Great2BThin

Can you believe Dec. marks our 6 month band anniversaries? I've seen some other threads in other months where they take monthly weight loss polls so thought that would be fun and added it to this thread. Also, they've posted what they've learned about band life and themselves. So please post in the poll what you've lost and post what you have learned. I remember 6 mos ago today I was so nervous and now I am so thrilled.

Thanks Charlene, I am stressing over it somewhat. It's probably a good thing that tonight is my support group meeting. I've experienced weeks of not losing before but not of gaining. And what's bugging me is there's nothing I did to 'deserve' the gain. I could understand if I went totally off program or something. I know it will pass but I want that now pound and a half gone now! :biggrin:

I needed to lose 136 lbs to get from my starting weight to the highest weight that gives me a normal BMI. I am less than 6 mos out from surgery and have lost 86 lbs which is 63% of that. And I'm still losing. My surgeon said I have surpassed the 'one year averages'. The thing is with those averages is they are just that. Just as many people do better than the 'average' as do worse.

Good morning. GRRRR that half pound now has some friends. I'm up another whole pound today. What's going on?? The only difference in my normal routine was my breakfast. While out of town I ate s/f yogurt that had 14gm of protein in it. Normal breakfast is eggbeaters and 2 slices precooked bacon. I drank even more water than normal. Okay, Lori, don't stress over it! talking to myself here. As for low BMI's I never knew anything over 35 was considered low. I know there are some 'low BMI' studies being done but that is BMI's over 30 and under 35 or so I thought. I don't think you'll have any trouble getting approved especially with co morbidities.

Brydie, I didn't think you offended everyone. I freaked myself out reading too much negative pre surgery too. I needed to know the pros and cons but then I concentrated on the what if's. And i do believe as you state many of them can be controlled by following the rules and learning what works for you and what doesn't. There are going to be those uncontrollable complications, there are in everything but I now choose to read only the positive. I'm one that if I go to a site like Web MD and read up on an illness, I can convince myself I have it. I start imagining symptoms. So I need to be educated but not obsessed, balance I guess is what I am trying to say.

Hey Apples, think those marinades would make me like venison? :biggrin: Don't think so! Charlietuna, welcome. Congrats on your awesome progress!

Becky, I have a 14cc band. I didn't know they even made a 4cc band until today when I read of someone else having one. They told me the 10cc was the small and the 14cc was the large. But I have at least 10cc's in it. I am getting another fill on Thurs. at my 6 mos post op appt. Can't believe I've had this band for 6 mos already. What a change 6 mos has made!

Charlene, Congrats on the 50!!!! Glad the unfill seems to be helping. apples, the marinade sounds good. I've done the first 3 ingredients (soy sauce, 7Up, and garlic powder) but never the rest. Will have to play around with it.

Goodness you gals were prolific posters while I was away! I had over 6 pages to read. Can't respond to everything but picked a few below. As for ellipticals vs. treadmills I love the elliptical but I have bad knees. We had a good time on vacation. But I have so much work today. so many dirty clothes, stuff to put away, etc. and tonight my FIL (a retired butcher) is coming over to help DH and DBIL cut up their deer meat (3 deer). I'm not going to have to buy meat in a long time for him, I don't eat it but he does. I walked a lot in the fields and I couldn't do that at all last year. I did well foodwise, had one dessert. But I came home up a half a pound. Was bummed by that. Our puppy, Lucy, who will be 1 on Friday did great on her first hunt. All the others were so impressed by here and DH's uncle wanted to buy her. She's my dog and not for sale!! The fact that she hunts was just a bonus for DH. LOL His dog, "Hunter", turned out not to be much of a hunter. They are both our dogs but we each picked out 'our' dog when we got a puppy. I think stress must do something. I haven't PB'd in a while, am getting a fill on Thurs. yet while on vacation PB'd 3 times. Usually it's just once and I'm done but one of the times lasted for an hour. Also, in the past I have PB'd twice on french fries. Odd as they seem mushy. I know one of the times this time I swallowed too big a piece of ham. Are you taking small bites? are you eating small portions? JoAnn, you must be my knee twin. I just got done with my 2nd round. It's helping some. I was lucky and didn't have to do the pre op diet. Hope you are hanging in there. Three more days!! Sorry to hear about your dog!

Thanks Joann, the knee hurt pretty good but it felt good to get out there and do it. Last year I couldn't walk the fields at all at 305 lbs. I've been wearing a boot on my opposite foot for a nerve problem in that foot and it's really aggravating the knee with the lopsided gait I've had. not sure it's worth it. LOL Good luck to you on Thurs. Your band date is my 6 mos post op appt at my surgeon. You are going to do so well with the band as you know all the if's, and's and but's about it. Good luck!

WEll it would be UnAmerican in our family. Green Bean Casserole is always on the table for Thanksgiving. It wouldn't be the same w/o it. LOL Funny how some foods have come to mean so much. I don't particularly love it but do eat it because well it's Thanksgiving. LOL Ahh Ellen. I've been gone so just now reading this. We are up in the air on Dan's job as well. Plus he is so concerned about the economy since the election. I pray all the time for our nation and leaders, regardless if they are red or blue. LOL Luckily???? DH has been pessimestic about the economy for awhile and got us out of the stock market awhile ago. We are trying to stock the pantry and freezers now while he has a job and then I guess time will tell. LIke Janet I believe we are not given more than we can handle. Sometimes I think God thinks I can handle a whole lot more than I think I can though! But we get through it. It's so nice to have this place to come to when we are struggling. I know any time your heart is operated on it is serious, but how serious is this with Steve's??? One good thing, you have a dr. in the family and can find the best docs!! I preface this by saying all docs are different, but my doc says that we should be eating pencil earser size bites of food and chew chew chew and only eat 1/2 cup portions. This works for me and I lose the best at this restriction. I don't feel deprived so is where I strive to be. I'd get stuck on pie too (the crust). I did have some for Thanksgiving but mostly ate the innards. He also says to stop eating at 15 to 20 min. WEll gals, I am back from SD. We had a good time, well DH had a much better time than I. :thumbup: I'm just not into the hunting from sun up to sun down. My choices were walk the fields with him or sit in the house with all the inlaw gals and cook and do dishes. I did my share of the cooking and cleaning on Thanksgiving since DH & I bought, brought and cooked all the Thanksgiving fixings. So on the other days I did go trouncing around the fields some for the fresh aire, exercise, and sanity! LOL I have one SIL that just gets under my skin and drives me nuts. She sits on her butt all day does nothing to help but has lots of opinions on how things should be done and just likes to get in things and stir things up. Foodwise I did awesome, I never felt deprived and I ate very well by the bandster rules. I had one dessert. I walked a lot in those fields and they are tough walking, uneven ground, badger holes to dodge, corn stalks to weave through, freezing cold temps to stay warm in, etc. I was so excited to come home and weigh figuing I'd have a huge loss. And not one teensy bit, zip, zero, nada!! I was so frustrated, even maybe up a half. Oh well. I realize I have lost so much so fast that this is bound to happen and will be patient. It's just now that I am 14 lbs away from 100 lost I am getting very impatient and anxious to get there. Never did I think I'd be where I am today when I had the surger and need to keep that in mind. It took me awhile to read this thread and catch up, I must go get at my laundry now. I will catch up on the 50's when I get back from some errands. I missed coming here! I needed you all while I was gone.

AJ, Congrats!! Allie, I'm doing great. I have slowed way down in my losses. I hit 86 about 10 days ago and am still there or even up a half. I was away on vacation the week of Thanksgiving, but thought I did really good. And I walked a lot. But when I think about past Thanksgivings, I sure didn't stay the same nor lose. I'd gain a lot and that didn't happen this year.

Wow the June bugs were busy over the holiday weekend! I just got back from our trip to S dakota. It was a long drive today, the wind was fierce on I-80 through NE. I did great food wise. Had a few 'cheats' but not much . Everyone really noticed my weight loss so that was great. I walked lots of fields and last year couldn't do that at all. A few notes to catch up on my reading: LOVE LOVE LOVE Hobby Lobby! Friends - been hurt badly as well and have a hard time trusting and reaching out. Tend not to reach out so i can't be rejected. SuperBandster - been called that too. It sometimes makes me feel guilty or like I am bragging when I give my loss etc. but heck I deserve to be happy and excited about it too! Haven't weighed yet so have no idea if I gained or lost. Isure hope I lost!!

Hi Fran, I live in the Denver area now. When in Henderson we lived about 2 blocks from Green Valley HS. I loved it there. We were just back to Vegas last month, DH had a business trip and couldn't believe how much the strip changed. We lived there the year they imploded the Hacienda on New Year's eve so it had been awhile.

I also had surgery in June. I have pretty much lost consistently ever since. I got fills often at first. I have had 5 fills my last being in Sept. That fill has been great for a couple months. Though I lost with each fill but they loosened up quickly, supposedly due to losing the fat pad between the band and the stomach. I have had a week or so where I maintained and struggled from the mushy post op phase to the first fill but other than that I have been so grateful for my band. It is easier when you have the proper restriction however, just be sure it's not too tight then you can get too many calories in liquid or mushy foods and they don't keep you full for as long. Good luck on your latest fill!

Welcome May, First off, if having major surgery, the pain, the lifestyle change, the after care, etc. is the easy way out then so be it, but to me no way is it the easy way out. It's hard work. But if you are willing to follow the rules and do the work you can be very successful. As to your questions, there's no really good answer. Every doc is different on pre op diets, some require 2 weeks, some require non at all. (I was lucky and had none at all). And as to how much weight you can lose in 7 mos. that varies as well, depending on how agressive your doc is on fills, how diligent you are at following the bandster rules, your metabolism, exercise level etc. I am not quite 6 mos out yet and am down 86 lbs. for which I am very grateful. I am very diligent, I had to self pay for the surgery and there was no way I was going to not follow the rules, and I have an agressive doc on fills. I had 5 fills in my first 3 mos and hit my 'sweet spot' quickly. Individual results will vary. Good luck to you and best wishes on the insurance approval.

Awesome indeed! Congrats! Pat, what a nail biting drive! Isn't St Mary's near Philadelphia? Is that where your surgery will be? How nice it will be to have your daughter to go through this with. We leave for our trip tomorrow. I am cooking Thanksgiving for almost 30 people. I am bringing all the food. Hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving! I am so grateful for my band this year, the support I find here, in addition to my health, happiness, family, etc.

I hit 86 this morning!! Another 2 for me too!! WOO HOO!!! Congrats MominLV!!! Where in LV are you? I lived in Green Valley/Henderson in the 90's. Moved away the same week Sunset STation opened.

Good morning. Tomorrow at this time we will be on the road. Today will be filled with packing, loading the car, getting food stuff ready, etc. Will run to the gym quick this morning. Hubby is on vacation so is going with me. I hit 86 yesterday morning! I am out of the 220's and into the 2-teens. Less than 20 to get to the 100's. I haven't been under 200 for 26 yrs, since before I was pregnant with my son. I no longer have anything in my closet that is too small. I had a few things for years hoping they'd fit. Funny one of the pair of jeans fit but looked so funny like clown pants. They were very high waisted, pleated and narrow ankles, probably from the 80's. Janet what kind of plastic surgery are you looking into? Enjoy your time off. Have a happy Thanksgiving everyone! I have so much to be grateful for this year, my new lifestyle, my band, my friends here, etc. etc. etc.

Welcome Mimi!! Sounds like you have a zoo there with all the animals! I love dogs though and would love to have more but in the city with our small yard wouldn't be practical. I am too allergic to cats though to ever add them to the mix. Had to get steroid shots once over a reaction to a cat, that scared me to not push it again, after coming very close to being hospitalized. I'm that allergic. We have a 27 yr old daughter back living with us as she sorts things out. Actually she has a serious boyfriend and was going to get an apartment and think he told her to wait, they have talked the M (marriage) word. Congrats on the band.

Janet & Phyl, you gals are looking BEE_U_T_FULL!! I'm jealous of your meeting! But heck we may have Vegas one day! I'm out of the 220's today!!! Scale said 219.9 but it wasn't 220!!! Never to go back, now I can say less than 20 left of the 200's!! WOO HOO!!! though I hit 100 lbs lost in 14 more. Just got home from Costco and getting food and pies for our S. Dakota Thanksgiving trip. EGADS I spent a lot! And wow do they ever have more samples on a Sunday! I maybe back in the 220s tomorrow!! OOPS! But I digress, my point in mentioning that was I was going to get more of the panko breaded tilapia (I think it was this board we discussed this), THEY DON'T HAVE IT ANYMORE! This is my big frustration with Costco, I find something I like and go back for more and most of the time it is 'deleted from our system'. GRRR They told me to fill out a comment card to get it brought back, so if you liked that please join me!!

Another one bites the dust!! Name_________StartWeight___CurrentWeight______Goal________ToGo *****<?xml:namespace prefix = v /><v:shapetype id=_x0000_t75 coordsize="21600,21600" o:spt="75" o:preferrelative="t" filled="f" stroked="f" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe">:w00t:</v:shapetype>***********:cool2:*************:tt2:**************** * agreatknead........204............190...........180...........10 areellady..........189............189...........159...........30 BIGB...............342............342...........300...........42 BellaPerdente......253............209...........195...........14 Boos02.............258............226...........200...........26 Brandy.............221............205...........191...........14 BrownBear..........240............235...........200...........35 Bunkey1965.........194............173...........170............3 Cadets71...........223.4..........220.4.........189...........31.4 Charlietuna........210............167...........150...........17 Claudine...........250............231...........225............6 CubsGirl17.........172............161...........150...........11 Cutiew/booty.......251............230...........220...........10 cQQlgirl...........195............187...........175...........12 crzytchr...........276............259...........246...........13 Donna113...........199............191...........160...........31 Ekat...............527............172...........152...........19 feefee57...........262............212...........180...........32 FeliciaLevy75......240............216...........190...........26 GillieBean.........304............296...........264...........32 HeatherO...........150............143...........130...........13 Hollie ............l54............154...........125...........29 janesays ..........244............244...........225...........19 jazzyywan..........239............239...........190...........49 Jeni85.............182............182...........160...........22 Jillbeme...........235............203.5.........185...........18.5 Josie74............260............255...........215...........40 judy1023...........231............231...........199...........32 klmsilva...........216............212...........190...........26 legster............183............183...........160...........23 linksmom...........251............231...........200...........31 Liquidbluegal......225............214.6.........199...........15.6 Liz_hager..........161............158...........130...........28 Long2BThin.........253............219...........215............4 lotzasunshine......292............277.5.........250...........27.5 Luu2008............230............199.5.........153...........46.5 Lunabeane..........244............197...........187...........10.0 Mamanmidwife.......295............268...........260............8 Melissa Aguirre ...266............233...........160...........73 Melody2006.........223............223...........173...........50 MiniPearl#2........???............???...........???...........?? Minxz..............299............287...........270...........17 neefam.............238............189...........158...........31 newby23............242............242...........212...........30 odizzzydori........242............242...........199...........43 paige65............252............238...........220...........18 rainer.............236............222...........210...........12 Redtulips3.........180............175...........160...........15 reif78.............294............195...........140...........40 RichardCranium.....338............276...........200...........76 soontobehottie.....201............181...........165...........16 srknepler..........285............249.2.........255..........(5.7) squale.............353............353...........325...........28 SueAZ..............198............193...........150...........43 Sunshine2..........177............167...........160...........07 Suzzzie............305............305...........285...........20 stevegoad..........370............341...........267...........74 Terilynn112........240............224...........199...........41 Truediva...........299............285...........235...........50 thininside28.......255............255...........215...........40 Turler.............219............209...........194...........15 youcandoit!........196............184...........165...........19

I was banded by Dr. Snyder in June. He's awesome. I had surgery at 1pm and was home by 530pm. I didn't meet either Dr. Chae or Dr. K. I did talk to a gal named Natalie on the phone at Dr. K's and must've caught her on a bad day as I was totally turned off by her rudeness so didn't investigate further. But I have heard from many others that have gone to Dr. K and they have absolutely wonderful things to say about his office. Everyone is entitled to a bad day and I must've hit her's. I think it comes down to which dr. fits your personality and needs best. Talk to them both and make your decision from there.

We leave on Tues. for our trip. We started to get a few things together today, but mostly worked on putting up Christmas decorations. We won't be home til late Sunday night and I usually put it all up the day after Thanksgiving and since Thanksgiving is later this year we started today. We will do our tree the weekend after we get home. I have so much Christmas stuff and this house has so little places to put it. I had so many nooks and crannies in my previous couple of homes. But I hate to get rid of stuff especially stuff I've had for years and years so it's tough to decide what gets placed this year. We had 2 rotties and lost one of them each of the past two Christmases. It was really tough. We expected the one more or less but not the 2nd one as she was much younger. Now we have 2 puppies almost well one is 2 and the other will be 1 next month. they are both black lab mixes and DH is going to see how well they hunt next week, they are going with us, should be a fun car ride!

JoAnn, sorry to hear about your dog. It's so hard when our fur babies get ill, etc. Hope she's better soon. I see you have less than 2 weeks to go. I know some folks have to do a 2 week pre op diet. Do you? You are going to do so good with the band with all your knowledge before hand.