Road Queen

Gaynor, give yourself credit. I am sure you lost alot of weight with the band. You have managed to keep most of that off and know your limitations. Just knowing that any cheating has a price is something most of us forgot before. I just lost my band 11 weeks ago and I loved my band. I am struggling to like life without it. Stopping the weight gain, trying to figure out what I can eat, and exercising are consuming my life. I hope to get where you are soon - knowing your stabized weight and how to maintain it. Hang in there and recognize the good you have done.

I feel bad for everyone who wants to get rid of their band. I had problems with acid reflux and the band slipped - when they tried to fix it, I ended up having a reaction and they had to remove it. I miss my band. I liked having control over my eating. I liked the fact that food did not control my life. I am 50 days out of surgery and have gained 25 pounds. I really don't think I am eating more than when I had the band but the weight keeps coming on. I continue to exercise 60-90 minutes a day. I measure my food. I track my diet and exercise. But it just doesn't seem to work. And this weight gain is real. I can hardly sit in pants that I could take off without unzipping 2 months ago. Sorry to complain but I am hoping someone who has lost their band will have some tips for me. And living in Baghdad doesn't give me alot of people to whine to...

Restless Monkey - thank you. You get it entirely. And I just needed one person to comprehend what I feel. I will continue to struggle and hopefully keep the wait off but now will get on with my mourning. Thanks.

I loved my band and lost weight gradually. It took me 4 years to lose my weight (90 pounds). But, it slipped and had to be removed. I am unable to keep my weight down and am struggling every day. So I am thinking about getting the sleeve. I don't know much about it so I have signed up today to start learning. Glad to hear so many people are happy with their sleeve.

I was self-pay with my band. And insurance is not covering all the costs of the surgery to put it back into place nor the surgery to remove it. I have put more into the surgeries than my first house cost me! I will look at the sleeve. My surgeon said he had just started them and was happy with the results. Thankfully, I am working in Iraq and don't have alot of opportunities to spend so I can save for a sleeve . If anyone has good ideas that they used to maintain their weight post band loss, please share.

I am 4 years out and below my goal.

Well, now thats its daylight and I am thinking rationally, I might know some of the reasons it is so aggrevated right now. Our temperatures have rapidly risen above 110 and that tends to cause me issues. Also, lots of people here have gotten parasites lately so I should go ask the nurse about meds for that. Just praying I don't have anything serious and need to lose my band. People either lose weight here or get really fat. With my pre-disposition towards overeating, I would explode overnight...will keep you guys updated.

La Madam, you have always been such an inspiration. And continue to be. I haven't been on line much in the past few years but peek in periodically. I was stressing this morning because I had bad reflux last night and am going back to the US in 16 days and didn't want to spend my time there doctoring. But you have maintained and done so well. I just hope that if I lose my band I will stay as motivated. In fact, I am going to get up an run a couple of miles to remind myself how far I have come. BTW, it was great to see postings from Jack, Jachut, Alexandra, etc. Everybody who was around when I was here all the time. I will try and get on more but even with good internet connection, the pages take a long time to load and time is not something I have alot of here.

Thanks for these postings. I have been banded for 4 years and have had periodic acid reflux and other issues over the past couple of years (esophagus problems due to reacting to anti-malaria pills). But the last couple of weeks have been miserable. After reading your posts, I am hoping that an unfill will do it. I have my dr working on setting up appointments for me when I return to the US at month end but it is very stressful being days away from drs and weeks away from getting to them. I really hope I don't lose my band. I do love the new me and am dedicated to maintaining myself but the band helps alot. Also, I only have a couple of weeks in the US and I don't want to spend them recovering from surgery. Sorry to whine but I am having middle of the night coughing up stuff and stressing.

Since no one in ND has posted, I'm hoping this will help us if we have an ND lurker out there. I am in Bismarck and starting to meet with St. A's next week. I understand today - April 27 - is the day the proctor is here to train the surgeon. I wanted this surgery 2 years ago (when my sister had WLS) but hesitated because I have to self-pay. Hoping to be banded late May - I'm eternally optimistic. Hope to hear from someone else in ND

Warm. I forget sometimes and take a big swallow of cold drink and lose it completely. Thanks for reminding me to remember good band rules.

Anyone living in the International Zone, Baghdad and eating at the cafeteria? How are you doing handling the food and maintaining or losing?

I always wore suits and skirts to work so that isn't the change. Where the change for me has been is the style of clothes. I wear alot of short jackets - much better for a short person. I wear different styles of clothes, more fashionable. Sometimes, I think I am playing Barbie when I am dressing up. Except for the fact that I didn't grow a chest or those long legs :huh2:. Wear whatever you are comfortable in. You lost this weight for yourself so dress accordingly.

I don't eat movie popcorn but I do eat popcorn regularly (3-5 times a week), home popped with grapeseed or olive oil with no problems. Everybody is different. Just wait until you learn how your body reacts, what your new tastes are, and adjust accordingly. I am a former carb craver who hates most carbs now. Good luck.

I haven't had reliable enough internet to post much lately, or even read alot of threads but I wanted to express my feeling on living with the band. Those who have been around for awhile may remember me. If not, I started around 220 and am currently around 140. I just don't worry about my weight anymore. In the last few months, I was sick alot from acid reflux, food intolerances, etc and lack of access to food and dropped 5 pounds. It doesn't look to be coming back, which is fine. I would like to drop 10 more some day. I left a professional job in the US, 8 years before retirement. I am a contractor in Malawi Africa right now. I don't know where my next job will be and don't worry about it. I take alot more risks than I did when I was heavy. I don't know if the weight loss gave me the capacity to see that I can do anything or if being 'normal' size was the influencing force. Surprisingly, my life does revolve around food, even though I don't care if I eat. The main social life here is dinner parties, brunches, etc. Also, My houseboy can cook any recipe I give him. But you can only give him recipes that have foods available here. For example, they are reconditioning the factory that makes cottage cheese and ricotta cheese so it won't be available in the stores for months. Thankfully, I have recipes for homemade that are better anyway. If anyone likes mashed potatoes, spinach, and feta cheese, I have a great casserole recipe for you. Even though I work at the Ministry of Finance, I don't need to worry as much about clothes as people in the US. They do dress up here alot (even the janitors wear ties) but their clothes do not fit well and they are not trendy or fashionable. So any kind of dress outfit is acceptable. Most of the women don't wear pants yet (they only legalized it in 1994). I don't always recognize me in pictures, mirrors or things but then, I don't have alot of access to those things. Its only when I look at my picture here that I realize my face has thinned since moving to Malawi. I don't have access to doctors, fills, etc. When I was sick earlier this year, I flew to South Africa for xrays and a barium swallow. I mailed my US dr the xrays for them to read. My band was fine. Of course, I had to wait about 5 weeks to get answers so I have learned alot of patience. I am still waiting for the new medicine to arrive. Hopefully, this week. Sorry to ramble but this has always been my place to vent. I miss reading the threads and posting. Hopefully, some day I will be able to activly participate again. Good luck to everyone. This lapband surgery has just been one of my adventures of a lifetime. Celeste

Thanks guys. I am there too. I don't care if I eat. I was on a trip recently and couldn't find food - was rationing my Protein shakes to survive and just thinking it would be easier if I never had to waste time with food. But I did come home two days early cuz I knew I needed to eat. How strange! I have recipes to die for, huge parties with tons of food, and I seldom taste any of it. I love my band!

Forestcat5 - thanks. The hardest thing is the struggle to be a good bandster. When I go on safari, meals are provided and the dinner is usually served after 9. At dinner parties or evenings out, people never eat before 8 and I have been at parties where the food wasn't served until 11. Getting Protein can be difficult - I still rely sometimes on shakes and bars. My biggest surprise was how difficult it is to have staff. I have a 2 acre yard and a huge house. The gardener works 50 hours a week and cannot keep up. I employ my household help half time (and pay full wages) and just keeping up with the dirt, dust, preparing vegetables, laundry, etc is challenging. But I currently have good staff and appreciate it (after a couple of disasters with bad staff). Right now, it is hot and dry. It has not rained since May. In about a month, the rains will start and continue until May. But most days, its just a couple of showers. In Feb/March, there will be many heavy rains and storms. Hopefully, my internet will be stable this rainy season. Last year, I lost it from Dec - March. Celeste

Sometimes I have issues, other times its fine. I take protein shakes with all the time. I was just in Mauritius and struggled to find food I could eat with enough protein so I supplemented with shakes. Enjoy your vacation. I have wanted to go to Cuba for a long time - I am jealous. Celeste

Thiyekhile, how is everything going? I am going to try and contract your dr in the morning. Does he do fills? I need some of my fill taken out. Any help you can provide would be appreciated. Celeste

I had a discussion on a thread from someone earlier this year that gave me the name of a band dr in South Africa. Please send it to me again. I need to make an appointment and can't find the name. Celeste

m susan, if you want to hear a story of rapid weight loss, I am not the right person. I lost slowly with many plateaus. Here is a simple summary of the first 16 months: 5/9 218 - presurgery evaluation 5/25 203 surgery 7/18 193 9/1 185 11/1 180 2/17 175 4/20 160 1 yr 152 sept 2006 145 nov 2006 143 I bounce between 143 - 148 now. I would like to end up at 130 but will wait until it happens. When I don't get in sufficient calories, I may lose a little but stall quickly and lose strength. I try for 1000 calories a day. Now, I probably get 30-40 grams of Protein. I strive for 60 but it doesn't always work. That is better for my weight loss. BTW - in March 2006, I spurred my weight loss by increasing exercise to a minimum of 90 minutes per day. When I moved to Africa, on weekends, I would walk for 4-5 hours on Saturday and Sunday. My life is very different. 6 weeks after surgery, I went to Liberia Africa for a 2 week job and wanted to make sure I could eat. In August 2005, I spent a couple of weeks on a motorcycle trip and maintaining strength was important. In November 2005 I went to France. In January 2006, I spent 2 weeks in Mexico. A week in Feb in Malawi, and that April, I moved here. I struggle with food here and use Protein shakes to supplement at times. Sorry I can’t help more. Celeste

BOH and Carlene, Hang in there. The rains will stop. It rained here daily from Dec - April. I thought I was going insane. It hasn't rained since mid-May now and won't again until mid-November. I always complained about the weather when i lived in North Dakota. Too cold, too hot, too humid, etc. I don't even try now. The weather doesn't compete with the rest of lifes hassles. BOH, I wish I could come and help you with the dogs. I keep getting people's dogs when they leave the country. I am not sure what I will do with them when I leave Malawi. I haven't had a tick problem but in Nov-April I had (and will have again) bad fleas. Thanks for this thread. I needed to hear some normal things of life. When I call people, my connections are crappy and we don't talk about much. My internet is unstable so I don't get alot of emails anymore (that's why I haven't been posting either). I hope the weather (and everything else) gets better for you soon. Celeste

I eat about 3/4 of a cup of food, per meal. If I am eating food that's bad for me, I can manage more but try not to. I do try to track calories, protein, and fiber. I don't always do it daily anymore but every couple of months I try to track it for awhile.

YankeesFan - hope everything comes out okay. Maybe your stomach is just sensitive right now and needs a break. I have had lots of issues the last week and am also worried. Unfortunately, I have to apply for medical evacuation to see a dr so I need to see if I can handle it on my own. Let me know if your dr suggests anything that might be helpful for me. Celeste