FLORIDAYS

My dr is Will Aquila in Hyde Park in Tampa ..... I would recommend him to you want an honest straight foreword approach to the band

Here are some new pics... I can't find where the photos are on this new format yet.... But these were taken a few weeks ago......

congrats on making the choice to change your life!! Remember to stay focused on The end result.... It's a lifetime commitment and it won't happen over night. It took me 22 months to lose 227 lbs! Follow your doctors orders to the letter.... Track the calorie count of everything you put in your mouth and just learn to become one with your band. It will happen I promise. Best of luck to you!

I have been maintaining for about 6 months now... and you are right...you need to watch every bite you put in your mouth.... in so much as mentally tracking calories. I resigned myself to the belief that if I dont I will regain the weight. However with a properly filled band I am finding it much easier then any other time I got off a diet! Knowing the body weight fluctuates a few pounds here and there, My rule of thumb is now... if I stay more than 3 pounds up from my comfortable weight ... I eat like a perfect bandster until I lose it... which usually takes a few days.

One of my co workers took this pic last week at my birthday celebration... as you see they found me the smallest cake in the world. But when I looked at the picture I noticed there really is a space between my legs which I have seen before but seeing it in a casual pic is pretty eye opening. I know I have lost alot of weight... but as crazy as it sounds... sometimes I cannot wrap my head around it and still feel like the biggest girl in the room. I am trying hard to think like a thin person and I am not looking for sympathy so if you think I should shut up and pound sand I get that. At 5'9" and 153 lbs, wearing a size 10 shoe.... I am not petite... and I never will be....I guess maybe that is what I need to start accepting it. I am curious if any other tall galls dealt with this body image issue?

For me I had to diet. I know it's not the popular vote on this site but I had to treat my losing stage like a diet.... And a strict one because i needed to see a continual loss or I wouldn't have had the patience I did for 22 months. Now that I am maintaining the band works as it should I can eat sweets and luxury food as I call it... Just not that much. And after so long eating right quite frankly I don't crave the crap very often. I stuck to 1000 calories a day and weighted and measured food like an addict. It worked .... I lost 224 lbs in less than 2 years. I wish you success and the motivation to learn to become one with your band.

Interesting... I had no idea... Thanks for the insight

Boy do I need one of those but would be scared to death.... I cannot wait to hear your story. I am thrilled with my new tummy and breasts... But my butt is so saggy.....

My favorite mushies were tuna, hummus, cottage cheese, sugar free pudding, mashed potatoes, apple sauce and potato salad without celery.

Not me but I would be curious to know why someone would need the band after having bypass.

Its not that I don't believe you...it just seems unusual. Is there a medical reason you may not be losing? Might it be possible that you are forgetting to write down liquid calories? Are you tracking every thing going in to your mouth except toothpaste? If so Do you weigh and measure your food? Are you drinking 64 oz of water every day? If you are doing all of that I would make an appointment with your bariatric dr and see if he can't help you solve this issue.

The best thing you could do would be to get on the scale. It's a reality check for one thing and the numbers don't lie... So it should be motivation to get back on track. I avoided the scale for 50 years and it got me to 377 lbs.... Just saying

I was on the same calorie amount....worked like a charm.

It depends on your income.... I was able to claim mine in 2010 as a medical deduction. Check with your accountant to be sure. Or if you are doing it yourself... Most software will figure out the amount you need to have spent based on income to determine if you can take the deduction.

If you want to lose weight before you have restriction you need to watch your portions and calories. Once you have restriction a cup of food should fill you up. But for each meal three times per day I used the following formula every day for 22 months and lost all my weight....3 oz protien, 1/2 c veggies, 1/4 c starch

My BP was creeping up..but I had not been put on any meds yet... I was headed in that direction if I didn't do something about my weight. They did my surgery even with the high BP...140/92. Today my BP averages 110/70 My husband is average weight but had high BP... His went doesn't about a month after going on his meds.

I lost 224 lbs in 22 months and I didn't have to restructure my anatomy. For me the band was a great choice. The sleeve may have worked just as well but it wasn't something I was interested in. No matter what WLS surgery you choose, you must be dedicated to following the rules your dr puts in place. They are only there for your success.

For me the first 2 weeks I wasnt counting so much because I had no appetitie and would have force myself to drink my shakes and other liquids. After that... it was 1000 calories each and every day for 22 months

I was on 1000 calories a day post op.... I tried not to go below that but all drs are different. You have lost 10 lbs in a few weeks... I would say that pretty darn good! Stick with it!