bandedmama

I did opt for plastics - I was 34 - had 3 kids - 2 c-sections and had TERRIBLE stretch marks that made my stomach look like a shar pei dog. I had lost 80 of the 100 pounds I wanted to lose, but my plastic surgeon told me not to lose more weight because I was in good proportion at that weight. He removed 9 pounds of sagging skin from my stomach! My boobs were flat to my chest and hung low - they were the saddest thing you ever wanted to see. It was terrible - I *should* have felt better about my body but I had never felt worse. So I had a TT and breast lift with aug. I had terrible complications from the surgery and now have bad scars, but all in all I am glad that I did it. Fully clothed I have great confidence even though I am not the number on the scale that I want to be. No amount of sit ups would have helped me before - my stomach muscles were so stretched out. My surgeon pulled the muscle back together and re-sewed it so I have a tight flat stomach for the first time my life. That is VERY cool! Everyone's body is so different - I wish I hadn't needed it, but I did. I just wish I had waited longer post-band surgery to see if my body would have caught up with me before jumping under the knife. Good luck!

I have also plateaued for the past year and am 25 pounds to goal (I will be 3 years out in October). Life is good though and I am happy where I am - mentally it takes a lot more effort now to do the right thing. The glow and fear of the band wore off somewhere around 1 1/2 years out and I realized I could still eat anything. Now its back to finding self-control again more so than just following the rules. I definately think it *CAN* be done though! At least I haven't lost all hope yet! Kristin

I'm not sure what part of CT you are in - but I used Dr. Valin out of St. Raphaels in New Haven and he was amazing. Good luck!

I am 5'4 and weighed 242 when I was banded. I am not ashamed or embarassed to tell people that I had surgery, but I have never felt like being banded meant I wasn't doing it on my own. I don't want to sound harsh, but I also don't want to sugar coat this - being banded is not the easy way out. You still have to choose what to eat, you still have to have patience as you wait to find your sweet spot (perfect restriction level for you), and you still have to exercise and follow the band rules. And you have to be prepared for setbacks. I lost 80 of the 100 pounds I wanted to lose, had plastics, and regained 30 pounds. I joined WW because I didn't know where else to turn and I couldn't rely on myself to make the right choices any more. So here I am, banded, and yet I am still relying on outside help to get the weight off. Everyone has a different journey, and for some the band is the magic answer. For me it has been - but it has not been easy, and I still have a ways to go. Making healthy food choices & dealing with emotional eating will always be a struggle for me, th eband doesn't take those issues away. It just helps control your portions if you eat the way you need to most of the time. I hope I am not being discouraging! Being banded has been the best thing I have done. I guess it just strikes a nerve in me still when someone refers to this as having taken the easy way out...sorry! Good luck with your research & your decision!

I would say - first of all - that its great that you've recognized area of weakness AND that you're willing to make changes and address them so you can utilize the band AND your head to get the weight off. It does take both I've found (and am still working on it 2+ years out!). I actually recently joined WW because my portions are out of control - more grazing than "I need a fill" portions, and I needed some structure. You say that you've broken every rule - so I would suggest going back to basics and reteach yourself to eat like a bandster. Are you drinking with meals? Stop. Are you eating Protein first then veggies? If not, start. AND - most important - just because you CAN eat more than a cup, does not mean you should. When I was having the most success I would eat what I could slowly eat over the course of 20 minutes and then I would walk away. If I was hungry within an hour later, I needed a fill, if I could hold off eating for a few hours, I was good. It sounds like maybe you are getting sick because you are eating too fast OR because you are pouch packing - overstuffing your pouch. That can lead to pouch stretching so you need to be careful. When you say you can eat more than a cup of food - what kind of food do you mean? All diced chicken breast? Ice cream? LOL Think honestly about what you're eating and how often. And I would suggest going back to your dr & being honest with him/her about this year and your plan to recommit - he/she can best gauge whether or not you need a fill. Good luck with your recommitment! Sometimes a recommitment is harder than having the initial surgery - I'm there, too. So our journey might be longer - as long as we get where we planned to go we're OK though, right? Sorry this is so long!! Kristin

I had a lift w/aug and a tummy tuck together - maybe it was because I had so much pain from my tummy tuck, but I swear I didn't have any problems at all with my breasts! The only problem I had was this one shooting pain in one of my breasts - on another site I found I heard from others who had the same pain - everyone called them "zingers" - the consensus was that sometimes the dr might stitch into a nerve or something, so as the implant settles it can hit. It was a sharp shooting pain that would last for like 45 seconds, but was the only reason I needed pain meds for my breasts. It came very infrequently and stopped after 2 weeks. I do love my breasts now but the scars are still dark and kind of scary! Its nice to have fullness though! Congrats on your great weight loss success & good luck with this upcoming surgery! Kristin

Randi - I am 5'4 and weighed 242 when I started. I was not exercising pre-band and did not seriously start a program until I was 11 months out and weighing 170ish. At that point I found a personal trainer and worked out with weights 3x a week & cardi 5x a week - spinning &kickboxing classes or elliptical for cardio, and weights was free weights and the circuit machines. I wish I had started earlier because I felt so much better once I started exercising, but I don't think it would have helped my excess skin issue. Kristin

My starting BMI was 41 & I had a terrible hanging belly! I had 3 pregnancies (2 were c-sections) though, so I don't know if that contributed to it. My boobs also were non-existent by the time I lost 80 pounds - so I had plastics: a tummy tuck and a breast lift w/aug. I don't like my arms, but they aren't so bad that I would risk another surgery for them. Same with my legs. It got to a point where I hated to look at myself in the mirror - I think I liked seeing myself naked when I was fat better, because at least everything was filled out! Hanging, empty, saggy, wrinkly, strecthed out and stretch-mark covered skin is not attractive, and I don't think for me that any amount of exercise would have helped it! Kristin

When you have a fantasy about surprising your honey by cooking dinner and wearing nothing but an apron -- but you realize that your apron is actually a part of your stomach and not something you can remove without plastic surgery, the fantasy takes a turn for the worse! Kristin

I'm so glad your doctor found the problem before it turned into an emergency situation -- please find comfort in knowing that! Good luck to you - wishing you well in surgery & through recovery! Kristin

I took Flinstones for the first 6 weeks out of surgery, just because they were chewable and it felt like I was eating something! LOL I did switch to a Women's Vitamin & have never had a problem with swallowing pills. What's most important is that you take something; my doctor does not advise on keeping Flinstones as our long term vitamin, but every dr is different. Kristin

I am having the exact same issue - I had a regain problem that I am fighting - I have been able to maintain at this weight, but now need to find the energy and focus that helped me lose the weight to begin with. I really think its about making small changes & creating healthier habits - eat the ice cream but have it in the afternoon and say nothing to eat after dinner. When thats in place, change the rule to ice cream only 2x a week, etc. As for meal ideas - I actually do like a lot of Proteins and veggies - I am just too lazy sometimes!! There are a lot of things I like that are on the rich side, but since our portion size is small, I tend to rationalize a bit! LOL If you like soup - why not make swedish meatballs - throw a few meatballs into LF cream of mushroom soup & have a few for lunch, or take a few meatballs, melt a slice of cheese over it & drizzle homemade sauce on it - yumm! I love taking deli chicken or turkey, cutting it up & melting cheese (can you tell I love cheese...?) on it & putting a few spoonfuls of fresh salsa on it (from the produce section). I also like roast beef, sliced & pan sauteed, with sauteed mushrooms, peppers onions, and you guessed it - CHEESE!! LOL When I am in a good mode, I make sure that one of my meals is salad based with Protein on top, and the other is one with, well, cheese. My kids love "salad bar" night - I make a bunch of toppings & everyone walks the line, then the leftovers store well for my salad makings for a few days. The key is finding the focus and then getting creative. I am really trying to find my own focus - thank you so much for posting this. It feels good to know you're not alone - I feel for you! Good luck with breaking your plateau. Kristin

Marys - Thank you so much for such an honest post. Its not always perfect weight loss and roses for everyone, including myself. I had lost 80 of the 100 I wanted to lose by March (banded 10/04), had plastic surgery, a 4 month unfill, complications from the surgery, and a regain of 30 pounds. And here I am, 6 months later, approaching my 2 year anniversary and completely depressed over it. Just a few nigths ago a Jenny Craig commercial came on and I told my hubby I wanted to try it. The truth is that I tried Nutrisystem before my band surgery and hated it, but I am desperate right now. I need to find that happy place I was at when I was losing steadily - for me, I hit a bump in the road and haven't refound my focus. I don't regret the band - because I know what happens to me if its unfilled. I need to find control, focus, and a rededication to the process. I wish it was easier! I hope you find the right answer for you - I think its great that you're acknowledging that you need help, and if Jenny Craig or any program helps you get to goal, then I say go for it & good luck!! Kristin