SB0233

I've been maintaining my weight loss, but not losing lately. Can't seem to find the motivation to get rid of the last 20 lbs. I'm happy with where I am at and what I've achieved, but disappointed in that I know I could do better. I went back to basics about a week ago (high Protein, more exercise) so hopefully it will help. Hope everyone is doing well.

Anything with skin...includes fruits, meats, etc. Doughy bread is also a huge problem. So I rarely eat bread at all. If I do try it, it has to be toasted/crusty.

So having started this thread, I thought I should update everyone on my progress. I had an slight unfill in Nov and it has helped immensely. I really did not think I was too tight, but I was. I still have restriction, but I can eat normally if I chew and follow the other band rules. I was also worried I would gain. I have not, in fact I have lost over 10lbs since the unfill. If you are still experiencing pain during every meal, I would seriously talk to your doc about an unfill. It took me 8 months to figure it out, but it's really not supposed to be painful.

Happy Holidays everyone. Like many of you, I am fast approaching my band anniversary (only 2 weeks away). I feel really good about the progress I have made in the last year. I'm in a size 8/10, and can even fit into some of my pre-pregnancy clothing which has been sitting in boxes for the last 5 years. I've been fairly consistent with eating, but exercise has been minimal the last few months. I've recently started again, so hopefully I can start losing in the new year and finally get down to a "normal" bmi. I had a slight unfill about a month ago because of heartburn, but I have been able to continue losing, at a slow, but at least steady, pace. It's been really nice taking this journey with the Knockouts. I want to thank everyone for sharing their experiences and lessons learned over the last year. When I need inspiration, I always know where to turn. Look forward to hearing more from everyone as we begin year 2.

Heather-- Congrats on the pregnancy and at being close to your target weight. I have been following your progress and am excited to see one of us almost at goal. It's inspirational. Your lucky, the second I got pregnant with my son, I felt like I gained 10 lbs. Also, I took your advice, and did get a slight unfill last week. It has helped some with the reflux issues, but I've also started loosing again at a fairly decent rate. Not sure why doing an unfill would lead to more progress, but perhaps I was too tight before. Eating is a lot more comfortable now, so I do have to be careful. Have a great Thanksgiving everyone. Stay away from the pumpkin pie (that's my weakness).

Thanks for starting the thread Chrisann. Last year at this time, I had just started this journey and attended the seminar. I remember listening to the experiences of those who had already had the procedure with my doc, and wondering if I would ever achieve such success. Although not completely there, I have made enormous progress and am actually looking forward to see how far I can get by January. Lately, it's been going slow (halloween killed me), but I'm happy things are still moving. I started south beach this week, hoping to jump start things again and get to at least 90 lbs lost by my band anniversary. I've been having a lot of reflux lately. Have not had a fill since June, but I am worried that I am too tight. Prilosec helps, but it's still a problem in the evenings. I will talk to my doc next week. I am wary to get a slight unfill at this point. Anyone else experience this.....if so, what did you do? Looking forward to seeing more updates, especially as we close in on 1 year.

I have the same issue. My level of restriction fluctuates constantly. Could be hormones, stress, who really knows. It also means that I have many weeks with no or little weight loss, and then some with huge losses. But I have found it easier to just leave well enough alone as far as fills. I had my last fill in June and although there are days when I am super tight, and days when I am not, I worry that if I take some fluid out, I will have no restriction. Good luck at your next appointment.

Congrats Chrisann. 39.5 is a huge milestone. Looks like you are almost 1/2 way to your goal. Keep up the good work.

I finally reached 29.9 on the BMI chart today!! I am no longer labeled as "obese". I say labeled because I really hate these categories the medical community lumps everyone into. The last 6 weeks I have been loosing really slowly, but I guess it's not about how fast you go in this race, it's about finishing. Never really thought I would identify with a tortoise. Next stop "healthy"???

Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences. I guess it's nice to know that I am not alone...but I really hate hearing that others feel the same discomfort. If anyone finds a "solution" to it (besides a liquid diet), please let me know.

Just looking for some feedback from those banded around the same time as myself. I experience discomfort at almost every meal. I chew...chew...chew and eat slowly. But anything solid causes me some discomfort and sliming. I have had 3 fills (last one in early June) and it has been this way since the first one. I don't think I am too tight and have had several fluro's to check. I am just beginining to think that this is part of the band experience for me. My weight loss is on track (although slower this last month). My doctor says I should not feel discomfort as long as I take small bites...but this has not been my experience. Anyone else have similar issues with their band?

Thanks so much for your post. I had not quite figured it out yet, but was just complaining to my husband that over the last month my level of restriction has been fluctuating, even though I have not had a fill in about 2 months. Some days I am really tight and have to resort to liquids....other days I can eat a lot more. I thought it was hormonal or related to Water retention, so I was trying to track it. But when I saw that you equated it with stress....that was an eye opener. I guess I now have one more reason to try to keep my stress levels low.

Heather, thanks for starting this thread. I'm almost 7 months out now, but welcome the opportunity for some reflection. This has been a hard journey, harder than I expected. But it is also the best thing I have ever done for myself. I am losing at a rate I am happy with, about 8 lbs a month. And the diet and exercise are going well--I eat about 1200 cal/day and do strength training 3x per week (Although exercise has dropped off a bit in the last month). This combination is really working for me. I can't wait till I get past the "obese" label. Almost there. Some days are harder than others. The hardest part for me is that nobody, except my husband, knows. Not sure why this is hard for me. I guess I feel like a liar. When asked about how I am losing weight, I am honest in that I tell people I am eating less and exercising more. But I still feel ashamed that I do not tell them the whole truth. Sort of ironic, since the whole reason I am not fully disclosing the procedure is because I feel ashamed that I let my weight get so out of control that I had to turn to surgery. On a slightly different note....has anyone else found that their level of restriction constantly fluctuates? One day I am really tight and can only eat soft foods or liquids. Then a few days later, I feel very little restriction. The next week I will go back to full restriction. All without getting a fill. Is this normal? I have a fill appointment in two weeks and plan to ask the doctor, but also wanted to see what others are experiencing.

I have been coping with migraines for over 10 years. I have tried every acute treatment (Imatrix, Relpax, Maxalt, etc) and almost every preventative treatment (e.g., Beta Blockers, Topamax, etc). Nothing preventative has worked long-term for me. I had the most success with Topamax, but you need to go to a doc that understands the side effects at higher doses (can become highly sensitive to sunlight and get painful rashes). For acute relief, Relpax has worked the best for me. However, I am off it now because I have severe rebound on it (my body starts producing migraines just to get the next dose of Relpax). The rebound effect can happen with any Triptan drug, including Imitrix, so just monitor how you are reacting. I would get relief from the migraine, but then I started getting more frequent migraines and eventually had to go cold turkey off all medications to stop the pattern. Since getting the band, I have found the nausea has intensified (my doc does not know why). I have no real solution for you because I refuse to take anything because of potential side effects. The only thing that is helping is increased exercise, which helps keep my serotonin up. One last thought...acupuncture can work wonders for some migraine sufferers. I have not tried it because it is not covered by insurance, but I have two friends that swear by it...both for headache and nausea relief. Good luck. Hope you find a remedy that works.

My NSV--I've stopped buying new clothes. I know this sounds like a weird one, but when I was 50 plus pounds heavier I would constantly buy clothes because I never liked how I looked in anything and was on a constant quest to find something that looked "alright". Now that I am back to a size 14, I pull out my old clothing and am happy(ier) with how I look....thus no inclination to buy. It's like I have a whole new wardrobe. I might just save money when all is said and done, even though I was self pay for surgery.