Corridor72

You are definitely NOT alone! I have lost 125 lbs and I'm 3 lbs from my original goal of 155 lbs, which is a healthy weight for my height and bone structure. People tell me all day long how great I look and those who haven't seen me in several months don't even recognize me until they hear MY voice come out of my face and then they're just shocked. I, on the other hand, still look in the mirror and I still see the same fat girl that has always been there. My surgeon brought up self image at my last visit and we discussed how my view of myself hasn't changed much yet. He basically said that it just takes time and that eventually I will start to see myself the way others do. I think he's probably right. My body has undergone a transformation in a relatively short period of time considering the amount of weight I've had to lose to get to this point and my brain just hasn't caught up yet.

Stalls can be very discouraging. Just know that if you keep following the plan, the scale will eventually begin to move. I'm 3 lbs from my goal and have lost NOTHING in the last month. I really thought I'd be at goal by the end of this month but it doesn't look like it's going to happen. I have found though that, when I have a stall that seems like it lasts forever, when that scale finally starts moving again, I will lose several pounds in a matter of days. So right now I keep telling myself that I'm eating right and doing all of the right things so I know the scale will eventually move and, when it does, I will likely drop enough that I will be below my goal.

I just learned a few weeks ago that I need a hysterectomy. I'm a little worried about it. I'm scared they'll mess up my port or tubing and cause it to leak or that I'll end up with terrible post-op vomiting and cause a slip. Has anyone here ever had a hysterectomy after being banded? If so, how did it go? Did you have any problems? Any advice? Thanks in advance!

Update....I've done NOTHING different. NOTHING. And now, 5 days after I originally posted this, I'm down 5 lbs! Must have been holding onto some water. Anyway, 7 lbs to goal!

​I like what you are talking about here. From the beginning of writing you were in damnation role and as you kept writing you got real sensible and true about a vacation splurge. It really took some talking, thinking and soul searching to help me find my sensibility on this one. I'm so glad this board is here and so full of supportive members. You are so close to goal that you may have to redefine where your motivation comes from. When we started we had vast amounts of negative reinforcement. Loads of negative thoughts and experiences that propelled us forward into losing weight. Now you have to ask yourself what motivates you for this last stretch? You have lost as much as some folks weigh so when your mind is set and motivators re-engaged you will lose this last little bit. That's a very good point. I know that in the beginning, there were several things that motivated me. My poor health was the biggest motivator. I decided I was too young to be so sick and I knew that it was all secondary to my weight. Of course, some of my motivation came from things such as being tired of only being able to shop in stores for plus size women, having difficulty finding bras that fit, and just overall sick of being treated differently by others. Funny thing is, I am treated differently now than before and it still ticks me off. I went into a shoe store the other day and was just browsing around. I was asked multiple times by 4 different people if I needed any help. I left empty handed. Why does that irritate me? Because I've been in that store many many times in the past and left empty-handed because everyone was "too busy" to help me. It angers me to no end that people are treated differently simply based on what they weigh. Anyway, I got off track a little there!lol...Back to what motivates me...My motivation now comes from simply wanting to maintain the health that I have regained, wanting to be as healthy as I can possibly be, and enjoying being able to do things that I haven't done in years. My life is fuller and happier because I can do the things I love to do with ease now. On vacation slips.....if you hadn't splurged a little you would have come home feeling deprived. Our bodies also need little vacations from the new way of eating we have adapted. Just like our muscles get used to the same exercise routine so we have to change it up. Your little splurge was a good thing and now your body will go back into weight loss mode. You are great. Thanks for your post. I'm sure you're right-if I hadn't splurged, I would've felt deprived and that may have even lead to an even bigger avalanche once we were back home. I am back on track now so it's all good :-) Thank you for the kind words and encouragement!

Actually, yes it did work very well for me. I did nothing but liquids for a couple of days and then went back to eating like I would normally eat, before going on vacation and lost what I had "gained" during vacation, so I think that was just water weight. Anyway, I weighed this morning and I'm down another pound and I had been stuck for several weeks so hopefully this means the scale is going to start moving in the right direction again :-)

I did lose 1 lb this week which is not as much as I would like but it's WAY better than losing nothing. I think I'm going to give it a few more days or a week and see if the scale keeps moving. If it does, then I'll just be thrilled! If not, I think I'm going to try cutting out all of the carbs and see how that goes.

I do have a tendency to eat the same things day in and day out. I am a creature of habit :-( Exercise varies greatly. I don't really count calories so I have no idea but I'm guessing it's pretty close to the same amount each day since I eat a lot of the same foods over and over.

I don't really think I need another fill. I have 8.25 cc in a 10cc band. I don't feel like I'm overdoing it as far as eating. If anything, I may be eating too little. I need to start weighing and counting everything to see where I'm at. The few times I have measured out portions of Protein since my last fill, I wasn't able to eat more than 3 oz though and the only thing I eat with my protein is usually veggies and I don't eat a lot of those either. I'm thinking I may try just cutting out the carbs too but I don't eat a lot of carbs either. I'm thinking it's just because I'm so close to goal, my body is just holding onto it more right now. I weighed this morning though and I'm down 1 lb this week so maybe the scale is going to start moving again.

I am 12 lbs from my goal. I was losing about 8-10 lbs per month and then, suddenly, I've lost nothing for the last month. I understand that stalls happen and things are going to move slowly being this close to goal anyway. However, I expected to at least be losing a few lbs a month. For those who have been through this, how did you manage to get those last 10-15 lbs off? Anyone have any suggestions?

@@Bandista, think about it like this though...even if you walk the entire 5K, you will be a winner because you will have beaten all of those people who are still at home on the couch, unwilling to even attempt a 5K

You're right-I definitely did NOT eat like I would've before being banded. Thank you for pointing out that I basically just ate like a "regular" person because I really hadn't thought of it like that. I've been so focused on everything that I feel I did wrong that it never occurred to me that I basically had just what a "regular" person might eat. It wasn't even really the quantity of food that bothered me because, obviously, I can't eat that much of any of it now. It was more the "what" I ate that bothered me. Anyway, thanks again. I'm moving forward today. I've done nothing but liquids and Protein shakes today and will do the same tomorrow just to help get me back on track. And then Tuesday, I'll be back to my normal routine so that should help me keep myself in check.

That is a good point, @Bandista. it is not the same world of dieting with the band but more of a lifestyle. I've done really well with making those lifestyle changes so I know I can do it and I know how to get back on track. I just hate that I let the old demons creep back up on me for a few days. Then again, it's strange. I feel so bad about letting it happen and I've been so hard on myself about it, perhaps these feelings of guilt I'm having will help prevent it from happening again in the future? I am close to goal and I know that things have to change some once I reach goal. I've been so busy trying to focus on getting to goal that I really haven't taken the time to research and ask questions of my surgeon on what I need to do once I get there. He has told me several times before that we all make mistakes. We all slip and fall. And we all eat cake or ice cream or candy or something that we probably shouldn't and he says that's ok. He actually said that he wants his patients to eat those things on special occasions but that we just have to make sure we don't go back to our old ways of eating those things all the time. He says "that's why we have surgery-so we can eat what we like in smaller portions and within reason". I think what it boils down to is that it is important that we cut ourselves some slack and allow ourselves to enjoy a few treats here and there but that we must make a conscious effort to avoid junk most of the time, enjoy a little(not a lot) of it during holidays or vacations but then move on and keep our focus on being healthy as we go forward. This whole thing is such a big learning experience....

Thank you for the kind words and encouragement. Honestly, the biggest mistake I made which set me up for failing was that I tried to go too long between meals. And actually, after sitting here thinking about it, I really did pretty well up until the last 3 days so it wasn't even the whole week. We were at an amusement park on Friday. I ate a decent Breakfast. The only thing I did wrong at breakfast was that I had a few bites of a waffle but I do allow myself to do things like that from time to time. I don't order them for myself but if someone else in the family has something like that, I will occasionally take a few bites from theirs. Anyway, we all know how expensive food is at an amusement park, right? So we were having fun, riding the rides, and had gone in with the idea that we'd wait as late as possible before eating so that we could eat one meal at the park and then eat again after leaving in hopes of saving some money. By the time we ate, my blood sugar was low and I was shaky and feeling faint. I ordered chicken. Got stuck on the 2nd bite. Threw it all away. When I finally managed to get rid of the chicken, I had a Protein bar. Not bad, right? So that night when we stopped at a restaurant to eat, I guess I felt "entitled" to whatever I wanted and I ate cheese fries, a potato skin and my meal. Actually, I didn't eat all of my meal but I did have part of a baked potato. I also had birthday cake 3 days in a row. And last night, we went out for dinner and a movie. I ordered french fries, which I never do. And then we went to the movies and I had popcorn & candy and lemonade. So it's kind of like I made a few mistakes and then it all just snowballed from there. Next time, I'm packing Snacks to take with us and will either sneak them in via a large purse or backpack!

When you lose water, you also lose potassium and that can cause muscle cramping. I had a lot of muscle cramps in the beginning on the liquid diet but it did get better for me.

I was banded in December and have done really well with following the rules and doing everything the "right" way. I've also been really good about making good food choices, avoiding junk, exercising, and just following a healthy lifestyle. Until now. I've been on vacation for the last week and I've eaten like a pig. I've eaten tons of junk, even candy and cake . I weighed in this morning and I'm up 2 lbs. I know some of it is probably Water retention but I'm sure some of it is true weight gain and I am kicking myself for allowing that to happen . So last night I decided that, starting today, I'm going to do liquids only for a few days to help get me back on track and then it's back to following the rules and making healthy choices again. I've come too far to mess this up now!

It's different for everyone. Honestly, the nursing staff should've done some pre-op teaching with you on that.

I have always been able to feel my port but it really wasn't visible(other than the scar) until I'd lost most of my weight. I'm 12 lbs from goal now and you can see it and feel it but it's not visibly noticeable when I'm wearing clothing. And, as someone else mentioned, I'd much rather have my port be visible than all of the weight I was carrying around when I started this journey. Also, I have the standard port. If it becomes really noticeable and is bothersome, it can always be changed to the low profile port.

Congrats! It is a fantastic feeling, huh?! I never dreamed I'd ever have any desire to run but now that I've been running some 5K races, I am addicted to running! I LOVE it! Nothing better than a good run!

Congratulations! That's a big accomplishment! You are going to rock this thing! Best of luck to you on your surgery Tuesday!

I always have tons of leftovers. My family laughs at me because there are always boxes in the fridge and I can generally make several meals from 1 entree at the restaurant so I end up eating on whatever I do get for days after we eat out. I just wish it was easier to decide exactly what I want. It seems my brain is still in "fat girl mode" and wants everything while my tummy is in "skinny chick" mode and says "Nope. Ain't happening. One more bite and I'm giving it back."lol

Am I the only one who has a difficult time deciding WHAT to eat since being banded? It's not such a big deal when I don't have very many options but if we're eating out somewhere that has several band friendly foods to choose from or even if I'm at home, I sometimes have a very difficult time deciding what I'm going to eat. It's worse if I'm really hungry because I want EVERYTHING but then, I know I'm not going to be able to eat very much of anything. So then I just have a hard time settling on one option. I guess the problem is that, in the past, I would've just eaten it all. I never had any self control when it came to food. Until now. And now my band tells me when I've had enough and is quite good at saying "Alright lady! Enough is enough! Stop it NOW!"lol

How exciting! I love how happy you sound! I remember last November when we were both preparing to be banded...it's amazing how far we've come since then! I actually thought I was in the green zone several months back so the doc stopped doing fills. I did ok and continued to lose for awhile but then things really slowed down for me a couple of months ago. I was still losing but it was at a reallllllyyyyy slooowwww pace and I was getting really frustrated. Started weighing and measuring everything again and realized that I was eating more than I should. I spoke with my surgeon about it and ended up getting another fill about a month ago. And at the next meal I KNEW I was in the right spot. Holy cow! THIS is what this thing is meant to do! And now I'm melting again Anyway, congratulations on your success! I'm really genuinely happy for you!

You look great! Congratulations on your success! Do you mind if I ask how tall you are?

Thank you! That's exactly how I feel! I'm so happy to have reclaimed my health and to be able to do things I couldn't even imagine doing 1 yr ago! I've been very open and honest with everyone about my surgery. Even people who are just acquaintances know about it because if they ask, and most people do ask, I tell them. Interesting. You'd think she'd say something. Maybe she really doesn't notice though since she sees you often.