funky_monkey800

Yup..when it's that time of month, when I travel and there is an elevation change, when there is a storm coming.....lol...

Well I have seen so much negativity on the band lately....and it kinda brings me down. so for those of you who are against or on the fence about the lap band, or struggling with your weight loss, I just want to say. The lap band is working for me! 100 lbs down! Yup....crazy. 11 months with the band. Has it been easy? Hell no. Burps, puke, reflux, too tight, not tight enough, stalls, ect.. Was it the "easy road"? Definitely not. Changing the way I eat, the way I exercise, the way i think about food, learning what I can and can't eat so I don't get sick in public or with friends and family. Learning to enjoy meals with the family with band friendly food. And even if it was the easy way, my hubby still forked out over $12k, sooooo...i know it wasn't easy working for that money. Have I learned alot? You bet. I still struggle. What if I fail? Am I really hungry? Why do I weigh myself every dang day? What do I say when I am with people and can't or don't want to eat? And I have to really be honest about what I eat... And I still haven't found the idea of exercising "fun". But I know I have to do it. And I never regret it when I am finished. I like barely being able to walk because I totally crushed my workout. So is it going to last forever...my weight loss? I sure hope so. I've worked hard for this. I've followed all the rules, and in the process i have learned so much about myself. I have come way too far to fail. This relationship between me and the band is a tricky one. But this IS the new me..so for now I am going to enjoy this victory....and have a pumpkin latte. ..cheers!

Such great comments from all of you!! It keeps me going knowing there are others out there going through the same thing!

Thank you everyone!!!

@oklahomagirl1970- I will have to get on and look for you!! @hmj2015- thank you soon much! It has been a tough road! But has definitely been worth it! Weight loss will start again! Mine is slow now and I am definitely not where I want to be. Keep your heads up and don't give up!

I also have neck and chin hair...ugh! And it has not gotten any better or worse. Every purse and every vehicle I own has a pair of tweezers....no joke.

I would love to join...but I am so nerveous! No one knows I have the band! Ahhh...on another note, I hit a weight loss stall for about a month....I was a wreck! I upped my protein and switched up my exercise. Sometimes it's hard to get all required calories. And I heard that too few can put your body into starvation mode..so make sure you get plenty of protein and water. I know this can be hard because some days it's hard to eat or drink much...good luck to y'all!

Thank you @julienorton & @horsegirl315....I believe the whole starvation mode thing may have been an issue...but good news! I have finally seen the scale start moving again. Not fast but moving. I do some lifting and cardiovascular and have recently incorporated "insanity" into my routine....which may possibly be the death of me! Started adding protein mix to more drinks and drinking more water....which is tough for me...anyways thank you for your help!! *as of today 168! Wooooohooo! Dang spell check on my phone..just cardio not cardiovascular...lol!!

So let me start this by saying I know we should focus on alot of other things besides the scale...but easier said then done. For the past 3 weeks, my weight has not budged. It's the same when I wake up and when I go to sleep. I have been good with my food and drink choices and I also exercise...so here is my question...what is the best way to kick start my metabolism? Would too little calories per day cause this? Because to be honest I have a crazy finickey band...where some days I don't even feel like eating because it's too tight. Or I can only eat dinner...but I can never eat before noon...ever. Any insight or help would be appreciated.

Got my band Nov 2014....started at 250. Today I am down to 171

When I have a drink it's vodka and cranberry juice...I've tried the bottled drinks, like Mikes and smirnoff but the carbonation doesn't agree with me....Lots of burping...

I love my fit bit...the other thing I love is shealth on my samsung s6 phone! Because I have my phone with me everywhere it counts steps,weight, you can log food, take heart rate and it has trainings for running....so many cool things! I like the fit bit at night, then I record my sleep manually through shealth....

Wow! You look amazing! Congrats! I wish I had some before pics...

Omg....I need to quit hitting send before I finish...also surgery was 2014 not 2015...sheesh. it's early :/

I don't have saggy skin...my tummy could use some toning but I have also had 2 csections...I'm not gonna get surgery just gonna work on my sit ups and crunches! Lol ! Is there anything I dislike? Nope. Because without it I wouldn't have gotten this far....is it hard some days? Yup! But totally worth it. Wish I had done it sooner.

Oops I missed a line 250 to start 240 day of surgery..

I am 5'5 10/16/15-surgery-250 11/14/15- 220 12/24/15- 214 2/4/15- 209 3/30/15- 202 5/4/15- 180 6/1/15- 176 I have however have hit a wall the past few weeks with no weight lost. I have about 5 months till I reach my year mark, so I hope the scale moves!

Congrats !! Thats great!!

I am 34 had my band put in last november. 5'5 and 250 to start...i wish I would have done it sooner! I am at 176lbs..no where near where I want to be but definitely close to my goal than I was! I definitely sleep better and I feel 110% better! For the most part my skin hasn't been bad...other then my lower tummy (also had 2 c-sections) so I could use a tuck...but it's honestly livable! Maybe with some focus on my abs i could change that....And I have dd's ..lol..Cup size has stayed, but from a 38-34 band... and I drink tons of water and stay active...I can hike with the family...

My biggest gripe? All the ads where the women look so dang happy and comfortable in their bra's.....I hate bras....who can be happy in a underwire for 12 hours a day? Not me :/ lol....rant over!

@@Sharpie posted this a while back and it is delicious! chicken tortilla soup Recipe: medium onion- diced- 3 tbls olive oil 3 cans navy Beans 1 can black beans 1 can corn 2 oz chopped green chili's 1 pak taco seasoning cooked chicken - I used canned breast 1 cup heavy cream cook onions in olive oil until translucent, add green chili's, taco mix, all beans and last cooked chicken heat to a boil, lower the heat to simmer and let it cook 5-10 minutes. add heavy cream and continue simmering as long as you like. it's a great Protein enriched satisfying soup.

Well I finally had another fill almost two weeks ago, and I may be exactly where I need to be. This last fill really changed everything. Before the fill I could eat steady as long as I ate slow enough. Now things have changed.....a lot! No huge gulps of Water. Or anything for that matter! And warm drinks are way more agreeable with my band than cold. Eating so much slower. Still trying to figure this one out. Seems like I eat too fast....occasional burps! Hiccups are my new warning bell. It means I am full. My gut knows it, but it has to chime in so my head gets it. No meals till mid day, and what I can eat from day to day varies like the weather. This road is different and challenging, just as expected.....and I love it! I am so glad I took the road to WLS. I have never really listened to my body until now! Anyways, I just thought I would share what's going on with my band. Does anyone else have similar experiences?

@@Bandista, that is AMAZING!!! Congrats!

I have a hard time eating out. Most of the time I don't even order because I would rather not know what type of mood my band is in while in a public setting. If I do I usually shuffle the food around..just move it and rarely eat it.....that being said, I find I mostly watch other people eat....which is odd. I can't get it out of my head that a 1/2 cup or less will easily fill me up. And then I compare it to what others are eating. Not judging anyone. But silently doing the math to figure out how many cups of food they eat. Don't judge....I know it's weird, and I wish I could shut it off in my head.. :/

I loved reading through this... It's amazing how differently everyone interprets posts. As for me, I understand getting upset when they read something....I have been upset....but never to the point of depression....I don't know these people personally, and they don't know me. For the most part 99% of us have screen names, so I wouldn't know you if I passed you on the street. Take it or leave it....I'm a firm believer that we as humans are smart enough to keep scrolling or reply. If your feelings are hurt don't reply and move on. You are only feeding into the "depression" by responding and getting more upset....let it go and move on... As for me I am the type of person who needs the friend who tells me I messed up when I ate two doughnuts......