Humming Bird

Yes, it can be done, but sometimes it is better to set mini goals. Do it 5 or 10 pounds at a time. Look at milestones like getting to Onederland or fitting in the next size down in clothes.

This thread is an interesting read. There are many good points, including Spartan's, that make me think of my own journey. Yes, there are foods that I avoid just because they cause me pain. Health was not my number one reason for getting the band. I try avoid most fast food because it is both unhealthy and it causes pain. Wendy's chili is one fast food I still eat sometimes. I was a fast food junkie and that played a big role in my former obesity. I loved it bacause it was fast and tasted good to me. Now it doesn't even sound good. I'm glad the band has helped me with that. If I wasn't eating food from the drive-thru I was frying everything at home. I can fry anything! Well, after being banded, I can no longer tolerate anything breaded or fried.

I hate to tell you, but yes, eating makes it come back sometimes. It was my "full signal" for a very long time. Just go very slow and when you start feeling it in the shoulder you may need to stop eating for a bit.

I'm right there with you on this one. I gave up softdrinks years ago, but recently made the mistake of buying flavored "sparkling" Water instead of just flav. water. A couple drinks with carbonation and I did not like the feeling one bit.

I had a hiatal hernia repaired during my lapband surgery as well. I also had severe left shoulder pain that lasted for months. I don't know if it was from the hernia repair, the lapband, or both. I don't know if the pain went away from general healing, from weightloss, or both. I feel for you. It took months for my phrenic nerve pain to go away. At about 20 months post-op I still get a twinges of left shoulder pain now and then. When it was really bad the only thing I found that helped was putting a pain patch on the tip of my shoulder in the evening and wearing it overnight. I used over the counter equate menthol pain patches from walmart. They did not take all the pain away , but helped enough to get me through.

You won't really know by compairing to others because we all gain and lose weight so different. We all carry it different. I've seen other gals post that they weigh more than I do, yet wear smaller sizes ............... Here goes anyway ......... I am 5'7", so a bit taller than you. I am 46 years old, so that also might make a difference. I lost 111 pounds and went from a BMI of 41.3 to a BMI of 24. I did quite a bit of tanning in my younger years, so my skin is damaged and not very elastic. Some people who lose a great deal of weight have a hanging stomach and need to have that removed. I have only had one baby and was a teen mom, so don't even have stretch marks. My stomach is not bad at all. I'm sorry to tell you that my arms turned out the worst. I not only have the hanging "bat wings", but the skin under my arms looks like it is 100 years old. I even have bags of skin hanging in my armpits. This does not mean yours will turn out the same way. The full sleeve tattoo might even help your situation. You should go look at lellow's photo gallery. Here's a link http://www.lapbandta...-ducks-journey/

You may have to make a choice ..... get a small unfill so you can keep eating steak, or stay at the same fill level and give up steak. Steak is at the top of the list of food that gives bandsters trouble, right up there with bread. I chose to give up steak.

If I were to deny myself of simple things like iced tea or hot coffee, this would have been a very long journey. IMHO some people make this much harder than it really is or than it has to be. A simple 5 calorie drink is not going to doom 100 pounds of weightloss.

I get these comments often as well. "You're done losing aren't you? You don't need to take off anymore. You're going to waste away." These are also people who are not being catty. Sometimes it is almost like a compliment. I think people just get so used to seeing us as much larger people that is is a shock to their brain after a large amount of weightloss. I am by no means too thin at a BMI of 24, but people are shocked to see that I am a much smaller person than they thought I would be at this stage. I remember a gal that I worked with when I first had the surgery. We were talking about the sizes of our scrubs. I was wearing a tight 2X and she wore medium. She said "You will never be in a medium, you're just not built that way." She was not saying it to be mean. She was just making a comment like I was just bigger boned or a large person anyway. Well, I wish we still worked together because I now wear size small scrubs and they are not tight at all.

I take all mine in the morning all at the same time. I don't really think it matters and if it doesn't bother you with reflux at night or anything I think you should be fine. Now that I think of it, there are 2 vits. that you should not take at the same time....... maybe it's calcium and vit. D? Maybe someone else who knows which 2 they are will chime in and help. The ones I take every morning are Adult Centrum chewable, D-3 gummie, vitafusion fiber gummie, sublingual biotin, sublingual B-12, and sometimes chewable iron.

I have lost more than 100% of my excess weight and have a normal BMI of 24. I dropped 100 pounds in the first year. I would say that means I am taking weightloss seriously. From the day I was banded I have not counted calories. I drink coffee and tea daily since the day I was banded. I guess cutting corners works!

It sounds like it could be either one, slightly stuck or you ate one bite too many. IMHO in that situation it would be better to wait it out. Throwing up should be avoided if you can because it can cause your band to slip. Even when people refer to throwing up as PBing, there is still a risk of a slip.

Thinking of Denise and the big waves yesterday ...........

I don't bother with decaf. I drink the real stuff. I'm sure the decaf would be better.

I drink quite a bit of tea and you bet I count it as water/fluid. I drink very little plain water. I have never had a problem with dehydration.

Try this thread http://www.lapbandta...-pictures-only/ also try the members gallery http://www.lapbandtalk.com/gallery/category/1-members-gallery/

The band works different for everyone and I bet the sleeve works different for everyone as well. I can only tell you how the band has been for me and my own experience. I have lost more than 100% of my excess weight and went from a BMI of 41.3 to a BMI of 24. I have put in very little effort along the way. For me, the band has done at least 85%, maybe more. It has changed my life for the better and I am so very glad I did it. Do your research and make the choice that is best for you. It will come to you. Only you will know what the best decision is. I wish you the best on your weightloss journey.

I LOVE this!!

I've never been a fan of marinara type sauces. It's something I've disliked from a bad experience in childhood. I do have a jar of alfredo type sauce in the pantry and it's the weekend. Maybe I'll run (really drive) down to the store and get some cabbage. I don't count calories or fat and am at goal, so no need for anyone to tell me alfredo is high cal or high fat . I'll let y'all know how I liked it .

Oh geez........ I started reading everyone's posts and had to stop. I started craving all this yummy stuff being listed. LOL, I better not read anymore

This is great news for you! Everything happens for a reason. It was meant to be that you will be banded sooner than you thought. Take it! Run with it! This means good things will happen for you sooner! I am so happy for you! :bananajump: Getting banded has only improved my life. I feel so much better about myself. I think most of the time the pre-surgery fear is much worse than anything. You will do great! Keep a positive attitude and go for it! You can do this!

I don't have the same feeling you are talking about but there have been times when I feel like I am wearing someone else's skin. I guess in a way I am. I'm a 153 pound woman wearing a 264 pound woman's skin. Sometimes I also have the feeling that others are talking about and still feel fat. I think my brain is catching up slowly, but not sure it will ever catch up all the way.

My arms!! Oh my gosh! They are very bad. It's not just the flappy underarm thing, but also skin that looks like I am 100 years old!! So many things make us all different when it come to where we sag. For me : I have only been pregnant one time in my life and I was 16-17 years old. I only gained 19 pounds and carried my baby 9 1/2 months. I hardly looked pregnant. I weighed in at 160 pounds the day I delivered. I am 5'7" tall. My baby is now 28 1/2 years old I am 46 and have lost 111 pounds. I have done more than my share of tanning in my life and am now paying the price for all thet sun damage. My skin does not spring back like other bandster's skin might. I'm not sure I will ever have plastic surgery. I am just enjoying the weightloss and a new skinny life!

The nicest change I see is in your smile . In your before pic you look so sad, even the one with the smile. The after pics show you happy and that is priceless! You have done so well ! Will your tummy and boob work be your reward? That would be a great 'self gift'.

I have found that stress causes my fibromyalgia pain to increase and believe it can also trigger the phrenic nerve pain through the fibro. I try to keep my life stress low and have found that it really helps. It is easier said than done, but I try not to sweat the small stuff and do everything in my power to live a low stress life.