sweetbean70

Howdy! I only get weighed when I go for a fill or some other dr appt. I have been measuring my progress by how my clothes fit me and/or how my rings fit me. I do not have a working scale in the house b/c I know I would determine what kind of day I am going to have by the number on the scale. I know that I also have a tendency to think..."Hey! I've lost ___lbs so it will be ok for me to eat that hot fudge sundae that has been taunting me unmercifully!"

I will be glad when... 1) I am in ONDERLAND. 2) I can wear sleeveless tops. 3) I can be comfortable wearing a bathing suit in public. 4) I can complete a 5K walk/run. 5) I can wear clothing that doesnt have to be bought in a plus size store. 6) I can ride ANY ride at Kings Island or Cedar Point. 7) I can cross my legs while sitting at a table. 8) I don't have to stand so I don't have to risk breaking a chair. 9) I control my food instead of vice versa. 10) I can look in a mirror and like what I see. :thumbup:

Howdy! I had NSVs this weekend... 1) I RODE A BIKE FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 25+ YEARS! :laugh: We have a very pretty arboretum/park less than 10 minutes from our house that has a 4 mile bike path. I had to walk my bike up the really big hills, but I was able to ride most of the way. I've decided that I will either ride the path 2x or walk the path 1x at least three days/week. 2) I WORE A SIZE 20 FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 15+ YEARS! :smile: The temperature got up to 75 degrees today. I wore a size 20 pair of ankle pants, a lightweight sweater, and sandals. It felt so great to not be bundled up like "Nanook of the North." My hubby commented that I should go do some shopping for spring clothing because my clothes looked too baggy. I understood what he was saying about the sweater because it fit me 65lbs ago. I think I was more excited about the pants being baggy. I might go out next week and try on some size 18s!

Howdy! I told my hubby that when I reached my goal weight, I want a new wedding ring set. I'm thinking a tenth of a carat of diamond for every 10 pounds I lose. That will be roughly a 1.35 carat-sized rock he will be paying for! :sad:

I use FDS and it works great. Its like powder in spray form so it keeps that area nice and dry.

YES! I've lost nearly 70lbs since 6/8/09 and I've gone from a 44D to a 40DD. I'm afraid to see what size my girls will be when I lose another 65lbs and reach my goal weight! :smile2:

Here's what I like to mix w/ my yogurt and/or cottage cheese... baked Beans w/ cottage (looks like hell but tastes good) Special K Cereal w/ yogurt Greek yogurt w/ ranch dressing mix (dip for veggies) LF vanilla yogurt + honey + all spice (dip for fruit) Off topic yummy recipe... FF Cool Whip + SF pudding powder (dip for fruit) EX: FF CW + SF French Vanilla pudding powder (melons) EX: FF CW + SF White chocolate pudding powder (strawberries) EX: FF CW + SF lemon pudding powder (melons) :smile2:

Hello! I feel very fortunate about my journey up to this point because I have not had ANY negative comments. Even when I only lost 4lbs from the beginning of November thru the beginning of January and was feeling bummed about it, my surgeon who was giving me my 5th fill (January) told me to be proud of my loss because he would wager that in all the years past, I would have gained weight during the holiday season. HE WAS SOOOO RIGHT! I started 2010 at my lowest weight in years and I'm really looking forward to ending 2010 weighing even less. :wink2: I am also very fortunate to have a very dear BF who was banded only 3 weeks after my surgery. We have been able to take this journey together. We are each other's support system, challenge to rise to the occasion, accountability, shoulder to lean on, etc. My mother had gastric bypass (not a good band candidate) right before Thanksgiving. So, we are the THREE WL AMIGOS. I also have a great group of colleagues. They have been extremely supportive and interested in my journey. And last BUT NOT LEAST, my hubby has been my greatest source of support. He likes to joke that going to bed w/ me is like going to bed w/ a different woman each night. When we are snuggling in bed, he swears that he feels changes in my body from the night before. He is so proud of me and tells everyone about my surgery and how much weight I've lost. :laugh:

I discovered a very tasty treat today! Here it is... 1) a wedge of Laughing Cow Light Garlic & Herbs cheese 2) 4 Triscuit crackers <120 calories 2.5g Protein Fiber VERY TASTY!!

Howdy! Here is a list of the foods that I avoid... 1) rice 2) doughnuts (shouldn't eat these anyway) 3) doughy bread (toasted is ok) 4) any dry or tough meat 5) egg rolls (outer casing is too tough) 6) french fries 7) broccoli 8) any kind of pizza crust (pick off my toppings like a kid) 9) scrambled eggs I thought that I would really miss these foods, but once you get stuck... :thumbdown:

Hi Special K! Would you please send me another Yahoo Invite? I didn't realize that the invite would be in the Spam folder and I deleted it. Thanks!

It was GREAT meeting all of you today! As someone who hasn't yet been banded a year, it was truly inspiring meeting those banders who have been successful and gaining their wisdom and advice. Jo and I are looking forward to seeing you all again next month! :smile:

I had four NSVs just this past week... 1) I had to buy a ring guard for my wedding ring. 2) A person whom I haven't seen since the end of last summer did not recognize me. 3) I was asked to be a model in a fashion show at the local mall representing CJ Banks. 4) I found a pair of really nice pants on the clearance rack (75% off) which I thought would be a size too small, but would give me some incentive. I went home and tried them on. Not only did they fit, but I had room to spare! :thumbdown: I only get weighed when I go for my fill or some other doctor appt. so I have no idea what the scale is doing. I have found NSVs to be more rewarding (ie. loose rings, baggy clothing, comments from others, etc.).

Between my 3rd and 5th fills, I could tolerate just about any kid's meal from any fast food place. Since my 5th fill, I have found that fries are difficult for me (not a bad thing though). I really cant tolerate any bread of any kind either. I am in love with egg drop soup from any chinese restaurant and Wendy's chili is great w/ a little bit of cheese mixed in. When I go out to eat now, I find myself gravitating towards a baked potato, soup, or salad w/ meat. I can't believe how the band has changed my eating habits and my cravings!!

Hello! I am very glad that I found this thread. Back in 2004, I had an EGD done because I was experiencing very painful and frequent heartburn. The results from that EGD showed that I had something called Barrett's Esophagus. My esophagus had been damaged from all of the reflux and that the cells in my esophagus needed to be watched for any changes (ie. cancer). I was put on Nexium and would need another EGD done in 2-3 years. I had another EGD done in 2007 and all was fine. Now comes the strange part... I was banded w/ a hiatal hernia repair on 6/8/09. At my 4 week follow up/1st fill, everything looked great and I was told that I could stop taking my stomach meds. I have felt absolutely great since my surgery... no reflux, no bloating, no pain, no excess gas. I stopped taking the stomach meds. On 2/1/10, I went for my follow up EGD. The test showed that I have lesions/erosions in my esophagus, stomach, and small intestines. I also have a large ulcer in my stomach. The doctor could not believe that I was not in pain or greatly troubled by reflux. She put me on a heavy-duty strength acid blocking meds for the next 12 weeks and I have to have another EGD the end of April. I was completely in shock when the dr told me what she had found during my EGD. I just pray that all of this nonsense has nothing to do w/ my band! :scared2:

HOLY MOTHER OF PEARL! I was banded on 6/8/09 and my best friend was banded 3 weeks later. My mother had gastric bypass surgery 3 days before Thanksgiving. Between the 3 of us, we have lost nearly 200lbs. :rolleyes2: At the time of our surgeries, I was a snug size 28W, my best friend was a size 32W, and my mom a 26W. This past weekend, we all went through our closets and took out anything that currently doesn't fit or will not fit in the upcoming warm weather season. We had a total of twelve 22 gallon totes full of clothes ranging in sizes from 30/32 (4X) to 22/24 (2X). We also had 6 winter coats added to the pile. We are planning of having a MAJOR yard sale come this May. I'm sure that by that time, we will have even more clothes in totes. I hope we can make a pretty penny on the clothing (Avenue, CJ Banks, Fashion Bug, Romans, Jessica London, Chadwicks, JMS, etc.) because I will not have any clothes that fit me once warmer weather rolls around :thumbup: and will need the funds to purchase a new wardrobe.

Howdy! I thought I was the only one having "issues" with my breasts. I was told that when you lose a significant amount of weight (50+ lbs), you will really notice a decrease in your bustline. I've lost almost 70lbs since 6/8/09 and have gone from a 44D to a 40DD. I was seriously concerned what size my breasts would be if I lost another 75lbs! :rolleyes2: I'm hoping to end up around a 36-38D and around 175lbs. I'm almost 5'10 w/ a broad build. I think I will look great at this size! Sorry, if that sounds a bit stuck on myself, but I am really working to see myself in a more positive light. PS~ I had a NSV 2 days ago. I had to get a guard for my ring. I almost threw it away while washing my hands after using the restroom at a restaurant. :thumbup:

This is such a great thread! I agree that the numbers on the scale don't tell the whole story. When I had my surgery (6-8-09/325lbs), I was wearing a snug size 28 jean. Today, I wore a size 18/20 jean and was actually able to breathe comfortably in them. My short term goal is to be able to comfortably wear a pair of size 18 capris this summer. My ultimate goal is to have both my weight and my clothing size begin with a "1." I currently weigh 265. I am hoping to reach my ultimate goal by the end of this year. Anything after that will just be icing on the cake. Sorry for the pun.

Hello! I cannot tolerate broccoli or the baby corn in Chinese food. I really like egg drop soup w/ tofu. I have been able to eat teriyaki chicken w/ mushrooms and steamed rice. I can eat about 4 small bites of the rice as long as it is soaked in the teriyaki sauce. Stir-fry shrimp has also been good to me.

OMG! This was tooooooo funny! :thumbup: Thanks for the giggle:) PS~ O-H-

Hello! I was banded on 6/8/09 by Dr. Curry. I have been VERY happy w/ my results! :thumbup: A little bit about my journey... I decided to get banded the beginning of April '09 and went to see my PCP on 4/19 to get the ball rolling. I went to seminars at Mt Carmel West, OSU, and w/ Dr. Curry. While going thru this process, I found out that any type of wls is not covered by my insurance. The cost of surgery at Mt C was $17,500 and at OSU it was $22,900. Surgery w/ Dr C was $12,999 which included all pre-surgery classes and lab work and 2 years of fills. Even w/o the cost factor, I would have chosen Dr C. I met w/ Dr C and his staff on 5/26 and 5/27 and scheduled my surgery for 6/8/09. Surgery and recovery were a breeze! My weightloss has been slow and steady. I am very pleased w/ my results! As of my 7 month BANDiversary, I have lost 61lbs and 42+ inches. I could never have done this w/o the support of my hubby, family, friends, colleagues, and a wonderful surgeon/staff. :thumbup:

SUPPORT :thumbup:

Thank God! I have found a post that is my soul mate (LOL). Betsy~ Your grasp of the English language is stupendous! I, too, am a "grammar snob." I find it appalling when adults cannot even construct the most basic of sentences without an error. I find it abhorrent when I find misspelled words on public signs and in publications. My friends call me the "Grammar Nazi." Go figure! I am a teacher who firmly believes that poor grammar, misspelled words, and punctuation mistakes should be gently pointed out so that it may be corrected. I certainly haven't won many popularity contests with this philosophy. C'est la vie!

Howdy! I just wanted to post a NSV that I had over the weekend... I went to a friend-of-a-friend's birthday party on Saturday. At this party, the only chairs available were those flimsy plastic resin kind. Normally, I avoid those kind of chairs like the plague. They give me horrid visions of collapsing in a heap in front of a group of strangers. Well, I decided to take the plunge and perched myself precariously on a chair. Not only did I NOT go crashing to the ground in an ingloriously heap, I was able to sit in that chair with my legs crossed! :thumbup:

Hello! I, too, have a fear of failing even with my band. I am a self-pay ($13,000 out of pocket). My parents paid for the entire thing. On a side note, my parents paid for everything b/c they figured I would get the band w/ my inheritance (eventually) and they wanted to see my success. My mother also had weightloss surgery and she wanted a WLS Buddy. :thumbup: I was more than happy to oblige! So, not only do I want to be successful for me, but I also want to be successful so my parents. I was banded on 6/8/09 by Dr. Curry in Cincinnati, OH. As of my 7 month BANDiversary, I have lost 60+ pounds and 40+ inches. That includes losing 4 pounds over the holidays. I was somewhat dismayed when I only lost 4 pounds in 8 weeks, but my surgeon was pleased. I guess putting things into perspective really helps... I lost instead of the usual gain over the holidays. Since my last fill (1/8/10), I've lost another 3.5 pounds. I now have 4.6cc in a 10cc band and have really good restriction. For me, sweets and junk food have never really been the issue. I am a volume eater plain and simple. I will take a pepperoni pizza over a hot fudge sundae any day. I'm not saying that I don't enjoy sweets now and then. Damn those holiday sugar cookies! Thankfully, the band mainly addresses volume and helps me with portion control. :thumbup: