kjeter

In one year I made it to my goal weight. Less than one year, actually. My bandiversary was February 1. I couldn't be more thrilled. I am posting some pics to show where I started, and where I am now

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Hey, girls! Did you all think I disappeared? Well, I sort of did for a while. I've had a busy, busy life lately. My niece got married this past weekend, and I was the wedding planner/coordinator/caterer so life has been nuts lately. Now that it is over, I actually have time for myself now.

My bandiversary is coming up February 1. I have been at goal now for a couple of months. I'm wearing size 8 slacks and jeans, so I'm pretty happy with myself. I'm thinking of getting some things sucked/tucked/lifted, but that will be a while yet.

I did have a pretty rough band experience a few months ago that I would like to share. I actually got to the point that eating was so uncomfortable that sometimes it just wasn't worth the effort. At the time, I had 7.4 ccs in my 10 cc band. I thought tighter, tighter, tighter was the way to go. Well, guess what... I had a huge, ugly slip because my band was way too tight. My doctor had to take out half of the Fluid in my band for three weeks, and I had to go on liquids for a week. After the three weeks were up, he sent me for another barium swallow and, thank goodness, everything had gone back to normal. He and I were both afraid that the slip was so bad that it might require surgery to fix it. That would have been disasterous for me. Anyway, I got a little more fill put back in at the time, so now I'm at 4.5 cc, which is still practically no restriction at all. I will go for another fill next Friday, but he says I am never, ever to get so tight again. He told me he has hundreds of patients with the same 10 cc band that I have, and fewer than five have more than 6cc fill. I was really surprised at that. I had kind of begun to think of the pain of eating as my deterrent, but he has shown me that kind of thinking is wrong. If it is uncomfortable to eat, you need to get an unfill, something that I used to think was unthinkable. Believe me, this episode scared me so bad, that I will run for an unfill if I ever have pain like that again. Lesson learned!

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday. I myself gained three pounds during the holidays, but now I'm back to my normal routine and have dropped it. Considering that I have no restriction, I didn't think that was too bad. I guess my band has taught me a few things.

Have a wonderful new year! I know I am!!!

That is so exciting! I was so excited when I got into 14s myself. I think you'll find it funny how fast you jump down sizes from here on out. At first, it took 20 lbs to go down a size, then after size 4, it was only about 10, now it seems like my pants get baggy after losing only five pounds. I'm in an 8 now, and it was maybe just three months ago that I was wearing 14s. You're on the express train to skinny now!

I wasn't the slightest bit offended. You'd just have to know this guy. He'd be mortified if he thought he had upset me. I emailed my husband to tell him, and his answer was "Either he really cares about you, or he wants to see your butt in tighter pants. Tell him for another $500, I'll take a picture for him." Ha! Even my husband knows he's not trying to be fresh with me. He's just a really nice, very generous man.

My boss came up behind me in the breakroom today, and started tugging at the butt of my pants. He was laughing at me because they are too loose and it shows (they're my size 10s). I told him that I was going to buy more pants, but I'm trying to lose a little more weight. A while later, he came into my office and handed me a check for $500. In the memo section, it says "For new pants." Isn't that wonderful???

how much boitin did u take?

I was taking 1000 mg a day, plus my multi-Vitamin. I'm the first to admit that lately, I haven't been good about taking my Vitamins every day. I'm trying to get back to it, though. I'm doubling by Biotin intake now, and I did buy a bottle of Nioxin cleanser to try. I didn't get the conditioner or scalp treatment, just the cleanser. I started it a week ago, and haven't seen a difference yet, but I know if will take some time. Hopefully between taking 2000 mg of Biotin and using the Nioxin, I'll see an improvement soon.

Couldn't be happier! My doctor did a great job of letting me know what to expect, so they're haven't been any nasty surprises!

I tried Biotin. It did nothing for me. I'm seriously considering the Nioxin route.

I am answering you while munching on my Smart Ones three cheese mac & cheese. I eat something similar for lunch every day, and I've lost weight at a pretty good rate, I think. I eat them for the same reasons you listed; convenience and the fact that I actually like them. I see absolutely no reason not to.

Thanks for that good info, Melanie. I'm going to give it a try. Can't hurt, right?

How long after you started using Nioxin did your hair STOP falling out?

I'll be onto my size 8 and then 6 pretty soon, and you'll be ready for that size 10 chocolate brown pant suit I wore to lunch yesterday. I'll be so happy when I can give it to you! (And I don't think that skirt looked nearly as good on me as it does on you!)

I have been losing hair, too, since about three months post-op. I lose just a few hairs, like 18 or 20 each morning when I comb it out. It doesn't seem like that much, but I'm afraid it's going to start adding up. I'm sure I get enough Protein, so WTF? If I eat any more fish, I'm going to grow gills! Fortunately, I have thick hair so I can afford to shed a little, but if this keeps up forever, it's bound to add up to significant loss. I worry about it.

Oh YAY!!! I'm so happy for you! And I LOVED that skirt when I used to wear it. There's another one similar to it, same size, in a purple pattern. I'M SO HAPPY YOU CAN WEAR THEM!!! Woo hoo! Here you were thinking you're a 20, and you're actually an 18! I am so freakin' proud of you, I could cry!

Yes, the brown suit I had on at lunch today is the new one I wrote about earlier in this thread. I love it, too. Thanks for the sweet compliments!

I drink a couple of beers on the weekend. Funny that carbonation doesn't bother me at all. It does take a while to get one beer down, though, just as it takes a while to get anything down. When we go out to dinner, I usually order a second beer, and my husband ends up finishing it for me because it just takes me too long. After a particularly trying day at work, I'll have two glasses of wine. I used to could drink the entire bottle and be fine. Now two glasses has me slurring my words, so that's my limit. I used to LOVE margaritas and cosmopolitans, but there are WAAAAAYYY too many calories in those. I did buy a cookbook called "The Hungry Girl" that has a section on low calorie cocktails and have tried some of them. The diet (approx 100 calorie) margaritas are very good, and so are the strawberry dacquries. I have found, though, that my tastes have changed so much that the sweet stuff just isn't as appealing anymore. Give me a beer or a glass of dry white wine instead.

Just when I get happy, DH brings me crashing down. I told him that I have now lost 70 pounds, and he said, "So another 30 to go, right?" He says he was just kidding, but now I'm totally obsessing. If I lost another 30 pounds, I'd weight less than my 17 year old daughter, and she's thin! That's not right, is it? I wish he would think before he opens his fat mouth! AAARRRGGG!

I hit that 70 pound mark today! I'm finally losing at a pretty good pace again, at least this week. I'm now just one pound from a "normal" BMI! I bought a size 10 pant suit yesterday, and it fits!! Yahoo! I love my band!

Don't worry, Crystal. I am going to get around to cleaning out my closet, and those things are coming your way. I've already got some 18s boxed up. We need to meet for lunch so I can bring them to you. Thursday? Let me know!

What to do after goal? This thought terrifies me. There have been times in the past that I dieted (lost 76 lbs on Medi-fast once!) and celebrated hitting goal by gaining it all back! Enter The Band. I pray this is my forever solution. I'm probably actually a little tighter than I should be now, though I haven't had a fill since early July. For a month or so, I could hardly eat anything without being miserable. I probably should have followed Crystal's lead and gotten an unfill, but I was terrified that I would start gaining weight again. Anyway, things are much better now, I'm losing weight again, slowly. I'm 11 pounds from my posted goal, but I don't necessarily consider that a stopping point. I'm just going to keep on keeping on, and see where my body lands. If I find myself getting hungry, I'll get a fill. Until then, I'm kind of just on auto pilot. I'd like to think than in another six months or a year, I'll be at 135 pounds. I'd be very, very happy with that. DH seems to think that's where I should be. I definately have to have a Tummy Tuck and some boob work. (They're large but flabby!) Once my stomach isn't sitting on my lap anymore, I'll be happy.

The weird thing about it is that I was a good 30-40 pounds lighter than I am now when I was wearing these things. I must just be dense.

Isn't that just the strangest thing? I know what you mean, though. At 161 pounds, I'm wearing the same size I used to wear at 140 lbs. I assumed that they have just increased the size of garments now, but that's not necessarily so. I read somewhere that while we are heavy, our bodies add mass to the bones to support the extra weight, making our skeltons heavier! I guess heavier bones are an advantage as we get older, anyway. Who knew that being fat would eventually be an advantage? :embaressed_smile:

The closer I get to my goal, the slower I am losing. Then again, I haven't been exercising as I should lately, either. I was walking regularly, but on my last outing, a bug flew into my eye and stung me. I walked around for days looking like a vampire. I've been gun shy about getting outside since then. I need to just get over it and get on with it. I hate using the treadmill, so that is reserved only for winter when I absolutely can't tolerate the cold.

Anyway, I should stop complaining. At least I am still losing, about a pound a week, maybe a little less. I'm two pounds from a "Normal" BMI and 11 pounds from goal. Maybe I'll change my goal again when I get there, I don't know, but I'm pretty happy with where I am now.

Sorry I haven't been posting much lately. My son transferred schools and moved three hours away, and I've been in a bit of a funk since then. I haven't forgotten about my Victorious Valentines, though. Glad to see you're all still doing well.

Glad to hear you have a healthy brain, Ezma. The jury is still out on mine! LOL!

Have you posted before and afters to the 6 month pics post yet? I'd love to see.

No, I haven't, but I sure need to. I'm always suprised at how I look in pictures. Oddly enough, I always think I look bigger in pictures than I do in the mirror. They say the camera adds 10 pounds, but I have to ask, "How many cameras were ON me???" LOL!

I'll try to get some pics this weekend and get them posted so that you guys can be the judge. Sometimes I think we're too critical of ourselves.

Wow kjeter!!! Another couple pounds and you will no longer be overweight. Very nicely done!

Thank you so much, you sweetheart! Considering I began at "Severely Obese" I'm just tickled pink. Can't wait to hit 159 so I can be normal!