KelinTx

Reading through this thread has always been a great motivator for me and has given me the I CAN DO IT attitude! I just want to wish everyone good luck in their journeys.

YES......its been nothing but a POSITIVE expierence for me from the get go. The hard part for me now is the realization that without plastic surgery to remove excess skin i dont know if i will ever be able to reach that 200 lb loss mile stone!

I lost really fast at first. Now that im 16 months out from being banded its taking much longer to drop the pounds!

WOOHOO im so excited......i just bought a pair of size 16 jeans!! Down from a size 32. I LOVE MY BAND

I also lost a massive amount of hair. However i did not start to lose any till i was 7 months out from my surgery. I continued to lose hair for 6 months (thank god i had a ton of hair to begin with). Finally after all this time i can see the new regrowth. I think its just a matter of saying hey its gonna happen and just wait out the process knowing it will eventually taper off.

Does anyone know if it is safe to do a colon cleanse or have a colonic when being banded?

Never have had a problem with shrimp in any way shape or form. Love it and eat it often.

As of this AM i have lost 149 pounds! Thrilled beyond words!

Im staying on plan today because i simply must get under 200lbs by the time spring break rolls around and i hafta prance around the beach in a bathing suit beside my daughter in her bikini!

I will have been banded 16 months next week and have PB'd only two times. One was just last week. Will not be having burger meat again for quite some time after that. I am very aware of not taking that last bite that will push me over the edge into pb land, ill avoid it at all costs.

A good site to shop at for really LOW prices is bcoutlet.com . Its the clearance of lanebryant catalog, jessica london and romans.

What did it for me was excrutiating back pain at merely walking a few steps. And hating the fact that i would wait till it was dark outside to walk to the curb to the mail box so that no one would see me and huffed an puffed the entire short distance.

I loved reading this post seeing all the differences!! I am 5ft 5 started out at 359 in a 32-34 bottom and a 3x 4x top. Today i weigh 212 and fit comfy in an 18 jeans and a 20 top or an 18 top with a roll protruding LOL!

Ive been banded for over a year now and i must admit i eat a cup of food at a time. I keep hoping to reach that level where a half a cup will satisfy me! In fact i can eat a whole lean cuisine which is probably more then a cup SIGHHHHHHHHHH

Mandi im glad Marilyn was able to assist you. Have you ever attended one of the group meetings they hold at the after care center?

Mandi there is a really nice lady at the after care center named Marilyn that has always been super helpfull to me with any questions i have. You may want to try speaking with her if you havn't already. My only sensation of fullness also is only ever in my throat or in my chest. I have the VG size 11 band and its filled to 9.6. Im still in search of that majic spot of restrictivness.

When i started my band journey on 9/13/06 i was put into the god awful category of SUPER MORBIDLY OBESE. As time progresses ive now made it to simply obese. I was just curious if anyone out there that was super morbidly obese has ever gotten to the point where their weight is considered in a normal range.

I get very bad cravings for KETCHUP of all things! Pre-band i was a ketchup fiend and some days i just need a ketchup fix and find myself just making something i can put it on.

I have a question for any of you out there that are near your goal weight. Did your weight come off evenly or was there an area that took longer to catch up with the rest of your body? Ive been successful in losing a significant amount everywhere but in my torso area and i feel i look so disproportionate. <a href="Weight Loss - Diet Ticker"> <img border="0" src="<A href="http://tickers.TickerFactory.com/ezt/t/wmbKHwk/weight.png"></a">http://tickers.TickerFactory.com/ezt/t/wmbKHwk/weight.png"></a>

I've been very fortunate to be a consistant loser from my band date of 9-13-06. At first i think a continuous loss was inevatible just due to the vast change in the quantity of food consumed. Now as more then a year has past and im closing in on ONDERLAND (woohoo) it takes more of a conscience effort on my behalf. I had my 9th fill last week and still am searching for that perfect level of restriction, but i still manage to lose though not nearly as fast.

Does anyone else get a sore throat after a fill? I had my 10th fill yesterday and it hurts to swallow today. I seem sore the day after every fill and was curious if anyone else experiences this.

I consider myself to be a FOOD ADDICT, because i think you can be an overeater and not necessarily be a food addict. No matter how much weight i lose i will always be the woman who would eat a 40 pack of pizza rolls for breakfast followed by a pack of pop tarts, and be thinking of what i was going to have for lunch. My thoughts probably will always be food monopolized and thats how i realize i am a true food addict. Thank god i have my band to physically restrain me.

Was curious if anyone has sought out psychological treatment for food addiction?

I am experiencing the same exact thing! I just figured my body was not used to having all the extra insulation from my weight loss. I wear thermal PJ's to bed now instead of a sleeveless summer nightie all year long and wear socks for the first time in i swear 5 years cuz my feet are always like ice bergs. At least my husband is happy that i dont have the ceiling fans on year round anymore LOL!

I am 5 ft 5 starting weight of 359 (banded 9-13-06) wore a size 32-34 pants and a 4x or 5x top. Today i weighed 214 and can wear size 18 old navy jeans (hadda buy 3 pair just cuz i was thrilled they were an 18). Top size is a 22 or 2x, much to my distress i seem to have shrunk more on the bottom half then the top! UGH.