julie.ann

I don't think it matters. As long as you use one scale to monitor you will know if you lose or not. That is what matters.

That's okay. In Bandlandia dreams really do come true!

At the very least keep a protien shake nearby. Get your solid protien when you do eat. Make the calories count!

Jill, That is awesome. Hitting the 220s is a huge milestone!!!!!

You know what I have found? Anytime I have looked at the numbers and at the goal I slow down. If I look at doing what I am supposed to each day. One day at a time then the weight melts off. Good luck. I know how you feel. I can't wait to see the 170s!

Also, she told me to learn the difference betweeen a LAPSE, RELAPSE and COLLAPSE. That I need to be conscious of those three stages and to understand that the first one WILL happen, the second one will happen if I let it and the third one is a choice that I am making. This is a great way of looking at this. Thanks!

Great post! Cheers to the band. Our best friend!

Jul, Becareful with soda. If the carbonated beverages stretch your pouch there may be no going back. It is one thing to eat unhealthy and then get back on the wagon. Please don't do anything that you can't reverse. I have had some bad weekends so far in May. Forget it. It is in the past. Don't dwell on it. Resolve to move forward. You can do it!!!

Cheryl, When I stop keeping such close tabs on what I eat at sparkpeople.com I can tell I stop losing like I should. It really took 3 months for it to become a lifestyle, but I know it will only take a week to undo all that self teaching. I haven't been as focused and the weight loss is slowing. It is hard. I have changed things up at the gym and had them make me a work out schedule 3 days a week. I have only done it twice already. The other days i can make it to the gym I will do cardio and maybe abs. Hang in there. Remember your basics. Protein first then veggies. No drinks with your meal and stop as soon as you start to feel full....or don't feel hungry anymore. The biggest mistake I make and hardest thing I struggle with is not eating unless I am hungry. Hang in there! A fresh start starts now. BTW I also think it helps to have a ticker to update. Everyday I lose....even if it is just .2 lbs I come on here and update to see the loss. It is positive reinforcement. When I loose...Like today...I think this is the least I have weighed in 9 years! WOW! It helps me to work. I also weigh daily on my wii fit and it graphs my progress. Daily weighing isn't for everyone...but it is great for me. Come back on the web site everyday. Read some blogs....write some blogs. As I have slowed down this month I have found myself visiting the site less and weighing in less. The last few days have been good and look at me. I'm here visiting more often again!

Well put me down for a loss of 2.9. Yeah. Only one pound away from my goal of the century mark!

That is great MyMy! Remember what it was like just 6 months ago? YUCK! Those days are behind you now!

Wendy, I KNOW! Still blows my mind. I look in my closet and I don't know which pair of cute jeans to wear! I'm used to having ONE pair of jeans I like because they are comfortable. American Eagle......Tommy Hilfiger....Maurices....Old Navy.....WOW! Are those really in MY closet????? I love to just go and try on clothes. Of course they are second hand because who can afford to keep buying new clothes? i think it is funny after almost 100 lbs people say "So have you had to buy a new wardrobe yet?" I want to say...Ah,.....YA THINK! HE HE it is so much fun now. I am starting to have to be careful because I am starting to spend too much on clothes! Have fun!!!

Sounds like you are still too tight. Be careful and let us know how things go. Maybe your doctor can see you sooner.

I just wanted to add that the phone consult I had with Dr. K was the clincher for me too. I felt like he understood what I am feeling and really knew his stuff. He was very candid and personable. It has been 6 1/2 months and I have't regretted my desicion a single day! I don't know when I will make it back to see Dr. K and his staff. It has been over a month and I can't imagine needing a fill anytime soon, but I look forward to it when I do have to make the long trip out there. It have been worth every minute I have put into this journey and every dollar!

I have heard some people say that they open the band with a warm drink in the morning to get her going. I have had some problems that have resolved as long as I mix textures. I love to mixe cottage cheese with roast beef or turkey although the turkey has been giving me a harder time lately and I am not doing very much of it anymore. If you are gravitating toward soft foods it is sounding like you have soft food syndrome and my need a small unfill. Too tight is just as bad or worse than too lose. Soft food will slide right through without doing it's job. I suggest you call your doctor. Good luck and keep us posted.

Well things are essitially unchanged this week. I am getting back to the basic rule of if I am not hungry then I don't eat. I had a very good day yesterday. I am really havng to take small bites and chew well to keep from getting stuck. My meals are not large and can last me 4-5 hours, but I have to make sure I don't snack. That has been a problem for me in the past 2 weeks. I am not down on myself because I had gained a few lbs and lost that so I'm actually on the downward slope again. I got a workout schedule made up for me at the gym so I am anxious to see if that helps me become more defined and lose inches. I am close to the century mark and ANYTIME I concentrate on the numbers and not the process I stop doing well. So back to the process and the numbers will follow. I also am working on being better about recording my food intake on www.sparkpeople.com because I have always said that that is the best tool for my weight loss with the exception of the band.

Another bad weekend. I lost a lot and gained a bunch back. Put me down for -2.0 lbs this week. Thanks for keeping track.

I feel that way too depending on what I eat. I have really tried to push it lately for some reason. I have had to accept the fact that pizza crust is no longer something I can eat. i ate some crackers one day and followed it with a swig of water (I know...I was SOOOO thirsty) The crackers with the water made a thick paste in my stomach and I had to just walk away for quite a while. Turkey breast has gotten harder to eat. Moist chicken breast still isn't bad at all. No Bread, Pasta, Rice or Potatoes to that thinks don't get stuck. Tiny bites and chew. I cut up my meat to pieces like I would give a two year old. I mix textures. That really helps me. I might have problems with roast beef, but if I mix it with cottage cheese I can eat it without any problems. If I make poor food choices I would choke every meal. I'm not saying that is your problem, but that is my advice. I hope that helpss.

How about before and during pics? The first is me last August at my brother's wedding. This is when I decided I was going to get the lapband no matter what. The second is me at 5 months and then 6 months. I am down about 98 lbs.

April 4, 2009 Well the day is here! It is time to do the ONEderland Happy Dance!!!! I can’t believe it!!! I want to scream it to the heavens! I had this grand goal to hit it by April 1st. It happened a few days late, but who am I to complain? I just can’t believe it! In under 6 months I have gone from 285lbs to 199lbs. I just can’t believe it! My next goal is to get to the century mark and lose 100 lbs. That is about 15 lbs and my next goal is Memorial Day. I have big news on top of that. I shared my experience with a friend. This sounds like a small thing, but it isn’t for me. I have a 7 hour drive one way for a fill and I asked a friend to go with me. About 45 minutes into the drive I told her why we were headed out to Denver. I was very nervous about sharing with someone else. I’m not ready for everyone to know. I guess I am more ready than I have been in the past because it isn’t a question of whether or not I will be successful. She told me that sooner or later people or going to start to wonder if I had something done because usually people plateau and I haven’t yet. She might have a point, but have to tell people on my terms when I am ready. She even came back and saw me get a fill. I did get a fill yesterday. I was on the fence about whether or not to get one. I have been doing pretty good. I was surprised that I needed 0.6cc. Everything went down without a hitch after that….water, lunch, supper. No problem and we will see how things set in about 10 days when the fill takes effect. I still find it funny that it takes that long to kick in. Well this fat girl will keep doing the happy dance all day and someday I might realize that I’m not the fat girl I used to be. I still have a long way to go, but I’m not sure when my head will catch up with my weight.

I was wondering where you have been LoveIslovely. I think I am beginning to get into the "lifetime" mentality. I am not as strict as I have been and my 3# per week has slowed to about 2#. I don't freak out if I eat something less than perfect because I know that I will get back ont he wagon and the weight will keep coming off. I don't know if I am burnt out on worrying about it so much, or if it is just becoming another part of my life instead of the focus. Have you gotten there yet? I wonder if I am just rationalizing not making it a focus. I guess time will tell. I think I can still average about 10# a month...maybe 8.

Go (or send a friend) to get some miralx. Watch the amount of pain meds you are taking and get plenty of hydration. You don't want to get completely constipated. Stool softners help and are not adictive.

Did I ever regret? Never. It has been 6 months. I have lost 98 lbs. It has been hard work. Really hard work, but worth it!

I too have found that I traded one addiction to another. Mine was of course eating....I traded it for following the bandsters guidelines. It has been great because that is how I have had such good results, but I know that I need everything in moderation.