JaxBandster

I spoke with my doctor about this very thing today. I'm definitely doing the boobs (lift and aug) as well as a tummy tuck and thighs. I have worked hard to lose my weight and I want to look and feel fantastic with and without clothes on! My band surgeon does tummy tucks, thighs and arms and I'm inclined to let him do that as he is a very good surgeon. He would refer me to someone else for the boobs. My mom has silicone implants that are 28 years old and they still look great at 65 years of age!!! I hope mine do as well!

Just got another fill today. I think this is my 4th one? Don't know how much I have in my band as my doctor doesn't tell me. I lost nine lbs last month! This is really amazing as the last two weeks have been spent riding all over the southeast on my Harley, eating out at restaurants and staying at bed and breakfasts and generally misbehaving. My doctor told me that I am now approaching the most difficult part of my journey. He said that after having success after four months, you can have a tendency to become satisfied and complacent and begin to slip back into old habits. I have been really aware of this as this has been my major downfall in the past when dieting. I have always been a good dieter, but when I got close to my goal and started liking what I saw in the mirror, I began to get lax. I know that I can't do that this time. I still have more work to do if I want to reach goal and have the plastic surgery that I want. And speaking of plastic surgery.....I asked my doctor about getting it done and as it turns out he does tummy tucks, arms and thighs. He doesn't do boobs and would refer me to someone else for that. He gave me his price list and getting my tummy and thighs done would be about $13,000. From what I have seen that isn't too bad. I would completely trust him to do this surgery as I know he is an extremely competent surgeon and he is also a perfectionist. Not only that, he could make any changes to my port if needed during the surgery. I am very excited about this. He recommends losing at least another 20 lbs before I get it done as he says my stomach needs to be as flat as possible. At my current rate of weight loss that should only be a couple of more months. I woke up this morning with a sore throat. It's the first time I've been sick since getting my band. I have found Riccola sugar free throat lozenges which seem to be helping and I'm taking disolvable Zicam tablets to help with my symptoms. I'm feeling pretty miserable right now though as I hate sore throats. I'm hoping I don't get too sick and it makes my band tighter as I can tell I have some pretty decent restriction right now. So that's it for me right now. Just wanted to check in and see how everyone is doing and give an update. I've been looking at everyone's progress pictures and everyone is looking fabulous!!!!!! Keep up the great work Double V's!

You are looking fantastic! I love seeing the new self confidence!!!!! What a difference!

Thanks RSG and Ezma! You guys are so sweet. I didn't want to go on vacation thinking that I would have to deprive myself and I didn't. I didn't go whole hog though either. I would share a dessert with my husband. I would eat maybe half of the potatoes or grits that I was served. I did try to eat a lot of meat but there were times when I had gravy which I've tried to stay away from in the past. I was touring the south and eating at bed and breakfast's along the way. Those places never heard of low carb before! LOL I will say that my band DEFINITELY kept me from eating everything in sight! I just wasn't eating all the right things like I normally do. I am anxious to get going on my weight loss again though. This is a very critical time for me in my journey. In the past, after losing a lot of weight I have tended to become complacent and that's when I slowly but surely start to regain. I cannot let that happen again and I know that I would be able to despite having the band just from eating things that I shouldn't which is so easy to do. Now that I'm back home it will be easier to stay on track. Thanks for your support and encouragement!!!

Hah! The weight loss does NOTHING for loose skin and cellulite! I'll keep my clothes on until after plastic surgery thank you very much! LOL

You look fabulous!!! You are MUCH more brave than I!! I'll put on a swimsuit in my back yard, but no pictures and definitely not at the beach yet! LOL Keep up the great work!!!!

I won't even go into the kinds of foods I ate while on vacation the past six days. Suffice it to say, many of them weren't on my low carb list!!! I gained 3.5 lbs but I expected to and am not beating myself up about it. Just back on track today and ready to get rid of this remaining 40 lbs! We all will slip up along the way to our goal and even after we reach our goal. This will be a lifelong struggle for many of us. But the good thing is that we are aware of what our triggers are, when we goof up, and that we take steps to correct our behavior when we stray. Even skinny people indulge every now and then.

3.5 lbs Just got back from spending six days in four states on my Harley. Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina and Tennessee. Had an absolutely wonderful time. Ate things I shouldn't have (and didn't worry about it). Knew I would see some adverse effects on the scale so wasn't surprised to see the gain and was actually rather pleased it was only 3.5 lbs! LOL We are home for a couple of days then heading down to Tampa to visit some friends which will involve more eating and drinking but I plan to behave myself a lot more as I have a fill date coming up next Tuesday and have to face my doctor. Fortunately, I lost a lot before I left on my trip so the net effect won't be too horrible. So now it's time to get back on track and lose the remaining 40 lbs or so.

Well considering I just got my ninth tattoo and also just got back from a six day trip to the mountains on my Harley, I guess the only thing left is that lotto ticket! In lieu of that, my plans are a flat stomach and some DD's courtesy of a little nip and tuck.

Daaayyyyuummmmm!!!! You guys look great!!!!!!

One of my favorite things to get are small filet mignon's and have them with scrambled eggs with grated cheese melted in them. I really feel like I'm splurging! I'm also a big tuna person whether it be tuna salad or seared ahi tuna. I have also started making sugar free/fat free jello instant puddings and keep them in the fridge along with a couple of tablespoons of cool whip. Extra yummy and a good way to satisfy my very persistent sweet tooth.

I'm definitely having difficulty trying to figure out what size I am as well. Especially since I haven't been this size in a VERY long time! I have been noticing that my 16W jeans have been getting baggy on me. I wear jeans a LOT since I ride a Harley. They are a major staple of my wardrobe. I've been trying to just get my women's/plus size jeans from Walmart as they are cheap and have been fitting me well until now. Yesterday, I went to Kohl's and after trying on about six pairs of jeans to figure out where I was size wise, I determined that the Lee Stretch, at the waist, boot cut jeans in a size Misses 18 fit perfectly! I think if I didn't have all the excess skin on my tummy I would actually be a 16 but until I have PS I'm going to have to accommodate the extra flesh. I am in an XL shirt now with no problem which is down from a 1X/2X depending on the cut. I also had to get new bras yesterday. I had been in a 40D at one point. Those and my 38D's had gotten so loose around my rib cage I was falling out of the bottom of them. Yesterday I got three new 36D's! (Yes I still have boobs but they are hanging a lot lower now unfortunately. They will perk up at the same time I get the tummy tuck! LOL It's a little frustrating trying to keep enough clothes around that fit you but not having reached goal so you can replace your entire wardrobe but it's a problem I definitely don't mind having!

Congratulations to all of you!!!!!!! I know it's been really slow but it's happening and if you stick with it you will get to your goal! How do I know this? Because you are all VICTORIOUS Valentines!!!!!!!

Congratulations!!!!! Before long you will be doing 10k's!!!

Hey Tina! You're in Onederland! WooHooo! That's great!!! I can't wait to get there! You are doing great! Try and remember that this is a slower process than bypass. You will also have plateaus that are incredibly frustrating! Try and be patient. You will be rewarded! Personally I just watch the carbs. I try to stay below 30 gms a day. If I go over I don't beat myself up about it though. I just try to keep it at an average of 30. I still eat rice and potatoes from time to time but I definitely don't eat them any where near like I used to. When I eat I focus on my protein and veggies. That's about it really. Oh and I drink a lot of water! That helps with hunger as well. Keep up the great work!!!

14cc band with 6.5 cc after three fills I definitely have restriction. I'm having to eat slower and with smaller bites but I'm not having to PB or anything so I may actually be at my sweet spot. I find I don't need a ton of restriction to stay on track. Restriction is a very individual thing and some people will achieve their sweet spot with a small amount while others don't get there until they are almost full! I get my next fill the first week in June and my husband and I are taking the motorcycles up to NC next weekend for five days. Our first stop on Thursday afternoon is at a bed in Breakfast that supposedly has wonderful home cooked meals. First day of vacation and I'll be tested right away! It will also be my first time away from the scale since surgery! :thumbup: I'll be going through withdrawals by the time I get back the following Tuesday evening. I can see me now, running in the door, ripping off my clothes and stepping on the scale! LOL Anyway, wish me luck!

Suzanne I think you are probably at a good spot. As long as you are able to get down solid food (even though you have to be careful) then you are good to go. Of course, what matters most is where you are comfortable. If you can get by with being more loose then that's good as well. I have found from reading many testimonials that restriction is really a matter of personal preference. Some people want to be so tight they can hardly get anything down (which isn't recommended but some people still do it) and others are happy with the least amount of restriction. Just figure out where your happy place is.

If you are uncomfortable then you should get an unfill. You probably need just a small one from the sound of it. Protein shakes are a good source of nutrition as long as they are the low carb ones. I use Atkins Advantage a lot in the morning for breakfast or to supplement a meal when I'm on the run and don't have time to eat. Definitely stay away from the Instant Breakfast shakes and chocolate milk. Way too high in carbs. sugar free Jello and cool whip are extremely yummy as well as sugar free popsicles. There are drinks such as Fuze (again choose the low carb ones) that are very yummy as well. These are things that will help get you through until you can get into the doctor.

Holy smoke girl you are shrinking away!!!!!! What a difference!!! Sometimes other people can see more of a difference than you can and that's definitely the case here. You are doing a great job! Keep on swimming!!!!

Every time you get a fill it is like starting over from scratch. You really need to take it very slow and reintroduce all the foods that you might have been comfortable eating before one at a time. What worked prior to your fill may not work afterward. Having said that, if I were in your shoes I would do liquids and mushies for a couple of days and if you are still too tight then I would request a small unfill. Call your doctor to make sure what they recommend first though.

Congrats Erink! My 16W's have gotten baggy on me! Maybe I will try 14's as well! Or at least regular 16's! Keep up the great work!!!

I think you are making a wise choice. It is important to stay motivated and also arming yourself with knowledge. When can you get your fill tweaked a bit?

Okay here's mine At my heaviest Total of 65 lbs lost from my heaviest

Aveamora you are definitely slimming down! I can really tell a difference! February bandsters rock!

Ezma I can really tell a difference!!! You are doing so well!!! Keep it up!!