khath0620

I was thinking of opening a credit card (have excellent credit) with 0% interest. I saw one for 21 months at 0% and then it goes up to like 15%. Depending on how much it costs I might be able to swing it..... Sue, I am going to Dr. H. I am optimistic that she will be as good as you say she is. Will keep you posted. Thanks, Katie

Hi there VictoriaLeigh, I feel for you. I am a recovering compulsive overeater, anorexic and bulemic. I go to Overeaters Anonymous to deal with the emotional side of my eating and I am happy to say that my eating is in control for today. I see a therapist a couple of times a month and go to 2 meetings a week. It has taken me 2 years to stay ahead of my eating disorders but it is worth it and so am I....and so are you! All that purging is harming your body....with or without the band. You can cause all kinds of electrolyte abnormalities, you could rupture your stomach or esophagus, rot your teeth, etc. The band is just a tool, the work that we all have to do lies within us. Maybe you should check out an OA meeting??? Go to OA.org to find a meeting you can go to or even a phone meeting where you can stay in your home and listen to a meeting. Good luck. Please let me know if there is anything I can do for you. I have stood in your shoes and it always looks impossible but it isn't. Take care, Katie

I am down like 85'ish and i have the belly thing too. I do have a paper trail of pharmacy orders, doctor's notes (both from my PCP and dermatologist) and photo documentation. I am about 15 punds away from my goal and need to start the process of finding a plastic surgeon who has dealt with LB patients. I really NEED a full body lift but I am fairly certain that insurance will not cover that. Guess it is worth a try though.... Good luck, Katie

I go to the gym at 5 a.m. (so I get up at 4:30). I am generally STARVED when I wake up. I try to have a small snack before I go to the gym (i.e. handful of cheerios, a few grapes, etc) so I don't get dizzy when I work out. Any suggestions for other lite Snacks in the morning before I exercise??? Thanks, Katie

Thanks, all! I will give them a try. I never thought about drinking my protein shake at the gym instead of my water. That might be an idea I should try. Have a great day!

Hi all, I am SO happy to say that I have reached ONE-DERLAND as of my follow up appointment today! I have about 20 more pounds to go to reach a goal I have set for myself. At that time, I will consult a plastic surgeon for a TT. I am hoping to reach my goal by New Years but if it takes longer, then so be it. I have to keep telling myself that this is a journey, not a race. I am on no one's deadline but my own. I have read so many success stories on this website and that is what keeps me going. I have been through the good, the bad, and the ugly with this process but I am overall coming out in the positive! Thank to everyone who shares their struggles and their victories! You all inspire me to be a better bandster! Take care, Katie

Thanks! 80 pounds gone...hopefully forever!

Hi everyone, Been a while since I posted but I just have to share my excitement. I am about 1-2 pounds away from ONEDERLAND!!! I can't stand it!!! I am fitting in extra workouts this week just so I can get there sooner! I still have a while to go (at least 20 more) but I am so proud of the steps I have made to change my life on both a physical and emotional level. I have said it before to others who struggle.....the band is just a tool, the strength and dedication comes from within you! What I found to help me to succeed: 1. An amazing support system....my surgeon and his staff, my family and friends, all of you.... 2. Being involved in support groups (both Lapband patients and I also belong to OA). I have learned that I can't do it alone. I need others around me to keep the motivation going and keep me accountable for my actions 3. Taking it not only one day at a time, I also take it one meal at a time 4. Don't set unrealistic expectations of myself....I can do what I can do with the time I have 5. Physical activity....I hate the word "exercise"....I just move my body. Started off slow and now I am a runner (well, pathetic jogger really). The benefits are so amazing! I have more energy, am proud of myself for doing something healthy, and my body is changing in a good way. I am always open to emails for support and encouragement if you need it! I am more than happy to help! I am actually a mentor in my surgeon's office....been through the good, the bad, and the ugly of living the banded life! Have a great day! Katie

Hi Patyann, A few things come to mind.... First, think about the order of your food when you are sitting down to a meal. It should be protein 1st, veggies 2nd and, only if you have the room, carbs last. I can sometimes not even finish my veggies much less get to the carbs. I find, for me, when I eat a lot carbs I want more of the sweet things so it makes sense to me to reduce the amount of the carbs and thus the cravings are less. Second, the quality of the carbs you are eating. I have found my cravings are a lot less with whole grains and whole wheat. Any kinds of white flour, rice, pasta, bread, etc just stirs the beast inside me and I want to overeat. I tend to avoid flour and sugar because I can't handle it. Third, when you are craving something, is it a "real" hunger or an "emotional" hunger? I always ask myself "Am I Hungry, Angry, Lonely, or Tired/bored?" (the HALT rule). If it is an emotional hunger, food is going to do nothing to fix it (or the problem) and does nothing for you physically/nutritionally. Hope that helps, Take care, Katie

Hi all, I need some words of wisdom. I signed up to do a 5K which is at the end of May. I was doing well ... jogging on the treadmill at a speed of 4.8 or so for a distance of about 1.5 miles. Now, since the race is getting closer, I have tried to start jogging outside and I hit a block every time I hit a mile. I know running outside is harder but it has been at least 2 weeks of every other day running that I am at a one mile wall! I feel sore, tight, and frustrated! Any advice? Thanks! Katie

Thanks for all the good advice. I was able to run 2 miles this morning on the treadmill at a 5.0-5.2 pace and a 1.0 incline. I have resolved to "just to my best" and have fun. I am doing a practice run with my friend on the 14th (the race is the 29th) so I will know what to expect. I am just happy to be trying! We will see how it goes! Katie

I can totally understand where you are coming from. I am a self-confessed and proven food addict. I am absolutely powerless over food, particularly things with sugar in them. I will honestly tell you that just as an alcoholic drinks to self-medicate, I used to eat to numb my emotions and fill some void. I have really found a lot of help in Overeaters Anonymous. You can go to their website (www.oa.com) and find a meeting (either a face to face meeting in your area or a call in phone meeting you can do from home). My philosophy is take what you need and leave the rest from the meetings. I am doing pretty well right now but I know it is a process that will take time. Good luck with everything! :-) Katie

Mterry....5 pounds is 5 pounds! Think of what would have happened through the holidays WITHOUT the band! Plus you should be SO proud of 54 pounds! Congratuations!!!! I have said it before to myself a thousand times...the band is around my stomach, not my brain. All the cravings and habits can tend to eventually creep back in, even when I don't want them to. I have been going to OA for almost 2 years (1 year before the band) and I am in better (but not total) control of my eating habits. It is a journey for me. Some people after banding even still go to weight watchers or a routine nutritionist appointment just to stay on track. At then end of the day....does the food taste better than thin feels or better blood pressure or lower cholesterol, etc....? It is about choices and you have obviously made awesome choices along the line having lost 54 pounds! You know how to do this...you are SO worth it! Good luck, Katie

Hi all, Just wanted to see how all the May 2010 bandsters are doing. I am doing well...averaging about 7 pounds a month. I am going to the gym and exercising 4-5x/wk. I will be honest and, at times, I have eaten foods that easily pass through the band (i.e. cakes, Cookies, etc) but in NO WAY the amount that I had in the past. My band has served me well but I am still a food addict and have to watch myself very closely. I have had stuck episodes, vomited 1 or 2 times, etc. I have been through it all but feel those were learning situations. So how are you all doing???? Happy Holidays, Katie

Please rest assured....eating disorders do not discriminate against race, gender, orientation or ANYTHING and neither do OA members. Every meeting I have ever been to has been a wonderful mix of people who were at goal and people still on that journey. People who are there are there to get help and/or be of service to someone who still suffers. I strongly encourage people to go to a meeting or, if your not comfortable, listen to a phone meeting and just take it all in. Go to the OA website and you can find a face to face or a phone meeting that suits your needs. I know I will go back to my compulsive overeating tendencies if I don't go to my meetings....it is the thing that keeps me grounded! Good luck! Katie

I have been stuck (scale # wise) for about 8-9 weeks now despite good diet choices and tons of cardio and strength training. I hurt my ankle falling on the ice 2 weeks ago and needed to take some time off the gym. I was worried that I would start gaining but BOOM....the scale DROPPED 3 pounds! Now I am back to working out and the scale is up 2 more.....my gut tells me no, but I have to question if I need to cut back on the workouts in order for the scale to start moving down again. Also, I was at the gym yesterday morning and I almost passed out for some reason. I am just so frustrated!!! Any suggestions??? thanks, Katie

I have been stuck (scale # wise) for about 8-9 weeks now despite good diet choices and tons of cardio and strength training. I hurt my ankle falling on the ice 2 weeks ago and needed to take some time off the gym. I was worried that I would start gaining but BOOM....the scale DROPPED 3 pounds! Now I am back to working out and the scale is up 2 more.....my gut tells me no, but I have to question if I need to cut back on the workouts in order for the scale to start moving down again. Also, I was at the gym yesterday morning and I almost passed out for some reason. I am just so frustrated!!! Any suggestions??? thanks, Katie

You are very night, Jacqui. I cannot let that metal beast of a scale dictate my mood. It is just hard that I haven't lost anything in a few months. My nutritionist says that I am doing just fine in terms of what I am eating....just my body is taking control right now but that soon the scale will change. I hope so. Until then, I will keep up the workouts and "feel the burn"! I did have a bad eating day yesterday.....kind of rebelled a bit. I felt like crap all day. SO NOT WORTH IT! When I eat healthy food I feel better physically and emotionally. I know I am doing the right thing and someday the results will show once again on the scale. Thanks so much for all your support! Katie

Shaddix might have something. I have been working my butt off at the gym 5 days a week 1 hr/day and had been plateaued for 8 weeks. I hurt my ankle last week falling on the ice and didn't go to the gym and lost 3# in a week. weird, right???? Who knows!

Hi there, I have been where you are....I am what I would like to call myself "a professional dieter". I have done it all....weight watchers, Jenny Craig, Southbeach, or whatever fad diet there was at the time. I went to extremes...starvation, purging, overexercising...you name it! The problem was that I ALWAYS came back to the food. It medicated me when I had any sort of emotion that I couldn't handle....stress, boredom, sadness, happiness, etc. The food was always there for me and comforted me. I was a closet eater too....drive through windows, eating in my car, etc. I hid wrappers so get rid of the "evidence", I ate off my kids plates, I (embarrassingly enough) ate out of the trash. I was and am powerless over food. I can't stop eating something that is not healthy for me if I start. In saying that, I became a member of Overeaters Anonymous in June 2009 because I was in a deep depression because my world revolved around my food, my weight, my dress size, etc. I was on TWO antidepressants which only helped marginally. Through the process of being OA, I have found peace and some semblance of control around my food. I am accepting now that I am a compulsive overeater. I am addicted to carbs (flour, sugar) just as an alcoholic is to liquor. I have found out WHY I overeat and how to manage it. OA has given me the coping skills to deal with those emotions that are unsettling and how to handle situations that come up without using my drug of choice. If any of this rings true for you, you may really like OA. There are meetings you can go to or even phone meetings so you don't have to travel anywhere, just sit in the comfort of your own home and just listen to what others' experiences are. I do not want you to think I am pushing this on you or anyone, it is just I have found so much peace over the last couple of years. I am off my antidepressants, I am calmer, I don't cry anymore......and I can see that I am meaningful and that life is worth living! Good luck. If I can help at all, let me know. Thanks, Katie

I noticed you don't really have much in terms of carbs. How do you feel without them? My nutritionist says that I should be having a carb at every meal....albeit a small portion....to keep my metabolism processing well. The majority of my meal is Protein of course. I just met with her because I have been plateaued for THREE MONTHS!!!! The first thing I said to her was "Should I get rid of the carbs?" but she said that would not help. What are your thoughts? Thanks, katie

UUUGGGGHHH....I am in the same place!!! I have been exercising 5-6 times per week for about an hour at a time (cardio and strength training). I think I am eating well but have an appointment with my nutritionist on Tuesday. The scale hasn't budged since early December and it is SO frustrating considering how hard I am working. I have been assured by a number of non-banded people that all of a sudden I will lose like 5 pounds and the scale will start moving again. I sure hope so but, in the meantime, I have to try to stay positive and see all the health benefits I am doing for myself with good exercise and healthy meals. We will do this kelike26! It is just going to take time and perseverance. Take care, Katie

Congratulations! That is very inspiring! I am down ~50 or so but it has been a SLOW process! I was banded in May and since the holidays, I have been up and down the same 3 pounds and it is FRUSTRATING!!!! Keep up the good work!!! Katie

Hi all....I just needed to reach out for some support. I am feeling very discouraged about my holiday eating. I have to confess that I have not been making good food choices (portions are not bad but my food is very "messy" and unplanned). I have been heavy on the carbs and even had a few drinks which lower my defenses. To top it off, I was going to the gym regularly but then pulled a muscle in my back and couldn't go. In that week, that little food monster, aka "the devil" crept into my head and helped me to slip a bit. It has only been a week but, for a compulsive overeater like me, this is the beginning of a very slippery slope. I know other's have had slips in the past and would just like tips to pull out of this short and stupid rut! I know better than this....I just need a kick in the butt! Thanks, Katie

I love what someone once told me....the band is around our stomachs, not our brains! This was my 1st holiday season with the band and had just assumed I would do fantastic but, being a food addict, I didn't so so well over the holidays either. I grazed, nibbled, and ate for 2 solid weeks. I don't want to step on the scale because even though I know I didn't do as well as I should have, I DID NOT do the damage that I once did and, for me, that is a NSV. If I am up a couple of pounds, I take ownership of it and blame no one else but myself. The past is the past and I am back on track now. I (HOPEFULLY) learned a lesson on how to cope with the holidays for next year but can't look too far beyond day to day. I am proud that today I went to the gym at 5 a.m. and had a healthy, Protein rich Breakfast. That is all I can ask of myself right now. Hope everyone has a happy and healthy 2011!!! Katie