Allison0927

i know EXACTLY what you mean - i just started shopping in the regular section myself and every time i walk in a store now i have to stop myself from going straight to plus size. No one would undrestand that but us - but you are right it is a SURREAL experience - hard to get our minds wrapped around the new reality. i was at a thrift store yesterday and just for the heck of it bought 2 pairs of size 10 jeans (i started at 276 am now 169.6) - thinking i would just lose more weight and eventually get in them. I brought them home and both pair fit - a little snug but totally wear-able. I could not believe it. BEST OF LUCK TO US ALL ON OUR JOURNEYS!!!!

Just think if you do 55 pounds this year and 55 pounds next year you are at 110 - don't know how much you need to lose but that's a great amount of weight loss in a relatively small amount of time. I think you are doing great and do not compare yourself to others it never works. Also, I have a 14 cc band with 9ccs and am pretty tight restriction wise - i did not feel much at 7.5ccs - just wondered if you need a fill to help with hunger?

Just think if you do 55 pounds this year and 55 pounds next year you are at 110 - don't know how much you need to lose but that's a great amount of weight loss in a relatively small amount of time. I think you are doing great and do not compare yourself to others it never works. Also, I have a 14 cc band with 9ccs and am pretty tight restriction wise - i did not feel much at 7.5ccs - just wondered if you need a fill to help with hunger?

I drink coffee every day - several cups - black but flavored (i.e., hazlenut, vanilla etc.) - it's just black cofee with a hint of flavor but no cream or sugar etc. so little to no calories. I've lost over 100 pounds in less than 8 months - so it hasn't harmed me on my journey! I have given up diet coke (and all pop/carbonated beverages/beer) - that about killed me but WELL WORTH THE SACRIFICE!!!!!

I drink coffee every day - several cups - black but flavored (i.e., hazlenut, vanilla etc.) - it's just black cofee with a hint of flavor but no cream or sugar etc. so little to no calories. I've lost over 100 pounds in less than 8 months - so it hasn't harmed me on my journey! I have given up diet coke (and all pop/carbonated beverages/beer) - that about killed me but WELL WORTH THE SACRIFICE!!!!!

i know EXACTLY what you mean - i just started shopping in the regular section myself and every time i walk in a store now i have to stop myself from going straight to plus size. No one would undrestand that but us - but you are right it is a SURREAL experience - hard to get our minds wrapped around the new reality. i was at a thrift store yesterday and just for the heck of it bought 2 pairs of size 10 jeans (i started at 276 am now 169.6) - thinking i would just lose more weight and eventually get in them. I brought them home and both pair fit - a little snug but totally wear-able. I could not believe it. BEST OF LUCK TO US ALL ON OUR JOURNEYS!!!!

No worries - with enough fills you will not be able to eat too much - then you will just have to make sure you are not drinking calories in between meals. You'll be ok - and 5/6 pounds a month for a year could get you to 72 pounds in a year and 144 in 2 years - which is PERFECT pacing!

No worries - with enough fills you will not be able to eat too much - then you will just have to make sure you are not drinking calories in between meals. You'll be ok - and 5/6 pounds a month for a year could get you to 72 pounds in a year and 144 in 2 years - which is PERFECT pacing!

They warned us at the seminar that we would actually "mourn" food. I did not understand until the last few months. Yes, I have those same exact fleeting thoughts - fantasizing about having all the fluid removed "just once" for that one big pig-out meal. The thought is fleeting the minute I step on the scale (100+ pounds down in just under 8 months) or look in the mirror, or shop the regular stores instead of the plus size, or get a second look from a cute guy (I'm married - it's just harmless fun . In the end, the good of this band VASTLY outweighs the bad. So the fleeting thoughts of pity/mourning are quickly replaced with positive ones. BEST OF LUCK TO US ALL ON OUR JOURNEYS!!!!!

no.. i've never felt like that. But i do miss certain foods...
Mags... next time you feel like that .... take a look around. Especially at buffets. Look at the people eating there, look at their plates.... Than think... that's what i'm doing all this for... so i don't end up like that... or so i stop being like that.
Ok.... tell me how mean i am and how can i say that because i use to be that.... but it's true....

little trick that works for me - may be worth a try - every "once in a while" (maybe once a week or 10 days) go way up in calories - you will post a gain the next morning (i know - i weigh religiously every morning - once a day) then immediately go back to your 1000 calories or less per day - (i'm on 800 calories per day per my surgeon) for me it "shocks" my body back into weight loss and prevents plateaus - and bonus it's something i know i can keep up forever (knowing i'll always have a cheat day here and there). I'm 98 pounds down - 7.5 months from surgery - and hardly have exercised. It's working for me - just thought i'd pass it along....

I had a BMI of 47 going into surgery (it's now just over 32) (i weighed 277 before surgery). My surgeon, too, tried to persuade me not to do lap band - basically letting me know that for "larger" patients it's not a good fix because a lot of people (in fact most) do not lose anywhere near what they need to. However, my mind was made up - for the same reasons as you -this is the one and only surgery i was doing - period. Six months and 88 pounds later my surgeon is very, very pleased with my progress. I guess I am falling into the 20 percent of patients in his own practice that are successful. Obviously anything can happen in future but so far so excellent! By the way, my husband literaly cried and begged me not to do the surgery (he is a total man's man and NEVER cries) and it took everything i had but i stood firm and insisted on doing this (he now tells me i was right and he was wrong LOL). He kept saying "give us one more chance to take the weight off together - give us 3-4 months - one more chance and if not successful i'll support you in the surgery - i promise!!!" I kept saying - I know i can lose weight - i just can't keep it off - i've proven it time and time again and i'm not willing to put the surgery off another 4 months just so i can prove i can lose weight one more time (which will inevitably come back on). Finally, he gave up fighting me and although he did not go to the seminar with me (i actually secretly went to that hee hee!) he did go to the inital surgeon appointment with me. He asked my surgeon (center of excellence, very experienced weight loss surgeon) how many lap band surgeries he had done and how many people either died on the table or within days/weeks of surgery - and the surgeon said - at least 200 and NONE. That was all my husband needed to hear (i was a healthy obese person - no co-morbid conditions and he figured most of those undergoing the surgery had co-morbids so I would be safe no problem). Six months and 88 pounds later - i'm THRILLED with my decision. BEST OF LUCK TO ALL OF US ON OUR JOURNEYS!!!!

i'm sorry to hear you are struggling. sounds like you are doing your best under the circumstances! treat this like the pre-op diet - just 20 days until the fill, 19 days, 18 days etc. - a true countdown. Best of luck to you!!!!

Glenda - it truly takes a WHILE sometimes to get restriction - I was banded 7/5 and i've had 4 fills - and this last fill at the beginning of November was the first time i felt ANYTHING in there - and i'm still not at restriction or the green zone. I am hopeful i'll hit it in December with my 5th fill. The first few months of a bander's life is labeled bander hell for a reason - you've been banded but there's no restriction yet - so you are flying without a net. Some lose, some gain, some maintain - but no doubt it's pure will power until you hit restriction. Speed of hitting restriction depends on lots of things including how aggressive your surgeon is with amounts of each fill. I do wish you restriction soon and best of luck on your journey!!!!

Glenda - it truly takes a WHILE sometimes to get restriction - I was banded 7/5 and i've had 4 fills - and this last fill at the beginning of November was the first time i felt ANYTHING in there - and i'm still not at restriction or the green zone. I am hopeful i'll hit it in December with my 5th fill. The first few months of a bander's life is labeled bander hell for a reason - you've been banded but there's no restriction yet - so you are flying without a net. Some lose, some gain, some maintain - but no doubt it's pure will power until you hit restriction. Speed of hitting restriction depends on lots of things including how aggressive your surgeon is with amounts of each fill. I do wish you restriction soon and best of luck on your journey!!!!

i'm sorry to hear you are struggling. sounds like you are doing your best under the circumstances! treat this like the pre-op diet - just 20 days until the fill, 19 days, 18 days etc. - a true countdown. Best of luck to you!!!!