TamifromAL

Do you drink to the point of throwing up? If so, then you seriously need to consider giving it up. You don't want to throw up and dislodge the band. Regardless of whether or not you give up drinking long-term, you'll need to give it up for a period after banding, during the healing phase. Your doc will give you some guidelines on length of time to abstain, but I'd say at least a couple of months. Keep in mind that alcohol is empty calories, and can stall weight loss. But, it's also a diruetic. So, you need to drink lots of Water if you drink alcohol. And, if you are fortunate to lose a lot of weight with the band, you will have to re-learn your tolerance levels. Like you, I had incredible tolerance for alcohol pre-band. But, I really have to be careful now. I get intoxicated much, much more easily at -121 lbs! Tami

I started exercising when I was 4 months out, and about 60 lbs. down. I had severe plantar fasciitis before surgery, and by that point I was seeing some improvement. I started slowly, with 20" on the elliptical 3 days a week, plus two days of moderate strength training on the Cybex equipment at the gym. My goal was simply to progress. So, every couple of weeks, I'd add a little more time or intensity to the cardio, add a few more reps or weight to the strength, or add another day of exercise to my schedule. By the time that I reached goal, five months later (-108), I was working out 6-7 hours a week. I stayed within my "goal range" (160-165 lbs.) for several months, and recently decided to ramp up the exercise, and eat "clean" (mostly lean Protein, veggies, and some whole grains). I've lost 10 lbs. since Thanksgiving, which just amazes me at this point. I'm now 152 lbs., and a very fit, muscular size 8. I could not have done it if I hadn't *trained* my body to be able to exercise at the level that I do now. So start slowly, and progress steadily. I truly, truly believe that exercise (including strength training!) is the key to not only losing *all* the extra weight, but to keep it off long-term. Good luck! Tami

Mim, don't sweat the gain! You are undoubtedly swelling from the surgery, and it's likely to continue for at least a month. (I had a belt lipectomy 12 years ago, so I'm speaking from experience!) Keep drinking lots and lots of water, and eating whole, healthy foods, and that weight will drop off soon. Make sure you post some pics of the total transformation once the swelling goes down! I've had an unexpected and rather pleasant experience over the past few weeks. We went on a cruise over Thanksgiving. I was thrilled to find that I had only gained a pound when we got back. Then, the next day, that extra pound was gone, and the next day I was down two more! Somehow, that put me back in weight loss mode. I decided to shoot for the mid-range of "normal" BMI. So, I went back to eating the way I was last winter/spring, and ramped up the exercise. I've dropped ten pounds since T-giving! I'm now 152, with a BMI of 23.8, and wearing some dead sexy size 8 Lucky jeans! Merry Christmas, September Bandsters! Tami

First, let me say that I'm happily married to a great guy. I'm not interested in making any significant changes in my life. But, I'm kind of blown away by the attention that I receive by other men. I've been fat 90% of my life, and my ego and libido are loving the attention. I assume this is why so many wls patients end up in divorce court. I don't want to be a statistic! Any thoughts? {{Kicks in the ass welcome!}}

I just got back from a cruise last week. I have very moderate restriction, and really didn't have any problems with eating. I still didn't eat bread, which is one thing I still avoid. I've never had a problem with motion sickness, and didn't have a problem on the cruise. I did catch a nasty cold, though, which is hanging on forever. Make sure you are very careful about using the anti-septic gels (provided on the ship), and wash your hands frequently. Also, take some anti-nausea pills, just in case. We didn't have a problem with the Norwalk virus on our ship, but I know that it continues to be a problem on cruises, and you sure don't want to be throwing up. My biggest concern was simply gaining weight on an eat-a-thon cruise. But, I gained only one pound, which dropped off the next day back, and two more the next day, so I actually had a net loss of two pounds two days after getting back. That really topped off a great vacation! (Oh, and an absolutely gorgeous YOUNG man hit on me!) Tami

These are a few of my favorite (weight loss) things: 1. My iPod Shuffle. I love, love, love to listen to music that makes me want to move my body. I actually make excuses to go to the gym just so I can put my headphones on and get lost in the music while I'm on the elliptical. 2. My Polar heart rate monitor. It's a basic unit, but it's really all I need to keep my heart rate in the training zone. I don't like to exercise without it. 3. My Spinning shoes. Spinning is my favorite exercise, and somehow just putting them on says "Athlete" to me. 4. Kashi Go Lean Crunch Cereal. I have it every single day for Breakfast, and absolutely crave it. 9g Protein, 8g Fiber per 1 c. serving for 190 delicious calories. 5. Breakstones 2% large curd cottage cheese. That's my favorite post-workout snack. It's creamy and delicious, and packs in 11g protein in 90 calories. 6. Edamame. I love the frozen pods (which remind me of one of our southern staples, boiled peanuts), and the wasabe-flavored freeze dried ones. 7. My local lap band support group. We have an awesome bariatric coordinator, who does a wonderful job to get us inspired and motivated. Tami

Quote: Originally Posted by Jachut Great advice. I get a lot of male attention now that I never used to. Often DH is right there watching it, he thinks its hilarious. But I dont view it as a lost opportunity at all. I've got no real desire for anyone else but DH but its nice to think about. My hubby definitely gets off on it. He'll actually point out guys checking me out. I think it's an ego boost for him. I know I'm very fortunate that he takes it well. And, so far, this new "energy" is being channelled in the right direction. (We had an awesome weekend!) I don't *really* want anyone else. But it's a real ego boost to me, too, and I sometimes worry that at some point I might be tempted. I wish I could play the game of "attraction" without the consequences! Tami

I hadn't, but appreciate the link. I sure can't find any fault with his 7 habits. That's pretty much what I've done since being banded (except perhaps a bit less fat), and it's worked for me! "1. Eat every 2-3 hours, no matter what. You should eat between 5-8 meals per day. 2. Eat complete (containing all the essential amino acids), lean Protein with each meal. 3. Eat fruits and/or vegetables with each food meal. 4. Ensure that your carbohydrate intake comes from fruits and vegetables. Exception: workout and post-workout drinks and meals. 5. Ensure that 25-35% of your energy intake comes from fat, with your fat intake split equally between saturates (e.g. animal fat), monounsaturates (e.g., olive oil), and polyunsaturates (e.g. flax oil, salmon oil). 6. Drink only non-calorie containing beverages, the best choices being Water and green tea. 7. Eat mostly whole foods (except workout and post-workout drinks). So what about calories, or macronutrient ratios, or any number of other things that I’ve covered in other articles? The short answer is that if you aren’t already practicing the above-mentioned habits, and by practicing them I mean putting them to use over 90% of the time (i.e., no more than 4 meals out of an average 42 meals per week violate any of those rules), everything else is pretty pointless."

Thanks so much for both of your replies. You're both right. *I* know what's right, but sometimes the mind wanders, ya know? I assume that women who've been thin their whole lives have also learned the skills to deal with this kind of stuff. I think this is all caught up in a small mid-life crises combined with regret for giving up the best years of my life to obesity. And, trust me, hubby is reaping the benefits of my active imagination right now. :eyebrows: Tami

Grace, I'm gonna be honest with you. You may have more of a struggle with maintenance than other bandsters. The reason? Because you haven't learned to eat healthy, whole foods. You are starvation dieting, just like many of us have done over and over throughout our lives. Once you loosen up that band, you may find yourself going hog wild, because you deprived yourself for so long. I know it's not what you want to hear, but I'd recommend a slight unfill now. Taking that last 20 pounds a little slower, while learning better eating habits, might make maintenance a little easier. Keeping the weight off is half of the battle. Tami

Body builder diets can be pretty darn restrictive, depending on their training phase. When they are bulking up, they eat quite a few calories, and a lot of Protein supplements, but when preparing for a competition, they have to get their body fat percentage way down, and their diet is very unrealistic for anyone not in competition. I eat carbs before working out (usually Kashi Go Lean Crunch Cereal w/ 1% milk), and some kind of protein snack when I get home. Lately I've been having protein coffee. Other than that, I still try to follow a typical "bandster" diet of lean Proteins and veggies as the main components. Tami

If you really want to get a handle on how much food/calories you should be consuming to lose weight, you might want to consider getting a BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate), or RMR (Resting Metabolic Rate) test done. I got a RMR test done by a registered dietition at my gym. She plugged in my daily activity level, and the amount of exercise, and gave me a number to shoot for. The test was about $80, and well worth it. Although I don't believe in "starvation mode" per se, I do believe that some people eat too few calories to efficiently lose weight. They even talked about that on The Biggest Loser a week or so ago. Kim was fussing at Bryan for not eating enough! Of course, a huge component of The Biggest Loser, and for any of us wanting to lose weight and keep it off is to exercise consistently and progressively. It's the only way to imrove your metabolism. Tami

I'm gonna go off on a little rant here. I post to another site, and really try to be supportive and help new bandsters get off on a good start. But, sometimes it's so hard not to want to slap 'em across the face. Don't they investigate this procedure before getting banded to understand what to expect? Someone posted on the other site saying she was frustrated with her doctor because he put in too much saline in the band at her second fill appointment. But, when I looked at her previous posts, less than three weeks before her fill she was posting that she was so restricted after her first fill that she couldn't comfortably eat cottage cheese or tuna with mayo! But, she "only" lost 6 lbs. since the first fill, so ran back to the doc for another fill. Sheesh. Tami

I want to apologise to the "band babies" for this thread. I truly didn't mean to offend anyone, but I *thought* I was addressing the band veterans. Sometimes you want to be blunt with someone, but you just know it'll start drama, and after a while you just get tired of being pc. But, to be honest, in retrospect it's not the band babies who are the issue, it's people who don't listen, and who are not willing to make changes. It sometimes seems like those people are the "band babies" because more of them post. It's even more frustrating to read posts by someone several months into this, who asks the same questions over and over ("why am I not losing weight?"), gets tons of advice, but is unwilling to listen, and seems only to want someone to tell them "Oh, just go get a fill. Argue with the doc if he won't give you one." Then, of course two weeks later they're complaining about being overfilled. {{{Sigh}}} Some people just don't learn. Tami

I completely agree, but it goes beyond "what the doctor orders". What I don't understand is people who don't use this as a catalyst for change! Whenever I went on a new "diet" before, I sort of needed something to jolt me into change. I might pick up the latest diet book or join a gym or WW. This time I paid $14,000 and went under the surgical knife. There ain't no bigger "jolt" than that one, and I sure wasn't going to waste it. And the simple fact is that success breeds success. Those who jump into this with motivation to change *immediately* are the ones who are more likely to achieve their goals. The ones who wait for restriction to do it for them are the ones who struggle. Tami

Wanda, I personally don't have a problem with honest questions from *anyone*, band baby or not. But, it seems like there are an awful lot of posters who want to justify poor choices, even when they *know* better. They want someone to tell them they can have their cake and eat it, too. I appreciate people who come to the message boards before surgery to find out as much as they can. I lack respect for the ones who get the surgery 'cause the doc told 'em to, but never bothered to find out how the band will impact their lives, or how their eating habits will have to change in order to be successful. I'm glad you had a chance to vent, and I hope you appreciate the fact that once in a while us "oldbies" deserve a chance to vent, too. Tami

I haven't posted any pics here for a long time, so thought I'd do an update. I had surgery 9-5-06, and lost 108 to goal w/in 9 mo. I'm now down a few more pounds, and have been holding pretty steady for the past five months. Before, about 275 lbs, size 26: After, about 160 lbs., size 8-10: And besides the band, this is how, LOL: Tami

As I tell them, I'm genetically blessed as far as the arms go. I do work out (Group Power barbell class 2x weekly & 1x weekly Cybex routine), but my arm definition comes as much from my Daddy as anthing else! (Unfortunately I also got my mom's big ol' butt.) Tami

I love having the fitness trainers and even buff guys at the gym ask me about my arm routine. Tami

Hmm....I think what means the most to me is when I have other bandsters tell me that I'm their inspiration. It's a lot to live up to, so maybe it'll help keep me in line a little bit! But, I also had a special "compliment" while I was driving down the highway. I was slowly passing a car, and I hear a loud whistle. I glanced over, and there are 3 young men in the car, one hanging out the back window, yelled, "Hey mama, you lookin' hot!" LOL I got past them, and out of sight before I pulled down the mirror to take a glance and say to myself, "I do??!!....yeah. I do." Tami

Thanks! I do like this site, because it seems like there are more experienced bandsters here than at OH, but I like the way they have the profile/blogging/pics set up over there. I'll try to get over here more often! Tami

The one that bugs me the most kinda relates to the situation I posted about at the top of this thread. I just don't understand when someone is so tight that they can barely eat, yet they go for a fill because they're hungry between meals. Ummm...duh. You get hungry when you don't eat solid foods! As a very wise bandster (Jachut) once said, "we cannot rely on our bands to be so tight that we simply cannot eat very much. You just have to leave enough space to eat real food and call in some self control, sensibility and willpower to use the band wisely, its the biggest (and most difficult) lesson we all have to learn. Its a tool, not a total fix (dammit)." Tami

WAR EAGLE, my friend! [ame=http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=TAAQfmSoSQk]YouTube - War Eagle Rap[/ame] Tami

Ooops, sorry, didn't mean to stir somethin' up! I read and post more often over at Obesity Help, but they don't have a thread for "Life at or near goal". The closest they have is Weight Loss Surgery Graduates, and unfortunately it seems to be all gastric bypass folks, and the vast majority seem to have gained and are trying to lose again. I'm counting my blessings today for the simple reason that I really feel that "I get it". I get what it takes to lose weight and keep it off (fingers crossed). I don't expect the band to do it for me. But it helps! I think that's one of the benefits of the band over gastric bypass. You don't get to goal without some major changes in eating and exercise, whereas with GB, they might actually get to goal and *then* have to learn new habits to stay there (or not, and gain). Sometimes I feel like I've lost touch with the newbies because I just can't relate to some of the behaviors and thought patterns. But, realistically, I know that it's a process. You don't figure it all out overnight. It takes time, mistakes, and willingness to learn from them. So, I'll try to be more patient and bite my tongue! Tami

Congratulations! You look awesome. I loved your comment about re-setting your set point. I used to say my "set point" was around 200 lbs., because it seemed like that's where I kept returning. But, I've "re-set" it to 165, since I've been within 2-3 lbs. of that for six months now. Sometimes I think I want to go down another 5-10 lbs., but if I can stay around this weight for the rest of my life, I'll be happy! Tami