L12

I didn't have to get that specific on my expectations; actually, they didn't ask what I expected, only what I hoped for. I think my answer was to at least get to 170lbs, which still would have left me slightly obese, but much healthier than 250lbs. I didn't know how long it would take me, but I knew I wouldn't stop trying until I had at least reached that goal. Thankfully I was able to exceed that.

Several years ago I worked part time at a clothing store, and was a size 12 at the time. Two women were leaving the dressing room, and part of their conversation included one of them saying she would kill herself if she was ever a size 12. I didn't say anything, but I thought "Really? I'm a size 12 and have only 30 days until my husband returns home after being in Iraq for almost two years. I have both a full and a part time job I love, I was just accepted to grad school, and have wonderful family, friends, and pets. Why would I want to kill myself?!" I should have said that out loud, but you know how it goes! Anyway, I figure people like that either have so little in their lives or are so supremely superficial and shallow that size is the most important thing to them, above love, health, achievement, etc. Or they're just extremely thoughtless and ignorant.

I think there were a few other brands included in that particular study besides Muscle Milk (Myoplex was one of them I believe). I don't really drink protein drinks too often, so I'm not sure what I would do. I find Muscle Milk to be one of the better tasting protein drinks; if I only drank them once in a while I wouldn't worry, but if I drank them all the time...I don't know. I hope you come up with a good solution!

My doctor does lapband over gastric bypass; he actually switched from bypass only to banding only because so many of his bypass patients were stretching out their pouches and regaining their weight, and has not run into that problem with the band.

I last saw my doctor in July. I had exceeded my weight loss goal at that time, and he OK'd me losing more if I wanted. We scheduled the next appointment for July 2011, unless I have problems or need a fill before that.

I had lost about that amount of weight at the SIX MONTH mark, because it takes a while to get restriction, which is how the band works. As you can see from my ticker, I did lose the weight, I just had to put in the time and let the band and the fills work. Did you research the surgery before you had it? It isn't a quick fix...

Maybe try something easy for you to eat this one time--soup? Last time I was at Chili's I was rather tight, and they had a soup and salad combo dinner that was easier for me.

I agree, and that's what I've done for most of my "new" clothes on my weight loss journey. Even thrift stores sometimes have a boutique section with nicer pieces. I just got to the point recenty where I thought I was safe to buy a NEW pair of jeans; washed them, wore them a few times, and OF COURSE I immediately lost a bit more weight, so now they are loose! That has taught me: keep shopping for used until I've hit my ultimate goal of 125lbs, which is only eight pounds away!

Eggs last the longest for me, then beef or pork. I also agree with the posters above; as a meal, chili definitely keeps me full, and is relatively easy for me to eat.

I finished Couch to 5K a few weeks ago, and will be starting a half marathon training plan in a week. I used to run before I gained weight and have run races before, including one half; hoping to run a full marathon in May if the half goes well in January. I didn't want to start running again until I was well below 200lbs though; I had knee problems when I was heavier, and didn't want to risk hurting myself. Definitely go slow in your speed and distance; it's usually advisable to build up and maintain a good mileage base before improving upon either of those.

Sizes have definitely changed. Ten or fifteen years ago, I weighed less than I do now and my body measurements were smaller, but I only fit into a size 8. NOW, I weigh more and my measurements are bigger, but I fit into size 4's, even a few 2's. While I'm glad I've lost weight, this vanity sizing just makes me roll my eyes. It is absolutely ridiculous that I have to worry that I may shrink down into children's sizes someday--it doesn't make sense to me. :puke: I just thought I'd add, I was underwear shopping the other day, just for a few pairs of the regular cotton kind. I fit into extra smalls now, and there were no smaller sizes. I'm hoping to get down to 125 lbs (healthy BMI of 21.5,), which made me a size 6 in my younger years, and it looks promising that I'll get there eventually without too much effort. Soooo...do normal, thin people not wear underwear, or do they shop in the girls section??? :crying:

I kept track of my weight loss pretty regularly; below shows my progression (I deleted some of the stats so you didn't have to sort through daily weights--but a few months I didn't record it on my ticker). 09/27/2010 - 134 08/15/2010 - 135 07/20/2010 - 143 06/13/2010 - 145 05/12/2010 - 150 04/14/2010 - 159 03/11/2010 - 168 02/04/2010 - 180 11/13/2009 - 191 10/04/2009 - 199 09/04/2009 - 205 07/14/2009 - 208 05/26/2009 - 219 01/04/2009 - 231 12/31/2008 - 246 (day of surgery) 12/01/2008 - 252 I didn't really do anything special, I didn't even exercise that much until I started running in the last few months. Right now I hover around 135, up and down a little day to day. I'd like to get down to 125 eventually, but honestly I'm focused more on improving my running and training for a half marathon than I am on weight loss right now.

No problem, hope it helps! If not, DEFINITELY call your doctor. Also, when I'm really tight, drinking a cup of hot tea often helps to loosen me up--could be why the Starbucks went down easily for you? That's probably the most useful tip I learned from these boards, and it has come in very handy!

Did you try drinking anything soon after your Starbucks? You're probably dehydrated, and should be trying to sip on something constantly. Even now, almost two years after my surgery, if I don't drink enough I get very tight and have a hard time with solids and sometimes even mushies. Next time you are able to drink anything, keep ON drinking as much as you can!

For me, salad is not a slider food. But then again, I load mine with lots of vegetables and meat or hardboiled eggs, and don't overdo on fattening dressings, so it's a complete, filling, nutritious meal.

It took me about five months and I think about five fills until I had good restriction. I didn't lose that much during that time, but once I was around my sweet spot, the weight started falling off. I had mentally prepared myself for the wait for restriction, so I wasn't really too worried. Give it time, it WILL happen eventually!

I take Lexapro. It's a relatively small pill, and I've had no problems getting it down or with side effects before or after banding.

I didn't work out much at all during most of my weight loss. After about 50 lbs. down, I started cycling once in a while, but not regularly. I had a lot of foot problems that didn't start to get better until I was under 200 lbs. In June after I had already exceeded my final weight loss goal, I started running with the Couch to 5K program, just finished a few days ago and am now training for a half marathon. I don't really like working out unless I have a goal other than weight loss.

Not long ago I would have been on the side of "don't tell," and I told no one but husband and family at first; then eventually I let loose and told people once I made it past Onederland. But now, I don't know. I've lost so much weight that coworkers are being very nosy and borderline rude about my eating habits and weight loss, and making it very clear that they are worried I'm anorexic (that started when I was still at an overweight BMI) :smile::rolleyes2::yesnod:. If I hadn't told them I had weight loss surgery, I'm pretty sure they would have attempted an intervention or something :sneaky:.

What kind of Tricare do you have? Standard, Prime, Reserve Select... Also, did you check with Tricare to verify that your surgeon is approved for Tricare? I found that just because a doctor accepts Tricare, doesn't necessarily mean that Tricare will cover the surgery with that doctor. If you have Prime, you need to go through your PCM for a referral. If you have Standard or Reserve Select, you won't have a PCM and don't need a referral; you just need to find out what the surgeon wants from you next--probably past medical records (especially for any comorbidities), bloodwork, psych eval, things like that so they can submit you to Tricare to get authorization for surgery. I wouldn't really trust a hospital or doctor with knowing the requirements for Tricare without checking myself. Tricare's requirements are much easier than most other insurance, and some hospitals are clueless about that, AND about the differences in the types of Tricare. Plus some doctors have additional requirements that go above Tricare's; Tricare doesn't require a six month diet, but some doctors will still require you to do one anyway.

I have Tricare Reserve Select and it was VERY easy. The only issue I had at all with insurance was actually the (civilian) hospital's fault coding me with the wrong type of Tricare, which actually caused a delay of surgery and much more $$$--but it was rescheduled, and I eventually got a refund. I love Tricare, but would love it even more if providers understood it!

If I'm not very tight, I can eat quite a bit of salad, but otherwise just a few bites, pretty much like anything else. Most foods that people call "slider" foods don't really "slide" for me though; I guess I'm lucky in that my band helps me with just about everything I eat.

I finally reached my sweet spot five months after surgery, only three days before going on a cruise. There is NO way I would have traded that for endless cruise food. And I still had an amazing time on the cruise without piling up my plate! I'm glad the band can be unfilled, but I consider that an option ONLY when I may be too tight or if I ever experience serious health problems, NOT as a way to enable me to eat like I used to. If I wanted to do that, I wouldn't have had the surgery.

I am at the end of Couch to 5K; I only have the last 45 minute run to do and I'm done! I'm moving on to training for a half marathon in December. Though the program does take effort, for me it has been a very gradual, easy way to work up to running a few miles nonstop.

I eat wraps sometimes, not subs--too uncomfortable with all that bread! I could manage a bite or two at the most. I watch my husband eat a whole sub once in a while, and think "That would make me feel like I was dying!" :thumbup: I miss sandwiches with big, thick slabs of bread sometimes, but not enough to regret having the band and being thin and healthy.