sweetbean70

Hello. I was a "string bean" until I was diagnosed w/ a kidney condition at the end of 2nd grade and put on an experimental drug. The "cure" threw me into early onset puberty and wrecked my metabolism. It also made me grow to 5'7. I was in the 3rd grade at the time. I was a mountain among molehills (so to speak). I became very self-conscious about my size. My only saving grace was athletics. By keeping very active, I was able to keep off some of the weight. After high school, I stopped playing sports and the weight piled on. My appetite was out of control! During my four years at college, I gained 60lbs. After college, I got married and packed on another 60lbs. My highest weight was 325. I was banded on 6/8/09 and have lost nearly 60lbs to date. I was wearing a snug size 28. I am now wearing a baggy size 22. I don't think that I will ever be any smaller than a size 14/16. I am built like a refrigerator w/ boobs. I am hoping, however, to some day have my weight begin w/ a "1" instead of a 2 or a 3! :bored:

Congratulations on your weightloss success! I was banded on 6/8/09 and have lost nearly 60lbs. I, too, have only 4cc in a 10 cc band. What caught my eye in regards to your post is the equating your weightloss to two 50-pound bags of sand. I was in WalMart last night doing some grocery shopping for pie-making ingredients. I picked up a can of Crisco and realized that I've nearly lost 20 cans of Crisco. And since Crisco is fat/lard, I thought the comparison was appropriate! :bored:

Five of the sweetest words that you will ever hear are... "You are just shrinking away!" This phrase was said to me 2x today. :thumbup: It is amazing how a few simple words can brighten even the darkest day.

I had my 4th fill earlier this afternoon (11/6). Today's fill brought me to a grand total of 4 cc's in a 10 cc band. I have lost a total of 58lbs since my surgery on 6/8/09. My 5 month bandiversary is this Sunday. I can't believe how quickly the time has gone! While waiting for my fill today, I realized that I am now wearing a size smaller than my wedding dress was 13 years ago.

Howdy! I used to sneeze when I ate way too much. Now, I sneeze if I eat too fast. I asked my gastroenterologist about this a couple of years ago and she looked at me like I had lobsters crawling out of my ears. :drool:

Howdy! I live in Newark (about 45 minutes east of Columbus). I had my band placed on 6-8-09 in Cincinnati by Dr. Curry. I would recommend Dr. Curry in a heartbeat (especially if you have to self-pay). Good luck with your journey :Yawn:

OMG!!! I'm going to go order some arm sleeves pronto.

Well, I guess that I am one of the lucky bandsters. I have told many people about my surgery and I have had nothing but positive comments. I've had 2 people tell me that they didn't really consider me heavy enough to require surgery. They were both just being honest, yet kind. I have really used my experience to educate others. Most people I've talked with are really only familiar w/ gastric bypass. They really don't know much about the band. When I explain to them how the band works and what a fill consists of, they have plenty of questions to ask. I make sure to stress that losing 1-2 lbs per week is the ideal goal and that I can eat pretty much anything that I can tolerate. I can only eat very small portions and I have to watch my caloric intake (aka slider foods) just like anyone else on a diet. I also let them know that exercise is a crucial part of being a successful bandster. I was banded on 6/8/09 and as of today, I've lost 50+ pounds. I won't know my true loss until 11/6 when I go for my fourth fill. I don't have a scale in the house b/c I was becoming too obsessed with it. Good luck with your journey :cursing:

Hello! I was just wondering if I will ever see the skinnier me or will I always see myself as fat. I know that I am losing weight because I am down 3 sizes and have lost 50+ pounds. People give me compliments all the time of how great I look and that they can really see a difference in my size. But, when I look into the mirror I don't see such a big difference. I am also having a mindblock when it comes to shopping for new clothes. I've had to exchange several articles of clothing b/c I bought too big of a size. When I hold up a size 22, I say to myself that there is no way that I can fit into this (I used to be a tight size 28) and buy a size 24 instead. For my birthday in August, my mother bought me some 18/20 panties (longstanding family tradition). I put them in my underwear drawer b/c I knew it would be a loooong time before I could wear them. Well, I decided to wear a pair of them earlier this week and they fit perfectly! Why do I keep selling myself so short???

I live in Ohio and usually about this time I put away all of my summer clothes and pull out my fall/winter stuff. This time around it was a bit different. I didn't put away my summer clothes. I put them into 30 gallon trash bags (3 of them) to be traded for smaller sizes when the weather warms up again. I then decided to also go thru my fall/winter clothes. I ended up w/ another 2 trash bags full. I also ended up w/ about 10 pairs of shoes added to the pile. I kept reminding myself that it is ok to get rid of all these clothes because (for the first time in my life) they are TOO BIG. :sad:

What a great thread! :smile: Here is a list of what I've lost so far (4 months w/ the band): 1. medications 2. double chin 3. 40+ inches 4. 50+ pounds 5. closets full of clothes 6. shoes, shoes, and more shoes 7. the ability to sit for hours in front of the tv or computer 8. my love of carbs 9. the feeling that I am the largest person in any room 10. feeling like that I do not deserve good things in my life b/c I'm too fat Here is a list of thing I've gained since being banded: 1. smaller, cuter clothes 2. a cute hairstyle 3. the guts to get up and sing at karaoke night 4. more hours in my day b/c I'm not napping 5. tons of compliments from friends, family, and colleagues 6. an extreme love of stir fry seafood 7. a definite "get-up-and-go" attitude 8. a whole drawer of sexy lingerie 9. the ability for my hubby to put his arms all the way around me 10. self-love

Howdy! As of this upcoming Thursday (Oct. 8), I will have been banded for 4 months. I have lost a total of 51lbs and 40+ inches. I have gone from a snug size 28 to a loose size 22. I LOVE MY BAND!! :smile: I have gone off of Omeprazole (stomach) and Metformin (blood sugar) completely. I just had bloodwork done this past Friday to see if I can reduce or completely go off of my cholesterol meds. My blood pressure was 110/78 and fasting blood sugar was 124. I haven't been this healthy for a long, long time. A day doesn't go by that I am not truly thankful for my band.

OMG! I have discovered a delicious (and nutritious) snack... Emerald Cocoa Roast Almonds. I bought a large container (38oz) at Sam's Club for less that $10. Here is the nutritional info: 150calories/1oz serving, total carbs/6g, dietary fiber/3g, sugars/1g, protein/6g, and cholesterol/0g. If you are looking for something crunchy and chocolately that will NOT wreck your weightloss, TRY THESE NUTS!!! :seeya:

LOL! I can totally relate to this misery. :seeya: I have found that about 4 Triscuits w/ some spinach dip does the trick for me.

Hello all! I was banded on 6-8-09, so I'm just a little over 3.5 months out from my surgery. I go for my 3rd fill on 9/25 (tomorrow). I had 2 really great/funny things happen to me today. First, I am an elementary school teacher who has recess duty everyday. As I was walking out to my duty, I put my phone in my pants' pocket. I got about 2 steps out the door and my pants almost feel to my knees. I knew my pants were getting too big, but the weight of the phone was just too much. I almost flashed an entire cafeteria and playground full of little kids! My second piece of exciting news is that I can now comfortably wear a size 22 (down from a tight size 28). I LOVE MY BAND!!! :mad:

I can't wait to go to Kings Island and ride the roller coaster again!

Ladies~ I have discovered a food that has really helped me w/ my PMS cravings... Emerald Cocoa Roast Almonds. I bought a 38oz container at Sam's Club for less that $10. Here is the nutritional info: Serving Size: 1oz Total Carbs: 6g Dietary Fiber: 3g Sugars: 1g Protein: 6g I just sprinkle enough to fill the lid and enjoy a crunchy, chocolatey snack! :biggrin:

I LOVE THE NON-SCALE VICTORIES!! I had a NSV this past weekend. I spent a total of 21 hours (12 hours on Sat. & 9 hours on Mon.) redecorating my parents' bedroom for them. That included moving furniture, scraping, spackling, sanding, painting, removing old carpet & blinds, laying new carpet, and installing new blinds. I am 39 y/o. The last time that room was redecorated was when I was in jr. high. It was in pretty sad shape. I was up and down the ladder too many times to count, crawling on my hands and knees to remove the old/lay the new carpet, and probably walked a total of 15 miles while redoing the room. I had no trouble w/ all of that work... no muscle aches, no fatigue, etc. I guess losing almost 50#'s gives you a lot more energy. I can't wait to see what my energy level will be like after I lose another 100#'s and reach goal! :blushing:

I LOVE READING EVERYONE'S NSVs!!! They are so very inspiring! :thumbup: I had several NSVs this past Friday. I was able to wear an XL women's t-shirt comfortably. I used to wear an XXXL t-shirt. My favorite pair of Old Navy jeans (size 26) are now falling off of me. And last, but not least, I was walking out of my classroom when a colleague was coming around the corner w/ her class. She stopped dead in her tracks and said to me, "WOW! YOU LOOK HOT!" It has been sooooo long since anyone (excluding my hubby) has told me how good I look. I AM ABSOLUTELY LOVING MY BAND AND MY NEW LIFESTYLE!! :thumbup: PS~ My 3 month bandiversary is this Tuesday, Sept. 8.

Let me start by saying that I wake up each morning and go to bed every night thanking God and family for my new lease on life! I was banded on 6/8/09 and have lost nearly 50lbs. The band has completely changed my opinion of food. Food is no longer my enemy. When I was going through the pre-band process, I was told by my surgeon, his nutritionist, his surgical nurse, and his fill nurse to NOT think of the band in 2 ways: 1) as a miracle cure and 2) as a diet. They told me to follow the post op diet closely so my body could heal properly. After 4 weeks of the post-op diet, I was told to try small amounts of different foods that were nutritionally sound to see what I could tolerate. If I could tolerate it, eat it in moderation. I was told to eat until I felt full/satisfied (not stuffed to the gills) and to eat only when I felt hungry. Most importantly, I was told that although the band is a life-altering commitment, I shouldn't obsess about it. I feel that this is what has made me successful so far. When people ask me about my band and my weightloss, one of two questions always arises... "Don't you feel deprived only being able to eat so little?" or "Isn't it really difficult to follow such a strict eating plan?" I simply tell them that although this weightloss journey hasn't been a piece of cake (sorry about the bad pun), I would do it again in a heartbeat because it is a commitment and NOT a diet. :biggrin:

Howdy! I had my surgery on 6/8/09, first fill on 7/7, and second fill on 8/13. As of my second fill (including pre-op diet), I have lost 41lbs and 39.5 inches! I am a teacher and had my surgery as soon as school was finished. School just started last week. My colleagues were blown away! My best NSV so far came when a little girl I had last year as a student came up to give me a hug on the first day of school and she said, "Gee, Mrs. O I can put my arms all the way around you!"

Howdy! I was banded on June 8, 2009 by Dr. Tace Curry in Cincinnati. I had my initial visit w/ my PCP on April 14 and went down to Cincy for all of my pre-op fun on May 26 & 27. My first fill was on July 7. My second fill is on August 13. As of July 24, I have lost 42 pounds. :smile2: I feel absolutely great!

Unforgettable... Howdy! I saw that you were banded by Dr. Curry on July 13. He did my surgery on June 8. Isn't he and his staff wonderful?! Good luck w/ your journey!

Hi Bill. I was banded on 6/8/09 by Dr. Curry in Cincy. I live in Newark now, but grew up in Whitehall. Its always good to meet some local fellow bandsters!