Sept 2011 bandsters

[rsalinas1975 1]

I was banded 9/30/12...I'm now down 104 pounds! I feel great and have so much more energy. My self esteem is so much better. I'm hoping to lose another 30 more pounds....I think I can be happy with that!

[dalex 2]

Brynne, Dawn

Maybe 40-46 lbs is not as bad for you...All depends on your BMI, motivation and goal.

I don't think we are all "alike, as Perdue chicken". Probably your BMI was less than mine, therefore your pace would be slower.

If you ever saw "Biggest looser" on TV, you probably have noticed- heavier participants lost bigger numbers than those less heavy.

75 lbs is too bad for me. I need another 70 at least, and I am stuck.

I know it's wrong, but I am cheating day and night. I am just tied and bored .

Also all depends on motivation.

If I would be dating my dear husband again, I, probably would be doing much better ))) . I could drop from 179 to 140 in just few weeks without any surgery.

Though I eat dramatically small amounts compared to previous time, it is high in calorie. I am not watching Proteins , neither am I having shakes or vitamines. I just feel bored of right eating.

I also was loosing mostly after the fill, when you have to stay on liquids.< /p>

I do not know why I can't eat salads, probably eating too fast. I have noticed wierd thing- when I go out, and know I can not run to the bathroom to get rid of what my body did not like, somehow I can eat without a problem actually any type of food, even pizza. At home, however, I stay on pine nuts, cheeses, and chocolates.

I looked at the lovery Rsalinas who have lost 104, and maybe I will feel jealous, and will do strick after the Holidays...

[ready4prada 3]

I was banded on September 21st and have since lost 64 pounds, started off at 219. The monthly challenges have really helped me focus as I feel obligated to push myself each week. It is tough though as I had been on a plateau for a while. Wishing all of you great success!

[RedDirtRN 8]

I think i need tomstart the challenges. My wt loss has really slowed... But it is still there. Banded 9-22 and down 54 pounds. I moved to Denver and boy they werent lying about altitude affecting the band. Can totally tell a difference. (it is tighter). To bad I fly for a living now. Anyways sounds like everyone is doing good and still nice to know I am "on track". Anyone else already seeing change that makes you want to start saving for plastic surgery?? I am there! Oh and other yea moment...last pair of "skinny jeans" in my closet now fit! Day before surgery they wouldnt go past my big ol thighs! Yea!

[bromo 17]

I am down 55 pounds and am about to go back for another fill since I have had only one fill. I have 4.5 in a large band. I gained a few pounds over the holidays and am just getting them off, but even though I am losing slowly, at least I am still losing. I still struggle with eating from boredom and I guess that is a battle I will fight the rest of my life. I was in a size 24 when I went for surgery and just this week bought some 18 jean shorts and got into a pair of 18 jeans I bought on sale sometime prior. My tops went from 3x to now a 1x and some XLs so I am happy with it even though I still have a long way to go. Glad to hear from some of the rest of you September 11 bandsters.

[Janice S 2]

I am so glad some of you began posting again. I was not happy with my weight loss to date. I was banded 9/21 and have only lost 34 lbs. I was in the gym 3-4 times a week and added zumba on Tuesdays. I would gain 6 lbs in a week and then lose it again. I was following my diet and exercising and was frustrated. I was losing weight..but it was the same 6 lbs every week. I consulted the nutritionist at the surgeon's office and they did a more in-depth consultation of my BMI, and diet, etc. I was in a way "starving" myself. I was eating healthy by eating a salads, etc. but while feeling full was not getting enough calories in. I also had become a creature of habit and my body was in a rut with the same foods every day. I visited my daughter in VA and was forced to eat out every meal. I made healthy choices and when I stepped on the scales back at home, I had lost weight! I've had a fill at every visit but only began to feel restriction when we reached around 8 cc. While I was frustrated, my surgeon is pleased. He said it is a marathon not a sprint. I've lost inches. I started in size 26 pants and can now get into size 22. My top had gone down from a 3x to a 2X. I had found my chin and neck once again. LOL It is good for me to see that other people are having similar results. The important thing is to stick with it...it will happen. After my last fill, the yo-yoing up and down has stopped.

[DRCS 2]

I know what you all mean. I was banded on Sept 14 and I have only lost around 37 pounds give or take a few depending on the day. I feel as thou I can eat an awful lot now compared to at first. I have only had 1 fill and was afraid to have another because I still get stuck quite a bit. Not sure what to do. I want to find that so called sweet spot that I hear so much about. As of right now I really have to watch myself and stop and monitor what I am eating like before the surgery. Anybody still getting stuck....

[Sharilo 6]

I've had four fills and still get stuck, but I think I've figured out why. I now can't eat any type of bread and when I try to, it always gets stuck. Another thing I've noticed is that if I wait too long to eat than I eat too fast and again, stuck. I am nowhere near where I was hoping to be after 7 months. I've lost 56 pounds, but can't seem to get any more off. I just told my hubby last night that I really need to start concentrating on Portion Control and better food (actually drink) choices. I'm getting in all my Water, and don't drink soda, but lately on the weekends I've been enjoying alcoholic beverages. I know they are empty calories and they also contribute to me eating too fast which leads to stuck episodes. So, it's Monday and a brand new week and I'm committed to making this work. Wish me luck!!

[dalex 2]

Hi, girls ( and boys, if any here)

I thought it might be interesting recipe if you eat tofu:

Tofu-Salad Sandwiches

Ingredients

1. One 12-ounce package firm silken tofu, drained
   
2. 1/4 cup mayonnaise
   
3. 2 tablespoons snipped chives
   
4. 1 celery rib, finely chopped
   
5. 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
   
6. 1/4 teaspoon turmeric (optional)
   
7. Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
   
8. 8 slices of whole wheat or multi-grain sandwich bread, toasted
   
9. 3/4 cup alfalfa sprouts
   

1. Wrap the drained tofu in paper towels and very gently press out some of the excess Water.< br />
2. In a medium bowl, using a pastry blender or a fork, finely chop the tofu. Add the Mayonnaise, snipped chives, chopped celery, Dijon mustard and turmeric and mix gently. Season the tofu salad with salt and pepper.
   
3. Spoon the tofu salad onto 4 slices of whole wheat toast, top with the sprouts, close the sandwiches and serve.
   

Make Ahead The tofu salad can be refrigerated overnight.

All over sudden I have discovered this food- it goes in very easily, and I think- a lot of Protein, though some fat too.

[dalex 2]

As for progress, how are you all, peers, doing ?

I feel terrible, if I loose 5-6 pounds on liquids after the fill, then as soon as start eating- 2-3 pounds come back. Never matter what I eat- healthy, or not... Never matter I exercise, or not. Then- plateua, actually- "flat line". 80 pounds off and frozen dead. Plus- "my bowel starts sabotaging"))

And though had fill recently I have less restriction than before. May be the band slipped, or is leaking ? Anyone had similar things ?

[dalex 2]

To all : One more question - how big are the portions you usually eat? Please give an example of your daily ration with and without cheating

[blessedmom2fourkids 0]

I was banded on 9/27 and have lost 71 lbs total but 54 lbs since surgery. This past month has been a struggle with food but am still exercising about 6 days a week, mostly running. I just went to 7cc yesterday in my band but can still get anything down and have never been stuck. It would be nice if I could no longer get breads and such down, but oh well. I wish I felt different after a fill, but I don't. I feel as if I'm at the same restriction as I've always been. This is where I have to rely on my self control and not this band. I don't really do a lot of carbs and get in at least 80 gr of Protein a day. I was eating about a cup of food at a time and a lot of snacking these past couple weeks, but I've finally reigned myself back in. I try to stick to 1/2 c per meal and if I need a snack then I have one.

My usual day is starts with coffee. Then a couple hrs later I'll have 1 scrambled egg with turkey sausage crumbles and a tbsp of lowfat cheese for Breakfast. I might have a Chobani greek yogurt for a snack. lunch is usually a chicken burger and cheese, turkey burger and cheese, or skinless chicken breast without bun, or tuna fish with fat free mayo and a salad. If I need a snack its turkey pepperoni or peaches or a Primal meatless Jerky stick. dinner is shrimp, or pizza using a Flat-Out with turkey sausage or turkey pepperoni, or turkey meatballs, or baked salmon and a veggie. If I'm on the go I'll grab a ready to drink Premier Protein shake. A lot of time I don't get my veggie in because I know I've already eaten my portion so I make sure I take my Vitamins.

My problem is the same as its always been, eliminating the junk food snacking in between meals. I still have some treats in the house for my kids and hubby and the key is not turning to them when I'm bored or just mindless eating.

[NYC Girl 14]

I am very glad I had the Lap Band Surgery in September 2011.

My weight loss has been slow and, but in the final analysis, I am 55lbs lighter(almost 25% of my starting weight) than I was a year ago! In what universe would I NOT BE HAPPY to loose 55 lbs in a year. I read so many forum posts where people are literally expecting so much that they are unhappy with significant weight loss that has slowed down, or they are no longer loosing 4 pounds a week like in the first weeks after surgery. The nasty secret about loosing weight is that once you loose a sizable amount of weight (whether you think it is good or not), your body adjusts, your calorie requirements just maintain your new weight go down, perhaps your metabolism slows down, and you need to to consume still fewer calories to loose weight.

Also, it is very important to realize (and truly internalize) that the band is just a tool. You still need to learn how to eat less, not snack excessively, and learn to find other things to do when you have the urge to eat. As the psychologist at my Bariatric center says, most of the time we aren't really hungry, we just want to eat. And we live in a very toxic food environment, where high calorie, low nutrition food are around us all the time.

The band has made it easier to not eat Snacks (hot dogs, donuts, croissants, pretzels), that I see and therefore want to eat during the day. I've pretty much been able to cut out between meal Snacks during the day, but still struggle at night. I seem to still want to eat after dinner while I'm watching TV or working at the computer.

So I've devised some strategies to resist that urge to eat after dinner. I guess I'm successful about 2/3 of the time, and the rest I just let go. I don't beat myself up, call myself a failure, or think about it. To me that is self defeating and makes me feel bad about myself !!!! I keep a wide variety of nutritious foods such as greek yogurt, hummus, etc so if I do eat an evening snack it is not the end of the world. I'm just thankful to realize that before my band, I couldn't even resist unecessary eating 100% of the time. To me 33% of the time that is tremendous progress!

To summarize, the band is only a tool. T0 be successful in the long run (and that's what I'm interested in!), you need to figure out your triggers, and how to deal with them. The band will not do that for you. Naturally, your weight loss slows once you've lost a significant amount of weight, and your body gets used to the band.

I consider myself a real (and continuing success) ! I have more to go, but i'll do it slowly, without making myself crazy, which only made me eat more.

Also, the bariatric psychologist at my center has been a real help in my journey. I began to see her when I realized I did not have a healthy relationship with food (soothed me when upset or anxious, or even when I felt bad about myself). She tells me that in times of stress (like the holidays, family illness, etc), just staying even is a big victory. If your center has a psychologist, I highly recommend you utilize them. I really think she has been the difference in my success, not just the band.

I'm not saying that I'm perfect, just in a heck of lot better position than I was a year ago. What I don't need is to use unrealistic expectations (which just make me depressed and (no surprise) eat more to derail me. I'm not Pollyanna, just much more forgiving of my self.

So I'm back where I started this post. I am 55 lbs lighter than last year, and by my 1 year "bandiversary" I may be down even more -- although I'm pretty sure I won't loose 55 more pounds in six months. I'm THRILLED!!!!!

[Tanya_cotto 5]

I'm getting stuck or sliming almost everyday. I have 7.5 cc in a 11cc band. I cannot get my veggies down or fruits unless they are blended. But, compared to this time last year, I'm down almost 40 pounds. Big picture is nice, but since the surgery I've not lost much. Not even in the double digits yet! will keep working and checking in!

[bromo 17]

Just had my second fill today. So I am at 4.5 cc in a large band. Although my weight loss seems to have stalled, I know it is my own fault because I stopped tracking my food and eat more carbs than I did in the beginning. Although, I am happy about the fact that I did lose 6 pounds since my first fill and the fact that my eating habits have changed so very much. In the past I dieted and then regained more each and every time I came off a diet. I no longer consider myself on a diet, my whole life has changed and I think it will continue that way from now on. So if I only lose 5 pounds or so a month for the next year or two, that is alright too. I am still losing, not gaining, and I am enjoying life so much more. How wonderful it feels to not eat a package of Cookies in a day and feel so sluggish and unable to climb the stairs to my apartment. I can now get up them like I could have 20 years ago. And if I lose 5 pounds a month, or even at 4, that is still 50 pounds in a year! I can live with that. If nothing else, I have learned so much about my food intake and the band definitely has helped me to learn about portion sizes and to stop eating before I am overfull. I love it!