marni

Hello all! Good to hear from everyone again! I guess I am doing well. I lost 50 lbs but none in about 6 months! It's all me, I know. The band is tight enough I just went back to eating when I am not hungry and snacking on cookies! Wine is another problem I guess. I am back on track now again! I want to lose another 50! I do have a question...I have been experiencing some mild heart burn again. I had a hernia fixed when they did the surgery and that was the end of my heart burn. All of a sudden it's happening again.... What can this mean?

I miss you guys! It has been a while since I posted. Just been so darn busy. I was at a standstill for a bit losing and gaining the same 5 lbs.....Now Im on the go again. I can't believe the differences in the pictures before & after! I will take one of me and do the same. There really is a difference in the 50 lbs. It is also reassuring that it seems that we have all lost about the same amount. Around 50lbs. Of course some a little less and some, we wont mention names A LOT more! But for the most part we all got similar results. How is everyone doing? Everyone just about done with fills? I am I think Im about as filled as I can be. If I eat too fast or drink when i eat, I gurgle! I am still surprised that this process does require a lot of work on my behalf. I expected it to be a little more liek the gastric where you just can't and don't eat. I am confident that eating slowly I could still hold my own at a buffet. So, some days I eat the wrong things but I get back on track! I am truly greatful that I had the surgery and would not have changed that for the world! Here's hoping for another 50 lbs this year!

Hello everyone. Hope all are having a nice summer. My newest battle has been that of eating when I am not hungry. Why the heck does this happen and oh my is it easy to fall right back into old habits! Im really going to get back on track!

Well I am sorry about the Lupus but yeah on the diabetes. I went from tons of insulin & meds to nothing. No disappointedly enough my sugars are too high. Why, I have no Idea. I was really upset and the doc asked why. I explained becuase I was working really hard at this, lost weight yadda yadda and just didn't want to be diabetic anymore. She looked at me and was like, duh, I have "skinny" diabetics ya know! I replied, I know, I JUST DON"T WANT TO BE ONE OF THEM! Anyhoo, I got another fill. I think it is when I eat too fast that I have problems so I am trying to go slow slow slow. I eat very little and have suceeded in already loosing a couple of lbs within a week! Yippe! banded 11/29

If it works for you then go for it. My doc does not suggest liquids and soft food becuase they move through the band too quickly. Also, if I was having pain eating he would suggest less of a fill. Protein is the most important food group and it generally is not found in soups and mushy foods. My mind has finally caught up with my body also. Like, I don't HAVE to eat becuase it is technically lunchtime! I eat when I am hungry and try not to put myself in situations where Ill want to sit around and over eat! I have a hard time with control like at the movies I need popcorn etc....

That sounds a lot like my regimen. However, when I need a fill I tend to know becuase I am hungry and can't make it from meal to meal and need to snack. Unfortunately I tend to eat out several times a week and I think that is what is keeping me from losing weight as fast.

Vikki, you seem to eat a lot of fluids and softer foods still. I was told that crispier harder foods go down easier then the soft stuff. I think everyone is different. I eat regular meals. Slimfast or Zone bar for Breakfast, sandwich, cheese or even pizza for lunch and a dinner of Protein and side of carb & veggie. For breakfast I am VERY tight. I really need to start measuring my food. I totally believe I am within a 1/2 cup to a cup of food but now it seems like a lot since I am used to it. Let's see, things I can't eat, soft pretzels, chopped meat, most beef, dry chicken breast and OH, here's a good one, spaghetti! I can eat Pasta in general but I don't think I can mash up the spaghetti well enough or take small enough bites! Interesting tho... Bacon, no good, tuna no good....... So do you think I need a fill and just need to take smaller bites?

Question: How often do you guys throw up? Blunt, no? The reason I am asking is that I throw up several times a week. Sometimes several times a day. It has lessened as of late but I am also often hungry. I mean stomach growling hungry. Im not sure if I need a fill to combat the hunger and Im throwing up becuase Im eating too fast? I can't imagine it tighter but I hate being hungry. AND I'd like to lose weight faster. Im definitely not at the 1-2 lbs a week. Im lucky if I lose 1 lb. Ill go not losing anything then lose a few.....Im definitely smaller in my clothes that's for sure but the scale doesn't move as I would like. Any comments? What are all you guys eating these days?

I FINALLY FOUND YOU GUYS! I guess they moved the board and I couldn't find you! Yippee! Tom - Wow! Boy to have the trouble of trying to eat more so I don't lose weight, I can't imagine! It must feel great! Me, well, Ive lost 44 lbs and was banded on 11/29. It looks like thats on par with most of you guys. I feel it is so hard at times tho. This has required more work on my behalf then I originally thought. It really requires will power and closely monitoring what I eat for sure! I read Bob Green's Best Life Diet, anyone out there read it? It is fantastic. I jumped right into phase 2 and just eliminated 6 food groups. I have my whole family doing it. Just definitely a healthier life style. Curious if anyone else has looked into it? It's online too. banded 11/29

I have friends and family trying to compete with me. It makes it hard. Ive become smaller then some of my fat friends and they still don't see me that way. What is hard for me is when I have so much invested in this, emotionally and monitarily and then they come prancing in woo hoo, I lost 5 lbs this week. I want to slap them!

I went through a horrible bit with the hubby. It was really bad. I finally convinced him that I was doing this to share a better life with him! On the outside he was all supportive and still won't think he had any problems with my wieght loss but oh my god! We're better now and it passed.

Okay Vikki. I logged on just to offer you support. Hang in there. I was stuck for a month or so too then about 5 lbs flew off. I think a lot of it has to do with choices. Firstly, I was told to only eat 3 meals a day and if I was still hungry then I needed a fill. Prepared items such as soups and chili have TONS of salt! THis retains water. It is much better if you begin preparing some of you own foods. Also, you are exercising so I am sure that you are seeing a size change as you are trimming down but not a weight loss. You know what they say about that muscle weighs more then fat crap! I think that you will notice that most of us are all in the same area of weight loss, less a few. It will come off. It helps me to make a food journal for sure. You might be surprised at what you are eating. You could be eating 1800 calories in those 5 meals. Think about it, that is only 350 each.....MOST IMPORTANTLY know that we are here for support and ALL have gone through the same thing. Hang in there!

Hello all. I am back from vacation. We went to Disney then on a 4 day cruise. I think I did okay, food wise. Tho I was starting to feel a bit bulemic! I threw up a lot. Either eating too fast or too much! In any case, I made it home and I don't think I gained weight! Yippee! For any of you who have cruised, that is a tough feat! Huge damage can be done under normal circumstances.

When were you all meeting at Disney? I didn't see any invite.......

No more then hating you for losing 100 lbs in 6 months! Only kidding, obviously. You should be a poster boy tho. I don't know how you are losing so damn fast! I feel that I have to fight and work for every pound!

I here for you buddy! We can do this! Tight, then loose, I feel like a Nascar driver! Sometimes I don't know how I can eat so much and where the heck does it go! Other times I feel so tight it is uncomfortable to eat! Breakfast is definitely the worse. Anyone know why this is?

That is a great approach! I think you are on to something. Rather then saying NO SNACKING at all, you made a more obtainable goal! Okay, sooooo, I am commiting to the following this week: I will eat Protein 1st with each meal! I will do some form of excercise EVERY NITE! I will up my water intake! Okay, here I go. I too will check back at the end of the week. Thanks Betsy, this is a good thing!

Ya know, I just notice yesterday that I was REALLY tight. A few days before I was thinking if I needed another fill and then yesterday I couldn't practically get anything down. Breakfast is always hard for me and I loosen during the day. But yesterday, gosh, everything gave me a hard time!

They are so adorable! AMEN, it is the hardest thing out there to do!

I know I am not one of those, oh I hate food, can live on nothing and get fulfillment out of excercising every day. I am actually glad that I am getting to the point that I am not obsessing! I just couldn't handle the pressure anymore! I'd love to be more filled so I can't eat as much because I can easily overdue it. Certainily much more than a cup of food! Other days, I have great control. I didn't like throwing up all the time becuase I was so restricted so I don't think I will get a fill any time soon. I used to walk into resturants and have to scope out the bathroom location before I started to eat just in case! I think I eat about 1000 calories which probably means a lot more.... I can't help it, I still like to eat "bad" things every now and then. I am human after all. So, since my last fill in March, Ive lost about 10 lbs. Thats good and Im happy with that. My sister has been seeing this doc and does these pills and shots and stuff and has lost 77 lbs since November as well. The pounds literally FLY off! However, she doesn't eat anything. I totally still can enjoy food, eating out, entertaining and a brownie sundae if I need one! So, I have released my obsession and I am trying to ride the flow. At least that is this week!

So where is everyone? It is so quiet here. SO, now that we are at 6 months, is everyone satisfied? I mean, we all had expectations, were they met? For me, I think this has required a lot more work then I anticipated. The lap band is wonderful but I thought it would be more like the bypass where you CAN"T eat. I have to rely on a lot more of my own inner strength and will power then I had thought. It is great tho. I would have liked a faster loss but then again, that was in my control as well. More excercise and better food choices would have yielded me better results. Overall, it is great and I am glad I did it! What about everyone else?

I am very sorry Misty. Look at the bright side, you did lose 75lbs! That is terrific! It's now up to you and YOU CAN DO IT!

Tom, that sounds like a lot of work out to me!

I havent ordered that one but I do have some of those oversized panties from the Avenue. I hear Lane Bryant has some fantastic ones....They were about $30. They do do wonders! Just firms everything up and sucks everything in.

WOW! You are right! 6 months! I can't believe it! Well, my anniversary is at the end of the month so Im just passed 5 months! I hear ya Tom. Thanks for your support.