wannabthinagain

as for why get the band if they can lose it without restriction.... we have all tried diets after diets. some even WORKED..we lost, we may have even got to goal. the problem is, when that motivation is gone, it's way too easy to put it back on. when we put it back on, there are ALWAYS a few (or A LOT) pounds with it and the roller coaster begins again! it's a TOOL, it will HELP us not to STAY off the wagon when we fall!

I did curves YEARS ago because i wanted an all women's gym to go to. after i lost lots of weight, i started at the gym with my brother who body builds and LOVED it! Not confident enough to go to the gym at the times i can go (in the evenings when it's probably the busiest. so, for now. i will go to curves. I seem to be at a standstill right now. Just when i was thinking maybe i need another fill (i'm really not sure...) i went and had my very first PB today! I think i was just eating too fast. it was on grilled fish and veggies. oh well, i guess 120 something days before it finally happened to me wasn't bad! I'm wondering if my cycle is coming around again. i seemed to have gotten tighter this time last month also. i have also been drinking coffee every morning because i'm tighter in the morning. i'm even reminded by Water that i have to SIP SIP SIP in the mornings. this morning, i didn't drink coffee because i went to curves early and didn't want to only have coffee in my to work out. I plan to have PS when i get closer to my goal also. I've been starting to look for surgeons in my state and possibly in TX since i'm closer to Houston than i am to New Orleans. I want a full TT and breast lift/possible implants also. That's awsome that you are in 10's and L shirts!! will you try to go smaller? or are you happy with the 10's? I don't know how tall you are. I'm VERY short, so i need to get into 6's or 4's. if i wanted to get to the lower end of my ideal weight, gosh, i would be in 0's....but that's not gonna happen. not after 4 kids. (i wore kids sizes until i had kids!!)my smallest size i got into after the first 2 kids has been some 4's...but that lasted a VERY SHORT TIME before i started gaining it all back again! :-(

How do you start the process to even start narrowing down surgeons to use? i have gone to make me heal and besides finding it hard to navigate that site, i have not been able to find many Dr.'s close to me that have enough ratings or high enough ratings to even consider. I'm not sure how far out is too far out to travel (to go back for checkups....traveling back and forth in the begining seems like it would be tiresome and painful to go a couple of hours back and forth) I live close to the Texas border in Louisiana. I have family in New Orleans, but that's about 4 hours away. I'm about 2 hours away from Houston. I still have a ways to go, but want to start doing my research now so when i get to a point that i want to start my consults, i know who i want to go check out. I want to have a TT and BL (not sure with or without implants yet), and lipo if needed all done at the same time. I have about 23-28 pounds to get to where i will be ok with my body, but i would like to lose 33-38 pounds to be at my OMG goal. when should i think about going to check out Dr's? THANKS!

If you want to add Protein to COLD things, try egg whites. You can get the next to the egg beaters in the cold section of your grocery. it is 25 calories/5 Proteins per serving. I add it to my carnation drink and to cottage cheese (i put mine in the food processor because i don't like the texture of CC) and it does not change the taste at all. I *think* i pay 1.74 for a pint. I'm allergic to artificial sweetners and most Protein drinks contain some type of them, so i use the egg whites and it's worked out great!

I have never participated in a challenge, but think this would be GREAT for me! I hope after posting to this i can find it again! LOL what do i need to do? thanks!

It's now 12 weeks out and i'm down 38 pounds! 4 pounds to be out of the 150's 5 pounds to no longer be obese! 23 pounds to be the weight i was when i got married! 33 pounds to be the lowest weight i've been since having childern and my 'goal' weight. 38-43 pound to my OMG goal! I joined curves 5/21 but couldn't work out that day ( i needed an appointment), but went for my first workout the yesterday and went again toady! I even walked after i was done yesterday! I can SEE reaching my goal....that's such a great feeling! i NEVEr thought i would get to it before!

Hey, if it's make you feel better, my TEN year old weighs 70 pounds!!! you are doing great!! keep up the great work! I cannot wait until i can say i've lost that much!!

you are so right! the last few days, picking up my toddler, i thought, wow, you are getting heavy to pick up! guess how much he weighs? about 32 pounds. i have lost 38 pounds! if i had that weight still on, i would be carrying around MORE than him! now to lose HIM PLUS my 24 pound 20 month old! lol

i have a couple of them. I want to get a new hairstyle. i have had the same style (all one length, the length has just changed through the years, and the color) for several years but never wanted to cut it because i didn't want to make my face look rounder. I have a stylist who i completely trust to go in and tell him to do whatever he wants.... since it's all one length, and i'll make sure it's a length he could do whatever he wants to it, he will be able to do anything! the other thing(s) is a breast lift and tummy tuck. we always get a large amount from taxes back. we usually put it into the house. a few years ago he got a boat with it. I told him my goal was to lose weight and get a BL and TT...well, we all know what happened, it DIDN'T happen. i was heavier than ever. so the taxes went back into the house and our portion of the BAND. i don't see why i wouldn't meet my goal sometime this year, so my plan is NEXT year WILL be my year and i WILL get my BL and TT! a itty bitty bikini will be another thing... hubby can't wait to use his boat while i sit out on the front in my bikini with the confidence to wear it! we plan to go on a trip too. we were suppose to go to Mrtyle Beach for our 2nd anniversary, but i had a premature baby that i wasn't going to leave, the following year, i had ANOTHER premature baby and a 1 year old that had never been away from me...and after that i didn't want to go NEAR a beach looking the way i did...so i want to plan that trip again and go have a BLAST!! I have a tat design that i wanted to get after my divorce that would represent my life before and my life i was begining, but i never did do it.... it could also represent my fat life and NEW life..... Hubby doesn't like tats, so i'm not sure if i'll do it or not. then again, if when i'm to goal and loving my body again and i REALLy want to do it, i will. It will be for ME... (i want it in a place that only in a bathing suit or naked would it even be seen) whew...i rambled!

we were banded the same day! my weight loss is also 34 pounds! I had my second fill 4/23 and i feel some restriction (but it's that time of the month, so i'm wondering if it's from that or i still need to schedule my next fill) I (and my Dr.) think i'm doing great. there are days that i feel like, gosh, this is going to take FOREVER....on the days i don't see the scale move, but then i remember, i'm THIRTY FOUR pounds lighter already....ALREADY... in a little more than 2 months, 34 pounds GONE! i couldn't do that before the band. most of the weight i did do on my own because i had no restriction, but the band is going to help me not gain that back and continue to lose once i get to my sweet spot. I find i'm not that hungry, and most of the time, it's head hunger, not that i need to eat. I'm having a hard time eating enough calories and i need to start planning some meals to make sure i don't eat too little. I can't do most breads, if i can, it's usually 2 bites and i call it quits. Beef is NOT my friend. I even tried filet mignon for mother's day and it wasn't worth the work to eat it. I really need to start a regular exercise routine. i haven't done much more than walking here and there. I love to exercise, so i don't know what my problem is with not starting yet! I wish i had done my measurements before surgery. i have some OLD stats somewhere...i'll have to find them and compare to now (which i still haven't done!) You are doing great, and you are seeing results!! keep up the great work!!

i had the same thing. my BMI was 38 and i had this huge lump and could feel my port from day one. I was banded march 3 and for the longest it was obvious where it was at. after reading your post, i realized the swelling and lump is gone, but i can definitely feel my port easily. i'm thinking it's not going to take much longer before you can see mine under the skin. i plan to have mine put much lower after i get to goal.

i was banded on March 3 and started the next day. the next month, was at easter time, and i didn't have any restriction and overdid the junk, so i stalled. this month... on day 3 of my cycle, i lost a pound. before my band, i was gain up to 5 pounds the week before and a few days after i started i was lose it all. i don't see the huge gain before now, and i hope this month shows that i can still lose even though it's here. i do seem to have much more restriction the week before also. i had never had to really sip, or be overly careful with my bites, chewing and slowing down, and last week sure taught me that i have not mastered that! i never got completely stuck, but i had lots of ...WOAH...SLOW down moments!

I'm so happy! we went away for the weekend and I was thinking since i didn't get enough Water in, that i would probably gain from eating 'out' and i'm sure that had lots of salt in the food.... I'm down!!! the scaled moved DOWN after a weekend away and not eating at home! 32 pounds GONE in 9 weeks!! 10 pounds from beating the 150's! (remember i'm VERY SHORT..... i have a LONG way to go still! 11 pounds until i'm considered JUST overweight! 29 pounds to be the weight i was when i got married! 39 pounds to the lowest i've been since having children and also my 'goal' weight. 44-49 pounds to my OMG goal!! I plan to have PS done. I'm not sure when i should go for my consult. that's a goal i really look forward to. I'm thinking about 20 pounds from goal i will go and see what they say.

8 weeks and i am down 30 pounds! I wish i could 'see' it more. You would think with how short i am that 30 pounds would make a HUGE difference...but i just don't see it. Hubby and i will be visiting my family (i hadn't seen them since Good Friday) on Friday, I hope someone notices. I won't get my hopes up and i won't let it ruin our weekend if my mom doesn't though.... she didn't say a single word about it the last 2 times she saw me. I'll have to go visit a friend of mine who hasn't seen me since way befor surgery and she doesn't know i had this done. I'll see if she says anything. I still find my belly swollen though. i bought 2 shirts yesterday and was surprised that a large still 'fit's' around my mid-section. i'm more shocked that a large fits around my boobs better.... it's usually the other way around. by the time i get a shirt to fit the boobs, the belly part looks like a maternity top! oh well... at least the scale is moving in the right direction. I did get my 2nd fill on March 23 and for a few days i felt what restriction was...with liquids. i finally had to sip sip sip...but that's gone now. I stayed on liquids for a couple of days, then mushies, by the time i got to regular food, i was able to eat as usual. if i hurried or didn't chew enough (but still didn't have to chew chew chew chew) i could kinda feel something that i KNEW i should slow down and chew more. so, i will be making an appointment for my 3rd fill around May 21. in a way, i'm glad i don't have REALLY good restriction just yet. Hubby and I are going out of town ALONE!!! We will be eating in public for all of our meals and i don't want to get stuck while eating out! Once i get good restriction, i will 'practice' at home before eating out. everything else is fine, i'm still not working out...went walking a couple of times. I do not know WHAT my problem is about that. i LOVE to be outside, i LOVE to work out.... and i know once i start i will enjoy it. i just cannot make myself stick to a plan! i guess when i hit a plateau, i will have to in order to get the scale moving again and i'm LUCKY i've lost the weight i have so far with just changing my eating!

gallbladder can be done laproscopic, that's why i mentioned the 2 done at the same time. i completely understand why they said they wouldn't want to do both together though. this way you will know if you have trouble, which one is causing the problems! i read the good and the bad. it's a risk that comes with just about anything you do. The day i called to make my appointment to find out if i was a canidate for the band, i had gone with a friend to get diet pills and some kind of shot that suppose to help with weightloss. Had i done that, i probably would have had a reaction to the meds they were going to give me because little did i know, my B/P was SKY HIGH and i had to go on B/P meds (which in the end, helped me qualify for the band since my BMI wasn't high enough). so, i could have harmed myself by that.... i figured yes, there are risk, but being overwieght, and dare i say obese....and closer to morbidly obese than i would like to admit there are many many risk also. I have babies...4 of them... one about to be considered an adult, all the way down to a 1 yr old! i want to live long enough to see my youngest baby grow up, i want to live to play with my GRANDbaby's. i don't just want to WATCH them do it either...i want to run and play with them, i want to ENJOY them! i guess it just depends on how bad the weight is affecting your life and what changes you want to make. getting the band isn't a magic device that makes the weight just melt away. you still have to make changes and follow the rules. Some people don't do that, and then complain that they don't have success. the band HELPS...it doesn't do the work FOR us! I'm sure you will come to the decision that is right for you and you will be at peace with it!!

that's great about your approval!! CONGRATS! I too am very short AND doubted that i should do this. The process for me went very quick and in that 2 weeks betweeing submitting approval and surgery date, i doubted it too. i went back and looked at the before pics i had taken and cried. YES, THIS IS what i need to do, and i should have done it sooner! sorry about your gallbladder! too bad they can't do it all at once instead of 2 surgeries...and having to wait to get the band! I hope your surgery and recovery is quick and easy...and you'll be banded before you know it!!

CONGRATS! on the 40 pounds! we often forget how far we have made it when the pounds slow down! yesterday i had that same revelation. My 2 1/2 yr old was running and wanting me to catch him. When i caught him, i though, gosh, he's getting so big (compared to my youngest who is 10 pounds lighter), and it hit me, he weighs 30 pounds...THAT'S how much i lost and what i was carrying around! WOW! now, time to shed another 20 (which is what our 1 1/2 year old weighs) so when i carry the 2 of them together i can realize just how that 50 pounds felt to carry!! glad you found more motivation!! keep it up, you are doing great!

i have been able to feel mine all along also. I also stayed bruised for almost 6 weeks! it was so terrible looking! I'm going to get mine lowered when i get to goal and have a tummy tuck because it will definitely show if i wore a swimsuit or even if my shirt came up just a bit, and if it pokes out more than now, it will be obvious what it is!

how many calories are you getting a day? The scale wasn't moving much for me and I had a day that i ate more than i had been and guess what? the next morning, the scale MOVED (and it wasn't UP!)! if you don't eat enough, you will stall. if you have a low calorie day, up them the next day. I know WW's used to have a program that you banked unused points each week. At the end of the week, you could used your banked points for a treat, or a higher points (calorie) day. It would be kinda the same idea. you don't want your body to think you are starving it, or it WILL hold on to every pound!! good luck!

everyone is different in thier decision, but I'll tell you what i'm doing. I have ONLY told my husband and mom. my mom came to help me with my two youngest children, so she knows. My 2 older children know i had to go have test and surgery but have never questioned for what. I did have a hernia repaired, so i have mentioned that to them. I live about 2 1/2 hours away from my family, so we don't see each other more than about once a month, if that. It is easy to not let them know. When they ask how i'm losing weight, i just say that i am watching my portions, taking my time eating, and not eating between meals...every bit of that is the truth. The fact that i have NO restriction right now shows that i am totally doing this on my own right now also. as for my husband knowing 'the number' on the scale... i asked that that NOT be mentioned in from of him (you may have to remind someone if it's asked or about to be said in front of him...polietly say, i would rather THAT not be said (outloud). pateint confidentiality right? lol my husband hasn't asked and i know he knows how much it bothers me and that i would rather him NOT know! i had a few things determine my decision to not tell people. my youngest obsesses about things and one thing is his weight. he is tiny and has NO REASON to worry about it. we talk about just eating healthy and not to obsess about everything you eat. i do not want weight to be an issue with him and i don't want him to be affected by watching everything i do/eat. good luck in whatever you decide.

I cannot have artificial sweetners, so my Dr. ok'd me having this, but i buy, carnation Breakfast essentials (no sugar added. it HAS sugar, but no EXTRA sugar to make it sweeter). it's in the blue box. made with F/F milk it is 13 grams of Protein, but i add 2 servings of liquid egg whites (found in the cold section next to egg beaters. each serving is 5 grams of protein and you DO NO TASTE IT!) with the egg added to it, i end up with 23 grams per drink! it REALLY taste like chocolate milk. no yucky protein drink taste! hope this helps!

Hi ladies...i have not been good about coming on here and posting...shame on me! I have not done very good over this Easter break either! I bought NO candy, but everyone else made up for that! ARGH! everyday i told myself i would NOT get into the candy, and i did anyhow! i threw all of it away yesterday! if i couldn't get the willpower to stay away, i was taking it out of the house! I have slacked with my Water because i wasn't doing good with everything else either! It's only been a month and i'm slacking? that's NOT RIGHT! I HAVE to get back on track! holidays/going out of town didn't help me at all! i am up 2 pounds from my lowest because of my slacking! I called yesterday because i'm not feeling restricion and i wanted to make an appointment so i can have a day to look forward to get a fill. I can't go the week that would make four weeks from my last one, so they made it for next Thursday. April 23. i don't go in until 2 because the Dr. does surgery's in the morning. I will try to do liquids that morning and then liquids for 2 days, mushies 2(instead of liquids one mushies one like they told me the last time). I was wondering if anyone would want to be an email buddy? we could email what we ate, if we had enough water, if we exercised...etc. it's much easier for me to keep my email open and reply to that than it is to come here (remember, no one besides my hubby, mom and my Band Dr. know yet...don't want to leave this open and have my teenager find this and wonder what it is). if you are interested, send me a private message and i will send you my email address. i want to or i should say, NEED to be accountable for what i eat, and why...i know i'm eating out of BORDOM often, and i HAVE to stop that!!!

I haven't posted in a while, but i've done pretty good. I had a couple days that i could and wanted to eat anything i wanted. I had crawfish and i was a happy camper! I still lost which was surprising actually. I would have been happy to have just not gained! Mom came and did not say ONE FREAKING WORD about my loss. should i be surprised? why can't she be happy with what i have accomplished? oh well...this is not for her, or about her.... i went to my appointment on monday March 30 for a fill. i got 3 cc's. i kinda feel something every so often, maybe a tiny bit of restriction? i dunno. i know i can still eat things i shouldn't be able to and able to eat quick and not worry about forgetting to chew chew chew.

I haven't posted in a while, but i've done pretty good. I had a couple days that i could and wanted to eat anything i wanted. I had crawfish and i was a happy camper! I still lost which was surprising actually. I would have been happy to have just not gained! Mom came and did not say ONE FREAKING WORD about my loss. should i be surprised? why can't she be happy with what i have accomplished? oh well...this is not for her, or about her.... i went to my appointment on monday March 30 for a fill. i got 3 cc's. i kinda feel something every so often, maybe a tiny bit of restriction? i dunno. i know i can still eat things i shouldn't be able to and able to eat quick and not worry about forgetting to chew chew chew.