JosieK

hi everyone, i'm sober 22 years and was banded 3 1/2 years ago. my isms didnt really crop up while i was losing weight. the band actually took the physical hunger away. so i wasnt really thinking of food.... now that i am maintaining and decided to unfill my band (plus getting married in 7 weeks) ...i am dealing a little more with the food issues. so i've added extra meetings to my week. i'm not going to OA. i really never felt an affinity to that program but i am doing AA/Alanon/ACA. i also just picked up the new geneen roth book about spirituality and food recovery. anyway good luck with your bands. the slogan "it works if you work it" from AA really applies to the band as well. josie

hi i find protein drinks smell after awhile so mine dont keep long. they are yummy in the beginning .....

Hi Patsel, the thing that helped me when i stalled in weight loss was to keep track of what i was eating....every morsel. i have a habit of minimizing "tastes and licks" of food. i used the website Free Diet Plans at SparkPeople but any of them are good (ie. FitDay - Free Weight Loss and Diet Journal www.netdiary.com, etc) it will help you to focus on the calories. also what the previous posters said...it is key to get Protein in. my guage for that was when my hair would fall out. my protein wasnt enough. i still do Protein shakes in the morning as it insures i get enough in. good luck and keep on keepin'on! josie

hi everyone, i was banded 3/30/07 by dr spivak. getting the lapband was the best decision i ever made. it is one tool of many we need to lose weight. i am still a work in progress trying to maintain. enjoy the ride. it is exciting when you have the NSV's in addition to the scale victories. such as getting into a smaller size, seeing my collar bones for the first time in years (this was big for me), not shopping in lane bryant. i lived until recently in Katy. since beeing banded i met a great guy and we are getting married in october. the best gift of the band is to get my self respect back... anyway best of luck to all my texas sisters and brothers. there are alo of us on the site which is nice... josie

hi everyone.... April showers bring may flowers....had to say that...we always said it when we were kids. igot my fill about 1 month ago. before the refill...i had food on my mind 24/7. after the fill i went back to not thinking about food unless i was hungry. i've lost 12 lbs of the20 something i gained. i've tried very hard to stay away from ice cream (which was the reason i put the weight on) and had a Protein shake in the morning so i have energy. it's been working altho' last weekend i got cocky and had ice cream and the scale is stuck and i had a bit of depression after all that sugar. you would think i would learn my lesson. so i'm back on the wagon altho' the band seems to be very tight this week.. we all seem to be in a similar boat. whitepants: you are right. we gain the weight over a span of years and i give up 1 meal and want to be in size 7 ha! i think you will get to goal.....when you get close to a milestone....be sure to lean on us.... momlambert: i feel for you re: your mom. but i have to tell you it is probably the most loving decision you are making. my sister in law tried to watch her aunt that had Alzheimer's and it was a danger for her aunt. she simply just didn't know what she was doing. i know it must be hard....but know you made the decision for her well being carol: dont beat yourself up. i know how you feel. the more i was gaining and hating myself... the more i ate. i have to tell you i started doing what i did when i stopped drinking 22 years ago. ....i was desperate....i prayed and prayed hard. i feel like i started to get power to say no. i also stopped weighing myself. this always defeats me when i step on the scale every day. anyway girls....have a great night and "keep on keepin'on"

hi everyone, today is my 3 year bandiversary. i was thinking about 3 years ago and what my life was like. to begin i was scared stiff about the surgery itself. i wasnt afraid until i was sitting on the gurney waiting for the actual surgery. i almost stopped it....thank God i didnt. my fill is working. i've lost 9 of the lbs i gained. i'm not digging the up and down restriction but i am digging my clothes starting to fit better. i am working real hard to stay off sugar. last week i started eating a little again and guess what? i let the monster out and i couldnt get enough. luckily (you wont believe what i will say) i got a small stomach virus and couldnt eat anything. so i got off sugar (for the 1 zillionth time). i am going to my nephew's birthday tonight and i am praying all day not to eat any ice cream cake. i spoke with my therapist last week and he suggested to think through what happens when i start the sugar. (headaches, depression, cant get enough and ultimately weigh gain). i am in AA and that is a tool we use for alcohol so i am applying some of these tools to food. it is truly an addiction. jeni: so glad you are on track again. we all seem to be in similar places. a food journal really helps to see reality. i was shocked how much i was eating when i professed "i hardly ate anything" one day. happy bday and good luck on your goal for vacation. i like having a focus like your family vacation. it seems to motivate. demsvmejm: glad your band didnt slip and doctor helped to get everything sorted out. we are lucky to have these second chances and i do believe we are in the process of learning how to live. good luck and keep on keepin' on hi momlambert, carol, tammy, thickchick, whitepants have a super day and lets keep holding hands to help each other josie

hi mimi, i think this is normal. i am 3 years post-op (today actually!) for me i had a huge array of emotions before surgery. i was excited that i could do it. then the roller coaster started.....i thought i would never ever have certain foods (which isnt true). i even went around Target the night before my surgery and found myself saying goodbye to peeps, twizzlers, etc. (i happen to be in target for toiletries :thumbup: but i found i can eat most things. what i didnt factor in...i really dont want alot of the foods that i stuffed into my body. the other thing i didnt "project" in my feelings was how wonderful it would feel to get out of lane bryant and be able to shop anywhere, how nice it would be for people not to look at me as "lazy" because i was overweight (people do judge us) and also how much time i would have to do other things while i wasnt spending all my time obsessed about food. one thing i did when i had the scary feelings before surgery was to read the positive experiences people had on this website. i figured if they did it, and had such experiences, i could do it as well. also maybe writing feelings down helps to sort it out. i was worried i was losing my "best friend" in food. but food wasnt my friend. i had made it into an enemy as i was killing myself with it. the band helped me to put food into it's "right-size" good luck. this will probably be one of the best decisions you've ever made. it is mine josie

hi everyone so glad our group is still plugging along. this is where the real work begins. for me the beginning was a bit easier. now is when i am trying to develop life skills to keep food under control thanks carol for your kind words. jeni....alot of us are in the same place as you. i like what you said about the "vicious cycle" of gaining weight then eating over it. that's what scared me the most. i was horrified when i saw the 170's again. then 1 day i hit 179 and i said oh no...not going to the 180's. the small fill definitely helped me to stop obsessing over food. good luck with yours... tammyj: happy anniversary girl! this week for me has been better. i'm making sure to do a Protein shake every morning to get my nutrition in. then dinner is normal. but i can only eat a small portion. my appetitie is back under control . i am having either sugar free Jello or sugar free ice to satisfy the sweet craving. i am not allowing myself any ice cream even weight watchers. because that ignites the ice cream monster. anyway "keep on keepin' on everyone!" josie

hi everyone thickchick: congrats on your 3 year anniversary and your successes. just think where we were 3 years ago this month... carol: good news about your sister....weight watchers really is a good plan. it has evolved from the deprivation diet to a plan that we can live with. there is a thread on here of people that do weight watchers with the band. i was doing WW but it triggered some eating issues i've had in past so i stopped. but i truly think WW is a good plan. well i went back for a small fill in tuesday and i'm back on the beam. a few months ago i got totally unfilled. i was near goal weight and i was tired of not being able to eat alot of different things. being unfilled i still had restriction but was able to eat things like salad again. But the Hunger-monster came back full force as well as my food obsession... so i gained 10 lbs and wasn't willing to go any further. i was fearful lane bryant would be in my future. and i refuse to go back there. so i went to the doctor and he put .6 in. at first it felt like i didnt have any restriction. of course my nature is to do everything big and want a full fill. but i didnt voice this. so by the next day my restriction is perfect and my hunger has gone down to a more normal level. his last warning to me "STAY AWAY FROM ICE CREAM" he said no amount of restriction can do that...so i have to exercise control. my ice cream addiction started after banding. my doctor feels it was from being too tight and not being able to eat anything but this....i believe what he is saying. i had an NSV yesterday....i passed up the free cookie they give at the sam's club near me. that was big because i havent been able to pass on Cookies....in a long time. i feel like i did when i was just banded...i have some of my mojo back....pls pray i can keep it...ONE DAY AT A TIME. anyway....this is our month!! josie

hey wannab: sorry i've been missing in action. lots of good things happening (moved in with fiancee', getting wedding together, etc). so i havent been on the boards... getting back to basics now after gaining some weight. soooo happy your date is almost here. less then 1 month away.....it will go fast. a few things....the bootie transfer of fat. i'm so happy i did this. at first it felt like it didnt work. but after awhile and after doing squats....my bootie looks better then pre-op. i used the wedge pillow and the recliner. both were very helpful. i also bought a shower chair which was essential. a lawn chair would work...... i definitely needed a chair in the shower. dr adam allows a shower the next day and i must say that really perked me up each day. dr adam totally stands by his work. he is more critical of his work then i am.... i will be around during your operation and can help if you need me to. keep us posted leading up to your operation. you will be sooo happy. i love my new body both post LAP-BAND® and post plasti surgery and am very glad i did both... josie

Hi everyone, i can say ditto to what everyone is saying....i was at goal (153) and i've bounced back up to 176.0. when i was at goal weight, it was sooooo nice not the think about my weight. i really want to get back there. i find i am getting obsessed again and the more i think about weight....the more i eat. today i am starting to do some of the things i did when i was successful at losing my weight. they are: 1. journalling every morsel that goes in my mouth 2. setting up my gym schedule on sunday night for the week....then doing it 3. drinking 64-100ozs of Water a day. motivation: originally my doctor said i may only lose 1/2 of my weight. i looked at that as a challenge and wanted to prove him wrong. it really motivated me. last night i "cornered" my fiancee into saying he didnt think i could stay off ice cream (he didnt want to say it but i made him). i'm trying to set up a new motivation. whitepants...i keep in my head the fact you encourage more Protein to reduce sugar cravings. that has worked for me and i will also incorporate that. so...i'm being totally honest about my weight and will update my signature. i feel like that is the only way to recover.... demsvmejm: i must say your post this weekend really helped me to get honest on this thread. it helps to know we are all trying together. momlambert: thanks for starting this thread lastly... i refuse to go ito the 180's. seems like every 10 i gain...i get "used to it". my wedding is in october and i really dont want to evaluate my pictures on whether or not i look fat.... whew.....it's all out now so lets hold hands and "band" together once again.... josie

hi everyone, checking in....sorry i've been MIA. i have this bad habit of when i'm struggling...i hide....it's crazy. that's when i need to share with everyone the most.... i have alot going on that is causing me stress. it's not bad stuff but nonetheless stressful. 2 of them are are the top of those "stress lists". i'm moving from a house i just had built 3 years ago. i love the house...but...i am also getting married. my fiance has to live in the town that he is the head of the bank. i knew this from day one. in theory it all sounded fine...but going through it is a little hard. i really have seen my "headhunger" in action. it is so CLEAR. when i get off the phone with the realtor after a tough conversation....i immediately want to eat....ANYTHING but it has to be bad stuff. the good news i got back to the gym so it is making me have some sort of control. my big issue now is nighttime wanting sweets. if i can wrestle this....i'd be fine. that is a huge IF. whitepants: you really are inspirational in sharing your journey as it happens. the gym definitely helps to get us moving in the right direction. you are right when you say it's easy to lose control and harder to get back on track. but when we are on track...it's easier to stay there.. jeni: great news about the 4 lb loss. i hear ya' about we went this far....getting an operation, sacrificed to get the weight we have gotten off, we CANNOT give up and go all the way back. this statement you made is making sense to me and it offers me motivation not to give up. i know when i get in the give up mode..i will be 270 lbs in no time carol: good girl on no weight gain.... i will check back a little later in the week. i am trying to give up eating crap at night and sugar. that will be my promise. josie

Hi everyone, reporting in...did pretty well today on my plan. i went to "Barbell" class i didnt eat anything off plan...although i did snack on weight watchers ice cream. i'm trying to control snacking because once i start...i cant stop. but today i was pretty good. my pants are very tight and i hate that feeling. i'm forcing myself to wear those jeans and not stretch pants so i am dealing with "reality". i love to fool myself sometimes. whitepants: good job staying on your food plan. i truly believe food/caloies are 85% of the weight loss equation. have a good night everyone. josie

hi everyone, happy new year and a great idea jeni about making a commitment on resolutions.... here are my goals: 1. 3 meals a day-no snacking 2. gym 4 times a week. 3. at least 64 ozs of Water a day 4. check in to this site at least every other day. just to update you where i'm at.... i got down to goal (actually 10 lbs under) last year. when i went for plastic surgery (TT and Breastlift) my dr. asked me to put on 10 lbs. which i did....plastic surgery went well. my band was tight throughout my L/B journey. i was living on Soups, creamy foods like yogurt, Protein shakes and junk. it was getting more and more difficult to live with the band being so tight. i was thinking of having it taken out. as an interim step, my doctor unfilled it completely. i still have restriction (without any fill) but can eat more normal foods. unfortunately my "sugar addiction" has not gone away. that coupled with eating again has caused me to gain 10 more lbs. so i have to lose between 15-20 lbs. i want to keep my band unfilled however i have to get off the sugar. whitepants...thanks for the suggestion about protein as it is starting to help. i am getting married in october and want to have a size 8 wedding dress. i'm in size 10 right now... i love the fact that i got the lapband. but i am now trying to get the maintenance of the "new me" down pat. i am still too focused on weight, food, etc. during my lapband journey i have had periods of not being so focused on these and it was great. not sure if i am making sense....but it is where i'm at. right now i am struggling with the idea of going to spin class tonight but i have to start....it's so much easier when i am in the routine of exercise....rather then "starting the routine". i need you guys more now then ever.....can you believe it is almost 3 years since we started this journey? good luck jeni, whitepants, carol and all other marchies '07 josie

congratulations jon on taking this step. and good luck for the rest of your journey josie

one thing i forgot....i start drinking water. 64 ozs is the minimum i drink. this little action also helps me feel like i'm doing something for myself.

hi mellabella throughout my journey, i've had periods of being "in the game" and also "out of the game. so i totally understand how you feel. it's so much easier when we feel "in" the game isnt it? hehe i'm in a 12 step program and one technique i've learned there, that i try here..... is to "act as if" until i feel it. what this means is to start putting actions in until i feel like doing it. trust me it isnt easy. it is when i least likely feel like doing it. a few things i've done to help me get back in: -i start journalling my food. this helps me to look at exactly what i'm putting in my mouth and not to minimize it. i've used sparkpeople.com, weightwatchers and also netdiary.com. people also use fitday.com which is similar to sparkpeople. -i start exercising. sometimes this is merely getting dressed for the gym and walking in the door of the gym. i start small. -i rely on a spiritual side for my program so i pray and read mind enriching materials. i have to say it is usually really tough to start doing these things but little by little...i start feeling like i'm in control again. anyway good luck on your journey. josie

hi stephanie, you are pretty funny re: PB lessons i've been playing with 10 lbs up/down since my plastics. i am surprised i have so much restriction with being unfilled. but during my whole journey, i only needed small fills to get alot of restriction. since my plastics, i have been up and down about exercise too. altho' i am now putting it into high gear since i am going for my wedding dress in 6 weeks. so i want to be in good shape for it. i am actually using this as motivation. i usually need something to motivate me to keep me focused. when i was first banded my doctor said i might only lose half my weight. well that really motivated me to stay focused. i wanted to prove him wrong ha! as you said earlier in this thread...i did not jump in here to argue with people that don't agree with how i did this. in fact whenever i read a thread i dont necessarily agree with...i dont jump in to "lambast" and act like the expert. i merely exit the thread. funny how people have to add their 2 cents when not asked. like you...this has been my experience..and no one can take that away from us. i'm not suggesting it to anyone but am glad i have found you guys that have a similar experience so far today i havent had sugar and almost have my Water all in. hi counselor-is-in, this site has always been this way. i have managed to use it for information and try to help people by sharing my experience. i stay away from "the experts" that feel their way is the "only way". it actually seems less controversial these days...or maybe i'm just not that attached to it. i think key for me was to make sure i communicated with my doctor and his office any issues as i went along. good luck in your journey. have a great night everyone. josie

hi danigirl i have also had a good experience. the fact i'm not the fatest person in the room anymore has made this all worth it. i've gotten my life back. it is important to know you must still work at this as the lapband is not "magical". i think you can see that on this site. before i was banded i saw people that had the band for a long time that were still very overweight. they complained about the band. in looking back on their posts....they went to dairy queen, ate junk food and didnt exercise....but still wondered why they hadnt lost weight then there was the other group that journaled their food, exercised and took responsibility when they fell off the wagon. they were and continue to be successful with the band. anyway good luck in your journey. this was the best decision i ever made. josie

hi carol.. there's a thread on LBT for people doing weight watchers with the band. josie

hi everyone, glad to see we have a few "marchies" still on here. i cant believe it's almost been 3 years for us. gwen i promise to start participating on the january thread. i need a jumpstart too. sugar is killing me. i am starting to lick this habit today. if i wait till january 1...i will not fit in my chair. i have to say last night i ate like i was going to jump off the plank. and i feel yucky. when i eat well...i feel better, my skin looks better....what is wrong with me? so today i am committing to the following: -drink at least 64 ozs of Water -eat 3 meals and no snacking (snacking for me starts me in a cycle of eating all day) -gym 3 x's this week since i'm just going back after 2 weeks of absence. NO SUGAR..... anyway i will check in on the new thread..... josie

WOWIE haydee...the time is flying by!!!! i'm going to the houston wedding expo january 10th...just for the fun of it. love your "save the date"...very classy. i showed Sam...he loved it too... let's get together soon.... joanne

you made me laugh about "the face". my whole family knows about "the face" .... after they see it...they say "go for a walk" ha! when i was banded..i was single and hadnt dated for years. after i lost the weight i started dating. i was pretty honest with my b/f Sam early on and he learned about "the face" too... my band tightens up on it's own when i fly and after i do a stressful workout. even with being unfilled...i have alot of restriction before dinner. pretty much Breakfast is either a Protein shake OR cheerios (because i can eat crunchy) and yogurt. i started eating Activia (every morning) and it really helps with the constipation. have you ever tried this. they are pretty yummy too. lunch maybe a Soup. and then depending on how tight i feel....dinner is normal. but i cant eat everything. chicken is a real issue for me. fish is probably easiest but like you said...mexican is easiest... my biggest issue now is staying away from sugar. ice cream is a killer. anyway feels good to share this info with like minded bandsters... and like was said by others on this thread..."this is our experience we are sharing. i don't recommend it to anyone...and i dont need any lectures. " anyway i will definitely keep in touch... josie

forgot one trick and i still do this.... when i'm at a restaurant...i have to go for a "walk" around the restaurant to help out when i'm feeling stuck

hi stephanie, this is a good honest question. and i know what you mean about people "judging" or jumping at you/me when we say something they dont agree with...it's the one downside of this site. when i was banded... i kept my band tight for many of the reasons cited on this thread. i lost my weight in 10 months. i did exercise but i believe 85% of my weight loss was related to calorie intake (or not taking in ha!) i didnt obsess over food because frankly i wasnt hungry most of the time because of my band. it wasnt easy to do it this way but i was determined to be successful finally since i had tried and failed at umpteen diets before. i did have 1 issue when i was too tight and didnt realize it was too tight. i PB'd at night. i ended up with aspiration pneumonia because i ingested food in my lungs. ended up on antibiotics to cure it. that was not fun and i did learn my lesson on what not to do. i'm coming up on 3 years being banded. i am now completely unfilled (my choice) because i am working on maintaining for life. it is a leaning curve but very doable. anyway just thought i would share my experience. up until now i've been a "closet" tight-bander ha! josie