annieM

Welcome and good luck to you both. It's going to take some patience, losing weight can get a bit boring at times when the weight stalls or slows, but hang in there and it will be gone forever. :laugh:

It's also great not to feel hungry when you eat a small amount. On regular non-banded diets you're always having to deal with hunger pains that try to get you to eat, but with the band you are satisfied with that small amount of food.

Have you ever gotten any fills? Do you feel restriction? I would guess that you need to pay your surgeon a visit and have a chat to see what is going on. Keep reading this forum for ideas and good luck to you,

I had to postpone my visit to the yoga class 'till next week, 'cause I need to babysit tonight. I agree that having such a long period without the scale budging is a glaring sign that I need to add in exercise. I rather dread it. I do hate to sweat, especially in front of strangers. I will bite the bullet and do it though because I really do feel sluggish and taking an afternoon nap isn't helping. I think I will also go into my Rheumatologist and get those shots for my bursitis in my hips so I can walk with some speed. I feel too young to amble about. The plan is in place, I just have to implement it...

Yeah, it's hard not to eat just to eat. I try to just keep "bad" stuff out of the house but with halloween coming I made the mistake of buying a bunch of candy on sale ahead of time and now I have to fight myself from eating it every day. The band doesn't help with those sorts of cravings! My tight jeans remind me though...

I'm so glad you found a source for your surgery! And right with people you already know and trust, good going! Please don't take it personally when people read your post but don't say anything. Most people just don't know what to say, or they are newbies looking for info, who knows, but it's very common to have dozens of "looks" per every post. I've done it myself if I've read through several posts and the question seems to be answered well, I don't add my two cents. Hang in there and I hope they give you all the help you need.

Great work Angie, being on the pre-op diet before they make you do it really shows dedication! You go girl! The best thing is, the band will help you keep the weight you lose off. Once you have restriction and can feel satisfied with small amounts, the hunger keeps at bay. It was explained to me that when the top of the stomach gets full, a hormone is released that suppresses hunger, even if it's not very much food that is doing the filling. Cool huh? Don't you just love the people that figured that out? I went and bought some exercise duds (in a medium) today. I need to get rid of those XL gym clothes and start working out! I have an appointment at a gym tomorrow night and will try out a yoga class while I'm there. I hope I like it because it would be the closest gym.

Welcome! What an adventure to live overseas! I've never been to Holland but I imagine it's just beautiful. What a great place to walk. Are there open air markets full of beautiful fresh fruits and veggies? I've been to Paris and although the foods are amazing I've always lost weight there because of the smaller portion sizes and all the tourist- walking. Good luck on finding a band surgeon. Now that you have decided on the band I hope that everything goes smoothly for you.

Welcome! You are very close to being a bandster ! Are you on any sort of pre-surgery diet? Fire away with any questions you may have, we're here to help, Good luck on your journey,

Welcome! That's terrific that you have lost so much weight already! You must be thrilled. What a great start to your journey. Keep up the good work!

Welcome! How exciting to have your surgery tomorrow! Any last minute questions? Good luck on your journey!

That sounds terrific! Congratulations on being banded! Good luck on your journey!

Yea! You're on your way to a new you! I didn't think the surgery was all that bad either. The first time I had it the shoulder pain lasted a long time, but the second time I sailed right through without any at all. Soon you guys will be packing up huge bags of clothing for goodwill, because you need new smaller stuff. I know, I went from a 22 to a 6 and so can you! Good luck!

Congratulations! It sounds like you are well prepared. Questions always come up that you can't plan though, so just keep us in mind and we can answer just about any band question you might have.:smile: Keep up the good work!

Welcome and congratulations! Now you can use the next month to plan your new healthful life. Good luck!

Welcome! Your day is coming so fast! Are you ready for your new life? The best of luck to you and keep us posted.:smile:

Welcome! That's terrific that you were approved so quickly! Most people just wait and wait. You won't regret your decision. It's not an easy road, any lifestyle change is difficult, but the rewards are so worth it! Good Luck!

Welcome! Your kids and husband will be so proud of you! I think with all you have learned in weight watchers, the band will be just what you need. A lot of bandsters do both. I chose to follow the South Beach way of life because I don't like to go to meetings and it's a very band-friendly diet. I have arthritis too and getting 80 lbs off has made me more comfortable. Will your knees require surgery? Keep firing out those questions! Good luck!

Welcome! Those pre-surgery diets are no fun. Be sure to distract yourself with hobbies or other things so it doesn't drive you batty! Try the Myoplex french vanilla protein shake. It's not all that vile and it has 25 gm of protein. It's the only on I can tolerate and I have it for breakfast everyday. Good luck on your journey!

Throwing up once isn't going to damage anything. What most people do after throwing up is go back to liquids for a day to let your pouch rest. Then you should be fine again. Eating solids after throwing up can just lead to throwing up again since you may have gotten a bit swollen. Just take it easy.

Congratulations! I hope you have your surgery date sooner rather than later. It's so hard to wait! You could spend your time waiting for surgery designing your new life. Toss out the junk food. Make grocery lists of healthy foods for your liquid weeks, mushie weeks and after. Make an exercise plan that you can stick to and that gets more challenging with time. Ditch any clothing that is currently too big. Plan a new (or expand a current), hobby to help to keep your hands and mind busy and away from food. Explore this website for advice and recipes for healthful living. It's not easy, but it's soo worth it! good luck,

I had the last supper syndrome before surgery. It seems kind of funny because I don't really miss what I can't have now. I can have mostly everything I want in mini amounts and that's OK. I wouldn't give up my band and go back to eating mindlessly without a fight.

Welcome! You are getting very close to starting your new life! When people say "banding doesn't work" they are mis- informed. Banding doesn't work for everyone. It works best for people who take in huge amounts of food at a time because they are really hungry. The band helps you to feel satisfied on very little. The ones it tends not to help are the ones who graze constantly out of "head hunger." You will need to be mindful of what you eat with the band to be healthy. It's not all that easy and it may take many trips in to the doc for fills to reach the sweet spot, BUT it is the safest because it is reversible. Say we get cancer or some other horrible disease down the road? One trip to the doc for an unfill and it's like the band never happened. Not so with other wls. Those other surgeries rely on removal of areas of the gut that absorb calories AND vitamins and minerals. I could go on and on. Good luck, you made the right choice!

Congrats Angie! That didn't seem to take long at all. Do you have to follow a pre-surgery diet? It's great to get you in the mood to lose! By next Christmas santa can bring you all new clothes:) Lisa, great job on the journaling! That is so important to get a handle on what and how much you are eating. You've already lost quite a bit; are you noticing it yet? I'm still stuck at my weight...Oh well.

I found the "eggface" site and put it in my favorites. It looks like a great resource, thanks! My DH is on a business trip and the kids have bopped home. I'm amazed how much they can eat. This morning two of them split 6 eggs and 6 pieces of wheat toast with butter and big glasses of OJ. Sheesh. Both skinny as rails. Go figure. I could probably live on that for a week. Oh well. I need to get exercising that's all there is to it. (I found out that I have bursitis in my hips which annoys me when I walk, so I plan on having them injected so I can move more freely) Do you have any plans to start an exercise program? I would like to join a yoga class, but I have to find one first.