neatobandito

Congratulations to those who have continued to find success with their band, and those who have stumbled but found their way back on the right path! I went through a rough patch (an almost 6 month one), myself, and had a hard time not owning up to it, finding myself spiraling back into old habits. I was beyond frustrated when I realized the time I wasted, and the added progress I could've made. But I got over it and, really, all it does now is make me work that much harder and want it that much more. I'm coming up on my 1 year anniversary ("surgiversary", if you prefer) on the 17th, and even with the setbacks, have lost almost 80lbs. I finally FEEL healthier and am positive I made the right choice in choosing this tool. I look forward to reaching that goal, stopping to appreciate and celebrate the mini-victories along the way. Now, if I could just make it to one of the support groups...! I know a few people who are banded, but differences in lifestyles and scheduling conflicts make it near impossible for us to get together. But I'd love to find a way/time to interact on a more personal level with those who can truly relate to the bandster life.

rodriguezequal: Ah, I grew up in University Place! Miss it sometimes. And yeah, I'm already having trouble getting my butt there from West Seattle, which is even closer, so I know what you mean. Wish there was something more centrally located. I really need to get to one of the support groups, especially since I'm coming up on my one year surgiversary.

Wow, that does sound scary. I'm sorry you're going through this, and I'll think good thoughts that things work out for you in the end. Take care and be well, lady.

(Note: I was just reading a thread from someone asking about the consumption of Cookies and other sweets, when I realized my response was turning into quite the essay. I decided, since I was going to post a little hello/re-introduction message anyway, that I'd just move my response over here.) I absolutely agree that once you start eating the sweets, it's that much harder to stop. Vicious cycle. In fact, I'm just now coming off of a 3-4 MONTH stretch of eating sweets almost morning, noon and night. I was doing wonderfully for the first few months after being banded. I was eating healthier, diligently tracking almost everything that went into my mouth, drinking tons of Water, taking my Vitamins, doing more and more research, participating in forums, and watching the numbers of the scale steadily drop. Then came time for a family vacation. I told myself I'd allow a little "wiggle room" to enjoy myself and indulge, but that'd I'd still play it safe. The vacation didn't quite go as planned, for a handful of reasons, and I found myself falling back into old habits. I allowed myself candy, ice cream, cookies, baked goods, etc. When I got home, because I was still eating LESS, I continued to allow myself these things every once in awhile. Only problem is that when stress reared its ugly head, or PMS, or getting sick (when certain foods were harder to consume), I was far too permissive and actually justified it with "I deserve to..." and "Just one more, and then I'll get back on track after the weekend..." We've all been there, eh? And then I found that I had this almost insatiable craving for the sweets. I'm ashamed to admit there were more than a few shopping trips where I looked down into the cart and everything I'd tossed in was carb/sugar-filled, barely resembling real food. I completely slacked on vitamins, on drinking water (and when I did drink it was liquids with calories), on eating Protein, avoiding empty carbs, didn't follow-up with my surgeon's office, I stayed away from the forums because it was less painful to claim "blissful ignorance" rather than be forced to take a hard, realistic look at how far I'd backslid. I have two young children at home, and I'd been leaning on the fact that taking care of them was more important, rather than realizing I absolutely have to make the time to take care of myself as well. Thankfully, I didn't do much damage in the way of weight gain, and even managed to lose a couple of pounds in there. But I'm positive I could've lost a good 15-20 more by now had I snapped out of it sooner. It's taken some time, and I'm certainly aware that this is something I will struggle with the rest of my life. But I've re-evaluated, started taking more of an interest in whole foods and cooking again (hooray for the local library's cookbooks!), and am just getting back on track, in general. Sure, I'm disappointed and bummed that I'd allowed myself to behave in such a way. But it happened. And I'm ready to move onward and upward. I never thought this would be a miracle cure, that I'd get banded, never think about food again, and just watch the weight melt off as I happily went about business as usual. But I've come to realize that I'm someone who needs the advice, support, input and accountability of others. I'm grateful to have a couple of friends who were also banded, and are at different stages in things, that I've started to turn to for advice and support. Now I'm just trying to find a way to start attending the support groups for my WLS clinic, because I think that will also help. Anyway, thanks for letting me ramble and share a bit of where I'm at in my journey. Congratulations to those of you who are on the steady path to reaching your goal, to those of you at goal and maintaining, and to those of you taking the steps to living a longer and healthier life. And for those who are struggling, for one reason or another, hang in there!

One of my favorite ways to enjoy cottage cheese is with dill weed and sliced cucumbers and cherry tomatoes to dip in it. If I'm feeling like something sweet, I'll mix slices of banana or canned pineapple. In terms of Greek yogurt, I feel fortunate to live close to some really great grocery stores (Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, PCC...) that offer healthier/organic/whole food-type options. I often will get a few containers of The Greek Gods brand yogurt, honey flavor. It's a nice alternative to other sugary sweets (can be a substitute for ice cream, especially if you stick a container in the freezer) I've tried other brands of the greek yogurt, but this is my favorite. Also makes a nice, light dressing (tzatziki) if you mix some of the plain greek yogurt with lemon juice, dill, garlic, cucumber, parsley, olive oil and a bit of pepper.

I'd say the most noticeable and unpleasant "side effect" for me is the pain in my left shoulder. It had gotten so bad that I've been seeing a massage therapist to help with it (and other, back-related, issues) Granted, it could be due, in part, to the fact that I have two young children who constantly want to be picked up and carried around. But I definitely noticed it get worse after my surgery in April, and no amount of rubbing, icing or OTC pain meds were helping. It's just now getting to the point where it doesn't seem to be as constant, and I really hope it stays that way.

Hi Nance! I was also banded by Dr. Michaelson @ NWWLS (about a month before you), and I actually had an appointment on 5/15 to get an adjustment. Wonder if I saw ya there? Looking at your ticker, it seems like you're doing well. Keep up the excellent work, and perhaps I'll see you at one of the support groups!

I was banded on 4/17 and had my first fill on 5/15. I currently take meds for depression/anxiety (Lexapro) and blood pressure (Atenolol). Since they're tiny pills, I'd usually just take them at the same time, no problem. But I've already forgotten, a couple of times, not to take a big swig of water with them, resulting in a bit of an uncomfortable bubble. So now I'm trying to remember to go more slowly and just deal with taking things one at a time instead. I'd say to go slowly, test the waters, and use your best judgment based on how you feel.

Hi Kjay524, I'm 29, 5'10", and from the Seattle area, too. I was banded on 4/17 by Dr. Michaelson @ NWWLS in Everett, and have lost a little over 25lbs. This forum is an excellent resource, and I'm so glad that I discovered it when I did. It's really helped me answer a lot of questions, given me some great insight, and is just a nice place to turn when you're feeling like there aren't a lot of people around who can really understand what you're dealing with. I wish you continued success on your journey!

Oh, wow. No wonder you were so upset. That sounds AWFUL. I'm sorry it was such a traumatic experience, and I really hope things go more smoothly from now on. I was banded by Dr. Michaelson, but I've seen Dr. Montgomery walking around the building. Audrey actually did my fill on Thursday, and the entire appointment was maybe 15-20 minutes long with the fill itself taking less than 5 minutes. I thought she was great, really informative, and easy to talk to. I have an appointment with Deanna and then two more with Audrey, in the coming weeks (thought it was interesting that they scheduled three of them so closely together, rather than waiting to see if I'd need another fill, but I appreciate that they want you to be on top of finding that "sweet spot" as quickly as possible) Best of luck to you!

I'm sort of in the same boat. Although it's not that I'm particularly unmotivated, I just feel like I'm not doing as much as I should be in the exercise department. I get out for a walk every day, with my two kids (one of whom weighs 18lbs and I wear him in a carrier while we walk), and play around with them as often as possible. I do housework (dishes, laundry, vacuuming, picking up after kids, etc.) every day, and lately I've been getting out to do more yard work (mowing, weed whacking/pulling, etc.) as well. So I suppose those are all good activities, and certainly nothing to sneeze at. But at the end of the day, I'm just wiped out from everything else and feel like I need to have some sort of actual regimen started now.

I admit to morbid curiosity here, but I suppose people are already grossed out enough (re: bandaid surprise). Thankfully, the worst thing I can presently recall finding in my food was a cranefly in my Chinese chicken salad, from a local restaurant. I'm sure we've unknowingly been subjected to much worse (as I think of the movie "Waiting")