NewMeDebbie

Hi folks, I got banded in Feb 2008. I lost 30 pound by Sept. However I have found it very hard to keep it off and have put on two thirds of it. I too wonder if I don't want it badly enough, but I know that if I get any heavier I will hate myself and my life. So I think those of us in this position need to look back at why we got it done in the first place and how we felt back then. Hopefully reminding ourselves of that may motivate continual effort. Never give up. Good luck

I have not lost any weight in over a year I am very active, I go to the gym or on a hour long hike at least 4 days a week. I do not eat bread, Pasta, rice or steak. I almost never have soda. I lost 40-50 pounds in the first 6 months and that has been it. I have my regrets is having the lapband and not the sleeve every day, but my husband was very against the more aggressive procedure. I truly do not know what else to do, as I still have 60 - 80 pounds to lose to be a 'healthy' weight. I have missed the support of this group, as I got a new phone and lost the app.

Today is my 1 year bandiversary...And I am no where close to where I would like to be...
My blog for today: http://www.debbiedanthony.com/1-year-banniversary/
Help me guys, not sure if I will ever truly get this...

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!!

Anyone who thought getting the lap band would make it easier to lose weight finding it isn't as easy as you thought? I have written down my thoughts on this after 8 months out from lap band. I weighed 254 before surgery and now weigh 227. That's only 27 lbs in 8 months...
here's my thoughts....
http://www.debbiedanthony.com/cake-walk-no-way/
Anyone want to weigh in??

Hi there! I'm new to this site, but my 3 year Bandiversary is February 28, 2015.
After my first year, I was doing very well. The 3 year goal my surgeon set was 180 pounds. After year 1, I was at 172! Imagine the excitement! I felt amazing, I was getting compliments from friends, family, strangers!!
However, my husband of 15 years wasn't taking to all the compliments, or the looks from others so well. We ended up seperating for close to a year. It was the most awful year of my life! I ended up giving back everything I put in my mouth, and having the band emptied until the stress level went down a bit. We have 3 daughters, we own a house, and we live 3000 miles away from my family. His family is here...not helpful!! He was giving me support money to help support the kids and I was still working 4 jobs (1 full time, 3 part time) to try and keeps he girls lives somewhat normal. There was nothing normal about that year! My weight....195 after that year! Disappointed to say the least!
My husband and I are now back together after that rough year. I had my band refilled. My last fill was several months ago. Here goes my excuses!! It's cold out there!! I'm not snacking, I eat a lot of Protein and I am careful to make healthy meals. However, I'm getting in NO exercise! I absolutely HATE the cold! I even have a gym membership, but I don't want to go outside to get there (I have Rheumatory and Psariatic Arthritis that I was just diagnosed with and I'm not yet in treatment). Cold=Pain. I thought perhaps it was all in my head, but I just got back from Arizona where I had hardly any pain at all. While I was there for 4 weeks, I lost 5 pounds. I'm now at 190. I took my daughter out to the parks and lakes and walked everyday. Not to get the exercise, but just to get out and enjoy being outside. I've been home for a week...and nothing! I know it's the exercising that I need to add in to get to my goal of 150...
So, NewMeDebbie...I'll make you a deal. You stop snacking and I'll venture out into the cold to get to the gym...DEAL?? I need to get to 180 soon!!

puravida37...Congratulations!!! I'm so excited for you! I was just told on christmas day that my oldest son and his wife are expecting again so now both my older children will be giving me new grandbabies in 2015. I have a granddaughter coming in april and now a new little one coming in august.
Sending lots of good wishes your way!!

Nice to hear from you all!
Since last year this time I've only lost about 20 lbs, and the summer/fall was particularly bad. However, I made some awesome exercise changes and ran several 5Ks. Running was something I would have never done in my "previous life".
The week after Thanksgiving I found out I am pregnant! A complete surprise, as I've never been able to conceive without medical help in the past. I have had several losses (at my old weight), and I'm 40, so I'm not sure what will happen, but I'm celebrating every moment I have with this baby, and tomorrow I will surprise my daughter with the news. She's gonna be over the moon! So far, I've been eating terribly for a lap bander (normal for a normal person---and I've discovered I can eat a whole bagel, which has got to be the worst thing!!) and the doctor unfilled me completely yesterday (I only had 2ccs in a 10cc band anyway). I met with the nutritionist and she gave me some good things to think about and ideas for lunches and how to handle cravings.
May the new year bring a new motivation and some happiness to you all!!

I remember being worried about whether I'd be able to eat out after getting a Lapband. Not only is it easy, but I'm now an incredibly cheap date. Today my husband and I went to an Asian place, which for me is one of the more challenging venues. These days I don't eat rice, and I am picky about MSG and that sort of thing. So no sushi for me (not a huge loss -- if I really wanted it I'd have sashimi, which for me is really an excuse for Wasabi), and no Chinese dishes with pre-made sauces. They just hold no appeal for me now. I've discovered the best thing for me in an Asian restaurant is a Bento Box. I order the salmon, which I love, and I ask for it with no sauce. So it's a lovely piece of salmon in the perfect small portion size. Also in the box is rice, veggies, a few shu-mai dumplings and some sushi -- all that goes to my dining partner or comes home in a take-out box. I have my Miso Soup and then pick at the salmon with chopsticks. Chopsticks are a wonderful tool for slowing down. I tend to put them up to my lips empty between bites as part of my training to not be a shoveler. I had no idea how fast I was eating until I had to learn not to do that anymore. While packing up the left-overs I am absolutely amazed that I have found satiety (or it has found me) after so little food. But there it is -- good clean Protein and that was completely satisfying. Also I notice that now when I eat I am so entirely present. We sat outside today -- a crisp New England day and we were bundled up in fuzzy jackets. We know it won't be long before the jig is up on all things outdoors so we're taking advantage of every moment we can sit in the sun. It was such a pleasure to just look around and be. I think before I was always thinking about the food. There's so much more to dining now. I love noticing everything around me -- and noticing what a delicate eater I am now and how good that feels. Happy Tuesday every one!

I wish i had found this yesterday! I blogged about my 3rd fill last night after my dr. appointment here:
http://www.debbieposton.com/3rd-fill-in-my-lap-band/
but it would have been nice knowing how it all worked before going in...I was really stressing over the fact that I was having no restriction. I have been on liquids for 24 hrs so not sure if this new fill will help but I am hopeful!
Let me know what you think of my post if you get time to read it...

Today is my 1 year bandiversary...And I am no where close to where I would like to be...
My blog for today: http://www.debbiedanthony.com/1-year-banniversary/
Help me guys, not sure if I will ever truly get this...

Hi everyone!! Gosh I miss all of you! PuraVida37, I am sooo proud of all you have accomplished!! I wish I could say the same but living in the desert has been tough over the last few months. It's just too hot to do much and I quit exercising so my weight is staying the same. I am maintaining though and now that my husband is all better from his surgery, we are starting to get back out there some so I hope it won't be long before I get back into the swing of things. I have only lost 30 lbs for the year and I too am like arch002, I wish I would have gotten the sleeve. The people in my support group with the sleeve just are having more success. The band still puts so much on us to do the work and I am not good with the discipline of it all...
Wish me luck!! The 27th starts the beginning of my 2nd year, I am hoping for 50 more lbs this year....

Hi everyone!! Gosh I miss all of you! PuraVida37, I am sooo proud of all you have accomplished!! I wish I could say the same but living in the desert has been tough over the last few months. It's just too hot to do much and I quit exercising so my weight is staying the same. I am maintaining though and now that my husband is all better from his surgery, we are starting to get back out there some so I hope it won't be long before I get back into the swing of things. I have only lost 30 lbs for the year and I too am like arch002, I wish I would have gotten the sleeve. The people in my support group with the sleeve just are having more success. The band still puts so much on us to do the work and I am not good with the discipline of it all...
Wish me luck!! The 27th starts the beginning of my 2nd year, I am hoping for 50 more lbs this year....

@arch002 Just keep to it!! From about March to July I didn't really lose much, but now it's coming off again. Yours will too!

PuraVida37 - congratulations on all of your accomplishments you have a lot to be proud of!!!
I wish I could say the same, I have really struggled the last 6 months, sometimes think I made the wrong choice to not have the sleeve. No where near where I wanted to be, but I have lost and not gained it back, just need to find a way off the plateau. I miss this group tons!!!

@@NewMeDebbie @@intelirish @@5.0junkie @@arch002 @@princesstuiaki @@chasingadream @@Amy Carter @@GeorgiaRN @@jamilyne 102668
and anyone I may have missed. Hi guys!! We are approaching our "Surgiversary" soon!! How are we doing?!!!
I am at or *so close* to many goals!! My primary goal was running a 5K without stopping. I did it last weekend!!! It was awesome! Next, I'm shopping in non-plus size stores now. I'm a 14W/16/XL down from a 26-28. And as of this morning, I'm 9 lbs away from Onederland!!!! Other goals were getting off Metformin (that happened long ago), getting my periods normalized (check!), and becoming active (check, check!). So many awesome things. I can't wait to check in with my doc for my 1 year appt. I hope he's gonna be proud of me!
Although I haven't had a fill recently, things feel different and I feel like I might be in the green zone--or at least close. I'm losing pretty well now that school started again, and I'm not hungry all the time. I have been relying on shakes a lot because they're handy and I'm kind of lazy to cook a lot. LOL I'm definitely learning what 1/4 to 1/2 cup feels like to eat. There were times that i really over did it. I hope I didn't stretch my stomach, but i'm actively trying to shrink it again in case I did.
CHECK IN!!! I hope you're all doing well and feeling good!!!

oh I see, I misunderstood you. I guess I am venting and you are right. I need to quit all the grazing and snacking between meals. I don't know why I can't stop but I won't give up. I am back to basics this week...wish me luck

hi there perhaps you are actually too tight and need an unfill. if you are having trouble getting food down and turn to slider food this is why i ask about being tight. i would really discuss this with the dr office before getting a fill. I did the same thing. i was having issues but slider food went down way too easy so i had another small fill. that took me way into the red zone. even then i wasn't willing to consider an unfill until this last Monday when it just got to be way too much. At this point only time will tell if i had enough removed.
just please be cautious with your fills. it wasn't untill after my slight fill that i realize how tight i really was and if i'm honest with my self eating all the wrong food.
best of luck

Hello everyone. I have missed you guys. I am struggling, have not lost any weight in sometime now. Going in for a small fill to see if it helps, although I struggle eating most everything that is good for me. Junk food slide way too easy. I had such high hope for where I would be a year ago...not giving up, just need to refocus.

I'm so glad someone else is having this problem. I thought there was no way possible that I would stall after having this procedure! It's been a constant struggle these past few months.. I started tracking my food again the past few days and upped my exercise so I'm hopeful

I understand the frustration. I have been in a stall for the last 4 months. Trying to break it.....

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.

Plateaus are very normal during this weight loss journey. You have lost 52 lbs in 8 months! You are doing great!
First evaluate if you have changed your eating and exercise... (this is my issue) You get complacent after a while and begin to eat a little more and exercise a little less. If this is the case, recommit.
If it's not the case... To get things going again, try going back to basics, follow the diet you did right after surgery starting day 3. Do that for a few days and see if it helps... Just my opinions of course
Good luck on your journey.

You will all be happy to know that I called my patient advocate at my Surgery Center today with all of my concerns and she has scheduled me a one-on-one counseling and review with my surgeon and the psychologist next Thursday.
Maybe this will help me get back on track....
Wish me luck

I do believe it is a lot of restriction. But at each fill, we do them under fluoroscopy and each time I have little restriction. I'm not sure if I am some type of rare case that is losing fat around my band without losing weight or what is going on. The doctor does a good check of my band at each fill and it seems that all is good. I do believe I am at green now and even sometimes could be too filled. Maybe that is why I eat more slider food??
It is worth a call in to my doctor about! Thanks for the idea!
Also, I will check out the video you listed to see what I can learn there...