rcz1966

Oh I so agree with chasing. Don't focus on the numbers. You are already a success and it sounds like you have reached your goals. The additional ten pounds is gravy. Nice to have, but not necessary. Do what you feel you need to in order to reach the 140 number, but don't make that more important than the complete weight loss and quality of life you already have achieved.

Great success -- way to go! If you want this last ten off maybe the addition of exercise is the ticket. I am far from my goal but like the idea of a buffer. Congratulations on all the hard work and perseverance and thank you for the inspiration this morning. It can be done!

Thank you everyone for your replies and words of encouragement. I think this can become part of the process of saying "Yes I will continue to work towards it." With it being the x-mas season my first goal will be to not gain over the holiday season (so far so good). Next I will get back to the basics and I do need to start to exercise more.

I'm amazed that you say you want to be successful by getting to 140....YOU WENT FROM 223 DOWN TO 150---I'D SAY WOW---THATS SUCCESSFUL!!!
I know those last 10 lbs would be nice to achieve but I hope you don't let it negate the great achievement you have already accomplished!
Good luck to you!

I say do exactly what got you to 150, this is not a race the is no finish line be consistent but enjoy yourself ever now and then

Believe you can do it and the do what you obviously know how to do. Exercise, eat right, Protein first!..Find something to motivate yourself.

Very True.....most of the people who I looked to for inspiration no longer come around here at all....and I can now understand why....
You have the surgery, you go through the weight loss and lifestyle changes, eventually returning to that place where, after the weight has come off, your life returns to normal.....
If I did not come here on this website, I could go days without thinking I even had the surgery....just living life from day to day......
The overwhelmingly majority of people here are either just starting out, or are still loosing weight...frustrated because many think they know all the answers, (they're on my ignore list) and others frustrated not sure who to believe.....
Then there are people like me who are finished, sit back and witness it all and wonder why am I here???
The answer to that is because everyone has a success story to tell, there are always 2 sides to the story, and people need to hear it......

Completely understand why you left...I have found the same problems with the high school attitude. The only reason I'm back is that I discovered that I could block posts from the "perfect" ones. It has made my visits much nicer! I don't disrespect others and their journeys. We should all be in this together instead of building ourselves up by bringing other people down. Just my opinion.
By the way, glad to see how long some of you have been banded. I'm at 31 months and counting. Glad I finally learned how to work the dumb thing!

I have been banded almost 7 years and no real problems except I can't tolerate fills! Not the ideal, but not the worst! I actually left this forumn because it was annoying to hear how "perfect" some were! If you had a ligitamite question or concern you would get blasted about how unworthy you were of the band! Then you would get blasted again by that person starting a thread about you and how they felt about your topic! Got to high schoolish for me! Now that I have returned I've learned to take the good and learn from the mistakes others have made. I'm glad to hear others problems. If I listen to EVERYTHING I feel informed, if I would listen to only half, I feel that would make me ignorant and arrogant! There is enough of both on here if you look! Just my opinion?!

I am 2 years out and no problems either. I hadn't been on here for quite a while either but now that I am trying to lose a few more pounds it is a nice site for motivation and support.

Not a one......don't even think about the band on most days....
Have not got stuck or sllmed in over a year....it all has become a very natural, common part of me...as the same if I would have had total knee surgery 2 years ago....first came the post surgery, then the rehab, then life back to normal, even though it has changed, but it is the "New Normal" better than the old??
BTW, it is my view that the majority of people o this forum are here to complain or seek help...the successful ones have long moved on....people I looked to advice are no longer here.....I belong to one private group in particular, where they have all once been members here and refuse to come back stating it is too negative......

I know the band is a tool but when it is properly adjusted things are much easier to manage.

Thanks everyone. I really appreciate hearing your experiences and it has given me the confidence to give it a bit more time and to go easy in the meantime. This evening already I think I am feeling some improvement and will keep everyone posted on what happens in the next week. Thank you for being so supportive.

Thank you both for responding. I think I will go easy and monitor the situation over the next week. Congrats to both of you on how well you are doing with your weight loss!

Thank you both for responding. I think I will go easy and monitor the situation over the next week. Congrats to both of you on how well you are doing with your weight loss!

At the clinic I go to they want me to reach my Protein goals without shakes by using food. It takes some getting used to but is possible.
I did not need to take pain meds. for more than a couple of days but everyone is different.
Good luck on your journey.

At the clinic I go to they want me to reach my Protein goals without shakes by using food. It takes some getting used to but is possible.
I did not need to take pain meds. for more than a couple of days but everyone is different.
Good luck on your journey.

Here is a link to a really decent article on restriction: http://drsimpson.net/fills/Lap-band-eating/lap-band-not-restriction/lap-band-and-restriction.html
I find personally I have to do a lot of internal talking between my brain and my stomach. You don't want that feeling of being stuffed but yet you want to feel satisfied so that your appetite is suppressed. As I eat I try to have that internal talk. Is it real hunger or is it head hunger. I also tell myself at times "OK, that's enough for now. I can always have more later".
If food hurts going down then you need to reevaluate the issue. Are you chewing food up small enough?, are you biting off more then you can chew? Are you eating slow enough? Or perhaps your band is already too tight.
Take a look at that article it's pretty good. I read it from time to time as a reminder I should only be eating enough to be satisfied and not stuffed. A lot re-training of the brain in the way I look at food will probably always be a work in progress.
Excessive vomiting can cause band slippage. So avoid that as much as possible. I have had a few stuck episodes because I ate too fast or didn't chew. It's not a pleasant feeling and actually hurts a bit.

basic meatballs
1lb of ground turkey
1 egg
1tsp salt
1tsp pepper
1/4 cup chopped parsley
3 tbsp grated romano cheese
1/2 cup bread crumbs
add everything together and mix very well.
form in too what ever size meat balls you like, place on a baking tray with a wire wrack so the excess fat can drip away.
smaller size meat balls, bake them at 375 degrees for 10mins
for bigger ones bake at 375 degrees for 15-20mins
i bake these off then leave then in the freezer till there frozen all the way...then toss them in a ziplock bag. there easy enough to pull out for a quick meal and sauce them anyway you please!