pink dahlia

welcome to the other side !!! hope you're doing well. i couldnt stand that nasty pain meds so i went with liquid tylenol too. I was up and around the next day, did lite walking from there out. the 1st 10 days i felt like i had a badly pulled muscle on the left side but other than that i was fine. hope youre doing well, how did the whole thing go for you at the hospital ? easy or hard ? are you drinking your liquids and remembering to walk every hour or so ? hope youre doing ok. i was banded 8.5 months ago, best decision ever !!! good luck ! it just gets better and better !!!

i have very little tolerance for the 1 drink i like , im limited to an occasional strawberry margarita ,so 3 months out i had 3 sips of a margarita at a mexican restaurant and ohhhh, big mistake !! now i had even less tolerance and ended up in the bathroom and parking lot and lost everything ! i can handle a homemade margarita but for some reason not the restaurant ones. so beware your tolerance may be different with the type of alcohol, time of month, etc.......

i try to listen to my bodys wants and needs, as what works for one may not work for another. I 'm in the green zone, but finding my band tighter in the am ,so i able to eat less in the morning and more in the late afternoon and evening. if i want a snack 3 hrs after a lite lunch , i have one because my body is telling me to eat something, so i eat some healthy like yogurt, almonds or, today a morning glory muffin. (a bran muffin with chopped apple,banana, and sunflower seeds. ) try to be a little understanding of what your band is telling you, it may be a different than what someone else's band is telling them.

i feel like my 40's passed me by, because of my weight probs. (didnt start having weight probs until my 30's ) Anywhoo, thought i was stuck being obese forever (5'3, 225 lbs )n had tried weight watchers (12 lbs in a year, thats all !) so when 2 realatives had lap band done in june 2011, i started researching it and knew it was right for me right away. I was banded Dec 13th, 2011 and have lost 50 lbs as of this week. I wanted something that was reversible if needed, didnt take out my insides, and had enough rules and restrictions but was also flexible too. lap band was the answer to my prayers and i dont regret it for a minute ! I follow the Drs rules 95% of the time, (good food choices, exercise 3-4 times a week etc) and the weight started coming off !! Im at 175 lbs and it just keeps getting better and better .My insurance paid 100 % but i stiil would of paid some myself if it had come down to that. Alli can say is do your home work, attend your local support group, ask questions and you'll be happy with your decision. BEST. DECISION. EVER. good luck !

WAY TO GO !! KEEP UP THE POSITIVE MINDSET !! WOOHOOO !!

great job on your weight loss !! keep it up !! like any journey you are going to go forward, backwards and sometimes stay in the same place for awhile .(plateaus) dont give up ! just keep following your drs orders, and your body will start responding. it takes time to lose weight, just like it took time to gain weight. Good luck !!!

Try easylunchboxes.smugmug.com for lunchbox ideas from Laura, Chief Mom of Momables .

hi. i found this on Pinterest, havent tried it yet , but...........try easylunchboxes.smugmug.com . Lots of lunch ideas, plus you can buy a lite fabric cooler to keep food cool. Great site, love the ideas. Hope this helps !

My green zone is where i eat a cup or so of food and then dont want anymore. Yes, it still looks good and smells good., but asking my self if i want to see the number on the scale go down or do i want more of that food usually does the trick for me. im not a food saint, i still have my daily treat, but its nothing like before where i was hungry all the time. Todays menu was Breakfast= homemade fruit smoothie (spinach, yogurt, coconut milk, oatmeal, frozen fruit, honey,all blended together , YUM !!!) Lunch= 1 slice ham, a few crackers and a cheese stick, snack=a couple of cookies, Dinner= we were SUPPOSED to have barbq pork,2-3 small pieces, 1/2 cup brown rice and salad or fruit, but some thing came up and i was on my own for dinner, so it was a quick meal of homemade nachos. Not the best dinner but sometimes that happens. If i get hungry later ill snack on a few cherries. i just stop when i feel full, and i remind myself that there will always be food in my world and i wont go hungry. hope this helps !

Woohoo !!! Congratulations !!! I was banded 7.5 months ago, and if you had told me i would lose 50 lbs by late july , i never would of believed you !! all i can say is, i hope you're ready for a big change in your life, but the results are oh so worth it !!! Good luck !

hey, sorry to hear you're having such a tough time with all this. I know you're frustrated. I was banded shortly after you, (mid dec 2011) down 50 lbs too. im at the green zone , finally, on my 8th fill. before that i was eating way too much at times and would stop losing. I was HUNGRY ! i found the drs advice to fill up on protein and fruits and veggies 1st to be very helpful. then i have little room for carbs and sweets. when i do have carbs its usually whole wheat products, and for sweets its weight watchers ice cream or skinny cow brand. tracking on my fitness pal and swimming 3 x a week has been a huge help towards my weight loss. hope this helps ! Good luck !!

ive had 4 prs of skechers, i love them. soooo comfy !!! however, they're not cheap so i look for them at goodwill stores. some people wear them a few times and find them NOT comfortable, so they give them away and i buy them at goodwill for 10 bucks. you might want to try a 2nd hand pair and see how they do before you pay full price.

been banded 7.5 months, i eat lots of protein and fruits and veggies. so far that has made my thin hair thicker.

Big thank yous to all, mwwwwwahhhhh !!!!

Ive been banded 8 months, and i have thin, straight , baby fine shoulder length hair. Its actually gotten healthier a bit because of all the protein i eat. Since im supposed to eat protein first , and fruits and veggies 2nd, there isnt much room for alot of carbs or sweets. So far the healthier diet has done wonders for me ,and i still have healthy hair !Good luck !

When i got banded last December, one of my hopeful goals was to lose 50 lbs by my July 27th birthday. Well, im a little late , but all i can say is HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME !!!! 175.7 this A.M. !!!!!! I dont care about the birthday , but i do care about giving myself a gift of being healthier and happier . Only 35 more lbs to go ! THANK YOU TO EVERYBODY who's on this forum, you have no idea how much info and advice ive gotten from all of you ! All i can say is Thanks !!! Have a good day !!

wow ! I cant wait to be you ! WAY TO GO !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

um , you've "only" lost 33 lbs in 3.5 months , and you're not happy ???? ...................you might want to rethink this, because you probably did;nt gain 33 lbs in 3.5 months, so doubtful you would lose it quicker. a slow and healthy weight loss equals a healthy body that keeps the weight off. You are doing very well, and your Dr is happy. count your blessings, because some people take forever to lose anything. Hope your successful weight loss continues ! Good luck !!

Hey, its no shame to have a bit of cake ! lots of people do ! i have a little treat everyday and include it in my daily log on myfitnesspal.com. ( Chocolate should be one of the 4 basic food groups ) As far as breakfast goes, i have to have breakfast everday or im horribly cranky with low blood sugar. since i dont have time to sit down and eat a proper breakfast, i fill up several baggies each week with raw almonds, turkey jerky and a half a protein bar. that way when i run out the door i can just grab a baggie, and maybe a yogurt or a Boost protein drink too. (I also keep a baggie in my purse ) It saves me from a Mcdonalds breakfast etc. Try making up some baggies or tupperware with your favorite healthy snacks for those rushed mornings. Celery and pb, apples and almonds, protein bars, breakfast cookies (from Taste of Home website) etc....... good luck !!!

You were banded on my birthday, July 27th, so im sending extra good karma your way ! I was banded Dec 13,2011 and had hopes of losing 50 lbs by my birthday. Well , im close but not there yet , im at 47 lbs ! Soon ill be there ! Six months from now you wont reconize yourself. Just follow your Drs orders on food and exercise, take it ONE DAY AT A TIME, and you'll do fine. Good luck !!!!

If you dont mind me asking , why do they think you would become bulimic after being banded ? Sorry , need more info ! if you are comfortable with sharing more info about your reasons maybe we can help you more . good luck !

Hey ! you are not a failure just because your body isnt cooperating ! it may take time to get your body on the right page. I didnt get alot of restriction until my 3rd fill , and then it only lasted a few weeks. Then not alot for the 4th, 5th or 6th, but just had my 7th and so far, so good. Every body is different. Also, i think you might want to look into exercising more, I looked at your profile and while i cant tell how old you are , by your screen name im assuming you're 50 or older. Well, im 54 and my metabolism has been SLOWWWWWWW since early 30's. A year on weight watchers and i only lost 12 lbs !!! Seriously ???? A Year !!! Im thinking you might need more exercise than what you're doing, but i know the joints might be a problem so i encourage you to swim and/or walk at least 3x a week. It has done wonders for my weight loss ! hope this helps, hang in there ! you can do this !!!!!

My doc said no pre op diet either. he just said dont gain any weight, but if you lose a few lbs thats fine. i lost 5 lbs preop.

Knew i had to do something but had no idea as to what, so thought i would be overweight forever as Weight Watchers didnt work. watched 2 relatives become sucessful with a lapband, so i started looking into it. i was banded Dec 2011 (Best decision ever !!!) knew it was right for me as soon as i started my research. No more old lady clothes, lots more energy, like what i see in the mirror, more self confidence, nice compliments.

Ive had Blue Cross/BlueShield forever, they paid 100% of the surgery because i had some of the co morbidities they required like high blood pressure, sleep apnea and a proven try at weight loss. ( 6 months at weight watchers). get your self a good surgeon who is reccommended, you going to have to put yourself in his/ her hands so you need to like and trust that Dr. and their team. Ive been banded since last December, down from 225 to 180, very happy with my results so far. Im living, not just existing ! Good luck, you can do this !