ovahkummer

Keep up the good works... Hang tight even if you see the scale temporary move back upwards once u start eating solids again... it will go back down once you stick to the more out than in equation... this is one piece of advice I wish somebody would have given me at the begining of my journey. Also *whispering* DON'T FORGET TO EXERCISE!lol... all the best my dear!

Thanks! I was banded since January 2008.

Today marks the begining of my sixth (6th) week back on track. Still can't believe that I had this restriction all the time and was not allowing it to do its job! Still keep wondering if its just willpower. Still amazed at how often hunger really happens in our heads! Today was extremely easy, the easiest day I've ever had when it comes to eating! I had absolutely no appetite an now I truly understand what it means to eat to live. I now eat insanely small amounts of food and feel satisfied. I try to average the necessary calories per week for a 2-3lb loss per week. I can and do eat(or sometimes taste) most foods that I want to. Some days I go as high as 1100 cals and others I go as low as 600 (protein shake days). I have lost 4lbs this week. YAAAAY!!! I weighed in at 315 this morning and that's 20lbs loss since I re-started my journey on 3rd Feb '12, which originally began in 2008 with me weighing in at 352lbs. I have lost 37lbs overall!!! I am down from size 26 dress to a snug-fitting 22 in the five weeks. I am still receiving complements, the degree of which depends on how long ago the complementee (word? lol) has seen me. My major goal for this month is to get my BMI below 50... even if its 49.99 lol. I am pretty close cause it's now 50.8. Also I have started to exercise. I have pledged to myself to walk at least 15 minutes a day everyday, even if it kills me! lol I have been keeping my pledge since last Saturday. YAAAY!!! lol Till next time..... I continue on my weigh down!

Thanks guys...

So glad to know there was no serious problem with your band! whew! I can't imagine life without my band even though I've only recently started to use it correctly! Hope you reach your onederland goal soon!

U can do it... I'm kinda similar. Put your head back in the game and relive your earliest days of being banded. Same diet, exercise attitude etc. All the best!

Welcome back!

I cannot believe how fast a month has flown by! Ok well at first it seemed as if it was crawling but hey tomorrow begins my second month! YAAAAAAY! My original and only goal was to be under 300lbs by this time. A month has flown by and I now know that it was a really really, really tall order in such a short time. I came off the liquid diet on valentines day cause my husband decided he was taking me out to a formal dinner and there was no way I was going to pass up on making such wonderful memories. :wub: I just had the soup and dessert and brought home my entree for the babysitter. Next day I continued to eat normal foods in half cup portions. I did not meet the original goal but I'm in no way disappointed. I'm wiser now! Ususally in the past I would have just given up and rolled right back into the old swing of things. "What's the use... I'm not seeing the results I expected!" That was B4! But thanks to good ole perseverance and loads of invaluable advice from you guys right here on LBT I consider my first month in an overwhelming success! What did I accomplish? 1. I now recognise that the last fill I got since over a year ago had put me in the green zone(aka sweet spot.! I was there all along! 2. I now understand what it means to have your head in the game and how necessary it is for this banded life to be successful. 3. Every morning I smile 'cause my normal clothes are getting loose and the tight fitting ones are now fitting right. Also I have clothes that I can put away now cause I know I'll never wear them again. I have a few outfits that I ordered just b4 christmas and were small in some body areas due to their cuts. Those are starting to fit and will come in handy when my current clothes get too big. Shoes that I was able to wear for only half of the day stay on my feet all day now cause my toes don't rub on the inside of them anymore. (Go figure! My feet lost weight!) 4. I understand what it means to just eat two spoonfuls and be satisfied and I no longer have the mentality that any food is forbidden cause I'm on a diet. 5. I have recognised and have come to accept that slow and steady is the way to go when it comes to weightloss. 6. I have managed to keep my caloric intake between 800-1200 for the past month. ( I have never, ever, ever been able to do that before) MY STATS: Ok so by now you're like... "Tell us how much you've lost already! " So without further delay... here are my figures for the month.... B4 Feb. 3rd 335 Feb. 10th 325 Feb. 17th 321 Feb. 24th 318 March 2nd 319( TOM in full swing) So for the month I lost a grand total of 16lbs for the month and 33lbs since I've been banded!!!!!! My goal for next month is to exercise cause that was definitely lacking in this month. Thanks for readng and check out my before and after pics for the first month. I would greatly appreciate your comments. Thanks for posting about your journeys cause when I get stuck or lost I run unto the site search for posts related to my problem and I'm on my weigh again! Til next month......

I saw it also...... Same thoughts I had. She was obviously mad at herself for having an advantage and not reveal it to the show producers. Cause the band does give one an extra push if your on a serious weightloss journey. Even though persons have complained that they have not met their weightloss goals or have not lost a great deal of weight... I have yet to read about someone who did not lose any weight at all!

Oh my! lol.... sometimes its good to let the emotional u have her say. I know It can be utterly frustrating!!!! But do remember that we are made up of not only the fat u have lost but also muscle, bones and water and any one of those could be contributing to ur 'lack of loss'. Try getting one of those body composition scales. That might satisfy the emotional you. All the best

Thanks for sharing. I read the book in about an hour. Great advice!

Hey Suzie, you sound just like me. I was banded in Jan '08 and did lose 40lbs also. I have been back on track since 3rd of this month. I've been on all liquids. The first days were the hardest. But I'm now able to listen to my stomach and decipher head hunger from real hunger. I have lost about 15lbs so far.

I was banded on 7th Jan 2008 and due to pressures from pursuing two degrees at once and a pregnancy I was unable to use my tool successfully. Fortunately, I have restriction now. Few months back my surgeon discovered that due to the lower and upper part of my stomach touching during the pregnancy I developed an ulcer that allow food to find another route into the lower part of my stomach. It seemed to have been treated as I no longer have to take antacids everynight in order to sleep. Initially I had lost 31lbs before pregnancy, then I gained all back plus 3! I didn't have to deal with gestational diabetes with this pregnancy as with the previous ones, so score one for the band. Over two years post-pregnancy and I did manage to lose it all again plus 15, so my band is still working ever so slightly in the background. So if ur good at math (I'm not!!!) that would mean I'm starting over 15lbs less than my original starting weight. Since the 3rd Feb. 2012 I've been on all liquids. I definiitely have restriction cause I've not been able to do this ever before, not even right after surgery!! Plus I've decided that I'm taking time out for me now. Pregnancy over and degrees acquired, I'm more relaxed now so I have time to pause in a stressful situation and determine whether or not I'm really hungry. I have set myself a personal challenge of losing 35lbs by the end of my first month of starting over. So far I'm down 15lbs which would make me 30lbs below my original starting weight. I've vowed not to put another morsel of food in my mouth until I'm at 300 or below. I can actually feel restriction when I'm drinking and I'm not able to drink more than 4oz at a time... so I know the restriction is waiting right there for me when I resume solids. This time I know I can make it... (Toast) Here's to another 20lbs by 3/3/2012. Cheers! (with my protein shake ).

U have done great so far... ur ups and downs just goes to show that this thing is real and it's hardwork. Celebrate the NSV's girl.... size 12 after u were expecting only 14 b4 valentines... congrats!

Sounds to me like ur testing ur band to see if it would resist the type or amount of food u want to eat.... a mistake too many of us (including myself) are guilty of making. Were'nt you given a diet plan to follow? Too many of these surgeons install this tool in us without proper instructions about how it shoukd be used. The band will not stop u from eating no matter how many fills u get. It can help with u feeling satisfied sooner! But you have to make the conscious effort to recognize when ur not hungry anymore. Pick up urself and get ur head in the game. The band cannot work on its own... its not automatic.... u have to operate it... All the best!

I've been on a liquid diet for 1 week and have lost 12lbs.... two slimfast shakes and one carnation breakfast essentials. Hope this helps. All the best...

U go girl... u seem ready. With the motivation you have the band will definitely help you further along. Once you get the band tho you cannot relax and think the band is going to take over for you. It will help u with hunger and portion control once its installed correctly!

Welcome Bridget! All the best!

It might be difficult at first, but eventually you will be able to. Remember the pouch will still have the hole at the bottom and liquids will be able to pass through, but at a slower pace.

Make sure u keep hydrated... most times we get headaches during this phase its our body telling us we need water. So when u get the headacheS and dizziness turn to water as ur remedy first. All the best! Water also drowns out the loud 'gurglees' in the tummy.

I've had my band for almost 5 years. (Jan '08) I've gone back to basics since last Friday (5 days, today). I'm joining u! We can do this. What have I been doing so far? All liquids. 3 meals a day (2 slimfast high protein, 1 carnation breakfast essentials). Sugar free jello, tea or water as snack. Making sure I work up a little sweat (taking stairs, parking far and walk, lifting myself in my chair etc.) each day. Avoiding all and I mean all stressful situations cause that's when I have the urge to eat. I've lost 10lbs so far. This is my 1st phase and I intend to do the all liquids for 1 month cause I do have restriction. I just haven't been using it. Most importantly I'm trying not to let what the scale says determin how I feel. I will allow people to tell me I've lost weight and not ask them. Amazingly I've begun to get compliments! U can do this. Put ur head in the game and lets do this!

Keep going my dear. The pain ur still feeling is quite normal. Don't be discouraged when u see the weight start to fall off a little slower once u start to eat 'normal' foods again. U might even gain back a few. But that's normal and once u keep on track u will lose. I have been banded going on 5 yrs now and lost about 40lbs in the first 8 months or so. I got pregnant and regained all plus 10 extra. It's been 2 years since I've had the baby and now my head is back in the game I'm back on track. I have full restriction but even with that its possible to gain. So for the past 5 days I've been in the liquid stage and don't feel like I felt in the real begining. I don't have the constant urge to eat normal foods even in pureed form like before. I kept a diary and I go back and read over the mistakes that have caused me not to be at my goal weight yet. I have experience as my teacher so i know there is no shortcut. The band is a tool. It will not stop u from overeating or making wrong food choices. I know it sounds cliche' but its true. I had to find that out the hard way. Ur head has to be in the game. I will not give up... I will ovahkum!

Hey back on track... I have been banded going on 5 years (January 2008) and I was down only 27lbs. I have just started to go back on track. I've been on clear liquids and jello since Friday and I started at 335 now I'm down to about 328. I know its probably water weight, but i do have restriction and I'm more determined now more than ever to press on even when the scale will start to stay in one place or even start to go back up. So join me... tomorrow I go on protein shakes and water. I am determined to lose 30lbs by month end.