kmt1973

I think a lot of people hid behind their fat. For me I have always been the wall flower, never the popular girl. Things are changing as I lose weight I can't hide behind it anymore. Actually I like it, for me I always felt I was being judged due to my weight, but now I feel like I am being seen for me. I know it's crazy, but weight does affect our emotions.

sojo answered your post very well so i wont comment on the losing part of oneseld.
but i will comment on the i dont like people complimenting you.
i can relate and feel the exact same way sometimes. i sometimes think they dont mean it..
and if they dont, who cares. i am doing this for me.
i just say thank you and on i go.
hang in there

That one made me laugh, TMF. Husband snoring away next to me is doing very well these days but we had years of pain management around his various surgeries (car accident guy -- rebuilt spine, plastic shoulder, etc.). Of course there were scrips being written out like crazy and he never responded well to pain meds. We call them Jerk pills.
Thanks, Liz, for starting a new thread for us! I like having this safe place to check in with my lapband peeps and the connections we have here. It definitely helps me keep my head in the game. When CG first had the thread going in the 100+ to lose category I formed my goal over that -- 152 from 252 because I coukd see that this thread was where the really successful people were hanging out and I wanted to be a part of that. Now that I'm on my way down I don't know if I will lose 100 after all as that would probably be too thin for me, but I'm here anyway.
I've been bumbling along and not sure why -- perhaps I've needed to let myself level off at my current weight to adjust to being in a normal range. I still have weight to lose, however, and I am readying myself for getting off the next chunk. September has always been a great time of year for me. Maybe it's the back-to-school energy from childhood and having routine again. This was a tremendously busy summer with way too much socializing. I am looking forward to quieter times and better evening habits. Need to work on that.
Gorgeous day and a holiday Monday, yippee! I am meeting a cousin up at the lake to do a four-mile walk that is my regular exercise but we had a lot of company and I've missed that for several days. I did a lot of production cooking and running around setting up, serving, cleaning, etc., so that counts for something, but I need that dedicated walk to unwind. Grateful that there was no production eating going on for me. Plenty of tasting, etc., but my band doesn't let me get carried away and the dimmed appetite makes it easier to be smart-ish about my choices.
Enjoy your day, all!

I'm glad that Gowalking (Liz ) started Banders #7 & for so much more as you all know sometimes I will post & Sometimes I don't but I always have to see what's going on just to make sure & hit like if it's something I may relate to , I am so glad just to be able to move & Love that my oldest said I was skinny but I am not skinny by far like I said I will never be skinny maybe a bit smaller in size than I was 3 years ago , but at least my health is better than it was before , I can't believe how much damage I was doing to my body & health before banding , sometimes I think it's catching up to me , then I realize it's just a minor set back but I am a happy person & VERY HAPPY I GOT BANDED

Thank you Liz for your update and your willingness to share your support.
Some days this journey seems like a long time and sometimes it feels like yesterday.
While the journey has not been easy and no one ever said it would be my progress or lack thereof has always been in my control. Finding a way to deal with life without turning to food has been and continues to be a challenge.
I am grateful for the band and all that comes with it. I know what works for me and have no one to blame if I do not follow the path that works.
I am grateful for this board it seems when I choose not to check in I tend to gain weight. Viewing the post can be incredibly motivating and when I am struggling I know that I am not alone
.
I am grateful that I continue to make more good choices then bad choices in my life.
I am grateful for all who share their successes, their struggles and parts of their personal life.
I am also grateful to my wife and her support and the fact that we both chose to be banded on the same day on September 12, 2007. Together we have kept off over 200lbs.
Glad to be a part of this new thread.

Hello and good morning my friends. Welcome to Banders #7. So, I guess I'll start it off by saying how grateful I am today and every day for the new lease on life that I have. I walked to the office today from the train station. That was something I couldn't do before the surgery. I always say how light I feel and I realized it's not a state of mind, but a physical reality. We are weighed down by the excess weight and all that goes with it. When we don't rumble and jumble as we walk, our steps are lighter. I was listening to my ipod and started to dance a little as I was walking. I'm sure I looked ridiculous, but who cares? When one is thin, even looking ridiculous seems OK.
I am grateful for my for my beautiful grandson who I was able to tuck into my lap last Saturday morning so we could play while Mommy and Daddy got to sleep in a bit. I'm grateful that I fit anywhere and everywhere. No more worrying if I will break a chair, or be able to navigate a booth at the restaurant, or walk down a narrow aisle without having to suck it all in just to get past someone/something.
I'm grateful for my health. I take alot of pills, but many of them are supplements and not prescription for chronic ailments. I'm grateful that I can walk again...that I can swim, bike, climb, and yes....enjoy sex. I am surprised at how flexible I can be now that I'm thin.
I'm grateful that I earn enough money that I can indulge my new found love of shopping. I really think I'm one of the best dressed ladies in the office these days...and I know I've upped the game for others. I am definitely seeing more dresses than I did a year ago.
I'm grateful to Alex for having this site available...and I'm grateful to all the folks on it who are part of my success. I know I would not have been as successful as I have been if not for all of you. I talk about things here that I don't talk to anyone else about. You all know the struggles of being fat, and immobile, and feeling like a failure regardless of what we've accomplished..and I know now how much we 'hidden' people have accomplished. It's helping me to not turn that self hatred towards others still struggling with obesity. It also reminds me that I will always struggle with obesity. Under this thin person still lurks the fat girl. She is the one who whispers in my ear all the time that I'm not worthy of the good things out there and I should just order a pizza and eat the whole thing. She and I clash daily and it's why I still go every Tuesday to the therapist who listens and helps me to navigate this new world I inhabit.
Well...I think I've posted enough for today. Feel free to comment on the above, or share your stories, or say hi, or just lurk. Enjoy your day today...enjoy the upcoming holiday, and looking forward to a wonderfully robust Banders #7 thread.
Liz

Hi there, finally found it -- won't come up for me in a search either so I had to wait for some one to post:
http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/349818-banders-7/

Banded since July 26, 2014 I have lost 104 pounds and continue by doing a simple program. Morning-Atkins Milk chocolate shake, Lunch-Beef or chicken with a veggie, Dinner-Beef or Chicken and a salad with Olive garden dressing. The more we complicate our journey the more frustrated and doubtful we will become snd then we want to give up! Keep it simple bandsters..we all can do it. I am 4'11 I was weighing 348 pounds...trust me this band works just keep it simple!! I wish every faith and hope...God Bless everyone of you!!!

I have has a lapband since 2012, and yes, I've had my challenges. Being the last person at the table to finish a meal, not chewing carefully when I am out to dinner because I am talking and eating at the same time. But I now weigh in at 138 down from 290, so for me, it has been worthwhile.
Once in a while, I go back to my post surgery roots and spend 2 weeks on Protein drinks and Soups. This gives my body a rest, provides me with sufficient Protein, and sort of re-sets my resolve.
I hope you have better luck this time around. Just remember, slow and steady.
Sent from my iPad using the BariatricPal App

My husband took a pic of me in the same suit! I was 209 in the Before and 157 in the after!

. I'm down 70 lbs and that want my highest weight ..
Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Your band is teaching you what you can and cannot eat, right? Eat too fast, get stuck. Eat the wrong kind of meat, get stuck. Eat the RIGHT kind of food, no worries. Chew everything until a paste and slow down, no worries.
See my post "Why I am in Love with My Band". It might offer some respectful and sage advice.

Entire states aren't stopping the use of the band. Select surgeons are.
The reason so many surgeons are stopping use of the band is because of the high patient failure, not the high band failure. They're tired of removing and revising band patients- regardless of the cause. Only 5% of complications with the band are by no fault of the patient. Sadly, it seems a lot of patients go into this surgery totally ignorant to the facts of what is necessary to be successful with the band. Some are aware of the facts but choose to ignore them and misuse the band anyway. Because of this, they end up with a lot of slips and erosion as a result.
The next time you see a thread about someone throwing up for weeks or months, or intentionally having their band too tight, or chronically over eating? There's your reason for so many band complications. It's not the band it's the people totally misusing it.

Thank you so much for the information. I'll go check this out.

Banded 3/19/2012 this summer had to get all Fluid taken out. Lost total of 40 lbs, gained back 30 recently. Dr wanted to do revision, bc of stomach coming up over band. Insurance wouldn't pay for new wls so, I said to keep my band. I'm all good now, it went back down with unfill and liquid diet. I go next week for another fill(3rd since unfilled), right now I still have no restriction. With my Dr hating the band now, and not doing them anymore, I feel so isolated. Started local support group this week, but no one has had the band. I feel like I'm on my own. Could anyone give me an encouraging lapband story?

Thank you so much for the information. I'll go check this out.

I am happy to hear others who are doing well. You know losing 100 lbs is a lot so maybe do not put too much pressure on yourself. I still weigh over 200 lbs and every time I see the doctor she bugs me about losing weight. I say to her forget it. I am not interested in getting back on that diet roller coaster of ups and downs. I do not think about food all day and I do not want to count calories or weigh or measure anything. For me I feel this is my SET point if you will. The right weight for my body without trying to adjust it. My slimband is at the tightest I think I can have and it suits me. Just remember to use your self control to avoid really fattening things or have a smaller amount. Scrape leftovers off the plate. Just enjoy your life and for once think of other things besides when the next meal is coming. Hard but becomes easier.

These posts are exactly what I needed to read today. Your stories are so inspiring. I've lost 100 pounds with my band. That was in the first 7 months. Then I stopped losing. I know more effort is needed for me to take off the last fifty and get to goal. It is encouraging to see successful banders, so thank you!

Good for you My wife and me just had our 8 year band anniversary on 9-12-15. We had the surgery on the same day and even shared the same room and the hospital staff thought it was cute. Together we have kept off over 200 lbs though the journey has not been easy it has been so worth it.

I am just over 4 years with my Band and have lost close to 100 lbs and maintained my weight. I am so happy I got my band.. Best thing ever for overeaters. I was a two large portion eater and that is not something I do any longer. I am not dreaming about what to eat. I make lots of different foods mainly for the family but eat the same as them just in smaller portions. I am still trying to remember to eat tiny bites. I just had my 66th birthday yesterday and after eating a certain way for all those years it is hard to remember not to take that big bite at the beginning but of course if I do then I have problems so I am better at it now. I still overfill my plate - my eyes are bigger than my stomach- but I am okay with not eating everything on my plate notwithstanding what my parents used to drill into my head. I have learned what works fine for me and what not to eat. I get lots of compliments from people who have not seen me sine the surgery and happy to accept them. I can wear the same clothes year after year and not have to maintain a wardrobe of assorted sizes and keep buying larger and larger clothes. I am still amazed when summer arrives and I fit perfectly into my capri pants. So happy about that. I do eat slowly when out with others and am often the last one eating my food but I do not care. I am doing what I need to do to be happy and honestly for me it is pretty easy. I do not crave food and do not have it popping up in my thoughts all the time. I do not feel restricted in any way and would never think of removing it as has given me a good life back.

Banded 3/19/2012 this summer had to get all Fluid taken out. Lost total of 40 lbs, gained back 30 recently. Dr wanted to do revision, bc of stomach coming up over band. Insurance wouldn't pay for new wls so, I said to keep my band. I'm all good now, it went back down with unfill and liquid diet. I go next week for another fill(3rd since unfilled), right now I still have no restriction. With my Dr hating the band now, and not doing them anymore, I feel so isolated. Started local support group this week, but no one has had the band. I feel like I'm on my own. Could anyone give me an encouraging lapband story?

You can have your Dr write you a prescription for embla cream. You rub it on before you leave for your appointment and will be completely numb by the time they do it. My daughter is a diabetic and we did this before her blood work every three months. At 3 years old, she never even blinked an eye when they stuck her.

I had my dr appt last week. My full is good I had just fallback into bad habits. My band is in good shape, no Fluid loss and port is good too. They have me on only liquids like Soup for the next 2 weeks. They just want me to shrink my pouch down So 1 week down and I am ready to get back to real food. And no sliders !!

I was banded 2006...starting weight 245.. Maintaining 133lbs

I learned about it from veterans here, who are now gone, that I used to follow.....
I do it anywhere from every 4-8 weeks.....and will know when I realize I am eating too much (more than usual) too easily.
I have theories as to why that is, and I will say it does make a differnce.
The first time I did it intentionally was at about 2 years. Before that the Dr. and staff where always saying to go liquids for a few days such as after a fill, etc. I then started to realize that this seems to be good thing.
I am now, and have been meaning to do a "Cleanse"...just have not got around to it.