Ladybandito

Good 4 u, Otaknam, that's a lot of weight gone for good. Sounds like a lot of you, Crissylu and Nicki and Meredith are doing quite well, so congrats to all of you. I haven't had a fill in quite a while and am scheduled for one next week. My loss is excruciatingly slow right now. Talking about 1 pound every few weeks here, but I am so happy that I'm not gaining and am still losing something! That is so cool to me, and I know others of you can relate. I started with a lower BMI than some of you, and I'm now in the 178 range, yay. Slow moving to my 145-150 goal, but slow movin in the right direction anyway. Keep on trucking on, ladies!

I also have an issue with people noticing or asking about my weight loss. I think that's one of the reasons I am taking it so slow even with the band ... About 35 lbs lost post surgery from Mid-Jan '12 ... Some people are just starting notice now and I find I want to munch later or the next day. It's funny because you would think the attention would be motivating. I try avoid discussing weight (anyone's weight for that matter) and dieting altogether now, except for here on LBT. I am very pleased with my slow and steady loss, BTW.

Almost to onederland! Congrats and full steam ahead!

Meredith, hope your doing OK! JustDoIt, I have plain Greek yogurt in the morning with a teensy-tiny drizzle of honey and sesame seeds sprinkled on top. Lunch is usually a small Wendy's chili or a chicken salad from somewhere, I eat the chicken breast and a small amount of the lettuce. I like soups for lunch, too. Dinner is fish and a vegetable or tuna salad or an omelet with cheese and veggies. I also drink the protein bullets with 24 or 42 grams of protein since I'm not sure I'm getting enough protein in all the time.

Meredith, hope your doing OK! JustDoIt, I have plain Greek yogurt in the morning with a teensy-tiny drizzle of honey and sesame seeds sprinkled on top. Lunch is usually a small Wendy's chili or a chicken salad from somewhere, I eat the chicken breast and a small amount of the lettuce. I like soups for lunch, too. Dinner is fish and a vegetable or tuna salad or an omelet with cheese and veggies. I also drink the protein bullets with 24 or 42 grams of protein since I'm not sure I'm getting enough protein in all the time.

Meredith, I've known a few people who lost tons with spinning ... And Zumba classes have made changes in some of my friends, too.

JustDoIt, I started at 226 before liquids, 216 at surgery, and today I'm 188. The 190 mark has always created challenges for me in the past, it's usually where I'd just give up. That's why I'm loving this band, it keeps me on track for the long-haul. Today I walked 3 miles and worked out with weights at home for about 45 minutes. Also got all of my Water in and stayed low carb. Keep it up girls, I think we should all be poster-children for the band! :-)

Ha! Jake! I get that thump and then can eat more too! Now that I realize what is happening, I'll pay more attention! Thanks for sharing that ... I'm not on the challenge with you guys, was just reading the thread. Glad I did and good wishes to all of you!

I was a bit emotional, too ... Thinking I would never eat like a normal person again and really just very scared about that. But take my word for it, you DO get to eat like a truly normal person again, and with the band, it is satisfying. If you're at all like me, you're skeptical about that, but it's true. I think this is the first time in my life when a small amount of food is enough ... And not in the way of diet pills making you not hungry. Just a sense of "that's enough." Keep this in mind, there is light at the end of the tunnel! I joined this forum 2 years before I took the plunge. Had surgery Jan 18 of this year and it has been wonderful. Wish I hadn't waited so long!

Hi All. Wow, everyone is rockin' it and it so encouraging! I only get opportunity to check the site once a week or so, and then I usually just read all of your posts and then log out, but I am here and working it with all of you. For the past 3 weeks it seems to be the same 3-4 pounds up and down, but I finally got the four gone and weighed in at 189 this morning after going super low carb this past few days. It's probably a water-weight loss, but I really don't care, it got me back on the track of seeing the scale go down. The sun is back out again here in California (thought fall was staying forever for a while there), so it def does motivate for swimsuits and shorts. A nice suntan is always slimming, too -- even if it's a spray-on! I hear a few of you lamenting your pear hips... I'm an apple and have the opposite problem. Shrinking butt with a big muffin top! Spare tire is more accurate. If the jeans fit me in the waist, they're huge in the behind. I'm eagerly anticipating when the weight loss will show in my waist. The boob shrinkage I think goes for all us though, lol. I would reply to all of you, but there are always so many posts between mine, I couldn't possibly! Congrats to everyone though and keep truckin on!

Never heard of this before! Thanks all, will buy one this week and use it all the time! What a great idea!

Welcome, Colleen. You'll find great info here. I'm on my second completed month and love my band.

LOL, nicole1 ... I, too, have the jiggly muffin-top! And my upper arms are looking lumpy-loose, so I've been working with the weights trying to avoid bat-wings. Sure could use some of the fat leaving from my lower abs and back instead! All in time I know.

I was banded Jan 18 and just had my second fill (1 cc each time, 3 weeks apart). My heaviest was 226 and preop was around 215. I'm at 195 today so I think that is pretty great. I feel even lighter than that, if that makes any sense. I was telling my doctor the other day that I truly think this is the first time in my life that I have felt full after I eat. Really, I've been stuffed many times before, but I do not ever remember feeling satisfied with a "normal" amount of food ... I was always wanting more but denying myself on the perpetual diet. So to me, that alone is a wonderful, freeing type of feeling! I had been researching WLS for about 2 years -- my forum join date is 2010 I think. If I had known I would feel like this, it would have been much less scary to take the plunge! Sounds like you are doing very well, so congrats to the both of us, :-)

Thx for the recipe. Definitely gonna try this.

Hi LauRN, just wondering how you've been doing?

Nicole1, you're doing great! I'm doing pretty OK, too. Down 5 more pounds in the last 3 weeks, had my second fill today (each just 1 cc). I'm a believer of the slow and steady method. As for what to do for stress hunger -- I take a bath! A nice long soaking bath with Epsom salts for a magnesium boost. A former diet counselor of mine (who was sucessful bypass herself) reminded all of us in her class that most of us really, really needed to do at least one thing a day for at least 15 minutes that is just for ourselves and no one else. She said she took bubble baths and ate shaved ice with sugar-free syrup in a champagne flute! I don't do the shaved ice part, but I find a good, hot bath really mellows me out. And since being banded on Jan 18, I am super, super clean I tell you! :-D

Banded 1/18, had by second 1 cc fill today (first was 1 cc, too). I'm going every 3 weeks for fills ... Lost 5 pounds since the last one, so I'm pretty jazzed.

Well, an update on my earlier post. Turns out that even though I was cash pay, doc DID bill my insurance for the hiatal hernia portion. I just got the notice from my carrier.

Hi, I had one as well. Pain for me lasted about four weeks, not horrible pain just come and go annoying pain. Now I feel just like pre-op, so hang in there it really does get better.

Hi everyone. I had my first fill of just 1 cc in a 10 cc band about 3 weeks ago and I go for my second small fill next Monday. My doc said he wants to do regular small fills at 3 week intervals, which I haven't seen anyone here post about? I guess every doctor and every patient truly is different. I will update with any losses next week. All in all, I feel great but do need some restriction in this band. I feel it in the mornings, but by evening I feel like I don't even a band! Also, I downloaded the iPad app and it's great!

Congratulations on your beautiful baby girl! I'm a newer member, banded Jan 18, so I don't have any good secrets to share yet, but I notice we are same weight and goals so we'll be on this journey together! And since I first joined this forum about 2 years ago but waited 2 years to take the plunge as self-pay, I also lost quite a bit of time and don't even have a baby to show for it, lol. Good luck to you, you will do great!

It's kind of funny that my dr seems to have done the opposite, in that I was private pay and after the procedure he said I did have a hernia, and that he repaired it .... But my cost remained exactly the same!

My first fill was just 1cc in my 10cc band. I go back in about 3 weeks for another small fill. Right now find myself still a bit hungry in the evenings, but have been sticking to small portions so I am not "full." In the mornings, however, It is a whole different story! I usually have soy milk with protein powder (to start the day out right) or Greek yogurt or something of the sort. This morning I thought I would finish off some leftover tuna salad and I put about a Tbs on a half of a Rykrisp. I took a bite, chewed, swallowed and immediately knew that was a mistake. Pain, pain, pain ... Felt like a heart attack but I knew it was stuck. It only lasted a minute thankfully, but I now I know mornings are not my time for hard foods ... And I will always, always remember to start out slow with anything new, just in case! With so litlle in my band, it didn't really seem like that could happen, I was banded Jan 18 so just trying to share what I am learning and learn from all of you!