vinesqueen

My consult was in Mid-Dec, and my procedure was in Mid-March. The only thing that make it so I had a long wait was tht I needed to wait until Spring beak. I'm a full-time student and my husband has awesome insurance.

Thanks Sue! Megan said what I wanted to say, only she said it better! I'm so sorry you have to go through this, and I'm so greatfeul that you are sharing your story with us. Good luck with your upcoming DS, and please don't be such a stranger

Also, some people start out with really good restriction and don't need a fill for months. You might be one of the lucky ones!

Actually, I can appreciate how how nice 250 is. Hell, I appricate 400 pounds, down from 600 pounds. My DH went from 600 pounds to 400 pounds, he's been on a long long plateau, but I don't think he's ready to move to the 300 pounds realm, not ready to move to Tripoli. My surgeon explained that many GB patients gain because not only do they have learned to compensate for the malabsorttion (their bodies adjust and changes their matabolic rate.) Also they stretch out their pouch and it goes straight to their intestines. He said they are starting to put the lap band on GB folks who are gaining. Wendy, we really appreicate you being here.

WOW Nykee! Amazing post. It doesn't matter is what you feel is unique to you, this is amazing work. The band isn't just about food, it's also about the head. Again, amazing post.

That's exactly what I'm planning to do with my TT scars, when I get one! (the tuck part, not the tummy part, already got one of those...)

Sure thing Jenny. I think the hardest part about being a Turtle, especially for me, is when I read over and over and over about people complaining about how they've "only" lost 35-50 pounds in a few months. I know that I'm jealous and want that to be me, especially since I'm doing everything I'm supposed to do, everything I can do, yet I only lose so little weight it isn't even worth keeping a ticker. A ticker for me, only serves to highly my failure at losing weight. So I don't have one, and I'm not feeling like I have that thing constantly showing the world that I didn't/haven't lost weight after undergoing WLS. I'm rambling again. Sorry

Oh Megan, thank you so much for posting this! Thank you for being a slow loser, I suppose that sounds wrong, but I don't care. You have always shown such amazing insight and compassion.

As the Turtle Spokes-Model, I have to point out that some of us are model bandsters--following the rules obsessively and still lose next to nothing, certianly not the 1-2 pounds a week. Hell, I'm losing an average of 1 pound a month. But I'm still plugging along. I don't know where or how they determin the inital amount of "excessive weight." We have some people who put on muscle mass to the point where the amount of weight they need to lose changes. They don't need to lose as much weight because they have changed their metabolic rate, as well as their physiologies. This could partially account for the statistic that folks only lose 50-70% of their excess weight. It could also be that many of us start out with higher FFM (fat free mass) than folks who've never had a weight issue, especially if we are active. It takes more muscle to move us around than some 98 pound weakling. Also, this statistic is going to include people who've lost weight but could not deal with the consequences of being thin. Many of us are running for something and find that being fat is a wonderful shield and armor. Or we think it is anyway. I know the last time I lost weight I was freaked out by all the sudden attention of men. Freaked Out.

I lost a huge amount of weight fast on the nutri-system really fast. Of course, I lost my gall bladder too and the weight found me again.

My DH's port is on his sternum, heh, when he was banded there would have been no easy way to access his port if it was on his mid-abdomen. Sternum placements seem to be more common in men, since they don't have that whole bra band issue. Generally speaking of course Also sternum placements seem to be more popular with docs in the EU.

Sue! Welcome back! We've missed you! I know that you've been through the wringer, but we've missed you. Your insights are so valuable, especially since you've had such trouble with your band.

Yay you indeed! I'm so glad you are participaing again here. We've missed your wit, and you wisdom. I have missed you. You have, I believe, again stated the issue perfectly. I think that once we learn to love us, right now, at the size and shape and weight we are right this very second, we are truely happy. Happy now, not some nebulous time in the future. Once we learn to do this, we are free to move on to so many different lessons, free from so much heart ache and pain. It is an extention of "being here now." A concept I must admit that I struggle with. Being still in the moment, being content for now, and all the nows that come after. My mother taught me many thing, mostly by being a bad example. She has spent her entire life waiting, waiting to be thinner, waiting for someone else to do something, waiting for what never will be to take action. I decided that when I was 18 and a fat size 12 that I would love myself, accept my fat self, and not wait to do things when I lost 50 pounds. I was going to live and love and act like I didn't weight 190 pounds. (size 12 and 190 pounds, not fat) By accepting where we are right now, by loving ourselves right now removes so many road blocks to accepting ourselves. Accepting where we are does not mean that we do not give up on creating a healthier us, it simply means that if we are happy with us now, we will be happy with ourselves when we are thinner. It is about not waiting. I know that some people have said that they won't be happy unless they are a size 4 or weight some magic number, even if that number or size isn't realistic. Happiness isn't a destination, it isn't something that we will find in another place. I'm so glad you are back Donali!

I like sweet potatoes with just a sprinkle of cinamon and butter buds.

Oh Paula, I'm so very glad to know that you are hale and hearty! I've been worried about you and your family.

I want that NSV! Me! oooh pick me!

well, if you are currently at 180 lean muscle mass, you would be perfect at 225. This gives you 25% body fat, which is right where you should be as a young woman. Going below 20% could cause disruptions in your hormone levels . 25% of 180 is 45, which is how I arrived at 180. If you want to be in the 170s range, you would need to lose 40 pounds of muscle mass. This would put you at 140 FFM, with 35 pounds of body fat. The scales lie. They lie lie lie.

There area couple different ways it can be measured. I think the most common way now to measure lean body mass (FFM) is through electrial impedence, generally with the scales or a hand-held model. If you are complaining that you cannot lift weights right now, you very likely could have a FFM or fat free mass of 185 pounds. Some of us are Amazons Dragonwillow. I don't think picking a goal size over a goal weight is sad, I think it is more realistic. Just from reading the threads here I know that two women could weight the same, say... 180. The first woman is going to still be very fat because her ideal weight, is 113 with a tiny frame and little lean muscle mass. The second woman is an Amazon with a large frame and FFM of 160 pounds. The second woman is actually at her personal ideal weight because she is well within the 25-35% recommended body fat (women my age).

Here's an interesting height/weight chart page. http://www.halls.md/ideal-weight/body.htm

What she said.

My goal weight is not the same as what they think I should weigh at my doctors'. According to the 'those" charts, at 5'5" I should weigh about 125-150, but my lean muscle mass right now is 150. Based on my age, my body fat should be between 25 and 35%, so that would put me at about 180 - 195. I'm an Amazon Anywhere between a true 16-12 is good for me.

Yeehaa! excellent work! A kg is about 2.5 pounds

I'm going for another fill on Thursday. I've decided that I need to get agressive with these things. I spoke with one of the fill people at my doctors, and well, they are just as mystified as I am. So, I see the interventional radiologist for another .5ccs which will put me at 2.25 ccs

oh, don't forget that once it gets to the bladder it wants out of there too... I had a really bad kidney stone attack and went to the doctors, wher they told me that I had a simple back ache. I knew what the problem was... I brought them the stone saying something like "well, here's my back ache."

Nykee, honey, you ARE doing it!