ericaharrod

I am sorry to hear about your ankle, I hope PT helps. And..... GET UP AND EXERCISE!!!! You have proved that you can do this, so do it! Set some goals, google low impact exercises, and do it! You will do awesome when you commit!

Horsegirl and otakham- I plauteued around 220 for almost two months so very frustrating, but it will pass. Hang in there! Nicki- Great job on 5.5 lbs! I hope it sticks I lost 3 more pounds this week for a total of 67lbs! I am finally more than half way to my goal of 130lb loss. I have lost 7lbs total in the last two weeks and am well on my way to 100lb loss my birthday in October I am just so happy that the extra exercise and being extra careful with my eating is paying off. It is so extemely pleasing to see the scale moving! I have had lots of great comments lately and that is also really nice. Also, my wedding rings flew off my hand yesterday, good NSV but also scary, I would hate to lose them. What have you all been doing or plan to do when your rings don't fit anymore? Erica

Add me! User name is ericaharrod.

Kymie- Awesome on 7lbs, you go girl!! Nicki- Good job getting back on track. I might have to look up the firm videos everyone talks about, it sounds like a good work out. Meredith- I think you should do the kickboxing, it sounds like fun. You would do great. 4lbs gone this week! Besides right after getting my band, this is the most I have lost in a week. I hope this is a sign of good things to come, on my way!

Hello everyone! Happy 6 month Bandaversary!!! We really have come far, we rock! Chrissy- Thank you so much for the encouraging post. It helps to read that in black in white. To everyone who is plateaued. I was teetering between a few pounds for 2 months, it was the most frustrating thing. Normally I would have given up and binged, but I perserved and that time passed and I am losing again and even though the scale wasn't moving, I was losing inches. Hang in there, you are doing it even if the scale doesn't say so. So to try to accoplish my lofty goal, I have tried to workout 1.5 hours a day to 2 hours a day. I have also majorly watched what I have eaten and tracked everything to a T. My offical weigh in is later today after I go home and sleep after my night shift. I will post what it is. I so desperately want to get to 65lbs lost, which would have to be a 5lb loss this week, I am not holding my breathe but we can all dream, right? Erica

Ladybandit, I am glad your irritation went away. Reaching the sweet spot helps, I hope you are there! Nicki, It stinks when the scale doesn't reflect our work. Hang in there, I am sure you will have a loss next week. Kymie, I am glad they are supportive at work. The one person was supportive so far. So the other night, I decided a new goal for me. I want to reach a 100 lb weight loss by my birthday which is October 12. So that is 38lbs in 3 months. I know that is an extreme goal, but what if I can do it? I really haven't been the perfect bander and I have lots of room for improvement. I am really going to try to exercise 5 days a week and focus on getting my protien first and then veges and fruit. Do you all think I am completely crazy?

Nicki and Chrissy- Thanks for the advice. I think you all are right about letting it go. I like that I should be a "super model" for lap band Nicki- Have fun with your video today, and I have some hips too Chrissy- I usually have a problem with constipation too, I think it affects my weight loss also. Just keep up with that water, We have had miserable heat and humidity in Kentucky also. Because of it, I have been trying to exercise in the pool, it is one of the ways to get the burn in without completely burning up, lol. I am already down 1lb of the two I gained on vacation. I am 4 pounds away from being at the halfway point for my weight loss (65lbs of 130), I can't wait to get there. And not to toot my own horn, but if I look this good at 62lbs lost, I will be a super model at 130lbs gone, lol. I hope everyone is doing good today! Erica

Hello everyone! I am back from a week at the beach and two week off work. I had a ball and over all didn't do terrible with my eating, I also worked out 4 days while at the beach. I only gained 2lbs over the two weeks of not really watching it and eating lots of ice cream I am ready to get back on track and lose some more weight. Kymie- I did the % thing you posted and it said 22.18%, I like the idea of that! I love reading everyones posts. It really helps to see other people going through the same things as you. Oh, speaking of those things. I came back to work and someone I work with asked me how much weight I had lost and how I did it. I had only told a few people, manly management about my band up to this point. I told her that I had lapband surgery and she said, "I already knew that!" She said everyone knows that. I asked her how she knew and she said someone mentioned it and it spread like wildfire. I am surprised no one had told me that everyone knew. I don't mind terribly that people know, but I really feel betrayed about the fact that someone blabbed. How would you all feel, do you think I am over reacting? Thanks, Erica

Love it! I have lost the elephant penis and a rack of baby back ribs.

Angie, I am sorry to hear about the negative. That is very tough. I wanted to pop in, I know I am late in the conversation, but I did IVF about 3 years ago due to male factor and female factor infertility. I was blessed with boy/girl twins after the first cycle, they are now 2.5 years old. I have two close friends who got pregnant after two cycles and have healthy babies. I just wanted to wish everyone luck in your emotional journey!

Hello all!! Amica- Congrats on onederland, that is awesome! Chrissy- GL getting to your goal, keep it up! JDI- We have black widows too, they are nasty little boogers. We actually have had our outside of our house sprayed with bug spray every three months to help keep them away from my kiddos. Well last week I didn't gain or lose. I have been struggling with choosing bad foods. I have lots of good excuses, just ask me, LOL. We went to an amusement park on Saturday, my 6 year wedding anniversary was Sunday, and now it is Fourth of July week. And there is no end in sight for my excuses. We leave on Friday for the beach. I need some tough love and encouragement. I don't know why I do this to myself, it is silly. I am thinking about doing a liquid diet for a few days before vacation to get the sugar and fat cravings under control. Anyone else have any ideas?

Hello everyone! I am a nightshift nurse, so I usually check on here on my lunch breaks, (usually 2am I am glad everyone is doing so well, we are an awesome group. Savannah and NC2NJ- Congrats on 6lbs in one week, that is awesome!!! You go girls! Thanks everyone for the suggestions for my dinner last week. I got salmon and ate about 3/4 of it with no problem, it was perfect! I also wore a new dress to the dinner. It was less fabric than I am used to It came to just above my knees and was sleevless, I almost felt naked. I felt good though, pretty and almost sexy, lol. I lost another 3lbs last week, which puts me at 60lbs lost!!!! Super excited, hoping I am on the right track now. Hope everyone is doing well!

Nicole, Congrats on the nice jeans, you will be in 14s soon. What kind of job do you have where you swim two days a week? NJ2NC- Great job on the Lg dress, it is awesome to get all those compliments, wtg! JDI- Love the stay away from things with fins comment, too funny! Awesome job with the 60lbs!!!! I am nervous. I have a dinner later today for work at a fancy steak house. The menu will be limited because they are renting the room. I also will be there with co-workers who don't know I am banded. I just want to look normal eating w/o getting stuck. I am really tight right now and have trouble keeping down anything that is tough at all. Any words of advice?

Just do it- We are going to Gulf Shores in July and then Hilton Head in September. I love the beach. I hope your first day back was ok. NJ2NC- Hang in there. I have been there a lot too lately. It is very frustrating to do so much and be stuck, but this too shall pass Chrissy- Good job on still being in onederland! Nicole- Goood luck with the fill you just got, I hope you are almost in the sweet spot.

Chrissy- Congrats on onederland, that is awesome! Nicole- Good luck at your appt tomorrow, I hope they give you a larger fill. I am glad you are feeling better. Good job with the not binging with the stress, you are on track! Let us know how it goes tomorrow. Just do it- I hope you are having fun at the beach, I go in three weeks and can't wait! As for me- I was down 3 pounds last week which brings me to 57 pounds lost. I am going to keep tracking my food and exercise and hope for another 3 pound loss this week, I would love to get to 60lbs gone. These last 10 pounds have been so tough, but I am pushing through.

Hello everyone. I have been reading when I get a chance, I haven't really got online much lately. Savanah- Bravo to you for being so honest! I am right there with you about wanting to push things. I ate 3 chicken wings the other day and decided I could eat one more, I regreted that decision later, ugh! Congrats on the 5 pounds, that is awesome! Sounds like you are working the band now. jlhale- Good luck with the port, I am glad they could still fill it for you. My port flipped completely over and I had to have surgery again, I hope yours stays ok. Chrissy- I love that you love shopping for sales, I do to. I wish I had a sears outlet near me. Enjoy your khakis. Justdoit- Did you enjoy your time with your family? How was the real bathing suit? As for me- I have decided this week to try to eat less and only weigh myself once a week to give it time to work. Not weighing myself has been so hard, I was weighing everyday. I was seeing so much up and down, it was discouraging. Even though my weight loss has slowed, I am still noticing clothes that are getting too big. I went a bought a new bathing suit and we went to the lake. It felt great to be able to pull myself up onto the boat and the tube, I wasn't able to do that last year. I remember feeling like a whale last year, it makes me sad to think of that, I am glad that old me is gone. I also had another good NSV, at work someone said,"Man you are getting really skinny." I need to learn to say thank you, my usual response is, "Thanks, but I still have a lot to go." I should say thanks and enjoy the moment. I hope everyone else is doing well!

Mine is tender any time I do a ab exercises. My surgeon says that this is normal because it is stiched to your muscle.

I have lost 52 pounds and still have about 80lbs left, but the second picture was taken of me this weekend and I actually thought I looked skinny (ish) and wanted to share. Nice to have these NSVs!

Just do it- Thanks for the advice about recording my weekly weights, I will have to keep better track of weekly to look for trends. Also, great job being down 4.5 pounds in a week! You are doing awesome! N2animals- Good luck with your new fill. I hope that it works for you this time. I feel so lucky to have you all! It was nice to post on here about my current struggle and to have people who understand and who are supportive. Thanks everyone!

Savanah- I know what you mean about wanting to know that your band is working, it is nice to feel that restriciton. That is too funny about the "I am sexy(restricted) and I know it" Those will be the words I hear when I hear that song from now on. NJ2NC- Congrats on the size 14, that is awesome! As for me, not much to report here. No more weight really lost, and if anything I have been less motivated and a little discouraged lately. I can hardly eat more that 5 bites of food at this point, since my last fill and I am not losing weight. It seems like if you can only eat tiny amounts, shouldn't the weight fall off? It is frustrating because I love to eat, that is how I got here, but I really can't eat much. I am going through this mental issue of wanting to eat, but not satisfying that want. I am glad I am banded because in the past this is when I would binge and blow that whole thing. I did have a good NSV this weekend. Someone took my pic while we were out and posted it on FB. I actually look skinny(ish) and I was so surprised. I posted my before pic with that pic in the Successes forum and got great feedback, it has been helpful for my depressed mood I have been in. I know that this is a process and I should be thankful for the 52lbs I have lost, but it is so hard. Whoever says that this is the easy way out has no idea what they are talking about. Ok, enough of my rant.

Thanks again everyone!!!!!! I added them by clicking the attach button below the reply box and finding the pics on my computer. Lets see some more!

Thanks everyone! I had my surgery on 1/5/12 so 5 months out.

The mesh is working so far. I have had three fills since then and everytime they go to fill it I am afraid they will tell me it flipped again, but they haven't had any trouble since the surgery. I couldn't tell mine flipped. I went in for a fill and the doctor couldn't get the needle in it. Ended up that I hadn't ever really received a fill, even though the NP thought she had it.

Hello all! Kathleen- Do you know how many calories you are eating? If you track that and it is pretty low (like below 1200) you might need to alternated higher calorie days with low calorie days to keep your metabolism going. That has worked so far for me. Hang in there, you are doing great, and it will be easier when you have more restriction. As for me, I had another fill last Friday. I have had a lot of trouble since then with keeping food down. I can keep fluids down with no trouble, but mother's day I couldn't keep anything down. I am really trying to focus on really small bites, chewing, and stopping sooner than I want! If this were to continue, which I am hopeful that it won't, I plan on moving forward my appt to get a 0.5cc unfill. I have noticed that I am staying full a lot longer which is nice, so I hoping if I eat the way I am suppose to with the band that I can keep this fill.

My port flipped about 6 weeks after surgery so I had to have surgery again and the surgeon put a piece of mesh on my muscle and then sewed it in again. He said that in obese people the abdominal muscle is thin and stretched out, so stiches don't always hold the way they should.