Buffalogyrl

Georgia girl, don't be afraid to try some simple tofu recipes like my favorite, tofu egg salad. Now I'm not banded yet but I think this might be easy for the band.b/ c it's soft. If u have a food processor take about. 2 celery stalks 2 carrots 2 green onions 1/2 green pepper and chop them up I use the bean sprouted tofu. 3 oz packs 12g of protein. Oh but crumble up the whole block. Then ad some mustard, I like honey Dijon, vegan aisle, and relish. I ad a little bit of pepper and thyme mix up and eat! It taste better the next day. Now most of my recipes are by taste. Not good with measurements but google some tofu salad recipes. Also I have a via mix blender but any super high power blender will work. Start drinking your veges. Just don't be shocked at how good u will feel. Its very cleansing for your body! When I started juicing regularly my skin became baby soft it was amazing! I'm pre op, and the nutritionist I'm working with is asking me for vegan recipes and I'm allowed to juce as many veges as i want, i just have to watch the amount of fruit since of course that is where all the calories come from. Back to the salad. If the finely chopped veges are to much try the salad without. Let me know your thoughts good luck. I'm waiting to be approved for a personal loan than I can finally schedule this thing and get started back to good health. I'm tired of being fat!

Whenever I'm tempted to eat something that I know will not help in my weight loss I remind myself that I let an almost complete stranger (credentials set aside for these purposes) stab me in the abdomen 5 times and wrap a piece of plastic around my stomach. I know it is crude and simplistic but it works for me.

I was banded on May 11th and I started at 331. I lost about 20 lbs on my own, in total I'm down 63 lbs.

Xsentrick - Office Space is the best! That copy machine...

My PCP was thrilled and said she had seen vast improvements in her patients with lapband. And I was at 206. SHe understood that this could take me off my blood pressure, diabetes and cholesterol meds. I just adore her because she is compassionate and wants me healthy, instead of keeping me on her prescribed drugs prolonging me as a chronic patient.

Hi everyone my name is Sharmon I was banded sept 2008 and in an auto collision Dec2008 that caused 4 anular tears at 4 levels. At that time I had already lost 30 lbs then came the physical pain and depression I had to deal with. I spet 2 1/2 years just making it day to day drinking protien 26g 2xs per day and 3 meals (not very much) my activity level was very limited due to the pain so I did what I could slowly. 14 mos ago I went and had a fill. I believe I have a 10 cc band and a 7cc fill but it was and is tight still. I started walking through the pain upwards of 2 turtle miles drinking water water water Protien shakes Optimum 26g per scoop. Up to 3 scoops per day and 3 small protien with protien
N some veggies. I started at 315 lbs I'm 5 11 the last I weighed was 202 lbs. it is still a journey but well worth it. The difficult part for me is having daily back pain and excersize but I just still do my turtle miles and what I can do around my home. I never thought I could get this weight off Now I can get up and put on anything clothing that I own and it fits. Sometimes they are too big. . The band is the hardest but best thing I ever did for myself. Would I do it again? Somedays I say no because I'm an emotional eater but after fighting myself and winnin I say YES I WOULD DO IT AGAIN. So hang in there people. You will see progress!

Sugar was my problem also but I kinda dealt with it doing Atkins before the band but I still crave it.I try to do a lot of sugar free sugar substitute which people talk about me for because if the " dangers of aspartame" but I have to handle one demon at a time.dropping the sugar lowered my blood sugar insulin levels and weight.as I get more in tune with my band I may try to decrease the amount of sugar substitute but for now this is how I roll.I do eat a lot of protein though .

This is a really cool little chart, showing by comparison to random objects how much you've lost:

I've lost the average fashion model! How much have you lost?

It is all a learning process and I think you have learned a valuable lesson.

I am in a very similar situation. I just crossed over from being obese to just being overweight. I would have to be a small skinny man to ever achieve "normal"! But I have the same pockets of flab and loose skin that you describe. I don't know if it ever will go away, I still have 17 lbs to lose to hit my goal. I too had thought that being young (though I'm in my forties) would mean my skin would snap taught like a rubber band, but that was just wishful thinking. But hey - we look good in clothes now!

I am just as guilty as the next about feeling chained to the scale sometimes. I know that I am a slow and steady wins the race type of weight loss patient. I exercise at least 5x a week to help things along, record my food journal, watch portion sizes, don't drink my calories, etc. Sooooo...when the scale slows down, it is frustrating to see just ounces when I want pounds. However, a few weeks ago I decided to go get a few new outfits to reward myself for working so hard.I was so pumped!! No more plus size! For the first time in over 13 years, I didn't have to pay $2 extra!!! As exciting as that was, I also picked up a few clearance fitness tops and shorts that I found on clearance. There was a couple that were 12/14 tops that I went ahead and got even though I couldn't wear them yet. A girl can't pass up a good deal! Well, today I decided to try it them on before my workout! Success!!! In just that short time, even though the scale didn't show much of a change, my body definitely has!!! WooWoo!!!!Since March I have dropped from a 24 pants to a 16/18 and my tops from 22 to a 12/14! Such a great feeling!!!!

If you have friends who abuse you because you are not eating unhealthy things are they really your friends???????????????Look you just can not eat like you use to if you do you will not lose weight and you will get stuck . Maybe you should look for some new friends at the gym... running or biking. Life is going to change you need to be willing to change with it. You can make up some story or you can just say Iook I am trying to get healthy and this is what I am doing . Real friends who probably think you need to do that will support you the others you do not need. Most people are sp busy living their own lifes they haven't got time to worry about yours.

Ever since I was baned this has been an ongoing question.
I have always said mine looks like a golf ball under my skin.
Well going through our vacation photos, I found one that shows it.
It is attached to the abdomen muscles, right under the skin because there is no longer a fat layer as a barrier.
I can feel every nook and cranny. Also, if you look close you can see the tube come out the side towards the center before it goes deep.
I once had a kink in my tubing preventing a fill. It was easy for the Dr. to palpate the tube and straighten it out.
I never worry about the port flipping.
A one armed blind man can give me a fill. Heck, I could do them myself. (I've considered carrying a syringe on vacations in case I need to do a emergency un fill 1000's of miles from home.)
So, say hello to my little friend "Lumpy"

I hope this helps - you are NORMAL!
Your body has been through an anaesthetic and a surgery which equals trauma. You are losing weight and going through a major lifestyle change = emotional trauma.
Hang in there and focus on the positives, if you can.
But truly, what you are feeling now is perfectly normal.

I am excited to say I have lost 65 lbs and slowly but surely gonna reach that 100 lb mark. I was banded Dec 19th 2011. It hasn't been an easy journey but so worth it!

I was banded 7/1/11 and I'm 165 today....269 at surgery. I would be disappointed too. Are you eating slider foods? Are you exercising? I still do not eat breakfast, I do protein shakes instead and I do not snack inbetween meals. Although at this point I can eat almost anything, I always eat my protein first then veggies and very little refined carbs at lunch and dinner. I had a long history of dieting before I was banded so I felt like I knew how to eat balanced but just never could stick to it preband. If you need alittle refresher, why not make an appt with your nutritionist and get a good plan in place AND exercise, exercise, exercise. You can still do it!!!

I like what Jenjaw had to say. I too have been a lifelong dieter and I think I know the nutrition rules and how my body works with and reacts to the food I consume. My nutritionist really helped me to get over a hump back in March so i agree, sit down with your nutritionist.
And, of course you can meet your goals but no one is going to do it for you. Your band is a tool and if you don't use it as it's designed, then you're on your own and it's just another diet. And we all know how well diets work without the tool.
tmf

So I hear pineapple juice helps when u feel stuck! Well I feel that way, I feel good but I just have this annoying feeling that something is stuck! I was absolutely starving yesterday at work andy only option was some granola and milk. I had about 3 bites, I swear it's that, just sitting there. Any help or info and no lecturing please.

i just found a fitbit on ebay for $75.00 (including shipping). So I'm a fitbit owner! I'll get to use it starting the day after my surgery!

Did they send you home with anti nausea meds? That helped me a lot the first few days. You just had a major surgery 5 days ago and your bowels are going to be moving slow for a while. Try peppermint tea. I would call the Dr about the vomiting just to be safe.
Its been three weeks since my surgery but every few days I have a brief low moment where I wonder what I did to myself. Try to remember the first 6 weeks is for healing. Life with the band will not be like this forever.

I paid 13500 in DC. $1500 for one yr of unlimited fills

Sojourner...you say "we were all told by our surgeons..."
That irked me. How do you know what my surgeon told me or msDuran's told her?
To the OP...1 glass is not the end of the world...next time for each 1 glass of wine, have 2 glasses of Water. Don't think to drive because you don't know how it might affect you differently.
As for the calories...alcohol converts straight to sugar in your blood stream so use in limited quantities.
Forgive yourself and be kind to yourself...there's enough people in this world just waiting to take you down that you don't need to help them with it