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Know how you feel! I woke up this morning with Bags the size of suitcases under my eyes! But spent the weekend in Vegas and had fun - ate small amounts but did drink a little. I know that and the FRIED chicken tenders probably had something to do with my 3 pound weight gain! Anyway - it's Monday now and time to be good and drink more WATER!!!! Hey - at least I won a little money and found that I can stay up till 3AM without turning into a pumpkin!

Dr John Gray who is the author of 'Men are from Mars...' has a whole diet and excercise section on his website. He also has a book about it which is really interesting. There were a few snippets i was reading earlier which i though might be helpful to you guys so here goes... "Repetitive, easy exercises stimulate fat burning, while most common forms of exercise stimulate sugar burning. When you finish an hour of exercise and you are not tired or out of breath and you could easily repeat the whole routine, you are in the fat-burning zone. If you are tired, you were burning sugar. If, after 20 minutes of exercise, you were to suddenly stop and needed to "catch your breath," you were in the sugar-burning zone - not the more desirable fat-burning zone. By burning sugar, you get instant energy, but it eventually leaves you tired. It also makes your body more acidic rather than alkaline. The body is designed to burn fat for energy while the brain is designed to burn sugar. When muscles use up that sugar, less is available for the brain. The muscles are designed to burn fat but they have a back up system to burn sugar in emergencies, though it is unhealthy to do this often. Weight gain, low energy, anxiety, restlessness or the desire for sugar are signs that your body is burning sugar instead of fat. The purpose of exercise should not be to get the heartbeat up into the cardiac zone. The key for most people, and particularly if they are overweight or they are out of shape is to get just below this zone. Burning calories through exercise is only a small part of losing weight. The secret of effective exercise is to stimulate the metabolism to burn fat all day - while you are sitting at your desk or even while driving your car. When your exercise is fat-burning you tend to continue to burn fat for the rest of the day. When you push your heartbeat into the cardio zone, you train your body to burn sugar and not fat. In many cases, conventional exercise is counter-productive. When we engage in sugar-burning exercise, the result is increased acid in the body. These acids from diet and exercise choices are then stored in the fat cells in our guts to protect our organs. Ultimately, no amount of exercise will get rid of this fat. A variation of this exercise exists in almost every ancient indigenous culture. It is a simple bouncing movement. It is like standing up and using a jump rope without the rope and without lifting your feet or heels off the ground. This gentle up and down movement stimulates the lymphatic system. When done with rhythmic breathing, the increased oxygen helps to neutralize the acids as they are released from cells. As the body becomes less toxic, the fat cells automatically begin releasing fatty acids into the blood stream to be neutralized and released. Besides balancing hormones by stimulating the glands, brain boosting by increasing the flow of cerebral spinal Fluid, and stimulating the lymphatic system through 15 different bounce and shake movements, the Isoflex exercises also include seven power moves that will tone and gradually increase muscle mass. To build muscle mass faster, try the slow burn method. You only need to work out about 20 minutes a week at the gym and then let your muscles rest for the rest of the week. Meanwhile every day do about 45 minutes of the Isoflex movements and you will be rewarded with better relationships, increased energy, unconditional happiness and lasting romantic feelings.

Hello November 07 Bandsters, Apologies for being neglectful over the past while; time I updated you on my progress and issues. Weight Loss Plateau. After a fill in early February I enjoyed a few kg of weight loss, but then a long plateau with no loss. Noted I was eating and drinking slightly more; but nothing like the old pre-band Phil. Anyway a weight gain of 1 or 2 kg spurred me on to get another fill on Saturday 26 April. Loss of Restriction. While I was in for the fill, my doctor and I were discussing why we loose restriction after a fill. You know, feeling tight with great weight loss for one or two weeks then gradually the restriction lessens. Anyway we wondered if the band wasn’t holding the saline solution and if it was leaking out. To test this he syringed out the 5 cc already added to check it was still there and confirmed it was, at the same time he added 2 cc. Over Filled Experience. Interestingly the 2 cc on Saturday made me so tight that even a mouthful of Water made me sick. As soon as I left his office, while I was paying the account, I vomited up the test water (we don’t do fluro, just drink water to test the restriction). But I thought things would settle down and wasn’t too worried. Mind you I was uncomfortable. But by Monday afternoon I was feeling no different and was worried about dehydration, so I came in for an un-fill. Straight away I was able to drink water with no issues. The difference was immediate and quite dramatic. Since then I am still on liquids, but will try some well chewed solids this evening or tomorrow. Even with 1 cc extra (total 6 cc rather than 7cc) I feel tight; so I am expecting some good weight loss over the next few weeks. So we know the band is working, small adjustments are effective and it certainly holds pressure. Over All Weight Loss. I’m down 21.8 kg (48 lbs) so far and wearing size 97 cm (38”) trousers and shorts. Was able to buy some inexpensive sport shorts from a supermarket on the weekend. The old Phil used to struggle to find clothes to fit and they were premium price. I’ve been dumping old shirts and trousers and happily buying new smaller ones; what a nice problem. All the best with your own weight loss journey. QatarPhil.

If you use it as a meal replacement, it wont cause weight gain, but its a pretty hefty snack, as is a Protein bar. Well the ones you can get in Australia anyway are. The atkins prepacked ones are a couple of hundred calories each and many Protein Bars are over 300 calories, which by my way of thinking is way too much for a snack. That would cause weight loss to slow down. But as a meal replacement, if it satisfies you (it wouldnt me), sure. Personally, I think they're lacking in green stuff, I'd prefer to include fruit and veg but each to their own.

Suz, glad you found something appetizing for dinner, and it is crazy how you eat something and get really thirsty afterwards but can't drink. Is your throat dry at night because you're sleeping with your mouth open? If I don't sleep with my machine my throat hurts because I've somehow, don't know how, but trained myself to sleep with my mouth shut when I'm wearing my mask. It sits right above my upper lip so I kind of force down my mouth when I sleep. I don't use the heater but I do have a humidifier on mine. PCOS is polycystic ovarian syndrome and there are many signs that women have who have it and it can affect your weight and a lot other issues. A lot of women who have fertility issues are found to have it. I'm no doctor and that wasn't my issue but I can list some signs: Infrequent periods or messed up cycle Infertility from not ovulating Increased hair growth, can be on many parts of the body Ovarian cysts Acne, oily skin, dandruff, dry skin Weight gain especially around the waist Insulin resistant or type II diabetes High cholesterol/blood pressure Male pattern baldness or hair thinning Dark skin Patches on neck, arms, breasts or thighs Skin tags arm pits and neck area Pelvic pain Anxiety or depression due to appearance and/or infertility Sleep Apnea Does any of this sound familiar? I have most of these and that's why my primary thought I had pcos. There is a thread for PCOS here near the diabetes one. I'd search it on the web and find a site that explains it to you better. I guess from what they say there's no cure it's just managed. But anyway like Telecia said sleep apnea can cause heart attacks and it can be dangerous if it's not treated and whether or not the insomnia is related to your apnea isn't clear but if you could kill two birds with one stone wouldn't it be worth it? Anyway let me know what you think, Nancy.

Hey Everyone, I have a question for those of you using Protein powder as a Meal Replacement for 1 meal a day. I am getting my first adjustment in two years tommorrow and i know i wont be able to eat Breakfast because my band gets very tight in the mornings. I have been looking through the many posts regarding Protein Powder and their is so much debate about wether or not it helps lose weight or causes weight gain when you use it as a meal replacement for 1 meal a day. So i was hoping that any of you who USE protein powder on a daily basis can share your experience with me as to wether it helps or hinders you, i would also like to know if you find it filling? Thankyou in advance for anyone who can help me, im so confused and really dont want to use weight loss Meal Replacements. Bel:thumbup:

I am so sorry to hear about the troubles you are having. I know that a lot of medications for M.D. cause weight gain. Did they take that into consideration before you had surgery? Would there be any way you could try a different combo of medications that might not effect you in the same way? It must be so discouraging for you to have gained back that weight. Keep us all posted on how things go for you. I hope they can think of a solution for you.

Welcome Saqueen! and Congrats on your new band! How did you feel post - op and how long after were you able to start walking? I am looking forward to becoming more active, I used to walk about 4 mi. per day before my illness and weight gain. Also, I too have sleep apnea and can't tolerate the machine. I looked into other alternative treatments and none were acceptable to me, so I'm looking to the weightloss to resolve this issue (hopefully). Thanks for the 'good luck' and right back at 'cha! Any less pain with fibro is GREAT!

hi paul and cristi! alberta will cover the full cost but you have to meet certain criteria i.e. bmi with associated co-morbidities. i have the bmi but no co-morbid's so paying 16k out of pocket and going to toronto to have it done. the waiting list in edmonton is off the charts - probably 3-5 years to complete the process, over 1000 on waiting list currently. it is a whole "program" meaning you can't just get the surgery. in fact i believe they do everything to avoid having surgery - there are psych consults, dietician, among others. in a nut shell - a lot of hoops! i was told to go back to WW since i had lost 10 lbs with them - i almost snapped! anyway - cristi i have 4 kids, ages 6,4,2,2. yes it was the bogo event for us the last time around. did you say you had 4 as well. i wish i could blame the weight gain on pregancy but i never gained more than 10 lbs with any of them and in fact could not keep the weight on with the twins. i have no excuse, just laziness, bad genes, bad luck! so your surgery is in 2 weeks? what about you paul - can i ask what is holding you back? i know it is a big decision, to a lot of people it seems so extreme. for me it is a no brainer! i'm 36, i've been heavy my whole life, i've tried every diet under the sun. if i haven't taken been able to get it off by now... And i don't feel like i am taking the easy way out either. like we read over and over, it is a tool that needs to be worked, it doesn't work on its own. it's a lot easier to stick to a diet when you don't feel like you are starving to death! sorry so long....

The thing is, I was once a mildly overweight person with a BMI of 28 for years and years and years. I was miserable about my appearance, I coudlnt wear what I wanted, I was fat. Not as fat as I got, but I was still fat. I was always going to get fatter and that's precisely what I did once I started having babies. I think its a real shame that the very bare minimum is 30, but you have to draw the line somewhere and many people with a BMI of 28 ARE capable of losing the weight and keeping it off. Its down to personality types and the cause of weight gain. Arguably, when you've just had a baby six months ago, you're yet to normalise and resettle, and you've had big changes to your lifestyle that gradually can be overcome. But if you KNOW that you really have eating problems and its almost certain that you WILL become obese in the future, then a lapband would certainly be as beneficial for someone with a BMI of 28 as it would for someone with a BMI of 38. I always ate well, but I always ate too much. But if you've gained a lot during pregnancy and its taking a bit longer than you want for it to come off, but you basically eat normally then its probably too drastic a step. If you could find a surgeon that is, Australia generally is more liberal than the US but you couldnt get it done at that BMI here.

I heard the same thing from my sister (who is a size 4 and doesn't excercise or eat right). Everyone is different and weight gain and loss is different for everyone. It's hard to get over - but just chalk it up to "they don't walk in your shoes". Do what's right for you!

Congrats on the girl Juno! When are you due and do you have any kids already? Cyrena - pretty name by the way. I can only speak for myself in that my lapband surgeon ok'd me for a fill while I am 11 weeks pregnant because I have gained a lot of weight, being very loose since January. On the other hand, my OB says - get the fill if you want, but why risk a healthy pregnancy and malnurishing your baby. He said this "80% of Americans are obese, don't worry about the weight gain", so I'm not going to. I have the band as a tool to help me loose the weight after pregnancy. What do you want more? A small, cute pregnant body or a healthy baby? If money weren't an issue, would you follow the doc's orders & get the unfill if it were free? I don't get fills/unfills using fluro. My doc just feels for the port & sticks the needle in, then I drink water to make sure it can go down. No sweat. I will probaby get a complete unfill when I feel I need it, probably around 7 months. Read all of the posts on this thread, it might help you decide from other banders experiences. If you are truly having reflux though, you should probably get an unfill. Sometimes, I just need someone to make the call for me. Sounds like your doc and your hubby already have!

I just got the letter that my PCP sent to the surgeon's office (which was part of the fax to insurance). It said I had been on Jenny Craig (I've been on LA Weightloss for a year) it said I had knee problems I don't have, and said nothing of the pre-diabetic condition. It did include my sleep apnea and my weight loss and the weight gain. I've been with him since 2001 which he included, and he recommended the surgery. I"ve got CIGNA insurance. Should I just sit tight and see what the insurance comes back with, or should I call to correct the problems??? I need help with this one. Anyone out there had an experience like this?:confused2: molly

People often rely on smoothies and Protein drinks for the period after surgery when on liquids and mushies. Once you are on solid foods, most (actually I think all) of the literature supporting the Lap Band and most of the medical professionals associated with the band do NOT recommend the regular consumption of smoothies and Protein Drinks. This has nothing to do with the merits or healthiness of the drink. My understanding is that the meals you drink do not stay in your newly banded stomach pouch (they just slide on down), which can be a risk for weight gain as you may not feel full from a shake and may eat other solid food as well. In effect you can be doubling or tripling your calorie intake by drinking your calories, as well as eating, and now you have defeated the purpose of the band, which was to consume fewer calories. All the literature I have seen has recommended that the only "food" of caloric value that you should be drinking is milk. The other purpose of the band is to "retrain" your eating patterns into eating habits that you can maintain for the rest of your life (portion control). To my mind that means eating real food (including the harder to eat meat and vegetables) that you will always be eating for ever. Being banded shouldn't be about enduring or tolerating a diet for the time it takes you to lose weight, but a complete readjustment to lifestyle. Do you plan on getting much of your nutrition from shakes and smoothies for the rest of your life? If not, you probably don't want to get into the habit of relying on them. Think about how Jenny Craig and other diets get you to eat their food. They work great as long as you eat their food, but you haven't actually made changes in your life to accommodate, so many (if not most) people put on the weight again once they start eating "regular" food, because they haven't learned to control portions and fat and calories themselves. Just my 2 cents :blushing:

Suz, I don't know if I read your second post earlier, sometimes my posting goes past the second ones. Anyway, you sound a lot like me except you had lost weight in the beginning. I know I already emailed after my surgeon appointment but I have a lot of those same issues as you. I stay up late and sleep late and am tired a lot. I crave sweets. I don't have any heart issues. Prior to my surgery they put me through many tests at the hospital and with follow ups with specialists if there was a prob. One thing they found was that I had a low oxygen level in my blood and went to the pulmonologist who then sent me for a sleep study and found I had sleep apnea and sleep problems can cause weight gain and make you crave sugar! I'm just bringing that up in case it could pertain to you too. I do sleep with a CPAP machine and because I had such issues sleeping and was tired all the time prior I adapted pretty well to the machine. One thing I could do well. At this point I don't think I could sleep without it, that sounds crazy. Also I had type 2 diabetes and an under active thyroid and one doctor said I had PCOS. I ended up being anemic a few years ago because my periods were so heavy. My obgyn told me to have a uterine ablation and so now they are light and I'm not anemic anymore but that really made me tired. I think I told you before that maybe your band wasn't tight enough but now I realize you're like me and can eat the high fat high sugar foods like cakes candies Cookies ice cream because it's hard to eat the other stuff. That's exactly why I had the fill taken out today, well I'm down to 2 ccs in a 10 cc band so that I don't have to just eat cereal or foods that go down easily. Anyway I hope I wasn't too rambly and let me know if this is what you think has been happening to you too. I know also that when I get up at 6:30 AM to let out the dogs and I've gone to bed at 3:00 AM that night I crave sugar and feel like I have to eat then. I'll go back to bed after I let them out. There are a lot of studies done with food and sleep deprivation etc... and there's some correlation. Something about needing energy. Anyway if any of this rings a bell with you let me know. I know dieting prior was difficult and having the band is supposed to help but I didn't know it would be this hard! Talk to you later brandyII.

Janine, I couldn't help but notice you haven't posted since this post. How are you doing now? I understand what you are saying about mourning the loss of the band. I have gone through that, too. I think it's normal, and I think it's OK..... as long as you give yourself a reasonable amount of time to mourn and then get back up and move on. You, and I-- and all of us-- have gone through too much to let this fail us. Look-- I don't think that there are many of us that go through this process thinking it's short term. We make a commitment to our band and we do our part. If it fails us, we feel cheated, and rightfully so. But in the end, we have to realize there are some things we have control over and some things we don't. The only thing we have control over at this point is how we handle the outcome of losing our bands. The 12 pound weight gain is not what you wanted, but is to be expected. Just don't let the 12 pounds continue to multiply. You are adjusting your eating patterns once again. You CAN do this and we will be right here with you!!! (((hugs)))

I had my kidney function checked and all is well there. The doc gave me a diuretic and I lost 7-pounds yesterday but I'm still retaining major amounts of Water. Everything is super puffy and swollen. Very strange... I don't think it is the band making me retain water per se. I think it is that when I got the unfill last Friday I was fairly well dehydrated and now that I'm maxing on the water my body is kinda freaking out and holding on to it. Of course when I said this to my doc he looked at me like I was a major loon. He may not be wrong though I could be a complete loon but it sounded good to me... Anyway the weight gain is very hard to take. I haven't gained weight since I got the band almost two-years ago. I expected to gain a bit (3-5 pounds) with an unfill but I did NOT expect to gain 23 pounds in 8 days. This diuretic had better keep working or I'm going to have a major breakdown... That is why I'm so upset about the slip. If I gain 23 pounds with a 2cc unfill what the heck will I gain with a total unfill? I talked to the doc about whether or not an unfill would reverse the slippage and he said maybe but once you slip it is much easier to slip again. He is a bit dumbfounded that I have no symptoms. Because of that he isn't in a big hurry to go in and fix it either which is fine with me but he also said he won't give me a fill until it is fixed. I'm danged if I do and danged if I don't I guess... Thanks for the reply BTW.

So I am waiting in the lobby of my surgeon's office yesterday for my 2 week post op appt. After a long, hard road, I finally got my Lap Band on April 10th. This attractive obese woman sitting next to me speaks up and warns me that the doctor is running approx. 45 minutes behind. We engage in small talk and when one of the staff members notice me and comments on my recent weight loss, she asks me when I had surgery. I tell her, and she was amazed that I was looking so "full of energy" so quickly. She is clearly obese, but tells she had the RNY surgery...6 years ago! (Not done by my surgeon, but another in a different town) It made me wonder what weight she may have started from. She is bundled up in a sweatshirt (it's 74 degrees) and I ask her if she's cold. She tells me she is just trying to hide her fat rolls. We laugh and I tell her she is in the safest place to not worry about that at the moment! She goes on to share with me that although she had orginally lost a significant amount of weight, she had started gaining. She said her weight gain was now out of control. She warned me..."whatever you do, make sure you change the way you eat!" "I could eat anything I wanted and still lost weight. I never learned to make any changes". I told her how the Band works, and how we must change our eating habits immediately after surgery. I told her that we still have absorbtion of all the calories and fat, etc. We are 'forced' to change our lifestyles as this is only a tool. She thought that was wonderful and wished that dietary changes had been stressed to her for long term success. She had come to see my surgeon to see if there was any further surgery that could be done to correct the stretched out pouch she'd created and hopefully get her back on track. I felt bad for her. I can't imagine going through all of this (or any other kind of WLS) only to gain it all back. How sad. She knew she was going to have to change her lifestyle. I have been struggling with hunger since surgery, but have so far found the will power and strength to resist eating too much, too often or the wrong food. I hope I am able to do this until my first fill or however many fills it takes to keep my Band working hard! I am so grateful that we are told up front that this is not easy. That we will have to work for it. That this is only a tool. I'm glad that I will get the satisfaction in the end of all this, knowing that I worked for the weight loss. That is didn't come easy. That I had to exercise and choose healthy foods. So meeting her, I realized that I don't want to see myself in a surgeon's office in 6 years warning someone else about watching what they eat and taking care of the gift we were given! So I just wanted to share and encourage everyone that we can do this! We were given this wonderful tool to help us get healthy, not just skinny. Let's make the best of it! Learn from the wonderful staff of doctors, nurses and dieticians! They are there to help us, and keep us accountable. And of course, we have eachother! Have a wonderful day and a great life! ~C

:sad:Hello everyone! I got on the scale this morning because I was feeling kind of bloated in the past few days. I have gained 4 pds! I know that "my monthly Friend" will be starting soon. Does this effect my weight loss? I think I usually do gain during that time however, I don't think that its going to start until later next week. So, I don't know if that IS it or not? I have never felt this bloated before! Should I be worried or is this normal? I have been able to eat more ( I am almost 4 weeks post op) and I haven't had a problem at all with any food...IS this normal? Should I feel some sort of restriction? OH boy am I kind of depressed about this weight gain! Can you guys help! Thank you

I've been having lots of issues with my weight loss the last two weeks....I've been using dailyplate, exercising, and limiting my carbs. I was only eating between 500 and 700 calories, realized was probably in starvation mode so I upped my calories to 1000-1100, started my period, had a 7 pound Water weight gain and now I've been drinking water like crazy trying to get rid of the extra weight fast. Well my period is over and so I decided to weigh myself last night. Before my period I was at -24...then I stepped on the scale...-31.5...I ran into the living room and excitedly told my dh. Then I thought...I will weigh myself again before putting my jammies on...I will probably weigh a pound less......... I pulled out the scale an stepped on it...My scale had lied...my digital scale that has NEVER read wrong...had....I was up 7 pounds still. How could this be?? I cried and cried...I thought everything was going well since my fill except for the low calories, which I had just changed days ago. Was my water weigh going to go away... I just don't understand! I certainly ton't want to go down to my second fill appointment with a weight gain on the 1st. So now I'm just disgusted and second guessing myself. The scale thing...I may have had it off center of where I usually have it, but I weighed myself twice and our home is only 5 years old so it would not be because the floor is uneven... Should I up my water intake again? Take water pills? Exercise moring and night? I'm just disgusted. I make great food choices and have been right on track with healtheir foods and such. This water weight gain is really bringing me down again. This is my second period since surgery and I lost the other water weight relatively fast after my period. I really need to get out of this Funk I'm in.... Any ideas.... I'll have my 2 month bandiversary on Friday!

Procedure might help my wife. We have been round and round and round with this nagging issue for about four years. She has been battling this issue for ten more! <!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shapetype id="_x0000_t75" coordsize="21600,21600" o:spt="75" o:preferrelative="t" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" filled="f" stroked="f"> <v:stroke joinstyle="miter"/> <v:formulas> <v:f eqn="if lineDrawn pixelLineWidth 0"/> <v:f eqn="sum @0 1 0"/> <v:f eqn="sum 0 0 @1"/> <v:f eqn="prod @2 1 2"/> <v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelWidth"/> <v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelHeight"/> <v:f eqn="sum @0 0 1"/> <v:f eqn="prod @6 1 2"/> <v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelWidth"/> <v:f eqn="sum @8 21600 0"/> <v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelHeight"/> <v:f eqn="sum @10 21600 0"/> </v:formulas> <v:path o:extrusionok="f" gradientshapeok="t" o:connecttype="rect"/> <o:lock v:ext="edit" aspectratio="t"/> </v:shapetype><v:shape id="_x0000_i1025" type="#_x0000_t75" alt="" style='width:12pt; height:12pt'> <v:imagedata src="file:///C:DOCUME~1ScottLOCALS~1Tempmsohtml101clip_image001.gif" o:href="http://www.lapbandtalk.com/images/smilies/default%20smilies/frown.gif"/> </v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]--> I have been very supportive and encouraging since the get go. To further aggravate the issue I am not a MD. And I assure you all that it’s not about the looks of it! It is much more than that. And this is a WE issue for sure. I know it bothers her to the core, makes her feel uncomfortable in her own skin and feels ashamed of the shape she is in. These are the facts of the case AFAIK: -Was an athlete in high school always height weight proportionate. Were 160 on a 5'6.5" frame -At age 19 gave birth to second child 14 years ago, had complications, and was bed ridden for a few months before giving birth. This is when the weight gain started. -Since then has been approximately 260- 280 lb till 4.5 years ago then dropped to 185 by not eating anything but lettuce and water for 6 months. (This is when I met her) -Then the climb was back on after I met her, back up to 285 ish. <!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shape id="_x0000_i1026" type="#_x0000_t75" alt="" style='width:15pt;height:15pt'> <v:imagedata src="file:///C:DOCUME~1ScottLOCALS~1Tempmsohtml101clip_image002.gif" o:href="http://www.lapbandtalk.com/images/smilies/modern/sad.gif"/> </v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--> -Last spring I gave her come to Jesus talk about her over all health and the weight was a part of it. And that I want her around for a long time and right now she may feel fine but it is not going to last (I know this I am older and not as bullet-proof either) <!--[endif]--> <!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shape id="_x0000_i1027" type="#_x0000_t75" alt="" style='width:28.8pt;height:15pt'> <v:imagedata src="file:///C:DOCUME~1ScottLOCALS~1Tempmsohtml101clip_image003.gif" o:href="http://www.lapbandtalk.com/images/smilies/modern/thumbup.gif"/> </v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]--> -I am a cyclist and moved to CO for the riding. I begged her to participate more on the bike with me. We started to commute to work 13 miles one way at least a few times a week and the weight loss was back on and dropped 50 pounds! (225) -All of her blood work has come back perfect and normal, BP is fine, and the only issue is excess weight. (And nagging ankle issues related to the weight). The doctors have said that she is a specimen of health! TOTALLY FRUSTRATING! -I have been watching her eating habits for some time now and what I am seeing is this. Eating sweets is her downfall, but not addict. Not eating for 5 or more hours is normal for her or worse yet not eating till 5 in the afternoon. I am not sure if this is as bad as I think? Or is it as simple as too much in and too little out? It can’t be good? And if she is not eating enough calories she should lose? Is she over eating?? I am so confused I can’t tell you! Am I over analyzing everything? All I like to do is help her FIX this once for all. No more failing! Will the dietician really be the fix? I like to know. We are seeing are PCP (internist) for this issue and he is on board for the band. And the Dr. is saying 1400 calories is where she should be on a daily basis. I am thinking this better said that done. Just getting the ducks in a row is going to be the hard part (I think). The question is what you guys and gals think?

my three children graduated from Commack High School. Wonderful school system. I know that the lap band has been the best thing in the world for both myself and my husband. After years of struggling with weight loss and weight gain etc. This has been a good journey. Some days are harder than others but we support each other and that certainly helps. good luck on your journey - contact me any time.

Procedure might help my wife. We have been round and round and round with this nagging issue for about four years. She has been battling this issue for ten more! I have been very supportive and encouraging since the get go. To further aggravate the issue I am not a MD:frown:. And I assure you all that it’s not about the looks of it! It is much more than that. And this is a WE issue for sure. I know it bothers her to the core, makes her feel uncomfortable in her own skin and feels ashamed of the shape she is in. These are the facts of the case AFAIK: -Was an athlete in high school always height weight proportionate. Were 160 on a 5'6.5" frame -At age 19 gave birth to second child 14 years ago, had complications, and was bed ridden for a few months before giving birth. This is when the weight gain started. -Since then has been approximately 260- 280 lb till 4.5 years ago then dropped to 185 by not eating anything but lettuce and water for 6 months. (This is when I met her) -Then the climb was back on after I met her, back up to 285 ish. -Last spring I gave her come to Jesus talk about her over all health and the weight was a part of it. And that I want her around for a long time and right now she may feel fine but it is not going to last (I know this I am older and not as bullet-proof either) -I am a cyclist and moved to CO for the riding. I begged her to participate more on the bike with me. AND SHE DID:thumbup:. We started to commute to work 13 miles one way at least a few times a week and the weight loss was back on and dropped 50 pounds! (225) -All of her blood work has come back perfect and normal, BP is fine, and the only issue is excess weight. (And nagging ankle issues related to the weight). The doctors have said that she is a specimen of health! TOTALLY FRUSTRATING! -I have been watching her eating habits for some time now and what I am seeing is this. Eating sweets is her downfall, but not addict. Not eating for 5 or more hours is normal for her or worse yet not eating till 5 in the afternoon. I am not sure if this is as bad as I think? Or is it as simple as too much in and too little out? It can’t be good? And if she is not eating enough calories she should lose? Is she over eating?? I am so confused I can’t tell you! Am I over analyzing everything? All I like to do is help her FIX this once for all. No more failing! Will the dietician really be the fix? I like to know. We are seeing are PCP (internist) for this issue and he is on board for the band. And the Dr. is saying 1400 calories is where she should be on a daily basis. I am thinking this better said that done. Just getting the ducks in a row is going to be the hard part (I think). The question is what you guys and gals think? Am I alone in this. there were about 35 folks that have at least glancing at my post. I am truly looking for feedback. Scottay

bbk - i just realized your having PS soon!! what are you having done / excited?? i myself going through a odd phase - but enjoying it! i think:rolleyes: i USE to be the small one (5'1 - 120lbs) among my friends, then gained 75lbs in 7yrs and basically stopped all social outtings. i was just disgusted w/how nothing fit properly - my thighs touching each other - and was constantly self conscious of what i was eating if i was having lunch w/the girls. i know my friends saw the weight gain & only my closest when alone would bring it up , and offer help to work out , etc. i choose the Lap Band, cause i needed help - diet & exercise weren't working, well they were - but if i had a halt in weightloss; i'd get frustrated & grab a bag of chips. i am very happy w/the results so far. 20lbs to go & have SO much fun going shopping in my guest closet for my cute clothes i outgrew over the yrs. i have from size 6-16, and it's been fun getting rid of the larger sizes each month. sat night DH and i had a wedding, where we hadn't seen friends since we were banded (hubby banded same day as me).....it WAS so awesome to be to told how good you look VS the "look" that represented (ooohhh you gained weight)... ....oh and the energy level...WAY up, i'm more active now than when in my 20's ps - North TX Resident as Well;