Who's benig banded on 11/20???

[tlwempen 0]

thanks cindy! nurse called me on friday and said that there was nothing on the cultures, so i should be in the clear.. but the lab was going to let them grow for a few more days just to make sure. i do hope all the problems are solved and on to weight loss!!

[ovahkummer 11]

Hey everyone,

I've been following this thread and I want you ALL to know that you are very inspirational people. I've decided to drop in and let you know how I'm doing.

The weight is not dropping as fast as I thought it would. Funny... I guess I thought it would just melt off in a few months like on tv, like magic. However, I've evaluated my efforts and have decided that yeah I need to work with the band, it doesn't have to lose any weight! I figured I could eat what I want and the band will stop me from eating too much of it. WRONG. I've learned that my stomach is very elastic and if I give, it's gonna take. Eating less is only half the equation, you will only maintain. Keep up the physical efforts. I've been banded for over three months now and I've lost 22lbs. I have started to realize that even though I was not doing the right thing with the band it was still trying its best. Had I not gotten it those 22lbs + would still be on me. So I've apologized to it and now I'm working with it.

The moral of my story... Work WITH your band. It does not appreciate the status of a slave.

Thanks for sharing your stories everyone. They are helping this bandster through.

[bandpal 7]

Hot, Halfway, Honest, Happy and Homeward Bound

-Bandpal's Periodic Update-

Hi Nymphs,

Hot

It's 40 degrees celsius with a hot desert wind howling down the valley and kicking up clouds of sand. My three year-old and I are riding out the weather inside while the big kids are out with DW bowling and ice skating down in the city by the sea. He just scored a thumping victory over the old man at Candyland, thanks to a little clever card manipulation on my part, and after celebrating with a round of drinks (pink grapefruit juice for him, chicken broth for me), he's settled down on the couch for the latest adventures of Sammy the Fireman on TV. Meanwhile, I'd like to share a little bit of what's going on with this old bandster dad.

Halfway

I've lost 61.5 pounds since being banded on 21.11.07, putting me at 224.5 pounds, or 102 kilo. I haven't been under 100 kilo since you could take in the view of Manhattan from the observation deck of the World Trade Center, so that'll be a pretty significant milestone (kilometerstone?) for me. I'm more or less at the halfway point of the weight I want to lose. Meanwhile, it's Passover now, prime eating season for us Jews, yet I've actually lost weight during the holiday. Now, that's definitely a first.

Honest

My second fill, two weeks ago, is keeping me honest. Unless I eat or drink very slowly and in exceedingly small quantities, I can expect to see whatever I've eaten or drunk again, often in vivid projectile displays that would not embarrass the special effects crew of The Exorcist. Only yesterday, in fact, I narrowly missed covering my 14 year-old son, sitting across from me in one of our premier local seafood establisments, in a mighty stream of masticated scallops in cream sauce (leaving him, for once, entirely speechless).

Finding the point at which I am full, before the food starts to back up, has been very challenging for me. I'm usually hungry when I sit down to eat, and it's hard to remember how important it is to eat slowly. Any tips would be appreciated - how do you know when you've had enough? This evening I managed to keep down two slices of steamed zucchini, each about an inch thick and two inches in diameter, each slice cut into 16 sections, four across and four down (I know this sounds really anal retentive, but I need to describe where I'm at). I ate the sections one at a time with a toothpick over 45 minutes. Besides that, the only thing that stays down are liquids, mostly clear and some full, and only if I drink them slowly.

Happy

Don't get me wrong – for all of this I am grateful. My appetite is much, much smaller, my stomach is shrinking, I am literally being forced to learn new and healthier eating habits, I am learning how to navigate various social and emotional situations without overeating... "je ne regrette rien", as they say in French. I can't believe what's happening to me. I have broken a pattern that was totally out of control, that was making me miserable, ruining my life and which I was convinced was going to kill me.I'm so glad that I was willing to take the risk, and that I had people around to support me. In the space of five months – hey, I just realized, five month banding anniversary was the day before yesterday, congratulations on month number 5, everyone – my life has changed. That's what I tried to tell my surgeon in the space of the two minutes it took to give me my fill, and he just nodded his head and smiled. He probably hears the same thing twenty times a day.

Homeward Bound

Next up for me is a three week trip back to the States for a family wedding. I'll be with my parents and siblings in the greater New York area for most of the time, and then we'll all travel down to San Antonio, Texas to watch my cousin tie the knot. Accompanying me will be my six year-old daughter, and I am looking forward to visits to the ballet, the zoo, toy stores and the rowboat lake in Central Park. I am hoping for a binge-free visit, one in which the people I am with and the things I am doing won't be overshadowed by my relationship with food

Wishing you all sure steps forward on the road we are all walking together,

Bandpal

P.S. Next day's breakfast: 1/2 hard boiled egg, 1 cherry Tomato and two depitted olives, eaten slowly with toothpick. Am now sipping fruit juice through a straw. I have to be aware enough to see what I need, and resourceful enough in order to get it.

Edited April 24, 2008 by bandpal

[bandpal 7]

[hollyberries 2]

Dude! You are so incredibly awesome. Right back at you!

Cindy

[Marissa 0]

Hi Everyone!!

I have been missing in action for a looong time now, my apologies! I rarely log on to this site anymore, I'm normally on SparkPeople or Band2gether.net ... hopefully I'll see some of you there.

I am down 89 lbs! That's 11 lbs away from 100! HOLY COW. It sounds so much 'bigger' when I say it like that. :confused_smile: It's such a good feeling. The band has helped me lose weight, but I contribute much of my weight loss to all of my exercise. Right after surgery I followed the nutritionists rules on eating, and I did the absolute minimum exercise necessary. My weight loss was very slow, and I was frustrated. About three months ago I kicked my exercising into high gear. I do a minimum of 60 minutes of cardio per day now, but I aim for 90 minutes. I break up my time throughout the day, and I actually ENJOY it now! Wow. I never thought I'd hear myself say that. I am so thankful for my band. It has helped me get my extreme portion distortion in check, and it has motivated me to get my butt moving! The band really isn't a quick fix, and it makes me very sad when I speak with people who think all of their problems will go away once they are banded. Everyday is a challenge...wouldn't you agree?

Thanks to you BandPal for keeping us regularly updated on your progress. I love reading your posts!

How is everyone else doing?! Just by looking at some of the weight loss tickers on your signatures, it appears that you guys are doing phenominal jobs!! I would love to catch up with everyone. I look forward to hearing all of your success stories!

HAPPY 6 M0NTH BANDIVERSARY!!!!

:biggrin2:

[towens 0]

Hi all,

I miss this site. congrats to everyone! I really miss my diet dr. pepper--has anyone tried drinking anything carbonated?

I have lost 41 lbs. and it has been pretty easy. Of course I wish it were more, but I haven't exercised at all. I can see from the posts that I really need to!

Take care and hopefully all is well!

[cindyg1212 0]

Giving up Diet Coke was the toughest for me. I was addicted! I used to drink up to 6 cans a day. I tried drinking a bit recently and it tasted too sweet to me. Besides I'm afraid of the gas from it. I can't believe how little I miss it.

[tlwempen 0]

all i've had is bad... banded in nov, port flipped, repaired in march. this weekend at gilrscout camp, my tubing broke through my skin.i have a 1/4 inch hole in my stomache where u can see the tub!! i'm very disapointed in the results. i wish i had done a good as the rest of u. i'm very sad... lots of money gone, lots of pain, lots of hope for the future gone, and only 40 pounds lost. now not much left exceopt to get it removed. band bal you look great, marissa way to go!! and all of u that have been in this with me from the beginning. i'm going to the doc tomorrow.. he doesn't know i'm comming yet..

good luck all!!

tracey

[Skinny_Jill 36]

I can't believe it has been 11 months since we were banded. It has been a great ride. I love my band. I am going to get a fill tomorrow. It will be my last "free" fill. I will have to start paying for fills after my 1 year bandiversary. I am having it done under flouro just to make sure all is well with my band before my one year contract is up.

How is everyone doing?

[towens 0]

Hi everyone! I have lost 58 lbs and absolutely love my band. Haven't had any trouble. I have 11 ccs in a 14cc band. I can't believe it has almost been a year, my fills will start costing next month too. Let us know how you are doing!