summer134

It's so frustrating and another joy of being a woman! I try to satisfy the cravings in a more healthy way. Rather than a big bowl of ice cream with toppings, I had a strawberry yogurt with chocolate protein powder in it and dipped apples in it. Tasted like chocolate covered apples -- delicious!! And no matter what, remember small bites and chew chew chew so you don't have the problem of it coming back up! Good luck getting through it !!

Hey everyone!! I haven't checked in on this thread for awhile even though I am an August Bandster as well! I was banded on 8-10-10 and am currently down 63 pounds and am absolutely thrilled about that! I feel better, I look better, I'm able to move better. It's great. I am desperately needing to refocus myself and my health, though. I've been going up and down with the same five pounds for six weeks now, mainly because I'm loosening up on my eating habits. So I have planned out my menu for this week and plan on sticking to it. Another downfall for me is drinking alcohol. I don't do it as much as I used to, but still probably more than I should. Again, that's a focus fo the week -- no drinking. Lastly, I know that I need to step up on my exercise. I had been doing so well and have falled out of that habit as well. So I am vowing to exercise three times this week. All these are things that we know we should do -- now it's just time for me to do them!! It's great to hear success stories from all of you -- let's hope we all keep moving the same direction and keep losing whatever we need!! )

Great job so far! Glad you're having a good day! Best of luck on your journey with the rest of us!!

I had my fourth fill a week and a half ago and could definitely tell the difference. There were times when food was going down and times when it wasn't. I figured that my stomach was still swollen from the fill so I decided to give it a little time. Now almost two weeks later, I can tell I'm just too full. I don't want to keep wondering whether food (even liquid) is going to go down or not. So I have an appointment for an unfill this Wednesday. Only problem since I'm self-pay and waited a week and a half I'll have to pay $100-165 for it. ( At least I'm getting it done though and hoping it will help and that nothing has slipped. I'm going on vacation next week and want to be able to enjoy myself! I guess just realizing it's good to listen to your body right away...

This has not happened to me but I wanted to wish you good luck! Hope everything turns out ok!

What a week it's been. I've been so drained emotionally this week due to problems with my grandmother's health and issues with friends. I'm exhausted today. But I've really tried to keep going with my diet. I didn't do as good of a job as I wanted to journaling my food. I haven't exercised the way I wanted to. But it's the little things. I'm drinking more water. Even though I'm not journaling, I'm being more conscious of what I'm eating. I've turned food away. I've made good food choices. And it showed. Granted, last week was my TOM and could tell I was bloated. But this morning the scale showed 279.4! In the 270s!! That's amazing to me -- a weight loss of 8.4 this week! Even if part of it is me being dehydrated from doing some drinking last night it's such a motivator! I would LOVE to be even further down next week and not do the flux up and down I usually do after a big loss. I'm getting a fill today. I set it up a couple weeks ago and think it's a good idea even with the loss. I haven't lost much weight lately. I'm eating more than I should. I'm getting hungry a couple hours after I eat. And I'm just not feeling that "sweet spot" everyone talks about with their restriction. And when I met with my surgeon for my six month follow up last week he explained it really well for me. He said I've had four fills and that's pretty normal. But things stretch and adjustments are needed. He said like a car, you want to maintain this band to keep it working the best way that it can. I was nervous that he might say I'm being too aggressive with my fills, but was so relieved to hear that. So here we go ... get my fill today. I am going to exercise when I get home from work. I'm going to do a good job of eating this week. And I'm going to see what the scale says next Wednesday morning! Here's to a good week for the band ... and hopefully a better week for me with my family and friends.

I will fully admit that I am new to this. I have never blogged before. I'm fairly new to weight loss surgery. But one of the ways that I think I can help hold myself accountable for my weight loss is through this blog. If people read, great. If not, that's fine too. At least it's a spot for me to journal what I'm going through. So here I go... Lap Band. I've got one. I'd thought about getting one in the past as my weight continued to balloon out of control. But I was always so nervous about it. I didn't want to be one of those people that couldn't lose the weight on my own. So I would diet. I would exercise. I'd lose weight -- 20 pounds here, 50 pounds there -- but it would always come back. However much I lost and then some. So I finally decided I needed to do something to save my life. I set up an appointment with Dr. Hung to discuss having a lap band. I hadn't been on a scale in a couple years. Even at my annual physicals, the physician stopped weighing me. I think they knew I was big. Real big. And they didn't do much more than that. So I stepped on the scale at the doctors and there it was. The number I was dreading to see. 345.7 pounds. I immediately thought -- I have no idea how I got this big. But that's a lie. I knew exactly how I got that big. Mindless eating, fast food, eating way more than one person should, drinking alcohol to the point of excess, late night food, not exercising. There was a list that went on and on. And I could have stopped right then and there. But the nurse that weighed me knew what I was feeling and knew what to say, "Okay, that's the last time you're ever going to see that number." So fast forward through the doctors appointments, through the pulmonary specialists, the psychiatrists, the physicians, the pre-op diet, the actual surgery to six months later. Here I am. I have lost weight ... quite a bit of weight ... and I'm happy with that. But not happy enough. Today I weigh 287.8. I've lost 57.9 pounds since that first day at the doctors. And I'm ecstatic about that. I feel better. I look better. People have commented how well I'm doing. But it's not enough. I have officially stalled. I weighed 286.6 before Christmas. Since then I've fluctuated between 283 and 290. That was seven weeks ago. In almost two months I haven't lost anything. Fortunately, I'm not completely upset with that to the point of quitting. I try to be positive about it. It was the holiday season. It's not an excuse. It's an inevitability. And looking at the last how many years of my life, I've never continually lost. It's always been an increase in weight. But I'm not settling for 60 pounds. I want another 60 gone, and then some. I was a self-pay patient for this surgery, so my wallet has lost $16,000. I don't want that to be for nothing. I know all the tools. I know what I need to do. I know the band isn't a cure-all. It's a tool to use in order to help you lose weight. So I'm getting back to basics. I'm journaling all my food and drinks. All day every day. Not just during the week and then letting things slide during the weekend. I'm not going to sneak food off of my family and friends plates like I have been lately. I'm going to start exercising again. I'm going to make this work for me. I have to. Sure 60 pounds is great. But I'm still obese. 287 pounds isn't where I want to spend my life. I want to be able to feel more comfortable with myself. So here we go, band. Let's get this journey going again. The six month honeymoon period is officially over. Now the real work begins. And I want it to. I want to be successful and hold myself accountable. Which is why I've started this blog. Time to be accountable for my actions. February 9, 2011 ... 287.8. Let's see how it goes for the next six months!!

I have to agree with everyone here. This is a very personal decision that you need to think about. Weigh the pros and cons. Really think about whether or not this is something you want to do because, as you said, it's not a cure all. The weight won't automatically fall off. You have to work at it. You have to make the right decisions about food and diet. And if that's not something you want to do, I wouldn't put your body through the procedure. That being said, I would absolutely do it again and I only wish I would have done it sooner. It's the best decision that I've made. It hasn't been easy. I haven't been as successful as I probably could have been due to slip ups. But I'm dow 58 pounds since my preop diet. I feel better, I look better. Knowing the detriments of being overweight, I think it's something you should think about but not be scared of. And yes, you can absolutely sleep on your stomach. And I can feel my port now if I push down on it. It might be more noticeable the more weight I lose, but if I just have a little bump on my tummy compared to be being obese? I'll take that every time... Good luck with your decision!

Mmm ... sounds delicious! I am totally going to try that -- thanks for sharing!

I'm feeling the same way -- I'm scheduled for my fourth fill next week and know that it's time. I get the same grumbly tummy and feel like I can eat SO much more than people on these forums! I'm hoping I'll get a fill as well and that will help. I'll hope for you that you don't experience the same overfill. That has to be a terrible feeling. Don't worry too much about the weight loss -- 26 pounds lost is still 26 pounds lost! I look at it like this -- when was the last time I can say in six months that I've actually lost this much weight and not gained? Good luck with your trip to see your surgeon. Keep up all posted -- I always look at how you're doing!

I'm feeling the same way. I've lost 59 pounds from preop diet til now. And I literally have been losing/gaining in the same four pound range since Christmas. I was doing so well tracking everything, exercising, etc. And I'm totally at a stand-still now. I have my six month follow up with my surgeon Friday and am scheduled for a fill next week, hoping that will help. I'm in the middle of the five day pouch test (day three of five) so we'll see how that helps. Doesn't help it's my TOM either. I think sometimes we just need a boost to get going. Let me know if you want someone to be accountable to! I'm so willing to help out people in the same boat!

Congrats on making this wonderful step in your life! Hope your recovery goes quickly and you can get started on the rest of your life! )

I'll be interested in responses. I haven't tanned since surgery, but I know my sister in law who has the band has tanned and not had any troubles with it.

It's an amazing feeling, isn't it? Makes you wonder how to did it before and how much better it is for your joints, etc. to have the weight off. Great job on your weight loss -- keep up the great work!

HIGHEST WEIGHT: 346 -- my weight on my first appointment with my surgeon GOAL WEIGHT -- 180 SURGERY DATE -- August 11, 2010 WEIGHT ON SURGERY DAY -- 336 CURRENT WEIGHT -- 283 HOW CLOSE/FAR ARE YOU FROM YOUR GOAL WEIGHT -- 103 pounds left until goal. But I'm SOOO happy to say that I have lost 63 pounds in my journey. It's amazing to me and I can't wait to see how the next six months go!

Way to stick with your training! Great job!

Way to go! So happy for you!

Awesome job! Such a good feeling!! )

Becky, We all need a place to vent and what better place than a forum where a lot of the people here have probably felt the same way that you do in some form or another? You stated the obvious things on how to have a band help you out (take your time, get fills, set goals, etc.) But to be completely honest, a band -- even if it's working great and you're losing weight -- isn't going to help your thoughts of giving up life in general. Those are extremely depressed thoughts and need help to get over them. A diet or a band isn't going to cure those feelings. It's understandably a difficult time moving, not having friends, not having a job and trying to support someone when you're so lonely yourself. But that's when you need to be selfish and think of yourself. Without a job, what better time to work on yourself? I think the best thing you can do for yourself is to first of all set up an appointment with a therapist to start working through some of those negative thoughts. If you are having thoughts of suicide or giving up on life, those are extremely serious things to worry about and you need to get some help. And there's nothing wrong with admitting you need help. Everyone here needed help, which is why we got the band. You need to get those thoughts out of the way first of all, then you can worry about getting on a diet and exercise regimine that will help the way you feel as well. Just take things one step at a time -- with the first step being setting up an appointment to talk to someone. Good luck.

Congratulations! What a great weight loss as such a rapid pace! You must be following everything to a "T". Great work!!

Congratulations on the great weight loss! So happy for you!

I posted on here a couple weeks ago about my worries with traveling. I'm back from my trip to California and pleased to say I didn't have any troubles at all! For the first time in my adult life, I didn't need seat belt extenders on any of the flights. We walked and hiked up mountains and I was able to do it. I look at pictures and am not appalled. This surgery is the best thing that could have happened to me. On the scale, I haven't lost since Christmas. But thinking more positively, I can't think of the last time I went throughout the holiday season and on a vacation without gaining a ton of weight. So here's to committing myself to exercise and eating better in the new year. But right now, I am pretty darn happy! )

I agree with everyone -- this is great timing. I haven't lost since Christmas, but am totally committing myself to this. I will be traveling in March with friends that I just saw this weekend, so it would be great to have a noticeable change! I'm going with 15 pounds for a loss. Here we go!!

I am so happy for you! Congratulations!! What a great achievement!!

I'm heading to California this week to visit a friend and although I'm so excited to travel, this marks the first time I've been on a plane in about five years and I'm starting to get nervous. Nervous about getting a belt extender if needed, worried about the stories that have been in the news lately of airlines asking for passengers of size to buy extra seats/exit the plane, etc. Maybe I'm overreacting but this is why I haven't flown in so long. Any stories of flying lately and/or advice?!?