momof5

Please let us know what happens. I'll say a special prayer for you Friday morning that all goes well!

I know this is so stressful and disheartening for you. I hate that you have to go through this! Have you really talked to him about your concerns over losing the band? Is he the only surgeon that is avaiable?

OMG Carol! I am so sorry! You will definitely be in my thoughts and prayers that things go smoothely and all is well in the end. Please keep us posted!

Tammi-I apologize for my complete idiocy but is the plan you outlined in order to shrink my pouch? L2L - (((HUGS HUGS & MORE HUGS))) I love you girl and have missed hearing from you. We all had been doing so good together then things seemed to fizzle for all different reasons. I hate so much that you're going through this time in your life but in all this, you've proven to yourself that you're worth fighting for and that's why you have been so successful with this. We're all here for you! I'm exactly where you are with the eating. The scales are stagnant. I got so depressed when the band was let out but in the past few months, things have been really difficult. With the economy, we are struggling. My hubby is in the mortgage industry, which everyone knows has taken a complete nose dive and I've tried to find work but in a small town, there's nothing. I feel like a failure not being able to help out financially. So, around Thanksgiving, I fell back into stress eating and things got worse and worse. I can eat pretty much anything and pretty much have. But Thurs, I am getting filled to the brim! I agree with the idea of you talking to a specialist. I went today and he helped alot. He said that since I have depression, when I stress even the least little bit, the depression worsens and the old habits come back no matter what! That was eye opening because it showed me that I can change the cycle. I do hope that you'll talk to someone who can help you through this time and I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers. And please keep posting! Talking things out helps and like I said, I've missed hearing from you! Good luck with your next fill!

Thanks for the encouragment. The Dr is planning to fill me very tightly and start me back as if I'd just had surgery to get things started again. So, the shakes will actually be my staple for about 3-5 days! I'm going to look up some recipes but if you have any you can share, I'd appreciate it. I want to have everything prepared and on hand prior to my fill so there are no excuses! The kids are helping me "clean out" all the sweets and they know that I won't be bringing them into the house anymore for a while. Believe it or not, they were excited for me:) Also, can anyone tell me what the 5 day pouch test is?

Thanks so much! Hearing that you can only 1/4-1/2cup of food makes me yern for that again and gives me hope! I am still able to eat too much! I'm going in for another fill Thursday and will get it tight! Then hit the shakes for a couple days. Gotta get back into it. I want to make my year goal!

So excited for you! You have done GREAT!

Hey guys. Well, it's been too long since me checking in that I have no idea what has been going on with everyone. But from doing a quick check, everyone seems to be doing so good! So many people have lost over 70lbs...way to go each of you! Last I posted, I thought things were looking up but it has been really up and down. I am stagnant.Up a couple pounds, down a couple pounds. I really messed myself up over the holidays by eating sweets again and now can't seem to stop. I've gone back to my old ways of comfort eating. Plus, my anti-depressants aren't working so I go Tuesday to have those tweaked. What I do hope you guys can help me with is getting me back on the right track. It seems I have forgotten everything! Please give me some ideas of foods that fill you up, things I can eat for meals, etc...I am still excercising but just can't get excited about eating the right things again. I'd love your input! Thanks!

Cubs Girl - I have to tell you that I was in your shoes before I went to the gym. I live in a small town and there is only one gym so everyone goes there. No matter how much I wanted to hide, I couldn't. BUT after going and getting involved, I learned that everyone who was there was in the same boat - even though some had more to lose than others. I joined an aerobics group, full of women much smaller than me, but something wonderful happeded...I began pushing myself to keep up with them! It was wonderful when I even realized I was able to do some things better than them! Plus, they noticed my accomplishments and pushed me on. We are all there for one another. Now, when one of us misses a day or skips class to do something else, we ask about eachother and keep up with one another. That has helped me to realize that no, they weren't judging me but I was judging myself. Once I stopped, I was able to enjoy working out and push myself to do my best! So, take the plunge. You'll be proud of that first step and from there, the challenges get easier and easier!

There must be something in the air because I LOST 2lbs!!! It's about time. Plus I was able to do 1 hour on the eliptical this morning:) Congrats to you CC & Brandy for the losses as well!

CC - That's good news! Things come and go. But a pound is a pound!

L2L - {{{{{MEGA HUGS}}}}} to you! It seems like all of us are going through the same. I guess being the first holiday banded has hit hard. I wasn't prepared at all! You'll get back on track. You have always done so good so just start fresh today! I challenged myself to drop 10lbs by New Years. I don't want to stay stagnant then offer up a resolution...I never keep them:( I'll join you logging food and we can pump each other up like we were doing....we just all disappeared but we're back!

Thanks for all the support! I knew I could count on you guys! Well, I had my 8th:0 fill yesterday and I think we may have hit it...my Dr was worried that it would be too tight so he let some out and then it was too loose so more went in. He said I have a sliver...expected to hear from me today that I couldn't handle it but so far so good!!! It is different...ate soup and popcorn last night and was FULL!!! Now as I write this, I am trying to get down a Breakfast Shake and it is taking its time but going down...ahhhhh the feeling of tightness. So, today is a new day! I'm starting back recording food to kick me back into shape...hope it continues! Brandy - I can't wait to see wedding pictures! You will be a beautiful bride!!!! CC - I've been where you are too many times. But it was usually in a time of stress. Give it a day or two to see if things settle out then if you feel you need the fill, get it. My Dr is of the school that you know your body best. Bea & Turler - glad you guys are doing okay....we need to get out motivation back!!! Where did it go? I talked to one of the nurses @ my Dr's office who has hd the band for over a year and she said she platued for almost 3 months but then she went back to eating normally. Not worrying with calories, excercise and such for about two weeks. Then went back great guns like she did right after surgery and BAM!!! Weight starting dropping again. I guess I'm there because I haven't worried about all that for about three weeks so no is the time to kick my butt back into it. What can we challenge ourselves with? I want to drop 10lbs by New Years and start 2009 firmly in the 180s. What about you guys????

Thanks Brandy. Sharing with you guys always makes me feel better. Just wish I could snap my fingers and make it all better. Sorry to hear about the teenage drama. I sympathize! 14 yr old going on 30 doesn't help our household much either! I took some time off exercising too. I am going to start back next week after I get over the fill...we'll have to push each other.

Hey guys. Thought I'd check in. I've been on a roller coaster for the last few weeks and it hasn't been fun at all. Luckily, my business has been going well and I was swamped over the holidays. Unfortunately, things with the band haven't been so good. The last banding worked for a day or so then nothing and I mean nothing. I thought it would change over a few weeks and it did...to where there was no restriction at all. I could eat anything and that I did! I haven't shot up but things haven't gone down either. I did talk to my dr. and he said that my depression meds aren't working correctly so that coupled with what's gone with the band has thrown me into turmoil:( I do go for another fill tomorrow. Luckily my Dr. is fitting me in. He said that with all that is going on he was afraid to make me wait for fear of what weight I may gain. SO....I am keeping my fingers crossed. I feel now like I did before I ever had surgery...tired, fat, failure, miserable....don't want to go anywhere or do anything! We're hoping that things will turn around with the fill and a change in my meds. So, please keep your fingers crossed for me. I want to get back on track ASAP! Enough about me....I see that so many of you have reached the -60lbs or more mark. CONGRATS!!! I want to catch up and hear from you guys about what's working! Let me know how you've been! Keep up the good work!!!

Thanks Brandy - I'll keep my fingers crossed for you too that the scales move:)

Well, I am now on my 7th fill! He added .8ccs to take me up to 6.3 - that's only .2 away from my tighest where I had the unfill. Hope this is the magic number! I could actually tell a difference right away. I can feel it being tighter. I am going to take it easy tonight with only liquids and see how it goes. I don't want to undo what he just did. This will be the first time after a fill that I haven't gone back to eating normally. Maybe that's been the issue. I have been bad about logging my food:( I just couldn't bring myself to do it the last few days because it has been so bad and so much! But I will start anew tomorrow. After all, Tomorrow is another day!!!

Oops, sorry Carol. I was actually being called by three little ones at the time....

Brandy - my first name is Katy...but I am so used to hearing "Mom" 24/7 that it might as well be my first name:)

YEAH L2L!!! I know you're happy with the restriction! Hope to join you tomorrow!!!!

OMG Bea! I know you were in some pain! I used to have them when I drank carbonated stuff but NEVER like that!!! {{HUGS}} to you! Hope that this will make you feel better. Thanks guys for understanding the need to whine...it makes me always feel better coming to you all to vent and get it out.