AngieO

Unlike the others, I did not know about this website before I had the surgery. I really wish I had so you're way ahead of where I was when I started. I know I was told that I needed to start with proteins, but that was really hard for me. I tried to just eat smaller portions of what we'd always eaten. Until I was tight enough to not eat carbs, I continued eating them. Be very careful about getting too many calories from liquids. I've started counting calories on www.fitday.com but I wish I would've done that from the beginning. I just assumed that the band would keep me from eating too much, but I should've been counting calories from the very beginning. Also, start exercising as soon as possible. I'm still not great at exercising every day. Between working full time, kid stuff - baseball, piano, juggling practice, and tennis, and just daily stuff like cooking & cleaning I just haven't gotten into a regular routine. The band is the best thing I've ever done for myself. I just wish I would've worked harder in the beginning. Please learn from my mistakes and REALLY follow the rules. I've lost 55 pounds in 14 months so I'm very happy, but I know I probably should be at my goal by now. I guess 55 down is much better than 55 up!!

Kim, You're an answered prayer!! I'd love to have any information you can give me. I've never even thought about taking her to a nutritionist. I'd have to bring it up gently the next time she tells me her clothes are too tight. I looked into taking her to a gym but she's too young for all the ones around here. We have a treadmill, recumbent bike and a Gazelle. Honestly, I bought most of the equipment the same day that I couldn't find a gym for her to join. I think I should hang up an exercise calendar for the whole family and we keep track of each day that we spend 30 minutes exercising. Anything can count....swimming, trampoline, bike riding, walking the dogs, exercise equipment. Maybe the calendar will help keep us motivated without me having to say anything. I'm really excited about finding a nutritionist. Having someone else explain it all to her is a great idea. I like that I can be the "what" and my daughter can be the "how much". myfoursons...I love the cooking together idea. We like to cook together but we don't really discuss the portions very often. THANKS FOR THE HELP!! Angie

I'm not sure what I think about food so I don't even know what I might need to change. Isn't it normal to worry about your kids being overweight? I like the idea of starting out with even smaller portions. Maybe just the simple act of getting up for seconds is a mental thing for her it'll cut down on her total amount of calories. Some days she is very active with sports and just playing with other kids. Other days she just sits and watches tv. We have exercise equipment that I like to use. Should I make her do it with me even when she just wants to be lazy? How do the rest of you make your kids get enough exercise and eat the right amounts of the right foods?

Thanks for all the input. I agree about cookies not needing to be in the house. It was probably the first time in several months that they were here. It was just a "red light" for me and I wanted to know how other parents handle their children. Even things like just getting another serving of food at dinner or eating again a couple of hours after dinner is an issue for my daughter. Take my son out of the picture. What does everyone think about training kids to eat responsibly and healthy? I know that being a role model is important. I'm really trying to be that for her. We keep healthy foods in the house, but too many calories from healthy food can cause weight gain, too. I just don't know how far to push it without causing lifelong emotional problems. Many of us here probably know what it's like to be a heavy child. It's not fun and we all want to spare our kids that. Do I constantly tell her no, even if it's healthy food? Do I set up very specific eating times? I'm just so torn about this issue. Angie

I'd like to hear your opinions on how to help overweight kids lose a little weight. I know that whatever I say to my daughter will stay with her forever. She knows I have the band and that I'm losing weight. She's only 8 years old but she's very mature. She's not horribly overweight, but she has fat genes and if she continues to gain weight she'll quickly become obese. Her brother is 10 and can eat more and not gain weight. Tonight he has a friend over and they each had a few cookies. My daughter walked in and immediately said that she wanted one, too. My first thought was that she doesn't need to eat cookies. I know he doesn't either, but we don't have cookies very often and they were his favorite kind. I don't want to punish him by never having any junk food but at the same time I don't want to tempt her either. As adults we understand that people are different....some gain weight easily and some don't. How do I help her without scarring her for life? Weight issues will probably be a life-long battle for her. Oh.... both of my kids are pretty active. I work on making sure she exercises, but food is my main concern.

I like Isopure chocolate mixed with skim milk.

I have a fill of 2.3 right now, but they only added .2 this last time. I'm making myself stay away from mushies and now I can really tell that I'm tighter. I was concerned because I expected to feel tighter with the softer food, too. From your note, it appears that this might be your first fill. If so, it takes most people 2 or 3 fills to feel tight enough. I'd go ahead and schedule another fill and then cancel it if you don't need it. I find that if I wait to schedule a fill, it takes a couple of weeks to get in.

Should you do this??? That's a question only you can answer. It was the right decision for me. Please learn from my mistakes....You need to truly understand that you have to make better food choices right from the start. I thought the band would be my answered prayer and it would be EASY. It is not easy. I have to count calories and exercise in order to lose weight. The band just makes it easier to count calories because I don't get so hungry. I've only started exercising regularly in the past 2 months. More than anything, it's a mental change. Do your homework and go to a free seminar. Good luck to you.

Thanks for all the input. This is what I love about this site!

Thanks....I'll go look it up.

Does anyone know of a free online calorie counter? I thought I found one but when I finished putting all my food for the day in it, I was told I had to pay for a membership to actually get my total calories for the day.

I had surgery on a Friday and was back to work on a Tuesday. I had to take it slow and I was exhausted in the evenings but it was fine for me. Just wait and see how you feel.

I just had another fill and they said that I'm very tight right now. However, I'm not feeling any difference with the soft foods. In fact, I'm pretty hungry. Does everyone else feel that way on the soft foods? I haven't had any solid food yet.

I swallow small pills and cut up medium or large ones. I don't take any capsules so I don't have to worry with that. I've never had any problems. Angie

Kimberly....I know exactly how you feel. My year mark is this Feb. and I've only lost about 40 pounds. Everyone is different but it's very frustrating to lose so slowly. The thing I have to remind myself is that I am 40 pounds less than I was last year. It could be worse, I could have gained. I've been rereading the bandster rules a lot lately and I'm scheduled for a fill on Wednesday. I've been eating carbs and I'm going to stop. It is embarrassing when I see that some people have lost 40 pounds in a couple of months. I guess I just wasn't completely prepared to change my eating habits when I got the band. I think I'm ready now to give it 100%. I finally understand that it's just a tool and I'm going to have to work harder than the average person. I think the hardest thing for me to get through my head is that I really might only need a few bites of food at a meal. Before my band started feeling so loose, I'd eat things that go down easily so I'd feel like I'd had enough to eat. I truly understand now that I need to stay away from the mushy food as much as possible. What have you been doing or not doing that you think might be causing your slow loss? Angie