Twinkles

I have a few "rewards"... My mom, a few years ago, bought me a Tiffany charm bracelet that I was never able to wear because my wrists were too big. About a month after surgery, I tried it on and it fit. So, I set little "mini goals" and after I met each goal, I got a new charm for my bracelet. I am planning on a TT and breast lift in the fall, lol, but that isn't a reward for me, just getting rid of some skin. Other than that, I got married 13 years ago in a size 16 wedding dress, which in hindsight since I was a size 24 on the day of surgery, I should have been happy about the size 16, lol. When I got my pictures back, I cried for DAYS and sadly, nobody has ever seen any of my wedding pictures. So, already booked, next June, hubby and I are going to Hawaii and renewing our wedding vows on the beach!

I absolutely agree here. I've cut out breads, pastas, rice, pretty much any white refined anything. I attribute that to my weight loss. I'm not a year out yet and have lost 106 pounds. Plateaued currently, but despite that fact, I don't think I would have gotten this far eating those things. Good luck!

Like I said, I still religiously measure my food and I record everything I eat on Livestrong.com. Do I maybe, once in a blue moon, have an extra bite of something, lol, sure. So maybe I'll amend that for you and say 1/2 cup plus 1 tsp. I'm glad you can assume why I am supplementing with protein shakes... No, I'm not supplementing with protein shakes because I am concerned with only 1/2 cup food portions and no I'm not drinking protein shakes, they are too filling for me. I drink a 4oz serving of a drink, similar to milk. I'm drinking them because of my workouts, as stated before, I run 3-4 miles a day, 6 days a week. Even people who are not banded and work out heavily drink protein shakes. They make me feel better, plain and simple, I'm not drinking them out of concern for my nutritional intake. Again, you assume too much. My Dr mandates for the first year, all his patients get blood work done every 8 weeks. Not once, in any one of my results have my results ever been less than great. I didn't have any medical problems before the band (except being overweight) and I don't have any now. I have no desire to wean myself off of my Protein drinks, as stated before, I'm not taking them as supplements or Meal Replacements. I'm taking them from a fitness standpoint. Not doing anything more or less than anybody on my running team does. We go for a run and have a Protein Drink, not a big shock there. Since when is it wrong to take daily vitamins? I've taken daily vitamins for many many years. I take a multi, Calcium and B12, nothing more than I have ever taken before being banded. Did I switch to a bariatric brand/vitamin, yep, but I've taken those three vitamins/supplements for as long as I can remember. Also, who is to say what a regular size portion meal is? Sure as hell, not any of of us here, it is a very individual thing. I'm shocked how many have come on here forcing there beliefs with a sense of "my way or the highway". We're all experts, right? I don't think so. Every single one of us is going to react to everything differently. I have 1/4 cup of EggBeaters in the morning, and well, I'm FULL for 4-5 hours after, does that happen for everybody? I seriously doubt it. If I was sitting here hungry all the time, yeah, I'd be looking at way to increase my food intake, but I'm not, I'm VERY VERY satisfied after I eat my 1/2 cup meals. So, yeah, this WORKS for me but it won't work for everybody, just like what works for you, will not work for everybody.

I've been banded for almost a year and still my port area gets a little sore during sex sometimes, sometimes it is sore for a bit after sex as well. The more weight I lose, the more tender it seems to get, which I attribute to a bit, or rather a lot, less "padding" for protection, lol.

I'm a 1/2 cupper, been banded for 11 months. I still, faithfully, measure my meals with my little half cups and I'm full at a half cup. I do supplement with a 4oz Protein drink mid morning and a 4oz Protein Drink mid afternoon. Total calories are around 800 per day. Almost a year out, I've had no issue with nutrition. I go get my blood tested every 8 weeks, again, no issues. Bottom line, you have to do what works for you. Honestly, I could not even imagine eating 1000-1200 calories a day. I run 3-4 miles a day, 6 days a week. I take my Vitamins faithfully. Again, no issues. Not saying it will work for everyone, just like trying to eat 1000 calories won't work for everyone. None of our bodies are the same and none of us will respond the same way to the band and the diets we chose. Good luck!

I started off taking the Bariatric Advantage ones and they really do not taste very good. At a support group meeting a few months ago, they had a speaker from a company called Celebrate. They sell bariatric Vitamins. We all got samples and they taste SO MUCH BETTER. I tossed all my BA vitamins out and ordered the Celebrate ones. You can go to their website and get samples. Give them a try. I take the Calcium Plus 500, the Multi-AGB and the B-12. http://www.celebratevitamins.com/component/chronocontact/?chronoformname=sample

My goal weight is a moving figure. For me it depends on how I feel when I get there. I "imagine" it will be around 150, but honestly, right now I weight 169 and I have people all the time, jaws dropping, when I say I want to lose another 20 pounds because I honestly have no idea where in the world this weight will come from and apparently neither does my body because I haven't lost a pound in about 6 weeks. So, my opinion... Set small "goal" weights. Don't focus on the big final number, focus instead on how you look and feel and let it come to you when you get there.

I didn't do the "light" before surgery and after surgery I drank (and still do) a protein drink formulated for bariatric patients. Nestle's Optisource Bariatric Drink. I love it because honestly, I could barely stomach any other kind. It I wasn't to drink that one, I probably would more than likely drink a regular one.

LOL - Thanks... Happy to answer any questions I can. Yes, I work full time, at a desk, no physical job. I do Protein Shakes randomly, not as much as I used to. I've had 3 fills and I'm right around 5 cc's, I believe. Do I diet? No, I HATE the D word with a passion. Have I made changes? Absolutely, but they are lifestyle changes that have made my band all that much more successful. I've cut out breads, pastas, etc. Sometimes, if I'm really craving something, yeah, I will have it because I'm not DIETING. Dieting is the big ass mean elephant in the room for me. If I'm dieting, I'm doing without and if I'm doing without, well then, that is what I want most. So, do I ever cheat? I'm not "dieting" so there is nothing to cheat on. If I want a bite of ice cream, I take a bite of ice cream, BUT and this is a big big BUT, I do have the will power to LIMIT it. I don't need it, it's a want, I can live without the want, but I'm the type of person that if I don't let myself have something when I want it, I'm going to ruin myself when I finally do snap and eat it all. So, yeah, I have the will power to limit it. My guilty pleasure at the moment. LEMONHEADS!!! BUT, I count out 10 a day and after I eat those 10, that's it, no more. If I get a craving, then I move on to something else to get my mind off of it. If I absolutely cannot, then I have a little something. Freezer pops are good for this, lol. It's a balancing act but something literally flipped when I had surgery. I don't know where or how I got all this will power regarding food from but I do. I've taken to heart that this is a TOOL one that I am lucky lucky to have and I am not going to screw this up. I can't, this is my chance. Plus, I'm terrified of complications, so I probably baby my band a lot more than some. Lastly.... I exercise my ass off. When I hit 250, not even a month after surgery, I started running, and started with a mile. I now run 3-4 miles a day, 6 times a week. I try to run at least one 5k a month. I will tell you, I would not have been this successful without all the exercise. Good luck to everyone on your journeys. It is entirely worth it, everything that you change about your life is for the better! Typical day... Get up around 6am, read in bed for about an hour. During the school year, I'm getting the kids up and ready out the door by about 8:30am. I start work anytime between 8am and 9am. Depending on how busy I am during the day, if I have the time, I get in my run at lunch, if not then I work through lunch and usually eat at my desk. I'm off around 5pm. Getting dinner ready. If I didn't get my run in earlier, then as a family, we go out and run together in the evening. Food wise... Pretty much the same for most of the day, every day. Breakfast - I will either have EggBeaters or make 1 egg, scrambled. Lunch is usually 1/2 cup of 99% FF Chili or canned chicken with Laughing Cow cheese. Dinner is whatever I cook or my husband cooks. We live in a warm client, so we do a lot of grilling. If I feel hungry during the day, I'll eat a Chobani yogurt or something similar. Lots and lots of water/Crystal Light.

I bought Turbo Fire and personally HATED it. I ended up returning it. I'm not even uncoordinated and felt that eventually my legs and arms were flailing around at such a high rate of speed I was going to end up twisted like a pretzel. IMO, she didn't explain things that well, didn't spend a lot of time on a move, you have about 10 seconds to grasp something before she was onto something else. Like I said, I'm not uncoordinated by any means, I've done years and years of aerobic type of activities and currently Zumba, but yeah, just didn't like the whole Turbo Fire thing.

Like Rachel, I started losing immediately. I think the first month, I was down 32 pounds. I was losing fast for about the first 5-6 months, losing around 80-85 pounds. I've only lost another 20 pounds in the last 4-5 months or so. It's different for everybody. Try not to judge your success on others, it will get frustrating very very quickly. Think about where YOU WERE, where YOU are NOW and where YOU want to be in the FUTURE.

Mine is definitely not spiritual or emotional by any means. But I run 4 miles a day and these keep me moving and on my toes. Completely random music, but I listen to a TON of music. Pornstar - Swollen Members Shut Up and Drive - Rihanna F*ckin Perfect - Pink Reclaim the Throne - Swollen Members Red Dragon - Swollen Members Bang Bang - Swollen Members Smells Like Teen Spirit - Nirvana Supermassive Black Hole - Muse California Love - 2Pac California Gurls - Katy Perry shake It - Metro Station Rock Your Body - Justin Timberlake Cherub Rock - Smashing Pumpkins Brain Stew - Green Day Down - 311 In Da Club - 50 Cent Head Like a Hole - Nine Inch Nails Lose Yourself - Eminem Sabatoge - Beastie Boys Bullet with Butterfly Wings - Smashing Pumpkins Higher Ground - Red Hot Chili Peppers Killing in the Name - Rage Against the Machine Bulls on Parade - Rage Against the Machine Low - Tech N9ne Sex Type Thing - Stone Temple Pilots Demons - Tech N9ne Bleed It Out - Linkin Park Blind - Korn Bodies - Drowning Pool OPP - Naughty By Nature Numb/Encore - Jay-Z, Linkin Park Points of Authority/99 Problems - Jay-Z, Linkin Park Hot in Herre - Nelly Ride Wit Me - Nelly Country Grammar - Nelly

I agree with the above poster. Track track track. I use livestrong.com ie dailyplate... And you have to be 100% honest with yourself. If you are measuring and tracking and being honest, chances are, you may be eating more than you "think" you are. Or... another thing that is common with us, you may possibly be not getting ENOUGH calories. It is a delicate balancing act. Also, it sounds like you may be at a plateau. Change things up a bit, in your eating and working out. Instead of Zumba, 5 days a week, do something else. Start jogging if you can, not hard and fast, but enough to get your heart rate up. I started running a mile when I hit 250lbs. You can even jog 5 minutes, walk 5 minutes and alternate that for an hour. Start replacing Zumba twice a week with something else. Try changing up your eating habits if you can. Are you getting enough water? Water helps a ton!!!

My goal moves depending on how I feel and look. When I originally got surgery done, I had no clue what I wanted my goal to be other than wanting my weight to have a 1 in front of it rather than a 2. I'm 10.5 months out and have lost 106 pounds. I started at 274 and I'm currently at 169. Other than my "pooch" which will be gone when I have my tummy tuck, I have no idea where anymore weight would come from, but now that I'm close, I'm thinking I want to be down around 140-150 (I'm 5'3"). My suggestion, don't set any hard and fast goals right now. Do mini goals. 10 pounds at a time or what have you, it's a lot more rewarding, IMO. Good luck!

I consider myself a success, a great success. One thing though, I've made some SERIOUS changes in my habits and I think that has helped a ton. I was banded on 7/29/10 and weighed 274 pounds. Today I weigh 191 pounds. 83 pounds lost in almost 25 weeks! I feel so much better, I can't even tell you how good I feel because I don't think words could accurately describe it. And I look WONDERFUL IMO. I've waited so long to be able to say that about myself. I really really have. I uploaded new pics on my profile recently and have my presurgery ones up there too, the difference is just crazy. I've cut out all breads, pastas, a lot of the "white" stuff. I now run around 3 miles a day (6 days a week) and the funny thing, I LOVE RUNNING! I've made this commitment to myself and I will not fail this time. I don't think I wouldn't have been this successful if I hadn't been committed to these changes. I've recently hit my first plateau, but I'm not all too discouraged by it, I've been expecting it and I'll work through it. I baby my band, it is my tool for success. YOU CAN DO THIS.

This has been something I've struggled with for a while now. I wake up in the morning and by 9:30am, I have 1/4 cup of Egg Beaters with a slice of chopped ham. A lot of the time, by 2pm or so, I'm not hungry, at all. Like today for example. I ate at 9am, here it is almost 4:00pm and I haven't had anything else to eat. I'm not hungry at all. I've been drinking my water and I have had a 4oz Optisource Protein Drink (100 calories), so all in all, my intake has been about 165 calories today... Not good I know, but I'm not sure what else to do. Sometimes I'll eat at the 4 hour mark, regardless, but then I stress out about my pouch expanding because if I'm not hungry, then there would still be food in my pouch, right? My weight loss is good, I'm losing on average 3 pounds a week... So, if you are not hungry, do you force yourself to eat anyways?

Same here... I track everything and average about 600-700 calories per day, that is WITH 2 servings of a protein drink (total of 200 calories for both servings). My surgeon wants us around 800. So far all my levels have been fine, I went in about a week ago for a CBC. I'm getting about 80 grams of protein a day.

I'm between a gold brick and the worlds largest ball of tape. Although, if I'm being honest, I'd take that gold brick right back, lmao, if it was real.

CONGRATULATIONS!!! I recently got there as well (last week), so I know how exciting it is. I hope you get feeling better though, that doesn't sound like a 'fun' way to get to onederland, but it is a GREAT accomplishment nonetheless!