Great2BThin

After being stuck for over a month, I hit my first goal this morning!!! I have finally hit the 170's!!!! 179.5 this morning! A normal BMI for me is 169 but my doc said he'd be happy with anything under 180. Yes I am going for the 169, but this is so cool!!

Thanks, Teach. When I first had this surgery, I never imagined I could weigh less than 200 and was hoping to some day be a 'normal' size and ultimately wanted to be a size 12. Well a year later and it's the 170's and I am in 10's and very close to 8's. It's just so amazing. I LOVE MY BAND! I am wearing my first pair of shorts in many many years today to celebrate. Still hate my legs, especially those pesky calves, but what the heck. Strike, I think I have decided not to do the 5 day pouch test. I will still be your buddy though and cheer you on. I am just going back to basics and really concentrating on my proteins, portion sizes, etc. To me it sounded the like pouch test was more to shrink a stretched out pouch back to size and not really for jumpstarting. I know I have great restriction so opted to not do it. Just couldn't stand the thought of the 2 days of liquid protein. I'll do the last 3 days with you. :sad: Allie, If memory serves me right, the plastic surgery consult is today. Anxious to hear all about it. I'm wondering if I have 10 lbs of excess skin and if I had surgery, I'd be at my normal BMI LOL

My surgery was June 5, 2008. Dr Snyder is awesome as is the entire staff. Amanda has always been so helpful.

Okay now I have more time to post. When I posted my excitement this morning I had 2 minutes til I left for work so copy and pasted the same post here and my JuneBug '08 thread. I am so excited and thank you for the kudos. One year ago I never imagined I could ever weigh under 200, and just wanted to be 'normal' which was my term to be able to wear a normal size and the ultimate goal was to be a size 12. Well here I am in the 170's, 10 lbs for a normal BMI, wearing 10's and knocking every so loudly on 8's door. I LOVE MY BAND!!! To celebrate I am wearing shorts today, first time in many many years. I still don't like my legs as that's where most my loose skin is, I have very long legs, in fact it's what DH says he first noticed about me were my 'hot legs'. Now they look like melting candles, that's hot right??? LOL But I'll take the melting candle over the fat any day. Laura, what an awesome experience you had at the grocery store. It's so neat to hear when we've influenced or helped others. Arlene, any word on DH's blood yet?? Julie, good luck with your pie event this weekend and those gals! Meredith, Back away from the olives!! Just giving you a bad time. You are doing so great and will make a great bandster. YOu are going into this so informed, you are like our JoAnn, she posted regularly before she had her band that by the time she did, she was an expert and a model bandster. Janet, I like your analogy of going for the gold! Maybe I got the silver today! Heck I've lost 126 lbs., what's 10 more?? :sad:

Can I have your attention please???? After being stuck for over a month, I hit my first goal this morning!!! I have finally hit the 170's!!!! 179.5 this morning! A normal BMI for me is 169 but my doc said he'd be happy with anything under 180. Yes I am going for the 169, but this is so cool!! I'm in a rush for work, will post more later, but had to share that.

Can I have your attention please???? After being stuck for over a month, I hit my first goal this morning!!! I have finally hit the 170's!!!! 179.5 this morning! A normal BMI for me is 169 but my doc said he'd be happy with anything under 180. Yes I am going for the 169, but this is so cool!!

Absolutely no regrets, other than not doing it sooner. I have been banded one year, am down 125 lbs and am 10 lbs from goal. You must go into banding (or any WLS) however, with the mindset that it's a tool. It works as well as you work it. Sure it's possible to eat around your band, then you eat too much and then you don't lose. THat's not the band's fault then. Ice cream, cookies, thin pizza, chips, all slide right on through. But if you do the hard proteins first, small portions, exercise, you will lose. I wish you the best of luck in your decision. As another poster mentioned, there are different types of surgery and what may work well for one, might not be the right choice for another. You are doing well to research all your options.

HAPPY BANDIVERSARY, Teach!! Amazing photos, you look awesome. Livn, what happened that your esophagus got irritated? do they know what caused that? Good luck with your refill. Strike, I don't know after googling the 5 day pouch test, I am just not sure if I want to do it. It sounds like it is for if you stretched your pouch out, I don't think I've done that. I have good restriction. If I did it though, I'd have to start like today or tomorrow as I am going camping next week and don't want to be doing it then, and when I get home I get out of town company. So it's either now or after the 4th of July. The scale is inching ever so close to the 170 mark again. Today it was back at 180.5. So maybe, just maybe one morning soon. I discovered something I can't have last night. We went to a BBQ last night and for dessert they had strawberry shortcake. I took a teeny piece of the cake, some strawberries and cream. I got stuck and then PB'd twice. At first I assumed it was the cake part but later after the 2nd time I am thinking it was the strawberries. Hard to say, but it hurt. What do you think the culprit was?

Arlene, so sorry to hear DH didn't have the surgery. Didn't the do any preop bloodwork before now to catch something like this. Here's hoping it's something minor and easily treated. Maybe due to the circumstances he can get squeezed on on the schedule soon.

Yep, STrike, if you are 5'4, I have 5 inches on ya, so that makes a world of difference. I am 5'9 so that's the difference in the sizes I am sure. We all have different body types. To get a normal BMI I need to weigh 169, so close yet so far away. I might consider this 5 day pouch test, will do some googling on it today. Would love to have a 'gettin to the 170's' partner we could root each other on. Apples, Happy Bandiversary! You are such an inspiration to me and so many others. Here's to your 2nd year in Lapband land. Allie, anxious to hear all about the consultation. I was thinking when you said you had the consult that your surgery was going to be soon, but Dec. sounds like a good plan. Congrats to your daughter. VZ, welcome back. WTG on the water skiing. I never could get up on water skis, usually did the knee board. But I never weighed what I do now either. Lucy, congrats on the 14's getting baggy!

First off, HAPPY BANDIVERSARY, Apples. You've done so great and are an inspiration to many. How kind of you to take your friend out for her bday. Mine is a bday that gets overlooked most of the time, so I know she is going to appreciate it. (dh only forgot one year though, it's everyone else in my family and circle of friends). PJ, glad you are feeling better. Congrats on the 9 lbs though not a good way to lose it! Bubba, you can do anything you set your mind to. You gotta stop the negative thinking though. You can do this, and you can do this for yourself. Give Janet's suggestion a try, sounds like what I know of the 5 day pouch test. Hopefully your next refill will help too. Meredith, put those olives away! :wink2: You are doing great and it will all be worth it. Can you have broth at all to help with that sweet taste? Larry, yes banding works, it works as good as you work it. I have lost 125 lbs my first year and would do it again in a heart beat. It has been life changing for me, for the better! Laura, good luck with this fill, hope it is just right for you! Well I just got home from my support group meeting. WE had a psychologist come speak to us on relationships. It was insightful but not real helpful as far as solutions. My volunteer day at the hospital got cancelled tomorrow so I have a free day!! WOO HOO!! will probably spend it cleaning. Oh and Charlene, I read on another thread that DH is having his bypass tomorrow. Good luck to him and let us know how he is.

Laura, how nice to have your sis come down. You two are going to such great support for one another. Congrats on getting back to the gym after vacation too! Apples, yep do feel that DH & I did the best we knew how raising our kids, but still when she makes such stupid decisions I can't help but wonder if we could've done something differently. I'm getting better at accepting regardless she has free will and can either accept or reject what she was taught. She's one that always has to learn things the hard way. Hopefully she got it this time! GRRRR Janet, congrats on teh 136!! WOW!! I can't imagine. I just want 179 right now and then 169, am still stuck about 180 to 181 though it fluctuates daily. I want 179 by my one year post op visit with my surgeon as his first goal for me was anything under 180. It would be so coool to hit it by then. Had dinner with a friend of a friend who had lap band surgery last Oct. She hit 100 lbs lost already. So cool to see, and they said us banders would take 3 years to lose weight like that!

Good to hear from you STrike. Congrats on that bike. I got one last summer. ROde it some but was disappointed as I got it for my knee but my knee still hurt. DH & I have been planning on going for some rides in the evenings, but lately we've had tornado warnings every day. 8 days in a row so far, and rain. The weather folks can't seem to predict anything either, they said this severe weather was going to move on BEFORE last weekend. Hopefully there's nothing today. STILL no WOO HOO from me on losing weight. STILL stuck. I need to up the exercise I guess. It's been on again off again lately. Holding at 180-181 and I want 179 so badly by the 30th when I have my one year post op visit. My doc set 'anything below 180' as my first goal. And I need those 8's to fit more comfortably!

Angel, happy bandiversary. Congrats on getting on the losing trail again with your last fill. Now what are you doing eating mashed potatoes??? LOL They are a soft food and go right through the band. If I ever have them, which I'm not supposed to, Ieat them after the hard protein for that reason so I don't eat too many and let the band do it's work with the hard protien first. I hope your fill woes are behind you now and you can get them easier as you go along. Allie, woohoo on 2 more pounds. Amazing. I am still trying to catch you but been stuck still. Iknow it's because I've cut back on exercise lately. My workout partner flaked and I need to get back at it on my own. That's the good and the bad about a workout partner. They are great when the go. LOL

That's different, usually it's in the morning when folks are more tight and can't eat and are fine later in the day. You are opposite. But if that's all you can do is liquids for lunch and/or dinner, then I'd say you are too tight. However, before saying that, how are you eating? Are you taking tiny bites, the size of your pinkie nail or a pencil eraser...chewing lots....eating slow...eating small portions??? If the answer to all that is yes and you still can't eat and can just do liquids then you are probably too tight. But if you are taking big bites, eating too fast, too much, etc. then maybe not. Well it's not even 6pm here and I have visions already of putting my jammies on and going to bed shortly. An idea....do any of you gals ever go to the chat room? I did a lot when first signing up here but haven't in a long time. Thought maybe it would be fun if we had a set time to all meet in a chat room. Not sure how you make a private room etc. in there though.

Good afternoon. I am so tired! I got to get some good sleep tonight. I have a big day. DH is giving me a bad time. See I normally only work 3 1/2 to 4 hours a day and tomorrow it's 8. LOL Yes I am spoiled. I am filling in for someone who's on vacation. DD is causing us a few issues and I've had trouble sleeping cause I dwell on it. But I am finally getting that we did the best we knew how to raise her (she's 27) and the choices she makes now are her own, as well as the consequences. But it's so hard to watch your child make such stupid decisions. I got a small tweak of a fill yesterday. They put back half of what they took out 2 mos ago when I started having reflux. So far so good and it seems to be helping with my hunger I've had lately. Today I went and sat at the hospital with a friend of mine while her DH got a lapband (same surgeon as me) and the surgeon told them he had a great role model in me as a bander. That was nice. Then others in the waiting room heard us talking and suddenly it seemed like I was having my own little support group. There were 4 having bands today and either the patient or their family members were full of questions. It was fun though.

Congrats on the new job and the new wardrobe!! I got a small tweak of a fill yesterday. They put back half of what they took out 2 mos ago when I started having reflux. So far so good and it seems to be helping with my hunger I've had lately. Today I went and sat at the hospital with a friend of mine while her DH got a lapband (same surgeon as me) and the surgeon told them he had a great role model in me as a bander. That was nice. Then others in the waiting room heard us talking and suddenly it seemed like I was having my own little support group. There were 4 having bands today and either the patient or their family members were full of questions. It was fun though.

Meredith, good luck on your pre op diet. I really don't have any tips for you as I only had to do liquids for 24 hours before and I thought that was rough. I can't imagine 2 weeks. It will be over though before you know it and will be all worth it in the end. Yep understand those sibling (I only have sisters) relationships all too well. Mine were supportive until I got thinner than them. I think as we lose weight it changes the whole family dynamic, my sisters were comfortable with me being the fat sister. Now that role isn't mine anymore and I don't plan on competing for the job again anytime soon!! Thing is it doesn't matter. we are still sisters and should love and support one another regardless. Oh well, it is what it is. I can't change them but I can change me and how I react to it.

Hey, Allie, do you burn calories when you head is swimming! Sounds like some exciting changes in store for you. Congrats. I know you'll find just the right jobs and place to live. You've talked about this for awhile and I know have put lots of thought into it. I've not spent much time in either state but they both looked beautiful. As for the plastic surgery, WOO HOO!! Is it the lower body lift you are going for? anything else? Does a lower body lift do anything for your legs? My thighs and yes those calves are what bother me the most. WEll the girls hang pretty low but a good bra fixes that okay, for the most part. Do you have any idea when you'll have it? And, yes it sound like you have a great guy! Apples, have fun at the lake. WE miss you when you are gone.

Welcome back Kizzie, glad you came back and posted! It just doesn't seem fair that the bad stuff goes through our band so easy does it? Are you from Spain? I was just there a few weeks ago. We took a cruise out of Barcelona and spent 3 days in Barcelona. Love Las Ramblas! Unfortunately my MIL lost her insulin and we had to also visit 2 hospitals and several pharmacies before we got her back on track. The people were very friendly and helpful though.

I don't know how I missed these posts when I was here earlier. I"m not sure of the email you post about, Arlene, about friends for a reason, season or lifetime but that makes so much sense. I like JoAnn had a good friend before my surgery that did WW as I did, she was even a leader at one point before she gained a lot of weight back. WE talked weekly after our meetings about our weigh ins, went to lunch regularly, then I realized that I was the one doing all the initiating, so I decided to not initiate anymore and wait for her to call me or ask me to lunch. Know what? over a year later SHE NEVER DID! I was so hurt when it first became apparent that she wasn't going to, but now realize I am so much better for it. You'd think after I lost my weight that someone that was a 'weight buddy' would notice, comment, ask me how I was doing it SOMETHING, but not a word. She is the only one in my small group at church who has never commented on my weight, but before she used to like to give me clothes that had gotten too big for her. HMMM wonder if I should offer her some clothes now? :ihih: Okay that was bad I know. So I think with this weight loss I am not just shedding weight, I am shedding some old insecurities of needing everyone's approval and I am shedding some people in my life that weren't ever really there for me to begin with.

Thatta girl!! Great attitude. Come post away here more often and shout out your losses. We love cheering them on.

I too am becoming a shopaholic, I have to stay away. So far most has been on sale at least but not all. It was just so freeing to be able to go into any store and now that I am in sizes I never imagined it's so tempting to stock up. But I need to wait and see where my weight stabelizes at. I like NY & Co too, never imagined I could shop in the same stores as my daughter. But my favorite is Ann Taylor Loft or regular store. And Gap for jeans because I like their longs though they discontinued the ones I like so who knows where I'll get them going forward. I'd love a designer pair some day, just because I can! I better get more than my part time job! LOL

Doodles, congrats on hitting Onederland! That's such a huge milestone to reach. BeckyinTexas, WOW!! AM I impressed with your numbers. Awesome job! Have you had any plastic surgery or did you not have a lot of excess skin? I see you've had your band since 2005, I've not known anyone that's been banded that long. Have you had any complications or issues over the years? That's my big concern, but so far mine has been just perfect!

Apples, you can preach like that anytime! We all have those moments and though I don't want to dwell on the past anymore or feel like that again, it sure does help to call it up once in awhile when those temptations come a callin'! Never do I want to go back there! Debe, Congrats on your band. You were banded the same date on me just one year later. I was june 5, 2008. Yes it does get better, but it just might get worse before it gets better. As you heal and the swelling goes down, you start to get hungry and you have not much restriction yet. Hang in there and don't despair, it gets better and better as time goes on and you get fills. I definitely had those what have I done moments. But now one year later and 125 lbs gone, I am having 'so glad I did it moments'.