Kime-lou

Thanks for this post, it is nice to know that even the successful banders stuggle and aren't perfect 100% of the time.

Thanks for this post, it is nice to know that even the successful banders stuggle and aren't perfect 100% of the time.

Hot tea, water.... the joys of womanhood!

I totally understand the scale. I am way past monthly's but I had some salted food yesterday and my weight went up a drop. My son told me to throw out the scale, I can't, it's mine! When I did have monthly's I gained a lot of water weight and always held my salt. Maybe next week at this time you will see 196!
Good luck.

You are very correct. People do treat you different when you are obese. Glad you are now on the flip side.

I am not a black woman, but I believe what you are saying transends the color barrier. You are right on all your points and I am sure you are an amazing speaker- would love to hear you. Your view reminded me of a lot of things that I had forgotten or just overlooked for a while.
I was lucky, my parents were wondeful and raised me well. But once I started school I was picked on horribly for not having fancy clothes, for not being as thin as others, then for being all out fat and then for glasses, then for being smart- the list goes on. I was an adult before I started to gain self esteem and it was because I over heard someone describe me. The person speaking was a former teacher of mine, he said that girl is as weak as a kitten so timid and shy, yet her dad is one of the most well spoken, repected and like law enforment officers in the county. I was shocked, that was what people thought of me. I made of my mind right then that this kitten was going to grow up into a lioness- and I have and still am.
Keep speaking, keep preaching- all of us no matter our race, age, sex we need to hear these things you are saying. You are Awesome and I appreciate this post greatly.

I am not a black woman, but I believe what you are saying transends the color barrier. You are right on all your points and I am sure you are an amazing speaker- would love to hear you. Your view reminded me of a lot of things that I had forgotten or just overlooked for a while.
I was lucky, my parents were wondeful and raised me well. But once I started school I was picked on horribly for not having fancy clothes, for not being as thin as others, then for being all out fat and then for glasses, then for being smart- the list goes on. I was an adult before I started to gain self esteem and it was because I over heard someone describe me. The person speaking was a former teacher of mine, he said that girl is as weak as a kitten so timid and shy, yet her dad is one of the most well spoken, repected and like law enforment officers in the county. I was shocked, that was what people thought of me. I made of my mind right then that this kitten was going to grow up into a lioness- and I have and still am.
Keep speaking, keep preaching- all of us no matter our race, age, sex we need to hear these things you are saying. You are Awesome and I appreciate this post greatly.

Before surgery I feared starving hunger and missing out on things i loves and not being satisfied. However, other than the first two weeks I have not experienced any of those things. I guess mindset makes it easier or harder on a person and my mindset is this is easy. I am thankful that my experience has been good, but I was determined after being told my almost all my family (mom, brother, mother-in-law) how bad this would be and how I would be miserable and unable to eat- I wanted to prove them wrong, I wanted to prove that the band can work and I think I have.
My M-I-L will be here in two weeks for the holidays- she saw before surgery and she can't believe I've lost almost 50 lbs and I'm not having problems. Can't want to show her!!

Thank you so much for sharing. I will be banded next month. I enjoy exercising (don't like how quickly I get tired lately due to my weight, but truly have always enjoyed being active) and I don't crave junk or eat a lot of junk food. I just eat too many portions of food. I eat a lot, especially at dinner. And if I don't eat much in the morning, I feel shaky, headaches, like hey you need to eat or you wont make it through the day. My tests all came back ok. My dr and nutritionist tell me things similar to your journey. They also said that with the band making things smaller, it triggers hormones to the brain sooner. Hormones and messages that I'm not hearing now. They said that will make it so much easier for me. A lot of talk about not having that stomach hunger. They say I may not miss the diet sodas, that I actually may get into the good habit of drinking water and get used to drinking it more throughout the day. So thank you for sharing, because I was beginning to think I was being sold, and your real life story made me realize there is truth to what they said.

Different surgeons put them in different places. Mine is in the center about 3 in from my navel and two finger tips from the bottom of my sternum. A friend of mind who was banded 3 years ago has hers a half in below her belly button.
I have been able to feel mine from the get go. Some people say that it is visable once you loose a lot of weight, but I haven't lost that much, yet!

Different surgeons put them in different places. Mine is in the center about 3 in from my navel and two finger tips from the bottom of my sternum. A friend of mind who was banded 3 years ago has hers a half in below her belly button.
I have been able to feel mine from the get go. Some people say that it is visable once you loose a lot of weight, but I haven't lost that much, yet!

Congratulations. You are obviously in a great place mentally!
I know what you mean about feeling healthy. I just feel as though I am bouncing and so light on my feet these days.
One of my colleagues commented that since I have lost weight, I no longer talk about feeling unwell all the time - interesting insight into how my morbid obesity was really affecting my life, not to mention my interactions with other people.

I truly understand. I had been a little down about my weight loss (30lbs since 8/13/12). But after reading this post i realize this is MY lifetime commitment to myself, for my health, family and to feel good about myself. Thanks for this post it brought me back to reality.

It is unrealistic to think we can give up our favorite foods forever, but when we do have them we MUST do it in moderation. I love pizza to, my hubs and I use to order a large and eat the entire thing. Now we still eat pizza sometimes, but we order a small and I eat A piece and we have lunch left overs for the next day. When I want to go back for more I remind myself of how far I've come and I can't and won't ruin it.
Enjoy your food in moderation and add your exercise in and you are much more likely to rock that band!!!
Oh, and I can still eat salad - I just play the little engine that could - CHEW CHEW CHEW (lame I know, by my mom calls me that now

It is unrealistic to think we can give up our favorite foods forever, but when we do have them we MUST do it in moderation. I love pizza to, my hubs and I use to order a large and eat the entire thing. Now we still eat pizza sometimes, but we order a small and I eat A piece and we have lunch left overs for the next day. When I want to go back for more I remind myself of how far I've come and I can't and won't ruin it.
Enjoy your food in moderation and add your exercise in and you are much more likely to rock that band!!!
Oh, and I can still eat salad - I just play the little engine that could - CHEW CHEW CHEW (lame I know, by my mom calls me that now

i allow myself a mcdonalds kids meal w nuggets on friday. (i dont eat the fries though)
food is not the enemy. eating too much of it, is.
you are doing so well and i am super duper proud of you.
TOM makes me hungry too and i eat more fruit at that time.
i havent had a fill yet so i cant comment on something i dont know anything about.
loved reading your childhood and cooking

I don't know anything about your case, but for me, my nutritionist told me not to drop below 800 calories because I could put my body into starvation mode and not lose weight.
But go with what your team told you. It sounds like you are getting it down to a science. Kudos to you!