave most of it on my plate! LOL Like the old saying goes, "be careful what you wish for!" LOL But yeah, watching that scale go down and not be driven by hunger and by my love of food is a reward in itself.

Hi Sue! I'm sorry to hear that you had difficulty this past month but it sounds like you are on the right track again. I'm also glad to hear that Dr. C was understanding. He's right about complacency and I got that talk from him last month when I was in for my fill but I was way ahead of him. Complacency has been my demon in the past. Like many of you, I was a very successful dieter. I have lost weight over and over again. But when I got to a certain point when I started looking good and getting compliments, I would rest on my laurels and go back to my old eating habits. I knew I would reach that point again and I still have to constantly battle that demon today. The old, "oh one or two bites of this dessert won't hurt" and before I know it I've polished off half of it. I'm afraid complacency is something we will all have to deal with for the rest of our lives. The feeling I get when I look in the mirror or put on a size smaller jeans is worth it though! Keep up the great work!

Anavrin. Patience! I know it's hard but it's something you must learn. I didn't get really good restriction until my 3rd or 4th fill. Dr. B actually gave you a lot for a 1st fill. Learn your soft full signs. A runny nose, a hiccup, burp, slight pressure around the band area or in the shoulder, etc. PBing is NOT a sign of fullness. It's a sign that you are either eating incorrectly, or eating something that didn't want to pass through the stoma. I have PB'd once and it was on some fried fish that I thought I had chewed well enough but obviously hadn't. When I am full, I just feel like I can't eat anymore. If I have to sit and look at my plate and wonder if I should take another bite or not, then I know that I'm done. I know it seems like a long time until your next appt but you need to give this fill a chance to work. No you haven't reached good restriction yet, but it will more than likely take you a few times to get there. Until then, you will still have to use self-control. The band is harder than bypass in this regard, but believe me, it is so worth it! I have perfect restriction now. In fact, when I go back on the 8th I may not get another fill as I don't want to be too tight. As it stands now I have to be careful about what I eat and how, but I can generally eat most everything, just a LOT less of it. You will get to where you need to be. I promise. Keep doing what you need to do to be successful. The band will help you more and more as you go along.

1000words I was self pay. My first orientation appt was January 9th and my surgery was February 7th. Based on that and the other responses I have seen, I would figure on about a month once you are good to go. They put you on a low carb diet right away in order to shrink your liver and like to have a few weeks for that to do it's job. Make sure you follow their instructions! It is extremely important to shrink your liver prior to the surgery. Good luck!

Lori! Holy smokes girl!!! I'm so relieved to hear you are okay!!!! What a terrible ordeal! I would be majorly stressed and definitely not worrying about gaining/losing weight right now. The important thing is to get everything back in order. I live in Florida and every year is a waiting game to see if we will get hit by a hurricane or not. Thankfully we don't have any big trees in our yard yet as we are in a new subdivision but we are only 8 miles from the beach so we would get slammed pretty good if we were to ever get a direct hit. Hope you get things back to normal soon!!!

Hi Sissy! I definitely don't eat three times a day anymore. Usually just once and I try to make sure it's really high in Protein. I drink a lot of Water and I've also recently discovered diet green tea. I would say that for the first few fills I could still eat pretty much whatever I wanted. A lot of my weight loss at that point was attributed some to my band and a lot from pure discipline and determination not to fail. This last fill (the fourth) definitely has me good and tight and I have to be very careful about what I choose to eat and to make sure I chew thoroughly or I know I will get stuck. Restriction is different for everyone though and while I seemed to have reached my sweet spot at my fourth fill, others might not reach it until later and some after only one or two fills. If you find you are still battling hunger, the only things I can suggest are what I recommended above with the high protein/low carb program and the drinking of water. Don't drink with your meals as it will only wash food through your pouch and you will get hungry again sooner. If you are hungry between meals and it gets unbearable, try eating a high protein snack such as a meat and cheese roll or a hand full of peanuts. Don't forget that sugar free Clear liquids are always an option. Sugar free Jello, a popsicle, pudding or the like are always good for a snack although not quite as filling. Track your food! It will really help you to see just how much you are eating. Stay away from the carbs, they convert to sugar in your body and they make you hungrier. You can do this. I promise!!!

Oh my gosh yes!!!!! It's amazing! I walk in places with my head held high, brimming with confidence, I feel attractive, energetic and just wonderful! These feelings only increase as the weight drops off! Isn't it great?????

Ezma you are definitely in my thoughts and prayers. I'm so sorry you are having to go through this additional surgery but hopefully everything will go smoothly and you will be back on track again soon. At least it's good to know there is a reason why you were having difficulty and it can be fixed! Gotta look for the bright side! Good luck and let us know how it goes as it is still possible for any of us to have to go through the same procedure.

Katie, See my list of suggestions under the topic "Onederland". There may be some ideas there for you.

Hi Sissy, I'm sorry to hear you are struggling. I know it is difficult at times. I know there were plenty of times when I thought I was eating a ton and in fact I was probably eating more than I should. Here is what I do. 1) I don't eat if I'm not hungry. This is not as easy as it sounds because sometimes my stomach growls and I think to myself that I'm hungry, but really I'm not. I will go get a bottle of Water and drink that and I'm not "hungry" anymore. 2) I eat Protein. Lots and lots of protein. eggs, bacon, tuna (both salad and raw shashimi), steak, chicken, pork, fish. That is what I focus on for meals. 3) Then I eat veggies. Preferably fresh and steamed since that is the way I like them best. Canned veggies have a tendency to have a lot of sodium in them which will make you retain water. 4) I don't deprive myself. If there is something I want I have a small amount of it. Maybe several bites of my husband's dessert. Several bites of potatoes or rice. I measure out my carbs carefully to make sure I'm not getting too much. Besides converting to sugar in your body, carbs also make you feel hungry. 5) I keep my carb intake below 30 gms a day. 6) At first I recorded all my food in Fitday so I had a firm understanding of how much I was eating. Now that I have the hang of it I don't do it so much. 7) I haven't started exercising yet but the more I lose the more active I get. I've been working in the yard more and just getting out more. 8) I drink a lot of water. It keeps you from feeling hungry and it helps remove impurities and fat from your body. 9) Eat slow but not too slow or you will never feel full. I try to make my meals last about 15 minutes. Eating the protein first will help you feel full faster. Sometimes you just have to sit and ask yourself, am I eating this because I'm still hungry or because it tastes so darn good? Once I started realizing that I was eating for the sheer taste of the food, then I understood that I was eating for the wrong reasons. Hope some of these help!!!!

Yeah I've been losing a lot lately. I hear that it will eventually come back though. I had a nurse tell me it was due to the rapid weight loss. I get a lot of protein so I know that's not it.

Ezma I'm so sorry to hear about your turn of events. What a rollercoaster ride you've been on lately! Please keep us informed about what happens with the port. I know my doctor also said he could do port revisions and the like in the office. No wonder you were struggling! Keep on swimming girlfriend!

Sue, I went to the mountans of NC and TN for six days on motorcycle. I wasn't perfect and didn't expect to be. I enjoyed myself, had a few bites of dessert, ate about half of a really high carb Breakfast at a bed and breakfast in Waynesville, NC. I made good decisions when I could but didn't sweat the rest. I drank a lot of Water and didn't eat when I wasn't really hungry. I gained three lbs while I was gone but it only took me a couple of days to lose it when I got back. Since then I've been on another one of my losing sprees and only have two lbs before reaching onederland! It's all a part of the journey. I know Vegas will have many temptations but enjoy yourself, don't go absolutely nuts but don't deprive yourself either. It's a vacation, have a good time! Moderation is the key. Between now and then stay on the straight and narrow so you are that much ahead before you go. Hopefully when you get back you will have sufficient time to lose anything you gained while you were there. For what it's worth, when I had my appt with Dr. C after my trip to NC, my monthly weight loss was nine lbs. So it can be done. Have fun!

Many people plateau and some even gain weight about three weeks to a month after their surgery, especially right after transitioning back to mushies and then to regular food again. I'm not sure the reason for this, but I can tell you that I've seen it a hundred times since being on this and other forums. Focus on healing right now. The weight loss will come as you begin to get your fills. There is no need for panic. Just watch your carb intake (I try to stay under 30 grams a day) and drink LOTS of Water (it will help you feel less hungry). Good luck!

Hey Sue I'm definitely feeling what you are saying. It's so easy to become complacent and to slip back into our old eating habits. To be honest, I'm not quite sure what the trick is to getting that mindset back that we need to help us stay focused. For me it has been sheer determination. I don't want my weight to start with a 2 anymore. I don't want to see the fat staring back at me in the mirror. I want to be able to wear sexy clothes again and have men look at me and women hate me! LOL Maybe for me it is the fact that I'm not young anymore. In less than two years I'll be 50. I'm not going to have any more chances to be "young and healthy" again. This is it. Maybe my own mortality is my motivation. Maybe I'm having a mid-life crisis. LOL All I know is that I have never been so determined to lose this weight and keep it off and I only wish I had done so 20 years ago. Don't give up on yourself. You are too important. Don't give food control over you. You are stronger than that. I know that now that I have gotten proper restriction that it is much easier to control my portions where it wasn't before. I still have to watch WHAT I eat, but even then I will treat myself to a couple of bites of a goodie every now and then so I don't feel deprived. I guess we all have to find that single motivation that helps get us through our weak times. You will find yours!

Keep up the great work! You are really starting to see a difference!!!!

Just got another fill today. I think this is my 4th one? Don't know how much I have in my band as my doctor doesn't tell me. I lost nine lbs last month! This is really amazing as the last two weeks have been spent riding all over the southeast on my Harley, eating out at restaurants and staying at bed and breakfasts and generally misbehaving. My doctor told me that I am now approaching the most difficult part of my journey. He said that after having success after four months, you can have a tendency to become satisfied and complacent and begin to slip back into old habits. I have been really aware of this as this has been my major downfall in the past when dieting. I have always been a good dieter, but when I got close to my goal and started liking what I saw in the mirror, I began to get lax. I know that I can't do that this time. I still have more work to do if I want to reach goal and have the plastic surgery that I want. And speaking of plastic surgery.....I asked my doctor about getting it done and as it turns out he does tummy tucks, arms and thighs. He doesn't do boobs and would refer me to someone else for that. He gave me his price list and getting my tummy and thighs done would be about $13,000. From what I have seen that isn't too bad. I would completely trust him to do this surgery as I know he is an extremely competent surgeon and he is also a perfectionist. Not only that, he could make any changes to my port if needed during the surgery. I am very excited about this. He recommends losing at least another 20 lbs before I get it done as he says my stomach needs to be as flat as possible. At my current rate of weight loss that should only be a couple of more months. I woke up this morning with a sore throat. It's the first time I've been sick since getting my band. I have found Riccola sugar free throat lozenges which seem to be helping and I'm taking disolvable Zicam tablets to help with my symptoms. I'm feeling pretty miserable right now though as I hate sore throats. I'm hoping I don't get too sick and it makes my band tighter as I can tell I have some pretty decent restriction right now. So that's it for me right now. Just wanted to check in and see how everyone is doing and give an update. I've been looking at everyone's progress pictures and everyone is looking fabulous!!!!!! Keep up the great work Double V's!

Babedoe When I was trying to find some jeans that weren't baggy on me I was trying to find 14W's but there weren't any. I was in a 16W and finally found an 18 Misses that worked for me. Maybe try a 16 Misses? You are just going to have to try on a bunch until you find ones that fit. It took me about six different tries until I found the right one. If it wasn't for my stomach I'd probably be in a 16 but still have to accommodate all that skin.

You should have introduced yourself! Which one were you? Dr. C didn't mention Dr. Babtista doing the surgeries so I don't know if he does them or not. Don't beat yourself up too badly. We all make mistakes in life. Just be thankful that there was a means available to help you lose the weight and to help keep you on track.

Well I can definitely relate to your experience. I have had a gall bladder attack and know exactly the kind of pain you were in. I can understand how you could confuse the pain as being band related since the pain originates from the same area as your gall bladder. I am glad that I had mine taken out a long time ago. I didn't ever want to experience that kind of pain again. Unfortunately I still did due to my hiatal hernia, but had that fixed when I got my band and haven't experienced any pain since. I'm really glad that your ultrasound tech was experienced and knew to look for something else besides something band related. Obviously, everyone else thought that is what it was. Glad to hear that you are okay now and that they caught it in time!