Jenn1214

I still have a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that I am no longer obese. Every time I put on a medium shirt or size 12 jeans, I think to myself "Oh these will never fit". Sometimes I still turn sideways to walk through smaller spaces that I can easily fit through. When I look in the mirror, all I see is a huge gut, thunder thighs, flabby arms, and a double chin, not my cute little waist or perky derriere that my fiance can't keep his hands off of. I don't know how long it will take for me to realize how thin I've become. I keep hoping that once I reach my goal and see 145 on the scale, maybe it will sink in. Until then, it's nice to know that I'm not alone!

My trainer has me do all kinds of arm exercises and I've lost inches, but it will never help with the sagging. I plan to have them done if they don't improve by the time I get to my goal weight (if I can convince my future husband to let me!). The way I figure it, my arms can't really be hidden under clothes (not in the summer anyway) and I'd rather show them off. I didn't lose all this weight to keep hiding in my clothes!

I use Nuvaring, and my surgeon never told me to stop using it. I never had a problem, but every doctor is different.

My cycle was screwed up the month after surgery. I use Nuvaring for birth control and to control my PCOS, so I was used to my cycle being pretty regular. After surgery, my period was late, and when I got it, I bled for almost 2 weeks. I was so freaked out I went to my GYN, but she said the stress of surgery coupled with strong antibiotics threw everything out of whack. I haven't had any problems since. My PCOS has pretty much resolved after losing so much weight, so you should hopefully see some improvement too!

He said everything else was normal and he was confident it could be controlled through diet and exercise. He doesn't think it's time for meds yet. I was just very shocked that it was higher than last year when I've been eating better and exercising like a fiend for months. I have a sneaking suspicion that it may be partly genetic since my father is on cholesterol meds and he's not obese (maybe a little overweight but nothing terrible).

I got the results from my blood work and everything was fine, except my cholesterol is borderline high at 207. I rarely eat red meat, never eat eggs, have shellfish every once in a great while, and fast food isn't even in my vocabulary. I work out 6 days a week anywhere from 45 minutes to 2 hours a session. What gives?

I've thought long and hard about it, and for me, self-sabotage comes from fear of success. Sounds weird, right? I've been losing and gaining weight all my life, and now to have broken the cycle scares me sometimes. I'm also starting to get more attention from others, which has always terrified me. Sometimes it's easier just to be invisible instead of being the center of attention. It's very strange to overhear friends and family whispering to each other about how great I look, getting jealous looks from other women and appreciative looks from men. It sounds like a dream come true, but for someone who isn't used to it, it can be pretty scary. Sometimes I feel like hiding under a rock.

This is just me, though. You have to do your own soul searching and figure out why you self sabotage. In the end, this battle isn't about food, it's about ourselves.

I am the same way...it's like I don't even have a band during that time of the month!

So I ended up having the Tom Yum Soup (good but very spicy!) and some steamed chicken and shrimp dumplings. Pretty tasty, but Indian is still my favorite :-)

Don't freak out! You're still healing from surgery and you have no restriction yet. My fiance was just banded and had the same problem, but he's about six weeks out and steadily losing again. Have faith...if the band can work for a lifelong yo-yo dieter like me, it will work for you!

Here's what I would do:

1. Get a fill. The lap band requires fine tuning and if you're hungry all the time, you definitely need an adjustment.

2. Look at what you're eating. Are you getting enough Protein? Eating a lot of soft foods that don't keep you satisfied? Keeping a food journal for a few days might help. Try to change things up if you find yourself in an eating rut.

3. What are you doing at the gym? Mostly cardio? Any strength training? If you're not doing any and the doctor says it's ok, I would add some weights to your routine.

4. Keep hydrated.

5. Stop beating yourself up! 24 pounds in three months is pretty darn admirable. This isn't gastric bypass where the weight just falls off.

Keep plugging away and you will get there! Don't give up!

I would call your surgeon. Heartburn is usually a symptom of being too tight.

I went to my primary doctor for my physical today. The charts are electronic and each has the patient's picture on it when it's opened...I saw mine and thought "Holy crap! Who is that?" The medical assistant taking my blood pressure didn't have to use the large cuff (yay!) and was impressed with my weight loss (although the unenthusiastic "Oh" when I mentioned I did it with the help of the lap band annoyed me ever so slightly). However, the doctor was positively elated with my progress so far and told me to keep up the great work! Then, when it came time to draw blood, the MA had no trouble at all finding a vein, whereas they were always buried in fat and hard to find in the past. I practically skipped out of the office! It's funny how the simplest things can make you so happy

I didn't take any pain meds and I regret it...the nurse made me feel so guilty about filling my prescription, like I was some kind of drug addict or something, so I didn't do it. I just took chewable Tylenol, which did precisely squat.

I rarely eat Thai but I'm going out with my brother and sister-in-law to a Thai place. Other than trying to avoid things with a lot of coconut milk or peanut sauce, what are some other good choices? I don't know much about Thai food. Thanks!

Congratulations! There is no better feeling than putting bags of too-big clothes in the donation bins! I would keep one pair of pants to try on when you reach goal, or even when you're feeling down during a plateau or something. It'll remind you how great you're doing and how far you've come. Keep up the great work!

My doctor decided to do it the day of surgery! I guess it depends if you would rather have one big scar or 5 or 6 little ones. I would ask your surgeon which is best for you and what would work better with your pump. I don't regret my surgery but I think looking back on it I'd rather have a few small incisions instead of one big knotted scar on my belly button.

I'm so sorry this happened to you. Feel better soon, and I hope you get the answers that you need.

I hate to be mean, but she is a prime example of someone who doesn't have the right mindset for WLS. It's not a magic wand, although she clearly expects it to be. I don't think the lap band will work for her either until she gets her head in the right place. I wish her the best of luck though.

I had SILS so mine is a couple of inches below my belly button.

I'm not usually one to respond to drama, but this thread makes me very sad. This is supposed to be a place of help and encouragement, not lecturing and bickering. I think if we made exercise a priority in our lives to begin with, we wouldn't have lap bands and wouldn't be discussing this at all. All of us have our own journey and our own lessons to learn, and no one is more "right" than the other. I've been banded a year and I still learn new things from everyone here. As long as we lose weight and get healthy, we're all winners, right? Let's stop the insults and agree to disagree respectfully. We're all in this together.

I used to hate exercise too. I started by walking around my neighborhood and doing Walk Away the Pounds DVDs. My weight began to stall and I needed to bump things up, so I joined a local gym and signed up for personal training. I was scared that I would do what I've always done and be really gung ho for the first couple weeks and fizzle out. I stuck with it and my weight had been steadily dropping since. My hatred of exercise is now outweighed by my love of dropping pounds and dress sizes and endless compliments! I'm a certified gym rat now, something I never thought I would be able to say. All this just from taking the first step out my front door and around the block.

My two cents:

8 lbs is not bad for being 6 weeks out from surgery...don't beat yourself up! Remember, this is a marathon, not a sprint.

You're not eating enough. Your body needs fuel to burn, especially if you're exercising. Try increasing your food intake by a couple hundred calories and see if that helps. Also, don't get stuck in a food rut and eat the same things every day.

If that doesn't help, you may want to try changing up your exercise routine. Add strength training if your doctor says it's ok. Building muscle will help your metabolism.

Most importantly, don't give up!

My surgery was March 14th, 2011 and I've lost 16 bags of sugar!

this is so exciting and well worth your posting. everyone of these items you mentioned here im identifying with to the hilt. lol.. way to go... im thrilled for you. Do you have any tips or lessons you learned along the way this first year?? could you share with us please?

Thank you! I think the biggest lesson I learned this past year is to stop "dieting". I'm making a lifestyle change, so dieting is a thing of the past. The "perpetual diet" was the thing that caused me to always fail in the past, as I'm sure it has for many bandsters before surgery.

"Not dieting" doesn't mean I allow myself to eat junk food all day long. The band has put me in the mindset of wanting to give my body what it needs to stay healthy and strong, not what my brain wants at the moment. Do I still drink wine on occasion? Have a cookie or a piece of cake? Sure I do. Heck, I eat a piece of dark chocolate every day. The difference is that I don't beat myself over it. I enjoy it, then go back to eating healthier foods and exercising. No big deal. This is real life, not a diet where I'm "good" or "bad". It took me my whole life to figure that out, and I feel like it has been very important in my success.