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Poll: How many have acid reflux problems?
"with the band" replied to NJChick's topic in General Weight Loss Surgery Discussions
Why is it some of us have reflux after banding and never had it before. Today I just read that some meds (Nexium and Prevacid) included cause weight gain.....what's up with all this???? I never had to take meds before but now have to take prevacid and eat tums all day long. -
I've also hit another pleateau, I had to have surgery to remove endometriosis, so I had to go on a medicine called Lupron which they give to cancer patients, there are so many side effects and one of them is weight gain. I have not gained any in the last couple of months, but I'm not losing any either. I can't handle another adjustment right now because I'm tight as it is. I feel like i'm fighting a losing battle here. I thought about stopping the medicine but then the endometriosis will come back I that has to be one of the most painful things that I've gone through. I could a feel but than not be able to eat. So what do I do?
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Hello all, Most of you know my story, but for those who don't. Last year I refinanced my house to pay off bills and have money to pay for my lapband. I was banded December 21, 2004. Was thrilled with it, but had a little trouble because I seemed to be too tight a lot of the time. Then caught a nasty stomach virus that had me throwing up violently and it shoved my band down around the middle of my stomach. Had to make a trip to my wonderful doctor in Mexico and he ended up having to remove it (port and all). He said if I wish to get rebanded I would have to wait about 6 months. Well...that was 3 months ago and I miss my band terribly. Anyway, I am planning to be rebanded hopefully at the end of January 2006. I've even taken out another loan and am stashing it away in preparation. Going more in debt scares me and I wonder if I'm doing the right thing. But then again...my band was the one thing I've done for myself ever. It gave me control, hope and I felt good about the direction I was going. Now, I find myself out of control (eating and weight gain) and feeling panicky. But I'm also afraid I'll have problems again although my plan is to take fills very cautiously and slow. Thoughts and suggestions anyone? Thank you!
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I am also an insulin resistant diabetic and I have heard from docs that you have to take in a lower amount of calories as well. I agree that you don't feel well when you are starving yourself like that, however, for me, exercise has made all of the difference. Even something as simple as an exercise bike, with no resistance and done for only 20 minutes a day, I notice that my blood sugars drop like crazy after about two weeks of the exercise regime. I can eat between 1000-1200 cals a day and lose weight, not quickly, but at the average 1-2 lbs a week. I am so convinced that exercise is the key to battling our insulin resistance. As a nurse I know that you understand how diabetes works and the whole insulin resistance issue. By exercising, you are creating more receptors on the cells accepting the insulin, thereby, lowering the blood sugar. Insulin and the oral meds also cause weight gain, so it stands to reason the more of that stuff we need to take, the harder it would be to lose as well. The band has helped me enormously with this. I have been able to lower my caloric intake and still take in enough nutrition as to not make myself sick. Only you will know if the band is the way for you to go, but it can't hurt, it will only help you with all of this. I hope this information is helpful to you. Keep us posted on your decision and PM me if you have any other questions you like to talk about. Cindy
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When it starts creeping up my butt, I know that's a sign of weight gain. Oh how I long for my young anorexic days when I had the willpower to say "NO" to food. I want that gaunt, gray, pale look again. You know, the one where skin sags and you have no color? I don't like being pink and fat. I want to be gray. I haven't been able to get back on track. Sexy underwear creeping up the butt isn't very sexy, and I don't want to go back to Granny Panties. Sipping my diet tea. Is anyone here marketing crack cocaine? Do you take credit cards?
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Vines, I ditto the answer above! I think if you have to go down to 800 to lose you should try to lose, but also bringing the exersize level up can help (grimmace - exersize sucks!!! ot at least I think it does). Anyways, most likely you will have no problems with your band and have it forever so you won't have to worry about weight gain if you ever had the band out. I just worry b/c I am only 26 and I haven't had kids yet so I would rather eat the 1200 calories now, lose weight slowly, have healthy babies, and then at that point I can weigh weigh loss v. metabolic slow down. Also, about the exersize - the basic thing to remeber is that if you burn more calories than you eat you will lose. Simple as that (unless you have a medical metabolic problem). So if you eat 1200 but move around enough to burn 1300 you'll lose, or eat 800 and move around enought to burn 900 you'll lose. I wasn't trying to scare anyone w/ the 1200 comment - I am just being proactive b/c unlike some people who think thier band will last forever, I have 60-70 years left in this lifetime (hopefully) and I don't see my band lasting that long -- I wish it would but I don't think it's realistic to expect it to (I know alot of people would argue with me on this but it's just my opinion). Anyways, I'm totally rambling on here, but the metabolic study Melissa suggested is an interesting idea. I would like to have that done too b/c my metablolism seems awfully slow! Anyways, good luck and even though you are a turtle I think you are doing great and I think your NSV list is really inspiring!!
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Shelly, I was not told to lose any specific amount and I had like 134 to lose to get to my goal. What you can do now is jumpstart your loss and be in better shape for surgery and after. I guess you can address this with him first. I got the impression that as long as I didn't gain (remember period Water weight gain) before ANY of my preop one on one's with him, I was in the clear. I knew my monthy was coming and it's always good for a whopping 5-7 pounds of water for a few days, and I didn't want THAT to be the cause I couldn't get surgery. LOL! I worked darn hard to put a "wider" gap between my highest wieght, and what I was at the moment. I lost 13 pounds of fat, goodbye forever before surgery...and surprisingly, I stopped snoring so my chances of having obstructive apnea became less of an issue. I was lighter on my feet, and had more energy, even at that small of a loss. Why not ride the wave of good feeling while it's high and mighty? Just the thought of having the procedure done to help me keep the weight off was super duper motivating. All of a sudden I had willpower I didn't know I had in me. My only concern was that I didn't have any co-morbids and dipping below my MO status would risk my ability to get surgery. I started at 48...and I knew that if I lost more than 35 before surgery approval, I would be risking it...as I wasn't sure which NUMBER the dang insurance company was using to guage my BMI status...the beginning, the middle or the pre-op. ((HUGS)) It's all unofficial, but nekkid weight today puts me at 90 pounds to lose instead of the 134 I started at the first of July. I am no longer morbidly obese...oh how I hated that title, it was do depressing!!! Linda
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I have been coming here almost daily since deciding to have surgery! It is addicting! I am scheduled for the 28th this month. Only 2 weeks away! I am so glad I found this place, it has reaffirmed my decision and made me sure that I am doing the right thing and going into it with reasonable expectations. Now for the formal introduction. I am 38 and teach six grade. I have been happily married for 13 years, and have 2 great stepsons and one grandbaby. I started this battle with my weight in my early 20s and was at around 150 when I got married. I woke up shocked one day about 5 years ago to find that I was weighing over 200 lbs. That was literally a moment of desperation and depression for me. In my mind, ONE HUNDRED-anything meant I was "struggling with some extra weight". Over 200, I realized I was losing the battle. A series of serious diet attempts ensued. I have done the 20 lbs off and 25 lbs back on thing so many times that now I am up to 230. It is truly time for me to make a change that will help me get to a healthier weight. I confess I am a girly-girl....love the hair, makeup, clothes, bling-bling etc... Sadly, I never feel like any of it even looks good any more. And the health related issues are starting. I found out in May this year that I am insulin resistant, and have borderline high blood pressure. The combination of Actos and Benicar have left me with edema in my ankles and the last 10lb weight gain, which was literally the straw that broke the camels back. I feel like I must do something to get a grip on this before I hit 240, or 250, or so on. I am really excited to be getting the lapband, and cant wait for this process to begin. I want to reclaim my health, my energy, my confidence, my looks, my vitality.....Oh heck, you guys know where I am coming from with all that, lol. I am self-pay and will be going to Monterrey. I am so happy that I found this forum to come to for support, encouragment, and reassurance... especially in those first weeks post-0p. You guys are the greatest! (hey, i just realized that in 2 weeks i will BE one you!!!) I look forward to sharing our experiences on the journey.
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Slow Losers and Real Restiction
CandySmooch replied to live2canoe's topic in LAP-BAND Surgery Forums
Damn that Ninja Turtle theme song........I'm terrible about if someone mentions a song or sings one around me it gets all in my head for the rest of the day.........thanks alot kimaliciosu!!!!! Now here's one for you....PUFF THE MAGIC DRAGON.....LIVED BY THE SEA......... I honestly can't say if my slow losing is because of adequate restriction - maybe I don't know what adequate restriction is??? I eat waaaaaaaaayyyyyyy less than pre-banding - which has me confused why I haven't lost more weight. I now eat 1/3 of what I did pre-band yet still only small weight loss. I think I've come to the conclusion that it isn't what I eat, but how I don't move much anymore. I need to get me a pedometer to motivate me just to move more. I look back and notice when I had a significant amount of weight gain was shortly after high school - that's because I was constantly on the move in high school and once I graduated I got a desk job - hellllloooooooooo fat assssss!!!!!! I'm only 6 years out of high school and weighed 230 and muscular/athletic in high school - before surgery I weighed 293 - so I gained 63lbs in six years........wow just had an epiphany here with you all.......damn I've gained 63lbs since high school only 6 short years ago and was gaining steadily and have no doubt I'd be in the 300lb club if it weren't for Bambi (my band). Somebody buy me a pedometer for Christmas!!!!!!! I can't find any around this area in stores. Waaaahhhh - actually I think I'm going to go ebay it.........do they make a pedometer in a wrist thing? I don't like wearing things on my waist. Mainly because when I sit my fat roll folds over my waist......gross....I'm so grossss..........LOL - BUT NOT FOREVER!!!!! -
hope all works for ya-Im definitely a slow loser-drives me nuts-I was banded April 27th and have lost 40 pounds-18/20 was in first week/10 days.sighhhhhhhhh-actually i think im back at a 5-10 pound weight GAIN but didnt bring scale with me to ND so not sure.
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If you do happen to be pregnant though it is possible to have a healthy pregnancy and a nice big bouncing baby with no weight gain. My obstetrician didnt want me to gain any weight at all - his reasoning was that I needed nutrients, not calories, so that if I ate carefully it was entirely possible to lose plenty of body fat without starving my baby or myself of nourishment. So I pretty much followed Weight Watchers the entire pregnancy, gained a small 4.5kg (and Eliza was 3.7kg of that) in total and came home from hospital about 12kg lighter than when I'd conceived. I find it much much easier to avoid gaining weight rather than actually losing it. Without the pressure of expecting to see the scales move it takes a lot of the head games out of it.
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I wasnt fat as a child, a pre-teen, teenager, or in early adulthood. I was fairly slim weighing around 125-130, size 7/9, all through school. In my early 20s I went to 150's. At 26 I met my husband and was at 158. (152 in wedding dress) After 13 years being happily married I now weigh 228. There has never been a week/month/year that stands out for weight gain. It has just gradually crept up. Around 5 lbs a year, nothing drastic. I am definitely a yoyo dieter. I have gained and lost the same 20 lbs. so many times, and then some. I sometimes feel like I have let the weight creep up BECAUSE I am happy. I was all the recognized things in high school,,. class favorite, homecoming queen, straight A, etc..... I dont have an unhappy childhood or an unhappy adulthood. I now have a college ed, good paying job, great marriage, and great home life. I always wonder if I would be as miserable about my weight if I had always had to fight it. I have a great self-esteem, has it helped to get me to this weight? I sometimes wonder who has it worse, those who have always been heavy......or those who become heavy, guess this is an informal poll......lol
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Glo, did you go from liquids to solids? This could be why you are seeing a weight gain..most of us here oncewewent from liquids to either mushy or solids saw a weight gain, it is only normal. Do not worry, this is just the first few weeksm focus more on healing, once you get your fills, things will change. I know it is frustrating but you are normal.
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Why am I fat? Well, for the longest time, I couldn't figure out why I was the only heavy person in my immediate family. My parents cooked healthy meals for us growing up, I was never one to over eat, I was active, I didn't sneak junk food or eat late a night, etc. However, from about the age of 11 or 12, I started gaining weight, no matter what or how much I ate. It wasn't until about 5 years ago when my primary care physician asked me if I had ever been tested for Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) that I found out the reason for my weight gain....yes, I tested positive for PCOS. For those of you unfamiliar with PCOS, here's what happens: At the onset of menstruation, rather than your body using the stored fat for energy, it hordes it and pumps out more insulin instead. Now, admittedly, as an adult, I haven't always made the wisest food choices but I also didn't eat a lot. My husband commented one time that I "ate like a bird." Of course, compared to the portions he eats, everyone eats like a bird!! Unfortunately though, I'm one of those people with PCOS that can lose a certain amount of weight by exercising and dieting alone, but the weight loss will stop at a certain point. Hence my decision to be banded. I need all of the help I can get!
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NO TEN DAY chips. NO, NO, NO. This isn't Over Eater's Anonymous (I just stole their idea.) This is DeLarla's Boot Camp designed to get some of us off our asses and back from Hell (weight gain) to Reality (Svelt Land.) Have you not seen my ANGRY posts lately? Penni is pretty pissed, too. Nobody is getting off easy around here. Go play in the sandbox if you want a 10 day baby chip. NO TEN DAY CHIPS. Not in my thread. Don't make me eat your head, I'm damn hungry! On a lighter note, Renebean, you did a fabulous job on those chips, and now I really, really want one! I hate ticker tockers, but I want some of Rene's chips! Good luck everyone. GAME ON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Here is an excerpt from the Inamed handbook that is valuable to your situation With the Lap Band system in place, you should be able to eat only small ammount so the food you eat should be as healthy as possible. Do not fill your stomach pouch with :junk: food that lacks Vitamins and other important nutrients. Your meals should be high in Protein and vitamins and low in carbs. solid food is more important then liquid food or soft food. The lap Band system will have little or no effect if you only eat liquid or soft food. It passes through the stomach outlet very quickly and does not make you feel full. Here is another excerpt form the book If the adjustment (fill) results in too tight of a stomach opening you could have a hard time eating most foods, sometimes this causes people to avoid solid foods. They may drink liquid meals or soft food meals and this may result in weight gain. A band that is too tight may cause reflux symptoms and can also cause frequent vomiting. Sounds to me that your band may be a tad too tight..you should be able to eat solidsand still lose weight. Having as little as .1 or .2 cc's removed will give you releif and able to eat solids while still lose weight..a band that is too tight is at greater risk of slipping.. if it were me I would call my doctor and have a small ammount of saline removed.
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How to get started? (apologies in advance for rambling)
lovecats85 replied to sleepyjean's topic in LAP-BAND Surgery Forums
SOunds like me too! In high school I was 170 or so, 4 years ago I started zoloft and my anxiety disorder got me down to 180-190. Everyone asks me why I can't lose it like I did 4 years ago and I never explain but the truth is that starting zoloft (which doesn control my appetite now since my body is used to it), having uncontrolled anxiety, and have liquid bowel movements for a year is a great way to lose weight, but not healthy! I was like the chubby kid in grade school. The "full figured gal" in high school. 175 or so when I was 18. Up to 245 when I was 20 Back down to 185 or so when going thru the above mentioned. And then back to 245 (BMI 38) I was pro-active in getting surgery b/c I am only 26 but I see that pattern of weight gain every year and I knew in my heart it wasn't going to change. I have nothing I would have thought as "co-mobities" but I do have kneee problems and back problems, acid refulx and a hiatal hernia. Before the the surgeons I saw found out my insurance wouldn't cover the band they said my problems could be "co-morbidities" so don't give up on that idea just b/c you don't have the "typical" ones like diabetes and high blood pressure. Anyways, point is, as hard as it is to face, statistically your weight will continue to go up yearly. Only you can change that number, and if you need a band to do it then so be it - I mean, this site wouldn't exist is there were people left and right that could do it on thier own! As far as the surgery - I had mine one week ago like exactly to the minute and it was not to bad. I was knocked out before I knew it, and the incisions are so small - I've looked way worse falling off a bike! Good luck in whatever you choose! -
BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH (yes, I'm screaming.) Same F-ing boat (yes, I'm cussing, too.) Same weight gain. Same everything. This is Day 2 of being good for me, and it sucks. No Snacks, no soda, no diet soda, no nothing. Lettuce with Protein for lunch. Fruit F-ing cup instead of goodies. Blah, blah, blah. My big treat for the day was a chewable Vitamin that left a nasty taste in my mouth. I even felt guilty for that. I got so far off track that eveyone at work is afraid of me now. They are all supportive (except the "Big E") and they know I mean business. I'm friggen flying off the walls from ODing on ice tea with fake poison chemicals. I would lick a dirty foot for a Coke right now. You're not alone.
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Hi Nykee - All the advice given here is right on. I second the following points: 1. You are TOO tight. 2. You must be loose enough to eat REAL food - Proteins and veggies. 3. Bigger meals in the afternoon to help cut cravings at night. 4. Hot liquids in the morning to help loosen you. 5. More Water. Can I reiterate - YOU ARE TOO TIGHT. But, to help even out your restriction. 1. You are consuming waaaay too much sodium and not enough water. Of course you are going to have edema first thing in the mornings, which will make your band feel even tighter. Soups and cheetos are full of salt. Cheetos chew down to mush, and soup is a liquid (particularly if you're spitting out the meat and veggies), and does not help you stay satisfied. If you choose to eat this way, then you MUST make up for all that sodium by drinking tons of water to help your kidneys flush out that salt. Otherwise you will swell up like a balloon and your band will be too tight. 2. Do you have any kind of allergies or post nasal drip? Do you wake up congested in the mornings? That will make you tight as well. You need to keep your mucus as thin as possible, which of course is best done by staying hydrated. If you have some sort of allergies or tend to wake up congested perhaps you should try a decongestant before going to bed. Mucus draining into your pouch all night will also make you feel tight in the mornings. Here is an interesting article on edema, causes, and possible solutions: http://www.diagnose-me.com/cond/C576850.html I found these points interesting: "Low Protein levels in the blood that can be seen in malnutrition, kidney and liver disease. The proteins in the blood help hold salt and water inside the blood vessels so Fluid does not leak out into the tissues. If albumin (the most abundant blood protein) gets too low, edema occurs especially in the feet, ankles and lower legs." "It may take from 2 to 6 weeks following long term dehydration for your body to get used to being normally hydrated again and flush out the extra fluid it has been retaining." "Semi-starvation can cause edema. People with eating disorders may interpret the puffiness of edema or any changes on the scale as weight gain or getting "fat" and may panic and purge or take laxatives even more." You need some protein, less salt, and lots more water, IMHO. You also need a slight unfill. IMHO. Wishing you all the best - xxoo
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This is all so very confusing to me. I am 5'3 and weighed 230 last May at my initial appointment. At my last pre-op I weighed in at 213. I've already been cutting back on my food intake to the point were I am still hungry all the time but telling myself I can do it until I get the band. My surgery date is October 11. From what I understand, my Doctor is only using the large size band. I work in a building w/5 other lap-banders and they all had the size 4 and have had very good results. I go to a support group meeting at the hospital and have been going weekly for months. From what I have hearing, the restriction is much better in the size 4. Some have had much success w/no fills at all. The newer, larger band patients are experiencing little restriction even after 2 or 3 fills. I emailed the support group leader who is also my surgeon's wife, by the way. Here is part of the response I received: "Dr. M will be the one deciding which size band you will have. It will most likely be the larger band. I know it must sound out of control to hear Linda being hungry. You will be ok and if you are hungry, you do have options to help you feel betrter without the weight gain. You can have thicker Soups. You may not be hungry, you just don't know. The advantage with the bigger band is that you have less of a chance of the band coming up through the stomach if you have too much fill. You will have more flexibility with the fill. We have had less complications an good weight loss esults so far." (By the way, Linda is good buddy of mine and has been very, very hungry since her surgery on the 22nd of September) I've been waiting for so long to finally get here - probably shouldn't worry about band size but can't help thinking that the smaller band is more effective.
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Plateaus are the body's way of reestablishing a weight set point. What that means it is resetting the metabolic rate at which you body works at. The reason for the stall, I believe, is the body is making sure that this is a set weight, not a flucuating weight. Everyone thinks that plateaus only occur during weight loss, not true, it also occurs during weight gains, it's simply we don't notice it because when we're gaining, we're usually not paying attention to the scales like when we were loosing. Many people (experts) believe that changing your eating and exercise routine during this time, often restarts the weight loss and waits until you reach what the body considers to be another set point. How, why and if the body deteremines the set point is something I am not familiar with. I only know this bit of information as I took a nutrition course in college and was quite fascinated with the metabolic process, wonder why :-] I do know there is not a particular amount like, 25 lbs, and then you go into a plateau. I believe it's as individual as we are therefore varies. I also believe that exercise plays a major role. If you notice, there have been some people on the boards lately that have been complaining of not being able to get the scale to move. Finally out of frustration they slightly elevate their caloric intake and boom they drop 4-5 lbs in a week!!! That's because the body realizes due to the slight increase in food that it is not starving and there is no need to hold at the present weight. This is only my opinion, based on a class that I took and further research I have done reading fitness articles and watching fitness shows. But as you know, these are most often contradictory, so who knows? Hope this helps. Cindy
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Missy, I hear you, girlfriend....I feel that same exact way.....like a new person (or should I say like my old self prior to much weight gain!!). I am planning things I would have never had the energy for prior to the surgery....trips, doing more with my daughter, just going to the store without feeling like a played a game of football, etc. I called my sister today and she said that even my voice has changed...happier, perky!!! And as you mentioned, we are just starting the journey...imagine the rest the trip!!!!!!!! And I also believe someone must have "banded" my brain as I am making MUCH better choices and eating only to survivor NOT to comfort myself. Missy, keep up the great work and keep enjoying your new life!!
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I do not have a eating disorder. I've seen a couple of therapists about my weight in the past, one was part of a supervised weight loss program where I lost 50 pounds. It was great. But not great enough apperently. There is nothing like the look of confusion on the face of a doctor that deals exclusivly with obese patients when he is faced with an obese woman with no eating disorders. I have been on steroids and hospitalized probably 50 times in my life for asthma. Each course of steroids caused me to gain weight, along with other medications that caused weight gain. Hard to get much excersize in when you get out of breath trying to catch your breath... I may not have lost much weight so far, but I haven't died from resperatoy failure.
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Get more than one opinion regarding the bipolar thing. I have been in 12 step programs for close to 20 years and then with the weight gain I started having back pain which resulted in me being on Vicodin for extended periods of time (along with several rounds of physical therapy). It is hard taking meds when a person has an addictive personality. Its like having to eat to live when you are addicted to food. I always feel mood swings when I am coming off the vicodin. I usally ask for different pain meds even if they don't work as well just to keep off the same med (of any type) too long. It is difficult. Also, how old are you. I started feeling major mood swings and funk at the end of my thirties only to find out I was already entering menopause. We are at the tail end of this obesity thing. We are in THE SOLUTION. When I get discouraged after catching a glimpse of myself in the mirror and feeling shocked, I just remind myself that it is getting better each day and I am on my way out of this obesity hell I have been in for way to long. My bones and joints aren't working as hard as they did last week. It will only get better from here on out but we must be patient. Writing is so therapeutic. Journaling is a great idea and posting to the caring people on this wonderful site it too.
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Pam, you've discovered the one thing that makes being banded so different from anything and everything we've tried in the past. So many people considering banding want to know why this might work where everything else has failed. Well--this is it! It works because it doesn't go away!! Of course we have to change our habits, and of course it can be hard sometimes. But this little band of silicone is our tool to help us stay on course, or get back on course when necessary. I've done what you describe several times. Changing our lives to the extent necessary to put morbid obesity behind us forever is not something that can be done overnight. Our bodies and minds NEED to take "breaks" once in a while, think about something else for a few days/weeks/months, get used to the new reality and internalize it completely. If we continually think we're on a "program" then occasional lapses in vigilance only lead to a sense of failure. I've worked hard to just BE smaller, eat less and more healthfully, and not treat my banded life as being one of constant dieting. The band is there when we're ready to refocus. Lapses don't lead to weight gain and disappointment and failure anymore!! :)
