Much harder the second time around...

[Sades 4]

Bandpal - I will not give you a break! You are the man, the guy, one rad dude, totally!!

Cindy - thank you for your kind words!

Sades - what an awful on-line friend I am. Let's get back to the original post - how are YOU doing? Are you managing to get back on track with eating/exercising? Are you hanging on by the skin of your teeth or is it easier? Are your fills finally working? I noticed you totally ROCKED this month with the weightloss challenge.

Thanks Linda. You are not an awful on-line friend. You are a supportive friend who has been there for me on more than one occasion. This thread is to help me and anyone else who is going through something. You've been struggling as well and I am happy that you talked about it here. I'm in a much better place now that I'm over my cold and have started walking again. That always helps. We have just gone into Spring here so another added bonus! Between us we should get this thing moving again and we will both reach the next challenge, I dare you!! :thumbup:

Hey Sades I think that once you start getting some restriction everything will fall into place. It might take you a few fills, but girl you are doing so awesome. I'm so proud of you!!!

Thanks Wendy, you are right, I know things will be better once I get to some restriction. I am so looking forward to having a normal band and restriction like everyone else. Exercise and good food, that should be our motto... EXERCISE AND GOOD FOOD... I can feel something coming on, hang on, what is it... EXERCISE AND GOOD FOOD! Now I'm being silly.

[bandpal 7]

Glad you're feeling better, Sades. Go get 'em!

I'd say:

"Good exercise, good food, good emotions!"

[Sades 4]

Glad you're feeling better, Sades. Go get 'em!

I'd say:

"Good exercise, good food, good emotions!"

Thanks Bandpal it's good to be back to normal.

[lindata 1]

Well, how weird is this - everyone seems to have been in a funk and then got out of it again. Is it a cyclical thing - like the moon pulling at us? I bet 1000 years ago there were mystical people around who could explain this! Or maybe it's because of everyone supporting each other here. awwwwww!

[Longhorn 1]

Sades: I'm so sorry that I was away so long and didn't realize what you've been going through! I'm so glad you're back on track! I can't add anything to all of the wise words posted by our fellow November Nymphs but I will say that my first reaction was that you lost all of that weight ON YOUR OWN! And now you'll finally get the help you thought you had in the beginning!

No sense comparing your life to what could have been or even should have been. All you've got is now and things are looking pretty darn good! I know this summer has been a disappointment -- hell, this year has probably been a disappointment as you wondered why you had to struggle so much to lose and why you weren't feeling restriction like you thought you should. Well, the mystery has been solved. I hope you have nothing but smooth sailing from now on!

:shades_smile:

[hollyberries 2]

Thanks Cindy and we miss you too!! It's good that you're busy, must mean the business is doing well... hope so. I think it's hard to stay motivated after such a long time and with everyone moving off the site for whatever reason. I think we just have to make the effort to pop in at least once a week for our sakes as well as for others' sakes. We make a good team and I for one could not have gone through this without the added support from my november nymphs! :biggrin:

I am here for you..I think that we should start a weekly check in thread...just to see how everyone is doing during the week. I'll start it...I need the support to keep motivated.

Cindy

[Sades 4]

Sades: I'm so sorry that I was away so long and didn't realize what you've been going through! I'm so glad you're back on track! I can't add anything to all of the wise words posted by our fellow November Nymphs but I will say that my first reaction was that you lost all of that weight ON YOUR OWN! And now you'll finally get the help you thought you had in the beginning!

No sense comparing your life to what could have been or even should have been. All you've got is now and things are looking pretty darn good! I know this summer has been a disappointment -- hell, this year has probably been a disappointment as you wondered why you had to struggle so much to lose and why you weren't feeling restriction like you thought you should. Well, the mystery has been solved. I hope you have nothing but smooth sailing from now on!

:thumbup:

Kendra what I have been going through is nothing compared to what you've been through this year and I commend you for your strength.

Thank you for your words of encouragement and I understand how hard it has been for you to keep up with what's going on here. It's good to see you back and posting. I am slowly but surely dealing with having a new band and trying to get over all that time without a working one.

I am here for you..I think that we should start a weekly check in thread...just to see how everyone is doing during the week. I'll start it...I need the support to keep motivated.

Cindy

Definitely a good idea Cindy. I think it is so easy to stop posting, especially if things aren't working. Maybe we can get more people to come out of the woodwork, eg, Lizzie.

[shortgal 5]

Sades, You're just in a different place right now. You are going through Bandster Hell, like a newbie, and the nymph's are past that stage. But eventually you'll catch up, you'll get restriction and be at a similar place as the November group.

I understand, as I am in a completely different place from everyone, too. It is getting harder for most of the November group to lose weight at the old pace of the early days and you'll have a little jump on everyone when you get restriction. You'll be grateful for that later.

I say, just be glad your Dr. was honest with you and you got a new band. I had another Dr. look at my x-ray and there is no way it should have been diagnosed as unlocked. More tests should have been done. The dr. actually said he thought the Dr. missed my stomach like yours did. Now why he removed instead of just replacing it correctly, I can only guess that where he incorrectly placed the band caused a problem so he removed it OR he just did not want to admit his mistake. I wish I had insisted on a floroscopy, but I trusted the Dr.

I know this is not the place you wanted to be in at this point, you had other expectations, me too. But we just have to deal with what is, not what we want. Bummer, I know.

I have been able to maintain, so far, but losing more is proving to be tough. Everyone here diets after Labor Day ( just like everyone diets on Jan 1st) so perhaps I'll be able to get a few pounds off. I set a low goal for the Halloween challenge but I'd be happy to achieve even a low goal. I just go up and down the same couple pounds, but that's how "normal" people mantain and "normal" is a good thing!

How did your latest fill work out?

[Sades 4]

Sades, You're just in a different place right now. You are going through Bandster Hell, like a newbie, and the nymph's are past that stage. But eventually you'll catch up, you'll get restriction and be at a similar place as the November group.

I understand, as I am in a completely different place from everyone, too. It is getting harder for most of the November group to lose weight at the old pace of the early days and you'll have a little jump on everyone when you get restriction. You'll be grateful for that later.

I say, just be glad your Dr. was honest with you and you got a new band. I had another Dr. look at my x-ray and there is no way it should have been diagnosed as unlocked. More tests should have been done. The dr. actually said he thought the Dr. missed my stomach like yours did. Now why he removed instead of just replacing it correctly, I can only guess that where he incorrectly placed the band caused a problem so he removed it OR he just did not want to admit his mistake. I wish I had insisted on a floroscopy, but I trusted the Dr.

I know this is not the place you wanted to be in at this point, you had other expectations, me too. But we just have to deal with what is, not what we want. Bummer, I know.

I have been able to maintain, so far, but losing more is proving to be tough. Everyone here diets after Labor Day ( just like everyone diets on Jan 1st) so perhaps I'll be able to get a few pounds off. I set a low goal for the Halloween challenge but I'd be happy to achieve even a low goal. I just go up and down the same couple pounds, but that's how "normal" people mantain and "normal" is a good thing!

How did your latest fill work out?

That’s true Judy and I thought I was going through bandsters hell the whole time I didn’t have a working band!! I know I need to be patient.

You are definitely in a different place to the rest of the November bandsters and it’s sad that you’ve had to end up without a band.

I don’t understand how your dr can get away with what’s happened. Can’t the other dr help you with taking legal action against your band dr. If he can see that it wasn’t an unlocked band in the xray, then you can push for answers as to what actually happened. I wouldn’t just leave it, it’s worth a try.

We were 2 unlucky bandsters and as we all know it is hard enough doing this with a working band, let alone with one that isn’t. And of course, even worse for you not having one at all now.

I hope you can get to your Halloween goal because it will really help you stay motivated. I’m hoping to reach mine as well.

This fill hasn’t really changed much so I definitely need another one. I will book one for the next couple of weeks and hopefully that one will help me with the challenge. I’m still finding it hard to walk every day like I was doing prior to the second op. I really need to push myself.

Good luck with your mini goal!

[shortgal 5]

Dr's don't really want to get involved helping other patients and no matter what I do I would have to prove serious injury. I know that's not right, but that's the way it is. I haven't completely given up confronting the Dr. with what I have learned, but I'm not ready yet. I am trying to get a little more info first, but in the end it will get me nothing.

I'm learning to accept the things in life we can't change.

I completely understand your lack of motivation. You probably feel like you're just on another diet and having to endure hunger. You're thinking by now your band should have been working and it wouldn't be so hard. I get that. What I would suggest though, is that at some point ( even with restriction) the walking will again be necessary to get or stay at your goal, so keeping in the habit now will help you later. It's winter there, so if weather is a problem i understand, but if that isn't it then just try a little walk and before you know it, you'll be back to your old walks and feeling better about everything.

Well, your twin sister has caught your cold! I have a wicked bad one. Hardly slept all night. Cough and congestion gets really bad when I lay down. I took yesterday off from walking and will take today off too. I hope to walk the rest of the week because we'll be away for the weekend and not sure if I will walk then. We're going to Cape Cod to work on some wedding stuff. I am finding maintaining my weight is going well, losing more, not so good! After the wedding I will work hard during Oct to meet my challenge goal.

Hang in there, things will get better!

[Sades 4]

How's the cold now Judy? I am pretty much back to normal. I have been on a few walks since then but could do a lot more. I am going to start aqua classes again this week. especially since the weather here has warmed up now.

I understand what you mean about drs, they generally stick together. I'm still considering if I want to take any action. I feel that I would have been so much further ahead than I am now if I had been banded correctly in the first place. Hopefully my next fil will help get the weight loss moving again!

How's your weight loss plan going? Keeping the weight off?

[shortgal 5]

Cold is better and I will walk tomorrow. I am maintaining, but everytime I get close to losing a pound we have another big weekend and a few pounds come back, then it takes me a week or two to lose it. So I am holding steady.

We just got back from Cape Cod. We spent the weekend helping with wedding preparations and of course there was too much food! Bagels, cheescake, and cocktails. I didn't weigh myself yet, since coming home, but I predict I'll have three pounds to get off. I just don't get how it could be so easy to gain a few pounds and so hard to lose them.

Hopefully, I can get more serious after the wedding.

It does get harder the longer we try to do this. It's hard to stick to being so strict with yourself for an extended amount of time.

At least you have your band and at some point (soon) you'll get restriction.

Good job on getting back to walking. That is high on my "to do" list this week.

Thanks for checking in with me.

Judy

[Sades 4]

That question has been the bain of every overweight person's life!! I know I don't have good restriction because we had Chinese food last night and I was able to eat a decent plate full of food. Mostly boiled rice with a few prawns and sauce. I notice I get stuck after a couple of mouths full then once that clears, I am able to eat okay. I think I eat faster than I should which is why I get stuck. Of course after that I work on slowing it down. I would love to lose another 10 lbs before my first band anniversary but with the way things are right now, I don't like my chances. I have a fill appointment on 1 October which will give me exactly 1 month to do it. Of course I will be working on it in the meantime.

I have a family situation where there is always food around so I know how hard it is for you to stay on track, especially now that you don't have a band. I think it's great that you are keeping most of your weight off and jumping on it as soon as you put anything on. Good luck on losing more.

I'll catch you later as I have to get ready for work.

[bandpal 7]

Shortgal, good luck with the upcoming wedding- I hope you can enjoy your own production, not always the easiest thing to do. Anyone who looks at you countdown chart knows how long and how hard you have worked and waited for this day, and I'm genuinely excited to see how close it is! With food, I say borrow Diet Coke's slogan - "Do what feels good" , which sometimes might mean holding off and other times digging in.

Wishing you every happiness. You deserve it!

[shortgal 5]

Thanks Bandpal, As the mother of the groom, it is not my "production" and I plan to enjoy every minute, including all the food and drinks.

I have a dress I love ( which feels great). The bride and her mom are very artistic and have added some very nice details to the wedding and ceremony, that I can't wait to see everything all put together.

I will be sure to post a few photos after the event.

Thanks for the well wishes.