Holly Dolly

That's awesome Mis73! Here's a few of my nonscale victories:
1. I can use the smallest towel in the house that no one would use before AND it wraps around me now!
2. My work chair prior to surgery was on the lowest setting with my legs, uncrossed, touching the underside on my desk. Now I am on the highest setting and I CAN cross my legs with room to spare!
3. I can take a bath without filling the water to the top of the tub. Before I filled it to the very top and my belly was still sticking out of the water!
4.My goal was to get into a size 12 pants. I am now the proud owner of 3 pairs of 6's!.
5. The other day a friend of mine saw me on my morning walk with my 2 friends. She asked who was the chubby one lagging behind. This time it wasn't me who was the chubby one and lagging behind!
Today is my 15 months anniversary and I am down 88 pounds. This was the greatest thing I have ever done for myself!

that is 100% correct.
so when i do eat (i make sure i am getting the Protein, veggie stuff in me) and i do drink my shake (like you in the a.m.) i like knowing i have that jump on the protein and I LOVE my shake so i dont mind
the way i see it, my bod has some extra (fat) on me and if it needs to borrow some from my a ss area or thighs, be my guest

reading about people who (keep it super tight) is kinda scary.
i mean do we keep it so tight so we lose weight fast while we cant drink or eat and so on or do we go lose so we can eat properly and help the band?
i choose the latter. and if i am slower to lose, so be it..at least i am not hurting myself. and frankly i have hurt myself enough over the years.

How do you like your band? Tight? Tighter? Tightest?


MORE, MORE, MORE

Americans love MORE: more of anything and everything. More food, more fun, and (for some of us) more fill in our bands. But striving for maximum fill in the effort to achieve maximum weight loss can be a terrible mistake.

Fat folks become obese enough to qualify for bariatric surgery because we’ve been eating more, more, more, so it’s not surprising that bandsters long for more, more, more fill. The tighter the band, the better, right?

Wrong. Here’s why: tighter doesn’t automatically yield more weight loss. It can cause eating problems, side effects and complications that none of us want. It can compromise our quality of life. It can make us miserable when all we hope for from bariatric surgery is a better life.

You’re not impressed by all that? You’re willing to risk everything in the pursuit of skinny? Then try this on for size. A tight band doesn’t guarantee weight loss. Just the opposite: it can stall your weight loss or even make you gain weight.

Do I have your full attention now? Good. Listen up and I’ll explain why tighter isn’t always better.


THE RESTRICTION FALLACY

Traditionally, the adjustable gastric band has been considered a “restrictive” weight loss surgery. Bandsters were taught to look for signs of restriction: the proofs that their bands were working. Instead of paying attention to her own eating behavior and lifestyle, the bandster waited impatiently for the flashing signs, ringing bells and slamming doors that would stop her from overeating. The idea was that the small upper stomach pouch would “restrict” food intake and result in weight loss. Sound familiar?

That was well-intentioned thinking, but it was wrong. In the past 5 or so years, band manufacturers and bariatric surgeons have come to believe that it’s a mistake to eat and eat until you set off your band’s emergency warning system, for the reasons mentioned above. Unfortunately, the re-education process is slow going, and in the meantime, the restriction fallacy lives on. Even now, approximately every third word out of a bandster’s mouth is “restriction”. It’s a catch-all term for the feelings that limit how much a bandster eats. Post-op band life tends to become a quest for enough fills to reach the Holy Land of Restriction. Next stop: Skinnyland.

Or not.


HAZARD AHEAD! THE DANGERS OF SOFT CALORIE SYNDROME

Soft Calorie Syndrome is one of the least publicized dangers of a band that’s too tight. Psychologists would call it a maladaptive behavior, that is: a nonproductive behavior that prevents you from adapting to situations, or changes in yourself or your environment, in a healthy way. It can begin as an attempt to deal with or avoid an unpleasant experience but it does not solve the original problem and eventually becomes dysfunctional. You can read more about maladaptive eating behaviors by clicking here: http://www.bariatricpal.com/page/articles.html/_/healthy-living/is-your-eating-maladaptive-r50
A bandster experiencing Soft Calorie Syndrome is responding to the unpleasant experience of eating with a band that’s too tight by eating the soft and liquid calories that slide most easily past their gatekeeper band. Instead of eating the healthy and solid foods (like dense animal protein, veggies, fruits) that provide the most satiety (both early and prolonged), that person favors easy-to-eat food that’s often junky and high in calories (for example: potato chips, ice cream, milkshakes). Even healthy foods( like yogurt, cottage cheese and, fat-free/sugar-free pudding) can fall into the soft calorie category, and they don’t provide any better satiety than the junky stuff. The net result is that you end up consuming more calories than you need because the soft stuff doesn’t provide enough early and prolonged satiety. And the result of that is a weight loss plateau, or even weight gain.

I discovered the perils of Soft Calorie Syndrome for myself when I traveled to New York City to attend a trade show when I was about 8 months post-op. I had gotten a fill the day before I left, and by the time I got to New York I had realized that my band was too tight for me to tolerate. I couldn’t eat any solid food, so I spent the next 3 days eating soft, high-calorie, low-satiety foods like creamy soups, milkshakes, and ice cream. I was just trying to survive long enough to go home and get an unfill. My maladaptive eating behavior achieved a temporary goal (comfortable survival) while sabotaging my long term goal of losing weight. In fact, I gained weight during that trip and ended up feeling disappointed in myself. I promised myself no more fills on Fridays and no more fills the day before a business trip. I called my surgeon’s every time I suspected my band was too tight and found that even tiny unfills could make all the difference in my quality of life as well as my weight loss.

I know I’m not the only person who’s discovered the perils of Soft Calorie Syndrome. I also know that you’re not alone in believing that more fill is better and that unfills will slow or stall your weight loss. A few months ago I talked about this with a smart and successful bandster named Denise. When her surgeon reacted to her too-tight band by suggesting an unfill of .5 cc, her dazed and frightened face made him reassure her that she could start being re-filled in a month. The month ahead scared her, but she agreed to the unfill, and discovered that rather than returning her to Bandster Hell, it had restored sanity to her eating life. She said, “I was able to eat again. Solids went down easily. Bread was on my menu. Meals lasted me several hours. I didn’t snack because I was able to eat enough to keep me satisfied.”

When Denise went back to her surgeon a month later, he was delighted her hear her say that she didn’t even need a re-fill. She told him, “I can eat anything, but I’m not eating everything.”

And that, my friends, is what healthy eating is all about.

this band saved my life. i was lucky to have a dr who told me (that unless i changed how i eat, and started exercising) no matter what surgery i got, it would not be successful.
i find too many people are seeing this as an easy diet, or easy way out and a miracle and once they have surgery, they are eating like they use too or griping about no restriction or diverting off dr's orders.
you have to help the lap band work.
so if someone wants to get this, they need to change their entire attitude, their life and just want it bad enough to make it happen.
no excuses

Thanks Alex. This site has given me the support I need during this journey. I know with the friends I have here I can continue my lap band journey into maintaining my goal weight.

I honestly could not have done as well as I have with out this site....so many li things I learned here before they came up for me...I am truely greatful for this site !

You guys are so sweet!, I just want to pay it forward becaue I once was new and remember seeing so many people on this board who lost weight and I was on the other side,,.. It was motivating to see so I thought I might be able to help someone!

you are a rockstar!

Wow! Great work! I'm obsessed with the scale too! I can't help it, I weigh every morning!

Several people asked specifically how fast the weight fell off...when I hit plateaus etc.... so I decided to post my weight tracker of my journey from my phone ap. There was no particular way I tracked it... just when ever I thought about it I entered it. I am obsessed with the scale... but the results are worth it. So here it is.... my loss by the numbers...so far
Goal: 160.0 lb Start: 377.0 lb
Date Weight
2-Sep-12 169.0 lb
25-Aug-12 170.0 lb
14-Aug-12 173.0 lb
12-Aug-12 177.0 lb
9-Aug-12 179.0 lb
1-Aug-12 180.0 lb
22-Jul-12 182.0 lb
21-Jul-12 183.0 lb
19-Jul-12 183.0 lb
14-Jul-12 184.0 lb
16-Jun-12 187.0 lb
11-Jun-12 188.0 lb
28-Apr-12 191.0 lb
20-Apr-12 199.0 lb
17-Apr-12 201.0 lb
14-Mar-12 206.0 lb
11-Mar-12 207.0 lb
27-Feb-12 209.0 lb
30-Jan-12 214.0 lb
25-Jan-12 216.0 lb
22-Jan-12 218.0 lb
16-Jan-12 220.0 lb
12-Jan-12 222.0 lb
10-Jan-12 224.0 lb
31-Dec-11 225.0 lb
24-Dec-11 227.0 lb
16-Dec-11 228.0 lb
9-Dec-11 229.0 lb
5-Dec-11 230.0 lb
4-Dec-11 231.0 lb
1-Dec-11 233.0 lb
30-Nov-11 234.0 lb
29-Nov-11 234.0 lb
26-Nov-11 236.0 lb
20-Nov-11 237.0 lb
28-Oct-11 241.0 lb
27-Oct-11 241.0 lb
24-Oct-11 245.0 lb
21-Oct-11 247.0 lb
19-Oct-11 249.0 lb
27-Sep-11 252.0 lb
19-Sep-11 254.0 lb
12-Sep-11 255.0 lb
9-Sep-11 257.0 lb
7-Sep-11 259.0 lb
31-Aug-11 261.0 lb
30-Aug-11 262.0 lb
22-Aug-11 264.0 lb
15-Aug-11 266.0 lb
12-Aug-11 267.0 lb
4-Aug-11 268.0 lb
2-Aug-11 269.0 lb
30-Jul-11 270.0 lb
29-Jul-11 271.0 lb
27-Jul-11 272.0 lb
26-Jul-11 273.0 lb
23-Jul-11 274.0 lb
14-Jul-11 275.0 lb
8-Jul-11 277.0 lb
5-Jul-11 279.0 lb
4-Jul-11 280.0 lb
2-Jul-11 281.0 lb
25-Jun-11 282.0 lb
15-Jun-11 283.0 lb
11-Jun-11 284.0 lb
9-Jun-11 285.0 lb
7-Jun-11 286.0 lb
29-May-11 287.0 lb
28-May-11 288.0 lb
26-May-11 289.0 lb
19-May-11 291.0 lb
14-May-11 293.0 lb
10-May-11 295.0 lb
9-May-11 297.0 lb
6-May-11 298.0 lb
30-Apr-11 299.0 lb
28-Apr-11 300.0 lb
21-Apr-11 301.0 lb
17-Apr-11 302.0 lb
12-Apr-11 305.0 lb
13-Mar-11 308.0 lb
11-Mar-11 309.0 lb
8-Mar-11 311.0 lb
6-Mar-11 312.0 lb
4-Mar-11 313.0 lb
27-Feb-11 316.0 lb
16-Feb-11 318.0 lb
13-Feb-11 319.0 lb
11-Feb-11 320.0 lb
9-Feb-11 321.0 lb
5-Feb-11 322.0 lb
29-Jan-11 324.0 lb
20-Jan-11 326.0 lb
16-Jan-11 327.0 lb
15-Jan-11 328.0 lb
12-Jan-11 329.0 lb
5-Jan-11 332.0 lb
1-Jan-11 334.0 lb
31-Dec-10 334.0 lb
9-Dec-10 352.0 lb
24-Nov-10 377.0 lb

I always look up the restaurant online and look on the menu. Most restaurants that I go to have the nutritional info on there. I know ahead of time what I am going to have to eat.

oops, I didn't see your recent band date. I thought you had the band a longer time. You are healing!

You were just banded on August 24. The first 4-6 weeks after surgery are for healing, not losing. My best advice would be to put the scale away until you are at least back on solid foods and try to make good food choices in the meantime. It's not at all uncommon for people not to lose during the healing process or even gain a little.
Hang in there and be patient as your body heals

Avo's are very healthy but they are also full of calories. Normally a serve of avo is 1/4 of a small one. They are definitely not an unlimited veggie.

They are truly amazing, I could eat them all the time -- but let's admit it, they are full of fat, even if it's the good kind. I doubt they would count as an "unlimited veggie." I was told just greens, mushrooms, and tomatoes.
I would ask your doctor.....but you might not like the answer!

I've lost 46lbs and I have to say this week has been the most noticeable week yet!

You will have people support you in this battle and say nice things to encourage you. I have a few co-workers that have been my support from day one and God Love them because when I had no weight loss for a few weeks, they noticed my clothes hanging on me. And you will have co-workers that say NOTHING because they either are jealous or oblivious to seeing you lose 50-60 pounds. Whatever is going on, keep in mind this is a journey for you for what your reasons are, not what other people notice or think. I have been a yo yo dieter my whole life and at the ripe old age of 59, I GET IT! This is about me and I am happy with losing 88 pounds and being a size 10! No more meds and I feel like 29 all over again. The first 50 years I pleased everybody else, now this last 50 years is all about ME! Whoppppeeee!!!

I had intended to take a pic of myself on the 9th of every month...so I could watch my progress... I didnt but I think it would be cool to see.

great job girl!!! I was only down 18 pounds in 2 months!

I do Protein Shakes and it's just not enough. I even tried chicken broth and everything that I had pre-op that would make me full but for some reason i'm starving. I called my doctor and he told me to eat some yogurt and if I had to I could have some pureed food but not to over do it. But now i'm scared to even have pureed food because of me stretching my stomach this early on
Now clam cowder doesn't it have chunks, because that's my favorite Soup and I could live on that!!
o and good job on your guys weight lose!!!! makes me know I did the right decision!

I totally agree! Don't sweat the small stuff! Clothes can always hide the loose skin and scars! I plan on working my spandex under my clothes and being PROUD of it!! Lmbo! People will only be able to see the happier more healthy you!! Good luck on your journey!

i think as long as you lose (slower) and with your age, i am sure the stretch/sagging wont be bad. but like one poster said, what is the big deal?
id rather have saggy skin and some stretch marks than be an obese person.
all the best.

I agree with RobinGirl... you are so young sweetie that your skin will likely snap right back. Don't wait until your in your 40's.. (like me) and look back and realize how much better it would have been to do this before age got the better of you. You have your whole life to live... be proud of your scars.. those that are visible.. and those that are not. They are what mold you into the person you are. ROCK THOSE SCARS GIRL!

if your port has broke through the skin, sounds like a medical necessity to me. Are they not going to fix it for you?