cwm812

Christie and Jodi, All I can say is Bravo for all you've done already. All this weight loss stuff should be a piece of cake (poor choice of words??) after all you've been through. My mom was widowed a a young age and had a serious weight problem. But regardless of her own issues, she raised 3 successful daughters. I never had any idea how difficult all of this was until I had a few kids of my own and had a husband to help. Hang in there ladies and keep doing what needs to be done, for both you and your families! Cindy

Congratulations! I just managed to zip up a pair of size 12 jeans,too. Now they are definitely too tight to wear in public, but I'm pretty excited. Size 12 sounds incredibly small when you used to be a 26. Now if only we could figure out a way to discreetly display the size tag..... Cindy

I do this all the time. Just yesterday I bought a pair of size 12 jeans on clearance. I can almost zip them. My goal is to wear these comfortably by Valentine's day. I never buy clothes too far ahead, but they really work for me for short-term. I still can't believe I bought size 12 jeans. Last year at this time, I had lost 80 lbs and was thrilled that I could wear 18s. Cindy

Good luck with this one. I get this all the time. People keep telling me that I must be done losing....Yeah, right. I'm a size 14 and still "obese" on a BMI chart. Admittedly, I look great compared to pre-band me, but still, it just doesn't make sense. I appreciate the compliments, but I, too, am never sure what to say when someone suggests I could get too thin! Heck, I just hope to see the "overweight" category one of these days! Cindy

I think most of our husbands are worried about losing the wife they love and are used to. They've heard about personality changes and they just want things to remain the same. Even my kids were concerned that I would become someone they didn't recognize, but that hasn't happened. I've lost 150 lbs and I'm not thin. I'm wearing a size 14 and they're are still plenty of curves, and probably always will be. What has changed is that I'm in a much better mood because I'm not tired and hurting all the time. It sounds like you have a good life with your family now and that won't go away. It will just get better and if you're happy, he'll be happy. I doubt he loves you just because you're big, he loves you for the person you are. Cindy

I started out with a BMI over 50 and I don't think it means a thing. In fact, my doc just told me that I've done better than most of his bypass patients. And for the record, I didn't lose any weight before surgery. I tried but I failed yet again. I doubt it would have made any difference if I had taken off 30 lbs and got my BMI under 50. After all, I'd still be the same person with the same food issues. After the band was placed, I had some control and then weight-loss was doable. It's alot easier eat better when you aren't starving all the time. I do agree with Minime, that success is best defined long-term, but I'm getting there. Cindy

I miss Restless Monkey, too. I found this message under her user profile. "I won't be posting on here anymore, until/unless the "moderator" system is revamped. But if you'd like to stay in touch, I'd enjoy that. Please just email me at jeffthurston55@gmail.com And good luck to everyone! :)" Cindy

Bypass always scared me too much. The lap band surgery option was just right for me. It gives me a tool that makes me successful, but it puts me in control. I like that. It's up to me how well I do with this and I've done well. That being said, there are people who only lose 20 lbs, but we all know people who lost alot of weight with bypass, only to gain most of it back. I've done that before (with the diet and exercise thing) and I most definitely did not want to do it again. My keys to success are simple. I eat what I want and I stop when I'm full. If I feel that my band is getting too loose, I get a fill. It puts me right back on track and I'm in control again. I always was able to "diet", but then I would get incredibly hungry and fall off the wagon. The band helps me stay on the wagon and I don't feel deprived at all. The adjustable part of all this can't be overemphasized. If you are willing to work with this tool, you will do well. Cindy

The Protein first thing just doesn't work for me. If I eat all my meat, especially chicken or even fish, I get stuck. It just sits there for hours. I need to eat a mix up my foods like elcee mentioned. salad or other veggies work well for me. It makes everything taste and feel better to me. I have to believe that it's better for us to eat a large variety of foods. I eat plenty of protein, but if all I was eating was boneless chicken breast for dinner, I'd have given this up a long time ago. Cindy

I had this surgery to change my life, and it has. I eat whatever I want, but in smaller quantities. I have dieted most of my life and even though I lost lots of weight, I always ended up heavier. I just ate a cookie. That was one cookie, not 6. Most days I eat good foods in reasonable amounts, but I do allow myself treats. I'm sure I could lose the weight faster on Atkins or something else, but that isn't the point for me. I want to enjoy my life and food is part of that. I love the fact that the lapband allows me to eat what I want without being a slave to my appetite. Cindy

I've had the exact same thing happen and I didn't need an unfill. I follow the same rules as Hmarko. I have noticed that if I eat cold foods, the swelling goes down faster. Sometimes it's chewing ice, other times I go for the ice cream. Nothing tastes better than ice cream when you haven't been able to eat for a day! Cindy

My story is alot like Kel...I was 125 lbs in 3rd grade and have been obese ever since. I did lose 140 lbs once, but then I got pregnant and gained back everything and 30 more lbs. I've dieted my whole life, but never any long-term success. The band has been great for me. I don't really diet. I just eat alot less. I've lost 147 lbs so far. I'm exercising regularly and feel terrific. I doubt I will ever be thin. In fact, I'm not even sure I'll lose a whole lot more weight, but I can tell you 203 feels alot better than 350 ever did. Cindy

Honestly, I think the Protein theory is a load of crap. I, toom thought I would be spared, but at 4 months my hair started coming out by the handfuls. I lost hair for about 6 months and then it magically stopped. I tried increasing protein and Biotin and nothing worked. I don't even believe it was the large weight loss because I had lost more then 100 lbs before and this didn't happen. For the good news, I stopped shedding and my hair is back better than ever. As far as the lines, they get better, too. Keep moisturizing and look for a good one that "firms" your skin. I use it on my neck, too. Your skin does "catch up" somewhat as the weight loss slows down. Cindy

One more thing...When I travel, I always bring along cheerios in a ziplock bag. I can always eat them dry and if my stomach is upset for any reason, they calm it down.

The business dinner thing can be tricky because I really don't want to spend my dinner explaining my band to strangers. Anyway, one of my favorite safe meals is any kind of crab cake. I've been known to just order an appetizer and no one questions anything. Just steer clear of the bread. One time (early on), I went to a dinner and ate a half a roll with olive oil because I was starving and when my entree came, I only got down 3 bites. That one is hard to explain without going into great detail. Cindy

Congratulations...I always say, "If you can lose 100 lbs, you can do anything." So...What are you going to do next? Cindy

I had one about 15 years ago. My sister had had one the year before and carried on and on about how horrible it was. Needless to say, I was terrified when I went to the doctor's office. It turned out to be nothing. It was alot like having a pap smear and I did feel a little pain when they took the biopsy, but it passed quickly. I had a little cramping afterward, but I still stopped at the mall and bought a new sweater! Your experience may vary. My sister took 3 days off work to recover, but I was fine. good luck Cindy

My husband did the exact same thing, but I had lost 100 lbs. Finally, I asked him if he noticed. He said that he had been with me through many sizes, he loved me no matter what and it wasn't important to him. That being said, this weekend (in bed) he said, "You know, you got a great body." I'm not so sure that's accurate info, but I loved hearing it! Cindy

Honestly, I don't think your doctor gets it. My guess that he has never had a serious weight problem and has no idea how its feels to exercise with an extra 100 lbs. I know this feeling very well. With all that excess weight, it's hard enough to get through your normal activities, let alone hit the gym for an hour on the treadmill. Honestly, although I'm at the gym 4 days a week now, I didn't start exercising until I got 80 lbs off. That made everything easier and I actually enjoyed it, somewhat. He is right that exercise is important, but I doubt it will be the answer to all your problems. I'm fortunate...My doctor actually recommended the surgery to me and I am so grateful that she did. She knew all about weight issues and knew that I had tried everything repeatedly and nothing worked in the long term. If you are serious about wanting the surgery, I'd pursue it either with or without his approval. Sometimes, you just have to find the doctor who understands you.

I wasn't far behind you. I started at 350 and am now down to 208. It's been working out great for me. I lost 30 lbs 6 months before surgery and then gained it all back before I even got banded.

Congratulations...I am waiting patiently for that day. It's hard for me to believe that I've lost 142 lbs and I'm wearing size 14 pants and I'm still obese. Oh, the happy day when I am merely overweight! Cindy

I eat rice (in small amounts) regularly. Sticky rice (Chinese food) can give me trouble, but I eat rice with chili and other foods at least weekly with no problems. I guess we're all different. Now ask me about those evil boneless chicken breasts.... Cindy

Tina, Just get it over with and kiss him. If it takes a few glasses of wine, so be it. I have had so many friends be in this position. Once you're in the friend role, the guy doesn't see past it. Most men are clueless. He doesn't try anything because he's not reading your mind and he doesn't want to lose your friendship. But guys are physical beings, if you kiss him, he'll get the message and it's not as awkward as a conversation. By the way, I have followed my own advice and it worked out great. It's been alot of years and 2 kids since I first kissed him. Who knows if he ever would have figured it out on his own? I like to think that he would have, but you never know. Cindy

I'd say you're close to where you want to be. If you decide to get a fill next month, I wouldn't get 1cc, maybe .5 or less. I have really good restriction right now and I couldn't begin to eat a bowl of Kashi for breakfast. I can only eat yogurt or a protein drink until about 10 am. The fill will definitely help with the late day hunger pangs, but it comes with a price. I truly don't mind giving up breakfast, if it means I'm not starving all day long.

Sometimes I think that it takes more courage to stay instead of moving on. I've been with my husband for alot of years and for at least half of them, I thought about leaving regularly. My husband is like most of them, pretty good, but far from perfect. He loves me, but he also drives me crazy. I was lucky that I didn't marry as young as you did and I sure dated my share of losers. I'm not telling you to stay with your husband, but I've had more than one friend divorce, only to find out that there is no perfect partner. I always ask myself the Dear Abbie question, are you better off with him or without him? If you are sure of the answer, go for it. At least there are no kids involved and you aren't messing with their lives. That was one of the things that always stopped me and I'm glad it did. Honestly, we are in a great phase of our marriage right now and I've never been happier. In fairness, I'm a pretty happy person and if I had left, I'm sure I'd have found a way to be happy, too. I'm sure you'll make a good decision. You're thinking it through and that's what counts. Cindy Cindy