marivan

I have found this to be really helpful in kicking those times when you just can't get back on track. I find that the first day of Protein drinks is pretty easy, as I am so sick of food and don't get that hungry now. Good luck and let us know how you get on! The kick of seeing the pounds go as well as tightening up your pouch is worth it. Mary

Hi Unshackled. I read your profile, and you should be proud that you have lost what you have so far. Take heart that you are still going in the positive direction. As many have said, the band is a tool to help us when will power can't. But we still need that a bit. Does your hospital not have any after care programs to support you? It sounds like you need some pep talks and help in moving forward. It's a New Year again, and often a time that feels like a clean slate. Don't promise yourself anything but that you will eat healthily and make an effort to use your Wii at least three days a week to start. Once you get it as a habit, you won't want to stop. I would also find a support group in your area to make yourself more accountable. Maybe the hospital, or a separate group that has formed. It's worth a try. They could give you some ideas of how they cope. I know when I get down I come on these forums and read other people's stories and ideas, and I get a renewed surge to succeed. Don't compare yourself, but do your best. Take care and post again! Mary

Hello fellow slow losers. I haven't posted for ages, but I'm happy that you are all still working towards your goals. I went on my trip to Scotland and not only did I not gain weight, but for some unexplained reason came home 7 pounds lighter. I was amazed, but know that I didn't eat any more than normal. I think part of it was the portions that my in laws were eating and putting on my plate! They must have thought I had gotten some bug or something, as I left food (a lot) at every meal. Managed to catch a bad cold at the end of the holiday too and ended up home sick for two weeks. Turned out it was pneumonia. That helped me lose a few more pounds. I have to say that it has been two years November since I got my band and I used to be really upset at the slowing of the weight loss, but I am so happy with how I am doing, and the progress I have made that I am not stressed about it any longer. I have a little more than 10 pounds before I reach that magic number of 200 pounds, and then seven more when I've lost 100. There was a time when I would be depressed to be so close and so far, but I'm not really worried. I know now that I will get there, and the when will take care of itself. I was on a seven month plateau this year and in the past I would have given up and started eating crap and then gained back all of what I have lost. I just stopped weighing myself for a while and when I finally got on the scale again I thought I had gained weight and realised that I lost six pounds and was in another number group! (I mean I said 227!!! oh shit. then I realised that I was 234 last time I looked) I'm thrilled now that I am wearing clothes in 18 in most shops. XL in some still, but they aren't "fat lady" shops. And recently I went to a midnight madness sale with my husband to buy a warm winter coat. The one I wanted only had one in my size and it was red. I thought "darn, not any black or brown ones" My husband said "try on the red one" and I did and you know what, colour suits me! I have had so many compliments about this coat. It's just a down jacket, but I think it is such a change for me to be wearing colours that it makes me look and feel so much better! I hope any slow losers can get some hope that it does happen, and we just put one foot in front of the other and we will eventually get to the end of our journey. We just have to keep walking. Happy New Year everyone! Mary

Good luck Sharon, I found it a great help. It gave my weight loss a boost, it made my pouch smaller and it helped me see the destructive way that I was sabotaging myself. Let us know how you get on! Mary

Hi lasonyadj, If you get the opportunity to get a new band, as it sounds like the current one isn't working that well for you, then I'd certainly go for it! And many people have said that the band is just a tool, one like the counselling etc that we should all go through. All of us that got the lap band wouldn't have gone through with this if we could lose weight any other way, so if you still need help, I say get it. It's taken me a long time, but I am slowly but surely modifying my habits and thinking and eating and moving more like a thin person. Even though I'm no where near where I need to be yet. You sound like you are doing all the right things, if you can get that support from your surgeon, that is great and will surely help. The main thing is to keep all of the good things you are doing up, the wieght has to come off eventually. Good luck and let us know what happens!

I know what you mean, I think there are a few of us that just can't understand why the weight doesn't come off with all the exercise and healthier eating we are doing. I'm going to a doctor (not my lap band clinic) and he doesn't believe that I am not mindlessly eating, and therefore eating a lot more than I am aware of eating. I can't convince him otherwise. In fact, I've gotten to the point where I actually forget to eat and a lot of the time am completely not interested in eating. I think it proves that we are all different and our bodies have their own ideas about the weight we should be. (But 225 is not where I want to be!) I've tried drinking tons more Water, eating more Protein in the form of Beans etc at every meal. Adding Omega 3 fat to my daily menu. None of it has made any difference. My body will lose about a pound a month if I'm lucky. After seven months of a plateau, I finally took off 10 pounds over three months, but it has slowed right down again. I'm concentrating on keeping up with my weight lifting, exercise and eating as healthy as I can one day at a time. I do believe that the weight will have to come off eventually! At least I surely hope so. I'm impressed with the running. I am starting to add running to my walking routine, but I can't run for more than a minute at a time. Mary

Hi lasonyadj, I was referring to you. You are about half way, aren't you? You know, I was just talking to someone about that magical number 200. I've heard more people get stuck there. And I'm sure it isn't a physical thing, but a mental one. Do you weigh yourself often? I think that if you made a pledge to yourself that you would do your best to eat healthy and exercise (if you do already, then carry on) but not worry about the scale for a month, then you may find that some weight started to come off. I know that it can ruin my eating well if I feel I've had a really good week, yet the scale shows a gain or no change at all. And that could be for so many reasons, like Water retention, my period coming up, more muscle. Nothing to do with what I ate. So I now weigh myself every couple of weeks and even if it doesn't show any change I don't worry about it. I didn't lose any weight for over 7 months. I was so discouraged, but people who don't know I have the band or even that I am actively trying to lose weight were suddenly telling me how great I looked, even though I weighed no less than last time they saw me. But I think that my body did shift the weight around. I've now lost 10 further pounds, but can suddenly wear size 18 and shop in normal shops! We don't all lose as fast for whatever reason, but if you feel you are doing what you should, then just keep it up and you will be rewarded eventually. If you aren't, then do all those things that everyone else mentioned. Record your food, try to exercise etc etc. Good luck, you are doing great and you are pretty much half way there! That's a glass full! Mary

You look like you are so close to your goal though! M

I agree that the idea of 100 pounds is so daunting. At first that is what I was doing and as I was losing so slowly I felt like I was walking on a treadmill and not getting anywhere. But as someone posted, it is good just to take small steps. Like stop one bad habit first, and then add something else. And now I have seen the 20's and I am aiming to see the 10's. Going whole hog to 199 is just too big mentally. My slightly larger goal is to be 193 which will be my 100 mark lost, and also the first time I've ever weighed less than my husband! (when I was in my 170s he was thinner too!). Glad you posted, it likely got us all thinking too! "A journey starts with a single step".

If you don't like the idea of walking yet, or you are still too heavy for it to be comfortable, I started with a simple weight lifting routine, just 3 lb weights and it only took me 20 minutes three days a week. Once I had done that and saw improvement in a month, I upped the weights and then started to think that maybe walking on my treadmill wouldn't be so bad. Now I'm lifting 10lb weights (after two years), can see the definition in my arms and stomach (under my still large stomach) and am starting to run and walk every day. I only run for a minute and then go back to walking, but I'm sure eventually I will up that too. I got a video called Strong Women Stay Young, created by a woman called Miriam Webster. The weights help you strengthen your arms and legs enough for it not to hurt or tire you so much when you want to start to walk more. good luck, I'm glad all the people that posted didn't offend you. Sometimes we all need a kick up the backside! Mary

Hi Hope, That is funny, I'm going to have to remember that one. And it is so true. I have been shopping a few times since then to get some other clothes that fit for our holiday (leave on Saturday), and I must have tried on ten pairs of jeans in one store. One pair was actually great, right length and high enough of a waist and not bell bottoms (that seems to be the style at the moment). But the 18s were quite snug, so I ended up getting a pair that were a bit too long in a 20. Well, now I've worn them two days and I'm swimming in them! I'm tempted to go back tomorrow and see if the 18s are still there. I can't take back the 20s as I washed them before I wore them. But yes, I walk into shops and have absolutely no idea what size I am. It doesn't help that the sizing is so different from store to store. I went into a Zellers store last Friday as a friend had recommended Fruit of the Loom as a nice type of underwear. They were all in packets so I couldn't tell what the sizes meant in reality. So I bought two packs of six and brought them home and when I opened the first one I burst out laughing. They were bigger than the pairs that I started with two years ago! I carefully folded them up and re-sealed the pack. I had to go somewhere I could actually look at underwear and try to judge whether they'd fit. Aw, it's a fun dilemma though. I've managed to not buy any clothes for the past two years. I even wore my winter coat last year even though it was way too big. I got a few comments (kind ones) but with a sweater it was fine. I may actually try to get one more year out of it. Silly to buy a winter coat this year only to hopefully need another smaller one next year. But I've found some lovely stuff and I'm looking forward to strutting my stuff for the next two weeks in my new duds!:mad: Take care! Mary

Hi Dolphin, You must have a really sensitive stomach for you to be swollen still in the morning. She is right, you should do liquids for a few days to settle it down. Warm drinks should help too. I also would recommend taking arnica if you have a health store near by. It is a homeopathic remedy that is good for trauma. Emotional or physical. It helps with healing of bruises as it has an anti-inflammatory effect. I find it helps when I have fallen or given myself a good bash.:thumbup: What surgery did you have? (forgive me for being ignorant) It isn't the band surgery? You will do fine. In fact, it may be good for you while you are letting your stomach heal and rest to also make a point for two weeks or so, not to look at the scale. I really find that if I get on the scale when I feel thinner and know I've done well, that if it registers no change or heaven forbid, a gain, that it ruins my day, my resolve and is counter productive. Yet I am thinner in inches. Also, I'm convinced that our brains do have something to do with that magical 199. I remember years ago having a plateau and I was at 202 and hovering for a month. I just could not break that 200 mark. And I've heard it so many times on these forums. It can't be any physical number for our bodies, as we've invented the weight system. So it is definitely psychological. And my seven month plateau this time was a weight that I have never gotten by in my gazillion diets I've been on. Co-incidence? I think not. I'd say this is a perfect time to try the 5 day pouch test since you can't really eat too much anyway, and that is bound to kick start your resolve and weight loss. I wouldn't recommend an unfill unless you really don't get further than drinking coffee. I just don't think your fill level is ever quite the same again. Just my two cents worth, but a lot of us on this part of the forum know how you feel, we've all been there. But I still say we aren't in a competition and be proud of what you've done so far. And what is on the scale is definitely not the whole picture. Also, if there isn't any physical reason that you can't exercise, you should really try to start. I say walking or the best is a few simple weight training moves. Helps the metabolism, makes you stronger and gives you energy to move onto other things! Plus good for us dieters as it counteracts against our bone loss. Keep that chin up and give yourself a break. You are doing just fine. M

Thanks Doddie, You've been a big help in my being happy with the achievements that I've had, rather than upset while comparing myself to others. We turtles end up winning our own race in the end. You are doing pretty good yourself, I see. Well done to you too! I'll let you all know how I get on with my airplane, and the wedding. take care, Mary

I don't even want to think about my skin! I'm just pleased with the loss I've had so far. And I wanted to share my NSV of this weekend. It is a first for me. I went with my DH to buy a suit for an upcoming wedding. After we did that (and a lot poorer) I asked him if he'd come to the local "fat lady store" with me and see if there was anything I could find for my outfit. We went in and walked around and it was just so depressing. Everything was either grunge outfits (trying to capture the youth market) or for the over 60 set. And anything in between had big bows, big patterns or was just plain ugly. I suggested we try the Reitman's store that was across the parking lot. It said they had some "Plus Sizes". I walked in and asked to see what they had in suit jackets for a wedding. She showed me a lovely jacket and asked me my size. I said I wasn't sure, what did they have? They had 22, 20 and 18. I said "I'll try the 22". The woman said, "oh dear, that will be far too large for you, try the 18" I laughed and said I'd meet her in the middle at 20. Well, it was too big! I tried on the 18 and it was perfect. I felt brave enough to ask to see some dress pants, we went through the same routine and I ended up with a great fitting pair in 18. I CAN SHOP IN NORMAL STORES AGAIN!!! For the first time in almost 20 years. I was so happy, my husband said I looked great in my outfit and I will be comfortable in my size 18 suit in Scotland at the end of the month. His family haven't seen me for a couple of years, and I was 293 then. I'm now 226 and I feel like I weigh 150. I had to share. I've been on this plateau for seven months. I've lost only 10 more pounds since it started to come off again, but this is proof that our bodies are shifting that weight around and we are getting thinner. Thanks for listening, and keep up your hard work everyone. We are getting there! Mary