Bandista

Pea protein is worth looking into -- and as for soy, you are probably way better off without it anyway. Sorry about all the allergies. I don't do much in the way of protein shakes as I don't eat (drink) breakfast and for me shakes are sliders. I believe that when people are allergic to a lot of things it may be that you can go off basically everything, cleanse and start over. Just a thought....

I only wish I had gotten my band sooner.........I'm 52 and struggled for such a long time.

@ so glad you kept going! When I am feeling restrictive and "diet-y" that's when I know I need to see the surgeon.

My surgery last November was life-changing. I started my research just over a year ago and was banded November 5th. I'm now eight months into my new life and I'm so happy with the choice I made. In choosing weight loss surgery I was really choosing myself. While I knew that getting a band would help me lose the extra weight I have battled for so many years, I wasn't really prepared for just how powerful I'd feel as a result of making this decision. I have shown up for myself and my healthy future. I chose me, and my self-esteem has skyrocketed. This morning I was at 191. It feels great to be in "Onederland" and now I am looking forward to seeing the eighties soon. I always believed that the closer to goal the more difficult it is to lose weight. I'm thinking of throwing that idea out the window along with some others that I've already let go of -- for example I no longer believe in my body going into starvation mode. I also don't think anymore that I "should eat" if it's been a while but I'm not hungry. Let's face it, I have all this fat stored in case food supplies run short. Now that I'm banded, I'm having way less food and guess what? My body is releasing the fat. I also no longer believe that being a fifty-something female is a deterrent to weight loss. It's coming off fine. When I set out to do this, I gave myself a year. Not a year to get to my goal (100 pounds off which would put me around 150, which I think might be the right place), but a year to change my lifestyle. It turns out this did not take nearly that long. I feel like my body understands what's going on and that the new behaviors have integrated now. Because we are all different, we each have to find out what is ideal for our particular body and that can take some time. I'm glad I was able to be patient as I did not reach the green zone until I had seven fills. These were small frequent fills -- and doctors really vary on their approaches -- but for me it took about 4-5 months to reach the green zone. What has worked for me (and there are many, many approaches!): I eat when I'm hungry but I don't eat if I'm not hungry. It turns out that because I spent so many years depriving myself of food, eating when hungry is the hardest for me of the two. Now I welcome a sign of appetite and I think carefully about what would be good for me to have. I am not on a diet. I stop eating when I get the signal that I've had enough. I was a grazer and I have to be careful not to fall back into that habit. When I've finished, I've finished. I glance at the clock and mentally calculate 4-5 hours for the next time that I may need to check in with myself to see if I have an appetite. I don't eat in the morning because I'm not hungry yet. Sometimes it's eleven o'clock or noon, but I have even waited until afternoon. My body tells me when it's time for food and I know that it's nearly always Protein I need first. I don't worry about grams of protein per day or counting calories. I enjoy a Protein shake once in a while as a treat but I don't rely on them because of the slider effect. I don't end up feeling sustained on a protein shake and I know I need real food well-chewed in order for my band to work. I'm pretty sure exercise is the magic ingredient to success. I walk every day that I can, and I work out in our basement. If any one had told me a year ago that I would be doing everything I'm doing -- and enjoying it -- I would not have believed them. That's it! Here's to being patient with ourselves and figuring out what works for us individually.

For me the first couple of days on liquids were lower energy but then a surge of energy came along, plus better sleep at night, etc. And as the weight comes off the rise in energy is amazing. Good luck to you as you get ready for everything. Exciting times!

Way to go, Carrie -- you look so happy and healthy. Gorgeous!

Wow, you are doing so well -- way to go! I love the jean sizes for measuring success rather than the scale. I am wearing the same brand of Lee long jeans and I'm down from 18 to 12 and contemplating picking up the pair of tens for my next goal. It is all so exciting! Thanks for the inspiration......

So happy for you! And isn't it great that our bands are adjustable? Here's to eating real food. Well-chewed good food in the right amount and stopping. Best wishes for a wonderful summer.

You are fabulous! This is such a great post -- you inspire all of us over and over again. Way to go this last year of hard work and so much success. You have reinvented your life. Here's to choosing health and happiness!

Hypnosis for financial prosperity: You are achieving all your dreams. You are free from debt and have all the money you need. Luxury and wealth are at your fingertips. Okay, that'll be $1,500. All major credit cards accepted.

Not being able to eat food should certainly get you qualified for a replacement surgery. I think your idea of going back to Fielding is excellent. The band works by sending signals from the esophagus when food is being swallowed but those squeezes don't happen with yogurt and shakes. You need to be able to eat real food and not be living on sliders. I hope you get the help you need!

You are doing beautifully! Congratulations on all you're doing -- the exercise is great and you've really reclaimed your health. I have been very private about my surgery and when some people see my tiny portions they automatically think I am depriving myself and headed for some kind of eating disorder. If there are well-meaning comments I have started saying things like, "I had a late lunch so this is just a snack," or "I just had a Protein shake and can't believe how much it filled me up." Get a load of this -- my mother is quite thin and for the last 20 years or so she has handed me every single new diet book on the market. Atkins, The Zone, Eat Right for Your Blood Type, and probably forty others. She does not know about my surgery but I have lost more than fifty pounds and she hasn't said a word. We see each other regularly. I don't know if she can't see me shrinking or what's up, but I'm kind of fascinated.

Hi there and congratulations on your upcoming surgery. I was banded last November and I was very excited but of course also those undertones of nervousness. I had never been an overnight patient in a hospital before. It all went so much better than I thought. Every one was very professional and I felt well taken care of throughout. I have a good sense of humor and I think that helped -- it's all so bizarre, the gown and slippers, being wheeled on a gurney, signing those papers, etc. In getting the band I was really choosing myself and putting my health first -- finally! -- and it was a very empowering experience. It wasn't like being in the hospital for an injury or illness -- I was getting something I really wanted. Like you I spent years struggling with my weight and trying so many different things -- I worked so hard but always eventually could not keep on and then the inevitable regain plus some. With the band, I am not on a diet. I make good choices and have a healthy lifestyle but my years of restrictive eating are over. That did not work for me. Now I follow basic band protocol but my brain doesn't have any messages of being deprived. I never had junk food before and I don't do artificial sweeteners, etc., so I didn't have to address that as some do. I was just eating too much, way too much. Good luck to you as you get ready. The first couple of months can be a little baffling as you navigate everything. It can feel like it's not working and that you're still hungry, etc., but that's because the band needs to be adjusted properly for you and that can take some time. So be patient, employ that sense of humor and be gentle with yourself. It will all happen. And so glad you're here on the forum. I got so much out if reading people's posts and understanding how it all works.

In the first weeks of being banded I practiced with a clock and waited a full minute between bites. It was so hard, especially putting the utensil down. I really resisted that. It was good for me to notice that about myself so I could modify the behavior. Now I just eat naturally slower and I listen to my band, but I put the utensil down as a matter of new habit. I know when I've had enough and I stop. In the beginning I would push this a little and I had to learn not to do that. How did I learn? By getting stuck and regretting it.

My main exercise right now is gardening. Each task involves another set of muscles so I guess even if it's not straight up cardio I am building strength. We have a major flower garden where I've just laid down new paths, a lot of digging up plants and moving things around. Hardscaping is hard! We have three wheelbarrows going. Then there's the veggie garden -- twelve raised beds -- one of them is 16' -- so a lot of bending and weeding. It's all so much easier now that I'm thinner. I have a lot more energy.

@@Its-time this is great! I am pretty sure exercise is the magic ingredient. You are doing so well. I signed up for a 5K in September and am wondering who has taken over my body that I would do such a thing. I will fast walk it as I can't run on these joints, but I'm determined to do it. I'm not worried about the distance but just showing up with a bunch of people for an organized exercise event....me? New me, a 50 pounds+ thinner me. And who knows, by September I may be way stronger, more flexible and lighter than I am now. Thanks for the inspiration -- I don't use my iPhone the way I'd like to and am going to start by getting that app. Fun!

What a great post! You have completely changed the course of your life -- truly amazing progress. I really admire your courage and attitude, your willingness to work so hard for your health despite major obstacles. You are not letting anything get in the way of your happiness and that is a beautiful thing. You deserve a medal! Congratulations on Onederland -- way to go! I'm so glad you're here on this forum.

Call your doctor @@bulawookie -- your medical professionals are there for you and they need to know what's going on.

Interesting article, thank you. I have to wonder if there is a correlation to rising use of artificial sweeteners in these countries, or perhaps high fructose corn syrup.

@@Countryheart2000 how about requesting a fill under fluoroscopy - there are many Banders who insist on that. If he is having to poke seven times then he needs to be able to see better what is going on...... Meanwhile, maybe an ice lack on the port area? I bruise easily and even with just one poke I am usually bruised after a fill. I have had seven fills and am feeling really good about where I am now. My doctor is of the small fills school but as frequent as I needed, so we got me up to speed fairly quickly. Your doc is going to have to step things up.

I could start a band -- percussion and horns both (toot, toot)........

Congratulations on your surgery and way to rock the pre-op. For the first time in a long history of dieting, I knew the weight I was losing was never coming back. Here's to Independence from obesity and choosing health!

Hi there and congratulations on getting a surgery date. Every surgeon has their own pre-op protocol so it will be good to find out what yours is going to be. Mine had a specific shake which they give out -- I read the ingredients and there was no way I was going to have that so I worked with the nutritionist on another one of my choice. I think there is flexibility here. I adhered to the two-week protocol of only shakes -- and yours may be totally different, some have longer, some have NONE -- and I'm glad I did as I think it's really important to follow the instructions of your surgeon. The idea is to shrink the fat around the liver prior to surgery. I was glad for the jump start of weight loss prior to getting my band as it can take a while for the band to be adjusted properly and the weight loss to begin in earnest. Good luck to you -- you're going to do beautifully! Get some extra exercise, drink a lot of fluids and get ready for the best thing ever to happen -- you are choosing yourself and your healthy future. That is very powerful. Best wishes!

Hi there, I hope things are settling down and you're able to drink -- sometimes things of a different temperature work well. You might want to try Popsicles as the cold will help with the inflammation and you'll be getting some hydration along with sugar. Or on the other end of the spectrum warm tea. Be sure to be in touch with your medical professionals but it may be that you are swallowing fine now. I hope so! Sending best wishes your way.

For me, the band is all about shutting down the appetite monster that is telling me to EAT EAT EAT. I cannot believe that it works but it is working. This afternoon I hosted a meeting and some one brought specialty Cookies made by two wonderful ladies who run a bakery in a neighboring town. One of them is French! Anyway, cookies, seriously? But you know what? I could turn them down. I am seven months out. If I really wanted a cookie I'd eat it, but you know what? I didn't even want one. So who is this new person -- I can't believe it! I did, however, be sure to send off all the cookies with people as they left. I know better than to keep them in the house as I might not be able to resist later. Why tempt myself?