Jenn1214

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.

Thanks everyone! As a treat I bought myself two dresses from NY&Co. and a new strapless bra that I've been needing for a while. Let me tell you, I must have looked like a deer in headlights when I walked in to Victoria's Secret...I have never shopped there before! Other than spending over 50 bucks on one bra, it was a great feeling!

I stay away from doughy breads, although pizza is not usually a problem (the homemade stuff, anyway). Breadsticks though, no can do. Don't know why. I got badly stuck on bacon so I'm afraid to try it again. I don't eat steak because I've heard just too many horror stories and it's just not worth it. Eggs don't get stuck, but I get a stomachache about an hour after eating, no matter how they're prepared. I recently had an issue with a piece of chicken in my mother in law's stew...not exactly stuck, but sliming and PBing for a few minutes. Had some leftover the next day and no problems. As a rule, I avoid rice and fibrous fruits and veggies. Never was a big fan anyway, but I know a lot of bandsters have problems with them. I eat a few bites of pasta now and again (having full Italian in laws, it's hard to get away from), but again it's something I rarely eat anymore.

One year ago today, I had my lap band placed and my life changed forever. I'm down 80 lbs as of this morning, but it's so much more than weight loss for me: -No more acid reflux -Cholesterol and triglycerides are normal -PCOS under control -No more crippling back pain -Feet don't go numb after standing for a few minutes -More energy -More self esteem -No more hiding from cameras -Shopping in any store I want (see ya later, Lane Bryant!) Without the lap band, there is no way I could have achieved all this. Thank you Bandy, you're a lifesaver!

I don't know where this 1/2 cup myth comes from...that is way too little food for an adult to survive on! I eat about 1 to 1/2 cups of food at each meal and my weight loss has been just fine. Plus it's waaaay less than I used to eat, so how could I not lose weight?

I never had any problem losing weight. Heck, that's the easy part! Keeping it off was the problem. Without the lap band I have no doubt in my mind that I would never be where I am today. I would have gone back to eating junk, not exercising, and being miserable. The lap band is the key to my success, period. My one year anniversary is tomorrow and I've lost 79 pounds in that time. I would do it all over again in a heartbeat.

My fiance has always been supportive, but he never knew what it was like to really be in my shoes. He was never criticized by his parents for his weight and made to feel worthless like I was. He didn't understand why I cried when I looked at myself in pictures. He loves me no matter what I look like...he proposed to me when I was at my highest weight! He has celebrated my successes with the band and listened when I was having problems. Now he has a band himself, and what better support is there than that? Everyone jokes that when we get married no one is even going to recognize us

I asked the PA at my surgeon's office and she said that it sounds like a great snack, but not really enough protein for a meal. For a snack I would probably do half a banana and a tbsp of PB since both are high in calories.

...but since I seem to be technologically challenged, go to my profile to see my new after pic! Now if only I could get my avatar to change...oh well!

Don't get discouraged. My fiance and I both have the band and we both went through the same thing. My bandiversary is wednesday and I've lost 77 pounds so far. My fiance has been banded almost a month and he's lost 30. Hang in there, the weight loss will come!

Muscle milk light isn't too bad. I usually drink Unjury, and my fiance drinks the Whey Protein Isolate from Vitamin Shoppe. I would stay away from Medifast, for the most part they taste terrible. We recently discovered something called Milk and Egg protein at Vitamin Shoppe also...best tasting of all the ones I've tried!

I'm not sure if it has to do with being overweight, but I know it's often seen in polycystic ovarian syndrome. Have you ever been checked for the condition?

I know, I keep meaning to do that! I'll try to have my fiance take one this weekend!

This past Saturday I went shopping for dresses for my two flower girls for my wedding in July. Their mother and grandmother hadn't seen me in a few months and the second they saw me, they started raving about how good I looked. The girls' mother even said "Your stomach is so flat!" I have never in my entire life been told that! That'll definitely keep me going to lose these last 30 pounds!

I just went shopping today as a matter of fact...it's a strange feeling shopping in the "regular" section now. My brain can't wrap itself around the fact that I've lost 75 pounds and that Lane Bryant is no longer an option for me!

I hit the 75 pound mark a few days ago, so to celebrate I got rid of my humongous clothes and resolved to go shopping for smaller things. I've had a few mini shopping trips before this, but this will be a big one since I literally have nothing to wear. Now call me crazy, but the thought of being able to shop pretty much anywhere is an intimidating thought for me. When I was heavier, it was Lane Bryant or Torrid, and if I didn't find anything I was screwed. Now it's like the world is my oyster, and it makes my head spin! Anyone else feel like this? I know I should be happy to be able to find clothes anywhere, but it's been years since I could shop at any store I wanted and it's a little scary!

My gyno is very happy with where I'm at now. I never had a very severe case anyway but it was definitely there.

I'm getting married in July so my motivated is hanging in my closet! Seriously though, sometimes it takes having specific goals in mind to keep you on track. Looking at old pictures of myself is helpful too...I never want to get back there again!

I rarely drink anymore, only when I go out and I try to limit it. For me, there are several reasons: 1. I'm a cheap date now. Two glasses of wine and I am trashed. 2. Alcohol slows weight loss. I'm working too damn hard to sabotage myself. 3. Drinking lowers inhibitions and makes me crave fatty foods. After a few drinks all I want is Mexican and ice cream. And more drinks. All in all, alcohol is something I'd rather avoid for now.

I talked to an endocrinologist about this. I have PCOS, which has pretty much resolved due to the weight loss and the subsequent lowering of my testosterone levels. Unfortunately low testosterone means low sex drive, according to the doctor. My libido was much higher when I was heavier...go figure.

I drink coffee every morning and I don't feel that it loosens my band. I still drink a protein shake afterwards for breakfast because I'm just not hungry.

I'm glad I'm not the only one irritated by this woman! I have half a mind to email her restaurant and thank her for all the negative Lap Band PR she has put out there.

I was watching this show called Fat Chef where obese people in the food industry try to lose 25% of their body weight in 16 weeks. This one woman Maggie was just full of excuses and had no accountability whatsoever. She told her nutrition consultant that she was eating 2-3 slices of pizza for dinner at night and ate soft serve ice cream constantly. Later in the show it was revealed that she was hiding her Lap Band surgery from everyone. She got really mad for some reason and said "I don't want to be some kind of role model for Lap Band...it didn't work for me." Ok, really?! First of all, if you are able to eat 3 slices of pizza in a serving, something is terribly wrong. Not to mention all that ice cream wasn't doing her any favors. People like her make the rest of us who use the Lap Band correctly look bad. It just really irks me. It's clear she wasn't psychologically ready for it and I wonder what doctor in his right mind would give someone like that a Lap Band. If you aren't ready to change your lifestyle and work with the band and not against it, don't have the surgery. Period. Ok, rant over :-)

How many calories are you eating per day? If you burn a lot of calories while working out but not eating enough, your metabolism will slow down. Also keep in mind that you're probably losing inches right now and it takes the scale a couple of weeks to catch up. I had the same problem when I first started working out and I was about to give up, but the scale finally started moving after about 3 weeks. Don't get discouraged!