ready for my journey to be

I had my surgery on 3/1/12, my first fill 6weeks after (my wt 217 down from 245). From the first day of my fill I never felt restricted. I could eat whatever with no restriction on how much,however once I was done with my meal I was full for a while, which lead to me eating twice a day(I know not good). My eating was still not bad and I went to the gym 5 days a week (1hr cardio with strength training). Two weeks after my first fill I went for a 2nd fill still nothing. By now my eating habit is getting worse the will power is not so good, my weight is the same 217lb.(I'm still going to the gym) On 6/7/12 I go for my 3rd fill OMG finally I understand what restriction really is, i understand 4oz of meat is enough, I understand sipping my fluids. What a wonderful feeling! now just maybe I can start my weight loss

On April 24th I turned 42 ... My husband's birthday is the 22nd and I made a big deal out of it because he turned 40 ... I made his favorite foods for dinner and even made him a homemade pineapple upside down cake (his fav), we stayed busy all day and played with the kids ... We have 3 young children; 10, 8 and 4. They had a very hard time understanding why on my birthday there would be no cake and no special meal. I was very good on my hubby's birthday and was not going to blow it on my birthday !!! It was still a very special day and for the 1st time in my life I was able to celebrate something without making it about the food !!! I know that doesn't seem like a very big deal to some people, but those of us that have struggled with our weight, know how difficult that can be. Even with all of my hard work I did not reach my goal of losing 10lbs this month but I came very close, losing 8lbs. I have started shaking things up a little in my work outs in hope that it will help me reach my 10lb goal for May and maybe even give my that extra 2lbs I didn't get in April ... My husband told me a few weeks ago that he didn't realize that losing weight would be this much work for me after having wls ... I must admit I didn't really know what I was getting myself into either, but I refuse to have gone through all of this and not lose the weight !!! Getting banded was the best thing I ever did for myself and my family. My husband even bought me a pink and white beach cruiser for my birthday so we can start riding along the beach with the kids this summer !!! Before I was banded I would have returned the bike and spent the money on bills or even going out for a nice dinner but now I can't wait for the kids to be out on summer break so we can start riding !!! I am very blessed to live at the beach in SoCal where the wether is usually beautiful but I never took advantage of it until now and it feels great =0)

Well im on my month seven of lap band. I have to say that so far i have had my bad times my good times and my blah times. Mainly the times that have been bad have really been my own fault. Like when i don't go to the bathroom for four days and i get built up gas all in my stomach well that's my fault and i have learned that i have to keep up with things like that. Well that is what i am going through this week and let me tell you it hurts and its not fun and i couldn't even go to work today because i couldn't get off the toilet. Now i know lots will not understand this but not all laxatives are the same. And never before lap band have i had to take any kind of a laxative. But with the band comes new things lol. So i took one Monday and nothing so yesterday i took a new one and holly cow! Never again will i listen when the bottle says you can take three at a time! But on the bright side and yes there is always a bright side today i want to eat again where as for the past four day i haven't really wanted to eat anything in fact i know this is bad but the only things that i have really eaten in the last four days has been about four crackers a day. That's what happens when you don't go to the bathroom.
But enough about that, This is what i would really like to talk about today and yes im sure it may piss off some but really i don't care, someone needs to say it right? This is what i hear the most and some how it really hits a nerve with me. Its when people say well so and so had it done and they lost a few pounds but they weight more now. OR i read this ALLOT " im sick of lap band i don't weight any less and i hate it im getting the sleeve." OK no normally i would feel sorry of the person but when i start asking questions like well how many times did you have it filled? And they say oh well just once or twice then i stopped going, it kinda makes me what to say well then its your own damn fault and maybe you should have spent the money some place else. And i understand that the sleeve seems to work for lots of people don't get me wrong there but again you have to work with that just like you do with the band!!!!! I know that getting stuck isn't the funnest part of the band and in fact it SUCKS but if you eat what you know that you can and you do what your supposed to do then i don't see the problem! As far as restriction go well i have it but then again i have been fill every month since i had this done minus two because i didn't need it. Its like i told my friend that just had this done last month, Its not easy and at times it sucks but when you start to look awesome and people start to tell you how good you look you want to keep going even though sometimes it sucks. I told her that you have to get your fills and that you have to still watch how much your eating because at times your head can lie to you when your stomach is saying stop and I told her my all time very Favorite line " The band doesn't fail people, people fail the band" which means you would with the band you do what your supposed to and you will loose the weight! I mean really if so many people fail with the band then why is there still so many that get it done. Here is another thing, you have to have a want to. You have to want to loose the weight because if not your just spinning your wheels. I have herd to many people so well i have had the band for three months and i haven't lost that much well it didn't take you three months to gain it all so why would it take only three months to loose it all?????????
I have been told that at times i can be harsh and yes i know very well that i can but really don't keep complaining about something when your not willing to work for what you want! i can walk up to 15 miles now could i do that the first day UH NO i could barely do one and i didn't get up to that until about my third month after surgery but i am out there everyday. When i first got on the bike i could barley do a 10 min incline run now i am up to 45 mins and you know what i can do it and i can keep going because i have to want to! I have 20 more pounds to go until i can say that i am the same weight as i was in high school i was 175 and no i wasn't fat. but any ways all im say is that your cant complain about the band unless you have worked every where possible with the band to loose the weight.
Hate it or not that's how i feel! TO everyone working hard to get to your goals keep it up and there is a light at the end of the tunnel for everyone!

I was banded 14 1/2 months ago. Needless to say, I'm still fat. I have no one to blame but myself. I just ate whatever I wanted thinking I would still lose weight. Uh, no. That did not happen. And I wound up gaining more weight. So after a binge on chips and dip 3 weeks ago Wednesday, I finally realized that I cannot continue to live and eat the way I had been. So the very next day, I recommitted myself to making a change in my life. God willing, it will be a lifelong one.
 
I have no clue how much I weighed 3 weeks ago, but I know what I weigh now. And based on the scale, I weighed less than I thought I did when I recommitted, so that's a plus. And as of 2 days ago, I'm back in the 220's. Two twenty-eight to be specific. Yay!!
 
Now onto the NSV.
 
I have a body frame where I'm large from the waist up (very broad back), and smaller from the waist down. My tops are a size or two larger than my pants. Four years ago I lost weight the "right" way. I watched what I ate and exercised 5 days per week. That lasted all of a couple-three months, but in that time, I got down to a size 16. Not a 16W, but a regular ol' 16. So I had a pair of size 16 capris in my closet. Well, I pulled them out of the closet for the first time a couple weeks ago. I was able to wear them, but not zipped or buttoned. I held them up with a rubber band. I do that with all the jeans/pants I can't zip up. I wore those capris again today, using the rubber band to hold them up. As the hours passed, I noticed how loose they were, so I decided to try and zip and button them.
 
And I was able to w/o any effort!!! Yay!!
 
Now, sitting down in them wouldn't be pretty due to my HUGE muffin top. (A lot of my weight is in my stomach) So I need to still lose a good amount of weight in my stomach, but I was still thrilled that I was able to zip up and button a regular size 16 pant!!!
 
That's my first NSV and I hope it's followed by many more.

WELL TODAY I WAS DOING LAUNDRY AND DID NOT FEEL LIKE PUTTING ON CLOTHES TO PICK UP MY LIL GIRL FRM DAY CAMP SO I OPENED UP MY DRAWER AN ROOTED AROUND ON THE BOTTOM OF THE DRAWER WAS A OLD PAIR OF TOMMY HILFIGER JEANS USED TO BE MY FAV.......SO I SLIPPED THEM ON AND HELD MY BREATH YEP OVER MY HIPS,YEP AROUND MY WAIST,BUTTONED WITHOUT SUCKING IT IN LOL...NOT MUCH BELLY HANG EITHER YEAH ME A SIZE 16R NOT A 16W EITHER JUMPING UP AN DOWN !!!!!!

WELL TODAY I WAS DOING LAUNDRY AND DID NOT FEEL LIKE PUTTING ON CLOTHES TO PICK UP MY LIL GIRL FRM DAY CAMP SO I OPENED UP MY DRAWER AN ROOTED AROUND ON THE BOTTOM OF THE DRAWER WAS A OLD PAIR OF TOMMY HILFIGER JEANS USED TO BE MY FAV.......SO I SLIPPED THEM ON AND HELD MY BREATH YEP OVER MY HIPS,YEP AROUND MY WAIST,BUTTONED WITHOUT SUCKING IT IN LOL...NOT MUCH BELLY HANG EITHER YEAH ME A SIZE 16R NOT A 16W EITHER JUMPING UP AN DOWN !!!!!!

WELL TODAY I WAS DOING LAUNDRY AND DID NOT FEEL LIKE PUTTING ON CLOTHES TO PICK UP MY LIL GIRL FRM DAY CAMP SO I OPENED UP MY DRAWER AN ROOTED AROUND ON THE BOTTOM OF THE DRAWER WAS A OLD PAIR OF TOMMY HILFIGER JEANS USED TO BE MY FAV.......SO I SLIPPED THEM ON AND HELD MY BREATH YEP OVER MY HIPS,YEP AROUND MY WAIST,BUTTONED WITHOUT SUCKING IT IN LOL...NOT MUCH BELLY HANG EITHER YEAH ME A SIZE 16R NOT A 16W EITHER JUMPING UP AN DOWN !!!!!!

WELL GOT MY FIRST FILL TODAY ..YEAH ME I HAD 3.4 IN MY BAND FRM SURGERY HE PUT IN 1.1 SO NOW I HAVE 4.5 IN MY 10 BAND I HOPE THIS HELPS .. DAD IS DOIN O.K. CHEMO AN RADIATION JUST STATRED, HE IS STILL EATTING FOOD SO THAT IS GOOD I ALSO HAVE DECIDED THAT MY NEW OUTLET WILL BE THE GYM OR A GOOD BOOK INSTEAD OF FOOD SO UPST I GAINED 5LBS IN 6 WEEKS WTH.. WELL NOT GONNA BEAT MYSELF UP OVER IT I KNOW NOW WHAT I GOTTA DO TO CHANGE IT......ENJOY UR DAY ALL...............

Ohhhh I was such a bad bandster this weekend I'm not going to even get into it, started with margaritas (4 of them) Friday night and went sort of downhill from there. I realized that I cannot take a vacation from eating right, but I also realize on the weekends I don't eat like I normally do (three meals a day 5 hours apart) and that's where the trouble starts.
 
New goal for this weekend: FREAKING EAT MAN!
 
Saturday was quite busy. I went to my local day spa and got my first Brazilian, not for anything special but because it was time for Andrea to put her big girl pants on and stop cutting myself in my lady bits, and it does not hurt! Everyone told me it was the most painful thing, oh come on, getting my eyebrows waxed hurt!
 
After that I went to Aldi's, which I used to not shop at because I only liked high quality foods (ie Trader Joe's Whole Foods) now to be honest with you I don't give a crap what I eat in regards to the quality, I'm so not into food anymore. I just make sure it's dense protein and my daily calories are around 1000/day and 60-80 grams protein/day. For two weeks worth of groceries, I only spent 57 bucks at Aldi's (which is dirt cheap in Connecticut) after that I went to Big Y and got my cat food, and whatever I couldn't find at Aldi's for another 40 bucks worth, so I have to say for grocery shopping for two weeks of food for me and my cat under 100 bucks is awesome!
 
On the way to my dbf house, I forgot to get a V-day gift, so I stopped at Gamestop to pick up a gift card, well while walking to the store (this is what I get for parking so far away) my bra strap breaks! So I have to walk in there with one perky boob and one droopy boob and I'm just like "hurry up, I got to get a bra!" so I go next door to Dots (which is like a hoochie mama clothing store, honestly though I buy clothes from there that aren't hoochie mama, but you know) and get a bra, which the boyfriend loved, and I'm like "this is not sexy this is out of necessity lol". What a day
 
That night dbf and I went for sushi for a belated V-day dinner, I was so worried that I was going to get sushi stuck, but alas I did not (I really don't want to eat sushi, I love it so much, that I want to be restricted enough just to eat sashimi because I could eat those darn rolls all day!). At the restaurant they had this crab salad that I devoured and I think that was the most I ate, also shrimp tempura ::hides:: I'm hoping by my next fill I will only be able to eat sashimi, fingers crossed!
 
Sunday morning, dbf brought breakfast in bed, mmmm those eggs were salty lol. Didn't finish eating those. Went home later, and made my dinner for the week (beefy tortilla soup with an extra can of kidney beans for protein) in my crock pot. Then I was so un motivated from cooking that I had a lean cuisine for dinner ::hides again::
 
I also tried to figure out what a 4 mile run would be from my house to wherever (my previous post, if you didn't read, was my goal to run a 5k next year) my friend who runs them told me once I get the endurance to run 4 miles since it's a little more than a 5k, so the 5k will be easy. So I drove two miles and holy crap that's a long distance, but I'm going to do it!!!!
 
OH OH OH! One more thing, I bought two big things of plain Chobani yogurt and a ton of mix ins, so today's Chobani flavor goes as such: 1 cup of 0% Chobani with 1 T sugar free white chocolate instant pudding mix 1 T Torani white chocolate syrup (sugar free duh) and 1 T sugar free rasberry preserves.....YUM!
 
Tomorrow I'm going to mix in Coconut Torani and some canned pineapple for a pina colada. Sounds good, no?
 
Well time to get to work, thanks so much for reading, everyone stay motivated, and if you had a bad weekend like me, remember today is a new day, be accountable, get moving and DON'T GIVE UP!
 
XOXO,
 
Andrea

i get it i do we all need to make better choices when it comes to food ..however if i bought fat-free,sugar-free tasteless foods i would not have needed this surgery to begin with about 9yrs ago i lost 85lbs on my own,got pregnant,had my thyroid removed and wham its back, i joined a gym back in may and have lost very little weight...guess what i like food so as far as a diet they dont work for me will i make better food choices for the most part yes i will .. will i always make the right or best choice prob not but because of the band i will stop at one slice of pizza and not eat 4 or 5,and as far as a diet not for me...so i dont understand when some people say diet,low fat, sugar free yap.yap,yap !!!! thanks for letting me get this off my chest ....

When I first started on this site, I would always read how much people were saying, "I NEEEEED my fill", "Can't wait for my fill", "Hungry! Don't get my fill for a while" and couldn't really understand that "need" because for the first three weeks although I WAS hungry at times it was manageable. I would just like to apologize publicly on this forum for wondering.. .........yesterday (day before my fill) I could have eaten my face off. I was redonkulously hungry between every meal. In fact not one meal yesterday even touched my hunger radar. I was thinking, "ONE MORE DAY" which brings me back to the "a ha moment" as Oprah would say. Today was a 360 moment. I can truly say now that I GET IT! Feels great that Prudence finally got her fill, 2cc infact. Tomorrow is my 1 month bandiversary and I can say that although challenging, its been a great month!

Yesterday was boring! Today is going to be boring!!!! But I like routine. I wake up, feed the cat, take a shower, feed the cat again, get dressed go to work, come home feed the cat again, go to the gym, eat dinner and go to bed.
 
Well only 44 days until Key West
 
Also I'm obsessed with portobello mini pizzas.....yum!!!!!

Hi all!
I am subscribed to an email newsletter called Godvine. Every weekday they send me an email with a verse, several video clips, and a story. This story was in the letter from yesterday, 2/3. It really warmed my heart, so I had to share it with you all.
 
"Get Off The Scale
 
Whether weight is a 'problem' in your life or it's some other single factor, this can apply to everyone. Never forget it!
 
You are beautiful. Your beauty, just like your capacity for life, happiness, and success, is immeasurable. Day after day, countless people across the globe get on a scale in search of validation of beauty and social acceptance.
 
Get off the scale! I have yet to see a scale that can tell you how enchanting your eyes are. I have yet to see a scale that can show you how wonderful your hair looks when the sun shines its glorious rays on it. I have yet to see a scale that can thank you for your compassion, sense of humor, and contagious smile. Get off the scale because I have yet to see one that can admire you for your perseverance when challenged in life.
 
It's true, the scale can only give you a numerical reflection of your relationship with gravity. That's it. It cannot measure beauty, talent, purpose, life force, possibility, strength, or love. Don't give the scale more power than it has earned. Take note of the number, then get off the scale and live your life. You are beautiful!"
 
 
Source: Something I Just Had To Share

I was thinking today about what I've learned so far on this journey. Shockingly, it was a great deal. Here are the top 10:
 
10. Know yourself. There is a ton of advice all over the net and in our own circles.. but we have to be wise enough to know how to "eat the meat and throw away the bones." Not everything that others do will work for you. We've invested in our bodies and now we have to make sure we get a ROI (return on investment)!! Don't sabotage yourself by trying to stick with the regimen of someone else. If you're not sure, speak with your doctor or nutritionist/fitness expert. Your medical team created a plan specifically for YOU! So while it's always good to get ideas and advice, we have to make sure we are first and foremost doing what is best for us.
 
9. Goals. Look to the future always. Don't get complacent w/the amount of weight you've lost or frustrated with the amount of weight you haven't lost..but always keep reaching for your goal. Set small goals in the interim and reward yourself. We're busting our asses and deserve to be kind and sweet to ourselves every now and then.
 
8. Excuses, excuses! While we are our worst critics, we also tend to go easy on ourselves at the least opportune times. "I've been working hard..I deserve that slab of chocolate cake." "The kids wore me out, and now I can't exercise." Don't get me wrong, I think we all need a break and need to reward ourselves every once in a while..just be careful not to let it snowball. I made this decision because I needed a lifestyle change.. not to continue to give myself "outs."
 
7. Positivity. Stress causes the secretion of Cortisol.. which leads to weight gain in many people. Thinking positive and generally finding the good in your situations creates what I like to call, "Happy Juice." Aka: Endorphins! Also created when you work out! Endorphins crush Cortisol and can result in weight loss! So stay positive and encouraged..even if that doesn't cause you to lose weight, you'll be a happier person!
 
6. Kindness. Be kind to yourself. I have a very swift tongue and can cut someone down like a hot knife through butter... unfortunately, I can do the same thing to myself just as easily. Remember it takes time to see results..but if we keep placing one foot in front of the other and keep pushing we'll all get to where we want to be.
 
5. Do something! Move your feet and your ass will follow!! Everyone works at their own pace. They lose weight at their own pace and that's OK. If you want to see results (possibly faster) and reduce your risk of other complications that come along w/being overweight, get moving!! Even if it's 30mins a day..some of us spend more time than that on the phone, watching a movie, talking to a friend, reading a book.. etc. The good thing about those activities is they can all be done in conjunction w/exercise.
 
4. No Magic Bullet. This band is not a "fix all" ..after you get banded you will still have taste buds that crave certain foods.. you will still be a jerk or a prima donna..or a sweetheart.. you'll still have money problems if you had them before.. you'll still have personal life issues to deal with. The world doesn't stop just because we've gotten banded. As we're taking the steps to lose the weight, we must take the steps to improve ourselves to be more well-rounded and level people. Don't neglect the rest of your life..the band, while pivotal, is only a small portion of it!
 
3. Support. Surround yourself with like-minded people, with common goals..not just for the band, but for life. This is such a life altering experience and you find yourself not only wanting to do better health-wise, but improve all the aspects of it. Make sure you have people in your life that will add to it, and not deduct from it.
 
2. Keep it simple stupid! Don't major in the minors!! The band is hard...but it's not complicated. Follow the rules and listen to your body (the good stuff) and you will succeed. Don't make the band something it's not or try to complicate it. It's a simple tool.. work it and it works!!
 
1. Prepare to wait! Patience is KEY in losing weight this way. As the saying goes, "We didn't put this weight on overnight.. we won't lose it overnight."
 
 
I'm learning a ton about myself..but the most important thing I'm really starting to grasp is that I'm worth it!! =)
 
-Mary-

omg 10 hrs and i will be in the hospital i probley wont sleep tonight but going to take a shower and try to relax see you all on the banded side

just got the call frm the surgeons sectary yes they have medical clearance..all my ducks are in a row and we are so ready for tomorrow,so excitrd scared nervous i think it is a good thing only fluids today dont think i could eat anyway !!! if i dont blog tonite see you all on the banded side.. may god bless and keep us all !!!!!!

just got the call frm the surgeons sectary yes they have medical clearance..all my ducks are in a row and we are so ready for tomorrow,so excitrd scared nervous i think it is a good thing only fluids today dont think i could eat anyway !!! if i dont blog tonite see you all on the banded side.. may god bless and keep us all !!!!!!

just got the call frm the surgeons sectary yes they have medical clearance..all my ducks are in a row and we are so ready for tomorrow,so excitrd scared nervous i think it is a good thing only fluids today dont think i could eat anyway !!! if i dont blog tonite see you all on the banded side.. may god bless and keep us all !!!!!!

First, I want to apologize for all my whining last week. It was the first time I hadn't seen the scale move since I started this whole process. Anyways, I am completely ecstatic this morning! After weighing in at 219 Friday morning and feeling down, this morning I weighed in at 215!!! It's soooo awesome! I took the weekend off from the gym and I guess my body just needed to do some catching up. I had hoped to be at 215 today, and it's a miracle that I am lol. I literally jumped up and down and did a little dance in the bathroom. I even checked it twice to make sure I was looking at it right. I'm going back to the gym today, and this week, I'm not going to whine if I don't see the change on the scale because I know that the weight is going to come off as long as I'm persistent! Thanks so much for everyone's encouragement and kind words. I don't know how I would be getting through this process if not for this site and the people on it.
On a personal note, my love life is going in a really positive direction. After being single for 27 years (yes, that would be my whole life!) I have finally found someone who appreciates me for who I am, enjoys being around me, and likes me as much as I like him. It's taken us a while to get to this point, and even though we haven't reached the relationship stage yet, I feel as if it's going in that direction. I have lots to smile about today!
Adding some updated pics of me at 215 pounds!

Had a great weekend, including Friday. Friday I tried to not write down what I ate and just concentrated on how much I was eating, and to be honest I had a really hard time with it. It's definetly mind over matter which sucks and I'm hoping I can work on that eventually.
 
Anyway, Friday night went to the dbf house for dinner, he ordered Chinese, I had crabmeat rangoon and a small thing of pork fried rice and that filled me up. Saturday I was cleaning like crazy all day, I had eggbeaters with cheese and some sausage in the morning, a chobani with some granola and yogurt raisins for lunch and had corned beef, cabbage and carrots for dinner (corned beef is disgusting! Never tried it before, not my favorite cut of meat, dbf loved it!).
 
On Sunday my parents called me early in the morning and wanted to meet up in Newburgh, NY for brunch (Newburgh is halfway between the two of us, they live in NY I live in CT). So much fun I don't know why we didn't think of doing this sooner. It's an inconvenience for me to drive 3 hours back and forth, and I usually have to take a half day off on Friday, this worked out perfect. I had a mushroom and cheese omlette some hashbrowns and rye toast, and that's all I ate for the day, except for a handful of trail mix.
 
Today I'm back at work, I'm hoping the week goes by quick, I took next Monday off, to recover from Super Bowl (go pats!). I have an appointment at my surgeon today at 4pm, I'm nervous to see how much I lose/don't lose in the past two weeks, my last appointment was on January 16th and I was down 21 pounds from my weight on my surgery date. I'm hoping they bump me up to 2 ccs in my band and see if that helps, if not it's only 4 weeks and I go back again for another fill. NOT GIVING UP THIS TIME!