Katie59

I do an exercise that I learned in class... with a 3 lb weight or 5 lb.... with your elbow firmly at your side, at your wiast, slightly behind you, raise the weight behind by stretching out your arm behind you..... do not move the elbow or upper arm... and do this 10 times at a time... I can really feel the muscle... tightening.. have notmeasured.. just keep hoping.

thanks for all the input... Everyone said "don't you have a problem with bread" and so now, 8 mo. after my surgery, I have a problem with bread.... so we all adjust and ladapt differently... used to be okay with toast and garlic toast... no more.... my last fill was several months ago and this bread problem just developed.. so.... I will adjust.. I am a slow looser.... 1 or 2 lbs per month.. but no matter what I do.. I loose.... Cruise vacation this month.. concentrated very hard on when I was full.. and consequently ate 1/2 of everything.... and lost 1 lb.. so.. I coast merrily along.. on good days... knowing.. I will not gain... and that is a good thing....Love to you all, Kathy.

Thanks again for all the great comments. I too went shopping in my closet and found two outfits to wear on the cruise I just took.... Have lost 30 lbs and beat myself up that it is not enought but that is okay when I read your stuff.... did not gain a lb on my cruise.... so fun... and felt proud to wear a bathing suit and sit in the sun... I am at the gym twice a week for a sit fit class and a Water aerobics class. it make a difference but now I think I am at a plateau and considering a personal trainer to help me with weights... Muscle burns calories I hear. still having trouble with the icons and stuff and even changing my msg.. but I am here... Dr. Woodhead, Delta B.C. p forgetting the size.

I think that the lap band is higher than our stomach... where the port is - is where our stomach is... I have trouble in aqua fit when we jump as I have to hold my stomach/belly cause itis so floppy now but, you never know... you should ask your doctor... Kathy

And I really feel, trust, and know that this time I will not gain it back....there may be several pauses in this loss but I feel really good that I can now fit a normal seat on an airplane and am looking forward to my March 1 cruise to Mexico... want to spend a day at the beach at Cabo... actuallly want!!! to spend a day at the beach... it has been helpful to go to Water arobics for seniors cause we do not care what we look like.. just enjoy the water... Yeah Grey Power....

Hi everyone. Glad to catch up with the past posts...I am steady loosing...... 32 lbs. now... lots to go... will figure out that ticker thing soon. When I crave sweets, like some one else on this thread, I eat ceral... like Special K. with berries. I can only eat 1/2 cup for break... maybe equivalent of 1/2 - 1 for lunch and one cup for suppper.. Like one hamburger.... I have bed food habits so take 3 che. vitamens a day. I have lost a lot of inches lately and my body feels very odd to be thinner. Had some fun shopping in my closet.. and actually getting rid of (!!) large clothes to the charity shop...reorganizing and dumping things I would have worn in my old days but now are not nice enough.. Cause I like looking good! Thank all for the encouragement.

way to go you gals and guys,,,, lost 30 lbs. in 6 months and that is ok with me... some weeks I even gained but... anyways... here in Canda I got a 7 cm band and have 5.5 fill and it is working... if I work it.. I have yoghurt for break... 1/2 cup only... light lunch . amost every day a poached egg on toast... 1/2 or one slice depending on how hungy I am and aa normal supper... chicken and veg or 400 cal... it is easy now that I have the right fill...so the only problem is not drinking calories...... thanks for allthe support.

I ws banded in July and read all of the stuff around christmas and renewed my enthusiasm and lost 10 lbs... feeling good and just eating low cal... yogurt for Breakfast as it helps with digestions and my cr. (woodhead) says your stomach is small in am..... egg and toast for lunch and protien only for supper.. I have a 7 cm band with 5.5 fill.....

Yes, let's get back on track. I signed in again to get more encouragement and it worked. Others are out there just like me, struggling, but keeping going. I got out my calorie counter,m my log, and my low fat cookbook to spice up some dinners. I have some restrictions... 3 fills but still not sure of the size of my lap band. I know it is smaller...I think Dr. Wood said 7 cm... but I guess it is all relative to how much he has filled. I thin k I am at 4.5... anyways.. going back in Jan. I eat a small yoghurt for Breakfast. I am pretty full on a poached egg and toast for lunch. But hungry by supper and can eat 3 oz beef and 1 cup rice.... The not drinking Water is hard!

I am going to prepare my income tax to deduct the cost ofsurgery, mileage etc...anyone got some hints.... going to start researching on line and through friends... lets start a line so we can all profit.

Kathy

Thanks for the tip about the fork, Phyll... sounds good. I have been off track with regard to bite sizes... Maybe I will use a Shrimp fork!

yiu bet. I have been discouraged too and avoided this website but it is now time to move on... going to count calories... do something pro-active... and can't wait for my gym teacher to come back.!

Hi there. I'm so excited by this site. I've been searching for real stories from real people to help me make up my mind about getting the band. I've read people's victories and their struggles and am leaning toward getting it done. The financial cost is high, but I'm starting to see that it works, and my health and happiness are worth it!! Please keep up the sharing. :eek:

hi.. not sure ifthis is going to be enterred but I am from WPG and living in Vancouver and love my new lap band... best money I ever spent on myself... I have done every diet and now I knowo this will work...

hi Reno.... arriving Oct 6 - 9 of course on a special flight from Canada and just banded in July.... not a lot of weight loss but it would be very cool if we could meet while I am there///// I am staying at the El Dorado with 2 friends but could meet you anywhere and it would be fun....

Kathy

hormones are stored in your fat cells and as you start to loose weight, the hormones are released and affect your emotions... so as long as you know this.. you can combat it... that is why we older women do not immediately lose all skin tone etc... it is stored in y our fat cells.

curves is great.... I did it once but now I am doing modified Water aerobics... back for about 3 weeks now and want to bump it up to "sit and fit" and water a. but they are on the same day... will do it tomorrow and see what happens... havve to keep telling myself that I am no. 1.... I even live alone and do not work... and still have to tell myself that every day! We are programmed to put others first.....I think... have lost 15 lbs and have to keep telling myself..."good on you"..... had my first fill Sept 11, Surgery July 16.. can't even figure out how to do that on my signi in thing.. but have not the patience to try... one day... anyways... thank youevery one for writing.. I need to hear from you all...feel good.. have 4 oz fill in a 7 ct band...?... hmm. I guess that is how it is done in Canada.. and am full pretty quicktly.. got to watch that drinking thoug.... may have to give up peanut butter cause you have to drink with that..Love, Kathy

I was told that I could claim mileage for every visit so am keeping track.. everything over 80 k's and it is 89 k's to dr's office

I went to Dr. Woodhead and think he is great. Surgery July 16 and am doing great. Not a long wait really... filled in forms... sent them.... waited for appt... went on standby list and got in one month sooner... paid $14k..I like his bedside manner and he repaired a hiatus hernia for free while he was in there. I think he was excited by that. We laugh a lot when I see him but then I am an optimist and am so happy that today I got my first fill.... Sept. 11... 4 cc's in his french style midband that he says only contains 7 ccs so I am really excited. He was on holiday or I could have had a sooner appt. and he is only in Ladner thurs and fri... so as I live in Chilliwack... it takes a bit of organizing. I made an appt for my next fill... in 5 weeks cause of his schedule... but I don't care.. I just know that sooner or later I will find that "sweet spot and it will come off. I am just so happy with my decision and my treatment at Ladner Hospital... I felt like a beloved daughter being spoiled by 3 moms... they were so great.... and that was after a knee surgery two days before at Chilliwack Hospt were I was "a patient".. no complaints.. but no compliments. I would recomend Dr. Woodhead any time.

Kathy

:thumbup:Big Big smile on my face today. Got my first fill.. surgery July 16... and he gae me 4 cc in a 7 cc band.... Canadian dr... thought he would be "conservative...." I am so happy I think the Placebo effect would even work now.... was pretty hungry last few days... and now felt full just coming from Dr.'s office..... He does not have any high tec stuff... just put the needle in and filled...... but it was fine with no numbing or anything because it is not like a shot.. just a pin prick and the Fluid goes into the reservoir.... not like they are pushing in an injection.... so on fluids but ate 1/4 egg sandwich for supper cause I was at a meeting and I am pleasantly burping still... - Again thank you to all for posting... it is so great to read about everyone's successes and... whatevers... have lost 15 lbs. since surgery but I am ok with that... just waiting for it all to happen.... one day at a time...

Kathy

wow. congrats to you all.. I was banded July 16 (will anyone ever forget their day!) and cannot get a fill till sept 11, as Dr. Woodhead on holidays... so... had lost 15 on post surgery diet and now gained 4 as I can eat anything..... no restriction.... and lots of hunger lately.... very hard to controllll as it has been so long since I even tasted so many things.... so... each day is a new day to try... I am so excited for those of you who have had one and two fills and are so far down the road..... my day will come....Love, Kathy

do not know if this will reach you but I am at email sardisian@shaw.ca and am 60, living in chilliwack.. near you.. and 5 weeks banded.. and lots of doubts but waiting for my first fill... lost 13 lbs.... so.. ok.. please let me know if you get this.. not sure how this works mbut needlots ofhelp as cannot have afill till sept 11 because dr on holidays....

I do eat the popsicles and pudding when I am hungry and Soup too... made Swiss Knorr potatoe soup and added potato and carrots... very good and low cal and filling...... also eating health7y... except for the chips tonight.. hmmm.. anyways.. I feel great about the lap band choice and will wait for fills for restriction and weight loss... good luck to you....

good luck to you all.. banded Julu 16.. not chamging my calendar in my computer room so I can remember this great day of a new life... did the Fluid and while on mushies found I could eat anythingso now I will go on weight watchers... was eating pate on crackers and tonight had chips... hmm...time to try real food to end the cravings... but.. still full after only a bit of food and still at around 600 cal.. so..hmm.

my tummy still hurts... feels odd... when I touch it..... I am eating crackers and pate??,,,,, banded July 16... but I feel some restriction... only 2 crackers for supper.. but "real food" tastes so good...... still only eating about 600 - 700 cals.

While I was down in the dumps the other day - no food there either - I finally logged on to this site and got so much encouragement. I remembered I was only 14 days post op, and all that fat going releases estrogen into your system. No wonder I am nuts sometimes. The bad has gone and I feel great today.. A Dr. checkup with Dr. Woodhouse and 13 lbs. gone helps too. keep it comeing folks we allneed the support. thanks.