MimIN

Sandranoelle - Congrats! 32 to a 26 is a huge accomplishment! I don't think what you said is stupid - I think it's a great idea. The support of others is what has kept me chugging along. This road has not been easy! In the beginning the weight came of faster then it is now and it can be hard to stay focused when it is coming off so slowly. I too could use all the support I can get so count me in! MoM: Glad to see you back! What kind of job are you looking for? I too may be doing the same thing soon... waiting on news of our hostile takeover and will then find out my fate.

Here are the numbers for this week. We are now down a total for 61.5lbs! Melissa I have added you to the list, what is your starting weight?? TamifromAL – 213/-5/-2/0 BJean – 181/0/0/-1 Gonnabethin – 190/0/0/-1 MimIN – 199/-2/-2/0 Sandranoelle – 275/-4/+2/0 Kareyquilts – 203/-4/-2/-3 TrueBlueSue - 174.5/0/0/0 LindaN – 218/-1/-3/-1 Lauriegee – 215/-2/-6/0 Mom of Many – 209/-1/0/0 Mariecarmen – 198/-8/0/-2 Lisalee – 203/+2/-4/-2 Harlito – 371/-1.5 April – 241/-5 Finallyonmyway - 200 Katt – 282/-2 Melissa0915 -

Has anyone had any NSV's the last week? I had a few.... I flew to Atlanta last week and found I actually fit in a plane seat with room to spare and I can pull the seatbelt tight across my lap without extending it as far as it will go and see it rather than it hide under my belly! My lane bryant size 14 dress pants and jeans are hanging off my arse and while in atlanta I decided to go shopping (lane bryant 14 is a 'normal' size 16). I bought size 14 dress pants and a pair of levi's in the misses section and a couple large shirts from the juniors of macy's I hven't done that since I was probably 12. Last night my dog took off like a rocket and I ran full sprint after him clear across the community by the time I caught him I was several blocks from home and was hardly winded. Curious how far I had gone I later took the car out to measure and it was 1.1 miles (my dog sucks!). I have never been able to run more than 1/4 mile without feeling the onset of death. It's the little things that make it all worth it!

Big 0 loss for me this week. A little dissapointed but I guess it is better than gaining...

April: I am so sorry! slippage is most of our worst fears with the band - I am always terrified that I've done something every time I feel an 'odd' pain or feel stuck. What symptoms did you have prior to seeing your Dr? Did she say what kind of slip it was and the severity? A good friend of mine had what her dr said was a 'major' slip behind the stomach and was not hopeful that the stomach would return to the proper position. She had a complete unfill and waited for 6 weeks. Upon return to her Dr the stomach had slipped back down and all was well so there is hope! I have faith just keep up the positive attitude and when you're down we are here for you! annapg: I can answer a few of your questions. I have UHC insurance, I called and they said "yep no problem it's covered" and after everything was submitted I was declined based on exclusion after they had specifically said it was not excluded, I have heard from other people with UHC having the exact same issues. I fought them, lost 3x and ended up self pay. When dealing with the insurance company document EVERYTHING, have them send you copies of policies they are stating and get ahold of a certificate of coverage from your employer. The band is an awesome tool but it does not fix our heads. Most people that are overweight don't eat just because they are hungry but for various other reasons. I have over done it and I have regretted it and now just about 4 months post op I finally 'get it' and stop when my tummy tells me to. The band has the least amount of complications (NOT complication free) but it also takes the most work and self control. Since banding I have not had that painfully full feeling I use to strive for at the all you can eat buffets that left me miserable and instead of FULL I feel content but that too takes time to learn. It can be tough but for me, all of the struggles have been worth it. Best of luck in your journey!

Hello all! I apologize for the late posting, I have been running like mad with all the work junk here in Atlanta but here it is! This past week another 23lbs lost giving us a total of 49.5lbs lost in 2 weeks!:clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: TamifromAL – 213/-5/-2 BJean – 181/0/0 Gonnabethin – 190/0/0 MimIN – 199/-2/-2 Sandranoelle – 275/-4/+2 Kareyquilts – 203/-4/-2 TrueBlueSue - 174.5/0/0 LindaN – 218/-1/-3 Lauriegee – 215/-2/-6 Mom of Many – 209/-1 Mariecarmen – 198/-8/0 Lisalee – 203/+2/-4 Harlito – 371/-1.5 April – 241/-5 Finallyonmyway - 200 Katt – 282 SLHarrison

I am down 2lbs for the week... I am in Atlanta on business this week and kind of worried with the eating out every meal for 5 days. This is the first business trip I have taken since banding and every other trip I've ever been on I have utilized the corporate card sparing no expense or calories! We'll see how I do this time...

Bread - man I miss bread! I probably would have done the exact same thing if I could but if I did at my present fill level I would be begging for someone to put me out of my misery. What is your current fill level? As expensive as they are a fill would probably help you out. I still have TONS of cravings for various things (the band hasn't done a damn thing for my head hunger) but over time I learned that the peice of bread or cake is just not worth the pain.

This week's totals! We did great! we are down a total of 26.5lbs!!! Not to mention all the NSVs! :clap2: TamifromAL – 213/-5 BJean – 181/0 Gonnabethin – 190/0 MimIN – 199/-2 Sandranoelle – 275/-4 Kareyquilts – 203/-4 TrueBlueSue - 174.5/0 LindaN – 218/-1 Lauriegee – 215/-2 Mom of Many – 209/-1 Mariecarmen – 198/-8 Lisalee – 203/+2 Harlito – 371/-1.5 April – 241<O:p</O:p SLHarrison –<O:p</O:p Katt –<O:p</O:p Jodi-T -

I am one of the unfortunates that have never had a rack, at my heaviest I was a 44B... yep B as in boy (so sad!) and now I think I'm a negative A, lol. THe Dr was shocked that I didn't sag and said I'm the first bariatric patient he's seen that didn't need a lift (probably the only fat girl with a flat chest he's seen too!). I just went with my gut and my gut said do it so I'm scheduled March 26th for a new set of boobies:D I'm pretty excited!

Gonnabethin: HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! :happybday2: BJean: 35 INCHES! That is amazing! that is almost 3 feet GONE FOREVER! Congrats! my trainer took my measurements when I first started working out but haven't taken them since, now I am curious... Sue: You'll be moving into 12's in no time! And there goes Tami taking off like a rocket from the gate! Your metabolism is kickin', I'm envious! April: I have added you to the list! :::offtopic::: Has anyone here contimplated or planned on some kind of plastic surgery in the future? For the majority of my teens throughout present day I have wanted breast augmentation and now that I've shed a little over 60lbs and am within 20lbs of my first goal and I am getting serious about it. So much so that I have a consulation tomorrow. I really had not planned on having the surgery until June as a bday present to myself but the surgeon that has come highly recommended by a couple friends of mine is running a special of $1000 off if surgery is completed by the end of March. I'm a cheap a$$ and if I can save money I'm interested. Realistically I should wait but I feel great and if I had lost the weight without the aid of the band I'd probably go for it. Since everyone here had surgery right around the same time I am turning to you for advice:) I don't have any doubts per say but should I wait? I have 2 friends that have both had the procedure and they're telling me to go for it however they really don't understand how my situation is different then theirs and I want honest opinions from likeminded individuals.

I too was going to go to Dr. McEwen (WONDERFUL DR) but my insurance went bust and I could not afford the cost of the procedure here. I researched out of country surgeons as well as local facilities that would perform aftercare for Mexican banded individuals. I had my aftercare Dr lined up before I was banded although he is not 'local', he is in Cincinnati. This is only my opinion - I think with others they have all the intentions in the world to go back to the original Dr as most offer lifetime of free fills but when it comes right down to it, it is hard to get the time off of work, life and money together to get back to their original Dr and that is not reality until it is time for a fill. There are US Drs out there that will provide aftercare for band patients other than there own but it can be difficult to find as many Drs do not want to be liable for another Drs patient.

I didn't think i'd lose a single pound this week but my trusty scale came through, down 2lbs as of this morning. I had a NSV today that really made me take notice. I went to use the tricep press at the gym, sat down and started pushing down and realized the handles were turned in and I was clearing my hips with inches to spare. For as long as I can remember I have always had to turn the handles out or I'd never be able to push past my huge hips!

That makes a lot of sense, in the past when I knew my weight was skyrocketing I would stay miles away from the scale (denial at it's finest!) and now (and every past attempt at weight loss) I'm on the stupid thing so much that when it does start to go up I put a stop to it right away. However I have to use MY scale, I don't want skewed numbers messing with my head;)

I about fell off my chair laughing at this and in the cube hell I work in I've got a dozen people asking me to forward them whatever is so funny... I doubt they'd understand;)

We are still missing some weigh-ins and we have another challenger! TamifromAL - 213 BJean - 181 SLHarrison - Gonnabethin - 190 Jodi-T - MimIN - 199 Sandranoelle - 275 Kareyquilts - 203 Katt - TrueBlueSue - 174.5 LindaN - 218 Lauriegee – 215 <O:p</O:pMom of Many - 209 Mariecarmen - 198 Lisalee - 203 Harlito - 371 April - 241<!-- / message --><!-- sig -->

Congrats Linda! Lauri - I too am obsessed with the scale and weigh almost every morning (BAD BAD HABIT but I can't help it!!) - I was showing a gain on Wednesday and it put me back into the 2's and I freaked, lol. This morning I am back in the 1's (barely but I don't care!) and hopefully I can show a loss Monday but will be happy if I can just maintain. I know this isn't a weightloss break through but I find if I don't eat after 7pm I will lose a couple pounds a week and well if I do eat after 7 (usually what my schedule allows) I will not lose a dang thing but it is so hard to remember to bring something extra to work with me just incase I get caught up and stuck in the office late and I despise the hunger pains if I don't eat.

Here is the updated list so far, if anyone else wants to join in let me know! TamifromAL - 213 BJean - SLHarrison - Gonnabethin - 190 Jodi-T - MimIN - 199 Sandranoelle - 275 Kareyquilts - 203 Katt - TrueBlueSue - 174.5 LindaN - 218 Lauriegee – 215 <O:p</O:pMom of Many - 209 Mariecarmen - 198 Lisalee - 203

Hey Linda, I found a diet called "the plateau buster" that I use when I hit a plateau. It is A LOT of protien and A LOT of chewing but it really does work, I have used it twice now when I stop losing weight. The protien will also help with hairloss. I too am losing hair and once I upped my protien (80 + grams a day) it has slowed down and what had been lost is growing back. I also drink myoplex light pre-mixed protien drinks that I think are pretty good, they have 25g of protien per container. Cheapest place I have found to buy them is at walmart - 6.97 for 4. Here is the diet: #1 Do for 10 days to break plateau #2 Drink 2 quarts of water a day #3 You must have 45 grams of protein supplement and all your vitamin & mineral supplements each day. #4 You may consume up to 3 oz. of the following high-protein foods, 5 times a day: a.. beef, b.. pork, c.. chicken, d.. turkey, e.. lamb, f.. fish, g.. eggs, h.. low-fat cheese, i.. cottage cheese, j.. plain yogurt (or artificially sweetened), k.. peanut butter, l.. beans/legumes. #5 You may also have: a.. sugar-free popsicles (avoid juice popsicles), b.. tea or coffee, c.. sugar-free sodas - obviously not written for a bandster:girl_hug: d.. sugar-free Jell-O, e.. broths & bouillons, f.. Crystal Lite drinks. #6 IF IT IS NOT ON THE LIST YOU MAY NOT HAVE IT! #7 Keep a food diary and try to get 30 minutes of exercise daily.

Hey Karey, The goal is to exercise 30 minutes 3 times a week. I am sure there are some of us that workout more (I go to the gym 5x a week and walk my dogs nightly) and some that workout less. I'm using a ticker from tickerfactory to track my exercise. In my opinion the exercise challange will help keep us on track with whatever we are doing to move our booties and not a bad idea to add a little bit more to challenge ourselves:) Mim

I relate here! I just updated my challenge ticker and it is almost surreal that it is even possible. I hit ONEderland this week and that itself was hard to believe! I haven't had a 1 infront of my weight since I was 21 and even then that was short lived. Gonnabethin: You got it, 25lbs and optional 3 x a week exercise challenge!

Happy New Year everyone!! I am so excited to start the new challenge! Mom: Thanks so much for keeping up with us through the Christmas challenge! Here is the list and starting weights I have so far - Is everyone comfortable keeping our weigh in day mondays? TamifromAL - 213 BJean - SLHarrison - Gonnabethin - 190 Jodi-T - MimIN - 199 Sandranoelle - 275 Kareyquilts - 203 Katt - TrueBlueSue - 174.5 LindaN - 218 Lauriegee – 215 <O:p</O:pMom of Many - 209 Mariecarmen - 198

I never thought it would happen but this morning I weighed in and I about passed out with excitement... I am now UNDER 200lbs! I haven't been under the 200 mark since I was 21 years old. I have no idea how I ever lived without my band...my new best friend!

I never thought it would happen but this morning I weighed in and I about passed out with excitement... I am now UNDER 200lbs! I haven't been under the 200 mark since I was 21 years old. I have no idea how I ever lived without my band...my new best friend!

Here is a quick howto for those of us that are unfamiliar with posting a ticker... 1. Go to http://www.tickerfactory.com Select "Weight Loss Tickers" 2. Then select your ruler. At the bottom of the page there are links to additional ruler designs. Click the radio button beside the the ruler you want and click Next 3. Now select your slider. Same as the ruler, there are additional slider designs linked at the bottom of the page. Click the radio button beside the slider you want and click Next 4. Enter in a PIN number where indicated and then enter your start weight, current weight and goal weight. Optionally you can also enter in your height for a BMI tracker. Click Next 5. Your ticker is complete! Now scroll down to the box labelled bbCode, Select all the text, right click and select COPY. 6. Come back to Lapbandtalk.com, go to the top left hand corner of the page below the LapBandTalk logo select "User CP" 7. On the left hand side of the page below Control Panel/Settings & Options select "Edit Signature" 8. In the middle of the page under "Edit Signature" Click inside the text box, then right click and select PASTE. 9. Then select "Save Signature" this will save the ticker to the signature of every message posted.