JaxBandster

Thanks RSG!!!! I really admire your positive attitude. I know it can be difficult to sustain when you get frustrated with the weight loss but you are always looking for the silver lining and that's something very admirable! I'm going to be looking to you for support and motivation!

Hi Michelle! I know what you mean about the four months. It seems like just a few weeks ago we were sweating out waiting for surgery! I'm with you on not being too tight. I definitely know I have restriction this morning. I was drinking my shake and gurgled a bit so I know I was tweaked good. The true test will be tomorrow when I get back on real food. Congrats on the shorts NSV!!!! I love those! I'm not ready for shorts yet but it seems I have to go buy a new pair of jeans every couple of weeks! It's really hard to try and figure out what size I am as I am making the transition from plus size to misses! Yeah! It's a pain but one I will gladly bear! I cut my hair short once. I really liked it. It was so easy to take care of. But everyone else said I looked like Sharon Osborne (Ozzy's wife) so I decided to grow it back out (not that she looks bad or anything!) I've now gone completely off the deep end and bleached the underneath sections of my hair while keeping the top black. It's a really cool rock and roll effect especially with the shag hair style but my family thinks I've gone off the deep end. My 16 year old daughter thinks it's cool though! LOL The one nice thing about hair is that it will always grow out! Keep up the great work!

That black and white shot is just adorable!!!!!! I can definitely tell the difference from your prior pictures that you have posted! Great job!!!

I spoke with my doctor about this very thing today. I'm definitely doing the boobs (lift and aug) as well as a tummy tuck and thighs. I have worked hard to lose my weight and I want to look and feel fantastic with and without clothes on! My band surgeon does tummy tucks, thighs and arms and I'm inclined to let him do that as he is a very good surgeon. He would refer me to someone else for the boobs. My mom has silicone implants that are 28 years old and they still look great at 65 years of age!!! I hope mine do as well!

Just got another fill today. I think this is my 4th one? Don't know how much I have in my band as Dr. C 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. Dr. C 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 Dr. C 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.

You are looking fantastic! I love seeing the new self confidence!!!!! What a difference!

3.5 lbs Just got back from spending six days in four states on my Harley. Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina and Tennessee. Had an absolutely wonderful time. Ate things I shouldn't have (and didn't worry about it). Knew I would see some adverse effects on the scale so wasn't surprised to see the gain and was actually rather pleased it was only 3.5 lbs! LOL We are home for a couple of days then heading down to Tampa to visit some friends which will involve more eating and drinking but I plan to behave myself a lot more as I have a fill date coming up next Tuesday and have to face my doctor. Fortunately, I lost a lot before I left on my trip so the net effect won't be too horrible. So now it's time to get back on track and lose the remaining 40 lbs or so.

Thanks RSG and Ezma! You guys are so sweet. I didn't want to go on vacation thinking that I would have to deprive myself and I didn't. I didn't go whole hog though either. I would share a dessert with my husband. I would eat maybe half of the potatoes or grits that I was served. I did try to eat a lot of meat but there were times when I had gravy which I've tried to stay away from in the past. I was touring the south and eating at bed and breakfast's along the way. Those places never heard of low carb before! LOL I will say that my band DEFINITELY kept me from eating everything in sight! I just wasn't eating all the right things like I normally do. I am anxious to get going on my weight loss again though. This is a very critical time for me in my journey. In the past, after losing a lot of weight I have tended to become complacent and that's when I slowly but surely start to regain. I cannot let that happen again and I know that I would be able to despite having the band just from eating things that I shouldn't which is so easy to do. Now that I'm back home it will be easier to stay on track. Thanks for your support and encouragement!!!

Hah! The weight loss does NOTHING for loose skin and cellulite! I'll keep my clothes on until after plastic surgery thank you very much! LOL

You look fabulous!!! You are MUCH more brave than I!! I'll put on a swimsuit in my back yard, but no pictures and definitely not at the beach yet! LOL Keep up the great work!!!!

I won't even go into the kinds of foods I ate while on vacation the past six days. Suffice it to say, many of them weren't on my low carb list!!! I gained 3.5 lbs but I expected to and am not beating myself up about it. Just back on track today and ready to get rid of this remaining 40 lbs! We all will slip up along the way to our goal and even after we reach our goal. This will be a lifelong struggle for many of us. But the good thing is that we are aware of what our triggers are, when we goof up, and that we take steps to correct our behavior when we stray. Even skinny people indulge every now and then.

Well considering I just got my ninth tattoo and also just got back from a six day trip to the mountains on my Harley, I guess the only thing left is that lotto ticket! In lieu of that, my plans are a flat stomach and some DD's courtesy of a little nip and tuck.

Daaayyyyuummmmm!!!! You guys look great!!!!!!

Anavrin Congrats on your banding!!!!!! Just take it easy. You are going to be uncomfortable for a few days. I didn't really start feeling like my old self until about ten days out. While this is a relatively easy surgery, it's still surgery and your body needs time to heal. Keep taking the pain meds, rest, sip fluids, and make sure to walk around as much as you can. You will do great! This time next week you will feel much improved. I had the hernia repair as well and that does seem to add a little to the recovery time and added discomfort. Keep up the good work!

Hi Sue! That's great news about your son!!!! How does he feel about it? Man I wish we had insurance, that would make things a lot easier. I was self pay and unless I get back to work with a company that has insurance that covers WLS my son would have to be self-pay as well. It would be worth it but I just wish I knew if he had what it takes to be successful. He's the type that makes excuses for everything and I could see him doing that when it comes to eating. Please keep me posted on your son's progress! That is also wonderful news about your BMI!!!! I just calculated mine and I have a couple of more points to get out of the obese category! I'll just be "overweight"! How cool is that? I also understand about the crossing of the legs. I find myself sitting with my legs crossed all the time now as it was uncomfortable for me to do so before. I love these littlle NSV's! Thanks for the notice about the clothing exchange! I have so many clothes I need to get rid of. I will be sure to bring a car load! LOL

One of my favorite things to get are small filet mignon's and have them with scrambled eggs with grated cheese melted in them. I really feel like I'm splurging! I'm also a big tuna person whether it be tuna salad or seared ahi tuna. I have also started making sugar free/fat free jello instant puddings and keep them in the fridge along with a couple of tablespoons of cool whip. Extra yummy and a good way to satisfy my very persistent sweet tooth.

I'm definitely having difficulty trying to figure out what size I am as well. Especially since I haven't been this size in a VERY long time! I have been noticing that my 16W jeans have been getting baggy on me. I wear jeans a LOT since I ride a Harley. They are a major staple of my wardrobe. I've been trying to just get my women's/plus size jeans from Walmart as they are cheap and have been fitting me well until now. Yesterday, I went to Kohl's and after trying on about six pairs of jeans to figure out where I was size wise, I determined that the Lee Stretch, at the waist, boot cut jeans in a size Misses 18 fit perfectly! I think if I didn't have all the excess skin on my tummy I would actually be a 16 but until I have PS I'm going to have to accommodate the extra flesh. I am in an XL shirt now with no problem which is down from a 1X/2X depending on the cut. I also had to get new bras yesterday. I had been in a 40D at one point. Those and my 38D's had gotten so loose around my rib cage I was falling out of the bottom of them. Yesterday I got three new 36D's! (Yes I still have boobs but they are hanging a lot lower now unfortunately. They will perk up at the same time I get the tummy tuck! LOL It's a little frustrating trying to keep enough clothes around that fit you but not having reached goal so you can replace your entire wardrobe but it's a problem I definitely don't mind having!

Congratulations to all of you!!!!!!! I know it's been really slow but it's happening and if you stick with it you will get to your goal! How do I know this? Because you are all VICTORIOUS Valentines!!!!!!!

Congratulations!!!!! Before long you will be doing 10k's!!!

Hey Sue! Did you get to ask Dr. C about your son?

Welcome back Lola!!!! You are looking great! What a wonderful picture! No we haven't gotten together to meet yet and that's partly my fault. I was supposed to scope out places and just haven't gotten around to it. I'm busy as heck through the end of the month as well but will try to see what I can find after that. In the meantime, if anyone has suggestions, feel free to post them. I did do a poll about which evening was best but forgot the outcome. Will have to go back and look. I think that Wednesday was looking promising but I can't really remember. (It sucks getting old!) Glad you are back!!!

Tina Fills are usually a breeze!!! It's a little weird at first (the idea of getting filled up through a port in your stomach) but by your third one you just lay back and let them do their thing. My first one didn't hurt at all. The second one I had some discomfort as the doctor didn't hit my scar exactly right (where it's numb) but it wasn't untolerable, and my third one was done by the dr's assistant. She had a little difficult finding my port and had to search around for it but it didn't hurt at all, just pressure from her pushing on my stomach with her fingers trying to find the stupid thing. So while it's a little strange, it usually doesn't hurt at all. You will do fine! Let us know how it goes!

Karen, I can only speak for Dr. Cywes' office but I know with them that you have to attend either the seminar they hold at Memorial Hospital or an orientation appt they have at the Dr.'s office which is done by Dana. They can tell you at that time if they will accept your insurance and what your insurance will require you to do before your surgery. Not all insurance providers require the doctor supervised six month diet, but most do. The important thing to know is that the diet MUST be doctor supervised. The insurance company (if they require a six month diet) will not accept you saying that you tried to lose weight for six months. Everything must be documented. It doesn't really matter how much weight you lose during this time although it is always good to lose some, but you definitely don't want to gain. The insurance companies are wanting to make sure you are committed to the process and this is one of the hoops they make you jump through. I know you are thinking to yourself that you haven't been able to lose weight on your own so far, what makes them think you are going to be able to do it now, and I agree with your thinking. Unfortunately, the insurance companies make the rules and we have to play by them. The psychology evaluation is usually only one appt and that is usually to make sure you don't have any eating disorders or other mental health issues which could adversely affect your health once you get the band. Some doctors will also suggest bypass for you if they feel you are not a good candidate for the band based on your prior history with food. i.e if you are a major sweet junkie the band may not help you if you are not willing to give them up or at the very least severely restrict them thus the bypass is sometimes better for sweetaholics. You may also want to check with your insurance provider to see if they can recommend a doctor to you. It may mean having to travel to another city for the surgery, but believe me, it's worth it (even with the price of fuel these days!) Good luck!

Hey Tina! You're in Onederland! WooHooo! That's great!!! I can't wait to get there! You are doing great! Try and remember that this is a slower process than bypass. You will also have plateaus that are incredibly frustrating! Try and be patient. You will be rewarded! Personally I just watch the carbs. I try to stay below 30 gms a day. If I go over I don't beat myself up about it though. I just try to keep it at an average of 30. I still eat rice and potatoes from time to time but I definitely don't eat them any where near like I used to. When I eat I focus on my protein and veggies. That's about it really. Oh and I drink a lot of water! That helps with hunger as well. Keep up the great work!!!

14cc band with 6.5 cc after three fills I definitely have restriction. I'm having to eat slower and with smaller bites but I'm not having to PB or anything so I may actually be at my sweet spot. I find I don't need a ton of restriction to stay on track. Restriction is a very individual thing and some people will achieve their sweet spot with a small amount while others don't get there until they are almost full! I get my next fill the first week in June and my husband and I are taking the motorcycles up to NC next weekend for five days. Our first stop on Thursday afternoon is at a bed in Breakfast that supposedly has wonderful home cooked meals. First day of vacation and I'll be tested right away! It will also be my first time away from the scale since surgery! :thumbup: I'll be going through withdrawals by the time I get back the following Tuesday evening. I can see me now, running in the door, ripping off my clothes and stepping on the scale! LOL Anyway, wish me luck!