transformer

Hi there! Boy, you've had a rough time of it! Hang in there--the 6 months will fly by. The surgery went well for me and the band has been a huge help! Good luck!

Hi there! Good luck! You'll find a lot of information on this site. I'm really happy about being banded. It's nice not to feel like I'm starving constantly! Hope you get some insurance coverage!

Hi Barbara! Welcome! Best wishes on your upcoming surgery. Unfortunately, I don't know much of anything about being a vegetarian. I do know that I haven't regretted my decision to get banded. The weight I've lost so far has already gone a long way toward helping me feel healthier. Good luck!

Hi! I'm glad I was banded last December! It's made a big difference in the amount of hunger I feel. I had a smooth recovery and no complications so far. You'll learn a lot by reading the postings on this site. Good luck!

Hi Judy! I wasn't scared about the surgery. I was more excited about making changes in my life! I had a smooth recovery and have been doing well so far. I'm hoping to have lost half the weight I need to lose by mid-December. Congratulations on your decision to join us bandsters!

Welcome Teresa! I hope all keeps going well for you! Good luck!

bkwalling—I’m so sorry to hear about your foster kids! Not everyone who gives birth makes a good mother. It’s a shame no one thinks about the importance of the children having stability in their lives. Parenthood shouldn’t be something you can drop and pick up whenever you feel like it! My heart really goes out to you! :think Kaydotrn—Welcome back! I feel your pain! I just took two horrible exams in June and July. So glad that’s over! VABandster—Hi there! Thanks for the input on the Virgin Islands, but I don’t think I can swing it either. Thanks for mentioning your goal for the year…that reminded me to share my new goal so you folks can hold me to it! I’m really glad your neighbor noticed your weight loss! I’m so happy you felt good about your interview—even if this one doesn’t work out, the right job will come along! The practice will build your confidence even more. StephC—Hmmm…I wonder if I could even eat a corn dog…I think the dough would get stuck! I’m not so sure about frying an oreo. What did it taste like? Just curious! :evil: sweethot143—shin splints are the pits! I’ve never been to Europe before, so that trip to Garmish, Germany sounds divine! I bet it’s absolutely gorgeous! By the way, great job on those size 13 jeans! That is outstanding!!! :clap2: beversman—Pretend I’m the robot from the old “Lost in Space” television show. “Warning! Warning!” I yelled. That’s my take on the “workout buddy” idea. :car: Well, here’s what’s new with me. I went for my weigh in on Wednesday and I found out that I lost only 8 pounds (I know—“only” 8 pounds is a lot better than gaining 8). I was hoping for 10-12 pounds. C’est la vie! The doctor and I talked about what I need to do to reach my 50% weight loss goal by my one-year bandiversary. It looks like I need to weigh about 210, so I have to lose about 32 pounds by then. I just counted it out and I have about 16 weeks to get the job done, so that means I have to lose two pounds per week. It sounds a bit ambitious, but if I really work hard I think I can do it! No fried Oreos for me, I guess! "Step away from the Oreos, ma'am!" said the Food Police. I took tomorrow off because I haven't had a real vacation all summer. That'll give me a four-day weekend. I want to go do some fun stuff with my son before school starts. The only thing we've planned so far is to take a boat ride out of Hampton, VA on Saturday. Work hard everyone!

I gave up all sodas as well and I have to say that I really don't miss them!

Hi All! I'm finally logging in to catch up on all of the drama. I am officially done with school! I finished my last class on Thursday. I HAVE NO HOMEWORK THIS WEEKEND! It's an unbelievable feeling of freedom! I hope I’ll find out soon if I get to keep my “acting” supervisor position or not… I'll have an update on how I'm doing losing weight on Wednesday. I had to move my appointment from August 1st to the 29th because my schedule has been so nuts this month. I'm hoping I lost another 12 pounds or so. That would put me at almost 50 pounds lost which I think is pretty good. We'll see--there may be a lot of liquids in my future between now and then to make sure I’ve lost at least that much! :pray: I should be able to ramp up my exercise program and speed up my weight loss now that I won’t be stuck in front of the gosh-darn computer writing papers during my every free moment! :typing: I definitely think I’m going to need plastic surgery—I am SO flabby! It’s making me self-conscious (gotta keep my droopy arms and flabby thighs covered up). ICK! I especially hate my belly—if I could only get rid of that flab (I’m ready to chop it all off myself!), I could probably wear a much smaller size. I’m still between an 18 and a 20 even if my waist and thighs would fit into something smaller. GRRR!! VA—Happy belated birthday! :happybday2: Brandi—I didn’t know your daughter has bipolar disorder! I’ve been dealing with my son’s battles with Bipolar II, AD/HD, and Oppositional Defiant Disorder for over a decade (he’s 15). My ex has it, too. I’m SO not looking forward to sending my son back to school. It’s always a nightmare. He’s going to another new high school this fall (he went to two different ones last year—spent two semesters at each). The new school is an alternative school for kids who don’t learn like everyone else. They say it is better than the others, but I’ll believe it when I see it! KayDotRn—Great to hear from you! Do you have a lot of school left yourself? Hopefully, you’re smarter than me and aren’t trying to squeeze it all into one year! What a dope! I guess it’s good that I’m done, but I think I aged about 10 years in the process! Nikki32—Congratulations! What a blessing—a new little baby! :preggers: Brandy—Love the quote at the bottom of your postings—too funny! I gotta get me some lemons! After reading some of your more recent entries, I think I'm pretty happy that I am all alone because men seem to be such a source of misery! Sigh! I guess having my head stuck in a bunch of books hasn’t necessarily been the wrong way to go. All of you deserve SO much better! I want to smack each and every one of them upside the head and ask them if they are just plain stupid or what. I guess they don’t know a good thing when they’ve got it! :huggie: I just got invited to a “destination wedding.” My nephew is getting married on St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands in April 2008. Anyone ever been there? I looked up the suggested hotels, but they are SO expensive! It looked like I would have to take three different flights to get there as well. It's not looking like I'll be able to go...RATS! I'll let you know how my dreaded weigh-in goes. I wish it was first thing in the morning after I pee so I'd weigh even less. Yes, I know I am insane! Hang in there everyone--don't forget to take care of yourselves! You can keep losing! Hang in there! I'd better head off to bed now. I can actually sleep in tomorrow--NO HOMEWORK!!! :whoo:

Hi Everyone! I’m so excited about not having class this week because I don’t have any homework! I actually have time to write before I go walk on the old treadmill. I managed to walk for an hour on Sunday night. I’m hoping I can do the same tonight…gotta speed up the old metabolism! :whoo: Beversman—so glad the scale has started moving again! :bounce: StephC—good to hear from you! It’s not so easy to be regimented and perfectly “good” all the time. We gotta just do the best we can! JillRn—I love it! I always weigh myself in the morning, naked, after peeing! At this point, I think I’d shave my head of hair off if it would help the scale keep moving down (ha, ha)! Nathalie—AWESOME job on your weight loss! Keep on keeping on! Elle—I’ve seen such a range of results (online and among other lapbanders I’ve met in person). It’s all in what you do. Some folks have failed miserably, but they didn’t do what they were told. Other folks have been able to really focus on eating right and exercising and the pounds have been melting away. Some folks chug along well for a while, hit a wall, then do better again. I was not deterred by percentages at all. It’s up to me whether the band is successful or not! By the way, I got my final exam and presentation back from the class I just finished in the mail today. I was worried that I did lousy because I spent the entire afternoon before the presentation throwing up and I had a fever that night. I didn’t think I stayed within the time limit and thought the professor was going to skewer me for it! :pray2: She had warned us at the beginning of the course that no one earned all the possible assignment points…ever…so my sights were set pretty low at the outset. As it turns out, she thought everything was great and I earned all of the points for every assignment in the class—that is SO nuts! All that time wasted worrying for nothing…sigh!:Banane49: I’m off to walk now--maybe posting more often will help keep my exercise on track???

BK—Great news! I’m so glad you got the new job! :clap2: Bannanie—Love your advice about posting 10 reasons why we want to lose weight (especially the part about sticking it in our faces so we can’t miss it)! J I think I’ll staple mine to my forehead and carry around a mirror! I am so proud of your weight loss so far! You have to remember that we are all in different places in our lives. In my case, for example, because of working and going to school I haven’t been able to cram in as much exercise or always record my food perfectly. Other folks are chasing little kids around and working or dealing with really hard times like divorces, sick spouses, etc.. It is wonderful that you have been able to have an unwavering focus on diet and exercise. Be proud of yourself and don’t feel bad about it! I find it helpful, not hurtful, to read about your strategies. We can all learn how to cope and succeed from one another. I think it gives me hope that I can emulate you as I inch closer to being done my degree (and my life regains some sanity). Beversman—Congrats on the new elliptical! That will be so convenient for you. I like having my treadmill in the house, too. Eliminates excuses for not exercising! Love your pictures—you look SO good!!! :wow2: Nathalie—You go girl! I’m so glad to hear that you will have a little bit of help with the kids so you can squeeze in some more exercise. That’s fantastic! I liked what you said about how easy it is to fall into old habits. I think the last really bad habit I have to conquer is stress eating. Most of the time I was doing okay following my meal plan. I noticed that everything really fell apart for me the two weeks before that big test I took—I was starving (mentally??), but the doctor told me my band was tight and hardly needed any fill. Has anyone found some good ways to deal with what I now call “psycho-hunger?” (I call it that because I feel like a psycho when I get that ravenous…) Sorry to hear about the work troubles—I recently felt like I was developing an ulcer because someone in the office screamed at me because she blamed me for getting chewed out by her boss and proceeded to get all “passive/aggressive” by giving me the cold shoulder and making really loud derogatory comments in front of everyone. It was unbearable—I’m hoping to be seated elsewhere when offices are shifted around this summer. Sometimes the issues lie with the other person and it doesn’t matter how good we are at what we do… My scale says 238 today, too! How about that?? J (Unfortunately, when translated into “doctor scale pounds” that means I’m still 245 (down 5 pounds from last fill...phew)! VABandster—You met a new guy? :omg: I can see I missed reading some posts! Good for you! I’m so sorry to hear about your wreck. I feel your pain. I had never been in any accidents until I moved to Virginia 5 years ago. I’ve already been hit twice, once by a family in a humongous SUV that backed into and destroyed my front end and once by an extremely drunk woman (at 5 PM on a weekday, no less!) who had apparently blown through several stoplights before taking out the rear end of my car. My son and I were so lucky I spotted her and sped up—we could have been killed! The only silver lining in all this would be if you really hated your car or it was old… Wait a minute VA Bandster…the new guy is toast? Beversman’s dude is off the radar and another one is on the horizon? I’m SO confused--I can't keep up! I don’t even know where everyone is finding these available men…maybe I need to get out of the education field? :faint: Hang in there everyone--we CAN do this!!!!!

Hi Everyone! I survived my horrid school administrator's exam last Saturday. I sure hope I did well enough so I don't have to do that ever again--3 two-hour blocks of solid writing (and a real bargain with its $500 price tag--NOT)! One more awful test to go on July 14th--another 6-hour writing marathon. This one is worse because I have to memorize all kinds of people and laws. If I don't screw up, I'll be done school at the end of August. I can't wait to be out from under this constant stress--I'm getting too old for this crap! I wanted to tell everyone how much better I feel now that I've read that some of you are having some struggles too. I'm glad that I'm not alone. I haven't been able to go to any of my local support group meetings because I've been in school every Thursday night for months (which is when the meetings are held of course). I started off SO well that I'm really ticked off at myself for letting my weight loss practically come to a dead stop! I just couldn't keep everything going at once. I didn't want to go for my fill this week because I knew that I hardly lost anything. I am SO grateful that I haven't gained any weight though. I guess that things could be worse! Although I haven't suffered any great tragedies or anything, life has just gotten totally out of control. I haven't had time to exercise or to plan out and prepare my food. ARGH! I can't say I'm doing poorly because of the band (it's staying tight) or because I'm drinking alcohol or eating whole cheesecakes or bonbons. It just boils down to not having the time to plan and pay attention to my eating plan. I've got to fix that now! So, because I got mad about the time I've wasted, I kicked myself in the butt. I pulled out all the paperwork from when I had my surgery and reread everything. I started my food log back up and broke out the old measuring cups. I have to go shopping tomorrow to make sure I actually have something decent to eat in the house (too tired to shop last weekend). I'm going to walk on the treadmill when I'm done writing this. If I'm really anal, maybe I'll catch up with where I should be with my weight loss. On the positive side, I bought a bathing suit 2 sizes smaller than the one I wore last summer. I'm trying not to beat myself up too much because I at least have kept off the weight I've lost so far, which is a little something to build on! I guess the bottom line is that we have got to hold it together so we can get to our goal weight! Hang in there, we can do this!

Hi Everyone! I'm enjoying my one and only weekend with NO homework so I decided to see what everyone was up to! bkwalling—Man, it sounds like you’ve been having a miserable time lately! I’m so glad your interview went well! I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you! As for me, the boss told me yesterday that my interview (for the job I’m already doing) went “very well” but they aren’t hiring anyone at this time because no one was “qualified.” Yes, that pretty much means that I’m chopped liver. Kind of like a mistress--good enough to fool around with but not good enough to marry. On a more positive note, the boss asked me to continue in the acting supervisory position through the summer. I’ll be done my administration degree by August, so hopefully I’ll be “good enough” for them by then… :faint: BooBooKitty—I think we ALL deserve more pay because we rock! StephC—Remember that some days are going to be better than others. Just get back on track and don’t beat yourself up too much! You are just about halfway through your weight loss—hang in there! :clap2: VABandster—Awesome job getting into those size 18 shorts! I tried on two sets of PJs today that were XL. They fit, but the material was a bit thin, so I didn’t get them. I was floating on a cloud that I could actually squeeze my keester into an outfit in the "regular" section of the store! Jill—You made it to onederland! I’m SO excited for you!! :wow2: beversman—What I wouldn’t do to go on a road trip right now! I’m so sick of doing homework! Your weight loss is INCREDIBLE! I’m so proud of you—what an accomplishment! :first: Kaydotrn—Glad to have you back! I’ve been among the missing myself. I made it through my 3 classes at the same time nightmare of the last 8 weeks! My next class doesn't start until next Thursday, so I thought I’d write to everyone. At least I’ll only have one class at a time and my internship to get done from now until the end of August. Way to go by the way on losing 50 pounds already! I was banded the day after you, and have only lost around 35 (maybe a little more by now). I really need to exercise some more—now that I won’t have classes 2-4 nights a week I’ll be able to be more dedicated like you! I guess I should just be happy I haven’t GAINED any weight. I sure would have in the old days before the band! :hungry: Nathalie—I’m glad you’re doing better after your rough patch! You’re an inspiration! Good job standing up to your mother—not an easy task! VABandster—The VA Tech. tragedy hit us hard in Hampton Roads as well. One of my classmates is a teacher in Smithfield, the hometown of one of the girls who died. One of my professors is an assistant superintendent in Hampton, VA, where another girl who died used to live. Working in the school system has been nerve-wracking, too. My son (a high school freshman) stayed home from school on April 20th because of rumors of a Columbine-style shooting. We had an interview for him at an alternative school in the morning (traditional high school sucks) and I decided to keep him home just in case. All of us at central office got a procedure for handling phoned-in bomb threats. Not a warm and happy feeling! My big NSV is that I had to buy new underwear and bras today because I was swimming in my old ones! I know, I really like to live it up! Woo-hoo! The only downer is that my body is turning into a giant blob of flabby jello! Do any of you feel this way? I don’t know if all of my fat is just loosening up so it can melt off, but I jiggle more now than I did 40 pounds ago! I don’t think I’m going near a bathing suit this summer. I hope my skin tightens up or I’m definitely going to need a date with a plastic surgeon! Or maybe I should move to Mauritania??? :doh: I think I’ll check out that “thedailyplate.com” website. I haven’t had the time to track calories—maybe now is a good time to try that out. I'll do my best to check in more often. Keep up the good work everyone! It's amazing how much we've all accomplished already!

Hi Everyone! I have been SO overwhelmed that I haven't had time to write for a while! I only have two more weeks left of having three classes at the same time (plus the good old job, too, of course)! I think I can, I think I can! I'm interviewing for my job next Wednesday, too, like I needed more stress (I'm in an "acting" supervisor position and have been since last September, but I have to interview to be considered for the permanent position). I know, it's stupid. Once I finish this degree, I'll be "qualified" to do the job I've been doing. Go figure! At least I'm close enough to finishing my degree program to rate an interview... I've been pretty bummed out lately (SO overtired it's ridiculous!), so it made me very happy to read everyone's recent posts! Everyone seems to be doing well! Hooray! Brandi--You look mahvelous, darling! Loved the funny Easter pictures--gotta watch out for those killer rabbits! I had another fill today. It went very smoothly. I somehow managed to lose 7 pounds in the past 6 weeks which cheered me up a little bit. I'm just eternally grateful that I didn't go up! Usually when I get stressed out like this, it's all over. Thank goodness for the band! Brandi made me think that I haven't been taking any pictures of myself. I hate having my picture taken! Oh well, I'll probably regret that later! I did get rid of a bunch of clothes last weekend though--they looked like clown clothes! I'm so glad you all held it together through Easter! My son turned 15 the day after Easter, too...makes me feel REALLY old! I'm hoping I can write more often after April 30th--I'll only have one class at a time then which should be more bearable. Hang in there everyone!!!

Hi Everyone! I took the final in one of my two classes last night (the other class meets once a month through April)! Two hours of solid writing! I am so happy to be done with that class. Because of all of the papers to write and reading to do, I feel like I haven't moved in months! I start two more classes next week--I'm about halfway done my degree! After reading your posts I think I'm going to use my tax refund to buy a treadmill. Maybe I can do the reading for my classes while I’m on the treadmill?? Anyone have any advice on what type or brand of treadmill is best? My weight loss isn't too bad (30 pounds since December), but I'd like to speed things up a bit because I didn't lose much during February. Even if it didn't seem like I lost weight on the scale, I do fit into several outfits now that didn't fit in back in January and they are loose! I just had my second fill on March 1st! This was the first time the doctor used the x-ray machine. I felt like I was on an episode of House or something. I’m a science geek, so I thought it was pretty cool! I’m hoping the larger fill will help speed up my weight loss, too. I'm doing the two days of liquids, then two days of mushies thing right now. Again, I only had time to read some of your posts tonight. VA Bandster—Awesome job reaching your goal and for hitting your “sweet spot”! Beversman—Sorry to hear you’re “stuck!” One of my colleagues just had to have a biopsy done. Hers came back benign, so I’ll pray for the same outcome for you! Sassy—I’ve been feeling like an incredible lump lately. I think maybe I’m just overtired. I’m sure you’ll bounce back again soon! Hang in there! Nathalie—I’m green with envy! I want to be on vacation!!! StephC—I love your pics! You’re looking so good! :faint: It sounds like several of you have been struggling with big snowstorms. We still haven’t had any snow here in southern Virginia. It’s weird since I’m from New Hampshire. Sometimes we have a big storm in March or early April. We’ll see! Well, I’m hoping to actually have some fun this weekend—I’m so sick and tired of studying! Keep up the good work everyone! Thanks for being an inspiration!! :clap2:

Hi everyone! I'm finally checking in with everyone--school and work is just TOO much! I've also been fighting to get my son a decent education which is a rather sticky situation since I work at the central office of the same school district he's in! He started at a new high school on Monday and things seem to be going better so far! I had my first fill today in the doctor's office which was so easy it was ridiculous! The doctor put 2 more cc's into my band to make 4 cc's total. I'm back on liquids for today and soft foods for tomorrow. Last week I finally got hungry, but I did pretty well not eating the entire house! :hungry: I got to update my weight-loss ticker again today which was very exciting! I think I'm doing okay losing so far--I'm not sure what "normal" is! As long as I'm not gaining, I guess I'm a happy camper! :clap2: I wasn't able to read everyone's posts since the last time I logged in, but did catch Nathalie's hysterical one about the lunch date with the minister. I'm not sure what to think...maybe trying to corrupt the minister would be kind of fun??? I'm feeling VERY naughty today--hope I don't get struck dead by a bolt of lightning! :omg: Seriously, I hope you find a man who is more to your liking very soon! I hope all of you keep up the good work!!! I'm so proud of all of your accomplishments! I'll try to drop in again as soon as I can!

I'm very happy to report that I lost 16 pounds!

I was told not to drive for 5-7 days after surgery.

I have to say that I definitely think the procedure was worth it. I think if you follow the directions your doctor gives you, you will have good results. I've been sticking to my eating plan (meet Protein needs first then have other low sugar, low fat foods) and exercising in moderation and I am losing weight even if my band hasn't even been filled yet! I am not starving to death in the meantime either. I think that anyone who decides to get this surgery needs to decide how serious they are about following the eating plan you are given for the rest of your life. The "fad" diets aren't going to make a difference--I agree with Jack on that one. You need to learn to view food as fuel for your body--the healthier the fuel, the healthier you'll be!

From what I've read, there are lots of emotions running through people's minds as the surgery date moves closer! I'd have to agree with everyone that being nervous is perfectly normal! As for me, I was more excited than scared about the surgery. I was really looking forward to totally changing my life and I trusted my surgeon. I figured that the "life" I had been living wasn't so hot, so why feel bad about leaving it behind? Since the banding, I haven't looked back! I've been sticking to my eating plan like glue and I can tell I'm still losing weight even without my first fill. I'm not starving to death and I don't miss the foods I used to eat at all because I can tell I'm getting healthier. I can wear three outfits already that didn't fit me before Christmas! Just keep focusing on the prize and you'll be just fine!!!

I did not have any pain related to the actual lapband procedure at all. I took Tylenol for the first four days--never touched the Vicodin I got. The only pain I had was from the anesthesia--all of my muscles hurt all over my body until Day 4 post-surgery. This procedure was nothing compared to the 28 hours of labor I was in to deliver my son!

I'm kissing my boobs goodbye...

Hi all! I just wanted to let everyone know that you probably won't hear from me too often over the next two months or so! I think I'll try to catch up with everyone once a week or so. I went back to college at the end of August to earn my Education Specialist (Ed.S.) degree in administration and classes start up again on Tuesday! I'm taking two classes for the next 8 weeks on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The classes last for four hours from either 5 or 5:30 until 9 or 9:30 PM. It's so tiring after working all day, too! Those of you who are in school know exactly what I mean! After these two classes are done, I'll be halfway through my degree. I'm hoping to finish by the end of the summer. I'm hoping I can keep sticking to my eating plan like glue despite taking on all of the extra work again! It's a rigorous schedule, especially since I'm doing my job and my boss' job right now at work and I'm a single mom! I gotta have the degree if I want to keep my boss' job (and the higher paycheck)! What doesn't kill us makes us stronger, I guess... Since I've made a pact with myself to avoid the scale until my first fill appointment on January 31st, I thought I'd share a small NSV in the meantime! Last week, I was able to wear three outfits that did not fit me before Christmas! :clap2: I'm sending positive vibes your way--hang in there everyone and keep your focus on eating healthy and moving around!

Since not eating carbs, I've noticed that my vision doesn't get blurry any more! Also, I'm not hungry all the time any more either and I haven't even had a fill yet!

Just a quick comment on food journals. Since I'm still in the mushies stage, I'm tracking only Protein (60 g/day) and Water intake (64 oz. or more per day). I don't eat and drink at the same time anymore. After eating 15 g of protein at each of four meals, I have a small amount of mashed up veggies or fruits. I have had maybe two tablespoons of mashed potatoes at a few meals since the surgery. I have not added in any other carbs yet. I have not been counting calories. There are so few calories there's no point in counting them! The four high-protein meals per day have been working very well so far--I haven't been getting hungry between meals, so I haven't needed any snacks!