Kiera

Nana, I got the same thing, Mr .Smith and Gandhi... :-)

LOL girl, you just tell those drug pushers you aren't taking what they are giving! You can do without those kinds of "junk" right? :-) You have to fight back when it comes to these temptations! It sounds like you may have a case of "all or nothing" thinking going on. Just because you screw up and eat one wrong thing does NOT mean that you need to just give in and toss your whole diet plan out the window! REGARDLESS of your restriction level the band cannot decide what you put in your mouth. They banded your stomach, NOT your head. So get your head back on straight, get your fill, and FOCUS on making good choices for yourself. Start NOW! Start tracking everything you eat, even the bad stuff on fitday.com and see how you are doing. Use that to start giving yourself some daily accountability. Track everything that goes in to your mouth, no matter what it is. You will do better right then and there. Buy a pedometer and start wearing it. Try to increase your steps. Even if you cannot get to the gym, you CAN walk more. Park further away, or just plain walk whenever you can. ONLY keep "good" foods in the house. I found that banning junk in my house made a huge difference. If hubby wants junk he eats it away from home 99% of the time. Ok, so 1% of the time he brings it home and shares - but only when he thinks I "deserve" a treat (gotta love this man of mine, lol). :-) Allow yourself an occasional treat - but PLAN for it so that you can do it inside your diet plan and you don't mess up you weight loss. Figure out what triggers your "bad" eating habits and find ways to get around them. Start with these things and see where it gets you. You *DO* know what to do, and your band can help you but you have to do the heavy lifting. Good luck.

I am not a doc, but I have done extensive research on the band. Most US doctors and all the various insurances I have seen follow the manufacturer's guidelines - which stipulate 100 pounds, a BMI 40, *or* serious co-morbiditities. However, all that said. Due to the dangers of the band (mortality rate IS 1 in 2000) it is unlikely that they will loosen up the guidelines any time soon (JMHO), goodness knows there is plenty of market space for the band with the current guidelines. It does appear that you can go to one of the Mexican docs as a self-pay and have it done... If you consider that route just make sure you research the doctor well and make sure it isn't some fly by night chop shop. Frankly, other than the dangers there really isn't any reason that "lightweights" shouldn't have the band. It just isn't an opinion that is likely to make it into the general population anytime soon... JMHO.

Definitely too tight. If you cannot eat 4 ounces of protein and half a cup of veggies in a sitting you are not going to be able to follow the standard bander diet. Eating only mushies is NOT gong to help you lose weight. Call your doc, get some saline taken out, you'll do better!

Welcome to your bander adolescence! It won't be long now before you transition into knowing that the band is wise and the fighting will slow down, maybe even disappear. Just keep plugging away until it does! :-)

I think Don't Go by Yaz is my absolute favorite walking song. I usually hit replay a couple times before I move on to the others. The Gorilaz song I just love. It is so happy and depressing all at the same time, LOL. Here is the chorus, you've probably heard it on the radio, I've no idea why it's called clint eastwood though, lol. I ain't happy, I'm feeling glad I got sunshine, in a bag I'm useless,but not for long The future is coming on I ain't happy, I'm feeling glad I got sunshine, in a bag I'm useless, but not for long The future is coming on It's coming on It's coming on It's coming on

apryl, I have actually been doing the treadmill at the gym. I have worked myself up to an hour a session at about 4 miles an hour with a 3% incline. I just sort of worked my way up to it about 15 minutes at a time with a break for 30 mins to use the nautilus machines and then another 15 mins on the treadmill. Over time I added time to each of the treadmill sessions until I finally just got to an hour all in one go. I am AMAZED at the difference it has made for me. I can really see the difference, so can hubby. *grin* I would get bored quickly too, except for my iPod Nano. I kid you not, the right music makes ALL THE DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD!!!! Below is what is in my workout playlist specifically for the treadmill time. I would highly recommend adding the music. I just blare it and try to keep up with the beat. The Nano and the Shuffle are the best tools for exercise that have been invented in years, IMHO. Don't Go by Yaz Put The Needle On It by Danni Minogue Can't get you out of my head by Kylie Minogue Pon de Replay by Rihanna Walking on Sunshine by Katrina & The Waves It's Raining Men by The Weather Girls Mambo No. 5 (A Little Bit Of...) by Lou Bega & Pérez Prado I'm a Believer by Smashmouth Let's Bounce by Christy Carlson & Romano Carlson Take Me Away (Into The Night) by 4 Strings Switch by Will Smith Clint Eastwood by Gorillaz Genie in a Bottle by Christina Aguilera Oh Yeah by Yello One thing, odd as it is, that keeps me focused is the sign over the archway where the treadmill I use is. Somehow along the way this sign has quit being the standard exit sign for me. I use it to meditate on while I am speed walking. It has become a symbol of "run this way to escape obesity"... I just focus on the sign, zone out to my music and the hour is over almost before I realize it. It is bizarre but I highly recommend giving it a try. Don't think about the walking or the treadmill, think of the escape, concentrate on the door that is the exit from place you are now to the place you want to be... It might work for you too.

The biggest difference for me with the band is that when I fall off the wagon it only lets me fall so far. These days a fast food pig-out is a child's happy meal and one of those $0.39 ice cream cones, LOL! We are talking maybe 350 calories - compared to the old MONDO cheeseburger, MEGA french fries, Cola, and EXTRA LARGE ice creme sunday - which would be 2000-2500 calories easily in a sitting. So I am "saving" a good 2200 calories these days on a fast food binge. LOL. I spend a lot less on food now too, just an added bonus. :-) I will warn you though that you MUST work to get rid of things like ice cream and chocolate because those go down just fine and you can eat them all day without your band kicking you in the tush like it would with a hamburger. I had a pregnancy and complications which lead to three weeks on bed-rest, followed by the loss of the baby (not band related) and I gained ALL KINDS OF WEIGHT because I had trouble eating the hospital food (it was ALL bread for crying out loud) so I started having hubby bring me M&Ms and little dried sausages. Having nothing better to do I grazed all day because I was just too stressed out to care. After it was all over I was still shell shocked for about a month. All told in five months I gained about 35 pounds. *sigh* But even my embarrassing lapse is a good ad for the band because once I got my head screwed back on straight, took stock of the damage and made up my mind to do something about it my band was here for me. I have not yet lost all of that extra weight to get back to my bander low but I am on my way and I know I will get there and lower before I am done. It is all about what you bring to this partnership with your band. Anybody can do it. It isn't always smooth and it isn't always easy but it IS possible! You have to want it and you have to be prepared to work for it. The rest will take care of itself.

You are already past half way, you are doing GREAT!!!! You will lose as much as you are prepared to work for. Are you done losing? If not, then quit worrying, you'll get there! :-)

I am quite restricted around AF. I was astounded though when I was briefly pregnant earlier this year that my band suddenly felt "wide open" - as soon as I wasn't pregnant anymore I went right back to being restricted again. All without any external adjustments/fills. It was weird. The OTHER weird thing was that I *was* bloated while pregnant but the band was still wide open feeling, so my personal hypothesis is that this kind of restriction must be hormonally induced and reduced (as the case may be).

Did you know that 90% of WLS in Australia are the LapBand or that studies have shown that at 72 months out the weight loss between RNY and the Band are the SAME? Check out this very informative article on the use of the band in Australia from The Medical Journal of Australia: http://www.mja.com.au/public/issues/183_06_190905/obr10369_fm.html

Pam, I'm right there with you. It is very freeing to just start over and let the past be the past. :-)

Hi, I am like you - an apple shape I guess you'd say. I have lost weight all over - a surprising amount from my back - but the front has definitely gone down. I recently posted some before and "during" pictures with a profile shot - I can really see the difference! http://www.obesityhelp.com/morbidobesity/members/profile.php?N=B1048455056