gowalking

Congrats. Getting the band changed my life.

Was looking at living the rest of my life in a wheelchair. This time last year, I could barely paddle around in the pool and yesterday I swam laps for an hour. The cane I used for more than two years is now sitting in the corner of my bedroom. I keep it there to remind me never to lose sight of what I've accomplished with help from the band.

That's great news. Congrats!

Hi Gina: You have done amazingly well so far but the fact that you know you are self sabotaging, and that your weight issues have an emotional component, tells me that you might benefit from professional help. I see a therapist to help me with my issues and have always been very up front about that on this forum. Just as WLS is a tool, so can therapy also be a tool. I see you are in NY. If you live in or around Manhattan, I can give you the name of my therapist if you are interested. Just PM me.

It's not so much about losing weight as it is about shrinking the liver. If you are following your doctor's pre-surgery protocol, don't worry about how much weight you've lost. Good luck!

You can also weigh out your food till you know the signs of satiety. I saw Despina during one of my first post op visits and she suggested I try it. So for lunch and dinner, I usually do 3 oz Protein, 1/2 cup veggies, 1/4 cup of carbs. I still weigh out food when I'm home. I stay at or around 1,150 calories daily and I've lost all my excess weight doing it this way. Eventually you will know the signs of satiety but for now, you might want to try this.

Wonderful! Have a good time!

Hi Lawless. Welcome to the forum. I would never tell you something that is in conflict with what your doctor is telling you but what I can say is my experience has been very different. I eat everything but....in very small amounts. The band helps to eat less and not be hungry all the time. That's the difference between being banded and not. It's easy (if you have correct restriction) to limit your intake. The struggle is to deal with head hunger. Most of the time, I can overcome it but I've found that's the most challenging thing. The band truly tells me most of the time, when I've had enough and if I don't listen, I know it. I've never gotten sick but I've been uncomfortably full and often the difference between satiety and too full is only one or two additional forkfuls of food. You are correct about the secretary. If you are banded and at the optimal restriction, you can and should be able to eat way more than just salads. I really don't know why your doctor is telling you that you must not eat carbs, grains and starches anymore. I would ask him why. Now...if your diet currently includes lots of starches and carbs, you'll have to change that but again, I'm not sure why he's saying no more after banding. Just to give you an idea of my meals, I typically eat a balanced meal consisting of 3 oz. Protein (usually fish of chicken) 1/2 cup of veggies (usually grilled) and 1/4 cup of carbs (Pasta, potato, or rice). I stay at or around 1,150 calories daily. I don't drink anything with carbonation. I was a big soda drinker but you would be surprised at what you can give up when you find something that works for you. And lapband works for me. I'm half my size and have gotten my life back. I can't explain it any better than that but I think that says it all. I take up so much less space these days and am happier than I've been in years because I can enjoy my life again and my weight doesn't stop me from doing anything anymore. Good luck, and keep us posted. If I was you, I'd think about looking for a surgeon who isn't all about what you can't have as much as what you can have. It's not supposed to be a diet...it's supposed to be a lifestyle.

Pictures of the Metropolitan Opera House and the fountain at Lincoln Center.

Remember...they are saying this based on how you used to look. If you do a before/after, it might seem like you are plenty thin and don't need to lose any more. I'm getting the same comments but you can also see by my ticker that I'm still technically overweight. I'm just eating the way I've been eating since I started this thing and the weight will stop when my body has nothing more to give up. My surgeon says I'm eating healthy so I'll just keep on keeping on. Have a great day in The Big Easy my friend.

I just love how folks are living their lives these days. So often I think of the time I wasted by being sick and obese. But then I say to myself that I wouldn't be the person I am today without going through the darkness to come out into the light. Today, my friend and I are going to Lincoln Center to see Giselle. It's one of my most favorite ballets and today, I can just enjoy it without worrying about the things that I used to think about like being able to get a cab because now I can get around town by subway just as easily as pie these days. I can walk up that beautiful staircase of the Metropolitan Opera House instead of having to take the elevator. We can stroll over to Columbus Circle after the ballet and I won't be struggling to walk. We'll go to Mari Vanna tonight for yummy Russian food and I know I'll enjoy it without overeating. I'll walk out of that restaurant with my head held high and totally in control over choices and portions. Then when I wake up tomorrow, I won't feel horrible and guilty for once again, not being able to control myself. Life is good. Have a great Saturday everyone and hopefully you are enjoying weather that is as spectacular as we are having here in NYC. PS: If I get a chance, I'll take a picture of The Met and the fountain and upload it for you guys. If anyone remembers Moonstruck, that's where Cher and Nicholas Cage met up before seeing La Boheme.

Success breeds success. I was in a terrible frame of mind when I was banded. Once I started losing weight, the motivation to lose more was suddenly there. I needed to lose 70 lbs. in order to get my hips replaced. I hit that goal seven months after being banded. My PCP wanted me to get to 150 lbs. and I've lost an additional 13 beyond that. Oh...and I didn't really start exercising till months after my hip replacement so yes...exercise is something you should do but at least in my case, it didn't stop me from losing weight.

Yup. Just keep checking here. I'm sure in time, we'll have a list of regulars and email the info as well but we're not there just yet. Looking forward to meeting you. Liz

Hang in there. I understand. I was taking BP meds and also on alot of anti-inflammatory and other arthritis meds. My hips and knees were terrible and the pain was so unbearable that I struggled to walk one block. I was looking at life in a wheelchair. I've lost 130 lbs. and my life has been given back to me. I had to have both hips replaced...yes, the degereration was that bad. But I didn't need to replace my knees because the weight loss meant I can deal with the discomfort now. I'm off all joint related meds and the BP meds have been reduced considerably. Two years ago I went on a cruise and couldn't get off the ship because I was in so much pain. I'm going on another cruise next month and my son and I are going scuba diving in Nassau. You will do great, you will lose weight and yes, your life will improve more than you could ever imagine. Good luck!

Hi veganjello. We are having another support group meeting on August 2nd here in the city. There will also be a meeting on LI in July

I've been following you since you got on this forum Di. All I can say is you have undergone an amazing transformation. Such a difference between the old you and the new you. So very happy for you and your success! Liz

Hi Vinny. I also am bothered by my saggy skin and want to do something about it. I don't know what else works besides surgery in my case. I'm 55 and have had two children so I don't think exercise will tone me as I need to be. Plus, I have physical limitations in terms of a high impact type of exercise program. I know enough folks who've had plastic surgery to know that there are scars...I'm just presuming they will fade over time. I also know that recovery time can vary depending on what type of surgery you have. I plan on getting a recommendation from my bariatric surgeon and will make an appointment with the plastic surgeon and will get answers from him/her. I also will need to get an idea of cost....this is going to be all out of pocket.

People seemed to notice my face thinning out way before anything else looked smaller.

Sooner or later you're going to have to fess up to him. You just can't keep the port a secret forever. As far as the girlfriend...you should tell her what you told us. You thought it was a radical thing to do till you did the research but found that it wasn't a bad idea and you are proof that it works. Maybe she will be encouraged by your success... Besides, the lying by omission must weigh heavily on your mind. That can't be good for you.

Couldn't have said it better myself Lisa.

Oh sweetheart, I understand. I have the same issue and also panicked when I looked in the mirror one day and saw my grandmother's face. Just remember that you may not be looking too thin...it just may be that others who know what you looked like before are having the same trouble you are..and they are seeing someone who looks drastically different. Again...I think the doctor is the best one to determine both whether or not you are too thin, and if yes, how to gain some without putting all your hard work in jeopardy. Please keep us posted on how it goes. Oh, and one more thing...I've been very honest about this...I had such a hard time with the way I look now that I started going to a therapist. I'm not telling you to do the same thing...I'm just saying that it's hard at times to take in all the changes we've been through.

I'm also below goal, but like B52 says, who's goal? How do you look? Are you looking too thin? If yes, speak to your doctor and see what he/she says. If your body can still shed some unwanted pounds, I wouldn't stress...except for the fact that you are starting to drink calories. That could be the start of a slippery slope. I looked at your stats...your BMI is not showing you as underweight but I know BMI is just one of many factors. If you go to the doctor, let us know what he/she recommends.

I have a friend who is an alcoholic. She described her addiction by saying that the idea of not drinking as much as possible was never an option. One drink just made no sense to her. Well, if you substitute food for a drink, you have the same addiction. I know that I never looked at a bowl of Pasta and thought, 'oh I'll eat a little...no need to eat it all.' So when someone says to you, just walk away from the table, it's like telling an alcoholic to just have one drink and walk away. They can't do it and neither can we. The difference is that a drinker can stop drinking. We can't stop eating. There is no addiction like food addiction...and I include drug addiction as well. As horrific as it is, you can stop taking drugs...you can't stop eating. I just wish the world understood this and stopped with the fat hating. I'm not that far out where I've forgotten what it was to be the biggest person in the room. It's not pleasant and I have great sympathy for those battling this addiction.

Hi all. Happy hump day. So...I just wasted $75. I was wearing a size 12 slacks and they were getting loose in the butt and leg so I ordered 10's and one pair in an 8. This was only six weeks ago. The 10's fit fine and the 8 was a little too tight. Well, now the 10's are too loose and the 8's fit fine. In just six weeks....and with only about a 4 lb. loss. I know it doesn't take much to go down a size at this point, but really? Six weeks and already the pants are too big. I own the same three or four pairs of slacks in 16, 12, 10 and now 8. Bringing them all down to Florida with me next time I visit and giving away the 16's to GoodWill, hoping mom can fit into the 12's, and not even sure what I'll do with the 10's. Thank goodness they weren't expensive but even so...I feel like I can open up my own clothing store. I'm going to need a new winter coat, and a new wardrobe along with it. Even some of my short sleeve tops I bought not too long ago are getting too big. I know...it's a good problem to have and I should shut up now. LOL! Have a great day everyone!

This is the emotional part of the journey. Speak to your doctor or surgeon and discuss seeing a therapist or psychologist to help you deal with this. Good luck.