pink dahlia

sorry you had trouble with watermelon. i feel very lucky that it doesnt bother me as its my favorite food. could your Dr suggest something to take so the watermelon doesnt raise your blood sugar ? just thinkin...............

best. decision. ever. ..........................welcome and good luck !!!!

wow, we have some smart cookies on this forum, dont we ? Everybody said pretty much everything i was going to say. All i have to say about depression is, " been there, done that, it ain't pretty!" If it doesnt clear up see your Dr asap ! Life is too short to be depressed ! Exercise, healthy foods and a product called "Plus" by Mannatech helped me immensley. (Mannatech.com) Also after awhile you will start seeing your clothes get looser and looser, which is a huge mood booster ! Good luck to you !

Did anyone ever tell you how awesome you are ? Way to go on conquering your fears to get a start on a healthier life ! That took some courage !!! All i have to say is, i wish id known about the band 10 years ago, i would of saved my self some misery. I think it was a great decision for me, im very happy with my progress so far. (Down 45 lbs in 6 months ! Happy !) just follow your Drs orders, and it just keeps getting better and better ! good luck !

way to go ! " I cant wait to say 'Ive lost 90 lbs !" keep up the hard work !

i assume you have a fridge or cooler at work, so try this. All our meals are diabetic friendly (hubby is diabetic , but is slim and doesnt like sweets, go figure ) so we cook a diabetic friendly dinner and we both take the leftovers for lunch each day, then do it again the next night, etc. that way we are always eating healthy. I eat something healthy for breakfast,( ideas- protein shake, hb egg, 1/2 banana, 1/2 apple, turkey jerky, almonds, protein bar etc .) for dinners we cook fish, chicken, ground turkey, some red meat,( and my favorite, Bruce Aidells chicken teriyaki pineapple meatballs) etc. Add lots of veggies, fruits and salads and were eating good. Give a Diabetic cookbook a try, or go on line for recipies. Good luck !

you're awesome ! hang in there !

pb is high in fat , but i consider it neccesary to my sanity. i just count it as part of my daily calorie count. sigh ......... but 190 cals for 2 tbls ? i mean. c'mon !!!!!!

you're awesome ! the weight didnt go on us overnight , and i guess it wont be coming off of us overnight either. sigh ..................patience is'nt one of my virtues either but im still happy when the clothes started getting loose, and i had to buy new pants, . then again, and then again, etc. Hold on to those nsv's and dont worry so much about the scale #. Its only a # ! Im no expert, but maybe this will help as far as food goes. My hubbys diabetic so almost everything we eat is diabetic friendly. He usually cooks dinner, i take dinner leftovers for lunch and stick to some thing healthy for breakfast and snacks as much as possible. Occasionly we have a little weight watchers ice cream in the house but thats it as far as junk food. We eat alot of baked fish, chicken, some red meat, ground turkey, and lots of fruit and veggies. any carbs are whole wheat . No white flour , just Diabetic friendly recipies. This has helped alot because whole wheat products "stick" in your stomach longer because they take longer to digest, so you're not hungry much between meals. Try a diabetic cookbook from the library and give it a try ! Hope this helps !

hi i was banded just a few weeks before you were (December) and im down a very happy 44 lbs. My Dr is very happy with my progress, says this is the best way to do it , averageing 1-1.5lbs a week. (Im on my 6th fill) i have occasional plateaus but nothing im not expecting. This part may not work for everyone, but i keep a daily weight diary. I dont worry about a 2 lb weight gain as i put it down to digestion, hormones, water weight etc, but if i gain more then 2 lbs i can easily look on Myfitnesspal .com and see what ive been eating, exercising etc. This has been a huge help for me, plus the weight diary visualy shows me how my weight is going, usually down .....down....down......... Just when i think i havent lost any weight i look back on my weight diary and can see " Oh wait a minute, ive lost 3 lbs in 2 weeks ! Um .......im ok with that !" This helps. alot. Good luck to you !!!

i guess it all depends on each persons mindset. Im 6 months out too, down 44 lbs , and beyond thrilled with the weight loss! I look and feel 100 % better, have more energy, sleep better, my clothes are falling off, and im getting lots of nice compliments too. I look upon this as a slow but steady journey on the way to Healthyville. "Rome was'nt built in a day and neither was your butt !" It took time to gain that weight, and it will take time to lose that weight. So, hang in there ! wewill get there when we are supposed to ! good luck !

Oh , and no changes in your activities as far as i know, same as usual unless your Dr says otherwise.

i would check with your Dr as to what they do and dont want you to do before the fill as every dr is probably different. Mine just says no food for 4 hrs before the fill and no more liquids for 1 hr before the fill. The fill itself is easy, they just have you sip this yucky tasting drink and watch on a screen as it goes down . You are laying down on a table or recling chair , then the tech puts the needle full of saline in your port, you say ouch and you're done. Kinda like being at the denist for a cleaning, its no big deal. my Dr says liquids only for the next 48 hrs, then carefully try out solids to see how you react. (After my 5th fill i couldnt get near raw broccoli, i miss it but i dont miss the extra weight !) Anyway , its easy....... so good luck !

oh i think shes very aware of her behaviour ! she has to say and do those things because SHE has to be in charge ! And yes i do think shes very controling ! You made a smart decision to get banded , so leave her out of it ! since she cant set healthy limits on how much she gets involved in your life, you have to set those limits for her. if not, she'll just keep walking all over you . You can be involved with her but let her know what the rules are ! Your husband and friends sound very supportive, so good for them ! good luck !

Ohhhhhhh, it only gets better !!! Its not egotistical or vain to want people to notice your weight loss. Not only do you look better, but you're feeling better too and you've put alot of hard work into yourself . Way to go !

and you should be excited !!!! its a huge accomplisment ! way to go ! you're on your way to a healthy body and you make a good choice for yourself, no body else. congratulations on the hard work and the weight loss !

my dr also told me "protein first, then veggies or fruit, then carbs." I was also told to stay up on fills, meaning if i was eating more than a 1/2 cup to 1 cup per meal, and really hungry in between meals to come in for a fill. Well it took my 6th fill a couple of weeks ago to hit the green zone , but i finally got there ! Now im full after about 3/4 of a cup with a couple of small healthy snacks in between meals. The weight is now coming off much easier, so get those fills ! Makes all the difference ! ( down 45 lbs in 6 months !) Good luck !

my pain was hardly noticeable. i took the horrible pain meds for 2 days, then didnt need them. It felt like a badly pulled muscle on my left side for 10 days. i went lite Xmas shopping 3 days after getting the band. The only foods i really have trouble with are raw broccoli, dry chicken or dry pork and can only do about 3 bites of potatoes, bread or chips. . I had a bad episode after 3 small sips of a strawberry restaurant margarita ( Low end tequila ?), other than that , rarely any probs, just have to remember "eat slowwwwwwwwwly !" ( I 'm so stinkin' thrilled with my weight loss i dont even care about what i cant eat ! 42 lbs since December !) Good luck to you !

a pillow in the car for your ride home, you might be still groggy and need a nap. Good luck !

i didnt have alot of restriction until my 3rd fill, then it only lasted about 12 days. The tech says that happens sometimes. My 4th and 5th fill didnt change my restriction alot , but i was still loosing weight, just slowly, about 1 lb a week. My Dr was pleased, so was I , but i was still eating too much so i went for a 6th fill recently and finally hit the Green Zone. Im down 42 lbs since Dec 13th, 2011 ! I eat my protein first , then fruit and veggies, then carbs. I seem to do best with small meals or a snack every 2-3 hrs. i eat alot of Bruce Aidells chicken meatballs, turkey jerky, hb eggs, peanut butter, ground turkey, fish, and some red meat. i keep track on My fitness pal. com. i avoid fast food exxcept for Wendys chili, and the very rare bite or two of a cheesburger and fries. I started a swim fitness class 3x a week last fall. That and walking have made a huge difference with my weight loss. hope this helps ! Good luck and be patient !

Since ive lost some weight i have lots more self confidence because i look and feel better. the compliments dont hurt either, especially from men ! ( Im married , not dead !) The cuter clothes are in a smaller size, i have more energy , im sleeping better and am able to run a little. Im wearing a belt ! A cute one ! etc. One day after i had lost about 30 lbs i had an unexpected nsv. I sat down on the couch to paint my toenails, and i very easily pulled my heel up to my rear where i could easily reach my feet . i had not been able to paint my own toenails comfortably in many , many years because my big ol' stomach had been in the way ! Not anymore ! So im looking forward to hiking, riding a horse , being a runner, dropping more weight, having my pants get too big again, getting rid of my sleep apnea machine, climbing in to our fishing boat without rocking it, etc................im saving money because i eat less, so i spend it at Goodwill on clothes that will fit my shrinking body !

good question ! I never thought of a reward, as i felt my newly slim healthy body would be my reward , but i love the idea of a ring as a reminder of my accomplishment. Great idea !( I do love silver and diamonds !)

Look into some different forms of exercise and see what interests you. I dont like weights, treadmill, or dance classes of any kind, but i love the water fitness class i take 3x a week. That , plus walking and a little jogging has helped alot . once i lost some weight i felt i could try something new, so 2 weeks ago i tried Spinning, and i didnt do too bad. It was kinda fun ! So , keep an open mind and try something new ! Good luck !

Leave a roll of lifesavers and a bottle of water in the car for the ride home. Surgery and recovery was a breeze except for the cottonmouth i had all day. Lifesavers and alot of water helped . Good luck ! Im so glad i did it !

I was banded about 6 months ago. BEST. DECISION. EVER. Last December i weighed 225 lbs. , was unhappy in my own skin, tired all the time, wearing a size 18/1x , yada yada yada..................you know what im talking about . Today i weigh 182 and am still losin about a lb or so a week.. My energy is way up, i love the healthier and happier me, and im wearing a size 14 skinny jean ! (Me !!!) The extremely minor problems have been my own fault, , like eating too fast or too big a bite. No big deal . The positives are far outweighing the smaller negitives , which in my case are i cant eat raw broccoli or dry chicken. Um, oh darn................ My surgery was so easy, i went Christmas shopping 3 days after surgery. Other than feeling like i had a bad pulled muscle on my left side, i had no pain. I could go on and on about the positives but you get the message. The only thing you'll regret is not getting banded sooner. JUST DO IT !!!