Search the Community

I am exactly 10 months post op and I think I am stuck. It has been a couple of weeks and nothing. I know, many people go through that but I really haven't experienced it. I have always been continuous. I think this might be the end of the significant weight loss and now just the journey through the toning and shaping up. Oh well, I am happy. I have included some post op and now photos. Enjoy.

:typing: Hello!!!! Well I am starting to feel more better every day. I went to go see the wound specialist yesterday and everything was looking good. She said I should be healed up in no time!!!! I cant wait, now I can get my new band! Well the insurence is putting up a fight again :Banane09: So I am having my hubby call and get things done over the phone today. I hope everything works out. Last time (my 1st surgery) my husband had to call them too but once he did i was approved the next day. I hope we are that lucky today. I want my new band so bad and I really want to lose weight. I am still trying to get down a few pounds. Well I think everything will work out really well this time!

395 gained a pound. I won't go through the excuses again because I feel good about what I have accomplished so far. I guess I can't expect to lose 4 pounds every week:confused: Anyhow I will step it up this week so I can see those 5 pounds gone so I can see....WHAT......389. I will we try to get in 2 days of 5 miles and 3 days a week of floor exercise.:paranoid

394--- and tomorrow is going to be 390 then 389--385---380---379---375 I just like looking at that number. My birthdayand bandiversary goal 375. At last weight in I was 19 pounds away. :Banane09: 394, 393, 392, 391, 390, 389....... {375 July 4/8} So far 35 miles of walking this month. MAY I'm EXCITED...I am just so pleased at what I have accomplished. 459- 394 WOW I'm below 400, I am so happy, I can walk for 3 miles and not die, I can say no to food. I feel like I can do so much more now. I use to sit and think about exercising and now if somone says let's walk.....:bolt: I would be gone....to sit somewhere else. I feel energized and I want everyone else to feel the same way.

i thought to post a before-after pic of me here in main (so later will dissapear under tons of posts ) in the left im in the beggining of this journey 10 months before (July 2005) and right at a recent one. no so dramatic difference cause im not exercising much.. but i do my best. i hope this photo will give power and encourage people on lapbandtalk.com.. (my english still and always suxxs :cry :think )

Well, I am almost at goal. I have ten more pounds to go. It is inconceivable to me that I lost 96 lbs. in 6 months. I feel incredibly healthy and so alive and energetic. I see my doctor next Weds. and I don't know what kind of questions to ask him. I have never had a fill and I am terrified for the ability to maintain. This is always where my downfall has been. At least the good thing is that I know I can run to him if I start gaining weight back and get an adjustment, is that what you call it? I didn't keep any of my clothes as reminders and I have only one picture of myself when I wasn't even at my top weight yet. I think that picture is when I was a size 18 and then I went to a size 22. I am now proud to say that I am in a stretch size 8 and a size 10 in non stretch clothing. I went to New Jersey over last weekend and I went on a shopping spree. It felt so good that I wanted to model in the fitting room. My sister was such a big help to me and I can't thank her enough. I can't believe I spent over a thousand dollars on clothes. To be able to wear ANYTHING now is SO rewarding. My stomach though is ABSOLUTELY GROSS. I wear biker shorts to keep it all tucked in. I am truly going to need alot of support when I get to goal at 145. I am terrified to gain an ounce and it won't be easy. I hope you all will be there for me. Josephine 251/155/145 Surgery: Novemeber 10, 2005 No Fills

I Have Been Reading Through This Sight For Days And Am So En Couraged.im Not So Good W/computers So Bear With Me Please.any Tips While On The Liqiuds?ive Lost 11lbs. ,but I Hope Ill Keep On Losing When I Start To Eat Regular Food Again.my Doctor Was Oliak In Oc ,cali. Thanx.

Wednesday 194!!! I am pretty excited, I am down 35 lbs in 5 and half months. More than I have ever lost before, I usually struggle for months to drop 20 and then discouraged or frustrated and give up. I have had a week here and there where I didnt lose ANY but it always catches up....I have averaged 6 lbs a month every month. I have yet to hit an actual plateau, but I am sure it will happen. I still need to get back to exercising.

Amiche96 is now banded "Angie" "Happy Band Day" :happybday2: :confused::happybday2::welcome2: :happybday2:

So I'm 10 days away from getting banded, and I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed. I know it's the right decision for me, but i'm just going through the motions I think. I worry that even this wont work for me, that I will faill this as i've failed so many diets before. I worry about the situations I will be in (dinner with friends, dates, etc) where I'll have to come up for a reason for not drinking during dinner, reasons for eating such small amounts. I know these things are small and in the big scope of things they are really just small sacrifices, but i'm just being honest, these are the things keeping me up at night.

So I'm 10 days away from getting banded, and I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed. I know it's the right decision for me, but i'm just going through the motions I think. I worry that even this wont work for me, that I will faill this as i've failed so many diets before. I worry about the situations I will be in (dinner with friends, dates, etc) where I'll have to come up for a reason for not drinking during dinner, reasons for eating such small amounts. I know these things are small and in the big scope of things they are really just small sacrifices, but i'm just being honest, these are the things keeping me up at night tonight. Anyway, thanks for letting me vent.

Howdy all. Alrighty, I have some questions....despite doing a ton of research and reading soooooooooooo many posts on here (& also searching on here) these are the ones that I still don't feel I have the "answers" to....help plse!! 1. This "restriction" thing...yes, I logically know what it is but how do you "feel" it? Is it just the "oh, I'm sooo full" feeling or do you know that you are "restricted" when you have one of those god awfully scary PBs/Golf balls I keep reading about. (y'all are givin' me night terrors!). 2. Once I am banded and way over my post-op stages and eating "normally"....is the amount to eat for every meal always around 1/2 to 1 cup (ie. for everything total at that meal?). Can someone plse confirm...is that the goal...not to eat more than 1 cup (amount wise) at one meal sitting? 3. I know you get anti-nausea meds to prevent vomiting after the surgery ...but despite that, did anyone still vomit? I'm so paranoid because the last time (yrs ago) I had anasth. I woke up vomiting (not a pretty site, let me tell ya)...scared it will happen again and ruin what was done. 4. I know y'all talk about how many 'ccs you have etc...and I do know what that refers to...but I didn't know there were diff. sizes of bands...(as to how many cc's they hold)....what if you get a band that isn't even BIG enough to have the right amount of ccs in it for your restriction? Is that possible? 5. Last one (for now!)...water....I know we have to drink LOTS of it; especially post op....but when we drink it, is it supposed to be in continuous small sippys or can I drink Water (liquids) normally (like I do now)...omigawd, I just thought of something...will I get one of those PB things from just drinking water? Tks for your patience....I hope to one day be dishing out advise to other newbies.... :help:

Workout: I did 40 minutes on Arc Trainer, elliptical, & treadmill in the AM Food: B: Metagenics shake (w 1 scoop metagenics & 1/2 scoop Unjury) - 125 calories, 17g protein L: Chicken florentine (Lean Cuisine) - 18g protein, 200 calories S: 1 dark chocolate caramel bar & almond caramel sample from Sees (2g protein, 275 calories) Totals (so far): 600 calories, 37g protein Water: I've had 5 cups so far Scale: Gym scale said 255

:update: Well, I found out yesterday that my results from my Upper GI was A-OK , and I am scheduled for surgery May 10th :clap2:. I am so excited, this is going to be the best birthday present ever (May 16th). I look forward to starting a whole new chapter in my life!

Today was better at work. I ate pretty good. I tried to drink all of my water but I have such a hard time with that. People keep sayinf that I look like I am still losing weight but I think that it I am losing inches instead of pounds. I am going to try to keep losing and in April I will call Stanish's office and schedule another fill. It would be better to face him at a standstill instead of gaining a bunch of weight. You cares what he thinks anyway he is only in it for $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$. I saw Dr. Wiess about three weeks ago and he said that he hardly recognized me. That made me feel so great. I have to remember how that maked me feel when people coplement me and think of that when I want to eat crap.

Have you been trying to lose body fat, but find it comes off at a snail's pace? If you’re working out with efficiency and maintaining a slight caloric deficit, you can actually lose up to 1.5 pounds per week. However, even if you haven’t been consistent, I have some metabolism-boosting tips that should help ignite some good, steady fat loss. 1. Increase your meal frequency: Eat more often but don’t increase total calories. For example, break three meals into five to six smaller meals and eat every three hours. food can actually help burn body fat when used strategically. Breaking meals into smaller feedings helps to control blood sugar and puts you in a better position to lose fat. 2. Break up your workout: Many people are pressed for time and the thought of exercise becomes another stress in their lives. However, research has proven that two short bouts of exercise per day will actually stimulate the metabolism more than one longer bout. Go for two brisk 15 minute walks per day, five days per week, and you’ll see progress at the end of 30 days. 3. Eat breakfast: If you sleep through the night and then deprive the body of food in the morning, the body is sensing a potential famine and holds onto stored body fat to keep you alive. Remember, calories from food represent heat. Use the heat to rev your metabolism. 4. Cycle calories: For three days, consume your minimum calorie requirement based on your height, weight and goals. Then, on day four, increase your calories by an additional 400 (nutritious foods only). This technique can actually get the metabolism racing and stimulate additional fat loss. 5. drinks lots of water: If you limit your Water intake, the body will retain water; the body only needs to be dehydrated by approximately 2 percent for this to take place. Drink 0.55 multiplied by your body weight in ounces of water per day. 6. Exercise in the morning: If you can fit it into your schedule, exercise in the morning. People who exercise consistently in the morning find that exercise at this time regulates their appetite all day long. They don’t get as hungry and they start the day with a boost to the metabolism.. 7. Perform cardio interval training: Cardio interval training is simply short bursts of high-intensity exercise combined with more moderate intensity within the same workout. Studies have shown that people who perform interval training twice a week (in addition to two other days of lower intensity cardio) lose twice as much weight as those who do just a moderate cardio workout. You can easily incorporate interval training into your workout by inserting a 45 second burst into your stationary bike workout every four to five minutes. 8. Boost your metabolism by reading instead of watching TV: Researchers at Memphis State University monitored 32 girls as they watched a half-hour television program. They found the metabolic rates dropped as much as 16 percent below resting metabolic rate. They burned fewer calories watching TV than they did just by reading! 9. Drink green tea: Green tea is a popular tea from Japan that has numerous health benefits, including weight loss. It’s not 100 percent certain how green tea helps one to lose fat, but it appears to increase the amount of calories the body burns—not necessarily because of the small amounts of caffeine it contains, but due to a compound abbreviated as EGCG. When purchasing green tea make sure the label states that the green tea used is standardized for caffeine and EGCG. 10. Practice hydrotherapy: First thing in the morning, drink 32 ounces of very cold water on an empty stomach. Don’t eat Breakfast for at least 30 minutes. The cold water will force your body to raise its core temperature, thereby stimulating your metabolism and excreting any excess water. You may find that you lose two pounds the first month you try this. If you want to take it a step further, do the same thing at lunch.

Today I went o the surgeon's office to pick up some documents and show him my blisters fromthe bandaids. No Biggie. I weighed in at 204 pounds.

This thread is for discussion purposes only... just curiousity. So... I'm sure everyone here knows the rules but as another thread pointed out some people seem to be less knowlegeable on them. I am very curious on how strict you follow the rules and your opinion of how you think they work. 1. Eat only three small meals a day 2. Eat slowly and chew thoroughly 3. Stop eathing as soon as you feel full 4. Do not drink while you are eating 5. Do not eat between meals 6. Eat only good quality foods 7. Avoid fibrous foods 8. Drink enough fluids during the day 9. Drink only low-calorie liquids 10.Exercise at least 30 mintues a day My issues.... 1. I eat more like 5 really small meal-If not I get low suger crazy. 2. Eating slowly and chewing is teaching me to savor what I can eat. 3. Need to learn this still - I usually go from hungrey to in pain. 4. Learning not to drink is hard but I think I got it. 5. Eating between meals - it's hard not too. 6. Quality Foods - well I hate most quality food so this is a challange too. 7. Avoid fibrous foods - not a problem 8. Drink enough - this is hard since I used to only drink with meals 9. Low-Calorie liquids - I'm doing ok on this exept I like latte's too much 10.Exercise at least 30 mintues - I'm getting this about 4 x Week.

I am getting banded in Monterrey next Friday by Dr. Garza. Has anyone been to see this Dr.? He sounds like he is well quailified with 2500 bandings done. What can I expect for recovery and for how long?:clap2:

Weigh in day and another 2 pounds gone. Current weight is 268.5. Also managed to do .95 miles on the treadmill and I am completely POOPED.

WALKED 50MINS LAST NITE 1.550 MILES, & 290 CALS BURNT, ATE 575 CALS. I HAVE TO BE DISCIPLINED W MY EATING... EGG WHITES, COTTAGE CHEESE, & FISH ONLY! I MUST WORK WITH THE BAND IT'S A TOOL LIKE THE VACCUM CLEANER, YOU GOTTA USE IT. NOW I MUST MEASURE EVERYTHING THAT I EAT. MY LEGS GOT SLIMMER...MY TROUSERS ARE VERY LOOSE. WENT TO TARGET & BOUGHT REAL MISSES SIZE 18 PANTS IN BLACK & BROWN THE BLACK FIT BEAUTIFULLY...I LOOK THINNER!

Well, I decided to start this journal to try and keep track of how often my head demons seem to overcome me. Maybe, I can figure out how to ward them off better. It all started this week, after Valentine's day. My husband bought me a bag of chocolates (which is something I asked for for Valentine's day:confused: ). Since then, I have had no self control. I decided that I needed to go through withdrawal, and then my control would come back. I was doing very well, until last night. Yesterday, I went to my nephew's b-day party and managed to do quite well resisting everything there, such as pizza, nachos, and cake. Then they sent us home with a party favor bag for my son. In it, it had a couple of debbie's brownies (my absolute favorite). I ate half of one and tried to pig out. The problem is, that once I decide to pig out, it becomes a very hard task. It's like, I then decide to plan my pig out, but can't seem to get in everything I want. So I go crazy. This is what I ate last night: gold fish (100) bbq chips (15) cracker-1 cottage cheese-2tbs meatloaf veggies-2tbs chocolate chip cookies-6minibites brownie-1/2 I know, that after reviewing all of this, it doesn't look like a lot. I keep reviewing it to see if there is anything I missed because I felt stuffed last night. This morning, I feel terrible. The problem is that I am an "all or nothing" type of person. Either I have full control, or I have none. I feel so gross and bloated. I also worry about my band and the damage I do to it by not following the rules. O.K. I think I know what the problem is. The problem is, that I drink too much. I have 2 mixed drinks every night. This takes away all of my self control. I know I have a problem, because I can't go a whole night without drinking. I know I need to stop, or at least decrease, my drinking. I just think I am too analytical, and when I am sober, I tend to think about things too much. I used to be a pothead, and think that this is why. Since being banded, I realized that I had to choose: the band or weed. And I chose the band. I haven't smoked weed in over 3 months. O.K. I was a functional pothead and am a functional alcoholic. I still go to work and do really well all day long, until about 7pm, when it is time to relax. I do use alcohol to relax. I admit it. Weight-loss wise, I have done really well. I have lost 63 pounds in less than a year. I know that if I didn't have weed or alcohol in my life, I could have lost more. My goal is to be down to 145, or 135, by my one year anniversary. So once I gave up weed, I knew that sooner or later, I would have to give up alcohol, as well. I think, no I KNOW, that it's time. I just don't know. Starting tomorrow, I'm going to try. I hope I have the strength...

Sunday Went over to Mario and MaryLou's last night and I drank 4 glasses of Merlot. I feel completely like shit this morning. I have the worst hangover ever. I took an Actos and had a bowl of potato soup. My blood sugar is probably going to be screwed all day now. I am out of test strips and need to go to Walgreens and spend freaking $50 and get some. I must have been majorly dehydrated this morning, scale said 204 lbs. It will be back at 207 tomorrow, I need to STOP weighing everyday, lol.

Just a quick note in my journal before I hit the hay. I have been a very bad person lately with regards to my eating habits. I have eaten all the wrong foods. Since I am disbanded I can eat ANYTHING I want now. And man am I testing that theory. Travelling doesn't help that much. I was in Tucson for about 10 days for a bead show. THen was home for all of 3 days then headed to Nashville, TN / Princeton, KY to visit family. I have been eating fast food and junk mostly on this trip. I am heading home on Thursday the 23rd. Hopefully once I get home I can get back on track with the diet and exercise and set up a routine. I am still waiting to hear back from Biggest Loser. I think if I don't hear from them by the end of the month then I didn't get picked. Oh well at least I tried. I am planning on working out the Jewelry Party protocol when I get home. I wanna start making some money with this biz I started. PeMerri Designs is a baby right now but something I am pretty proud of so far. www.pemerridesigns.com will begin to grow soon and who knows I might need some assistants. LOL!! It could happen. I have to research some good marketing strategies. Enough for tonight!

I still feel like crap. Missing food but can't eat anyway. Having trouble drinking sips of clear liquids. Drinking powerade, broth, jello and ice pops. I still feel pain in my stomach, hate chewing the pain pills...uh liquid is avail. why did they give me pills. Will ask Dr on Tuesday. Eric trying to help out but at night when he drinks he says stupid ass things. Called me a douchbag, baby, asshole, bitch...wow this is really helpful in my healing process. Todayhe put some clothes away...not mine only his. At least he is trying to keep house clean, complaining all the way but trying. Will take Nicholas out to Taco Bell for lunch I think so will be quiet a few minutes (I Hope).