chrissy10

I am sorry to hear about everything you are going through. Things happen that we cannot control, but it sounds like you are back on track. I slip every now and again and the next day I get back on track. You are doing great and I know you will keep up the good work!

@@Bandista you are funny. I have never weighed less than my husband and we have been together for over 15 years. I think he has a gained a few pounds since my surgery because he eats my leftovers lol. I tell him its all part of my plan. If he gains and I keep losing then it will happen faster lol.

@@Bandista you are funny. I have never weighed less than my husband and we have been together for over 15 years. I think he has a gained a few pounds since my surgery because he eats my leftovers lol. I tell him its all part of my plan. If he gains and I keep losing then it will happen faster lol.

Today marks my 8th week post op from plastic surgery! I had a Tummy Tuck, arm lift, breast lift and augmentation. It was hell the first week but now I am really starting to feel more and more like my old self each day! I still have days that I get really tired or sore.. But fore the most part in doing and feeling great! I am loving my new body! Here are some before and after pics !


Same arm before and after


Same arm before and after







Tummy before and after


Where he got rid of the side of boob skin!!



With workout clothes on!

Before Gastric Bypass

After plastic surgery

I did the tuna salad, egg salad and chicken salad. I also ate baked potatoes, but have not since that stage because of the carbs. I would eat pudding, cottage cheese and I would mix fruits into my Protein shakes. I hope this helps.

I am happy to report that I weigh less than my husband now. Geesh, that really bugged me! I am in the eighties now and that is a tremendous relief. On my way to the seventies next, one mini-goal at a time. Meanwhile, I feel so good in my body. Yesterday I spilled on my top and had to run into a store to buy a shirt. Grabbed a medium and it fit perfectly. Medium! Imagine that -- me? Yippee! I figured while I was at it I'd peruse the clearance section. Came up with a nice pair of summer pants in size ten. Last November I was an 18 (sometimes a 20) so this is tremendous progress. So pleased with how everything is going. It doesn't feel hard. I'm not on a diet. I'm becoming addicted to exercise. So many victories! The ongoing support of this forum has helped tremendously. It can take a while to get into the groove but boy, once there it's like soaring.....

I signed up for my first Olympic Triathlon; the Kemah Triathlon on April of 2015. I've been wanting to do one for a long time but never had the guts to sign up for one. I'm super excited and VERY nervous especially for the open Water swim which I've already started training for. I'm also going to talk about my training on my blog: www.julissaschultz.com.
If any of ya'll out there have completed an OLY tri please message me. I would like to know what your nutrition was like during the race and would also like to hear about your experience.
Thanks!

Was today, somehow I got it confused and arrived over an hour early, so two and a half hours went by before I finally saw him, he was delayed also due to a surgery he had to do in the afternoon.
I wanted to write here because my husband isn't supportive at all, he hasn't shown any interest, asked me how it went.. nothing. I met a lady who had the band and told me it was great. I liked Dr. Shayani, he was very nice, very experienced and the lap band is all he does, he says he is very passionate about it. He showed me before and after photos of some of his patients. Explained the type of people he can't help and those he can. He asked me lots of questions and I asked him a couple, he told me that not being able to drink carbonated soda was a myth. He explained to me that right now we could go to McDonalds and he could eat 20 chicken nuggets without a problem.. I almost said, I will take those chicken nuggets and raise you a cheeseburger and fries.. but he was being very serious at the time. He said after surgery about 3 would be all I could manage. At the end of it all he told me to go away and think about it.. I told him no.. I already did and I want it. Oh best of all he told me I look nowhere near my age.. I am in love.. LOL.
I met with one of his team who went over all the things I need, I already had a clear mammogram, having a pap smear and colonoscopy soon, they told me to make my appointment for the psych consult and tomorrow make appointments for the oesophogram and the lab work. They made a dietician appointment on the spot. I was told if all went well they would schedule me at the end of October beginning of November.
So I am on my way! Very exciting phase.. trepidation too.. but I can do this.

This morning I had first adjustment. 1.5ccs added to what was my empty band. Dr did under ultrasound and I was able to watch. Very cool. I had to drink something kind of nasty and watch it go down and through the band. I'll go back in six weeks just to his office to check adjustments from there. Loving this band so far. Hope to have some more weight off before my next visit. I can start doing some weight lifting exercises now so that should help too!

Hi I was banded in 09 and lost 65lbs. I have gained back 10 in the last 6 months. I too was struggling with regurgitating part of my meals. I found I was so hungry headed that my first few bites were the culprit to the being stuck mode. I too thought no big deal till I found I was getting low on energy and hungry all the time. So I went and had my band unfilled part way so maybe it was slipped and needed to re-settle. So with being open I had a few items like bread and gained another 10. I got re-filled with a .50cc less this time and got back to following the "rules' of the band. I believe sometime we need that refresher to get back to our journey we had started. thank you for sharing and it's good to know there is a lot of us in the same boat. Today I am down the 5.5 llbs gain and excited to finish this journey.
Good luck everyone and let's finish this strong!!!

Hi all, so today is my six months anniversary and I'm down 67 lbs. My starting weight was 235 lbs and today i weigh 168. I have 3.5 cc in my band and my doctor thinks that i don't need any fill because I'm losing weight and I had some problems when I had 4 cc in my band. I'm very happy with my results and truly recommend this surgery to people who are willing to commit to the rules that come with it. It is not easy but easier than dieting, gaining, living overweight, and not being happy with yourself. I still would like to lose another 30 lbs to reach my goal. Good luck to everyone.

Well, it is offical! I will become one of the banded nation on September 3, 2014!!! I am so excited! Wen this process began for me,my husband and I joined a gym. I went in with 2 thoughts, 1 was that I wanted to get myself into a routine so after surgery it won't be so hard. And the other is to try to firm up so I may not need to have skin removed once I meet my goal. I didn't like going to the gym at all until the first time I got on the scale! I was then put on a 1500 calorie high protien diet about a month and a half ago to de-fat my liver. I figured that it was as good a time as any to challenge myself to get below 300lbs. prior to surgery. As of yesterday I am 1 lb away from that goal! I can't wait to see how much more I lose prior to surgery!

That is awesome! You look amazing!

Well it's been 5 more months, boy has the loss slowed down. I had a little heart hiccup a few months ago and haven't had the guts to try a workout yet. But I've still lost another 27 lbs, Just trying to eat smart and keep active without stressing my heart too much. Pretty soon I'll get back into the gym and make my goal. All your stories are inspiring and keep me motivated. Good luck everyone, god bless, never give up, you can do it.
Few months ago, 237 I think.

220 something about a month ago.

Selfie in the car today.

Oh, I'd also like to share that me and my girl got engaged a few days ago.


So Yay!

I'd also like to add some respect in this post to my mother who was brave enough to do this with me, She had a bypass about a week after I was banded. She's Lost 183 lbs, more then half her weight.

This is her now on the right in the orange.

Congrats mom, you're doing awesome!
Sorry for being in such a pic. sharing mood.

As of my weight this morning I am down 52 pounds. That is a 50lb bag of dog food. That is crazy to even think like that.

That is awesome! You look amazing!

What a difference one year can make. I feel so much better & am much more healthy. Coincidentally, I pushed myself into ONEDERLAND on my one year since surgery anniversary!!

Hi everyone,
It's so comforting to be back here. I haven't been on BariatricPal since it was called LapBandTalk!! It's been a long and emotional journey, to say the least. But I'm here, ready to give support and receive the support I desperately need!!
I had Lap Band surgery June 22, 2012. I found out I was pregnant just 3 short months later. Just enough time to get used to the new eating habits but not enough time for them to truly be habits. I still lost while pregnant. Even with the pregnancy taking the majority of my first year, at my Bandiversary, I was down 76lbs. Now, another year later, I'm up 8-13lbs from that depending on the day.
I'm still very proud of my overall progress but so frustrated that it's been 2 years and I should be at goal!! And that I can't get passed this hump!
So here's my current motivation... hopefully it can help you too!
We all have that next size down jeans/dress hanging on the wall (mine is in my kitchen!) to help motivate us to continue losing. And we all know it doesn't really work.... Well, my husband bought me some incredible motivation yesterday (his birthday). He picked me up from work (we carpool on Tuesdays) and said "open the trunk" and there was a big, thick, beautiful leather motorcycle jacket!! AND IT FIT!!! The motivation comes from the SECOND item he brought me... CHAPS!!!
I was/am so thrilled!! I tried them on and they're about an inch and a half from fitting around my thighs. And that's ok! It's just what I needed to get off my ass and stop feeling so down about not being where I think I should be and doing something about it.
Today is about celebrating how far I've come and reminding myself that I have reached so many goals already that this next one isn't that far away!!
So to encourage all of you when you're down - REMEMBER HOW FAR YOU'VE COME!! Whether you are at goal, are only 1/2 way there like me, or are starting to gain a little... Don't give up! You are amazing!
Love you all.

I bought 2 pairs of jeans at a rummage sale not realizing one pair was skinny jeans. They fit and I don't look bad in them. I wore skinny jeans!!!!

Last night I jogged for 32 minutes and did 350 jump ropes. It was extremely hot outside or I would of jogged longer. I live in south Texas where we get no relief from the heat lol. Good job everyone.
@@Junebug36 I would just recommend not to give up. The more you work out the more energy you will get. I feel more tired when I do not work out than when I do now. Good luck!

I have told my family and friends. At first I was going to keep it quiet but changed my mind. I do not talk about it on Facebook, because I am sure there would be some negative comments. Good luck!

so i went in today after spending the weekend in misery.. and in all honesty if i'm honest with myself i've had some level of misery for quite some time. and should have had this unfilled done at my last appointment 2wks ago.
I have been having acid re-flux/heartburn and stuck episodes almost every time i ate. life just about sucked. to make me feel better the amount of fofo coffee i consumed increased as the warm drink made my band feel better so the scale hasn't really moved. .... I wanted to wait it out. i wanted to see if i could figure this out myself.. Stupid..
I'm a little crazy.. but this morning enough was enough.
let me tell you my dr office IS AMAZING i was in the office 2hrs after talking with them and that included the 40min drive to get there. I was seen right away had the unfill and barium swallow and at NO CHARGE...
after discussing symptoms, causes and how long i'd felt the way i did we undid the last two fills and .4 cc's where removed from my band.. it was the weirdest feeling EVER it felt like my whole body sighed in relief it was like suddenly stress i didn't realize i had was gone.
My point to this post is.. don't wait if you aren't happy and are struggling and even have the slightly thought you may be in the red zone. don't wait.. go visit the doc
Right now i'm certainly glad i went i feel a lot more relaxed. yes i'm on liquids for 2/3 days so wont' really know if it has helped but the piece of mind and relaxed feeling i have right now.. SO worth it.

I needed to take a break for a moment from the band discussions to reflect on the loss we as a whole have just suffered. When I say "we" I'm referring to those who have been fans of Robin Williams since Mork and Mindy.
He was a genius. He was an alcoholic. He was HILARIOUS. He was severely depressed. He was incredibly talented, and our world is a sadder place without him.
RIP, Robin Williams. You inspired me in so many ways.

I was 170 pounds overweight and I thought I had tried everything. I had a LAP-BAND for 11 years, during which I lost and regained 130 pounds. The LAPBAND was ready to do its' job, but I was not ready to do mine. This is the story of how I embraced, life, living, healthy food and exercise, and finally shed 170 pounds 8 years into my LAPBAND journey. From needing a "walker" to climbing America's tallest mountain in 2 years, this is my story.


Food was my way of comforting myself and relieving stress for as far back into my childhood as I can remember. There was alcohol and violence in my childhood home and I needed comfort. There was no human source for it so I created a source for it.

Food "hugged me" and made me feel safer. In an environment with stressors beyond my control. I had a small something I could easily access to sooth myself. It was my mind deciding what to eat for comfort and it was my hand lifting the food to my mouth. I was in the driver's seat regarding something in my life and body, even if I wasn't safe in my home. Food was my best friend, provided comfort and gave me a way to manage even a small part of my life.

By my teens, my chubby appearance morphed into actually being significantly overweight. At the age of 12, I jumped from a women's size 12 to size 18 and never looked back. By the age of 20, soon after my mother's death, I was a size 26 and 330 pounds. In my 30s, I lost 130 pounds too rapidly and much of my hair by binging and purging and in my 40s, I again lost 130 pounds after LAP-BAND Weight Loss Surgery in 2003.

But because I had not done the emotional, internal work on my relationship with food and childhood trauma, my food addiction shifted to liquid calories I could easily pass through the LAP-BAND, which is common. At this time, for the first time in my life, I developed an alcohol problem and my dinner each night was a six pack of "vodka coolers" followed by a pint of low-fat ice cream for dessert.

Nutrition was the last thought on my mind and my focus was on comfort calories that could pass through "the band." By 2006, all the weight I lost was back. I also continued to eat solid foods that would force me to vomit and caused my esophagus to become distended. When a LAP-BAND patient doesn't respect the "full" signals the body sends to the brain and continues to eat, the esophagus becomes a storage place for excess food and the esophagus stretches. This made the LAP-BAND useless and while it is still in my body, it no longer functions properly.

At the same time, during the last 20 years, I developed back problems from bulging discs related to the weight I was carrying. I began using opiates under a doctor's supervision to combat pain and muscle spasms in my back and in my knees that resulted in five knee surgeries. At first, I viewed the opiates as a wonderful tool as they relieved or masked some of the pain and also provided an emotional high. Soon I was using the opiates for emotional reasons more than for pain and as my tolerance for them grew, I needed larger doses to get the same effect. Then I needed to graduate to a stronger form of opiate and that is when, 10 years ago, I began taking Oxycodone and OxyContin around the clock along with Flexeril for muscle spasms.

Sitting for long periods became unbearable and I was forced to leave my career as a Court Paralegal and qualified for "permanent disability." I cried as I left the hearing in which I was declared disabled. I didn't want to be disabled but felt it must be true for a judge to decide it was. It was 2010 and I believed my life was essentially over. At 50 years old I was simply waiting to slowly die. I believed all my happy days were behind me.

When my doctor suggested I try yoga before we take the drastic step of implanting electrodes in my spine for the pain, I began attending a very gentle yoga class for people with disabilities. Slowly, over a two year period, I began to build stronger core muscles which made the back spasms less severe and less frequent.

But I continued to take the opiates because by then I had an emotional and chemical dependence on them. During this time, I was diagnosed with sleep Apnea which was caused by the opiates and excess weight. Opiates disrupt the brains signals to the lungs and suppress the respiratory drive.

On top of this - physical pain, addiction and emotional unhappiness - I was also caring for my father with Alzheimer's. Although in a safe and loving group home, I still felt responsible for my father's well-being and comfort. I was his only family within 3000 miles. As so often happens when caring for a loved-one, we stop caring for ourselves in every sense.

Soon after my father's death in 2012, I developed pneumonia because my breathing became so inconsistent that my lungs filled with Fluid. I realized at that point I needed to change everything about my life including losing the weight and decreasing, even eliminating, my use of opiates or else I would die. At that moment, in the hospital in 2012, the desire to live was sparked in me by the threat of death!

After leaving the hospital, for 60 days, I detoxed and experienced cold sweats, tremors and anxiety as the opiates slowly left my bloodstream. Once I was drug-free, I began making small, sustainable changes to my diet and gradually increasing amounts of movement. (Yes, that means exercise!) Over the following 18 months, my weight dropped from a high of 333 pounds down to 185. As a 6'3" tall woman this is a healthy, lean weight for me.

In 2013, I decided then to give myself the gift of nearly full-body plastic surgery. Since I was already severely overweight in my teens, at a time of life when many young girls look their best and enjoy being pretty, I decided "it is never too late to have a happy childhood." During an 11-hour surgery, 13 pounds of skin was removed from my abdomen, buttocks, back, chest and under arms. For the first time since the age of 12, no part of my belly and buttocks continue to jiggle when I stop walking, no part of me droops and my thighs do not rub together. The Sleep Apnea is gone and I now climb mountains instead of grabbing railings to pull myself up stairs! But the hardest mountain I've ever climbed was a "metaphorical mountain" in those first few weeks of starting to change my relationships with food and drugs, as well as beginning to move.

I am enjoying a lovely renaissance in a healthy, lean, strong and coincidentally beautiful body. However, this transformation has not been about beauty. My goals are continued health and a desire to live with passion, and about choosing to do more than survive. I am driven from an internal source to live a vibrant, full life of joy so I can continue to enjoy the love of family and friends and so they needn't lose me to obesity and addiction.

This photo (above) was taken on the highest mountain in the 48 contiguous United States, Mount Whitney. After 10 hours of climbing 6,134 feet to an elevation of 14,508 feet covering 11 miles, I summited at 2:00 pm and like every part of my weight-loss, fitness and "reclamation of life" journey, I did it!

Yet, like during every aspect of my journey I had partners. My partners knew the lay of the land, my strength and challenges. I surrounded myself with people who knew how to help me get where I wanted to go. Physical and mental health professionals who coached me to express my full potential. What mountains will you climb in your life and who will help you get there? Build your team, including here at BariatricPal, and there is no "mountain" you cannot climb!

Last night I jogged for 32 minutes and did 350 jump ropes. It was extremely hot outside or I would of jogged longer. I live in south Texas where we get no relief from the heat lol. Good job everyone.
@@Junebug36 I would just recommend not to give up. The more you work out the more energy you will get. I feel more tired when I do not work out than when I do now. Good luck!