kimmcneely

I am also 31 and down now a total of 106 lbs from my highest weight. I have som excess skin, but it isn't nearly as bad as some that I have seen. I do work out and try and tone mine about 3 days a week. I also wear a girdle that goes from just under my breast (my bra sits over it) to almost my knee caps. I think it has helped in my stomach area. The worst part for me has been my boobs. They are just down right nasty. Good luck.

I finally made it 100 lbs, gone for good. Of course 40 lbs were lost prior to surgery and the rest since July of 05!!!! Yee Haw. Guess what? I celebrated with Cheescake. Not so good huh?

I am a July bandster as well, July 23rd, (which also happens to be my wedding anniversary). I have felt great about my surgery. I have been happy with my weight loss although I feel stuck at the moment. I haven't lost in a couple of weeks. I have also had bouts lately with reflux but am working through that. I have only had one fill and when I went for my 2nd one they said I was doing great and didn't want to give me one due to the fact that I was losing what I needed. I guess I am okay, I still feel restricted some days and not so much somedays. I went from a size 20 down to a size 10/12. I work out quite a bit. I have changed from doing so much cardio to doing more weights and toning now. I do have excess skin although it isn't really bad. I do have weight on my thighs that I can't seem to get off and would like to have PS for that and to give me back my boobs. I would also love to have a TT and heck while I am at it, just do it all, except my face. I don't want anthing done with that. All in all I am very excited and looking forward to year #2. Congrats everyone!

Actually things have been much better. I think the problem was just eating too close to bedtime, but I just happened to be rushed that day and didn't get to eat until late. You are right Maryb, living in a travel trailer and building a house can be stressful, but it is actually working fine, no problems at all. I do notice that I get more restricted if I am under any stress. But so far so good. I think I will just keep a watch out and not try to eat too late. Thanks for all the great advise.

Actually after reading several other post maybe reflux is what is happening. I don't elevate my head at night, don't even sleep with a pillow because I get severe headaches and neck pain if I sleep with anything under my head. no way to really elevate our bed at all because we are staying in a travel trailer while our home is being built. I may try some over the counter med or something, give that a try. Thanks,

I know this post is a little late in the game and I have not had any problems with losing my hair personally but my husband started losing his after being in the military. We never worried about and he wasn't self conscious about it at all but I started my own business with a company who offered a hair growth stimulator and he tried it. We started seeing results in about 3 weeks. It is a hair and scalp revitalizer. He has got every guy in church using this stuff now and all have noticed a difference. I don't know how it would work in your situation but it was worth letting you know about. check out this link to the website if you wish. https://www.arbonne.com/shop_online/showCatalog.asp?category=143

I agree. I don't diet anymore (not that I ever did it successfully anyway). I just eat when my body says it is hungry and stop the minute I am full. I do stay away from fried foods which don't go down very easy anyway. Things like bread I limit, no sodas, so it just works. I have always like exercising so that combined with less in take really works.

I am exactly 10 months post op and I think I am stuck. It has been a couple of weeks and nothing. I know, many people go through that but I really haven't experienced it. I have always been continuous. I think this might be the end of the significant weight loss and now just the journey through the toning and shaping up. Oh well, I am happy. I have included some post op and now photos. Enjoy.

Thank you all for the wonderful comments. I know I will start losing again. I do exercise at least 3 times a week, usually more. I have been going to the gym for over 2 years and have lost a total of 94 lbs since Jan of '04. (I can remember because that is when I met my husband and decided I needed to shed some pounds because I didn't want to die and have him find some other woman) I began this journey at over 250 lbs so I can keep going as long as it takes. I love to exercise and I do feel as though I am shrinking in sizes even if it isn't on the scale. I love being able to go and actually take a size 12 in the dressing room with me. Love it! Absolutely love it! Of course now, like most people who have dropped this much weight I would love to have some cosmetic surgery done. I am pretty sure that 75% of the weight I lost came from my breast because there is nothing left but skin and nipple. It would be nice to have the rearranged and full for once. The hardest thing for me to lose has been my thighs. They were huge and I have lost about 6 inches in each one but I still feel like they swing when I walk so I wouldn't mind having them reduced and having a tummy tuck as well. Due to a c-section with my son over 10 years ago I still have that little roll around my belly. I have gotten rid of most of that but that last one isn't going anywhere. I wear a girdle every day. It goes up to my breast and down to my knees. That allows me to look more shaplier and I like that. No jiggle when I walk. Anyhow, thanks for all the wonderful comments. Good luck to everyone.

I can tell you that I filed bankruptcy back in 89 or 90 and wished now I would have never done it. I wish I would have looked into a way to consolidate all those cards and loans and did it that way. But then I had no support and no advice from anyone else. But, this is just my opinion. Good luck to you.

Well, believe it or not, I met Mr. Romeo on the internet. Let me tell my love story. I was divorced, had a 8 year old son and was 250 lbs. I had dated guys at bars, dated guys from church, dated guys from everywhere and anywhere but was very unsuccessful. I had been traveling with my company for almost 2 years and when I came home I was ready to settle down. I went on to a local website that had a dating service and found a post from a guy that said he was a christian, had a 4 yr old daughter and wasn't interested in games. I took a shot, emailed him back and we were married in Alaska 6 months later to the date. He is 6 foot 3 and 195 lbs and because of his job he has to be very fit. I emailed him a photo before we met because I didn't want him to feel deceived in anyway and he didn't seem to care about that at all. He says the first day we met, which was at Chuck E cheese with our kids, that he pulled up and said his jaw dropped. Pretty impressive huh? I thought it would all change but he is still the most wonderful guy that God has ever brought my way. And that is truely how I found him. He was seeking me through God and I was seeking him. We both honestly believe that God had us destined to one another because his job is what brought him here to Texas where he knew no one to find me. God has a purpose for every single thing. Just pray dilligently and God will deliver. God's time is not our time. Don't forget that.

I don't really have a problem when I fly, but anytime I am away from home in general I have problems. It is as though my stomach knows that I am out of town and that I am out of my routine, therefore it gets nervous or soemthing and doesn't allow me to eat. I always enjoy going to visit my inlaws because I drop a pound or two.

I think I have posted it before, but I had lots of problems with this even before the surgery but especially afterward. Then I found the colon cleanse from Arbonne and have been going fine every since.

My personal opinion is that it helps tighten the muscles but I don't know for sure.

I bought it in the store and tonight I will get the brand and post it.

I don't even know what size I started out in at my highest, probably a 22 or 24. At surgery I think I was in an 18 (218 lbs). For my birthday, because I was always complaining that I had no clothes that fit and my husband hated the pants that I did wear because it looked like I was carrying around a load in my but, he took me shopping. I will be the first to tell you that I hate shopping. I especially hate doing it with my husband in tow. However, I bought a pair of jeans, size 12 and I loved them. That was a month ago and even though I haven't lost any more lbs, they are baggy. I wore them yesterday and had to swing by my house at lunch and put on a belt. Yesterday I splurged and shopped a little afterwork and bought a pair of pants, two jackets and two shirts. My pants are a 12 but they are slacks so I don't want them fitting tight at all. My jackets are MEDIUM!!!!! And the best of all was my shirts. They came from the junior section. I didn't even shop in the junior section when I was a junior. I will tell you all my little secret, that really isn't a secret because I share it with everyone who comments on how flat my stomach is. I wear a girdle. A great girdle in fact. It comes all the way up to just under my breast (actually my bra is over the top of the girdle in the back) and goes down to mid thigh. I have tried girdles in the past and even spanx and I never liked any of them because they would just roll down and be very uncomfortable. I love this one. I have one for every day of the week, every color, every everything. I bought it at JC Penny's, (can't remember the name) and it is a spandex type material. Holds my stomach in incredibly well. And I know it is probably just an illusion but when I am not wearing it, I feel as though it has pulled it all in so much each day that it helps it stay that way.

I am 9 months post op and still have had trouble with this. I take a colon cleanser from Arbonne now and it seems to help. One at night before bedtime and I am right on schedule for 10 am the next morning. Not like those exlax pills or suppositories. With those things I terrible cramping and didn't think I would ever make it to the bathroom. Good luck.

I started going to the gym during my lunch hour two years ago (a year and a half before I was banded) and have just kept it up. I enjoy working out and feel guilty and bad if I don't go. Most of the times when my husband is having a late night snack, generally popcorn and I use to eat a whole bag for myself, now I just take a handful and be done with it. It is much easier now to just say no to the stuff. It is really hard to go to friends houses for dinner or over to relatives because even though they know I am banded they traditionally don't think about that when preparing meals. I always love to go visit my inlaws in OK for a weekend because I usually come home about 5 lbs lighter. Same way if we go out of town and are forced to eat out. There just isn't much there that I allow myself to have. However if I cook, then I know the things I can eat and usually make them.

My name is Kim, I am 31 years old. Married mother of 2 kiddos. My son is about to be 10 and my daughter is 6. I had my WLS in July of 2005. My highest weight recorded was 256. You know once it got to that point, I just quit weighing. On the day of my surgery I was 218 and today I am 163. I am very excited. My goal weight was originally 150 but now that I am close I think it will be between 140 and 145, we'll see. H - 256 S - 218 G - 140 C - 163

I am possibly going to be moving to Tulsa and need to try to find a fill doctor. Anyone have any suggestions?

First of all, food is an addiction. But now you have a wonderful too to help you get through the addiction if you will allow it to. We all know some of the little tricks that work, ie. eating puffy cheetos, they go down easy, so does blue bell, but at some point in order to use the too, you have to make up your mind too. You are so you and have a whole life ahead of you to live with this too, make it work for you, not against you.

My doctor says 1/2 hr before and after. I always order a water at the restraunt but it never gets drank, at least not by me. I notice that if I drink something right before I eat, then my food doesn't go down real well, so I have just avoided it.

I am a little confused....I was banded in July '05, I had a fill in September and then again in November. I am at 2 cc. Most of January and February I felt ike I could eat a horse and that I wouldn't have any trouble doing so. The only time I felt any restriction was when I went on a cruise. I wasn't able to eat much of anything. Actually lost about 10 lbs when everyone else gained about 10 lbs. I went to the doctor in late February for a fill but he said everything was the way it was suppose to be so he wouldn't let me have a fill. I thought he was crazy since I didn't feel any restriction at all. Now, almost 3 weeks later, I am unable to eat anything other than liquids. What is up with that? My restriction changes all the time. Many have said I probably feel more restricted during stressful times and all, I can understand that, but I don't feel as though I am going through any stress right now. And to make matters worse, I passed out in the shower this morning. I was standing there, realized I wasn't feeling well so I thought I would sit down, but I guess before I could, I passed smooth out and fell out of the shower with my head banging against the bathroom tile floor. Thank goodness my husband had not left to go run yet and was still there when it happened. He said when he came in I was staring straight up, not blinking and he thought I was dead. Next thing I remember was him yelling at me to wake up. We went to the clinic, but they couldn't find anything. Hopefully it was just my sugar dropping low for a moment or something. Has anyone else ever suffered from the restriction issue?

Yes Steve, I am from the country as well. Right next door in Silsbee America. I was banded from Spivak in July of 05 and have lost 50 lbs thus far. I am excited about that and am looking forward to the rest of my life. If this is forum is new to you welcome.

Before I had my band but even more so afterward I had suffered terribly with constipation. I may not go for a week or longer at a time. I had tried exlax and correctol and all the other laxatives that say they provide "gentle" relief, but I would wake up with the worst cramping I had ever felt in my life and would have diarrhea for the next couple of hours. I guess I did get the result I was looking for huh? Well, now I have found a product made from a company called Arbonne that is a herbal colon cleanser. It is incredible. One pill before bedtime and I am as regular as a clock. No cramping. No diarrhea. Just normal bathroom trips. If anyone has any questions or are interested, please contact me. Thanks!