Ammisuu

Jean, Thank you for this article.
I had my 3rd fill last week. Since that point I have FINALLY felt some notable physical changes while I eat.
I am 125 days post op & 15 # weight loss post op. I was begining to believe nothing would ever happen....
I've have been following all the eating guidelines and "waiting" patiently to reach this stage of lapband journey. 9 I think this is what some posters here refer to as lapband hell?)
So, for the past 7 days I have experienced many of the Soft stops & 1 of the Hard stops you described!
I will pay even closer attention now. I feel this is the most useful thing I've read on this board.
Thank you so Much!
I am a happy girl this week!

Jean, Thank you for this article.
I had my 3rd fill last week. Since that point I have FINALLY felt some notable physical changes while I eat.
I am 125 days post op & 15 # weight loss post op. I was begining to believe nothing would ever happen....
I've have been following all the eating guidelines and "waiting" patiently to reach this stage of lapband journey. 9 I think this is what some posters here refer to as lapband hell?)
So, for the past 7 days I have experienced many of the Soft stops & 1 of the Hard stops you described!
I will pay even closer attention now. I feel this is the most useful thing I've read on this board.
Thank you so Much!
I am a happy girl this week!

Jean, Thank you for this article.
I had my 3rd fill last week. Since that point I have FINALLY felt some notable physical changes while I eat.
I am 125 days post op & 15 # weight loss post op. I was begining to believe nothing would ever happen....
I've have been following all the eating guidelines and "waiting" patiently to reach this stage of lapband journey. 9 I think this is what some posters here refer to as lapband hell?)
So, for the past 7 days I have experienced many of the Soft stops & 1 of the Hard stops you described!
I will pay even closer attention now. I feel this is the most useful thing I've read on this board.
Thank you so Much!
I am a happy girl this week!

I am so excited today. I can officially report that I have loss 50 pounds and I am out of the 300s!!! I am so happy I can hardly contain myself. I am trying to upload a before pic (pink shirt- family vacation last fall) and the after pic (black shirt- Mardi Gras, had to crop because it was Mardi Gras- I don't want to offend anyone LOL). I am so thankful to have somewhere to go to share not only my concerns but my joys. Not to many people know about my surgery. My hubby is working out/ and eating better and put on a shirt today he has not worn in almost a year. He has lost almost 30 pounds. Even my dog has lost 1.5 pounds. A family that works out together gets healthy together! YAY!

Jean, Thank you for this article.
I had my 3rd fill last week. Since that point I have FINALLY felt some notable physical changes while I eat.
I am 125 days post op & 15 # weight loss post op. I was begining to believe nothing would ever happen....
I've have been following all the eating guidelines and "waiting" patiently to reach this stage of lapband journey. 9 I think this is what some posters here refer to as lapband hell?)
So, for the past 7 days I have experienced many of the Soft stops & 1 of the Hard stops you described!
I will pay even closer attention now. I feel this is the most useful thing I've read on this board.
Thank you so Much!
I am a happy girl this week!

Surgury date June 18th 2012, as of 1/11/13 I was officially at 80 pounds lost. Yesterday I took pictures because I was having trouble seeing any difference in myself lately, and taking those pictures completely made my week. I went into them thinking there wouldn't be much of a difference between my 50 pound pictures and these, but I was shocked at how wrong I was. It really put the confidence back in me and it makes me want to work even harder!
     

Sorry about that!!! So, most of us have been able to lose a considerable amount of weight with the many diets we've tried throughout the years but have not been able to keep it off for the long haul. Not sure who on this site says this on a regular basis, but it's 100% true...until restriction, it's just another diet! Use this time to learn and practice the eating habits of a skinny person. By the time you would typically have lost a bunch of weight in a diet, you will have gotten several band adjustments that will help you from putting the weight back on. You must take the time now to do the diet, exercise, and lifestyle changes so when you finally do have restriction you are that much more ahead of the game. I know it's hard but you can do it! Just because you can eat it, doesn't mean you should!

I agree with everyone's insights
Just to add, I think its somewhat normal for your band to need tightening while you're in the losing stages (you lose fat around your esophagus too, so the band can feel looser).
So either way, ask your doc and see if you need a fill.
good luck!

Regarding pricing here in the Greater Boston, MA area their prices are lower than our regular grocery stores. Sad but true.

I just made a pot of chilli, I can still smell it.
it was so simple to make
My own recipe...you can add anything you like.
2 cans Beans ( i used black beans) rinsed
1 can diced tomatoes ( low sodium)
1/2 cup minced onion
1 tbsp olive oil
fresh cilantro
1 lb lean ground turkey
fat free cheddar cheese
I heated oil in pan, added onion and turkey. cook until lightly brown.
Add 2 cans rinsed black Beans, 1 can diced Tomato with juice, 1 packet chili seasoning packet.
Cooked covered, on low heat for 1 hour
I divided into six portions, added 1/4 cup ff cheddar cheese( 9 grams protein) to top of each portion with a little minced cilantro. I froze 4 portions and left 2 in the fridge for easy grab and go lunches for Tues and Weds this week.
I'll be home the rest of the week will have 4 more portions available for quick meals next week ( or when ever the holiday turkey is gone).
I'll be cooking extra squash on thursday to divide into 1/2 cup portions to toss into my lunch bag too.
I find that preparing large quantities of "good" food at home takes the guess work and headaches out of those last minute meal decisions.

I went to my VERY FAVORITE mexican restaurant last night for the first time since the band and did well! I put all the food I allowed myself on a single plate and did not even eat it all! I had a margarita, too, which still kept me under my calories.
I was feeling deprived, so I really needed this indulgence within my guidelines to kind of prove to myself that I can eat what I want and still reach my goal. Before, it was all or nothing. If I went to this restaurant, it meant I ate until I was so full I couldn't stand it or I just didn't go.
I'm in hot pursuit of the ever-elusive gray area - life not mandated by rules OR complete overindulgence. I found it last night, but I know that it will be a constant pursuit until I incorporate it into the core of my being - my habits.
For now, I'm happy with the little wins.
Thanks!

no weight posting on my DL...thanks goodness. LOL
But my latest NSV was yesterday. It was a birthday celebration in the conference room at work. They had one of those HUGE Cookies. I took a piece about as big as the size of 1/2 a teabag. One of my newer employes said.. are you dieting? I said actually I am just maintaing my weight. One of the long term employees piped in and said she'd lost over 200 lbs... the new girl said...wow... I wouldnt think you'd ever been anything but small.
I was stunned. SMALL? And you are talking about me? What's in that cookie? Of course I didnt say anything but thank you... but then my long term employee whipped out her phone which had a pic of me at the CHristmas party several years ago and proceeded to show it to the new girl. LOL
It was a pretty nice feeling!

Luck girl here, no weight needed on DL
My most recent NSV is going from size 24-26 jeans to 18 dress pants 20 jeans.
Love making a pile to get rid of clothes, also makes me nervous!lol

I just checked in my wallet and oops...my weight listed is 18 pounds under my current weight! Not as bad as 3 months ago when it was 46 under (the truth).
Congrats to you and your NSV!

a year ago, i was having trouble walking and the only place i went was to work as i was too shamed to go anywhere else and was working my way up to my highest weight.....flash forward, i am now down 80 pounds and am walking more and more and enjoying life again.......
so think back to where you were (this time last year) on your birthday....what is the difference between then and now?

Very simple actually....
I didn't cheat on my pre op or post op diet
I counted calories and tracked everything I ate starting when I went on mushies
I drank 8 cups of Water every day
I ate 1000 calories per day for 23 months
3/4 oz of Protein, 1/2 c veggies and 1/4 c starch at every meal... About 300 each calories for Bfast, lunch and dinner...
I limited 2 Snacks per day to fruit and a treat not more than 50 or so calories
I took my Gummy Vitamins
I visited my dr monthly and got fills when the above food didn't keep me full for at least 4/5 hrs at a time
In a nutshell I followed my dr's orders and made up my mind this would work for me!

I just watch what I eat use fitness pal an try to do any type of exercise as often as possible ie : portion size ...protein is first just small thing ... I was banded on 7-5-12 an I'm down 60 lbs with out a fill hope this helps

I have lost 160 pounds in 10 months.
I saw a nutritionist and together we came up with guidelines that fit into my lifestyle.
I have tracked calories religiously since the day I got home from the hospital.
I never eat more than a cup of food per meal.
For me, it's worked. It's not at all hard but does take commitment to change.