flowers

I cant remember the last time my size was single digits and I dont plan on it again. Thats unrelistic for some of us, depending on how tall you are too. The fact that one person got to a size 8 and has responded several times, if she can do it, so can others. No we cant. Depends on your bones too. So, get that out of your head if you cant hit it. It is NOT possible for everyone, but that doesnt mean you cant lose weight. My first question to you would be how much weight are you down since you decided you wanted the lapband? If you are indeed as determined as you say, you would already be walking outside and exercising and dropping weight and making the changes. Read the thread I read last night about someone who had the surgery last Nov, and hasnt lost anything. Lapband takes a lot of work, and even with resistance it isnt going to magically come off unless you change what your eat and how much you exercise. Changes you can start making now. If you arent making these changes already and dropping some weight, then maybe the sleeve is a better choice for you and not the lapband. A lot of what you read here, many of us are taking the bull by the horns and pushing pushing pushing to lose by lots of work. You can call it a lifestyle change or a diet, whichever you term it, you have to change, which you can do now.

I thought I choose the other but seems I choose Relize band. I said the one made by Johnson and Johnson and thought it was the other one. hahahhahaahaha Im just as glad now I got the Relize band I think, even though Im not sure either would work well for someone like me who is a nibbler and a snacker. btw Im more than halfway to goal and 3 fills. My surgery was July 9th, about 7 months ago?? If im losing slower, folks posting here think it is because I have the Realize band? Really?? I thought I was doing ok for my age (58) so Im a slow loser compared to you younger ones. Iv only heard of one Texas fill doctor out of all the ones I checked who doesnt fill Realize bands. I think you are worrying about nothing. I got my band in Mexico, so had to shop around Texas for a fill doctor, so Iv talked to a lot of them.

I bought boxes of those mixed popsicles. (popsicles, fudgesicles and creamsicles). I especially like the creamsicles. Nuts, have a few nuts in between meals. Probably not great as I eat too many. I have a package of lean ham and cheese and I usually eat some of the ham, but sometimes the cheese. I snack, couldnt deal with doing without totally, just cut way back.

1. wear a size 10 or size 8 dress and feel like I look good and my face isnt so fat and round. 2. stand on the scales and be able to see straight down without having to peer around my belly. 3. go down the slide on a cruise, which I wouldnt do yet because I look so bad in a bathing suit still. Im about into a size 14 though, closer.

It would never occur to me that folks were lying about how much they lost?? What would be the point, since we dont see or know each other for real? Btw to the OPs question of how often do we weigh... I weigh several times a day Ill bet. I want to catch it when I start to drop, I drop a few lbs all at once, but might not drop for 10 days or more. I cant wait to see the scales move, just me. I didnt weigh myself when I was gaining, but I sure do now.

Hey Orea, you sure swooped thru those last 10 lbs like nothing while I wasnt looking, good for you, congrats. long2bthin, yep Im still here. Measuring my waist and wondering when I will lose those inches. The smallest dress I bought is 36 in the waist and if I pull tight on the measuring tape, Im at best 38 1/2 inches around my smallest part of about where my waist should be. Im trying to build strength, but my arms are sore, so I decided I shouldnt push today. I dont know if I should try every day, or just every other day to try push ups. Between the broken bones and osteroperosis (my bones are like 80 years old the doc said), I dont want to injure myself either. Im sure trying, even though not making progress like you. Im about to push into the 160s though. I saw 170 even after my 2nd walk yesterday.

My job wouldnt have let me take off a whole month if I wasnt really sick. The day after surgery, I flew home by myself from Mexico and tromped thru two airports for endless hours. I can see them allowing you a week off but is your doctor really willing to sign a note saying you need a whole month under his care, because you want time off to get walking starting and pamper yourself?? Have you asked your surgeon if he will sign such a note?? Mine wouldnt have. Remember this surgery is a 40 minute procedure they can do as a outpatient.

lol, not everyone is going to be a size 6, my hips are too wide for one thing, but Im happy just to be getting down there and maybe in a size 8 or 10. I think size 8 has been the smallest Iv ever been in, even when I got down to 111 on Atkins. Im also 5 7. I cant ever ever remember being in a size 6, not even in Junior High school when I was underweight. We are still happy that you are so happy to be in a size 6 and can enjoy that you got into such a tiny size.

One lady on the 50s thread who got surgery only a few weeks before me I think, already just hit her 100 lbs down number. (8 months). But most of the tickers I have seen, it takes about a year, some more and some less. My surgery was July 9th. Im just pushing 10 lbs at a time, cant think 100 lbs or Id get discouraged. Most of us older gals will tell you age has something to do with weight loss too, it gets harder once you pass the big M.

Right and because it expands the pouch, it could cause your lapband to slip. Its the slippage factor is why no carbonation. I stay away from it. I gave up two bottles of champagne on a cruise, told them I couldnt drink them. Not worth taking the chance.

Not that 3 months is that far away, but I look at some folks who got banded in the few months before I did or even a year before and they are already down 100 lbs, and I wish I was where they are. I think its impossible not to wish you were further down the line. I would ask the surgeon how many lap bands he has actually put in just to be sure he is comfortable with the surgery. They say dont ask how many WLS, but specifically how many lap bands.

When I started I could barely bend over to clip my own toenails. Glad I can do that now again. I bought a formal dress for next July and it turned out to be a size 14W, instead of a size 14, and it already was too big for me when it came. I was in a size 22 or 24W when I started.

I'd like to eventually see some size 8s, no hope with my hips of ever seeing a size 6. Not built that way. Too many curves. Most people I doubt will ever see a size 6. Lucky you.

I heard a similar statistic at my WLS seminar from the person leading the seminar. She asked if I was going to be happy with losing only half the weight I wanted to lose, because that was typical of folks who got the lapband. Im hoping to lose more, but Iv already beat the stats because Iv lost more than half what I hoped to lose in the first year. A lot depends on the person and how determined they are to succeed.

Maybe you are like me and nibble, so the band doesnt really stop you from eating more often. I went on a cruise and ate every time I was hungry, even though I had been very strict before that. I gained 5 lbs in 5 days, so I know it can happen. It's hard to cut back all at once. I started by making sure I got my walking in and cutting back gradually (still am working on cutting back). Try some SF fudgesicles that take longer to eat and are only 35 calories or something not as bad as regular chocolate. The more real chocolate you eat, the more you will crave. It might not be real panic attacks, just insulin surges that make you feel like you can't do without it? Is that possible? (I dont know, Im just hoping there is a way for you to break the sugar cycle too). Im almost back to my precruise weight, and I know I was depressed to feel like I set myself back so much. But I can tell you that you dont want to let it go. I did that on my last diet and gained everything back. Please dont let that happen or you will be so upset with yourself. You just gotta stop and get back on the bandwagon. Hugs.

I know, I know. I would give my right arm for some popcorn, but I stick with low gi food. I smell something high carb like popcorn and I gain. I have promised myself those 100 calorie packs when I get to goal once in a while. I just know that kind of food gives me insulin spikes like crazy, wish it didnt. I just want to lose this weight so much, that I'm doing whatever works for me right now. I did not mean to come off as unappreciative of your advice, just that popcorn is a trigger food for me to eat more too. I love it too much.

Well, I feel deprived since I no longer eat snacks that I want. Omelets or whatever you say makes you feel not deprived doesn't do it for me. I do go off the wagon on cruises which has to be good enough. Im back on the wagon until a wedding in March and then another cruise in April. Everyone does the best they can, and I stay away from sugars and carbs since Im pre diabetic and know that's when I gain. I wish I could think of this as just a life style change, but since its not one I want, to me that feels like a diet. Lucky those who dont feel like they are dieting, I'm not one :w00t: I'm doing what I need to in order to be healthy. The SF desserts still have quite a lot of calories, more than Iv been eating. I probably have cut down a lot more than some here to lose? I have to watch my sister when I cruise and stay with her and she cant exercise much, so its hard to walk or go to the gym on a cruise. Usually at home she is at the senior center or with my parents so I can walk when Im not cruising. I do walk over 3 miles a day ordinarily. I did really watch what I ate, and only had one whole dessert and one time ate one piece of bread with dinner, but thats still much more than I was eating precruise.

Hi katydid, good luck with finding out if you have a hernia or what is wrong causing all that pb'ing. I'm back from my cruise and came back UP 5 LBS!!! Boo hoo. I didnt eat terrible, but I snacked because of acid in my stomach which was still giving me trouble. Iv tried every anti acid since I got home, prilosec daily now too to see if that works. I took 3 different brands yesterday. Never had such acid problems I gotta cure before I can go back to strict dieting. I'm still up a lb from when I left for the cruise. It was so hard to jump back on the walking and dieting bandwagon. Anyone who tells me this isnt a diet, must have more support from their lapband than I get. For the first time I suddenly feel restricted too. Very wierd couple of weeks, wasted as far as weight loss.

I thought I explained that I live within an hour of good lapband doctors too, that charge less than $10K, but I decided to save about $3,000 because I knew the $3K was a lot of savings. I did read where you live and have heard of the doctor you mentioned. Im sorry you are offended. I was just trying to suggest if money is that important, there are good doctors in Mexico as well. I was trying to save you $$$$. I was faced with exactly the same decision you were, so I got it. I would have preferred not to fly across the border either. I certainly did not mean my suggestion in the way you seem to have taken it. I'v also been thru the surgery, so I know my own surgery did not help near as much as I hoped. You pin your hopes on this surgery being a lot more help than it might really be. I would do it again, but I am saying it sure isnt as much help as I hoped it would be. You are obviously young. You have time to get ready for it when you are financially able. If the doctor means that much to you, by all means do the doctor near you. Good luck whatever you choose to do. We all know the decision ain't easy. Keep pushing with insurance too.

You say it's not worth it to go to Mexico to save money, but then complain about feeling like you are drowning in debt. BTW Im in Dallas and there are several good surgeons here for under $10K as well, but I went to Mexico for $6,500 because it was all inclusive. I knew I wouldnt be paying to tests etc. I have paid another $200 for each of 3 fills so far. If you have made up your mind you only want that one doctor, start saving up your $$$ until you feel more comfortable with paying out the money and have a decent job. In the meantime you can diet. All the lapband does is help you resist food somewhat, you will still be having to use a lot of will power. I am pretty darn tired of walking every day too, and the lapband doesnt help with that. You could walk like I do (Im doing about 3.5 miles a day). If you cant start and pick something you can do now, then you probably arent ready anyway for the lapband because it still takes a lot of work.

I think folks believe the band in and of itself is going to lose the weight. I know for me I don't feel like it's doing much either. I am walking 3.5 miles a day, every day. Im also dieting, and yes to me it's a diet. Some people report they are losing without effort, but I guess I wasnt eating that badly before, because to lose Im still having to burn more calories and watch every bite I eat. To me that's a diet. .... could be age related too. I'm 58. btw, sparks is also a free site if you want to join. It tracks your calories, if you put in what you eat. It suggests exercises based on your age and weight. It will suggest different sparks groups to join which you might like etc. I use it to track my exericsing mostly.

Special K also makes a protein cereal. I had trouble finding it. They put just that one kind all the way on the very top shelf of cereals. Its has 10 grams of protein per serving, low sugar and 5 grams of fiber (smells like raisen bran somehow). I liked it. Has a sweet smell and taste even if its not sugar.

I'm one who doesnt know if it's my fill doctor not making me tight enough, or the lapband was never for me. People keep saying that they can't eat more than a certain amount, but I can eat anything and eat full meals. I am out more than the 6 months mentioned above and the only reason Im losing is determination. Im still hungry and could eat much more. I ate a chicken sandwich from Burger King today. I tried to just eat half, but then Im still hungry. Posts like the above make me think something is wrong with my band.

OP your stats and mine look pretty similar so far. I lost 9 before surgery besides what my ticker shows. The only difference is I plan on getting to a lower BMI than you, so still have more like 50 I plan on losing. Im pushing about as hard as I can, walking every day, started strength exercises, but can't do much of them. I sort of tried the 5 day pouch test, except I had some Protein Cereal in the morning for Fiber, but my results were no better than what Iv been doing, just baking salmon and snacking on it during the day or eating a lb of shrimp. Ill let you know if I slow down any more losing, but so far Im still losing, but tired of daily walks for 3.5 miles and all the dieting and pushing. Im ready to have a few more treats than I allow myself now. Im thinking it will be Sept/Oct before I hit goal, how about you OP?

How do you unsubscribe to a thread?? Never wanted to before, but this one just seems full of folks who NEED to dictate how other posters respond.