jfran

Some of you know that I have been struggling for the past 6 weeks with one of those dreaded plateaus. I went to the doc for a fill and now I am 11lbs lighter. I guess I have to credit some of the weight loss to the fact that I have had the flu but hey at least it is weight loss and I am over the hump. Thanks to everyone that gave me words of encouragement.

Congrats! I weighed this morning and I am officially "Overweight" no longer obese or morbidly obese. Thank God!!!

Sue: Thanks so much and wow you have had amazing weight loss too! Keep up the great work!

Weird, if you are having discomfort try walking or rocking.

So I was feeling under the weather tonight and was planning on skipping my workout but for some reason I decided to go. I got on the arc trainer and started going. The man next to me started commenting on how hard the trainer was and we got into a conversation. It is totally normal for me to go for an hour sometimes 2 hours on the arc trainer but for this man he was having trouble doing 20-30 min. I kept talking to him about weight loss and my success ( I didn't mention banding---just healthy eating and exercising which is 95% of it for me). He exercised for an hour on that machine. He thanked me and told me that he burnt more than double the calories he had set as his goal. He also told me that he purposely started a conversation with me to meet me because he had heard a couple of women talking about me and my success. He wanted to talk with me and get pointers for him and his daughter. Later he called his daughter and told her all about me and now she and I are going to start working out together. It made me feel great to know that I was inspiring people. It is a little weird to think that people are talking about me, but if it inspires people to get healthy then thats great. So this is my NSV!

I got denied the first time. I appealed and included a gut wrenching personal letter that I wrote about my experience with my weight and how it affected every facet of my life. I finally got approved. You may want to try writing them a letter. Good luck!

The minor pain after surgery is a small price to pay for the help that the band gives me. It is my motivator and it helps me manage my portions. I can eat almost anything but it is in small amounts. I don't feel deprived at all like I did in the past on diets. I am making healthy choices and exercising. This is the key and the band is a life long reminder that we all have to make healthy choices the majority of the time. Good luck with your decision. This was the best thing I have ever done for myself and I truly believe that God provided the lap band as an answer to my prayers.

Try eating 5-6 small meals at around 1500 calories (well balanced). And exercise like crazy 6-7 times a week. This is how I have lost my weight thus far because I really don't have much restriction.

At Ryan's you can buy the food by the pound to go and then eat on it all week. This way you get your money worth.

I used my highest weight because that was the weight I was at when I began the surgery process.

Up until now ( I have lost to the point where I have to cut calories to lose) I have been able to eat 1500-1600 calories of healthy food and lose weight. I exercise 6 days a week and don't have a great amount of restriction. I think you have to be in the right mindset and really want to lose weight. I am purely self motivated and I know I will lose all my excess weight and meet my goals. Good luck!

I drink right up until I eat and then don't drink during a meal or for an hour after. In between these times I drink up and try to get in at least 2-3 glasses of water between meals. My mom still drinks a little during her meals but she has a stricture in her espohagus and has to in order to get the food down when she gets "stuck." It is best not to drink during meals because you won't stay full for as long.

Go online and figure out how many calories you need to maintain your weight. Continue to eat healthy the majority of time, but its okay if you splurge on occasion. Make sure you keep up the exercise but it doesn't necessarily have to be as intense. Congrats! I hope to be joining you soon. I have about 30-35lbs to go and I will be at goal. I can't wait!

Man that sucks about Apple Bees it was one of the only restaurants I felt comfortable going to because they have the calorie counts on the weight watchers menu items.

I am 5'4"ish and my starting weight was 262. I am currently 180 and wearing 12/14 size. I hope to get to 145-150 and be in a size 8/10. I have never been "thin" so I don't know what I will look like at these sizes but I can't wait to find out.

I am stuck too and have been for 5 + weeks now. I am still exercising but trying to very my routine. I went to the doc and got a fill. I had lost 0 lbs since the last time but I have converted fat to muscle (4lbs!) so at least the exercise is paying off in some way. I am hoping this fill will be what I need to start losing again. Good luck and let us know how you do!

My local support group is mostly women, but last week there were 2 or 3 men there all preop for Lapband. I was a little surprised especially because they were older gentlemen. I hate that any of us are perceived as less for having surgery, but who cares we are doing something about our health and that is what matters. 'Weigh' to go Robert!

I eat 5-6 small meals a day. I just keep it to 1500 calories or less. I find that I lose weight better this way because it fuels my metabolism. My doc prescribed 3 meals no snacks but he is slowly coming around to the idea a more meals through the day. If you do 3 meals you aren't gettinig ENOUGH calories and the body is going into starvation mode especially if you are exercising. Try it.

Are you exercising and counting calories? Unfortunately, most of us still have to diet. For me the band is more of a tool for maintenance than for weight loss. I feel like I am doing 95% of that on my own. Don't give up, go get a fill and get to the gym.

I am in your same position. I have been holding steady at 181 for 5 weeks now with NO weight loss. It has frustrated me to no end because I am working out like crazy 6 days a week. I am going to the doctor tomorrow to talk about my options and whether he thinks I should get a fill. I am like you in that I am afraid to be overfilled. Oh well, maybe our bodies just need a rest, but as far as I am concerned my body has rested enough. It is time to start dropping again. Good luck!

I have been on a plateau for a month now and I am really starting to get discouraged. I have changed my exercise routine (changed intensity, type, and time) and I have varied my calories as well. I am eating healthy 95% of the time and I am exercising 5-7 days a week faithfully. I just don't know what more I can do. I tried doing the phase I of South beach but after 4 days I hadn't lost anything and I had massive headaches and NO energy so I went back to eating my carbs. I had a fill a month ago and I am hungrier than ever but I am having some "stuck" episodes. I was wondering if anyone has had any luck with hoodia??

i am 8 months post op and my scars are still red and slightly raised. I don't think this is typical. I just think that I have bad skin. This is a small price to pay though for all the good the band does for me.

I am currently 181 (5'4") and wearing 12/14s and L tops. My goal is 140-150 hopefully wearing size 8 and M tops. I can see a light at the end of this weight loss tunnel, but it feels like it is going to take forever to lose the last 35lbs.

I am having a similar problem. I am 81lbs down and have around 35lbs to go and the scale hasn't budged in 3 weeks. I am really getting discouraged b/c I have changed my calorie intake both up and down and have changed my exercise routine a lot as well, yet the scale won't budge. I think my body is tired of losing and just needs a rest. I am going to start adding a second workout when possible (one short one in the morning (aerobics tape 30min) and a longer one at night (1-1 1/2 hrs at the gym). Maybe this a cutting a few calories will help. I don't know. My advice to you is to calculate your daily calories. If you are going below 1200 calories, maybe you aren't eating enough. I found when I was losing it was because I was eating around 1500calories a day. Also, I realize your exercise is limited right now, but maybe you can use Soup cans to do arm exercises. This weight shouldn't be too bad. Also, can you maybe to some leg lifts/exercises on your bed. Anything you can do to get a little more activity in would help speed things along. Hang in there. The scales will budge for both of us eventually.

I have the same problems, but it depends on the day. Some days I have "skinny" days and I really see how much smaller I am and other days I just see a "fatter" girl looking back at me. Pictures are the only way I can see progress, that and the size on my tag.