Mamadot

Congratulations Gloria, and thank-you so much for posting! I am at a year and 3 months post-op and just a few pounds shy of my main goal - losing 100lbs. I am always looking for women like you who have been successful with the band over a long period of time. You are truly an inspiration! I jumped over to your blog, and received additional inspiration from your post re: "Staying motivated after the compliments stop coming". I am still receiving a lot of compliments, as I am still running into people that I see occasionally that see a huge difference. But I know the day will be coming that my 'new' figure will become 'just me', and the changes in my body will no longer register with most people. Your tips are very helpful. You were beautiful pre-op, and you're stunning post-op. I wish you well on your lifetime commitment to health and well-being

Just getting this thread started again, as I KNOW there are several NSV's that we can celebrate in our 2nd year of banding! My family just returned from a very active trip to Sequoia, Lake Tahoe, and Yosemite - many steep, long hikes to waterfalls and to see the beautiful giant Sequoia trees, as well as canoeing and swimming. I felt like I did 20 years ago - I kept up with my fit Husband and two young sons (7yrs & 8 yrs - very active) and felt GREAT! A few weeks back I water skiied (single) for the first time in 10 years - I felt like a teenager! It just feels so good to actively participate in life again, instead of sitting on the sidelines or vegging in front of the TV, mindlessly eating and lethargic! I'm still training for a 5 mile mud run in a couple of weeks, and I can't believe I can jog 3 miles without stopping. I hope all of you are enjoying your new bodies and associated health benefits too!

My husband is type II diabetic, and I was banded over a year ago. Both of us drink a Premier brand chocolate protein shake every morning for breakfast. I've tried other brands, but this one tastes the best and is satisfying to me. I've been drinking one (or more) a day for the past year. I actually really like the flavor - no sickeningly sweet aftertaste and smooth & thin, not thick and gritty. 30gms protein, 160 cals, 1gm sugar, 3gms fat. You can purchase 18 for $24.00 at Costco in Southern California, or you can order chocolate or vanilla flavors online at www.premiernutrition.com (go to 'Products' and select 'Protein Shake')

I'm so excited for you, SweetBean - wear that 'Rockin' outfit now, if you have an occassion for it! I'm sure you'll look HOT! Hang in there, BKMom - Like SpideyMom said, celebrate the NSV's - you've made a choice and are on the path to an overall healthier lifestyle - that is a HUGE accomplishment to be proud of!!! And Ann - congrats on the size 8 I think I was size 8 at birth (my Mom told me I was the largest baby in the nursery at the time ) I'm currently in a size 12, which I never thought I would fit in again, and I'm hoping for a 9/10 - that would be heaven for me! My NSV this past week was on our family vacation to the beach - I was boogie boarding and body surfing with my young boys, making sand castles, and I went for a 25 minute run barefoot on the beach at sunset. I felt so light and full of energy - what a HUGE difference from last summer! And I was down 2 lbs when I got home - I LOVE THE BAND!!!!

Congratulations, Minxz - 55lbs in one year is an amazing accomplishment! Take a look at an average 6-year-old child, and that is what you are no longer carrying around on your body. Slow and steady wins the race - and even though it can be frustrating to not have quick results, I think your body adjusts better when you take it off over time, plateauing and maintaining along the way. You seem to be on the right track and in the right frame of mind - continued success over the next year!

So many of us enjoyed the thread 'Things I Won't/Don't Miss About Being Obese'. I thought we could also share (laugh/cry together) our most embarassing moments :tt2: due to our current/past large size. We can use these experiences to fuel our desire to succeed! A few of my BIG embarassing moments.... :tt2: Running into some old friends at a wedding, and having them congratulate me on my advanced pregnancy (I wasn't pregnant). I've had several people at work assume I was pregnant over the years, too. They must think I'm an Elephant with a 2-year (or in my case 20-year) gestation period! When my Husband mistakenly picks up my jeans instead of his, and two of him could easily fit inside! My young sons asking me about the 'waves' on my back, and enjoy running and bouncing off my big belly. When I was a child, my friends wouldn't allow me to ride their 'Big Wheel' bikes, 'cause they said I was too heavy and would break them. Being weighed (along with my luggage) and deemed overweight for a helicopter ride to Catalina Island, CA. Being weighed and assigned to the largest mule they had on a mule ride in Yosemite. This required everyone to wait while they got a step stool so I could get on the beast! Wishing success to all - and no more BIG embarassing moments!!! Mamadot (1st surgeon visit scheduled 3/9)

I'm so glad to hear you are doing well! Thank-you for posting - I think you are taking the lead on post-op reconstructive surgery within our group of Mayo Banditos, and I am very interested in hearing all about your experience and results. I wish you a speedy recovery and great satisfaction with your procedure! Having a flat tummy would be beyond a dream come true for me!

I am so very excited to post today on my 1 year 'Bandiversary'!!! What an amazing year this has been - a truly life-changing year for me. Instead of looking back over the year with disappointment, dwelling on what I could've accomplished, I am celebrating a major success in a battle I have been fighting over 20 years! One of my 'goals' was to be down 100lbs 1-year post-op. I'm about 18lbs away from that goal. For the first time, I posted a gain of 3 lbs at my doctor's appointment two days ago. I am at adequate restriction, but I am fighting an addiction to chocolate that I didn't have prior to the LAP-BAND. I think I condensed my food addictions and overeating down to a single item that can (unfortunately) pass through the band. I'm working through it, and trying to replace my late-night chocolate splurge with sweet, low-cal V8 Splash (with the added benefit of getting in a full serving of fruit and vegetable). I am still thrilled and proud of my weight loss to date, and all of the health gains over this past year (including the ability to jog 2 miles without stopping - I do this 3+ times a week - I would get out of breath walking less than 1/2 a block 1 year ago). The support of my family, my best friend Jeri (we did this together and I couldn't have succeeded as well without her), and everyone here and at my local support meetings has helped so much on this journey. Overall, I would like to lose another 25lbs. I used to envy people that looked 'normal' to me, who 'just' wanted to lose 10-25lbs, and now I know that the last 'little' amount is the hardest to lose of all! I have noticed my body is leaning out from the jogging, even though the weight isn't dropping right now. I'm trying to focus more on non-scale victories and positive body image than the numbers, but the numbers still have a pull in my head. This lap-band tool and having adequate restriction is my biggest key towards succeeding for life - I LOVE the band and what it does for me!!! Wishing all of you continued success on your journeys! "Happy Bandiversary" to all of our Mayo Banditos!!! :w00t:

I'm so glad you posted and shared your story, Vanessa! You are a beautiful woman, and quite an inspiration - you should be very proud of your accomplishments and commitment to a healthier lifestyle! Happy Bandiversary :smile2:

WOW! Everyone who has shared their pictures looks absolutely AMAZING!!! Thanks for sharing - so inspiring!!!! I'll share mine in a few days on my 'bandiversary' on 5/19.

You will make an awesome and inspiring speaker, Ann! Congratulations on your amazing success! You worked hard and to be recognized as your Surgeon's most successful patient is truly an honor you are so deserving of!!! Last month my best friend and I were asked to participate in an ad campaign as success stories for the PSJMC Bariatric Wellness program in L.A.. A few weeks ago we participated in a 3-hour photo shoot. I thought it would be more of a local campaign. Last night at my sons’ t-ball game, one of the mothers came up to me and said she saw my picture in Newsweek (a national publication). I didn’t believe her (as I hadn't been informed anything had gone out yet), so I went to a few stores and finally found a Newsweek. Sure enough, our pictures were dead center in a special advertising section featuring the best Bariatric Surgeons in LA. This one didn’t identify us, but future mailers and marketing materials may include some personal info and our hideous ‘before’ photos. We had a blast doing this! So, if you’re at a store with magazines, check out the middle section of this week’s Newsweek (dated 4/26 and titled in large yellow text ‘Don’t Mess with Texas’) I always dreamed of being in a before/after photo, and I'm so excited that it has happened!!!

I started this thread over a year ago on 2/19/09 - 3 months before I had Lap Band surgery on 5/19/09. Recently, several of you have brought this thread back to life. I read through every last post this morning. I laughed some, cried a lot, and felt such a spirit of bonding, compassion, and pride in the strength of our natures to perservere day to day in a world so disgustingly tainted by weight prejudices, intollerance by ignorant people, and unaccommodating to larger sizes. I am now almost 11 months post-op, having lost 85lbs and down from a size 24/26 to a size 12. Daily life is much more accommodating to someone of my current size than it was at my previous size. Regular-sized bathroom stalls and theatre/airplane seats no longer seem so small. The attention received from family and strangers is much more positive. I can move effortlessly throughout my day, and have the energy to keep up with my fast-paced lifestyle as a working Mother of two young boys. As sickeningly wrong as it is to have to endure all that we do as larger human beings, I just want to share with you all the reality that we can succeed with this tool, and it can allow us a much more comfortable, healthier lifestyle with much more positive feedback and interactions with others. I have such a deep-seated sense of joy and pride of accomplishment that I have never felt before, and that I intend to embrace for the rest of my life! I wish the same for all of us struggling with weight issues - May God bless us all on our journeys to a healthier, more enriching lifestyle! :biggrin:

Congratulations on the 50lbs, Rebecca! That's awesome :smile2: I celebrated my birthday this past weekend, and it was the first time I have been within a somewhat 'normal' weight range. It feels SO GOOD!!!! My Husband and family members gave me money towards a new wardrobe. On Monday, my Husband and I spent the day together to celebrate while our kids were in school. We went to lunch and to see a movie, and then he went clothes shopping with me. He actually wanted to see me try on dresses. I have never taken a male with me clothes shopping. I snuck him into the Women's dressing room stall, and tried on several dresses - size 12 - all of them fit and my Husband had the biggest grin of admiration on his face - it was a Julia Roberts 'Pretty Woman' moment for me - just an incredible moment between my Husband and I that I will treasure forever! It's so true - NOTHING tastes as good as thin feels!!!

Congratulations on your success, Sweetbean! I love the honesty of children, especially when it is such a positive compliment! :thumbup: My 7-year old Son used to come running at me with his arms held out as wide as possible to give me a hug and bounce off my very big belly. Now, it just warms my heart that he holds his arms about 18 inches apart and slowly walks towards me with a big smile, saying how skinny I am now, and how I fit in his little arms. He doesn't want to bounce against me because he thinks it will still hurt me from my surgery 10 months ago (lol).

I am so sorry this happened to you - especially at work in front of a colleague!!! It is so odd when, out of the blue, you can no longer tolerate something that you never had a problem with before. I had my last fill in Sept. '09 and thought I was at my 'sweet spot'. Then, over the last two months (and especially the past three weeks) I became very tight I could barely swallow Water, and could only tolerate very small bites of food, and then would spit saliva and gurgle for 30 minutes after eating or drinking anything. I finally made an appointment and got a slight unfill yesterday (-.3cc's - I went from 6.5 cc's to 6.2 cc's). I feel like a new woman! No more spitting/gurgling, and I can eat/drink healthy portions while still feeling adequate restriction. My physician said there may be a slight chance my band may have slipped a little, but if the slight unfill corrects the problem, then nothing further is required. I'm just sharing this in case you have been noticing you feel more restricted, then maybe you should check with your physician re: a slight unfill. Or it could just be a quirky, one-time incident, and hopefully won't happen again!

Thank-you all so much for your kind comments and encouragement! I'm in awe of all the accomplishments of each one of us, including every pound lost and each step made towards a healthier lifestyle!

My best friend and I had surgery together on May 19th, 2009. 10 months later we are each down over 80 lbs on our way to our goals of 100 lbs. Here are our before and now pictures...

1*0*0* C*O*N*G*R*A*T*U*L*A*T*I*O*N*S A*N*N!!!!!!!!!! I've been busy and haven't peeked in for a while, so I'm sorry for the delayed response, but OMG, YOU LOOK FABULOUS!!!!!!!!!! You're my inspiration, and I can't wait to join the 100 club! You should be so very proud of this amazing accomplishment, and your smile is 1000 watts of radiance!!! Thanks for sharing your before and now photos - you're stunning!:thumbup:

I'm sorry that I don't have any suggestions or recommendations for the pain you experience when eating solids, but I do agree with SpideyMom that you should discuss this with your physician and nutritionist, if you have one. I had my last fill back in September, and have felt varying levels of restriction since then. Over the last two weeks, I have felt like I've just had a fill, and was only able to tolerate sips of liquid and very small portions of solids - well chewed. I'm really tight in the mornings, and sometimes have trouble sipping water to take my morning meds & vitamin. Since I hadn't needed a fill, I hadn't seen my doctor since October. Well, I went for a checkup this week, and she was very complimentary on my progress and felt I was going to be successful with this tool. She said people's bodies react differently to the band and feel restriction at varying levels throughout the process. I'm actually glad my band seems to be 'auto adjusting' just when I need a little extra help from it Good luck!

LOVE the Chico sizing :thumbup: You have every right to say you are wearing a size 1!!! (Hey, the actual size 8 is pretty amazing!!!!!!) Isn't it crazy what the numbers on the clothes and scales mean to us? I love the brands that are more generous in their sizing - If I could find a larger size 12 - I would be thrilled!!! And then I find XL tops that I think actually mean 'Extra Long/Lean' not 'Extra Large' - they're super narrow and long - that's so discouraging! Give me a roomy 'Large' and I'm a happy gal!