Dibley Dawn

today is one year banded for me. i've lost 100 pounds and the nsv's are amazing. -i had to change my car seat location to move it forward. my seat belt is no longer super tight on me, so i can move when i'm strapped in -i no longer neat a seat belt extension on flights! that was a huge nsv for me. -i walk and walk and walk and don't get tired the way i used to, so i can keep up with my friends. -i can sit in my chair at work and my legs aren't forced into the seat. the armrests of the chairs don't leave marks on me any longer ....the same with movie theatre seats -i can cross my legs comfortably -i have gone from a size 28 in tops/30 in bottoms to a size 16 in tops/18 in bottoms. i haven't been this size since high school. on a side note, i have been going through my closets and cleaning them out. i ran across a box dated 6 years ago that i had made a note on that read "do not open unless you lose 50 pounds". in this box, i had some of my favorite skirts and tops from 6 years ago. well, i opened the box this past weekend and the clothes in it are now TOO BIG for me. I have surpassed my "skinny clothes" box. HUGE NSV for me. -I used to wear XXXL and XXXXL t-shirts. now i can wear XL and some L sized shirts. I can even wear some of my DH's t-shirts...not that he's happy about me wearing his clothes, but I can! -My DH who was initially against me having this surgery because he was happy with the way I was feels like he has a new wife. I have energy to do all the things he likes to do, i.e. museums, riding bikes, taking walks, just being together. He has been a huge support and comfort to me this past year and I'm glad that he has a healthier wife to spend time with! there so many NSV's, it's difficult to name them all. they have kept me going even when the scale itself wasn't moving.

you can totally do 50 pounds by new year's. it is absolutely attainable......and thanks, i plan to enjoy my cruise to the fullest...and possibly drop a few more pounds by then.

Thanks for the kind words everyone! I'll try to answer your questions... @humming bird My 100 pound reward you ask? Well, when I lost 50 pounds, I decided that I could probably lose more, so I booked a cruise for my DH and myself. In September, we will be going this cruise, and not only that, but we will be doing some activities that have a weight limit. I am under that weight limit now, so that's what has really kept me motivated...knowing that if i don't get under a certain weight I won't be able to do a certain activity, and i want to enjoy our cruise with wild abandon. @phatkatblue, sunshyne068, & letubu- thanks for the congratulations. very kind of y'all @brlgirl- I haven't had any fills because I haven't needed them. When i go for doctors appointments, they weigh me and see that i'm on track and ask me about my eating habits and if i feel i'm eating too much or too little. I feel that I am in my personal green zone and therefore don't feel as if I need fills. They won't make me get them if i don't think i need them. @SashaWLS- you can do it. don't put too much pressure on yourself, don't look at the scale every single day, allow yourself a day to "cheat" or eat what might not be the best food choices, drink lots and lots and lots of Water

Today is my 1 year bandiversary and I am 100 pounds from where I was a year ago. I never thought I could lose that much weight in one year, even with the band. I thought I would be successful and feel better if I could lose just 50 pounds, and when I lost 50 pounds I DID feel like a million bucks. I still have a lot of weight to lose to reach the state of not being obese, but honestly if I stay at this weight that I am currently, I am ok with that. I started this journey as a size 28 in tops, size 30 in bottoms and could barely walk a flight of stairs without becoming winded. I am currently in a size 16 top/ size 18 bottom. I haven't been in those sizes since high school, and we are coming up on my 20 year reunion this year. I went from wearing XXXL and XXXXL shirts to wearing some XL and L size shirts. I can actually wear some of my husband's t-shirts and it's overwhelming to me every time I put something on that looks a little small and it fits. I walk everywhere now and I do not get winded or tired. I have seemingly endless supplies of energy and most importantly, I am not controlled by food any longer. I used to think about food all day long. when is my next meal? when are we going to eat? what are we going to eat when we are finished eating this. My hungry head monster has silenced. I have had zero fills, so my band is exactly the way it was the day it was installed, and I don't feel like i need a fill. I'm eating like a normal person, eating normal portions. I haven't had to stop eating foods that I like, i just eat less of them and I never go back for seconds...... or thirds, or fourths I eat chocolate every now and again, McDonald's, fancy restaurants, junk food....but all of these are in moderation and not on a daily basis like they used to be. I haven't told anyone about the surgery except for my DH, so when I go out with friends once a month, and I order fries or something off of the menu, they don't monitor what i'm eating or wonder if i've had surgery. I just eat a few bites of this or that and i'm done. no more fries for another month and my friends are none the wiser. i realize that telling or not telling is a big debate around here, and i don't want to debate that. i simply just made the choice that was right for me and in the end, that is what we are all doing isn't it? having surgery because it is right for us? so anyway, i didn't want to go on and on, i just wanted to thank everyone in this community for sharing their triumphs, struggles and tips with me over this last year. they made a difference and they helped me shed 100 pounds. I can't wait to see what the next year holds for me.

considering the fact that I have had zero fills, it's not a lie that i'm watching what i eat and getting more exercize. i have no restriction, so i am pretty much doing this the old fashioned way. no need to tell people i also have a band. for me, just having to get that band put in was enough to tell me that i needed to make a change. i don't need the fills at this time because the surgery was a head change for me. i don't think i will ever tell anyone unless they just come out and ask me point blank if i've had it done. but so far, no one has said anything.

I just wanted to pop in and wish all the May bansters good luck. I was a May banster last year. I will be banded for 1 year on May 4th. ( I won't post my loss yet because I'm trying to reach a goal, but I'll post in on May 4th, just as a record.) anyway, just wanted to wish you all the best of luck with the band. I know it has been amazingly wonderful for me. This year has really flown by. I can't believe it's been year already. It seems like just yesterday I was kvetching about the liquid diet and the post-op diet. But really, just keep your chin up, keep plugging away at it. Don't look at the scale for the first month, or if you do look at it, just do it for record keeping purposes and don't get discouraged if it doesn't move for a few weeks. it will eventually move.....and a year from now you will look back and see how far you've come. Best of luck to all of you.

also, when you do start to weigh, only weigh yourself at the same time everyday. You will be 1-3 pounds lighter in the morning and at the end of the day, 1-3 pounds heavier.

stop looking at the scale for the next week at the very least. you shouldn't be weighing at all the first month. your body has had a shock and it will just go up and down. you will settle in eventually and the weight will come off. really, lock the scale up and have someone hide the key until you are out of the mushy phase and onto solid foods. this weight gain is totally normal.

To tell or not to tell...that is the question Just because you tell anyone and everyone doesn't mean you will be successful and have support or feel motivated, and just because you don't tell anyone doesn't mean you are setting yourself up for failure or that you can't be successful. It's a personal decision that only you can make and your reasons for telling or not telling are neither the right thing nor are they the wrong thing to do. I have only told 2 people, my husband and a very dear friend who is super skinny and a size zero. Nobody else knows. I didn't tell anyone else for several reasons. 1. because it isn't anyone else's business. 2. I already have enough people watching food go into my mouth and I didn't mentally want the extra scrutiny or comments from even well meaning friends. 3. my goal with the lap band wasn't to lose tons and tons of weight. my goal is simply to eat like a normal person. I am very social and now when i go out with friends, i eat the same portions and the same types of foods they do. I eat normally. I'm not on a diet, even though i try to get plenty of Protein first, I don't restrict myself from eating specific types of foods. I do eat healthy things the majority of the time, but when I go out, I enjoy myself the way a normal person would enjoy themselves. I feel great, I am losing weight, and no one is any the wiser that i've had a procedure done. as for people asking me if i've had something done, no one has, so i haven't had to lie or make things up. I don't feel that if a plus size friend asked me my advice on having any type of procedure done that it is my place to encourage them to go for it. I had to come to this decision on my own, weigh the pros and cons, seek my doctor's advice, do research on my own. I don't want to influence one of my friends to do something like this just because I might be successful. Not everyone will be. We are all different and someone's success or failure based on something i have said to them is too much of a burden for me to want to carry. So, for now, I'm not telling anyone about it. Like the lady with the good advice earlier in the thread said, once you tell someone, you can't un-tell them. When and if I ever tell anyone, I'll cross that bridge, but for now, I'm just enjoying my life as a normal person, eating normally.

The first 3 days are the worst part of it...so if you can just get through that, the rest will be a breeze. You will be surprised at how those drinks actually satisfy you. You won't really be terribly hungry. You might want to eat just because it's a habit, but if you think about it, you'll realize that you really aren't hungry. I suggest spacing the protein drinks out and trying to get on a schedule, drink them at the same time every day. In between shakes, make sure you are getting enough water. Drink, drink, drink. I made a game out of drinking water. i would try to get in 32 oz before noon and then another 32 oz between 1 and 5. it doesn't sound hard, but it can be. so drink your shake, try to get some water in before the next shake. Make some jello just to have on hand in case you feel like chewing something. it won't fill you up, but it will give your mouth something to do and it's zero calories! You'll be able to do this with no problems...you can do it! good luck on your journey.

it might last for a short while. Think of the band like you would think of a ring on your finger. If you wear it long enough, even when you take it off,there is a depression around your finger from where the wedding band was located. It will just take some time for that to go away.

I can relate. I am a private person too. I really haven't had a lot of questions about my weight...just some comments about how good I look. I just smile and say 'thank you' and go about my day. with your hubby supporting you, this will be much easier for you to get through. I know I couldn't have come this far without mine helping me and being there for me. It's nice to know that we don't have to do it alone. It really has made all of the difference in the world.

my insurance didn't have me do any kind of a diet before I had the surgery either. I really found out pretty much everything I know about lap band from reading this board and talking with my doctor/nutritionist. My hubby was NOT on board in the beginning, but I told him that I was having the surgery with or without his blessing. While he wasn't thrilled with my decision then, he's coping with it now and he has really jumped in helping me with food choices and not eating some things in front of me. when we go out to dinner, we will split an entree or i will bring leftovers home and he is totally ok with it. He's been a real trooper and now he doesn't even consciously think about me having the band. to him, we are just living normal lives. i think that is true for me too. for the first time in my life, where food is concerned, i feel like a normal person. i eat normal portions and not huge mounds of food. looking back at what i used to be able to eat i'm amazed that i could eat that much food! no wonder i was so fat Anyway, besides my DH, the only people who even know about my surgery are the people in my support group. we meet about once a month and i haven't been in probably the past 3 months because of having to work late. I decided not to tell anyone about it and so far I'm happy with that decision. I like the fact that people don't monitor what goes into my mouth or constantly ask me for dieting updates. It has been liberating really. Anyway, didn't mean to bombard you with useless information, but just wanted to say that this website was and is a great resource. read as much of it as you can, but also realize that every person is different and what some people experience, you may not experience. for example, I had zero gas pains in my shoulder that everyone talks about having. Nothing, nada. No pain except for just the wounds healing and even they didn't hurt that bad. I am able to guzzle Water and drink through straws, I enjoy a beer now and again with no trouble. I eat bread and shrimp and burgers and pizza every once in a while (not every day) some people can't tolerate those things, but I have no trouble. Everyone will have a different experience. Always follow whatever plan your doctor has for you and you can do it! Best of luck to you.

please keep us posted on how you are doing.

also another tip while you are in this phase of the diet (not really for post banding, but for now) you should make lots of sugar free Jello. It WON'T fill you up, but it WILL give your mouth something to do if you just feel like you need to chew something and it's zero calories. i did it for my 2 week pre-op diet and it really saved me in between shakes. the first 3 days of the pre-op diet are really the hardest, after you get into the swing of things, it will get much easier. ....and try your best to stick to a schedule. try to have the shakes and solids or broth or whatever at the same time every day...and in between, try to make a game out of drinking a certain amount of Water. for me, it was try to get 32 ounces of water in before noon and another 32ounces between 1 and 5:00. it really gave my mind something to focus on besides food...and something to look forward to, like i have a Breakfast shake at 8am...i drink lots of water to pass the time, another shake at 11am...drink, drink, drink....broth or veggies at 12:30...drink, drink drink....shake at 3pm, drink, drink, drink.....etc....

Hey, I agree with what Jim above said. You will be under 500 pounds probably after the first 3 or 4 days of that diet and then you will be amazed at how fast that weight comes off. the heavier you are, the faster the weight will drop in the beginning. You can totally do this. As far as Protein drinks go, I used (and still supplement today) with Muscle Milk Light and Glucerna. To me, the chocolate Glucerna is sooooo delicious and tastes like a treat. I tried a few other Protein Drinks (not the powders that Jim has tried) but others like Special K and another one that I don't remember and they were so chalky and gross that I thought I would die. you really have to experiment and find what works for you. I know you can do it and even though this thread is old, we are still around to encourage you This community is wonderful and has helped me through many, many struggles by just reading some of the posts. We are here for you.

Also....another little tip. I live in NYC, so I don't really have a set schedule. I ALWAYS keep an emergency bar with me just in case I can't get home in time to eat or if I running late and don't really have time for lunch. I discovered the Cliff Builder bars. they are 20g of Protein and about 270 calories...but they are Meal Replacement bars and not meant for a snack. I only thought of it because I didn't have time to leave my desk at lunch today and was glad I had this little guy in my desk drawer for just such an emergency. I got more protein than if I would have ordered delivery from some local restaurant and I was perfectly satisfied. They have several flavors but my favorite is the mint one. You can save a little money by buying them from Sam's Club (or probably Costco) they have chocolate and Peanut Butter flavor at Sam's.

it is truly life changing! give it a try. totally makes the brownie taste even better.

1. I never had any kind of burping or gas pains after surgery, so i can't speak to this 2. It's been almost a year for me and I DO drink from straws. I haven't had any fills, so that may be the reason it's not an issue for me, but I drink relatively fast and using straws and have never had a problem. 3. you CAN eat around the band, eat the wrong foods. if you eat slowly enough, you can eat almost anything. The band isn't a magic wand that makes you stop eating. It will help with the head hunger eventually (at least it has for me) and you won't be able to take big huge bites of anything without chewing it for ages and ages, but you can still eat foods that are high in calories or with poor nutrition. see the post above regarding chocolate. There are slider foods that melt/disolve/ go down easily and they aren't always the best choice. stick to Protein first, then veggies, then if you have to have it carbs or sweets...in that order...and you will be ok. allow yourself to "cheat" every once in a while and not feel guilty, but do your best to stay on track and you will have more success. good luck to you.

What a great topic. my ideas are more snacky since i now tend to snack when i can't cook a whole meal. Greek Yogurt- I add the plain Greek Yogurt to my baked potato and use it in place of sour cream to add Protein. I haven't had sour cream in over a year and I don't miss it. Pretzel Thins- something like 20 of them is a serving and 120 calories and I dip them in humus. Love Humus...plus I only eat about 10 before I'm satisfied. Almonds- i usually grab a low calorie cheese stick and with each bite of cheese, I'll eat an almond or two. the cheese lubricates it and gives me protein, plus keeps me full. One cheese stick and maybe 15 or 20 almonds is a perfect mid morning snack for me. Snap Pea crisps- little baked edamame in a bag. (also, veggie stick chips, same type of thing w/ different taste) I found them at walmart. 22 pieces per serving for around 120 calories. these are great if you are a snacker and like potato chips. you get the feeling of eating chips out of the bag without all of the greasy chippiness. they are delicious! Flat Out bread- this stuff is also at walmart in the deli/ bread section. it's flat bread that is low calorie and high in protein. i believe it has 7 - 9 grams of protein. i bake it in the oven with low fat/low calorie cheese and pizza toppings for a wonderful low calorie/ high protein pizza that is beyond filling and so, so delicious. http://www.flatoutbread.com/ their website has other great ideas, but i only like thin crunchy breads now, so i bake it or toast it. Fiber One Brownies- Holy cow, these have saved my life. they are 90 calories each. I pop it in the microwave for 30 seconds, add a dollop of low cal/fat free whipped cream and eat it with a fork. It's an amazing after dinner dessert that feels opulent but is actually good for you. The trick is eating it with a fork when it's nice and warm and not just eating it like a brownie out of your hand. It feels more like a reward than an afterthought and you can really spend time enjoying it. HIGHLY recommended. also kills that chocolate craving so I don't feel deprived. I'm sure i'll think of more...

I went through that stage. Man, the week before I started my pre-op liquid diet i probably gained 10 pounds just on my "goodbye food" tour. I had no idea what i would or wouldn't be able to eat. I remember sitting in McDonalds a year ago, eating a bacon egg and cheese McGriddle with tears streaming down my face as I mentally said goodbye to bacon egg and cheese McGriddles FOREVER. well, almost a year has passed, about 11 months actually, since my surgery and I am down about 90 pounds with NO FILLS and I can eat any type of food that I want to eat. the thing that has changed is the head hunger. I just don't feel it the way I did before surgery. before, food consumed pretty much every waking moment of my day. what will i eat next? what will i eat after that? what is the next meal? when is the next meal? i can honestly say i do not think that way any more. it's like a switch was turned off in my head and it really quieted that voice. sometimes i don't even think about food until my stomach makes a noise and i realize that i haven't eaten and i need to eat! can you imagine??? i certainly couldn't have imagined that *gasp* i wouldn't want to eat unless i was actually feeling hunger. so, although i can eat any type of food i want to eat, including bacon, egg, and cheese McGriddles, i rarely eat things that aren't serving a purpose. that means, i eat proteins first, as they fill me up, then veggies, then if i have it whatever starches there are. i can eat bread, but i don't eat a lot of it. every once in a while i will have a mcdonald's (or wendy's or burger king) hamburger with the bun...the difference is, I don't have the whopper or the big mac, i just have the regular size and it really is enough. i get the taste of whatever i am craving and then i move on with my day. if i have fries, i order the small instead of the super size. i also wait the 20 minutes after eating a meal to take a drink (like my doctor suggested) i still eat chocolate and cookies and cakes and sweets and things that aren't super duper healthy, but i don't have them every day. i usually have a cheat day or a special event that i save those things for. really, i don't think about sweets and starch and stuff like that in the way that i used to anyway. Holidays are really the only time where i indulge in sweets. can you say Cadbury eggs??? I'm so glad Easter is over and they have stopped selling these little eggs of evil anywho, i said all of that to say that what you are feeling is perfectly normal, at least it was for me. do what you need to do to mourn, but also know that if you chew long enough you can eat pretty much anything. the good thing about chewing is that once something spends a lot of time in your mouth and you really taste it for the first time, you realize that it wasn't a fantastic taste in the first place and you don't really want to eat it again. really, things don't taste the same to me anymore and i've lost the desire to have a lot of things that i once thought i loved. do i miss taking huge bites of delicious huge burgers? yes i do. sometimes, usually when it's that time of the month, but for the most part, i have competely changed my eating habits. i don't count calories or weigh foods or do any of that stuff. i think that now i eat like a normal person would eat. I have been watching my co-workers (who are all thin) and their eating habits this past year and i have discovered that we tend to now get hungry at the same time of day and eat roughly the same amount of foods and be full with the same serving size. this has given me joy to know that for the first time in my life there is something normal about me. i am eating like a normal person. not vacuuming the food down, not eating until i feel pain, not stuffing myself silly with supersized portions, but really eating and enjoying the tastes of food, all kinds of food. this band has actually opened up a world of food choices for me. i have discovered new flavors that i never knew existed or never paid attention to because i used to just bypass the chew stage. in the mouth and down the throat it went. no longer. now i spend time with food and since i'm spending time with food in my mouth, i want only delicious tasting things to go into my mouth. anyway, i could go on and on and on and on, but i will stop there and just say good luck to you and maybe give you hope that this isn't the end. you will be able to eat foods you like and love and you will be able to enjoy eating. just take it one day at a time and don't be discouraged. you will be just fine.

congrats on reaching 3 years. I am just under a month away from my 1 year bandiversary and I can say that I too am thrilled with my decision to have this procedure. it has changed my life and only hope that i can continue to lose. i am really really far away from my ultimate goal, but i am taking it one day at a time and enjoying life to the fullest. i'm glad that at 3 years out you are still happy with your decision. congrats again!

I haven't been on this site in months, but just wanted to chime in again for Mihela's sake and let her and well, all of you know that I'm just under a year out and still no fill. The loss has definitely slowed down, but i'm down about 90 pounds with no fill, so i'm very proud of that. I am hoping to lose another 10 pounds by my 1 year bandiversary, so fingers crossed. I can eat any type of food that i want to eat but the hunger monster in my head is still quiet. i don't constantly think about food and i rarely eat more than i should. (usually only that time of the month, sorry if that's tmi ) i still don't work out as much as i need to and while the weight loss has stalled, i haven't gained anything. i am still fat but I am so happy where i am that i'm honestly ok if i stay here for a while. it took me 30+ years to gain all of this weight, so i know it won't disappear over night i do have a lot of energy and i can walk everywhere without tiring or falling out of breath. life has really changed for me in the past 11 months. so, that's my no fill story so far. i hope it continues that way as I don't want to get a fill ever if i can help it.

there are trolls on every message board. don't give out more information than you want to give out, but don't let a few bad apples ruin the bunch. otherwise, you should stay out of public message boards for good.

i know, right? if you would have told me that i would no longer be obsessing over food 6 months ago, i would have told you were crazy. obsessing over my next meal is what i do. but i really don't do it any more. or at least i haven't in 6 months. i don't know if it is that way for everyone, but it is certainly that way for me. i primarily went into the band thinking i would have to say goodbye to food forever. i even had a two week mourning period where i ate everything in sight. i don't suggest doing that, but i just didn't know then that i would be able to eat things. i DO think a lot of it is due to the fact that I have not had a fill. i don't know when i'll get one and i honestly hope i never do have to get one. life has really opened up for me, especially foodwise. i think you will definintely be in the moment with food, as you really don't have much of a choice. if you don't chew it, it gets stuck, so you have to make friends with whatever is in your mouth good luck with whatever you decide and keep us posted on your journey. we love updates.