Humming Bird

Hi-Ho Hi-Ho, it's off to work I go.

Then you are either burning up or freezing. There is no happy medium. Thank goodness my menopause symptoms are about all done. (surgical menopause) Now I just have to deal with the freezing. We had more snow this morning and of course I needed to pump gas...Brrrrrrr

This will be my 2nd winter with the band. The temps here are already dropping and we have already had snow twice. I'm freezing just like I did last year. I had hopes it would get better, but has not yet. I have no thyroid problems that I know of. It's just the weightloss.

The port should be firmly anchored to the lining that covers the muscle layer. The port should not move. The position of the skin is what changes. If the Dr. inserts the needle when you are laying down, that position will be different than when you try to locate the port when you are sitting up or standing.

It is my understanding that no lapband surgeon (with morals) would band someone with a BMI of 28. It is major surgery and is designed for those who are morbidly obese or obese with co-morbid conditions.

It sounds to me like what I consider PBing. What others call PB I consider throwing up. They are very different. To avoid this you need to make sure you are taking very tiny bites, chewing well, eating slow, not eating one bite too many, and understanding what your soft signs are.

I too hope I can keep my band forever. I have a problem eating fried foods. They don't feel so good when they reach my pouch so I avoid them.

That's a great plan with a really good reward in the end ! :wink2:

I have taken in quite a few things. There are some things that would just not be worth all the trouble it would be to take them in properly. My mom started teaching my sister and I how to sew when we were very young (about 4th grade) and I've been sewing ever since. I too am a clothes hoarder, so it is great to fit in those clothes I have saved thinking I would fit in them again someday.

I'm with you on that one. I was eating sugar free life savers one day and ate quite a few. They acted like a laxative. I do ok with SF gum and mints, but the SF lifesavers really get me if I have more than 2. Sugar free is also better for your teeth.:wink2:

I never ate baby food and I never put anything in the blender that I normally wouldn't. Things like yogurt smoothies, yes blender. Putting meat, pasta or anything like that in the blender ..... no way.

Good for you Bob! Keep up the good work. Once you get used to the whole thing you can relax and coast through the process. There are negative things about the journey, but it's nice to let some of that go and just enjoy feeling trimmer.

One way to look at it and explain it to your family.... If you are obese enough to qualify for weightloss surgery, it is a life or death situation. There are so many health risks with obesity. It could cause you an early death. My father died from his obesity.

LOL I love it!

Eeewwww! ABC Cheetos :sneaky: I think just doing that one time would cure me from the cheeto craving. I get too grossed out from seefood. I do understand the thought behind it. I have heard some bandsters say they have done that with meat because it gives them much trouble. I like the delayed gratification idea and will have to put that one to use.

I noticed that way down in the article it says If the band is properly adjusted, the appetite will be dimmed for several hours. To me, that means with proper RESTRICTION. Some of the stuff rings true for me and some does not.

I love it! Good for you! what a great feeling! Mine involves jeans too. I bought a new pair of jeans and was so thrilled with the smaller size I wore them for an entire weekend. After I washed and dried them I pulled them out of the dryer and thought, "OMG they shrank! Look at the teeny tiny little jeans! I will never be able to wear them again." I figured I would try them on and see just how much more I would have to lose before I could even think about wearing them. They fit! I zipped them up with no problem! My brain has not caught up with my shrinking size. I learned a lesson that day. Do not just hold up clothes to figure out if they will fit. I must try them on. As you get farther along in your journey you will find that most of the time, these NSVs mean so much more than what the scale says.

I had a BMI of 41. My BMI had nothing to do with me self-paying. I have not had health insurance for many years. Where do you live? Check out the websites for lapband surgeons in your area. You could always call the offices and ask about it too.

I think we all have different motivations. Money is a big one for some. I was self pay and it hurts bad to pay out that kind of money, but I think my weightloss would have been the same if I had insurance. Being healthy is a big motivation for many no matter if they were self pay or insurance. It was not my motivation. Being healthier was just a side benifit for me.

When I started paying attention to my chewing I was amazed at how little I had been chewing my food. I was paying attention to other people when I went out to eat too. Wow, each bite might get one or two chews with the teeth, then it's down the hatch and another big bite is already being loaded in. Since being banded, I do not chew my food to liquid. I just make sure I take very small bites and that each bite is well chewed. I don't chew it to the point where I get grossed out. A good example would be how I used to eat chili and how I eat it now. Before, it was the old shovel it in method. Now, I eat my chili one bean at a time. The bean has not been turned to liquid, it's just well chewed.

Stacie, Your scale situation would be great for the old "you know you're a bandster when....." thread. You know you're a bandster when you have your spouse hide your scale and then you sneek weigh in at K-Mart and the dry shipping scales at work.

LOL. Now that, is funny. Maybe I need one of those by the pantry to stop me before I graze. "Step onto the scale" would make me think about what I shouldn't eat.

Thank You Mom for teaching me how to sew when I was a very young girl. I have taken in several things and now have a huge mountain of clothes piled up in my sewing room. Now that I have lost over 100 pounds, it is just not worth the effort to take in some items. I would have to take them apart too much and re-make them. It's time to take them to the big girl re-sale shop and hope I make a few bucks to buy new clothes!

Thanks! I just dropped into the "normal" BMI range and assume that means I have lost 100% of my excess weight. I still have 9 pounds to take off to meet my personal goal, but it feels great to have made it this far!:huh2:

Hi and welcome to LBT. There are other bandsters here that are Army wives. I think most insurances that cover lapband at all would cover you even without co-morbidities bacause your BMI is over 40. Search around the site and you will find others that used that ins. and that share your Army wife background. Good luck. I wish you the best.