kathousefl

Katy - I am sorry people have been negative. Some of the people I told were that way, quite a few people have made negative comments, and they don't know. You know what is best for you though, so ignore them all :-).
For the record, I do go to restaurants. Chain places are great for me because they are now including calories on light menus. I still avoid most processed carbs (bread, rice, pasta) and I have no problems eating out.

Hi Katy - I didn't tell many people about the surgery before I had it because I knew people had a negative view of WLS. I still keep it to myself because people (even those I consider friends) often think they know better than me and my doctors :-). I have not regretted the surgery at all. I used the lapband as a reboot for my eating practices.
I did not have pain after at all. The day of the surgery was actually the most difficult - nerves, pain, fear. I think having second thoughts is natural. You need to do what is best for you and not other people.

I have not been on the boards for a while, but I thought I would check in today and wave hello.

I have not been on the boards for a while, but I thought I would check in today and wave hello.

I have not been on the boards for a while, but I thought I would check in today and wave hello.

Weight loss surgery makes you change so many things. In fact, if you are (or were) in the position to get weight loss surgery, there’s a good chance WLS will make (or made) you change almost everything about the way you eat. There are so many things you can’t do anymore after WLS.
You need to get rid of most, if not all, of the fast food and other high-calorie Snacks and meals. You can’t eat “the whole thing” anymore. You can’t ignore the nutrition facts panel and serving size. You can’t eat a bunch of sugar or refined carbs because it’ll make you sick or lead to cravings.
There are some other habits that you might have had that just don’t fit into your new lifestyle, too. Maybe you can no longer hit the bar and go drinking on Friday nights with your friends or coworkers, or you can’t even enjoy a glass of wine every night with dinner. Or maybe you’ve had to give up late-night TV to be able to get up early enough in the morning to take a walk or pack a lunch.< /p>
For me, I did not have too much trouble giving up a lot of my bad habits because I was so ready for a change. I was sick of my ridiculous diets and weight struggles, and was pretty much ready to do anything to end the fight. I enjoy healthy foods, so didn’t mind giving up most of the junk, and I am lucky in that now I am able to recognize a craving, plan to satisfy it, and then satisfy it without much damage.
What I think was the hardest habit for me to break is a simple one: cleaning my plate. I automatically always ate everything that was in front of me without considering stopping. I now, of course, consider portion sizes and work to keep restaurant portions reasonable. I do still get a sense of satisfaction from finishing whatever is in front of me, so I just try to keep “whatever is in front of me” small – I don’t serve myself much.
So, what is the habit that has been the hardest for you to break? What are your strategies for getting over that bad habit?

That is great @needtorecover. I am happy you are feeling better and starting to see the results.

@@kathousefl - Just wanted to let you know that the restriction definitely set in about a week after I posted this. I guess that's why doctors make you wait a month between fills! Now I get it. Though I don't understand WHY it takes so long for a fill to register... maybe the liquid takes a while to settle? Who knows.
In that time, I've lost another 13 pounds I'm excited! I think I need a little more fill to be completely green but this is a fantastic start. I'm starting to feel better already. It's nothing short of a miracle being able to feel full on so much less food. I have more energy now and I WANT to move. My pants that were tight before are hanging off my hips a little and my shirts don't feel as snug on my tummy.
Why my general doctors didn't recommend WLS before is beyond me. I am so, so glad I did this.

(stands up and clears throat)
It was my fault. She said she wasn't fat because of what she ate, she was fat because of genetics, so I told her to call her surgeon and cancel the surgery because it wasn't going to help her since she wasn't fat from eating, and the surgery restricts eating.
Sometimes, I'm a bad girl.

It seems to me that a lot of the posts where someone becomes offended, they seem to be looking for validation and permission, as opposed to someone else's point of view. I've a life long habit of looking for validation for the decisions I've made that has led to my weight and health. "I have a poor metabolism", "It's genetic, obese is just how my family is", "There isn't enough physical activity at my job" "That cake is just SOOOO good!" etc. That habit of looking for self validation rather than objective truth can lead to defensiveness when I'm presented with an opinion that stands counter to what I wish were true. Couple that with conversations with total strangers on the other end of the "Interwebby", and I can see why it doesn't take much for some to get their proverbial "panties in a bunch", when presented with ideas that run contrary to their own.

Hi Ginger - I am sorry to see you are frustrated. Ironically I just had a sticking problem from something I eat all of the time. I think in my case it was not the food, but the speed in which I ate it.
Have you maintained a 69 pound weight loss for five years? What types of foods are you eating now? Are you going back for a fill soon?
I think everyone is very different in his or her approaches to losing and maintaining. For me, I stay away from processed carbs most of the time because eating those types of foods is what caused me to gain weight and over eat.

Thank you and I am blushing. Oh. Could be the cocktail and sun????????

Julie you're gorgeous!!!!

Just a quick update from Sunny California
Been traveling a lot so hard to keep up with exercise and eating right. Fortunately I am making more good choices then bad choices. Was up in Northern California the last two weeks caught a cold first one in quite awhile. At my largest I would usually get bronchitis twice a year and it would last up to six t eight weeks. So now a cold is very unusual.
After not losing for three months I am back losing again and have managed to sneak back into the 170's which I have not seen for over 30 years.
Been quite the adventure these last 8 years.

Glad to hear good news!
Things are going well on my Hawaiian vacation. I know... Piña colada has coconut and pineapple... So it's a fruit. Right?
Lots of Protein Bars and ready to go Protein drinks... Cannot get them to blend well as hard as I try!!!
I'll just enjoy my slice of paradise for a few more days before the real world comes back....
Eating well 90% of the time. That is
Good enough for today!
Aloha!!????????

Just checking in with my "family". I've been doing great with the food. Down to 194/193 and slowly bumping that down. I'm finding that the longer my food is clean (no bready or starchy carbs, zero fried food, moderate portions, no alcohol) my band is tighter. I get stuck a lot lately (every couple of days) if I don't chew well and don't slow down. I was eating radishes as a snack every day for awhile and then suddenly at work I got stuck on radishes. Radishes! The sliming was horrendous. And pink. Lol. Anyway, it has proven to me that I am indeed at the right fill level and need no more.
The divorce is creeping forward slooooowly, but now that there's a trial date set, I'm looking forward with excitement to the new part of my life waiting for me this summer.
I cannot stress enough how important working with a therapist and my 12-step groups has been for me going through all of this.
I also have a couple of the best friends in the world and have had these people in my life since age 14. I rely on them so much, and they rely on me as well. I am truly blessed.
Happy news. Eldest daughter has started to hear back this week from some of the ten graduate schools she applied to, and has been accepted to Emory, among others. She's flying high, and I'm as proud as a peacock.
Hugs to all my peeps.

Ok. Not too many pics of me except before and after. Here goes a Hawaiian photo
Aloha and fun!!

Thanks for the reply - and sorry for the delay in response! Ever since recovery no, I hadn't been following a diet or writing down what I ate... I guess I sort of missed feeling like I could pig out (how messed up is that?) so I kind of went nuts with my over-eating. Counterproductive, I know.
I had my first fill (2 cc) on Monday and while "feeling restriction" is wording it strongly, it's definitely slowing me down a little. I can't eat fast (that's a good thing) and I fill up faster on less, but only marginally so. For Breakfast I had a bowl of oatmeal, one whole egg plus one egg white, and a banana and felt satisfied for 3 hours (that's really good for me - pre-band me would get a donut and a coffee after 1.5 hours) and just ate half a Jimmy Johns sandwich and feel pretty full. I could eat more of it but I would be uncomfortable so I stopped.
Remarkably I lost a pound between recovery and my first fill. I think it's because I can't eat fast so even though I'm eating as much as I want (and certainly more than I should), I eventually just stop because my stomach registers "full" before I can finish my first helping and start in on my second.
It's really gotten me thinking though... like about how I approach a meal. Why couldn't I slow down before? I know it's scientifically proven that if you eat slowly you'll consume fewer calories even if you eat as much as you want. I used to try to make myself slow down before... I'm the kind of person who immediately shoves in a mouthful of food the moment I swallow. And the mouthfuls are large, of course. I did that with a bowl of rice last night and after 3 swallows I could feel a very unpleasant pressure in my lower chest so I slowed down.
On the one hand I'm angry with myself for needing negative reinforcement to slow down when I eat. On the other hand I need to be kind to myself because I developed poor eating habits when I was young and I've had problems with food most of my life, so of course it'll be hard to make myself eat slowly.
I'm definitely not "green" yet but this is definitely a good start. Thank God for this surgery. I don't think I would ever be able to lose weight without it. It's giving me hope for a healthier future.

Hi @@needtorecover - I just saw your post. You will get through this. Are you writing down what you eat? Are you sticking to a particular diet? When is your first fill scheduled?
The band has been a great tool for me. I used the surgery as a restart button for my way of eating and thinking about food. It hasn't been easy, but the band has made it so much less challenging.

Congrats @Djmohr. When I started shopping for pants, which I had not worn in decades, I thought I would be ecstatic if I could fit into a 10. I am now wearing a size four. I realize pants today are not the same as they were when I was in my 20s, but I never wore anything smaller than a nine back in the day.
Ironically, I have also discovered that I am petite. Who knew?

I've had a month and a half of very clean eating and my band is really doing its job. Slowly the weight I gained over the past six months has come off. I know without my band, this restart wouldn't have happened. It's such a gift to have this tool that helps with the hunger if I only do my part. After three or four weeks of no fried food (!!! me!?!?!) and no Thai noodles and no crapcorn, I no longer missed or daydreamed about them. Nothing short of a miracle.

Congrats @Djmohr. When I started shopping for pants, which I had not worn in decades, I thought I would be ecstatic if I could fit into a 10. I am now wearing a size four. I realize pants today are not the same as they were when I was in my 20s, but I never wore anything smaller than a nine back in the day.
Ironically, I have also discovered that I am petite. Who knew?

Congrats @Djmohr. When I started shopping for pants, which I had not worn in decades, I thought I would be ecstatic if I could fit into a 10. I am now wearing a size four. I realize pants today are not the same as they were when I was in my 20s, but I never wore anything smaller than a nine back in the day.
Ironically, I have also discovered that I am petite. Who knew?

Congrats @Djmohr. When I started shopping for pants, which I had not worn in decades, I thought I would be ecstatic if I could fit into a 10. I am now wearing a size four. I realize pants today are not the same as they were when I was in my 20s, but I never wore anything smaller than a nine back in the day.
Ironically, I have also discovered that I am petite. Who knew?

Congrats @Djmohr. When I started shopping for pants, which I had not worn in decades, I thought I would be ecstatic if I could fit into a 10. I am now wearing a size four. I realize pants today are not the same as they were when I was in my 20s, but I never wore anything smaller than a nine back in the day.
Ironically, I have also discovered that I am petite. Who knew?