JulieNYC

My doc requires you to wait 6 weeks. I had mine in week 7 due to scheduling issues.

Forced myself out of an afternoon nap to make it to do my treadmill time at the gym today.... I'm up to FIVE and it's only the 9th. Right on track....

Kat, please keep us posted on your granddaughter. That's very scary and I hope it resolves soon. My walk was FABULOUS. I spent too much money stopping in all the stores on the way home, but it was a good 4 miles and I felt so good to be able to do it. I used to feel like I was the only one in the city who wanted to take a cab, bus or subway when everyone else wanted to walk. Now I walk too! Tomorrow I'll get in "real" gym time....

Sunta, that's GREAT! Keep your list going as they pile up, ok? BTW, what's the weight limit on an epidural? I didn't know there was one!

Josette, I'm so relieved for you regarding the skin issue. At least one of the two things bothering you is back under control! Now, knock your husband up side the head and tell him he's not in high school anymore -- no summer vacation for 3 months! I'm sure things will be just fine and I'm so thankful that your health issue resolved. Take care,

Try the chickpatties while you're at it. They're DELICIOUS and keep me full for every bit of 4 hours. Add a small veggie and you're set for an easy meal!

Just to present a different view, my experience is totally opposite from Sugarplum's. I eat out every week. Even with being vegetarian (which presents its own list of menu issues) I don't plan ahead and I've never gotten sick in public. I do, however, often only order an appetizer, which sometimes requires explanation to the waiter or dining companion. You have a choice as to how tight to keep your band and what lifestyle you wish to maintain while banded. Many people choose to be tighter, which means that they have to be a lot more careful about their choices, restaurants, etc. The upside is that they get a lot of control from their band in the weight loss journey. That is absolutely the right choice for some people. For me, I'd rather be a little looser and be able to eat any texture of food (even bread, though I don't often choose it). It's important to my lifestyle (I'm an attorney that takes clients out a lot, I'm single and I live in NYC so eating out is inherently part of the picture) and it hasn't interfered with my weight loss goals yet, so it's working for me. The band really dimms my head hunger, though quantity control I have to work on myself more than some, given that I chose to be looser. My point is, you have choices. Getting the band will not make you miserable. It's adjustible for a reason!

Today I'm going to walk home from work, via a store that is actually in the wrong diretion. It's going to be about 4 miles. It's not "gym" exercise, but it's going to count because I would take the subway but for this challenge.

Debi, I'm so sorry for this set back. The thing is, you're on a road to better overall health and weight loss through being banded is only one component. Get your heart taken care of (which might happen quicker than you think, with or without the stints) and you'll be stable for band surgery. Then, you'll already be so much healthier than you were at the beginning of your journey! Be one of those annoying patients who really follows up about getting appointments, tests and procedures scheduled ASAP and maybe there's a chance you'll be banded in this calendar year after all. Let us know if we can help.

That's WONDERFUL! I can't wait for the day when I don't worry about whether I'll fit into a booth! Sometimes they fit and sometimes they don't, but some day, I won't even think about it. Maybe I'll even PREFER a booth one day, who knows! Happy anniversary and give her a big hug (with arms touching because she's so skinny) for us.

OK, I'm officially on a plateau. I haven't dropped in 2 weeks. I know I'm doing everything I can (eating right, exercising, drinking my water), but my body just likes 280. Maybe it was a set-point for me, who knows. Maybe I'll drop 5 lbs overnight sometime soon, who knows. But what DO I know? That this is the PITS! I went through this when I was around 305 as well. Maybe it's just something my body does every 25 lbs or so. I do recall that when it broke, I slid through the 290s very quickly. Let's hope for that.

OK, for the THIRD time this month, I went to the gym solely because of this thread. Fabulous! I hope it stays as motivational for me (and you all, of course) all month. Today I was BEAT from work, but I decided I'd go swim some laps. That's my "fallback" exercise when I don't really feel like it. I enjoy being in the Water so much that it's not like real exercise to me (even though physically it certainly is). So, I swam my 30 minutes and racked up my tally for this post. I plan to work out Fri, Sat, Sun too, so I can get back on target to make my 15 times. How are you all doing??

It's stuck between the pouch and the lower stomach in what's called the stoma (i.e. "the hole" you refer to). It's rare to get really stuck. Some people use the term to refer to being too full as well, which isn't as painful as being truly stuck, but is uncomfortable. Either (food in stoma/too much in pouch) can cause a PB.

Boo, I'm on a plateau too. It's been about 2 weeks now. I'm hoping it'll break tomorrow because it's time! We'll see.

I take extra firm tofu and cut it into dice-sized pieces. I brown it in a wok for about 5-7 minutes then set aside. Then spray the wok with Pam and add in water chestnuts, baby corn (the kind that are more like pickles than corn -- no probs going down) and sugar snap peas (or snow peas if sugar snap are not in season). I brown that for about 7 minutes then I add back in the tofu PLUS 1T green curry paste. Add salt and pepper and YUM. All for about 150 cals per cup. Can't beat it in my book!

Hahaha, I hear you guys on the shoes! To date, that's been the best part of my early journey -- the return to heels! Gosh they make you feel sexy, even if you're still a larger size than you'd like....

Way to go for getting that exercise in even with a house full of company, Betty. WOOHOO! I'm visiting friends in NC for the long weekend, but today, I took their baby out for a long walk (uphill, I might add). I would NOT have done this, but for this challenge! TWO down, 13 or more to go....

LapBandit, when did your plateau break? You were 3-4 days ahead of me in it starting and I'm ready for mine to break! I'm coming off my slow cycle tomorrow (my pattern seems to be 1 good week of losing and 1 week of practically nothing, alternating) and expect to see some movement soon, I hope.... In any event, YEA FOR YOU!

Woohoo! Way to go! Close your eyes and blink and I bet you'll have lost 15 more! GO ROIANSMOM!

Congratulations Stephanie! I remember the moment when I first wore pants that zip up and had no elastic. It was just like 2 months ago. EVERYONE notices that kind of thing, whether they say so or not. It's a huge NSV. Congratulations! I've only had one NSV since then (at least that makes the formal list), which is that I noticed one day not long after the pants moment that I was sitting with my legs crossed in my armchair. Now that's my favorite position! It'll be a long time before my legs stay crossed in an upright chair, but in my cushy armchair, I feel just great. Be sure to post when you wear those pants to work for the first time. Don't wait more than 10 days or so to try them on again or when you do, they might be too big!

Great idea Kari. I've already put it in my calendar as a reminder for next month!

Whatever it takes for you to get there too, Tired Old Man, we're all here to support you. I seem to remember you're doing great on your loss, even with the head hunger. Keep up the good work.

My opinion is that I don't think there's a such thing as "the right way." Each patient is different and each doctor is different. It has to be a combination of what you are both comfortable with. For me, what Jacqui said is exactly perfect for me -- "So to me, the looser you can be and still get away with it, the better." My doctor does allow multiple fills within as short as a week if the patient feels that the level of restriction isn't right in either direction. That's not to say that he pushes fills on any patient. I had the 3 fills in a row early on and I have great restriction, which to me means that my hunger is turned off for 4-5 hours by eating reasonable portions. I can still eat any type of food and I can still eat a larger portion than I think is reasonable if I choose to. It's just that with my restriction, I can usually choose not to! My fills were all in early June and I haven't needed one since. This is a great approach for me, though I completely understand why a slower approach would be good for a different doctor and a different patient. For me, I wanted to feel like I was finally in control of the food, and I didn't want to wait to get there.

I'm in! I'm at 280 and looking to really work it throughout Sept and October. I like this idea and will put it on my list to remember to sponsor one myself sometime!

Wheetsin! Thank you so much for this post. Your list was FABULOUS and an inspiration to all. I'm 6 weeks behind you and looking forward to assembling my own list when time comes! Great job. Thanks for sharing.