pink dahlia

why cant you go out for dinner ? have a salad before you leave the house and then have an appetizer for your dinner. skip the alcoholic drink , or just have 1 and sip water or seltzer the rest of the evening. you can still live your life you just may have to make adjustments. Also, Applebees does a weight watchers menu and most resturants have a "lighter menu" too. You're going to need your friends so dont give up everything just to loose weight. good luck !

i have a few nsv's. # 1- the other day i helped a customer in his 70's at my job, we chatted and laughed for a minute. when he left he passed my female co worker and said something to her. she came over to me a few minutes later laughing and said "That nice old man you just helped said you were quite a woman and if he was 20 yrs younger he'd go after you !" hilarious ! (Im 53 but have been told i look younger) #2 the pants i just got a few weeks ago are starting to get loose, again..........(this is getting fun, and expensive !) #3 im happily married but its still nice to have my hubby notice my weight loss and say nice things like "your butt is getting smaller !"

i tried diet pills years ago for a week or so. they worked but also made me very depressed. talk to your dr first but lap band is a slow journey to get you to your healthy weight, and im thinking you have to go through bandster hell to get to your goal (bandster hell=being banded and not having restriction yet, so you're hungry alot. This will change once you get the proper fill) Good luck !

yes yes a thousand times yes, i would do it again in a heartbeat ! i may be only 4 months banded and while i had to change my eating habits , the payoff so far has been huge for me ! ive lost 32 lbs, my digestive problems have gone away, i found i love my swim class 3-4 times a week, so that gives me a lot more energy ! ( walked 4 miles today !!). my clothes are getting too loose (again! And i just bought those pants 3 weeks ago !) im getting lots of nice compliments and im starting to feel comfortable in my own skin again. Hell yes , I'd do it again !

Way to go !!! Great job ! Its nice when your pants start falling off , isnt it ? Woo hoo !!!!!

i told my family & friends and they were 100% supportive. They knew i had been struggling with my weight for years and weightwatchers didnt work for me ( God bless them ,they tried !) I casually mentioned it at work and also got 100 % support. I got a few normal healthy questions on why and how does it work ? But nothing remotely negative, and when i started loosing weight i got nice compliments too from coworkers and family. I wish i had known about it 10 yrs ago so im happy to spread the word in hopes that someone else will look into it too. If i do ever get a negative comment, oh well ! Thats their problem , not mine ! Good luck !

you are not going to lose alot of weight quickly for awhile probably , because you are in the HEALING stage, not the LOSING stage. Only when you finally get restriction will your appetite be small. In the meantime you'll probably be less hungry than you used to be but not in the green zone. I went through the exact same thing you did but knew it would take time and i would eventually get to the green zone. I had my 5th fill today and hope this is it ! I was banded dec 13th, 2011 and im down 32 lbs. The band does work, it just takes time so be patient and follow your Drs orders. Good luck !

have you had your iron levels checked lately ? according to your profile you're 65 but you can still have iron probs at any age. Lack of iron can make you feel very tired and sluggish. My dr put me on iron pills but they upset my stomach until i found a brand called Slow Fe -slow release iron supplement at my local drugstore. Check with your Dr.first. good luck !

Oooooohhhh Jus krystal, you are one feisty chicky !! Good for you for being smart enough to look at the band this way ! There will ALWAYS be people who disagree with SOMETHING you are doing, right ? No matter what it is, somebody is going to disagree with you. And you may disagree with them too. But hey, its YOUR life and your right to get healthy any way you can, so if the band is the way it works for you , then go for it ! When you get strong and healthy you'll be so busy living your healthy life that you wont have time to listen to those ignoramusses who obviously know nothing about the band. Ask them some questions and see if they know anything ! Make the decision thats right for YOU !! ! Im 4 months banded down 32 lbs and my joints dont hurt as much and i have alot more energy too and I still think it was the best decision i made ! Good luck !!

I have straight , shoulder length baby fine hair, so i was a little worried about hair loss too. The weird thing is my hair has gotten thicker and healthier since i was banded 4 months ago ! I only take a multi vitamin daily so the only thing i can put it down to is im eating a lot more protein and fruits and veggies, and alot less carbs and junk . So, i guess the Dr.s are right, eat protein, protein, and protein ! god luck !

i didnt have the crying problem but i notice im much more emotional when my blood sugar drops, which it does quickly if im not eating enough protein or have had too much sugar. Then Im shaky and feel like " waaaaah !!!!!! !' I dont know what you're eating on your pre-op diet , but you might want to make sure you're having a balanced diet to keep your blood sugar level. Check w/ your Dr. or nutritionist if you have any questions. Good luck !

I love your program, hope i can do it someday as i would love to be a runner ! Im pretty stiff and have trouble loosening up even a little. i swim and took a yoga class this am. The instructor told me it may take a long time to stretch out my body with yoga, but to also try tai chi. she said not to do pilates as it is too much stretching for me at this point. Anyone else have any advice ?

Im 53 yrs young , im 5'3 and my happy weight will most likely be 140 or possibly lower to 125. When i was growing up 125 was a good healthy weight for me, but im older now, had a child, and going through pre menopause. My body has changed . I started at 225 lbs, down to 195 now, and if i get to 140 and cant go any lower im perfectly fine with that as long as im healthy ! I like a little meat on my bones !

Way to go , you're awesome ! Great attitude ! I find weights and treadmills boring so i wont stick to them , but i love my water fitness classes and outdoor walking so i'll do them 3-4 times a week. Hope you find and exercise that you'll enjoy and stick to. Good luck !!

I love my band too, because im seeing SUCCESS !! a few years ago i joined Weight Watchers, love the program and the people, but it took me 1 yr to lose 12 lbs !! EEEEK ! It just didnt work for me, i got frustrated and gained quit, gained the 12 lbs back and another 12 for a high of 225 lbs. i was banded Dec, 2011 and as of today ( April 20th, 2012_) Im down 30 lbs ! Oh , Yeah, I LOVE my band !!

P.S. Im down 30 lbs too, in 4 months and i consider it a huge payoff so far . Better to have lost 30 than to have gained 30 or stayed the same. any weight loss i consider a positive !!

honey, ill be 54 this summer and while i didnt have any weight probs until i turned 30, l know that being overweight and frustrated is difficult at ANY age ! Instead of venting about what you HAVE"NT done, how about venting on what you HAVE done ?? do you feel better, look better, less meds , etc ? Got any good nsv's to tell, or a nice compliment or two that came your way ?? Any advice for the newbies that might be reading this ? You've made alot of progress so far , just think where you'll be 3 months from today !! Keep up the hard work and you'll get there ! Good luck !

great job !! What are your diet and exercise secrets ?? Please share !!

I was banded last December, had my 3rd fill feb 27th and hit the green zone for about a 12 days, then it went backwards to mild restriction. I went in for my 4th fill end of March and the tech said that was'nt uncommon. Nothing has changed since that last fill, still just mild restriction. My 5th fill is next week, does anybody have any advice to make this work ? My insurance only covers the 1st 6 fills so im trying to use them wisely before i have to start paying for them myself . ANY ADVICE ????

Journey2healthy- just out of curiousity, what DID you expect from this surgery food wise ?? your dr should of talked to you about what to eat and what you might have trouble with , also maybe some paperwork with food info on it. everybodys different when it comes to what they can tolerate. i can eat anything just in small amounts, but 3 weeks ago i had 3 sips of an alcoholic drink and had a bad reaction. Everybodys different, so check with your dr and a nutrionist to see what you should be doing. Good luck !

wow ! You're awesome ! How did you lose 110 lbs in a year ?? whats your secret ?please share !! Good luck on your future losses !

Congrats ! Im 4 months banded, down 32 lbs. and very happy i got banded ! Good luck to all of you !

my hubby has loved me through thick and thin, literaly. although he never said a word about my 100 lb weight gain i knew he wasnt happy with it, but hey, neither was i ! i've lost 32 lbs so far and while he does see me as more attractive, its not just on the outside. Im happier because i FEEL better, im out walking or swimming 3x a week, my clothes are getting bigger and since im fitting into alot of my old clothes , i put way more effort into looking nice everyday. weight loss=self esteem and self confidence=attractive !Thats just human nature !

Somebody correct me if im wrong, but you're not supposed to be losing much or having a small appetite because the first 30-45 days are made, for HEALING, not Loosing. You are hungry because you have no restriction yet since you are in the healing phase. I believe this is what is called "Bandster Hell", and every body has to go through it until they get to a fill that restricts them. Im 4 months out , down 30 lbs and yes,. went through exactly what you re going through. Its a process, a one day at a time journey. . Being banded is not for sissies ! I temporarily hit the "Green Zone" with my 3rd fill, now im going for my 5th fill next week. This is a slow process, so be patient, follow your drs orders on food and exercise and pretty soon your pants will be falling off too !! When you start getting compliments and have to bag up your too big clothes and you drop a size you 'll be glad you did this ! Good luck, and yes , i still think this is the best decision i ever made !

Google "Ninja Kitchen System " its a juicer and anything else you might need I love mine ! It does alot !. Walmart and Target carry them at a cheaper price than ordering it through the website. i got mine at costco in Jan for $125, but they were recently there for $ 99 .00 . Dont confuse the Ninja Kitchen System with the Ninja Blender. same company but a different item.