JulieNYC

Well, I didn't lose much weight last month, but it's official -- I've gone down another clothing size. "Too bad" too because I bought so many clothes right after my PS! I knew I was being silly when I bought all that stuff, but it was the first time I could really shop in the trendy stores and I went a little nuts. Anyway, I think there's a chance my plateau will break soon because usually the scale shows the changes right after the body does for me. Keep your fingers crossed for me! On the exercise challenge, I ran 3 miles today and walked 3 miles home from work. I'm running 2 miles tomorrow, then no running until my race on Saturday morning. Yall have a good day tomorrow and let me know what you're up to!

If it were me, I'd give it another few days and truly stick to liquids during that time, even if you get the feeling you could eat something mushy. I think your stoma is irritated from the overfill and now that you got an unfill, the relief is there but it hasn't had time to settle down. Since you can keep down liquids, I'd not worry so much about not having "food" for 6 days. You have energy in storage (fat) and though I definitely agree this isn't a longterm solution for health, you're not going to hurt yourself in days, nutritionally. Of course, if you're uncomfortable and wanted to get another unfill and then creep back up on your sweet spot, I'd think that was totally reasonable as well. Either way is good -- I'd just choose the former myself. Good luck and I'm glad you got relief with the unfill.

Awesome Dawn! I can't believe we're doing our first 10K on the same day! That's great. I'm worried about it too. It's a long distance for me....I'm so glad your plateau has broken. Mine will break next! My legs are changing shape from running, which is kind of fun. I noticed it in the mirror today and again when I was shaving my legs. I really don't have much fat on my calves anymore. Even just like last week they still looked like hambones to me. Still some work to do on the thighs, but I'm seeing progress! Tracy - how silly of me! No, I didn't think to snap a photo with Betty. Guess she'll have to come visit me again!<!-- google_ad_section_end -->

Missy, I'm so sorry about your Dad. If I were you, I probably wouldn't focus on food right now at all -- just on your family. I would probably eat healthy food choices, but things that aren't necessarily perfect bandster choices (meaning softer foods than normal). I'd eat a lot of yogurt, low-fat Starbucks lattes, Protein shakes, low-fat cheese -- softer things that aren't super high in calories but that go down easily. You are under too much stress right now to fight with throwing up. You need to take care of your band so that it can be of use to you later, when you have the 100% you need to devote to this journey. In the interim, eat things that are known to be easy, but --caution-- don't let that be an excuse to eat empty calories on a daily basis (ice cream and the like). Good luck and maybe put a ticker in your calendar for 3 months from now so you can check back in and see if your life has settled to a point where you can make some adjustments to a more traditional bandster diet.

Definitely do both together. If you lose another 10 lbs afterwards, your result shouldn't be compromised. Plus, recovering from surgery burns calories. You'll be at goal in no time flat. Woohoo! Very exciting!

Well, I met up with Betty and Alan yesterday for an early dinner. It was lovely meeting them and Betty is a fit, sexy grammy! I hope they have a great remainder of their NYC trip -- we've got some kind of tropical storm passing through and the weather is the pits. I'm dealing with Monday depression right now -- you know, where you don't sleep well Sunday night because you're facing the whole week ahead of you. I never had it at my old job. I think it's just an adjustment phase. I hope so, at least. No running today. The knees need a break for a day or two. I think it'll be an elliptical machine day, unless I can get out of here in time to take a class at my gym. We'll see how the day plays out!

You look fabulous! I think you'll be really happy with the fleur de lys incision. It gets you so much smaller through the waist than the bottom cut alone does. Hang in there with the recovery. If you're like me, at about the 6 week mark you'll start to feel like yourself again and at the 8 week mark, you'll have to remind yourself that you ever had a pannus!

Way to go Melissa! WOOHOO! What a fabulous result!

I eat about a cup of solid food at a time -- often a little less. If what I'm eating is liquid, it takes quite a bit more to fill me up. I try to stick to solids unless it's something I made at home and am sure of the calorie content.

Kimmom, When I woke up from surgery, I was in the recovery room and I was very groggy. I wasn't in that much pain, but I was very nauseated. I'd read to tell them that immediately, so I did. They gave me a shot and the nausea went away within 5 seconds -- literally. So, that's my first advice for you -- don't suffer through nausea. You don't want to throw up post-op and there's no need to suffer with it. As for the pain, it really wasn't so bad. They gave me a pain shot in the recovery room, then one more when I got to my room. I'd say the pain was a 2 (on a scale of 1-10) when managed and never got above a 4. I went home the same day (optional, but I wanted to go home). I lived in a 4th floor walkup at the time, so you know it can't be too bad if I was OK to walk up stairs (albeit slowly). I didn't sleep great the first night, but I did sleep. I took a week off work, which was perfect. I was more tired than usual for about a month, but I was completely functional -- I just required more sleep. You're going to do just fine. Hang in there and best of luck. It'll be behind you before you know it. You're doing the right thing.

Kittyhorse, You can lose as much weight as you want with the band and it can be ALMOST as fast as RNY if you find the right surgical team and put your all into the process. You don't have to take that approach -- you can opt for something more comfortable (slower fills, higher caloric goals) and that's totally a valid choice. However, don't let someone tell you you're only going to lose 2 lbs/mo with the band. I lost 90 lbs in the first 6 months and 170 lbs in the first year. That's quite comparable to RNY numbers and I'm certainly not the only one. The best advice I can give you is to find a surgical team who believes in the band. Follow-up care is essential to being a successful bandster and you need a practice that gives you fills whenever you need them and listens to you and treats you as a partner in your aftercare. If you go to a practice that doesn't have a lot of band experience or doesn't believe in the band, they may withhold fills from you (i.e. "you have to wait 6 weeks between fills" or "you can't have a fill if you've lost X lbs in the last month), which may cause a slower loss. Of course, speed isn't everything. All I'm saying is find the right practice for you. From your description, I don't think you've found it yet. Good luck!

Boo, funny that you've been dancing. I took a salsa lesson yesterday! It was one of the things on my list of "to do's" once I was at a more comfortable weight. It was so much fun and I'm definitely going back for more. Once I've had a few private lessons, I might even get brave enough for a class. We'll see. What kind of dancing do you do? Well, knock on wood, I THINK I may have finally come out of my binge cycle. I'd been in this bad cycle with food and eating around the band for about a month. I haven't done too much scale damage, but I haven't been helping things either and, more importantly, I just haven't been eating things that have any nutritional value at all (one day I ate nearly only Mentos, for example). Anyway, I feel like I've come out of that hole and am back in normal bandland. I ran a race this morning. 4 miles in Central Park as part of the "Japan Day" festivities. I finished in 43:10, which is a 10:52 pace. My goal was to break an 11 min pace, so that was perfect. Next weekend I have a 10K, which is a really long distance for me, so we'll see how it goes.... I'm off to meet Betty in person in just a few hours!

I did a bowel cleanse the night before surgery because I'd read that it helped prevent some of the left shoulder pain that is associated with residual gas in the system from the laparoscopic technique. My doctor didn't have a preference over whether I did this or not, so I tried it. Honestly, I don't think it helped much. I still had a lot of left shoulder pain. If I had to do it over, I'd probably still do the cleanse though, if for the sole reason that constipation is a side effect of anesthesia and narcotics, so having less in my system pre-op probably alleviated some post-op discomfort. Other than that, I don't have any thoughts on alternative treatments to aid recovery from banding. Good luck with your research!

Well, I made the "gold" challenge with an hour and 24 minutes to spare (wink). I got in a 3 mile/30 min run, then walked the 3 miles home from work. It really took some puzzle skills to get in 23 sessions this month. It's not a goal I'm going to set every month. I think 20 is about perfect for me for the long term -- exercising most days but not letting it totally drive my free time. I should probably keep it up while I'm still in the weight loss phase (I refuse to believe I've left that phase), but in the long run, I might want to cut it back just a little. We'll see, I guess. I learned something interesting today. I had a breakfast meeting and there were huge cinnamon rolls served. Weakling that I am, I took one before I realized what I'd done. Anyway, I ate half of it -- think, doughy, not even that good, you know. Here's the revelation. It REALLY filled me up. As in, I didn't eat again until dinner and even then I only ate because I needed some protein for the day. Now I'm not advocating eating cinnamon rolls on a regular basis. But I am thinking about adding sandwiches and things with dense (but calorie controlled) bread into the mix. It was like that heavy full feeling, but in a really good way. I'll try it out and let you know how it goes. I've got some 7 grain bread in the freezer that I might try for breakfast tomorrow.

Eyespy, Four years ago, I weighed 260 lbs and I felt just like you did. I thought, everything in my life I've wanted, I've been able to get on my own with hard work and dedication, help from family and friends -- tools in my toolbox of life. Losing weight shouldn't be any different. I knew about the band and I researched it for THREE YEARS. Early in those three years, over the course of about 6 months, I lost 100 lbs on a liquid Protein diet. The second I went off the diet I started gaining it back and gained the full 100 I'd lost plus about 40 more. Every day I told myself I was starting a diet and every day I failed. In the interim, I kept researching about the band. Meanwhile, I finished school and started work as a lawyer in NYC -- extremely challenging and rewarding, but extremely stressful. I gained 60 lbs my first year in the workforce, so I was now at 350 (I'm 5'1). I got a trainer and did a lot of weight training and cardio for 2 years. I was in better physical shape, but never lost more than about 10 lbs, gained, lost, gained, lost. I continued researching the band. I just didn't understand why I couldn't do this "on my own." I had a great job, great friends, got a Ph.D. and a J.D. in the same semester -- why couldn't I take care of this one issue that seemed so simple (diet). Then I read some medical literature about weight loss, which was subsequently quoted to me at the information seminar about banding I went to at NYU. The literature said that in weight loss patients studied, only one in FIFTY who needed to lose more than 50 lbs would lose it and keep it off for ONE YEAR. Obviously, I wanted to lose 3 times that amount and, being 30, wanted to keep it off for 50+ years, not one crappy year. So, divorcing it from emotion and just looking at the statistical reality, what were my chances of losing 150 lbs and keeping it off, if only one in fifty kept 50 lbs off for one year? In reading the medical literature, I accepted that I had a disease that I couldn't control. It wasn't a failure on my part to get a band, it was the RESPONSIBLE TREATMENT for my problem and circumstances. I believed it was irresponsible for me to continue -- every single day -- telling myself I could do this on my own. It's like being legally blind and telling yourself tomorrow you can squint enough to drive (diet). Squinting is not a reasonable approach when you can pick up a pair of glasses (the band) and correct your vision. It took me a few more months to get over three issues many pre-bandsters face: (1) the potential for needing a follow-up surgery, (2) accepting that I'd have scars from the band placement, and (3) concerns about loose skin. I have to tell you, with the band behind me now for over a year, these three issues are inconsequential. (1) I'd have the surgery every month if I had to for the rest of my life before I'd go back to being 350 lbs. Obviously, that's an extreme reaction. My point is, banding is a serious decision, but the procedure itself is well, well, well worth the risk and the results are worth having to repeat the risk. It takes being on the other side of banding to accept that. (2) 4 or 5 tiny lines are so much more attractive than carrying around 100+ lbs of extra weight. I like my scars. They remind me to respect my band. Sometimes I pretend they're shark bites and I fabricate crazy stories in my head about how I got them, just for fun. (3) Akin to #2, loose skin is much more attractive -- particularly clothed -- than excess fat. And, loose skin is a sign of success. It's a sign that you're SO MUCH healthier than before. Best of all, it can be removed with plastic surgery. This is a very personal decision and for the band to work, you have to be ready for it. That said, I would encourage you to not be like me -- don't research it for 3 years. Accept that banding is the right tool for the job and move on with the weight loss phase.

Wow, Boo, you're really ALMOST in the 50s. That's AMAZING! I can't wait for it to happen for you -- particularly as it puts you to the 50 lb lost mark as well. That's very special. Keep up the good work. Your return to running is sure to do the trick. I did well on my food today until dinner. I avoided the 4 pm snacking madness, but had a work function for dinner. I'd planned on ordering a salad and that be it. Alas, since it was a dinner for 40, what I didn't kno was they'd set a fixed menu with 4 courses. Now no one force fed me, but when they set a course before you, it's harder to say no than if you have to affirmatively order it, you know? I didn't do SO badly -- I ate fish mostly and reasonable portions, but it wasn't a 1000 calorie day. Ugh.

Yea Molly!!! That's great! You're a wonderful asset to whatever lucky company hires you, whether on a temp or permanent basis. Woohoo! Boy am I looking forward to a fresh start in June. I've done well with getting exercise this month, but I just can't seem to stick to a diet. As I sit here typing, I'm eating an order of spinach and cheese from the Indian restaurant I'd sworn off a couple of weeks ago. I've just GOT to get with it or I'm going to get really, really stuck here at 178, which I don't want to do. Grrrr at me! I started the day well. I ate a bandster breakfast at about 10, stuck to the lunch I brought from home for lunch. Then I had a really stressful meeting at about 3 and by 4:30 I was eating Skittles from the vending machine and planning this dinner I'm eating right now. Grrr. I just don't know what to do other than try again tomorrow and maybe have a plan for 4 p.m. when I'm most succeptible to "Skittles" attacks. Clearly I need stress relief about that time. Maybe I can take a fun magazine to work and go outside and read it for 15 minutes. Or, there are a million clothes stores on my block. Maybe I can spend 15 minutes trying on goal clothes every day around 4. Yeah, maybe that'll work. That and a LOT more water. I only got in 3 glasses today. No more excuses

Molly, Knock'em dead at your job interview and report back, ok? So exciting! Betty, Cool Running :: running run training marathon runners jogging jogger joggers runner run fitness exercise diet weight loss nut... -- check out the "training" tab and the "couch to 3 mile" walk to run program. Even if your goal isn't to full on run, you can modify the program to be a walk-runner. There's also a guy named Jeff Galloway who writes books on walk/running. I've never read him but I hear he's good and you can check him out on Amazon, I'm sure.

The scale is still in a foul mood this morning. I, however, am not. It's a gorgeous day in NYC, i have well planned out meals for the day and I'm getting a jump on the day -- already at the office working on my first 3 cups of Propel. Have a good day all.

I did a 6 mile run this morning with my friend, Carrie, who is a much faster runner than I am (she's running the 1/2 marathon with me). Anyway, it was great! It was the first time I'd run with someone where we really ran together the whole way. I've got to say, I loved it. There were places where if I'd been alone, I know I would have walked a lot of it, but with her there, it made it easier to challenge myself. We did it in 66 minutes -- super slow for her, but a good pace for me. My scale was up this morning, but I know it's a liar. Wink.

The pre-op diet is the HARDEST part of the journey. Just remember that it's very short. 14 days and it's over. You WILL eat again and you will eat your favorite foods again. I don't think I believed that during the pre-op phase, which is why I had such a hard time with it. You can do it. You're doing your part to make sure you have a safe surgery and an easy recovery. For post-op, just have some liquids on hand. Don't worry so much about the mushies -- you'll be out shopping well in advance of worrying about mushies. For liquids (subject to your doc's instructions), have some tomato Soup, some grape juice, some clear Protein drinks. If you like Chinese food, egg drop or hot & sour soup that's strained makes you feel like you're eating something. Don't worry too much about this. You're not going to be hungry post-op (at least for several days) and you've got plenty in storage to fuel your body, so as long as you stay hydrated, you have nothing to worry about.

You might want to check into prescription bleaching creams as well. I don't know much about them, but I think they're one method of treatment for these kinds of issues.

I had an extended TT and BL 8 weeks ago and I promise, you're going to be fine -- it's not going to be as bad as you think. You definitely won't need a wheelchair. I really encourage you to have your daughter spend that first weekend with you though. For the first 48 hours, you really might need some help getting to the bathroom, even if it's just someone walking with you to make sure you don't fall. Having someone to prepare your meals/change the DVD/get you the box of kleenex you can't reach, etc. is really useful for about 3 days. After that, you can do it on your own with minimal discomfort. You might have that "what have I done to myself" moment within the first 48 hours -- it passes. When the bandages come off (for me this was at 2 weeks), you'll be so, so glad you did this. A month is PLENTY of time to be off work. I suspect you'll be down a pant size by 1 month, or at least in your current pants. At 1 month, I really don't think you'll be so swollen that you need bigger pants. For me, once the main bandages were off and I was in a girdle rather than a binder, the clothing options really opened up (zippers and buttons became OK again). I'm with the rest though -- elastic waist is your friend for the first few weeks. You're going to do great!

Sheree, Good for you for speaking up and best of luck on your surgery. I have a feeling what happens sometimes is those of us who have been on this site for a while have tended to find a "click" if you will and we tend not to check the whole forum as regularly as we used to. I think this may explain some of why there doesn't seem to be a flood of longer term high success bandsters. They do exist though -- on the April 06 forum, there are at least 7 very active members who have achieved "overweight" status and are actively scratching our way to "normal." There are several others who are still clinically obese, but have lost serious lbs and are striving to lose more. That said, I'll try to post more on the main threads as well. You remind us all that there are people looking for the kind of support we all needed earlier in this journey. Best of luck to you!