VABandster

Hey ladies! So I finally was able to have my friend take some "during" pics of me this past weekend and I've put them side by side for comparison. I posted them in our Yahoo group, under VA Bandster, so you can check them out there. I can see a slight difference in my face, but other than that, I guess I can understand why no one has said anything b/c I really don't look THAT Different...UGH...maybe when I hit 75 pds lost??

Thanks Dynamo! I'm sure you'll do fine on the preop diet and once you're on the 'other side' you'll wonder what all the fuss was about!

BMan...sorry to hear you got so irritated w/your PB! :-( Those DO suck!! Hang in there!! Steph....Well, I got to travel b/c I was laid off from my job in Dec/Jan, and most of my trips are on weekends LOL I have not weighed myself since I left for GA so I'll see what the scale says tomorrow and decide if I'm going to go for another fill now or wait a little more. As for the "one more bite" syndrome....I'm With you!!! I keep feeling like I need that 'one more bite' even though pretty much every time I regret it! Ugh..when will we learn!? Julie! Congratulations on hitting the 50 pound mark! That is awesome!! I hope to be there shortly myself!

hey gang! Just checking in....I have the VG Band too and have had 2 fills so far by Dr. K....You can see how much I got on each fill by looking at my signature not a lot by VG standards, but it worked for me! I'm trying to figure out if I need another fill or if I just need to be a better Bandster I'm guessing its the latter, but am not sure. DREWS...glad to hear you're losing sizes!! That is awesome! For all you w/anxiety about upcoming surgery....deep breaths!! It will be a breeze and you'll be sooo glad you did it!!

Hey ladies!! Finally back in the land of internet! I've been in GA for a few days visiting my best friend, who does not have internet access at her house, so I missed a few days! (And hopefully did not gain any pounds!!). STEPH....You're only 2 hrs away? We definitely should try to meet up in the middle some day! I'm doing ok....Very busy month ahead. Still need to call my Dr. and get my medical records transferred to the local Doc so I can get a fill. Its weird...some days I feel like I need a fill, but other days I feel really good rescriction so I'm just not sure if I should get a fill or not?? I think I also need to really focus on eating slower and listening to my body when it tells me to stop....I think I've been pushing too much food into my pouch b/c my "head" is bigger than my stomach!! BOO....SO sorry to hear about the lump!!! But defintiely do NOT listen to your current Dr. and RUN not walk to a specialist ASAP!!! You are in charge of your health!! My Moms life was saved b/c 20 yrs ago she didn't listen to her primary care Doc who told her that a lump was no big deal (turned out to be breast cancer, but my mom caught it early and has had a perfect bill of health since then!). So Hang in there....I know its stressfull, but you'll get through it! Ok, I'm exhausted....I'll catch up more w/you all later...just wanted to pop in and say HI and let you know I didn't fall off the face of the earth!

NAT! Welcome back girl!!! Good to see you posting and coming out of your funk! Can't wait to hear your stories!! Thanks for the tip about Iron...guess I gotta go buy some more vitamins!

Well, I have to say I was a bit dissapointed that they didn't really explain what LapBand is...they just had a teen boy who had weighed over 500 pounds on the show and he had gotten the LB and had lost 180 pounds so far and looked FANTASTIC! he said his goal was to lose 100 more, but he looked good to me! But they did mention LapBand as opposed to Gastric BP, so its juts good to hear it getting 'out there'!

If any of you are in front of a TV....they're going to be talking to a Teen who had the Lap Band and lost 200 pounds shortly on the TODAY SHOW!!! I'll be Tuning in to hear what they ave to say!

Jill....I'm so sorry to hear about the trauma your family has been though, but count your blessings that your daughter is still with you and only has a broken leg!! Make sure you also focus on your son too so he can be reassured that it was just an accident.... Hang in there!! Congrats on the weight loss, although I know it's not how you wanted it to happen.....

Steph....I can NOT believe that Chris got voted out before Sanjaya!!! Are people that are voting HIGH!??? UGH.....anyways...... Congrats on the good fill!!! As for your question....I don't think my Dr. HAS a goal weight for me. His goal is whatever MY goal is. My goal right now is 170. That is what I weighed when I was a Sr. in HS and although at the time I thought I was fat, when I look back at pictures, I WISH I could be there and think I looked quite normal! However, my Mini Goal is to get under 240 b/c that is the lowest I ever got when I did weightwatchers after I was married. I want my now EX Husband to see how Hot I can be, just to rub it in his face a little I'm only about 17 pounds away from that goal....so I hope to be there by the time summer is in full swing! As for right now....well, I'm not dating...and not by choice....so some days I don't feel so sexy, but other days I notice my ring is a little losser or my size 22s are getting loose already...and I do feel sexy. So it really depends on the day.....But I can tell ya....when I get under 240 I'm gonna feel like a HOT mamma!!

Drew..that is great that you can get in for a little unfill!!! I am a totall DOOFUS!! I bought a plane ticket to CO for the beginning of May b/c I need another fill and that is my first available weekend to go out there, plus it's my sisters b.day.....so I called Dr. Ks office AFTER purchasing my ticket and it turns out Dr. K will NOT be in the Office the day that I'll be in town!!! :-( So....I think that was a sign that I need to switch to a local fill dr. who will do my first fill w/them under fluro so I will be able to check and make sure all is well and I don't have any pouch stretch....and I'll switch my plane ticket to another weekend when I can spend more time w/my sis!!

Steph, Yes, I'll definitely get a fill sooner than may now that I'm going local. When I went to CO for the first 3 mos, fills were free, and this one would have been $15. I am actually glad that I'll be getting a fill under fluro b/c I can check and make sure everything is OK since I'm always so paniced about stretching my pouch! Good luck getting the painting done!! I had a shock this AM when I stepped on the scale it was down 2 pounds!??? I am not sure if it'll still be down again tomorrow, but man it was nice to see some movement! Lets just hope it sticks!

My plane ticket was only $180 so its not that much of a difference, plus I get to see my sister But....I think the convenience of being able to go on my lunch hour will be worth it! I'm off to watch Idol too....Sanjaya has GOT To go this week!!

Hi Ladies!!! Checkin in here...see you've all been busy chatting away today while I was hard at work About the hair loss thing....about 2 weeks ago, I had some more-than-usual hair coming out in my brush and hands....but I have no idea why! I think I get plenty of protein (especially after seeing Stephs post about getting too much, thanks for posting!), so maybe it is b/c of the rapid weight loss thing?? As for Hunger...I can usually go 3 hrs no problem w/out eating, however, sometimes if food is there, I will eat it just b/c......So I think we're supposed to be able to last about 4 hrs before feeling hunger so I realize I may not be at my sweet spot, but I'm definitely getting closer!! Steph...you told me to get a fill sooner rather than later, well, I had bought my plane ticket to go to CO and get a fill w/my surgeon on May 4th, and when I called to make my appt today was told he won't be IN that ONE DAY!!! ARGH.....I totally should have checked before I booked my flight!! So now I think I am going to break down and switch to a Local Dr. who charges $150 a fill, but at least I will be able to go in whenever I need to and they'll do my first fill w/them under fluro!! So hopefully I can get in w/them in about a week or two, after I get them copies of my medical file. Luckily I can re-book my ticket and go out there this summer and just enjoy a weekend w/my sister!!

Drewslou.....you Hottie You....go Girl!!!

Steph...I know you're right, I probably haven't stretched the pouch, but I guess I'm just paranoid about it!! I am usually good about not drinking before, during after meals (unless I'm at a happy hour) but there are other rules I have not been good about, i.e. snacking....I know I just shouldn't, but I've slipped back into old habits that way, especially with the evening snacking thing, so I need to get myself back in control and stop it! I know that is where I'm adding in a lot of extra calories I don't need. Ironically enough...after all this bitching and moaning about being on a pleateau, my scale actually moved over the past few days down 1.5!! Go Figure!! Maybe all that complaining burned enough calories!?? LOL But I'll take it. And although I'm not making my march goal...at least I made some progress....better than none!! I think I'm going to make my April goal to get back to living the Bandster Rules in preparation for my 3rd fill at the beginnin of May.

I flew into Denver Airport. That is the closest I believe.

Jill....Hang in there...I'm with you!!! I am not going to make my March goal either, but....I have to realize that I'm not going to always lose 10 pounds a month....as long as I lose, I should be happy. Steph...you're probably right that I need a fill, but....I was thinking about this last night...my Question of the Day: How do you know the difference b/w needing a fill and having stretched your pouch?? I have been able to eat more lately and although sometimes I regret it (I PBd on a chicken wing last night...ugh!)....I seem to just have the wrong mentality lately, and I need to get my head straight!! This head hunger thing really sucks!! BOO....sorry to hear your mom was not being supportive!! But she is probably just voicing her own fears about her RNY not working for her!!! Still doesn't make it right that she said that....but know that we are here cheering you on as you stuff all those old 'fat clothes' into bags and get rid of them once and for all!!!

I second what Mark said...and also just wanted to add that my incisions are in the same place and I had some pain on my left side for a while...even about 6 weeks out I got a really weird pain to the left of my port that lasted a few days, I was really freaking out, but then I read somewhere that people sometimes get pain there before their period...WEIRD, but it was enough to calm me down and sure enough, 2 days later when I got my period (Sorry mark for the girl talk), the pain went away and hasn't returned! So be careful, stay on liquids the first week....and call Dr. K if you're really freaked out! Oh yeah, and the pain from taking deep breaths is likely a result of the anesthesia...they should have given you a breathing apparatus thing that makes you practice taking deep breaths...you want to keep doing that so you don't let the fluid build up on your lungs. Don't worry, you made the right choice!!

Thanks Annie!! I think I had pleateaued BEFORE I started the exercise, but hopefully it'll help! I do know I need to be more careful about the 'empty' caloric intake....so I'm going to go back to journaling. I am scheduled to get Fill #3 on May 4th.

Maud, just curious...how many calories a day were you burning?? So you think it was worth it to buy the bodybugg???

Maud...what'd you do different?? I'm on a plateau and need to figure out how to break it!

Wow Maud!!! What did you do differently!?? I'm on a plateau and need help breaking it!

Boo....I'm with you!!! I started exercising and my scale hasn't budged!! Doesn't exactly motivate me to continue, ya know?? I probably need a small fill....but can't go until the beginning of May b/c my month of April is so booked up! Grrr....so I'm going to have to struggle through....I hope we're all just hitting a pleateau b/c we've done so well and that this won't last too long!!

Saw this post on another list I'm on and thought I'd post it for all you good exercisers that are on a pleateau! I didn't write this but thought it was some really good info to pass on! "I'm a personal fitness trainer with an extensive backround in exercise sciences. When you first begin to exercise, your body goes through many changes, including blood plasma expansion (you can gain as much as a liter of blood the first 6 weeks which accounts for about 3 lbs.) You may also retain Fluid around your joints for a while. You probably haven't been exercising long enough to build a lot of muscle, but muscle weighs 3-4x as much as fat by volume. Each pound of muscle that you gain will increase your metabolic rate, and that extra blood is assisting your cardio system. This is why as a trainer we use body fat percentage tests as a measure of progress; not so much weight. I promise that if you continue to exercise you will lose more body fat and inprove your health and have way more energy. Give your body time to adapt. It is normal to feel a bit more hungry when you are exercising. Try not to eat a lot more calories because of it though. Drink tons of Water and eat plenty of fruits and veggies instead."