Bandista

@flmommyof2 That's what I love about this forum -- I can come here for support from people who really understand the issues and are compassionate, non-judgmental. food is such a hot button for all of us -- overweight or not -- and people can really be idiots sometimes. We have chosen ourselves and our healthy futures -- that's what's important.

My surgeon has me lie down with my arms over my head and I don't sit up again until after the fill. There is a specific amount in the needle and that's what he puts in. I am some one who required several fills to get to the green zone. As I lost weight I'd have to go back for another tiny fill. Haven't done that in a while and think I don't need to yet, but it's always in the back of my mind that I may require another fill here and there over time. At one point I got a little taken out. It's a moving target.

Short skirt and a long jacket.....yes! And tights; loving wearing tights this fall. Oh, here's one that I'm still not sure is real. The other day I did not want to get off the treadmill. What?! Who is this person? I never thought I'd get the "high" of exercise or even be able to approach it without dread. And now I am a real exerciser. Hardly seems possible. Yippee!

Congratulations all......I'm so happy to have found myself again.

Isn't it marvelous?! You look so happy and beautiful. Way to go reclaiming your life and here's to a very happy, healthy future! We have similar stats (I was in that 250 range) and I look forward to seeing the seventies next. Yippee!

I kept wondering if my excitement would diminish over time -- one year out and I am still so happy. Your enthusiasm is the secret to your success. Twenty down, way to go!

I hear you, Country Sweet. My favorite peeps are the ones who took forever to notice I was dropping weight because they were busy talking with me about what I am thinking and doing rather than how I looked. Now at 67 pounds down every one is noticing and it feels a bit awkward. Same person here, folks. As humans we all need respect and to have our dignity preserved. I try to do that with the people around me who I know are not feeling it themselves. It can be as simple as a nod in a coffee shop.

Matt, congratulations on getting through the hoops -- exciting! I love my band and am so happy with my weight loss. I was only 250 going in to the process but there are lots of people who have lost hundreds with their bands. Check out the thread Banders #6 -- it's a great place for support from people who have had a lot of success. I wish I was tech-savy enough to connect you here with some great guys who have done so well. That's what I did when I was researching -- found the people who are really successful and read their posts. Jim1967, B52, Carolina Girl -- like I said, check out that Banders thread. And that way you can avoid any nay-sayers. Don't need that kind of pre-surgery crap!

I think it's all about the chewing and swallowing -- that connection between the esophagus and brain, which then provides a signal for satiety. I did not have that before my band. For me it has nothing to do with eating to some kind of capacity. The band won't let me overdo it but that isn't the point -- I don't get to that place as I don't want it. I feel hunger and welcome it now, but when I've had enough I've had enough. Like others, I find I get bored with the food, playing with it or just not interested anymore. That tells me that I'm done. If I'm still hungry, however, I don't deprive myself. To me this is key -- not to be too restrictive with myself so that I have a bounce-back to that all or nothing kind of thinking, or good/bad. I do still love food -- I enjoy choosing it, preparing it, serving it and, mostly, eating it. But I'm much less interested in the latter than I am in the whole experience of dining. I like the bites of yummy food but it's such a pleasure to be available for all the other experiences around me rather than being hyper-focused on what's next, what can I have, is there more, etc.

I am uncomfortable with people noticing me -- working on that. I have a friend who says, "Hey, Skinny!" and I know it's meant as an acknowledgement of my hard work and a compliment. Basically I don't want attention drawn to my body. After trying to hide my weight for so many years it's an issue for me -- eyes up here, please! I don't like the idea that people are watching my belly disappear and my legs getting so long and shapely, etc. Eeek! Like I said, working on this.

Five as well but have heard of trend for fewer......they healed quickly but first week I looked like I was in a knife fight. Nice to have the fork to mouth fight over, however -- Winning the great battle of the appetite is a beautiful thing!

@@Seymour1971 lucky, lucky........ you are doing beautifully!

Another page from my past -- I am not kidding, we must have similar chemistry or something. Protein bar in the grocery store, yep, that was me about a year ago. Take full advantage of your year of fills. I was told 11 appoimtments in the first year so why not think of that as an industry standard. If you go in and do not need a fill, it's no skin off their back. The discussion is helpful. Also they are invested in your successl Keep those appointments! Don't get a fill if you don't need one, obviously, but be sure to keep in close contact this first year. Team You!

You look wonderful! Happy happy Bandaversary to you...... So happy we have been through this year together. It's been fantastic.

Sounds like you are doing beautifully! Congratulations on all. The 27 lbs. gone, the BP meds lowered, the guy -- all of it is so great. Way to go.

Congratulations on your upcoming surgery! Protein bars? I'm so jealous, lol. I had nothing to nibble on during my pre-op, just shakes, shakes, shakes. It was great to have that weight loss prior to the surgery as I knew for the first time every pound lost was one I'd never ever see again. Good luck to you -- you are getting there!

Hi there, this is definitely a hard time. Bandster Hell is aptly named. Here's your encouragement: You are amazing. You are courageous and determined. That's why you chose weight loss surgery. You want to change your life. You are electing a happy healthy future and you will have that. You are going to be out of food jail once that appetite is dimmed but there is a little bit of a process for all of that to begin. You are on the verge of all that is ahead. I just posted on another thread about how seeing a therapist helped me break down my behaviors in a very specific way. Taking it all way farther than ever before in terms of just exactly how I was responding with food helped me learn how to notice what I'm doing and tell myself, "I don't do that anymore." Having the right fill means I don't even want to. All of that lies ahead -- the not feeling deprived is a marvelous thing and you will get there!

I was surprised that my surgeon's office did not address this ahead of time. Even though I didn't take pain medication, I still had severe constipation and I had to address it on day four or so. I took Milk of Magnesia. Love the prune juice idea but did not think of that at the time. Even though I was on a two week plus all-liquid diet, I still had some major bowel action. Important to take care of this -- I'd call it in to see if they have any input, if only to let them know that this is something their patients need to know about. Best wishes to you!

Hi there, I am only a year out but I've read lots of posts from others who have had similar situations. You are on this. You are finding a good medical professional in your new region and you're here on the forum looking for support. You will succeed as you did before -- please keep us posted on how you're doing. Getting that appetite dimmed is key. Meanwhile no sliders. Sending best wishes your way!

You will get a lot of responses on a thread like this. Just know that the really important thing is that you are addressing your health issues. You're choosing yourself and your healthy future first. That is the main thing. When we make our choices for what kind of weight loss surgery we think is right for us, it has to be based on lots and lots of individual research and excellent communication with your medical professionals. I love my band and it was the right choice for me but I respect and admire other people's choices, too. I'm just putting this out there because sometimes these posts end up attracting a lot of fear-based commentary and I don't want that to happen to you. Best wishes, and keep us posted!

I know about the neurotic part. At one point I needed a tiny unfill and afterwards I obsessed over whether the surgeon may have given me another fill instead of taking some out. One thing I can say is that it usually takes me several days for me to feel it. For me the fill has to settle in and that take four days or so. My doctor has no post-fill protocol and I also obsessed over that. Other people were reporting being on all liquids, etc. and I always felt kind of hungry. But it has all worked out fine so now I can "believe" in it all and not worry so much about everything.

Oh my god, this is like a page out of my journal from last year. After I was banded my appetite was miraculously dimmed and I was pretty sure I would be one of those people who never needed a fill. When I told the surgeon this, he laughed. Seriously -- he looked at me and laughed. That was at our one week and two week post-op appointments. By the time I got to the four week appointment I was so hungry and so ready for a fill. I got another at the five week appointment, then another at the sixth. It took me a little while. He was going for a tennis-ball sized portion of food and not hungry again for 4-5 hours. I'd have the portion part but not the duration. Sometimes I'd feel it but then feel like I slipped back out of the zone. I'm glad I kept at it. Now, there are some people who never require a fill although those are mostly band plus plication people. But I was some one who definitely needed fills. Good luck to you. You are doing great -- just know it's a process. You're in the process, learning all the time. Listening to your body and paying attention is the important thing and that takes a lot of practice.

During my research phase I really benefited from seeing a therapist. I wanted some one to go through the process with me -- an objective third party -- and I knew I needed to sort out some issues. It's not as though I hadn't done a lot of work on myself already. I am 53 and have read so many books about food and eating issues and I had done some therapy here and there over the years. This was the first time, however, that I was able to admit to myself that I had a real problem. A problem big enough to require serious intervention. By choosing to pursue weight loss surgery I was facing issues head-on for the first time instead of making excuses and feeling betrayed. We looked at all of my behaviors and broke them down one by one. It was tedious and most times I just wanted to move ahead, but the therapist kept me at it and I discovered some interesting patterns that I needed to break. It was one thing for me to say, "I eat when I'm stressed" but another to take specific incidents and notice how/where/why/when I was going for food to address it. To tamp that stress down. I would use food to "prep" myself for something I didn't want to do. For whatever reason, I find conference calls very stressful so I discovered two things -- first grounding myself with something to eat prior to a call and then afterwards using food as a reward. That's just one example. Another is driving in the car and seeking out some kind of treat. Another was to eat very lightly at a party but then while cleaning up afterwards eating way too much. It turns out the stress of not wanting to be seen overeating and concealing my appetite was making me feel deprived and then I'd want to rectify that as soon as I got the chance. Now I really think about these situations that I am in regularly -- whatever they are. I am looking at the stress factors and assessing them, facing whatever it is and finding out that it's not really that big of a deal -- and of course the food wasn't helping anyway. Sorry this is a little disjointed, but maybe something will ring true for you, too. We are all so different but we're all the same in many ways. Sending best wishes your way!

@@Seymour1971 thanks for posting the Brené Brown link. I'd seen it before but took this opportunity to watch it again. So many powerful statements there. "I am enough." Here's to wholehearted living, and to being seen. Here's to embracing vulnerability.

@@briefs199 You will be looking back in the same way! It is AMAZING. Give yourself a year. Don't go by day-to-day weigh-ins or any of that -- it's the long view and really it's not long at all. A year goes by in a flash. And so, apparently, does 67 pounds.