DizzyLizzy

That would be great if they had the nutrition info right there. I don't like going anywhere spur of the moment anymore because I don't know what to get. Anytime we do go somewhere I look up the calories and decide what I'm going to get before hand.

Elifie, I am so sorry to hear that about your friend. I said a prayer for him...I hope he recovers to full strength and soon. And and a prayer for you to be strong for your friends.

Try logging your calories, you'd be surprised at how something that seems like hardly anything at all actually has a lot of calories. I use MyFitnessPal.com.

I see I am not alone as a slow loser and not at my sweet spot yet. It can be quite frustrating to see others banded around the same time as me, or even later, down 50+ lbs. Especially when you're self pay, that just hurts even worse! But, when I think about the fact that I am have broken away from gaining weight, just that in itself is a good deal! And just with the 30 or so I've lost since banding, I feel 200% better! I had my 2nd fill last Friday, I have no idea how much it was, I can tell a difference, but I think I could use a tad bit more given that I feel like I could still overeat if I didn't think about it. But, my doctor want to take it slow. He is totally against people sliming and getting stuck, and definitely against vomiting. And the only time I had a problem with that was right after surgery when I was still swollen. But not since then, thank goodness! But, the good news is my doctor says I'm doing great with my weight loss. He only set a goal for me of 2lbs per week (I set my own personal goal of 10lbs per week) and so far averaging out my total weight loss since banding, I've met both goals, even without good restriction. But I am a serious calorie counter and I workout 4 days a week 45-75 mintutes too. When I tell people what I still have to go through calorie counting, exercising and all, some say, well why did you get the band, couldn't you do that without? Maybe if I tried really hard and had tons of will power, but if I did, I would have lost this weight (and kept it off) a long time ago! I not in the green zone yet, so the band is not working at full capacity right now, but it is working! It reminds me, hey, you don't need to eat anymore right now, where as before, I was a bottomless pit! So, yes, I think the band it totally worth it. Nobody said it would be easy, and if they did, they were lying, lol! Stay encouraged, give it time, and good luck to you all!

Hello friends! Been MIA, busy and dealing with some issues, but... I went to the doc on Friday, only got to record a 3lb loss (boo!) but I got a fill (yay!). I also lowered my resting heart rate by 20, which means my heart is in better shape! And I got a super thumbs up for my exercise efforts. The weird thing is, I can feel the fill working, but I still ate poorly over the weekend (chips, pizza, Cookies all those naughty things)...BUT, I still managed to drop 3lbs over the weekend to 290, and this evening I'm 287! I recorded the 290, but I'll wait til Friday and hope I'm still 287. I hope that bad eating doesn't come back to haunt me! AND, I'm officially down 100lbs from my heaviest...yay! Sybaris was AWESOME! Hope you all are doing well...I've got a lot of reading to do!

Thanks for the encouragement & sharing your story and congrats on changing your life!

Betsy, I'm actually near Indianapolis, IN, but my husband is from Chicago (south side) so before my hubby started working weekends last fall, we would visit Chicago quite a bit. And I chose to my surgeon (Dr. Rosen of Lifeweigh Bariatrics, he has an office in Downers Grove & Merillville, IN) all the way up there because he was one of the cheaper ones self pay within driving distance and I liked that he has an excercise physiologist on staff because I feel that's really important part of weight loss. And he's on the board of surgeons at the hospital so he's pretty reputable. I actually found 2 surgerons cheaper, like $11k down in Louisville which is about the same drive as to Chicago from where I'm at, but I didn't get a good vibe from either of them they way they presented their programs. So, I drive the 3 hours up there once a month to see Dr. Rosen & his staff and if my hubby can get the weekend off, & we'll stay up there and visit his family, or, like this weekend, stay and enjoy some alone time! I'm so looking forward to it!!!!

Well, friends, sorry it’s been a while. I haven’t been able to keep up. You guys are either too fast for me or I am just too slow! And I’ve been uber busy at work to. Man they are really putting it all on me, with the whole “you’re one of our best so we know you can do it!” Almost makes me want to slack like the rest so they will leave me alone! I’ve still been getting in the 4 workouts a week, burning about 500 calories each workout and keeping calories under 1200 a day, carbs around or under 100 and protein at 75 or more, and guess what? NOTHING! OK, not nothing but not much. Only been losing about a half lb the past couple of weeks. My “plumbing” is not working well, either and I don’t know what to do! Seems I only lose well when on liquids or my period, and I don’t want either of those! I’d blame it on the lack of restriction, but I KNOW it’s not that because I’ve kept track of everything and aside from my Friday binge, I have been under 1200 cals a day. Even when I went crazy last Friday, I was still under 1500 calories! While I’m frustrated with the scale, however, my clothes keep getting bigger! Is it possible for someone to gain so much muscle mass that they shrink as much as I have but not lose pounds? I was wearing 30/32 at surgery, now I’m fitting 22/24s now easy which is what I wore when I weighed 220 - 240 in high school. So I look like I’ve lost like 70lbs since surgery, when I’ve only lost about 28! I wish I would have actually measured myself before, I need some numbers to make me feel better in my mind…you know us accountants are all about the numbers! I know I can just go with the clothing sizes, but things are cut different, so that still isn’t enough to settle my stupid brain..lol! Well enough complaining, I am looking forward to the weekend. I’m heading up to Chicago area to see my surgeon and staff and hopefully get another fill since I have not met his 2lb a week goal. BUT, my hubby is going with me and we will spend Friday night at his moms, then Saturday night stay at the Sybaris in Northbrook…yay!!! I LOVE the Sybaris, LOVE the steam shower! If only I could have one of those in my home I would never ever leave!! The kids will each be with their favorite granny, so the weekend will be blissful for everyone! Welcome to the new folks. Hope everyone is doing well! Gotta get back to work, cause you know, I’m the best so they say! J

Betsy, thank you for that info on weight lifting! Seems like every time I tried to research that, I’d only get bits and pieces of all the info, no one ever really summed it up like you did. Now it makes sense! I have to say, even though my weight is not dropping as fast as I had hoped, my clothing sizes are due to my increase in muscle! Before I started working out, I could pretty much tell my weight by adding a zero to my clothing size. So before I had my son when I was 290 – 300 I was wearing a size 30! Now I’m back at 290 – 300 and I’m wearing size 24 and even some 22’s! I haven’t had a chance to completely catch up, but it looks like everyone for the most part is doing well…good job guys! We had an absolutely beautiful day in Indiana yesterday, sun was out, I think it got up in the 60’s! I had planned on getting out and playing ball with my son when I got of work, but unfortunately he got in trouble in school AND after school care! So instead of outdoor fun, he spent the evening in his room. And my daughter has been a mess for a while, so she got sent to her room too! At least I got to workout in peace!!!! Have a good day!

bandwife, has your husband had an upper GI test done? I had to have the scope test before surgery and will have to every year for at least three years after to check to make sure the band is in the correct place and there are no problems, etc. If he hasn't had one, you should request your primary care physician, not your lapband surgeon order one, and send the results to both your lapband surgeon and your PCP. That way there are two at least three sets of medical eyes looking to see what could be going on there. There could be many different things going on in that area that has nothing to do with the band. If you've gone through all the testing to see if there are other issues outside of the band, maybe he should have the band removed and see if his condition improves. Good luck!

Good afternoon, friends! Glad to see you are all doing well for the most part! This sunshine is really a super boost for my mood! I’m not a real outdoors person, but I love those days where the sun is shining and there’s still just a little chill in the air or a nice breeze…jacket weather…I can feel it coming and I’m soooo excited! I don’t have any animals, other than my kids & hubby, lol, so I can’t join in on the doggy & kitty convos. And I think my boy may be allergic to dogs. He spent the day at a friend’s house a couple months ago that has 4 dogs and that night he broke out in a bad rash! He had never been around animals before, so we think it maybe that. Bad thing is he keeps asking to go back over there. We didn’t get to see Alice in Wonderland as we had planned. They were only showing it in 3-D at the local theatre and I didn’t think my 5 year old was ready for that…either he’d keep taking the glasses off, or try to wear them without his regular glasses, either way, wouldn’t enjoy the show. They usually have both the 3-D show and the non 3-D show but didn’t for this one, so we will wait for it to come out on DVD! I finally got to take off the extra pound. I know I usually only log it for Friday evenings, but I had been teetering so much during the week between 289 and 294 and Saturday and Sunday I never saw anything over 292, so I logged it last night! I must have been holding Water or something Friday. Been a “bad girl” today. Someone brought in a cheesecake brownie to the office! I had ½ a brownie…surprisingly nutrition wise it wasn’t too much worse than the Yoplait light I had planned to eat for a snack! So, I won’t punish myself too bad for that. As long as I stick with everything else I have planned for the day, I’ll still be under my 1200 calories! Carbs today are just kinda high…stupid bagel! I have to remember to fix my eggs the night before so I won’t have to grab a bagel in a rush for breakfast! Plan, plan, plan!!!! Oh, and I finally posted a comparison pic. I will try to add it to this post, but if that doesn’t work it will be with my other photos. It looks like I’m poking my gut out in the first and sucking it in in the second, but I’m really not! It’s a difference of about 25lbs! (ok, can't figure out how to put the pic in!) Well, enjoy the rest of your day, everyone!

Someone said that the doctor should have made sure she was well informed before he took her money....I'm sure he did as best he could. People can read or listen to info and regurgitate that info back or nod yes or no as if they understand, but they really don't. No one is a mind reader. If I wanted to, I could have glazed over the info my doctor gave me, said, oh yeah, I get it, answered all the questions correctly, and on with my surgery, even if I fully didn't grasp it. Why do you think there are so many lawsuits in the first place, people get licenses, degrees, etc because they passed the test, doesn't mean they fully grasped the concepts! And, even though I did really understand it, I still had higher expectations, which can play tricks on your mind, and for those who can't snap out of it, it a downward spiral to the "whoa is me, this isn't working" and we have to blame somebody, but hardly anyone wants to blame themselves. In the OP's case and bandwife's husband's case, it seems that there is miscommunication between them and their surgeon on how to get them where they need to be and/or lack of effort to make sure things that need to get done, like fills or unfills, get done. In the end, it is your responsibility to do the research, get the understanding, and after surgery do the work to make it work!

Good Morning all! Wow, you all have been pretty busy on here since I was last on...I have some major catching up to do! Well, Friday turned out to be a weird day! Late in the afternoon, we were informed that they were letting another 3 people go, and one of them happened to be my mentor when I started there, then my supervisor, then helped me get hired back on after I left for a while. I leared a lot from her, she was a bit anal, some found her hard to deal with, but she really knew her stuff! I'll miss her...I'll have to take her to lunch next week! Then, I was "outed" at work, lol! I wonder if this is what people of different sexual preference feel like, not like you're really ashamed, but you just don't go around telling everyone. I had already told the people in my workgroup, and assumed that they blabbed, but no one else had every come up to me and talked about it. Well, I got caught in the bathroom and one of the girls from another group came up and said, "So, what you doing to get so skinny?" I said "Am I getting skinny?" She said, "Girl, yes, I just looking and looking, and was like, either you was getting smaller or my eyes were getting bigger!" So I told her I had lapband, and re-inforced that it's not like you get it and just melt away, I still have to count calories and exercise as with any diet. And she said "Really, I though with that you got it and didn't have to do anything, like it was just easy to do!". So, I told her no, it's hard and it's an adjustment. So, I'm officially "out of the closet" so to speak, because I KNOW she is a gossiper! I actually feel better now, maybe because somebody is actually noticing a difference! Talk about someone noticed, my husband was feeling my rear end, lol, and said, "it's getting smaller!" I died, then said, "well is it too small now?" He winked and said, oh no, it's still nice & round. :-) Well, Saturday was an good day. We went to a movie, dinner, and to a high school jazz festival...it was totally awesome! We went last year and I noticed that the seat was actaully comfortable this time around, didn't feel like I had imprints on my hips from the seat! I only got to log 1lb loss this week, but (TMI alert) I haven't had a BM since like Monday! Hopefully my plumbing will get to working, lol! Well, let me get to reading all the updates and see if my brain is working today! Have a great day...Indiana is sunshiny and expected to get in the low 50s, so it should be nice out. Going to take my boy to see Alice In Wonderland!

Sorry the band isn't working out so well for your husband. But, as I was told at every single pre surgery consultation, the band does not work for everyone. They even mentioned every single time that the surgery could have complications or you could even die. I don't know if all surgeons are like my and so forthcoming with all the facts at every single appointment, but all of them are required to give you that information prior to surgery and I'm pretty sure they do at some time in some form or another. Not only that, I would think that anyone considering this type of surgery would do a lot of research about the pros & cons before just lying down and letting them put the band in. Also with this thread, a lot of the negative comments for the OP was that they were actually going to sue because it didn't work. Unless the doctor stated in writing "you will lose this much in this much time" there is no valid suit. If there is a doctor who guarantees this, please let me know so I can sign up with them! Some lose quickly right off, some of us lose then stall, then lose. Some have major restriction and like your husband can hardly eat anything, some like me have no restriction and can eat everything. Some think your doctor should fill the band to the max so you don't have to worry about eating or counting calories or excercise, just melt away, some feel that no matter what, the band is just a tool to help and you need to count your calories and excercise. Every person and their lapband journey is different and if you will explore more of the different threads, you will see that. As far as your husband's issue, if he is so restricted that he cannot eat, he needs to let his doctor know this and ask for an un fill and if his doctor won't do it nor address his concerns, find another doctor who will. Just like anyone you pay money to do whatever, there are many more of them out there and if the one you have won't do what you feel needs to be done for you, drop them and get someone else. Good luck, I hope things get better.

Wow, Karyn! You look like two different people in your before/after! Great going! Guess it's time for that visit to the spa! :-)

LOL, PBS! I am going to start calling her that..she won't have a clue! BTW, my new screen name...DizzyLizzy...still me. I'm tryinig to get all my screen names for different stuff to match...I was having trouble remembering them all!!

Betsy: TGIF indeed!!!! I am so looking forward to sleeping in tomorrow…it’s the first thing I thought of when my alarm when off this morning! I sent you a friend request. Illumination: Congrats on your daughter!!! I wish I could have gotten it done younger as well! If she like you, she’ll do just fine! I seriously started considering it after my mom was going to get it done as well. She was scheduled to have it done in December 2008, but some test came back with something, I don’t remember what, so they had to postpone it. At any rate, something was going on with her where she just lost a lot of weight on her own, so then she didn’t need it really. But over the past few months I can tell she’s been teetering up and down. She says she still wants to get it done. I don’t know what is preventing her to do so. She’s always so secretive about her health which worries me a bit. Bob: Poor guy, you’ll get to feeling better soon. Don’t be afraid to use pain meds if they gave you some, or liquid Tylenol. HummingBird: Congrats on your family as well. I have a cousin who has lapband, and few more family members who need it. Like I said before, I sure wish I had done this sooner! Cocoa: I’m having the same running nose and scratchy throat thing too. I think its allergy time because I don’t feel drained like I do with a cold. I just recently found out that I’m allergic to just about everything in the air. Funny how I didn’t really have a problem until a couple years ago. If it gets bad, I will usually take the generic OTC allergy meds, they work pretty well for me, so maybe you can try those and see if they help you. Leigha: Before banding, I used to down those rolls like nobody’s business too, and eat all my dinner, and desert! I was just clueless as to how many calories things have in them! And, they put these things out there, like a soda, and people even look at the nutrition label and say, oh it’s only 150 calories I can drink this bottle, but they don’t realize that the bottle is really 2.5 servings so it’s really like 375! So, now I’m a nutrition freak. If I can, I’ll even look up stuff online if we’re going out to dinner. Didn’t have time to before Texas Roadhouse, but now I know! Well, unless something major happens, like I chop off my arm or something, looks like I’ll only be logging 1lb loss for the week. It’s a bummer, but at least it’s not a gain, right! If it is only 1lb, I’ll see if I can get in Monday for that fill my doc promised me. But, good thing, I’ve never felt so good looking simple…jeans with a black top and black boots, lol! Anybody have teenagers? Teenage girls? I don’t know what is in the water these days, but my 15 year old daughter seems to have a peanut for a brain! I picked her up from her girls’ meeting last night, they made t-shirts, and I guess they weren’t dry yet. But, she had the shirt in one hand, purse in the other, cell phone stuck to her ear, got in the car and first was like, “what do I do with this?” I told her to set it on her lap. She did, but still sat there with the car door open, and it was COLD! I told her to shut the door…she managed to put the purse down, but now had the cell phone in her hand…”I can’t close the door”. I was like “put the friggin phone down and shut the door!” Of course she scoffs and makes those annoying noises teens do nowadays. Then I start to pull off, beep beep, she never put on her seat belt. Cell phone still in hand, she says she can’t put on her seat belt. I lost it, I yelled at her, people were staring, lol! It’s like this everyday with her, and her friends act ditzy too. Drives me nuts! Off to the exciting task of reading through mortgage documents! (did you hear me squeal with excitement?) Have a good day!

Thanks for the compliments on the pics, everyone. I have the album set to friends only (not quite ready to share with the whole entire world!)...I thought I had already added everyone on this thread as a friend, but if I missed ya, so sorry! Just add me & I'll accept. And I apologize if I don't address everyone's post. My brain is too unswift to take everything in quickly and process it. But I do read all of your posts, I just have to let all the info marinate in my brain for a while, but by the time I think of something to say, the convo has moved on, or I'll even forget when I get a chance to get on here, lol. You all have such great things to say, advice, funny stuff, and even the more personal stuff, make everyone seem more real, so I appreciate all that you all share. It's nice to have your support as I'm noticing the one adult person I have to deal with every day, my husband, doesn't seem to care how much I've lost anymore. I exclaimed this morning, "I saw 289!" and he just had a look like, "and, so!" on his face. Wondering what's up with that! Yesterday was pretty busy for me at work...month end close. Seems like we finish one and here come the next one. That's the accounting life, it's just one big cycle. My parents are having plumbing problems so they are staying at a hotel and came and picked up the kids for some swimming, so the hubby & I went to Texas Roadhouse for dinner. I had half my salad, 4 oz of steak, and {duh duh duuuuhhh!} a roll! Good grief, I did not know those darn things had 227 calories in one friggin roll!. Then the hubby ordered the big ole brownie...man, it was hot & gooey with ice cream on top. I had 3 bites. I had too! Thank goodness, I held myself to only 3! I calculated that at 80 calories that's not too terrible. But the damn roll! I gotta stay away from those things! Well, although still pretty darn cold here in Indiana, the sun is shining bright. Hope you all have a great day!

I posted some photos... just a few as LBT doesn't like bmp pics. Have a good day!

Sweet! Welcome to the club!

Leigha, Glad you're feeling better and can eat again! With my weighing, I promised myself to only record my weight on Friday afternoon/evenings to avoid messing with my head. I've been known to flux 2-3lbs in a day and that's when it's likely the highest during the day. Just like Saturday morning I was 292, but Saturday evening I was 294. Before when I did that and actually logged it, even though I knew why and expected that I would weigh more later in the day, it really bummed me out! So, now I see a good number in the morning, pat myself on the back and hope I can see that number or less on Friday. And I usually see my surgeon on Friday afternoons for the "official" weight, so that's why I chose that day. Pictures, ah yes! LOL! I actually took photos of myself, belly & all the night before surgery and have been meaning to do the same "poses" for the whole then & now effect, but I just have not gotten around to doing it. I will try to at least put something up after my workout tonight so you guys can at least know that I am a human being. :-) I wish I would have taken a before picture of me in the pants I have on now because in November they were pretty tight and now they look like clown pants! Quitting time...yay! Hour drive home..boo! Catch you guys later!

BT, congrats! Besty, my prayers are with you and your family! Despite my garbage feast last night, I saw 290 this morning! Not recording it, but it was nice to see. I will workout and extra half hour tonight, that should get rid of about half of that McDouble! Saw an old classmate at the store last night and he told me I hadn't aged a bit. I blushed! The a couple of weeks ago another old classmate told me the same thing, and a few weeks before that some random little girl told me I was really pretty! Wow! Now, I've heard this all before, but now I'm starting to believe it! :-) Have a good day people!

Oh, I know....now! That was the first time I had a fast food burger I know since being banded and probably a while before that. But the chicken selects actaully aren't that bad for you...I get those all the time if I have to get fast food. I was just craving a burger and it was totally not worth it...lesson learned!

Blah, feeling like an over filled garbage can right about now. I ate a McDouble and 2 chicken strips in one setting, ugh! Feels like it's sitting right at the top of my throat. Lesson learned...don't do that anymore!!!! Start over again tomorrow...good night folks!