La_madam

Mon 10/31 161.25 a loss of 1.25 lbs for the week Measurements next week

If it were me I'd wait until I get home from vacation Different climates and weather can do funny thingsd to our bands and our restriction. Vacation is a time for enjoyment, I sure would hate to be in the Carribean and be too tight with no band Dr. close by and be miserable on vacation..you have a lifetime with this band and a lifetime to lose thie weight...go on vacation and enjoy yourself..get your fill when you come home..

Thanks for letting us know, Wishing you the best Chi Chi Girl Hoping you and your family stay safe

WOW..Unbelieveable..Amazing..Fantastic! Congratuilations, you have doen so good with your band. I'm very happy for you Becky Be proud!

I'm a winded wabbit! However though my weight loss has picked up again in October with a loss of over 8lbs in a month but I was on a very long 6 month plateau with zero weight loss. Great post Vines..

It is with great sadness that I am reporting on the behalf of one of our members here at LBT ( Francesca, she asked me to post on her behalf) that her band has eroded and she will be having it removed. She went to Tj this week to get a fill with Dr. Ortiz & Martinez and during the barium swallow, the barium was flowing over the band instead of through the band which gave Dr. Martinez an indication of possible erosion, an endoscopy validated what he thought I spoke with Francesca this afternoon and she is devastated and very saddened by all of this, she really needs our support right now. She was banded on May 6th 2004 and has lost 120 lbs so far , she is grateful to have had the band and the wonderful tool it is to help her thus far, none the less she is still very sad so please keep her in your prayers and thoughts during this difficult time, she is in Sand DIego until Monday with her family and will retunr to the board then. Francesca, we are all here for you during this difficult time..you know you can call me anytime . Be proud of what you have accomplished with your band, you have done an amazing job so far..banded or not you will succeed. I feel your sadness, and I'm here if you need a friend

I will watch it in the morning and let you know..

Jonh this is a very good tip..something I practice..I als ouse a smal crab fork, it helps me to take smaller bites.

Smething to add to Penni's list Get yourself a small crab fork they give you when you order crab, it works very well to make you take smaller bites carry it in your puse, I do and the best thing of all is to journal your food, there is something to be said about seeing what you eat on paper in balck and white, after day one or two tou will find yourself making better food choices and eating less. It really does work, so many of us think those little bites we take here and there all day long do not affect us, they do..also when journaling write down what you were doing while eating, what your hunger was on a score of 1-4., 4 being the wrost..and write down what you are feeling at the time you eat..you will be amazed at what you write down..I found I was eating out of boredom, sadness etc...once on paper it is easy to distinguish and change a few things..it's all about being accountable to yourself....

WOO HOO Kudus to you Vines..that is awesome!

I had the same pain..it will go away eventually. Just bothersome nothing wrong.

Nicole, Keep journaling your food, it works. It makes oyu more accountable and you definately make better choices, write down everything, even those bites here and there we do not think matter all day long. I journaled and m,y plateau broke after 6 months. In 1 month of journaling I have lost 8 lbs. Get back to basics, you can do this It looks like you are off to a great start!

Once Again John your words are uplifting and inspiring Great post!

Christina, you did the right thing and were a very responsible bandster...Yes this is a learning experience, once you get it, it all comes together. I have learned I will not die with the small ammounts of food I now eat. When restriction is good ..food is not even a thought for me...I too though find myself eating to fast and then the dreaded PB.. You wil get it, it takes time.. It took me 18 months to finally get it, even tohugh my weight loss has been good..this past month is when I really got it I think ! Dont know how or why but I did..the same will happend for you. Use your head along with the tool of the band and you will succeed!

Tammy, glad to hear there is no slip with your band! Great News!

Vines, I think you have some great ideas! I do not count calories and I snack..it has worked well for me. I do know however I keep in therange of 1200-1800 a day just by what I eat on a normal day, today though I went WAY over the 1800 mark and dont feel 1 bit guilty I had a plateua from April to October where I saw NO movement on the scale , I have lost 8 lbs in October..dont get discouraged, keep reading you awesome NSV list. You got lots to be proud of and greatful for so far!

What a great NSV!! I'm very happy for you. I hope you have a great time I bet your friend will not even recognize you now at 198 lbs.

I wish I could say YES to that question, but the antidepressant was the start of my weight gain. I had lost 100 lbs when I was 29 yrs old and kept it off for 5 years, then I had tragedy hit my family in a big time way and I was prescribed Paxil, it worked great for what I was going through but I gained 75 lbs in a year, not changing what I had been doing in the last 5 yrs prior to taking it. My Dr. told me the anti depressants slow down your metabolic rate to almost zero..I have to say he was right! I stopped taking it, then looked into the band and here I am banded 18 months at my lowest weight in my adult life. Margo, I went through the same symptoms once I weened myself off of the Paxil, I rode out the storm and once all of the meds were completely removed from my body , things got better. It's a tough transition but in the long run well worth it, alot of my depression was coming from my weight gain, losing weight has been fantastic for my depression..actually what depression? I'm no longer depressed, happier then I have been in years.Hang in there, give it some time. Did you gain weight with the prozac?

I am 18 months post op..I have lost 102.5 lbs. I have gone from a size 20-22 to a size 10. I have gotten my life back. My husband has gotten his wife back and my children have gotten there mother back, those 3 reasons alone I well worth it to me..The band has been the best thing I have ever done for myself. I would do it over again in a second! I have NO regrets. I LOVE MY BAND!

COngrats Eileen, hope everything went smoothly for you..post and tell us all about it when you are up to it

Chloe looks great ..she looks very happy and so well groomed, he hair is darker. What a cutie..so happy to hear things are going so good for her, its not her fault her mother is a lunatic, glad to know her daddy and step mom stepped up to the plate and took responsibility and are showing her what a loving/ normal family is all about

If I'm losing my Dr. will not even consider giving me a fill.. you are right, if it aint broke dont fix it! Fills are for when you have stopped losing and are eating more then a third of what you used to while following the bandster rules!

I can not eat and drive..I learned my lesson the hard way with that! Worst PB I have ever had to date! But I never had the puke smell when I PBed, interesting

Great job both of you! You both look fantastic!

Great Job Kare!