Jennifer Hathaway

Oh chinese, rice is not my friend anymore either. I think my problem with popcorn is mostly in my head though. I just don't feel that I get it chewed enough because of the kernels and husks. But cookies and ice cream slide right through dang it!

And happy birthday and continued success!

I love numbers like that too. My boyfriend was born on 22, I was born on 24, my son 26 and our daughter 28. And it goes in order of age oldest to youngest and boy girl boy girl. I am weird!

I am more than a year out and at goal, no popcorn for me. It doesn't work well with my band.

If u have a costco I highly recommend the ready to drink premier protein in chocolate. They are 11oz and have 30 grams of protein and only 160 cals and 2 grams of sugar. I have one everyday for breakfast. That is the best gram for the lowest cals I have ever found.

I am 13 months out and still can't sleep on my stomach. My port sticks out too much.

U need to get a small unfill. Those are definite signs of being too tight.

When I got to goal I had a small unfill so I could eat better foods and without fear of getting stuck. I have been maintaining within a 4 lb range since. And have added back a few more calories to allow for some treats. Natural born skinny people have treats every once in awhile and I feel it is normal and if I allow myself a few now and again I won't binge. Before band I would diet and never allow for a treat and then I would get stressed and binge on them. My mind and body work so much better together now its amazing. That is great that u never needed a fill. I did but not as many and as much as others. I think just knowing we went through so many things to end up with surgery that it almost immediately motivates us. And knowing we are accountable to the drs and the people around us that have been supporting us helps too. I have so many people in my life cheering me on that it really keeps me going.

Yes, your band can still be applying enough pressure to the vagus nerve to help with hunger. I know for me there was a very noticeable difference just after being placed. My band was empty but I wasn't hungry. It took a few weeks for hunger to slightly return so I had a fill. As we lose fat around our stomachs the band needs more fill to be at the same tightness as it previously was. I am sure I could eat more than a cup a food at a time but I stop anyway and I don't push myself to see how much restriction I actually have. I don't test the band either. But decreased hunger is definitely my biggest benefit. I know this because every time I started eating more frequently I got a fill and then could go 4 to 5 hours between meals without hunger.

U need to figure out how many calories bring the scale down, no one can specifically tell u your number cause everyone is different. And keep getting your fills and following the guidelines, the hunger should become less noticeable as fills continue to tighten your band.

I know, my port sticks out a lot, my thinner tummy is now lopsided. Lol. I don't have the low profile but my dr suggested changing to it. I don't really want to because my band works great and I am afraid of messing with it and then having something go wrong. Plus I am sure it wouldn't be covered by insurance because it only hurts by bumping it, I don't really have a medical issue with it. I would love a tt though, although I am afraid of the pain that comes with that.

Thank u Elcee, that is what I was trying to say but I couldn't find the right way to write it I guess. I hate computers because people can't read what a persons tone or expression like they can face to face. Anywho, jachut is one that I was remembering but couldn't remember her name. I have talked to her before and yes she thought the band wasn't helping until all the saline was out and hunger came back. I don't rely on my band to do anything but to control my hunger, I work at this every day just like anyone else, it is just so much easier without being hungry all the time. Like I said I have lost this amount of weight a couple different times over my life but I was always hungry and I was literally working out and lifting weights 2-5 hours a day just to keep it off. I have my life back and my hunger is not always controlling me. I have more time to spend with my kids and fiance because I am not always eating like I did when I was overweight and I am not always excercising like I did when I was dieting. This was one of the best things I did, I no longer need nasty appetite suppressants to dim the appetite either and they didn't always work anyway and left bad side effects. I just hope the original poster thinks long and hard before she removes something that may really be working for her and then later realizes it was doing more than she thought. I am not trying to be negative, I just would hate to see someone that is happy end up back at an unhealthy an unhappy place.

Checkyes, I never said once that I completely rely on my band. Obviously I have 2 be eating healthy to have lost 115 in 11 months, I have been maintaining for 2 with less.saline. I have changed my habits and food I order or buy and I only eat 1 cup.of food 3 xs.a.day My band doesn't do that. I know I.could.do these things without the band but hunger would come back and that is a big factor for alot of banded people. I was.a binge eater too like the original poster. Yes, I have had therapy and have worked through my issues with food, but what I dont understand is her going into surgery for a permanent fix 2 a.very serious disease of obesity but expecting to only cure it temporarily. I dont understand what the need was for,.obviously the band helped her somehow lose that weight or she would still be over weight right now. All I was trying to get across is taking it out and still expecting to keep the weight off might not be possible, I have seen it more times than not. And the comment about where will I be in 5.years was arrogant.

I am done with this thread. U are somewhat arrogant and seem to think u r better than others because u feel u can keep the weight off without the band. Why get it in the first place? Why didn't you change mind body and spirit before without it. I happen to be proud of myself and others on here who have also succeeded and continue to encourage eachother. And I will let u know in 5 years that I will still have my band and I will still be this weight and wearing this size because I will be doing what I have all along. And if u were a binge eater before and have learned to eat better now I am pretty sure your band had something to do with that too, it controls hunger for a lot of people even if it has no saline because it is around a nerve. What happens if u are one of those people and u find out after they remove it that all along it put your hunger at bay and now you become hungry and binge eat again. But do whatever u need to, hopefully u will be the 1 out of all the people that have lost their bands due to complications and not gain weight back. Most people end up getting another wls even though they too have changed and learned the skills.

I don't feel sorry for me either! I know I could do it but what is the point in removing something that is meant to be in me for life and why go through another surgery if I don't have to. I have lost this much weight before on my own but life sometimes gets in the way and then I couldn't dedicate all my time to dieting. My lap band allows me to enjoy life, I have had it for 13 months and I never exercise, if I didn't have the band I would have to exercise every day for 2 hours too keep it off. My body works better with this thing inside me. Get it out if u feel u need to, but I really don't think the weight will stay off as effortlessly as you think. I am guessing you have been a yoyo dieter like most of us so I don't understand where u think u won't gain anything back this time.

I plan on keeping mine in always. I dont want another surgery and I went into this knowing it would be permanent. I have learned new skills BUT my band controls my hunger like nothing else can. I am satisfied on small portions, not having my band would bring that crazy never ending hunger back and then bam I am back up 117 lbs. I am below goal and plan to be this weight when they bury me. I have never heard a dr tell a patient it isn't permanant.

I plan on keeping mine in always. I dont want another surgery and I went into this knowing it would be permanent. I have learned new skills BUT my band controls my hunger like nothing else can. I am satisfied on small portions, not having my band would bring that crazy never ending hunger back and then bam I am back up 117 lbs. I am below goal and plan to be this weight when they bury me. I have never heard a dr tell a patient it isn't permanant.

I know it can be easy to fall back into old habits quickly and they can get out of control. Maybe go to a support meeting, read your original guidelines and rules and start following them. Go to your doctor and weigh yourself daily or weekly to stay on track. I allow myself a five pound playground and if I see my weight start going up I stop it before it gets to the 4 lb. It is so much easier to control that amount of weight than the 115 I have lost hopefully for forever. I know when I weighed that much more I refused to look at the scale and I now know I have to in order to keep myself in check. I like my $100 designer jeans and don't want to grow out of them. Just put your mind back in the game and figure out what motivates you. Remind yourself how you probably felt healthier 70 lbs ago. You can do it, use your tool. Good luck!

Cardio trainer is another good one if you have a smartphone.

I used my fitness pal too and it had me at 1200 but I manually changed it to 1000 myself. I lost very fast and consistently at that level. But again you just need to play around to.find what is best for your body. I know it can be frustrating. Is there anything you have been eating more of or different lately? Are u drinking.enough cal free liquid and watching salt intake. Maybe your body is changing and.shrinking but not dropping pounds. I have been 146-148 since march and people keep telling me to stop losing weight cause I am still getting smaller, I also know this because my clothes are still getting bigger. Sometimes it takes awhile for your body and scale to meet up. Good luck!

I only ate 1000 while losing and now eat up to 1200 to maintain at 146 lbs. U just have to play around to find the right combo for your body.

You are welcome and thank you too! Just follow the rules and don't eat if u aren't hungry, it will all even out.

My doctors have been doing wls surgery for a long time and are a center for excellence. There is a rule about absolutely no carbonation. This can cause stretching and I believe it and it can cause your band to slip. Have u ever put a new balloon on a bottle of coke? Watch it expand and stretch, the balloon does not go back to its original tightness. Over and over this will eventually happen. We needed wls surgery because we stretched our stomachs out from over eating in the first place. Follow what rules you feel like but I will follow them all. I haven't had carbonation in about 15 months and I could care less. I would rather maintain my weight loss then try to see if it a myth or not.