How is weight loss for people over 50?

[BJean 16]

Ok. There the similarities end. I'm almost 5'2". You're lucky to be as tall as you are. I used to think nothing of jumping up on the counter to get things down from the upper cabinets. These days, not so much. :cry

[BJean 16]

gailannr: We'll be thinking of you tomorrow! Have a great initiation tomorrow! (into the Bandster Club)

[Devana 0]

Now, this is a basic vinaigrette but if you really want to get funky you can mash up some fresh garlic and introduce this into the sublime slime.

Another truly splendid thing which you can do is to introduce a very, very high quality blue cheese into your vinaigrette. This must be an oily, sumptuous and dissolute blue, one that is easily mashed into the mix of extra virgin olive oil, a respectable Dijon mustard, and the right amount of vinegar.

Sounds divine, green, I'm going to make some.

I'm frustrated right now. I got a fill about 10 days ago and it was so tight at first that it scared me. That first night I awoke a couple of times choking on my own saliva. It hurt to take a nano-sip of Water. By the next morning I could drink and managed to get about 3 glasses of water down by day's end. The following day was even better. Now I feel like I've had no fill at all. I am able to eat far more than I want to.

I'm wondering if I maybe have a leaky tube or something. Or maybe it could be that I had initial swelling that subsided and I just haven't reached my sweet spot yet. Dang. I think I'll go back soon. It's just that it's a pain in the ass. I have to take a day off work, leave at 5:30 am to get to the mainland so I can get back in time to take my son to his music lesson.

Nuts.

[Devana 0]

green: we have more in common than I thought. (I mean besides our brilliant intellect) We're both September bandsters, started at a similar weight, have lost about the same amount, have physical limitations for certain exercise, are beautiful, precious and politically on the right track.

And we both love Canada and the U.S.

I dub thee the piranha sisters.

That's a compliment!

[Oregondaisy 2,021]

Gailnnr I will be thinking of you tomorrow. I hope your surgery recovery is as easy as mine was! ( I hope everyone's recovery is as easy as mine was)

BJean, I am 5'2" also. I have been exercising regularly for the past 3 years. I joined a gym and started exercising my brains out in my last attempt to lose weight. I never lost anything.It was the "lose 2 lbs during the week, and gain it back on the weekend sydrome" I have the exercise habit now, and feel extremely guilty when I don't make it to the gym. I have high hopes that I will start losing again, when I get another fill. I am always afraid I will be a banster failure. It's scary to get filled and not know whether or not it's going to be to a point where I am pbing all the time. I know a lady that couldn't hold anything down. Right now I have problems with food sticking, so it scares me to get another fill, but I sure do want to get some of this weight off! I know it's harder as we get older, and I am so afraid I won't be able to do this.

[BJean 16]

Denise: I have the same fears. I keep hoping I'll reach this elusive "sweet spot" but so far, no luck.

You're doing the right stuff with your exercise and one day you will step on the scales and be surprised at a really decent loss. Then you'll do well for a while and then another plateau. I think it's the nature of our bodies adjusting and readjusting to our food intake and the amount of exercise we get. That sounds simplistic, but one of the reasons they want this to take as long as 2 years, is so that our bodies will have time to do this adjusting. When we go to extremes, our bodies don't adjust and as soon as we stop practically fasting, we regain everything and more. In this game, I think slow and steady wins the race.

Sounds like we have a lot in common too. Keep me posted on your progress. When were you banded?

[BJean 16]

Devana: Piranha sisters? Big mouths? I'm embarrassed to say I don't understand. you know, my claim to brilliance and all that... :embarassed:

[Oregondaisy 2,021]

Denise: I have the same fears. I keep hoping I'll reach this elusive "sweet spot" but so far, no luck.

Sounds like we have a lot in common too. Keep me posted on your progress. When were you banded?

I was banded on 12-29 and had my first fill on 2-12. I have 1 1/4 cc in a 4C band.

[mnkbrly 0]

This will be my first post , I am scheduled for surgery on the 16th of March and am excited! I am 52 and have about 160 lbs to lose. I hope I do as well as yall have! Kim

[Oregondaisy 2,021]

BJean, Can you tell me what you normally eat? I am afraid I am eating the wrong things. 40 lbs sounds wonderful to me! I would be so happy to lose 20 more. I don't have unrealistic goals for myself because I am 54 so I don't expect to get down as low as I was as a teenager.

The whole thing of being in my 50's and being on HRT scares me because I have heard it's really hard to lose if you are on hormones.

[BJean 16]

Denise I'm older than you. I'd rather not state my age print, it's too scary. And I'm on HRT. So don't worry about that stuff. I promise.

I wish I could give you a magic formula with my diet. The fact is, I try to get in as much Protein as I can with eggs, meat, Beans, and believe it or not even cheese. My hair started falling out and I am doing a whey Protein Shake periodically. Although I probably should be taking one evey day.

Honestly the thing that I think is helping me the most is portion size. I can't believe how much I was eating before the band. I was keeping up with my SIL at meals. And he's a strapping, muscle bound 6'2" guy. I haven't been counting calories lately which is probably why I'm not losing like I was.

For a while I was having eggs for Breakfast, cottage cheese and fruit for lunch and some kind of animal protein, with veggies or salad for dinner. Nuts for snack or a small Laughing Cow cheese wedge or yoghurt. Hmmm. Now that you've made me think about this, I'm realizing how far I have really strayed!

Thanks! You've been a big help. I hope I am helping you a little too. I'd say I eat less than half of what I used to eat. And I know I'm still eating too much. That's about all I can tell you really.

Keep in touch. I have had 5 fills (I think. It might be 6) and I don't know exactly how much I now have but I know it's over 2.1 - because I've had a fill since I got that. I was worried about getting it too tight, but hey, they can always fix it so I'm over that fear.

[Devana 0]

Devana: Piranha sisters? Big mouths? I'm embarrassed to say I don't understand. you know, my claim to brilliance and all that... :embarassed:

It comes from a group of women I know who in the '80's would meet every year in a different town and get off on each other's crackling intellect, laser wit and huge capacity for outrageous fun.

The poor towns wouldn't know what hit them.

[BJean 16]

Did one of them write a book about it? Are they out of business (so to speak)?

Where do you go to apply?

[green 6]

It comes from a group of women I know who in the '80's would meet every year in a different town and get off on each other's crackling intellect, laser wit and huge capacity for outrageous fun.

The poor towns wouldn't know what hit them.

That sounds like a splendid compliment to BJean and me. Thanks, Devana.

[green 6]

BJean, Can you tell me what you normally eat? I am afraid I am eating the wrong things. 40 lbs sounds wonderful to me! I would be so happy to lose 20 more. I don't have unrealistic goals for myself because I am 54 so I don't expect to get down as low as I was as a teenager.

The whole thing of being in my 50's and being on HRT scares me because I have heard it's really hard to lose if you are on hormones.

Although your question wasn't addressed to me, I'll tell you what I eat these days. I eat much smaller portions and I pay much more attention to what I eat as well. I have cut back on cheese and carbs which are things I adore! I try to make a point of using fresh vegetables every day. I started doing this after I started checking prepared food for calorie info and discovered that these foods had very few nutrients. Often I will combine the fresh stuff with the frozen or canned.

I have gotten into the habit of eating avocados and eggs - not together of course - because both of these items are very, very rich in nutrients. I make stir-fries and because my appetite is much smaller they last two nights. If I am jonesing for carbs I eat products that are high in fibre like whole wheat Pasta and bread. Those little cans of flavoured tuna fish are a really good and quick source of Protein. And I eat lo-cal yogurt.

I am lucky that I don't like soft drinks or sugar in my tea and coffee and that I do like Water. My problem is that I love wine and scotch.:phanvan

Oh, and I also take a bunch of vitamins: 2,000 UI of vita D, 1,000 mg of Calcium, vita B6, B12, and folic acid, and a Multi-Vitamin. Living in the north I really need the Ds during our winter and because I am post-menopausal I also need the calcium. I figure that the others won't hurt and might help.