Rebeccaabrooks86

Everyone remember to set your clocks back!
11/1: 228.8 lbs

Nicky, good luck and keep us posted. You will do fine. The biggest challenge yesterday was getting through the anesthesia. It kept me in such a fog and so grogy. Still a little bit today but mech better.

I had surgery 9.5 weeks ago and have only lost about 20 lbs BUT I've lost FOUR sizes! Keep the faith. And things will start to change when you get fills ????

Pay more attention to the non-scale victories than what the scale says. How are things fitting? How do you FEEL? Are you able to do something that you weren't able to do before? The scale will eventually reflect what you are seeing and feeling. Don't stress over that.
Keep up the good work!

I'm on the same boat. Haven't lost a pound since I switched to purée food phase, even though I'm doing everything right (I hope). Hang in there, I'm sure the pounds will come off.
Off to measure myself, can't believe I didn't do it earlier.

I had surgery 9.5 weeks ago and have only lost about 20 lbs BUT I've lost FOUR sizes! Keep the faith. And things will start to change when you get fills ????

I had surgery 9.5 weeks ago and have only lost about 20 lbs BUT I've lost FOUR sizes! Keep the faith. And things will start to change when you get fills ????

Ensure also makes a Clear Protein Drink in Peach and other flavors. You can find it by the slim fasts, boost, muscle milk, etc in the super market!

Donna
Age: 46
Location: topeka
Date of Sugery: Oct 23 2014
Current Weight: 230
Weight loss since surgery:4
Goal for November: exercise more
Favorite Thing about Thanksgiving: FAMILY
Weight loss goal 160

Ksc1965
49 y.o
Illinois
3/6/14
179.6 # currently
Lost 44.4
Get back to working out daily
Love 4 days of free vacation!
174#(pre band slip weight)

Sw 325lbs Cw 245lbs(took pic 2wks ago)

For now, yes that is true. It's a stage of recovery. You're not adjusted yet. You wouldn't take your car out of a service bay after the mechanic installed a part but before s/he connected and adjusted it and then expect the car to run efficiently. Same with your band. Until it's installed AND adjusted it isn't working optimally. You got a band. It needs adjustment. During those months you can either count your intake carefully or stagnate on your weight loss or gain. People have done all of these things. My surgeon wanted me to have "maximum weight loss" during my six weeks of liquids post op. It was for a running start, to build discipline, and for morale. It worked for me. By the time my fills started I was ready and had the habits in place. As my adjustments take place I keep the eating measured. Green zone for me now is easier. I'm still losing weight so I track my food. Others in the green zone don't. Personal choice. Sleevers and RNY patients have faster weight loss but have their own difficult post op eating regimens. WLS is not easy.

Lisa nailed it. This is a learning time. Very few people are at the right level after one adjustment. Portion Control is important now and it will feel like a diet until you reach the right fill level. Be disciplined. You will get there. By learning satiety signals and maintaining portion control now, you'll learn to recognize "enough", and with future fills, sneak up on your green zone. You don't want to go too tight too fast because it can cause regurgitation problems. At four fills and six months post op I believe I hit my green zone. It's wonderful. I still have to watch my portions and types of foods in order to keep losing weight. But I feel the "enough" signals when I eat solid Protein, and I'm satisfied without hunger for four hours between meals. It's a wonderful thing.

You got this!

Name - Jenn
Age- 33
Location- TN
Date of surgery- 9/5/2014
Current weight- 257.7
Weight lost since surgery- 36.8 lbs
Goal for November- Walk everyday!
Favorite thing about Thanksgiving- time off
Weight loss goal for November- 247

Name: La Vaughn H.
Age: 37
Location: Wrigleyville in Chicago
Date of Sugery: 27 August 14
Current Weight: 185
Weight loss since surgery: 50
Goal for November: Add more cardio training to my weight training
Favorite Thing about Thanksgiving: Family and Friends coming together
Weight loss goal 180

Name: SandyM.
Age: 55
Location: Arkansas
Date of Surgery: May 10, 2013
Current Weight: 142
Weight loss since surgry: 82
Goal For November: 140 (I know its small, but Havent been there in 20 years
and it's hard to commit to a loss at all when I'm pretty
content where I am:)
Favorite thing about Thanksgiving: Family getting together plus it's time to prepare for Christmas
Weight goal for November: 140 lbs

Hey everyone, thought I would start a November Challenge. Everyone post your info then every Sunday in November post your current weight and weight lost. Remember everyone is a winner!!!
Name (real or screen)- Rebecca B.
Age- 28
Location- NJ
Date of surgery- 8/12/14
Current weight- 228.8
Weight lost since surgery- 15 lbs
Goal for November- To walk 6,000 steps per day
Favorite thing about Thanksgiving- Watching the Parade
Weight loss goal for November- 220

Name (real or screen)- JustWatchMe
Age- 53
Location- Chicagoland
Date of surgery- 03/13/2014
Current weight- 201.0
Weight lost since surgery- 101 lbs
Goal for November- Walk more
Favorite thing about Thanksgiving- cooking
Weight loss goal for November- 195

I had often told myself during my journey that even if I were to ever possibly hit goal I would never post a success story. Maybe I was being modest or perhaps just really hard on myself or…just not able to forgive myself for ever letting my weight get out of control as it had. I guess a lot of it no matter how you sum it up is really just embarrassment.
Well I had a change of heart. That change of heart came because I can remember so vividly the feeling of the hopelessness and despair. At times I felt I was knocking on deaths door and that there was nothing I could do about it. So I am writing this tonight in hopes that if I can help just one person even if only one tiny bit then it is my responsibility to do so. I believe in paying it forward and giving back. If it wasn’t for the people before me that helped me then where would I be? It would be irresponsible for me not to do the same. You are not alone and there are people out there, really good decent people who can help you but YOU have to want it and at some point you need to swallow your pride and ask for the help. Help will not come to you. YOU have to seek it out.
I have told my story several times and you can read it on my profile. I lost 170lbs doing Atkins between 2003 and 2004. I went from 393 to 220 and felt great…and then I got sloppy and let my guard down and weight started packing on. I went from 220 to 488 in 8 years’ time.
At 488lbs doing day to day activities was quite a chore. My knees were taking a beating carrying so much weight on a 5’6 inch frame. I developed arthritis and serious sleep apnea. Walking from the parking lot to my office was a real task and that was even with the use of an elevator. I had to sit out in the car and have my Wife do the grocery shopping because I couldn’t last more than 10 minutes on my feet. I had to sit and fold laundry sitting in a chair. This list could go on and on about the limited mobility. My amazing Wife stood by me and encouraged me to make a change but we both knew until I was ready to commit to change it would not happen. I am not sure how many other women out there would have put up with what she did. My weight affected us both physically and mentally. I did not feel like much of husband at times and I am sure there were plenty of times she felt more like a caregiver than a wife at times although she never said so or complained.
Something had to give and it finally did and in September 2011 with my wife at my side I attended a local seminar for WLS. We listened to the Doctor discuss all the surgical options available at the time and being new and somewhat naïve we decided Lapband was the way to go. It was reversible and probably the least invasive of all procedures. I signed up for a one on one consult with the Surgeon that night. October 2011 I met with the Doctor and told him I ready to make a life change. He told me he wanted to see me lose 24lbs and work on shrinking the liver. Insurance required me to do a 6 month monitored diet so instead of losing 24lbs preop I lost 38lbs. My Surgeon was impressed and after completing all the preop requirements I finally got a surgery date of April 16, 2012. I weighed in on surgery morning at 450lbs on the button.
So there I was April 17th and getting discharged from the hospital and all that went through my mind is why the hell did I do this? There was no way it would work and I will be known as the fat guy who couldn’t lose weight with WLS.
As much as you research and prepare for this new life it seems at some point you say OK well I had the surgery why is the weight not coming off?? This is so frustrating!!! Well apparently I had never heard of bandster hell. Bandster hell is that time from when you have the surgery to the time you actually get the necessary fills to get the need restriction to control your portions. Some very few people are lucky they have the surgery and automatically get that restriction. Not me, it took me 6 months. 6 months of frustration.
Probably one of the most difficult pieces for me to learn was patience. Lack of patience made this road even longer. I stepped on the scale almost daily these last 2.5 years waiting on a large drop in numbers that never happened. How on earth could you possibly see a large drop if you’re stepping on the scale daily? Do yourself a favor and don’t do it. To this day I still step on it daily but now it is about accountability not so much weight loss.
Always look for other measures to success. We call them Non Scale Victories or NSV’s. Losing weight is not just about numbers. For a while I was buying new clothes every other month because I was shrinking so fast. I went from a size 62 waist to a 34. I went from squeezing into theater seats to have padded space on each side.
I could go on and on here rambling about all sorts of stuff weight and band related. If you’ve read this far then thank you and thank you to those who helped me get here. I would like to especially thanks @@Alex Brecher without him I wouldn’t have a home here and I perhaps would’ve remained lost.
If anyone has any questions or comments or just need someone to talk to don't hesitate to message me regardless how personal you think your question may be.
My name is Jim and I am junk food addict. I have lost 300lbs and the lapband saved my life. 2yrs and 8 months 488 to 188.
Peace!!

Fantastic Rebecca. I am having a shopping weekend in 7 days to ensure I have work clothes

I took the pain Meds for the first 8 days and then started to take Tylenol. I definitely had a lot of pain too especially around the port. I promise you it will subside!!! Continue to get up and walk around and using a heating pad helps a TON! If in doubt of your pain level you can always call your Dr's office and speak to a nurse who should put you at ease. Feel better!

I took the pain Meds for the first 8 days and then started to take Tylenol. I definitely had a lot of pain too especially around the port. I promise you it will subside!!! Continue to get up and walk around and using a heating pad helps a TON! If in doubt of your pain level you can always call your Dr's office and speak to a nurse who should put you at ease. Feel better!

I've now gone from a size 22 to size 14/16 and I had my surgery 2 months ago today. It's even more crazy because I've only lost 15 pounds so far but I'm losing sizes/inches!!!