gowalking

Yes...there are alot of low/no carb bandsters on the forum. I keep it to a minimum and make sure I get my Protein and veggies in as well so that I don't overdo on the carbs. And I never snack on anything carb or sugar. I'd rather eat a handful of nuts or some cheese before going to cookies/chips or some such type of items. Heck...it's taking all my willpower to not scarf down the onion rolls sitting on the kitchen counter (I'm staying at my folks in Florida this week and they keep so much crap in the house...)

Excellent! Good info to know. As one who loves and has to be very careful about carbs, I'll never have this issue...LOL.

Just watch out for the sodium Wendy. There's alot of it in processed meats...

I agree Cutlass. The chain restaurants are terrible if you want to eat healthy. I love to eat out...both for the good food and good company. I'm lucky in that I live in a metropolitan city and can choose from many restaurants without resorting to the chains. Though, I will admit that Bonefish Grill is terrific because they can customize the fish to however you want it and they will put the sauce on the side...and mean it. I just keep in my head to choose better and watch my portions. Oh...and just as important is that I know after a week of eating out as I'm doing now, I'll gain a pound or two and won't stress over it. In a couple of weeks once I'm home, it will go away. It always does.

Ladies....I'm 55 and lost 125 pounds. Under my clothes, I look like a Shar-pei. You are correct Wendy...better loose skin than being fat. I know I'll have to investigate plastic surgery but at least I look fine in most clothes and that will have to suffice for now.

I live alone and as such, don't pay attention much to anything but my own food intake. Maybe those of you with partners/children are more aware of consumption but for me, like I said...I am not really aware. So...it's coming as quite a surprise to watch my family and what they are eating while I am visiting with them this week. People stuff themselves. It's that simple. I love my family...it has nothing to do with that. I just can't help but notice how much friggin' food is going into their mouths...and used to go into mine I might add. We went to a bistro for dinner last night and ordered the following to share: Soup, salad, mussels, fish, vegetables, and a chicken/mushroom/swiss cheese crepe. Oh my but what alot of food it was. I was surprised they were able to eat it all. My portion was inconsequential compared to what the others ate. Oh...and we topped it all off with coffee and dessert. Now...I understand that if you are not banded, you're going to eat more than a banded person will but come on....this was consumption on a massive scale. Jeeze..no wonder I was a fat kid. Now I'm not blaming anyone. After all, no one put a gun to my head and made me eat. But it just shows the difference between people who live to eat, and those who eat to live. Oh, and by the way, I had lunch today with a cousin who has never had a weight problem. We split a sandwich and I was quite satisfied as I'm sure she was as well. No wonder she never was heavy...

Great job! You will experience many NSVs during your journey but sometimes, the first ones are the best. I think my first real NSV was being able to button the 3X shirts I wore. Till then, I had to wear them open with a cami underneath. I really think that this was the first time I realized I was losing weight other than number watching.

You look beautiful. You also may be one of the lucky few like me who doesn't seem to need fills. I don't even have the plication but for whatever reason, I have the restriction I need.

I am living vicariously thru you and am enjoying your posts immensely. Can't wait to hear about Pompeii.

Oh missy...I'm sure you're disappointed but try to remember the hardest part is over. The band and port are placed...he just has to close it. Wishing you much luck over the next three weeks. Follow the doctor's orders and you will do fine. And remember...we didn't gain it overnight so don't expect to lose it that way either. This is a lifetime change and three weeks won't mean anything a year from now. Keep us posted.

Thanks. I'll PM you with my info. I'm very interested in attending next year.

Wow....that's not many calories. I know the doctors all have their own plan that they want you to follow but I know that I ate about 1,000-1,150 calories a day. I also did no exercise because of limited mobility yet I still managed to lose over 100 lbs. Just make sure you are not putting your body into starvation mode. If you do, you won't lose the weight like you are expecting.

oh dear...is there really no interest? I want so badly to go next year. can we maybe do a survey of sorts to find out why there's no one signing up? Is it just that no one wants to go or is it the cost, or like me...is it because I didn't have enough advance notice? I'm really curious as I love this idea and like I said, I want to really do this next year so I can meet all my friends on this site. Liz

Oh summer...you are beautiful!

Congratulations. Let us know when you are on the 'other side' as we call it. FYI, having the band implanted was the best decision I ever made and I was not keen on it at all. I've gotten my life back and that's no exageration.

thank you for sharing your story.

I loved it. Thanks for posting the link.

Wow gowalking! How much did you lose? How long did it take? I want to lose close to 1/2 my weight also. I started at 250 and want to be at 145 ideally Hi Wendy. Just saw your post. Check out my ticker. It tells you how much I lost and when I had the surgery. All I can say is that the weight goal is something to shoot for if your doctor agrees and wishing you luck on your endeavor. As I noted in the thread, I followed the rules...and I mean I followed the rules. No cheating...no testing the band. I treat myself a little more at this point but always am aware of what I'm eating and how much I'm eating.

Thanks bandito. I've had a couple of those moments as well...folks thinking I was always this way. I have a relatively new friend who calls me her little sister because I'm so much smaller than she is. I've told her and showed her what I looked like before because she assumed I was always a little lady.

OK, so do you want quality or touristy? Not that you can't have both but alot of the best restaurants are not well known outside of the city. As you know, it's Protein first, veggies and then carbs so I would say you should stick with places that can offer you and your sister that option. FYI, I am banded, my sister is not, and we eat out together all the time. If you want great fish, Oceana is terrific as is most Greek restaurants. Fresh and simply grilled. You can't beat it. If you can tolerate meat, one of the most iconic steak houses is The Old Homestead. The meat is top notch and it reeks of 'old New York'. If you want to step into a time warp, Spice Market in The Meatpacking District is amazing. Like you've walked into a 1930's Shanghai bar. The food is terrific as well...especially the cod. If you want small plates...tapas...Alta on West 10th St. in the West Village is the place. This way you and sis can share a few items. The brussel sprouts is to die for...and so is the Sangria...lol. If you want something like pastrami or corned beef, Carnegie Deli is OK but Katz's on the Lower East Side is better and really iconic as well. Just know that the meat is very sodium laden and you will have Water weight gain for sure. I agree that Chinatown and Little Italy are places you should explore and as long as you eat sensibly, you will be fine. Everyone who visits Chinatown should experience a Dim Sum Palace. It's amazing.... If you like 'ethnic' food, I can recommend Turkish, Russian, Italian, Mexican, Spanish...even more exotic like Ethiopian and Afghan restaurants as well. Just let me know how adventurous you are. Feel free to PM with any questions you may have. As Lisa notes...I live here in the city and know it very well. I can recommend restaurants and sightseeing options as well.

Wonderful!

Never watch the food network anymore

I'll give you a ton of options tomorrow.

Hey Fiddleman...sorry to go off topic but I just noticed on your ticker that the little man on the snowmobile/ski jet is about to crash into that tree...LOL!

During a family discussion today, my sister told my cousins that my success with the band is because I 'think' it helps me. She is certain that my appetite suppression is in my head. In other words, the band works because I feel 'psychological' restrictiong rather than physical restriction. She thinks this because I have no fills. I understand that this opinion she has helps her to not face her own demons. She is morbidly obese as I was and she is not ready to take on the challenge of weight loss whether it's via surgery or not. By rationalizing that I was 'ready' to lose weight, she doesn't have to investigate this option because she is not yet ready herself. I don't want this to come between us so I've dropped it but no matter how often I tell her the band helps to tamp down my hunger, she simply refuses to believe it. So what I have is a situation where I try to explain that the band works and she refuses to believe it has anything to do with the band and that I was simply ready to lose the weight. I know it's not true and this is an argument that I just can't win. Where others understand that it's a combination of restriction and willpower (eating healthy, avoiding sliders, stopping when the hunger is satiated), she refuses to hear it. Thank goodness I can vent here knowing that you all will let me and I then I can let it go.