Hunzi

Hi Junies! Just a quick update! Wow can you believe it's been nearly 4 years? (well it's 3yrs for my band v2.0) I've been in a holding mode for about a year or more now - down 79-80lbs. Same few pounds up and down. Realized I had been spending a whole year just a tad too tight. Went back in January and had .2cc removed - wow - no more horrible burping/gassy back pressure! I'm not eating much more - but I know over the last year since I was a little too tight, I have slipped into less than optimal food choices. So I'm working on getting back on track - back to the doctor every 6 weeks or so for a check in, I'm back on the treadmill 3 times a week so far and up to 2.5miles (my goal is get to walking 5K and then to start training for a 5K with C25K - so far I'm not coordinated enough to run on a treadmill.) Now if I can kick the sweets habit again, things will be awesome! Hope everyone is doing well! Always Joann - aka Hunzi

I'm still here! I'm running about a year behind y'all - just my 2nd year anni with Band V.2. I've lost about half what I'd like to, and I've been in a holding pattern lately - I noticed I posted about 6 months ago and I haven't done anything but bounce up and down a pound or two since then. Bummer. However, I know I'm making progresss! I've lost 80+lbs since my highest weight, and I've gone from a size 26/24 to an 18/16! I'm wearing size L exercise pants. Oh and I've been going to the gym 3-4 times a week for the past month!!! And I like it!!! So the fact that I'm not losing yet isn't going to bother overly much, I know it has to change soon. I just took 3 skirts into the tailor and she's taking nearly 4 inches off the waist, so I know something has changed in the past 2yrs! Next up, I need to refocus on the food thing - I know my fill is about perfect - I eat 1/2c to 1c at a time, and I'm FULL! I need to work on daily vitamins again - fell out of the habit when I got too tight to take big pills first thing in the morning (best time for me not to forget!) I've switched what I'm taking - mostly chewable and a couple of small pills, so now I just need to get into a routine at a time of day that I can take them. I'm tight enough most mornings that I can only have a protein shake - never was a big breakfast person. So I know I'm good for about 20+g of protein early on in the day, and the trick is getting in the other 40. If I have a glass of milk sometime, I can cut it in half, then I can probably make up the rest with the odds and ends I eat - I'm not a "eat a hunk of meat" type - not a veggie/vegan but just not a huge meat lover - so non-liquid proteins are more challenging and of course, that's what they want us to eat! Good news is I was never a super hungry person, so I don't HAVE to have a hunk of meat filling me up to not feel hungry. Lately I'm pretty sure my problem has been sweets/sugars - I had gotten a bad habit of ordering a sweet tea at McDonald's if I was on the run and thristy - because it's not carbonated (I'm having trouble with that now) and yummy and cheap - but I'm going to work on an alternative - unsweetened tea isn't an option - most restaurants teas are bad! At home I'll make a big pitcher of herbal tea and add splenda. As summer kicks in, I'm sure I'll do more crystal light stuff. I've also been munching on mini bags of choco-graham bunnies and baking the occasional batch of cookies - I need to work on finding something that satifies my sweet tooth without sabatoging my diet! But the big positive is the new exercise habit - and I'll take it for now! Always Hunzi

So I was chatting with a friend tonight, and he's always one of my cheerleaders in the weight loss dept. He asked how much I've lost - popped out the calculator and the answer is 81 lbs. Cool. So he asked how much more I wanted to lose - hmmm well I'm starting to think about that. I mostly focus on the next "5" - when the scale passes a 5 pound mark - but I'm approaching "milestone numbers". In 14 lbs I'll weigh the same as I did post baby2. Lose 5 more and I'll have lost 100lbs! Lose 15 more and I'll be postbaby1. Lose 20 more and I'll be pre-baby1. Once I hit that weight - it's just 5 pounds to my first - "let's evaluate how I'm looking" goal. Max more I'd want to lose is 30 more - which takes me to "when I was in college, and looking back I looked pretty awesome even though, I still thought I was fat and needed to lose 25lbs cuz Cosmo told me a girl 5-7 should weigh 120 lbs or less". Bah. So now I've crossed the "probably where I'll stop halfway mark" and I have 4 lbs to go to the max-I-want-to-lose halfway mark. Either way, it's almost halfway gone. Always Hunzi

Agreed! She rocks! So does the whole support staff. I had a little problem with my first band, and they saw me through it and supported me into the second band. My DH was also banded by Dr McBride. She really cares about her patients, and that's why we love her! Always Hunzi

Well it's about 15 months post-op now, and I'm down about 75lbs (part of that was pre-band2). I'm finally starting to feel a little thinner - my skirts are all pinned up and getting too big to wear, the dresses are hanging loose, and my daughter just gave me a couple of pair of size 18 (Not W) jeans and they're actually a little loose! (I started as a size 24/26) So progress is being made! I have something between 6 & 7 ccs in the band, and I'm pretty tight right now. Still have at least 60lbs to go, and I'd really like to drop 95ish, but I'll evaluate things as I get into the 180-160 range and see if 150-145ish looks possible (That's college age weight, which is the best I ever looked.) Always Hunzi

I just hit 75 down, and I'm about 15 months into band2. I've had several fills, and am at about 6 - 7 ccs. Always Hunzi

Hi Junies! Well I've crossed the 1yr mark! I got my first fill since Nov last month - wow the surgeon's new PA gave me 1cc, and it made a HUUUGGEEE difference. I think I now finally understand restriction. In fact, sometimes I think I might be a smidge too tight (I've had about 8 incidents of PB since the fill and I chew well/don't overeat - I hadn't pb'd 8 times in the whole year!) on the bright side, the scale is moving! I'm officially down 65lbs (from high weight preband1). I'm excited I just dropped under 250! Always Hunzi

Hola Junies!!!! I'm back to check in - it's almost my bandiversary! (Remember - 2nd band, only had the 1st one for a week!) I'm down about 60lbs since band 1 pre-op. Yay! I admit, I wanted to be one of those 100lb losers but I didn't work very hard..... Good stuff: I eat better than pre-band. I hardly ever get stuck - but I also probably need more fills. DH got his band last June and is doing much better - he's lost about 50lbs, and halved his BP meds. Haviing him banded has been good and bad - I ate better and was more disciplined on my own! But he understands things better and helps to keep me accountable now. (He also leads me into tempation more - so I have to be careful!) More good stuff - after taking the holidays off, I'm back for a fill next month. I'm also finally accepting that I might need to go to support meetings (even though they conflict with something I do) and I plan to get back to the gym! I'm going to join one close by for me - to swim and workout, and I'm going to go with DD to the big gym at the AF base for her (and me) until we can afford 2 memberships - it's the driving that keeps me from going there all the time. We also got a Wii for Christmas - what fun! DH and I try to do some everyday. I'm making progress! Always Hunzi

I'll be praying for you! Always Hunzi still stuck going up and down the same 4lbs! uhg!

Well rats on the calves! I guess I'll have to take those boots to the shoe guy and see if he can put in an insert! In other news - I'm still yoyo-ing the same couple of pounds! But I know I'm tighter most days than last month and I really am eating less! I'm going to have to work on getting more active - I'm getting out of a long (2miles or so) walk with the dog about once a week and maybe getting on the treadmill once more clearly not enough! Oh and a bit of emotional family drama doesn't help! A band can't protect me from making pumpkin brownies! And chocolate chip cookie dough is still the devil - so I won't be buying another bucket for a loooooong time! Sweets are my Achilles heel! Always Hunzi

hi Junies! Just a quick update from me! - This last fill has definitely helped! I dropped the 3lbs again, and even dropped a new one! Just 4.5lbs to go and I can go "clunk" and move the big weight on the doctor's scale down a notch! I'm eating better, but still not as good as I should - need to cut out the lunches out and cookie dough is still the devil! I'm not walking daily, but I've been getting in at least one good walk a week - usually taking the dog out for a couple of miles on the weekend. Here's a question for y'all - for those of you who had "extra wide calves" did they get smaller as you lost weight? I have a pair of knee boots that were "the extra wide" type, but they're still too small - I've just tucked them into the back of the closet for now, but if there's no hope my calves are going to improve when I drop a few or 50lbs, then I'll take them to the shoe guy and see if we can alter them. My other "extra wide" boots are actually a bit loose in the calf, so I'm not sure what to do! I had a little clothing victory! - I have a darling dress for fall (which I want to wear with the boots!) - I bought it last fall/winter and when I got it (size 24) it was a bit close fitting, showed the curves/tummy bulges. I slipped it on the other day and it's very loose! I figure I'll have to get it altered before long! Yay! Always Hunzi

Dr McBride rocks. We ran into a surgical complication with my first banding, and I landed back in the hospital about a week later. She was super caring and very focused on getting me better. I spend two weeks in the hospital, so I got to know her, her current Fellow, and all her staff pretty well. I even met Dr O when he was standing in for her one weekend so she could get some rest (36 weeks pregnant). I really have nothing but good things to say about her! Second band went in 10 months later - life is good. Always Hunzi