BDS_Geologist

I'm shooting for getting down to 200 lbs by Memorial Day. This would put me down a total of 77 lbs and at a weight that I haven't been at since 4th grade. My Goal for July 4th is 192 lbs. My Anniversary Goal is 182 lbs and that would put my BMI at 24.9 which would be the first time in my entire life that I wasn't overweight. Bryan

I've flown cross-county several times since being banded and haven't had any problems. You should probably bring along band-friendly foods, since airline Snacks aren't necessarily good food choices. Enjoy Your Trip!!! Bryan

Last Friday, 207. This AM, 204.5. Dropped 2.5 lbs this week.

Stephanie is absolutely right. It is a slow process and it requires a total lifestyle change. Your frustrations with no post-banding weightloss is probably just a metabolic slowdown. Get up and move, it will help you kick your metabolizm back into gear. Don't get disappointed by a lack of weightloss, it comes, it goes and it's all related to you and your decisions. Congratulations on getting banded and good luck with your journey. Bryan

Congratulations, it will be a new life. The challenges will be great, but so will the changes.

No change from last week. 207 last Friday, 207 this AM. Bryan

I had a pretty satisfying NSV last weekend. My wife and I were visiting her sister's family in GA. My brother in-law has not so good naturedly ridden me about my weight since we met 15 years ago. He was bragging about maintaining his 38 inch waistline. I didn't say a thing, but my wife told him "Bryan wears a 36 now". Needless to say, it shut him up. Bryan

This is a two week Friday weigh-in for me. I was traveling easter weekend and didn't bring my scale (although sometimes I feel like I'm married to it). Friday April 3: 210.5 This morning: 207 Down 3.5 lbs in 2 weeks. I finally broke my original goal weight of 208 that my surgeon and I set at the initial consultation. 200 seems pretty reachable now and that's a weight that I haven't seen since 4th grade!! (I was a good bit shorter then). Bryan

It happened to me too. I had never been cold in my entire life. Now I complain about the temperature as much as my wife does. Bryan

I'm finally loosening up after my last fill, and I finally feel like I've hit the "sweet spot". Let's see how long it lasts. None the less, it was a pretty good weight loss week. Last Friday: 213 This Morning: 210.5 Down another 2.5 from last week Bryan

Go ahead and invite him to join you for a happy hour. The casual "un-date-like" atmosphere really helps and inviting him out gives him some feedback on your feelings. It's definitely not too forward to ask a man out for a happy hour. Bryan

I had another good weight loss week, thanks to getting my 4th fill 2 weeks ago. Last Friday: 217.5 Today: 213 Lost 4.5 lbs. The fill was actually too tight and I could only get liquids down for about a week. Eating is slow going now, but I'm just going to ride it out as it will loosen up as I lose more fat. I really needed a boost in the weight loss department. I felt like I hung around 227 forever. Bryan

I had a pretty satisfying NSV yesterday. I finally came to the conclusion that all of my XL (17-17 1/2) shirts were too big. I went out shopping for Large (16- 16 1/2) shirts. I was still skeptical that a Large wouldn't fit, so I tried on everything that I picked out and they all fit. Having gone from a 2X-X to Large was very gratifying. I felt like yelling "I'M A LARGE!! I'M A LARGE!!". I haven't worn a men's large anything since Junior High School 35 years ago. It felt good, really good! :crying: Bryan

Hi Carol, Congratulations on making the decision to investigate gastric banding surgery. That first step was one that I put off for a long while. I'm so glad that I went through with it. Banding has improved my health and changed my life. I was banded last August by Dr. Boyce at Parkwest Hospital. He is a really excellent surgeon with a very supportive manner. I'd be happy to discuss my experiences with you. Bryan

My surgeon told me that he temporarily wanted me off of caffeine because of it's diuretic effect. He wanted me fully hydrated for the recovery stage. He was fine with resuming caffeine intake after the first month. It's far better to wean yourself off of caffeine in the weeks leading up to your surgery. The headache that you will get from going "cold turkey" can be terrible. You don't want that on the day of your surgery or during recovery. You'll have enough issues to deal with, and fighting your caffeine addiction at the same time won't help. Bryan Also, the stimulant effect from caffeine is an appetite SUPRESSANT for most people, it normally won't stimulate your appetite.

Last Friday 228.5 This morning 227 1.5# lost

Last Friday: 231 This morning: 228.5 Down 2.5 #s It been a good week for weight loss.

I've heard that it can get very confusing trying to learn Tai Chi from a video. A DVD just can't provide any feedback about form and isn't paced to meet your needs. Luckily, I can take a class that meets in the evening or on a Saturday AM. I try to go to both, since I can get 2 different instructor's take on the same moves. I hope that you'll get the opportunity to learn with a real live instructor. Bryan

I was really working hard to have a good follow-up to last week's 4 lb loss, but I managed to gain 1.5 lbs. Last Friday: 229.5 This morning: 231 I've hit the gym at lunch and after work four days this week and I've been keeping my calorie intake around 1000 per day. I'm convinced that I've just added some muscle mass and Water, but the scale movement is discouraging (especially since I was at 228 on Saturday morning). I hadn't been under 230 since high school (30 years ago). Bryan

I used byetta for about 2 years before being banded. It made my digestive system a little rumbly at first, but that went away. I was also on maximum doses of metformin, amaryl, and avandia. Post op, my PCP took me off of byetta first. As my weight loss has progressed, I reduced and cut out the amaryl, and reduced my avandia dose. My blood glucose has never been better. My last A1C was 6.1.

Starting to exercise is a great idea. Additionally, you may want to start easing your way into a liquid diet for your 10 day presurgical run. If you start substituting one meal per day a few days per week, it will be an easier transition to going to full liquids in pre- and post-op. I took 1 week off of work, but I could have gone back after 2 or 3 days. I was needing a bit of down-time. The pre-op time can get a bit stressful (and the exercise will help with that too). Bryan

Have any of you bandsters tried Tai Chi? My wife and I just started taking Taoist Tai Chi classed 2 weeks ago, and we're really diggin' it. We've barely scratched the surface with learning the first 4 of the 108 moves of the tai chi set, but it's deceptively strenuous. It's not at all vigorous exercise, but at the end of a 1.5 hour class I feel like I've gotten pretty good workout. It's also very good for relaxing and reducing stress. The instructors and other tai chi students claim that there are many other health benefits, but I'm just hoping to get stress relief, better balance, and increased range of motion from tai chi. So far I'm pretty happy with tai chi. Has anyone else had either positive or negative experiences with tai chi? Bryan

It's been a good weight-loss week for me down 4 lbs from 233.5 to 229.5. I've finally given up my evening snacking and even hit the gym at lunch time yesterday (for my first lunch time work out, ever). The holidays were tough, and I gained 7 lbs, but I've lost that and 5 more since!

I don't personally know of anyone who went from obese to 6-pack abs, but it's possible. I would think that it would depend on alot of factors that would be different for most people. First off, it would depend on how obese your starting weight was, how successful you are at weight loss, your personal commitment to diet and exercise, your age, your skin elasticity, and whether or not you get (or need) plastic surgery. I'm not shooting for a six-pack. I don't see it as a realistic goal for myself. I've been overweight for my entire life, and I just want to improve my health. Everyone needs their own goals. If a six-pack is your personal weight loss goal, then I wish you the best of success. Bryan

Hi Tiny, Since Christmas and the 4th Thursday of the month coincide in December, the support group is meeting one week earlier. It will be tomorrow (December 18th) at 6:30. Same place as mentioned earlier. Bryan