cathychatts

You certainly are in my prayers!

Hi Ashley: There is a thread for people banded in June! Join us anytime! congrats on the weight loss!

I have learned to take food in moderation! I have learned that most of my hunger is in my head! I have learned that there are wonderful people in Band-land! I have learned to be proud of who I am and what I do to better myself! (IE: the return of the photo):cursing:

Hi: I am a slow loser, there seems to be several of us. I stick to the plan, eat right and the pounds come off, but very slow! The thing that works the best for me is to keep the carbs low and protein high... that is very hard right now, but I intend to get back on the Atkins plan, that seems to work the best for me! Good luck to you all. Stay in touch, I am sure we will all lose and as my mentor Janet says "this is not a race"

Hi all you strugglers! I am a slow loser! Here is what I do to kinda shake things up: I do low carb liquids for about 3 days. I need to do that again for a few days again. Try it Good luck

Hey Snuffy! Haven't seen you on the LB. I am down to 197 and waist is 41 now Can you update! Thanks and Good luck!

Mary: Welcome! and congratulations on your banding. I strongly suggest you get another fill!~ Don't feel alone for giving into the Carb-comfort thing! Most of us were banded because we couldn't do it alone! The band it only going to help if you are at the right restriction! Just keep at it and you will get to the right place! It has taken me 4 fills and 6 cc in my band to really feel the band! I am also a slow looser... you may be too! Just keep in touch, even if you don't always post the other's post will offer encouragement and support. Some on here are "super-stars" and will give you wonderful hope of what is in store for you once, you (and ME) reach that level of restriction. As my Doctor said to me on Friday, "once you get the right fit on your band and you start to really loose then the will-power will increase as well!" That made me feel so much better! Good luck! Remember we are all friends here and their are a bunch of Wonderful threads all over the board!

GREAT JOB! Long! I am so proud of you! I went to my doc Friday, got .5 put in my band. I had lost 7 lb since my last visit. I complained about losing so slow, He said I was right on track, He said since I was small and had a muscular build that my percentage of loss was equitable to someone else losing 50 lbs. That made me feel better. I can certainly tell by my clothes. I never know from one day to the next what I can wear. Things are just hanging off of me. Have a great day! I am going to play with my new granddaughter!

Hi Folks: I had my surgery in June and Dr. Kramer was my surgeon, He is excellent, One of my students had surgery in July by Dr. Watson and he is excellent also! Dr. Kramer had a practice in Virginia for years before he came to Kingsport. Dr. Kramer onley does a few WL surgeries. I think anyone you choose in either practice will be a safe choice. Kramer has had WLS himself. He had a bypass. I was able to get the surgery quicker with Kramer and live in Kingsport, so it was easier. When I had my pre op I didn't have a program fee, in fact my entire process only cost me $50.00 and that included the hospital. I had 2 copays at the office. I will begin co pays again this next visit, because they don't charge for office visits 90 days after surgery. They may have added the 150. charge recently. I can understand they spend a lot of time on patient education and getting the insurance approval. Again, whichever doctor you choose, Watson, Hodge, Kappa or Kramer, you will be in good hands! Good luck to you all! PS My first visit to Kramer was in March and I had Surgery in June

Hi Amanda: Don't get discoraged, if this was easy we would not have needed surgery! Let me ask you a question, do you eat the quanity of "bad" food you did before the band? I am a very slow loser! We are at about the same weight loss. I do have a "bad" food on occasion, but try to eat healthy most of the time. As long as you are going down on the scale keep your chin up and try harder. One of the things I am doing is to schedule my treats. Like a TCBY low fat yogurt every 3 days, or a samll bag of chips 120 calories once a week. Hope you have a better week, I am going for another fill this week, and then I hope to be at my sweet spot!

Hello Folks: I had surgery with Dr. Kramer on June 6. I also saw Dr. Kappa in the beginning. I was one of the first 3 to get the Realize band, that is why Dr. Kramer did my surgery. You will love all the people that work in that office. Dr. Kramer is excellent and has had WLS himself! I have lost bout 26 lbs since surgery and doing well. Let me know if I can answer any questions.

Strikeuptheband! I am so sorry to hear of your job trouble! I pray that you will find a job that is 100 times better... I know you will! (I believe in positive thinking)! Tell my students all the time that positive thought bring positive things. These words sound shallow, knowing you are facing having to job-hunt! Just know that my thoughts and prayers are with you! This too shall pass. I am doing very will with my last fill, but I know I have restriction now! I can hardly get any food down and I am full! I have pb a couple of times. I am also re-painting and cleaing my house so I am dropping the lbs.! Finally Good luck and know that I am thinking of you!

Hi June Bugs! I got a fill on Friday, and it is really one that I can feel. I have had a pd on two occasions! It hurt so much it has made me afraid to eat. I think it has been because I didn't stop eating soon enough. I realize now that I have been able to take a short break and I could keep eating... there was not enough fill and the food could ease past. Now, when I am full it hurts to keep eating! I sot stuck on a cucumber slice... not peel...! also a hotdog...no bun.! I know it sounds crazy, but the pain made me so happy! I know know the band will work. My doc didn't fuss at me, but he said I was loosing at 1/2 lb per week, and I could be doing better... Thus the new fill. I now have 5.5 in my realize band. Strikeuptheband.... we both seem to be on the same page!

In her book Outsmarting the Midlife Fat Cell, Debra Waterhouse says that the stubbornness of fat in menopausal women does, indeed, have to do with dwindling estrogen levels. You see, it's not just that estrogen creates fat - fat also creates estrogen. You might call it a feedback loop. This ability of fat to create estrogen (and other hormones, as well) is why women who are a little overweight are far less likely to get osteoporosis than women who are underweight. It is also a reason why serious obesity is a risk factor for hormonal disorders. Because fat is a source of hormones, when estrogen production by the ovaries starts to drop as we approach menopause, the body hoards fat to buffer the decrease in estrogen. Waterhouse claims that women who aren't painfully thin actually have fewer menopausal symptoms than really skinny women, for this very reason. This means that our bodies are increasingly reluctant to give up their fat cells as we advance through perimenopause, and apparently supplemental estrogen doesn't encourage them to let go - it just increases fat deposition and holds water, just like it does during our menstrual cycles (or, for that matter, in farm animals fed synthetic estrogens to fatten them.)

I get a fill this Friday and it is a good thing... I could eat the house! I have been pretty good up until this morning and I wanted to eat everything. It is a funny thing, sometimes I feel a great deal of restriction and can only eat a bite, and then wham! Everthing I eat just slides right down! I am making good choices for the most part, and I have lost another 4 lbs that I haven't changed on my ticker...! Yea! I am just a few lbs from onederland! Anyhow! I get my fill and hope it will be the sweet one!