FLORIDAYS

You may find this amusing.... we were in Jamaica a few weeks ago... and I went into Margaritaville in Ocho Rios with the full intent of drinking a real authentic Margarita for the first time since last November! I ordered it... and it tasted amazing... calories and all... but it took me almost an hour to finish it... and I had a buzz off that one little drink which rivaled nothing I ever experienced.... It was quite funny according to my husband... So now I am back to ordering a glass of whie if I get the urge every so often and sipping on it until its warm... then adding ice. I am good for the night. LOL

Well then drink up! As you will find on this forum... everyone has their own thing that works for them. Congrats on finding yours! Best of luck to you!

You body is still healing. Its a fact that most people dont lose much in the healing stage. Its yur body being protective of the fat. However make sure you are following your Dr orders to the letter. I have eaten (or drank) no more than 1000 -1100 calories of the "proper food groups" for the past 11 months. I write down everything that goes in my mouth. Even during the plateaus I still did the same thing... and the weight will come off eventually.

Yes it has stopped in my case.... but I am 11 months post op, have had 5 fills and am finally in the green zone. Before that it was sheer will power that got me through.... well that and sugar free popsicles...

Just an FYI.. I love Margaritas but they have a huge amount of calories... like 200-400. The skinny girl margarita's taste horrible in my opinion... But the Jose Cuervo 90 calorie ones are pretty decent over crushed ice with some Water. That said... being a few weeks into your journey is the concern here for me. Not a cocktail. To be successful you need to stay focused on the goal and stick with a good eating plan. Alcohol isnt part of a good eating plan in this stage of your journey no matter how you try to justify it.... 6 months from now I am all about indulging one in a while...but for now it would be my advice to drink water from a pretty glass and feel better about yourself for displaying the willpower that you are going to need every single day to be successfull. I am not a Dr or RN... so I dont know what medical reasons there would be not to drink.... I am just giving you my first hand opinion about choices. And I should know. I spent ALL of the holiday season last year on liquids. I started my pre op liquid the day before T-giving and had my first mushy food on New Years Day. I attended 4 holiday parties, a company dinner and cooked for Thanksgiving and Christmas. I found will power I didnt know I had. I hope you can too.

Something my surgeon discussed with me is that he has seen many marriages go through tough times when the spouse goes through a drastic change such as losing an enormous amount of weight. He specifically asked me if my spouse was on board. I will be honest to tell you that I thought he was crazy...why would hubby with no weight issues (he is 6"1 / 200 lbs) leave me or vice versa after 20+ years because I was finally thin? 11 months later I still have a good marriage.... however I will tell you that while I know my husband is very proud of my accomplishments thus far... he has shown signs of sabotage just like my Dr suggested might happen. He has said... come on... its Friday night... have a drink or lets go out for ice cream and the ever popular... You arent fun anymore...all you do is think about your "diet". All of that is odd because I will happily go but then I just do not induldge... These comments have hurt me but I have taken them for what they are and taken the high road by displaying love and iunderstanding. I have in fact told him the comments are selfish and hurtful since he is the one who encouraged me to make a change in my life so I would be around for us to live in old age bliss.... but I know that this is hard on him (I dont really understand why it would be but I'll give it the benefit of the doubt) and that I appreciate his support. I have asked him if he is unhappy with the new me and he isnt.... so I can just formulate that he is jealous of the attention or maybe the focus on how much I have lost by others and I try to make up fo it by giving him more reassurance and attention. This journey is all about you. Yes it touches your family and relationships so sometimes you just need to remember to make him the focus of your attentions alwhile you are focusing on yourself. Its what we women do.

I wish I could tell you a medical reason but the only thing I can think of is that I had so much weight to lose it just came off pretty rapidly. Now that I am with in 80 lbs of my goal its coming off about 1-2 lbs per week instead of 2-3. I think everyone is different... I am sure you will have great sucess! Thanks for the congrats... I appreciate it.

thanks so much! I have no secret.... I just followed my Dr's orders to the letter. I track every morsal I put in my mouth using my phone ap (fatsecret) and stick to 1000 clories per day which because I am eating the right kind of food fills me up quite well. I didnt cheat at all and saw him monthly for weigh ins... Now he is weaning me to every 2 months which scares me a little since I still have 80 lbs to go.... but I will just keep doing what I am supposed to.

He is strict.... but he listens which I find paramount in a Dr. I just saw him yesterday..... I am very happy he is my Dr. I love being successful for him... and me too.

I never had that trouble. I wore a bra home from the hospital. Maybe you should try a sports bra for comfort over the next few weeks.....

You may want to buy a pill cutter at your pharmacy... they are around $5... I am not much of a pill taker but recently needed to take a round of pills for an ailment and I found cutting them in 3rds worked out just fine.

In 81 more lbs I will have lost 217 lbs.... Its been 11 months for me and actually almost a year if you count the pre op 2 week liquid.... That may seem like a long time but considering my Dr told me it would take 2 1/2 yrs I am well ahead of schedule. I am expecting to be at my goal by May 2012! Dont let the number overwhelm you. I know from experience what a downer that is. Just take it 10 lbs at a time.

I was banded 11 months ago on 12/9/2010 and have lost 136 lbs. I have 81 lbs to go. I have had 4 fills and I am in the green zone. The biggest challenge now is that the weight is coming off more slowly.... so I just need to find some patience and take it 10 lbs at a time.

I too am self pay.... and I smoke 1/2 pack per day and I had a fill this morning...... My Dr would prefer that I didnt smoke (one thing at a time doc...LOL) but he told me it will not hurt the band in any way. As long as they do not test your blood they wont know you smoke.... you can go that route or just find a new Dr.

I was on liquid for 3 weeks until I was allowed to move to mushies.... and if you count the 2 week pre op... that is a total of 5 weeks. I didnt cheat once. It was the hardest thing I had ever done. And I started my pre op liquid the day before Thanksgiving!!!! But I wanted NO complications.... so I followed the Dr's orders...I had mashed potatos on New Years day and 11 months later I am a success story! My advice...follow your Dr's orders and do not cheat.Best of luck

It took me about 6 weeks....

This isnt the popular reply....but I can tell you that I have lost all this weight so far with out one bit of formal exercise. I KNOW I need to start something so just in the past month or so I try to walk about 2 miles per day...but I am busy with work and find every reason why I dont have time so I cannot even count it. I really need to improve in this area. Its my downfall. I started my pre op liquid last year the day BEFORE Thanksgiving.... was banded on 12/9 and my first mushie food was mashed potatoes on New Years day. I have a 10cc band... and I think there is 4-5ccs in there now.... but my Dr tells me it does evaporate so its not an exact #. I had my first fill in February... 2 months post op. It took about 3 fills to feel decent restriction. I had my last fill in AUgust and I am READY for another... I go on Monday. Congrats on getting on the other side....You will do just fine!

Well even with my height I was a 55 BMI. I am currently a 35 I think.... 2/3rds of the way there....

I started this journey 11 months ago... At 377 lbs and I have been eating 1000 calories per day since the beginning. I am losing an average of 2 lbs per week currently, am not starving and have a very healthy lifestyle. I have 80ish more lbs to go.... although at almost 5'10" I am looking pretty good these days. Please follow your Dr's advice.... but you know your body... so do what I did... when he told me 1800 calories per day I told him I have dieted enough of my life to know the weight will not come off quickly and I will become frustrated. He agreed to me being at 1000 and he monitors me monthly to make sure I am not lacking in any nutrients. Sadly I have a very slow metabolism so until I start a vigerous exercise program... I need to really limit my calorie intake. As more weight falls off I plan to do just that... then maybe I can eat a little more.

I have been on my journey for only 11 months.... but I started @ 377... I am not at 200 yet... but you can click on my profile picsanyway as its close..... I am 5"9 1/2.... size 10 feet. I am a true pear shape.... I am currently a size L on top and XL or 18 on the bottom. I have lost 136 lbs. I know exactly the way you are feeling... So I took my before, my down 90 lbs and down 120 pic and put them side by side. That kinda opened up a whole new way of thinking. But I am still in need of losing the last 80 lbs.... so I am not there yet...but I can see the light.

I had a out patient procedure last week.... and had to put on a hospital gown. The nurse handed it to me... I realized I didnt have the mental anguish of wondering if it was going to fit. Which it did of course.... and even tied in the back. I just stood there grinning. I let my husband in on my thoughts and he just laughed.... Then as we were leaving a few hours later as per hospital protocol I had to be escorted out in a wheelchair.... and it wasnt the big girl wheel chair... it was just a regular one. Both of those NSV just helped me sail through my minor procedure....

I have read all the explanations and logical reasoning.... but still cannot tell you why it happens.... we have all been through it.... and you never know when they will happen.... just keep doing what you are supposed to be doing and you will get through it. I found if I upped my Water intake that tends to shorten them. The longest one I had was 2 weeks.... but I stayed on my 1000 calories per day and then one day I was down 5 lbs and losing at a decent pace again. All the best to you....

thanks for the kind words Joan.... Of course I am very happy about my loss... I just want the rest of it to be gone NOW so I can start shopping for something other than dispossable clothes. Obviously....I have no patience to speak of. LOL Good luck with the repositioning surgery. I am sure you will be well on your way sooner than you can imagine.

I cannot feel the band by touch or feel. But I sure know its there doing its job....like most others I can feel the port.

*Fitting in a seat on an airplane and being able to buckle the seatbelt *not hearing.... but you have such a pretty face when discussing weight *Having a tool to help me control my weight forever *being able to sit in a regular chair w/o worrying if it will hold me *not ALWAYS being the largest person in a group *being able to shop in regular stores *not feeling bloated all the time * over all health benefits including normal blood pressure *being able to walk from the house to the car without sweating *fitting in the dentist chair *using a normal scale instead of the ones for above 300 lbs *being able to wear a normal sized bracelet or watch