househuntress

Not happy with my progress at the moment. I'm needing some insight from those that have been doing this longer than I have. Does the weight loss usually just stop for a while? Do you just slowly loose weight from that point on as your body adjusts? I live about 3 hours from my doctor and anyone that has been on this journey. The INTERNET is my only help with questions. The Doctors office isn't helpful..just come in but that costs money..I really just need some advice that isn't read from a brochure. My Dr. dismissed me at the 1 year mark and set up my next appt. for 6 months later. My 18 mo.. mark will be next Tuesday. Anyone check in at the 18 month mark and what was your outcome? I have struggled with the same 5 pounds since April. No more loss. I feel wonderful but still not in wonderland. I can't seem to break that yo yo with those pounds and get back into that wonderful loosing mode where it was just sooo easy. I know I pick...can't eat a lot at a sitting unless I haven't eaten much during the day. But if I've pb'ed I'm hungry and just eat a little here and there. I've journaled but can't get a number since I do pb..soooo I don't know how many calories I really take in. I haven't broken myself of the eating too fast and not chewing well enough. Any advice or motivational encouragement would be greatly appreciated. Great Success to all!

Hey Violets! Hope everything is going well for you and yours. My Dr. dismissed me at the 1 year mark and set up my next appt. for 6 months later. My 18 mo.. mark will be next Tuesday. Anyone check in at the 18 month mark and what was your outcome? I have struggled with the same 5 pounds since April. No more loss. I feel wonderful but still not in wonderland. I can't seem to break that yo yo with those pounds and get back into that wonderful loosing mode where it was just easy. I know I pick...can't eat a lot at a sitting unless I haven't eaten much during the day. But if I've pb'ed I'm hungry and just eat a little here and there. I've journaled but can't get a number since I do pb..soooo I don't know how many calories I really take in. I haven't broken myself of the eating too fast and not chewing well enough. So...what has been your story..18 months out??? Great Success to all!

Hello All, For years I couldn't get insurance because I was too fat. So..I'm thinking I've lost 75 lbs, I'll see if I can get some good rates on insurance. I was told by one insurance company that I was declined because I wasn't TWO years out from lapband? WHAT!!!! What are they waiting for?..to see if I die in two years or have complications before they say they will cover me. GGGGGrrrrrrrrrrrrr.. I HATE INSURANCE COMPANIES!! They're all rip offs......*sigh* it's just WRONG..they can do this. Anyone have new insurance since lap band? What company? I'm in Texas, since that might make a difference.

Points to my diet ticker. Can't hide any longer. I've gained 5!!!... count em 5!!! freaking pounds doing the same thing I did before the band. Hiding from the scales and accountability!! Here it is for all to see...Here I am..taking control AGAIN!! Write down what I eat. eat protein first and DO NOT!!!DO NOT!!! graze between meals if I PB or get stuck during a meal. For some reason that gives me the OK to graze all day since I didn't eat much at meal time.. ARRRRGGGHHHHHHHHHHH!!! The hunger is back..head or otherwise. I want the NO hunger I had when I first got the band.!! OK..enough of my whining. Everyone have a WONDERFUL VIOLET DAY!!!

Janie...High and dry here! Well sorta soggy but all is safe. Hugs to those that had to move everything. We're all here with moral support! Janie...yeah..it's the ice cream/chips/soft stuff that is keeping me from losing. The good food..can't seem to eat that without having problems. I think my BIG problem is still eating tooooooooo darn fast and not chewing enough. I'm working on that today. Kat....hugs hugs to you. We're all saying prayers that you can keep your band OR whatever is BEST and SAFEST for YOU...HUGS again. Fairy...becareful of the hot baths during pregnancy. Hope you feel better fast. Loving that you're preggers Terry, Teach, Mdrai, kity, Suzicat, Jennifur, TracyK..*trying to add everyone but if I missed one..sorry:eek:* HUGS glad to get back online to hear all the fun chatter. I'm trying to be online more..that keeps me honest in my eating...Time for work!! Later!

Teach, Wicked is WONDERFUL! I saw it last year in Dallas. O.K. chat rooms here is fine. I work so I'm usually online later at night. Anyone have an idea of time? I'm central time. We could plan from 8pm to 11pm central? Would that give the east and west coast time or maybe earlier?

I'm always lurking but don't feel I have much to offer ..but when I do..here I am. First, I've lost 3lbs since the NEW US started. Yea!!!:frown: I thought we could make our own chat room? There's something called chat maker dot com. It says it's free. I haven't checked it out totally yet. Maybe someone has a better idea but I thought it would be good to have a place to *CHAT* real time for support? What do you all think? I'm not sure if the messengers have anything like it. I think most of them are just what they are called..either a forum or messenging a couple of people.

I'm struggling at the moment to loose more weight. I've been at a standstill for months now. The scary part is...I've gained 4 lbs!! For those that have lost a lot of weight quickly..what do you eat a day? At first I did't think about food and wasn't very hungry but 15 months later..I'm thinking about food and hungry. I think I'm topped out on my fills so I'm doing something wrong. I

This morning for breakfast: thin sliced ham on one slice of 45 whole wheat bread (toasted) 1 tsp of low sugar peach jelly. Didn't eat all of it! Didn't drink my coffee for 30 min before or after I ate,. Now the hard part....drinking water. Bottoms up! Snack...1/2 carton of chocolate EAS (110 calories) and baby bell cheese Drinking water Looking at pictures of bicycles....for ME!! What did you do good for yourself today? Positive thinking, Positive thinking and ACTIONS!! It's amazing how good I feel when I take control and get back on track...nothing has changed but MY ATTITUDE!

Hi Janie, Do you have your fills already paid for? If not I would find another Dr. I was in the Medical Profession for 30 years...yea...I started at 19. When you and your Dr. aren't on the same page..it spells disaster. THEY work for YOU!! End of story. If you already have the fills paid for..make an appt. with one of the Dr.'s in the clinic to just TALK. Then talk to them..tell them why you aren't happy...if all else fails..Tell them you want your fill money back so you can go somewhere that you're happy. Since they have your money and you haven't used the service they HAVE to give it back. House is part of my last name and I now sell real estate..soooo HouseHuntress...House is fine.

I didn't come this far to quit now!!!!!!!!!! No snacking in between meals unless it's a protein drink (110cal.), a piece of fruit and a babybelle cheese...Back to bandster rules. No drinking 30 min before or 30 min after, protein, veggies and then a few carbs if you can hold it....NOOOOOO eating carbs first. Back to the excitment of first being banded and NO....to eating/sneaking/snacking past the band! It feels soooo GOOD to take control again. I think I'm going to buy a bicycle..anyone ride a bike for exercise? That's the one thing I haven't done is excercise since I started this journey. I know that's the key with no snacking. Counts 3 that's joined...Who else?

Haydee, I'm going through the same thing with some *so called friends* We've been **friends** for at least 10 years. There's only one in the bunch that I can call or she calls me to go shopping, etc. It's usually putting together showers/birthday parties/weddings etc for all of the **friends** children. The group is more what I call social couple/girlfriends....friends. I got a disturbing dose of reality about 6 months ago..my **friends** voted against me on a community board. I wasn't rich enough evidently. Hurt my feelings big time. Even though I'm the one that puts the parties together, the girlfriend trips, lunches..etc. I finally told them off......I thought long and hard about it.....now..there will be consequences...I no longer have *those ***friends*** in my life. There will be some things that I will miss and things that won't ever be again. But......on the whole....I feel FREE! I have new friends and making more. It's tough but I decided life is too damn short and percious to waste it on people that don't value you for yourself...only what they get out of you. All of these women were raised upper middle case like I was...I made much better grades, have my own business and doing well.........THEY married MONEY and lots of it. That's where the difference is and if someone tells you it doesn't matter.....well they don't have a grip on reality. I know I worried about this problem much more than they did...I truly wasn't a blip on their radar, so as I said ...I'm free to find friends that truly value the awesome, intelligent person I am. *big grin* Think about the ramifications of telling them off and then do what you really feel you NEED to do to be happy. If you have to ask...am I really their friend...then you're not. Hugs, ~HH~

Thank you Haydee, I've got the number in case I need it. My Dr. does a fluro each time I get a fill. In In the begining he was pretty aggressive but now he wants you to do more of the work than the band. Three of the nurses in his office are banded..they have all started to gain back weight since I've been there in a year. I was sooooo afraid that was going to happen to me. I see others in the pics here and they've lost 100 lbs in less time or they've continued to loose weight..so ....what's the key? I know it's out there..I just don't have a good answer yet..and since I'm 2 hours away from ANYONE ....I rely heavily (no pun intended *G*) on you all. I still make fun of myself for being fat...so I know some of this is head...but some of it's NOT. I just want them to tweak what's not.

Thanks so much, Terri, TracyK and Janie for answering my post. When I first talked to the Dr. he was and still is very nice, his nurse is nice and understanding (she's been banded also) BUT his office is HORRIBLE. I can't talk to the nurse or the Dr. The only way I can make contact with a question is to go in for an appt. I live 2 FREAKING hours away!!:thumbup: At one point I had 3 cc's in my band so when he took everything out..there was air mixed with the saline...It's like a waterbed...how does the air get in there and where does the saline go? Anyway...I'll have to come up with the money for another visit. I hate this feeling of *the monster being back! The craving for food, the thinking about what I'll eat next! For almost a year the demon had died. I want him DEAD, DEAD DEAD again. *:thumbup:* I've never been TOO tight to eat the creamy stuff..which is how I gain weight...since I can't eat the protein. I know some of this is *head stuff* but some of it isn't...IF it went away before it can go away AGAIN. At least that's what I'm hoping. Thanks for listening.

I'm curious to know how much saline each of you have in your band...well at least in a 4cc band since that's what I have. I'm not really sure, since my doctor won't tell me!! He says he doesn't want his patients to get hung up on how many cc's in the band to tell them if they are tight enough or not. I will say something about *sweet spot* and he will remark ..."well I can tell you're reading that internet stuff*! The last time he took everything out and then put *???* whatever back in when I saw him in April of this year. I've been struggling ever since. I can eat way more and am hungry and think of food like I use to...I HATE that feeling. He looked at the fluro in april and said that was perfect...patted me on the shoulder and warned me to only eat until I felt some restriction and no snacking. Well HELL!!! I wasn't even hungry until that last *tweak* I now have to pay for fills. My first year was in my *self-pay part of the surgery*....I think I was up to 3.5cc's before the taking everything out. Please give me some input. If I'm just weak...I'll deal with it..but I don't see how..I went from doing great and not really thinking of food to NOT losing any weight for 3 months now. IN fact I've gained 4lbs!!!!!:thumbup: I don't want to be a whinny baby but I need some advice from you all. Thanks for listening.:thumbup:

Sorry All, My keyboard just quit and I finally got it working again. I also wanted to know..what type of excercise all of you do. I've heard that some are bicycling. Any use the *Tony Little thing?* I have a friend that would let me use hers..any good?

I'm not sure if I'm in the right forum but here goes. I had lap band surgery april 07...to date I've lost 76 lbs. For the last three months I've gained two pounds and lost two pounds over and over. For the year after I had the surgery I would just skate along losing weight. I didn't count points, calories, fat grams NOTHING! life was good. I had never known what it was like to just eat and be full and not think about food 24/7. I've got 3.8cc in my band. I'm not sure how big of band I have since a 4cc band holds more than 4cc, etc. It's rather confusing. I have restriction with food but I can eat way more than I use to and I'm hungerier than I use to be. For those that have been banded a year or longer...what's going on? Will I just start losing again? Did my pouch stretch and now I can eat more and be hungry? Will I have to go to Weight Watchers like I did before...which didn't work by the way! I'm so frustrated and mad at myself for gaining any weight!!! I'm tons more active than I use to be and don't eat anything like I use to..so why in the heck am I gaining? HELP!!!!! BTW...I would have the surgery again in a heart beat...it's the only thing that's EVER worked for me and I've been fat since I was 9 years old. Thanks for listening.

As far as the gastric sleeve. I have a friend who had that one month before I had my lap band surgery. She has thrown up since day one. Can't get much at all so she sips the creamy stuff. I've lost the same amount and my life isn't abnormal as hers is. I can eat most foods within reason. She can't. She has more problems with reflux since she throws up so much. Anyway that's my observations.

I walk more and have taken up tennis. I don't have a regular gym day or anything like that. My work prohibits a regular anything. I DO need to exercise more...even though I HATE it. I love to play..that's why I enjoy the tennis. But damn!! it's hot in Texas now. WHEW!

Hey all, I've been reading and reading and I can't catch up. My weight has stopped for 4 months now. I still play with 2lbs up and down. I'm NOT where I want to be....in weight loss. When I had my year check up..the Dr. said..congrats you have lost the national average! Well DAMN!! I wanted to lose MORE...and I started out that way but somewhere I went astray. I'm not gaining like I would if I didn't have the band but maybe I've gotten comfortable??? TRULY what do some of you eat a day? Looks like everyone's loosing but me. Of course I know it gets harder but I was soooo happy not having to count points, weigh food, etc.. etc. I did that for all of my life and it didn't work..this was the only time I wasn't hungry. Now...the hunger is back..some..nothing---nothing..like before. I've got good restriction..according to my Dr. O.K....I NEED some advice, support....I'm all ears. Thanks for listening.

Sorry I might have misspelled. This is a *virus* that causes ulcers and can lead to cancer of the stomach. MANY people have had this and taken the meds to kill it. I was wondering if anyone that has had the ulcers from this has had the lap band? I haven't talked to a lap band surgeon yet (still trying to make the decision to do this). These are MY worries and fears and the reason I haven't had the surgery. Please help to either dispel my fears or give it a name. 1. Husband's not wanting me to have it done. Thinks it will change US. 2. MONEY!! I will have to be self pay, it's a lot of money to take out of OUR account especially if hubby isn't on board with the idea. 3. Afraid that the lap band will damage my esophagus from reflex/stretching/etc. 4. TERRIFIED I will fail. I can't stay on a diet for a week right now...how in the world will this work when I've FAILED sooooo many times. O.K. that's the big fears. :help: Thanks for listening.

Waves to all, Well I just got back from my Doctor and free fills. It's my bandaversiary and I found out I've lost the national AVERAGE...that sucks!! I was doing sooo well but haven't lost more than a pound a month for 4 months. Soooo, I'm here to kick start myself back into losing mode!! I've pulled out my little plate, one cup bowl and small fork. NOOOOOOOO grazing NOOOOOOOO ice cream or comfort food More Protein More bites and chewing O.K......let the game begin!!!!!!!!!! Putting on my game face :tt2:

For my Band anniversary hubby and I are taking son, daughter in law, and our two beautiful preK grandsons to DISNEYWORLD!!!! In one week!!! I'm doing a happy dance...haven't been in 20 years..so I have no idea what the little ones can do. But we're going to have fun!!! Can't wait, can't wait!!:thumbup::thumbup: I've read the Disney website so much I'm overwhelmed with info at the moment. Any tips? We're staying at the All-Star Move Resort.

Hello to All Violets!! Sounds like everyone is doing wonderful. Sorry to hear a few had the *bug* but it's that time of year. :crying: For the first time since my band was placed I'm having pain in the port area. When I move a certain way it HURTS. I can put my hand on it and push it tight against my body and the pain lessens. So...I'm hoping it's muscle pain. I've exercised some and wonder if that is the culprit? Anyone have an idea what it is? Hurts like Hell! And of course it makes me not want to excercise but of course I look for any excuse NOT to excercise! I'm soooo lazy in that respect. Still haven't lost any weight in over 3 months....playing with the same two lbs. It just sucks to know I'm not eating ANYTHING like I use to and still gain 2lbs on the same amount. My body hates me I think. O.K. enough venting for now...Thanks to all for listening. Have a wonderful Violet week!!