Bandista

Hi there Band Friends,
Just catching up here and sending very best wishes to all. I struggle between not knowing whether being on the forum makes me feel more or less connected. That's just me, I think -- first time as part of an on-line group and probably not really a group person to begin with, but here I am wondering how people are doing and wishing for more of a community. I get invested but never quite know if that really flows in both directions.
My weight is up a bit as well. I wanted to lose 15 over the winter/spring and ended up gaining 12 instead -- so that's 25+ altogether. The last chunk (if it is the last -- who knows where I "should" be but I figure I will know when I get there) feels like unfinished business, a project that needs to be completed. On that note I started the Whole30 program on September 1st. I really did this to support a cousin and her sister who are trying to eliminate sugar and then my husband and two friends jumped on the bandwagon. It's not really a diet (which is good because I am NOT going back there) but an elimination plan. The idea is to restrict foods to determine triggers for various issues. No grains of any kind for 30 days, no dairy, legumes or sugars of any kind. Let's just say the wine and cheese party is over. I am also forgoing my arthritis medication in the name of cleaning out my liver from all those toxins -- hoping to find a food trigger for inflammation (which may be corn), but also dropping some pounds and getting on a new bandwagon for myself for the fall. The Whole30 is all about Protein, Protein, Protein so it is a good fit for what I need to be doing anyway. Of course I don't want to put anything on the regular forum because I don't believe "dieting" is a good mentality for most, at least not for me. But I'm not doing the on/off thing, just a real focus on exactly what I'm eating and when and then only choosing from protein and veggies. It's a great exercise for me to re-tune into my body and its nutritional needs.
Speaking of exercise, that part of my life has been excellent these last months of beautiful weather and walks around a local lake that I love. We've had a lot of family stuff going on with elders passing and people coming together. My own parents are still living but the elder care is a lot just now. I am privileged to be able to do it but it can be exhausting. On the other end of the spectrum our son is back to college the last couple of weeks and settling back into his routine. He is also a major protein guy and in need of extra right now, so there's a lot of great food available. Fortunately I love to cook, especially in volume, so no one is suffering in the Whole30 camp, that's for sure.
I would like to do a five-day "pouch test" (still can't really understand this term -- probably "pouch rest" is more like it) just as maintenance for my band and am thinking about the best way to go about that. Rather than juicing as I've done in the past, I think I will go with Protein shakes as I feel like I need to be a little careful of over-sugaring, which can happen easily on a juice fast. fruit is great but sugar is sugar.
I've had some professional setbacks and accompanying financial panic, but as long as I stay in the day-to-day then all is well. The whole "one door closes and another opens" is something I think about a lot these days -- the need for allowing space for the next thing to arrive. A serious ongoing sexual harassment dilemma resulted in my having to find a therapist to deal with the ramifications of that and how best to deal with necessary confrontation. That took a lot out of me but ultimately was important for my self-esteem. Knowing there were other women going through the same thing with the same guy helped me find my voice for that. I'm a consultant so it was a complicated scenario (no real workplace and no HR) but I feel proud of resolving the issue.
Here's to September and a beautiful autumn ahead! I love this time of year. Sending best wishes to all.

Hi there Band Friends,
Just catching up here and sending very best wishes to all. I struggle between not knowing whether being on the forum makes me feel more or less connected. That's just me, I think -- first time as part of an on-line group and probably not really a group person to begin with, but here I am wondering how people are doing and wishing for more of a community. I get invested but never quite know if that really flows in both directions.
My weight is up a bit as well. I wanted to lose 15 over the winter/spring and ended up gaining 12 instead -- so that's 25+ altogether. The last chunk (if it is the last -- who knows where I "should" be but I figure I will know when I get there) feels like unfinished business, a project that needs to be completed. On that note I started the Whole30 program on September 1st. I really did this to support a cousin and her sister who are trying to eliminate sugar and then my husband and two friends jumped on the bandwagon. It's not really a diet (which is good because I am NOT going back there) but an elimination plan. The idea is to restrict foods to determine triggers for various issues. No grains of any kind for 30 days, no dairy, legumes or sugars of any kind. Let's just say the wine and cheese party is over. I am also forgoing my arthritis medication in the name of cleaning out my liver from all those toxins -- hoping to find a food trigger for inflammation (which may be corn), but also dropping some pounds and getting on a new bandwagon for myself for the fall. The Whole30 is all about Protein, Protein, Protein so it is a good fit for what I need to be doing anyway. Of course I don't want to put anything on the regular forum because I don't believe "dieting" is a good mentality for most, at least not for me. But I'm not doing the on/off thing, just a real focus on exactly what I'm eating and when and then only choosing from protein and veggies. It's a great exercise for me to re-tune into my body and its nutritional needs.
Speaking of exercise, that part of my life has been excellent these last months of beautiful weather and walks around a local lake that I love. We've had a lot of family stuff going on with elders passing and people coming together. My own parents are still living but the elder care is a lot just now. I am privileged to be able to do it but it can be exhausting. On the other end of the spectrum our son is back to college the last couple of weeks and settling back into his routine. He is also a major protein guy and in need of extra right now, so there's a lot of great food available. Fortunately I love to cook, especially in volume, so no one is suffering in the Whole30 camp, that's for sure.
I would like to do a five-day "pouch test" (still can't really understand this term -- probably "pouch rest" is more like it) just as maintenance for my band and am thinking about the best way to go about that. Rather than juicing as I've done in the past, I think I will go with Protein shakes as I feel like I need to be a little careful of over-sugaring, which can happen easily on a juice fast. fruit is great but sugar is sugar.
I've had some professional setbacks and accompanying financial panic, but as long as I stay in the day-to-day then all is well. The whole "one door closes and another opens" is something I think about a lot these days -- the need for allowing space for the next thing to arrive. A serious ongoing sexual harassment dilemma resulted in my having to find a therapist to deal with the ramifications of that and how best to deal with necessary confrontation. That took a lot out of me but ultimately was important for my self-esteem. Knowing there were other women going through the same thing with the same guy helped me find my voice for that. I'm a consultant so it was a complicated scenario (no real workplace and no HR) but I feel proud of resolving the issue.
Here's to September and a beautiful autumn ahead! I love this time of year. Sending best wishes to all.

Hi there,
I'm so excited for you to have insurance and to be able to get the fills you may need to get you there -- it's going to be night and day. And you did a great job basically on your own. Critical to have those doctor's visits and periodic check-ins to assess for whether you need a fill. You're going to love having a partner in this process.
Foods that work for me are ones that I can thoroughly chew. I think it's important to figure out what your sliders are (things that just go right through). Check out the links in my signature below about how the band works -- satiety is all about the chewing! So chew, chew, chew (which you'll really need to do as you have restriction in your band) and learn to listen for the signals that you are full.
Chili for me is a great food and I make it regularly (family and company love it, too). Any ground meat for me needs to be cooked down (I cook it in stock for a long time to get the right texture). For steak I have to have something in the tenderloin realm. I prefer chicken thighs for the falling-apart quality. I love eggs and thought I might have scrambled eggs all the time but it turns out what works best for me is a fried egg, go figure! Makes no sense to me. Basically, we have to experiment to find what our bodies like best.
Good luck with all -- you are off to a great start!

Pyrex makes some great glass containers in rectangular shapes that fit really well in the fridge. We have lots of the small ones -- a great size for prepping veggies for cooking and for storing leftovers or just for eating right out of the container. The larger loaf-shaped ones are also great -- hold a lot and stack well. I prefer glass because of plastic out-gassing, etc. For freezing we use mason jars.

My Dr. has large posters in his exam room, and every visit he would ask me to point to where I felt I was on the chart.
He made doubt that his goal was to get me to the Green Zone
Green Zone :
1) Not Hungry....simple. Does not say between meals, or sometimes not hungry, but "Not Hungry"
2) Good weight Loss....are you losing???
3) Portion Control.....in my experience, this means the band restricts how much I can eat at any one sitting. Find it impossible to over eat.
4) Patient satisfaction....if your hunger is diminished, portions are kept to a minimum, and you are losing weight, how can you not be satisfied???
And I read here everyday people who are NOT satisfied.
I have happily been in the Green Zone for 5 years now...lost all my weight and excess body fat a year into it, and have been there ever since.

Congrats for deciding this path. I'm still new to this my op was only 2 1/2 months ago but my advice is follow the doctors advise in regards to after op foods, you will get pretty hungry when in the liquid diet but just remember why you are doing it and think of the big picture. For me it was a mental thing and once I got my head around the fact I couldn't eat it wasn't thy hard. Good luck with everything

Hi all I'm new here
Going for surgery soon but I'm nervous
Any advice thank you
Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I have been struggling with this as well. After my second fill, I thought I was in a good spot. I was feeling like you are and losing at a good rate. However, I got greedy and decided to get another small fill just to see how much of a difference it would make. Thinking I would lose a little more a little faster. I was completely miserable after that next fill! I had heartburn pain and got stuck after eating almost everything. I decided to have that fill removed, because I just couldn't live like that.
Unfortunately, I didn't go back to exactly how I was feeling before. I'm a little looser than I was before that "green zone" fill.
UGH! Now, I'm just hoping to get back to the spot I want to be.
I say if you are at a restriction level that you are comfortable with and are losing at a good rate, just stay there. Keep at that level until something changes.

Hi I have a question about how you know if your In The green zone. I was banded 14/6 and have had 2 fills so still quite new to all this. After my last fill I haven't really been hungry at all but my stomach rumbles when it's empty but I still don't really feel hungry but I have to eat or it starts hurting. Not sure what I have lost since last fill as I weigh myself only at the doctors (I go back in 10 days) but was wondering if this is the green zone??? And does everyone feel like this?
Thanks

4 years out and I occasionally have to make that bathroom run. Sometimes, if it's available right away, hot coffee will help to get things unstuck. Sometimes it is sitting up ramrod straight and putting my arms over my head. I have also noticed that if I am at all constipated, I have more difficulty getting the food to go down. You'd think after 4 years I'd be past this, but every once in a while......
Sent from my iPad using the BariatricPal App

After cursing out everyone in the house the first week of the liquid preop. Then saying screw this and eating those delicious white chocolate macadamia nut Cookies from the mall 3 days before surgery. To spending the day before surgery crying because of a broken heart. And being emotionally numb from it til I woke up in the recovery room today. I must say it worked out fine. My surgery was flawless.
Now I am about to sleep my first night banded. The incision pain is about a 3. Just enough of a reminder to take it easy when moving around. I am starving though. But I am on clears so I am allowing myself to nibble Jello and sip clear beverages unchecked. Tomorrow I am gonna get some clear beverages with Protein in them to edge off the hunger.
It's only day 1 and I'm sure the drugs just havent worn off yet, but you know what.... I feel good.

Sweetie...here's what I did to lose the weight. I kept track of every single thing that went in my mouth via the myfitnesspal app...and I followed a basic WW type of plan...3 oz Protein, 1/2 cup veggies, 1/4 cup carbs. That and some exercise...not tons, but enough to keep me moving. Hope that helps some.

Lots of different healthy Soups (American Heart Association stamp), lean meats, fruits and vegetables. About the only thing I could not eat from the beginning was bread, starchy things. Fibrous fruits are a little difficult like pineapple. Other than that, just kept your whole meal about 1/2- 1 cup total.

Hello there! I'll try not to make this too long! I was banded on 12/2013. My pre op weight was 280.. Dropped to 260 on pre op diet and all was great.. Until I lost my job and couldn't afford but 2 fills. I was only able to get up to 7 cc and never felt much restriction.
Fast forward to 2016 I haven't had a fill in 2 years and since I'm the worst I would drink when I ate and eat bad. Until fall 2015 I started working out hard and eating very little helping me go from 270lbs down to 240 which I am currently at.
This Wednesday I have my very first appt with my surgeon because I have insurance now.
I am hoping to kind of start over and retrain myself and use what I spent 10,000 on!
I am asking for shopping lists, lists of food to eat and to avoid and do y'all eat 6 small meals? Also mea prepping... I am used to it do you guys do it?
And nutritional advice and work out advice pleeeeeaaase!!! Thank you!
Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

"There is a difference between interest and COMMITMENT. When you're interested in doing something you do it only when circumstance permits. When your committed to something you ACCEPT NO EXCUSES, ONLY RESULTS."

Good Morning all!
My Bariatric surgical group has joined the challenge, and asked for all of us to join in! So here I am making the commitment! Not just to raise awareness for Obesity and all the challenges related to it, but to make a commitment to myself.
As you know, (if you have been following the thread) I have had my share of personal challenges this year, with health and family alike.
These things can leave you feeling devastated, exhausted, frustrated and depressed. Today I'm feeling like I am just about at ground zero. Starting again, waking myself up and dusting myself off. Ground zero is not such a bad place to be. It's like Spring time, where the ground is still cold and a bit hard but you can feel just those tiny bits of soil giving way to the pressure you exert as you stretch and strive to break ground and angle toward the sunshine.
It's a chance at new beginning, a re-invention, a re-birth if you will. I've had my time in my chrysalis and I'm ready to start stretching out and breaking free, and I'm going to start with this challenge.

If you would like to join, it's a National Step Challenge to raise awareness about Obesity, and if you would like to support me directly, please click on the link below!!
http://fundraise.asmbsfoundation.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.participant&participantID=18548&cmr=A38544543A16&language=en

My office charges 250.00 if you don't have insurance. Way more with insurance. Go figure. Anyway, my fills were small and steady. I've been at the same level now for a year and it's my "green". Here is my fill history:
Fills
08/06/2015 0.10 eighth fill 07.90
03/31/2015 0.10 seventh fill 07.80
02/17/2015 0.10 sixth fill 07.70
12/02/2014 0.10 fifth fill 07.60
09/02/2014 0.25 fourth fill 07.50
0.25 third fill 07.25
2.50 second fill 07.00
4.50 first fill 04.50
JustWatchMe

No court tomorrow. October it is. On a happier note, I saw my LapBand nurse Tuesday and my band is just fine. I'm 25 pounds lighter than when I last went there last year. Living well is the best revenge.
JustWatchMe

It has been quite awhile since I have checked in with the group and I thought I would give you an update. On September 7 it will be 9 years since getting the Band.
My wife has been having trouble with her band for the last few years and will be having it removed and going to a sleeve sometime with in the next 6 weeks.
My band is doing fine I have gained about 15 lbs in the last 3 months and had stop exercising so no wonder I have gained weight. Iwent back to my second Lapband doctor since the one I liked went back to teaching at the university level.
He took a look at my band using some kind of X-ray machine and I was able to see how my pouch was extended and he gave me .25 cc's of Fluid.
I have been traveling a lot so I am pretty tire but need to get back to looking at this board because it seems I gain weight if I stay away.

He sounds vindictive. Glad you are away from his toxic control.
Deep breaths... Things will work out....eventually... Not good karma to keep stalling. Judges take note of that, I'm hoping.
Thinking of you[emoji93]. Hope you move on to the next chapter soon. And close that book...
Except for the girls... As hard as it is. Take the high road...it is much more becoming and in the end, more satisfying ( ok. Harder too)

@@JustWatchMe I have to say that your divorce has been one of the longest I have ever seen! What state do you live in again? My goodness there should be NO fault divorces Nation wide just to avoid the stress and strain! This should be deemed a health hazard! I am stressed out for you! I hope he signs these papers and falls off the planet so you never have to think about it again.
I can't believe that we are winding down on summer. I'm sad...it's gone too fast and I missed most of it. I love fall though and I am really looking forward to some pumpkin spice and everything nice for the rest of this year!! PLEEEEASE!!

So hoping for an end to this. Of course you're dealing with a form of depression. How can you not? I can only presume how tiring this has all been. Thinking of you for sure.

Well, those of you who know the sh!tshow that has been my divorce, please send up a prayer for me this week. Waiting for Mr. Wonderful to decide if he will settle this week. If he doesn't, we won't finalize until October. I'm exhausted and broke. This has been by far the most emotionally painful experience of my life. Thank God my girls are doing well and have good support systems. My therapist told me this week I have low grade depression. YA THINK? Seriously though, I was a little dismayed to hear her say that. I've been going to tons of 12-step meetings, increased my therapy appointments to weekly, and have been eating cleanly and haven't had alcohol or any chemical in my body since last year. I guess I'm just flat worn out. And sad about my firstborn moving to Georgia. And broke. Did I mention broke? Life in limbo for over 2 years has finally taken its toll. Well, it can't last forever.
Anyway, if his lawyer knocks some sense into his head, my lawyer says we could finalize on 9/1. Everybody wants this over with except the wasband.
It's been such a rollercoaster that I'm not even getting my hopes up anymore.
JustWatchMe

so good to see some of you are back. I haven't been too active lately either. Had things going on that kept me from being very motivated getting ready to go on vacation soon, going to a dude ranch in Canada, stopping in Montana, touring Glacier National Park and then to the ranch for a week or riding and rafting and eating good food. I have added a few lbs also just purely didn't care. had so much depression and sadness to deal with, but I know I have to take care of myself too.
Hope you all get back on track and will hope we all have good things happen the rest of the year.

I am fighting the gain train also. Need to lose 7 lbs to be where I like my body more and feel healthiest.
Apple season here. The apple crisp was deadly. No more! I'll make something I don't care for.... Lemon something!!

I've had the occasional bubbles but have kept it to a minimum. So far, no issues but like I said...it's a rarity. No more seltzer for you!
By the way...my weight is definitely creeping up. I resolve every morning to keep to my food plan but I tend to derail too often. It's not a horrible gain, but since the cruise in June, I've gained about four more pounds...and since I want to be at or around 125, I need to lose about eight pounds to get there. I'm finding it difficult...but I'm trying.
Hope all is well with everyone. I miss some of the folks who are gone from this thread... but I'm glad for those who are still here.