flowers

HD Gloria I feel so bad for you. I was self pay, but Im sure its been an expense, in spite of not working properly for ya. Try muscle milk to let the band rest for a while or some easy to drink liquid Protein instead of the junk. You dont need to have all these problems, everyone's fear.

I have tried Alli off and on and it just isnt working. Maybe Im not eating as much fat?? ... but nadda. I thought it would at least help with constipation (sorry). My problem is sugary foods, like candy, Cookies, stuff that doesnt have that much fat, but it does have sugar. Alli only helps if you eat fat. It will not help at all for candy or chocolates, my downfall. I still have a unopened bottle of Alli here, havent kept using it much since it doesnt seem to have any effect with what Im currently eating. Iv had prescription Alli which seemed much stronger. Is the Alli they sell over the counter just weaker?

I slipped up and sure felt it. I didnt think that the white grape juice they sell as liquor free bubbly would be the same as soda pop. Drank some during christmas dinner, boy did I feel it. Hopefully that wasnt enough to cause a permanent problem, but Im sure others have slipped up, either by accident or just couldnt say no. Hopefully no damage to your band OP. Just make sure you dont do it any more, you dont want to ruin your band over such a small thing. Drink some coffee or tea? they both have caffeine.

I copied the link into the white space on my profile. Saved the site where the ticker is saved. I just log into the site I have bookmarked and update it when I lose, and it automatically updates over here or anywhere you have the ticker. I dont feel like I have a sweet spot either, but oh well. It is what it is, Im determined to lose this weight this time and keep it off. My fill doctor says I am tighter than she likes us to be, I talked her into keeping it that tight, but I too can eat anything. It may be head hunger. When I want to eat, its not healthy food. Nothing is going to stop you from eating junk food except will power.

Deb A, I have to say I hoped for and expected more help from my band than Im getting. I lost over 80 lbs with nutrisystem, so obviously I can lose if I diet and dont eat any sweets. Guess what?? You still have to exercise daily and not eat the foods you want or only have a bite of them same as any diet. Will it help your hunger?? Yes, I suppose it does, but when it comes to snacking or bad foods, its a diet to me. If I quit exercising then I dont lose hardly anything, same as the above poster, who is losing so slow because she isnt exericising. They asked me at a seminar I went to if losing only half my excess weight would be acceptable and of course I said no. I was the only one who still decided they wanted the lapband when they keep emphasizing that is the average. There are a lot of folks who dont post here who gain on the lapband. One was at our seminar. She gained 20 lbs and got diabetes and was having it removed and bypass. Just be aware that you will be on a diet and if you dont exercise, results will be slow coming and its calories in and calories out. The band will just help your willpower slightly, but not the "oh I know that will taste good" or "head hunger". I really feel like I have been battling my way thru christmas to get the scales to consistently show below 180. Been bouncing around these pounds too long and doing a bit of cheating. It is cheating if you are eating key lime pie, and chocolate chip Cookies same as any diet to me. I am allowing more cheating this diet than when I did nutrisystem where I lost really fast and gained it all back really fast. I dont want to feel so deprived so doing this slower so I dont just wake up one day and say I cant do this any more. Hopefully when I hit that day, the band will keep me from gaining it all back so fast. We have all been on too many diets. I just couldnt do one more diet without some help I decided. I was self pay for the lapband and each fill is $200 - $250. ($250 near me, $200 if I drive 5 hours). I would do it again, because I need it mentally. It took the surgery to get me to losing again, just couldnt start one more diet. We have all probably been there, done that. Hit a wall.

thanks, Ill save it under favorite. I did buy one on ebay Christmas eve and have a high bid on another, but they are not really formal wear. I need very formal too, so Ill go now and look at your site. Anyone else struggling lately with the "ok, Ill only cheat this once, no more" thing. yesterday it was thingees with chocolate, dates and then key lime pie. I know all those things are a no no. black lab as far as why would anyone cheat .... sometimes its hard to have will power forever. this is really the first bad time Iv cheated since I started late June. I keep saying, just this once which has really slowed down my weight loss. Im still being very good about walking. Only one day so far have I seen any daylight between 179 and 180. About 5 days ago. Everyone seems to be doing really well weight loss wise, maybe Im the only cheater lately in the bunch. My problem has always been sugar more than overeating. Hi everyone. Just popping in to say hello.

Iv had 3 fills. The only food I feel that too much restriction problem is fruits. Dates hit me hard yesterday, but fresh pinneapple, eating cantelope too fast. Pretty much any fruit. I can eat pizza, subs anything else but fruit.

I still am not sure this was the answer for me. Im a nibbler and gained the weight from eating junk food, not from overeating. I am filled as tight as the fill doctor says she can fill me and it doesnt really help. I feel like it's still mostly will power. For others who do eat large meals at one time this may be their answer. Im losing and walking every day now, it did get me started. Im age 58 and the surgery was not too bad. I decided to come home a day early and went to Mexico to have it done by myself. Many places do the surgery as on a outpatient basis, so you know its not that much surgery wise. I did have a little gas, but its all gone now. Im in the DFW TX area, and I drive to Tyler to get my fills. She does fills every other weekend in Tyler or College Station. Iv had 3 fills so far. Dont be too scared of the surgery.

I bookmarked my ticker where it suggested to bookmark it. Then I click on favorites to bring it back up, sign in with my pin and change the date and weight and it automatically changes on here or whever you have it posted.

I bought the one you see in the tv info ad. It has something in it that makes you dependent on it after a while. I wound up having to go to a specialty doctor to prescribe something so I could do without the ingrediant in the product. He said it was bad for you, dont believe the advertising. Cost me a few hundred for a couple of months supply which I still have and then cost me to go see the doctor and get the prescription a few hundred more to fix the damage done. (I have no insurance, so had to pay cash). dont do it.

Iv had pizza and sub sandwiches. No one has ever told me not to. I do watch how many carbs I consume so I lose faster, but I have some. Pizza I know its hard to stop at one piece. I have had 3 fills and supposedly tight, but I can eat anything except fruit has the most trouble.

I'm with you. Why would I tell anyone I have a band. I would be so embarrassed to go around town showing that card. I tell very few people. None of their business.

The post above yours has the link in it. Just click on it. Personally, I went to Mexico, self pay. Im in Texas so I went thru El Paso, easier than getting to other places. They met me at the airport and drove me acros the border and the hospital is very close.

I had sugar withdrawals. I was used to eating candy and Snacks that I stopped all the sudden when I was banded. Could this be what you feel like?? Headachy I remember for sure. I went thru sugar withdrawal for about 2 weeks.

You might still be ok, dont cry. My doctor only required 3 days of liquids and then 1 month of mushys. It is hard, we all know that. Just get back on the band wagon. You dont have a fill yet, so you dont have any restriction. Thats why its called bandster's hell until you get to proper restriction.

I dont think I was a good candidate for lapband, Im doing all the work. I never ate large meals and was back and forth about getting the band. Im a nibble. I dont do things the lapband way. If I walk and dont eat sweets I lose. I think you can too, dont give up without the band. If you stick with this group, they will keep you motivated to keep on track. Just stick with eating right and walking or whatever exercise is easy for you to do. As far as having 6 months to lose, with two cruises between now and then, that loses another month. I cant lose 60 lbs between now and then and go on those other two cruises. I do good to maintain kinda during a cruise. But I sure intend to be closer. Im hoping down to a size 12 by then. I bought 3 bathing suits in size 10, 12 and 14, lol and they cost less than buyine one from a store here, so Im all set for that lol. Buying in all 3 sizes for other things too. Im hoping I can get into the size 14 bathing suit by my april 5th cruise.

My problem with the chart is it doesnt take into consideration your frame size. My sister is probably around 140 lbs right now and into a size XL top now and a size 18 dress. ... but at 5 7 (she is a mite taller than me at that), she is almost considered to be a normal weight, BMI wise, and that just aint so. I'm not as small framed as she is but I used to wear a size 30 blouse, and shop in the children's often because I was too narrow shouldered to wear women's sizes. I didnt gain this weight until I went thru menopause. Then I read on here there are women who are over 200 lbs in smaller sizes than us...and they are shorter?. The BMI charts need to be like the old charts and have a range according to your frame. The BMI charts make no sense to me either. As far as getting to dinner and the show with the group, they are providing transportation for us around NYC that night and putting us up at the Grand Hyatt, so I dont have to worry about walking too far, but not used to heels.

A yellow sundress sounds very cute. I am typical of anyone who is insulin resistant (also called pre diabetic), big stomach :tongue_smilie:. That's one of the biggest warning signs. I carry most of my weight of my thin frame on my stomach, so that's probably why I have to still buy large sizes, it hasnt gone down much yet. I cant do sit ups and crunchs yet, osteroperosis has set in too. I am writing down all these shopping sites. I sure cant wait to have a cute figure again, and not look like a overbalanced pear. Sometimes I wish we all lived closer together so we could all go shopping together and meet for real. Wouldnt that be fun? Im just almost in regular sizes now. Its so much more expensive to have to shop online and in special stores for "larger women" lol.

thanks for your ideas. I actually let a new $300 dress get by me that went for about $26.50 plus shipping on ebay. A big name designer dress. You can find them on ebay, but its a lot of work. The ones you described sound great too. I will have saggy arms and neck when I lose a bit more, did last time when I did nutrisystem (and gained 90 lbs back in less than a year :laugh: ) I want to use up all that money I have sitting on paypal first, then Ill shop other places. You are right, I need some cap sleeves or small sleeves. That makes finding a formal dress a lot more challenging. Most are sleeveless. There are just too many dresses on ebay and it takes time to sort thru them, should have grabbed that one that was a size 12, chickened out (I started to worry I wouldnt get down to a size 12 in time). I am 5 7, so I try and avoid petites, Im leggy. Sometimes in bathing suits I even need a "tall" thru the body. I got the QM2 for booking another group cruise on RCL's Oasis, but prices were only starting about $1210 (total) and they were including airfare with that price. My cabin on a higher deck was $1260. The cruise goes from NYC to Hallifax and then to Boston on July 4th, and stays in Boston until midnight to watch the fireworks and then back to NYC. Its only a 5 day cruise, but Im staying in NYC 3 days precruise to do musicals and sight see. Two new things. I have never seen NYC either, but Im assming folks dress up for dinner and a Broadway show there too. thanks for your ideas. I'll add them to my list for shopping. Coldwater Creek has a outlet store too that many cruisers use, non wrinkable type dresses.

JoannMarie, I am so sorry about your dog. I have been there and done that and it still hurts. Not something that I can easily talk about. But I am sorry what you are going thru. How awful for you.

Actually, I have 5 cruises next year. For most cruises I have clothes that will work. Doing Carnival in January and RCL in April. They are not dressy like QM2, thats the one I need clothes for. I dont work and live in tee shirts and jeans and things I cant wear on the QM2, not even during the day Im told I need nicer outfits. (never been on the QM2, it was a free cruise which ordinarily I would never have booked :laugh: ) Its a new group Im booked with and I want to fit in. Thats why I'm so worried about that one in particular. Some of these women in this group look so glamorous and I know I dont have that look. I wish I could be at goal by the time I meet them, but aint going to be possible to be in the 120s by July 1st!!! So, I will buy clothes for this trip and then a few months later Im afraid I wouldnt be able to wear them anymore, so I dont want to spend too much on looking good either. I hate the idea of buying a whole wardrobe for one trip and then not wearing it again. As far as dieting, to me if I cant eat sweets and junk food, its a diet, lol. sorry. Those foods just are poisen for me and I know I have to avoid them to lose. I did have some raspberry danish yesterday. My parents get two danish every year from their broker. Its so good, but I shouldnt eat it at all, so its a diet to avoid eating it much.

Im walking over 3 miles a day usually. I lost 9 lbs preband to add to what it shows on my ticker. I walk at a good pace. Took me 6 months to lose this much though. Havent been dieting, eating the same way as before I got the band mostly.

I have to say though, that for being banded such a short time, you are doing better than most of any of us. I feel like if I lose a lb or two a week Im doing great, and then I read stats like yours. Iv only been banded a few weeks less than you and see how much better you and some are doing losing so much faster than me and wonder what I am doing wrong. I started dieting back in June too. I'm just glad I keep progressing, pitter pat go the little footsteps.

I have a large credit on ebay that I want to spend for fancy dresses on the QM2, over $300 sitting out there and since it has to be shipped, I dont want to wait too long is why Im nervous of waiting until the last minute. The large credit is because when they charged me for my lapband in pesos, they overcharged me when it went thru in dollars by quite a lot. I went to Mexico and the company paid me back via paypal. Right now the weight is still coming off faster than Im dropping sizes. I tried on a size 18 jumper just today and it barely zips.

A low gi diet is foods that are basically labeled, red, yellow and green. Red foods, dont eat, yellow watch it, moderation once in a while and green means you can have them. 100 = sugar, its a measure of how fast you can digest foods I believe. berries, stonefruits, good, figs are high gi. whole grains are better than instant rice. Instant rice is the worst rice, like 87, but it also depends on how its cooked and how long. If you boil whole grain rice 20 minutes its lower gi, most of the starch is removed. the only potatoes semi ok, are new potatoes, very small, boiled, no baked potatoes which have much more starch. the lowest gi food is yogurt, that is artifically sweetened or unsweetened believe it or not, high Protein, about 57 value gi, the lower the better for you. I got the books on how to eat low gi free from my library. It works better for me than low calorie or low fat.