SpideyMom

Hey, Sarah, great to see you on here! :thumbup: What did you find out about your hip? I hope they can do something for you!! I had an upper GI last Friday to check my pouch and everything looks the same as when I got banded, which is good. I was actually beginning to wonder if it had stretched because it seems like I can eat so much sometimes (as long as it's not meat). And, I'm always worried about the band slipping every time I get something stuck and PB or vomit. Gawd, I just had that happen at a restaurant the other day -- had to hurry off to the bathroom b/c I knew it was coming back up. Awful feeling when you're sitting there with a friend!! :wub: Thankfully I know now that if my mouth starts to Water, I need to run! I have been going up and down about 5 lbs since I reached my goal, and it is sooooo frustrating. I started working out a lot, and it's made me firmer but also hungrier. I'm also guilty of eating too many slider foods -- my latest is sugar-free ice cream. Once I discovered that, oh, boy... problem city. So, I feel your frustration. Hang in there and keep posting. It helps all of us!! xoxoxo

Hey, Lisa, congrats on hitting the 100 lb. mark!!!!! :thumbup::thumbup::thumbup: You can get the ring "snuggies" at Walmart, K-Mart, Claires. You don't have to go to a jewelry store. They come several to a pack and are only $5. I had my wedding rings resized and they still spin! I think they resized them wrong. Thankfully I can have them resized for free, but still..... And, for everyone else -- I also go up and down and it's driving me nuts! I wanted to hit goal and stay there. lol I've started exercising a lot and doing strength training, so I'm told that muscle will do that to you. I had an upper GI done last week to see how my band was, and it was still in the same place, no slippage, which was good news. I still have to watch it with meat, chicken, pasta, some breads and crackers. That is the most frustrating part of this whole thing. *sigh* Hope everyone is enjoying the summer! :wub:

Mamadot, sounds like you had a great time on vacation! It's awesome that you can run and waterski and all that fun stuff! I also feel 10 years younger. :thumbup: Have a blast with the mud run -- I've heard they are fun!

I hear ya, Lisa! It is frustrating sometimes! And, yes, some days I can't eat as much as others, so it does indeed fluctuate. I know I don't need a fill. All I have to do is try to eat chicken and I realize I don't need a fill. But that in itself is frustrating. I wish I could eat chicken! Choosing the right foods is key. And lately I've been eating too many "easy" soft foods. I've been eating more since I started exercising more -- but haven't done anything but fluctuate a couple pounds since then. I had the mistaken notion that once I hit a magic number, it would just stay that way. Nope. Up 2, down 2 -- like a ping pong. Worse during that TOM. *sigh*

Oh, and thanks, everyone for your kind words! You all are the best!!

Hey, Rebecca. I'm here. I haven't been getting any updates from the board, though. I wonder if the same is happening to others. I am surprised to see all these posts on here. I haven't lost anymore. I keep fluctuating, which is frustrating, but I guess that's what maintenance is about. I'm very scared that because I can eat much more than before that I am going to start gaining like I have with every other diet I've been on in the past. I know that this is different, but it's still hard to wrap my head around it all! Anyone else feeling that way a year out? Sorta scary, but I've gotta have faith that this time really is different! Hope everyone is enjoying the summer! Ann

I meant to post last Friday, but I've been soooo busy, I haven't had any free time for the computer. Anywho.... I made it to goal!!!

Rebecca, up until about 6 weeks ago all I did was walk. Then I got a free 3-month trial pass for tae kwon do, so I took it up. Then I signed up for an offer at work to do strength training in our office gym. I say I'm working on my abs and my flabs (aka my batwings). Let me tell you, I hurt like crazy. I hope this is all worth it! Don't worry about going up a little. It happens. I'm up a little this week also, though I don't know why. Our bodies are just strange that way -- especially women's bodies. The slightest little hormone change and we're up at least 5 pounds! :scared2: Hang in there, everyone, and have a great weekend!!! :thumbup:

Well, I guess it's a common problem. What a pain in the butt. What a great homecoming story, John! :devil_smile: I'm glad you had such a wonderful time with the whole family. I agree with you, it's hard to see myself as thin as others say, but it is starting to slowly sink in. I think it will become more evident to me as I tone up. I've started taking tae kwon do and strength training, to work on my abs and my flabs.

Bevanfranks, I hope your bloodwork turns out okay. I've started exercising a lot lately, too, and man, do I hurt!! Don't give up when you are so close to goal. You've come way too far to do that! :thumbup: John, great to see you again! Glad to hear you're doing well. I now eat protein and veggies together, but I still have the same problem a year later, so I add Miralax every morning to my homemade protein shake. :devil_smile: Say, how did it go when you met your son at the airport after him not seeing you for two years?!

Now that's what I'm talking about! This is awesome, everybody! :biggrin::thumbup::biggrin::thumbup::biggrin::thumbup::biggrin: Way to go! Let's hear from even more people!!!! :thumbup: I know you're out there having NSVs and just keeping them from us..... :thumbup:

Don't give up, ladies! Our weight loss is naturally going to slow down after a year. I didn't lose anything for 3 months -- all I did was ping-pong up and down 3 pounds. And, talk about old eating habits wanting to creep back in... ugh! How frustrating. My problem is emotional eating (any emotion), and it's the worst for me at night, as it seems to be for a lot of people. We can hang in there, together, though! Keep coming back for support!

LOM, I just noticed that you are below your target weight -- WAY TO GO, GIRL!!! :frown::biggrin: You are doing so great. I just got back from my doc appt., and he agreed that I am probably having esophageal spasms, likely caused by an antibiotic pill that got stuck and melted in my throat, causing horrible burning pain. So, instead of an unfill, he suggested I take Prevacid or Prilosec for 3-4 weeks to see if that helps heal the inflamed spot where the pill dissolved. He did order an upper GI. That's the x-ray he was talking about that he has everyone take after one year. That makes sure everything is where it is supposed to be. :sad: Ok, everyone else, check in even if you don't weigh in! Just say hello! We won't bite you! Promise! :tongue::tongue:

How exciting, LOM! A 10-year reunion and a cruise coming up? Wow! You are going to look so good in a bathing suit! Are you going for a bikini? If so, you have to show before and after pix! :frown:

Somehow I have managed to lose 3 lbs. this week! I've made a couple of changes in the last two weeks: I've stopped eating late at night and I've amped up my exercise. I'm 1.5 from my doctor's goal and I'm 6.5 from my own goal (want to give myself a 5-lb buffer from my doc's goal). Rebecca, I also have been having a switch in how my band is working in the last two months. I can eat way too much in the evenings also. It really slowed down any weight loss. (See note above.) I started having what I believe are esophageal spasms when I eat -- things start to cramp up in my esophagus as they go down, including when I'm drinking sometimes. If it is food, it will sorta sit there until the spasm stops, and then it will go down, but as it sits there, it causes temporary heartburn, which is no fun. So I've started drinking a little bit during my meal, which is probably not good. But, I'm going to see my surgeon today and talk to him about it. He had mentioned at my last appt. that he likes to have all of his patients have an x-ray after one year. Perhaps he'll do that. My guess is that he will also take out a tiny bit from my band. I don't want much out, though, because I think this is a good spot for me! I'll let you know what he says/does. And the rest of you, come out, come out wherever you are! :frown:

That is SO awesome, sweetbean! :tt2: I wish I could say my house is cleaner and my laundry all caught up. :smile: You are going to rock that outfit! But if you're waiting until Christmas, you're probably going to have to buy the outfit in a smaller size or get it tailored by then, the way you're going! :thumbup:

That's great that you haven't given up, bkmom! That in itself is huge! :eek: So let's celebrate that and take it one day -- or one hour -- at a time. And don't forget to look for those non-scale victories: compliments from people, changes in ring size, watch size, shoe size, underwear size, jean size, having to move the car seat closer, being able to paint your own toenails, being able to *see* your toenails, not having to turn sideways in the hallway when someone else is coming... smaller things that we might not think about when we're frustrated because the scale isn't moving down. Everyone has these NSVs -- we just have to stop and think about them! So who else has something to share? :tongue2:

I'm finally in a size 8!!! :eek: That was my "size" goal. From a 20/22 to an 8 feels great!!! :tongue2:

Lisa, I've just starting noticing that happening to me right before my TOM. Very odd. Then during that week, my weight shoots up and I have to struggle to get it back down. It's frustrating. *sigh* I haven't been on the computer much lately for various reasons, but where is everyone? I think I saw a tumbleweed.....

Hi, LOM! I haven't been on the computer for a while, or I would have replied sooner. How are you feeling now? I hope everything is still going well! Check in when you can and let us know how you are.:thumbup:

Congratulations, Renee, Minxz, and Less of Me!!! You have all come so far and worked so hard this past year. I am so grateful to you and all of the Mayo Banditos for coming here time and again to band together (ba-dum-bum) :drum:and form one of the greatest support groups for each other! I also hope that we will continue to check in and support each other as time goes on. This is a lifelong journey, not a short-lived diet. It takes everyone a different length of time to reach goal, and there are struggles along the way (boy, do I know!). And maintenance isn't going to be a piece of cake, either (mmm... cake....), and if you're at all like me, you might still be struggling with "head hunger" or emotional eating. Like many on here have said, it's too bad they don't make a band for the brain. Anyhow, every single one of us deserves a round of applause for the first year under our (now tighter) belt! Please keep checking in, Mayo Banditos.:tea: :thumbup::thumbup::tea: And now for the Dancing V itamins!!!! :party::tt1::party::party::party:

WOWWWWW, Renee, you look absolutely fabulous! You look like a new person. I bet you get compliments galore. Keep up the great work. I need to get a new picture taken and post it here. Soon....

Congrats, everyone! :thumbup: @Lisa, to answer your question: YES. Lately, all the time.

Lost half a pound this week. First loss in four weeks. I'll take it. Enjoy your vacation, Rebecca!!! :cursing:

Happy bandiversary, Carrie! :laugh: Look at how far you have come! :drool: I didn't get to where I wanted to be by one year, either, but that's okay. We have made such amazing changes! I'm sorry it's been such a tough year for you in so many ways -- and the band is challenging enough! But hang in there, because you are doing so well! :thumbup::thumbup: