Sue Magoo

Kellyjane: I'm not sure if you have the luxury to do this or not, as I live alone all week and Daughter is home only on weekends. What I find is that if I only have good, healthy choices at home it helps. It takes planning meals ahead of time too. I find that exercise helps alot too. I walk 4 to 5 miles per day. At night when I am most likely to want to feed my head hunger I find that going to bed early helps. Hot showers help too. I try to do things that never involve food. Good luck and best wishes for a succesful second seven months. Sue

I didn't know that my surgeon was going to use staples instead of stitches. I would have asked for stitches if I'd known. Get everything ready so that you can just get home and crash into bed. Have someone pick up your pain meds on the way home. Good luck! Sue

Hi: I've lost 81 pounds so far. I started with size 26/28 for pants and yesterday I put on a pair of 20's. I heard someone once say 20 pounds per size. Good luck. Sue

Popcorn was brought up at the last support group meeting I attended. The doctors (both surgeons) said it is a good thing to eat if you're craving something crunchy. As usual though, make sure you chew well. If you have the 94% fat free type it's low calorie too. I tried it a few days after the meeting and it went down without any issues. Sue

Please follow your doctors orders for postop diet. You don't want to make yourself sick now! Don't forget, they say if you don't get enough nutrition your body goes into "starvation" mode and tries to hold onto the weight. Be careful. Sue

D - wishing you the best. You've got weeks to learn alot from all of the bandsters online. I find it's the best place to ask questions. Good luck. Sue

My swelling went down in a couple of weeks. I was banded end of July and I took two weeks vacation so that I could recuperate by the pool. Was so relaxing! My port is near the top of my stomach just under the rib cage. It seems like my weight was coming off so fast early on that I didn't look swolen at all, although it felt like it was to touch it. Good luck. Sue

What about carrying a small pillow to put in front of you? Would probably help, but you'd have to decide if you'd be okay with carrying a small pillow with you or not. I'm sure your classmates won't care. Good luck! Sue

Fairyfire: I have just recently started using an eliptical. My Daughter and I nicknamed it the "bitch", because it's so hard! I have been walking 4 to 5 miles per day and not having a problem with that. However, I can only do 6 minutes at a time on the eliptical. That's up from 3 minutes initially. It does feel like it's working my whole body hard though, so it's good. I think that mixing up what you do can help get past a slump. Whether that means changing your exercise, or changing the food you're eating. Either way, your body may respond to a change. Good luck! Sue

Dogluvr: Ask the doctor's office that you go to for a copy of your file. The doctor has probably written notes in the file about your obesity problem and the notes probably have dates with them. If not, shame on your doctor! Good luck. Sue

Chris: As I said on the other posting, you look fabulous! I'm still wondering how you lost so much in six months though. Can you tell me about your exercise program? Thanks. I have lost 81 since April, but was banded end of July. I cannot wait to be able to say I lost 137 pounds, but I'm guessing it will be next summer or fall before I can say that, but you watch me, cuz I'm going to do it! Congratulations, and please tell me about your exercise routines. Take care. Sue

I paid $500 hospitalization copay, $175 for psych exam, and probably two or three copays of $20 for my doctors visits prior to surgery. Haven't had to pay anything since the surgery. Good luck. It's well worth the money. Sue

Wow! Congratulations. I will never go to the 120's, because that would be too low for me at 5'7". However, I admire you for getting there! Did you knock the scale over when you did your cartwheels! Congratulations! Sue

Robin: I am so jealous! I wore an A until I had my daughter twenty years ago. I've been a B since then, however I'm nervous that I will be an A again soon. Mine seem to be getting smaller as the rest of me is getting smaller. Some day when I get a tummy tuck I'm going to buy some C's! ha ha. Sue

I get into a bit of a funk every year when we have to turn the clocks back. Probably from not seeing any light on the way home from work. I"m on the east coast and it gets dark at about 4 to 4:30, and I don't get out of work until 5:30. I found that exercising with great music helped me with depression. Though it has to be upbeat music. May I recommend Coco by Colby Coleigh (spelling???). She has a cd that has some upbeat lyrics and great music. When I hit rock bottom with depression I have to think about my very special Niece. Her name is Danielle. She has CP with very little control of her arms, hands, or legs. She uses an electric wheelchair that she operates by using head controls. She never gets depressed, and hardly ever even acknowledges her disabilities. So, sometimes you just need to think about others and realize how good your life really is! I hope you get out of this funk and get on with a great life. You'll see how much losing some weight will help. I had some issues with being exhausted every afternoon for about three months. Once I figured out I didn't have to give up coffee, and started having a cup after my noon-time walk it helped! Good luck. Sue

Josette: First of all, congratulations on the 88 pounds you've lost. Try to remember how tough it's been to lose the 88 and that may make it easier to be a good bandster. My Mom's been gone for 7 years, taken too early too at 66 from an outrageous infection. Working Monday, dead Tuesday night. I miss my Mom every day. One thing that helps me with the lapband is that I know she's so proud of my weight loss, and I know she would have had the band if she'd had the chance. Holidays are tough when you're missing a loved one. I find that getting together with my siblings helps some. I hope you have other family to remember your lost family member with. If not, why not do something for a stranger on the holidays. Volunteer at a shelter, hospital, or somewhere that someone could use some help or friendship. Take care. Sue

Andrea: I didn't have any pain with the fill that I had, but I've only had one. My doctor didn't use fluroscope with fill, just felt for the right spot, injected fill, and put a bandaid on it. Good luck making your decision. Sue

Renee: I had the pleasure of going through my double closet this weekend. I ended up with five cartons of clothing that I brought to Salvation Army store. In addition, I gave my sister about three cartons of clothes. I've lost 81 and I'm never going back to size 26/28 again! Get rid of it, but please donate it. Take care and congratulations. Sue

Hi: I'll be there on the 20th of November. I'm Sue. I couldn't tell your name from your LBT name. Anyway, nice to meet you. I was banded 7/26. So far it's been going well. I hope to get another fill on 11/21, he wouldn't fill me on 10/20. I think the Glasgow's are great, especially Adam. Arthur is a bit reserved, but very nice too. The office staff is great too. I haven't updated my ticker yet, but my loss was 81# this morning. Yeah! I'm one pound away from halfway there. I have a total goal of losing 164 pounds. Hope to meet you there in a couple of weeks. Does an experienced bander like you have any advice for someone who's been banded only three + months? Take care. Sue

Hi: It probably is the weight. I was carrying around 324 pounds earlier this year. Some of the things I was feeling, fatigue, numbness in one leg, lower back pain, generally feeling like crap, and got winded alot. I started doing a modified-weight watchers diet 4/23/07. I was banded 7/26/07. I have now low 81 pounds and I am walking 5 miles per day, plus some days I do eliptical too. I lost the numbness in my leg after about 40 pounds lost. I still get tired in the afternoons, but I feel great most of the time. I knew I was ready because it was becoming such a burden to carry around all of these extra pounds. I am halfway there and I am so glad that I got the band because I had a huge appetite that I couldn't control without the band. Good luck. Sue

I've lost 41.5 since I was banded on 7/26/07. I lost 37 between making the decision (April) and getting banded. So, it's worth staying faithful. It's worth it! Best wishes. Sue

DSW: I think it's very normal to feel hungry after the swelling goes down, and before the first fill. I think I've seen this referred to as "bandster hell". I went through it too. That is why the band is a tool, not the end-all. You still have to try to eat smaller quantities of good choices, and exercise during this period so that you don't gain back what you've lost since the surgery. However, I remember someone saying that you're not expected to lose until you get filled. Good luck, and know that it's very common to get hungry before first fill. Good luck. Sue

Rain: Congratulations! Isn't it amazing how much difference there is with 70 pounds gone. Smaller pants are one of the best parts. Good job! Sue

Lori: Not only are you down 50, but you're halfway there! Congratulations. Sue

Beckie: I have rewards set up for myself, but not specific dates, just set them to specific pound goals. For instance, I told myself I would get myself a great MP3 player for walking when I lose 50 pounds. I attained that goal in August and got myself a great Zune by Dell. Love it, love it, love it. I walk 5 miles per day, so it's great walking company. My next reward will be when I lose 100 pounds. I'd like to pay a personal trainer for some exercise help when I reach the 100 pound mark. At this pace, I should hit that goal late December, or January. That personal trainer should help me getting to the next goal. When I reach 150 pounds I'd like to take my Daughter on a cruise to Bermuda from Boston, so I'd like to have that happen next summer, but that will be a stretch. I'll have to see how that goes, because if it happens late next year we'll have to go on some other cruise because the Boston to Bermuda stops running in the early Fall. Then, when I hit my goal weight I'm going to spend some of my retirement money on a tummy tuck. I'm sure that by the time I lose 164 pounds I'll be needing one! It sure makes it more fun if we can reward ourselves for the milestones along the way. It seems so difficult to think about the long-run, but to think about it in 25 and 50 pound increments it seems more attainable. Good luck, and happy rewards and goal attainment to you! Sue