Bandista

GoWalking, I'm going to have to try cooking Farrow. I need more Fiber in my life. Speaking of which, do not mix psyllium and chia seeds. What, was I nuts? Good grief.
JustWatchMe, yippee for Return to Wonderland! Way to go.

Nice pix, Debbie! And congratulations to second son. Lisa, I have a tea tin with this quote (the Sleepytime bears): "Bread and Water can so easily be Tea and Toast." My husband was feeling under-the-weather yesterday so I made him cinnamon toast soldiers. Decided to give one a try (I can't usually tolerate bread but sometimes a little gluten-free works). I was reminiscing about how I would have had a whole pile of little cinnamon toasties in the old days but then when I had my little bite it wasn't even very yummy. Certainly not worth it. Enjoy The Time, I so get it about fearing old patterns and getting freaked out about a gain -- and Lisa, loved your posts about this, too, the old all-or-nothing mindset. On or off a program. I'm very happy not to be on a diet but to have this lifestyle, which like everything in life can be an up and down proposition.

Nice pix, Debbie! And congratulations to second son. Lisa, I have a tea tin with this quote (the Sleepytime bears): "Bread and Water can so easily be Tea and Toast." My husband was feeling under-the-weather yesterday so I made him cinnamon toast soldiers. Decided to give one a try (I can't usually tolerate bread but sometimes a little gluten-free works). I was reminiscing about how I would have had a whole pile of little cinnamon toasties in the old days but then when I had my little bite it wasn't even very yummy. Certainly not worth it. Enjoy The Time, I so get it about fearing old patterns and getting freaked out about a gain -- and Lisa, loved your posts about this, too, the old all-or-nothing mindset. On or off a program. I'm very happy not to be on a diet but to have this lifestyle, which like everything in life can be an up and down proposition.

"Bone broth" is just stock in my house ... when I make stock, I cook it for much longer than 3-4 hours: I make it the way my grandmother did, and the way she taught my dad (my mother was a terrible cook). The bones are roasted, then chucked in to brew for at least 24 hours with carrot, onion, maybe some celery, and herbs. My grandmother and father always did theirs on the coal range, so the big old stock pot would just sit at the back of the cook top, simmering away. Sometimes for a couple of days!

It's called stock. Stock is made when you boil bones. broth is made when you boil meat or veggies.

The first day home I tried to get out of bed & found out really quick that I would have to sleep in the recliner so I did that for 2 days , then I thought oh I just want my bed in my room , well even with adjustable bed , you would think I could get up & not feel the little twinge of pain but I did trying to roll over , well I put a bunch of pillows behind me & slowly I could take one away it took about a week before I could sleep with just my 2 pillows & I was a BIG Stomach sleeper before banding ,it's been a LONG time since I have slept that way , I've been banded 3 years almost 4 in September , so you might also try the pillow thing I mentioned just a suggestion it helped me but move VERY SLOW , have a good journey

Congrats on being banded. As with any surgery, you will have pain and/or discomfort where the incision is. I was banded three years ago so it's a bit fuzzy for me, but I don't recall anything out of the ordinary. I know I took less than a week off work and then worked from home for a week at most. After that, I was good to go.

Your right you don't know how much you use those stomach muscles until they hurt! Trust me I have had more than one abdominal surgery I know the feeling!!
The soreness can last for a few weeks, though the first few days are the worst of it. Ice pack on the port will help you out with the pain and it will help to reduce any inflammation of the muscle as it heals.
My port is on my left side and since I am short and short waist it is in the worst possible spot. It hits my desk at work, and my seat belt in the car, after a while you will forget it's there but it takes a bit.
Be gentle with yourself and go slow, your healing from a major surgery give yourself lots of TLC.

Ive been sleeping on my back. You don't realize how many stomach muscles you really use when you get up. I'm going to try the recliner tonight.. Thanks for your help!! How long did the pain last for you? I'm only sore where the port is and when I get up. @@lisacaron

gowalking, I love this type of NSV!
@DjmohrI, I love the fact that your husband James calls you Bartles : )

I just like that my mind is not spinning the stories of " when I get up in a crowd, everyone will look at my size". So I would stay seated.
I don't give those thoughts any attention anymore and it helps my self body image a lot to feel I
am " normal" sized. ... To me.... That's what I like. My head has caught up with my size in the last 9 years and I don't have random moments of poor self esteem that really brought me down.
It's not all rainbows and lollipops, but it sure is a hell of a lot better than before. I am thankful to remember that today.????

I love NSV's like that. I am a silly one too: I regularly take baths and read on my kindle. I rest the kindle on a bathpillow and noticed recently the bottom is always soaking wet where it didn't use to be. I realized it's because my lap is smaller and now below the Water level.

I love these NSVs! Congratulations! It's such a good feeling, isn't it!
We have a tiny garage in a 1 bedroom apt at the moment. When we put our SUV in there, there is about 1 foot of space between the wall and the front of our vehicle.
To get into the passenger side you actually have to walk out of the garage and go around and then you have about 1 foot in to open the door and get in.
My husband usually will back out and then I get in.
A few times I have walked thru that space sideways just to see if I could. This week without even thinking I walked straight through that tiny little space with all my winter gear on, walked around open the door and got in.
When I looked up my husband was staring at me. I said what's up James? He calls me Bartles (like Bartles and James wine coolers). He said "Bartles, I suppose you think you are all that! You are so skinny you think you can fit anywhere"!
I swear this is my new thing, to squeeze through spaces I never could fit before. I am constantly finding things I can do with my new thinner body.

It's been three years so most of the NSVs have already happened but once in a while a new one pops up. Yesterday, I was sitting on the bus in a two seater by the window and had to get off and get past the lady beside me in the aisle seat. She didn't even bother to get up...she just did the body shift and moved her legs out of the way so I could get out. Not only was I able to do it, I was able to slip past her easily. I had the goofiest smile on my face when I got off the bus... This is the kind of thing that tells me I'm normal sized...not the scale.
Second NSV...I was between meetings this morning and didn't want to bother putting the laptop back in the port so I worked at my desk with the laptop on my lap. Yes...my lap is now a flat surface with no stomach in the way. I've worked at home on a laptop for a while but tend to do so with feet up...either on the bed or the coffee table but this was with my feet firmly planted on the floor. I know I couldn't have done that before I lost the weight.
These are good reminders of living life the way it was intended and not with the challenges of all the excess weight I carried.

Congrats Deb! Good looking boy you have there.

Just a little update pic of myself & one with My Second Son who Graduated from College TODAY .

Milk and bread? What? French toast?
Protein Drinks and bars and yogurt and string cheese. coffee and wine no doubt. I could get by for awhile.
Ok, chicken, broccoli and asparagus too!

Funny Lisa! I also never got the milk and bread thing either. I went out and bought staples. coffee, wine, cheese, and ice cream...for the BF. Me...I got farrow, asparagus, chicken, and fruit. Should hold me over OK.

Sometimes it seems like a daily focus for me. I just got a small fill because I need to get back on track, and I am hoping that will help. On the one hand, I do not like to see the scale go up, but on the other hand, I am so much better off today than I was before lap band :-).

OK who is ready...and who is getting some of that dreaded 4 letter word? SNOW??
If I hear one more thing about this impending storm I think I'm going to erupt like a volcano and they won't need to worry about snow!!!
Every news channel, every single person I run into the first thing we hear is all about this snow storm. The media is hyping it up to where I wasn't thinking or caring about it and now i"m wondering do I need to shop and eat like a bear because I am going to be stuck in my house for the winter?!
NO I live in NY!!! We are used to snow here, it will come down we will move it to the side and we will get on with life. I will be expected to work, as will most people.
Now my cousin who lives in VA...they had a 1/4 of an inch yesterday and there was a 3 hour delay in the commute!! Washington DC was a total mess and today...because of this "impending" storm they closed the schools....snow day with no snow? I know I'm living in the wrong state, but I would also be the one stuck on the hwy for 3 hours over that dusting of snow too because to me I wouldn't think anything of it...while everyone else starts freaking out around me.
So do you have your milk and bread? Or rather Protein shakes and bars east coast friends? Always made me wonder why everyone runs out for milk and bread anyway...what ya gonna do with it??

Thanks for sharing!
Seems like many of us veterans are still working hard with our programs... DAILY! And accepting that we may not be a predetermined weight that a dr or ourselves have picked.
I do appreciate how the OP mentioned the beginning of her WLS
I believe we all need to remember where we were when we started and consider how our health has majorly improved....
We just are not perfect. Human beings are perfectly imperfect (ok ...quoting my therapist)
Gotta say... I am happier and way healthier than years ago...
I remain thankful for WLS ... Truly changed my life.

@@gowalking @@JustWatchMe
I wish I could reach through this computer screen and hug you ladies!!!!
We're showing up and showing who's boss. I am back on track but like you said it's taking a lot longer, more determination and commitment then it did the first time to lose these same lbs. It's all just a mind thing once I get my mind on board and take away the worry and just focus on what needs to be done I'm fine and that's why this group is so valuable, it helps you to stay grounded. Patience is the name of the game and that was just NOT something I was blessed with, I'm trying to learn though:-)
Thanks ladies so much!!!!

It's not ridiculous at all. We see what we think are old patterns returning and we rightfully get scared. I stopped losing after dropping 100 + pounds with fifty to go. Started getting really lax with my food and drink and ten came back. It's been hard hard work to drop 7 of those but I'm finally back in Onederland. The band/sleeve/bypass can only do so much. I'm motivated and committed today and grateful for the chance to resume my efforts after only ten pounds and not 120. Hang in there and stay connected here. For me it keeps my goals in front of me.

Your post makes perfect sense @enjoythetime. It's not the 9 lbs. It's the feeling of loss of control. I was 112 at one point but fine with 115-120 in maintenance. Today the scale said 126.4 Time for another fill.

I haven't posted or been on the site in a while, I hope everyone is doing well!!!!
Ok, so straight off I'm going to say this is a selfish post, a pep-talk out loud for ME. In doing so, I'm not looking for sprinkle and rainbow compliments I'm doing this as a way for me to get back on track, you know it becomes real when you put it out there:-)
Most of you know my story but for those that don't I've been banded for 2 years and 8 months. I started this journey weighing 289lbs. Within 16 months I had lost 159lbs., surpassing my goal by 20lbs. I went from a size 22 in pants to a size 2/3 and size 3XL shirts to size small. My life is dramatically different then it was 3 years ago in every aspect.
When my weight hit 130lbs. I told myself I needed to identify a range to stay within and when I hit the max of that range it was time to get serious and get back on track, I decided 135lbs. was that max # for me. Last year about this time I started stressing because my weight began flexing 3-5lbs., which was within the range I set for myself but once I was there I freaked out, I didn't like it. I would hit the max, go back to basics the scale would go down, then I would get excited and say well now I can have this, this and this and not go over my max, the problem was when I would go down it was 2-3 lbs., never back to that 130 mark, I hovered in the middle, over the course of 4 months I gave up, I started excepting the fact that 130 was history and 134 was my new norm and that it was ok, deal with it, be happy with it, telling myself 3 years ago you would have been thrilled to be at 134, what's your problem. I finally convinced myself and a new weight range was set and my new max # became137. I stayed within this range for 8 months, doing the same thing as before up and down, treat, basics etc. Then a month ago it was vacation time, followed the next week by Christmas and then New Years and today I'm now flexing 7-9lbs. and guess what, I'M FREAKED THE HELL OUT!!!! My worry isn't about the 9lbs, it's about losing control and this developing into something more and ending up where I started at 289lbs, miserable, letting myself and those who believe in me down. I've turned this into a pattern of excuses, passes and acceptance until I keep lowering my standards to except where I am because it's easier because if I don't accept it I have to face the fact I may never be 130 again followed by the justification of remember 3 years you were XXX well if I keep going I will be XXX and I CAN NOT LET that happen!
I'm now setting here with tears in my eyes thinking how ridiculous this all is. I know the band works and I know how to work the band. I know what I want but I'm not pushing myself to get there.
I'm done feeling sorry for myself!!!! I've worked entirely too hard to look back now. I know I have what it takes to stay focused to make the right choices to get my ass up and start exercising (which I will confess I haven't done at all during this journey), drink 80oz of Water, Protein first, veggies, then a carb if I have room, to STOP eating when I'm satisfied instead of caving into that craving when I'm not really hungry. I know I have what it takes because I have the band and the stubbornness to back it up:-)
I feel like some reading this will be like is this girl for real, she wrote an entire book over 9lbs. but it TRULY isn't about that, I know that if I work the band the band will work for me I just have to start believing in myself, believe I have it in me and that if I want those lbs. gone then I don't have to settle for less because I'm "stuck" but to keep pushing and not let food or weight or worry stop me.
Thank you all for listening!