Lucky # Sevens- July 07 Bandsters

[Frustrated 1]

Indio and mango: Thank you so much for your words. I don't know how many times this group makes me feel like I'm not alone in the world because someone here always knows exactly what I'm talking about. It makes me cry sometimes. Cry in a good way, not bad.

marcy: Apparently there are jeans for every shape body. All you have to do is ask someone what type of jean would suit your body. Yeah, well I'm not brave enough to ask someone 10 sizes smaller than me what type of jean I'd look good in. But maybe you can google online and find some fashion pages that talk about what type of jeans/skirts/dresses to buy to hide or accentuate certain parts of your body.

A lot of it depends what type of body you are. The ones I can remember off the top of my head are pear - where you're small up top but your butt and thighs are larger; apple - where you're round all over; triangle - where you're large in your upper torso area but are smaller in your hips, tummy, thighs; rectangle - where you're big all over but without any curves - and of course there's hourglass - those wenches like Marylin Monroe (lol) with small waists but have the curves both up and down.

[Frustrated 1]

I just read a post on another thread I read...she said, "This waiting for skinny is lousy."

I second that!

I agree as well. It's a coincidence that I was thinking today about where I'm at on the fatty/skinny scale of things. I still consider myself more of a fatty, but I get closer to being a skinny every day. Then I wondered what you'd call someone in the middle, and the only word I could come up with that was a combination of fatty and skinny was "fanny". I don't think I'll be using that to describe myself, lol.

[IndioGirl55 32]

1st Step: Admiting There's a Problem

Ok so through-out this whole process I have never admitted to myself that I have a problem. I have moaned and groaned to myself about how my restriction isnt good and I haven't lost my last 20-25 pounds. But I came to the realization that I am choosing to be over weight. I now know the band isnt going to do all of the work for me. I choose to eat too much.. I choose to not exersize enough.. I choose to let my hubby sabatosh me.. I dont have to do any of it. I dont have to eat food because its around and I can exersize more. So I have decided today to choose to be thin. No matter how hard it is and even if my band doesnt work as well as other people, I can do it anyway. I dont need great restriction to get off my ass and move around more. So what have I been waiting for? I suppose inside I wasnt really ready but I am choosing to be ready today and tomarrow and the next day. Restriction or not

This was a thread posted by gummiebear - I think that it was great and would share with the rest of you in case you didn't catch it...

[kcval810 0]

All, I was banded on July 31st and I am new to this thread. I have a question because I don't feel restricted enough. So I have a few questions.

1. I have only lost 37 lbs. and that seems like it is on the low side. Does that seem normal?

2. When I eat I feel like I can eat like I used to. I don't get full when I eat. Are you supposed to feel full when you are eating? Or just stop because you know you ate 4 oz?

3. Does anyone else have the large AP band? Mine is 14ccs. I am filled to 9.6 ccs. Is that a lot not a lot? I know everyone is different but I was wondering.

Thanks for all the help in advance!

:help:

[mango24 1]

Welcome Kcval810,

I have the 10cc AP. I just got my 5th fill yesterday, so I haven't really eaten solid food yet.

Before yesterday, I had 5cc and I could eat anything I wanted. I couldn't eat as much as I used to, but I could eat a hell of a lot more than 1 cup of food. The only time I felt restriction was in the morning with bread.

37lbs is great, I'm only at 30lb. I hope the loss speeds up with this fill.

[mango24 1]

Heading home, bye all.

[marcyinak 0]

kcval810 - Congrats on the 37 lbs.! Weight loss is different for everyone, but 37 lbs. seems to me (through my own bad math and remembering what everyone else has lost) that you are actually just above average on the weight loss. Those who started with a higher BMI tend to lose faster than those who had lower BMI's. As for feeling like you could eat more...have you "tested" it out? For instance...TRY to eat more than you usually do...does the band stop you? If not then you need a fill. (I test mine on occasion, using foods I know are easy for me to get down.) I'd say that most of us can eat more than 4 oz. at a meal so really, that's no biggie as far as I'm concerned. Now, as for the amount of Fluid...this IS different for everyone. I have a 4 cc band and have 3.0 cc in it right now and am darn near perfect on restriction...I know people who have less than 1.0 cc and are more restricted than I am. I really depends on YOU...there is a thread about fill levels, but it wasn't really helpful to me when I had the same question...just proved that everyone really IS different! And that's OK! :-0

We've got a good thread here with lots of advise so keep in touch!

[IndioGirl55 32]

All, I was banded on July 31st and I am new to this thread. I have a question because I don't feel restricted enough. So I have a few questions.

1. I have only lost 37 lbs. and that seems like it is on the low side. Does that seem normal?

2. When I eat I feel like I can eat like I used to. I don't get full when I eat. Are you supposed to feel full when you are eating? Or just stop because you know you ate 4 oz?

3. Does anyone else have the large AP band? Mine is 14ccs. I am filled to 9.6 ccs. Is that a lot not a lot? I know everyone is different but I was wondering.

Thanks for all the help in advance!

:help:

kcval

Welcome !!!!

#1 - 1 to 2 lbs a week is normal - you have lost 9.25 per month this is normal Are you exercising?? Do you keep a food log... What are your calories for a day?? Are you eating healhty foods or are you eating the same food you ate before just in smaller quanities??

#2 - You are eating only 4 oz per meal??? I just ate 1 cup of turkey chili and I'm full - I have had 2 fills so far - my restriction isn't as tight as it was a month ago - but I think i have pretty good restriction. I eat 4-5 oz fish 1/2 c veggies & 1/2 c rice for dinner and am usually quite full and but still have head hunger issues. Are you getting you 60 grms of Protein and drinking all your Water.

#3 - I don't keep up with my fill #'s - don't see the use of it - I know most of us July babies have the new bands- my doc said I have the new band - don't know if it 4cc or 10cc- I think the size of your band depends on the size of your stomach.. I don't really care what size band or how many cc's are in it - the only # i care about is the number on the scale.

I keep a food log - keep my calories about 1000 - 1200 daily - I exercise 2 or 3 miles 4 to 5 days a week.

Let me know what you are doing...

[kirajh 0]

JEANS !!! I haven't worn a pair of jeans in 30 years or more. I just can't find any that fit right. I seem to carry most my weight in front. I have NO waist, in fact if I get jeans to fit around the waist, they are huge in the hips, butt and thighs. Elastic waists just aren't the same thing. My goal is to be able to wear jeans again. Gee, I can still remember (although barely) when my jeans were a size 32 inch waist. AH_H_H, those were the days.

[salsa1877 10]

All, I was banded on July 31st and I am new to this thread. I have a question because I don't feel restricted enough. So I have a few questions.

1. I have only lost 37 lbs. and that seems like it is on the low side. Does that seem normal?

2. When I eat I feel like I can eat like I used to. I don't get full when I eat. Are you supposed to feel full when you are eating? Or just stop because you know you ate 4 oz?

3. Does anyone else have the large AP band? Mine is 14ccs. I am filled to 9.6 ccs. Is that a lot not a lot? I know everyone is different but I was wondering.

Thanks for all the help in advance!

:help:

So my doc says that if you lose 50 pounds in the first year you are what they consider successful, so by my calculations you are doing just great. As for the feeling full... I have not felt full (or really hungry for that matter) since I gotthe band. I eat 1 cup of food at a time, and I struggle to get to 1000 calories a day. I had an incident a few weeks ago that required me to have my band completely unfilled (didn't chew well enough! naughty me!) and I still no longer have the full feeling. It can be frustrating at times for me. I sit down to eat and I have no feeling in my tummy...I finish eating and still feel exactly the same. I am getting used to it now, but it is a mental change. I think for most of us we considered a meal "successful" if we had a very full (almost uncomfortable) feeling in our tummies when we were done. You don't get that any more (or at least I don't) So when should you stop eating...I think that depends on your body and your personality. For me I have to have very clear guidelines (I am a scientist AND a teacher, its in my genes!) so I stop at 1 cup of food. Could I eat more? YEP Especially right now since I am unfilled, but I choose not to. My strict schedule works for me, but would drive others crazy so you have to find what works for you, using some of the suggestions that you might get here. I would think that a half cup is a little on the low side. But I would take Janet's advice and keep a food log and see how many calories you are eating and make sure you get enough Protein. If you are getting very few calories, try and increase the amount you are eating to see if that works.

As for the band size I think I have a 10cc, but I (like Janet) don't concern myself with that. One less thing that I have to care about!

[lindaa 1]

Hi kcval810, As the others have said, I don't worry about how much is in my band--it really is an individual thing. I had a tight fill in August and haven't been back since. I will probably go back once the new flexible spending year begins in January. (I'm self pay)

Re. how much to eat: It depends on the type of food. I can easily drink all of a medium McDonalds milkshake, but have a really hard time with even a few bites of grilled chicken breast--especialy if it's dry. There is no way I could eat a slice of bread or hamburger bun, but crakers and chips go down just fine. For me, it's all about calories--which burn energy. Like Janet, I try to keep it under 1000/day. That way I need more than I eat, so my body has to burn fat.

Exercising helps for two reasons: 1. It burns up more calories, 2. It builds muscle and forces the body to burn fat for energy instead of breaking down muscles. The problem, as everyone knows, is that I don't exercise much in the winter. I have a list of excuses, none of which are totally truthful--I just don't want to.

Keep checking in with us. This group has been a wonderful support group for me. Sometimes, I just need to read what everyone else is writing about and I know that I am not alone. I've learned to love the ppl that post here--i check it every day--sometimes more than once!

[kcval810 0]

Thank you for everyone's replies. I was told by one of my doctor's not to eat more than 4 oz. of food and by the other to eat a cup. My mom had the band done and her doc said only 4 oz. a food per meal. It makes me feel better to know that everyone can eat more than that.

I haven't been execising. I had my gall bladder removed and couldn't exercise and haven't gotten back to it yet.

I started at 266 lbs. and I'm down to 229 lbs. and I'm 5'5" but have been here for about 3 weeks so I am starting to get really frustrated. I was just looking to see how everyone else was doing and seemed like I was losing slower than most.

So, no one feels full when they are eating..they just stop eating?

[IndioGirl55 32]

Thank you for everyone's replies. I was told by one of my doctor's not to eat more than 4 oz. of food and by the other to eat a cup. My mom had the band done and her doc said only 4 oz. a food per meal. It makes me feel better to know that everyone can eat more than that.

I haven't been execising. I had my gall bladder removed and couldn't exercise and haven't gotten back to it yet.

I started at 266 lbs. and I'm down to 229 lbs. and I'm 5'5" but have been here for about 3 weeks so I am starting to get really frustrated. I was just looking to see how everyone else was doing and seemed like I was losing slower than most.

So, no one feels full when they are eating..they just stop eating?

I do feel full when I eat - had 1 cup turkey chili for lunch and was tummy full

[IndioGirl55 32]

JEANS !!! I haven't worn a pair of jeans in 30 years or more. I just can't find any that fit right. I seem to carry most my weight in front. I have NO waist, in fact if I get jeans to fit around the waist, they are huge in the hips, butt and thighs. Elastic waists just aren't the same thing. My goal is to be able to wear jeans again. Gee, I can still remember (although barely) when my jeans were a size 32 inch waist. AH_H_H, those were the days.

I remember 29 waist Ditto jeans - once i even got into a 28...Those were the days "DISCO" I was a Disco Girl back in the day.. I started going to clubs when I was 20 with my Sister's Fake ID - heck back then you could have a paper temporary drivers license and the would let you in and once you were a regular they never checked you any more - I even dated one of the guitar players "just call me a groupie". OMG those were the days - I had alot of fun... I'm smiling as I remember those days - in fact the guitar player guy was the one who said "what did you do to that beautiful body" when he saw me a few years later - and I was weighing 180.. - back in the day I was 115 - 120...

[phyllser 3]

I just read a post on another thread I read...she said, "This waiting for skinny is lousy."

I second that!

I'm sorry but "skinny" seems almost too much to hope for! It seems like an impossible dream. But then I'm having a down day! I'm way too old for PMS, but that's what it's felt like today.

About the jeans, Marcy, I think on the Lands End website there is something that helps you figure out what style, etc. of jeans, pants, whatever, is right for you. Check it out.