January Surgery Bandsters Group

[chrissylu 153]

I've done that too. LOL. Each day is a learning day with this thing, huh?

[amica813 28]

BOUGHT PANTS AT OLD NAVY!!! BOUGHT PANTS AT OLD NAVY!!! I'm a little excited by this particular NSV, can you tell???

[JustDoIt130 369]

Yay Amica!!! Congratulations!!! I can't wait for that myself.

[MeredithMcFee 98]

Hi Gals,

Long time, no talk. I had a crazy week here with relatives visiting for a few days, then two picnics yesterday and dinner and a show last night. Saw Diana Krall nearby in Ocean Grove. The perfect end to a long, fun week.

Sounds like all of us in bandster world for most of us going into our six month bandiversary are continuing to see positive results. Ups and downs, stucks, PB's, NSV's, wieght fluctuations {hopefully Water more then fat} and scale numbers' going lower and lower. Amica, congratulations on your Old Navy buys. It's a wonderful feeling we can all relate to and love to hear that other's are experiencing it. Chrissy, you are someone to be reckoned with. 70lbs! You're melting away!

Despite all the food around me this week, I have to say, I have been good. Not by choice, but by band. I've been fighting going back to the dr's to get an unfill. I'm only at 3cc's and I seem to get stuck more then not. I chew, I don't drink fluids, I take my time but I still have a problem a few times a week. My food of choice is mainly SanteFe Rice and Beans Lean Cuisine and some turkey chili, and tuna fish, which are safe foods, my hair is falling out, and I'm seeing major acne on my forehead when I didn't even have it as a teen! My DH thinks the acne is also due to lack of nutrients. Who knows but it's not pleasant. I just started back having my Protein drinks for Breakfast {yesterday} and think I should continue since I don't eat my Breakfast until lunch time. This coming week is pretty quiet and I need to focus on eating, journaling in MFP and working out, getting back on track.

My 16 yr old step daughter is visiting us from SC. She asked me if I would bring she and her girlfriend to the Cake Boss' {TLC} store in Hoboken, NJ next Sunday to buy cannoli's and other Italian pastries. Ugh! That will be an accident waiting to happen!! LOL

Everyone have a good day. Stay cool, be cool and just laugh at what ever life brings today.

[chrissylu 153]

That's awesome Amica! I've never been able to shop at Old Navy. A friend at work asked me where I plan to shop once I hit my goal weight. I had to stop and think about it because, for most of my adult life I've bought cheap in the plus sizes at wal-mart, or at Cato for career-wear. She suggested Coldwater Creek. I thought, "Yes! I'd love to buy something from Coldwater Creek." I had completely forgotten about Old Navy.

Hi JDI!

Meredith...a trip to Carlo's sounds awesome! I love Cake Boss...however, it does bother me how Buddy pronounces 'fondant'. LOL. But, with the looks of the canolis, cakes and other things they make, I think I could overlook the fondant thing. I would have to starve myself for a week just to justify a trip there. lol.

I have a question for those of you who are in or near the green zone. Have any of you noticed being tighter at TTOTM?

[MeredithMcFee 98]

LOL Chrissy, I have no idea how it's supposed to be pronounced but he is in the heart of Hudson County, NJ {close to NYC} where there is a strong accent that most people from out of state think all New Jerseyan's "tawk". LOL

My step daugher and her dad went a year ago last Easter to Carlos' bakery. It was cold and nasty and they waited in line 5 hrs to get into the small store. It was crowded and you couldn't see the baked goods. They just yelled out a few things they thought they might have. Trust me, I'm not looking forward to going and standing in line in the heat of the summer. I told her we can leave at 4.30am and get there at 5.30am and help them bake the damn cannolis'! I'm half Italian. My mom use to make them by scratch. {the reason why I had weight issues, she was a great cook and baker}. LOL

[MeredithMcFee 98]

Need to call the surgeon's office tomorrow and get in for an unfill. Don't know what's going on but I can't keep anythig down without discomfort or gurgling. I only have approx 3cc's in my band! Hope I'm not having a problem with the band itself. It is what it is but it sucks right now! Sorry guys!

[JustDoIt130 369]

Hi Meredith- maybe you're one of the lucky ones that has restriction at a low fill amount! Go get unfilled and feel better. You are still losing and doing really well, so just get adjusted to where you are comfortable and can eat!!

Chrissy- me too on the shopping- cheap Wal-Mart everyday stuff and Kohls or Lane Bryant for career wear. I'll still do Kohls, just a different department. Coldwater Creek is very nice, some really pretty stuff! I just can't wait to go wherever I want, LOL.

Amica, hope you're rocking those Old Navy pants!!

Well, I had a run-in with ice cream again yesterday. Sigh. I can't decide if I want to just absolutely not eat it at all, or just eat it on Sunday nights and know I"ll eat a lot of it, LOL. Input welcome. I too have been tight after this last fill, more stuck episodes. But I don't think it's too tight, I think I"m just in the learning curve part of after a fill. I also get what I think someone on the boards called "first bite syndrome," where I'm really hungry and don't chew that first bite well and it gets kind of stuck. So I'm working on that, really being mindful of eating and chewing and taking small bites. As I say, the learning curve!

I got up early this morning and did a 40 minute Firm video. A guy at work is going to fix my elliptical for me in the next few weeks, which will be nice and save me some $$.

Everyone have a great day!!

Nicki

[MeredithMcFee 98]

Thanks, Nicki. Didn't know one can be in the green zone on such a small amount of fill. Of course, I'm wondering if it's the very spicy blackened filet tips I had the other night that started this off. Perhaps I didn't give it time as I nibbled on more spicy food {almonds} yesterday. Duh! I probably should've just gone back to basics, drinking Protein Drinks all day yesterday to calm down the lapband, esophogus and stomach. Even drinking liquids wasn't easy to do as I was tight, and gurling all day and night. Feel a little better today, not as tight. So, instead of calling the doctor, I'm playing doctor and doing liquids all day and seeing if things calm down. Just a little blip in life. :-)

Chrissy and Amica: It's weird to think there are so many places to shop now. I went to the mall last week just to look around. I never go to the mall. I shop online and LB mostly. I think I need a lesson on Shopping 101 for a thinner me! I'm still wearing my old broomstick skirts {elastic waists} with {small} tank tops and belts now. Haven't really gone out to check what's out there for me. I'm not working right now so I'm ok to wear yoga pants and shorts and my go to skirts to get me buy for the summer. Fall will be a different story. The dreaded jeans shopping hopefully won't be so dreaded. :-)

[chrissylu 153]

oh my what a weekend! Was sick all weekend (sinus infection I guess). Sometime Saturday, my band seemed to be tighter. Then yesterday, I couldn't eat anything solid until about 7 or 7:30 PM! I was on liquids all day yesterday. I don't know if it was because my throat was sore or something about TTOTM has something to do with it. Its better today. Just had some cottage cheese, that yesterday I had to PB on. so weird!

Meredith...back to Buddy...I've heard most chefs pronounce it FON-dant, but Buddy seems to emphasize BOTH syllables. LOL. Anywho...it would still be a hoot to visit the store. I would love to see the Lackawanna digs he's building/has built. I don't know if its finished yet. And...I'm at about 6ccs in my band and I think I'm at the green zone (aside from the above-mentioned issue). I also think I'm going to need a Shopping 101 lesson as well! LOL!

Nicki...I agree with the learning curve theory. I was getting stuck all the time on the fill before this last one. Then, doc decided to go ahead and fill anyway because of how much total I could eat (when I didn't get stuck). He had to remove just a bit the next day, but since then, I haven't had as many stuck episodes (until this weekend). As for the ice cream, I'm of the "don't deny yourself" opinion. Just allow yourself only so much and stick to it. I've also started freezing a Protein Shake in popsicle molds. it makes a great "fudgesicle" or you could put it in a bowl and chop it a bit to make "ice cream".

Just got word back from my doctor on my weekend "stuck" and "tight band" issues. TTOTM can cause the band to be tighter because of the Fluid the body retains during that time. whew!

[horsegirl315 114]

Hi Ladies!

It sure has been a while! I have been so busy, but have been keeping up with all the emails LBT sends me I quit my office job, and am now solely working at my parents restaurant, 2 nights a week. We are very blessed to have an extremely busy restaurant, so two nights there, while it is hard work, earns me a great income. This now leaves me 1. not sitting at a desk 2. more time to do things I like to do, like ride my horses 3. opportunity to be more active...you may notice I say it is an opportunity to be more active...cause I haven't really been exercising. I have been riding about 3 times a week, and I ride pretty competitively, so it def burns a ton of calories--both me and my horse are soaked by the end of our rides. Only problem is, the first 2 weeks in July, we close the restaurant so we can enjoy the 4th of July festivities in town, and beat the heat in the kitchen, which gets up to 130 degrees in the summer. So, I haven't been so active...spending a lot of time at the beach and by the pool...and the food choices, as you may imagine, are not always good. I do try to tell myself, at least it is only two weeks, and I am def eating less, even though it may be something bad, than I was a year ago. I am actually looking forward to getting back to a routine after vacation, and getting back to counting my calories, etc. I have been stuck for the past month at the same weight, give or take a few lbs, so I am starting to get worried that I have stopped losing and will be at this weight forever I know it isn't true, and there will be bumps in the road...some bigger than others...but I sometimes get that hopeless feeling. I think tomorrow, even though I am on vacation, I will get up, get some tunes cranking on my ipod, and get on my elliptical for a while....exercise boots my mood and energy...I don't know why I don't do it more often!

One NSV, I guess you could call it--within the past few weeks, I have noticed I can do something I haven't been able to do in a while...control my weight....by that I mean...I have a bad day of eating, get on the scale a day or two later, see a higher weight, and adjust over the next few days to drop that pound or two...that may not seem like much to a lot of people, but you all know, that is a huge victory! It will help me through my plateau, and in the future, help me maintain my goal weight. YAY for that!

One last thing, I was busy on July 4, did we reset goals? What is our next bandster bday?!

[JustDoIt130 369]

Hi Horsegirl!! Glad all is well! Don't disappear for too long, I start to worry, LOL. That is awesome that you can be more active now. Just really focus on your goals- that's the great thing about the lapband. And I do think that is a great NSV to maintain your weight- I know that before, one "bad day" on a diet was totally my excuse to just blow it totally and forget about it. Now, I have my lapband and I can always correct myself!! Our new goal is 7/26- mine is to have lost 67 lbs by then.

Meredith- yes, I think you can be at restriction even with a low fill, it just depends on your own personal innards, LOL. Do wait it out a bit, but don't go too long if you really do need an unfill!!!

Chrissy- I hope you're feeling better. It makes sense that you'd be tighter around ttotm. I rarely get mine (yay), so haven't experienced that yet. And LOL on the fondant pronunciation- it bothers me too!!! It would be fun to go to their store, though.

Okay everyone- Kymie, Mags, Otaknam, et al- where are you!!!! Post!!! I miss you !!!!!

[Savannah26 26]

Hi Everyone! Well, I guess I need to set a birthday goal for 7/26, since it is my birthday afterall - lol. I have been one of the slowest losers - sigh. I seem to only lose about 1 lb. a week. I had set a goal of 5 lbs. by my birthday, but with my history, not sure if that will happen. On top of that, I have two (count 'em) 2 vacations planned for the last part of July. I'm going to Hilton Head for 4 days, leaving this Friday. Then go back to work on Tuesday for 2.5 days, then flying to Maine and taking a 10 day road trip back with my daughters and grandchildren. We are totally doing the eastern US touristy thing, stopping in DC (Smithsonian Institute), New York (See Lots of stuff), Vermont (Mt. Vernon), West Virginia (Family visits), then through Gatlinburg, Tennessee and back home to Georgia. That is also my birthday treat for myself. However, 10 days on the road may wreck havoc on trying to eat healthy and drop those 5 lbs. Going to try my best to be very active while doing all of the sight seeing so hoping that will help offset my intake.

Congratulations to everyone who has lost so much weight and having all of the NSV's as well. You ladies are my heros and I can't wait to get to onederland - only 15 lbs. away. Seems so close, yet so far away!!

[Savannah26 26]

Decided to finally post a picture!!! Big step for me since no one know that I have the lap band except my daughter and cousin. So, if anyone see me on this website, hopefully it means that they have a lapband too and we can chat!

Have a great day everyone!

[otaknam 28]

All is Good.... No fill yesterday I try to do a fill every other time. That way I can see what I am doing and change it on my own a bit. The scale said 219.5 yesterday so I will take it. Far cry from 275 at the beginning of this journey and life change.

I still see the old me in the mirror but I need to work on self image now.

I have slacked off a bit on working out, but will kick back into gear here tonight.

I have noticed my seatbelt fits in all the right spots now.

I have noticed that when I am not stressed out or worring about things out of my control the pounds come off faster. And my sleep pattern is better better sleep now. Well that is all I have for today,

Thanks for all the support....