tarajim

WOW, good ones.... mine.. No Seat belt extender on planes, noticing the distance to the steering wheel in the car, way better sex...

WOW, good ones.... mine.. No Seat belt extender on planes, noticing the distance to the steering wheel in the car, way better sex...

I traveled to Hawaii, Atlanta and Florida over the last 6 weeks and LOST 4 lbs. Swam with Sea Turtles, walked on beaches, ate healthy.... We can all do this!!

You just might not need the CPAP anymore. I threw mine away 4 years ago.... Sometime have dry mouth but rarely snore... Just another NSV!

I am 4 years banded. I am down 102 lbs. I started at over 385, lost 20 before surgery and now weigh 283. My goal is somewhere below 240. My BMI now is only obese, not morbid obese. After surgery I went from 365 to 290 then back to 353. This year, I committed to following the rules and lost 70 lbs. My secret, eat real food. I usually start my day with Unjury protein shake with a banana in it and Chocolate Silk soy milk. Lunch is usually what my wife makes. Salads, meat and cheese, sometimes leftovers. We do Water Zumba at the gym. Dinner is meat, vegetables, salad, sometimes potatoes or bread. All made from the outside aisles of the grocery store. Way off the carbs. Way off the sweets. When we eat out (we travel a lot) we ALWAYS split everything. Never order 2 entrees. Little soda, never diet soda. Alcohol is allowed. This is how normal people live. I now feel normal. I spent the last 6 weeks in Hawaii, Atlanta and Florida and most days in swimsuits. This is how normal people live. Really, while I still want to loose 40 or so pounds, I feel normal. It has taken 56 years, but I am Happy!

I love the pants comment. I love to wear Levi's 501 Button Fly jeans. Used to wear them in size 54, (did you know Levi doesn't print the size on the leather patch until you get to 44) now wear them in 44 after 100lb loss. Looking forward to someday wearing them in 38's!!

Hi to all, I have been here just over 2 months, and have been banded 6 weeks and had one fill. One thing in have observed is the number of people that seem to be embarassed during this journey. There are many posts about people that don't want to tell others, including not telling friends, co-workers, family and even significant others. I also have observed a number of posts about not wanting to work out in public at a gym, trying to eat the required diet in front of people that do not know what you are going through. I started out thinking I did not want to tell anyone either. At the very beginning, I did not want anyone in my family to know. I just didn't want to be negatively judged. But then as I got closer to the time for the surgery I had a change of mind. I thought, the more people that know, the more support I will get, and the more people I will be accountable to succeed. I feel now that people are interested in my progress (as long as I don't obsess and bore them), ask questions, and cheer me on after they know what I am going through. I also hear a lot of other stories of people who my friends know that have been through my story with success and this helps me. It also helps to get out of bed, go to the gym, sweat, and know that no one there really cares about what I look like or what I am doing. I have seen EVERY body type at the gym. And I think it is terrific when I see the same faces each day, working through the pain and sweat, to get better. When you are there everyday, you will lose the embarrasment and maybe even find new friends that are doing what you do. Mostly, I have found that the more people that know, the more I remain committed to eat right, hit the gym, and not retreat into old habits and comfort zones. You can't make progress unless you do the right things everyday!!! I feel like getting banded is cause to Celebrate starting a new life, and you have to share to celebrate. It is also a time where you are vulnerable to old ways and need lots of people giving you cheers and sometime kicks, to keep doing the things to make this a true life changing event. Does anyone else feel this way? Why do you hide? Why do you keep it secret? I understand the embarassment emotion, are there other things like fear of failure that worry you? I got the band cause I finally decided, after 30 years, that I truly wanted to live. And I mean really live. Living to me involves lots of friends and supportive, positive people too, so I choose to start now!!! All of you that post are an inspiration to me... Thanks for being part of my support system. TJ

New Bandsters, Yea, it is a scary time. Changes you need to make totally make it a NEW life you are moving into. Balance the good with the bad. For the next few months, you will be fighting banster hell. This is where you will feel hungry. You will fight with your head hunger. You will (or should) be working out harder than you have ever done and it will sometimes make you sore. You will have to stop pigging out, gorging, or eating crappy high carb, or high calorie, or high sugar foods. You probably will have to research everything you eat and write it down and count the Proteins and calories. You will have to learn to like Protein shakes, fruits, vegetables, and meat/fish/chicken etc. BUT..... You will lose weight faster than you ever have if you do the right things. Your clothes will fit better. You will come off of High Blood Pressure meds, Diabetic meds, stop needing a CPAP machine to sleep. You will have more energy and be more alert from coming off a carb addiction and having less weight on your body. You will notice a ton of small successes. You will fit into small cars and airplanes. You will be able to go to amusement parks and ride the rides. You will be able to play with your kids. You will enjoy better sex. You will have fun and people will notice your changes. This will make you feel good and give you positive attention. In a few months, after 3 or 4 fills, you will feel the restriction. You also will notice and need food less. You will not have any problem not drinking with meals. YOU WILL get stuck sometime. It happens. It really doesn't hurt and really teaches you something. You have made a wonderful choice with your life. You have spent time and money to make your life better. Fear is normal, success takes work. Have both. Congratulations on making a GREAT choice for YOU. TJ

I was banded Nov 23rd. So far, I've lost 76 pound, had 3 fills and think I am at the sweet spot. I am traveling this week and have had 3 PD/Slimes while out traveling. Usually eat too fast, or too big a piece. Work out at least 3.1 miles on the Eliptical, 5 to 6 times a week when home, and when I can on the road. Lost 10 Inches in Pants size and am only 4 inches away of being able to buy all the hot Levi's at the Levi store. But I am shopping at Target now, and wear XL shirts, not 2 and 3 XL. Pretty happy!!! TJ

Sorry Leigha I want to eventually say I "ONLY" lost 145 pounds. Don't take that pleasure away from me!!! Just kiddin TJ

You go Leigha!!! I feel the same way about Doctors. They are technicians. Not gods... And remember that 50% of them graduated in the bottom half of their class! Today, information is so readily available on the internet that most intelligent people can have access to a tremendous amount of information about their specific concern. Remember, a Doctor usually has to deal with 20 to 30 patients a day and deal with all their issues, You only have to deal with your issues and can spend all day researching. I believe this makes you an equal partner in your health care decisions. You also pay the bills. Would you allow a decorator to do whatever they wanted to your house, or a chef to send you whatever food they though you should have? Of course not, you pay the bills, you get final say. That said, you cannot install your own Lap-band. For that, you need a technician. And a hospital with the right equipment. So you pay for that. Advice and guidance? YOu are as much a part of it as the Doctor, as you have to live your body, he or she only sees you once every 6 weeks or so. I really try to use common sense and research over adhering to strict Doctor instructions. Fortunately, my Surgeon is rather pragmatic like I am, and we click. I was only on Liquids a week, mushies a week and then I eat whatever I want. He is happy with my 3.2 pounds a week weight loss, and I am happy he is not a dictator!!! This board is a wealth of information, and most likely a lot of doctors do not have all the knowledge contained in the experiences of all the successful bansters here on the board. Listen to you Doctor, of course. But you are allowed to question and use common sense on your body. It belongs to you. Not them. Good luck to all of you!!! TJ

I love NSV's My list: 1. Pants 10 inches smaller in the waist, 54 to 44 Levi 501 button fly!! 2. No seat belt extender on airplanes 3. Not the biggest person in the room 4. Fit comfortably in the seat at an arena Hockey game 5. XL shirts vs 3 XL shirts 6. Briefs feel good, instead of baggy boxers. 7. Watch is real loose 8. Sit a long way back from the steering wheel and can now drive holding the bottom of the wheel. 9. Able to climb a ladder without worrying it will collapse. 10. Punching holes in my belt to keep it fitting. Added 5 holes to my favorit belt. Tons more but those are my favorites... TJ

i never ceases to amaze me how many people on this board have excessive expectations as to how this journey will transpire. I really takes about 3 to 4 fill sessions to get the benefits of the band. Until then, it is a diet. So for the first four months or so, you have only willpower and determination to get the pounds to fall off. Some are successful. They are the ones that eat well every day, document their food and exercise, and work out for 30 to 45 minutes 5 days a week. Then there are the ones that wish that the band would work. They get depressed when it doesn't and do things that work against losing weight. They often post here that they are frustrated and failing. It has to start in your head. Do you want to lose weight? The band reminds you that you do, and will help you keep from overeating after about 4 months. Can you eat well? Can you exercise (walking counts). Most of all, can you be honest with yourself and look in the mirror and say "I WILL DO THIS"? Success is an amazing feeling. Let yourself succeed. "before you can achieve something, you must expect it of yourself" Good luck to you all... TJ

Did you eat a lot of salt filled Snacks, and Ham has lots of sodium. Sound like Water weight. Flush it out. Drink, Drink, Drink lots of water. (be near a bathroom). The water will flush out the sodium and the weight will disappear. TJ

First, Relax. There is not a race to lose your weight. Everyone has problems the first week or two losing. You can read post after post of people that did really well on Pre-op then gained or stalled in the week or two following surgery. Some of it is due to Water retention. Some due to your body getting over the surgical trauma. Believe me, and the many other successful bandsters here, that you will lose if you eat your Protein, then veggies, keep carbs low, watch sugar and exercise. Most successful bandsters log all their food, add Snacks that are appropriate such as cheese, nuts, and other Proteins, and stay in a calorie range of around 800 to 1200 NET calories. (Net is the calories after you subtract your exercise calories.) You will have success. In a few months, this will seem like it is routine. For newbies, it always seems like the rush to lose gets them stressed. Remember 2 pounds a week and you lose 104 pounds in a year. BUT, 2 pounds a week is only 4.5 ounces a day, and less than 1/3 of a pound a day. Those little things add up. Good luck to you. TJ

The shoulder pain is really a phantom pain. You have heard of people having shoulder and left arm pain when they are having a heart attack. This is due to the fact that the nerves in our core interior run to the brain thru the same path as the nerves in our shoulder. What is happening is that your band is rubbing on your diaphram or some other organ inside of you. It is creating a pain response in the nerve at the location that your brain is interpreting as shoulder pain. The pain is not really in your shoulder and doing thing to your shoulder will not really relieve the pain. Most of us find that the pain goes away after the first week to week and a half. The calf pain and cramping is probably a potassium or dehydration issue. You are probably getting less Fluid and electrolytes then you think during the liquid phase. All food has fluids. Before you went on the liquid diet, you drank and ate. Now, you only drink so your intake of essential minerals and fluids are probably low. Try Powerade Zero, no calories, potassium and sodium. Beware, sodium will cause you to retain Water and you might mistake that for weight gain. As new bandsters, you will probably be on the scale a lot. (I was). You will learn that your weight flucuates due to water retention. I forgot to take my BP meds Fri and Sat, ate salty foods, and drank a lot of fluids. I gained 8 pounds in 24 hours. (all water weight). I am flushing it out today by drinking lots of water, avoiding sodium, and exercising. Bet it will all be gone tomorrow. Good luck to you all in your journey, learn from this site as there are a lot of great, knowledgable posters to learn from that will keep you from freaking out about your bodies adjustments. TJ

Cool whip Light Free has 570 calories in an entire 12 oz container. If your recipe makes 6 servings, that would be 95 calories of Cool Whip Free per serving. Not too bad in my book, if you are combining with sugar free Jello and fruit. Others might disagree, but as an occasional treat, I would surely do this recipe. Living with the band is not about deprevation, it is about moderation. You should be able to find how to eat the tastes you want, within the structure of quality and quantity of food per day. Get your Protein, eat veggies, but be creative on the fun tastes. Looks like you have!!! Good Luck and thanks for the idea. Let us know how it turns out... (BTW, post the recipe) TJ

Sure, I had a lot of doubt, but also a lot of determination. I told everyone I got the Band so it would be embarrasing if I failed. I put myself out there as the guy that had surgery. Despite this determination, I still wonder if I can lose 100 pounds. Or can I get to my goal which would be 145 pounds lost. All this, even after losing 76 pounds so far. I will probably alway have doubt. Just have to overcome it with my determination to win. I sometimes have a hard time seeing the loss in my mirror. I really only notice it in my clothes size, scale and the hundreds of NSV's I encounter. Last night, I went to a hockey game in a local arena. I noticed halfway thru the first period that I did not touch both sides of the seat and was really kind of pressed up against one side of the seat. Then I saw a guy that I did not think look bigger than me squeeze into a seat in front of me and press both arm rests. Wow, did I feel successful. To you new bandsters, have the doubt, but overcome it with determination. Don't be afraid to succeed, but know success comes with hard work and discipline. YOU CAN DO THIS!!!! TJ

I have taken 3 big loads of clothes the the goodwill so far. I love the feeling of cleaning out the closet. I have kept a pair of 58 waist pant and a belt that worked with it for my "Trophy". I now stop at every Kohl's I see and check out the clearance racks. I only buy pants that are 80 or 90% off and my record is paying $4.50 for a pair of nice Docker's work Khakis. I bought a leather punch pliers to put new holes in my belts and have some with 4 new holes. I love that too. Clothes fit is such an NSV!!! I love to look for sales and buy ahead. I am in a 44 pants now, but have all I need in 42 already. I am an OPTIMIST!!!! Hope you all feel so good about this too. Isn't it great to shop with normal size people in the normal size people store??? My goal is to fit into the trendiest "Levi's" and I find they stop them at 38. Figure by summer I will be there!!! Happy Fashion Show!!! TJ

I have that app, and started it in December, but it got too cold. I plan to start again soon. Bit of advice. I ran a 26.2 mile marathon once, so I have a little background. 1. Get Real Good Sturdy Shoes. 2. Don't run every day. 3. relax your upper body. Lots of people work their shoulders and arms way too much when running. 4. speed doesn't matter, distance does. 5. Walkers do 5K's and take an hour to do it. 6. If your local high school has a cushioned track made from rubber, it is best to start there. It will help your knees and ankles. 7. Get GOOD STURDY Shoes........ Good Luck.... TJ P.S. I am planning to train and do the San Diego Rock and Roll Marathon in June 2011!!! TJ

I get on the scale several times a day. It is just my personality's need. I get on first thing in the morning, late at night, and after the gym. My usual pattern is to weight the most at night, less (as much as 2 pounds) when I get up, and even less after the gym (another 2 pounds, and I go to the gym at 6 am). I also see that my weight is affected by sodium and have seen 9 pounds swings between after gym weight and bedtime in the same day. Why? Cause if I eat salty stuff and drink all my Water, I retain it. I also take a BP pill that is a diuretic. If I miss it, my weight rises. My trend is based on weeks not days or hours. I watch the trend. What I do is record the lowest weight I see during the day (my psycological need) and periodically see what I have lost in a week, month and since I started. I have averaged 3.14 lbs per week loss. I see I am plateauing a little as March was only a 6 lb loss and Feb was 12 pounds. Maybe because I did less exercise. What I won't do, is agonize over what the scale says. EVER. I have too many NSV's to be pissed off when that happens. I am down 10 inches in pants size. I fit in a coach airplane seat without a seat belt extender. I can go on amusement park rides. I fit on my riding lawnmower without my stomach hitting the steering wheel. Those things make me far happier than the scale. I just finished soup and tuna for lunch. I do that often. If it affects the scale, so what. It was only about 400 calories and 12 g of Protein. You lost 50 pounds. You have to feel it. Celebrate. Don't agonize. See you in 50 more pounds!!! TJ

I am at my halfway point. 74 pounds down in 4 months and 72 to go.

Way to go!!!!!