healthy and happy

Since being banded, I have run numerous 5k's and 10ks' and have run 2 half marathons and I haven't experienced any problems with my band. Go for it!

Last summer was my first summer that i wasnt embarrassed on our family beach trip. I was able to wear the 2 piece tanktinis for the first time ever. The good news is that even with the little flab and extra skin at the top of my legs, the swim shorts are in style and they look great with the tanktini tops. The other great thing is i found a couple of tops that had ruffles which are a girls best friend when you have some extra skin or flab around the tummy area. I too got size 12s and boy was i happy!

I love turkey sausage patties, jimmy dean and Bob Evans makes a ready to eat one that I just pop in a frying pan for a couple of minutes on each side to warm it up and it is delicious. HIgh in Protein and low in fat and calories. Very filleing also. I travel early in the mornings for work so I take a sausage patty and a boiled egg to eat on the road. I too find that breakfast could be difficult to eat so I drink a cup of hot team eac morning before I start to eat.

Wow. All of your symptoms describe me to a TEE! That being said I am going to give you my theories on each of these issues. First, I have been banded for a year on August 11. When I first got banded I was the lapband poster child! I was so adamanant about measuring all my food out to the exact portion sizes that we are supposed to eat and was phanantical about eating only healthy foods that are good for me. I lost 90 pounds pretty quickly getting me to a low of 163. I exerized religiously at the Y without missing a day! I never had a single issue. My only "stuck" experience was when i first got a fill and ate something too fast and it hung up for just a moment. Then IT happened. I started becoming complacent.. I stopped measuring the foods, started overeating and eating junk that i know is not good for me. I would miss a day or two at the Y, then next thing you know I was missing a week or two. I was full of excuses as to why I couldnt keep up my healthy living regime. I weigh every day so I would get on the scale and say to myself "Well, a couple of pounds is ok. The next thing you know that couple of pounds turned into 20. That is also when I started having those symptoms that you describe. I know exactly what you mean by the "Water cooer effect". Also I experience more of what I refer to as "semi-stuck" situations than I ever did before. I tell you all that to get to my theory of what is going on with my body. When i am back on track and following my healty regime, i dont have these symptoms. I believe the biggest factor is the water intake. When I am drinking plenty of water and eating healthier, I do not experience these symptoms. So the very best thing I can do to prevent it all is to stay strong on my routine. To answer question #1- My doc also stitched around the band, so yes other docs do this. Question #2- I also experience that same phenomenom of being able to eat certain foods and quantities of foods more so on some days than others. I think the biggest contributor to that is my Fluid level. If I drink plenty of water and keep the fluid moving out of my body, my band seems to do so much better. This may sound crazy but I have tested it and found it to be true. I make sure I drink a couple of glasses of water or some hot tea before I go to bed every night. Yes this does make me have to go to the bathroom in the middle of the nite usually but when I do this the next morning I can eat Breakfast more comfortably than if I didnt. My band seems to be tight in the morning but keeping that fluid moving seems to really help. Thanks for posting this. Seeing your post made me realize that I am not abnormal. Others have the same issues. It also made me really analyze my situation and come to the conclusion that i can control my own destiny on this. If I want to continue to experience all these symptoms that you speak of, I will keep overeating, not exercizing, and not getting my fluids in. If I want to be comfortable, and feel good I will stick to my healthy lifestyle. I guess the band is doing what it is supposed to be doing. I think I will stick with the healthy and happy and keep myself on track now.

Lapband La La.. First of all, in your video you said you werent sure if yoiu belonged in the lapbandtalk community any more. Well I am here to tell you that you are still a part of this family. We are here to support each other through the good times and the bad. Be positive! I believe that the band is what you needed to get you started on the journey to living a healthy lifestyle. You successfully lost your weight and got to your goal and have been maintaining it. I believe that you have now learned how to live and what to eat and can continue to do this with or without the band. The band was just a tool to get it all started but now you have the knowledge to continue the success that you have enjoyed. Dont let the removal of the band psych you out. If you tell yourself that the weight will come back and resign yourself to that, that is what will happen. You can do this. Stay positive and just keep on going as if you still have it. It really wasnt the band that made you successful. It was your attitude and mindset. i know several people that got the band and didnt lose the weight. I also have friends that got it and did great and are living healthy lifestyles now. The difference was the attitude and the determination of those individuals. I know it was a blow to you, but I truly believe you can do this. Pull yourself up by the boot straps and get your mind right to take this on. If you need someone to talk to, we are here for you. I know how it is when you are talking to friends and family about the band. People just dont understand! But really I think that when people make the comments they are making to you, they are really trying to make you feel better about having it removed, but they just dont get it and dont know what to say. The next video you post on here, I want to see you smiling and happy because you have figured out that you can do this!! You have a strong healthy body now, so now just get that mind strong to match and you will be fine!! PS. Not only are you still welcome on this forum, but you are helping others. Your story has made me really think about my own situation. I have been being a little bad for the past couple of months and not following all the Band rules. Reading this makes me really think about what damage I could be causing myself and it truly inspires me to get my own mind back on track. If you were following the rules and this happened, I certainly could be at risk by not following the plan. Thank you so much for sharing with us all!! Hugs!! Hugs!! Hugs!!

I know you probably wont believe this, but once you start going to the gym faithfully, you may enjoy it. I really didnt want to go at first, but after a few weeks of forcing myself to go, now I hate to miss a day. I agree with the others too, I do a lot of exercize that is just plain enjoyable to me becuase i like the activities. Ex. bike riding and swimming.- I love them. Even things you never thought you would like become enjoyable.. I NEVER thought I would run unless something was chasing me, but Now I have learned to like it. I ran a 10K (6 miles) in March and now I am signed up to run a half marathon in September. When you sigh up for a run like that it keeps you accountable. You know you have to stay in shape and keep training to be prepared for the big day.

Dont give up.it sounds like my doc had me on the same plan. Liquids for breakfast and lunch, then 4 oz lean meat and a non starchy veggie for dinner. On day 3, my head was about to explode. I was a big soda drinker- the nurse told me I was withdrawing from the sugar and caffeine. During the night of day 3, I got physically sick and actually threw up. After that I felt much better and the rest of the two weeks were much easier. I have heard a lot of people say that if you can make it through the first 3 days, you will be fine.

Thanks for taking on the chart Lisa! I am holding firm at 183 this week. I will have a loss to report next week hopefully.

Name, real or screen~ Agnes "Healthy and happy" Goal weight forJune 30~170 Weight on June 1st~183 (Shamefully) Age~45 Dietary goal for June~Stop eating all the ice cream and other junk food that I have been eating lately!! Exercise goal for June~get as much outdoors exercize as possible. Biking, swiimming, etc. Personal goal for June~ Working towards running a half marathon in Sept so I want to be running 6 1/2 miles in an hour before the end of June Date banded~August 11, 2011 Total weight loss since banding/pre op diet~70 pounds- had lost more but gained a few back What is your favorite summer activity~swimming, jetskiing, waterskiing, riding my bike, beach, I love it all. Love the sweet summertime!!! I need to get serious now! I didnt even participate in mays challenge weighing in like I should because I was too embarrassed to post my weight. I am gonna do it up right in June!

174 today. Up a pound. uggh!!! Agnes

Name, real or screen~ Agnes Goal weight for April 29th~165 Weight on April 1st~173 Age~45 as of tomorrow. Its my birthday!! Dietary goal for April~ cut out all this darned ice cream i have been indulging in. Exercise goal for April~pump up the training for half marathon I am going to run in September. Personal goal for April~get back on track with my diet and exercize. I have been a bad girl for the last couple of months Date banded~August 11, 2011 Total weight loss since banding/pre op diet~80 What is your favorite flower~dont really have a favorite. Larry- I appreciate you keeping these challenges going. It does give me some motivation knowing I am going to post my weight on here every week!!

Mine did it too but it has since stopped. It was really worrying me but now it is just as thick as ever. my doctor assured me it would level out and that I wouldnt go bald. He was right. My hair looks great now to go along my good looking new body!

So what does the doc say about stretching your pouch? Will it ever go back if you start eating small amounts again>>>

Some tricks that I have used and they worked... Bend over and then stand back up again and hold your hands over your head stretching up take several deep breaths I keep papaya enzyme with me all the time. if you have those chew a few up. It should help the food digest and go down. walk around I hope you get it down. It is a miserable feeling. Fortunately each time I have gotten stuck I have done the things mentioned here and it only lasted a couple of minutes. Good Luck!

I really suck this month!!! Uggh! I am up to 174.5 this month. Disgusting!!! Next month, game on! I will not continue this trend. I know I can do better than this.