I'm here to help...

[ifyourstomachoffendsyou 1]

Well...it's been a long time since I've been on here and written something. I'm pondering if I should write something or "just get over it", kick myself in the rear and do what I need to.

What's the problem you ask? It's been close to 2 years since my banding (9/24/08). I did great - went from 210 to 136. My goal was 130 but my body just wouldn't budge past 136. I haven't had a fill in a year. But since May of this year, I've started to gain weight and don't really understand why. I am now up to 148. I still have restriction so I don't think that's the problem. Since my last fill (Aug 09) I no longer eat any meat, bread, Pasta, or rice. Soda has always been out and I never really had a problem with it anyway. I'm so depressed. I still exercise but why am I gaining weight?! My only sinful food I'm consuming is tortilla chips - but I have enough restriction that it tightens up so I don't binge (I can eat corn products but not flour products). I drink beer but only one a day at the most, my coffee is black and I don't buy drinks like Latte's etc. I know if I head in to the doctor he will say I don't need a fill - I need to lower my calories.

And let's be honest here - yes I do. I'm depressed though. Even though I have restriction, I feel like I'm right back to where I was before the banding mentally - I know what I'm supposed to do, and yet I don't do it!! I stopped keeping a journal so that I wouldn't obsess about the food but it looks as though I need to start journaling again, but somehow I just seem to "forget". Yeah right........someone kick me in the butt here, tell me to get over myself and jump back on the healthy food wagon! I know what it is to eat healthy, I just don't do it. I guess what's depressing is that I do not eat candy, cakes, popcorn, etc. etc. but I always seem to find a way to get unhealthy food into my mouth. I'm a compulsive overeater. I've been in therapy, but just recently my therapist "let me go" and said I'm fine and I just need to go out in the real world and work on the things she has taught me.

I don't know if I'm also dealing with the weight gain from premenopause? I'm 48 and am definately in that stage.

Grrrr...I'm so depressed! I'm already having to go into the next size up clothing and it is really dragging me down! I am grateful for my LAP-BAND® because otherwise I am right now in a binge mode and truly want to binge.

So....I am rambling on and on here in this LAP-BAND® forum to keep from binging - or trying to anyway.

Y'all don't have to respond really.....I just needed to vent and my son will be coming home from school soon so I will be destracted. (sp)

Forgive me for my ranting and raving...I'm just having a little pitty party here as my tight shorts are pinching into my stomach.

Wow! What a bummer. I'm trying to figure out what you're doing differently from when you were losing weight, besides not keeping a journal. What have you added that's unhealthy?

You do need to eat less as you approach menopause or just if you want to maintain your weight. Unfortunate, but true for most of us. Are you exercising? That helps with the depression as well as the metabolism. Beer and tortilla chips might just be the culprits. They are carbs.

You might also be missing your therapist. Getting dismissed from therapy can also bring a certain hubris--the I've got my shit together so I don't have to watch it anymore.

I'm not one to journal food or count anything, but my deal is that as soon as I gain a lb or two I have to lose it right away.

Before it gets to be 5 or 10 lbs.

Was your original goal too low and therefore impossible to maintain without constant starvation?

I'm glad you posted. That's a great first step.

Cheri

[Great2BThin 5]

Julie just called after her day at mayo. When she saw the first dr. her pain was minimal this morning, he gave her a full exam and agreed with the Bismark dr that he thought it wasn't from her back but from her shoulder. She then had some more testing done and saw a neurosurgeon this afternoon and by this time her pain was unbearable. The dr came in and she had been crying and he was surprised as the first dr had noted that the pain was minimal. He was also not happy that she's been on hydrocone (not sure the exact name or spelling) for over a year. He wants her to have more testing done, some of it is scheduled for tomorrow but the rest not til the 14th. She's hoping to be able to make some headway and get it all done while she's there tomorrow. He's not sure it's nerve damage however. She does have stenosis but it shouldn't be causing this much pain. If I got any of this wrong, Julie, forgive me and correct me when you get back. So in a nutshell she hasn't found out much yet but is getting a thorough exam, so hopefully will have some answers soon. On a positive note, her friend that went with that had the brain surgery a month ago, got full clearance to go back to work. It was so good to hear her voice, I've not talked to her before.

[Charlene K 1]

Well...it's been a long time since I've been on here and written something. I'm pondering if I should write something or "just get over it", kick myself in the rear and do what I need to.

What's the problem you ask? It's been close to 2 years since my banding (9/24/08). I did great - went from 210 to 136. My goal was 130 but my body just wouldn't budge past 136. I haven't had a fill in a year. But since May of this year, I've started to gain weight and don't really understand why. I am now up to 148. I still have restriction so I don't think that's the problem. Since my last fill (Aug 09) I no longer eat any meat, bread, Pasta, or rice. Soda has always been out and I never really had a problem with it anyway. I'm so depressed. I still exercise but why am I gaining weight?! My only sinful food I'm consuming is tortilla chips - but I have enough restriction that it tightens up so I don't binge (I can eat corn products but not flour products). I drink beer but only one a day at the most, my coffee is black and I don't buy drinks like Latte's etc. I know if I head in to the doctor he will say I don't need a fill - I need to lower my calories.

And let's be honest here - yes I do. I'm depressed though. Even though I have restriction, I feel like I'm right back to where I was before the banding mentally - I know what I'm supposed to do, and yet I don't do it!! I stopped keeping a journal so that I wouldn't obsess about the food but it looks as though I need to start journaling again, but somehow I just seem to "forget". Yeah right........someone kick me in the butt here, tell me to get over myself and jump back on the healthy food wagon! I know what it is to eat healthy, I just don't do it. I guess what's depressing is that I do not eat candy, cakes, popcorn, etc. etc. but I always seem to find a way to get unhealthy food into my mouth. I'm a compulsive overeater. I've been in therapy, but just recently my therapist "let me go" and said I'm fine and I just need to go out in the real world and work on the things she has taught me.

I don't know if I'm also dealing with the weight gain from premenopause? I'm 48 and am definately in that stage.

Grrrr...I'm so depressed! I'm already having to go into the next size up clothing and it is really dragging me down! I am grateful for my LAP-BAND® because otherwise I am right now in a binge mode and truly want to binge.

So....I am rambling on and on here in this LAP-BAND® forum to keep from binging - or trying to anyway.

Y'all don't have to respond really.....I just needed to vent and my son will be coming home from school soon so I will be destracted. (sp)

Forgive me for my ranting and raving...I'm just having a little pitty party here as my tight shorts are pinching into my stomach.

Go ahead and vent. I can only tell you what I did. If you have been reading the thread you probably know I hit about a 4 or 5 month plateau....only losing half of my goal. I went to my surgeon for a revision to a sleeve. He said no.....I needed to learn to eat right and make the band work for me. So, he put me on Protein shakes for three months to take food out of the equation. I am at a plateau again, but this time I have more tools to combat my eating problem. I started walking everyday and going to nutrition classes . May I suggest you get in a good support group locally or a weight management program. The band is just one of the tools to healthy living. Also, I took a resting metabolism test and found out I could only eat 1100 calories a day. You might ask your surgeon about taking a test called the MED-GEM. The fact that you posted shows you want to turn this around.

[llkb4me 1]

Lori, Thanks for the update on Julie. She has been on my mind.

lauraK

[Charlene K 1]

Lori, Thanks for the update on Julie. She has been on my mind.

lauraK

Lori, ....yes, Thanks!

[IndioGirl55 32]

Well...it's been a long time since I've been on here and written something. I'm pondering if I should write something or "just get over it", kick myself in the rear and do what I need to.

What's the problem you ask? It's been close to 2 years since my banding (9/24/08). I did great - went from 210 to 136. My goal was 130 but my body just wouldn't budge past 136. I haven't had a fill in a year. But since May of this year, I've started to gain weight and don't really understand why. I am now up to 148. I still have restriction so I don't think that's the problem. Since my last fill (Aug 09) I no longer eat any meat, bread, Pasta, or rice. Soda has always been out and I never really had a problem with it anyway. I'm so depressed. I still exercise but why am I gaining weight?! My only sinful food I'm consuming is tortilla chips - but I have enough restriction that it tightens up so I don't binge (I can eat corn products but not flour products). I drink beer but only one a day at the most, my coffee is black and I don't buy drinks like Latte's etc. I know if I head in to the doctor he will say I don't need a fill - I need to lower my calories.

And let's be honest here - yes I do. I'm depressed though. Even though I have restriction, I feel like I'm right back to where I was before the banding mentally - I know what I'm supposed to do, and yet I don't do it!! I stopped keeping a journal so that I wouldn't obsess about the food but it looks as though I need to start journaling again, but somehow I just seem to "forget". Yeah right........someone kick me in the butt here, tell me to get over myself and jump back on the healthy food wagon! I know what it is to eat healthy, I just don't do it. I guess what's depressing is that I do not eat candy, cakes, popcorn, etc. etc. but I always seem to find a way to get unhealthy food into my mouth. I'm a compulsive overeater. I've been in therapy, but just recently my therapist "let me go" and said I'm fine and I just need to go out in the real world and work on the things she has taught me.

I don't know if I'm also dealing with the weight gain from premenopause? I'm 48 and am definately in that stage.

Grrrr...I'm so depressed! I'm already having to go into the next size up clothing and it is really dragging me down! I am grateful for my LAP-BAND® because otherwise I am right now in a binge mode and truly want to binge.

So....I am rambling on and on here in this LAP-BAND® forum to keep from binging - or trying to anyway.

Y'all don't have to respond really.....I just needed to vent and my son will be coming home from school soon so I will be destracted. (sp)

Forgive me for my ranting and raving...I'm just having a little pitty party here as my tight shorts are pinching into my stomach.

You asked for it - so here it comes..

You do know why you are gaining weight - 1 beer if it's lite is 100 cal x 7 = 700 cal x 5 weeks = 3500 cal which is 1 lbs -

chips - well it's a carb - carbs make you retain Water and allow go straight to fat..

You don't eat meat? ?? What are you doing to get your Protein?? Banding rules always eat Protein 1st..

You don't gain weight by eating healthy and exercising -- you gain weight from eating more calories than you burn..

You have to get a hold of this before you gain all your weight back..

You need to do the five day pouch test (google it) then you need to get back to keeping a food diary - a bit of this here and there all adds up...

IMHO you have to have a healthy fear of food - I know I do and I'm 3 yrs out - have maintain my weight loss for the last 2 yrs. I eat the same way I did in yr 1 - I may have an extra treat now and then - but I am very very aware that a reeses Peanut Butter candy bar has 230 cal - it's sugar and fat (my drug of choice) and it has no nutritional value - eating like that is what got me fat in the 1st place..

This is truly a lifetime lifestyle change - you can't ever go back to eating like you did pre band - I don't care if you have restriction or not - it's about the kinds of foods we ate..

For most of us (there are a few who said they ate healthy but just too much - I seriously doubt that but that's what they say and there are a few low bmier out there who that could be true for) but anyway - we got fat cuz we ate too many starches - sugar and fat and we didn't exercise..

So get off your butt throw the damn chips away - quit drinking a beer every nite - get the 18 lbs off - then reward yourself w/1 beer and a few chips once a week and then leave the junk alone for the next 6 days...

Julie just called after her day at mayo. When she saw the first dr. her pain was minimal this morning, he gave her a full exam and agreed with the Bismark dr that he thought it wasn't from her back but from her shoulder. She then had some more testing done and saw a neurosurgeon this afternoon and by this time her pain was unbearable. The dr came in and she had been crying and he was surprised as the first dr had noted that the pain was minimal. He was also not happy that she's been on hydrocone (not sure the exact name or spelling) for over a year. He wants her to have more testing done, some of it is scheduled for tomorrow but the rest not til the 14th. She's hoping to be able to make some headway and get it all done while she's there tomorrow. He's not sure it's nerve damage however. She does have stenosis but it shouldn't be causing this much pain. If I got any of this wrong, Julie, forgive me and correct me when you get back. So in a nutshell she hasn't found out much yet but is getting a thorough exam, so hopefully will have some answers soon. On a positive note, her friend that went with that had the brain surgery a month ago, got full clearance to go back to work. It was so good to hear her voice, I've not talked to her before.

Thanks Great - At least they are testing her - hopefully they get to the bottom of this - Ya she's been on vicodine for 1 yr - it's very addicting.. IMHO I think that's why the doc quit her - they think she's an addict and making it up - there are so many pple now adays that are addicted to that crap - it broke up my nephew's marriage - messed up my neice's life for a few years and they all started taking if for their pain -

Julie I'm sure not saying this is the case w/you - but why the doc was pissed that you are on such a heavy narcotic and no one is figuring out what your pain is from - that the other doc's you were seeing weren't doing their jobs - the just kept giving you pain meds..

Go ahead and vent. I can only tell you what I did. If you have been reading the thread you probably know I hit about a 4 or 5 month plateau....only losing half of my goal. I went to my surgeon for a revision to a sleeve. He said no.....I needed to learn to eat right and make the band work for me. So, he put me on Protein shakes for three months to take food out of the equation. I am at a plateau again, but this time I have more tools to combat my eating problem. I started walking everyday and going to nutrition classes . May I suggest you get in a good support group locally or a weight management program. The band is just one of the tools to healthy living. Also, I took a resting metabolism test and found out I could only eat 1100 calories a day. You might ask your surgeon about taking a test called the MED-GEM. The fact that you posted shows you want to turn this around.

Charlene - is DD home - how's Bethany - When are we going to get a pictures

Great - I was wrong about Phyl - I didn't see anything on FB about pain & back issues - just her go go going.. But she did post on #7 today and said she was still having problems - going to see doc as soon as she gets here (Desert) IMHO Dr Janet thinks she needs an adjustment (chiropractor) but I know a lot of pple are afraid of them..

my boss has prostrate cancer goes 10/14 for surgery - they got it early they think - 97% cure rate - but still keep him in your prayers..

Well time to fee the dogs - cbl

[ladykcusa 1]

Laura - What a wonderful day. So glad you enjoyed your friend and the kids - and the beach. You are glowing in the picture. And - you look great in bathing suit - congrats on wearing it again.

Ballet girl - Keep coming back to the boards to vent and stay motivated. You need the support that you will find here, right now. Must stop this gain at 12 lbs. before it becomes more difficult. You CAN do this.

Make an appt. and go see your doctor again. Start that journal and let us help. Start tomorrow.

We will be here to follow as you return to 136 and feel triumphant.

Joyce

[ocotillo 0]

Evening ladies

Glad at least one of her doctors got to see her in pain (not that she has the pain). Hydrocodone aka Vicodin will mess you up after a time. I'm worried about Julie and hope they find something they can treat without the Vicodin.

Balletgirl, it's a battle and you can't let your guard down. I definitely am not winning mine but I do understand the battle. Janet and the rest of the group do give great advise and hopefully they can help.

Janet, I walked tonight...1 hour 10 minutes...so maybe 3 1/2 miles. It is cooling off a little here so walking after work is a possibility....at least for the next 3 weeks.

DH's truck broken down so I had to go rescue him. He had the truck towed to the mechanic so they'll get a surprise in the morning with the big red truck parked in front. You know every day is an adventure.

Hope you all have a good evening.

Eva

[ladykcusa 1]

Lori - thanks for the summary (well done) and so sorry about the smoke alarm.

After raising a large family and running the businesses, I'm VERY noise sensitive. Used to have a pager which was always going off,, plus all the other noise in life.

Hope DH came home quickly to handle it. Bet it drove the dogs crazy too.

[ladykcusa 1]

Lori - thanks for the update on Julie's progress at mayo. I could NOT go to bed until I checked to see if we knew anything. A blessing that her friend is well and can return to work.

I'll pray that tomorrow will bring more answers for Julie.

[ladykcusa 1]

Eva - you and I are the night owls. Could not go to sleep without checking my lap band sisters.

sleep well.

Joyce

P.S. Janet - loved your advice to ballet girl - same tough talk that we all need to apply. Thanks for setting us all straight. No excuses will be accepted.

[ljv52 2]

Hi everyone, sorry I've been absent a few days -- checked in tonight to see if there was any Julie news -- glad she called Great to let us know. I pray they find some answers for her.

Katie is doing okay -- still in hospital -- not sure for how long. The mayo said her virus was Candida Glabrata which is basically a yeast infection -- at least from what I read on line. I guess because her resistance has been so compromised during the past year, it just caused infection in her entire body and finally in her lungs -- not sure as I have not talked directly with any doctors. Laura if you have any infor on this, I'd appreciate anything you know. That's what the Mayo discovered from the cultures.

Not much else going on - busy with Aylah every night -- had to do homework with her the past couple of nights -- she's in preschool for crying out loud - not even 4 years old yet -- honestly!

Laura, you and Nelson looked great in the pics - looked like a great day for you both.

I want to be cremated - I'm claustrophobic so no casket for me. When mom died, no service, she was cremated and that was that -- we each grieved in our own way. We knew it was coming - it was okay but I think if someone died young or unexpectedly, you'd have to have a service -- to get closure.

I agree with what most of you said -- Celebrate the life and know that the person is in a much better place, free of pain. I cry just thinking of someone dying -- doesn't take much to make me cry. I'm not as emotional as I used to be which I find interesting -- seems like I'm getting tougher in my old age.

Arlene congrats on Bethany's birth, glad it all went smoothly.

Balletgirl, in my opinion, you are too tight -- if you can't eat meat you are too tight -- when I saw my surgeon last momth he said when you are too tight and you can't eat Protein you tend to gain weight because you are eating the wrong kinds of foods -- sounds like what is happening to you -- if I were you, I'd have at least .500 cc taken out -- you can always get it put back in. I had .500 taken out and I feel so much better because I can eat more Protein and I have more energy to exercise more -- I was feeling really lethargic when I couldn't get as much protein in as I needed.

LauraK, glad you had a fun weekend.

Eva, wtg on the walking - you're doing great - how many more days of work?

Lori, hope you got that smoke alarm off -- I'm also sensitive to noises -- that can reallly make you crazy.

Joyce, congrats on winning the biirth time pool -- I missed that somehow.

Gotta get to bed - -alarm set for 5:30 -- so gotta get - only 4 -1/2 hours from now.

We've been just so busy at work and as you know, I'm busy at home with Aylah.

Love to all, thinking of you even when I'm not posting,

Linda

[IndioGirl55 32]

Good Morning Peeps

Great - the smoke detector goes off in Andrew's room - sometime just from a candle - I have to turn the fan in his room on and it will go off - is your roof/ceiling so high that you can't use a broom handle to hit the reset button

Joyce - I didn't have a large family but I'm noise sensitive ;0)

As far as my advice - We know why we are gaining - we aren't stupid we are in denial that's all - that's one reason to this day I still sorta count calories and am very mindful of my eating - like I said I eat the same today as I did 2 yrs ago during my weight loss - now I have a few more treat.. and if a lbs or 2 come on - then I really watch the treats - but again - I just eat healthy not dieting - the days of eating sugar - fat in high quanities are over - It's all about getting the lifetime lifestyle change..

Eva - Love it - life's an adventure - great way to look at car problem - I hate car issues..

How' your restriction?? could you use a tweek or is it about your food choices??

WTG on your walk..

Linda - Glad SD is holding her own and they know whats wrong - OMG homework - well thats a bit much - but again I'm old school ;0)

Well shower time - cbl - TGIF gang

[Great2BThin 5]

Good morning. Well the smoke detectors are all taken down. LOL Yes, Janet, they are too high to even reach with a broom handle. DH had to get our tallest step ladder and stand on that very top step, you know the one it says not to stand on? And then stretch to reach and he's 6'6. He'd reset it and it would go off again and again so finally he took it down, then another one would go off in a bedroom, then another bedroom, so every one upstairs is now down. Then they went off on the battery power. LOL So he stuck them in an open window, it didn't even look smokey in here. So while they were all down, I ran the oven cleaner as well to get rid of all that was in there. It really wasn't much, DH had lined the oven when he was doing his Jerky but we discovered that lots dripped onto the racks. He's in big trouble for that one. now today it's HIS job to wipe out all the black ash, etc. in the oven. And, of course, reassemble the smoke alarms and see if the sensitivity can't be turned down. Then this morning one of them starts chirping, probably because the battery is low after all that buzzing.

Well when DD was here we did some shopping at NY and Company and they gave us coupons for $15 off every $30 purchase. She gave me the coupons as she won't be shopping there much for 9 mos. so gotta go see what I can find! We were going to go camping this weekend, but the weather said the mountains were going to be 29 degrees at night, no way! not me in a tent in that!

Balletgirl, sorry I missed your post last night, but you've gotten lots of good advice. I think it's easy to let old habits back in and it's something we really gotta guard against (talking to myself here too).

[Charlene K 1]

Checking in......I posted Bethany's picture. She is really a pretty baby. Can you tell I am proud?

I just got back from the Dermatologist. She gave me a script for my rashes(occasional).....then some stuff to help bleach these dang age spots, then a script for retinol for fine lines. Has anyone used it? She said don't overdue because it can really peel your skin. Why, Why, Why, didn't I stay out of the sun when I was young. Now, I am having to pay for it. Okay, that is my thing for today.

I hope all of you have a great weekend!