pink dahlia

if youre not getting enough protein you'll definetly be tired ! also check with your dr about which vitamins you should be taking. before i was banded 4 months ago i was tired alot. Tests showed that i was very low in iron, so ask your dr about that. Its very common in women as youre losing iron every month but as you get older your body cant replace it as much ( Im 53, going through pre-menopause .) The only iron pill my stomach can tolerate is one called "Slow Fe" a slow release iron supplement, found at your local drugstore. Now ive got lots more energy than i had before, losing 30 lbs and exercising 3 x a week makes a big difference . Good luck !

i love my water fitness class 3 x a week. you dont feel like youre working out because the water keeps you cool, but oh what a workout ! i also walk when i can as i want to be a runner too someday, right now im at the mostly walk , some jogging stage. But hey, as long as you're moving and enjoying it you're more likely to stick with it ! I dont enjoy working out to exercise videos but i heard that some libraries have them to check out just like a book. good luck !

my hubby is diabetic so we eat alot of brown rice, whole wheat pasta, and very rarely whole wheat bread or sourdough bread, which is diabetic friendly. im 4 months out and can eat anything as long as i take small bites and chew well and take time between my bites. This includes pasta, plain or with homemade spagetti sauce, and uncle bens brown rice or chinese or thai food brown rice. Yummy !!!

congrats and way to go !! Im not built like you but i do carry most of my weight in my tummy too. i been doing a water fitness class 3x a week for 3 months and my pants size has gone from a size 1x to a 16, and im down 30 lbs !! Started at 225, now im 194.9 - Woo hoo !! Try those water fitness classes to trim your tummy ! good luck !

maybe increase your exercise now that you've lost weight ??

check with your dr before you take anything, just fyi, appetite supressants make some people very depressed (Me !)

I cant get enough of teriyaki turkey meatballs, Bruce Aidells chicken apple sausage, or when im craving ice cream, sf pudding cups, freeze them , they taste like ice cream ! Delish !!

I feel very lucky that i can eat everything ! i dont like soda, fried foods or alcohol, and very little fast food, so i did'nt have to give up anything. we eat pretty healthy at home because my hubby is diabetic so we eat alot of fish, chicken. whole wheat pasta , rice, etc. My portions have gotten much smaller, and i do try to follow the rules. i eat alot more protein than i used to, so my thin hair is much healthier and my digestive problems have gone away. I do , however have a sweet tooth and find i have no problems with "sliders" , but im trying to limit them. I was banded Dec 13th, 2011 and im down 30 lbs, and down from a size 1x to a 16 !, I look and feel so much better ! Today i wore a pair of pants to work that fit very comfortably, before being banded i couldnt even zip them ! So, what ever changes you'll have to make in your diet or life will be totally worth it !! Good luck !

woo hoo !!!!!! you're awesome ! congrats on you hard work, and you just go shake that little tommy hilfiger booty !! Great job !!!

i decided to get banded after 2 in laws did so well on it, so when i decided to get banded all my in laws were very supportive. i told my mom during a telephone conversation about 3 weeks before being banded, she calmly asked why i was doing it and when i explained that my weight problem was getting worse and not better, i had only lost 12 lbs with being on weight watchers for a year, and i was tired of living overweight. i told her about my 2 in laws successes, and that i had done my research and my dr also agreed with me and thought i was a good canidate. My mom agreed with me and passed the news on to my family and they were all very understanding. That was between thanksgiving and christmas,i had lost about 10 lbs by xmas. i wiil see them this weekend for the 1st time since xmas day, i think theyll be very impressed with my loss of 30 lbs ! (total) My hubby was and is still very supportive , he's very happy that im loosing and looking and feeling better! Co workers and friends were also supportive Hope all goes well with you, good luck !

WOW ! all i can say is if im ever in a war i want all of you in the foxhole with me ! (especially you Cocobean ! You go girl !!) i love how everybody is so supportive of each other and how we really encourage each other to be strong and make good decisions. I told my family and they were 100 % supportive. I kept it low key but open at work and also got 100% support and it has continued since got banded 3 months ago,(down 30 lbs, several nice compliments, woohoo !!) i got a few normal , healthy questions about how the band worked, but nothing remotely negative. Im pretty outgoing, funny and positive anyway, (my glass is usually half full) so as i think people saw me discuss it in a positive way to get healthy, they reacted the same way. Pure support ! So if you have to deal with the haters, just realize they're either ignorant or need to put someone down to feel better about themselves. It's not about YOU, its about how they negativly feel about THEMSELVES !!!!

I just recently bought a Weight Watchers scale. It's about a pound different from my Dr.s very expensive scale. Im not sure what it cost as i got mine at Goodwill for $5.00. Try your 2nd hand stores first before you pay full price. I would have paid retail for mine anyway, it's VERY exact. Instead of showing 195 lbs, it will show 195.2 lbs , for example. Im very happy with watching that # go down, even if its just a half of a pound. Good luck !

b-buff -yes, bring it up to your Dr. and see what kind of answer you get. I was about 100 lbs overweight too, and my Dr. had suggested i lose weight and knew my family history (not pretty) and that i had gone to Weight Watchers for a year and only lost 12 lbs. I told her " I'm 53 yrs old, and i dont want to live my remaing years overweight and unhealthy and unable to do things. You know my family history of cancer and being overweight just increases that chance of getting it along with a stroke, high bp , etc I have 2 in laws who were banded 6 months ago and are doing really well. Ive done my research and feel this is a good choice for me." After talking a bit more she agreed with me and wrote a letter supporting me. (Last October) I was banded last December and im down 30 lbs and look and feel much better. Talk to your Dr, and if shes not supportive , take your records and find a new dr. Life is to short to live it overweight ! Do your homework before you talk to her. Good luck !!

go to the dr . now. lumps can be a reaction to stress but sometimes they mean you have an infection. wont go into details but based on my family history, im telling you. get. them. checked. now. good luck and let us know how youre doing.

ive had my 4th fill, and i can eat EVERYTHING too. the only prob i had was i had a tiny bit of mexican food and 3 sips of a margarita last week and forgot and used a straw ( A big no no, it can introduce air in to your stomach ) I threw up my whole dinner, im pretty sure it was from the straw , as ive had mexican and a margarita since being banded. so enjoy your foods just dont use a straw and be very careful of alcohol as some are more sensitive to it after being banded.

my dr said a month and then start exercising gently. i started with slow water fitness classes and really like them. i go 4 days a week, they really help with weight loss in my mid section, but i was completely surprised when too tight shirts started to fit well too. .Pushing those foam water weights is really a workout !! Down 30 lbs in 3.5 months ! Woo hoo !!

um honey........... if you've lost 49 lbs you should be jumping for joy ! thats awesome and so are you !!! And i may be wrong here , but i dont know why you're upset over a 1.5 "gain". your body should and does go up and down about 2 lbs every day. Digestion , hormones, the monthly time, water retention etc....as far as exercise, walking is great but try to find 1 or more activities that you like and mix it up a bit. Just commit to 4 days a week and then if you feel like doin more , great, but if not 4 days is good ! that way you'll have more motivation if its not the same exercise EVERY day. Also give your self 2 pts for every time you exercise, when you get 10 pts , give yourself a non food reward. ( A new magazine, a mani/pedi, a massage , etc.) Good luck !!!

For me, being stuck is the worst ! it feels like heartburn sorta , in the middle of your chest. nothing will make it go up or down until its ready to, so chew, chew , chew and chew some more, taking small bites. PB=Productive burping, its burping a bit to make some thing move that might just be a little stuck. TMI ALERT- stop reading if you get grossed out easily. last week i had mexican food, just a little of the inside of a quesadia, 3 chips chewed well, and 3 sips of a margarita ( forgot that i wsnt supposed to use a straw -ever !) well......... after 2 trips to the bathroom wherei pb'd up the dinner, i proceded to completely throw up and slime my whole dinner out. not pretty................ i had the leftovers the next day with no probs, so im guessing it was the alcohol in the margarita, or the straw. either way i dont want to do that again ! so be advised, watch what you eat and drink !

welcome !you'll be so glad when you get banded, its totally worth it, at least for me. banded last dec 13th, down 30 lbs -Woo hoo ! good luck and check in often, there 's lots of good people here to help you.,

i love my Ninja Kitchen System. Got mine at Costco in Jan for $125, now they have them at $99. Walmart and Target sell them too, just dont buy it through the Ninja kitchen System website, Wayyyyyy too much money !

you're going to be a "hot mama !!!" way to go and congrats ! It's fun to try on clothes that used to be too tight and now are too loose isn't it ?? last night i tried on 4 pairs of pants and was grabbing a HUGE HANDFUL of fabric on either hip ! woo hoo ! Great job and keep it up !

How come "they" are more important than your journey to being healthy ?? You didnt gain that weight overnight, so youre not going to lose it overnight either. It is what it is................ you might want to focus on the reasons you got the band and not worry so much about others expectations. Let them worry about their own bodies so you can focus on your own ! The band DOES work but it takes time, so be patient and follow you Drs orders so he/ she can get you to where you want to be. i was banded mid December, down 27 lbs and damn happy about it ! ANY weight lost i consider a positive !! You should too !

swim fitness classes with foam water weights 3x a week.

i can eat anything, but my hubby is diabetic and does most of the cooking so 99% of whats in our house is diabetic friendly, and he doesnt care for sweets like i do. so......almost anything from a diabetic cookbook is healthy, they have recipies for pizza, tacos, hamburgers , also side dishes, breads and desserts. we make a diabetic friendly thick spagetti meat sauce and use it over whole wheat pasta or by itself. yummy ! we eat lots of baked fish, brown rice and salads too. also try the book called "Fix it and forget it diabetic cookbook" for the crockpot or the others in the series . great recipies ! try frozen yogurt or weight watchers ice cream for the sweet tooth . good luck !

i've had depression and it ain't pretty! been there , done that. when i had depression i used a product called Plus by a company called Mannatech. (Google it) check with your Dr. before taking it. All i can say is i dont know whats in that stuff, but it worked for me. it just took a layer of rage off of me (some people who have depression have alot of rages_) and it was a huge mood lifter in a healthy way. i was much calmer, less stressed,it was a lifesaver, literally i think i would of been in jail for murder. good luck to you !