NewMeDebbie

I have had many fills, PuraVida37 is correct. You can always eat more. The band is there to help you learn you can be satisfied eating less. It is to help teach you to only eat a small portion and be done for 4 hours. Listen to your body and not your emotions... I am still struggling with this 10 months after surgery so just hang in there...it is a learning process. But your band is fine, it could take multiple fills before you hit green but I understand it takes quite a lot to get your band to slip or expand as long as you are following the rules. good luck with your journey!

30 lbs during pregnancy is nothing. You can drop that weight. Congrats on the new baby.... It is very hard to stay focused, I am in the same boat. I am thinking of removing all sugar\starches from my diet for 2 weeks and focusing on whole foods. I understand that processed foods and eating out at all can really derail your weight loss. Also, sugar is addicting, the more you eat, the more you want to eat. So I started today, no sugar for 2 weeks and I will focus on whole foods like Protein, healthy fat, and veggies staying away from processed dairy. It really does come down to what we put in our mouth... Good luck with your journey!

Thank you for the good will. We are hoping all will go fine but I will give you an update once the surgery is over and things get back to normal.

support would be awesome! I wish a new more people in my area that I could hang with and learn from... Here is my newest blog about my own struggles... http://www.debbiedanthony.com/cake-walk-no-way/ comments welcome both here and on the blog itself. Thanks

WOW! that's an amazing accomplishment with the band only! You go girl! Unfortunately, I didn't \ don't have as much to lose so I understand it doesn't come off as easy the lower your weight gets. What are you doing that works so well?

I am seriously wishing I could get the sleeve but I am a self-pay because my insurance does not cover weight loss surgery so I don't think it will ever happen for me. AND, I am still paying for something that doesn't work. I have to hope that the day comes that I find a way to make this work... I am glad you finally found success!!

I use myfitnesspal.com but my life gets very busy and I find having to think about and document what I eat all day every day gets to be too much. I find I am focusing too much of my time on food. So now I just focus on eating the 3 meals a day and only eating until satisfied. If I can stop snacking between when I know I'm not really hungry, I would be fine. lol that's my big struggle.

without having to re-write my thoughts on my stall, please read my new post and give me your thoughts.... http://www.debbiedanthony.com/cake-walk-no-way/

Well, I'm not doing very well. I am stuck in the same place and it just seems I will never really lose because I don't exercise I guess like a should. It's over 100 degrees here every day right now and it just takes it out of you... Plus my new husband has thyroid cancer or at least 3 large tumors on his thyroid and we have been dealing with that for the past couple months. He is having surgery on Aug 11th. I wrote a blog about my current views on the lap band. Anyone want to weigh in?? http://www.debbiedanthony.com/cake-walk-no-way/

first of all...i have hypothyroidism and when I was first diagnosed, I went out and bought a book on it so I could understand what it was and choose the best options for me. your thyroid controls ALL your hormones in your body and if it doesn't work correctly, it can throw your whole system out of wack! Mine wasn't working at all, I measured at an 8 which meant I could literally go into a coma from this. I take a small synthetic thyroid pill once daily, they are not expensive. I think you can get them at walmart for $4 a month. BUT, what a difference it made in my life! I have more energy, no more depression-like symptoms, and just an all-around better feeling. My weight is still coming off slowly but it is coming off. It still comes down to calories in calories out. secondly, Protein. We all know it is important. It is hard for me to get enough also just because meats are hard for me to take in. My band is pretty full and meat gets stuck easy so I really have to eat soft things. You can still get protein in nuts and fish and Protein shakes and bars. Also, try searching the web and looking for other means of getting protein.... and lastly, and process like this is hard and stressful but not having your partner support you in this makes it that much more difficult. You need to try to find a way to focus this journey on you and not on what hubby will allow. I realize that could be difficult but if you can't fight for yourself in this, no one else will. Sorry for being brutally honest, but my husband supports me (or tries to ) and still wants to go out to eat at fast food places and buy sweets to bring home. chocolate is the devil to me and is keeping me from losing so having it in the house is bad. I have no will power. I had to tell him if he wants to buy this stuff, he has to put it in his office so I don't see it. He still won't give up the fast food so I am learning what healthy options are at each of the places he likes to eat... But you really need support. Remember we are here for you

went in for a fill today. received another .5cc That makes 10.5 so far and I had almost NO restriction before this fill. However, I did lose 10 lbs since last appointment so I'm ok. Now for the 24 hours of soupy stuff...lol

Ojunkie....I certainly agree with you...chocolate is my crack cocaine! I can go a couple weeks without any but then it seems once the idea is in my head that I want it, I can't get it out until I have something. Then that something leads to something else, and so on and so forth. I seem to have no will power. So I just have to say NO at least until I reach my goal. Then I'm thinking once in a while will be do-able as long as I can maintain my weight... Just need to get there first!

I too sometimes wish I would have gotten the sleeve because the quantity is no longer my problem. It seems sweets are the real devil in my life. I know with the other surgeries, it makes you sick when you eat stuff with too much sugar. Maybe I actually need that...but I am a self-pay so The cost was out of my budget. I just have to keep trying the best I can to stay away from things that hinder my success. I keep telling myself it's not forever...just until I've lost the weight...then I can enjoy that chocolate like every other regular sized person

I live in Henderson also. I am 8 months out with the lap band. I was thinking if we started a chapter here maybe we could host meetings at our houses?? just a thought...

who did you go thru for your surgery? do u attend any support groups now? just trying to get an idea of location for meetings and if I would be interested in leading...

Sweet tea...mmmm.....I'm a southerner originally so YES! I love it!! but I have found diet snapple which has helped. I even have a keurig in my office here at work and a box of kcups of diet snapple for it. I have went back to a cup of coffee in the morning which helps curb my appetite and gives me the extra energy I need for my job. the only thing that really works for me to lose any real weight is to only eat meat, veggies, and fruit. Nothing else, and I mean NOTHING else. No carbs, no fat, no sugar. If i stick to this, I see real weight loss but I can't really stick to it but a week or two then i go off for a few days. Then back on again. I no it is a yoyo but I figure if i do it more days than not then eventually it will all come off. It seems to work for me so far.... Last night discovered Panda Express has a new chicken and kale that only has 250 calories. It wasn't bad.

I was going thru the same thing until I lost this last 9 lbs. now I have no restriction so i guess its time for a fill for me... we knew this wouldn't be an easy journey but WOW! each pound seems like a hard won victory...lol

I'm with you both!! 199 sure sounds good to me! Although 191 officially gets me out of the "Obese" category

sometimes the sudden weight jumps are from salt intake...I had one of those after memorial weekend because of eating a few salty items and drinking alcohol. it comes back off though... you and I are the same now...

If you need incentive, remember we were banded the same month, you weighed 50lbs more than I did starting out, and now you weigh 7 lbs less than me!! Great job!! Never forget how far you have come. You got this!

i've updated my goal from 155 to 160. That will get my bmi to healthy

yes, i live outside vegas so it is now it the triple digits...no more walking during the day so working out has been harder. I do have a pool in my backyard so i started doing some water aerobics routines i found on-line. I do them for 30 minutes every evening when I get home. Well...most evenings...lol weekends in the pool are always fun though...lots of play time with the grandkids! It's very easy to slip back into those easier routines especially when you get tired of struggling to eat healthy stuff. It gets frustrating. I'm finding if I saute my meat in bragg's amino acids and broth just until done, they are going down much better. I haven't had a stuck episode in weeks. It helps keep me from going back to the slider foods that don't keep me full. glad to hear you are back on track. Keep up the good work!!!

How is the group? I myself seem to be doing better now that I jumped through that tough plateau I was on for months. the weight is coming off little by little just had to go back to basics... Miss hearing from all of you...and keep wondering how each of you are doing on this crazy journey

just hang in there. I'm sure we still have to do our part. Gaining back 22 lbs has to mean that you are eating more and not exercising as much. Calories in = calories out. My band is at almost 10cc and I still eat empty calories that I shouldn't. Having a full band doesn't mean we still don't make bad choices. Imckelvy = it sounds like you were on the right path, maybe a fill and a re-focus on your goals will get you back on track?? good luck with your journey!

PuraVida - you are doing amazing!! Keep it up!! I finally started losing with my last fill. I actually pushed out the fill checkup I had scheduled for tomorrow because things seem to finally be going better. Check out my latest photo taken a week ago...