Keeper

@@Babbs yes!! SAME. and Peanut Butter Cheerios. dear lord. Def a no-go in my world! :-)

@@funky_monkey800 I totally get it. In theory I hate taking meds. Partially because I did take antidepressants for so long without any of the positive side effects. I mean, they worked like a band-aid - like you said, short term. But I truly believe it is chemical for some. I just know that lashing out at my family is the worst, because I do know they love and support me.

I have been on so many antidepressants that it isn't even funny. I hit a really, really low point in my life and decided to see a psych instead of my PCP. He asked if there was any family history of mental illness and I said why yes, yes there is. My grandmother is bipolar. He basically told me that I was "uni=polar" - exhibiting only or mostly the depressive side. He then put me on a mood stabilizer and it has been very effective since. However, when I first got on this, I was also taking Wellbutrin. That was the best I had ever felt - I felt normal for the first time in a long time. But he had me taper off the wellbutrin while increasing my other med to where I am now, and have been here for several years. I, too, feel that without my med I would *not* be a well person!

Having said that, I am at a really low point. The lowest in about 5 years. I do have a counselor that I see when I can (she doesn't take insurance) and hubby and I have done couple's counseling in the past. It is one of the things I attribute our strong marriage to. I am open to doing this again if need-be, but funds are tight. If getting on Wellbutrin helps in the interim, I am all for it.

I definitely appreciate y'all's feedback!!

Sep, Oct, and Nov - we have fall covered! :-) And if you look at the three of our weight losses, we are all at different levels. (Not excluding you @@Bandista - just mentioning those of us banded this past year!! :-) )

There are days I struggle really hard with knowing or accepting that everyone is different. I truly thought I would be further along in this process by now. I was naive enough to think I would lose 20 pounds by Christmas! Sheesh, what was *I* thinking?!

I am at a better place now, though. Mentally, in that I am starting to accept that, and also learning to be really, really honest with myself. I have mentioned this in several places already, but this month has been really tough for me. I am eating all kinds of bad foods and have maybe exercised 2 days a week. I have a fill scheduled for tomorrow, and every time I go in, I am afraid they are thinking to themselves, "my, my, what is she doing? She should be further along than this!" I know that is in my head. I think way too much, assume others are judging when they aren't, and always scenariolizing situations and feeling like I know what everyone else is thinking. But I don't.

Reaching out for a buddy is awesome. It is way too hard to do this alone. I have not told any of my family except my sisters and only a handful of trusted friends. And even then, I don't see them very often so I can avoid any potential judgement. Obviously these forums are a great place to start. Please feel free to reach out to me or any others on here. We are happy to do so!

Other options include seeing a therapist or a nutritionist, and absolutely keeping up with any post-op appointments you have.

Good luck, and try to stay positive. You can do this! Even if it is in YOUR own time. We believe in you, and will continue to do so even when it is hard for you to do it for yourself. :-)

I am sure there have been several threads in the past and in different locations regarding depression and our band process, but this is about me so I am starting a thread.

February has not my friend. My oldest son's birthday is the day before Valentine's and that so far has been the highlight. My husband and I actually have a very strong relationship, but it seems, without fail, that we always end of fighting on Valentine's. I think I officially hate it. I'll save my romance for a non-commercialized day, thankyouverymuch.

There have been 4 bad-food events in just these 2 and a half weeks. And I know food choice should be up to me and that it is possible to make good choices even when someone else is serving nothing but junk, but my head has been in such a bad place that I have definitely turned to old habits for coping. I am actually surprised that I haven't gained any weight, though it has fluctuated a few days.

I can't always tell the difference between stressful situation-depression and real depression. My husband is looking for a new job, I don't work and home school my oldest. We want to move (in a better neighborhood at the least, out of state if that is where work takes us). Neither of us have family in TX as we are not from here, and I guess I just don't feel like I have a lot of support right now.

Right now I am leaning toward both - situational and real. I already take a mood stabilizer and am thinking of adding back an antidepressant. But right now this is really affecting my eating. I only eat about 2 meals and a snack (sometimes 2) a day but I know I am eating too much. And eating slider foods.

Has anyone else fought depression while going through this whole banded process? I know people have. I would love to have some advice because I am feeling particularly alone at the moment. How do you stay strong when you feel like sh!t???

Hi LoveNlife - were you able to figure it out? Also, are you using your phone or tablet, or a PC? I think it makes a difference.

Cereal was a trigger food for me pre-op and it is a slider food for me post-op. I truly hope that one day I can have a healthy enough relationship with food that I can go back and enjoy cereal, whether it is Lucky Charms or Total, and it not be an issue. But the Protein powder is a really good idea! I wouldn't have thought of that either.

When I first joined, the pic that is currently my profile pic, which was correctly aligned when I loaded it, turned sideways, too. I'm not sure why but I tried it a couple of times and it corrected itself! :-)

ugh, I am so with you, and I agree with both responses. I, too, am still in the fairly early stage. I have my next fill tomorrow and I am so hoping it gets me to green. but this past week in particular has been so hard for me. I had tried to do a strict food challenge for the month of Feb but I did not schedule very well at all. My son's birthday, a baby shower, and Valentine's day all threw me for a loop so whereas I was trying to do no sugar, I ended up tail-spinning into it! Very mad at myself, but even more than the above mentioned events, my stress has been out of control this month. I am fighting head vs real hunger constantly. It feels so defeating.

Having said that, when I read posts like yours, in a weird way it is actually kind of comforting. it means that I CAN get to goal, lose the weight, change, etc., but still not be perfect. Does that make sense?? It means that even though it feels like I am making one month-long mistake, I can still come out on the other side.

I have heard all kinds of things like ask yourself if a carrot or apple would satisfy you. If it does, then you are hungry. If not, it is head hunger. I am not a fan of this approach because I feel like I would just say screw it and give in already, lol. But knowing that this is an issue truly is a tool in your success.

ok, so I have had a crappy few days, maybe even a couple of weeks, so it has been super hard for me to find the positive lately.

But, today I was shaving, and this is going to sound so dumb, but I could shave the back of my thighs with ease. It made me smile. :-)

Hi Purple, let me start by saying that I am jealous you did it once, for 45 days, no less, and even more impressed you tried it a 2nd time. Brutal honesty, I failed miserably. I know that is a super negative way of thinking, but I can't help it. Ugh. I am so all or nothing, but life got messy quick, and I stopped after 5 days. I knew I wasn't going to be able to do the whole 30 days because I am getting a fill tomorrow and between 2 days liquids, 2 days soft, I did not see a way around it. Protein shakes, Soup, and cottage cheese are my go-to's on those days. I also had my son's 11th birthday, a horrible Valentine's day, stress over hubby trying to get a new job, and a baby shower. I had been doing so good but quickly turned back to old habits, namely sugar. I really would like to try again at some point. I never got past the headache-y sluggish days, and that made me cope even less with my stress.

Congrats on getting banded! I hope all is well so far. I imagine you are in the 'getting over pain and ready to go back to normal' stage. :-) You've done it successfully before, but I would caution to focus on one thing at a time. At least, that's what I need to do!

so I love tattoos. I have several. I know some people hate them so I am hoping not to get any snarky remarks.

Most of us who want to lose a significant amount of weight dread the idea of loose skin and I am no exception. I more or less already have batwings - not the worst but certainly not the best. If after I lose all the weight I want, I would consider a Brachioplasty (arm lift/tuck, whatever) except for the fact that I have a lovely inner upper arm tattoo. I would end up with a scar running right through the middle of my tat.

My question is this. I know loose skin has a lot to do with genetics, skin elasticity, Water intake, and age. I know everybody's body will bounce back differently after they lose the weight. I just want to know if there is anything I can do to start the toning and firming process now? As of now the only exercising I am doing is walking about 3-4 miles 5 days a week. I do not own any weights but if that is what it takes I just need info!!

Thoughts, ideas, advice??

pic attached for reference

@@amponder that's great!

ok, so I have one. This is kind of funny but I am sure all you girls will understand. A couple of years ago - seriously, years - my MIL called to say that she was at a department store and they were having a huge bra sale so she wanted to know what size I was so she could buy me a couple. I don't mind telling the world I am a DD but the thought of telling MIL my band size was humiliating. She has never said anything about my weight before, but she is probably no larger than a 12 so I fudged and told her 2 sizes smaller than what I knew I could wear. So these brand new bras have been sitting in my closet still with tags on for about 3 years. Guess what?! I can wear them now!! Have to admit. it made me grin ear to ear!

@@Miss Meg I totally know where you are coming from! My 3rd fill was 3 weeks ago and it made a huge difference! My 4th fill is next week and I really think it will put me in green. I don't know what the ml to cc conversion is but I have 5.5 cc's in my 10cc band. I am not sure how much they will add to my band next week, probably .5 to 1, but I would say I am "yellow and a half" right now.

Just continue to be patient with the process. you have done such a great job! kg to lb ratio is a little over 2 pounds. That means in 11 weeks you have lost a little over 30 pounds! That is awesome. I am a November-er too and I am at 24-ish.

You have done great. You are DOING great! I'll cross my fingers that this gets you to green.

@@amponder, I don't know this for a fact, but I don't think you can do it from your phone or tablet. If using your PC there is an image icon to upload photos in the reply box.

@@gowalking I don't know that I had ever seen any of your before pictures and they are very inspiring! You look great and remain an inspiration for the rest of us!

It is so interesting to come aross this topic today because I was just thinking this morning about pictures of myself. I actually take a lot of selfies, but mostly for me. Ironically, I can be quite photogenic...from shoulders/neck up. I know *how* to angle my face, tip my head, make my face look thinner than it is, etc. But I can't stand full body pics. But I read an article a long time ago where a young woman said that she resisted the urge to throw away all of her fat pictures because she embraces that even though she doesn't like them, it was a part of who she was. I have always thought that was such a healthy way to think and your words remind me of this. Very timely!

I'm at 5.5cc but not quite yet to green. But like amponder, I didn't really start noticing a difference until around 3-4cc. I'll echo everyone else - everybody is different and just use this time to process! Good luck!

Thank you so much, everyone, for your comments! It's hard to put yourself out there sometimes, but this is worth it. @MissMeg, you look great! When you take your measurements, you will be so surprised! It's one thing to see a number on a scale or the difference in a photo, but seeing that you lost 5 inches off your waist is really something! @@GingerLeAnna, you made me smile ear to ear! Hubby loves me as I am and has supported me and my efforts for many years, but he says he can't wait to see my true figure come alive - perfect hour glass.

Thanks again!!

I know this is a few months after the fact, but I thought I would add my two cents.

I have an 11 year old and I am pretty sure I went un-diagnosed as having gestational diabetes (GD). He was born at 10 lbs. 2 oz. I also gained 40 pounds during that pregnancy.

With my second, 7 years old, I wanted to make sure that I got tested earlier. My sis had a baby between my oldest and my second and she was diabetic and she was fit and healthy. Had a new doc the 2nd time who told me I almost certainly was GD the first go-round and he tested me early in my 2nd trimester. Def GD. I ended up on an insulin pump during my 3rd trimester since I was giving myself around 4-5 shots of insulin every day.

Having said all that, I saw a maternal dietitian and had bi-weekly sonos and what not to make sure my son was measuring properly. She told me to follow the diabetic diet (high Protein, lower carbs, etc). I, too, was heavier, and this was way before getting banded, so I know this is different, but I lost weight while pregnant. The day I found out I was pregnant and the day I gave birth I weighed the exact same. Don't get me wrong, there were definitely fluctuations, but to answer your question: yes, it is possible to be pregnant and lose weight and still be healthy (both you and baby). My youngest was a perfect 7 pounds and did not have any issues postpartum.

My hubby and are talking about maybe having another so we'll see how it goes!

@@PuraVida37, how has it been since you last posted? I hope all is well! Also, how do you feel since getting completely unfilled? I know pregnancy can cause us to feel and feed all sorts of cravings, so I was just curious. Take care!

Congrats! That's awesome. I know what you mean about taking another look at who you eat. I have had only 2 stuck episodes. The first wasn't so bad, just very uncomfortable and hard to breath for a minute. the second one, just a few days ago, was so painful! So not fun, but in a weird way I am grateful for it, too. It is a reminder that I really do have this tool inside my body now, and it really is working. But I definitely want to take it to heart and not do that again if I can help it!!!

I was never a big soda drinker. Drinking Water was one of the few things I did right! But lately I have been craving one. It's so weird. My hubby drinks diet root beer and there are days that I just want one! Cracks me up. I have had a few sips here and there. It does sate the craving but if I were to have more than a sip I feel boated. And that isn't worth it.

I am the kind of person that likes to weigh every day (for good or for bad) and am very results-oriented. So sometimes it is hard to look at the scale and not see a change and yet think in terms of NSV's.

Taking some before and 'after' pictures for me has been very rewarding! I couldn't believe what a difference just 20 pounds made.

Also, my mother-in-law called me quite some time back and asked what bra size I wore because she was at a department store and they were having a mad sale. I was so embarrassed to tell her the truth (band size, not cup) that I told her 2 sizes down. and of course I couldn't wear them. That was probably over a year ago. But guess what?! I can fit into them!

I'm just curious how many people actually see their surgeon post-op. I have not seen mine since surgery and I wondered if this was normal. I haven't had any problems at all, so it isn't that, but sometimes I wonder if I am supposed to have a follow-up appt with him so he can check my progress or whatever. I have had 4 fills, but I go to an after care center for that. The only people I see are the nurses who check vitals and weigh in and the tech who actually does the fill.

Anyway, just curious. It's been 3 months. I was wondering if I should initiate this myself? Or what the standard 'check in' with your doc might be. Or if it is even necessary if you aren't having any problems??

I agree that everyone is different! I, too, have a 10cc band and I am at 5.5cc and I have my next fill next week. I am not yet to green although I think I *might* be with this next fill, depending on how much they put in. I have not had trouble with any food or liquids, except one stuck episode with bread and on that I should have known better. Hang in there and make sure you are communicating with your doc's office. Good luck!

It is conversations like these that make me glad I live 2 states away from family (my sisters know I had WLS and are EXTREMELY supportive of me. If anything, I am running to them to share my success) and only see them once or twice a year! And I don't work so I don't have to deal with comparisons or questions. For the most part I get to hide in my own little world and keep losing weight. I know at some point it will become very obvious, esp with the aforementioned family since I will see them this summer. I am looking forward to their "wow's and you look great's" but not the questions.

But for what is worth, I hate that people feel like they are entitled to information, even when it is out of interest and support.

I am definitely going to remember some of your responses when it is time for me to deal with it!!