JaGo

After my clinic appt on Friday, I was told (and have been told before) by them that statistically, losing 40-50 lbs within a year is considered the norm and very successful, and that any more than that within a year is a bonus. Though that's encouraging, I had a personal goal for 100 lbs in a year. I'm thinking now that I may have shot too high - in that case I will revise my goal so that I am not fretting over losing original goal weight within a year. I will continue, however, until that goal is reached. By being too hard on ourselves, can sometimes bring disappointment (and maybe even emotional or stress eating - it has in my case) so let's not do that to ourselves. It feels good knowing that you all are still out there and willing to continue dialogue about this fantastic journey that we are all on together!! May God continue to bless us all!!

Topazz, just read your post, you have inspired me! Im at 215. Gained 3 lbs. Looking forward to getting under 200 as Im sure we're all looking forward too. Staying in touch is so helpful to me. Nov 2010 group, can we do that? We really do need each other!! We have been on the same journey so it would be cool for us to keep track of each other until we reach our goal. Then we can help others reach theirs!

I tell you, there is nothing sweet about a stuck episode - so in answer to your question, no, that is not the sweet spot. The sweet spot is when you eat just enough, then have the sensation of satiety or being satisfied for a few hrs. Being stuck generally occurs (as in my case) when you dont chew thoroughly, eat too fast or you eat something that doesnt agree with the band. It will get stuck in the stoma area (above the band) and then backs up (oh the pain)! This is the reason we're told not to sit in front of TV because we wont pay enough attention to chewing. I have lost 50 lbs since Nov 22 and should be further along, but have been distracted. If I exercise discipline, then I can progress because though I am tight, emotionally I still want to eat. At this point its all abt discipline for me. I have clinic tomorrow and will share myndownfalls so I can get back on track. I dont need another fill or I may get stuck all the time because it will be too tight.

MommaB, Any update on your progress and journey? Are you closer to a surgery date yet? JaGo

I turned 60 years old on July 3. My surgery was Nov 22, 2010. As others have shared, it's good to connect with those in this age range. My surgery was successful with no complaints. After 5 fills now, I am beginning to feel significant restriction. I need to get back to exercising and I know the weight will come off even faster. I do not regret one bit my choice and am happy to be feeling much healthier!!! No more high blood pressure, my knees feel better as well as my lower back!!!

The advice the above two individual suggested is good advice. By all means, don't panic and try not to think about gastric bypass, give the band a chance to help you. You've done the right thing, now let it work for you as you do what you need to do. Going back to the doctor will help get you back on track. If you don't feel comfortable telling people about your surgery, then don't tell them - the results will show up soon enough (and you still don't have to tell them if you don't want to)!!

Jenn, I see myself in you - a couple of months ago, the scale wouldn't budge for me either and it does tend to make you feel as you've described. As I looked at your progress, I found it to be amazing!! You ARE doing so well, sometimes we just need to tweak what we've been doing. My last fill has been doing the trick. At first I thought I was too tight because I couldn't keep anything down. But soon learned that I since being tighter, I had to readjust how I was eating and eat much slower and chew much longer. Until I learned this (after upchucking for 2 weeks), I was miserable. You're doing great and have come so far. You are to be congratulated - keep up the good work - despite what the scale says. You probably just needed a little encouragement to hang in there. Let me know how things are after your fill. But remember, take it easy and you may have to chew longer with the new fill. Lastly, you are correct in saying that this journey is not easy, but it is doable and WE CAN DO IT - we just need some support every now and then - we can thank God for this forum!!! Jago

Christine, I visited your blog and was especially Enlightened by your menu plan. I am going to try the 6 small meals to see how it will work for me; including drinking Water strategically. You have a right to be proud of the hard work you put in. the results are undeniable!! I really appreciated your honesty that you were not perfect in this journey - helps gives credence to your success to those who think they can't do it - with a little (or a lot of) discipline, yes they (WE) can!! You are inspiriing and thank you so much for sharing your personal story! One day (this year) I plan to be a success story for sharing as well!!! JaGo

This question and initial response was very helpful to me because I too feel the need for counseling. Focusing on losing the weight is one thing, how you feel about yourself and the excess weight is quite another. Sometimes it's much bigger than how we approach food and staying on a healthy eating plan. Sometimes we also need a healthy mind plan. Getting to the root of our "addiction" would be a well-rounded plan. I thought that I needed to find someone versed in WLS patients, but you are right, they don't have to specialize in that - they may only need to hone in on what's "eating" you. I will start my search there!! Thanks to the both of you!!

The good thing about this site is that you find people like yourself who are going through the same thing. I too have lost 45lbs and am just now beginning to see significant changes in my wardrobe. Some things have become way too big, others just a little, and others not at all. I do know that clothing makers don't all use the samemeasurement to size, and a 20 could come in varying sizes. I finally got into a pair of jeans that I have had for over 10 years. I didn't wear them long way back then so they still look new. I am so excited! I need to work on tightening up my stomach muscles - I'm sure you all know how things can start hanging - making your belly look bigger in clothes. Sit-ups...here I come?!!!

19 pounds and counting before I hit "onederland." That seems so far away, but that is an obtainable goal that I look forward to. I should have been under 214 to date, but I too had some setbacks with life. I gave myself an goal of being at my halfway mark by May 22, then June 22 (won't quite make that either). I pushed it back again to my birthday on July 3 to be at least 214. I need to stay on target with my goals so that I will have lost 100 pounds by my surgery anniversary date of Nov 22. I will report back here when I reach ONDERLAND!!!

Hi! I was banded Nov 22, 2010. I am so impressed with your weight loss in 2 years!! That is so amazing!! I'd love to be a part of a Chicago support group. You are correct about trying to talk about it with those (though supportive) who don't really understand what you're dealing with. I've been at plateau for a few weeks because I recently had some major changes in my life and I've been more focused on that. I want to get back on track and a supportive boost would be helpful. How do we do this?

Hey everybody! Especially the Nov 2010 folks!! I haven't heard from this group in a very long time and am glad you all posted!! I am doing well and although my surgery was Nov 22, 201, I started changing my eating habits in September. So I've lost 40 lbs since Sept. My goal is 50lbs by May 22 and the other 50 by Nov 22, 2011. I have had 3 fills and the last one in March was .5 and I finally began to notice a small difference. She initially put in 1cc, but didn't swallow the Water easily so she took half of it out. That was probably a good thing. I am hoping that the next fill will get me to that "sweet spot" that I hear about. I'm still learning everyday how to eat, excercise, and live healthier. I went to church today and saw a woman who I knew had the surgery 5 years ago at the same hospital I went to and she looks the same. She told me that she was so disappointed in her surgery and that it didn't work for her. Now she's planning to have gastric bypass. Recalling her conversation after her initial surgery, I could tell that she wasn't doing right by it or eating properly. She even mentioned how she was throwing up and food was getting stuck. That is an indication that she was probably eating the wrong things. I didn't have the heart to tell her that she's got to play an active part in her weight loss. We went to the same hospital and talked so negatvely about them. I kinda felt insulted because they have been a good support to me. Maybe things were different then and more improved now. I felt sorry for her but she seems to have her mind made up for the bypass. She wants to call me to talk about it, but I know that she will be very negative and I'm not looking forward to that. I will not try to talk her out of it because she's got to be committed to her own success first! Anyway...again, it is good to hear from my November-sisters!! Let's keep in touch with our progress. You all have been an inspiration to me and helped me very much. It is something very special about keeping in touch with those had the surgery around the same time.

I've had 2 fills and 2 different experiences. I was nervous about my first one and had seen them demonstrated on You Tube. Each doctor did it differently; some with and without anesthetic. Mine was done without anesthetic and was virtually painless! I was so surprised. Her technique made all the difference in the world. However, when I had my second one, she was rushing because she had a full schedule and squeezed me in; resulting in her technique being less than perfect and it hurt a bit. I will make sure she takes her time next time. As far as what you should wear, it's not like when you had surgery and had to wear loose clothing to not irritate the incisions. Just wear something easily accessible to get to the port - probably a top and bottom rather than a one-piece dress, that's all. You should be fine!!

Honk, I appreciate the sentiment however, I think that sometimes people honestly don't know what to say or do when they see their friends struggling with weight. I've put my foot in my mouth all too often myself! My friend truly is a very dear friend, and she probably just thought that that was okay. She doesn't have a malicious bone in her body; however, she obviously didn't know how to handle talking with me about such a personal matter and thought I might welcome the DVD's. As disasterous as that was for me, she meant well.

It's good to see posts from the Nov 2010 group! I had been looking in the Nov 22, 2010 surgery group and it has slowed down. Glad to see folks are busy here. Though I am down by 32 pounds, when I took a 3-month photo of myself (felt smaller), and compared it with my BEFORE photo, I was surprised to see that I looked BIGGER! I decided that I wouldn't take another photo until the halfway mark on May 22. My goal is to be down by 50 pounds. Ultimate goal is to lose a total of 100 pounds by my surgery anniversary date (Nov 22). When I feel my thighs, I notice a difference, but visually - not yet. I'm trying to be patient. I'm realizing that when you're large, 32 pounds may not show as much as you think it will! Ha-ha!!

Okay, I'd love to e-chat for support in Chicago as well. Had my surgery at Mercy Hospital and must say, that my experience was very positive! I've been working with the dietian to help build up the monthly support group meetings. I just started attending in January and attendance has been low. If you are interested in helping to build this group up, the next meeting is on the 1st Tuesday in March @ 6p in the Doctor's Office Center - Auditorium. Okay, now that we've all expressed our hearty ethusiasm to connect here... LET'S DO IT!! Ready...? Set...? Post...!!!

You are to be congratulated on your successful weight loss and lifestyle changes! You have and ARE accomplishing a major personal goal and no one can take that away from you! As I read the different responses and experiences posted here, it made me realize that although we are determined to meet our goals come what may, unfortunately, our loved ones and friends may not be up to hearing about it for varying reasons. We have made a decision to commit to this lifestyle change, and others are not there yet. Look how long it may have taken us to come to this decision. My sister and I live together as caregivers for my elderly mom. My sister is very overweight too. Every now and then, she will comment on my weight loss, but as she watches me measure my foods and choose healthily, she comments, "I just can't be doing that." I know she isn't ready mentally to make a change, so I don't share with her - she see's my progress and jokingly makes comments about her own weight. There was a time (not too long ago) that I wasn't ready either. For these very reasons is why for the most part, I keep my successes to myself or share here with other Bandsters. Unfortunately, the ones closest to you may not support you - not necessarily because they just don't want to, but because they can't deal with their own overweight demons. That's the reality. Until they are ready to talk about it, for myself, I let "sleeping dogs lie." There was a time I wasn't ready to talk about my own weight. One year, I had a slim friend who for Christmas gave me a set of weight loss DVD's to "Walk off the Pounds." She never knew it, but I was so offended by that, and cried my heart out for days. She meant well, but I wasn't ready for that; especially since we had never discussed the subject together. Needless to say, I never used them and recently donated them to GoodWill (it still pains me when I think about it).

Your post is an inspiration and something for many of us who are a distance from it can look forward to. Everytime I lose 2 pounds within a week, I feel just like you do!! I can't imagine how much more enthusiastic I will be when I reach onderland!!!

I must confess,occassionally I have given in to my hunger at night and added unexpectedly to my planned food intake. The good news is that I keep healthy choices in the house that are low carb so the damage to my calorie budget is minimal. If I get in enough protein, veggies, and fruits during the day, I stand a better chance of not going overboard at nite too much. If and when I do go over the limits that I've set for myself based on my doctor's recommendations, then I'm that much more careful immediately the next morning. Every day is full of challenges and the opportunity to exercise discipline - which many times takes practice...and as they say, practice makes perfect! I'm learning to be kind and patient with myself and trust that the weight will come off. Since I didn't pack it on all at once, I cannot be in an unrealistic state of mind to think that this weight will melt off all at once. To quote: "Let patience have her perfect work." Be encouraged; we all need it!

Janet, I have tossed foods as well. Quick way to get it out of the house! You are an inspiration and a proven success story that being focused pays off. Thanks for sharing your positive experiences that this thing works. I'm getting there.

IndioGirl, your responses were very well put and full of wisdom; you are truly an inspiration to me! My name is Janet too! I could relate to everything you were saying. I am just now really getting into a good niche of discipline. I agree that many times our "hunger" is in our heads. If we eating properly and let it settle, our stomachs will tell us that we are satisfied. Many times I too have food struggles late at night. The first I do to combat this - since I know it occurs - is to keep healthy choices in the house. I don't live alone, so that's not always convenient, but I am using my best weapon... DISCIPLINE! Yes, there are occasions where I have eaten what I shouldn't have, but like you, I got a wake up call and had to tell myself that I didn't come this far to fail now! It's an uphill battle for sure, and one of the hardest things I've had to do, yet I tell myself that I'm worth it!! My goal is to be healthy, and at 59 years old (60 in July) - if not now, when? I look forward to being active again and wearing form-fitting clothes and not cover ups. No more plus size and maybe at some point, I'll work up the nerve to get back into a bathing suit (that may be going a bit far)! To all of us who are on this journey...struggling or not... CONGRATULATIONS AND KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK - IT WILL PAY OFF SOON ENOUGH!!

Hi Brenda, it's a pleasure to meet you too! I'm from Chicago and was banded 11/22/10. It really is great that you have your hubby as a partner who is in this with you and that you all are working out together. Support is a wonderful thing. I have a little support around me but it's not strong enough for my needs, but I am thankful for every little bit I can get! To Liese, have you spoken to your doctor's office about the painfulness? Did they instruct you how consuming clear fluids for a couple of days? You should really follow-up with them. To Jen, congratulations on losing the 20 pounds. Don't be too hard on yourself. That's what folks tell me too! For me, I started very slowing too (and still think it's slow), but I noticed when I would exercise (mostly the treadmill x 30 mins) and drank plenty of Water, the weight seemed to come off easier. As of now, I've lost 30 pounds and am watching and measuring, and logging everything I eat and do. Believe it or not, that makes a difference too. When you see what you've consumed it helps what and how much you decide to eat. Hang in there and keep us posted!! Lastly, I've had one fill so far - on Jan 13 - 2.5cc in a 10c band. The procedure was painless!! JaGo

I am so glad that I found this thread because I had been keeping a manual food intake log, and sometimes it can get quite time-consuming to log your food intake properly. I record amounts, calories, carbs, protein, and sodium. When you see the results in black and white, it makes a big difference in how you make your food choices. This past week, I had been got a bit slack in logging my intake and missed a few days. This thread has encouraged me to get back to it! My log also tracks my water intake, whether or not I took my vitamin, exercise type and duration, and gives an at glance grand total of the areas that I'm tracking. Since I don't have a phone with apps, I'm wondering if it would be easier to track it online rather than manually. I will check that out!! Needless to say, this is a disciplined life, and I'm realizing that if I want to see good results, then I have to put in the time and effort!

Lyssa1972, You mentioned that you had a fill on Jan 17 and seemed to be struggling, well how are things going now, has the fill made a difference for you? Are you eating properly and is it better for you yet? JaGo