Kimmy in MD

I really wish there were more posts in this section as maintenance and goal weight is all that is on my mind lately! I am 9 lbs from my goal of 140. I am 46 years old and 5'7" tall. Currently I am mostly wearing size 6 and size 7. On Friday, I actually wore a pair of size 4 lucky brand jeans out in public. No one helped me pick the goal of 140, I have pretty much been on my own in this journey. I do know if I have one more person tell me that I am too skinny and they don't know where the last pounds will come from I am going to scream and choke them! When I take off my clothes I know exactly where it can come from and 9 lbs is nothing. I read somewhere that a BMI of 22 is the healthiest bmi. That at 22 you have the least sickness etc...so I used the calculators and figured out that at 140 my bmi is 22. That is how I picked my goal.

My most recent NSV is my last doctor appointment. I had to visit a new ob/gyn and of course I had to tell her I had the band. She told me my weight and blood pressure are "PERFECT" and when she was doing the breast exam she checked out my scars and was like ok so it was laproscopic and if you hadn't told me that you had lapband surgery I would have thought it was gall bladder surgery because the scars match and your skin is great, no excess, no stretch marks. She went on to tell me her father is a Plastic Surgeon and that he frequently does surgery after weightloss surgery but that i don't need it!!! I was SUPER happy because it just made me feel soooo good!

I am buying mostly 8s and 7s at this point and getting ready to start buying 6s. I shop frequently at TJ Max and Marshalls. I have started buying a few things at Victoria Secrts through their online store and catalogue. LOVE THEIR CLOTHES!! When I hit my goal -- only 14 lbs more -- I am buying something GORGEOUS from St. John.

100 lbs is HUGE!!! Congrats!! I would do a make-over of some type..New Hairstyle? New hair Color? Make-up? I am sure that you have had many significant changes in yourself and a new style would be appropriate to celebrate the new you! Of course pampering with the mini-milestones in between is highly enjoyable too! Way to go!

Maybe try to start treating people as you want to be treated. Before saying something acidic or cynical stop and take a deep breath and think about it for a few seconds before just blurting it out. If you are sending emails at work, try to re-read them and see if there is any content that could be misinterpreted. Finally, learn to let the small stuff go and really pick your battles and if everything is a battle, then that is probably another sign that you are not in the right place. Best of luck to you and I think it bodes well for you that you are seeking this information and have recognized that this is a growth area for your life. That is half the battle!

Hi Chandra, I probably won't be a big help as i have been fortunate enough not to have any issues with restriction. I think you should see another doctor and would suggest getting another fill under fluro. I have never heard that the band doesn't work as well for African American women. This sounds ABSURD to me! and i wonder if that point was made to you when you first started considering the band. If not, it should have been!! Maybe you would have made a different decision. You have done a great job with your weight loss as it looks to me as if you have lost about 70 lbs and kept it off for 18 months, so that is something to be PROUD OF!! I was banded in Mexico so i had to find a different doc locally to do my fills. I use Dr. Susan Brinkley in Frederick MD. She has been SPOT On with my fills, however she doesn't do them with Fluro, but she has access to fluro if needed. She does not accept insurance and a fill is $200. Here is the thing...she herself is also banded. So she is great to work with and really empathetic to our cause. Maybe it would be worth it to give her a call. 301-668-2800. Couldn't hurt. Just looking at the other stats on here, you should be able to lose in excess of 100 lbs. with your band and you aren't there yet, so you should be able to hit your goal. Finally, are you keeping a food journal? Going to weight watchers for additional support? i would suggest trying the food journal first and see if that works. I use Fitday.com but I have also heard good things about sparkpeople.com both are FREE! Best of luck to you!!

I believe there is a HUGE difference in the way you are treated as a fat person. I saw the change as I put on weight over time. Men less frequently held the door for me and certainly strangers stopped approaching me. Additionally, I lacked self confidence as I got heavier and maybe it was a self-fulfilling prophecy, but I don't think so. It was also easy to chalk it up to "aging" but today i am older than I was 2-3 years ago and miracuously things have changed again. The only thing that has changed is my weight has decreased or maybe my self confidence has increased. Whatever it is, to me it is real difference.

This is a good topic and one that has been on my mind lately. I date with the band. In general, i don't tell people I have a band. It is really none of their business, but with that said, there does come a time when you kind of need to reveal that you have the band or be seen as really odd because of your eating habits. So far it hasn't scared anyone off, just opens up some questions for them which I usually answer. I find that the 3rd or 4th meal is about when I feel I need to confess and clarify why it takes me an hour to finish an appetizer and why I never drink anything while eating or why I don't share their beer with them when offered. I guess the other worry is that they will feel my port when their arms are around my waist dancing, hugging. I know it would freak me out if I felt something hard on someones stomach!

I had 2 bidets in my home in the US. They were by Kohler, free standing and right next to the toilets.

I keep a package of turkey bacon in the refrig at work and nuke 3 strips most mornings for breakfast. I find it to be high protein, simple to cook, doesn't get stuck and tasty breakfast for me.