larch

I love the idea that Healthy gave. It shows we are human and it builds on our successes.

The road to success is not a straight path.... There are many curves, twists, and turns along the way. I made two copies of blank calendars for each month.... One is marked "Food Plan" and the other is marked "Exercise." I'm visual, so bare with me....... I actually draw a SMILEY FACE on each and every day that I follow and meet my "Food Plan" goals and"Exercise" goals. On days that I don't, I leave it blank (I thought about drawing a "sad" face, but decided against that to keep it more upbeat.) I have smiley faces on about 90% of the days.... And I'm great with that. I'll have 15-18 days of smiley faces in a row, and a day or two with a blank space, followed by another string of smiley faces. The point ------- I'm going to not always be 100% perfect; I'm just not. QUIT BEATING YOURSELF UP..... It's a bump, a curve, a NO SMILEY FACE DAY! You've got this!!!!

Add me please...larchuletta

I'm 17 days out and I do not have any pain. Call the hospital where you had the procedure done. They have some other advice. My day surgery lab has called me a couple of times to check on my progress and how I am feeling. They may have some helpful tips.

I always draw criticism for this, but I have made an effort to make food out to be something that can do me more harm than good.
And I used to love food also. But right now it is way down on my lists of things for me to concern myself about.
It did make me fat and unhealthy after all.
It does amaze me, how websites with people who have the common problem of being morbidly obese, to the point where they needed surgery, can spend the majority of their time talking about food, recipes, things that are "yummy", etc.
I like it when someone can take a food item, that is the worst thing you can eat, and figure out a way of duplicating it to make it taste and look just like the original, but with no fat and low calories. Say strawberry short cake for example.
To me, it still is the original to the brain. I would rather change my tastes and views bout the cake and be rid of that habit for good.

Here's some photos the Mirror pic is most recent I now weigh 196! 99lbs off y'all

I accomplished all that in one year!
Here's one for you.
When I put my socks and shoes on now, I can stand on one foot, pull the other one up and with both hands pull my socks on then my shoes, and tie them.
I remover sitting, holding my breath as I bend forwards to tie one shoe. Probably turned red in the face also.
I now do it the way skinny people do!

Thank you so much for posting. I have read so many failure posts that I sometimes get scared. I am scheduled to have surgery on 5/22/12. I am very excited and ready to make changes in my life. I really feel a strong desire to fully commit to all the rules and having foods that I may never be able to eat again does not scare me. However, I have never had long term success with weight loss so I fear messing up with the band as well. It is great to read someone else's story that struggled also and then is now doing very well. 60 LB is just amazing in that amount of time. Please continue to post your progress for everyone to see. It is exactly what I needed and wanted to read.
starting 270
surgery scheduled 5/22/12
goal 165 or less and size 10 pants!

I have to say, I am simply amazed by this journey thus far! I wanted to post my story (in a condensed version) for those of you who are thinking about getting this procedure or have just begun your journey.
I have been overweight for as long as I can remember. I just ate what I wanted, and enjoyed it very much. I had little to no concern about my health. I remember in middle school, I would sit in my bedroom closet just eating a can of icing. How disturbing is that?! I finally started thinking about WLS about a year ago. My highest weight was 259 LBS. Although I didn't have any health issues, I had began to miss my monthly visitor (sorry for the TMI). This really concerned me because I desperately want children in my future and I knew that the direction I was going in would make that difficult. I went to meet with a surgeon, and got the ball rolling! My insurance required that I meet with a nutrionist for 6 months before surgery. Those 6 months just FLEW by! However, I had not originally planned on getting the Lapband. My heart was set on getting the Vertical Sleeve. A week before surgery, my Insurance Cordinator gave me a call saying that my insurance will not cover that surgery as I needed to have a BMI of 50. I was really far off. However, I COULD get the Lapband. So after crying my eyes out all day, I decided that this is how it was supposed to be and I agreed to get the Lapband. It was the best decision of my life!
I stayed one night in the hospital. It was my first surgery ever, and was relatively easy. The only difficult part was that I felt more comfortable resting in a chair than I did in the bed. I did not sleep much that night. Also, the first time they got me up to walk, I thought I was going to throw up and/or pass out. It got better.
Today, it is exactly 4 months since my surgery, which I got on November 21st 2011. Today, I am exactly 60 pounds lighter. Today, I am FINALLY in Onderland (199 pounds)!! It has been simply amazing!
I have had 2 fills. My doctor decided to hold off on another one due to the amount of weight I have lost. My weight loss has slowed down a bit, but I am still losing about 2 pounds a week. I will probably ask for another fill when I see him next month.
I know everyone says this, but the band really is a tool that YOU have to use. I believe you have to want to put some effort into this before even getting the surgery or it won't work for you. Your mind has to be in the right spot. You have to WANT to change. You have to be willing to give up some of the foods you love or at least only have them on a very rare occasion. You have to be willing to work out. I guess its possible to lose weight without working out, but you will lose more slowly and you may end up looking disproportionate. Thanks to the band, better choices, and the gym, I have lost 60 pounds. I never thought I would be here. I still have 54 more pounds to lose, but I am soooo happy. I love to work out as it makes me feel so much better and I have so much more energy. I also do the Couch to 5K Program. I strongly suggest this program to anyone and everyone! Although I am only in the 4th week (9 weeks total) I am seeing an improvement. My thighs are smaller, I have lost inches, and I am more fit! Since my surgery, I have also lost 2 inches on my neck, 7 inches on my waist, and 6 inches on my hips. Oh, I also use myfitnesspal like a fantatic! Feel free to add me on there. My username is legnarevocrednu. Also, feel free to message me on here if you have any questions. Good luck to all of you on your journey! I still have about 54 pounds to lose, but I'm glad that I could finally post my story as a success!!

Finally broke the 200!! I weigh 199 I can't remember the last time being under 200! I've lost 96lbs since sept 2011. I'm super excited!

I know the feeling, I just bought some new jeans and pants for work and got a size 10. The last time I could fit a 10 was 23 years ago when I had my son. I'm really excited!!

Way to go! I can't wait to get there! I went from a 24 to a 22 this week and am so excited about that! I can't imagine being in the teens! Keep up the good work!!

Congratulations! I've also hit size 14 on tops (down from a tight size 26), so I know just how awesome you are feeling. Enjoy.

Greetings fellow Bandsters,
I got a six year congratulations notice from the organizers of this site. It reminded me that I wanted to check back in with the community and talk about how wonderful this journey has been for me.
I was banded in November of 2005. It took me two years to shed the 100 lbs (seemed like forever), with all of the ups and downs. I seemed like it took forever to hit the sweet spot with fills. I made a deal with myself that I didn't need to be a "perfect" bandster, just a very good one. If this is you--hang in there. This thing does work.
I ate all of my food, never touched any "beaker food" or scientifically engineered food. I decided not to drink anything with calories in it for the first year of being banded. I made it a priority to either be filled enough to be losing weight, or going in to fill, each month until I was where I wanted to be. I think many bandsters never get tight enough to really learn how to use this method well.
I reached goal, and made my appointment with my plastic surgeon. He did fantastic work getting rid of my extra belly skin.
Since then, I am living the dream I used to have when I was heavy. I wake up slender. My clothes are beautiful and they fit. I never need to pull anything down to make sure anything is covered up. I am no longer self-conscious about how I look--I know I look good. I went from a size 18-20 to a size 4. I never believed I was a small person until after my plastic surgery--I have large bones and nice muscle (many formerly fat people do!) and not much else. When I look at my body in the mirror, I really like what I see.
Now that I know people who never knew me heavy, I am careful to represent my former fat community with respect for us all and the struggles we have endured. Yes, I have learned that many thin people sit around congratulating themselves for their wonderful self-discipline and judging others--and I tell them how really lucky they are to have been born thin.
Many doctors dont "get" the band. I am an executive in Health Care, so I meet many. They often explain to me that banding doesn't work, people "gain it back", yada yada. Then I tell them that I am a bandster, 100 pounds more than five years ago, never gained it back and they are shocked. They are probably surrounded by successful bandsters who, after learning to use the tool, don't talk about it all of the time--"did you know I used to be heavy" just doesn't come up in every conversation.
For me, I gained a huge amount of time not "navigating" being fat. I don't worry about how I look. I don't worry about what people think when I am eating. People automatically assume that I am as intelligent as I am. I fit in any airline seat comfortably, even the middle. I pull on wetsuits to go diving never worrying about if it will fit. If I ever try on anything that doesn't fit--the salespeople, and I assume that the product is not cut for me, not that there is anything wrong with my proportions. I am not out of breath walking up a mountainside, and I am as strong as I was when I was fat (most of us fatties are REALLY strong from carrying ourselves around.) I feel like I have averted the blood pressure and diabetes problems that run in my family. I get a lot of attention from men who say I am attractive. Since I lived my whole life up to six years ago not relying on my personal beauty for my inner peace, I think that is just a bonus. It is fun not to feel I want to avoid having my picture taken.
I have learned that if my band is too loose, I gain weight. I allow a ten pound max swing upwards before I go in to get my band filled. Then, gradually I get back to goal by cutting out a few extras like crackers and cheese, caloric beverages and the like. I have never missed fast food--it doesn't stand up to being chewed 20 times. Now, it's high quality or I don't bother eating or drinking it. There is nothing I don't eat, I just can't each much of it. I have cycled back down to goal three times so--I think I know how to do this the rest of my life. People used to say that it wasn't about dieting, it was about lifestyle changes, but for me before the band, it was about self-denial and dieting. After the band took the edge off my hunger and helped me understand Portion Control, it IS about lifestyle changes.
My only regret is that banding didn't exist when I was in my twenties--still getting past obesity at 45 was better than even later--although even that is possible.
All my best to all of the newer or wanna be bandsters out there--there is joy at this end of the road.
Chris

Im going to be a spokeswoman for true results Im so happy guys drinks on me

We got to keep each other motivated. i had a heart attack while visiting my grand baby in the hospital. i had a bad heart and never knew so that's what motivated me. i use to take 8 pills a day but im blessesd no more pills and 220 pounds lost.

My nutritionist said you need a fill if the following applies to you:

You are hungry between meals *less than 3-4 hours between meals
You are eating more than a cup of food at each meal
You are relying on "slider" foods to eat instead of other healthier choices

Ok, so last night we went out to dinner and I noticed the lady next to me was eating like myself. She had a moment and said she needed to stop because it was stuck. My husband thinks we should have some secret hand signal to show our support while out. Lol...

Ok, so last night we went out to dinner and I noticed the lady next to me was eating like myself. She had a moment and said she needed to stop because it was stuck. My husband thinks we should have some secret hand signal to show our support while out. Lol...

I thought of another one the other day that I'm sure many of you will understand.
I want to be able to step out of the shower, wrap my regular sized towl around me and have it cover up everything, and not have a gap down one side, or have it be a "bath sheet".

The only issue I have with my jewelry (rings) is that they don't fit me anymore. I was a size 9 rings and now I'm a size 6

I used Dr. Hollis too on 3/14/12, he was excellent....I kept trying to figure out who he reminded me of and by George I think u hot it, lol!

I too went to dr Hollis at true results! I love him and his staff is great! I am fortunate enough to have had the surgery covered by my ins fills included. I do wish they would give fills more often instead of having to wait 5 to 6 weeks for availability : / but other than that I really like their facility and staff!

I was banded March 12th. I am doing well. Started pre-op at 272. As of today...252.

I was banded March 12th. I am doing well. Started pre-op at 272. As of today...252.